Abstract: An improved door access bar for installation onto a door through which access is controlled by an electrically operated door access system is disclosed in which the door access bar has an electromechanically operable door locking mechanism which is used to selectively lock and unlock the door to thereby control access or egress through the door. The door access locking bar of the present invention incorporates an interlock mechanism to prevent the bolt from being forced into a retracted position by jimmying the locking mechanism to unlock the door. The locking mechanism of the present invention prevents the door from being opened until the electromechanical locking mechanism is operated to do so. The door access locking bar of the present invention operates in a fail-safe manner so that in the event of a power failure it will automatically be in an unlocked position.

Abstract: An improved pressure-actuated door access bar is disclosed which may be located on a door to control access or egress through the door, whereby the door access bar is used to trigger unlocking or opening, or both unlocking and opening, of the door following pressure being exerted on the door access bar by an individual desiring access or egress through the door. Two electromechanical force transducer assemblies having no moving parts are mounted within a rigid base member which may in turn be mounted on a door or in another desired location, and a cover member mounted over the base member exerts pressure on the electromechanical force transducer assemblies when pressure is placed on it. When a given amount of pressure is detected by either or both of the electromechanical force transducer assemblies, the door will be unlocked or opened, or both unlocked and opened.

Abstract: A system for use in monitoring the operation of motorcycle brake and tail lights is disclosed which, upon determination that a brake or tail light is not operating properly to provide a warning light signal, automatically provides an alternate warning light signal which is highly visible to traffic following the motorcycle. Current sensors are used to determine whether electricity is flowing through the brake light and tail light circuits, or, alternately, whether there is an open circuit condition in one or both circuits which is indicative of a burned-out bulb. If the tail light burns out, control switching elements are used to supply current to the left rear turn signal light, the right rear turn signal light, and the brake light to illuminate them, thereby providing a warning signal at the rear of the motorcycle.

Abstract: A device for determining the distance between the rear of a trailer and a loading dock is disclosed which assists a driver backing the trailer up to the loading dock by visually and continuously letting the driver know how close the rear of the trailer is to the loading dock, thereby providing information to prevent the rear of the trailer from colliding with the loading dock. The distance between the back of the trailer and the loading dock is determined by an ultrasonic transducer which is mounted onto the side of the loading dock toward which the rear of the trailer will be backed. A display module mounted on the loading dock provides a numeric indication of the distance between the rear of the trailer and the loading dock.

Abstract: A vertebral body prosthesis is disclosed which is easily implantable intermediate the endplates of upper and lower vertebrae to replace the removed vertebral body and restore stability and normal vertebrae spacing to the spinal column while facilitating the occurrence of bony integration to fuse the aforesaid vertebrae together. A first embodiment, which may be used in the cervical spine and installed from an anterior surgical approach, is a vertebral body T-cage, which is fixed in height, and is for installation intermediate the endplates of two vertebrae located immediately above and below a removed vertebra. A second embodiment, which may be installed using a posterior surgical approach, is a fixed height vertebral body prosthesis for installation intermediate the endplates of vertebrae located immediately above and below a removed vertebra, with the device being affixed using curved mounting plates located on either the left or the right lateral side of the vertebrae.

Abstract: An electrically operable door lock apparatus is disclosed which may be installed on a door through which access is to be controlled by an electrically operable security system, whereby the door opening mechanism is selectively locked and unlocked by controlling the supply of electricity to the door locking mechanism to thereby control access or egress through the door. The electrically operable door lock apparatus uses an electromagnetic actuator to drive a locking member in reciprocating movement between a locked position in which it engages a latch actuating member to prevent it from being rotated to retract a latch bolt to open a door, and an unlocked position in which it is disengaged from the latch actuating member to allow it to be rotated to retract the latch bolt to open the door.

Abstract: An intervertebral disk prosthesis for implantation between two adjacent vertebrae is disclosed which is more easily implantable intermediate the adjacent vertebrae, particularly from a posterior surgical approach, due to the two-piece construction of the intervertebral disk prosthesis. The intervertebral disk prosthesis of the present invention consists of first and second intervertebral disk segments which, when connected together by a bolt, together form a substantially elliptical configuration of a size fitting between the endplates of two adjacent vertebrae to maintain them in a properly spaced-apart and stable configuration which will be resistive to normal compressive forces exerted on the spine. Large apertures extending through the first and second intervertebral segments may be packed with bone chips or marrow prior to being implanted to facilitate bone ingrowth therethrough to fuse the aforesaid vertebrae together.

Abstract: A greeting card is disclosed which has a self-inflating balloon contained therein, which balloon inflates either upon opening the greeting card, upon removing the greeting card from an envelope, or upon manual activation by the individual receiving the greeting card. A gas generator is provided with two reactants which are separated by a physical barrier until the device is activated, at which time the reactants mix to generate gas used to inflate the balloon. In the preferred embodiment, the physical barrier is a zipper-like fastener element which is pulled apart by a triggering mechanism to activate the gas generator to inflate the balloon.

Abstract: The key ring assembly includes a normally open, flexible, resilient hoop having elastic memory and fabricated of plastic or the like. The key ring assembly has an inverted generally U-shaped upper end and integral, spaced diverging downwardly extending legs bearing integral grippers at their lower ends, the grippers being in the form of claws facing each other and extending into the central space therebetween. The hoop also has a releasable lock in the form of a first bar integrally connected to the inner surface of one leg above the claws, preferably at about the mid-point of the hoop, extending into the central space and bearing teeth on its upper surface, and a second similar bar integral with the inner surface of the opposite leg and releasably securable to the first bar by a number of spaced integral tabs depending from the underside thereof. The upper surface of the second bar has an upwardly extending integral lever arm for disconnecting the two bars.

Abstract: An improved vehicle security system is disclosed in which different modes of arming and disarming the system are utilized. The system uses an arming feature to disable operation of the vehicle which is initiated by the vehicle ignition switch being turned off following which one or more doors of the vehicle are opened. The system also uses a voice actuated alarm deactivation procedure in which operation of the vehicle is enabled following voice identification of a spoken password as belonging to an authorized individual. The vehicle security system uses a positive interlock in which both the vehicle's starting system and its ignition system are disabled when the system is armed.

Abstract: An improved device for identifying an individual pop-top can having a pull tab for levering open the can is provided. The device includes a flexible resilient sleeve of elastomeric plastic or rubber or the like which slides over and seats on the free end of the pop-top can tab. The sleeve has a distinctive color, design, texture, written indicia or any combination thereof, in order to identify the individual can. A kit is also provided which includes a number of the sleeves, all of which differ from each other in color, texture, written indicia and/or design. One embodiment of the sleeve includes an integral plug which extends upwardly from the top of the sleeve and is shaped and dimensioned to plug the can opening to preserve the contents thereof after opening. The sleeve is simple, inexpensive and attractive and enables users of similar cans to identify their own cans and thus not drink from another user's can.

Abstract: The protective electrical switch cover is in the form of a generally flat, flexible, resilient plate of extended surface area and with memory. Preferably, the cover is of elastomeric electrically insulative plastic and/or rubber and is unitary. It includes a generally central, hollow, protruding nipple adapted to receive the arm of an electrical switch over which the cover is to be mounted, as by an adhesive layer on the rear surface of the cover. The nipple is surrounded by a number of spaced encircling folds or rings which permit the nipple to be readily flexed in a plurality of directions in order to operate the switch arm. Thus, through the nipple, the switch arm can be rotated or flipped in a desired direction and can be pushed in and pulled out, depending on the type of switch arm involved. Moreover, the encircling folds can be depressed at a desired location to operate the switch arm if it is of the rocker type.

Abstract: An adjustable sliding jaw wrench is disclosed which has a sliding jaw adjustment mechanism operated by a worm gear rotatably mounted in an opening in the wrench head, the worm gear driving a rack member to which the sliding jaw is attached. The worm gear is substantially shorter than the width of the opening in the wrench head in which it is mounted, and is spring biased into an operating position. A sliding locking member is movable between a locked position which will mechanically maintain the worm gear in its operating position, and an unlocked position in which the worm gear will be permitted to move in a direction opposing the biasing spring.

Abstract: The improved tire changer tool set of the present invention includes a tire rim engager and a lever. The tire rim engager is in the form of a disc having a depending peripheral portion which may be a detachable ring and which is adapted to securely seat the engager in the rim of a tire. The tire rim engager also includes an upstanding generally central post having an expanded top which retains the lever in position around the post. The tire rim engager can have an annular recess on its bottom surface to receive the top portion of the detachable ring. Such ring can be held in place with screws through the disc and ring. Rims of different diameters can be installed on the disc. The lever is long and generally flat with two portions connected by a step so that when the lever is connected to the post by a side notch in the lever, one portion of the lever is raised and can act as a handle in rotating the lever around the post.

Abstract: A roller hockey puck for use in playing the sport of roller hockey on paved surfaces is disclosed which exhibits a minimized coefficient of friction and is thus capable of more freely rolling on an irregular surface, thereby better simulating the behavior of a conventional ice hockey puck on ice. The preferred embodiment roller hockey puck of the present invention uses a spherical roller which is supported by an array of bearings located in the puck body and which extends slightly above the opposing faces of the puck body to minimize friction as the roller hockey puck glides on a paved surface. Annular arrays of runners made of material having a low coefficient of friction are located on and extend out from each of the opposing faces of the preferred embodiment roller hockey puck of the present invention to stabilize the roller hockey puck as it glides on the paved surface.

Abstract: A convenient, disposable male urinary aid which allows a man to urinate directly into a toilet from a standing position by channeling the urine directly into water contained in the toilet bowl. A plurality of the urinary aids are formed as a roll of temporarily waterproof two-ply paper resembling conventional toilet paper, with the roll being divided into sheets by perforations. Multi-sheet segments are divided by double rows of perforations, with each multi-sheet segment forming one of the urinary aids with a channel comprising a passageway for liquid being formed between the two plies. Following use, the urinary aid may be flushed down the toilet, since it is made entirely of biodegradeable materials.

Abstract: The venetian blind pull cord assembly is a safety device to prevent exposure of the pull cords and inadvertant accidents to children, due to their attraction to pull cords. The assembly includes a) a preferably cylindrical upper housing connectable to an overhead venetian blind operating mechanism or the like and designed to depend therefrom. The assembly includes a preferably cylindrical housing connectable to an overhead venetian blind operating mechanism or the like by connectors and designed to depend therefrom; and b) a generally tubular pull cord cover having two or more vertically aligned telescoping portions of decreasing diameter, the cover telescoping fully into the lower end of the housing and depending therebelow. The cover is dimensioned so that when fully retracted it defines with the housing a pull cord storage space. The housing and cover have vertically aligned passageways down through which pull cords pass.