Abstract: A trash compaction apparatus, specifically a waste paper baler, incorporating an improvement in the controls for the apparatus whereby proper identification from a proposed operator is required to start a compaction operation. In particular, the compaction apparatus has associated therewith a magnetic stripe card reader and a computer. In the computer memory, data is stored which may be compared with data read by the card reader from a would-be operator of the apparatus to determine if such person is an authorized operator. An input-output unit is provided for inputting the data for the authorized operator ID function. A calendar and a clock in the computer enables a log to be created in computer memory with date, time and identification data for each attempted operation of the apparatus. The computer calendar routine can also optionally determine if a would-be operator has attained an age required for safe and legal apparatus operation.

Abstract: There is disclosed a paging system for customers in a fast service or while-you-wait sales or service facility which is capable of being associated with or integrated with existing forms of point-of-sale hardware and software systems. The paging system notifies customers by means of an audio announcement or visual display, or both, that their order for service, identified by customer number, is ready to be delivered upon their return to the customer counter or to the delivery location. The system suppresses keyboard errors and permits correction thereof and provides for the display of several customer numbers on a continual basis until a respective customer number is deleted automatically or in response to manual input. Optionally, a skipped number feature makes service personnel aware of misdirection or unusual delay in fulfilling an order.

Abstract: A gas burner assembly for a poultry house heater having a head that is fabricated from a metal stamping process. The gas burner has a venturi tube which extends between a burner orifice and a burner head. The burner head is manufactured from a top plate and a bottom plate. The top and bottom plates define about forty upper half and lower half burner ports wherein the lower half ports of the bottom plate are in registry with the upper half ports in the top plate to define the ports for the gas burner. The interior of the head is shaped to form a chamber around the junction with the venturi tube having a height greater than said ports, and the interior surface of the head is smooth and free of sharp edges. The top and bottom plates are mechanically connected by a series of tabs and slots formed on the top and bottom plates.

Abstract: A steering system in an all-terrain four-wheeled vehicle with independent suspension wherein necessary forces for steering control are supplied by cable and pulley actuators with the cable running parallel to the suspension arm between vehicle frame and wheel, steering control by the driver being by manipulation of right and/or left steering levers eliminating the need of steering wheel and steering column in front of the driver. The steering actuators are independent and there is no linkage for coordinating their turning angles; rather, close coordination of the wheel turning angles for achieving the turning angle relation between the wheels is by a non-linear linkage whereby the actuators are provided with separate displacement motions with the non-linear relation to achieve the desired relation between the steering angles of the wheels.

Abstract: There is disclosed a partially transparent, directional viewing sheet formed of plastic material with convex and concave lenses of elliptical cross-section, preferably lenticular lenses, formed respectively on the front and back surfaces of the sheet, there being intervening spaces with convex surfaces between the concave lenses which spaces are not transparent to images and may be imprinted with an image that is viewable through the sheet from some directions. Preferably the concave lens focal length is typically about one-half of the focal length of the convex lens. Elliptical cross-section of the lenses minimizes spherical aberration and sharpens the focus. The thickness of the sheet causes focal points of the lenses to substantially coincide producing the effect of a tiny Galilean telescope.

Abstract: There is disclosed a system and method to call sequentially serviced customers from a large area, such as a retail store, back to a pick-up counter, keeping track of any customer's jobs that have been skipped and not paged after a predetermined time. For example, in a pharmacy a customer is given a number when presenting a prescription to be filled. When the prescription is ready the customer's number is entered and shown on a large display in the center of the store to page the customer. If a number is skipped then this system solves the problem by showing the pharmacist skipped numbers on a screen of a keypad after a preset wait period and advises the pharmacist to determine why the customer was skipped. The system has an algorithm for detecting erroneous entries and recovery if a wrong number is accidentally entered.

Abstract: A suspension apparatus is provided for hanging a space heater having a generally circular top cover for use in a livestock or poultry house. The suspension apparatus is designed to decrease the distance from a support cable end to the top of a space heater, thereby increasing the clearance between the space heater and the floor of the animal house. The suspension apparatus includes a Y-shaped member having a first arm and a second arm that are substantially equal in length. The Y-shaped member additionally includes a third arm that is shorter than the first and second arms. The first, second and third arms of the Y-shaped member are substantially in a common plane. An extension arm is provided, which is slidably mounted on and in parallel relation to the third arm of the Y-shaped member. The first and second arms of the Y-shaped member and the extension arm are engageable with apertured tabs typically provided on a top cover of a space heater. A hook element is fashioned on the extension arm.

Abstract: There is disclosed apparatus for incorporation in conventional bottle capping or bottle filling and capping machines to improve the handling of plastic bottles with pre-threaded screw caps and with a three dimensional bottom surface commonly employed and referred to as a petaloid shape. The normal flat table surface on which bottles rest while the cap is being screwed on is replaced with a surface having upstanding, radially-arranged fingers positioned to extend into all or most of the spaces between the lobes in the bottom of the petaloid bottle at each bottle capping station and form a nest for such bottles. Generally conventional bottle receiver and guide elements cause the bottles to assume a position substantially upright and coaxial with the center of the array of fingers for the particular bottle capping station. One embodiment of the apparatus includes a depression in the table surface to receive the bottom of a petaloid bottle and the fingers are located in that depression.

Abstract: There is disclosed apparatus and method for packaging individual strand segments of a strand material, such as dental floss, including apparatus for carrying out a method of supplying strand material to a rotatable guide element through a hollow shaft thereof positioned to wind the strand material around a selected mandrel of a circular array of mandrels together with controlling the moving of mandrels within and removing mandrels from within the circular path of the rotating guide element and for counting the rotations of the guide element and using that rotation count to control the advance of the array of mandrels wherein the mandrels have openings for entry of a pick-off element and are caused to be lowered to leave the coil of strand material on the pick-off element, following which the coil of strand material is urged forward by an air jet to be captured between two sheets of packaging film and transported to a stage where the packaging film sheets are sealed together around the coil to form a package i

Abstract: A steering system in an all-terrain four-wheeled vehicle with independent suspension wherein necessary forces for wheels to respond to steering control is supplied by fluid pressure or electrical actuators mounted parallel to the suspension arm between vehicle frame and wheel control arm, steering control by the driver being by manipulation of right and/or left steering levers eliminating the need of steering wheel and steering column in front of the driver. The steering actuators are independent and there is no tracking rod or other linkage for coordinating their turning angles; rather, close coordination of the wheel turning angles for achieving the Ackerman angle relation or other non-linear turning angle relation between the wheels is by a now-linear linkage between left and right steering levers or elsewhere or by a computer control for electric actuators.

Abstract: There is disclosed a partially transparent, directional viewing sheet formed of plastic material with lenses, preferably lenticular lenses, formed on both the front and the back surfaces of the sheet, there being on at least one of the surfaces intervening spaces between the lenses which spaces are not fully transparent and may be imprinted with an image that is viewable through the sheet from some directions. Preferably such lenses separated by non-transparent intervening spaces are concave lenses with a radius of curvature which is less than the radius of curvature of convex lenses, on the other surface, causing the concave lens focal length to be less than, typically about one-half of, the focal length of the convex lenses. The thickness of the sheet and hence the spacing between each concave lens and a corresponding convex lens causes the lenses axial spacing to be about the difference in focal lengths of the lenses producing the effect of a tiny Galilean telescope.

Abstract: There is disclosed a two-wire (series connectable) delay-on-release timer apparatus for air conditioner compressor motors or the like which is connectable in series in one side of the alternating current circuit with a low voltage alternating current source, a thermostat switch with a shunt resistor acting as an anticipator heater and a relay, or other control, for applying power from the power main to an air conditioner compressor or the like. The timer includes a full-wave rectifier circuit with output connected to an adjustable time delay digital timer and also connected to a gated thyristor whereby turning the thyristor on greatly reduces electrical impedance between the input terminals of the rectifier circuit. A digital timer IC is provided with circuit elements for sensing the difference between thermostat switch closed and thermostat switch open conditions.

Abstract: There is disclosed thermally insulated outer garments for covering the head, torso, arms, and legs of the wearer or any portion thereof, and which also cover the feet of the wearer and the footwear on the feet of the wearer. In addition to providing conventional features of such garments, the insulated garments disclosed are arranged with a reclosable opening provided with a zipper or other device for each foot and leg of the wearer, such opening extending from the bottom of the leg and foot portion upward to the thigh portion so that the shoe and foot covering portions may be slipped off of the foot utilizing the reclosable slit opening and secured by appropriate means on the upper portion of the leg. This permits the wearer to walk about while keeping the foot portion of the insulated garment out of contact with the ground and without removing any separate parts of the garment.