Abstract: A personal identification method and system for improving personal hygiene in which provision is made for identifying a beverage, food product, or the like, with a particular person so that another person does not inadvertently access the identified item unintentionally. Identifying indicia such as numbers or alphabetical letters are selectable and conditioned by the user to be prominently displayed on the item so as to identify it with the individual involved. For necked beverage containers, in one embodiment, a re-usable snap-on display device, or assembly, is configured to snap onto the neck of the container; in another embodiment, the existing conventional cap-attaching ring is modified to include alpha-numeric indicia and/or to receive a cooperating indicia-indicating display element.

Abstract: A monitoring system especially adapted for remote surveillance. Listening and/or visual devices such as microphones or video cameras (hereinafter “monitors” or “surveillance devices”) are disposed in selected rooms or other selected areas. These are interconnected by communications paths to one or more communication/control modules (hereinafter “modules”) which in turn communicate over wired or wireless paths to a remotely located telephone. The remotely located telephone may be of the cellular or conventional hard wired type from which a user can communicate with the module either to conduct conventional audible conversations or to visually/audibly monitor activities within a selected area.

Abstract: A portable shade canopy or awning is specially adapted for personal vehicles. Supporting members are made of strong, lightweight and inexpensive material such as aluminum alloy, plastic, or composite; and the canopy material itself preferably is either soft and paint protective or other inexpensive material with paint-protecting material on the underside and with four grommets disposed in a generally rectangular configuration. An easily detachable clip is installed on each of four windows in a generally rectangular configuration. This is easily accomplished through use of clips having recessed reliefs that fit on the tops of the window glass so that when the windows are rolled up (i.e., closed), each clip is set firmly in place. Four detachable legs are provided to provide principal support for the canopy. The bottoms of these legs are disengageably attached to mating parts of the clips and thus are firmly supported.

Abstract: A personal identification method and system for improving personal hygiene in which provision is made for identifying a beverage, food product, or the like, with a particular person so that another person does not inadvertently access the identified item unintentionally. Identifying indicia such as numbers or alphabetical letters are selectable and conditioned by the user to be prominently displayed on the item so as to identify it with the individual involved. For necked beverage containers, in one embodiment, a re-usable snap-on display device, or assembly, is configured to snap onto the neck of the container, in another embodiment, the existing conventional cap-attaching ring is modified to include alpha-numeric indicia and/or to receive a cooperating indicia-indicating display element.

Abstract: Compensating and identifying caps and cap assemblies for temporarily capping fittings. Each cap comprises a generally or pseudo cylindrically shaped member that includes a plurality of substantially planar panel segments contiguously connected to form a symmetrical polygonal cup-shape (e.g., a hexagon). One end is closed to complete the formation of the cup. Each cup has an outwardly flaring lip to facilitate mounting on a fitting, and the substantially planar panel segments slope inwardly slightly to facilitate molding and mounting. At the intersection of at least two of the panel segments, there are included resiliently expandable relief recesses so that if the member is force-fit mounted on a fitting slightly larger than its un-expanded dimensions, the material of the relief recesses expands correspondingly to permit such mounting. Pairs of such caps are connected by an easily frangible connecting strip to form assemblies which facilitate concurrent mounting on disengaged ends of tubing connectors.

Abstract: A personal identification method and system for improving personal hygiene in which provision is made for identifying a beverage, food product, or the like, with a particular person so that another person does not inadvertently access the identified item unintentionally. Identifying indicia such as numbers or alphabetical letters are selectable and conditioned by the user to be prominently displayed on the item so as to identify it with the individual involved. For necked beverage containers, in one embodiment, a re-usable snap-on display device, or assembly, is configured to snap onto the neck of the container; in another embodiment, the existing conventional cap-attaching ring is modified to include alpha-numeric indicia and/or to receive a cooperating indicia-indicating display element.

Abstract: An inventory control system in which local units having inventories continually and serially transmit data only in a local area to users having portable receivers which store and display when requested the inventory status of a particular item. The local units also transmit to a central computer their current inventory status so that additional local units may request inventory status in another local area from the central computer.

Abstract: A security wall safe specially adapted for securing weapons such as pistols. The safe is made of sheet steel or other strong and inexpensive material such as plastic or composite and is sized to conveniently fit between conventional wall studs so that it can easily be installed in a manner similar to installation of a bathroom medicine cabinet. It includes a touch keypad on a surface that is exposed to view when in use (e.g., the door or the front facing adjacent the door if a front facing is provided); and provision is made for the optional selection or change of door-opening code for the keypad to any selected three to nine digit number. The electronic control, in addition to locking/unlocking the wall safe, is compatible with conventional security systems and may optionally be set to activate the panic mode of an attendant security system and/or transmit electronic indicia thereof to one or more remote monitoring/law enforcement installations.

Abstract: A personal identification method and system for improving personal hygiene in which provision is made for identifying a beverage, food product, or the like, with a particular person so that another person does not inadvertently access the identified item unintentionally. Identifying indicia such as numbers or alphabetical letters are selectable and conditioned by the user to be prominently displayed on the item so as to identify it with the individual involved. For necked beverage containers, in one embodiment, a re-usable snap-on display device, or assembly, is configured to snap onto the neck of the container; in another embodiment, the existing conventional cap-attaching ring is modified to include alpha-numeric indicia and/or to receive a cooperating indicia-indicating display element.

Abstract: A versatile universal prepaid petroleum-related (e.g., gasoline and oil) and travel card system that features a pre-paid card that can be used at any major brand filling station. The card is encoded with data indicating its authenticity; and provision is made for optional encoding identifying it with a particular user, company, individual or event. The card is also usable for purchase of non petroleum-related products such as the sundries sold at many filling stations. The card, when purchased by a prospective user, can initially be pre-encoded with specific dollar amounts (e.g., $50.00, $100.00) or be blank and when purchased be encoded with an amount selected and paid for by the purchaser. Moreover, the purchaser may, at any time, increase the then-existing amount by paying for the desired amount of increase in cash. When a purchase is made using the card, a card-reader authenticates its authenticity and decrements the amount of pre-paid credit remaining on the card by the amount of the purchase.

Abstract: A versatile ballast and method of controlling and operating a high intensity discharge lamp. Lamp ignitor circuitry provides a high frequency alternating current starting voltage that is at least several times the nominal operating voltage of the lamp, thus shortening the starting time. This starting voltage is applied in series with normal operating voltage. After sustained ignition of the lamp has begun and a substantial lamp arc current has developed, the relatively low current supply characteristic of the alternating current starting voltage results in its becoming relatively insignificant. As lamp startup proceeds, the internal arc voltage typically falls to a fraction of its steady-state value; and circuit provision is made to correspondingly change applied current so as to maintain an essentially constant wattage operating power input to the lamp as the arc voltage changes. This automatic control of current also compensates for changes that occur in lamp characteristics as the lamp ages.

Abstract: A versatile plastic cap assembly for plugging and/or protecting fittings comprising a joined pair of capping members, one of such capping members being adapted for snap fit onto a male fitting, and the other being adapted for snap fit onto a female fitting. The capping members are initially joined together with an easily breakable connector so as to retain them in pairs until put into use, at which time the two capping members may easily be separated as, for example by pulling or twisting. The invention also includes a method of retaining identification of and temporarily protecting ends of components adapted for connection or re-connection while the ends are disengaged.

Abstract: An automatic dispenser for providing animals with cool fresh liquid (e.g., water). The feeder has self-cleaning and self-refilling features that provide periodic replacement of hot, stale or dirty fluid with cool fresh refills. Solenoid valves are controlled by one or more liquid sensors, a time delay relay, timer and optional thermostat to provide flexibility and customizing of drain/refill cycles as desired in order to reflect varying ambient conditions in which the equipment is operated. Provision is also made for remote actuation of drain and refill cycles.

Abstract: A fail-safe lighting system which includes provision for setting priorities or sequences of operation for different lights or sets of lights. When normal power is interrupted, all or a selected number of lights remain lit and/or are dimmed, thus providing a first level of illumination during a predetermined period of time. However, when a selected interval of time has elapsed and the level of charge remaining on the battery or batteries which supply power during the interruption decreases, preselected one or ones of the lights are progressively dimmed or disconnected from the battery acccording to a predetermined schedule. Thus, the time during which one or more extremely critical lights remain lit can be substantially extended without depleting the charge on the battery.

Abstract: A phase controlled 50 percent duty cycle variable output bridge power converter in which the 50% duty cycle is maintained constant while power output is controlled by changing the phase relationships between two 50 percent duty cycle square waves. When the 50 percent duty cycle square waves are 180 degrees out of phase, the output power is maximum, whereas when the waves are in phase, the output power is essentially zero. The circuits are conditioned to operate in a current mode, snubbing circuits are provided to improve load line characteristics and power consumption of the switching elements, and both soft start-up and controlled shut-down circuits are included to further enhance circuit performance.

Abstract: A two-component polyurethane sealant composition comprising a diisocyanate-based prepolymer as a first component and a polyol composition as a second component reactable with said first component, when said two components are admixed, to form a thermoset curable polyurethane, said polyol composition comprising a polyol capable of reacting with said diisocyanate-based prepolymer to form a polyurethane a catalyst, comprising a mixture of cobalt and vanadium alkanoates and a ketimine, and the method of making an architectural seal utilizing the same.

Abstract: A fail safe power supply system specially adapted for supplying power to devices such as lights. A battery is provided to supply power to the devices, and during normal operation, charge on the battery is maintained within selected levels by a charging control system that is connected to a source of commercial power. During a commercial power outage, the battery continues to supply normal power to the devices for a prolonged period of time, usually until commercial power is restored, thus obviating the necessity for a separate backup power source.

Abstract: The invention is to a storage device for storing hair accessories such as a comb, brush, and/or a can of hair spray internal to the storage device. At the same time the outside of the storage device is used to store and display fabric covered elastic ponytail holders, known as scrunchies.

Abstract: A modular fail-safe uninterruptible lighting system in which lights are identified singly and/or in clusters to form separately controllable entities. Each entity is provided with a modular receiver that is individually controllable to any of six selected states; and one or more modular switched logic controllers is provided to produce signals individually representing the six states. These signals are conducted from the switched logic controllers to the receivers at relatively low control voltages so as to cause the entities to function according to selected states when an outage occurs on the normal lighting system power source.

Abstract: A training system including a visual display, a computer, a mouse and a keyboard for data entry into the system, such data entry including problems presented as situations/simulations tailored to the particular type of training to be conducted together with trainee responses to questions relating to such situations/simulations. Provision is made for the trainees to prepare and record their own narrative solutions to such situations/simulations, following which, the system presents sets of multiple choice solutions and asks the trainees to select what they believe are the best solutions from among those that are presented. The system then critiques trainee selections. For each situation/simulation, if the optimum solution has been selected, the system identifies the reasons why that selection is optimal and repeats the related situation/simulation at least once more after moving on to another situation/simulation before the training session is completed.