Abstract: A helmet has a ventilated shell, ventilated padding and a ventilated liner of plural cells mounted to the padding for engaging a wearer's head. The liner has top and bottom flexible sheets fused around their perimeter, the bottom sheet having plural round or oval toroidal cells and plural round or oval closed cells, the openings in the toroidal cells extending through the top sheet. Foam at least partly fills each cell. Cells under a crown of the shell are connected in a first circuit with a valve for inflating these cells and a other cells under temporal and occipital portions of the shell are connected in a second inflation circuit with a valve for inflating the second plurality of the cells. Cells under the frontal portion not being inflatable and being substantially filled with foam padding.

Abstract: A method for acquiring rights to lease a drilling rig using client devices with secure information and qualifications bulletin boards is disclosed. The method authenticates a leassee of a drilling rig using a leassee client device to communicate with leassors using a secure server system. The leassee creates a bid proposal using a secure database server system and invites leassors to reply to the bid proposal and form tender offers. Then, the leassee replies to tender offers and awards a lease contract based on the best leasing conditions.

Abstract: A system for acquiring rights to lease a floating production system including leassee client devices, leassor client devices, and a database server system is disclosed. The leassee client devices and leassor client devices communicate with the database server system. The database server system maintains a catalog of floating production systems available to potential leassees via their respective client devices and includes information on the floating production systems available for lease. The database server maintains information on leassors with floating production systems for lease, and information on equipment used on floating production systems for lease. The system allow leassees and leassors to request bids, formulate potential leassor distribution lists, and determine the best leasing conditions offered by the potential leassees. The system facilitates making an award to the potential leassor offering the best leasing conditions for the lease of a floating production system.

Abstract: A system for acquiring rights to lease an offshore support vessel using leassee client devices, leassor client devices, and a database server system is disclosed. The leassee client devices and leassor client devices communicate with the database server system. The database server system maintains a catalog of offshore support vessels available to potential leassees, via their respective client devices, with information on the vessels available for lease. The database server maintains information on leassors with offshore support vessels for lease and information on equipment used on the vessels for lease. The system allows leassees and leassors to request bids, formulate potential leassor distribution lists, and determine the best leasing conditions offered by the leassors. The system facilitates making an award to the potential leassor, who or which offers the best leasing conditions for the lease of an offshore support vessel most closely matching the formulated bid request.

Abstract: A system for acquiring rights to lease a drilling rig for periods of time and/or particular activities and including leassee client devices, leassor client devices, and a database server system is disclosed. The leassee client devices and leassor client devices communicate with the database server system. The database server system maintains a catalog of drilling rigs available to potential leassees via their respective client devices, comprising information on the drilling rigs available for lease. The database server maintains information on leassors with drilling rigs for lease and information on equipment used on drilling rigs for lease. The system allows leassees and leassors to request bids, formulate potential leassor distribution lists, and determine the best leasing conditions offered by the leassors. The system facilitates making an award to the potential leassor, which offers the best leasing conditions for the lease of a drilling rig most closely matching the formulated bid request.

Abstract: A realistic looking hand prosthesis made preferably of an elastomeric material is formed to hold a substantially spherical ball. The ball is held in the hand securely by friction between a ball and a hand made of a rubber like material wherein the ball is slightly larger in diameter than the conformed hand. The ball may be selectively rotationally oriented in three orthogonal directions of angular freedom. The ball is provided with various attachment means for attaching implements, which attachment means may include holes of various shapes and sizes, holes with projections, magnetic attaching means and threaded or other fastening means. Providing of angular adjustment in three orthogonal directions enables the ball to be able to attach a large number of useable implements to be positioned so as to aim the axis of each implement as needed and to rotate about its axis. The ball may be utilized in connection with a natural or prosthetic hand.

Abstract: A system for acquiring rights to lease well services including leassee client devices, leassor client devices, and a database server system is disclosed. The leassee client devices and leassor client devices communicate with the database server system. The database server system maintains a catalog of well services available to potential leassees via their respective client devices and comprising information on the well services available for lease. The database server maintains information on leassors with well services for lease, and information on equipment used on well services for lease. The system allows leassees and leassors to request bids, formulate potential leassor distribution lists, and determine the best leasing conditions offered by the potential leassees. The system facilitates making an award to the potential leassor offering the best leasing conditions for the lease of well services most closely matching the formulated bid request.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product used for creating a custom footwear product. The method on which the system, and computer program product are based includes inputting in a retail store information about a characteristic of a consumer that relates to the consumer's foot, and receiving in the retail store a determination of a plurality of selected pre fabricated footwear components that have been selected based the information. Also included in the method is creating in the retail store a kit of prefabricated footwear components for the customer including the identified prefabricated footwear components to be assembled into the custom footwear product.

Abstract: A method for providing a custom shoe to a consumer, including identifying at least one characteristic about a consumer that is present within the retail store, the at least one characteristic relating to the consumer's foot. Also included is selecting a plurality of pre-fabricated footwear components based on the at least one characteristic, assembling the plurality of prefabricated footwear components into a custom shoe that is customized to the consumer, and presenting the custom shoe to the consumer before the customer leaves the retail store.

Abstract: A system for providing a shoe customized to a person includes a plurality of shoe cavity units each having an upper portion and a sole assembly coupled to the upper portion to form a shoe cavity configured to accommodate a foot. Also included is a plurality of interchangeable first shoe components each configured to be coupled to a shoe cavity unit and each configured to provide substantially the same first footwear function but having a different physical attribute based on differences among wearers, and a plurality of interchangeable second shoe components each configured to be coupled to a shoe cavity unit and each configured to provide substantially the same second footwear function but having a different physical attribute based on differences among wearers.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of shoes in general, and more specifically to the application of microspheres in shoe material formulations to yield desired shoe properties. Even more specifically, the invention relates to a shoe component prepared from a closed cell foam incorporating microspheres to yield controlled cell size, cell size distribution and expansion characteristics. In another embodiment, the invention also relates to an inner sole for a shoe prepared from the reaction product of a polymer matrix component and a curing agent where the curing agent is incorporated in microspheres to yield a material conformable to the user's foot shape.

Abstract: A realistic looking hand prosthesis made preferably of an elastomeric material is formed to hold a substantially spherical ball. The ball is held in the hand securely by friction between a ball and a hand made of a rubber like material wherein the ball is slightly larger in diameter than the conformed hand. The ball may be selectively rotationally oriented in three orthogonal directions of angular freedom. The ball is provided with various attachment means for attaching implements, which attachment means may include holes of various shapes and sizes, holes with projections, magnetic attaching means and threaded or other fastening means. Providing of angular adjustment in three orthogonal directions enables the ball to be able to attach a large number of useable implements to be positioned so as to aim the axis of each implement as needed and to rotate about its axis. The ball may be utilized in connection with a natural or prosthetic hand.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of shoes in general, and more specifically to the application of microspheres in shoe material formulations to yield desired shoe properties. Even more specifically, the invention relates to a shoe component prepared from a closed cell foam incorporating microspheres to yield controlled cell size, cell size distribution and expansion characteristics. In another embodiment, the invention also relates to an inner sole for a shoe prepared from the reaction product of a polymer matrix component and a curing agent where the curing agent is incorporated in microspheres to yield a material conformable to the user's foot shape.

Abstract: A mechanical hand comprising a housing with a first sliding actuation member and second sliding actuation member, at least two elongate, bendable members comprising a proximal phalanx and a distal phalanx, a relatively stationary member attached to the housing, a primary tension member projecting through the housing and at least through the second sliding actuation member, and a set of primary tendons and a set of secondary tendons. The primary tendons have first and second ends, with the primary tendon first end secured to the first slidable actuation member, and with the primary tendons extending through the bendable members. The primary tendon second end is secured to the distal phalanx. Each secondary tendon has first and second ends. The secondary tendon first end is secured to the second slidable actuation member. The secondary tendons extend through the bendable members. The secondary tendon second end is secured to the proximal phalanx.

Abstract: A urine collection system for females comprised of a soft, flexible, sealing member forming a seal around the external urethral ostium, by conformation to and adhesion to the tissue surface. A conduit, or drain, passes through the sealing member leading to collection and storage means for the urine. A positioning or orientation member is provided to achieve alignment of the conduit lumen through the sealing member with the urethral orifice.

Abstract: A method for producing an external breast prosthesis or support by forming a mold directly from the subject for whom the prosthesis is being prepared. After a molding material is applied to the subject's breast, the breast is immersed in an isodensity liquid to present the breast to a zero-gravity condition while the molding material cures.

Abstract: A unitary, coextruded panel adapted for use as the window of a structure, which panel combines light transmitting and light reflecting properties to permit passage of direct solar radiation at a low solar altitude and to prevent passage of direct solar radiation at a high solar altitude, and which also provides insulating dead air spaces.The panel comprises an essentially clear and planar inner and outer face, positioned along the inner and outer portions of the structure, respectively, and a plurality of ribs, connected to and extending between the inner and outer faces, some of which ribs are transparent, and some of which are opaque to solar radiation, which rib members are placed in a geometrical relationship which provides the selected light transmitting and light reflecting properties in relation to the solar altitude.

Abstract: A mixer and dispenser is described which thoroughly and quickly mixes a fluid and catalyst without the occlusion of air. The combination mixer/dispenser is in the form of a syringe having a hermetic sealing arrangement including a rubber septum at the dispensing end, which syringe converts from a mixer to a dispenser by the simple use of a rigid spacer.

Abstract: An improved unitary, coextruded solar collector panel of the type having an upper, heat insulating region, and a lower, heat absorbing region, each region having ribs which separate the region into channels, for the passage of a fluid therethrough, wherein the heat insulating region is provided with an increased number of channels, to decrease radiation and convection losses from the heat insulating region, and the heat absorbing region is provided with oblique ribs which form channels of increased cross sectional area, to improve heat transfer from the heat absorbing region to the fluid circulated therein. Bowing of the unitary collector panel out of its planar configuration is reduced by providing a heat absorbing region which is darkened in a manner such that the heat density is greatest at a point away from the bottom of the collector panel.