Abstract: Electrical energy is stored in a device formed of electrodes coupled with an oxidation-reduction polymer material, such as a polymer of quinone, semiquinone and hydroquinone units, when a current is supplied to the device to create a charge gradient thereacross with units at the positive end being oxidized and units at the negative end being reduced. The charge gradient across the electrical storage device is increased by arranging a plurality of electrically conductive barrier laminations made of a material preventing ion passage therethrough in the oxidation-reduction polymer material to create separated regions of reduced and oxidized functional groups producing an additive charge gradient.

Abstract: A pipe rupture restraint and shield diffuser assembly is installed on a pipe at a location where the pipe is subject or postulated to rupture and includes a cylindrical casing surrounding the pipe and having holes therethrough and a plurality of diffuser rings disposed in longitudinally spaced relation in an annular space between the casing and the pipe to form flow obstructions along the annular space whereby upon rupture of the pipe jet flow is diffused by flow past the diffuser rings and through the holes in the casing. The assembly can be attached directly around the pipe or can be independently supported.

Abstract: An air circulating device and method includes a base positioned on the floor of a room with a pair of ducts extending therefrom and terminating adjacent the ceiling and fans disposed within the base to draw hot air from the ceiling via one of the ducts and force cold air toward the ceiling via the other duct such that hot air drawn from the ceiling is replaced with cold air drawn from the floor is replaced by hot air drawn from the ceiling. The cold air drawn from the floor is discharged at the ceiling at a rate greater than the rate at which hot air from the ceiling is discharged at the floor, preferably three times as great, to eliminate floor drafts and obtain a proper mixture of cold and hot air.

Abstract: An instrument for measurement of the diameter of the anterior chamber of the eye includes an elongate member for insertion into the anterior chamber through an incision in the cornea having a flared distal end for positioning against the juncture of the iris and the cornea opposite the incision, a slide movable along the elongate member having an arm depending therefrom and extending away from the distal end of the elongate member to terminate in a flared end for positioning against the juncture of the iris and the cornea adjacent the incision, and indicia means including a scale and a pointer carried on the elongate member and the slide such that movement of the slide to position the flared end of the arm against the juncture of the iris and the cornea adjacent the incision causes relative movement of the scale and the pointer to provide an indication of the diameter of the anterior chamber.

Abstract: An intubation set includes a flexible sheath, a probe inserted in the flexible sheath having a proximal end extending out of the sheath and a length of tubing secured to the sheath to permit the tubing to be positioned in a body by inserting the probe within the sheath into the body, withdrawing the probe from the sheath and pulling the sheath through the body to position the tubing by grasping an end of the sheath. A method of positioning the length of tubing in the lacrimal ducts utilizes the intubation set with a pair of flexible sheaths connected with the tubing and a pair of probes received in the sheaths.

Abstract: A heat exchanger for installation on the top of a chimney of a building includes a housing having a lower end receiving the top of the chimney and an upper end with openings permitting the escape of effluent from the chimney and a heat exchanger assembly disposed in the housing including a central chamber and a spirally arranged duct network defining an effluent spiral path between the top of the chimney and the central chamber and a fresh air spiral path between an inlet disposed at the lower end of the housing and the central chamber, the effluent and fresh air spiral paths being in heat exchange relationship such that air passing through the fresh air spiral path is heated by hot effluent gases passing upward through the chimney and the effluent spiral path for use in heating the building.

Abstract: Modular fire fighting apparatus includes a power module having a turbine driven by fluid, such as water, introduced at a supply inlet to a housing for the module, a drive shaft driven by the turbine and extending from a coupling face of the housing and a fluid outlet disposed at the coupling face of the housing, and various penetrating and extinguishing tool modules each having a housing within which are disposed a fluid receiving inlet and a driven member. The penetrating and extinguishing tool modules are each adapted to be mounted on the power module such that the driven member is releasably engaged with the drive shaft and fluid supplied to the power module housing is delivered to the penetrating and extinguishing tool module housing via the fluid outlet of the power module housing and the fluid receiving inlet of the penetrating and extinguishing tool module housing.

Abstract: A location indicating device has a size and shape to be carried on a key ring or chain and is adjustable to display various indicia corresponding to a location, such as that of a parked vehicle. The location indicating device is formed of a flat housing having opposite display and operating ends and an adjustable indicator assembly disposed in the housing including indicating strips carrying indicia for positioning at the display end, the indicating strips being movable via rotatable thumb wheels extending externally of the housing at the operating end to permit selective rotation thereof for positioning selected indicia at the display end of the housing.

Abstract: An electrically powered vehicle having a bank of batteries supplying electricity to an electric motor driving wheels of the vehicle includes a whirl ventilator system, a clutch system and an automatically operated, engine-generator unit for recharging the batteries. The whirl ventilator system includes housings to produce a whirling air flow rotating a fan to drive an alternator such that air flow from movement of the vehicle generates electricity to charge the batteries. The clutch system includes a clutch mechanism coupling a drive shaft and a driven shaft to impart a driving force to the wheels when the drive shaft is rotated faster than the driven shaft and to couple the driven shaft with a flywheel when the driven shaft is rotating faster than the drive shaft, the flywheel driving an alternator such that momentum of the vehicle causes the alternator to charge the batteries.

Abstract: A surgical cutting instrument, particularly useful for ophthalmic surgery, includes an elongate probe formed of an outer tubular member having an aperture in the distal end thereof and an inner cutting member having a peripheral cutting edge at the distal end thereof and an elongate body with an opening running therealong and carrying a piston disposed in a chamber of a hub through which the inner cutting member extends and which communicates with a source of suction, a drive unit for reciprocating the inner cutting member relative to the outer member, the opening along the inner cutting member forming an increased cross sectional flow area for cut substances being withdrawn by suction and the relative reciprocation of the inner and outer members coupled with increasing and decreasing pressure from the piston agitating the cut substances to prevent clogging of the probe.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for laying a pipe or cable in a bed of material. There is provided an elongated generally straight tube having a plurality of cutter means mounted in generally parallel spaced relationship with one another along the outer surface of the tube. The cutter means is adapted to remove material by shaving to form a trench when the tube is moved along the bed of material. There is provided adjustable skid means mounted on the tube. The tube or cable to be laid is received by the tube, so that, during movement of the tube, the tube or cable is laid in the trench.

Abstract: A multiple exposure control mechanism for a photographic camera is incorporated in a film magazine having a film advance gear mechanism for driving a film take-up spool in response to rotation of a magazine activating gear in a camera body as the camera shutter is cocked. The film advance gear mechanism includes a main gear driven by the magazine activating gear and carrying a pawl rotatable therewith and movable into and out of engagement with an intermediate gear driving the film take-up spool via a film take-up gear, and the multiple exposure control mechanism includes a cam carried on the main gear for controlling the pawl and an actuating button selectively operable to move the cam to position the pawl out of engagement with the intermediate gear and prevent film movement to permit multiple exposures of a film frame.

Abstract: An in vivo illumination system includes an elongate cannula and a fiber optic cable passing through the cannula having a lens disposed in an opening in the distal end of the cannula and a condenser lens disposed in a housing adapted to be mounted on the end of a light source such that the lenses provide concentrated light from the light source at the distal end of the cannula. The cannula has an aperture formed in a side wall thereof at the distal end to permit the flow of fluids through the cannula, and an adapter assembly is utilized to mount the condenser lens on the light source, the adapter assembly including a spherical lens for concentrating light from a lamp in the light source on the condenser lens.

Abstract: A meat tenderizing device includes sharp tipped blades mounted in a support body and a spreader assembly for spreading the blades apart such that the device can be utilized to tenderize meat by forcing the sharp tipped blades into the meat to cut connective tissue of the meat during insertion and spreading the blades apart while the blades remain in the meat to tear the connective tissue of the meat.

Abstract: A tool for pulling cables on motorcycles, boats and other small machinery comprising a metal rod, a hole passing from the base of the metal rod at an angle and piercing the lateral wall of the rod to pass cables through, a set-bolt perpendicular to the angular hole to secure cables, and a handle so that the apparatus may be pulled with the cable attached.

Abstract: An improvement for waterproofing a prosthetic foot of the type having a foot body surrounding a keel includes a layer of water repellent resilient material cemented to a bottom surface and front, rear and side edges of a lower portion of the foot body extending from the toe to the heel and a coating of water repellent material covering the top portion of the foot body and the interface of the edges of the layer of water repellent resilient material with the lower portion of the foot body such that the prosthetic foot can be immersed in water while the water is prevented from reaching the keel.

Abstract: A method of treating a subterranean formation to remove fines lodged therein wherein a mixture comprising an aqueous liquid and an immiscible fluid is injected into the formation at matrix rates to cause two-phase flow.

Abstract: A self-encoding key switch is formed of a body having a well for storing a pool of mercury, a plurality of contact chambers with encoding contacts therein and having channel portions communicating with the well of a size to resist flow of the mercury therethrough due to surface tension of the mercury, and a plunger movable into the well to force the mercury through the channel portions into the contact chambers to momentarily connect the encoding contacts thereby providing tactile feedback, self-encoding and N-key rollover. A keyboard system utilizes a plurality of the above-described self-encoding key switches along with a register, and a strobe contact is disposed in a contact chamber of each key switch such that the trailing edge of the signal from the strobe contact precedes the breaking of electrical connection between a supply contact in the body and the encoding contacts to trigger the register and enter coded data from the encoding contacts.

Abstract: Knockdown upholstered furniture has basic components coupled together by male and female connectors permitting simple assembly and disassembly to facilitate shipping and storage without requiring tools or hardware. Each male connector has hook-like lugs projecting outwardly from the connector with an inclined inner edge for wedging the lugs in place once they are inserted through openings in each female connector, and the connectors are surrounded with resiliently padded upholstery such that the connectors are recessed within the outer edges of the upholstery which resiliently forces the male and female connectors into secure engagement with each other. Preferably, the female connectors have an irregular surface adjacent the openings therein to engage irregular surfaces on the inner edges of the lugs of the male connectors.

Abstract: A water collection indicator device includes a cuplike collector telescopingly receiving a signal member, a spring biasing the signal member away from the collector, and an actuator having an arm engaging the signal to prevent movement of the signal member away from the collector and a float movable with rising water collected in the collector, the actuator being pivotally supported in the collector such that movement of the float pivots the arm to disengage the signal member and permit the spring to move the signal member away from the collector to produce a visual signal indicating the collection of a predetermined amount of water. The actuator arm has a series of vertically spaced teeth extending therefrom for engaging the signal member, and a pivot pin is carried by the actuator and adapted to be received in a plurality of vertically spaced detents in a support mounted in the collector to permit the water collection indicator device to be triggered at various predetermined water levels.