Abstract: A cutting tool for severing a workpiece includes a main frame having a horizontal rail member and a grooved channel running its longitudinal length. There is an upright rigid head formed at one end of the frame which can either be a straight, a C-shaped or a pincerlike type of upright member. The upright head has a slot. The blade can reciprocate along the grooved channel and enter the head so that the blade can fully sever a workpiece placed in the gap between the blade and head. The cutting blade can either be V-shaped or concave shaped. The base of the cutting blade has a flange cooperating with the grooved channel for guiding the blade. The cutting blade is manipulated by a hydraulic piston which is mounted to the rear of the frame. The fluid pressure causes a shaft to extend or retract with the cutting blade attached to it.

Abstract: A magnetic clasp has two mirror image halves each of which is attached to the ends of a necklace. Each half has a magnetic shell and an inserted magnetic core. The shell has a cylindrical body with a cone-shaped end. The front of the shell has an open cavity for inserting the magnetic core. The front of the shell and magnetic core form a flat surface. The magnetic core is made of samarium cobalt or neodymium iron. Both are strong magnets and allow the clasp to be very small in size so that it is aesthetically pleasing and lightwise. The end of each half has an eyelet for connecting to a necklace. A conventional fastener can be soldered to one eyelet so that the clasp can be added to an existing necklace. A safety catch can be added to the clasp as a back-up safety feature for expensive jewelry.

Abstract: A torch system adapted primarily for a welding torch comprises an elongated handle within which is a manifold. Passages in the manifold permit separate tubes or conduits that carry cooling water and shielding gas to be incorporated into a single series of concentric tubes projecting from the handle which create annular passages radially spaced from each other. These passages carry the cooling water and the heated return water after it has cooled the torch head at the distal end of the apparatus. The distal end of the apparatus has a torch head, the inward facing face of which is in contact with the cooling water as it flows from the inner annular passage radially outward to the outer annular passage. The water returns through the handle and to the individual return conduit, then back to a suitable receptacle, which may be in the form of a heat exchanger or refrigerator that removes the heat injected into the cooling fluid by the torch head.

Abstract: A flosser has an elongate configuration with a forked arm at one end and an enlarged opposite end for housing a spool of unused dental floss, and a take-up reel for storing the dental floss as it is used. The dental floss is strung from the spool, across the arm, and back to the reel. There is a free knob having a spindle which connects the reel so that the feed knob and reel rotate in unison to reel in the spent floss. There is a cylindrical crown projection at the housing end that mates with the feed knob and encases the spool of unused dental floss. The feed knob and crown projection have a clutch mechanism allowing the feed knob and take-up reel to rotate in only one direction and to frictionally engage and hold the floss at the spool end and to temporarily disengage the floss when the feed knob is rotated to allow a measured amount of fresh floss to unwind from the freely rotatable spool, while simultaneously reeling in a like amount of spent floss into the take-up reel.

Abstract: A golfer's putting aid is demountably secured to the putter head with a rubber band. The invention visually teaches the golfer to keep the putter head at a right angle relative to the sight line the golfer intends to putt the ball along. It is intended to teach the golfer not to twist the putter shaft while putting. The putting aid is a U-shaped bracket formed by a pair of spaced apart parallel fingers extending from a cross brace having a platform. The open ended rectangular cavity formed by the fingers and cross brace is large enough to surround a golf ball lying on the practice green and forms a guideway. There are a pair of spaced apart abutments with anchor posts located on the platform adjacent to the two interior corners of the cavity. The two abutments are vertical and abut against the face of the putter head. The two anchor posts secure the ends of the rubber band which is stretched underneath the cross brace. The stretched rubber band holds both ends of the putter head against the abutments.

Abstract: A collimator solid state laser light source is spun at a very high speed to generate a reference plane for use in the construction industry. The drive housing and the laser light source are extremely compact, light and portable, and can be mounted to a surveyor's transit and telescope. Within the housing is a drive shaft which has the laser light source attached at precisely 90 degrees to the spin axis of the drive shaft. A logic circuit is also attached to the drive shaft so that the logic circuit board, the drive shaft, and the laser light source are all rotated as a unit. An electric motor and a motor control board card are positioned within the housing for rotating the drive shaft. The operator first calibrates the transit so that it is horizontal and positioned in plumb above the reference point.

Abstract: A plasma torch is provided with a safety switch which is connected in a circuit so as to control high voltage applied to the torch. The switch is held closed by the torch tip. When the tip is removed, as for service or replacement, the switch opens and disables the high voltage, so that personnel cannot accidentally be shocked.

Abstract: A vertical blind system installed over a window area has a plurality of carrier and hanger assembly units, each of which has a vertical louver or vane suspended from it. The unit has two major subcomponents. They are a frame having a chamber, and a replaceable, manually insertable cartridge having a pendant member for holding the individual blind. The frame has a top circular bearing and a resilient retaining clip which holds the cartridge in position in the chamber. Whenever the cartridge becomes broken, the service technician can quickly snap out the broken cartridge and reinsert a new one. This can be done without the inconvenience and time consuming task of dismantling the entire vertical blind system to repair a single carrier and hanger assembly unit.

Abstract: A body wallet is adapted to be worn around the ankle region by encircling it. It is large enough to hold an unfolded conventional-sized wallet. The wallet is made of a cloth material having an interior pouch and two strips of hook and loop fastening material sewn along each of the transverse ends. The pouch has a lengthwise opening for receiving articles. The wallet is large enough to encircle a limb with the ends overlapping somewhat. The two strips of hook and loop fastening material, otherwise known as VELCRO strips, are then engaged to keep the wallet in place. There is an elastic safety belt and buckle extending from and attached to the transverse ends. They are coupled to act as a safety backup when the VELCRO strips become loose. The pouch includes interior pockets or compartments for holding articles and there can be an outside pocket for holding articles such as coins or keys which are accessible without undoing the wallet.

Abstract: A breakaway coupler is fabricated as a cylinder with a flow through bore for interconnecting the end of a fluid line to a tank. A frangible groove is radially cut into the exterior wall of the cylinder midway between the ends. A plastic seal tube having a diameter less than the bore of the cylinder but longer than the cylinder is slideably positioned in the bore. There is a ring at one end of the seal tube and larger than the bore for maintaining the tube stationary within the cylinder. The other end of the seal tube extends from the other end of the cylinder and has flow through ports for allowing fluid flow through the coupler. This port end is also capped off. The frangible groove can fracture, causing the coupler to break into two sections and separate from one another. During the separation process, the section with the ring projection will pull away with the seal tube attached to it.