Abstract: The improved padlock and protective cover assembly includes a flexible resilient cover of natural or elastomeric material releasably disposed around the body of a padlock. The hasp, including its rungs, project up and out of the top of the cover. The cover top is removable from the lower portion of the cover and fits snugly around the rungs to prevent water from contacting the padlock body. That body is disposed snugly within an open-topped insert, the insert also fitting snugly within the lower portion of the cover. Both the insert bottom and the bottom of the lower portion of the cover define an opening up through which a key can be inserted into the lock body to release the hasp. The opening in the cover lower portion bottom is normally closed but can be flexed open. In one embodiment that bottom is specially configured as an upwardly projecting arc to facilitate squeezing the opposite sides of the bottom toward each other to flex open the keyhole.

Abstract: The improved loose leaf ring binder assembly includes a binder having a central vertical back portion connected to laterally extending wings or side portions which form the front and back covers of the binder. The assembly also includes a vertically extending spine connected to the front surface of the back portion. The spine is in the form of a hollow tube having closed upper and lower ends and containing a spaced pair of vertical rods. The inner ends of half rings are connected to the rods at spaced intervals along the length thereof. The half rings extend laterally outwardly from the rods through openings on opposite sides of the tube. The free ends of the half rings on one side of the tube are adapted to mate with half rings from the opposite side of the tube to form complete rings to releasably hold loose perforated sheets in place in the binder.

Abstract: The improved automatically retractable sun shade assembly includes a bracket having an elongated preferably detachable spine and a pair of connector holders at opposite ends of the spine and spaced forwardly thereof. The holders preferably have female slots therein in which are releasably received male connectors which include longitudinally aligned elongated extensions spaced from the spine, but parallel thereto. The facing ends of the extensions releasably hold opposite ends of an elongated closed loop rubber band which is twisted around its longitudinal axis. The rubber band is disposed in the central space of a hollow open ended tube parallel to but spaced from the spine. The open opposite ends of the tube slideably receive the extensions. The tube can rotate around the extensions. The tube has an opening in its sidewall through which a pin passes and is connected to the exterior of the tube.

Abstract: A device and a related method of operation of the device for continuously monitoring the progress of a steeping beverage during the steeping process is disclosed which provides an indication to the user when the steeping beverage has reached an adjustable, desired level of steeping to thereby enable the making of a consistently steeped beverage without requiring the steeping operation to be timed or otherwise closely monitored. The device optically monitors the steeping beverage by using a photo diode to detect light from an LED which passes through a fixed measurement aperture immersed in the steeping beverage. By determining when the passage of light through the measurement aperture has decreased to a predetermined level indicative of both the color and the strength of the steeping beverage, an alarm may be provided to indicate that the beverage has steeped to precisely the strength desired.

Abstract: The improved handle is useable to facilitate carrying a bag having one or more flexible top straps. The handle includes a shell of relatively inflexible durable material, such as wood, metal or plastic. The shell is generally elongated and tubular with a central hollow bag strap-receiving space. The shell has open opposite ends and is divided into two mating shell parts extending the length of the shell. The two shell parts bear integral connector components adjacent their upper ends in the form of a hook and notch and the shell parts are hinged together adjacent their lower ends by an internal flexible resilient hinge of elastomeric material. The lower ends of the two parts have upturned terminal flanges over which the hinge is permanently secured.

Abstract: The improved culinary sheet is useful in the production of a culinary pan liner, such as a pie pan liner or the like. The sheet and liner are characterized by having a matrix of either a body of cellulosic fibers or a thermoplastic film, or both, in which are substantially uniformly distributed a plurality of discrete metal foil particles. The foil can be one or more of aluminum foil, tin foil, titanium foil, bronze foil, brass foil or copper foil. The concentration of foil particles in the matrix varies to control the strength, thermal properties and other characteristics of the sheet and liner. Preferably, the sheet and liner define a plurality of openings extending from the upper surface to the lower surface of the sheet and liner and disposed along the length and width of the sheet and liner. The openings control thermal and moisture transfer through the sheet and liner. The liner and sheet can be multi-ply with plies being bonded together with layers of wax or the like.

Abstract: The improved aqueous, non-cyanide zinc electroplating solution prevents iron contamination during electroplating. The solution, in addition to water, has a copper salt, preferably copper sulfate, in a concentration of about 0.01-6% by weight of the solution, and the water-soluble reaction product of epichlorohydrin with Compound A, preferably in a concentration of about 16.67-26.67 gm./liter of solution. Compound A is a nitrogen-containing compound selected from aliphatic amine, unsubstituted heterocyclic nitrogen compound having at least two reactive nitrogen sites, and substituted heterocyclic nitrogen compound having at least two reactive nitrogen sites and 1-2 substitution groups selected from methyl, ethyl and amino groups. The reaction product, providing it includes the substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic nitrogen compound, before use in the solution may be further reacted with a reagent of at least one of ammonia, aliphatic amine, polyamine or polyimine.

Abstract: An open-end wrench for gripping a hardware element such as a hexagonal nut or the hexagonal head of a bolt is disclosed which allows the wrench to be used for rotational driving of the hardware element in either direction without requiring the wrench to be periodically removed, repositioned, and replaced on the hardware element in order to continue rotation of the hardware element in the desired direction. A retaining member having an opposing jaw is mounted onto a handle having a fixed jaw in a manner whereby the retaining member has simultaneous freedom of movement in both a linear direction and in a rotational direction between first and second positions. When the handle of the wrench is turned in one direction, the nut or the head of the bolt will be rotated, while when the handle of the wrench is turned in the opposite direction, the jaws of the wrench will slip over the nut or the head of the bolt in a ratcheting manner.

Abstract: A stapler and related method for use to bind documents are disclosed in which a selective one of a plurality of different size staples all stored within the stapler itself may be selected for dispensing without necessitating the removal of any staples of a non-selected size from the stapler, or reloading the stapler with the selected size of staples. The stapler contains a magazine having a plurality of cassettes into which staples of different sizes are loaded, with the cassettes being located one atop the other in a stacked array of rows of staples. A selector mechanism is used to alternately, selectively allow one of the rows of staples to be fully advanced to the end of the stapler from which the staples are dispensed, with the other rows of staples being actively urged back away from the end of the stapler from which the staples are dispensed to allow a staple from the selected row to be dispensed.

Abstract: A steerable, self-powered device for use in towing and guiding a plurality of shopping carts attached together in a line from one location to another is disclosed which has a pair of electrically driven wheels located in the rear thereof, and a single wheel located in the front thereof for use in steering the towing and guiding device. The towing and guiding device is small and low to the ground, and includes a retaining mechanism which may be attached to the line of shopping carts by connection to the bottom front cross-bar of the front-most shopping cart in the line of shopping carts. The towing and guiding device is powered by one or more batteries, and in the preferred embodiment includes a battery charger and a retractable cord to supply power to the battery charger.

Abstract: A disposable male urinary aid which allows a man to urinate directly into a toilet from a standing position by channeling the urine directly into water contained in the toilet bowl. The urinary aid is made of temporarily waterproof paper, and is tapered from a larger diameter at the top end thereof, to a smaller diameter at the bottom end thereof. Following use, the urinary aid may be flushed down the toilet, since it is made entirely of biodegradeable materials. A dispenser is provided to hold and dispense a plurality of the urinary aids, which are stored in the dispensed in a folded, non-interleaved fashion.

Abstract: An improved pressure-actuated control bar is disclosed which may be located on a door to control access or egress through the door, whereby the control bar is used to trigger unlocking or opening, or both unlocking and opening, of the door following pressure being exerted on the control bar by an individual desiring access or egress through the door. A comparator is used to determine whether pressure exerted on the control bar and sensed by a pressure-sensitive component with no moving parts is sufficient to trigger unlocking or opening, or both unlocking and opening, of the door. A second embodiment describes a push/pull door access handle which may be used on a handicapped-accessible door to initiate powered opening of the door when the handle is pulled, and to cause immediate cessation of the opening of the door when the handle is pushed.

Abstract: An improved system and related method are disclosed for producing vibratory sensations on a listener's body which are similar to those experienced during a live performance, both in their vibratory nature and in their properly synchronized timing with the audible sounds which the listener is hearing at any given moment. The vibrations are imparted to the body of the listener by using a gel pack interposed between the body of the listener and a rigid or semi-rigid member on which a surface transducer is mounted, thereby providing an enhanced degree of coupling between the surface transducer and a relatively large area of the listener's body. The propagation of vibrations to the body of the listener is delayed using electronic circuitry interposed between a source of electronic signals and the surface transducer to allow the sound waves from a speaker to reach the ears of the listener at the same time that the vibrations are provided to the body of the listener.

Abstract: A signaling device for raising a warning flag or pennant deployed on a motor boat to indicate that a water skier towed by the boat has fallen is disclosed which reliably raises a flag either manually when triggered by the motor boat operator or passenger, or automatically when the tow rope is released, thereby indicating to other boats in the vicinity that the water skier has fallen into the water. The heart of the device is a gear motor assembly operated by a DC motor, which is used to drive a flag pole containing a flag between lowered and deployed positions. Movement of the gear motor assembly is limited to ninety degrees by two micro switches, which remove power to the motor when an extreme position is reached.

Abstract: The present method is capable of completely neutralizing the aldehydes in aldehydic waste waters within about 15 minutes and of producing a non-toxic waste water which then can be disposed of without fear of contamination of drain lines, etc. The method is carried out by contacting aldehyde-containing waste water with a sufficient amount of sodium pyrosulfite to completely neutralize the aldehydes in the waste water within about 15 minutes to non-toxic substances. The contacting is initiated without first adjusting the pH of the waste water and is maintained during the treatment period with agitation of the waste water being treated to assure full neutralization of all parts thereof. The sodium pyrosulfite and its reaction products are non-toxic. No hazard label is required for the sodium pyrosulfite, in contrast to certain conventional waste treating chemicals. The sodium pyrosulfite is a white crystalline powder easily stored, handled, weighed out and used without danger.

Abstract: A propulsion system for use with a missile or like aerial projectile is disclosed which is suitable for use to operate the divert thrusters and the attitude control thrusters of such a missile while using non-toxic propellants which are entirely non-reactive during storage, transportation, and handling. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, highly refined liquid hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen gas are used as the propellants, with a relatively small amount of the liquid hydrocarbon fuel and a relatively large amount of the oxygen gas being combusted in an oxygen heater to produce a hot oxygen gas containing only small amounts of the products of combustion. The liquid hydrocarbon fuel and the hot oxygen gas are burned in divert thrusters, and, optionally, in attitude control thrusters to produce thrust.