Abstract: Disposably attached to the ear piece of a hearing aid, which includes any sound transmission device, is a user-disposable sleeve comprising soft polymeric retarded recovery foam that can be compressed to be freely insertable into a person's ear and allowed to recover to become wedged in the canal. Preferably, the sleeve is disposably attached to the ear piece by mating of screw threads on the sleeve and the ear piece. The ear piece may be a separate component from the hearing aid. The component is made either of rigid or flexible plastic and has connecting portions of various lengths depending on the depth of insertion of the sleeve into the canal. The sleeve may be of various lengths depending on the depth of insertion into the ear canal desired. The sleeve/ear piece assembly may also have a layer of sound transmitting scrim over its central opening to minimize penetration of the connecting portion past the end of the sleeve.

Abstract: A heat transfer bag especially useful for cooling electronic components is made of a flexible sheet of material and is filled with a fluorochemical heat transfer liquid. A metallic thermal via extends through a hole in the bag for direct contact with an external surface of a heat-generating component. A portion of the via extends into the bag and functions as a heat radiating fin to enhance the transfer of heat from the component to the liquid within the bag.

Abstract: A donor element for thermal transfer is provided. The donor element comprises a backing having an organopolysiloxane-polyurea anti-stick surface on one side and a heat-activated, image forming material on the other side.

Abstract: Methods of preparation of dry transfer graphics article. The article is self-weeding to transfer fine graphic images without the use of detackifying radiation, solvents, etc. One of the elements of the article is a carrier having a surface which is compatible with an adhesive having a low work to fracture. The article further comprises a graphic pattern formed on the adhesive.

Abstract: An acetabular implant of a hip joint prosthesis comprising a metal cup shell (2) having an external self-tapping thread extending around the circumference of the shell. The thread is divided into a plurality of segments (8, 10) by a plurality of tapping grooves (16). The thread radius (Ra, Rb, Rc, Rd) of the thread segments (8, 10) progressively decreases from the leading end (12) to the trailing end (14) of a segment (8 or 10). The tapping grooves (16) are preferably arranged in pairs dividing the thread into alternating long (8) and short (10) segments. The construction of the thread reduces the propensity of the implant to jam during insertion.

Abstract: A thermal transfer means comprising a flexible bag or pouch filled with a chemically inert, electrically nonconductive, nonflammable, essentially gas-free, thermally stable, thermally conductive, body of liquid comprising fluorochemical liquid. Said bag is fabricated from a flexible, durable plastic film that has low permeability to air and the fluorochemical liquid. The configuration of the bag is conformable to adapt to the geometry of the space, formed between the surface of a heat generating component or components and the surface of a heat sink, into which the bag is inserted, thereby contacting said surfaces and providing a thermal conduction path for heat generated by the heat generating component during operation from said component to the heat sink. The liquid has a boiling point such that it down not boil at the highest operating temperature of the device. Also provided is a method for making and filling the bag such that after sealing the bag is substantially gas free.

Abstract: An adjustable conductive body strap which is readily adjustable and which utilized an elastomerically extensible electrically conductive band held together and adapted to be joined to a grounding cord which makes 360.degree. electrical contact and continuity with the body is desired and this is accomplished by having one end of the band fastened by contact with a conductive plate which has teeth which penetrate the second end.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of making elastomeric copolymers and block copolymers, e.g., based upon styrene/isoprene, having a novel condensed phase structure wherein polymer branches occur along the polymer backbone, either at a predetermined location or at random locations. The method comprises the step of reacting, under polymerization conditions, hydrocarbyl lithium initiator, at least one anionically polymerizable compound, and an organometallic- substituted styrene condensing agent. The reactants may be added simultaneously to produce a copolymer with polymer branch segments randomly located along the polymer backbone or sequentially to produce a copolymer with branches located at the same predetermined location along the polymer backbone. The resultant polymers may be further reacted with a linking agent to form multi-arm copolymers.

Abstract: An engine cooling system including a filter connected in a radiator overflow system so that engine coolant flowing from the radiator to an overflow reservoir under the influence of pressure in the radiator will flow through the filter, whereas fluid flowing from the overflow reservoir to the radiator under the influence of atmospheric pressure when the pressure in the radiator drops will draw filtered engine coolant from the reservoir.

Abstract: A stethoscope head adapter for a diaphragm microphone is provided. The adapter creates a smaller surface area for the diaphragm microphone without diminishing the acoustical reception by the diaphragm of normal or pathological conditions in a patient. The adapter is made from an elastomeric material to permit easy placement on the stethoscope head and to provide an effective acoustical seal against the uneven surface of the skin of a patient. A secondary diaphragm may also be provided in the adapter to focus the reception by the diaphragm microphone of the specific frequencies desired to be monitored. With the adapter on the stethoscope head, the intensities of sound at frequencies not desired to be monitored are attenuated when compared with the use of the stethoscope head without the adapter present.

Abstract: Elongate foam strips are formed by cold welding a flat foam web using blunt rotary cutters. A manually separable array of foam strips is formed by welding a flat foam web along a series of parallel lines, using cold welding or other joining methods, and packaging the array without separating the individual strips from one another.

Abstract: A composition of matter comprising an acrylamido-acyl or methacrylamido-acyl oligomer derived from at least one nucleophilic oligomer having at least one amino-, hydroxyl-, or thiol-substituted polyoxyalkylene, polyalkyleneimine, polyester, polyolefin, polyacrylate, or polysiloxane oligomer, said nucleophilic oliogmer having a molecular weight in the range of 200 to 20,000 is disclosed. Also disclosed are free radially polymerizable monomer-containing compositions containing said oligomers as well as acrylamido- and methacrylamido-acylated polymers which are the thermal or photocured products of said oligomers. In addition, a process is disclosed for providing said acrylamido- and methacrylamido-acylated oligomers which are useful, for example, in coatings, films, printing inks, adhesives, and saturants.

Abstract: A Doppler blood flow system and method in which an ultrasonic wave is reflected off of red blood cells in blood flowing in tubing. The reflected ultrasonic wave is digitally processed in the frequency domain. The flow rate of the blood is directly related to the average frequency of the Doppler signal. The typical Doppler signal is not a single frequency representing a single flow rate but is really an entire range of frequencies in which certain frequencies predominate which are indicated by increased amplitude of the signal when plotted in the frequency domain. The typical Doppler signal may actually have two "humps", one at a higher frequency which represents the actual information bearing content of the signal related to flow rate and one at a lower frequency which is caused by vibrations in the blood tubing system itself and could be caused by motor noise from the blood pump.

Abstract: A radiant energy transmitter for use with a motor vehicle wherein operation of the triggered radiant energy device of the transmitter is altered via an operation altering circuit portion when an alteration initiating switch assumes its alteration mode. Such alteration mode is automatically assumed when the operator carries out an action that is normally done after the motor vehicle is stopped. The operation altering circuit portion continues the altered operation even though the alteration mode of the alteration altering switch is subsequently discontinued.

Abstract: An image access, retrieval, and display system provides a simplified system for randomly accessing stored images. Image access documents having a human readable representation of an image and machine readable image access information are placed in an image access document reader which transmits the image access information to the image display system causing the image to be displayed.

Abstract: A universal lattice assembly for use in a magnetic type electronic article surveillance system is disclosed which comprises a frame formed of two identical molded plastic half-shells, a metal chassis within which specific electronic sub-assemblies may be positioned and a coil assembly including a drive coil and a sense coil. The housing is adapted to enclose and to interlock and index the chassis, while also rigidly anchoring the coil assembly within an extensive cavity to prevent unwanted movement of the coil. A null adjustment mechanism within the frame enables a slight precise displacement of a coil to enble nulling of the two coils with respect to each other. Upon insertion of the coil assembly and chassis within the half-shells, the two are permanently pinned and bonded together to form an exceptionally rigid and durable composite lattice.

Abstract: A socket assembly for top-loading IC devices having a cam member, actuated by a vertically moving guide member, positioned for engaging the contact elements and retracting the contacting portions thereof to allow insertion or removal of the IC device in relationship to the socket assembly.

Abstract: A photo album held together by attachment assemblies, each including (1) a barrel part having an internally threaded tubular portion and a plate at one end that will not pass through the openings in the pages and attachment portions of covers for the album; and (2) a screw part comprising an externally threaded portion adapted to threadably engage the tubular portion, and a head at one end that also will not pass through the openings in the pages and the attachment portions. The plates have projections received in sockets in the attachment portion of the rear cover to restrict rotation of the barrel parts; and the heads on the screw parts have ridges along their peripheries and large diameters that afford easy manual engagement with them to engage or disengage the screw parts with respect to the barrel parts.

Abstract: A carrier device, for supporting an electronic component having a plurality of fragile leads extending therefrom, comprising a body having a first and a second surface and having a generally centrally positioned opening, a pair of beams extending into the opening, each with hooks to grasp a component, and a series of interconnected bars joined to the beams to allow flexing of the beams to accept a component between the hooks and for biasing the beams toward each other to contain the component. The body being formed of static dissipative material.

Abstract: A cylinder truing hone comprising a plurality of pressure members mounted in circumferentially spaced locations around a driven member for movement radially of the driven member and with pressure surfaces on the pressure members outermost. An axially movable cam on the driven member is in engagement with the pressure members and can move them outwardly. Abrasive coated sheet material extends over the pressure surfaces where it can be pressed into engagement with a cylindrical inner surface by movement of the cam, and a mechanism is provided for changing the portion of the abrasive coated sheet material extending over the pressure surfaces.