Abstract: A sprinkler is provided which includes an in-ground sprinkler head connected to a surface connector. The surface connector includes a semi-flexible tube connected to curved pipe fittings and ending on the top with a quick-connect device attached to a swiveling mechanism to allow easy connection and disconnection from a garden hose of any in-ground sprinkler head. The bottom end of the connector has a male pipe fitting that connects to any type of in-ground sprinkler head. The top of the connector is a male quick-connect device attached to allow full swiveling motion to permit the quick connect device to be stored in a position at or below ground level or to be raised above ground level to connect to a hose.

Abstract: A control system is provided to lock, unlock and/or unlatch a door's lock and/or latch mechanism(s) having a bolt(s) coupled to a shaft(s). In one embodiment, a clutch is coupled to the shaft for rotation therewith. The clutch includes a movable lever attached thereto with a bias that causes the lever to protrude axially from the clutch. A plate is mounted coaxially with the shaft for free rotation relative thereto. The plate is adjacent the clutch on a side thereof from which the lever protrudes. The plate includes a notch formed therein facing the clutch. The plate and clutch are biased toward one another so that the plate and lever contact one another as the bias between the plate and the clutch overcomes the bias of the lever. A remotely-activated motorized drive is coupled to the plate for rotating the plate relative to the shaft in a direction of rotation that allows the lever to engage the notch.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for finishing a concrete floor that exce approximately 50 feet in width. A riding trowel of the type that forms a windrow of loosened concrete material in its wake is positioned on the concrete floor. The riding trowel has a straight edge coupled thereto by a support assembly that positions the straight edge to cross the windrow at a substantially perpendicular angle thereto within line-of-sight of an operator. A power assembly is coupled between the straight edge and the riding trowel for independently controlling vertical and pivoting movement of the straight edge. The riding trowel is driven on the concrete floor and the straight edge is moved along the concrete floor simultaneously with the riding trowel.

Abstract: A chemical sensor couples a material that changes temperature in response to a chemical condition with an oscillator. The oscillator is coupled to the material to detect the change in temperature in the material so that the frequency of the oscillator changes in correspondence with the change in temperature as an indication of the chemical condition.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for reducing flow-induced resonance in a structure's cavity. A time-varying disturbance is introduced into the flow along a leading edge of the cavity. The time-varying disturbance can be periodic and can have the same or different frequency of the natural resonant frequency of the cavity. In one embodiment of the system, flaps are mounted flush with the surface of the structure along the cavity's leading edge. A piezoelectric actuator is coupled to each flap and causes a portion of each flap to oscillate into and out of the flow in accordance with the time-varying function. Resonance reduction can be achieved with both open-loop and closed-loop configurations of the system.

Abstract: A load binder tool is provided for use with a lever-type load binder. The tool includes a base member and a handle member. The handle member is pivotally mounted to the base member at a pivot point between the first and second end of the handle member. A portion of the handle member defines a generally U-shaped cradle open at the first end and terminating at an end wall prior to the pivot point. The U-shaped cradle is sized to receive the lever of the lever-type load binder. The base member acts as a fulcrum as the handle member is pivoted about the pivot point such that the U-shaped cradle raises the load binder's lever from its locked position. The U-shaped cradle allows the lever to freely snap into its unlocked position without requiring any portion of the tool to travel therewith.

Abstract: A massage apparatus includes a flexible bladder filled with a fluid and a plurality of bladder displacement devices coupled to the flexible bladder for displacing the flexible bladder in accordance with a specified displacement plan. A signal source is coupled to the bladder displacement devices to provide the specified displacement plan. The signal source outputs first and second frequency modulated (FM) signals. The FM signals are identical in spectrum and start at zero phase, but are propagated 180.degree. out-of-phase with respect to one another. The first FM signal is fed to one half of the bladder displacement devices and the second FM signal is fed to the other half of bladder displacement devices. The FM signals are controlled in such a way that vibrational energy travels in the fluid-filled bladder for coupling to a user reclined on the bladder while ambient vibration of the apparatus is canceled.

Abstract: A composite multiple wavelength laser material is provided and is typically constructed with a common axis of construction in the form of a rod of uniform cross-section. The rod comprises a plurality of segments of laser material bonded, e.g., diffusion bonded, to one another along the common axis. Each segment lases at a unique wavelength when excited to produce a laser emission. The segments can be made from a birefringent material doped with laser active ions. If the same birefringent host material is used for all segments, ground-state absorption losses can be reduced by terminating either end of the rod with end segments made from undoped pieces of the birefringent material.

Abstract: A quasi four-level solid-state laser is provided. A laser crystal is disposed in a laser cavity. The laser crystal has a LuAG-based host material doped to a final concentration between about 2% and about 7% thulium (Tm) ions. For the more heavily doped final concentrations, the LuAG-based host material is a LuAG seed crystal doped with a small concentration of Tm ions. Laser diode arrays are disposed transversely to the laser crystal for energizing the Tm ions.

Abstract: A room temperature solid-state laser is provided. A laser crystal is disposed in a laser cavity. The laser crystal has a LuAG host material doped with a concentration of about 0.35% Ho ions, about 5.57% Tm ions and at least about 1.01% Cr ions. A broadband energizing source such as a flashlamp is disposed transversely to the laser crystal to energize the Ho ions, Tm ions and Cr ions.

Abstract: A hand exercise device includes a first handle pivotally connected to a second handle. A first post is mounted in fixed relation to the first handle and a second post is mounted in fixed relation to the second handle. One or more elastic bands are wrapped in tension about the first and second posts to bias the position of the first handle relative to the second handle. Movement of the first handle relative to the second handle causes further tensioning of the elastic bands.

Abstract: A rolling digital surface measurement apparatus which measures and records the second elevation differences between a plurality of sequentially oriented, regularly spaced, co-linear points which lie on the surface, and which then computes the elevations of those points relative to a datum line established relative to any two points in the sequence by assuming that the mean curvatures of the tested surface are equal to zero in order to remove the inevitable effects of error compounding.

Abstract: An RBDS compatible receiving method and system are provided. A broadcast receiver is tuned to a selected broadcast frequency. A first of two RBDS receivers operates in a locked mode to receive RBDS data associated with the selected broadcast frequency. Simultaneously, the second of the two RBDS receivers operates in a scanning mode to scan RBDS data associated with all broadcast frequencies. Match criteria corresponding with one or more categorical portions of RBDS data is compared with the RBDS signal associated with each broadcast frequency scanned by the RBDS receiver operating in the scanning mode. Each time a match occurs, the broadcast receiver can optionally be switched from the selected frequency to the broadcast frequency on which the match occurred while the first and second RBDS receivers switch operating modes.

Abstract: A rotary machine includes a housing with spaced apart end walls for defining a chamber. A two-lobe lenticular rotor assembly is disposed in the chamber for eccentric rotation therein. A hole passes through a central portion of the rotor assembly. Four slots are cut in one end of the rotor assembly in a symmetric arrangement about the center of the rotor assembly. Each slot has two edges defining an open end continuous with the hole so that each slot extends radially outward from the hole. A rotor guide assembly includes two generally cylindrical guide posts of radius R. Each guide post extends in parallel fashion toward the slots in the rotor assembly so that the guide posts can engage the slots during eccentric rotation of the rotor assembly. A shaft extends through the hole with its center longitudinal axis offset from the center of the rotor assembly by an offset distance OD.

Abstract: A belt-attachable holder for a fishing rod is provided. An upper portion forms an integral belt-attaching means. A lower portion is suspended from the upper portion and includes a substantially stiff planar member. A coil is provided to have at least one full turn sized to receive the fishing rod when the coil is in a relaxed state. The coil has first and second ends that are fixed to the stiff planar member. A sleeve of flexible material is open at a top portion thereof and is sized at the top portion to receive the fishing rod. The sleeve terminates at a substantially closed bottom maintained in a fixed relationship to the lower portion a vertical distance below the coil. The top portion has its perimeter aligned with and supported by the one full turn of the coil such that the fishing rod can be inserted into the sleeve through the top portion and the one full turn. The weight of the fishing rod causes the one full turn of the coil to tighten around the fishing rod along with the top portion of the sleeve.

Abstract: A collapsible and retractable step apparatus having first and second steps is provided. The steps are extendable from, and used in combination with, a shelf that resides a vertical distance above a floor. A support and suspension leg unit is free at a first end thereof and is rotationally secured at a second end thereof to the second step. The leg unit is also rotationally secured to the first step at a location between the first and second ends of the leg unit. The leg unit positions and supports the first and second steps in a first configuration in which the first and second steps are positioned along with the leg unit in a substantially contiguous plane. The leg unit is rotatable about the location between the first and second ends of the leg unit to a second configuration in which the leg unit is in a substantially vertical orientation with respect to the floor. In the second configuration, the first or free end of the leg unit rests on the floor such that the leg unit supports the first step.

Abstract: A pacing device provides feedback to a user based on a preselected pace time for an activity. A linear array of colored lights includes two lights of a first color and one light of a second color and is operated in accordance with a predetermined lighting sequence. The predetermined lighting sequence makes: 1) a combination of the two lights of the first color visible to the user during a time less than or equal to the preselected pace time, 2) a combination of one of the two lights of the first color and the one light of the second color visible to the user during a first portion of a time greater than the preselected pace time, and 3) only the one light of the second color visible to the user during a second portion of the time greater than the preselected pace time.

Abstract: A fluid damped acoustic enclosure system for a loudspeaker is provided. An enclosure defines first and second chambers separated by a common wall in which the loudspeaker is sealably mounted. The first chamber is airtight and the second chamber has a port in a wall thereof communicating with the exterior of the enclosure. A flexible bladder is filled with a fluid and maintained in the first chamber a given distance from the loudspeaker. The bladder receives acoustic pressure waves generated by the loudspeaker. The bladder is further mechanically coupled to a portion of at least one wall of the first chamber that communicates with the exterior of the enclosure.