Abstract: The sluice gate valve includes at least one binding reduction mechanism to reduce binding during actuation of the sluice gate. In one embodiment the mechanism includes a the guide elements and the tracks, the guide elements and the tracks being arranged such that a predetermined amount of rotational motion of the gate around the stem is permitted during actuation of the valve to reduce valve binding. In another embodiment the mechanism includes a stuffing box assembly including a stuffing box, a bushing, and a collar, where a convex curved surface of the collar slides on a concave curved surface of the bushing such that a predetermined amount of pivoting of the stem up to a predetermined cone angle is allowed. In a preferred embodiment the sluice gate valve includes both mechanisms.

Abstract: A gear for use as the pinion in a rack and pinion gear includes spur gear teeth that have an upper portion of the face cut in a worm cut so the gear is effective as a worm wheel for a worm gear while retaining involute curved faces so it is effective as the pinion for the rack. The rack, pinion, and worm driver are connected. When the worm gear connected to a shaft, power is transmitted from the shaft to the rack via the worm driver and pinion with all gears making line contact instead of point contact. This improvement turns one gear piece into two gears. The rack pinion can be geared to a worm gear while it is also matched up with a straight cut rack. In this way the gear translates force between the two different types of gears.

Abstract: A gear for use as the pinion in a rack and pinion gear includes spur gear teeth that have an upper portion of the face cut in a worm cut so the gear is effective as a worm wheel for a worm gear while retaining involute curved faces so it is effective as the pinion for the rack. The rack, pinion, and worm driver are connected. When the worm gear connected to a shaft, power is transmitted from the shaft to the rack via the worm driver and pinion with all gears making line contact instead of point contact. This improvement turns one gear piece into two gears. The rack pinion can be geared to a worm gear while it is also matched up with a straight cut rack. In this way the gear translates force between the two different types of gears.

Abstract: A gate assembly for a double disk gate valve having two closure disks with a resilient material between. The resilient material and closure disks are enveloped in an outer harder coating. Closing the gate valve brings the disks into initial sealing contact with the bottom of the valve seat. Applying pressure to the gate valve after contact is made between the gate assembly and the valve seat causes the resilient central member to exert pressure against the closure disks, thus pressing the outer coating of the gate assembly against the sidewalls of the valve seat. This action creates a better sealing engagement with the seat surface to exclude flow. Wear on the gate assembly is significantly reduced since the gate assembly does not make contact with the sidewalls of the seat while being moved between an open position and a closed position.

Abstract: A telescoping seal uses a split resilient gasket surrounding the slide pipe at the bottom of the tank. The gasket has a slanting outer side, mating with a slanting seat in a lower flange which is attached to the bottom of the tank. An upper flange compresses the gasket downward into the seat, causing the gasket to be compressed inward around the slide pipe, thereby providing a watertight seal which still permits the vertical sliding motion of the slide pipe.

Abstract: Cooling of densely packaged semiconductor devices is achieved by microchannels which extract heat by forced convection and the use of fluid coolant located as close as possible to the heat source. The microchannels maximize heat sink surface area and provides improved heat transfer coefficients, thereby allowing a higher power density of semiconductor devices without increasing junction temperature or decreasing reliability. In its preferred embodiment, a plurality of microchannels are formed directly in the substrate portion of a silicon or silicon carbide chip or die mounted on a ground plane element of a circuit board and where a liquid coolant is fed to and from the microchannels through the ground plane. The microchannels comprise a plurality of closed-ended slots or grooves of generally rectangular cross section. Fabrication methods include deposition and etching, lift-off processing, micromachining and laser cutting techniques.

Abstract: A gate assembly for a double disk gate valve having two closure disks with a resilient material between. The resilient material and closure disks are enveloped in an outer harder coating. Closing the gate valve brings the disks into initial sealing contact with the bottom of the valve seat. Applying pressure to the gate valve after contact is made between the gate assembly and the valve seat causes the resilient central member to exert pressure against the closure disks, thus pressing the outer coating of the gate assembly against the sidewalls of the valve seat. This action creates a better sealing engagement with the seat surface to exclude flow. Wear on the gate assembly is significantly reduced since the gate assembly does not make contact with the sidewalls of the seat while being moved between an open position and a closed position.

Abstract: A closed loop liquid cooling system for an RF transistor module including a plurality of elongated microchannels connected between a pair of coolant manifolds for conducting liquid coolant beneath one or more transistor dies to dissipate the heat generated thereby, a heat exchanger, a miniature circulating pump located on the module, and passive check valves having tapered passages for controlling the flow of coolant in the loop. The valves are truncated tapered passage microchannel valves having no moving parts and are fabricated so as to be a part of either the circulating pump, the coolant manifolds, or the microchannels.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for exciting an electrodeless light bulb containing material including an inert gas and one or more chemical elements which generate a light emitting torus of plasma when excited by an RF signal and which includes two separate excitation coils oriented about the bulb so that the planes of each of the coils are mutually oriented 90.degree. with respect to each other, and wherein each of the coils are driven by respective RF excitation voltages having mutually different frequencies, for example, a difference of 4%, so as to excite the material enclosed within the bulb and cause a stirring action of the fill and effect a pulsating emission of light and rotation of the torus similar to that produced by physical rotation of the bulb itself.

Abstract: An electrodeless light bulb assembly having a standard light bulb base located at one end of an extruded cylindrical heat sink including a set of elongated fins extending radially outward from an annular inner body portion. An electrodeless light bulb, excitation coil, and transparent cover for the bulb are located at the other end of the heat sink. A solid state electrodeless lamp driver circuit is thermally coupled to the heat sink and is located in a hollow inner space region formed by the inner body portion. The annular inner body portion also includes at least one but preferably a plurality of boiler/condenser heat pipes located around its periphery for thermally coupling the heat from excitation coil and the driver to the fins where heat is transferred to the air via natural convection. The excitation coil can be formed from a length of conventional electrical conductor or it can be formed from a length of heat pipe connected at one end to the driver and at the other end to the heat sink.

Abstract: An electrodeless light bulb assembly including a case or housing supporting an electrodeless light bulb as well as a convection type heat exchanger. A solid state RF driver circuit is located inside the housing and connects to an excitation coil wrapped around the light bulb. The excitation coil comprises a metal heat pipe so as to provide an efficient thermal transport mechanism for the heat generated by the coil and the heat radiated thereto from the electrodeless bulb to the heat exchanger in addition to generating an RF excitation field for the electrodeless light bulb.

Abstract: Cooling of densely packaged semiconductor devices is achieved by microchannels which extract heat by forced convection and the use of fluid coolant located as close as possible to the heat source. The microchannels maximize heat sink surface area and provides improved heat transfer coefficients, thereby allowing a higher power density of semiconductor devices without increasing junction temperature or decreasing reliability. In its preferred embodiment, a plurality of microchannels are formed directly in the substrate portion of a silicon or silicon carbide chip or die mounted on a ground plane element of a circuit board and where a liquid coolant is fed to and from the microchannels through the ground plane. The microchannels comprise a plurality of closed-ended slots or grooves of generally rectangular cross section. Fabrication methods include deposition and etching, lift-off processing, micromachining and laser cutting techniques.

Abstract: A liquid cooling system contained completely on a circuit board assembly. The liquid cooling system uses microchannels etched within the circuit board, those microchannels being filled with electrically conductive fluid that is pumped by a non-mechanical, magnetic pump. The pump can be separate from the device on the circuit board which is to be cooled or it can be integrated with the device that is to be cooled. In the latter circumstance, the same current which flows through the electronic device is the current which generates the Lorentz force that pumps the electrically conductive fluid through the microchannel.

Abstract: Aviation fuel is used as the coolant for a microchannel heat sink for airborne electronics. The use of preexisting aviation fuel as a coolant medium eliminates the weight, size and expense of a separate liquid system dedicated solely to electronics cooling. The heat sink is comprised of a body of material having high thermal conductivity and in which are formed a set of parallel closed-ended microchannels on the order of 0.001 in. by 0.004 in. separated by a distance of 0.001 in.

Abstract: A fiberoptic cable junction for joining the ends of two fiberoptic cables mprises the steps of inserting a tube fastener over each cable end and inserting a protective sleeve and a splint fastener over either cable end. The cable ends are then spliced together. The protective sleeve is positioned over the splice and is supported by fastening an inner splint rod to the cable buffer with the tube fasteners. The cable buffer is supported by an outer splint rod fastened to the tube fasteners by the splint fastener.

Abstract: A combination air and vacuum valve comprises a valve body (20) including a fluid inlet (25) and gas outlet (26), a valve poppet (8) guided to open and close said outlet (26), a float (19) and rod (18) connected operatively thereto in a vertical orientation for allowing said valve poppet (8) to close and open said gas outlet (26), a seat frame (5) for guiding stem of said poppet (8), a fulcrum pivot lever mechanism to which said float rod (18) is attached and which also contains a valve poppet seat (9) for pushing said valve poppet (8) via its stem to close said outlet (26), a fulcrum pivot axis of said fulcrum pivot lever mechanism containing a torsion spring (11); said spring (11) providing an additional upward force which assists the buoyancy effect of the float (19) in closing the valve. As a result, a smaller float may be used to achieve the same buoyant effect which would normally require a larger float.

Abstract: A security hydrant cap having a domed body adapted to be removed only with a specialized tool, and a slip ring surrounding substantially all of the body and mounted thereto so as to be free to rotate about the body. The slip ring and, preferably, the body are formed of stainless steel. Preferably, the slip ring and body are made of a 400 series stainless steel, heat treated to a Rockwell "C" hardness of approximately 43-47.

Abstract: A mud valve having a plug seat which is made of a resilient material, and which forms the seal at an angle of approximately 28.degree. from the vertical. The valve seat is formed with a matching 28.degree. inclination to mate with the resilient seat.

Abstract: An intake manifold relief valve comprising a valve body (13) having at least two openings, one opening being an inlet (22) for gas and another opening being an outlet (23) for gas to relieve excess pressure, a piston (8) for opening and closing said gas inlet (22) and containing an orifice hole (21) to maintain a constant pressure on both sides of the piston (8); said valve body (13) also cooperating with said piston (8) to form an enclosed gas chamber the size of which is decreased as said piston (8) moves to open said valve, a piston spring (5) applying a force on said piston (8) in addition to that provided by the gas pressure within said chamber to maintain it in a closed position under normal conditions, said piston (8) moving to open said gas inlet (22) when excess pressure within the manifold overcomes the force of said piston spring (5), thereby allowing gas to escape through said valve outlet (23); as the pressure is equalized within the valve through said orifice hole (21), said piston spring (5) wi

Abstract: The present invention is a shaftless bi-directional butterfly valve that does not require a valve housing and may be mounted to a length of pipe by merely drilling a hole into the wall of the pipe. A stuffing box is attached to a pipe by a U-bolt or other conventional means. The stuffing box serves as a drill jig to center the hole that must be drilled in the pipe. A threaded rotatable stem is arranged to penetrate one side of a pipe perpendicularly to the axis thereof. In the interior of the pipe, the stem is threaded into a stem nut which travels along the length of the stem as the stem rotates. Its travel is limited by a stop pin which is located at the extremity of the stem in the interior of the pipe. Two elliptical discs are attached to the stem nut, each by a separate hinge pin protrusion, at points which are diametrically opposite.