Abstract: A stopper structure is provided for downward removable insertion into the drain opening of a tub or shower stall and a water pump assembly is also provided including a water inlet and a water outlet with the water inlet supported relative to the stopper closely above the latter. A shower head water spray structure is also provided and the water outlet of the pump is communicated therewith. When it is desired to recirculate shower water, the conventional shower or tub water valve is operated after the stopper structure has been utilized to plug the shower or tub drain and until a sufficient quantity of water is collected in the shower or tub bottom. Thereafter, the water pump of the recirculating shower may be actuated whereupon the water collected in the bottom of the shower or tub may be pumped therefrom and outwardly from the shower head water spray structure.

Abstract: An outdoor grain pit cover is disclosed for excluding of rain water and the like from a pit constructed for below ground temporary storage of grain transportable into and out of the pit by an auger. The cover includes a sleeve for protecting the housing of the auger, and further includes a rectangular hatch or door used to cover a chute or trough for loading grain from the grain pit into trucks when the elevators are being unloaded. Means for stabilizing the cover are also disclosed.

Abstract: This invention is a device for attachment with a line trimmer to convert it to an edge trimmer. The device has a collar with support legs attached to it and wheels attached to the support legs. A U-shaped brace is attached between the support legs holding them at an angle to each other. The collar is placed loosely around the handle of an existing line trimmer, the line trimmer is inverted in order to make its face perpendicular to the ground, the legs are inserted into the collar and the collar is then secured to the handle with the head of the line trimmer between the ends of the U-shaped brace.

Abstract: An elongated tubular arm of non-circular internal and external cross-sectional shape is provided and has a first elongated transverse jaw carried thereby and projecting outwardly of one side of the arm. The jaw defines a transverse non-circular opening in one end closely slidably receiving the arm therethrough for longitudinal shifting of the jaw along the arm. An elongated operator of non-circular cross-sectional shape is slidingly telescoped in the arm and a first end of the operator projects outwardly of the corresponding end of the arm. A second elongated transverse jaw has one end supported from the operator first end and projects outwardly of the side thereof corresponding to the aforementioned side of the arm in opposition to the first jaw.

Abstract: A room humidifier unit operable in conjunction with the natural circulation of the room's air, comprising a portable, self-contained and angularly adjustable evaporator for positioning in the flow path of the room's natural air circulating flow to obtain maximum evaporation, and a system wherein two or more of the units are used and positioned in spaced flow path portions of the circulating room air.

Abstract: A forwardly projecting hitch pole including a coupling member on its free forward end and a rearwardly opening receiver for the coupling member and for mounting on a towing vehicle. The coupling member includes a horizontal forwardly bowed arcuate hitch portion generally cylindrical in cross section and the receiver defines a rearwardly opening horizontally transversely elongated recess in which to receive the hitch portion. The forward portion of the recess defines a horizontal generally arcuate seat curving rearwardly at its opposite ends. A vertically swingable latch is oscillatably supported from the receiver and includes a rear forwardly opening hook portion and the latch is angularly displaceable relative to the receiver between an operative position with the hook portion horizontally registered with the central rear portion of the recess and an inoperative position with the hook portion vertically displaced out of horizontal registry with the recess.

Abstract: A cotton lint cleaner having a number of new and unique features. The lint cleaner uses a common air stream laden with cotton to be cleaned through a moving screen and then through feed rollers to a cylindrical saw, where a centrifugal air flow doffing impeller doffs the cleaned cotton from said saw, for discharge from the device. Special spring biased feed bars are also a part of this invention. Additional features include special grid bars, special settling and collection chambers, guide vane structure, a rotating paddle wheel vacuum lock, an adjustable vacuum valve control, and filtering and discharging of the exhaust air flow through a cover over the operating drive for the over-all machine in order to exclude contamination from the outside air of said drive components. Special tension mountings for the grid bars are also disclosed.

Abstract: A boat hull of the type including an upwardly opening interior bounded by generally horizontal deck surfaces is provided together with a cover structure for the boat of predetermined shape including downwardly facing marginal edges. Support structure is provided and supports the cover structure relative to the boat hull for shifting between a closed position with the downwardly facing marginal edges of the cover at least closely overlying the horizontal deck surfaces and closing the interior from above and an open position affording access to the interior of the boat hull from above. A first form of cover includes a forward portion pivotally supported from the bow stop of a trailer upon which the boat hull is supported with the cover oscillatable about a horizontal transverse axis.

Abstract: A cooling tower has a plurality of cooling regions with each cooling region being constructed in a cross flow or counter flow configuration for allowing air to pass into the path of falling water within that region. Each region contains a fill bundle composed of twisted fill elements. Each fill element consists of an elongated substantially flat member which is twisted normally about its longitudinal axis. A plurality of the fill elements are connected in rows and placed in the path of the air circulation. Alternate rows will be offset from adjacent rows disposing the elements at apices of an isosceles triangle pattern to obtain equal spacing between adjacent elements and create a circuitous route through which the cooling air must pass. The spiral configuration of the elements provides centrifugal action which disperses the water and air from one element to adjacent elements, thus providing more intimate contact between the water and the cooling air.

Abstract: Game board devices to be used as bingo cards are provided with changeable numbering sequences capable of being more readily perceived and remembered by sight handicapped persons. Through switches on the game board card, chance selected numbers may be registered by each player and through parallel circuits produce an audible sound when a winning game is achieved upon closure of those switches corresponding to predetermined patterns on the game board.

Abstract: Magnetic material, such as discarded magnetic tape, is ground into small pieces and mixed with well drilling fluids. When the drilling fluids are lost in porous ground, cracks or fissures in the walls of the well, the magnetic tape will accumulate and serve to block the unwanted loss of the fluid. In the event that the fissures are of a size such that the tape will not block the flow, the magnetic properties of the tape may be utilized in combination with a standard well logging instrument to provide an indication of the exact location of the area of fluid loss. At that time, further remedial measures may be taken to block the undesired flow of fluid. For example, a cement slurry may be pumped into the well in the location of the crevices and thus form a permanent seal against loss of fluid.

Abstract: A process for treatment of mechanically removed porcine skins for the production of edible gelatin or of both gelatin and leather, the present invention provides a step-wise method for chemical dehairing and degreasing of the skin, which method offers an environmentally more acceptable procedure for dehairing, degreasing, and ultimately treating the skin to produce gelatin and leather, the quality of the ultimate products being uncommonly high. The dehaired and degreased skin can then be processed for conventional gelatin production or said skin can be mechanically split into a grain layer for leather or gelatin production and a flesh layer for conventional gelatin or leather production.

Abstract: A suspended recliner is provided with a leg support area which depends vertically downward from the main body of the recliner. When an individual enters the recliner, the leg support may be left in its depending position, thereby providing a chair-like support for the occupant, or the weight of the occupant may be used to provide a force to position the footrest in an aligned configuration with the main body of the recliner. The footrest is provided with a locking device to maintain this position. With the footrest locked in place, the occupant may shift his position in the hammock to provide a semi-reclining support or a totally horizontally deployed hammock with the main portion providing a sling-type chair support with the juncture of the footrest and main portion generally coinciding with the knees of the occupant. Also, the device is equipped with a centrally located vertical hanging support which requires only a single mounting point from which to hang the entire suspended recliner.

Abstract: The changer includes a filter supporting frame attached to a supply spool containing fresh filter material and a take-up spool for storing the clogged filter material. The frame is substantially rectangular in shape and has attached thereto a sensor switch which is disposed medially of the frame and the filter material disposed thereacross. The switch is actuated when the filter material becomes clogged to a point where deflection of the material in response to circulating air flow occurs. The switch actuates a drive motor attached to the take-up spool causing the take-up spool to wind the clogged material thereon thereby replacing it with clean filter material from the supply spool. The filter material itself contains transverse enlarged linear elements which are longitudinally spaced along the filter material at intervals equivalent to the width of the frame. The enlarged areas actuate a switch which causes cessation of the motor drive, thereby insuring accurate placement of the fresh filter material.

Abstract: Double leg suspended poultry dropped from a moving conveyor and guided into bags by a nozzle assembly that effects limited expansion of each bag in advance of entry of each bird into the bag. A ram packs each bird fully into the bag after partial entry resulting in tight fit packaging upon withdrawal of the ram and nozzle assembly from the bag as it is detached and dropped onto a receiving surface.

Abstract: An items handler for successively handling a horizontal row of items in an intermittent or indexing, controlled dimension motion. The handler includes structure defining a movement direction change station and receiving structure for receiving a horizontal row of items thereon and lengthwise advancing the row of items along a predetermined path toward the aforementioned station. Structure for successively engaging items advanced toward the station is provided and for laterally shifting the endmost item in the row of items advanced toward the station. Second receiving structure is provided for successively receiving and stationarily supporting items laterally shifted by the items engaging and shifting structure and discharge structure is provided for successively discharging items received by the second receiving structure. The discharge structure includes features thereof operative to downwardly discharge, by gravity, items from said second receiver structure.

Abstract: A bowling practice and/or exercising device in the form of a retaining device for a bowling ball having a wrist encircling strap by which the retaining device is secured to the wrist of a person using the device so that a person can practice and perform various exercises in connection with bowling without the necessity of actually delivering a bowling ball onto a bowling alley or lane. The retainer is in the form of a cage-like structure defined by a plurality of flexible adjustable length straps to receive the bowling ball which would normally be used in actual bowling and an adjustable split wrist band or strap to secure the device to the wrist area of the user with the device being constructed of various materials and including various structural features capable of performing the desired results.

Abstract: An elongated horizontal rest is provided including opposite side longitudinal marginal portions and front and rear ends. A pair of opposite side uprights project upwardly from the opposite side marginal portions of the rest and a plurality of elongated tensioned elastic members extend between and are anchored relative to the uprights with the tensioned elastic members including members spaced laterally apart longitudinally of the rest and vertically apart above the rest. The forearm and/or wrist of the user may be braced against the upper surface of the rest with the hand of the user disposed beneath at least some of the elastic members for gripping the latter or flexing the fingers or hand thereagainst.

Abstract: A piano dolly for mounting, storing, and transporting an upright piano. A pair of dollies is used with a single upright piano, each dolly having a recessed carrying arm on which are mounted an upraised support plate supported in the longitudinal direction and a second upraised support plate in the transverse direction, each support plate supporting a wheeled caster. A piano provided with a pair of such dollies is prevented from inadvertent upset in storage or in playing situations, while mobility of the piano in transport over typical floor surfaces is unaffected. The invention can alternatively be used for storing and transporting a portable organ, or a bulky article of furniture, such as a sofa, or the like.

Abstract: A pear tree characterized by its bright red leaves in autumn and its winter hardiness.