Abstract: A beam angle adjustment element for a measurement instrument projecting a collimated beam, such as a laser construction layout instrument, utilizes a single optic at the beam exit of the instrument for final tilt adjustment. The optic, a low magnification telescope formed of a single, integral optical component, has an annular edge in contact with a frame of the instrument. Tilting of the weak telescope in the frame seat adjusts the angularity of the collimated light beam for very finely tuning the beam direction. For example, with a particular weak telescope the telescope can be tilted 5 degrees to obtain a 3.6 minute adjustment. The optical element may be fixed in place in the seat with glue, or a screw threaded mechanism can be provided for adjustment and retention of the optic in place.

Abstract: A portable liquid surface skimmer efficiently removes small spills of petroleum derivatives from the surface of water, and is useful, for example, on thin sheen spills of oil or gasoline, in boating marinas. The skimmer is controlled by a long handle held by an operator, with a swivel connection to the skimmer body. The skimmer body is placed in the water empty, to take on a controlled amount of water as ballast, putting the skimmer at a proper level to skim the surface using a floating weir. A withdrawal conduit from the skimmer's sump leads to a storage tank or more preferably to some form of separator on shore or on a dock, for further separation of water from the contaminants. In one preferred form of the system and method, the skimmed oil/water mix is passed through a special filter medium which removes the petroleum sufficiently that the water can be returned to its source, eliminating the need for hauling large volumes of liquid away to a disposal site.

Abstract: An oven for cooking foods, and especially for browning foods, has heated, radiant walls. Heat may be supplied by a gas burner flame in a plenum behind the walls, with products of combustion thus being isolated from the food in the oven chamber. In one embodiment food products are continuously conveyed through the oven chamber and, depending on oven temperature, are either cooked or simply browned in the oven by the radiant wall heat. Fats and other materials rendered from the food products, if not fully incinerated in the oven chamber, may be transferred along with exhaust air from the oven chamber to a separate combustion chamber, for incineration, the heat from which is used to contribute to heat requirements for the plenum. Steam or other inert gas is introduced to the oven chamber to minimize oxidation and prevent flame, and the steam can be produced by heat exchange with exhaust plenum gases. An alternative wall heating system uses electric resistance heat elements inside a thin ceramic wall.

Abstract: The invention relates to a folding CD package with a section (12) holding the CD, a cover section (10) hinged thereon and a pouch section (14) into which the section holding the CD can be inserted. According to the invention, the cover section (10) is attached to the pouch section (14) via an edge acting as a pivot (22) and the pivot (22) is released in relation to a hinged connection (20) between the cover section (10) and the section (12) holding the CD so that the section holding the CD is partly pulled out from the pouch section (14) when the package is opened by the resultant relative movement of the pivot and hinge for ease of removal.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for binding together human or animal tissue using one-way sutures having barbs on their exterior surfaces, allowing passage of a needle-drawn suture in one direction through tissue, but not in the opposite direction. In closing a wound, the sutures are passed through tissue at each of the opposed sides of the wound, forming suture pairs in which trailing ends of the sutures are juxtaposed in the wound. The number of suture pairs is selected in accordance with the size of the wound. The wound is closed and ends of the sutures of each suture pair are secured together, which may be by heat bonding or surgical knots. In a variation of this procedure double-armed sutures are used. In another variation detachable needles are used to leave the barbed sutures below the skin. The invention avoids loop stitching, minimizing scarring.

Abstract: A harness system for a snowshoe employs a single strap and a single buckle to secure the boot to the snowshoe at two locations, one approximately at the arch and one at the toe. The single strap is secured to four points on the harness assembly, left and right sides of each of two flexible harness shells which engage both sides of the boot approximately in the arch and toe areas. Extending generally in a Z-shaped pattern in one embodiment, the strap is fixed at its one end and secured firmly but adjustably at its opposite end. At the two intermediate attachment points are sliding connections to anchoring devices at the ends of the harness legs. One of these sliding attachments may be on a buckle which is releasable, to release the strap from the boot. The harness assembly has the advantages of single-hand engagement and release, one-step engagement and release involving a single buckle, simpler assembly, and mechanical advantage in tightening the strap for adjustment or in engaging the over-center buckle.

Abstract: A snowshoe has a metal heel cleat of one-piece construction, providing the dual functions of angularly disposed teeth which extend down from the snowshoe's deck to engage snowy or icy terrain, and rows of serrations extending upwardly through a membrane, to a position for contact with the bottom of the user's boot heel for high friction, gripping engagement when weight is placed on the heel. The heel cleat device has a base platform which is positioned between two deck membrane layers, a lower of which is penetrated by the terrain-engaging cleat teeth and the upper of which is penetrated by the smaller, upwardly facing serrations which engage with the boot heel.

Abstract: A cover for tank is formed from a plurality of panels attached together by cross members. The panels are sealed to the cross members, and the panels and the cross members are sealed to the tank. The panels are constructed from a multiplicity of edge-to-edge planks. The planks may be connected together without welds, and the panels may be connected to the cross members without welds. The cover may be in the shape of an arch, or the shape of a dome. In another embodiment a dome-shaped cover may be formed from a plurality of panels each having the shape of a section of a circle. Each panel is connected between an adjacent pair of a plurality of radial members arranged in a radial pattern.

Abstract: A snowshoe is configured to receive a boot-mounted crampon, such that the crampon teeth serve as the front and rear cleats for the snowshoe. Two openings are included in the snowshoe deck, at toe and heel, the toe harness assembly including a plate configured to receive the front portion of a crampon such that the crampon is inserted into the snowshoe with the toe tipped down, then the heel is rotated down to lock the crampon to the plate. A single strap is included to secure the boot to the harness at a location behind the ball of the foot. In a preferred embodiment, left and right portions of the tooth assembly near the toe of the crampon fit closely within a clearance at each side of the plate, so that as the crampon is placed into the plate the crampon becomes located and registered to a certain position, rigidly holding the crampon on the plate against rotation about a vertical axis.

Abstract: A system preferably in the form of an accessory module corrects for tilt angles of a distance measuring laser projecting instrument. The housing of the module includes a compensating mirror mounted on a pendulum which bends with tilt angle by one-half the amount of the housing tilt, so as to reflect the outgoing beam to truly horizontal. In a preferred embodiment a fixed mirror is also included so that the distance measuring instrument can be laid or held approximately horizontally so that its generally horizontal beam is first reflected by the fixed mirror up to the pendulous compensating mirror. The distance measuring instrument preferably has an internal correction to subtract the additional optical path length induced by the use of the accessory module. This may be activated by a switch on the module or automatically when the module is attached to the distance measuring instrument.

Abstract: A method for restretching artist's canvases which have relaxed and lost tension through time and environmental effects includes application of a liquid material, preferably a water based adhesive, to the back surface of the relaxed canvas, which may or may not have a painting on its front surface. The wetting of the canvas tightens the fibers, and when the water based adhesive material dries in the canvas, the canvas remains tight. Several methods of application are disclosed.

Abstract: An electronic lock for use with lockers assigned for transitory or permanent use, has a keypad for entering a preselected sequence of digits. Programmable for each use in the transitory mode, the lock shifts a latch to locked position on a first entry of a sequence chosen by the user, and retracts the latch to unlocked position when the same sequence is reentered by the user. A subsequent user of the locker when unlocked can enter any sequence of digits desired. In the mode of a longer term assigned locker, the electronic lock is programmed by, for example, a student, and the same combination is retained as long as desired. In this mode, the selected sequence is used only to unlock, with the latch or mortise being spring-biased. The construction of the electronic lock is modular, easily fitting on nearly all contemporary locker designs, retained by only a few screws.

Abstract: An electronic lock for use with lockers has a recess or contacts for accepting an electronic ID chip as a "key". Upon receiving the current ID chip, the lock shifts a latch to unlocked position, with the latch or mortise being spring-biased. The construction of the electronic lock is modular, easily fitting on nearly all contemporary locker designs, retained by only a few screws preferably in the standard three-hole locker door prep layout. An outer housing on the outside of the locker door has an electrical plug-in connection through the door with an inner housing at the inside of the door, and the housing portions can be changed to opposite hand use. Power input ports preferably are included on the front of the outer housing to power the lock in the event of battery failure, and in addition, an audible beep occurs when batteries are low. An LED indicator can be included for status.

Abstract: Accessories are disclosed for use with a laser tool which may or may not be self-leveling. The accessories include one or more diffraction elements, effective to receive the incoming beam and produce a plane of diverging laser beams. In preferred embodiments the diffraction elements are self-leveling. When the diverging beams are directed against a surface such as a floor, wall or ceiling, a series of discrete spots define a visible reference line useful in construction layout. The spots themselves may each locate the position of a fastener to be installed, for example, by giving the approximately correct spacing for reference of the user. The generation of discrete spots rather than a solid line, as would be generated by a cylindrical lens, better allocates laser power by providing brighter, more visible reference elements on the wall or ceiling.

Abstract: Arsenic and TOC are removed from drinking water or wastewaters by use of finely-divided metallic iron in the presence of powdered elemental sulfur or other sulfur compounds such as manganese sulfide, followed by an oxidation step. A premix may be produced for this process, by adding the iron, sulfur and oxidizing agent to water in a predetermined pH range. The iron and sulfur are mixed for a period of time dependent upon the temperature and pH of the water and the presence of complexing or sequestering minerals and organic acids in the water. An oxidizing agent is added to the mixture and agitating is continued. In a preferred embodiment the oxidizing agent is hydrogen peroxide. Water is decanted from the mixture after a sufficient reaction time, to produce a concentrated premix. This premix can be added to water intended for drinking or to industrial effluents containing toxic materials.

Abstract: A filter canister assembly for receiving waste from a dental cuspidor includes a canister of generally conventional configuration, with an open upper end fitted with a canister closure, the canister containing a closed disposable filter basket. A hand grip on the closed filter allows a dental technician to hold and dispose of the filter basket without contacting waste material contained within the filter.

Abstract: A floating dock preferably comprised of at least two elongated panels and derives its transverse load supporting strength from flotation tubs at the lower side of the dock. The deck portion of the dock is assembled from aluminum extrusions, preferably without welds. The dock assembly involves a minimum of parts and minimal assembly time. In typical sizes, e.g., about 6 feet in width and 20 to 40 feet in length, the dock units can be prefabricated at a plant and shipped by truck to the point of use.

Abstract: A game of chance based on random distribution of game pieces utilizes a plurality of spheres or discs, which may be generally the size of marbles or checkers, visually divided into two types, such as by two different colors. The game pieces are used in particular to play a bingo-type game. The pieces are contained between two parallel planes spaced apart slightly wider than a game piece, with at least a part of the front plane being transparent. The space between the two planes is circumscribed by a rotatable ring, defining a chamber within which the game pieces remain. With the parallel planes vertical or at least tilted, the lower portion of the chamber is used to randomly mix the game pieces, while at an upper end of the chamber there is located a holding section or display matrix within which the game pieces are all ultimately stored in parallel columns.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating sanitary wastewater using membrane filtration are disclosed. Designed principally for complete on-site sewage treatment and disposal, the system separates wastewater into liquid and concentrated solid components by membrane separation; then dries, disinfects, and deodorizes the solid component by a variety of methods to render it reusable or more easily stored and disposed. The liquid component is discharged or reused as is, or is further treated to render it disposable or reusable for particular applications. Alternatives for treating the solids component include mixing with alkaline admixtures and composting with other cellulose-based wastes. Alternatives for treating the liquid component include deodorization and biological stabilization by ultraviolet radiation and ozonation. Preferred and particularly advantageous embodiments of a membrane filtration system, a liquid treatment subsystem, a solids treatment subsystem, and a flushing subsystem are described.