Abstract: A wallet style compact disc storage unit (10) includes an enclosing case (12) and an interior structure (14) adapted to releasably hold a plurality of compact discs (16). The enclosing case (12) includes a clamshell structure including a first shell member (22) and a second shell member (24), each having corresponding cushions (40,42), are connected by a living hinge (26) and releasably secured by a slide latch (28). The interior structure (14) includes an even plurality of disc receiving plates (56) formed in four plate modules (58) with each plate (56) being adapted to support one of the compact discs (16) in a releasable manner. Adjacent pairs of plates (56) are hingedly connected by alternating first hinges (104) and second hinges (106) to require accordion type folding of the respective plates (56).

Abstract: A centrifuge tube has elongated hollow vessel, and the vessel has a closed bottom end. A portion of the inner surface of the vessel is roughened near the closed bottom end, e.g., by micropitting the portion such that the solid pellet or precipitate that is separated from the supernatant of a specimen during centrifuging is retained on the roughened portion when the supernatant is drawn out of the tube subsequent to centrifuging. If desired, a sticky substance can be deposited on the roughened portion of the inner surface to further facilitate retention of the pellet on the roughened portion when the supernatant is drawn out of the tube subsequent to centrifuging.

Abstract: A method for inscribing data onto a magnetic medium (12) wherein portions of an oxide coating (16) of the medium are removed from the medium (12) to create voids (88) while the oxide coating (16) is left undisturbed on areas adjacent to the voids (88). The adjacent areas are then uniformly magnetized. When the medium is moved past a read head (78), changes in magnetic field present at transition points (82) and (84) between the voids (88) and the uniformly magnetized oxide coating (16) of adjacent areas cause a current to be induced in a coil (80) of the read (78) head which current is interpreted by conventional read circuitry as being a data bit. The data inscribed by this method is not erasable by conventional means. The inventive method may be practiced upon selected portions of a medium (12) such that non-erasable data areas and conventional magnetically erasable data areas can coexist on the same medium (12).

Abstract: A method of performing a nonsurgical blepheroplasty is provided which involves adhering opposing eyelid surfaces together to arrest ptosis or eyelid droop. Specific adhesive compositions are provided to permit oxygen permeability, long-lasting adherence and to be non-toxic with respect to the tissues involved. The adhesive is a mixture including an adhesive component, a thermoplastic elastomer component and a solvent component, with a midblock tackifier being an optional ingredient. The method and composition of the invention are primarily of utility to physicians and direct users seeking to bond human tissues together without the necessity of resorting to surgical techniques and is especially adapted to eyelid blepheroplasty procedures.

Abstract: An improved spin coating apparatus (10) having a spin tub (28) surrounding a chuck (14), the chuck (14) being adapted for hold a workpiece (16) for coating. The chuck (14) and the spin tub (28) are spun coaxially and independently such that the chuck (14) may be stopped while the spin tub (28) remains spinning. The spin tub (28) defines a frustum of a cone with a plurality of outlet slots (60) distributed at a large end (52) thereof such that centrifugal force will direct contaminants out of the spin tub (28) through the outlet slots (60). A plurality of fan vanes (62) create an air stream (88) through the spin tub (28) which pulls contaminants through the outlet slots (60) and into a plenum chamber (72) where they are expelled therefrom through a vent tube (64).

Abstract: A camera and photographic equipment transport system (10) is provided, having a camera bag assembly (12) and a removable belt assembly (14) for transporting the camera bag assembly (12) about a user's waist. The camera bag assembly (12) has a main enclosure (16) with a lid flap (42) which opens away from the user for providing unobstructed access to the main enclosure (16). An attachment strap (78) is threaded through a plurality of supporting loops (38, 76) for firmly attaching the camera bag assembly (12) to the belt assembly (14), and Velcro panels (40, 74) are provided for preventing shifting therebetween. A pair of attachment terminating straps (30) further attaches the camera bag assembly (12) to the belt assembly (14). The camera bag assembly (12) is prevented from sagging by a reinforcement plate (36) within a back wall (34) of the camera bag assembly (12). A plurality of dividers (120), (122) are optionally provided for compartmentalizing the main enclosure (14).

Abstract: A water conserving toilet tank adapter device (10) is provided for use in tank reservoirs (14) of conventional toilets (12). The adapter (10) is a retrofit device for insertion into the tank outlet (18) which effectively raises the level of the drain so as to reduce the amount of water utilized in each flushing cycle. The adapter (10) includes; an outlet tube portion (30) having an interior diameter which is less than that of the tank outlet (18); a swirl disk portion (32), having swirl grooves (46) formed on a construction slope (44) for imparting angular velocity to flush water flowing therethrough; an extension portion (34) for raising the effective drain height; and a flapper rod portion (36) for supporting a conventional ball flap valve (24). An adaptive ring (38) is provided to assure a watertight seal with angularly arrayed tank outlets (18).

Abstract: A braided inner cable (10) for a mechanical control cable assembly (36) having a construction which provides for the use of fibers (14), (22) and (24) which are arranged in a three layer construction in which an inner longitudinal fiber core (12) is bound within a second braided fiber layer (16). A final pressure extruded outer jacket layer (30) surrounds the braided fiber layer (16), and permeates any spaces therebetween. The resulting inner control cable (10) is of a size and shape to fit standard commercially available outer cable housings (34). The inventive inner control cable (10) is intended to be used in applications such as for clutch cables on motorcycles and control cables on bicycles. Standard prior art ferrules (40), are installed on the inventive cable (10) by means of an epoxy adhesive (41).

Abstract: What is disclosed is an improved high resolution laser interferometer (10) which gains an increase in available resolution by means of increasing the number of reflections of a measurement laser beam (16) from a plane mirror (20) and thus by increasing the number of Doppler shifts undergone by the measurement laser beam (16). The inventive arrangement of optics combines a polarizing cube (24), a cube corner retroreflector (28), a right angle reflector (30), and one or more quarter wave plates (32) and (34) to produce the desired result. In the practice of the present invention, the measurement laser beam (16) is directed from a laser head (12) such that it is affected four times by any movement of the objective plane mirror (20) in a measurement plane (22) before being compared to a reference laser beam (16) in a signal analysis unit (14). The reference laser beam (16) is routed in a conventional manner to the signal analysis unit (14).

Abstract: A termite protection system (10) for a wooden foundation structure (12) is disclosed having a plurality of perimeter pipe sections (34) which include integral nozzles orifices (66), and a plurality of interior pipes (38) with non-integral nozzles (44), for distributing a delivering termite control fluids. The pipes (34) and (38) each have a plurality of male ends (50) which can be permanently inserted into a female end (48) of another pipe (34) or (38) or accessory fittings such as "T" fittings (40) and elbow fittings (32). Longitudinal ridges (56) and (58) within each of the male ends (50) fit into receiver grooves (62) in each of the female ends (48) as an aid to orientation of the (34) and (38) and other components. The female ends (48) have interior locking teeth (64) for locking into ridge indentations (60) on the male sections (50) such that components snap together and cannot be easily disassembled.

Abstract: A self propelled golf bag cart assembly (10) is provided to allow a golfer to walk during a round of golf while having the golf cart (12) and the contents carried by the cart (10). The bag cart (10) includes a plurality of cooperative subassemblies for performing specific functions. The bag cart (10) includes a frame subassembly (16), a first drive wheel subassembly (18), a second drive wheel subassembly (20), a caster subassembly (28), a handle subassembly (30), and a hand grip subassembly (32). Each of the drive wheel subassemblies (18, 20) includes a shoulder (22), a motor (26), and a wheel (24) subassembly. Power and control is provided by directly driving a motor (118) associated with each wheel (24) through an electrical subassembly (38). The electrical subassembly includes a battery (48) and a variety of controlling components situated in a manual control box (34), a main power unit (54) the hand grip (32), and an optional remote control unit (36).

Abstract: A precision robot apparatus (10) is disclosed which has an arm supporting cylinder (16) capable of being moved vertically by means of a lead screw (24) which rotates within a lead screw nut (38) attached to the arm supporting cylinder (16). A linear guide rod (44) is positioned parallel to the arm supporting cylinder (16) with an anti-rotation plate (42) therebetween. An arm drive belt (74) transfers rotational power from the linear guide rod (44) to the arm supporting cylinder (16). Rotational motion of the arm supporting cylinder (16) relative to a fixed arm pulley (92) is employed to power an arm portion (14).

Abstract: A camera carrier (10) is provided, having a camera case assembly (14) with a belt assembly (18) attached thereto. The belt assembly (18) is adapted to be worn about either a photographer's chest or waist. A case lid (16) is removably attached to the camera case assembly (14). A pair of adjustment strap assemblies (42) can be adjusted by means of a pair of double "D" ring assemblies (52) to cause the camera case assembly (14) to closely support a great variety of sizes of cameras (12). A pair of recessed areas (66) in the case lid (16) permit a neck strap (68) to be worn on the camera (12) and to protrude from the camera case assembly (14) even when the case lid (16) is closed such that the neck strap (68) may be worn around the photographer's neck when the camera carrier (10) is worn about the photographer's chest. The camera carrier (10) may optionally be used as a divider within a larger conventional camera bag (84).

Abstract: The present invention is a novel and improved variable color/variable density optical system (10) adapted for use in a variety of lens and window applications. The preferred device embodying the invention is a novel optical sunlight protective device (12) incorporating a liquid crystal color lens, a photodetecting sensor component and circuit (18) and oscillating/driving electronic circuit (70), all of the present invention and incorporated in an appropriate frame (24). The lens element (b 14) includes plastic housing (40,42) of a curved shape complementary to any desired fashion design and, a liquid crystalline medium (58) of the novel phase change guest-host type. Combination of the lens construction, homeotropic surface alignment (48, 50) and aforementioned liquid crystal/dye complex brings about the clear, optical distortion-free variable color transmission with broad ranges of color density with incorporated protection against ultraviolet radiation.

Abstract: A self-propelled golf bag car assembly (10) is provided to allow a golfer to walk during a round of golf while having the golf cart (12) and the contents carried by the cart (10). The bag cart (10) includes a plurality of cooperative subassemblies for performing specific functions. The bag cart (10) includes a free subassembly (16), a first drive wheel subassembly (10), a second drive wheel subassembly (20), a caster subassembly (28), a handle subasembly (30), and a hand grip subassembly (32). Each of the drive wheel subassemblies (18, 20) includes a shoulder (22), a motor (26), and a wheel (24) subassembly. Power and control is provided by directly driving a motor (118) associated with each wheel (24) through an electrical subassembly (38). The electrical subassembly includes a battery (48) and a variety of controlling components situated in a manual control box (34), a main power unit (54) the hand grip (32), and an optional remote control unit (36).

Abstract: A self actuating sole wetting device (10) is provided for use in treating the soles of shoes, feet, paws and the like with a wetting solution (20) selected for a particular hygienic purpose. The device (10) includes a sole receiving subassembly (14) and a peripheral structure subassembly (16) forming a tray, and a reservoir subassembly (18) for delivering the solution to the tray. Absorbent pad members (58, 60) allow wetting uneven surfaces and prevent splashing. Flow control on the reservoir prevents excessive depth and splashing. The sole wetting device is particularly adapted for use with animals such as dogs or in canine environments, to prevent the spread of parvo and other diseases.

Abstract: A three phase DC motor (10) including a rotor portion (12) and a stator portion (16). The rotor portion (12) includes 6N.+-.2 permanent magnet poles (32), and the stator portion(16) includes 6N electromagnet poles where N in an integer. The motor (10) is characterized in that it has a high pole density, thus enabling improved efficiency, while retaining acceptable non constant torque characteristics. Since the inventive motor configuration provides for a symmetrical winding pattern, no assymetrical radial forces are produced. The inventive configuration further allows for small motor size in the height dimension. A first preferred embodiment of the motor (10) is adapted for three phase power to be connected to the motor windings (50), (56) and (58) in a "Y" fashion. An alternate preferred embodiment of the invention (610) has coil windings (650), (656) and (658) connected in delta configuration.

Abstract: A putting green practice implement (10) is provided for facilitating putting practice for golfers. The implement (10) is intended for use on a putting green (12) or similar surface and is especially intended for use in conjunction with an alignment aiding device such as a visual or electronic putter aligner. The implement (10) includes a moderately massive, flexible base member (20) for resting on the surface (12) and an extension member (22) for optionally depending into a putting cup (16) to secure the position of the implement (10). The preferred embodiment of the implement is characterized by a cup rim portion (32) approximating the regulation cup, a return slope (36) on the rear edge (34) for an alternate target, and an array including a pair of bar channels (64,66) and a receiving slot (40) for facilitating retraction of the extension member (22) such that the lower surface (24) of the implement will rest flat on surfaces when no putting cup (16) is utilized.

Abstract: A method for detecting aberrations in a digital data storage medium, such as a magnetic media disk. In a media certifier, a series of signal pulses is produced by reading data previously written to a medium is examined for differential variations between each signal pulse and at least one other of those signal pulses in the local area of the medium. A signal indicative of such differential variations is isolated by means of a CYCOMP circuit (54) and/or a band reject circuit (140). The CYCOMP circuit (54) works by delaying a previously produced signal for comparison to the cycle of the signal presently being produced and then producing a differential signal representing any instantaneous difference between the two signals. The band reject circuit (140) works by eliminating any frequency content that would be present in a series of normal signals and thus isolating any asynchronous signal that is indicative of an aberration.

Abstract: A switch mode power supply (10) including a switch control circuit (26), a switching device (28), and a plurality of transformers (38) and (40) is disclosed. Turns ratios of the transformers (38) and (40) are selected to produce desired output voltages within acceptable tolerances. A voltage from an output (46) is selected as a feedback voltage and is provided through an isolator (76) to the switch control circuit (26) for regulation thereof. The power supply (10) is characterized in that desired output voltages are produced without the use of supplementary voltage regulators. Output voltages from the transformers (38) are combined and rectified, as required, to produce needed derivative voltages.