Abstract: A tamper indicating cover for a nut securing a gas supply line pipe to a gas meter is disclosed. The cover includes a pair of "C" shaped mating cavity sections which are made of plastic and which are shaped and sized to fit around the top, sides and bottom of the nut and a metal hinge clip which is adapted to be permanently snap-locked into the lower end of each cavity section. The upper end of one cavity section is secured to the upper end of the other cavity section either by a metal clip which is adapted to be snap-locked into each end, if permanent coupling is desired, or a wire seal which is inserted through an opening formed at each end, if non-permanent coupling is desired.

Abstract: A converter device which enables a computer terminal having text display capability only to be used for displaying either graphics or text and graphics simultaneously in addition to text is disclosed.

Abstract: A ladder shield for use in preventing toddlers and the like from climbing the steps of a ladder, such as an above-ground swimming pool ladder, when the ladder or the device to which the ladder is coupled is unattended is disclosed. The ladder shield comprises a rigid yet slightly flexible shell of plastic which is sized and shaped to fit around the front and sides of the ladder so as to block access to the steps on the ladder. The ladder shield is removably secured to the ladder by a removable locking bar which when inserted extends through a pair of holes in the side walls of the shield. The locking bar is secured in place by a lock. When not being used to prevent access to the steps of the ladder, the ladder shield may be used as a mini-foot wash.

Abstract: A circuit for automatically controlling the operation of a variable gain control circuit in an audio signal processing system by verifying whether gain change is desirable and then gating the operation of the gain control circuit is disclosed. A pair of operational amplifiers along with a set of four diodes produce two equal absolute value signals representing a full wave rectified version of the audio input signal. A first filter circuit processes one of the absolute value signals to produce a third signal corresponding to average signal amplitude. A second filter circuit processes the other absolute value signal to produce a fourth signal corresponding to an average of peak values. A comparator compares the third and fourth signals and produces an output signal which is used as the control signal for controlling the variable gain control circuit.

Abstract: A golf stance guage for use in assisting a golfer in repeatedly obtaining the proper stance and distance from a golf ball for different size and types of golf clubs so that the golfer repeatedly can hit the ball in the same direction is disclosed. The device comprises a longitudinally adjustable foot positioning frame which is adapted to rest on the ground and be secured in place. A first ball marker member which is longitudinally adjustable is pivotally connected at one end to the foot positioning frame, the location on the foot positioning frame where it is attached being along the axis of the intended ball position for the driver club and depending on whether the golfer is right handed or left handed. A second ball marker member is slidably mounted on the first ball marker member and extends outward therefrom at right angles.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for purifying and dispensing water for use in a coin operated vending machine is disclosed. The apparatus includes a pair of filters where the preliminary filtering of raw water occurs, a reverse osmosis unit pump and a reverse osmosis unit where the main purification takes place. The permeate output of the reverse osmosis unit passes through a conductivity sensor. If the conductivity is below a predetermined level, the water is sent to a storage tank. If the water is above that level then it is sent back to the reverse osmosis unit pump for further processing by the reverse osmosis unit. Water is extracted from the storage tank by a continuously operating pump which transmits the water through an ultraviolet sterilizer. During a vend cycle the water passing through the ultraviolet sterilizer is dispensed while in the absence of a vend cycle the water passing through the ultraviolet sterilizer is passed back into the storage tank.

Abstract: An aperture wheel having a circular base assembly which is adapted to be mounted for rotation about its central axis and a circular disc assembly which is removably and concentrically mounted on the base assembly is disclosed. The base assembly includes a circular frame having a central aperture and plurality of circumaxially spaced openings. A plurality of indexing pins are fixedly mounted on the frame for indexing the angular position of the frame, each indexing pin being associated with and precisely located relative to one of the circumaxially spaced openings. The disc assembly includes a circular plate having a central aperture and a plurality of circumaxially spaced openings, the openings being arranged so that they can be brought into registration with the openings on the frame when the disc assembly is mounted thereto.

Abstract: A device for use in a sailing vehicle for automatically adjusting the angular position of a boom supporting a sail in response to varying wind pressures is disclosed. A pulley and an adjustment block are mounted for slidable movement inside an elongated tubular housing which is attached to the boom by a pair of brackets. A compression spring is also disposed inside the tubular housing between the pulley and the adjustment block for urging the pulley away from the adjustment block. An end block is fixedly mounted on the end of the housing nearest the adjustment block. An attachment line having a stop at one end extends into the housing through the end block around the pulley and back out through the end block. Structure is provided for selectively fixing the position of the adjustment block in the housing so as to set a predetermined initial pressure on the spring. In using the device, the other end of the line is secured to the body of the sailing vehicle and the adjustment block set to the desired position.

Abstract: A holder for use in supporting a pita bread sandwich in an upright position on a table top is constructed from two identical cardboard blanks, each of which is cut and scored to define a trapezoidally shaped lower panel, a pair of trapezoidally shaped side section panels hingedly connected to the sides of the lower panel, a pair of glue flaps hingedly connected on either side of the side section panels, a semicircular shaped upper panel hingedly connected to the top of the lower panel and a plurality of glue tabs hingedly connected to the upper panel along its outer edge. In assembling the holder the side section panels and upper panel on each blank are folded forwardly in front of the lower panel and the glue flaps and glue tabs folded back. The glue flaps and glue tabs on one blank are then secured to the glue flaps and glue tabs respectively on the other blank.

Abstract: A device for use in testing the wiring integrity and/or troubleshooting system faults in a modem and/or an associated telephone line which are coupled together through a modular plug coupled to the modem and a modular jack coupled to the telephone line. A first eight-contact modular jack adapted to receive the modular plug on the modem is mounted on one end of a box-shaped housing. A second eight-contact modular jack is mounted on the other end of the housing. The two modular jacks are electrically connected by a set of eight conductor elements, each conductor element connecting a contact on the first jack with a corresponding contact on the second jack. A test pin is coupled to each conductor element and projects upward from the housing. A set of three cables are also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining the number of turns on a sample coil are disclosed. An alternating current of substantially constant amplitude is passed through a primary winding turn which is coupled to the sample coil and also through a primary winding turn which is coupled to a standard coil of known turns count, inducing currents in the sample coil and in the standard coil in inverse proportion to their respective turns counts. These induced currents are commutated into pulsating direct currents that are fed into a ratiometric current meter. This meter produces a measurement output corresponding to the ratio of the current induced in the standard coil to the current induced in the sample coil. This measurement output is displayed on a calibrated readout device as an indication of the number of turns on the sample coil. In addition, means are provided for indicating coil discontinuity and inverted coil phase.

Abstract: An intelligent asynchronous controller (IAC) for use in operably coupling a plurality of asynchronous input/output (I/O) devices to a host central processing unit (CPU) is disclosed. The IAC is designed and programmed to control the transfer of data between the plurality of I/O devices and the CPU, to perform character processing on the data received from the I/O devices before transmission to the host CPU and to perform other types of data processing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting the presence of caries in human teeth using visible light. The tooth is exposed to light of relatively narrow bandwidths. The light from the tooth is preferably examined by two photomultipliers or visually each examining a different wavelength. Caries are detected when the difference in the intensity of the light from the tooth at those two wavelengths changes in a predetermined manner.

Abstract: A combined grate and hot water heater for a fireplace which can be easily fabricated using conventional parts, easily installed and easily used is disclosed. The combined grate and hot water heater includes a rectangular shaped cradle for holding combustible materials to be burned which is sized and configured to fit into the fire chamber of the fireplace and a set of supporting legs for supporting the cradle on the floor of the fire chamber in spaced apart relationship. The cradle is made of a plurality of longitudinally extending and laterally extending heavy duty cast iron pipes interconnected by suitable pipe couplings so as to be in fluid communication with one another. A water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe are connected to and in fluid communication with the pipes in the cradle for supplying water to be heated into the pipes and then allowing exit of the water after it has circulated through the pipes and has been heated by the fire produced on burning of the combustible materials.

Abstract: A tamper indicating cover for use on a nut securing a gas supply line pipe to a gas meter is disclosed. The cover is adapted to fit around the nut so that the nut cannot be accessed (for removal) and once it has been placed around the nut and snapped shut cannot be removed without being broken. In one embodiment of the invention the cover is made up of a pair of plastic "C" shaped mating cavity sections sized to fit around the top, sides and bottom of the nut, a hinge section which pivotally connects the lower end of each cavity section together and which is integrally formed with the two cavity sections and a metal clip which is adapted to be snap-locked into an internal slot formed in the upper end of one cavity section and then caused to snap-lock into a corresponding internal slot formed in the upper end of the other cavity section when the two upper ends are brought into engagement with each other. The edges of the lower end of each cavity section are bevelled at a 45.degree.

Abstract: A laser system in which the laser medium is a single crystal of Be.sub.3 Al.sub.2 Si.sub.6 O.sub.18 :Cr.sup.3+ (Emerald) is disclosed. Because of its wide fluorescent bandwidth, the material is suitable for high intensity, tunable, mode-locked pulses with durations as short as 10-500 femtoseconds. A number of different laser systems containing this laser medium are described.

Abstract: A liquid composition formulated especially for use in wiping down non-disposable surfaces in a dental operatory is disclosed. The composition consists essentially of between 50 and 91% by volume of isopropyl alcohol, between 0.5 and 1.5% by volume of a skin emollient, between 0.19 and 2.5% by volume of a scent, between 0.3 and 1.5% by volume of a cationic detergent, between 0.5 and 8% by volume of an nonionic detergent and the remainder up to 100% by volume of water. The alcohol acts as a disinfectant, the skin emollient prevents drying of the skin, the scent masks the smell of the alcohol, the two detergents act as cleaning agents and the water serves as a carrier to cut the proportions of the various ingredients that make up the composition.

Abstract: A locking device to prevent unauthorized opening of a winged gas stop used to control the flow of gas to a residence from the lines of a utility company is disclosed. The device comprises a shroud which is shaped to fit snugly over the two wings of the gas stop when the gas stop is in a closed position and a barrel lock which is adapted to be inserted into the shroud and through holes in the wings to lock the wings in place and the shroud on the wings so that the wings cannot be moved relative to each other. The shroud includes a metal shell open at the bottom and at the rear, a thin metal sleeve, a metal locking plate and a metal end cap. The locking plate and end cap are both welded onto the rear of the shell and the sleeve is press fit into a hole in the front of the shell.

Abstract: A computer network is disclosed in which a plurality of computer stations are interconnected by a single bi-directional bus and wherein access to the bus is controlled by the computer stations themselves through an adapter unit at each station. Each adapter unit includes a microcontroller, a transmitter, a receiver, a send buffer, a receive buffer, a line activity indicator, a pulse producing device, a read circuit and a write circuit. Each adapter unit has a unique assigned number. When the network is running and stable, control of the bus is continually passed from one live adapter unit to another in numerical sequence according to its unique assigned number and the bus is active with messages, control signals or status signals separated by relatively short intervals. If only one adapter unit is live, control is continually passed to itself.