Abstract: A movement indicator assembly kit for use with a flexible fishing rod. Light from a light-emitting diode (LED) located adjacent to the inner end of the fishing rod is transmitted by at least one length of optical fiber to a reflector cap at the tip of the rod. In conditions of low visibility (nighttime, dusk or dawn), when a fish bites the light emitted by the reflector cap at the tip of the rod moves about and signals that the bite has occurred. A fishing rod with the movement indicator installed is also disclosed.

Abstract: A bobbin basket for use with a rotary loop-taker in a lock-stitch sewing machine is disclosed. The basket is integrally formed of plastic, with damage resistant members for reducing wear and impact damage at specified locations. The extent of each such location may be only a small fraction of the potential area of wear and damage. Inserts are disclosed for the needle thread stop, the needle thread pick-up notch, the upstream side wall of a rotation-restraining notch, the bearing rib, and the downstream side wall of the rotation-restraining notch.

Abstract: A lubricant pump that includes a pneumatic piston motor operated by compressed air, and is equipped with a control device that utilizes a slide valve mounted for reciprocal axial movement on the piston rod. A radially acting spring locking mechanism includes two index grooves spaced from each other axially along the piston rod, separated by the same predetermined distance that separates a first air inlet position and a second air inlet position of the piston slide valve. A helical compression spring is contained in a cavity within the piston slide valve. Axial movement of the reciprocating piston rod in one direction compresses the spring and releases the locking mechanism, whereupon the compressed spring immediately expands and moves the slide valve from one of its air inlet positions to the other of those positions.

Abstract: A hand tool, and method of using the same, for installing roof gutters on a residence or other building. The tool may be used to position the gutter temporarily against the building wall as the tool is held in one of the user's hands, without any attachment of the gutter or the tool to the building being necessary. The user may use his other hand to hold a hammer to strike the free end of a nail-driving piston--which is held and guided, together with a nail, by the tool--to drive the nail through the rear wall of the gutter and/or the rear portion of the associated hanger, and then into the building wall. The tool may then be freely and immediately moved away from the gutter.

Abstract: A gas/liquid heat and/or mass exchanger including a chamber to hold the liquid, the bottom wall of the chamber defining at least one outlet orifice. A plurality of thin guide filaments descends from the orifice or orifices, and at least one thin, falling film of liquid flows down the filaments. The guide filaments are preferably substantially straight and under longitudinal tension. They may be either vertically oriented or tilted, and each one may be either a monofilament of multiple filament. An array of guide filaments may descend from each outlet orifice, and all such arrays may be parallel. A preferred form of the method of forming each outlet orifice is disclosed. A non-fouling nozzle for controlling the flow of liquid is disclosed as a subcombination.

Abstract: A composite rotary loop taker which includes a loop seizing point mounted on a substantially annular frame, for use in a lock-stitch sewing machine. The loop seizing point forms a smoothly curved junction with the leading edge of a crosswise member between the opposite sides of a rotatably mounted substantially annular frame, said smoothly curved junction adapted to receive a thread loop and expand the loop over a stationary bobbin basket to form a lock stitch. Preferably, the loop seizing point, downwardly extending lug toward the smoothly curved junction and an inwardly extending foot therefrom are metal, together with a crosswise reinforcing member and a partially circumferential supporting wall on the opposite side of the annular frame.

Abstract: A grip guide for a tennis racquet handle that positions the player's hand in the proper position on the racquet handle, primarily for hitting Eastern backhand shots but also for various other shots if desired. The device extends, when secured to the racquet handle, across the left bevel of the handle and at least a part of the top surface of the handle. It has a nonplanar bottom shaped to provide a reliable, non-skid gripping contact with at least two planar surfaces of the racquet handle. It has a side wall cross section in the approximate shape of a rounded "V" with its open end facing away from the free end of the racquet handle, one arm of the rounded "V" extending circumferentially along the left bevel of the handle a substantial distance away from the other arm in a direction generally opposite the direction in which the other arm extends. The arm of the rounded "V" that extends along the top surface of the racquet handle is preferably the longer arm.

Abstract: A combination serving tray, bed tray and bathtub tray. A "U-shaped" leg is hinged at each end of an elongated tray, to swing from a closed position underneath the tray frame down into a generally upright position. In this position, the legs hold the tray a predetermined height above the surface on which the legs are supported. A cammed latch is provided beneath the bottom surface of the tray, positioned to engage the resiliently bendable bight portion of each "U"-shaped leg when the leg is swung up from its open position to its closed position. Handles are provided at each end of the tray, slidably engaged with the tray frame and movable outward a predetermined maximum distance but no farther. In its preferred form, the cammed latch includes a spherical body that engages the resiliently bendable bight portions of the "U"-shaped legs to hold them in their closed positions.

Abstract: An air lift diffuser for use in the aeration of a body of water including an air lift tube and a gas diffuser located a distance below the open bottom end of the air lift tube. The distance in question is sufficiently large that there is substantially no obstruction to the passage of water from the space surrounding the air lift diffuser into the space between the air lift tube and the diffuser, but at the same time is not so large that rising air bubbles are likely to escape and flow outside the air lift tube. In one embodiment, a cylindrical return tube is provided around the air lift tube that directs the water stream and gas bubbles entrained therein downward, after they have risen in the air lift tube, so as to return the aerated water to the lower levels of the body of water being aerated.

Abstract: A plastic welder that can be held and operated with only one hand. The supply rod or filler rod can be advanced into and through the heating tip of the welder by a trigger that can be actuated by the user with the same hand in which the grip of the plastic welder is held. No air assist is required, as a device is provided for reliably avoiding overheating of the plastic welder by intermittently interrupting the electrical current feeding the heating element at times automatically determined by a temperature setting selected by the user. The heating tip is formed of a major portion of steel infiltrated with a minor portion of copper. The temperature of the heating element with the welder in inoperative condition is maintained at a predetermined level above the temperature of the heating tip when the welder is operative and in use.

Abstract: A storage system and a connector for use in the system. A shelf may be supported on a plurality of hangers or brackets, each of which has a horizontal shelf-supporting arm and a vertical arm. The hangers are connected to a plurality of upright posts, each of which posts defines at least one chevron-shaped or "Z"-shaped slot to receive a downwardly extending hook that is fixedly secured to the vertical arm of the hanger. Other shapes may be used for the hook-receiving slots, so long as one elongated arm of the slot slants upward and one downward, and the hook carried by the hanger slants downward in a direction 180.degree. to the direction in which the upward elongated slot slants upward, while the lower elongated slot slants downward in a direction other than 180.degree. to the direction the upper slot slants upward. An outwardly facing panel defining a plurality of hook-receiving two-armed slots, generally similar to a conventional peg board, may also be used.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing polluted clinging water from ice. The dirty ice pieces are introduced at the bottom of a column of water and are rinsed by progressively cleaner water as the ice pieces float to the surface.

Abstract: A horizontal lock-stitch bobbin basket includes a cylindrical side wall, a laterally extending flange formed at the top of the side wall, and a rotation restraining notch formed in the top face of the flange. An elongated bore is defined by the side wall adjacent the restraining notch to provide for needle clearance. The bobbin basket is made of plastic and includes a needle guarding member the (1) protects the area of the bobbin basket adjacent to the bore from being accidentally damaged by the needle of a sewing machine, and (2) deflects the needle into the elongated bore.

Abstract: A collapsible clothes drying rack that operates on the "lazy tong" principle has four extended upper amrs supporting two opposed, parallel rods that are spaced apart approximately twice as far as the two upper, outside rods are spaced in a conventional collapsible clothes dryer. A mesh support member is provided with means at opposite ends thereof for attaching the mesh member to the parallel, spaced apart rods at the top of the four extended arms of the collapsible clothes drying rack, for use, among other things, in the drying of seaters. The collapsible rack includes a pair of foldable and extendable lazy tong linkages with a plurality of clothes supporting rods extending between and pivotally secured to the lazy tong linkages. Wooden clothes supporting rods sheathed in plastic are secured to the folding arms of the lazy tong linkages.

Abstract: A structure for joining thermoelectric and heat exchange elements in series so that the combination can be operated as a heat pump, at an elevated voltage with high efficiency when transporting high heat flux levels across very small temperature differences.

Abstract: A regulating A.C. power controller regulates the selected levels of power to be applied to a plurality of loads by producing a digital signal directly from the A.C. voltage with a pulse duration representative of load power which can be applied as an input to the microprocessor without the need for prior analogue to digital conversion. The load power level is displayed in terms of percentage of power source. Remote control units, such as a computer, can be connected with the power controller to program it for power level settings and warm up time.

Abstract: An apparatus for growing free-floating, buoyant crystals to a predetermined size. Crystals having a positive buoyancy such as water crystals (ice) grow due to immersion in a stream of supercooled feed water that flows downward in a tapered incubation duct with a velocity that decreases as the cross-sectional area of the duct increases with increased depth. As the crystals grow, their terminal buoyant velocity increases until it exceeds the peak stream velocity. At this time the crystals float upward and out of the apparatus. A plurality of interconnected incubation ducts may be stacked vertically one above the other. The apparatus may be combined with apparatus to grow free-floating crystals having a negative buoyancy from a supersaturated salt solution that is discharged from the bottom of the apparatus for growing crystals having a positive buoyancy.

Abstract: A pipe scraping tool for cleaning scale and other deposits from the exterior surfaces of pipes. The tool includes a plurality of inverted "U"-shaped scraper members each of which is carried by one of a series of interconnected hinged links, each link (preferably rectangular in shape) having a straight edge at each end thereof. These straight edges and the type of links used avoid excessive lateral movement of the links. The inverted "U"-shape of the scraper members provides relatively closely spaced cutting edges. The substantial length of the legs of the inverted "U"s helps avoid clogging of the tool by providing substantial exit spaces, for scale and other debris removed from the pipe exterior surfaces, between the cutting edges and the structure supporting those cutting edges, as well as between the cutting edges and the hinges that interconnect the links that carry the scraper members.