Abstract: Hydraulic line switcher (10) for use with a hydraulic food cutting system having flexible tube (50) supported in cradle (52). Flexible tube (50) is conically tapered from a larger inlet to a smaller outlet and attached to slide plate (78). Air cylinder (94), through lever (104) is used to selectively position slide plate (78) to one of a plurality of discharge ports quickly enough to prevent initiation of system blockage, and with sufficient force to shear trapped food product.

Abstract: Heat exchanger, particularly for use as a rack evaporator in refrigerators or freezers, including a plurality of stacked shelves and comprising for each shelf: a coil, constituted by a tubular body extending along a path with bends alternated with straight and substantially mutually co-planar portions and by a supporting and/or heat-exchange enhancement structure constituted by metal rods welded to the coil and forming, above the coil, a supporting surface which is substantially parallel to the plane of arrangement of the coil. The coil has, for each shelf, at least one portion that is disconnected from the supporting and/or heat-exchange enhancement structure, and this portion lies substantially parallel to the longer straight portions of the coil and proximate to one side of the shelf. This portion disconnected from the supporting and/or heat-exchange enhancement structure is connected to a tubular portion that mutually connects the coils of two shelves which are not mutually co-planar.

Abstract: A switching manifold in conjunction with a refrigerant gauge which provides means for switching between refrigerant testing, charging, liquid recovery and vapor recovery modes without the need to change or reconnect any hoses and/or conduits. The invention contains a matrix of channels to which a refrigeration system, recovery machine and recovery tank may be connected. Vapor and fluid flows are directed by a cylindrical switch assembly without the need for conduit changes.

Abstract: The flow trim has inner and outer, spaced apart, tubular cylindrical, coextensive, ported walls which project across the inlet of the choke. A tubular throttling collar may be advanced longitudinally through the annular space between the ported walls, to vary the flow area of the ports. The arrangement enables staging of the pressure drop in increments through the ports of the choke. This reduces cavitation.

Abstract: The features of a surgical slush machine are augmented by a separate warming basin for surgical liquid to thereby permit simultaneous availability of the warmed liquid and surgical slush. The slush cooling basin is disposed adjacent the warming basin, and a common sterile drape is disposed over and contoured to both basins to provide separate sterile receptacles in the drape for the liquid and slush. Basin centering indicia on the drape facilitate deployment of the drape relative to the basins. Cooling and heating of the respective basins are effected independently with individual power controls.

Abstract: A valve comprising a valve body having a through opening that forms a fluid passage and having a wall surrounding a portion of the fluid passage, the wall defining a radially inwardly facing surface, the valve further including a valve element rotatably mounted in the valve body. To retain a valve seat in the valve body, there is provided a ring that has a peripheral surface shaped and sized such that the peripheral surface closely faces the radially inwardly facing surface of the wall when the ring is positioned within the through opening. The ring has a first axially facing side and a second axially facing side and a notch formed in the first side, the ring also having a second, radially outwardly facing annular groove in the peripheral surface that intersects the notch. When the ring is positioned within the through opening of the valve body, the first and second annular grooves are in register and thereby define an annular channel.

Abstract: A liquid-regulating valve comprises a cylinder tube (6) having holes (7) through which liquid can pass in radial jets. Further, the valve comprises a piston (9) and a distributing means (15) which is fixedly mounted in the cylinder-tube (6) and consists of several radial walls (16) upon which impinge the liquid jets entering through the cylinder tube holes (7) to be disintegrated and divided into part flows. At one end, the distributing means (15) has a cover plate (20) which, at the periphery, merges into an annular flange (21) projecting axially from the plate and serving to divert and guide the liquid part flows that, after impinging upon the radial walls of the distributing means, are directed towards the cover plate (20) and follow the plate along a substantially axial path of motion.

Abstract: A body of generally triangular cross-section has ports opening onto compartments formed therein, which are contiguous with, and fair into a curved drainage channel in the body. Too, diaphragm-controlled openings in the body are bisected by a partition, in traverse of the body, the edges of which define fluid-passing or -restricting weirs. The openings and lowermost portions of the weirs or edges of the partition also blend with, and fair into the channel level, whereby the body presents a horizontal drainage plane for fluids, when installed in a horizontal disposition in a fluid process piping system. Too, side walls of the body are inclined, defining therebetween an angle of from forty to eighty degrees of arc, to enhance fluid flow through the body.

Abstract: A drilling mud circulating tank clean out valve is formed by a wedge-shaped valve body having an apertured planar surface secured to the wall of the circulating tank around a cleanout opening adjacent its bottom to form a fluid outlet passageway. A wedge-shaped valve is vertically moveable in the valve body for seating and sealing with a valve seat.

Abstract: A differential pressure regulator and accompanying system enabling accurate metering of fluid under high-pressure, low-flow conditions. An annular passage within the fluid flow path of the regulator creates an additional pressure drop within the regulator to reduce fluid velocity within the regulator and associated wear problems. A ball and seat mechanism is specially sized with respect to a piston and provides improved accuracy.

Abstract: A three-way diverter valve comprising a rotatable valve member to which are mounted a number of sealing faces, each face being adapted to seal against one of the inlet or outlet of one of the paths the member being movable between a first position in which both the inlet and outlet of a first path are sealed, and both the inlet and outlet of the second path are open for fluid to flow therethrough, and a second position in which both the inlet and outlet of the first path are open for fluid to flow therethrough and both the inlet and outlet of the second path are sealed, movement of the member effecting sealing or opening of the inlet and outlet of each flow path substantially simultaneously, both paths being at least partially open for fluid to flow therethrough when the member is between the first and second positions.

Abstract: In a sewage piping system that includes a new sewer main line that crosses existing lateral sewer lines, a rotary valve is installed at the intersection of the main line and each lateral line. Ditches containing the lines may be backfilled. Before completion and testing of the new main line; the valve permits the existing lateral line to be used as before. Thereafter the valve is rotated from above ground to connect the lateral line to the new main line and to seal off the unused portion of the lateral line.

Abstract: A design for a ball valve seat uses elastomer and a hard material such as graphite or plastic to seal both high and low pressures. The seat is ring shaped. The seal is positioned on one end. In one embodiment, a rubber O-ring is installed in an outer groove, a plastic ring is installed in the inner groove. In another embodiment, the rubber is chemically heat bonded on the outside diameter of the plastic ring. The combination insert is installed in a single groove. Under low pressure, the rubber ring is compressed by a backing spring and urged against the ball to complete the seal. At higher pressures, the rubber ring is compressed more until the plastic ring contacts the ball. By the time the pressure reaches the initial plastic sealing pressure (below 1000 psig by design) the pressure between rubber ring and plastic ring will be the initial plastic sealing pressure. The low pressure zone will remain low pressure even when the upstream pressure is further increased.

Abstract: A combustion furnace is provided which is convertible in the field for upflow or downflow operation. The furnace includes a cabinet in which a burner, heat exchanger, air blower and combustion gas blower are located. The burner, heat exchanger and combustion gas blower are mounted on a vestibule panel, which is removably mountable at opposed first and second mounting positions within the cabinet, whereby the burner, heat exchanger and combustion gas blower are reversibly positionable with respect to the air blower. The combustion gas blower is coupled to an elongated flue for exhausting combustion gases from the cabinet and is positionable with respect to the air blower to allow the flue to clear the compartment in which the air blower is located when the apparatus is configured for downflow operation. The vestibule panel includes an extruded portion extending into the air flowing across the heat exchanger.

Abstract: A pneumatic control system for providing pressurized air and vacuum to ophthalmic microsurgical instruments. The pneumatic system is constructed in a drawer assembly to allow it to be readily inserted into or removed from a modularly constructed cabinet of a microsurgical control console. In addition, the pneumatic system improves upon existing pneumatic control systems by providing a third mode of microscissors operation from a single-pneumatic port. The third mode is made possible by a high speed three-way solenoid control valve which provides rapid pulses of air to the pneumatic port. A second improvement involves the use of a pneumatic pressure transducer to monitor pneumatic pressure being supplied to the pneumatic system in order to recognize non-hazardous transient drops in air pressure which can occur under certain normal operating conditions.

Abstract: This invention relates to ball valves. One problem with conventional ball valves is that opening and closing the valve causes the valve seal to scrape across the valve seat. This reduces the life of the seal. This scraping problem can be eliminated by retracting the seal from the seat before turning the valve.In this invention, the ball valve has two coaxial handle assemblies. The outer, lever, assembly turns the valve closure member within its housing. The inner, handwheel, assembly is used independently to retract or extend the valve seal from or to the valve seat. The retraction or extension is achieved by use of a jack-screw shaft which pushes the seal in and out. The jack screw shaft is driven by a series of gears--a first bevel gear, a ring gear, and a second bevel gear--driven by the inner handle assembly. The ball valve is also provided with an inspection port. This port permits inspection, repair, or replacement of the valve seal while the valve is in use in its open position.

Abstract: A device (20) mounted on the exterior of, and communicating with the interior of, plenum (19) or output ducts (18), of an existing air conditioning and heating system of an enclosed structure, to combine the elements of air, and the elements of a scent producing, disinfecting, or germacidal chemical, utilizing, and upstream of, the air currents produced by the fan in the system to distribute the elements mixture at the outlets of output ducts (18) into the areas they serve. The amount of mixture flow, determined by the user, is controlled by manual manipulation of ball valve (23). The frequency of the mixture flow, determined by the user, is controlled either by the automatic cycling of the system fan, or, by manual manipulation of the fan switch on the system control.

Abstract: An improved valve sealing arrangement where a sealing surface on the valve obturator presses against a compatibly arranged valve seat circumscribing a flow path to close the flow path, or alternately, the valve obturator having a through bore rotatable into position to align with the flow path. The improvement entails forming or cutting slots into the valve obturator behind upper and lower portions of the sealing surface to give localized flexibility to the upper and lower portions to match the flexibility of the middle region of the sealing surface which is located in front of the through bore.

Abstract: A gate valve wherein a valve disc is moved to a position where the valve disc is brought into contact with a valve seat and a position where the valve disc is separated from the valve seat by a driving device provided outside of a valve housing through a valve rod sealingly projected from the inside to the outside of the valve housing. The valve disc is brought into contact under pressure with the valve seat in the valve housing when the valve rod is inclined at the end of the movement of the valve rod. The driving device has piston cylinder devices, a block arranged in side-by-side relationship with the piston cylinder devices and connected to the valve rod, and a device to move up and down and to incline the block.

Abstract: The closing system has a closure member, and a carriage for translational displacement of the closing member along rails. A jack is mounted on the carriage for non-resilient axial displacements of the closure member to and from a flow opening. A damper transmits the vibrations of the closure member to the carriage and ensure axial displacement of the closure member. The closure member closes the flow opening by first axially aligning the closure member with respect to the flow opening by displacing the carriage. The jack axially displaces the closure member to urge the closure member against the flow opening to close it without translational displacement. The closure member is retracted away a minimal distance from the opening for clearance and then the carriage is actuated to reduce or enlarge the flow opening, with precision and without friction to a seal disposed about the opening.