Abstract: Methods for making a storage package having a breaching bubble(s) opening mechanism are described.

Abstract: A close-fitting, compression garment is described for providing adjustable compressive force over a surgical site in the dorsocervical region of the human body below the neck, above and between the shoulder blades of the upper back. The vest body portion of the invented garment has graduated or increasing elasticity encircling the upper torso and shoulder region of the body. Wide adjustable elastic pressure bands pressure anchored at the dorsocervical apex at the back of the vest stretch over the shoulders of the patient and adjustably anchored to anchor strips secured to the front chest surface of the vest for establishing compression over a surgical site in the dorsocervical region during recovery as needed both for rehabilitation and comfort.

Abstract: A magnetically coupled pressure display system particularly adapted for pneumatic tires of motor vehicles includes pressure transducer coupled for rotating a magnet field source within the tire and an external magneto-optical liquid crystal display attached to or integrally incorporated into the exterior sidewall of the tire for visually indicating pressure within the tire responsive to the orientation of the magnetic field source within the tire. The external display exploits the magneto-optical effects of liquid crystals and can be conformally and permanently attached to the outer tire sidewall surface. Elements (pixels) comprising the display have selective light polarization properties globally determined by direction (orientation) of the magnetic field each experiences, the primary component of which is that provided by the magnetic field source rotated by the pressure transducer within the vehicle tire.

Abstract: A projection illumination fixture includes luminescent light tubes lined with an emulsion coating of titanium dioxide and phosphors for producing an appropriate mixture of highly scattered red, blue and green wavelengths of sustained luminescent light emission, a reflector housing for reflecting scattered rays of emitted luminescent light toward an aperture, a catadioptric lens for collecting and redirecting luminescent light rays reaching the aperture into and through a light snoot or barrel and a large area projection (magnifying) Fresnel lens at the end of the light snoot or barrel for directing and spreading the emitted light to fill an illumination field with directional divergent light ideal for dimensionally ‘painting’ talent and objects positioned and moving within the illumination field.

Abstract: A lanyard, tether or leash is secured to a PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANT device (PDA) by a tether latch receiving and positively latching onto a “plug-in” or docking base of typical PDA. The body of the tether latch defines a socket with a mating curvilinear circumferential lip for snugly receiving the PDA docking base with a stationary catch nib being received in a latch notch on one side of the PDA docking base. A toggle coupled to the latch body manually translates carrying a catch nib into and out of the corresponding latch notch on the opposite side of the PDA docking base. A spring compressed between the latch housing and the toggle positively biases the latch ‘normally latched.’ A tether, lanyard, leash strap or cord is fastened between a tether hole through a tab on the latch body and the neck, the wrist; belt or clothing of a user to prevent the PDA from striking ground when fumbled or inadvertently dropped by the user.

Abstract: A real time fingerprint verification system includes a recording device and a verification device each having a fingerprint scanner for generating a flat, dimensionally undistorted, high contrast, fingerprint image, and an intensity sensitive, spatial light modulator (SLM) for receiving and transforming the flat fingerprint image into a planar, coherent light image. In the recording device, the planar coherent light image beam of the fingerprint from the SLM is Fourier transformed, and input into a microscope objective lens system which expands the Fourier transformed beam image sufficiently to allow mechanical blocking of its central portion or order, whereupon it is directed to interact as an object beam with a reference beam from the particular coherent light source to record a holographic matched filter.

Abstract: A retail display and inventory storage stand for shirts and similar apparel includes a plurality of removable swinging display panels each including one or two internal torso frames over which a shirt or garment may pulled or fastened for displaying expression/designs appearing on the front and back of the garment, each internal torso frame being pivotally secured at its base to the bottom of the display panel for limited rotation within and perpendicularly relative to the plane of the display panel and having a top necked section extending upward adapted for capture by and fastening to the top of the display panel.

Abstract: Computer input peripherals such as keyboards, mouse pointers, mouse pads, wrist rests and the like are described which include an internal or external source of thermal energy for radiantly, conductively and/or convectively keeping a computer user's hands and fingers warm and comfortable in cold environments.

Abstract: A luminaire for luminescent light sources includes: (i) an extruded tubular `U`-shaped housing having a longitudinal external male dovetail shoulder on one side, a longitudinal external female dovetail channel on its other side, a longitudinal external female dovetail channel on the bottom, two terminating longitudinal `C`-channel tracks one along the edge of each side leg, and two diametrically opposing interior longitudinal `C`-channels; (ii) a mounting plate secured by screws received within the internal `C`-channels at each end of the housing; (iii) electrical power mounting sockets secured to the end plates; (iv) luminescent light tubes mounted in the sockets extending longitudinally within the housing; (v) a reflector surface curling around the luminescent light tubes within the housing; (vi) retractable endcaps resiliently secured by spring biased screws to each endplate closing each end of the housing; and a longitudinal curved transparent lens element having beaded side edges shaped for capture by an

Abstract: A golf course distance marker suited for anchoring in grassy turf includes a cap, an integral hole stop shoulder, a circumferential blade depending from the outside periphery of the shoulder, and a central anchor stem. Distance data is indicated preferably on one or more, removable, colored coded tabs or colored strips sandwiched between the marker cap and a transparent, removable tabs which snap into and anchor within a pair of slots through the top surface of the cap. The circumferential blade extends downward around the periphery of the marker, so that rotation of the marker rotates the blade to cut into the grassy turf at the location being marked. The anchor stem extends coaxially downward below the circumferential blade to insure axial rotation of the marker as the blade cuts into the turf.

Abstract: A fingerprint sensor having a holographic phase grating glued on one right angle surface of a prism is described where a light source oriented normally relative to the hypotenuse surface of the prism illuminates an interface of the grating and finger surface. Incident light rays are refracted and absorbed where ridges of the finger surface contact the grating surface, whereas light rays are totally internally reflected in areas between and pores in finger surface ridges not in contact the grating surface. The reflected light rays, diffracted by the holographic phase grating, propagate normally (.perp.) back into the right angle prism where they are reflected normally (.perp.) out the remaining right angle surface of the prism by a second total internal reflection at the internal hypotenuse surface of the prism. The reflected light rays emerging from the sensor contain high contrast, detailed images of the ridges and valleys of the finger surface including pores in the ridges, i.e.

Abstract: A system for loading toner into a large capacity printer and copier machines includes a base adapter with a swiveling filler snout for receiving and latching onto a spout of a large toner container. The axis of filler snout is oriented at angle .PHI. with respect to its swivel axis which in turn is tilted at angle .PHI. with respect to the vertical. Accordingly, the filler swivels between a retracted stow position where the filler snout extends vertically over the base adapter and an extended position where the snout tilts at angle 2.PHI. from the vertical for receiving and latching onto the spout of the toner container. The spout of the toner container and the mouth of the filler snout have mating surfaces facilitating latching of the container spout within the snout.

Abstract: A hydraulic machine for shearing leads, connectors and other components from printed circuit (PC) boards includes a frame supporting (i) a carriage slideable on inclined parallel rails carrying a shear blade, (ii) a jacking platform providing a flat surface parallel the rails moveable perpendicularly, (iii) an anvil located beyond lower end of the rails having a planer face with a horizontal notch for capturing an edge of and supporting a PC board laid flatly on the jacking platform, and (iv) a plurality of normally retracted, pneumatically energized, clamping pistons translatable perpendicularly toward the jacking platform securing the PC board against the jacking platform preventing it from bending and buckling as the shear blade carried by the sliding carriage chisels components from the board's surface. The sliding carriage and the jacking platform are hydraulically reciprocated within the frame respectively by separate hydraulic circulation loops supplied from a common pump source.

Abstract: A split stop is described having a top member with a mating surface with two parallel half cylinder channels with lands defining an alignment slot between the channels which seats on base member with a complementary mating surface defining two parallel half cylinder channels but with a central alignment rail aligned between the channels and extending perpendicularly from one side. The mated surfaces of the top and base members define a cylindrical rope channel, and a cylindrical beaded tape channel with a longitudinally communicating gap. The alignment rail extending perpendicularly from the side of the base member is dimensioned for insertion into a rectangular space between the respective "C" and rope channels of typical pool cover track to assure alignment of the rope and beaded tape channels of the split stop with the corresponding rope and "C" channels of the track.

Abstract: A three element pivot bearing for wood frame wall bed systems includes a spindle having an anchoring tang at one end perpendicular to its axis and two cylindrical bearing bushings each with an annular collar at one end journaled around the spindle with the annular collars facing each other. One bearing bushing is received in a hole drilled into/through a wood side frame of a mattress pallet for a wall bed with its annular collar facing out. The other bearing bushing extends into a hole drilled into-through a wood vertical side support of the wall bed with its annular collar facing in. The spindle extends through either the wood side frame of the mattress pallet or wood vertical side support of the wall bed into the respective bearing bushings with its anchoring tang secured to either of the side frame of the mattress pallet or vertical side support.

Abstract: A luminescent fixture for providing sustained illumination suitable for television, video and film production includes a plurality of parallel mercury vapor luminescent lamp tubes aligned in close proximity in a common plane bisecting an acute concave angle defined by high reflectivity facing surfaces of a pair of longitudinal reflector panels. A plurality of separate electronic ballasts located at the base of the extending reflector panels provide a plurality of unsynchronized electrical current pulse trains each for exciting pulsed ultraviolet light emissions from Hg vapor within a particular set of lamp tubes at a rate sufficient to excite/stimulate sustained luminescent light emission from the phosphors in the emulsion coating lining the interior of the light tubes, i.e.

Abstract: A hydraulic drive system is described for automatic swimming pool cover systems in which a first hydraulic drive provides torque for both resisting cover drum rotation during cover extension across the pool and rotating the cover drum for cover retraction, while a separate second hydraulic drive provides torque for both rotating the cable reels for cover extension and resisting cable reel rotation during cover retraction.

Abstract: A high strength, low friction, corrosion free block for marine environments includes a fixed or swivel head, shackle and a ground and polished axle all composed of 17-4 ph stainless steel sandwiched between titanium/titanium alloy side cheeks. One or more aluminum sheaves each having a filament wound epoxy glass radial bushing with a Teflon liner are journaled around the axle. Oven cured Teflon filled thrust washers bonded to the sides of the sheave(s) turn against polished inner surfaces of the side cheeks. The blocks may include titanium/titanium alloy straps exterior the side cheeks supporting the axle to provide increased functional load bearing capacities ranging up to and exceeding 50,000 lbs.