Abstract: A female condom has a pouch that has a predeployment position on the outer surface of a shield portion wherein the pouch includes a telescoped portion forming an exteriorly accessible pocket for receiving a retention sponge; the retention sponge is sealed within the exteriorly accessible pocket by a removable cover that seals the sponge within the exteriorly accessible pocket while in its predeployment position; the locking and sealing member is removable from the telescoped pouch portion for deployment.

Abstract: A linear ball screw actuator assembly and a method of constructing it. The actuator assembly has a housing for a ball screw and ball nut which together define a raceway between them for a recirculating ball bearing train of balls, one of the screw and nut being reciprocable along a z axis responsive to rotation of the other and being adapted to be coupled to a member to be actuated. The housing has gearing for transmitting rotation to the other of the ball and screw nut in a direction lateral to the z axis. A base for the housing is spaced from the housing and has a base journal journaling the first pin extending along a first pin axis laterally perpendicular to the z axis. The housing has a housing journal journaling a second pin extending crosswisely perpendicular to the first pin. The second pin axis intersects the z axis and x axis. The pins are coupled in a manner to permit relative rotation of the base and housing about either pin axis, or both, to obviate misalignment problems.

Abstract: An air abatement system that includes a pre-treatment system and an air treatment system for abatement of contaminated air that includes pollutants such as V.O.C.s, NOx, and/or CO. The air stream is treated using activated air, activated water, and ultraviolet light under conditions that produce hyroxyls, peroxides, and other oxidants without the formation of ozone. These oxidants are also utilized in the activated air, with the activated water being formed as an aqueous solution of the activated air. The pre-treatment system includes a quenching zone where activated water is misted into the air stream, followed by alternating reaction zones and depletion zones where activated air is added and then turbulently mixed with the air stream. The air treatment system includes a primary treatment tunnel, carbon bed system, activated air generator, and a sparger tank farm. Activated air produced by the generator as added into water while being exposed to ultraviolet light in the sparger tank farm.

Abstract: A hold down arrangement for an air bag door closing a deployment opening of an instrument panel comprises a molded plastics receiver provided on the backside of the door formed with a bore having a wall. A threaded fastener is supported by structure of the panel and includes an externally threaded shank that is threaded into the bore to provide a strippable hold down connection sufficient to secure the door against inadvertent opening until such time as the air bag is deployed.

Abstract: An improved hand truck has a pair of laterally spaced side rails, connected by crosswise braces laterally to form a hand truck frame. Axle supporting front to rear extending brackets are fixed to the lower ends of the side rails and mount axle and wheel mechanism. A forwardly projecting nose piece is fixed to the lower end of the frame. A plurality of trays having product stabilizing crosswise wall abutments of a crosswise length less than the spacing between the side rails have rearwardly extending tray brackets hingedly supported by the frame side rails for movement from a substantially horizontal load supporting operative position above the nose piece to a vertically disposed inoperative stowed position in substantial parallelism with the side rails in which the tray abutments extend between the side rails.

Abstract: A dosing apparatus 1 includes a material flow control arrangement 2 including vertical ducting 4 having co-axial therewith a vertically reciprocatory rod 5 mounting at its ends inlet and outlet valve closure plugs 6a and 6b. The upper and lower end zones of the ducting 4 define respective circular-cylindrical inlet and outlet 13a and 13b bounded by respective circular-cylindrical valve seats 14a and 14b in which the plugs 6a and 6b are sliding fits. Mounted on at least one horizontal extension piece 4d of the ducting 4 is at least one dosing pump 16. When the outlet 13b is closed by the plug 6b, the cross-section of the inlet 13a is unobstructed; similarly, when the inlet 13a is closed by the plug 6a, the cross-section of the outlet 13b is unobstructed. Furthermore, in an intermediate position of the rod 5, the cross-sections of both the inlet 13a and the outlet 13b are unobstructed, so that passage of a cleaning fluid through the ducting 4 is facilitated.

Abstract: A portable pet training device includes a generally L-shaped base having a flat bottom wall and an upstanding end wall that can be placed practically in any location on any support surface. A coil spring is anchored at one of its ends to the upstanding end wall and extends in cantilevered fashion over the bottom wall to a free end on which a bell is attached. A housepet may be conditioned to strike the spring which in turn causes the bell to ring when it is necessary to gain the attention of a caretaker.

Abstract: A discrete air bag tear seam is provided in the finishing cover of an interior component of an automotive vehicle. An applique installed on the cover has an elongated external decorator head concealing the tear seam. Elongated and laterally spaced retention flanges of the applique stabilize and releasably retain the cover at the tear seam. The applique is secured to a fixed retainer part of the component and operates by releasing the cover at the tear seam to form an air bag door in response to the forced outward movement of an underlying door substrate on air bag deployment. The underlying door substrate exerts a force on the cover and particularly the outer skin thereof and causes it to pull away from the applique starting at the concealed tear seam to establish an opening for improved air bag deployment.

Abstract: A combined heat and electricity generating unit is suitable for use in single family homes and the like. When it is operating it provides heat for heating the home and electricity for use by the electricity consuming devices in the home and the excess is available for sale to the power utility. It includes an air compressor, a fuel pump, a turbine driven by heated combustion products and an electric motor-generator for driving the fuel pump and air compressor and converting energy produced by the turbine to electricity. In an alternate embodiment the electric motor-generator is replaced by an electric motor and an electric generator. In the case where gaseous fuel is used the fuel pump may be a positive displacement gas compressor. The pressurized combustion products enable a particularly efficient and inexpensive heat exchanger. The air compressor maintains a slight vacuum in the housing thereby eliminating risk of combustion products escaping.

Abstract: A crash sensor for automobiles of the type including a ball moving against viscous damping in a closed tube has a much smaller hall than known designs and a power transistor to switch power in the firing circuit. A resistance sensing circuit enables the crash sensor to monitor the firing circuit and indicate a change in the resistance of the fining circuit. In two embodiments simple message patterns allow communication of diagnostic information through existing wiring. A latching circuit maintains the switch in its closed state after initial closing. The small size of the ball enables use of a plastic or aluminum tube. The tube may have fluted walls that form air ducts that viscously conduct much of the air displaced when the ball moves. Routing most of the air through the ducts eliminates the uncertainty in the viscous resistance resulting when all of the air flows between the ball and the inner diameter of the tube. The movable element may be a sensing mass having a nonspherical shape.

Abstract: The smoking attachment for use with a barbecue grill has a smoker box with a solid bottom plate, left and right side walls, a rear wall, a top, an open front and two doors that close and substantially seal the smoker box. Support brackets on the side walls support the smoker box on a grill box with the solid bottom plate above a grill heat source. A smoker box divider plate divides the smoker box into a wood chip chamber and a smoking chamber. A wood chip box holds wood chips and sets inside the wood chip chamber. Tray and rack holders support racks and trays with food products in the smoking chamber. Smoke from the wood chips passes through smoke passages in the smoker box divider plate and through smoke passage apertures in the tray and rack holders. Vertical smoke baffles on the tray and rack holders control the distribution of heat and smoke.

Abstract: A crash sensor for automobiles of the type including a ball moving against viscous damping in a closed tube has a much smaller ball than known designs and a power transistor to switch power in the firing circuit. A resistance sensing circuit enables the crash sensor to monitor the firing circuit and indicate a change in the resistance of the firing circuit. In two embodiments simple message patterns allow communication of diagnostic information through existing wiring. A latching circuit maintains the switch in its closed state after initial closing. The small size of the ball enables use of a plastic or aluminum tube. The tube may have fluted walls that form air ducts that viscously conduct much of the air displaced when the ball moves. Routing most of the air through the ducts eliminates the uncertainty in the viscous resistance resulting when all of the air flows between the ball and the inner diameter of the tube. The movable element may be a sensing mass having a nonspherical shape.

Abstract: A gauntlet athletic sled for use by football trainers has a sled frame with spaced apart side sections defining a runway between them from a front end to a rear end. A front to rear extending series of readily removable, position adjustable inflated resilient arms project from the side sections laterally into the runway to create a predetermined obstacle path simulating the arms and hands of would be tacklers, which must be deflected aside to permit passage of the runner down the pathway. The varied pressure of arm inflation controls the resistance to passage of the runner proceeding down the runway.

Abstract: A reverse pulse cleaning system for use in a bag house filter including a blow tube (2) having outlet holes (3) to direct high velocity air pulses into filter bags to be cleaned. The systems includes a nozzle (1) having a control formation between the inlet and outlet ends of the nozzle. The control formation determines air flow characteristics such as velocity and direction of flow emerging from the outlet holes (3) and can improve uniformity and effectiveness of filter bag cleaning. A clampable and releasable fixing of the nozzle (1) to the blow tube allows replacement of the control formation with one of different characteristics during manufacturing or insitu fine tuning. The fixing allows the precise alignment of nozzles (1) on assembly which reduces the need for costly precision in forming the blow tube outlet holes (3).

Abstract: A tractor driven stump grinder for a wheeled tractor frame having a drive motor operating the wheels to move the tractor forwardly and rearwardly, the tractor having a support member movable vertically on the tractor frame and rotatably carrying a generally vertically disposed broadsidely oriented grinder disc. A series of circumferentially spaced generally radial stump grinding tools project peripherally from each vertical face of the grinder disc, and a drive mechanism is provided for rotating the grinder disc in a plane transverse to the longitudinal tractor frame as it cuts a horizontal swath and then a subjacent swath in a pass across the upper end of a stump in both forward and rearward directions of movement of the tractor.

Abstract: An electric tree trimming apparatus includes an elongate telescoping tubular handle having a bracket provided on its upper end that releasably mounts and electric chain saw with the bar of the saw supported at an obtuse angle with respect to the handle. A coiled extension cord is accommodated within the handle and has a socket supported adjacent the upper end of the handle for releasable attachment to a plug of the saw, and a plug at the opposite end for connection to a power source. A remote trigger switch is mounted on the handle adjacent the lower end and is electrically coupled to the extension cord of the handle to enable remote operation of the saw.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to apparatus for processing a specimen, particularly an integrated circuit, in which an area of the specimen to be processed is scanned with a corpuscular beam and at least one gas is supplied above the area to be processed so that with the aid of the corpuscular beam a chemical reaction takes place on the area to be processed. The processing speed can be markedly increased by the use of a magnetic field in the region of the probe.

Abstract: The cold weather hood includes a left side wall, a right side wall, a rear wall, and a front wall. A face opening is provided in the front wall. A cord passes through a tubular passage around the face opening, and controls the size of the face opening. Shoulder recesses are provided in the lower portion of the hood, and leave a chest flap and a back flap between the recesses. Left and right ear openings are provided in the side walls. Ear opening covers are attached to the side walls above the ear openings. The ear opening covers can be held in contact with inside surfaces of the hood surrounding the ear openings to close the ear openings. The ear opening covers can also be held against the outside surface of the hood above the ear openings by magnets to open the openings for improved hearing.

Abstract: A combination vent valve/purge valve apparatus (10) for an automotive fuel vapor recovery system canister (14) comprises a purge valve (26) and a vent valve (16) in a single housing. When open, the vent valve (16) allows outside air to enter the canister (14). The purge valve (26), when open, allows fuel vapor to flow from the canister (14) into a vacuum source (12). A gas channel (28, 130, 168) extends between a vent chamber (18) within the vent valve (16) and a purge chamber (28) within the purge valve (26). When the purge valve (26) is open and a purge plunger (86) within the purge chamber (28) is positioned away from the gas channel (28, 130, 168), the manifold vacuum draws air from one side of a diaphragm (126) within the vent chamber (18) drawing the diaphragm (126) and a vent plunger (152) downward against a spring to close the vent valve (16). When the purge plunger (86) is positioned to block the gas channel (28, 130, 168), the spring forces the vent plunger (152) upward to open the vent valve (16).

Abstract: Wheel lubricating apparatus includes a conveyor for transporting wheels on their side in succession into position to be lifted by a lower unit into clamp engagement with an upper stationary unit to support the wheel to be lubricated against rotation. A pair of lubricant brushes are supported by a rotary carriage on opposite sides of the wheel and are rotated in alternating half rotations during each successive soaping cycle to apply soap to the bead seats of the wheels.