Abstract: A two-piece edge fastener used to secure two adjoining building panels to a substrate or other supporting structure. One piece is a female fitting, for bonding to the edge of one of the panels, that has an outer portion defining a cavity with a shoulder on one side thereof. The second piece, for bonding to the edge of the other panel, is a male fitting having an outer portion carrying an outwardly extending protuberance whose free end is at least generally complementary to the shape of the cavity, with the outer portion of the male fitting having a shoulder on one side of the protuberance. A fastening flange extends outwardly from one of the fittings, providing a hole for receiving a fastener for attaching the fitting to the substrate or supporting structure. A masking member extends outwardly from the other fitting to conceal the fastener.

Abstract: A wedge connector for securing the horizontal cross beam of a storage rack to the hollow upright posts of the system. Two ear-supporting members extend laterally from an elongated shank, each of which members carries an upwardly extending wedging ear. The wedge connector has a shape and carefully controlled dimensions that make it possible to insert the elongated shank and lower wedging ear into the upper slot of a pair of elongated slots in the upright post of the storage rack. The elongated shank is then swung down within the interior of the hollow post into a position where the lower wedging ear can be moved back out of the lower elongated slot of the pair of slots, so that the wedge connector can then drop directly down into its operative position. In this position portions of the wall of the upright post are embraced by a downwardly opening rectangular notch at the bottom edge of each laterally extending ear-supporting member.

Abstract: A laminated master panel having a predetermined shape and predetermined dimensions, which panel comprises a foam core made up of a plurality of separate, rigid, constituent segments, an original perimeter frame, and at least one interior divider member. Transverse interior divider members may also be included. Through careful positioning of the interior divider member or members, the panel is dividable into a plurality of smaller laminated panels each of which has a predetermined shape and dimensions that are predetermined proportions of the dimensions of the master panel. In addition, the resulting perimeter frame of each subdivided panel has substantially the same thickness, and substantially the same surface characteristics, throughout the extent of its perimeter. The predetermined shapes of the subdivided panels may be any desired shape--rectangular, square, triangular, trapezoidal, a parallelogram, circular, etc.

Abstract: An electrical connector for printed circuit boards having two or more rows of printed terminals along one edge of the board. When the board is inserted in the connector body, the contacts within the connector are prevented from making contact with any printed terminals on the circuit board until the board has reached its operative position within the connector and all the contacts are aligned with the printed terminals they are intended to make contact with. The contacts within the connector are carried by resiliently deformable supports. The working portion of the connector includes a series of four more elements (one of which is a locking means for automatically preventing operation of the actuator unless a printed circuit board is in place in its operative position within the connector body) each of which is affected by the next succeeding element in a defined way during the operation of the device.

Abstract: A fluid diffuser for dispersing gas bubbles or liquid droplets into a body of receiving liquid in a tank. The diffuser includes a fluid-emitting member for communication with the body of receiving liquid, which member defines a fluid plenum. A portion of at least one of the walls of the fluid-emitting member is porous and has a foraminous outer surface, to permit the passage of fluid from the plenum into the body of liquid. A slot-forming chamber has a wall that defines a narrow, elongated slot extending parallel to the foraminous outer surface of the plenum-defining wall of the fluid-emitting member, with the foraminous outer surface lying primarily outside the slot. Fluid supplied under pressure to the plenum flows out through the porous wall portion to produce small nascent fluid spheroids on the foraminous surface of that portion.

Abstract: A wedge connector for securing the horizontal cross beams of a storage rack to the hollow upright posts of the system. Two ear-supporting members extend laterally from an elongated shank, each of which members carries an upwardly extending welding ear. The wedge connector has a shape and carefully controlled dimensions that make it possible to insert the elongated shank and upper wedging ear into the lower slot of a pair of elongated slots in the upright post of the storage rack. The elongated shank is then pivoted up within the interior of the hollow post into a position where the upper wedging ear can be moved back out of the upper elongated slot of the pair of slots, to place the wedge connector in its operative position. The dimensions of the lower wedging ear of the wedge connector are controlled so that the lower ear can not be inserted in the lower elongated slot in the upright post.

Abstract: A design game comprising at least six series of at least six modules each, each of the series being constituted of the same number of modules and all of the modules having the same shape in plan, with the area in plan of the modules of each series progressing in the same way as in every other series, from the smallest to the largest, according to a definite geometric formula. Modules in the shape of a square are specifically disclosed. The modules are used to form various abstract and quasi-representational designs. At least one spacer element may be used as an aid for positioning the modules relative to each other in a desired angular relationship.

Abstract: A plurality of gas diffusers and accompanying piping system which includes lengths of supply pipe for introducing gas into a body of liquid in which the apparatus is submerged. A combination gas diffuser inlet tube and supply pipe drainer stem is incorporated into the piping system between each length of supply pipe and each gas diffuser located above the length of supply pipe. The inlet tube/drainer stem extends downward from the plenum into the supply pipe to a location closely adjacent to, but with at least part of the bottom end of the combination member spaced from, the bottom wall of the supply pipe. As the pipe is pressurized with gas, gas fills the top portion of the pipe and unwanted accumulated liquid is forced down in the supply pipe, up through each drainer stem, and out the porous plate of the associated gas diffuser.

Abstract: An electrical connector for printed circuit boards having two or more rows of printed terminals along one edge of the board. When the board is inserted in the connector body, the contacts within the connector are prevented from making contact with any printed terminals on the circuit board until the board has reached its operative position within the connector and all the contacts are aligned with the printed terminals they are intended to make contact with. The contacts within the connector are carried by resiliently deformable supports. When the board is inserted in the connector it preferably imparts translational movement to a carriage on which actuators are mounted, and the actuators press the deformable supports and their contacts against their associated printed terminals on the printed circuit board. In this way, the board passes through four positions--safe, ready, initial contacting, and final operative positions--after it is inserted in the connector.

Abstract: An electrical connector for printed circuit boards having two or more rows of printed terminals along one edge of the board. When the board is inserted in the connector body, the contacts within the connector are prevented from making contact with any printed terminals on the circuit board until the board has reached its operative position within the connector and all the contacts are aligned with the printed terminals they are intended to make contact with. The contacts within the connector are carried by resiliently deformable supports. The working portion of the connector includes a series of four more elements (one of which is a locking means for automatically preventing operation of the actuator unless a printed circuit board is in place in its operative position within the connector body) each of which is affected by the next succeeding element in a defined way during the operation of the device.

Abstract: A combination shopping cart and stock cart that includes a wheeled chassis providing a carton-carrying platform; a pair of generally vertical upright support posts at the rear of the chassis; an inverted, U-shaped, generally vertical support member the bight of which comprises a horizontal cross support member located forward of the upright support posts; and a generally horizontal side support member on each side of the cart connecting the upright support posts with the outer ends of the bight of the inverted U-shaped support member to provide a side support frame on each side of the cart. A cantilever beam means is pivotally mounted to the two side support frames so as to pivot from a horizontal, operative position to a vertical, out-of-the-way position. In its out-of-the-way position, the cantilever beam means lies substantially entirely outside the vertical space directly above the carton-carrying platform.

Abstract: A rotary loop taker which includes a replaceable loop seizing point mounted on a substantially annular frame, for use in a lock-stitch sewing machine. The loop seizing point has a supporting lug that extends downwardly from immediately behind the base portion of the tapered forward end of the loop seizing point. The supporting lug forms a smoothly curved junction with the base portion of the tapered forward end of the loop seizing point. The rearwardmost position on the smoothly curved junction to which said needle thread loop is pulled by the rotating loop taker lies a first distance from the nearest point on the crack formed by the supporting lug and the wall of the annular frame against which the lug abuts that is sufficient to produce a second distance measured normal to the taut needle thread loop that will avoid snagging the needle thread in the crack just referred to during operation of the sewing machine.

Abstract: A hollow building wall including two wall components comprised of vertical arrays of stacked, integrally formed, hollow building blocks, which arrays are connected by vertically oriented, rigid separator splines that extend continuously from top to bottom of the wall at frequent horizontal intervals along the wall, to securely engage and support the two vertical arrays of building blocks. Each edge of an individual spline is secured in one of a plurality of vertical grooves on the inner surfaces of each wall component. Each building block is attached positively at each end to one or more horizontally adjacent building blocks. The positive attachment of horizontally adjacent building blocks and the separator splines forms in effect a structural "tube" that extends from top to bottom of the wall and is connected positively with other similar "tubes" disposed along the length of the wall.

Abstract: An automatic cleaning gas barbecue grill comprising a main container and a cover, with the interior surfaces of both being coated with a coating that includes an oxidizing catalyst. The grill has valve means for controlling the flow rate of cooking gas, with at least one predetermined rate of flow for the principal cooking mode of operation of the grill and at least one predetermined higher rate of flow for an automatic cleaning mode of operation. The temperature along the interior surfaces of the main container walls and of the cover is maintained, at substantially all points along the surfaces, at a level at least high enough to cause substantially complete oxidation of waste materials that accumulate on the interior surfaces during ordinary use. The tips of flame jets that project from the burner exit ports extend to locations adjacent the main container walls without damaging the coating on the interior surfaces of the walls.

Abstract: A combination nesting stop and stabilizer bracket for use with a shopping cart having a lading-carrying basket of wire construction constructed so that one shopping cart can be telescoped within a cart of similar construction during storage of the carts. The device prevents the basket from being twisted out of shape to force the bottom portion of the hinged rear wall of the basket into the gap on either side between that bottom portion and the side walls of the basket. At the same time, it prevents the bight of the relatively heavy wire U-shaped rear rim element of the basket framework of a first cart from being forced into a gap between the bottom wires of the basket and the horizontally disposed support element at the front of the tubular elevated support frame of a second cart that is telescoped within the first cart.

Abstract: A multi-compartment container for storing and dispensing axial lead components in which the components are oriented at a right angle with respect to the open face of the container. The components are anchored in the compartments by imbedding the component leads in a layer of wax.

Abstract: A shopping cart with a baby seat at the rear of the cart. The front wall of the seat, against which the infant or child leans, has an upright, closed position and an open position. The width of the baby seat front wall is less than the width of the main lading-carrying basket of the shopping cart, so that it can be swung down from its upright, closed position in the forward direction, when desired, to rest on the bottom wall of the basket to increase the capacity of the shopping cart by adding the space enclosed by the side and rear walls of the baby seat. A latch holds the baby seat front wall in its upright, closed position and preferably cooperates with a lost motion hinge at the bottom of the wall, and in its preferred form includes at least one cammed latch member that slides up across a ramp or slide member to (1) move the front wall upward as it approaches its closed position, and then (2) drop the front wall down to seat it in its closed position. The latch can be released by reversing this procedure.