Author: claimsbot

1. A valve system for controlling fuel flow comprising:
a) a fuel-flow control device comprising a valve and a shaft for actuating the valve;
b) an actuator for rotating the shaft;
c) an apparatus for sensing the condition of the fuel-flow control device comprising:
a transmitter remote from the valve arranged to transmit a signal towards the valve;
a receiver remote from the valve arranged to receive the signal, the signal received by the receiver conveying information concerning the condition of the fuel-flow control device, and
a signal reflector for reflecting signals from the transmitter to the receiver, the signal reflector being arranged to rotate with movement of the valve,
the shaft having a first and a second end, the shaft having an axial length from the first end of the shaft to the second end of the shaft, the shaft including at least a part of a path along which the signal is arranged to travel from the transmitter to the receiver, so that, in use, a signal travels for at least part of the axial length of the shaft in a direction generally defined from the first end of the shaft to the second end.
2. A valve system according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is able to detect states corresponding to:
(i) the valve being in an open position,
(ii) the valve being in a shut position, and
(iii) a state in which substantially no signal is received by the receiver.
3. A valve system according to claim 2, wherein the state in which substantially no signal is received by the receiver corresponds to the failure of a component of the valve system.
4. A valve system according claim 1, wherein the signal is light.
5. A valve system according to claim 4, wherein the light received by the receiver is polarised.
6. A valve system according to claim 5, wherein the light transmitted by the transmitter includes light polarised in a first direction and a second direction transverse to the first direction.
7. A valve system according to claim 1, comprising a filter disposed along the path of the signal between the transmitter and the receiver, wherein the filter is arranged to move with the rotation of the shaft.
8. A valve system according to claim 7, wherein the filter is a polarising filter, which when in a first position allows polarised radiation of a given orientation to pass through the filter and when in a second position, at 90 degrees to the first position, restricts the passage of polarised radiation of that given orientation through the filter.
9. A valve system according to claim 5, wherein the receiver includes
a polarised radiation splitter, which is arranged to split the signal received into a first component having an intensity depending on the amount of radiation included in the signal polarised in a first direction and a second component having an intensity depending on the amount of radiation included in the signal polarised in a second direction transverse to the first direction,
a first radiation sensor arranged to receive the first component of radiation from the light splitter, and
a second radiation sensor arranged to receive the second component of radiation from the light splitter.
10. A valve system according to claim 1, wherein the shaft includes a fibre optic cable, which defines a part of the signal path.
11. A method of sensing the condition of a valve system for controlling fuel flow in an aircraft as claimed in claim 1, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a vessel for containing fuel or the flow thereof,
providing the valve in the vessel and the valve actuator outside of the vessel;
transmitting the signal, from a location remote from the valve, the signal passing towards the valve along a transmission path, then being reflected by the signal reflector away from the valve along a reflection path, the signal then being received at a location remote from the valve, and
sensing the condition of the valve without sensing the condition of the actuator, the signal reflector being disposed at an end of the transmission path and at an end of the reflection path.
12. A method according to claim 11 further including the steps of:
the valve actuator opening the valve and
the valve actuator shutting the valve.
13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the steps of opening and shutting the valve are effected by the actuator via the rotating shaft.
14. A valve system according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus for directly detecting the condition of the valve is also for detecting the condition of the shaft, wherein the signal received by the receiver further conveys information concerning the condition of the shaft.
15. A valve system according to claim 1, the first end of the shaft being closer to the valve than the second end of the shaft, the signal reflector being located at or adjacent to the first one end of the shaft, and the transmitter and receiver are closer to the second end of the shaft than the first end of the shaft.
16. A valve system according to claim 1, wherein the shaft includes a fibre optic cable inside the shaft, the fibre optic cable defining a part of the signal path.
17. A valve system according to claim 1, wherein the shaft includes a fibre optic cable on the shaft, the fibre optic cable defining a part of the signal path.
18. A fuel supply assembly comprising a valve system for controlling fuel flow in the fuel supply assembly, the valve system comprising:
a) a fuel-flow control device comprising a valve and a shaft for actuating the valve;
b) an actuator for rotating the shaft; and
c) an apparatus for detecting the condition of the valve of the fuel-flow control device comprising:
a transmitter remote from the valve arranged to transmit a signal towards the valve; and
a receiver remote from the valve arranged to receive the signal, the signal received by the receiver conveying information concerning the condition of the valve of the fuel-flow control device,
the valve system further comprising a signal reflector for reflecting signals from the transmitter to the receiver, the reflector being arranged to rotate with movement of the valve,
the shaft having a first and a second end, the shaft having an axial length from the first end of the shaft to the second end of the shaft, the shaft including at least a part of a path along which the signal is arranged to travel from the transmitter to the receiver, so that, in use, a signal travels for at least part of the axial length of the shaft in a direction generally defined from the first end of the shaft to the second end.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A post anchoradapter, comprising:
a vertically disposed elongate tubular body of unitary construction having four sidewalls and a square cross section, the corners of said square tubular body form spaced radius curved corners;
a horizontally disposed plug wall permanently attached within said square tubular body dividing said square tubular body into an upper portion and a lower portion;
said upper portion having an upper open end;
said upper portion having an upper inner wall extending between said upward open end and said plug wall for receiving a post;
said upper portion being further defined by having four spaced crescent-shaped tabs extending outward from the four sidewalls of said square tubular member body and forming an outward extending lip at said upper open end, said spaced crescent-shaped tabs forming a disk for covering a round post-receiving hole;
whereby, upon driving said square tubular body into the round post-receiving hole in cement or other hard ground material, said corners engage with and cut creases within the post-receiving hole, anchoring said anchoradaptor within the hole.
2. The post anchoradapter of claim 1, wherein said elongate tubular body lower portion has a lower open end, and a lower inner wall extending between said lower open end and said plug wall for receiving an anchor extension tube for driving into earth or like ground material.
3. The post anchoradapter of claim 1, wherein said upper inner wall forms a generally square cavity for receiving a square post.
4. The post anchoradapter of claim 1, wherein said upper inner wall forms a cylindrical cavity for receiving a cylindrical post.
5. The post anchoradapter of claim 1, wherein said upper inner wall forms a \u201cU\u201d-shaped cavity for receiving a \u201cU\u201d-shaped post.
6. The post anchoradapter of claim 1, wherein said lower inner wall forms a generally square cavity for receiving a square anchor extension tube.
7. The post anchoradapter of claim 6, wherein said lower inner wall is tapered outward from about said plug wall to said lower open end for press-fit engaging the anchor extension tube.
8. The postadapter of claim 1, wherein said lower inner wall forms a generally cylindrical cavity for receiving a cylindrical anchor extension tube, and wherein said lower inner wall is tapered outward from about said plug wall to said lower open end for press-fit engaging the anchor extension tube.

1. A paper money accumulation device comprising:
an input unit that sequentially inputs paper money into a space for accumulating the paper money;
a holding unit that includes a support member arranged in a state where a height with respect to an extended line of an input direction becomes large as being away from the input unit to the input direction of the paper money at a time of inputting the paper money, and that is positioned at a lower side of the space and holds the input paper money with the support member;
a stage that is positioned in a first position at a lower side of the holding unit at the time of inputting the paper money, and that lifts the paper money held in the holding unit by rising from the first position to a second position at a time of outputting the paper money; and
an output conveyance unit that includes a first conveyance unit provided on the stage, and a second conveyance unit that moves the lifted paper money between the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit to an output port in a state of sandwiching the paper money when the stage is raised to the second position, wherein
the stage includes a notched portion through which the support member slips at a time of rising of the stage.
2. The paper money accumulation device according to claim 1, further comprising:
an energization unit that energizes the support member in an upper side direction at the time of inputting the paper money, and moves the support member in a lower side direction according to a weight of the held paper money.
3. The paper money accumulation device according to claim 1, wherein, in the holding unit, one end portion of the support member at a side of the input unit is fixed to the stage with a shaft, and the support member is rotated around the shaft and slips through the notched portion at the time of rising of the stage.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A peristaltic pump comprising a compressible tube which carries liquid being pumped through said tube, said tube extending around at least a 360\xb0 path over a plurality of rollers circumferentially spaced from each other and with respect to which said tube is stationary, said rollers successively engaging and compressing said tube to pump the liquid in a plurality of successive pulses along the tube.
2. The peristaltic pump according to claim 1 wherein the tube is wrapped helically around the rollers so that said tube is disposed in side by side relationship on at least one of said rollers and successive spaced regions of said tube are in compressive engagement with at least one of said rollers to produce two of said plurality of travelling pulses simultaneously.
3. The peristaltic pump according to claim 2 wherein at least three rollers comprise said plurality of rollers, and said pump further comprises a rotatable drive shaft, and said rollers being mounted in an assembly on said drive shaft for rotation about an axis of rotation of the drive shaft.
4. The peristaltic pump according to claim 3 wherein said rollers each have axes of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of the drive shaft, said rollers being circumferentially spaced 120\xb0 apart around the axis of the drive shaft.
5. The peristaltic pump according to claim 3 wherein said assembly further comprises a frame with inlet and outlet ends of said tube being connected to said frame for holding the tube stationary and helically wrapped around and in engagement with said rollers.
6. The peristaltic pump according to claim 5 wherein said tube has sides joined to each other along edges between which extend arcuate sections of said tube, said edges defining flanges along outsides of said tube notches on the inside of said tube wherein the sides join together to form said flanges which guide the arcuate sections into sealing contact when said tube is compressed by the rollers.
7. A sprayer system comprising:
a trailer on which a tank for containing liquid to be sprayed is disposed, said trailer having wheels, each rotatable on a drive shaft, the trailer having a frame in which the drive shaft for each wheel is journalled; and
at least one of two peristaltic pumps which comprises:
a plurality of rollers connected in driven relationship to the shaft for rotation with said shaft and wheels, a compressible tube wrapped at least 360\xb0 around the plurality of rollers, and said tube being held stationary at inlet and outlet ends thereof wrapped around and engaging said rollers;
an inlet hose from said tank connected to the inlet end of said pump;
a spray head; and
an outlet hose from said pump connecting the tube of said hose to said spray head.
8. The sprayer system according to claim 7 wherein said tube is held stationary by couplings attached to the tube, said couplings being anchored to the frame, said couplings connecting said inlet and outlet ends of said pump to said inlet hose and said outlet hose.
9. The sprayer system according to claim 7 wherein said at least one of two peristaltic pumps compresses said compressible tube for carrying and pumping the liquid through said tube, said tube extending helically around at least a 360\xb0 path over said plurality of rollers which are circumferentially spaced from each other and with respect to which said tube is stationary, said rollers successively engaging and compressing said tube to pump the liquid in a plurality of successive pulses along the tube.
10. The sprayer system according to claim 9 wherein said tube is wrapped helically around the rollers so that said tube is disposed in side by side relationship on at least one of said rollers and successive spaced regions of said tube are in compressive engagement with at least one of said rollers to produce two of said plurality of travelling pulses simultaneously.
11. The sprayer system according to claim 10 wherein at least three rollers comprise said plurality of rollers, and said rollers being mounted in an assembly on said drive shaft for rotation about an axis of rotation of the drive shaft.
12. The sprayer system according to claim 7 further comprising a return hose to said tank, a two-way valve for selectively connecting said outlet hose to said return hose or to said spray head.
13. The system according to claim 10 wherein said plurality of rollers have axes of rotation parallel to an axis of rotation of the drive shaft, said rollers being circumferentially spaced 120\xb0 apart around the axis of the drive shaft.
14. The system according to claim 11 wherein said assembly further comprises a frame with inlet and outlet ends of said tube being connected to said frame for holding the tube stationary and helically wrapped around and in engagement with said rollers.
15. The system according to claim 14 wherein said tube has sides joined to each other along edges between which extend arcuate sections of said tube, said edges defining flanges along outsides of said tube notches on the inside of said tube wherein the sides join together to form said flanges which guide the arcuate sections into sealing contact when said tube is compressed by the rollers.
16. A peristaltic pump comprising
a rotational drive shaft;
a set of rollers coupled to said drive shaft;
means for mounting said rollers to rotate with rotation of said drive shaft; and
a deformable tube having stationary inlet and outlet ends, said tube between said ends being wrapped in a path along each of said rollers, said path passing twice along at least one of said rollers, in which as said rollers rotate with rotation of said drive shaft said rollers moves along said tube to move liquid when contained in the tube from said inlet end to said outlet end.
17. The pump according to claim 16 further comprising means for rotating said drive shaft.
18. The pump according to claim 16 having in which said inlet end is in fluid communication with a source of liquid.
19. The pump according to claim 16 having in which said outlet end is in fluid communication with an outlet port for said fluid.