Abstract: A rotary valve including a housing with a cylindrical bore enclosing a rotatably mounted cylindrical tube. The cylinder has a first array of apertures and the housing has a second array of apertures. Each aperture of the first array aligns with an aperture of the second array once during a revolution of the cylinder so that pressurized fluid in the cylinder is ejected through the aligned apertures. The device has numerous applications such as in controlling the loading of transport tubes with fragile integrated circuit packages as well as in providing driving force in a conveyor system and distributing water in an irrigation system.

Abstract: A carrier for transporting delicate devices (articles) expecially integrated circuits comprising a tube with a row of openings in its wall and separators attached to an elongated member wherein each separator fits into one of the openings thereby separating the interior of the tube into a row of spaces such that a device is positioned in each space and maintained out of contact with other devices. The separator may have one of several forms including a short wall or a stub. In one embodiment, the elongated member is a channel that straddles the tube in one position where the separators are inserted into the interior of the tube and in another position where the separators are withdrawn from the interior of the tube.