Abstract: A laser welding method and apparatus includes a laser manipulator that directs a laser beam emitted from a laser generator at various predetermined angles toward predetermined positions within a laser work zone. A transport device passes workpieces through the laser work zone where the laser beam manipulator can direct a laser beam at desired interfacing portions of each workpiece to weld those interfacing portions together. The controller is programmed to cause the manipulator to weld the workpieces without halting their motion through the laser work zone.

Abstract: An exercise device for a person. The exercise device includes mounting straps for mounting on each of two body members on opposite sides of a selected joint of the person, a support member connected to each mounting strap, and a resistance mechanism interconnecting the support members for exercising at least one of the two body members upon repeated moving at least one of the members. The selected joint comprises one of a knee, a hip, an ankle, a wrist, an elbow, and a shoulder. The resistance mechanism includes one of a damper and a pulley with associated rubber bands connected to the oppositely disposed support members.

Abstract: The portable office includes a soft-sided case with six walls. The top and second side are openable. The inside of the case includes a terminal compartment, a fixed computer support shelf and a moveable printer shelf. A remote edge of the moveable printer shelf is removeably attached to the second side. A holding assembly holds the second side in an open position. A strap assembly holds the moveable printer shelf in a position parallel to and above the fixed computer shelf when the second side is open. When the second side is closed, the strap assembly holds the moveable shelf generally parallel to the second side with a printer between the second side and the moveable shelf.

Abstract: A multilayer material for sliding elements with a metallic backing layer and a plastics overlay applied thereto achieves good adhesion to the substrate without the disadvantages of known PVDF-based bearing materials. The plastics overlay comprises a PVDF content of 60-95 vol. %, the remainder consisting of PTFE or PTFE and at least one further component with a density of <7 g/cm3. The content of this further component may amount to a maximum of 5 vol. %. The other components comprise fully or partially aromatic polymers such as PI, PAE, polyamides, PPS, PES, PEEK, PSU or polyester, carbon variants such as graphite, carbon black, C fibers or coke, as well as MoS2, BN or CaF2 or CaCo3. The production method consists in scattering a powder mixture of these components onto the metallic backing material and then heating it to above the softening point of the PVDF component to form the plastics overlay, the plastics overlay thereafter being rolled smooth.

Abstract: A steel monobloc piston for diesel engines is formed with a relatively short piston skirt whose lower edge resides below the axis of the pin bores of the piston, but located at or above a lowest tangent point of the pin bores. The piston body preferably has a closed oil cooling gallery and the skirt is preferably joined at its upper end to an outer wall of the piston in which a plurality of ring grooves are formed.

Abstract: In an off-line, free standing, parts-orienting and feeding device, selected parts are fed by a hopper to and oriented in a centrifugal or vibratory parts feeder unit, and then discharged to a programmed transferring arrangement. The latter includes a slide shuttle unit for alternately receiving discharged parts in a plurality or passages and aligning the part receiving passages with one or more pressurized air passages to blow the parts through selected transfer tubes to pick and placement devices which serve to place the parts continually one at a time on packaging materials being processed on one or more packaging machines. Limit devices on each transfer tube signal the slide shuttle unit to realign the parts receiving passages with the pressurized air passages to provide parts as required by each machine.

Abstract: A carburetor having a first valve to control the application of pressure pulses to a fuel metering assembly of the carburetor through a first flow path and a second valve which controls application of pressure pulses to the fuel metering assembly through at least a second flow path to provide an enriched fuel and air mixture to the engine to facilitate starting the engine and warming it up. The pressure pulses are preferably applied to a fuel metering diaphragm to actuate the diaphragm and cause a richer than normal fuel and air mixture to be delivered to the engine. Desirably, a maximum enrichment of the fuel and air mixture is obtained when both valves are open to facilitate starting the engine, and a lesser enrichment of the mixture may be obtained when only one valve is open to facilitate warming the engine up after it is initially started.

Abstract: An oil reservoir for a vehicle transmission includes a separately formed oil pan and suction tube each formed of plastics material. A filter cartridge is disposed about a lower end portion of the suction tube to filter oil entering an oil inlet of the suction tube at the lower end. The suction tube and floor of the oil pan have snap-together connecting structure. To assemble the suction tube with the floor of the oil pan, the tube is simply pressed toward the pan causing the connecting structure to engage with a snap-fit connection.

Abstract: The trousers for bow hunters have a bow rest pocket on the outside of one or both legs of the trousers and below the knee. The bow rest pocket is formed by a generally triangular panel that is sewn to the trousers leg along a generally horizontal panel edge and along a generally vertical panel edge. The bow rest pocket is open upwardly and rearwardly. The bow rest pocket is positioned on a trouser leg in a position that minimizes the movement required to draw, aim and shoot at a wild animal from a ground blind or a tree stand. The bow rest pocket can support a bow or a camera mounted on a monopod or support leg.

Abstract: A wheel drive disconnect system for use in electrically powered vehicles for transporting the physically challenged having at least one wheel comprising a rim, a wheel hub sleeve, and a radially extending plate connecting the rim and hub sleeve. A rotatably driven shaft drive is freely received by the hub sleeve and a releasable drive transmitter axially freely receives the drive shaft device and has a first position in which it is driven and a second axially displaced position in which it is not. Protrusions and drive surfaces provided between the wheel plate and drive transmitter are in radial alignment for driving the wheel in rotation when the drive transmitter member is in the first position and for permitting free wheeling of the wheel when the drive transmitter has been axially displaced and the protrusions and drive surfaces are out of radial alignment.

Abstract: A rotor assembly for comminuting scrap wood and other like material has a rotor drum including a drive shaft and at least one radially projecting tool supporting member with a tool assembly receiving pocket. A releasable tool is locked in the pocket and comprises a shank, with an outer cutting head thereon, received in the pocket to bear upon the front wall of the pocket. The shank has an inclined front wall matching the inclined front wall of the pocket. A wedge mating member has a more inclined rear surface bearing upon the inclined rear wall of the pocket and a front wall bearing upon the tool shank. The wedge has a threaded opening for a threaded abutment member which is manipulatible to draw the wedge member outwardly to releasably clamp the tool shank.

Abstract: A portable mechanic's bench removably spans vehicle hood ledges having lateral flanges extending from upstanding fender components bordering the vehicle engine compartment and may comprise a tray with an open top. A pair of drawers with open tops are laterally telescopically received by the tray to be movable from a first position in which the drawers are in laterally inward storage position to an outwardly extended operative position. Legs diverge downwardly and laterally outwardly to exert wedging stress on the fender upstanding components to hold the bench in position.

Abstract: A series of transport carts are positioned in side by side relation in fore and aft extending spaced apart rows disposed along a delivery van to leave an aisle between them. The carts have wheel supported upright frames with bottom supports for the products disposed at a level above the floor of the van and open fronts with front decks movable from a stowed retracted position to a generally horizontal operative position adjacent the bottom supports. The decks are movable into generally abutting relation to form a raised false floor between the rows of carts on which hand trucks can travel.

Abstract: A foam control agent, comprising (A) an organopolysiloxane material having at least one silicon-bonded substituent of the formula X-Ph, wherein X denotes a divalent aliphatic organic group bonded to silicon through a carbon atom and Ph denotes an optionally substituted aromatic group, (B) a water-insoluble organic fluid, (C) an organosilicon resin and (D) a hydrophobic filler. The foam control agent may be provided as an emulsion or as a particulate material. It is especially useful as a detergent foam control agent.

Abstract: A foam control agent comprises (A) an organopolysiloxane material having at least one silicon-bonded substituent of the formula X—Ph, wherein X denotes a divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group and Ph denotes an optionally substituted aromatic group, (B) an organosilicon resin and (C) a hydrophobic filler. The organosilicon resin (B) preferably consists of siloxane units of the formula R′aSiO4−a/2 wherein R′ denotes a hydroxyl, hydrocarbon or hydrocarbonoxy group, particularly trialkylsiloxy units and SiO4/2 units, wherein a has a value of from 0.5 to 2.4. The foam control agent may be provided as an emulsion or as a particulate material. It is especially useful as a detergent foam control agent.

Abstract: A single-cam compound archery bow that includes a bow handle having projecting limbs, a control wheel rotatably mounted on an end of one of the limbs, and a power cam rotatably mounted on the end of the other limb. The power cam includes a cam base and a draw length adjustment module that is adjustably positioned on or adjustably replaceable on the cam base. A power cable segment is anchored at one end to the one limb and at a second end to the power cam at a position to wrap into and unwrap from a power cable groove on the draw length adjustment module. The sidewalls of the power cable groove are eliminated adjacent to the axis of the power cam to eliminate the undesirable feel of the power cable rubbing against the groove sidewalls at the limit of bow draw. A bowstring cable segment is anchored to the control wheel and to the power cam at positions to wrap into and unwrap from first and second bowstring let-out grooves on the control wheel and the power cam respectively.

Abstract: A sleeve-type gas spring for a turret indexing press has an annular piston operably associated with a punch tool to reciprocate therewith and defining in part an annular gas chamber constructed to receive a gas under pressure. As the punch tool and piston are driven to their extended position by a press ram or some such other power device, the volume of the gas chamber decreases thereby increasing the pressure within the gas chamber such that when the ram is retracted, the pressure of the gas acting on the piston displaces the piston and the punch tool to their retracted positions. The force acting to retract the piston and the punch is dependent on the initial pressure of the gas within the gas chamber and the change in volume of the gas chamber as the punch tool and piston are extended.

Abstract: A compacted and sintered gear blank is supported for rotation about a first axis adjacent a tool supported for rotation about a second axis transverse to the first axis. The tool has a series of gear cutting teeth and an adjacent set of gear densifying portions. The gear cutting teeth of the tool are moved into engagement with the powder metal gear blank to cut gear teeth into the blank. The tool is then shifted to bring the densifying portions of the tool into engagement with the teeth and the surfaces of the teeth densified by the tool.

Abstract: A breakaway swing-down cup holder assembly including a cup tray that pivots between a horizontal deployed position and a vertical stowed position. Support arms fixed to the cup tray slide through respective apertures in the support panel as the tray moves between the deployed and stowed positions. Arm retainers disposed adjacent the aperture in the support panel arrest downward cup tray movement at the deployed position by engaging and retaining support arm detents. The support arm detents are designed to pull free of the retainers when a predetermined amount of downward force is applied to the cup tray. This allows the tray to give way and drop below the deployed position without damaging the tray, support arms, arm retainers or any associated structures. The support arm detents can be re-engaged with the retainers by merely rotating the cup tray upward into the deployed position with a single motion of one hand and without having to directly manipulate the support arms.

Abstract: A drive disconnect device is provided in which input and output shafts are provided in splined engagement. The splines are aligned with the axes of the input and output shafts such that the force acting between the shafts in a separating direction is substantially invariant of the torque being transmitted. The shafts are spring biased to a disengaged position. The biasing force is resisted by a meltable restraining element which is arranged to melt when the temperature exceeds an acceptable value so as to allow the spring to cause the shafts to disengage from one another.