Abstract: A valve assembly for insertion in a line formed by an existing pipe of predetermined outside diameter containing fluid under pressure includes a valve body with a bonnet-supporting flange that defines an access way into the valve body through which an installer can cut and remove a section of the existing pipe. A bonnet with a moveable gate having a width no less than the predetermined outside diameter of the pipe, includes a flange-mating portion that fits into the access way in a fluid-tight fit while defining a gate opening through which the gate moves into the valve body to a closed position in which the gate extends through the gate-receiving gap in the pipe and into fluid-tight engagement of the valve body.

Abstract: A contactor assembly useable on a component testing system for electrically contacting a terminal on a device under test (DUT) for parametric testing and eventual sorting as part of component batch processing. At least three contacts are provided to help insure at least two of them contact the DUT terminal, each of the contacts having a forward edge for physically and electrically contacting the DUT terminal. A contact-holding structure mountable on the component testing system supports the contacts in side-by-side relationship for independent movement of the first, second, and third forward edges toward and away from the DUT terminal.

Abstract: A rotating display apparatus includes a support structure, a rotor mounted rotatably on the support structure for rotation about a vertically disposed rotational axis, and at least two (preferably more) wind-reactive elements on the rotor on which a user may display promotional, political, or other information, including using the shape of the wind-reactive elements as the displayed information. The wind-reactive elements (airfoil or non-airfoil) cause the rotor to rotate about the rotational axis in response to wind passing the rotating display apparatus. Each is free to pivot between a respective one of first and second pairs of stop positions as the rotor rotates about the rotational axis in order to self-align according to wind direction and impart rotational movement to the rotor, moving through five phases per revolution as they orbit the rotational axis.

Abstract: A test plate for holding miniature electronic circuit components as a part of batch processing for parametric testing purposes, including passive, two-terminal, ceramic capacitors, resistors, multilayer inductors, inductor beads, varistors, thermistors, fuses, sensors, actuators, and the like, or another type of device under test (DUT), includes a multilayer DUT-holding plate having a rotational axis and at least two layers centered on the rotational axis. A conductive layer of the two layers includes oversize holes in alignment with DUT-engaging holes in a nonconductive layer of the two layers that enable use of the first conductive layer as a guard layer held at a guard potential for electrical testing purposes in order to eliminate or at least significantly reduce the effects of stray impedances on test results. Additional conductive guard layers and nonconductive layers may be included.

Abstract: A convertible knife assembly includes a knife and a conversion piece. The knife includes a blade with a handle end portion, a tip, a cutting edge intermediate the handle end an the tip, and a spine opposite the cutting edge. The conversion piece has a spine-opposing portion and a handle portion such that the conversion piece is adapted to be mounted on the knife pivotally with the spine-opposing portion opposing the spine of the blade and the handle portion opposing the handle of the knife. The action of a user squeezing the handle portion of the conversion piece and handle of the knife toward each other causes the spine-opposing portion of the conversion piece and the spine of the blade to move toward each other in order to bear against an object the user positions between the spine-opposing portion of the conversion piece and the spine of the blade.

Abstract: A vertical axis wind engine, also referred to as a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) includes a support structure, a rotor mounted rotatably on the support structure for rotation about a vertical axis, and at least one airfoil for causing the rotor to rotate about the vertical axis in response to wind passing the wind engine. The airfoil has vertically extending leading and trailing edges, an angle-of-attack axis extending horizontally through the leading and trailing edges, and a pivotal axis extending vertically intermediate the leading and trailing edges. The airfoil is mounted on the rotor for pivotal movement about the pivotal axis and the rotor includes components for limiting pivotal movement of the airfoil to first and second limits of pivotal movement.

Abstract: A carpet cutters includes a blade-supporting structure and a tuft-parting structure. The blade-supporting structure includes a longitudinally extending guide with a forward portion and a carpet-contacting edge that extends along a first axis toward the forward portion of the guide. A blade is mounted adjustably on the blade-supporting structure in a carpet-cutting position of the blade. The tuft-parting structure is on the forward portion of the guide where it functions as means for parting tufts on the carpet in order to facilitate cutting a backing portion of the carpet without cutting the tufts. The tuft-parting structure includes an elongated member with a tip. The elongated member protrudes forwardly beyond the forward end portion of the guide along a second axis that intersects the first axis, thereby to facilitate positioning of the tip of the elongated structure in between adjacent tufts of the carpet.

Abstract: A dielectric transmission line bend structure includes an electrically conductive strip that forms a bend (e.g., a right angle bend). The inner edge of the bend includes a plurality of curved and/or straight line segments that result in the inner edge extending along a circuitous path in order to thereby reduce transmission line loss. A T-type junction includes a first or left side inner edge bending to the left and a second or right side inner edge bending to the right, with both inner edges including segments that result in greater inner edge lengths in order to increase current path lengths along the inner edges and thereby help reduce transmission line loss. A method of designing a transmission line bend structure includes the step of providing a preliminary bend structure design having an electrically conductive strip with at least one inner edge extending along a circuitous path between first and second inner edge end points on the strip.

Abstract: A sock-holding dressing aid for a person to use in donning a sock having a cuff onto a foot of the person includes a U-shaped member for holding the cuff of the sock in an expanded position ahead of the foot of the user in order to facilitate insertion of the foot into the sock, the U-shaped member having a semicircularly shaped base portion and first and second side portions extending forwardly from the semicircularly shaped base portion. First and second straps are connected to respective ones of the first and second side portions of the U-shaped member to enable the person to pull the U-shaped member toward the person in order to pull the sock onto the foot of the person without the person having to bend over toward the foot. The first and second straps are composed of a flexible material such that the user can wind the straps around the U-shaped member into a storage configuration.

Abstract: A spa with a pop-up waterfall apparatus constructed according to the invention includes a container for a reservoir of water and a water-sheeting manifold assembly mounted on the container The water-sheeting manifold assembly includes a water-sheeting manifold that is adapted for movement between a lowered first position and an elevated second position. A waterfall apparatus constructed according to one aspect of the invention includes a housing defining an upwardly opening chamber that extends from a bottom portion of the housing to a top portion of the housing, and it also includes a water-sheeting manifold that fits at least partially within the upwardly opening chamber. The housing includes a water inlet in fluid communication with the upwardly opening chamber that functions as means for coupling water from a separate source of pressurized water to the upwardly opening chamber.

Abstract: A water sheeting manifold includes an enclosure having a hollow interior with a plurality of water-spreading chambers and a plurality of chamber-connecting passageways. The enclosure includes a water inlet that conveys a flow of water into the hollow interior and a water outlet that conveys the flow of water out of the hollow interior in the form of a sheet of water. The enclosure includes opposite first and second ends and first and second sides extending between the first and second ends. The first and second sides including a plurality of sections cooperating with the first and second ends to define the water-spreading chambers and chamber-connecting passageways without other chamber-defining structure and passageway-defining structure within the interior of the enclosure. The first and second sides of the enclosure may be extruded or welded together as separate components after being bent into the desired shape.

Abstract: An adapter for facilitating use of a bullnose mounting fixture on the spindle of a unit of machining equipment with a collet having a collet head larger than the bullnose bore includes a collet-receiving component disposed symmetrically about an adapter rotational axis. An adapter bore through the collet-receiving component with the collet body so that the collet body fits coaxially into the adapter bore. A collet-head-receiving portion of the collet-receiving component defines a collet-head-receiving space having a size and shape that mates with the collet head so that the collet head fits coaxially into the collet-head-receiving space for purposes of enabling the collet-head-receiving portion to close the collet head against a workpiece.