Abstract: A method for preparation of a pasta-based foot product is disclosed The method comprises several steps. Pieces of pasta are cooked to form pieces of cooked pasta. The cooked pasta is mixed with a binding composition comprising a binding agent that is either soy protein or an egg white composition consisting of either egg whites or a mixture of powdered egg white and water. The pasta and binding agent are mixed in a cooked pasta to binding agent weight ratio of from about 40:1 to about 10:1, to form a pasta/egg white mixture. A desired amount of the mixture is formed into a desired shape and the desired shape of mixture is baked until the pieces of cooked pasta adhere together, yet remain moist A pasta-based food product prepared by such method is also disclosed.

Abstract: The oil draining control valve comprises a valve housing having a fluid passage and a shaft housing; a valve body pivotally housed in the fluid passage of the valve housing; a rotary shaft also rotatably housed in the shaft housing and engaged with the valve body to pivot the valve body from a closed position to an open position or vice versa; a control lever extending outside through a lever guide slot formed in the valve housing and engaged with the rotary shaft to pivot the valve body; and an elastic member for covering the lever guide slot formed in the valve housing at least when the control lever is pivoted at the closed position. The lever guide slot covering member is a C-shape cross-sectional annular ring, a bellow member, or a blade member, which can prevent the lever guide slot from being clogged with muddy water or grass for providing a smooth valve control operation.

Abstract: A method for preparation of rigid foam disclosed The method comprises mixing at least two components to form a reaction mixture. The reaction mixture comprises isocyanate, up to about 20% by weight CHClF.sub.2, up to about 2% by weight of water, and a combination of polyols having an overage OH number of from about 300 to about 500 and comprising polyalkoxylated glycerin having an OH number of from about 200 to about 300 and in which the alkoxy groups each have from two to about three carbon atoms. Related methods and compositions are also disclosed.

Abstract: An improved gutter hanger and leaf screen assembly is comprised of hangers formed with holes and grooves at their rearward ends for attachment of the hangers to the eave of a roof. The holes in the hangers are provided for the insertion of fasteners such as nails or wood screws therethrough, and the grooves are provided to position the fasteners in the holes by first inserting a tip of the fastener in the groove and sliding the fastener tip along the groove until it falls into the hole. The hangers are also provided with forwardly projecting tabs which facilitate the attachment of the leaf screen of the assembly onto the hangers and secure the rearward ends of the leaf screen on the hangers. The leaf screen of the assembly is formed with folds at its forward and rearward edges that are provided to securely hold the leaf screen on the hangers.

Abstract: A method for utilizing landfill-prohibited solid hazardous waste material as an energy source in a cement kiln is provided. The method comprises obtaining landfill-prohibited solid hazardous waste materials suitable for use in a cement kiln, combining the solid waste materials with a liquid fuel in a milling apparatus to form a mixture, grinding the mixture in the milling apparatus in a manner reducing the particulate size of the solid hazardous waste material to form a fuel slurry, and delivering the fuel slurry directly into the flame of the cement kiln. The grinding of the solid hazardous waste material in the milling apparatus prior to its introduction into the kiln provides for a rapid and instantaneous ignition of the solid hazardous waste materials thereby not adversely affecting the forming clinker or the operating parameters of the kiln.

Abstract: A standardized concrete form includes a series of rectangular slots spaced along the sides thereof and which extend virtually the entire length thereof which, along with mounting holes, permits the standardized hardware pins to join adjacent concrete forms at virtually an infinitely variable step height therebetween. The standardized mounting holes are formed in cloverleaf shape in order to accommodate and facilitate the insertion of hardware pins when adjacent forms are slightly misaligned.

Abstract: A resequencing buffer and buffer control circuit is disclosed for resequencing data packets into their timed sequence after traversing a switch fabric which can introduce a misordering of data packets because of the varying time intervals required for data packets to traverse the switch fabric in a non-blocking manner. The resequencing buffer controller includes a plurality of bi-directional shift registers for storing each data packet's age and slot number, each bi-directional shift register having an associated slot control circuit for feeding the age and slot number one bit at a time onto a contention bus to thereby determine the oldest data packet eligible for transmission. The contention bus is an exclusive OR wire bus which interconnects the slot control circuits and an output circuit which controls the buffer to output the slot number containing the data packet of oldest age.

Abstract: A fishing rod support rack has upper and lower wire frames. The lower frame has a continuous wire hoop, a wire shelf assembly, and a plurality of bent wire loops all welded together. The upper frame has a continuous wire hoop and a plurality of bent wire loops welded together. The upper and lower frames are attached to a wall in such a selectively spaced vertical relation that the loops of the upper frame generally align directly above the loops of the lower frame. The shelf assembly has upper surface portions on which the butt ends of the fishing rods can be removably supported. The loops of the lower frame removably receive the butt ends of the fishing rods therethrough and afterwards engage the grips of the removably supported fishing rods, thereby providing clearance among the removably supported fishing rods.

Abstract: A supporting framework for a soft-sided bulk bag containing a quantity of bulk dry material, the bag having four loop-type straps positioned at the corners of its top, includes a bird cage-like framework with four hook members for securing the bag straps thereto and a pair of U-shaped rails for receiving the blades of a forklift truck. The bird cage-like structure fits over the top of the bulk bag so that the bulk bag may be secured thereto and the framework and bag subsequently lifted and handled from its top instead of its bottom as in the prior art. Additionally, a generally horizontally extending bracket lip surrounds the bird cage-like framework to facilitate its being lifted and set down into place on a batch weighing apparatus or the like for controlled dispensing of the bulk dry material through a pour spout located in the bottom of the bag.

Abstract: An apparatus for bending and forming sheet metal into U-shaped channel members is comprised of a support block for supporting a blank of sheet metal in a centered position, a pair of rollers that engage in rolling contact against opposite ends of the sheet metal, and an anvil around which the sheet metal blank is formed into the U-shaped channel member. The sheet metal blank is formed over opposite sides of the anvil by the rollers engaging in rolling contact against the opposite ends of the sheet metal blank. As the rollers roll over the opposite ends of the sheet metal blank, they bend and form the sheet metal ends into channel bends having acute interior angles. When the rollers are removed from the sheet metal ends, the resiliency of the sheet metal causes the channel bends to spring back from their acute angle configurations to right angle configurations.

Abstract: An apparatus for displaying an advertisement or message inside a golf cup is comprised of a bottom disk releasably securable inside the golf cup, a sheet of material having an advertisement or message marked thereon, and a transparent top disk that is assembled to the bottom disk with the sheet of material enclosed therebetween. The top disk is assembled to the bottom disk by friction, sealing engagement between the two disks. The sealing engagement between the disks protects the sheet of material enclosed between the disks from the outside environment. The transparency of the top disk enables the sheet of material to display an advertisement or message marked on the sheet through the top disk. The message or advertisement displayed is visible from outside the golf cup into which the apparatus of the invention is inserted.

Abstract: A bicycle support rack generally comprises metal rod or wire elements welded together, including a single rod or wire element that is bent at its ends to form a pair of horizontally spaced rim hangers. Each rim hanger can removably support one bicycle off the ground by means of the rim of the front wheel. The rod or wire element that defines the rim hangers is also bent in its middle to form a shelf frame. A metal wire grill portion has outer edge margins joined to the shelf frame to define the surface of a shelf for supporting accessories like shoes, helmets and water bottles. Another single rod or wire element is bent to form a pair of segments for bracing the rim hangers. That last rod or wire element is also bent to form a pair of tire stops for urging the front wheels of two bicycles into alignment in vertical planes perpendicular to the wall.

Abstract: A split-type axle bracket is provided that is secured to a vehicle axle housing and extends downward over opposite lateral sides of a vehicle suspension torque beam, equalizer beam, or compensator beam and bushing. The axle bracket is secured to opposite lateral ends of the beam bushing on opposite lateral sides of the beam by a pair of releasable clamps. The clamps are secured to the depending legs of the bracket over the opposite lateral ends of the beam bushing. The pair of clamps are easily disassembled from the depending legs of the bracket to remove the beam and bushing from its connection to the axle bracket.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a flashlight for use by firefighters and for use in other specialized areas. In particular, the present invention relates to a flashlight comprising a body of substantially parallel, spaced tubular members that each contain a plurality of dry cell batteries for powering the flashlight. A lamp is connected at one end of the pair of tubular members for pivoting movement relative to the members through at least 90.degree.. A support base is connected across the opposite ends of the tubular members and is configured to support the flashlight on a surface with the pair of tubular members positioned upright and elevating the lamp above the surface. The support base is removable from the ends of the tubular members to provide access to interiors of the members for inserting or removing dry cell batteries to power the flashlight. Adapters are provided for each of the tubular members to adapt their interiors to accommodate either D-size dry cell batteries or C-size dry cell batteries.

Abstract: A display device having 8-bit architecture includes a decoder for decoding 8-bit bytes of data representative of pixel intensities of 12 bits sufficiently fast to enable the display in flicker-free manner of an image having a frame of 1024.times.1024 pixels. The decoder is hardware based and consists of electronic circuitry without the use of programmed devices incorporating software logic. The decoder may be utilized in new display devices or used to retrofit existing 8-bit architecture display devices. An encoder is also disclosed for encoding 12-bit pixel data into 8-bit data for storage or transmission to the display device.

Abstract: A cap, spinner, and discharge nozzle assembly for use with a liquid dispensing apparatus such as a trigger sprayer. The spinner assembly can be externally fitted to the discharge nozzle, and includes an annular chamber surrounding a central post having a swirl chamber in its top. The central post includes longitudinal grooves, communicating with tangential grooves in an annular wall defining the swirl chamber. Apertures are provided in the base of the annular chamber such that pressurized liquid flows through the apertures and into the annular chamber, with a resulting reduction of velocity, and then along the longitudinal grooves and through the tangential grooves into the swirl chamber. A cap is provided which variably engages the discharge nozzle and which has at least a central projection on the inner side of its front face, and preferably an annular groove formed by an outer projection surrounding the central projection.

Abstract: An organ reed pipe shallot is constructed from solid metal bar stock cut to a predetermined axial length and having a tapered internal bore formed axially through the center of the bar stock. A side of the bar stock is planed and a slot is cut in the plane that extends through to the internal bore. An end plate is secured over one end of the bar stock adjacent the slot and covering the internal bore opening at that end of the bar stock.

Abstract: A kit to convert a standard epi-illumination microscope into a single aperture confocal scanning epi-illumination microscope comprises an assembly including, in one embodiment, a pair of intermediate lenses to create a second field plane conjugate to the specimen plane in both the incident and reflected light paths, with a single aperture positioned at this second conjugate field plane and controllably scanned through the plane to create the incident light beam as well as to mask the returning light before viewing. In a second embodiment, only a single lens is included in the assembly and the objective lens may be positioned at its correct tube length, or a non-standard objective lens may be used to prevent undesired degradation of the image. This assembly conveniently mounts to the nosepiece of the standard microscope in place of the objective lens, and the objective lens mounts to the assembly.