Abstract: The disclosure of the invention pertains to a multipurpose ocean carrier into which a full cargo of barges or other vehicles can be loaded by first submerging the carrier to a point where the lower deck of the carrier is submerged deeply enough to allow barges to be floated through a lower opening in the hull through an elevator well onto the lower deck. When the lower deck is filled, the barges are floated onto an elevator platform and lifted thereby into alignment with the upper deck onto which the barges are towed by an overhead towing device. Rollers are provided on the elevator platform and the upper deck to facilitate the towing of the barges and the rollers are lowered below the surface of the platform and the upper deck after the carrier has been loaded.

Abstract: In a motor support having a slidable carriage on which a motor with a pulley, carrying a belt connected to a pulley on a piece of machinery, is mounted, springs engage the carriage to provide a spring loading for the carriage and a fluid pressure arrangement is provided for moving the carriage initially to tighten the belt and then to compress the springs to the point that the force exerted by the springs on the carriage will be in equilibrium with the tension in the belt between the pulleys with such state of equilibrium being maintained solely by further compression of the springs under belt induced movement of the carriage as the load on the machinery may be increased.

Abstract: A log supporting rack has a pair of structurally unconnected individual frames adapted to be arranged in selectively variable spaced apart side by side relation on the hearth of a fireplace. Each frame is formed from a one piece metal rod bent upon itself to provide a substantially Z-shaped base from the ends of which vertical sections upstand with one section being taller than the other. The vertical sections terminate in upwardly facing supporting cradles in which top rods seat with the end of each such rod at the higher vertical section being bent downwardly so as to locate the rods in inclined placement on the upper ends of the vertical sections whereby logs are positionable on the top rods so as to extend between the frames in a declined pattern over the fire from the front to the back of the hearth of a fireplace.

Abstract: A shelving for pallets in which the compartments defined by the frame are continuous in side by side relation and on top of one another and adapted to receive at least three pallets one behind the other on a support which is inclined toward a common loading and unloading side. Each compartment is provided with at least one pair of rails, which extend at an inclination toward the common loading and unloading side and accommodate two flat pallet carriages of different heights in rolling engagement, the lower of the carriages being adapted to roll completely under the higher carriage without any intervention. A further pair of rails may be disposed between the first pair of rails which receives a third very flat pallet carriage that fits completely under the lower pallet carriage. A first pallet is to be placed on the pair of rails while the second and third pallets are placed on the carriages.

Abstract: A hollow tubular handle is connected at one end to a pressurized water supply and carries a sprinkler head at its other end. A brush attached to the sprinkler head is formed with a hole through which water from sprinkler head passes without contact with the brush. A tubular member extends from the sprinkler head partially through the hole in the brush to prevent the bristles of the brush from being bent into the flow from the sprinkler head when the brush is pressed against a surface to be washed such as an automobile body.

Abstract: This invention relates to improvements in weldable strain gages of the type comprising a strain-sensing filament mechanically coupled to a strain-deformable housing. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the strain-sensing filament comprises a carbon strand.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device for opening frozen locks on a motor vehicle, padlock or any locking mechanism which is subject to the elements. The device according to the present invention includes a key mounted on the closure lid of a cigarette lighter. In the inoperative position, the key is disposed against the front surface of the cigarette lighter, thereby forming a compact unit. In the operative position, the key is disposed directly above the flame of the cigarette lighter so as to maximize the heat of the flame in warming the key. In this manner, the key attached to the cigarette lighter, according to the present invention, is heated to a substantial extent, thereby readily enabling a frozen lock to be opened.

Abstract: A marker for ground areas has a hollow cylindrical rigid body with an open end and a closed end, the open end constituting the bottom and the closed end constituting the top when the marker is embedded in the ground. Such rigid body is forced under pressure into the ground by pressing it into the ground until the top wall is substantially level with the ground surface. The top wall is treated to present a prominent indicating surface, and, in the instance of the marker being used for golf courses, the top wall is formed from a resilient, plastic or elastomeric material that would be comparable to the natural ground surface insofar as ball reaction thereto in striking the same is concerned.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for repairing holes in hollow walls such as wallboard or sheetrock or the like. The apparatus comprises an interior plate having a positioner guide thereon so that when the interior plate is inserted through the hole to be repaired the positioner guide may rest on one side of said hole as the interior plate abuts the interior surface of the wall and covers the hole. A surface plate is sized to fit securely and firmly into the hole and has retainer clips at each side thereof to retain and position the surface of the surface plate flush with the surface of the wall. A positioner wire extends through both the interior plate and the surface plate and allows the interior plate to be pushed through the wall opening and then to be pulled back into proper position relative to the surface plate. An attaching bolt is extended through the surface plate and engages a nut fixed to the interior plate to securely fasten the surface plate in the hole.

Abstract: An implement for cleaning leaves and other debris from overhead gutters or eaves of a building by a single operator with a to-and-fro motion while standing on the ground has a cleaning tool of one-piece construction and composed of a substantially U-shaped center section from the ends of the legs of which coplanar channel-like blades extend perpendicularly in opposite directions with the blades having outer open ends. A U-shaped supporting bracket has the outer end portions of its legs fixedly attached to the outside of the legs of the center section and the bracket extends upwardly and outwardly at approximately a 45.degree. angle so that when the tool is placed in the bottom of a gutter, the bracket extends upwardly and outwardly over and beyond the gutter with an elongated handle being attached to the bracket at its outer bight portion and depending vertically therefrom to be held by the operator for moving the tool in a back-and forth motion within a gutter.

Abstract: A sheet element, such as a banknote, having an authenticating device in the form of a strip extending across the sheet and having at least one edge provided with a non-rectilinear portion or portions providing difficulty in copying for the forger and preferably shaped to provide coded information relating to the sheet element. In the case of a banknote, one or both edges of the strip may have wavy-shaped portion or portions, of which characteristics such as amplitude and periodicity can be employed to encode such information as the issuing authority, currency, denomination and serial number. Other aspects of the invention concern a method of verification comprising providing a sheet element as above and sensing the non-rectilinear edge or edges to derive the coded information, and a method of slitting a sheet comprising operating a slitting assembly to slit the sheet along a number of slitting lines into a plurality of strips as aforesaid.

Abstract: This invention relates to strain measuring systems. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the system comprises four (4) strain responsive tubes arranged in bridge fashion and carrying a fluid stream under pressure. As strain deforms the tubes the fluid flow is changed proportionate to the strain.

Abstract: The invention consists of a process for the production of articles by powder metallurgy including the step of adding powdered mica to the metal powder before compacting and sintering. It also extends to a sintered metal product containing mica, in particular a valve seat insert and a shock absorber piston ring. The quantity of mica is preferably between 0.5% and 2% by weight of the metal.

Abstract: A sintered metal article such as a piston ring or a sealing ring (in particular those having a cross-section area not exceeding 20 mm.sup.2) having a density which is at least 88.5% of the theoretical density, having a fine machined surface finish, and having a nitrocarburized surface layer which is not found at a depth of more than about 250 microns from the surface.The invention also includes the process of manufacturing such an article.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for measuring compressive loads and more specifically for measuring the "diametral load to close", of a gapped piston ring or sealing ring. The ring is mounted in a vertical plane so that the diameter through its gap is substantially horizontal. At the opposite ends of the vertical diameter, the ring is supported by, and makes contact with, upper and lower slide members which are movable towards and away from each other in a vertical direction. The lower slide rests on a load cell. A compressive load may be applied to the piston ring through the upper slide so as to close the piston ring gap, and the compressive load is registered by the load cell.

Abstract: A device for indicating to a golfer the location of the cup in the green of a hole on a golf course is composed of a plate that is either itself bodily shaped and formed to correspond on a relative basis to the shape and size of the green or is of a substantially rectangular shape and has pictorially depicted or otherwise formed on a viewable surface a visual representation on a relative basis of the shape and size of the green. Either plate is provided with a device for mounting it vertically on the tee at ground level and at an inclined angle to the perpendicular so that a golfer can easily glance at it while he is in the teeing area. The plate is provided with a plurality of apertures that represent various potential placements of the cup in the green and an indicating member is disposed on the viewable surface of the plate and removably fastened in one of the apertures to indicate where the cup is on the green.

Abstract: An umbrella supporting device for detachably supporting an umbrella substantially in an upright position at the center of the handlebar of a bicycle. A supporting post is removably attached substantially in an upright position to the stem of the handlebar of the bicycle. The supporting post is divided into upper and lower post members, the former of which is telescopically received and locked in position in the latter. A clamping mechanism is attached to the upper end of the upper post member so as to detachably clamp the handle of the umbrella. The clamping mechanism has a pair of clamping members, the inner sides of which face each other so as to hold inbetween the umbrella handle. An operating lever or bar is used to bring, when manually operated, one of the clamping members toward the other for the clamping purpose.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a final drive unit for a motor vehicle in which a differential has a rotatable planet wheel carrier formed with hollow axial extensions on both sides thereof through which the output drives extend. One of the extensions is supported for rotation of the planet wheel carrier in a first bearing and an input ring gear is secured to the other extension. The input ring gear is supported directly on a bearing mounted on a carrier.

Abstract: A car light having a variety of practical applications, for example, as a map light with its detachable plug being retained and as an illuminating or warning light for use outside of a car with the plug being detached from the body of the car light. The plug is sized to plug in the cigarette lighter socket of the car and to be retained in its receptacle when a cord is rewound on a reel within a cord chamber between a reflecting mirror and an outer casing by turning either of the mirror of the casing relative to the other.

Abstract: A carbon-filament reinforced gear material of laminated structure has layers of carbon filaments. The gear material includes a plurality of circular fabrics each having warps and wefts composed of a plurality of carbon filaments. The circular fabrics are laminated one on another such that the carbon filaments of their warps and wefts are substantially equiangularly spaced from those of another fabric about a common axis. The fabrics thus laminated are bound into a unitary structure by means of a binding agent of a thermosetting resin. A method for preparing the carbon-filament reinforced gear material includes the step of loosening the woven fabrics, each of which has such warps and wefts as are composed of the carbon filaments bundled into strands by means of a binding agent, by brushing the plain weave fabrics while applying thereto a binding agent so that the filaments in each of the strands may be substantially equidistantly separated from one another to make thinner and finer fabrics.