Abstract: A cat scratching post that includes a plurality of supports between which an outer covering is disposed. The supports are coupled with at least one joint that can comprise a spline that can be ribbed and that can form part of an end cap. In another preferred embodiment, the supports engage each other and form a post assembly that can be hollow. One preferred joint comprises a tongue and groove coupling. One preferred coupling includes a snap received in a receiver. One preferred post assembly is formed of a pair of supports of substantially identical construction. Each support preferably comprises a spar formed from a common extrusion producing spars of substantially identical cross-section. In assembly, one of the spars is reversed relative to the other so they mirror one another before being engaged to one another using a plurality of spaced apart joints integrally formed of the spars.

Abstract: A trailer is configured with a slide mechanism operable to slidably couple a tie-down assembly with the trailer. The trailer includes a trailer frame configured with an axle and a pair of wheels for transporting a load over a distance. The slide mechanism includes an elongated member having a slot extending an axial length of the elongated member. The slide mechanism further includes a channel disposed parallel to and in communication with the slot. The channel has a width that exceeds the gap width of the slot. The slide mechanism further includes a carriage bolt and a tightening nut. The channel is configured to maintain the head of the carriage bolt adjacent to the slot. The carriage bolt and tightening nut slidably couple the tie-down assembly to the trailer frame.

Abstract: An electric heating device is adapted to be used in particular as an auxiliary electric heating for motor vehicles. The heating device comprises a plurality of PTC heating elements arranged in a plane of said heating device. The PTC heating elements are in electric contact with contact sheets for supplying current thereto and in thermal contact with radiator elements for transferring the heat produced to an air current to be heated. According to the present invention, the PTC heating elements arranged in this plane are adapted to be controlled separately in at least two groups.

Abstract: A table or desk includes a worksurface and leg structure, and a wire management arrangement located below the worksurface. The wire management arrangement includes upper and lower wire management members that support wires or cables for providing power and/or communication capability to the worksurface, and front and rear access covers which are movable between open and closed positions for providing access to the wire management members. The rear access cover provides access to the lower wire management member, and engages the upper wire management member when in the closed position. A portion of the upper wire management member above the rear access cover is exposed, to mount power outlets that can be accessed from the rear of the worksurface. The front access cover is engaged with the worksurface when in the closed position, and provides access to both the upper and lower wire management members when in the open position.

Abstract: A resistance unit for an exercise device, such as a bicycle trainer, includes a magnetic member which cooperates with a rotating electrically conductive member to establish eddy current resistance to rotation of a rotatable member forming a part of the resistance unit. The resistance unit includes a body to which the rotatable member is mounted, and an adjustment mechanism is interconnected with the magnetic member and the body for adjusting the position of the magnetic member relative to the electrically conductive member, to adjust the eddy current resistance experienced by the rotatable member. The magnetic member is movably mounted within a passage defined by the body, and the adjustment mechanism includes a manually operable actuator which is accessible from the exterior of the body. The actuator is rotatable relative to the body, and rotation of the actuator functions to move the magnetic member toward and away from the electrically conductive member, to adjust the eddy current resistance.

Abstract: An article of seating furniture including an extendable support assembly that is movable to convert the assembly from an upright position to a supine position. The extendable support assembly includes a pedestal having a pair of guide tracks with upwardly extending notches disposed on opposite sides of the pedestal. The notches in each guide track are engageable with rollers disposed on a frame of the article of seating furniture, in order to guide the pedestal during movement toward and away from the chair. A backrest assembly is pivotally connected between the frame and the pedestal and moves in conjunction with the pedestal between the upright position and the supine position. The assembly is maintained in the upright position by engagement of the rollers on the frame within the notches in the tracks on the pedestal.

Abstract: A barrel lock for locking two structures together that includes two lock portions, each portion being generally cylindrical and elongated, one of which is substantially solid and one of which is substantially hollow. The first lock portion has one section of a substantially greater diameter than a second section, the two sections being separated by a beveled annular shoulder. The smaller diameter section is provided with a cylindrical axial aperture into which are disposed a plurality of spheres adapted to be received in apertures in the first portion of the lock, and also adapted for engagement in an annular groove on the interior surface of the second portion of the lock, the locking balls thereby effectively locking the two portions of the lock together. The second portion is axially aligned with the first portion and is provided with a keyway adapted for movement in a rotatable and axially slideable fashion within said second portion.

Abstract: A rotary storage unit includes a cabinet defining an interior within which a rotary storage member is located. A latch mechanism is mounted to the cabinet, and selectively engages the rotary storage member for maintaining the storage member in either an open position or a closed position. A motorized actuator arrangement is interconnected with the latch mechanism, for selectively moving the latch mechanism between a latching position and a release position. The motorized actuator arrangement includes a motor which imparts movement to an actuator rod interconnected with the latch mechanism, for moving the latch mechanism between its latching and release positions in response to axial movement of the actuator rod. The motor moves the actuator rod so as to return the latch mechanism to its latching position after expiration of a predetermined time delay.

Abstract: A crop material feeding and directing system for use with an agricultural implement having a crop pickup which is wider than a crop inlet associated with the agricultural implement. A lower roller member includes a central portion which extends across the crop inlet, and auger sections at its ends located outwardly of the crop inlet. A pair of upper stub augers are located above the end auger sections of the lower roller member. The stub augers and the end auger sections of the lower roller member cooperate to inwardly direct crop material which is supplied by the pickup mechanism to a location outwardly of the crop inlet, and the central portion of the lower roller member functions to move the inwardly directed crop material rearwardly into the crop inlet.

Abstract: A power steering system for a watercraft comprises a hydraulically actuated, unbalanced steering cylinder assembly, a pressure source, and helm that is spaced from the steering cylinder assembly. The helm includes a helm cylinder having a slave chamber fluidically coupled to a second chamber in the steering cylinder, a high pressure port fluidically coupled to the outlet of the pressure source and to a first chamber in the steering cylinder, and a return port fluidically coupled to vent. A control valve assembly is movable between at least first and second positions to alternatively couple a control chamber in the helm cylinder to the high pressure and return ports. In order to facilitate mounting of the helm to the dash of the watercraft, the helm has only three ports, and all three ports are all located on a rear axial end of the helm cylinder.

Abstract: A system for packaging of perishable food products involves initially packaging the food product in a receptacle containing an inert gas atmosphere and sealing a film to the receptacle. The inert gas atmosphere prevents deterioration of the food product subsequent to shipment from a central processing facility. The receptacle includes a sealing flange and a tab portion extending from the sealing flange, to which the film is sealed. To prepare the food product for display at a retail establishment, the tab and the film sealed thereto are removed from the package, by operation of a severing mechanism, to form an opening between the film and the receptacle. An atmosphere exchange operation is carried out through the opening, by injecting gas through the opening into the receptacle cavity. The severing mechanism includes a knife member, and gas is injected into the opening through a gas injection port formed in the knife member.

Abstract: A centrifugal pump includes a volute and an impeller that are disposed in a pump chamber accessible through an access opening in the front wall of the pump's casing. The access opening is normally closed by a cover attachable to a front wall of the casing. The volute is attached to the cover by fasteners accessible from the outside of the cover so as to permit the cover and volute to be removed either as a unit or individually. The volute therefore is more easily accessed and removed than conventional pump volutes. In order to maximize self-priming and suction lift capability, the volute includes a discharge duct that converts substantially circular flow at the inlet of the discharge duct to substantially tangential flow at the outlet of the discharge duct, thereby maximizing the separation of air from the discharged liquid stream and minimizing the amount of entrained air in that portion of the discharged liquid stream that is recirculated to a recirculation inlet of the self-priming pump.

Abstract: A portable electronic reference point locator facilitates location of a reference point, located on one side of a structure (such as a wall, floor or ceiling), from the opposite side of the structure. The system is particularly useful when installing new electrical wiring or hardware, when installing new plumbing, or when performing other construction related tasks that require the location of one side of a structure to be determined relative to the other side of the structure. The system comprises a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is located at a position that defines the reference point, and includes an oscillator and an antenna that cooperate to generate and transmit an electromagnetic signal. The receiver includes a transducer that senses the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the transmitter, and an indicator that indicates whether the receiver is within a given distance of the transmitter.

Abstract: A power transfer switching mechanism for interposition between a remote power inlet box and the electrical load center of a building includes a compartment for receiving power input wires connected to the remote power inlet box, or for receiving a power input receptacle. The switching mechanism includes a cabinet defining an internal cavity within which a series of switches are mounted. One or more lead wires are connected to the switches, and define ends which extend into the compartment. The compartment is accessible through an opening associated with the cabinet of the power transfer switching mechanism, and a cover is selectively positionable over the opening to provide or prevent access to the compartment. With the cover removed, the lead wires can be connected to the power input wires using conventional wire-to-wire connectors, and the wires and connectors can then be placed within the compartment and concealed by mounting the cover to the cabinet of the power transfer switching mechanism.

Abstract: A mobile carriage system includes a pair of spaced, parallel end rails fixed to a support surface, often with one or more intermediate rails fixed to the support surface and located parallel to and between the pair of end rails. At least one carriage is supported for movement on the end and intermediate rails. The carriage includes an elongated frame that spans all of the rails. At least two drive units, each including a pair of wheels and supporting the carriage on a different one of the rails are provided. The drive units are operatively connected to a drive shaft which extends across a plurality of the rails. The drive shaft and each of the drive units are coupled by a drive gear on the shaft which has a first effective diameter and a driven gear on the drive unit, which has a second effective diameter substantially greater than the first effective diameter. Thus, the drive units minimize torsion twisting of the drive shaft during use.

Abstract: A self-propelled concrete finishing trowel has a power steering control system that steers the machine by tilting the driven shaft(s) of the rotor assembly or assemblies of the machine without requiring the imposition of fatiguing actuating forces by the machine's operator. The steering control system includes at least one electric actuator, such as a ball screw actuator, coupled to each rotor assembly of the machine and controlled by an operator-manipulated controller. The controller preferably includes at least one, and possibly two, joysticks that can be manipulated by the operator to steer the machine in the direction of joystick motion and preferably at a speed that is proportional to the magnitude of joystick movement. In the typical case in which the machine is steered by pivoting a gearbox of at least one rotor assembly about two axes, a separate actuator is provided for each axis of gearbox pivoting.

Abstract: A method for controlling the speed of an engine driving a generator supplying electrical current to a load includes the steps of monitoring the current, increasing the speed when the current increases and decreasing the speed when the current decreases. The governor apparatus used to carry out the method includes a microcontroller having a current and frequency look-up table embedded in it. For some part of the monitoring step, the engine runs at a first speed, e.g., idle speed, or some moderate speed above idle speed. The increasing step includes detecting an increase in the current to a value, determining from the look-up table the frequency corresponding to the value and increasing the speed of the engine until the frequency of the current is the frequency corresponding to the value. To state it in other words, the new method and apparatus control the engine at a modest speed when the generator is unloaded or lightly loaded and increases engine speed and current frequency with increases in generator load.

Abstract: A resistance unit for an exercise device includes a resistance mechanism, such as a fluid-type resistance mechanism, located within a housing. A rotatable shaft is interconnected with an input member. An input roller is engaged with the shaft, and is adapted for rotation in response to a force exerted by a person during exercise, such as rotation of a bicycle wheel. The resistance mechanism imparts resistance through rotation of the shaft, which results in resistance to the external force, such as rotation of the bicycle wheel. A combination fan/flywheel member is mounted to the shaft. The combination fan/flywheel member maintains inertia of the rotating shaft, and includes blade structure which directs air toward the housing of the resistance mechanism upon rotation of the combination fan/flywheel member along with the shaft.