Abstract: A swing arm is pivoted to the pedal housing of the bicycle frame and extends rearwardly from the seat post. The rear bicycle wheel is carried by the rear end of the swing arm. A follower is guided and is moveable along the seat post for up and down movement. A brace arm interconnects the swing arm rear end and the follower and an elastic tension cord biases the follower towards the pedal housing. The bicycle has also a front suspension. The front wheel carrying fork of the bicycle is telescopic and upward movement of the front wheel causes elongation of an elastic tension cord. A stabilizer system is also provided whereby upward movement of the front wheel causes upward movement of the rear wheel and vice and versa. Finally, a damper prevents any up-and-down oscillation of the bicycle frame.

Abstract: The invention relates to a leg support for use on towless water skis, the water skis each defining an elongated buoyant thick ski and an orifice on the top surface of the ski leading to a foot cavity. The leg support is adapted to be positioned adjacent to the orifice on the ski top surface. The leg support comprises a lower rod and an upper rod, pivotally interconnected by an intermediate hinge. The lower rod is pivotally fixed to the ski top surface, while the upper rod is pivotally fixed to a loop band, the latter for being releasably tightened around the calf and tibia of a ski user. Each of the pivotal connections are hinges which permit a movement only in a plane perpendicular to the ski footrest and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ski. This restriction in movement prevents the user from loosing his stability, for he cannot rotate his ankle in another plane than the above-mentioned plane, and he can thus prevent the drifting of his skis with more ease.

Abstract: A wall connector for connecting a clothes dryer air outflow duct to outside ambiant air through a building external wall. The connector includes: a rigid tubular main body, extending through and mounted into an aperture in the building wall; an inner end portion, sized to fit about the dryer air duct outer end mouthpiece in substantially air-tight fashion; and an outer end portion, of double wall construction, wherein a peripheral cavity is formed thicknesswisely of said main body, the peripheral cavity defining an end mouth opening to outside ambiant air. A hood fits against the exterior face of the building wall, and includes: an inner tubular section, releasably engaging through the peripheral cavity of the connector main body, and louvers, for preventing air inflow from ambiant air into the connector main body.

Abstract: A power supply for an electronic device such as the control circuitry of a thermostat. The power supply has a current transformer with a primary winding in series with the power line that is connected to the heating source, and a secondary winding coupled to the primary winding through a saturable magnetic core. A thyristor connected across the output terminals of the secondary winding establishes a momentary short-circuit condition when the voltage developed across the secondary winding exceeds a preset level in order to prevent the magnet core of the transformer from saturating.

Abstract: A prosthetic foot keel comprising: (a) a generally S-shaped unitary spatula, defining a main forefoot leg, a rear leg, and an intermediate leg integrally joining the forefoot and rear legs; and (b) a generally C-shape heel, defining a top heel plate, a bottom heel plate, and an intermediate heel plate transversely integrally interconnecting the top and bottom heel plates; wherein said top heel plate is fixedly anchored against the underface of the spatula rear leg. A generally open pocket is defined by the heel and by the spatula intermediate and rear legs. The pocket opens both rearwardly of the foot keel and laterally outwardly thereof on the side opposite the intermediate heel part. The shape of the open pocket is resiliently deformable responsively to the cyclical loads sustained by the spatula forefoot leg and bottom heel plate during the wearer's gait.

Abstract: The present facade wall consists of superposed courses of tile blocks which rest directly on the underlying tile blocks and which are maintained in front of a building wall with a predetermined gap by different types of clips. The several courses have a shingle lap with each other. The resulting facade is practically weatherproof and is easily erected. Each tile block has a peripheral groove for insertion of the clips and of interconnecting strips. This groove is in a plane parallel to the inside face of the block and nearer the latter than the outside face. The portions of the top and bottom edge faces of the block which are external to the groove constitute rest faces while the portion of the bottom edge face which is internal to the groove is recessed for free passage of the clips which do not support the load of the blocks.

Abstract: A panel assembly for use inside the rotatable drum of a clothes dryer for drying plastic containing clothes. The panel assembly comprises: (a) a perforated panel having a plurality of bores, this panel being of a size adapted to conform to the shape of a peripheral sector portion of the drum; (b) polytetrafluoroethylene coating the perforated panel for preventing the lint, dust, and plastic parts of the clothes from accidentally sticking to the panel and from clogging the panel bores; (c) a piano hinge, for edgewisely mounting the panel to the interior wall of the drum sector portion for relative movement of the panel between a closed position, in which the panel generally conforms to the drum sector portion spacedly therefrom, and an open position, in which the panel extends transversely to the drum sector portion interiorly thereof. The panel is releasably locked at its closed position by screws extending through the drum wall and through a panel flange located opposite the piano hinge.

Abstract: The road-guard construction comprises a first wall of superimposed whole tires disposed horizontally in vertical rows and horizontal columns. A second wall of superimposed half tires--which are cut circumferentially along their tread path, is also disposed in vertical rows and horizontal columns. Each half-tire defines a toroidal chamber, facing upwardly. Tie-bands interconnect the whole tires to the half-tires, whereby a single integral wall unit is achieved. Sand is poured into the toroidal chambers of the half-tires, whereby the first and second walls become firmly anchored to the ground. The road-guard will therefore remain substantially immobile over ground even after repeated vehicle impacts.

Abstract: A head cooling device for mounting over a person's head, generally within a headgear or a safety helmet. The device comprises: a housing, defining a main body enclosing a generally closed pocket, for containing ice cubes therein, a mouth, at one end of the main body, and an intermediate flooring, for supporting the ice cubes inside the pocket spacedly from the mouth. Thus, the flooring remains spaced at all times from the scalp by a spacing gap. The flooring is bored at its periphery, for enabling water droplets from the melting ice cubes to escape one at a time from the pocket, freely through the spacing gap and toward and against the person's head scalp. Flexible bands are used, integral to the housing, for releasably anchoring the housing to the head in generally overhanging fashion.

Abstract: An armguard device for use with an archer's compound bow, the compound bow of the type including an arcuate frame tensioning a bowstring and from which transversely projects an elongated, elbowed stabilizer shaft. The armguard device consists of: a slider member, slidingly engageable with the stabilizer shaft for lengthwise displacement therealong; a rigid shield, for engaging the archer's forearm and for shielding same against bowstring release whiplash; and set screws, for releasably anchoring the shield member to the slider member, whereby a laterally offset positioning of the shield member is achieved relative to the stabilizer shaft, to slightly offset the shield member from the bowstring pathway to allow unhindered release thereof; wherein the distance between the shield member and the bow frame is adjustable by displacing the slider member along the stabilizer shaft, to fit the arms of archers of different heights.

Abstract: A screen printing process for providing long-lasting, visually-appealing images on PVC sheet material such PVC venetian blind slats, through use of a computer hardware and CAD/CAM and computer color-matching software.

Abstract: A device for extracting arrows from a target, the device having a frame defining a channel adapted to receive the shaft of an arrow to be extracted, gripping elements are moveable into and out of a gripping relationship with respect to an arrow shaft in the channel such that it may be securely gripped and pulled from the target. The frame is formed with a laterally extending handle of Z-shape which, when pulled to extract the arrow, does not produce bending and possible consequent breakage of the latter.

Abstract: A thermal nose protector for use in subfreezing climates, e.g. by an alpine skier with ski goggles. The thermal nose protector consists of a flexible shield sheet material sized to conformingly fit over the skier's nose and having at least a first and a second layer. The first layer is made from a soft, thermally insulating material for direct engagement with the skin of the skier's nose. The second layer is of the multiple-hook type for separable gripping engagement with a corresponding portion of the foam-like, peripheral, interior strip of the ski goggles. The flexible shield sheet extends beyond the tip of the skier's nose whereby a substantially open air pocket is defined by the nose-covering the shield sheet beneath the skier's nose and ahead of the skier's mouth, wherein an air breathing channel is formed coextensively of the open air pocket for promoting air breathing from the nose of the skier.

Abstract: Bales of hay or the like vegetable material are successively loaded on the frame of a wheeled vehicle and actuate a trip plate which causes a pusher plate to push the bale into the open ended portion of a long plastic flexible tube held folded on an arch-shaped upstanding holding device secured to the rear end of the vehicle. The bales loaded within the tube successively drop off the vehicle on the ground and react to the backward thrust exerted by the pusher plate on the next bale to cause forward movement of the vehicle. The vehicle carries its own power supply and is therefore entirely autonomous. The vehicle has a skid plate and the wheels can be raised so that the vehicle moves on the skid plate to thereby increase resistance to the vehicle forward movement thereby increasing the compaction of the bales within the tube. The holding device includes a plurality of tube retaining hook members which are carried by an arch-shaped frame for outward diverging linear movement so as to open the tube.

Abstract: An exoskeletal (or endoskeletal) ankle connector for use in fixedly securing a prosthetic foot to a prosthetic leg. The foot has an elongated cantilever spring type keel. The keel defines an elongated forefoot part, an ankle part and a heel part merging the ankle part with the forefoot part. The keel ankle part is provided with a cavity. The leg has a bottom end with an integral bolt with the bolt having a free projecting threaded stem.

Abstract: A pair of buoyant skis are used by a person over a body of water for forward motion thereover by reciprocating motion of the skis in alternate fashion. Each ski is a mirror image of the other and includes an elongated, box-like hull, inwardly lined with buoyant material and defining a water-tight body which is generally right-triangular in cross-section and defines a top deck, a port wall transverse to the top deck and an upwardly inclined starboard wall joining the bottom edge of the port wall with the starboard edge of the top deck. A foot well is formed within the hull body intermediate the bow and stern. The two walls of the hull progressively converge from the stern to the bow. The port wall is straight throughout its length while the starboard wall is longitudinally straight except for a curved bow section which joins both walls. The bottom edge of the port wall forms a longitudinally extending straight keel and additional longitudinal keels protrude from the starboard wall.

Abstract: This modular element has several conduits disposed side by side, each pair of adjacent conduits being interconnected to form a rigid or flexible unit, each conduit has a male end and an opposite female end, the latter for joining with the male end of an aligned conduit of an adjacent modular element. The several conduits of a first modular element can therefore be simultaneously extended by the several conduits of a second modular element by simultaneously joining the female and male ends of the elements. These elements can be in the form of panels to be joined together to form, for instance, a solar panel or a floor covering with a circulating heat transfer fluid through the conduits. The conduits may also serve as protected passages for underground electrical wires. The conduits may be provided with sprinkler holes to water plants.

Abstract: The mount is installed to the top horizontal segment of the door frame. The swing hangs from the mount by at least two cords. The mount includes two U-shape clamp frames, each having a first leg engaging vertical walls on opposite sides of the door frame top segment, and a second leg telescopically engaged into one another. Reciprocating motion of the two clamps one relative to the other is controlled by an endless screw shaft, the shaft being actuated by a handle. A pair of tilt-controlling arms are provided about the web of the corresponding clamps, adjacent their telescopic legs, to engage the bottom edge of the door frame top segment so as to prevent mount tilt during swinging motion of the swing.

Abstract: Each of the pair of elongated skis circumscribe a pair of upwardly facing wheel-engaging wells at opposite fore and aft ends thereof, for receiving and containing a pair of fore and aft registering wheels from both axles of a two axle pushchair. A pair of elongated elastic cables are each anchored at both ends thereof to front and rear portions of a corresponding ski intermediately of the wells thereof. A pair of hooks are each slidingly carried along a corresponding elastic cable and releasably interconnect the elastic cable to the pushchair frame in such a way that the corresponding ski is movable between a first, operative, ground-engaging position, in which each pair of fore and aft registering wheels engage a corresponding ski well and are biased thereagainst under the resiliency of the elastic cable, and an inoperative, ground-clearing position, in which the ski releases the corresponding registering fore and aft wheels and extend generally above the latter.