Abstract: A lighting system for clothing, footwear, backpacks, and other accessories incorporates a battery, a switch, a counter circuit, a flasher and lamps or LEDs driven by the flasher. An improved switch has a tubular housing of electrical insulating material, which may be, for example, round or square in cross section. A pair of electrical contact pins extend into the interior of the housing and are aligned longitudinally. The external ends of the contact pins are wired to the counter circuit and the battery. A free-floating contact bar of electrical conducting material normally resides on the bottom of the housing and, upon movement of the shoe or clothing, will bounce against the contact pins thus closing the switch and causing an input signal to the counter circuit and causing the lamps or LEDs to be illuminated momentarily. In a second embodiment, the contact pins extend through the bottom of the housing and the contact bar may rest against the contact pins.

Abstract: A buckle including an auxiliary locking feature includes a female buckle part, including a strap-receiving portion and a body portion defining a recess for receiving a mating portion of a male buckle part and a pair of edge recesses. The male buckle part also has a strap-receiving portion and a pair of flexible female buckle-engaging prongs having catches which snap over mating recesses of female member. The male member also has a resilient cantilevered tongue carrying a release button extending through an opening in the front of the female part, the tongue including integral stop members. The prongs include bosses which engage the stop members. When the prongs are inserted into the recess of the female member, they snap over the mating recesses of the female member and the tongue is pressed downwardly to cause the release button to snap into the opening.

Abstract: A no-lead electrical module for illuminating lamps in shoes and other clothing or accessories, includes a circuit board having a number of conductor tracks and a battery with opposite poles. A metal spring clamp holds the battery against the circuit board and also makes contact with one side of the battery and a conductor track, A switch has two terminals secured to different conductor tracks by means of spring clamps. Other components are secured to conductor traces or tracks with spring clamps. A two conductor wire carrying a lamp makes contact with the tracks by additional spring clamps. The module is encapsulated. In a second embodiment, spring clamps are held by a non-conductive resilient pad overlying the circuit board and clamped to the leads by means of a non-flexible board with screws to the circuit board to force the leads against their conductor traces. A third embodiment uses no circuit board.

Abstract: A portable seat belt assembly for school buses and the like which includes a belly pack with a seat belt secured thereto. A student wearing the belly pack approaching a school bus seat opens the belly pack, unwinds the seat belt wrapping it around the back of the seat, turns around, sits down and closes the seat belt buckle assembly. When leaving the bus, the student unbuckles the buckle assembly releasing the belt from the seat, folds the belt back into the belly pack and closes the belly pack. Another embodiment includes a seat belt arrangement carried in the belly pack including a pair of straps each having large hooks with spring clasps for attachment to the seat frame. The student must attach these hooks to the seat frame then sit down and close the buckle assembly. Other embodiments include retractors on the seat belt to assist the student in retrieving the belt after use and a camera case for housing the seat belt.

Abstract: A golf putter is formed with a clubhead including a striking face, added weight along the bottom at the rear of the clubhead to form a soleplate and weight added to the toe and heel portions. Secured to the back side of the clubhead is a weight support member. An elongated weight member secured to the weight support member is centered thereon and extends parallel to the striking face. In one alternative embodiment the weight is concealed in a cavity within the clubhead with its support member secured to a separate striking face member. In another embodiment, the weight member is faired into an open cavity open to the rear of the clubhead and spaced from the walls of the cavity.

Abstract: A compressed air/foam fire fighting system which is sufficiently compact to be carried on the bed of a pick-up truck includes a water tank, a pump for providing water at substantial pressure to a water conduit, an engine for driving the pump, a foam reservoir including a bladder tank connected to the pump, an air compressor, an engine for driving the air compressor, a differential pressure valve connected in the water conduit, a metering valve adjustable to supply a desired proportion of foam concentrate to water connected across the differential pressure valve, an air valve for controlling the amount of air from said compressor, and an air injection venturi for mixing air into a water/foam concentrate. A two-way valve connected between the tank and the pump is movable between a first position where water is pumped from the water tank and a second or suction position where water is drawn from an outside tank or other source.

Abstract: A piping system for adding fuel to underground storage tanks includes a fill piping system and a vapor return piping system designed to prevent fuel spills and leakage of fuel vapors into the atmosphere. Fuel and vapor leakage are avoided by eliminating most of the threaded joints in each such piping assemblies by welding them into joint-free unitary stainless steel assemblies. A brace bar extends between the fill and vapor return piping systems and is secured to octagonal side flats on both assemblies such that the octagonal members cannot rotate unless the brace bar is removed. Annular synthetic rubber spill buckets are selectively inserted into each piping system to catch spills and prevent fuel from leaking near the tank or vapor from leaking out of the vapor recovery system into the atmosphere. In another modification, the spill bucket is used only on the fill piping system.

Abstract: A holster for carrying a handgun having a movable welt which reduces the likelihood that the handgun will be the subject of either an accidental or intentional dislodgment. The movable welt rotates about 10° to 15°, and as it rotates, the handgun is moved from a position where its hammer region is secured by a fixed strap and the weapon may not be removed to a position where the strap is no longer an issue and the weapon may be removed.

Abstract: A metal halide light fixture includes three generally cylindrical parts including a lamp housing with a lamp and a lamp socket, an intermediate sleeve member secured to the lamp housing, and a third focusing housing secured to the intermediate sleeve member. The focusing housing includes a reflector member including a concave reflecting surface and a lens. The lamp housing carries a T-6 lamp or similar lamp which includes a cylindrical arc tube having a significant axial length. Rotating the focusing housing moves the reflector member which surrounds the lamp axially relative to the arc tube to shift the light output pattern from floodlight to spotlight. The lamp housing is connected to a mounting structure through a swivel connection. Wires from the lamp socket are fed through a port in the lamp housing and a channel in the mounting structure and are potted in place. Threaded connections between the three principal parts are protected by O-ring seals.

Abstract: A float, including rubber material for sensing liquid levels having a chemically resistant protective covering said float having greater resistance to attach from chemicals, such as hydrocarbons, acids, and chlorinated solvents, said float may be made to include magnets, guiding devices or sensors. Also disclosed is the method for manufacturing the float of this invention including the steps of milling acrylonitrile rubber, phenolic resin, sulfur and various additives in a Banbury mill and mixing at an elevated temperature below 250°, compression molding at up to 900 psi pressure between 250° and 350° F., cooling and filling pre made protective skin container with the mixture, closing the container and heating the sealed container to bond the mixture to the container skin.

Abstract: A golf putter is formed with a clubhead including a striking face, added weight along the bottom at the rear of the clubhead to form a soleplate and weight added to the toe and heel portions. Secured to the back side of the clubhead is a rearwardly extending support member. An elongated cylindrical weight member secured to the end of the support member is centered thereon and extends parallel to the striking face. Additional embodiments are shown wherein the elongated weight member is positioned high at the rear of the clubface, or supported on the soleplate. In one alternative embodiment the weight is concealed in a cavity within the clubhead with its support member secured to a separate striking face member. In another embodiment, the weight member is faired into an open cavity and spaced from the walls of the cavity.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing aerial-images is disclosed employing a combination of focusing reflectors, beamsplitter polarizing filters, and light sources. An object to be displayed is illuminated, and its image partially reflected by the beamsplitter to a focusing mirror and reflected to an aerial position. A polarizer prevents ambient light or images from degrading or interfering with the aerial-image. A clock radio, personal television display counter, as well as animated mannequin versions are disclosed.