Abstract: Sports shoes having exchangeable heels. Each the exchangeable heel is detachably attached to a heel section of a sole such that it is exchanged with the other heel. The heel is axially recessed on its top center to have a trapezoidal recessed rail and has a pair of inserts. The inserts protrude forward from a front end of the heel and is spaced apart from and parallel to each other and have downward wedges at their ends. The sole is recessed at its rear section to form the heel section which has an trapezoidal protruding rail for substantially meeting with the trapezoidal recessed rail of the heel. A pair of snap units is movably provided in the sole for snapping up the downward wedges of the inserts of the heel respectively.

Abstract: A cooling system which is modular and capable of maintaining a variety of pre-selected temperatures for a plurality of liquids being dispensed and/or a plurality of spaces being air conditioned. A single refrigerator unit has a chilled glycol distribution line connected thereto and through which the chilled glycol is pumped. One or more cooler modules are tapped into the glycol distribution line at points wherever desired. The modules contain a low boiling refrigerant, a fluid tube carrying a relatively warm fluid (liquid or air), a cooling tube connected to the distribution line run and a flow control valve responsive to pressure changes in the module for permitting flow of chilled glycol thereinto and being adjustable to achieve the desired temperature of the fluid within the fluid tube.

Abstract: A two-phase thermoplastic composition adapted for forming thermoplastic patterns. The composition comprises an organic thermoplastic pattern material and at least about 5% by weight of discrete particles of cross-linked poly(methylmethacrylate) that are physically stable at temperatures above 130.degree. F. Also disclosed are investment casting patterns of such composition and processes utilizing such composition.

Abstract: A pallet comprises at least one relatively long, longitudinally extending stringer folded from a single sheet of corrugated paperboard material of a given cross-section, preferably trapezoidal, and two relatively short, transversely extending braces, each folded from a single sheet of corrugated paperboard of a similar cross-section, preferably inverted. The stringer has notches receiving portions of the braces. Each brace has a notch receiving a portion of the stringer. The notches interfit with each other and are dimensioned so that the stringer and the braces are coplanar at their upper and lower edges. The stringer and the braces are secured adhesively to each other at the interengaging notches. In one contemplated embodiment, plural decking members are employed. In other contemplated embodiments, an upper sheet and a lower sheet are employed. In certain contemplated embodiments, the stringer with the braces is a middle stringer between two outer stringers.

Abstract: A support beam for a storage rack has a tubular profile, which defines a ledge opening upwardly and inwardly, and which defines a generally flat, indicia-receiving surface facing outwardly and either downwardly or upwardly at an angle from about 20.degree. to about 70.degree. relative to a vertical plane. Alternatively, the tubular profile may define two such surfaces defining an obtuse angle relative to each other, namely an upper surface at an angle from about 20.degree. to about 45.degree. relative thereto and a lower surface at an angle from about 45.degree. to about 70.degree. relative thereto, or a generally arcuate, indicia-receiving surface having a suitable measurement. The indicia-receiving surface enables a person who is standing, or who is sitting on a lift truck, to have a generally perpendicular line of sight to such surface. The support beam may also be used in combination with a properly positioned fire extinguishing device to extinguish a fire in a supported load.

Abstract: A percutaneous catheter introducer having a tube with tube handle, a seal housing containing a seal, and a needle with a needle handle. The needle is extended through the seal housing and tube. The needle and tube are percutaneously inserted into an anatomical body cavity. The needle is removed and a catheter is inserted. The seal housing can be removed in order to use the tube for aspiration. Alternatively, the seal is positioned within the tube handle.

Abstract: A pallet stringer, generally trapezoidal when viewed endwise, is folded from a corrugated paperboard sheet to have five panels on each side of a vertical plane and a lower panel intersected by the plane, namely an outer panel extending upwardly and outwardly from the lower panel, another outer panel extending inwardly from the upwardly extending outer panel, toward the plane, an inner panel extending downwardly from the inwardly extending outer panel, toward the lower panel, another inner panel extending upwardly and outwardly from the downwardly extending panel, toward the inwardly extending outer panel, at an acute angle relative to the downwardly extending panel, and an inner panel extending inwardly from the upwardly and outwardly extending inner panel, toward the downwardly extending inner panel. The inwardly extending inner panels may have tabs extending into decking member apertures in other panels. Certain panels are secured adhesively to other panels.

Abstract: The invention relates to a deformable container (10) for delivering a liquid from a dispensing opening (12) on the sealing part (14), there being assigned to the ventilating opening (90) of the container (10) a ventilating valve (18) which is open in the event of underpressure in the container (10). The sealing part (14) is disposed on a metering element (20), which is inserted sealingly in the opening in the container (10) and is provided with two outlet ducts (24, 26). The outlet ducts (24, 26) serve to dispense the liquid in jet or drop form and can optionally be connected, by twisting the sealing part (14), to the dispensing opening (12) of the sealing part (14). The liquid is located in an inner bag (50), which is connected, in each case via a shut-off valve (64, 66), to the outlet ducts (24, 26).

Abstract: Percutaneous suture externalizer devices are disclosed which grasp, secure and externalize sutures from within an abdominal or thoracic cavity. The suture externalizer devices include a thin tubular sheath with a penetrating point and a hook rod slidable within the sheath. The hook rod is slidable between an extended position and a retracted position. The hook rod is biased to the extended position. In the retracted position, a suture grasped within the hook is snugly held between the hook rod and the inner wall of the sheath, providing a positive means of securing the suture during externalization. An alternative embodiment utilizes a hollow tubular hook rod that can also be used to insufflate the abdominal or thoracic cavity. The alternative embodiment utilizes a valve to control the flow of gas through the hook rod, into and out of the cavity.

Abstract: A staple cartridge for a surgical stapler includes a staple drive member which is driven by longitudinal movement of a cam through the surgical stapler for firing at least one surgical staple. The staple drive member comprises a staple drive element having a staple driving surface in association with the surgical staple for angular orientation of the surgical staple, when applied, with respect to the direction of movement of the cam. The staple drive member further comprises a cam contact element having a cam contact surface for being engaged by the cam, and an arrangement for pivotally connecting the staple drive element to the cam contact element.

Abstract: A method of sensing optically properties of an approximately cylindrical object, such as an optical fibre or optical fibre preform, which diffracts the illuminating beam into a plurality of beam portions each corresponding to its respective diffraction order, comprising the steps of illuminating the object with an illuminating beam substantially perpendicular to the axis of the object, moving an aperture so as to discriminate a beam portion exiting from the object and corresponding to a selected diffraction order, and detecting said beam portion.

Abstract: A surgical instrument actuation system is provided with a double-acting fluid pressure piston pump and a double-acting fluid actuator. An operating member is connected to the pump piston, and a two-position directional valve communicates between the pump and actuator. A valve actuator means is responsive to the pump pressure or to the position of the pump piston or actuator piston. This switches the valve from the first position to the second position so that the system operates to apply a higher actuator force at a lower stroking speed.

Abstract: In a shopping cart comprising a main basket and a transverse handle mounted behind the main basket, two bars are mounted fixedly to the handle so as to extend forwardly from the handle. Also, a cupholder formed of wire is mounted slidably to the bars so as to permit the cupholder to slide forwardly to a storage position and backwardly to a usage position within a limited range of movement of the cupholder relative to the bars. In the usage position, the cupholder is capable of holding a large cup and a small cup. Each of the bars is wrapped around the handle and has a lower portion, to which one of the end portions of the cupholder is mounted slidably, and an upper portion, on which a coupon tray formed of wire is mounted fixedly.

Abstract: Process for the indigo dyeing of yarns in skeins having the peculiarity that it consists in placing a skein of yarn on at least two spaced rollers, in at least partially impregnating the skein in an indigo dyeing bath drawn continuously from a main indigo dyeing bath of a plant for the continuous dyeing of yarns in ropes or bands, in exposing the impregnated part to air for its oxidation, in alternately repeating impregnation and oxidation for a preset number of times which is a function of the color intensity to be obtained, in washing the skein to remove the residue of dye which has not been fixed on the fiber and in drying the skein.

Abstract: A promotional method comprising the steps of storing a predetermined number of recognizable data, storing a message for each of the predetermined number of recognizable data, scanning a document to read machine readable information appearing thereon, determining whether scanned data represented by the machine readable information on the scanned document represents data corresponding to any of said stored recognizable data, identifying the stored recognizable data corresponding to the scanned data in response to the determination that the scanned data corresponds to one of the stored recognizable data, identifying a stored message associated with the identified stored recognizable data, and selecting the identified message and producing an output response corresponding thereto.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an aerosol composition containing a carrier agent capable of recognizing and binding to inflammatory and tumor foci mobilizing macrophages in their immediate environment, and an aerosol substrate, characterized in that the said carrier agent consists of a polysaccharide compound selected from the compound D 25, extracted from the membrane proteoglycans of the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae and having a molecular weight of 30.+-.0.10 Kd, and the compound oxidized D 25 in which the galactofuranoser residue (Gal.sub.f) of the linear polysaccharide chain of D 25 has been converted to arabinose, and their amide, ester or ether type derivatives, as well as their quaternary ammonium derivatives and salts, and also the derivatives obtained by grafting of phosphatides.