Abstract: A device for affixing sunshades to a cap includes a pair of sunshades fixed to an upper rib with exposed left and right side portions, left and right side anchor members which are affixed to the brim of the cap and have respective clip elements that clip onto the exposed portions of the upper rib of the sunshades to hold the sunshades in position on the brim of the cap. The upper rib also has left and right side cam members positioned on the outer sides of the clip elements which have cam surfaces that abut against stationary surfaces of the anchor members to provide detent positions for maintaining the sunshades stably in either the operative position or an upward, storage position. The anchor members can be clip members or provided with self-adhesive surfaces for attachment to the brim of the cap. The assembly can be pre-assembled with fabricated caps or provided in a retrofit kit for convenient installation by wearers on their own caps.

Abstract: A printer has dual opposing printheads which can print in tandem on two sides of paper fed along a printing plane. The dual opposing printheads can print the same information on each side of two paper sheets fed in back-to-back (two-ply) fashion, thereby providing a document and copy simultaneously. The printer can also print different information on two sides of the same paper sheet or on each side of two paper sheets, thereby doubling the printing speed as compared to a single printhead. In a preferred embodiment, the dual opposing printheads are mounted in carriages driven reciprocatingly in tandem by one drive belt. Tandem paper feed mechanisms are arranged at one side of the printer and have respective clutch spring devices which are actuated alternately by cam surfaces on the printhead carriages so as to drive a pair of paper feed rollers with the paper fed in between them.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing an enhanced liquid/gas exchange surface such as during call culturing has an enclosed housing, a set of trays arranged in parallel inside the housing with a regular spacing between them, each of the trays being formed with a planar base, first rims on longitudinal sides and second rims on transverse sides of the trays projecting on both sides of the base so as to form retaining basins for retaining reaction liquid on both sides of the base as the trays are rotated through horizontal positions. In a preferred embodiment, the trays are stacked and have their first rims welded together to form the housing walls, while the second rims have a height lower than the first rims to create apertures between trays for fluid flow among the trays when they are rotated. The bases of the trays can have cutout portions on opposing transverse sides for the flow of reaction liquid from one side to the other.

Abstract: An interactive system is provided for playing a game, educational or instructional sequence in conjunction with a prerecorded multimedia presentation consisting of at least motion video, sound and accompanying text. The multimedia presentation is partitioned into time segments. The game sequence is also partitioned into task units that are synchronized with the time segments. The time address markers for the beginning and ending of each of the time segments initialize, execute and close each task unit of a programmed game sequence. A corresponding authoring system allows an author to design and implement the time-segmentation of the multimedia presentation and its functional interface with the game sequence. This system can be used for motivating instructional games based on music video, movies, animated cartoons and karaoke that provide the player with the same excitement and challenge of the popular video games.

Abstract: A power driving device for a bicycle has a planetary gear assembly mounted with a driving axle shaft, including a housing fixed to the bicycle frame with a side wall rotatably mounting the driving axle shaft and a flange wall projecting laterally from the side wall which contains the planetary gear assembly and has a ring gear fixed thereto, a pinion gear carrier fixed to the driving axle shaft for rotation together therewith upon application of a driving force to the pedals, and a sun gear fixedly connected to a driving sprocket wheel for transmitting power from the pedals to the rear wheel of the bicycle. The planetary gear assembly can provide a power changing ratio in the range of about 3.5, so that the driving sprocket wheel can have a number of teeth substantially less than the number of teeth on a conventional sprocket wheel yet, when multiplied by the power changing ratio of the planetary gear assembly, is equivalent to more than double that of the conventional sprocket wheel.

Abstract: An arbor or chuck assembly for holding a workpiece or tool includes an arbor or chuck body having a linear body portion and an or contraction portion with inclined faces, a collet positioned radially between the arbor or chuck body and the workpiece or tool for reciprocal movement along a machine axis and having a linear body portion and an expansion/contraction portion with inclined faces in sliding contact with those of the arbor or chuck body, and a ball bushing provided between the linear surfaces of the collet and arbor or chuck body with a slight interference fit, in order to provide zero clearance and substantially frictionless movement therebetween. Expansion and release of the arbor or chuck is controlled by a compression spring biasing the collet in the expansion direction, and a drawbar for pushing the collet against the spring force in the release direction. The collet may have rubber seals for sealing its slots and expansion apertures from contaminants.

Abstract: A computerized musical instrument system has a processing system for converting multiple modes of music data input into relative rhythm coded data in the format of pitch codes and relative rhythm codes for designating respective types of rhythm elements, including the pitches, as they occur in the beats or other basic music intervals of a music piece. The relative rhythm codes represent the relative proportions by which the designated rhythm elements divide each beat. In a relative rhythm coding mode, pitch and rhythm data are entered via a keyboard and relative rhythm code and control code keys. The music data may also be input in the form of MIDI formatted data, audio or digital sound input, real-time performance (keypress) data, or optically scanned data from printed music notation. The instrument system can provide various forms of outputs including synthesized sound, a display or music notation, stored music data, printed output, and related audio and/or image effects.

Abstract: An automated food vending system includes a vending machine having a plurality of stacks and dispenser mechanisms for dispensing standardized food package units, a microwave oven having a code reader located in a predetermined position in an interior cavity of the oven, and the food package units having standardized shapes corresponding to the vending stacks and to the microwave oven cavity. The food packages have a code for controlling the microwave oven printed in a predetermined position which is readable automatically by the code reader when the package unit is inserted in the oven. The dispenser mechanism has a configuration which allows it to be installed in existing vending machines for canned beverages. It may be fromed as a pair of pivotable holding members spaced apart in the widthwise direction of the holding stack, or as a pair of continuous belts spaced apart in the depthwise direction of the holding stack.

Abstract: An adjustable workpiece holder has at least one jaw member holding a plurality of finger elements lengthwise in parallel therein. The finger elements have side surfaces with serrations formed over a given length thereof. The serrations allow the finger elements to be selectively adjustable in lengthwise position relative to adjacent finger elements, so that they can conform to the contour of the workpiece. The finger elements may have a total width that fits snugly within a recess or pocket of the jaw member. A releasable clamp applies firm lateral pressure to the finger elements to prevent any slippage. The jaw member may be part of a machining assembly or retrofitted to one or both sides of a standard milling or drill press vise. It may also be adapted for use in forming, stamping, bending, or shaping material, or for profiling or as a template for holding or positioning workpieces in other applications.

Abstract: A contact lens cleaning and disinfecting system is formed as a compact unit with an upper housing portion containing a UV lamp and a lower base portion containing a cleaning/disinfecting chamber which is filled with saline solution, a lens holder, a turbulence mechanism for inducing turbulence in the fluid, and an electronic control unit for operating the UV lamp and the turbulence mechanism in a single cleaning/disinfecting cycle of comparatively short duration. The lens holder has a pair of lower lens holder portions for the lenses and an upper bracket for shading the lenses from direct UV radiation. The turbulence mechanism is a magnetic pedal, tethered on the end of a flexible spring, which is driven by a magnetic flux generator to create a whirlpool in the fluid which swirls in and around the lens holder portion. Particles, films, and other deposits dislodged from the lenses are carried by the whirlpool above the upper bracket of the lens holder where they are disinfected by the UV radiation.

Abstract: An ellipsograph structure has first and second arms coupled by pin connections to each other and to a rotatable driving member slidably mounted on a member extending between end supports along a longitudinal axis. A straight line motion mechanism is mounted to one of the end supports for constraining movement of the pin connection between the first and second arms on a straight line along a transverse axis. The straight line motion mechanism includes a pivot member mounted at a fixed pivot point along the longitudinal axis, an extension member in alignment with the longitudinal axis, a swing arm pivotally coupled to the end of the extension member, and a longer guiding arm with one end pivotally coupled to the end of the swing arm and its opposite end pivotally coupled to the pin connection between the first and second arms.

Abstract: A stove suitable for large-burner cooking with a high heat flame has an enclosed stove casing with an upper cooking surface, a hollow interior, and a burner well recessed into the interior of the casing. A large burner is positioned in the burner well, and a cooking vessel can be placed over the well so as to close the burner flame off from the outside. The burner well has an annular rim which can support a wok or other rounded-bottom cooking vessel. The high heat exhaust from the burner is trapped in the well and entrained by natural convection into a duct member to a duct casing at a rear side of the stove which has baffles forming a labyrinthine channel for mixing cold air with the hot exhaust air from the large burner. The stove includes a catch basin member positionable in the interior of the burner well for catching any spillage or debris. The stove casing has a window formed in its front panel for allowing the stove user to visually check the burner flame.

Abstract: A closure device, for reclosing a gable-top container having a top ridge which is initially sealed and has one side that is openable and can be refolded for reclosure, includes an elongated member having a holding portion and a mounting portion. The holding portion has walls defining an interior channel which has a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the top ridge of the gable top to form a friction fit therewith. The mounting portion is pivotably secured on the top ridge adjacent the openable side of the gable top, so that the elongated member can be pivoted upwards to allow the gable top to be opened and pivoted downwards to hold the top ridge closed. A preferred embodiment has the mounting portion formed with a pair of projections spaced apart by a small gap which allows the projections to be forced over the top ridge and secured in a clasp hole formed in the top ridge.

Abstract: A transmission control unit disclosed is used when an electronic device which is usually directly connected to a telephone line is used via a public telephone or the like. In this case, the transmission control unit is connected to a MODEM included in the electronic device, and a microphone and a speaker of the transmission control unit are brought to confront the speaker and the microphone of the telephone. When the transmission to the electronic device on the other end of the line is conducted, tone dialing is conducted to make a call and data is then transmitted. The thus transmitted data is converted by a converter of the transmission control unit so as to be transmitted to the telephone line connected to the other end of the line, while data from the electronic device on the other end of the line is transmitted and converted so as to be supplied to the MODEM.

Abstract: A stove suitable for large-burner cooking generating a high heat exhaust has an enclosed stove casing with an upper cooking surface, a hollow interior, and a burner well recessed into the interior of the casing. A large burner is positioned in the burner well, and a cooking vessel can be placed over the well so as to close the burner flame off from the outside. The burner well preferably supports a wok or other rounded-bottom cooking vessel. The high heat exhaust from the burner is trapped in the well and entrained by natural convection into a duct member to a duct casing at a rear side of the stove. The duct casing has a double wall construction and baffles in its interior forming a labyrinthine channel for mixing cold air supplied through openings in the stove casing and the hot exhaust air from the large burner.

Abstract: An orthopedic support device comprises a resilient pad having a length and a width, covered by a woven or non-woven fabric having a pair of ends which are adapted to be joined together, whereby the support device may be wrapped around a body at a desired location, and the ends of the device fastened together to support the body at that location, characterized in that the device is provided with a lengthwise extending first strip of hook and pile closure material, and there provided, in association with the device, a complementary second strip of hook and pile closure material, whereby the ends of the device may be releasably fastened together with a complementary strip of closure material.

Abstract: A computerized music notation system includes a first keyboard having pitch keys, a second keyboard for entering relative rhythm codes representing the relative proportions by which the entered pitches and other rhythm types divide a beat and a terminator code to mark the end of each beat, and a computer executing a processing program for generating output music notation in beat units based upon the pitch data and the rhythm data. The pitch and rhythm data sets are independent of each other. The computer processes the pitch data assigning pitch names in the selected key of music, and the rhythm data in beat units by assigning computed fixed duration values to the rhythm types in accordance with the selected time signature. The pitch and rhythm data are combined and processed for output with other notation features, such as staff lines, stems, flags, beams, articulation marks, etc.

Abstract: An improved sheet folding method comprises forming an upper folding template and a lower folding template having plate elements corresponding to predetermined fold configurations desired to be formed, the plate elements being interconnected along respective joining lines between adjacent plates by thin, flexible joining parts which allow the plate elements to be folded together along the joining lines, placing a sheet to be folded between the upper and lower folding templates, then folding the stacked sheet and templates together according to the order of the fold configurations desired, whereby the desired fold lines are formed in the sheet corresponding to the joining lines between the plate elements in the order of the fold configurations.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming multicolor electrophotographic images through a wet-type developing process has charging, exposure, development, transfer, and cleaning devices disposed around a rotatable latent image carrier. The development device has at least one roller disposed in confronting relation to the latent image carrier, and a development housing in which the roller is rotatably disposed. During the developing process, the development device is supplied with a desired one of liquid developers of different colors stored in respective liquid developer tanks.