Abstract: A system for treating effluents such a sewage includes a mixing chamber and a separation chamber. In the mixing chamber various chemical additives are introduced in to the effluent and thoroughly mixed to act as a flocculent to extract the solid materials in the separating chamber. In the separating chamber the mixed materials are caused to flow longitudinally in a laminar flow condition to allow stratification of the liquid from the solid materials. In the mixing chamber there is provided a plurality of transverse baffles spaced longitudinally and rotated angularly relatively to a longitudinal axis of the tube. Each baffle has tapered holes to act as a venturi to mix the materials. In the separation chamber there is provided an auger flight rotating slowly which has holes through the flight thus generating a laminar flow to provide improved separation of the solid and the liquid components.

Abstract: A unit for mixing a powder onto a particulate material for example an inoculant onto seeds includes a device which can be clamped around an auger tube and includes a liquid dispenser and a power dispenser. The liquid dispenser communicates with an inlet into the auger tube spaced downwardly of the unit. A powder hopper includes an opening for dispensing through a tube into the auger tube with the powder hopper being vibrated to feed the powder into the auger tube. The liquid acts as an adhesive agent coating the seeds so that the powder inoculant can be adhered to the seeds at a position downstream of the injection of the liquid at a point where the liquid is fully mixed.

Abstract: A floation device includes a molded outer shell defining a hollow interior. The hollow interior is filled with recycled plastic bottles of the type used conventionally for soft drink containers which are molded from a plastic material and include a generally cylindrical body and a neck at one end of the body which is closed by a cap. The outer container is shaped with wall portions having a curvature equal to the outside curvature of the bottles and indentations for receiving the necks of the bottles which are aligned neck to neck in rows. The recycled bottles provide a filling for the rotational molded shell which prevent loss of buoyancy if the shell is perforated and prevent expansion and contraction problems due to temperature changes.

Abstract: A card handling device is provided for manipulating a stiff card so that the card can be inserted into a card reader. The handling device has a long handle and a transverse card holding head at one end. An edge of the card fits frictionally into the channel in the head. The handling device is particularly useful for such card as those used for access to parking garages.

Abstract: A squeeze chute includes a head gate section, a squeeze side panel, a floor and a tailgate assembly. A quick adjust arrangement is provided for the headgate in which one bar of the headgate door can be moved vertically to release latches for the outermost vertical bar of the door. The squeeze panel is improved by the provision of drop bars having a cap member which can be simply released by pulling downwardly from a channel defining the upper rail of the panel. Drop boards are provided in the panel and have rails projecting into channels at either end of the panel so that the boards can be lifted and folded simply by removal of the ends from the channel. The floor includes a horizontal sheet on which are attached transverse stiffeners with a resilient layer cast over the sheet and the stiffeners for attraction by the animal. The tailgate assembly can be operated by a foot pedal and by levers.

Abstract: An apena monitor detects breathing movement by a strap attached around the thorax region of the patient together with a Hall effect detector which is arranged to detect expansion movements of the body of the patient. The detector includes a first part mounted on one part of the strap and a transducer element attached to a second part of the strap so as to be pulled away from the first part against the bias of a spring and released toward the first part in dependence upon the movement. The position of the transducer element relative to the first part is transmitted wirelessly to a receiver using an antenna mounted on the bed frame construction. The signals are decoded to produce a series of values each dependent upon an instantaneous position of the transducer element. The values are monitored to detect increasing and decreasing values indicative of an aperiodic sinusoidal pattern associated with breathing.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for playing a multi-participant game related to a team sport. The apparatus includes a set of player cards, each identifying a player, a team and the player's position. A set of position cards identifying the various player positions on a team is also provided. The game is played on a game board with a track marked up in playing areas. As a participant advances a token along the track under the direction of a chance device, the token will land on playing areas representing the player cards, allowing the player to accumulate a set of players. Other playing areas will allow the player to move cards from a practice roster to an active roster and to trade player cards with other players. When a token lands at the end of the track, the participant draws a card from the position deck and, if he has an active player with that position, he may complete that player.

Abstract: The present invention describes a safety device for a socket portion of an electrical cord. The safety feature involves the positioning of a conducting ring around the positive slot on the receiving socket. The conducting ring is grounded, and when used in conjunction with a ground fault interrupter, prevents the completion of an electrical circuit through the child's saliva from the positive contact in the socket and the flesh of the child's mouth.

Abstract: A digging implement, for example, a snowthrower has a casing with a discharge from the casing and a coiled blade mounted in the casing on a lateral shaft. The blade is arranged for advancement sideways into a body of particulate material, e.g. snow. The blade shaft also carries a pair of discs attached to the shaft at opposite ends of the blade, with each of the discs having a cutting edge portion formed into radial corrugations. The discs cut kerfs in the snow at either end of the blade and reduce the power required to advance the implement into the material being removed.

Abstract: A clean-out auger for a grain bin has a main auger, a telescoping sweep and a rotary joint connecting the two. The sweep may be adjusted in length to accomodate bins of different sizes. The use of a flexible screw section through the rotary joint allows the sweep to rotate through 360.degree. during operation. A sweep transporting mechanism is fixed to the outer end of the sweep for producing the rotation about the rotary joint.

Abstract: A telescopic auger includes a first drive tube and a second drive member coaxial with the drive tube and slidable inside the drive tube in telescopic manner. A flight is attached to the drive tube in helical arrangement. A second flight section is attached to the drive member at an outer end only of the drive member with the second flight being threaded into the end of the first flight so that rotation of one relative to the other causes the length of the threaded engagement to increase or decrease to allow telescopic adjustment of the length of the total auger flight. This arrangement can be used in a bin sweep which allows the sweep to be adjusted in length to accommodate bins of different diameter. The sweep section is driven across the ground by a drive track at an outer end of the auger section.

Abstract: The fabric strips of vertical blinds are cleaned using a novel method of apparatus. A strip is laid on an elongate tray and wetted with an appropriate washing liquid, e.g. a detergent solution. The strip is then passed along the tray between two counter-rotating brushes which act to scrub the opposite surfaces of the strip. Downstream of the brushes, the strip is sprayed with a rinse liquid. It then travels over a perforated section of the tray where it is subjected to a low pressure from below by a vacuum box communicating with a wet-dry vacuum. The cleaned, partially dry strips can then be hung to complete drying.

Abstract: An auger system comprises a main auger with a longitudinal auger flight extending from a container at the bottom of the main auger to a discharge spout at the top of the main auger. The lower end of the main auger is connected by a hitch member to a tractor and the lower end of the main auger flight is connected to a PTO shaft of the tractor. A side load auger extends from a hopper at the lower end to a discharge spout connecting into the container at the lower end of the main auger. A mechanical drive connection extends from the main auger shaft to the feed auger shaft and comprises a chain drive coupling driving a second shaft parallel to the main auger shaft at a position above the main auger shaft. Two right angle gear boxes are mounted with one inside the container and the other inside the discharge spout of the side load auger.

Abstract: A small, three wheeled utility vehicle has a front steering wheel and two rear drive wheels driven by an automotive engine and transaxle unit. The vehicle has a frame composed of tubular steel parts welded together to provide a complete cage around the passenger compartment and an engine and cargo area behind the passenger compartment. The body of the vehicle is composed of body panels mounted within the tubular frame.

Abstract: A heating pad for example for animals particularly piglets in a farrowing crate comprises two vacuum formed sheets which lie parallel one on top of the other with a shallow compartment therebetween. A pipe where heating fluid passes into the compartment through the lower sheet and wraps around a number of projections in the lower sheet which extend from the lower sheet up to the under surface of the upper sheet. The pipe is of a flexible elastomeric type resistant to corrosion so that the pad is thus heated by a warm liquid such as water which provides a very simple economic device resistant to damage.

Abstract: A window frame system includes four basic profiles for new building construction and for various other projects including renovation, bow and bay constructions. One profile includes an outer profile for engagement with the wall of a new building in which the distance between the inside wall of the profile and a nailing fin is at least 6.5 inches. The height of the profile is then reduced to accomodate this larger width. A cross mullion is provided and a sash frame profile is also provided. The inner wall of the outer frame and the side walls of the mullion are arranged for cooperation either with a picture window unit or with the sash frame. The fourth profile comprises a renovation/bow profile which can be inserted into an existing window frame or can be snapped together alongside similar profiles to form a bow or bay construction.

Abstract: While measuring racks and the like are known to count or measure the number of coins required to wrap same into rolls, the actual wrapping requires considerable experience and dexterity and can be time consuming. The present device consists of a relatively thin plastic or card semi-circular trough having closed ends and a length equal to the required number of coins in a roil of that particular denomination with the curvature of the trough and length thereof varying with each denomination of coin. The entire trough and measured contents may then be wrapped in a conventional coin wrapper readily and easily as the closed ends of the trough retain the coins during the rollng process.

Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a core structure formed by a plurality of plate members in stacked arrangement. Each plate member is square or rectangular and includes along two opposed sides a portion bent at right angles to the basic plate and then bent inwardly to wrap around the next adjacent plate member. The other two sides of the plate member are bent in the opposite direction and then turn inwardly to act as spacers to hold each plate member from the next by a predetermined dimension thus defining cells between each plate member and the next adjacent plate member. This core construction is then assembled in a plurality of separate core members into a frame structure defined by a pair of side frames defining rails along which the core members can slide. The core members are compressed inwardly by a pair of end doors leaving open top and bottom open sides of the frame structure for connection to suitable duct work.