Abstract: A training device for baseball or softball hitters is provided having a firm belt for encircling the chest of a hitter, and a separate firm belt for encircling the upper portion of the lead arm of the hitter, with the two belts being firmly secured together so as to bind the hitter's upper lead arm tightly to his side while leaving his forearm generally free for movement throughout an entire swing of the bat. Using this training device, when the hitter begins to swing at a pitched ball, the upper portion of his lead arm and elbow becomes "locked in" close to his side, and remains so locked throughout the entire swing. The training device thus promotes desirable hip action and "tophand action" produced by the swinging motion of the hitter's body, thus generating more power in the swing.

Abstract: An insulating material is provided comprising an air tight enclosure maintained under vacuum and containing a plurality of alternate, successive layers of thin reflective foil and thin insulating sheeting. These layers are tightly packed together and are arranged generally perpendicular to the heat flow. The enclosure walls are thin and sufficiently ductile or resilient so that when air is pumped from inside the enclosure, the walls deform in response to atmospheric pressure and transmit this load to the layers of foil and sheeting thereby compressing them tightly together.

Abstract: A planar window or door and frame is provided having the window or door hinged at one side to the frame so that the window or door swings outwardly and inwardly in relation to the frame, and having the top of the window or door spaced slightly beneath the adjacent portion of the frame to permit relative swinging movement between window and frame. A continuous row of resilient fibers is mounted on the frame adjacent the top of the window or door so that it covers the space between the top of the window or door and the adjacent portion of the frame when the window is closed. This row of resilient fibers extends across the width of the window or door so that as the window or door swings to open or closed positions the row of fibers deforms incrementally along the moving juncture between the top of the window or door and the frame to thereby provide a continuous seal against rainwater and wind leakage between the window or door top and the frame.

Abstract: An air conditioned apron is provided. The apron has an internal apron pocket. An air conditioner including an air blower is mounted within the apron pocket. The air conditioner includes an air duct for conveying air discharged by the blower to the apron pocket and/or to the atmosphere outside the apron. This air duct has a first exit extending outside of the apron through an apron opening, and a second exit within the apron pocket. The flow of air through the first duct exit is selectively controlled to thereby direct flow of air as desired through the second duct exit and into the apron pocket. In this way, the apron pocket may be heated, cooled or ventilated to the extent desired. Various alternatives are disclosed, including rotatable insert and pivotal damper types of control. In some alternatives, the first duct exit is inclined at an approximate 30 degree angle to the vertical. In one modification, this exit is an elongated tube which discharges conditioned air near the face of the apron wearer.

Abstract: The invention described herein is a portable desk board having upper and lower portions and two longitudinally spaced, flat-top working areas, with a receptacle for writing instruments and the like separating the working areas longitudinally. An elongated bookrest is arranged in the lower portion of the desk, and a pivot is provided for mounting the bookrest to the desk. The outer end of the bookrest may be selectively anchored in one of two positions on the desk board. The desk board includes a clamp along its upper portion to overlie each of the spaced working areas for clamping paper or the like in place over the respective working area, and a hand grip carrier is provided in the central upper portion of the desk board. A stand is provided for the desk board operable between open and closed positions and comprising a pair of arms with a flexible strap extending therebetween to provide a support for the desk when the stand is open and a carrier for the desk board when the stand is closed.

Abstract: A friction-type clutch assembly is provided for connecting full-speed power to a dead load, including an output shaft assembly including axially spaced, annular separator plates extending outwardly from and slidably secured along their inner circumference directly to an output shaft hub, a drive gear assembly including axially spaced, annular friction plates extending inwardly from and slidably secured along their outer circumference directly to an outer carrier member, with the annular friction plates of the drive gear assembly interposed between the annular separator plates of the output shaft assembly so that lateral motion of the respective plates toward one another causes clutching action of the drive gear and output shaft, and a piston and cylinder arrangement for drivingly connecting the drive gear assembly to the output shaft assembly, including an annular piston rotatably mounted on the output shaft and interposed between the drive gear and the output shaft hub, with the outer piston face being annul

Abstract: A menu board is provided which utilizes members carrying interchangeable numbers, letters or other characters, and possesses special features which render the menu board highly legible. The menu board is provided with window-like openings and means for replaceably mounting the interchangeable character members behind the board openings. The character members include appendages selectively engageable with end stops provided on the board, or with slots provided on the board for positioning and locking the members in place. In one embodiment, the characters are each of a selected length and are overlaid one upon the other within the board openings, but so that the characters themselves are not overlain as viewed from the front of the menu board. Alignment means is provided for controlling the registration of the characters with respect to one another within the windows, and locking means is provided for securing each group of character members in place.

Abstract: A window conversion assembly is provided for use with a building window frame having a head jamb, opposed side jambs, and a bottom sill, the window assembly including a headpiece for mounting against the head jamb of the frame, a sill piece for mounting against the sill of the frame, with one or both of the headpiece and sill piece being resiliently mounted against the frame for accommodating any out-of-squareness of the frame, side members for mounting against the side jambs of the frame, and upper and lower sash windows for mounting within the headpiece, sill piece and side members to form a completed window assembly. The window assembly features full perimeter weather-stripping, utilizing high leaf weather-strips and corresponding deep receiving grooves in the windows to provide weather seals along the horizontal as well as vertical junctures between the window sashes and frame assembly members.

Abstract: A combination casing and frame for use both as the window casing and as a storm window frame for a double-hung structural window and adapted to be mounted directly against the frame of the structural window includes unitary top, side, and sill members, each of the top and side members having a casing portion adapted to overlie a portion of the structural window frame, structure for slidably mounting sashes on the side members, latch-engaging structure provided in the side members, and latches movably mounted on opposite sides of the sill member in retractable engagement with the latch-engaging structure, for mounting the sill member on the side members and demounting the sill member.

Abstract: Reinforced synthetic resin compositions are provided having 25 to 90% by weight of synthetic resin, and the balance (75 to 10% by weight) of reinforcing fillers comprising: (1) 0 to 150 parts by weight of epsom salt, (2) 0 to 150 parts by weight of hydrated borax, and/or (3) 0 to 20 parts by weight of glass spheres, so long as at least one of the two components identified in (1) and (2) are used. The compositions may be used as coatings or for molded articles. They do not require use of aluminum trihydrate, or silica flour particles, or other known fillers having fire retardant properties. Yet, the compositions of the invention are found to possess heretofore unknown properties of fire retardancy, ablation, and smoke absorbency.

Abstract: An electrophoretic gel apparatus and analytical method are provided for analyzing samples without the need for removing the gel from the apparatus. The electrophoretic gel is provided with a central opening therethrough for accomodating an analytical reagent, so that the latter may react with electrophoretically separated components of a sample undergoing analysis.

Abstract: Reinforced synthetic polyester resin compositions are provided having 10 to 60 percent by weight of resin, 1 to 30 percent by weight of glass spheres, 10 to 60 percent by weight of Suzorite mica platelets, and 20 to 70 percent by weight of silica flour. The compositions may be applied to a mold or to a plastic sheet. They do not require glass fibers, and thus avoid the laborious rolling down of fibers carried on the surface of freshly applied glass fiber-resin compositions. Yet, articles formed from the compositions of the invention retain or improve upon the physical properties inherent in glass fiber-resin compositions. In particular, the compositions and articles are found to be fire retardant.

Abstract: An improved lamp, holder and adapter are provided, the lamp including an elongated body and lamp bases at each end of the body, and the holder for the lamp comprising a frame and a pair of end sockets adapted to receive the lamp bases. Each lamp base includes a plug carrying a pair of spaced electrical conductors for detachable connection to corresponding conductors within the end sockets, the latter being connected to a suitable source of electric current. At least one of the sockets includes an irregularly shaped socket recess, and at least one of the lamp plugs has a groove therein. An adapter element is provided interposed between the grooved lamp plug and the socket having the irregularly shaped recess, with the adapter carrying a tongue on one side sized and shaped to lockingly nest within the plug groove and having its opposite side shaped complementary to the socket recess for locking mating engagement therewith. Several lamp plug groove shapes and arrangements are described.

Abstract: A multiple inoculation system is provided for the transfer, cultivation, maintenance and identification of microorganisms. The system includes a multiple needle inoculating plate, a separate plate including multiple wells corresponding to the needles for holding inoculum and transferring it to the needles, and a culture dish having a plurality of compartments interconnected with each other in the central portion of the dish. The culture dish is filled with a suitable solidifiable liquid culture medium by pouring the medium onto the central or any portion of the dish so that the medium readily flows into each of the compartments. After the culture medium has solidified, the compartments remain separated from one another so that after the medium is cultivated the spreading of microorganisms between compartments is minimized and mutual interference in test reactions is avoided.

Abstract: Reinforced synthetic polyester resin compositions are provided having 10 to 60 percent by weight of resin, 1 to 30 percent by weight of glass spheres, 10 to 60 percent by weight of Suzorite mica platelets, and 20 to 70 percent by weight of aluminum trihydrate particles. The compositions may be applied to a mold or to a plastic sheet. They do not require glass fibers, and thus avoid the laborious rolling down of fibers carried on the surface of freshly applied glass fiber-resin compositions. Yet, articles formed from the compositions of the invention retain or improve upon the physical properties inherent in glass fiber-resin compositions.

Abstract: A paint can and accessory holder for use with a ladder is provided. The holder includes a horizontal base for supporting a paint can, a vertical member having its lower end removably secured to the base, a horizontal upper cross-arm removably secured along its mid-portion to the upper end of the vertical member, and a clamp removably secured to one end of the cross-arm and adapted to releasably grip a ladder or other fixed structural member. The base includes a support mount and tray for holding a paint can, as well as an accessory tray. The upper cross-arm is provided with wet paint brush holding and storage means generally vertically juxtaposed over the paint can holding tray so that brush drippings will fall into an open paint can held by the tray. The holder is adaptable to different size paint cans. The entire holder assembly is of the knock-down type. It may be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled as desired.