Abstract: A collapsible boat has a frame covered by a hull skin, the frame having two gunwales and a keel stringer terminating at two stem elements. The ends of the gunwales can be secured to the corresponding stem element by end connectors that connect to the stem element and are held by skin tension. Alternatively, the hull skin can secure the gunwale ends to the corresponding stem element, the gunwales residing in closed-ended gunwale sleeves and the hull skin being configured to secure the gunwale ends together and prevent upwards motion of the stem element. The closed ends can be openable to install the gunwales. To tension the hull skin over the frame, the keel stringer can have a central joint to allow installation in a bent configuration. The keel stringer is straightened during assembly to increase its effective length, causing the stem elements to forcibly engage the hull skin.

Abstract: A rock bolter has a turret assembly having a positionable base. The base slidably and rotatably engages a cylindrical member on which a feed track support is affixed. A jack rotatably and slidably engages the cylindrical member, but cannot translate with respect to the base. The jack has a piston connected to the feed track support, and extending or retracting the piston translates the cylindrical member relative to the base to move the feed track support toward and away from a rock surface. A stinger assembly connected to the base engages the rock surface to stabilize the turret assembly. A pivot actuator connected between the base and the jack rotates the jack and the feed track support to selectively place either a drill or a bolt driver in alignment with a desired location on the rock surface.

Abstract: A gasket for sealing between a toilet base a closet flange has a ring of water impermeable elastomer having a ring upper surface spaced apart from a ring lower ledge by a separation distance S sufficiently large that the ring becomes compressed between the toilet and the closet flange. The ring is sized to cover a portion of the closet flange while fitting between mounting bolts used to secure the toilet to the closet flange. The gasket also has an annular extension attached to the ring and sized to fit into the closet flange. The ring may be rectangular or trapezoidal in cross section. A preferred embodiment has a quasi-trapezoidal cross section with a groove that provides the ring with increased compressibility.

Abstract: The volume measuring device has a reservoir of known volume attached to a measuring tube. The measuring tube is also attached to a container mount configured to sealably engage a container. Liquid partially fills the measuring tube and the volume of liquid contained therein can be measured by measuring its height. The measuring tube pivots between two measuring orientations. In the first measuring orientation, the volume of liquid in the measuring tube equals the total volume of liquid minus the volume of the reservoir. In the second measuring orientation, the volume of liquid in the measuring tube equals the total volume minus the volume of the container. Thus, the difference in the volume of liquid contained in the measuring tube in the two orientations equals the difference between the known volume of the reservoir and the unknown volume of the container, and the volume of the container can be calculated.

Abstract: A vibration attenuator for a disk brake lathe has two friction pads, each having a pad recess with a distal wall and a proximal wall. When the pads are placed against a brake disk, the recesses are placed over raised heads of fasteners that affix cutting tools of the lathe to adjustable tool holders. When the tool holders are moved radially outwards across the brake disk, the fastener raised heads engage the recess proximal walls and move the pads along with the cutting tools, and also serve to couple the pads with the cutting tools to dampen vibrations. Similarly, when the tool holders are moved radially inwards, the fastener raised heads engage the recess distal walls to move the pads along with the cutting tools. A U-shaped member having a tension spring extending between two legs on which the pads are mounted forcibly engages the pads with the brake disk.

Abstract: A dross processing system has a motor mounted to a motor support arm by a motor support carriage, and has a carriage guide which engages the motor support carriage to guide the motor along a vertical path between a raised position and a lowered position. The motor is moved by a motor height actuator connected between the motor support arm and the motor support carriage. A hood having a hood rim and a hood upper structure is configured to be engaged by the motor support carriage when moved to the raised position. When the motor is moved to the lowered position, the hood rim engages a reaction vessel upper rim. The motor support arm can rotate between a loading/dumping position and an operating position. The dross processing system can be partially automated by a microprocessor. A preferred impeller for agitating dross and a plug setting tool can be employed.

Abstract: A brake lathe station has an on-vehicle brake lathe and a lift with support posts for raising a vehicle. A support structure supports the lathe while allowing it to be moved with respect to a horizontal plane about the vehicle to assist the lathe operator in positioning the lathe with respect to wheel hubs of the vehicle. The lathe is preferably connected to the support structure by an adjustable coupling which allows vertically tilting a lathe rotation axis of the lathe, as well as allowing rotation of the lathe substantially about its lathe rotation axis. The lathe can also be moved with respect to a vertical plane. The lathe can be floated with respect to the support structure while the lathe is mounted on the wheel hub. The coupling can be designed to allow attaching a dolly to the lathe while it is still supported by the support structure.

Abstract: A dross processing system has a substantially vertical support positioned in close proximity to a furnace. A reaction vessel is mounted to the substantially vertical support by a reaction vessel support. The reaction vessel preferably has a substantially vertical sidewall and a bottom member having a sealable port. The reaction vessel is preferably fabricated of stainless steel sheet stock, and can have expanded metal sheet welded to the outside or can have a dual-shell structure. The reaction vessel is retained in a horizontal position for loading metal-bearing dross, and can pivot to dump spent dross. The reaction vessel support can be rotatably mounted with respect to the furnace to allow the reaction vessel to be swung away from the furnace for dumping. In one embodiment, the reaction vessel can also be raised and lowered.

Abstract: A resin nozzle positioner for a rock bolter, having a frame supporting feed tracks traversed by a drill and a bolt driver, has a resin nozzle that guides a resin sausage into a hole drilled along a work axis. A positioner base is fixed to the frame and two arms are pivotably connected to the positioner base and to a nozzle block, to which the resin nozzle is mounted. The arms remain parallel and move such that the resin nozzle remains parallel to the work axis while moving along an arc between a retracted position, where the resin nozzle is spaced apart from the work axis, and an extended position, where the resin nozzle is aligned with the work axis. An actuator operably connected to two elements selected from the arms, the positioner base, and the nozzle block serves to move the resin nozzle.

Abstract: A chest piece for a stethoscope has a housing with a cavity. The cavity has a cavity surface which is paraboloid in shape, having an apex, an axis, and a focal point. The cavity terminates at the apex and an opening, and the focal point resides in the cavity. A transducer is positioned at the focal point. The parabolic shape of the cavity surface acts to reflect sound waves transmitted normal to the opening to the transducer, while reflecting other sound waves. A mechanical wave guide with a series of parallel passages preferably extends across the opening. Preferably, a membrane with a convex surface covers the opening. The cavity is preferably filled with a liquid or gel having physical characteristics similar to human flesh. To reduce noise from motion of the chest piece across the skin, the stethoscope can be activated by a pressure switch responsive to fluid pressure inside the cavity.

Abstract: A rock bolter has a drill and a bolt driver, both mounted to a turret that rotates relative to a base to align either the drill or the bolt driver with a work axis. A stinger/centralizer has two head elements, each advanced along a curvilinear path. When advanced, the head elements mate to provide a centralizer passage on the work axis. A supplementary stinger affixed to the base extends to engage the rock surface and provide stability as the head elements are retracted. The drill and the bolt driver are mounted on carriages activated by a common mechanism. A drill carriage disabling surface is affixed to the base to block the drill carriage when the drill is off the work axis, and a bolt driver carriage disabling surface is affixed to the base to block the bolt driver carriage when the bolt driver is off the work axis.

Abstract: A disk brake lathe has a pair of tool bits mounted to tool holders which are translatable parallel to a lathe axis to adjust the separation of the tool bits from a brake disk. A displacement gauge responds to changes in the separation between the tool holders. When the tool bits are in continuous contact with the disk, the separation indicates the thickness which would result from machining the disk. This separation can be compared to a specification to determine whether to machine or discard the disk. A method for machining a disk starts by mounting and aligning the lathe to a wheel hub on which the disk is mounted. The tool bits are each advanced until they are in continuous contact the disk surfaces, when the separation of the tool bits is measured and preferably compared to a specification. When the tool bits are sequentially advanced, variation in the separation can be used to determine depth of cut for each tool bit.

Abstract: A collapsible canoe has a frame which includes a pair of gunwales connected together at each end by a gunwale terminator, a thwart separating the gunwales, a series of ribs connected to the gunwales, a keel stringer and supplemental bottom stringers traversing the ribs, and a pair of stem elements attached to the keel stringer. The collapsible canoe also has a skin covering the frame which has two gunwale sleeves which engage the gunwales, side panels attached to the gunwale sleeves, a bottom panel attached to the side panels, and a pair of terminator panels connecting the side panels to each other and to the bottom panel. The skin may be tensioned by inflatable compartments between the frame and the skin. The skin may alternatively be tensioned by the ribs. In one embodiment, a prong attached to each stem element engages a slot in each terminator panel to stabilize the stem elements with respect to the gunwale terminators.

Abstract: A plasma torch head has transfer components, including an HF lead and a power lead/gas conduit, which are partially encased in a core fabricated from an elastomer. The core is housed in a rigid shell, which preferably also engages a portion of the transfer components. The shell can be a two-piece shell which is assembled around the core, or can be a single piece cast around the core. The core can be fabricated by securing the transfer components in a mold and filling the mold with an elastomer such as liquid silicone rubber. After curing the elastomer in the mold, the core is stripped from the mold and the shell is formed around the core. In one preferred method, sections of a two-part shell are injection molded from phenolic, placed about the core, and secured together with bolts. In another preferred method, the core is placed in a mold and the mold is filled with a liquid two-part epoxy which is cured in a reduced pressure atmosphere to form a one-piece shell.

Abstract: An improved rescue device for locating persons buried by avalanches operates in either a transmit mode or a receive mode. A first belt terminator is lockably engagable with a first belt terminator receptor on a case, and is associated with a power switch. The power switch switches between a power on position and a power off position in response to the engagement and disengagement of the first belt terminator with the first belt terminator receptor, and preferably is also independently manually operable. A second belt terminator is lockably engagable with a second belt terminator receptor on the case, and is associated with a mode switch. The mode switch toggles between a transmit mode position and a receive mode position, and preferably is also independently manually operable. A signal processing system generates a visual display which provides graphic information to expedite searching.

Abstract: An electrode for plasma arc torches has a tip body having a tip cavity with a cavity sidewall. An emissive insert having an insert sidewall resides in the tip cavity. A noble metal foil is interposed between the insert sidewall and the cavity sidewall. To fabricate the electrode, a tip body blank is provided, and a tip cavity having a cavity sidewall is formed therein. An emissive insert having an insert sidewall and being loosely insertable into the tip cavity is provided. The insert sidewall is provided with a textured surface with protuberances. A noble metal foil is selected, having an insert-contacting surface and a cavity-contacting surface. The emissive insert and the noble metal foil are placed into the tip cavity of the tip body blank, arranged such that the insert-contacting surface of the foil faces the insert sidewall of the emissive insert, while the cavity-contacting surface of the foil faces the cavity sidewall.

Abstract: A portable dross processing system has a support frame with a base and an upper support. A pair of wheels are mounted to the base, and a steering wheel can be pivotably mounted to the base. A dross receiving crucible is mounted in a crucible frame which is pivotably mounted to the upper support. The crucible has a sidewall and a bottom having a port. The crucible may be formed from a mounting rim of steel plate to which a metal mesh reservoir form is attached. The mesh is then covered with moldable refractory cloth, over which a ceramic wash is applied. A finishing wash is applied to the crucible interior. Preheated dross is loaded into the crucible while in a dross loading position. The dross is preferably mixed with an exothermic compound and stirred to promote coalescence of the entrapped metal. After the molten metal forms a pool in the bottom of the crucible, the port is opened to drain the metal. The port can be opened by a closure plate slidably engaging a pair of channels and supporting a port plug.

Abstract: A pad is designed to form a collar for supporting the neck of an animal. The pad is formed from a resilient, trimmable, and washable material having a top surface and a bottom surface separated by a pad thickness t. The pad is preferably substantially rectangular, having a pair of free ends which embrace the mandible and scapula of the animal, and a pair of engaging ends which overlap. The pad has a pad length L.sub.p between the engaging ends, and a pad width W.sub.p between the free ends. Preferably, the ratio of L.sub.p /W.sub.p is such that 3<L.sub.p /W.sub.p <6. The pad is preferably fabricated from a closed-cell polymer foam, and the top and bottom surfaces preferably form soil-resistant layers. Cross-linked polyethylene foam having a density of between about 2 and 6 lbs/cu.ft. with the thickness t being about 1/4 inch has been found effective. To form a collar, one or more inelastic bands secure the pad about the neck.

Abstract: A pneumatic resiliency unit having a bellows with a bellows first section terminating in a bellows first section first end and a bellows first section second end, and a bellows second section terminating in a bellows second section first end and a bellows second section second end. A support surface engages the bellows first section first end and a backing plate is spaced apart from the support surface. An intermediate support platform is positioned a separation S from the backing plate and attaches to the bellows first section second end and to the bellows second section first end. The bellows second section second end is engageable with the backing plate, and spaced apart therefrom when the support surface is load free. The separation S is preferably variable to change the response of the pneumatic resiliency unit to a load applied to the support surface. Further variation in the response is provided by altering the shape of the bellows or by restricting air flow between the bellows sections.

Abstract: An airway obstruction luminaire has a luminaire base; a substantially cylindrical Fresnel lens having a lens axis; a halogen lamp having a lamp base, and a substantially linear filament; and a lamp bracket which positions the lamp such that a filament axis of the filament is coincident with the lens axis. The filament is energized by a power supply connected to a first filament end and second filament end, which are separated by an effective length l.sub.E of less than 1 inch. The filament is preferably formed as a helical coil. The lamp is designed to operate at a lamp rated voltage V.sub.L between about 12 and 30 volts. The power supply voltage V.sub.P is reduced if V.sub.P is greater than V.sub.L. The second filament end is supported by a second end support structure configured to reduce shadowing. The lens is preferably an acrylic plastic lens fabricated by injection molding.