Abstract: A nasal cannula structure capable of being adjusted so as to fit comfortably relative to the nose of a user can be constructed so as to utilize an elongated tubular conduit held by a suitable support so that a portion of the conduit extends beneath and adjacent to the nostrils of the nose of the user. Two separate, spaced holes are provided in this portion of the conduit. Each of these holes is covered by a sleeve which fits closely around the exterior of the conduit in such a manner there is no gas leakage between the exterior of the conduit and the interiors of the sleeves and in such a manner that the positions of the sleeves relative to the conduit can be changed. These sleeves carry small tubes which are in communication with the holes in the conduit and which also extend into the nostrils of a user.

Abstract: A toy capable of pivotal movement on a support surface has an articulated body divided into a lower and upper section. A motor is located in the body and drives a set of drive wheels to propel the toy across a support surface. A member is associated with the motor and is capable of pivoting the upper body section side to side with respect to the lower body section. The upper body section includes a left side extension and a right side extension. Both of these extensions extend downwardly from the upper body section toward the support surface and are capable of either contacting the support surface or being lifted upwardly from the support surface in response to the side to side movement of the upper body section with respect to the lower body section. The toy will pivot to the left during motion when the left side extension contacts the support surface and the toy will pivot to the right when the right side extension contacts the support surface as the toy is propelled on the support surface.

Abstract: A hydrophilic surface can be provided on a hydrophobic polymer surface by contacting the hydrophobic surface with a solution of a hydroxyalkyl cellulose and a perfluorocarbon surfactant in water or a mixture of water and one or more aliphatic alcohols so as to form a layer of the solution on the hydrophobic surface and then heating the surface coated with the layer so as to remove the solvent, so as to form a bond between the cellulose and the hydrophobic surface. This results in the formation of a hydrophilic surface coating a layer on the hydrophobic surface. Hydrophilic surfaces as are created in this manner are primarily intended to be utilized on polysulfone surfaces in semipermeable membranes such as are utilized in micro- and ultra-filtration.

Abstract: A juggling toy includes a housing and a movable member movably located on the housing. A portion of the movable member serves as a juggling object. The member moves with respect to the housing such that the object is capable of reciprocally moving in an arcuate pathway with respect to the housing. An impulse member is located on the housing in association with the movable member. The impulse member is capable of interacting with the object in at least two points in the arcuate pathway of the object. Each of the interactions of the impulse member with the object are capable of at least inhibiting movement of the object in its current direction of travel and further capable of initiating movement of the object in the opposite direction of travel. The object is reciprocally moved in the arcuate pathway by alternately contacting the object with the impulse member to change its direction of movement.

Abstract: In a process for decontaminating contaminated metallic scrap, an oxygen bearing hot gas stream is passed into the inlet end of a container and is discharged from an exit end of the same container. The decontaminated scrap is loaded in the container at the inlet end. Concurrently the scrap is (a) moved from the inlet end to the exit end, (b) mixed and agitated within the interior of the container, and (c) during the mixing and agitation contacted with the hot gas stream moving through the interior of the container. The contact of the scrap with the hot gas stream is under conditions essentially capable of inhibiting flaming. By virtue of the contact with the hot gas stream, heat from the hot gas stream is transferred to the scrap, which lowers the temperature of the hot gas stream while raising the temperature of the scrap.

Abstract: A toy has a housing in which is movably mounted a primary movable member. The primary movable member moves from a first position to a second position. The toy includes a first mechanism for moving the primary movable member from the first position to the second position and a second mechanism which moves the primary movable member from the second position to the first position, while concurrently governing the rate of the movement from the second position to the first position. Associated with the primary movable member are one or more secondary movable members. The secondary movable members are capable of moving between two positions in response to movement of the primary movable member between its first and second position. When more than one secondary movable member is included, as the primary movable member moves from the second position to the first position, the secondary movable members are sequentially moved.

Abstract: A race game of the type wherein a housing has a surface with two channels located therein with an endless belt moving in each of the channels is improved by attaching to one of the endless belts a first upstanding member and attaching to the second endless belt at least one second upstanding member. Portions of the first and second upstanding members project upwardly from the surface. A motor is located in the housing and connects to the first and second endless belts. The motor drives the endless belts which in turn moves the first and second members in continuous pathway over the surface. At one point on the surface the continuous pathways converge toward each other and at another point they diverge. The first and second members are each capable of engaging with a portion of a small wheeled race vehicle and pulling these vehicles across the surface.

Abstract: In high-rise and mid-rise buildings wherein a concrete slab serves as a floor for one level and a ceiling for the level below it, it is necessary to secure vertical plumbing pipes to the slab wherein the plumbing pipes penetrate the slab through holes passing between the levels. An apparatus for securing these pipes includes a first and second member. Each of the members includes a base having a first and second end. Each of the members include one or more ribs attaching perpendicular to the base and extending between the ends of the base. The ribs on each of the members taper from the first end toward the second end of the base such that in side view each of the members is wedge shape in cross-section. The first member is located in the hole in the slab adjacent to the pipe by inserting from the top and the second member is located by so inserting through the bottom. This orients the members such that the large ends of their tapers are distal from each other.

Abstract: A toy has a first member which includes a rotating mechanism at least a portion of which is capable of rotating with respect to the first member about an axis of rotation. A second member is capable of being associated with the first member and being rotated with respect to the first member between a first position wherein the second member is stable with respect to the first member and is supported by the first member and a second position wherein the second member is destabilized with respect to the first member and is capable of becoming disassociated from the first member. A coupling mechanism detachably couples the second member to the rotating portion of the rotating mechanism so as to transfer rotary movement of the rotating portion of the rotation mechanism to the second member to rotate the second member with respect to the first member between the first and second positions.

Abstract: A self supporting grate for a drain structure can be improved by including as part of the grate a mounting base sized and shaped to attach the grate to the drain structure. At least a portion of the grate is formed as a generally upwardly projecting wall attaching to and extending from the base. The wall includes a plurality of weirs capable of forming a variable flow fluid pathway to the interior of the grate for fluid disposal by the drain structure. The weirs are constructed so as to allow fluid at a first fluid level on the wall as measured from the base to flow at a first rate from the exterior of the grate into the interior grate and fluid at a second fluid level likewise measured along the wall from the base to flow at a second rate into the interior of the grate, with the second rate being different from the first rate.

Abstract: A toilet holding tank water inlet valve of the type utilizing a flexible valve element formed as a portion of a pressure chamber and having a control stem associated with the pressure chamber and a pivot arm associated with the control stem is improved by molding a portion of the pressure chamber to tightly grip the control stem and attaching a vertical member to the pivot arm with a float which can move along the vertical member. An upper float stop is positioned near the uppermost end of the member and a lower float stop is positioned near the lowermost end of the member.

Abstract: A toy has a housing on which are located a plurality of individual operator buttons. These slide from a first position to a second position. The toy further includes an indicator member which moves from a nonindicating position where the indicator member is located inside of the toy to an indicating position wherein a portion of the indicator member is located outside of the toy. Movement of the indicator member from its position inside the toy to its position outside of the toy is accomplished by movement of one of the buttons. The toy further includes a control mechanism which couples only one of the buttons at a time in a seemingly random manner to the indicator member. After the control mechanism is set, the player or players of the game systematically or haphazardly, as may be the case, move the buttons attempting to discover which of the buttons controls the indicator member. When the proper button is moved the indicator member moves to the indicating position.