Abstract: An apparatus for providing automatic back washing for a user is disclosed. The back washer of this invention includes a housing (14) which contains an electrical drive source such as a motor (48), gearing means (52) and a switching means (26). According to a preferred embodiment, insulated extension member (36) is provided for activating the switch (46) while the back washer is in operation. The gearing means (52) drives a detachable mounting member (56) to which there is attached padding and a cover (40) and (62), respectively. In the preferred embodiment, power shaft (54) is driven by gearing means (52) and includes ridges and grooves to provide a spline which in turn cooperates with a sleeve (82). According to the preferred embodiment the apparatus is portable and sets on a bathroom counter.

Abstract: A mechanism is described for the transport of an object across relatively level surfaces as well as to ascend and descend stairways. This mechanism is provided with a frame and a pair of wheels on each side of the frame for supporting the same above a surface. Furthermore, a climbing chain with lugs is associated with each wheel on the frame; these chains being inclined at an angle from the level to approximate the average pitch of stairs to be encountered. At least one of each of the wheels on each side of the frame is provided with mechanism for raising or lowering the same whereby the frame is maintained in a level orientation during ascent or descent of the stairs.The mechanism is described particularly with respect to a wheel chair for handicapped persons. Two principal embodiments are disclosed: one in which the wheel chair is powered by the occupant; and the other wherein the wheel chair is powered by electrical or other corresponding power means.

Abstract: A system for testing key duplicating machines to determine the accuracy thereof. This system is provided with a pair of identical detector plates each of which are intended for alignment positioning of the key and key blank within the two vises of the key duplicating machine. Portions of the detector plates which are to be in contact with the vises are provided with an insulating surface, and portions of the remainder of the detector plates are electrically conductive and are exposed for contact. An electrical circuit is provided which attaches to these detector plates such that electrical continuity can be determined visually when the guide member of the key duplicating machine contacts the detector plate held in the appropriate vise.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of operation are described for determining, with isotopic selectivity, the number of noble gas atoms in a sample. The analysis is conducted within an evacuated chamber which can be isolated by a valve from a vacuum pumping system capable of producing a pressure of 10.sup.-8 Torr. Provision is made to pass pulses of laser beams through the chamber, these pulses having wavelengths appropriate for the resonance ionization of atoms of the noble gas under analysis. A mass filter within the chamber selects ions of a specific isotope of the noble gas, and means are provided to accelerate these selected ions sufficiently for implantation into a target. Specific types of targets are discussed. An electron measuring device produces a signal relatable to the number of ions implanted into the target and thus to the number of atoms of the selected isotope of the noble gas removed from the gas sample.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for driving an array or large field of solar concentrators (10) by means of pneumatic pulses of compressed air such that it tracks the movement of the sun (14) across the sky is disclosed. The drive system includes a multiplicity of gearing means (26) which is mounted to one or more solar concentrators (10) for providing the movement of said solar concentrators to track the sun (14). The multiplicity of gearing means are driven by a multiplicity of drive means (28) in response to pulses of compressed air which are selectively provided to achieve the necessary tracking. The pulses of compressed air are provided to the drive (26) means from a compressed air source (38) by means of pneumatic valving (32) which is selectively opened and closed by means of electrical drive signals. The compressed air is connected to the pneumatic valving (32) and then further connected to the drive means (26) by means of fluid conduits (34) such as for example, plastic tubing.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the peak load demand of a home or business establishment by preventing the simultaneous application of electrical power to first and second electrical loads is disclosed. The apparatus includes first and second sensing means (16, 18), one each of which monitors each of the first and second electrical loads (12, 14) respectively for determining when the first and second electrical loads (12, 14) are demanding electrical power. The sensing means (16, 18) then provide sensing signals to a combining means (24) which receives the sensing signals, or representations of these sensing signals. Combining means (24) provides a timer start signal to timer (28) when the sensing signals or representations of these sensing signals are present at combining means (24).

Abstract: A nonlinear edge peaking system (10) is provided which reduces the rise and fall times of input signal transitions and prevents the introduction of excessive preshoot and overshoot. The system (10) includes a first circuit (76) which delays the input signal. A second circuit (48) which is connected in parallel with the first circuit produces an output which is the approximation of the absolute value of the widened second derivative having a preselected offset bias. A third circuit (42) connected in parallel with the first and second circuit produces at its output a delayed first derivative of the input signal. The combination of the output of the second and third circuit is differentiated, amplified, inverted and added to the delayed input signal producing a peaked or enhanced signal with reduced rise and fall times.

Abstract: A jack knife which may be disassembled with a minimum of tools for purposes of cleaning the interior, changing blades or the like. The knife has a pair of liner side plates encasing a backspring and thereby providing a compartment for receiving a knife blade. Each of the side plates has a slot of nonuniform width near the head end for receiving an annularly grooved pin. This pin also passes through the head end of the backspring. A pivot through the back-spring engages a cooperative pair of apertures in the side plates and provides a pivot for the rotation of the side plates with respect to each other when disassembly is desired. A blade pivot member passes through one side plate and through an opening in the tang of the knife blade and thence is suitably engaged with the second side plate.

Abstract: Apparatus for siphoning liquid such as water which accumulates in a ponding area (16) located on a flat roof (12) to a drain (14) is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first liquid conduit (21) which has one end (58) in the accumulated water and a second end (52) in drain (14). A reservoir (26) (64) accumulates a selected volume of water which is transferred from the reservoir (26) (64) by a second liquid conduit (38) to the first liquid conduit (21) such that the first liquid conduit (21) is completely filled with water suitable for initiating siphoning action of the water in ponding area (16) to drain (14). A means for controlling the flow of liquid from reservoir (26) (64) to first conduit (21) such as float valve (36) is included such that there is no transfer of liquid from reservoir 26 to first liquid conduit 21 until the selected volume of water has accumulated.

Abstract: An adjustable looseleaf binder is provided for the accumulation of sheets of hole punched paper and the like. This binder has an elongated base plate to which are attached one end of a plurality of flexible binding posts. The second ends of the binding posts are releasably held in the base plate by various clamping mechanisms thereby providing an adjustable loop of any desired size. This loop threads through the hole, or selected holes, of material to be held in the binder. A foldable sheet provides for the top, edge and bottom cover of the binder. This sheet has prescored lines therein to permit folding to achieve the desired dimensions of the binder and holes to accept the binding posts. As the contents of the binder are changed, the cover may be folded at other prescored lines to accommodate this change. The components of the binder may be readily shipped in a compact manner and assembled by the user to achieve a binder of desired size.

Abstract: An emulsification tester for determining the amount of water a known amount of material such as printers ink or shellac will absorb when agitated or mixed a precise number of times and in a precise manner is disclosed. As is well known by those skilled in the art, certain materials, especially materials such as shellac and printers ink, will not function properly unless these materials have the ability to absorb a proper amount of water. That is, the material must be able to absorb a minimum amount of water but must not absorb an excess amount of water. The tester of this invention allows a precise amount of water and a material to be tested (such as printer ink) to be agitated by mixer blades rotating at a precise selected speed and for a precise number of revolutions.

Abstract: Modular apparatus for providing heating and cooling to large quantities of water used in a concrete batch plant prior to mixing water and concrete is disclosed. The system typically operates from a water source such as a deep well (10) which water source may serve as either a heat sink or a heat source. In addition, there is a water storage tank (34) which holds water (36) which water can be either heated or cooled as necessary for the best results in mixing concrete. There is a multiplicity (26) of modular reversable heat pumps each of which has its heat exchanger (78, 88) connected in parallel such that modular units may be added or removed without destroying the integrity of the refrigerant system. Each of the modular units includes a source heat exchanger (88) and a storage heat exchanger (78).

Abstract: An expandable support frame for providing supportive confinement for variously sized flexible mattresses. The frame includes a support member suitable for being positioned on a supporting surface such as the floor. An expandable mattress housing is mounted on the top of the support member and includes interlocking segments which define a supportive base bound by four vertical sides for retaining the mattress. A housing expansion segment combines with the housing segments to expand the effective size of the housing for supporting various size mattresses.

Abstract: An improved twist drill (20) is provided which includes at least one spiral groove (42) which extends from the leading face of a cutting edge of a tip portion of the drill. This groove is positioned at a spaced location from the cutting lip (40) and extends to the trailing face of the cutting blade tip such that a portion of the material to be drilled initially passes through the spiral groove during the drilling operation as the drill is fed into the work piece. The portion of the material which passes through the groove is at least partially cut by a subsequent pass of the cutting edge of the further cutting blade tip and causes shavings of the material to be broken into smaller sizes thereby enhancing the travel of the shavings along the length of the flutes and reducing the binding forces applied to the twist drill during drilling operations.

Abstract: A frame member connection assembly for a fence gate which enables adjustment of the substantially horizontally disposed frame members such that they extend parallel with the supporting surface and assist in preventing unnecessary gaps between the gate and such supporting surface. The connection assembly includes a mating pair of brackets, each of which have a receptacle for receiving juxtaposed end portions of joined frame members. A connector member is mounted on one end portion of each of the receptacles and is designed for being connected with the mating connector member of the mating bracket for receiving and holding the juxtaposed end portions of the joined gate frame members. The connection assembly supports the frame members in such a manner that their centrally disposed longitudinal axis substantially intersect, to facilitate rotation of the joined frame members with respect to each other to a desired position where they are secured.

Abstract: In a representative embodiment of the invention described herein, a well logging system for investigating subsurface formations is controlled by a general purpose computer programmed for real-time operation. The system is cooperatively arranged to provide for all aspects of a well logging operation, such as data acquisition and processing, tool control, information or data storage, and data presentation as a well logging tool is moved through a wellbore. The computer controlling the system is programmed to provide for data acquisition and tool control commands in direct response to asynchronous real-time external events. Such real-time external events may occur, for example, as a result of movement of the logging tool over a selected depth interval, or in response to requests or commands directed to the system by the well logging engineer by means of keyboard input.

Abstract: Sharpening mechanism for moving at a variable speed along the length of the sharp edge of a reciprocating knife used in cloth cutting machines is disclosed. The apparatus includes a driven grinding apparatus (26) such as is known in the art for contacting an edge of a reciprocating knife (24). Driven grinding apparatus (26) is moved by a tubular carrier member (44) which moves the grinding mechanism (26) along the edge of reciprocating knife (24) in a manner also known in the art. A traverse mechanism for moving the carriage along the knife edge includes a guide mechanism (52) attached to tubular member (44) for following left and right hand peripheral threads (34) cut in the drive shaft (32).

Abstract: An intake expansion chamber apparatus (10) for internal combustion engines is disclosed which preheats and expands the vaporized fuel/air mixture as the mixture flows between the carburetor and the combustion chamber. The apparatus includes an expansion chamber section (18) through which the fuel/air mixture flows between an inlet (20) connected in fluid communication with the intake manifold and an outlet (26) joined in fluid communication with the intake manifold at a location downstream from the outlet. The fuel/air mixture is heated during its passage through the expansion chamber by a heat transfer surface (30) to improve the vaporization and to more completely combust the hydrocarbons upon ignition. A safety valve (46) is provided to release pressure built up within the expansion chamber as during an engine backfire.