Abstract: A canine diaper is set forth and is comprised of three sheets of material. The outer sheet is a thin flexible waterproof sheet, the next sheet is an absorbent pad of multi-plyed construction, and the inner sheet is porous, and the diaper is shaped with a central tail hole in a strip which extends from the tail above and below the body terminating in four tabs which reach adjacent the ribs for fastening by adhesive strips.

Abstract: An adapter (10) to releasibly retain a lap top computer and a printer to an enclosed carrying case. The adapter comprises a frame made up of a floor (15), two side walls (12) and (14), and a partially closed top bordered by rails (16) and (18) perpendicular to and integral with the side walls (12) and (14). Both ends (22) and (24) are substantially open. A partition (20) across the side walls (12) and (14) connecting one to the other divides the frame into an electrical compartment (36) and a paper compartment (34). The lap top and the printer rest on the base rails (16) and (18), the printer receiving paper resting in the paper compartment (34) and coming through the open end of the paper compartment (34). The power supplies to the lap top and the printer, respectively, reside in the electrical compartment (36) with cords from an external AC power source having access through the open end of the electrical compartment (36).

Abstract: A closed-cycle combustion low-frequency acoustic pulse source for use underwater. An elongated combustion chamber, having a first end and a second end and an elongated elastic sleeve, is filled with a stoichiometric mixture of oxygen and hydrogen from an electrolyzer. When the mixture is ignited at the first end of the chamber, a longitudinally traveling flame front is initiated at the first end of the chamber. The moving front results in a traveling thermal pressure pulse. The pressure pulse is communicated to the surrounding underwater medium producing a generally uni-directional acoustic pressure pulse along the longitudinal axis of the elongated chamber. An alternative embodiment utilizes an array of sources disposed along the generally horizontal longitudinal axis of the array.

Abstract: A method of and a system for remotely controlling an adjustable, electrodeless arc discharge acoustic pulse transducer for borehole and underwater operations using high-energy arc discharges to generate high power seismic and acoustic pulses capable of being easily and remotely adjusted in time duration and magnitude such that they can be customized to create waveforms of preferred shapes. The transducer has an insulating ceramic barrier which contains a biconical aperture separating two bodies of electrolyte through which the two zones of liquid make contact and electrically adjustable circuits for switching supplemental amounts of stored electrical energy into the arc discharge circuit at successively delayed time intervals to lengthen the arc discharge current pulse to create the desired waveform shape for detecting variations in the geological features of the formations being probed or for use in ocean acoustic or sonar applications.

Abstract: An endoscopic surgical instrument for releasably grasping a curved needle, the instrument employing a handle at a first end of a shaft, the handle for operating a set of opposed jaws at a second end of the shaft. The jaws are serrated and have a channel through the top jaw and an arcuate groove in the top surface of the bottom jaw. The nose of the jaws is slotted to receive the forward portion of the curved needle while the central portion of the curved needle rests in the groove in the top surface of the bottom jaw, and the rear portion of the curved needle extends through the channel. With the jaws compressed and holding the needle in place, the surgeon may then insert the combination through a canulus to suture the tissue at a remotely-located operation site.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for effecting the cooling of a stream of air or gas by sublimation of dry ice particles utilizes an upwardly directed, variable velocity stream of air to maintain a supply of dry ice particles provided on a moving perforated conveyor in a fluidized bed condition to maximize the rate of sublimation of the dry ice particles. The cooled air may then be employed to effect the rapid and efficient freezing of a plurality of food articles passing through the same insulated chamber as the dry ice particle conveyor is located, or an adjacent insulated chamber.

Abstract: A short wavelength light beam such as the blue/green emission lines of an argon-ion laser, is projected through a narrow slit into a chamber onto a metal tube of the kind typically used to receive deposits in fuel testing. The spuriously reflected light is absorbed into the interior chamber wall. The beam spot on the tube is imaged by a short focal length lens onto a photodetector such as a photomultiplier tube. The radiation passing to the detector is filtered to block out all radiation except that having a wave length longer than the incident light. By this means, fluorescence from the deposits on such metal tubes, induced by the incident light beam, is quantified and is used as a proportional indication of the deposit thickness. The metal tube is simultaneously rotated and translated to scan the entire tube and thereby obtain a map of the tube deposits in order to establish a test rating for the fuel.

Abstract: A device for locking a coin control mechanism and insert into the interior of the housing of cabinet of a newspaper rack, the device comprising a cross bar (30) permanently mounted across the housing front opening (22) on which there is attached a blade receipt member (32) or in which a blade receipt slot (33) is located. An insert (38) consisting of a metal perimeter (40) having an insert cross member (52) extending from an upper insert brace (42) to a lower insert brace (46) is connected to pivot cams (36) attached to or near a lower edge (24) of the housing opening. The insert cross member (52) has an insert bracket (56) attached thereto which is generally L-shaped, having an attachment leg (58) for attaching the insert bracket (56) to the insert cross member (52) and a lock receiving leg (60). The insert (38) attaches to the pivot cams (36), and is dimensioned such that the perimeter (40) fits snugly against the perimeter of the front opening (22) of the cabinet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for tightening of knots formed at a remote location in the body through the endoscopic surgical technique utilizing a knot pusher (10) having a cylindrical end face with diametrically opposed suture guide notches (16) formed on such end face (14). The knot pusher (10) defines an elongated groove (12) for reception of the elongated body portion (22) of a knot clamping instrument (20). The application of a pulling force (T) to the knot after it has been positioned adjacent the body parts results in the knot being tightened by forces which are generally radial to the axis of the knot pusher (10). The knot clamping instrument (20) is utilized to secure a previously formed knot while a second knot is formed in the ends of the suture and moved into position by the knot pusher (10).

Abstract: The present invention shows a method for providing a disposable sanitary cover for the handle of a shopping cart. The cover is made from a flexible, semi-rigid material that has an inside diameter approximately equal to the outside diameter of the handle. Because the cover has a tubular body with a memory for returning to its prior shape, by pressing a slot cut the longitudinal length along the body against the handle for the shopping cart, the tubular body will open allowing the cover to enclose the handle of the shopping cart. After use, the disposable sanitary cover can be removed from the handle of the shopping cart. A notch may be cut in one end to allow for ease of installation of the cover. Individualized covers may be contained in separate sanitary packages.

Abstract: A symmetrical cell door and operating system comprises a vertically shiftable locking bar mounted in a center column of a cell opening. A cell door is movable in either direction relative to the central column and has upwardly facing locking notches in a lower horizontal frame element to receive the lower end of the locking bar to lock the cell door when moved either to the extreme right or to the extreme left of the center column. An elongated rack is secured to the top of the cell door by a lost motion connection and defines a cam slot engagable with a horizontally projecting actuator on the locking rod to cam the locking bar into and out of the respective locking notch. The rack is reciprocated by a pinion driven by a DC motor.

Abstract: A horizontal base-mounted device for adjustably locating a quilting hoop (18). The device comprises a vertical support column (12) with a base attached thereto, the base to anchor the vertical support column (12) to a horizontal base platform such as a desk, table, stand, or chair. A jointed arm (14) having a first arm member (32) and a second arm member (34) is attached to the vertical support column (12) such that it can rotate in a plane perpendicular to the vertical support column (12). The jointed arm (14) is adjustable so that it can be lengthened or shortened. At the removed end of the jointed arm (14) is attached a rotatable bar (44) adjustably mounted to the second arm member (34) of the jointed arm (14) with the axis of the rotatable bar (44) parallel to the second arm member (34) of the jointed arm (14). A quilting hoop support beam (52) is attached by an axle (54) through the center ( 53) thereof to the rotatable bar (44).

Abstract: A fastener system to join lightweight panels such as honeycomb or foam core panels. The fastener system comprises a unique hollow, threaded fastener pin (12) and drive assembly (18). The drive assembly (18) attaches to an electric drill and is made up of a cartridge housing (14) for carrying a disposable, dual piston (epoxy resin and hardener) cartridge (20), and a plunger assembly, clutch mounted to the cartridge housing (14). The nose (62) of the cartridge (20) is adapted to receive the proximal end of the pin (12). The plunger assembly (16) mounts to the chuck of the drill. The panels are aligned and the pin (12), mounted to the nose (62) of the cartridge housing (14), is placed against the panels at the point to be joined. The drill is activated and the pin (12) is threaded in until its flared, distal end (26) is seated flush against the skin of the panel.

Abstract: An inside rear view mirror system (10) for motor vehicle (18) employs a two-position rotary-action solenoid (16) electronically activated from a switch (54) mounted on the steering wheel spoke (52) for momentarily locating the rear view mirror (36) in a down position when the switch (54) is depressed and releasing the solenoid (16) to rotate mirror (36) to a normally up position when the switch (54) is released.

Abstract: A festoon style lamp containing xenon gas. The xenon lamp (22) has cylindrical, conical tipped end caps (36a) and (36b), a tungsten filament (34), and a cylindrical bulb (32). The end caps (36a) and (36b) are made of conductive material such as aluminum or nickel-plated brass, and are designed to adapt the lamp to fit into spade shaped contacts.

Abstract: The invention consists of a process for evacuating volatile gases from confined spaces (notably refrigerants from refrigerating machinery), dissolving them in polar solvents by compression, cooling or both, purifying them, storing them and releasing them from solution by decompression or heating or both.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for diagnosing the vulnerability of a patient's heart to lethal cardiac arrhythmias uses on-line comparison of the beat timing vectors with the stored vectors of a number of previous beats and analyzing the vector differences according to a chaos techniques to obtain an indication of heart condition.