Abstract: A water-condensing heat exchanger recovers heat from a hot flue gas, subjecting tubes of the heat exchanger to substantial thermal expansion and contraction, and corrosive constituents in the flue gas require that metal tube sheets be thoroughly insulated from the flue gas during operation in a water-condensing mode. The heat exchanger is constructed by heat-forming edge portions of holes in plastic sheets through holes in tube sheets, temporarily plugging the plastic-lined holes to limit diametrical reduction, and entering tubes through the plastic-lined holes sufficiently shortly after unplugging the holes that further diametrical reduction of the holes causes them to grip and fixedly locate the tubes relative to the tube sheets. The method of manufacture also concerns providing a fluroplastic coating, e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene, on the interior elements of the heat exchanger to inhibit corrosion thereof; such coatings are hydrophobic thus allowing falling condensate to be washed away easily.

Abstract: Exhaust gas treatment method and apparatus extract heat from an exhaust gas by operating in a water-condensing mode which allows more heat to be recovered, removes particulate matter and condensed acid from the exhaust gas, and washes heat exchange surfaces to keep them clean and wet to improve heat transfer. Systems for heating water, air and both water and air are disclosed. Methods of constructing and assembling improved heat exchangers are disclosed.

Abstract: A golf club handle includes a powder-carrying chamber which may be opened or closed by movement of a brush-carrying cap. Axially-removable and rotatable forms of caps are disclosed.

Abstract: An archery back sight is arranged to removably snap onto or slide onto a bowstring, and connected to a cord having an elastic portion and an inelastic portion which aims the backsight forwardly. The cord is positioned in a manner such that breaking of the cord will not endanger the user.

Abstract: A shelf height selector system for a lift truck provides signals to an operator as he raises or lowers a load carriage relative to a storage shelf level selected by a keyboard in order to perform a store or retrieve operation, and automatically stops carriage movement with load forks at the proper elevation. Pulses from an incremental shaft encoder operated by carriage movement are counted to provide an instantaneous elevation signal upon which indications to the operator and control functions depend. A switch on the truck mast is operated by carriage movement to repeatedly recalibrate a register containing the instantaneous elevation signal, obviating any errors should noise affect tallying of encoder counts. An optical sensor carried on the load carriage to sense reflective markers adjacent some shelves also recalibrates the register, obviating positioning errors due to mast deflection and tire wear.

Abstract: An auxiliary wheel is mounted on a lift truck caster wheel assembly to normally be carried above the floor, but to engage the floor to prevent overturning, thereby increasing the lateral stability of the truck.

Abstract: Compact devices for distributing light from a small area source to evenly light a larger area each comprise a member having a first plurality of surfaces which intercept respective slices of a light beam extending in a first direction and internally reflect the slices to a second substantially perpendicular second direction. A second plurality of surfaces intercept respective portions of the slices of light travelling in the second direction and internally reflect those portions generally perpendicularly toward an output surface to evenly light the output surface.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for storing and retrieving loads increases usable warehouse storage space by allowing a load having a given length and width to be stored and retrieved from a narrow aisle while requiring less wasted space between adjacent stored loads. As a load is rotated 90.degree. preparatory to translating it into a storage space, the center of rotation is moved first in one direction along the aisle and then in the opposite direction. One corner of the load enters and sweeps across the initially empty storage space, and during a terminal portion of the rotation another corner of the load enters the storage space along a path having little or no component of motion in the aisle direction.

Abstract: Exhaust gas treatment method and apparatus extract heat from an exhaust gas by operating in a water-condensing mode which allows more heat to be recovered, removes particulate matter and condensed acid from the exhaust gas, and washes heat exchange surfaces to keep them clean and wet to improve heat transfer. Systems for heating water, air, and both water and air are disclosed. Methods of constructing and assembling improved heat exchangers are disclosed.

Abstract: Steam is compressed and heated to make a churn gas that is rife in synthetic fuel, and hydrogen and oxygen are sifted from the churn gas before the steam is re-cycled.

Abstract: An optical thin line-tracking sensor comprises a small member mounting ends of a light source fiber and a pair of receiving fibers which receive reflected light. Reflected light transmitted through the receiving fibers operate photosensors whose outputs are differentially combined to provide a tracking error signal. Augmenting circuits enable operation over a wide range. Means to sense other indicia carried on a web or sheet are disclosed. A line-tracking head which includes a laser-light cutter is also disclosed.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for affixing index tabs to book pages include accurately embossing indicia along a continuous first strip of plastic-coated paper, adhering cardboard reinforcing strips to the first strip and slitting and scoring the resulting assembly to provide tab strip stock. The tab strip stock is severed into successive tabs and carried by vacuum-operated clamping means to an adhesive-activating station and then a tab application station. Successive pages of a book are fed past the tab application location; those to be provided with tabs are stopped at various positions relative to the tab application locations and the clamping means folds tabs around the edges of selected pages.

Abstract: A lift truck mast arrangement minimizes stresses occurring in mast members using rearward chain anchor placement to apply a rearward counterbalancing moment to the mast so as to create a bending moment in portions of the mast below the instantaneous position of the load carriage which is substantially equal to the bending moment then occurring in portions of the mast above the load carriage.

Abstract: Exhaust gas treatment method and apparatus extract heat from an exhaust gas by operating in a water-condensing mode which allows more heat to be recovered, removes particulate matter and condensed acid from the exhaust gas, and washes heat exchange surfaces to keep them clean and wet to improve heat transfer. Systems for heating water, air, and both water and air are disclosed. Methods of constructing and assembling improved heat exchangers are disclosed.

Abstract: Use of a laterally-shiftable C-shaped frame which supports an auxiliary mast above its upper and lower extremities allows a lift truck to handle wider loads in a given aisle width, and decreases bending moments and inertial forces.

Abstract: Methods for sign-making using dry transfer of letters from carrier sheets allow any of a number of different character sizes and row spacings to be provided. A carrier sheet bearing characters of a desired size is positioned relative to a carriage in dependence upon whether a row to be formed contains all upper case characters, or some or all lower-case characters. The carriage is movable smoothly in a horizontal direction to allow any desired horizontal spacing of characters, but movable vertically only in discrete increments. A plurality of row spacing indicators are positionable adjacent a sign blank to afford a preview of how characters of a given size having a given spacing will appear on a sign blank.

Abstract: An extremely thin shutter is moved into and out of the space between closely-spaced ends of a pair of axially and angularly aligned optic fibers to prevent or establish transmission of light between the fibers. In one embodiment a cantilever shutter is rotated between two positions. In another embodiment a taut band-like shutter having an aperture is translated between two positions.

Abstract: Apparatus for sign-making using dry transfer of letters from carrier sheets allows any of a number of different character sizes and row spacings to be provided. A carrier sheet bearing characters of a desired size is positioned relative to a carriage in dependence upon whether a row to be formed contains all upper case characters, or some or all lower-case characters. The carriage is movable smoothly in a horizontal direction to allow any desired horizontal spacing of characters, but movable vertically only in discrete increments. A plurality of row spacing indicators are positioned adjacent a sign blank to afford a preview of how characters of a given size having a given spacing will appear on a sign blank.

Abstract: The ends of plastic optical fibers forming a light-transmitting cable are fused in a manner so as to minimize light loss by applying heat to plasticize short end-length portions while containing portions rearwardly thereof within a cavity defined by means having sufficient thermal conductivity and mass that the rearward portions are not heated above the plastic fiber deformation temperature. Both methods and various forms of apparatus for practicing the methods are disclosed.