Abstract: A system for applying to a person's respiratory system pressure pulses having a high energy density. The system includes a manifold for applying gas pulses to the mouth or throat of a person, a first conduit for supplying gas from a gas source to the manifold, and a first valve disposed on the conduit adjacent to the manifold for interrupting the flow of gas through the conduit to thereby produce gas pressure pulses which flow to the manifold and then to the person. A second conduit coupled between the gas source and the manifold is also provided. A second valve is disposed in the second conduit to normally block the flow of gas therethrough and for periodically opening to allow gas to flow to the manifold. A pressure transducer is disposed between the second valve and the manifold for detecting the pressure in the manifold and for supplying a signal to the gas source indicating what the pressure in the manifold is.

Abstract: A valve having no friction producing components includes a flexible and resilient tube for carrying a fluid, an electrically energizable coil for producing an electromagnetic force when energized, a magnetically attractable element, and an elongate leaf spring attached near one end to the coil and looped outwardly, upwardly and back toward the coil, with the magnetically attractable element attached to the leaf spring near the other end. The leaf spring normally holds the magnetically attractable element out of contact with the coil, but when the coil is energized, the element is attracted towards the coil. The one end of the leaf spring attached to the coil is also formed to extend upwardly and over the magnetically attractable element to act as an anvil, and the other end of the leaf spring attached to the element extends upwardly towards the anvil to form a pinching tab.

Abstract: To control the operation of an actuator motor (48) an input signal is compared with a feedback signal at a summing junction (22) with the resultant error signal used to bias off the output of a sawtooth generator (30) by pulse width modulation in a modulator (28). The pulse width modulated signal and three commutation signals from an optical detector (34) are input to a commutation circuit (32) that decodes the input by means of a programmed read only memory into a six state drive voltage that is applied to optical isolators (36), (40) and (44). Two of the six states from the commutation circuit (32) are input to each optical isolator that provides an output for driving a power stage. The optical isolator (36) drives a power stage (38), the optical isolator (40) drives a power stage (42) and the optical isolator (44) drives a power stage (46). Each of the power stages has an output connected to one motor lead for the delta wound motor (48) that includes velocity limit protectors (76) through (78).

Abstract: A pressure-tight, rotary pipe joint couples rotating, high temperature gas transmission lines. Pressure seals of the pipe joint are maintained at a temperature lower than that of the transmitted gas by thermally insulating the seals from the gas and by pumping a fluid coolant through an annular cavity located adjacent the seals. As an alternate to fluid cooling, a metallic member, in which the pressure seals are disposed, is cooled by means of fins which transfer heat to the adjacent air.

Abstract: An actuator control system includes a ballscrew type actuator for controlling the positioning of a valve device. A control circuit is responsive to pulsed drive signals for driving a synchronous stepper motor which is operatively coupled to the actuator. The control circuit includes a switching device which applies a DC voltage to the motor windings to hold the valve position when it is not being driven.