Abstract: A geothermal desiccant cycle cools and dehumidifies the air in an indoor conditioned space. The return air is split into two streams. One of the streams passes through a desiccant wheel to remove water vapor and then through a cooling coil for sensible cooling from geothermal water. The other stream is heated to increase its capacity to absorb moisture, and then is passed through the desiccant wheel to pick up the moisture transferred from the first stream and regenerate the desiccant. The second air stream, which now has a higher dewpoint temperature, flows through a geothermal cooling coil, for sensible cooling as well as condensation of the moisture. The two air streams are mixed and supplied back to the conditioned space. A regenerative air-air heat exchanger can be used to recover some of the heat used in heating the second air stream.

Abstract: A hold-down for a common pail used in mixing paints, drywall compound, or other applications has a pair of swing-down, spring-loaded step-pads secured to the base of the pail. There can be a strap for this purpose, with an adjustable draw latch.

Abstract: A seclusion room for patients having emotional disturbances has one moving wall positioned ahead of a fixed wall. The moving wall can be moved to an extended position to narrow the patient space leading to the main door to the room. A second door to the room enables an extraction team member enter the space between the fixed and moving wall, where the team member can remove a hatch from the moving wall and enter the space behind the patient. The team member can use the hatch as a shield to push the patient gently toward the exit door. A bench or seat disappears when the moving wall is moved to its extended position.

Abstract: A push bar serves to nudge or urge cows to leave a milking parlor and move to an exit alley. The push bar is mounted on extendible support members, which may have an inner tube and an outer tube, and which is mounted by a journal onto an overhead pivot. There is one air cylinder to rotate the assembly, and additional air cylinders to extend and retract the support members. A programmed controller ensures that the push tube travels in a generally straight, horizontal path to push the cows out, and then lifts the push tube so it is over the cows' heads on the return.

Abstract: A sanitary diaphragm valve has a valve body formed of an upper plate and a lower plate, with a flexible resilient diaphragm and a spacer between them. The margin of the diaphragm rests on a peripheral step formed in the lower plate to create a positive space between the lower plate and the edges of the diaphragm. A piston within a cylinder in the upper plate can descend to compress the diaphragm against a valve port to close the valve. The pressure of the liquid product can raise the diaphragm and the piston when control pressure is relieved from the piston.

Abstract: A portable heath care records system employs a server on which the health care records of participating patients are stored. The patients may access the system using cards or CD-ROMS that are inserted into the patient's computer. The patients can review their own records via Internet and can edit them. The patient may also access via cell phone or handheld device. The patient record is protected by patient ID and password. Treating physicians have access to each patient's records for review and update. A two-way firewall permits patients to review their own health records only, but permits the physician to review both the physician files and the patient files. The physician can override the firewall to send patient information from his or her record. A read-only emergency screen with medical data about the patient may be accessed for emergency use. Records of many patients and of many clinics are maintained on a common server, so that the patient record can be accessed globally.

Abstract: A monitor device is attached onto or inside a shipping crate for pharmaceutical shipments and monitors the temperature and/or humidity within the crate in transit to identify whether the contents are safe or compromised. A keyboard/display on the device provides an ID code that the recipient enters into a computer web page to communicate this ID code to the shipper or to a third-party agency. If the ID code represents a safe shipment, the shipper or third-party returns an acceptance message. If there has been a compromise, a different ID code is presented, and the web page instead returns a message to return the crate. A return envelope can be included for the recipient to return the monitor device to the shipper.

Abstract: A rotary vacuum wicketting arrangement has a rotary hub body positioned on a shaft or spindle and supporting a number of pickup arms, and a non-rotating vacuum spinning head that provides vacuum to the rotating hub body and pickup arms over a portion of their arcuate travel. The rotary hub body is provided with a lock ring formed or a pair of half rings with hand levers so that the position of the hub body on the shaft can be adjusted toollessly. The pickup arms are held in place in their sockets by ball and spring detents, so that they can be pulled out for cleaning and reinserted without tools. A friction fitted plug closes off the end of each arm.

Abstract: A wall plate for a wall thermostat blocks intrusion air from the thermostat. The wall plate has a wire passage aligned with the wall penetration through which the thermostat wires emerge. The wall plate member directs any intrusion air that flows out the penetration away from the cavity of said thermostat. An insulating layer, e.g., a closed-cell foam sheet, in the wall plate insulates the thermostat from direct thermal contact with the wall. The closed-cell material closes around the thermostat wires. Bosses or feet on the thermostat back plate create a standoff between the wall plate and the thermostat.

Abstract: A lure light device is positioned on a fish line ahead of a fishing lure to illuminate the lure when used at depths or at night. The device has a watertight body containing an LED or lamp device and power cells. A lens on the device contains the light so that it concentrates on the lure. An additional chamber can be used for a scent or fish attractant. A switch turns the light on when a cable has tension from the drag of the lure.

Abstract: A programmable thermostat can be programmed and configured using a set up selector keys or pushbuttons to enter set up modes and to move from screen to screen on the thermostat display, and using up and down selector keys to change the time and temperature settings within each screen or mode. The thermostat can be set into a master mode be depressing two of the selector keys simultaneously, and then the programmed settings of the thermostat can be electronically transferred to each of a batch of similar thermostats using a thermostat conductor in a multi-conductor thermostat wire such as the fan conductor. The thermostat can be toggled back to a normal or target mode for thermostat operation.

Abstract: A solid state imaging system has at least one CMOS imager with first and second series of pixels in which the pixels of one series are offset, i.e., staggered, in respect to the pixels of the other series. Multiple imagers can be arrayed end to end, with jumper wires connecting the pixel output conductors or each so that the pixels feed into a common output amplifier for each series, to minimize chip to chip offset voltages. The pixels may be diagonally offset from one another, and a color imager can be constructed in which color ribbon filters are arranged diagonally across the imaging area. This arrangement minimizes color cross talk. An array of microlenses is situated with each microlens covering a plurality of the pixels. The different pixels under each microlens can be aligned along a diagonal. The different pixels under the same microlens can have different integration times, to increase the dynamic range of the imager(s).

Abstract: A portable dust collection system for a wood shop or other dust producing environment is employed with a sander, power saw, router or other dust-producing tool such as a woodworking tool. A movable platform has a vertical intake pipe supporting a head portion formed with a shroud. A centrifugal impeller drives the intake air stream plus any entrained particles into one or more cyclonic separators, which deposit the dust in a respective drum supported on the platform beneath the cyclone. The air inlet from the tool enters the vertical pipe at a point partway up the pipe, so that large particles drop to the bottom end of the pipe, where a clean-out door is provided. The exhaust or discharge air from the cyclonic separator(s) passes out through a filter cartridge to the ambient. A deflector plate prevents the dust from eddying back into the separator.

Abstract: A solid state imager converts analog pixel values to digital form on an arrayed per-column basis. An N-bit counter supplies an N-bit DAC to produce an analog ramp output with a level that varies corresponding to the contents of the counter. A ripple counter or equivalent is associated with each respective column. A clock supplies clock signals to the counter elements. A comparator in each column gates the counter element when the analog ramp equals the pixel value for that column. The contents of the counters are transferred sequentially to a video output bus to produce the digital video signal. Additional black-level readout counter elements can create and store a digital value that corresponds to a dark or black video level. A subtraction element subtracts the black level value from the pixel value to reduce fixed pattern noise. An additional array of buffer counter/latches can be employed.

Abstract: A triple imager arrangement is mounted onto a linear accelerator, providing pre- or post-treatment images of a patient, for verification and monitoring of patient position. Left and right diagnostic radiation sources mounted onto the treatment head. The triple imager arrangement is mounted on the gantry counterweight, with a portal imager and left and right diagnostic image detectors. Image-forming plates of the portal imager and the diagnostic imagers are positioned perpendicular to the therapy beam central axis, and perpendicular to the central axes of the diagnostic sources. The image forming plates are the same given distance X from the respective source. The resulting image information can be used in conjunction with an assistance module for assisting the linear accelerator therapist in accurate adjustment of the patient position.

Abstract: An elevated-beam cow stall assembly has a plurality of tubular cow stall dividers supported on a single horizontal beam. This provides room for the cow to lunge slightly to assist her in lying down or getting up. In an embodiment, stanchions or brackets are formed of vertical channel members affixed onto the beam. The tubular stall dividers each have an upper and a lower horizontal rail, the ends of which are mounted into the upper and lower ends of the channel member. Short upper and lower channel portions are fastened to the main vertical channel members, web-to-web, and the tubular stall dividers from a facing row of stalls are mounted on these. The brackets or stanchions may be mounted to the beam using square U-bolts, or by other techniques such as welding.

Abstract: A trailer and system for use with a vehicle that allows for storing the trailer in the vehicle during non-use. The foldable trailer and a receiving arrangement mountable to the vehicle, allows eased storage of the unused trailer and requires minimized storage space. The folding of the trailer also facilitates use of the trailer in various configurations for various needs.