Abstract: A paint remover including a receptacle adapted to hold a hot air gun having a hot air output and an attachment coupled to the receptacle for attaching a blade to the receptacle and for aligning the blade with the hot air output.

Abstract: A door lock system for enclosures is provided which includes a screw drive mechanism releasably mounted on a back plate member and coupled via threads to a threaded locking member to linearly drive the locking member to engage with a receptor on an enclosure frame to lock the enclosure. A controller unit has an integrated circuit configured to control the operation of the screw drive mechanism and report the status of the door to a central location. A position switch is used to indicate whether the door is open or closed so that the controller unit can automatically engage the screw drive mechanism to lock the door after a preset time delay. A keypad allows a user to enter a code to unlock the door. A radio in the controller unit permits wireless communication to report status and to allow central command control over the doors.

Abstract: A method is provided for consumer referral of products to retailers. A manufacturer database is maintained having manufacturer entries including the manufacturer's identification, retailers stocking any of the manufacturer's products, and the manufacturer's products stocked by the retailer. A consumer database with consumer entries is maintained for registered consumers. Products in the manufacturer database are displayed on the public network. A consumer viewing the displayed products on the public network can select a product to refer to a retailer. If the retailer does not stock the referred product or a set number of consumers in the consumer database other than the referring consumer have not already referred the referred product to the referred retailer, then the referred product and the referred retailer are entered into the consumer entry in the consumer database. If the consumer referral results in a sale to the retailer, then the manufacturer rewards the consumer.

Abstract: A handholdable ion emitting pet grooming brush for grooming pets is provided. It includes a body having an air intake on the top side of the body. A bristle unit is removably attached to the bottom side of the body and there is an opening in the middle of the bristle unit, which opens to an air outlet trough on the bottom side of the body. The air outlet trough is adapted to be similar in dimension to the opening. An ion generator is disposed in the body for creating an air flow that travels from the air intake to the air outlet trough. The ion generator includes a high voltage pulse generator, a first electrode located below the air intake, and a second electrode located above the air outlet trough. The second electrode includes a plurality of spaced second electrodes each coupled to the high voltage pulse generator. The air flow includes ionized air traveling from the first electrode between and past the spaced second electrodes and through the opening in the middle of the bristle unit.

Abstract: A puncture and cut resistant surgical glove is provided for protection against injury from sharp surgical instruments and needles. The puncture and cut resistant surgical glove includes overlaid arrays of adjacent substantially spherical macrospheres. Each macrosphere has capture devices for capturing the point of a sharp instrument. An elastomer encapsulates the overlaid arrays of adjacent macrospheres. Each macrosphere is either porous or formed of smaller microspheres that are aggregated together to provide capture devices. A polymer is coated over the aggregated microspheres to give each macrosphere a smooth surface. The polymer and microspheres provide a capture function for capturing the points of sharp instruments. The puncture and cut resistant surgical glove can be fabricated using low cost manufacturing methods.

Abstract: A puncture proof material is provided. The material includes a first mat that is woven using metal strips forming a warp and a weft of the first mat. The metal strips have a capture device near the center of each intersection of the warp and weft of the first mat. The capture device can be implemented with a hole, depression or etched rectangular hole near the center of each intersection of the warp and weft of the first mat. A second mat, woven of metal strips having a capture device near the center of each intersection of the warp and weft of the second mat, overlays the first woven mat. Additional mats can be overlaid to increase the puncture proof characteristic of the material. Another capture device implementation includes a top layer woven of annealed metal foil of relatively low tensile strength overlaid over other randomly overlaid layers each woven of metal foil of higher tensile strength.

Abstract: A trashcan mounted apparatus for scanning for metal objects is provided. The apparatus includes a mounting lip adapted to conform to the top periphery of the trashcan and adapted to removably mount to and surround the aperture of the trashcan. A funnel shaped entryway extends from the mounting lip. A plurality of vertical walls are below the mounting lip and the top periphery of the trashcan and are attached to the funnel shaped entryway and form an opening to the trashcan. A detector coil surrounds the vertical walls for detecting metal passing through the opening. Control electronics coupled to the detector coil includes a speaker and a light indicator for warning that the detector coil has detected metal passing through the opening. A counter displays the number of times the detector coil has detected metal passing through the opening. A gain adjust is provided for adjusting the sensitivity of the detector coil.

Abstract: An apparatus for melting paraffin wax is provided. It includes an integral plastic inner tub attached to an integral aluminum plate holder, each of which has a flat bottom and a sloped wall. A positive temperature coefficient heating element is attached to the flat bottom of the aluminum plate holder for self regulating to a preset temperature by autonomously varying the positive temperature coefficient heating element electrical resistance in response to the temperature of the positive temperature coefficient heating element thereby varying a power dissipation of the positive temperature coefficient heating element in order to maintain the positive temperature coefficient heating element at the preset temperature. Heat from the positive temperature coefficient heating element is transferred from the integral aluminum plate holder to the integral plastic inner tub via the flat bottoms and the sloped walls thereby melting any wax inside the integral plastic inner tub.

Abstract: A shower door track cushion is provided, which includes a material having a length. A slit is cut longitudinally along the length of the bottom of the material. The slit is adapted to fit over a shower door track and retain the material on the shower door track, which is located along a top edge of a bathtub. The material includes an extending rectangular section integral to the material at one end of the length of the material, which is adapted to fit between a first and a second shower door vertical support in order to retain the material between the first and second shower door vertical supports. The material can be made of polyethylene foam and can include a rounded top.

Abstract: A reef rack system for aquariums is provided, which includes a ledge supported by first and second removably attached posts having first and second lengths, respectively. The posts each include a first channel having a first width extending along the length of the post on a first side of the post and a second channel having the first width extending along the length of the post on a second side of the post opposite to the first side of the post. The posts also have a first plurality of protruding ridges along the length of the post on a third side of the post between the first and second channels and a second plurality of protruding ridges extending along the length of the post on a fourth side of the post between the first and second channels, the fourth side of the post being opposite to the third side of the post. The ledge includes a frame, a first attachment frame attached to the frame, and a second attachment frame.

Abstract: A puncture proof surgical glove and methods for producing the puncture proof glove are provided. The puncture proof glove provides flexibility and elasticity and protects against dangerous puncture wounds from needles and scalpels. The puncture proof surgical glove includes a first glove and second glove that each include a first pattern cut from a first material in a shape, a first layered stack of a plurality of patterned sheets, each of the plurality of patterned sheets cut from a second material in the first shape and having multiple line cuts through the second material, a second pattern cut from the first material in the first shape, and a third pattern cut in the first shape. The first pattern is layered on top of the first layered stack and the second pattern is layered on the bottom of the first layered stack and the first pattern and second pattern are bonded along their edges.

Abstract: Goals for games are provided. A crosspiece for a game goal is provided that can be used for both rugby and football. A first gripper is provided on a first end of the crosspiece for retaining a flexible pole on the first end of the crosspiece. The first gripper has a first opening having an entry side and an exit side, and the first opening is tapered between the entry side and the exit side. A second gripper is provided on a second end of the crosspiece for retaining a flexible pole on the second end of the crosspiece. The second gripper has a first opening having an entry side and an exit side, and the first opening is tapered between the entry side and the exit side. A center gripper is provided in the center of the crosspiece for retaining a flexible pole on the center of the crosspiece. The center gripper has a hole having an entry side and the hole extends to a bottom wall. The hole is tapered between the entry side and the bottom wall.

Abstract: A window system including a plurality of side assemblies, each side assembly having first and second flexible material frame members that are coupled together along a seam. First and second magnetic material strips are coupled to an interior wall of the first and second flexible material frame members, respectively, so that the first and second magnetic strips attract each other. A plurality of corner closure assemblies are adapted for joining a first adjacent side assembly and a second adjacent side assembly of the plurality of side assemblies and each corner closure assembly has first and second flexible material corner members that are coupled together along a seam. First and second magnetic material pieces are coupled to an interior wall of the first flexible material corner member and to an opposite interior wall of the second flexible material corner member, so that the first and second magnet pieces attract each other.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for transacting secure purchase and bill payment transactions.

Abstract: A terminal is provided for allowing a user to conduct remote purchase payment and remote bill payment transactions with a remote host computer. In one embodiment, the terminal includes a QWERTY alphabetic keyboard (14), a numeric keypad (16), a magnetic card reader (54), a display (12), a printer (52), a modem (338), an earphone 402, a microphone 404, and a cellular phone 408 all integral to the terminal. A controller is included for operating the terminal and communicating with the remote host computer system via the modem, the controller coupled to the QWERTY alphabetic keyboard (14), the numeric keyboard (16), the magnetic card reader (54), the display (12), the printer (52), and the modem (338).

Abstract: An emergency signalling device is provided. The emergency signalling device includes a cylindrical canister pressurized with a quantity of a lighter than air gas. A valve is provided on the top of the canister for sealing the gas. An inflatable balloon is sealed to the top covering the valve. A cord is attached on one end to the canister and wrapped around the canister in a plurality of layers of cord, the combined canister and wrapped cord having a first diameter. A waxy substance secures the cord to the canister and each layer of the cord to adjacent layers of the cord. A loop forms a closed circle on the other end of the cord, the loop having a second diameter greater that the first diameter. In a specific embodiment the valve on the top for sealing the gas includes scoring on the top of the canister.

Abstract: In one embodiment a flexible puncture proof material for preventing a puncture by a sharp element having a pointed end includes a flexible layer for providing a flexible substrate for binding and embedding capture elements, a first plurality of capture elements for capturing the pointed end of the sharp element, the first plurality of capture elements being essentially identical and arranged in a first two dimensional array embedded in the flexible layer, a second plurality of capture elements being essentially identical and arranged in a second two dimensional array bound to and embedded in the flexible layer, the second two dimensional array offset relative to the first two dimensional array for capturing the pointed end of the sharp element if the pointed end of the sharp element passes between the first plurality of capture elements, and a third plurality of capture elements for capturing the pointed end of the sharp element, the third plurality of capture elements arranged in a third two dimensional arra

Abstract: A thermochromic sensor for locating the area of contact between two surfaces moving in relation to each other, has applications in boundary line officiating and other situations where the location of the area of contact is important. For tennis and similar sports, thermochromic sensors are placed along boundary lines. The thermochromic sensors can be formed with thermochromic liquid crystals, which change color in the area of contact, thereby accurately indicating where a ball contacted the court. The color change can be used to characterize the speed of the impact. A temperature controller can be built into the sensor or placed near the sensor to maintain the temperature of the sensor near the sensor trigger point--the point at which a color change will occur on contact.

Abstract: It is the object of this invention to provide a terminal and system to allow debit and credit card holders the ability to conveniently perform various transactions from their home or office. The terminal is a single device, which has an alphabetic QWERTY keyboard, a numeric touch tone type keypad, miscellaneous other keys, a magnetic card reader, a display, a printer, a modem, and a serial port. The terminal firmware supports various financial transactions including: purchase payment, bill payment, and settlement review. The terminal supports initialization, encryption, transaction generation, transaction transmission and data reception from a host system and receipt printing. A local data base including a transaction log and a profile list are maintained in the terminal memory. The transaction log stores purchase payment information and is stored as a stack and the profile list has entries for each specific bill pay account.