Abstract: A soft-release lever-operated control system for parking brake cables is disclosed including a helical main clutch spring arrangement permitting movement of the operating lever only toward the brake-engaged position, and a release device for releasing the main clutch spring to permit return of the operating lever toward the brake-released position. According to another embodiment of the invention, a second helical clutch spring arrangement is provided that is activated when the operating cable is returned to the brake-released position, thereby to activate a cable tension adjusting device that removes slack contained in the inner brake cable operating member. According to a further embodiment, a push-to-release arrangement including a toggle pawl and spring device is operable upon tapping of the operating lever to place the system in a brake-released condition.

Abstract: The system comprises a first unidirectional packet bus having a bit rate D, each packet including an e-bit identifier and a b-bit package, sources having differing bit rates d.sub.i such that d.sub.m .ltoreq.d.sub.i .ltoreq.d.sub.M <D, and access means for introducing packets from the sources into the first bus. An allocator located at the receiving end of the first bus builds up frames of identifiers identifying active sources. Each frame has a length T=b/d.sub.m and is shared into N=d.sub.M /d.sub.m time slots. Each time slot has a period .theta.=b/d.sub.M and includes a source identifier. The identifier for a same active source having a bit rate d.sub.i is repeated in the frame n.sub.i times such that n.sub.i =d.sub.i /d.sub.m when d.sub.i /d.sub.m is an integer, or such that n.sub.i =1+ integer part of (d.sub.i /d.sub.m) otherwise. The identifier frames are transmitted from the allocator into a second unidirectional bus distributed to all the access means.

Abstract: A disposable hospital gown includes body, arm, and hood portions and gloves connected with the arm portions assembled so as to provide a unitary structure impervious to fluid. The hood portion contains an enlarged viewing opening in its front surface for receiving a clear plastic visor and a ventilating mask which are connected with the hood portion in sealing relation. A protective flap is sealed to the visor to cover the ventilating mask. The gown, hood and flap are formed of a barrier material which is impervious to bodily fluids and germs. A plurality of fasteners at the rear of the body portion close a vertical opening contained therein when the device is worn. The unitary gown thus protects the wearer's body from contact with any fluids expelled from a patient's body to prevent the transmission of any disease between the wearer and the patient.

Abstract: Weaving loom blade crossbeam that comprises two edge areas separated one from the other by a median area, with one of the edge areas strengthened in the longitudinal direction of the crossbeam by a material that contains an armature of fibers, and with the other edge area carrying a warp catch bar and displaying, possibly, one slit, at least. When the median area forms one whole with the aforesaid other edge area and is therefore made, partially at least, of the same metal as part, at least, of this other edge area, this median area comprises a plate or metal frame, whereas, when the median area consists of a part separate from this other edge area and fitted to the latter by glueing or moulding, this median area is formed essentially by a material strengthened by fibres.

Abstract: An amusement projectile device includes a hollow body and head and tail portions, characterized in that the hollow body is formed of a pair of body sections hinged together at one end for movement between closed and open positions. The body includes a pair of fins connected with the body sections adjacent the tail portion to assist in flight of the projectile device through the air. A plurality of colored streamers and a parachute connected with the body of the device are arranged in the hollow body with the body sections in the closed position. The projectile device is propelled into the air in the closed position. At the apex of its flight, the body sections open releasing the streamers and the parachute. The streamers randomly flutter to the ground and the projectile floats to the ground while suspended from the parachute providing amusement to the user.

Abstract: A parking brake cable assembly of the reaction conduit type is disclosed including a cable slack adjusting device connecting a second inner strand brake operating member with the floating reaction bracket that is displaced upon straightening of an initially bent conduit associated with a first inner strand brake operating member. The cable slack adjusting device includes a bracket housing containing a first opening that is connected with one end of the reaction conduit and that receives the first inner strand member, and a second opening that receives for free axial displacement a cylindrical end fitting that is connected at one end with the second inner strand member. The other end of the cylindrical end fitting is provided with an abutment against which one end of a compression spring abuts. The other end of the compression spring engages a quick-release adjustment or lock-out knob that is operable to a disengaged condition in which the compression spring expands to remove slack from the cable.

Abstract: A turbine blade positioning fixture for accurately positioning a turbine blade relative to its stacking axis during a grinding of the blade root form is characterized by a unique positioning assembly which enables the operator to quickly insert and remove turbine blades relative to the fixture for accurate uniform positioning of successive blades. The fixture includes a rigid base for supporting spaced sections of the air foil portion of a turbine blade, and a locator pin is connected with the base for abutment against the datum point of the blade. A spring-biased upper block is resiliently connected with the base to exert a positioning force on the surface of the air foil portion of the turbine blade to urge the blade against the support of the fixture base and against the locator pin. More particularly, the upper block and the base define a cavity therebetween for receiving the air foil portion of a turbine whose root form is to be ground.

Abstract: In an optical fiber cabling line where a grooved ring is axially drawn at a translational speed, there is provided a device designed to insert optical fibers in helical grooves of the ring. The fibers are unwound, are drawn through a rotating plate and converge following cone generating lines towards the device. In order to avoid the use of fiber-guides coupled directly in rotation with the ring, the device comprises a quill rotationally stationary and coaxial with the ring for laying the fibers into the grooves of the ring, and means, such as two worm screws set orthogonally to the ring, arranged after the quill in the travel direction of the ring and mechanically uncoupled from the ring for thrusting the fibers to the bottoms of the grooves. The worm screw also contributes to align the fibers as they leave the plate, with the ring grooves within the quill.

Abstract: An infeed table for delivering pieces of lumber to a planer machine is characterized by separate and independent lateral and longitudinal drive mechanisms to continuously deliver the lumber to the planer at the speed of the planer feedworks without damaging the pieces of lumber. The infeed table includes a frame having a longitudinal linebar connected therewith. A plurality of longitudinally spaced transfer chains laterally transfer pieces of lumber successively against the linebar. A plurality of independently driven press roller assemblies are connected with the frame adjacent the linebar in longitudinally spaced relation for transporting the pieces of lumber in sequence into the planer machine. A control device is connected with the roller assemblies to control the rotational speed thereof to accurately and efficiently transport successive pieces of lumber to the planer machine.

Abstract: A propeller nozzle, particularly for a missile, comprises a revolution pipe having a forward convergent portion, a minimum section, and a rearward divergent portion with a large outlet throat section. The invention is designed to minimize lateral forces in the nozzle due to a separation of gaseous fluid exhausting from the propeller, during the start of the propeller pressure increase. For this purpose, the pipe comprises means disposed in the vicinity of a section internal to the divergent portion and substantially downstream from the minimum section for making a gaseous fluid separation stable, symmetrical and coaxial to the nozzle. These means can include a groove and/or a projection, preferably destroyable through mechanical erosion and/or melting under the effects of the gaseous fluid.

Abstract: A multi-pole plug connector is formed as a strip which includes a plurality of plug parts or socket parts having different respective numbers of poles; a plurality of corresponding socket parts or plug parts respectively insertable into the strip; coding elements arranged in the plug parts and the socket parts; first cooperating contours provided on the plug parts and the socket parts, and including a plurality of projections and a plurality of recesses arranged in a pattern with a predetermined pattern spacing, except in corner regions of the strip, so that the projections are normally engageable in the recesses when the plug parts are plugged into the socket parts; the corner edges of the plug parts and of the socket parts forming abutment edges of the parts, and including projection-free regions provided in the corner edges which deviate from the patterned contours so as to be purposely mismatched and nonfittingly collidable with the latter, the contours being provided with additional recesses in correspon

Abstract: A control device for a storage battery consists of a charge regulating loop including a circuit for supplying clock pulses having a variable frequency proportional to a battery charge and discharge current, a circuit for estimating an instantaneous capacity of the battery depending on a clock pulse up-down count, and a regulating circuit for recharging the battery from a mains or supply voltage as soon as the instantaneous capacity is equal to a first capacity substantially less than a maximum capacity of the battery. According to the invention, the frequency of the clock pulses depends also on at least one of the parameters relating to an energy efficiency of the battery and to a self-discharge current of the battery, so that these parameters are involved in estimating the instantaneous capacity. Also, the device gives warning, through an alarm, that the battery voltage is considerably more than a discharge threshold which, when reached, disconnects the battery from a load circuit.