Abstract: Apparatus and methods to animate and impart life-like qualities and actions to an animal-type puppet. The apparatus having a tail which when pulled or released causes, via a linkage, one or more appendages, such as arms, legs or wings, of the puppet to become remotely animated. The appendage comprises a remotely actuated, cantilevered lever or pivotal rocker arm which moves through a generally curved path or pivotal arch in response to longitudinal movement of the tail.

Abstract: A ring-type binder having a spine comprising inner and outer laminations of sheet material fixedly secured together in face-to-face relation, a ring-type binder element secured to the inner spine lamination by at least two (2) threaded fasteners extending through the inner spine lamination and through the binder element and secured in place by T-nuts, front and rear piano-type hinge elements secured to the front and rear edges of the spine inner lamination by through fastener elements, and front and rear covers fixedly secured to respective ones of the front and rear piano-type hinge elements by through fasteners, wherein the outer spine lamination is totally devoid of through fasteners and/or fastener openings and completely overlies and conceals the threaded fasteners used to secure the ring-type binder element and the through fasteners used to secure the front and rear hinge elements to the spine inner lamination.

Abstract: A robotic biped, quadruped or the like including a skeletal frame having right and left leg/foot assemblies, skeletal structure interconnecting the right and left leg/foot assemblies with freedom for movement relative to one another in respective ones of spaced parallel vertical planes and with one leg/foot assembly leading the other when both are firmly planted on the ground, right and left leg actuating mechanisms for raising and advancing respective ones of the left and right leg/foot assemblies mounted on respective ones of the right and left leg/foot assemblies, a remotely operable motor/transmission carried by the skeletal frame with freedom for right-to-left and left-to-right translation into the one of the right and left spaced parallel vertical planes containing the leading ground-engaged leg/foot assembly, a clutch or coupling mechanism for coupling the motor/transmission to the one of the right and left actuating mechanisms mounted on the leading one of the ground-engaged right and left leg/foot as

Abstract: Powdered grain and/or legume material is mixed with a liquid binder containing algin to form a dough that is molded, or extruded and the extruded material severed, to form synthesized kernels or bits. Such kernels or bits are deposited in an edible boiling liquid, preferably containing calcium chloride and/or calcium lactate, for setting the binder, and cooked in such setting liquid for a few minutes after which they are removed from the setting or gelling liquid, rinsed, retrograded or set and stabilized in their cooked and expanded state as by freezing or the like, and dried; or they may be canned or frozen. As a consequence, the kernels or bits can be rehydrated and rendered instantly edible merely by the addition of an edible hot or cold liquid without requiring further cooking. The bits may contain other food ingredients and/or fortifying agents such, merely by way of example, as vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids, fats, oils, medicaments and/or flavorings or coloring materials.

Abstract: A regulated voltage supply (10) for delivering a substantially constant voltage to a load (12) having a regulator (24) for controlling a raw voltage supply (22) to deliver that constant potential, wherein the supply includes sense leads (28 and 30) between the load and the regulator for monitoring load voltage, provided with a sense current cancellation circuit (30) for nulling sense current and preventing it from flowing through the sense leads; in a preferred implementation, including voltage-to-current converters (42 and 44) bridging respectively the output terminals (14 and 16) and the sense terminals (32 and 34), it provides a cancellation current equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the sense current.

Abstract: An actuating mechanism for variable camber edges of aerodynamic airfoils--viz.

Abstract: A portable tool suitable for removing snow accumulations from pitched roofs while standing on the ground. The tool is provided with an elongate handle for propelling a U-shaped body member upwardly across the roof while forming a U-shaped channel in the snow, and a pivotal blade movable into a plane generally perpendicular to the roof upon movement of the tool downwardly toward the roof edge for plowing the snow in the previously formed U-shaped channel off the roof.