Abstract: A modular surface having an important use as a sports deck, and particularly for ball sports like tennis. The surface is built up of a number of generally square tiles in which the play surface is supported by a large number of support pegs intended to rest on an undersurface. The tiles are flexible so that the support pegs can remain in contact with the undersurface even if it is not perfectly plane, assuring consistent ball bounce. A special arrangement of expansion joints gears the ability of the tile to absorb expansion and contraction resulting from temperature changes to the geometry of the tile to: (a) keep the pegs on the ground even in the presence of temperature changes to assure consistent ball bounce, and (b) keep the play field itself from expanding or contracting without the need for anchoring it to the undersurface.

Abstract: A filtering process is disclosed for obtaining a clear effluent filtrate from a turbid oil or gas well treatment fluid contaminated with solid particulates comprised of drilling and formation debris having particle sizes in the range of from about 0.1 to about 30 micrometers comprising passing the treatment fluid through a surface filter having an absolute pore rating of about 40 micrometers or less at a flow density of from about 0.05 to about 0.5 gallons per minute per square foot of filter surface such that (1) initially at least a portion of the particulates is collected on the upstream surface of the surface filter and begins forming a filter cake with enhanced capability for removing particulates smaller than the absolute pore rating of said surface filter and (2) thereafter the treatment fluid is filtered through a filter composite of the surface filter and the filter cake whereby a clear effluent substantially free of solid particulates having particle sizes in the range of from about 0.

Abstract: Two face-to-face and continuously moving strips of heat-sealable material are guided around a drum adapted to rotate continuously about an upright axis and carrying a heated sealing ring on its lower end. The sealing ring is smaller in diameter than the drum and is offset radially inwardly from the drum in order to seal the bottom margins of the strips together without forming wrinkles in the seal.

Abstract: A system for the storage of rolls of wallpaper and for the display of samples of the wallpaper stored therein comprising a plurality of corrugated cardboard bins placed in close, side-by-side relationship to each other and vertical members of a support frame. A flap is hingedly attached to each bin so as to cover the opening, thus protecting the contents of the bin from a possibly dirty environment and hiding unsightly roll ends. To the front of each flap is attached a transparent pocket for displaying a sample of the wallpaper contained within the bin.

Abstract: A pressurizable telephone load coil assembly is made by placing groups of load coils in enclosure packages, connecting conductors of a length of telephone cable to the load coils, binding the enclosure packages together, placing the bound enclosure packages in a closed end heat-shrinkable tube, encapsulating the enclosure packages, and heat shrinking the open end of the tube over hot-melt glue applied to the end of the length of telephone cable. A heat shrinkable cap including an air valve is shrunk over the opposite end the length of telephone cable to pressurize the load coil assembly to exclude moisture until the telephone cable is spliced into a pressurized telephone system.

Abstract: A channel-shaped sealing strip for vehicle door openings, for example, is shown. It has a gripping section incorporating a metal carrier covered in flexible covering material which additionally defines longitudinally extending gripping lips. The sealing strip is formed into a loop, ring or frame to suit a particular vehicle door opening. Along those lengths of the loop intended to be fitted to the portions of the door opening between the latter's sharp bends or corners, the gripping section is provided with additional reinforcing members which seat in the base of the channel. The reinforcing members are made of stiff metal but which can be bent slightly, when the sealing strip is fitted into position, so as to hold the sealing strip in a slight curve, in any plane, to match the door shape. At the positions in the loop where sharp bends or corners are required, the sealing strip is completely free of the reinforcing members.

Abstract: A granulated blasting agent composition comprising ammonium nitrate, a nitroalkane having of from 2 to 3 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof, a density improver selected from the group consisting of wheat flour and bentonite and polyoxyethylene ether as a thickening agent for the nitroalkane in an amount sufficient to prevent migration of the nitroalkane from the ammonium nitrate.

Abstract: A microporous filter system comprises two types of hydrophilic, microporous filter media operating in series. The two filter media have opposite zeta potentials with the upstream or first filter medium preferably having the positive zeta potential and the downstream or second filter having the negative zeta potential. The first filter medium typically has an absolute pore rating of from about 0.1 to about 1.0 micrometer and the second or downstream filter medium typically has an absolute pore rating of from about 0.02 to about 0.1 micrometer. The downstream or second filter has a finer absolute pore rating than the upstream or first filter. Fluids contaminated with ultrafine particles can be purified with an essentially absolute efficiency to remove 99.99 percent or more of the particulate matter in the contaminated fluid. The filter system finds particular use in the preparation of ultrapure effluent water of near theoretical resistivity and in the removal of bacteria and endotoxins to form sterile fluids.

Abstract: A composition adapted to treating textiles and non-woven cellulosic products comprising a mixture of a cross-linking agent and a nitroalkanol. A method of reducing the residual formaldehyde content of the wrinkle-resistant fabric and a wrinkle-resistant fabric per se comprising the use of the claimed composition.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a shape on the periphery of a non-rotating workpiece by orbiting a rotating shaping cutter in cutting engagement with the workpiece while reciprocating the cutter along its own axis.

Abstract: The appliance, e.g. an electric kettle has a body shell, a heating element within the body shell and having two ends which project through the body shell to the outside thereof, and a switch housing mounted on the outside of the body shell. A pair of switching contacts are opened and closed by a switch operating member or dolly. One of the switching contacts is movable by the dolly and is supported relative to the housing. The other switching contact is a fixed contact and is provided at one end of the heating element.

Abstract: A method of testing for leaks in tubing and tube joints comprises placing within the tube to be tested a tool having spaced seals so that the seals are arranged on opposite sides of the joint to be tested in engagement at a constant pressure against the internal surface of the tubing. A search fluid such as 1 to 2% helium in air is passed through the tool under pressure and then out from the tool into the annular space between the outside surface of the tool and the inside surface of the tubing between the two seals. The presence of any helium is detected by means of a helium detector for example a mass spectrometer which has a probe extending to a gas trap surrounding the joint to be tested.

Abstract: A method and a device for the automatic removal of burrs or fins from workpieces such as castings by a grinding process. A feed for moving the workpiece perpendicular to the grinding wheel radius is provided for grinding along the length of the burr. A second constant velocity feed of reversible and alternating direction is provided for moving the grinding wheel radially into the workpiece. The load or circumferential torque on the grinding wheel is monitored to detect the abrupt increase in torque occurring when the grinding wheel has cut through the burr and encounters the body of the workpiece, whereupon the direction of the radial feed is reversed so that the grinding process follows the contour of the workpiece.

Abstract: A quick release device comprising two members which may be releasably engaged to transmit a tensile force. Each of the members has a load-connection end and an engagement end. The engagement end of the members comprises two flat, elongate branches, with each of the branches terminating in a flat, rigid paddle. The paddles of one member foldingly engage the paddles of the second member whereby the paddles fold together into an interlocking arrangement. A releasable latch holds the paddles securely in the folded position so that the members can transmit a tensile force so long as the latch is in place, and the members will disengage from one another when the latch is released, without passing through any rings, links, loops or buckles.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for checking and automatically correcting register adjustment of a sheet-fed printing press at the same time as remote densitometric measurement of an ink density check strip for ink fountain key adjustment. To read alignment marks printed parallel to the ink density check strip, a second optical sensor is mounted on the ink density scanner already used in practice to traverse and read the ink density check strip. A register control computer accepts the signal from the second optical sensor, detects the relative positions of the scanned alignment marks, compares the relative positions to each other and calculates axial, peripheral, and skew register adjustments. Position information is exchanged between the register control computer and the corresponding ink density control computer. The measured positions of the ink density check strip segments, for example, can be used in part to determine the positions of the register marks.

Abstract: An induction heating apparatus which includes an induction coil with an associated load and a resonant inverter circuit coupled to a DC power supply for energizing the heating coil. The inverter circuit includes a gate controlled thyristor which is cyclically gated to produce a conductive first period followed by an nonconductive second period in order to energize the heating coil. A diode of opposite polarity to the gate controlled thyristor is coupled in parallel therewith and has an impedance connected in series. The voltage across this series impedance is coupled to the gate of the gate controlled thyristor. The inverter circuit additionally includes an improper load check circuit for disabling the gating of the thyristor in the event of an improper load coupled to the heating coil, and a gate triggered timing generator for adjusting the timing of production of thyristor gate pulses to maintain substantially constant power to proper heating coil loads.

Abstract: A modular solid state x-radiation detector. A detector array is made up of a plurality of collimator plates having pockets formed in the planar surfaces thereof to carry scintillator bars, and dimensioned so that the edges of the scintillators are shielded by the pockets, yielding several advantages. Wider scintillator bars are thus possible, increasing quantum detection efficiency while guarding against energy dependent punch through at the edges of the scintillator, thereby to enhance spectral linearity. The arrangement also prevents x-rays from bypassing the scintillator, thus protecting the adhesive which bonds the scintillator to the plate and the photodiodes mounted behind the scintillator. A further benefit is an increase in optical transfer of light to the rear of the scintillator where the diode is mounted since there is a less severe aspect ratio of depth to width, reducing the number of reflections encountered by light travelling to the photodiode.

Abstract: An electrolytic metal recovery unit for extracting silver from a silver rich solution comprises a holding tank for stock solution, an air lift pump to feed solution from the tank to an elevated tundish at a rate causing the tundish to over-flow, a second air lift pump to feed solution from the tundish through a flow control valve to three transparently walled, electrolytic, plating out cells arranged in cascade and means responsive to liquid level in the holding tank to cause the pumps and cells to operate in concert.

Abstract: A two piece brake drum for large off-the-road type vehicles having large and difficult-to-remove wheels, the brake drum comprising two substantially semi-circular halves with integral flanges for mounting to a wheel. The internal friction surfaces terminate in chamfers at each end and the halves, when mounted to a wheel, have gaps between the ends through which foreign material may be expelled.