Abstract: A prosthesis may include a first component, a second component, and a coupling member. The first component may include a first body extending from a first end to a second end, which may define a first opening that extends inwardly toward the first end. The first opening may include a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter. The second component may include a second body extending from a first end to a second end. The second body may define a second opening that extends through the second body. The coupling member may be configured to couple the first component and the second component by compressing the first component and the second component. The coupling member may include a shaft portion and a head portion. The shaft portion may be sized and configured to be received in the first opening and the second opening.

Abstract: A power conditioner assembly includes: first and second brackets and a power conditioner. Each bracket includes a rear portion adapted to attach to a rear portion of an equipment rack and a front portion that extends frontwardly. The power conditioner includes a housing having a rear panel, a first side panel mounted to the first bracket and a second, opposed side panel mounted to the second bracket. The power conditioner is mountable to the brackets in a plurality of orientations including: a rearward orientation with the rear panel oriented substantially vertically; and at least one angled orientation with the rear panel at an oblique angle to vertical. The brackets may also be adapted to attach to other mounting surfaces and/or other brackets may be provided for this purpose to provide additional mounting options.

Abstract: An X-ray contrast sensitivity gauge is described herein. The contrast sensitivity gauge comprises a plurality of steps of varying thicknesses. Each step in the gauge includes a plurality of recesses of differing depths, wherein the depths are a function of the thickness of their respective step. An X-ray image of the gauge is analyzed to determine a contrast-to-noise ratio of a detector employed to generate the image.

Abstract: A power conditioner assembly includes: first and second brackets and a power conditioner. Each bracket includes a rear portion adapted to attach to a rear portion of an equipment rack and a front portion that extends frontwardly. The power conditioner includes a housing having a rear panel, a first side panel mounted to the first bracket and a second, opposed side panel mounted to the second bracket. The power conditioner is mountable to the brackets in a plurality of orientations including: a rearward orientation with the rear panel oriented substantially vertically; and at least one angled orientation with the rear panel at an oblique angle to vertical. The brackets may also be adapted to attach to other mounting surfaces and/or other brackets may be provided for this purpose to provide additional mounting options.

Abstract: A power conditioner assembly includes: first and second brackets and a power conditioner. Each bracket includes a rear portion adapted to attach to a rear portion of an equipment rack and a front portion that extends frontwardly. The power conditioner includes a housing having a rear panel, a first side panel mounted to the first bracket and a second, opposed side panel mounted to the second bracket. The power conditioner is mountable to the brackets in a plurality of orientations including: a rearward orientation with the rear panel oriented substantially vertically; and at least one angled orientation with the rear panel at an oblique angle to vertical. The brackets may also be adapted to attach to other mounting surfaces and/or other brackets may be provided for this purpose to provide additional mounting options.

Abstract: A power conditioner assembly includes: first and second brackets and a power conditioner. Each bracket includes a rear portion adapted to attach to a rear portion of an equipment rack and a front portion that extends frontwardly. The power conditioner includes a housing having a rear panel, a first side panel mounted to the first bracket and a second, opposed side panel mounted to the second bracket. The power conditioner is mountable to the brackets in a plurality of orientations including: a rearward orientation with the rear panel oriented substantially vertically; and at least one angled orientation with the rear panel at an oblique angle to vertical. The brackets may also be adapted to attach to other mounting surfaces and/or other brackets may be provided for this purpose to provide additional mounting options.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe deployment device in which an ultrasound-transmitting liquid forms the portion of the ultrasonic wave path in contact with the surface being inspected (i.e., the inspection surface). A seal constrains flow of the liquid, for example preventing the liquid from surging out and flooding the inspection surface. The seal is not rigid and conforms to variations in the shape and unevenness of the inspection surface, thus forming a seal (although possibly a leaky seal) around the liquid. The probe preferably is held in place to produce optimum ultrasonic focus on the area of interest. Use of encoders can facilitate the production of C-scan area maps of the material being inspected.

Abstract: An X-ray contrast sensitivity gauge is described herein. The contrast sensitivity gauge comprises a plurality of steps of varying thicknesses. Each step in the gauge includes a plurality of recesses of differing depths, wherein the depths are a function of the thickness of their respective step. An X-ray image of the gauge is analyzed to determine a contrast-to-noise ratio of a detector employed to generate the image.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe deployment device in which an ultrasound-transmitting liquid forms the portion of the ultrasonic wave path in contact with the surface being inspected (i.e., the inspection surface). A seal constrains flow of the liquid, for example preventing the liquid from surging out and flooding the inspection surface. The seal is not rigid and conforms to variations in the shape and unevenness of the inspection surface, thus forming a seal (although possibly a leaky seal) around the liquid. The probe preferably is held in place to produce optimum ultrasonic focus on the area of interest. Use of encoders can facilitate the production of C-scan area maps of the material being inspected.

Abstract: A rain gauge assembly has a collection cylinder situated within a vertical support housing. The lowermost portion of the collection cylinder comes to a point which rests upon the bottommost surface of the support housing. The uppermost portion of the collection cylinder is supported by the uppermost portion of the support housing. Connected to the uppermost portion of the collection cylinder is a flexible connector which is connected to a collector and a collector funnel. Affixed to the collector is a wind deflector support arm. The wind deflector support arm is attached to a vertical deflecting fin and a horizontal deflecting fin. The vertical and horizontal fins are situated in perpendicular planes for reacting to both wind direction and wind velocity, respectively.

Abstract: A system is provided for securing together a container having an opening and a finger-operable pump. One form of the system includes a mounting flange on the pump and a support structure in the container for receiving the flange in a snap-fit or press-fit engagement. In another form, the pump mounting flange is heat bonded to the container with a liner that includes at least two layers of a heat-weldable plastic around at least one interposed layer of substantially electrically conductive metal which can be heated with induction heating. The container can be threaded, and a threaded collar can be screwed onto the container. The collar can have an abutment surface for facing the pump actuator, and the collar can be screwed up or down on the container to establish a selected distance between the collar abutment surface and the pump actuator so as to define the stroke length of the pump.

Abstract: A discharge valve system is provided for a finger-operable pump with an actuating plunger. In one embodiment, the plunger includes a piston disposed in a pump pressurizing chamber. In another embodiment, the plunger is slidably disposed on a fixed piston so that the plunger and piston together define a pressurizing chamber. In either embodiment, the chamber receives fluid from a container. The actuating plunger defines a discharge passage establishing communication between the ambient atmosphere and the chamber. The discharge valve system includes a valve seat defined by the plunger in the discharge passage.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for an improved manually actuated pump for dispensing a liquid within a container comprising a pump body having an internal pump cylinder secured to the container. A piston is slidably disposed within the internal pump cylinder of the pump body with a pump stem having a stem end extending external the pump body. The stem end supports an actuator having a nozzle communicating with an internal stem passage of the pump stem for discharging the liquid from the container through the nozzle. A lock comprises a projection extending radially outward from the pump stem and an overhang extending radially inwardly relative to the internal pump cylinder of the pump body for preventing movement of the actuator in either an extended position or a retracted position upon rotation of the pump stem.

Abstract: A finger-operated pump is provided with a pump chamber and a fixed supply conduit communicating with the pump chamber. A movable sealing conduit is adapted to slidably and sealingly engage the supply conduit in a telescoping relationship. A primary piston is operably disposed in the chamber and defines a discharge passage out of the pump chamber. A poppet having a primary valve means for occluding the discharge passage is biased against the primary piston by a spring. The poppet has a secondary valve means for occluding flow through the sealing conduit that engages the poppet through a lost motion arrangement which is defined in part by the spring and which permits a limited degree of relative movement between the poppet and the sealing conduit.

Abstract: An elastomeric piston member of a product dispenser for semi-viscous liquids includes integrally molded priming valve structure as well as check valve structure. The priming valve comprises a number of generally flat, triangular segments arranged around the periphery of an outlet conduit leading from a pumping chamber, and during a pumping stroke of the piston member, outermost tips of each segment deflect laterally to allow discharge of products from the chamber. The triangular segments are molded in an open or spaced apart orientation to facilitate manufacture, and are biased by ribs of a discharge spout toward a closed, inclined orientation in contact with adjacent segments once the dispenser is assembled.

Abstract: A dispenser for lotions, creams and the like has an annular collar in the form of a rotatable cam ring which may be turned to rock an actuator toward a dispensing, open position or toward a closed, non-dispending position. The cam ring has cam tracks that support the actuator when in its open, dispensing position so that finger pressure exerted on the actuator to pump products from the dispenser does not inadvertently rock the actuator toward its closed position. In preferred forms of the invention, a wall section formed as part of a shroud surrounding the actuator is yieldably biased in an inwardly direction, and snaps over the outlet of the actuator to close the outlet channel once the actuator has been pivoted toward its closed, non-dispensing position.

Abstract: In a manually operated dispenser especially suited for striped toothpaste products and the like the reciprocable pumping piston is provided with a concave, product-engaging face that gently, yet forcibly, directs the product in a smooth, laminar flow out of the pump chamber and into the discharge spout when the piston is depressed through a pumping stroke so that stripes in the ribbon of toothpaste issuing from the spout are well defined and maintained in an aesthetically pleasing manner. The cooperating floating takeup piston at the opposite end of the chamber from the pumping piston is provided with a convex dome that becomes complementally received within the concavity of the pumping piston when the contents of the dispenser are nearly depleted, thereby maximizing the degree to which the dispenser is emptied.

Abstract: The actuating lever of the dispenser has a rigid valve flap integral therewith which covers the spout outlet to close the same when the actuating lever is in its normal, undepressed position but which then lifts off the outlet to open the same when the lever is depressed in a pumping stroke. One embodiment employs a reciprocable pumping piston at one end of the dispenser body and a free-floating take-up piston at the opposite end of the body which responds to the evacuationof material within the pump chamber to take up the space otherwise occupied by the evacuated product. Another embodiment utilizes a pumping piston which starts at the lower end of the dispenser body and is progressively drawn up toward the opposite end during successive pumping strokes by a rod connected to the actuating lever.

Abstract: The dispensing pump has an actuator button which is depressible immediately alongside of the stationary discharge spout of the pump so that, when the button is fully extended in its standby position, its upper surface is approximately flush with the upper end extremity of the spout. A locking cover on the button may be slid into a closed position at this time covering the open end of the spout to both seal the latter and securely lock the button against accidental depression. An alternative embodiment provides a discharge passage within the button itself which may be opened and closed by appropriate positioning of a slide cover carried by the button.

Abstract: The depressible actuator of the pump has a closure plug hingedly and integrally attached thereto in association with an integral toggle so that the plug may be snapped between a pair of opposite over-center positions about the hinge point. In one of the positions, the plug may be inserted snuggly into the otherwise open end of the dispensing spout of the pump so as to close and seal the latter, while in the other over-center position the plug is snapped back into a fully clearing relationship with the spout to not only open the latter but also remain out of the path of discharging travel of product emanating from the spout. When the plug is securely received within the spout, it cannot be pulled out merely by depressing the actuator, and thus the actuator becomes effectively locked against depression at that time.