Abstract: For use with trucks, aircraft and other motor vehicles, circuit apparatus signals, from within a pneumatic tire to a display near the operator, an abnormal tire pressure or temperature. A monitoring transmitter within the tire utilizes a negative coefficient thermistor maintained in thermal contact with the tire to sense an abnormal high temperature, and a bellows-type pressure sensor, internally pressurized to approximately the normal tire pressure, to sense abnormal high or low pressures. If one of these abnormal conditions is sensed, power is supplied from a long-lifetime battery to an FM transmitter modulated by a different selected frequency for each tire, selected by a potentiometer marked for each frequency. These circuit elements are on a circuit board secured to the inside of the tire by an overlaying elastic adhesive material which absorbs shock and thermally insulates the thermistor from the air within the tire.

Abstract: Iron oxide particles having a high surface area, a high kinetic K value and composed substantially of amorphous Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 and crystalline Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 are drilling mud additives suitable for scavenging hydrogen sulfide. Such particles do not adversely affect the rheological properties of the mud and when reacted with hydrogen sulfide form reaction products which are acid stable. Upon completion of drilling, the drilling mud containing these iron oxide particles and their reaction products with H.sub.2 S may be left in place between the inner casing and the formation wall or the outer casing as a packer fluid.

Abstract: A laryngeal blade useful for displacement of the epiglottis has a fixed blade part projecting from the handgrip and having a tongue-diverting wall which supports a light source projecting toward the forward end of the blade. A movable blade part is hinge-mounted to the fixed blade part at its aft end and extends along the fixed blade part, on its side opposite the tongue-diverting wall, to beyond the end of the fixed blade part. A lever handle fixed to the aft end of the movable blade part is utilized to pivot the movable blade part to displace the epiglottis, exposing the entrance to the trachea, such as for intubation.

Abstract: A washer/dryer for paint rollers comprises a bucket-like container having pivotally-mounted inside a normally horizontal paint-roller spindle-shaft assembly, including outward resilient supports of a length less than a standard paint roller, to leave the ends of a roller mounted thereon open. An elongated water manifold, fed by a diverter valve, supplies water through primary spray heads to clean the outer side of the roller, and to secondary spray heads, axially outward of the roller and directed substantially parallel to the spindle axis, for cleaning the open ends of the roller. Water is also directed by a jet nozzle onto a turbine coupled for rotation with the paint-roller support; by operation of the diverter valve, water may be supplied to at least the spray heads for washing, to only the jet nozzle for spin drying, or to neither to terminate the wash/dry cycle.

Abstract: A crane barge mounting a boom crane aft of its longitudinal center of flotation is provided with a plurality of box-type outrigger barges coupled at its sides to limit list and trim of the crane barge and so protect the crane boom from collapse. The outrigger mounting structure for each outrigger barge is comprised of a pair of removable spaced-apart parallel beams extending horizontally from moment-resisting connections at beam seats on the edge of the crane barge deck to structural hinge or pivot mount connections over the transverse center of flotation of the outrigger barge, spacing the outrigger and crane barges by such distance as to avoid contact of their sides on listing of the crane barge, so that the deck of the outrigger barge may provide a level working surface. Each outrigger barge is so ballasted that the mounting bores for the beams on the beam seat and on the pivot mount are at the same level, when the crane is unloaded, providing easy insertion and removal of connector pins.

Abstract: Cyclic pitch variation of the rotor blades of a horizontal axis wind energy conversion machine permit its operation at substantially design rotor speed and rotor torque over a range of wind speeds, by heading the rotor progressively out of the wind through a range from approximately 20.degree. for light winds to a near 90.degree. setting for gales, at which the power output is interrupted to permit the rotor to idle. Changes in wind direction will cause the rotor to follow the wind even though so headed out of it. By allowing the blades substantial freedom to adapt their pitch to side winds, the present construction allows rapid rates of yaw into a shifting wind, such as may destroy conventional rotors by the attendant gyroscopic forces. Further, by actively controlling their pitch, aerodynamic forces exerted by the cyclic pitch change blades substantially balance out the gyroscopic forces attendant to yaw.

Abstract: A tool for use in scrape-cleaning cooking grills and as a tongs is formed of two normally substantially parallel rod members in a plane joined at a closed loop end to form a handle. Forward of the handle each rod member curves to one side of and then projects as a scraper portion to the opposite side of the plane of the handle, all in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane handle. Each scraper portion has a flat inner face, opposed to the other scraper portion, and a flat aft face, adjacent to the handle, which intersect in a substantially 90.degree. cutting edge. The flat aft faces lie in a common plane.

Abstract: A ringback circuit in a security protection system, of the type which monitors a dc current, automatically reports to remote premises that the central station has, at an appropriate time, received an indication that the dc current has been changed to the normal current level for night operation. At the central station, a change in the current level from normal daytime to normal nighttime current is sensed, activating an oscillator. An electronic current limiter in the communications line responds to the oscillator through an isolation circuit, oscillating the current in the communications line, which activates a buzzer at the remote premises.

Abstract: A defrosting control for a heat pump system utilizes a first temperature sensor mounted to the outdoor coil fan motor windings, a second sensor mounted to sense the outdoor ambient air temperature and a third sensor to sense the refrigerant temperature in the outdoor coil. The control circuitry determines the temperature difference of the first two sensors, representing the fan motor temperature rise, which increases dramatically when the outdoor coil is frosted; if the difference exceeds a selected abnormal temperature rise and the temperature sensed by the third sensor indicates frosting is likely to have occurred, the defrost cycle is initiated. The cycle is terminated when the temperature sensed by the third sensor indicates that all frost is likely to have melted.

Abstract: Line security apparatus for a direct-wire alarm system utilizes a transmitter at the remote premises to impose on the direct current a small amplitude carrier frequency which is on/off modulated by a clocked, continuous progression of pseudo-random digital bits. A receiver, tuned for the carrier frequency, is utilized at the monitoring station to recover the progression of digital bits, if received at the monitoring station. A microprocessor at the monitoring station produces an identical and initially synchronous sequence of digital bits, compares the produced sequence to the progression of bits received, and effects a temporary alarm signal indicating that the line security is disrupted if the bits do not correspond. Because the lack of correspondence may be due to deviations of the transmitter and microprocessor clocks, the microprocessor seeks correspondence by shifting the produced sequence and, if successful, continues the comparison as shifted.

Abstract: Iron rich dusts created during steelmaking, as in the basic oxygen and open hearth processes, are useful for scavenging hydrogen sulfide. For example, basic oxygen furnace dusts, which are in more abundant supply, are found to consist of fine, nearly spherical particles of iron oxide whose crystalline composition comprises Fe.sub.3 O.sub.4 (major portion) and Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 (minor portion) as seen by X-ray diffraction. Their great surface area makes them highly reactive to hydrogen sulfide gas. Their reaction yields unexpected products, namely, free sulfur and iron hydroxides. According to the present invention such iron rich dusts are used in water slurries through which sour hydrocarbon gas is bubbled, and in water based drilling muds to scavenge hydrogen sulfide encountered in well drilling.

Abstract: A process for scavenging hydrogen sulfide from hydrocarbon gases utilizes iron oxide particles of unique chemical and physical properties. These particles have large surface area, and are comprised substantially of amorphous Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 containing a crystalline phase of Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, Fe.sub.3 O.sub.4 and combinations thereof. In scavenging hydrogen sulfide, the iron oxide particles are suspended in a liquid which enters into intimate mixing contact with hydrocarbon gases; the hydrogen sulfide is reacted at an exceptional rate and only acid-stable reaction products are formed. Thereafter, the sweetened hydrocarbon gases are collected.

Abstract: A pair of longitudinally extending channel members are releasably held together by clamping means, the channel members forming triangularly-shaped channels running across their upper and lower surfaces. A handle, in the form of a rod, is attached to the midpoint of one of the channel members. Cleaning tools, such as a brush, scraper, squeegee and sponge, have spines which can be inserted into the triangular channels of the channel members.

Abstract: An alternator, powered by a wind rotor having pitch changeable blades, is maintained at a fixed speed despite variations in wind speed and cyclic perturbations in rotor shaft speed due to rotor dynamics. In one embodiment, a geared speed increaser, coupling the rotor to the alternator, is mounted for reversible rotation relative to the rotor shaft. A fluid transfer means, such as a torque motor, coupled to a pressurized accumulator, applies such a torsional reaction to the speed increaser to permit its rotation at a rate which accommodates the difference between the instantaneous rotor shaft speed and that rotor shaft speed corresponding to the alternator's fixed speed. The fluid transfer means and accumulator means together permit a maximum angular displacement of the speed increaser sufficient to provide a time interval in which the rotor blade pitch may be corrected and the rotor shaft returned to normal speed. Pitch changes are effected, in part, responsive to rotation of the speed increaser.

Abstract: A canister for storing a can of oil has an arrangement to mount it within the engine compartment or trunk of an automobile or to other motorized vehicles. An inverted funnel is secured to the upper end of the cannister, serving as a cover enclosure or upon detachment, as a funnel for adding oil to the engine. The funnel spout receives a cap or stopper which has a handle on its outer side and a can opener on its inner side normally enclosed within the funnel.

Abstract: A suction-liquid heat exchanger for a heat pump is provided by utilizing an inner vessel as a suction line accumulator together with a surrounding high pressure outer vessel which is utilized as a receiver in the liquid line. Heat from the liquid refrigerant in the outer vessel is transferred to the cooler liquid accumulated in the inner vessel to vaporize it, preventing slugs of liquid refrigerant from entering the compressor. The exit and entry ports of the outer vessel are at different levels. This causes a greater amount of liquid refrigerant to remain in the outer vessel on heating mode operation than on reverse flow for cooling, thereby increasing the heat transfer to the accumulator as required for the greater volume of liquid in the suction line gas and compensating for the decreased quantity of refrigerant needed for heating.