Abstract: A cooling device for an electronic component, such as a computer processor, generally comprises a heat sink and a pair of fans. The fans are redundant in that sufficient cooling is supplied should one fan fail. The fans are independently powered and are inspectable and independently replaceable in situ without un-powering the other fan or the processor. The heat sink includes a base plate having a bottom for surface contact with the processor, a front row of fins projecting upward from the front of the base plate and a rear row of fins projecting upward from the rear of the base plate. Right and left fans are mounted substantially within a cavity between fan rows. Each fan blows a flow of air such that the flow impinges on the base plate.

Abstract: A pier (10) for supporting an object, such as a mobile home coach frame, above the ground generally comprises support (80) supporting pipe (70) in a vertical position and against downward movement, platform (30) having a sloped upper surface (43) supported by top end (71) of pipe (70), and wedge (50) supported by platform (30); wedge (50) having slanted bottom (53) and horizontal top surface (60) for supporting the load. The height of pier (10) can be adjusted by sliding wedge (50) up sloped surface (43). Gripping ridges (45,55) on slope (43) and slanted bottom (53) interact so that the wedge (50) may not slide down the slope (43). Platform (30) includes a plurality of receptacles (40) for receiving top end (71) of pipe (70) for supporting sloped surface (43) at various heights.

Abstract: A fishing lure in which a hook is connected to the body of the lure in a selectable angular orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body. An elastomeric mounting having a bore is attached to the body. The hook is attached to a leader, and the leader is attached to the line. The connection between the line and leader may include a crimp connector. A user may insert the connector into the mounting bore at any desired rotational angle. The hook is thus frictionally retained in the mounting bore. When the lure is trolled through the water, the hook maintains itself in an orientation with the shank parallel to the leader and the pointed end curving upwardly toward the surface. This orientation maximizes the likelihood that a striking fish will become hooked.

Abstract: An animal barrier generally comprises a substantially open, substantially rigid grid, such as of wire, and a plurality of spikes of various lengths, heights and angles connected to the grid and projecting upward therefrom. In a preferred embodiment, the grid has a slit from its periphery inward for placing the grid around said stem of a plant, long spikes are at substantially right angles to the grid and slanted spikes are between 45.degree. and 80.degree. to the grid.

Abstract: A rain cover (10) for a golf bag (80) comprises a belt (20) adapted for attachment around the club-receiving opening (85) of a golf bag (80), a pocket (40) attached to the belt (20), a hood (60) and a skirt (70). The hood (60) is made of collapsible waterproof material and is manipulable from a stored position within the pocket (40) to a deployed position substantially completely enveloping the club receiving opening (85) and any clubs (99) contained therein. The skirt (70) is made of collapsible waterproof material and is manipulable from a stored position within the pocket (70) to a deployed position substantially completely enveloping the golf bag body (82). The belt (20) includes snap fasteners (36) slidingly attached to the belt (20) for mating attachment with snap fasteners (86) of the bag (80).

Abstract: A ball retrieval cart generally comprising a wheeled container for retrieving and storing balls and a pair of handles attached thereto. The container is rollingly supported by wheels on an axle. The container has a bottom including rails defining ball retrieval slots through which balls on the ground pass into the container when the rails are lowered over the balls. The handles, a front handle and a rear handle, are pivotally attached to the cart. A connector can be used to attach the handles together such that the position of the rear handle relative to the container can be adjustably fixed as desired by a user such that user can pivot the cart about the axle to raise and lower the bottom for retrieving balls. The handles are rotatable, also, to a substantially vertical support position supporting the cart in a ball dispensing position. The handles are rotatable, also, to above the cart such that they may be jointly gripped by a user as a carrying handle.

Abstract: A garage (10) generally comprises a pair of side walls (20, 40) that are vertical, parallel and semi-circular, and a peripheral wall (60) spanning between the periphery of the side walls (20, 40) to form an enclosure. The peripheral wall (60) includes a front door (61) and a rear door (71). Front and rear door support paths (30, 35) are located on the inside (28) of each side wall (20, 40) near the wall's peripheral edge. Each door path is parallel, semi-circular and supports a side edge of a door. The front and rear door paths (30, 35) are of different radius such that the door panels may overlap. Latching mechanisms (80), located at approximately midway up on the marginal side (38, 58) of each side wall (20, 40) are moveable to a latching position connecting a door to sidewalls (20, 40) such that the door cannot slide and such that the door prevents the side walls from outward movement at that location.

Abstract: A male connector plug has an electrically insulative and resilient body having a first end and a plug end and first and second bores therebetween. Each of a pair of electrically conductive pins or tines are frictionally fitted in a respective bore and trap and contact a bare section of an electrical wire with that bore. A wiring segment includes a central parallel male connector or a series male connector and end connectors attached to each end of a wire pair. A lamp assembly is connected to the tines of the central male connector. A translucent sleeve surrounds the central male connector and lamp assembly. According to a further aspect of the invention, a balloon display includes a first inflated balloon having a tube therethrough, a second inflated balloon including-an internal lamp connected to an end connector and the wiring segment disposed through the tube of the first balloon such that the central male connector and lamp assembly are within the balloon within the tube.

Abstract: A linear thruster (10) comprises a thruster assembly (15) and a compliant head assembly (100). Thruster assembly (15) includes a housing (20), a pair of guide rods (30) supported by bearings (29) in housing (20), a thrust plate (40) attached below housing (20) to guide rods 30, a power unit, such as pneumatic cylinder (50), and a thrust rod (60). Compliant head assembly (100) includes a translation block (120), a set of first leaf springs (140) supporting translation block (120) above thrust plate (40) such that translation block (120) can move forward and rearward, a compliant head (160), and a set of second leaf springs (180) supporting compliant head (160) from translation block (120) at a position below thrust plate (40) such that compliant head (160) can move left and right due to resiliency of second leaf springs (180) and forward and rearward with movement of translation block (120).

Abstract: A socket wrench extension generally comprises a socket mounting bottom end portion, a shank portion and a torque receiving top end portion adapted to receive a variety of torque transferring tools. In a preferred embodiment, the top end portion includes a free end face, an axial, drive-receiving recess in the free end face, and an outer peripheral wall that extends to the free end and is substantially a regular polygon in cross-section having diametrically opposed parallel flats for receiving an open-end wrench, a box wrench, flat reversible ratchet wrench or socket wrench. The top end portion also includes diametrical bores therethrough through each flat and a radially protruding shoulder at the bottom of each flat. The recess includes a bottom end having a slot for receiving a screwdriver drive.

Abstract: A load equalizing pier for a coach comprises a stand for placement on the ground and a head for placement under a load, e.g. a coach beam. The stand includes means for adjusting the height of the head. The head includes a base plate for attachment to the top of the stand and a support plate for placement under the load. Springs, supported by the base plate bias the support plate toward a biased position separated from the base plate. Bolts retain the support plate to the base plate above the base plate such that the support plate is movable downward from a biased position to a stop position restrained by the base plate. The springs apply a biasing force less than the desired load such that said support plate, under desired load, is restrained from further downward movement by said base plate. Preferably, the springs apply a biasing force of less than half of the desired load.

Abstract: A shaft drive includes a push button locking mechanism for releasingly locking the shaft drive to the attachment cavity of an attached tool. The locking mechanism can be used to positively couple one tool, such as a wrench drive, to another tool, such as a drive socket. A push button includes an inner end having a concave surface that interacts with the convex surface of a sliding locking bolt inside the shaft such that depression of the button moves the locking bolt to a release position. A spring in the locking bolt bore biases the bolt in its locking position.