Abstract: A magnifying apparatus comprising a prism, a magnifying lens, and a housing for spacing the prism apart from the lens. The prism converts a horizontal image into an image at an angle from the horizontal, and the magnifying lens then magnifies the image for viewing. A method of using the magnifying apparatus for viewing the image of an object on a relatively horizontal surface at an angle from the horizontal is also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for audio reproduction, specifically, transduction of electrical signals into acoustic signals, or sound waves, which minimizes acoustic impedance matching problems and distortion by mounting a diaphragm inside the body of a horn having a mouth for passage of sound waves at the end of the horn on one side of the diaphragm and an open end at the end of the horn on the other side of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is mounted in a voice coil collar having a voice coil wound therearound, and smaller, secondary magnets are mounted to the collar on both sides of the diaphragm. The horn is provided with large, primary magnets on either side of the collar, and the orientation of the magnets causes the collar to be suspended at exactly the midpoint therebetween. When current is applied to the coil, the collar, carrying the diaphragm, reciprocates within the horn to produce sound waves out of the mouth of the horn, the open end at the other end of the horn acts to equalize air pressure within the horn.

Abstract: There is provided a moving table unit having a table which is attached to rectilinear guide devices on both sides of the legs of a substantially U-shaped bed, a first motor unit with a ball screw which is attached to the upper side of the bottom of the bed near an end of the bed in the sliding direction of the bed; a second motor unit with a ball screw which is attached to the lower side of the table near one end of the table; and a ball spline unit attached to the lower side of the table between the motor units and near the other end of the table, wherein these units have the same axial center and are coaxially coupled by a drive shaft on which ball screw grooves and a ball spline groove are formed at the positions corresponding to those units. The outer diameter of the portion of the ball spline shaft on which the ball spline groove is formed is larger than those of the drive shaft on which the ball screw grooves are formed.

Abstract: There is provided a thin linear motion rolling guide unit comprising: a rail made of a long member having a U-shaped cross section in which first track grooves are respectively formed on the inside surfaces of both side walls in the longitudinal direction of the long member; a table which is slidably combined with the rail and has a pair of track members, second track grooves being formed on the outside surfaces of the track members at the positions which face the first track grooves of the rail and endless circulating passages for balls being also formed by the track members; the balls which are inserted between the first track groove of the rail and the second track groove of the table which faces the rail; flat plate shaped upper and lower lids attached in the upper and lower portions of the table so as to sandwich the track members which are symmetrically arranged with respect to an axial direction of the table; the track members forming loop inside wall surfaces of the endless circulating passages for th

Abstract: An electrical connector is disclosed having an elongated conductor housing of non-conducting material with two electrical connector conductors embedded in and extending lengthwise of the housing. Each connector conductor has a socket at one end and a pin at the other. A sleeve of elastic material positioned on the housing so that a portion of the housing extends beyond the sleeve to serve as a male plug and a portion of the sleeve extends beyond the other end of the housing to combine with the housing to form a female plug. The sleeve has an integral elongated boot in the side through which a geophone cable extends. The conductors of the geophone cable are connected to the conductors embedded in the housing of the connector.

Abstract: There is disclosed a ball valve which includes a ball closure rotatably mounted within a cavity formed in a main portion of the valve body and spring pressed against a seat ring on one side of the ball closure, and an end portion of the valve body which is removably connected to the main portion to close an opening from the end of the cavity through which the ball closure, seat ring and spring may be removed.

Abstract: There are disclosed several embodiments of a marine riser having means for disrupting smooth flow of seawater along its length of the riser and thus damping vertical oscillation of the riser when its lower end is released from a subsea wellhead.

Abstract: There is disclosed a casing centralizer which comprises a pair of longitudinally spaced collars adapted to be assembled about the casing, and bow springs which extend longitudinally between the collars. The ends of the bow springs are secured to the collars by means of outwardly bent portions at the ends of the bow springs which are adapted to fit within openings in the collars, and a tab on one side of each collar opening which extends inwardly from the inner surface of the collar and passes through an opening in the end of the bow spring adjacent its outwardly bent portion, whereby each tab may be bent over the inner surface of the bent portion at the end of the bow spring so as to hold the outer surface of the end of the bow spring against the inner surface of the collar.

Abstract: An air brake system with a multifunction control valve; a multifunction control valve for an air brake system; various sub-valves within the multifunction control valve--including a pressure protection valve, a pressure reducing valve, an emergency control valve, and a syncro valve. In one embodiment all four types of sub-valves are within a single unitary housing of the multifunction valve.

Abstract: An electronic ballast for high intensity discharge lamps is taught. A high speed electronic switch gates voltage across the lamp only for that period of time when the amount of resultant current flow will not adversely affect the lamp or the switch. At that point, the voltage is gated off for a period of time, after which the cycle repeats. This scheme eliminates the need for any inductive, resistive or capactive element, either saturable or conventional, in the post-ignition operation of the lamp, except perhaps for auxiliary functions. The elimination of such inductive elements results in a highly efficient, low cost electronic ballast having reduced electromagnetic and radio interference emissions.

Abstract: There is disclosed a subsea wellhead connector comprised of a lower tubular member mounted on the upper end of a lower wellhead member, and an upper tubular member suspended from an upper wellhead member for lowering into end-to-end connection with the lower tubular member. Locking teeth are formed about the ends of the tubular members, and circumferentially spaced locking segments are carried by the upper tubular member for movement radially into or out of locking engagement with the grooves about the upper and lower tubular members. The locking segments are moved inwardly to locking position by means of a cam ring which surrounds them, and are withdrawn from locking position by spreader dogs carried by the cam ring and extending between the ends of adjacent locking segments.

Abstract: There is disclosed a water recirculation system for a swimming pool including assemblies installed in the drain openings in the skimmer and lower end of the pool for shredding leaves solely in response to the circulation of water through them.

Abstract: There are disclosed two embodiments of a stuffing box for a movable stem of a valve, wherein each stuffing box includes first and second primary packing assemblies at its inner and outer ends, respectively, a third packing assembly intermediate the first and second packing assemblies and including axially spaced inner and outer packing sections between which sealant may be injected, as well as a bleed ring intermediate the first and second packing sections and surrounding the stem with small clearance, whereby purge fluid may be introduced into the small clearance for flow past the inner primary packing assembly in the event it fails.

Abstract: Preheated diluent and steam are introduced into a container containing waste material typically comprised of a sludge mixture of liquid and solid material including hydrocarbons. The material is thereby heated and its viscosity reduced to form a pumpable slurry. The slurry is pumped out of the container and its viscosity is adjusted to the optimum for separating the solids and liquids. The solids are then separated from the liquid, any valuable material in either the solids and the liquid are recovered and the rest disposed of.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for analyzing physiological conditions in an organ of a living body is disclosed. The pressure within the organ is measured over a period of time and converted to digital electrical signals via a pressure transducer and a digital to analog converter. The digital electrical signals are mathematically analyzed with Fourier transforms and centroid analysis to obtain information concerning changes in physiological conditions in the organ.