Abstract: An animal perch is constructed from a conventional camera tripod which has three upwardly converging legs that support a vertical post above their point of convergence. A litter tray for the perch is constructed by providing a large tray with a central opening that is sized for passing over the support post and resting on top of the converging legs for support. A horizontal perch bar is then secured to the upper end of the vertical support post for the animal to perch on. Cups may also be secured to the perch bar for food and water for the animal.

Abstract: A shovel having a blade and a handle pivotally mounted on the back of the blade with a mechanism for pivotally retaining the handle at various angles relative to the blade between an open and a closed position. A releasable locking mechanism is operable for releasing and relocking the blade relative to the handle at different relative angles between the open and closed positions. A spring bias drive is connected between the blade and the handle and is adapted for pivoting the blade under bias relative to the handle from the open position towards the closed position when the releasable locking mechanism is actuated or released.

Abstract: The pliers has a hinged jaw piece which is pivotally attached to a support arm for adjusting the hinged jaw piece parallel relative to the other jaw. The adjustment means is manually operated and is self-locking.

Abstract: A snow making system wherein snow making devices, such as snow towers or snow guns, are distributed along a ski slope for producing man made snow with the supply of compressed air and water under pressure in subfreezing conditions. Valving for the supply of air and water to each snow making device is housed underground in a control pit enclosure with a removable access lid. The valves are ganged together for simultaneous operation by a single handle which is exposed through and above the lid for manual operation. The air and water connection hoses are also exposed through and above the lid for connection to an associated snow making device. The handle and these connection hoses are removable to present a flush nonhazardous ground surface in the off ski season. The valves are three-way valves which are adapted to drain all water from the associated snow making device when they are in the off condition in order to automatically drain the devices and protect them from freeze-up.

Abstract: The design and practical method of providing an all ceramic externally mixing dual gas torch with a multiplicity of intimately adjacent emissions supplied from separate and isolated internal gas chambers. Four-bore ceramic tubing is used and two of the through bores access the isolated fuel gas chamber and side-slotting or notching accesses the remaining two holes to the isolated oxygen chamber. The bundling of a multiplicity of slotted tubings provides a multiplicity of intimately adjacent dual gas emissions. The slots are oriented to provide a desired flame pattern.

Abstract: A blow molded plastic container and lid combination wherein a bayonet type thread lock mechanism is provided between an exterior skirt portion of the lid and an interior side wall portion of the container to secure them together. The lid is further provided with a circumferential perimeter overhang that has an inverted U-shaped rim channel above this bayonet type thread lock mechanism for circumferentially receiving and engaging the top end of the container. An inwardly directed annular shoulder is also provided on the container side wall between this bayonet thread lock mechanism and the top end portion of the container whereby a split ring clamp circumferentially secures the chime area of the lid and container combination in sealed engagement. The split ring clamp has an inwardly open U-shaped channel for engaging this container annular shoulder and also circumferential top portions of the lid to clamp them together in vertical compressed engagement.

Abstract: A fluid pressure control method of an anti-skid control apparatus for a vehicle, wherein the anti-skid control apparatus includes a tandem master cylinder, wheel cylinders of wheels, wheel speed sensors associated with the respective wheels, a control unit receiving the outputs of the wheel speed sensors for judging skid conditions of the respective wheels, and fluid pressure control valves arranged between the tandem master cylinder and the respective wheels, which receive instructions from the control unit for controlling brake fluid pressures of the respective wheels. The control unit supplies brake-decreasing instructions and brake-holding instructions independently to the ones of the fluid-pressure control valves for the front wheels, controls the others of the fluid-pressure control valves for the rear wheels by the diagonal "Select Low" between the skid conditions of the respective rear wheels and respective front wheels diagonally connected to the respective rear wheels.

Abstract: A basketball practice device wherein an auxiliary target ring is supported above a standard horizontal basketball hoop or ring in a plane that is disposed at an acute angle from the plane of the supporting ring. An adjustment mechanism as provided for selectively adjusting and maintaining this acute angle between the auxiliary target ring and the standard basketball hoop.

Abstract: In constructing a masonry header, masonry header jacks are mounted in opposed fashion on the sides of existing spaced masonry stiles. A masonry header template is supported on the jacks between the stiles and the jacks are vertically adjustable for properly positioning the template prior to constructing a masonry header on top of the template. After the header is cured, the template and jacks are removed. The jacks include horizontally disposed base mounting arms that have a vertical thickness equivalent to the thickness of mortar joints in the stiles. The jacks are mounted on the stiles by positioning the arms in preselected mortar joints of the stiles when the masonry block or brick stiles are laid up.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for digitally measuring electrical energy consumption parameters from a transmission line carrying alternating current. Current flowing in the conductor is sampled at multiple times which are independent of the current phase. Using an appropriate microcomputer, this sampled current is analytically filtered by expressing the current with Fourier Series using only selected harmonics thus eliminating those harmonics which define noise. An approximation of the power and power consumption is then computed by multiplying the current as expressed in Fourier Series and a voltage measurement from the conductor to obtain a power reading, and the power reading is summed to obtain a number value proportional to the energy consumption.

Abstract: A system to retrieve fluid property data consisting of a single common fluid property database interface and unique files to allow for efficient retrieval of fluid property data from the AIChE DIPPR database or any other fluid properties database from the hard disk storage area of a general data processor. A text file (1) of fluid descriptions for each fluid category is used to define the selections in the fluid description list box (4). A text file (2) of fluid properties for each fluid property category is used to define the selections in the fluid property list box (5). The selections in each list box change according to the category of fluid description and fluid property that is selected.

Abstract: The design and practical method of providing an all ceramic externally mixing dual gas torch with a multiplicity of intimately adjacent emissions supplied from separate and isolated internal gas chambers. Four-bore ceramic tubing is used and two of the through bores access the isolated fuel gas chamber and side-slotting or notching accesses the remaining two holes to the isolated oxygen chamber. The bundling of a multiplicity of slotted tubings provides a multiplicity of intimately adjacent dual gas emissions. The slots are oriented to provide a desired flame pattern.

Abstract: A vibratory parts-feeder apparatus includes a vibratory parts-feeder, a surrounding device for surrounding the vibratory parts-feeder, a sound-wave generator arranged below the vibratory parts-feeder, a noise detector arranged near the vibratory parts-feeder or attached thereto for detecting noise generating from the vibratory parts-feeder, a noise-cancelling signal generator, receiving the detecting output of the noise detector and driving the sound-wave generator; whereby sound-waves generating from the sound-wave generator are transmitted outwards from an annular gap at the upper end of the surrounding device, the surrounding device consists of a first cylindrical body with a bottom, surrounding the vibratory parts-feeder and a second cylindrical body, with a bottom, surrounding the first cylindrical body, the sound-wave generator is arranged at an opening made in the bottom of the second cylindrical body, and sound-waves generating from said sound-wave generator are transmitted outwards from an annular ga

Abstract: The invention pertains to the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOC), generally speaking from industrial fluids, but with special emphasis on water. The dominant feature of the invention is to resort to physical processes such as stripping, absorption and flash evaporation. so that no environmentally undesirable by-products will be formed. Basically the process achieves in one single tower structure air stripping of the contaminated fluid (water) and subsequent removal of the contaminants from the spent stripping air by controlled and special contacting of the contaminated air with certain low volatility solvents in film tray contacting equipment, which can be used with special advantages to permit removal of the VOC from the spent air, as well as for the recovery of the VOC from the VOC-rich solvents.

Abstract: In a commercial dishwashing machine the temperature of the final hot fresh rinsing water is sensed and sanitizer is injected into the rinsing water in a predetermined amount when the temperature of the hot rinsing water is sensed to be below a predetermined threshold minimum. The temperature sensing is accomplished with an electrical sensing device. The electrical temperature sensing device energizes the sanitizer for injection of sanitizer into the rinse water preferably within a predetermined temperature range of the hot rinsing water defined at a bottom limit by a threshold minimum and at an upper limit by a threshold maximum temperature.

Abstract: A system for establishing a circuit between software programs such that applicable data is automatically transferred between programs and all attributes shown on a single common circuit data interface using unique data files on the hard disk storage area of a general data processor. For a given circuit file type, a global file is used as a data holding tank for storing and displaying all attributes determined or modified by each program in the circuit. A command button is used to create a connection between all the programs in the circuit using a switch file in the local path of each program. A data file is also written that has a code to reference each local data item to the global file. This data is automatically retrieved when this data is determined or modified by the active program in the circuit and control is passed back to the single common circuit data interface.

Abstract: An electrified pallet conveyor system for conveying appliances under electrical connection for testing, and which includes an electrical distribution contact shoe busway assembly. The busway consists of an elongated tubular housing having a continuous side access slot and a number of bus bar conductors mounted inside which coextend with the housing for conducting electricity. The electrical contact shoe assemblies are inserted at any desired location along the busway by inserting them into the access slot and twisting them 90.degree.. These contact shoe assemblies are prevented from further rotation by the confines of a closure strip which closes the side access slot of the housing off on opposite sides of the contact shoe assembly. A keying mechanism is also provided to prevent lateral movement of the contact shoe assembly in the bottom of the bus bar housing.

Abstract: Apparatus for inserting an elongated flexible prefabricated vertical (PV) drain downwardly into the earth. The apparatus includes a vertical mast having a lower standard mast base and a lightweight extra long mast extension. A vehicle supports the mast from its mast base in order to raise and lower the mast to and from vertical and to otherwise manipulate and transport the mast in a conventional manner. A longitudinal chamber extends for the entire length of the mast and carries therein an earth penetrating tube for vertical movement. This earth penetrating tube also has a passage therethrough for receiving the elongated flexible PV drain for movement with this insertion tube down into the earth when driven therein. The mast extension includes a series of axially aligned extension tubes constructed of light weight material and removably connected together end to end, and a combination spar and guy mechanism is utilized for supporting this long mast extension from the relatively short mast base.

Abstract: A hand tool for cutting plastic caulking gun cartridge nozzles in preparation for laying a uniform bead of caulk wherein a slicing blade mechanism is provided between the handles of the plier like implement to cut off the caulking tube tip and a V-shaped cutting device is provided in the jaws of the plier like tool to cut a V-shaped notch in the open end of the cartridge nozzle tube tip. The slicing blade is shielded for safety considerations.

Abstract: A package for microwave heating of a sandwich product which normally contains a bread component and non bread components which are either inserted into the bread or deposited on the bread. The non bread components, such as meats, chicken, fish, cheese, vegetables, sauces and the like are placed into a separate container and this non bread component container and the naked bread component are simultaneously contained within a microwave heating package. Microwave suseptor material surrounds at least portions of the bread component for crisping the bread to give it a good baked quality. The non bread component container may first be removed from the package so that the bread component and non bread components may be microwaved separately.