Abstract: An electric cleaner incorporates an effective noise suppression arrangement for minimizing the noise generated by the exhaust from the electric air blower. The present invention provides an electric cleaner comprising an air rectifying duct installed on its external surfaces so that the exhaust from the electric air blower can smoothly and quietly pass through it, while the noise emitted by the exhaust can be significantly minimized throughout the vacuum cleaning operation even when using a compact cleaner.

Abstract: A semipermeable membrane element of the type incorporating a flat semipermeable membrane and useful as an artificial kidney. A wave-shaped spacer is provided in intimate contact with the active side of the membrane and forms a multiplicity of parallel channels between the membrane and the spacer for passing a feed liquid therethrough. The parallel channels give a maximum clearance of 35 to 500 microns and 0.6 to 10 mm in width.

Abstract: The present invention provides a membrane separation element comprising a pair of corrugated semipermeable membranes each defining a plurality of parallel passages for the fluid to be treated on active surface side thereof, and a plurality of parallel passages for a filtrate fluid on the other side thereof, said membrane being placed on each other in such a manner that the passages on the active surface side of one of said membranes may face and cross the passages on the active surface side of another membrane, said membranes being sealed together along a pair of opposite edges.

Abstract: A semipermeable membrane composed of a water-insoluble, cross-linked, membrane-forming polymer (hereinafter referred to as "polymer (II)") which is obtained by partially converting the hydroxyl groups of a polymer represented by the following formula (hereinafter referred to as "polymer (I)"): ##STR1## wherein R and R' are halogen, nitro, methyl or ethyl,X stands for a divalent group selected from methylene, ethylene, isopropylidene, ether (--O--), carbonyl (--CO--), sulfide (--S--), sulfoxide (--SO--) and sulfone (--SO.sub.2 --),l and m are integers of from 0 to 4, p is 0 or 1, andn is an integer of from 100 to 1000,to sulfuric acid groups or alkali metal, ammonium or nitrogen-containing basic organic compound salts thereof, and then cross-linking the "polymer (II)".

Abstract: A semipermeable membrane suitable for the use in an artificial kidney of the filtration type is produced by preparing a solution of cellulose acetate in a solvent mixture consisting essentially of a solvent for cellulose acetate and a swelling agent and spreading said solvent on a substrate, the solvent being a mixture of dimethylformamide and acetone, the swelling agent being a mixture of cyclohexanone and water, the ratio by weight of the amount of dimethylformamide and that of acetone to that of the swelling agent being within the area defined by four points consisting of A (60, 20, 20), B (35, 45, 20), C (25, 35, 40) and D (50, 10, 40) in the triangular coordinates represented by FIG. 1; the ratio of cyclohexanone to water being in a range of from 0.8 to 1.3.

Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation system for an internal combustion engine employs a recirculation control valve in a passageway connecting the engine exhaust passage to the engine intake passage downstream from the throttle valve. An air conduit having an air control valve therein draws atmospheric air into the intake passage downstream from the throttle valve. Vacuum responsive actuators are provided for each of the control valves and they are operated by vacuum pressure controlled by a regulating valve, which regulating valve is responsive to differential pressure between vacuum intensity in the intake passage upstream from said throttle valve and modified atmospheric pressure. The modified atmospheric pressure is obtained downstream of a fixed or variable restriction in the air conduit.

Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation system for an internal combustion engine employs a recirculation control valve in a passageway connecting the engine exhaust passage to the engine intake passage downstream from the throttle valve. An air conduit having an air control valve therein furnishes atmospheric air to the intake passage downstream from the throttle valve. Vacuum responsive actuators are provided for each of the control valves and they are operated by vacuum pressure regulated by a regulating valve, which is itself responsive to differential pressure between vacuum intensity in the intake passage upstream from said throttle valve and modified atmospheric pressure. The modified atmospheric pressure is obtained downstream from a variable throttling valve mounted in a bypass passage connected to the air conduit upstream and downstream with respect to a restriction therein.

Abstract: Exhaust gas recirculation apparatus for an internal combustion engine employs a vacuum responsive control valve in a passageway connecting the engine exhaust passage to the engine intake passage downstream from the throttle valve. A unitary housing comprising a base, a body, and a cap contains an air control valve and a regulating valve each having a flexible diaphragm responsive to differential pressure. The diaphragm for the air control valve is clamped between the cap and the body, and the diaphragm for the regulating valve is clamped between the body and the base. Vacuum pressures on opposite sides of the diaphragm for the air control valve are obtained from a control pipe system and from an air conduit downstream from the air control valve. Vacuum pressures on opposite sides of the diaphragm for the regulating valve are obtained from a vacuum line and from the air conduit upstream from the air control valve.

Abstract: A system for controlling introduction of gas into a passage of an internal combustion engine employs a first control valve in a gas introduction passageway, a second control valve in an air conduit connecting the intake passage to atmosphere, and a regulating valve responsive to vacuum intensity in the intake passage. The regulating valve actuates vacuum responsive actuators for the control valves. This system is used for recirculating exhaust gases into the intake passage. The regulating valve in combination with a restricted orifice for the actuator of the second control valve act to rapidly stop exhaust gas recirculation when the operator decelerates the engine.

Abstract: A semipermeable membrane composed of a water-insoluble, membrane-forming polymer (hereinafter referred to as "polymer (II)") which is obtained by partially converting the hydroxyl groups of a polymer represented by the following formula (hereinafter referred to as "polymer (I)"): ##STR1## wherein R and R' are halogen, nitro, methyl or ethyl, X stands for a divalent group selected from methylene, ethylene, isopropylidene, ether (--O--), carbonyl (--CO--), sulfide (--S--), sulfoxide (--SO--) and sulfone (--SO.sub.2 --), l and m are integers of from 0 to 4, p is 0 or 1, and n is an integer of from 100 to 1000,to sulfuric acid groups or alkali metal, ammonium or nitrogen-containing basic organic compound salts thereof.

Abstract: A semipermeable polymeric membrane which essentially consists of modified poly (arylether-sulfone) having halomethyl groups and/or quaternized nitrogen atom-bearing groups. The membrane can be prepared by casting the polymer solution in a selected solvent or a mixture of suitable solvents on a surface, evaporating a portion of the solvent, and immersing the resulting film into a suitable non-solvent. The membrane is excellent in performance, such as water flux, and permeation selectivity, so that it can be used as a reverse osmosis membrane, an ultrafiltration membrane, and the like.

Abstract: Fruit wines excellent in taste and bouquet can be manufactured from fruit juices of low sugar content by subjecting the crude fruit juices to a semi-permeable membrane separation process (reverse osmosis or ultrafiltration), thereby to concentrate the crude fruit juices. The time periods required for fermenting the concentrated fruit juices and aging the wines made therefrom are considerably shorter in comparison with other wine-making processes.

Abstract: A separator in which at least one tubular separating element comprising a semipermeable membrane in the shape of a lined envelope and a corrugated spacer which are wound spirally around a collecting pipe having a plurality of small transverse bores. The spacer is positioned between adjacent convolutions of the envelope and forms channels which extend substantially parallel to the collecting pipe. The inner part of the envelope is open to the outer periphery of the collecting pipe. The spacer is provided with notches in opposite edges thereof arranged so that the notches in the respective edges open in opposite circumferential directions. The notches allow passage of the liquid being treated, as well as objects for cleaning the membrane, from one channel to the next. The separator and the collecting pipe are housed in a pressure vessel.

Abstract: Supported semi-permeable membranes are prepared by coating a membrane-forming solution directly on a membrane support, said membrane support comprising a woven fabric selected from (1) a woven fabric made of mixed yarns and formed by employing as a part of the weft and/or warp yarns a yarn composed of a component soluble in a solvent used for forming the membrane-forming solution, (2) a woven fabric composed of a blended yarn including as one blend component fibers composed of a component soluble in a solvent used for forming the membrane-forming solution and (3) a woven fabric having its surface coated with a polymer soluble in a solvent used for forming the membrane-forming solution.

Abstract: A semipermeable membrane for ultrafiltration is prepared byDissolving a copolymer of acrylonitrile (90 to 60 molar percent based on total monomers) and a non-electrolytic water-soluble vinyl monomer (40 to 10 molar percent based on total monomers) in a solvent selected fromI. one or more water-miscible solvents each having hydrogen bond and dipole parameters within the pentagonal area (3, 6), (5.5, 4), (7.5, 6), (7.5, 10), (6, 10) and (3, 6) as determined by a two-dimensional rectangular coordinate graph, orIi. a mixture of (i) and an organic water-miscible solvent in such proportion that the hydrogen bond dipole parameters calculated from weighted averages are within said pentagonal area,Forming a film of said resulting solution on a surface and then immersing said film in water.

Abstract: A photocomposing apparatus is disclosed which makes use of a camera means, memory means and display means, which can select character from a character matrix and store all of the characters thus selected as an image signal in the memory means, which can determine the amount of feed of each character after characters to be composed on a line having a given length or in a block have been selected, and which can display the character on the display means and its photograph can be taken on a photosensitive medium, thereby effecting printing of the characters.