Abstract: A ball toy has an inner spherical shell within an outer spherical shell, a light source being mounted within the inner shell adjacent to a first end of a plurality of etched optical fibers having the other ends arrayed between the inner and outer shells. The outer shell is translucent while the inner shell has a coated outer surface that reflects light from the optical fibers. Between the light source and the first end of the optical fibers is a color chamber having different color elements through which light may be transmitted and which may move when the ball moves so as to vary the colors received by the optical fibers thereby effecting variation in the color seen as the ball rolls or is otherwise moved, the light seen at the translucent shell fluctuating according to the colors transmitted. A motion switch and/or a master switch may be used to turn the system on and off. A timer may deactivate the circuits if the ball is not moved after a period of time.

Abstract: A laboratory faucet has a base, a spout and a vacuum breaker wherein at least a portion of the vacuum breaker is cast within an upper portion of the spout. The upper portion of the spout assists in protecting the vacuum breaker from vandalistic acts. Additionally, the base of the faucet is advantageously designed to provide access to the valve operators to allow use of the valve operators at a location to minimize drippage from the operator's hands onto a counter top. Furthermore, the base may be configured with a gas supply controlled by valves.

Abstract: A truck trailer having a pair of tandem spaced apart rear axles and a suspension system for supporting the axles from the chassis of the trailer having a pivot member intermediate the axles about which the axles may pivot relatively to one another, the axles being connected to respective ends of leaf springs. The trailer has apparatus for lifting one of the axles relative to the other axle selectively so that the wheels carried by the lifted axle may be lifted off the roadway. The apparatus for lifting includes air bags which may be inflated by pressurized air or deflated to control the position of the axle to be raised. The air bags are positioned between one of the axles and the chassis and when pressurized air inflates the bags the other axle is lifted about the pivot member.

Abstract: A needle, which may be one of a plurality of needles in a needle module, has a rod attached to the shank adjacent the yarn guide groove or to the blade in the guide groove and extending laterally or transverse to the axis of the needle committing yarn to be directed readily into the yarn groove with a minimum angular deviation in its path. When the needle is one of several in a needle module the rod may be common to all of the needles and passed through an aligned hole in each of the needles and secured therein by bending of the rod. A yarn entrance guide is formed by each respective needle, the adjacent needle, the rod and the module body and this entrance permits ready threading of each needle.

Abstract: An orthotic device developed and customized to control the desired movement of the patient's defective lower limb. The device incorporates a footplate made of a rubber-like elastomeric material and a proximal segment that encompasses the foot at the metatarsophalangeal joints and the shin portion of the leg. This proximal segment is made of a rubber-like elastomeric material laminated into multiple layers of fabric throughout the proximal segment. Additional strips of fabric are positioned within the proximal segment of the device to limit or promote certain motions within the foot and ankle. This device incorporates a continuous closure from the foot to the proximal segment, creating total contact and hydrostatic containment of the foot and lower leg.

Abstract: A tufting machine has a reciprocating needle bar which may be shifted laterally by a drive which includes at least one linear motor. Each linear motor has two major elements which may be coupled together electromagnetically. One of the elements is connected to a fixed portion of the tufting machine and another of the elements is connected to the needle bar. When electrical power is supplied to the motor, the element connected to the needle bar moves relatively to the other thereby moving the needle bar.

Abstract: A tufting machine with a pair of closely spaced apart needle bars which reciprocate together but the needles carried by one bar may be controlled selectively to be either in a position to form pile or be retracted to a position where they do not form pile when the needle bars are driven toward the backing material selectively. A control system is provided to control the selection of the needles of the one needle bar and also the feeding of yarn to the needles of the one needle bar so that yarn from needles which are not tufting is drawn tight on the backing. The needles may be mounted in modules and selected needle modules may be independently controllable by pneumatic cylinders so that various overtufted patterns may be made by the controlled needles in a background formed by the needles in the other bar that tuft on every stitch.

Abstract: A concentric air diffuser for use with climate control systems to direct air to desired locations within the interior of a building and return air to the system includes a perforated plate between a supply inlet and supply vents. The perforated plate assists in balancing air flow out of the vents. Additionally, a baffle plate is located along the portion of the perforated plate below the supply inlet to assist in distributing air throughout the diffuser housing prior to allowing the air to flow through the clear area portion of the perforated plate and out through the vents.

Abstract: A hand-held mending gun for tufting stitches into a backing material has a hollow needle reciprocally driven axially to form stitches in a backing material. A drive mechanism couples a rotary motor to a needle carrier for reciprocation along the axis of the needle. A yarn feed roll connected to a yarn drive disk may be selectively changed in speed by changing the position of the yarn feed disk relative to a radius of a drive disk through a pneumatic cylinder having a piston relocatable between an extended and a retracted position. With the speed of rotation of the drive disk constant, the speed of the yarn feed roll may be changed between a high and a low pile height setting, or position, by changing the distance of a contact point of the yarn feed disk on the drive disk from the center of the disk drive. A pneumatic selector switch allows a single operator to control the selection of the high or low pile height position.

Abstract: A tufting machine has a yarn feed pattern assembly including a housing having a mounting plate for mounting a multiplicity of yarn feed rollers from the exterior of said mounting plate and a multiplicity of servo motors connected to said mounting plate on the interior of said housing. Each servo motor is connected to a respective feed roller. A multiplicity of tubes extend within said housing, half the tubes directing yarn from a source to respective rollers and half of the tubes directing yarn from the rollers to respective needles. The guide tubes direct yarn from the interior of said housing through said mounting plate where the yarn is trained about a respective roller and directed back into the yarn guide leading toward the needles of said tufting machine.

Abstract: A ladder leveling accessory which may be attached to the legs of a ladder has a configuration which forms an apex remote from leg attachment arms positioned and carries an elongated peg which extends downwardly away from the arms at an angle to the plane in which the arms and thus the legs of the ladder are disposed. The peg may be in the configuration of a spike and, for use in loose or sandy substrates, there may be triangular shaped flanges. A flexible mat is secured above the spike to the apex and conforms to the configuration of the ground to provide further stabilization to the system.

Abstract: The hooks of a cut pile tufting machine have a cam or chamfer surface in the form of an inclined ramp in the shank of the hook adjacent the throat extending to the cutting edge, the hooks being positioned in a hook module with a dual or compound angle relatively to the body of the module. The knife which cooperates with the hook to cut loops of yarn seized by the hook is positioned vertically relatively to the hook but is tilted relatively to the hook. The hook is inclined horizontally toward the knife and is tilted vertically away from the knife. The result is that initial knife tension against the hook is substantially eliminated while additional knife tension is created during the cutting stroke. The vertical positioning of the knife and the angular positioning of the hook away from the knife results in substantially eliminating J-cutting.

Abstract: A chromatography column has valve and method for filling it with a slurry of media, the valve utilizing a piston to compact the slurry in the column. The piston moves through a cavity in communication with both a slurry inlet and slurry ports which are in communication with the interior of the chromatography column. The piston assists in compacting the slurry within the column. The method of filling the column does not require disassembly of the column. The piston may also be utilized to change the valve position from a slurry fill position to a normal operation position or other position.

Abstract: A hand-held pneumatic yarn splicing device has a splicing chamber into which a pair of yarn ends to be spliced together may be placed, the chamber having at least one air inlet extending into the chamber for directing air from a high pressure source external of the device into the chamber. The chamber is interchangeable with other chambers and has a pair of projections extending from the wall of the chamber to break up the twist of highly twisted and heat set yarns which are to be spliced together by the action of the high pressure air. The chamber is cylindrical and has a center axial bore and the projections extend radially from the inner wall of the chamber.

Abstract: A multi-cylinder module has a common block within which the cylinders are formed and having a piston disposed within each cylinder and an output rod connected to each piston. Pressurized air acts on the piston against the bias of a corresponding spring to drive the respective rod outwardly from the module. Each rod has a coupling member which is coupled to the gate of a hook of a tufting machine having gated hooks for forming both loop and cut pile. The modules are mounted directly to the hook bar of the tufting machine and require no additional linkages between the coupling and the gate with the inherent lost motion and other inefficiencies associated with such additional linkages.