Abstract: A method reduces levels of waterborne disease organisms, parasites and other infectious agents in open waters reducing their spread and improving it for man's uses. Large numbers of bivalve mollusks are used to filter infectious agents from moving water. The bivalve mollusks then process these agents by extracellular digestion, intracellular digestion or, encapsulation within the bivalve's feces or pseudofeces. The destruction of infectious agents is enhanced by sedimentation and the activities of benthic infauna. These benthic organisms may feed on the infectious agents or help to bury them by their burrowing activities. Additional sedimented material achieves sequestration and entombment of surviving infectious agents. The bivalve mollusks in the aquaculture system are harvested and disinfected destroying more of the infectious agents.

Abstract: A method of measuring position and orientation of an object in a space in six-degrees of freedom includes a three axis transmitter transmitting a magnetic field to be received by a three axis receiver. The transmitter transmits a pulsed DC transmit waveform. The waveform is preferably a symmetrical square wave with distinct non-overlapping axes and signal processing is accomplished such that the integrator is reset at the start of the rising edge transient period, the coil output signal is integrated throughout the rising edge transient and steady state periods, and the integration result is measured at the end of the steady state period, for each axis. The result is dramatically enhanced signal to noise ratio. The timing of measurements is chosen to reduce eddy current distortion while providing improved compensation for drift of the sensor with respect to the Earth's stationary magnetic field.

Abstract: A lancet body 15 is molded around a needle or blade, in which the inner end of the needle body which is unsharpened has an L-shape bend at the unsharpened end. The bend, when embedded in the plastic which forms the body of the lancet, secures the needle against removal. The method involves the bending substantially perpendicularly of the unsharpened end of the lancet needle or blade to be substantially perpendicular with the elongate body of the blade. The needle or blade is placed within a jig interiorly of the plastic mold. The jig includes spaced opposed clamps and a single orienting support to the bent portion of the needle. The body of the lancet is relieved in many areas to reduce material cost and has a molded tab cover eliminating a loose part such as a separate cover.

Abstract: A portable device may be carried by the user, in one preferred embodiment thereof, and motorizes the task of opening beverage containers having a screw cap. The mechanism that couples to the bottle cap consists of a generally circular band having a distal end bent inwardly in the direction of the cap. The bend of the band is sized and configured to permit receipt of the bottle cap with the bent tang of the band engaging the periphery of the bottle cap at one location. The band is mechanically coupled to the drive shaft of a drive motor with the drive shaft extending axially of the band. The drive motor is mounted on a plate carrying a strap designed to receive fingers of the user so that the user may grasp the plate. An activation switch is conveniently located on the plate so that it may be operated by a knuckle or finger of the user.

Abstract: A paperboard box has removable identifying indicia. In a first embodiment, the top of the box has a central opening that may be rectangular in shape. Each corner of the opening has a removable tab and each of the tabs carries a different message. For example, the messages can relate to different kinds of pies such as, for example, “apple”, “cherry”, and “blueberry”. One of the tabs may be provided with a line to provide a location where an identifier may be handwritten using any suitable writing instrument. As an alternative example, the writing on each tab may relate to an occasion such as “Happy Birthday”, “Happy Anniversary”, “Congratulations” or “Bon Voyage”. A product is placed into the box and the cover is closed thereover. All of the tabs are removed with the exception of the remaining tab that accurately describes either the contents of the box or the occasion being celebrated or observed or other message.

Abstract: Sunglasses are designed to be removably attached to existing eyeglasses using magnetic repelling force. The existing eyeglasses may have lenses to which are attached, on the outboard sides, temples that curve around from the plane of the eyeglass lenses and to which are pivotably attached ear pieces. On the inboard side of the lenses, a bridge interconnects them. The sunglasses have a bridge to which is attached, to either side, sunglass lenses. The attachment means consists of a rearwardly facing arm on the sunglasses to which a magnet is affixed, at each location, and magnets affixed on the eyeglasses in alignment with the magnets on the sunglasses. At each side of the eyeglasses, L-shaped brackets are provided that have C-shaped cross-sections. The magnets are arranged, on each side of the eyeglasses and sunglasses, respectively, so that when the sunglasses are placed into adjacency with the eyeglasses, like poles of the adjacent magnets face one another to create a repelling force therebetween.

Abstract: A fastener includes a generally square flange having arcuate corners. Eight upstanding ribs are provided, equally spaced about the periphery of the flange. When the fastener is inserted in a piece of material, the ribs dig into the surface of the piece of material to prevent the fastener from rotating when a threaded fastener is advanced into the opening through the shaft from the opposite side. Extending upwardly from the top surface of the flange is an elongated shaft having two adjacent regions, one adjacent the flange having relatively thicker threaded walls and another distal from the flange having thinner unthreaded walls.

Abstract: A solid glitter marker comprising a gel-forming material that contains (A) at least one kind of gelling agent selected from the group consisting of a dibenzylidene sorbitol, derivatives thereof, tribenzylidene sorbitol and derivatives thereof, (B) water, (C) a water-miscible organic solvent, (D) a high0molecular adhesive and (E) a glitter, the gel-forming material having a bending strength under JIS S-6026 of 160 to 700 g and a crushing strength which is not larger than 10 times as large as the bending strength.

Abstract: A lineman trainer includes a base on which are mounted three receiving brackets. Pads are mounted over these brackets. Each of the brackets is mounted on a mechanism that allows the brackets to move. An actuator mechanism may be manipulated by a coach or other operator to activate the brackets independently of one another. When the actuator is reciprocated in one direction or another, it releases one or the other of the side brackets so that a spring can pivot the brackets toward the lineman. When the actuator is rotated so that its handle travels downwardly, the central bracket is released and springs push it directly outwardly toward the lineman. When a lineman hits a released bracket, it is moved back to the locked position ready for another movement when actuated by the coach or other operator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamically controlling the crystallization of molecules including a crystallization chamber (14) or chambers for holding molecules in a precipitant solution, one or more precipitant solution reservoirs (16, 18), communication passages (17, 19) respectively coupling the crystallization chamber(s) with each of the precipitant solution reservoirs, and transfer mechanisms (20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28) configured to respectively transfer precipitant solution between each of the precipitant solution reservoirs and the crystallization chamber(s). The transfer mechanisms are interlocked to maintain a constant volume of precipitant solution in the crystallization chamber(s). Precipitant solutions of different concentrations are transferred into and out of the crystallization chamber(s) to adjust the concentration of precipitant in the crystallization chamber(s) to achieve precise control of the crystallization process.

Abstract: A melting liner for an induction melting furnace includes an integral foot portion for locating a lip portion of the melting liner in a convenient position for pouring molten metal.

Abstract: Embodiments of an AC magnetic tracker include frequency-based compensation for metal distortion. The tracker measures the position and orientation of the receiver relative to the transmitter in up to six dimensions, position (x, y, z) and orientation (azimuth, elevation, roll). In some embodiments, magnetic fields are transmitted at selected frequencies and the received magnetic fields are measured in-phase with the transmitted magnetic field. In other embodiments, magnetic fields are transmitted at selected frequencies and the received magnetic fields are measured both in-phase and in-quadrature with the transmitted magnetic field. In yet other embodiments, a transition signal is transmitted and the received decaying signal is measured. Other embodiments disclose some combination of these features. The metal's inductive limit, decay time constant and polarity sign are calculated from the received signals.

Abstract: A magnetic field position and orientation measurement system contains, confines and re-directs the magnetic field from one or more transmitters such that the fields are attenuated in areas outside of the operating volume in areas where metallic objects are commonly found. An attenuator made of a highly permeable material such as ferrite or mumetal may be placed on top of a conductive plate. The permeable attenuator may be as thin as 0.001 inches. on top of the permeable attenuator, a transmitter system is placed including at least three transmitters. In one embodiment, the transmitter consists of a PC board carrying the transmitter. The transmitter system, the permeable attenuator and the conductive plate, where used, may only be from ½ inch to ⅝ of an inch in thickness combined. The permeable attenuator may have a flat, planar configuration. Alternatively, it may be made to resemble, in cross-section, a cake pan having a flat central region with uplifted peripheral edges.

Abstract: A tool for hanging fascia board includes three parts. A first part consists of a t-bar having two pieces attached perpendicularly together and designed to be removably mounted on the end of a rafter board with the flat elongated member lying against a side wall of the rafter and with a portion of the second perpendicular member overlying the top of the rafter and removably affixed to it through the use of nails driven through openings in the second perpendicular member. A support hanger is pivotably mounted to the t-bar and has a slot sized and configured to slidably receive a fascia board. A depth adjuster is mounted on the support hanger and may be reciprocated and fixed in a desired position to adjust the depth of the slot of the support hanger. Thus, the depth of the slot may be adjusted to facilitate attachment of fascia boards of varying dimensions such as, for example, 2×4, 2×6, 2×8, 2×10, and 2×12.

Abstract: An extendable base and support extension for a transportable lift making the legs of the base hollow with leg extensions telescopically received within the legs allowing the effective length of each leg of the base to be increased. Removable fork extenders have been provided that may be mounted over the outer surfaces of the forks to extend their effective lengths. The combination of base leg extenders and extensions for the forks provide a transportable lift with the versatility necessary to accommodate to any fender-tire configuration combination. When the legs of the base are extended, the distal ends of the extensions of the legs have wheels mounted in them so that the entirety of the lift is supported on the wheels at the end of the extensions and the wheels behind the stand.

Abstract: A golf club grip drying device includes one chamber for receipt of a golf club grip and an adjacent chamber for receipt of an aerosol gas dispenser with a transfer tube conveying gas from the aerosol gas dispenser chamber to the golf club grip chamber. An actuator is provided which is responsive to movement of the golf club grip within its chamber so that when the golf club grip is so inserted, it engages the actuator which in turn engages the aerosol gas dispenser to open a valve contained within the aerosol gas dispenser and cause dispensing of aerosol gas within the golf club grip chamber to remove moisture from the surface of the golf club grip and therefore dry it.

Abstract: A molded plastic ramp is made in a one-step molding process. The ramp includes reinforced side and rear walls and a smooth radiused ramp surface. The ramp includes laterally extending side and rear supports that engage a ground surface and the forward portion of the ramp surface extends forward of the forward extent of the side supports.