Abstract: A quasi-bipolar lead-acid battery construction includes a plurality of bipolar cells disposed in side-by-side relation to form a stack, and a pair of monoplanar plates at opposite ends of the stack, the cell stack and monopolar plates being contained within a housing of the battery. Each bipolar cell is loaded with an electrolyte and composed of a bipolar electrode plate and a pair of separator plates disposed on opposite sides of the electrode plate and peripherally sealed thereto. Each bipolar electrode plate is composed of a partition sheet and two bipolar electrode elements folded into a hairpin configuration and applied over opposite edges of the partition sheet so as to cover the opposite surfaces of the opposite halves thereof.

Abstract: A reliable positive plate for deep cycle lead-acid batteries is provided by dispersing about 2 percent by volume of fine, short, lead-coated reinforcement fibers such as fiberglass in the positive active paste before being applied to the grid of a battery plate and cured. The fibers improve the structural integrity of the plate and also provide electrical paths in a discharged plate. This results in greater utilization of the lead dioxide active material by preventing charged portions of the plate from becoming electrically isolated.

Abstract: Magnetic polymer particles are formed by swelling porous, polymer particles and impregnating the particles with an aqueous solution of precursor magnetic metal salt such as an equimolar mixture of ferrous chloride and ferric chloride. On addition of a basic reagent such as dilute sodium hydroxide, the metal salts are converted to crystals of magnetite which are uniformly contained througout the pores of the polymer particle. The magnetite content can be increased and neutral buoyancy achieved by repetition of the impregnaton and neutralization steps to adjust the magnetite content to a desired level.

Abstract: A water sprinkler head cleaning tool is adapted for use in cleaning a clogged sprinkler head while the sprinkler is operating. The cleaning tool has a handle with a straight or T-shaped configuration, an elongated thin metallic needle-like unclogging shaft, and a water spray deflecting shroud with a flared configuration attached to a low profile tapered mounting tip disposed at the forward end of the handle or attached to the handle itself rearwardly of the mounting tip. The shaft is embedded at its rearward end portion in the handle tip and projects forwardly therefrom to an outer pointed end with a knurled region rearwardly of the pointed end. The shroud extends from the handle forward end in surrounding relation to the elongated shaft. The conical flared configuration of the shroud deflects or diverts any flow of water emanating from the clogged head during cleaning of the orifice so that it does not hit the person using the tool.

Abstract: A combination bobbin and knot tying tool has a knot-tying element attached to the bobbin. In one embodiment, the element is secured to the rear of the bobbin. In a second embodiment, the front end of the thread tube of the bobbin is tapered to form a knot-tying element. In another embodiment, the barrel of the tool is slidingly mounted on the thread tube of the bobbin and slides from a retracted position rearward of the tip of the thread tube to a forward position in which the conical end of the barrel with its eye receiving cavity is forward of the tip of the thread tube.

Abstract: A lockable fluid dispenser cap is used with a dispensing pump for dispensing a fluid product from a container. The dispenser cap includes a container closure, locking fingers mounted to the closure, a lock actuating member rotatably mounted to the closure, and a pump actuating member coupled to the lock actuating member. The closure mounts the pump in the container. The locking fingers are mounted to the closure and normally spaced in unlocking relation from the pump piston but are yieldably flexible for bending toward the piston. The lock actuating member has cam elements which upon rotation of the lock actuating member forcibly bend the fingers toward the piston and into a locking relation therewith. Reciprocal movement of the pump actuating member relative to the lock actuating member is used to actuate the piston. Also, rotational movement of the pump actuating member is used to cause rotation of the lock actuating member therewith for bending the fingers from their unlocking to locking relations.

Abstract: A security system that discourages thievery of office and work machines and the like from support furniture too difficult to asport, and comprised of a fastener enclosure and key operated bolt combination which involves the reception of a lock barrel into a housing for the enclosure of a tie-down fastener and secured by a lock barrel which is made difficult for unauthorized opening.

Abstract: A portable marker line reeling apparatus includes a marking tape winding and unwinding reel composed of an elongated hollow sleeve for winding a band of marking tape thereabout and a pair of tape side guides connected to and spaced apart axially along the sleeve, an elongated shaft sized to slidably fit through the sleeve and rotatably mount the reel. A handle is connected to and extends from one end of the shaft. Also, a marking tape cleaning guide is mounted to the handle and defines an elongated slot disposed outwardly of the reel and extending from one side guide to the other side guide thereof in a position to receive the band of marking tape therethrough. Further, an elongated band of marking tape being of a non-adhesive, high visibility type and adapted when paid out to define a marker line is wound about the reel sleeve and extends through the cleaning guide slot.

Abstract: The wrist support glove includes a length of breathable, stretchable material attached to a rear edge of a glove, preferably at an angle from 60 to 80 degrees. The material is stretched and revolved around the wrist to form a support wrap. The outer surface of the wrap contains loops and the outer surface is provided with a patch of Velcro-type hook fastener which is engaged with the loops to form a variable positionable fastener.

Abstract: A plant pot hanger for releasably supporting a plant pot has rear, middle and front support members. The rear member has a bracing portion projecting outwardly to an outer end adapted to engage and laterally support a tapered body of the pot at a location spaced below a collar thereof. The middle member has a bracing part projecting outwardly to an outer end adapted to engage and laterally support the tapered body at a location spaced above the bracing portion of the rear member and at lower edge on the pot collar. The front member is adapted to engage an interior side of the pot collar and is attachable along with the middle and rear members to a vertical mounting surface. The outer end of the bracing portion of the rear member is disposed outwardly beyond the outer end of the bracing part of the middle member such that the respective outer ends together define a pitch line at a given angle relative to the vertical.

Abstract: The adhesion of fiber reinforcement such as high modulus graphite to a matrix resin such as polycarbonate is greatly enhanced by applying a very thin layer, suitably from 50 Angstroms to below 1000 Angstroms, to the surface of the fiber such as by immersing the fiber in a dilute solution of the matrix resin in a volatile solvent followed by draining to remove excess solution and air drying to remove the solvent. The thin layer wets the fiber surface. The very dilute solution of matrix resin is able to impregnate multifilament fibers and the solution evenly flows onto the surface of the fibers. A thin uniform layer is formed on the surface of the fiber after removal of the solvent. The matrix resin coated fiber is completely wetted by the matrix resin during formation of the composite. Increased adhesion of the resin to the fibers is observed at fracture.

Abstract: The tracking characteristics of a fishing fly are improved by a detachable, reversible foil having a rear socket which engages the eye of a fishing hook and a front, angled section which causes the fly to wiggle and to rise or fall depending whether the front section is pointing upwardly or downwardly. The rear lip of the fly contains a socket adapted to engage the eye of the hook and a set of channels extending from the front surface of the foil to the socket for receiving the leader thread. The foil can be readily slid on the thread onto the eye of the hook in either orientation.

Abstract: A straight-hanging tapered plant pot which includes a body composed of a side wall being tapered from a larger size at an upper end to a smaller size at a lower end and of a bottom wall connected to the side wall at the lower end thereof, has a hollow wedge-shaped projection integrally connected with, and bridging an interrupted section of, the pot side wall. The projection projects outwardly from the body side wall so as to adapt the projection to support the pot body in an upright, non-tilted fashion from a vertical surface and position the pot bottom wall in a generally horizontal plane. The hollow configuration of the projection and tapered configuration of the pot body allow a plurality of the pot bodies with projections thereon to be compactly stacked together in nested relationship.

Abstract: An electrode having higher power output is formed of a thin, porous film (less than 1 micrometer) applied to a beta-alumina solid electrolyte (BASE). The electrode includes an open grid, current collector such as a series of thin, parallel, grid lines applied to the thin film and a plurality of cross-members such as loop of metal wire surrounding the BASE tube. The loops are electrically connected by a bus wire. The overall impedance of the electrode considering both the contributions from the bulk BASE and the porous electrode BASE interface is low, about 0.5 OHM/cm.sup.2 and power densities of over 0.3 watt/cm.sup.2 for extended periods.

Abstract: A portable spring leveraged device adapted for attachment to the hips in a manner that allows a person engaged in so-called "stoop labor" to bend or flex at the hips with less physical exertion, and with less stress and strain on involved musculature and vertebral joints. The device consists of a U-shaped metal or plastic frame, hinged in each arm of the U and provided with spring resistance at each hinge point. The frame is belt-mounted at the wearer's waist with the hinge points adjacent the hips and with the bottom of the U and arms providing padded contact at the wearer's chest and thighs, respectively. The two arms provide for independent leg movement for walking while the chest contact resiliently supports a major portion of the wearer's upper torso weight during leaning and stooping, thus relieving the stresses and strains normally imparted to the back muscles, ligamentous and bony support, and especially the low back structure, during, for example, use of a short hoe and/or lifting produce boxes.

Abstract: An arm-mounted device for producing a puppet-on-the-arm illusion includes a fake at least partial forearm and hand member in the form of a glove having a hand portion and wrist and partial forearm portion extending therefrom, and a connector member operable for attaching the fake member directly to the forearm of a puppeteer next to the elbow thereof in a cantilevered fashion. Once the fake member is so attached to the puppeteer's forearm, the forearm is bent upward and a forearm-length puppet slipped over the hand and forearm of the puppeteer, the fake member will then define an extension from an upper portion of the puppeteer's arm so as to create the illusion of a glove-covered hand and forearm supporting the puppet on the puppeteer's forearm proximate the elbow thereof.

Abstract: A roller bottle for cell growth contains a wall formed of a plurality of corrugations, preferably symmetrical and perpendicular to the axis of the bottle, and at least one drain channel formed by at least one and preferably two opposed flat axial, uncorrugated panels provided along the outer edge of the corrugations. The corrugations are discontinuous along the inside surface of the panel to form a drainage channel. The surface area of the bottle is 110 to 500% larger than an uncorrugated bottle having the same exterior dimensions.

Abstract: The improved, heterogeneous catalysts are in the form of gas-impervious, hollow, thin-walled spheres (10) suitably formed of a shell (12) of metal such as aluminum having a cavity (14) containing a gas at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. The wall material may be, itself, catalytic or the catalyst can be coated onto the sphere as a layer (16), suitably platinum or iron, which may be further coated with a layer (18) of activator or promoter. The density of the spheres (30) can be uniformly controlled to a preselected value within .+-.10 percent of the density of the fluid reactant such that the spheres either remain suspended or slowly fall or rise through the liquid reactant.

Abstract: An electrode having increased output with slower degradation is formed of a film applied to a beta-alumina solid electrolyte (BASE). The film comprises a refractory first metal M.sup.1 such as a platinum group metal, suitably platinum or rhodium, capable of forming a liquid or a strong surface adsorption phase with sodium at the operating temperature of an alkali metal thermoelectric converter (AMTEC) and a second refractory metal insoluble in sodium or the NaM.sup.1 liquid phase such as a Group IVB, VB or VIB metal, suitably tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum or niobium. The liquid phase or surface film provides fast transport through the electrode while the insoluble refractory metal provides a structural matrix for the electrode during operation. A trilayer structure that is stable and not subject to deadhesion comprises a first, thin layer of tungsten, an intermediate co-deposited layer of tungsten-platinum and a thin surface layer of platinum.