Abstract: A roof tie-down arrangement for preventing damage to a roof during high wind conditions of the type in which force is applied to hold down the roof via at least one cable and at least one support member. The support member has a pair of support legs for resting upon a roof surface which are connected by a channel-forming portion having a channel which runs lengthwise along the support member. This channel has a diameter that is appreciably greater than the diameter of the cable, has at least a portion which is open from above and is constructed for preventing the cable from lifting out of said the channel.

Abstract: A sewing auxiliary tool used for the creation of garment patterns. The sewing auxiliary tool is constructed from a flat plate and has incorporated around its edges curves and straight line shapes. The geometric shapes of the sewing auxiliary tool's edge are used to create basic sewing curves; such as, the hip line, sleeve cap line, armhole line, neck line, and crotch line. Additionally, the sewing auxiliary tool can have both metric and English units of length measurement incorporated along the straight edge sections of the sewing auxiliary tool. The combination of the curves, straight lines, and length measurement capabilities provide the user with a single device with which to create garment patterns.

Abstract: A foam fractionator which can create a vortex is utilized to remove proteins from an aquatic environment by skimming. The vortex is created by a propeller arrangement located at the bottom of an internal chamber, centrally located within a main reaction chamber. Air sucked from the atmosphere by the vortex passes down through a central chamber and is dispensed outwardly into the main chamber where air bubbles form and rise to the surface. The air bubbles attract protein deposits which stick thereto which results in the formation of a protein-containing surface foam that is collected within a collection cup.

Abstract: A locking orthodontic band gauge for determining an orthodontic band size. An elongated main portion is provided with a locking indicator assembly slidably mounted thereon. A loop cooperates with the main portion and indicator assembly such that when the indicator assembly is slid along the main portion, the size of the loop circumference changes. A series of locking portions are provided and spaced along the length of the elongated main portion at discrete positions and cooperate with the locking indicator assembly to selectively lock the indicator assembly at the discrete positions. Alternatively the orthodontic band gauge includes a probe for supporting a gauge tape such that the gauge tape can be fitted around the tooth when the probe is inserted into a patient's mouth. The probe has an indicator associated therewith and moveable relative to the probe for indicating the orthodontic band size of a patient's tooth when the gauge tape is fitted around the tooth.

Abstract: An immersion type water heating element assembly. The assembly allows replacement of a water heating element for a hot water tank without removing the electrical supply wires or disconnecting an electrical supply by providing a first main plate having a hole therethrough and permanently attached to a hot water tank. Supply terminals are positioned on the first main plate and permanently wired to an electrical supply for supplying current. A second plate is detachably mounted to the first main plate and includes a water heating element and contact terminals which contact the electrical supply terminals when the second main plate is mounted on the first main plate. The assembly includes a sealing device for preventing water in the hot water tank from leaking through the first main plate and the second main plate. The immersion type heating element attached to the second main plate extends through the hole in the first main plate and into the hot water tank.

Abstract: A modular receptacle includes opposing contacts as well as receiving portions. The receptacle slidably receiving a switch or plug therein. The switch or plug having opposing contacts which contact the opposing contacts on the receptacle and also having indented and protruding portions which cooperate with the receiving portions in the receptacle. Thus, switches or plugs can be selectively removed or inserted from the modular receptacle without the need to remove the receptacle from a wall on which the receptacle is mounted.

Abstract: An environmental shield secureable to a helmet, protecting a wearer. The helmet includes a rigid outer shell and a perforate liner positioned within the outer shell, leaving a space between a portion of the outer shell and the liner. The environmental shield can include a flexible sheet like main portion that shields the wearer when worn secured to the helmet. This shield includes an attaching portion of the main portion that is configured to secure the shield to the liner of the helmet in such a way that preserves the space between the liner and helmet so that air can flow into the helmet. Alternatively, the environmental shield can include a quadrilaterally shaped flexible sheet like main portion. This shield has two elongated flaps along one side of the main portion. Receded regions extend along adjacent sides from the flaps, and sloped so that the width of the shield increases. Shoulders protrude from the receded regions increasing the shield's width.

Abstract: A character revealing game having a ternary game piece, a plurality of character revealing elements and a character decoding device. A surface area of the ternary game piece is divided into sub-areas, and pictoral characters are arranged on the sub-areas in groups such that all characters arranged in a given group share a common indicium which is different from indicia of pictoral characters of any of the other groups. Each character revealing element has an indicium identical to a indicium of pictoral characters of exactly one group arranged on the ternary game piece. The arrangement of particular pictoral characters in particular groups on the ternary game piece takes advantage of particular characteristics of a distinct ternary number representation assigned to each pictoral character so that a first player may ascertain a pictoral character secretly selected by a second player merely by knowing all indicia with which the secretly selected pictoral character appears on the ternary game piece.

Abstract: A board game having a plurality of stations intermediate start and finish stations. Some of the intermediate stations bearing obstacle directions which include events calling for the presence of public servants. A player has two identical tokens one representing himself and the other a public servant. When the first token lands on one of the designated event stations it must remain there until the appropriate public servant reaches that station from stations designating public building appropriate to that public servant and that event served thereby. There is also an exterminating zone which can result in a player being expelled from the game.

Abstract: A minimal inductance electrodynamic transducer having ferromagnetic shunting rings coated with a highly conductive material to increase the induced current carrying capacity of the transducer. A plurality of thin shunting rings separated by a non-conductive adhesive, attached to a pole piece connected to a magnet and/or a center pole, allows the device to operate at high power levels without saturation. The shunting rings also allow for sufficient induced current to flow in the magnetic circuit in order to oppose the magnetic field created by the voice coil.

Abstract: A shoe which is provided with a permanently attached low heel can be converted to a high heel shoe by attaching the high heel bodily to the low heel. Additionally, there is an adjustable shank for retaining the shoe in a shape conforming to its high heel condition or in a shape conforming to its low heel condition.

Abstract: A hack saw attachment for converting a power driven saber saw or other reciprocable tool to a power driven hack saw includes a plate having a hack saw frame fixed perpendicular thereto. The sole plate of a saber saw is provided with openings for releasable connectors whereby the plate of the attachment is easily connected to the saber saw sole plate. The hack saw frame carries guides at its inner and outer ends, the inner end of the blade passes through the inner guide for attachment to the saber saw arbor. The outer guide carries a second arbor for the outer end of the blade and a spring acts on the outer arbor to ensure proper tension of the hack saw blade during cutting. The hack saw frame carries a handle to facilitate manual reciprocation of the hack saw as it is also reciprocated by the saber saw drive to ensure even wear of the hack saw teeth along the length of the blade.

Abstract: A security harness has front and rear panels joined by a crotch panel with elongated straps extending from outer corners of the front and rear panels for securing to anchoring points located behind and above at least the waist of a patient wearing the harness, and in either a seated or prone position. A waist strap is fixed to the front panel straps and extends laterally of those straps for securing to other anchoring means to either side of the patient.

Abstract: A U-shaped corner clip for use with mitered corners of first and second hollow frame members. One leg of the clip has a hook to engage an opening in the outer edge of a first frame member. The other leg is insertable through an opening in the second frame member but has a length such that it passes from the interior of the second frame member into the interior of the first frame member and there resiliently bears on the inner face of the inner edge of the other frame member. Thus, any force tending to rotate the frame members apart in a direction to increase the angle therebetween is resisted by the action of the second leg member on the first frame member. The clip also resists any force tending to move the frame members linerally away from each other in any direction.

Abstract: A bat in the form of a flat plate grasped at spaced positions by both hands of a player. A net is mounted centrally in the plate, a player endeavoring to bat a ball by maneuvering the plate with both hands without receiving the ball in the net.

Abstract: An anti-fouling protector in the form of flexible envelope complementary to the underwater body of a vessel's hull is negatively buoyant and, when not in use, is stored on the bottom of a mooring slip. The invention includes structural features of the slip for guiding endless ropes fixed to the envelope for raising it around the vessel's underwater body when the vessel is moored in the slip, just before a vessel leaves the slip, lanyards connected to the envelope are detached from the vessel and the envelope sinks to its storage position on the bottom of the slip, where anchored lower rope guides prevent the envelope from being moved away by current.

Abstract: A drawing instrument for drawing straight or dashed lines including a scriber support assembly composed of a body part slidable in a groove on a ruler and an arm part which extends beyond either edge of the ruler and carries at its outer end a scriber. The inner end of the arm part is connected to the body part by a hinge and a follower carried by the arm part follows shapes such as undulations in grooves in the ruler between the side edge thereof and the hinge whereby the outer end of the arm part and the scriber are raised and lowered to make dashed lines. One groove can be flat whereby the scriber produces a continuous line.

Abstract: Description of a new and distinct grapevine cultivar: Valplatinta, originated from seed of a hand-pollinated cross of IAC-823-47 (non-patented) by Esperanza (non-patented) is provided. This new variety combines the native adaptation of Vitis caribaea to the tropical zone, and desirable attributes for juice and wine making of European (V. vinifera) and American (Labruscana) cultivars.