Abstract: A method and system for supporting an airborne vehicle in space over a predetermined location and for an extensive period, comprises coupling the airborne vehicle by cables to a plurality of unmanned aircraft each having its own propulsion system; controlling the unmanned aircraft to fly in circular orbits at equally-spaced angles around the airborne vehicle while coupled to the airborne vehicle, to tension the cables and thereby to support the airborne vehicle in space over the predetermined location; and supplying the unmanned aircraft with energy from an external source to maintain the unmanned aircraft in flight over an extended or indefinite period of time.

Abstract: A scraper tool particularly useful for hand deburring internal rounded corners, holes an concave surfaces includes a scraper blade integrally formed with a front part having a scraping edge, and a back part joined to a shank at the back end fixed to the handle. The front face of the front part is of circular configuration and is cut at an oblique angle to the plane passing perpendicularly to the scraper blade to define a continuous oblong scraping edge.

Abstract: A method of making a three-dimensional object constituted of a large number of layers bonded together, each having the contour of a thin slice of the object, is characterized in that each layer is precisely contoured after having been bonded to the partially-built three-dimensional object but before the next succeeding layer is bonded to it. Each layer is a preformed sheet and is bonded to the partially-built object by applying an adhesive at locations within the confines of the contour of the area of contact between the layer to be bonded and the object, such that the portions of the sheet outside of the contour of the contact area are easily separated.

Abstract: A tool for loosening or tightening threaded fasteners on vehicle wheels includes an elongated base member having one end engageable with the ground for anchoring it, and an applicator bar rotatably mounted at the opposite end and carrying a connector for receiving the fastener to be loosened or tightened. The applicator bar and connector are rotated by a ratchet wheel and a pawl driven by a handle pivotally mounted to the base member. The pawl is driven by the handle via a power-boosting fluid cylinder and piston.

Abstract: A vaccum device includes a cylinder, a plunger receivable through the open end of the cylinder and having a piston movable within the cylinder to define a suction chamber; and indicia carried by the cylinder cooperable with a reference on the plunger for providing a visual indication of the suction in the suction chamber. The indicia is in the form of a curve representing the variation of pressure in the suction chamber with the volume of the chamber as indicated by a reference on the piston.

Abstract: A toothbrush includes a brush head having a first group of bristle holders arranged along a substantially straight line and a second group of bristle holders arranged in a circle, all the bristle holders being rotatable about their respective axes.

Abstract: A brush includes a plurality of bristle holders each rotatably mounted in the brush head about its own rotary axis, a plurality of crank arms each coupled to one of the bristle holders for oscillating it about its respective rotary axis, and a rod reciprocatably mounted within the handle and carrying a plurality of pins each received in a slot of one of the crank arms to oscillate the respective bristle holder about its rotary axis upon the reciprocation of the rod. In one described embodiment, the reciprocatable rod is connected to a weight slidably mounted in the handle so that the rod is reciprocated by the weight during manual reciprocation of the handle by a user when using the brush. In another described embodiment, the reciprocatable rod is connected to the handle, and the handle is connected to the brush head by a yielding coupling so that the rod is reciprocated by the handle by a user when using the brush.

Abstract: A motor vehicle accessory particularly useful for holding a sign or other article, includes a plate member formed at one end with a mounting section for insertion between the vehicle windshield and the vehicle dashboard. The mounting section extends obliquely to the plate member, and is joined to it by an elastic juncture section, such that when the mounting section is inserted between the vehicle windshield and the vehicle dashboard, the plate member is pressed towards the inner surface of the windshield to thereby releasably hold a sign or other article between it and the inner surface of the windshield.

Abstract: A sonic direction locating system for locating the direction of origin of a specified type of sonic impulse with respect to a reference body, includes a plurality of sonic sensors arranged in a predetermined array to be located at the reference body, and a direction processor for processing the outputs of the sonic sensors to determine the direction of a sonic impulse detected by the sonic sensors according to their positions in the array. The outputs of the sonic sensors are analyzed for predetermined characteristics stored in a storage device, and the direction processor is immediately disabled when one of the predetermined characteristics of the detected sonic impulse does not correspond to a stored characteristic.

Abstract: A broadband microwave antenna exhibiting high radiation efficiency over a broad frequency band in which the VSWR is less than 2.5:1 over at least 15% of the frequency band, includes a ground plane at one side of a dielectric substrate and formed with at least one slot, and a feed strip at the other side of the substrate. The feed strip is of uniform width for substantially its complete length, but includes a change in width at the feed end of the slot to produce a first impedance matching network effective to bring the slot impedance to the level of the feed line over the broad frequency band, and another change in width at the load end of the slot to produce a second impedance matching network which reduces the slot reactance to match the reactive impedance of the load to the reactive part of the slot impedance over the broad frequency band.

Abstract: A self-propelled vehicle includes a pair of foot treadles mounted in side-by-side relation, and an overrunning clutch for each foot treadle. Each foot treadle is mounted to the frame by a four-link parallelogram retaining the respective foot treadle substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle frame as the foot treadle is driven downwardly by the operator's foot and is returned upwardly by springs.

Abstract: An electromagnetic assembly includes a gimbal pivotally mounting an electromagnetic device to a housing, a magnetic body secured to the electromagnetic device producing a magnetic field coaxial with a first orthogonal axis; coils secured to the housing so as to be magnetically coupled to the magnetic body and oriented such that current through them produces a magnetic field along second and third orthogonal axes, respectively; and a current source for applying electrical current to the coils such that the magnetic fields produced thereby, interacting with the magnetic field produced by the magnetic body, produce a torque controlling the position of the electromagnetic device with respect to the second and third orthogonal axes.

Abstract: A device for dispensing a liquid, particularly a medicament, at a predetermined rate, includes a container including a displaceable partition to define a first expansible-contractible chamber on one side for receiving the liquid to be dispensed, and a second expansible-contractible chamber on the opposite side for receiving an electrolytic cell. The electrolytic cell has electrodes and an electrolyte capable of generating, upon the energization of the electrodes, a gas under pressure to thereby displace the displaceable partition and to force the liquid out from the first chamber in accordance with the rate of energization of the electrodes. The displaceable partition includes a piston assembly having a pair of pistons spaced apart by a connecting stem, the container being formed with a vent opening in the space between the pistons to prevent accidental mixing of the gas with the liquid to be dispensed.

Abstract: A scraper tool particularly useful for hand deburring various surfaces at different cutting angles, includes a scraper blade of rectangular section defining four continuous sharp edges extending axially of the scraper blade. The thickness of the rectangular section is preferably larger along one transverse dimension than along the other transverse dimension of the section, with the larger dimension decreasing from one end of the scraper blade to the opposite end. The front face of the front end of the scraper blade is of rectangular configuration and forms an oblique angle to the plane passing perpendicularly through the scraper blade, thereby forming four additional sharp edges extending peripherally around the scraper blade.

Abstract: An immobilizing device particularly useful during processing or testing flat workpieces includes an air-cushion unit carried at the lower end of a carrier member and having an annular skirt defining with the workpiece, an air-cushion chamber effective, when pressurized, to cause the air-cushion unit to hover over the workpiece to permit relative movement between the air-cushion unit and the workpiece and table, while immobilizing and flattening the board with respect to the table.

Abstract: Dental apparatus includes a tank of compressed sterile oxygen, or another compressed gas such as nitrogen, a source of a pressurized treatment liquid, and valves for coupling the oxygen tank or treatment liquid to the water inlet of the dental unit enabling the dental unit to be used for a wide variety of dental treatments, particularly when using a triple syringe for rinsing the canals in root canal treatment, or when using an ultrasonic scaler for dislodging hard deposits and stain.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for analyzing a material by: forming and injecting into a vacuum chamber of a mass spectrometer a supersonic molecular beam of a carrier gas mixed with a sample of the material to be analyzed; ionizing the material in the supersonic molecular beam; mass-separating the ions according to their mass; and detecting the mass-separated ions of the material to be analyzed. The ions in the supersonic molecular beam may be filtered from ions of the thermal background molecules and carrier gas after the ionizing step but before the detecting step. The detected ions may then be used for identifying the material.

Abstract: A rotary water sprinkler includes a plunger reciprocatable within the nozzle to restrict and englarge the nozzle throat so as to enable larger size nozzles to be used for obtaining a larger range, while the reciprocating plunger cyclically restricts and enlarges the nozzle discharge nozzle to restrict the discharge rate. The sprinkler further includes a pivotal arm impacted by the water jet and returned by a spring in order to reciprocate the plunger and also to rotate the sprinkler head.

Abstract: Apparatus for monitoring the health condition of a subject includes a sweat collector unit, a sweat analyzing device for analyzing the sweat collected by the sweat collector unit; and a body attaching device for attaching both the sweat collector unit and the sweat analyzing device to the body of a subject for collecting and analyzing the subject's sweat, thereby enabling the health of the subject to be continuously and non-invasively monitored.