Abstract: Apparatus for treating wine in bottles according to the champagne method comprises a rack in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped open on one face which is opposite to a base provided with support elements for the necks of one layer of bottles which completely fill the said rack, sometimes with several other superposed layers of bottles, each layer supporting the next. The casing has two sets of feet or runners so that it can be placed in a first position where the bottles are horizontal or a second position where the bottles are vertical, neck down. The inwardly directed insides of the side walls of the rack are provided with rails set perpendicularly to the base so as to guide the introduction of the bottles in horizontal position through the open face of the rack and to assure the wedging of the bottles placed against the said lateral walls.

Abstract: A thermo-sensitive reed switch in which the thermo-sensitive magnetic element is slit parallel to the reeds in the element.

Abstract: Furniture including a cushion comprising padding material, and upholstery material covering the padding material and releasably secured thereto. Such construction may advantageously be utilized for forming a cushion essentially in the form of an open-ended bag which is slipped over a cushion-receiving part of a frame for an item of furniture. The frame may include a base pan which is covered by padding material in turn covered by upholstery material. The upholstery material includes flaps releasably joined together on the underside of the base pan, and at least part of the upholstery material on the underside of the base pan is releasably secured to the base pan.

Abstract: A cooling tower, a process for producing a cooling tower, and a reinforcing element suitable for use in the process and tower are disclosed. The cooling tower, formed from a shell of reinforced concrete, is produced with a plurality of plate-like reinforcing elements adjacent to a surface of the shell. The reinforcing elements are disposed in at least one horizontal plane within the shell adjacent to and suspended from the shell surface. The reinforcing elements in a plane abut and are joined one to another, and are also joined to the shell at spaced points thereon. Each plate-like element includes a central channel communicating with trough-like ends for receiving a suitable reinforcing material which extends into recesses in the shell of the cooling tower adjacent the trough-like ends.

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 which is coaxial with the axis of the wheel. A viscoelastic damping material subject to shear deformation during rotation of the wheel is positioned within the groove against the surface of the groove, and an annular metal ring is positioned in the groove against the viscoelastic damping material with the damping material sandwiched between the ring and wheel.

Abstract: A panel interconnecting and upholstery-retaining connection for a tubular frame including a tubular insert that extends into the frame. A tubular upholstery retainer extends into the tubular insert and holds the upholstery material in place, which is sandwiched between the tubular insert and the upholstery retainer. A wedging device bears against the inside of the tubular insert and urges the insert against the tubular frame. The wedging device may carry a foot for supporting the tubular frame above a floor and a strap for interconnecting one panel with another. The upholstery retainer may include a door hinge or door catch.

Abstract: A releasable clasp for a necklace or the like wherein a rigid housing having an open end houses a tubular holder of flexible material with a transverse web having a hole therethrough adjacent the open housing end. Also included is a shaft of rigid material having an enlarged head at one end thereof which is sized so that the shaft head can pass through the hole in the web with the application of a predetermined joining force and can be withdrawn therefrom only upon application of a pre-established withdrawal force. The housing and holder together form a first clasp part, while the shaft constitutes a second clasp part. The shaft may be twisted to detent into a locking position.

Abstract: An article labelling machine, especially for labelling cheeses, comprises a conveying means for conveying the articles to be labelled and a labelling means.The articles to be labelled are fed one-by-one to a stirrup which ensures the automatic centering of the articles with respect to a label-applying head overlying the stirrup. The stirrup and the label-applying head are movable as an assembly, transversely with respect to the direction of advance of the conveying means, from a position in which the label-applying head receives a label to a transversely displaced position in which the label is applied to an article and the labelled article is discharged from the machine.

Abstract: A swinging-seat swivel chair includes a vertical stud that carries a horizontal hollow pin at the end of which are pivoted two supporting arms for a seat. A torsion bar is housed in the interior of the pin with one end coupled to the pin and the other end coupled to the arm at the other end of the torsion bar. A rigid longitudinal member is included substantially parallel to and spaced from the pin and rigidly interconnecting the arms.

Abstract: A B-scan ultrasonoscope which can be used for scanning tissue, for example the human eye, and displays the shape and character of the tissue. The echo pulses received are converted into digital signals whose amplitudes represent the reflectivity of the tissue. The digital signals are then displayed on a color display in accordance with a desired color scale, with individual digital increments respectively representing preselected colors. Alternate increments are maintained as black, whereby the active colors are interleaved with bands of black. In this manner, tissue interfaces are more easily seen and visual acuity is improved.

Abstract: A writing tablet for a chair arm is mounted by a pivot swivel block to the arm for pivotal movement about a first axis. A tablet panel support is mounted to the pivotal swivel block for pivotal movement about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. Semicircular slots are included in the pivot swivel block and tablet panel support in registry with each other, and a ball rides in the slots to limit the movement of the tablet panel support about the second axis.