Abstract: A traction-enhancing device for use with a drive wheel of an automotive vehicle comprises an annular disc mounted on the drive wheel axle inboard of the wheel for rotation therewith, at least one traction element rockably mounted on the inboard face of the disc and normally biased to a rest position, and an actuator mounted on the underside of the vehicle and remotely controlled from the vehicle instrument panel to enable an abutment member connected therewith to be selectively protracted into or retracted from the nadir of the path of revolving movement of a cam portion of the traction element with the disc. When the vehicle is trapped on a slippery surface, such as mud, snow or ice, and the drive wheels can only spin helplessly, the abutment member may be temporarily protracted toward the rotating annular disc, so that once during each full revolution of the wheel the cam portion of the traction element comes into engagement with and is drawn past the abutment member.

Abstract: A brass suitable for use as the material of such mechanical parts which are required to have good adhesion and wear resistant properties such as for gears of various machines, rolls and dies for use in pipe forming and deep drawing titanium plate material, and so forth. The brass consists essentially, each by weight of, 45% to 75% of copper, 2.0% to 7.0% of aluminum, 0.1% to 2.0% of iron, 1.0% to 5.0% of nickel, 0.5% to 2.0% of silicon, 0.1% to 2.0% of cobalt and the remainder being zinc and incidental impurities.

Abstract: Apparatus for positioning a partially shaped, uncured tire carcass and a tire curing bladder of a lower half-section of a vulcanization mold relative to one another, is disclosed. The apparatus includes the lower half-section of a vulcanization mold from which an inflatable, tire curing bladder extends axially upwardly, the bladder being axially and radially expansible and contractible. A bladder-controlling piston rod is associated with the lower half-section and is used to axially elongate the bladder and thereby radially contract the latter. A circumferentially expansible-contractible tire carcass transporter is associated with the lower half-section and is effective to position a generally toroidally shaped, uncured tire carcass concentrically around the bladder, with the lower bead of the tire in contact with the upper inner surface of the lower half-section. A downwardly projecting cylinder and piston rod assembly is carried concentrically in and by the tire carcass transporter.

Abstract: This invention discloses an extruder head having a cavity whose shape can be visualized with reference to a model. The model is a circular tube having a wall thickness which is constant at any given distance from one end. The tube is split longitudinally at or near one end and unfolded gradually into the form of a flat sheet at the other end. Extrudate which enters the cavity in a solid, circular cross-sectional configuration is shaped into the form of the unsplit portion of the model by a mandrel in an entrance zone. A divider splits the extrudate longitudinally. The cavity continues as a transition zone in which the split tube of extrudate is unfolded gradually to become a flat sheet in an exit zone. Variations in the shape of the cavity in the exit zone are presented in which the extrudate is formed into shapes more complex than the flat sheet.

Abstract: A multi-purpose pallet is provided with a base frame and a load frame spaced from the base frame by tubular spacers, side frames which can be inserted into the tubular spacers and a pair of rails which can engage the side frames and hold them in position so that the pallet may be used either as a flat pallet or a container. In another aspect the pallet is provided with two outriggers projecting from it, each outrigger having projecting beams which engage the load frame bearer and a bearer which engages the load frame.

Abstract: A foldable crutch having an upper portion and a lower portion of substantially equal lengths, connecting means adapted for pivotally connecting the adjacent ends of the upper and lower portions, and a locking mechanism adapted to hold the upper and lower portions in the linearly stretched state against the pivotal movement.

Abstract: A stapler including a staple magazine loaded with conventional staples and a tag magazine detachably connected to the bottom of the staple magazine and loaded with a stick of tags which are detachably connected to each other in a predetermined overlapping relationship in series. When a lever is depressed, a staple driver drives the foremost staple of the staple stick in the staple magazine into the foremost one of the stick of tags in the tag magazine, detaching it from the stick, and further into one or more works so as to attach the tag to the work or works. In addition, various tags adapted for use with the stapler are disclosed.

Abstract: A safety interface for connection between an anesthesia patient circuit and a disposal system, and a combined positive and negative pressure relief valve for the safety interface.The safety interface comprises a housing defining a passageway, means for connecting an upstream end of the passageway to the waste anesthetic gas outlet of an anesthesia patient circuit, means for connecting the downstream end of the passageway to a disposal system, a negative pressure relief valve and a positive pressure relief valve in communication with the passageway. The positive pressure release valve and negative pressure release valve are preferably provided in the form of a combined positive and negative pressure release valve, and a second negative pressure release valve is preferably also provided. Preferably, a restrictor partially obstructs the passageway at a point on its upstream to downstream extent, and the positive pressure relief valve communicates with the passageway at a point downstream of the restrictor.

Abstract: Disclosed is a bushing for spinning glass fibers having at its bottom an orifice plate provided with a great number of extremely densely disposed plain holes constituting orifices. In order to stiffen the orifice plate, beam members are provided in the bushing to extend substantially in parallel with and spaced from the orifice plate. Each beam member is fixed at its both ends to confronting walls of the bushing, and is connected to the orifice plate by means of rod members having a small diameter.

Abstract: A magazine for receiving a plurality of elongate, generally rod-shaped articles from a first or source location where such articles are arranged in parallel relation to one another and for transferring the articles in unscrambled parallel relation to a second or receiving location, is disclosed. The magazine comprises a partitioned housing defining a plurality of similar, open-bottomed chambers adjacent to, but isolated from, one another. Each of the chambers has a uniformly narrow dimension corresponding to the width of any of the aforementioned articles to provide loose lateral support for a selected number of the articles in a stacked array, with one such article upon the next. Each of the stacked arrays is releasably supported in its respective chamber by a respective elongate pin which can be laterally withdrawn from its corresponding chamber to allow the articles to fall as a batch and without losing their parallel disposition onto a receiving device, e.g., a hopper.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing chopped strands of glass filaments wherein a multiplicity of glass filaments are extruded through orifices in the bottom of at least two spinning furnaces and a sizing agent is applied and the filaments are collected to form at least two strands. The strands brought into contact with the circumferential surface of a feed roller through a predetermined angle so as to be drawn and attenuated by frictional force exerted by the circumferential surface of the feed roller while the strands are cut into chopped strands of a predetermined length with a cutter roller in contact with the feed roller. An auxiliary feed roller is disposed adjacent to one end portion of and in axial alignment with the main feed roller and is driven independently thereof. An auxiliary cutter roller is adapted to contact under pressure the circumferential surface of the auxiliary feed roller to rotate therewith.

Abstract: A plurality of measurement readout displays electrically insulated from one another are provided on a plate member, each of which displays is performed by making use of an excitable material which is capable of being visible only upon the application of a voltage thereto.

Abstract: A rod-type insulator is provided with the optimum withstand voltage characteristics under a contaminated condition by selecting the ratio of the leakage distance per shed to the shed pitch to be between 3.8 and 5.0 and also selecting 4.5.ltoreq.l/p.ltoreq.6.0, where p is the distance between the adjoining sheds, i.e., the distance between a given point on the lower surface of one shed and another given point on the upper surface of the other opposing shed, and l is the leakage distance between the two points.

Abstract: In a glass fiber forming apparatus comprising an orifice plate which has a large number of closely spaced orifices and has a flat undersurface and air is blown upwardly against said orifice plate during spinning operation, means is provided for mechanically separating into individual glass fibers a mass of molten glass adhering to the undersurface of the orifice plate in flooding condition before spinning is started or after all glass fibers are broken. The separating means is a clamping means so constructed and arranged as to clamp a mass of molten glass, means for moving said clamping means between a waiting position at which said clamping means will not interfere with the stream of filaments in the normal spinning operation and an operative position at which said clamping means can clamp a mass of molten glass, and means for causing said clamping means to open or close.

Abstract: A fixed volume discharge device adapted to be mounted to a container, and having a first chamber communicating with the interior of the container and a second chamber communicating with the atmosphere, the first chamber including a narrow opening through which a liquid or a powder stored in the container flows into the first chamber when the container is downwardly inclined, and the second chamber communicating with the first chamber through holes provided in a partition wall between the first and the second chambers below the narrow opening so that the liquid or the powder trapped within the first chamber flow into the second chamber through the holes when the container is returned in its normal attitude.

Abstract: A knife comprises a knife handle or grip having a channel for receiving slidably therein a blade holder having a blade secured thereto so that the blade is withdrawn outwardly as it wears out. A series of notches are formed in the knife grip, while a V-like leaf spring is mounted on the blade holder, whereby the blade holder and hence the blade are held securely at predetermined indexed positions relative to the knife grip through engagement between the V-like leaf spring and the selected notch. A locking structure releasably locks the V-like spring member so that the latter is prevented from being accidently disengaged from the notch.

Abstract: A light-weight resilient vehicle protection bumper assembly comprising resilient bumper bars clamped to a vehicle chassis which extend across the width of the vehicle at its front end (in some cases also at its rear end), the bumper bars being formed from transparent polycarbonate tubing, mounted in rubber.

Abstract: The invention relates to a self-propelled shark-proof cage which is provided with at least one access opening and a propeller mounting frame having pivot means coupling it to the cage so that the propeller mounting frame is pivotal about two axes at right angles to each other, and the propeller mounting frame carries on it an air motor and a propeller. The frame is provided with buoyancy means so that it can be made to be of approximately the same gravity as sea-water, and the air motor is driven by compressed air so that the cage can be propelled through the water, thereby enabling abalone divers to collect abalone without fear of predators and, beacause of less exertion, for longer periods of time.

Abstract: An auxiliary handle for long-handled implements such as shovels, rakes, mops, brooms, snow shovels, and the like and enabling the user to obtain extra leverage without excessively straining himself, is disclosed. The auxiliary handle includes a triangular frame having a pair of rods constituting the legs of the triangle and diverging from closely juxtaposed first ends to relatively widely spaced second ends, and a transverse member pivotally connected to the rods at their second ends to constitute the base of the triangle and having medial members for releasably clamping it to the main handle of such an implement. A hand grip is fixedly secured to the auxiliary handle rods at the apex of the triangular frame, and a rigid cross-brace bar, which may be medially foldable, is swivelly connected at one of its ends to the apex of the frame and is pivotally connected at its other end with members for releasably locking it to the main handle of the implement.

Abstract: A new deformable container is disclosed, suitable for use in packaging items of different dimensions. In use, portions of the container are deformed to provide abutments at the interior of the container for fixing therein the relative position of the items of different dimensions. The container is generally rectangular and is made of sheet material, for example, cardboard. In the preferred form, the container is used in conjunction with a detachable cover and with such cover forms a closed rectangular box. When the cover is detached from the container, two pairs of tabs are exposed. These pairs of tabs are located respectively at opposite longitudinal ends of the container. One tab in each pair is coplanar with and hingedly connected to the front wall of the container while the other tab of each pair is hingedly connected to and coplanar with the corresponding side wall of the container.