Abstract: An apparatus for removing shingles and shingle fasteners from a roof. The apparatus comprises a frame and a driver unit coupled to the frame, the driver unit including at least one motor. The apparatus also comprises a stripping unit coupled to the driver unit, the driver unit being operative to alternately move the stripping unit between two positions. The stripping unit is adapted to lift shingles off from a roof and to extract shingle fasteners out of the roof as the stripping unit alternately moves between the two positions and the apparatus moves on the roof. The apparatus further comprises a pair of cutters coupled to the driver unit, the driver unit being operative to drive the pair of cutters.

Abstract: A dental porcelain composition comprising a continuous glassy phase and a discontinuous, substantially uniform crystalline phase comprising cubic leucite. The porcelain exhibits coefficients of thermal expansion in the range of about 11 to about 17.times.10.sup.-6 /.degree. C. (measured from 25.degree. C. to 500.degree. C.) and fusion temperatures in the range of about 700.degree. C. to about 1200.degree. C. The porcelain composition of the present invention can be used to form dental restorations such as cores for all ceramic restorations. The cubic leucite phase is uniformly dispersed in the glass matrix and has an average grain size not exceeding about 4 .mu.m and about 95% of the leucite grains do not exceed about 8 .mu.m in diameter.

Abstract: To improve the geometrical arrangement of spoked wheels for bicycles or motorcycles and lengthen the life thereof, the spoke nipples are applied on the wheel rims by means of bushes formed of two cylindrical coaxial bodies of different diameter for housing respectively the conical head and the cylindrical section of the nipples and being partially telescoped and reciprocally connected. The bushes are apt to be riveted onto the inner element of the rim, with the common axis of the cylindrical bodies slanting in respect of the rim radius by an angle equal to half of the mean angle between that of maximum deviation and that of minimum deviation of the wheel spokes, depending on their variable assembly conditions.