Abstract: This is a rapidly deployable system for containing, collecting and storing an oil or other fluid spill occurring in a body of water. A plurality of flexible, cylindrical boom sections with depending coplanar flexible skirts, are detachably connected end to end to form an elongated boom assembly which may be as much as 400 feet long, for surrounding the fluid spill in the water. Each of the boom sections has apertures along one side to admit fluid from the spill. Long coil springs in the boom sections maintain the sections in cylindrical form while permitting lateral flexing of the boom sections. Floating skimmers in the boom sections collect fluid entering the boom sections via the apertures. The skimmers pass the fluid to a flexible collector pipe in the boom sections. The collector pipe is connected to pumps in housings interposed in the boom assembly. Flexible skirts also depend from the pump housings.

Abstract: This multilayer low friction pad for reducing shear and friction forces on a person's body, and for preventing and treating sores on a person's body caused by shear forces, friction, pressure, chafing and moisture, has a first layer made of soft, flexible foam material which is thick enough to serve as a shock absorber, facilitate handling, and prevent wrinkling and crumpling of the pad. A second layer bonded to the foam layer has a very slippery surface on which is a third layer composed of a slippery lubricant cooperating with the second layer to reduce shear forces and provide a working surface having a negligibly small coefficient of friction. The first layer has an exposed side rough enough to prevent frictionally displacement of the pad while in use. A nonporous fourth layer can be bonded between the first and second layers to serve as a moisture barrier. One or more drain holes can be provided in the pad underlaid by a highly absorbent mat attached to the exposed side of the first layer.

Abstract: This invention involves a multilayer low friction ambulatory pad for treating or preventing bedsores and pressure sores, and for managing fluids discharged from a person's body. The pad may have the form of a diaper with panels fittable to a person's body. The pad has a first slippery nonporous layer on which is a moisture absorbent second layer. A slippery, thin, porous third layer is on the second layer. The three layers are peripherally bonded to form a nonpenable seam which permits unbonded areas of the layers to slide slightly with respect to each other. The third layer may be sprayed with a filmy, dry, slippery fourth layer. A fifth layer of lubricating material which may be a microencapsulated lubricant or a free lubricant is applied to the third and fourth layers to form a very slippery top surface. The fourth and fifth layers do not clog the pores of the third layer to pass air and fluids to the absorbent second layer. In other pads, the absorbent layer is omitted.

Abstract: This windmill head comprises a stub tower having a rotatable platform carrying a wind driven fan which drives a transmission mechanism. The mechanism has two cranks and pitman arms at opposite sides driving two rocking beams carrying counterweights. One beam is coupled to a vertical pump rod by non-rigid members to reciprocate the pump rod. The counterweights assist the beams in pulling up the pump rod and pumped load. A tail assembly tracks the wind by rotating the platform so that the fan faces the wind. The fan furls out of the wind when wind speed is excessive. A power unit may drive the transmission mechanism when wind speed is too low and high to drive the fan. The platform is carried by bearings which prevent vertical movement of the platform and components on it while the pump rod is being pulled up and pushed down, and while the counterweights are raised and lowered. The power unit can generate electric power when the wind speed is high enough to drive the fan.

Abstract: This gearless straight line drive mechanism has a first shaft driven by wind power or other power source. The shaft drives rotatable crank arms which reciprocate connecting rods carrying a horizontal second shaft. The second shaft moves up and down. It carries and extends through the centers of flat, symmetrical, vertical links. Pivotally mounted guide arms are connected to ends of the links to move them in opposite arcuate directions while the second shaft is constrained by the guide arms and links to move in a precisely vertical path. The second shaft carries a pump rod for cyclically operating a lift pump. The guide arms may carry counterbalance weights or the guide arms may be loaded by springs, which apply forces via the guide arms and links to cyclically assist the second shaft and pump rod in lifting a load.

Abstract: A rotary scraper device for treating a work surface, comprises a generally cylindrical hollow hub casing having a peripheral wall. The hub casing has a closed end wall and open opposite end with a cover plate removably mounted on the open end of the hub casing, and a shaft extending axially outward of the cover plate for rotating the hub casing axially in one direction. Spaced walls inside the hub define chordal channels opening at the peripheral wall. The channels terminate at axially disposed sleeves inside the hub casing. Springy U-shaped clips have cylindrical bights fitted in the sleeves and springy side walls abutting spaced walls of the channels. Springy ends of the clips extend outwardly beyond the peripheral wall of the hub casing. Straight springy shanks of the fingers fit turnably in coplanar array inside the clips axially of the hub casing. Knuckles at ends of the fingers fit in the cylindrical bights axially of the hub casing.

Abstract: A rotary device for treating a work surface comprises a generally cylindrical hub body having a closed end wall, an open other end, and a rather serpentine endless peripheral wall formed with smoothly merging cylindrical wall sections, curved wall sections, flat wall sections and inner cylindrical wall sections. The flat wall sections define channels and the inner cylindrical wall sections define sleeves for removably receiving interchangeable springy fingers with cylindrical knuckles at their inner ends in side-by-side array axially of the hub body. Free ends of the springy fingers extend chordally outward from the hub body in directions opposite to the direction of rotation of the hub body. A centrally apertured cover plate closes the open end of the hub body. A bolt extends axially through a central passage in the hub body. The bolt has a keyed head mating nonrotatably with a corresponding keyed end of the central passage to insure insertion of the bolt in correct axial direction in the hub body.

Abstract: Thermoforming apparatus adapted to accommodate molds of different lengths to form molded parts in a horizontal web comprises a vertically movable support. A mold base assembly carried by the support includes a flat-topped rectangular basic mold base secured horizontally to the support. A plurality of flat-topped straight mold base extension segments are removably secured together in side-by-side relationship forming a rectangular array. The array is removably secured to the basic mold base and support. A first vertically movable straight gate is secured to the free end of the basic mold base. A second vertically movable straight gate is removably secured to the segment at the free end of the array. Any one or more segments along with the second gate can be removed from the mold base assembly without disturbing the basic mold base and remaining segments. The second gate can then be attached to the segment at the free end of the shortened array.

Abstract: This portable container for liquids includes a bottom ring plate on which is nested an upper pressure plate. An elastic membrane overlays the pressure plate to define therewith a chamber for containing a liquid under pressure. The membrane has a circumferential side wall abutting a side wall of the pressure plate, and an inturned wall section engaged between side walls of the ring plate and pressure plate. A nipple having a threaded axial bore opening into the chamber is integral with the pressure plate and extends downwardly through a central hole in the ring plate. A fitting having an externally threaded shank is engaged in the threaded bore of the nipple. The fitting has a radially extending other nipple on which is secured a flexible tube for passing liquid under pressure into and out of the chamber while the membrane expands and contracts. The fitting may have a radially extending head abutting a flange which is integral with the ring plate and surrounds the central hole, to hold the assembly together.