Abstract: A device adapted to be circumferentially fitted around the forearm to alleviate symptoms of overuse injuries, such as tennis elbow. The device is an elongate band composed of two elongate arcuate compression plates detachably and adjustably linked end to end by flexible straps. Each of the compression plates has an inwardly concave skin contacting surface which, in operation, are in circumferent opposition on the forearm to compress the skin overlying the radial extensor and flexor muscles within the forearm transaxially disposed therebetween. When the band is circumferentially tensioned and fastened to encircle the forearm, only the discrete, anatomically opposed skin contacting surfaces of the compression plates press against the skin. The skin contacting surfaces of the two compression plates are positioned by the user to immediately overlie the extensor and flexor muscle mass respectively.

Abstract: A compact machine for automatically loading racks with bottled water containers, includes an in feed conveyor for delivering upright bottles, a pin wheel mechanism with spaced apart spokes for receiving each individual bottle from the in feed conveyor that is operable through its rotation to convert a bottle's vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation, a bottle loading magazine operable to transfer bottles from the pin wheel mechanism to a elevator magazine, a bottle elevator in the loading magazine operable to raise bottles loaded therein in a vertically stacked relationship, and a ram operable to push the bottles stacked in the elevator magazine into a rack positioned next to the elevator magazine, plus controls for sequencing these operations.

Abstract: In a door constructed of spaced apart compression molded skins reinforced with fiber glass with the core between the skins filled with foam to construct the door, an improved skin for such doors is constructed by adding specific pigments to the raw materials for such skins before compression molding occurs to achieve a surface which is superior in appearance to the skins of such doors which are painted and/or stained after such skins are compression molded and converted into a door. The specific pigments employed are titanium oxide ?TiO.sub.2 !, ferric oxide ?Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 !, chromium oxide ?Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3 !, and carbon black and are blended in different percentages to achieve different colors without loss of the integrity of the skin.

Abstract: A synthetic door casement is composed of multiple panels of L-shaped compression molded skin panels, that can be embossed with a graining pattern on their outer surfaces, which are joined with batten means on their inner surfaces to form a pair of opposed rectangular casement skins which casement skins are then joined on opposite sides of an outer frame surrounding an inner frame to form a hollow rectangular casement which is then filled with a plastic foam, such as polyurethane foam, with the inner frame having an external recess to receive a glass pane along with cooperative retention moldings to hold the pane in place in the recess of the inner frame once the pane is inserted therein.

Abstract: A compression band for treating disorders of the knee, including arthritis, synovitis, chondromalacia patella, patella tendonitis, and the like. The band comprises a compressive member which generally has the profile of a bowtie or "dog bone," and an encircling strap portion which holds the compressive member in position on the knee. The compressive member is symetrically shaped so that it applies pressure to the medial and lateral infra-patellar retinaculum and inferior portion of the patellar tendon. This compression dampens the motion associated with the rapid acceleration/deceleration of the soft tissue folds as they pass over the margins of the femoral condyles during flexion and extension of the leg. The compressive member serves as a shock absorber to prevent rapid acceleration and deceleration of the tissue as it passes over the condyle, thereby reducing microtrauma to the tissue and resultant inflammation.

Abstract: In a robotic test machine for testing chips, often referred to as automatic chip test equipment, a novel interface between the chips being tested and the test head loadboard, allowing rapid changes of products being tested, includes a docking plate with vertical supports, a housing mounted above the docking plate on the vertical supports and having actuators associated therewith and an array of male header pin assemblies mounted on its surface, plus a socket plate with apertures therein adapted to receive the array of header assemblies along with means for connecting it to the actuators whereby the female pin connectors on multiple chip test boards mounted on the socket plate can be connected to an individual header assembly in the array when the socket plate is mated with the housing plate by the actuators.

Abstract: In a syringe with a hollow cylindrical barrel with one closed end, a plunger having a length longer than the barrel mounted in the barrel for reciprocation, a handle on the distal end of the plunger extending from the barrel and a piston mounted on the opposite end of the plunger in the barrel and a hypodermic needle mounted in the closed end of the barrel being in communication with the interior of the barrel, the improvement of including a hollow tapered section in the barrel adjacent to its closed end, which tapered section in cooperation with the piston end of the plunger is operable to disable the syringe as the piston commences traversing this tapered portion of the barrel.

Abstract: An improved sliding bearing system for railroad locomotives having pedestal legs includes a channel-shaped unit of a wear resistant thermoplastic, including a base and two upstanding flanges ported with mounting apertures, plus two inserts made of strips of a more resilient thermoplastic, with one of the inserts mounted in the base adjacent to one of the flanges and the other insert mounted in the base adjacent to the other flange, so they are operable to compress and expand under loading variations, along with fastening members with undersized bosses relative to the diameter of the apertures in the flanges, operable to secure the unit to the pedestal leg in a manner that its flanges will slip on the associated pedestal leg under loading variations to accommodate the resiliency of the inserts, enabling the unit to shift on the face of the leg to better distribute the loading on the unit more uniformly, whereby the service life of the unit is extended.

Abstract: A transparent edge-lit window pane for lighting displays and the like through which maps, pictures and photographs which are illuminated thereby can be viewed by an observer includes a generally rectangular panel of transparent material tapering from one edge to the opposite edge to form a wedge shape, a linear light source imbedded in and sealed thereto along the one edge with a sealant having an index of refraction close to that of the panel and etching on one planar surface of the panel whereby it greatly increase the amount of light egressing from the pane toward the display without clouding the chart from the observer. The linear light source may include a semi-circular length-wise reflector to increase the amount of light entering the edge of the pane from the light source.

Abstract: In a syringe with a hollow cylindrical barrel with one closed end, a plunger having a length longer than the barrel mounted in the barrel for reciprocation, a handle on the distal end of the plunger extending from the barrel and a piston mounted on the opposite end of the plunger in the barrel and a hypodermic needle mounted in the closed end of the barrel being in communication with the interior of the barrel, the improvement of including a hollow tapered section in the barrel adjacent to its closed end, which tapered section in cooperation with the piston end of the plunger is operable to disable the syringe as the piston commences traversing this tapered portion of the barrel.

Abstract: In a syringe with a hollow cylindrical barrel with one closed end, a plunger having a length longer than the barrel mounted in the barrel for reciprocation, a handle on the distal end of the plunger extending from the barrel and a piston mounted on the opposite end of the plunger in the barrel and a hypodermic needle mounted in the closed end of the barrel being in communication with the interior of the barrel, the improvement of including a hollow tapered section in the barrel adjacent to its closed end, which tapered section in cooperation with the piston end of the plunger is operable to disable the syringe as the piston commences traversing this tapered portion of the barrel.

Abstract: In a cassette for a standard tape player including a platen having an inverted conical hub mounted on the platen to freely rotate about one of the sprocket drive apertures of the cassette with an endless spool of magnetic tape coiled on the hub and platen and having an operating tape loop extending from the spool, the improvement comprising a guide arranged adjacent to one of the capstan drive apertures operable to route the operating tape loop threaded in the cassette to by-pass one of the capstan drive aperture so that placing the cassette in a machine in one orientation will allow one of the capstan drives to transport the operating tape loop, while reversing the orientation of the cassette will not allow a capstan drive to transport the operating tape loop in the cassette in the opposite direction. Also the novel cassette is suitable for use in auto reversing tape players.

Abstract: A collapsible hair brush employs a flat rectangular flexible membrane with a plurality of bristles projecting perpendicularly from one of its flat surfaces with this membrane having its opposite edges journalled on two spaced-apart, parallel elements which elements are disposed at a width less than the width of the membrane whereby the membrane will have an arcuate configuration when assembled on said elements and can be pushed to one side of the elements to open the bristles and the other side of the elements to close the bristles, along with a handle hinged to the brush which can be folded over the membrane when the bristles are closed to make a compact unit for storage.

Abstract: A see-through shield for a urological or similar medical instrument for treating bladder and prostate problems, includes a cylindrical collar adapted to fit a boss on the instrument, a clear planner shield element, a hollow cone-shaped connecting member having its apex connected to one end of the collar and its skirt connected to the shield element forming a semi-flexible joint between the collar and the shield element, a radial slit from and through the collar, the cone-shaped member and into a portion of the shield element to allow a portion of the instrument larger than the collar diameter to pass through the shield when attaching it to an instrument and a securing means to clamp the collar on the boss of an instrument.

Abstract: A lap top navigation instrument, suitable for aircraft, includes a chart compartment covered by a transparent window containing a liquid crystal display as part of the window through which a conventional map or chart in the compartment can be viewed and a computer whereby an image can be generated in the display above the chart in the compartment and, through inputs to the computer from the aircraft's instruments, the computer generated image in the display will be continuously repositioned above the surface of the chart so as pilot using the device has a continuous visual indication of the position of his aircraft over the topography depicted on the chart in the compartment. Directional components may be added to the image giving the pilot additional information in reference to the heading of the aircraft relative to the chart's display of "North" showing how the image is actually tracking over the chart in the compartment.