Abstract: A pneumatic device for accelerating and decelerating one or more objects by introducing compressed gas through an injection valve into the bore of a housing. A piston is slidably mounted in the bore and has a cable attached to one side. The cable travels through an aperture near one end of the housing before passing over a first pulley and then connecting to a carrier which hold the object or objects. The cable is selected to be of a length such that the piston will not exit the open end of the bore, which is opposite to the end near where the aperture is located. This creates the possibility of operating the pneumatic device in two different modes. In the first mode, the pressure of the introduced gas is insufficient to propel the objects past the side of the first pulley that is opposite to the initial location of the objects.

Abstract: Two resilient bands attached to anchors slidably mounted on two vertical support columns that are placed on opposite sides of a horizontal resilient surface, usually a trampoline. The resilient bands are connected to a participant and exert upon the participant a lateral restraining force which is proportional to the distance that the participant moves laterally from the center of the horizontal resilient surface. The anchors can be, in different embodiments, raised manually, with a motor, remotely, or automatically. Therefore, the resilient bands also exert upon the participant a vertical restraining force that is proportional to the distance the participant has moved vertically from the horizontal resilient surface.

Abstract: An isolation valve for the resuscitation of patients which has an upper housing and a lower housing that snap together, rotate with respect to one another, and utilize a flexible diaphragm which extends into the small space between the upper housing and the lower housing to assure the establishment of an air-tight seal between the upper housing and the lower housing. The upper housing begins with an upper tube that expands outward to create an upper chamber segment. The lower housing has a lower chamber segment, the wall of which lower chamber segment establishing the snap-fit with the wall of the upper chamber segment. The lower chamber segment is formed by the outward expansion of a lower tube. Breath exhaled by a care provider proceeds along the upper tube to the upper chamber segment where it must pass through an upper filter segment, a lower filter segment, and a space between the two that provides a volume to retain any moisture which evades the filter segments.

Abstract: A process for bonding formed meat to bone to create the appearance and texture of a natural cut of meat by utilizing techniques known in the art to release protein from pieces of meat, which released protein forms an adhesive substance on the surface of the meat, leaving a thin layer of meat on the bone to which the formed meat is to be attached, immersing the bone in an aqueous solution of salt and phosphate, removing the bone from the solution, and pressing the formed meat about the bone to achieve the desired appearance. This product may subsequently be cooked, or frozen and then cooked. The same type of protein-to-protein bonds which hold the formed meat together attach the formed meat to the thin layer of meat that was left on the bone. Optionally, frozen particles of fat may be added to the formed meat in order to improve flavor; and modified low-temperature starch may be included in the formed meat to retain moisture within the formed meat during cooking.

Abstract: A device for repairing laminated glass by inserting a liquid, curable resin into the fracture in the glass. An absorbent material is attached to the bottom of a suction cup. When it is desired to commence a repair, several drops of the resin are placed in the absorbent material. The suction cup is then positioned over the fracture such that the absorbent material is aligned with the center of the damage. Then the center of the suction cup is depressed toward the glass until resin flows from the absorbent material. To expedite the repair process, the vacuum between the suction cup and the glass may be intensified by pulling the center of the suction cup farther from the glass without detaching the edge of the suction cup; the center is maintained at this distant location for several seconds before being returned to its original position; and the pulling and returning is repeated several times. This process may be facilitated by attaching a handle to the top of the suction cup.

Abstract: A snowmobile ski flexing apparatus comprises a flexible snowmobile ski with a curved front portion and a flexible elongate loop attached at a first end to the front portion of the ski and bending upward and rearward and then down upon the ski to abut it at a second end at approximately its midpoint. A retainer comprising a chain is secured at one end to the ski at its front portion, while its other end is slidably engaged to the loop, allowing the latter to move lengthwise relative to the ski. A tubular sleeve with rectangular cross-section circumscribes the loop near the second end thereof and allows sliding movement of the loop when the ski is flexed, allowing flexing of a large portion of the ski and acting as a shock absorber.

Abstract: A bandage which retains bodily fluids at least until such fluids reach the top of the dressing that may be placed in the bandage and which permits removal or replacement of the dressing without detaching the bandage from the patient. The bandage has a holder with a base portion which is adhesively attached to the skin of the patient and which contains an aperture to accommodate a wound. Connected to the base portion is at least one flap which folds over the dressing that may be inserted into the holder and which has a releasable fastener to close the holder, to maintain the dressing in a desired position, and to enable the bandage to be opened for inspection of the wound or replacement of the dressing. Fluid retention is accomplished by having the distal (with respect to the patient) edge of no flap closer to the patient's body than is the distal side of the dressing.

Abstract: The present invention eliminates the relay lens systems found in conventional helmet mounted displays (HMDs) by removing field distortions and aberrations with a contoured fiber optic faceplate placed in close proximity to a liquid crystal display (LCD) or cathode ray tube. The optical system typically consists of a spherical dielectric or holographically made collimator-combiner, a dielectric or holographically made fold mirror, and a contoured fiber optic faceplate. The fold mirror is flat, and the collimator-combiner is made by coating a spherical eye glass blank. The system is configured as a folded and tilted catadioptric projector with the novel feature being the contoured faceplate. There are no dispersive elements in the imaging assembly which means it can be completely polychromatic (full color) without the need for additional color correction optics as found in all refractive color systems.

Abstract: An oar stop sound dampener which minimizes the sound produced during the rowing of a boat. It is composed of a flexible, solid, closed-cell foam and is placed on the shaft of the oar adjacent to the oar stop on the side toward the paddle. The dampener is a disk having an aperture at its center to accommodate the shaft of the oar and having a segment adjacent to such aperture which segment can be removed from the disk to provide space for the elongated member some oar stops have extending along the shaft of the oar toward the paddle. By keeping the oar stop, which is usually metal, from contacting the oar lock, which is customarily also metal, through the location of the disk and its resistance to compression, and because of the flexible nature of the disk, no discernible sound is produced during rowing; and wear of the oar stop and oar lock is minimized.

Abstract: A vertical tower which participants ascend by means of an internal stairway. At the top of the tower there are several horizontal arms. Each participant walks through a horizontal arm to its open, outward end. The participant is then connected to a resilient band that is also attached to the horizontal arm. Subsequently, the participant leaps from the open, outward end and undergoes dampened vertical oscillations before being lowered to the surface of the earth. The stairway and multiple horizontal arms permit multiple participants to use the device simultaneously and to repeat rapidly the experience. Numerous safety features are employed to prevent injury to the participants.