Abstract: A telescopic combined crutch and walking stick, having a lower ground-engaging tube; a middle tube mounted slidably and non-rotatably in the ground engaging tube and lockingly therein for positioning it in the lower tube in one of several selectable positions; and an upper tube mounted slidably and non-rotatably in middle tube and lockingly therein for positioning it in the middle tube in one of several selectable positions. The tubes are of a length such that, when they are fully retracted one into the other, the length of the combined crutch and stick is about 1/3 the length when fully extended. The combination further includes an armpit support mounted at the upper end of the upper tube, and a walking stick handle mounted at the upper end of the middle tube.

Abstract: A protective web for use in the manufacture of garments to reinforce parts of the garments corresponding to parts of the human body most likely to be exposed to scratching or fleshing of the skin or muscles. This web is characterized in that it comprises a piece of fabric that may be a woven, knitted or non-woven textile or yet be made of synthetic material. A plurality of small rigid platelets capable of resisting wear and abrasion are secured over this piece of fabric. The small platelets are so uniformly distributed and spaced over the piece of fabric as to allow the web to yield under all movements of the body of the garment wearer. According to a preferred embodiment, the rigid platelets are made of polymeric thermoplastic or thermosetting material and are secured to the fabric by gluing, compression molding or yet by welding in the case where the fabric used is made of synthetic material.

Abstract: A locking fixture for use in locking up two wheeled vehicles such as bicycles or motorcycles. The fixture has a housing and at least one elongated, flexible locking member. One end of the locking member is fixedly mounted within the housing. The other end of the locking member is adapted to be inserted into the housing through an opening, and held therein to form a closed loop to hold the vehicle to the housing. A latch is provided within the housing to hold the other end of the locking member. A lock accessible from outside of the housing, is provided to block the latch in holding position to prevent withdrawal of the locking member and unauthorized retrieval of the vehicle.

Abstract: A one-piece plastic axle structure comprises a base plate, an abutment plate normal to one edge of the base plate, a cross-shaped columnar connector perpendicular to the base plate and a cross-shaped shaft perpendicular to the abutment plate; the shaft having bulges at its free end and the end of the abutment plate being rounded. The axle structure is connected to a wheel having a shaft bearing defining a bore and a counterbore; the shaft of the axle structure fitting into the shaft bearing with its bulges received in the bearing counterbore and the shaft proper received in the bore. The axle structure is further connected to a construction toy block having a parallelepiped hollow body and a plurality of hollow plugs opening into the body; the columnar connector fitting into one of the hollow plugs with an adjacent side wall of the body falling between the abutment plate and the columnar connector; the lower end of the abutment plate being rounded and resting on the inner face of the wheel tread.

Abstract: A compaction device for a concrete block molding machine, comprising a mold formed with cells opened at the top and at the bottom, and filled with a no-slump concrete mix. The mold freely rests either on a pallet or vibrating table, which acts as bottom wall for the mold. Compaction shoes, equal in number to the number of cells in the mold, are sized, configured and positioned above the mold so that they may snugly fit into the mold cells. The shoes are mounted at the lower ends of power jacks which are connected to a same fluid pressure source or, alternatively, are altogether in fluid communication. The power jacks are operative to move the compaction shoes over the concrete mix in the cells so as to apply to the mix in each cell, preferably, in the final cycle of vibration, an equal compaction pressure suitably selected to produce concrete blocks having a maximum equal density or more uniform desired or selected physical properties.

Abstract: A tree harvester comprises a head boom at the lower free end of which is mounted a tree felling head having a cylindrical cutting knife behind which is formed a storage enclosure for felled trees. The head includes pivotable gripping arms for pressing the cylindrical knife against the trees to be felled and for moving them and holding them in the storage enclosure.

Abstract: A flame retention head assembly for use in a fuel burner having a fuel nozzle mounted coaxially within an air pipe. This assembly comprises a continuously contoured, outwardly diverging flame retention head mounted concentrically within the air pipe in front of the fuel nozzle. This head successively defines, starting from its inlet end: an air-and-fuel mixture chamber; a first expansion chamber; a throttle and a second expansion chamber. A spinner plate is mounted transversely across the inlet end of the head. This plate comprises a central ring provided with a central hole having a diameter substantially identical to the one of the fuel nozzle, and a plurality of blades regularly distributed around the ring to cause air to enter and swirl into the mixture chamber. A round-shaped deflector is also mounted concentrically transversally within the retention head, to cause the air and fuel entering the head through its inlet end to stay longer within the first or second expansion chamber.

Abstract: A scraper for removing material, adhered to a surface, in strips. The scraper has a front scraping edge and at least one cutting edge at one end of the scraping edge. The cutting edge extends generally transverse to the scraping edge.

Abstract: An artificial skeletal mechanism having a central rigid inverted T-shaped link and a pair of elastic tubular actuators on either side of the link, each actuator having an inner chamber for receiving a pressure fluid serving to pretension it. Each actuator has one end articulated to one end of the cross bar of the T so that they are antagonistically pretensioned. The artificial skeletal mechanism is intended to transform the contraction of one actuator, following extension of the other, into rotation of the link which is articulated at the free end of its long bar.

Abstract: A sound projection system for use in diffusing sound of a frequency ranging from 160 Hz up to 5 KHz over a relatively long distance with a substantially constant distribution of the sound over a wide diffusion angle, whereby the quality and intensity of the sound transmitted by the system remain substantially constant for a listener even if this person is substantially offset from the general direction and orientation of the projection system. The system which is advantageously compact in size, comprises a cabinet defining an enclosure in which a loudspeaker is mounted. An acoustic channel of rectangular cross-section is connected to the cabinet in alignment with the loudspeaker.

Abstract: An improved boom construction having a base, a first straight boom slidably mounted on the base, and a second, hinged boom pivotally mounted at one end to the base and at its other end to the front end of the first boom. Power jacks are provided for operating the second boom to move its other end toward or away from its one end so as to slide the first boom relative to the base. The improved boom construction is preferably employed on a tree delimber with a tree delimbing unit mounted on the front end of the first boom, and tree gripping unit mounted on the base beneath the first boom. A rotating reel is advantageously provided on the base above the first boom for simultaneously winding and unwinding flexible feed and return hydraulic lines extending over the top of the boom, and connected to the delimbing unit, as the first boom slides.

Abstract: An apparatus for placing a load of stacked articles on a pallet. This apparatus comprises a conveyor having a series of spaced rollers and a bridge structure spanning the conveyor. Two load lifting structures hang vertically from the bridge structure, one on each side of the roller conveyor, and are displaceable toward and away from one another over the conveyor. Each lifting structure has a lifting frame formed of a vertical ram wall, a tine carrier at the lower end of the ram wall, and an operating base supporting the tine carrier during its displacement. The pallets are fed from a pallet unstacker delivering one pallet at a time on a pallet conveyor extending at a right angle from the roller conveyor. The pallets are fed onto the roller conveyor when the ram walls and tines of the load lifting frames are lifted above the roller conveyor a distance sufficient to allow insertion of the pallet. The load between the lifting frames is then lowered onto the pallet.

Abstract: A drill bit for use with a reciprocating device, wherein the bit is in the form of a rotatable corrugated frusto-conical roller, supported by a U-shaped member, attached to a mounting post. The corrugations are the cutting edges of the bit.

Abstract: A podiatric orthesis for the tridimensional plantal development of the foot of a patient, which orthesis is conceived according to medical anatomical standards. It comprises a base having a rear part in the shape of a cupola, dimensioned for adapting to the calcaneus, and a median part projecting forwardly of and as an extension of the rear part. The latter is designed to hold the vertical axis of the calcaneus coaxial with the axis of the leg. The bottom of the cupola rises forwardly at an angle of about 30.degree. with respect to the ground to orient the calcaneus forwardly and at the same angle. The longitudinal axis of the rear part is oriented toward the fifth metatarsus of the foot so as to likewise orient the calcaneus. The median part has an inner border which concavely curves to support the subtalar.

Abstract: A cycling device for conditioning battery cells of different types. A selor allows an operator to select the type of the cells to be conditioned. The amplitudes of trickle, discharge and charging currents are automatically selected in response to an output signal from the cell type selector. A control circuit determines the sequence of occurence of the trickle, discharge and charging currents and produces discharge and charge logic conditions, which control circuit includes a timer which delivers a clock signal and which interrupts the charging current after the same has been supplied to the battery cells during a predetermined period of time. Proper discharge operation of the cycling device is indicated only when both the discharge logic conditions are present and the discharge current is detected, while proper charge operation is indicated only when, simultaneously, the charge logic conditions are present, the charging current is detected, and the clock signal is produced by the timer.

Abstract: A brush includes a movable handle in the form of nippers and a head having a housing at least on one side, sized for receiving the handle. The latter is made up of two rods of equal length joined together at one of their ends and secured to the head by a set of notches and detents provided in the housing and the free ends of the handle. Securing of the handle to the head is obtained by latching of the detents in the notches. Such a brush is particularly advantageous inasmuch as it makes it extremely simple to replace the head by another one having identical or different size or shape.