Abstract: A tree trimming machine capable of moving between rows of grove trees to remove interior growth from the trees while leaving a canopy of tree boughs over the trimmed area includes a wheeled platform supporting right and left saw units positioned at the front, each having upper and lower circular saw blades rotatably carried by bearing members so the planes of all saw blades are parallel and held laterally beyond the sides of the platform. Slideways are fixed on both right and left sides of the platform, at an angle relative its mounting surface, along which the saw blade bearing members move between upper and lower limits to simultaneously raise and lower the saw blades that are hydraulically driven by a pump powered by an internal combustion motor mounted at the rear, which also drives the vehicle wheels.

Abstract: A dirt distribution device for attachment to the outboard end of an earth moving blade of a grader machine includes a motor driven rotary dirt slinger carried on a platform that is pivotally carried on a support arm that, in turn, pivots on the clamp unit that mounts the device to the blade. The device serves to sling dirt scraped up by the moving blade over areas inaccessible to the blade, e.g., around the base of trees planted in rows adjacent ditches that require periodic reconditioning by scrapping using grader machines. The device basically includes a turnbuckle or equivalent unit to adjust the radial angle of the support arm relative to the blade and a similar unit to adjust the radial angle of the platform relative to the support arm, but may include further adjustment units to add additional tilt modes to the platform.

Abstract: Cold-seal adhesives are disclosed that contain no natural rubber and are able of forming dry content on stretchable fabric strips which adhere to one another with acceptable strength at room temperature by pressure contact to form cohesive surgical bandages, but also allow such strips to be reeled into rolls and stored for extended periods of time without blocking. Such cold-seal adhesives are aqueous dispersions having a Zahn Cup #2 viscosity between 16-40 seconds containing 30 to 50 percent solids content of a polyurethane ionomer reaction product of 50-80% polyester polyol, 15-25% aliphatic diisocyanate and 3-6% dimethylol propionic acid neutralized with a base selected from tertiary amines and alkali metal hydroxides and the reaction product possesses a T.sub.g of between about -20.degree. to 5.degree. C.

Abstract: An improved system for the incubation of exotic bird eggs contains a flexible bladder as an essential component. The system includes an incubation unit, system heat exchange liquid, a heating unit to warm the heat exchange liquid, a pump unit, and conduits to circulate warmed heat exchange liquid in the system. The incubation unit includes a housing, a bed of soft wood chips or equivalent bedding material contained within the housing upon which an array of the bird eggs is supported. The flexible bladder has a relatively flat bottom portion that is supported by and covers the array of bird eggs. Inlet and outlet tubes extend from the bladder and are associated with the conduits whereby warmed system heat exchange liquid may be circulated from the heating unit through the bladder interior to supply heat through the flat bottom portion to the bird eggs to warm and incubate them. A related method of bird egg incubation based on the bladder is also disclosed.

Abstract: Automatic backwash filter systems including a filter tank divided by vertical cell sheets into a multiplicity seriate cells are improved by provision, as retention for underdrain filter plates within the seriate cells, of unique contoured cell sheets having profiled faces each with a lower level, integral, protrusion segment that forms a support ledge for a cell filter plate and a higher level, integral, protrusion segment that provides a filter plate holddown feature in combination with filler members and horizontal retention bars.

Abstract: Cold-seal adhesives are disclosed that contain no natural rubber and are capable of forming dry coatings on flexible films which adhere to one another with commercially acceptable packaging strength at room temperature by pressure contact, but also allow such layered substrates to be reeled into rolls and stored for extended periods of time without blocking. The flexible films are usable in forming packages, particularly for comestibles and pharmaceuticals, without need for heat sealing. Such cold-seal adhesives are aqueous dispersions having a Zahn Cup #2 viscosity between 16-40 seconds containing 30 to 50 percent solids content of a polyurethane ionomer reaction product of 50-80% polyester polyol, 15-25% aliphatic diisocyanate and 3-6% dimethylol propionic acid neutralized with a base selected from tertiary amines and alkali metal hydroxides and the reaction product possesses a T.sub.g of between about -20.degree. to 5.degree. C.

Abstract: An improved method for the feeding of psittacines involves the use of a feeding device having a spout that may be grasped by the mandibles of the psittacine to prompt it to pump feed flowing from the vessel down its esophagus. This method mitigates damage to the avian choana and esophagus often caused by conventional use of syringes and cannula for juvenile psittacine feeding. Details are disclosed of the relevant feeding device which includes the spout designed to permit flow of psittacine feed to the bird plus, advantageously, a handle opposed to the spout and a unique cover.

Abstract: An improved HF shielding feature is provided for electrical enclosures having a box-like base and a sealing cover wherein a tongue projects integrally from the upper periphery of the base into a groove formed integrally in under periphery of the cover. The tongue has a compression surface spaced apart from the base periphery, a first outside wall depends from such tongue compression surface to an outside portion of the base periphery and a first inside wall depends from the tongue compression surface to an inside portion of the base periphery. The groove has a second compression surface spaced apart from the tongue compression surface, a second outside wall depends from the groove compression surface to an outside section of the cover periphery and a second inside wall depends from the groove compression surface to an inside section of the cover periphery.

Abstract: A method for improving economy and performance in the operation of internal combustion engines of motor vehicles includes the steps of (a) providing on the motor vehicle a confined supply of alcohol, (b) pressurizing the confined supply of alcohol with engine exhaust gases, (c) passing a controlled stream of alcohol from the confined supply to an enclosure defining an upper zone and a lower zone to maintain a volume of liquid alcohol in the lower zone, (d) charging a stream of air into the volume of the alcohol to vaporize a portion thereof and form vaporized alcohol in the upper zone, (e) causing pressure contained within the enclosure to discharge a stream of the vaporized alcohol from the upper zone of the enclosure into the air intake manifold of the engine, (f) baffling the stream in its passage from the enclosure to the air intake manifold and (g) causing the stream of the vaporized alcohol to mix with the air passing in the manifold for subsequent mixture with the primary gasoline fuel.

Abstract: Articulated sliding shoes for improving the operation of automatic backwashing filter systems basically include (a) a rectangular support frame, (b) a central valve member, (c) a fore waste valve member, (d) an aft waste valve member and (e) sets of springs for such valve members. The valve members are moveable relative to the support frame transverse of its longitudinal axis, but are immoble parallel to such axis and are urged by the spring sets into seriatim contact with trios of the discharge ports of the filter cells of such filter systems.

Abstract: An improved system for the incubation of exotic bird eggs contains a flexible bladder as an essential component. The system includes an incubation unit, system heat exchange liquid, a heating unit to warm the heat exchange liquid, a pump unit, and conduits to circulate warmed heat exchange liquid in the system. The incubation unit includes a housing, a bed of soft wood chips or equivalent bedding material contained within the housing upon which an array of the bird eggs is supported. The flexible bladder has a relatively flat bottom portion that is supported by and covers the array of bird eggs. Inlet and outlet tubes extend from the bladder and are associated with the conduits whereby warmed system heat exchange liquid may be circulated from the heating unit through the bladder interior to supply heat through the flat bottom portion to the bird eggs to warm and incubate them. A related method of bird egg incubation based on the bladder is also disclosed.

Abstract: Trigger actuated pump sprayers for application of a great variety of household and industrial liquids are improved for dual service use by inclusion of a spout, which can be operated in a closed mode or an opened mode, mounted to the pump housing and a tubular conduit extending internally of the housing and the cap from the spout to at least the cap for flow of liquid directly from the container on which the sprayer is mounted to the spout whereby liquid may be dispensed from the container through the spout when the user of the sprayer needs larger quantities of the liquid than can conveniently be obtained via the spray pump.

Abstract: Faux finishes are produced without need for artistic manipulations of coating materials by applying a layer of one or more unique aqueous emulsions to a substrate surface and, while the layer is still wet, applying thereto scattered portions of one or more special blending solvent mixtures, allowing such portions to interact with the color mixture layer to automatically form a faux finish pattern and then allowing the resulting faux finish to dry.The preferred emulsions have the following weight percentage composition:______________________________________ acrylic polymer 5%-15% propylene glycol 20%-75% colorant 0%-60% non-essential adjuvants 0%-10%. ______________________________________The blending solvent mixtures have the following weight percentage composition: ______________________________________ isopropyl alcohol 10%-30% ethylene glycol monobutyl ether 10%-30% water 30%-60% acrylic latex 5%-30%.

Abstract: New methods are disclosed for improving the cleansing the plurality of seriate filter beds in automatic backwash filtering systems, equipped with a traveling backwash shoe, in which the beds are backwashed one at a time with backwash liquid from an effluent channel common to seriate effluent ports of the plurality of filter beds by pumping the backwash liquid seriatim through separate effluent ports of individual filter beds and then flowing filtered effluent from each bed through its effluent port into the effluent channel, repeating such steps of backwashing and flowing filtered effluent on individual filter beds until all the filter beds in the system have been backwashed, wherein, simultaneously with the backwashing of such active bed, the bed forward in the direction of travel of the backwash shoe is subjected to a prewash with chemical treatment liquid by pumping such liquid upwardly in such forward bed through its effluent port. Apparatus for carrying out the improved methods is also disclosed.

Abstract: An avian feeding device has a bird cage of the wire mesh type and a feeding tray that includes a bifurcated backing member with a mounting space provided between a front sheet portion and a rear web portion. The cage has a rectangular opening formed in a wire mesh, vertical wall by cutting away an adjacent plurality of its vertical wires. The tray mounts to the cage through such opening with downward movement to bring a horizontal wire of such mesh, vertical wall into the mounting space. No handles or like protrusions are needed to assist in removing the tray for service since it may be removed from the cage simply by applying upward pressure to the lower section of the rear web portion of the backing member and withdrawing the tray through the rear mesh wall opening which is of sufficiently small size that birds contained in the cage can not escape even with the feeding tray removed from the cage.

Abstract: A mouth blown sports whistle includes a mouthpiece that communicates with a sound chamber and emits an audio signal when pressurized air is blown into the mouthpiece and a second chamber that communicates via a passageway with the sound chamber. A visual member is housed in the second chamber in a retracted position so as to be capable of extending through an opening therein to an extended position when pressurized air enters the second chamber from said sound chamber to thereby render a visual signal of the blowing of the whistle. The whistle may further include a check valve associated with the second chamber to temporally hold the visual member in its extended position after the extension thereof and also a release valve associated with the second chamber to permit the visual member to return to its retracted position to ready the whistle for another combined audio and visual signalling.

Abstract: A hydroponics plant growth system basically consists of a circular nutrient supply module, a circular plant prop module, a pump positioned in the supply module to circulate liquid nutrient upwardly into the prop module, and a distributor unit to convey the liquid nutrient from the pump to the prop module and contact it with plant roots. An elongated tube supports the prop module concentrically upon the supply module and provides internal space for the distributor unit. The prop module is a bowl shaped vessel having a bottom, a top joined by an integral side ring, and a capped collar that upturns from the vessel top. Baskets to hold plants extend through openings in the vessel top in a way the plant roots continually receive some nutrient without being immersed therein. A plurality of prop modules can be supported in a vertical column on one supply module so the system can conserve horizontal space and fully utilize vertical space.

Abstract: A collapsible boat having a contoured hull shape is disclosed in which the individual component surfaces of the hull may be folded both longitudinally and transversely via disengageable clamping mechanisms that maintain the boat water-tight when it is fully assembled. The lateral edges of the individual hull components, made preferably of aluminum, are profiled so they may be pivoted around a common axis into a relative position where they press together against one another to form a water-tight, longitudinally stable hull.

Abstract: Improved marine VHF radio antennas systems are provided that can be installed on sailboats to position a whip antenna or other radiation unit aloft from the boat deck, even while underway. The antenna system includes an elongated flexible plastic extrusion that internally carries the coaxial cable for the radiation unit and has a longitudinal channel accessed through a side slit. The radiation unit when slideably installed on the boat's backstay is then carried aloft on the backstay as the extrusion is threaded on it via the side slit until the extrusion channel is completely filled by the backstay. The system is completed by electrical connection of the lower end of the coaxial cable to a hand held, battery operated transceiver or other electronic device.

Abstract: A subterranean sampling system of the direct push type that employes an elongated push tube in combination with hydraulic means to force the push tube down through subterranean strata includes an improved sampler unit which basically includes a sample retaining cylinder surrounding an elongated slotted tube with a pierce member at the distal end and, at the proximal end, a tube guide member plus an adapter unit by which the sampler unit is connected to the lower end of the push tube. The system enables a new fluid sampling method in which the sampler unit is manipulated by the push tube into three modes. In the first mode, the slotted tube is within the cylinder so none of its slots extend proximally of the cylinder and no ambient fluid can enter. In the second mode, the slotted tube is moved out of the cylinder so only some of its slots extend proximally of the cylinder whereby ambient fluid may enter the cylinder.