Abstract: A waterfowl decoy for selectively simulating feeding in water. An articulating apparatus includes a motor, a threaded rod, a weight, a motion-reversing toggle switch, and a motion-reversing sliding plate having forward and rearward-stopping tabs. The motion-reversing toggle switch is toggled forwardly when the weight moves forwardly enough to contact and move the forwardmost-stopping tab forwardly, causing the motor to reverse, and when the weight moves rearwardly enough to contact and move the rearwardmost-stopping tab rearwardly, the motion-reversing toggle switch is toggled rearwardly causing the motor to reverse, with such back and forth motion of the weight causing the body to duck in and out of the water and imitate feeding.

Abstract: A hand-held toy that lights when spun, and which includes a rod, a head attached to, and spins with, the rod, a light source illuminates with movement of, the head, and apparatus associated with the light source, and which is grasped by the hands of a user. The head is either spherically-shaped or a pair of stacked disks. The light source includes a plurality of bulbs that are disposed on the head, a pair of battery interfaces that are in electrical communication with the plurality of bulbs and hold, and electrically communicate with, a pair of batteries, and a centrifugal switch that is electrical communication with the plurality of bulbs, and which closes when the head is spun, and when closed, illuminates the plurality of bulbs so as to allow the plurality of bulbs to illuminate when the head is spun.

Abstract: A device that counts and displays golf strokes per hole and per game and includes a golf glove and a counter attached to the golf glove, either by hook and loop fasteners, snaps, a magnet, or a pouch. The counter includes a hole strokes digital counter and display for counting and displaying the golf strokes per hole, a total strokes digital counter and display for counting and displaying the golf strokes per game, a stroke advance button that advances the hole stroke counter and display and the total strokes digital counter and display, a clear button that clears the hole strokes digital counter and display, either an on/off button or a two second timer that allows the total strokes digital counter and display to be cleared when the clear button is depressed for two seconds, and a power source that is either a battery interface or a solar cell.

Abstract: An anklet that includes a strap that encircles an ankle of a child, a quick disconnect buckle that is affixed to, and selectively maintains, the strap around the ankle, and a leash that depends from the strap and engages a foot covering worn by the child so as to prevent loss of the foot covering if unintentionally removed. The strap includes an ankle-facing layer that is made of an elastomer with a modulus of elasticity, and an ambient-facing layer that directly overlies the ankle-facing layer and is made of a fabric that has a limited modulus of elasticity so as to prevent the ankle-facing layer from passing the modulus of elasticity thereof and failing. The leash is an endless loop that extends through the foot covering and then extends back through itself, and in so doing, becomes self-fastened to the foot covering.

Abstract: A shirt for a user wearing pants and for preventing sand from entering the pants when the user slides. The shirt includes a body, a pair of sleeves, a neck band, a shirttail, a front placket, and a flap that extends circumferentially and completely therearound and depends from where the body meets the shirttail. The flap has openings that align with, and allow passage through, of belt loops on the pants When the shirttail is in the pants and the belt loops extend through the openings in the flap, a belt is passed through the belt loops and overlies the flap, and when the belt is fastened, the belt presses the flap against the waistband of the pants and traps the waistband of the pants between the flap and the shirttail, and in doing so, prevents the sand from entering the pants when the user slides.

Abstract: A gutter and downspout system for retractably mounting to a structure and facilitating clean out and prevention of breakage due to ice dam buildup. The system includes a gutter arrangement that retractably mounts to the structure and facilitates clean out and prevention of breakage due to ice dam buildup and a downspout arrangement that detachably mounts to the gutter arrangement and retractably mounts to the structure and facilitates clean out and prevention of breakage due to ice dam buildup. The gutter arrangement includes a bracket that retractably mounts to the structure and a gutter that detachably mounts to the bracket. The downspout arrangement includes a bracket that retractably mounts to the structure and a downspout that detachably mounts to the bracket. The bracket of each of the gutter arrangement and the downspout arrangement includes a stationary portion that is affixed to the structure and a movable portion that is pivotally mounted to the stationary portion thereof.

Abstract: A cup for indicating temperature of contents thereof and a method of making. The cup includes a body that is cup-shaped and a temperature sensitive strip that is disposed on the body and indicates the temperature of the contents thereof. The body includes an outer cup and an inner cup that is disposed in, and is in intimate contact with, the outer cup. The temperature sensitive strip has a shape and is removably adhered on the longitudinal wall of the inner cup, just above the base thereof. The outer cup has a bore that has a shape, a pair of vertical edges, and extends through the longitudinal wall thereof, just above the base thereof. The shape of the bore matches the shape of the temperature sensitive strip so as to allow the temperature sensitive strip to be viewed through the bore.

Abstract: An illuminating novelty device for a hubcap that includes a primary housing, illuminators, and a generator. The illuminators include a strip of LEDs that extends diametrically across the primary housing.

Abstract: A plunger for clearing a clogged drain. The plunger includes a cup, a user-gripping handle, and a water-shielding cap. The cup is resiliently collapsible and has an uppermost wall with air-escaping throughbores that allow air trapped in the cup to escape therethrough when the cup is driven downwardly over the clogged drain so as to increase hydraulic efficiency of water in the clogged drain. The user-gripping handle extends upwardly from the cup. The water-shielding cap is attached to the user-gripping handle, just above the cup. The diameter of the water-shielding cap is such so as to allow the water-shielding cap to extend radially outwardly past the air-escaping throughbores so as to shield a user from the water escaping with the air when the cup is driven downwardly over the clogged drain.

Abstract: A device for holding a nozzle of a hose of a vacuum source to a drill press. The device includes a first portion for attaching to the drill press and a second portion operatively connected to the first portion for holding the nozzle of the hose of the vacuum source in a predetermined orientation to a work piece. The first portion is T-shaped and includes a first tube for attaching to the drill press and a second tube that extends perpendicularly-outwardly from the first tube thereof and which is internally threaded and has a pair of throughslots that extend axially therealong. The second portion is substantially T-shaped and includes a tube for holding the nozzle of the hose of the vacuum source and an appendage that extends perpendicularly-outwardly from the tube thereof.

Abstract: A holder that mounts to a surface and interchangeably displays a sheet of material. The holder includes a back plate that is vertically mounted to the surface and holds the sheet of material and a front plate that is replaceably mounted to the back plate and sandwiches the sheet of material therebetween. The back plate has a border element that is substantially U-shaped and has vertical portions with channels therein that hold the front plate and the sheet of material, and a slot that is substantially U-shaped and prevents distortion during molding thereof. The front plate is transparent so as to allow the sheet of material to be visible therethrough and has a pair of vertical edges with shoulders thereon that engage in the channels in the back plate, respectively. The sheet of material is slid into the back plate and the front plate is slid into the back plate, by virtue of the shoulders of the front plate sliding in the channels in the back plate, and captures the sheet of material therebetween.

Abstract: A device for determining amount of deployment of an anchor that includes a sensor assembly, an anchor line, a detector/pulse module, and a digital counter/readout display. The sensor assembly includes a coil assembly that contains metal detecting coils. The anchor line contains a plurality of pairs of pins that are spaced-apart from each other, are in alignment with each other, and cooperate with the metal detecting coils, wherein each pin of each pair of pins is perpendicularly crossed to each other, engage each other, and extend diametrically in the anchor line. The detector/pulse module has an input jack, an output jack, an LED, and an on/off switch. The digital counter/readout display includes a digital display, an automatic sleep mode/wake button, a power/reset ganged button, a fuse, a power jack, and a data jack. The device further includes a metal detector circuit that includes a tuner circuit, and an amplifier pulse shaper.

Abstract: A kitchen device for resting on a counter top and pitching a drain board supported thereon into a sink in the counter top that includes a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, and, a rear wall. The bottom wall includes a plurality of slats for supporting the drain board on a depending incline towards the sink, and which are spaced-apart from each other for providing drainage for leaks from the drain board. Each terminal end of each slot is formed into a tenon. Each side wall is generally right-triangular-shaped, and as a result thereof, has a leg for resting horizontally on the counter top, a base that extends vertically upwardly from the leg, a hypothenuse that depends inclined from the base forwardly to thevertex, an interior surface that faces the other side wall, and an exterior surface for facing the ambient. The interior surface of each side wall has a plurality of blind mortises that are disposed in line with each other, below, and parallel to, the hypotenuse.

Abstract: A ruler that guides a blade and provides shielding protection from the blade for the hand of a user not holding the blade, not only when the blade is drawn along the ruler and cuts a sheet of material, but also if the blade should be lifted and accidentally dropped during use. The ruler includes a base a shield, and successive numerical indicia. The base has an uppermost surface with a first recess therein that extends a substantial amount thereof and which is completely filled with a first pad of anti-skip material that provides cushioned comfort for, and prevents the hand of the user not holding the blade from skipping along the base when stabilizing and holding the ruler down.

Abstract: A flexible rotatable device for transmitting tension, compression, and torque that includes a cable, a plurality of links that are threaded on the cable, a worked end, and a working end.

Abstract: A decorative article for simulating a snow scene. The article includes a housing, a figurine, simulated snow, circulating apparatus, and illuminating apparatus. The figurine and the simulated snow are disposed in the housing, and the figurine is supported on a figurine support therein. The circulating apparatus is disposed in the housing and circulates the simulated snow therearound. The illuminating apparatus is disposed in, and illuminates, the housing.

Abstract: A weight device for maintaining the arm in a proper position for maximizing pectoral muscle exercising. The device includes an arm-capturing bracket, a hand-engaging handle, and a weight-engaging shaft. The arm-capturing bracket includes an upper arm-capturing bracket, and a lower arm-capturing bracket that extends perpendicularly from the upper arm-capturing bracket. The upper and lower arm-capturing brackets are U-shaped plates and meet each other at an elbow-engaging sleeve. The hand-engaging handle includes an arm that extends vertically upwardly from the lower arm-engaging bracket. The weight-engaging shaft extends through and past the elbow-engaging sleeve and receives a weight. In an alternate embodiment, the arm-capturing bracket is adjustable for different sized arms.

Abstract: An improved jewelry chain of a type having a plurality of links. Each link resembles a fish hook and has a shank with one end thereof having a barbed hook thereon and an opposite end thereof having an eyelet thereon which engages the barbed hook of an adjacent link. The eyelet lies in a first plane and the shank and barbed hook lie in a second plane that is perpendicular to the first plane. The improvements include the barbed hook not touching the shank, the eyelet being so sized so as not to allow the barbed hook of an adjacent link to pass therethrough, except for the eyelet of one terminal link being large enough to allow the barbed hook of the other terminal link to selectively disengage therefrom, and the second plane being arcuate so as to allow each link to lie flat on the skin of the user.