Abstract: A valve assembly for automatic venting of excess suction or pressure in a fluid conduit such as a sewage drain line. An elastomeric diaphragm is drawn by a stressed stem against a valve plate having a passageway therethrough which is normally closed by the diaphragm. A predetermined differential pressure across the diaphragm will lift the diaphragm away from the plate to open the passageway.

Abstract: A fuel pellet comprises from about 97 to about 99 percent by weight naturally occurring combustible material of which at least 50 percent is natural cellulosic material and from about 1 to about 3 percent by weight synthetic polymeric thermoplastic material. Any balance of the naturally occurring combustible material is filler and is preferably selected from bark, stillage, byproducts of distillation processes, and coal. If old bark, stillage, or byproducts, such as tar and pitch, or coal are used, the amount of the material is limited to 30 percent. The free moisture content of the naturally occurring combustible material is from about 5 percent to about 15 percent by weight, with 10 to 13 being preferred and 10.5 to 11.5 percent being ideal. Substantially all the thermoplastic material is finer than 30 mesh and coarser than 80 mesh.

Abstract: Palatable and edible food products are prepared from a fruit precursor comprising substantially non-edible and substantially non-palatable portions of fruits by comminuting the precursor and digesting the comminuted precursor by combining an edible, water-soluble digesting agent with the comminuted precursor. The digesting agent serves to adjust the pH of the precursor to a value at which the precursor cells rupture and enzymes in the precursor are active.Thereafter, the digested precursor is neutralized by changing the pH of the digested precursor with an edible, water-soluble neutralizing agent to about the value of the pH of the comminuted precursor prior to digestion. Fruits for which this process can be used include citrus fruits, pineapple, banana, papaya, mango, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A high heating value, fuel pellet comprises from about 50 to about 99% by weight natural cellulosic material and from about 1 to about 50% by weight synthetic polymeric thermoplastic material. The synthetic thermoplastic material is uniformly distributed throughout the fuel pellet. The thermoplastic material is solid at room temperature and has an injection molding temperature of at least 200.degree. F. Such a fuel pellet can be prepared in a pelletizer where the temperature of the pellet as it emerges from the die is from about 150 to about 250.degree. F.