Abstract: A toy glider comprising a projectile and a pneumatic launcher configured essentially as a bracelet for wearing on the user's wrist. The pneumatic launcher comprises an essentially bracelet-shaped, flexible conduit and an open-ended launching tube having one of its ends in fluid communication with the flexible conduit. The flexible conduit has an integrally formed air bulb which is positionable for concealment in the palm of the user's hand when the flexible conduit is positioned around the user's wrist. The projectile comprises a wing fastened to a flight tube which is moveably positionable on the launching tube of the pneumatic launcher. The wing is fastened to the flight tube by a pair of integrally formed straps which encircle the flight tube and a plurality of integrally formed fingers which are folded into one end of the flight tube and restrained by an end plug.

Abstract: A musical toy having audio-visual characteristics. A plurality of identical pneumatic systems, each for actuation of one of a plurality of vertically moveable ornaments, are positioned in the interior of a housing. Each of the pneumatic systems consists essentially of an air manifold in fluid communication with a bellows, a whistle and a vertical tube having a piston moveably positioned therein. Each of the bellows is operatively positioned in an access opening through the housing and the upper end of each of the vertical tubes extends out of an opening through the housing. Each of the pistons extends out of the upper end of its respective tube. One of the vertically moveable ornaments is affixed to the upper end of each of the pistons. When one of the bellows is compressed, air is simultaneously forced through the associated whistle to create a whistling sound and through the associated vertical tube to move the associated piston and vertically moveable ornament upward for their maximum distance of travel.

Abstract: A device for dispensing a measured quantity of granulated food or concentrate material to a container. A hopper-like container which functions as both a shipping and storage container and an operational storage container for the granulated material to be dispensed is positioned in the interior of a housing having a recessed container filling station. A granulated material transfer tube interconnects the hopper-like container and the container filling station. A valve seat is provided on the lower end of the transfer tube. An electro-responsive, pivoted dispensing valve, having a valve head which engages the valve seat, is provided to interrupt the flow of granulated material through the transfer tube into a cup or other similar container positioned in the container filling station. A timer is provided to control the period of time which the dispensing valve remains open, and, thereby, the quantity of granulated material dispensed to the cup or other similar container.

Abstract: A two level flush valve assembly for use in a water tank of a conventional toilet. An essentially cylindrical, hollow valve body has an upper flush opening, a lower flush opening, an overflow pipe and a discharge opening. The valve body is positioned in the interior of a toilet water tank with its lower end extending downward through an opening in the bottom of the tank. An extension arm is fastened to the free end of the lever arm which is operated by the flush handle of the toilet. A pulley is rotatably mounted on the free end of the extension arm and operatively engaged by a chain which interconnects a pair of valve elements pivotedly connected to the valve body for closing the upper flush opening and the lower flush opening. The valve element which closes the upper flush opening is pivoted open by the pulley and chain mechanism in response to movement of the flush handle, lever arm and extension arm for approximately one-half of their total distance of travel.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for cleaning large tanks and vessels, such as automotive and railway tank cars. A support frame has an air motor, a first gear box and a second gear box fixedly mounted thereon. A wash nozzle assembly is pivotedly attached to the support frame for movement in two directions. The air motor is operatively connected to the first gear box which, in turn, is operatively connected to the second gear box. Both the first gear box and the second gear box are operatively connected to the wash nozzle assembly to pivot the wash nozzle assembly in two directions, and thereby, direct cleaning liquid spray jets along both the longitudinal and latitudinal axes of the tank or vessel to be cleaned.

Abstract: A vacuum grass collecting apparatus for a tractor-type lawnmower having a rear discharge opening in its cutting deck and a rear power-take-off. A refuse container and a blower are independently mounted on the rear of a tractor-type lawnmower. The blower consists essentially of a housing having an intake opening and a discharge opening, a rotatable drive shaft having a plurality of impeller blades mounted thereon and a support bearing for the rotatable drive shaft. An articulated duct is positioned under the rear axle of the tractor-type lawnmower and interconnects the rear discharge opening in the cutting deck and the intake opening in the housing of the blower. Another duct interconnects the discharge opening in the housing of the blower and an intake opening in the refuse container. The entire apparatus is positioned between the two imaginary parallel vertical planes which contain the outer extremities of the tractor-type lawnmower.

Abstract: A squeegee having a retractable blade. One embodiment of the present invention provides a handless squeegee having a retractable blade. Alternate embodiments provide a squeegee having both a foldable handle and a retractable blade. With each of the embodiments, a blade holder and blade are moveably positioned in the interior of a blade housing. An elongated opening is provided through the upper surface of the blade housing for extending and retracting the blade. Mechanical means are provided for moving the blade holder in the interior of the blade housing when it is desired to either extend or retract the blade.

Abstract: A toy device for launching a disk, a ring or a similar circular-shaped toy missile. A pair of opposed, dog-legged arms are pivoted together in an uncrossed relationship. Each of the opposed arms has a first elongated portion with an open channel for engaging the rim of the disk, ring or similar circular-shaped toy missile to be launched and a second elongated portion with a handle for grasping by the user of the toy device. All of the interior surfaces of one of the open channels are relatively smooth. One of the interior surfaces of the other open channel is textured to increase friction when it engages the rim of the disk, ring or similar circular-shaped toy missile to be launched. The coaction of the textured interior surface of one of the open channels and the opposed smooth interior surface of the other open channel on the rim of the circular-shaped toy missile imparts rotational motion to the toy missile as it is impelled forward in the open channels prior to launching.

Abstract: A pruning boom for pruning or trimming trees, bushes, shrubs and the like. A plurality of circular saw blades are rotatably mounted on a saw carrying member. Each saw blade is positioned for rotation in a spatial plane which intersects the spatial plane containing the surface of the saw carrying member located immediately behind the saw blades at an identical non-perpendicular angle. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, one pruning boom is mounted on each side of the front-end of an agricultural vehicle to construct a machine for pruning parallel rows of citrus trees. During such pruning operations, the angular relationship between the rotating saw blades and the saw carrying member prevents newly cut branches and limbs from wedging in the space between the saw blades and the saw carrying member. The saw blades are overlapped at their peripheries with the uppermost portion of each saw blade positioned behind the lowermost portion of the adjacent saw blade above it on the saw carrying member.

Abstract: A display stand which is capable of assembly, disassembly and reassembly by unskilled persons without use of tools. The display stand is comprised of two horizontal members fitted together to form an "x" shaped base, two horizontal members fitted together to form an "x" shaped top, a central vertical support member which connects the base and the top at the center of the "x", four exterior vertical support members which connect the base and the top at the ends of the "x", and four display panels suspended from the arms of the "x" shaped top.

Abstract: A pillow for support of the expanded abdomen of a pregnant woman during the latter stages of pregnancy. The pillow is substantially wedge-shaped and has an appropriately shaped cavity in its upper surface for receiving and supporting the expanded abdomen of a pregnant woman lying on her side. The pillow is manufactured from foam rubber or another suitable resilient material. The combination of the resilient nature of the pillow and its geometrical configuration comfortably supports the expanded abdomen.

Abstract: An improved double-acting, nonexpansion, noncondensing, piston steam engine. A coiled tube flash boiler enclosed in an insulated fire chamber is located above and contiguous with the cylinder head of the steam engine. The base of the fire chamber has a cylindrical opening to enable the heat from the flames in the fire chamber to be transferred directly to the top cylinder head for enhanced heat transfer to the cylinder. Two parallel crank shafts, each having a spur gear fixed thereon which meshes with the spur gear fixed on the other, are mounted on pillow block support bearings. A "T" linkage interconnects the crank shafts and the piston of the steam engine. Two rotary valves are provided to control the flow of high temperature steam and spent steam to and from the cylinder.

Abstract: A golf ball retriever for retrieving golf balls from water hazards and other inaccessible places. The retriever consists essentially of an elongated handle having a flat plate attached to one end. The flat plate has a plurality of retrieving fingers pivotedly attached thereto. The free end of each finger is curved rearwardly in the general direction of the elongated handle and has an uncurved outermost portion which rises from the horizontal toward the elongated handle. A sliding bar is provided for maintaining the retrieving fingers in either a closely-spaced configuration or a spread-apart configuration. With the retrieving fingers in a spread-apart configuration, the distance between the free ends of adjacent fingers is slightly less than the diameter of a golf ball.

Abstract: A system and a process for producing methane gas by anaerobic digestion of feed materials containing suitable organic materials. The system includes a plurality of digestion modules arranged primarily in series. Each digestion module is positioned with its slurry inlet port at a slightly lower elevation than the slurry outlet port of the preceding digestion module. The number of digestion modules is dependent upon the particular feed material to be digested. Each digestion module can be sampled and controlled independently. The process includes grinding and pulping the feed material, mixing the feed material with a liquid to prepare a slurry, charging the initial digestion module with slurry and transferring the digesting slurry to the next successive digestion module and subsequently to each successive digestion module after predetermined time periods until the digestion process has been completed. The liquid is separated from the digested slurry for recycle through the system.

Abstract: A compact vertical array of concentrically stacked and interfaced anaerobic digestion modules which comprise an anaerobic digestion sub-system. Each individual digestion module is an open-ended reaction vessel having an external flange on each end. Each pair of adjacent reaction vessels has a suitably sloped plate positioned at their interface and fastened to the bottom flange of the upper vessel and the top flange of the lower vessel. In this manner, each plate creates two individual digestion modules by serving as a bottom for the reaction vessel immediately above it and as a top for the reaction vessel immediately below it. Suitable openings are provided between adjacent digestion modules for transfer of digesting slurry from the module above to the module below. Each such opening is provided with a suitable valve for closing the opening during normal anaerobic digestion operations.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for cleaning large tanks or vessels, such as automotive and railway tank cars. A tiltable frame having a wash nozzle assembly pivotedly mounted thereon is pivotedly mounted above a fixed support frame. The tiltable frame has, fixedly mounted thereon, an air motor which is operatively connected to a first gear box which, in turn, is operatively connected to a second gear box. The first gear box is operatively connected to the wash nozzle assembly to move said assembly back and forth along the longitudinal axis of the tank or vessel to be cleaned. The second gear box is operatively connected to the fixed support frame to tilt the tiltable frame and thereby move the wash nozzle in both directions along the latitudinal axis of the tank or vessel to be cleaned.

Abstract: A new and improved device for measurement and visual indication of both wind direction and wind speed. The device is suitable for use as a visual aircraft landing aid located at or near an airport to provide both wind direction and wind speed information to pilots desiring to land at the airport. A cylindrical lamp housing having a wind vane mounted on its top is rotatably mounted on a support post having a high intensity lamp mounted on its top and centered in the lamp housing. A lens is mounted on the interior surface of the cylindrical sides of the lamp housing at a location directly below the wind vane. The lens projects light emitted from the lamp to a concentric ring-shaped light scattering target positioned on the ground surrounding the device. When the wind vane is moved by the wind, the lamp housing and lens rotates and moves the lamp image to a new location on the target to visually indicate the wind direction.

Abstract: A sawdust removal device for attachment to the exterior housing of a saber saw or other electric-powered saw or drill. The device traps air discharged from an exhaust port in the saw or drill housing and diverts that air to continuously blow away sawdust, chips and other debris which accumulates on the surface of the material being cut or drilled during operation of the saw or drill.

Abstract: A new and distinct variety of the Callissia family characterized by the pink coloration of leaves and stems. The leaves on each plant are either solid pink in color or variegated with alternating pink and green regions, or both. Upon first seeing the plant, one is given the impression that its stem is covered with small pink flowers. The plant is particularly striking when contrasted with the normal green color of Callissia repens.