Abstract: The front-filling system consists of a pair of fill buckets located on the front of the processor housing. The fill buckets are connected to the internal solution tanks by fill tubes such that fluid in the fill buckets will be delivered to the solution tanks as solution is added during filling or replenishment. The fill buckets are provided with movable lids, to minimize evaporation and accumulation of debris, and the fill buckets are physically separated to prevent cross-contamination during the filling process. The fill buckets, or portions thereof, may be made of transparent material to aid in observing solution levels and solution condition. The fill buckets are positioned and sized to allow for easy filling and replenishment, and for easy observation of solution levels and solution condition without removal of top lids or top housings. The fill buckets each have front over-flow sluices, to eliminate any possibility of overflow within the interior solution tanks.

Abstract: A base support for supporting, positioning and securely maintaining a desired position of a communications dish antenna includes a non-rotatable worm gear having radially outwardly extending teeth and a motor driven worm having a continuous helical tooth intermeshed with adjacent ones of the worm gear teeth. In order to prevent backlash between the gears should any of the gear teeth become worn, damaged or otherwise deteriorated, the worm is pivotally mounted with respect to the worm gear and a force means such as a spring continuously urges the worm toward the worm gear to maintain tight intermeshing engagement. Thus, in the event of uneven or intermittent gear tooth deterioration, the communications dish antenna will be maintained securely in a desired position. Also, the support permits 360.degree. movement of the antenna around the base support and the pivotal mounting of the worm alleviates jamming of the gears.

Abstract: A film processor is provided with a top-drop film system which, in the perferred embodiment includes a slot in the top housing cover of the processor, an inclined-plane film guide directly beneath the slot, and a pair of opposing rollers positioned at the bottom edge of the film guide. The top-drop slot allows films to be dropped into the processor, rather than hand-positioning and hand-feeding each film. The specific roller locations and film guide angle allows films to be fed into the processor automatically and consistantly without "snapping" or over-bending, and without need for operator presence or attention. The inclined-plane film guide is designed for easy removal for cleaning. The guide is mounted in precise-angle slots to maintain angle consistency. The extra width of the top-drop slot allows panoramic films to be processed in a sideways configuration, thereby increasing processing speed by 30% over comparable prior art devices.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for attaching a cover (C) to a roller (R) or other device to be covered. A tube (15), cylindrical section, or other shape of cover material is inserted in a fixture (3) and each end of the tube is sealed to the fixture. A wall (21) of the fixture and a wall (23) of the tube form a chamber (19) which is evacuated so the tube expands against the wall of the fixture. A roller or other device to be covered is inserted into the fixture. The vacuum is then removed. The tube wall falls away from the side of the fixture and collapses around the outer surface of the roller.

Abstract: A hybrid single-phase variable reluctance motor includes a stator with four inwardly salient teeth evenly spaced around a central core. A phase winding is operatively associated with two diametrically opposed stator teeth. Energization of the phase winding causes a temporary magnetization of those two teeth. A rotor disposed for rotation in the central bore has two outwardly salient teeth disposed generally at 180 degrees with respect to each other. A single permanent magnet is disposed adjacent the central bore at the end of one of the stator teeth other than the two having phase windings. A position sensor is disposed at the fourth stator tooth for detecting the rotational position of the rotor in the central bore. The position sensor is disposed in one quadrant of the motor in which the flux resulting from the permanent magnet and the flux resulting from the energization of the phase winding are in the same direction.

Abstract: A heating apparatus for heating a fluid medium confined in a hermetically sealed housing chamber including a terminal assembly having a body member sealed in the housing chamber wall with pins extending in sealed relation therethrough to provide electrically conductive inner and outer pin segments respectively connected to heat transfer members and an electric power source, the heat transfer members including a heating element and a support for the heating element which is independent of a novel electrical connection between the inner pin segment and heating element to insure stable electrical connection and a minimum of vibration.

Abstract: A hydroponic planter includes an outer container and an inner liner. The liner includes a central inverted cup-shaped reservoir for a liquid nutrient solution. The outer wall of the liner includes slots extending substantially above the height of the reservoir, to provide aeration of the roots of plants growing in the planter. A combined light and liquid level indicator determines the minimum amount of light in which the planter can be placed, shows when to add nutrient solution to the planter, and indicates when too little, sufficient or too much nutrient solution has been added. The light/liquid level monitor includes three light-transmitting rods of different lengths extending between the outer container and the liner; one extends to the bottom of the liner, another to below the top of the reservoir, and the third to near the top of the reservoir.

Abstract: A liquid purification arrangement comprising a housing having an ambient inlet and lineally extending exhaust passage between the housing wall and a drain pan, the housing having a liquid inlet and outlet for a liquid system disposed within the housing which system includes a pump to move the liquid in the system, a blower, an orificed, looped liquid circuit and filtering arrangement, a moveable frame support, a disinfection/rejuvenation receptacle, an ultra-violet and distillation microbial reduction arrangement, a heating and cooling storage arrangement with a collapsible-expansible storage bag and switch arrangement therefor, and a check and alternating valve arrangement.

Abstract: A water purifier has a buoyant housing for supporting a purification cell below the water's surface and for supporting a solar cell array for providing power for the purification cell. The purification cell preferably has a solid cylindrical anode and a coiled wire cathode. The water purification cell operation includes electrolytic processes, electrocution and oxidation to destroy bacteria and algae in the water.

Abstract: A surgical instrument for use in penetrating and working in the vitreous humor of an eye comprises a finger grip member and a rigid needle extending from the finger grip member, with a single continuous fiber optic member extending from a distal end of the needle through the needle and the finger grip member to a cone shaped proximal end contained in a large connecting member constructed of heat conductive material. The surgical instrument includes a stripping tool at its distal end that is bent at a right angle and positioned in a plane that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the needle but does not intersect this axis. The surgical instrument also comprises an infusion/aspiration system including a hollow pipe attached to the needle that extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the needle but does not interfere with a beam of light projected from the distal end of the fiber optic member extending through the needle.

Abstract: In a liquid purification system, a plenum defining walled housing including a blower and walled drain receptacle having protuberances to space the receptacle from the housing wall to define a lineally extending exhaust passage therebetween sized to provide sound baffling and air exhaustion, the housing further including a pair of filter casings and a pump which are mounted on a frame which absorbs vibrations of the pump independently of the housing.

Abstract: A fluid control mechanism for a fluid control system including a flexible fluid conduit with first and second gripping members to grip the conduit at preselected first and second locations, the gripping members being relatively movable to flex the conduit from a preselected minimum arc position to a maximum arc position to control the rate of fluid flow therethrough.

Abstract: Climbing apparatus including a rolling tower support platform, and method and tooling for the same wherein one of two spaced double walls of each of opposed tower rails of a tower ladder is snugly gripped by detents formed on the end portions of spaced rail rungs and the extremities of the rungs are flared, the rails including expanded bottoms for snap lock and threaded lock assembly with unique caster boxes of a caster wheel assembly for the tower rails and a support platform mounted on the rails with slidable carriages having double grip and threaded pin tightening arrangements and also having sockets to receive collapsible hand rail assemblies with unique hinges for gates thereof.

Abstract: A dynamoelectric machine (M) has a terminal board (T) on which electrical connections are made by attaching various electrical elements (1, 5) together so, that an electrical connection is made between them. A fastener 13 is used to physically make the attachment. A spacer (25) fits on and is compressed about the fastener to permanently attach the elements and insure that electrical integrity between them is maintained. The elements cannot be subsequently loosened by connection and disconnection of other elements to the board, or by an element rotating relative to the fastener.

Abstract: A bag assembly for storing fluids including first and second placket members sized and shaped to provide a portion of enclosing walls of at least two bag members having at least one fluid inlet and outlet passage and a communicating passage therebetween with a common seam along the surrounding edges.

Abstract: A clamp-hub (1) for use in attaching a component (A) to a machine. A clamp-hub body (3) has a first section (5) of one thickness and a second section (7) of a different thickness. The second body section is attachable to the component. The body has a longitudinal, central bore (17) for accommodating a machine shaft and a clamping mechanism (27) for clamping the component in place.

Abstract: An improved air heating apparatus and method of heating an air stream wherein the heating arrangement includes a heater housing with a combustion drum having a burner at one end thereof, the drum being disposed in spaced relation in the housing to extend longitudinally along the length thereof, a heat exchanger longitudinally extending in the space between the combustion drum and housing to receive combustion products from the combustion drum, an air stream blower positioned to pass an air stream over the heat exchanger in the space between housing and drum and to pass air from opposed ends of the combustion drum including the burner at one end to promote an extended burner flame substantially along the combustion drum length.

Abstract: A superconducting motor (1) comprises a stator (3) and a rotor (5), both of which employ superconductive windings. The rotor includes two sets of windings, a large rotor winding (13) and a small rotor winding (15). The windings are connected to form a current loop (16) which is exposed to a magnetic field. Switches (S1,S2) or diodes (D1,D2) are employed to trap a maximum number of magnetic flux lines in the loop when the magnetic field is impressed on the loop. Thereafter, the trapped flux is transferred from the small to the large winding to run the motor. When the switches are closed, the loop acts as a perfect conductor whereby no flux change occurs within the loop.

Abstract: A pulse controlled refrigeration expansion valve for multiple evaporators and method of controlling the valve is disclosed. The refrigeration system on which this invention is typically used includes a single source of pressurized refrigerant and a plurality of .[.evaportors.]. .Iadd.evaporators.Iaddend.. Each evaporator has an expansion valve associated therewith which is preferably an on/off (open/closed) direct controlled solenoid valve. The valve is periodically energized (opened) and de-energized (closed) in response to a parameter (e.g., superheat) of its respective evaporator such that the ratio of energization time/de-energization time during each period (e.g., 4 seconds) of operation of the valve is varied in response to the system parameter(s) and such that the on/off solenoid valve functions as a modulated refrigerant flow control expansion valve. A temperature sensor is provided which senses the temperature of the space being refrigerated by a respective evaporator (e.g.

Abstract: An apparatus for establishment of an airway in transtracheal intubation via the cricothyroid membrane is disclosed in which the design integrates within a single unit a curvilinear needle with cutting blade, stylet, syringe and non-metal airway cannula in an over-the-needle position. The integrated design enhances quick and accurate placement of the airway in both emergency and non-emergency applications.