Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for treating water by means of an electric field. An Anode and a cathode are arranged in a treatment chamber. The cathode has a plurality of parallel pins. Seed crystals are deposited on these pins. There are means for separating these seed crystals from the pins. The apparatus is to be of simple design and is to have high efficiency with regard to the formation of seed crystals. The cathode is to be kept free from lime depositions. To this end, the seed crystals are separated or stripped from the pins by means of a perforated disc. The pins extend through the holes of this perforated disc. The perforated disc is guided over the pins. The perforated disc can be moved by water pressure or by an electric motor. The electric motor has as second function the actuation of a safety valve controlled by a monitoring device.

Abstract: An evaporative cooling unit that sprays a water mist into the air to cool the air by evaporation of the water mist is disguised as to its function and purpose by including the misting nozzles and water supply conduits in a decorative structure, such as an artificial flower arrangement or plant. The misting unit of the invention includes a base and a decorative structure extending from the base. A water conduit extends through the base from a base end with a fitting for attachment to a source of pressurized water such as a garden hose, into the decorative structure where it ends in at least one decorative structure end with a misting nozzle thereon. The base may take the form of a flower pot with the decorative structure taking the form of flowers or a plant extending from the flower pot.

Abstract: A scissor is made more ergonomic and comfortable to use by the addition to the upper loop handle of the scissor of an enlarged handle portion that fits into and can be held in the palm of a user's hand without the user's thumb passing through the loop handle. One or more of the user's fingers are passed through the lower loop handle in normal manner to operate the scissor. The enlarged handle portion may be secured to the upper loop handle of existing scissors or scissors may be manufactured with the enlarged handle portion included rather than or in addition to the normal loop handle. As an add on, the enlarged handle portion may include two halves secured together to capture and hold a portion of the upper loop between the halves to thereby secure the enlarged handle portion to the upper loop handle.

Abstract: An adjustable, removable, strap device primarily for use in bundling and holding electrical cords and cables, such as from office equipment or kitchen appliances, in a compact position above the floor or kitchen counter. Such compact, elevated position in an office helps to prevent tripping and in a kitchen keeps the cords off of the wet counter to reduce the risk of electrical shock, and which also provides a neat, tidy appearance. The device includes a flexible strap member having a plurality of headed pins at a top end and a plurality of mating holes in a bottom end thereof. A transverse slot is disposed adjacent the pins toward the bottom end of the flexible strap member. The strap device is used by doubling over on itself and inserting the bottom end through the transverse slot forming a cable support loop. The pins are engaged into the holes to secure the loop around the cables. The strap device is attached to a wall or other such vertical surface using a nail, double-sided adhesive tape, or adhesives.

Abstract: A flexible water spray wand for connection to a standard garden hose, having a housing connectable at a lower end to the garden hose and at an upper end to a flexible tube assembly connected at an opposite end to a spray nozzle. The pistol grip housing includes a water flow control valve such as a trigger mechanism operatively connected to a water valve for controlling the flow of water from the nozzle of the wand. The flexible tube assembly includes a flexible outer ribbed tube and an inner flexible tube for carrying the water, each connected to the handle and the nozzle by fittings. The position of the flexible tube assembly is held by a bendable metal rod which extends therethrough so as to enable the flexible tube assembly to be bent such that the water spray wand directs the water as desired to reach non-readily accessible places such as overhead plants and for flushing leaves from gutters.

Abstract: A water play structure which includes an inflatable wedge which is used with a water slide. The inflatable wedge is positioned at one end of the water slide and connected to a garden hose to run lubricating water down the wedge and along the water slide. Children and adults run and dive onto the inflatable wedge which cushions their transition from a vertical running position to a horizontal sliding position down the wedge and along the water slide. An inflatable sled with gripping handles can be used to slide on for added cushioning.

Abstract: A method of reducing the chance of disease resulting from mononuclear cells in a body attacking desirable cell antigens in the body, such as antigens expressed by normal body cells or desirable engrafted cells, comprises reducing the number of mononuclear cell in the body that are likely to attack such desirable cell antigens. This is done by obtaining cell derived antigens subject to attack by mononuclear cells in the body and also obtaining mononuclear cells to be placed in the body. The mononuclear cells may be from a donor or may be removed from the subject body. The mononuclear cells are reacted, in vitro, with the cell derived antigens, such as by passing the mononuclear cells over a layer of fibroblast cells from the body expressing the desirable antigens, and recovering the mononuclear cells that do not bind to the antigens. These recovered cells are then infused into the body.

Abstract: A climbing structure is formed by evacuating an airtight cover bag over a structure core that includes blocks forming various hand and foot holds that creates a relief resembling a rock outcropping or rock surface. The blocks are preferably made of a rigid but soft or flexible material so that the blocks will hold their shape when used as hand and foot holds, but are somewhat soft in the event a climber falls or slides down the climbing face. The structure can be made in the form of a traditional climbing wall or take various other forms and may, when used as a recreational play climbing structure, have a core made up of a plurality of core blocks in a random arrangement. The structure may be used on land or in water as a water play device.

Abstract: A method for treating items as the items move along a trough, such as for freezing, drying, or baking food items, includes the steps of placing an item to be treated in an inlet end portion of a trough having sides, a top, and a perforated bottom, the perforations making up between about 0.5% and about 20% of the bottom of the trough. A treating gas is forced through the perforated bottom at a velocity through the perforations and a volume sufficient to elevate and float the item above the bottom of the trough. The item moves along the trough, such as by gravity in an inclined trough or by action of the treating gas against the item, as the treating gas flows against the bottom, around the sides, and over the top of the item to treat the item. The item is left in the trough for a period of time sufficient to complete the desired treatment.

Abstract: A pop-up sprinkler of the type that includes a riser that moves upwardly out of a sprinkler housing when water pressure is applied and that allows manual adjustment of the angular orientation of the riser with respect to the housing to adjust angular orientation of the spray from the sprinkler, and provides for such angular adjustment by having a toothed flange associated with the riser in the housing which engages tabs associated with the housing, provides for longer life of the toothed flange and/or the tabs by providing slots extending radially inwardly in the toothed flange to reduce its rigidity to the extent that the teeth and/or tabs do not wear as quickly.

Abstract: A paint roller filled with wet paint may be stored for a period of time, such a over lunch break or overnight, or for longer times, and still be useable for painting, by substantially sealing the roller while attached to the usual handle-attached, paint applicator to which the roller is mounted, in an elongate box which covers the roller and through an opening in which a portion of the paint applicator extends. The portion of the paint applicator extending through the opening is substantially sealed by deformable paint solvent absorbent material in the opening to which a small amount of paint solvent, such as water, is added to maintain a solvent rich atmosphere in the box to help maintain the paint on the roller in wet, usable condition.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for handling flowing liquids for analytical purposes such as for introduction of liquid samples in atomic spectroscopy and carrying out a continuous flow digestion process at high temperture and pressure. The appaartus comprises a high-pressure pump for conveying a liquid from a reservoir into a tube having an elongate cavity connected to the high-pressure pump outlet. A heating device is arranged so as to heat the liquid in the cavity to a predetermined temperature and a restrictor is arranged downstream of the cavity at the opposite end of the tube. The restrictor is dimensioned relative to the conveying capacity of the high-pressure pump so that liquid in the cavity is maintained at a pressure which is higher than the saturated vapor pressure of the liquid at the predetermined temperture such that no vapor forms within the cavity.

Abstract: For determining the dependence of a first measuring quantity (Y) on a second measuring quantity (P) the second measuring quantity (P) is periodically modified with a frequency (f0). The first measuring quantity (Y) changing accordingly is measured. From the obtained measuring signal of the first measuring quantity (Y) the components of the first measuring quantity (Y) are determined with at least a plurality of frequencies. From the components thus determined the first measuring quantity (Y) is reconstructed for at least a plurality of values of the second measuring quantity (P) by signal processing.

Abstract: A self-propelled pipeline padding machine and a method for padding pipelines in ditches without damaging the pipeline prior to backfilling of the ditch. A spoils pile comprising dirt, various size rocks, and sand taken from the ditch during the digging thereof lie in a generally continuous pile along side the ditch from the excavation thereof. The machine includes an excavator having an arm with end bucket for scooping up material from the spoils pile on the opposite side of the ditch and placing it into frame mounted padding material sorter mounted to the front of the excavator. The separated padding material falls onto a laterally disposed retractable conveyor below the sorter which moves the padding material onto the pipeline in the ditch ahead of the excavator. The residual rocks and debris fall between the tracks of the excavator. The sorter can be tilted using hydraulic cylinders between the frame supporting the sorter and the undercarriage of the excavator.

Abstract: A highway lane position detector including a photodetector for determining the existence of highway lines, wherein the detection circuitry maintains its detection ability over a wide range of ambient light conditions from bright sunlight to dim artificial light in ambient darkness, by providing a dynamic resistance element in series with the photodetector wherein the dynamic resistance element compensates for changes in the photodetector due to changes in ambient light conditions to maintain the photodetector in a detection condition (avoiding saturation) regardless of the ambient light condition. In the preferred embodiment of the detector, the dynamic resistance element is at least one reversed biased zener diode. In currently preferred circuitry of the invention, the detector detects the presence of intermittent lane dividing lines and provides an alarm when such lines are no longer detected.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device to aid the orientation of blind and partially sighted people. The device comprises a long cane and an additional device comprising a laser measuring system. By transmitting and receiving laser beams the laser measuring system detects objects in a planar detection area of a detection plane containing the long cane. Indicating means indicates the presence and the absence of objects in this planar detection area by a first and by a second information, respectively, for example by the presence of a determined signal and by the absence of a determined signal. This allows to detect objects above the long cane.

Abstract: A Y-pipe and flattened boom tube exhaust pipe for use on race cars, such as stock cars which race on oval tracks, which mount to the lower frame or chassis of the car, and which route exhaust gasses to the side of the car while providing improved ground clearance. The Y-pipe comprises first and second longitudinally flattened or tapered secondary exhaust pipes having respective generally circular cross-section inlet portions connectable to a header assembly and respective laterally bevelled, flattened circular cross-section outlet portions which are affixed together so as to merge together to a single outlet opening which is connectable to the inlet of the boom tube exhaust pipe. The boom tube exhaust pipe comprises a tubular inlet and attached tubular body.

Abstract: A method of producing high purity, low oxygen content titanium powder utilizes a hydrided titanium powder crushed to desired percentage of particles of not more than a desired size. These hydrided particles are dehydrided by a slow heating process under partial vacuum to draw the hydrogen out of the particles with a minimum of sintering of the particles. The hydrided particles may be initially heated relatively rapidly, over a period of between about two hours and six hours to a temperature of between about 450° C. and 500° C. and then slowly over a period of four to five days to a temperature of between 650° C. and 700° C., all under a partial vacuum, until the hydrogen content of the powder reaches a desired value. The now dehydrided titanium powder is cooled, again crushed if and as necessary to break up any sintered particles, screened, and packaged. The method of the invention minimizes the sintering of the particles during the dehydriding process.