Abstract: Structure for and method of driving a motor vehicle including one or more curvilinear drive shafts including a multistrand flexible cable providing primary two wheel drive or permanent or selectively actuable four wheel drive with front or rear mounted power packs oriented North/South or East/West. Torque limiters and clutches are provided between the power pack, drive shafts and wheels and may be selectively actuated in desired sequence. The torque limiters provide torque differentiation between vehicle wheels rather than rotational differentiation and may be utilized for this feature with rigid drive shafts. In different embodiments of the invention, the rear wheels may be driven directly from two separate front to rear drive shafts which may cross each other and the transverse drive shaft may be eliminated. Also, a single curvilinear drive shaft extending over, under or through a vehicle gas tank may be provided between a vehicle power pack and a pinion, ring gear and differential rear axle assembly.

Abstract: Powered rotary scalpel structure including a circular scalpel blade secured at one end of a blade support arm connected to a handle having a drive motor secured to the other end thereof and means extending through the handle and the blade support arm for rotating the circular scalpel blade on energization of the motor. The automatic rotary scalpel includes structure for releaseably securing the blade support arm to the handle and a remote switch for connecting the motor to an electrical power supply at the back of the handle from an actuating member from the front of the handle as well as an electric light and an electrical circuit which provides for the light always being on when power is supplied to the rotary scalpel. A circular scalpel blade is also disclosed along with blade protection structure, a support stand for the blade support arm and structure for controlling the depth of an incision made by the rotary scalpel structure along with modifications of the powered rotary scalpel structure.

Abstract: Active snubber structure and method for use with an electronic power inverter to reduce turn off losses in electronic switches in the power inverter. The snubber structure includes a resistor and a capacitor connected in series with each other and in parallel with the load on the power inverter and parallel, inverse connected silicon controlled rectifiers connected in parallel with the resistor for selectively shorting the resistor.

Abstract: Light-sensitive switch structure for and method of turning a street light or other load on or off in response to variations in light level. The switch is designed to recognize a specific sequence of daily variations in light level and is capable of switching a load off at a light level lower than that at which the load is switched on. In a preferred embodiment, the switch consists of a photo-sensitive element, two operational amplifiers, a relay with its associated driver circuit, and a number of resistors forming voltage dividers. In accordance with the method of the invention, the photo-sensitive element, together with a resistor, establishes a signal voltage which varies in relation to the light level. Other resistors form voltage dividers which establish reference voltage levels at which desired switching is to occur. The operational amplifiers perform comparisons between the signal voltage and reference voltages and switch accordingly.

Abstract: Structure for connecting two members together, each including spaced apart, oppositely disposed, opposed surfaces having a cross section including a short straight portion adjacent one edge thereof, a longer obliquely extending portion extending from the other edge thereof and merging with an arcuate connecting portion which intersects the shorter straight portion, which surfaces are complementary and arranged to be in engagement with the members assembled. In one modification of the invention, the oblique portion of the surface cross section starts prior to the plane of the short straight line portion of the cross section and crosses it prior to merging with the connecting portion of the cross section.

Abstract: Sorting and orienting structure and method. The structure includes a frame, a hopper supported by the frame, conveyor structure extending vertically through the hopper for feeding work pieces from the hopper onto the sorting and orienting table with random orientation, a drive shaft extending through the hopper mounting the table for rotation, a drive motor connected to the drive shaft for directly driving the drive shaft to rotate the table, and sorting and orienting structure surrounding the table for sorting and orienting the work pieces on rotation of the table by returning work pieces having an undersirable orientation back to the hopper and feeding work pieces having a desired orientation away from the sorting and orienting structure.

Abstract: High frequency resistance spot welding structure and method. In one embodiment, the structure includes dual, mirror image welding transformers, each including a transformer secondary circuit, an endless transformer core, and a transformer primary winding wound around the transformer core. The transformer secondary circuits may be single member, U-shaped transformer secondaries with integral electrode portions. In another embodiment, one of the transformers is replaced by a pair of spaced apart welding electrodes which are connected by a conductor. Means are provided for supplying welding pressure to the transformers to move them with their associated welding electrodes during a weld sequence. A high frequency, electrical welding signal is applied to the transformer primary circuits which are synchronized when two transformers are used so that the welding currents passing through the transformer secondary circuits reinforce each other.

Abstract: Dehumidifier water heater structure and method. The structure includes an outer, air permeable enclosure and a vertical stack positioned centrally thereof, a heat pump circuit including a compressor centrally of the enclosure, a condenser heat exchanger, within and extending axially of the vertical stack, an expansion device connected to the bottom of the condensor heat exchanger and an evaporator coil within the enclosure surrounding the compressor and connected between the compressor and expansion device. A fan for forcing air form the enclosure through the stack, insulation surrounding the condenser heat exchanger and a pump for passing water to be heated through the condenser heat exchanger may also be provided.

Abstract: A truly portable video cassette player comprising only a video cassette detector including video cassette reel structure for receiving a video cassette having a video tape thereon and reeling and unreeling the video tape, audio detection structure including an audio pick up head located adjacent the video cassette reel structure for picking up audio signals from the video tape and providing an output for detected audio signals, and video detection structure including a video pick up head also positioned adjacent the video cassette reel structure for picking up video signals from the video tape and a video detector for receiving a detected video output signal from the video pick up head and providing a video output signal, structure for broadcasting the audio signal including an audio speaker and amplifying structure between the audio detector and audio speaker, video display structure including a video display device which may be either a cathode ray tube or a liquid crystal display, and a video control circu

Abstract: Structure for and a method of resistance welding using an induction coupled power source. The structure of the invention comprises an electric coil wrapped around a flux concentrating core in close proximity to members to be welded together, a source of alternating electrical energy connected through the coil and means for applying pressure between the members to be welded. In accordance with the method of the invention the members to be welded are heated by at least one of an induced current and hysteresis loss and the heated members are then forged together by applying pressure thereon. The weld effected by the method of the invention may be either a spot weld or a continuous weld. Further in accordance with the structure of the invention the flux concentrating core may be on one or both sides of the materials to be welded and may be linear and perpendicular or at an angle to the members to be welded, or may be U-shaped or cup-shaped including a central post around which the coil is wrapped.

Abstract: A compact mobile storage system structure and method. The structure includes a sigle track having rail and guide portions for each row of separate storage units and structure for compensating for drift of the individual storage units including adjusting screws for effecting leveling of the single track or varying the slope of the single track. The structure of the invention further includes annular lubricating members in recesses on each side of rotatably mounted wheels on the individual storage units. The method of the invention includes guiding the individual units of a compact mobile storage system along a single track at one edge of the storage units and compensating for drift of the individual units by adjusting the slope of the single track so that it is opposite the slope of the floor at the opposite edge of the individual storage units.

Abstract: A manual method of making a surgical incision in free tissue including moving a freely rotatable circular scalpel blade across an area of the free tissue at a desired incision depth without pressing the tissue to a mechanical backing member wherein the circular scalpel blade is rotated solely by friction between the blade and the tissue in which the incision is required. The scalpel blade may be pushed or pulled across the area of free tissue, preferably at a speed of between four and seven centimeters per second.

Abstract: A combined golfing umbrella and golf ball retriever structure. In one embodiment golf ball retriever structure telescopes into and out of the handle end of a golfing umbrella. In another embodiment the golf ball retriever structure telescopes into and out of the umbrella screen end of a golfing umbrella.

Abstract: Wire separator structure and method for separating spark plug wires and the like. The structure includes a body member having a plurality of cylindrical openings therethrough including parallel transversely spaced apart axes of generation in the same plane, and a slot extending across the plane and parallel to the cylindrical openings have dovetail portions on both sides of the plane which body member is split in the plane of the axes of the cylindrical openings therethrough to provide separate body parts and a generally X-shaped wedge member positioned within the slot in the body member to hold the parts of the body member together with the wires to be separated within the cylindrical openings in the body member. In the method of the invention, wires to be separated are placed in cylindrical openings in a split body member and the parts of the split body member are secured together by an X-shaped wedge member extending axially of the cylindrical openings into dovetail slots in the body parts.

Abstract: Light-sensitive switch structure for and method of turning a street light, or other load, on or off in response to varying light levels. The switch is designed to recognize the daily variations in light level and is capable of switching a load off at a light level lower than that at which the load is switched on. In a preferred embodiment the switch consists of a photo-sensitive element, two relays with time delay features, and two current limiting resistors to regulate the current flowing through the operating coils of the relays. In other embodiments wherein the values of the circuit components are properly selected one of the resistors regulating the current flowing through the operating coils of the relays may be eliminated. In accordance with the method of the invention one of the relays operates contacts which energize or de-energize the load, while the other relay operates contacts which connect or disconnect the resistors to or from the operating coils of the relays.

Abstract: A building structure comprising a core unit including bathroom and kitchen facilities and a plurality of entrance and exit openings and a plurality of other separate building units having entrance and exit openings therein positioned adjacent the core unit and in communication therewith and with each other through aligned entrance and exit openings, separately constructed at a remote location and secured together in vertically adjusted level position at the building site. The invention further includes the method of constructing the building structure including the steps of constructing the separate core and other building units at a remote location, transporting them to a building site, locating them on foundation structures, vertically adjusting the individual structures and securing them together and subsequently adding additional other separate building units to expand the building structure.

Abstract: A method of and structure for high speed seam welding. The method comprises placing an auxiliary transformer between a three phase source of electrical welding energy and seam welder structure, which auxiliary transformer includes three separate primary windings connected to the separate phases of the source of welding energy, phase controlling the energizing of each separate primary winding and energizing the seam welder from the auxiliary transformer. In one embodiment, the phases of the auxiliary transformer are energized in the order of the phase of the welding energy and a delay of approximately 120.degree. of the welding energy is provided between the energizing of each auxiliary transformer winding. In another embodiment of the invention, the auxiliary transformer primary windings are energized in a first, third, second, welding energy phase order with a delay of 240.degree.

Abstract: Structure for reproducing a copy from an original by driving an original past a light source and light sensors to develop signals in the sensors representative of intelligence on the original which it is desired to copy, driving a copy member past printers in synchronization with the driving of the original and actuating the printers in accordance with the signals sensed by the sensors. The sensors and printers are modular. Amplifiers may be provided between the sensors and the printers, and signals from the sensors may be stored prior to printing in response thereto. The reproduction may be different in size than the original and/or in color.