Abstract: A tool for safely dislodging packed material from a discharge chute which includes an elongated shaft having a handle at one end and a probe tip at the other end. One or more plates depend from one side of the shaft intermediate the ends of the tool. The pointed probe tip is off center with respect to the center line of the shaft in a direction opposite the direction which the plate or plates depend from the shaft. The upper edge of the tool is preferably convex in configuration and may include a brush.

Abstract: A mobile sweeper having a wheel supported housing to be moved forward and backward over a surface to be swept of debris. A pair of parallel elongated rotary brushes are mounted in the housing for rotation and extend in the direction of their elongation transversely to the direction of normal forward movement of the housing. These rotating brushes project downwardly through a bottom opening in the housing for sweeping an underlying surface of leaves and other debris. The drive for the brushes drives the rotary brushes in counter rotation whereby debris is swept upwardly between the brushes. A vacuum shredder fan is also mounted in the housing and communicates through a vacuum chute with the bottom opening of the housing for drawing in debris swept up by the brushes and chipping, shredding or mulching and discharging the shredded debris through a discharge chute for collection.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying and compacting earthen materials such as soil which includes a motorized tractor vehicle with a microwave applicator attached to the vehicle. The microwave applicator includes a microwave permeable drum for rolling over the ground surface to be dried and a microwave heater element in the form of a magnetron tube coaxially disposed in the drum for emitting and directing microwaves downwardly through the drum into underlying soil to be dried. A microwave nonpermeable shield covers over side and upper surfaces of the drum and further includes a microwave reflective inner lining for reflecting microwaves downwardly into the underlying earth.

Abstract: A snow making tower including an elongated tower conduit combination which has an elongated air conduit extending within an elongated water conduit with upper and lower ends and provided with a ground support mount. Air and first water discharge nozzles are respectively provided adjacent the upper ends of the conduits and positioned for producing a plume of atomized water from external interacting air and water discharged under pressure from the air and first water discharge nozzles to produce snow in subfreezing ambient conditions. Couplings are provided for connecting air and water under pressure at the lower end of the tower. Three additional water discharge nozzles are positioned below the first water nozzle and connected to the water conduit for providing additional water sprays which are directed whereby at least portions thereof will intermix with the plume of atomized water as it falls.

Abstract: A modular suspension system for supporting conduit between structural members, such as walls studs or ceiling joists, of a building. The system includes a transverse support bracket for securement between the building structural members and further includes an elongate conduit segment of tubing and end mounts received over opposite ends of the conduit segment for securing the conduit segment to respective building structural members. The end mounts are constructed of tubular segments coaxially received over end portions of the conduit segment and these tubular segments have one or more ears protruding therefrom for securing the tubular segments to the building structural members.

Abstract: A removable and reusable door frame guard for installation over and providing temporary protection to door trim attached to a door jamb. The guard includes a relatively rigid elongate upright member of shock absorbing material with an L-shaped cross section for covering adjacent bottom, front and inside portions of a vertical door jamb to be protected, and an expandable clamp means is secured to an upper end of the upright member and dimensioned in position for expanding and thereby engaging a bottom surface of a horizontal door header to hold the upright member in position.

Abstract: A device for holding a container while removing a twist-on lid for the container. The device includes a horizontal base having a top surface for supporting the bottom of the container. Two vertical elongate legs are secured side-by-side along bottom surfaces thereof to the top surface of the base and the legs extend divergently with respect to each other whereby inner left and right opposing surfaces of the legs, as horizontally viewed therein from the most divergent ends of the legs, face each other to form a wedge for engaging bottom side portions of a container positioned therebetween. An elastic surface is disposed on the left of the inner opposing surfaces for gripping bottom side surfaces of a container engaging and being rotated between the inner opposing surfaces of the legs. The opposing surfaces of the legs extend upwardly from the base in a height of between two to three inches.

Abstract: A low cost jet engine for ground based application which is constructed with a conventional automotive turbocharger including a compressor and a turbine. An independent small combustor unit is mounted on the turbocharger between the compressor and the turbine and adapted for taking in air from the compressor and combusting fuel with the compressed air to provide an exhaust for driving the turbine. Controls are provided for starting and controlling the operation of the engine. The jet engine is readily adaptable to many land based applications, such as for educational purposes and snow blowing applications.

Abstract: A filtering assembly for removing particles from a liquid is positioned coaxially within a vertical, pressure-tight housing 11 having a tangential inlet 21 at an upper end and an outlet 24 at a bottom end thereof. The filtering assembly includes a filter bag 13 positioned on the exterior surface of a perforated cylinder 14. Untreated liquid from the inlet is filtered as it flows radially inward through the filter assembly. A wash-down device 28 is position at an upper end of the housing for removing solids that have built up on the exterior surface of the filter bag. A controller initiates a wash-down of the filter bag upon detecting a predetermined pressure differential across the filter assembly. After closing the inlet and outlet, the controller opens a vacuum-break valve D causing the filter bag to pulse and thereby initially dislodging entrapped solid particles for easy wash-down.

Abstract: A furniture slide for placement between an object to be moved and flooring over which it is to be moved, which includes a sheet of flexible material having top and bottom faces and complex curvature on the bottom face with a concave curvature along the longitudinal axis thereof and a convex curvature along the transverse axis thereof. A compressible material is adhered to the top face for support contact with an object to be moved.

Abstract: In a vibratory conveyor which includes a trough for transporting objects, an exciting mechanism for vibrating the trough in a horizontal direction and a supporting mechanism for supporting the trough so as to be vibratile in the horizontal direction, the exciting mechanism is a linear motor, one of the primary and secondary sides of the linear motor is fixed to the trough and the other is facing to the one side with a predetermined gap and so arranged as to be vibratile relative to the one side.

Abstract: A system for gravity generation of electricity which includes upper and lower water reservoirs with a conduit between the reservoirs and a pump to continuously pump water from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir. A number of water containers are positioned side-by-side and mounted for up and down travel between the upper and lower reservoirs. When the containers have attained their upper most position at the upper reservoir, they are engaged by limit switch mechanisms to fill the containers with water from the upper reservoir. Upon being filled the containers travel by gravity to their lower most position to the lower reservoir wherein additional limit switch mechanisms are employed to drain the containers into the bottom reservoir. As the containers travel downwardly, they engage and drive an electric generator for generating large quantities of electricity.

Abstract: A male undergarment for incontinence, including undergarment shorts having front and back panels with a waistband at the top of the garment and thigh encircling leg portions at the bottom of the shorts with a crotch portion between the leg portions. A pocket protection cage of resilient plastic material is provided with an opening at the top and is secured to the inside of the front panel of the shorts and is positioned for natural protrusion of the male penis of the wearer into this opening. This pocket protection cage has portions which are positioned at an angle whereby the device protrudes downwardly into one leg portion of the undergarment to the side of the crotch. A disposable, flexible and water tight pocket is removably retained in the cage and is also provided with a top opening that is secured for conforming to the top opening of the cage for protrusion of the penis into this top opening of the pocket.

Abstract: An adjustable elastic tie-down cord having an elongated stretchable elastic cord with a hook secured to one end. A line adjusting retainer bar is provided with two spaced through passages in which the cord is slidably received whereby an adjustable loop in the cord is formed on one side of the bar for selectively adjusting the overall length of the cord. The other cord end is provided with a stop knot so that it will not slip through its adjacent passage in the line adjusting retainer bar and a hook is slidably received on the cord in the loop section. The passage through which the cord is slidably received for adjustment is provided with protrusions at appropriate positions to engage the stretch cord thereby penetrate the elastic cord for assisting and locking it in position within the passage.

Abstract: Curved stock is formed from flat stock by cutting a side-by-side series of V-shaped grooves in the face of a piece of flat stock to be curved with a saw blade having triangular cutting teeth. The cut is made to a predetermined depth so that the opposed face of the stock may be curved such that the V-shaped grooves are closed flush or at least partially closed. The resultant outer opposed curved face is thereby left free of any unsightly or undesirable ridges.