Abstract: A removable rear warning light system for attachment to a vehicle, such as a boat or snowmobile, carried on a trailer pulled by a motor vehicle to provide warning to the drivers of motor vehicles approaching from the rear. The warning light system includes a pod removably mountable on a rear portion of the trailered vehicle attachable to the electrical system of the motor vehicle to work in unison with one or more light functions of the motor vehicle. The pod fits within a boat cover having a flexible, water repellant sheet of such configuration as to cover the upper portion of a trailered vehicle.

Abstract: The present invention is based on a fermentation product produced by adding koji (rice or bean yeast) to boiled and/or steamed beans and allowing the mixture to ferment and mature. The fermentation product is kayu-like. Various foodstuffs and beverages can be prepared from such a fermentation product. Such fermentation products, foodstuffs and beverages are novel, tasty and rich of nutrients but do not contain salt or, if they do, contain salt only to a small degree. Such products are highly effective and useful as dietary food or drink.

Abstract: In order to manufacture parts with an outer profile, a workpiece 32 is pressed by a pressure piece 24 through a ring-shaped cutting tool 34. The cutting tool 34 has a plurality of disks with inner cutting edges 62 for removing material from the workpiece 32. The cutting edges are progressively longer in the advance direction, so that each cutting edge removes material chips and the last cutting edge in the advance direction corresponds to the desired outer profile of the part. In order to improve chip removal, the chip chambers 74 located between the cutting edges communicate with the outside through radial connection openings 128 which are distributed all around their circumference. To hold the workpiece 32 securely on the pressure piece 24, a pressure pad 76 extends through the cutting tool 34 and is supported on the side of the workpiece 32 opposite to the pressure piece 32, and a hydraulic piston 80 generates a compression force on the pressure pad 76.

Abstract: A water soluble, surface active, polymeric agent is mixed with digestion liquor, preferably with an additional surface active defoamer coagulant agent prior to or during acidification of the alkaline digestive liquor. This results in an easily separable, non-gelatinous, non-gummy, coagulated lignin as a solids, particulate fraction that tends to float on a clarified liquid fraction containing recoverable salts. The solids fraction and the liquid frictions are easily separated, one from the other, by a gravity separation step.

Abstract: A method of training a neural network for the guidance of a missile to a target includes the steps of: computing a solution of the non-linear guidance problem in analytical form, generating numerical solutions for a number of flights of a virtual missile to a virtual target, determining a human pilot's behavior and of the missile by simulating a number of flights of the virtual missile to a virtual target, and “cloning” a neural or fuzzy-neural network with the knowledge about the guidance of the missile to the target as obtained by the preceding steps. For determining the behavior of the human pilot, a scenario of missile and target is represented. This scenario is transformed into slow-motion. The flight of the missile to the target is simulated in slow-motion, the human pilot guiding the missile to the target. The pilot's behavior and the behavior of the missile resulting therefrom is stored for a number of such simulated flights.

Abstract: A flattened acoustic muffler for use on stock cars. The muffler mounts to the standard exhaust system pipes and to the lower chassis of the car, routing exhaust gasses to one or both sides of the car while providing improved ground clearance between the exhaust pipe and the surface of the race track. The muffler contains a plurality of spiral acoustic traps, which attenuate exhaust noise while producing little additional backpressure.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for treating water by means of an electric field. An Anode and a cathode are arranged in a treatment chamber. The cathode has a plurality of parallel pins. Seed crystals are deposited on these pins. There are means for separating these seed crystals from the pins. The apparatus is to be of simple design and is to have high efficiency with regard to the formation of seed crystals. The cathode is to be kept free from lime depositions. To this end, the seed crystals are separated or stripped from the pins by means of a perforated disc. The pins extend through the holes of this perforated disc. The perforated disc is guided over the pins. The perforated disc can be moved by water pressure or by an electric motor. The electric motor has as second function the actuation of a safety valve controlled by a monitoring device.

Abstract: A pillbox for holding medications to be dispensed having top lid and lower section; and having removable cups arranged in rows for holding the medications. The removable cups are constructed with thick lips on the top to facilitate handling. The lid has an undercover which snaps onto the lid to form a compartment, and the undercover has openings to facilitate air circulation within the pillbox. A desiccant can be inserted into the compartment for keeping the medications dry. The interior of the lower section of the pillbox can be molded to receive and hold the removable cups or be mounted with a platform to receive and hold the removable cups. The bottom outside of the pillbox is mounted with rubber feet to keep the pillbox from sliding while being used.

Abstract: An adjustable, removable, strap device primarily for use in bundling and holding electrical cords and cables, such as from office equipment or kitchen appliances, in a compact position above the floor or kitchen counter. Such compact, elevated position in an office helps to prevent tripping and in a kitchen keeps the cords off of the wet counter to reduce the risk of electrical shock, and which also provides a neat, tidy appearance. The device includes a flexible strap member having a plurality of headed pins at a top end and a plurality of mating holes in a bottom end thereof. A transverse slot is disposed adjacent the pins toward the bottom end of the flexible strap member. The strap device is used by doubling over on itself and inserting the bottom end through the transverse slot forming a cable support loop. The pins are engaged into the holes to secure the loop around the cables. The strap device is attached to a wall or other such vertical surface using a nail, double-sided adhesive tape, or adhesives.

Abstract: A flexible water spray wand for connection to a standard garden hose, having a housing connectable at a lower end to the garden hose and at an upper end to a flexible tube assembly connected at an opposite end to a spray nozzle. The pistol grip housing includes a water flow control valve such as a trigger mechanism operatively connected to a water valve for controlling the flow of water from the nozzle of the wand. The flexible tube assembly includes a flexible outer ribbed tube and an inner flexible tube for carrying the water, each connected to the handle and the nozzle by fittings. The position of the flexible tube assembly is held by a bendable metal rod which extends therethrough so as to enable the flexible tube assembly to be bent such that the water spray wand directs the water as desired to reach non-readily accessible places such as overhead plants and for flushing leaves from gutters.

Abstract: A water play structure which includes an inflatable wedge which is used with a water slide. The inflatable wedge is positioned at one end of the water slide and connected to a garden hose to run lubricating water down the wedge and along the water slide. Children and adults run and dive onto the inflatable wedge which cushions their transition from a vertical running position to a horizontal sliding position down the wedge and along the water slide. An inflatable sled with gripping handles can be used to slide on for added cushioning.

Abstract: A method of reducing the chance of disease resulting from mononuclear cells in a body attacking desirable cell antigens in the body, such as antigens expressed by normal body cells or desirable engrafted cells, comprises reducing the number of mononuclear cell in the body that are likely to attack such desirable cell antigens. This is done by obtaining cell derived antigens subject to attack by mononuclear cells in the body and also obtaining mononuclear cells to be placed in the body. The mononuclear cells may be from a donor or may be removed from the subject body. The mononuclear cells are reacted, in vitro, with the cell derived antigens, such as by passing the mononuclear cells over a layer of fibroblast cells from the body expressing the desirable antigens, and recovering the mononuclear cells that do not bind to the antigens. These recovered cells are then infused into the body.

Abstract: A climbing structure is formed by evacuating an airtight cover bag over a structure core that includes blocks forming various hand and foot holds that creates a relief resembling a rock outcropping or rock surface. The blocks are preferably made of a rigid but soft or flexible material so that the blocks will hold their shape when used as hand and foot holds, but are somewhat soft in the event a climber falls or slides down the climbing face. The structure can be made in the form of a traditional climbing wall or take various other forms and may, when used as a recreational play climbing structure, have a core made up of a plurality of core blocks in a random arrangement. The structure may be used on land or in water as a water play device.

Abstract: A pop-up sprinkler of the type that includes a riser that moves upwardly out of a sprinkler housing when water pressure is applied and that allows manual adjustment of the angular orientation of the riser with respect to the housing to adjust angular orientation of the spray from the sprinkler, and provides for such angular adjustment by having a toothed flange associated with the riser in the housing which engages tabs associated with the housing, provides for longer life of the toothed flange and/or the tabs by providing slots extending radially inwardly in the toothed flange to reduce its rigidity to the extent that the teeth and/or tabs do not wear as quickly.

Abstract: A method for treating items as the items move along a trough, such as for freezing, drying, or baking food items, includes the steps of placing an item to be treated in an inlet end portion of a trough having sides, a top, and a perforated bottom, the perforations making up between about 0.5% and about 20% of the bottom of the trough. A treating gas is forced through the perforated bottom at a velocity through the perforations and a volume sufficient to elevate and float the item above the bottom of the trough. The item moves along the trough, such as by gravity in an inclined trough or by action of the treating gas against the item, as the treating gas flows against the bottom, around the sides, and over the top of the item to treat the item. The item is left in the trough for a period of time sufficient to complete the desired treatment.

Abstract: A paint roller filled with wet paint may be stored for a period of time, such a over lunch break or overnight, or for longer times, and still be useable for painting, by substantially sealing the roller while attached to the usual handle-attached, paint applicator to which the roller is mounted, in an elongate box which covers the roller and through an opening in which a portion of the paint applicator extends. The portion of the paint applicator extending through the opening is substantially sealed by deformable paint solvent absorbent material in the opening to which a small amount of paint solvent, such as water, is added to maintain a solvent rich atmosphere in the box to help maintain the paint on the roller in wet, usable condition.

Abstract: For determining the dependence of a first measuring quantity (Y) on a second measuring quantity (P) the second measuring quantity (P) is periodically modified with a frequency (f0). The first measuring quantity (Y) changing accordingly is measured. From the obtained measuring signal of the first measuring quantity (Y) the components of the first measuring quantity (Y) are determined with at least a plurality of frequencies. From the components thus determined the first measuring quantity (Y) is reconstructed for at least a plurality of values of the second measuring quantity (P) by signal processing.

Abstract: A highway lane position detector including a photodetector for determining the existence of highway lines, wherein the detection circuitry maintains its detection ability over a wide range of ambient light conditions from bright sunlight to dim artificial light in ambient darkness, by providing a dynamic resistance element in series with the photodetector wherein the dynamic resistance element compensates for changes in the photodetector due to changes in ambient light conditions to maintain the photodetector in a detection condition (avoiding saturation) regardless of the ambient light condition. In the preferred embodiment of the detector, the dynamic resistance element is at least one reversed biased zener diode. In currently preferred circuitry of the invention, the detector detects the presence of intermittent lane dividing lines and provides an alarm when such lines are no longer detected.