Abstract: The disclosed control device includes an electrical switch having a switch body in which an electrically insulating switch carriage is manually movable along a predetermined path. Fixed electrical contacts are mounted on the body along such path and are selectively engageable by an electrically conductive contactor mounted on the carriage. The contactor takes the form of an angle-shaped plate consisting of first and second flanges in a rectangular relationship. The first flange has portions, preferably contact points, slidably engageable with the fixed contacts. The carriage has a guide slot for slidably receiving the second flange. A compression spring on the carriage produces contact pressure between the first flange and the fixed contacts. The second flange and the guide slot constitute the sole guide and support for the contactor, which is substantially flat except for the contact points. The flanges extend in a direction parallel to the path and have the same length in such direction.

Abstract: A power amplifier provided with overload protection responsive to the impedance of a load falling below a threshold value having a pair of power output devices connected to the load and driven through a balanced operational amplifier and transistor couplers. The operational amplifier has opposed voltage supply inputs, and each is connected through a first resistor to a voltage source and to the load through a pair of diodes connected in series opposition and a second resistor, and the junction between the diodes is connected to the base of one of the transistor couplers. A fault condition causes current to flow through the diodes lowering the potentials of the voltage supply inputs and the bias on the transistor couplers.

Abstract: A loudspeaker for projecting sound over a listening area having a driver and a horn in which the horn has a coupling portion communicating at an interface with an outwardly flaring portion, the horn forming an elongated slot at the interface and being provided with means for controlling the sound energy along the axis of elongation of the slot, namely a slot which is narrower at one end and flares outwardly to the other end, or a plurality of transverse veins dividing the slot and sound channel.

Abstract: Seven or some other number of individually operable push buttons are provided to carry out control functions of an automotive heating, ventilating and air conditioning system. The push buttoms are movable between extended and depressed positions and are biased toward their extended positions by individual return springs. A latching mechanism is provided for latching any selected push button in its depressed position while unlatching the other push buttons. An array of slidable lockout blocks prevents simultaneous depression of more than one push button, by providing only enough clearance space in the array to accept one lockout penetrating member on one push button at a time. The array is lightly spring biased to prevent rattling of the lockout blocks. Two biasing springs are compressed between the endmost pairs of lockout blocks at the opposite ends of the array.

Abstract: A sewer cleaning apparatus having a movable vehicle provided with a hose which is adapted to be fed into a sewer and provided with a nozzle having a back spray for transporting the hose along the sewer. The hose is mounted at its end opposite the nozzle on a reel mounted on the vehicle and the vehicle contains means for rotating the reel to wind the hose back onto the reel. A second hose is connected to the first hose and extends to a remote source of water pressure such as a second vehicle having a water reservoir and a high pressure pump.

Abstract: Several individually operable push buttons are provided to initiate an OFF function, defrost, air conditioning and various air directions and other functions of an automotive heating, ventilating and air conditioning system. Each push button has a carriage adapted to be fitted on one side with an optional leaf spring contactor engageable with fixed contact members. The opposite side of the carriage is fixedly fitted with a compressible silicone rubber or other resilient valve member in sealing engagement with a port plate to carry out vacuum valving functions. Each carriage is guided by a tongue-and-slot guiding arrangement, whereby sealing pressure is applied between the valve member and the port plate. Each carriage has a rearwardly projecting tongue, slidably received in a slot formed in flange structure on the port plate. The front portion of each push button is also slidably guided to maintain the sealing pressure.

Abstract: An adjustable mount for a loudspeaker having a plate adapted for mounting on a surface or the open side of a junction box. The plate has an indented part-spherical surface which accommodates a ring with an outer part-spherical surface. The ring has an aperture extending therethrough and an elongated slot, and a first hollow tube is rotatably disposed in the aperture and a second hollow tube is translatably disposed in the slot. One of the tubes extends through an opening in the recess of the plate and the other tube is mounted on the loudspeaker with the conductor for energizing the loudspeaker extending through the first and second tubes. A web extends radially inward of the ring and has bifurcations at the end thereof disposed on opposite sides of the portion of the conductor between the first and second tubes. The first and second tubes have external threads which are engaged by locknuts for securing the ring on the plate and on the loudspeaker.

Abstract: An elongated tape for marking underground lines having a cross-woven scrim formed by a first plurality of elongated plastic fibers disposed parallel to the axis of elongation of the tape and a second plurality of elongated fibers disposed normal to the fibers of the first plurality. Preferably, the tensile strength of the second plurality of fibers exceeding the tensile strength of the first plurality of fibers. The scrim is coated with a layer of plastic to form a surface, and a sign is disposed on the surface. If the tape while buried encounters a digger, it tends to break transversely rather than along the axis of elongation leaving the sign legible. In one embodiment, a layer of electrically conducting foil is disposed on one side of the scrim.

Abstract: The method of molding a ceramic product by forming a mixture of ceramic fibers with lengths less than one-fourth inch, water and a deflouculent, the mixture having a consistency which will not flow, placing the mixture in a water-absorbing mold, vibrating the mold to cause the mixture to flow into contact with the mold and eliminate voids in the mixture, allowing a portion of the water of the mixture to be absorbed by the mold leaving a hardened remnant in the mold, removing the hardened remnant from the mold, and heating the hardened remnant to sinter the fibers therein to each other. In one example, granular alumina is mixed with the mass of fibers, water and the deflouculent to form the mixture.

Abstract: A loudspeaker with a voice coil reciprocally disposed in a magnetic gap provided with means for conducting heat outwardly from the gap comprising a flat circular web disposal in abuttment with the magnetic structure and extending between a cylindrical collar which confronts the voice coil former to a circular ring integral with the frame of the loudspeaker and including vanes extending from the web between the collar and ring. The voice coil former is limited to axial motion by a pair of spaced flat disks mounted at their centers on the central pole piece normal to the axis of motion and on the coil former at their perimeters.

Abstract: A differential pressure actuator includes two fluid containing bags mounted on opposite sides of a support bar, and one of the bags is coupled to a load by a plate at the side of the bag opposite the bar. The other bag is also coupled to the load by a second plate mounted at the opposite end of the other bag, and the second plate is mechanically connected to the first plate by a rod extending along the central axis of the first and second bags. Both of the bags contained a pressurized fluid in excess of atmospheric pressure, and the difference in the forces generated by the two bags is impressed upon the load. In one embodiment, the first and second bags are provided with a bellows surrounding the rod to seal the interior of the bag from ambient atmosphere. In another embodiment, the seal is provided by two sleeves coupled by a sealing ring. The load is a movable roller in a ringer for coating steel, and the movable roller is provided with separate actuators at opposite ends of the roller.

Abstract: Seven or some other number of individually operable push buttons are provided for selection of an OFF function and other control functions of an automotive heating, ventilating and air conditioning system. Each push button has a carriage member fitted on one side with an individual contactor and a contactor biasing spring affording contact pressure between the contactor and fixed contact members. Each carriage member is fitted on the opposite side with an individual silicone rubber or other soft resilient valve member having a slidable sealing engagement with a port member in which ports are provided whereby the valve members are adapted to carry out vacuum or other fluid valving functions. Each valve member is fixedly mounted on the corresponding carriage member. Each contactor spring performs the additional function of producing sealing pressure between the corresponding valve member and the port member.

Abstract: A capacitance probe extends into a container for material which increases the capacitance between the probe and the container when the material contacts the probe. A fixed RF voltage is supplied to the base of a transistor in an electronic translator having a capacitor between the probe and the transistor's emitter. A first diode conducts between the base and RF ground. A second diode conducts between the emitter and the base. A small-value capacitor is connected between an ungrounded DC supply terminal and the probe. A third diode conducts variable DC to the transistor's collector from a variable DC signal line supplied with DC for the DC terminal through a resistor. A comparator has a first input connected to the line and a second input connected to a reference voltage. The comparator's output is adapted to energize an output signal and a relay when the DC signal on the line drops below the reference voltage.

Abstract: A static conversion device for a color television picture tube having a base unit, a central unit and a cap unit mounted in a stack about the neck of the picture tube. Each of the units centers a pair of magnetic rings, and the rings are mounted between outwardly extending tabs of adjacent units. The assembly is maintained in position on the neck of the picture tube by a plurality of pairs of fingers extending from the units to abut the neck of the picture tube.

Abstract: The disclosed roller applicator, for applying a coating of molten wax or the like on paper or the like, has a bowl in which wax is melted and heated to a high working temperature by an electrical heating resistor under the thermal control of a first thermistor, directly in series with the resistor across AC power conductors. The thermistor, when heated to the working temperature, makes a transition between a low resistance state and a disproportionately higher resistance state, for greatly reducing the resistor current. An additional resistor, in parallel with the thermistor, bypasses a small keep-warm current through the heating resistor for maintaining the high working temperature. The increased voltage drop across the thermistor is supplied to one input of an operational amplifier, employed as an electronic switch to energize a first LED, signaling "ready".

Abstract: The disclosed device comprises a cup-shaped receptacle for collecting urine from the orifice of the female user's urethra. Such receptacle has a bottom wall portion and an annular side wall portion projecting upwardly therefrom and terminating in a soft rounded compliant annular lip portion for sealing engagement with the user's external vestibular tissues around such orifice. A drain tube portion connects with the bottom wall portion. The side wall portion is hollow and comprises spaced inner and outer shells merging at thier upper extremities to form such rounded lip portion. The inner and outer shells, including the lip portion, are made of a thin highly flexible compliant silicone elastomer or other similar material.

Abstract: The disclosed process provides for the treatment of edible cooking oils with a closed packet containing hydrated filtering material to absorb unwanted constituents.