Abstract: An improved sand pan and flushing jet apparatus is provided along with a process to separate solids from a fluid stream. The sand pan has openings along the side which increase in flow area with increasing distance from a slurry blowdown. Flushing jets are provided within the sand pan to remove slurry drawn into the sand pan by blowdown flow.

Abstract: A device (10) for venting aircraft tires comprises a fusible plug (42) and a spring-biased piston (30), both plug (42) and piston (30) being positioned within a single bore (B) of the device. The plug (42) is meltable out of the bore when the wheel (12) temperature increases above a specific limit set by the eutectic material which frees the piston (30) to move out of a spring-biased and bore-sealing position within a sealing ring (22) by an overpressure within the tire which overcomes the spring bias. The piston (30) will return to a sealing position when the pressure drops below a value which is insufficient to overcome the spring bias.

Abstract: In a friction component for brakes, clutches and the like, a core member is adapted for carrying a plurality of friction pads or cups on either or both of its surfaces. According to this invention a cylindrical metal bushing is positioned in an aperture through the core member to contact the bottoms of friction pads on the opposite surfaces of the core. The bushing has annular projections at the ends that make contact with the bottoms of the friction pads and passage of an electrical welding current through the assembly affects welding of the bushing projections to the bottoms of the pads and rigidly secures them to the core member.

Abstract: Brake disk wear pad plates have various different types of snap fasteners so that adjacent wear pads may be releasably joined together. Desirably, the brake pad plates are located on opposite sides of a brake disk core and thus are held together by the fasteners usually extending through the core. Generally, the snap fasteners may be of a projection-recess-type fitting in which the projection and recess matingly and releasably engage each other or of a common-component type wherein a structural part matingly and releasably engages both adjacent fasteners. When the brake disk wear pads are worn, the brake disk pad plates are readily disengaged from each other, new wear pads inserted into the brake disk plates and the wear pad plates once again snap fastened to each other.