Abstract: A battery separator for use in flooded cell type lead acid batteries comprising a backweb of a porous, acid resistant, embossable material with a plurality of major ribs and submini-ribs extending across the width of the backweb from at least one planar surface of the backweb. The submini-ribs extend in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the backweb. The major ribs extend in a direction that is diagonal to the longitudinal axis of the backweb. Each major rib is an embossed corrugated structure comprised of alternating ridges and furrows. The separator is particularly useful in a flooded cell type lead acid battery having tubular plates.

Abstract: A self-propelled tree pruning apparatus having a cutting tool with helical edges, such as a milling head. The pruning apparatus is comprised of a frame, at least one pair of driven wheels rotatably attached to the frame, a pair of hugger wheels rotatably held by support means, the support means being adjustably attached to the frame to permit the hugger wheels to be positioned a distance from the driven wheels sufficient to allow the trunk of a tree to be pruned to fit between the driven wheel and the hugger wheels, pneumatic means, such as air bags, for urging the hugger wheels toward the driven wheels, the cutting tool being attached to a drive shaft that is attached to the frame in a manner to allow the cutting tool to move along three axes, and a self-powered motor for driving the driven wheels and cutting tool. In operation, the pruning apparatus is mounted on the trunk of a tree to be pruned, with driven wheels on one side thereof and a pair of hugger wheels located on the other side of the trunk.

Abstract: A recombinant lead acid battery separator formed of a PTFE fibril matrix and a particulate, amorphous silica filler enmeshed in the PTFE matrix. The separator has a tensile strength greater than 0.5 MPa, a bulk density lower than about 0.40 gram/cc and a void volume greater than about 75%. The separator is made by mixing together PTFE and a non-evaporative lubricant, adding amorphous silica during mixing, continuing mixing until a material having a dough-like consistency is obtained, removing the dough-like material and calendering it to form a sheet, removing from about 95% to about 100% by weight of the non-evaporative lubricant from the sheet by solvent extraction, and drying the extracted sheet.

Abstract: A trolling plate assembly for mounting on the motor of a small boat. The trolling plate assembly has a mounting bracket comprised of a flat plate with flanges extending upwardly from, and perpendicular to, the longitudinal edges of the plate. A fixed axle extends between the flanges. A movable locking rod extends between the flanges forward of the axle and parallel thereto. An outer, frame plate has cam ears located at one end thereof. The cam ears are pivotally attached to the axle. A trigger plate is positioned inwardly of the frame plate and has cam ears pivotally attached to the axle. The locking rod is urged by spring means toward the axle and into compressive contact with the outer surfaces of the cam ears of the frame and trigger plates. In a non-trolling position, the locking rod is seated in non-trolling recesses located on the outer surface of the cam ears of the frame plate to thereby lock the frame plate in a substantially horizontal position.

Abstract: A battery separator for use in flooded cell and recombinant type lead acid batteries. The separator has a relatively thin backweb (between about 0.002 inch and about 0.008 inch). A plurality of submini-ribs extend from one or both planar faces of the backweb. The submini-ribs are substantially parallel to the longitudinal side edges of the backweb and are substantially evenly spaced across the width of the backweb. The submini-ribs are relatively short in height (between about 0.003 inch and about 0.009 inch above the adjacent planar surface of the backweb) and relatively closely spaced together (between about 0.025 inch and about 0.050 inch).

Abstract: A portable power driven post driver. The post driver has an inner hollow cylinder open at its upper end and adapted to receive a post through a locking mechanism located at its lower end. The inner cylinder is located within an outer hollow cylinder in sliding engagement therewith, the outer cylinder having a closed upper end in contact with the upper end of a post held in said inner cylinder. Two fluid powered cylinders and associated pistons are attached to the outer surface of the outer cylinder, the longitudinal axes of the two fluid powered cylinders being in alignment. A common piston rod extends between the two pistons and is attached by a fastening member to the inner cylinder, the fastening member extending through a slot in the outer cylinder.

Abstract: An extruder barrel for twin screw extruders. The barrel body has a removable insert firmly seated in an insert receiving opening extending centrally and longitudinally therethrough. The insert has two circular bores with parallel axes extending centrally and longitudinally therethrough, the bores being in communication along a common chord. The walls of the bores have a wear and corrosion resistant layer that is a powder metallurgical material that is preferably applied by hot isotactic pressing. The preferred powder metallurgical material forming the wear resistant layer is a composition containing at least 50% by weight tungsten carbide with the remainder being nickel. The outer surface of the insert has a thin layer of a heat conductive, malleable material, such as copper, adhered thereto.

Abstract: A battery separator for use in flooded cell type lead acid batteries comprising a backweb of a porous, acid resistant, embossable material with a plurality of major ribs and submini-ribs extending from at least one planar surface of the backweb. The ribs are located across the width of the backweb and extend in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the backweb. Each major rib overlies at least one submini-rib and is an embossed corrugated structure comprised of alternating ridges and furrows. The ridges and furrows are in non-parallel alignment to the longitudinal dimension of the separator, and preferably perpendicular thereto. The major ribs are formed on a battery separator backweb having a plurality of submini-ribs extending from at least one planar surface thereof by passing the backweb through the nip formed by a pair of opposed embossing rollers and embossing the backweb in the area of at least one submini-rib.

Abstract: A method of making metal hydroxide plate blanks for use in an electrochemical cell which includes compressing a porous metal web in at least one compression zone to a substantially non-porous state, attaching at least one a non-porous strip of the same metal to the porous metal web in the area of the compression zone, impregnating the porous metal web with a coating of electrochemically active material to form an impregnated web, removing excess coating from the impregnated web, drying the impregnated web, and dividing the dried web into plate blanks in the area of the metal strip. The metal is selected from the group consisting of nickel, silver and copper, with the preferred metal being nickel.

Abstract: A battery separator for use in flooded cell type lead acid batteries comprising a backweb of a porous, acid resistant, embossable material with a plurality of ribs extending from at least one planar surface of the backweb. The ribs are located across the width of the backweb and extend in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the backweb. Each rib is an embossed corrugated structure comprised of alternating ridges and furrows. The ridges and furrows are in non-parallel alignment to the longitudinal dimension of the separator, and preferably perpendicular thereto. The ribs are formed on a substantially flat battery separator backweb by passing the backweb through the nip formed by a pair of opposed embossing rollers.

Abstract: A method of making a battery separator useful in flooded cell type lead acid batteries comprising providing a sheet of microporous polyolefin material having two planar surfaces, forming at least one hollow rib extending from one of the planar surfaces, and wholly or partially filling the hollow rib with a rib core material. The forming of the hollow rib and the filling of the hollow rib with rib core material may be effected in separate steps or simultaneously. Where the formation and filling of the hollow rib take place simultaneously, the process involves applying at least one bead of a rib core material to one planar surface of the sheet of microporous polyolefin material, pressing the bead of rib core material into said microporous polyolefin sheet to thereby displace the microporous polyolefin material located thereunder outwardly from the other planar surface to thereby form a rib member projecting from said other planar surface.

Abstract: A low pressure, self-contained fire suppression system comprising a source of pressurized gas, a water reservoir tank containing water, a foam concentrate tank containing foam concentrate, and a water driven volumetric metering pump. The source of gas under pressure communicates with the water reservoir tank to provide a source of water under pressure. A conduit communicates the pressurized water tank with a first inlet port of the metering pump. The foam concentrate tank communicates with the metering pump via a second inlet port. Concentrate is supplied to the metering pump at a predetermined volumetric flow rate in response to water flowing through the metering pump. The source of pressurized gas also communicates via a conduit with the outlet port of said metering pump to thereby introduce gas under pressure to the water/foam concentrate mixture as it exits the metering pump. The water, foam concentrate and gas mixture is passed through a conduit, such as a hose, wherein a foam is generated.

Abstract: A method of enveloping and assembling positive and negative plates into a group suitable for use in an electrochemical cell by forming at least one row of alternating positive and negative plates of a predetermined number with the top edges of said plates in longitudinal alignment, enveloping the plates with a separator material by bringing a continuous sheet of separator material into contact with both planar faces of the plates and sealing the separator material along the side and bottom edges of the plates to thereby form a row of enveloped plates interconnected to each other by the separator material, assembling the interconnected row of enveloped plates into a folded group by folding the row in an accordion-like manner, and compressing the folded group into a cube of predetermined size. The product of this method is a group of plates located in interconnected pockets of separator material that has been folded in an accordion-like manner and compressed into a cube of predetermined size.

Abstract: A unitary clock and picture frame. The clock and the area for receiving the picture occupy the same space within the frame. The clock movement housing is located between a transparent front panel and a rear panel of the frame. A drive stem assembly for receiving hand members extends outwardly from the movement housing through an opening in the transparent front panel, and hand members are attached to the outer portion of the drive stem assembly. Non-numeric hour indicia forming a clock face are located on said transparent front panel and have a configuration such that they continue to constitute a readable clock face when the transparent front panel is either rotated, reversed, or both rotated and reversed, thereby permitting the clock face to be located at any one of several predetermined locations depending upon its relationship to a picture to be inserted into the frame.

Abstract: A thin panel consisting essentially of a compressed non woody lignocellulosic material and a binder. The thin panel has a thickness of less than about 0.10 inch (2.54 mm), preferably between about 0.06 inch (1.6 mm) and about 0.10 inch (2.54 mm). The preferred binder is a polyisocyanate. The non-woody lignocellulosic material may be straw, bagasse, hemp, flax shives or jute sticks. The preferred non-woody lignocellulosic materials are selected from the group consisting of straw and bagasse. The bagasse may be substantially non-depithed. The thin panel is useful as core stock in plywood.

Abstract: Fibers and filaments of an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyolefin that have a void volume greater than about 20% and are wettable. Wettability is imparted to the fibers and filaments by incorporating a filler into the composition that is hygroscopic, has a particle size less than about 10 microns in diameter and a surface area greater than about 30 square meters per gram. The preferred fillers are those that contain surface silanol groups. The fibers and filaments are formed by the process of preparing a mixture of an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyolefin, filler and plasticizer, metering the mixture to an extruder, heating and kneading the blend in the extruder, conveying the extrudate to a fiber or filament forming type die, expressing the extrudate through the die openings to form fibers or filaments, and extracting at least a portion of the extractable plasticizer to provide the desired porosity.

Abstract: Fibers and filaments of an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyolefin that have a void volume greater than about 20% and are wettable. Wettability is imparted to the fibers and filaments by incorporating a filler into the composition that is hygroscopic, has a particle size less than about 10 microns in diameter and a surface area greater than about 30 square meters per gram. The preferred fillers are those that contain surface silanol groups. The fibers and filaments are formed by the process of preparing a mixture of an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyolefin, filler and plasticizer, metering the mixture to an extruder, heating and kneading the blend in the extruder, conveying the extrudate to a fiber or filament forming type die, expressing the extrudate through the die openings to form fibers or filaments, and extracting at least a portion of the extractable plasticizer to provide the desired porosity.

Abstract: Fibers and filaments of an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyolefin that have a void volume greater than about 20% and are wettble. Wettability is imparted to the fibers and filaments by incorporating a filler into the composition that is hygroscopic, has a particle size less than about 10 microns in diameter and a surface area greater than about 30 square meters per gram. The preferred fillers are those that contain surface silanol groups. The fibers and filaments are formed by the process of preparing a mixture of an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyolefin, filler and plasticizer, metering the mixture to an extruder, heating and kneading the blend in the extruder, conveying the extrudate to a fiber or filament forming type die, expressing the extrudate through the die openings to form fibers or filaments, and extracting at least a portion of the extractable plasticizer to provide the desired porosity.

Abstract: Fibers and filaments of an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyolefin that have a void volume greater than about 20% and are wettable. Wettability is imparted to the fibers and filaments by incorporating a filler into the composition that is hydroscopic, has a particle size less than about 10 microns in diameter and a surface area greater than about 30 square meters per gram. The preferred fillers are those that contain surface silanol groups. The fibers and filaments are formed by the process of preparing a mixture of an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyolefin, filler and plasticizer, metering the mixture to an extruder, heating and kneading the blend in the extruder, conveying the extrudate to a fiber or filament forming type die, expressing the extrudate through the die openings to form fibers or filaments, and extracting at least a portion of the extractable plasticizer to provide the desired porosity.

Abstract: An indexable shell cutter having an improved cartridge for mounting a cutter insert on the cutting face of the shell cutter body. The cutter body has a plurality of recesses extending rearwardly from the cutting face, each of said recesses being formed by a first surface, a second surface spaced from the first surface, and a base surface extending between the first and second surfaces. The second surface is essentially perpendicular to the plane of the cutting face of the cutter head and is V-shaped in cross-section. A cartridge is removably secured in each of the recesses with the base of the cartridge being in mating engagement with the second surface of the recess.