The West Company

Other

L David Leiter

Jacob Ravn

This disclosure provides a vertical-axis windmill including a rotating vertical shaft and at least one vane assembly mounted to the rotating vertical shaft. The vertical-axis windmill rotates around a vertical axis when wind impinges upon the vane assembly. During rotation, a planar sail of the vane assembly moves along an oscillatory arc of about 90&#xb0;, with the planar sail assuming each of a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation once during each 360&#xb0; rotation of the vertical shaft. As described below, this configuration advantageously allows the windmill to be self-starting and suited for operation at low wind-speed.

Windmill design effective at lower wind speeds

A composite tip-off type cap, and closure sealing means, operatively connected to a container for closure thereof and sealing of the contents therein. The composite cap includes a narrow elongated exterior top portion, a peripherally enlarged open bottom skirt at the bottom thereof, and a container access opening closure seal means, operatively disposed within the skirt and operatively integrated therewith. The integrated composite cap and closure seal means are conjointly removable from the container, to open the container for access to the liquid therein, by application of a lateral tilting force against the narrow, elongated cap exterior at a position thereof remote from connection of the cap to the container. Removal of the integrated cap and closure seal means from the container is effected without breakage of the material forming the container. The cap and closure seal means act as a unit assembly when being removed. The construction is designed to generally assimilate known glass ampules, in configuration, use, and to have a similar opening procedure.

Composite tip-off container cap

A gimbal-type anvil for apparatus for testing in the integrity of a sealed container closure assembly. These assemblies generally comprise a container, a resilient sealing element mounted in the discharge opening in the container and a cup-like cap engaging over the stopper and seating it in place over the discharge opening in the container. The apparatus includes a force applicator for applying an external force to the cap in a direction to further compress the resilient stopper and a microscope to detect initial displacement of the cap relative to the container when the externally applied force exceeds the residual static force in the stopper. The gimbal-type anvil is operatively associated with the force applicator and consists of a housing and at least a pair of annular ring members pivotally connected to the housing about axes transverse to the longitudinal axis of the container closure assembly. The intersection of the pivot axes of the rings of the anvil define a pivot point disposed closely adjacent a feeler wall which engages the cap to apply a displacement force in the direction opposing the residual static force in the stopper.

Gimbal anvil for seal force test device

A method, apparatus and system for determining the integrity of a container sealed by means of a closure comprising a resilient sealing element and a cup-like cap having a top and a depending skirt compressing the resilient sealing element over the discharge opening in the container. The invention consists of verifying seal integrity by applying an external force to the cap and measuring the force required to effect initial movement thereof to overcome the residual static force in the resilient sealing element and by comparing the measured force which is essentially equal to the residual static force in the resilient sealing element to a predetermined standard known to provide an acceptable seal. It is known that when the force between the crimped edge of the cap and the container is zero which occurs upon initial displacement of the cap relative to the container, the externally applied force is essentially equal to the residual static force in the resilient sealing element. The residual static force in the resilient sealing element is measured by apparatus including a mechanical force applicator unit having an anvil engageable with the cap mounted on an actuator member of a gauge for measuring the applied force and a microscope, for observing initial downward displacement of the cap when a given external force essentially equal to the residual static force in the resilient sealing element is applied.

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Willow Grove, PA, United States of America

L David Leiter