Abstract: An intake manifold apparatus for use with a combustion engine has a lower manifold unit with lower runner portions and a lower plenum portion and an upper manifold unit with an intake manifold opening surrounded by a carburetor mounting flange, upper runner portions and an upper plenum. When the upper and lower manifold units are assembled the upper and lower plenum portions form a plenum chamber in fluid communication with the intake opening and the upper and lower runner portions form a plurality of intake runners between the plenum chamber and the respective cylinders each of which has an outlet port and a surrounding passageway side wall. The unit is constructed so that each outlet port is aligned in fluid communication with a respective cylinder intake port. Baffle means are removably mounted as part of the assembled unit for directing flow of the fuel mixture and form a relatively uninterrupted extension of each of the respective flow passageways.

Abstract: An ice fishing apparatus and method for retrieving fish through an ice hole during ice fishing provides a support member that is mounted to a base member that is supported by the upper surface of an ice layer. The support member is extended and retracted through the ice hole and is operative to support a fish during such motion. An extension and retrieval mechanism, such as a slide rod interconnecting the base and support member, operates to extend and retract the support member whereby a fish caught on a fishing line may be maneuvered to the ice hole, and onto the support member and supported during upward movement through the ice hole. The support member may be pivoted out of alignment with the ice hole so as not to obstruct the lower opening thereto, and biased against the ice layer lower surface in a ready position. An adjustable limit stop accommodates ice layers of varied thicknesses. The base member is preferably a circular collar, and the support member a pan element with drain holes.

Abstract: A product for the building industry includes a container having opposed transparent sidewall portions and a transparent caulking compound contained therein so that the appearance of a substrate surface with the caulking compound may be previewed before actual application of the caulk. A dispensing nozzle is provided at a downstream end and has a resealable cap. The container has a flexible sidewall that is flattened at an upstream end to form a region of reduced thickness so that a mass of caulking compound therein has a flattened configuration with this mass confined between the facing transparent sidewall portions. Preferably the entire sidewall is transparent and has index markings correlated to available bead length of the caulk remaining in the container. The flexible sidewall permits manual dispensing and allows a crease to be made thereby forming a preview packet.

Abstract: A vacuum control valve logically selects between a pair of variable vacuum sources to provide a vacuum to a vacuum use station such that the supplied vacuum is the greater of the two vacuums (the lesser of the pressures). The valve has a main body with a longitudinal passageway extending between first and second inlets connectable to the vacuum sources. An outlet connectable to the vacuum use station is located centrally of the passageway and communicates therewith. A pair of valve elements are located in the passageway and operate to open and close fluid communication between the outlet and the two inlets so that the inlet having the greater vacuum is open for communication while the inlet with the lesser vacuum is closed. Preferably, the valve elements are mechanically connected to one another by a hollow spindle provided with outer ports adjacent each valve element and a central port which communicates with the outlet.

Abstract: The method for thermoforming articles out of a sheet of plastic material including initially applying a negative pressure to the cavity and a first forming gas to the second side of the sheet facing the male mold section, switching to a second pressurizing gas for a period of time to allow a level of crystallization of the conformed sheet, and flowing a cooling stream of gas against the sheet to arrest further crystallation.

Abstract: A tide clock device is operative to display tide conditions cycling between low and high tides based on an average cycle time. The device includes a clock drive and a pair of relative rotatable elements, one of which is a display element and the other of which is a masking element. The display element has a shaded area and the masking element sequentially covers and uncovers the shaded area, and the size of the visible portion of the shaded area reflects tide status. Indices and indicators are provided to register the time interval before low tide and before high tide. In one form, the masking element is stationary and has a window opening, and the display element is driven so that an eccentric shaded area is driven past the window opening. In another form, the display element is stationary, and the masking element is an eccentric driven in front of the display element to mask and unmask the shaded area.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method accomplished by the apparatus is disclosed for cleaning shards, such as clay pigeon fragments, of debris and contaminant materials for recycling. The apparatus includes a reservoir containing a washing fluid and a moving conveyor partially submerged in the fluid. A screen has an outlet positioned above the submerged portion of the conveyor so that the shards may pass along the screen to the conveyor while some debris and contaminant material falls through the screen and into the reservoir away from the conveyor. The shards are washed in the fluid and are conveyed by the conveyor out of the fluid and past a bank of spray nozzles which spray the shards in a direction against the motion of the conveyor. Preferably, the screen from the bottom of a hopper and the shards are introduced by the hopper onto the conveyor under the influence of a fluid spray. A pump system circulates fluid through the various sprayers. A weir is included to trap buoyant debris.

Abstract: A small, hand-held cutting tool which is light in weight and easily manipulated for use in cutting relatively soft materials. The cutting tool apparatus described herein is especially useful for the decorative carving of pumpkins.

Abstract: An article of footwear, expecially adapted as a ski boot or hiking boot, has a toe portion and a heel portion respectively having a first and second sole portion that are pivotally rotatable with respect to one another over a fairly large angular range about a hinge between a first position wherein the first and second sole portions are substantially parallel and a second flexed position. The hinged fixedly interconnects the toe and heel portions in a manner preventing relative torsional rotation, and a downward limit stop prevents hyperextension of the foot. An upward limit stop may be included to prevent hyperflexion of the foot. The toe and heel portions may be independent pieces; and a masking panel extends therebetween beneath the foot. Likewise, an upper baffle may extend across the top of the foot between the toe and heel portions. Extension linkage my be employed as part of the hinge.

Abstract: A pumpkin carving kit includes first and second sets of different types of cutting tools, preferably drill elements and saw elements, at least one pattern sheet having a decorative design and an instruction book having first instructions for securing the pattern sheet and transferring the design onto the surface of the pumpkin, second instructions for using the first set of cutting tools on selected design features and third instructions for using the second set of cutting tools on other selected design features. The instruction book mounts an envelope that receives the tool sets which are organized on a tree. Preferably, a plurality of differently sized pattern sheets are included and are each provided with cut lines for slits allowing slit-adjacent portions to overlap whereby the shape of the pattern sheet conforms to the round shape of the pumpkin.

Abstract: A computerized bowling device includes a microprocessor, logic and memory that drives a novel display panel. The display panel has a name display region for showing a team's name or a bowler's name and a plurality of primary regions and a final frame region to display the running score of a bowler. Each of the primary regions has separate first and second ball registries, with the second ball registries having an X-shaped symbol, a subtotal region for displaying a subtotal score, a frame active indicator for indexing an addressed frame and a ball registry indicator for indexing an addressed register. The final frame region is similar to the primary frame region but includes a plurality of ball registers having numeric symbols and a plurality of registers having X-shaped symbols.

Abstract: An artificial fishing lure such as a fly is provided with ballast material. The fly includes a fish hook having a hook portion, a shank portion and an eye portion. The shank is encased by a chamber forming shell that extends circumferentially around the shank. the chamber is filled with a ballast material in the form of a liquid having a specific gravity greater than that of water. A core may be formed about the shank between the shank and the body forming shell. Various colorings, materials, tints and impregnations may be employed so that the lure simulates the exoskeleton and internal structure of an organism. The shell is preferably a vinyl tube wrapped around the shank from one end to the other to lend a segmented appearance to the shell.

Abstract: A thermal interface device is inserted between a heating element and a cooking vessel, such as a coffee pot for an automatic drip coffee maker, to reduce scorching and burning from non-uniform heating. The interface device has a main flat plate dimensioned correspondingly to the heating element and includes raised support structures formed as dome-shaped structures thereon. The cooking vessel rests on and is supported by the top surface of the support structures in spaced relation to the plate thus creating a convection space which reduces thermal conductive heating and allows both convection heating and infrared heating. An adhesive layer may be used to secure the interface device to the heating element, and vent holes either through the flat plate or through the dome-shaped structures vent stream and vapors from underneath the interface device when positioned on the heating element.

Abstract: A ratchet drive tool includes ratchet head that has a cylindrical aperture and a drive member rotatably mounted in the aperture. The drive member has a drive shaft that projects axially outwardly of the aperture and a pawl support structure oppositely positioned from the drive shaft. The pawl support structure has a flat slide surface oriented in a slide plane parallel to the rotational axis of the drive member. A pawl member has flat surface portions constrained for sliding movement along the slide surface between left and right drive positions wherein left and right ratchet teeth on the pawl member respectively engage longitudinal ratchet teeth on the inner surface of the aperture. The pawl member is radially biased into the selected drive position in relation to the rotational axis by a spring and pin member, and a switch operates to move the pawl member between the left and right drive positions. In an alternate form, two pawl members respectively slide on parallel slide surfaces.

Abstract: A support stand for a pole-like object includes a base member and a plurality of legs that slideably engage the base member at equiangularly aligned positions. Preferably the base member is tubular, and a primary leg is rigidly attached thereto. Two or more legs are rigidly attached to mounting sleeves that slide onto the tubular base into a nested position that presents a smooth visual appearance. Various alignment structures may be used to equiangularly align all of the legs. An upper end of the base member/leg assembly may be provided with adjustable clamping structure to further secure a received pole-like object; an auxillary base may also be used with the base member receiving a shank on the auxillary base which in turn receives the pole-like object.

Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning spas by removing particulate debris siphons liquids from the spa so that the debris is sucked out of the spa by the fluid flow. The device includes a rigid handle portion, an upstream nozzle and a downstream hose having a discharge outlet to define a fluid passageway. Preferably, the nozzle and hose are formed of a continuous piece of thermoplastic tubing having an upstream end molded into the nozzle configuration, and the handle is a rigid thermoplastic tube telescopically receiving a portion of the hose adjacent the nozzle. A protector sleeve retards mechanical fatigue of the hose at the downstream edge of the handle. Preferably the nozzle has an ovoid inlet both canted at an acute angle to the handle's longitudinal axis and formed contiguously with an imaginary concave surface so that the inlet describes an arch when placed on a flat surface.

Abstract: A golf club particularly adapted as a putter includes a club head, a handle portion and a shaft structure interconnecting the club head and the handle portion. The shaft structure includes a lower shaft portion and an intermediate shaft portion. The lower shaft portion is preferably formed of two parallel lower shaft sections oriented in side-by-side relation perpendicular to the club head to define a lower shaft plane that contains the axis of the club head and that is perpendicular to the attack plane of the golf club. The handle portion is offset from the lower shaft axis by the intermediate shaft portion so that the golfer's view line is not obstructed by the handle portion or the golfer's hands during a golf stroke. The handle axis is preferably in the lower shaft plane and is parallel to the lower shaft axis.

Abstract: A speed wrench and complimentary hand grip is provided. The wrench includes a casing which mounts a standard drive mechanism which has a drive member axially projecting from the casing in order to engage a work piece. The wrench has an added feature in the form of a drive head rigidly attached to the casing axially thereof on a side opposite the drive member. The drive head has parallel exterior sides and an interior axial cavity. Thus, the wrench may be torqued by both a normal auxillary wrench having a wrench head that engages the exterior sides by a normal lug wrench which has a drive lug that may mateably engage the cavity. The complimentary handle is in the form of a shell that nestably receives the wrench. The handle has an axial opening sized to receive the drive head whereby rotation of the handle rotates the wrench. The opening also allows access to the drive head cavity while the handle and wrench are nested.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment of a bubble making system for making large bubbles comprises a pallet for holding bubble-making fluid and a bubble maker with a plurality of user controlled bow members. The bow members are pivotally attached to each other at upper ends and lower ends and having protruding hand grips at the lower ends on their concave sides. Each bow member may include a supply system to wick and hold a supply of bubble-making fluid.In operation, a user draws the bow members through bubble-making fluid held by the pallet to fill the supply system. Then, while waving the bows through the air or projecting the bows into the wind, the user pivots the bow members with the hand grips to produce a variable sized opening between the bows to form a bubble between the bows. The bubble can then be set free by twisting the hand grips in the opposite direction, causing the bows to close and contact each other.