Abstract: A rotary shaft having ends with a surface layer or raised portions made of a compressible, preferably elastic, material, the ends including the surface layer or raised portions being covered with relatively thin walled durable plastic tubing.

Abstract: A case for storing medical instruments contains a rotating bracket for holding the instruments. The bracket is connected to the tray and hinged lid of the case via a movable frame, and the bracket movement is controlled by opening and closing of the lid. When the lid is closed, the bracket points the tips of the instruments downward to minimize water collection; and when the lid is opened, the instrument holding bracket rotates so that the instruments it holds are moved to a vertical position, facilitating instrument selection.

Abstract: A disposable electronic timer in the form of a disk having a liquid crystal or similar display, adapted to be glued to a medication bottle cap. A lower major surface of the timer has an adhesive layer with a cover that can be peeled off to expose the adhesive so that the timer can be secured to the bottle cap. The upper major surface of the timer contains the timer display and a control button that in one mode starts the timer so that an alarm within the timer sounds after a preset time interval, and in another mode sets or resets the timer to a different preset time interval. Operating power is supplied by a battery within the timer.

Abstract: A process for cleaning containers (pigs) in which radioactive drugs are shipped to health care providers, after than are returned to a pharmacy and may contain residual radioactive material, blood, microorganisms and other contaminants. Those pigs that are contaminated with radioactive material are removed from the cleaning process until they have decayed to the background radiation level. The upper and lower portions of each blood contaminated pig is disinfected. Each pig is washed at a temperature of at least 180° Fahrenheit for a least one minute to kill bacteria and viruses. The combination of a disinfectant and high washing temperature water provides an optimum level of sterilization.

Abstract: A flexible shaft having ends of square cross-section for coupling a mating female driving member such as a square recess in a motor assembly, with a mating female driven member such as a square recess in a gearbox assembly, for positioning a seat in a motor vehicle. To decrease vibration and noise due to friction and relative movement between the shaft ends and the mating recesses, the sides of the shaft end portions are covered with a deformable polytetrafluoroethylene sheath applied by positioning a length of heat shrinkable tubing over each end portion and heating the tubing to shrink it onto the corresponding end portion so that it assumes the square cross-sectional shape of the end portion.

Abstract: A hair brush having a handle and a body portion with a recess having a convex bottom surface. A similarly curved bristle retaining plate has bristle retaining holes with one bristle slidably installed in each hole. Each bristle has an enlarged bulbous upper end and a wedge-shaped lower end so that it can slide through the bristle retaining plate between its ends. The holes have chamfers at the bottom surface of the plate, and the wedge-shaped ends of the bristles are dimensioned so as to fit in the chamfers. A similarly curved hair removal plate with bristle receiving holes is placed atop the bristle retaining plate, and detachably retained in position. To clean the brush, the hair removal plate is removed from the bristle retaining plate, and the bristle retaining plate is removed from the recess and turned to cause the bristles to slide in the holes so that their bulbous ends contact the bristle retaining plate. Thereafter the plates are returned to their original positions.

Abstract: A hybrid flexible wire shaft having an inner portion with the characteristics of a push/pull shaft having at least one layer of wire groups helically wound on a core wire at a relatively high pitch angle, and an outer portion with the characteristics of a torsional transmission flexible shaft having two or more layers of wire groups wound on the central portion at a relatively low pitch angle. Each layer of the outer group is wound in a direction opposite to the wind direction of each adjacent layer of that group. In an alternate construction, the high and low pitch portions are reversed and an additional outer layer is provided which is wound in a direction opposite to the outermost layer of the high pitch portion.

Abstract: A wire wound flexible shaft has layers of wire wound one upon another, with a dry film of lubricant bonded to the outer surfaces of a number of the outer layers; or if desired, to the outer surfaces of all layers of the shaft. The lubricant is applied by preheating the partially completed flexible shaft to a temperature substantially above 212° F. but below the decomposition temperature of the lubricant. A liquid medium comprising a carrier and particles of the lubricant is sprayed onto the shaft surface, causing the liquid to vaporize and the lubricant particles to be deposited on the shaft. One or more successive wire layers may then be wound onto the partially completed shaft and the spraying step repeated. Thereafter the shaft is heated to cause the lubricant particles to bond to the adjacent wire layers and to reduce internal stresses in the shaft.

Abstract: A wire wound flexible shaft has layers of wire wound one upon another, with a dry film of lubricant bonded to the outer surfaces of a number of the outer layers; or if desired, to the outer surfaces of all layers of the shaft. The lubricant is applied by preheating the partially completed flexible shaft to a temperature substantially above 212° F. but below the decomposition temperature of the lubricant. A liquid medium comprising a carrier and particles of the lubricant is sprayed onto the shaft surface, causing the liquid to vaporize and the lubricant particles to be deposited on the shaft. One or more successive wire layers may then be wound onto the partially completed shaft and the spraying step repeated. Thereafter the shaft is heated to cause the lubricant particles to bond to the adjacent wire layers and to reduce internal stresses in the shaft.

Abstract: A flexible shaft having at least one end formed to have a helical square shape, wherein successive cross-sections have square shapes progressively rotated with respect to each other. The overall rotation from where the square cross-section begins to the adjacent end of the shaft is preferably in the range of 10 to 20 degrees. The helical square end is preferably shaped by swaging utilizing helical square dies preferably made by electron discharge machining. When the helical square end of the flexible shaft is forced into a mating square opening of an end fitting, the helical square configuration of the shaft end causes it to be deformed and bind tightly in the fitting with an interference fit, thus reducing vibration and noise when the shaft is rotated. Instead of a helical square shape, the end of the flexible shaft may alternatively have another helical polygonal shape.

Abstract: A novel game and board or surface is played in combination with two sets of playing pieces consisting of three dice each, one set being visibly distinguishable from the second set and wherein in one embodiment all bets are placed on the board or surface before the first set of dice is throw to speed up the method of play and payoffs for each bet are set by the house. Optionally, the house may set and take additional bets between a throw of the first set of dice and a throw of the second set of dice. In another embodiment of the invention, players use the two sets of dice in sequence wherein winning bets are related to poker hands such as open numbers from 3-35; 3 of a kind; 4 of a kind; 5 of a kind, straight; any 3 pair; 6 of a kind, and six sixes (but specifically excluding two of a kind to provide decisive winning odds for the house) and where the payoffs for each bet are 2 for 1, 3 for 1, 4 for 1, 5 for 1, 8 for 1, 8 for 1, 12 for 1, and 20 for 1, respectively, for example.

Abstract: A test fixture for integrated circuits, particularly those having large numbers of contacts. The fixture has a socket for receiving the integrated circuit, with conductive wad pins of the socket contacting lands or solderballs of the integrated circuit. Four clamping and alignment studs having peripheral grooves near their upper ends extend upward from the four corners of the socket. A lid is pivoted about a hinge pin which goes through bearing holes in the two studs and the lid. A pressure pad is resiliently suspended from the lid for applying pressure to the upper surface of an integrated circuit disposed in the socket. A slide-lock plate is mounted on the upper surface of the lid. A pressure pad screw extends from a position above the slide-lock plate, through a hole in the slide-lock plate, to engage threads of the central hole of the lid to apply pressure to the pressure pad when the pressure pad screw is rotated.

Abstract: An exhaust gas-purifying system for an internal combustion engine includes an alternator driven by the engine. A regulator controls voltage generated by the alternator. An electrically-heated catalyzer is arranged in the exhaust system of the engine and connected to the alternator to be electrically heated by electric power generated by the alternator. An ECU controls the regulator to control the voltage generated by the alternator and supplied to the electrically-heated catalyzer, according to operating conditions of the engine detected by sensors such as an engine coolant temperature sensor and an intake air temperature sensor.

Abstract: An electric wheel motor mounted integrally in a wheel has at least one electric leader line extending from the inside of a motor main body of the motor to the outside thereof. A breather passage is provided in the at least one electric leader line and communicates the inside of the motor main body with the outside thereof.

Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders each having at least one intake valve, at least one exhaust valve, and a crankshaft. The control system has an electromagnetic driving section which electromagnetically causes opening and closing of at least one of the at least one intake valve and the at least one exhaust valve. A crank angle sensor generates a crank angle signal whenever the crankshaft rotates through a predetermined angle, and a cylinder position sensor generates a cylinder-discriminating signal indicative of a predetermined crank angle of a particular cylinder of a plurality of the cylinders. A piston position sensor detects an operating state or position of the piston of each of the plurality of the cylinders, based on the generated crank angle signal and the generated cylinder-discriminating signal.

Abstract: A vibration/noise active control system for automotive vehicles which generates a canceling signal for canceling vibrations and noises generated within the compartment of the vehicle, based on a reference signal related to the vibrations and noises by means of an adaptive filter. The canceling signal is converted into a canceling sound. The adaptive filter has a filter coefficient thereof changed based on the cancellation error between the canceling sound and the vibrations and noises within the compartment, detected by an error sensor, and the reference signal. A memory stores a plurality of filter coefficient values of the adaptive filter corresponding to a plurality of predetermined traveling conditions of the vehicle.

Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders each having at least one intake valve, at least one exhaust valve, and a crankshaft. The control system has an electromagnetic driving section which electromagnetically causes opening and closing of at least one of the at least one intake valve and the at least one exhaust valve. A crank angle sensor generates a crank angle signal whenever the crankshaft rotates through a predetermined angle, and a cylinder position sensor generates a cylinder-discriminating signal indicative of a predetermined crank angle of a particular cylinder of a plurality of the cylinders. A piston position sensor detects an operating state or position of the piston of each of the plurality of the cylinders, based on the generated crank angle signal and the generated cylinder-discriminating signal.

Abstract: An exhaust gas-purifying system for an internal combustion engine includes an alternator driven by the engine. A regulator controls voltage generated by the alternator. An electrically-heated catalyzer is arranged in the exhaust system of the engine and connected to the alternator to be electrically heated by electric power generated by the alternator. An ECU controls the regulator to control the voltage generated by the alternator and supplied to the electrically-heated catalyzer, according to a degree of aging of the electrically-heated catalyzer.