Abstract: This invention relates to an automatic sprinkler system for watering the lawn or vegetable gardens. The lawn-border sprinkler comprises a longitudinal member including a plurality of conduits, disposed in a parallel configuration wherein the top most conduit is divided into a plurality of separate compartments, each of which compartments includes a series of minute holes through the wall of the conduit. Each of the compartments in the top-most conduit is connected to separate supply conduit comprising an exclusive combination of said plurality of the conduits disposed parallel to the top-most compartment; whereby, a manifold valve controlling the water flow through each of the supply conduit supplying the water to each of the compartments with sprinkling holes controls the time-wise sprinkling pattern of each of the sprinkling compartments.

Abstract: A mass flowmeter comprises an elongated conduit with one extremity connected to an inlet leg and restrained from moving laterally and the other extremity connected to an outlet leg by an axially resilient coupling disposed generally perpendicular to the elongated conduit, wherein the outlet leg is restrained from moving laterally. An electromagnetic vibrator generates flexural vibrations of the conduit intermittently or continuously and a motion detector measures attenuation or level of the kinetic energy of the flexural vibrations. The mass flow rate of media moving through the conduit is determined from a portion of the attenuation or damping of the flexural vibrations, which portion is caused by the convective transport of the kinetic energy of the flexural vibrations by the moving media through the conduit.

Abstract: This invention relates to a partition such as a curtain, blind, shade etc. employing the self-coiling sheets which play the dual role of the partitioning medium as well as the mechanism providing the means for extending and retracting said partition. Said self-coiling sheets constituting the self-coiling partition may be a planar plastic sheet of a single or multiple layers in structure with an intrinsic material property of coiling itself into a roll, or a fabric reinforced with a plurality of the spiral springs providing the self-coiling characteristics, or a double layer of plastic sheet including a thin flat sheet under a tension suprimposedly bonded to a corrugated plastic sheet with a stiffness under compression whereby the combination of the tension and the compression provides the coiling moments distributed over said plastic sheet or double layer structure.

Abstract: This invention discloses a honeycomb structure comprising a network of hexagonal substructures sandwiched between two geodesic structures including network of triangular substructures wherein the corners of the triangular substructures are fastened to the alternating corners of the hexagonal substructures.

Abstract: The variable speed planetary drive of the present invention comprises a combination of a plurality of external gears of varying pitch diameters and a first power transfer gear coaxially affixed to each other and rotatably mounted on an eccentric section of a first shaft; a second power transfer gear coaxially affixed to a second shaft disposed in line with the first shaft wherein the first and second power transfer gears engage each other; and a combination of internal ring gears of varying pitch diameters coaxially affixed to each other and disposed coaxially to the first and second shaft in an axially shiftable arrangement wherein each shift engages only one of the external gears to only one of the internal ring gears. The combination of the internal ring gears includes means for restraining the internal ring gears from rotating, which means may be a permanent type or a type that can be activated and deactivated.

Abstract: This invention discloses a three-in-one flowmeter that measures volume flow rate, mass flow rate and the density of the fluid, which flowmeter comprises a vortex generator of an elongated shape having a blunt upstream side disposed across a first cross section of the flow passage, a vortex sensor having the shape of a wing disposed across a second cross section of the flow passage and a transducer converting the alternating lift forces exerted on the vortex sensor by the vortices generated by the vortex generator to an alternating electric signal, wherein the wing sensor is connected to a force receiving member extending from the transducer by a mechanical coupling. The volume flow rate is determined from the frequency of the signals as the fluid velocity is proportional to the frequency at which the vortices are generated by the vortex generator.

Abstract: This invention discloses a vortex shedding flowmeter comprising a vortex generator-detector constructed into an integrated assembly wherein the vortex shedding frequencies are detected by a pressure detector including at least one panel of extended surface area, which are pivotably or flexibly confined within a planar cavity included in the bluff body that generates a series of vortices shed from the two sides thereof in an alternating pattern at frequencies substantially proportional to the velocity of the fluid stream wherein the bluff body is immersed. The two opposite planar walls of the planar cavity confining a pressure detector panel respectively include a plurality of small holes open to each of the two sides of the bluff body.

Abstract: A shut-off or flow control valve comprises a valve body including a cylindrical cavity with a hemispherical end, which rotatably receives a cylindrical plug with a hemispherical end in a close tolerance, wherein a flow passage with a central axis generally passing through the center of a spherical surface including the hemispherical surface of the plug and intersecting the central axis of the plug in an oblique angle lines up with the flow passage disposed through the valve body when the plug is rotated to the "open" position, while the plug blocks the flow passage through the valve body when it is rotated to the "closed" position.

Abstract: The Coriolis force flowmeter of the present invention comprises a first sinuous conduit with a S-shaped midsection disposed on a first plane and a second sinuous conduit with a S-shaped midsection disposed on a second plane generally parallel to the first plane wherein the two sinuous conduits are disposed in an axisymmetric arrangement about an axis intermediate and parallel to the two planes. An electromagnetic vibrator exerting oscillatory forces to the midsections of the two sinuous conduits generates relative flexural vibrations therebetween. Two motion detectors respectively measuring the flexural vibrations of the two halves of at least one of the two sinuous conduits provides the difference in the flexural vibrations therebetween as a measure of mass flow rate of fluid moving through the two conduits.

Abstract: The linear position transducer of the present invention comprises a pair of elongated electrically conducting members disposed within an elongated tubular container following the length thereof, wherein at least one of the pair of elongated electrically conducting members has a high specific ohmic resistance. A plurality of normally open switches are disposed within the elongated tubular container at regular intervals in a parallel circuit arrangement intermediate the pair of elongated electrically conducting members, which switches are closed by a magnetic force field created by a magnet included in a marker slidably guided by the elongated tubular container.

Abstract: This invention discloses a self-sufficient device enabling a person to descend and ascend with ease, which device includes a closed loop of cord depending from a frictionally controlled cord release apparatus that exerts braking on the looping movement of the closed loop of cord in one direction releasing the first member and taking up the second member thereof, while it allows substantially free looping movements in the other direction releasing the second member and taking up the first member of the closed loop of the cord, wherein the first member of the closed loop of cord includes a harness securely affixed thereto and the second member includes a handle and a stirrup slidably secured thereto, which handle and stirrup freely slide on the second member of the closed loop of cord when no load is exerted thereon, while the handle and stirrup grabs the second member of the closed loop of cord when a load is exerted thereon.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining the cut (percentage) of one component of a multiphase fluid flowing in a pipeline, for example, oil or other hydrocarbon in a fluid flow that comprises oil, water, gas, and soil components, by use of NMR analysis. The fluid is flowed through an apparatus specifically designed to perform the analysis on the flowing fluid. Carefully sequenced 90.degree. pulse series are used to take advantage of the different spin relaxation times of the selected atomic species when they are constituent parts of molecules having inherently different levels of random molecular motion. The timing between pulses in a series and between series of pulses is chosen so that NMR emissions from unwanted matter do not occur, and FID peaks from the desired matter are registered.

Abstract: This invention discloses a flowmeter measuring flow rates by means of magnetic tagging, which comprises a flow passage through a constant magnetic field over a sizable length wherein the constant magnetic field is perpendicular to the direction of the fluid flow; a combination of a radio frequency transmitter and coil generating a localized alternating magnetic field perpendicular to the constant magnetic field and oscillating at a resonance frequency known as the Larmor frequency, which alternating magnetic field locally superimposed to the constant magnetic field over a short section of the flow passage is imposed in pulses at variable intervals; and a combination of an antenna coil and radio frequency receiver receiving and analyzing the peaks of radio frequency electromagnetic radiation pulses emitted by the fluid moving through the flow passage.

Abstract: The flowmeter of the present invention comprises at least one combination of a rotatable member and at least one fluid dynamic target, wherein the fluid dynamic target is secured to the rotatable member in a pivoting relationship about a first axis generally perpendicular to the direction of the fluid flow, and the rotatable member is rotatably secured about a second axis off-set from and generally parallel to the first axis. The rotatable member is biased with a reaction torque about the second axis provided by the earth's gravitational force or by a mechanical spring that counter-acts the action torque generated by the fluid dynamic force on the fluid dynamic target. The magnitude of the angular displacement of the rotatable member from a reference position corresponding the the zero fluid velocity is directly or remotely measured as a measure of the fluid flow.

Abstract: The mass flowmeter of the present invention comprises a conduit including a first sinuous section extending from an inlet leg and a second sinuous section extending from an outlet leg, wherein the first sinuous section includes a first smooth bend adjacent to the inlet leg and turning about a first direction, and a second smooth bend adjacent to the first smooth bend and turning about a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the second sinuous section includes a third smooth bend adjacent to the second smooth bend and turning about the second direction, and a fourth smooth bend intermediate the third smooth bend and the outlet leg and turning about the first direction, in which arrangement the first and second sinuous sections cross one another at least once at midsections thereof.

Abstract: This invention discloses an impulse sensor that detects change in force imposed on a force receiving member extending from the impulse sensor, which comprises a force receiving member extending from a thin flange forming a portion of the container vessel enclosing at least two Piezo electric elements wherein the first of the two Piezo electric elements disposed in an off-set relationship with respect to the central axis of the force receiving member is under a pressurized contact with the thin flange, while the second of the two Piezo electric elements disposed in a symmetric arrangement about the central axis of the force receiving member is under a pressurized contact with a rigid portion of the container vessel. The first Piezo electric element detects the impulses received by the force receiving member and other noise impulses transmitted through the container vessel wall while the second Piezo electric element detects the same noise impulses as those detected by the first Piezo electric element.

Abstract: The pumping and/or flow measuring device of the present invention comprises a rotationally symmetric assembly of flaps with cross section having a round first extremity disposed adjacent to and about the central axis of the flap assembly and a pointed crescent second extremity pivotable about an axis coinciding with the center of radius of the round first extremity, which flap assembly folding into a circular cross section is supported by at least one flange affixed to a shaft coinciding with the central axis of the flap assembly and rotatably disposed within a cylindrical cavity in an eccentric arrangement, wherein the rotation of the flap assembly expands and contracts the spaces between the flaps and takes in the fluid from a first port open to the expanding spaces between the flaps and discharges the fluid through a second port open to the contracting spaces between the flaps.

Abstract: This invention discloses a combination of filters and germicidal ultraviolet lamps assembled in a symbiotic arrangement wherein the ultraviolet lamps have dual functions of sterilizing the fluid medium being filtered and preventing the filters from being clogged, while the filter enhances the germicidal effect of the ultraviolet light by creating uniform flow which evenly exposes the fluid medium to the ultraviolet light.

Abstract: This invention discloses a gear drive for transmitting rotating motions from a first shaft to a second shaft rotatably disposed in line, which comprises a first rotary member including first and second sets of meshing surfaces of two different pitch diameters such as two sets of gear teeth which are rotatably mounted on a first eccentric section included in the first shaft; a second rotary member with a third set of meshing surfaces rotatably mounted on a second eccentric section included in the first shaft in an arrangement diametrically opposite to the first eccentric section, wherein the first and third meshing surfaces engage each other over an arc portion thereof; and a third rotary member with a fourth set of meshing surfaces rotatably mounted on a third eccentric section included in the first shaft in an arrangement diametrically opposite to the first eccentric section, wherein the second and fourth meshing surfaces engage each other over an arc portion thereof.

Abstract: A flowmeter comprising a vortex generator generating and shedding vortices intermittently wherein the vortices are generated naturally by the fluid flowing around the vertex generator or generated artificially by the change of flow pattern resulting from the artificial manipulation of the vortex generator, and a pair of vortex sensing wings arranged in tandem, wherein the flow velocity is determined by measuring the frequency of the vortices naturally generated and shed by the vortex generator or by measuring the time of travel of the artificial vortices required to move from the vortex generator or the first wing to the second wing of the two tandem wings.