Abstract: A blockage in a pipeline is detected by selecting a position on the pipeline between a supply position and a downstream receiving position where the blockage may be located, attaching a strain gauge to the pipeline at the selected position, applying pressure changes to product in the pipeline on one side of the blockage sufficient to cause strain changes in the pipeline, detecting by the strain gauge the presence of any strain changes in the pipeline at the selected position caused by the pressure changes and determining therefrom whether the blockage is upstream or downstream of the selected position.

Abstract: A dog is exercised on a conventional a treadmill by locating the dog on the treadmill by providing a support base mounted on the ground underneath the base of the treadmill and held in place by the base of the treadmill and an upstanding support member extending from the support base at the front end of the treadmill, and confining the dog within an enclosure supported in cantilever manner by the support member and extending rearwardly therefrom so as to be supported by the support member over the walking surface such that the dog is positioned within the enclosure on the walking surface. The enclosure has a front wall and side walls extending from a bottom edge close the walking surface and within the side edges thereof to a height above the dog to restrict its vision.

Abstract: A golf sign for displaying golf hole information on a golf course comprises a flexible, replaceable, printed display sheet having thereon an accurate graphic illustration of a golf hole, information concerning distance from the tee of the golf hole to the flat of the golf hole and advertising information relating to a sponsor of the sign. The printed sheet is mounted in a rectangular receptacle mounted on two legs with an open rear face and an open front face and a pivotal rectangular door mounted inside the receptacle for pivotal movement on hinges along one side of the door. The door has a vertical front plate which receives the sheet and holds it behind a transparent cover panel which is pressed against surrounding flanges at the front of the receptacle by a plurality of elongate spacer members arranged around the front surface of the door.

Abstract: The invention is an electronic device used to prevent electrical shock to users of arc welding equipment. The device utilizes the electrical power supplied by the welder, it has no internal power supply. The unit is designed with a high amperage SCR, connected between the welder and either the electrode holder or the work-piece. A control circuit is situated in parallel with the SCR and is used to control the SCR. The control circuit constantly monitors the status of the electrode. A high resistance between the electrode and the work-piece causes the unit to revert to an off condition preventing electrical power from reaching the electrode. Upon striking the electrode against the work-piece, the control circuit detects the internal voltage drop that occurs within the control circuit and then outputs an appropriate signal to cause the unit to switch to an on condition. The predetermined resistance value is set to 40 ohms or less.

Abstract: The input of information into the control unit of a lottery ticket dispensing machine, for filling of dispensing containers of the machine with different game tickets, defining a game number for a game provided on the tickets, a price of the ticket, a total number of the tickets making up the quantity of tickets and a length of the tickets from a leading edge of each ticket to a trailing edge thereof is simplified so as to avoid requiring the service person to enter the information on a key pad as numerical values. This is effected by providing the information in machine readable form on the tickets themselves or on a game set up card associated with the tickets so that the information can be scanned into the control unit by a reader. Alternatively, the information can be provided in a simplified coded form for simple input by the service person into a key pad of the control unit.

Abstract: A personal heating device comprises a container and a heating arrangement within the container for providing heat to the container. The container has a hollow interior, a closable opening and a plurality of ventilation holes on the container. The heating arrangement arranged to fit within the hollow interior of the container has a support arranged to hold a heating element, a vented heat shield located above the heating element arranged to dispense the heat within the container. The closable opening is arranged to receive a seat portion on the container arranged such that the container is used as a seat. The seat portion has a venting chimney which is arranged to direct the heated air within the container directly into the clothing of a user.

Abstract: A cultivator shovel for mounting on one of the shanks of a conventional agricultural cultivator. The shovel includes a shank mount in the form of a channel for receiving the shank therein. A shovel body is supported on a lower end of the shank mount and includes a leading edge extending rearwardly and outwardly from opposing sides of a forward apex to respective rearward free ends of the shovel body. A pair of upright end plates are mounted on the shovel body adjacent the respective rearward free ends. The end plates prevent deflection of weeds about the free ends of the shovel body when the shovel is used for weeding, thus forcing the weeds to be broken on the leading edge of the shovel body or on the end plates for more effective weeding using a cultivator. Furthermore, soil disturbance is increased dramatically using the end plates, and as a result, shallow rooted weeds such as millet die.

Abstract: A seed treating apparatus used to inoculate and treat seeds, which consists of a portable tank, pump, valve and nozzle system. This system can be mounted on any agricultural hauling vehicle or seeding implement to apply inoculant to seeds before or during the planting process. On a seeder having a transfer duct with a feed hopper at one end for receiving seed from a supply, the spray nozzle is mounted above the duct for spraying the material into the seed as it enters the hopper.

Abstract: The fluid containment system comprises a plurality of interlocking wall sections, each having a male connector at one end and a mating female connector at an opposite end for connection to the male connector of an adjacent wall section in alignment therewith having a similar configuration. A plurality of connector sections are also provided which connect the wall sections at right angles to one another for forming a perimeter about a selected area to contain spilled fluid within the selected area. A liner is provided which spans the selected area and is secured to the wall sections about the perimeter of the selected area by a suitable capping system. The connector sections permit the selected area to be divided by the wall sections into plural divided and contained zones for protecting various different fluid storage systems within the selected area against undesirable spillage and possible mixing with one another.

Abstract: There is described a method for detecting relative displacement between an object such as a slow moving vehicle and an illuminated surface which is normally the ground surface illuminated by an infrared light source so as to provide an output indicating the displacement or a velocity calculated from the displacement. The method includes providing an array of CCD or similar elements each arranged to receive light from a portion of a field of view and to provide an output responsive thereto. The method involves selection of a reference image and repeatedly comparing the reference image of the surface with each successive image by calculating the convolution integral of the signals using a fast fourier transform to obtain a probable displacement value. The reference image is maintained as long as possible until a “Q” factor falls below an acceptable minimum, or until a predetermined time elapses or until a predetermined displacement is measured.

Abstract: A bucket is provided for a bucket elevator of the type including a plurality of buckets supported on an endless belt. Each bucket is in the form of a container having an open top end which includes a plurality of spacer elements molded integrally on the back wall thereof. The spacer elements provide spacing between the back wall of the bucket and the belt upon which it is supported for preventing particulate material being conveyed by the elevator from being trapped between the bucket and the belt.

Abstract: A counter weight door has a plurality of counter weights each associated with a respective one of the panels and an interconnecting spring connecting each of the weights to the next. At least one of the counter weights has a cradle which is arranged to receive a plurality of weighted members. The spring arrangement connecting one counter to the next is housed within the cradle and includes a shaft on which the spring is mounted. The door has a pulley system which has a first pulley on one side of the door, a second double pulley on the other side of the door, a first cable fixed at a first end to the door extending through the first pulley and a second cable fixed at a first end to the door extending through the second pulley to the counter weight system.

Abstract: A method for recovering usable material from waste concrete is herein described. Specifically, waste concrete is mixed with water containing hydration stabilization admixtures, forming an aggregate slurry. The aggregates are then removed from the slurry for recycling. The slurry itself is then used for mixing with additional waste concrete, during which time the density of the slurry is monitored and action taken to ensure that the density of the slurry remains within acceptable parameters. The slurry is then used in place of fresh water when preparing subsequent batches of concrete.

Abstract: A check valve has a valve body with an annular seat surrounding the duct and a flap member pivotally mounted on the valve body so as to pivot about an axis transverse to the duct from an open position to a closed position pressing against the seat. The flap member includes a circular flap plate with a rigid backer plate and a front resilient layer carried on a pivot mounting bracket having a rigid mounting plate generally parallel to the backer plate. The backer plate and the mounting plate each have a central hole therethrough and are connected by an integral body molded from a resilient elastomeric material to form the front resilient layer, a back stopper portion and a connecting neck portion arranged so as to provide resilient flexing movement between the flap plate and the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket is carried on a shaft with a pair of coil springs housed in a receptacle separated from the duct so that broken spring parts do not enter the fluid in the housing.

Abstract: A crop harvesting header for mounting on a propulsion vehicle such as a swather tractor or combine harvester includes a main frame structure supporting a crop receiving table with a cutter bar across a front of the table and side drapers on the table for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header. The frame is divided into a central frame portion and two separate wing frame portions each arranged for pivotal movement relative to the central portion about a pivot axis extending in a plane parallel to the forward direction and intersecting the cutter bar so that, as the wing frame portions pivot, the cutter bar flexes in the area adjacent the respective pivot axis over a small angle of the order of 4 degrees to maintain the cutter bar following the ground.

Abstract: An insulation piece for joining with a similar piece to surround a pipe elbow of a larger diameter such as greater than 9 inches outside diameter is formed by cutting from a block of the insulation material.

Abstract: An ice skate comprising a boot arranged to receive a person's foot, a skate blade assembly and a blade heating arrangement mounted within a blade mounting arrangement. The blade heating arrangement is arranged to use a field-effect transistor controlled by a microprocessor to operate in the non-linear range to heat skate blades from a power source.

Abstract: An inflatable billboard has an inflatable frame with an advertising frame mounted onto the frame. The advertising frame is mounted to the frame by both releasable connectors which secure the advertising face to the frame and must be manually released and detachable connectors which release a portion of the advertising face from the frame in response to winds above a threshold level. As a result of this arrangement, the inflatable billboard incurs only minimal damage even in high winds.

Abstract: An overhead bi-fold door is provided having an upper section and a lower section which are hinged for movement relative to one another between a closed flat position and an open folded position. Each section includes side beams and a frame spanning the side beams which is recessed in relation to an outer surface of the side beams. Sheeted insulation is received within the recess on an outer side of the door so that cladding may be supported across an outer side of both the sheeted insulation and the side beams. The sheeted insulation being supported on an outer side of the frames provides an uninterrupted layer of insulation of constant thickness to prevent thermal leakage which otherwise occurs when insulation would normally be supported on an inner side of the frame in sections mounted between the frame members.

Abstract: A blockage monitor for detecting a blockage in flow of particles includes a sensor body for mounting on a wall of the seed duct and defining a front face flush with the duct surface carrying both an LED light source for projecting light into the interior of the duct and a phototransistor arranged to produce an output signal proportional to the intensity of reflected light received which increases as a seed passes. A separate blockage module counts the output and uses an algorithm for comparing the count with a calibration count to determine whether there is a blockage of the duct. A power voltage is supplied to each sensor using two wires. A test of the sensor includes a pulse in the power voltage so as to generate a corresponding but delayed pulse in the light from the light source.