Abstract: A water gauge in accordance with the invention includes a base and a spherical indicator ball. The base includes a container having a side wall, a bottom wall and a post. The spherical indicator ball has a yellow initial signal hemispherical wall and a red final signal hemispherical wall connected to an axle along a circumference. The axle is supported by the side wall of the container. The yellow initial signal hemispherical wall is heavier than the red final signal hemispherical wall. The spherical indicator ball has a channel in the middle of the red final signal hemispherical wall. Initially, the post is positioned into the channel so that the yellow initial signal hemispherical wall is up and visible. The water gauge is positioned on a lawn to be watered. When watering has added a sufficient amount of water to the container to float the ball above the top of the post, the ball is rotated by gravitational force to position the heavier hemispherical wall in the water.

Abstract: To prepare an analgesic, anti-inflammatory cream, ibuprofen-S is dissolved in the PEG-7-glycerylcocoate and propylene glycol by slightly warming the solution to about 40 degrees Centigrade. Fractionated coconut oil, di-isopropyladipate, stearic acid, cetyl alcohol, polyoxyl-40-stearate, sorbitan-monostearate and propylparaben are mixed and heated to 70 degrees Centigrade. Methylparaben Sod. is dissolved in demineralized water and heated to 70 degrees Centigrade. The above oil and water phase components are mixed together, cooled to about 50 degrees Centigrade and the ibuprofen-S solution is added to the emulsion. The emulsion is homogenized and cooled to room temperature to form the cream.

Abstract: An apparatus for supercritical fluid extraction incorporates a removable extraction cartridge which in operation has insignificant pressure difference between its inside and outside walls. Because of the low pressure difference, the extraction cartridge need not have the strength to withstand significant pressure and can be made out of molded plastic for disposable use as well as stainless steel and machined plastic for reusability. The extraction cartridge can be removed and opened for sample access without the use of tools. The outside of the cartridge can be purged after it is installed in a heated high pressure vessel to remove contamination from its exterior.

Abstract: To provide an animal litter from seed hulls such as sunflower hulls, seed hulls having a fatty acid content between 1 percent to 15 percent by weight, at least 40 percent of the fatty acid being unsaturated fatty acid and being between 50 to 95 percent by weight of hulls, is formed as pellets without substantial added binder. The seed hulls serve the function of aiding in pellet forming to avoid the need of substantial added binder as well as aiding in deodorizing. One appropriate additional deodorizing material that may be an added ingredient is alfalfa. The pellets are preferably formed to sizes between 3/64 to 1 inch in diameter but the size is related to the heating and cooling of the pelletizer.

Abstract: To prevent the solvents forming a gradient from mixing at the wrong place and to provide for accurate composition at start of the gradient in spite of solvent pressure variations, a microliquid or supercritical fluid chromatograph includes a combined mixer and pressure detector in which equal pressures of the two solvents in the gradient are detected by displacement of a ferromagnetic poppet in the mixing chamber. The poppet serves as a stop for the final solvent until the pressures are substantially equal and then its movement is detected by a circuit related to a linear variable differential transformer. The signal energizes a circuit which drives one of the sensing coils to drive the poppet during the gradient to provide mixing.

Abstract: To support a foot, a special shoe is adapted to receive a flat flexible member having a first fastening means on one end thereof, whereby it may be fastened to a shoe. The shoe has first, second, third and fourth fastening means attached thereto. The second and third fastening means are positioned on opposite sides of the medial plane of the arch of the shoe and are spaced from each other within a range of one-half to four inches; the first and fourth fastening means being positioned within a range of one-eighth to two inches upwardly from a sole and within a range of one-half to three inches of a heel, whereby they are located lower than the arch of the shoe and within a range from the arch of one-half to three inches. The flat flexible member has a second fastening means on a second side, whereby one of said first and second fastening means may be fastened to a shoe over the arch of the foot and the other fastened to a location on the shoe near the sole adjacent to the heel.

Abstract: To prevent the solvents forming a gradient from mixing at the wrong place and to provide for accurate composition at start of the gradient in spite of solvent pressure variations, a microliquid or supercritical fluid chromatograph includes a combined mixer and pressure detector in which equal pressures of the two solvents in the gradient are detected by displacement of a ferromagnetic poppet in the mixing chamber. The poppet serves as a stop for the final solvent until the pressures are substantially equal and then its movement is detected by a circuit related to a linear variable differential transformer. The signal energizes a circuit which drives one of the sensing coils to drive the poppet during the gradient to provide mixing.

Abstract: To increase the efficiency of utilizing protein in feed by ruminants, feed containing a protein and a reducing sugar are mixed in quantities suitable for the Maillard reaction. The mixture is heated at a temperature, pH and time sufficient to cause early Maillard reactions but not advanced Maillard reactions.

Abstract: To provide a novel electrical personnel security system in which a battery is open circuited until ready for use and then energized while permitting a casing to remain sealed; a case for a transmitter supports a circuit board having a battery opening in it. The battery is supported within this opening by positive and negative battery contacts which are conductive springs that hold the battery between them and exert force against them. One of the battery contacts is in direct electrical contact with the battery while the other is separated by a spacer member aligned with a guideway to prevent closing of the circuit as long as the spacer member is in place between the contact and the battery. The casing includes an aperture for the insertion of a pin that results in removing the spacer by moving it along the guideway without tilting the circuit board. The aperture may be sealed by a plug against water.

Abstract: To provide ultrasonic treatment of animals, ultrasonic waves in a frequency range of between 15 kilohertz and 100 kilohertz are applied to water in a tub with a power density between 0.1 and 5 watts per square centimeter. The equipment is able to apply ultrasonic waves with at least two power densities in the vicinity of the portion of the animal with one of said power densities being more than 15 watts per square meter for sterilizing the water before the patient enters the tub and the other being less than 15 watts per square meter.

Abstract: To alter feedstock material, the material is exposed to laser radiation applied at a selected angle of incidence, intensity and wavelength related to the refractive index of the feedstock material. Fine uniform particles may be formed through vapor explosion and/or plasma formation and used by this method to coat surfaces, such as with paint or adhesive or to suply uniform small particles to a heat engine. Moreover, moving materials such as a column of liquid may be subjected to high internal pressure and temperature for creating physical and chemical changes.

Abstract: To stabilize flow rate in a single-stroke, syringe-type high pressure pump to a constant value after turn-on, a control system; (1) in one embodiment, senses the maximum rate of change of pressure, detects a pressure when the rate of change is two-thirds of the maximum, increases the pump rate until the pressure is three times that at the value of the detected pressure and begins pumping at the preset constant flow rate; and (2) in another embodiment operates a pump system at a flow rate ten times the preset flow rate and, when the time derivative of the pressure has dropped to nine tenths of its maximum, the pump motor speed is reduced to the preset flow rate.

Abstract: To permit easy reading of the rainfall at a distance, an intercepting means on a rain gauge intercepts rain falling through a larger area than the upper surface area of the rain water within the container of the rain gauge. A colored float points to rainfall markers on an expanded scale along the container so that if rain is indicated in inches, the indicia means has its inch marks spaced vertically to correlate with the float at distances larger than inches.

Abstract: To inject samples into a mass spectrometer, one end of a capillary tube is affixed directly to the vacuum chamber of the mass spectrometer or to a mass spectrometer interface to bring gaseous samples into close proximity to the mass spectrometer ionizing means, and the other end is in close proximity to the surface of a tape. The tape is in a cassette and a probe is inserted through the cassette frame between the cassette reels and draws the tape to the end of a capillary tube. Regions of tape with samples adsorbed to tape surface are transported rapidly from a low temperature region for a high temperature region which includes the entrance end of the capillary tube. Sample vaporizes from the tape surface and is carried into the capillary tube by a carrier gas. The tape position is indicated by bar codes on the tape that control tape movement.

Abstract: To reduce noise-ups, a radio receiver includes a comparator which is electrically connected to a variable potential to set a threshold voltage and connected to the IF circuit of the radio for comparison. The output of the comparator is applied to voltage controlled resistance circuits so that as the strength of the signal drops below the threshold value, the resistances are reduced. These reduced resistances are in shunt with a filter resistor so that as the resistance drops, the frequency response of the filter is lowered. Signals from the IF stage are passed through the filter before being transmitted to the audio stage so that as the signal strength drops below the threshold value but before a complete dropout, the frequency response is lowered.

Abstract: To increase the efficiency of utilizing protein in feed by ruminants, feed containing a protein and a reducing sugar are mixed. The mixture is heated at a temperature, pH and time sufficient to reduce degradability of the feed protein by rumen microorganisms and provide significant protein digestibility in the post rumen tract. Preferably, the sugar is xylose obtained by mixing sulfite liquor with the feed.

Abstract: To provide an improved meat hook for piercing and moving meat, the meat hook comprises: (1) a rigid, curved cylinder having a pointed meat piercing end; (2) a handle engaging end; and (3) a handle rigidly secured to the handle engaging end of the cylinder with the cylinder extending from the front side of the handle near one end at an angle of approximately 90 degrees or more. The cylinder is formed with an inclined portion extending from the handle engaging end with a curved end section extending from the inclined portion and relatively straight portion extending from the curved end section to form a pointed, piercing end. The piercing end is preferably in prallel, spaced relation from the front side of the handle and may be formed to extend beyond a plane which passes through the end of the handle.

Abstract: To provide smooth constant flow from a pump, a chromatographic system comprises: a chromatographic column having an inlet; a pump for supplying fluid to the inlet of the chromatographic column; a power means for the pump motor; positive and negative feedback loop means for controlling said power means; means for energizing and de-energizing said positive and negative feedback control means; said negative feedback control means receiving a signal from said means for measuring flow rate and including means for comparing said signal with said corrected flow rate reference signal while said second feedback loop is energized to generate an error signal controlling said power means; and said positive feedback control means applying an acceleration voltage to said motor from a time a preset period after the initiation of a return stroke of said piston until after a timed duration.