Abstract: Apparatus for carrying plants periodically to a watering station while ensuring that said plants are uniformly exposed to light. The apparatus includes at least one conveyor in the form of an endless cable disposed about a pair of spaced drums. One of the drums is driven by a motor to cause the cable to be circulated about the drums. The cable supports a plurality of plant hangers at spaced locations there along. Each hanger is arranged so that when a plant is suspended therefrom it is in a first orientation arranged to trip a sensor at the watering station to water the plant. The hanger is also arranged to automatically assume a second orientation when no plant is suspended therefrom. In the second orientation the hanger does not trip the sensor at the watering station. The cable is arranged to be driven at a slower speed during watering operations and at a higher speed during plant loading and unloading operations.

Abstract: Eye protection means for use in combination with eye wear, such as safety glasses, having a brow guard in the form of a surface extending from the upper portion of the eye wear to a portion closely adjacent to the brow of the wearer. In one embodiment of the invention the eye protection means comprises magnetic dust collecting means formed of a ferromagnetic material for securement to the brow guard and arranged so that air-born dust particles falling thereon become trapped thereon, thereby decreasing the potential for entering the eye of the wearer. In another embodiment the dust collecting means comprises at least one layer of material arranged to be secured to the brow guard of the safety glasses and having an adhesive upper surface arranged to trap air-born dust particles falling thereon so as to decrease the potential for such particles entering the eye of the wearer.

Abstract: A robotic system including a manipulator arm for moving a device to a predetermined point within a working volume under control of microprocessor based control unit. The manipulator arm includes various sections and joints defining a base, a shoulder, an arm and a wrist. The wrist is jointed to pivot about a pitch axis and a roll axis. The manipulator is arranged to pivot the arm about the base axis and shoulder axis, which axes intersect at a common point. The arm includes a section which is extendable through the use of telescoping links. The wrist is mounted on the end of the telescoping links, with the pitch and roll axes intersecting at a second point. The second point lies along the extension axis of the arm links and is spaced from the shoulder-base axis intersection point. The links forming the telescoping section are arranged to move in unison with each other. A motor and associated harmonic drives are provided to effect the motion at the joints.

Abstract: The method of forming a tamper-evident closure having a threaded cap and a tamper-evident ring removably connected to each other by break-away tabs. The method includes the steps of molding the threaded cap and tamper-evident ring as an integral unit in a side-by-side relationship to each other and with the break-away tabs integrally connecting them. A retaining lug is also molded on the ring and has a substantially inwardly directed surface. An outwardly directed shelf and cam means are also molded on the cap. After the molding operation, the integrally molded part is removed from its mold and the tamper-evident ring and the threaded cap are moved relative to each other with the break-away tabs acting as a hinge to enable the cap and tamper-evident ring to be brought into substantial vertical alignment with each other while the inwardly directed surface of the retaining lug is snapped over the shelf to hold the cap and ring in alignment.

Abstract: A multiple aptitude testing device for electronically evaluating an examinee's capacity or aptitude toward performing various vocational tasks. The device includes a test station which affords five general types of examinations, namely, objective question and answer tests, a manual dexterity test, a finger dexterity test, a hand/eye coordination test, and a hand/eye/foot coordination test. The question and answer examinations entail interchangable overlays which contain questions and possible answers such that the examinee selects what he deems is the correct answer by contacting an appropriate sensor on the housing with an electrically conductive answer probe. The other four examinations entail counters for electronically measuring the number of times the examinee is able to perform a manipulative task during a fixed period of time. The device provides an electronic comparator for automatically grading the examinations and displaying or printing a test score associated with each of said tests.

Abstract: A portable and compactible scale includes a flexible, compactible bladder providing an interior chamber in which a non-compressible fluid (e.g., hydraulic liquid) is retained. The bladder includes a top wall adapted to support the load to be weighed and spaced-apart support members extend downward from the top wall and terminate short of the bottom wall under no-load conditions. A plurality of spaced-apart, flexible, substantially non-stretchable tendon means optionally can be provided within the chamber to bridge the opposed top and bottom walls of the bladder and thereby impede outward bulging of the top wall during a weighing operation without inhibiting compressive deflection of the bladder.

Abstract: A long shelf life cementitious anchoring capsule having a separate compartment with interactive base and catalyst components. The base component comprises cement and water, and the catalyst component comprises a catalyst and water. The base component also includes cement particles coated with a water insoluble coating and an additive to complex any calcium ion released from the cement into solution. The catalyst component also includes a material which will interact with the insoluble coating to release cement particles to allow self-setting to take place.

Abstract: A mixing device for mixing at least two liquids to produce a homogenous mixture. The device includes an elongated chamber in which a vertically oriented elongated mixing cavity is located. The cavity is sealed at its lower end and it is open at its upper end and in communication with the interior of the chamber. An elongated conduit extends the length of the cavity and is adapted to receive liquids to be mixed. The conduit includes a plurality of ports located at longitudinally spaced positions therealong and which ports are directed in different directions. The ports create plural streams of liquid which interact and mix with one another within the cavity. The mixed liquids overflow the cavity and out its top end into the chamber 24. The chamber 24 includes an outlet from which the mixed liquids are withdrawn. In accordance with the preferred embodiment gas eductor means are provided in the inlet to the conduit to introduce gas bubbles within the cavity.

Abstract: A latching system for releasably locking a door to a housing includes an actuating handle means rotatably connected to the door for controlling the operation of the latching system, and cooperable latching members connected to the housing and door, respectively. One of the cooperable latching members being rotatably connected to the handle means at a location spaced from the rotatable connection between the handle means and the door. Spring means engaging the latching member connected to the handle means for biasing it into a predetermined orientation relative to the handle means and for assisting in maintaining that predetermined orientation as the handle means is rotated in a first direction to move the latching member into engagement with the other cooperable latching member attached to the housing, and to thereafter permit relative rotational movement between the handle means and the latching member connected to it to thereby draw the door into sealing engagement with the housing.

Abstract: An anchoring cartridge for use in anchoring an anchor element in a hole in a substrate by means of a self-setting composition comprising interactive solid and liquid components. The cartridge comprises a container (1) housing the solid component (4) of the composition, the container being formed of a material such as metal or plastics, which does not absorb the liquid component of the composition. The container has a plurality of holes (2), preferably each between 0.1 mm2 and 500 mm2 in area, whereby when the cartridge is immersed in the liquid component, the liquid passes through the holes (2) into the container (1) and reacts with the solid component (4) to form the self-setting composition. When the cartridge is immersed in the liquid component, loss of self-setting composition through the holes (2) is prevented by, for example, including a thixotropic agent in the composition or by compaction of the solid component (4).

Abstract: A body weight support system for releasable securement to at least one leg of a person includes an upper support member adapted to be positioned above the knee and including an upper end adapted to be located immediately adjacent the buttocks-thigh interface to form a seat. A second, lower member adapted to be located beneath the knee and having a lower end adjacent the foot. A flexure assembly is located in the region of the knee and interconnects the first and second support members. The flexure assembly enables the person wearing the system to freely bend the knee through an angular range up to a predetermined angle at which a resistance exists to further flexure. An energy dampening section permits damped flexure of the flexure assembly beyond the predetermined angle to thereby absorb energy imparted to the support system by the person wearing it.

Abstract: A container formed of a flexible sheet of material capable of being sealed for closing off the interior of the container from the ambient atmosphere. The sheet material is resistant to tearing and includes an inner surface and an outer surface. The container comprises a mouth portion including a peel strip fixedly secured to the inner surface of the material and extending substantially the entire length of the mouth portion with adjacent portions of the peel strip being in releasable engagement with each other. The engagement forms an air-tight interfacial seal at the mouth which is readily openable by peeling the engaging portions of the peel strip means from each other to provide ready access to the interior of the container without tearing the sheet material forming the container. Thus, the container can be readily reclosed by conventional mechanical means, such as folding, tin ties, etc.

Abstract: The cutting edge of a bit of a rotary drill comprises an agglomerate of natural or synthetic diamond mounted at the free end of a shank freely rotatable in a socket in the body. Preferably the agglomerate and the free end of the shank are cold swaged together and preferably a resilient spring is interposed about the shank between the body and the free end.

Abstract: A device for removing a portion of a roll, comprising an elongated hollow shaft having a handle at one end thereof. The other end is formed into two separated jaws, with one jaw extending beyond the other jaw. The edges of the jaws are sharpened and serrated. The device is inserted in an elongated roll, wiggled within the roll, and a portion of the soft interior of the roll is then removed. Sandwich filling, such as hot meat balls, luncheon meats, cheese, vegetables, or any mixture of the same, is then inserted into the roll, and tamped in place. The invention also contemplates the method of removing a portion of the roll and filling the roll to form a sandwich.

Abstract: A child-resistant package includes a sealed blister positioned between opposed front and back paperboard sheets that are adhered to each other. The front paperboard sheet includes openings through which the blisters project, and the back paperboard sheet includes a tear strip overlying the blister and being movable in a linear direction to permit its separation from surrounding regions of the back sheet to thereby expose a rupturable backing strip of the sealed blister, there being no other blisters linearly aligned with the linear direction in which the tear strip is movable.

Abstract: A support for mounting an object on a vertically disposed hollow wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface spaced from each other by a predetermined distance. The support comprising a body, an intermediate leg and a wall piercing member. The body is an elongated planar member having a first and second end. The leg is a planar member approximately equal in length to said predetermined distance and is connected to the first end of said body perpendicularly to the plane of the body. The piercing member is connected to said leg portion parallel to the plane of said body means and is arranged to pierce through the wall portion connecting said surfaces, whereupon, when said support is rotated downward with respect to said wall portion, the piercing member abuts said interior surface of the wall with the body abutting the exterior surface and the leg resting on the wall material contiguous with the opening produced by the piercing action.

Abstract: A poultry breast processing machine having a conveyor adapted to receive forward bilateral poultry carcass sections comprised of the joined breast, back and whole wings and to transport the carcass sections through one or more optional segmenting operations. In one operation the wings are engaged and extended laterally outwardly to cause, in conjunction with the passage of shielded rotary severing knives through stretched shoulder joint connecting tissue and tendon materials, the dislocation of shoulder joints and automated removal of whole wing sections from the carcass section without shattered bone fragment contamination and with substantially no removal of breast meat with the wings. The wing removal operation can be followed by a breast severing operation in which a rotary blade longitudinally splits the breast of the carcass, and then either by a backbone removal operation accomplished by transversely spaced rotary blades or by a back bisecting operation accomplished by a single rotary blade.

Abstract: A system for transporting a tray holding at least one specimen slide to and from the microscope. The tray includes index marker means and engagement means. The system comprises an input station, indexing means at the microscope stage and an output station. The input station includes a hopper to receive a stack of slide-carrying trays, a first carrier located within the hopper to carry the trays out of the hopper and onto the microscope stage and feeding means for dispensing the trays from the stack to the first carrier. The indexing means carries the tray to at least one predetermined index position on the stage and basically comprises a second carrier for moving the tray across the stage and a first sensor cooperating with the second carrier means. The index marker means activates the first sensor to stop the second carrier when the index marker means is in a first predetermined position corresponding to the tray being in the predetermined index position.

Abstract: A cartridge comprised of a multiplicity of at least four smaller longitudinal pockets, each pocket containing a component of a multi-component of a self-setting mix to provide blending together of intermixing of the components when the bundle of pockets in the cartridge are ruptured in a bore hole by inward pressure from an anchor element. In one embodiment of the invention the pockets are formed in partially filled envelopes so that when the envelopes are packed together in longitudinal relationship, the resulting cartridge has a generally circular cross-section. The cartridge is held within an outer porous casing, such as netting. In another embodiment of the invention the pockets extend from a common base.