Abstract: A shingle or shake panel having a plywood backing and a facing composed of two single-layer courses of shingles or shakes bonded to the backing sheet, the upper edge of the panel being formed as a standing bevel facing away from the front face of the panel and forming an acute angle withthe panel's front face and the lower edge of the panel has an acute-angled groove complemental to the tongue of the upper panel edge, which groove is formed by an under bevel making an acute angle with the back of the panel substantially equal to the acute angle between the standing bevel and the front face of the panel, and the under bevel is recessed to provide an overhang for extending a substantial distance below the standing bevel of a next lower panel with which such panel lower edge portion is assembled to cover a line of nails securing the upper edge portion of such next lower panel to wall structure.

Abstract: A back compression dressing has two cooperating flexible sheet components, each of such components having a body-bonding adhesive-backed section and an elongated flap section joined in edge relationship and the flap sections having cooperating hook-and-pile fastener strip components, respectively, arranged for interengagement to hold the flaps in overlapping relationship when the body-bonding portions of the components are bonded to a patient's body at opposite sides of the lumbar region of the back.

Abstract: Tiers of cages for animals to be raised or tended are disposed in opposing orientation at opposite sides of an elongated room. The tiers are spaced above the floor of the room and inward from the opposite sidewalls. The ceiling of the room has a multiplicity of separate vent apertures spaced apart lengthwise of the room with sliding doors for adjusting the effective open area of the apertures. Exhaust fans are recessed in the ceiling of the room and are effective to expel air from the room to the exterior of the building. Expelling air from the room reduces the pressure and outside fresh air is drawn into the room through the vent apertures. Opening and closing of the vent apertures is coordinated with operation of the exhaust fans so at to maintain a desired negative pressure in the room, which results in fresh air being injected into the room as downward extending jets.

Abstract: A spherical buoy of translucent plastic material has a circular cutout leading to the open interior of the buoy. A cylindrical insert having a closed inner end portion and an open unobstructed interior is inserted into the cutout. The outer end portion of the insert is bonded to the margin of the cutout. A self-contained battery-operated light is actuated and inserted into the insert whereupon the outer end of the insert is closed by a screw cap to retain the actuated light in the insert. The insert is of light transmissive material such that the buoy is illuminated from the interior.

Abstract: Separate anchor members (1, 1', 1", 1'", 40, 60, 70, 80, 80', 80") are secured at regularly spaced locations to a rope or line (L) to which a net (N) is to be coupled. The anchor members carry separate connectors (11, 11', 11", 11'", 50, 65, 65', 12'") which, in turn, are adapted to be connected to the net. The connectors can have closed loops (14, 15, 14', 15') to be threaded through a selvage portion of the net and interwoven with the loops of connectors of the adjacent anchor members.

Abstract: A seat cushion heated by an electrical resistance heating element sandwiched between two seat cushion sections is covered by a flexible sheet cover integral with two web projections projecting from an edge of the cushion and spaced apart lengthwise of such cushion edge a distance for reception of a hand therebetween, and a battery housing tube elongated lengthwise of such cushion edge arranged substantially parallel thereto, having ears projecting from the side of the battery housing tube nearer the cushion, spaced apart lengthwise of the tube a distance corresponding to the spacing of the web projections and secured to the web projections, a cap for closing one end of the battery housing tube and openable for insertion of a battery into the housing tube and the other end of the housing tube being closed by a cover including a rotary switch for energizing the electrical resistance heating element by a battery in the battery housing tube.

Abstract: A transmitter is mounted on a cultivator hitched to a tractor or the like for emitting a noninvasive sensor beam generally parallel to and in front of a soil-cultivating implement which tills the soil. Mechanism detects echoes from obstructions in the path of the implement and controls mechanism for retracting the implement so that the implement does not engage the obstructions. When an obstruction has passed, the implement is returned to its working position extending transversely to the direction of movement of the cultivator.

Abstract: A double-acting hydraulic ram drives a log section or block through a blade assembly to split the log section into several smaller pieces. The blade assembly is configured to minimize the force required to split the log section into several pieces without jamming. More specifically, such assembly includes a vertical blade having a splitting edge inclined rearward in the direction of movement of the block section toward such blade and horizontal wings cantilevered from such vertical blade. Each wing is swept outward and rearward from the vertical blade and has a leading edge staggered rearward from the splitting edge of the vertical blade. An exit conveyor is provided with a chain and flight members driven solely by the reciprocating action of the ram for transporting the split pieces to a desired location.

Abstract: Article group-segregating mechanism having a plurality of article grouper members moved continuously in an orbit includes a conveyor for pushing a row of articles against an orbiting grouper member and a clamping conveyor or clamp arms for arresting movement of the row of articles behind a segregated group of articles pushed against such grouper member for enabling such group of articles to be moved out of the way followed by release of such clamping conveyor or clamp arms to enable the next group of articles to be pushed against the next orbiting grouper member.

Abstract: Article group-segregating mechanism having a plurality of orbiting pusher members includes a conveyor for pushing a row of articles against an orbiting pusher member and a clamping conveyor or clamp arms for arresting movement of the row of articles behind a segregated group of articles pushed against such pusher member for enabling such group of articles to be engaged and pushed by the next orbiting pusher member.

Abstract: A tunneling machine body carrying a rotary cutterhead can be advanced continuously by exerting advancing thrust force on it, first by top and bottom jack bipods reacting from top and bottom anchor shoes, respectively, in anchored condition against the tunnel wall and alternately by side jack bipods exerting advancing force on the tunneling machine body and reacting from side anchor shoes set in anchored condition against the tunnel wall. The anchor shoes are floating relative to the tunneling machine body and connected to it only by the bipods producing the thrust for advancing the tunneling machine body. The top and bottom anchor shoes are directly connected by two pairs of upright fluid-pressure shoe-setting jacks extending chordwise between such shoes. The side anchor shoes are directly connected by two pairs of transverse fluid-pressure shoe-setting jacks extending chordwise between such shoes.

Abstract: A stand supports a blast pipe generally upright with its open bottom end engaging against a stump. Fuel is inserted into the pipe and ignited. A blower injects air into the pipe to intensify the combustion of the fuel and promote burning of the stump adjacent to the bottom end of the pipe. The pipe is advanced into the stump as the stump is burned.

Abstract: An inverted cup follower is fitted in a bore of the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine in line with the upright stem of an intake or exhaust valve. Such follower has a threaded central bore receiving a complementally threaded plug. The plug has a rectangular socket receiving the rectangular tongue of a cap member which is turnable so as to advance the plug toward or away from the valve stem and thereby adjust the valve clearance. To maintain a desired adjustment, a spring-loaded locking pin normally is received in any one of several closely spaced peripheral notches of the cap member so as to prevent rotation of the cap member relative to the inverted cup follower. The pin can be moved to an unlocked position to permit rotating adjustment of the cap member and the central plug.

Abstract: In an overhead cam internal combustion engine, an adjustable thickness shim assembly is interposed between the end of a valve stem and the underside of a conventional inverted cup follower engaged by the cam shaft. A body component of the shim assembly forms a ramp for a tapered wedge component which is slidable along the ramp to adjust the effective thickness of the shim. The body component has an inclined threaded bore adjacent to the wedge component receiving a screw which when turned advances along the ramp to butt against the wedge component. The body component is formed of a material having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the screw such that when the engine is cold the screw is pinched in its bore and will not turn. When the engine is warmed to normal operating temperature, the body component expands to a greater degree than the screw and the screw is free to turn.

Abstract: A sight pin and top and bottom range finder pins are mounted on a slide movable vertically relative to the handle of an archery bow. The slide has mechanism for moving the range finder pins equally toward the sight pin or away from it as the slide is moved. The amount of increase or decrease in the spacing between the range finder pins for a given length of travel of the slide can be adjusted and can be different for different ranges of vertical travel of the slide.

Abstract: An alcoholic beverage is confined in a containment vessel having an internal wall of inorganic material (glass, stone, ceramic, enamel, cement, metal) exposed to the beverage. The vessel contains additional interfacing elements of inorganic material so as to increase the surface area of the solid-beverage interface which has been found to irreversibly artificially accelerate the process of aging of the alcoholic beverage.