Abstract: A tire fill nozzle having an integrated dryer for drying compressed air or gas delivered to a tire. According to exemplary disclosed embodiments, the tire fill nozzle comprises a main body, an inlet connector on the main body adapted to engage an air/gas line, an outlet connector on the main body adapted to engage a tire valve stem, and a dryer in the main body adapted to dry air/gas passing through the nozzle. The dryer may comprise a drying composition, such as a desiccant, that can be permanently disposed within the main body or optionally disposed within a replaceable cartridge.

Abstract: A wearable, disposable dryer for point-of-use installation in an air/gas line delivering compressed air or gas to an air/gas-driven tool. The dryer includes a main body, a drying composition substantially filling the main body, inlet and outlet connectors, a carrying strap and a wall mount holder that provides a stowage accessory. The strap can be attached to the inlet and outlet connectors, each of which can be provided with a strap mounting portion. According to a method of use, the dryer is attached to air/gas lines and the strap is placed over a user's shoulder so that the dryer can be worn while delivering dried compressed air or gas to a tool. A dryness indicator may be provided as either a site glass or by virtue of a portion of the main body being transparent or translucent and a dryness indicating material in the dryer being viewable therethrough.

Abstract: A disposable dryer cartridge for an air/gas dryer apparatus for installation in an air/gas line delivering compressed air or gas to an air/gas-driven tool. The cartridge includes a flexible elongated casing having a drying composition therein. The casing has an air/gas inlet and an air/gas outlet thereon. A handle is also provided on the casing. The casing is self-configurable into a cross-sectionally contracted configuration when lifted by the handle to facilitate insertion in or removal from an air/gas dryer apparatus. Following insertion of the casing in an air/gas dryer, it is manipulated as necessary to reconfigure the casing from the contracted configuration to an operational configuration wherein the casing is not cross-sectionally contracted and wherein the drying composition is compacted. When the casing needs replacement, it can be grasped by the handle and lifted to re-effect the contracted configuration and thereby removed from the dryer.

Abstract: A system for modulating refrigerant flow from an evaporator of an air or gas drying apparatus wherein the air or gas drying apparatus has an evaporator shell with at least one exit orifice for return of refrigerant to an accumulator or compressor. The system comprising a flow metering structure connected to the at least one exit orifice, the structure having an internal tube with a vertical rise from an evaporator shell end to an accumulator or compressor end, the internal tube having at least one return orifice (a) which allows passage of liquid refrigerant outside the internal tube into the internal tube, and at least one return orifice (b) which allows passage of gas outside the internal tube into the internal tube.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for effectively reducing/eliminating oscillation of over and under shoot of superheat and refrigerant feed in an evaporator of compressed refrigerant of a gas/air dryer system. The feed makes use of a plurality of refrigerant expansion valves, sized in scaled manner, and adjusted inversely to the size of each, affording exact feed requirements to the evaporating vessel heat exchange. The system uses superheat feedback to respond rapidly or slowly to fill need for large or modest injections leading to stable, balanced operations. The operations ‘level-out’ to a smooth, even output of the gas/air dryer dew point temperature, relatively close to the dew point seat point without falling into an endless loop oscillation. The feed delivery of staged injection meters expanded refrigerant to demand while tracking superheat.

Abstract: A method and system for separating one or more components from gas mixtures uses a moving bed of adsorption material particles under continuous and substantially isobaric pressure conditions. Contaminated gases are likewise purified by removing one or more contaminants therefrom using such a moving bed of adsorption material particles under continuous and substantially isobaric pressure conditions.

Abstract: A leak detector including a float having a number of magnets connected to the float. Electromagnetic coils are disposed along a length of the possible range of travel of the float within the leak detector. The coils, when energized, interact with the magnet making the float move-about and settle to a position representing its true equilibrium buoyancy. Optionally, the leak detector includes a self-calibration apparatus that provides a reference signal indicting the fixed position of the self-calibration apparatus, allowing the leak detector to compensate for offset errors.

Abstract: An improved leak detection float system for use in underground storage tank containing fuel wherein the float system utilizes an elongated hollow test probe extending downwardly into an underground storage tank and into the fuel stored therein. A microprocessor is contained in an upper compartment of the test probe along with control electronics. A rod is centrally affixed in the lower portion of the test probe and a float is disposed around the rod, but within the test probe so as to float on the surface of the fuel. The float uses tapered edges to minimize offset error due to surface tension. An excitation transducer is placed above the float on the rod which produces vibrational waves down the rod having a predetermined frequency, power, and duration. The vibrational wave breaks the surface tension existing between the float and the fuel so that the float can obtain a position within the fluid based upon the buoyancy of the float in the fluid.

Abstract: Apparatus for detecting leaks in fuel storage tanks. A float suspended in the tank liquid determines liquid levels and transmits the liquid level information via an infrared beam to a probe processor in the upper portion of the tank. The probe processor stores a plurality of level indications for subsequent uploading to an external computer which analyzes the level information to generate leakage rate information.

Abstract: Apparatus for detecting leaks in fuel storage tanks. A float suspended in the tank liquid determines liquid levels and transmits the liquid level information via an infrared beam to a probe processor in the upper port of the tank. The probe processor stores a plurality of level indications for subsequent uploading to an external computer which analyzes the level information to generate leakage rate information.

Abstract: A system for displaying the occurrence and magnitude of stride forces produced by a sport participant in a sporting event having a first portable housing placed on the legs of the participant for sensing the stride force and a second portable housing located elsewhere on the body of the participant for receiving the force signals from each portable sensor located on the legs of the participant and for storing that information or for transmitting it to a remote location.

Abstract: An improved reaction time and force feedback system including a first portable housing for placement on the limb of a sporting participant for detecting the time and magnitude of force incurred by the limb during a sporting activity. A second portable housing is located on the body of the participant and receives signals proportional to the magnitude of force and time from the first portable housing in order to transmit the magnitude and time information to a remote location. At the remote location is located a central control which is capable of receiving the transmitted information and displaying that information.

Abstract: A sensor capable of being adapted to sporting protective gear for sensing forces or vibrations encountered by the protective gear. The device senses the forces and delivers a signal proportional to the sensed force into a circuit for determining the accumulative force encountered by the protective gear over a period of time. The determining circuit is capable of decrementing the accumulated force according to a predetermined source-time pattern in order to allow the user of the sporting protective gear to recover. The accumulated force is sensed and as decremented is suitably displayed.

Abstract: This invention provides a highly portable device for counting athletic activities of a repetitive nature, e.g., pool laps swum, track laps run, pushups, situps, etc. The device has a mat-like body flexible enough to be rolled up and carried in a handbag. It is comprised of: (1) a watertight upper section containing a weight for anchoring the device during use, battery and circuit means for powering a lap counting electrical circuit, (2) a middle section for displaying an athletic activities card and (3) a watertight lower section containing a lap count display and a touch pad which operates the lap counting electrical circuit in a manner such that the display count advances by one for each touch of the pad.

Abstract: A portable oilfield fluid management system and method provides display information concerning fluid status and includes a plurality of local sensing units which can be selectively attached in any order to a plurality of different storage tanks having different sizes, shapes and capacities located in different oilfields. A plurality of cable segments each of equal predetermined length are used to interconnect the attached local sensing units to each other in a serial connection and a central touch activated monitor located away from the local sensing units is interconnected to the first attached local sensing unit by means of an elongated cable. Because the local storage units which function to measure the level of fluid in the storage tanks can be attached to the storage tanks in any order, the central touch-activated monitor autoconfigures the local sensing units by assigning binary addresses to each attached local sensing unit.

Abstract: The oil field lease management and security system and method of the present invention for monitoring oil field equipment and for communicating with authorized operators.

Abstract: A reaction time and applied force feedback training system for sports includes at least one sport training device, a stimulus indicator located near and associated with the sport training device for emanating a plurality of ready signals at random time intervals, a sensor in the sport training device receptive of a force applied to the sport training device in response to each of the ready signals for generating an electrical signal having a magnitude proportional to the magnitude of the applied force that force being the difference between an initialized zero force for the ambient pressure at that time and the applied force, and a control unit for controlling the emanation of the ready signals and for determining and displaying the reaction time from emanation of the ready signal to sensing the applied force and for determining and displaying the magnitude of the applied force.

Abstract: A storage tank level monitoring apparatus and method for determining fluid levels in a storage tank. The apparatus of the present invention includes a magnet coated with rubber for holding a pivotally mounted housing to the interior of the storage tank and an ultrasonic transducer contained within the housing for generating acoustic pulses and for receiving reflections of the acoustic pulses for producing an analog signal proportional to the reflections, a string carrying a number of reference disks vertically oriented below the housing for producing a series of reflected acoustic signals from each reference disk, and a processor connected to the ultrasonic transducer for activating the transducer and for analyzing the reflected pulses for calibrating the apparatus for environmental changes in the atmosphere above the stored fluid and for determining the level of the stored fluid in the tank.