Abstract: A method is provided for collecting measurement parameters related to imbalance forces of a tire/hub assembly of a vehicle during motion of the vehicle. An apparatus is removably attached to the tire/hub assembly of the vehicle via lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly. The apparatus includes a disk, a plurality of cup-shaped objects, and one or more inertial measurement units (IMU's) mounted to the disk. Each of the cup-shaped objects are rigidly fixed at one end to the disk and extend perpendicularly outward from the disk. The plurality of cup-shaped objects are arranged a fixed radial distance from a radial center of the disk in a pattern that matches the lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly. The one or more inertial measurement units (IMU's) are mounted to the disk and configured to measure parameters that are used for calculating the imbalance forces during motion of the vehicle.

Abstract: An axle-mounted sensor cuff is configured to be removably attachable to a hub portion of a railcar wheel of a railcar wheelset for use in determining anomalies associated with the railcar wheel, or a railcar bogie assembly that the railcar wheelset is part of, or a track, during motion of the railcar wheelset on a track. The sensor cuff includes one or more sensors, such as inertial measurement units (IMU's), mounted thereto to measure parameters that are used for determining the anomalies during motion of the railcar wheel on the track. In addition, a wheel-mounted sensor ring is configured to be removably attachable to a hub portion of a railcar wheel of a railcar wheelset for use in determining anomalies associated with the railcar wheel, or a railcar bogie assembly that the railcar wheelset is part of, or a track, during motion of the railcar wheelset on a track.

Abstract: A modular fabrication tool for prefabricating insulation for a duct segment includes at least three interchangeable and detachably connected panels, each panel of the at least three panels corresponding to a respective side of the duct segment. Each panel includes at least one of a connecting bar extending beyond a periphery of the respective panel or a connecting track. A connecting bar of one panel is received by a connecting track of a neighboring panel when two neighboring panels are properly positioned, adjoined together, whereby a retaining pin of the tool is advanceable through aligned, respective apertures of the connecting track and the connecting bar received therein.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator for a ball hitch includes a diaphragm assembly, a hollow support structure, and preferably, a removable cover. The diaphragm assembly includes a diaphragm member and may also include a peripheral sidewall. The diaphragm member has a non-permeable top surface having an inner facing surface and an outer facing surface. A central region of the inner facing surface is coated with lubricant that is releasable from the inner facing surface when pressed against an external surface and, optionally, rotated slightly. The hollow support structure has a peripheral sidewall. The diaphragm assembly is positionally secured within the hollow support structure to provide a unitary structure.

Abstract: A wheel-mounted sensor ring is configured to be removably attachable to a hub portion of a railcar wheel of a railcar wheelset for use in determining anomalies associated with the railcar wheel, or a railcar bogie assembly that the railcar wheelset is part of, or a track, during motion of the railcar wheelset on a track. The sensor ring includes one or more sensors, such as inertial measurement units (IMU's), mounted thereto to measure parameters that are used for determining the anomalies during motion of the railcar wheel on the track.

Abstract: An axle-mounted sensor cuff is configured to be removably attachable to a hub portion of a railcar wheel of a railcar wheelset for use in determining anomalies associated with the railcar wheel, or a railcar bogie assembly that the railcar wheelset is part of, or a track, during motion of the railcar wheelset on a track. The sensor cuff includes one or more sensors, such as inertial measurement units (IMU's), mounted thereto to measure parameters that are used for determining the anomalies during motion of the railcar wheel on the track.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for determining vibrational anomalies of a vehicle. An object is removably attached to a wheel of the vehicle in a manner that inhibits the object from coming off of the vehicle when the vehicle is in operation. The object includes one or more inertial measurement units (IMU's) mounted to the object and configured to measure parameters that are used for calculating the vibrational anomalies when the vehicle is in operation. Motion data captured by the one or more IMU's is collected. The collected motion data is processed to determine the presence of one or more vibrational anomalies of the vehicle. A recommended corrective action to be taken is determined when the result of the processed data indicates the presence of one or more vibrational anomalies of the vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus configured to be removably attached to a tire/hub assembly of a vehicle via lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly is used to determine imbalance forces of the tire/hub assembly during motion of the vehicle. The apparatus includes a disk and a plurality of cup-shaped objects fixed at one end to the disk and extending perpendicularly outward from the disk. The plurality of cup-shaped objects are arranged a fixed radial distance from a radial center of the disk in a pattern that matches the lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly. The apparatus is mounted to the vehicle's tire/hub assembly by fitting the plurality of cup-shaped objects over the lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly. The apparatus further includes one or more inertial measurement units (IMU's) mounted to the disk to measure parameters that are used for calculating the imbalance forces during motion of the vehicle.

Abstract: A lubricant applicator for a ball hitch includes a diaphragm assembly, a hollow support structure, and preferably, a removable cover. The diaphragm assembly includes a diaphragm member and may also include a peripheral sidewall. The diaphragm member has a non-permeable top surface having an inner facing surface and an outer facing surface. A central region of the inner facing surface is coated with lubricant that is releasable from the inner facing surface when pressed against an external surface and, optionally, rotated slightly. The hollow support structure has a peripheral sidewall. The diaphragm assembly is positionally secured within the hollow support structure to provide a unitary structure.

Abstract: An apparatus configured to be removably attached to a tire/hub assembly of a vehicle via lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly is used to determine imbalance forces of the tire/hub assembly during motion of the vehicle. The apparatus includes a disk and a plurality of cup-shaped objects fixed at one end to the disk and extending perpendicularly outward from the disk. The plurality of cup-shaped objects are arranged a fixed radial distance from a radial center of the disk in a pattern that matches the lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly. The apparatus is mounted to the vehicle's tire/hub assembly by fitting the plurality of cup-shaped objects over the lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly. The apparatus further includes one or more inertial measurement units (IMU's) mounted to the disk to measure parameters that are used for calculating the imbalance forces during motion of the vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus configured to be removably attached to a tire/hub assembly of a vehicle via lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly is used to determine imbalance forces of the tire/hub assembly during motion of the vehicle. The apparatus includes a disk and a plurality of cup-shaped objects fixed at one end to the disk and extending perpendicularly outward from the disk. The plurality of cup-shaped objects are arranged a fixed radial distance from a radial center of the disk in a pattern that matches the lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly. The apparatus is mounted to the vehicle's tire/hub assembly by fitting the plurality of cup-shaped objects over the lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly. The apparatus further includes one or more inertial measurement units (IMU's) mounted to the disk to measure parameters that are used for calculating the imbalance forces during motion of the vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus configured to be removably attached to a tire/hub assembly of a vehicle via lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly is used to determine imbalance forces of the tire/hub assembly during motion of the vehicle. The apparatus includes a disk and a plurality of cup-shaped objects fixed at one end to the disk and extending perpendicularly outward from the disk. The plurality of cup-shaped objects are arranged a fixed radial distance from a radial center of the disk in a pattern that matches the lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly. The apparatus is mounted to the vehicle's tire/hub assembly by fitting the plurality of cup-shaped objects over the lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly. The apparatus further includes one or more inertial measurement units (IMU's) mounted to the disk to measure parameters that are used for calculating the imbalance forces during motion of the vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus configured to be removably attached to a tire/hub assembly of a vehicle via lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly is used to determine imbalance forces of the tire/hub assembly during motion of the vehicle. The apparatus includes a disk and a plurality of cup-shaped objects fixed at one end to the disk and extending perpendicularly outward from the disk. The plurality of cup-shaped objects are arranged a fixed radial distance from a radial center of the disk in a pattern that matches the lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly. The apparatus is mounted to the vehicle's tire/hub assembly by fitting the plurality of cup-shaped objects over the lug nuts of the tire/hub assembly. The apparatus further includes one or more inertial measurement units (IMU's) mounted to the disk to measure parameters that are used for calculating the imbalance forces during motion of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method is provided for reading out contents of a video file having a predefined video file format. The contents include video frames of an object in motion captured by a video recording device, and motion data of an object collected by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that is attached to the object. The motion data is stored as metadata in one or more time intervals of the video file. Parsing instructions are stored in a computer memory. The parsing instructions indicate how the metadata is parsed into motion data for one or more video frames that are associated with the respective motion data. The contents of the video file are read out using the stored parsing instructions, thereby identifying specific video frames with their respective correlated motion data.

Abstract: A method is provided for reading out contents of a video file having a predefined video file format. The contents include video frames of an object in motion captured by a video recording device, and motion data of an object collected by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that is attached to the object. The motion data is stored as metadata in one or more time intervals of the video file. Parsing instructions are stored in a computer memory. The parsing instructions indicate how the metadata is parsed into motion data for one or more video frames that are associated with the respective motion data. The contents of the video file are read out using the stored parsing instructions, thereby identifying specific video frames with their respective correlated motion data.

Abstract: A method is provided for embedding motion data of an object collected by an inertial measurement unit that is attached to the object into a video file that includes video frames of the object in motion captured by a video recording device. The video file has a predefined video file format that is configured to include metadata that is storable at predefined time intervals of the video file. The method operates by capturing video frames of an object in motion and simultaneously collecting motion data of the object, storing the captured video frames in the video file, and storing the collected motion data, converting the motion data to the metadata, and inserting the metadata into one or more time intervals of the video file, wherein the metadata in each time interval includes the metadata for a plurality of successive or preceding video frames.

Abstract: A method is provided for embedding motion data of an object collected by an inertial measurement unit that is attached to the object into a video file that includes video frames of the object in motion captured by a video recording device. The video file has a predefined video file format that is configured to include metadata that is storable at predefined time intervals of the video file. The method operates by capturing video frames of an object in motion and simultaneously collecting motion data of the object, storing the captured video frames in the video file, and storing the collected motion data, converting the motion data to the metadata, and inserting the metadata into one or more time intervals of the video file, wherein the metadata in each time interval includes the metadata for a plurality of successive or preceding video frames.

Abstract: A toilet monitor uses a toilet tank water level sensor producing a toilet tank water level measurement signal. A processor detects rate of change of the measurement signal and conditionally produce a responsive actuation signal in response to the detected rate of change. A transducer connected to receive the actuation signal and transmit information, provide a humanly-perceptible indication, generate a data log and/or control an electronic water supply valve.

Abstract: A method is provided for determining a start offset between a video recording device and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for use in synchronizing motion data of an object collected by the IMU attached to the object with video frames captured by an image sensor of the video recording device of the object in motion. The start offset is then used to synchronize subsequently captured video frames to subsequently collected IMU motion data.

Abstract: An insect decoy is provided that includes a vapor-isolated vessel, a chemical compound disposed within the vapor-isolated vessel, and an excitation energy source. The chemical compound may have one or more absorption bands at a set of absorption wavelengths and have one or more emission bands at a set of emission wavelengths. The excitation energy source may be configured to produce electromagnetic radiation at the absorption wavelengths so as to fluoresce the chemical compound and release photons at the emission wavelengths. The vapor-isolated vessel may be configured with at least one infrared transmissive window that is substantially transparent to the released photons at the emission wavelengths of the chemical compound.