Abstract: A cyclonic portable vacuum cleaner/dust collector has a cyclonic chamber and a filter chamber. The filter chamber contains a filter cartridge with a hollow core positioned over the discharge opening of a motor plate that closes the filter chamber. A vacuum blower is mounted on the motor plate, with an intake tube at the discharge opening of the motor plate. An annular pulse-cleaning plate is positioned over an associated annular opening that surrounds the motor plate discharge opening and has an open center that slides up and down on the intake tube of the vacuum blower. A bail handle or lever extends from the pulse-cleaning plate to a handle portion outside the cover or shroud. The handle is pushed down to lift the pulsing plate to provide a reverse pressure air pulse to the filter to blast off accumulated dust. An anti-deflagration screen may be present at the center of the motor plate.

Abstract: A riding floor sander for large hardwood floor surfaces, such as gymnasiums and dance floors, has a powered cart with one or more sanding machines connected to it. A blower picks up the process waste in a stream of air and and moves it to a cyclone separator that is mounted on the riding sanding machine. There the dust is separated from the air stream, leaving clean air to be returned to the ambient. The dust that falls from the cyclone into a dust collection drum or bag on the cart. There can be are primary cyclonic separators on the sanding machines, and a cyclonic separator on the back of the riding cart. Alternatively, the cyclone and drum may be located remote from the riding sander, and can have an in-line auxiliary pump or impeller.

Abstract: An auxiliary dust collection system can be interposed between a sander or other dust producing tool and a vacuum source, e.g., shop vacuum. This auxiliary system has a cyclonic separator connected by a flexible hose to the tool and by another hose to the vacuum source. The cone of the separator is mounted onto the lid of a drum into which the dust precipitates. For a tool that has its own blower, the vacuum source can be omitted, and the air leaving the outlet duct of the separator can be filtered and returned to the ambient. A drop in silencer formed of a sleeve or tube of acoustic foam can be positioned into the inlet side of a filter cartridge following a cyclonic separator. The silencer absorbs a significant fraction of the process noise.

Abstract: A vacuum bag hold-down arrangement for a dust collection system maintains a negative pressure in the space between a dust collection drum and a plastic film liner or bag in the drum. A cyclonic separator at the station separates the dust from an air flow and deposits it into the liner in the drum. The hold-down arrangement employs a vacuum pump producing about 1 to 3 psig negative pressure. A vacuum conduit extends from the pump through a penetration in the drum and into the space between wall of the drum and the liner bag. A porous pad, e.g., open cell foam, is situated over the vacuum conduit and separates the bag liner from the vacuum conduit. This distributes the air flow into the vacuum conduit and creates a more uniform grip of the liner or bag to the drum.

Abstract: Featured is a method for the collection of blood, more particularly blood from the umbilical cord, as well as shielding devices and device kits for use with such methods. Such methods and shielding devices advantageously decrease the risk or potential for accidental needle sticks when withdrawing blood from the umbilical cord. Such a method is particularly useful for collecting cord blood and includes the steps of positioning a body portion, from which blood is to be withdrawn, within a shield member and inserting an insertion member of a blood extraction device into the body portion, where the shield member is generally disposed between the insertion member and the user's hand. The method also can include holding the shield member in one of the user's hands and accomplishing said inserting using another of the user's hands. The method further includes stabilizing the body portion using a digit of the one hand holding the shield member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cyclonic air cleaning device having a self cleaning, replaceable cartridge filter. The device essentially includes a barrel having a vortex tube concentrically positioned therein and a cylindrical, pleated filter cartridge concentrically positioned within the vortex tube, and a cone portion removably attached to and extending downwardly from the bottom of the barrel. The cone funnels debris to a collection receptacle securely attached to the bottom thereof. The filter is held in place by an upper plate fixedly secured to the vortex tube, a lower plate, and a T-bar extending centrally through the two plates and filter. A wing nut engages the bottom end of the T-bar in abutting relation to the bottom plate to hold the filter in place.