Abstract: A rear vehicle seat assembly comprises a seat cushion member supported by a support sub-assembly having downwardly extending front and rear seat legs. Each front seat leg includes a forked leg member co-operable with an attachment rod on a vehicle floor. Each rear seat leg includes a forked leg portion co-operable with a attachment rod on the vehicle floor. A first moveable lock member mounted on each of the rear seat legs permits selective locking of the respective one of the rear seat legs on the corresponding attachment rod. A biasing spring urges each lock member to a locked position. A manually operable handle is mounted on each of said rear seat legs to provide for selective manipulation of each lock member into an unlocked position, in order to release the rear seat legs with respect to the corresponding attachment rod, thereby to allow the vehicle seat assembly to be pivotal about the attachment rods associated with the front seat legs, between a lowered position and an uptilted position.

Abstract: A backlash reduction mechanism for incorporation into a selectively latchable vehicle seat hinge assembly for reducing the backlash between a plurality of interconnecting movably operative latch members positioned seriatim with respect to one another in the vehicle seat hinge assembly and method for producing the mechanism are disclosed. The latch members are retained in interposed relation between first and second hinge plates. One of the latch members, a manually operable lever means, is rotatably mounted about a second pivot axis on an eccentrically operative rotatably adjustable backlash reduction means, which is in turn rotatably mounted on the first and second hinge plates about a first pivot axis.

Abstract: A protective glove is formed of the type having a back portion, a palmar portion and a plurality of digital sheaths distally projecting from between the back and palmar portions for use on the hand of a wearer. The human hand has a proximal transverse palmar crease, a distal transverse palmar crease and a longitudinal thenar crease all positioned on the palmar surface of said hand. The improvement disclosed comprises the provision of a plurality of flexible resilient pads for absorbing shock positioned on the palmer portion of the glove in spaced, non-overlapping relation to each other and in adjacent substantially non-overlapping relation to the proximal digital crease, the distal transverse palmar crease and the longitudinal thenar crease, such that the plurality of flexible resilient pads abut one-another in edge-contacting relation upon flexion of the hand to form a substantially continuous, non-creased shock absorbing layer covering the metacarpal region of the hand.

Abstract: An automatically releasable shut-off coupling, for use in high pressure fluid applications, has matable and separable stationary and break-away modules forming a housing having a substantially straight throughpassage. An intermediate carrier member is slidably retained within the stationary module for movement from a retracted position to an extended position, upon application of a threshold value force by the break-away module.

Abstract: An actuating device has an arm which controls the movement of a track locking mechanism for use in conjunction with a vehicle seat assembly adapted for installation in a vehicle. The seat assembly has a first track member, fixed to the vehicle, and a second track member, secured to the vehicle seat, which track members can be locked in position with respect to one another. A cable is attached to a vehicle seatback, and when the seatback is moved from an upright position to a forwardly folded position, the cable moves the arm of the actuating device from a rest position to a cocked position. When the vehicle seat is moved forward to allow access to the rear seat area of the vehicle, the arm of the actuating device correspondingly moves a cam follower from a raised position to a lowered position. The cam follower restrainingly engages the arm in the cocked position against the biasing of a spring member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a washer fluid heater for operative connection to a coolant line of the engine cooling system of a vehicle, having a housing formed of a material of low to medium thermal conductivity, which together with end walls positioned in sealing relation thereto, at longitudinally opposite ends thereof, form a washer fluid chamber. Each of the end walls has a central opening of circular cross section. A central heating conduit, formed from a material of high thermal conductivity passes through the washer fluid chamber and through each of the central openings and is adapted for connection into the coolant line of a water cooled automobile engine. A first and a second annular grommets, each formed from a resilient material, are in sealing contact with a respective one of the central openings of the respective end walls. Each grommet has an inner opening dimmensioned to sealingly receive the heating conduit in throughpassing relation.

Abstract: A lottery ticket is described having a front sheet which defines a plurality of windows and includes a plurality of bars separating said windows from one another and a plurality of closure panels closing the windows, a rear sheet and an intermediate layer for selectively bonding the front sheet and the rear sheet together. The side of the rear sheet which faces the front sheet bears a plurality of game symbols arranged in sets of symbols, with each set of symbols located within a respective window and including a set of winning symbols located in a winning window. The lottery ticket incorporates a first security indicia which comprises the occurrence in a set of winning symbols of all but one symbol of a uniform size and one symbol of a visibly larger or smaller size. This security indicia may be used alone or in combination with a second security indicia, for example, a printed word indicating that the ticket is a winning ticket.

Abstract: A latch mechanism is connected between the seatback member and the seat cushion member of a vehicle seat assembly to selectively control pivotal movement of the seatback member relative to the seat cushion member. A mounting mechanism is associated with each of the front and rear seat legs of the seat assembly and each such mounting mechanism is co-operable with a respective attachment member affixed to the vehicle floor to permit movement of the seat cushion member from a first in-use position within the vehicle to a second forwardly translated stowed position within the vehicle. The mounting member associated with at least one of the rear seat legs further comprises a lock mechanism that is selectively movable to restrainingly engage or disengage its respective attachment member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a female coupling member for use with a male coupling tenon having a free end, a narrow interconnecting shank and a root end all arranged in mutually axial relation with the shank interconnecting the free end and the root end. The female coupling member comprises two adjacent side walls having mutually opposed, convergent faces defining an opening therebetween, through which the shank of the male member extends with the free end positioned within the interior of the coupling member. Axial tensioning of the coupling urges the free end of the male member against the converging faces of the two side walls, in wedged interfering relation. Forces exerted on these faces by tensioning of the coupling are distributed from the female member into adjacent portions of the panel.

Abstract: An anti-fouling apparatus and method for retarding the formation of marine plants and animals on marine surfaces submerged in water is disclosed. Telescopically extendable support arm members in the form of pneumatic struts are pivotally mounted on a mounting bracket for selective movement between a first raised position, at which the distal end is raised out of the water, and a second lowered position, at which the distal end is submerged in the water. A selectively energizable water propulsion means, which includes an electrically powered motor and a propeller, is operatively mounted on the support arm member adjacent to the distal end so as to be submerged in the water when the support arm is in the second lowered position.

Abstract: A hood ornament for mounting on a vehicle that allows an ornament member to be replaceably removable from the vehicle, is disclosed. The hood ornament comprises a replaceably removable ornament member that has an emblem portion with a first stem portion extending therefrom, and a base member having a second stem portion, wherein the base member is adapted to fixedly mount to the vehicle. A pair of pins extend from the first stem portion and fit into a pair of sockets in the second stem portion so as to frictionally engage the second stem portion, such that the first and second stem portions are securely yet releasably connected one to the other by way of the pins, thereby to allow said hood ornament member to be replaceably removable from said vehicle.

Abstract: An acoustical barrier wall system for use as an external wall acoustical attenuator for sound sources, is disclosed. The wall system comprises a plurality of acoustical barrier panels adapted for vertically stacked co-operating engagement. There are first and second attachment members each having a first end anchored within the main body portion of the acoustical barrier panels and an opposite threaded second end extending outwardly beyond the main body portion. There are first and second upright bracing members, each having a corresponding plurality of attachment member receiving means spaced therealong, the attachment member receiving means being adapted to receive the respective first and second attachment members therein. Connecting means in the form of co-operating nuts adapted to connect the attachment members and the attachment member receiving means in secured relation to one another.

Abstract: A seatback latching mechanism for use in a vehicle seat assembly having a seatback member pivotally tiltable over a seat cushion member is disclosed. The latching mechanism is used to secure the seatback member against pivotal movement in a forward angular direction relative to the seat cushion member, when the seatback member in its relatively upright angular orientation, by latching first and second hinged members. There are first and second stop means securely affixed to the first hinged member, first and second abutment means securely affixed to the second hinged member, and a selectively positionable latch member rotatably mounted on the first hinged members for movement between a latching position and an unlatching position.

Abstract: A selectively latchable vehicle seat hinge assembly has a first hinge arm and a first hinge plate each pivotally mounted about a common pivot axis for relative pivotal movement with respect to each other in first and second angular directions. A stop mechanism is mounted on the first hinge plate in interfering relation with the first hinge arm so as to limit the relative pivotal movement of the first hinge arm and the first hinge plate in the first angular direction. A latch plate is mounted on the first hinge plate. A latch pawl is pivotally mounted on the first hinge arm by way of an eccentrically operative, rotatably adjustable, backlash reduction mechanism for pivotal movement about a separate pivot axis distinct from the common pivot axis and for selective latching contact with the latch plate, so as to limit the relative pivotal movement of the first hinge arm and the first hinge plate in the second angular direction.

Abstract: A latchable track assembly for use with a seat in a vehicle, is disclosed. The assembly comprises first and second generally U-shaped slidably engaged track members adapted for relative sliding movement with respect to each other along a first longitudinal axis. The first track member has a first row of consecutive teeth on the first track member with the first row in aligned, generally parallel relation to the first axis, the consecutive teeth defining interstices positioned one between each pair of the consecutive teeth. There is a locking member having a least one detent portion dimensioned to be positionable within at least one of the interstices in transverse intruding relation to the first row of consecutive teeth and a bracket member rigidly attached to the second track member and adapted to laterally support the locking member in juxtaposed pivotable relation to the first track member.

Abstract: A low cost, light-weight inertial latching mechanism for use in latching an automotive vehicle seatback member with respect to a cooperating seat member under collision or collision-like conditions wherein high acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle occurs, is disclosed. The latching mechanism has first and second hinged members pivotally mounted on the seat and seatback members about a common first pivot. The first hinged member has a gear rack adapted to engage a pawl means that is mounted on the second hinged member. The pawl means moves between a first latched position, a second transitional position, and a third unlatched position. A spring means is operationally interconnected between the second hinged member and the pawl means and is adapted to bias the pawl means toward said third unlatched position until forces of acceleration or deceleration above a design threshold value occur.

Abstract: A vehicle seat hinge assembly having first and second generally opposed and parallel hinge plates rigidly connected in spaced relation to one another, and a central third hinge plate partially sandwiched between the first and second hinge plates is disclosed, together with a process for assembling the hinge assembly. The third hinge plate is connected in hinged relation to the first and second hinge plates by a pivot pin, which pin has a longitudinal axis and first and second shoulder portions extending in opposite axial directions from a centrally disposed annular hub portion, which shoulder portions each contain an amount of plastically deformable shoulder material.