Abstract: An improved ink cartridge of the type used to dispense ink in automatic lithographic presses. The ink cartridge comprises a hollow cylindrical body for holding a supply of extrudable ink, a plunger and a dispensing fitment. The improvement comprises a valve member mounted over a central aperture in the dispensing fitment and a flexible molded plastic spring that biases the valve member in the closed position. The valve member opens when subjected to pressure from the ink and closes automatically and completely when the ink pressure is less than the biasing force of the flexible spring.

Abstract: A computer assisted surgery system for accurate positioning of a drill bit into a body part. The system includes a drill guide and a drill with attached localizing emitters whose poses are determined by a localizing device. The drill bit is attached to the drill and the location of the tip of the drill bit is determined during a calibration step. During drilling, the drill bit is inserted through the bore of the drill guide and the pose of the drill bit is calculated from measured position data of both the drill guide and drill. A graphic representation of the drill bit is then displayed on a monitor screen in an appropriate position relative to stored images or other surgical instruments.

Abstract: A safety cap for use with an ink cartridge or other fluid holding container having a nozzle extending from the dispensing end. The safety cap prevents the flow of ink out of the cartridge or, if ink escapes past the dispensing nozzle seal, prevents the flow of ink outside the cap. The cap also enables the ink cartridge to be set upright with the dispensing end down without the need for a nest or fixture to help support the cartridge.

Abstract: A cutting and mulching attachment for a lawn edger that creates a clean edge to a landscaped area. The attachment comprises a flat, circular cutting blade and two or more flat mulching blades extending laterally from the cutting blade. Each mulching blade has a toothed edge that faces in the direction of the cutting blade rotation. The plane of each mulching blade defines an acute angle with respect to the plane of the cutting blade. The teeth of one mulching blade are offset from the teeth of the other mulching blade so that, as each mulching blade sweeps through the turf, its teeth remove any ridges of turf left behind by the teeth of the other blade.

Abstract: A child-resistant and elder-friendly vial/cap system in which a locking ledge located on either the vial or the cap is engaged by a latch located on the other of the vial or the cap. The latch is located on one end of a lever and a pressure tab is located on the other end. A fulcrum is located between the latch and the pressure tab. Pressing in an inward radial direction on the pressure tabs disengages the latch from the locking ledge and allows the cap to be removed from the vial. The cap has a plug on its opposite end so that it may be readily reversed make the cap easily removable when the child-resistant feature is not needed.

Abstract: An improved plunger for a lithographic printing ink cartridge prevents air entrapment between the plunger and the ink when the plunger is pressed into the ink during cartridge assembly. The plunger bottom portion has a positive radius and a textured surface that facilitates the flow of air away from the center of the plunger toward the cartridge sidewall as the plunger is pressed into the ink.

Abstract: A method of visually marking an agricultural commodity before or after processing is provided. The markers are colored plant protein-derived pellets that can be made in different sizes and shapes for mixing into various agricultural commodities as a visual label or “taggant” during storage and shipment. The invention greatly simplifies the tracking and identification of commodity products in storage or in transit.

Abstract: A Clearview packaging assembly for containing an irregular shaped appliance such as a washer or dryer is provided. The assembly comprises a clamshell-like framework placed around the appliance and wrapped tightly in transparent film. The framework includes a hinged top cap, front corner posts glued to the front portion of the top cap, rear corner posts glued to the rear portion of the top cap, front and rear bottom pieces glued to the lower ends of the corner posts, and a basiloid piece glued to the two rear corner posts. The top cap and the basiloid piece cooperate to form a three-layer thick basiloid handling flange to facilitate basiloid lifting of the packaging assembly with the appliance contained therein. The top cap has triangular shaped side walls that, along with the front corner posts, maintain the structural integrity of the package and prevent trapezoiding during basiloid handling.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the destruction of terrorist weapons, including explosives chemical and biological agents, by detonation in an enclosed double-walled steel explosion chamber having its walls, access door and floor filled with granular shock damping material. The chamber is vented through orifices into vent pipes which converge in a manifold which exhausts into an expansion tank or scrubber for cooling, testing, and environmental treatment of the explosion products. A weapon to be destroyed is placed into the chamber with a donor explosive charge and held in place by a disintegratable string hammock, along with one or more plastic polymer film bags containing water. After closing the access door, the donor charge is detonated by an electrical detonation means.

Abstract: An improved ink cartridge dispensing valve system for use with a printing press ink cartridge is provided. The valve system works on the same principle as a ball valve to automatically dispense ink when subjected to pressure. The valve system includes an attachment post and an attachable nozzle. The attachment post is an integral part of the dispensing end of the ink cartridge and is recessed so that the cartridge can be easily shipped without damaging the attachment post. The attachable nozzle fits over the attachment post and opens or closes depending on whether pressure is placed on it by the ink in the cartridge.

Abstract: A closet flange having a shoulder and a body portion extending therefrom, the body portion having a substantially cylindrical upstream portion and a smooth tapered downstream portion, the downstream portion configured to receive an elastic o-ring. The o-ring travels up the tapered portion as the closet flange is inserted into a drain pipe, providing an increasingly tighter seal between the closet flange and the pipe. O-rings of various outer diameters may be provided to accommodate pipes having different internal diameters. The flange is installed without tools by pushing the flange into the end of the pipe until the desired tightness is achieved.

Abstract: A synthetic hybrid corn plant having the designation P68, produced by crossing two proprietary Optimum Quality Grain, L.L.C. maize synthetics, P41.1B-Lancaster and P58.1wx-Reid. P68 has the unique property of imparting high oil levels in the grain of certain normal and male sterile hybrids when used as a pollinator. P68 is characterized by excellent cold tolerant seedling vigor for rapid emergence in cold soils and excellent early-season adaptability facilitating nicking with early maize hybrids to condition fast dry-down and superior grain quality in the grain arising from the recipient female grain parent. This invention thus relates to the seeds, plants and plant parts of P68, to a tissue culture of P68, to a method of producing P68, to seed corn blends comprising P68, and to a method for producing grain using P68 as a pollinator.

Abstract: A substantially cylindrical beverage container holder manufactured from a sheet of recycled pressed paper pulp is provided. The sheet is die cut form a blank having large and small opposing substantially rectangular sides connected by a bottom portion. The large side has a center panel and two glue flaps attached to the center panel by vertical fold lines. The bottom portion is substantially circular to conform to the shape of a beverage can and has fold lines that allow the blank to be folded so that the two rectangular sides are brought together in facing relationship. The large side glue flaps are glued to the small side to form a flat holder having vertical edges. The holder is opened by gently squeezing along the vertical edges, thereby creating an open top end for receiving a beverage container.

Abstract: A hybrid corn line having the designation P723, produced by crossing the inbred Qx47 and the synthetic P39B. P723 imparts a high oil level in the grain of certain male sterile hybrids when used as a pollinator. P723 is characterized by good plant vigor, including seedling vigor in cold soil tests, and gives higher test weight when used in the TOPCROSS® Grain Production System than other pollinators of similar oil levels. P723 has shown excellent productivity in TC BLEND® seed products of early to medium season adaptability. This invention thus relates to the seeds, plants and plant parts of P723 and its components, to plants regenerated from tissue culture of the plants of P723, to a method of producing P723, and to a method for producing high oil grain using P723 as a pollinator.

Abstract: A hybrid corn line having the designation P725, produced by crossing two maize inbreds, Qx47 and Zx23. P725 imparts a high oil level in the grain of certain male sterile hybrids when used as a pollinator. P725 is characterized by excellent seedling vigor in cold soil tests and excellent productivity in TC BLEND® Seed Corn Products of medium to late season adaptability. This invention thus relates to the seeds, plants and plant parts of P725 and its components, to plants regenerated from tissue culture of the plants of P725, to a method of producing P725, and to a method for producing high oil grain using P725 as a pollinator.

Abstract: A two-part dispenser for attachment to the bottom of a cylindrical container for dispensing a pre-calibrated amount of powdered or granular product from the container by twisting or rotating one part of the dispenser with respect to the container. The dispenser comprises a generally cup-shaped member adapted to engage the bottom of the container in fixed relationship therewith and a chambered member that fits within the cup-shaped member and can be rotated with respect to the cup-shaped member to dispense product.

Abstract: An image guided surgery system to enable a surgeon to move a surgical tool into a desired position relative to a body part is provided. The system works by accurately superimposing representations of the tool being used in the surgical field over images of the body part such that real-time tool position feedback is provided to the surgeon. The system uses a fluoroscopic x-ray device to generate two-dimensional body part images, a localizing device to determine the poses of surgical tools and the x-ray device, mathematical modeling of the imaging chain of the x-ray device, and a means for displaying the images of the body part superimposed with representations of the surgical tools. A related feature is the use of a digital flat-panel x-ray imager that employs a regular array of sensors to convert incident x-ray energy to a computer readable image, thereby permitting the fluoroscopic x-ray device to be used in any orientation without being affected by distortions due to local magnetic fields.

Abstract: A hybrid corn line having the designation P724, produced by crossing the inbred Q×47 with the progeny of the cross between proprietary inbred Z×23 and synthetic P22.1. P724 imparts a high oil level in the grain of certain male sterile hybrids when used as a pollinator. P724 is characterized by good plant vigor, including seedling vigor in cold soil tests, and gives higher test weight in TopCross® Grain than other pollinators of similar oil levels. P724 has shown excellent productivity in TC Blend® Seed Products of medium season adaptability. This invention thus relates to the seeds, plants and plant parts of P724 and its components, to plants regenerated from tissue culture of the plants of P724, to a method of producing P724, and to a method for producing high oil grain using P724 as a pollinator.

Abstract: A base pad for supporting an appliance during assembly and shipping is provided. The pad has a pair of endpieces, each having portions for supporting the weight of an appliance, a pair of crosspieces connected to the endpieces to form a substantially rectangular base, and wrapping substantially covering the weight supporting portions of the endpieces. In addition to providing strength, the wrapping may also help hold the crosspieces and endpieces together. The endpieces are formed of a low density material, such as expanded polystyrene and the wrapping is formed of a medium to high density material such as kraft paper. The combination of the crosspieces formed of a low density material and the medium to high density wrapping material provides an optimum combination of strength and cushioning.