Abstract: A hand-held beacon uniquely suited for hailing taxicabs is an excellent signaling device that is easy to operate and adaptable for carrying. Pushing a button on the handle portion closes a circuit to cause a light source at the top of the handle portion to beam light. In some embodiments, a reflective, blocking layer adhesively attached to the inside of the device focuses the light in a desired direction. Also desirably, the device has a plurality of annular bands. The reflective layer, which reflects light coming from outside in some embodiments is reflective also on the inside for enhanced distribution of light through the light element.

Abstract: A foldable park bench that prevents unwanted individuals and animals from sleeping or sitting thereon has wooden seat and wooden seat back. Two parallel vertical metal bars attach to and traverse the rear of the seat back near each end of the bench and are secured to the ground by a single piece of concrete. Each of two hinged horizontal metal bars under the seat that connect to their corresponding vertical bars rest on an L-shaped angle bar that connect to each vertical bar also. The horizontal bars are bisected into a front and rear portion with the rear portion generally corresponding to the part of the horizontal bar not covered by the wooden seat. The hinged bars rotate upward to a folded position along with the seat when the seat is lifted up. A cantilevered chain extends from each vertical bar to the horizontal bar under the seat to provide the seat with further support.

Abstract: A simple and relatively lightweight personal fire escape assembly device attaches to the non-ground floor of a patio of a high rise building and provides an easy escape route to the patio of the floor below in the event of emergency. Device includes three stackable annular ring elements, namely, a cover, a hollow center ring and a bottom disc. The center ring and bottom disc attach to the top and bottom, respectively, of a ladder and a series of chain elements. The hollow center ring also attaches to a hinge bracket which connects to the transverse piping part of U-shaped piping made of two vertical pipes and a transverse horizontal pipe where the vertical pipes are fastened to the floor of the patio. In stored position the device other than the piping hangs down from the piping by means of the hinge bracket. In an emergency the user rotates the device 270 degrees so that the hinge bracket of the device rests on the railing of the patio and the rings extend beyond the railing. User removes the cover ring.

Abstract: A safe and very effective orally administered homeopathic anti-diarrheal composition and method that can be used by persons of any age, including an infant, a child, an adult or the elderly. Useful for even severe diarrhea. Normal bowel movement is resumed within two to three days. The composition consists of sodium bicarbonate and lemon juice proportionately combined. In a preferred embodiment between one quarter and one third of a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate, commonly called baking soda, is added to the amount of lemon juice that results from thoroughly squeezing by hand one half of an average sized fresh lemon. A lime can be substituted for a lemon in the composition with the same or similar results. The composition should be taken orally at least once every 12 hours up to two times per day.

Abstract: A device for lifting a cover and/or seat of a toilet bowl includes an inner tube telescoped within an outer tube which is connected to the seat or cover by a hook. The outer tube has a stop element that cooperates with an element on the inner tube to prevent separation. The inner tube is connected to one end of a cable, the other end being connected to a spring. The opposite end of the spring is connected to a handle that is looped over a pulley connected to the toilet tank. When the user pulls down on the handle, the inner tube telescopes inside the outer tube until the stop element is contacted, and continued pulling raises the seat and/or cover.

Abstract: Multipositional apparatus for hanging articles such as ties, belts, shoes, bras, hats etc. includes a flexible main body comprising a series of intertwined rigid links including a first end link, a series of intermediate links and a second end link, as well as a plurality of hooks that project from the links, including at least several intermediate hooks that project perpendicularly from a segment of the series of intermediate links and including an end hook projecting from the first end link. The hooks have a straight portion and a curved portion, the curved portion being shaped so as to receive articles or to be hung on a projecting member. The straight portion of the end hook is aligned collinearly with an axis of the nearest segment of the series of intermediate links. The entire apparatus is suitable for being hung by a selected hooks which may be any of several hooks and is adjustable in length and shape by virtue of which hook is the selected hook to hang the apparatus on.

Abstract: Liquid crystals compositions, i.e. cholesteric liquid crystals or various types of liquid crystal polymers designed to turn red at or above a specified temperature and remain red at or above that temperature and that are shaped in the outline of the word "HOT" (or for cooktop stoves of a ring surrounding the heating element that may be interrupted by such an outline) are embedded on the top surface of the heating element of stoves or on the window surface of wall ovens and toaster ovens so that they glow red and instantly alert anyone that the heat element of the stove or the window is too hot to touch. For use on electric stoves including small mobile electric stoves called hot plates, the device is an improved electric coil whose central recessed area contains liquid crystals. For use on smooth cooktop stoves, including small mobile cooktop stoves called warming trays, the liquid crystal display is embedded in a top surface of the smooth area of glass or metal that forms the heating element of the stove.

Abstract: A portable cigarette lighter in the form of a statute of a human figure holding a torch high at the end of one outstretched hand and holding an object in the other hand, such as the statute of liberty adorning New York harbor, includes a hollow housing in the form of a human which houses a fluid storage cylinder and an associated valve that controls release of fluid from the cylinder to a fluid outlet rod that extends from the cylinder to the torch and transports fluid to the torch via the rod. A spring loaded rocker arm whose upward rotating is limited by the housing and which can be depressed downward to activate the lighter includes the hand holding an object and extends into the housing where it fastens to a pivot around which it rotates. Pushing the hand holding the object causes the rocker arm to rotate downward into an actuating cam that depresses a piston linked that opens the fluid discharge valve.

Abstract: An anti-theft locking device for the accelerator pedal of a motor vehicle has rigid flat upper and lower plates, a rectangular lockbox open at both a front end and a front portion of its top and having a first pair of opposing inside ledges to receive the lower plate, and a shorter handled box that can fit into the lockbox and is open at a rear end but has a front end wall that includes an opening for the pedal arm. The handled box has a second pair of opposing inside ledges to receive the upper plate. After the plates are inserted into the lockbox and the handled box, the device is positioned around the pedal with the pedal spaced between the lower and upper plates and the pedal arm extending out of the front end of the lockbox. The handled box, perched above the lockbox in an open position, is then lowered into a closed position until the upper plate presses against the top of the pedal and the handled box is subsumed within the lockbox.

Abstract: A self-renewing electrically driven vehicle has electro-generating units 1 and 2. Unit one has an electrically charged starter battery, a first electric motor and a dynamo-electric generator connected to a first road-wheel axle. Unit two has a second electric motor, two initially uncharged batteries and two similar generators. Unit one starts the automobile and maintains it for a short time until unit two can operate the vehicle. As a result of a rotary motion transferring device, while the vehicle is in motion, the generator of unit one receives mechanical energy generated by the first road-wheel axle and converts that mechanical energy into electrical energy which automatically flows into the starter battery to recharge it. From the inception of the vehicle's movement and onward, each generator of unit two receive mechanical energy from the second road-wheel axle that they are connected to and convert this energy into electrical energy which they send to the two storage batteries of unit two.

Abstract: Novel composition and method for forming artificial fingernails in situ and for prefabricated nails for people with weak, damaged nails. A vinyl fingernail extension is adhered to the top surface of the free end of a natural fingernail. Then for the in situ nail a coating of cyanoacrylate adhesive is applied to the vinyl extension and the natural nail. For the prefabricated nail, a fill in preliminary coating on the natural nail is first employed. Afterwards layers of a pink mixture in powder form of between approximately 8 and 12 parts by volume acrylic ester polymer or copolymer and 1 part sodium bicarbonate is applied to the adhesive coating while still wet to create an instant hardening. The coatings are repeated several times. The resulting nail looks naturally pink, blends into its finger, skin and nail environment, is hardy, corrects broken nails and is strong enough to protect against further damage to nails.

Abstract: An unusually versatile dance shoe usable for both jazz dancing as well as tap and character dancing combining the flexibility of a jazz dancing shoe and the support strength of a shoe used for character/tap dancing. This combination shoe has at a minimum a semi-flexible arch made of hard rubber, flexible inserts on the sides of the shoe upper above the arch and a hard leather sole and heel that can accept taps for tap dancing. In the preferred embodiment, for manufacturing purposes, the rubber arch is part of a continuous rubber layer that extends front and back over the leather heel and sole so that it is the whole length and width of the shoe. Consequently, the dancer has the ability to achieve the aesthetic result from dancing flexibly such as by standing fully on pointe on the tip of the shoe or standing three-quarters on pointe while simultaneously having the support and strength necessary to tap dance and perform character dance steps such as stomping, kicking, scuffing, slamming and clicking.