Abstract: An improved manhole service vehicle having an enclosed working space and an opening in its floor sized at least as large as a work man to permit him to service a manhole while the service vehicle shelters both the workman and the manhole. A laterally movable platform having a work opening is located over the floor opening to permit the final alignment of the work opening with the manhole after a metal detector located in a lid placed in the work opening permits the initial positioning of the service vehicle and the work opening over the manhole. A safety liner extending from the work opening into the manhole and a breakaway frame surrounding the floor opening help to ensure the safety of the workman should the service vehicle be hit by another vehicle. A side mounted hoist support within the vehicle permits placement of the safety liner into and out of the floor opening. Leveling jacks operable from within the service vehicle ensure the stability of the service vehicle once in position.

Abstract: A fast warmup, high capacity, no splash, self-cleaning humidifier for a proof box. The device has an aluminum steam generating heater pan including at least one electrical heating element cast into its base. A reservoir and a float controlled valve attached to the heater pan by a dog leg conduit keeps the level of water in the heater pan at a depth of about one-half inch. The heater pan is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis, and a drip pan is located beneath the heater pan. For cleaning of accumulated minerals, scale and the like from the heater pan, the heater pan is allowed to heat to over 212.degree. F. while dry. Cooler water from the reservoir is then suddenly added to the hot, dry heater pan resulting in the removal of said accumulated minerals, scale and the like from the heater pan due to thermal shock and the vigorous boiling of the added water. The contents of the heater pan are then dumped into the drip pan by rotating the heater pan about said horizontal axis.

Abstract: A storeroom bin marker which includes a base member having indicia thereon, and a rotatable view blocking member which can be selectively rotated to cover some, all, or none of the indicia, to thereby indicate the supply or reorder status of a stocked item. The base member has front and top panels at right angles with respect to each other, and is designed to fit over the front and top edges of a storage shelf. The bin marker has mounting holes in its front and top panels which can be used, with an elastic cord member, to secure the bin marker to wire shelves; or which can be used with screws to secure the bin marker to a solid shelf. Alternatively, the bin marker can be adhesively mounted to solid shelves. The front panel of the bin marker is provided with a pair of parallel, spaced apart bin label retainers for releasably holding a replaceable bin label.

Abstract: An alignment system with a variable reactance element is provided for detection of the angular alignment of two variably positionable members. The variable reactance elements form two oppositely varying impedances. A preferred embodiment of the variable reactance element consists of a pair of inductive coils mounted on a core element which forms a flux path for each coil. The core has an integral, deflectable central member which forms a common flux path for both coils. Air gaps within the flux path of each coil are located on either side of a central member of the core. Another variable reactance consists of a first inductive coil having a fixed core element forming a partial flux path for the inductive coil and a movable core element positionable relative to the fixed core element with air gaps between the core elements. A second inductive coil having a similar associated core element from the first coil element.

Abstract: A check valve assembly adapted for connection to a high pressure reciprocating pump cylinder, comprising valve body means, inlet check valve means and outlet check valve means. The valve body means has an inlet end adapted for connection to the pump cylinder and an outlet end adapted for connection to a high pressure outlet line. The inlet end has a planar surface adapted to be exposed to the interior of the pump cylinder. The valve body means also includes a low pressure inlet passage opening in the planar surface for providing communication with a source of low pressure fluid and a high pressure outlet passage extending between the planar surface and the outlet end. Such passages are parallel to one another and spaced apart a distance at least as great as the radius of the high pressure outlet passage. The inlet check valve means is mounted entirely on the exposed planar surface in association with the inlet passage and prevents high pressure fluid backflow into the inlet passage.

Abstract: A multiple use container is made by modifications to a tapered wall, plastic, utility bucket and its associated lid. The parts may alternatively be specifically manufactured for the container. The utility bucket from which the container is made is of the type having reinforcing ribs about its upper sidewall. The bucket lid has a groove on its upper surface and a pair of concentric grooves on its lower surface. The bucket is cut along two horizontal lines to form a ring structure which may be split; an open top container; and a reinforcing ring which is inverted and placed around the upper edge of the open top container. The bucket lid is inverted with the upper edge of the open top container received in the single groove on what was the top of the bucket lid. Holes are placed in the lid. The ring structure is inverted and its rim is inserted in the outer concentric groove of the lid.

Abstract: A precision, very low flow rate, lubricant metering apparatus and method for metering lubricant to a tool and workpiece while various machining operations are performed by the tool on the workpiece. The apparatus has a pneumatic air logic unit which delivers a stream of air pulses to a pneumatically driven positive displacement, precision lubricant injector pump at a selectively variable rate. In response to each air pulse delivered to it, the injector pump delivers a selectively variable amount of lubricant to a lubricant delivery line by which the lubricant can be conveyed to the tool and workpiece. When the apparatus is used with a machine tool powered by an air driven motor, an air flow sensing valve is provided which automatically delivers compressed air to the air logic unit only when the air driven motor is consuming compressed air.

Abstract: A prefabricated steel frame building structural system which is assembled with nuts and bolts and required no shop welding or site fabrication. The columns and beams in the building are fabricated from lengths of very high strength, light gauge, stiffened C-channel steel stock. Uniquely designed haunch plates and haunch plate stiffener angles are used for column-beam connections and novel ridge plates and ridge plate stiffener angles are used for beam-beam connections to form the two hinged end wall and intermediate frames for the building. Also used are novel corner girt clips for securing the girts to the corner columns; rake purlin angles for securing purlins to the rake beams; and purlin girt clips for securing purlins to the intermediate beams and for securing girts to the intermediate columns. Each of the mentioned components are designed so that they may be used interchangeably at both the left and right sides of the building, there being no specially designed left and right said components.

Abstract: A lathekin for use in stain glass window construction and the like has a handle with a blade attached to one end. The blade has a main convex edge which is doubly beveled. Spaced along the edge are two pairs of transverse projections. The transverse projections each have a tapered leading edge and a tapered trailing edge on either side of a peak. The peak extends from the edge of the blade inwardly to at least the depth of the channel of the came used in stained glass panel construction. The blade has a trailing edge which is also doubly beveled and which extends from a substantially normal intersection with the main blade edge to form a concave curve with the handle. On the opposite side of the handle is a concave upper edge which intersects with the main blade edge to form a point. A second blade is transversely mounted on the opposite end of the handle.

Abstract: A water meter wrench adapted to loosen or tighten the meter's box ring or its equivalent while the meter is in its installed location - usually below the ground in a meter box. The wrench comprises a tubular main stem having a torque stabilizing bar attached to its upper end and a pair of water meter engaging forks attached to a support at its lower end, the distance between the forks being selectively adjustable. Within the tubular main stem is carried a socket drive shaft having a head at its upper end and a box ring engager at its lower end. In use, the box ring is engaged by the engager, the separation between the water meter forks is adjusted for the size of the meter, and the forks are engaged with the inlet and outlet portions of the meter. Next, the socket drive shaft is torqued in the desired direction, as with a socket or torque wrench, the drive shaft in turn torquing the box ring engager and hence the box ring.

Abstract: A lightweight, modular chimney heat economizer adapted to replace a portion of the chimney for a combustion heat source in a building. The economizer includes a plurality of flue tubes having their ends welded to a pair of spaced apart tube sheets. Connected between the tube sheets and surrounding the flue tubes are inner and outer casings between which are sandwiched a layer of nonflammable insulation. The upper and lower tube sheets include outwardly extending flanges adapted to enable the economizer to be removeably secured in place so it may be easily installed and easily removed for maintenance and repair. The casings are provided with expansion joints. The top ends of the flue tubes may be flush with or recessed from the top surface of the upper tube sheet, and an upwardly projecting flange may surround the upper ends of the flue tubes to encourage condensed products from the combustion gases to drain into the flue pipes where they may be disposed of.

Abstract: An alignment system with a variable reactance element is provided for detection of the angular alignment of two variably positionable members. The variable reactance elements form two oppositely varying impedances. A preferred embodiment of the variable reactance element consists of a pair of inductive coils mounted on a core element which forms a flux path for each coil. The core has an integral, deflectable central member which forms a common flux path for both coils. Air gaps within the flux path of each coil are located on either side of the central member of the core. Another variable reactance consists of a first inductive coil having a fixed core element forming a partial flux path for the inductive coil and a movable core element positionable relative to the fixed core element with air gaps between the core elements. A second inductive coil having a similar associated core element is placed opposite the movable core element from the first coil element.

Abstract: A stored heat cooking utensil is provided which consists of an outer container, a cooking vessel, a heat storage element, a lid for enclosing the outer container and cooking vessel, a handle for manipulating the cooking vessel and the heat storage element, and a container handle which serves as a carrying handle for the cooking utensil and a lid securing device. The outer container consists of an insulated container having a tapered interior metal lining with an upwardly directed projection in the bottom. Projecting ears are provided on opposite sides of the container for attachment of the container handle in the form of a rope. The heat storage element is a disk of soapstone having a metal band around its exterior perimeter having its side perpendicular to the stone's top and bottom. The cooking vessel is a metal container having tapered sides. It has a pair of slots in its walls. A projecting rib extends around the perimeter of the vessel bottom. The upper rim has a projecting rolled edge.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for locking a grate or the like to its receiving frame to make difficult the removal of the grate by an unauthorized person utilizing a makeshift tool. The locking device has a spring loaded latching pin carried by supports secured to the grate. The shoulders provided by either a necked portion of the latching pin or by a flange on the latching pin serve to prevent the unlatching of the latching pin against the biasing of the spring by the use of a makeshift tool. In some embodiments the shoulders are inclined at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the latching pin to encourage the slippage of a makeshift tool off from said shoulders to thereby prevent the unlatching of the pin by an unauthorized person using a makeshift tool. In some embodiments, the unlatching hole in the grate is offset from the locking device to prevent the inspection of the locking device by an unauthorized person seeking to discover the manner of operation of the locking device.