Abstract: A special hand tool for laying concrete blocks. The device includes a mini-hopper sized to hold the correct amount of mortar, a sluiceway, dimensioned to fill the normal joint space between blocks, an optional divider to accommodate both 4 inch and 8 inch nominal blocks, and a vibrator. The device has a handle that can also contain batteries for the vibrator. A mason can scoop up mortar while the tool is vibrating. When full, the vibrator can be stopped and the tool positioned to face the end of a block already set in a wall while the next block to be laid can be put in place on its mortar bed and pushed to the other face of the tool. The vibrator can then be re-started, and the tool vertically withdrawn leaving the mortar that was in the tool between the two block ends. The same tool can also be used to butter horizontal joints by running the vibrator only sufficiently to apply the correct amount of mortar.

Abstract: A windshield wiper includes a flexible support with fasteners and positioning holes, a connecting piece fixedly connected to the flexible support, a warping piece that has a positioning portion which extends to form an elastic portion with locking pieces, a positioning piece, and a windshield wiper blade with the fasteners fastened to its two ends. The middle portion and the end portion of the flexible support have different curvatures. The positioning portion has a through-hole and abuts the flexible support. The positioning piece passes through the through-hole and the positioning hole to be fastened to the flexible support. The locking piece is fastened to the windshield wiper blade. Therefore, the windshield wiper blade is prevented from shaking due to an external force, by being attached to the windshield tightly through the warping piece and the positioning piece. Thus, its effect of wiping away rain is increased.

Abstract: A paper making machine may having heated rolls for making high clay content papers. A roll cleaning apparatus may be mounted to the paper making machine. The roll cleaning apparatus may have a cleaning member that is mounted to a support member that extends lengthwise relative to a first roll of the paper making machine. The cleaning member may be a pad having a substantial area of the surface of the roll may be contacted. The cleaning member may be movable between an engaged position against the roll during operation, and a disengaged position spaced away from the roll in a non-operating condition, such as when replacement of the cleaning member is desired. The roll cleaning apparatus may include a drive connected to cause linear reciprocation of the cleaning member. The roll cleaning apparatus may have a drive or actuator mounted to move the cleaning member between the engaged and disengaged positions, and may be operable to bias the cleaning member against the roll in use.

Abstract: An accessory tool for use with a suction source has a housing with a suction outlet and a fluid inlet. The suction outlet is adapted to be connected to the suction source. A roller assembly has a roller element rotatably mounted in the housing and adapted to contact a surface being cleaned. A turbine assembly has a turbine housing and a turbine fan rotatably mounted within the turbine housing. The turbine housing includes one or more inlet apertures in fluid communication with the atmosphere, as well as a turbine outlet in fluid communication with the suction outlet. A drive mechanism is operably coupled to both the turbine fan and to the roller element to drive rotation of the roller element when the suction source is connected to the suction outlet.

Abstract: There is provided an air intake for a vacuum-conveyance waste collection system, to form a high-speed air flow by allowing air to enter a conveying line through which waste being put into a waste receiving device is conveyed to a central waste collection station.

Abstract: The invention relates to apparatus and a method for separating solid particles from fluids and particularly gas flows. The apparatus is particularly for use in conjunction with an internal combustion engine or vacuum cleaner. The apparatus includes cyclone separator means which comprise at least two axial common cyclone separator elements, an inner and outer element, in conjunction with a two-stage electrostatic precipitator. The apparatus allows the filtration of fluid effectively, even if the flow varies over time.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner having an inlet nozzle for conveying air and dust to a dirt separator chamber via a dirty air inlet passage is provided. The dirt separator chamber has a chamber opening, an emitter window, and a receiver window. The emitter window and the receiver window may be substantially transparent. An emitter is positioned so that it emits light or another electromagnetic energy into the separator chamber via the emitter window. A receiver is positioned so that it receives light or another electromagnetic energy from the separator chamber via the receiver window. The emitter window and the receiver window each form a projection into the separator chamber during operation of the vacuum cleaner. Airflow creates a cyclone in the dirt separator chamber, and the projections increase the air velocity over the projections, cleaning the emitter window and the receiver window of dust.

Abstract: An upright vacuum cleaner has a compact, cylindrical exhaust filter assembly that is easily accessible by a user. The filter is removably mounted in a housing between an exhaust outlet aperture and a suction source outlet. A filter locking lug is associated with the filter element and the housing for removably securing the filter element to the housing to the filter frame. An upright vacuum cleaner has a pre-motor filter assembly that is highly visible to a user and accessible thereby.

Abstract: A surface-treating appliance includes a main body, a surface-treating head and a support assembly. The support assembly is moveable out of a supporting position in which it supports the main body by a user performing a plurality of steps—for example, by depressing a pedal, then tilting the main body by pulling the handle. This arrangement reduces the likelihood of accidental release of the support assembly from its supporting position. For example, if the user depresses the pedal alone, or only pulls on the handle, the support assembly remains in its supporting position.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner has an improved filter locking arrangement. A locking tab protrudes upwardly from a motor housing. The tab is received within an aligned slot in the filter housing and extends into a pocket formed in the filter frame. The tab prevents the filter frame from being rotated with respect to the filter housing and the motor housing while the filter housing is mounted to the main housing.

Abstract: An accessory tool for use with a suction source has a housing having a suction outlet and a suction nozzle. A hair collection element is pivotally mounted within the suction nozzle for movement between a forward position and a rearward position. The hair collection element can be in the form of a blade and a hair collecting material mounted to the blade for contacting a surface to be cleaned. Alternatively, an elastomeric material can be coated onto the blade or form the blade itself. Also, the hair collecting material can be formed into the form of the blade without any support other than a rod for mounting the fabric.

Abstract: A cleaning appliance is capable of performing two or more cleaning functions. The cleaning appliance may include a vacuum cleaner and a steam cleaner such that a user can vacuum a floor prior to steam cleaning the floor. Various manual switching arrangements may be used as part of controlling the cleaning appliance.

Abstract: A nozzle for a floor care appliance for cleaning surfaces. The nozzle includes a gliding sole disposed on a bottom side of the floor nozzle and has a suction mouth opening. A suction duct extends from the opening to a connection piece. A front suction mouth edge and a rear suction mouth edge bound the suction mouth with respect to a pushing direction of the floor nozzle. A rear pivot limit stop associated with the rear suction mouth edge and a front pivot limit stop associated with the rear suction mouth edge are included. The rear suction mouth edge projects beyond a plane of contact of the nozzle with the surface when the rear suction mouth edge engages the front pivot limit stop and when the floor nozzle is in a non-contacting position.

Abstract: A hinge device includes a bearing seat, a spherical joint, a plurality of positioning pins, and a retaining ring. The bearing seat has a containing recess. The spherical joint is rotatably disposed in the containing recess, and the surface of the spherical joint has a plurality of positioning holes. The positioning pins are disposed at the bearing seat and capable of sliding toward or away from the spherical joint. The positioning pins correspond to parts of the positioning holes respectively when the spherical joint rotates to a specific position relative to the bearing seat. The retaining ring is disposed at an opening of the containing recess of the bearing seat and surrounds the positioning pins, the retaining ring is against the positioning pins to allow the positioning pins to be fastened in the corresponding positioning holes when the spherical joint rotates to the specific position relative to the bearing seat.

Abstract: A counterbalance assembly for an appliance hinge includes a base including first and second spaced-apart side walls and a transverse face wall. The base includes: (i) a channel located between the first and second side walls; and, (ii) a notch comprising first and second notch portions respectively located in said first and second side walls. A rotating cam is supported on the base. The cam includes: (i) a camshaft that extends between the side walls and that is adapted for rotation about an axis of rotation, with a first end of the camshaft located in the first notch portion and a second end of the camshaft located in the second notch portion; and, (ii) a lobe that projects from the camshaft. The hinge assembly includes a biasing spring that comprising an inner end engaged with the base and an outer end spaced from the base. The outer end of said spring is located outside the channel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a simple connecting mechanism disposed between a stationary body and a movable body to simply change relative positions and attitudes of the movable body with respect to the stationary body, and it is possible to simply manufacture a sunvisor, an armrest, a portable table by using the mechanism.

Abstract: A hinge assembly includes a pivot shaft, a rotary member and a steady member sleeved on the pivot shaft. The rotary member and the steady member faces each other and are rotatable relative to each other. The rotary member forms a first peak, and the steady member forms a second peak. A friction portion is formed between the rotary member and the steady member. A thickness of the friction portion exceeds or equals to a thickness of either of the first peak or the second peak, and is less than the combined thickness of the first peak and the second peak. A support mechanism using the hinge assembly is also provided.

Abstract: A device for maintaining a hinge of a seat in an unlocked position, that includes a locking mechanism that can be declutched by rotation of an axis of the hinge, and a cam connected to a back of the seat and having a profile adapted to act on a forced-rotation driving mechanism of the hinge axis from a first inclination angle of the back of the seat towards the front, and to stop acting on the driving mechanism from a second inclination angle towards the front.

Abstract: In a card flat bar having a card flat clothing, the card flat clothing is magnetically attached to the card flat bar body and, in use, lies opposite a clothed roller. In order to hold the clothing element against the card flat bar in a structurally simple way in the event of an increase in force on the clothing, especially to prevent the card flat clothing from making contact with the cylinder clothing, and to allow quick replacement of the card flat clothing strip, on the fibre material inlet side of the card flat clothing—seen in the direction of rotation of the roller—there is associated with the card flat bar a counter-bearing, stop or the like with which a base of the clothing co-operates in the direction towards the cylinder.

Abstract: A belt-shaped base of a female member of a zipper tape attached to an inner surface of a bag body has a wide portion that extends wider toward an opening of the bag body than a belt-shaped base of the male member. An open tape is disposed on the wide portion and a seal layer is laminated on a surface of the open tape. A first projecting portion is also provided on the wide portion. A second projecting portion is provided on an opening-side end of the belt-shaped base. The projecting portions have a substantially trapezoidal cross section. When the zipper tape is bonded to the bag body and is sealed by the seal layer, a gap is provided between the open tape and the first and the second projecting portions.

Abstract: A closure device for closing a bag, includes a rail assembly having a first and a second rail, each rail having a proximal and a distal end, the respective proximal rail ends being operably coupled together and the respective distal rail ends being openable to define an aperture between the first and a second rails, and a lock ring, the lock ring having a bore defined therethrough, the rail assembly being disposable in the bore, the lock ring being readily shiftable along a dimension of the rail assembly, the dimension extending from proximate the proximal end of the rail assembly to proximate the distal end of the rail assembly. A method of forming a closure device id further included.

Abstract: A cover assembly and a supporting method of manufacture therefor provide users with a button cover. The cover assembly comprises a disk and a cover construction. The disk has an inner disk surface comprising an uneven disk landscape having peaks and valleys strewn thereacross. The cover construction is formed from an elastic material comprising a bonding portion and an annulus. The bonding portion has a cover landscape complementary to the disk landscape as the bonding interface is formed by filling the disk landscape with the polymeric material while in liquid form. The annulus comprises an aperture having a relaxed diameter greater in magnitude than the diameter of a target button. The annulus is elastically stressable for increasing the relaxed aperture diameter to a stressed aperture configuration for receiving the button. After the assembly is donned, the annulus retains the button cover assembly adorned upon the received or enveloped button.

Abstract: A button assembly including a button head operable to rotate in three-dimensional space. The button assembly having a mounting portion and an elongated shaft attached to a base is provided. The button assembly includes a bearing member disposed on one end of the shaft. The bearing member is configured to fittingly engage the mounting portion of the button head so as to pivotably attach the button head to the shaft. The base may be inserted into an article of clothing in alignment with a corresponding buttonhole. Accordingly the user is able to rotate and pivot the button head about the bearing member of the shaft so as to facilitate the insertion of the button head into the buttonhole.

Abstract: An apparatus according to the present invention provides a bundle tie including a head dampener. The tie generally comprises a strap and a tie head coupled to the strap. The tie head is adapted to engage a free end of the strap, thereby forming a loop, which may be formed or placed about one or a bundle of elongate articles such as conduit, wires, cables, ropes, and pipes, for example. The tie head is provided with a head dampener which serves to cushion what otherwise may be damaging force placed upon the one or more elongate articles by the tie head. The dampener may also serve to limit movement of the one or more elongate articles through the loop formed by the tie.

Abstract: A belt (1) for tying a number of cables is provided. The belt includes a flexible strip body (10) adapted to encircle said plurality cables, and a head forming an elastic hook (20) having a receiving portion and a latching arm (21) close to the flexible strip body (10). The latching arm (21) is flexible to be opened from the strip body (10) when a part of the cables slides into the receiving portion and then to be closed due to an elasticity of the hook (20).

Abstract: A slide fastener and a method for its manufacture A slide fastener (1) has a pair of opposed tapes (2), each including a strip (6) made of a flexible material, in particular natural or artificial skin or leather. Each strip (6) is folded on itself around an elongate core member (8) so as to form a teeth-carrying edge onto which a respective row of coupling teeth (3) is fastened. A layer (7) of a reinforcing sheet material is applied by means of an adhesive to the inner surface or face (6a) of said flexible material (6), and a layer of adhesive is applied onto the reinforcing material (7), and a strip of the thus obtained composite material is folded on itself around the core (8).

Abstract: A lace adjuster includes a tubular member, a stop anchor, and a separating member. The tubular member includes a surrounding wall which has two open ends and an inner surface bounding a through hole that has an axis. The stop anchor includes a fixing portion fixed on a part of the inner surface, and an inclining portion extending inclinedly from the fixing portion toward the axis and having a sharp free end portion proximate to the axis. The separating member extends axially through the through hole and said open ends, and is adapted to partition off the stop anchor from the lace moving past the stop anchor. The separating member is removable from the tubular member to permit the stop anchor to engage the lace after a desired length of the lace has moved past the stop anchor.

Abstract: An industrial fabric such as an endless belt or sleeve for use in the production of nonwovens, and a method of making thereof are disclosed. The industrial fabric is produced by spirally winding strips of polymeric material, such as an industrial strapping or ribbon material, and joining the adjoining sides of the strips of material using ultrasonic welding or laser welding techniques. The fabric may then be perforated using a suitable technique to make it permeable to air and/or water.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting a defect in a solar cell and repairing and characterizing a solar cell includes applying a test signal to the solar cell, monitoring the response of solar cell, detecting a defect associated with its location during the monitoring step, removing or isolating the defect from a solar cell and characterizing solar cell performance. The defect may be a short between the emitter and the base of solar cell. The system and method also detect a precise location of the defect based on the use of light valve panel (LVP), which can control the input beam to or output beam from the solar cell in terms of size, position, gray level, and wavelength of the transmitted light. The LVP may be realized in any one of a variety of ways. For example, the active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) such as Thin Film Transistor driven LCD (TFT-LCD) may be used as the LVP.

Abstract: Embodiments of an injection molded energy harvesting device are described. In one embodiment, a piezoelectric cantilever is produced via an injection molding method to harvest vibration energy from an environment being sensed. The cantilever device consists of a piezoelectric material member, a proof mass of high density material coupled to the piezoelectric member, and a leadframe for electrical connection. The piezoelectric member is electrically attached to the leadframe with a standard connecting material. The entire assembly is then injection molded with plastic. The plastic encased piezoelectric member forms a cantilever that generates electricity in response to vibration exerted on the proof mass.

Abstract: Piezoelectric ultracapacitor is disclosed capable of converting the kinetic energy of ordinary motion into an electrical potential. The piezoelectric ultracapacitor of the present invention may be used in various contexts, including power generation, switching and control and memory.

Abstract: There is There is provided a method of manufacturing a package 1 having a base substrate 10 and a lid substrate 20 bonded to each other and both formed of a glass base material; and a cavity C formed between the both substrates for storing an encapsulated object 2 in a state of being hermetically encapsulated, including: a depression forming step for forming a depression C1 for a cavity which defines the cavity when the both substrates are superimposed to each other on at least one of the both substrates; and a bonding step for superimposing the both substrates so as to store the encapsulated object in the depression and then bonding the both substrates to encapsulate the encapsulated object in the cavity, characterized in that in the depression forming step, printed layers 12 are laminated on an upper surface of a flat plate-shaped glass base material 11 in a frame shape in plan view by screen printing, and then the printed layers and the glass base material are baked at the same time to form the depression.

Abstract: A system and method for extracting seized components is disclosed. The method further grasping a seized component with a gripping mechanism and securing the gripping mechanism to the seized component by turning a camlock mechanism. A force is applied to a power transfer mechanism that moves a threaded axis that is threaded through the power transfer mechanism. The method additionally includes attaching the threaded axis to the gripping mechanism, which extracts the seized component. To facilitate extraction, the method also includes generating vibrations by a vibration mechanism, which may include a vibration mechanism rotating a rotary plate about a shaft. The method may also include generating vibrations by a cam attached to the rotary plate contacting one or more spring-loaded hammers. The spring-loaded hammers may be capable of impacting a strike plate, generating vibrations.

Abstract: Objects of the present invention provide an attachment for power tools that places and set wedge anchors. One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a new and improved attachment apparatus for a rotary-hammer type drill, the attachment including a first anchor setting end, a second attachment end, and a handle portion connecting the setting end to the attachment end. The attachment apparatus can be efficiently and easily mounted to the rotary-hammer type drill to simplify the installation of wedge anchors.

Abstract: Provided is an installation process and product designed to retrofit an existing bathtub by cutting and removing a section of the existing sidewall, inserting a generally U-shaped structure, and providing a removable covering to selectively close the void of the U-shaped structure to seal the bathtub.

Abstract: A rear axle/suspension module (18) is associated with a chassis frame (10) in a way that facilitates installation and removal to provide more efficient assembly plant operations with fewer parts and less floor space. Also provided is a method of re-equipping a truck that has one particular model of drive axle and suspension module with a different model.

Abstract: A method of removing a component from an aircraft includes attaching a device comprising a guide member to the aircraft; attaching the component (such as an actuator) to the guide member; detaching the component from the rest of the aircraft; and moving the guide member so that the component follows a predefined path of removal of the component. A device for use in such a method is also described.

Abstract: A disc brake tool to assist brake maintenance by forcing retraction of a brake piston. Two plates are inserted into the open area of a brake caliper while a third central member is forced between the plates. A crank-rotatable threaded shaft engages the central member to control central member movement along the shaft. The plates engage the caliper directly or indirectly and force pressure on the outside of a piston to cause it to retract back into the caliper. A method is also disclosed for retracting a brake piston by placing plates within the open area of a caliper. The method includes rotating a shaft to cause a third member to press apart the plates so as to force pressure on a piston.

Abstract: A workstation and method for the installation of a pulling head assembly onto one or more conductors of a cabling system are provided. The workstation incorporates one or more of: a conductor clamp that holds the conductors of the cabling system in place during the installation of the pulling head assembly; a cutting guide having indicia marks that indicate the lengths to which to cut the conductors in order to achieve a staggered pattern of pulling eyes attached to the conductors in the pulling head assembly; a stripping tool that is used to remove a portion of the insulation from the terminal end of each conductor so that the end of the conductor may be inserted into the pulling eye; and a crimping tool that is used to crimp the pulling eyes onto the terminal ends of each of the conductors.

Abstract: A production line for manipulating objects is provided. The production line has working stations for performing consecutive working steps on the objects by a stationary operator. At least one working station is arranged to be operated by a stationary operator that is a human and at least one working station is operated by a stationary operator that is a robot. The at least one working station being arranged for a stationary operator that is a human and the at least one working station being operated by a stationary operator that is a robot are arranged such that transfer of objects from one working station to the other working station is performed by one or both of the stationary operators. The robot has at least two arms. A method for operating a production line applying a corresponding concept is also provided.

Abstract: A docking arrangement for establishing a gap between a first component and a second component comprises an adjustable spacer moveably positioned on the first component. The spacer defines a transverse channel and a cross pin extends through the transverse channel. The cross pin including a plurality of opposing surfaces with each of the opposing surfaces separated by a different distance. The cross pin further includes indicia representative of the different distances between the opposing surfaces. In at least one embodiment, the docking arrangement is configured for use in a printing machine with the spacer determining a gap between a print head mount and an imaging drum mount based on a selected set of the plurality of opposing surfaces.

Abstract: An alignment device is located on a mandrel of an installation tool and is used to align a structural member in an opening of a workpiece while seating a radial flange of the structural member against a first surface of the workpiece. The alignment device comprises a disk-shaped device having an outer surface, an inner surface forming an opening through the alignment device, and where the opening is sized to be at least slightly smaller than a major diameter of an expansion portion of the mandrel. In one embodiment, the alignment is nylon to allow the inner surface of the alignment device to be repeatedly, radially expanded and yet the opening formed by the inner surface returns to its original size.

Abstract: A mechanism for securing a handle to a head, particularly of a lacrosse stick, comprises a shaft having a wedge portion positioned at a distal end thereof, a binding plate positioned adjacent to said shaft, and a means for moving said wedge portion in a longitudinal direction relative to said binding plate. Longitudinal movement of said wedge portion causes latitudinal movement of said binding plate, thereby binding said handle to said head. Such a mechanism can be used in a method for securing and maintaining secure the joint between a handle and a head, either in a new lacrosse stick or as a retrofit.

Abstract: An arrangement for attaching and axially fixing a shaft (1) in a component (2), in particular a housing wall. The axial fixing element is in the form of a swaged bead (5) that can be produced by wobble riveting.

Abstract: A pressure vessel is provided including an inner tank formed from a tank liner surrounded by a wound layer of composite filaments. A protective jacket is disposed on the inner tank that facilitates stacking and portability of the pressure vessel and helps to define an air passage for convective heat transfer between the hybrid tank and the environment.

Abstract: A device for and a method form a barrier comprised of a distributed zone of fluid in a filter of a smoking article. The device includes a container for a fluid which forms a wet impact barrier when inserted into the smoking article, and a delivery feature communicating between the container and an outlet of the delivery feature, for transfer of the fluid to filter of the smoking article. The delivery feature is formed by a tube of significantly lesser diameter than the diameter of the smoking article. The combination of container and delivery feature provides for placement of a defined quantity of fluid at a predetermined location within the smoking article, such as by injection through a side wall of the filter in the vicinity of the filter/tobacco boundary.

Abstract: The manufacturing apparatus of a semiconductor device includes a jig having a plurality of holders arranged in a row, a controller for controlling the pitch of the plurality of holders arranged in a row, a support means provided with a plurality of semiconductor integrated circuits, and a support means provided with a substrate having a plurality of elements. By mounting the semiconductor integrated circuits on the respective elements by using the jig having the plurality of holders arranged in a row, semiconductor devices are manufactured.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus that allow production of metal plate chip resistors having a relatively low resistance with high accuracy and yield through simple process. The object is achieved by apparatus 10 for manufacturing metal plate chip resistors including cutting mold 21 for cutting intermediate product strip 14 transversely to obtain worked product chip 16a, ohm meter 22 for measuring the resistance of the worked product chip 16a, control device 23 having a calculating part for performing a calculation using the resistance measured by the ohm meter 22 to work out a width in which the strip 14 is to be cut transversely so as to obtain a worked product chip of a desired resistance, and cutting width adjusting means 26, 27 for making an adjustment so that the strip 14 is to be cut transversely in the width obtained from the calculating part.

Abstract: The invention provides a secondary battery that has good adhesion between a thin substrate and an active material, is thinner and lighter in weight, has flexibility, and has excellent charge/discharge characteristics, and a method of manufacturing the secondary battery. The secondary battery includes a cell having, in order, a positive electrode active material layer, an electrolyte layer, and a negative electrode active material layer, or a cell having, in order, a negative electrode active material layer, an electrolyte layer, and a positive electrode active material layer, wherein the cell is formed on a conductive thin substrate having a surface roughness RMS of 0.8 ?m or less.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods of making a cathode for a lithium batter. The methods include: (a) treating a cathode current collector with flame or corona; (b) coating a slurry containing iron disulfide, a first solvent, and a binder onto the cathode current collector obtained from step (a) to form a coated cathode current collector, in which the slurry contains about 73-75% by weight solids and the binder contains a polymer selected from the group consisting of linear di- and tri-block copolymers, linear tri-block copolymers cross-linked with melamine resin, ethylene-propylene copolymers, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymers, tri-block fluorinated thermoplastics, hydrogenated nitrile rubbers, fluoro-ethylene-vinyl ether copolymers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic olefins, and polyvinylidene fluoride homopolymers; and (c) drying the coated cathode current collector obtained from step (b) to provide a cathode, in which the cathode contains no more than 0.