Abstract: A gas burner log set for a fireplace has a pair of spaced apart ceramic fiber logs with a gas burner therebetween. The rear face of the front log has a substantially flat planar surface angled upwardly toward the front surface of the rear log to form therewith an elongated triangular flame channel having an apex at the top. The burner is spaced from the rear surface of the front log by a small selected distance and the burner has ports which emit gas and create a flame in the flame channel. The front surface of the rear log has an upper portion which overlays the ports of the burner. The log set provides a flame which closely simulates visually the burning of logs and provides a clean burning flame with a minimum amount of carbon monoxide.

Abstract: A truck trailer having a pair of tandem spaced apart rear axles and a suspension system for supporting the axles from the chassis of the trailer having a pivot member intermediate the axles about which the axles may pivot relatively to one another, the axles being connected to respective ends of leaf springs. The trailer has apparatus for lifting one of the axles relative to the other axle selectively so that the wheels carried by the lifted axle may be lifted off the roadway. The apparatus for lifting includes air bags which may be inflated by pressurized air or deflated to control the position of the axle to be raised. The air bags are positioned between one of the axles and the chassis and when pressurized air inflates the bags the other axle is lifted about the pivot member.

Abstract: A needle, which may be one of a plurality of needles in a needle module, has a rod attached to the shank adjacent the yarn guide groove or to the blade in the guide groove and extending laterally or transverse to the axis of the needle committing yarn to be directed readily into the yarn groove with a minimum angular deviation in its path. When the needle is one of several in a needle module the rod may be common to all of the needles and passed through an aligned hole in each of the needles and secured therein by bending of the rod. A yarn entrance guide is formed by each respective needle, the adjacent needle, the rod and the module body and this entrance permits ready threading of each needle.

Abstract: A tufting machine has a reciprocating needle bar which may be shifted laterally by a drive which includes at least one linear motor. Each linear motor has two major elements which may be coupled together electromagnetically. One of the elements is connected to a fixed portion of the tufting machine and another of the elements is connected to the needle bar. When electrical power is supplied to the motor, the element connected to the needle bar moves relatively to the other thereby moving the needle bar.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for tufting comprises a hollow tufting needle supplied with a plurality of yarns. The plurality of yarns are maintained within the cavity of the needle. One of the yarns is selectively fed out of a yarn opening by releasing the yarn from a yarn feed device and utilizing an air injector proximate to the yarn entrance of the needle to assist in expelling the selected yarn from the needle. When a different yarn is desired to be utilized, the yarn feed device secures the previously selected yarn and another yarn is selectively fed in a similar manner as the first yarn. The needle utilized includes a plurality of holes or vents angled relative to the axis of the needle.

Abstract: A pillow carrying book holder includes a frame in the form of a plate within the pillow. The plate supports retraction mechanism which is connected externally of the pillow to a pair of book engaging fingers. The retraction mechanism includes a pair of springs having one end mounted within the pillow and the other end secured to the book engaging fingers. A housing within the pillow encloses the retraction mechanism within the pillow and separated it from filler material within the pillow. The filler material may include freely moveable particulate for conforming the pillow to the shape of the surface on which the pillow is positioned.

Abstract: A tufting machine with a pair of closely spaced apart needle bars which reciprocate together but the needles carried by one bar may be controlled selectively to be either in a position to form pile or be retracted to a position where they do not form pile when the needle bars are driven toward the backing material selectively. A control system is provided to control the selection of the needles of the one needle bar and also the feeding of yarn to the needles of the one needle bar so that yarn from needles which are not tufting is drawn tight on the backing. The needles may be mounted in modules and selected needle modules may be independently controllable by pneumatic cylinders so that various overtufted patterns may be made by the controlled needles in a background formed by the needles in the other bar that tuft on every stitch.

Abstract: A hand-held mending gun for tufting stitches into a backing material has a hollow needle reciprocally driven axially to form stitches in a backing material. A drive mechanism couples a rotary motor to a needle carrier for reciprocation along the axis of the needle. A yarn feed roll connected to a yarn drive disk may be selectively changed in speed by changing the position of the yarn feed disk relative to a radius of a drive disk through a pneumatic cylinder having a piston relocatable between an extended and a retracted position. With the speed of rotation of the drive disk constant, the speed of the yarn feed roll may be changed between a high and a low pile height setting, or position, by changing the distance of a contact point of the yarn feed disk on the drive disk from the center of the disk drive. A pneumatic selector switch allows a single operator to control the selection of the high or low pile height position.

Abstract: A tufting machine having a yarn feed roll attachment wherein the rolls are driven by a chain drive and having an adjustable tension applying device including a housing having a yoke defined by two arms separated by a slot. The arms of the yoke include planar interior surfaces which cooperate with a planar support plate and at least one connector which locates the housing of the device in a fixed position relative to the support plate. At a second end of the housing is a guide which preferably rotates about a guide axis. The guide axis is preferably perpendicular to the plane of the support plate, when installed.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in rehabilitation of a patient with a weight bearing restriction on one or both legs includes a pair of vertically movable horizontally elongated platforms and a pair of corresponding vertically fixed platforms. The movable platforms are connected to a mechanism which applies an upwardly directed preselected force so that as the patient walks with a foot on the movable platform, the movable platform will descend if the patient places a greater weight corresponding to the preselected force. A patient may walk with both feet on movable platforms in which case the weights may be selected for each platform or the patient may walk with one foot on the movable platform and one foot on a fixed platform. The platforms move in a vertical plane arcuately in one embodiment and in a vertical plane linearly in a second embodiment. The weights may be moved relatively to the pivot point and, in addition, the movable platform may be locked in its upward position in this latter embodiment.

Abstract: A tufting machine has a yarn feed pattern assembly including a housing having a mounting plate for mounting a multiplicity of yarn feed rollers from the exterior of said mounting plate and a multiplicity of servo motors connected to said mounting plate on the interior of said housing. Each servo motor is connected to a respective feed roller. A multiplicity of tubes extend within said housing, half the tubes directing yarn from a source to respective rollers and half of the tubes directing yarn from the rollers to respective needles. The guide tubes direct yarn from the interior of said housing through said mounting plate where the yarn is trained about a respective roller and directed back into the yarn guide leading toward the needles of said tufting machine.

Abstract: A silver waste recovery system including a container having an inlet and an outlet at a lower elevation than the inlet, filler material in a silver cell is in communication with the inlet and a separate non-silver reactive filter is in communication with the outlet. A catch basin is positioned about the silver cell and the non-silver reactive filter contains particulates in the area of the filter and the filler material. Fluid entering the inlet passes through the silver cell and exits into the catch basin. It thereafter enters the non-silver reactive filter and exits from it through the outlet.

Abstract: A ladder leveling accessory which may be attached to the legs of a ladder has a configuration which forms an apex remote from leg attachment arms positioned and carries an elongated peg which extends downwardly away from the arms at an angle to the plane in which the arms and thus the legs of the ladder are disposed. The peg may be in the configuration of a spike and, for use in loose or sandy substrates, there may be triangular shaped flanges. A flexible mat is secured above the spike to the apex and conforms to the configuration of the ground to provide further stabilization to the system.

Abstract: The hooks of a cut pile tufting machine have a cam or chamfer surface in the form of an inclined ramp in the shank of the hook adjacent the throat extending to the cutting edge, the hooks being positioned in a hook module with a dual or compound angle relatively to the body of the module. The knife which cooperates with the hook to cut loops of yarn seized by the hook is positioned vertically relatively to the hook but is tilted relatively to the hook. The hook is inclined horizontally toward the knife and is tilted vertically away from the knife. The result is that initial knife tension against the hook is substantially eliminated while additional knife tension is created during the cutting stroke. The vertical positioning of the knife and the angular positioning of the hook away from the knife results in substantially eliminating J-cutting.

Abstract: A chromatography column has valve and method for filling it with a slurry of media, the valve utilizing a piston to compact the slurry in the column. The piston moves through a cavity in communication with both a slurry inlet and slurry ports which are in communication with the interior of the chromatography column. The piston assists in compacting the slurry within the column. The method of filling the column does not require disassembly of the column. The piston may also be utilized to change the valve position from a slurry fill position to a normal operation position or other position.