Abstract: A safety clamp system for securing the lever arms of a quick connect coupling to prevent the accidental movement of the arms which would cause a failure of the coupling mechanism for two coupling pipes. Once the pipes have been joined by a standard quick connect coupling, the clamp of the present invention is positioned to encircle the lever arms and hold them down secure against the body of the coupling. The safety clamp is separate from the coupling mechanism and is itself not an aid in the joining of the pipes. The clamp arms encircle approximately 270 degrees of the pipes circumference, making contact only at a few points about the coupling's periphery, some of the contact being flat, face-to-face surface area engagement with some "L" shaped hooking, and utilizes a resilient spring biasing hooking mechanism to prevent the separate, pipe coupling mechanism from accidently becoming undone but allowing relatively easily disengagement of the clamp from the coupling when so desired.

Abstract: A fire resistant blanket which is tossed or placed over a fire in order to smother the flames comprising a square shaped blanket made of a permanently fire proof material, on the backside of which are attached two handles made of the same clothlike material. At strategic points about the perimeter magnets are positioned and secured in pockets of the blanket. The blanket's primary function is to be used to extinguish small household fires such as may arise in the kitchen while cooking. The blanket is designed to allow storage directly on the side of a refrigerator or other metallic surface or on the kitchen wall by draping over a dowel where it will be readily accessible in the event of a kitchen fire. The handles on the back are designed to allow the operator to approach the fire while protecting himself and his hands. The spaced magnets weight the blanket optimally for tossing the blanket onto a fire.

Abstract: A descent apparatus to control the descent of people or materials from physical heights, for example, buildings, aircraft, ships, trees or mountains and may be used for business, pleasure, and military purposes, under routine or emergency circumstances. The apparatus employs a movable lever arm spring bias toward the braking disposition which influences the amount of friction between various sections of the cable used for lowering as the various sections of the cable interactively contact one another in opposed directions about multiple rollers.

Abstract: A sugar cane piler system comprising a standard push piler with attached, rotating, multipointed star wheels which rotate about fixed but adjustable points. The rotary piler assists in rolling the cane in front of the push piler and dislodges dirt, mud, and other foreign matter from the cane in the heap row being push-piled for loading. Also, by increasing the rolling action of the pushed pile, a large pile of cane can be pushed for a fuller grab in the loading operation.

Abstract: An automatic roux maker including a pot for heating and agitating (mixing and moving) the roux during the cooking process, in which a motor-driven agitator is included and suspended within the pot for mixing the roux during cooking and for preventing scorching of the roux. At the bottom of the centrally located agitator shaft is included, for example, two diametrically opposed, paddle arms which ride and sweep on the bottom of the pot and are pivotally connected to a slotted support which is capable of floating up-and-down with respect to the agitator shaft. The flexible sweeping of the bottom of the pot prevents any of the roux from remaining on the bottom of the pot for any significant period of time, preventing scorching of the roux.

Abstract: A system for controlling the deviation of the path of oil or gas well conductor casing at a desired angle, curvature and orientation in the sea bottom stratum through which it is driven from an offshore platform involving the use of conductor guide(s) equipped with longitudinally disposed anti-twist bar(s) fixedly mounted thereon to prevent or arrest any twisting motion along the longitudinal axis of the casing sections which have like, anti-twist bar as the conductor sections are being lowered or driven down from the platform. Motion is arrested by means of the bars on the conductor guide(s) contacting the similar bars fixedly attached to the casing sections being driven through the conductor guides on the platform support structure. By arresting any twisting motion at this relatively elevated point, any undesired twist is minimized in the driven casing sections minimizing any undesired horizontal deviation in the enplacement of the conductor casing which would have otherwise been caused by the twisting.

Abstract: A system for constructing concrete barriers on a roadway with adequate spacing between sections of the barrier for proper drainage and expansion of the concrete during changing atmospheric conditions. The process utilizes a specially designed positioning tool to leave a proper space in a latice framework of steel rods. A temporary, removeable core or separating section, made of for example a styrofoam inner layer sandwiched between outer layers of "Masonite," designed for this purpose and matched with the positioning tool is inserted into the space and secured there using pins attached to the metal latice works providing an unbroken, constant surface or mold on which to pour concrete for the barrier. When the concrete has set, the core may be collapsed without damaging the concrete or metal frame and removed. When the various cores are removed, the barrier is left with properly spaced and positioned gaps for drainage and expansion of the concrete.

Abstract: A method for transferring brackets for the teeth from a prepared carrier tray system to the teeth of the patient using an improved two tray system. The brackets are fitted over the teeth of the patient with the intention of using these brackets as a base for attaching other orthodontic equipment. The first tray is of a flexible nature which can be made to retain its original shape after placing brackets on the teeth in a predetermined ideal position. The second tray is a more rigid tray which is inserted over the first tray. The second tray stabilizes the seating of the brackets during seating or drying of the cement securing the brackets.

Abstract: A device, a method, and a system for reducing the draft of large vessels to allow the successful navigation of shallow waterways which could not otherwise be traversed due to the depth of the draft of the vessel. The implementation of this system will eliminate unnecessary dredging and facilitate full utilization of the ships' cargo capacity. The system is comprised of several buoyancy modules, control tender vessels, base point grids, appropriate computers, air compressors, and all other necessary equipment. Each buoyancy module of the system consist of two inflatable/deflatable pneumatic lift cells contained by sleeves positioned one at each end, with a base webbing connecting the two ends and forming the middle supportive portion of each module. The base webbing is positioned beneath the vessel oriented so as to position one pneumatic lift cell on each side of the vessel.

Abstract: An automatic roux maker including a pot for heating and agitating (mixing and moving) the roux during the cooking process, in which a motor-driven agitator is included and suspended within the pot for mixing the roux during cooking and for preventing scorching of the roux. At the bottom of the centrally located agitator shaft is included, for example, two diametrically opposed, paddle arms which ride and sweep on the bottom of the pot and are pivotally connected to a slotted support which is capable of floating up-and-down with respect to the agitator shaft. The flexible sweeping of the bottom of the pot prevents any of the roux from remaining on the bottom of the pot for any significant period of time, preventing scorching of the roux.

Abstract: A cutter system for pipe casings and the like, including a generally "C" shaped cutter assembly body having an always open side entry and exit area leading into the centrally located cutter area with an annular trackway extending an exemplary 290.degree. about the operative center of the cutter system. A cutter sub-assembly is carried on the trackway for back and forth movement of an exemplary 110.degree. in each direction with the sub-assembly carrying two, directly opposed rotating cutter blades which cut the pipe casing as the sub-assembly is moved to and from on the trackway. The two blades travel in each direction a minimum of one-half their arcuate spacing difference and preferrably less than their arcuate spacing difference, producing a full 360.degree. cut. The cutters are radially moved in and out by a reciprocating yoke assembly. The cutter body assembly is pivotally mounted onto a telescoping boom attached to for example a work vehicle.

Abstract: A removeable base plate accessory member for the support jack leg on a trailer hitch providing a flat base stand for a trailer when the trailer is being parked and left in a particular area. The base plate member is easily attachable to or detachable from the support leg and may be adjusted to vary the relative height or distance between the accessory's base plate and its attachment connector leg used to attach the base plate to the support leg of the standard type jack found on most trailer hitches. The preferred connector (FIGS. 2 and 3) includes a pipe section with a bottom plate welded to it with a centrally located opening with a nut welded to the bottom plate, with the base plate member having a vertically extending centrally located threaded stud threadably engaging the nut.

Abstract: A unique semiconductive, polymeric material capable of use for example as a humidity sensing detector or as an electrical "rectifying-type" element created by pressure treating an oxidized coordination polymer formed from a polydentate organic ligand, such as for example 1,2,4,5-tetraaminobenzene, and a metal salt, such as for example nickle(II) chloride, palladium(II) chloride, or platinum(II) chloride. The element is mounted on a non-conducting base, electrical leads are attached to the element, and the wired element is placed in an electrical circuit capable of for example detecting electrical resistance. The presence of water vapor in the atmosphere about the element elicits rapid, reversible, reproducible changes in the resistance of the element. The wired element can also be used as a "rectifyer-type" element in that it has an electrical polarization which is not instantaneously reversible with a change in voltage polarity.

Abstract: A lettering device for drawing characters for use in connection with a lettering template having character grooves and a horizontal guide pin groove, the combination of a guide pin, a tracer pin, and a means for holding a writing instrument, each at the vertices of a right triangle, said tracer pin, being located at the right angle vertex. The knob handle for the device is located outside of and adjacent to that leg of the right triangle which interconnects said tracer pin and said writing instrument means, whereby the device can be manipulated by the left hand.

Abstract: A wrist or arm wrestling-type game system wherein the player tests or measures his strength by crushing one, two, or more cans, for example aluminum, beer-type cans within a measured time period. The can (or cans) to be crushed is (are) set upon a platform incorporated in the body of the strength testing game device. The player then inserts a coin in a slot (if the device is designed to be coin operated). places his elbow upon a resting pad, grasps a handle and pulls the handle down to drive a mechanical (or hydraulic) system to crush the cans. The handle pulls a cable which is run through a series of pulleys and which is attached (in a first embodiment) to a strongback. The strongback crushes the can against the platform. One of the pulleys through which the cable has been run can be attached to a spring pressure cylinder which measures the force exerted by the player when crushing the can. The placement of the player's elbow upon the elbow pad activates a start switch which in turn activates a timer.

Abstract: A portable navigation light system for barges in which the legally required three lights are provided by a set of three, self-contained units. Each unit contains its own power supply, light activating mechanism, light source so configured as to show over the required arc of the horizon with the required range of visibility, and means for affixing the unit to the barge. Each unit incorporates an integral carrying handle and is configured so that the three units nest one inside of the other with their respective handles coinciding as one, thereby permitting the carrying of the nested units as one.

Abstract: A sugar cane harvester having at its front end a topper section for cutting off the tops of the cane stalks and upper and lower sets of cane gathering arms which gather up the cane and bring it into the harvester for harvesting at its base and topping at its top. The topper section is carried on a vertically moveable base riding on vertical tracks for varying the height of the topping cuts, to which base is also pivotally connected the harvester ends of the upper set of cane gathering arms, thus interconnecting the topper cutter entry or harvester ends of the upper arms and the topper section for combined movement together. Variable length, telescoping bracing arms are pivotally connected between the left, upper and lower arms and the right, upper and lower arms, respectively, to provide stabilizing bracing to the upper sets of arms when they are vertically varied with the topper section.

Abstract: A universal spreader comprising a hopper; a cable by which the speading of fertilizer/chemical/seed/pesticide/etc., in the hopper may be initiated or terminated; a rotatable, driven agitator which distributes and controls the amount of the fertilizer; an adjustable width drive for the agitator; a series of moveable fertilizer delivery tubes or "fingers" for delivering the fertilizer from the hopper to the ground which allows spreader to be fit on lawnmowers of most sizes with handles of different and varied configurations; and a guide securing device which also assists in spreading the fertilizer from the "fingers" while also serving to provide a base for anchoring and adjusting the width of the "fingers" to coincide with the swath of the lawn cut by the blades of the mower.