Abstract: A bed including a stepped deck is provided which is configured to support a mattress including a lower mattress section and an upper mattress section. The deck includes an upper deck, and a lower deck coupled to the upper deck by a deck side wall so that the lower deck is spaced apart from the upper deck to define a recess of the deck. The lower deck is configured to support the lower mattress section within the recess of the deck with the bottom surface of the lower mattress section engaging the lower deck. The side wall of the deck is configured to be located adjacent the side wall of the lower mattress section. The top surface of the lower mattress section is aligned generally in a plane of the upper deck. The upper deck is configured to support the upper mattress section with the top surface of the upper mattress section extending above the upper deck to provide a body support surface. The bottom surface of the upper mattress section engages the upper deck.

Abstract: A rail apparatus is configured to be mounted to a frame of a bed. The apparatus includes a siderail, a support having a first end pivotably coupled to the siderail and a second end, and a bottom mounting pivotably coupled to the second end of the support. The bottom mounting including at least one mounting bracket for coupling the bottom mounting to the frame of the bed, and an accessory rail configured to permit mounting of accessory items on the rail apparatus.

Abstract: A deck is provided for a bed which is configured to support a mattress including a lower mattress section having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side wall, and an upper mattress section having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side wall. The deck includes an upper deck, and a lower deck coupled to the upper deck by a deck side wall so that the lower deck is spaced apart from the upper deck to define a recess of the deck. The lower deck is configured to support the lower mattress section within the recess of the deck with the bottom surface of the lower mattress section engaging the lower deck. The side wall of the deck is configured to be located adjacent the side wall of the lower mattress section. The top surface of the lower mattress section is aligned generally in a plane of the upper deck. The upper deck is configured to support the upper mattress section with the top surface of the upper mattress section extending above the upper deck to provide a body support surface.

Abstract: A bed including a frame, an articulating deck on the frame having head, seat, and foot deck sections, and a mattress on the deck. The deck foot section and mattress foot portion have a first length when the foot section is in the up position and a second length shorter than said first length when the foot section is in the down position. A first driver varies the length of the deck foot section, and a second driver moves the foot section relative to said seat section between the generally horizontal up position and the generally vertically downwardly extending down position.

Abstract: A bed is provided having a head end, a foot end, and sides. The bed includes a frame and a deck carried by the frame. The deck includes an upper deck portion and a central, longitudinal recess in the upper deck portion. The recess is defined by a lower deck portion and walls connecting the lower and the upper deck portions. The bed also includes a mattress including a planar, upwardly-facing patient surface, side portions resting on the side deck portions, and a central projection extending downwardly into the recess. A first longitudinal deck section is coupled to the deck to pivot about a pivot axis above the lower deck portion between a generally horizontal position and a tilted position.

Abstract: A dynamic filter system comprises a dynamic filter assembly including one or more filter elements and one or more members disposed within a housing. The filter elements and the members are interleaved and arranged to rotate with respect to one another.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of treating wastewater containing particulate matter and free oil, which method comprises removing free oil from the wastewater, passing the wastewater through a first filtration medium having an effective pore rating of about 200 .mu.m or less, subjecting the wastewater to dynamic filtration utilizing a second filtration medium having an effective pore rating of about 5 .mu.m or less, and contacting the wastewater with an adsorbent bed to form a purified water stream. The present invention also provides an apparatus which can be used to carry out the present inventive method.

Abstract: A filter includes a pleated filter element having longitudinally extending pleats and a wrap member wrapped around the filter element. The wrap member is joined to the peaks of the pleats and has openings for increasing the dirt capacity of the filter. The filter element may be a composite of a filter layer, upstream and downstream support and drainage layers, a cushioning layer between the upstream support and drainage layer and the filter layer, and polymeric beads on the downstream side of the downstream support and drainage layer. An extruded polymeric mesh may comprise one or both of the upstream and downstream support and drainage layers.

Abstract: The disclosure describes a filter arrangement comprising a fitting and a filter assembly. The filter assembly includes an end tap and the end cap has a wall defining a bore. The fitting and the wall of the bore are fitted to one another by thermal expansion and contraction under elastic stress. At least one of the fitting and the wall of the bore has a non-reentrant shape shaped to resist longitudinal movement on the fitting within the bore and longitudinally secure and seal the filter assembly to the fitting.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of reducing the butterfat content of a liquid milk product comprising (a) providing a coalescing medium having a critical wetting surface tension of no more than about 50 dynes/cm, preferably a fibrous coalescing medium with an average fiber diameter of up to about 50 microns and a sheet weight of about 5 to about 30 oz/yd.sup.2, (b) passing a liquid milk product containing butterfat through the coalescing medium at a flow rate of about 1 to about 20 gpm/ft.sup.2 coalescing medium surface area to form coalesced butterfat particles and reduced-butterfat content liquid milk product, and (c) separating the coalesced butterfat particles from the reduced-butterfat content liquid milk product.

Abstract: A method of treating wastewater by passing wastewater into a dynamic microfiltration assembly to form a first concentrate stream and a filtrate stream and then passing the filtrate steam into an ultrafiltration assembly to form a second concentrate stream and a purified water stream.

Abstract: A filter for filtering a highly viscous material comprises a filter element including a glass fiber filter medium, preferably resin-bonded, having upstream and downstream sides and a polymeric mesh situated on at least one of the upstream and downstream sides of the filter medium, and preferably on both sides of the filer medium. A non-woven sheet, such as a cellulose paper sheet, may be disposed between the downstream side of the filter medium and the downstream polymeric mesh. The filter element is typically cylindrical and longitudinally pleated to maximize the filtration area in as small a volume as possible. Also provided is a method of filtering a highly viscous material, particularly magnetic coating mixes.

Abstract: A filter includes a pleated filter element having longitudinally extending pleats and a wrap member wrapped around the filter element. The wrap member is joined to the peaks of the pleats and has openings for increasing the dirt capacity of the filter. The filter element may be a composite of a filter layer, upstream and downstream support and drainage layers, a cushioning layer between the upstream support and drainage layer and the filter layer, and polymeric beads on the downstream side of the downstream support and drainage layer. An extruded polymeric mesh may comprise one or both of the upstream and downstream support and drainage layers.

Abstract: A filter segment disc of a segment filter comprises a support and drainage plate with slots radiating from the filter hub toward the filter edge. The slots are configured to provide a substantially uniform fluid flow over the filtering medium of the filter segment, reduce residence time of filtrate in the filter, eliminate dead spots in the flow, and facilitate cleaning of permanent filters.

Abstract: A container is adapted to be mounted on a paintball weapon to feed paintballs into the firing chamber of such weapon under the influence of gravity. The container includes a hollow housing in which a monolithic, one-piece helical ramp is located. The paintballs are fed onto the helical ramp and move under the influence of gravity from an inlet section to an outlet section for feeding the paintballs to the weapon. Elements located in the helical path defined by the helical ramp prevent the paintballs from moving backwards.

Abstract: The disclosure describes an arrangement which comprises a porous filter layer and a porous support layer. The porous support layer has first and second surfaces and the porous filter layer is positioned near the first surface of the porous support layer. The filter arrangement further comprises several polymeric beads disposed in parallel strips on the second surface of the porous support layer. The filter arrangement is corrugated to form pleats which extend generally perpendicular to the polymeric beads. Each pleat includes an open end, a bight end, and first and second opposing sides which extend between the open end and the bight end and include a portion within each pleat in which the opposing sides are in essentially parallel relationship. Each bead extends from the open end of the pleat along the first side to the bight end and from the bight end of the pleat along the second side to the open end.