Abstract: Energy recovery systems for cold storage warehouses refrigerated by mechanical refrigeration apparatus coacting with a energy recovery unit including a turbine driving an electromotive generator. The cogenerator turbine is driven by the kinetic energy extracted from refrigerant flowing through a first conduit system connecting the compressor, evaporators and condenser of the refrigeration or by the kinetic energy extracted from a coolant being pumped through a second conduit system independent of the first conduit system to cool the compressor as it becomes heated during compression of refrigerant from a vapor phase to a liquid phase during the refrigeration cycle. The extraction of the kinetic energy of the refrigerant flow or coolant flow and the heat generated by the compressor during the refrigerant compression phase represents useful work obtained from the energy recovery system from available surplus energy that otherwise would be wasted.

Abstract: A portable, lightweight confetti cannon for projecting confetti to heights of 30-40 feet in the air is used to create spectacular displays for rock concerts or stage shows. The cannon consists of a hollow barrel having a length of at least 8", preferably at least 16" and a length/diameter ratio of at least 14 having a CO.sub.2 cartridge radially mounted at its base. The cartridge is covered by an insulated grip. A valve is mounted between the cartridge and the barrel and has a cartridge puncturing mechanism which enables complete discharge of CO.sub.2 cartridge contents in less than three seconds.

Abstract: A dental fiberoptic handpiece hose assembly comprises a flexible aspetic outer tubing that contains internally a plurality of conduits and wires for the drive air, exhaust air, coolant water and "chip" air, as well as a fiberoptic bundle and a sensing cable. The outer surface of the tubing is quite smooth and regular without any crevices that would trap bacteria. The outer surface tubing is made from an oil resistant material to discourage cracking and to improve the useful life of the hose assembly. The fiberoptic bundle comprises an acrylic material that is lightweight and flexible. The connection between the handpiece and the hose assembly is a swivelable construction that is quite simple to fabricate. A specially designed adapter is mounted inside the swivel connection and is utilized to connect the conduits of the drive air, exhaust air, chip and and coolant water as well as the fiberoptic bundle and the sensing cable to the handpiece.

Abstract: The prefabricated building element of the present invention is manufactured in a variety of modules. All of the exterior modules have a surface designed to be exposed to the outside environment and fabricated from exterior building materials typically used in the industry. The inside surface is fabricated from interior building materials typically used in the industry. All of the interior modules have both surfaces made from interior building materials.Sheet metal top and bottom channel plates space the inside and outside wall surfaces apart and the inner cavity is filled with insulating material. The lateral end of each building element is closed by a rectangular sheet metal interior support column which also functions as the means to connect each building element to the adjoining building element. Each module has one interior support column per module.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a self-actuating blow forward firearm having a fixed breech block located to the rear of the firearm. A cartridge feeder provides a supply of cartridges to the loading area so that the firearm can be used as an automatic or semi-automatic weapon. The firearm also contains an outer receiver tube and a movable inner gun barrel which is biased toward the rear of the firearm by a spring disposed in a chamber between the receiver tube and the inner movable barrel. When the trigger mechanism is activated, the action of the bias spring causes the inner movable barrel to move backward toward the breech block striping a cartridge from the feeding device and forcing the end of the cartridge against the firing pin on the breech block. The bullet is fired down the bore of the inner movable barrel. The movement of the bullet along the bore of the inner movable barrel drags the barrel forward against the action of the bias spring.

Abstract: An accessory container is designed to be mounted over the top platform of a stepladder. The accessory container includes a forward compartment defined by a front wall, a back interior wall, a right side wall, a left side wall and a bottom wall. The forward compartment is open at the top and provides a storage area for holding tools, equipment and other work supplies that are needed by the worker when he is using the stepladder to perform construction or maintenance chores. The accessory container further includes a rearward compartment defined by the back interior wall, side wall extensions on each of the right and left side walls, a top plate and a rear overlapping lip. The rearward compartment is open at the bottom and allows the accessory container to be mounted over the top of the stepladder. The top platform of the stepladder abuts the underside of top plate of the accessory container and the rear legs of the stepladder abut the back interior wall of the accessory container.

Abstract: A coin is inserted into a coin slot and another coin is dropped from the top center of a playing field into a pachinko-type maze. The pachinko-type maze includes animated diverter pins and a series of capture gates. Each capture gate has associated therewith a pair of upper scoring lights and a pair of lower scoring lights that blink on and off. When the coin passes through a particular capture gate, if both pairs of scoring lights associated with that capture gate are illuminated, an indicator select light associated with the capture gate is illuminated and the player wins. Beneath the capture gates are a plurality of bin doors mounted to be pivotally openable by a bin door cam mechanism. If an indicator select light is illuminated, the player selects one of the bin doors to be opened and any coins lying on the bin door fall through the opening and into the payout hopper.

Abstract: A newspaper vending machine has a newspaper holder with a dispensing housing that holds the newspaper in the holder. When the door of the vending machine is opened, the dispensing housing is mechanically moved from its closed position to an open position which allows a single newspaper to be dispensed down a delivery chute to a location adjacent the door for access by the customer. The dispensing housing is designed to inhibit more than one newspaper at a time from sliding down the chute. The closure of the door mechanically returns the dispensing housing to its closed position and allows another newspaper to load into the dispensing housing for delivery to the next customer.

Abstract: A gaming table is provided with a coin slot and a coin detector at each of a plurality of player locations. Each coin slot and coin detector is connected to a conduit that leads to a hopper on the interior of the gaming table. The hopper collects each coin that is dropped into the coin slot and passes through the coin detector during the play of the game. The hopper includes a dispensing escalator arm that communicates with a chip rack in the surface of the gaming table. An electronic control system is provided associated with the hopper so that a dealer may remotely activate the hopper to dispense coins from the hopper into the chip rack when it is desired to refill the chip rack with coins for use during the play of the game.

Abstract: A nursing bottle assembly of the type in which a collapsible liquid sack having an open end and a closed end and is contained in a protective tube open at both ends that is provided with a plunger for expelling air from a collapsing liquid containing sack. The open top end of the sack is clamped by a nipple mounting cap to one end of the tube. The hollow cylindrical plunger can be inserted into the open end of the protective outer tube opposite its nipple carrying end. Any time liquid is being or has been withdrawn from the sack, the plunger may be manipulated by manual pressure to compress the sack toward the nipple end of the tube to reduce the volumetric capacity of the sack between its closed end and the nipple to prevent any air from accumulating in the sack space vacated by the removed liquid.

Abstract: A portable equipment handling apparatus comprises a track assembly that can be laid out in any desired configuration throughout a manufacturing plant, on a construction site or other desired facility. A movable platform is mounted on the track assembly and receives the equipment or supplies that are to be moved through the facility from an old location to a new location. The tugger puller is secured at the new location and the movable platform is loaded with the equipment or supplies at the old location. The activation of the tugger puller pulls the movable platform from the old location, along the track assembly, to the new location at which the equipment or supplies can be offloaded from the movable platform, if desired. The track assembly can include straight and curved segments to allow the track to be laid out in the desired path. The track can be disposed along floors, up and down stairs, along vertical walls and across ceilings.

Abstract: The coin dispensing device is adapted to be disposed at the bottom of a vertical coin hopper and receives loose coins to be dispensed from the coin hopper. A first rotating agitator disk withdraws the loose coins from the coin hopper and feeds the coins through a central feed aperture in the first rotating disk. A fixed disk lies below the first rotating disk and has a dispensing slot therein that receives the coins from the central feed aperture. The coins to be dispensed are lined up in a row in the dispensing slot from the center of the fixed disk to the periphery thereof for dispensing through an exit slot in the fixed disk. A second rotating dispensing disk lies below the fixed disk and spring biased pusher balls on the second rotating disk push on the edge of each coin to push coins from the center of the fixed disk down the dispensing slot. The dispensing slot in the fixed disk sits adjacent to a coin tray where the loose coins that have been dispensed are accessible to the patron.

Abstract: A fiberoptic dental headpiece hose assembly has a smooth-walled, aseptic outer tubing that contains a plurality of internal components to provide drive air, an exhaust line, chip air and coolant water to the dental handpiece. The fiberoptic handpiece hose assembly is field-serviceable due to the rearend release connection of the outer tubing to the swivel assembly. This permits access to the internal components to allow repairs to be made in the dentist's office. The fiber-optic bundle is made from an acrylic material and the adapter is made generally from plastic to reduce the overall weight of the assembly and to improve the reliability and service life of the assembly.

Abstract: An exhaust gases and particulate capture system comprises an aspirator unit and a secondary stack mounted in fluid cooperation with a large water tank. Exhaust gases, along with entrapped particulates from the combustion process, are removed from a smokestack and are introduced into the aspirator unit and mixed with water from the tank. The gases and particulates are blended with the water in the mixing chamber of the aspirator which churns the gases, particulates and water into a very turbulent condition. The resulting mixture is discharged from the aspirator through an entrainment nozzle into the water tank. The design of the exit end of the entrainment nozzle effects a sweeping motion to the mixture being discharged ensuring that the mixture is discharged over the entire width of the tank holding the water. The exhaust gases and entrapped particulates are cooled and condensed in the water tank and the particulates settle down to the bottom of the tank.

Abstract: A rotary grooving or grinding drum is mounted about a drive shaft. The drum has an inner core of steel, an intermediate sleeve of neoprene rubber and an outer sleeve of steel. The neoprene intermediate sleeve provides absorption of the shocks, jars and harmonic vibrations that the drum undergoes during use. The exterior surface of the outer sleeve is provided with a plurality of cutting segments disposed in a particular configuration depending on whether it is desired to groove or grind the surface of the concrete or asphalt pavement. Each cutting segment or group of segments may be separately removable mounted on the exterior surface of the outer sleeve so that worn out cutting segments can be individually replaced.

Abstract: This power plant utilizes a multi-cylinder hydraulic engine that has a plurality of pistons and cylinders arranged for reciprocal movement. Each piston is powered by a hydraulic fluid or air pressure. The fluid exhausted from one cylinder is sent to another cylinder to act as the inlet fluid to move that cylinder. The engine requires piston and cylinder arrangements in sets or multiples of four (such as 4, 8, 12, 16 and so forth) to provide a balanced system. The engine can be designed in many different arrangements such as four cylinder in line, four cylinder radial, eight cylinder radial, eight cylinder V-shaped, eight cylinder opposed and so forth. These cylinder arrangements can be linked together if desired to provide multiple engine power plants. The piston used in the present invention is a spool-type piston having distinct sections which create distinct upper and lower fluid areas in the cylinder.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for including a progressive jackpot component in a live casino table game. In addition to playing a live casino table game, each player makes an additional wager at the beginning of each hand that makes that player eligible to win all of part of a jackpot. If during the play of the hand a player is dealt a predetermined arrangement of cards, the player wins a preselected percentage of the jackpot amount. The jackpot is progressive in that unwon amounts of the jackpot carry over to the next hand. Apparatus is provided to receive each gaming token wagered for the jackpot component, to increment the jackpot meter which displays the jackpot amount, to decrement the jackpot meter whenever a winning hand is paid and to reset the apparatus for the next hand.

Abstract: The method of playing a game utilizes one or more decks of cards. One card is dealt to a first player and one card is dealt to a second player. The numerical value of the first player's card is compared to the numerical value of the second player's card. If the numerical values are the same, the game is over and the deal is declared a tie. If the numerical value of the first player's hand is not the same as the value of the second player's hand, another card is dealt to the player having the lower numerical value. Again the total numerical values are compared. If a tie now exists, again the game is over and the hand is declared a tie. The dealing of cards to the hand having the lower total numerical value continues until a tie exists or until one of the hands exceeds a predetermined value. Once one of the hands exceeds the predetermined value, the other hand wins.

Abstract: Adapter for a mastic applicator and finishing tool flat box having a guide plate and corner guide assembly adapted to be mounted on opposite side and end walls of the flat box. Each corner guide is slidable between an extended position in which it has an end portion that can be projected beyond the end wall on which the assembly is mounted. The extended end portion is adapted to straddle a corner bead to guide the movement of the flat box along the corner bead during mastic filling of the corner bead. The corner guide end portion position in retracted position being out of contact with the wall board thereby permitting normal flat box mastic dispensing movement across the flat wall board surface. Each adapter guide plate having a flange portion overlying the flat box wall end on which it is mounted, the surface of the flange functioning as wear shoes adapted to ride on the abrasive wall board surfaces during normal flat box operation and during bead filling operation.

Abstract: An auger assembly for drilling holes or similar openings in the ground includes an auger blade mounted for vertical movement and a dirt retaining shell that surrounds the auger blade also mounted for vertical movement independently of the auger blade. When the hole has been drilled to the appropriate depth, the retaining shell is lowered down into the hole to surround the auger blade and the auger blade and the retaining shell are removed from the hole simultaneously. The retaining shell retains the dirt on the auger blade to prevent the dirt from falling back into the hole. A pair of lateral extensions provide a cutting a cutting edge on the perimeter of the auger blade in order to provide a hole which is slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the auger blade to permit the retaining shell to be lowered around the auger blade.