Abstract: Lacquers of low viscosity at high solids content suitable for forming baked coatings on conductive wires which do not interfere with tinning and soldering of the coated wires consist essentially of a polyester of isophthalic or terephthalic acid having a hydroxyl number of 150 to 450, an isocyanate having isocyanato groups masked with .epsilon.-caprolactam, and of a solvent consisting essentially of at least one member of the group consisting of diacetone alcohol, lower alkyl ethers of ethylene glycol or diethylene glycols, and esters of said ethers with lower alkanoic acids, said lower alkyl having up to three carbon atoms, and said lower alkanoic acids having up to four carbon atoms.

Abstract: A fluorescent screen whose fluorescent material is a pure rare earth compd such as a compound of the formulas (A.sub.2 O).sub.a (Ln.sub.2 O.sub.3).sub.b (P.sub.2 O.sub.5).sub.c, (Ln.sub.2 O.sub.3).sub.p (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3).sub.q (B.sub.2 O.sub.3).sub.r, or LnZrF.sub.7 wherein a is zero or an integer greater than zero, b, c, p, q, and r are integers greater than zero, A is at least one alkali metal, and Ln is at least one rare earth metal.

Abstract: A laminar body is prepared from sheets of cardboard and the like by forming an elongated intergral rib in one major face of a first sheet and a corresponding groove in the second major face. A second sheet is fastened adhesively in area contact to the second major face of the first sheet in a position in which the second sheet bounds an elongated duct in the groove. The two sheets, thereby secured to each other, are bent angularly about a line parallel to and adjacent the groove so that the second sheet is on the inside of the resulting bend.

Abstract: A floating reamer whose cutting head is axially secured to the shank but movable transversely to the parallel axes of the shank and the cutting head toward and away from a position of coincidence of the axes. Pairs of slidably engaged respective guide faces on one axial end of the shank and on the head are parallel and substantially perpendicular to the axes respectively. Two cutting blades project from the cutting head in opposite radial directions and are normally fixed to the head.

Abstract: A balance relatively insensitive to vibration of its support has a weighing pan mounted on a pan carrier which is one of the two normally vertical members of a parallelogram linkage, the other members being the stationary balance casing and two links hingedly interposed between the pan carrier and the casing. A solenoid assembly opposes displacement of the pan carrier under the weight of a load on the pan. The pan carrier is hingedly coupled to one arm of a lever fulcrumed on the balance casing whose other arm carries a counterweight in such a manner that inertial forces acting on the pan carrier and counterweight respectively during vibratory motion of the casing oppose each other.

Abstract: Extruded bars or columns of a set of structural members are each formed with a central passage and with at least one longitudinal groove having a restricted orifice. A connector member has a body portion secured in the passage of one member and two catches mounted on the body portion and projecting into the groove of another member. One catch has a leading, enlarged head portion and a reduced neck portion trailing the head portion. An operating device on the body portion includes a single, manually operable drive shaft and two motion transmitting eccentrics respectively connecting the shaft to the two catches for moving the catches inward and outward of the groove orifice in timed sequence so that the neck portion of the one catch together with the other catch laterally secures the catches in the orifice while the enlarged head prevents accidental withdrawal of the catches from their locking position.

Abstract: Water contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms is passed over a silver anode of an electrolyte cell in a layer 1 to 4 mm thick. The anode surface and the rate of water flow through the cell are related according to the equation F .gtoreq. c .times. V, wherein F is the anode surface area in cm.sup.2, V is the water flow rate in cm.sup.3 /second and c is a constant of the dimension sec/cm, with a value of 2 to 5. The density of the current in relation to the area of the anode surface is between 1.5 and 3.0 mA/cm.sup.2 and the voltage is such that active oxygen is generated at the anode. The effluent from the cell is safe to drink.

Abstract: The cylinder cavity of a pneumatic suspension element of the piston-and-cylinder type in which the escape of compressed gas from the cylinder cavity is prevented by a liquid in a portion of the cylinder cavity through which the piston rod passes is charged with compressed gas and liquid through resiliently sealed gaps about the piston rod and/or through a porous partition separating the liquid-filled cavity portion from the gas-filled portion.

Abstract: The electrodes of a water purification cell are immersed in the water to be sterilized. The current through the cell is kept constant by varying the resistance of an emitter-collector circuit of a transistor connected in series with the cell to compensate for changes in the cell's internal resistance. The voltage across the cell is monitored by two threshold circuits to determine if the conductivity of the water is within an allowable conductivity range. If the conductivity falls outside the range, a light-emitting diode is energized. The light-emitting diode is also energized if the voltage of the battery supplying the power for the cell falls below a given value. If no water is present in the supply line to the cell, a switching transistor is blocked, thereby disconnecting most of the equipment from one side of the battery.

Abstract: A column including a cylinder, a piston axially slidable in the cylinder cavity, a piston rod axially projecting from the cylinder, and a valve permitting selective communication between the two compartments of the cylinder cavity separated by the piston for flow of fluid between the compartments is additionally provided with a helical compression spring coiled about the piston rod and impeding axial movement of the piston on the piston rod in one direction, movement in the other direction being limited by a radial abutment flange on the piston rod. The spring favorably affects the comfort of a chair whose seat is mounted on the column.

Abstract: A method for preparing an aqueous dispersion of collagen fibers from various materials containing insoluble collagen and various products prepared from the dispersion are disclosed.

Abstract: A mixture of pectin, an edible mono- or disaccharide, an edible organic acid, an edible salt of an organic acid, and at least one further ingredient of the group consisting of fruit pulp, fruit juice, syrup, flavoring agents, coloring agents, and water, when sterilized and maintained under sterile conditions, has a long storage life and is quickly converted to an edible gel at ambient temperature by mixing with an edible source of calcium ions, such as milk. For a gel of pleasant taste and texture, the initial mixture should contain, per gram of pectin, 2.5 to 30 g of the saccharide, 0.15 to 0.75 g organic acid, 22.3 to 85 g water. It should further contain 1 g to 1.5 g of the organic acid salt per gram of the organic acid, and enough of the acid and salt to make the pH of the mixture 3.0 to 4.3. 25 to 40% of the carboxyl groups in the pectin are to be esterified with methanol.

Abstract: A carabiner consisting of a C-shaped, elongated body member and an elongated closure member pivotally movable on one longitudinally terminal portion of the body member toward and away from a closing position in which both members jointly constitute a closed loop. The body portion is made from a tubular blank whose relatively heavy-walled end portions are of smaller diameter than the thinner-walled central portion. The longitudinally terminal portions of the body member are shaped by flattening the reduced end portions of the blank so that these terminal portions need not be machined to provide the necessary smooth internal contour of the closed carabiner.

Abstract: A package of convenience food whose cup-shaped container is releasably sealed by a cover contains two layers of dehydrated food capable of being reconstituted by contact with hot water to which the container is impermeable. The bottom layer is a source of carbohydrate, such as instant rice or instant noodles, while the top layer essentially consists of foamed dehydrated egg.

Abstract: A toy road system includes a helical, ascending roadway fixedly mounted on a base and coaxially enveloping a column rotatably mounted on the same base. A slide is axially freely movable on the column, but secured thereto for joint angular movement. A permanent magnet on the slide may couple a toy vehicle carrying an armature to the slide so that the slide rises along the column and a coupled vehicle moves along the ascending roadway while the column turns. A descending roadway connects the two ends of the helical roadway for descent of the uncoupled vehicle by gravity.

Abstract: In a toy railway system, a switch, a device for reversing the direction of movement of a toy train, and an uncoupling device on the track are each actuated by bellows in a pneumatic actuator assembly connected to manually expanded and contracted bellows in a bank of remote control devices by flexible hoses.

Abstract: A dam of earth or rock fill is provided with an impervious core by forming a trench near the center of the fill and sequentially building plate-shaped wall sections in the trench from poured soil-cement mixture. The wall sections which are superimposed on each other in edge-to-edge relationship are hingedly connected by joint assemblies of tough, yieldable material, such as soil-cement enriched with bentonite.

Abstract: The window operating mechanism in a motorcar door includes a window support moved by a bowden cable extending in an angular loop. The wire of the cable is protected in the corners of the loop by a flexible sheath deflected into an arc by a rigid U-channel having an open convex side and held in the groove of the channel by annular end pieces. An adjacent straight portion of the wire is fastened to the window support in a slot of a tubular guide having one end received in a blind groove of one of the end pieces.

Abstract: Method of treating a wound or burn which comprises directly dressing its surface with non-woven fabric comprising staple fibers of spun, regenerated collagen substantially free of telopeptides is disclosed.

Abstract: The nitrogen content of a substance is determined by digesting the substa in a sealed container at superatmospheric pressure in a liquid acid medium until the nitrogen is converted to ammonium ions, the medium is alkalinized, and the ammonia liberated thereby is driven from the alkalinized medium into an acidic aqueous medium by steam distillation in a closed system in which the steam used is generated from the acidic aqueous medium. The latter then is adjusted to a weakly alkaline pH, and the ammonia present is oxidized to nitrogen by hypobromite ions electrolytically generated from bromide ions in the adjusted solution. The amount of current consumed is determined as a measure of the nitrogen originally present.