Abstract: A plastic backing plate for cut-off wheels is herein disclosed, comprising a plastic circular plate which is placed directly behind or under an abrasive cut-off wheel. It is held in place by the wheel and the center nut that is typically used to secure only the cut-off wheel. During use, the backing plate helps to stabilize the cut-off wheel and maintain its shape while turning, thereby providing a more precise and accurate cut. Additionally, since a smaller amount of material is being removed, more material is left behind to perform additional welding on or other machining operations. Also, the life of the cut-off wheel is extended as well, since a reduced amount of cutting is taking place.

Abstract: A baseboard radiator element is formed of an aluminum tube and fins or vanes of aluminum sheet. An elongated strip of sheet aluminum is bent into a fin assembly of generally rectangular fins alternating with spacer members, with the fins having central apertures. The fin assembly is placed into a fixture and the tube is forced through the aligned apertures to create strong mechanical and thermal contact between tube and fins. The fin structure can be used with center tubes of other materials. A brass or steel connector insert is fitted into the end of the aluminum tube, and the end of the tube is deformed inward using a collet or jaw device to create a hermetic seal with the tube. The process can also be used for joining aluminum tubing to tubing of aluminum or other materials.

Abstract: A reel for a microphone cable, amplifier cable or other electronic cord or cable has an arbor or hub that divides the reel into an interior space and a winding space. The cable leading end connector cable is retained in the interior space. Turns of the main body of the cable are coiled in the winding space. The rims of the reel side disks have annular retaining beads or ridges that face one another and create a snap connector holder for the trailing end connector. A gap in the retaining beads aligned with the arbor opening permits insertion of the leading end connector. The reel can be available in a range of sizes and can be color-coded. The reel can be constructed of two identical molded reel halves.

Abstract: A tensioner for a tightening a surgical knot has a squeeze handle and a pair of jaw arms that pivot from a common point behind the handle. The jaw arms have a jaw clamp at the distal tip to clamp onto the suture material, and a release handle at the proximal or butt end. A spreader or distractor mechanism may be a pantographic arrangement of struts joined to anchor points on the jaw arms. This converts axial motion of an actuator rod into a lateral distractive force. A tension gauge in the handle indicates the amount of tension being applied to the suture material.

Abstract: A solid state imager converts analog pixel values to digital form on an arrayed per-column basis. An N-bit counter supplies an N-bit DAC to produce an analog ramp output with a level that varies corresponding to the contents of the counter. A latch/counter or equivalent is associated with each respective column. A clock supplies clock signal(s) to the counter elements. When the analog ramp equals the pixel value for that column, the latch/counter latches the value. The black level can be pre-set in the latch/counter or can be subtracted separately to reduce fixed pattern noise. The pixels can be oversampled for some number of times, e.g., n=16, to reduce the thermal noise of the sensors. Also, two or more pixels sharing a common sense node may be binned together, and two (or more) pixels having different integration times may be combined to obtain an output signal with enhanced dynamic range.

Abstract: A shop vacuum cleaner has a series of dust separation stages, with the large majority of the dust being preseparated in a cyclonic separator and deposited into a first drum or barrel. The remaining dust is carried in the air stream is filtered out in a pre-filter in a second vacuum cleaner drum. A final filter cartridge is fitted onto the intake of the vacuum head. The vacuum cleaner machine exhausts clean, filtered air into the ambient.

Abstract: A hand-held scanner appliance is employed to capture and display status of various types of catheter devices that have been inserted in hospital patients. The nurse scans his or her staff ID coded device, then scans the patient's ID wrist bracelets, and scans a catheter-unique identification coded tag on the catheter device. When the nurse performs a catheter insertion, and the catheter is scanned, a data entry is recorded with the patient identity, presence of catheter, and time of insertion. An intelligent rules engine computes the target removal time for the catheter device, which is also displayed. An alert for each catheterization occurs prior to the target removal time. The appliance is synchronized to the hospital server, and the catheterization status of the hospital patients is displayed for the medical practitioner. This process aids in preventing hospital-acquired infections.

Abstract: A pass-through medications cabinet is built into a wall of a hospital room and can be accessed from the room interior or from the hallway. A frame mounted in the wall supports a rack or box containing patient drawers or bins, arranged in a vertical stack parallel to the wall or in a horizontal row. There is a hall-side door that can be opened by pharmacy staff to place pre-loaded bins into respective compartments, and one or more room-side doors or drawers that may be opened by nurse staff for administering the medications to patients. The hallway door and room doors interlock to prevent their being opened at the same time to safeguard patient privacy. The system maintains an audit trail of access to the bins.

Abstract: A combination dock light and bollard serves the purposes of both, without having any sensitive structure projecting out from the bollard into the traffic lane at the loading dock. A lamp assembly within the bollard projects out a window cutout at an upper end of the tubular metal body of the bollard. The lamp assembly rests on a sub-plate welded into the bollard below the cutout. The lamp holder is mounted on compression springs held in place with machine screw, to permit adjustment of the lamp beam direction. A photo eye turns the lamp on when the loading dock door is opened, and off when the dock door is closed.

Abstract: A hand-held RFID scanner appliance is employed to capture and display status of urinary catheters in hospital patients. The patients are provided with RFID wrist bracelets, and catheters are provided with RFID tags, each with a unique identification code. When the nurse performs a catheter insertion, the nurse scans the patient wrist bracelet with the appliance, then scans a selected catheter. After the catheter is successfully inserted, the catheter is scanned a second time. This creates a time stamp, and a data entry is recorded with the patient identity, presence of catheter, and time of insertion. The appliance is synchronized to the hospital server, and the catheterization status of the hospital patients is displayed for the medical practitioners. This process aids in preventing hospital-acquired urinary tract infections.

Abstract: An improved illuminated airfield guidance sign of the type used for marking ground traffic routes on runways and taxiways employs LED-based lamps for even illumination of the legend panels. The lamps each employ an array of white LEDs mounted on a generally cylindrical turret, and oriented with the turret axis horizontal, so that the LEDs aim their beams up, down, or laterally, and not towards the legend panels. The illumination has to bounce at least once on an interior reflective surface before reaching the legend panels. These can receive power from storage batteries that are charged from solar panels or wind turbines, with back-up power coming from the standard runway-taxiway power.

Abstract: A voltage or power conditioning and control device may be used in line with a source of AC line power and a reactive load such as a single-phase induction motor. The device operates to absorb some of the power reflected by the AC load and generate a synthetic power wave to supplement and correct the applied power in level and phase. The device employs a pair of power capacitors, and a pair of electronic switch devices each with a diode in parallel. Gating or command signals are generated based on the line voltage and timing, e.g., zero crossings. The phase or timing of the command signals is selected for a normal or no-boost mode, a voltage boost mode, or a voltage reduction mode. The capacitors are considered in series with the load, and improve the power factor to the load. A variation of this device may be used in conjunction with a solar array or other local power source.

Abstract: An ergonomic radiology work station has front and back tables or work platforms that can be raised or lowered electrically to adjust for optimum posture and comfort of the user. Video monitors on the rear platform displays medical images. Interface equipment, e.g., keyboard and mouse, are situated on the front work platform. A pull-out sanitizer hood irradiates the keyboard and other interface devices with ultraviolet radiation after a radiology work session. An interlock arrangement ensures that the work platforms cannot be moved up or down when the hood is pulled out, and ensures that UV lamps in the hood are disabled when the hood is pushed back in to its home or withdrawn position. The hood with slide(s) and interlock(s) may be provided as a kit to retrofit an existing work station.

Abstract: A remotely actuable refrigerator door lock has a body portion attached to the cabinet and a door portion attached to an edge of the door. A latch in the body portion engages a strike plate in the door portion and can be remotely lifted to open the refrigerator. The door lock assembly is connected to a remote host computer via a USB or ethernet connection. Temperature and/or humidity in the refrigerator is compared with a predetermined limit, and in the event the sensed value is beyond the limit, the remote opening functionality is disabled, and a microprocessor automatically generates and sends a warning message. A key lock can provide access in the event of an adverse temperature or humidity event. The host computer keeps an audit trail of the times and personnel accessing each refrigerator. The system may be used in hospital for controlling access to pharmaceuticals or may be used in a weight loss program.

Abstract: A carrier support arrangement that attaches to a vehicle between a rear bumper crash bar and mounting pads that are provided at the rear of the body of the vehicle. The carrier support is formed of a transverse support bar that has a modified hollow tubular beam construction, with attachment lands its ends. Tubular socket members receive attachment rods of the associated carrier. The tubular beam construction if formed of an upper member and lower member welded together. The web portions of the beam have a series of triangular cutouts, leaving a series of diagonal struts. This construction achieves a weight savings without sacrifice of strength or torsion resistance.

Abstract: A flying disk challenge game involves two or more players, each positioned within a boundary ring to define a player position. The players in turn throw or toss a group of colored disks to each other. The disks each have a point value according to its color. The boundary ring may be formed of flexible tubing about five feet in diameter, and given a bright color. The boundary rings are spaced about twenty-five feet apart.

Abstract: A putter head is positioned to be even with the ball when the shaft is at the vertical plane of the ball. The lie of the shaft can be adjusted relative to the head between limits. An insert in the club head secures the tip of the crook of the shaft. A worm gear permits infinite adjustment of lie within a range. The insert can be of different weights to weight the club for various conditions.

Abstract: A ladder or climbing device has hollow tubular jaws at its head end that permit a rope or cable to pass around the target tree or pole. A tubular cable guide is positioned along side the vertical rail for feeding the cable to the hollow jaws. The rail is formed of extension sections that are joined together. A security clamp or clasp attached over both the head of the device and the cable to secure to the worker's safety harness.

Abstract: A dust control inspection door has its door frame formed of frame elements each with a flat outer portion against the associated shroud, and with the seal flange or coaming radiused 90 degrees. The edge of the seal flange or coaming is perpendicular to the door to engage the gasket or seal bead, and is at zero degrees to the frame flat portions, so there is no angled bend line and no weak zones. The coaming is free of any horizontal surfaces on which dust may collect.