Abstract: An Improved Collet Assembly and Manufacturing Process is disclosed. Also disclosed is an improved collet that includes a spindle, a center portion comprising several tabs and a collar. The disclosed collet is manufactured from a single piece of stock, and as such, that the tabs are formed from this unitary piece. The disclosed collet is inserted into a collet housing that is further defined by a bore in its center. The preferred collet housing bore is further defined by a sloped portion that cooperates with the tabs formed on the collet to restrain a burr shaft from rotational or axial movement. The collet assembly of the present invention provides improved balance and therefore wear properties over previous collet assembly. In particular, the disclosed collet assembly is well suited for application inside a cannister assembly of a air-powered dental tool handpiece.

Abstract: A vertically-displaceable bed platform suspended from a ceiling having a platform with two forward and two rearward engagement regions, and four pulley members each disposed an equal vertical distance from the engagement regions such that two correspond with the forward regions and two with the rearward regions. Four cables are each connected to one of the engagement regions, with a first pair of cables connected to the forward region about the corresponding forward pulleys and joining the corresponding rearward pulleys, and a second pair of cables connected to the rearward regions about the rearward pulleys to join with the first pair of cables. The joined pairs of cables are attached to a counterweight, such that downward motion of the counterweight causes an equal reduction in the four vertical distances and retraction of the platform in the direction of the ceiling to a fully retracted position.

Abstract: A universal data measurement, analysis and control system is disclosed. The system will permit end-users to analyze the measurement protocol by publishing the data gathering environments and data definitions. The disclosed system will manage the exchange of data between different software applications and provide consistent metric data outputs. Furthermore, the disclosed method provides an analysis system that defines a consistent and repeatable measurement model that also supports changes to a control object over time in addition to changes to the measurement data associated with the control object. Specifically disclosed is a method for gathering engineering change proposal data, for determining the causes for the engineering change proposal, and also providing a historical repository.

Abstract: A Low Pressure Warning Device, System and Method is disclosed. The disclosed system is compact, and low cost but has an extremely long term service life. Further disclosed is sensing means that actively monitors the pressure conditions of a pneumatic chamber without drawing electrical power. The disclosed preferred sensing means will further detects various conditions, including activation-, normal- and low-pressure conditions. Also disclosed is a device that is installable within the pneumatic tire of a vehicle such that it is theft- and tamper-resistant. The disclosed device is resistant to truck tire operating temperatures and is further provided with a protective casing to prevent damage or contamination of the system components. Still further disclosed are a transmitter and receiver that are configured to transmit and receive encoded signals to permit great flexibility in vehicle monitoring combinations, while also providing the localization of the pneumatic chamber experiencing a low pressure condition.

Abstract: Method and system for the detection of suspect sales transactions in a sales environment having point of sale devices and sales locations, having a first processor for gathering record information reflecting sales transactions that have occurred in the environment, extracting from the record information a plurality of extract records relevant to suspect transactions, and converting the extract records into a form readable by the first processor; and a second processor for reading and analyzing and inputting the converted extract records, in which the second processor performs the steps of applying a plurality of exception criteria to said converted extract records to create exception records, filtering from the exception records records indicative of suspect transactions, ranking the filtered records, applying scoring table values to said ranked, filtered records to create scored records, and outputting the scored records; and a report generator for generating reports from the scored records reflecting suspec

Abstract: A Sun-tracking Chair is disclosed. The disclosed chair comprises inclinable back and and leg rests. Further disclosed is a sun-tracking means for tracking the sun's position with relation to said chair. Still further disclosed are a back rest and leg rest that automatically incline responsive to the sun's azimuth, as detected by said sun-tracking means. The disclosed chair further comprises rotating means for rotating said chair, and in particular, said chair is automatically rotatable responsive to the angle of the sun in a horizontal plane with relation to said chair, as detected by said sun-tracking means. Said disclosed chair further comprises control means for controlling the functions of said chair, including incline and rotation angle. The disclosed chair further comprises a canopy, said canopy configured to cooperate with said back and leg rests and the rotation of said chair.

Abstract: A Pocket-sized User Interface for Internet Browser Terminals and the Like is disclosed. The disclosed interface provides a plurality of pre-programmed as well as user-programmable touch-sensitive switches that integrate with frequently-used browser functions. The disclosed touch-sensitive switch functions may be responsive to the application that the user is interfacing with. A critical aspect of the disclosed interface is that the housing be less than about 0.45 inches in thickness, and further be roughly the length and width of a standard business card. Also disclosed is an attachment means for attaching the keypad of the present interface to one's arm or leg, or other structure, such as a monitor, keyboard, desktop or other surface. Still further disclosed is a keypad that is in wireless communication with a browser terminal, and that further includes a user display for displaying pertinent information.

Abstract: An Improved Surfboard Rack is disclosed. The disclosed surfboard rack comprises one or more rack units, to be attached to a substantially vertical surface and separated from each other by a preferred distance "X", depending upon the particular application for the rack. As disclosed the preferred rack unit comprises a base from which protrudes at least one strut member, and with said rack unit may further including a strut retaining portion, attached to the base, and from which each said strut member protrudes. Each disclosed strut member is preferrably canted upwardly from 4 to 20 degrees above horizontal. Also disclosed are strut members that may be permanently or removeably attached to said base and/or strut retaining portion. The disclosed strut members preferrably comprise a rigid core having a cap and a sheath of rope, foam rubber or other material thereover. The preferred base and strut retaining portion could be formed from wood, plastic or other substantially rigid material.

Abstract: An improved hair waving appliance is disclosed. The disclosed hair waving, appliance includes a pair of W-shaped arms that pivot in relation to one another in a scissors motion. One disclosed W-shaped arm comprises a center raised heater prong bounded by a trough portion on each side. The outer edges of each trough portion may include a curved lip to prevent undue damage to hair. Another W-shaped arm is disclosed comprising two raised heated prongs separated by a trough portion. The disclosed arms fit together to form an interstitial gap therebetween such that more even temperatures are provided over the entire surface of each arm. The disclosed prongs might be of a variety of cross sections, including ovoid and substantially circular. Further disclosed is a plurality of stand members protruding downwardly from the appliance for resting the appliance upon a substantially horizontal surface without causing any heat damage thereto.

Abstract: A Truck Bed Safety Seatbelt is described. The revealed system may be configurable for a variety of different truck beds and seating arrangements, including provisions for 1, 2, 3 or more passengers, and seating within mini-pickups, full-sized pickups and flat bed trucks, among others. As revealed, the present invention will provide passenger restraints in the truck bed, while preserving the cargo-carrying purpose of the bed. Further revealed is a system that will allow for the installation of a pickup truck bed toolbox, while still providing seating restraints for passengers. A optional cushion is revealed to provide increased seating comfort to the passengers.

Abstract: A storage and retrieval system includes sat least two pairs of two confrontingly opposed, columnar arrays. Each of the pairs of columnar arrays defines a plurality of vertically spaced tray-receiving recesses. One or more platforms are provided, each vertically displaceable along and between each of the pairs of arrays. Each platform carries an extraction device operable for withdrawing a selected tray from an array recess onto the platform, and for inserting a tray supported on the platform into a vacant recess in either array. The extraction device includes a retractable/extendable pin mounted in a housing configured in a manner to provide engagement with an aperture on a side face of one of the bins to create a bin-engaged state when engaged and a bin-disengaged state when disengaged. Each device has an extended cam-follower portion that rides in a cam.

Abstract: A comfortable and breathable foot gear in the form of a sneaker/boot comprises a flexible sole constituting a lower portion of said garment, and a stretch fabric material constituting an upper portion of the foot garment that is securely attached to the flexible sole. The stretch fabric material is a weave of spun yarn material and an elastomeric material adapted to form fit about a foot placed within foot gear and capable of being stretched to form fit about the wearer's calf.

Abstract: An improved internal combustion engine is disclosed. The disclosed engine comprises several preferred embodiments, each including a first piston reciprocating in a first cylinder along a first axis, a second piston reciprocating in a second cylinder along a second axis, said second axis being orthagonal to said first axis, and a flying crankshaft orbiting around a third axis, said third axis being orthagonal to said first and second axis'. Also disclosed are two opposing piston-pairs, reciprocating in cylinders along said first and second axis', each piston in a pair connected to the other piston by a connecting means further defined by a crank aperture within which said flying crankshaft orbits. The disclosed engine further may include at least one ring bearing and/or at least one ring gear within which said crankshaft orbits.

Abstract: A wearable hypermedium information retrieval system for displaying predetermined digitized data, having a computer having an I/O port; a large capacity information storage and retrieval device interfaced with the I/O port adapted to receive a memory medium containing the predetermined digitized data, the storage and retrieval device being adapted to access the data on the memory medium and to provide the data to the I/O port means, the predetermined digitized data being further organized in a hypermedium format for hypermedium access and retrieval; a virtually hands-free command control device presenting no interference to ordinary use of the hands of the user to provide input commands from the user to the computer via the I/O port means; and a headset adapted to be worn by the user and a head mounted image display supported by the headset having a virtual image display having an eye-piece adapted to be positioned in front of one eye of the user and to display video display information from the computer.

Abstract: A method for processing an image, consisting of a foreground and a background, to produce a highly compressed and accurate representation of the image, including the steps of scanning the image to create a digital image of the image, comparing the digital image against a codebook of stored digital images; matching the digital image with one of the stored digital images of the codebook; producing an index code identifying the background of the stored digital image as having matched the digital image; subtracting the stored digital image from the digital image to produce a second digital image representing the foreground of the stored digital image; and storing the second digital image with the index code.

Abstract: The semantic integration problem for merging multiple databases of very large size, the merge/purge problem, can be solved by multiple runs of the sorted neighborhood method or the clustering method with small windows followed by the computation of the transitive closure over the results of each run. The sorted neighborhood method works well under this scheme but is computationally expensive due to the sorting phase. An alternative method based on data clustering that reduces the complexity to linear time making multiple runs followed by transitive closure feasible and efficient.