Abstract: An enclosed floor track system for use with wheeled hand trucks or the like in sanitary liquid treatment chambers. An elongate wheel channel into which the wheels of the truck are disposed includes a cover comprising either a cover plate or inflatable elastomer seals to prevent liquid from entering the contaminated wheel channel. In the cover plate embodiment the wheel channel includes an elongate side slot to accommodate the wheel axle structure. The inflatable seal is split to slidably receive a wheel axle structure.

Abstract: A unitary container for playing or calling cards and the like. The container comprises a bottom part and a top part complementary to the bottom part, with the two parts, when engaged to constitute a closed container, forming an internal compartment. A flange extends about each of the top and bottom parts. These flanges are spaced apart by the sidewall which is a part of the bottom of the container. An exterior cap is provided for the top and bottom parts and secured to the flange thereabout. The top and bottom parts include respective first and second complementary closure elements which engage and lock when the container is closed.

Abstract: An ergonomically advantageous operator's seat and controls arrangement for tandem road rollers comprises on the transverse center line of an operator's platform operator's seats arranged side by side and rotatable about vertical axes. A control stick pivotable in two mutually orthogonal directions is located on the longitudinal center line of the operator's platform in the middle between the operator's seats. Two steering devices are mounted with their steering columns rotatable about a longitudinal, central axis on two opposite transverse sides of the platform. Thus by rotation of the seats through 180.degree., four possible seat positions for the operator are achieved. By pivoting the control stick towards the respective occupied seat and by corresponding rotation of one steering device to in front of this seat, all controls are always within easy reach of the operator.

Abstract: A transporting device for lifting and relocating material from one position to another. In one embodiment, the transporting device comprises a stationary central support pedestal and a rotatable turret situated at the top of the pedestal. The turret has at least a pair of arms which extend radially outwardly from the pedestal. Each arm has an adjustable lifting and stacking mechanism for gripping and transporting of material as the turret is rotated. In another embodiment, the transporting device comprises a rotatable central support turret situated on a stationary pedestal. A pair of arms extend radially outwardly from the turret. Each arm may be raised and lowered independently of the other and includes a mechanism for gripping material as the turret is rotated. In either embodiment, the turret is driven by a motor situated in the stationary pedestal.

Abstract: A coiffure styling device having a pair of elongate body member halves hingeable by a perforated hinge along adjacent elongate edges thereof for closing the device around strands of hair. Attached along the free elongate edges of the body member halves by stems are complementary hemispherical nodules with rounded camming surfaces and flat engaging surfaces which snap-lock together when the body member halves are hinged to a closed portion. At one or both ends of each body member half is formed a flange flared outwardly to form a base of expanded surface area to support the styling device diametrically outwardly from the scalp of a person. On the inner faces of each body member is a groove for accommodating the hair strands and for containing adequate styling fluids.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance that is convertible to function in both light wire and edgewise techniques and which includes a sheath mountable on a tooth that may selectively receive any one of several wire receiving inserts. Each of the inserts is lockable to the sheath and thereafter removable so that the sheath, while still mounted on a tooth, can alternately be fitted with any one of several inserts. One of the inserts is formed to function as a light wire buccal tube, while another is formed to function as an edgewise buccal tube. A further insert is formed to function as an edgewise bracket.

Abstract: A hydro-mechanical actuator for adjustably positioning a part, for example a roll carriage of a vertical roll mill stand, is described in which an actuating member having a pusher is mechanically driven to approximate a desired position and then is adjustably displaced by a hydraulic mechanism. The actuator member has a threaded portion which engages a threaded nut secured against rotation by keys; hance rotation of the actuating member will cause its axial displacement. Rotation of the actuating member is by a driving splined sleeve which engages a splined portion of the actuating member. The hydraulic mechanism includes a piston which engages with the threaded nut which can move axially with the actuating member, so that the position of the actuating member, and pusher, can be adjusted by controllably varying the pressure applied to either side of the piston in the cylinder.

Abstract: A garment hanger support for use with a transportable wardrobe is provided. Detachable hold down clips engage hanger bar brackets to facilitate securing a locking cap to the hanger bar. The clips are easily replaced to permit extended use of the locking cap and hanger bar in the event of damage to a hold down clip. Hook portions of garment hangers are received over a main channel of the hanger bar and secured by the locking cap cooperating with at least one hold down clip. The support ends of the hanger bar are adapted to supportably engage along upper edge portions of opposing vertical sidewalls of a wardrobe. Garments retained on garment hangers may be securely maintained within a wardrobe for safe transportation. The hold down clips are hand-bendable to permit easy locking and unlocking. Also, clip detachment and replacement may be accomplished without the aid of tools.

Abstract: A concrete cure is provided which is totally water based and completely void of solvents. A moisture impermeable film is attained when the cure is applied to fresh concrete. The cure forms a barrier over the concrete allowing it to retain over 95% of the mixing water for a minimum of 72 hours when applied at the rate of 200 ft.sup.2 /gallon (5m.sup.2 /dm.sup.3). The concrete cure of the invention is a mixture of a hydrocarbon resin, emulsifying agents, paraffinic wax, and water. The cure may be provided in a clear or pigmented formulation. A method for making the concrete cure is also disclosed.

Abstract: An interchangeable knitting needle system having knitting needles with engageable, and releasably securing, locking means capable of resilient securement with tube adaptor means. The tube adaptor means capable of engaging ends of yarn storage tubes and being cooperative with said engageable needle locking means for interconnecting the yarn storage tubes between a pair of needles. Further, connector members are provided for linking a plurality of tubes between a pair of knitting needles. The connector members having opposite engaging end means, each being substantially the same as said engageable locking means of said needles, whereby said releasable locking means permit quick engagement and disengagement to enable interchanging or rearranging the components of the system.

Abstract: A bodyform, in particular a dressform, wherein a central support carries opposed pairs of body sections which are adjustable in spacing by means of adjustment mechanisms mounted on the central support, which mechanism is operable by an operating rod projecting from the bodyform and which is rotatable about its axis to operate the adjustment mechanism and is axially displaceable to lock said mechanism in its adjusted position. A preferred adjustment mechanism comprises a pair of pushrods which drive opposed pairs of body sections equally and oppositely, these pushrods being engaged with opposite sides of a central cog thus enabling a driving gear on the operating rod to act on one of the pushrods only. The adjustment mechanism is accommodated in a housing which carries fixed teeth in spaced overlapping relationship to the teeth of the pushrod whereby opposite axial movement of the rod engage and disengage the gear from the fixed teeth while such gear remains in engagement with the pushrod.

Abstract: An image is scanned by a TV camera 9 and the resultant signal digitized in an analogue to digital converter 12 the output of which represents the measured intensity of each picture element of the image. The values relating to selected lines may be captured in a line store 13. Alternatively the number of picture elements of a selected intensity may be counted during the count of a scan in a level counter 14, using a look-up table 15 as a mask to select the desired level. After all levels have been similarly counted the resultant histogram is modified by mapping each intensity into a new value with a smaller number of bits in such a way as to tend to equalize the number of picture elements in each new level. The new values are loaded into the look-up table 15 and in subsequent scans the measured intensities are converted into the new values, which may be displayed on a monitor 16 or captured in the line store 13.

Abstract: An improved lower extremity exercise device has a planar bed and support members which form a channel and storage chamber. An elongate support member is positioned below an edge of the bed and forms a shoulder. The elongate member includes vertical sockets and horizontal apertures. Tubular pegs are inserted in the sockets and apertures in sequences selected by the user. Elastic bands are looped around the pegs and portions of the body for the performance of exercises. The shoulder provides a proper heel-resting surface for certain exercises. A slidable bar is positioned in the channel and can be moved outwardly and secured at a pre-selected extension. The outward end of the bar is also engageable with elastic bands and allows additional exercises to be performed. The improved device is portable and provides storage for pegs and bands.

Abstract: A hitch (10) for attaching an item of equipment to be towed, e.g. a caravan or trailer, to a towing vehicle, such as a car, comprises a framework (12) carried by at least one road wheel or roller (30) located between the rear of the car and the forward end of the caravan. A towbar (40) is connected to the framework (12) for attachment to the caravan, e.g. via a ball and socket connection for detachably joining the framework (12) to the rear of the car. Use of the hitch (10) means that the forward weight of the caravan is not supported on the rear of the car as with a conventional ball and socket hitch, but by the intermediate framework (12) and road wheel(s) attached to the rear of the car, improving road handling and allowing a greater load to be towed. Ease of hitching and unhitching is also greatly improved. The wheels are attached to the framework of the hitch by telescoping supports containing airsprings. These are formed by one or more airbags (24) containing pressurized air.

Abstract: A linear DIP switch for mounting directly on a printed circuit board including a base, a slide actuator, and a cover member, wherein the base, slide actuator and cover member include a detenting and contact registration system. The base includes a plurality of contacts molded into a body of plastic so that they are electrically insulated from each other and selectively exposed on the slide actuator side through openings in the plastic body which define detenting and contact positions to receive contact arms carried by the slide actuator. Further detenting means includes ball detents carried by the slide actuator and engageable with indent track means on the cover side walls.

Abstract: An envelope feeder for a duplicating press having a suction feeder wherein the envelope feeder includes a conveyer for transferring envelopes one at a time from a magazine storing a supply stack to a feed stack from which the suction feeder of the duplicating press removes the envelopes one at a time from the top of the stack. The conveyer coacts with the magazine and other means for taking the envelopes from the bottom of the supply stack one at a time and feeding them to the bottom of the feed stack at the press. A detector at the feed stack shuts down the conveyer when the feed stack reaches a predetermined height, and thereafter starts the conveyer when the stack diminishes to a given level.

Abstract: An improved thermocouple and method for making the thermocouple and installing same on the fireside of heat exchanger tubes or the like for monitoring surface temperature which includes a thermocouple assembly made from mineral oxide insulated metal sheathed thermocouple wires where a pair of thermocouple wires or conductors extend through a metal sheath in spaced apart and insulated relation from each other and from the sheath and are connected together at an end to define a hot junction member adapted to be mounted in engagement with the surface being measured, which hot junction is defined by a disk or bar-shaped member extending from the end of the sheated conductor assembly beyond the insulation and sheath but not in contact with the sheath. Installation on a heat exchanger tube includes welding the sheath to the tube which pressurizes the hot junction against the temperature measured surface and defines a heat energy path that bypasses the hot junction.

Abstract: A method and device for slitting or edge trimming strip material on a process line are described in which trimming knives 2 mounted on a base 3 which is pivotally mounted on a sub-base 4, trim the edges of strip 14. The lateral position of the strip is sensed by sensors 10 and the position of the strip relative to center line of the process line is determined by a computer (not shown) which controls the lateral movement of the sub-base 4 by a hydraulic jack 9 so as to keep the strip and trimmer in alignment. The speed V of the strip is sensed and the speed V.sub.T of the trimmer is sensed by a transducer 12. The base 3 and thus each pair of knives 2 is pivoted about a pivot 11 on the sub-base 4 so that the angle .alpha. the knives make with the center line of the process, tends to equal tan .sup.31 1 (V.sub.T/V).

Abstract: A workpiece to be balanced, which during a measuring run is driven or rotating in the coupling-free mode and is provided with a mark for contact-free pick-off to generate a reference signal, is to be positioned subsequently, that the unbalance is at a predetermined location below a marking or correcting device. To this end pulse sequences synchronous with the supporting rollers carrying the workpiece are generated. The pulses are counted in a counter between the reference signal and an unbalance position signal derived from the unbalance signal. For the positioning the counter is counted down to zero by these pulses starting from the reference pulse. When the counter passes through zero the unbalance is in the plane of the pick-off device for detecting the mark.