Abstract: Disclosed in this specification is a gripping device for dental floss strands, for dental brace wearers. The device comprises a shaft with a bore, a stem that reciprocates in the bore, and optional gripping feature on a distal end of the shaft to facilitate user handling. The stem carries a head through which the dental floss can be inserted. The dental floss is captured between the shaft and the head, eliminating the need for users to hold onto the dental floss manually.

Abstract: Described in this specification is a shock tube initiator that is suitable for one, two, or more shock tubes. The initiator has a number of safety features to avoid inadvertent firing of the shocking primer. Features include a rotary safety and a firing plunger that selectively interfere with the firing pin. There may further be a safety pin for fixating the rotary safety onto the housing of the initiator, so users must deliberately remove the safety pin before the rotary safety can be disengaged.

Abstract: There is provided a toaster grill having a lower housing that supports a lower cooking surface and an upper housing that supports an upper cooking surface. The upper housing pivots with respect to a “U” shaped frame that is hinged with respect to the lower cooking surface. A locking hinge allows the pivoting motion of the frame to be automatically arrested in an intermediate orientation between the fully closed and fully open grill orientations. The locking hinge automatically resets when the upper housing is rotated from the fully open grill orientation to the fully closed orientation.

Abstract: An apparatus for collecting and transmitting a retail data comprising a barcode data of the products purchased over each transaction. The apparatus comprises a terminal device that has loaded onto it a retail information collection application that receives, stores, processes, and transmits the retail data. Financial data such as credit card numbers and personal identification numbers are removed from the retail data before it is encrypted and transmitted over a network to a retail database. Clients including but not limited to goods suppliers and goods manufacturers may view retail data, including sales history and sales performance, on one or more products.

Abstract: A side cutting tool has a sponge 1 inserted within a hand piece 2. The sponge 1 is fixed within the hand piece 2 by a pin 3 inserted through adjustment holes 4 in a handle 5. A suspended plate 8 is inserted adjacent to the curved face 9 of the hand piece 2. The suspended plate 8 is fixed within the hand piece 2 by a pin 10 inserted through holes 11 and 12 in the suspended plate 8 and holes 13 and 14 in the hand piece. An adjustment plate 15 is inserted between the suspended plate 8 and the curved face 9 of the hand piece 2.

Abstract: An applicator for dry particulate matter has an operating module body having a handle and trigger. The applicator lacks a back-pack and particulate matter is instead stored in a flexible tube. A flow path in the body is partially blocked and fully opened by a battery operated reciprocating gate valve that can be operated by the trigger on the body's handle. The tube is long enough to pass around a user's neck when the operating module is held by a hand of the user's extended arm, so that the free end can be manipulated by the user's other hand. A microprocessor in the body is adapted to regulate the operation of the gate valve to adjust the quantity of particulate matter dispensed according to user inputs.

Abstract: A power wire carrier wave automobile anti-collision radar, is composed of ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving sensors (2), a host machine (3) and a digital display (4), and is characterized in that the hose machine (3) is mounted inside the trunk of the automobile, and its power wire is connected to the reversing light wire at the rear of the automobile; the digital display (4) is laid on the instrument panel of the automobile, and its power wire is connected to the reversing gear light wire in the instrument panel of the automobile, wherein the electric wire connection is not needed between the host machine and the digital display, and the disassembling of the automobile body in large area and the wiring are not needed when mounting.

Abstract: A spherical enclosure for a camera, has in some examples, an optically transmitting wall, a highly-reflective external surface, a coated internal surface, a collapsible internal lining, and a support tube. The wall may have a region of varying wall thickness providing a lens. The collapsible internal liner is made of a material that obscures the camera's silhouette, and is inserted through an opening in the wall while folded, and then expands into position. The inner surface of the enclosure may be coated with a material that reduces internal reflections. The camera, when mounted in the enclosure has the optical center of the camera coincident with the geometric center of the spherical enclosure, so that distortion of the camera image is minimized.