Abstract: The assembly (10, 10') is a real time imaging device for detecting radiation from an object field (12) which is periodic in time. A video camera (14) detects emitted and reflected radiation from the object field (12) and produces a video signal of the image and a timing signal. A processor (16) synchronously averages successive video signals and stores same in an image buffer (26) to obtain an image from which has been eliminated unsynchronous noise. Alternatively, the elimination of unsynchronous or ambient noise may be performed partially or wholly within the camera (14) prior to processing.

Abstract: A prosthetic foot includes an ankle member, a heel member and a toe member coupled to each other for relative pivotable movement with the pivotable movement resisted by elastomeric pads. The heel and ankle member are connected through a joint allowing for translational and pivotable torsional motion of the ankle with respect to the heel and provided with limit stops in the axle and the side walls of the heel member to limit the torsional and translation motion of the ankle joint. The toe member is formed symmetrically to be used for left and right feet with symmetrically positioned and mirror imaged fore sections.

Abstract: A prosthetic foot includes an ankle member, a heel member and a toe member coupled to each other for relative pivotable movement with the pivotable movement resisted by elastomeric pads. The heel and ankle member are connected through a joint allowing for translational and pivotable torsional motion of the ankle with respect to the heel and provided with limit stops in the axle and the side walls of the heel member to limit the torsional and translation motion of the ankle joint. The toe member is formed symmetrically to be used for left and right feet with symmetrically positioned and mirror imaged for sections.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a pair of seal members (10 and 12) such as a pair of disks which control the fluid flow of a faucet. The two seals are formed of a moderately hard material (14), such as stellite, ceramic materials, metal materials or synthetic materials, which can be precisely ground to a particular finish. At least one of the seal members (10) is coated with a thin layer (16) of very hard material such as silicon carbides, metal carbides, metal nitrides, or cubic crystallographic lattice carbons. The coating layer is applied through either physical or chemical vapor deposition. This process provides seal disks with low friction coefficients thereby eliminating the need to provide a lubricant between the cooperating surfaces of the disks. In addition, adhesion between the seals is eliminated despite the smooth surface finish of the disks. Thus, the disks formed through the process improve operation of the faucet or valve utilizing cooperating seal disks.

Abstract: A mechanism for covering and protecting operating parts of a mixing faucet that has a bidirectional control lever 10 which extends through an opening in its cover 11 and moves about a single center. A semi-spherical surface 11a of the cover abuts a thin semi-spherical cap 15 having an exterior and interior surface 15a and 15b having the same center of rotation as the lever. The cover is semi-spherical surface substantially corresponds to the semi-spherical cap's interior surface. The semi-spherical cap 15 covers the opening 10 and is able to slide over the semi-spherical surface of the cover due to its identical spherical curvature. Structurally the cap is separate from the control lever and is transverse to it. The cap 15 makes contact with a rim of the window 17 of an outer hood 16. The hood 16 is mounted about the cover 11 and able to slide thereagainst and into the space underneath the hood. Cap 15 and the hood 16 can be economically produced and mounted onto the valve.

Abstract: A hand held spray nozzle (10) for a kitchen faucet has a valve housing (12) with an elongated passage (20) and a valve seat (28). A valve element (36) has a frusto-conical elastomeric sleeve (40) engageable to the valve seat (36) and has a camming surface (44) mounted upstream from the elastomeric sleeve (40) and a stabilizer flange (48) mounted further upstream from the camming surface (40) and a spring seating end (50) which seats a biasing spring (58) which biases the valve element to the closed position. A push rod (62) engages the camming surface (44). The push rod (62) is canted from the vertical position at approximately (60) degrees and has an outer end (75) engaging a pivoting handle (78) where the thumb engaging section (82) is at a wall opposite abutment section (76) which engages the outer end (75) of the push rod (62).

Abstract: A mixing valve includes the volume control valve, a pressure proportioning valve, and a thermostatic valve assembly within a single modular housing. The housing is rotatably mounted in a valve body. The housing houses the proportioning valve and the thermostatic control valve. Rotation of the housing controls the total volumetric flow from the supply inlets of the valve plate at the end of the housing. The thermostatic control valve includes a pivotable lever which has a spring seated at one side and a thermally responsive wax element at the other side with the fulcrum of the lever between the spring and wax element. Control handles are mounted at the end of the valve to independently control the volume and the temperature. An annular discharge chamber surrounds the housing section which houses the proportioning valve. The discharge chamber is in fluid communication to an outlet which is located at the same end of the valve body as the hot and cold water inlet supply lines.

Abstract: A mixing valve includes the volume control valve, a pressure proportioning valve, and a thermostatic valve assembly within a single modular housing. The housing is rotatably mounted in a valve body. The housing houses the proportioning valve and the thermostatic control valve. Rotation of the housing controls the total volumetric flow from the supply inlets of the valve plate at the end of the housing. The thermostatic control valve includes a pivotable lever which has a spring seated at one side and a thermally responsive wax element at the other side with the fulcrum of the lever between the spring and wax element. Control handles are mounted at the end of the valve to independently control the volume and the temperature. An annular discharge chamber surrounds the housing section which houses the proportioning valve. The discharge chamber is in fluid communication to an outlet which is located at the same end of the valve body as the hot and cold water inlet supply lines.

Abstract: The invention provides a regenerative heat exchanger rotor with an outer casing which comprises a plurality of layers of a helically wound strip orientated so that its width direction is radial with respect to the rotor, a core on which the strip is wound and which is permeable for the medium with which the rotor is to be used, said strip having channels therein to allow the radial passage of the current of the medium. A further strip on the rotor is free of channels and is also wound on the permeable core helically so as to be associated with the channeled strip so that the layers or turns of the unchanneled strip (20) alternate with those of the channeled one with each layer or turn of the channeled strip being followed by one layer or turn of the unchanneled one. This arrangement makes possible an extraordinarily satisfactory efficiency as regards flow and heat transfer. This advantage is combined with the advantage of the possibility of very simple and cost-effective production.

Abstract: A cartridge valve 10 for a faucet has a shell 12 housing a movable valve plate 22 and an operating stem 20 able to control the plate 22 by operating mechanism 17. A bottom member 19 has hot and cold water inlets 54 and 56. A fixed valve plate 23 is seated on the bottom member 19 and has hot and cold water outlets 50 and 52 in communication with the inlets 54 and 56. The shell has orienting notches 42 and 44 with notch 44 having a removable prong 46 therein. Bottom member 19 has two orienting tabs 38 and 40 with tab 40 having a groove 48 that receives prong 46 to assure a correct first orientation of the bottom member to shell 12. The prong 46 can be removed if the bottom member 19 is desired to mount to the shell 12 in a second reversed position that is 180.degree. rotated from the first orientation.

Abstract: A mixing valve (10) has a modular cartridge (60) rotatably mounted in housing (12). The cartridge has a bottom volume control valve plate (58) attached to a lower section (62) housing a pressure balance valve (80). The lower section (62) is secured to an upper section (120) that rotatably receives a temperature control plate (150). The plates (58) and (150) are both rotatable about a common axis (64). The plate (58) is controlled by operation of stem (180) attached to handle (34). The plate (150) is controlled by stem (160) which is operated by knob (38). An insert (250) allows the knob (38) to operate even when hot and cold water supplies are inverted. A splined hot water stop ring (228) sits in handle (34) and adaptably limits rotation of knob (38) for a selected maximum water temperature. Outer seals (58) assure that all water flows through cartridge (60) when the volume is set for partial flow.

Abstract: A two piece aspirator is constructed to be fitted within a fitting such that an annular clearance is provided between the bore that has two supply inlets and a depending cylindrical section of the aspirator body. A venturi cap member is snap fitted onto the aspirator body and has an outer periphery axially spaced from the end of the cylindrical section to provide an annular opening thereabout which is in communication with a passage through the aspirator body. The venturi or cap has a radial section which spans most of the interior of the cylindrical section and has a frusto-conical section which is complementary to a tapered end of the cylindrical section to provide for a radially extending section of the passageway leading to the annular opening.

Abstract: The combination plaster guard and mounting bracket (10) has a mounting bracket section (12) which is mounted to a mixing valve fitting (18). A tubular protective member (14) is connected to the mounting section via frangible tabs (24). The tubular member (14) is sized to receive and protect the mixing valve (16) during installation of the valve and construction of the surrounding wall. During certain installations, it is desirable for removal of the tubular member from the mounting section. The removal can be accomplished by rotation of the tubular member so that frangible tabs (24) break to release the tubular member from the bracket section (12).

Abstract: A prosthetic foot includes an ankle member, a heel member and an elongate metatarsal-toe member coupled to each other for relative pivotal movement resisted by resilient pads engaged between the respective members. The undersides of the heel and toe members are concavely arched, the length of the arch duplicating that of a natural foot of the same size, with the center of the arch vertically aligned with the center of gravity of the amputee when in a standing, foot-flat position. The toe member is partially bifurcated at its forward end to provide independently flexible toe sections at the inner and outer sides of the foot, achieving a stable, three-point support matching that of a natural foot.

Abstract: A fill valve (22) for a toilet tank (10) has a probe (44). A cup member (46) is attached to the end of the probe. The cup member (46) has an inner tubular member (72) forming a chamber extension (42b) in communication with upper control chamber section (42a) in probe (44). A check valve (90) is mounted at the bottom end (60) of cup member (46). The cup member (46) provides for adjustability of fill level (41) of the tank by adaptably sliding up or down along the probe (44).