Abstract: A process is disclosed to improve the freeze-thaw stability of fish bait, such as herring, by impregnating the fish by vacuum, pressure or a combination of vacuum and pressure with a water soluble, non-toxic glycol to replace a part of the water in the fish with the glycol. The fish bait are subsequently drained and may be packed and frozen for future use.

Abstract: Bales of hay and the like which were bundled or baled in the field are recompressed to about one-half their original length by using a high-pressure ram on the bales after their wires have been cut and removed, over-compressing the bales and then after relaxing the over-compression, restrapping the recompacted bale through a set of strap guides which are automatically adjusted in the direction of the press stroke to guide the strap around the recompacted bale regardless of the amount of over-compression of the bale.

Abstract: An oil well instrumentation system for measuring the pressure and temperature at various depths during drill stem tests. The measurements may be hydrodynamically analyzed to map the geological structure of an oil field in order to select drilling locations. The measurements may also be utilized to calculate properties of an existing oil well such as total production and optimum production rate and to determine the geologic properties of the structure in which the well is drilled such as porosity. The system includes a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor and a microprocessor based device receiving the outputs of the pressure and temperature sensors for displaying and recording periodic measurements. The display and recording device is powered by a rechargeable battery, and the condition of the battery is internally monitored and an indication of its condition is displayed.

Abstract: An extruded aluminum window is provided with outer frame members for fastening to the building and inner frame members for fastening and holding one or more glass panes. The frames are provided with a sealing system which while allowing pressure equalization prevents air and moisture from passing into the interior of the structure when the window is closed. The sealing system includes an external water deterrent and a pair of internal sealing members with the frame between the external deterrent and the internal sealing members having a water barrier formed with a plurality of serrations each in a plane parallel to the frames. The sill of the outer window frame is provided with internal and external upwardly extending legs, and a raised central portion which joins the external leg in a recessed gutter to drain water out through slots in the external leg. In one embodiment the window can pivot a full 180.degree.

Abstract: A combination venting and antipollution device for a shipboard liquid storage tank. A closure wall divides the vent conduit into a lower tank chamber in direct communication with the tank and an upper vent space in direct communication with the vent opening. A spring-urged valve closure member opens or closes an opening through the closure wall. Low pressure in the tank moves the valve closure member down into a lower open position, to admit air or other fluid to the tank; high pressure in the tank moves the valve closure member up into an upper open position to vent air from the tank. A hydrostatic pressure chamber open to the atmosphere houses a sealed bellows, and a spill-lock valve secured to the bellows normally opens to the vent a spill-lock chamber on the vent side of the valve closure member.

Abstract: A unit is disclosed for removal of impurities present in liquids such as waste water effluent. The unit comprises a vessel containing a loose quantity of particulate treating material for absorption or reaction with the impurities in the liquid. A wall of the unit has multiple small openings therein, each of the openings filled with a finely-divided, compacted, particulate filter material such as diatomaceous earth which is retained in the openings by one or more layers of a woven inert material such as nylon or polyester having mesh openings sufficiently small to prevent passage of the particulate filter material therethrough. The woven material is secured over the outer surface of the openings in the wall of the vessel.

Abstract: A pipe laying vessel has a hoisting winch whose cable is connected to an underwater pipeline during abandonment and recovering operations by a shock absorbing device inserted into and connected to the free end of the pipeline. The shock absorbing device includes a pre-pressurized hydraulic accumulator which is hydraulically coupled to a cylinder and piston, the piston being connected to the hoisting cable with shock loading due to wave action on the vessel being converted to movement of the piston in the cylinder and against pressure of the accumulator.

Abstract: A transducer for measuring the load of a vehicle employing an equalizing beam suspension. In an equalizing beam suspension a pair of tandem wheels are supported by opposite ends of a pair of transversely spaced, center-mounted equalizing beams. Each equalizing beam carries one of the transducers which measures the deflection of the respective equalizing beam responsive to vehicle loading. The transducer includes a push rod clamped to the equalizing beam and extending into a measurement block which is clamped to a different point on the equalizing beam. The measurement block contains a strain gauge instrumented cantilever beam against which the motion transmitting bar abuts. Consequently, the cantilever beam deflects responsive to movement of the motion transmitting bar toward and away from the measurement block produced by load induced deflections of the equalizing beams. The measurement block is essentially a plurality of stacked plates, one of which forms the cantilever beam.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for facilitating plant growth in which light is alternately directed at the plants from at least two directions. The frequency at which the light is shifted between directions is sufficiently low to allow the plant to react to the light source before the direction of illumination is shifted thereby increasing the growth rate of the plant. In one embodiment, the lights are arranged in two parallel rows above the plants with the rows longitudinally offset from each other so that the lights in each row are directly opposite the midpoint between lights of the other row. Each row is connected in a separately energized circuit so that as the circuits are alternately energized the light is directed onto the plants from at least two discrete directions.

Abstract: A specially constructed solid core door is disclosed having a solid core material of particleboard or other suitable material, wood stiles bonded around the periphery of the edges of the core material, a hardwood skin having a minimum thickness of 1/8 inch bonded to the front and rear surfaces of the core material and a phenolic resin-impregnated paper overlay overlying and bonded to the exposed faces and backs of each of the hardwood veneers. The exposed face of the resin-impregnated paper is preferably deeply embossed during bonding of the paper to the veneer with a texture such as a wood grain texture. The door has twice the warp resistance of standard wood doors. The resin impregnated overlayed surfaces provide excellent dent resistance, easy repairability, resistance to checking or crazing, and long paint life (approximately 2 to 3 times that of the standard wood faced door).

Abstract: A convertible crane is provided with a main trolley which carries a powered hoist along a horizontal path. A trailer trolley also carries a hoist which is powered from the main trolley. Each of the hoists thus have a powered drum which will increase the total line capacity of the crane allowing the crane to be used for temporary longer load travel or higher capacity lifting depending upon the amount of reeving or parts of line used to support the load from the trolleys.

Abstract: A valve unit for installation in a vent to atmosphere from an upper end of a shipboard storage tank for liquids. The valve has a housing with a closure seat, a normally open closure member, and an actuator for automatically closing the closure member against the seat to prevent the passage of liquids out from the tank if and when the ship sinks. The actuator includes a sealed reference chamber and a restricted orifice leading into a housing surrounding the sealed chamber, so that if the ship sinks, water enters the orifice, fills the housing around the sealed chamber and exerts pressure substantially greater than that inside the sealed reference chamber. A trigger is actuated by movement resulting from the pressure in the housing exceeding that inside the reference chamber. The invention also provides for a safety by-pass. A by-pass conduit leads around the closure seat, and a relief valve in the by-pass conduit opens only when the pressure in the main valve, i.e.

Abstract: A windmill with a vertical-axis rotor having thrust vanes which is surrounded by a stationary cage having guide vanes to channel the windstream to the rotor. In the preferred embodiment the rotor is a flow-through type with airfoil vanes.

Abstract: A portable strip chart recorder is provided with a constant speed strip chart advancing drive powered from a clockworks and gear drive unit. The gear drive unit is sealed from the strip chart so that it cannot be tampered with when the strip chart is changed. The constant speed drive comprises a constant speed sprocket spool which engages sprocket holes in a strip chart running between a feed spool and a take-up spool. The feed spool is provided with a drag to allow variations in the rotational speed of the strip chart on the spool and provide tension on the chart whereas the take-up spool is provided with a slip clutch that allows the chart to be wrapped at a constant tangential speed even though the diameter of the chart on the take-up spool varies.

Abstract: Interfitted tubular supports are connected centrally above an enclosure such as a pool, above or below ground, or a greenhouse and are connected at their lower ends to a peripheral rail surrounding the enclosure. The supports are connected to the peripheral rail preferably by clamping a horizontal tubular member to the flat top wall of the rail or alternatively, by individually clamping a plurality of spaced blocks lying on the flat top wall of the rail. A flexible plastic cover is fitted over the tubular supports and is releasibly clamped to the vertical sidewall of the rail by peripherally spaced clamping or pinching members. In one embodiment, especially for larger enclosures, the tubular truss support members are employed and support members all are interconnected by tubular stabilizing members as well as with guy lines. Some of the embodiments have a tubular ridge member which terminates above the peripheral rail at a height high enough to allow entry by a standing child or an adult.

Abstract: Method and means for reversible sterilization of females in which caps are placed over the fimbriated ends of the Fallopian tubes and sutured to the serosa thereof. The caps block passage of sperm and ova to prevent pregnancy. The caps can be sutured to and removed from the ends of the Fallopian tubes without damage to the transport mechanism of the tubes.

Abstract: A trailer hitch having a bar with a hitch socket at its forward end is releasibly, pivotally and longitudinally mounted on the trailer frame such that it can be automatically latched in place merely by forward movement of the towing vehicle. A pivot is provided which includes a first member movable longitudinally of the trailer frame with a pivotal second member pivotally mounted on the first member. Spring biased pins automatically lock the slidable and pivoting members rigidly to the trailer frame when in latching positions and provided back-up safety protection against surge overloads.

Abstract: A protector for covering the front face of a "plug-cut herring" to maintain the front face of the plug at a predetermined angle. The protector is basically a cap having a planar face and a cylindrical wall adapted to extend rearwardly along the sides of the herring when the inside surface of the cap member abuts the front face of the herring. A pair of spaced apart apertures are formed in the face of the cover for allowing a leader terminating in a pair of hooks to extend through the cover. The speed at which the herring oscillates as it is towed through the water is determined by which of the two apertures the leader passes. The plug-cut herring protector may be formed of a wide variety of materials and colors and it may be fabricated in a variety of sizes to accommodate a wide range of plug sizes.

Abstract: An automotive vehicle of the type having an air conditioner condenser in line with shutters, a radiator and a de-energizable fan is provided with a pressure-sensing switch in the condenser to measure pressure increases in the refrigerant, a radiator coolant temperature sensor and a manual fan override switch all of which are combined to energize the shutter and fan controls so that the shutters will always be open when the fan is on, both the shutters and fan will be on during high temperature coolant conditions, and the shutter and fan will always be on during high pressure refrigerant conditions regardless of the radiator coolant temperature.

Abstract: A spring assisted cover construction for an opening is disclosed which is easily opened and which can be laid back adjacent the opening essentially parallel to the plane of the opening if desired. Hinge member means are pivotally connected to the frame surrounding the opening to swing with the door from a lowered position within the opening to a raised position corresponding to the raised position of the door. The hinge member means is also pivotally connected to the door to allow the door to pivot relative to the hinge member means from the raised position to a fully open position adjacent the opening while the hinge member remains stationary. A first pair of torsion rods are arranged to be loaded or stressed when the door is swung down to a closed position from its raised position and a second pair of torsion rods are arranged to be stressed when the door is swung down to its fully open position from its raised position.