Abstract: A highwall mining system of the type wherein multiple conveyor cars are connected together to form a conveyor train which extends into a seam being mined by a mechanical miner located at the inner end of the conveyor train is capable of effective operation in steep dip seams, e.g. up to about 30°, and is constructed so that it can be quickly disassembled, moved, and reassembled and put into operation with minimal downtime.

Abstract: Smooth interior walls for steel boxcars are provided by an improved fabrication technique. The boxcar side wall is constructed using a horizontal offset seam joined by welding. There are no vertical butt welds in the side assembly, which butt welds and the reinforcements associated with such welds have traditionally caused damage to sensitive cargo like newsprint rolls.

Abstract: The Texas gate includes a base frame adapted to be set into a roadway and a deck assembly secured to said base frame. The deck assembly includes a series of spaced parallel elongated deck members arranged in groups. First and second groups of said deck members are fixed to said base frame in spaced apart flanking relation to a central region of the gate assembly. At least one further group of deck members is pivotally mounted for movement from a lowered position overlying said central region and supported on said base frame in co-planar relation to said first and second groups of deck members to a raised position providing access to an area beneath said central region of the gate assembly to facilitate removal of debris and/or to provide a barrier to road traffic.

Abstract: There is provided a wire line core drilling apparatus including an elongated assembly which is hydraulically propelled along the interior of a drill string to a desired location adjacent the bit end of the drill string under the influence of a moving pressurized liquid within the drill string, characterized in that said elongated assembly is provided with an annular cup seal having a flexible annular lip thereon which expands radially outwardly under the influence of liquid pressure thereon to substantially prevent by-pass of the pressurized liquid between the elongated assembly and the interior wall of the drill string and which annular lip is capable of expanding and contracting as said assembly moves along the drill string interior to accommodate reasonable fluctuations in drill string interior diameter which may be encountered.

Abstract: A horizontal slide mechanism for removably replacing an inking unit set in a rotary offset printing press of the type having a plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder and an impression cylinder having parallel rotational axes. The horizontal slide mechanism includes a guide track rigidly mounted to the printing press adjacent and parallel to the plate, blanket and impression cylinders. A slide plate is supported in the guide track for guided movement parallel to the plate, blanket and impression cylinder transverse to the printing press. A pivot mount is attached to the slide plate and is pivotably attached to the inking unit. The pivot mount on the slide plate provides a single pivot axis parallel to the rotational axes of the plate, blanket and impression cylinders, and is positioned spaced apart from the plate cylinder for pivoting the inking unit between a first and a second pivot position.

Abstract: A disposable cassette for a cardioplegia system for delivering cardioplegic solution to the heart during open heart surgery in cooperation with an extracorporeal blood circuit employing a heart/lung machine, includes a conduit diverting a portion of the blood flow from the heart/lung machine to a cardioplegia delivery line. A heat exchanger for controlling fluid temperature is provided in the cardioplegia delivery line. A first pump combines the blood from the conduit with a second fluid and delivers the combined flow into the delivery line leading to the heat exchanger. A control panel is operatively connected for adjusting the ratio of blood and second fluid delivered by the first pump and for adjusting the total volumetric rate of flow from the first pump.

Abstract: A display panel for use with a blood mixture fluid delivery system, which system has mechanisms for infusing blood mixture fluid to a patient and for controlling characteristics of the fluid delivery system. The display panel includes a visible schematic representation of a blood mixture fluid flow path through the fluid delivery system and visible displays of two or more of the controllable characteristics of the fluid delivery system, which visible displays are positioned along the schematic representation of the blood mixture fluid flow path.

Abstract: A spiral pig apparatus is provided for axial movement through a pipe of the type having a cylindrical interior surface defining a central axis. The spiral pig apparatus includes a first and a second section coupled to each other for axial movement of both sections and for relative rotation between the first and second sections. A first plurality of wheels is attached to the first section. Each of the first plurality of wheels is attached at a first rolling angle, relative to the pipe axis for rolling contact with the interior surface of the pipe, and for supporting the first section spaced inward from the interior surface of the pipe. A second plurality of wheels is attached to the second section. Each of the second plurality of wheels is attached at a second rolling angle, relative to the pipe axis for rolling contact with the interior surface of the pipe. The second rolling angle is different from the first rolling angle of the first set of wheels.

Abstract: A hand-portable fire ant killing device for vaporizing liquid resmethrin and infusing vaporized resmethrin throughout a fire ant mound on ground includes a dome, sized for fitting over a fire ant mound to be exterminated, having a top and an interconnected lower lip for contacting the ground entirely around the fire ant mound and for forming a closed interior chamber above the ant mound, a lightweight, high temperature gas discharging device which is mounted on the top of the dome, a high temperature gas discharging manifold directed into the closed interior chamber between the dome and the ant mound, a tank for containing resmethrin without pressurization which is mounted on top of the dome and a metering chamber and conduit which are connected for delivering a predetermined amount of resmethrin by a force overcoming the pressure in the dome for vaporization therein.

Abstract: A miniature light string display container for selectively displaying a plurality of light bulbs of a miniature light string in a desired arrangement, including a container with a front display panel having an array of regularly spaced mounting openings therethrough, which openings are sized for securely receiving light bulbs of a light string at least partially therethrough in a desired arrangement or pattern which is selectable on the array of mounting openings. The display container also includes a reversibly openable entry panel with a closed position and an open position, in which open position a rear surface of the display panel may be accessed. Electrical connection wire is extendable through the display container, when closed, for connecting the string of lights to an electrical power source, so that the pattern of inserted light bulbs is illuminated.

Abstract: A fluid infusion pump includes a disposable cassette having an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid chamber between the inlet and the outlet. There is a fixed wall of the fluid chamber and a movable wall of the fluid chamber. A pump body receives the cassette in a fixed operating relationship such that an actuator in the pump body is activatable for reciprocal advancement and retraction with respect to the cassette and is adapted to confront the movable diaphragm when the cassette is received in the pump body. There is a detachable coupling between the actuator mounted in the pump body and the movable wall so that fluid is expelled from the fluid chamber on advancement of the actuator and positively drawn into the fluid chamber upon retraction of the actuator.

Abstract: A dual use belly-dumping and end-dumping vehicle includes a frame mounted on wheels for transport and a pivotable hopper carried in the frame. A lower pivot element is mounted to the frame with a corresponding lower pivot engaging element mounted on the hopper. An upper pivot element is also mounted on the frame with a corresponding upper pivot engaging element mounted on the hopper. Lifting cylinders are mounted between sides of the frame and sides of the hopper for pivoting the hopper at the lower pivot element between a horizontally held position and a first angled position at which the hopper is disengaged from the lower pivoted element and engaged at the upper pivot element so that it is pivoted to a second angled position for dumping materials from the end of the hopper.

Abstract: A dual use belly-dumping and end-dumping vehicle includes a frame mounted on wheels for transport and a pivotable hopper carried in the frame. The hopper is provided with angled side walls and end walls defining a top opening and a bottom opening. A pair of hopper bay doors are pivotably connected through a pair of pivot arms to the end walls of the hopper. The hopper bay doors have an inwardly pivoted position at which the hopper bay doors cover the bottom opening and an outwardly pivoted position at which the hopper doors pivot in opposite directions from each other to uncover at least part of the bottom opening. Each door of the pair of bay doors pivots about separated pivot points on the end walls, which pivot points are spaced apart from a center line of the hopper a predetermined distance which is less than one-half of the distance between the center line and each respective side wall.

Abstract: A protective tote bag is for covering and carrying a briefcase of the type having a handle at the top and having a length, a height and a width defining a rectangular shape. The protective tote bag includes an enclosure which is formed of a protective fabric material and having two closed sides, two closed ends and a closed bottom defining a rectangular shape sufficiently large for accommodating the briefcase to be covered and with a closable opening along a top edge thereof. A support strap having a width corresponding to a minimum width of the briefcase to be covered is securely fastened as through stitching and along two ends extending around the bottom of the enclosure. A shoulder strap is securely fastened to the support strap at each end of the enclosure so that it extends above the closable opening at the top edge of the enclosure to form a loop which has a sufficient length for supporting the tote bag over a human being's shoulder.

Abstract: A tool and method for splitting an existing underground polymeric pipe into a plurality of strips and for expanding the strips and the surrounding ground to permit replacement of the existing polymeric pipe along its length from an entry excavation to an exit excavation without excavating entirely along the length. The tool includes a nose sized smaller than a minimum inside diameter of the existing polymeric pipe, a blade unit attached to the nose having a plurality of cutting blades extending therefrom radially outward about an imaginary central axis, each of the plurality of cutting blades having a forward opened "V" shaped cutting edge sized larger than a maximum outside diameter of the existing polymeric pipe for cutting the existing polymeric pipe into strips along the length thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously providing dampening fluid to a plate cylinder of a lithographic printing press includes a frame operatively connected to the printing press. A dampening fluid reservoir is attached. A pan roller is rotatably mounted in the frame and is disposed in contact with dampening fluid in the dampening fluid reservoir. A transfer roller set tangentially contacts and is parallel to the pan roller. The transfer roller is rotated by friction from the pan roller which is driven at a rotation speed proportional to the speed of the plate cylinder. An ink receptive oscillating roller having a porous and compressible surface is tangentially contacting and parallel to the transfer roller. The oscillating roller is gear driven at a rotational speed proportional to the speed of the plate cylinder.

Abstract: A programmable size and price-setting mechanism for use in a vending machine has a plurality of n access doors aligned horizontally across a front of the vending machine, each of which access doors has a locked condition denying access therethrough and an unlocked condition allowing access therethrough, and each of which is selectably activatable between the locked and unlocked condition. There are a plurality of horizontal shelves each of which has a plurality of partitionable areas corresponding in size to a corresponding one of the n access doors, such that each shelf is selectably partitionable into a plurality of up to n product holding areas. A conveyor mechanism is provided for selectably moving each horizontal shelf into a vending position adjacent to the access doors so that each one of the n partitionable areas is adjacent to a corresponding one the n access doors. A sensor detects which of the plurality of shelves is positioned adjacent to the plurality of n access doors.

Abstract: A set of endodontic cutting instruments, each having handles and each having a different working tip diameter incrementally increasing in size from one instrument to the next. The set includes a first smaller standard size endodontic cutting instrument having a grasping end with a first color according to a standard color code, a second larger standard size endodontic cutting instrument having a grasping end with a second color according to the standard color code and a non-standard intermediate size endodontic instrument having a size between the first smaller standard size and the second larger standard size and having a grasping end with a color combination including a first portion having the first standard color corresponding to the first smaller standard size and a second portion having the second standard color corresponding to the second larger standard size.

Abstract: A preformed posterior palatal seal (Preformed PPS) for securing to, anatonically based existing dentures includes a body preformed of a predetermined size and shape of a posterior palatal seal (PPS) for sealing an existing denture at the "Ah line" of the human palate and adhesive for holding the preformed body to a denture.

Abstract: A gripper bar conveyor mechanism for transferring sheets to be printed from one rotating impression cylinder to another in a multiple color rotary offset printer of the type having sets of impression cylinders and corresponding blanket cylinders for rolling contact with the sheets to be printed therebetween. The gripper bar conveyor mechanism includes a transferrable gripper bar activatable for releasably securing sheets to be printed in a fixed orientation with respect to the transferrable gripper bar. The registration projection is affixed to the transferrable gripper bar. A registration pocket is adjustably affixed to each of the impression cylinders for temporarily receiving the registration projection of the gripper bar and thereby holding the gripper bar in a desired position with respect to the impression cylinder. A conveyor band is attached to the gripper bar and is operably connected to the rotary offset press for moving the gripper bar from one impression cylinder to the next.