Abstract: A fluid valve and bin aerator for discharging fluid into a chamber while preventing backflow of fluid through the fluid valve with the fluid valve including a resilient member having a set of annular sealing lips located in concentric alignment and at an angle to a sealing surface to provide lips that will cantilever away from the sealing surface and unseal if the pressure on the interior of the fluid valve is greater than on the exterior of the valve to allow fluid to be discharged from the valve, and will cantilever against the sealing surface if the pressure on the exterior of the valve is greater than the pressure on the inside of the valve to seal the fluid valve and inhibit backflow through the fluid valve.

Abstract: A fiber optic rotation sensor system having improved scale factor stability includes an optically pumped gain fiber arranged to provide optical signals to an integrated optics chip connected to a fiber optic sensing coil. An optical coupler receives optical signals from the gain fiber and provides the optical signals to an optical fiber. The optical fiber is arranged to guide optical signals from the optical coupler along an optical path toward the integrated optics chip such that optical signals from the gain fiber are input to the fiber optic sensing coil to form counter-propagating waves therein. The counter-propagating waves traverse the sensing coil and then combine in the integrated optics chip to form a gyro output signal. A depolarizer is placed in the optical path between the first optical coupler and the integrated optics chip to prevent random changes in the state of polarization of optical signals propagating between the gain fiber and the integrated optic chip.

Abstract: A replaceable liner for installation in a material handling system where materials normally accumulate on an interior of a material handling apparatus, the liner characterized by being sufficiently large so that the liner is externally supported in a first normal direction when the liner is in a working condition, the liner characterized by being sufficiently strong so as to withstand without tearing a frictional sliding force produced by a material sliding along the liner even though the liner may be sufficiently weak so as not to be capable of supporting and confining the material therein; the liner having a first peripheral region for removably securing the liner in a working condition in a conveying apparatus with the liner further characterized by being sufficiently flexible so that the application of a force in a direction opposite to the normal direction liner causes the liner to flex and bend thereby dislodging any materials accumulated thereon.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of continually mixing material in a handling system wherein one delivers first material at a first delivery rate to a mixer and a second material at a second delivery rate to the mixer to allow the mixer to mix the first material and the second material to form a mixture of material. While the mixer is mixing the first and second materials, it continually delivers a mixture of material by use of a control unit that maintains the mixer discharge rate equal to the summation of the first delivery rate and the second delivery rate so that the mixer can continually maintain and mix the first material with the second material while delivering a mixture of material.

Abstract: An interferometric rotation rate sensor is arranged to overcome effects of the unavoidable generation of intensity spikes in the modulated optical output. An electrooptical device is located within the optical path of the sensor for receiving the optical output signal from the sensor coil and transforming it prior to application to the photodetector. The electrooptical device is driven by a periodic electrical signal with a period equal to the loop transit time of light traveling through the sensor coil. By synchronizing the periods of attenuation with the predictable presence of spikes in the optical output, valid optical signal information is preserved while gyro electronics are sheltered from the results of optical intensity spiking.

Abstract: A system for preventing a cartridge filter which is located inside the bin or hopper of a system from accidentally falling into the hopper because of failure of the operator to properly handle the cartridge filter during replacement of the cartridge filter with the system including a safety cage that is secured to the bin with the safety cage surrounding the cartridge filter and being spaced sufficiently far from the cartridge filter to permit free nonbinding removal and replacement of a filter cartridge while still permitting substantially unimpeded flow of air through the safety cage.

Abstract: A flexible connector that maintains flow passage integrity with the flexible connector having a normally tubular section made of compressible material of substantially uniform thickness and having a flow passage therethrough, the tubular section of compressible material having a smoothly contoured interior surface for unimpeded flow of material thereover, and an exterior surface with a plurality of external circumferential ribs integral with the tubular section with the plurality of external circumferential ribs located in a spaced relationship to form circumferential valleys between adjacent ribs, with the circumferential valleys expandable or contractible zonally influenceable by the circumferential ribs proximate thereto, allowing the tubular section to be supported and formed into a smoothly curved section to thereby maintain the integrity of the flow passage through the tubular section of the flexible connector whether the flexible connector is in a straight or curved condition and an integral compressib

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for detecting when the birefringent axes of two polarization preserving fibers have their ends oriented into a position to locate the respective axes at 45 degrees. A fusion splicer and a heating controller for the fiber sensing coil are added to a reciprocal interferometer to produce a predetermined pattern of percent light intensity versus time in the returned light, when the axes are properly aligned for fusing. A computer may control the automatic making of depolarizers by this invention.

Abstract: A fluid control valve for an inline fluid control system comprising a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the housing having a rectangular shaped fluid passage for fluid to flow therethrough, the housing having a first cylindrical passage located therein and a second cylindrical passage located therein with the first cylindrical passage and the second cylindrical passage located in coaxial alignment with each other, the first cylindrical passage having a first diameter and second cylindrical passage having a second diameter with the first diameter larger than the second diameter and a stepped plunger slidably located in the first cylindrical passage and the second cylindrical passage, the plunger slidable with respect to the rectangular shaped fluid passage to permit one to increase or decrease the area for fluid to flow through the fluid passage, the stepped plunger having an enlarged portion to prevent the stepped plunger from being accidentally withdrawn from the housing and a flow control kno

Abstract: A booster valve for a pneumatic conveying system is made with an annular seal made out of relatively thin rubber having a low tensile strength to thereby reduce the resistance or opposition to the flow of the booster air into the conveying line and the seal retainer is provided with supporting ribs for restraining movement of the seal to prevent the seal from exceeding its elastic limit which otherwise could occur due to a whipping action which occurs during high volumes of air flow through the booster valve. In addition, the booster valve has a large air-receiving chamber so that the input pressurized air is allowed to expand to thereby reduce the velocity of the air as it passes through the valve.

Abstract: The present invention comprises an improved two-way dynamic shaft-sealing member for a fluid transport system having a butterfly valve with an inflatable seal with the improved shaft-sealing member including a rigid race secured to and carried by the interface portion of the inflatable seal to maintain the integrity of the interface portion of the seal with a compressible sealing ring located in the race and held in confinement by the race to hold the sealing ring in a sealing condition against the inside of the race and the outside of the shaft to prevent fluids from escaping therepast as the shaft is moved or the inflatable seal is inflated or deflated.

Abstract: The noise generated by onrushing air which is produced by an air blower for use in conjunction with pneumatic conveying equipment is substantially reduced by directing the air flow through an enclosed housing from an air inlet opening to an air outlet opening mainly via hollow tubular members made of air pervious material shaped in a snake-like or serpentine fashion between the air inlet and the air outlet openings.

Abstract: A phase modulator for use in a circuit for measuring the output of a fiber optic gyroscope. The phase modulator is adapted to receive the digital word generated by such a circuit that comprises phase shift information. The digital word includes both the feedback Serrodyne ramp and the phase modulation conventionally generated for shifting the operating point of the gyroscope to enhance the sensitivity of output beam intensity to phase difference. The modulator employs a plurality of electrode elements with the lengths of adjacent segments having a power-of-two relationship. As a result, the digital word may be directly received by the phase modulator without prior conversion to an analog signal.

Abstract: Setting the driving signal of a phase modulator in the sensing loop of a fiber optic gyroscope to zero for a period of time .tau. equal to the transit time of the light waves through the gyro causes the gyro to assume a known zero reference state. In this zero reference state the counterpropagating light waves are in phase except for the phase shift caused by rotation of the sensing loop. During this zero reference state, a biase signal for demodulation purposes and a signal that will cause a phase shift equal and opposite to the rotation-induced phase shift are applied to the phase modulator. These signals null the rotation-induced phase shift as seen by a photodetector for a period equal to the transit time.

Abstract: Tubing or pipe bend or elbow for use in carrying pneumatically conveyed granular material has an axial bore with an input opening at one end and gradually diminishes to a smaller opening at the output end, such that the incoming material sees a pressure relief, or drop, at the input to the bend. As a feature, a tubing bend may be segmented, i.e., made out of a series of separate or individual bends with the output of one coupled to the input of another.

Abstract: Pressurized air is applied to dry granular materials as they enter the top of a vessel to mix the materials together and the mixed materials continuously flow out of the vessel through a bottom discharge opening.

Abstract: A vertically oriented generally cylindrical vessel or hopper holds dry granular materials which are mixed together by applying repeated short bursts of pressurized air from nozzles in an air manifold which direct the air substantially parallel or slightly inward to the longitudinal axis of the hopper to repeatedly lift and drop the materials in the hopper to create a tumbling action. Adjustable throttling valve means are provided in the pressurized input to the manifold to control the air flow to and the pressure at the manifold.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a transport system having an annular inflatable seal which has an annular interior domed portion which expands as an integral unit until it contacts the edge of a butterfly valve which engages the domed portion to form a slight recess in the annular seal which provides an airtight and locking seal with the annular seal having a pair of annular resilient legs operable to return the annular interior domed portion to its original position to permit the butterfly valve to be opened.

Abstract: A housing containing a chamber having an inlet bore and an outlet bore with an elongated resilient annular seal having one end fixedly attached around the inlet bore and its other end facing the outlet bore resiliently sealed around the surface of a solid plug located in the chamber.

Abstract: A phase locked loop is disclosed which subtracts an estimated signal from an input signal and operates upon the residual signal. The residual signal is demodulated and applied to a controlled oscillator which produces feedback signals approximately the sine and cosine of the input signal. The cosine feedback signal is multiplied by the residual signal whose resultant signal is a frequency correction signal. The sine feedback signal is multiplied by the residual signal for multiplication again by the sine feedback signal to produce the estimated signal which is amplitude and frequency controlled. This signal is then subtracted from the input signal to reduce the residual signal to near zero.