Abstract: Protective circuits for preventing fires due to arc short circuits (as opposed to dead short circuits), are described. Current flow in excess of that existing during normal transient overloads is indicative of an arc short circuit. Protection is provided by triacs which are triggered by circuit current flow in excess of that existing during normal transient overloads. When triggered, the triacs, in series with the fuse or circuit breaker, are placed directly across the power source and thus actuated substantially instantaneously to interrupt current flow to the load circuit. By thus interrupting current flow the hazard of a fire is obviated. Means are also provided for giving a visual indicium that the protective circuit has been actuated by triggering of the triacs. Additional means are provided for triggering the triacs in response to an overheated main electrical service connection.

Abstract: An open end wrench and a socket wrench are described which are selectively adjustable to rotate fasterners dimensioned pursuant to the English system or the metric system. Both wrenches compris first and second elements having parallel surfaces spaced apart to engage flats, of a given width, on a fastener. Parallel linkage means control relative moventment of the two elements between first and second positions. In the first position, the linkage is parallel to the flat engaging surfaces and the flat engaging surfaces thereof are spaced for rotation of a fastener having flats of the given width. In the second relative position of the elements, the linkage means is generally normal to the flat engaging surfaces and the flat engaging surfaces thereof are offset, with one surface of the first element being laterally spaced from one surface of the second element a predetermined lesser distance for rotation thereby of a fastener having flats of a width approximately said lesser distance.

Abstract: A fluid dispensing nozzle construction and method of making the same are provided, the construction comprising a valve body having a dipensing spout extending therefrom, and a flexible bellows-like tube of polymeric material telescopically disposed on the spout and having opposed ends one of which is secured to the valve body and the other of which carries a face seal means for engaging an annular lip of a fill pipe of a fluid storage tank to seal around an opening in the fill pipe when the spout is inserted therein, the spout and the tube defining a vapor recovery passage therebetween that leads from the seal means to the valve body.

Abstract: A bag for containing articles and method of making same are provided wherein such bag comprises a body portion having an access of a particular peripheral outline and a device for closing and opening the access, and the device comprises a hook and loop fastener for closing the entire extent of the peripheral outline with the fastener being adapted to be closed solely by urging a pair of cooperating portions thereof in pressure contact and being adapted to be opened by pulling the cooperating portions out of contact.

Abstract: Shut-off valve comprising a casing which has at least two connections, one shut-off element rotatably supported in the casing having a thru bore which selectively can be aligned with the connections and an outer cylindrical surface, and a cylindrical annular sealing sleeve of elastic material which is blocked against rotation in the casing which has thru bores adapted to be aligned with the connections, the sleeve sealing by cooperating with the cylindrical surface of the shut-off element and being axially held in place at its outer edge surfaces by the casing, whereby in the outside of the sealing sleeve being made of PTFE or like material around the thru bore a groove is formed into which an elastic sealing ring is placed, the diameter of which is larger than the depth of the groove.

Abstract: A poppet valve assembly and method of making same are provided and such assembly comprises a housing; a flow passage in the housing with the passage having a central axis and being adapted to flow a fluid in either direction therethrough; a poppet structure for controlling flow through the passage; a support structure for supporting the poppet structure during movement thereof along the axes; an actuator contact on the poppet structure between its head and stem to enable movement of the poppet structure along the axes; and apparatus for engaging the contact to provide the movement wherein the support structure comprises a cylindrical inside surface provided on the housing and having an axial length generally of the order of several times the particular diameter, and the support structure also comprises a cylindrical outside surface on the stem which slideably engages the inside surface, with the inside and outside surfaces cooperating and defining sole means confining the poppet structure against movements tr

Abstract: A butterfly valve assembly and method of making the same are provided wherein such valve assembly has a valve body structure and a closure structure and is provided with a new device for locking, in its closed position, a shaft assembly which is used to operate the closure structure. In accordance with another feature of the invention a new butterfly valve and method of making same are provided wherein such butterfly valve has new heat exchange devices comprising same for controlling the temperature thereof.

Abstract: A swivel construction and method of making the same are provided, the construction comprising a body member and an adaptor member, each member having opposed ends and having a passage passing through the ends thereof, one end of the body member and one end of the adaptor member being disposed in telescoped relation, the construction having a retainer disposed between the telescoped ends and tending to hold the members in the telescoped relation while permitting swivel movement therebetween, the construction having a seal disposed between the telescoped ends and tending to seal the telescoped ends together while permitting swivel movement therebetween, the construction having a bearing disposed between the telescoped ends and intermediate the retainer and the seal, the construction having structure for causing the seal to leak a certain amount after the retainer has worn away the bearing a certain amount but is still maintaining the one ends in the telescoped relation thereof.

Abstract: A coin chute construction for a dispensing machine and method of making same are provided wherein such machine requires at least one coin of predetermined size and valuation to initiate one operation of the machine for one item of goods or service. The construction comprises cooperating structural components for providing movement of the coin away from and then back toward a rectilinear path during movement of a slider of the construction which carries such coin from an inoperative position to a test position for the coin prior to initiation of the one operation of the machine.

Abstract: Randomly oriented articles of roughly equal size are arranged in a predetermined pattern employing an apparatus which comprises a device for receiving the articles and disposing same in at least one substantially rectilinear row and in a single layer thereof, an accumulator for receiving the articles from the row with the accumulator having a moving apparatus for moving the articles therethrough and a cooperating gate system for controlling the articles moving through the accumulator, and a collection device for collecting the articles from the accumulator wherein the gate system alone or cooperating with the moving apparatus provides improved control of any desired number of articles through the accumulator.

Abstract: A knee exercising device is described. It provides for the manual control of pressure to the lower leg in selectively flexing either the right or left leg knee joint. The device includes a plate member interposed between the users buttocks and a chair sear on which the user is sitting. The leg of the knee being exercised is held in an elevated position by a pad between the thigh of that leg and the chair seat. A lever is pivotally mounted, intermediate its length, on the plate member. The lever swings in a vertical plane between the users legs about an axis generally vertically aligned with and parallel to the axis of the knee joint being exercised. A leg engaging pad is removably mounted on the lower end portion of the lever. The removable mounting enables the pad to be selectively positioned to engage the front, shin portion or rear calf portion or either leg, at an area adjacent to and spaced above the user's foot.

Abstract: An apparatus and method used in making wire and similar elongate members, and wire made using same, are provided wherein rods are extruded using a filled billet technique which comprises disposing the rods in a can comprising the filled billet and additional steps are employed which comprise placing the rods in adjoining side-by-side relation to define a geometric pattern and fixing together at their ends those rods defining the periphery of the pattern to define a dense pack of the rods wherein the placing and fixing steps are achieved prior to the step of disposing the rods within the can, and wherein the dense pack and hence the rods are adapted to fit snugly within the can during the disposing step and separable filler means is added between and around the rods whereby the fixing step assures that during extrustion the rods are reduced in cross-sectional area in a better controlled manner.

Abstract: An improved sheet forming machine and method of making same are provided wherein such machine employs a first set of clamp assemblies and associated moving devices for serially moving the sheet or sheet material along fixed parallel rails through a succession of working stations and a second set of clamp assemblies which cooperate with the first set of clamp assemblies in a non-interfering manner and grasp and hold opposite side edge portions of the sheet material the full extent of the stations along the rails, and the second set of clamp assemblies are adapted to provide precise grasping and holding of such opposite side edge portions of the sheet material along such full extent to enable modification of the sheet material at each successive station with optimum precision. The machine also has improved apparatus for adjusting and holding the distance between the parallel rails.

Abstract: An amusement device is shown which comprises a lightweight bag tethered at its opposite ends to upper and lower, pivotal swivels. The bag is suspended by the upper cord and the lower cord has a length substantially greater than the normal distance of the bag from the lower swivel. The bag is readily deformable and resilient so that it cannot cause injury. The cords are elastic and resilient so that when it is struck by a players hand, or fist, it gyrates and travels in an unpredictable fashion presenting a challenge to its being repetitively hit, as is the object of its competitive use where players attempt to cause the bag to strike an opponent. The device is uniquely adapted for use by persons confined in wheel chairs.

Abstract: An apparatus for packaging articles of roughly equal size in package means therefor and method of making such apparatus are provided wherein such apparatus comprises a first conveyor device for the articles with the first conveyor device having a plurality of receptacles each for receiving and supporting an individual one of the articles, a second conveyor device for moving a plurality of packages for the articles, and a transfer device for transferring a predetermined number of the articles from the first conveyor device into associated packages therefor wherein the first and second conveyor devices have portions thereof in parallel facing relation and the apparatus further comprises a drive for operating the conveyor devices in a continuous non-indexing manner to thereby continuously package the predetermined number of articles in an associated package.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making a plastic lens and a plastic lens made thereby are provided, the method comprising the steps of disposing a lens forming material comprising a liquid monomer and a photosensitive initiator into a mold cavity defined in part between a pair of spaced apart mold members each having a lens forming surface facing the cavity and an outer opposed surface, directing rays of ultraviolet light from a source thereof against the outer surface of at least one of the mold members so as to pass therethrough to act on the lens forming material in the cavity to produce the lens therefrom, and forming the outer surface of the one mold member with structure to cause the ultraviolet light directed thereagainst to be substantially evenly distributed throughout the lens forming material in the cavity in order to tend to prevent optical distortions in the lens being formed therefrom.

Abstract: A terry-type cloth product and method of making same are provided wherein such product comprises ground fill and ground warp interlaced to define ground of the product, with the ground having a top surface and a bottom surface and pile warp extending from the ground and with the pile warp comprising a plurality of sets of pile yarns with each set of pile yarns having a plurality of pile yarns wherein the pile yarns of each set extend in a plurality of adjacent loops above the top surface and then pass through the ground and extend in a plurality of adjacent loops beneath the bottom surface and wherein the pile yarns of each set again pass through the ground and repeat in adjacent loops above the top surface and beneath the bottom surface across a dimension of the product, with each immediately adjacent pair of sets of yarns being staggered so as to provide a checkered pattern defined by sets of pile yarns and ground on each of the top and bottom surfaces.

Abstract: A security system for a jail cell block is described. The individual cells are each provided by drop bar means which are shiftable between a position in which the cell door is locked and a position in which the door is released for opening movement. Deadlock means are provided to prevent movement of the drop bar means to the release position. A master control has a "Deadlock", a "Release" and an "Individual Cell" mode. In the "Deadlock" mode, additional means are provided to prevent movement of the drop bar means, of all cells, out of their locking positions. In the "Release" mode, the deadlock means of all cells are disabled and the drop bar means are displaced to their release positions.

Abstract: A woven sheeting material and method of making same are provided wherein such sheeting material has warps and wefts and each of the warps is made of a blend of a natural material and a synthetic material and each of the wefts is made substantially entirely of the natural material.

Abstract: A vent valve construction, storage tank containing the same and method of making the same are provided, the vent valve construction having a body member provided with a tubular portion that has opposed open ends one of which is adapted to be disposed in the storage compartment of the storage tank and the other of which is adapted to be accessible from the exterior of the storage tank wall, the valve member of the vent valve construction having a stem projecting through the one open end of the tubular portion to operatively interconnect the valve member to a piston unit disposed in the tubular portion and a removable closure means closing the other open end of the tubular portion.