Abstract: A conformal tool for fining/polishing ophthalmic lenses has a rigid base, a substantially air impervious elastic membrane and a bladder conformable to a surface of the lens to be fined/polished. The perimeters of the base, the membrane and the bladder are contiguously clamped to provide a pneumatically discrete chamber between the base and the membrane and a chamber containing conformable filler such as sand between the membrane and the bladder. The pneumatically discrete and filler containing chambers together have a substantially fixed volume. The clamping provides a passage into the pneumatically discrete chamber so that air under pressure, when admitted into the pneumatically discrete chamber, stretches the membrane to increase the pneumatically discrete chamber volume and decrease the filler containing chamber volume. As air pressure is increased, the air separates the membrane from the base to build an air cushion therebetween as the conformable filler chamber volume decreases.

Abstract: An anti-theft device is provided which, when used on a trailer coupler, locks on to the trailer coupler and covers the receptacle of the coupler, thereby preventing the insertion of a hitch ball or other towing means into the receptacle. Locking engagement is achieved by a retaining member being moved and held in a position inside the receptacle of the coupler by the operation of a lock housed in the body of the anti-theft device. In another embodiment of the invention locking engagement is achieved by the retaining member being moved to a position inside the coupler receptacle through operation of a lever independent of the retaining member and being held in such position through operation of a lock housed in the body of the anti-theft device. No tools or auxiliary parts are required to attach or remove the device.

Abstract: An air pressurized chuck has a spindle journalled in a housing for rotation about a longitudinal axis. One means is mounted in a penultimate portion of the spindle and rotatable therewith for longitudinally reciprocating along the axis in one direction in response to the bias of a coil spring disposed concentrically about the axis between the spindle and the reciprocating means and in an opposite direction in response to a pneumatic force selectively applied to the reciprocating means in excess of the bias. Another means is mounted in an ultimate portion of the spindle and rotatable therewith for concentrically reciprocating gripping portions thereof in relation to the longitudinal axis in an outward direction in response to movement of the longitudinal reciprocating means in the one direction and in an inward direction in response to movement of the longitudinal reciprocating means in the opposite direction.

Abstract: An adhesive insert anchor including an anchor body and a screw member for insertion into a drilled hole in a substrate containing an adhesive. The anchor body further including an integral friction segment and an adhesion segment. The friction segment includes an internally threaded cavity in which to receive the screw member and a knurled portion. The adhesion segment includes a cylindrical section and a plurality of saucer-shaped buttons positioned along its length ending with a terminal button. The buttons on the adhesion segment provide greater surface area for contact between the adhesive and the anchor. The friction segment has an external diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the hole drilled in the substrate, thereby providing a friction fit between the anchor body and the walls of the substrate hole.

Abstract: Instruments for use in endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery include a cannula having a diameter suitable for passage in the carpal tunnel, a diametrically narrowing open tip to facilitate entry into the carpal tunnel and a matted interior surface to maximize visual clarity of the carpal tunnel display, an obturator having a diameter suitable for passage in the cannula end, a plow shaped tip which laterally shifts tendons and nerves from its path as the tip is passed in the carpal tunnel and a sway-back portion proximate the tip which maximizes the efficiency of the tip as it plows through the carpal tunnel tendons and nerves and a rasp having a rod of diameter suitable for passage in the cannula, a roughened face on an upwardly tapering trapezoidal cross-section tip for guiding penetration of the tip through the longitudinal slot in the cannula but limiting penetration of the tip therethrough, and a bend in the rod so that the roughened face of the tip is in substantially flush alignment with the ligaments when t

Abstract: A valve gate for sealing the inlet from the outlet of a block and bleed type valve consists of two independent disk-like members which are interconnected by a slide mechanism allowing the disk-like members to be moved simultaneously forwardly in a first configuration, to be moved simultaneously rearwardly in a second configuration and to float and, in a specially preferred embodiment, to pivot with respect to each other between the first and second configurations so as to facilitate release of the disk-like members from the valve seat on withdrawal. An upper disk-like member to seal the inlet and a lower disk-like member to seal the outlet are connected by one or more members engaging mounting frames fixed thereto. One of the mounting frames is connected to the valve stem for horizontal movement of one of the disk-like members into and out of substantial registration with either the inlet or the outlet in response to operation of the valve stem.

Abstract: A sight pin is supported from a sight chassis. The sight chassis is slidably supported from a camshaft mounting bracket. The camshaft has a cam lobe which extends into an opening such as a slot or channel of selected shape in the sight chassis. Rotation of the camshaft rotates the cam lobe which is in the shaft slot or channel. This causes the sight chassis to move with respect to the bracket.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cleaning articles such as radiators, pizza pans, carburetors, engine parts. A suitable cleaning fluid is placed in a container, and the article to be cleaned is placed in this cleaning fluid. A vibrator is attached to the container such that the vibrations are transferred to the cleaning fluid to clean the articles. The induced waves in the cleaning fluid is a powerful scrubbing force.

Abstract: A lifting jack for raising boats and other objects. It has an inner housing or tube which is supported from a flat base. An outer tube is slidably mounted over the inner tube. A hydraulic jack inside the inner tube raises and lowers the outer tube. Two parallel series of vertical catches are supported on the outside of the outer tube. A selected pair of these catches support a connecting rod which holds a pair of flat support arms in a fixed relationship. The arms support a lifting pad in a plurality of elevations for each pair of vertical catches. A safety latch permits the outer housing to be raised but must be manually released for lowering.

Abstract: A rotatable shaft supports supply spools having new fishing line thereon and a take-up spool for receiving worn-out line. An electric motor is provided to rotate the shaft in a take-off direction. The motor by being energized applies tension to line as it is taken from a supply spool to a fishing reel on a fishing rod. Ballast resistors in the power line leading to the motor act as an overload current absorber.

Abstract: This includes a condiment, such as mustard, catsup, etc. dispensing unit. The condiment is in a container such as a bottle with a neck portion which is attached to a novel plastic dispenser cap. When the device is hanging upside down, the condiment in the container flows into the dispensing tip which has a valve mechanism such that no fluid flows out the end of the tip until pressure is applied by squeezing the plastic tip. A push rod with two spaced apart arms has a roller at the end of each arm. The rollers are a lesser distance apart than the diameter of the dispensing nipple. When the rod pushes the arm, the rollers roll against the dispensing nipple, squeezing and compressing it, and forcing its condiments out the lower end.

Abstract: A system for determining the bend in a section of pipe which is being bent by a bending machine which includes a stiffback and a pinup shoe. The pipe to be bent is placed in the stiffback and extends out the end at the pinup shoe and its angle S.sub.i is obtained of the pipe with respect to the horizontal. An outboard and an inboard cylinder force the pipe and the stiffback against a die to obtain a bend. This system is especially good for determining the angle of bend when the bending machine is on a non-level surface. After such bending, the angle of the pipe S.sub.h at the pinup shoe with respect to the horizon is made, and then subtracting S.sub.i from S.sub.n to obtain the angle of bend of the pipe. In another embodiment the angle detector is calibrated to read zero when the angle detector is measuring the actual angle the pipe makes with the horizontal before the pipe is bent.

Abstract: A vibratory deck of an end feed separator transfers material in a linear direction from the feed end to the discharge end of a screen mounted on the separator frame. A pair of rotary eccentric vibrators is independently mounted in mirror relationship on opposite sides of the frame. The eccentric vibrator shafts are centered on axes at an alpha angle to the direction of horizontal motion of the material, canted at an epsilon angle from the alpha angle and tilted about the epsilon angle from the vertical in a plane normal to the epsilon axes at opposite beta angles. The centers of the eccentric vibrator shafts are offset from the center of vibratory mass of the frame by a rho distance. The alpha, epsilon, beta and rho factors are coordinated so that the aspect ratios of the elliptical patterns of motion from the feed to the discharge ends of the screen sequentially increase or decrease.

Abstract: A remote video transmission system for digitizing and compressing an audio/visual signal, transmitting that signal over low band width lines, such as land telephone lines, cellular telephone lines, or radio frequencies, decompressing the digitized data and converting it to an audio/visual signal for broadcast. Components of this system include: A remote unit, a host unit, and a playback unit. The remote unit is capable of digitizing and compressing the audio/visual signal as well as transmitting the compressed, digitized data. Data may be divided and sent to multiple ports for output. Data may also be edited prior to transmission. The host unit is automated to receive data transmitted from the remote unit and reassemble the data if it has been divided. The playback unit stores and automatically catalogs transmitted data files. The player unit also decompresses the digitized data files and converts them to an audio/visual signal which may then be broadcast.

Abstract: A flow control valve has a gate connected between an operating fluid inlet and outlet. An actuator permits manual adjustment of the gate area to allow fluid to pass from the inlet to the outlet at a threshold rate of flow for a threshold pressure at the first inlet. A biasing mechanism cooperable with the gate and linearly responsive to variations in a control pressure applied to a control inlet of the valve constantly automatically readjusts the area of the gate in proportion to the control pressure. In a constant speed pneumatic motor application of the valve, the motor inlet pressure is applied to the control inlet of the valve and the motor outlet pressure is applied to the operating fluid inlet of the valve. A regulator connected to the motor inlet senses the pressure at the motor outlet. In operation, at idle, the threshold flow rate through the valve is selected by manual adjustment of the valve actuator or stem. The load is added and the motor outlet pressure decreases.

Abstract: A test head assembly for heat exchanger tube bundles consists of a structural frame to support the bundle, test heads, sealing devices between the test heads and the tube sheets, clamps securing the test heads to the bundle with the sealing devices therebetween, a supply reservoir for the test fluid, a collection reservoir to receive the test fluids after testing to permit proper environmental disposal, a control station, pumping assemblies and related equipment. The structural frame is suitable for holding various common arrays of tube bundles for heat exchangers in a test configuration. The sealing devices include two sealing plates, preferably fiat discs, mounted on opposite ends of the assembly and biased toward each other either hydraulically or mechanically, hydraulics being the most desirable biasing force, and two sealing rings, each typically a short cylinder of the proper outer diameter to fit the gasket surface of the bundle between the seal plates and the ends of the bundle to be tested.

Abstract: A new system for welding sections of pipe together to form a long, continuous pipeline. A welding bug is mounted on a guide track which goes around the circumference of the pipe. The welding bug is provided with a wire feeder, a motor to drive the wire feeder, and driving motor for driving the bug around the track. One may vary the speed of the bug and the wire feeder while the bug is continuously driven around the track. The welding head on the welding bug is powered by a surface-tension-transfer power source. The initial or root pass is made external of the pipe.

Abstract: A tool for polishing/fining an ophthalmic lens has a housing with an interior open at planar ends thereof. A cluster of rods is longitudinally aligned in sliding abutment within the housing, each rod of the cluster extending from one planar end of the housing to the other. One resiliently elastic diaphragm extends across one planar end and another resiliently elastic diaphragm extends across the other planar end. A cap has a rim which fixes the exterior perimeter of the first diaphragm against the top of the housing. The cap defines a pneumatic chamber longitudinally aligned between the exterior surface of the first diaphragm and the interior wall of the cap. A passage through the cap wall admits air under pressure into the chamber. A ring fixes the exterior perimeter of the other diaphragm against the bottom of the housing. Screws secure the cap and ring to the housing with the diaphragms therebetween.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a long term care device having a sensor thereon for detecting the presence of a patient on the device includes a microprocessor responsive to a resident program. A first circuit connected to the microprocessor and to the sensor automatically activates operation of the microprocessor to a "monitor" mode upon detection by the sensor of the patient's presence on the device, maintains operation of the microprocessor for a predetermined time period at least equal to a running time of the program and terminates operation of the microprocessor at the expiration of the predetermined time period after detection by the sensor of termination of the patient's presence on the device prior to expiration of the predetermined time period. A second circuit operates the system in response to commands manually applied to the second circuit to deactivate the system to a "hold/reset" mode after activating of the system to the "monitor" mode.

Abstract: A block for coupling an ophthalmic lens to at least two machine chucks is molded, preferably using adhesive material in a liquid or gel state, as a unitary member of diameter less than a diameter of the lens with concentric inner and outer portions separated by a narrow intermediate portion. The inner, outer and intermediate portions have a front face molded to conform to a face of the lens. The outer portion has a rear face molded to conform to a first chuck and the inner portion has a rear face molded to conform to a second chuck. The intermediate portion is thinner than the inner and outer portions so that the outer portion is separable from the unitary member and the lens by lifting the outer portion away from the lens and tearing the member along the intermediate portion. Preferably, the outer portion rear face has means such as a tab or a pair of diametrically aligned tabs on its outer edge for facilitating lifting of the outer portion from the lens.