Abstract: An outdoor grill for charcoal grilling is designed to prevent flare-up from fat drippings and to facilitate the disposal of ashes. The grill comprises a portable stand and a horizontally disposed cylindrical-shaped housing on the stand. The housing has a cover door in sidewalls and access holes in flattened end walls. Within the cylindrical housing are a charcoal grate, a cooking rack and a flare-up shield. In one embodiment, an upper small mesh screen is positioned directly on top of the grate. The grate and/or upper small mesh screen are manually shaken to periodically knock ash from charcoal. The flare-up shield has an inverted V-shape and has louvered openings. Heat from the burning charcoal is efficiently transferred to meat on the cooking rack. Any fat drippings are deflected by the flare-up shield towards the housing's sidewalls away from the charcoal.

Abstract: The cold therapy unit of this invention includes a small portable ice chest and an electronic control unit to provide a unit which is safe to use right after surgery and has a portion which may be taken home by the patient. The combined unit provides the safety and accuracy of an institutional unit and the practicality and affordability of a portable take home unit. The cold therapy device includes an electronic control unit similar to the current institutional units in that it includes a thermoelectric module along with its associated electronic controls and a pump. The electronic control unit includes couplings to connect hoses leading to the patient and the cooling pad. Further, the portable ice chest having a lid fitted with an electric fluid pump which includes quick connect couplings allowing the ice chest to be placed in fluid communication with the electronic control unit. Finally, the fluid pump is electrically connected to the electronic control unit.

Abstract: An outdoor water faucet article is configured to secure a building water faucet from unauthorized use. The article is lockable, yet is readily unlocked to access the water faucet. The article comprises a first housing half, a complementary second housing half and locking mechanism. The first and second housing halves are hingeably connected. Together they form an enclosure for the water faucet and can be secured together by the locking mechanism to prevent access to the water faucet. Upon unlocking, the second housing half is rotated away from the first housing half to allow full access to the water faucet so that its handle can be turned and a garden hose attached to its terminus. A wall mounting mechanism is optionally used to attach at least one housing half to a wall of the building where used. Insulation can be used to line the interior walls of the housing halves to add a freeze protection feature to the article.

Abstract: An auxiliary molded floor mat is produced to fit the carpeted floor compartment area of a van, pickup truck, sport utility vehicle or other vehicle having a floor which is substantially flat and even with a door sill. The floor mat is a one piece composite of a tufted carpet layer, a thermoplastic mid-layer and a non-slip substrate bottom layer. The floor mat has a flat base with raised walls near each of its outside edges which form a tray-like central area. At least one of the raised walls is double walled with a substantially horizontally extending floor engaging peripheral lip. Molding of the composite imparts a desired contoured shape which neatly fits the vehicle's floor compartment area without substantial folds or wrinkles. The tray-like central area of the floor mat catches debris. It is readily cleaned simply by removing the full mat from the vehicle.

Abstract: An orthotic cushioned article is for use by bed-ridden individuals to prop a foot off a bed or other abrasive surface. The article is generally L-shaped with a leg portion and a foot portion. The leg portion has a flattened centerwall with upwardly extending sidewalls. Each of the sidewalls has a cut-out to accommodate the individual's ankle bones. The leg portion and foot portion form a junction where they meet and that junction has a cut-out to accommodate the individual's heel bone. The cushioned article also has securing means to hold it to the individual's lower leg and foot. It further has beads in at least the centerwall of the leg portion to enhance blood circulation. The orthotic cushioned article effectively prevents the formation of decubital ulcers in the individual's leg and foot.

Abstract: A pole-assist hanger aid for suspending light-weight objects from an elevated structure. The hanger aid comprises a wire member with a hook-shaped first end to temporarily engage the elevated structure and a second end to engage the light-weight object. An open bottom pole receiving member is offset from the wire member at a mid-portion thereof. It has a hollow interior which is tapered upwardly and is dimensioned to receive an end of an elongated pole. The hanger aid is especially useful for suspending objects such as bird feeders from an elevated tree limb with the use of the pole.

Abstract: A double walled storage tank system has two closely associated discreet walls with a closed communication space therebetween. The system comprises (a) a tank having a main body side wall and attached end walls, (b) a continuous wall of a fibrous reinforced resinous material which substantially follows the contour of at least a portion of the tank and (c) an array of interlocking filament bundles disposed between the tank and the continuous wall. The array has a first face bonded to a tank wall and a second face bonded to the continuous wall. A mid-portion of the array is in a substantially unbonded state to create the closed communication space for leak detection purposes. The strength of the double walled storage tank system is substantially enhanced by the array securely bonded to both the tank wall and the continuous wall and by its own inherent tensile strength.

Abstract: A reusable trap capable of trapping rodents alive is self-locking. The trap comprises an elongated tube with a first terminus entry opening and a second terminus having a moveable closure door. A trapping door and latch means are mounted within the elongated tube in a manner which allows the trapping door to swing inwardly towards the second terminus by a pushing force supplied by the rodent. The latching means ensures that the trapping door cannot fully swing outwardly towards the first terminus nor can the door be pulled inwardly. A support member secured to the elongated tube at or near the second terminus elevates the second terminus and provides a slightly upwardly slope towards the second terminus when the trap is placed on a horizontal surface. The upward slope enhances the initial appeal of the bait and the trap to the rodent.

Abstract: A storage tank system has two closely associated discreet walls with closed communication flow paths therebetween. The system comprises (a) a tank having a main body side wall and attached end walls and (b) a composite wall which substantially follows the contour of at least a portion of the tank. The composite wall includes a base layer of filament bundles. The base layer is bonded to a tank wall by a resinous material and is covered by additional resinous material. A mid-portion of the filament bundles found in the base layer is in a substantially unbonded state to create the closed communication flow paths for leak detection purposes. The strength of the storage tank system is substantially enhanced by the composite wall.

Abstract: A self-propelled water craft includes a hydrofoil-bladed wheel assembly which allows an individual to propel the water craft through the water at a relatively high speed. The assembly comprises an open frame with attachment means for securing to a stern of the water craft's boat hull, a drive shaft rotatably mounted on the open frame, at least one bladed wheel permanently secured to the shaft to rotate with the shaft, and a hydrofoil mounted on the open frame directly below the bladed wheel. The blades are mounted on the periphery of each wheel and are angled backwardly. The blades are also curved. As the blades move through water they force water flow over the hydrofoil in a manner which propels the water craft forwardly and provides the proper lift to the water craft so as to lessen water resistance against the boat hull.

Abstract: A composite storage tank is built which has double wall characteristics. A method of building the tank comprises the steps of applying a viscous resinous core material to a support surface and then winding onto, into or along with the viscous resinous core material discrete filament bundles. The resinous core material encapsulates the filament bundles, but does not significantly penetrate into an interior of the bundles. The substantially resin-free interiors provide flow paths for the ready detection of wall leakage. The resultant composite storage tank has double wall characteristics. A crack or hole in either an inside or outside surface which extends at least to the encapsulated filament bundle interiors will alert the tank's operator/owner to a leakage problem.

Abstract: A blade clamping assembly for use with a rotary cylinder is designed to allow a quick change of a perforating blade, cutting blade or scoring blade. The assembly comprises an elongated retainer bar, an elongated backing plate and at least one compressive spacer. The inside faces of the retainer bar and the backing plate have a set of aligned cavities to hold the compressive spacers in place. The retainer bar preferably has a lower support ledge along an outside face to hold the blade and also has set screws with associated lock caps and resilient pegs to adjust the blade's height. Adjustment of the set screws allows a precise setting of the assembly and associated blade in a groove of the rotary cylinder. When the assembly is positioned in the cylinder's groove, the compressive spacers clamp the blade against a side wall of the groove. The blade is readily changed by forcing the retainer bar against the backing plate to compress the compressive spacers, thereby freeing the blade.

Abstract: A spindle liner and spindle liner assembly are for use in a lathe. A quick-change feature allows the spindle liner to be readily installed and readily replaced with a new spindle liner. The spindle liner has a tubular sleeve with a set of annular bearing rings and an annular mounting flange. An adapter specially configured for mounting on a particular lathe is designed for use with the spindle liner. The adapter has an annular body with a center hole to allow the tubular sleeve of the spindle liner to be slid through it. A recessed shoulder around the hole has a diameter to accommodate the annular mounting flange of the spindle liner. The adapter also has at least one and preferably opposed retainer lugs extending inwardly from a peripheral edge of the annular body and overlying the recessed shoulder. An equal number of notches in the mounting flange of the spindle liner are positioned to align with the retainer lugs when the spindle liner is positioned in the lathe.

Abstract: A composite storage tank is built which has double wall characteristics. A method of building the tank comprises the steps of applying a viscous resinous core material to a support surface and then winding onto, into or along with the viscous resinous core material discrete filament bundles. The resinous core material encapsulates the filament bundles, but does not significantly penetrate into an interior of the bundles. The substantially resin-free interiors provide flow paths for the ready detection of wall leakage. The resultant composite storage tank has double wall characteristics. A crack or hole in either an inside or outside surface which extends at least to the encapsulated filament bundle interiors will alert the tank's operator/owner to a leakage problem.

Abstract: A rotary brush is especially useful in vacuum cleaning of duct interiors. The brush has a hub with a center hole for receiving a drive shaft of a power tool, an annular collar positioned over the hub, and a low density strand set of polymeric flexible strands extending from the annular collar. The collar has a set of substantially uniformly spaced radial holes to receive the strands. The strand set of polymeric flexible strands is capable of being bent axially of the annular collar so as to access the duct's interior through a small opening. The strand set is also capable of bending radially during a cleaning process. The low density of strands ensures that efficient vacuuming of debris loosened by the rotary brush is accomplished.