Control apparatus and methods

Claim 1

A BISTABLE FLUID AMPLIFIER COMPRISING: AN INPUT POWER CONDUIT INCLUDING AN INLET ADAPTED TO RECEIVE FLUID UNDER PRESSURE AND AN OUTLET ORIFICE, THE WALLS OF SAID INLET BEING TAPERED CONTINUOUSLY TO A SMALLER DIMENSION IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW SO THAT THE FLOW OF FLUID WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF TURBULENCE UPON ENTRANCE INTO THE OUTLET ORIFICE, THE CENTER OF SAID OUTLET ORIFICE BEING ON A CENTRAL AXIS PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF SAID OUTLET ORIFICE; A CHAMBER INCLUDING AN INLET CONNECTED TO THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID OUTLET ORIFICE, SIDE WALLS PORTIONS SET BACK FROM SAID PERIPHERAL EDGE AND FLARING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID INLET, AND FIRST AND SECOND OUTLETS DOWNSTREAM FROM SAID INLET AND DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF AN AXIAL PLANE INCLUDING SAID CENTRAL AXIS; A FLUID DIVIDER EXTENDING INTO SAID CHAMBER, SAID FLUID DIVIDER INCLUDING SIDE WALL PORTIONS OPPOSITE THE SIDE WALL PORTIONS OF SAID CHAMBER AND CONVERGING TO A POINT ON SAID CENTRAL AXIS FACING SAID OUTLET ORIFICE AND DOWNSTREAM THEREFROM, THE OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SIDE WALL PORTIONS OF SAID CHAMBER AND SAID FLUID DIVIDER COOPERATING TO PROVIDE FIRST AND SECOND FLUID OUTLET CHANNELS EXITING AT SAID FIRST AND SECOND OUTLETS OF SAID CHAMBER; SAID SIDE WALL PORTIONS OF SAID CHAMBER AND SAID FLUID DIVIDER BEING DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID OUTLET ORIFICE SO THAT WHEN FLUID FROM SAID OUTLET ORIFICE FLOWS IN ONE OF SAID OUTLET CHANNELS SAID FLOW CONTINUES UNTIL DIVERTED TO THE OTHER OF SAID OUTLET CHANNELS; SAID PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID OUTLET ORIFICE BEING PROVIDED WITH FIRST AND SECOND SLITS, SAID FIRST SLIT BEING ON THE SAME SIDE OF SAID AXIAL PLANE AS SAID FIRST OUTLET CHANNEL AND SAID SECOND SLIT BEING ON THE SAME SIDE OF SAID AXIAL PLANE AS SAID SECOND CHANNEL; EACH OF SAID SLITS HAVING A WIDTH MORE THAN ONE-ONE HUNDREDTH OF THE WIDTH OF SAID OUTLET ORIFICE AND AN ANGLE OF INCLINATION OF BETWEEN ZERO AND NINETY DEGREES; AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY APPLYING SUCTION TO SAID SLITS SO THAT WHEN SUCTION IS APPLIED TO ONE OF SAID SLITS, FLUID FLOWING FROM SAID OUTLET ORIFICE IS DIVERTED, BY BENDING OVER SAID PERIPHERAL EDGE, TO THE OUTLET CHANNEL ON THE SAME SIDE OF SAID AXIAL PLANE.