Abstract: An engine muffler apparatus for reducing noise and pollution from small gas engines such as those on landscaping tools includes an outer housing having a central neck extension with a principal aperture extending through to an outer housing cavity. The neck extension is selectively engageable with an exhaust of a small gas engine. The outer housing cavity has a plurality of vent apertures. An intake extension tube and a medial tube are coupled to the outer housing cavity. The medial tube has a medial cavity. A first filtering medium is coupled within the medial cavity and filters pollutants passing therethrough. A second filtering medium is coupled within the outer housing cavity outside of the medial tube and dampens sound waves passing through the apparatus from the exhaust.

Abstract: An engine muffler apparatus for reducing noise and pollution from small gas engines such as those on landscaping tools includes an outer housing having a central neck extension with a principal aperture extending through to an outer housing cavity. The neck extension is selectively engageable with an exhaust of a small gas engine. The outer housing cavity has a plurality of vent apertures. An intake extension tube and a medial tube are coupled to the outer housing cavity. The medial tube has a medial cavity. A first filtering medium is coupled within the medial cavity and filters pollutants passing therethrough. A second filtering medium is coupled within the outer housing cavity outside of the medial tube and dampens sound waves passing through the apparatus from the exhaust.

Abstract: A fitting having an axial end with a front face having an annular groove of half dovetail configuration for receiving a seal. The annular groove having a generally flat base portion, a first and a second side wall generally perpendicular with the base portion and a mouth portion generally opposite the flat base portion. The first side wall having a proximal first portion contiguous and perpendicular with the base portion, an inwardly angled flat portion contiguous with the proximal first portion, and an arcuate portion having a first end contiguous with the inwardly angled flat portion and a second end that ends into the mouth portion. The seal having a trapezoidal cross sectional area with a first flat wall, a second wall contiguous with the first wall, a third wall contiguous with the second wall, parallel with the first wall and having a shorter length than the first wall, and a fourth wall contiguous with the third and first wall.

Abstract: An improved connection through a substrate layer is formed by embedding a conductive element such as a pin on one or more balls or spheres in a thermoplastic material which is preferably a liquid crystal polymer. The substrate may be heated to facilitate the embedding process in which material of the substrate layer is reflowed under pressure to retain the conductive element by means of a preload force. The formation of such connections with either pins or plural conductive elements allows independence of aspect ratio of the connection and, hence, feature size of conductive patterns on the substrate and the thickness of the substrate layer.