Abstract: A method of forming a sheet of material into a flower pot or flower pot cover comprising means for engaging portions of the sheet of material and forming pleats in predetermined portions of the sheet of material having a predetermined shape whereby the formed flower pot or flower pot cover has pleats in predetermined portions and of predetermined shapes.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for forming a sheet of material into a flower pot or flower pot cover with fins. The apparatus comprises a male mold, a female mold having an opening mating with the male mold, and means for moving the male mold into and out of the opening of the female mold with the sheet of material between the two molds. To form outwardly extending fins in the flower pot cover, fingers are extended from the male mold to push folds in the sheet of material between segments of the female mold. The female segments are closed on the folds to form fins in the sheet of material as the male mold is pressed into the female mold to make the flower pot cover. To form inwardly extending fins, fingers are moved between the female segments to push folds in the sheet of material between segments of the male mold. The segments of the male mold close on the folds to form fins in the sheet of the material as the male mold is pressed into the female mold to make the flower pot cover.

Abstract: The present invention provides a prosthetic foot comprising an integrally formed, flexible keel preferably in a cosmetic covering. The keel has a forefoot portion and a heel portion joined by an ankle portion. The inferior aspect of the ankle portion defines an arch which expands in response to a load, and the superior aspect of the ankle portion forms a platform which engages a conventional leg assembly. The forefoot portion is contoured, thicker on the medial side than on the lateral side, which shifts the midline of weight distribution in the forefoot portion medially. This provides a more natural alignment of the foot during the gait cycle. The toe end of the forefoot portion is biased along the natural toe break line. The posterior aspect of the ankle portion defines a concavity under the platform which is continuous with the superior aspect of the heel portion. A horizontal slot continuous with the concavity extends from the posterior aspect of the ankle portion between the platform and the arch.

Abstract: A top entry flow control valve having a body with an inlet port, an outlet port and an access opening. The body has a cavity connected with the access opening and communicating with the inlet port and outlet port to allow fluid flow through the valve body. A pair of discs with orifices are positioned within the cavity to control flow into the outlet port by rotating one of the discs to change the degree of alignment between the disc orifices. A sleeve and rotatable cylinder are located within the cavity to control flow from the inlet port. The sleeve has a bore which receives the cylinder and a side wall with orifices extending into the bore. The cylinder has an open end which extends into the cylinder to form a chamber and a side wall with orifices penetrating into the chamber. The open end of the cylinder is attached to the rotatable disc. By rotating the cylinder, the alignment of the sleeve orifices with the cylinder orifices is changed to control flow from the inlet port into the chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus attachable to a vehicle frame to support and secure objects to be transported. A pair of female members are fixed to a plate which has mounting holes for attachment to the vehicle frame. A pair of male members are attached to a support assembly and platform for supporting the objects. Each male member is inserted into the corresponding female member and secured by pivot pins through aligning holes in the male and female members. The platform is designed to pivot between a carrying position and a storage position. A waterproof container with a locking, hinged lid is removably attached to the platform.

Abstract: A swing check valve including a body and a unitary seat and cage member. The seat and cage member supports a disc and has a seating portion facing downstream to mate with the disc. The body has an upstream end, a downstream end and a bore interconnecting the upstream and downstream ends. The bore includes an annular shoulder facing downstream and an annular abutment downstream from the annular shoulder. An annular shoulder on the seat and cage member mates with the annular shoulder of the bore to prevent upstream movement of the seat and cage member. The annular abutment of the bore engages the downstream end of the seat and cage member to keep the seat and cage member from moving downstream.

Abstract: A cutter head assembly attachable to a boom of an excavating machine. The cutter head assembly includes a frame and a cylindrical cutter drum under the frame and attached to the frame through a pair of motors and a pair of torque converters. A mounting bracket is provided on the top of the frame for attachment of the frame to the boom of an excavating machine. The cylindrical cutter drum has longitudinal cutter bars with teeth spaced along the length of the cutter bars. The torque converters are attached to the cutter drum with a pair of hub adapters. Resilient grommets are located between the hub adapters and the cutter drum to absorb shock occurring when the cutter drum strikes a hard surface or object. A supply pipe is mounted to the top of the frame to receive a solidifying agent, such as dry cement, for solidifying liquid waste. Four distribution pipes are connected to the supply pipe and extend downward through the frame to distribute the solidifying agent over the top of the cylindrical cutter drum.

Abstract: A method for detecting and quantifying motion of a body part of an individual or animal, such as an individual's face or portion thereof. A digitized image of the body part in a reference position is produced (referenced image). A digitized image of the body part in a changed position then is produced (changed image). The referenced image is compared with the changed image to determine movement parameters indicating the movement of the body part from the referenced image to the changed image.

Abstract: A closed, pressurized dust return system for introducing aggregate dust into a stream of liquid asphalt is provided. Aggregate dust is dispensed through a valve from a receiving chamber into a mixing housing. The aggregate dust enters the mixing housing at an intermediate location therein. The liquid asphalt is introduced into the mixing housing through a separate conduit at a location thereon above the point of entry of the aggregate dust. The liquid asphalt and the aggregate combine within the mixing housing to form a slurry composition. A heating jacket substantially surrounds the mixing housing and a system for preventing liquid asphalt from backing up into the receiving chamber is also provided. The dust return system is particularly useful in an asphalt plant using a baghouse.

Abstract: An article forming system for forming at least one sheet of material into an article, such as a decorative flower pot cover for example, and a novel article formed utilizing such a system. The article forming system includes a male die, a female die and a platform having a support surface and an opening extending through the support surface. The female die is disposed generally within the opening in the platform with the upper end of the female die being disposed near the support surface. The article forming system includes means for slidingly holding portions of the sheet of material generally against portions of the support surface while permitting such held portions to slide on the support surface during the forming of the article for cooperating in forming a decorative border on the decorative flower pot cover type of article which flares generally away from the flower pot object when the decorative flower pot cover article is applied to the flower pot.

Abstract: An isotopic tracer composition and methods of making and using same for radiological evaluation of body functions and diseases in a subject and for radiological therapy. The isotopic tracer composition comprises a protein carrier agent such as fibrinogen, antibodies, enzymes or portions thereof, bound to a radioisotope which has been reduced to a lower oxidation state by stannous phosphate at a pH of greater than 7. Some suitable radioisotopes are isotopes of technetium, rhenium and ruthenium.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method for controlling the curing process of a composite material part in a curing vessel such as an autoclave. The method relies on the comparison of actual part parameter values to predicted part parameter values wherein the predicted values are obtained from computer simulations of the cure cycles using thermo-chemical, cure kinetics, resin flow and viscosity analytic models. The invention provides a methodology for the continuous selection and updating during the cure process of new optimal cure cycles from sets of cure cycles in response to actual material behavior during the curing process.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating horizontal surfaces with abrasive particles. The apparatus utilizes a housing with flat, straight walls in a rebound chamber and a return corridor. Removable wearplates are attached to the inside walls of the rebound chamber to prevent wear on the rebound chamber walls. Abrasive particles are gravity-fed from a hopper to a blast drum having blades for propelling the abrasive particles to the surface to be treated. The abrasive particles rebound from the surface into the rebound chamber. The flat walls of the rebound chamber are arranged to divert the abrasive particles into the lower end of the return corridor with minimal wall contact. At the lower end of the return corridor the air flow from a dust collector takes over to draw the abrasive particles into a collection chamber. The abrasive particles pass through perforations in the wall of the collection chamber and into the hopper for reuse.

Abstract: A torque bar suspension scale having a platform for supporting objects to be weighed and a pair of torque bars with each torque bar being disposed at an opposite end of the platform. Strap assemblies are connected to the platform, the torque bars and a frame whereby the torque bars are rotated in response to a weight being disposed on the platform. Each strap assembly comprises a strap having a rectangularly shaped cross section.