Abstract: An airflow control system of the present invention is positionable between an air producer and a duct exit. The airflow restricter includes an outer airflow restricter ring that has a central diameter. A pivot rod is rotatably positioned along the central diameter. An aerodynamic rotatable airfoil is secured about the pivot rod. The present invention also includes an airflow transition between the air producer having a first-shaped air producer exit and the duct having a second-shaped duct entrance.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for drying printing composition on a print medium are disclosed. A method embodiment for use in a printing device includes depositing printing composition onto a print medium and enclosing the print medium in a sealed environment. The method additionally includes reducing a pressure in the sealed environment below an ambient pressure and heating the print medium in the sealed environment to dry the printing composition on the print medium. An apparatus embodiment for use in a printing device having a print engine for depositing printing composition onto a print medium includes an enclosure configured to provide a sealed environment around the print medium. The apparatus additionally includes a vacuum source fluidly coupled to the enclosure and configured to reduce a pressure in the sealed environment below an ambient pressure and a heater configured to apply heat energy to the print medium in the sealed environment to dry the printing composition on the print medium.

Abstract: An adapter for clothes dryer exhaust vents includes an adapter that fits around a PVC conduit, when such a conduit is used to route dryer vent exhaust from a clothes dryer to the outside of a home or building. The adapter allows much easier installation of a dryer vent when PVC conduit is used. An inverted dryer plenum for a clothes dryer exhaust vent is also disclosed. This inverted dryer plenum is used with an adapter device that may be sized to fit any type of conduit.

Abstract: The present invention provides an odor and moisture removing apparatus and method of manufacturing the same which is suitable for insertion in a shoe or boot. The apparatus includes an outer shell which encloses layers of a woven porous fabric. A porous and absorbent felted material such as “silence cloth” is enclosed between the top/bottom layers and the layers holding the desiccant material. Further, a desiccant material is included between the second and third layers. As embodied, the apparatus is designed to resemble an animal-like creature for added novelty value and customer appeal. Further, an essential oil or fragrance such as vanilla or cinnamon is infused within a portion of the apparatus to mask or further eliminate any remaining odors in the footwear.

Abstract: In the present invention, winding units (19) as a stator (23) are fixedly mounted in a cylindrical housing (1). A rotor (29) is provided on vanes (26) for supplying wind. The rotor (29) is disposed to surround the stator (23), thereby forming a brushless motor (30) that provides a hair direr having low noise level and lighter construction. The rotor has a sufficiently larger dimension in a direction of flow of wind than the stator (23). The stator (23) and rotor (28) are positioned relative to each other such that the center of the stator (23) in the direction of flow of wind is at the same position as the center of the rotor (29) in the direction of flow of wind. Thus, even if the rotor (29) moves slightly in the direction of flow of wind when the rotor (29) is rotating, the torque will not change significantly.

Abstract: Apparatus for spinning a work piece such as a semiconductor wafer includes a work piece platform that is configured to be rotated about a central axis. Arrayed about the periphery of the platform is a plurality of spaced apart, symmetrically positioned work piece supports. Each of the supports includes a resilient bumper that serves both to support the work piece and as a friction brake to retard slippage of the work piece relative to the platform when the platform and work piece are rotating, and especially when the platform is accelerating or decelerating. Also arrayed about the periphery of the work piece platform is a plurality of work piece gripper assemblies configured to center the work piece in contact with the work piece supports when the platform is rotating. The gripper assemblies include a gripper finger that is configured to pivot about a pivot axis from a non work piece gripping position to a work piece gripping position in response to centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the platform.

Abstract: This device for treating items stored in at least one container (12), comprises means (14) for supplying the containers with a treatment gas and means (16) for continuously purging the containers, the supply means being equipped with means (22) for regulating the pressure of the treatment gas upstream of the containers. The purging means comprise a gas ejector (28) connected to the outlet of the containers (12) and supplied with a drive gas so as to regulate the pressure of the treatment gas downstream of the containers (12) and thus control the flow rate of the treatment gas therein.

Abstract: The grain dryer of the present invention has upper and lower heat plenums, with first and second grain conduits, with each conduit having an upper section and a lower section, and a central crossover section between the upper and lower sections. The upper section of each conduit is on one side of the upper heat plenum, while the lower section of each conduit is on the opposite side of the lower heat plenum. The crossover sections of each conduit extend the respective conduits from one side of the upper heat plenum to the opposite side of the lower heat plenum.

Abstract: A dual in-line portable electric hair drying appliance includes independently operational heaters to provide optimized performance and a multitude of operating conditions that are found to be advantageous in the drying and styling of hair.

Abstract: An apparatus for heatsetting a knitted fabric in tubular form comprises flat expansion means which extend the tubular fabric in substantially flattened form, with two superimposed surfaces, and cause said fabric to assume a preselected width, conveying means which feed said flattened tubular fabric, heatsetting elements which form at least one air flow, at a preselected temperature, and guiding rods associated with the conveying elements and the heatsetting elements; the rods being capable of supporting internally the flattened tubular fabric along its side edges, owing to the action of the heatsetting elements, while keeping the side edges extended, leaving the two superimposed surfaces free to be passed through by the air flow and keeping the width of the flattened tubular fabric unchanged.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for making the drying of materials, particularly finely divided materials, more effective, in which method, of a slurry containing liquid and solids there is made a filter cake (2,12,22) onto the surface of the filter medium (1,11,21). According to the invention, the filter cake (2,12,22) and the oscillator (6,15,25) are arranged, in relation to each other, so that in between the filter cake (2,12,22) and the oscillator (6,15,25), there is generated an acoustic field by virtue of a mechanical contact between the filter cake (2,12,22) and the oscillator (6,15,25) or a structural element (7,16,26) connected to the oscillator.

Abstract: A high capacity grain aeration apparatus (10) is provided which includes opposed, upright, tubular, ported inlet and outlet ducts (24,26) positioned within a grain bin (12) and having inlet and outlet fans (28, 30) adjacent the upper ends of the ducts (24, 26). The ducts (24, 26) preferably present smooth, uncorrugated walls (40, 44). In use, aeration air is directed through the inlet duct (24) and then transversely through the ports (42) to the interior (20) of grain bin (12). Such air flows transversely through the grain within bin (12) and is pulled upwardly through outlet duct (26) by means of outlet fan (30). Additional aeration air enters through vents (50) or the grain inlet port (47) and enters the outlet duct ports (46) by passing through the grain.

Abstract: A body dryer is provided including a housing having an elongated height. Also included is a mirror mounted on the housing. A heating mechanism is situated along the height of the housing for expelling heated air therefrom.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing an elastomeric article such as a glove includes an enclosure having a gas-filled interior, a support that receives the elastomeric article thereon and supports the elastomeric article within the enclosure, and a source of a gaseous cleaning agent which introduces a gaseous flow of the gaseous cleaning agent into the interior of the enclosure to contact the elastomeric article. The cleaning agent dislodges particulate contaminant from the elastomeric article and entrains the particulate contaminant in the gaseous flow as it passes by the elastomeric article. The source of the gaseous cleaning agent comprises a nebulizer source of a vaporized cleaning material, and a weakly ionized plasma source disposed within the interior of the enclosure and proximate to the article support location to create a weakly ionized plasma in the ambient atmosphere adjacent to the article support location.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying, cooling, winding up and transverse cooling of a paper web. A lopping device is provided downstream of a conveyor segment lifting the web over the winder or sheet cutter, whichever is proximal to the cooler, the paper web then reaching a bifurcation from then which it may be directed to engagement with the mandrel in a winding readiness position of the coiler or to a conveyor segment for the transverse cutter.

Abstract: A drying apparatus is disclosed. The drying apparatus comprises a drying housing, a heat pump unit and a heat pump piping. The interior of the drying housing is divided into a drying chamber and a circulation passage by a partition wall. The circulation passage is divided into upper and lower passages by a partition plate. Dampers are respectively mounted on the partition plate and the upper and lower portions of the outside wall of the circulation passage, and a heated air inlet and an air outlet are respectively formed on the upper and lower portions of the partition wall. The heat pump unit is disposed with its condenser situated in the heated air inlet and its evaporator situated in the atmosphere. The heat piping is disposed with its condensing portion situated in front of the sucking side of the evaporator and its evaporating portion situated in front of the heated air outlet in the drying chamber.