Abstract: A towing dolly has a pair of supports between which a pair of wheels of a disabled vehicle may be cradled, the supports being carried by rails on which respective pairs of rocker arms are pivotally mounted. Each rocker arm carries a dolly support wheel and a mounting adapted to that a hydraulic jack may be positioned between the pair of rocker arms of each rail. Upon actuation of the hydraulic jack the rails and thus the wheel engaging supports are raised relative to the axles of the dolly wheels, thereby raising the wheels of a disabled vehicle cradled on the supports. A locking device is carried by each rocker arm for cooperating with a respective hold-down block on the rails after the rocker arm has been pivoted by actuation of the hydraulic jack so that the hydraulic jack may be removed while the disabled vehicle is towed.

Abstract: A needle plate for a controlled needle tufting machine utilized for overtufting secondary yarn into a backing material having a primary pile previously formed therein. The needle plate has needle plate fingers disposed with the upper support surfaces above the needle plate support surface by an amount substantially equal to the pile height of the primary yarn tufts. As the backing material with the primary tufts is fed over the needle plate it is raised relative to the needle plate as it rides over the finger support surfaces. The hooks of the tufting machine may therefore be raised so that the pile height of the loops of secondary yarn being overtufted may be reduced by an amount substantially equal to that of the pile height of the primary tufts. This results in reducing the required amount of tip shearing of the secondary pile to bring it level with that of the primary pile.

Abstract: A weight lifting belt produced from two strips of leather, one strip being substantially elongated relative to the other and having an enlarged width over a portion thereof intermediate first and second narrow end portions, the first end portion being substantially longer than the second end portion. The other strip comprises a short section having surfaces folded back on itself to form a fold and a pair of ends. The ends being secured to the shorter end portion of the elongated strip and a buckle being entrapped between the surfaces of the fold. The first end portion of the long strip has holes for receiving the tongue or tongues of the buckle. The method for producing the belt includes cutting a blank of the longer strip in a staggered relationship in a hide relative to adjacent blanks so that each wide portion of one blank of the longer strip is disposed adjacent a narrow portion of the blank forming the adjacent strips.

Abstract: A tufting machine has a needle bar drive mechanism including a first shaft on which drive eccentrics are mounted for driving connecting rod means which reciprocate the needle bar push rods and thus the needle bar. A second shaft is mounted adjacent the first shaft and gears mounted on the respective shafts are in meshing engagement with each other so that upon rotation of one shaft the other shaft rotates in the opposite direction. Counterbalancing weights on the needle bar driving shaft are disposed 180.degree. out of phase with the reciprocation of the needle bar, and counterbalancing weights on the other shafts counterbalance the rotational forces of the needle bar driving shaft. The other shaft is drivingly rotated by the tufting machine motor and also carries the hook and knife drive eccentrics. The construction is such that the reciprocating and rotating forces are counterbalanced by the two shafts.

Abstract: A method of forming and extending the width of an existing sand beach at an ocean sea shore by raising the level of the beach. The method includes the construction of a barrier, preferably from concrete, in a configuration having a cross section in the form of a substantially equilateral triangle but with a rounded apex at the top. The barrier is constructed at the low tide water level and the apex is approximately 12 to 18 inches below the high tide water level. As water flows over the barrier to the high tide level sand is deposited on the land side of the barrier and builds up to the level of the apex. The process can be expedited by dredging and pumping sand and sea water over the barrier. As the sand builds up to the level of the apex on the land side sand also is deposited on the ocean side, thereby totally submerging the barrier so that the barrier does not interfere with bathers or sea turtles or the like.

Abstract: A tufting machine has a needle bar for carrying a plurality of needles for reciprocating into and out of a base material. A sliding needle bar mechanism may shift the needle bar laterally according to a pattern. The needle bar is mounted for reciprocation and for lateral movement relative to the direction of reciprocation by apparatus having a foot secured to a respective push rod of the tufting machine and laterally extending guide rods clamped to the foot. Blocks having linear bearings or bushings are secured to the needle bar and receive the guide rods so that upon lateral movement of the needle bar by means of the shifting apparatus the needle bar moves relative to the guide rods. This reduces the weight of the laterally moving mass and permits greater shifting speeds.

Abstract: A reflex camera has a mirror mounted at a fixed angle for receiving image rays from a lens and reflecting the rays onto a focusing screen, the mirror and focusing screen being mounted on a slide plate moveable out of the path between the lens and the shutter of the camera. The slide plate is supported by linear bearings for movement along guide rods in a linear path. A motor may be actuated to rotate a cam which drives a pulley wheel during a portion of the cycle of the cam, and which releases the pulley wheel during the remainder of the cycle. The pulley wheel is operatively connected to the slide plate and when the pulley wheel is driven by the cam the slide plate is pulled against the opposition of springs into the focusing position of the camera. When the pulley wheel is released by the cam the springs rapidly propel the slide plate to the picture taking position.

Abstract: A tufting machine has a needle bar shifter for moving the needle bar transversely of the direction of the movement of the backing fabric, a pattern cam determining the amount and frequency of the shifts. The cam is driven in timed relationship with the reciprocation of the needle bar at a cyclically variable speed. The drive for the cam includes an epicyclic gear arrangement having a constant speed input motion applied to the ring gear and an oscillatory motion applied to the planet gears. The output is taken at the sun gear and applied to the pattern cam. The same drive may also be used for driving the feed rollers to feed the base material at a cyclically variable speed when the needles are above the base material.

Abstract: A dehumidifier package for use in a residence in the form of a box having front and rear walls spaced apart and having silica gel particles bonded to the interior surfaces. End walls connect the front and rear walls so as to form an air flow channel through the box for permitting air to flow over the silica gel. In one embodiment the top and bottom of the box are open and air flows through the box through the natural draft created as the air becomes lighter and rises. In another embodiment air is forceably drawn through the box by means of a powered fan pulling air from the bottom and exhausting the air near the top. A regeneration chamber may be provided in which the bottom of the box can be positioned to communicate with a plenum chamber in the regeneration box, the plenum chamber communicating with an opening through which hot air may be directed.

Abstract: A laminated fastening strap has synthetic hook and loop fastening elements formed on one sheet of the laminate and has a vinyl backing formed on the other sheet. The sheets are laminated together by bonding utilizing dielectric bonding apparatus. The bonds between the sheets are along the borders of the strap and along areas extending transverse to the longitudinally extending borders and angularly extending bond areas. The angularly extending bonds permits cutting along a desired diagonal so as to shorten the strap as required thereby permitting the use of straps of a conventional size which may be cut to the required necessary size only when needed.

Abstract: Apparatus for adjusting the plate segment of an off-set lithographic printing machine drum relative to the drum has first and second blocks, each of which has a threaded bore for receiving the threads of a differential screw. One of the blocks is fastened to the frame of the drum while the other block is moveable on the screw relative to the first block. The threads of the bore in the moveable block have a smaller pitch than the threads in the bore of the fixed block so that the moveable block may be moved in controlled amounts toward and away from the fixed block. The blocks are disposed within a circumferential slot formed on a peripheral edge of the plate segment and as the screw is turned the moveable block acts against an edge of the slot to rotate the plate segment relatively to the drum. A clamp is provided for securing the blocks to the plate segment in adjusted positions.

Abstract: Towing apparatus mounted on the rear of a towing vehicle for lifting and towing a disabled vehicle by its wheels has a lifting boom housing for telescopically carrying an extendible boom on which wheel engaging forks are supported. The lifting boom housing disposition is controlled by two hydraulic cylinders. One cylinder is fixed at one end and pivotably connected to the lifting boom housing at the other end which is also attached to and constrained by slidable guide members mounted in slideways for movement in an inclined linear path downwardly and rearwardly relative to the towing vehicle. The other cylinder is pivotably connected to the boom housing and to the guide members for controlling the attitude of the boom housing relative to the roadway. Additionally the wheel engaging forks have a tubular square cross sectional configuration telescopically mountable on a tow bar having a similar configuration so that the forks may be disengaged from the tow bar and disposed at 90.degree. or 180.degree.

Abstract: A pump suction tube support is mounted at the bottom of a fluid vessel such as a barrel for supporting the tube and providing stability to the pump which is mounted on the top of the barrel. The support includes a hollow cylindrical support member for receiving the suction tube and an enlarged base secured to the bottom wall of the vessel. The lower end of the support member has a series of spaced apart feet secured to the base member and the spaces between the feet provide communication for the fluid to flow into the bottom of the support member. The support member may include a diametrically extending slot for receiving a pin in the tube to prevent rotation of the tube.

Abstract: A visor sport cap and/or a covering therefor and a method of producing the same, the cap or covering being provided with a head receiving crown constructed from a single piece of material which is cut along specific arcs and shapes and joined together along the cuts. The crown has a first seam extending partly across the top of the front and a second seam extending substantially from the medial point of the first seam to the lower peripheral edge at the rear of the crown, the visor being joined to the crown at the front thereof. In the preferred embodiment a covering for a visor sport cap is formed from a waterproof synthetic plastic material and the joining of the seams are by bonding. The visor covering section is fabricated from two moon shaped pieces joined together about the leading edge and a visor receiving pocket is formed therebetween.

Abstract: Apparatus adapted to be mounted on the bed of a towing vehicle for lifting and towing disabled vehicles, particularly large vehicles. The apparatus includes an extendible boom disposed for positioning beneath the disabled vehicle and retracted for moving the disabled vehicle close to the rear of the towing vehicle. The boom is pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis on an elevator from a vertically disposed storage position to its operative position, the elevator being slidably mounted in slideways for vertical movement between the storage position and the operative positions. The elevator is supported by an extendible beam which is vertically driven for raising and lowering the elevator and which is extendible for varying the angular inclination of the elevator which may pivot relative to the slideways.