Abstract: Building roofing of the composition type. Members are combined with composition roofing material to provide the effect of shadow lines which enhance the appearance and aid the attachment of the composition to the underlying roof structure.

Abstract: A system for heating domestic hot water includes solar collectors for raising the temperature of the water in the usual hot water storage tank. When a tap is opened, the water is drawn out of the tank and directed through a mixing valve which checks the temperature of the water and, if necessary, adjusts the temperature to an intermediate temperature somewhat below the temperature at which the water is to be used. The water then passes through a heater in which the temperature of the water is quickly raised to the elevated temperature at which it is normally used in households.

Abstract: A cotton module builder comprising an open-top frame. At the rear end of the frame is a rear door mounted for pivotal movement. When seed cotton has been compressed into a module, it is removed from the open-top frame, while the rear door is opened. While the seed cotton is being compressed by the cotton module builder, the rear door is closed. Secured to the rear end of the frame is a cradle that supports extractor apparatus for removing foreign matter from seed cotton before the seed cotton is deposited into the open-top frame for compression. Pivotally supported by the cradle is a basket and lifting conveyor. Means are provided for raising and lowering the basket and lifting conveyor. Before the rear door of the module builder is opened for the removal of a cotton module from the open-top frame, the basket and the lifting conveyor are raised out of the path of movement of the rear door and the compressed cotton module advancing therethrough.

Abstract: An accessory for a fireplace damper comprising a handle. Integrally formed with the handle is an intermediate member. At the opposite end of the intermediate member are mounted oppositely directed U-shaped clamps for gripping the handle or actuating member of a fireplace damper. The clamps engage the damper handle of a fireplace in gripping relation. The accessory projects toward the fireplace opening below the lintel. The accessory is visible and accessible to an operator. An operator desiring to open or close the fireplace damper grips the handle of the accessory for applying a downward or upward force thereto.

Abstract: An attachment for a water closet includes a mounting plate which is adapted to be secured on the upper surface of a toilet bowl at the rear thereof immediately beneath the rear end of a toilet seat. The mounting plate carries a section of a water inlet conduit which can be easily attached to a water supply line. A valve mounted on the plate is connected in the inlet conduit and controls flow of water to a nozzle which is carried on the end of a pipe that is mounted on the plate for swinging movement from a retracted position under a side portion of the rim of the bowl to a projected position at which the nozzle is located in an upwardly directed position at about the center of the bowl.

Abstract: A machine for cleaning, polishing and otherwise finishing floors includes a friction-type mechanism for holding the handle of the machine in a preselected position, a dead-man switch control lever arranged for pivotal movement toward and away from the switch it controls, and an effective splash guard. Also disclosed is a helical gear transmission for driving the finishing pads, and a handle that has surfaces particularly adapting it for comfortable gripping by the operator's hands and for non-injurious contact by other parts of the operator's body.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling and preventing an oil blowout comprising a hollow frustoconical dome which is disposable over the end of a well discharge pipe or an offshore rig discharge pipe. At the top of the hollow dome is an axially disposed main valve for the blowoff of oil or gas escaping from the discharge pipe. A plurality of concentrically disposed two-way valves are disposed at the top of the dome about the main valve. With the main valve and the concentrically disposed valves open for the blow off of liquids and fluids, the dome is lowered over the discharge pipe. When the dome is fully lowered, it seats on the bottom surface surrounding the outlet of the discharge pipe. Concrete is poured around the dome to seal the dome to the bottom surface. Connected to the concentrically disposed valves are conduits for conducting gas and oil escaping from the discharge pipe to a storage facility, such as a barge, tank or the like, when the concentrically disposed valves are open for storing oil or gas.

Abstract: Bucket-type material lifters are adjustably mounted on the inner peripheral surface of a drier drum between pairs of spaced plates carried by the drum, so that the position at which each lifter starts to discharge material during rotation of the drum and the position at which it completes its discharge can be selectively changed.

Abstract: A slip-on shroud to protect the shank of a mixing paddle of an asphalt mixer. The shroud is disposed on the shank and is formed with a generally triangular cross-sectional area to protect the front of the shank while reducing the quantity of material used to form the shroud and is formed with a generally triangular opening to receive the shank. The shroud is also formed with flanges confronting the opening to retain the shroud on the shank while reducing the quantity of material required to hold the shroud on the shank.

Abstract: A fountain comb in which a manifold backbone has communication with a reservoir through a screw cap and is angularly disposed relative to the reservoir which serves as a handle, the comb having a plurality of teeth extending from the backbone at right angles thereto with axial passages communicating with the manifold to supply fluid to the tips of the teeth, the latter being in arcuate array to conform to scalp contour, and a bumper sponge and a brush on the backbone of the comb for collecting, spreading and/or distributing fluid to the hair by methods known as streaking, tipping, straight and in circle brush painting around and within curls and the like.

Abstract: A dispenser for a column of rolls of paper or the like. The rolls of paper are disposed in the dispenser one above the other. The dispensable roll of paper has the free end thereof disposed in the paper exit opening to be torn for removing the free end of the roll of paper from the remainder of the roll of paper. The dispenser includes a gate disposed between the dispensable roll of paper and the succeeding roll of paper thereabove for maintaining a spaced relation therebetween so that the dispensable roll of paper can be rotated without being in contact with the succeeding roll of paper. When the supply of paper of the dispensable roll of paper has been exhausted, the succeeding roll of paper is urged downwardly to displace the gate for advancing the succeeding roll of paper to the position of a dispensable roll of paper. The gate returns to its initial position to retain the roll of paper next in succession in spaced relation thereto.

Abstract: A function generator for producing digital data which represent a function of the time interval between two events and in which the digital data have a non-linear relationship to the time interval. The function generator comprises a rate multiplier circuit having a constant pulse frequency multiplicand and a continuously varying multiplier selected by a memory circuit throughout the time interval. A counter circuit has its input connected to the output of the rate multiplier circuit and has its output connected to the memory circuit to continuously address the memory circuit for selecting the continuously varying multiplier as each output pulse from the rate multiplier circuit is counted by the counter circuit. The data stored in the memory circuit for selecting the multiplier represents a series of straight line approximations to the desired continuous non-linear function.

Abstract: A tampon comprising a rigid conical end for entry into the cavity of a body. Extending from the base of the conical end is a bulb-shaped body made of highly absorbable and expansible material. Disposed within the tampon body is a rupturable container holding a liquid medicant. Immediately before or during the insertion of the tampon into the cavity of the body, the container is ruptured, releasing the liquid medicant to be absorbed by the tampon body. After the tampon body is inserted into the cavity of the body, the tampon body expands radially about the longitudinal axis thereof from the absorption of the liquid medicant. The lips of the cavity of the body grasp the neck of the tampon body and the expanded tampon body engage the walls surrounding the cavity of the body inwardly of the lips for inhibiting unintentional expelling of the tampon from the cavity of the body and for providing direct contact between the medicated tampon body and the walls surrounding the cavity of the body.

Abstract: A portable exercise totalizer for recording total exercise exertion during an exercise period. The exercise totalizer comprises a pulse generator for producing pulses at various predetermined frequencies. A group of activating switches represent respectively various exercise routines, such as walking, jogging, running, sprinting, and the like. At the beginning of the exercise period, an operator actuates the activating switch representing the exercise routine to be performed during the exercise period. The actuation of the activating switch activates the pulse generator and selects the pulse frequency to be produced by the pulse generator during the exercise period. At the end of the exercise period, the operator actuates a deactivating switch to discontinue the generation of pulses by the pulse generator. The selected frequency for the pulse generator represents the level of exercise exertion performed by the operator during the exercise period.

Abstract: A heat exchanger has a cylindrical shell closed at its ends. A large conduit of circular cross-section, which extends longitudinally through the shell, is concentric with the shell to define a central passage for a first heat exchange medium such as a cool gas, and an outer annular passage for a second heat exchange medium, such as a hot liquid. Four radially oriented fins divide the two passages into quadrantal chambers or zones, and two tubes, one extending into each end of the shell, carry the second medium into and remove it from the annular passage.

Abstract: An intrusion detection system has an optical device for focusing radiation energy onto radiation sensing elements. Connected to the sensing elements is a circuit which produces intrusion signals from detected radiation energy for controlling the operation of an alarm. The optical device has a sensing mirror with a concave reflective surface that comprises a plurality of pairs of vertically disposed contiguous reflective segments. The reflective segments of the sensing mirror have the same vertical curvature, but the pairs of reflective segments differ from one another in horizontal curvature, in the area of reflective surface and in the horizontal focal lengths. The reflective segments of the sensing mirror will reflect radiation energy from a wide range of angles offset from the direction of the center line of the optical device and project the radiation energy onto a focusing mirror, which, in turn, casts the radiation energy onto the sensing elements.

Abstract: A single acting steam engine wherein means are provided for auxiliary exhaust through the piston when the auxiliary exhaust poppet is open and the auxiliary exchange passages of the piston register with the exhaust ports in the cylinder wall. The opening and closing of the auxiliary exhaust poppet are responsive to the rate of reciprocation of the pistons. A multiple of said engines may be utilized in combination to provide a multiple cylinder power plant. The engines drive a swash plate, which is formed with recessed, annular thrust surfaces. Projecting at right angles from the recessed, thrust surfaces are exhaust cams that engage valve stems through cam followers for actuating the same. The valve stems actuate the exhaust valves. The throat thickness of the swash plate between the recessed annular thrust surfaces is of uniform dimension along the circumferential paths thereof.

Abstract: A microcomputer terminal system in which all input/output devices communicate with a microcomputer through a system bus. The microcomputer includes a microprocessor and a memory. Programs are stored in the memory of the microcomputer. The input/output devices include a keyboard and a cathode ray tube display. Through a read/write memory for the input/output devices interconnecting the keyboard and the cathode ray tube display with the system bus, the microprocessor, the keyboard and the cathode ray tube display perform their respective internal operations independently of the other.The keyboard selectively produces signals representing character data and control data in a serial manner. The data, along with a strobe signal, are entered into a keyboard encoder circuit and from there into the read/write memory for the input/output devices and then to the read/write segment of the microcomputer memory.