Abstract: A method of monitoring electric battery capacity effects evaluation of battery capacity in terms of battery current and battery voltage in a succession of monitoring cycles, scales down an influence of battery current on the evaluation as the succession of monitoring cycles, progresses, and scales up an influence of battery voltage on such evaluation as the succession of monitoring cycles progresses. A similar method effects an assessment of battery capacity during alternating battery discharge operations and battery charging operations over a recurrence of monitoring cycles, detects a decline of attainable battery charge capacity during battery charging operations, and modifies its assessment in response to the detected decline of attainable battery charge capacity.

Abstract: Holstering systems for hand weapons comprise a track structure provided as a holster for such hand weapons. Each hand weapon may be provided with an adapter complementary with the track structure. The holster may be a standard holster for different types of elongate hand weapons that may have adapters interfacing with such standard holster. Such holsters may have an accommodation for accessories. Security holsters prevent accidental and unauthorized removal of weapons from holsters, such as with the aid of detents, sensors of a hand of a wearer, or other detent deactivators.

Abstract: System for inflating a vehicular gas bag (10) with gas from a bottle of compressed gas (12) against an occupant (13) in an emergency include a gas pressure sensor (39) having a sensor input (20) coupled to compressed gas in the bottle prior to an emergency, and having a sensed pressure output (21). A variable gas inlet passage (15) for the gas bag has a gas inlet passage variator (22) coupled to the sensed pressure output (21), and a variable gas venting passage (16) positioned in circumvention of the gas inlet passage and inverse to the variable gas inlet passage (see 37 vs. 34), and having a gas venting passage variator (23) coupled to the sensed pressure output. A compressed gas release (25) having a compressed gas outlet (26) on the bottle is connected to the gas inlet passage (15) and to the variable gas venting passage (16). The gas pressure sensor (21) may be temperature-compensated (46-48).

Abstract: An electric appliance includes a first electric power supply of first batteries arranged in a first pattern, and alternatively a different second electric power supply of second batteries arranged in a second pattern. An electrical ON-OFF switch has an ON-OFF position push-button switch actuator ard a rotary switch actuator which releasably blocks that ON-OFF position push-button switch actuator in an OFF position. A tail end is equipped with a bistable OFF and ON switching function and with a momentary ON switching function unified into one electric toggle switch having a stable OFF position, a stable ON position, and a momentary ON position. A flashlight beam is cast with a first lamp and reflector assembly, an alternative second lamp and reflector assembly is substituted for that first lamp and reflector assembly and a second light beam of a different configuration is cast with that alternative second lamp and reflector assembly.

Abstract: An equipment rack has horizontal frame structure, and vertical frame structure of sheet material, secured to that horizontal frame structure and having a bent cross-section and opposite ends. The bent cross-section has a square-wave configuration including alternate first, second and third square half-cycle configurations in one piece presenting three substantially flat and mutually spaced crests. The horizontal frame structure extends into more than one of these square half-cycle configurations and along the substantially flat crests of the latter square half-cycle configurations in overlapping relationship with the vertical frame structure substantially for the widths of the crests and for corresponding heights of the horizontal and vertical frame structures. The horizontal and vertical frame structures are intimately interconnected along the above mentioned opposite ends and at all overlapping portions of the horizontal and vertical frame members.

Abstract: Apparatus for conducting fluid and preventing its icing have a fluid line structure and a tubular fluid line element located in that fluid line structure and having a cross-section sufficient for a desired throughput of fluid. A heater element is located inside the fluid line structure and is in heat-transfer relationship with an inside of the tubular fluid line element. Such heater element may be an electric heater element inside the fluid line structure encompassing the tubular fluid line element in heat-transfer relationship with an inside of that tubular fluid line element. A frangible or other fluid line nipple may be removably connected to the fluid line structure, and the tubular fluid line element may extend from that fluid line structure to that fluid line nipple. A heat transfer reduction may be provided between the electric heater element and the fluid line structure outside of the tubular fluid line element.

Abstract: Fuel lines aboard aircraft are safeguarded against buildup of electric charges. A series of metallic tubes each having opposite open metallic tube ends are prepared for such fuel lines. External metallic ferrules are prepared for the opposite metallic tube ends of these metallic tubes. Each of these metallic ferrules is equipped with an electric discharge terminal for electric charges. Each metallic ferrule is bonded externally to a metallic tube end so that each metallic ferrule and a margin of that metallic tube end extend in one piece circumferentially around an inside of that metallic tube end and axially in one piece for an axial width of that metallic ferrule. External electric conductors extend between electric discharge terminals of adjacent metallic ferrules along the fuel line.

Abstract: Required blower power in an induced draft combustion system is reduced by recovering pressure from dynamic energy of flow of combustion products. To this end, the outlet duct is diverged gradually, such as an included angle of less than fifteen degrees, and preferably at an angle of substantially seven degrees. Divergence of the outlet duct may be expressed in polar coordinates having a polar axis, overlapping radius vectors and a variable polar angle of such overlapping radius vectors relative to the polar axis. A difference between such overlapping radius vectors is increased in a direction of flow of the combustion products and the outlet duct is structured with cross-sections increasing incrementally in terms of the increasing difference between the overlapping radius vectors. Condensate may be drained from a combustion product by providing the duct with a lateral offset having a bottom extending at an angle to the earth's field of gravity.

Abstract: Apparatus for discharging gas from a bottle of compressed gas include a compressed gas release having on that bottle a compressed gas outlet having a closed position and an alternative open position. A shuttle has a first position spaced from that compressed gas outlet before and after opening of such compressed gas outlet and has a second position at such compressed gas outlet. The shuttle includes a temporary compressed gas flow restriction at the compressed gas outlet in the alternative open position of such compressed gas outlet. A system for discharging gas from a bottle of compressed gas closes such bottle with a burst diaphragm, subsequently penetrates such burst diaphragm, momentarily reduces flow of compressed gas from the bottle at the penetrated burst diaphragm, and thereafter removes the reduction of flow of compressed gas from the bottle at the penetrated burst diaphragm.

Abstract: Hook conditions of a handset of a telephone apparatus which includes a telephone apparatus base having an inside and an outside are sensed by providing a beam of radiation outside of that telephone apparatus base. The handset is placed in that beam of radiation outside the telephone apparatus base in an on-hook condition of that handset on the telephone apparatus base. An off-hook condition of the handset is signaled by removing that handset from that beam of radiation while removing such handset from the telephone apparatus base. A method of preventing eavesdropping through microphone and earphone of a handset of a telephone apparatus opens a circuit of either the microphone or the earphone and short-circuits either the earphone or the microphone, respectively while the handset is on-hook on a base of that telephone.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for cutting a workpiece with a cutting tool rotated relative to the workpiece by an electric drive motor and advanced in that workpiece by an electric tool advance. These methods and apparatus sense obstacles to cutting in the workpiece by sensing an increasing draw of electric power of the electric drive motor in rotating the cutting tool relative to that workpiece, and automatically slow down the electric tool advance in response to such increasing draw of electric power. Such slowed-down electric tool advance drives the cutting tool to cut through the sensed obstacle in the workpiece. The speed of the slowed-down electric tool advance is automatically restored in response to a decrease in the sensed draw of electric power of the electric drive motor in rotating the cutting tool relative to the workpiece, and the cutting tool is advanced in the workpiece with the electric tool advance at the restored speed.

Abstract: Heat is transferred from a first fluid to a cooler second fluid with a heat exchanger having heat exchanger tubes in which the cooler second fluid flows, preferably in a counterflow to the first fluid. The heat exchanger tubes are arranged in more than three rows of heat exchanger tubes. The first fluid proceeds successively downstream through such rows in heat-transfer relationship with the heat exchanger tubes. Each downstream row of heat exchanger tubes has less throughput area for the first fluid than an adjacent upstream row of heat exchanger tubes as among at least the first three rows of heat exchanger tubes in the direction of flow of the first fluid. Each downstream row of heat exchanger tubes may have less heat exchanger tubes than an adjacent upstream row of heat exchanger tubes as among at least the first three of the rows of heat exchanger tubes in the direction of flow of the first fluid.

Abstract: In order to enable switching electric currents with a part of a human hand for an accessory of a firearm having a firearm handle, that firearm handle is complemented with an arcuate member, which is formed in similarity to a portion of that human hand in a clenched position at the mentioned part. An electric switching device on that arcuate member is at a location corresponding to the mentioned part of the human hand in its clenched position. The arcuate member may be provided with a mount. A bidirectional electric circuit extends along or through the arcuate member and may extend along or through the mount to and from the electric switching device.

Abstract: A supported structure is leveled against positional variations relative to a supporting structure with a fluid suspension system between the supported structure and the supporting structure. The fluid suspension system has a first fluid leveling valve for adjustment and operation of the supported structure to and at a first level relative to the supporting structure, and is provided with a second fluid leveling valve for adjustment and operation of the supported structure to and at an alternative second level relative to the supporting structure. The supported structure is adjusted with the first fluid leveling valve to the first level relative to the supporting structure. The first level is sensed. The activated first fluid leveling valve is operated in response to the sensed first level to maintain the first level against positional variations. The supported structure is alternatively adjusted with the second fluid leveling valve to the second level relative to the supporting structure.

Abstract: Flashlights are provided with a mode of operation enabling switching at a thumb area of a human hand while retaining that flashlight with fingers of that human hand during switching of that flashlight at that thumb area. The flashlight has a battery barrel provided with a tail-end switch. That battery barrel is also provided with a reduced diameter portion spaced from that tail-end switch, and with a retention element projecting from that reduced diameter portion for engagement by at least one of the fingers of the human hand during switching of the flashlight at the thumb area.

Abstract: The disclosed methods and apparatus for mixing a secondary fluid with a primary fluid have utility in venturi and other fluid mixing systems in agriculture, fluid, fuel combustion and other fields where liquid or gaseous chemicals, liquid or gaseous fuels or other fluids are entrained in a stream of water, air or other gaseous or liquid primary fluid. One of these methods provides for the primary fluid (21) a first flow channel (65) deceasing in a direction of flow of primary fluid, utilizes dynamic energy of that primary fluid to induce secondary fluid (35) into that primary fluid, and provides for the primary fluid with induced secondary fluid a second flow channel (66) increasing in a direction of flow of that primary fluid with induced secondary fluid, while arranging corresponding sides 67 and 68 of these first and second flow channels along a plane common to said first and second channels.

Abstract: A battery-powered apparatus for holding and energizing an electric transducer, includes a hand-held battery housing carrying the transducer mount, and first and second internal battery contacts. A first external battery charge terminal is on the transducer mount, and a second external battery charge terminal is on a part of the battery housing, such as its end cap. A double-throw switch has a common element electrically connected to an internal battery terminal contact, has a first switched contact leading to a first terminal of the electric transducer, and has opposite second switched contact electrically connected to an external battery charge terminal. If there are two electric transducers, they may be a part of a light source comprising a reflector, a first electric lamp having a filament at its focal point, and a second electric lamp extending into that reflector beside the first electric lamp.

Abstract: A holster for a flash light having a barrel and having a lamp housing wider than that barrel comprises a sheath for part of the flashlight having a first bore adapted to receive the lamp housing, and having a narrower second bore adapted to receive the barrel. Holster and flashlight combinations may use that holster. In one such combination, the flashlight has its barrel extending through the first and second bores of the sheath of the holster, and has its lamp housing projecting from such barrel above the first bore of that sheath. In another combination, the flashlight has its lamp housing in the first bore of the sheath, and has its barrel projecting from the lamp housing above the holster.

Abstract: Switch-less flashlights have a tube for housing the battery and a lamp assembly threaded or mounted on an end portion of that tube and having spaced first and second lamp terminals adapted to contact corresponding battery terminals upon rotation or movement of that lamp assembly relative to the tube in a first sense of rotation or direction. One of such first and second lamp terminals is also adapted to disengage from a corresponding one of the first and second battery terminals upon rotation or movement of the lamp assembly relative to the tube in a second sense of rotation or direction. The flashlight preferably includes a spring, such as in the form of the first lamp terminal contacting the first battery terminal, for permanently pressing the battery against an opposite end portion of the battery housing tube.

Abstract: A cabinet has a top, an opposite bottom, a front, an opposite rear, and sides extending between that front and that rear for containment of electrical equipment requiring different groups of electric conductors. One of these sides is segmented between the front and the opposite rear into separate conductor channels for different groups of electric conductors, and that one side is provided with a removable cover structure for the conductor channels permitting access to these conductor channels from space adjacent that one side between the front and the opposite rear. Different ones of these groups of electric conductors may be arranged side by side in one of these sides between the front and the opposite rear.