Abstract: A zone control apparatus for central heating and/or cooling systems having a central fluid heating and/or cooling plant and conduits for directing the heated or cooled fluid to the rooms in a house or other building being serviced by the system. The zone control apparatus comprises one or more flow control devices operatively associated with respective fluid conduits in the central heating and/or cooling system, and a cycle controller for cycling the flow control device or devices between high and low (or no) flow conditions at times strategically selected to correspond to periods of high and low use of the room or rooms with which the flow control devices are respectively associated. Accordingly, the apparatus operates automatically to eliminate unnecessary heating or cooling of individual rooms or zones during cyclical periods of low or no use whereby substantial energy savings and other benefits may be obtained with minimal compromise in comfort.

Abstract: Limited angle torque motor includes a rotor assembly having one or more permanent magnets which are magnetized in the diametrical direction and a stator assembly having a plurality of axially spaced pairs of stator pole pieces, each pair having a stator coil extending circumferentially therearound. Each stator pole piece includes a generally axially extending pole blade and a radially outwardly extending flange portion at one end only of each pole piece, said flange portions being at opposite ends of the pole pieces of each pair. One or more of the stator coils and associated pairs of pole pieces may be rotationally offset with respect to one or more other coils and associated pairs of pole pieces to provide for the reshaping or widening of the resulting magnetic reluctance and interaction of magnetic fields torques versus rotation characteristics for a given motor design.

Abstract: Method of manufacturing synthetic resin pen nibs is disclosed, which pen nibs may suitably be employed in writing instruments for fine lettering or drawing fine lines. The pen nibs are formed of thermoplastic crystalline synthetic resin, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate resin, which is extruded from a molding die and subjected to rapid cooling to form a continuous rod in amorphous state. The rod is axially stretched under predetermined temperature condition to achieve oriented crystallization of the resin molecules, and is further heat-treated such that non-oriented fine crystals are dispersed and grown between oriented crystals and remaining amorphous regions. Pen nib thus obtained has highly improved physical and chemical properties.

Abstract: A tire curing press with an improved loader includes a shaping or center mechanism which includes a vertically movable well on which is mounted the bottom bead or toe ring. The press includes a loader of improved design affording precision centering and accuracy which is driven for vertical movement by a ball screw and nut drive which positions the green tire concentric with the upper and lower mold sections and over the bottom bead ring. The loader then moves the green tire downwardly until the lower bead of the green tire reaches a predetermined point touching or fairly closely adjacent the elevated bead ring. Simultaneously, an adjustable pad on the loader contacts the tip of an extended rod of a vertically oriented synchronizer piston-cylinder assembly.

Abstract: A hoist 10 with redundant safety features comprising: a hoist support frame; a lifting drum 14 mounted on the hoist support frame; a load block assembly 28; an equalizer assembly 24 mounted on the hoist support frame; the load block assembly 28 being suspended by a first set of ropefalls 30 and 36 and a second set of ropefalls 32 and 34, each of the ropefalls having one end secured to lifting drum 14 and the other end secured to equalizer assembly 24, each of the sets of ropefalls having sufficient load bearing capacity to carry the load carried by the other set of ropefalls in addition to its own load; each of the ropefalls having first sections extending from lifting drum 14 to load block assembly 28 and second sections extending from load block assembly 28 to equalizer assembly 24, each of the first sections being positioned in a substantially common plane with each other and each of the second sections being positioned in another substantially common plane with each other; equalizer assembly 24 including

Abstract: A cable termination assembly has a staggered stripped cable insulation pattern to enhance the electrical isolation of plural ground isolation conductors from one or more signal conductors in the assembly, and a stepped crimp pattern at a juncture of the cable with a molded strain relief body provides an improved strain relief interaction therebetween. The cable termination assembly is made by removing the cable insulation in a pattern that exposes plural conductors while leaving an insulation portion covering part of one of the conductors to insulate the latter from the other conductors, and the exposed conductors are coupled to electrical contacts while the insulation portion left behind helps to assure the electrical isolation of the conductors from each other.

Abstract: An electrical coupler comprises a receptacle member connected with an electric cable, and a plug member connected with an electric cable. They may be connected to permit electricity to flow between them in the usual fashion. Securing means prevent disconnection of the members caused by axial pulling on the cables. The securing means includes a strap with a flexible mid portion adapted to be wrapped around the cable connected with one of the members. The strap has end portions each with a stud projecting laterally therefrom, and there are a pair of stud receiving sockets in the other of said members. The strap may include a tab for facilitating removal of one of the studs from their sockets.

Abstract: Plural electrical conductors, for example those contained in transmission line cable or in other devices, are connected to respective electrical contacts positioned on a contact carrier. The carrier has relatively raised and recessed surface portions that facilitate separating the contacts, guide signal conductors to respective contacts and isolate ground conductors from the respective junctions of signal conductors and contacts. A programmable ground bus connects all the ground conductors and has selectively provided signal/ground tabs bendable to engage respective signal conductors and contacts. The ground bus and contacts have a partial soldered coating and a laser scans respective junctions of conductors with contacts and/or with the ground bus to flow the solder and form secure mechanical and electrical connections. A strain relief body molded about at least part of the junctions, contact carrier, contacts, conductors and bus forms a unified structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to use of liquid crystal material encapsulated in a containment medium to produce a controlled colored output, for example, in response to the application, removal and variation in an electric field. In one embodiment a non-pleochroic dye is in the containment medium itself and in another embodiment the non-pleochroic dye is in the liquid crystal material itself; and in both cases the object is to color light.

Abstract: Landing gear mechanism includes a restrictor assembly containing a primary orifice for controlling the rate of instroke of the gear during landing and a taxi instroke bypass valve which provides for increased flow of hydraulic fluid within the gear whenever the gear engages a bump during taxiing to reduce the damping loads that would otherwise occur if all of the hydraulic fluid were required to flow through the primary orifice. The taxi instroke bypass valve assembly includes a bypass passage around the primary orifice, and a slide member which is axially movable relative to the orifice restrictor assembly for opening and closing the bypass passage.

Abstract: A lamp for use with a recline chair, or like item of furniture includes a pedestal, a horizontally extending light fixture and a three-link parallelogram linkage supporting said fixture from said pedestal. The pedestal and fixture include parallel surfaces extending approximately 45.degree. to the horizontal in which the links are mounted with ball and socket joints. Two of the links extend beyond the ball joints and are interconnected by short transverse links. In the pedestal the connecting transverse link is connected to one or two tension coil springs balancing the light fixture in any position. The pedestal may support a cantilever table to serve as a side table for the furniture used with the lamp. The fixture may include a semi-cylindrical reflector with pivotal shades at each edge.

Abstract: A case for jewels and/or gemstones comprises a bottom case portion, an upper case portion and a holder for holding the case portions together, the holder being provided with a locking device. The case portion is provided with support plates for holding the jewels and/or gemstones and one plate is urged towards the other plate by a layer of resilient foam material and held by a wire spring.

Abstract: Material dispenser apparatus includes a dispenser roll and dispenser roll cleaning brush mounted within the bottom discharge opening of a material receiving hopper for direct contact by the material in the hopper. The brush, being directly disposed to the material in the hopper, aids in displacing the material in the hopper toward the dispenser roll and compacting the dispenser roll with such material. Also, the brush clears the material from the dispenser roll as the brush and dispenser roll come into contact with each other. The speeds of rotation of the brush and dispenser roll are desirably each controlled independently of the other to permit them to be simultaneously rotated in the same direction but at different rpm for controlling the rate and size of material being dispensed. A material agitator may be provided in the material receiving hopper for working the material down within the hopper into contact with the surfaces of the dispenser roll and brush which are exposed to the material in the hopper.

Abstract: Concrete structures consist of fabric containers which are filled with concrete through an opening in the top thereof while the top of the container is suspended from a portable support frame placed over the container. The support frame supports the container in an open and upward position with the bottom wall of the container resting on the ground while concrete is pumped or chuted into the container through the top opening.

Abstract: The rotor of a brushless synchronous machine, such as an alternator exciter machine, includes a field winding and a rectifier for applying full wave rectified power to the field winding. To protect the rectifier from excessive inverse voltages when such voltages are induced in the field winding, for example during motor starting, alternator paralleling, etc., the present invention employs an excessive voltage sensor and a triggerable bypass circuit for bypassing such excessive inverse voltage from the rectifier when the sensor senses such excessive inverse voltage. The sensor preferably includes a solid state relay capable of assuming either of two output conditions, depending on the magnitude, and with a prescribed input circuit, the polarity, as well, of a voltage induced in the field winding.

Abstract: A screening system for assessing passive immunity in a multiplicity of calves involves collecting a blood sample from each of a multiplicity of calves; establishing and maintaining a correlation between each blood sample and the respective calf; contacting a predetermined volume of each blood sample with a predetermined amount of an anti-IgG under assay conditions which will visualize the immunoreaction between Ig in the sample and the anti-IgG; monitoring the immunoreaction for each contacted blood sample to determine the presence ("positive result") or absence ("negative result") of a preset level of immunoglobulin G in each blood sample; and identifying the calves which show a positive result and/or the calves which show a negative result.

Abstract: In the present invention encapsulated liquid crystal material in a support medium illuminated from the viewing side or direction will appear bright or white relative to background when in distorted alignment, e.g. in the absence of an electric field. Incident light impinging on the liquid crystal material is isotropically scattered thereby into the support medium, and using the principle of total internal reflection a relatively large part of the isotropically scattered light is reflected back to illuminate the distorted liquid crystal material tending to brighten the same so that light it scatters back to the viewing direction out of the support medium causes the liquid crystal material to appear relatively light or bright as compared to the background where there is no liquid crystal material or where the liquid crystal material is in parallel alignment in field-on condition, i.e. aligned with respect to an electric field, and, thus, substantially transmissive.

Abstract: A general purpose paint brush comprises an elongate handle, a generally tubular, longitudinally extending ferrule secured to said handle, and a tuft of longitudinally extending bristles having a working end and a root end anchored in said ferrule. The tuft has substantially parallel side faces extending transversely the width of the tuft and defining therebetween a lesser thickness of the tuft, and the working end of the tuft has a planar working surface sharply angled in relation to a plane normal to the lengths of the bristles from one side face of the tuft to the other side face across the full thickness of the tuft to provide greater exposure of bristles at the working surface which enables the brush to hold and apply more paint. Also, the working surface forms with the longer side face of the tuft a sharp knife edge at such side face of the brush which renders the brush particularly suitable for use as a trim brush while the full thickness inclined working surface provides a large paint transfer surface.

Abstract: A cobalt carbonate slurry and method for making same is described. The method comprises steps of reacting a water-soluble cobalt (II) salt with a water-soluble carbonate in aqueous solution in an inert atmosphere to form the desired cobalt carbonate and a water-soluble salt as a by-product; filtering the resultant cobalt carbonate; washing the resultant wet filter cake and preparing an aqueous slurry of cobalt carbonate from the wet filter cake. Preferably, the slurry is made to a pumpable viscosity. Additives may be used for specific applications to retard settling. Slurries prepared from the wet filter cake are superior to those prepared from the dry powder form because they are more uniform and stable for longer periods of time and resuspend more readily.