Abstract: A portable boat for all commercial and recreational uses, with particular application to shallow water situations. The boat comprises a multi-tube flotation perimeter hull constructed of connected, epoxy-laminated foam cores and totally encased with a vinyl polyester fabric; a reinforced floor portion and, a full rear transom means. This water craft is strong, yet flexible, unsinkable and virtually impervious to punctures and abrasion damage. These positive benefits are accomplished without sacrificing the advantages of lightweight construction and ease of transportation.

Abstract: A light socket adapter designed for use with fluorescent tubular lamps. The light socket adapter includes a lamp socket, an adjustable support element, and an adjusting device. The adjusting device includes a first adjusting component connected to the lamp socket and a second adjusting component connected to the support element. The first adjusting component is detachably and rotatably connected to the second adjusting component allowing the positioning of the lamp socket at any desired angle relative to the second adjusting component. The light socket adapter optionally includes a middle connecting component for use between the first adjusting component and the second adjusting component. The middle connecting component allows positioning of the lamp socket at any desired angle relative to the support element.

Abstract: A power-up circuit with hysteretic characteristics for regulating the activation of one or more output buffers of an extended logic circuit. The hysteresis of the power-up circuit of the invention permits turn on of a switching transistor of the circuit at one threshold voltage level and maintains the active state of that switching transistor until a second lower threshold voltage level. The hysteresis is achieved by providing two separate and electrically isolated control paths that are connected to the control node of the switching transistor. The first control path includes a plurality of diode devices designed to regulate the power supply level required to turn on the switching transistor. The second control path also includes diode devices but in lesser numbers so that, once the switching transistor is turned on by the first control path, it remains on in spite of fluctuations at the power supply rail.

Abstract: A heat pump system dehumidifies air in an enclosure containing a source of humidity such as a swimming pool. The heat pump system invention transfers rejection heat from the primary refrigerant loop to a secondary water loop. The secondary water loop is coupled in heat exchange relationship to the primary condenser of the primary refrigerant loop for receiving the rejection heat including the latent heat and sensible heat from the refrigerant. The secondary water loop incorporates a circulating water pump and a storage tank and affords a substantially uniform load on the compressor, condenser and refrigerant of the refrigerant loop. The secondary water loop then provides versatility and flexibility in meeting variable load demand such as conditioning the enclosure air, heating water in open receptacles such as pools, dumping heat outside the enclosure, or adding heat to the enclosure. The secondary water loop displaces the variable load requirements from direct impact on the primary refrigerant loop.

Abstract: A positioning device for people in hospital beds is disclosed. The device includes a sheet which is placed under the patient. This is connected by rope to an apparatus on the headboard of the bed. Either by the bed's existing motor, or an independent motor, the patient is moved up in bed towards the headboard. This action eliminates the need for two or more people for the job of positioning a person in bed. The chance of an on-the-job injury is also greatly reduced with this positioning aid.

Abstract: Solvent formulations used in thinning oil-based resins and in cleaning equipment contaminated with oil-based resins include mixtures of constituents with low-, or no-toxicity and flash points generally considered to be above flammability levels. The formulations are compatible with such resins and further have drying characteristics suitable for most users. The solvating power and drying characteristics of these formulations are equivalent to turpentine and mineral spirits, but without the safety concerns associated with those thinners. The formulation components of the present invention include propylene glycol ethers comprising no more than 60% by weight of the solvent mixture, no more than 10% by weight of an isoalkane compound, and no more than 30% by weight of an oxidizing oil, and no more than 30% by weight of an odor-masking compound, preferably d-limonene.

Abstract: A handicapped artist's easel is constructed with a horizontal baseboard and an easel board pivotally mounted at the front end of the baseboard for rotation through substantially 180.degree. relative to the baseboard. At least one extendable and retractable arm is coupled between the easel board and the baseboard for varying the angle of the easel board relative to the baseboard from an acute angle to an obtuse angle great enough for presenting the front side of the easel board over the face of an artist painting or sketching with mouth held instruments and confined to a bed or wheelchair. The desired angle can be set by the telescoping arm. An appropriate support structure is provided for holding the weight of the cantilevered easel board at an obtuse angle without interfering in handicapped artist access to the easel board. Multiple uses of the adjustable easel are described.

Abstract: An error-limiting circuit for regulating the time required to bring the output signal of a control system such as a phase-locked loop device into conformance with a reference input signal. For a phase-locked loop system the error-limiting circuit is a phase-error-limiting circuit that provides for a gradual changing of the signal frequency of a voltage-controlled oscillator of the phase-locked loop device so that frequency synchronization of subsequent devices coupled to the phase-locked loop with the reference signal is ensured. The phase-error-limiting circuit forms part of the phase-frequency detector that is coupled to a charge pump that outputs current to a loop filter that in turn effectively controls the voltage-controlled oscillator. The phase-error-limiting circuit acts to assert or de-assert as required an error-correcting UP or DOWN signal to the charge pump.

Abstract: A system and method for making an impression of a foot, an ankle, and a lower leg to be used in the fabrication of custom-made shoes. The system has a molding component made of a compressible foam or a combination of compressible foams made into prefabricated pieces, and a protective component made of plastic, cardboard, or other disposable material enclosing the molding component. The protective component may be securely affixed to the molding component and is designed to be used for mailing or storing the foot-ankle-lower leg impression.

Abstract: A BiCMOS power-up circuit for delaying the operation of an extended circuit until the voltage available to the high-potential power rail of the extended circuit is sufficiently high that all elements of the extended circuit will be powered at a high enough voltage to function correctly. The power-up circuit of the present invention has its most direct application to three-state output buffers connected to a common bus, and in this context this circuit can maintain the output buffers in their high-Z, inactive state until the voltage available from the circuit-energizing power-supply has risen high enough that all of the stages of the buffers will operate correctly, and in particular will not be current-sourcing and current-sinking simultaneously.

Abstract: A pointer processor circuit substantially eliminates the pointer gap during justification of an outgoing SONET/SDH frame relative to an incoming SONET/SDH frame. The pointer interpreter circuit PI is constructed to receive an incoming frame, interpret the pointer H1H2, and write data payload bytes of the incoming frame into a FIFO memory. An input clock CLK1 controls the writing of data payload bytes into the FIFO. The FIFO stores only data bytes. A pointer generator circuit PG is coupled to the FIFO and is constructed to read out data payload bytes from the FIFO, create an outgoing frame, and calculate a new pointer. An output clock CLK2 controls reading of data from the FIFO to form an outgoing frame. The PI, FIFO and PG cooperate for justification of the outgoing frame relative to the incoming frame.

Abstract: A photodetection system and related circuitry designed to sense the intrusion of an opaque object in a light plane. Upon sensing the intrusion, the system quickly initiates a machine-stopping sequence prior to the opaque object coming into contact with the machine while that machine is operating. The system comprises a SYSTEM microcontroller and a WATCHDOG microcontroller, both of which operate an output control device of the light curtain switch of the invention, wherein the output control device comprises a plurality of electromechanical relays. Both microcontrollers also perform system hardware and software integrity checks. Furthermore, the WATCHDOG microcontroller evaluates the performance of the SYSTEM microcontroller by transmitting a false intrusion signal to a photosource, determining whether the false signal has been detected, and then verifying that the SYSTEM microcontroller has initiated the machine-stopping sequence.

Abstract: A computer aided routing system (CARS) determines a travel route between a user selected travel origin and travel destination following user selected waypoints along the way. A CARS database incorporates travel information selected from a range of multimedia sources about the transportation routes, waypoints, and geographically locatable points of interest (POIs) selected by the user along the travel route. The CARS software permits user selection of specified POI types within a user defined region of interest and user selection of particular POIs from the selected types within the region of interest. The transportation routes, waypoints, POIs and region of interest are identified in the computer by coordinate locations of a selected geographical coordinate system. The CARS software is constructed to present a user customized travelog for preview on the computer display of the user defined travel route.

Abstract: A remotely-controlled system for the operation of the gas and brake pedals of a vehicle wherein a limited physical input is translated into desired vehicle acceleration and braking. A single joystick lever is linked electronically to mechanical components connected to the gas and brake pedals so as to operate those pedals in a fly-by-wire manner. The joystick lever is optionally tied to a feedback mechanism that permits the driver to adjust the resistance felt upon movement of the lever. In that way, the feel for the vehicle's operation can be experienced more readily. The control system of the present invention permits able-bodied operation of the vehicle without any interference.

Abstract: A laminating apparatus is disclosed which is particularly suited to mount holograms on plastic cards. The apparatus comprises a planar support supporting the work pieces to be laminated. A press stamp has a shape of a sector of a circular cylinder wall and is driven by means of a special gear to perform a hobbing motion along the to-be-laminated area.

Abstract: An ESD protection circuit for a BICMOS IC device protects NMOS transistors (Q2) of internal CMOS gates (G2) from ESD events at a high potential power rail (VCC). Specifically the ESD protection circuit protects NMOS pulldown transistors coupled between a pullup bipolar emitter follower transistor (Q5) and the low potential power rail (GND). A PMOS current control transistor (QPESD) is coupled with primary current path between the high potential power rail (VCC) and the bipolar emitter follower transistor (Q5) for controlling current flow through the emitter follower transistor. An RC time constant circuit (R10,C1) is coupled between the high potential power rail (VCC) and low potential power rail (GND). The RC time constant circuit is constructed with a time constant for following power up events but not for following the faster ESD events at the high potential power rail.

Abstract: Volume of a working liquid in a sensing chamber is measured via a first mechanical resonance frequency. A second resonance may be measured to discriminate interacting volume and density effects, yielding corrected volume, density, and liquid mass. A probability of bubbles present in the liquid is indicated by an abnormal combination of first and second resonances. Determination of a frequency and an associated phase angle near a resonance may be used to discriminate interacting volume and viscosity effects, yielding corrected volume and viscosity. One boundary of the sensing chamber is a deformable plate, which may be rippled to increase the range of linear volumetric compliance. A second boundary paralleling the plate captures a thin variable-thickness fluid layer. Vibrations in the plate cause amplified fluid vibrations parallel to the plate surface, causing a high, thickness-sensitive fluid inertia that lowers plate resonance frequencies in a volume-sensitive manner.

Abstract: An enhanced bipolar-transistor apparatus for protecting electronic devices from electrostatic discharge damage. The apparatus is built around a bipolar transistor coupled between a power rail and the circuit to be protected. The protection is based on the high-current-capacity path through the bipolar transistor which is opened up either by collector-to-emitter punch-through in the bipolar transistor or by the bipolar transistor going into normal conduction upon being turned on by a switch coupled to the base of the bipolar transistor. In the preferred embodiment the switch is a MOS transistor that is designed to undergo source-to-drain breakdown at a fixed threshold voltage, whereupon it activates the bipolar transistor which in turn discharges the overvoltage.

Abstract: A digital-to-analog conversion device that has one or more conversion cells, each cell coupled to a master voltage source and to a specific binary input element. The conversion cells include binary-weighted or binary-sized output transistors such that each output transistor, when called upon, delivers a unique analog output current corresponding to a particular binary signal. The master potential provided by a stable source is supplied to the control nodes of the output transistors so that the potential at those control nodes remains constant. Switching on and off of the output transistors is achieved by regulating the sources of those transistors rather than their gates. By regulating the operation of the output transistors at their sources, the present invention provides a digital-to-analog converter and a conversion method with little switching noise and minimal switching delay.

Abstract: A chimney flue cleaning apparatus that involves use of a rotating chain suspended from the outlet of the chimney and depending to the bottom of the chimney through which means is provided for the attachment of an ordinary drill tool to the chain through use of a flexible cable extension with a detachable connection for the lower end of the chain. At times when the cleaning is to be done the electric drill is connected into its clamp coupling to the end of the cable extension that is journaled in the chimney wall so that high rotation is given to the chain to extend chain element from the rotating chain that will with whipping washing action engage the inner surface of the chimney to remove hardened soot therefrom.