Abstract: A garden sprayer for dispensing pressurized liquids has a pressure vessel mounted within a liquid reservoir container. The pressure vessel carries a diaphragm pump which is detachable as a complete unit and which extends from the container for connection to a pivoted actuating lever that is fulcrumed on the container. The diaphragm, which is directly driven by the pivoted lever, is guided in position and orientation by a guide piston fixed to the diaphragm and slidably guided within the pumping chamber. A pair of input and output check valves, mounted at the end of the pump, permit liquid from the container to be drawn into the pumping chamber and to be forced from the pumping chamber into the pressure vessel. A manually controlled valve on a spray nozzle, which is connected to the pressure vessel, controls pressurized discharge of liquid.

Abstract: This invention provides a valving arrangement for a reciprocating engine in which there are two valve assemblies, each with a pressure responsive valve member. As the piston approaches the end of its stroke in either direction, the exhaust port is closed, such as by an extension on the piston, causing fluid pressure to build up in the end of the cylinder. This pressure is conducted to the valve assemblies through fluid lines, causing the pressure-responsive valve members to move in response to the pressure build-up in the end of the cylinder. These valve members control the inlet and exhaust connections to the cylinder so that the piston is caused to reciprocate by the working fluid as the valve members are moved pneumatically to open and close the lines.

Abstract: A pressure vessel for a backpack agricultural sprayer is mounted within a container of the sprayer and connected to the sprayer pump so that liquid from the container is forced under pressure into the pressure vessel for a spraying discharge therefrom. Sediment precipitated from herbicides or insecticides employing wettable powders tends to collect at the bottom of the pressure vessel and a combined sediment agitating and pressure regulating action is provided by a pressure regulator valve mounted in the pressure vessel and having a suction tube connected between the valve and the area of the pressure vessel where the precipitated sediment collects.

Abstract: A combined air release and vacuum breaker valve for pipelines has a ball float that acts directly upon both the vacuum breaker and air release valves which are concentric with one another and axially aligned with the ball float. To avoid adverse effects of high velocity flow of water into the float chamber, which tends to initially counteract buoyancy of the ball, a flow disturbing screen is connected to the lower end of the ball. The direct acting ball is connected to the pressure release valve member by means of a resilient lost motion connection, so that slight bouncing of the ball caused by turbulent flow in adjacent areas of the pipeline will not cause the air release valve member to bounce on and off its seat.

Abstract: The water purifier is operated entirely automatically and hydraulically in response to the opening and closing of the outlet valve from which pure water is drawn. All of the passageways and control valves are contained within a unitary body so that there are no external hoses and fittings. The only connections to the body are a pure water outlet, a waste water outlet and the water inlet. In the filter chamber a reverse-osmosis filter membrane is circumscribed by a brine seal at the same end portion as where the pure water is discharged. All water passageway connections are made at that end of the filter chamber, so that the other end can be unthreaded for removal and replacement of the filter membrane without disconnecting water lines. An improved pilot valve within the unit has a tapered end portion engaging an O-ring seat held in place by a spring-pressed washer.

Abstract: An improved ventilation opening having a separate screen frame which is attached to the ventilation opening by pawls mounted on pawl arms, with the pawls inserted into pawl receiving openings in a crossbar on the ventilation opening and having means to more positively retain the pawls within their respective pawl openings.

Abstract: A garden sprayer for dispensing pressurized liquids has a pressure vessel mounted within a liquid reservoir container. The pressure vessel carries a diaphragm pump which is detachable as a complete unit and which extends from the container for connection to a pivoted actuating lever that is fulcrumed on the container. The diaphragm, which is directly driven by the pivoted lever, is guided in position and orientation by a guide piston fixed to the diaphragm and slidably guided within the pumping chamber. A pair of input and output check valves, mounted at the end of the pump, permit liquid from the container to be drawn into the pumping chamber and to be forced from the pumping chamber into the pressure vessel. A manually controlled valve on a spray nozzle, which is connected to the pressure vessel, controls pressurized discharge of liquid.

Abstract: A wire harness is partly assembled by winding a number of wires on individual reels, fixing terminal pins to the wire ends, stacking the reels in the carousel support, upon which a multiple pin connector is mounted, and withdrawing individual wires for conection to the connector. A spindle extending through all wire reels is detachably connected to a support bar to enable the entire stack of reels with the wire thereon to be handled as a unitary assembly. The reels are stacked flat upon each other because the reel hubs are thicker to accommodate enlargement of reel peripheries as wire projects from the reels.

Abstract: A hanger for books and periodicals, such as magazines and journals, has first and second elongated hanger members that extend respectively along inside and outside portions of the periodical spine to clamp the periodical spine between the hanger members. The members are fixed to one another at one end and either fixedly or detachably connected to one another at the other end. A hook or other suspension device is connected to the upper end of the hanger to enable a number of magazines to be stored and displayed by being suspended from a single point on a hook or horizontal support rod, with each periodical being held by the full length of its spine and suspended at a single one of its upper corners.

Abstract: A shelter providing a closed, isolated and controlled environment for growing plants is formed of an inflated plastic tube having a bed of particulate material on the bottom of the tube and a number of plant containers on the particulate material bed. A combined air return, thermal insulating duct and sun shade for the tube is formed by a thin, flexible shade sheet of decreased light transmissivity having a peripheral edge continuously secured to the periphery of the tube along an area intermediate the top and bottom of the tube. The tube, and the air duct that is formed between the shade sheet and the top of the tube, are inflated by blowing air into one end of the tube, and flowing air from the other end of the tube into the space between the shade sheet and the top of the tube to be returned through the air duct back to the blower. Air in the shelter is conditioned by suitable filters or heating or cooling devices at the blower.

Abstract: A tremolo plate is pivotally mounted on the guitar body, and a plurality of a combination bridge saddles and lever systems are mounted on such plate, there being one such saddle-lever system for each string of the guitar. The combination systems include saddles adapted to be pivoted by set screws to change string height. They further include levers adapted to be adjusted by screws to effect fine tuning of the strings. The heads for the fine tuning screws are captured by ears. The pivot means for the tremolo plate have a pivot axis so related to the string saddles that the intonation points of the saddles may be adjusted between positions closer to the guitar neck than is such axis, and positions farther from the guitar neck than is such axis.

Abstract: A compact multiple image camera sequentially exposes upon a film a number of images of a video monitor that displays pictures of a patient subjected to a scanning device. The video monitor and a folded optical system move transversely of the film, which itself is mounted for longitudinal motion to enable multiple exposures in different arrays on the film. To enable the making of color photographs of a color video image that is supplied to the black-and-white monitor, a filter disc bearing a number of color filter elements is rotatably mounted between the camera lens elements, and its motion is synchronized with the sequential feeding of individual video signal color components to the monitor and the blanking of the monitor so as to sequentially expose upon the film filtered images of the screen of the black-and-white monitor as it sequentially displays components of the different colors of the video color signal.

Abstract: A method of making a high-voltage, noninductive, film-type resistor by providing on an insulating substrate a coating of resistive material. A laser beam is then operated to cut through the coating and remove portions so shaped that the remaining coating portions form a zigzag line. The laser cutting is so effected that each zig converges toward the adjacent zag at an angle sufficiently small that there is a major inductance-cancellation effect.

Abstract: The clamping apparatus includes a row of clamping elements, each two adjacent elements having one of the guitar strings disposed therebetween. An adjustable-length bolt extends through the clamping elements to create string-clamping pressure determined both by the rotated position of a bolt head and the position of a cam, the latter being mounted at the end of the adjustable-length bolt remote from the head. In accordance with the method, the head is hand-turned to cause seating of the clamping elements on the strings, this being while the cam is in a predetermined position. Subsequently, the cam element is shifted to another predetermined position that generates a large clamping pressure on the elements to clamp the guitar strings against longitudinal shifting despite the presence of large forces such as are created by tremolo action and by bending of the strings. An adjustable-height zero-fret element is provided adjacent the clamping elements to determine string height.

Abstract: A movable working head carries a pair of drive rollers, an insertion quill, and a routing nozzle that are manipulated so that a first terminal on one end of a wire is grasped between the rollers and inserted into the quill which is then inserted partly into a connector aperture. The rollers are rotated to drive the wire and terminal through the quill into an engaged position within the connector, terminal insertion is tested, and the insertion quill is replaced with the routing nozzle so that the working head can traverse a harness routing path with the rollers and nozzle sliding freely along the length of the wire towards its other end. Near the second end of the wire, the rollers grasp the second terminal pin, rotate with the pin 180.degree. about an axis parallel to the roller axes and are moved to insert this terminal pin into the insertion quill so that the working head may move the quill and rollers to a second connector.

Abstract: A guitar body is provided having a bridge plate pivotally mounted thereon, for example, by knife elements. Thus, when the bridge plate is pivoted in response to operation of a tremolo arm there will be a tremolo action in the guitar strings. The guitar body has a recess therein, which contains springs extending generally longitudinally of the guitar strings. One end of each spring is connected to the bridge plate, while the other end is connected to a yoke that is rotatably associated with a shaft extending generally longitudinally of the guitar strings. The shaft extends through the guitar body to one end thereof, so that it can be rotated in response to operation of a wrench. Upon turning of the wrench, the yoke moves along the shaft to adjust the spring tension of springs and thus the resistance to pivotal movement of the bridge plate.

Abstract: A spacer device for use in supporting bar-like members in construction applications, the device including a body having a plate portion with a support post portion having a saddle configured on the upper edge thereof, with a plurality of legs affixed to the plate member and extending generally perpendicular thereto. The support post is provided with either an aperture for passing fastening wire therethrough for securing the bar or a pair of aligned openings for receiving a U-shaped clamp member. The plate portion is provided with recesses in alignment with the legs to permit stacking of one spacer atop the other for building layers of rebar framework. The legs may be removable for reverse connection, thus permitting the plate portion to be used as a "sand plate" support for reinforced concrete construction, or alternatively a separate "sand plate" may be used.

Abstract: An electrical distribution system for lighting and the like including a generally C-shaped channel forming a track having guide shoulders on the exterior of the bight portion thereof, and inwardly extending lip portions adjacent the opening thereof for receiving and captively retaining a multiple conductor insulated cable within the channel. A first channel-shaped connector member is provided with inwardly extending guide portions configured for slidably engaging the shoulders of said channel member, the depth of the first connector member being sufficient for receiving therein a second connector member. The second connector member has a body portion with shoulders thereon spaced a distance less than the distance between adjacent edges of the lips of the open end of the channel member. Conductive barbs extend in generally perpendicular relation to the surface of the body portion intermediate the shoulders thereof, the barbs being at positions corresponding to the position of the conductors to be engaged.

Abstract: A can compactor in which there is relative movement between a cam and a can, in a direction generally tangential to the can. Such relative movement progressively collapses the can sides, following which the can ends are bent over further than they were bent as the result of the can-side collapsing.

Abstract: A prosthetic foot is disclosed which comprises an articulated heel. The heel comprises a plurality of links and has energy-storing resilient devices at adjacent ends of the links.