Abstract: A portable fluid pumping device includes a valve assembly having a pair of one-way umbrella valves controlling the flow of air to produce a positive pressure at one port and a negative pressure at another port. Each umbrella valve includes a valve stem having a neck received within the mounting opening, and an umbrella skirt integrally joined to the neck to overlie the valve opening. The umbrerlla skirt is relatively thin for its complete extent, and the juncture between the umbrella skirt and neck of the valve stem is of frusto-conical configuration increasing in diameter from the neck to the umbrella skirt.

Abstract: A filter device includes a tube connectible to a fluid line for the fluid to be filtered, and a housing enclosing the tube and including a partition dividing its internal chamber into two compartments each including a filter body. The housing and partition are movable axially of the tube to position the partition with respect to the inlet opening at: (a) a first position to cause both filter bodies to perform a filtering function, (b) a second position to cause the first filter body to perform a filtering function, or (c) a third position to cause the second filter body to perform a filtering function.

Abstract: A high pressure plastic container is made by rotationally moulding a first wall of plastic material, and a second wall enclosing and bonded to the first wall. One of the walls is integrally formed with a plurality of circumferentially-extending axially-spaced ribs of a hollow construction. The other wall may be unribbed, or may be integrally formed with a plurality of axially-extending circumferentially-spaced hollow ribs. The hollow ribs, are filled with a rigid plastic foam.

Abstract: A device for effecting the detachable mounting of a ornament, such as a display button having a pin, onto a piece of jewelry, typically a ring. A piece of jewelry such as an expensive ring is modified so as to include a device which includes side walls protruding substantially perpendicularly away from the ring. The side walls include one or more pairs of opposing perforations through which one can pass a pin of an ornament, such as a display button, so as to mount the ornament or button onto the ring. The ornament of button can be detached and changed at will. Further embodiments include a cover plate to form an enclosed space into which a plastic or rubber can be injected to stabilize the pin and fix its position and orientation. A further modification involves the use of elongated slots to facilitate the location of the pin so as to cause the cover plate to be in contact with the back surface of the button so as to further stabilize it.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring a particular location for the occurrence of a predetermined condition, such as fire, smoke, gas, etc., involves continuously transmitting, from a transmitter located at the monitored location, to a receiver, a source of electrical signals at a predetermined repetition rate having a period less than the interval between the electrical signals by at least one order of magnitude, and interrupting the transmission of the electrical signals upon sensing the predetermined condition. For example, the transmitted electrical signals may be coded bursts of pulses having burst periods of the order of milliseconds or nanoseconds, and spaced intervals of the order of seconds. Also, described is a parallel correlator which may be used as the decoder.

Abstract: A drip irrigation line includes a continuous tube having a plurality of openings along spaced intervals, and a plurality of flow reducers in the form of discrete elements bonded at spaced intervals to a continuous, elongated, flexible element of higher mechanical strength than that of the flow reducer elements, enhancing the strength of the tube.

Abstract: A food storage and delivery system for passenger vehicles having a plurality of seats separated by at least one aisle includes a rail mounted to the top of the vehicle and extending parallel to the aisle along its length, a carriage suspended from the rail, a food container on the carriage and movable along the length of the aisle, and a horizontal platform laterally of the rail for holding a plurality of the food containers, each alignable with the carriage for transferring the food container thereto.

Abstract: Apparatus for measuring the relative amount of a liquid in a mixture of such liquid with another immiscible liquid and having radiation absorption characteristics differing therefrom includes a chamber for receiving the mixture, a high frequency antenna, an electrically-conductive shield, a cleaning device, and a drive for driving the cleaning device during the normal operation of the apparatus to prevent the accumulation of deposits which may affect the accuracy of the measurement or the need for frequently interrupting the use of the apparatus for cleaning purposes.

Abstract: Apparatus for measuring the specific gravity, weight, level, and/or volume of a liquid in a container includes two load cells supported at the upper end of the container, a first body of known cross-sectional area extending through the interior of the container supported in suspension by one load cell, and a second body of known volume extending through the interior of the container and supported in suspension by the other load cell.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making a three-dimensional object including a large number of layers bonded together each having the contour of a thin slice of the object, are characterized in that each layer of the object is formed over its preceding layer by: applying a layer of a supporting material to the preceding layer; sculpture machining the supporting material layer according to the negative underface contour of the respective layer of the object to be formed; applying a layer of the object material in flowable form over the supporting material layer such that the underface of the object material layer takes the shape of the positive contour of the respective layer of the object to be formed; hardening the object material layer; and sculpture machining the upper face of the object material layer according to the positive upperface contour of the respective layer of the object to be formed.

Abstract: A transdermal drug delivery device includes an electrode, a porous insulating layer on one side of the electrode and impregnated with a liquid containing the drug to be delivered, a reservoir for the liquid on the other side of the electrode, and a displaceable diaphragm controlling the feeding of the liquid from the reservoir to the porous insulating layer via a passageway through the electrode.

Abstract: An assembly of a plurality of optical fibres fixed in a precise linear array, includes a housing formed with an internal cavity having a flat supporting surface; and a first flat sheet extending perpendicularly to the flat supporting surface at one end of the cavity and having a flat edge abutting the flat supporting surface at one side of the cavity. A plurality of the optical fibres are supported in side-by-side relation on the flat supporting surface. A second flat sheet at the opposite side of the cavity presses the optical fibres into contacting relation with each other, and with the end optical fibre in contact with the first flat sheet; and a block in the upper end of the cavity presses all the optical fibres into contact with the flat supporting surface.

Abstract: Optical inspection apparatus includes an illumination system illuminating an area of the workpiece surface with a sky of illumination which is, with respect to each point in the illuminated area, substantially circularly symmetric over a solid angle around the optical axis passing perpendicularly through the electro-optical sensor and the workpiece surface.

Abstract: A pulsed flame method and apparatus for analyzing a sample, by introducing the sample into a combustible gas mixture, igniting the combustible gas mixture to produce a pulsed flame and detecting a characteristic of the resulting pulsed flame to determine the identity and/or concentration of one or more chemical substances in the sample.

Abstract: A moisture-responsive valve includes a water-swellable body within a housing adjacent a moisture-permeable wall thereof for controlling the movements of a valve member with respect to a valve seat in response to the moisture passing through the moisture-permeable wall. The valve member is floatingly mounted between a first spring interposed between the valve member and the housing and urging the valve member away from the valve seat, and a second spring interposed between the valve member and the water-swellable body and urging the valve member towards the valve seat.

Abstract: Apparatus for precisely measuring the location of points on working media, such as a PCB, includes: a base panel having a surface area at least equal to that of the largest working medium to be measured, a reference mark, and a grid of fiducial marks each located at precisely-known locations with respect to the reference mark; a coarse positioning device movable over the base panel; a fine positioning device carried by and movable over the coarse positioning device; and a holder for holding a working medium substantially in contact with the base panel. The apparatus further includes first measuring means for measuring the location of a preselected point on the coarse positioning device with respect to a preselected fiducial mark of the base panel; and second measuring means carried by the fine positioning device for measuring the location of a point to be measured on the working medium with respect to the preselected point on the coarse positioning device.

Abstract: An electromagnetic pulse simulator includes two large-area electrodes mounted in spaced apart relation, and a high voltage generator electrically connected to the two electrodes to apply a high voltage between them. The electrical connection of the high-voltage generator and at least one of the electrodes comprises a plurality of electrical conductors in mutually-spaced relation with each conductor being enclosed within an insulating sheath filled with an insulating gas under pressure.

Abstract: A sealed rechargeable nickel-zinc or silver-zinc electrochemical cell including two compartments, one having a zinc electrode and a first hydrogen electrode and the other having a nickel or silver electrode and a second hydrogen electrode electrically connected to the first hydrogen electrode. The two compartments share a common gas space. During discharge the cell acts as a conventional nickel-zinc or silver-zinc electrochemical cell. During charging the gases evolved are immediately internally consumed, allowing the entire cell to be sealed. Furthermore, when the cell is fully charged there is a noticeable voltage jump which serves as a clear indication that the cell is fully charged and helps prevent overcharging and its detrimental effects.

Abstract: Sewing apparatus comprises a sewing needle, a bobbin for feeding thread to the sewing needle, a rotary housing containing the bobbin and its case a sensor for sensing the non-feeding of thread to the sewing needle; an extraction-reloading device automatically effective, upon sensing the non-feeding of the thread to the sewing needle, for first extracting the bobbin and its case from the rotary housing, then extracting the bobbin from its case, then reloading the case with another bobbin having a supply of thread thereon and then returning the case with its reloaded bobbin into the rotary housing.

Abstract: A wheeled vehicle includes a lifting device for lifting the vehicle over a step to be traversed. The lifting device includes a carriage mounted on the vehicle frame for vertical movement with respect thereto, lifting arms carried by the carriage and engageable with the step to be traversed, and a force-multiplying block and tackle assembly carried by the frame and coupled to the carriage for moving the carriage downwardly relative to the frame while the lifting arms engage the top of the step to be traversed to thereby lift the frame over the step.