Abstract: A filter assembly for filtering viscous fluid materials, including a filter body having an inlet and an outlet, a filter element having an open end and a closed end and a collar structure at the open end. The collar structure is retainable proximate the inlet end such that fluid flows into an interior of the filter element through the open end. The filter assembly also includes a filter cap couplable to the filter body at the inlet end and a filter cap retaining structure to removably secure the filter cap to the filter body while substantially maintaining a relative rotational orientation between the filter cap and the filter body.

Abstract: A fastener feeder for feeding fasteners that have a head and a shaft including: a substantially stationary bin, an inline feeder, with a feed track located higher than an upper level of fasteners in the bin and sloped downwardly and operably connected to a vibrator such that the vibrator vibrates the feed track to cause the fasteners to drop into the feed track so that the head is supported by the feed track and the shaft dangles below the head and to cause fasteners to travel down a slope in a queue; a lift gate to elevate a small number of fasteners from the plurality of fasteners in the bin to the feed track; and an escapement at a lower end of the in line feeder capable of isolating a single fastener from the lower end of the queue.

Abstract: A metering device having two gears and a center plate defining a gear chamber having two major lobes to receive the gears, each of the major lobes defining a diameter and a circular segment having a perimeter extending greater than one hundred eighty degrees. The face surfaces of the first gear, the second gear and the center plate are each machined to be as precisely flat as practical and to be as precisely of equal thickness as practical. The first gear and the second gear are trued on an arbor to eliminate as much runout as practical while at the same time reducing a diameter of the first gear and the second gear to be the substantially the same or slightly larger than the diameter of the major lobes. The first gear and the second gear are press fit into the major lobes; and lapped in the major lobes.

Abstract: An interface to facilitate storing in an electric utility meter transponder, water usage data so that when remotely interrogated, access can be had to both electric and water usage data. A pulse indicative of water usage sets a magnetic latching relay in the interface circuit which causes a transponder supply voltage to be switched to two interface circuit timers. The first timer generates a first delay, after which the electric meter transponder is pulsed to register water usage. After a second, longer delay, the second timer resets the magnetic latching relay to thereby place the interface circuit in condition for receiving another water usage signal.