Abstract: A motionless mixer tube for mounting on the end of a discharge nozzle of a dispensing device for mixing and dispensing extremely small volumes of a pair of liquid materials, such as chemical reacting resins. The mixer tube has an elongated housing with a female luer lock at one end for mounting the tube on the dispensing device, and a male luer lock on the other end for easily mounting a dispensing needle on the outlet end of the housing. A helical motionless mixer element is mounted in a bore of the tube housing and extends from immediately adjacent the outlet end of an inlet socket of the female luer lock to immediately adjacent the outlet end of a discharge nozzle of the male luer lock. The dispensing needle is mounted immediately adjacent the outlet end of the discharge nozzle and mixer element. This arrangement avoids dead spaces within the mixer tube to prevent the formation of disruptive air bubbles therein and enables secure and rapid attachments at both ends of the tube.

Abstract: A recording medium security container and associated release key which disengages a lock mechanism of the security container enabling the security container to be moved to an open position for removing the contents thereof. The security container has a base, a lid pivotally mounted on the base, and a lock mechanism for securing the lid in a locked position on the base. The key has a grasp base and a plurality of tabs extending outwardly from the base for disengaging the lock mechanism of the security container. Also provided on the key is a pivotally mounted lever which has a pair of tangs which releasably engage and grip the base of the security container so that the key may be grasped to pull the base away from the lid to an open position, while the tabs extending from the key disengage the lock mechanism of the security container.

Abstract: A coupling member for detachably connecting together two sections of air brake hose between railroad cars. Each coupling member has a hollow tubular body with one end attached to a section of hose and with an opposite end having an arcuate body portion extending circumferentially about and outwardly of the tubular body, and has an arcuate locking lug extending generally axially from the body concentric with the arcuate body portion. An L-shaped arcuate flange projects outwardly and forwardly from a rear portion of the tubular body and is provided with a lip which engages a similar lip formed on the arcuate locking lug of the other of two coupling members to secure the members in coupled position. An elastomeric gasket is mounted within the bore of the tubular body and forms an airtight seal with a similar gasket mounted on the other coupling member. A finger is pivotally mounted within a radially extending slot formed in an arcuate end body portion of the tubular body.

Abstract: An apron adapted to be fitted to an existing sanitary facility for animals having a pan containing litter and a cover. The apron includes a shallow tray which is divided into first and second compartments wherein the first compartment has a top wall formed with an opening for receivably mounting the pan therein. A plurality of serrations are formed in the top wall to provide a number of breakaway portions to form various size pan receiving openings. The second compartment extends in front of an access opening formed in the pan cover and a screen is mounted over an open top of the compartment. As the animal exits the pan through the cover opening it passes over the screen, whereby debris trapped in the animals paws will be dislodged and will and pass through the screen and into the second compartment. A vanity panel extends in front of the access opening, on the opposite side of the screen from the cover opening to prevent the animal from jumping over the screen without first walking over the screen.

Abstract: A handheld, portable device (10) for processing point of sale transactions includes a housing (20), a magnetic card reader (40) for reading credit card information, the reader (40) carried within the housing (20) substantially adjacent to the first end (23) of the housing (20), a numeric keyboard (50) and an alphabetic keyboard (60) for entering customer information, and a barcode scanner (70) for scanning product identification information, the barcode scanner (70) carried within the housing (20) substantially adjacent to a second end (24) of the housing (20). Also included is a display (80) for displaying selected information, a printer (90) for printing a customer receipt, a communications assembly (110) for furnishing the information needed to obtain transaction approval, and a processor (130) for receiving the information, and controlling the display (80), the printer (90) and the communications assembly (110).

Abstract: A container for storing a tape cassette of the type having a pair of spaced tape reel hubs. Each hub has a cylindrical sidewall which defines a recess in the hub. The storage container includes enclosure means for receiving and enclosing a cassette in the container. Diametrically opposed pairs of fingers are molded integrally with a bottom wall of the container and project into the hub recess through an aligned access opening formed in a bottom wall of the tape cassette upon placing the cassette into the container. The fingers are formed with a convex outer camming surface and are connected to the container by a straight leg portion. The convex outer edges of the fingers are engaged by the hub sidewalls and flex inwardly upon initial placement of the cassette into the storage container. A rigid stop member is mounted adjacent to and inwardly of each of the flexible fingers to limit the inward movement of the fingers toward the flexed position to control the flex thereof and to prevent breakage of the fingers.

Abstract: A portable privacy closet which may be selectively moved from a raised to a lowered position such that when the closet is in the raised position it provides a private area for use as a changing room or for housing a toilet facility, and when in the lowered position, the closet provides a weathertight storage area. The portable privacy closet includes a base having a pair of parallel spaced apart sidewalls, a rear wall, a bottom wall and a front wall which includes a door which seals to the front wall when in the closed position. A top portion telescopically engages the base and includes a pair of parallel spaced apart sidewalls, a rear wall and a front wall formed with an access opening, selectively closed by either a curtain or a door.

Abstract: A machine vise for securing a workpiece adjacent a cutting tool has a body with a variety of clamping recesses milled therein. The body of said vise has an aperture therethrough for slidably accepting a jaw bar. The jaw bar includes a moveable jaw and a guide channel which is slidably mounted within the aperture for positioning the movable jaw adjacent a stationary jaw for gripping a workpiece therebetween. A movable stop block sets the height of the workpiece and includes ratchet teeth for engaging a rack milled into the body. A fastener tightens the stop block in a selected position on the rack. Bolts having oppositely extended sections adjacent the moveable jaw with respect to the stationary jaw. The height of the workpiece is accurately set by the stop block.

Abstract: A security container for storing various articles is formed with a groove along one edge of a cover which extends parallel with a similar groove formed on a base of the container, when the cover is in a closed position on the base. A generally U-shaped slide latch is slidably removably mounted in the spaced grooves for movement therealong between locked and unlocked positions. A plurality of projections on the slide latch engage flexible tabs on the base to secure the slide latch in locked position upon an open end of the slide latch reaching a stop formed on an end of the base. A manually operated key has tangs which are inserted through openings formed in the slide latch to disengage the flexible tabs from the projections, permitting the slide latch to be slidably removed from the container grooves enabling the cover to be opened from the base.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for accurately positioning a plurality of slotted boxes which are in a flat collapsed state, in a magazine of a box erector. The box erector handles and sets up the boxes into a position having an open top for subsequently receiving items therein while moving bottom closure flaps into a generally closed position. A laser unit is mounted adjacent a box supply loading magazine of the box erector and projects a beam of light against a box placed in the magazine. The magazine then is adjusted until the fixed light beam strikes a predetermined location on the box, preferably the end of a slot formed between adjacent major and minor flaps of the box. This light beam strike location correlates with a location at an unfold station of the erector which receives a bottom corner of the box.

Abstract: A portable device (10) for data collection by an operator (11) includes a data entry unit (12) for entry of data other than by scanning and a module (14) having a display (50) for display of information and a scanner (51) or other auto-identification device for data collection. Data entry unit (12) operates both when carried by hand and while carried on operator (11) other than by hand. Module (14) is detachably carried by data entry unit (12) and operates both while module (14) is carried by data entry unit (12) and while detached therefrom. Data entry unit (12) includes a module carrier (70) for adjustably, detachably carrying display/scanner module (14). Because module (14) includes both a display and scanner, both are always within the line of sight of operator (11), greatly facilitating use of device (10). Because data entry unit (12) includes the remaining components, module (14) is lightweight and may be used for long periods without fatigue.

Abstract: A portable hand held diagnostic tool which non-invasively detects an electric field when placed adjacent a component of a spark plug firing portion of an ignition system and provides a positive indication of the detected electric field. A printed circuit board containing a control circuit, a replaceable battery supply, an ON/OFF switch, an indicator such as an LED, and a pickup antenna, is slidably mounted within the hollow interior of a dielectric tubular case. The antenna is located adjacent a pickup end of the case and detects the electric field generated by an ignition system during firing of a spark plug which actuates the LED in response to the detected firing. The dielectric case is free of external metal parts adjacent the pickup end to help minimize arcing. A battery test circuit may be incorporated into the control circuitry to ensure an adequate power supply for operation of the control circuitry. A fixed or variable resistor enables the sensitivity of the firing pickup to be selected.

Abstract: An adhesive bandage dispensing system includes an elongated strand of individually sterile-wrapped adhesive bandages and a reusable dispenser for storing and dispensing the bandages. Each bandage is contained in a separate sterile compartment of an otherwise continuous wrapping material. Perforations formed in the wrapping material around each compartment allow the compartments to be individually opened. The strand is loaded into the dispenser, which is secured to a stable surface, so that the leading edge of the strand is frictionally held in biased guide flanges and protrudes from a dispensing opening defined by the flanges. The leading edge of the strand is pulled from the dispensing opening until an entire bandage is exposed, then the strand is pulled sharply to completely break the perforation, and the bandage can then be removed from the excess wrapping and prepared to be applied to a wound using both hands, if necessary.