Abstract: A locking arrangement for clamping a watthour meter to an assembly includes first and second locking members each having first end portions which engage an annular ridge of the watthour housing, offset portions which engage an annular ridge of the adapter housing and second ends which are secured to the adapter housing from a rearward surface of the adapter housing to make removal of the watthour meter from the adapter assembly more difficult.

Abstract: The regulator assembly comprises body means carried by a support and defining a cavity for detaining a pool of abrasive slurry. Overflow means is associated with the body means for establishing the upper level of a pool of abrasive slurry in the cavity. At least one flow-restrictive conduit means is secured at one end to the body means, communicates with the cavity at the lower end of the pool of abrasive slurry, and presents an outer end from which abrasive slurry is discharged. One of the above-indicated means is movable whereby to selectively adjust the vertical distance between the plane of the upper level of the pool of abrasive slurry and the plane of the outer end of the conduit means.

Abstract: A valve in the nature of a check-valve for use in the fluid lines of enema and stoma-irrigating units, and the like, for permitting flow of material therethrough in one direction but not in the reverse direction, and which may be quickly and easily dissassembled, cleaned and re-assembled.

Abstract: A paddle or racquet and ball combination is disclosed that is characterized by the provision of a plurality of ball-retaining holes in the face of the racquet having indicia representing a different game on each side arranged in a relationship to the difficulty in catching the ball therein when it is caught on the racquet by a player. The racquet has a flange around its periphery with one or more protruding tabs that are adapted to receive and hold conforming overlays or panels bearing different indicia whereby the racquet and ball combination can be used to play a number of games. In one embodiment, a single tab is used to hold one or more overlays or panels of thin sheet material and the panels are provided with a neck portion that extends into the handle whereby the neck portion is in a natural position to be held by the thumb of the player. The device can be used for such games as baseball, number games, tennis and bowling.

Abstract: A thyristor controlled ferroresonant voltage regulator in which the output voltage is made adjustable by varying the reset flux level of each of two parallel magnetic core paths upon which the load windings are wound. Decoupling from the alternating current source is provided by a separate inductor. The two core paths are decoupled by magnetic shunts, which provides an inductance which may be designed to obtain a soft commutation characteristic for the ferroresonant capacitor. During one half cycle of the output waveform one thyristor is enabled by an associated control circuit to complete a circuit path for the resonant capacitor through a winding on the second magnetic core path, while the flux in the first magnetic core path is clamped; in the second half cycle, another thyristor is enabled at a time determined by the control circuit, to complete a circuit path for the capacitor through a winding on the first magnetic core path while the flux in the second magnetic core path is clamped.

Abstract: A warming and storage unit for quickly thawing frozen artificial insemination materials and in which such materials and insemination guns used in such operations may be stored at desirable temperatures while awaiting use. The unit includes a metal block provided with a thermostatically controlled electric heater means. The block has an elongated vertically extending central well for receiving semen capsules for thawing and a horizontally extending compartment spaced from the well and being of such size as to accommodate and store at least one artificial insemination gun. The metal block is enclosed in a heat insulating housing provided with openings for access to the well and compartment.

Abstract: A unitary holder for a set of masonry drills, or twist drills generally, provides a main vertical plastic back plate upon the front of which are mounted in parallel open ended cylindrical loops of selected sizes for holding drills or other articles in parallel assembly with their shanks disposed in pockets in line with the loops. The pockets receive the shank ends of the drills and hold the drills with their cutting ends on a common level. The loops hold the intermediate parts of the drills. A transverse horizontal cover flange integral with the back plate extends across the plate at right angles thereto a short distance above the loops. An extension of the back plate above the horizontal flange holds all the drills separately--endwise and sidewise--with minimal play. The main sheet which forms the plastic back is flexible in the region between the flange and the upper edge of the row of loops.

Abstract: A sickle guard having at least one longitudinally extending guard finger for use in a mower having sickle means including mounting means for supporting flat cutter sections for movement transversely of the guard finger, wherein the guard finger has a bottom body portion having an upper ledger surface lying in a horizontal plane and have cutting edges at each of the sides thereof, trash bar means extending transversely at the rear of the cutting edges of the ledger surface and in which the trash bar means has upper horizontal surface means lying in the horizontal plane of the ledger surfce of the guard finger and having cutting edge means at the forward end thereof, and in which the ledger surface and the upper surface of the trash bar means provide for supporting the cutter sections of the sickle means for movement with respect to the guard finger and in cutting relation to the cutting edges of the ledger surface and the cutting edge means of the trash bar means.

Abstract: An analog signal comparator receives a variable potential signal at each of two input ports. The signal at each input port is provided to a gate of one programmable unijunction transistor (PUT) and an anode of another PUT to form mirror-image symmetrical connections to the two PUT's. An output signal from either of the PUT's then indicates the lesser of the potentials at a corresponding one of the input terminals. The comparator is preferably intended for use in a closed-loop motor positioning system.

Abstract: In a boat of the "planing" or "semiplaning" type and in which the rear portion of the bottom is substantially straight in the longitudinal direction and tapers rearwardly, the side faces of the hull are formed with rearwardly facing steps crossing the highest waterline and placed substantially at or behind the point of maximum bottom width, so as to cause ventilation of the rearwardly converging side faces at speeds below planing speed. This substantially eliminates the resistance caused by suction on said faces and permits the bottom to be given a pronounced rearward taper with a width of the bottom at the stern less than 70% of maximum width, with consequent improved performance at low speeds. To minimize flow disturbance the steps taper towards both ends and extend upwards and forwards with decreasing inclination.

Abstract: An integral motor controller circuit for supplying variable speed, bidirectional drive to a motor as a function of variations of a sensed parameter includes an amplifier circuit which is responsive to an error signal indicative of deviations of the parameter from a set point to provide an output signal representing the direction and amount of the deviation. The amplifier output signal is applied to a first motor terminal and to an input of a two-level comparator circuit which is responsive to an increasing error signal exceeding a predetermined amount to connect an energizing potential of one polarity to a second motor terminal and responsive to a decreasing error signal in excess of the predetermined amount to connect an energizing potential of the opposite polarity to the second terminal of the motor, the speed of the motor being determined by the level of the amplifier output signal.

Abstract: A wire reel for dispensing wire from coils or cartons including rotatable means for paying out the wire without twists or kinking, means to retard the rotation of the reel when wire is being withdrawn therethrough, means for quick disconnect of the suspending lines for the base plate from the plate and means for secure assembly of the disconnect means from the suspending means.

Abstract: The invention provides a quiet, reliable and quick acting "no-back" action for synchronous motors utilizing permanent magnet rotors which have minimum power in self-starting and are prone to be erratic in direction of starting. This fallibility arises at least in part from the expense and difficulty of working to the accuracy which would be required to make the motor less uncertain in starting.

Abstract: A telephone central office switching system with economical application to small community dial office sizes is disclosed. Communication paths are spatially switched over a modular network fabric comprised of electromechanically actuated metallic crosspoints. A distributed control concept is employed wherein the logic power and flexibility of electronic stored program control is spread over many points in the system. Serial asynchronous messages between any two control elements are routed via a central information exchange unit whose number of communication ports is easily changed on a pluggable basis. Modularity is emphasized throughout the switching system for facile growth and additions of feature-oriented service packages.

Abstract: A tire breaker is formed from a cord on a gum base supported on a work belt. A rotor member is mounted above the work belt, and includes inner and outer cord engaging and laying means. Upon intermittent rotation of the rotor member, the cord engaging and laying means engage the cord, fold the same into successive side-by-side loops, and lay the loops on the gum base.

Abstract: A control mechanism adapted for incrementally and positively controlling the displacement of a biassed member or the like associated with a bicycle gear-change transmission between a plurality of predetermined positions for effectuating changes in gear ratios of such transmission in response to unidirectional movement of an operator control lever of the control mechanism. In addition, the control mechanism is also, preferably, provided with an "overshift" arrangement which effectively and effortlessly enables an operator to shift the bicycle sprocket chain from one sprocket to another sprocket of larger diameter. In an alternate embodiment, the control mechanism is directly mounted on and connected to a derailleur type bicycle change-gear mechanism.

Abstract: A method of constructing a modular building by casting reinforced slabs having embedded transverse hinge elements located at spaced intervals and folding the slabs into sleeve-like parallelogram modules or tunnels. The modules are stacked and grouted together in various arrangements to form a modular building.

Abstract: A fail-safe timing circuit energizable in response to a starting signal for activating a system, such as a fuel ignition system or an air conditioning system, includes a first switching circuit responsive to the request signal to activate the system to commence its operation tentatively, a time-out circuit responsive to the starting signal for generating a time-out signal after a predetermined time delay interval, a circuit responsive to a system variable such as the establishment of a flame in a fuel ignition system or the sufficient increase in oil pressure of a compressor in an air conditioning system becoming a predetermined condition, such as the flame occurring or the compressor oil pressure achieving a given desired value, for preventing the time-out circuit from generating its time-out signal, and a second switching circuit for causing the first switching circuit to de-activate the system in response to the time-out signal.

Abstract: The invention disclosed relates to fabricated rigid sheets profiled for engagement with adjacent similar sheets for assembly as a panel having sufficient rigidity to enable sufficiently large areas to be produced for the construction of van bodies, domestic and other building, caravans and road signs. Each sheet is of substantially rectangular shape with rearwardly extending flanges at each of the opposed longitudinal edges arranged supportingly to engage a corresponding flange of an adjacent similar sheet in assembly. One of the flanges is formed with at least one and preferably a plurality of spaced openings and securing means is associated with the other of the flanges for engagement in the openings of an adjacent similar sheet.

Abstract: A bottom silo unloader for use in discharging moist grain from a sealed silo has a discharge tube set in the silo floor that leads from a casing in the center of the silo below floor level to the outside, and a discharge auger in the casing is driven by drive means adjacent the outer end of the tube. A pair of vertically aligned, right angle gear boxes are driven by the discharge auger and drive a sweep auger. A ring gear on which the upper gear box is mounted is rotated from the drive means to cause the sweep auger to rotate about the vertical axis of the silo and the gear boxes. A torsion arrangement suspends rotation of the ring gear when the sweep auger encounters heavy resistance to its movement around the silo.