Abstract: A vacuum generating device, such as a wet/dry vacuum, is attached to a faucet by an attachment member. The attachment member includes a faucet connector, for connecting to the faucet, and a vacuum connector, for connecting to the vacuum generating device. The faucet connector and vacuum connector are fluidly connected by a conduit. The method for draining plumbing lines includes the step of shutting off the external supply of water to the plumbing lines. The vacuum generating device is then connected to a first faucet, and the valve to the first faucet is opened. The vacuum generating device is then activated and the valves to the remaining faucets are opened in order to create a pressure differential in the plumbing lines. The pressure differential causes water in the lines to flow into the vacuum generating device.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump assembly and method of using same including a vertical or horizontal overhung housing assembly having a primary inlet, a primary discharge, a secondary inlet and a secondary discharge. A shaft is in spaced relationship within the overhung housing assembly. A single primary impeller is mounted on the shaft for receiving fluid from the primary inlet and discharging fluid through the primary discharge. A booster impeller is mounted on the shaft and juxtaposed the main impeller for receiving fluid from the secondary inlet and discharging fluid through the secondary discharge. All fluid introduced to the secondary inlet originates from the primary discharge or may be diverted from the fluid flow upstream of the centrifugal pump assembly or the primary impeller. The fluid in the secondary inlet flows through the booster impeller and discharges through the secondary discharge. The secondary discharge is separate from the primary discharge.

Abstract: In a non-metallic pump for pumping molten metal including a shaft, a motor at one end of the shaft, an impeller at the other end of the shaft, and a base having a chamber in which the impeller is rotatable, the improvement being a dynamically balanced impeller comprising a cylindrical center hub and five vanes extending outwardly from the hub, wherein the vanes are equally spaced around the periphery of the hub.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrically-controlled vacuum-enclosed cryogenic valve including firstly a body receiving the seat for a valve member, and inlet and outlet channels for a cryogenic fluid, the body and the channels being disposed in an enclosure in which a vacuum is created, and secondly a moving valve member whose stem is actuated by moving core and a control electromagnetic winding, a return spring pressing the valve member against its seat in the absence of excitation. In accordance with the present invention, the moving core of such a valve is placed inside the vacuum enclosure which is secured to a a sleeve that separates the moving core from the control electromagnetic winding, which is placed outside the enclosure. Preferably, a bellows that is secured both to the valve body and to the stem implements sealing between the vacuum enclosure and the fluid flowing through the channels.

Abstract: A seal is provided between an inner flowpath and inner band of a turbine frame for confining cooling air channeled therebetween. The seal includes a frustoconical seal support and a radially outer seal ring integrally joined to a smaller diameter distal end of the support. A radially inner ring is fixedly joined to the inner band coaxially with the outer ring and is spaced radially inwardly thereof to define a gap therebetween sized for limiting leakage of cooling air from a chamber defined between the seal and inner flowpath.

Abstract: A device for controlling the pitch of the blades of a turbomachine rotor includes an electric motor having a stator which is stationary and a rotor, preferably of the permanent magnet or asynchronous kind, which is mounted on the turbomachine shaft and is rigidly secured to a toothed wheel meshing with pinion sectors rigidly secured to the roots of the blades, and a mechanism for locking the blade roots in position which includes an electromechanical actuator rigidly secured to the shaft and electrically powered by a rotary transformer.

Abstract: A drying apparatus for drying a fibre web (5) between two air-tight bands (1, 2) moving in the same direction. One band (1) is heated by hot steam and the other band (2) is cooled by water, and the fibre web (5) is passed through a drying zone formed by the bands (1, 2) with at least one felt or wire (3, 4) so that the fibre web (5) is in contact with the surface of the heated band, and the felt or wire (3, 4) is between the fibre web (5) and the cooled band (2). In the invention the drying zone and the water chamber (14) cooling the lower band (2) are in communication with each other for controlling the pressure difference between them by a simple connection, such as a pipe (25) opening at a suitable height.

Abstract: In a propeller for a boat, a plurality of stationary blades and a plurality of variable blades are alternately disposed around an outer periphery of a propeller boss. Exhaust passages are formed in the propeller boss to axially pass through the propeller boss at location corresponding to the stationary blades. Despite the provision of the variable blade which is variable in diameter or pitch, the exhaust passage can be formed into a large sectional area in the blade boss without being obstructed by a blade shaft for the variable blade.

Abstract: A fan (31) and fan drive (11) assembly in which the fan includes a spider (33), typically a metal stamping, defining fastener openings (41), each including larger opening (43) and a smaller opening (45). Adjacent the smaller opening, the spider defines a raised ramp portion (47). The fan drive includes an output (13) defining fan mounting portions (21), each of which includes a head portion (25), and a shank portion (27). Upon assembly, the head portions (25) align with, then pass axially through the larger openings (43), then the fan is rotated relative to the fan drive, resulting in the shank portions (27) moving into the smaller openings (45) and the head portions (25) passing over and deforming the ramp portions (47), thus tightly engaging the fan spider (33) to the fan drive output member (13).

Abstract: A method for separating volatile components from a particulate base material by induction heating, which method comprises: heating a particulate base material in an induction heating vessel within a gas-tight reactor by induction heating; agitating said particulate base material by induction heated agitator means; introducing inert gas into said base material; and evacuating volatilized components from said particulate base material.A method for separating volatile components from a solid object by induction heating, which method comprises: positioning the solid object in an induction vessel of a gas-tight induction heating reactor, so that the object is surrounded by metal filings; heating said object surrounded by said metal filings by induction heating; injecting an inert gas into said metal filings; evacuating volatile components from within said reactor; and removing metal filings from the object.

Abstract: A rotor cooling circuit includes a cooling medium supply reservoir for supplying cooling medium to a plurality of axial passages through the turbine wheel and spacer disc rims. A passageway communicates cooling medium from the reservoir for flow in series and in a serpentine manner in and about the cavities between the wheels and discs. The flows are reunited at a plenum for flowing the cooling medium into first and second stage buckets. Return passages through the rims of the wheels and spacer discs return spent cooling medium from the buckets to a return location external of the rotor. Transition elements between the buckets and spacer plates in the rotor rim accommodate any thermal mismatch between the adjoining buckets and spacer plates to prevent cooling medium leakage at the joints.

Abstract: Gas turbine engine fan blade with a metallic airfoil having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a radially outer tip, and at least one laser shock peened surface located along the leading edge with a region having deep compressive residual stresses imparted by laser shock peening (LSP) extending into the airfoil from the laser shock peened surface.

Abstract: A support for peripherally supporting the rotor of a fluid driven turbine and for power take-off of energy by transformation of peripheral speed of the rotor to use such as to drive one or more electric generators to provide electric power output as determined by available wind energy.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump having a rotatable impeller that operates to drain liquid into the intake of the pump. An air-introduction passage connects with a subatmospheric pressure region at the back of the impeller. Air introduced through this passage is mixed with a portion of the fluid pumped, and the air-fluid mixture is expelled as the discharge of the pump.

Abstract: The device comprises anti-cone stops projecting outwards from a common ring that can rotate about the rotor axis on the top face of the hub and flyweights are each individually joined to the ring for driving the latter in rotation from the "ground" position, in which each anti-cone stop is facing an upper bearing shoe of the corresponding blade, to the "flight" position, in which the anti-cone stops are retracted, returning them to the "ground" position.

Abstract: A family of environmentally-resistant alloys is provided which are suitable for forming a blade tip for a turbine blade of a gas turbine engine. The blade tip alloys preferably have a chemical composition of, in weight percent, about 14 to about 18 percent chromium, about 6.45 to about 6.95 percent aluminum, about 9.75 to about 11.45 percent cobalt, about 5.95 to about 6.55 percent tantalum, about 1.85 to about 2.35 percent rhenium, about 0.05 to about 1.75 percent hafnium, about 0.006 to about 0.03 percent zirconium, about 0.02 to about 0.11 percent carbon, up to about 1.1 percent silicon, up to about percent 0.01 percent boron, with the balance being nickel and typical impurities.

Abstract: A fan for a vacuum cleaner has a fan housing, motor and impeller. The fan housing has an inlet and outlet. The impeller has a hub and multiple flexible blades. This flexible blade fan provides better air performance, less noise, better durability, and easier impeller installation than conventional vacuum cleaner fans.

Abstract: A forward-swept, low-noise rotor blade includes an inboard section, an aft-swept section and a forward-swept outboard section. The rotor blade reduces the noise of rotorcraft, including both standard helicopters and advanced systems such as tiltrotors. The primary noise reduction feature is the forward sweep of the planform over a large portion of the outer blade radius. The rotor blade also includes an aft-swept section. The purpose of the aft-swept region is to provide a partial balance to pitching moments produced by the outboard forward-swept portion of the blade. The rotor blade has a constant chord width; or has a chord width which decreases linearly along the entire blade span; or combines constant and decreasing chord widths, wherein the blade is of constant chord width from the blade root to a certain location on the rotor blade, then decreases linearly to the blade tip thereafter. The noise source showing maximum noise reduction is blade-vortex interaction (BVI) noise.

Abstract: A turbine nozzle and shroud assembly having a preestablished rate of thermal expansion is positioned in a gas turbine engine and being attached to conventional metallic components. The metallic components having a preestablished rate of thermal expansion being greater than the preestablished rate of thermal expansion of the turbine nozzle vane assembly. The turbine nozzle vane assembly includes a plurality of segmented vane defining a first vane segment and a second vane segment. Each of the first and second vane segments having a vertical portion. Each of the first vane segments and the second vane segments being positioned in functional relationship one to another within a recess formed within an outer shroud and an inner shroud. The turbine nozzle and shroud assembly provides an economical, reliable and effective ceramic component having a preestablished rate of thermal expansion being less than the preestablished rate of thermal expansion of the other component.

Abstract: A hollow airfoil (10) for a gas turbine engine having a leading edge (12), a trailing edge (14), a pressure side (20), and a suction side (22) includes a plurality of internal spanwise stiffening ribs (31-35) that are arranged in a logarithmic pattern. The particular arrangement of internal fibs (31-35) optimizes stiffness of the airfoil (10) without significantly increasing the weight thereof.