Abstract: A system for liquid cleaning a plurality of dirty open-ended cylindrical internal combustion engine paper air filters by subjecting each filter to a cleaning cycle including successive first, intermediate and final cleaning steps. For each step liquid is pumped from a separate tank to spray heads for rinsing a filter at a cleaning station and effluent with entrained contaminants is collected for transfer away from the cleaning station. First step cleaning pumps an unclean liquid previously collected in a first tank as effluent from the intermediate step of a preceding filter cleaning cycle and first step effluent is disposed of away from the system. Intermediate step cleaning pumps a semi-clean liquid previously collected in a second tank as effluent from the final cleaning step of a preceding filter cleaning cycle and intermediate step effluent is collected and transferred as unclean liquid to the first tank for cleaning use during the first stage of the succeeding filter cleaning cycle.

Abstract: A kneeling pad assembly having an articulated supporting spine assembly with an upper spine member carrying a protected cushioned kneecup and a lower spine member carrying a shin engaging cushion. The pad assembly is supported on the leg of a user only by a pair of leg straps extending from the lower spine member behind the user's leg below the knee. The upper spine member is cantilevered above the lower spine and is constructed to be pivotally moveable with a snap action between two stable positions. The first stable position is with the upper spine collinear with the lower spine to hold the cushioned kneecup against the user's knee. The second stable position is with the upper spine member angled away from the user's leg at an acute angle to the lower spine member to hold the kneecap out of contact with the user's knee to avoid discomfort and displacement of the kneeling pad assembly during standing or walking.

Abstract: A pistol-grip kitchen spray device with elongated nozzle and handle portions. Using one hand, separate front upper and lower triggers actuate within the handle a rinse liquid valve and a soap pump to selectively dispense from the nozzle rinse liquid from a retractable hose and/or a soap liquid from a reservoir within the handle. A swivel connection is provided between the supply hose and the handle. A hose-retracting base with manual temperature control may supply rinse liquid at a selectable temperature solely to the hose of the spray device. The base includes a momentary valve with spigot for filling a drinking glass. The nozzle supports various non-rotatable latched scouring brush and abrasive accessories or a pet brush. One elongated brush on the elongated nozzle enables cleaning the entire length of a tall container. Alternative spray device mounting may be at bathroom shower head.

Abstract: An elongated lockable rainproof storage container for use transversely at the forward end of a bed of a pickup truck ahead of typical wheel wells to store and protect tools or other valuable personal items. The container has a horizontal bottom to rest on the bed floor, a first vertical rear wall and two vertical end walls fixed relative to the bottom, and a vertically extending fourth wall facing the pickup tailgate. These four walls are of equal height and support in sealed relationship a top rainproof container closure. An elongated rectangular swingable panel forming a large portion of the fourth wall is connected along its lower long edge to the container bottom by an elongated continuous flexible waterproof plastic hinge permitting the panel to swing about ninety degrees inwardly from a vertical wall position to a horizontal floor position lying atop the container bottom where it provides a load supporting upper surface parallel to the bed floor.

Abstract: A hand tool having at least one end configured with several circumferentially spaced resilient detent fingers defining the periphery of a cage for capturing and both transversely and longitudinally positively confining the annular periphery of a spring-retaining cup of a brake shoe assembly of a vehicular drum brake. A captured cup is pressed by the tool against the end of a brake shoe positioning coil spring and the cup is rotated one quarter turn to attach or detach the cup relative to the end of a retaining pin which passes through the center of the cup and secures the cup, coil spring and brake shoe to a brake shoe supporting plate on the drum brake shoe assembly. The cup is retained in the tool when separated from the brake shoe assembly. The tool may be configured with multiple cages, such as a double ended tool. It may also be in the form of a socket tool having only one cage.

Abstract: A portable tripod support beneath a portable notebook computer for a seated computer user. The support comprises a platform with spider-like foldable support arms having relatively folded parallel and unfolded flat coplanar positions. Fasteners on the ends of the unfolded arms are releasably secured to the computer near its corners. The platform is releasably connected to a head of an adjustable-height folding tripod with the platform plane tipped toward the user for optimum access to the computer's keyboard. One tripod leg is pointed toward the user to minimize interference between the tripod legs and the users feet when the support is positioned in front of a user seated as an aircraft passenger. Each tripod leg has an upper main leg member and at least another telescoping member for leg length adjustment.

Abstract: An adapter for converting a tag-along or standard trailer to a gooseneck trailer. The adapter has a main elevated horizontal frame with three principal structures depending therefrom comprising: (1) a forward gooseneck of adjustable vertical length for connection to a gooseneck towing point on a tow vehicle; (2) an intermediate vertical-tension-resisting rectangular frame carrying a hitch ball to be received in a ball-hitch coupler of the standard trailer, and small light-weight retractable or removable wheels with pneumatic tires providing manual mobility of the adapter by a single person, with its weight balanced over the wheels, between the standard trailer and a parked adapter position when the adapter is disconnected from the trailer; and (3) a rear vertical-compression-resisting rectangular frame having a vertically adjustable horizontal beam member which spans, rests atop, and is secured to, upper surfaces of trailer tongue members extending rearwardly divergently from the trailer ball-hitch coupler.

Abstract: A laminar flow liquid stream nozzle having capability of being mounted to project a stream in any direction including directly overhead and including a stream capturing device for making the stream seem to disappear when projected overhead. The nozzle is selectively capable of momentary stream bursts or timed periods of projection from short periods to continuous stream flow. A structure of multiple such nozzles is provided having at least two banks of oppositely located spaced receptacles with essentially linear laminar flow stream patterns each projected unidirectionally from a nozzle in one receptacle to a receiver in another receptacle. The structure may include vertical linear stream patterns. These patterns may include parallel laminar jet streams and some may be projected straight up. Turning a vertically directed stream "off" may be achieved by a splitting water spray which causes split stream portions to be intercepted by surfaces within the nozzle near the normal "on" laminar flow stream path.

Abstract: A multiple nozzle swivel assembly for mounting on a cable support stretched across the interior of a chamber to be scrubbed with high velocity jet streams or stretched along an array of objects to be cleaned as the swivel assembly traverses the cable from one end to the other. The cable passes through a coaxial bore in an elongated shaft carrying both a relatively stationary an input member for supply of high pressure liquid to the assembly and a rotatable output nozzle-carrying spray head member. The shaft is monolithic with multiple angularly spaced bores around the central bore and parallel thereto and sealed from the central bore carry high pressure liquid from the input member to the output spray head member with very low drag bearings and liquid seals being provided between relatively rotating liquid carrying components. The assembly includes multi-directioned nozzle elements on a rotatable spray head. Positive drive to rotate the spray head is achieved with a rotational speed controlling motor.

Abstract: A high pressure liquid sealing connection between two relatively rotatable liquid passage members of a rotary nozzle or a swivel. The connection is formed by two abutting relatively rotatable annular coaxial sealing members forming a high pressure liquid passage between the relatively rotatable members. Both sealing members are carried and kept coaxial by a seal holder carried by one of the relatively rotatable passage members. Both sealing members are forced axially relative to the seal holder by high pressure liquid flow at the sealing connection to maintain a dynamic sealing relationship between the sealing members and to force one of the sealing members into sealing contact with and rotation with the other of the relatively rotatable passage members. As the other sealing member substantially wears away by relative rotation of the sealing members it is forced axially relative to the seal holder and toward the one sealing member to maintain the sealing integrity of the sealing connection.

Abstract: A small diameter high pressure liquid spray nozzle assembly has a small diameter elongated cylindrical body with a tubular nozzle shaft rotatably supported within the body. A stack of several identical radial ball bearings within a sealed bearing chamber in the body rotatably supports the shaft. The ball bearings are immersed in said chamber in a viscous liquid to provide viscous damping to retard speed of rotation of the nozzle shaft. A rotary high pressure liquid sealing assembly within the body between a high pressure liquid inlet to the body and an inlet to the shaft confine the flow of high pressure liquid to a flow passage within the body isolated from the interior of the bearing chamber. The viscous damping retardation is independent of the direction of the rotary nozzle shaft.

Abstract: A rotatable high pressure tool for cleaning hollow objects by forcing a high pressure fluid such as water from nozzles to create cleaning jet streams and use jet reaction at the tool to continually change the direction of the jet nozzles about a longitudinal axis of the tool while the jets are carried by a cross body rotating about an axis essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Each of the nozzles provides the same amount of reaction torque to rotate the cross body about its axis. This torque is selectively adjustable at the tool before use by similarly releasing, changing and reclamping the orientation of all nozzles relative to the cross body and by changing the discharge diameters of uniformly sized nozzle tips. The adjustable nozzles are interconnected by gearing so that the changes in orientation of all nozzles during adjustment will be the same.

Abstract: A high pressure liquid nozzle housing encloses a self-rotating speed-controlled nozzle. A cylindrical sleeve in the housing forms an inwardly facing friction surface engageable by a nozzle-driven friction generating speed control mechanism to provide increasing retarding force on the nozzle as nozzle speed increases for controlling maximum nozzle rotational speed. The speed control mechanism includes a radially expandable helical coil spring rotatable with the nozzle with its windings at low nozzle speeds slightly spaced from the sleeve. An input end of the coil spring is driven by the nozzle structure in a direction tending to unwind the spring and increase its outer diameter in response to rotation of the nozzle. An output end of the coil spring rotatably drives a cluster of centrifugal weights which are spring biased away from the sleeve and which at low nozzle rotation speeds also remain spaced from the sleeve.

Abstract: A physically short broad-bandwidth multiband vertical antenna with 50 ohm input impedance and 25 foot square footprint for 160, 80, 40 and 17 meter radio bands. Low ohmic resistance due to the small physical size combined with system impedance transformation and capacitive input coupling provide radiation resistance corresponding to an efficiency of about 85 percent. The 2:1 SWR bandwidth is 50 kHz on 160 meters and 87 kHz on 80 meters. A 30 foot mast, top hat capacitive load, and a plurality of parallel vertical skirt wires depending from the top hat around the mast are electrically connected together at the top of the mast. An impedance transforming multi-tap coil is connected between mast and ground. Skirt wires are in two sets separately fed at their lower ends by separate coaxial cable coupling capacitors for operation on different bands. A 50 ohm feed line, skirt wires, coupling capacitors and impedance transforming coil all have terminal connections on a mast-base insulator.

Abstract: A drive train for a tandem bicycle, in which the riders are positioned one behind the other, comprising a transverse intermediate shaft mounted on the bottom tube of a tandem bicycle between the two standard bottom brackets for the respective riders. Chains driven by the respective riders drive separate sprockets, each having an independent free-wheel driving connections to the intermediate shaft and being smaller than the respective chainring which drives it. The intermediate shaft has one or more relatively small chain rings to drive the rear sprockets of the bicycle. The driven rings of the intermediate shaft are smaller than the respective crossover chainrings so that the intermediate shaft is driven at a higher speed than the respective pedal cadences. So that a given gear ratio variation between largest and smallest drive rings may be achieved with a smaller arithmetic gap between the number of teeth on the drive rings.

Abstract: A device for supplying fishing line to a fish reeling device from a spool of bulk fishing line and measuring the length of line pulled from the spool by the reeling device. The bulk spool is supported for rotation about a horizontal axis at one end of a T-shaped supporting structure. The other crossed end of the structure carries a flat thin and relatively large diameter circumferentially grooved pulley supported for rotation about a horizontal axis parallel to the spool's axis of rotation. The crossed end also carries a mounting bracket for securing the location of the measuring device along and just off the edge of a flat table, convenient relative to the reeling device. The pulley is manually accessible around its entire periphery and has a shallow groove of semicircular cross section and an inner circumference of predetermined length at the bottom of the groove.

Abstract: A small compact pocket-size flexible device for wiping eyewear lenses. The device includes a sheet-like layer of a soft non-abrasive lens-wiping flexible material which is folded within an outer flexible layer of protective material to completely enclose or envelop and protect the wiping layer against water, dirt or other environmental contaminants while being carried by a sportsperson. The folded wiping device is flat and flexible and easily and unobtrusively carried in a pocket of a sportswear garment. The device may be removably attached to the exterior of such garment by a strap extension which may be part of the device which keeps it in its folded configuration when not used for wiping. The soft lens-wiping sheet material may be treated with a cleaning or defogging composition.

Abstract: Apparatus for properly orienting a windshield crack repair resin injector over a crack and guiding the movable position of the injector along an elongated crooked path of the crack. The apparatus is secured to the windshield by several suction cups and includes a bridge structure for supporting the apparatus above and along the crack. The guiding apparatus enables the injector to move in any direction relative to the bridge structure and parallel to the windshield to follow a long crooked crack path by providing a guiding mechanism having a combination of close fitting pivoting and sliding interconnections of several connecting members between the bridge and the injector. A preferred embodiment has a single-track rail above and along the crack with a wheeled carriage movable on the rail and supporting an arm swingable parallel to the windshield and carrying an injector at its free end. A resin-dispensing end of the injector is spring biased into engagement with the windshield.

Abstract: Portable self-contained apparatus for repairing a glass windshield by filling a damaged area with a repair material. An injector nozzle having a reservoir for holding an uncured liquid repair material is sealed over the damaged area of the windshield by vacuum cups. The reservoir is automatically supplied with timed alternating vacuum and positive precision controlled pressures from a fluid pressure device controlled by preprogrammed computer circuitry which is responsive to conditions of timing controls and of sensor controls for measuring and regulating the amounts and durations of the vacuum and positive pressures applied to the reservoir.

Abstract: A flanged joint assembly for a lined pipeline having a plastic liner and in which the joint is sealed by compression of mating plastic flanges between mating steel flanges and in which plastic flange portions are differentially compressible. Each plastic flange is constructed with a flat sealing face and a thickened outer edge portion in the form of an annular disk. In the assembled joint, compression of the plastic flange is essentially restricted to this thickened flange portion by controlling the size of one of several recesses machined into the face of the steel flange face to accommodate portions of the plastic flanges. A thickened inner annular portion of the circular plastic flange is formed to create a concave frusto-conical surface having its larger circular cross section spaced axially away from the flat sealing face.