Abstract: A filter press plate shifter assembly provided with a shifter housing having a center part which passes over the filter plates and housing parts positioned adjacent opposite side rails. The housing parts are rollingly supported on rods which extend along the side rails. One housing part mounts a rotary pneumatic motor and a drive roller which drivingly engages the rod. Each housing part mounts a plate shifter unit having a pneumatic shift cylinder which is provided with relatively fixed and movable plate shifting blades. A pneumatic lift cylinder pivots the shift cylinder upwardly so that the blades project between handles of adjacent filter plates, following which the shift cylinder is energized so that the movable blade engages and shifts the endmost plate toward the open press head.

Abstract: A filter press plate shifter assembly provided with a shifter housing having a center part which passes over the filter plates and housing parts positioned adjacent opposite side rails. The housing parts are rollingly supported on rods which extend along the side rails. One housing part mounts a rotary pneumatic motor and a drive roller which drivingly engages the rod. Each housing part mounts a plate shifter unit having a pneumatic shift cylinder which is provided with relatively fixed and movable plate shifting blades. A pneumatic lift cylinder pivots the shift cylinder upwardly so that the blades project between handles of adjacent filter plates, following which the shift cylinder is energized so that the movable blade engages and shifts the endmost plate toward the open press head.

Abstract: Radioactivity from airborne uranium and transuranium elements is measured by utilizing two independent alpha spectroscopy techniques to subtract background alpha radiation from a gross radiation measurement to provide a net alpha count associated with just the uranium or transuranium elements of interest. An average of the two net alpha counts is computed and used as a measure of the alpha radiation or count of interest. Negative systematic errors appearing in the net alpha counts are minimized by setting any long term negative value of the net alpha count to zero. The first spectroscopy technique divides a measured alpha spectrum into n regions, where n is greater than four, and where the region of interest has the lowest range of alpha particle energies.

Abstract: A light-weight hand-held contraband detection system (10) includes two different sources (74) of low energy gamma rays. Each gamma ray source selectively emits gamma rays at a different energy level, which gamma rays are directed to a specific volume (30) of an object, e.g. a vehicle, being searched. The hand-held detection system also includes a gamma ray detector (42) coupled to a visual indicator (14), which indicator visually indicates the relative number of back-scattered gamma rays reflected back from the object being searched. Back scattering of the emitted gamma rays occurs in differing degrees depending upon the density and contents of the particular volume of the object receiving the gamma rays. Certain changes in density reflect the possibility that contraband, such as drugs, may be concealed in the object being searched. In use, the system is gripped in a hand of the user and passed over the surface of the object being searched.

Abstract: An apparatus for effecting separation of filter plates within a filter press, which apparatus includes first and second filter plate engaging pawls pivotally mounted on a carrier which is supported for generally linear back and forth movement longitudinally of the filter press. The pawls have adjacent free ends which define thereon generally opposed abutment surfaces adapted for engaging opposite sides of a filter plate. One pawl is spring urged into a raised position, and this one pawl has an upper camming surface adapted for contact with a bottom surface on the filter plate to urge the first pawl into a lowered position. The other pawl is pivotally mounted in a manner free of springs, and has an upwardly projecting cam lug which defines the respective abutment surface on one side, and a camming surface on the other side.