Abstract: A self-propelled, walk-behind commercial type lawn mower having a frame with a mower deck attached to a front section of the frame, an engine mounted to a rear section of the frame, and a handle bar assembly attached to and extending rearwardly and upwardly from the rear section of the frame. The mower deck includes at least one rotatable wing section pivotally attached to the frame of the mower deck for movement between a substantially horizontal operating position and a substantially vertical non-operating position. The rotatable wing section extends the mowing width of the mower deck and allows mower to travel through narrow passageways of an enclosed mowing area. A locking mechanism secures the wing section in its substantially horizontal operating position and a substantially vertical non-operating position. A rotatable caster wheel attached to the front of the wing section may be retracted to provide maximum clearance when the wing section is in its vertical position.

Abstract: An article piercing end effector for an industrial robot. The end effector includes a mounting bracket designed to be coupled to the arm of a robot. Positioned on the bracket is an actuator that is coupled to and controls the movement of a first plate. The first plate is supported by two guide rods coupled to the actuator. The first plate includes a plurality of pairs of opposed forks removably mounted to its underside of the first plate. Positioned below the first plate is a second plate with a plurality of holes generally aligned with the tips of each of the pair of opposed forks. The second plate is fixedly attached to the mounting bracket by standoff rods. When the first plate is moved by the actuator toward the second plate, the forks extending from the first plate travel through the holes in the second plate, which holes are chamfered for easy operation. The tips of the forks thus move towards each other to pierce items of interest, such as baked goods positioned below the second plate.

Abstract: An end effector for handling stacks of plastic cups, dishes, and similar items. The end effector includes a bracket of similar mechanism for coupling the end effector to the end of a robot arm. A gripping assembly is coupled to the bracket. The gripping assembly includes a main plate with a plurality of pairs of spring blades mounted on the bottom of the main plate. Each spring blade has a plurality of teeth and the pairs of spring blades are positioned such that the teeth from each spring blade are interweaved with one another. Two end blades are also mounted on the bottom of the main plate. The spring blades and end blades form a plurality of parallel bays. Each bay is formed by two spring blades or one spring blade and one end blade. When the end effector is coupled to the robot arm and moved down over the stacks of items to be picked up, the spring blades flex allowing the items to pushed into each bay.

Abstract: A suspension system for isolating a load (L) independently from two separate inputs (IA, IB), such as a pair of wheels. A slider (19) is slidably mounted to a frame member (11) supporting the load and pivotable supports a common swing-arm (23). Each end of the common swing-arm is coupled to corresponding input swing-arms by a linkage assembly (24) comprising a pair of link-arms (25A, 25B) in a manner that an input disturbance will be transferred by the corresponding input swing-arm to its link-arm which will cause a positive translation and rotation movement of the the common swing-arm relative to the the frame member, such that the common swing-arm will pivot a certain degree about the other link-arm but without substantially moving the latter, thereby maintaining the undisturbed input independent from the disturbed input. The suspension system may be applied to bicycles, motor-cycles, automobile axles and rolling vehicles in general.

Abstract: A system for generating a patch file from an old version of computer code which consists of a series of elements and a new version of computer code which also consists of a series of elements. Both the old and new versions of computer code are stored in a memory of a computer. An alphabet for processing the old and new versions of computer code is programmed into the computer and, once established, the old version of computer code is sorted with the data processor alphabetically according to the established alphabet to create a first sorted list of code. A pointer is maintained in order to indicate each element's original location in the old version of computer code. Similarly, the new version of computer code is also sorted alphabetically to create a second sorted list of code with a pointer of each element to indicate the element's original location in the new version of computer code.

Abstract: A lawn mower cutting blade spindle assembly having an elongate spindle shaft and a spindle shoulder projecting radially outward from the lower end thereof. A bearing assembly mounted within a spindle housing provides rotational support for the spindle shaft. Mounted on the upper end of the spindle shaft is at least one pulley configured to be driven by a drive belt connected to the mower's engine. A compression nut screwed onto the upper end of the spindle shaft is used to place the pulley or pulleys and bearing assembly in compression against the top face of the spindle shoulder. The spindle assembly also includes a cutting blade attached to the bottom face of the spindle shaft with a through-bolt and cutting blade attachment nut. Significantly, the cutting blade can be detached from the bottom face of the spindle shoulder without disturbing the compression placed on the pulley or pulleys and bearing assembly.

Abstract: A vehicle door striker is manufactured from a U-shaped striker plate and a striker bolt. The striker plate has a mounting plate connected to an arm by a support segment. The mounting plate has a striker bolt hole and two mounting bolt holes therethrough and the arm has a boss with a threaded hole therethrough. The striker bolt has a head and a threaded end with a shaft therebetween. The shaft is surrounded by a profiled plastic sleeve which serves to dampen sound and reduce wear. In assembling the vehicle door striker, the striker bolt is inserted through the striker bolt hole such that the head is fully recessed in the mounting plate and such that the threaded end is threaded into the threaded hole of the boss. The sleeve may be placed over the shaft of the striker bolt either before or during the assembly process. A plastic cover substantially envelops the striker plate to provide sound dampening and to further protect the vehicle door striker.

Abstract: A vehicle door striker is manufactured from a U-shaped striker plate and a striker bolt. The striker plate has a mounting plate connected to an arm by a support segment. The mounting plate has a striker bolt hole and two mounting bolt holes therethrough and the arm has a boss with a threaded hole therethrough. The striker bolt has a head and a threaded end with a shaft therebetween. The shaft is surrounded by a profiled plastic sleeve which serves to dampen sound and reduce wear. In assembling the vehicle door striker, the striker bolt is inserted through the striker bolt hole such that the head is fully recessed in the mounting plate and such that the threaded end is threaded into the threaded hole of the boss. The striker bolt and threaded hole interface in an interference fit designed to maximize the failure point of the connection. The sleeve may be placed over the shaft of the striker bolt either before or during the assembly process.

Abstract: A spill and leak containment system for a liquid electrolyte battery such as a zinc-bromine battery. The system includes one-piece, electrolyte reservoirs with pump mountings and other openings positioned at or near the tops of each reservoir. Positioning the openings at the tops of the reservoirs reduces the amount of electrolyte that might spill out of them, in the event of a leak or breach in the seal between the opening and the component mounted therein. The pump openings are surrounded by sumps, which will catch and contain liquid if there is a leak. To help contain vapor leaks, the invention also includes a vapor recovery system coupled to reservoir when it is filled with or emptied of electrolyte. The vapor recovery system allows for an exchange of vapors to occur between an electrolyte container and the battery reservoir while electrolyte fluid is being transferred.

Abstract: A headlamp adjuster includes a gear housing having a neck through which an input shaft extends in an interference fit. The interference fit provides a resistance to rotation of the input shaft. A drive gear is disposed within the gear housing and is connected to the input shaft such that rotation of the input shaft causes rotation of the drive gear. An adjustment gear is disposed within the gear housing such that it intermeshes with the drive gear. The adjustment gear has a bore therethrough that is at least partially threaded. An adjustment shaft is threaded through the bore through the adjustment gear. The adjustment shaft may include a force-limiting feature to prevent over-adjustment of the adjuster.

Abstract: An end effector for handling stacks of plastic cups, dishes, and similar items. The end effector includes a bracket for coupling the end effector to the end of a robot arm. A main plate or body with a top side, a bottom side, and a plurality of apertures is connected to the bracket and supports the major components of the end effector. The end effector includes at least one bay positioned in the bottom side of the main body. Within each bay is a multiple-piece blade support block that helps guide the blades located within the bay. One or more roller blocks are positioned at predetermined points along the length of the bay, preferably between two pieces of the blade support block. Each roller block has an arcuate track that holds a roller assembly. Each roller assembly has a link which extends through one of the apertures in the main body. Each roller assembly is also coupled to a curved blade. One or more linear actuators are positioned on the top side of the main body.

Abstract: A disengageable pivot connection includes a ball stud that is capable of being selectively removed from the corresponding socket. The ball stud includes an engagement head that has substantially flat faces or grooves that correspond to tabs extending from the rim of the socket into which the ball stud is engaged. To install, the ball stud is inserted into the socket such that the substantially flat faces or grooves on the head pass by the tabs extending from the rim of the socket. Then, the ball stud is rotated such that the head engages the tabs extending from the rim of the socket. Alternatively, the head of the ball stud is snap-fitted into the socket as is conventional in the art. As such, the head cannot be removed from the socket without additional rotation. The head remains free to pivot within the socket as required for the particular application. One particularly desirable application of the present invention is in automotive lamp assemblies.

Abstract: A pivot connection includes a ball stud head that creates strong anti-rotation characteristics while retaining substantially full pivotability. The ball stud head includes a mid-section that grips the interior of the socket so as to resist rotation. The improved ball stud head is useful in connection with quarter turn style ball sockets and quarter turn headlamp adjusters.

Abstract: A circulation system for a flowing-electrolyte battery having at least one electrochemical cell, an anolyte reservoir, and a catholyte reservoir. The circulation system includes an anolyte pump coupled in fluid flowing relationship to the anolyte reservoir which pumps anolyte from the anolyte reservoir to the at least one electrochemical cell. A catholyte pump is coupled in fluid flowing relationship to the catholyte reservoir and also pumps catholyte to the at least one electrochemical cell. A second phase pump is coupled in fluid flowing relationship to the catholyte reservoir and is used to introduce second phase electrolyte into the aqueous catholyte pumped by the catholyte pump. The second phase pump is controlled by a controller so that the second phase is introduced into the catholyte stream in a metered fashion.

Abstract: A two-piece container for preparing and cooking food, such as a roaster oven, includes a main body having a bottom portion with sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom and a separate removable cover for covering the main body of the container. The cover includes a hinge clip having a first portion attached to a rear sidewall of the cover, and a second portion extending outwardly and downwardly from the first portion for insertion into an elongated slotted opening extending through a flange surrounding the periphery of a cookwell pan inserted within the main body of the container. The hinge clip acts as a hinge when opening the cover, and becomes engaged within the slotted opening for supporting the cover in an open position. In alternative embodiments, the cover and cookwell pan may include brackets, or the cookwell pan may include a bracket for mating with an elongated slotted opening in a rear sidewall of the cover for maintaining the cover in an open position on the main body of the container.

Abstract: A method and system for preventing or treating atherosclerosis are provided in which a blood vessel susceptible to or containing atherosclerotic plaque is subjected to a low-frequency electrical impulse at an effective rate and amplitude to prevent or impede the establishment or decrease the size of the plaque in the vessel. The system can be implanted into the body of a patient or applied externally to the skin.

Abstract: A towel dispenser adapter converts an existing folded towel dispenser to a center-pull towel dispenser. The adapter detachably mounts center-pull towel dispensing heads to an existing folded towel dispenser. The mostly-flat shaped adapter has at least one generally circular aperture therethrough. Each aperture has receiving slots that accept and lock into place the corresponding feet of the dispenser head. The adapter is detachably mounted to the underside of the existing folded towel dispenser and allows towels to be dispensed by a center-pull method.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for storing, retrieving, and processing customer-oriented data sets in which relatively large sets of customers and their transactions or the like may be quickly and efficiently analyzed. A multi-dimensional access structure is utilized in which each cell representing one dimension element or a combination of dimension elements may include a list of customers who have made purchases or other transactions associated with that cell. Each customer record in a list may summarize predetermined information pertaining to that customer's behavior in the cell. Such records may be sorted by customer number to enable efficient combining of multiple lists. In applications wherein the number of such cells is prohibitively large, only a portion of these cells may actually include materialized lists.