Abstract: A board type game which utilizes lasers where players selectively divert the path of laser beams. The board apparatus comprises an enclosed chamber formed by a top and bottom piece and a frame piece within which laser beams are directed down symbolic rows and columns constituting a matrix of squares. Each square has an X-shaped slot along the diagonals of the square. These slots are formed in the bottom piece and top piece. Deflecting pieces, which may be mirrors, are placed at the player's discretion in diagonal slots of an X-shaped to deflect an incident laser beam from a row or column to a corresponding column or row. A scoring module, sensitive to incident laser light, is positioned in the chamber in front of each player. The players alternate in placing deflecting pieces in the chamber with the object to either direct their laser beams toward the opponent's scoring module or to prevent their opponent's laser beams from reaching their own scoring module.

Abstract: An apparatus having an automatic purge valve assembly for draining condensate out of a compressed air storage tank. An air pressure switch, upon the presence of a predetermined atmospheric pressure in the air storage tank, will energize a relay which in turn enables a solenoid to open a purge valve, thus allowing any condensate present in the tank to be automatically drained through and out of an air outlet conduit to which the purge valve is attached. The relay shuts off automatically after only a brief period in order to quickly close the purge valve and thus avoid having a substantial amount of compressed air escape along with the condensate.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing shower products such as liquid or granular soaps, shampoos, and the like, fabricated as a unitary housing which is constructed and configured for flush mounting against the surface of a wall panel. The apparatus generally comprises a rectangular shaped housing which is defined by an upper face, two side faces, and a partially sloped rear face which is recessed within the wall panel. A receptacle having one or more integral storage compartments is disposed within, and hingedly connected to, said housing, said receptacle may contain one or more known dispensing mechanisms for providing a supply of dispensing materials, and may further comprise external indication means for conveying the status of the supply of said dispensing materials which may be replenished by rotating said receptacle outward from the wall panel.

Abstract: An enclosure for providing security and extra storage space for a portable cooler comprised of a rugged non-tearable fabric enclosure having an opening along one end to permit insertion or removal of the cooler, and a separate security cable that can be attached to the enclosure to prevent theft of the cooler by locking the cable around a picnic table leg or portable lawn chair. The enclosure includes storage pockets that can house additional items that can not be placed within the cooler such as a portable television, sunglasses, such that all recreational paraphernalia can be carried as one unit to the beach or picnic area.

Abstract: A portable pressure screen apparatus is disclosed having a cylindrical shaped pressure housing defining upper and lower hingedly connected halves. The housing includes a slurry inlet aperture raised relative to a filtered slurry discharge port situated at the opposite end of the pressure housing from the slurry inlet aperture. A screen spans the interior of the housing, separating the interior into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. Collected particulate matter from the slurry inlet aperture is accumulated in the upper chamber and slurry filtered through the screen leaves the interior of the housing through the filtered slurry discharge port connected to the lower chamber. A support frame is employed to adjustably support the housing in a generally angled attitude relative to the horizontal.

Abstract: A safety blade magazine for storing, transporting and dispensing individually a large number of single edge safety blades. The magazine is essentially an elongated rectangular box having an opening or slot at the base of one wall and a thumb shaped recess along the bottom wall for dispensing a single blade at a time out of the slot in the bottom of the box. The magazine also includes an elongated spindle centrally disposed from its top to within one blade width of the dispensing slot in length, the spindle capable of holding one hundred razor blades through the blade apertures in the center of the single edge blades. A small magnet is disposed on the outside wall just above the dispensing slot which acts to stabilize the blades in the magazine and also to assist in dispensing whenever the thumb actuated recess to manually dispense the blades is utilized. Finally the magnet serves to temporarily hold a blade that has already been dispensed.

Abstract: A tripod especially suited for use by a court reporter for supporting a court reporter's stenographic machine, the tripod providing an adjustable support leg that allows the stenographic machine to be firmly and stably supported in space at different locations relative to the court reporter for increased comfort and change of position by the court reporter throughout the day. In one embodiment, the leg includes an adjustable block and pin which provides several different positions relative to the supporting brace of that leg aligned for change in inclination of the overall support device.

Abstract: An improvement in a vehicle such as a mini-van for transporting wheel chair bound people or large and bulky items is disclosed. A mini-van having a rear dropped axle and a door openable to the rear of the mini-van is converted into the improved mini-van. The improved mini-van is able to transport passengers or cargo as do ordinary mini-vans, and in addition may be quickly and easily converted to either simultaneously carry a wheelchair or bulky item and passengers if desired. The improved mini-van has a drop floor, a rear body piece having a cut-out section corresponding to the drop floor, a pivoting ramp for providing access to the drop floor, and a system for lowering the mini-van to make it more accessible to wheelchair bound people or easier to load bulky objects. The improved mini-van also includes a system for securing the wheelchair or bulky item within the mini-van. In addition, a removable covering for the drop floor is disclosed.

Abstract: A vehicle level and measuring and display device for use especially in recreational vehicles or the like for ensuring that the vehicle is in a gravitationally level position comprising a sensing unit remotely connected to a display unit. The display unit includes a plurality of incremental individual optical indicators disposed along a first line representative of the level position of the vehicle and a second line representing the level position of the vehicle whereby the individual LED optical elements can incrementally and individually display the particular level position of that line. The device includes at least two scales having both a rough and fine adjustment for the LED indicators.

Abstract: An inflatable beverage container defined by concentric inner and outer cylindrical walls which further define an annular chamber therebetween, the cylindrical walls terminating in a semi-rigid inverted "V shaped" upper lip which defines a top end of the container, and a planar base which circumferentially defines the bottom end of the container, the container further having an inflatable handle in fluidic communication with the annular chamber, the container additionally having an integral apparatus for introducing air into the annular chamber for inflation or deflation thereof for easy storage.

Abstract: A surface cleaning device utilizing a pressurized flow of cleaning fluid from opposite ends of a rotatable shaft disposed under a generally cylindrical shallow housing, said nozzles being disposed at transverse angles to the elongate axis of said rotatable shaft such that the thrust created by discharge of cleaning fluid therefrom causes rotation of said rotatable shaft and thus cleaning action on a surface to be cleaned. In operation, the pressurized flow of cleaning fluid is passed through a swivel connection associated with the housing and into the rotating arm/nozzle apparatus. The cleaning fluid discharging from the discharge nozzles creates a thrust, and the angle of inclination of the discharge port of the nozzles relative to vertical creates a thrust and hence self-rotating motion to the nozzle/rotating arm apparatus.

Abstract: A children's sanitary strap to assist in eating and preventing unsanitary conditions by maintaining eating utensils within close proximity of a child's hand. The invention is a strap that couples to the child's wrist, clothing, or high chair while the opposite end of the strap is coupled to an eating utensil. The utensil is used in the customary fashion, however, if the child is unable to hold the utensil at any time causing the utensil to drop, the sanitary strap of the instant invention prevents the utensil from falling to an unclean area or beyond the reach of the child.

Abstract: Sealable food storage containers having a time actuated locking mechanism to prevent access to food stored except at a predetermined time. The purpose of the invention is to aid dieters, children and compulsive snack or dessert consuming persons by permitting access to a particular stored food only at a predetermined time. This is to prevent between meal snacks or consumption of foods for dietary reasons. The device includes a sealable plastic or other type of food storage container that can be safely used within a refrigerated space and a removable separate time actuated locking mechanism that can be interchanged and used with a variety of food storage containers. The time locking mechanism includes a lid latching mechanism that has an engageable latch that is disengaged at a predetermined time by an electrical current provided to a small motor. The food storage containers include a pouch or separate access chamber that houses the timing mechanism and cooperates with the lid for the locking mechanism.

Abstract: A Forms Splicer is disclosed for use in splicing continuous feed computer forms whose separation prevents their continuous feed into a tractor feed printing device. The Forms Splicer is a single sheet of rectangular flexible material having an alignment/fold line across the width thereof defining the sheet into equal halves. The Forms Splicer employs a series of line pin holes along each side edge of the Splicer with spacing relative equal to pin hole spacing of the forms to be spliced. The forms to be spliced are aligned by the alignment/fold line and a series of alignment tabs on the lower portion of the Splicer. The alignment tabs overlap an area of the trailing form to be spliced providing pin hole reinforcement and a means to suppress raised edges to prevent paper jamming. Pressure sensitive adhesive strips maintain the forms to be spliced in alignment.

Abstract: A consumable, non-reuseable cuvette for containing a sample or specimen during an automated test thereof, primarily for medical diagnostic purposes. The cuvette has a single, main reaction chamber that is pre-loaded at the factory with the precise quantity of a particular liquid or dry reagent useful for a specific test. The cover of the cuvette includes an opening to permit the introduction of a diluent or liquid reagent into the reagent chamber, a manually loaded, recessed sample receiving chamber having a frangible bottom floor and a purge reservoir. A cap is hinged to the cuvette cover and includes a rigid protruding member that pierces the sample or specimen chamber floor when closed by the testing machine, sealing the contents of the cuvette, allowing the sample to be dispensed into the chamber containing the reagent and diluent.

Abstract: A container for dispensing engine oil including a self-contained plunger with a cutting head that permits dispensing of the oil in an inverted position in cramped spaces. The container includes a foil or other frangible seal across the spout opening that is pierced by manual actuation of the plunger after the container is inverted. The container base includes a flexible area for pressing manually against the plunger end. The invention permits dispensing of oil into an engine without spillage in engine compartments having limited space for positioning the oil container.

Abstract: An improved welding electrode with a high current capacity that is non-consumable for use in gas tungsten arc welding and in plasma arc welding in which the electron emission capability of the electrode is increased and enhanced by the material composition of the electrode, and in particular of the emitter end. The emitter end consists of the use of tungsten carbide as a base metal for the activating elements thorium or zirconium. The invention also considers the use of refractory carbides such as tantalum carbide, zirconium carbide or molybdenum carbide in the emitter end. Also configurations are disclosed which permit the use of high electron emissions material with the shank portion of the electrode consisting of materials of high electrical and thermal conducting properties such as copper, molybdenum, or tungsten. The electrode provides for superior welding current for improving GTA or PA arc welding resulting in superior welding capability and controllability for welding processes.

Abstract: An apparatus for repairing cracks in a windshield is provided. The apparatus includes a mounting bracket having a plurality of arms. Each arm has a suction cup attached to it for securing the mounting bracket to the windshield to be repaired. One suction cup will be removable for attachment at a second location on its corresponding arm. An injector tube will be attached to the mounting bracket and extend through an aperture in the center of the mounting bracket. When it is desired to repair cracks near the periphery of the windshield, the removable suction cup will be attached to its second location and the injector tube will be attached to the suction cups original location.

Abstract: The invention is a combination submerged breakwater and barrier reef comprised of a plurality of modules. Each module is placed upon the seabed, and includes angle base with gripping toes to prevent movement. The base supports a generally crescent shaped, concave seaward face and a similar crescent shaped, concave beachward face. The beachward face includes an elongated apron to further stabilize the unit, and has a greater degree of curvature when compared to the seaward face. Each module also includes a plurality of channels which are angularly expanding towards the beachward face, and provide passages for wave portions to flow through the reef further collapsing the wave in a desired manner. The modules also include interlocking members which allow for the reef to be constructed along a continuous, axial line, or alternatively staggered to provide a non-uniform reef.

Abstract: A system for purifying water is provided having a series of filtering systems connected in series in a predetermined order along a flow path of the water to be purified. The filtering systems used in the invention include air striping, aeration, gravity separation, inclined plate coalescing separation, diffused air floatation, metallic oil attraction, static solid separation, hydrocarbon adsorption and absorption, chemical flocking, ozone, and coalescing centrifugal separation. The combination and relative order of placement of these filtering system acheives an improved filtering result.