Abstract: A plant propagation unit has a continuous wall encircling the bed to protect the plants from high wind and dust, and is preferably spaced a short distance above the bed to permit escape of water from the bed and flow of air under the wall and upwardly through its open upper end. To facilitate tending the plants and bed, upper portions of the wall may be removable or hinged so that they can be swung downwardly to lower the overall height of the wall. A top spaced above the top of the wall and the bed facilitates ventilation of the bed and the plants therein, while protecting the plants from frost or intense midday sunlight as well as from heavy rainfall. While the top may be of any suitable type depending on the area in which the plants are being grown, it is preferably of a slightly open material, such as roll bamboo fencing, to permit a limited amount of sunlight and rain to enter the bed. The top is preferably removably hinged to uprights.

Abstract: A combined electric meter for measuring AC and DC voltage and ohms is provided with read-outs having indicators progressively actuated for simultaneously indicating AC and DC voltages and for indicating ohms. The read-outs are in the form of light emitting diodes in which the lights are progressively illuminated to indicate a range of voltage or ohms. A pair of probes are manually connected to the circuit to be tested and provide a common connection for the voltage and ohm section of the meter. Should voltage be sensed by the probes, the ohmmeter section is automatically taken out of circuit to protect it from damage. A high speed switch transistor is responsive to an external voltage across the probes for opening the ohmmeter circuit before the external voltage can cause damage to the ohmmeter. The meter has an internal power supply for operating the read-outs and providing a regulated voltage for a resistance to be measured by the ohmmeter section.

Abstract: An overflow unit for a water heater installation has a plastic, resilient polystyrene pan with a bottom wall for receiving the bottom of the heater and a continuous side wall including inner and outer walls which diverge downwardly in a range of approximately five to fifteen degrees. A bottom edge portion of the outer wall is substantially coplanar with the bottom or outer face of the bottom wall but, preferably, extends outwardly a distance up to approximately 0.0001 inch from the outer face of the bottom wall when the pan is in a relaxed condition. Upon being placed on a supporting surface and receiving the water heater, the bottom edge portion of the outer wall is snugly and closely seated on the supporting surface. A drain coupling for receiving a drain line opens through the inner and outer walls and is in sealed engagement with the inner wall.

Abstract: Harvesting apparatus particularly suited for picking citrus fruit, apples, and the like, has an adjustable boom mounted on a vehicle with a harvesting head secured to the free end of the boom for tilting and turning to either side and for forward and rearward tilting. A flexible and longitudinally expansible tube carries the picked fruit from the harvesting head to a suitable receptacle. A preferred embodiment of the harvesting head has a resiliently surfaced roller mounted for rotation in either of opposite directions between resiliently surfaced side walls of the head. As the roller gathers the fruit from a tree limb, the roller deposits the fruit in a passageway between the roller and one of the resilient side walls and rotates the fruit as it passes through a nip portion of the passageway, to release the fruit from the limb, and then release the limb from the harvesting head.

Abstract: A folding artist's easel, particularly suited for a classroom or teaching environment, utilizes square steel tubing to form a rigid triangular base, a supporting column, and a telescopic brace, with pivotal connections therebetween. The pivotal connections are substantially free of side play and along with connection of the supporting column to a mid-point of one side of the triangular base and connection of the brace to an apex opposite this side, superior stability is provided as well as a minimum required floor space to the rear of the easel, a feature which is particularly desirable in a classroom. A workpiece, such as a drawing board or canvas stretched on a frame, is securely and gently clamped to the easel by means of individually adjustable upper and lower steel cross-members which permit adjustment in the elevation of the workpiece as well as clamping a workpiece of great height. The top of the column is adapted to receive an extension for further increasing the effective height of the easel.

Abstract: A helicopter rotor having retractable blades each having a three dimensional truss including flexible cables which connect a blade member with a pitch member directly secured to a rotor hub, the cables providing for retraction of the blade member to a storage position and permitting the blade member to be adjustably extended to operative positions. With the rotor rotating normally, the resultant centrifugal force acting on the blade and more particularly the blade member, retains the cables under sufficient tension to form an operationally rigid truss which transmits the rotational force of the rotor to the blade member and also adjusts the pitch of the blade member responsive to operation of the pitch member. Two pairs of cables are provided, inner ends of each pair being spaced apart and retained by the pitch member, opposite ends of each pair being secured, one to each of opposite ends of a rigid rod transverse to the blade member and extending outwardly in opposite directions from the blade member.

Abstract: Wind driven apparatus is disclosed in the form of a windmill, and in the form of an electric generating unit for a vehicle such as a boat or an airplane or the illustrated automobile. The apparatus includes a base mounted for rotation, preferably about a vertical axis, and along its periphery carrying a series of cones each with an open mouth for receiving air or other fluid, to rotate the base about its axis. The apex of the base deflects the air as the apex moves into the direction of flow of the air. A partition secured across the cone inwardly of the mouth limits the amount of fluid received in the mouth and prevents passage of the fluid to the apex of the cone. When installed as a windmill, the base is horizontally mounted atop a column or other support and is drivingly connected with a pump or electric generator, or other suitable apparatus.

Abstract: An air boat has a power unit including a typical automotive engine and a pylon mounted on the engine clutch housing and carrying an aircraft type propeller at its upper end. Belts or a chain housed within the pylon drivingly connect the motor and propeller. The motor and pylon are preferably mounted on a base which is removably mounted on the air boat hull. Preferably, the base also carries a cooling system radiator, fuel tank, and typical engine accessories so that the entire power unit may be installed in and removed from the air boat as an integral unit, thus facilitating servicing of the power unit at a convenient location out of the boat hull with the power unit fully assembled and ready to run when it is returned to the air boat.

Abstract: A phonograph record is provided with a ring on its rim, the ring being of greater thickness than the record and extending outwardly from both faces of the record to protect the grooved record face from adjacent records on a record player, and when the records are stored in a stack or a rack. Generally radial ribs are spaced circumferentially apart on the opposite faces of the ring to prevent relative rotation of stacked records on a turn table. A gap is formed in the ring and is spanned by an outwardly arched band, the arching of the band being decreased as the ring expands to accommodate records of increasing diameter. A novel record storage is provided by suspending the records from hooks, or the like, which receive the arched bands, and if desired eyes may be formed integrally with the bands in order to more conveniently suspend the records in facially opposed relationship.

Abstract: An assembly for mounting a tray on a chair may be an integral part of a chair arm or may be releasably attached to a chair, and includes a cooperating slide and track, one on the chair and the other on a tray. The tray may be swung about a vertical axis and moved lengthwise of the track from a position alongside a person seated in the chair to a position in front of the person seated in the chair.

Abstract: A grinding wheel has a series of deep and narrow circumferential grooves between circular grinding sections having radially convex surfaces for forming serrations in a knife edge. The grooves are filled with a non-abrasive substance to strengthen the wheel and prevent a build-up of grinding off-fall as well as providing an indication by sound and feel when grinding of the serrations in a knife edge is completed. One embodiment has a plurality of abrasive discs mounted on a holder with smaller diameter non-abrasive discs between each of the abrasive discs, to form grooves therebetween. The holder forms a hub for mounting the assembled wheel on a spindle. A second embodiment has a vitrified abrasive which is pressed to form a blank with a cylindrical outer surface and a hub portion for receiving a spindle.

Abstract: In an engine assembly including a starter mechanism having a housing receiving a starter rope reel normally retained in the housing by ears integral with the housing and bent inwardly to underlie the reel; the provision of one or more brackets for supporting the reel in the event that one or more ears are damaged or broken off while being bent during removal or installation of the reel, as during replacement of the reel starting rope, for example. Columns support a reel receiving portion of the housing on a lower part of the housing. The brackets clamp to these columns and have an abutment on which the periphery of the reel is surmounted. Each bracket has opposed channels and is somewhat resilient to snap over and receive opposite edge portions of the column in the channels. The brackets are preferably formed of a heat and lubicant resistent plastic such as molded nylon.

Abstract: A water closet is provided with a device for limiting the amount of water discharged from its water tank during flushing. More particularly, the volume of water discharged from the tank is limited by low water level reached during flushing. The water limiting device has a tube inserted into the outlet water passage of the tank and through the normal valve seat of the typical ball or flapper valve member, and the valve member is seated atop the tube. In one embodiment, for use with an outlet valve unit having a generally horizontal valve seat, the bottom of the tube is tapered to wedge into telescopic relationship with the outlet passage and may, if desired, be fixedly secured to the normal overflow pipe of the outlet valve unit. In a unit having an inclined seat for receiving a flapper valve member, the tube has a cylindrical end portion telescoped into the outlet passage, and an inclined flange seated against the inclined valve seat.