Abstract: An ash tray is characterized as having an upwardly opening ash receiver receiving chamber circumscribed by a rim shaped to define a slot sized and arranged to removably, frictionally grip a butt end of a cigarette and to position such cigarette to upstand from within the slot with its ash and arranged to overlie the chamber.

Abstract: A modular cutoff die unit features square-ended punch and die steels, which are supported by and sized relative to their respective retaining shoes such as to provide four reversable cutting edges and to allow plural cutoff dies to be arranged in tandem.

Abstract: A hoist employs a modified Weston brake characterized as having an axially aligned ratchet pawl or plate and ratchet wheel assembly and a cam device operable to supplement spring force applied to the ratchet assembly for gaining and maintaining a positive engagement of the ratchet assembly during load lowering or holding thereof.

Abstract: A voting machine system employs a processor section and a plurality of peripheral units, all interconnected by a two-way street or bus system. The peripheral units constitute the voting machine proper and the processor or section acts upon the data generated by the peripheral units. One of the peripheral units is a visual display whereas the ballot format upon which a voter may vote is displayed. This ballot format is called up and displayed in response to unique input provided by the voter and different ballot formats are stored for call-up. Vote selections are made by the voter from the display. Provision is made for voter write-in selections which are stored in machine-readable, i.e., digital form. Two other peripheral units are redundant recording devices, one of which remains with the machine for a permanent record and the other of which is removable to permit forwarding thereof to a central data accumulation center.

Abstract: A hammer mill features a screen mounting arrangement in combination with a mill casing door arrangement facilitating insertion/removal of the screen.

Abstract: The potential K.sub.2 O content of cement clinker due to the presence of potassium compounds in the raw feed mix is substantially eliminated by introducing an active agent into the kiln along with or in conjunction with the fuel used to fire the kiln. The active agent is effective to convert K.sub.2 O to KCl and preferably is a chlorinated organic waste product burned along with the fuel.

Abstract: File folders and filing cabinet drawer dividers (as will be referred to hereinafter as "separators") made of relatively thin and inexpensive paper stock which are vertically reinforced by an improved stiffening means which also furnishes (or reinforces) the conventional type upstanding file contents identification device, and which include folded-over upper end portions which further reinforce the identification "tab" against bending/wear stresses. The folded-over portion is also so formed as to provide a rearwardly extending abutment which acts to space apart like separators when adjacently disposed in a filing drawer or the like. Thus, the separators are with improved facility individually identifiable and grasped by the user for withdrawal purposes; as well as being relatively inexpensive to maufacture while being of improved stiffness in requisite respects.

Abstract: An educational device for teaching the principles of numerical control includes a machine tool having three-axis movement with a predetermined fixed rate of movement along each axis. A control tape is driven at a predetermined fixed rate which is faster than the machine rate and contains seven control channels, two for each machine axis and an "off" channel for stopping all movements along each of the three axes. Numerical control programming is effected by punching holes in the relevant tape channels to initiate movements along the axes and terminating such movements by punching holes in the "off" channel. The distances between movement-initiating holes and "off" holes controls machine movement along the axes.

Abstract: A coupling link for field/factory assembly of chain lengths and/or attachments thereto; and/or for repairing broken chains or to couple lengths of chain together whenever desired; said coupling link comprising two half link units each of which comprises an overlay/underlay assembly of two or more relatively nested complemental-configured half-link shaped members all of which are stamped out from sheet/plate stock and formed into generally U-shaped sectional form, the paired components thereof being complementarily shaped and internested together. Thus, where the coupling link is under tension loadings the bowed portions of contiguous members yield into mutually reinforcing shapes. Said half-link shaped members have apertured terminal ear portions interdigitally mounted upon a common interconnecting pin; thereby spreading the operational shear loads on the pin.

Abstract: A punch is formed by heat hardening a tool steel body previously machined to define a punch body portion having an end opening cavity including a conical end opening portion and a cylindrical base portion; inserting a cylindrically shaped hard and abrasive resistant punch element into the cavity through the conical end portion for press-fit assembly within the cylindrical base portion; conductively heating the punch body immediately adjacent the conical end portion up to the melting temperature of a bonding material and overfilling a space defined by the conical end portion and the punch element with such bonding material, while preventing migration of hardness altering heat axially within the punch body away from the area of the cavity; air cooling the punch body to solidify the bonding material and thereby bond the punch element to the punch body; and grinding away overflow portions of the bonding material to provide a "radius" of bonding material blended into the punch element and body portion.

Abstract: A lock, such as a padlock, is provided with a single, spring biased end journaled bolt for operably interconnecting a shackle with a magnetic key controlled, locking-unlocking mechanism.

Abstract: L-aspartyl-L-phenylglycine esters, e.g., L-aspartyl-L-phenylglycine methyl ester, are new compounds useful as sweeteners for various foods, beverages and compositions intended to be tasted, e.g., chewing gums, dentifrices, mouth washes. Such compounds can be made by reaction of a corresponding amide, such as asparagine, with an amino blocking agent, e.g., carbobenzoxy chloride, whereby a reaction with the amino group of the asparagine produces the corresponding carbobenzoxyamide, following which the amide is reacted with the methyl or other suitable lower alkyl ester of an amino acid, e.g., phenylglycine, to produce the corresponding peptide by reaction of the free carboxylic and amino groups, and subsequently, the carbobenzoxy group is removed by hydrogenolysis in the presence of a catalyst and the terminal amide of the peptide is converted to the corresponding acid by hydrolysis.

Abstract: A boat is formed with a pair of separate, fore and aft extending deck halves to each of which is secured a pontoon; the deck halves being releasably secured together by a bridging front locking plate and a bridging rear locking-motor mounting plate, and have their deck surfaces maintained in an essentially coplanar relationship by removably passing tubes of circular cross section through pairs of deck half affixed tubes of square cross section, which are automatically aligned incident to attachment of the bridging pieces. The deck halves are designed to provide maximum strength-minimum weight construction.

Abstract: A lock includes pivotally supported tumbler pins having magnetically attractable ends normally disposed in one of several locked positions arranged along prescribed paths of travel, but movable under the influence of a key to assume combination setting or unlocked positions arranged along their paths of travel; and a tumbler pin end engaging plate rotatable between locked and unlocked positions when the tumbler pins are disposed in their combination setting positions.

Abstract: The inflatable cell portion(s) of an air cushion type undercarriage for airplanes, air cushion vehicles, or the like, of the type which are formed with air outlet openings in the ground tangent areas thereof are individually provided with air flow control devices having highly abrasive tear-resistant bottom surfaces disposed externally of the cell fabric, in lieu of the conventionally employed coverply or "wear strips". The devices of the present invention receive the ground contact abrasion and tear-inducing stresses normally imposed upon the cell fabric, and protect the latter in improved manner; and are simply snap-fitted (and thereby detachably locked) into the cell fabric apertures, and may be easily replaced as required.

Abstract: A key for a magnetic lock is provided with a plurality of dials, which are manually rotatable to position magnet devices carried thereby in desired combination setting positions determined by visual observation of dial carried indicia.

Abstract: A counterbalance hinge mechanism for a cabinet lid includes a stationary cabinet affixed hinge rod serving to rotatably support a pair of axially stationary lid mounting cam members and to slidably support a pair of non-rotatable cam followers. An adjustable spring assembly serves to bias the cam followers into engagement with the cam members, whereby to counterbalance gravity induced torque effects of the lid throughout a substantial portion of lid opening movement.

Abstract: A continuously driven endless belt type conveyor is disclosed as being employed to transfer packages successively through a weighing station having a weighing platform on which packages rest during weighing thereof and a package labeling station. A flight of the conveyor passing through the weighing station is adapted to be lowered and raised for the purpose of removably placing a package in resting engagement with the weighing platform, while concurrently having its speed of travel relative to the platform varied to effect deceleration of the package prior to weighing and acceleration of the weighed package prior to discharge.

Abstract: An apparatus particularly adapted for weighing spools of yarn without subjecting the yarn to physical contact, which features an expansible mandrel depending from a weigher and having a lower end adapted to be releasably locked within the core tube of the spool. The mandrel is capable of undergoing movement independently of the weigher to accommodate for axial misalignments of the core tube when presented to the mandrel and to isolate the weigher relative to shocks produced as an incident to alignment and/or pickup of the spool by the mandrel.

Abstract: A counterbalance mechanism features a single stationary bracket, which serves as a free pivotal and thrust bearing support for a counterbalance assembly extending through the bracket for connection to a lid operating linkage.