Abstract: A dressing table skirt has a tabletop portion that is sized to fit over a dressing table and a drape portion covering the sides and legs of the dressing table. The drape portion is attached to the perimeter of the tabletop portion. The tabletop portion of the skirt may have one or more anti-skid pieces that come in contact with the dressing table. A continuous slit is provided in the tabletop portion and drape portion of the dressing table skirt. The slit includes a keyhole shape on the tabletop portion that is bulbous and forms into a narrow channel. One or more fasteners may hold the slit or expanded slit together. The drape portion may also have one or more fasteners found at the bottom edge positioned to couple the drape portion to the dressing table.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hose for transporting material from one destination to another and a method of constructing a hose. According to an exemplary embodiment, the hose may be constructed with two helical coils wound in opposing directions and multiple layers. The hose construction may provide a flexible hose with walls that resist kinking and rupture.

Abstract: A computerized system and method of teaching spelling interfaces with an application that captures a user's misspelled words and adds them to a word database. A teacher or instructor may also add words to the word database based on a user's curriculum, cross-curriculum or words of interest. The words in the word database are utilized to automatically create an individualized spelling teaching assignment and spelling Journal for a user. The user corrects any spelling mistakes that he or she has made and performs assignments with new words including hearing the words pronounced, spelling the words and writing sentences using the words. Spelling tests are also assigned. The teacher or instructor monitors the completion of the various assignments by the students and also monitors how well the assignments are performed.

Abstract: A clamp for mounting an angle bracket on a tubular upright having a side member, an outer jaw and an inner jaw coupled to the side member, and coupling means permitting the side member to pivot relative to the angle bracket about a fixed or non-fixed pivot axis. The inner and outer jaws preferably feature contact surfaces that are portions of circular, cylindrical outer surfaces, but in any case are shaped to contact the cylindrical outer surface of the upright. The clamp is attached to the angle bracket and the jaws are pivotally mounted in the clamp so that the jaws have the necessary number of degrees of freedom with respect to the side member to permit them to contact the upright on extended areas.

Abstract: A unit for compacting waste prior to disposal provides a waste compaction unit for fitting into a housing comprising a lid and an interior for collecting waste. The compaction unit comprises a plunger comprising bellows housed in the lid; a pneumatic locking mechanism housed in the lid; and a pump connected to the plunger via the locking mechanism wherein the pump is arranged in operation to activate the locking mechanism prior to inflating the bellows to extend the plunger axially towards the interior of the housing such that any waste collected therein is compacted.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a holder for drum sticks, drum brushes, mallets and other such percussion implements for playing percussion instruments. The drum stick holder (1), comprising a plurality of substantially parallel tubular sleeves (2), each sleeve being joined to at least one adjacent sleeve and having an entrance (7, 9) with dimensions suitable for receiving just one drum stick, wherein each sleeve (2) is formed from an elastomeric material so that each sleeve may grip a drum stick inserted into the sleeve (2).

Abstract: A conference engine operates in a multiplex processing scheme and requires a signal hardware summer to process all of the programmed conferences, all of the outputs and all of the input channels. The conference engine is only limited by the number of available input channels, the number of desired conference registers, the speed of the implementation, and the amount of memory available on the target system. The conference engine allows the number of available conference channels, the number of conferences per bridge and the number of bridges to be scaled. Each bridge contains a unique set of conference registers and has full access to the input channel data. Additional conference bridges are added by increasing the operating clock/memory to meet the processing requirements of the additional bridge. Conference registers in each conference bridge can be added/removed depending on the system requirements and are independent of the number of input channels.

Abstract: A crane to be fitted in a window opening or the like, between two opposing surfaces, has a strut (14) which is first braced between the surfaces (20a, 20b), and a boom (13) which extends away from the strut. A winch (5) on the crane winds up a lifting cafe (12) which runs over a pulley (3) at the outer end of the boom (13). The top and bottom ends of the strut have end plates (15, 7) which are designed to hold the crane rigidly between the two surfaces, but without damaging any surface finish on either surface. The boom (13) can be swung about the axis of the strut (14) to bring the load carried by the crane in towards the position of the operator.

Abstract: An automatically operated opening access closure and venting mechanism includes a vent with one or more baffles inserted in and opening. The baffles are coupled to an actuator mechanism which operates the baffles as the door moves from a closed to an open position or conversely, from an open to a closed position. When the door is in a closed position, the baffles are closed to maintain the integrity of the door. As the door begins to open, the baffle opens thus equalizing the pressure on both sides of the door allowing the door to be easily pushed open and to close with minimal force.

Abstract: The optical reduction of openings (12) in insulating housings (2) of terminal blocks (1) and an external characterization (23) of said series terminals, is achieved by terminal blocks being provided with conductor connection elements (4). The respective actuating opening of each contact point, which is used to receive actuating tools, is closed by means of a flap (17) provided with an integral hinge, the flaps forming a common surface with the insulated housing. Said flaps can include a visible feature or indicia on the surface thereof, characterizing the type of connection element.

Abstract: A system and method for adhering and aligning a generally flat, planar object to an adhesive layer, and for facilitating the mounting of the generally flat planar object, such as a printing plate, in near perfect alignment in a cylindrical manner. The method includes providing a generally flat, planar object such as a printing plate and an adhesive member having an adhesive layer at least on one surface. The adhesive member is preferably approximately the same size as the printing plate. The printing plate is mounted to the adhesive member such that there is one edge of the adhesive member which is not initially covered by the printing plate and one edge of the printing plate which overhangs the adhesive member. The combined adhesive member/printing plate structure is next rolled into a cylindrical form and held in place on a device which allows alignment marks on the printing plate to align the two ends of the printing plate prior to the printing plate being fully adhered to the adhesive member.

Abstract: An intelligent directional fire alarm system is disclosed. The intelligent directional fire alarm system identifies a threat such as a fire, and the location within a building relative to the known exits for building occupants, and indicates the closest exits in each area of a building relative to the location of an identified threat, and the path towards the exit for evacuees throughout a given building, relative to the detected fire location(s).

Abstract: An exemplary Electronic-component housing may be placed onto a carrier rail with two interlocking spars extending longitudinally at a distance from each other and opening toward the longitudinal sides of the rails. An interlocking profile firmly affixed to the housing is positioned on the underside of the housing and across from the interlocking profile. A displaceable securing lock that is spring-loaded toward the interlocking profile. The securing lock may include on its end away from the interlocking profile a shaped drawbar eye for engagement with an actuation tool. The housing side wall above the securing lock and extending upward extends at least with its lower area in a plane perpendicular to the displacement direction of the securing lock and includes in this area a shaped tool-guide channel with its mouth pointed toward the drawbar eye on the securing lock.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for launching spheres into a gas riser in order to reduce the risk that the output from the riser is lost. The apparatus comprises a rotatable body that is rotated to a first position to receive an object from an object storage means in an aperture and the rotatable body is then rotated to a second position such that the object received in the aperture is received within a riser.