Abstract: A scalpel comprises a shank having a holder for releasably mounting a surgical blade. A ball of plastic material is formed by injection molding on the blade proper which consists of metal. The holder includes a sleeve, which is threadedly engaged with the shank at one end thereof and adapted to be screwed axially along the shank. The sleeve forms a ball socket, which is adapted to receive the ball of the blade therein. A clamping rod extends axially within the socket between the shank and the ball to engage and disengage said ball by the sleeve being screwed on the shank. The end of the clamping rod, which is adjacent to the ball, forms a circular sharp edge of a diameter which is substantially smaller than the diameter of the ball, thus cutting into the plastic material of the ball when the sleeve is screwed to engage the clamping rod with said ball.

Abstract: Floating barriers are provided with containment means (doublecoated with polyvinyl chloride) of woven twisted nylon thread and with low density polyurethane floating means. The two previous characteristics, along with a change in arrangement, size and shape of other means in current barriers, have surprisingly improved properties, such as wear resistance and use versatility, even under extreme conditions.

Abstract: A bumper rubber is disclosed and includes: a bumper rubber body being elastically deformable and having a substantially cylindrical shape, wherein the bumper rubber body is inserted into a rod extending from a top end portion of a cylinder of a shock absorber, a top end surface thereof is brought into contact with a bottom end portion of a suspension insulator disposed on a vehicle body, and a bottom end surface thereof is brought into contact with a top end portion of the cylinder, thereby being elastically deformed and absorbing the excessive displacements of the shock absorber; and a rigid ring integrally insert-molded on an outer periphery surface of the bumper rubber body and having an engagement groove on an exposed outer periphery surface thereof to be engaged with a dust cover, and the engagement groove going round on the exposed outer periphery surface of the rigid ring in a ring-like shape.

Abstract: A space frame node and connector assembly is provided in which the node is provided with a series of sockets each of which is formed into an inner and outer part, the inner part being screw-threaded for receiving a screw-threaded spigot portion of a connector and the outer part being of enlarged shape for co-operation with an enlarged spigot portion axially adjacent the screw-threaded spigot portion. Preferably the enlarged portion of the socket and co-operating enlarged portion of the spigot are of truncated conical shape such that the connector is firmly urged into the tapering enlarged socket formation when the screw-threaded spigot and socket are interengaged.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed which are used to mix two fluids, two gases, or a fluid and a gas. The preferred embodiment is useful primarily for the aeration of water but can be used to mix any gas with a liquid. The method involves creating relative movement between an elongate element and a fluid whereby a low-pressure area will be developed on the lee side of the element. The gas is then admitted to the low-pressure area and bubbles are formed. The element is preferably pointed to form a tine, and the bubbles are moved along the tine by a component of the relative motion toward the tip. When the bubble reaches the tip it will be detached and entrained in the fluid. When a plurality of tines is used, significant air induction capacities are observed. one embodiment employs tines mounted to a rotating body and other embodiments use arrays of parallel tines mounted to fixed structures and immersed in a stream of fluid.

Abstract: A feeding system for cows uses a track system which carries bowls in a first direction from each of the stalls in a stanchion type barn to a feeding room where the bowls are filled and back to the stalls. Each of the bowls is carried by a bracket and has a mechanism for allowing the contents of the bowl to be emptied into a feed trough associated with an individual stall. A one-way tripping mechanism adjacent each stall allows the bowls to pass freely when moving in said first direction and causes the bowls to be emptied when moved in the reverse direction. All the full bowls can be simultaneously emptied by moving them in the first direction to align them with the proper stalls and by then reversing the direction of movement of the track system.

Abstract: A process for making a laminated wood product includes sawing or sanding opposite faces of offcut wood strips, to prepare these faces for glueing with the strips in quartersawn orientation. The strips are also prepared by sanding or planing substantially parallel to the top and/or bottom surfaces of the strips. The strips are glued end-to-end and side-by-side to form a laminated plank having the strips in quartersawn orientation. The plank is finished to form a laminated quartersawn strip product which may be used for flooring, paneling, millwork or other purposes.

Abstract: An elliptical-shaped, plate type muffler holding member made of an elastic material having the structure of: a first holding part having a first through hole into which a supporting member of an automotive body side is to be inserted, a second holding part formed with a space between the first holding part and having a second through hole into which a supporting member of a muffler side is to be inserted, a pair of side parts connecting the first holding part and the second holding part at the both sides thereof, and a center connecting part positioned in the space between the first and second holding parts and integrally connected to each side part at the central portion thereof. According to the present invention, the muffler holding member has the center connecting part made of an elastic material and therefore, tensile and compression stresses are working in the center connecting part.

Abstract: A dolly for an automobile comprises a first part which is U-shaped and includes a first side for engaging the tires of the automobile and casters. A second part is removably attached to the first part and provides a second side which can be pulled toward the first side to raise the automobile. The first and second parts are connected by threaded rods, and the two parts are pulled together by rotating nuts on the rods which also engage the first part of the dolly.

Abstract: An intrinsically safe power supply unit, more particularly for face supports in mining, comprising an ac transformer connected to a rectifier and power resistors for limiting the current and connected to the dc voltage output, wherein the ac voltage transformer is a resonance transformer which stabilizes the secondary voltage, and the dc voltage occurring behind the power resistors is kept constant by three voltage limiters connected in parallel.

Abstract: An oxidation catalysts/cocatalyst composition of matter is useful in oxidizing organic waste material. Use of the oxidation catalysts/cocatalyst composition causes the reaction rate to increase and causes the energy required for the reaction to decrease. A solution, including the oxidation catalysts/cocatalyst composition, and a reaction medium composition further including organic waste material are also described.

Abstract: In a pulse combustion device including a combustion chamber having a cylindrical wall, a forward end wall secured to one end of the cylindrical wall for attachment with a liquid vessel and being formed with an inlet port to be supplied with a mixture of gaseous fuel and air, and a rearward end wall secured to the other end of the cylindrical wall to close the combustion chamber, the cylindrical wall of the combustion chamber is formed with a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced radial exhaust ports which are located respectively in a position displaced from the center of the combustion chamber in an axial direction toward the inlet port, and a plurality of tailpipes are radially inwardly bent at their one ends and secured to the exhaust ports of the combustion chamber.

Abstract: An ignition control apparatus for a pulse combustor, wherein the number of trials for energization of a spark electrode is calculated and memorized, the memorized number of trials is reset to an initial value or zero after ignition of the fuel-air mixture in a combustion chamber of the combustor has been successfully obtained, a period of time for pre-purge of the combustion chamber is determined in accordance with the memorized number of trials for energization of the spark electrode, and a purge blower for the combustor activated for the determined period of time prior to energization of the spark electrode to change the unburned mixture ratio to a non-combustible ratio on the trial for ignition. In the ignition control apparatus, the presence of flame in the combustion chamber is further detected for a predetermined time, and the purge blower is deactivated when a predetermined number of trials for ignition have been attempted due to lack of the presence of flame in the combustion chamber.

Abstract: There is provided a new and useful combined muffler and catalytic converter exhaust unit for the exhaust stream from an internal combustion engine, the combined unit comprising a housing having an inlet and an outlet, first and second chambers within the housing, an oxidation/reduction catalyst within the first chamber, noise muffling means within the second chamber, and wherein the first chamber has an inlet leading to the inlet of the housing and an outlet leading to an inlet of the second chamber, and the second chamber has an outlet leading to the outlet of the housing.

Abstract: Hot-melt adhesives, useful for both glue-port and glue-gun applications, are formulated so that they can be applied at temperatures no higher than 280.degree. F. and preferably at temperatures of at most 250.degree. F. The adhesive compositions have a heat resistance of at least 125.degree. F. and are readily shaped into glue sticks for use in glue guns. The adhesive for the hot-melt adhesive compositions is suitably compounded with tackifyin resin and/or wax. The resulting composition has a shape viscosity profile, which is readily achieved, e.g., by using a high melt index adhesive polymer as an essential component.

Abstract: In a liquid heating apparatus of the pulse combustion type, a mounting plate is secured to a side wall of a liquid vessel for supporting thereon an air-fuel mixer head outside the vessel and a combustion chamber inside the vessel, and an inlet pipe is secured at its inner end to a front end wall of the combustion chamber and extended outwardly from the vessel through the mounting plate. The air-fuel mixer head is mounted to an outer end of the inlet pipe at a position spaced from the mounting plate, and the combustion chamber is supported by the inlet pipe at a position spaced from the mounting plate. During pulse combustion, the inlet pipe is cooled by the liquid flowing into the space between the front end wall of the combustion chamber and the mounting plate to protect the mixer head from the heat of high temperature transmitted thereto from the combustion chamber.

Abstract: An article and method for its manufacture are described. The article is preferably a ladle used in the manufacture of metals and receives molten metal for further chemical processing in the ladle or for transportation. The ladle is transparent to a wide range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths which allows the metal to be heated or stirred by induction without heating the ladle itself. The ladle is made of glass fibers and an inorganic cement, and this provides strength along with high temperature resistance. The article is manufactured by winding glass fiber around a mandrel, the glass fiber having an inorganic cement adhered to it. In one technique, the cement is provided on the fiber as an aqueous slurry, and the product is allowed to air cure after winding. In a second technique, the cement is adhered to the fiber by electrostatic attraction.

Abstract: An electronically instrumented combination kneader compactor and plane-strain, simple-shear testing machine for use in testing paving materials under cyclic loading and over a range of temperatures and various rates of shear has been described. A very significant advance in pavement materials testing is made available in the machine by introducing cyclic vertical loading simultaneously with kneading shear--this being analogous to what actually happens in the pavement beneath a moving vehicle tire. Fundamental engineering (stress-strain) measurements, including dynamic moduli, are obtained which are suitable for use in design calculations in a rational engineering approach to flexible payment design in lieu of the conventional empirical correlations. The optimum bitumen or water content is precisely determined on the basis of the elasto-plastic properties response and independently of conventional empirical correlations with the percentage of voids.

Abstract: A unitary trailer alignment guide for positioning a towing vehicle with respect to a trailer for connecting a trailer hitch includes a base, a telescoping upright member, a telescoping horizontal member joined at one end to the upper end of the upright member and rotatable through 270 degrees at the joint, and a vertical locator member at the forward end of the horizontal member, remote from the joint. In use, a trailer guide is mounted on a trailer. The lengths of the telescoping vertical and horizontal members are adjusted so that the vertical locator member will touch the towing vehicle when the trailer is aligned with the towing vehicle in position for connecting the trailer hitch.

Abstract: An offshore sewage treatment facility or sludge facility is serviced on a ship. The ship is secured and in position by means of a single point mooring system which is attached to the vessel's stem or stern and is connected to a submerged pipeline as a conduit from the shore. This offshore facility is alternatively housed aboard a conventional offshore platform. The facility is totally and/or partially energy self sufficient by means of utilizing methane gas generated by the processing plant. The processing facility allows for primary and secondary waste water treatment and digestion, dehydration of sludge or solids, generation of methane gas, drying of sludge or solids and pelletization of sludge with end products or by-products of recyclable water for industrial and/or agricultural purposes, fertilizer after the dry sludge is mixed with potash, or the dry sludge may be manufactured into blocks suitable for the construction of buildings.