Abstract: The invention relates to bar units suitable for dispensing of ice and holding bottles and other paraphernalia necessary for work of a bartender. The bar unit provides for a housing having an inclined bottom and vertically extending walls supportable from the floor by legs which can be adjusted in height through telescopically movable elements. A first insert positionable within the housing has an arcuate wall to allow for easy scooping of ice from the housing. The insert has a horizontal attachment formed to occupy the spandrel space forward from the arcuate wall, the horizontal attachment having a number of chambers in which bins for retaining various bartenders' paraphernalia can be positioned. The bins follow the general shape of the horizontal attachment. A substitute bottom plate is provided for positioning within the housing to reduce the chamber formed by the housing when the amount of ice stored in the bar unit needs to be reduced.

Abstract: A minimum tillage implement attaches to the tool bar of a planter device to allow topping of the rows, tilling of the rows, planting and chemical application to be accomplished in a single pass over the rows of a field. The minimum tillage implement comprises a shaper for topping the rows of the field, and a reel for tilling the planting area of the row. Adjacent the top of the shaper is a substantially horizontal, forwardly-projecting lip portion which serves to prevent dirt from going over the top of the shaper. The reel follows the shaper and has a number of blades spaced substantially evenly about a shaft, and has tabs interposed between adjacent blades. The tabs allow the reel to roll as smoothly as if it had twice as many blades, without the clogging that might occur with a reel having so many blades.

Abstract: The invention discloses a live bait dispenser for receiving and retaining a plurality of live baits, such as crickets and comprising devices to allow dispensing of the live bait one at a time, while preventing escape of the live bait from the dispensing area.

Abstract: An educational game for teaching phonetics is provided. The game provides for the use of a deck of cards having at least one main card for each player and a plurality of secondary cards. The main cards have an indicia representing a number of phonetic tasks and the secondary cards bear an indicia representing a matching phonetic task.

Abstract: A wellhead and conductor pipe supported by a cable and anchor system is disclosed which is comprised of a plurality of anchor cables secured to the conductor at a first end of each cable, the second end of each cable being fixed to an anchor pile in a surrounding land formation beneath a body of water. In preferred embodiments the cables are secured to the conductor by means of an annular brace having an upper collar portion to which the first end of each cable is attached and a lower collar portion having pulleys mounted thereon and around which the cables are journalled. Anchor piles are driven into the subsea land formation by releasably securing an anchor pile to a drive pile and exerting a downward force on the drive pile to drive the anchor pile into anchoring engagement with the formation below the mud line.

Abstract: A latching device for locking and removal of a flow control device from a mandrel receiver comprises a cylindrical stem, a locking sleeve slidably mounted upon the stem, an annular locking ring mounted for a limited axial movement along the lower portion of the locking sleeve and a compression spring. The annular locking ring has upper and lower bevel surfaces which are complementary to bevel surfaces of a mandrel receiver. An improved retrieval device is disclosed for retrieval of a valve which is locked within the mandrel receiver, the device comprising a cylindrical body having a central opening and an internal wall with a recess and a retrieval tool provided with a compressible C-shaped ring for locking engagement with the recess formed in the cylindrical body, thereby allowing retrieval of the cylindrical body, along with the well tool which is securedly attached to the retrieval device.

Abstract: A method of protecting soluble proteins such that their biological activity is preserved after freezing by exposing the protein to a carbohydrate and transition metal ion prior to freezing. The protected protein can then be thawed or lyophilized and rehydrated without denaturation of impairment of the protein's biological activity. The protein is preferably exposed to the carbohydrate by placing it in a 25-100 mM aqueous solution of carbohydrate and 2 mM Z.sup.+2. This method is especially effective in preserving the biological activity of fragile proteins such as the enzyme phosphofructokinase. The present method can be used to preserve pharmaceutically useful proteins in a frozen or freeze-dried form for storage and distribution. The treated protein can be thawed or rehydrated and administered directly to a user without removing the cryoprotectant since the carbohydrates and trace amounts of many transition metal ions are nontoxic.

Abstract: A pocket calculator holder for selectively detachably securing the holder to a waist belt of a user or to a shoulder strap provides for the use of a holder body having a closed bottom, closed sides and an open top. The holder body is secured to the shoulder strap or to a wearer's belt through the use of a pair of spaced-apart strips attached to the back portion of the holder body. One of the ends of the strips is securedly attached to the back portion of the holder body, while the second end is provided with a fastener element to fasten with a co-aligned mating fastener element attached to the back portion of the holder body. The second embodiment provides for the use of a pair of spaced apart strips mounted on an underside of a flap which is securedly attached to a back portion of the holder body. The strips on the underside of the flap form loops with the underside of the flap for receiving a shoulder strap therein.

Abstract: A portable miter box for making miter cuts with a hand saw comprising an elongated work board supportable by legs at each of its ends. A swivel plate means positioned under the middle portion of the work board and adjustable for a limited horizontal movement in relation to said work board. Means for limiting longitudinal movement of a saw in relation to the swivel plate means. A saw guide assembly supported in parallel relationship above the work board and a front and back degree plate means attached, in opposing relationship to each other to the work board.

Abstract: A casing head adapter is mounted upon the top of a casing of an oil well by being slipped over the oil well casing and mechanically locked into place. No welding is required to provide a substantially strong, fully pressure intergal casing head upon the top of the casing. The casing head adapter comprises a substantially cylindrical hollow body having a plurality of internal grooves to accommodate a number of O-rings and a plurality of curved wedges releasably mounted in one of the internal grooves. The wedges have upwardly directed teeth for frictional engagement with the casing if a sudden rise in downhole pressure forces the wedges upwardly. The casing head adapter is provided with a plurality of set screws for locking the wedges in place, as well as a number of release screws for assisting in releasing the wedges from the frictional engagement with the casing if the teeth "bite" excessively into the casing due to an occasional rise in downhole pressure.

Abstract: A carrying holder of a musical instrument comprising a "T" bar, a pair of shoulder bars, a belly plate and fastening means. The pair of shoulder bars are fastened to a lateral plate of the "T" bar by bolts. Note that the fastening portions of the lateral plate are formed by two longitudinally aligned seats installed on two sides of the lateral plate. Each of the grooves has an appropriate number of semi-circular holes set separately so that bolts can be bolted through the semi-circular holes. On the corresponding positions of the shoulder bars, a hole and an arc-like slots are installed which make the shoulder bar is angularly adjustable about a bolt.

Abstract: A medical tube securing device, for securing tubes such as gastrostomy tubes which project from a person's body, comprises an openable pouch having a hole in the back portion thereof. A tube is pulled through the hole in the pouch, the pouch is secured to the body of the user, and the pouch is closed, thereby enclosing therewithin the free portion of the tube. In this manner, the portion of the tube projecting from the user's body is neither suceptible to being pulled by the user's hands, nor likely to be engaged by objects around the user; hence, the incidence of accidental, premature removal of the tube is greatly reduced.In an alternate embodiment, fasteners are also provided to reduce the possibility of the tube sliding into the user's body.

Abstract: A glue gun is provided, structured for the reception of a chamber that is a self-contained supply of gas for heating of glue. The operator can operate the glue gun by moving the trigger rearwards to produce a spark and to allow gas to flow from the gas chamber to the combustion chamber. The flow rate of the gas can be controlled by adjusting the protruder that projects from the window of the body portion.

Abstract: A locking apparatus for sliding doors which comprises a first leaf and a second leaf slidable in a groove, and including a hooking assembly mounted at the side frame of the first leaf and a hook-retaining block mounted at the corresponding side frame of the second leaf. The hooking assembly comprises a vertically slidable locking block which can be elevated by applying a key into a lock outdoors or by manual lift indoors such that the sliding door will be locked. An overriding safety lock pivotal on the hooking assembly keeps the slidable locking block at its uppermost (locked) position if the overriding safety lock has been pushed.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for explosively severing tubular members at a pre-designated severance level. The apparatus is designed to deliver a detonation signal to a ring-shaped explosive charge, to an annularly formed detonation signal receiving locations, so that explosion takes place substantially simultaneously about the circumference of the explosive charge about internal periphery of the tubular member at the severance level.

Abstract: An antenna for mounting on a non-conductive surface such as a windshield of an automobile coupled by a capacitor to housing on the inside of the resonant plate. The antenna has a jack for receiving a plug from a car radio and provides for interchangeability of the cable between the radio receiver and the jack. The circuit allows for fine tuning to the resonant frequency of the antenna.

Abstract: A lap timing device for swimmers utilizes a proximity sensor to detect the completion of each lap a swimmer swims during a training session. The device, which is preferably portable and in the form of a starting block of standard AAU dimensions, is placed adjacent an edge of a swimming pool. The number of laps of the training session are input and the swimmer stands on the diving platform of the device. When the swimmer dives off of the platform, a switch starts a clock/counter in the device. The proximity sensor, preferably an ultrasonic transducer, detects the completion of each lap. When the predetermined number of laps is counted by the device, an alarm sounds, indicating to the swimmer the end of the training session, and the total swim time, average time per lap, fastest lap time and slowest lap time are displayed.

Abstract: A sliding-weight operated hole boring tool can be used to make holes of various length or depth in varied soil conditions. A uniquely-shaped tool bit helps to form a smooth, clean hole. In preferred embodiments, detachable elongated stems are used to vary the length of the tool, and water is used to aid boring in hard soil.

Abstract: The apparatus provides for a housing mountable on a trailer for conducting the process in-situ. A pump withdraws substantially all hydrocarbon-contaminated matter from the oil waste pit and delivers it into a lower chamber formed in the housing, wherein the hydrocarbon-contaminated matter is separated from the heavy solid particles and heavy salt water. The hydrocarbon-containing mixture, after being separated in the lower housing is delivered into the upper chamber formed in the housing and heated to facilitate separation, by gravity, of hydrocarbons, water and fine particles into various layers for subsequent withdrawal from the housing. The process of withdrawal of the hydrocarbon-contaminated mixture continues until hydrocarbon content of the oil waste pit is reduced to such degree that the waste pit becomes substantially hydrocarbon-free and is environmentally safe.