Abstract: An air driven diaphragm pump includes an performance control actuator having a housing with opposed air chambers. The pump includes pump chambers facing the air chambers and pump diaphragms extending between each air chamber and each pump chamber, respectively. The actuator further includes an air valve, an intake to the air valve and an engagement. The intake includes an intake passage and a performance control intake adjuster rotatably mounted. The intake adjuster has a helical channel and a closure element extending adjustably into the intake passage. The engagement engages the helical channel for control of the intake. The helical channel has varied pitch to provide a nonlinear relationship between rotation and axial advancement of the intake adjuster. The nonlinear relationship gives flow rate proportional to the angular rotation of the intake adjuster.

Abstract: A reciprocating air distribution system includes a valve housing, having a cylinder therein. A valve element is slidably mounted within the cylinder. Also provided is an inlet to the cylinder, an exhaust from the cylinder and air distribution passages which are controlled by the valve element to be connected either with the intake or the exhaust. A nonmetallic gasket of thermally insulative material and thickness is between the inlet and air distribution passages on one side and the valve element and exhaust on the other. The buna elastomer has carbon black filer to make the gasket statically dissipative. The nonmetallic gasket provides channels which are part of valve control passages which are associated with a pilot valve. The valve control passages are from the inlet to both ends of the cylinder with at least one passage controlled by the pilot valve. These channels are closed by one of the components between which the gasket is located.