Abstract: An information carrier is disclosed which comprises a base plate which supports a plurality of blocks. The base plate includes at least one guide rail. The blocks include an information bearing face portion and a guide strip. The guide strip is adapted to be slidably and matingly received by the guide rail, thereby mounting the blocks on the base plate. A first groove is located in the base portion adjacent one lateral edge and extending perpendicular to the guide rail. A second groove is located in at least one of the blocks. A locking element is provided which is adapted for insertion through the first and second grooves for preventing lateral movement of the blocks in at least one direction.

Abstract: A device for selectively displaying alphabetic or numeric characters has a housing which contains several stacked prefabricated subassemblies of any required number of units, each unit having an opaque front plate with a rectangular layout of light permeable spots; and there are film receiving slots with guides at both sides of each unit so that a selected part of a film member associated with a unit may abut the front plate while the rest of the film member is curved rearwardly through the slots. One type of film member has a geometric pattern of matching and contrasting elements which cooperate with light permeable spots forming a block number 8 to define any desired arabic numeral from 0 to 9; while another type of film member has a similar geometric pattern that cooperates with light permeable spots in several parallel vertical columns to define any letter of the alphabet.

Abstract: This invention relates to a contrast maintaining means for use in display devices. The invention uses a substrate of synthetic paper having a light reflectance to light transmittance ratio which is in the order of 1 to 1. A substantially opaque coating material having a light reflection index near zero is deposited in the desired pattern upon the substrate so as to provide an information carrying display. The coated areas of the display neither transmit nor reflect a significant amount of light. When light reaches the display from behind the light transmitted through the substrate is of substantially the same intensity as the light that would be reflected from the substrate if the same light had reached the display from the front. The light reaching a viewers' eyes from the uncoated areas of the substrate is constant for nearly all lighting angles while substantially no light reaches the viewers' eyes from the coated areas of the display.

Abstract: Heart-shaped tag formed by a pair of translucent, reddish plastic pieces having flanges secured together. One plastic piece has retroreflective facets and the other is transparent. An identification member sandwiched between the plastic pieces so that material thereon can be read through the transparent piece. The identification member being installed through a slot in the plastic pieces and snapping into locked position. The identification member having a portion extending out of the slot and an opening in that portion for securing to another object to tag the same.

Abstract: An overlay device, which is adapted for use with an illuminated transparency viewer, for holding slides and the like includes a series of spaced apart elongate members, frame members transverse to the elongate members to maintain the elongate members in fixed position, and resilient material carried by at least one of the elongate members such that a slide may be inserted between two successive elongate members by depressing said resilient material to insert one edge of the slide therein with the opposite edge being urged against the opposite elongate member to hold the slide in position. The elongate members have channels into which the slides may be inserted, the resilient material being disposed in at least one of the channels.

Abstract: A frame for covering the border area of a wall-mounted display, including a plurality of nails with first heads at the driven end of the nail and second heads axially displaced from the first heads. A resilient structure for supplying directional pressure, such as tension spring wires, is located between the two heads radially extending beyond the first heads when expanded. The nails are driven through the display with the second nail heads holding or mounting the display on the wall. Each of the frame strips includes apertures in its underside which are larger than the first nail heads but smaller than the tension spring wires, permitting such frame strips to pass over the first nail heads and the tension spring wires contracting the wires in the process. These tension spring wires expand to hold the frame in place by resilient action.

Abstract: A drinking straw with a hollow box connected to the straw such that a fluid can be drawn through the box and one face of the box can be seen by the user. The viewed face has transparent indicia surrounded by solid black or dark colored material corresponding to the material of the rear plate of the box, hence, the indicia is only visible when a colored fluid such as milk is drawn through the straw and the box.

Abstract: A slide holder tray is disclosed which includes therein a plurality of slide holder cells, each of which is adapted to selectively receive a single flat article such as a photographic slide therein. Each of the slide holder cells is provided with an integrally formed flexible retaining spring which is resiliently bowed into one of two positions, only one of which overlies the top edge of the article to retain the article in the slide holder cell. Each slide holder cell also includes a tilting mechanism so that the article may be tilted out of the slide holder cell for easy insertion and removal. The slide holder tray also has rails extending outward from the periphery thereof to facilitate the stacking of a plurality of slide holder trays in a rack, cabinet, or similar enclosure.

Abstract: A display device of louvre arrangement wherein a display or exhibit is constituted by a group of parallel interleaved strips which are arranged in overlapping relation. The display device has a plurality of such groups. The display device has a driving mechanism having a cam arrangement, driving device, connecting members and a guide device, and cam followers each having an arm at the upper portion. The display device further comprises a frame structure releasably engaged with the connecting members of the driving mechanism, and elongated rigid elements movable together with the strips. Each elongated rigid element has an engaging member for contacting the arm of the cam follower to thereby shift the rigid elements and strips of one group in cooperation with a vertical movement of the cam followers.

Abstract: A display device for displaying two similar articles on a store shelf. The display device has a base portion which includes a flat sheet adapted to overlie a shelf generally horizontally and to have products placed thereof, and a flexible sign holder connected to the front of the flat sheet and extending forwardly and downwardly therefrom for containing pricing information. The display device also includes a thin flag portion connected to the base, the flap portion extending vertically and in a front to rear direction and bisecting the base portion. The flap portion has a vertical flag located forwardly of the flat sheet for increased visibility of the display device from the side thereof.

Abstract: A magnetic strip assembly for signs is provided for use in attaching a sign to the surface of a structure formed from a ferromagnetic metal. This device, which utilizes solvent welding or instead of pressure sensitive adhesives, allows for a more effective attachment of signs to metal surfaces. Other devices for the attachment of signs to metal surfaces utilizes pressure sensitive adhesives which are prone to adhesive failure, which is not a problem with this device. This magnetic strip assembly includes a flexible magnetic strip preferably with two flanges thereby creating a slot, a flexible mounting strip which is inserted into the slot of the magnetic strip thereby providing for mechanical interconnection, and a plastic sign which is fastened to the mounting strip by means of solvent welding. The solvent weld provides an extremely effective means of adhesion.

Abstract: A liquid activity toy having a housing with one or more reservoirs into which the child user can introduce a liquid, such as water, to operate one or more actuators to cause one or more actions or activities to occur. One of these activities is the rising of an object to a position outwardly of the toy housing and thereafter a dropping of the object back into the housing, and where this object may represent a growing of a toy flower. Another activity which may occur by the introduction of water is the rising up of another object such as a toy animal and which may thereafter drop back into the housing of the toy. A third activity which may occur upon the introduction of water into the toy is the movement of an object representative of a toy animal or insect in a circular path as to represent a flying bee. The various actuators which cause the activities to occur are designed so that only a small amount of water which may be free flowing water is required to cause the desired activity.

Abstract: An illuminated transparency viewing device is supported by a leg construction which may be adjusted to orient the viewer at different angles relative to a supporting surface. Two pairs of spaced apart legs are provided, each leg being pivotally mounted to the viewer housing for movement between retracted and extended positions so that either pair may be retracted or extended to tilt the viewer on edge. Each pair of legs may be of different length than that of the other pair. One leg of each pair is colinearly arranged with a corresponding leg of the other pair to define a pair of leg assemblies. Each leg assembly therefore has a pair of legs, each being mounted for pivotal movement between the side walls of a U-shaped bracket secured to the bottom of the viewer housing and may be extended from or retracted into the bracket.

Abstract: A disk-shaped throwing implement comprising a central circular part provided with identical wings which are symmetrically distributed around its circumference is disclosed. Each of the wings comprises two sections or areas one of which is substantially planar and lying within the same plane as that of the central part, with the second wing section being curved or bent and projecting at an angle to the first wing section. The free rim of the first wing section being curved or bent in a direction opposite to the bend or curvature of the second wing section. One embodiment of the invention discloses that, additionally, the free outer rim of the second wing section is curved or bent in a direction opposite to the bend or curvature of the free rim of the first wing section.

Abstract: A self-supporting plate for holding photographic slides includes a unitary plate having a plurality of depressions spaced apart in lateral and longitudinal relationship and surrounded by two side partition walls and two end partition walls and having a substantially flat bottom wall. Each depression is adapted to receive a photographic slide therein. The self-supporting plate further comprises projections provided on and along part of the opposite side surfaces of the side partition walls, the projections being adjacent to one of the end partition walls in parallel spaced relation to the flat bottom and projecting inwardly of each depression. A groove is provided in the flat bottom of the depression between the mutually opposing projections of each depression, with its opposite side partition walls positioned on the opposite sides of a line on the bottom wall of the depression in parallel thereto.

Abstract: The invention is an emergency illumination apparatus for use in areas where the presence of gases, vapors, dust, or combustible matter makes the use of conventional apparatus hazardous. The apparatus has a front compartment and a rear, explosion proof compartment that is separated, from the front apartment, by a divider wall. This divider wall has sealed light sockets on the front compartment side. Furthermore, the rear compartment has sealed electrical connections to at least two independent power sources.

Abstract: Indicia of enhanced visibility for rubber articles, and particularly for tires, are formed by a series of substantially straight lineal projections of the same approximate cross section integral of the article. The projections are continuous within the configuration of each indicium. Each indicium may include raised borders and/or may in total be raised above the surface of the article immediately surrounding the indicium. The cross-sectional width of a projection is from about 30 percent to 70 percent of the distance between the longitudinal axes of adjacent projections. To further enhance visibility dirt-retaining projections may be employed.

Abstract: A plant or garden marker comprising a stake element preferably of plastic material having a stem or shank portion with a sharp point at one end thereof and an enlarged planar mounting surface at the opposite end thereof. An identification member such as a decal is removably applied to the mounting surface and serves to identify plants by means of graphic information or indicia or both. The identification member also can be a sheet element provided with pressure sensitive adhesive. The mounting surface is outlined by a rib-like formation which outlines the location of the identification member. Various identification members can be purchased separately according to different varieties of plants the user intends to grow, and a selected member is affixed to a stake element which then is driven by hand into the ground adjacent the plant or plants to be identified. The same stake element can be used with different identification members simply by removing an old one and replacing it with a new member.

Abstract: A support for use in conjunction with self-coiling indicia-carrying sheets in a movable indicia display utilizes two identical backing members, and two identical end members, a total of only four parts. Sheet metal is used, and roll retainers are integrally formed on the backing members, as are intermediate edge guides for the indicia-carrying sheets. The end members serve as edge guides, and also provide support for the ends of the roll retainers. The entire assembly is fastener-free, cooperating tabs and slots being used to secure the parts together. In a modified version, each end member is permanently secured to one of the backing members so that the support comprises only two separable parts, which are identical to each other. In another modification, adapted to be viewed from only one side, only one backing member is used.

Abstract: Translucent plastic pages of an improved design for the filing of color film slides, wherein the storage trays are slightly indented to remove the slide emulsion from direct contact with the plastic. In accordance with a further feature, the translucent storage pages are formed from archival material, and are designed alternatively to be suspended in a file cabinet by means of a hanging bar which affixes to the page, and includes an indexing tab; or to be stored in a conventional ring binder, without the hanging bar.