Abstract: An adjustment apparatus for adjusting the position of a back pad or seat pad of a seat has an inner tube with a series of spaced openings for securing at one end to the back or seat pad, and an outer tube telescopically engaged over the inner tube and secured to a support frame of the seat. The outer tube has a pinning opening for alignment with a selected one of the openings in the inner tube. A lever is pivotally secured on a pivot bracket on the outer tube for rotation about a pivot axis with a first end portion of the lever projecting over the pinning hole, and a pinning button projecting from the first end portion towards the pinning hole. The lever is movable between an operative position in which the pinning button extends through the pinning hole and an aligned hole in the inner tube to secure the tubes together, and a retracted position in which the pinning button is spaced from the pinning hole.

Abstract: A bag of flexible material has a pair of opposing flat stiffener strips of stiffer material than the bag extending from the open end of the bag. The strips are joined together at least at one end. A closure device is formed on the inner face of each strip for releasably closing the open end of the bag. A handle flap extends upwardly from the upper edge of the strips at least at the one, joined end of the strips, and is integrally formed with the strips. A fold line joins the handle flap to the strips. The bag can be held open by urging opposite ends of the strips towards each other, and the handle flap can be bent downwardly about the fold line to secure the bag in an open condition.

Abstract: A hand-held implement such as a writing instrument has a body of compressible material having a smoothly rounded, bulbous upper end portion and a lower end portion having an end face with an opening. The lower end portion is inwardly tapered along at least part of its length from the upper end portion towards the end face. A tool such as a pen or pencil is mounted in the body and has a working end projecting from the end face of the lower end portion. A user gripping the body with the base of the index finger engaging an end area of the upper end portion of the body can apply pressure for operating the tool using the palm of the hand at the base of the index finger.

Abstract: A cable and pulley assembly has a first floating pulley unit having a pulley housing and a pair of pulleys rotatably mounted side-by-side in the housing for rotation about a single pulley axis, and a second floating pulley unit having a pulley housing and at least one pulley rotatably mounted in the housing. A first cable is linked to the housing of the first floating pulley unit, and a second cable is linked to the housing of the second floating pulley unit. A third cable extends around one of the side-by-side pulleys in the first pulley unit, around the pulley of the second pulley unit, and around the other side-by-side pulley of the first pulley unit. The resistance on the first cable is then four times that on each section of the third cable, and plural pull points are provided for selective connection to exercise stations.

Abstract: An electro-optical connector has a plug unit and a receptacle unit which are releasably mateable in an underwater environment. Each unit has at least two separate contact chambers extending inwardly from the front end, one for containing optical contacts and the other for containing electrical contacts. Each optical contact chamber is sealed by a rolling seal member rotatably mounted in a recessed seat in a front end wall of the chamber for rotation in a non-axial direction between a closed position in which a seal through bore is offset from an inlet into the chamber and an open position in which the seal through bore is aligned with the inlet. One electrical chamber contains an electrical socket and has a front end wall having a sealable opening, an annular seal member mounted in the sealable opening, and a resiliently biased stopper movably disposed in sealing engagement within the annular seal member when the units are not mated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new component for protecting hangers associated with electrostatic coating processes. The component is electrically conductive and inexpensive relative to the hanger which it serves to protect. The component lessens the cost associated with traditional hanger cleaning and preserves hanger life and integrity.

Abstract: A refrigeration system has a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator connected in a loop to provide a refrigeration cycle designed for small heat loads of less than one kilowatt. The compressor has a first refrigerant compressor section connected in the loop for receiving low pressure refrigerant fluid from the evaporator and providing compressed refrigerant fluid to the condensor. A second, electrochemical gas compressor section has a gas output linked to the first compressor section for compressing the refrigerant fluid.

Abstract: A voice activated device for producing control signals in response to speech is self-contained and requires no additional software or hardware. The device may be incorporated into a housing that replaces a wall switch that is connected to an AC circuit. An alternate housing is portable and includes a jack that plugs into and lies flush against a standard AC utility outlet, and at least one plug for accepting an AC jack of any electronic product or appliance. The device acts as a control interface between utility power and connected electrical devices by connecting or disconnecting power to the electrical devices based on speech commands.

Abstract: An apparatus for performing exercises has a support frame and a seat mounted on the support frame. An exercise arm is pivoted adjacent the forward end of the seat for swinging back and forth in front of the apparatus. A load bearing cable is linked at the forward end of the arm. A leg engaging device is adjustably or rigidly attached to the arm for engagement by an exerciser's legs while performing different exercises. A handle can be releasably attached to the cable or to the exercise arm for performing upper body exercises.

Abstract: An end seal assembly is mounted in a conduit or feedthrough body with a through bore of stepped diameter between its ends into which a fiber or wire-carrying metal cable extends. An inner end of the cable is stopped against a shoulder in the through bore, with at least one fiber or wire extending from the cable end out through the second end of the seal body. An end seal is seated at the outlet end of the seal body and has a through bore through which the or each fiber extends. The through bore is filled with epoxy material. The end seal is of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion approximately equal to that of the epoxy material.

Abstract: A water entry alarm system has at least one harness to be worn about the body of an individual to be protected and carrying a transmitter for transmitting a predetermined signal and a water sensor for turning off the transmitter on detection of water. The harness has a strap for extending about the individual's waist, a first fastener unit at one end of the strap containing a power supply and a second fastener unit at the other end of the strap for releasable connection to the first fastener unit. The transmitter and water sensor are mounted in the second fastener unit, and are connected to the power supply when the first and second fastener units are connected, so that the signal from the transmitter is automatically turned off if the first fastener unit is disconnected from the second fastener unit.

Abstract: An underwater connector has mateable plug and receptacle units each containing a member having an internal chamber enclosing a contact element when the units are unmated. The members each have a resilient forward end portion with an opening communicating with the chamber, and a forward end face in sealing engagement with the corresponding end face of the other member to provide a seal when the units are mated. An actuator in each unit compresses the forward end portion of each member to close and seal the opening, and the arrangement is such that the forward end portions move away from the actuators and open as the units are mated, to permit one contact element to pass into the member of the other unit for connection to the other contact element. The forward end portions of the members are self-sealing in both the mated and unmated condition, requiring no additional seal elements.

Abstract: A method of producing a silicon based alloy is described which comprises melting a silicon alloy containing greater than 50 wt. % silicon and preferably including aluminium. The melted alloy is then inert gas atomized to produce powder or a spray formed deposit in which the silicon forms a substantially continuous phase made up of fine, randomly oriented crystals in the microstructure. The alloy produced by the method has particularly useful application in electronics packaging materials and a typical example comprises an alloy of 70 wt. % silicon and 30 wt. % aluminium. Such an alloy is an engineering material which, for example, is machinable.

Abstract: A spreader for use in spreading a bed of predetermined thickness of adhesive material on a prepared floor surface prior to the laying of tiles. The spreader comprises a rectangular planar portion (2) having a serrated lower longitudinal edge (4) and flanges (6 and 8) extending substantially at right angles from the transverse edges of the rectangular planar portion (2). The flanges provide a barrier allowing a mass of adhesive to lie in front of the serrated edge (4) and between the flanges (6 and 8) as the spreader is drawn over the surface of the surface to be tiled. As the spreader is drawn over the surface the adhesive flows under the serrated edge thereby providing an even application of adhesive across the full width of the spreader. A height adjuster comprising an adjustable gauge (28) is provided as is a handle (10) or elongate handle (50) for convenient use by the tiler.

Abstract: A system for detecting and tracking movement within a building has a plurality of portable microwave detector units for deploying outside the walls of the building. Each detector unit has a microwave module for transmitting microwaves through the building walls into a monitored area and for detecting radiation reflected back to the unit from the monitored area, and an output device for transmitting an alarm signal from the unit if a shift is detected in the reflected radiation frequency, indicating movement within the area. A receiver unit receives alarm signals from the detector units and produces an output signal for each detector unit currently detecting movement to provide the user with information on the location of any movement within the building.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and devices for the electrochemical generation of nitrogen from organic nitrogen compounds, such as hydrazides (RCONHNH2), the corresponding organic hydrazino-carboxylates (RCO2NHNH2) and amino-guanidine salts (e.g. aminoguanide bicarbonate H2NNHC(NH)NH2.H2CO3). In the hydrazides and hydrazino-carboxylates, “R” may be an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl or aryl group, in some embodiments methyl, ethyl, or benzyl. The alkyl, alkenyl and alkynyl groups may be branched or unbranched, substituted or unsubstituted.