Abstract: A focussable anti-scatter grid system comprising a plurality of X-ray photon absorptive strips mounted in spaced serial array to front and rear support plate mechanisms; the front and rear support plate mechanisms being slidably mounted to each other from front to back and fixedly mounted to each other from side to side; the rear ends of the strips being rotatably mounted to the rear support mechanism in fixedly spaced rear mounting slots; the front ends of the strips being slidably mounted to the front support plate mechanism in variably spaced front mounting slots, each front mounting slot focussing the longitudinal axis of a correspondingly mounted strip at a common focus, the focal length of the focus varying with the displacements of the front ends of the strips within the front mounting slots; a master guide slot mounted in one of the front or rear plate mechanisms and a bearing connected to the other of the front or rear plate mechanisms, the bearing being slidably engaged within the master guide slot

Abstract: A flatware washer comprising a cogged endless belt mechanism mounted lengthwise in a vertical orientation within a water containment housing; the top end of the cogged belt mechanism being hung around a drive wheel mechanism having complementary cogs mating with the cogs of the belt mechanism; the drive wheel mechanism being mounted at the top of the housing and supporting the belt mechanism in a vertical lengthwise orientation such that a curved bottom end section of the belt mechanism is spaced above the bottom edge of the housing and such that a pair of relatively elongated lengthwise sections of the belt extend downwardly from around the drive wheel mechanism in substantially parallel opposing relationship; the curved bottom end section of the hung belt mechanism being open for receiving a plurality of pieces of flatware between the pair of lengthwise sections; the drive wheel mechanism being connected to a drive mechanism programmed to drivably oscillate the wheel mechanism between predetermined degrees

Abstract: A joint for coupling light transmissive media mounted in separate housings, at complementary mating surfaces comprising: a pusher including springs attached to an array of spaced pusher arms engageable with a pusher surface connected to one of the light transmissive media; a barrier for engaging the rear of the pusher wherein the pusher exerts a predetermined amount of compression mating force between the mating surfaces of the light transmissive media; and a mechanism for aligning the mating surfaces of the light transmissive media comprising a pilot strap surrounding one of the light transmissive media, the strap including spaced fingers for receiving and aligning the other of the light transmissive media.

Abstract: A high tension power supply for use in an x-ray tube drive circuit which uses a step-up transformer to raise an input line signal to the desired voltage level. A partially open bridge or other suitable means permits only half cycles, for example positive half cycles, of the transformer output to be applied to fire the x-ray tube. Saturation of the transformer core during unused half cycles, for example negative half cycles, is prevented by adding a compensating impedance in series with the circuit passing the unused half cycle to the transformer primary, the increased voltage drop across this impedance as current increases in response to the transformer approaching saturation reducing the voltage across the transformer so as to maintain the average voltage across the windings during both half cycles substantially equal. This achieves "constant phase" exposures without transformer saturation.

Abstract: A device for measuring the volume of a gas comprises a cylinder and a piston movably mounted in the cylinder. A first membrane sealingly connects the piston with the inner wall of the cylinder. The cylinder, the piston and the first membrane determine a measuring space in which a measuring conduit for the gas to be measured debouches. A second membrane also sealingly connects the piston with the cylinder inner wall. The first and second membranes determine an intermediate space in which an underpressure is generated during operation.

Abstract: A magnetic alignment toy comprising a central rotatable wheel having at least two pair of magnets disposed on its circumference, as many peripheral rotatable wheels as there are magnets on the central wheel evenly spaced around the central wheel, each of the peripheral wheels having as many magnets disposed around their circumference as the central wheel has, and a strong master magnet movable around the outside periphery of the peripheral wheels along a path bringing the master magnet into periodic magnetic interactive adjacency to the outermost magnet disposed on each peripheral wheel.

Abstract: An ultrasonic liquid atomizer particularly for high volume flow rates is disclosed. An enlarged tip with a plurality of orifices is provided to increase the flow rate. A gradual transition to the enlarged atomizer tip is provided to enhance performance. The atomizer provides a substantially cylindrical or slightly conical spray pattern and is particularly suited for use in a vertical orientation with the tip facing upwardly or in horizontal orientations. Titanium alloy bolts are used to clamp the front and rear sections of the atomizer together resulting in significant energy reduction and essentially eliminating bolt shearing.

Abstract: A new toy is provided which, because its topology is that of an inverted toroid, can present multiple appearances and can rapidly change appearances. The toy may be continually manipulated, in a motion similar to turning a pair of socks inside-out, to present a new surface and thus a new appearance with each such action. In a preferred embodiment, the toy is composed of several segments of cloth with elastic and two cloth tabs with grommets at each junction of two segments. The outer surface of the toy is typically formed by a single segment of the cloth with the other segments enclosed. When the segments are distinguished from one another such that each has a different appearance, manipulating the toy so as to bring another segment to the outer surface causes the toy to present a new appearance. Two constraining loops, each going through a set of the aforementioned grommets, act to limit the overall exterior dimension of the toy and facilitate smooth functioning of the toy.

Abstract: A concealed inventory control device for readily identifying and accounting for objects arranged in sequential front to back and side to side alignment comprising a mechanism for readily identifying the objects arranged from front to back and side to side on a mechanism for supporting the objects, a mechanism for concealing the mechanism for readily identifying, a mechanism for moving the mechanism for readily identifying between a first viewable position and a second non-viewable position, and a mechanism for holding the means for readily identifying in the second non-viewable position.

Abstract: Airborne dust concentration in a silo or the like is measured by inducing flow in one or more Venturi nozzles (10) located in the area of airborne dust. A triboelectric sensor probe electrode (20) is located at the nozzle inlet section (12) and flow is induced by a feed of inductive air through an annular channel located in the wall of the nozzle downstream of the electrode.

Abstract: Electrical switching power supply for microprocessors and the like comprising a high voltage d.c. source (30, 34, 32, 50) resonant circuit (38, 51, 42, 52) including a switching transistor (52) which is operated in Megahertz range and provides pulses, via a transformer (40), rectifier (56), smoothing choke (62) to a d.c. low voltage output terminal (66). The rate of switching is controlled by a pulse generator (54) which pulses variably in response to output voltage to thereby vary switching repetition rate and hold to a predetermined output voltage. The inductive elements use spirals (12A and 12A') of thin lines on the surface of a substrate board and ferrite plugs (20) passing through holes (22) in the board to provide miniature inductive elements built into the substrate for effective use in a microprocessor power supply, or the like, and in other applications.

Abstract: Subsurface safety valve assembly (16) for oil wells comprising a valve element (57) and a temperature responsive operator comprising multiple coil springs (69, 70), made of shape memory material, operable in opposing directions for opening and closing the valve element and a ratchet locking mechanism comprising wickers (79) for locking the valve in its open position after removal of the heating which causes shape memory effect movement to such position.

Abstract: An unrestricted, leakproof, rotatable fluid flow joint comprising: a flexible rod mechanism, a first elbow, a second elbow, and a resilient O-ring; the first elbow including a mechanism for rotatably receiving the second elbow, a mechanism for rotatably connecting the elbows with the flexible rod mechanism, and a mechanism for guiding the flexible rod into the mechanism for rotatably connecting the second elbow including a mechanism for rotatably mating with the mechanism for receiving and mechanism for rotatably connecting the elbows wherein the flexible rod slidably inserts within at least a portion of the mechanism for rotatably connecting to connect the first and second elbows; and wherein at least one of the elbows includes a mechanism for holding the O-ring between the flexible rod and the end of the second elbow, the O-ring disposed in resilient contact with and between the mechanism for receiving and the mechanism for mating.

Abstract: Oil recovery method using injection of non-condensible gas (1) into an oil zone (16) via perforations along the length of an injection well (12) to drive oil through the zone to a production well (14), with the gas injected at a rate no greater than 2,000,000 SCFD per acre and with sufficient velocity to emulsify the oil.

Abstract: Pressure assisted sintering achieves full densification in short sinter times with low grain growth. This result is enabled by a stage of sintering to a condition of closed porosity (14) followed by a pressure assisted sinter (PAS) stage (16) carried out at a temperature close to, but just below, sinter temperature. Advantageously a small melt formation is induced by a brief temperature spiking (18) during the PAS stage to enable collapse of voids.

Abstract: A toy blow gun comprising a barrel which includes a bore, a first end, a second end, a mechanism for allowing air to enter the bore with the mechanism for allowing air to enter being located on the barrel near each of the ends a greater distance from each of the ends than the maximum distance over which a human mouth is capable of extending over the ends of the barrel. The toy blow gun further comprises a blow tube which includes mechanism for sealing the mechanism for allowing air to enter the bore with the blow tube and the barrel forming a sealed blow path for blowing a projectile through the bore when the mechanism for sealing is attached to one of the ends of the barrel and sealing the mechanism for allowing air to enter the bore.

Abstract: A keyboard for an electronic music instrument is made to have a "piano key feel" by bracketing an end of each key with the legs of a weighted A-shaped action arm which pivots about a single point and actuates a leaf spring switch.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of pretreating cellulosic webs with dry vapors of a lower alkylhalogeno silane, which react with hydroxyl groups in said cellulosic web, and subsequently coating said web. Said invention also relates to the article of manufacture prepared by said method.

Abstract: An acoustic enclosure (10) has interconnected sound reducing panels forming a substantially rectangular structure which is configured to house a computer printer. Each side (12,14) panel is a multiple strata panel having an outer polymeric stratum (26), a multiple channel intermediate thermoplastic stratum (28) and an inner open celled acoustic material stratum (30). The rear and bottom panels (16, 18) are multiple stratum panels, having multiple channel intermediate thermoplastic stratum (46) which is sandwiched between inner and outer polyurethane foam strata (44,48). An adhesive material (42) is provided for bonding the outer stratum to the intermediate stratum and the intermediate stratum to the inner stratum for each of the panels. An angle member (62) affixed to the intermediate stratum is provided for joining adjacent panels of the enclosure. A rigid thermoplastic hinged cover (22) having a uniform bend (52) is provided for closing the enclosure.

Abstract: Modified reactive siloxanes are chemically bonded directly to the surface of a cellulosic substrate to form an oleophilic layer of siloxane on the cellulosic substrate and a conventional ink impregnates the oleophilic siloxane to effect printing thereon.