Abstract: A half-connector body has lateral ears that fit in small notches in the ends of the side walls of a ballast can, preferably at the top. An end wall, if present, traps the ears longitudinally in the notches; resilience of that wall, and of its attachment to the can bottom, enhance tight longitudinal fit. The half connector (a receptacle) presses against, and partly protrudes through an orifice in, the end wall (if present). Outside the ballast, in a new fixture, a jack slides freely in the receptacle to make wiring-harness connections. The jack has a ratchet-like manually operable hook to secure the jack until manually released. Each contact or lead in either half connector is preferably provided with individual strain relief by permanent deformation (as for example using a die punch, without heating or plastic flow) of the connector wall inward, to displace material irreversibly around the wires.

Abstract: This inexpensive, small half connector includes at least one electrical terminal (usually a female contact). The half-connector body defines a hole to receive each terminal. Each terminal has at least one retaining element for engaging the half connector (e.g., a springy tang that snaps into behind an internal flange) to retain the terminal in the half connector. Each hole has a segment of relatively large transverse dimension to receive its terminal, generally with transverse clearance about the circumference of the terminal. Each hole also has a segment of reduced transverse dimension to receive the terminal and engage the retaining element(s) of that terminal to retain the terminal. Each hole has some integral feature--in other words, some structural element(s) integral with the half-connector body--for centering the terminal in the large-dimension segment of the hole.

Abstract: A one-piece, plastic, integrally formed deflector for a motor includes a generally annularly shaped shroud portion, an axially offset generally annularly shaped mounting ring portion, and four generally axially extending webs interconnecting them. The deflector may be conveniently mounted to an end bracket with a screw placed through a mounting hole in the mounting ring located at each web such that as the end bracket is assembled to the motor, the shroud portion closely fits nearly adjacent the rotating rotor blades and the inside of the motor shell to restrict the flow of ventilating air through the motor and prevent its re-circulation past the blades.

Abstract: A cylindrical shell for a motor/generator may be formed by cutting a rectangular blank, offsetting an edge, rolling the blank into a cylinder with the offset edge overlapping its opposite edge, punching through the overlapping edges to interlock them and form the cylinder, and then joining a base to the cylinder through a similar interlocking, punching process. In a variation, the base may be simultaneously joined to the cylinder as the edges are punched. Holes, or holes with locating nibs, may be used to align the blank in a cylindrical shape to reliably control the shell I.D. during fabrication.

Abstract: A half-connector body has lateral ears that fit in small notches in the ends of the side walls of a ballast can, preferably at the top. An end wall, if present, traps the ears longitudinally in the notches; resilience of that wall, and of its attachment to the can bottom, enhance tight longitudinal fit. The half connector (a receptacle) presses against, and partly protrudes through an orifice in, the end wall (if present). Outside the ballast, in a new fixture, a jack slides freely in the receptacle to make wiring-harness connections. The jack has a ratchet-like manually operable hook to secure the jack until manually released. Each contact or lead in either half connector is preferably provided with individual strain relief by permanent deformation (as for example using a die punch, without heating or plastic flow) of the connector wall inward, to displace material irreversibly around the wires.

Abstract: A soft-sided cooler is disclosed having a pivotably fastenable lid and a soft-sided coolant pack dimensioned to fit snugly within the underside region of the lid. The underside region is defined by a plurality of generally opposing, inwardly facing sidewalls that extend downward towards the cooler body for fastening thereto when the lid is closed. The cooling pack comprises a matrix of coolant cells integrally formed within a compliant plastic sheet, and inserted within a fabric envelope. The envelope, in turn, bears Velcro fastening material which releasably retain the envelope within the underside of the lid by mating with VELCRO surfaces on at least a generally opposing pair of the sidewalls.

Abstract: A method for treating the combustion gases produced by the incineration of industrial waste and the like is disclosed wherein the gases are sprayed with H.sub.2 O to form a saturated aqueous vapor that absorbs the noxious materials in the gases, and wherein the vapor is then sprayed with neutralizing agent as it passes through a succession of neutralizing chambers.