Abstract: A propeller in particular for a ship has blades each of which is pivotally arranged in the hub of the propeller so that the blade is capable of pivoting to and fro in an axial plane between forward and rearward positions. The blades are constructed such that each of the blade profiles formed as the intersecting face between a cylinder face coaxial with a propeller and a blade, is symmetrical in a position between forward and rearward positions which are determined by fixed stops in the hub and/or the simultaneous actions of the centrifugal force and the hydrodynamic pressure on the blade at a predetermined speed of rotation. This imparts a high efficiency and a quiet and steady operation to the propeller, when the ship navigates forwardly and rearwardly.

Abstract: A method and device for contact-free treatment of a web in which the web is treated, for example supported, reversed, spread, carried, and/or dried, by blowings which provide a carrier-face zone. The carrier-face zone has a curved form regulatable in a direction transverse to the direction of progress of the web. The nozzle-carrier face unit of the device is bent to the curved form in the cross direction of the machine while a frame part of the device is kept in a stationary position. The device includes a regulation arrangement for bending the nozzle-carrier-face unit to a curve form in the direction transverse to the running direction of the web while the frame part of the device is supported in a stationary position.

Abstract: An impeller structure of a closed type centrifugal pump suitable for inelastic fluids such as an engine coolant, comprises front and rear shrouds having a driven connection with a pump drive shaft, and a series of blades provided between the front and rear shrouds for pressurizing an incoming fluid. An inner edge (17a) of a first blade of two adjacent blades is formed to be up-sloped from its inside corner to its outside corner, whereas an inner edge (17c) of a second blade of the two adjacent blades is formed to be down-sloped from its outside corner to its inside corner, so as to enhance an efficiency of the pump, suppressing occurrence of cavitation at or near the pump inlet.

Abstract: A centrifugal fan includes a housing that defines an air inlet leading to an air chamber defined within the fan impeller and an air exit port coupled to an air passageway. The housing includes a shroud that defines a two zone air passageway in the housing. The first zone, commencing adjacent to the base of the exhaust port, is a conformal portion that is conformal to the exterior diameter of the centrifugal fan and spaced slightly apart therefrom. The second zone of the shroud is a scroll portion wherein the angle of expansion is capable of expanding between 10.degree. and 15.degree.. An air restrictor plate is supported inside the air chamber of the centrifugal fan. At the greatest width of the air restrictor plate, the air restrictor plate subtends an arc that is substantially coextensive with the arc subtended by the first conformal zone of the shroud. The restrictor prevents the flow of inlet air through the centrifugal fan in the region of the conformal shroud.

Abstract: A clothes washing machine includes a water drain having a motor-actuated valve. The motor drives first and second rotatable members in a common first direction until the second rotatable member reaches a drain-opening position for actuating a drain-opening mechanism to open the drain valve. Simultaneously, an electric switch is operated to temporarily de-energize the motor in order to keep the valve open for a predetermined period. After the motor restarts (i.e., once the draining has been completed) the first and second motors are again rotated in the common first direction until a cam on the second rotatable member engages a fixed cam. The cam on the second rotatable member rides on the fixed cam to disengage the second movable member for rotation relative to the first rotatable member in a second direction to reclose the drain valve.

Abstract: An arrangement for clipping stress peaks in the anchoring of a turbine blade including a root that is shaped like a Christmas tree, that includes tangs, and that is received in a correspondingly-shaped groove in a disk so as to anchor the blade thereto, wherein the outline of each tang, on the extrados side of the blade root, is such that the clearance for mounting the root in its groove, on the extrados side, is not uniform but rather it includes at least one zone in which the clearance varies, the zone corresponding to a zone of the tang in question where, if the disk-and-blade assembly were rotating at its rated speed of rotation, there would otherwise occur a stress peak relative to the mean stress along the tang if the blade were mounted with constant clearance along the entire length of the tang, the varying clearance varying along the at least one zone with the same sign as the stress peak.

Abstract: This invention relates to a closure for the outlet of a fan. A fan has an outlet opening 12 in a fan case volute 10 which is closed by a hinged flap 13, the weight of the flap being compensated by a counterweight arm 15. When the flap 13 closes opening 12, counterweight arm 15 is latched by latch 32 carried by spring 26 which must deform before the flap can open. Alternatively, the latch 32 is itself a resilient spring. The flap will only open when sufficient static pressure is applied by the fan, and the resilient latch 25, 32 will prevent "flutter" which might be otherwise caused by outside air currents.

Abstract: A recirculation fan portable mounting apparatus is disclosed comprising a generally flat mounting plate having an upper surface and a lower surface. Protruding above the upper surface are a pair of oppositely mounted grasping hooks extending upward there from. The central aperture in the middle of the mounting plate allows for passage of electrical cords through the mounting plate. The eye bolts are then threaded to the under side of the plate at a central location as to eventually impinge a support member between each eye bolt and the tongue portion of the protruded mounting clamps.

Abstract: A large air moving fan has a number of hollow airfoil blades extending generally radially from a rotatable hub. The tips of the blades are surrounded by a circumferential shroud leaving a narrow gap between the tips of the blades and the shroud. A fin on the tip of each blade extends substantially perpendicular to the transverse cross section of the blade. The outline of the fin corresponds approximately to the shape the airfoil at the tip of the blade and the fin is curved so as to be substantially parallel to the shroud. It is believed that the fin prevents direct radial flow of a boundary layer of air from the outside surface of the blade into the gap between the tip of the blade and the shroud. This reduces the turbulence adjacent to the tip of the blade since the air traveling radially along the blade does not mix as violently with air passing through the gap from the high pressure side of the fan to the low pressure side of the fan. Noise reduction in the order of 3 db is obtained.

Abstract: An automatic control of clamping forces in primary nozzle systems of radial turbines. Pressure to an closed annular volume positioned between a turbine housing and an axially adjustable mounting ring is varied to regulate the clamping forces against inlet vanes which form primary nozzles. A controller compares process control data with nozzle position data to detect onset of excessive blow-by, in which case pressure is increased in the closed annular volume to move the mounting rings closer together. The controller also compares expected and actual system data to detect onset of excessive clamping, in which case pressure is increased in the closed annular volume to increase clamping forces.

Abstract: A ram air turbine power system is provided with a deployable ram air turbine mounted in-line with a power supply unit such as an electrical generator and/or an hydraulic pump. The ram air turbine includes a turbine shaft supported for rotation by bearings within a generator housing, wherein a rear end of the turbine shaft and a generator shaft are supported by a common bearing, and further wherein the forwards ends of the turbine and generator shafts are supported by a pair of bearings separated by a resilient bearing mount. In addition, the in-line ram air turbine and related power supply unit are supported from a hollow strut with hydraulic and electrical lines and related mechanical linkages extending therethrough.

Abstract: A mounting arrangement for a fan assembly having a fan mounting plate. The mounting plate is adapted to be received in a structural retainer at a lower end thereof and is provided with a notch in the upper edge thereof which is adapted to engage a U-shaped bracket in the wall to which the assembly is being attached. Attachment of the mounting plate to the wall is achieved by use of a retaining clip comprising three spaced parallel fingers. The middle finger of the clip is received within the U-shaped bracket and the two other fingers are adapted to engage the plate on opposite sides of the notch. When the clip is inserted into engagement, the thickness of the fingers is such that the clip is frictionally retained in the described position to thereby hold the plate in operable engagement with the wall.

Abstract: A blisk includes a disk and a plurality of inner airfoils extending radially outwardly therefrom, with each of the inner airfoils having an integral shroud support at a radially outer end thereof. A plurality of outer airfoils extend radially outwardly from respective ones of the shroud supports, and a plurality of discrete shroud segments are disposed respectively between adjacent ones of the shroud supports to collectively form an annular shroud for radially separating flow between the inner and outer airfoils. Each of the shroud segments is removably joined to only one of the adjacent shroud supports to improve manufacturing access, to allow replacability, and to allow differential movement and friction damping during operation.

Abstract: A turbine shroud includes an annular shroud support joined to an annular outer casing and spaced radially inwardly therefrom to define an annular flow duct for receiving compressor bleed air. A plurality of shroud panels are joined to the shroud support and have a radially inner surface positionable radially above turbine rotor blades to define a tip clearance therebetween. An isolation shield is joined to the shroud support radially above the panels and includes a plurality of open-ended cells facing radially outwardly in the duct toward the outer casing for inducing drag in the bleed air flowable axially through the duct to thermally isolate the shroud support from the bleed air for controlling the tip clearance.

Abstract: The cantilevered stator vanes of the compressor section of the gas turbine engine are treated by including a rotating hub having a by-pass passage for removing the low momentum fluid from the main air stream adjacent to the tips of the stator vanes in the compressor and returning it back into the main air stream after having treated the air while avoiding penalties and excessive heating. A plurality of vanes are circumferentially spaced in the by-pass passage for removing vortices and streamlining the flow before injected the air back into the airstream. The vane passage hub treatment is fabricated in a single cast piece in one embodiment, in a three ring configuration in another embodiment and in a segmented ring configuration in still another embodiment.

Abstract: A water-proof outdoor ceiling fan mounting structure including of a water-proof mounting assembly for fastening to an overhead support, and a fan unit having a fan motor coupled to the water-proof mounting, wherein the water-proof mounting assembly comprises a shaft having a top end and a bottom end fixedly secured to the fan motor, a top rain-cap having a tubular bottom center stem sleeved onto the top end of the shaft, a cup mounted around the shaft, a hood mounted around the shaft retained between the top rain-cap and the cup, a water-proof fan motor cover mounted around the shaft and covered over the fan motor, and a lower rain-cap mounted around the shaft and retained between the water-proof fan motor cover and the cup, the cup having a plurality of mounting holes around the border to fasten the cup to an overhead support atached to a ceiling, a center tube, which receives the shaft, and a wire hole through which an electric wire is inserted and connected to the electric circuit of the fan unit.

Abstract: A noise deduction for a rotorcraft includes a unit to produce compressed air, a drive shaft provided with a first air supply passage in which the compressed air from the air-producing unit flows, and rotor blades provided with second air supply passages in which the air from the first air supply passage flows. In order to eject the compressed air supplied from the rotor blades, ejection nozzles having an ejection adjusting mechanism therein are arranged at respective blade tips of the rotor blades and respective trailing edges thereof in the rotational direction. In operation, the ejection nozzles eject the compressed air to the radial direction of the rotor blades, so that, since the blade tip vortex in the vicinity of the blade tip of the preceding rotor blade is relocated outside the blade tip of the following rotor blade, a direct collision thereof on the vortex can be avoided.

Abstract: A hand-held deodorizer which includes a cylindrical housing having a centrally mounted fan, and upper and lower air permeable barriers. At least one of the air permeable barriers includes a filter which absorbs odors from air drawn therethrough. The deodorizer further includes a U-shaped handle attached to the periphery of the housing disguising the deodorizer so it resembles a drinking mug. The handle contains batteries and a push-button switch permitting the user to selectively provide power to rotate the fan. The deodorizer can easily be transported and manipulated by the handle and placed adjacent a source of wretched odor. Upon actuation of the push-button switch, the fan draws air from the source of odor through the filter or filters where the wretched odor is reduced or eliminated, and dissipates the odor-reduced air into the surrounding environment. A flagrance impregnated member masks the scent of the dissipated air by providing it with a pleasant odor.

Abstract: A method of converting industrial, domestic or other sludge, into a pelletized or granular fertilizer, as well as a sludge converter for practicing the method. The sludge is dewatered to form sludge cake solids which are dried in a dryer, and then sorted with a sorter into a sorted product comprising oversized, undersized, and standard sized product. Oversized product containing fibrous material is reduced in size by grinding in a hammermill. A portion of the sorted product is recycled for mixing and sizing in a mixer with the dewatered sludge cake solids. To control dust and odors, cyclones and a condenser remove a substantial portion of the gaseous particulate matter and condensable gases from the converter, and any remaining noncondensates are burned in the heat source flame. A waste oil burning heat source supplies heat energy to the dryer.

Abstract: A fluid actuated ball check valve assembly having an annular housing containing a ball valve. The annular housing has a first end and a second end. The annular housing defines a fluid passageway having a passageway axis extending therethrough. A fluid actuated ball valve is pivotally mounted in the fluid passageway. The ball valve defines a bore having a bore extending therethrough. Resilient members, such as a sleeve in contact with a coiled spring, engage the ball valve to maintain the ball valve in the fluid passageway. Pressurized fluid in the fluid passageway at the first end of the annular housing causes the ball valve to pivot from a closed position to an open position to allow fluid to flow through the fluid passageway from the first end to the second end of the annular housing.