Abstract: An avian decoy including a decoy body; a stake having an upper end for rotatably supporting the decoy body, and having a lower end for being anchored to a support surface; and a guide for guiding the upper end of the stake into proper position in the decoy body.

Abstract: The invention at hand represents a dieter's food scale that fits within the base of a plate. It contains a plate scale, a supportive cord, and a digital interface. The supportive cord holds the digital interface firmly in place yet out from under the dinner plate so that an LCD on the digital interface can be clearly viewed. The scale is capable of weighing and displaying the weight of each serving while simultaneously memorizing and storing a weeks activity. A dieter can zero, reset and switch between grams and ounces. The invention at hand is small and compact so that it can be carried off site to use 24/7 in almost any environment. It is battery operated and automatically shuts off to preserve battery life.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a top of a beverage can. The top of the beverage can to be cleaned is inserted into a can-receiving cavity in the body of the cleaning apparatus, and the top of the can contactingly engages an actuator that opens a valve to a source of pressurized air. First air jets in communication with the air source expel air onto the lip around the top of the can and also onto the lip groove adjacent the lip, thereby cleaning the lip and the lip groove. Second air jets may also clean the top of the beverage can and its mouth. The cleaning is assisted by condensed moisture on the top of the can that is blown by the air expelled from the air jets. Venting ports allow air expelled from the air jets to escape from the can-receiving cavity.

Abstract: An avian decoy including a decoy body; a foot base; and a lock for locking the foot base to the decoy body.

Abstract: An improved hoist for raising and lowering a weighted object secured to a hoist cable, wherein the improvement comprises a safety switch in series with an up-down switch of the hoist. The safety switch has an actuating member with spaced-apart first and second portions on either side of the hoist cable and proximate the take-up shaft of the winch, and, when the hoist cable becomes unweighted or becomes wound upon the take-up shaft in an improper direction, the hoist cable moves the actuating member and prevents the up-down switch from applying power to the winch motor, thereby disabling the winch motor.

Abstract: A locking storage case for holding a toothbrush. As two parts of the case are slidably engaged with each other to form an enclosed cavity holding the toothbrush, a combination lock, integrally and rigidly mounted to the parts of the case, becomes engaged for locking the case. A suction cup is provided for hanging the locking case from a smooth surface. A resealable plastic bag is provided within the locking case for sealing the toothbrush from germs and moisture and contaminants, and the resealable bag may have an antibacterial coating on its interior surface. A toothpaste tube may be provided in the cavity, and the toothbrush may have a removable head attached to a body that is joined to one of the case parts.

Abstract: A hand-operated jointed control lever assembly that allows normal operation when moved in a first direction by an operator's grip, but disjoints without breaking when moved in other directions. The control lever naturally returns to its normal mode of operation when the abnormal stressing forces of an accident or fall are removed from the lever. The lever assembly has a lever body and a lever arm with respective mating fulcrum surfaces and a tensioning cable passing through the fulcrum surfaces, with a tensioning spring exerting force on the tensioning cable to draw the fulcrum surfaces together. The lever body has a rearwardly-extending lip in engagement with a forward edge of the lever arm, allowing side-to-side disjointed movement and outward disjointed movement opposite the first direction.

Abstract: An effluent treatment system including a treatment tank for holding effluent; a filter for filtering effluent from the treatment tank; a valve for directing effluent from the filter component to either a discharge or through the inlet port of the treatment tank back into the interior of the treatment tank; and a pump for pumping effluent under pressure from the hollow interior of the treatment tank, through the outlet port of the treatment tank, through the filter component, through the valve, back through the inlet port of the treatment tank back into the interior of the treatment tank many times, and then to discharge.