Abstract: An improved cargo seal structured to securely close a container having at least one door, the cargo seal including a lock assembly, including at least one lock aperture, that secures the door in a closed orientation, and an elongate segment of substantially strong, generally flexible material. The elongate segment is structured to extend through the lock aperture of the lock assembly so as to restrict movement and/or actuation of the lock assembly, and is sufficiently elongate to extend across the doors and thereby prevent opening thereof. A pair of lock segments are further provided and are correspondingly disposed at a first end and a second end of the elongate segment, at least one of the lock segments being structured to be securely coupled with at least one mating segment at the first end of the elongate segment.

Abstract: A locking cap for deterring unauthorized removal of golf course flags consists of a bolt, the head of which is loosely captured within a protective shell. The bolt head has a socket, shaped to receive a specialized removal tool and this shell has a hole at its top so the socket can be accessed by the tool. The flag is mounted on a tube, terminated at its upper end by a cap with a hole large enough to loosely pass the threaded shank of the bolt. The flag staff or "pin" marking each golf course hole has a threaded hole at the top to receive the bolt shanks. When the shank bottoms in the hole, enough space remains between the bolt head and the shoulder of the pin so that the shell and the end cap are loosely captured, permitting the flag to freely rotate around the pin.

Abstract: A bonding construction for bonding a rotary shaft made of a resin material to a lever made of a resin material. The lever is formed with a fitting hole therein into which the rotary shaft is fitted. The rotary shaft has projections formed on its outer surface. The inner surface of the fitting hole of the lever is formed with grooves into which the projections of the rotary shaft are fitted. The rotary shaft and the lever are melted together at their interface between the projections and the grooves by ultrasonic welding.

Abstract: An improved release device for safety equipment has a housing including a body, a cover attached thereto with a resilient flexible membrane inserted therebetween, and an attachment portion releasably secured to the cover. The cover has shoulders protruding radial inward within the bore. The release device has a cap rigidly mounted to the membrane and an annular gap exits between the shoulders and the cap. The attachment portion has elastically flexible legs with enlarged ends that extend into the bore. The ends deflect inwardly when engaged by the shoulders and then spring outwardly and are retained in a recess below the gap because the enlarged ends are wider than the gap. When the pressure forces the membrane to move away from the bore, the cap moves with it to enlarge the gap and allow the legs of the attachment portion to escape from the cover, whereby the safety equipment is released when the water pressure is sufficiently high. The device is testable and may be reset and reused at will.

Abstract: A beach bed includes a flexible, thin-walled plane made from synthetic material, e.g. PVC. It is made up of a central part and a peripheral inflatable part separated by means of one or more heat seals, whereby the inflatable part, when inflated, form a boxed-in area around the central part. The inflatable part, when inflated is provided with at least one part that is raised relative to the rest of the inflatable part. With an item of this design it is possible for the user to make himself comfortable on a sandy surface and at the same time prevent sand from blowing on himself and any items he has placed in the central part. Furthermore, a beach towel may be coupled to the beach bed. Moreover, advertising may be printed on the central part of the beach bed.

Abstract: A greeting card is disclosed which has a self-inflating balloon contained therein, which balloon inflates either upon opening the greeting card, upon removing the greeting card from an envelope, or upon manual activation by the individual receiving the greeting card. A gas generator is provided with two reactants which are separated by a physical barrier until the device is activated, at which time the reactants mix to generate gas used to inflate the balloon. In the preferred embodiment, the physical barrier is a zipper-like fastener element which is pulled apart by a triggering mechanism to activate the gas generator to inflate the balloon.

Abstract: An axial ball-and-socket joint for linkages in motor vehicles, comprising a metallic housing, which is open on one side and has a fastening pin opposite the open side of the housing. A likewise metallic joint ball, which is mounted in it in a bearing shell made of plastic and is provided at the end of a ball pivot. The ball pivot projects from the open side of the housing coaxially with the fastening pin, wherein the joint ball is held in the housing by deformation of the material of the open edge of the housing. The bearing shell made of plastic is supported on the housing side with the fastening pin with an oblique surface against an oblique surface on the housing and against a buffer made of a material having selected elastic characteristics, which is inserted between the bearing shell and a radial support surface provided on the housing.

Abstract: A casing for use in the manufacture of a resilient joint, the casing having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining an internal cavity, wherein the casing has at least one frangible wall section which is adapted to fracture upon the application of a compressive force to the outer surface of the casing such that after such fracture the volume of the internal cavity of the casing is reduced.

Abstract: An improved temporary guard rail system for use by residential and commercial builders on construction sites in those areas of building structures where an accidental fall may result in serious bodily injury. In particular, the temporary guard rail system of the present invention includes a plurality of upright stanchions having mounting brackets integrally formed or attached thereto that are connected by a plurality of vertically spaced, generally horizontal side rails extending end to end. The vertically spaced side rails are adapted for 360 degree rotational movement in both horizontal and vertical planes. In addition, the tubular guard rails are fabricated in a plurality of sections that may be slideably engaged, one inside another, to provide a telescoping adjustment of length.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an inflatable wheelchair cushion, the cushion including: a base member having a shape complementary to that of a sling-type wheelchair seat; a plurality of fluid-fillable cells rising from the base member, top surfaces of the cells, when the cells are filled with fluid to one or more desired pressures, defining a generally flat seating surface; and means to introduce pressurized fluid to the cells or zoned groups of the cells.

Abstract: A file position location device and related method are provided. The device permits easy location of the position from where a file has been removed from within a cabinet drawer. The device is easily stored on a metallic surface of the cabinet during non-use. The device has a magnetic substrate layer and a wedge shaped body adhered thereto. The magnetic substrate permits retention of the device on the surface of the cabinet for storage and ready availability when use is desired. The wedge shaped body when positioned between two non-removed files acts to resist downward gravitational forces to maintain the location of the device near the top of the drawer for visibility. The device may optionally have a clip to further ensure that the device is located near the top of the drawer during use and is not unintentionally permitted to move toward the bottom of the drawer out of view of the user.

Abstract: An orthopedic trapeze for a hospital bed for use with an overhead frame bar. The orthopedic trapeze includes an upper base assembly mounted on the overhead frame bar, a lower base assembly attached to the upper base assembly. The upper base assembly can slide linearly upon the overhead frame bar, the lower base assembly can rotate 360 degrees in a horizontal plane with respect to the upper base assembly, and the trapeze bar can slide linearly within the lower base assembly, giving the trapeze handle the ability to be positioned anywhere over the hospital bed, including the ability to be positioned past the edges of the bed. In the absence of any external weight on the trapeze handle the lower base assembly and trapeze bar and trapeze handle will rotate freely, while a weight placed on the trapeze handle will lock the lower base assembly in position. A patient can therefore position the trapeze handle at any desired location.

Abstract: An integrated matrix bedding system includes an air/foam mattress matrix assembly which comprises an airtight structure assembled within a restraining member. The airtight structure has a base with a plurality of compressible and expandable members extending upwardly from the base and arranged in a matrix arrangement. A plurality of connecting tubes are connected to the base and interconnected to two adjacent compressible and expandable members for distributing air between the plurality of compressible and expandable members. The restraining member has a plurality of interior cavities arranged in a matrix arrangement which corresponds and aligns with the compressible and expandable members. The plurality of compressible and expandable members are respectively inserted within the interior cavities of the restraining member.

Abstract: A long term mail storage device is provided including a lower extent with an access door hingably coupled thereto. A lock is associated therewith for allowing access within an interior space to only privileged users. An opening is formed in a top face of the lower extent. Further included is an upper extent having a bottom opening in communication with the opening of the lower extent. The upper extent has a bottom trap door hingably coupled thereto. Next provided is a trap door control assembly situated within the lower extent. During use, the trap door may be maintained in an upright orientation for allowing mail to drop within the interior space of the lower extent and further maintained in a lowered orientation for precluding mail from dropping within the interior space of the lower extent.

Abstract: A plug-in-lock assembly particularly useful for locking in fixed position a pleasure boat seat with respect to the deck of the boat. The plug-in-lock assembly features a base assembly and stem combination. The base assembly features a base within which is formed a reception cavity and a bushing ring supported by the base and extending into the reception cavity. The bushing ring has an interior surface which contacts with the stem once inserted. The base assembly also includes a center post positioned within the reception cavity and supported by the base. The center post has a top surface and a side wall with the side wall being spaced from an interior surface of the base defining the reception cavity so as to define a stem reception gap between said wall and interior surface. The invention also features a method for assembling the plug-in-lock assembly.

Abstract: A crematory urn having a hollow body defining an interior chamber and having a pair of openings for access to the interior chamber. A sinuous or sinusoidal partition is positioned within the interior chamber and between the pair of openings so as to divide the interior chamber into two portions of substantially equal volume. A pair of removable closures are respectively positioned in the openings in the hollow body.

Abstract: The angularly accessible head for a threaded connector comprises a spherical structure having a centered slot therein, the slot having a bottom surface or wall in the shape of an inverted V, with a center point thereof extending toward and terminating below the center of the sphere. The head is functionally accessible from a plurality of planes which are not coplanar with a center plane of the slot.

Abstract: A connector is provided for use with an end-frame assembly having an outer frame and a support member. The connector includes an annular back wall having a first lateral dimension and is formed for engagement with the support member. A sleeve extends from the back wall and has a second lateral dimension that is less than the first lateral dimension. Ribs are positioned on the sleeve. In addition, the connector includes an outer end that extends away from the back wall and has a fish-mouth portion formed thereon that includes a fish-mouth opening, a leg mount that has a side wall extending through the fish-mouth opening, and a support tongue. The support tongue engages the side wall and extends through the fish-mouth portion.

Abstract: A device for tilting the top end and/or bottom end of a bed, includes two hingedly connected frames and a control unit operably connected thereto for adjusting the spacing therebetween. One fixed frame is supported on the bed base while the other, movable frame supports one end of a mattress. The fixed frame comprises two parallel co-planar tubes and the movable frame consists of a U-shaped frame pivotably mounted on and between the tubes. The control unit is attached to the fixed frame and controls the longitudinal translation of slide blocks with worm screws. The blocks are slidable along the tubes to tilt the movable frame relative to the fixed frame. The worm screws are mounted in the two tubes and the control unit is located outside the area encompassed by the fixed frame.

Abstract: A safety gate for use in obstructing doorways, passageways and similar openings to restrict the movement of children and the like. The safety gate includes a panel that can be readily secured in and removed from the opening by extending and retracting one or more movable bumpers mounted on an outer rail of the panel. Each movable bumper is urged to the extended position in a horizontal direction by a spring that connects the bumper to a push rod which is mounted in the panel for horizontal movement in alignment with the bumper. Each push rod is connected to an actuator that is mounted in the panel for vertical movement between a lowered position and a raised position. Each movable bumper is independently urged to the extended position by its spring when its corresponding push rod is driven toward the bumper by lowering the actuator. The spring can be a compression spring having one end connected to the bumper and its opposite end connected to the push rod.