Abstract: An adapter for disposition in a breathing system circuit between a source of breathable gas and a patient airway circuit, the adapter having: a tube with a side wall defining a breathing passage between a tube inlet and a tube outlet; an injector conduit extending laterally through the tube side wall having: a bore; a nozzle communicating between the bore and the passage; and an external port, where the port includes: syringe connector means for releasably sealing between the bore of the injector conduit and a syringe; and multiple dose inhaler connector means for releasably connecting the bore of the injector conduit and a multiple dose inhaler.

Abstract: A buoyant boom having: an elongate band extending across a water surface; floats rotatably mounted to the band with rotary bearings between each float and the band; and anchors securing the band at its ends or middle portion to a support, such as a river bed or a river bank structure for example.

Abstract: A remote cluster system for providing a number of passenger seats with passenger services within an aircraft passenger cabin. The cluster includes a motherboard, having a power input connection in communication with an aircraft electrical power source; a signal input connection in communication with an aircraft passenger seat services unit; a number of circuit board slots in communication with the power input connection and signal input connection; and a number of passenger seat output connectors, each output connector communicating with at least one of the circuit board slots. A number of circuit boards are each removably engaged in an associated circuit board slot of the motherboard and passenger seat service cables communicate between the passenger seats and each passenger seat output connector.

Abstract: A vertical axis wind turbine with a turbine rotor with rotor blades disposed for rotation about a substantially vertical axis. The turbine includes multiple vertically extending stator vanes circumferentially spaced apart about the rotor in an annular array. Each vane has a radially inward facing surface, a radially outward facing surface and a flange on an outer edge of each vane. The flange serves to create a turbulent swirling boundary layer on the vane surfaces that rotates in a direction that draws and redirects air flow into the air flow channels defined by the stator vanes that is then compressed by the narrowing of the channels and directed to the rotor blades to drive the turbine.

Abstract: A resilient bumper assembly for a vehicle having an elongate horizontal beam mounted transversely to an end of the vehicle. Exterior flexible sheet cladding mounted on the beam defines an elongate internal chamber between its inner surface and the outer surface of the beam. An elongate resilient impact absorber is mounted to the beam and housed within the internal chamber, with top, bottom, inner and outer surfaces. Vertically extending cavities within the impact absorber, each opening to at least one of the top and bottom surfaces of the impact absorber provide resilient collapsing and rebound of the impact absorber on impact. The absorber may include variations in the size and shape of cavities, thickness of walls between cavities, and variations in the characteristics of material of which it is molded in order to modify the resilient characteristics of the absorber to suit different design needs.

Abstract: A method of robotic assembly, for manufacturing plastic components from parts mounted upon a plastic shell, using an integrated system of material handling and robots following a programmed series of operations. The robot cells carry out the following steps: (a) scanning the pallet and identifying that the pallet is locked in the docked position of the cell; (b) scanning an assembly area of the shell and communicating location and planarity data to the robot of the cell; (c) selecting a plastic part from a part supply device with the robot; (d) welding the part to the assembly surface of the plastic shell using the robot to perform a spin or fusion welding process. (e) determining the performance status of the foregoing cell steps and identifying the status as: good; scrap or rework. Good status results in conveyance of the loaded pallet for processing at any succeeding cell, but rework and scrap status result in conveyance of the loaded pallet to the unload station without processing at any succeeding cell.

Abstract: A method of assembling a part to a workpiece with a combination tool supported on a robot, where a mounting surface of the part is assembled on a target surface of the workpiece including the following steps. (a) Indexing to the assembly position. (b) Picking a part with the part gripper on the part delivery arm from a part supply station. (c) Indexing part delivery and workpiece preparation arms to the preparation position. (d) Operating the workpiece target surface scanning module and communicating workpiece target surface position data to the robot. (e) Moving the robot to set the tool operating axis and calculate tool offsets relative to the position and orientation of the scanned target surface. (f) Simultaneously: engaging the part mounting surface with the part surface preparation module; and engaging the workpiece target surface preparation module with the target surface. (g) Indexing to the assembly position.

Abstract: An under floor housing system for a plurality of passenger seat electronic units within an aircraft, the aircraft including a passenger cabin with a floor supporting a plurality of passenger seats, the passenger cabin having an air circulation system; the individual passenger seat electronic units each being connected to a master control and communicating via at least one conduit to a passenger interface accessible from an associated passenger seat, the units and interface capable of providing passenger services selected from the group consisting of: audio entertainment; video entertainment; telephone; intercom; television; video games; internet; email; and electrical power supply, the under floor housing system comprising: at least one housing recessed beneath the floor surface adjacent the passenger seats, each housing having: a removable top cover; side walls; and a bottom wall defining an interior compartment; and air cooling means, for cooling each electronic unit within the interior compartment of each

Abstract: A packing device, for sealing a longitudinal shaft against leakage of a pressurized fluid, having an elongate valve housing with an annular internal chamber about a coaxial rotatable shaft. The chamber has an inner end with an annular stationary packing support shoulder exposed to pressurized fluid and an outer end with an annular packing access opening exposed to ambient air pressure. Annular self travelling pressure energized retained chevron packing is disposed within the chamber, an inner end thereof engaging the stationary packing support shoulder. An axially slidable ring engages an outer end of the packing, and gland housing engages an outer end of the slidable ring. The gland housing includes compression mountings for loading the packing. For limiting the axial movement of the ring within the chamber when the gland housing is removed, the valve housing includes an annular groove within which a floating retaining clip is slidably disposed.

Abstract: A resilient bumper assembly for a vehicle having an elongate horizontal beam mounted transversely to an end of the vehicle. Exterior flexible sheet cladding mounted on the beam defines an elongate internal chamber between its inner surface and the outer surface of the beam. An elongate resilient impact absorber is mounted to the beam and housed within the internal chamber, with top, bottom, inner and outer surfaces. Vertically extending cavities within the impact absorber, each opening to at least one of the top and bottom surfaces of the impact absorber provide resilient collapsing and rebound of the impact absorber on impact. The absorber may include variations in the size and shape of cavities, thickness of walls between cavities, and variations in the characteristics of material of which it is moulded in order to modify the resilient characteristics of the absorber to suit different design needs.

Abstract: The invention provides a chimney fire access device for injecting a fire extinguishing compound into the interior of an elongate vertical chimney stack, the stack having: a side wall and a longitudinal axis, the device comprising: a tube extending transversely through the stack side wall, the tube having an input end, a midportion and an output end; mounting means for mounting the tube to the stack side wall; nozzle means disposed on the output end of the tube for spraying a fire extinguishing compound in an upstream direction; trap means disposed within the midportion of the tube for impeding backflow of solid particles from the interior of the stack through the side wall; and fire extinguishing compound injection means disposed on the input end of the tube for conveying compound from a source of extinguishing compound.

Abstract: A convertible toy that can be ridden by a child alternatively: (i) floating on water in a swimming pool or (ii) downhill sledding on snow covered hills. The toy has an elongate hull for buoyantly floating the toy and child on a water surface, and for sliding downhill on a frozen snow covered hill surface. For example, the hull may be a hollow blow molded plastic body with downwardly extending ribs having a flat bottom surface. Handlebars are mounted to a steering shaft housed within the hull for steering the direction of the toy. The steering shaft can be releaseably mounted with a water jet nozzle and alternatively with a snow riding ski. The toy mimics both a snowmobile and a jet-powered watercraft, for use in summer and winter. The water jet nozzle is supplied with pressurized water from a swimming pool filtration system via a flexible hose.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of replacing the wheels of a railroad car while the railroad car is at rest on rail tracks. Most advantageously, the rail car need not be uncoupled from adjacent cars. The method also has the advantage that rail cars are jacked at the coupler thereby making the method applicable to all types of cars including grain and oil cars which cannot be jacked in their midsections. The method comprises the steps of: releasing the wheel to be replaced from the rail car; transverse insertion of a jack between the rails and the underside of the coupler; actuating the jack to lift the rail car supported upon the underside of the coupler; removing the wheel to be replaced; replacing the wheel; actuating the jack to lower the rail car onto the replaced wheel; securing the replaced wheel to the rail car.

Abstract: The invention provides a halyard retaining device for securing a plurality of halyards to a mast track in a rearward side of an elongate mast, the device comprising: a collar having a plurality of shoulders; a clamp, on the collar, for releasably slidably mounting the collar at any selected position along the mast track; a plurality of arms each having: a base end pivotally mounted to an associated shoulder; and a distal end each having a detent, the arms being independently pivotable to an extended position wherein halyard detents are radially spaced about the mast at a lateral distance therefrom; and a lock, mounted to each of the shoulders and associated arm base ends, for releasably locking each arm in an independently selected extended position relative to the associated shoulder of the collar.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an elongated decorative molding having a decorative surface and a desired cross-sectional profile is provided. A first coating material is applied to a molded core and then the molded core is passed through the opening of a first die. Once hardened, the coated profile is again coated with a second coating material and then passed through a second die.

Abstract: The invention provides a portable ice skating rink including elongate curb structural members and a liner of flat flexible sheet material. The liner is economically made of sheet plastic for example with a bottom sheet and elongate sleeves around the periphery of the bottom sheet. The curb members, such as 4.times.4 lumber pieces, are inserted into an open end of each sleeve to form a water retaining structure. The sheet material and seams have resistance to water permiation sufficient to retain a shallow pool of water covering the bottom sheet during freezing in outdoor conditions to form an ice skating surface. Assembly of the rink is minimal. The user need only lay the liner in the intended location and slide the curb members into the preformed sleeves about the periphery. The interior depression formed is filled with water and allowed to freeze in outdoor conditions.