Abstract: A block sander provided, in opposite lateral sides, with ports that can be connected through internal passages in the sander to a tubular coupling for the hose of a vacuum cleaner. A flexible depending skirt is mounted over each lateral side of the sander. Each skirt is spaced laterally away from the ports in its adjacent lateral side of the sander, so that dust generated by the sander can be sucked upwardly between each skirt and its adjacent lateral side of the sander into the ports and internal passages of the sander and, from there, into the vacuum cleaner, to maintain a clean and healthy working environment that is substantially free of air-borne dust.

Abstract: A mobile blower or fan is used to cool and dry poultry houses. The fan includes a propeller which is driven by a gasoline/fuel engine and the engine is mounted on a wooden base and covered by an encompassing cage. By means of feet attached on the underside of the cage floor, it is possible to move the fan or blower around to places where it is needed.

Abstract: A central hub for a rotatable tool which can be easily (a) mounted on a polygonal seat at one end of a rotatable mandrel for rotation of the tool with the mandrel and (b) subsequently removed with the tool from the seat of the mandrel. A central opening extending through the hub has a complex shape which includes a plurality of corners and a plurality of concave arcuate lines connecting the corners. The hub can be formed from a ductile preform having a generally cylindrical central opening extending through it by forcing, through the cylindrical opening in the preform, a polygonal punch having, in cross-section, substantially the same shape as, and a slightly larger size than, the polygonal cross-section of the seat of the mandrel which is to be inserted in the central opening in the hub of the tool.

Abstract: A switching control circuit has first and second output terminals, the first output terminal being connected by way of a control resistor to one of a pair of input terminals which, in use of the circuit are connected to an electrical power source, the second output terminal being connected to the other input terminal.

Abstract: An apparatus which can be used for exposing a light-curable dental composition to a curing light to harden the composition while the composition is applied to teeth so that the exposure of dentists' or technicians' eyes to such light is minimized. The apparatus has an opaque cylindrical receptacle which is open at its top and bottom. The bottom opening allows the receptacle to pick up and discharge the dental composition. The working end of an elongated plunger, having a clear plastic core and an opaque surface coating, extends through the top opening of the receptacle, and the other end of the plunger is connected to a source of curing light. The working end of the plunger can irradiate the dental composition within the receptacle with the curing light and can also be moved within the receptacle to force the irradiated dental composition outward of the bottom opening in the receptacle onto a tooth.

Abstract: A remote sensing and control system wherein a plurality of remote sensing units are connected to a central control and monitoring console by only four interconnecting wires. A clock signal is converted to a plurality of parallel address signals at the local monitoring console and also at the remote sensing units located up the building. A sync signal is employed to synchronize all of the serial-to-parallel converters in the system, and each remote unit is provided with a specific code and is identified by selectively routing one or more signals through an inverter located at each unit so that the signals trigger a logic device in the particular time slot assigned to each remote unit. The input circuitry of each remote sensing unit compares two reference signals derived from the least significant bit of the address signals with the return signal from the sensing device to sense for opens, grounds, normal conditions, and alarms.

Abstract: A simple, compact counterweight mechanism for a lid for a sub-surface container. A straight rigid beam extends from front to rear within the container. Front portions of the beam are connected to the overlying lid, middle portions of the beam are pivotally connected to the container and rear portions of the beam are pivotally connected to a pair of rearwardly extending control arms, which are pivotally connected at their rear to a depending counterweight.

Abstract: A hand-powered toy vehicle with a pair of levers coupled to independent rear wheels. The levers can be operated together to accelerate forward movement of the vehicle, as well as to brake it. The levers also can be used to rotate one of rear wheels faster forwardly than the other in order to turn the vehicle. Each lever is connected to one of the wheels through disengagable drive and driven gears with a saw-tooth configuration which permits forward rotation of the drive gear to be transmitted to the driven gear and the wheel to accelerate forward rotation of the wheel. To brake forward rotation of the wheels, the levers can be used to rotate the drive gears rearwardly and force the drive and driven gears to mesh and lock.

Abstract: A central protection system suitable for the protection of a building from fire and other hazards includes a set of environmental sensors and circuitry for interrogating the sensors. The system also includes communication and control lines, as well as monitoring circuitry having individual channels coupled to respective ones of the communication and control lines. An inaudible pilot tone of subsonic frequency may be coupled to a communication line, and the corresponding channel of the monitoring circuit includes a detector of the pilot tone. A circuit for the generation of evacuation signals and fire brigade signals is composed of two sections coupled in tandem, and includes sequencing circuitry for the recycling of tones produced by the respective sections.

Abstract: A high beam power electron gun of the axial type, particularly useful in large-scale vacuum metallurgy plants for melting, vaporizing and heat treating. The electron gun is controllable over its entire power range, i.e., from 10% to 100% of its nominal power, while the focal length of its beam guidance lens is maintained unchanged. This lens is downstream of a cathode, a focusing electrode and a movable anode, and is provided on its upstream side with a pole shoe to which the anode is fastened and which, together with the anode, is movable as a single unit in the axial direction for controlling the power.

Abstract: Edge finished and edge binding for tarpaulins and the method and apparatus for finishing edges of tarpaulins in which the tarpaulin or separate edge binding material is made from a heavy duty fabric of the type woven of high density yarn and in which, at desired intervals along a center line, a series of holes is provided. The apparatus includes a rotating punch die and a slack bar for slackening the material to be punch/cut in advance of the punching/cutting operation. The mechanisms for advancing punch/cutting, slackening and taking up the processed material are timed.

Abstract: A multi speed transmission mechanism for use on a bicycle, for example, wherein pressure on the pedal by the operator decreases or increases the diameter of the driver sprocket wheel to alter the gear ratio correspondingly. The sprocket is provided with opposed segments which are linked to both the sprocket wheel and an inner control disc. The segments move radially outwardly or inwardly in unison responsive to limited rotation of the control disc independently of rotation of the sprocket. Such rotation is foot controlled by the operator. Pressure on the foot pedal by the operator increases or decreases the working length of the bicycle sprocket chain by making the effective diameter of the sprocket smaller or larger. This alters the gear ratio correspondingly. The gear ratio may be maintained without change by a locking device on the sprocket wheel in contact with the control disc.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for the disinfection of seeds, preferably those of grains, to prevent pathogenic organisms from being planted with the seeds, and to provide reliable disinfection without using toxic agents. The seed is irradiated by low-energy electrons with energy and dosage controlled so that the surface and regions close to the surface are exposed to the radiation with fungicidal effect. A beam of the low-energy electrons is provided by an electron gun aimed at a region within a seed-receiving chamber at which the seeds to be irradiated are caused to intercept the radiation repeatedly and on all sides. The chamber may be at atmospheric pressure or be evacuated, the latter condition requiring vacuum locks at seed inlet and outlet ports of the chamber.

Abstract: A method of improving egg production in poultry by irradiating poultry with energy levels, the first one of which is within a wavelength band of 600 to 670 nanometers and is delivered at a rate of at least 10.sup.13 quanta/second/cm.sup.2, and, in the case where this first radiation is less than 10.sup.13 quanta/second/cm.sup.2, at least 75% of the total delivered energy is within the first wavelength band. The second radiation energy level is within a wavelength band of 400 to 600 nanometers and is delivered at a rate of at least 10.sup.14 quanta/second/cm.sup.2, and, in the case where this second radiation is less than 10.sup.14 quanta/second/cm.sup.2, at least 80% of the total delivered energy is within the wavelength band of 400-600 nanometers. The invention also includes a control of the time during which the irradiation is delivered.

Abstract: A central hub for a rotatable tool which can be easily a) mounted on a polygonal seat at one end of a rotatable mandrel for rotation of the tool with the mandrel and b) subsequently removed with the tool from the seat of the mandrel. A central opening extending through the hub has a complex shape which includes a plurality of corners and a plurality of concave arcuate lines connecting the corners. The hub can be formed from a ductile preform having a generally cylindrical central opening extending through it by forcing, through the cylindrical opening in the preform, a polygonal punch having, in cross-section, substantially the same shape as, and a slightly larger size than, the polygonal cross-section of the seat of the mandrel which is to be inserted in the central opening in the hub of the tool.

Abstract: A vacuum shield for a rotary sander which can be easily attached to the sander and, in use, allows the surface being sanded to be easily viewed and also allows the sander to reach every part of the surface while the dust generated by the sander is continuously removed by vacuum hoses connected to the shield. The shieled includes a planar transparent top wall mounted on the sander and overlying the abrasive wheel of the sander. The top wall has: (1) a rear segment with a central hole, through which the abrasive wheel can be supported and driven by the sander motor, and a plurality of vacuum holes which are connected to the vacuum hoses; and (2) a front segment that can be pivoted upwardly about the front of the rear segment. The top wall also has a flexible skirt that depends from its peripheral edge and horizontally surrounds the abrasive wheel, even when the front segment is pivoted upwardly.

Abstract: A container in which artists' pastels can be safely stored and transported and discoloring pastel dust can be conveniently removed from the pastels. The container holds a stack of trays, each made from a frame that surrounds and supports an open mesh on which pastels can be placed. The trays are supported above a freely flowing granular abrasive in the bottom of the container which can scour the pastel dust from the surfaces of the pastels. The top tray is just beneath the top of the container so that, when the container is inverted, the trays are held in place by the stack and the pastels are protected against breakage by the abrasive, which surrounds and scours the pastels, and by the previously overlying top of the container or by the mesh of the previously overlying tray.

Abstract: An improved stepless power transmission apparatus of the type utilizing magnetic force for making an operative connection between a driving pulley and a driven pulley. The apparatus essentially comprises a primary shaft operatively connected for rotation to a prime mover and having a spirally extending groove formed thereon, a disc-shaped driving pulley displaceably fitted onto the primary shaft in operational engagement with the spirally extending groove, an expansive spring for causing the driving pulley to be normally urged in a direction away from the proper input end of the primary shaft, a truncated cone-shaped driven pulley whose outer conical surface is adapted to come in rolling contact with the peripheral surface of the driving pulley and a secondary shaft made integral with the driven pulley and operatively connected to a power consuming machine or apparatus via a universal joint.