Abstract: A rotary internal combustion engine is disclosed herein and includes two confronting but spaced apart side casings which comprise part of the overall engine housing and a rotor located between the side casings, mounted around a rotatable shaft and extending between the casings. The engine disclosed herein has a number of improved features including improved sealing vanes which cooperate with the rotor and side casings to define various function chambers in the engine. The engine also includes more efficient combustion chambers including improved check valve mechanisms for introducing fuel into the combustion chambers. The engine also provides greater power generation due to an improved angle of combustion onto the lobes of the rotor.

Abstract: A telephone signaling and paging system is disclosed. The signaling and paging system senses the presence of a telephone message when recorded by a telephone answering system and automatically dials a preselected number to provide an alerting signal or page. Upon receipt of the alerting signal or page, the recipient, by dialing the answering unit number, can receive the recorded message and hence can be quickly alerted to the contents of the recorded message. The system includes a provision for repeated dialing of the preselected number by the system until contact is made to assure prompt message alerting, and also includes a provision for precluding signaling or paging should no message be recorded by the telephone answering unit. In addition, the system includes means wereby the alerting signal or page may be manually activated for alerting or paging purposes.

Abstract: A pivotal latch for a sucker rod puller is designed to be placed on a cross-member separating a first chamber being receptive of the collar of the sucker rod and a second chamber containing the latch. Slideably disposed over the main body containing the first and second chambers is a sleeve being of sufficient length to cover the first chamber and to uncover the second chamber when slideably disposed in a first position so that the pivotal latch automatically engages the end of the sleeve. The sleeve can be further slideably disposed in a second position over the second chamber thereby enabling the sucker rod collar to be removed from the first chamber and thereby holding the pivotal latch in a deactivated state against the inner surface of the sleeve.

Abstract: A collapsible camper for use in the back of a pick-up truck or mounted on a set of travel wheels is designed to be in a compact and folded position during transit or storage and to unfold into a spacious camper at the desired site with a minimum of manual effort. A central floor is provided with opposing parallelepiped sections which fold outwardly from the longitudinal sides of the floor to increase the floor space as well as to provide a portion of the side walls of the camper. A canopy extends upwardly above the central floor portion to form the roof of the camper. The end walls of the camper fold upwardly from the central floor portion and interlock with the upstanding canopy to form the end walls of the camper. The side walls are formed from a plurality of stacked longitudinal plates which slideably unfold to interlock with each other thereby providing side walls between the canopy and the extended floor portions.

Abstract: A dynamic sound controller is designed to automatically adjust and shape the spectral distribution and amplitude of random masking noise before delivery via speakers to the environment of a room according to a preprogrammed timing sequence. In addition, the sound controller is capable of operating as a security and fire alarm system and is further capable of mixing a predetermined amount of background music and paging signals into the same set of speakers. The sound controller of the present invention is further adaptable to a variety of environmental detectors which adjust and shape the noise in response to such factors as temperature, humidity, light level, ionization level and background noise level. A method for shaping spectral distribution and for adjusting amplitude of masking noise in relation to the measured ambient and intrusion noise levels is disclosed.

Abstract: A motor speed sensor for sensing the RPM speed of a motor is designed to be placed in line with a conventional mechanical tachometer take-off. The motor speed sensor includes rotatable shafts interconnecting the mechanical tachometer take-off so that the mechanical delivery to the tachometer is preserved and further includes a notched interrupter which rotates in cooperation with the interconnecting shafts. The notches of the interrupter are disposed to rotate between a photo-electric detector and a light source thereby interrupting the beam of light in order to provide a stream of output pulses whose frequency is directly proportional to the speed of the motor.

Abstract: A game in which hollow rings or horshoe shaped members are pitched or tossed by competitive players at erect pins of two similar game boards. The two similar game boards fit together for compact storage and transportation thereof. The game comprises a pair of members each having a generally planar playing surface, a plurality of pins associated with each playing surface, recesses formed on each of the playing surfaces for cooperating with the free ends of the pins for positioning said playing surfaces relative to each other in a predetermined manner when the playing surfaces are disposed in opposed, generally parallel relationship one to the other, and arms for securing together said members for compact storage and transportation of the game.

Abstract: An expandable pot for containing the roots of a plant is designed to expand primarily in response to the growth of the plant's roots. The sides of the pot are folded in an accordian-like manner which flexes outwardly to increase the volume of the pot in response to the growth of the roots therein. As the pot expands outwardly, additional soil is added into the pot in order to maintain the surface of the soil at a desired level. Formed beneath the expandable pot is a drain container and formed along the sides of the pot is a stop member for limiting the expansion of the pot to a predetermined volume.

Abstract: A bacteria filter has a base member with an open circular groove in which an adhesive bonding material anchors one end of a generally cylindrical filter element. The filter element has longitudinally extending pleats and the opposite end of the filter is adhesively secured in an open circular channel in an end cap element opposing the base member. A housing for the filter is sealed to the base member in spaced surrounding relationship with the filter element and has an inlet passage therethrough whereby air may enter the filter device through the inlet passage, flow through the filter element, and be emitted through the outlet passage in the base member. The method of assembling the filter device includes a unique method of retaining the pleated filter element in the desired cylindrical form while bonding the filter element to the base member and/or end cap.