Abstract: A compression-type refrigeration system is disclosed, in which "flash gas" formation is eliminated without artificially maintaining condenser temperature and pressure levels. Condenser temperatures and pressures are allowed to fluctuate with ambient operating conditions, resulting in reduced compressor load and increased refrigeration capacity. After condensation, liquified refrigerant in the conduit between the receiver and the expansion valve is pressurized without adding heat, by means of a combination of (a) a positive-displacement pump, in parallel with the conduit, (b) a bypass conduit pressure regulating controller, and (c) a check valve in the conduit, to a pressure sufficient to suppress flash gas in the conduit. A variable speed liquid injection pump is provided to inject liquid refrigerant from downstream of the positive-displacement pump to upstream of the condenser, at a controlled rate sufficient to desuperheat the refrigerant upstream of the condenser.

Abstract: Exercise apparatus including a spaced array of tensioned elastic cords removably connected to a support and constitutes an inexpensive, compact, flexible mechanism for providing a substantial variety of continuously variable or controlled, repeatable exercise. The elastic cords in the array are simultaneously accessible to portions of the body over a wide range of orientations because of a generally convex or frustocontical outline formed by the array to permit multiple multi-directional resistive-type exercises in nearly all directions. The elastic cords preferably comprise shock cords, and the shock cords and/or supporting structures advantageously carry visible indicia to indicate the degree of difficulty of the routine or to facilitate use of the apparatus to conduct a preplanned exercise program.

Abstract: A headrest which is mounted to the rear window of a vehicle. Suction cups permit the headrest to be mounted, positioned and released. A specially designed compression device is utilized between the headrest and suction cup to create an intense vacuum in the suction cup when it is fastened to a window or planar surface. The compression device will fasten the suction cups so the headrest will remain fixed on the window in even the most bumpy rides.

Abstract: A visual signaling device which has a horizontally extending lamp which is connected to an electrical housing and which is surrounded by a reflector body. The reflector body has a pair of oppositely extending horizontal parabolic troughs and a downwardly extending horizontal trough. Each trough has an input opening adjacent the lamp, an output end opening, and a front opening. Each trough is defined by a generally planar back wall and a pair of opposed side walls. Each side wall is horizontal from the back wall to the front opening and parabolic relative to the central longitudinal axis of the lamp from the input opening to the output end opening. In a second embodiment of the invention, the reflector has an upwardly extending parabolic trough.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of coating an article by the use of electro-static attraction of ionized particles which are subsequently cured. The apparatus includes a first foraminous conveyor for carrying the article through a powder coating zone and a second conveyor for carrying the article through a curing zone. The surface of the article which rests on the foraminous conveyor is cleaned of particles as the article is transferred from the first foraminous conveyor to the second conveyor. The first foraminous conveyor is also cleaned of particles after the article has been transferred. After the articles have been cured to form a coating on the article, the article is put through the coating system again except that the article is supported on the conveyor so that the surface which was not coated in the first pass through the system is out of contact with the conveyor.

Abstract: A spring clip for clamping a heat sink module to an electronic module. The heat sink module has a flat upper surface and a plurality of vertical cooling elements which extend upwardly from the upper surface of the heat sink module. The clip includes a central potion which engages the upper surface of the heat sink module and a pair of oppositely extending resilient end potions which are cantilevered from the central potion. A vertical leg portion is connected to the free end of each end portion of the clip and extends downwardly along one of the end surfaces of the electronic module. Each leg potion has an inwardly extending projection which has an upwardly facing edge surface for engaging a downwardly facing edge surface of the electronic module at one of the lower corners of the electronic module upon downward bending of the end potion so that the projection is biased upwardly against the lower corner of the electronic module due to the resiliency of the end potion.

Abstract: A self clamping heat sink for releasable connection to an electrical component having a bottom surface and a top surface. The self clamping heat sink includes a base and a pair of inverted U-shaped spring arms at opposite sides of the base which extend upwardly from the base. A clamping finger extends inwardly from the outer leg portion of each spring arm to a free end which overlies the base. The free ends of the spring arms are raised to an upper position relative the base by applying external force to squeeze the outer leg portions of the spring arm toward each other. This enables an electrical component to be placed on the base and below the free ends of the clamping fingers. When external force is removed from the spring arms, the clamping fingers try to return to their normal lower position and engage the top surface of the electrical component so that the electrical component is clamped between the base and the fingers.

Abstract: A sewer chimney for connecting a surface branch sewer pipe to a deeply buried main sewer pipe having a fixture with an upwardly facing opening. The chimney is constructed of a plurality of precast concrete elements including a supporting base adjacent the main sewer pipe, one or more transitional sections on the supporting base and a cap block which rests on the upper most transitional section. An elongated vertical pipe extends from the fixture of the main sewer pipe to the cap block. Seals are provided between each of the concrete precast sections and seals are provided between the elongated vertical pipe and components of the construction.

Abstract: A modified milking machine claw having ferrules or connectors with an aperture in the surface of each ferrule to allow complete sanitation of milk lines and removal of debris from pockets between the ferrule and the tube lumen of short milk tubes.

Abstract: A system for developing a metal workpiece in which the center and the periphery have different properties. The workpiece is processed to put it into a first metallurgical condition. Then, a portion of the periphery is dipped into a molten salt bath and the workpiece is rotated so that the periphery is converted to a second metallurgical condition by the heat of the salt bath.

Abstract: A display box for protectively packaging contents is disclosed. When the display box is in the closed position, the contents are retained by at least one depression or aperture in the forward wall of at least one right triangular prism that comprises the display box. When in the open position, the display box is self-supporting, has several surfaces for displaying information or decoration, and is designed to be displayed with the contents. Each of the right triangular prisms is hingedly fastened at its back edges to at least one adjacent right triangular prism so that all of the right triangular prisms are fastened in series and are moveable between a first open position and a second closed position. In the first open position, the back planar surfaces of the right triangular prisms are co-planar. In the second closed position, the vertex edge of each right triangular prism lies along a central vertical longitudinal axis of the display box.

Abstract: A rescue device for use by an operator on an ice surface and in water. The device has a pair of elongated buoyant bodies which are pivotally connected for movement relative to each other between an operative position in which the bodies are spaced and lie in the same horizontal plane to a folded or inoperative position in which the bottom surfaces of the bodies are abutting. A handle is connected to each body.

Abstract: A combination drilling and wrenching tool which has three basic components, an inner housing for holding a drill bit, an intermediate housing for holding the inner housing, and an outer housing for holding the intermediate housing. The intermediate housing has an inner shank for insertion into the chuck of a power tool and a forward shank which has a bore for receiving the inner housing. The outer housing has a forwardly facing drive socket for wrenching and a rearwardly facing socket for receiving the forward shank of the intermediate housing in a rotary driving relationship. The outer housing has a bore which extends forwardly from the rearward socket for receiving the front end of a drill bit which is mounted in the inner housing. More specifically, a plurality of inner housings are utilized. Each inner housing has the same external cross-sectional dimension, but the inner housings have different horizontal bore sizes for accommodating drill bits of different sizes.

Abstract: A clamping apparatus for use on a material handling machine. The clamping apparatus includes a mounting bracket which is fixed to the material handling element of the machine, a connecting bracket which is pivotally mounted on the mounting bracket and a clamping arm which is pivotally mounted on the connecting bracket. The connecting bracket is pivotally mounted on the mounting bracket between an active position and a storage position. When the connecting bracket is in the active position, the clamp arm is hydraulically actuated within a vertical plane between an upper non-clamping position and a lower clamping position. When the connecting bracket is in the storage position, the clamp arm extends horizontally in an out of the way position. The connecting bracket is maintained in the active position by first retaining means and in the storage position by second retaining means.

Abstract: A ski pole with automatic retractable mechanism for securing ski equipment and preventing theft. The retractor mechanism has a ratchet mechanism in which a gear is fixed to a rotatable spool on which is wound a security line and a pawl which is positioned to engage the gear and to provide a step-wise rotation of the spool. This serves to unwind the security line from the spool. The security line is rewound onto the spool by a spring which extends downward into the hollow interior of the ski pole shaft.

Abstract: An arrow with a nock assembly is disclosed. The rear end of the arrow shaft has a bore which has a rearwardly facing opening. One or more vanes are fixed to the outer surface of the arrow shaft. An adapter is mounted within the bore and is fixed to the shaft in a predetermined angular position about the central longitudinal axis of the arrow shaft relative to the vanes. The adapter has a socket which has a rearwardly facing opening. A nock which has a head end, and a bifurcated tail end, is removably mounted to said adapter so that the head end is located within the socket and the bifurcated tail end is outside of the socket. A mechanism is also provided for releasably locking the head end of the nock within the socket so that the nock is in a fixed angular position about the shaft axis relative to the adapter and the vanes and in a fixed position lengthwise of the shaft axis relative to the adapter socket opening.

Abstract: A fractal-based or "patchwork" method for analyzing topographic data simulates covering the surface of a specimen surface with triangular patches in order to determine the relative surface area which is a function of patch size or scale of observation or interaction. The specimen surface has X and Y horizontal axes and a vertical Z axis. Height data is obtained for each point of a grid network of points on the surface, the points being arranged in parallel rows and the rows being spaced. The specimen surface is defined with triangles having a surface area equal to a preselected patch area value. The total area of the planar triangles is calculated to obtain a total measured area of value. The area of the specimen surface in the X-Y plane that is defined by the triangles is calculated to obtain a total measured area value. The total measured area value is divided by the total projected area value to obtain a relative area value.

Abstract: A sewer chimney and method of forming a sewer chimney for connecting a surface branch sewer pipe to a deeply buried main sewer pipe having a fixture with an upwardly facing opening. The chimney is constructed of a plurality of precast concrete elements including a supporting base adjacent the main sewer pipe, one or more transitional sections on the supporting base and a cap block which rests on the upper most transitional section. An elongated vertical pipe extends from the fixture of the main sewer pipe to the cap block. Seals are provided between each of the concrete precast sections and seals are provided between the elongated vertical pipe and components of the construction.

Abstract: A Chrysanthemum plant named Yellow Ginger particularly characterized by its flat capitulum form; decorative capitulum type; complete and uniform yellow ray floret color; diameter across face of capitulum of up to 5.5 cm at maturity; small plant height with spreading and prolific branching patter; uniform seven week photoperiodic flowering response to short days in photoperiodic controlled flowering programs; resistance to fade during bloom; average natural season flower date of mid-March to November in New England; and slightly earlier and longer lasting bloom as contrasted to Ginger.