Abstract: A wheelchair driver having a simple, efficient structure is mountable to a horizontal frame extension of a wheelchair between a wheel and the wheelchair's frame. The driver is mounted directly to a spindle sleeve fastened to the horizontal frame extension which provides a race for the driver to run upon. The spindle sleeve also isolates the driver from the wheel preventing any friction between the wheel and the driver. The driver has a lever extending upward from the spindle sleeve above the tire of the wheel. A handle is provided on the uppermost end for a user. The lever has a pawl extending over the tire of the wheel. The pawl has teeth on a lower surface and contacts against the tire. When the lever is rotated around the spindle sleeve, the pawl teeth grab the tire, causing the wheelchair to move. When the lever is stopped or rotated oppositely, the pawl teeth release the tire and allow the wheelchair's momentum to move the wheelchair until another forward rotation of the lever provides additional force.
Abstract: A garment pocket reinforcement including a trapezoidally shaped insert having a bottom edge, a substantially straight side edge, a sloped side edge, a first shoulder edge, a second shoulder edge and a semi circular transitional edge. The first shoulder edge and the second shoulder edge of the insert are respectively sewn to a right shoulder seam and a left shoulder seam of a shirt. The bottom edge of the insert is sewn to the back side of a pocket disposed on the shirt. The insert further includes a transitional band of material which is used to attach the semi-circular transitional edge of the insert to a collar of the shirt along the front half of the neck line. The shoulders of the shirt also include small arches which are taking up on both front and back sides of both the right and left shoulder seems.
Abstract: An automatic utility meter is provided for collecting, calculating, storing and displaying data correlative of consumption of utility commodities such as electric power, gas, water and the like. In addition, the automatic utility meter includes communication means which allows bi-directional communication of data to and from a remote computer. The automatic utility meter is a direct replacement for existing electric utility meters and uses direct read circuitry to sample and calculate power directly from the input voltage and current waveforms received from an electric utility company.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 31, 1996
Date of Patent:
November 30, 1999
Assignee:
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Inventors:
Thomas R. Turino, Keith Bergiven, Dan Opperman, Anthony Warner
Abstract: A manual pipette having a cushioned hand grip area and a tip ejector. The ejector is located strategically so that an operator can easily manipulate either the ejector or a pipette fluid plunger which introduces and expels fluid to be sampled. The pipette is ergonomically balanced and designed to prevent operator fatigue. The pipette includes structure for in field calibration and volume variation.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 15, 1996
Date of Patent:
November 16, 1999
Assignee:
Hamilton Company
Inventors:
Victor C. Strandberg, Robert F. Scalese, Phillip C. Trenholme, Jan M. Conover, Scott T. Kozel, Chih C. Chen, Daniel J. Driscoll
Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing tubular articles from fiber reinforced thermoplastic sheets. A horizontal conveyor feeds the sheets to a vertical wrapping belt. The sheets are heated on the conveyor to a molten state and fed to a mandrel rotated by the belt. The molten sheets are wrapped around the mandrel and cooled by the action of the belt to form an integral structure.
Abstract: Apparatus for preventing lung collapse including an ambient air passageway, an airway injecting gas in fluid communication with nostrils of a patient and aerodynamically designed passageways for both the ambient air and the injected gas to optimize the fluid flow characteristics during inhalation and exhalation of the patient.
Abstract: A fibrin glue dispenser including a spring biased rack. The rack spring is a coil spring having substantially linear characteristics along its operating length. The rack spring forces first and second plungers into first and second loaded syringes to dispense thrombin and fibrinogen into first and second exits such that the admixture of the two occurs for forming fibrin glue away from the exists. A dispensing lever can be controlled as to the fibrin glue formation to dispense either drops of fibrin glue or an elongate line of fibrin glue.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 27, 1996
Date of Patent:
November 2, 1999
Assignee:
ThermoGenesis Corp.
Inventors:
Philip H. Coelho, Terry L. Wolf, Pete J. Menke, Jerry M. Alcone
Abstract: A plaque and method of manufacture including a flat sheet of tinted transparent plastic having a smooth front viewing face and a rear face having a line drawing integrally molded thereto. When viewed through the front face, the line drawing presents to the viewer a glow according to the color of the tinting and an illusion of line drawing relief upon the front face. In a modification, the plaque can be backed by a black reflecting plate, and in another modification the plaque can be edge illuminated by an artificial light source. The plaque is made by CNC machining a grooved engraving on a polished steel plate and placing the engraved plate in an injection molding machine to cause molten plastic to cover the plate and flow into the grooves.
Abstract: A device for cryoprotecting thermolabile products. A container (20) receives an annular rack (40) which is sealed by an enclosure (60). The enclosure (60) includes an outer stationary toroid (70) and a rotatable core (90). A robotic arm (160) is adapted to move and is supported by the core (90). The robotic arm (160) accesses an interior of the enclosure (60). An access portal (80) allows removal and placement of thermolabile products constrained by a holder (150). The robotic arm (160) accesses product and holder (150) and embarks upon controlled freezing of the product and its location in the rack (40) until subsequent retrieval. A computer controls the rate of freezing and stores in memory the location of all of the stored products. The robotic arm (160) reads the product in storage to assure the correct product is being accessed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 16, 1997
Date of Patent:
October 12, 1999
Assignee:
ThermoGenesis Corp.
Inventors:
Philip Henry Coelho, Terry Wolf, Pablo Rubinstein
Abstract: An apparatus and method for playing a card game which provides a player with an initial choice of selecting at least one card from a plurality of cards to be designated as a wild card. The player then receives a random first hand from a full deck of cards. The first hand of cards are compared with the designated wild card to determine all matching cards and designating all matching cards in the first hand as wild cards. The player may then be provided with the option of replacing cards in the first hand with cards remaining in the deck. All replacement cards which match the wild card will also become wild. The player is also provided with an option of buying a second wild card after a losing card hand. This provides the player with an opportunity to change a losing card hand into a winning card hand. After a winning card hand the player is provided with a double or nothing option which provides a further dynamic game exchange between player and game.
Abstract: A work holder for internal combustion engine heads in which an upper platen is adapted to be fixedly retained vis-a-vis an underlying platen so that an operator can contact the head operatively coupled to the upper platen for work thereon for crack repair.
Abstract: An instrumentality for promulgating the cryoprecipitation of fibrinogen from a blood product. The instrumentality contemplates a container for the blood product, an apparatus for creating the fibrinogen within the container and a method of manipulating the container within the apparatus and subsequently after fibrinogen has been formed. The apparatus includes a receiver within which the container is supported, a motion transfer device for the receiver to impart motion to the container while simultaneously subjecting the container to a temperature differential to cause heat transfer. The motion imparted to the container results in a thin coating of the blood product being disposed on an interior surface of the container which, in turn, is exposed to a heat transfer fluid through the wall of the container. Successive coatings placed on an interior of the container are timed such that each coating is placed on a previous coating that has changed phase.
Abstract: An archery recurve bow having a handle and riser section which is substantially rigid, the risers supporting upper and lower limbs pivotally mounted thereto by means of guide plates which sandwich the limbs therebetween. Each limb has a tip which interconnects the limbs by means of a drawstring and tension cables are connected such that one cable extends from a butt end of one limb, remote from its tip, to the other limb between the pivot point at its tip. Conversely, the other cable is similarly connected from the butt end of the limb to its counterpart limb between the pivot point and the tip.
Abstract: A method and apparatus for simulating a gaming event in which a player is awarded outright for a winning combination and also allowed to participate in the incremental exposition of a potential reward subsequently based on losing, where the losing simulates unlocking the combination of a safe.