Abstract: A cyclonic separator for particles suspended in the flow of an air stream. The separator comprises first and second spiral baffles adapted for mating engagement one within the other for imparting cyclonic flow to the air stream for collecting the particles from cyclonic motion thereof. The baffles are oriented with the first baffle rotated relative to the second baffle to therein form a flow path therebetween. The flow path between the baffles has in it a reversing, oppositely directed concentric spiral passage which carries the particles in a first spiral direction and then in a second opposite spiral direction. Each inner terminal end of the first baffle, or each outer terminal end of the second baffle, or both, may include an arcuate region of sharply increasing curvature adapted for collecting strayed paint particles and solvent droplets.

Abstract: A device for separating coarse and/or fine particles from raw gas, including a filter shell with an inlet and an outlet for bulk material, granular bed filters reaching into the raw gas inlet duct, and purified gas outlets communicating with a common outlet duct.

Abstract: A degassification elbow comprises a flow conduit which has an inner wall, an outer wall, and a plurality of openings. Two of the openings are formed by the walls of the flow conduit and at least one of the openings is in the inner wall of the flow conduit and is disposed between two of the openings. A process for use in association with the degassification elbow is also disclosed.

Abstract: A device for use in heating or incineration plants for use as a waste gas filter to eliminate and/or convert harmful elements in the waste gas is disclosed. The device of the subject invention can eliminate soot and soot-like products, or it can serve as a heat exchanger or as a mixing component for a furnace. The device of the subject invention comprises a sintered body made of one or more compression molded highly heat resistant sintered parts. The sintered body manifests high porosity and/or a multitude of intake and outlet channels.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning ducts for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in a building includes a portable primary filter unit and a portable blower and final filter unit. The contaminant material is first loosened in the ducts and is entrained in a stream of air produced by the blower and final filter unit at a vacuum of approximately 4,000 cfm. The air entrained contaminants are passed upwardly through cylindrical filter elements in the primary filter unit where over 90% of the contaminants are removed. The partially contaminated stream is then directed into a fan chamber in the blower and final filter unit, and is then directed through a high efficiency particulate air filter where the remaining contaminants are removed before being discharged into the interior of the building.

Abstract: A powder processing apparatus of the fluidized bed type wherein air is blown into a cylindrical container through its bottom to perform various treatments while keeping powder in the container in fluidized condition. Air fed in through an opening in the bottom surface of the container is introduced into a rotating hollow frusto-conical body and is allowed to blow out in the centrifugal direction from an air diffusion clearance defined between the skirt end of the frusto-concial body and the bottom surface of the container, thereby forming a fluidized bed of powder. The portion of the bottom surface around the opening rises and/or a member made of air-permeable material is installed in the opening in the bottom surface to prevent passage of powder; this arrangement, coupled with the air current blowing out of the air diffusion clearance, prevents entry and hence flow-out of powder.

Abstract: A system for treating and removing toxic by-products of semiconductor plasma etching processes utilizes a collection box having various treatment chambers in seriatim. A heated inlet conducts a vaporous process stream into an expansion chamber where the gas is expanded. The expanded gas flows over a baffle weir into a packing chamber filled with plastic media spheres. In the upper reaches of the packing chamber but below the weir top, a deionized water atomizer sprays deionized water to humidify and cool the expanded gases which allows the water soluble toxic by-products, such as aluminum trichloride, to initially precipitate out and condense on the spheres. With continued water flow the by-products solubilize in the water and flow to an acid drain. Remaining vaporous gaseous exhaust products pass under a weir defining one side of the packing chamber up to an exhaust chamnber where a series of inclined staggered baffles and a strainer trap remove water from the gaseous exhaust and return it to the acid drain.

Abstract: A system for injecting ozone into the water of a swimming pool includes a source of pressurized ozone, a sparger or dispersion member adapted to be mounted on a separate swimming pool vacuum cleaner head, and a flexible conduit connecting the source of pressurized ozone to the dispersion member. The dispersion member receives ozone through the flexible conduit from the source of pressurized ozone and discharges it into the water of the swimming pool for sanitizing purposes while the vacuum cleaner head is moved about within the water of the swimming pool for cleaning purposes. The flexible conduit may be attached to a separate water suction line connected to the swimming pool vacuum cleaner head and be routed alongside the water suction line through a separate skimmer apparatus, and the dispersion member may be weighted sufficiently to compensate for any buoyancy introduce by the flexible conduit.

Abstract: Effluent gas streams from power plants, or other sources, containing entrained particulate matter are conditioned by injecting a conditioning gas such as sulfur trioxide into the flowing gas stream. The conditioning gas is deposited upon the surface of the particulate and reduces its electrical resistivity, improving the performance of electrostatic precipitators through which the flowing gas is passed to precipitate the particulate. At the point of injection, an electrostatic potential is established between the particulate in the flowing gas stream and the conditioning gas molecules, so that the conditioning gas is attracted to the particulate. Interaction of the conditioning gas with the particulate is stronger and more rapid than in the absence of the electrostatic potential at the point of injection.

Abstract: An apparatus for immersing circuit boards in a liquid. The apparatus of the invention generally comprises (a) a conveyor for moving circuit boards along a predetermined path and (b) an immersion pan positionable about at least a portion of said conveyor and operative to hold a quantity of liquid therein such that circuit boards passing along the conveyor will become immersed in said liquid. The conveyor portion of the apparatus may comprise a "roller conveyor" having a series of vertically opposed roller pairs. The immersion pan portion of the apparatus will preferably fit beneath the conveyor and will be provided with an infusion of liquid such that liquid will rise within the pan, thereby submerging at least a portion of the conveyor. Circuit boards moving along the conveyor path will thus become immersed in and pass through the liquid. The liquid may be allowed to cascade over one or more edges of the immersion pan.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for separating impurities from a stream of forced air by gravitational and centrifugal forces subjecting the air stream through a mesh coalescer to coalesce micro impurities of moisture or oil into large droplets which are forced through a helical passaway to condense into liquid. The separated liquid flows downwardly through a liquid protective unit into a liquid storage trap at the bottom of the device. The separated liquid when in the protective unit is free from the moving stream of forced air as latter swirls upwardly into an air filter and escape from an outlet port. The air stream once passed through the mesh coalescer, helical conduit and air filter is substantially free from any impurity.

Abstract: A reservoir used in an automotive power steering system is provided with a first filter disposed within a reservoir body at a location between an inlet and an outlet thereof. The reservoir is further provided with a first guide member for forcing the oil flowed into through the inlet to flow toward the first filter by changing the flow direction of the oil and a second guide member for forcing the oil passed through the first filter to flow toward the outlet by changing the flow direction of the oil. The first guide member is provided with an opening, and a second filter whose mesh is finer than that of the first filter is attached to the opening so as to allow the oil to flow from the inlet to the inside space above the first filter through the second filter. On the other hand, the second guide member is formed with a second opening for allowing the oil passed through the first filter to flow toward the outlet through the second opening.

Abstract: A special bagger unit is provided to remove and contain asbestos, hazardous material, and other particulate matter in an efficient, effective and safe manner. The special bagger unit operates under continuous negative pressure for all phases of operation while preventing emissions of asbestos and other particulates to the atmosphere. Desirably, the special bagger unit has a vacuum operated assembly with a filling member which communicates with an inlet port and a separate fluid outlet port. In the preferred embodiment, the filling member comprises a tubular vacuum cylinder which discharges asbestos and other particulate matter downwardly into a container, such as one or more sealed bags which can be placed in a drum or other vessel. The container is preferably supported and partially sealed by a support platform, such as a moveable platen, supported on a base.

Abstract: An air delievery monitoring system covers an aperture of an air duct with an insert having a bore. A filter element in communication with the inside of that air duct through that bore is made accessible from outside of that duct. Air escapes from the duct through the bore in the insert to the filter element which traps contaminants in such air for subsequent laboratory analysis. The filter element is preferably encapsulated in an apertured filter element housing which is mounted in the insert in communication with its bore. After removal of that housing from the insert, the contaminated filter element can be transported or sent to the laboratory for the performance of several analyses thereon.

Abstract: A HEPA vent filter device comprising a housing having openings in front and back walls, a partition in said housing between said front and back walls positioned at an angle from vertical and defining a framed opening, extensible curtain walls on the exterior of said housing between said front and back walls, a HEPA filter, pivots mounting said HEPA filter for movement toward and away from said framed opening so that air passing through said housing in a first direction moves said HEPA filter away from said framed opening and air passing through said housing in the opposite direction moves said HEPA filter into engagement with said framed opening and a sealing gasket thereon.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing contaminants from vapor utilizing a vertical flow passage through an adsorption bed vertically arranged in an upright housing. The adsorption bed may comprise several layers of gas-adsorbing media particularly suitable for removing corrosive gases such as hydrogen sulfide from air to be maintained at a desired contaminant-free level in a controlled environment. A perforated, conical member positioned in the lower end of the housing serves to support the media bed as well as to evenly distribute contaminated air, pressurized by a blower, upwardly through the media bed.A head section carrying a discharge segment having a purified vapor outlet is rotatably mounted on top of the housing. Rotary adjustment of the head section permits the purified air or other vapor to be discharged in a desired direction at a predetermined location.

Abstract: A portable laser surgery evacuator includes an aspirator contained in the same housing which is positionable in an operating room near a surgical site. Surgical plume is evacuated from the site by vacuum, filtered through moisture, purifying and particle filters, chemically deodorized, and exhausted in cleaned form into the operating room environment. Fluid containing liquid is aspirated by pumping to a collector bag hung on a hose of the evacuator. Gaseous plume components of the fluid are vented from the collector to the evacuator to be cleaned with the plume. The venting is provided by a hose joining the evacuator inlet hose at a Venturi like connection. The evacuator includes a symmetrical reversible charcoal filter having a moisture absorbing cellulose filter at each end. A disposable aspirator pump of the rotating impeller type mounts on a motor shaft extending through the housing and is restrained against rotation by fixed hooks against which the pump fittings are urged by the torque of the motor.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electric vacuum cleaner and the corresponding filter bag (7) which can be removed from a chamber (6) after opening and separating a socket connection. In order to achieve easier, cleaner handling upon changing the filter bag, the chamber (6) is separable by disengagement in a region of the shaft, about which the chamber can pivot, (14) after swinging separation from the filter bag (7).

Abstract: A backflushed panel type filtration system is positionable over the flow discharge opening in a dividing wall separating the material collection and clean air flow chamber portion of an air throughflow type particulate collecting device. The filtration system has a filter media section captively retained within an inner peripheral face frame which, in turn, is nested within an outer support frame, this dual frame structure being provided with upstream and downstream peripheral face sealing gaskets. An upstream side flange portion of the outer frame is insertable into the discharge opening and serves to automatically align the filter structure therewith. An internally partitioned clean air flow shroud is removably positionable atop the filter structure and has flange portions which engage the downstream seal gasket and cooperate with side wall portions of the outer filter frame to automatically align the shroud with the underlying filter structure.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for enhanced removal of SO.sub.2 and fly ash from flue gas by directing the flue gas and an SO.sub.2 sorbent through an electrostatic charger and then through a bag filter where electrostatically improved flue gas/sorbent contact occurs and where the suspended fly ash and sodium sulfate are removed and the gas stream is discharged.