Abstract: A process is described for filtration of fluids, particularly of heterodisperse fluids like beer, in which a cleaning cycle of the MF modules is always carried out when the transmembrane pressure exceeds a pre-set pressure which has been selected to be equal to the optimal trans-membrane pressure for the particular fluid to be filtered as regards its analytical appearance. In beer filtration this value is preferably set at 1.5 bar. The microfiltration facility is equipped with numerous MF modules 5, arrayed in series and parallel; with a device for cleansing the MF modules 5; and with a measuring device 3 for recording trans-membrane pressure, attached to a control device 7, which, upon attaining the pre-set trans-membrane pressure, interrupts the filtration process and starts a cleansing cycle going.

Abstract: A ball-applicator device for applying a cosmetic substance to the skin of a user, has a squeeze container in the form of an upright bottle which is molded of resilient plastic substance. The bottle or container has a relatively broad bottom surface by means of which it can be placed upright on a supporting surface, and has a tubular side wall construction which is adapted to be gripped by and held in the hand for manipulation and squeezing. The side wall construction can have generally the configuration of a pistol grip of mostly cylindrical cross section, being circular at its top. An externally threaded applicator head is disposed on the circular top of the side wall construction of the bottle. The applicator head has a reduced-diameter rim portion constituting an inwardly facing socket, in which a ball applicator member is held captive and exposed to the exterior for engagement with the skin of the user for the purpose of transferring cosmetic substance thereto from the bottle.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fiber optic control device having a joy stick, a housing which mounts the joy stick for universal pivotal movement on the housing from an upright axis thereof, a pair of mirrors which are movably mounted on the housing, driving connections between the joy stick and the mirrors, for actuating the latter in response to movement of the joy stick, a cooperable movement-limiting device on said joy stick and housing, enabling said universal pivotal movement of the joy stick to be had while preventing its rotative movement about the longitudinal axis thereof, and fiber-optic light transmission devices that are cooperable with the mirror and that can include sources of light which are adapted to direct light beams against portions of the mirrors, for providing output light signals in optical cables, which are a function of the virtual position of the joy stick.

Abstract: A cosmetic container consisting of a jar having an annular mouth portion and a sealing edge which extends along the mouth portion and is coextensive therewith, and having a screw thread extending along the mouth portion exteriorly of the sealing edge. The jar has a screw cap adapted to be threaded on the screw thread of the mouth portion, and the screw cap has sealing means which are engageable with the sealing edge of the jar for sealing the contents of the latter. The screw cap has a transparent window portion that enables the contents of the jar to be viewed from the exterior. The container is also provided with opaque means that conceals the screw thread and prevents its being viewed from the exterior of the jar.

Abstract: An orthodontic bracket apparatus for attachment to a tooth, consisting of a flexible attachment pad having dimensions that are commensurate with a designated area of the tooth to which the apparatus is to be secured. The apparatus has a pair of brackets permanently mounted on adjoining areas at one side of the pad in spaced relation to each other, such brackets being maintained in their attached positions and separated by an elongate, narrow hinge portion of the pad, which portion is free from direct attachment to the brackets. The narrow hinge portion of the ductile pad enables an initial easy, relative arcuate adjusting movement of the brackets to be effected with respect to each other, thereby to obtain a closer fit of the entire pad to the surface contours of the tooth which is to have the apparatus affixed to its surface.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing disposable, single-use lipstick samplers by means of a dipping process. In a preferred form, a reservoir containing molten lipstick wax material is provided, and a spindle which is disposed above the reservoir is advanceable toward and retractable away from the reservoir. A plastic cup-shaped form having an apertured tip is applied to the spindle, which is thereafter advanced so as to submerge the tip of the form into the molten liquid wax material. The spindle and coated form are then removed from the reservoir, and a vacuum is applied through the spindle to the aperture of the tip of the form, so as to draw lipstick wax material therefrom and into the interior of the spindle. The form is allowed to cool so as to solidify the wax, and thereafter is fitted with a cover, removed, and suitably packaged.

Abstract: A duplex electrical collector for a rail electrification system comprises a pair of slim elongate back-to-back metal conductor shoes which are supported respectively intermediate their ends by short sturdy offset metal plates that project laterally of the shoes. The metal plates can be cast integral with the shoes, or else attached to the shoes by ribs that are crimped into grooves of the shoes. The metal plates have bores to accommodate a pivot pin that carries a torsion spring, thereby to impart a bias that tends to spread apart the shoes. The ends of a copper lead wire are secured to the plates, and a terminal strip is carried at the center of the lead wire. This assemblage is encased in an insulating two-part housing that mounts it, and is held captive by interlocking shoulders on the plates and housing parts. The center portion of the lead wire and the terminal attached thereto are brought out through a collar of the housing.

Abstract: A cosmetic dispenser containing an elevator cup carrying a solid cosmetic product, a sleeve in which the cup is axially advanceable and retractable, and an operating shell turnably mounted on the sleeve. The sleeve has either two or else three equispaced longitudinal slots and the elevator cup has two or else three equispaced lugs passing through and projecting from the slots of the sleeve. The operating shell has two or else three internal spiral tracks respectively engaged by the lugs of the cup to propel the latter in response to relative turning between the shell and sleeve. The arrangement is such that the cup is advanced and retracted by balanced forces applied at uniformly spaced circumferential locations about the cup. The cup has resilient fingers that are forced inward by the sleeve, forming a collet which firmly holds the lipstick pomade. The sleeve has a lateral spur track which holds the cup captive in the sleeve.

Abstract: A dispenser for granular food products comprises a hopper for holding a quantity of the product, a pair of back-to-back rotary buckets to alternately receive measured quantities of the product from the hopper, and a semi-automatic electric-powered drive for operating the buckets to discharge their contents seriatim into waiting containers or packages. The preferred embodiment utilizes a cam-switch controlled electric motor which is responsive to push-button triggering.

Abstract: A strut construction for holding aircraft cowlings in a raised position, comprises first and second telescoping members which are relatively shiftable between a collapsed inoperative strut position wherein the members are nested together, and an almost fully extended operative load-bearing position wherein the members are only partially nested, the relative shifting of said telescoping members to their partially extended operative position causing a blocking of any collapsing movement. The strut has a spring-charged collar which is slidable on one telescoping member between blocking and unblocking positions, and the collar has a latch which is responsive to its manual shifting to its unblocking position against the spring-action thereof, for holding the collar in an unblocking position. Such shifting unblocks the telescoping members, thereby to enable them to be relatively shifted to their collapsed position only after the cowling has first been raised to the full extent of its movement.

Abstract: A composite fish hook which provides multiple barbs, consists of a main hook part and a dependent hook part that is attached mechanically and physically to the main hook part. The main hook part has a shank portion and a barb portion which latter has twin barbs disposed back to back. The dependent hook part also has a shank, and has either one or two barb portions. If it has two barb portions, these are also disposed back to back. The shank portions of the hook parts are so formed with interfitting sections, that they can be press-fitted together under a camming action which causes temporary distortion of the materials but results in a mechanical junction that is especially rugged and resistant to separation.

Abstract: A simplified training device for improving the batting skill of a batter in baseball, has a pair of arm cuffs adapted to encircle the arms of the batter at a location above the elbows thereof, and a pair of elongate flexible tie straps which are coextensive with each other and which extend between and are connected to the arm cuffs. The device is so constituted that the tie straps can be easily adjusted as to their effective lengths. When the tie straps are taut, they positively limit the maximum space between the arm cuffs at the time that the batter's arms are in a raised, retracted position. The straps are flexible and capable of collapsing movement to enable the arm cuffs to approach each other as the batter's arms are swung from the raised, retracted position toward the extended, ball-striking position.

Abstract: An artificial heart comprising a case with inlet and outlet openings for blood which can be implanted in human body instead of an incurable human heart and can provide the normal blood flows in both large (body) and small (lungs) blood circulations for a long period (years). It has a driving arrangement which has a driver armed with magnets and is placed outside the human body. The case is formed with cylindrical wall and two end plates and contains a movable grid consisting of twelve elongated wall elements which are disposed between said plates and which bear slidingly and sealingly on said plates, each wall element being articulately sealingly connected at its end points to at least one further wall element. The grid has nine axles; the central one is connected at least with one of the said plates, the remaining axles are free. The grid is armed with permanent magnets which cause the grid's rotation by their magnet coupling with the driving magnets of the driver.

Abstract: A container and dispensing device for mascara and the like, has a small bottle with an externally threaded neck of reduced diameter, into which a molded plastic one-piece separator member is pressed. The device has an applicator screw cap which screws onto the bottle neck, and which has an applicator rod depending from an intermediate transverse sealing wall. The applicator rod projects from the bottom of the screw cap, being surrounded by the walls of the separator member, and carries a brush for disposition in the bottle. Above the bottom end of the separator member is a doctor blade, which normally surrounds the juncture of the brush and applicator rod. The doctor blade has an annular sealing bead which seals against the bottom surface of the applicator rod, and the latter is commensurate in diameter with that of the brush. The separator member also seals against the sealing wall of the screw cap, whereby the separator member is sealed and maintains the applicator rod in a clean condition.

Abstract: A display-type applicator-containing compact for cosmetics and the like, comprises a shallow jar having a wide neck portion with external screw threads, and a ring-shaped screw cap member that is mounted on and cooperable with the neck portion. The neck portion has an annular sealing lip, and a plastic lens member is disposed in the screw cap member to provide an underside sealing area that engages the sealing lip. A swivel-mounted tray adapted to hold cosmetic material is pivotally mounted in the jar in spaced relation to the jar bottom, providing sufficient space under the tray to store a puff or similar applicator. The underside of the tray is a mirror, for use when the tray is swung up out of the jar, and when the applicator is being used.

Abstract: An orthodontic bracket apparatus for attachment to a tooth, consisting of a flexible attachment pad having dimensions that are commensurate with a designated area of the tooth to which the apparatus is to be secured. The apparatus has a pair of brackets permanently mounted on adjoining areas at one side of the pad in spaced relation to each other, such brackets being maintained in their attached positions and separated by an elongate, narrow hinge portion of the pad, which portion is free from direct attachment to the brackets. The narrow hinge portion of the ductile pad enables an initial easy, relative arcuate adjusting movement of the brackets to be effected with respect to each other, thereby to obtain a closer fit of the entire pad to the surface contours of the tooth which is to have the apparatus affixed to its surface.

Abstract: A process is described for filtration of fluids, particularly of beverages like beer, utilizing microfiltration membrane modules operated in alternating filtering cycles and cleansing cycles, in which the cleansing cycles are always carried out when the transmembrane pressure exceeds a pre-set pressure which has been set to equal to the optimum trans-membrane pressure for the particular fluid being filtered, based on an analysis of the fluid after it has been filtered. In beer filteration, this value is preferably set at 1.5 bar. The microfiltration facility is equipped with numerous MF modules, arrayed in series and parallel; with a device for cleansing the MF modules and a measuring device for recording trans-membrane pressure that is attached to a control device which, upon attaining the pre-set trans-membrane pressure, interrupts the filtering cycle and starts a cleansing cycle.

Abstract: A container and dispenser device for mascara and like products, consists of a shouldered bottle and a screw cap applicator which is screwed onto the bottle. In the bottle neck there is situated a shroud or separator member which has unique doctor means in the form of hinged webs which surround the actuator rod and control the amount of product which adheres to the applicator brush when the latter is withdrawn for use. Cooperable with the hinged webs is a circular bead on the applicator rod, which is engageable with the webs and normally constitutes a seal to prevent product from invading the shroud. Various types and shapes of doctoring webs are used, in various combinations to produce "clean" and also "product carrying" portions on the brush, thereby to enable a combing action to be had by the user, and the applicator rod can extend for an appreciable distance below the shroud and into the product contained in the bottle.

Abstract: A container and sealing closure therefor, includes a container body part having an access opening and includes a continuous peripheral wall surrounding the access opening, and a closure part. The wall of the body part has a peripherally extending continuous sealing edge portion at its upper outer surface, the edge portion being coextensive with the wall. The closure part has a resilient skirt portion. The sealing edge portion of the wall of the container part has a sharp apex forming an included angle of substantially 90 degrees. The skirt portion of the closure part is adapted to mate in spaced relation, with the peripheral wall of the container part and has an inner surface which extends obliquely with respect to the peripheral wall of the body part and which is adapted to engage the apex.