Abstract: A metal pile has a splayable fluted bottom portion, the perimeter of which is greater than the nominal perimeter of the pile. A fluted expansion cone is located in the interior of the pile and is connected to the splayable fluted bottom portion. The flutes of the bottom portion, as well as of the expansion cone, desirably have exterior and interior edges which are substantially straight and sides portions therebetween which are substantially planar. The expansion cone generally has an acute apex angle. Once the pile is in place in the earth, the splayable flutes bottom portion can be horizontally expanded to a much larger diameter by applying a force to the top of the expansion cone which flattens the cone and imparts a horizontal expansion force and causes the fluted bottom portion of the pile to splay. When the diameter of the bottom portion of the pile has been increased, the pile will have significantly improved load bearing capacity and thus reducing the depth of penetration otherwise normally required.

Abstract: A fuel charging system which injects nitrous oxide into the engine of a high performance vehicle to provide an instant burst of power to the vehicle. A nitrous oxide supply line feeds nitrous oxide under pressure from a supply container thereof into the vehicle engine through a spray bar. A normally closed solenoid valve controls the flow of nitrous oxide into the vehicle engine through the supply line. The supply line also is connected to a vent tube having a normally open solenoid valve controlling the flow of nitrous oxide thereto. The vent valve communicates with a one-way low pressure actuated check valve and vents any nitrous oxide leaking past the closed solenoid control valve into the atmosphere to prevent the harmful buildup of nitrous oxide in the engine.

Abstract: An extension for a handle of a tool or similar device includes a hollow cylindrical shaped tube formed with a series of circumferentially spaced slots that provide intervening strips of tube material adjacent to but spaced from an open end of the tube. A manually operated clamping band encircles the strips of tube material and clamps the strip against a handle inserted into the tube bore. A second pair of circumferentially spaced slots and intervening strips of the material may be formed adjacent to the first series of strips and is encircled by another clamp for increasing the grip on a handle inserted into the tube.