Abstract: A swimming pool furniture having a vented assembly that can be submerged in an upright, stationary position on the bottom surface of the swimming pool allowing the user to access the furniture with his or her body partially submerged in the pool. The assembly includes a frame having a plurality of tubular elements including an upper cross member, front and rear lower cross members. The cross members are disposed between a pair of side members of the frame. The frame further includes water inlets in fluid communication with a cavity of the frame. The rear lower cross member includes a vertical member having a water inlet in fluid communication with the cavity of the frame. The frame can further include a seat that attaches to the upper cross member of the frame. As the furniture is submerged into the swimming pool, the water inlets receive water from the swimming pool into the cavity of the frame until the frame is full of water.

Abstract: A cultivator sweep assembly having a sweep adapted for releasable attachment to a shank of a mobile agricultural apparatus. The sweep assembly includes a sweep having a more narrow profile, and a coupling attached to a tapered end portion of the shank and disposed between the sweep and the supporting shank. The sweep includes a stem portion that defines a housing configured to frictionally receive and engage the tapered end portion of the shank. The end portion of the shank having the coupling attached thereto is slidably received within the housing until a projection of the coupling is received through a top opening of the housing. The projection received through the top opening indicating that the end portion of the shank is sufficiently received within the housing of the sweep, and that the sweep is mounted to the shank with sufficient force.

Abstract: A game call striker for frictionally interacting with a prior art game call. The game call striker includes a striker member that outwardly extends from a body portion. The body portion comprising first and second sound chambers, the first sound chamber including an insert sized to frictionally receive a base end of the striker member. In particular, the base end is fixedly secured within the insert with adhesive means such as glue. The striker member extends from the insert, through the first sound chamber, and outwardly extends from the body portion without the outer surface of the striker member touching the side walls of the first sound chamber. As a result, it is as though the striker member is “floating” within the first sound chamber.

Abstract: An engine mounting stand for small engines, and particularly adapted for motorcycle engines. The engine mounting stand includes an upright and a journal bearing, the upright is attached to a base, a rotating bracket assembly is attached to the journal bearing of the upright, the bracket assembly designed to attach to the engine mount holes of the engine, and is operative for rotatably positioning the engine so that the mechanic can access all areas of the engine. The engine mounting stand can further include an outrigger support attached to the rotating bracket assembly, and an outrigger secured to the outrigger support. The outrigger attaches to the engine and outrigger end aperture can provide further attachment support to the bracket assembly.

Abstract: A vertically adjustable safety railing system for obtaining safety railing access to the tops of mobile equipment of various heights such as tank trucks. The safety railing apparatus generally includes a plurality of posts, a railing, and activating means in communication with an actuating means. The safety railing having a collapsed condition and a vertically upright condition. The posts are pivotally mounted to mounting plates as well as connected to the railing so that when the posts are rotated to a vertically upright condition, the railing is elevated providing a railing to assist a person walking on top of the tank of a truck. The activating means is engaged by a cover plate hinged to a ladder disposed at the rear of the tank truck. Opening the cover plate to access the ladder places the activating means in a passing condition and actuates the actuating means to pivot the railing system to its upright condition.

Abstract: A fiber optic splice closure designed to prevent undesired bending of optical fiber cables within the closure. The closure is generally formed of a lower base section and an upper body section that form a tight, water-resistant seal along their interface. The cross-section shape of the closure of the present invention is generally round. The lower base section includes an interior having a surface wall and an interior wall that define a slack storage area. As such, the slack storage area defined within the closure likewise has a round configuration to thereby avoid excessive bending or kinking of the un-spliced fiber positioned within the slack storage area. The fiber optic splice closure further includes a fastening means centrally disposed through the lower base and upper body sections that form a tight, water-resistant seal therebetween.

Abstract: An electroless nickel plating method for the preparation of zirconia ceramic material. The surface of the zirconia ceramic material is first cleaned of contaminants. This is followed by an etching step where the surface of the material is etched by an acid. Then, activating the surface of the material is achieved by first applying a tin sensitizer, and then a palladium activator. Following the palladium activator step, applying an electroless nickel to the surface of the post activated material. After the electroless nickel bath, the zirconial ceramic material can then be further electroless or electrolytically plated with a variety of finishes. Applying the method of the present invention provides a suitable, commercially practicable method for the preparation of zirconia ceramic material for electroless nickel plating, so that the electroless nickel chemistry is distributed evenly on the material's surface.

Abstract: A bag/bed assembly comprising a first layer, which first layer receives and stores a second layer, and a third layer housed entirely within the second layer. Said first layer, when storing said second layer, serves as a seating apparatus. When you remove the second layer from the first layer, the second layer, is spaced out in a fully open position, having a substantially rectangular configuration that serves as a portable bed.

Abstract: A thermally actuated fluid shuttle valve that is a three-way direction control valve that shifts when fluid passing through said valve reaches a preset temperature. The control valve, including three ports, an internal shiftable spool, and a thermal element, wherein fluid entering a first port from a source of heated fluid passes around a thermal element and out of a second port, until the fluid is warm enough to cause the thermal element to expand, thereby shifting said spool so that the first port is closed, and the second and third ports are in fluid communication with each other.

Abstract: A folding door apparatus for homes and other building structures that is formed of a plurality of panels hinged together in accordion fashion. The door panels are raised and lowered along parallel vertical rails by a pair of winding reels and cable. A stability pin and a plurality of guide pins extend from the outer side edge of selected panels. The rails are hinged to the structure's flooring, and define an inner and outer trackway. The inner trackway for receiving the stability pin, and the outer trackway for receiving the guide pins. The inner trackway further defines a release point at the approximate midway of the length of the rail. In application raising the door panels to an open position, the stability pin remains engaged within the inner railway until stability pin is raised to the release point. At release point the stability pin is disengaged from inner railway for proper folding of the panels.

Abstract: A portable, boat-supported duck blind that is collapsible and adjustable to fit most conventional boats. The boat mounted blind of the present invention includes two substantially identical elongated members, said members are positioned parallel to each other along both sides of the boat, front and rear cross-posts are connected to the elongated members, and first and second upper rails are connected to the cross-posts. Each elongated member is attached to a side of the boat with a pair of bendable posts, and a pair of cylinders is attached to the boat and the elongated members to assist the user in raising or collapsing the blind with minimal effort.

Abstract: A spray delivery system including a sectional boom attachable to a vehicle. The boom includes first and second movable arms and a fixed arm, each arm housing a plurality of spray nozzles. Each arm can include a frame having openings so that the arms are light-weight and so that the nozzles housed in the frames for protection can spray through the openings in the bottom surface of the frame. The movable arms include an operation position and a retracted position and the arms each include a drift shroud covering to prevent wind from interfering with the application of spray from nozzles. The drift shrouds can include windows that align with the openings in the frame such that an operator can see the spray from the nozzle from the operator's seat in the vehicle.

Abstract: A clip placement tool for automatic or manual insertion of a plastic clip workpiece. The tool including a main body having a first feature to affix to an operator handle or affix to a mechanical device as an end-effecter, and a second feature that connects to a vacuum source, a chamber formed within the body, a lip formed at an end of the vacuum chamber and surrounding a static placement post within the chamber. The lip includes two edges that provide a lip-to-clip seal with the workpiece.

Abstract: A basketball shooting aid having visually distinctive designs, configurations and colors for the purpose of sending immediate visual feedback to the athlete, informing the athlete whether the proper technique was employed in the athlete's grip of the basketball, the athlete's release of the shot and the arc and rotation of the basketball during flight. An equatorial track is disposed between a first and second lines defining a first hemispherical half and a second hemispherical half, and the equatorial track further including alternating color members displayed thereon. The basketball shooting aid including a first patch displayed within the first hemispherical half abutting the first line, and a second patch displayed within the second hemispherical half abutting the second line, wherein the first patch and the second patch are on the same axis. For proper gripping of the basketball shooting aid, a first and second outlined hand are displayed.

Abstract: A system for use in filtering a slurry using air pressure to squeeze the slurry material and dewatering it. The system including a source of slurry, a chamber, a filter belt that passes through the chamber, a manifold inlet supplying the slurry to a first side of the filter belt to form a uniform moist cake of the filter material, an inlet seal and an outlet seal to seal a belt inlet and a belt outlet formed on the chamber, and a source of the pressurized air selectively applicable to the chamber to dry the moist cake of filtered material.

Abstract: A hydraulic drive circuit comprises a source of fluid flow, at least one hydraulic actuator and a rotary flow divider which operates in conjunction with valve means to provide intensified flow to the at least one hydraulic actuator.