Abstract: A transparent jacket designed to accommodate objects such as microfilm strips, CDs, diskettes and the like. The disclosed jackets are formed of top and bottom panels of flexible synthetic plastic material and bonding members that partition the jackets into chambers where the bonding members are composed of a hot melt adhesive system bonded to ozone pre-treated regions of the panels. The bonding members can be a plurality of longitudinal members substantial parallel to each other or at least one longitudinal and at least one lateral member where the longitudinal members are substantially parallel and the lateral members are substantially parallel. Each chamber is closed on at least two sides and includes a slot in one of the panel for inserting the object into the chamber. The bonding member are of a thickness designed to accommodate the object the jacket was designed to retain.

Abstract: This invention discloses a user interface and data management procedures for the efficient display, manipulation and analysis of multi attributed data or data amenable to multidimensional display, manipulation and management. The invention is centered on the construction and use of data carrousels comprising one or more n-gons where the each n-gon can be a layered n-gon at solid or each side of each n-gon can be a single face of an embedded n-gon.

Abstract: There is disclosed a vacuum storage and dispensing container for use with perishable items, particularly food products, and more particularly for use with roasted whole-bean coffee in any retailing application, to extend the shelf life of the perishable item for several months. The invention comprises a storage and dispensing container having a cylinder with a top end and a bottom end. An upper enclosure is attached to the top end and a lower enclosure to the bottom end. There is provided a system for releasing and creating a vacuum in the cylinder, upper enclosure, and lower enclosure for maintaining freshness of the perishable item. In another aspect, there is disclosed a merchandising unit for storing and dispensing perishables comprising a plurality of storage and dispensing containers. Each container includes a cylinder having a top end and a bottom end. An air-tight upper enclosure is attached to the top end and an air-tight lower enclosure to the bottom end.

Abstract: A shoe sole having a sole plate with a ground-engaging side having inflatable tube elements secured thereto. The shoe sole also includes upstanding lateral support walls that define a chamber or an installation space which is in communication with the tube elements by means of inflation openings. Also disposed in the installation space is a valve housing, a miniature pump, and connecting conduits connecting the pump to the inflation openings. The tube elements are provided along medial and lateral edges of the sole, and in the heel region. In addition, the tube elements are inflatable separately from each other so that it is possible to individually adjust the tread characteristics of a shoe provided with the shoe sole. The tube elements further include a longitudinal partition which divides the interior thereof into two air chambers which communicate with each other through at least one opening in the longitudinal partition.

Abstract: The present invention discloses the use of nonmetallic, finely divided polymeric or natural fibers in anti-seize thread compound formulations for use on rotary shouldered, oilfield tubular good or tapered threaded connections. The addition of such fibers into formulas that do not contain metallic powders or flakes (typically utilized to provide the anti-galling properties) provides a measurable improvement in the galling and seize resistance properties. Therefore, the incorporation of such fibers provides a film strength improvement in environmentally responsible thread compound compositions, which previously would not provide the level of galling resistance to perform in severe applications such as oilfield directional or geothermal drilling.