Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to mounted recoil dampening apparatus on a rifle at a selected slope, cant, length, and stowed position.

Abstract: A gatling gun construct increases operational life and reduces jams by utilizing in a feeder/delinker a feeder sprocket that engages the neck and shoulder of each cartridge. The gun also facilitates access to a feeder/delinker by utilizing a single access door that includes a plunger that maintains a cartridge in place in the feeder/delinker while the access door is opened and closed.

Abstract: A process is provided to drill through a composite frac plug. The plug is in an oil well. The process utilizes an improved mill. The process also rotates drill pipe at one hundred to five hundred rpm and circulates drilling fluid such that the velocity of the fluid upwardly over the exterior of the drill pipe is in the range of three hundred to four hundred and seventy-five feet per minute. One thousand to three thousand pounds of slack off weight is applied during the process.

Abstract: An exercise machine includes a rocker and a weight bearing frame pivotally interconnected with the rocker. The rocker and weight bearing frame are each pivotally mounted on a support frame or base. The weight bearing frame opposes movement of the rocker when the rocker moves in one direction and assists movement of the rocker when the rocker moves in another direction. The rocker can move from an upright orientation to a second orientation in which the rocker is canted below horizontal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to manipulate and revitalize a spinal column disc while minimizing or preventing the removal of material comprising the disc. The method allows a device to be inserted in the disc either through a pre-existing rupture or through an opening formed in the front, back, or sides of the disc. Increasing the space between the vertebra bounding the disc or removing disc material often is not necessary to insert the device in the disc. The device generates internal traction or other forces acting on the disc to alter the shape of the disc. The shape of the disc is altered to relieve pressure on nerves adjacent the disc. The shape of the disc is also altered to draw nuclear hernias back into the interior of the disc and to produce a disc shape that improves functioning of the disc.

Abstract: A method to facilitate moving from a seated position to an upright position utilizes a chair including a seat with articulating sections and associated foot rests.

Abstract: A method to prepare an organic composition for a digestor minimizes injury to and enhance the decomposition function of anaerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria in the organic composition. The method is utilizes at an animal processing facility. Manure produced at the facility is periodically collected at least seven day intervals and at a temperature greater than thirty-two degrees F. Large pieces of inorganic material are removed from the manure while preserving a significant proportion of the living anaerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria in the manure. The decomposition activity of anaerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria is facilitated by, at a temperature in the range of fifty degrees F to one hundred and five degrees F, adding water to produce a slurry including seventy-five to ninety-five percent by weight water and twenty-five to five percent by weight of organic material.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to manipulate and revitalize a spinal column disc while minimizing or preventing the removal of material comprising the disc. The method allows a device to be inserted in the disc either through a pre-existing rupture or through an opening formed in the front, back, or sides of the disc. Increasing the space between the vertebra bounding the disc or removing disc material often is not necessary to insert the device in the disc. The device generates internal traction or other forces acting on the disc to alter the shape of the disc. The shape of the disc is altered to relieve pressure on nerves adjacent the disc. The shape of the disc is also altered to draw nuclear hernias back into the interior of the disc and to produce a disc shape that improves functioning of the disc.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to manipulate and revitalize a spinal column disc while minimizing or preventing the removal of material comprising the disc. The method allows a device to be inserted in the disc either through a pre-existing rupture or through an opening formed in the front, back, or sides of the disc. Increasing the space between the vertebra bounding the disc or removing disc material often is not necessary to insert the device in the disc. The device generates internal traction or other forces acting on the disc to alter the shape of the disc. The shape of the disc is altered to relieve pressure on nerves adjacent the disc. The shape of the disc is also altered to draw nuclear hernias back into the interior of the disc and to produce a disc shape that improves functioning of the disc.

Abstract: Reduced size evaporative cooling apparatus utilizes a convex flare at the outlet of the apparatus to control air flow exiting the apparatus and cause air to flow along a helical path that produces an updraft off the ground below the apparatus.

Abstract: An improved shoe stretching apparatus is configured to facilitate ready operation of the apparatus inside a shoe while minimizing the hand strength required to use the apparatus.

Abstract: A check valve assembly with an extended operational life. The check valve assembly includes a poppet with conically shaped arms and planar seating surfaces. The planar seating surfaces conform to seating surfaces in the valve assembly. The poppet moves back and forth between two operative positions. In each operative position, a planar seating surface on the poppet sealingly conforms to another planar sealing surface in the check valve assembly. The use of planar seating surfaces extends the operational life of the check valve assembly. The aerodynamic shape of the conically shaped arms facilitates fluid flow over the poppet and, when fluid flows over the poppet, generates forces that function to minimize movement of the poppet and to maintain the poppet in a desired orientation when the poppet moves from one operative position to another operative position.

Abstract: A method to prepare for and conduct an exercise using free weights while minimizing the risk of injury to an individual during the acquisition, use, and return of the free weights includes the step of providing a plurality of cylindrically-shaped free weight plates and a staging station. Each of the free weight plates is mounted on edge in an upright orientation in one of a plurality of detent units of the staging station at a height above the ground. A first one of the free weight plates is manually grasped and rolled from the detent unit onto a horizontally oriented support surface of the staging station, manually removed from the support surface, utilized to perform an exercise, manually returned to the support surface, and manually rolled on the peripheral edge of the first one of the free weight plates from the support surface into one of the detent units.

Abstract: A cooling system for a Gatling machine gun can be use to retrofit an existing machine gun or can be incorporated in a newly manufactured gun. The system directs fluid through the housing assembly of the machine gun to a location intermediate barrels of the gun, and discharges the fluid to cool the barrels.

Abstract: A method to meter a granular chemical into water in a swimming pool provides a dispensation unit constructed to dispense a granular chemical at a selected rate per unit of time. The dispensation unit includes a device to open a container of the granular chemical. The dispensation unit functions to separate granular material for dispensation through apertures in the unit. The dispensation unit is charged with a granular chemical while the unit is upright. The unit is inverted in order to evenly distribute granular chemical on the surface of water in a swimming pool.

Abstract: A toy for an animal, in particular a dog, includes a bag or other hollow container. The bag has a mouth for inserting articles in the bag. After an article is inserted in the bag, a closure is utilized to secure and close the mouth. The closure and mouth of the bag are inserted in a ball to prevent an animal from chewing on the closure to open the mouth of the bag.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for practicing pitching a baseball. The apparatus can be configured to receive pitches thrown into a specific designated area of the strike zone and to reject pitches not thrown to the specific designated area. The apparatus alters the position of the strike zone to compensate for the positioning of a catcher behind home plate. The apparatus more accurately identifies the strike zone, and areas outside the strike zone, to which a pitcher should practice throwing pitches.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to manipulate and revitalize a spinal column disc while minimizing or preventing the removal of material comprising the disc. The method allows a device to be inserted in the disc either through a pre-existing rupture or through an opening formed in the front, back, or sides of the disc. Increasing the space between the vertebra bounding the disc or removing disc material often is not necessary to insert the device in the disc. The device generates internal traction or other forces acting on the disc to alter the shape of the disc. The shape of the disc is altered to relieve pressure on nerves adjacent the disc. The shape of the disc is also altered to draw nuclear hernias back into the interior of the disc and to produce a disc shape that improves functioning of the disc.

Abstract: A golf repair tool includes a pivot repair member movable between a stored and a deployed position, and includes a spring assist construct that facilitates movement from the stored to the deployed position, and vice-versa.

Abstract: An exercise machine includes a rocker pivotally attached to a base. Pins are attached to the bottom of the rocker. Pins are attached to the base. Tensioned elastic members each extend from a pin in the base to a pin attached to the bottom of the rocker. The elastic members assist or oppose each other depending on the position of the rocker. The elastic members function to rotate the rocker in different directions when the rocker is pivoted to different positions.