Abstract: In footwear of most varieties including boots and shoes, there is described improved footwear wherein the upper or boot portion of the footwear, including a safety toe cap, is detachably connected to the lower or heel and sole portion of the footwear. Known footwear is integrally formed such that damage to the safety toe cap necessitates replacement of the footwear if the safety features of the boot are to be maintained. In this invention, releasable fasteners such as hooks are deployed about the periphery of the sole. These hooks engage a continuous flexible wire which extends around the lower periphery of the upper portion of the footwear. A toe cap is formed with similar hook fasteners along its lower periphery which also engage the flexible wire. The toe cap hooks are spaced to fit between the hooks deployed about the periphery of the sole when installed. Accordingly, the toe cap may be secured to the upper portion prior to attachment of the upper portion to the sole.

Abstract: A chair type article of furniture has a seat member which is movable generally horizontally and a back rest which is supported at a lower portion thereof for generally horizontal movement with the seat member and is also articulated to the frame of the article of furniture at a location above the lower portion thereof for rearward reclining when the seat member moves forwardly. An improved support is provided for the lower back region of a seated person, including a back plate positioned forwardly of the back rest, a lower portion of the back plate being supported for generally horizontal movement with the seat member, and the back plate being supported by the back rest at a location above the lower portion of the back rest for rearward reclining of the back plate when the back rest reclines rearwardly.

Abstract: A crossmixing device for ensuring adequate mixing of a developer in an electrostatic printing machine. A screw conveyor is utilized having a left-hand thread on one portion thereof and a right-hand thread on another portion thereof, to move developer material from the end of the screw conveyor toward the middle thereof. Material is discharged from the screw conveyor into the sump of the machine in a direction generally toward the opposite end of the screw conveyor from where it originated. Developer material is moved from the sump upwardly onto a plate assembly which includes angled separators for guiding the developer particles and shifting them in opposite lengthwise senses on opposite halves of the plate assembly. From the plate assembly, the developer material moves in a curtain downwardly into the sump.

Abstract: A valve structure in which a valve member moves into and out of contact with first and second valve seating areas, the valve member contacting the seating areas with different forces. The movable valve member is comprised of block members coupled together so that a change in their relative longitudinal positions produces a corresponding change in their relative transverse positions. A stem member moves the block members to spaced longitudinal positions and produces different longitudinal separating forces between the block member in these positions thereby to urge one of the block members in a transverse direction with different forces against the valve seating areas. The application of forces directly through block members and indirectly through springs is employed to provide different valve seating forces. Block members for valve port blocking and valve port opening are utilized. A shock absorbing structure incorporating a movable spring holder is also utilized.

Abstract: Positive feedback is applied from the piezo-electric vibrator in an ultrasonic nebulizer to the control electrode in the oscillator circuit for improved performance.

Abstract: A display case being rectangular in a plan elevation, characterized by side walls and a door, each consisting of a glass panel (3,4,5,6) of equal thickness having side edges abutting at each other and having fastening means (16,17), some of them being fastened to an upper and a lower frame (1,2) respectively, the outer surfaces of the upper and lower frames (1,2) ending at a distance from the outer surfaces of the glass panels which distance is at least half of the thickness (25) of one of the glass panels, each one of the glass panels at one end abutting with its inner surface at the end face (21) of the neighboring glass panel, and at its other end (22) abutting with its end face (26) at the inner surface of the glass panel neighboring that other end, and that the fastening means (16,17) of the glass panels (3,4,5,6) are not protruding over the outer surface of their glass panel.There also is described a modular display system consisting of several such display cases.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for upholstering a rigid chair shell is disclosed. A continuous, generally C-shaped track is utilized about the peripheral edge of the shell, opening rearwardly thereof to receive a retaining element attached about the peripheral edge of the covering material. The retaining element is constructed from a strip of tubular flexible material with an integral flap member circumferentially overlying at least part of the tubular strip and accepting the track edge therebetween. The inside surface of the outer end of the flap member is attached to the inside surface of the edge of the cover or fabric and, after suitable cushioning is attached to the front surface of the shell, the covering is placed over the cushioning and rolled about the retaining element which is snapped into the C-shaped track around the periphery of the shell to hold the covering thereon.

Abstract: A collapsible bathing assembly utilizes a flexible liner housed within a cabinet. Rigid side walls for supporting the side walls of the liner are pivotally joined to the cabinet, and by pivoting action move the liner into and out of the cabinet. The rigid side walls and a rigid bottom support plate serve as the side walls and front wall of the cabinet when the liner is positioned within the cabinet and the bathing assembly is not in use. A rigid end wall is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis adjacent to the bottom of the liner to provide for the adjustable supporting of one of the ends of the liner, particularly to provide for collapsing of that liner end onto the bottom of the liner, resulting in easy access to the bathtub for an invalid. A framework is provided to support the top of the cabinet and to facilitate installation of the bathing assembly, including plumbing. The liner may be omitted, if desired, in which case the walls are provided with water-tight seals.

Abstract: A vibration damping assembly for a wheel or the like that undergoes rotation is achieved by providing an annular groove in a surface of the wheel coaxial with the wheel axis. An annular metal ring formed from a channel member generally U-shaped in cross-section is positioned with one of its legs within the annular groove substantially encased therein by a vibration damping material. The remainder of the channel member extends close to areas of the wheel that are adjacent to the groove, and vibration damping material is sandwiched between the wheel and the channel member. Vibration damping material subject to shear deformation during rotation of the wheel is used, along with vibration damping material subject to deformation in tension and compression.

Abstract: A tape cassette formed from a cassette body having sections thereof which are adapted to be contacted by a tape and which have a surface roughness within the range of about 3 to 15 microns. In the production of such a cassette, those sections of the case which are adapted to be contacted by the tape are honed to provide a surface roughness within the specified micron range.

Abstract: A rechargeable lamp assembly utilizing recharging contacts and a mounting unit for recharging purposes that contains mating contacts so that the lamp unit may be recharged when mounted on the mounting unit. The mounting unit includes another set of electrical contacts of the same configuration as those on the lamp unit. Thus a recharging unit for generating a recharging current may be utilized which is connectable either to the mounting unit, to recharge the lamp unit mounted thereon, or directly to the lamp unit. The lamp unit circuitry is adapted to accept any of a number of different recharging units, so as to provide for recharging from a battery source, an AC source, and an AC source with input power-failure indication. The bulb in the lamp unit may be releasably connected to the battery, so that the battery potential may be taken off as an independent power supply for another load, if desired.

Abstract: Noise potentials and radiation in an ultrasonic nebulizer are reduced by separating the oscillator and power supply and shielding the former, with one of the DC power lines to the oscillator passing through an aperture in the metal casing that shields the oscillator, while the other power supply line is connected to that casing. Oscillator control may be achieved by an unshielded variable resistor coupled by conductors of extended length to the oscillator by a filter circuit.

Abstract: A multilayered sound absorbing panel formed from aramid cloth and aramid felt layers. An intervening film between the cloth and felt layers may be included, bonded to those layers in interrupted patterns so as to leave portions of the film non-bonded to the cloth and felt layers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of laying underground conduits along a trench dug into the ground and filled with sludge designed to prevent the trench walls from collapsing.The trench is at least partly lined with hardenable grout and the conduit laying operations are carried out under the protection of this grout so that, after the same has hardened, it seals the conduit into the ground.