Abstract: A flexible foot binder is held in a slideable assembly which has upward facing detents along opposite sides. Inward opening slideways have over-the-center eccentric cam locks mounted on transverse pins. The cams engage the detents to press the slide assembly downward on the ski and to prevent motion of the slideable assembly.

Abstract: Buried plastic mines or nonmetallic objects are located by spraying a suspected area with a leach of ionized metal and leaching the ionized metal into the soil to leave a metallic concentrate on an impervious object, such as a plastic mine. An array of detectors detects anomalies of concentrations of the metal, the concentrations being the result of the leach settling on or about the impervious object.

Abstract: A bearing-less positive displacement flowmeter is disclosed of the type having dual rotary pistons with inter-engaging blades. Bearing-less mounting of the rotary pistons is established by making the pistons out of sleeve bearing material and having them rotate about stainless steel shafts. The pistons are in tight clearance with the casing. Magnets on the piston blades interrupt the magnetic field of the front outside mounted pickup. The interrupted field results in a pulse, the frequency of which is a function of the RPM's of the pistons. Thus, the frequency is directly proportional to the flow rate.

Abstract: Ice from an ice-making source is loaded into a bin and rests upon a curved liner which is spaced above the bottom of the bin. Ice is moved through the bin and above the liner by a wire auger toward a discharge opening. Ice gravitationally feeds through openings in the liner to a cold plate which forms the bottom of the bin. The ice chills the cold plate, chilling beverages flowing through passages in the cold plate. As ice resting on the cold plate takes up heat, the ice melts. Water is drained from above the cold plate. Foamed-in-place polyurethane insulation surrounds the bin. A motor is mounted on the front of the bin. A drive connected to the motor drives the ice-moving auger and discharge equipment. A motor controller is mounted near an ice-discharge chute. Beverage-dispenser valves are connected to the front of the cold plate and are aligned with the dispenser chute.

Abstract: One end of an elongated flexible strap is connected to a screw base. The strap extends downward through a central opening in a cover and in a reflector. After the screw base is threaded into a socket, a gripper is pushed upward along the flexible strap, drawing the reflector up and a trim ring tight against the ceiling which surrounds the recessed fixture.

Abstract: A collapsible soft top for use on pick-up truck cargo compartments is disclosed. The invention consists of a frame and a fabric top. The frame comprises a number of girders and rafters which may be folded up when an open cargo compartment is desired. The frame is covered by a weather resistant, collapsible fabric which provides window means as well as door means.

Abstract: In a light plunger piston for internal combustion engines, in order further to save weight and to achieve an elastic running behaviour, the piston skirt is reduced to three relatively narrow guide plates. The guide plates are attached through longitudinal ribs to gudgeon pin bushes suspended freely from the piston crown. On the thrust side of the piston there are two of the three guide plates which extend, seen from a 45 degrees diagonal plane between gudgeon pin axial plane and connecting rod oscillation plane, through about 15-25 degrees to each of the two sides. On the counter-thrust side only one pressure plate is provided which extends circumferentially over about 50 degrees. There is preferably no direct connection between the guide plates and the lowermost ring land.

Abstract: A book in combination with a mirror is disclosed. A book such as one might ordinarily keep on one's shelf has a mirror embedded in one of the bound sections such that upon picking up the book and leafing through several pages, one is confronted with one's reflection. This allows for an added dimension to communication. The mirror is embedded in a thick section, the leaves of which may be bound and laminated together, a hole corresponding in dimensions to the mirror is cut partially therethrough, a mirror is immovably placed in said hole.

Abstract: An intra-ocular lens consisting of a transparent body has concentrically oriented near vision and far vision, optically powered portions with the near vision portion being centrally positioned relative to the body and the far vision portion being coaxial with and surrounding the near vision portion, the lens being fixed in a position such that the near vision portion is aligned with the pupillary aperture of the eye and is fixed in alignment.

Abstract: A tube cover has top and bottom flat portions stitched together along mutual peripheral edges, and a hitch which consists of a plurality of crossing straps that are interconnected by stitching, and a D-ring attached to one of the straps.

Abstract: A unitary flexible protective glove molded of a resilient material and adapted to be easily worn on the hand for use in the art of karate and the like is disclosed. The glove, when worn, covers a portion of the lower forearm, the wrist, and the hand. The portion of the glove covering the wrist and hand is substantially tubular in shape and designed to wrap around the wrist and forearm without the need of any securing means. There is a thumb pocket having on the inside a restraining strap. There is also a grip loop for the index, middle, ring and little fingers which is in close proximity to a finger padding section. The finger padding section and grip loop are held in close proximity by a bridging strap. The glove is designed to facilitate easy insertion of the hand without the need of securing straps.

Abstract: A passive monitor for very low concentrations of organic contaminant vapors in an atmosphere uses a holder having a first sampling chamber exposable to the atmosphere and a second desorption chamber and a charge of adsorbent. In one position of the holder, the adsorbent occupies the sampling chamber and upon changing position, the adsorbent occupies the desorption chamber.

Abstract: Breathing apparatus of the closed- or semi-closed-circuit type includes a carbon dioxide absorber (8) which creates troublesome heat in operation. Apparatus giving acceptable breathing gas temperature incorporates an evaporative cooler unit (20), and a pump utilizing the diaphragn plate (15) of the breathing bag (3), the pump inducing an air flow over the evaporative cooler unit.

Abstract: A bouyant, flexible, resilient aquatic mat for use on water surfaces adapted to support one or more persons. The mat comprises an elongated slab and a headrest formed of the same material. The material of the mat comprises a unicellular, non-water absorbent, plastic foam. The material comprising the mat may have a tough plastic coating over the entire surface or by use of a suitable plastic foam material the material comprising the mat may be used without a coating.

Abstract: A cast aluminum piston for internal combustion engines having mechanically compacted inner boss bore faces, the structure of the aluminum material disposed below these inner faces having a grain pattern orientated in the circumferential direction of the boss bore over a radial depth of at least 0.1 mm and preferably 0.2 mm. This grain pattern is achieved by rolling at a temperature of at least 350 degrees C. up to 400 degrees C. with simultaneous expansion of the bore diameter by about 0.2 to 0.5 mm.

Abstract: A pre-shaped aluminum plate is held against the flat end wall of an inverted mold cavity by vacuum pressure communicated through bore holes in the wall leading to a vacuum chamber in the mold body. A high temperature PTFE gasket shaped to match the plate fits in an annular recess in the wall to provide a seal between the wall and plate. Polyurethane foam expands and hardens in the mold cavity to further press the plate against the wall and to form a foamed plastic water ski having a flush aluminum deck. The mold cavity has a curved side wall to produce a ski having a radiused edge about the deck.

Abstract: An adjustable ventricular catheter is disclosed. This invention has a proximal catheter in which a distal catheter telescopically slides. The distal catheter is prevented from separating from the proximal catheter in the maximum extended position by locking means. The distal catheter may be further extended, forshortened, or removed by means of a stylet inserted into the hollow of the proximal and distal catheters with flexible projections on the end of the stylet capturing drain holes on the closed end of the distal catheter such that sliding of the stylet moves the distal catheter in a telescoping relationship within the proximal catheter.

Abstract: The invention provides a nuclear blast and fall-out shelter to contain a number of persons completely enclosed for several weeks and is provided with oxygen supply means, air conditioning means, and hand operated pump for introducing external air if required, the oxygen, CO.sub.2 and CO contents all being controlled to maintain life for the occupants.

Abstract: A mast step is mounted on a traveler having two parallel linear bearings which ride in lateral grooves on a central track. The central track has downward enlarged vertical holes on 2-inch centers which hold detent balls. The detent balls are locked in their upper active position with a contact and lock the traveler in a preselected position. Depressing an operator pedal moves a slider bar within the track to align detent receivers with the openings in the track. As the detent balls drop into the receivers in the slider bar, the platform is released to move toward a new location. When the pedal is released, a spring tends to return the slider bar to misalign the receivers with the track openings. The detent balls are ramped upward out of the receivers into their upper operative position in contact with the downward opening locking recesses in the traveler.

Abstract: A recline unit (6) for controlling the recline angle of the back rest (2) of a seat (1) is interposed as a strut between the back rest (2) and the seat base (3). The recline unit (6) has a recirculating ball screw (7) and nut (8) of which the former is mounted to the back rest (2) so as to be restrained against rotation and of which the latter is mounted to the seat base (3) so as to be restrained from moving axially but to be free to rotate. Manual pressure applied to the back rest (2) to incline it will move the ball screw (7) axially and cause the nut (8) to rotate. A locking mechanism (25) is provided to lock the nut (8) against rotation when the back rest (2) is in the desired reclined attitude and so prevent further axial movement of the ball screw (7). The occupant of the seat (1) can unlock the locking mechanism (25 ) by operating a button (40) which acts through a pull cable (37) on the locking mechanism (25).