Abstract: A level measuring probe for a liquid contained in a reservoir of the type having a detecting element constituted by a conductor having a high temperature coefficient and intended to be immersed in the liquid; and an electrical connection means intended to permit connection of the said detector element to a connector; a plurality of printed circuits disposed in respective parallel strips are provided on an insulating substrate, the assembly forming a flexible film and each circuit having a detecting zone and an electrical connection zone; the film is assembled to a support of, for example, stainless steel; the assembly is out at the edges of the parallel strips.

Abstract: A portable utility tray formed from a resilient thermoplastic material, such as polyethylene. The tray is provided with one or more continuous upward protrusions, of generally inverted V-shape, with one of the protrusions defining a raised rib running centrally and longitudinally of the tray. The top of the rib is provided with sockets to receive pintles carried by a handle pivotally mounted on the rib top, the handle being rotatable over approximately 180.degree.. The handle and rib are provided with cooperating dimple and detent elements to releasably hold the handle in an upright position. The handle may be swung in either of two substantially flat positions, with the handle being releasably held in either of its two extreme, substantially flat positions. The tray is formed by blow molding a preform, to form a double-wall tray, and then cutting off and removing the inner bottom one of double walls.

Abstract: A driveline for a track-laying vehicle having a prime mover and a pair of output shafts (L, R) connected to drive left- and right-hand tracks comprises: two similar continuously-variable-ratio transmissions (10, 20) of the toroidal race-rolling traction type, each having an input adapted to receive input drive from the prime mover and an output; a cross shaft (CS); two similar summing epicyclic gear output units (12, 22) each having a first input (70, 80) geared to the output of a respective transmission unit, an output connected to a respective output shaft (73, 83), and a second input (72, 82) connected to the cross shaft; gear drain (30) for connecting the input drive to the cross shaft at a first predetermined ratio, for low regime operation; a middle regime differential gear arrangement (40) having two inputs connectable at second and third predetermined gear ratios respectively to the corresponding first inputs of the output epicyclic gear units, and an output connectable at a fourth predetermined gear

Abstract: A gaiter for sports shoes having a first flexible sheet portion adapted to completely cover the upper and heel of a sports shoe and a second flexible sheet portion adapted to cover the ankle and lower calf of the wearer. A first hook and pile type fastener tape is adapted to be fixed in spaced-apart areas on the sides of the heel and sole of the sports shoe, and a cooperating second hook and pile type fastener tape is fixed to the lower margin of the first sheet member at spaced-apart locations for attachment to the first fastener tape, whereby ventilation openings are provided between the spaced-apart fastening tapes. Further ventilation openings are provided in the protector. Fastening means are provided for allowing entry and removal of said protector gaiter.

Abstract: A method of, and system for, spraying is provided in which voltages generated by the passage of pressurized medium through a spray nozzle is monitored. The generated voltage has characteristic patterns. Monitoring the variations in these patterns or the exceeding of predetermined voltage limits enable close control to be monitored over the spraying operation and for remedial action to be taken in due time.

Abstract: A baby changing mat comprising a central padded body with a raised sill extending about a majority of the edge of the body and a pair of straps for holding a baby to the mat. The mat is formed from a flexible material and has at least one centrally located transverse stabilizing member to which the straps may be anchored. Extra padding may be provided for the baby's head.

Abstract: A flexible waveguide (1) has corrugated seamless walls (2) the corrugations of which are inclined to the transverse planes of the waveguide, that is, planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the waveguide, at an angle of substantially 45.degree.. The inclined corrugations, which may be annular or helical, permit both flexing and twisting of the waveguide.

Abstract: A part of an exhaust system 1 for an internal combustion engine has a valve 2 which can be moved by means such as a vacuum actuator 3 from a fully open inoperative position to an operative position in which it restricts the exhaust passageway by a variable amount. In the operative position, resilient means such as a coil spring 8 urges the valve to close the exhaust passageway against the pressure of exhaust gases, thereby increasing the backpressure on the engine in a controlled way. This is done on start-up to reduce the warm-up time of the engine and to reduce hydrocarbon emissions. When the engine has warmed up, the actuator 3 moves the valve to its inoperative position.

Abstract: An insulated bottle holder defined by an outer shell of a moldable, resilient plastic material and an inner, removable insulating liner inside of a lower, cylindrical portion of the outer shell. The uppermost portion of the shell is conical, being truncated and flat at its top, the flat top defined by a deformable wall having a bottle ring engaging opening. A bottle is inserted into the open bottom of the holder and is pushed upwardly until the bottle threads and ring pass through and extend slightly beyond the opening in the deformable wall. The periphery of the top opening releasably holds the bottle in the bottle holder by snugly engaging the neck of the bottle just below the ring, the ring abutting the upper periphery of the top opening in the deformable wall. Friction between the bottle and the liner also holds the bottle in the holder shell. The bottle is removed by forcing it downwardly against the deformable wall.

Abstract: An inner tube (1) and an outer tube (6) are provided of suitable shape and size for the inner tube to be received coaxially inside the outer tube, thereby causing the outside face of the inner tube to face the inside face of the outer tube. A neutron-absorbing screen (2) is fixed to one of said faces. The inner tube is inserted into the outer tube, and the inner tube is radially expanded into the outer tube while leaving the outer tube externally free to expand, and thereby plastically deforming both tubes and obtaining a solid single block assembly of desired shape and size for the container. The container may be used for storing radioactive material.

Abstract: An entrance ticket comprises a flexible rectangular print carrier made of paper and comprising two similar flexible layers connected together permanently over their peripheral regions, of which the one layer has in its central region portions which can be folded back away from the other layer so that additional surfaces are available for advertising and/or other information.

Abstract: A storage case for a video cassette. The case is in the general form at a book and is openable to a flat condition. A hollow wall, blow-molded construction imparts structural rigidity to the case and also provides shock resistance for its contents. The case is formed by blow molding a single, unitary, hollow parison of a thermoplastic material and then pressing two parallel portions of the blow-molded article to form living hinges. Integral resilient latch elements hold the case closed yet permit easy reopening. The case is formed in an essentially single operation.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for cutting rain drainage grooves in a road surface, such as at the edges of the road to form a road marker system. A cutting cylinder rotates about its longitudinal axis, the latter lying in a substantially horizontal plane and at some angle, generally a right angle, to the road direction. The cutting cylinder is mounted on a frame, the latter attached to and carried by an automotive vehicle such as a truck. As the truck travels along the road, the cutting cylinder is moved alternately up and down, into the road surface, and forms the grooves. The cutting cylinder can be slightly tilted, so as to produce grooves of variable width and depth. The truck moves along the road being grooved at a substantially uniform speed. Preferably, the slopping side walls of the grooves are coated with a retro reflective coating. The grooves continuously drain rain so that the retro reflective coating is visible during hours of darkness and rain, to maintain visibility of the road edge to drivers.

Abstract: A branched fiber optic assembly having a trunk at one end is employed. Each original optical pattern is individually projected onto the input end of a respective coherent sub-bundle of the fiber optic device. The exiting light from the trunk of the fiber optic assembly is projected onto a single photosensitive surface, such as that of a photosensitized silicon wafer.

Abstract: Previous methods for determining internal stress in polycrystalline solids by X-ray diffraction techniques have required that the distance between the X-ray irradiated surface of the sample under investigation and the X-ray detection surface for the diffracted X-rays be known. According to the practice of this invention, stress measurement can be made without determining the sample to detector distance as a separate step. Two or more sets of detection surfaces, i.e., X-ray detector channels, are arranged around the incident X-ray beam, usually on opposite sides of the cone of diffracted X-rays from one another. The invention employs a calibration procedure which provides a set of calibration parameters, which, when used with X-ray stress equations, yields accurate internal stress measurement without the prior art requirement of determining the sample to detector distance.

Abstract: An animated mannequin head for simulating human facial expressions. A rigid substrate in the form of a head is partially covered with elongated, pressurized fluid filled tubes. The tubes, termed tube motor elements, are either covered by or are embedded in a deformable layer/stratum, the outer surface of which is textured and tinted to simulate facial skin, the layer/stratum positioned on the head to simulate a face. Upon variation of the fluid pressure within various groups of the tube motor elements, various facial expressions may be simulated. In a first embodiment, helical coil springs are used instead of pressurized tubes, passage of direct current through the coils causing them to contract, the coils being embedded in a deformable layer/stratum. In a second embodiment, a grid of parallel wires is embedded in the simulated skin, passage of direct current through selected segments of selected pairs of wires causes them to move together, at right angles to their length, thus distorting the skin.

Abstract: The invention relates to a mirror having a non-plane reflecting face (M.sub.2), said mirror being constituted by a mass of optical material (M) having cells (A) formed therein in such a manner that the centers of gravity (g) of the portions of mirror material surrounding each cell lie in the same plane as the center of gravity (G) of the mirror as a whole. The invention is particularly applicable to large diameter mirrors used in telescopes and whose optical axes are generaly used in a horizontal position (or close thereto). The aim of the invention is to reduce the distortion phenomena which may occur due to the mirror bending under its own weight.

Abstract: An insulated can holder defined by an outer shell of a moldable, resilient plastic material and an inner, removable insulating liner inside of the outer shell. The shell carries at least one flat, indicia bearing and integral portion whose interior surface bears against the insulating liner to thereby define a nin-circular cross section of the holder and thereby increase the contact and friction between a can and the liner.

Abstract: An optical reader for magnifying and viewing stored optical images, such as microimages on a microfiche. Each of a plurality of stacked and internally reflecting sheets is provided at its input end with its own lens, the lens lying within the sheet. The other or output end of each sheet is skived at an angle of 45 degrees to project light, which passes along and within the sheet, orthogonally out of the plane of the sheet for viewing. The skived ends of the stacked sheets are staggered or spaced from each other. Input light, as for example light from a microimage, is projected onto the input ends of the stacked sheets. Each sheet receives its corresponding portion of the input image. The lens of each sheet magnifies that sheets light portion or share as the light passes along the sheet towards the skived output edge for viewing. Magnification is achieved in one direction by the (sheet contained) lenses, and in an orthogonal direction by the spacing between the staggered, skived output ends.

Abstract: A distributor for a spark ignition internal combustion engine is driven via a drive spindle 3 which is held via a resilient bush 4 in a drilling in the end of a camshaft 1 of the engine which operates the usual valve gear. Advance and retard are performed electronically. The resilient bush protects the drive spindle 3 and rotor from vibrations of the camshaft.