Abstract: An electrically powered resistance heating handgrip includes a control circuit located within a hollow core that fits coaxially within the open end of a handlebar of a motorcycle or snowmobile. The control circuit is mounted on a thin, narrow, elongated printed circuit board and includes a microprocessor that is programmed to contain a lookup table of temperatures. A thermistor provides feedback signals to the microprocessor which compares temperature sensor feedback signals to a target temperature. The target temperature is established by a dial. The dial operates the wiper of a variable potentiometer to establish the target temperature. Heat is uniformly distributed by wrapping the heating element wire thereof about a thermally conductive sheet of aluminum, and encasing the wire within a temperature resistant dielectric sheathing.

Abstract: A buried subsurface pit for use beneath a surface across which aircraft travel for servicing aircraft is provided with a pit latching mechanism for holding and releasing a pit lid mounted atop the buried pit. A shallow latch operating lever storage recess is defined in the upper surface of the pit lid. An actuator rod passageway is formed in the pit lid and extends between the latch operating lever storage recess and the undersurface of the pit lid. A catch is located in alignment with the actuator rod passageway at the undersurface of the pit lid. The catch is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis of catch rotation. An actuator rod is disposed for longitudinal, reciprocal movement in the actuator rod passageway. A latch operating lever has opposing latch handle and actuator rod engaging ends.

Abstract: An expanding, portable envelope for use in transporting papers compartmentalized into organized sections is formed of a base sheet and a divider sheet. The two sheets are secured by a pair of transverse lines of sealing across the bottom of the envelope. A pair of divider panels is thereby created from a single divider sheet. Moreover, the bottoms of the pockets created between the divider sheets and the front and rear panels formed from the base sheet are closed, so that papers cannot slip down underneath the divider panels. The base sheet defines side panels that extend from one of the front and rear panels, and are heat sealed to the other. Bottom attachment tongues formed as extensions from the side panels are directed inwardly toward each other at the bottom of the envelope and are also permanently attached to the divider sheet so as to close and reinforce the bottom corners of the expanding envelope.

Abstract: An injection molding system for molding a hollow plastic article employs a hollow mold core having a longitudinal axis and a core runner cavity that has a uniform cross section throughout and which extends to the open end of the mold core. The mold core includes at least one core ejection gate and at least one core inlet gate leading from the outer surface of the core wall to the core runner cavity. When molding is performed in stages, there is it least one core ejection gate for each stage of molding. The core is clamped in between separate sets of molding blocks for each stage of molding. A core end closure cap having a core extension cavity aligned with the core runner cavity is used to close the open end of the mold core. A molten plastic is injected into the outer molding blocks and is confined to travel through the core inlet gate of the core without entering the mold cavity directly so that the molten plastic is forced to pass through the core runner cavity in order to reach the core ejection gates.

Abstract: A combination hole punching and reinforcing device for punching holes in sheets of paper and other sheet materials applies flat reinforcement rings about holes formed in those sheets concurrently as the holes are formed. The device employs a die punch, which is preferably configured as a disposable item that is detachable from the lower end of the punching ram. The die punch is configured with a punching tip at its lower extremity and a shank that is preferably narrower than the punching tip. A plurality of reinforcement rings are stacked one atop each other and are carried upon a shoulder formed at the demarcation between the die punch tip and the die punch shank. A transverse pressure plate located atop the shank applies pressure to sequentially affix the lowermost reinforcement ring in the stack to a sheet of paper concurrently with the formation of an aperture through that sheet.

Abstract: A removable tile spacer for use in properly spacing floor tiles, wall tiles, counter tiles, and other tiles having a uniform shape is provided with an integrally formed handle angled upwardly and away from the flat body of the tile spacer. The tile spacer handle projects at an angle upwardly and outwardly from a junction at the distal end of a selected one of a plurality of legs forming the tile spacer body. By locating the handle remote from the intersection of the tile spacer legs a level or straight edge can be used to properly align the tiles as they are placed on a flat, supporting surface without obstruction from the tile spacer of the invention. Also, by locating the handle for the tile spacer at the tip of one of its legs, the tile spacer is provided with an extended lever arm to facilitate removal of the tile spacer from between tiles, should removal prove difficult.

Abstract: A pit lid assembly is formed for a subsurface aircraft servicing pit and includes a lid frame formed with a flat, upper deck, a pit access opening surrounded by the deck, and a hinge pocket defined in the structure of the frame. The hinge pocket extends radially outwardly from the pit access opening and defines mutually opposing and mutually parallel pocket side walls. The pocket has a floor and an end wall slopes upwardly from the pocket floor at an obtuse angle relative to the surrounding flat deck of the frame. A pit lid is seated in the frame upon a bearing ledge formed about the periphery of the access opening. The pit lid has a hinge leaf projecting outwardly away from the access opening. Straight, narrow, linear bores are defined through the structure of both the hinge frame and the hinge leaf.

Abstract: A battery cap is provided for engagement in a fill port of a cell of a deep cycle, lead-acid electrical storage battery. The battery cap is formed of a hollow, tubular body having an upper end with an expansive mouth opening, and a lower end at which a transverse floor extends radially inwardly. The floor includes a central, annular convex downwardly projecting portion that defines a central fluid passage opening. The interior of the tubular wall defines a radially inwardly projecting flame arrester seat spaced from both the upper and lower ends of the body. A pair of gas escape ports are defined in the tubular wall between the flame arrester seat and the mouth opening. A diverter is located in the lower portion of the tubular body beneath a disc shaped micropore filter that serves as the flame arrester and which is seated on the flame arrester seat.

Abstract: A boxing training target is formed with a central, elongated, elastic bungee cord at its core. The elastic, bungee cord core line is encompassed within a plastic sheath that is surrounded by a resilient foam jacket having an outer diameter of between about one-half and six inches. The jacket extends over a length of at least about five feet of the core line in an area corresponding to the vertical level of the head, torso, and legs of an opponent. A sheath surrounds the jacket and has indicia thereon at different vertical levels. The elastic bungee cord is maintained in tension between an overhead support and a floor support. As blows are delivered to the target, the target quivers laterally thus necessitating good hand and eye coordination to repeatedly land blows upon the target. The vertically separated indicia provide different target areas for a boxer to vary the vertical level at which successive blows are delivered.

Abstract: An improved load-supporting system for scaffolding, lengths of elongated stock used in the construction industry, tools, and other loads includes a unique system for adjusting the height at which a load is held above a supporting surface. The invention includes a column having a column axis of alignment and at least one sleeve disposed about the column in coaxial sliding engagement therewith. The sleeve has an appendage forming a radially inwardly facing jaw and a jamming washer that surrounds the column and extends into the jaw. The height at which a load is held above a supporting surface is varied by adjusting the relative longitudinal positions of the sleeve and the column. By momentarily forcing the jamming washer into perpendicular alignment relative to the column, incremental adjustment of the relative positions of the sleeve and the column occur.

Abstract: An aircraft servicing pit that defines a subsurface chamber below a surface across which aircraft travel when not airborne is formed of a prefabricated pit body atop which a pit lid is mounted for rotation. Within the enclosure of the pit beneath the surface across which the aircraft travel a counterweight system is connected by gears to pit lid supporting arms. The pit lid supporting arms have proximal ends rigidly joined to pit lid gears, which are meshed with counterweight gears rigidly joined to counterweight arms supporting counterweights within the enclosure of the pit. The pit lid and counterweight arms move in counterrotation when the pit lid is opened and closed, with the gravitational force acting upon the counterweights acting in opposition to the force of gravity upon the pit lid.

Abstract: A fluid tank valve assembly of the type employed for water tanks for toilets has a tank refill valve located atop a fluid inlet supply tube. The refill valve has a lever that is raised and lowered to open and close the valve. An inverted, cup-shaped hood is positioned atop the valve and a float is located about the skirt of the hood and secured thereto by the force of friction. The float can be moved longitudinally along the skirt of the hood in order to vary the water level at which the hood bears down upon the lever arm or is lifted from the lever arm, thereby varying the water level at which the valve is actuated. The valve itself is equipped with a metering pin that is configured to reduce the likelihood of clogging in the longitudinal passage of the core of the valve diaphragm.

Abstract: The present invention involves a system for irradiating articles with ultraviolet radiation that are transported through an irradiation tunnel along a longitudinal article treatment path from a tunnel entrance to a tunnel exit employing a conveyor system. Ultraviolet irradiation sources are located within the tunnel, both above and below the article treatment path. The conveyor system includes at least two different sequential segments that contact different laterally separated locations on the articles to be treated from beneath. The points of contact between the different segments of the conveyor system are offset in a lateral or transverse direction so that all locations on the articles are left unobscured from beneath at some location on the treatment path. As a consequence, all downwardly facing surfaces of the articles carried on the conveyor system are exposed to radiation from beneath.

Abstract: A face guard for a sport helmet, such as a rigid, protective baseball batting helmet or football helmet, is provided with one or more resilient couplings that permit the face guard grid to be attached to the helmet at ear hole openings in the side flaps of the helmet. The resilient couplings have one or more radial, annular channels defined therein. At least one of these channels is of a size to fit snugly within the confines of a side flap ear opening on the helmet. The structure of the resilient coupling thereby defines a resiliently compressible helmet attachment flange for insertion through an ear opening in one of the ear flaps of the helmet and a resiliently compressible mounting clip attachment flange for insertion into the helmet attachment opening of the mounting clip. The face guard may thereby be releaseably coupled to and detached from the sport helmet without any modification to the helmet whatsoever and in a manner that protects the helmet from damage.