Abstract: A hair styling form includes a foam loop completely covered in a fine nylon netting. The loop has a circular cross section, and has an open center large enough to circle a person's head. To use, hair is combed down from the head, and the styling form is placed around the head near the hairline. Hair is wrapped around the form to create a crown-shaped hair style. The nylon netting provides enough friction or tack for fixing the hair in place, so that no hair pins need to be used. The foam loop is completely enclosed in the nylon netting, so that it will not grab or pull hair during removal.

Abstract: A collapsible sawhorse includes an elongated board with a pair of support legs at each end. Each leg is connected to the bottom of the board by a transverse hinge and a longitudinal hinge. The hinges enable the legs to be first folded inwardly, and then upwardly against the bottom of the board.

Abstract: Many circuit boards include conventional sockets for receiving optional ICs. Such sockets are soldered to the circuit board during the manufacturing process. However, many of such sockets are wasted because they are never used. Such waste can be eliminated by using a clip-on IC retaining apparatus. It includes a housing, a retaining clip, and four registration holes arranged at the comers of a trace pad on a circuit board. The housing includes a shallow, open cavity on a bottom side for receiving a SMD. Four registration fingers projecting from the bottom of the housing mate with the registration holes on the circuit board to align the pins of the SMD with the trace pad. Ribs on the walls of the cavity slide between the pins to separate and straighten any bent pins. The retaining clip includes four downwardly bent flat springs connected in a rectangular pattern. Four slots in the housing extend vertically between the top thereof and the bottom of the fingers.

Abstract: An embroidery easel apparatus includes a base, an adjustable arm with a lower end attached to the base, a rotatable head attached to an upper end of the arm, a clamp attached to the head, and a scrolling embroidery frame held in the clamp. The frame includes a pair of spaced rollers and a crossbar extending between side members. The clamp grips the frame by the crossbar, so that the rollers can be rotated for advancing a work piece mounted therebetween, and so that the work piece is not damaged by the clamp. The frame can be rotated or flipped over to allow access to the underside of the work piece. In a second embodiment, the clamp is rotatably attached to the upper end of the arm. The rotational axis of the clamp is positioned along the plane of the frame, so that the height of the frame is not changed after it is flipped over.

Abstract: An infant monitoring device includes a sensor connected to an alarm for alerting a parent when an infant is in a predetermined position. In a second embodiment, the alarm is activated only if the same body position is detected by the sensor for the duration of a delay determined by a timer. In a third embodiment, a wireless transmitter is connected to the sensor for communicating with a wireless receiver and activating a remote alarm. In a fourth embodiment, a timer is connected between the sensor and the wireless transmitter to reduce false alarms. In a fifth embodiment, a plurality of sensors are connected to a multi-channel wireless transmitter for sensing a plurality of positions, and communicating with a multi-channel wireless receiver for activating a remote alarm. In a sixth embodiment, a timer is connected between the sensors and the multi-channel transmitter for reducing false alarms.

Abstract: A resonant thermoelectric generator includes a thermoelectric power converter connected in series with a resonant circuit. A current generated by the thermoelectric power converter is cycled back and forth in the resonant circuit. The polarity of the thermoelectric power converter with respect to the resonant circuit is switched back and forth to correspond with the direction of the current. In a second embodiment, the thermoelectric power converter is coupled to the resonant circuit through a transformer, and its polarity is also switched to correspond with the direction of the current. In both embodiments, a negative retarding voltage that builds up in the thermoelectric power converter is eliminated by switching its polarity to always correspond with the direction of the current, so that energy is added to the resonant circuit in each cycle, and power is very efficiently converted from heat directly into electricity.

Abstract: An adjustable massage chair includes a chest support and a seat hingeably mounted to the outer ends of front and rear arcuate arms, respectively, that telescopically extend out the front and rear ends, respectively, of a stationary arcuate arm. A pair of clamps attached to the ends of the stationary arcuate arm lock the front and rear arcuate arms in their selected positions. A face support is hingeably attached to the top edge of the chest support, and is pivotable and movable fore-and-aft relative to the plane of the chest support. An arm support is hingeably attached to the lower side of the chest support, and is also slidably adjustable relative thereto. The face and chest supports are also slidably adjustable together relative to the end of the front arcuate arm. A pair of locking arms attached to the chest support lock it a selected position. A leg support is positioned between the chest support and the stationary arcuate arm. The hinged supports are all independently adjustable in tilt.

Abstract: A collapsible sunshade includes a sheet with a central horizontal fold line dividing it into upper and lower portions, and vertical fold lines forming accordion pleats. In a first embodiment, the upper portion includes a large cutout spanned by a flexible material. In a second embodiment, the center of the upper portion includes an inverted T-shaped cut that follows the fold lines. The cutout and the T-shaped cut further divide the upper portion into left and right portions. The sunshade is compacted by collapsing the sheet inwardly horizontally, and folding the left and right portions outwardly and downwardly. The flexible material of the first embodiment and the T-shaped cut of the second embodiment enable the left and right upper portions to be folded against the lower portion. A pair of wings extending from the left and right portions serve as handles to facilitate opening, installation, removal, and folding of the sunshade.

Abstract: Basic components for a snap-together structure include an elongated wall member with end caps, an elongated connecting member, an elongated corner member, an elongated end plate, and an aperture. Longitudinal locking channels are arranged on opposite sides of the wall member, and on orthogonal sides of the corner member. Each end cap for the wall member includes matching longitudinal locking channels, and a transverse end channel at its outer end extending between the longitudinal locking channels. The end plate includes a base portion and a connecting rib orthogonal thereto for being positioned in the locking channel of the other members. Each locking channel includes a pair of inner locking tabs arranged on opposite inner walls, and the connecting member includes two pairs of outer locking tabs on opposite side walls. The end plate is bolted to a foundation, and a plurality of wall members are stacked horizontally on top thereof.

Abstract: A cup holder includes a ring-shaped supporting member, a cord with a proximal end fixedly attached to the supporting member, a hook attached to the distal end of the cord, and a pair of upper and lower anchoring pins attached to the supporting member at a position opposite the proximal end of the cord. A lid retainer is attached to the cord between the ends. A conventional mounting device attached to the supporting member attaches the cup holder to a vehicle, such as on the handlebar of a bicycle. A disposable cup, such as those typically used for holding hot coffee to go, may be held in the cup holder by placing it in the supporting member, positioning the lid retainer on top of the lid, and engaging the hook on one of pins, which is selected to keep the cord in tension. Thus the lid is secured on the cup to prevent spills even when the liquid is sloshed around inside the cup, such as during a bicycle ride.

Abstract: A pulse sensor clip includes a body member composed of a conductive plastic. The body member includes a pair of parallel ears defining a keyhole-shaped channel therebetween for clipping onto an ignition cable. The distal end of a sensor cable extending from an engine time log is coated with a conductive adhesive, and inserted into a cable-mounting hole on the body member. A pin hole intersecting the cable-mounting hole extends between the cable-mounting hole and an exterior surface of the body member. A retaining pin is positioned in the pin hole, and driven into the sensor cable to secure it. A security wire lock can be installed through a pair of security holes on the ears to resist unauthorized removal of the sensor clip from the ignition cable.

Abstract: An aircraft defueling system includes a fuel jettison port (10) extending between the bottom side of a fuel tank (11) an the exterior of an aircraft. The port is sealed with a glass closure (12). A cylinder (13) with a piston (17) therein is positioned above the glass closure. A pressurized inert gas bottle (23) is connected to an expandable chamber (28) between the top ends of the cylinder and the piston. A metering port (27) is arranged on the side of the cylinder below the piston. Just prior to an unavoidable crash, a valve (25) on the gas bottle is opened to force the piston downwardly, so that the glass closure is broken by a conical bottom extension (18) on the piston. The piston is moved past the metering port. The inert gas is released into the fuel tank through the metering port, so as to pressurized the fuel tank and rapidly jettison the fuel through the port.

Abstract: A hay baler scale is provided for automatically weighing hay bales as they emerge from a hay baler. It includes a weighing platform attached to opening of a chute of the hay baler, and a controller with a display. When a hay bale emerges from the baler, it is rotated a quarter turn by the chute and ejected onto the weighing platform. The controller is programmed to wait until the bale has stopped bouncing by ignoring the first readings, take multiple samples of the bale's weight, and show the average on the display in about 0.75 second. The controller thus ensures that a reasonably accurate weighing is performed despite the weighing platform being attached to a moving and vibrating hay baler. In a second embodiment, the weighing platform is attached to the top of a chute, so that the bales slide onto the platform without turning.

Abstract: A punctum dilating and plug inserting instrument includes a cylindrical body with a first end being a plug inserting tip, and a second end being a punctum dilating tip. An elongated button is arranged longitudinally along the body. The button includes a fixed end and a slidable end; the fixed end being positioned between the slidable end and the plug inserting tip. The button also includes an outwardly bowing inner surface spaced from the body. A wire is slidably positioned longitudinally within the body. The wire includes an outer end protruding from the plug inserting tip, and an inner end attached to the slidable end of the button. A conventional punctum plug is attached to the outer end of the wire, and can be inserted into a punctum after the punctum is dilated by the dilating tip.