Abstract: A protective sheath for a pulse oximetry sensor. The sheath covers the sensor and inhibits contamination thereof during use. The sheath obviates the need to clean the pulse oximetry sensor after each use while reducing the likelihood of cross-patient contamination. The sheath allows the use of reusable pulse oximetry sensors and thus significantly reduces the overall costs of such sensors per use.

Abstract: Gas analyzer systems which include: (1) a transducer for outputting a signal indicative of the concentration of a specified gas in a sample which may contain that gas, and (2) an airway adapter or cuvette with a flow passage for confining the sample to a particular path traversing the transducer. The cuvettes feature radiant energy transmitting windows which are flush mounted in apertures on opposite sides of the cuvette flow passage and are fabricated from a polymer such as biaxially oriented polypropylene which is malleable, yet resistant to wrinkling, warping, and other forms of distortion. Retainer rings keep the windows flat and distortion free with an accurately reproducible spacing between the windows.

Abstract: A clamp assembly for attaching a pile to a device for inserting and/or extracting the pile. The clamp assembly has a fixed gripping assembly and a movable gripping assembly. The fixed gripping assembly is rigidly attached to a housing. The movable gripping assembly is rotatably attached to a pivot arm that is pivotably attached to the housing. The pile is placed between the gripping assemblies and a piston causes the pivot arm to rotate such that the pile is gripped between the gripping assemblies. The movable gripping assembly rotates relative to the pivot arm into a desirable position relative to the pile as it engages the pile to increase the ability of the clamp assembly to grip the pile. An anvil formed on the top of the clamp assembly facilitates attachment of the clamp assembly to the pile driving and/or extracting device and alleviates damage to the bolts used to attach the clamp assembly to the pile driving and/or extracting device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying drywall compound to an irregularity in a wall surface. The drywall compound is formulated to be flowable and placed into an aerosol container with a propellant material. A valve assembly is arranged to allow or prevent fluid flow from the aerosol container. When the valve assembly is opened, the aerosol material expands to force the drywall compound out of the container. A scraper member is arranged on the container to facilitate smoothing of the drywall compound; preferably, the scraper member comprises a scraper edge that is arranged adjacent to an exit opening such that the drywall compound can be dispensed and scraped at the same time.

Abstract: An inverter for an audio amplifier. The inverter comprises a current damped feedback loop for actively damping oscillations caused by an output inductor within the inverter. A forward compensator is provided to compensate for the frequency response of the actively damped filter. The resulting inverter generates an output voltage that tracks an input voltage thereof with improved frequency response within the frequency range of interest.

Abstract: A drill bit assembly comprising a plurality of cutter units, with each cutter unit comprising a circumferentially forward, relatively blunt positioning cutter, followed by a fixed cutter having a relatively sharp cutting edge, with the cutting edge of the following cutter being positioned a predetermined distance below an operating position of the positioning cutter. Thus, the cutting depth of the following cutter is controlled by the positioning cutter locating the drill bit assembly against the hole end wall from which material is being cut. Also, additional fixed cutters can be provided in circumferential alignment in said cutting units, and liquid jet cutters can be used in combination with said cutting units.

Abstract: An appliance which includes an inner compartment with one zone in which uncooked bagels can be boiled and a second zone for subsequently baking the boiled bagels. The same appliance can also be used to make bagel doughs and to both make and bake other yeast doughs.

Abstract: Systems for fluids (including liquids) and materials with a fluid phase. The material is confined in a primary containment, and a secondary containment is used to keep fluid leaking from the primary containment from the surrounding environs and to keep leachates and other fluids from the primary containment. A safe, non-toxic liquid in the interspace between the two containments is employed in detecting leaks in the containments and can also be employed to protect the containments against chemical attack.

Abstract: An appliance which includes a casing divided into one zone in which uncooked bagels can be boiled and a second zone for subsequently baking the boiled bagels. The same appliance can also be used to make bagel doughs and other yeast doughs. In the dough making mode, a bagel rack and its support are removed from the casing and replaced with a dough container and a dough mixing and kneading blade.

Abstract: Time at temperature methods of treating whole eggs which make them safer to eat without affecting the functionality or organoleptic properties of the eggs. The keeping quality of the eggs is also improved.

Abstract: A magnetic paint composition comprising a carrier, particulate magnetically permeable material, a binder, and a thickening agent having thixotropic and viscosity characteristics such that the paint composition has high viscosity when stationary, and low viscosity when shear forces to the paint composition, as it is being applied to a wall surface. When the paint is dried, magnetic objects can be mounted to the wall surface and held in place by the interaction by the magnetically permeable material.

Abstract: A pre-cut building structure and method of erecting the same, wherein there is a plurality of vertical columns, each having vertically aligned grooves to receive end portions of related timbers. The columns are located, and the wall sections are formed by stacking the timbers in aligned slots of pairs of columns. The timbers are bonded to one another and to the columns to form the building structure, and loads on the building structure that would tend to deform the wall structure in a plane parallel to the length of the timbers are resisted by the bonded connections between the timbers.

Abstract: Plug-in electrical switching devices which allow a load device to be electrically connected to and disconnected from an electrical power source at either: (a) a switched outlet electrically coupled between the power source and the load and (b) a location in the vicinity of the load.

Abstract: A processing roll adapted to engage paper or the like to heat and/or shape the same. The roll has a cylindrical side wall and defines a interior condensing chamber for steam. The interior surface of the roll is formed with longitudinal grooves which slope away from the longitudinal axis toward a central location. The steam condensates in the chamber, collects in the grooves, and flows toward a center location where the condensate is siphoned out and removed from the chamber. Improved heat transfer is achieved, and greater uniformity of heat is accomplished at the outside surface.

Abstract: Computer-based systems and methods for managing data. These systems and methods take advantage of a unique model which: increases speed and flexibility; eliminates the need for a complex data manipulation language, data or application dependent software, and separate structuring tools such as pointers, lists, and indexes; and automatically creates among the data relationships which may or may not have been apparent to a user or the designer. Salient, unique features of the systems and methods are their capabilities for: efficiently creating a composite view of the data; importing data from and exporting data to external databases; and otherwise providing significant and advantageous, additional control over the creation, maintenance, and display of the data making up a database constructed in according with the principles described in parent application Ser. No. 07/621,834 filed 4 Dec. 1990.

Abstract: A paper holding device comprising an elongate member having a clip attached to each end thereof. One of these clips is adapted to attach an end of the elongate member to a structural member adjacent to a computer screen. The other of these clips is adapted to engage and hold the sheet of paper relative to the other end of the elongate flexible member. The elongate member itself may be manually reconfigured to adjust the position of the sheet of paper until it is in desired orientation for viewing.

Abstract: A clamp for arrangement on a carrying arm is described. The clamp has a first and a second clamp half (10, 20) with in each case two lateral angle pieces (12; 21 ), in which are located a hole (14; 23) for positioning the clamp halves (10, 20) on the carrying arm, whereby the angle pieces (12, 21) which are directed against each other lie pairwise against each other and in each case one angle piece (21) of each clamp half (10, 20) lies on the inside and the other angle piece (12) of the same clamp half (10, 20) lies on the outside, and a legged spring (4) which lies between the clamp halves (10, 20) and keeps the clamps (3) closed. The internal angle piece (21) of one clamp half (10; 20) interlocks rotatably with the external angle piece (12) of the other clamp half (20; 10), and the legged spring (4) fills, in axial direction, the space between the internal angle pieces (21) in each case of the clamp halves (10, 20).