Abstract: Apparatus for harnessing and utilizing, inter alia, gravitational and centrifugal forces generated at a location eccentric from the axis of rotation of a rolling wheel. The apparatus includes pumps that can be attached in a tangential relationship to a path of wheel rotation of an automobile wheel in order to pressurize under-inflated tires and maintain tire pressure at a preset value. A double acting unitary piston assembly is supported for antifrictional reciprocation in a pump housing along a line tangential with respect to a path of wheel rotation so that gravitational force will principally displace the piston assembly to effect working strokes for inflating a pneumatic tire. Compression ratio parameters of the pump are preselected to cause the pump to be effective at wheel rotation velocities above which gravitational forces are no longer effective to operate the pump. A device is also provided to adjust the compression ratio of the pump to thereby adjust the air pressure to be maintained in the tire.

Abstract: A plastic blow molded containr and lid combination wherein the double-walled lid is screwed to the top of the container and a parallel pair of horizontal recesses are provided on opposite sides of the container wall for receiving forks of a forklift for lifting and otherwise manipulating the container with a conventional forklift. The bottom of the container is also provided with forklift access recesses for lifting and manipulating the container from the bottom with a conventional forklift. The underside of the lid is provided with a protrusion for engaging the upper end of a salvage drum within the container to confine the drum between the top and bottom of the container. An override lid lock mechanism is provided to prevent the lid from accidentally unthreading itself. In addition, central portions of the bottom of the container are recessed upwardly with respect to perimeter portions of the container bottom so that the container in an empty condition will stably rest on a surface without easily tipping.

Abstract: An adjustable snow making tower including a vertical support pole anchored into the ground and having a support pipe coaxially received over this support pole for support of a snow tower for axial horizontal rotation on the support pole. A support arm is pivotally connected intermediate its opposite ends adjacent the upper end of this support pipe for pivotal movement substantially from horizontal to vertical. An elongated pipe snow making tower having air and water discharge nozzles at its upper end and air and water supply connections at its lower end, is supported adjacent its lower end to this support arm for pivotal movement therewith in a vertical plane. A lock mechanism is provided for temporary locking the support arm in any preselected vertical position between horizontal and vertical and a drive mechanism is also provided to assist in vertically raising or lowering the snow pipe tower together with a support arm about the support arm pivot.

Abstract: A hydraulic booster for a vehicle and more particularly an improved hydraulic booster with improved brake-relieving action, among other improvements.

Abstract: In a rotary pulse motor including: a cylindrical stator made of magnetic material; a cylindrical rotor made of magnetic material and inserted concentrically into the cylindrical stator and being rotatably supported; slit-like grooves formed at a regular angular pitch P/2 in a peripheral portion of the cylindrical rotor, teeth formed between the slit-like grooves permanent magnets inserted into the slit-like grooves and so arranged that polarities of the teeth are alternately inverted; magnetic poles formed at a regular angular pitch in the cylindrical stator facing to the teeth at a constant air gap, and coils provided on the cylindrical stator so as to a generate magnetic flux through the air gap, the cylindrical stator consists of two cylindrical members arranged in the axial direction of the cylindrical rotor and the magnetic-poles include two rows of magnetic poles formed on the cylindrical stator, the magnetic poles in the respective rows being angularly shifted from each other a predetermined pitch of P

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating a digital electric energy consumption meter of the type which performs voltage and current sampling in timed cycle clusters and then performs algorithmic or Fourier analysis on the sampling to determine the electrical energy being sampled. The meter includes a computer for performing this analysis and this meter computer further includes a microprocessor, appropriate memory for the microprocessor, a clock for timing and initiation of the sampling, a calibration synchronizing signal output for generating a calibration start output signal when the meter begins the sampling, and an input for entering calibration factors into meter memory.

Abstract: Compacted granular or stone columns are constructed in soil to increase the load-bearing capacities of the native soil. An elongated hollow tubular member is penetrated down into the soil to a predetermined depth and then the granular material or stone for constructing the column is fed down through this member and out the lower end thereof where it is then driven outwardly in a radial direction by an impeller which is exposed, at least in part, at the lower end of the tubular member, as the hollow tubular member is either penetrating or being withdrawn from the soil at a predetermined rate to thereby forceably compact this granular or stone material in a substantially radial direction to construct a stone column. Sufficient forces may be applied by the impeller to the granular or stone material to fracture the surrounding soil.

Abstract: A system for alleviating leakage or weepage from a pressure relief valve found on conventional hot water heater tanks due to water pressure build-up in residential water lines caused by the application of intense heat with fast recovery type hot water heaters wherein a water pressure relief valve is easily and quickly connected between a washing machine water supply outlet faucet and a flexible washing machine water inlet hose and water vented from this pressure relief valve is vented through a flexible hose to an appropriate drain.

Abstract: An open-end ratchet wrench is shown which has a handle and a generally C-shaped head at one end of the handle providing a pair of open-ended jaws with spaced confronting jaw faces. The jaws are provided in the form of a plurality of rotatable toothed gears which are presized and prealigned to engage and rotate about the angular side surfaces of a nut or bolt head to be received between the jaws for turning. A ratchet mechanism is also provided for selectively preventing rotation of at least one of the gears in one direction.

Abstract: A new tower packing element intended for randomly dumped packed beds. The new tower packing consists essentially of at least two substantially straight legs which are attached tangentially to the ends of an arcuately bent surface. The straight legs contain slots. Tongues either associated with the slots or independent of the slots point away from these substantially straight legs. The arcuately bent portion is free of slots and tongues.

Abstract: An anastomosis fastening technique wherein an annular fastener securing anvil is positioned over the end portion of a first hollow body organ to be joined to a second hollow body organ end or side portion and this first organ end is everted outwardly back over the anvil thereby forming a cuff. The anvil is provided with prepositioned and annularly disposed fastener securing devices on the exterior surface. The second hollow body organ and/or side portion is then positioned over the cuff of the first hollow body organ such that the intimal portions thereof to be anastomosed are in intimal coaptation. An anastomotic surgical fastener driving instrument with fastener cartridges therein, and which conforms in shape to the outer annular contours of the anvil is coaxially applied over the anvil with the organ portions positioned therebetween and the fastener driving instrument is then actuated to fasten the coaptating organ portions together. The organ portions to be anastomosed may first be tied down to the anvil.

Abstract: In a quadrupole mass spectrometer which includes four parallel rod electrodes between opposite pairs of which overlapping voltages.+-.(U+V cos .omega. t) are applied (where U: a continuous voltage and V cos .omega. t: a radio-frequency voltage) and which effects mass-analysis by an electric field formed within the four parallel rod electrodes, at least one parameter of U, V and .omega. has two different values, and the values are changed over to select the first stable region or the second stable region, the first stable region being nearest to the original point and the second stable region being next near to the original point on the a - q plane (where a:ordinate, q:abscissa) showing "stability diagram", and the ions being able to pass through the four parallel electrodes under the conditions of the first and second stable regions, where the variable a=8eU/mr.sub.O.sup.2 .omega..sup.2, q=4eV/mr.sub.O.sup.2 .omega..sup.

Abstract: In a fluid-pressure control apparatus for anti-skid control apparatus, including a control unit for generating brake control signals corresponding to the rotational behaviors of the respective wheels and valve control signals on the basis of the 2 outputs of the wheel speed sensors; and fluid pressure control valves arranged in the respective brake conduit systems and operated by the valve control signals the brake control signals from the front wheels are preferentially used to those from the rear wheels as the valve control signals in the respective brake conduit systems, and when the brake control signal is generated fron any one of the front wheels, the fluid pressure control valve in the one brake conduit system to which the one front wheel belongs, is operated by using the brake control signal as the valve control signal; and when the brake control signal is generated from any one of the rear wheels, the fluid pressure control valve in the one brake conduit system to which the one rear wheel belongs, is

Abstract: An improved methodology and apparatus for the treatment of sleep apnea through application of alternating high and low level positive airway pressure within the airway of the patient with the high and low airway pressure being coordinated with the spontaneous respiration of the patient.

Abstract: A conveyor roller brake that is preferably carried within the confines of a conveyor roller and includes a friction surface carried by the conveyor roller and a brake shoe that is maintained continuously in biased engagement with the friction surface and is selectively engageable for disengageable with respect to a nonrotatable hub element thereby selectively permitting the brake shoe to rotate freely with the conveyor roller in frictional engagement with the friction surface, or to be arrested in its rotation so that relative rotation of the roller with respect thereto provides continuous roller braking through frictional sliding of the brake shoe in biased engagement with the friction surface.

Abstract: A side bearing for a railway car having a pair of spaced elongated resilient elastomeric elements which bias the elements of the side bearing in operative position and which elements preferably have uppermost separate members which are effective for generating increased frictional dissipation of energy over the frictional energy dissipation available with an elastomeric element only and for providing, in cooperation with the elastomeric elements, improved bearing performance through the deformation of the elastomeric elements under initial loading and under operating loads.