Abstract: An efficient turbine having an impeller mounted to an axle. The impeller has a cylindrical center hub mounted on the axle, and a plurality of blades extend radially from the center hub. The blades are welded to the center hub and end plates at either end of the impeller. Watertight chambers for receiving water are formed by adjacent blades, the center hub, and the end plates. An inlet directs water into the impeller to rotate it. The blades have an arcuate shape with no part of the blade extending below the top of the inlet when the outer edge of the blade is aligned with the top of the inlet so that no counteracting torque works against rotation of the impeller. Compressed air becomes trapped in the chambers, and when the compressed air expels the water from the impeller, it reduces the velocity of the water to near zero with respect to the inlet.

Abstract: A hydraulic vehicle brake system of the type having a high system return pressure is provided. In order to minimize the size and strength of brake return springs required, the invention provides a device to be interposed between the brake and the brake control valve. Preferred embodiments of the device include an inlet port communicating with a brake valve and an outlet port communicating fluid pressure to a vehicle brake. A control assembly is provided intermediate the inlet and outlet ports and includes mechanisms for amplifying the hydraulic pressure effect in the direction from the outlet port to the return pressure system so that the brake return pressure exerted by the brake return springs can be substantially less than the hydraulic system return pressure.

Abstract: A double O-ring sealing arrangement for a pressure responsive device wherein a storage-buffer chamber is provided between the double O-rings and is kept at a high pressure even when the actuating pressure for the pressure responsive device is dropped below atmosphere so as to provide for an as effective sealing of an actuating chamber of the pressure responsive device from the surrounding atmosphere.

Abstract: A hydraulic vehicle brake system of the type having a high system return pressure is provided. In order to minimize the size and strength of brake return springs required, the invention provides a device to be interposed between the brake and the brake control valve. Preferred embodiments of the device include an inlet port communicating with a brake valve and an outlet port communicating fluid pressure to a vehicle brake. A control assembly is provided intermediate the inlet and outlet ports and includes mechanisms for amplifying the hydraulic pressure effect in the direction from the outlet port to the return pressure system so that the brake return pressure exerted by the brake return springs can be substantially less than the hydraulic system return pressure.