Abstract: A container of stabilized media with a growing plant therein comprising a fluid-tight container open at the upper end, a body of soil mix in the container with a growing plant having the roots thereof in the body of soil mix and having the stalk thereof extending outwardly from the upper surface, and a quantity of synthetic organic plastic resin distributed throughout the body of soil mix and around the roots in an acetone solution, the resin being reacted in situ to form an open-celled hydrophilic polymer binding the body of soil mix into a cohesive mass and to the adjacent inner surfaces of the container and binding the roots in the cohesive mass, the roots being disposed substantially uniformly throughout the adjacent portions of the cohesive mass and the stalk being intimately surrounded by the cohesive mass and extending through the upper surface thereof; there also is disclosed a container wherein the growing plant is disposed in a soil plug that is stabilized by an open-celled hydrophilic polymer; ther

Abstract: A polymerized soil plug with a growing plant molded therein comprising a body of spongy open-celled hydrophilic polymer, a growing plant having the roots thereof in the body of spongy polymer and having the stalk thereof extending outwardly from one surface, and a quantity of particles of soil mix distributed throughout the body of spongy polymer, a quantity of synthetic organic plastic resin being reacted in situ to form the body spongy open-celled hydrophilic polymer binding the particles of soil mix therein and into a plug and binding the roots in the plug, the soil mix comprising from about 20% to about 80% by dry weight of the soil plug, the roots being distributed substantially uniformly throughout the adjacent portions of the plug and the stalk being intimately surrounded by the plug; the method of making such a soil plug is also disclosed as well as a package for retail sale of the soil plugs with growing plants therein; also disclosed are hangers and a plaque for receiving the soil plugs.

Abstract: A potted plant assembly including a container open at the upper end thereof, a body of material filling the container to a predetermined level, a quantity of foam-forming synthetic organic plastic resin distributed throughout the body of material, the quantity of resin being reacted in situ to form an open-celled hydrophilic polymer binding the body of material into a cohesive mass and to the adjacent inner surfaces of the container, a body of foam in the container extending from the predetermined level upwardly adjacent to the upper end of the container, the foam being an open-celled hydrophilic polymer of synthetic organic plastic resin and being secured to the upper surface of the cohesive mass and the adjacent inner surfaces of the container, and a growing plant having the roots thereof substantially uniformly disposed throughout the adjacent portions of the body of foam and the stalk thereof intimately surrounded by the body of foam and extending through the upper surface; also disclosed is a potted plan

Abstract: A loader including a support for holding at a loading station a container having openings in the bottom, a continuous conveyor having alternating conveyor sections and window sections passing by the loading station and disposed above and in registration with the support, a platen disposed beneath the support and carrying a plurality of pins extending upwardly and having the upper ends disposed in a plane, means for moving the pins to a receiving position with the upper ends extending through the openings in the container bottom and disposed immediately below the loading station and a depositing position wherein the pins are withdrawn from the openings in the container on the support, and structure for feeding a package onto one of the conveyor sections and off the conveyor section at the loading station and into and through the trailing window section to deposit the package gently upon the pins, whereby upon moving the pins to the depositing position the package is deposited in the container; also disclosed i

Abstract: A hopper valve module is adapted to be removably mounted in the well of a hopper of a hopper dredge vessel for opening and closing the hopper outlet, the module being attached to the vessel only adjacent to the hopper outlet so that the module may be removed as a unit. An annular ring is secured around the top of the hopper well with support arms extending upwardly therefrom to support a vertically extending cylindrical housing having a hydraulic drive cylinder mounted therein with a piston rod connected to a valve member which closes against a valve seat to provide a watertight seal.In a first embodiment of the invention a conicalvalve member is coupled by a universal joint to the piston rod and has a replaceable resilient covering for sealing against the valve seat at the bottom of the hopper well. A watertight enclosure is provided for the drive means.

Abstract: A method of preparing a stabilized fuel slurry is disclosed wherein a petroleum fuel oil is mixed with run of the mine coal and with an emulsifier, which is capable of forming a thixotropic water external-oil high internal phase emulsion. The slurry is mechanically mixed to comminute the coal to produce a stabilized fuel slurry with coal particles having diameters as large as about 1/4 inch. The slurry is injected through lances into a blast furnace, the lances may provide concentric streams of slurry and steam. The slurry may also be used in other fuel burning furnaces such as boilers, cement kilns, etc.

Abstract: A swivel mount includes a support bracket including a pair of parallel swivel arms spaced apart to accommodate a loudspeaker assembly therebetween, and having coaxial openings therethrough respectively carrying therein two plunger-actuated expansion type fasteners, the expansible portions of which extend inwardly from the swivel arms. Two swivel members are respectively fixedly secured to opposite sides of the loudspeaker assembly, each having a hollow cylindrical portion receiving therein the expansible portion of the adjacent fastener for support thereon and for rotational and axial movement with respect thereto. Each swivel member carries detent teeth and is axially movable for meshing engagement thereof with complementary detent teeth on the adjacent swivel arm for preventing relative rotational movement of the swivel member and swivel arm.

Abstract: A soap dispenser, particularly for liquid soap, including a support bracket adapted to be mounted on a wall, actuating means attached to the support bracket, emitting means fixedly attached to the support bracket, a liquid soap container attachable to the emitting means, pumping means for emitting a charge of liquid soap from the emitting means, and actuating means in impositive actuating contact with the pumping means.

Abstract: The receiver includes a decoder responsive to certain characteristics of a coded signal, such as the frequency of tones, for producing a decoded signal indicative of second characteristics of the coded signal, such as the durations of the tones. A duration detector is responsive to the decoded signal to provide a detected signal having properties indicative of the tone duration. A utilization circuit is coupled to the detector and is operated in accordance with the properties of the detected signal. The utilization circuit may be an annunciator which produces an audible or visual alerting signal, or it may express digital information, or it may be a system which is to be remotely controlled. Such receiver may be one in a system of various groups of receivers which can be contacted simultaneously if desired.

Abstract: A dental floss holder for supporting a strip or length of dental floss in position ready for use which comprises a forked member having a pair of spaced arms and an extension at the inner end of the forked member. A dental floss strip of a prescribed length is strung on the holder so that the opposite ends of the strip are adjacent the extension, with a portion of the strip extending between the spaced arms. The extension is adapted to be detachably secured to the end of a handle which is part of a toothbrush, with the opposite ends of the strip being held locked between the extension and the handle end and with the portion of the strip between the arms maintained in a tensioned and taut condition. The extension may be in the form of a socket which receives the end of the handle. In another version the socket receives a sleeve which locks the opposite ends of the strip in a secured and taut position before the dental floss holder is secured to the end of the handle.

Abstract: Electronic patch circuitry interconnects a wire telephone line with the base station transmitter and receiver of a simplex two-way radio communication system, for causing VOX-type operation with very fast voice-operated keying between transmitter and receiver. The system is operable in a telephone line priority mode in which it responds to telephone line audio signals for keying the transmitter on and the receiver off regardless of whether or not the receiver is on at the time, and is also operable in an "anti-VOX" mode. An automatic telephone line connector circuit responds to telephone ringing signals on the telephone line at the base station. The circuit then transmits a coded signal to a remote radio transceiver, which can return a signal to "answer" the base station telephone and connect it to the patch circuitry. Automatic dialing means are provided for initiating a telephone call from the remote radio transceiver.

Abstract: A railway train includes a plurality of interconnected tank cars, each car comprising a tank provided with two lading conduits in the top thereof extending thereinto for communication with the interior thereof and each having an outer end extending above the tank and toward the adjacent end thereof and terminating inboard of the adjacent tank car end, the lading conduits of adjacent cars being interconnected by flexible connecting conduits; one lading conduit extends diagonally downwardly and terminates near the bottom of the tank for filling and/or eduction unloading thereof with the other lading conduit terminating near the top of the tank for venting and filling of an adjacent tank and for automatically determining the outage of the tank. An inlet and outlet assembly may be mounted in the bottom of the tank providing a sump in registry with the bottom terminal portion of the eduction conduit.

Abstract: The photoelastic strain gauge coating comprises a sheet of photoelastic material of predetermined shape having a multiplicity of minute discontinuities or sets of discontinuities arranged in a predetermined grid. The predetermined shape and grid, together with boundary devices, provide a standard format to enable use of supporting computer programs. In practicing the method, the coating is bonded to the workpiece surface to be analyzed, and then illuminated by polarized light and photographed. The photograph is then magnified greatly to enable examination seriatim of the patterns at and about each discontinuity or set of discontinuities. The data thus obtained is processed, using the supporting computer programs to obtain a strain field of the portion of the workpiece covered by the coating.

Abstract: A railway tank car is provided for interconnection in fluid communication with associated tank cars. Each of the tank cars includes a tank mounted on a chassis structure with two lading conduits respectively coupled to the tank, each having an outer end extending outwardly from the tank adjacent to the top thereof and at least one having an inner end extending into the tank and terminating near the bottom thereof. A vapor vent is connected to the tank to vent gas vapors produced during loading. The vent is closed by a valve actuated by a control mechanism in response to a level sensing means which determines the level of liquid lading in the tank. The tank car or train may be loaded or unloaded from either end thereof since the cars can have symmetrical internal piping, and, similarly the gas vapor may be collected from either end of the tank car or train.

Abstract: An air register for mounting in a duct outlet of a forced air heating or ventilation system includes a frame carrying a plurality of pivotally movable horizontal and vertical louvers disposed in the stream of air from the duct. A generally cylindrical reel-type windmill is mounted on the frame for rotation by the stream of air about an axis disposed substantially perpendicular to the direction of the stream of air, and is coupled by a speed reducing gear train and a crank mechanism to a connecting rod interconnecting the vertical louvers for effecting continuous oscillatory movement thereof in response to rotation of the windmill by the stream of air for continuously varying the direction of the stream of air from the register. The entire apparatus is dimensioned and arranged to fit within the 23/4-inch depth of a standard room wall air duct outlet.

Abstract: Apparatus for staggering product delivered to multiple product lanes. A merging conveyor receives the staggered product from the product lanes and merges the product into a single lane.A split conveyor is disclosed in which alternate groups of product positioning supports and product conveying supports position and convey the product in staggered relation to a merging conveyor for merging into a single lane without product accumulation.

Abstract: A railway train made up of individual tank cars for interconnection and fluid communication with associated-like tank cars by flexible connecting conduits, wherein each tank car includes a wheeled chassis structure provided with coupling means for coupling adjacent tank cars. A tank is mounted on the chassis structure and has two lading conduits respectively coupled to the tank and in fluid communication therewith, each of the lading conduits having an outer end extending outwardly from the tank adjacent to the top thereof. Each of the lading conduits is connected to a vent conduit and to an eduction conduit with the vent conduit extending into the tank and having the inner end thereof terminating a predetermined distance from and near the top of the tank and with the eduction conduit extending into the tank and having the inner end thereof terminating near the bottom of the tank.

Abstract: The method of expanding and transferring a carton from a stack of collapsed cartons in a magazine to a bucket on a conveyor wherein the cartons comprise at one end thereof two side flaps and a front flap which includes a tuck flap. The method of expanding the carton comprises partially expanding the carton, closing the front flap while the carton is partially expanded thereby spreading the second flap outwardly, holding the second flap open while spreading the first and front flaps outwardly by applying pressure from the inside surfaces thereof and fully expanding the carton while holding the first, second and front flaps in their spread position.