Abstract: A cartilage and graft palette structure with a bottom, upwardly extending front and rear walls and two lateral walls interconnecting the front and rear walls to form the frame of a generally rectangular tray-like structure, as viewed in plan view. The front and rear walls as well as the lateral walls are of predetermined thickness to assure structural stability of the palette structure and to provide a peripheral rim having a sufficient width to accommodate at least a scale along the top of one of the walls. The bottom has an upper non-metallic surface which minimizes unsatisfactory tactile feedback to the surgeon by way of a surgical instrument and reduces the risk of slippage as a cartilage or graft is cut. The palette structure also offers sufficient fluid-tightness on the inside of the tray-like structure to enable maintenance of moisture of any graft or cartilage.

Abstract: A so-called stepless self-tightening clamp structure having a first clamping position and a second non-clamping position in which the clamping band is under prestress of its inherent spring characteristics. To latchingly hold the clamp structure in its second position, one end of the clamping band is provided with a tongue-like extension while the other end is provided with two longitudinally extending, slot-like openings following one another by way of a constriction, whereby one of the slot-like openings is wider than the tongue-like extension and the other is slightly narrower than the tongue-like extension. One of said slot-like openings is thereby offset in the radial direction with respect to at least a part of the other slot-like opening. Additionally, to enhance the spring stiffness, the clamping band may be provided with one or more longitudinally extending reinforcing groove.

Abstract: A band made from a material normally elastically non-stretchable in its longitudinal direction to which elastic stretchability is imparted by one or more sections which include lateral non-rectilinear band portions on both sides of the central longitudinal band plane. The lateral non-rectilinear band portions are thereby made by cut-outs in the band along its longitudinal sides and in the center area. In one embodiment, the cut-outs along the sides are segmentally shaped while a window in the central area is made of a shape resembling an hourglass. Adjacent sections are connected with each other by transversely extending web portions delimited in the longitudinal direction by end surfaces of the central cut-outs. A clamp structure utilizing a band of the aforementioned type, especially a clamping band made from galvanized or stainless steel, offers numerous advantages, especially if a so-called "Oetiker" ear is used to tighten the clamp structure about the object to be fastened thereby.

Abstract: A reusable clamp structure in which the clamping band is provided with a tongue-like extension at one end and with a fork-like end portion at the other end which includes a slot-like opening; a form-locking connection of the open ends of the clamping band is achieved by sawtooth-like members extending outwardly along the lateral edges of the tongue-like extensions which are adapted to engage with complementary sawtooth-like members extending inwardly from the longitudinal edges of the opening. To prevent outward escape of the tongue-like extension in its engaged condition, a cover member may be provided over the opening whereby the cover member may be punched out of the clamping band and bent out.

Abstract: A so-called stepless clamp structure whose clamping band is provided at one end with a tongue-like extension and whose other end is provided with a slot-like opening. Outwardly extending hooks on the tongue-like extension are adapted to engage with the bent-up end section of the other end which is of such length that a small part of the slot-like opening is present in the bent-up end section whereby the depth of the small part of the slot-like opening is less than twice the thickness of the clamping band but slightly greater than the thickness of the clamping band.

Abstract: A safety ski binding in which the bottom of the ski boot is held out of contact with the top of the ski to eliminate the influence of frictional forces on the safety release and in which the anti-friction roller of the toe support structure is mounted on the ski in such a manner that its vertical axis of rotation remains substantially constant during engagement and disengagement.

Abstract: A book holder with a back plate, a transparent cover plate movable relative to the back plate, and a connection between the back plate and the cover plate which permits the cover plate to move relative to the back plate so as to provide guided movement of the cover plate toward and away from the back plate in substantially co-planar relationship, whereby lateral support arms are fixed relative to the cover plate, hollow receiver plates are fixed relative to the back plate and the hollow receiver plates are of such internal configuration as to enable the lateral support arms to slide therethrough.

Abstract: An open self-aligning clamp the overlapping inner and outer band portions of which are adapted to be mechanically connected before tightening about the object to be fastened thereby by a plastically deformable so-called "Oetiker" ear; the mechanical connection includes only two outwardly extending hooks in the inner band portion operable to engage in apertures provided in the outer band portion, whereby one of the hooks is a tab-like guide hook pressed out of the clamping band in a transversely extending plane intersecting the clamping band in the transverse direction while the other hook is a cold-deformed support hook, the inner and outer band portions are reliably guided relatively to one another during tightening of the clamp by a tab-like member pressed out of the inner band portion in such a manner that it extends in the longitudinal direction and can slidably extend within a narrow longitudinal slot in the center area of the outer band portion.

Abstract: An externally expandable earless clamp structure, in which a hook-like member in the outer band portion is adapted to engage in a hook-receiving aperture in the end area of the inner band portion to connect the overlapping band portions, a first inwardly pressed-out tool-engaging embossment in the inner band portion is adapted to cooperate with a second inwardly pressed-out tool-engaging embossment in the outer band portion to permit tightening of the clap structure by expansion thereof; and an inwardly pressed-out tab-like member in the outer band portion extending in the longitudinal direction is adapted to engage in a narrow slot in the inner band portion.

Abstract: A balancing arrangement for a rotating member which includes a clamp structure with a clamping band adapted to be tightened on the rotating member; the clamping band includes a first inner clamping band portion and a second outer clamping band portion either integral with or fixedly secured to the first clamping band portion. A counterweight is thereby adapted to be slidably mounted on the second clamping band portion and to be secured thereon in predetermined balancing position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically installing a clamp made from a flat blank on an object to be fastened thereby, in which individual blanks are separated from a supply of such blanks, are fed as individual blanks to a deformation station where the flat blank is deformed into circular shape, the thus-deformed clamp is transferred from the deformation station to the object to be fastened thereby where it is placed over the object, and the clamp is thereafter tightened.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for carrying out the method in which a clamp made from a flat blank is plastically deformed into circular shape, is locked in its closed condition, is transferred from the deformation station to a transfer station where it is placed over the object to be fastened and is thereafter tightened onto the object. In order to maintain the clamp in predetermined position on the object before being tightened, the clamp is additionally plastically deformed into a slightly non-circular shape differing from the circular shape of the object and is again elastically deformed into its original circular shape before being placed over the object so that return of the clamp to its slightly non-circular configuration will provide sufficient frictional engagement to hold the clamp in predetermined position.

Abstract: An open clamp structure capable of withstanding very high tightening forces, with a clamping band whose overlapping inner and outer band portions are mechanically locked by a mechanical interconnection including outwardly extending hooks near the free end of the inner band portion adapted to engage with apertures near the free end of the outer band portion; for purposes of tightening the clamp structure upon engagement of at least one hook in the corresponding aperture, a deformable ear with two generally outwardly extending leg portions interconnected by a bridging portion is provided, whereby the bridging portion includes reinforcing means; at least one of the hooks is thereby a cold-deformed hook having force-engaging surface means while another hook is a combined guide and support hook having inclined guide and support surface means formed by its rear edge facing away from the free end of the inner band portion; the reinforcing means is in the form of a generally pan-shaped depression extending over a sub

Abstract: A clamp structure with a clamping band whose ends are drawn together by a screw-type tightening mechanism that includes a first band tightening member secured near one band end, a second band tightening member secured near the other band end and a screw member for drawing together the first and second tightening members; one of the band tightening members is of at least semi-circular shape and is retained in a loop-like pocket formed by an end portion of the clamping band externally bent back upon itself and secured to the underlying band portion while the other tightening member also of at least semi-cylindrical shape is retained in a loop-like pocket formed by a separate clamping band part whereby the two loop-like pockets are spaced from one another defining a gap; a stepless internal configuration of the clamping surfaces of the clamping band is assured by a tongue-like extension at the inner band portion adapted to engage in a channel-like indentation provided in the outer clamping band portion; to relia

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a contactless mode of electroreflectance (ER) which utilizes a condenser-like system, of which the front electrode is light transparent, i.e., for instance, consists of a transparent conductive coating on a transparent substrate which is separated from the sample surface by a thin layer of air. With the use of the method and apparatus of this invention, the contactless electroreflectance spectra could be measured at 300K from a number of materials including semi-insulating bulk GaAs, bulk Si, bulk Hg.sub.0.75 Cd.sub.0.25 Te, a GaAs structure with large uniform electric field and a GaAs/GaAlAs coupled double quantum well.

Abstract: An open reusable clamp structure, especially of the earless type, with a clamping band having overlapping inner and outer band portions adapted to be detachably interconnected by mechanical connecting means; first tool-engaging surfaces are provided in the inner and outer band portions, preferably in the form of pressed-out cold-deformed embossments for tightening the clamping band about an object to be fastened thereby, and second tool-engaging surfaces are provided in the inner and outer band portions which are separate from the first tool-engaging surfaces and are again preferably in the form of pressed-out cold-deformed embossments for reopening the previously interconnected overlapping band portions. To prevent over-torquing during reopening, undulations or the like are provided in the outer band portion intermediate the first and second tool-engaging surfaces.

Abstract: A tube connection consisting of a nipple structure and a sleeve member in which the nipple structure includes a tube-receiving portion provided, starting from an abutment surface with a substantially cylindrical section and an outwardly flaring clamping surface. The sleeve member is provided with a first internal section of substantially cylindrical shape followed in the direction toward the free end of the tube-receiving portion with an outwardly flaring clamping surface, whereby the internal diameter of the cylindrical section of the sleeve member is only slightly larger than the maximum diameter of the tube-receiving nipple portion. In one embodiment, the nipple structure and sleeve member are provided with complementary locking means to enable locking of the sleeve member in the clamping position by axial movement in the direction of the free end of the tube-receiving nipple portion and subsequent rotation of the sleeve member into predetermined locking position.

Abstract: A reinforced ear structure for use in a clamp whose clamping band is intended to be contracted by relatively large tightening forces; the ear consists of two outwardly extending leg portions and a reinforced bridging portion interconnecting the leg portions; the bridging portion is provided with a generally pan-shaped, relatively hollow, depressed reinforcement formed by a bottom portion and connecting portions between the bottom portion and the remaining non-depressed bridging portion; the connecting portions thereby extend over substantial parts of the length and width of the bridging portion and the bottom portion is relatively flat.