Abstract: An energy absorber or bumper for positioning on one object to absorb the impact of the later with another object is formed of an arcuate strip of rigid resiliently deflectable material having a plurality of corrugations extending circumferentially coaxial with the radius of curvature. When positioned on an object, the center of the arcuate strip is bowed radially outwardly from the surface of the object. The strip of material has sufficient resiliency to allow deflection of the arcuate surface of the material inwardly relative to the radius of curvature upon impact to the bowed surface and thereafter returns to its original configuration. In an elongate configuration, the height of the ridges above the furrows allows independent deflection of the ridges relative to one another along the longitudinal axis of the strip upon impact to the ridges and thereafter return to their original configuration.

Abstract: A working chamber is placed in a lined pond containing a body of contaminated water and filled with clean water to safely isolate divers while they repair damaged areas of the liner. The chamber is an open ended housing having a side wall of water impervious material configured to surround the area of liner damage and a height greater than the depth of the body of water at the repair site. Buoyancy tanks float the housing in a stable upright position above the repair site and are filled with clean water to sink the housing to rest its bottom end on the liner at the bottom of the body of water. A deformable seal on the bottom end of the housing engages the liner surface surrounding the area of liner damage and is filled with water to forming a substantial water sealing relation therewith but with controlled leakage. Clean water is conducted into the chamber interior at a predetermined rate to displace contaminated water inside the chamber.

Abstract: An adjustable flow regulating valve has a flexible apertured diaphragm which coacts with a fixed conical needle to provide a gradually variable effective flow controlling orifice area to compensate for changes in a supply fluid pressure. As the supply fluid pressure changes, the aperture of the flexible diaphragm moves relative to the apex of the needle to reduce or increase the effective orifice area which determines the regulative flow rate. The position of the diaphragm aperture relative to the needle is manually adjustable by rotating an adjustment collar on the valve housing to vary the amount of movement of the diaphragm required to engage the aperture with the valve needle. The diaphragm may also be carried by a spring balanced inner sleeve which allows relative sliding movement between the flexible diaphragm and the needle. The amount of force required for engagement is determined by the strength of compression springs at each end of the sliding sleeve set by the adjustment collar.

Abstract: A robotic pipe crawling device comprises two three-wheel modules pivotally connected at their centers, each having one idler wheel and two driven wheels. Each module comprises an idler yoke and a driveline yoke chassis with parallel laterally spaced rectangular side plates, the idler side plates being pinned at one end to the chassis and the idler wheel mounted on the other end. The driveline side plates are pinned to the chassis and the drive wheels are rotatably mounted one at each end. A motor at each end of the chassis pivots the wheeled modules independently into and out of a wheel engaging position on the interior of the pipe and a drive motor carried by the driveline yoke drives the two drive wheels in opposite directions to propel the device. A motor mounted within each idler yoke allows them to pivot independently of the driveline yokes. A swivel joint in the chassis midsection allows each end to rotate relative to the other. The chassis may be extended with additional driveline yokes.

Abstract: A protective garment is shown for protecting the wear against noxious chemicals in liquid aerosol and vapor form. The protective garment is made up of two separate plies, the first ply comprising a fire retardant fabric having bonded to it a microporous material arranged such that the microporous material can allow passage of moisture vapor but prevent passage of droplets in liquid; and a second inner ply including a vapor absorbent material.

Abstract: Long utility holes, for gas lines, electrical conduit, communications conduit and the like, may be bored or pierced horizontally through the earth, particularly under obstacles, such as buildings, streets, highways, rivers, lakes, etc. Such holes may be bored by an underground drilling mole (underground percussion drill) supported on a hollow drill rod and supplied with compressed air through the rod to operate an air hammer which strikes an anvil having an external boring face, preferably constructed to apply an asymmetric boring force. The drill rod is operated by a drill rig on the surface or recessed in special pit for horizontal drilling and provides for additional sections of pipe or hollow rod as the boring progresses. The asymmetric boring force causes the boring path to curve and, when straight line drilling is needed, the drill rod is rotated to counteract the asymmetric boring force.

Abstract: An articulated game decoy activated by wind is formed of sheet material and has a main body member adapted to be mounted on trees or shrubs, a head and neck member pivotally connected to the main body, elastic members connected between the head and neck member and main body member, and ears attached transverse to the head portion of the head and neck member to catch the wind and oscillate the head and neck member relative to the main body when subjected to a breeze. The main body may have an integral tail portion, or have a separate tail member pivotally connected thereto with elastic members therebetween which will also oscillate when subjected to a breeze. The sheet material may have a weather resistive wax coating and the main body may be provided with a scent impregnated wax coating, or with a recess or aperture to receive a scented insert to attract wild game.

Abstract: A laser surgical instrument is disclosed comprising a laser element mounted in a first hollow tubular member with a tapered open tip for insertion into a surgical site and having an opening at one for connection by a hollow tubing to a source of a purge gas for keeping the laser focusing lens free from smoke. A second tubular member fits on the first tubular member and extends substantially to the first tubular element tapered end. The second tubular member has a side opening for connection to a source of vacuum. A sleeve is slidably mounted on the second tubular member and is movable between a retracted position exposing the tip of the first tubular member and an extended position extending into the surgical site to provide a hood for withdrawal of smoke. The movement of the sleeve between retracted and extended positions provides for selected application of vacuum to the surgical site.

Abstract: An attachment is provided for connection in fluorescent lamp circuits for reducing power consumption. The attachment is particularly designed for use with fluorescent lamp circuits having an encapsulated ballast including a transformer and capacitance. The attachment includes an isolation transformer with a capacitor and a resistor connected across the transformer, and an inductance connected in line with the primary of the ballast transformer with a resettable thermal switch connected to shut down the ballast transformer in response to high current overload conditions, and a surge voltage protection circuit connected through the thermal switch to shut down the ballast in response to a ballast power factor capacitor failure. The ballast and power reducer cooperate to produce a substantially square wave output resulting in increased system efficacy, reduced lamp lumen depreciation, and increased lamp life.

Abstract: An apparatus for heating a liquid by mixing combustion products therewith comprises a housing having a liquid reservoir compartment, a mixing chamber above the reservoir having a tortuous fluid flow path, a combustion chamber above the mixing chamber with a gas burner and apparatus for igniting and burning a mixture of air and fuel and an apertured water jacket at the upper end. A pump draws liquid from the reservoir and discharges it through the water jacket on the combustion chamber side wall to cool the burning mixture. The discharged liquid collects at the lower end of the combustion chamber and flows evenly throughout the tortuous fluid flow path (Raschig rings) in the mixing chamber to thoroughly mix hot combustion gases with the hot liquid mixture for maximum heat transfer. The mixture falls through an air space into the reservoir to separate the excess gases for venting to atmosphere. The heated liquid may be circulated through a hot water supply piping system for industrial usage.

Abstract: Insect larvae of a variety of types are raised successfully on a feed containing a variety of nutrient ingredients admixed with a small amount of soybean solids as a gelling agent and nutrient. The soybean solids are present in the amount of 5-20% by weight of the final gel composition. The nutrient composition may also be provided as a solid mixture which is formed into a gel on addition of water, the soybean solids being present in the desired proportion in the final gel composition.

Abstract: An earth boring apparatus has a pneumatically operated earth boring tool, a flexible conduit or drill pipe connected to the tool and to a source of pneumatic fluid. The tool has an earth boring member and a reciprocally movable hammer positioned in the tool to apply a percussive force. A valve assembly in the flexible conduit or drill pipe substantially adjacent to the tool between the tool and the source of pneumatic fluid controls the flow of pneumatic fluid to the tool. The valve assembly has a pneumatic pressure-operated valve which is operable in response to the pressure of pneumatic fluid in the flexible conduit or drill pipe to be opened to permit flow of pneumatic fluid to the tool at a predetermined operating pressure to transmit an initial pulse of pneumatic fluid to initiate operation of the hammer. The valve is kept open at a lower pressure than that required to open it.

Abstract: A portable, manned method and apparatus for cleaning cooling towers having a water collection basin at the base while permitting the tower to continue in operation comprises removing water and particulate contaminants from the bottom of the tower basin by venturi suction or aspiration through a tubular wand having an elongated wide opening to draw in water and particulate matter from a defined area of contact. The suction wand is moved around the bottom of the cooling tower basin to remove water and particulate matter therefrom. The removed water is filtered to separate coarse contaminant particles therefrom. The filtration is by a plurality of screens positioned one above another of successively finer mesh from top to bottom and having a motor for vibrating the screens to remove collected particulate matter therefrom. A collector is positioned adjacent to the ends of the screens to receive the particulate matter discharged by vibration of the screens by the motor.

Abstract: An electrified pet feeding dish for preventing crawling insects from gaining access to the pet's food or water comprises a dish formed of electrically insulated material which has at least one pair of parallel electrically conductive strips secured to the side wall of the dish to completely encircle the dish and which are connected to a low voltage DC battery also secured to the dish. The strips of electrical conductive material are spaced apart sufficient to normally prevent completion of a circuit across the strips and for completion of a circuit across said strips through an insect's body as the insect attempts to traverse the strips when crawling up the side wall. The current passing through the insects body is sufficient to produce a sensation which will discourage further travel up the side wall. A pet or human who may come into contact with the strips will usually not feel the current, and even if the pet or human is wet, the current will produce only a slight tingling sensation.

Abstract: A method of treatment is disclosed for herpes infections of external tissues and method of preventing the occurrence of blisters and ulcerations in herpes disease in humans. The method consists of directly injecting small treatment amounts of suitable antiviral agents, e.g., acyclovir, ribavirin, or vidarabine (ara-A), within the specific time period of first 36 hours after the appearance of detectable manifestations of external-tissue infection or any of the prodromal symptoms of burning pain, itching, tingling, swelling and erythema or combinations thereof. The treatment amounts of antiviral drugs per day used in this invention are very small compared to the dosage amounts used by prior art calculated based on kilograms of body weight per day. The antiviral drugs so injected will kill the virus quickly in the skin or mucus membrane, or inhibit its replication or otherwise render the virus inactive before the virus will have time to multiply and form the blisters and ulcerations.

Abstract: A deviated wellbore drilling system suitable for drilling curved wellbores which have a radius of curvature of approximately 200 to 1,000 feet relative to a vertical or near vertical wellbore comprises a drill string, a drill bit, and a fluid-operated drill motor having a curved or bent housing section for rotating the drill bit independently of the drill string. The drilling motor has an elongate tubular rotor/stator drive section containing a rubber stator and a steel rotor and the housing is bent or curved intermediate its ends. A straight or bent univeral section below the bent or curved rotor/stator section contains a universal joint for converting orbiting motion of the rotor to concentric rotary motion at the bit, and a bearing pack section below the universal section contains radial and thrust bearings to absorb the high loads applied to the bit.

Abstract: A wheeled trolley (11,12) supports a removable back-pack unit (35,36) containing a motor drive (37,39) and a fluid pump (38). The motor (37) drives the pump (38) to draw fluid from a canister (32) and supply the fluid via flexible hoses (62,63, 64, 65) to a rotary brush unit (57,58,59). The motor rotates the brush via a flexible drive line (61) running from an output (39) on the back-pack to an input (56) on the brush handle (57). The trolley body (11) and back-pack casing (35) co-operate to retain the back-pack on the trolley in a readily removable manner. The canister (32) is likewise readily removable. The fluid supply and the motor electrical supply both run independently of the trolley. The back-pack can therefore be used as such, at locations remote from the trolley, or can remain on the trolley to function as a power pack for the apparatus. The brush (59) may be a cylindrical brush and two different formats (66,83) are disclosed.