Abstract: A fuel composed of water, a compound in which free radicals have been generated and a solute that stabilizes the free radicals while the fuel is in the liquid state but which releases the free radicals when the fuel is sprayed (vaporized) so that the free radicals then dissociate the water to form hydrogen gas in sufficient concentration to support combustion. The most readily available compounds in which free radicals can be generated to provide the fuel are hydrocarbons and carbohydrates. Free radicals may be generated in solids (e.g., sugar) by charring and grinding the sugar then mixing with acid. Free radicals may be generated in liquids by adding an acid. Polar liquids such as alcohols, aldehydes and ketones have been found to be the most effective stabilizers.

Abstract: A Combination Cleaner Reamer for Tubes and Fittings includes a base plate housing. The ends of sleeves protrude from inside through a surface of the housing and the sleeves are bored to receive the stems of cylindrical brushes. A shaft extending from an opposite side of the housing may be coupled to the chuck of an electric hand drill or other power source to rotate all of the brushes simultaneously. A clamp secures the housing to the electric hand drill or motor. The apparatus and drill are easily separated from one another for convenient storage or portability purposes. Two types of brushes are mounted on the housing. One type is intended to brush the interior of the tube and has bristles extending from a central axis. The second type is intended to brush the exterior surface of the tube and includes bristles extending inwardly from the inside surface of a cylindrical shell. Several sets of internal and external brushes having a range of diameters are mounted in order to accomodate various sizes of tubes.

Abstract: An apparatus for improving balancing skill which comprises a disk with threaded hole in its center and a threaded rod screwed through the threaded hole. The user stands on the disk and attempts to maintain the disk in a horizontal position, i.e., balance himself on the disk and supported on the rod. Difficulty of maintaining balance is proportional to the distance from the contact point with the floor to the hole in the center of the disk. This distance is indicated for a given position of the rod by indicia imprinted on the side of the rod. The indicia therefore gives the user the opportunity to measure the difficulty of performing the exercise and to vary the difficulty by a controlled increment.

Abstract: A liquid dielectric having a surface that is contacted by an end of an electrode so as to form a contact area between the electrode and dielectric liquid wherein said area is limited thereby providing a contact resistance that is large compared to the rest of the electrode and dielectric liquid. Current through the contact area causes local heating of the electrode at the contact and raises its temperature toward the melting point of the electrode. Heating causes an increase in resistance of the electrode region so that the area of contact can be increased further immersion of the electrode. The contact area becomes a high-energy region where high energy reactions can be sustained such as fusion and the erosion of the electrode to generate powder having a very fine particle size.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for starting mechanisms such as memory disk and head arrays driven by driving mechanisms such as motors that are initially immobilized by constraints such as stiction in disk drives wherein the system is perturbed by a succession of mechanical shocks while a moderate driving force is applied thereby degrading the strength of the restraint to a value where a moderate driving force can drive the mechanism indicating that the restraint has been overcome then increasing the driving force to a full operating value. In one embodiment, the shock is provided by a loaded spring; in another embodiment, the shock is provided by a solenoid; in another embodiment, the shock is provided by a voice coil.

Abstract: A compound journal airbearing having a sleeve concentric with a rotor and having an inner surface forming an airbearing space with the surface of the rotor so as to maintain the rotor surface and inner sleeve surface out of contact. The sleeve is supported at each end by the inner race of a bearing whose outer periphery is supported by contact with the interior surface of the stator housing. Pressurized air is supplied to the airbearing space by a passage leading from an air supply through the wall of the stator and sleeve to the airbearing space. The airbearing surface can be shaped to provide both radial and axial support. For this purpose, the airbearing surfaces may be either concave or convex toward the axis of the rotor. Catastrophic failure that would occur with construction of the prior art due to inadvertent contact of rotor and stator surfaces (collapse of the airbearing film) is avoided because the sleeve is able to turn when inadvertent touchdown occurs.

Abstract: A clamp for attaching a plate such as a memory disk onto a spindle comprising a segmented clamp that may be withdrawn within the projected boundary of the interior hole in the disk for convenient unloading and a two part piston clamping means that applies a moderate clamping force followed by a larger clamping force.

Abstract: An exerciser of the type having a cable whose one end is attached to a stack of weights and which passes over a pulley to where its other end is attached to the rim of a wheel fixed to a lever which the user turns to lift the weights and a bench comprising two hinged sections, one of which is removable and wherein the bench sections can be positioned horizontally and can be inclined to one another so as to provide the most advantageous configuration for performing any one of a large number of exercises.

Abstract: A clamp for supporting a plate such as a memory disk which comprises a housing with a supporting surface in contact with one side of the plate surface and a mechanism for applying a segmented ring to the second side of the plate surface and a fluid pressure means within said housing to apply a large clamping pressure.

Abstract: A device to which may be attached plates to be welded along a common corner line edge and a welding torch driven by a lead screw such that the plates are fuze welded together beginning and ending at arbitrary preset locations.

Abstract: A rowing machine for exercising in which the ends of a pair of fulcrum bars are attached to the sliding seat and the other ends are equipped with handles. The point of attachment of a resistance means to the fulcrum bars are adjustable. The sliding seat has a back rest. The resistance means is a ram with adjustable check valves.

Abstract: An apparatus for polishing a surface such as the surface of a disk which avoids rounding of the edge of the surface and reduces wear of the polishing medium. The apparatus includes a buffer plate whose boundary conforms to and is adjacent to the edge of the surface being polished but the buffer plate is displaced in a direction perpendicular to the plate by a small increment so that droop of the polishing medium over the edge of the surface being polished is reduced. Means of establishing the incremental displacement is disclosed in terms of the required polishing pressure and breakdown pressure of the polishing medium.

Abstract: A conveyor for carrying roofing debris to the edge of a roof which may be easily assembled on a roof with any pitch, moved from area to area as the work of tearing off old roofing material progresses and disassembled. A track, an assembly of track sections, is supported on a number of H frames which are braced and adjustable to accommodate any slant to the roof, by legs slidably adjustable in sleeved attachments to horizontal supporting bars. A winch, attached toward the loading end of the track, with cable attached to the winch and cart, controls descent of the cart down the track and may also be used to draw the cart back toward the loading end.

Abstract: A method of flattening a stack of sheets of material by assembling the stack horizontally in an oven of clamshell like construction and applying pressure to the stack hydraulically from an external pressure source by means of pistons entering the oven from each end.

Abstract: A medium for polishing surfaces comprised of very fine silica particles bonded into a resinous foam. The medium is compounded by bubbling ammonia through a mix of polyol and ethyl silicate to generate bonded silica particles of very small size, then adding a di-isocyanate compound to develop the foam.