Abstract: A manifold has a frame and a plurality of valves supported by the frame, each valve having a cross gear that includes four semicircular recesses and four arms that terminate in pointed tips, and wherein the tips are non-jamming rubber tips. The manifold also has a screw drive and a splined rotatable shaft parallel to the screw drive. The manifold further includes a slider driven by the screw drive over the splined rotatable shaft. The slider includes an actuator that protrudes from the slider to engage one of the cross gears to actuate a respective one of the plurality of valves.

Abstract: A manifold has a frame and a plurality of valves supported by the frame, each valve having a cross gear that includes four semicircular recesses and four arms that terminate in pointed tips, and wherein the tips are non-jamming rubber tips. The manifold also has a screw drive and a splined rotatable shaft parallel to the screw drive. The manifold further includes a slider driven by the screw drive over the splined rotatable shaft. The slider includes an actuator that protrudes from the slider to engage one of the cross gears to actuate a respective one of the plurality of valves.

Abstract: A manifold has a frame and a plurality of valves supported by the frame, each valve having a cross gear. The manifold also has a screw drive and a splined rotatable shaft parallel to the screw drive. The manifold further includes a slider driven by the screw drive over the splined rotatable shaft. The slider includes an actuator that protrudes from the slider to engage one of the cross gears to actuate a respective one of the plurality of valves.

Abstract: A manifold has a frame and a plurality of valves supported by the frame, each valve having a cross gear. The manifold also has a screw drive and a splined rotatable shaft parallel to the screw drive. The manifold further includes a slider driven by the screw drive over the splined rotatable shaft. The slider includes an actuator that protrudes from the slider to engage one of the cross gears to actuate a respective one of the plurality of valves.

Abstract: A manifold has a frame and a plurality of valves supported by the frame, each valve having a cross gear. The manifold also has a screw drive and a splined rotatable shaft parallel to the screw drive. The manifold further includes a slider driven by the screw drive over the splined rotatable shaft. The slider includes an actuator that protrudes from the slider to engage one of the cross gears to actuate a respective one of the plurality of valves.

Abstract: A manifold has a frame and a plurality of valves supported by the frame, each valve having a cross gear. The manifold also has a screw drive and a splined rotatable shaft parallel to the screw drive. The manifold further includes a slider driven by the screw drive over the splined rotatable shaft. The slider includes an actuator that protrudes from the slider to engage one of the cross gears to actuate a respective one of the plurality of valves.

Abstract: A supply manifold for a hydronic heating or cooling system has a housing a plurality of valves disposed on respective outlets of the housing in a linear arrangement. Each outlet is adapted to connect to a conduit for delivering the liquid to a zone. Each valve controls a flow of the heating or cooling liquid into each respective conduit. The supply manifold has a single actuator for individually actuating one of the valves. A first displacement mechanism, e.g. a screw drive power by an electric motor, displaces the actuator along a longitudinal axis parallel to the linear arrangement of the valves to thereby access any one of the valves. A second displacement mechanism, e.g. a solenoid, displaces the actuator orthogonally to the longitudinal axis to thereby cause engagement or disengagement of the actuator with a selected one of the valves for opening or closing.

Abstract: A supply manifold for a hydronic heating or cooling system has a housing a plurality of valves disposed on respective outlets of the housing in a linear arrangement. Each outlet is adapted to connect to a conduit for delivering the liquid to a zone. Each valve controls a flow of the heating or cooling liquid into each respective conduit. The supply manifold has a single actuator for individually actuating one of the valves. A first displacement mechanism, e.g. a screw drive power by an electric motor, displaces the actuator along a longitudinal axis parallel to the linear arrangement of the valves to thereby access any one of the valves. A second displacement mechanism, e.g. a solenoid, displaces the actuator orthogonally to the longitudinal axis to thereby cause engagement or disengagement of the actuator with a selected one of the valves for opening or closing.

Abstract: A twist clip for attaching a heat-radiating fin to a conduit of a hydronic heating system includes an upper gripping member, a lower gripping member connected to the upper member by an upright support member, and a handle portion looping downwardly from the lower gripping member to enable a user to hold the clip and to manually twist the clip to cause the upper and lower gripping members to rotate relative to the fin and conduit such that the fin and conduit are clipped together. This twist clip enables quick and easy attachment of fins to conduits, which greatly reduces the time and effort required to install a hydronic heating system.

Abstract: A heat-transferring fin is attached to an electric cable or to a packaged double cable of an electric radiant heating system. The fins can be attached using twist clips. Each twist clip includes an upper gripping member, a lower gripping member connected to the upper member by an upright support member, and a handle portion looping downwardly from the lower gripping member to enable a user to hold the clip and to manually twist the clip to cause the upper and lower gripping members to rotate relative to the fin and cable such that the fin and cable are clipped together. This twist clip enables quick and easy attachment of fins to cables, which greatly reduces the time and effort required to install an electric radiant heating system. This technology can be used in electric radiant floor heating or electric radiant wall heating.

Abstract: A twist clip for attaching a heat-radiating fin to a conduit of a hydronic heating system includes an upper gripping member, a lower gripping member connected to the upper member by an upright support member, and a handle portion looping downwardly from the lower gripping member to enable a user to hold the clip and to manually twist the clip to cause the upper and lower gripping members to rotate relative to the fin and conduit such that the fin and conduit are clipped together. This twist clip enables quick and easy attachment of fins to conduits, which greatly reduces the time and effort required to install a hydronic heating system.

Abstract: A kit for constructing a de-aerator for a fluid distribution system includes a gas concentrator adapted to be received in chamber of a T-coupling provided with the kit. A cap is provided that closes a cap connector integrally formed with the T-coupling. The cap supports a valve that opens and closes in response to fluctuations of a level of the fluid in the cavity as air is accumulated in the cavity and discharged by an opening of the valve.

Abstract: A hydronic heating system that is rapidly installed using a hanger for suspending a tubing that conducts heated fluid beneath a floor to be heated. The hanger includes a stem having an upper loop for securing the hanger to the underside of a floor and a helical hook at a bottom end of the stem for supporting the tubing. The hanger can be made of a single piece of metal wire.

Abstract: A multi-purpose hanger includes a helical support structure for supporting pipe, tubing, conduit or cable against a support surface in any one of a plurality of orientations. The hanger includes an anchor block to which the helical support structure is affixed. The helical support structure spirals 360° between first and second ends to define a gap between the first and second ends that is about equal to an outer diameter of the pipe.

Abstract: A kit for constructing a de-aerator for a fluid distribution system includes a gas concentrator adapted to be received in chamber of a T-coupling provided with the kit. A cap is provided that closes a cap connector integrally formed with the T-coupling. The cap supports a valve that opens and closes in response to fluctuations of a level of the fluid in the cavity as air is accumulated in the cavity and discharged by an opening of the valve.

Abstract: A kit for constructing a de-aerator that includes a concentrator is adapted to be connected to a standard pipe coupling. The concentrator is inserted in the path of liquid conveyed through the pipe coupling for aggregating gas, and directing the gas to a cavity. The cavity is encased by the fitting which is a vertical, cylindrical sheath with one end adapted to be inserted into standard pipe couplings, and the other end adapted to be connected with the cap. The cap includes a vent adapted to open and shut in response to lowering and raising of the level of the liquid in the cavity below/above a threshold, respectively.

Abstract: A reaming tool for a flexible tubing has cutting blades mounted in a spaced-apart relationship with a base of a shaft that is inserted into an end of the tubing. The blades cut a bevel on an outer periphery of the tubing so that an aluminum layer of a composite tubing is cut back from the end of the tubing to inhibit bi-metal corrosion when a tubing joint is formed using a tubing connector made of copper or brass.

Abstract: A kit for constructing a de-aerator that includes a concentrator is adapted to be connected to a standard pipe coupling. The concentrator is inserted in the path of liquid conveyed through the pipe coupling for aggregating gas, and directing the gas to a cavity. The cavity is encased by the fitting which is a vertical, cylindrical sheath with one end adapted to be inserted into standard pipe couplings, and the other end adapted to be connected with the cap. The cap comprises a vent adapted to open and shut in response to lowering and raising of the level of the liquid in the cavity below/above a threshold, respectively.

Abstract: A tubing connector for synthetic or composite tubing includes an integral crimp ring. The crimp ring permitting the tubing connector to be rotated in the tubing after the crimp ring is crimped. The integral crimp ring simplifies and facilitates installation of the tubing connector and ensures accurate crimping for more consistent results and fewer leaky connections. A reaming tool enlarges and bevels the open end of the tubing to facilitate the insertion of the tubing connector into the tubing. The reaming tool has a guide screw so that the open end of the tubing is automatically drawn towards cutters on the tool when the guide screw is rotated in the tubing. The advantage is a perfect bevel and an accurate expansion with very little effort.

Abstract: A tubing connector for sealingly engaging an end portion of a tubing to serve as a conduit for pressurized fluids is described. The tubing connector is particularly intended for use with a composite tubing having inner and outer plastic layers with an intermediate aluminium layer. An elastic seal ring is provided in each of two annular spaced apart grooves in an external periphery of a connector portion of the tubing connector. Each of the grooves has a depth that approximates a thickness of the seal ring and a width greater than a width of the seal ring. When the connector portion is inserted in the tubing and a radial pressure is exerted on the tubing by a crimp ring, the plastic inner periphery of the tubing intrudes into each annular groove and further compresses the seal ring inwardly in the groove. The remainder of the tubing overlapped by the crimp ring is compressed tightly around the external periphery of the connector portion. Therefore, a fluid tight seal is achieved.