Abstract: An inflatable play structure includes an inflatable platform and an inflatable slide attached to the platform. The platform provides stability to the slide when the structure is used in water so that it does not easily turn over. Further, the slide is preferably positioned on the platform so that the platform provides a resting and staging area for the slide. When used on land, the slide may be positioned so the platform provides a cushioned area for a user to land when coming down the slide.

Abstract: A coupling to connect pipe, including lengths of pipe, valves, hoses, and pipe and hose fittings, includes a body to closely receive the end portion of the pipe to be coupled. A set of first class lever jaw members each having a power arm and a weight arm are mounted to the coupling body to establish a fulcrum for rotation of each lever jaw member about the fulcrum between an engaged position and a disengaged position with respect to the pipe end portion when received in the coupling body. The weight arms may include a gripping surface such as a rubber or plastic material or gripping teeth to grip a smooth end portion of a pipe, or the end portion of the pipe may include a shoulder, such as formed by a groove in the end portion, so the weight arms engage the shoulder to secure the pipe in the coupling.

Abstract: A pressure reducer has a housing with inlet and outlet sockets, a partition between said inlet and outlet sockets, and an accommodation socket. The partition defines an aperture aligned with the accommodation socket. A pressure reducer insert is inserted into the accommodation socket and the aperture. The pressure reducer insert has a tapering, funnel-like insert housing, a valve seat, and webs for connecting the insert housing with a valve seat sealingly mounted in the aperture. A regulating diaphragm closes the open end to define a controlled pressure chamber which communicates with an outlet chamber. A cap encloses a biased helical spring and a bias setting threaded spindle rotatably mounted in the cap. A setting knob is axially movable between a first position non-rotatably coupled with the cap, and a second position rotatable relative to the cap where rotation of the knob rotates the bias setting spindle and adjusts the pressure setting.

Abstract: A drink dispensing cart includes a drink dispensing machine that is normally plumbed directly into a municipal water pipe at a fixed location. The cart includes a container of water, preferably a disposable container of water such as a bag-in-box container of water, and a pump to pump water from the container of water to the drink dispensing machine. A controller controls operation of the pump to operate the pump only when water is needed by the drink dispensing machine and to provide an indication when the container of water is empty and needs changing. A pressure sensor in an outlet line extending between the pump and drink dispensing machine senses when water is needed by the dispenser and a pressure sensor in an inlet line extending between the pump and the container of water senses when the container of water is empty and needs replacing. A time delay circuit delays start of operation of the pump when water is needed by the drink dispenser to avoid pulsing of the pump.

Abstract: A coupling for joining two pipes in end-to-end relationship includes flanges which are sealably secured to end sections of pipes to be connected. The flanges form front inclined faces and adjacent front flanges that are slidably received within opposite end openings of a cylindrical coupling. A groove or shoulder is formed at the rear end of the front flanges that cooperate with jaws extending from the ends of the cylindrical coupling to secure the received pipe end portions in the cylindrical coupling to thereby join the pipes together. One or more gaskets fit in the cylindrical coupling between the ends thereof with gasket arms that abut against the inclined surface so that fluid pressure in the pipes force the gasket arms against the inclined faces to provide a seal between the joined pipes. A stop may be provided to limit the sliding travel of the cylindrical coupling with respect to the flanges.

Abstract: An area air delivery system for delivery of filtered air to an area occupiable by a user who can enter and leave the area, such as the head end of a bed, includes a canopy for at least partially surrounding the area to which air is to be supplied and defining the area which a user can enter and leave. An air diffuser positioned in the canopy includes a housing having an air impervious rear wall, air impervious side walls, and a perforated front wall forming a plenum in which a filter bag resides. The plenum is connected to a source of pressurized, preferably prefiltered, air so that pressurized air is supplied to the interior of the filter bag to diffuse through the filter bag into the plenum. Perforations in a predetermined area of the perforated front wall of the housing allow air to flow through the perforations and provide a substantially even flow of air from the perforated front wall of the diffuser into the canopy.

Abstract: An improved rheometer plate includes a smooth sensing surface with monolithically integrated miniature pressure sensors which do not interfere with the smooth surface. Pressure sensing diaphragms formed by the smooth surface deflect in response to local pressures against the surface to enable the measurement of unperturbed local pressures of materials sheared between plates. The pressure sensors are sufficiently small that measured pressures are considered to be significantly local properties compared to the size of the plate. Normal stress differences and viscosity of fluid are measured accordingly. The membrane covers a plurality of wells or recesses with pressure sensors located in the wells to measure the deflection of the membrane over the wells. Capacitive or other sensors may be used. The rheometer plate can be used as part of a slit rheometer with a slit of varying dimensions.

Abstract: A coupling device includes a polygonal coupling part on one of the parts to be coupled for engaging a complementary polygonal counterpart on another of the parts to be coupled. The polygonal coupling part has outer side faces, a longitudinal bore therein, and a first transverse bore with a ball therein intersecting the longitudinal bore and one of the side faces. An actuating body tapering at first and second ends is guided for longitudinal movement in the longitudinal bore between an extended position wherein the first end moves the ball radially into a locking position and a retracted position permitting inward movement of the ball out of its locking position. A second transverse bore intersecting the longitudinal bore guides a releasing element having a cam surface engaging the second end of the actuating body. The releasing element is movable against the action of a biasing spring to move the actuating body from its extended position to its retracted position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a testing device for measuring torques with a sensor for generating electrical signals in response to exerted torques, and signal processing means, to which the electrical signals are applied and which provide measuring values of the exerted torque. The invention provides a plurality of measuring heads, which either may have different measuring ranges or may be adapted to different tools to be tested. Each of these measuring heads has its own signal processing means. The signal processing means are calibrated in the same way, such that the torque measuring data of different measuring heads can be compared with each other. When calibrating a measuring head, the individual signal processing means can also be adjusted to take individual non-linearities of the torque sensors into account. The measuring heads can then simply be connected in parallel with the display or evaluation means.

Abstract: Automated staining equipment that can mix reagents is used to spray a Romanowsky stain onto slide mounted specimens which are then briefly centrifuged. The centrifugation step removes excess stain leaving only a thin film. Depending on the time of the centrifugation step, most of the organic solvent and part of the water in the stain are evaporated by airflow through the equipment. This greatly accelerates the staining reaction and preserves water soluble structures such as the granules in basophilic leukocytes. For optimal performance, this staining procedure requires a thiazin-eosin stain with about 90% to about 40% organic solvent, such as methanol, and only about 10% to about 60% water. This is a unique staining reagent in Romanowsky staining.

Abstract: Hydrogels containing catalase co-immobilized with an analyte-sensitive enzyme such as glucose oxidase are disclosed. The hydrogels may be pH-sensitive, and preferably are thin and lightly crosslinked. The catalase is present in concentrations ranging generally from 100 units/ml to about 1000 units/ml. These hydrogels have much faster swelling response times as compared to hydrogels without catalase, and are useful in biosensors and analyte-responsive drug delivery devices. The hydrogels also have an increased useful life, due to protection of the immobilize analyte-sensitive enzyme from degradation by hydrogen peroxide.

Abstract: An apparatus for water treatment by means of an electrical field is provided with an anode and a cathode in at least one treatment chamber through which the water to be treated passes. The apparatus is characterized in that the at least one treatment chamber forms a prismatic space with an elongated cross section, the anode and the cathode are formed by pairs of parallel, stick-shaped electrodes which extend spaced apart into said space and a voltage is applicable between the electrodes. One end of the at least one treatment chamber is connected to a water inlet and the other end of the at least one treatment chamber is connected to a water outlet, whereby a waterflow from one electrode to the other is generatable which is substantially transverse to the longitudinal axes of the electrodes.

Abstract: A sample collection device for collecting a sample of drill cuttings from a hole being drilled as the hole is being drilled includes a stem collector surrounding the drill pipe. Pressurized air is injected through the drill pipe into the hole being drilled. The air forms a stream of air-entrained drill cuttings traveling up the drill hole during drilling. This stream of air-entrained drill cuttings is directed by the stem collector into a conduit which directs the stream of cuttings to a sampling device. The sampling device samples the stream of cuttings and creates a stream of sample cuttings which is directed to a diffuser which separates the sample cuttings from the air stream. The sample cuttings are collected in a sample container or in a sample collector from which they are transferred to a sample container or bag.

Abstract: An implantable biosensor for detecting an analyte in vivo in body fluids comprises an analyte-sensitive hydrogel filament chemically configured to vary its displacement volume according to changes in concentration of an analyte, such as glucose, in a patient's body fluid. A photometric displacement transducer placed inside the biosensor is configured to quantifiably detect changes in the displacement volume of the hydrogel filament, such as by detecting the light intensity on a photoreceptor arranged to receive light of varying intensity depending upon the displacement of the hydrogel filament. A battery powered telemeter operably engaged to the photometric displacement transducer sends a radio data signal representing glucose concentration level to a receiver containing an alarm system. The alarm system can automatically notify a person that the analyte level is outside desired predetermined parameters, and/or to automatically inject an agent to counteract the adverse analyte levels.

Abstract: This invention is a compressed air vaccum that attaches to an air hose and forces air down the handle. The air is then is forced through a venture, which causes vacuum to occur. It has a baffle deflection piece that stops the liquid and debris from coming up into the venture thus allowing the debris and liquid material to be dropped back into the canister of the vaccum. The handle, venture, and baffle are all one piece. The canister with the pick up tube for sucking is a separate piece and then they snap together. The canister is removable from the handle piece for easy clean up.

Abstract: A display representing a tree, such as a Christmas tree, has a trunk made of a hollow tube and held by a base in substantially vertical position. A liquid, such as water, is placed in the tube and an air supply in or near the bottom of the tube generates bubbles that rise through the tube. The tube and bubbles therein are preferably illuminated to add to the effectiveness of the display. Branches are secured to the trunk tube and extend outwardly therefrom to provide tree foliage and give the display the appearance of a tree or support foliage, such as in the form of a garland, which provides the tree foliage and gives the display the appearance of a tree.

Abstract: Apparatus for selectively testing muscle strength and range of motion of a body part of a patient includes a housing having at least one contact area, and preferably two spaced apart contact areas, for contacting and aligning the apparatus with a body part to be tested for range of motion and an inclinometer to measure the angle of the apparatus and produce an angle signal indicative of the measured angle. The difference between the angle measured at one extreme of movement of the body part and at the other extreme of movement provides a measure of the range of motion. A force applicator coupler couples a force applicator to a force transducer to measure muscle strength. The force transducer produces a force signal indicative of the force applied by the force applicator to the force transducer.

Abstract: An implantable chip biosensor for detecting an analyte in vivo in body fluids comprises an analyte-sensitive hydrogel slab chemically configured to vary its displacement volume according to changes in concentration of an analyte, such as glucose, in a patient's body fluid, the slab being disposed in a groove in a support block. The biosensor chip is ‘read’ by an external scanner configured to quantifiably detect changes in the displacement volume of the hydrogel slab. The support block is made of rigid or semi-rigid support material to restrain expansion of the hydrogel in all but one dimension, and the groove has one or more openings covered with a semipermeable membrane to allow contact between the patient's body fluid and the hydrogel. The scanning means may be any type of imaging devices such as an ultrasound scanner, a magnetic resonance imager (MRI), or a computerized tomographic scanner (CT) capable of resolving changes in the slab's dimensions.

Abstract: A dry supplement injection system produces a supplement slurry which is continuously introduced into a flow of irrigation water. The injection system includes a hopper having a cylindrical upper portion and a tapered lower portion terminating at a slurry outlet opening. An inverted perforated funnel assembly is disposed within the hopper. A spray nozzle connected to a water inlet pipe sprays water onto the inner surface of the funnel such that particles of micronized supplement in the hopper are washed through the perforated funnel forming a slurry. A mixing pan disposed below the hopper acts as a reservoir to hold slurry until pumped out through a slurry pump which pumps the slurry into a pressurized irrigation water pipe. Gravity feed of the slurry may replace the slurry pump for applications where the irrigation water is non-pressurized such as flood irrigation.