Abstract: A continuous curve arch shape cross section leaching chamber made of molded thermoplastic has closely spaced corrugations and sidewalls, portions of which are perforated with horizontal slots. Either or both of the slot height and the local wall thickness which defines the slots may vary with slot elevation from the base, so that a perforated sidewall configuration is achieved which resists entry of surrounding soil.

Abstract: A continuous curve arch shape cross section leaching chamber made of molded thermoplastic has closely spaced corrugations and sidewalls, portions of which are perforated with horizontal slots. Either or both of the slot height and the local wall thickness which defines the slots may vary with slot elevation from the base, so that a perforated sidewall configuration is achieved which resists entry of surrounding soil. In one embodiment, the slotted sidewall has slots with all the same slot openings and the wall thickness decreases with elevation.

Abstract: A thermoplastic chamber for leaching wastewater or other use, which is designed so that when jointed to a like chamber the horizontal plane angle between the chambers can be adjusted, has one or more stops which can be selectively used to prevent rotation, for instance, to make the joined-together chambers lie along a straight line. Preferably, the stop is integral part of the chamber base flange; and it hinges and bends upwardly when moved to its working position, so the stop engages and limits movement of the end of the mating chamber.

Abstract: Buried land mines, which are triggered by pressure, particularly anti-personnel mines which are triggered by the pressure of a person's foot, are destroyed by impinging laser beam pulses on the surface of the soil. With appropriately chosen beam parameters, a laser supported detonation is created in the atmosphere above the soil by each beam pulse impingement. That results in a blast wave within the soil, the pressure of which causes a mine trigger to explode the mine. A multiplicity of beam pulses are impinged on the soil surface in location- and time-coordination, to create a multiplicity of blast waves which provide pressure-time profiles within the shallow depth of the soil, sufficient to trigger mine types that are configured to resist triggering from a single detonation, whether induced by laser or chemical means.

Abstract: Arch shape cross-section leaching and stormwater chambers are connected together so that swiveled angling is obtained at the joint. Angling is accomplished by means of an integral or detachable dome end comprising a conical section. A like chamber with an ordinary end mates by overlapping the dome. Or a like chamber may have an opposing and overlapping end, which also comprises a dome. A coupling for connecting two ordinary end chambers is comprised of two spaced apart conical domes spaced apart by a connector. The connector between the domes is optionally straight or angled. The couplings enable chambers to be connected at diverse angles to each other, as well as to be connected parallel with offset, i.e., with zigzag path.

Abstract: A leaching chamber, particularly a chamber which lacks ribs and is therefore flexible along its length, has a length in the range 4 to 5 ft, a length to width aspect ratio of between 1.2 and 1.6 and a weight of less than 3 pounds per foot, preferably about 12 pounds for a 4 ft chamber. Since the chamber length is less and the mass is more favorably concentrated, handling of chambers, and installing chambers in trenches is improved. The ability of a string of interconnected chambers to curve is increased.

Abstract: An arch shape cross section molded plastic stormwater chamber, which has a multiplicity of corrugations, can be nested within another like chamber for shipment. The width and included angle between the opposing sides of each corrugation both decrease with elevation from the base of the chamber.

Abstract: Self-adhesive labels are formed by repetitively cutting linerless web material which is fed from a roll into and through a rotary knife cutter. The labels are then transported to and applied to articles. To improve cutting of the web and labeling, the web and or labels are contoured, e.g., they are made concave, in a plane transverse to the direction of flow path. To contour the web or labels, alternative endless belt arrangements are used, wherein the center line of the adhesive side of the web is adhered to a belt surface. Preferably, a one-piece belt having spaced apart and movable lengthwise portions is used. Different transport velocities are used for web fed to the cutter and for labels taken-away from the cutter. Cutter motion, and thus label length, in forming either linerless and lined labels, is controlled according to how printed indicia bar marks on the web are severed into portions; alternatively, according to whether or not the cut falls between two spaced apart printed indicia.

Abstract: An adapter is used with a leaching chamber or like article to change the invert elevation for a pipe which carries water to the article. The first end of the adapter fits a hole or other port on the article. The body of the adapter rotates about that first end, changing the elevation of the second end relative to the base. Stops on the adapter body limit rotation: in one direction so the first and second ends are vertically aligned; and in the opposing direction so that the lengthwise axes of the first and second ends lie in an inclined plane. Thus, three positive invert elevations can be set for an inlet pipe for a particular article: a first and second at each limit of rotation of the adapter, and a third and lowermost elevation, wherein the adapter is not used.

Abstract: A detachable end cap for a molded plastic storm water chamber has an integrally welded pipe stub. The stub cantilevers outwardly from the exterior surface of the end cap, which is preferably dome shaped, to enable connection to a line which carries water to or from the chamber. A polyethylene cap with stub and is used in combination with a polypropylene chamber.

Abstract: Rain water is drained from a golf course sand bunker or like structure by a drainage system which comprises a conduit having a solid top and perforations in the sidewall. A conduit which is a chamber having an arch shape cross section is contained within a sand filled trench running along the bottom of a bunker. Water flows downwardly from the bunker into the trench, passing through opposing side trapezoid cross section spaces which are defined between the outwardly angled chamber sidewalls and the essentially vertical trench sidewalls. The water then flows horizontally into the conduit. Geotextile, in combination with downward sloping louvers which define slot perforations in the chamber sidewalls, hinders flow of sand into the interior of the chamber. The arch shape of the preferred conduit frees the trench bottom of vertical soil-compressive load and enables it to be fully exposed for water penetration.

Abstract: A safety system, which stops the motion of a boat or other craft when a person falls off the craft, is comprised of a wireless transmitter carried by the person, a receiver-controller, an actuator, and a spring loaded kill switch (ignition switch). When the person falls off and moves away, the diminution in wireless signal causes the actuator to remove a latch key or clip from the spring-loaded kill switch, thus stopping the engine. The actuator stores manually input energy, to enable the use of a compact and low power solenoid type coil. The system is suited for retrofitting onto boats having lanyard type kill switches.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding sheets and other flat articles, especially with varying thickness, or from stacks of varying height, includes a device called a prompter. The prompter (136) comprises a body (137), a drive roller (142), mounted on and driven by shaft (135), an opposing idler roller (141), and a ribbed belt (138) stretched around the rollers. The body pivots about shaft (135) at the driven roller end. The prompter may alternatively feed articles from a stack to a singulator or other device, or it may comprise the driver of a singulator. A prompter (136), used as driver, combines with a retarder (120), called a dancer, to form a singulator (133). The dancer moves back and forth along the article flow path (121), responsive to thickness of articles, or to pull force on an article by a downstream takeaway device, to thereby automatically adjust the gap at the nip (144) of the singulator.

Abstract: A continuous curve arch shape cross section leaching chamber made of molded thermoplastic has closely spaced corrugations and sidewalls which are perforated with slots which slope downwardly, running from interior to exterior of the chamber. The slot height and or wall thickness vary with slot clevation from the base, to achieve a desired minimum Soil Threshold Angle in the slots, where said Angle parameter relates to resistance to entry of surrounding soil. Slotted wall thickness is less than about two times the thickness of the basic chamber wall thickness elsewhere. The chamber has properties and performance approximating prior art chambers, but has substantially less normalized weight and total weight.

Abstract: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are adhered to the underside of sheet labels, to form assemblies which can be applied to articles. Pressure sensitive adhesive labels are removed from a liner which then runs on a loop, back to nip rollers, where the labels are re-attached to the liner. The labels are re-attached at a downstream point on the liner, in combination with tags, to form the assemblies. The assemblies on the moving assembly web are read by optical and radio frequency systems; and, defective assemblies are removed by a diverter which strips the selected defective assembly from the web and carries it away on a defect liner. RFID tags are adhered to linerless label web at spaced apart locations, to form assemblies which can be cut from the web at the point of application.

Abstract: An electric cable organizing device is comprised of at least one, preferably a pair, of brackets to which is attached an electric outlet strip, such as a power strip which receives the plug ends of electric cords. An outlet strip is attached to two spaced apart brackets which are attached to a vertical surface and which extend transversely from at least one side of the strip. Each bracket has an associated strap, such as an elastomer o-ring, that runs across the bracket surface, from proximity of the outlet strip to a spaced apart fastener on the bracket surface. The excess lengths of cords which run from outlets of the outlet strip run zigzag in the space between the brackets and are held neatly in place against the surface of each bracket by the straps.

Abstract: A simulated masonry module, made of blow molded plastic, has a hollow box-like body with a heavily textured front and top. Modules are pin-connected to each other at interleaving ends, which preferably comprise a slot mortise and tenon which fit closely, so that rotation about the pin is prevented. Modules may be stacked, to form assemblies simulating a masonry wall, and to form an enclosure suited to contain soil or water in a tub-like liner. Sand or other material may be put inside the modules through a rear access port, to add mass and stability. The bottom of a module has sculpting, to loosely fit and interlock with the contour of the top of a like-module, when modules are stacked, so the horizontal joint is unobtrusive. A spike, used for connecting module ends, is retained in a shaped groove on the rear of the module, to enable convenient shipment of a module and spike combination.

Abstract: A heat shield for an internal combustion engine used in a boat, or other application where engine compartment heat is unwanted, has a water cooled body positioned around, but spaced apart from, the exterior surfaces of the exhaust manifold of the engine. The concavity of the heat shield body fits the manifold and engine closely, to intercept and carry away radiant and convective heat. The shield is held in place by means of a boss which is captured between the exhaust manifold and the exhaust pipe of the engine. The shield enables industrial engines to be adapted to marine use without re-certification to meet environmental regulations.

Abstract: Apparatus for communicating and motivating metaphorically about winning in a sports team or other team competition comprises a broom handle having a first group of figurines attached thereto by their heads, and extending outwardly, as do bristles of a brush. The first group wears uniforms of a first team. A dustpan contains a second group of figurines, reposed in disorderly fashion in a dustpan, as they may have been swept there by the broom assembly. The second group is dressed with uniforms of one or more competitors of the first group team. The invention communicates a “clean sweep” metaphor, i.e., the first team wins, by overcoming the one or more competitors in the dustpan.

Abstract: Snow is made, for use on ski slopes and the like, using compressed air at a pressure substantially less than 95 psig, preferably around 30 psig. The air is provided to a snow making head or snow gun, where it is flowed through an air nozzle having effective diameter D. The air stream intersects a water droplet stream with angle A and at distance L from the air nozzle. Preferred angle A is in the range 70 to 110 degrees. The preferred ratio L/D is in the range 9:1 and 22:1. High pressure air from existing compressor systems is reduced to a desired substantially lower pressure by a central choked flow throttle upstream of an aftercooler, or by multi-stage throttles located near the snow making head. Water is added to the compressed air to substantially improve snow making, particularly when ambient relative humidity is low.