Abstract: A carburetor priming system for an internal combustion engine including a flexible bulb which is actuable in a first manner to permit displacement of a one volume of fluid and in a second manner to permit displacement of a second and lesser volume of fluid. Actuation of the bulb in the first manner provides a high volume prime for providing fuel enrichment to a carburetor that has been run dry of fuel. Actuation of the bulb in a second manner provides a normal volume prime.

Abstract: Gas channeling apparatus and a flexible perforated diaphragm for diffusing gas into a liquid are provided. The gas channeling apparatus includes a ridge which projects from the surface of the gas channeling apparatus that increases the effective area on the diaphragm against which gas presses to increase the force used to expand the diaphragm.

Abstract: A liquid-gas contact device comprising a liquid-gas contact tray comprising a multiplicity of the elongate apertures in the tray for the passage of gas from below to above the tray, each aperture having a gas deflector associated therewith in being so disposed as to impart to the gas a component of velocity in the general direction of liquid flow, and at least several liquid flow in impedance members arranged so as to control the liquid velocity on the liquid-bearing surface to prevent it from reaching so great a magnitude that the residence time of liquid on the tray is insufficient for adequate gas-liquid contact to take place. Preferably the tray comprises a sheet of expanded metal.

Abstract: An apparatus for dissolving a gas, such as oxygen, into a liquid, such as water, having a low concentration of that gas. The apparatus has an inlet, an outlet and a central region therebetween and has walls defining an interior adapted for dissolving the gas in the liquid. The apparatus also has a gas injecting means adapted for maximizing a gas-liquid interface and promoting contact between the gas and the liquid, thereby maximizing the concentration of the gas in the liquid. The apparatus is useful for modifying the liquid for a specific purpose, such as for developing a culture medium. The apparatus can have different internal configurations, depending on the degree of gas linkage and retention required.

Abstract: In order to whip liquid cream even in reduced quantities, without any effort and risk, the apparatus according to the invention comprises a piston (7) provided in its front part (7b) with holes (17) through which a mixture of cream and air is pumped by jerky motions which whip the cream progressively as it moves towards a nozzle (16) dispensing the whipped cream. The rear part (7a) of the piston (7) operates with an excentric (4) actuated by a electric motor (2) and exerts oscillations along its longitudinal axis, thus modifying constantly the empty space in a tube (8) surrounding the piston (7). This modification of volume creates a sucking action on the liquid cream to which air is mixed and, at the same time, pumps said mixture by jerky motions towards the nozzle (16) through the holes (17).

Abstract: In the embodiments described in the specification, a floating aerator for the introduction of air into a body of water such as an activated sludge plant having at least one air supply line extending along the surface of the water with aerators suspended below the surface of the water, has floats mounted on the air supply line and branch air lines extending from the air supply line through each float to a suspended aerator. Each air supply line is a continuous line extending through the floats and the floats are made of two preformed interlocking, buoyant sections.

Abstract: An improved water carbonator system is provided for thoroughly mixing a carbonating gas with a water supply flowing through a refrigerated reservoir of the type used in soft drink dispenser stations and the like. The carbonator system includes water and gas injector nozzles disposed generally at an upper end of the reservoir, together with a dispense valve for drawing carbonated chilled water from a lower end of the reservoir. A vertically elongated and rotatably driven impeller shaft carries a spaced plurality of vaneless impeller disks for causing the water flowing downwardly through the reservoir to undergo a plurality of directional changes in a radially outward direction. Such directional changes in flow result in improved intermixing with the carbonating gas and improved chilling of the water prior to dispensing. In one form, the impeller shaft is rotatably driven by a motor mounted outside the reservoir.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling the discharge or continuous bleed-off of cooling water of evaporative coolers and cooling towers includes a container for receiving water from the cooling water system via a float valve operated float valve. An orifice at the bottom of the container allows water to flow to a device for eliminating suction effects or depression caused by the hydrostatic head of water below the container and a cleaning device, operated by movement of the float valve keeps the orifice clean.

Abstract: An apparatus provides improvement over the apparatus that provides a highly humid air into a boiler or internal combustion engine such as diesel, gasoline, and other similar engines, and improves the fuel economy and reduces the amount of the produced exhaust gases from the boiler, etc. by adding the highly humid air into the suction pipe through which it is delivered into the combustion chamber together with the mixture of the injected fuel gas and air. The highly humid air provided by the improved apparatus contains a mixture of vaporized water flow drawn by suction under the reduced pressure developed within the combustion chamber and an air flow drawn from the atmosphere, the mixture being formed by allowing the two flows to meet together and strike against each other at angles of 55 to 65 degrees.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process and apparatus to establish contact between liquid and vapour or gas on tray used in distillation and/or absorption columns. According to the process the liquid is accelerated upon arriving on the tray (1) perforated with holes (6) to such extent, that its velocity exceeds the velocity of the vapour or gas bubbles ascending from the liquid upon the buoyant effect. Then this accelerated flow rate is impacted with the downflow weir (9) and/or with the induction of vapour and/or gas jets having a component, oriented towards the interior of the tray (1), and a lubricant flow rate of greater layer thickness (h.sub.2) slowed down below the earlier mentioned limit velocity is produced. No bubbles separate from the accelerated flow in the accelerating zone (1) of the tray, because they are entained by the liquid. On the other hand, the vapour or gas bubbles delivered and passing through the holes of the tray (1), leave the degasifying zone 11, where the flow is turbulent.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for vapor-liquid contact utilizing louvered structured packing. The packing is provided in corrugated sheets and between the fold lines of the corrugations, a plurality of large louvered openings are disposed in generally parallel spaced relationship. An array of small louvers is disposed between the large louvers. Each of the louvers is oriented for selectively vectoring the flow of liquid and/or vapor around and through the corrugated sheets when disposed within a process tower.

Abstract: An aspirator aerator for inducing the flow of atmospheric air at high velocity below the surface of a substance so as to allow oxygen to freely and quickly transfer into the substance. The aerator includes an outer tubular housing having an inner tube disposed therein, one end of the housing being associated with an aspiration mechanism for inducing fluid flow through the aerator, the other end of the housing being associated with a drive for driving the aspiration mechanism. A heater is disposed substantially around the outer surface of the outer tubular housing and generates sufficient heat for deicing the aerator. Insulation is disposed substantially around the heater element to cause heat generated by the heater to substantially flow through the outer tubular housing. The aerator may further be provided with a control circuit for controlling the operation of the drive and deicing mechanism in response to a signl denoting the presence or absence of icing conditions.

Abstract: A column flotation cell includes a fluid vessel, an exteriorly mounted microbubble generator, conduits for conducting a pressurized mixture of bubbles and liquid from the generator to the vessel, features for inhibiting the coalescence and enlargement of the bubbles prior to their introduction into the vessel, and an arrangement for introducing the bubble/liquid mixture into the vessel and for distributing the mixture uniformly throughout the vessel cross-section. Coalescence and enlargement of the bubbles are inhibited by limiting the length of the mixture-conducting conduits, and by designing the conduits so as to provide a substantially uniform and continuous flow diameter. The uniform and continuous nature of the flow diameter reduces local disturbances of fluid flow which would otherwise occur at discontinuities in the flow path, tending to cause coalescence and enlargement of the bubbles.

Abstract: An improved bubbler has walls formed of thin stainless steel. A hollow cylindrical body member forms a cylindrical sidewall and has welded to it a top end cap and a bottom end cap. A horizontally disposed sparger tube is connected to the carrier-gas inlet tube and is positioned within the bubbler chamber adjacent to the bottom end cap. The sparger tube has a plurality of horizontally spaced-apart exit holes formed therein for providing a plurality of carrier-gas streams into the liquid chemical. The carrier gas bubbles up through the liquid chemical, causing the liquid chemical to vaporize and diffuse into the carrier gas. A substantially uniform temperature throughout the chemical liquid is provided with a heat-conductive enclosure formed of aluminum plates which are thicker than the walls of the bubbler chamber and which contact and entirely surround the exterior surface of the stainless steel bubbler chamber.

Abstract: An evaporative air conditioner with rotary fan playing multiple roles of supplying fluid, atomizing fluid and blowing air. The air conditioner comprises a housing (1) having four side grilles and a top cover (5). An electric motor (6) is vertically mounted to the cover with its rotating shaft directed downward and connected to a rotary fan (8). The fan has a cavity formed by fan blades (9) and a cap (10). Fluid stored at the base portion of the conditioner is sucked into the cavity and supplied onto the blades that produce droplets by impacting the supplied fluid.

Abstract: A cap-like gas diffuser that produces uniformly sized small bubbles, evenly distributed over the surface of the diffuser is produced by controlling the uniformity of compaction of the particulate material used to form the diffuser during its process of fabrication. Fabrication of the diffuser to provide specified ratios of plenum height to top wall thickness favorably influences attainment of compaction uniformity, as well as reduces diffuser surfaces that contribute to the formation of non-uniform bubbles. Diffusers of the invention made from particulate ceramics are especially useful in treating sewage using the activated sludge process.

Abstract: An improved vacuum operated air valve for incorporation into the idle fuel port of an automotive carburetor. The valve includes a valve seat having an inner conically-shaped area and a surrounding planar area. The valve member includes an axially oriented stem and a flat radially-extending head, an outer end surface of which overlies the valve seat surfaces, whereby opening the valve to a very minute axial displacement opens a substantial venting area, increasing the sensitivity of the valve.

Abstract: The invention relates to a membrane carburetor having an air filter connected upstream of the intake channel. The combustion air passes through the air filter and into the intake channel of the carburetor and coacts with the fuel drawn into the intake channel to form a fuel/air-mixture which enters the combustion chamber of the engine communicating with the intake channel. The compensation chamber of the carburetor is connected exclusively to the clean-air side of the air filter in order to avoid an overenrichment of the mixture when the filter material of the air filter becomes contaminated. The membrane carburetor can be used on two-stroke engines for portable handheld tools such as motor chain saws, cutoff machines, brushcutters or the like.

Abstract: A multiple-gas-phase liquid treatment apparatus for use, for example, as a gas dissolving apparatus, gas removing apparatus, sewage treatment apparatus, or large-quantity culture apparatus includes a hollow container, a plurality of horizontal partition plates mounted in the hollow container to define a plurality of vertically-stacked liquid treatment chambers, a pouring port for introducing liquid to be treated into an upper portion of the hollow container, a discharge port for removing treated liquid from a bottom portion of the hollow container, a gas vent port for introducing gas into the bottom portion of the hollow container, and a hollow tube connected to each horizontal partition plate and extending a predetermined distance downwardly therefrom. Liquid introduced into the top portion of the hollow container flows from one partition plate to an adjacent lower partition plate through the hollow tube in each partition plate.

Abstract: An air injector assembly has an input port and an output port connected by a bypass bore and tapered bore. Fitted within the tapered bore is an air injector mechanism which contains a throat and a venturi nozzle portion. The opening of the bypass bore can be varied so that the amount of water passing therethrough is controlled to regulate the pressure being received at the input port which represents the back pressure on a pump. By varying the opening of the bypass bore, the back pressure of the pump can be regulated so that the pump may operate safely. Air is injected into the air injector assembly when water is pushed through the throat and into the venturi nozzle. A cavity is formed at the junction where the throat is coupled to the venturi nozzle so that air can be drawn thereat to aerate and oxidize the water passing therethrough. By aerating and oxidizing the water, hydrogen sulfide is removed and iron is precipitated, and can be removed later.