Abstract: An infrared energy generator, which is capable of effective operation when provided with fuel from a relatively low pressure supply, such as from a relatively mobile liquid propane tank, to radiate infrared energy over a relatively large output area, has an orifice plate in the plenum to impede fuel flow to the fuel output where combustion occurs.

Abstract: A floor-ceiling system for multi-story buildings which utilizes a bottom membrane having significant tensile strength supported on the building frame, such membrane being either cast in place and supported by shoring or prefabricated and self-supported, with void-producing duct forms regularly arranged and supported on the membrane, and a poured-in-place plastic material covering the membrane and duct forms to create structural elements alternating with the duct forms to form a substantially finished floor-ceiling system when the plastic material cures. The duct forms may be provided with access openings to the floor or ceiling or with lateral access openings interconnecting each other. The duct forms may be left-in-place forms or inflatable tubes removed when deflated after the material cures. Finishing materials for the floor or ceiling such as carpeting or acoustical tile may be secured directly to the essentially planar bottom or top surface of the system.

Abstract: An acid plating bath and an improved process for electrodepositing level copper coatings are described. The improved copper plating baths and method include a bath soluble organic leveling compound which is obtained by reacting one or more epihalohydrins with one or more nitrogen-containing compounds which may be substituted pyridines, quinolines, isoquinoline or benzimidazole. Particularly improved results are obtained if the acid copper bath also contains, in addition to the leveling agent, a bath-soluble brightening agent and a wetting agent. The presence of the above-described leveling agent in acid copper plating baths produces a lustrous, smooth and level deposit of copper over a wide range of current densities.

Abstract: A lightweight composite motorcycle wheel construction characterized in that it comprises a wheel unit casting including concentric outer and inner rim and sleeve portions integrally connected together by angularly spaced spokes; and a hub unit casting having an interference fit within the bore of the sleeve portion thus to frictionally retain the hub and wheel units together against relative angular and axial movement while the bearing receiving bore in the hub unit is located and held coaxially of said rim portion, the wheel and hub units additionally being welded together to prevent relative angular and axial movement despite application of torque and axial loads exceeding the frictional resistance of the interference fit.

Abstract: A multiconductor electrical cable termination for flat ribbon cable has plural electrical contacts pierced through the cable insulation to engagement with respective conductors. The junctions of contacts and conductors are encapsulated in a base that forms an integral structure with the contacts and cable maintaining the junctions substantially free of oxygen and moisture. Plural openings in the base provide access to terminal portions of the contacts for test probing thereof, or the like, while the contacting portions of the contacts are connected to another termination, connector or the like.

Abstract: An assembly for an electric igniter used principally for the ignition of gaseous fuels includes a mechanical holder and shield for conveniently mounting the igniter in a gas appliance, for example, and for protecting the same from damage. The holder is preferably ceramic and includes a bore within which the igniter is supported and through which electrical leads and terminal tabs extend, and the shield, which surrounds at least substantially all of the high temperature end of the igniter, is attached to the ceramic holder in a facile manner and provides sufficient open passages for effective heat transfer from the igniter to effect ignition of a fuel discharged proximate thereto.

Abstract: A relatively viscous light transmissive liquid material, such as glycerine or the like, applied to the solid end portion of a light conducting member enhances the optical coupling with a sample or object having an irregular and/or glossy surface to be optically examined. Moreover, the light probe system has a test end with a tip for substantial abutment with a test area or test point of a sample. The tip provides point or primary illumination of the test point and a further source of general or secondary illumination is provided the sample annularly about the probe tip and test point so that upon illumination of the sample ambient lighting effects are simulated.

Abstract: A partitioning sleeve is positioned in the main body of a thermal actuator to form a separate internal liquid reservoir from which fluid may be supplied to the actuator heater. The heater is part of a heater sub-assembly that is sealed in an opening formed in the main body of the actuator so that the coil-type electric resistance heater is accurately positioned for submersion in liquid in the variable volume chamber formed in the main body of the actuator. Moreover, the recycling or cool down time for the thermal actuator is reduced by thermal transfer between an appreciable contacting surface area of an extensible diaphragm that partly forms the actuator chamber and a guide cap that also supports and guides the diaphragm during its extension to enlarge the variable volume chamber.

Abstract: A sanitary spray-dry system has a liquid spraying outlet and an air directing outlet pivotably supported from a closet seat for movement from a stored out of the way location partially in the bowl to a use position for spraying warm liquid at the body of a person sitting on the seat for washing purposes and subsequently for blowing air at the washed area for drying the same. The system of the invention may conveniently be added to existing water closets generally between the bowl and seat thereof.

Abstract: A multiple switch device is connectable on-line between a multiple conductor electrical cable termination assembly or the like and a receptacle or the like to which the assembly would otherwise be connected. The multiple switch device includes a plurality of slide switches that are selectively actuable to slide directly on contacts integrally molded in a common body part of the device to open or to close respective circuits. A plastic bridge molded in the common body part between respective pairs of contacts over which a common slide switch glides provides a generally continuous planar surface to facilitate such motion without unnecessary wear to the contacts or the slide switch.

Abstract: A multiple switch device is connectable on-line between a multiple conductor electrical cable termination assembly or the like and a receptacle or the like to which the assembly would otherwise be connected. The multiple switch device includes a plurality of slide switches that are selectively actuable to open or to close respective circuits between such assembly and such receptacle.

Abstract: Segmental shell halves of inventive subject matter are adapted to be assembled at an earth situs to form a tubular cavity drilling auger having hollow spiral flighting. The assembled tubular shell including the hollow flighting is filled with fluid, self-hardenable, cementitious material at the situs, and then drilled into the situs to given full cavity depth to be retained in the cavity as an anchored load-bearing pile or like solid column. Any number of units can be preassembled and filled with the cementitious material at a situs, ready for drilling into the earth in convenient, rapid succession, thereby to avoid costly losses experienced heretofore due to workmen and equipment awaiting possible spasmodic delivery of premixed cementitious material, for example. Unassembled hollow shell halves are adapted to be compactly stacked one within another for storage or shipping purposes.

Abstract: An alloy of nickel and aluminum, which also may contain varying percentages of intermetallics, in the form of a wire or rod is sprayed in an electric arc spray gun to form a self-bonding coating on a smooth, clean substrate. Alternatively an alloy of nickel and titanium, which also may contain varying percentages of intermetallics, in the form of a wire may be similarly electric arc sprayed to effect a self-bonding coating on a substrate. The nickel aluminum alloy and possibly intermetallics or the nickel titanium alloy and possibly intermetallics are supplied as a wire feed to the electric arc spray gun, and when heated in the electric arc of the spray gun and sprayed onto a substrate will form a coating that has a high degree of tenacity to many metal substrates and also has a moderate degree of hardness, low R.sub.c, high R.sub.b. The self-bonding is attributed to the formation of superheated liquid in the arc process and the affinity of that superheated liquid to iron, nickel, aluminum, etc.

Abstract: The ferrule of a bristle brush includes an annular bead peripherally about the ferrule proximate one end thereof, and the bead has a sufficiently large cross-sectional profile and circumscribes a volume having a sufficiently large cross-sectional area relative to the cross-sectional area of the volume circumscribed by the major tubular extent of the ferrule in order to permit expansion of that part of the bristle hold located in the volume circumscribed by the bead. A hardenable liquid adhesive material poured into the ferrule after the bristle is positioned therein will permeate appreciably into the hold of the bristle thereby substantially to encapsulate the same and to secure the filaments thereof tenaciously to the ferrule.

Abstract: A seat assembly for use in vehicles includes an air spring suspension system, positioned behind the seat back, selectively operative vertically to move the seat relative to the vehicle a distance twice that of the air spring expansion movement. The seat is mounted on a movable frame that is supported by the suspension system from a fixed frame connected to the vehicle, with the travel of the movable frame being rectilinearly guided by rollers carried by the suspension system being received in trackways defined by cooperating channels on the fixed and movable frames.

Abstract: A vise for transfer of check-bites characterized in that clutches fastened to the respective upper and lower arches of the patient's teeth or to the patient's alveolar ridges have screw-actuated vise means which, when loosened, enable protrusive and right and left excursions of the mandible, said vise means being tightened after each such excursion to lock the clutches in the respective check-bite positions for adjusting a dental articulator.

Abstract: Vulcanizer lock means for a vulcanizer of the type wherein a tire carcass is shaped and cured in a mold cavity defined between top and bottom mold sections which are respectively mounted on a vertically movable support member and a fixed support member characterized in the provision of a mold-embracing lock ring which at its lower end has a rotatable, but axially fixed, connection with said fixed support member and which at its upper end has radially inwardly extending lugs with bottom helical surfaces engaged with top helical surfaces of radially outwardly extending lugs of said movable support member when said lock ring is rotated to locking position, said lugs being circumferentially offset when said lock ring is rotated to unlocking position to permit vertical movement of said movable support member and top mold section for unloading of the cured tire and for loading of the next uncured carcass.

Abstract: Valve device and system employing same for providing variations in air flow to the manifold of an internal combustion engine in accordance with the engine vacuum. The valve device includes a plurality of resiliently deformable spherical members which are caused to resonate over substantially the full operating range of the engine, whereby the auxiliary air passing through the valve pulsates creating turbulence in the air flow into the manifold resulting in shock waves which assist in breaking up the fuel into smaller, more uniform particle sizes and maintaining a more constant air/fuel mixture over the full operating range. The valve body is in the shape of a Tee having a hollow-cylindrical portion containing the spherical members and oppositely extending tubular arms in communication therewith. One of the arms is plugged, and the other arm is connected to the carburetor by a hard plastic or metal tube which assists in maintaining the air pulsations during passage of the air therethrough.

Abstract: A perforated corrugated tube of thermoplastic or like material in which the tube is made with radially inwardly extending blisters in the valleys thereof which are sheared off to provide perforations through the valleys of the corrugations, the apparatus and method being characterized in that the perforated corrugated tube is made in a continuous manner by molding the tube with the blisters in a traveling mold and shearing the blisters as the tube emerges from the traveling mold. A further characterizing feature of the perforated corrugated tube herein rendering it useful as for highway drainage and frostproofing purposes, is that it is formed with a smooth walled channel-like bottom portion having upwardly diverging side walls merging with the remaining perforated corrugated portion of the tube.

Abstract: An electrical circuit provides continuous or intermittent energization of an electric apparatus, such as a magnetron that generates microwave energy for use in in a microwave oven or the like. When continuously energized the magnetron produces a maximum power output, for example, to cook a food load in the microwave oven; and when intermittently energized the magnetron produces a lower average microwave energy power level to cook food at a relatively slower rate and/or to defrost frozen food efficiently without cooking the outer surface thereof, as the brief off time during each complete cycle of the intermittently energized magnetron allows some temperature equilibration through the food product. The electrical circuit includes a cycling switch mechanism for such intermittent energization of the magnetron and a mechanical lock-out for biasing the switch mechanism to supply continuous energy to the magnetron.