Abstract: A beverage maker comprises a frame which has an upper panel with one or more circular or oval apertures into which may be inserted metal or plastic holders for paper beverage filters. A middle panel comprises an adjustable drip shelf. The drip shelf is placed at a distance below the upper panel, which spacing is large enough to admit cups of typical size and small enough to prevent excessive spillage when fluid drains down from the filter holders into the cups. What spillage does occur passes through perforations in the drip shelf and is collected in a removable drip pan. Hot water is poured into individual filter holders by hand, which produces a plurality of small portions of beverage simultaneously or in rapid succession for beverage service in a commercial environment. Alternatively, fixed members for dispensing water into the filter holders can be added above the top panel, such as push-button fixed-volume fluid dispensers or manual spigots.

Abstract: An improved vehicle wheel traction apparatus comprises a plurality of barred traction plates which, when not interconnected, may be stacked together in a compact form for stowage. It includes means for interlocking the plurality of barred plates together to form a single loosely-articulated apparatus which automatically conforms in general profile to the profile of the rut in which the vehicle wheel is confined. The apparatus may be made as long as desired simply by interconnecting more individual plates. Because the combined apparatus rotates at articulated joints to conform to the rut, it is not subject to fracture from the weight of the car or other vehicle.

Abstract: A portable play environment functions as a coat or jacket when worn and when not worn is capable of being used as a playing surface. It may include pockets or loops which act as storage means for carrying dolls, action figures, cars or similar small toys. Raised three-dimensional play objects may be permanently incorporated into the jacket. Expandable pocket structures have a dual function. When the jacket is worn by the child, the pocket structure functions as a ordinary pocket. The pocket structure may be removed, however, when the jacket is off and is being used as a play environment. When removed, it may be expanded into the general shape of a building or other imaginary structure. Flat cloth panels have graphic indicia printed on both sides. Such indicia typically will be in the form of maps or other small-scale representations of a natural or imaginary environment. Playing fields may be formed both on the back of the jacket and on its inner lining.

Abstract: A floodlight knuckle or pivot joint has a ballast incorporated into it, rather than into the housing or hood of the fixture that holds the reflector and lamp. Preferably, the ballast is incorporated into its own waterproof housing in the lower portion of a vertically oriented knuckle, below the bottom-most of the two flanges of the knuckle, i.e. so that the pivot flanges are disposed between the ballast-containing portion of the knuckle and the fixture hood. Alternatively, the ballast might be contained in the top channel of the knuckle (between the top flange and the fixture hood), or, perhaps, in an enlargement of one of the flanges.

Abstract: A suction pressure regulating valve automatically maintains the suction pressure of a swimming pool cleaning system to be consistent with the optimum range of water suction pressure when the valve is used with suction type automatic swimming pool cleaners. The valve is a water immersed device which permits water to bleed through an orifice, which orifice opens in proportion to suction pressure within the valve. The valve has a conical body which readily adapts in line with the flexible hose that connects the swimming pool filter system with the suction type automatic swimming pool cleaner. This type of pool cleaner moves about the sides and the bottom of a swimming pool, continuously cleaning those surfaces. The valve orifice is protected from air incursion by an anti-vortex plate when the valve is near the surface of the pool.

Abstract: A vehicular anti-theft apparatus uses the unbuckling of a seatbelt to produce a surreptitious signal that activates a timing circuit which disables the motor after a preselected period of time. When the seatbelt is unfastened, an electrical signal is generated by a sensor switch within the seatbelt buckle and sent to the timing circuit. This circuit activates a solenoid after the preselected time has elapsed. Activation of the solenoid opens the ignition circuit, which makes the vehicle stall. In order for the motor to be restarted, the timing circuit must be reset using a circuit control keypad. The circuit control keypad is a separate and portable hand-held push-button device that allows an authorized operator manually to enter a secret code. The circuit control keypad plugs into a hidden port, thereby electrically interfacing with the timing circuit.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a barb or hook attached on a side of the forward end of the outer guide tube of an otherwise standard electrode introducer sleeve. The hook enables the physician to perforate the membrane within the same single vaginal exam wherein the electrode is attached. A costly, time-consuming, and uncomfortable two-stage, two-tool medical procedure is reduced to one stage and one tool.

Abstract: A knockdown chair kit may be assembled by the end user without glue, nails, rivets or other fasteners and is strong and durable enough to to support an adult human in regular use. The kit is fabricated by means of laser cutting. The chair is made out of plywood, solid wood, wood composite, plastic, metal or other similar thin, flat stock. It uses a series of hooks, which hooks fit into slots having matched positions, in order to rigidly interlock the component members of the chair together and prevent them from pulling apart. A series of pegs are flush-mount, i.e. their height equals the thickness of the planar stock, so as not to project outwardly therefrom. A feature of the knockdown furniture kit is the use of a pair of hooks to grasp matched slots in the two ends of a U-shaped arm rest. The pair of hooks anchor the arm rest horizontally so as to present a flat surface for the user's arms to rest upon.

Abstract: A hand-held instrument is disclosed for use in surgery. The instrument has a set of opposed jaws that pivot about a common axis with respect to a shaft of the instrument's handle. The upper jaw has an upper blade rigidly affixed to one side thereof. A lower blade is rigidly affixed to the shaft. When the upper jaw and upper blade are jointly forced to pivot downward by a push rod on the shaft, the rotating upper blade moves past the stationary lower blade to amputate a piece of tissue in scissor-cutting fashion. The lower jaw is simultaneously forced (by the interposed tissue) to rotate about its pivot downwardly, i.e. in the same direction as and in fixed tandem with the upper jaw. The lower jaw is held tightly against the interposed tissue via a stiff spring against which the lower jaw is biased. The spring causes the jaws to tightly clasp the tissue in plier-clamping fashion during and after its amputation from its attachment. The instrument is operated by a scissor handle arrangement.

Abstract: A jewelry clasp is comprised in part of hook and loop fastener material, such as that available under the brand name VELCRO. A piece of fastener material is glued or otherwise attached to a plastic or metal backing which acts as a first gripping member. The curved (preferably spoon-shaped) first gripping member has a circular eye-screw link protruding out from one side, which link may be tied onto or otherwise linked to one end of a standard necklace string or chain, so as to be more or less permanently secured thereto. A piece of fastener material of opposite type is attached to a generally congruently-shaped second backing or gripping member, which material and gripping member, when linked with an eye-screw to the other end of the necklace, form the second half of the clasp. The two gripping members mate together with relatively loose tolerances.

Abstract: A bottle includes a top with a removable cap having a height; includes a bottle base, the rim of which defines a plane at the lowermost extremity of the bottle for resting the bottle on a planar surface; and includes a cap well or recess formed in the bottle base. The cap well has a depth at least as great as the height of the cap, wherein the cap, when placed in the cap well, is securely gripped thereby and does not project down beyond the plane of the base of the bottle.

Abstract: A closed-wall barrier fits on top of a baby walker of conventional construction. It blocks a baby's reach, in order to prevent the baby from grasping dangerous objects. The barrier completely encircles the front, back and sides of the tray of the walker. The barrier may also have a top, which top may or may not be removeable. The barrier may completely cover and enclose the top of the walker. However, preferably it will have an opening or openings which the parent can use to insert the infant into the seat of the walker, and to hand objects to the infant, but which openings are too high for the infant to use to reach out.

Abstract: A desk includes a desktop divisible by a longitudinal axis into right and left portions and a knee recess formed under one of said portions having at least one side opening outward along a first vertical plane, which first plane is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The desk has a monitor compartment formed under the other of said portions and an automatic lift assembly for lifting at least a computer monitor from a closed position fully beneath the desktop and within the monitor compartment to an open position fully above the desktop. A hinged lid in an aperture in the desktop communicates with the lift assembly. The lid lies flush with the desktop in a closed lid position and has a front lid edge which forms an acute lid edge angle with the transverse axis of the desktop.

Abstract: A round illuminated button pin is back-lit by internal miniature incandescent lamps or LEDs (light emitting diodes). The image is not punctured by the lights -- rather, it is printed on a flat disk of transparent or translucent polystyrene (or other suitable plastic). A removable cap of rigid transparent plastic, such as molded acrylic, covers and holds the image. When the cap is removed, the planar circular image disk is loose, except for a pair of positioning notches in its diameter which capture a pair of lugs to keep the image from rotating within the cap. The image disk may quickly be removed simply by turning the button upside down, whereupon it will freely fall out. This allows one button to be reused with any number of interchangeable alternate images.