Abstract: A belt tensioning device for an endless drive belt for a vehicle accessories drive system. A housing is adapted to be mounted on an engine in a stationary position adjacent the drive belt and has a lever arm pivotally mounted thereon. An idler pulley is rotatably mounted on the lever arm and is movable into belt tensioning engagement by a torsional coil spring telescopically mounted about the pivot for the lever arm. A brake band ring is mounted on the lever arm and has a friction surface which is biased by the torsional spring into engagement with the housing to provide a damping force when the lever arm attempts to move in either a belt tensioning or non tensioning direction. The damping force is proportional to the torsional spring force generally throughout the tensioning range of the belt tensioner since the same coil spring provides both forces. A pivot shoe is removably mounted on the brake band adjacent the friction surface and a straight end of the torsional spring is engaged with the pivot shoe.

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.

Abstract: A sharpening device for a circular-shaped blade of the type used on a rotary meat trimming knife. The blade is rotatably mounted on a power driven blade holder which is movable horizontally along a base. A grinder which includes a motor and a power driven grinding wheel also is movable horizontally along the base whereby the paths of movement of the blade holder and grinder intersect with the grinding wheel engaging the cutting and edge of the blade at a predetermined angle. A sharpening control mechanism has a course advancement consisting of a threaded shaft which is slidably rotatably mounted in the base and is connected to the blade holder by a follower pin whereby rotation or linear movement of the shaft will move the blade holder linearly along the base and bring the blade into contact with the grinding wheel.

Abstract: A buoyant tackle box molded of plastic has a rectangular outer housing and a plurality of inner storage compartments formed by partition walls. A vertical passageway is formed in the center of the housing by the partition walls and communicates with an opening in the bottom wall of the housing. A fish net is mounted on the housing and extends through the vertical passageway and is suspended beneath the housing as it floats in a body of water for securing the caught fish. A pump is removably mounted in one of the compartments for circulating water within the compartments for sustaining live bait temporarily placed in the compartment. A plurality of storage inserts are removably mounted within the storage compartments. One of the inserts contains a lower compartment for holding a frozen coolant for cooling items storage in an upper compartment of the insert.

Abstract: A device for maintaining a luminaire support ring centered about and stabilized on a pole as it is being raised and lowered along the pole. A plurality of spaced stabilizing arms are pivotally mounted on the support ring and are biased into engagement with the pole by individual cables which also provide the raising and lowering means for the support ring. The cables provide a constant centering and stabilizing force exerted by the arms against the pole throughout the vertical travel of the support ring uneffected by changes in pole diameter. Tapered rollers mounted on the arms engage the pole to provide a lower friction sliding engagement therebetween. The arms also extend a predetermined distance beyond the pole engaging rollers to maintain the pole trapped between the arms should the support ring move off-center from the pole.

Abstract: An exercise device for simulating cross-country skiing in which the user stands on a pair of foot plates moveably mounted on a pair of tracks extending along a base frame. A pair of endless flexible belts extends about rollers located at the front and rear of the frame and extend along the tracks beneath the foot plates. An eccentric cam is mounted on the bottom of each of the foot plates and drivingly connects the foot plate to its respective belt by clamping the belt against a bracket upon movement of the foot plate in a rearward direction and which releases the clamping engagement with the belt upon movement of the foot plate in the forward direction to simulate movement of a pair of cross-country skis. An adjustable brake provides resistances to the movement of the belts when the foot plates are moved in the rearward direction. A pair of hand manipulated tension cables are mounted on a pedestal to provide resistance to arm movement of the users to simulate operation of ski poles.

Abstract: A method for electrostatically applying a thermoplastic resin coating on a threaded portion of a fastener to provide a self locking element thereon. A plurality of fasteners are moved by a spaced pair of endless belts passed a spray station where a stream of powdered resin is directed toward the threaded ends of the fasteners. The fasteners and resin are polarized to opposite polarities at the spray station whereby the powdered resin is attracted to and clings to the threaded ends of the fastener and extends completely about the circumference of said ends. Air jet nozzles located downstream of the spray station may direct streams of compressed air against certain portions of the powdered resin to remove the resin therefrom to provide uncoated lead threads and to regulate the distance that the resin extends circumferentially about the threaded ends to provide a coating extending between 180 degrees and 360 degrees about the threaded ends.

Abstract: A spray device having a plurality of rotating nozzles directing sprays of a high pressure fluid in a circular pattern against an object being cleaned. The nozzles are mounted on the ends of supply pipes extending radially outwardly from a hub connected to a hollow crankshaft. The crankshaft is connected to a source of high pressure fluid through a supply conduit which is connected to the crankshaft by a rotary union. The rod of a double action piston is connected to the crankshaft and rotates the crankshaft and nozzles upon linear reciprocating movement of the piston rod. The piston cylinder is pivotally mounted on a valve block which has a pair of ball check valves which are actuated by a rocker bar mounted on the cylinder. A small quantity of the high pressure fluid is directed into the valve block from a manifold and is injected alternatively into the ports of the cylinder upon pivotal movement of the cylinder to reciprocate the rod and rotate the crankshaft and connected spray nozzles.

Abstract: An improved device for cleaning surfaces with plastic abrasive particles and for recovering the spent abrasive particles and debris removed from the surface in which the stream of abrasive particles is visible as it impinges against the surface being cleaned. A venturi nozzle adapted to be connected to a supply of pressurized air containing plastic abrasive particles is mounted on an end wall of a housing which forms a vacuum chamber. The housing includes a cylindrical glass sleeve which is removably mounted on a collar at its inner end and which is retained at its outer end by a retaining ring connected to the collar by a plurality of straps. A work ring is mounted on the outer end of the glass sleeve and is moved along the surface being cleaned. An exhaust tube adapted to be connected to a source of suction is connected to a rear end of the housing and the inlet end of the nozzle is located concentrically with the exhaust tube whereby the pressurized air supply line is mounted within the exhaust tube line.

Abstract: A panel formed by a generally flat plate with outwardly projecting flanges along three sides thereof is snap-fitted onto the bottom wall of a video cassette storage container and forms a pocket for holding a booklet or similar material. A plurality of inwardly projecting tabs formed on two of the panel flanges are engaged in notches formed in opposite side edges of the container bottom wall for removably mounting the panel on the container. A pair of clips are connected integrally by live hinges with the panel plate and project toward the bottom wall of the container for retaining a booklet within the pocket. The panel is molded of transparent plastic material and has ribs projecting from the outer surface of the panel to reduce scratching of the plate surface. A transparent plastic sheet also may be secured to the outer surface of the container top and end walls for holding a thin identification label therebetween.

Abstract: An improved prefabricated building panel for mounting on the exterior of a building including a plurality of spaced, parallel support members or studs preferably formed by metal channels. A five strand layer wire mesh formed by a plurality of interwoven wires arranged at right angles to each other is attached to the support members and spaced therefrom by a plurality of spacers. The wire mesh is encapsulated with cement to form a ferrocement panel and decorative facing tile are secured to an outer face of the ferrocement panel by a layer of grouting. The ferrocement panel provides the structural load bearing component for the prefabricated panel for supporting the facing tile and eliminates the need for a separate substrate which heretofore spanned the support members and provided the structural support. The invention also includes the method steps for forming such a prefabricated panel.

Abstract: An improved check valve assembly which is mounted on the front end of a feedscrew of an injection molding machine having a check ring which is slidably mounted on the shank of a retainer within the heated barrel of the molding machine. An annular-shaped flow gap is formed between the inner periphery of the check ring and retainer shank for feeding cylindrical-shaped sleeves of heated material into a discharge chamber at the forward end of the barrel. The check ring is movable between a forward material feed position where it is engaged with a front valve seat and a rearward material blocking position where it is engaged with a rear valve seat.

Abstract: A portable system for filling bottles with nitrous oxide from a large supply cylinder of nitrous oxide at ambient temperature. The supply cylinder is connected by a conduit to a cylinder of inert gas which is under a considerably higher pressure than that of the nitrous oxide through a valve. The bottle to be filled is connected to the cylinder of nitrous oxide by another conduit. The inert gas through a pressure regulator maintains a blanket of high pressure inert gas above the liquid nitrous oxide in the cylinder to force the nitrous oxide from the cylinder and into the bottle. The valve when in a first position enables the cylinder of nitrous oxide to be connected to the cylinder of inert gas to maintain the pressurized blanket of gas above the nitrous oxide and then when in a second position enables the inert gas to force the nitrous oxide into the bottle.

Abstract: In a pipe support of the constant tension kind, spring means, which through a connecting link acts on a lever pivoted to a carrier, is adjustable relative to the carrier for altering the moment of the spring force about the pivot of the lever by varying the perpendicular distance from the pivotal axis to the central longitudinal axis of the connecting link. Slots in the carrier are engaged by screws which tighten into an end wall of a housing of the spring means to secure the spring means in adjusted positions. By the adjustment the moment of the spring force can be boosted, changes in the load moment of a supported pipe, e.g. as a result of pipe ratchet, can be readily compensated for, as also can deviations of the rating of the spring means from a mean manufacturing specification.

Abstract: A self-energizing disc brake of the spreading type incorporates a drag-taking stop abutment for arresting angular movement of one of the pressure plates when the brake is applied. The stop abutment comprises a cam which is mounted on the inner end of a cam shaft, and the cam shaft is rotatable in a radial bore in the housing to adjust the relative circumferential position of the stop abutment.

Abstract: An improved protective cover adapted to be suspended on an energized electrical conductor or insulator to protect workmen in the vicinity of the conductor. In one embodiment, the cover is an elongated tubular-shaped member formed by concentrically arranged inner and outer housings maintained in a spaced relationship by a plurality of spacers which provide and maintain an insulating air gap therebetween. A central sleeve is concentrically mounted within the inner housing and together with portions of the inner and outer housings forms a spiral passageway for suspending the cover on a conductor by engagement of the conductor with an inner concave surface of the central sleeve. The inner concave surface of the central sleeve is covered with a conductive material which reduces the strength of the electrical field stress surrounding the energized conductor.