Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a base having first and second inlet ports and a fan configured to draw air through the inlet ports into the base. A vacuuming head is removably attachable to the base to channel air from a surface into the first inlet port to clean the surface while covering and blocking the second inlet port. An attachment, different than the head, is removably attachable to the base to channel air into the second inlet port.

Abstract: A bar steel cutting tool in which a fixed blade body and a rotary blade body that is capable of rotating around a first shaft, by operating a handle, are provided at the front end of a tool base for shearing bar steel with concave blades formed on outer peripheries of the fixed blade body and the rotary blade body. The handle is so constructed that the front end of a proximal portion of the handle thereof is supported by a second shaft at a position above the tool base and equipped with an elongated hole extending obliquely backwards from the second shaft. The rotary blade body has an arm portion extending backwards, and forms branch portions which nip both the right and left sides of the proximal portion of the handle at the rear end thereof.

Abstract: A back-up tong for assembling or disassembling threaded joints of tubing for use in oil and gas wells is provided. The back-up tong has both a first and second gripping mechanism. The first gripping mechanism has a plurality of jaws for engaging the tubing to prevent rotation of the tubing in a clockwise direction and the second gripping mechanism has a plurality of jaws for engaging the tubing to prevent rotation of the tubing in a counter-clockwise direction.

Abstract: A manually guided blower having a housing in which is disposed a drive motor that rotatingly drives an impeller. The impeller draws in an air stream via an intake opening and conveys the air stream through a discharge opening of the housing. The blower has at least one attachment that can be detachably connected to the housing in the region of one of the openings. The blower has at least one switch that is actuated when the attachment is secured to the opening, whereby the drive motor is in a ready-to-operate state only when the switch is actuated.

Abstract: A monkey wrench includes a handle, a head, stationary jaw, a movable jaw and a jaw-moving element. The head is formed at an end of the handle and made with a side, a groove in the side and an opening in communication with the groove. The stationary jaw is formed on the head and made with a first nut-contacting face, a second nut-contacting face next to the first nut-contacting face, a bulge on the first nut-contacting face and a recess next to the bulge. The movable jaw is movably disposed in the groove and formed with a nut-contacting face and a bulge on the nut-contacting face thereof. The jaw-moving element is disposed in the opening and engaged with the movable jaw so that the jaw-moving element is operable to move the movable jaw relative to the stationary jaw.

Abstract: The present invention discloses pliers including first and second members having first and second jaw members, respectively, and a first handle and a second handle. The jaws have first and second workpiece engaging surfaces constructed and arranged to generally correspond to first and second surfaces of a standardized workpiece, such as a hexagonal nut. A pivot assembly is provided to interact between the first and second members, which includes a plurality of pivot retaining regions disposed on the first jaw member and a pivot structure disposed within the second member. The pivot structure is engageable at a selected one of the retaining regions to adjust a relative position of a pivot axis between the first and second members so as to adjust an extent of relative spacing between the first and second jaws of the pliers.

Abstract: A cleaning attachment to water hose is provided comprising an outer shell having a dome-shaped base skirt including a connector member for tightening the flared top end of the neck section of the outer shell to the water hose in a sealing engagement, a main ball valve to permit passage of water and out of alignment therefrom to block the entire water stream; and a water chute with two extensions each extending approximately in parallel with the interior walls of the outer shell and in a first spiral form. A dome-shaped outer rotor with a number of fans and a bottom brush is rotationally positioned in the base skirt under the water chute for receiving the pressurized impacts of the water streams to activate the outer rotor in a first direction.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a chemical-mechanical polishing composition comprising (a) an abrasive consisting essentially of aggregated silica, (b) an acid, and (c) a liquid carrier, wherein the polishing composition has a pH of about 5 or less. The invention is also directed to a method of polishing a substrate comprising a dielectric layer using the polishing composition.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for polishing objects, such as semiconductor wafers, uses at least one object cleaner, which may be a movable object cleaner. The movable object cleaner allows access to different parts of the apparatus for maintenance.

Abstract: A spanner comprises a box end that has an inner periphery consisting of a number of wall faces to define a first polygonal receiving space. Each wall face includes a groove defined therein. The grooves of the wall faces together define a second polygonal receiving space. At least one of the grooves includes a closed first end and an open second end.

Abstract: Disclosed is a vacuum cleaner including a suction nozzle; a dust collecting assembly which includes a dust collecting container having a dust collecting space and an opened bottom, an inlet, a filtering device provided in the dust collecting container, and an outlet; and a cleaner body which includes a dust collecting assembly receiving recess for detachably receiving the dust collecting assembly, a polluted air outlet provided at the dust collecting assembly receiving recess and communicating with the inlet of the dust collecting assembly, a clean air inlet provided on an inner wall of the dust collecting assembly receiving recess to face the dust collecting assembly and communicating with the outlet of the dust collecting assembly, and a clean air conduit having a fan provided therein, for exhausting the clean air to the outside of the vacuum cleaner.

Abstract: A steam nozzle attachment for a steam cleaner having a substantially rectangular frame with a steam outlet positioned between the front and rear walls of the frame is provided. A plurality of baffles to distribute steam are disposed substantially perpendicular to the steam nozzle between the side walls of the frame. A replaceable fabric pocket that fits snugly over the frame is provided to distribute cleaning steam to the surface to be cleaned.

Abstract: A multi-bit screwdriver comprises a housing with a bit chuck at the front end and bit assemblies retained within the housing. Each bit assembly has a tool bit at a front end and a contact surface at a back end. An actuator extends from each bit assembly for operative engagement by a user, for movement of the actuator and bit assembly between a forwardly extended in-use configuration whereat the bit assembly is positioned such that the tool bit extends outwardly from the housing, and the contact surface of the bit assembly is disposed in longitudinal force transmitting engagement against a forward facing abutment surface to preclude rearward movement of the bit assembly due to substantially longitudinally directed forces transmitted from the tool bit, and a retracted configuration whereat the contact surface of the bit assembly is removed in a lateral direction from the longitudinal force transmitting engagement with the forward facing abutment surface.

Abstract: A torque-limiting mechanism is provided for use in a variety of torque-applying tools. The mechanism includes a handle defining a housing in which are disposed a slip gear and a fixed gear. The fixed gear is attached to the housing while the slip gear is attached to drive body extending outwardly from the housing and engageable with an item to be turned utilizing the tool. The slip gear and the fixed gear are connected by teeth disposed on each gear and by ball bearings disposed within recesses located on each gear that are pressed into the recesses by a force exerted on the gears by a number of spring members disposed between an enclosed end of the housing and the fixed gear. The amount of force exerted by the springs on the gears can be varied as necessary, thereby allowing the amount of torque required to enable the slip gear to move with respect to the fixed gear to be set where desired.

Abstract: The clamping apparatus comprising a chuck member and a pallet member releasably fixed to the chuck member. The chuck member comprises clamping means for clamping the pallet member to the chuck member. The chuck member has first centering means and the pallet member has second centering means cooperating with the first centering means to define the relative position between the chuck member and the pallet. The chuck member and/or the pallet member are/is provided with at least one damping element consisting at least partially of a compressed composite of metal chips.

Abstract: The method of retrieving a pig which is stuck in a pipeline including the steps of piercing the pig, establishing a circulation from the near end to the far end of the pig, gripping the central portion of the pig, and pulling the pig back to the proximate end of the pipeline.

Abstract: An improved frame saw system has multiple blades for cutting slabs of masonry materials. The improved systems and methods allow for cutting masonry materials into slabs having surface small deviations. A frame saw system may include a support structure of unifying material bonded to at least one of the blades for keeping the blades in fixed relative positions. The support structure may be removable from the frame saw system as the blades are engaged in a swinging motion cutting into the block. In addition, a process for cutting masonry blocks of granite, marble, rock, and the like, includes pretreating the surface of the block with a skim coat to fill surface irregularities prior to cutting operations. A frame saw system may contain one or more spacers between the saw blades wherein a compressive force is applied across the blades connected to a frame to reduce deflection of the blades while cutting.

Abstract: A dust-collector locking/unlocking device to lock or unlock a dust-collector removably mounted in a cleaner body. The dust-collector locking/unlocking the device includes a first member and a second member connected with a lower portion of the first member and serving as a cover for the dust-collector. The first member includes a first hook that is rotatably connected with an upper wall of the cleaner body, a manipulation lever that protrudes from an outer circumference of the first member for rotation of the first member by a user, and first cam parts formed on a lower portion of the first member. The second member includes a second hook movably connected with guide cams formed on the first member, and second cam parts engaged with the first camp part. The second member is moved up and down by the rotational movement of the manipulation lever and thereby lock or unlock the dust-collector.

Abstract: An escape implement assists a firefighter in exiting a burning building through a window by securing an elongate bar extending longitudinally and juxtaposed with a corner of the window. The bar is secured in place with sharp-ended members projecting from the bar in the same lateral directions for piercing the wall to anchor the bar to the wall so as to span the corner, with an intermediate portion of the bar placed relative to the corner for enabling the attachment of an escape line to the intermediate portion of the bar. The escape line is attached to a looped member coupled with the bar for swiveling about the longitudinal direction so as to avoid the transmission of torque from the escape line to the bar which otherwise could tend to dislodge the sharp-ended members from the wall.

Abstract: A cleaning card for use in cleaning internal surfaces of machine components includes a substrate having a central plane between opposed outer surfaces, a machine direction dimension defined between opposed end edges and a transverse direction dimension defined between opposed side edges. The opposed surfaces have a plurality of discrete raised working areas for engaging and cleaning internal surfaces of the machine components. The working areas each include a peak and a peripheral wall having an edge remote from the peak and the peak of each raised working area is further from the central plane than the edge of the peripheral wall remote from the peak. The cleaning card substrate has an effective working thickness that is greater than the nominal thickness between the opposed surfaces.