Abstract: A ring with at least one notched or serrated edge to clean under the fingernail. The ring has a convex outer surface and a flat inner surface. The curve of the ring is dimmensioned so that it will conform to the size and shape of the nail. The thickness of convex outer side is dimensioned to prevent the ring from being inserted too far under the fingernail.

Abstract: There is provided an improved exchangeable medicament dosing system and method which includes a reuseable integral patient dispensing frame which supports a plurality of reuseable cartridges. Replaceable blister packages having a plurality of individually sealed spaced pockets are slidably inserted into the reuseable cartridge and aligned with a predetermined number of dispensing openings therewithin. The blister packages are specifically designed to mechanically interact with the cartridge as they are slidably inserted to properly align the spaced pockets with corresponding dispensing openings of the cartridge. One or more cartridges are releasably locked at least partially within the dispensing frame, and a plurality of dispensing frames can be placed in a frame container for convenient exchange and use with medication carts.

Abstract: To improve its resistance to penetration and degradation by sodium, a carbon cathode for use in aluminium production by the electrolysis of alumina dissolved in a cryolite-based molten electrolyte is pre-treated with a solution, suspension or melt of a compound of lithium, sodium and/or potassium. This pre-treatment takes place prior to, during or after forming the cathode but before use thereof. The entire carbon cathode, or only that part of the carbon which is nearest to the active cathode surface is treated, making it more resistant to penetration by components of the molten electrolyte of aluminium.

Abstract: A personal extraction cart for supporting and restraining a person to facilitate movement of that person from an extrication point, wherein the cart includes a frame having a support surface. The support surface has upper and lower faces and a leg support portion and a back support portion defining a longitudinal length with oppositely disposed longitudinal edges. The leg and back support portions have a use position in which the upper faces of each of those portions are angled relative to each other along the longitudinal length of the frame. Wheels are preferably attached below the support surface for facilitating movement of the cart in its transportation position.

Abstract: A slurry for joining metallic or ceramic surfaces or for coating metallic or ceramic and refractory surfaces, comprising a liquid suspending medium and at least two constituents in particulate form suspended in the medium, the constituents being so selected and proportioned as to undergo combustion synthesis when ignited. A method for coating or joining metallic or ceramic surfaces comprises applying such a slurry to a surface to be coated or to surfaces to be joined, and igniting the slurry to cause combustion synthesis.

Abstract: A return roller assembly for the return flight of a continuous belt of a bulk conveyor, the return roller assembly having a center roller and a pair of end rollers, the center roller being mounted horizontally and the end rollers being mounted such that the upper most portion of the inner ends are at the same vertical level as the uppermost part of the center roller and the uppermost part of the outer ends of the end rollers are below the vertical level, the center and end rollers defining a shallow, inverted, trough-like supporting shape for the return flight.

Abstract: A method of producing a component of an aluminium production cell made of a carbon-based composite material containing a refractory hard metal boride, carbide, oxide, nitride or combinations or mixtures thereof and aluminium as metal, alloy or as an aluminium compound, comprises firstly providing a reaction mixture of aluminium and precursors which react to form the refractory hard metal compound, and optional fillers and additives. The reaction mixture is mixed with particulate carbon in an amount of from 1 to 20 parts by weight of carbon for 1 part by weight of the reaction mixture; and with a colloidal binder containing at least one of colloidal silica, alumina, yttria, ceria, thoria, zirconia, magnesia, lithia, in an amount to fully wet the carbon particles. The resulting mixture is compacted and dried and heated to initiate reaction of the reaction mixture by self-propagating micropyretic reaction.

Abstract: A device and method for automatically arranging a flexible casing of food on a support is disclosed. The device includes a rotating barrel assembly having hinged doors which rotate inwardly to reduce the effective perimeter of the barrel assembly. The barrel assembly includes a vacuum port for releasably securing one end of the food casing to the barrel assembly. In operation, the food casing is attached to the barrel assembly, the barrel assembly is rotated and advance laterally along a horizontal support as the food casing is coiled about the barrel assembly. The food casing is deposited on the support by raising the support, moving the doors inwardly, and withdrawing the barrel assembly laterally.

Abstract: A work holding system for repeatably holding work pieces in a very precise position and orientation for machining operations or the like to be performed thereon. The work holding system comprises a cooperating receiver and pallet assembly. The receiver is mounted on a suitable surface. A work piece is mounted on the pallet. A cooperating pair of matable male and female polygons are provided, one mounted in the receiver and the other mounted in the pallet. The pallet and the receiver have cooperating, abuttable, annular surfaces. The pallet is mountable on the receiver with the male and female polygons mated to repeatably provide highly precise concentricity or centering of the work piece and the pallet with respect to the receiver. The abutment of the annular surfaces of the receiver and pallet assures highly precise, repeatable flatness or parallelism of the pallet with respect to the receiver so that the receiver axis and the centered pallet axis are coaxial.

Abstract: A base member and bit holder assembly for replaceably mounting a bit on a mining machine, road working machine or earth moving machine. The bit is of the type having a shank terminating in at least one working end. The bit holder has a shank receiving perforation therein to receive the shank of the bit. A bit retainer releasably retains the bit shank in the bit holder shank receiving perforation. Cooperating abutment surfaces on the bit holder and bit determine the depth to which the bit shank extends into the shank receiving perforation of the bit holder. The bit holder has a tapered shank portion, and the base member has a correspondingly tapered cavity extending therethrough. The angularity of the tapers of the bit holder shank and base member cavity are the same, falling within the range of from about 6.degree. to about 12.degree. and are such that once the bit holder shank has been set in the base member cavity it will remain there until removed by an appropriate tool.

Abstract: A coal haulage apparatus is provided for use in moving coal fragments within the horizontal shafts of a coal mine on a belt conveyor that runs longitudinally along the apparatus. The apparatus is an assembly of multiple, like sections that each have a pair of longitudinal rails and cross members which join the rails together in a parallel, spaced-apart relationship, of which the rails are designed to receive the bottom portion of V-grooved wheels of a dolly that can move longitudinally along the top of each section of the coal haulage apparatus. The longitudinal rails essentially act as the frame that supports the vertical weight of the dolly which rolls along the top of each section of the coal haulage apparatus, and a separate vertical support frame is not required. The rails are made of square tubing that uses a smaller mating, connecting tube to join rails from one section to another adjacent section.

Abstract: A multi-layer printed circuit board is disclosed as having more layers and greater accuracy in the conductive traces of those layers than has been previously possible. Using the disclosed multi-layer printed circuit boards can be built having a conductive path width of 0.5 mils (0.0127 mm) and spacing between such conductive traces of 0.5 mils (0.0127 mm). The method enables multi-layer boards to be created having more than eight layers, and still maintaining the desired 0.5 mil conductive path width and spacing. The enhanced accuracy and increased number of layers is made possible by use of adjustments to customer-supplied art work based upon evaluation of test pieces made early in the procedure. By use of the disclosed method, multi-layer printed circuit boards can he built having a high density of coaxial cable equivalents and tuned wave guide equivalents.

Abstract: The motorcycle comprises a chassis which rotatively supports a rear wheel and to which a front wheel is caster mounted. A radio controlled motor is mounted in the chassis and drives the rear wheel by means of a belt drive. The chassis has a forward fairing portion which supports a shaft, the axis of which forms a forwardly directed angle with respect to the horizontal of from about 90.degree. to about 130.degree.. Pivotally mounted on the shaft and extending rearwardly therefrom is a swing support to which is mounted a battery pack, a radio and electronics package, a radio controlled servo and the head, arms, torso and upper leg portions of a simulated rider. The servo has a shaft operatively connected to the chassis so that it can shift the swing support to the left or right from a centered position to cause the motorcycle to turn left or right in response thereto. Lower leg assemblies for the simulated rider are provided on either side of the chassis.

Abstract: A composite electrode for electrochemical processing having improved high temperature properties, and a process for making the electrode by combustion synthesis. A composition from which the electrode is made by combustion synthesis comprises from about 4% to about 90% by weight of a particulate or fibrous combustible mixture which, when ignited, is capable of forming an interconnected network of a ceramic or metal-ceramic composite, and from about 10% to about 60% by weight of a particulate or fibrous filler material capable of providing the electrode with improved oxidation resistance and maintenance of adequate electrical conductivity at temperatures above 1000.degree. C. The filler material is molybdenum silicide, silicon carbide, titanium carbide, boron carbide, boron nitride, zirconium boride, cerium oxide, cerium oxyfluoride, or mixtures thereof.

Abstract: A body of carbonaceous or other material for use in corrosive environments such as oxidizing media or gaseous or liquid corrosive agents at elevated temperatures, in particular in molten salts such as cryolite, is coated with a protective surface coating which improves the resistance of the body to oxidation or corrosion and which may also enhance the bodies electrical conductivity and/or its electrochemical activity. The protective coating is applied in one or more layers from a colloidal slurry containing reactant or non-reactant substances, or a mixture of reactant and non-reactant substances, in particular mixtures containing silicon carbide and molybdenum silicide or silicon carbide and silicon nitride, which when the body is heated to a sufficient elevated temperature reaction sinter as a result of micropyretic reaction and/or sinter without reaction to form the protective coating.

Abstract: A novel anode-cathode arrangement for the electrowinning of aluminum from alumina dissolved in molten sales, consisting of an anode-cathode double-polar electrode assembly unit or a continuous double polar assembly in which the anode and cathode are bound together and their interelectrode gap is maintained substantially constant by connections made of materials of high electrical, chemical, and mechanical resistance. Novel, multi-double-polar cells for the electrowinning of aluminum contain two or more of such anode-cathode double-polar electrode assembly units. This arrangement permits the removal of reimmersion into any of the anode-cathode double-polar electrode assembly units during operation of the multi-double-polar cell whenever the anode and or the cathode or any part of the electrode unit needs reconditioning for efficient cell operation.

Abstract: A dynamic braking circuit for use with bi-directional conveyor systems and other equipment having a soft start/hard stop capability in both directions of movement. The circuit electrically brakes the rotation of a DC motor by short-circuiting the armature of the motor, thereby creating a reverse current and reverse magnetic field to oppose the motor's rotation. The circuit uses high-voltage, high-current SCR's to switch the motor running current (in both directions) and to brake the motor as quickly as is possible for a braking circuit that uses such reverse current. The circuit thereby operates without the use of any in-series braking resistors or "smoothing" inductors which lower the magnitude of the reverse current. The SCR's are gated "on" in pairs per each half-cycle of the AC power supply, which enhances noise immunity of the overall SCR control circuit.

Abstract: A data collection system is disclosed for use with a panel of human respondents who answer a series of questions, and their answers are analyzed and displayed on video monitors in real time. The respondents use "smart" keypads to enter their answers using a numerical value from zero (0) through ten (10), inclusive. The numerical values from up to twenty (20) of the keypads are communicated to an intelligent junction box, at which time the numerical values are temporarily stored in memory, retaining the identity of the keypad from which each answer was derived. Up to ten (10) intelligent junction boxes can be connected to a central computer, which is a standard DOS-based personal computer, thereby allowing up to two hundred (200) keypads to be in use in a single data collection system. The numerical values from the junction boxes are communicated to the central computer and analyzed, using statistical techniques.

Abstract: A release key for adjustable track hurdles having telescoping members with a biased detent locking assembly located within a pair of longitudinal telescoping members, wherein the detent extends outwardly through aligned apertures in the telescoping members to selectively lock those members in predetermined longitudinal positions. The key features a pressure plate having inner and outer faces, with the inner face having an inwardly extending release protuberance and shaped portion which corresponds in conformation with at least a portion of the outer surface of the telescoping members. The outer face preferably includes a handle to further facilitate manipulation by the user, and the release protuberance is aligned with the biased detent in use and extends at least partially into the aligned apertures when its inner face is placed in contact with the outer surface of the telescoping members.