Abstract: A safety shut-off having a spring loaded ball which moves into engagement with a valve seat in response to excess gas flow. Engagement of the ball with the valve seat shuts off gas flow. Excessive gas flow is generally encountered when a catastrophic breakage downstream of the valve causes the downstream pressure to drop precipitously.

Abstract: A cable and wire management track for accommodating large cable runs. The computer system has a plurality of peripheral components, such as a monitor, keyboard, printer, mouse, speakers, routers, bridges, switches, modems, etc. The cable and wire management track mounts to a wall, rack or enclosure, and has a plurality of hangers for receiving the wires issuing from the components. The hangers are mounted for sliding and rotative indexing upon the track, and are easily positioned behind each peripheral unit in order to receive and store its cables and wires.

Abstract: A powered mechanism is described for controlling the dumping of mortar from a tilting mortar mixing drum. The powered mechanism is highly mechanically advantaged, so that a single operator has precise control of the dumping procedure. A mortar mixing drum has a rotatable paddle shaft and at least one paddle attached to it. The mortar mixing drum is operative between a home, mixing position, and a mortar dumping position. A drive mechanism is connected to the rotatable paddle shaft for rotatively driving the shaft and the paddle attached to it. A transmission mechanism has a ring gear attached to the mortar mixing drum and a pinion gear in rotative contact with the ring gear. The transmission mechanism also has a drive belt and a drive pulley rotatively attached to the rotatable paddle shaft. A hand-operated lever is engageable with the drive belt of the transmission mechanism to engage the drive belt for driving the transmission pulley, which causes tilting of the mixing drum.

Abstract: A new method of fabricating the joint between a golf club head and the golf club shaft, and the article fabricated therefrom, is described herein. The golf club head in which the shaft is inserted has a bore hole having a recessed contoured aperture. The hollow, metal, or electrically conductive golf club shaft is placed into the bore hole of the club head, and an electric coil is placed inside the shaft. The electric coil is electrically pulsed, causing the shaft to expand outwardly to fit the contour of the aperture. The electro-formed, mechanically-bonded shaft is now permanently and integrally anchored to the golf club head. The club head aperture is additionally fitted with a plurality of vertically-disposed grooves along the vertical shaft axis. These vertical grooves capture the shaft as it expands outwardly to the internal surface during electromagnetic forming. The electromagnetically-formed shaft expands into these grooves and is prevented from rotationally or angularly slipping about the club head.

Abstract: A cooling system for electronic boards and cards is described. The cooling system is designed to provide streamlined air flow about heated components disposed upon the boards. The cooling system comprises at least one deflector that utilizes naturally occurring convection within the housing to cool heated components disposed on the board. A lifter portion of each deflector causes pre-heated air from upstream components to rise above downstream components. A collector portion allows cool air to be drawn in and over these downstream components, thus keeping them cool by minimizing or eliminating the impingement of the pre-heated air. A plurality of deflectors arranged in a predetermined pattern can also be utilized.

Abstract: The present invention features an integrated, electronic fluorescent ballast fixture which includes an electronic ballast packaged with a set of fluorescent lamp connectors into an integral fixture. The fixture has a circuit board that selectably supports up to four fluorescent lamps. The housing of the fixture id configured to receive a number of lamp connectors. The connectors are electrically, connected to the circuit board use wire and poke-in type connectors. When used with conventional, straight fluorescent lamps, a second set of sockets at the far end of the lamps are also connected to the circuit board using wires received in poke-in connector on the circuit board. The integrated ballast package also works with U-shaped lamps. The housing of the fixture is shaped to accommodate projecting electronic ballast components attached to the circuit board. The transformers and transistors of the circuit board may be thermally sinked, so that their heat is carried to the housing by thermally conductive means.

Abstract: The present invention features a pharmaceutical dispensing system including a plurality of standardized or universal-type cells disposed in a large array called a module. One or more modules may be disposed in a given pharmacy, and one or more pharmacies may be monitored by a central computer. The system for filling prescriptions includes a graphical interface processing system for monitoring operations of each cell, wherever located, and for sequentially and interactively prompting an operator to perform appropriate; predetermined steps. The system for filling prescriptions sequentially prompts a technician or operator to perform predetermined steps, dependent upon verification of the completion of a prior or previously completed step in the sequence. In a semi-automatic mode, the pharmacist is directed, by suitable prompts on the computer display screen, as to the necessary steps and locations in filling each prescription.

Abstract: A pallet is made of corrugated material having two horizontal, upper and lower deck members. The deck members are substantially parallel to one another. The deck members are separated along their length by a center support member, two vertical side support, stringer members, and at least three separate internal members, or runners, that support the entire length of the top horizontal member. Two of the runners form a center support, and two of the runners form diagonal supports. Each diagonal support member forms a leg of an isosceles triangle with each vertical side support stringer member forming the other leg. The diagonal support members give added strength to the pallet and assist in distributing the load placed upon the pallet.

Abstract: The present invention is a tiled, seamless-type, flat-panel display with improved light efficiency. The display consists of tiles that are bonded together during assembly with an index-matching adhesive, as is commonly known in the art. Prior to bonding the tiles, however, their adjoining edges are cut at an angle. The pixel pitch or aperture spacing of the display is maintained in the horizontal direction, while the tiles are vertically shifted. The distance from the center of the pixel nearest the edge to the cut in the aperture mask is made greater than one-half of a pixel. When viewed from above, the aperture mask is continuous. The overlapping edges of the tile cuts are positioned between the apertures, so as to better conceal the edges.

Abstract: An umbrella features a rigid structural stem for supporting a canopy. The rim of the canopy is inflatable, thus providing a circular shape to the canopy periphery. The canopy is made of a flexible material, such as cloth, plastic, canvass or combinations thereof. The plastic material can be transparent or diaphanous. Radially extending rods, that are substantially equally spaced about the canopy, project from the stem towards the inflatable rim to provide further structural support for the canopy. The radial rods do not extend past the rim, thus providing safety. There are three embodiments of the umbrella of this invention. The first embodiment features an umbrella design having a standard curvilinear canopy with inflatable rim. The second embodiment is a conically shaped canopy with inflatable rim. The third embodiment of this invention is a canopy having an upper conically shaped portion surrounded by an inflatable rim. A skirt is attached to the upper portion.

Abstract: A quick coupling device comprising a female part (1) secured to the rigid endpiece (2) and in which a stepped bore is provided that presents a large diameter section (13) beyond an axial latch (15) that is movable between two positions, together with a banding ring (14) housed in removable manner inside the large diameter section (13) and fitted on its inside surface with at least one retaining projection (25) forming mechanism for axially linking the tube (7) to the banding ring (14) by biting into the outside surface of the tube, the axial latch (15) in one of its two positions opposing axial displacement of the banding ring (14) away from the rigid endpiece (2), and in its other position, releasing the banding ring.

Abstract: The present invention features a reusable, pipe-laying device with an automatically adjustable, self-locking member that will accommodate pipes having different diameter sizes. The pipe-support unit of the present pipe-laying device slidably supports an angled, locking bar that will tangentially engage with different diameter sizes resting on the pipe-support unit, thus locking them in place. The pipe-support unit is disposed on a contiguous shaft to that of a staking shaft. The locking bar is slidable upon the contiguous, supporting shaft, and thus comes into tangential contact with a pipe, as it is lowered into place. The tangential contact provides the means by which pipes of different diameter sizes engage with, and are locked by, the locking bar.

Abstract: A new paper loading system is featured with a convenient drop-in paper loading and a full slip path in a receipt printer. The paper is dropped into a paper receiving bucket disposed in the central portion of the printer. The paper is fed from the bucket; and thereafter, a receipt is printed. Then, the paper is cut to the appropriate receipt length. A slip path is also provided for insertion of a single or multi-part form used for credit or check validation. The relative position of the slip path would normally interfere with the drop-in loading of the paper supply roll into the bucket. The system allows the fixed blade assembly to support a slip path upon a rear surface thereof. The slip path is substantially parallel or adjacent to the paper receipt path, which passes between assemblies supporting a fixed blade and a movable, rotary blade. The fixed blade unlatches and pivots away from the rotary blade, thus opening the printer and exposing the paper loading bucket for access thereto.

Abstract: A quickly assembled and disassembled mounting bracket assembly for cylindrical objects, such as pressurized gas (e.g., oxygen) tanks, is described. The bracket assembly has two interconnecting parts: a bracket section and a base plate. The bracket section is slidable within the base plate, similar to a rail system. The two interconnecting pieces slidably interlock via spaced-apart T-shaped connectors disposed on distal side portions thereof. Assembly movement is minimal so that the two pieces can be joined quickly. Limiting stops provide mating alignment. Once in the aligned position, one or more locking detent pins are inserted through alignment holes disposed in the mating sections to secure the two parts in place.

Abstract: A large flat panel display having a plurality of tile display modules with capability in the range of 12 or more lines per inch, being precisely manufactured and aligned such that the interpixel spacing between two adjacent tiles maintains the uniformly periodic spacing of the interpixel spacing within tiles. The display is addressed as a single monolithic display, without reference to the plurality of individual tiles making up the display. All of the interconnections between tiles are located between tiles in the "shadow area", unless all tiles can have an edge around the periphery of the display. Also disclosed are methods of making and assembling the tiles and the displays.

Abstract: The present invention features a pill-dispensing system which has a number of standardized, or universal-type, modules. Each module has a rotating, helix-drive mechanism, which is rotationally controlled by a microprocessor. The helical-drive mechanism features several improvements, both in the drive mechanism and in the software control of the rotational drive system by the microprocessor that allows for the dispensing of pills of all shapes and sizes one at a time. The helix of the drive is securely mounted within a rotatable, hollow tube. A stationary collar is mounted adjacent the upper end of the rotating tube. The rotating helix extends into the stationary collar and forces pills from the hollow tube to the dispensing edge of the stationary collar. A hopper positioned at the input end, or mouth of the tube, feeds a batch quantity of pills to the drive mechanism. The tube is angled upwardly from the mouth portion, so that the pill-dispensing end is positioned above the input end.

Abstract: The present invention features a paper handling instrument storage unit for use with a computer. The unit, fabricated from plastic, wood, metal, or other suitable material, has a tray that is mountable to a computer monitor near a computer keyboard, or to any other vertical wall, face, or upright on, in, or near a computer workstation. The mounted tray has assigned wells located in it, for containing pencils, pens, scissors, rulers, paper clips and other desk accessories. The wells are conveniently shaped to accommodate the various office items. In one embodiment, a photocell is positioned within the unit. Found within the unit's wells are a number of light passages. The light beam is interrupted when an instrument (e.g., a pencil or pen) rests within its assigned well. Removal of the instrument from its well allows the light beam in that passage to travel through the passage and reach a photocell detector. The photodetector provides a signal to the computer that initiates a data-saving program routine.

Abstract: A receipt storage and presenting device is described. The device allows for the storage of various media, such as receipts, slips, forms, labels, tickets, tags, etc. The receipts are introduced into the device by an adjacently disposed printer. The web of the receipt enters the storage and presenting device and is stored within a rib-cage mandrel in an overflow bucket. The device is able to store various lengths of the media up to about twenty feet. The device is then caused to rotate through an angle transverse of the printer discharge direction, which angle is preferably ninety degrees.

Abstract: The present invention features a light-pumped, single-mode, pulse- or continuous-wave amplifier, or a Q-switch, with each having a high-saturation output power. The amplifier or Q-switch has a light-pumped, optical fiber having active ions that are either annularly located within the cladding or adjacent the core/cladding interface. Pump-light and an input signal are coupled to the fiber via a dispersive or biconically-tapered coupler. The light-pumped fiber provides stored energy, with an induced emission in the excited-state population that is relatively low for the given amount of energy stored. The central part of the core both stores and propagates whatever light is present, due to induced emission, which takes place only in the annular region. The light that is incident on the fiber is of sufficient intensity so that, despite the low rate of induced emission per unit of light intensity, a significant power increase occurs.