Abstract: A gas cleaning system of the type having a gas cooling tower includes a septum arrangement within the cooling tower which divides the cooling tower into upper and lower chambers and effects a pressure drop between the chambers by directing streams of higher pressure gases through a pool of cooling water maintained in a trough in the septum arrangement to reduce the pressure while simultaneously scrubbing the gases, all within the cooling tower.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for preparing the bone at a joint for the implant of a component part of a prosthetic device include a contouring guide placed on the bone at a predetermined site and having a guide rail for delineating a path of travel to which a contouring cutter is confined while translated along the contouring guide for removing bone along a surface of predetermined area and contour to establish an accurately defined seating area for the component part with minimal intrusion into the joint.

Abstract: A storage and transportation box of the type having a container body with handhold apertures includes an improved cover having side skirts which partially overlap the handhold apertures and carry locking tabs selectively receivable within the handhold apertures to lock and secure the cover in place upon the container body.

Abstract: A display stand for displaying a card-like item, such as a photograph, is erected from a unitary sheet member bent to form a base and walls extending upwardly from the base and forwardly over the base so that one end of the sheet member is tucked behind a shoulder at the other end of the sheet member and is biased resiliently toward the shoulder to grip the item between the one end and the shoulder and hold the item upright, relative to the base, for display.

Abstract: A golf practice device has a rotor with three simulated golf ball targets spaced equidistant from one another around the rotor, each target having mutually perpendicular webs and flanges forming a lightweight yet rugged construction readily molded in a unitary structure of synthetic resin material, and a housing within which the rotor is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and for ready removal and replacement. A plurality of telltales on the housing indicate any deviation from a true path by the head of a golf club swung at a target.

Abstract: A knee prosthesis in which articular surface areas of the engaged femoral and tibial components of the prosthesis include surface profile contours lying in a common arcuate profile defined by a medial-lateral radius having an origin lying on the mechanical axis passing through the femoral head of the corresponding hip joint such that limited misalignment of the femoral and tibial components by virtue of angular deviation from the mechanical axis resulting from relative displacement in a medial-lateral direction is tolerated to accommodate the misalignment while maintaining area engagement between the engaged surfaces.

Abstract: An acetabular cup has a shell component with an outer surface including a frusto-conical surface portion and a spherical surface portion and an acetabulum is prepared with an inner surface including a frusto-conical surface portion and a spherical surface portion, the spherical surface portions having essentially the same radius and the frusto-conical surface portions having relative dimensions such that upon nesting of the spherical surface portions in contiguous relationship, the frusto-conical portions engage one another in an interference fit to secure the shell component within the prepared acetabulum.

Abstract: An acetabular cup assembly includes a metal shell component and a plastic bearing insert capable of assembly interoperatively, the metal shell component first being secured in position within an acetabulum and then the plastic bearing insert being receivable within the shell component, first at a preliminary axial position for ascertainment of the circumferential position of the bearing insert and the orientation of the bearing face of the bearing insert relative to the shell component and then at a fully-seated axial position wherein the bearing insert is permanently captured in the shell component, the bearing insert being readily withdrawn from the preliminary axial position for circumferential repositioning to attain appropriate orientation of the bearing face prior to capturing the bearing insert within the shell component.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for converting an expended, hollow article of thermoplastic material, the article having opposite end walls, an opening in one of the end walls and an annular wall extending between the opposite end walls establishing an original configuration, into a new article of a new configuration. Specifically, the expended article is a two-liter soda bottle and the new article is a building block.

Abstract: A jewelry clasp in which a blade member is captured in a case member by a latch normally located in a latched position to secure the blade member in the case member, the latch being displaceable along a first direction in response to movement of the blade member into the case member for latching purposes and displaceable along a second direction transverse to the first direction, in response to a selectively moved actuator, for unlatching purposes, to selectively release the blade member from the case member, a first spring biases the latch along the first direction and a second spring biases the latch along the second direction for maintaining the latch in the latched position, and a safety lock is movable selectively from an unlocked position into a locked position for precluding inadvertent unlatching, while permitting latching independent of the position of the safety lock.

Abstract: An anti-theft device for a marine propeller has a spinnerplaced over the propeller nut which secures the propeller to the propeller shaft, and the spinner is held in place against unauthorized removal by a lock pin projecting from the propeller nut into an annular recess in the spinner, enabling the spinner to spin freely relative to the propeller nut while capturing the spinner against axial movement which would expose the propeller nut for unauthorized wrenching, the spinner including a radially extending access passage for gaining access to the lock pin with an authorized drive member to move the lock pin out of the annular recess for selective release of the spinner from the propeller nut and authorized access to the propeller nut for wrenching.

Abstract: Impact testing apparatus in which a weighted dart is dropped from a prescribed height to penetrate a test specimen when traveling at a desired velocity and level of kinetic energy, the acceleration of the dart being assisted by a spring force in the direction of travel so that the prescribed height is maintained at a minimum for a given desired velocity and the dart being guided to the test specimen by a generally tubular guide within which the dart is loosely fitted. A force transducer is located at the tip of the dart for providing impact force information as the tip penetrates the test specimen.

Abstract: Plasticating extruders in which increased melting effectiveness is attained through multiple stages including at least one inner screw conveyor within an outer screw conveyor in a barrel for receiving unmelted solid material from the channel of the outer screw conveyor and conveying the received unmelted solid material in the channel of the inner conveyor in a direction parallel to and axially coextensive with the direction of travel of the material in the channel of the outer screw conveyor and melting the received unmelted solid material to bring melted material to a downstream location where the melted material from both channels merges to deliver a flow of fully melted material to a downstream discharge outlet. A vent may be located in the barrel in the vicinity where material enters the channel of the inner screw conveyor for improved venting as a result of the diversion of material away from the vent.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for wrapping a resiliently stretchable film wrap around a group of articles stacked on a pallet, with the film wrap tensioned to a desired tension, by feeding the film wrap along a feed path from supply rolls to a wrapping station, with tension rollers placed serially along the feed path such that the film wrap is coupled for movement with the surface of each tension roller, the tension rollers being driven so that the surface speeds of the serially located roller surfaces differ from one another in order to stretch and tension the film wrap to a given tension, and the stretched and tensioned film wrap being applied to the stacked articles at a rate relative to the advancement of the film wrap from the tension rollers so as to attain the desired tension in the applied film wrap while limiting the magnitude of forces exerted upon the unit load by the tensioned film wrap.

Abstract: Method and apparatus in which dispenser cap assemblies of the type having a trigger-type pump cap and a dip tube are fed to a generally cone-shaped drum which rotates about a vertical axis and carries compartments within which the cap assemblies are moved in a generally spiral outward direction while moving axially downwardly to be oriented vertically, with the cap below the dip tube, the cap assemblies then being transferred to a turnover wheel which rotates about a horizontal axis so that the cap assemblies are inverted to re-orient each cap assembly into a position where each dip tube depends vertically downwardly from the respective cap, the cap assemblies then being passed to a horizontal conveyor for advancement to a discharge point where the cap assemblies are presented serially in a prescribed alignment and orientation, at a relatively high rate, for capping operations.

Abstract: A magnetic disk reinforcement member in which in adhesive layer is spaced from the peripheral edges of the reinforcement member to preclude exuding of the adhesive beyond the peripheral edges as a result of forces applied to the reinforcement member and the adhesive layer during use of the magnetic disk. Also disclosed is a blank for completing the reinforcement member subsequent to assembling the reinforcement member with the magnetic disk to assure concentricity between the opening in the reinforcement member and the central aperture of the magnetic disk.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for measuring the viscous component and the elastic component of forces within a viscoelastic test specimen placed in shear, the test specimen being coupled to a platen having a rest position, the platen being displaceable from the rest position rotationally and axially relative to a fixed axis in response to rotational and axial forces exerted by the test specimen upon the platen as a result of the viscous component and the elastic component, the apparatus and method including an arrangement of component parts and a plurality of steps for establishing a rotational counterforce for balancing the rotational force on the platen and simultaneously establishing an axial counterforce for balancing the axial force on the platen to maintain the platen at the rest position, and indicating the magnitude of the counterforces necessary to maintain the platen at the rest position, whereby the viscous component and the elastic component of forces are measured at zero compliance.

Abstract: A clasp includes first and second clasp members which are coupled and uncoupled by complementary pairs of latch members, one of which pairs of latch members is mounted for pivotal movement in response to engagement with the other pair of latch members upon coupling of the clasp members and in response to the selective rotation of an operator for disengagement of the complementary latch members upon uncoupling of the clasp members.

Abstract: An anti-theft locking device for securing computer-related units against unauthorized removal from a work station utilizes a base frame anchored to a work surface at the work station and constructed to receive one of the units in nested position so as to preclude movement of the unit in directions parallel to the work surface and to receive a hold-down frame placed over the units and secured to the base frame with screw-type locking mechanisms extending into the base frame beneath the nested unit to protect the screw-type locking mechanisms from tampering and to conserve space at the work station.