Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for carrying percussion instruments, particularly drums of various kinds, which comprises a combination of a carrier assembly with a novel receptacle for supporting J-rods thereon. The carrier is a vest-type or T-bar-type carrier with clamps for tubes or J-rods having a base and overlying portion configured to engage the tube or J-rod at a plurality of distinct and separate points. Variations are shown which have one or more clamps on a single base. In other embodiments, a plurality of clamps are adjustably positioned on the carrier.

Abstract: A tunable drum is shown having a hollow drum shell, and imperforate drumheads closing the ends of said drum shell. One or more opening extend through the drum shell for acoustic venting, and valves are provided for adjusting the size of the openings to vary the amount of acoustic venting, and consequently the volume, pitch, tone, timbre and stick response of said drum. The valves may be slide valves movable, e.g., slidable or pivotable, between an open and a closed position. A preferred valve consists of a ring member positioned for rotation inside said drum and slidable endwise of the drum to cover or uncover said drum openings, or the ring member may have openings that match the drum openings and operable to cover or uncover the openings or rotation. A handle for rotation of the ring member extends outside the shell for movement by the drummer.

Abstract: Novel hardware is disclosed for supporting drums. The hardware is of a hinged construction and has one part of the hinge connectable to an external support, e.g., J-rods on a fixed pedestal support or a marching drum carrier, and another part of the hinge connectable to the shell of a drum or to the tension rods on a drum or to other supporting hardware installed on the drum.

Abstract: Drum hardware and drum secured thereon are preferably supported on a vest type carrier or a T-bar carrier having a plurality of separate parts removable from each other and formed of a rigid light metal such as magnesium, aluminum or titanium. Special padding is provided on the shoulder straps, belly plate portion and other parts where cushioning is needed. The hardware may be universally adjustable and removable.

Abstract: A cymbal display and performance support includes a plurality of support rods having end portions for supporting cymbals. The support rods have a clamp secured over the cymbals and secured thereon to prevent removal of the cymbals. The clamp includes a slotted portion for receiving a display card indicating size, model number, price and the like.

Abstract: Novel hardware is disclosed for supporting drums. The hardware is of a hinged construction and has one part of the hinge connectable to an external support, e.g., J-rods on a fixed support or a marching drum carrier, and another part of the hinge connectable to the shell of a drum or to the tension rods on a drum or to other hardware on the drum. The drum hardware and drum secured thereon is preferably supported on a vest type carrier or a T-bar carrier having a plurality of separate parts removable from each other and formed of a rigid light metal such as magnesium. Aluminum or titanium. Special padding is provided on the shoulder straps, belly plate portion and other parts where cushioning is needed. One embodiment is universally adjustable. Some of the vests or T-bar carriers have cymbal-supporting hardware adjustable carried on a fluted, vertically oriented tube. Special hardware is shown for supporting cymbals.

Abstract: An electroacoustically-amplified drum assembly consists of a hollow drum shell with a drumhead closing one or both end thereof and an acoustical air vent in the wall thereof. An acoustical microphone is positioned in the drum shell spaced from and free from any connection to the drumhead and has leads for connection through the acoustical vent to an external amplifier and speaker. An adjustable mount is secured on the interior surface of the drum shell without any break in the wall of the drum shell for supporting the microphone. The adjustable mount may be adjusted and set to establish a position for the microphone for minimizing microphone interference and optimizing proximity effect and sound quality. The drum may have air vent hardware positioned in the acoustical air vent opening and including electrical connections for connection to the external speaker and amplifier.

Abstract: Drum hardware and drum secured thereon are preferably supported on a vest type carrier or a T-bar carrier having a plurality of separate parts removable from each other and formed of a rigid light metal such as magnesium, aluminum or titanium. Special padding is provided on the shoulder straps, belly plate portion and other parts where cushioning is needed. The hardware is preferably universally adjustable. Some of the vests or T-bar carriers have cymbal supporting hardware adjustable carried on a fluted, vertically oriented tube. Special hardware is shown for supporting cymbals and other components.

Abstract: A blank of foldable sheet material for assembling a hollow figure having inwardly directed conical depressions comprises a sheet of foldable material having the shape of a square or rectangle, without interior cuts or exterior tabs scored or marked for scoring in four areas along circular lines tangential to each other and having a radius of one fourth the diagonal of the sheet if a square and one half the narrower side if a rectangle. The blanks have each of the circularly scored areas formed by rolling into a conical shape comprising from about four-ninths to two-thirds of a cone. Six of the blanks assemble into a self-supporting interlocking hollow figure having eight inward-facing cones. If desired, the visible surfaces of the hollow object may have a decorative or informative imprint or coating thereon.

Abstract: An improved laundry treatment system comprises a washer which is connected to discharge used water to a tank for filtration and recirculation to the washer, and a tank containing water for making up losses in the wash cycle, and an electrolytic cell therein comprising an enclosed compartment. The electrolytic cell comprises an enclosed compartment containing an anode and a cathode supported on the outside and inside respectively of an opening in the wall of the compartment open to the surrounding liquid when the compartment is immersed in the water in said tank for producing mixed oxidants dissolved in the make up water for oxidizing deleterious components without damaging the fabric being washed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for containment and recovery of water-insoluble liquids, e.g., oil, floating on water. The apparatus and method involves using a fibrous material coated or saturated with a composition which will absorb substantial quantities of the water-insoluble organic liquid (oil) while substantially repelling the water in which the water-insoluble organic liquid is floating. The fibrous material may be a fabric, a paper, a sponge, a sheet or a film and is coated or impregnated with an oleophylic, hydrophobic composition. Such materials as cotton, jute, hemp, wool, Rayon, Dacron, paper, polyester, and polyurethane, in various forms and combinations may be used.

Abstract: A bicycle is disclosed with a rhombus-like (preferably 60.degree.-120 .degree.), with circularly curved apexes, drive sprocket gear and a circular driven sprocket on the ear driven wheel. This gear arrangement varies the overall power input from the drive sprocket to the driven gear. The shape of the drive sprocket and the location of the drive pedal changes the gear ratio so that a low gear ratio is utilized during the horizontal portion of movement of the cyclist's legs and a high gear ratio is utilized during the vertical movement of the legs. The gear ratio with the rhomboidal gear is relatively constant during horizontal movement and abruptly changes at the approach to and during vertical movement of the cyclist's legs. While the rhombus-like, with circularly curved apexes, gear is shown primarily for bicycles it may be used in other systems for converting reciprocal to rotary movement with a change in gear ratio.

Abstract: A small portable electrolytic cell has an enclosed electrode in a compartment and an exposed electrode open to an electrolyte into which the cell is immersed. The cell is operable when immersed in aqueous liquid containing a chloride salt to generate chlorine or other oxidant when said exposed electrode is an anode, or to increase the pH of said liquid when said exposed electrode is a cathode.

Abstract: Novel hardware is disclosed for supporting drums. The hardware is of a hinged construction and has one part of the hinge connectable to an external support, e.g., J-rods on a fixed support or a marching drum carrier, and another part of the hinge connectable to the shell of a drum or to the tension rods on a drum or to other hardware on the drum. The drum hardware and drum secured thereon is preferably supported on a vest type carrier or a T-bar carrier having a plurality of separate parts removable from each other and formed of a rigid light metal such as magnesium. aluminum or titanium. Special padding is provided on the shoulder straps, belly plate portion and other parts where cushioning is needed. One embodiment is universally adjustable. Some of the vests or T-bar carriers have cymbal supporting hardware adjustable carried on a fluted, vertically oriented tube. Special hardware is shown for supporting cymbals.

Abstract: Sour natural gas, containing H.sub.2 S and organic sulfide contaminants, is contacted with a sweetening composition comprising an aqueous solution of a substantially equimolar mixture of OCl and HO.sub.2. (preferably NaOCl and NaOOH) for a time sufficient to oxidize the sulfides to an odorless form. The solution has a pH of 9.0-10.5, an oxidation normality of 0.001-0.1. The solution may be produced by mixing Cl.sub.2 into a dilute aqueous solution of NaOH at about pH 10.5 until the pH reaches a level of about 9.5-10.5, or produced electrochemically in a diaphragm cell having a bipolar electrode in the same compartment as the anode, collecting the effluent gas from the cell and absorbing said effluent gas into a dilute aqueous solution of NaOH at about pH 9.5-10.5. The treatment may be run as an adjunct to a metal chelate redox treatment to improve the oxidation by the redox catalyst and to improve the catalyst regeneration.

Abstract: An endoscopic assisted mastopexy, with or without augmentation, or an endoscopic assisted reduction mammoplasty is disclosed in which an incision is made at a point on the body remote from the breast which is not ordinarily visible, such as in a preexisting scar, under an armpit or elsewhere accessible to the upper hemisphere of the breast. In the mastopexy with augmentation, dissection is carried up to the fascia of the pectoralis muscle and above the fascia and with the scope for visualization, an endotube is inserted from the incision over the pectoral fascia. A tissue expander is inserted and inflated to dissect the fascia away from the muscle to form a posterior pocket and then removed. With blind dissection, with external palpation, using scissors, from the incision, the skin is undermined in the upper quadrant.

Abstract: A surgical procedure for tissue dissection is disclosed in which an incision is made in a human body. A hollow tissue expander is then inserted into the incision to a point where a space or cavity or pocket is desired. Fluid is forced into the expander to cause it to expand an separate two layers of tissue to form the space or cavity or pocket. The expander can be used to dissect or create spaces: (1) within subcutaneous fat; (2) between skin and bone; skin and muscle or skin and fascia; (3) between fat and bone; fat and muscle; fat and fascia; (4) between peritoneum and muscle; peritoneum and fascia; (5) between bladder and other tissue; (6) between nerves and other tissue; (7) between blood vessels and other tissues; (8) between muscle and other tissues. The tissue expander can, in fact, be used any place in the body where a surgeon could or would use other instruments to create spaces in, dissect or separate soft tissues.

Abstract: A surgical procedure is an endoscopic assisted abdominoplasty. This procedure eschews the use of abdominal incisions and obtains the desired result with no visible scars on the abdomen of the patient. A traditional or standard abdominoplasty (also called a dermolipectomy of the abdomen) has always required a surgical incision in the abdomen followed by surgical removal of part of the skin, the underlying fat layer, and suturing the opening. The endoscopic assisted abdominoplasty shown herein uses two small hidden incisions, one in the umbilicus or on the abdomen or other areas, in pre-existing scars or other areas such as under the armpit for introduction of the surgical instruments, and a small incision within the pubic hair line for endoscopic and/or direct observation and control of the procedure.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing heat exchange tubing for use in tube and shell heat exchangers hag proved heat exchange and proved fluid flow around the heat exchange tubes in which cylindrical tubing is deformed by pressure rollers to produce tubes having cylindrical ends and intermediate potions of elliptical cross section. These tubes may also be bent to U-shaped heat exchange tubes. The cylindrical end portions on one end are secured in a tube sheet, and the elliptical intermediate portions extend through baffle plates having openings sized according to TEMA standards. The assembly is secured a shell having inlet and outlet openings on the same side or opposite sides of the shell and a second be sheet fitted over the other cylindrical ends of the heat exchange tubes, dished headers are secured over each of the tube sheets providing an inlet/outlet header at one end and a fluid return header at the other end.