Abstract: A sealing and retaining arrangement for a humidifier with separable top and bottom members and an attaching arrangement for rigidly connecting a ventilator or other respiratory device to the top of the humidifier in a predetermined, fixed position. The sealing and retaining arrangement is designed for use between separable top and bottom members of a humidifier. The top and bottom are made of relatively rigid material and have overlapping or telescoping portions with a flexible, resilient seal extending therebetween. The seal also serves to positively retain the top and bottom together while in use. The attaching arrangement is designed to rigidly connect the ventilator or other respiratory device to the top of the humidifier in a predetermined, fixed position. This is accomplished by rigidly coupling the air outlet of the ventilator directly to the air inlet of the humidifier without any intervening, flexible hose.

Abstract: A facial mask assembly for covering at least the nose and nares of a patient's face and compensating for any unequal forces that may be generated in the straps holding the mask on the patient's face. The assembly includes a rigid, cup-shaped shell with a soft seal engaging and sealing against the patient's face. The shell is preferably secured or attached to the patient's head by an arrangement including a rigid plate mounted to the rigid shell and a harness. The harness extends about the back of the patient's head and preferably has side straps attached to the top of the rigid plate. The rigid plate is loosely mounted to the rigid shell at at least three locations and can move to compensate for any unequally applied forces that would otherwise tend to rock or cock the shell off the patient's face and create a gap or leak in the seal.

Abstract: A stacked sanding wheel for wooden panels with radical profiles. The sanding wheel has two sanding members stacked atop one another and mounted to a drive means for rotation about an axis. Each sanding member has a relatively rigid backing portion with an outer surface corresponding in profile to one of the surfaces on each side of the profile edge. The flexible sanding strips assume the shape of the outer surface of each backing portion which, in turn, corresponds to one of the surfaces of the profile to be sanded. The separate sanding members are secured to the drive means in a stacked relationship with their separate sanding strips abutting one another to form a sharp edge corresponding to the sharp edge of the wooden panel's profile.

Abstract: A sealing and retaining arrangement for a humidifier with separable top and bottom members and an attaching arrangement for rigidly connecting a ventilator or other respiratory device to the top of the humidifier in a predetermined, fixed position. The sealing and retaining arrangement is designed for use between separable top and bottom members of a humidifier. The top and bottom are made of relatively rigid material and have overlapping or telescoping portions with a flexible, resilient seal extending therebetween. The seal also serves to positively retain the top and bottom together while in use. The attaching arrangement is designed to rigidly connect the ventilator or other respiratory device to the top of the humidifier in a predetermined, fixed position. This is accomplished by rigidly coupling the air outlet of the ventilator directly to the air inlet of the humidifier without any intervening, flexible hose.

Abstract: A mattress pad primarily intended for use with a standard hospital bed frame to reduce the development of decubitus ulcers or bed sores in patients using the pad. The pad is multi-layered and includes a cover or casing containing interior strata of a plastic film layer atop a fluid bladder layer supported on an underlying layer of foam. The pad is specially designed to reduce lateral and normal pressures and forces on the patient which can lead to the development of such ulcers. The reduction of the lateral shearing forces is accomplished in a number of ways including by oversizing the plastic film layer and fluid bladder layer on the underlying layer of foam and by positioning microbeads between the plastic film layer and fluid bladder layer to dramatically reduce the frictional drag or lateral shearing forces between the layers.

Abstract: A multi-piece sanding wheel having two sanding members mounted about peripheral portions of a disc-shaped support member that is secured to a drive means. Each sanding member includes a C-shaped backing portion with a sanding strip removably secured about its outer periphery. The sanding strip also has two end sections which are respectfully secured over the ends of the C-shape. In operation, the C-shaped backing portions are attached to the disc-shaped support member with the ends of the two C-shapes substantially adjacent to one another and preferably pinching the end sections of the sanding strips therebetween. The disc-shaped support member of the sanding wheel is separately and removably attached to the drive means wherein the sanding members can be removed from the support member without having to disconnect the support member from the drive means.

Abstract: A pipe fitting for a flexible pipe such as used in lawn sprinkler systems. The fitting includes a pipe sealing portion and a pipe gripping portion. The pipe sealing portion has a smooth, seamless cylindrical surface to form a strong, watertight seal with the inner surface of the pipe. The pipe gripping portion is spaced from the sealing portion and includes a cylindrical surface with two rows of spikes extending axially along it. The rows are spaced 180 degrees from each other about the cylindrical surface and the cylindrical surface of the gripping portion has a smaller diameter than the cylindrical surface of the sealing portion. In use, the flexible pipe is forced to assume a substantially elliptical shape as it passes over the rows of progressively taller spikes. The pipe can then be crimped if desired to embed the spikes into the wall of the pipe and preferably to drive at least some of the spikes completely through the pipe wall.

Abstract: A prosthetic device primarily intended for use by amputees and in particular, leg amputees. The prosthesis includes a relatively rigid, support shell dimensioned to receive a portion of the residual limb and a pad member having a plurality of pouches at least partially filled with fluid. The pad member substantially encircles the leg with its fluid pouches being positioned adjacent one another about and along the leg. Each pouch is supported between the leg and the shell and has inner and outer pouch layers with the fluid being contained between them. Portions of each inner layer fold back on one another to form wrinkles wherein slack is maintained in the inner layer so that it can conform to the user's leg without hammocking or being drawn taut. It can also accommodate and move with the user's leg relative to the support shell without being tensioned or distended.

Abstract: A sealing cap and container combination primarily intended for use in medical applications. The sealing cap of the preferred embodiment includes a central dome-shaped portion, annular portion, and sealing portion. In use, these portions are initially received in the mouth of the container and assume an initial concave shape with the sealing portion of the cap abutting and sealing against the inner surface of the container mouth. Thereafter, as the pressure within the container increases, the concave dome first moves toward a flattened shape and then inverts to a convex shape. As the pressure further increases, the annular portion of the cap then moves to a flattened position substantially perpendicular to the axis of the cap. During all this controlled movement, the sealing force of the cap progressively increases from an initial force to a maximum sealing force.

Abstract: A wheelchair back system adapted to provide a customized fit to the user. The system includes a rigid back shell removably affixed to the wheelchair, a plurality of foam blocks, and a pad member containing flowable fluid material. The back shell has a forward facing, front surface and the foam blocks are removably positionable forward of the back shell to form a substantially continuous layer of foam of substantially uniform depth forward of the back shell. Each foam block is individually and separately removable to provide a recessed area in the otherwise continuous layer of foam to provide a customized fit to the user. The pad member overlies the front surface of the foam blocks and is received in any recessed area formed by the removal of a foam block. In this manner, the system can be customized to the deformities or other abnormalities of each individual user.

Abstract: A sanding wheel modified to incorporate a rub collar that provides a guide surface for sanding raised wooden panels. The modified sanding wheel was specifically designed and is particularly useful for accurately and quickly sanding arched panels. The wheel includes a base support member, sanding members, and a specially adapted rub collar. The rub collar has two portions with the first or inner portion being rotated as a unit with the base support and sanding members and the second or outer portion being mounted for movement independent thereof. The second or outer portion has a guide surface and in operation, the arched portion of the raised wooden panel is abutted against the guide surface and moved therealong with the raised, arched surface to be sanded abutting the rotating sanding surfaces of the sanding members.

Abstract: A seating system for wheelchairs and other applications. The seating system includes a base member with an upper surface and a fluid pad positioned on the upper surface. The upper surface is preferably contoured and dimensioned to have areas corresponding to the user's ischial tuberosities and coccyx as well as the user's femurs including trochanters. The fluid pad in the preferred embodiment is one piece and has at least three separate and distinct pouches filled with fluid. Each pouch includes seals to contain the fluid in each pouch and to isolate and prevent fluid communication with the fluid in the other two pouches. Each pouch of the pad is then respectively positioned on the upper surface of the base member under the user's ischial tuberosities and coccyx. In this manner, each of the user's ischial tuberosities and coccyx is thereby supported on its own separate and distinct fluid pouch.

Abstract: A seating system primarily intended for use with wheelchairs. The seating system includes a relatively rigid, shaped tray and a fluid pad. The tray has a forward section to support the user's thighs and a rearward section with a depressed, contoured seating well to support the user's buttocks including his ischial tuberosities. The seating well includes a bottom portion and a U-shaped rim portion extending about it. The fluid pad contains a fixed volume of incompressible fluid and is provided and dimensioned to be bunched up and received in the seating well of the tray. The seating system also includes a self-adjusting feature to automatically and properly fit a user based on his weight. This is accomplished in the preferred embodiments by adding a layer of resilient, compressible foam over the upper surface of the rim portion of the seating well between the fluid pad and the rim portion. The foam is dimensioned and chosen to selectively occupy varying amounts of the volume of the seating well (i.e.

Abstract: A multi-piece sanding wheel having two sanding members mounted about peripheral portions of a disc-shaped support member that is secured to a drive means. Each sanding member includes a C-shaped backing portion with a sanding strip removably secured about its outer periphery. The sanding strip also has two end sections which are respectfully secured over the ends of the C-shape. In operation, the C-shaped backing portions are attached to the disc-shaped support member with the ends of the two C-shapes substantially adjacent to one another and preferably pinching the end sections of the sanding strips therebetween. The disc-shaped support member of the sanding wheel is separately and removably attached to the drive means wherein the sanding members can be removed from the support member without having to disconnect the support member from the drive means.

Abstract: A seating system for a wheelchair including a base member and fluid pad. The base member has forward and rearward sections respectively supporting the user's thighs and buttocks. The rearward section supporting the user's buttocks includes a depressed, seating well with front and rear upper surfaces. The fluid pad has a front-to-rear, center seal and a transverse seal dividing the pad into four pouches. The transverse seal crosses the center seal substantially closer to the rear of the pad than to the front and substantially midway across the seating well. In use, the pad is positioned on the base member wherein the user's thighs and front of the user's buttocks are supported on the forward pouches which, in turn, are positioned over the forward section of the base member and the front portion of the seating well of the base member. The remaining, rear portion of the user's buttocks is supported on the rear pouches over the rear portion of the base member.