Abstract: An electrical safety device for use within an electrical circuit panel box and other electrical cabinetry is constructed of a tubular, transparent sleeve having a first and a second end. One end has a removable cap and the other end is provided with a means for attaching the sleeve to the interior wall surface of the electrical panel box or other electrical cabinetry. The safety device functions to catch the metallic waste material that is generated when the wall of the panel box or cabinetry is drilled to add other conduits to the panel box so that it does not penetrate any of the electrical components or wiring within the panel box. The safety device also functions to isolate the drill bit from contact with the components within the panel box. The removable cap facilitates emptying of the sleeve after use.

Abstract: A device and method for mounting electrical boxes (1) in preexisting drywall (4) using a mounting bracket (3). To use, a holding wire (14) having a stop (15) on one end is placed through a screw hole (9) of a cover (2) which is attached the electrical box. Then the electrical box and cover are placed sideways through a wall hole (7) in the drywall. Next the electrical box is lowered behind the wall so that conduit (8) may be connected to the electrical box. Then a mounting bracket (3) is secured to the cover and electrical box with holding clips (11) and screws (12) using the holding wire to keep the mounting bracket and cover centered with the wall hole. A standard switch or outlet cover may then be installed to cover the mounting bracket. An additional novel feature of the present invention is a stop strap (17) which may be attached to conduit above a top plate (10) of a wall to bold the conduit in place.

Abstract: A new type of animal control system and a new method of use of the animal control system is presented for controlling small, wild animals and rodents without killing or maiming. The control system is in the form of a portable kit that includes a launching device, a plurality of thermoplastic hollow projectiles, a supply of a natural animal control agent for loading into the projectiles, and a means for transferring and storing the control agent. The method of use of the control system involves filling the projectiles with the control agent and then sealing the projectiles prior to loading the projectiles into the launching device. The launching device is then aimed at an area that is being controlled by the animal and then the projectiles are discharged from the gun so as to disperse the control agent about the area being controlled. The control agent causes a biological reaction in the animals and rodents when they detect the scent of the control agent.

Abstract: An improved tracheal tube anti-disconnect device for securing a ventilator tube to an adapter that is connected to a tracheal tube. The device is comprised of a neck band that includes a pair of anchoring strips that releasably connect the neck band to a neck plate, an anti-disconnect fastening assembly that releasably secures to the neck band and which positively retains a ventilator circuit in communication with the tracheal tube. A retention system is provided on the neck band to prevent the anti-disconnect fastening assembly and the anchoring strips from disconnection with the neck band, thereby ensuring the communication between the ventilator circuit and the tracheal tube.

Abstract: A marker device for use by a votary in marking his position on a prayer strand includes a pair of identical body halves that are respectively provided with identical semi-circular grooves formed on inside surfaces of each body half. When the body halves are joined together, the semi-circular grooves are in registry so as to collectively form a throughbore that is centrally located on the body of the marker. The throughbore extends completely through the body of the marker in a position that is transverse to the body. The halves are held together by a pair of identical O-rings or a pair of identical miniature rubber bands. The outer surface of the body of the marker is further provided with a pair of identical channels for seating the O-rings therein. The diameter of the central throughbore is sized to match that of the outside diameter of a prayer strand bead.

Abstract: A storage and dispensing cart for receiving, storing, and dispensing charcoal briquettes includes a storage bin member, a storage compartment member and a screening assembly. The screening assembly is disposed within the storage bin member at a lower end to provide a continuous screening of the charcoal dust and small particles, or fines, that are developed when the charcoal briquettes move against each other during filling of the storage bin member or when the briquettes are dispensed. The screening assembly is comprised of a screen mesh that allows the fines and dust to fall to a lower collection chute that gathers and directs the fines and dust into a collection pan that forms a collection repository. The collection pan is removable from the cart so the fines and dusts can be discarded without removing all of the briquettes from the storage bin member.

Abstract: A conventional bedding mattress is constructed in a manner that permits light to permeate upwardly throughout the bedding components so as to illuminate the entire bed structure when a light source is placed below the mattress proper. The illuminating feature of the bed is accomplished by forming a bed mattress of a spring core section, a translucent netting layer disposed over the spring core, a unique foam padding that freely lays on top of the netting layer, and a material cover that envelopes the core and padding. The cover is provided with a clear plastic bottom portion sewn into the cover. The padding layer is translucent and this same padding is used as a padding layer within the cover. Light freely passes through the plastic of the cover, through the spring cores, then passing through the padding layer and into the cover, thereby illuminating the mattress upon provision of an underlying light source.

Abstract: A simplified version of traditional casino style craps is provided where all bets are determined through a single roll of the dice, thus making the game easily understood by novice gamblers. The layout of the game includes a primary, second and third wagering areas. The primary wagering area provides an even money payout through two possible betting lines, an Under Seven line and an Over Seven line, based on the sum total of the roll of the dice in relation to the most probable roll of a seven. The primary wagering area also includes a non-betting line of Seven-You Lose All Bets, that clears all bets when a seven is rolled, even those bets placed within any of the other wagering areas. The second wagering area also includes two betting lines, one that predicts that the sum total of the dice will be a three and the other that the total will be an eleven. The betting lines of the second wagering area payout at 10 times the wager.

Abstract: An improved ball launching racket has a flexible net disposed within a central opening of a racket by a plurality of removable clip and elastomeric band assemblies. The construction of the clip facilitates expedient mounting and removal of the elastomeric bands, thereby allowing a user to expeditiously change the tension in the net, which in turn, changes the launching characteristics of the ball launching racket. The clip construction promotes usage of elastomeric bands that are free from apertures or slits, so that stress concentration points within the elatomeric bands are eliminated, increasing the useful life of each band.

Abstract: A steering arm assembly for a railway truck has an undercut compound radius between the body portion and the longitudinal segment on of each side arm in order to decrease the stress intensity at this location, which resultantly provides increased flexural strength to the assembly while maintaining the clearance between the steering arm and truck components.

Abstract: Slack-free or slackless coupling systems have application in various types of coupling arrangements such as drawbars, articulated connectors, and E and F type couplers. The gravity wedge that takes up any slack developed when the system components wear, maintains a constant longitudinal force on the follower block and coupler member butt-end interface. However, under high buff loading, that mated interface develops high friction forces during curving and angling. It has been found that the lateral component of these friction forces can become great enough to cause wheel lift at the wheel/rail interface. The present invention reduces that component of friction by greatly reducing the coefficient of friction at the coupler/follower block interface by supplying a lubricant between these surfaces.

Abstract: A railway vehicle truck bolster friction shoe pocket includes a sloped rear wall and longitudinally spaced sidewalls depending from the rear wall to form a friction shoe pocket having open top and bottom ends for receiving a variable rate type of friction shoe. During rotation and translation of the bolster with respect to the truck sideframe, the outboard friction shoe pocket sidewall is repeatedly impacted by the outer and upper corner of the friction shoe. The impacting causes protuberances to form in the outboard sidewall, but only on the upper portion of the wall. The same sidewall is provided with a relieved section across the entire sidewall upper portion in order to eliminate the impact contact area between the upper portion of the friction shoe and the upper portion of the outboard sidewall. Eliminating the contact area eliminates the formation of protuberances and extends the life of the bolster.

Abstract: A pair of opposed positioning lugs are attached to respective front and rear pedestal jaw walls of a railcar truck sideflame. The lugs are interposed between said respective jaw wall and the truck axle bearing assembly, laterally extending across the width of the sideframe pedestal jaw. The lugs function to independently maintain each axle in a right-angular relationship with respect to the truck sideframe when the sideframe travels upon linear track. Without the positioning lugs, each of the axles can potentially contact either of the pedestal jaw walls even when the truck travels upon linear track. This is due to the casting variances in the longitudinal length of each sideframe comprising the truck. When this type of truck negotiates a curve, an axle can be in contact with a pedestal jaw wall during linear truck travel to prevent the truck from steering as it was designed.

Abstract: A railcar suspension assembly at each end of a railcar eliminates the use of a car body bolster and allows payload forces to be carried at railcar side sills into a cross-extending box-like section. The section has bearing wear plates attached to it directly over the truck sideframes so that the forces pass directly downward, into the bearing assembly which is attached to the bolster ends. The forces then are transferred into a conventional sideframe. The loading path allows the bolster to be made with a lightweight midsection and conventional ends having friction shoe pockets.

Abstract: A heat exchange apparatus is provided with an indirect evaporative heat exchange section and a direct evaporative heat exchange section. A uniform temperature evaporative liquid is downwardly sprayed into the indirect section to indirectly exchange sensible heat with a hot fluid stream flowing within a series of enclosed circuits which comprise the indirect evaporative heat exchange section. After the evaporative fluid descends through the entire indirect heat exchange section and absorbs heat, it is distributed across fill media within the direct evaporative heat exchange section for cooling. Separate streams of ambient cooling air are simultaneously drawn into each of the heat exchange sections to evaporatively cool the evaporative liquid flowing within each section. The water cooled in the direct heat exchange section is then collected in a sump where it is allowed to mix and resultantly become uniform in temperature before being redistributed.