Abstract: A method for preheating metal pellets before charging into a melting furnace, wherein the pellets are transported by a conveyor belt to a chute and discharged from the chute into the melting furnace, the method including heating the pellets by direct flame impingement from two or more banks of burners, wherein the two or more banks of burners comprise an upstream bank of burners and a downstream bank of burners; and controlling the upstream bank of burners to operate oxygen-rich so as to create an oxidizing zone and the downstream bank of burners to operate fuel-rich so as to create a reducing zone.

Abstract: A direct flame impingement system for preheating metal pellets before charging into a melting furnace, wherein the pellets are transported by a conveyor belt to a chute discharging into the melting furnace, including a refractory-lined preheater hood including a chute hood covering the chute and a conveyor hood covering at least a portion of the conveyor belt, the preheater hood having an entrance end through which pellets enter and an exit end through which pellets exit toward the melting furnace, and at least one bank of burners each containing at least one burner disposed in the hood positioned to direct flames into contact with the pellets being transported to preheat the pellets prior to discharge into the melting furnace.

Abstract: A burner retraction system includes a mounting assembly having a mounting sleeve, an insertion assembly having a tubular sleeve including an insertion portion sized and shaped for insertion into the mounting sleeve and an opening therethrough, a pivot rod rigidly mounted to and extending rearwardly from the mounting plate, and a pivot assembly rigidly mounted to the insertion sleeve and including a pivot tube surrounding and coaxially rotatable about the pivot rod, one of the pivot rod and the pivot tube having a slot including a straight axially extending portion and an angled portion extending rearwardly from the straight portion at an angle ?, and a stop pin slidably inserted into the slot in the one of the pivot rod and the pivot tube, the stop pin being secured to the other of the pivot rod and the pivot tube.

Abstract: An integrated retractable burner ignition system including a burner having an outlet face and a flow passage including a front end substantially coincident with the outlet face of the burner and a gas inlet positioned rearward from the front end of the flow passage, an igniter including a high voltage electrode surrounded by an insulator and extending beyond the insulator to form a tip end of the igniter, the igniter being mounted slidably within the flow passage, an actuator connected to a rear portion of the igniter and configured to advance and retract the igniter within the flow passage, and a slidable seal between the igniter and the flow passage, the seal being positioned rearward of the gas inlet of the flow passage and frontward of the rear portion of the igniter.

Abstract: A burner retraction system includes a mounting assembly having a mounting sleeve, an insertion assembly having a tubular sleeve including an insertion portion sized and shaped for insertion into the mounting sleeve and an opening therethrough, a pivot rod rigidly mounted to and extending rearwardly from the mounting plate, and a pivot assembly rigidly mounted to the insertion sleeve and including a pivot tube surrounding and coaxially rotatable about the pivot rod, one of the pivot rod and the pivot tube having a slot including a straight axially extending portion and an angled portion extending rearwardly from the straight portion at an angle ?, and a stop pin slidably inserted into the slot in the one of the pivot rod and the pivot tube, the stop pin being secured to the other of the pivot rod and the pivot tube.

Abstract: An integrated retractable burner ignition system including a burner having an outlet face and a flow passage including a front end substantially coincident with the outlet face of the burner and a gas inlet positioned rearward from the front end of the flow passage, an igniter including a high voltage electrode surrounded by an insulator and extending beyond the insulator to form a tip end of the igniter, the igniter being mounted slidably within the flow passage, an actuator connected to a rear portion of the igniter and configured to advance and retract the igniter within the flow passage, and a slidable seal between the igniter and the flow passage, the seal being positioned rearward of the gas inlet of the flow passage and frontward of the rear portion of the igniter.

Abstract: A check valve adapted for mounting between any flanges and specifically between sanitary flanges in a piping system, the check valve comprising a stationary portion and a flexible portion; the single-piece rigid stationary portion including and supporting a valve seat; the single-piece molded elastomeric flexible portion including a flange gasket, a valve plug, flexible retaining arms for guiding and securing the valve plug movement with respect to the valve seat, and a visual means to indicate that the check valve is installed, permits flow in the desired direction, and is drainable; the check valve being fully cleanable and sterilizable in situ by flow-through methods and having at least one embodiment that is fully drainable when mounted in any orientation.

Abstract: A check valve adapted for mounting between any flanges and specifically between sanitary flanges in a piping system, the check valve comprising a stationary portion and a flexible portion; the single-piece rigid stationary portion including and supporting a valve seat; the single-piece molded elastomeric flexible portion including a flange gasket, a valve plug, flexible retaining arms for guiding and securing the valve plug movement with respect to the valve seat, and a visual means to indicate that the check valve is installed, permits flow in the desired direction, and is drainable; the check valve being fully cleanable and sterilizable in situ by flow-through methods and having at least one embodiment that is fully drainable when mounted in any orientation.

Abstract: Systems and methods for displaying hierarchical data are described. In an implementation, a method includes processing hierarchical data describing a distributed computing environment. The hierarchical data includes a plurality of levels, in which, at least one of the levels includes a plurality of containers, each of the containers includes one or more items, and each of the items is disposed in another level that is a child of the at least one level. The processed hierarchical data is output for display in a single window on a display device such that the hierarchical data indicates a relationship between each of the items and a respective one of the containers and is configured such that each of the items may be edited without interacting with another window.

Abstract: A check valve adapted for mounting between any flanges and specifically between sanitary flanges in a piping system, the check valve comprising a stationary portion and a flexible portion; the single-piece rigid stationary portion including and supporting a valve seat; the single-piece molded elastomeric flexible portion including a flange gasket, a valve plug, flexible retaining arms for guiding and securing the valve plug movement with respect to the valve seat, and a visual means to indicate that the check valve is installed, permits flow in the desired direction, and is drainable; the check valve being fully cleanable and sterilizable in situ by flow-through methods and having at least one embodiment that is fully drainable when mounted in any orientation.

Abstract: A calibration method is provided for an observer tracking display, for instance of the autostereoscopic 3D type, which forms steerable viewing zones and which comprises a tracking system for tracking an observer and a controller for controlling the viewing zones in response to the tracking system. The viewing zones are steered to direct light in a plurality of directions in turn. The observer then moves to the optimum position for viewing the display. The tracking system determines the optimum position for each viewing zone direction and the positions and directions are stored in association with each other so as to form a mapping in the controller for controlling the viewing zones in response to the tracking system during normal use of the display.