Abstract: A multi-function arthroscope has a laser channel, an irrigation tube, a suction tube, a rod lens, and optical fibers housed within a tubular casing. The operation site is illuminated by the optical fibers, and the physician views the illuminated site through the rod lens, performs laser surgery with laser radiation propagated by the laser channel, irrigates the site and cleans the rod lens with saline solution through the irrigation tube, and vacuums the debris with the suction tube, all in a single insertion of the arthroscope through a dilator tube. The respective distal ends of the optical fibers, rod lens, laser channel, irrigation tube, and the suction tube are positioned in different planes so that the suction tube extends in a distal direction further than the laser channel, the laser channel extends further than the irrigation tube, and the irrigation tube extends further than the rod lens.

Abstract: An apparatus for mating a finished ophthalmic lens includes a pre-manufactured lens or lens wafer as a part of a mold for making the finished lens. A polymerizable lens material is injected between the lens or lens wafer and a conventional mold member and a trio of indexers are used to rotate the conventional mold member relative to the lens wafer, to adjust the spatial relationship between the conventional mold member and the lens or lens wafer, and to control the angular relation between them. The assembly is subjected to irradiation and the radiation cures the polymerizable lens material and fuses it to the lens wafer so that the lens or lens wafer becomes an integral part of the finished lens. The apparatus produces a finished lens in less than one hour.

Abstract: A tone generating apparatus which comprises a wave memory in which first tone waveform data with a preselected length extracted from an attack portion of a musical tone and second tone waveform data with a preselected length following the first tone waveform data and having a value of zero are stored. A read circuit reads the first tone waveform data only once from the wave memory and subsequently reads the second tone waveform data repeatedly. A tone generator generates a musical tone based on the tone waveform data read out by the read circuit. In reading out tone waveform data from the wave memory, the first tone waveform data is read out first, followed by repetitive reading of only the second tone waveform data.Repetitive reading of the second tone waveform data produces no sound because the contents of the second tone waveform data are zero. Thus, this system performs a function equivalent to tone release effected by reading out a one-shot waveform.

Abstract: A dental handpiece having a turbine rotatable in reverse contains a main handpiece body, a turbine head mounted at a distal end of the main handpiece body, a plurality of turbine vanes for rotatably driving a dental tool romovably mounted within the turbine head, a first air supply passage for ejecting compressed air to one surface of each of the turbine vanes for rotating the turbine vanes in one direction, a second air supply passage for ejecting compressed air to the other surface of each of the turbine vanes for rotating the turbine vanes in the other direction, and an air discharge passage for discharging the compressed air.

Abstract: A tubular adapter and check valve for Luer fittings. The end of the adapter that receives the Luer fitting is expandable radially outwardly in a substantially uniform manner so that Luer fittings of all sizes are snugly received by the adapter. Deep longitudinally extending grooves are formed in the adapter to provide the expandability. The adapter, when in repose, is designed to tightly receive the smallest in diameter Luer fittings, but it receives even the largest Luer fittings when in its expanded configuration. The adapter is also improved by providing radially inwardly extending fingers that hold a check valve in the adapter against axial displacement and by providing an annular shoulder that limits the depth of insertion of the Luer fitting into the adapter, which shoulder prevents over distortion of the check valve.

Abstract: A flameless portable cigarette lighter includes a hollow housing containing a pair of batteries and having a front wall with an opening sized to allow only the insertion of a cigarette therethrough for contact with a vertically oriented electric resistance heating filament in the housing for igniting the cigarette. A flexible closure is formed integrally with a switch actuator slidabaly mounted on the housing front wall and movable therewith from a first position closing the opening to a second position allowing access therethrough of a cigarette. A switch is provided in the housing for selectively connecting the batteries to the filament for energization thereof and includes a flexible resilient conductor having a free end movable into electrical contact with a pole of one of the batteries by engagement with a protuberance at the upper end of the closure when the closure is in its second position.

Abstract: A jet engine having no moving parts includes a toroidal combustion chamber formed in a thickened cylindrical side wall of an engine housing and a toroidal exhaust port that directs exhaust gases radially inwardly and towards an outlet of the engine. The escaping exhaust gases travel at a high velocity and thus induce a secondary air flow through the engine. The entrained secondary air enters the engine inlet, cooling and slowing the exhaust gases. In a second embodiment, the trailing end of the housing is frusto-conical and the exhaust port directs the exhaust gases to converge toward one another so that entrained air also flows in a converging pattern. In a third embodiment, the housings of the first two embodiments are positioned in axial alignment with one another so that converging air entrained by the second housing augments the mass of air entrained by the first.

Abstract: A pyrrole polymer membrane having electrical conductivity and liquid crystal properties in the same matrix. The starting pyrrole monomer derivative is illustrated by the formula ##STR1## where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are selected so that at least either of them is an electron attractive group. Methods of producing such membranes by a electropolymerization process and by a chemical oxidation process are described.

Abstract: A windchime that generates musical tones in response to very low wind speeds includes chime members that are grouped in pairs. The chime members of each pair of chime members include a massive chime member and a less massive chime member that are closely spaced apart from one another. In very low winds, the less massive chime members begin swinging and impinge against their adjacent more massive chime members. Thus, a musical tone is produced even before the more massive chime members begin swinging. This arrangement of parts reduces the sensitivity threshold of the windchime so that it performs its intended function in breezes moving at less than one-half a mile per hour. In a preferred embodiment, three sets of chimes are suspended from a tripod-like mounting member that includes aesthetically pleasing support legs.

Abstract: A flameless battery powered electric cigarette lighter has a resistance heating filament positioned within a lighter housing in spaced juxtaposition to an opening in the housing for admitting the leading end of a cigarette so that it may contact the heating filament and be ignited. A cylindrical ceramic support positioned in the housing by an annular rib thereon press fitted into engagement with portions of the housing has a circular recess facing the housing opening in which is positioned the heating filament. The recess protects the filament against breakage and serves to concentrate heat on the cigarette being ignited. The heating filament is automatically energized by a switch actuated by movement of a slidable flexible housing wall portion from a position closing the housing opening to an open position where a cigarette can be inserted through the opening for ignition.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument comprises a filter coefficient generator, including a control signal generator for receiving timbre information, tone range information and touch information and for generating the first and second parameters to control a filter characteristic; a trigonometric function generator for generating a trigonometric function value based on the first parameter generated by the control signal generator; and a filter coefficient computing circuit for computing the trigonometric function value generated by the trigonometric function generator and the second parameter generated by the control signal generator. The filter coefficient generator sequentially generates filter coefficients by computation and sends them to a digital filter to continuously change the filter characteristic of the digital filter, thereby producing musical tones.

Abstract: Arthroscopic cervical discectomy instruments include a push knob for a guide wire, a pair of telescopically mounted dilator tubes, one of which includes a water port so that the tube provides the additional function of an irrigation tube, a ligament cutter, a continuous suction punch, a cervical osteotone, a cervical cureet, a nucleus extractor and a cureet nucleus extractor. The dilator tubes, the ligament cutter, and the continuous suction punch are all centrally bored to receive the guide wire. All of the instruments are of arthroscopic proportions and each instrument, exclusive of its handle, is slidably insertable through the bore of the largest in diameter dilator tube. The largest in diameter dilator tube serves as a dilator, an irrigation tube, and as the main sheath through which the other tools are inserted.

Abstract: The control apparatus of the present invention is used for a washing machine in which a photosensor having a light emitting element and a light receiving element opposite thereto, detects the degree of light transmission in washing water, and in which, based on variations of the degree of light transmission in washing water thus detected, the respective steps of washing, rinsing and draining are controlled. Correction is made such that the photosensor presents a predetermined sensitivity to set a current which flows in the light emitting element, after which a washing operation is started. After drainage, when the next water supply operation is started and the level of water thus supplied reaches a predetermined level within a predetermined period of time, it is judged that washing water used at the previous washing remains in a washing tank. Then, control is made such that no adjustment is made of the sensitivity of the photosensor and a standard current flows in the light emitting element.

Abstract: An apparatus for displaying eyeglass frames includes an elongate square channel-shaped base member that includes a flat bottom wall, a rear wall and a front wall. The rear and front wall are parallel to one another and accommodate therebetween the free ends of the temple pieces of a plurality of eyeglass frames that are positioned along the extent of the base member. The front wall has a greater height than the rear wall so that the temple pieces are maintained in a horizontal plane when the rear wall of the base member is secured to a vertical support surface. The spacing between the rear wall and the front wall is predetermined in accordance with the respective heights of the front and rear walls to prevent the free ends of the temple pieces from falling out.

Abstract: An aqueous crosslinkable resin composition suitable as surface coating material, under coating material, impregnation treating material or binder and having excellent properties such as solvent resistance, water resistance, thermal discoloration resistance, long pot life and no generation of formaldehyde, which comprises (A) an acrylic copolymer of a carboxyl group-containing monomer, an alkyl acrylate or methacrylate, and optionally a monomer having a basic nitrogen atom and/or other copolymerizable vinyl monomers, wherein at least 0.5 % by mole of carboxyl groups is neutralized with an imidazole compound, and (B) an epoxy resin, the equivalent ratio of the carboxyl group of (A) to the epoxy group of (B) being from 1/3 to 3/1.

Abstract: An air diffuser that injects triangular columns of air into a space to be air conditioned. The triangular columns of air entrain air into their wake and set up a cross flow of air in a direction normal to the path of travel of the air in the triangular columns. In a first embodiment, a plurality of elongate, triangular nozzles are disposed at an angle in penetrating relation to a ceiling so that a first end of each nozzle is above the plane of the ceiling and a second end of each nozzle is below the plane. A housing in fluid communication with a source of air to be introduced into the space is positioned above the ceiling in housing relation to the respective first ends of the nozzles so that air introduced into the housing under positive pressure is constrained to exit the housing through the nozzles. In second and third embodiments, the nozzles are of differing geometrical configurations in transverse section and do not penetrate the plane of the panel within which they are mounted.

Abstract: A painter's box or artist's sketch box has a removable lid, a reversible palette, movable partitions enabling the changing of the compartments of the box, a detachably mounted brush holder, a detachably mounted charcoal holder, and support legs that support the box when its lid is closed and which relieve stress on the hinges that interconnect the main body of the box and the lid when the lid is fully open. The hinges are of the pull-apart slip hinge type and include pins of differing lengths to facilitate reattachment of the lid to the main body of the box, and a groove is centered along the parting line of the lid and the main body to accommodate the hinge barrels to further facilitate alignment of the lid and the main body of the box. A thumb hole formed in the palette enables it to be held easily when separated from the box and provides an access opening for a jar of mineral spirits when the palette is not held.

Abstract: Disclosed are a chord detecting/storing apparatus and an accompaniment information processing apparatus. The chord detecting/storing apparatus designates tones consisting of a chord on a keyboard, and extracts one of the designated notes. Based on the extracted note, the apparatus prepares a row of note bits excluding at least one note. Using this note bit row as an address, the apparatus searches for a chord table in advance where chord information is stored to correspond to each pattern for a row of note bits, and reads out searched chord information to detect a chord.The accompaniment information processing apparatus detects component tones of a chord when the chord is designated from the keyboard, and generates chord information. The accompaniment information processing apparatus produces specific tone information in association with the generated chord information and correlates the specific tone information with the chord information before storing both information items.