Abstract: A seed boot in the form of a single steel casting is provided. The seed boot comprises a front bracket, seed boot member and rear bracket. The front bracket is adapted to bolt at its upper end to an edge-on cultivator shank and to a sweep at its other end. The rear bracket is adapted to bolt to and support a knife and fertilizer boot.

Abstract: Separate air curtains of low pressure, high flow volume air are discharged onto the leading inking form roller on the feeder side and onto the trailing inking form roller on the delivery side of the plate cylinder to evaporate water entrained with the ink and which has migrated from the printing plate to the inking form rollers as a result of uneven application of water to the plate cylinder. A pair of elongated distribution manifolds are mounted on the press in proximity to the inking form rollers, one manifold directing a curtain of air onto the inking form roller and adjacent vibrator roller on the feeder side, and the other manifold directing a curtain of air onto the inking form roller and adjacent vibrator roller on the delivery side of the plate cylinder.

Abstract: A wagering card game is played with a standard fifty-two card poker deck and a count limit card that is permanently assigned as the third card of the dealer's hand. Each player makes a bet, divides the bet in half and places each half in two separate betting areas on a playing surface. Two cards are dealt face down to each player and to the dealer. The players inspect their cards and keep or trade one or both. If a player trades, he surrenders one-half his total wager. Replacement cards are dealt face down and the dealer collects the surrendered bets. After evaluating his hand, each player then places his cards face up in progressive order into card docks provided on the playing surface. A third card is then dealt face down to each player, but not to the dealer. The dealer's third card is a count limit card or the representation of a count limit card having a predetermined count value (for example 5) that is imprinted on the count limit card or on the playing surface, and is displayed at all times.

Abstract: A spinning disk game is playable on any flat surface, including a table top as well as a prefabricated game board. The disk playing piece may be a coin, token or specially formed disk having a circular edge that permits it to undergo spinning movement about a vertical axis as it is projected across the playing surface. Spinning motion and linear projection of the disk are produced by manually thumping the disk while it is held upright. If a prefabricated playing board is not available, any movable objects such as slips of paper can be used as targets. Multiple targets are grouped in separate rows and the rows are spaced apart to permit a spinning disk to be projected along a target path lying between adjacent targets of one row to a designated target lying in another row.

Abstract: In a snow gun, each of air and water are discharged through V-jet nozzles in the form of generally flat and V-shaped jets or sprays. The nozzles are spacially positioned and angled so that the air jet intersects the water spray along a line of intersection where they are of equal width. This provides efficient atomization of the water with the result that snow can be made at milder freezing temperature. In another aspect, a flanged connection, having dual sealed openings for passage therethrough of pressurized air and water streams, is provided to join the gun and its supporting tower.

Abstract: A multi-compartment organizer and storage enclosure includes a foldable partition assembly in which first and second divider panels are movably coupled together for folding and unfolding movement. The foldable partition assembly can be folded flat and placed in a first position resting across the top panel of the enclosure, and can be erected to an upright standing position relative to the enclosure. The divider panels are further movable to an unfolded position, thereby defining an upright corner frame for opposing shifting movement of a load carried on the top panel. A removable insulated container with retractable carry handles is mounted in a central compartment of the storage unit. A pull-out panel is slidably coupled beneath the storage unit and adjustable positioning arms are extendable for installation of the storage enclosure within the rear deck space of a minivan.

Abstract: During a surgical procedure being performed on a patient in the prone (face down) position, the patient's head and face are supported by a facial support mask having two or more contoured cushions that are independently inflatable and deflatable with respect to each other. The inflatable cushions are sequentially pressurized and depressurized, thus providing continuous, soft support for the patient's head, while alternatively relieving compression forces applied to pressure-sensitive facial areas. Alternately pressurizing and depressurizing the inflatable cushions shifts the location of compressive forces, thus relieving compressed tissues and permitting recovery of normal blood circulation in sensitive facial tissues. The patient's head, neck and face are not disturbed while the support cushions are cycled through various pressurization and depressurization states.

Abstract: A sheet-metal elbow is coupled by direct attachment to a flat sheet-metal air inlet panel of an air distribution boot or register box by roll-formed flange portions that are mated in interlocking, overlapping engagement with each other. The air inlet panel includes an outwardly flared coupling flange bordering an air inlet opening. The neck of the sheet-metal elbow includes a folded coupling flange that is dimensioned for interfitting, overlapping engagement with the outwardly flared elbow coupling flange. The coupling flanges are clasped together by a hydraulic ram that drives an expandable mandrel into a V-shaped die cavity. The tightly clasped, overlapping flange portions permit smooth, continuous rotation of the elbow through 360.degree. with respect to the register box for alignment with a branch conduit. The interlocked flanges also provide a strong mechanical union that is virtually leak-free under normal ventilation air flow conditions.

Abstract: A double-sided mirror and irrigation instrument for intraoral application has an in-line finger operated valve for selectively controlling flow of air, water or a mixture of air and water through an annular supply passage for cleaning the mirror surfaces and objects in the oral cavity. An annular suction passage extends from the mirror assembly through an extension tube for draining liquids from the patient's mouth. The mirror assembly is illuminated by light transmitted through a quartz rod that is enclosed within a central supply conduit.

Abstract: An abnormal or unbalanced load operating condition is detected in a single lamp ballast circuit or in either lamp of a two-lamp ballast circuit by feedback voltage signals that are proportional to the flow of current through the cathodes of each lamp. The analog feedback signals are combined algebraically by a summing circuit that produces a null (zero) value corresponding with normal lamp operation, and produces a non-zero value in response to abnormal cathode current flow. The non-zero value is compared with the reference value to generate a shut-down signal. In one embodiment, the cathode currents are sensed by primary windings of a toroid transformer, and the feedback signals are the magnetic flux components that are generated in response to cathode current flow through the current sensing windings.

Abstract: A lighting control and dimming system utilizes a single traveler conductor for transmitting analog data signals corresponding to a particular light intensity level of multiple dimmers in a dimmer group. A predetermined binary data word is retrieved from the read-only memory of a remote controller and is transmitted serially in an analog pulse train over the traveler conductor to each dimmer unit. Each dimmer unit includes a microcontroller and read-only memory in which a group of binary numbers are stored. The analog data signal received by each dimmer is converted to binary and is compared bit-by-bit with each binary number stored in the dimmer memory. A serial bit comparator produces an enable signal in response to a bit-by-bit identity match between the converted analog data signal and the preset binary number stored in the dimmer ROM. Dimmers enabled by the transmitted analog data signal produce a predetermined scene at a particular brightness level corresponding with one of the stored binary numbers.

Abstract: Two shingled streams of signatures are stacked independently of each other in separate stacking bins that are aligned vertically one above the other and also vertically aligned with the collection bin of a re-feeder. The collection bin is replenished periodically by stopping the shingled streams and unloading the contents of the lower and upper stacking bins to form a combined stack of signatures in the re-feeder collection bin. Signatures in the re-feeder collection bin are delivered by an out-feed conveyor belt in a single reshingled stream of signatures to an in-line processing station. In an alternative embodiment, the stacking bins are laterally separated with respect to each other for separately stacking signatures from two incoming shingled streams that are being output from separate web presses or other independent sources. The incoming signatures are separately stacked and the stacks are periodically unloaded onto separate stacking tables on laterally opposite sides of a common re-feeder.