Abstract: Golf practising apparatus comprising a housing (1) having mounted therein a capstan (7) for a line (19, 26) which has a golf ball (27) attached to one end thereof. The housing is provided with a pivotal ground anchorage device (20) and an elongated line guide (23) which includes a guide member (24) embracing the line. The line comprises an outer highly stretchable elastic line part (26) and a further line part of low stretchability. Attached between the two line parts is a stop (25) which is intended to co-act with the guide (24) and prevent the first line part from being wound onto the capstan. The apparatus also includes a brake which applies to the capstan a braking force which increases with increasing lengths of line-paid out from the capstan.

Abstract: An electrically operable liquid soap dispenser responsive to the presence of a user dispenses a measured amount of soap on demand. It has a spout with a fluid conduit therein connecting a soap reservoir and a nozzle. A pump draws soap from the reservoir during a stroke of its plunger and depending on the embodiment, ejects a measured amount of soap during a subsequent plunger downstroke or upstroke. At least one check valve regulates the flow of soap from the reservoir to an orifice at the nozzle. The soap path from the reservoir to the nozzle is kept full of soap so that a single cycle of the pump is sufficient to eject the desired amount of soap. The orifice is sized and shaped so as to prevent dripping while maintaining soap at the nozzle ready to be ejected. A light beam emitter and detector control operation of the pump.

Abstract: A waterbed mattress comprises an inflatable container formed of a flexible plastic material with a generally planar top sleeping surface and a generally planar bottom. There are generally vertical side walls and a generally vertical head end wall and a generally vertical foot end wall. the head end wall has a greater vertical height than that of the foot end wall whereby the top sleeping surface slants from the head end to the foot end.

Abstract: The connecting element (1) has a flat head (2) with an inside hexagon (3), a shaft (7, 8) and two studs (5, 6). The two studs (5, 6) are offset against one another through 90.degree.. The first stud (5) molded on the free shaft end is shorter than the second stud (6). The connecting element (1) is suited especially for connecting the side wall (37) of a supply body of a room divider with vertical, tubular columns (35) of the room divider. The connecting element is very rapidly mounted. In the installed state the second stud (6) holds the side wall (37) spaced from the column (35). For this reason the supply body is somewhat shorter than the clear distance between adjacent columns (35). The supply bodies, therefore, can be installed in and removed from the room divider very simply and rapidly subsequently.

Abstract: A storage rack for small articles of all types and configurations incorporates an elongated main support bar with a multiplicity of longitudinally spaced, open top transverse slots; a multiplicity of retainer loops of tough, resilient, abrasion resistant resin such as PET are inserted in and project forwardly from the slots. The ends of the retainer loop legs are bent at right angles and held in a recess in the back of the support bar by a back member, whereas a cover over the tops of the slots precludes upward withdrawal of the retainer loops. A front ledge on the support bar, below the retainer loops, effectively narrows the space between the adjacent retainer loops; a similar ledge is preferably present above the loops.

Abstract: A tabletop baseball game including a replica of a baseball field and a diamond which is constructed with plastic tubing and bases joined by connectors. A ball-hitting mechanism and a ball-positioning and supporting wall are provided as part of home plate. The ball-hitting mechanism includes an arm which is pivotally mounted for rotation in an arc relative to home plate. A replica of a baseball bat is pivotally mounted on the arm for swinging motion in a path that intersects the ball when it is positioned on the home plate. A spring mechanism is provided which can be tensioned by reverse rotation of the bat replica, stored by a ratchet and pawl mechanism and released by a push button to swing the bat.

Abstract: This invention concerns a creepage control system for locomotives that optimizes adhesion while minimizing wasted energy, rail/wheel wear and shock loading on the drive train. The basis of the invention is to always maintain a small but positive value of the slope of the wheel-rail adhesion creep curve (or differential of adhesion versus creep) for all traction axles of the locomotive through microprocessor control. The value of the differential of adhesion versus creep is used to define an operating window for control and operation of motors continually in the optimum domain when high adhesion is demanded. When, due to a sudden increase in rail contamination, the value of the control function becomes negative, the microprocessor control reduces the generator excitation in stages until the function becomes positive and inside the operating window again. The microprocessor controls a rail cleaning system which is turned on or off depending on the cleanliness of the rail.

Abstract: A punch press has first and second sets of tooling mounted longitudinally of a press conveyor belt. The second set of tooling is located externally of the usual press columns. A second ram slidably mounted on the outside of the columns is driven by a connecting arm eccentrically mounted on a crankshaft extension. The second ram drives the upper tooling of the second tooling set in a reciprocating manner. The second ram can be operated out of phase with the main ram to reduce the total tonnage required of the press.

Abstract: An offset press unit which has a main frame defining a pair of spaced apart walls having bores therein, a pair of plate cylinders are disposed within the frame and are rotatably supported in spaced apart relation, and a pair of blanket cylinders are disposed within the frame each is rotatably supported for rolling contact with the other and with one of said plate cylinders, internal support means are secured to one of the walls and include at least one cylinder supporting bearing, external support means are secured to the other of said walls including at least one cylinder supporting bearing and one of the printing cylinders is rotatably supported by the cylinder supporting bearings.

Abstract: The room divider comprises an independently stable, positionally secure skeleton of carrying columns (1) and cable channels (2) connected with them. The upper edge of the channels (2) is about at desk height, and the columns (1) overhang the channels (2). In this skeleton there are installed changeable separating elements (4), for example cabinet elements (40), drawer elements (41) or wall elements (42). Through this structure there is present at desk height a large, very well opened-up working surface for the accommodating, operating and stowing of electronic equipment units, so that the desk (6) is freed of encumbrances. The space divider can easily be adapted to changing requirements.

Abstract: A base assembly for an open office partition panel. The base assembly is formed in sections, namely, end sections and a center section. An end section is fastened to and supported on each leg. The center section, which fastens to and is supported on the end sections, may be omitted when electrical wiring is not installed in the panel base. Each section is formed of a pair of elongated, channel-shaped housings which are fastened to each other back to back to form a housing section having a center dividing wall and open sides. A snap-in divider separates each channel-shaped housing of the panel base section into upper and lower wire conduits.

Abstract: A mattress construction includes a water mattress and a rigid, peripheral and bottom support for the water mattress. There is a resilient cushion extending about and over the water mattress and the rigid support. A flexible cover is positioned about the resilient cushion. There are lift-off, lock-down means in the form of facing peripheral hook and loop fastener strips which integrate the cushion, cover, water mattress and support into a unitary structure.

Abstract: In railroad operations, a method and apparatus for optimizing on-board rail lubrication for both curved and tangent track. The apparatus is mounted on the car body of the last locomotive of a locomotive consist behind the last axle. A lubricating device applies two different lubricants, one on the crown of the rail and the other on the gage side. The amount and type of the crown lubricant are chosen such that the crown lubricant is totally consumed by the passage of the train wheels. The amount of application of the two lubricants is controlled by a microprocessor. A new sensor has been devised which measures degree of rail curve and estimates the angle of attack of the wheel on the rail by converting lateral displacement into either of the two quantities. This value is provided to the microprocessor. Other sensors measuring speed, temperature, humidity, etc. provide input signals to the microprocessor.

Abstract: A food product molding mechanism for producing rod-shaped food products such as sausages, which may be implemented by conversion tooling in a reciprocal mold plate food patty molding machine, comprises an aligned assembly of N mold tubes mounted in alignment with a fill passage that supplies a moldable food product to the mold tubes. The mechanism further includes front and rear drawbars interconnected in fixed spaced relation by guide rods that guide the drawbars for reciprocal movement, along a mold path, between a fill position and a discharge position. N front mold rods project from the front drawbar toward the mold tubes; N rear mold rods project from the rear drawbar into the mold tubes. The spacing between facing ends of the two mold rods for each mold tube is less than the mold tube length.

Abstract: A latch and latch release mechanism for an indicator which visually signals the movement of a tensioned sliding bar along a game board. The mechanism includes an indicator in the shape of a fanciful apple pivotally mounted for movement between a lowered position and an upstanding position. A rubber band urges the indicator to its upstanding position. A latch is formed on the indicator and is positioned to engage the sliding bar when the indicator is in its lowered position to retain the indicator in this position. A row of teeth is formed on the game board and aligned with the path of movement of the tensioned sliding bar. A finger is mounted on the indicator and engageable with the teeth when the indicator is in its lowered position to twist the indicator and release the latch from engagement with the sliding bar when the sliding bar moves.

Abstract: An articulated railroad flat car for transporting four short or three long semi-trailers comprises two units connected by a drawbar. A plurality of semi-trailer hitches are mounted on the units. The hitches are suitably spaced for securing either three long trailers or four standard trailers, using overhead loading or circus loading. When three long trailers are loaded, the middle trailer is attached to a hitch on one of the units and has its tandem resting on the other unit. The unit on which the tandem rests has a widened floor section at its end adjacent the drawbar to accommodate turning or skewing of the tandem when the car negotiates a curve.

Abstract: A photo negative strip including a sequence of individual photo frames is protected by laminating two slightly narrower strips of transparent protective film onto the opposed surfaces of the photo strip; each protective strip is removably secured to the photo strip by two edge stripes of a pressure sensitive releasable adhesive. The adhesive stripes covers the sprocket holes near the edges of the photo strip, but edge portions of the photo strip are left, uncovered by either protective film, along both outer edges of the photo strip. The preferred protective film is of biaxially oriented polystyrene.

Abstract: A molded knob of the type which frictionally engages and slips over the end of a shaft. The knob has a hub with a shaft-receiving socket formed therein. Elongated fingers, which are formed as part of the hub, extend into the socket to engage the shaft. In one embodiment of the invention, a pair of elongated fingers extend generally radially into the socket, with each finger terminating in a tip located close to but out of contact with the top of the other finger. The tips of the fingers are contacted by the curved outer surface of the shaft when the shaft is inserted in the socket to compress the fingers. If desired, the fingers can be designed to bend them into contact with each other so that the loading from one finger to the other acts like a truss. In a second embodiment of the invention, the elongated fingers are curved non-radially relative to the shaft and extend toward each other, terminating short of contact with the tips of each other.

Abstract: The disclosed connection bar is elongated, adatped to overlap respective adjacent ends of two rails, and the top and bottom portions at each end of the bar have elongated contact faces shaped to cooperate flush against respective surfaces on these rails. A pair of holes is provided in a web portion of the bar, and securing devices may be extended through the holes for clamping the bar against the rails. An elongated reinforcing rib may be formed on the web portion, extended across the bar transverse to and between the enlarged top and bottom portions, and located to line up adjacent the ends of the rails when the bar is secured to the rails. Other reinforcing ribs may also be extended across the web portion, transverse to and between the top and bottom portions; and these other ribs are located outwardly beyond the holes.