Abstract: A valve for controlling flow of air comprising in combination a valve housing having a chamber, inlet and outlet air flow paths communicating with the chamber adjacent oppositely facing sides thereof, and a valve seat arranged in one of the flow paths; a valve sleeve supported for rotation within the chamber and having a through opening provided with opposite ends arranged for placing the inlet and outlet air flow paths in flow communication; and a valve member having sealing and operating ends, the sealing end being arranged within one of the flow paths for removable engagement with the valve seat for selectively blocking and unblocking the flow of air through one of the flow paths, the operating end extending into the chamber from one of the flow paths and through one of the opposite ends for receipt within the through opening of the valve sleeve.

Abstract: A portable hand washing and drying equipment unit comprises a housing having a front hand receiving opening communicating with a central hand compartment. Adjacently above the hand compartment is an upper compartment having a cleansing liquid reservoir with a valve-controlled flow tube for selectively delivering cleansing liquid from the reservoir to the hand compartment, and an electrically powered fan for providing a flow of hand drying air within the hand compartment. The reservoir and fan are supported by a shelf which is slidable into and out of the housing to enable access to such elements. Adjacently below the hand compartment is a lower compartment having a removable waste liquid receptacle therein for temporarily storing used cleansing liquid.

Abstract: Microscopes having plastic components such as knobs, covers and eyepiece rings are rendered antistatic by using static charge dissipating plastic materials instead of conventional plastics. Such antistatic microscopes are especially useful in the manufacture and inspection of semi-conductors which are easily damaged by exposure to static charges.

Abstract: An epi-illumination system for microscopes is described, which contains an epi-illumination module (18) that consists of a Smith-splitter with an integrated telescope system (14). The telescope system (14) corrects in the sense of "Shift-Optics" differences in length that appear when switching from a modularly-designed 45 degree neutral splitter (20) to a Smith-splitter containing module (18). The arrangement of the two lenses in the telescope system (14) is such that the positive member (15) is directed towards the mirror (4) of the Smith-splitter and the negative member (16) is directed towards the light source (6). Alternatively it is also possible to install a telescope system with an opposite lens arrangement in a module (19), containing a 45-degree neutral splitter, if this is exchanged for a Smith-splitter containing module, so that the negative member (16) is directed towards the 45-degree neutral splitter (20) and the positive member (15) is directed towards the light source (6).

Abstract: A counterbalance mechanism for vertically positioning a load includes auxiliary linkage means associated with an upper end of the mechanism for carrying a load and automatically varying the vertical angular orientation of the load incident to vertical movement of the load.

Abstract: A vehicle washing machine is disclosed having an inverted U-shaped housing mounted for movement lengthwise of a stationary vehicle and return movement to an initial reference position during a vehicle washing cycle of the machine. The housing includes first mechanism comprising a vertically movable and rotatable pod depending from a bridge portion of the housing and having horizontally reciprocative nozzles mounted thereon for successively applying a cleaning solution and pressurized rinse water to a front end, top, and rear end of the vehicle, and second mechanism associated with opposite legs of the housing and having vertically reciprocative nozzles mounted thereon for successively applying a cleaning solution and pressurized rinse water to opposite sides of the vehicle. The machine includes a relay logic system for controlling the vehicle washing cycle.

Abstract: An improved tonometer is disclosed having a pachymetric device means for measuring a patient's corneal thickness to allow for correction of the intraocular pressure measurement where the corneal thickness measurement deviates from a calibration mean corneal thickness. In a preferred embodiment, a single light source is pulsed just prior to intraocular pressure measurement to illuminate a central corneal section, and a pair of lateral light detector arrays are arranged to obliquely image the corneal section and generate signals which may be processed by a CPU to produce a corneal thickness measurement. If the corneal thickness measurement deviates from the calibration mean corneal thickness, the CPU calculates a thickness-corrected intraocular pressure measurement. The intraocular pressure measurement, corneal thickness measurement, and/or corrected intraocular pressure measurement may then be reported by a suitable display.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a joystick for positioning a test axis of an ophthalmic instrument relative to an eye of a patient. In a preferred embodiment, the joystick includes an actuator extending therefrom and arranged to alternately engage a pair of motor control switches incident to slight rotation of the joystick in opposite directions, thereby activating a motor drive to raise and lower the test axis.

Abstract: A knife sharpener is disclosed having an elongated handle and a blade sharpening unit mounted to a platform at a distal end of the handle for rotation between first and second secured positions for selective orientation of a blade draw direction to accommodate use by either a right-handed or a left-handed individual. The blade sharpening unit includes a lock tab biased for receipt within a selected one of a pair of keyways formed in the platform, each keyway being associated with one of the first and second positions.

Abstract: A method and device for measurement of exposure times in optical devices are disclosed. Specifically, a measuring diaphragm plate and a mask plate are associated with a measurement path and a projection path of the optical device and include a plurality of corresponding measuring diaphragms and masks, respectively. A graticule having markings corresponding to the contours of the measuring diaphragms is provided in the projection path proximate the mask plate and conjugate to an intermediate image plane, and a motor for selectively positioning a measuring diaphragm on the measuring path is synchronized with a motor for positioning a corresponding mask on the projection path, such that a selected measuring diaphragm and its corresponding contour markings are simultaneously imaged at the intermediate image plane.

Abstract: A polar or vector display provides an operator of an optical instrument with a symbolic instruction regarding the direction and amount of motion required to center an optical element on a chosen path.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for use in weighing products having circular or oval footprint configuration. A conveyor having a pair of parallel conveyor elements arranged to underengage the footprint only adjacent the periphery thereof transports the products one at a time across a weigh pan or scale device, whose length in the direction of conveyor movement is selected as the lowest value required to achieve a desired settle time for the weigh pan. Preferably, the length of the weigh pan is chosen to be essentially equal to the diameter of products to be weighed.

Abstract: Cabinets are formed with a first chamber defined by end joined lengths of a first extrusion, a first chamber outer end closure and a first chamber inner end closure, which may include a second chamber defined by end joined lengths of a second extrusion edge interfitted with lengths of the first extrusion. Two or more cabinets may be combined to form a module. In a preferred construction adapted for use in fabricating a utility vehicle, such as a fire truck, a module includes two or more cabinets removably joined to a common walkway arranged to bridge across the cabinets.

Abstract: A communications amplifier system which includes a primary preamplifier circuit, a secondary preamplifier circuit and a bypass circuit mutually exclusively selectable through a relay switching means which is automatically activated to bypass the primary preamplifier with the secondary preamplifier or the secondary preamplifier with the bypass circuit in the event of malfunction. In the standby mode, the secondary preamplifier is not connected to DC power or RF signal input.

Abstract: An improved snowthrower is disclosed having a body with a front housing containing a power driven auger continuously engaged with the ground for propelling the snowthrower forward, and a bottom scraper edge carried by a rear wall of the housing biased for continuous resilient engagement with the ground. In a preferred embodiment, the housing is pivotally connected to the snowthrower body by a fixed mounting bracket and springs connected to the housing and mounting bracket pivotally urge the housing such that the scraper edge is biased for continuous contact with the ground. In a second embodiment, the housing is fixed directly to the snowthrower body, a scraper guard plate having a bottom scraper edge is slidably attached to the rear wall of the housing, and springs connected to the housing and the scraper guard plate slidably urge the scraper guard plate such that the scraper edge is biased for continuous contact with the ground.