Abstract: A rotatable shoe rack for visible and readily accessible storage of a plurality of clothing accessories such as shoes, ties, scarves and belts, comprising a pair of opposing base plates, having slotted channels which receive flexible belts that define a plurality of sockets. Respective distal ends of elongate support members engage the sockets, whereby the support members extend between the base plates. Each support member includes a plurality of spaced-apart cross-arms to which a shoe receivers are attached. Shoes, being placed on the shoe receivers, are selectively viewed for retrieval, by causing the belts to move along the channels. Arms extend from the support member for receiving ties, scarves, and belts.

Abstract: A field-adjustable load-absorbing spring plate for skis, which spring plate pivotally mounts to an upper surface of a ski for relative vertical movement of the spring plate in response to inflation of an air bladder disposed between the upper surface of the ski and the spring plate and in response to loads imposed on the ski by the skier while skiing. An air pump connects by an air pipe to the air bladder and a valve operatively connected between the air pump and the air pipe is movable between a closed position and an open position the valve is selectively operable for communicating air under pressure from the pump into the air bladder and for communicating air from the air bladder to atmosphere. Side wallls extend downwardly on opposite longitudinal sides of the spring plate for holding the air bag in position between the ski and the spring plate.

Abstract: A packing having a flexible core and a skin of expanded intercalated graphite with an adhesive layer, baked for a predetermined period at a predetermined temperature for reduced adhesive flowability while maintaining tack for holding the skin wrapped around the core of the packing and a method of manufacturing such packing.

Abstract: A packing material having a resilient core and a uniform non-seamed exterior surface comprising a plurality of discrete compressible particles attached to the flexible core and to each other, the particles being compressed after attachment. The method comprises surrounding the flexible elongate core with a plurality of powder-like particles which together feed through a plurality of aligned pairs of feed groove rollers. The core, with the attached particles, wraps under tension around an arcuate sector of a cylinder or wheel passing between a pair of spaced-apart walls. A roller pushes against the core to compress the powder particles together and to bias the length of packing material into a spiral coil.

Abstract: An apparatus for collecting a series of image collections for display on a video terminal at a user-selected time and sequence, with the series of image collections selected according to a user-defined indicia of images to collect. The apparatus includes means for generating a set of indicia used to select and create sets of image collections for subsequent display on a video terminal at a user-selected time and sequence; means for collecting sets of image collections based on the set of indicia; and means for displaying representative portions of each of the sets of image collections on the video terminal. Means are provided for displaying the sets of image collections.

Abstract: An apparatus (110) for extracting impurities from a pulpous slurry. The apparatus has a housing (111) and an auxiliary chamber (113). The housing has a separation chamber (127) having stack of disks (159) spaced from each other so as to form channels (172) therebetween. The disks are mounted to a drive shaft (160) which is rotatably driven by a motor (161). The action of the rotating disks cause impurities to be projected to the outermost portion of the separation chamber while the desired pulpous fibers pass between through the channel to an accept tube (193) for collection.

Abstract: An earth retaining wall having at least a pair of tiers of side-by-side blocks which define a receiving channel for a connector bar with spaced-apart keys that engage apertures in a lattice-like grid extending laterally from the tiers, the grid being covered by backfill for interlocking the backfill with the retaining wall, the keys distributing the load of the backfill evenly across the wall.

Abstract: An air compressed gun (10) is provided having a stock (11), a barrel (12), a trigger (13) and a manual air pump (14). The gun also has a mounting tube (201) configured to be received within the tail bore (203) of a projectile (P) and a barrel (200) in which the projectile is positioned for launching. The mounting tube has a tapered air exit end (210) and a safety bar (211). The barrel has an lelongated slot (217) for venting compressed air.

Abstract: A small water plane area twin hull (SWATH) ship (10) has two demi-hulls (11), a strut (12) mounted to each hull which extends to a cross structure (14) spanning the struts. A buoyant foil (18) extends between the two hulls.

Abstract: A gasket made of a plate having an annular central opening with an annular region concentric to the central opening, the annular region having a plurality of concentric deformable ridges and opposite facing grooves in a first and second surface of the plate. A sealing material comprising a plurality of expanded intercalated graphite worms overlies the annular region with the particles fixed to adjacent particles by compression. The ridges and the sealing material provide a plurality of seals having varying density and thickness that incrementally changes from a first edge of the sealing material to a second edge. The gasket is manufactured by compress the worms and the plate between dies to form the sealing material.

Abstract: A water gun (10) is provided having a storage tank (18), a pressure tank (19), and a pump (32) for conveying liquid from the storage tank to the pressure tank. The conveyance of liquid from the storage tank creates a vacuum which is controller through a control valve (43) to refill the storage tank with water in an efficient manner.

Abstract: Quantitative compliance markers and associated methods for monitoring patient compliance with medication prescriptions associated with compliance markers have been found to eliminate the need for specific quantitative relationships for each new drug tested. Such compliance markers and methods for monitoring patient compliance utilize pharmacologically inert substances, namely the weak acids benzodiazepines, or non-metabolizable substances in association with an underlying drug at a measurable dosage, so as to correlate compliance marker concentration with underlying medication concentration to determine amount of actual medication ingested.

Abstract: A multi-deck container having a bottom pallet configured with support members for receiving and supporting a lawn and garden tractor on the bottom pallet, whereby the tractor is restrained from movement relative to the bottom pallet. A corrugated paperboard body defines two opposing side walls and two opposing end walls. The corrugated paperboard body attaches at a lower portion to the bottom pallet. A plurality of cleats attach to the walls and extend from a lower portion to an upper portion thereof. The distal ends of the cleats in the upper portion of the corrugated paperboard body support a top pallet which has support members for receiving and supporting a second lawn and garden tractor thereon whereby the second tractor is restrained from movement relative to the top pallet. The pair of lawn and garden tractors are held in the multi-deck container for packing and shipping the tractors from a manufacturer to a sales center.

Abstract: A rack for the storage and display of compact disc cases includes a backboard to which horizontal and vertical bars are mounted to form a grid defining a plurality of cells each sized to receive a compact disc case for display. A lip extending laterally from the vertical bars defines recesses in the cells for receiving edge portions of compact disc cases. A spring is mounted to the backboard within each of the cells for securing against the compact disc case placed therein at an acute angle with respect to the backboard.

Abstract: A wheelchair (20) is detachably coupled with a mobile accessory (10), by a hitch (30). The hitch (30) includes a J-bar (31) and bracket assemblies (33). The J-bar (31) may be pivoted between operational and stowed positions on the wheelchair (20).

Abstract: A shrimp orienting and deheading apparatus (10) includes a top track (11), a middle track (12), a bottom track (13) and a deheading station (14). The top track has a V-shaped channel (16) with a step (18) which causes a shrimp (S) positioned tail forward and dorsal side down to rotate to a head forward dorsal side up position as they fall to the underlying middle track. The middle track is separated from the bottom track by a gap (21). Shrimp entering the gap in a tail forward dorsal side up position fall into the gap while shrimp in all other positions bridge the gap. The deheading station has a pair of severing fingers (55) with a vertical blade (62) and two horizontal blades (63, 64).

Abstract: A liner (10) is provided for use in a bulk bag (12) of the type for storing and transporting fungible materials. The liner has a bottom wall (23), a top wall (24), and side walls (22) extending between the bottom wall and the top wall to define a storage space. The liner also has a reinforced top collar (34) extending from the side walls which is stitched to the sides of a bulk bag.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in removing hazardous material I from an elongated pipe P comprises an elongated upper work section 41 from which a plurality of in-line lower debris collection and disposal bags 47 depend. The upper work section and the bags are made of flexible sheet material. The upper work section has a bottom formed with a plurality of in-line chutes 52 that extend between adjacent bags. A plurality of gloves 48 are mounted to the upper work section. Upon wrapping and securing the upper work section about a pipe with the chutes inclined therefrom, insulation may be manually worked from the pipe and channeled by the chutes into the bags for collection and storage. A method of manufacturing the apparatus from two continuous webs of flexible material is also disclosed.