Abstract: Apparatus is provided for crushing rock into aggregate which utilizes a movable jaw operating relative to a fixed jaw. The movable jaw is supported on upper and lower toggle plates which are positioned in non parallel planes. Rock to be crushed is received in an upper entry region defined by the jaws and by opposed cheek plates cooperable with the jaws. Upon reciprocating movement of an hydraulic actuator, a major movement imparted to the movable jaw at its upper region is in a generally upright plane and a major movement imparted to the movable jaw at its lower region is in a generally horizontal plane transverse of the upright plane. In this manner, improved initial cracking of the rock as it enters the upper entry region is achieved and increased production flow of crushed aggregate is achieved at a discharge region by reason, at that location, of the relative horizontal movement between the fixed and movable jaws.

Abstract: An arrangement is provided which enables the rapid and effective termination of electrical junctions for an implantable medical device such as a heart pacemaker, a defibrillator, or a cardioverter. A circuit board supporting electronic circuitry is receivable in a housing for the medical device and is provided with a plurality of female connectors on its outer surface. The female connectors are positioned and shaped to receive and guide mating male components into abutting engagement therewith. The mating male components include feedthrough wires which extend between the interior and the exterior of the housing and conductive pins from a battery used to power the medical device. When the male components and female connectors are in abutting engagement, they are fusion welded as by a laser or electron beam.

Abstract: A collapsible rack for drying clothing and other articles is comprised of a plurality of leg members pivotally mounted on a core member and held thereon by an elastic band member which encircles them intermediate upper and lower ends. The core member is provided with a plurlity of equally spaced stop members extending radially outwardly from a central axis. The leg members are movable between collapsed positions at which each is engageable with an associated stop member and extended positions at which the rack is free standing on the lower ends of the leg members. Flexible cord material of substantially equal length extends between each successive leg memebr and is joined to the leg members at similar distances away from the core member. When the leg members are collapsed, they are substantially parallel and the cord material is limp; when extended, they are angularly disposed relative to the central axis such that the cord material is taut, thereby providing support for articles to be dried.

Abstract: A system is provided for cleaning paint brushes whose bristles have, from use, developed liquefied accumulations thereon of an oil base paint. A plurality of transparent vessels, each containing the same liquid solvent, are supported in a first predetermined serial relationship such that a paint brush with accumulations of paint thereon can be immersed in sequence in the solvent contained in each of the vessels. A towel dispenser provides toweling for wiping the paint brush to mechanically remove the accumulations of paint thereon before and after immersion of the paint brush into the solvent contained in each of the vessels. Covers are removably attached to each of the vessels for selectively sealing the solvent from the atmosphere. Indicia may be applied to the covers or otherwise associated with the vessels.

Abstract: An artificial implant includes an elongated stem member which is intended for cementless fixation in the medullary canal of a long bone. The stem member is provided with one or more longitudinally extending channels. A porous medium for enabling and encouraging bone ingrowth fixation is bonded to the bottom surface of each channel but is free of the sidewalls of the channel. It has a first outer surface lying in a plane generally parallel to that of the external surface of the stem member and second and third surfaces lying generally, respectively, in angularly spaced radial planes containing the longitudinal axis of the stem member. The resulting implant has a flexibility which can be tailored to that of the bone. Also, the porous medium enables an initial interference fit with the medullary canal of the long bone as well as bone ingrowth fixation over a substantially enlarged surface area than previously possible.

Abstract: A limited function, user interactive teaching apparatus includes a memory for storing a compilation of words and phrases to be used by the teaching apparatus and a pedagogical lesson database which includes a plurality of substantially identical, limited size, lesson frame data units, each such unit including a plurality of pointers for selecting words and/or phrases to be displayed during the execution of the program unit. Each program unit thus comprises, in the main, pointer data rather than substantive pedagogical data. A display is employed for displaying the selected words and phrases and, in addition, includes a movable indicator cursor or touch sensitive position indicator. A processor executes the pedagogical program, unit by unit. The processor fetches the selected words and/or phrases and provides them to the display in accordance with pointer data contained in each data unit.

Abstract: An identification system for mounting on the outer surface of the tongue of footwear and beneath the laces, flap, or other device used for fastening the footwear to the wearer. It is intended primarily for young children or incompetent adults and comprises a tubular member of pliable, liquid impermeable material defining an internal compartment with a closure mechanism to isolate the internal compartment from ambient conditions and substantially prevent entry of water and other substances. Vital information concerning the wearer may be placed in the compartment and is accessible when necessary but is not visible to the casual observer. Provision is made for temporary mounting and for permanent mounting of the tubular member to the tongue of the footwear.

Abstract: A bowling aid to enable a person to bowl whose natural thumb is missing, deformed, or injured, or to provide a person having a healthy thumb with an alternative mode of ball handling and control. A semi-rigid support member is removably received on the hand of the bowler and, when so received, extends between the upper surface of the hand and the palm of the hand and is contoured to snugly conform to the hand. An artificial thumb member is provided on the support member proximate to the general location of a natural thumb and projects away from the support member and away from the palm of the bowler's hand and is so sized and positioned as to be receivable in the thumb hole of a bowling ball when fingers of the bowler are received in the finger holes of the bowling ball. The bowling aid may be size adjustable and can be releasably secured to the hand. The support member may have an outer covering of flexible material such as fabric, leather, or plastic nonwoven sheet material.

Abstract: A handbag assembly according to which a variety of outer decorative coverings can be selectively attached to the main article carrying bag to suit the desired decor. The main article carrying bag, which has a bottom and opposed sidewalls, is of flexible but sturdy construction capable of supporting whatever is intended to be carried. The sidewalls terminate at an upper rim to which is attached a pair of opposed handles, for easily supporting the carrying bag and its contents. An outer decorative covering of a desired decor substantially envelops the main article carrying bag and is attached to the carrying bag at locations proximate to the upper rim. The handles may be reovable from the carrying bag and changed according to the desired decor and may be of different functional designs. Elastic members may be provided to bias the opening of the bag to a closed position or, in the alternative, positive closure devices may be utilized.

Abstract: Apparatus for providing a tactile display according to which a touch pin is selectively movable relative to a reference surface. An electromagnet distant from the reference surface has spaced poles of opposite, selectively reversible, polarity. A cam rotatable about an axis transverse to the reference surface has an integral permanent magnet with similarly spaced poles of opposite polarity equidistant from the axis of rotation. The cam is rotatable between an active position at which its respective poles are attacted to and positioned adjacent the poles of the electromagnet and an inactive position at which the reversed poles of the permanent magnet are attracted to and positioned adjacent the opposite poles of the electromagnet. A touch pin has a longitudinal axis transverse to the reference surface and includes a follower end engageable with the cam and a tip end distant from the follower end.

Abstract: Auxiliary flotation apparatus to provide supplemental flotation for a vessel which may be in danger of sinking. The apparatus is a self-contained cannister capable of being connected to a source of pressurized air. To assure stability of the disabled vessel, two or more of the cannisters would preferably be mounted at an outboard end to each side of the hull of the vessel at spaced locations below the water line. Should the need arise, the source of pressurized air can be manually or automatically activated for introduction into the cannister. In response to the pressurized air, a projectile is propelled in a direction away from the vessel and caused to rupture a frangible membrane located substantially flush with the hull of the vessel. The projectile proceeds far beyond the vessel and draws with it an attached inflatable tubular sheath of flexible, air impermeable sheet material.

Abstract: A highly visible pennant intended to mark a particular location is combined with a fastener permitting it to be readily attached to an existing supporting structure. The pennant may be appropriately formed of semirigid material enabling it to extend horizontally outwardly a substantial distance from the supporting structure without dropping. The fastener is positioned at one end of the pennant and the opposite, free, end is wrapped around the supporting structure, then through a receiving slot formed in the fastener, and drawn tight. The fastener, which may be integral with the pennant or of a separate construction and fixedly attached to the pennant, has a resiliently mounted clamp member with teeth positioned to permit the pennant to advance through the slot but to engage the pennant and prevent its withdrawal. A release member can be provided to enable selective removal of the pennant from the fastener.

Abstract: A hand-held linear measuring device is enclosed within an elongated housing which has a handle at one end and an opening at the opposite end. A wheel mounted on the housing and protruding through the opening rotates as it engages and is drawn across a surface to be measured. As the wheel is rotated, it rotates a selector disk about a parallel axis. A plurality of radially extending elongated slots are formed in the selector disk at equally spaced azimuthal locations. A contact member extends transversely through each slot and is selectively, releasably, fastened thereto at one of a plurality of predetermined radial positions. As the selector disk rotates, it causes the contact members to successively engage an electrically conductive resilient whisker member extending across the path of their advance.

Abstract: A universal mounting system for attaching replacement gutters to the roof of a building which has roof shingles already in place. It is particularly applicable in those instances in which an elongated hanger strap extends upwardly at longitudinally spaced locations along the length of commonly available gutter hardware. An elongated anchor plate is employed in conjunction with each hanger strap and has a width substantially greater than that of its associated hanger strap. In one instance, the anchor plate is folded about a transverse fold line so as to define a nailing pad and a support pad. An elongated, laterally extending, slot is formed adjacent the fold line to define a mounting strip between the slot and the fold line. The anchor plate is slipped under the roof shingles so as not to be visible and is positioned such that the slot is just exposed, then is attached to the roof by means of a nail piercing the nailing pad only.

Abstract: A tool carrier for suspending a hammer from a person's belt. The head of the hammer is supported on a cradle which generally lies in a plane of the person's hand when his arm is relaxed at his side, and the handle of the hammer extends downwardly through an opening in the cradle. The carrier can be readily attached to the belt by sliding a mounting element upwardly behind the belt, then downwardly, so that the belt can be received into a retention slot. A reverse procedure is followed to remove the carrier from the belt. The carrier can be molded or formed out of sheet material or from wire stock.

Abstract: A method and apparatus including electronic circuitry for tuning a musical instrument. When a tunable vibratory or frequency producing element of the instrument is actuated, the oscillations thereby created are converted into an electrical signal. This signal is operated upon to eliminate harmonic components and is visually displayed on a readout device as a frequency registered in units of cycles per second for a predetermined period of time. If the vibratory element is actuated again within the predetermined period of time, the frequency of the new signal will be displayed, and if the vibratory element is not actuated again within the predetermined period of time, the display on the readout device will register zero.

Abstract: A tool for cutting and removing a nut from a threaded shank member extending beyond the nut, a particular application being to remove from the depending end portion of the shank of a faucet the nut securing the faucet to a sink. A body is formed with a pair of substantially parallel bores, one of which is threaded along its entire length for attachment to the shank. One portion of the other bore is threaded to receive a bolt, the remaining portion of the other bore is smooth walled to receive a plunger which has a chisel edge at its end nearest the nut. The bolt engages the chisel edge to drive it between an inoperative position and an operative position engaged with the nut at which point continued advancement of the bolt results in breaking and removal of the nut.

Abstract: A door for gaining access to a rural mailbox. The door is hinged adjacent to the roof of the mailbox to permit its swinging movement both into and out of the mailbox and, if desired, the door may be weighted to assure its automatic closure when left unattended. A continuous seal composed of a resilient, flexible material is provided around the outer edge of the door to provide all-weather protection for the contents of the mailbox.

Abstract: A tubular shaped device preferably of transparent pliable material for containing and dispensing fishing lures. One end of the device is sealed and has a pair of fins lying in mutually perpendicular planes containing the longitudinal axis of the device and an end portion perforated to permit fluid flow between the interior and exterior of the device. The other end of the device has an opening defined by a continuous rim and is provided with a cover hinged for movement between open and closed positions. The cover is also perforated and includes a lock which enables it to be releasably held in the closed position adjacent the rim.

Abstract: Apparatus for deterring theft of trailers which utilize a tow ring having a central opening and upper and lower annular surfaces. The apparatus assumes the operational position when the upper surface of a base plate is positioned proximate to the lower surface of the tow ring and the lower surface of a top plate is positioned proximate to the upper surface of the tow ring. When assuming this operational position, a tongue integral with and upstanding from the base plate extends through the central opening of the tow ring and through an aperture formed in the top plate. The tongue has at least one hole located between its free end and the upper surface of the top plate to receive the shank of a padlock when the apparatus is in the operational position. A cover member is integral with the top member and overlies the free end of the tongue to protect the lock in its secured condition.