Abstract: A valued article, such as artwork, an antiquity or a collectible, is contained within a container protected against impact and shock during transportation and storage by connecting the article to an inner frame at spaced apart connections along the perimeter of the article and suspending the inner frame from a surrounding outer frame at spaced apart suspenders along the perimeter of the inner frame, the suspenders being constructed of a shock-absorbing material to isolate the inner frame from the transmission of shocks from the outer frame to the inner frame and the spaced apart arrangement of connections and suspenders establishing open gaps which deter the transmission of impacts from outside the container to the article. Additional open gaps between covers affixed to the outer frame and the contained article further deter the transmission of impacts from outside the container to the article.

Abstract: An improvement in a total stabilized knee prosthesis wherein stabilization against uncontrolled relative rotation between a femoral component and a tibial component about a longitudinal axis, during articulation of the knee prosthesis, is attained by the engagement of a femoral stabilizing compartment with a tibial stabilizing post, the improvement including profile contour configurations on inner surface portions of condylar surfaces and on corresponding outer surface portions of tibial articular surfaces, the profile contour configurations being flared outwardly, in directions away from an intermediate sagittal plane, along posterior aspects of the condylar surfaces and the tibial articular surfaces engaged through deep flexion for providing an engagement between the profile contour configurations sufficient to establish a desired level of constraint against relative rotational movement between the femoral component and the tibial component about the longitudinal axis enabling a decrease in the level of con

Abstract: A hugging toy includes a figure having flexible, sleeve-like limbs providing passages for receiving the arms of a person within the limbs to enable the figure to be drawn into juxtaposition with the person, with the limbs wrapped about the person, the passages each having an entry opening for receiving an arm of the person within the passage, and an exit opening for exposing a hand of the person so as to establish a simulated mutual hugging arrangement between the figure and the person.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for interoperatively determining, during a trialing procedure conducted in connection with total hip arthroplasty at an implant site, a femoral neck length required in a femoral component to be engaged with an acetabular component of the prosthetic hip joint to be implanted at the implant site for establishing forces appropriate for proper articular engagement of the femoral component with the acetabular component, by moving a trial femoral head component and a trial femoral stem component relative to one another, while the trial femoral head component is engaged with an acetabular trial, to determine a measured distance corresponding to a trial distance between the trial femoral head component and the trial femoral stem component at which trial distance selected tensile forces are established in soft tissue at the implant site urging the trial femoral head component and the trial femoral stem component toward one another, the selected tensile forces corresponding to the forces appropriat

Abstract: A storage cabinet provides for the secure storage of items against unauthorized access, with ready authorized access The cabinet has an opening extending laterally across the front of the cabinet, and a door having panels carrying latches, the panels being movable laterally between a latched position and an unlatched position, and being pivotally mounted for movement between a lateral orientation, wherein the panels close the opening, and a transverse orientation, wherein the panels allow access to the items stored in the cabinet. A locking arrangement selectively locks the panels in place when latched in position closing the opening, for preventing unauthorized access. When unlatched, the panels can be pivoted to open access through the opening, and can be folded and moved in transverse directions into the cabinet so as to maintain a compact, unobstructed configuration when the cabinet is open.

Abstract: An improvement in the manufacture of radio frequency identification tags employs an antenna stamped from a thin metallic sheet and affixed to a substrate at a first location to establish an intermediate product in which the stamped antenna is affixed to the substrate, and the intermediate product is placed at at least one subsequent location for further processing toward completion of a radio frequency identification tag.

Abstract: In the manufacture of RFID tags, electronic components are connected with soldered connections to antennas stamped from a thin strip of electrically conductive metal, utilizing methods and intermediate products which enable accurate registration of the leads of the electronic components with contacts on the antennas. Thus, a strip of metal is provided with contact members unitary with the strip and coupled to the strip through compliant coupling arrangements which allow compliant movement of the contact members relative to the strip for accurate alignment with electronic components juxtaposed with the contact members for soldered connections between the leads of the electronic components and the corresponding contact members. The antennas, with the electronic components soldered in place, are carried by a substrate, and the sequence of the stamping and soldering operations avoids exposing the substrate to the heat of soldering.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for testing components of a joint replacement device in desired articulation relative to one another under a load, include: a first unit or step operable to impart undulating orientations of a first member of the joint replacement device; and a second unit or step operable to locate a second member of the joint replacement device proximate to the first member of the joint replacement device such that an articulation surface of the second member engages an articulation surface of the first member for movement in response to the undulating orientations of the first member, wherein at least one of: (i) the second unit is operable to automatically adjust the location of the second member of the joint replacement device in response to lateral forces exerted by the first member on the second member, and (ii) the apparatus and method include a third unit or step operable to impart rotational displacement to the first member of the joint replacement device such that the articulation surface of

Abstract: An instrument and a method for gripping an orthopaedic fixation pin during a surgical procedure and extracting the pin from bone in which the pin is embedded. The pin has an embedded portion extending into the bone along a longitudinal axis, and a projecting portion projecting longitudinally from the bone adjacent a bearing surface associated with the bone. The instrument and the method enable gripping of the projecting portion of the pin between gripping elements which are moved laterally relative to one another to grip the projecting portion of the pin and then are moved longitudinally by urging a plunger against the bearing surface to pull the pin along a linear path essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis so as to withdraw the embedded portion of the pin from the bone along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for removing foreign matter from water at selected levels in an aquarium utilize a valving mechanism placed between a skimmer adjacent the upper surface of the water and a lower inlet adjacent the lower bottom of the aquarium, the valving mechanism being operated selectively to control the relative volume of the flow of water through the skimmer and through the lower inlet, and a corresponding continuous withdrawal of water, together with entrained foreign matter, passed through either one or both the skimmer and the lower inlet so as to remove foreign matter from selected levels in the aquarium.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for dispersing solid constituents into a liquid vehicle employ an immersion mill operating in combination with a low shear mixer blade assembly which sweeps the walls of a tank containing a batch of solid constituents in a liquid vehicle to circulate the batch through the immersion mill to carry out a milling operation to establish a relatively high viscosity mixture having a high degree of uniformity. The immersion mill includes an improvement wherein a helical screw impeller is placed within a tubular inlet passage for moving the batch longitudinally through the tubular inlet passage into the immersion mill, the helical screw impeller including a helical flight extending along the length of the tubular inlet passage and having a diameter complementary to the diameter of the tubular inlet passage and a pitch less than the length of the tubular inlet passage such that the helical flight spans the diameter of the tubular inlet passage along plural turns of the helical flight.

Abstract: A knee prosthesis and method for emulating movements, during flexion, of a natural knee joint replaced by the knee prosthesis, by enabling engagement and relative movement between the femoral component and the tibial component of the knee prosthesis along arcuate tracks, including rotational movement about a longitudinal axis of rotation, during flexion about a transverse axis of rotation, and maintaining the transverse axis of rotation essentially in a generally medial-lateral longitudinal plane maintained in close proximity with a generally coronal plane passing through the centers of curvature of the arcuate tracks during flexion within at least a prescribed range of flexion extending from about 0° of flexion to a predetermined degree of flexion, preferably about 60° of flexion.

Abstract: A disposable electronic device has a body constructed of juxtaposed lengths of an elongate, ribbon-like substrate of dielectric material secured together to establish a multiple-layered self-sustaining structure, and circuitry formed on the substrate. At least a portion of the circuitry is constructed of a deconstructable material which is deconstructed to render the device inoperative by at least one of the following: interrupting a securement of juxtaposed lengths of the substrate, exposing the deconstructable material to at least one of ambient conditions including ambient air, ambient light and ambient moisture, and reaching a predetermined accumulated amount of time during which the circuitry is operated. At least a portion of the substrate is constructed of deconstructable material which is deconstructed by exposure to at least one of the ambient conditions to render the device ready for disposal.

Abstract: A hub post for mounting an information-bearing disk to a substrate for presentation, storage or transportation of the disk includes a base and a post projecting from the base for engaging a mounting hole in the disk, the base carrying a layer of adhesive for affixing the hub post to the substrate, and the post being constructed of a stiffly resilient synthetic polymeric material having resilient characteristics for retaining the disk on the post against inadvertent release, while enabling ready intentional release, and renitent characteristics sufficient to resist deleterious compression and crushing while retaining the disk upon the post for selective release of the disk from the post. A flange on the hub post provides a greater basal area for affixation of the hub post to the substrate, and spaces a mounted disk from the substrate to avoid damage to an information-bearing surface of the disk.

Abstract: Apparatus and method assist a person in the safe and proper performance of a squat exercise by precluding movement of the knees of the person in a forward direction beyond the person's toes during execution of the squat exercise. The apparatus includes two separate units for independent placement relative to one another to tailor the squat exercise to better exercise particular muscles.