Abstract: Disclosed is a constant contact panel interlock even during thermal expansion and contraction by providing flexible pins to bear on a tongue in a tongue and groove interlock and also by providing ramps for a bendable flange to slide over and bear on. Further, a material made of polypropylene with 20% calcium carbonate filler is used to form the panels, such material being sufficiently flexible at the temperatures common for panels exposed to direct sunlight (as on a roof or wall) to permit the pins or flange to bend without breaking and also being a material of much lower coefficient of expansion than pure polypropylene.

Abstract: The present invention discloses human headache relief by application of electrical pulses of an approximate frequency of 10-12 pulses per second to a headache sufferer's skin. Ideally, the pulses are of an amplitude just below the sufferer's pain tolerance level (typically 60 to 150 volts) and are applied by two electrodes: a ground electrode makes contact with any skin area away from the neck or head and a live electrode makes contact with the sufferer's neck or head, depending on the type headache suffered. Further, the pulses preferably have a square wave form with the pulse width approximately 40 microseconds. An application for two minutes is normal and usually provides at least 6 hours relief.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cable connector in which a body portion has an anchor and anchor connector. A cable clamp of flat material with threaded edges at one end is provided with an interior cable grip in the form of a hole. A cable clamp slot is provided in the body of the connector to receive the flat cable clamp. After the strand end of the cable is inserted into the cable grip hole, a cable clamp nut threadedly engages the nut threads of the cable clamp and moves the clamp into a tight gripping relationship with the cable. In assembling, the cable clamp is force-fitted into the cable clamp slot. To assure alignment, and deburring so that the strand end of the cable will enter the connector easily, a tool is employed to align the cable clamp hole with the cable tube portion of the body, while at the same time deburring the table clamp.

Abstract: A computer-peripheral interface includes a latch to receive parallel data from a peripheral, such as a cash register, with a hardware mask to reject irrelevant data, a simple FIFO memory and a parallel-serial converter for transmission to a controlling computer. These devices are controlled by a combination of five one-shots for timing, and a D flip-flop and gates. The problem of controlling a variety of peripherals, such as cash registers, by a central computer without also incorporating microprocessors or equivalent complicated devices in each peripheral yet still providing sufficient data handling capacity is solved.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sliding gate valve employed on the side of a furnace as a furnace valve, in which the mechanism is so structured that the shut off occurs by directing the slide gate to the up position rather than the down position. In addition, to facilitate a reduction in space at the slide gate, the slide gate is desirably configured to be asymmetrical, with the short end extending upwardly from the pour opening in the nozzle. A refractory lined heat shield protects the sliding gate carrier and also serves to mount a collector extension when used. More specifically, the slide gate is provided with a metallic frame which retains a monolithic refractory into which errosion resistant refractory inserts or preformed members are cast. Means are desirably provided to remove the spent refractory for remanufacture thereby reclaiming the casting.

Abstract: Disclosed is a pair of check valves for a home solar heating apparatus, one check valve for the solar collector supply line and one for the return line. The check valves have a transparent portion and an impeller which rotates during water flow and is located in the transparent portion, providing a visual check on water flow. Further, the impeller in the collector supply line acts as a check valve element which is gravity closed due to the impeller's greater-than-water density. Analogously, the impeller in the solar collector return line acts as a check valve due to its less-than-water density, these check valves operating to permit the usual direction of flow powered by a circulating pump but impeding the opposite direction of flow powered by thermosyphoning.

Abstract: Disclosed are plugs and fasteners which deter unauthorized removal through the use of rotationally symmetric engagement recesses. The invention also provides special tools with projections complementary to the plug and fastener recesses and thereby permit easy removal of the plugs and fasteners without damage. An exemplary embodiment of an inventive plug contains a two-stage recess in lieu of the standard hexagonal head; each of the recess stages is rotationally symmetric, and the two stages have non-coinciding symmetry axes. The rotational symmetry of the recess stages defeats any attempt to remove an inserted plug by forcing commonly available tools, such as hex or square drivers and blade or Phillips screwdrivers, into the recess. An inventive tool for use with this embodiment has a two-stage projection complementary to the recess.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for filling a cartridge which can be subsequently capped and closed. This is done by filling to a discrete level and then applying a closure. A displacement dome is provided at the lower portion of the syringe cartridge closure to first displace a predetermined amount of air or gas and then to displace a minor amount of fluid upon closure to seal the cartridge, and insure zero head space. The entirety of the process of filling is done in a vented environment, and the closure applied at ambient. The invention also provides an apparatus which includes a syringe cartridge having its open lower portion closed by a plunger piston. The upper portion is closed by a syringe cartridge closure having a leur tip cap. Means are optionally provided interiorly of the tip cap to retain a hollow needle, which is held in position by a leur tip, the latter being vented and provided with a seal for the needle.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for extracting large form panels used in forming floor slabs on poured-in-place, multi-story concrete structures from beneath the slab they last formed. The preferred embodiment apparatus, called a panel picker, includes a frame held by a crane above and adjacent to the last formed slab; the frame is anchored to the slab and contains hoists on movable trolleys for attaching to and lifting the form panel. The movement of the trolleys permits attachment to the panel picker to be made in two steps and without the panel being unsupportedly cantilevered out to where a crane could attach directly to the panel.

Abstract: Disclosed is a multicell carton having a base element with side panels, and gang lift elements formed as an extension from the side panels. More specifically, a breakaway strut panel is integrally formed with the initial panel, and thereafter folded over and glued, and severed from the initial panel in order to define the divider strut between the two strut gang lift elements. A divider strut glue flap extends from one of the gang lift elements and is secured to the single thickness breakaway strut, thereby reducing the board construction from approximately 235 square inches for the carton as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,579 to 225 square inches or a 10 square inch saving amounting to a 4.3% reduction in the use of board. The method of the invention contemplates first glueing the breakaway strut portion to the graphic panel and then severing the same by sawing or otherwise cutting to form an independent element on the underneath portion of the graphic panel. Thereafter the strut fold score results in a 180.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for positioning a pair of opposed brush assemblies in a gap defined by end baffles between process chambers. The brushes have a plurality of offset bristle clusters secured to a header, and the header is preferably angled so that the brushes will have a wiping action as a workpiece such as the printed circuit board passes between the bristles. A pair of brushes are employed with the opposed ends in overlapping relationship providing a wiping-type gate, and which permits the entrained fluid to drip down the bristle hairs and into the chamber from which the workpiece such as a printed circuit board is being removed. Optionally the brush bristles can be angled upwardly to incite a gravity assist for the entrained fluid dripping down toward the header of the brush and into the process tank.

Abstract: Disclosed is an exchange transfusion device with two coupled, automatically driven syringes, one in a blood withdrawal system and one in a fresh blood injection system; the coupling insuring that the volume of blood removed from a baby in the withdrawal system will be simultaneously replaced by an equal volume of fresh blood from the injection system. This simultaneous equivolumetric withdrawal and injection overcomes the physiological problems arising from the non-simultaneity of equal volumes of withdrawal and injection. The syringes in the withdrawal and injection phase of an exchange transfusion are driven at a slow steady rate, but on the refill and discard phase are driven at a high rate to avoid clotting of standing blood in the withdrawal and injection systems.

Abstract: Disclosed is a plating module and method in a cell which has linearly spaced vertical anodes, and intermediately positioned spargers which can be angularly adjusted with their nozzles impinging directly or at an acute angle on the printed circuit boards positioned at a mid-point in each cell. The printed circuit boards are suspended in clamped relationship to a cathode bar. The cathode bar, in turn, in each unit is coupled to a reciprocating power drive so that the same will move back and forth an optimum distance of at least the spacing between an anode and a sparger, or more particularly, half the spacing between two spargers. The method of the invention contemplates positioning boards to be plated, whether with copper or tin, interiorly of the unit in which the boards are reciprocated in agitation relationship with a plating solution into which an anodes are positioned. The boards are then permitted to reciprocate for a given period of time with a preselected current density.

Abstract: Disclosed is the continuous processing of flat workpieces such as printed circuit boards which are suspended by a hanger conveyorized for continuous horizontal transport. More specifically, the conveyorizing passes the workpieces through a plurality of chambers having slotted-end members, one such chamber spraying to remove the photoresist, and another such chamber spraying etching solution to remove the copper cladding. Each station has a slotted cover, and the conveyor suspends a plurality of workpiece holders, each of the holders being joined by chain links of an inert material which overlie the slot in the covers for the chambers. The photoresist chamber is provided with a continuous filter for cntinuously removing and filtering the sludge, thereby reducing the tendency of the removal solution to dilute and become ineffective. All of the chambers are modularized, and the system is compatible with continuous processing for the plating of the printed circuit boards.

Abstract: This invention relates to a fishing reel which has free spooling, variable drag, and lock up action controlled by an exterior lever. The lever is cammed to a draw rod, which, in turn, through a floating contact, pins journalled through the reel housing, and a thrust bearing, urges a brake disk against a brake lining fixed to the spool. The floating contact is adjustable for presetting the maximum drag and provides smooth operation even under conditions of a warped brake disk or uneven brake lining. And use of approximately a dozen pressure pins, depending on reel size, avoids pressure warpage of the thrust bearing race and consequent binding during maximum drag operation. The brake disk, floating contact, journalled pins, and thrust bearing are located in a housing opposite that containing the lever, winding handle, and a second thrust bearing for the spool and thereby permit easy access for repair.

Abstract: The present invention deals with the continuous metal exchange for workpieces such as a printed circuit board which can take place in a plating tank. The workpieces are conveyorized for continuous horizontal transport into and out of a plating tank. Opposite ends of the tank are provided with slots to receive and discharge the workpieces which are sealed, in the instance illustrated, by opposed rollers or an open slot of small area to prevent leakage in excess of the pump capacity. The workpieces are suspended at their upper portion by a non-conductive hanger, the lower portion of which is rendered conductive. When the workpiece enters the plating tank the conductive portion of the hanger suspending the workpiece from the conveyor, makes contact to energize bus bars thereby converting the workpiece to a cathode (or anode if metal is to be removed). A plating solution is inside of the tank and provided with anodes or cathodes energized for metal exchange.

Abstract: Disclosed is an enclosed planetarium with both fluorescent and phosphorescent painted representations of astronomical bodies, some of the representations may be mobile and rotated and the remainder of the representations may be painted on the inside surface of the enclosure. An ultraviolet light source is provided which upon activation illuminates all of the representations, but upon extinguishment only the phosphorescent painted representations continue to be visible. This provides two different displays both of which have the pleasing effect of ultraviolet illumination.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus which utilizes pipes of different lengths oriented vertically within the fluid of a reservoir which are constantly pressured with a gas source, normally air. Since the pipes are of different length, but the pressure is the same, a different back pressure will occur in the longer pipe as compared to the shorter pipe due to the differing head of fluid which must be displaced by the gas to slowly bubble out of the lower end of the pipes. This pressure differential is then read and the calculations applied, either from a table or constantly monitored through a computer, to measure the pressure differential and calculate the same in terms of specific gravity. Once the specific gravity is known, the back pressure on either the short pipe or the long pipe can be impairedly calibrated, or calculated by an equation having the specific gravity now known, and then determining from that the back pressure which will vary with the height of the fluid in the reservoir.

Abstract: Shown is a method for preventing or reducing cracking in collector nozzles in teeming vessels by securing the shroud underneath the nozzle with a predetermined load, sufficient to cause fluid tight connection between the shroud and the collector nozzle, and yet not enough to crack the collector nozzle. The shroud is urged against the nozzle and supported there by a boom which is free to move with the nozzle and thus becomes slaved to the movement of the nozzle and not its support. In addition, the desirability of removing the shroud from the pouring vessel by tilting it is preserved, and at the same time locking the shroud against pivotal motion is provided which reduces, if not eliminates, the excessive loads that can be caused when the shroud or the valve move, and the lower end is restricted for such movement by the poured fluid, thereby resulting in excessively multiplied loads on the collector nozzle.