Abstract: Rigid bed rail pads with resilient outer surfaces for headboard, footboard and siderails of hospital style beds are disclosed wherein the padding is dimensioned to provide a gap free junction between the padded rails and the bed mattress so as to avoid patient injury. The pads are readily removed and cleaned and allow normal raising and lowering of siderails on a hospital bed while the pads are in position.

Abstract: Hazardous condition warning indications are transmitted from a site to a remote location on a conventional audio communication link. A variety of hazardous conditions including unconsciousness or inebriation of a workman at the site or his exposure to dangerous materials may be sensed and identifying information indicative of the source or location of the irregularity sensed may be transmitted to the remote location. A convention hand-held transceiver equipped with hazardous material sensors and sensors responsive to indications of potential impaired functioning of the individual are illustrated as an exemplary embodiment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for displaying a single flat two dimensional picture in a lighted room where the area surrounding the picture has its stereoscopic cues suppressed to minimize the observer's two-eyed stereoscopic judgement of the location of the plane of the picture, whereby a binocular two-eyed observer can sense the inherent psychological depth indicators in the picture, and see the psyhically flat two dimensional picture as a three dimensional scene, much like a one-eyed observer sees it.

Abstract: A dual purpose game playing magnetic wand has one end thereof formed as a magnetized extension for selectively removing ferromagnetic game pieces from a playing board while the handle or other end of the wand is hollow having a wick and marking fluid therein to be used for permanently marking a game playing board when desired.

Abstract: An attachment for a tractor drawn grain drill is disclosed having a horizontal array of harrow tines staggered along a plurality of transverse rows with each row commonly supported by a rotatable control rod with a tine coiled portion encircling the control rod and one tine end fixed thereto while the other tine end extends away from the rod a distance sufficient to engage and till the earth when the other tine end is directed generally downwardly. Each control rod has a lever arm extending away from the rod and pivotally coupled to one or more control links so that link movement induces rotation of the control rods for pivoting the entirety of tines simultaneously between earth engaging and generally horizontal stowed positions. A hydraulic arrangement remotely controllable by a tractor operator is provided for moving the control links to raise or lower the tines and the hydraulic arrangement may further be coupled to enable or disable the grain drill.

Abstract: A scheme for accurately and quickly axially positioning a rotatable member such as the axles of a differential or a shaft supported impeller of a centrifugal pump within a housing or similar support for rotation therein with predetermined axial bearing clearance which is independent of the dimensional variations of the member and support is disclosed wherein a deformable spacing element is associated with each thrust carrying bearing with the adjacent bearing and spacing element being held axially captive between the shaft and a corresponding disc which is slidable relative to the housing and with one disc axially aligned and limited in sliding movement in one common direction opposite the direction from which the rotatable member is positioned by engagement with the housing. Typically there are two discs, one limited in movement toward the interior of the housing and the other limited in movement by the housing.

Abstract: A flow enhancement device for suspension within the storage bins having gravity fed lower output openings is disclosed and includes a diverging upper portion for diverting downwardly moving material radially outwardly as that material moves downwardly along the upper portion along with a lower portion having side walls more vertically inclined than the diverging upper portion to create a low pressure shearing region through which the material may fall toward the outlet. The lower portion may be provided with a series of projections for both inducing a circumferential component to the material flow and moving the enhancement device somewhat so as to dislodge entrapped materials in the bin. And to cause the opening at the bin exit to remain at a low pressure and to be always opened to material flow.

Abstract: Fabricating techniques for forming insulated electrical connectors of the type to be subsequently mounted in panel apertures including techniques for simplifying the mold required to form such connectors and improvements in the connector itself and the manner in which that connector grips edges of an aperture in which it is mounted are disclosed. In its preferred form, the insulated electrical connector has a pair of generally flat parallel opposed side walls each provided with staggered notches oppositely extending from opposed side wall edges toward and slightly past one another in an overlapped and interleaved manner to form in the region of notch overlap a pair of slots extending generally parallel to one another and transverse to the notches.

Abstract: A four component sewer coupling arrangement for recreational vehicles and the like is disclosed including a recreational vehicle sewer outlet fixed to the vehicle, a threaded closure cap for closing the outlet when the vehicle is in transit, a tether line connecting the closure cap and outlet so that the closure cap is not inadvertently lost or mislaid, and a flexible drain hose having a threaded connector at one end for connecting the drain hose to the outlet when the closure cap is removed so that an end of the flexible drain hose opposite the threaded connector may be connected to a sewage disposal location for discharging sewage from the recreational vehicle by way of the flexible drain hose to the sewage diaposal location. A quick release spring coupling may be substituted for the threads. Both the closure cap and threaded connector are provided with means for facilitating their tightening and loosening relative to the fixed outlet thereby providing a good seal to the outlet.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for projecting a pair of stereoscopic pictures (10, 11 or 23, 27) which can be seen in three dimensions without the observer (22) wearing special spectacles or using other optical aids. The system is adapted to be practical with relatively large screens (18, 30) in very compact forms including use as a table top computer display or in other restricted cabinets. The combination includes a pair of adjacent large projection optics (14, 15 or 28, 29) and a beam splitter (16, 26) capable of both light transmission and light reflection and which is positioned twice in the light path (12, 13) from the source to the observer, and which is particularly suited for compact forms of the device.

Abstract: A control circuit for a vehicle electrical system which is operative when the vehicle engine is running but the vehicle is not in motion to sense vehicle storage battery voltage and, when that voltage is below a predetermined threshold, to enable an electrically controllable device to open somewhat the engine throttle raising engine speed and increasing the output of an engine driven electrical source. The control circuit finds particular utility in emergency vehicles such as ambulances and the like where that vehicle may remain at an emergency site for an extended period of time with the engine idling and with numerous electrical demands on the vehicle electrical system to increase the engine speed when those electrical demands have sufficiently exceeded the output of an engine driven alternator with the engine running at idle.

Abstract: A device for rolling up strip material such as paper on a reel or spool for temporary storage purposes, which maintains a relatively uniform tension on the strip material regardless of the movement of that strip material, is disclosed and employs an electric motor which exerts a substantially constant torque independent of the speed of motor operation, which motor is positively drivingly coupled to an expanded mandrel for receiving the strip material. When the mandrel strip material capacity is reached, it may be removed and an end flange extracted therefrom allowing the mandrel to collapse, facilitating the removal of the roll of strip material. In a preferred embodiment, the positive drive is achieved by a toothed timing belt in conjunction with a pair of corrugated pulleys, one coupled to the motor rotor and the other journalled in axial alignment with the mandrel.

Abstract: A scheme for accurately and quickly axially positioning a rotatable member such as the axles of a differential or a shaft supported impeller of a centrifugal pump within a housing or similar support for rotation therein with predetermined axial bearing clearance which is independent of the dimensional variations of the member and support is disclosed wherein a deformable spacing element is associated with each thrust carrying bearing with the adjacent bearing and spacing element being held axially captive between the shaft and a corresponding disc which is slidable relative to the housing and with one disc axially aligned and limited in sliding movement on one common direction opposite the direction from which the rotatable member is positioned by engagement with the housing. Typically there are two discs, one limited in movement toward the interior of the housing and the other limited in movement by the means of encapturing the rotating assembly.

Abstract: A starter control circuit is disclosed having particular utility in boats with inboard or inboard/outboard engines. The starter control circuit is coupled to the ignition switch and actuates a ventilation circuit prior to actuation of the starting circuit so that the engine compartment of the boat can be ventilated of any combustible fumes which may have accumulated therein prior to engine ignition.

Abstract: The invention provides an air cleaner assembly in combination with an engine having a blower housing with airflow circulating therethrough and a carburetor having an intake. The assembly comprises a duct having an inlet and an outlet with the inlet angularly disposed through the blower housing, an air cleaner housing having side walls and a bottom wall, and an outlet chamber having an inlet and an outlet in communication with the carburetor inlet. Within the air cleaner housing, a first interior wall is upstanding from the bottom wall and defines with certain side walls an intake chamber having an inlet communicating with the duct outlet, and a second interior wall upstanding from the bottom wall so that a filter chamber is formed between the interior walls having an outlet in its bottom wall so that the filter chamber and outlet chamber communicate through the filter chamber outlet and the outlet chamber inlet.

Abstract: A system for quickly stopping the internal combustion engine of a powered implement having a deadman control normally biased toward a first position and actuable by the implement operator to a second position and having an operator actuable engine starting mechanism is disclosed. The engine has a flywheel coupled thereto for rotation with the engine crankshaft and that flywheel is provided with an annular friction surface disposed generally in a plane normal to the axis of rotation of the flywheel. A braking member having a second friction surface is normally biased into engagement with the annular friction surface of the flywheel and coupled to the deadman control so that the two friction surfaces will be disengaged upon movement of the deadman control to a second or operational position by the implement operator.