Abstract: A tonneau cover apparatus for attaching a flexible cover about a cargo box of a vehicle, preferably a pickup truck. The apparatus preferably includes, a support frame removably attached about the perimeter of a cargo box of the vehicle, an elongated end plate attached to an end of the flexible cover, an end plate engagement member attached to the support frame, preferably one on each side of the support frame, and a locking member movably attached to the end plate. The end plate is preferably attached to an end of the flexible cover and is configured to cooperatively engage and pivot with respect to the end plate engagement member or members into and out of a fixed stretching position wherein the flexible cover can be correspondingly be tensed and relaxed. The end plate may be retained in the fixed stretching position by the locking member, in alternate embodiments, a plurality of locking members are provided, preferably locking members that slide within a channel in the end plate.

Abstract: A structure and arrangement for improving the accuracy and efficiency of an angular rate sensing gyroscope is herein disclosed. Voltage pick-off conductors are applied to an area of the surface of a resonating element of an angular rate sensing gyroscope that is subject to substantially zero stress when the gyroscope is rotationally stationary. Actuator conductors are similarly applied to a resonating element at a location bounded by areas of the resonating element subject to substantially uniform levels of stress when the gyroscope is rotationally stationary. A method for improving the voltage response of a piezoelectric resonating element is also disclosed.

Abstract: A high-power ion sputtering magnetron having a rotary cathode comprising a conducting member disposed within the rotary cathode being made of an electrically conductive material for conducting electrical current from the power supply to the rotary cathode. The ion sputtering magnetron also has an electromagnetic field shield disposed between the conducting member and the drive shaft portion. The field shield is made of an electromagnetic field-permeable material such as a ferrous material for reducing damage to parts adjacent to the conducting member that are susceptible to inductive magnetic heating.

Abstract: A block splitting tool having a splitting blade that is formed by edges of a plurality of smaller splitter segments. The splitter segments are arranged in a side-by-side relation such that the edges form a substantially continuous blade that is generally corrugated or jagged. The splitter segments may be operatively connected to a suitable support that, in turn, is attached to a block splitting machine. When the splitting blade of the tool engages and splits a block, the edges of the splitter segments form a plurality of fracture zones that are angled with respect to each other, which results in roughened facings on the newly cleaved smaller blocks. In a preferred embodiment, the splitter segments are removably attached to a support plate, so that they may be repositioned, replaced, and/or repaired.

Abstract: A self-adjusting snow plow for use with pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles is disclosed. The snow plow includes a mounting apparatus for attachment to a vehicle and a plow blade having first and second ends, a top, a bottom, a plurality of retention members and a rubber scraper. The mounting apparatus includes a pair of mounting uprights and a hitch tongue which is easily mounted in a hitch receiver which is secured to the front of a vehicle. The retention members are constructed and arranged to at least partially encircle and slidably engage one of the respective mounting uprights and the retention members allow the respective ends of the plow blade to slide upward relative to the mounting upright most proximate to that end of the plow while the other end of the plow remains generally in the same position relative to the mounting upright proximate that end of the plow blade.

Abstract: The present invention is a safety hook (12, 12′) having a wire spring latch (26, 26′). The wire spring latch (26, 26′) is a wire loop pawl. The safety hook (12, 12′) is made of a heavy gauge wire form material, which is preferably bent only to form first and second ends (14, 14′, 16, 16′), a chain link securing end (14, 14′) and a hook opening end (16, 16′), respectively. The wire loop pawl (26, 26′) is preferably a rod of elastically deformable material, bent to form an open loop (28, 28′) and bent-over ends (32, 32′, 34, 34′) about which the pawl (26, 26′) pivots with respect to the body (12, 12″) of the safety hook (10, 10′) when the latch (26, 26′) is deformed and forced away from a distal end (38, 38′) of the hook opening end (16, 16′) of the safety hook (10,10′). The bent over ends (32, 32′, 34, 34′) of the wire loop pawl (26, 26′) are not coaxial.

Abstract: A sealing gasket for sealing gaps adjacent to a pickup truck is provided. In alternate embodiments a combination pickup truck and sealing gasket is also provided. The sealing gasket of the present invention comprises an elongated member made of a deformable and a somewhat resilient polymeric material. The polymeric material is preferably a closed cell sponge material made of one of a number of polymeric materials which are the somewhat flexible, resilient, water resistant and the like. The cross-section of the elongated member, if divided into two parts, includes a generally triangular portion and a generally semi-circular portion which come together to form a teardrop-like shape. The elongated member preferably has a first lumen which is generally circular in shape when the sealing gasket is undeformed, and preferably a second lumen which has two converging tear surfaces which converge to join at one end and join to an arcuate inner surface at the other end.

Abstract: A protective holder for use with a paintbrush. The holder has a flexible sleeve that is configured to be snuggly positioned about a substantial portion of a paintbrush body. The sleeve has an aperture through which the handle of a brush may extend, and may also include absorbent material that captures liquid that dribbles down from the applicator portion of a paintbrush when the paintbrush is held vertically. The holder also has a protective, segmented skirt that is operatively connected to the sleeve and whose segments or panels may be selectively moved between a protective storage position where the skirt substantially encircles the applicator portion of a brush, and a protective use position where the skirt substantially encircles the handle of a brush. The holder also may have a fastener to maintain the skirt in either of its protective positions.

Abstract: A housing for protectively shielding control sensors detectors, or similar devices from harsh work environments. The housing comprises an enclosure having a sensing area transparent to electromagnetic waves. The sensing area is protected by a material that is arranged in an overlaying relation thereto, and which is of sufficient thickness to effectively protect the sensing area of the housing from harsh work environments while allowing the control sensor to operate therethrough in a normal fashion. The protective material may take the form of a laminate applied to a cap covering the sensing area, or the cap itself and/or housing may be made from the protective material. Preferably, the protective material includes material having a low coefficient of friction such as molybdenum disulfide, graphite, or polytetrafluoroethylene.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for maintaining policy compliance on a computer network is provided. The method provides the steps of electronically monitoring network user compliance with a network security policy stored in a database, electronically evaluating network security policy compliance based on network user compliance, and electronically undertaking a network policy compliance action in response to network security policy compliance.

Abstract: A container handling system includes a vehicle adapted to carry a container, the vehicle being equipped with a hoist for lifting containers, and, a trailer towable by the vehicle so as to provide tandem transport of containers. The trailer is adapted to receive a container from the vehicle via the vehicle hoist, and is further adapted to selectively hoist a received container in furtherance of unloading the received container, or dump contents therefrom.

Abstract: A lock assembly for attachment to an enclosure door. The enclosure door has a lock assembly receiving opening created to receive the lock assembly. The lock assembly includes a lock case assembly having a bolt that can be moved between at least two positions; a lock actuating assembly interconnected with the lock case assembly such that the lock actuating assembly can actuate a change in the position of the bolt from one position to another; and a mounting plate. The lock assembly is secured within the receiving opening of the enclosure door by an interior mounting plate securing bracket, preferably two such brackets, secured to the interior side of the mounting plate. A method of securing a lock assembly to an enclosure door is also disclosed.

Abstract: A pull-out load platform truck cargo beds. The load platform has a frame with a base, a plurality of outriggers that extend therefrom, and a pair of rails that are aligned with the base. The outriggers and the rails are adjustable and have ends that are configured and arranged to engage surfaces of a truck body in a non-invasive manner, so that when the load platform is installed in a cargo bed of a truck, the base is prevented from moving relative thereto. A deck, onto which cargo may be placed, is operatively connected to the frame and movable relative thereto, preferably in a constrained manner. When the deck is pulled out relative to the frame so that it extends partially beyond the end of the base in a cantilever fashion, the deck is prevented from tipping by the operative connection between the frame and the deck.

Abstract: A wall structure comprising a plurality of columns of preformed, lightweight, stacked blocks, with the columns of blocks connected to each other by a plurality of elongated, vertically oriented, support beams. Preferably, the wall structure is operatively connected to a structure by one or more brackets. Each bracket includes a wall engaging portion and a structure engaging portion, and is configured and arranged to allow constrained movement of the wall structure in a predetermined direction. Preferably, the bracket is positioned such that the wall engaging portion is collaterally aligned with the longitudinal axis of a support beam so that one surface of the wall engaging portion is in a confronting relation therewith and an opposing surface of the wall engaging portion is in a confronting relation with a block.

Abstract: A method of generating a compact representation of a digital image is described. A digital image is converted to a square bitmap and divided into a plurality of cells. Each cell is subdivided into a plurality of regions. A minimum intensity region and a maximum intensity region in each cell are identified in each set of the plurality of cells. Cell representation data is generated for each cell in each set of cells based on the positions of the minimum intensity region and the maximum intensity region in the cell. Combining all of the cell representation data in each set of cells for the image creates a compact representation of the original digital image. A method of comparing cell representation data is also described. Cell representation data for a collection of source images is organized into a database. A search of the database identifies candidate images that are at least minimally similar to a target image.

Abstract: Molding material consisting of resin coated reinforcing fibers in a molten mass of resin and fibers is prepared at a molding site for controlled supply to a molding machine. A conveying device, such as a pair of pinch rollers, serves to pull fibers from supply spools through guide orifices of a coating die having a chamber within which the fiber is coated with molten resin. Further impregnation of the fibers with resin takes place in the conveying device, which also develops pressure on its output side serving to push the mass of hot resin and fiber into a receiving device for movement to a molding machine. The receiving device may be the feed screw for an injection molding machine or simply a plate movable to and from a compression molding machine. The fibers may be cut into predetermined lengths by a cutting device positioned downstream of the aforesaid conveying device.

Abstract: A tonneau cover apparatus can attach a flexible cover about a cargo box of a vehicle, preferably a pickup truck. The apparatus preferably includes, a support frame removably attached about the perimeter of a cargo box of the vehicle, an elongated end plate attached to an end of the flexible cover, an end plate engagement member attached to the support frame, a latching member movably attached to the support frame, and a locking member movably attached to the end plate. The end plate and the end plate engagement member are preferably provided with complimentarily shaped surfaces which enable the end plate to engage with and swing around or pivot with respect to the support frame into and out of a fixed stretching position where the flexible cover may be alternatively tensed and relaxed. The end plate may be retained in the fixed stretching position by a latching member that operatively connects the end plate to the support frame or a locking member that operatively connects the support frame to the end plate.

Abstract: A rifle sling for transporting a rifle and steadying the rifle during firing is herein disclosed. The sling comprises a strap that is attached at one end near the muzzle of the rifle and at a second end near the butt of the rifle. An intermediate portion of the strap passes freely through a sling clip that is coupled to the truncal region of the bearer of the rifle. When the rifle is placed in its firing position, muzzle flip caused by recoil in the rifle will be resisted by the strap of the sling. The sling clip may clamp the strap of the sling to more securely couple the muzzle end of the rifle to the truncal region of the bearer. In addition, the sling is constructed and arranged to permit the movement of the rifle between its slung and firing positions without uncoupling the strap of the sling from the sling clip.

Abstract: A connector assembly suitable for use with armored cables. The connector assembly includes a sleeve that is received over and connected to an end of an armored cable. The conductors of the armored cable are connected to a contact holder that is received within the sleeve. A jacket is molded over the sleeve and a portion of the armored cable. A slip ring placed around the sleeve between the molded jacket and a flange of the sleeve secures a coupling nut thereover. The coupling nut secures mating portions of the connector assembly to one another so as to create a conductive pathway across the connector assembly.