Abstract: A wand adapted to be held in the hand and provided with a rod-like body provided with a handle having a base at one end and a visual indicator at the opposite end. The base defines a handle for grasping the wand and the base is hollow to house an electronic circuit and a battery for operating the circuit. The circuit is a multivibrator whose output signal oscillates at a given frequency, such as 120 Hz. The visual indicator is coupled with the circuit and is caused to flash at the operating frequency of the circuit when the circuit operates. The base has a pair of spaced terminals thereon which are bridged by the palm of the hand when the base is grasped, and the palm therefore provides a resistance forming part of the circuit to cause the frequency of flashing of the visual indicator to change depending upon the extent to which hand pressure is applied to the base. For increased frequency, greater hand pressure is applied to decrease the resistance accordingly.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine of the open cycle type in which a porous, heat retaining regenerative member is placed in a cylinder head between the reciprocal piston and the intake and exhaust valve thereof. The regenerator member is heated to high temperatures during the exhaust cycle of the engine and preheats a fresh charge of air during the compression stroke of the engine so that, when the compressed air charge is mixed and ignited with a fuel charge, the engine's efficiency will be increased and the engine may operate at a lower compression ratio, thereby reducing heat loss to the engine. In one embodiment, the piston has means for releasably coupling the regenerator member therewith for movement with the piston during two of the strokes of the cycle of operation of the engine, the coupling and uncoupling being a function of the position of the piston in the cylinder.

Abstract: A system for recording audio signals generated from a plurality of locations in which the signals from such locations can be selectively recorded or not recorded depending upon the audio effect to be reproduced. One embodiment of the system includes three acoustically isolated rooms with the interiors of the rooms being visually observable, directly or via television, from any of the other rooms. In one room, one or more performers can be positioned, in a second room a plurality of performers can be located, and in the third room recording equipment can be placed. The recording equipment comprises a plurality of recording devices with each device having a recording medium, such as a disk or magnetic tape. The medium of each recording device can have one or more recording channels with each channel being provided with a recording head.

Abstract: A power source provides continuous AC power by employing a bi-directional converter which interfaces a rechargable DC power storage device with AC mains power and AC loads. The bi-directional converter includes a transformer having first and second windings coupled in reverse polarity through dual switching means in parallel with one another. The switching means are coupled to a state controller responsive to conditions at the AC mains terminal, the AC load terminal and the DC power terminal. There are two general operating conditions, an active condition wherein DC power is provided to the AC load, and a standby condition wherein power is recovered by the DC storage device. In the standby condition, the converter operates in a so-called "flyback" mode to recover power and to direct it to the DC storage device. In the active condition, the converter is pulse-width modulated according to a predetermined duty cycle to produce an AC sine wave output at the AC load terminals.

Abstract: Apparatus for measuring and recording a patient's blood pressure at various times throughout the day while the patient is unattended, wherein the apparatus includes a circular disk chart and a marking pen having a tip adjacent but normally spaced from one face of the disk. The marking pen is pivotally mounted for movement across the face of the disk in a radial direction and the marking pen is moved in the radial direction when a pressure cuff is inflated on a limb, such as an arm, of the patient. A diaphragm assembly coupled to the cuff is mechanically connected to the marking pen to cause it to pivot in one direction as the cuff is inflated. A microphone carried by the cuff detects Karotkoff sounds as the cuff is deflated.

Abstract: An improved resistivity probe comprised of a rigid strip of electrically nonconducting material having a number of metallic, generally parallel pins coupled thereto. The strip can be mounted in a vertically shiftable probe head in any suitable manner. In one embodiment, the pins are rigidly secured by an epoxy to the strip. In another embodiment, the probe includes a pair of rigid strips having semi-cylindrical recesses on the inner faces thereof for receiving therebetween a number of resistivity measuring pins. The strips are held together by rivets or other fasteners. A multiple probe assembly can be made with a disk-like body having a number of angularly disposed slots therethrough for receiving a number of probes with each probe including a rigid strip having a number of pins coupled thereto. The probes extend into respective slots of the body so that the pins project downwardly from the lower face of the body to permit multiple resistivity measurements to be made without having to rotate the probes.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for laying a pipeline on the bottom of an ocean wherein a wheel-like, buoyant body is adapted to carry a single, continuous length of pipe in the form of horizontal convolutions from a first site at which the pipe is wrapped on the body to a second site where the convolutions are moved into vertical positions and the pipe is unwrapped from the body and allowed to gravitate toward and to be laid on the bottom of the ocean. The pipe is wrapped on the body when the latter is horizontally disposed and floating on the water near a dock, and the wrapping can be accomplished whether the elastic bending limit of the pipe is exceeded or not. The body with the convolutions of pipe are towed to the second site while the body and the pipe remains horizontally disposed. Then a tank forming part of the body receives sea water to unbalance the body and cause it to be moved into a vertical position.

Abstract: A housing unit having a pair or more of mobile or modular home parts of unequal lengths and connected together and supported or piers or a foundation. A garage is in longitudinal alignment with the shorter home part and has a member of load bearing walls supported on a concrete slab and erected adjacent to respective home parts. One entire side of the housing unit is free of doors, windows or other openings and this side can have one side boundary in or immediately adjacent to the lot line to maximize the size of the remainder of the lot for open or useable space, i.e. a garden courtyard or yard. Several embodiments of the housing unit are disclosed.This invention relates to improvements in the construction of housing, and more particularly, to a housing unit made from prefabricated mobile or modular housing sections.

Abstract: An improved device for interconnecting a pair of different parts together, such as the fastening of a pitot tube to the side wall of an air flow duct of an air conditioning system. The device includes a barrel having a number of resilient legs mounted thereon near one end thereof, the barrel being externally threaded to receive a hex nut or the like. The legs, which initially project laterally from the barrel, are movable into positions extending longitudinally of and adjacent to the barrel as the barrel and legs are inserted into a hole in a second part. The legs spring back after passing through the hole and the outer ends of the legs engage the surface portion surrounding the hole when the nut is tightened on the barrel so that the first part carried by the barrel is effectively rigidly connected to the second part having the hole.

Abstract: A stringed instrument in the form of an electric guitar having a body and a neck. A plurality of strings secured to the outer end of the neck extend along the neck and past a bridge carried by the body. The opposite ends of the strings are coupled with pegs which are rotatably mounted on the body adjacent to the bridge. The pegs are manually rotated by shafts which are located within the body itself. A worm gear connects each shaft to a respective peg. A knob is on the outer end of each shaft and each knob is located in a respective recess in a side-wall or an end wall of the body. A knob and a switch for control of amplified sounds are also recessed within the body. The body and neck are reduced in mass to decrease the weight of the instrument.

Abstract: A cauliflower coring apparatus and method in which cauliflower heads are fed one-by-one into a housing by a conveyor having bowls for receiving the heads, each bowl having a number of spikes on which the heads are impaled. A shiftable beam in the housing carries a first rotary cutter and a vertically adjustable hold-down ring for engaging a head to keep it from moving out of its bowl as the first cutter rotates and removes the culls from the head by a coring effect. After its culls have been removed, the head is engaged and cut by a second rotary cutter which disintegrates the head and separates it into curds. The culls and curds drop into respective first and second chutes and onto first and second conveyors for movement away from the housing.

Abstract: A solar energy collector comprised of a body for use with other such bodies in forming a roof. The body is cast or pressed from a suitable roofing material, such as concrete, plastic, magnesium oxy-chloride, clay and the like with integral color or color coating as desired. The body has projections and recesses at the sides, and ends for allowing the adjacent bodies forming a roof of a building to overlap each other to cover the top of the building. Each body has upper ridges or strips randomly placed and randomly spaced apart to increase the heat capacity thereof and to provide an aesthetic appearance for the body and thereby the roof when the body forms a part of the roof. One or more pipe sections are embedded in the body in the lower surface thereof for allowing water or other liquid to pass into heat exchange relationship with the body to absorb the heat energy therefrom when the body is exposed to solar energy. Several embodiments of the body are disclosed.

Abstract: A product and method for reducing the coefficient of friction between the inner surface of a support, such as a larger conduit, and the outer surface of a member such as a smaller, inner conduit, disposed in and movable along the support when the latter has horizontal and/or inclined portions. The support may be an open trough or pipe of metal, plastic or other material, and the member to be moved can be of similar materials and can be an electrical cable. The product includes a flowable mixture of a liquid and a plurality of spherical beads typically in the range of 0.005 to 0.040 inch in diameter. The mixture can be pumped in and along the support even though the liquid and the beads have different specific gravities. The beads in the liquid contact both the inner surface of the support and the outer surface of the member to be moved to produce a planar ball bearing effect to minimize the frictional forces between them.

Abstract: A controller for providing accurate analysis of color and density of the light from any color enlarger or the like. The controller is an on-easel analyzer having built-in automatic timer controls for controlling exposures from point 1 seconds to 99.9 seconds. Density and color filtration data provided by video or other off-easel analyzers are manually entered into digital switches on a control panel of the controller or such data can be automatically programmed in the controller through the use of punched paper tape or the like. The controller includes null indicator means to indicate a balance when the enlarger f/stop and color balance are adjusted. The controller may be programmed in units as small as 1 cc in color filtration ranges from 0 to 99 cc and density ranged from 0 to 199 cc. Controller also has a photo-sensitive probe, slope controls, a digital emulsion memory system and the controller can operate with substantially any color enlarger.

Abstract: For use in providing back pressure in a slurry flow, a first pipe has an inlet for receiving the slurry and an outlet for discharging the slurry. A number of inverted U-shaped second pipes communicate at their ends with the first pipe at respective, spaced locations along the length of the first pipe. Each second pipe has a pair of spaced sides and each side has an orifice choke therewithin. The sides of each second pipe extend upwardly from the first pipe so that the second pipes are self-draining. A valve is provided for each second pipe, respectively, each valve being carried by the first pipe near one end of the corresponding second pipe. A generally horizontal third pipe is coupled to the first pipe in bypass relationship thereto. Valve means controls the flow of a slurry into either the first or the third pipe.

Abstract: A toy vehicle having a set of motor-driven drive wheels for moving it forwardly and a motor-driven steerable wheel assembly for effecting changes in the direction of movement of the vehicle. The vehicle has a radio receiver coupled to the drive motor of the steerable wheel assembly for energizing the drive-motor when signals are received by the receiver from a transmitter remote from the vehicle itself. In one embodiment, the steerable wheel assembly includes a single wheel rotatable about a vertical axis in one direction through an angle of 360.degree.. In another embodiment, the steerable wheel assembly includes a pair of spaced wheels interconnected by a linkage shiftable back and forth in response to the rotation of a coupling member which rotates in one direction in a 360.degree. arc. The transmitter has input means including a microphone and a Schmitt trigger unit or a one-shot multivibrator. The drive motor for the steerable wheel assembly can include a stepping motor.

Abstract: A security-type garment hanger capable of being attached against removal to a rack or similar support and capable of preventing a garment from being removed from the hanger. The coat hanger includes a metal bar which fits on the underside of one of a pair of inclined shoulder supporting members which are joined at their upper ends. The bar has an upper part which projects upwardly from the junction of the shoulder supporting members, the upper part providing a threaded stud capable of being attached to any one of a number of various types of racks. The other end of the metal bar has fastened to it a length of chain or other type of flexible member. In one embodiment, the free end of the chain is passed through the sleeve of a garment and looped up from the bottom of the garment through its interior and padlocked to the chain near the point where the chain is fastened to the metal bar.

Abstract: A method of mining thick seam materials is performed by forming a pair of generally horizontal, vertically spaced, vertically aligned passes or drifts in one side of the thick seam. A number of contiguous vertical holes are drilled in the material from the lower to the upper drift to form a relatively large opening extending the length of the drifts. This large opening is then filled with low grade concrete to support the overburden and, after the concrete is set, a second pair of generally horizontal, vertically spaced, vertically aligned drifts are formed adjacent to the first mentioned drifts and the foregoing process is repeated. The above steps are continued until the entire seam of material has been removed.

Abstract: A blower unit for releasable attachment to the slotted front panel of a wall heater. The blower unit includes a blower having an inlet, an outlet, and a motor-driven rotor for generating an air flow between the inlet and the outlet. A housing is attached to the blower and has a first opening aligned and communicating with the blower outlet thereof for receiving an air flow therefrom. The housing has a second opening spaced from the first opening, and a pair of spaced projections are carried by the housing and insertable in a slot of the front panel of the wall heater for mounting the housing and thereby the blower in an operative position on the front panel externally thereof with the second opening adjacent to and aligned with at least one slot so that, when the blower is energized, air will flow into and through the housing and out of the second opening into the wall heater through the one slot to cause heated air in the heater to be forced out of the other slots of the front panel.