Abstract: The present invention is a self-contained, solar powered heating and cooling system for a building. The collector has an insulated heating chamber, and a light transmissive cover and a thermostatically controlled vent. The chamber contains absorptive columns standing on the floor. An internal liquid conduit exposes the liquid to the heat within the chamber. The collector is connected to a remote thermal reservoir such that a liquid circuit and a separate gas circuit both circulate heated fluid to the reservoir. Heat can be stored in any of a liquid reservoir, thermal mass reservoir and gas reservoir. Wind powered generators and photovoltaic cells provide power for the system or other applications. The thermal reservoir has heat exchangers which deliver stored heat to the building or operate a heat operated refrigeration machine (e.g., a liquid absorption chiller). Additional self sustaining power sources may optionally be incorporated into the present invention.

Abstract: A mobile inventorying and collection apparatus includes a mobile cart for immediate inventorying of moneys collected in a coin collection box at an area adjacent to a host machine such as a gaming machine, and collecting in a secured receptacle of the mobile cart inventoried coins and tokens in a secured manner, and transmitting this data as well as identification data of the coin box to either a CPU provided on-board the mobile cart for later downloading to a remote data management control system, or directly to the remote data system.

Abstract: A mobile cart for inventorying monies collected from a coin operated machine. The mobile cart includes a receptacle for receiving and storing inventoried moneys, a data reception device, and a weight measuring device in electrical communication with the data reception device. The mobile cart also includes a receiving platform associated with the weight measuring device that is adapted to receive a coin box.

Abstract: A door stop for hollow walls having two drywall surfaces. The door stop comprises a cylindrical housing having an outwardly turned flange serving as a trim plate engaging the drywall surface exposed to the door knob of a swinging door. The flange is located at the exposed end of the housing. A piston occupies and is entrapped within a chamber formed in the housing. The piston is exposed to the door knob and presents surface roughly flush with the outer surface of the wall. The piston receives impacts when the door is swung so that the door knob strikes the wall. A spring inside the housing decelerates the piston responsive to the door being swung until contact with the wall ensues, and subsequently returns the piston to its original position. The chamber of the housing communicates to the exterior by a small orifice, so that piston movement is pneumatically dampened.

Abstract: A reciprocating, brush cutting attachment for a vehicle such as a riding lawn mower. The attachment is in the form of a sickle head having a bottom support plate that acts as a frame for the sickle head. Two top blades reciprocate back and forth on top of the support plate, one on each side. The bottom support plate and the two top blades all include front blade edges having a plurality of teeth. As the top blades move back and forth, vegetation between the teeth is cut. The prime advantage of the sickle head of the present invention is the reduction of vibrations achieved by continuously driving the colinear top blades in opposite directions with respect to each other.

Abstract: A planting tray for discharging many sproutlings simultaneously onto a permanent growing bed. The tray comprises a peripheral rectangular frame which slidably supports a floor panel. A flexible web attaches to the front of the frame by a clamp, extends over the floor panel, around the rear edge of the floor panel, and extends along the bottom of the floor panel back to the front of the frame. When the free end of the web is pulled, the floor panel is ejected to the front of the frame in parbuckle fashion. The sproutlings are thereby discharged onto the growing bed. The floor panel preferably has a roller disposed along its rear edge to avoid binding on the web when the web is pulled. The frame has two cable handles.

Abstract: Travel trailer and motor home users must periodically use various facilities for filling motor fuel tanks and water storage tanks of their vehicles, as well as dumping their waste water and sewerage receptacles. Typically the fill or discharge receptacles for these different tanks are located at different locations along the length of the vehicle, making it difficult to align the vehicle with the different service facilities. The present invention comprises a device whereby a driver can accurately line up fill and discharge receptacles with the corresponding service at a service station or dump station without the aid of a second person or the need for leaving the vehicle.

Abstract: The present invention offers a low cost, modular structure with a continuous, horizontal, rotatable spine supported on posts fixed to the ground, providing one axis of rotation for pointing solar collectors in the North-South direction and vertical roll axis bars mounted orthogonally to the spine providing an additional axis of rotation in the East-West direction. Push rods provide linear motion for control of any number of solar collector modules, with the linear motion being translated to rotary motion by pulleys and cables attached to wheels or arc segments mounted to the spine and roll axis bars. Thus, a whole array of solar collector modules can be driven by a single solar tracking device and two drive devices. Additionally, when arrayed in multiple rows of the number of solar collector modules controlled can be multiplied so that a “solar farm” covering a large area could be controlled by the single solar tracking device and a minimal number of drive devices.

Abstract: A playing card shuffler for shuffling a stack of playing cards with random distribution. The playing card shuffler includes an infeed playing card stack holder supporting an unshuffled playing card stack and discharges playing cards from incremental positions of the unshuffled playing card stack directly to the shuffled card receiver.

Abstract: A lock for locking valve and electrical switch handles in the “off” position, which lock incorporates a radio transmitter for reporting status of the lock to a remote monitor. The lock has a cable which encircles the handle. The distal end of the cable is connected to the lock and is locked in place. A conductor of an alarm subcircuit passes through the cable, thereby detecting whether the cable has been cut. The monitor includes a radio receiver and a display for displaying status of the monitored lock. The invention optionally utilizes plural locks and plural monitors.

Abstract: A remote control unit for remotely communicating at least one operator-selected command to a shuffling machine. The remote control unit includes a housing, a controller disposed within the housing, a display in electrical communication with the controller, and at least one user-operated key in electrical communication with the controller for electrically communicating a shuffle command to said shuffling machine. The controller includes circuitry that electrically communicates signals to the shuffling machine.

Abstract: A portable, self-contained pump having a battery carried on board. The pump includes a pumping device for forcing liquids to flow, such as those including impellers, plungers or reciprocating pistons, diaphragms, and others, a motor, the battery, electrical circuitry connecting the battery to the motor, and a housing enclosing the aforementioned components. A clip for suspending the pump from the belt of a user is fixed to the housing. The housing also includes an access panel affording access to the interior of the pumping device for service, such as clearing clogs, and a switch for controlling the motor. A threaded inlet nipple and a threaded outlet nipple project from the housing. Accessories for the pump include a stand, a plurality of auxiliary hoses or conduits enabling retrieval and directing discharge of liquids, and an auxiliary liquid receptacle for dispensing liquids from the novel pump. The auxiliary conduits are threaded for enabling connection to the inlet and outlet nipples.

Abstract: A book holder in which an open book may be placed and held in the cavity created by the positioning of an angled back piece, end pieces and front tabs joined to a solid bottom piece upon which the lower edge of the book rests with the open pages loosely secured under the inner edges of the front tabs. Said book holder can be hand held for reading or mounted to an optional swivel base by way of a protruding interlock key in the optional swivel base mating with a keyhole slot in the bottom of the book holder for desk top reading.

Abstract: A grip device to prevent eyeglasses having a bridge piece from slipping downwardly on the nose over time. The device comprises two mutually removable attachment components, one fixed to the rear surface of the bridge piece of the eyeglasses, and the other fixed to the bridge of the nose of a person. Each attachment component is preferably a flexible tape having exposed adhesive. The two attachment components mutually attach employing removable connector material. In alternative embodiments, this connector material is magnetic materials, or alternatively comprises hook and loop fastener. The two attachment components are small and inconspicuous. The attachment component which is adhered to the face is flesh colored.

Abstract: An open end wrench having two heads each of which provides ratchet action, each of which accepts fasteners of different nominal sizes, and each of which imposes torque on the fastener only on flat facets and not at apices between adjacent facets. Each head has a first jaw bearing a convex interior surface facing the interior surface of a second jaw. The second jaw has plural pairs of intersecting facets where, in a first embodiment, the included angle formed between intersecting facets is greater than ninety degrees and less than one hundred twenty degrees. In another embodiment, the included angle is greater than seventy degrees and less than ninety degrees. Each pair of intersecting facets accommodates a polygonal fastener of one nominal size. The two embodiments are usable with hexagonal and square headed fasteners, respectively.

Abstract: A multi-compartmented storage and dispensing container is disclosed. In the preferred embodiment, the larger outer bottle surrounds and is attached to an inner compartment or chamber that, in the preferred embodiment, is a generally cylindrical enclosure having helically oriented scores or striations. This cylindrical inner enclosure is attached at its base to the outer bottle and is engaged and broken open by the closure assembly. The closure assembly consists of a threaded cap attached to an inner enclosure engagement arm. A removable security ring is initially located between the bottom of the threaded cap and the outer bottle shoulder. After this ring is removed, the user tightens the cap all the way down, bringing the inner enclosure engagement arm into contact with anchored cylindrical inner enclosure. As the cap is twisted, the inner enclosure breaks along the scored lines due to the torque, and the material contained within the inner enclosure is released into the outer bottle.

Abstract: A roller tool for forming an outwardly projecting ridge in a pipe, which tool is usable with the chuck or power head of a conventional pipe working machine, and a carriage suitable for mounting the roller tool and other tools on the pipe working machine. The roller tool has a female roller rotatably supported on a movable frame. The frame is fixed to the carriage, which in turn is pivotally mountable on the carriage supporting rails of the pipe working machine. One rail is fully encircled by a closed socket formed in the carriage, so that the roller tool cannot spontaneously disengage from the host pipe working machine. The other rail is partially encircled by an open socket formed in the carriage. The roller tool can pivot about the closed socket between an operational position and a standby position enabling the grooving machine to be utilized for grooving with the roller tool still attached.

Abstract: A hand truck having ground engaging members which tilt the hand truck under conditions of greater leverage than that available by grasping the frame of the hand truck. The ground engaging members are journaled to the frame of the hand truck. In one embodiment, the ground engaging members assume the entire weight of the loaded hand truck. In another embodiment, the ground engaging members push the front end of the hand truck upwardly, employing the wheels as a fulcrum. In the second embodiment, the wheels remain in contact with the ground. In the first embodiment, the ground engaging members serve also as a fulcrum, allowing the wheels to be elevated off the ground. In both embodiments, the ground engaging members are powered either by a foot operated lever or a hand operated lever. In the first embodiment, the foot or hand operated lever is rigidly fixed to the ground engaging members. In the second embodiment, the foot or hand operated lever is a separate part which moves flippers by a multipart linkage.