Abstract: A hypobarically-controlled artificial limb for amputees includes an outer socket, a flexible, compressible inner socket within the outer socket with a cavity for receiving the residual limb, a space between the inner socket and the outer socket, a vacuum source connected to the cavity, a positive pressure source connected to the space, a regulator for controlling the vacuum source and positive pressure source, and a seal for making an airtight seal between the residual limb and the socket. Another embodiment includes a semi-compressible molding material in the space to mold to the contours of the residual limb under the influence of vacuum and/or positive pressure.

Abstract: A binary digital image feature extracting process whereby a number of elementary portions of predetermined shape are defined in a binary digital matrix; in each elementary portion, a number of analysis directions are defined at a predetermined angle in relation to the edges of the elementary portion; a number of paths are defined, each formed by an orderly set of pixels arranged at least approximately parallel to a respective analysis direction; for each path, the pixels presenting a predetermined characteristic definable by one or more whole numbers are determined; the numbers are converted by a nonlinear function to calculate a number of partial scores which are then grouped to give an overall score for each path; and the overall scores of the various paths are grouped according to the analysis direction to calculate a directional feature for each analysis direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a paper coloring apparatus for especially water colors or water-based inks, wherein a driven running paper web is positioned around a turning roller constituting the counter-pressure roller for an inker and, together with the latter, are included in a roller train adapted to convey ink from a reservoir to the inker. The last roller in the roller train is at least partially immersed in the ink reservoir and is independently rotatable for conveying ink to the next adjacent roller in the roller train. According to the invention, the rest of the roller train is adapted to be driven by the running paper web.

Abstract: A portable concrete plant that can be transported on a single vehicle to a construction site consists of a transporting vehicle, a rotating drum for mixing the concrete, containers for sand and crushed rock, a scale for weighing a mixture of sand and crushed rock, a conveyor for conveying the mixture of sand and crushed rock to the rotating drum, a container for portland cement, a conveyor for conveying the portland cement to the rotating drum, a source of water, and a concrete pump for dispensing the concrete from the rotating drum. A fly ash container and a second scale for weighing fly ash may also be on the vehicle. The entire apparatus may be controlled by a computer which controls the various containers and scales so as to vary the proportions of sand, crushed rock, fly ash, portland cement, and water in the rotating drum to produce concrete of varying strength. The entire apparatus has dimensions which meet the length, width and height requirements for vehicles moving on the highways.

Abstract: The present invention is a golf accessory bag attached to a golf pull cart. The golf accessory bag is attached to a golf pull cart in a substantially triangular space located between the two wheels, the throat portion, and the golf bag platform. The golf accessory bag may comprise a shell having four corners and is formed of a triangular shaped bottom wall and three triangular shaped side walls. The golf accessory bag may have a plurality of chambers inside the shell and external pockets for transportation of personal golf items or accessories. During use, the golf accessory bag positions articles carried within the compartments rearward toward the golf bag platform to assist in the establishment of a center of gravity for the golf pull cart, having the golf accessory bag and golf club bag thereon, to a location the wheels to prevent the golf pull cart from tipping over onto the handle when released by a golfer.

Abstract: A static pour, gravity feed permanent mold machine for molding a casting from molten metal heated in a furnace, consisting of a chassis, a die holder adapted to receive a reusable die, a reusable open-face die for insertion in the die holder, a vertically-oriented die ejection system for ejecting the casting from the die, an ejector pin lubrication system, horizontal mobile gating blocks which together form a gating system when brought together over the die opening, a horizontally-mounted degater for severing the gating system from the casting while the gating system and casting are still hot, a mobile casting receiver for removing the casting from machine, and a mobile robot arm for dipping molten metal from the furnace and for returning the gating system to the furnace for remelting.

Abstract: A performance enhancing and force absorbing dental appliance for the mouth of an athlete is comprised of an occlusal posterior pad for each side of the posterior teeth engageable with the occlusal surfaces to space apart the teeth, to absorb shock and clenching stress. An arch is provided connecting the posterior pads together within the mouth and out of the way of the tongue to maintain the position of the occlusal posterior pads within the mouth during use and to prevent loss of the pads such as by swallowing.

Abstract: This invention relates to a stairway platform device which is used upon a stairway to provide a stable base to assist an individual in reaching the highest portions of a wall during painting and/or wallpapering activities. The stairway platform device generally includes a platform, a front support wall which may include a retractable tuck-under leg, a rear support wall which may include a handle and/or a storage compartment, and a pair of side support walls; each side support wall including a plurality of step engagement edges and riser engagement edges. The side support walls, front support wall, and rear support wall preferably depend and are flared outwardly from the platform. Each of the side support walls, front support wall, and rear support wall may additionally include flanges which may be utilized to assist in the stacking and storage of a plurality of stairway platform devices during periods of non-use.

Abstract: A hitchable and towable implement suitable for the attachment of various agricultural tooling and that is convertible between a laterally expanded use position and a laterally narrow transport position. The implement has a wheeled lower center section connectable to a towing tractor by an elongate tongue member. An upper center frame section rotates on the lower center section. Powered and hinged lift arms extend in opposite directions from the upper center section and attach to a pair of wing sections for raising and lowering the wing sections. The wing sections rotate with the lift arms and the upper center section about the lower center section. Rotation of the upper center section one quarter turn swings the wing sections between a lateral position with respect to the lower center frame section and the transport position in which the wing sections are fore and aft of the lower center section.

Abstract: A reusable single layer insulation jacket for splicing and termination of industrial tubing, fittings and valves carrying extreme hot and cold materials comprises a fiberglass mat. The mat is of a width as to completely wrap the tubing, fitting or valve and overlap itself whereat complementary releasable fastening means securely hold the mat in place to insulate the tubing, fitting or valve from fire and to prevent an individual from otherwise being burned from contacting the tubing, fitting or valve.

Abstract: The present invention is a vane adjustment machine for adjusting contoured vanes on a vane ring. The vane adjustment machine has a support structure with a bench top and a free-floating suspension. The bench top supporting a programmable rotary table which is electrically actuated to rotate a removably mounted vane assembly to bring each contoured vane into a position to be dimensionally measured, heated, and bent. The vane adjustment machine has a trace probe mounted adjacent to the rotary table for engaging each contoured vane and measuring its relative position radially and axially. A torch is mounted adjacent the rotary table to heat each contoured vane individually. A non-contact infrared sensor is on the bench top adjacent to the torch for measuring the temperature of a heated contoured vane. A bending head is suspended by the free-floating suspension over the vane ring to individually engage the trailing edge of each individual contoured vane and bend the-trailing edge to adjust the contoured vane.

Abstract: A boxing apparatus having a substantially horizontal conveyor feeds overlapping folded boxes into a upright gravity fed hopper with a bottom gate portion. The boxes are generally aligned axially in the hopper on the gate portion to be individually removed by a suction gripper positioned below the gate portion and which reciprocatingly moves up and down to grab and pull the bottommost folded box in the hopper through the gate portion. The box is opened and articles are fed into said box and said box is closed. The suction gripper having a reciprocating arm which reciprocates up and down to accomplish the reciprocating motion of the suction gripper. A tamper device comprised of a elongate member having a reciprocating stack tamper linked to the reciprocating arm and positioned such that the engagement portion of the tamper device follows the reciprocating motion of the reciprocating arm and translates said motion to the tamper for jogging the stack into alignment preventing hopper jams.

Abstract: A wafer container has an open front defined by a door frame and a door sized for the door frame. The door receiving frame has slots on opposite sides and the door utilizes latching portions that extend and retract from the edge portion of the door into and out of the slots for latching and unlatching the door on the door receiving frame. The door also has wafer engaging arms which extend inwardly toward the wafers to secure said wafers when the door is in place. The retractable latching portions and wafer retaining arms are linked to a rotatable cammed member in the interior of the door. The cammed member utilizes cammed surfaces configured to first latch the door and to then extend the wafer retaining arms.

Abstract: A curved machining jig for machining a curved workpiece having an arcuate shaped centerline, the curved machining jig comprising a table having a rotatably mounted column extending perpendicular from the table, the column rotating on a first axis perpendicular to the table, an arm attached to and extending from the column, a drive portion on the arm, a tool attachment and a workpiece attachment supported above the table, the curved workpiece removably retained by the workpiece attachment, a machining tool on the tool attachment, a means for moving the drive arm causing the arm to rotate about the column engaging the workpiece and the machining tool to perform a curved machining operation on the workpiece.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for optimizing the curing of concrete poured under hostile ambient temperature conditions. The apparatus includes a liquid reservoir and pumping system and a number of spaced-apart tube segments overlaid into the forms for receiving the concrete with respective ends of the tubes positioned outside the concrete forms. A liquid manifold is connected to one set of tube ends and a second liquid manifold is connected to the other set of tube ends. The temperature of the liquid in the reservoir is adjusted for optimum curing of concrete, and the liquid is pumped through the tubes after the concrete has been poured; when the concrete hardens the liquid is disconnected, and the tubes are disconnected from the manifolds without removing the tubes from the hardened concrete.

Abstract: The highlighting tape generally comprises a highlighting film and an adhesive. The highlighting film is a thin, pliable translucent film of a color that will make the underlying text stand out. The film is capable of being cut or torn. The adhesive is a non-permanent, translucent adhesive that is easily held in place when pressed to a surface. The highlighting tape may be dispensed from a tape dispenser that supports a tape roll configuration. The tape dispenser is trapezoidally shaped and designed to fit the average user's hand. The tape dispenser generally comprises a hollow casing. Hinged to the hollow casing is a tape roll holding mechanism which employs a spinning, toothed hub which easily holds in place a roll of highlighting tape wound about a toothed core. Also hinged to the hollow casing is a release latch which when open allows the tape holding mechanism to swing out and be reloaded with a new roll of highlighting tape.

Abstract: A temperature control and process for adjusting the temperature of a workstation and a work medium at a workstation to a predetermined temperature. The temperature control comprises a cooling vehicle such as a heat exchanger, a coolant temperature sensor and control, a source of fluid coolant such as a manifold, a recirculating pump, a flow line to circulate the coolant to the workstation with the flow line containing a flow regulator and a heater, a bypass valve for bypassing the flow regulator and heater, and a workstation temperature sensor and control. The workstation temperature control controls the operation of the heater and bypass valve so that the temperature of the coolant is below the desired temperature for the workstation, thus achieving a rapid transient response while avoiding overcooling. The coolant temperature control and workstation temperature control may be in a temperature control computer, thus providing a large number of different operating sequences.