Abstract: A device for sensing and/or measuring fluid pressure which includes a pressure-sensing tube elongating as a function of fluid pressure therein, a non-expanding member connected to the tube and extending in generally parallel relation thereto and terminating short of a free distal end of the tube, and an electric resistance strain gage connected to and spanning the distance between the distal end of the tube and the adjacent end of the non-expanding member, the combination functioning to provide a mechanically amplified motion at the strain gage with excellent lineal signal to pressure response.

Abstract: A racket stringing machine having a racket head holding fixture and a carriage and string clamp mounted for reciprocation toward and away from the fixture for engaging a string drawn through a racket head mounted on the fixture for tensioning of the string upon movement of the carriage away from the fixture; a brake for locking the position of the carriage relative to the fixture for maintaining the string at a predetermined tension, the carriage and brake being constructed to permit additional movement of the carriage away from the fixture for applying additional tension to and pre-stretching of the string; and means functioning on decrease of string tension to the desired predetermined tension to apply the brake.

Abstract: A process for baking bread by separating a portion of the flour to be used into a wet gluten phase and a starch slurry phase, converting the starch slurry phase into sugar, combining the wet gluten phase and the sugar into a dough including the remaining flour or other weaker flours and treating and baking the resulting dough to produce a bread product.

Abstract: A portable hardness tester including a surface sensing member yieldably mounted for engagement with the surface of material to be tested and a penetrator yieldably mounted adjacent the sensing member for joint contact with the surface; manually applied means for applying minor and major penetrating forces on the penetrator; and electronic means for sensing the differential movement between the penetrator and surface sensing member and translating such differential movement into a hardness indication.

Abstract: A device for easy, clean and sanitary picking up and disposal of pet feces, the device being a trough-like member having opposed sides and dimensioned for insertion into the open end of a bag with the bag draped over the sides to define a concave fece receiving area; and means on the member remote from the open end of the bag for tentatively securing the bag to the member while the open bag end is engaged and rolled back on itself to an inverted bag position containing within the bag feces deposited on the prepared area of the bag.

Abstract: A conveyor assembly support structure and high strength tubular beam free of debris trapping surfaces is disclosed. The conveyor assembly support structure includes a plurality of trapezoidal beams having sloped top walls, vertical side walls and a horizontal bottom wall. The side and bottom walls of the tubular beams provide conveniently oriented surfaces for high strength connection of other support members thereto, while the sloped top walls tend to deflect debris and prevent trapping and the buildup of contaminants on the beams. The sloped top walls are particularly well suited for the support of roller elements for a trough-type conveyor.

Abstract: A chuck assembly for rigidly gripping an elongated workpiece, and particularly concrete reinforcing bars, is disclosed. The chuck assembly is designed for use in a machine tool, such as a thread mill, to enable threading of the ends of reinforcing bars. The chuck assembly includes jaws that are formed to engage the bar over a substantial length, preferably at least four bar diameters, and that are formed to provide a line contact engagement of the bar so as to dig into the bar ribs and provide high resistance to torsional forces. The jaw members are preferably tapered and actuated by a pair of complimentary wedge members mounted in sliding engagement with substantially the entire length of the jaw members. The chuck assembly is mounted in a two piece cast housing that is bolted together and formed with openings to permit debris to gravitate from the movable members of the assembly.

Abstract: An energy absorbing motor mount assembly is disclosed in which a mounting element, including an arm having an enlarged head portion, is mounted for reciprocation in fore and aft directions inside a containment housing. Resiliently displaceable energy absorbing means are positioned on either side of the head portion to resist displacement in either the fore or aft direction. The head is dimensioned to prevent removal from the containment housing and is surrounded by a rubber-like member, which resiliently resists displacement in combination with compression springs. The rubber member also resists displacement in directions transversed to the permitted fore and aft displacment. The resilient spring force applied to the head of the mounting element can be adjusted to vary the energy absorption characteristics of the motor mount assembly.

Abstract: A belt pulley which is designed for marketing as a group of standard component parts adapted for customized assembly by the user to meet individual pulley requirements as to size, load capability, etc. The parts include a shaft, a plurality of disc-shaped members formed for coaxially mounting in longitudinally spaced relation on the shaft for rotation therewith and a plurality of elongated belt, sheet or other load, supporting members designed for demountable attachment to the support members to complete the assembly.

Abstract: Producing casting molds by blending flowable, granular material such as sand with a binder system including reactants to form polyurethane, i.e., polyisocyanates and polyols, and a solvent consisting of an ester having as its acid component an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid with from six to twelve carbon atoms, or a benzene polycarboxylic acid with at least three COOH groups; and having as its alcohol component an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, arylaliphatic, or aromatic alcohol having from six to thirteen carbon atoms.

Abstract: Hydraulic servo steering gear having a cylindrical, double-acting working piston connected to a steering shaft by a rack-and-sector gear connection, especially for motor vehicles comprises a piston-and-sleeve type control mechanism arranged in the working piston. The cylindrical outer surface of the sleeve of the control mechanism is fitted loosely, with a radial gap, in the seat formed therefor in the double-acting working piston. The control sleeve is secured against axial and angular displacement.

Abstract: A mechanic's lifting device comprising a circular ring-shaped supporting member having an annular load-bearing wall dimensioned for engagement by a lifting hook or the like. A plurality of threaded studs are mounted on and extend radially outward from the wall for threading into an object to be lifted. The studs are positioned in circumferentially spaced relation on the wall. There are a plurality of hook engageable areas disposed in diametrically opposed relation to the studs with one such area diametrically opposed to each of the studs.

Abstract: The process of the present invention involves the following steps:producing, as by hydrofracing, a substantially horizontal fracture in the subterranean rock mass to be processed;emplacing an explosive charge in the mass in spaced juxtaposed position to the fracture;enlarging the fracture to create a void space thereat, an initial lifting of the overburden, and to provide a free face juxtaposed to and arranged to cooperate with the emplaced explosive charge; andexploding the charge against the free face for fragmenting the rock and to distribute the space, thus providing fractured, pervious, rubble-ized rock in an enclosed subterranean chamber.Firing of the charge provides a further lifting of the overburden, an enlargement of the chamber and a larger void space to distribute throughout the rubble-ized rock within the chamber.

Abstract: Problems arise when erecting a sheet pile on rock substratum and subsequently anchoring the piles. If a channel is blasted, this has the draw-back that the over burden has to be initially cleared prior to blasting and then replaced subsequently. In addition, the piles when secured in the blasted channel when refilled with concrete and the anchors in the rock substratum are not as securely supported as piles driven into normal substratum. A method of erecting sheet pile and a method of anchoring the sheet pile is disclosed where the substratum is shattered by blasting sufficiently to allow the piles and the anchors, which are also piles, to be driven into the rock substratum.

Abstract: A demountable ladder tray support is disclosed which allows a tray for holding tools, paint brushes, paint and the like to be carried adjacent to the side rail of a ladder at any height desired by the user. The ladder tray support is mounted by means of a pair of clamping plates which are adjustable to accommodate mounting on ladder side rails of all dimensions. Pivotal mounting of a tray support bracket ensures that an attached tray may be leveled regardless of the attitude of the ladder side rail.

Abstract: A lightweight muffler and method for muffling a noise component of a stream of gases is disclosed. The muffler includes a chamber in which gases are directed side-by-side streams flowing in opposite directions. The streams are in contact with each other for the generation of sound dampening eddy currents in the chamber, but such contact does not break down the continuous, low resistance flow of gases through the muffler. The chamber is advantageously formed as an expansion chamber in which gases: enter one end of the chamber as an annular stream concentric with the inlet pipe to the muffler, travel along the inlet pipe to the other end of the chamber, are reversed, and travel as a concentric annular stream of greater diameter in the opposite direction down the length of the chamber for discharge into a passageway leading to the outlet tube of the muffler.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for setting, controlling, and maintaining a given turbine inlet temperature in a gas-driven turbine and AC generator driven thereby having the generator output connected to a fixed frequency AC infinite bus. The method comprises providing electric signals proportional to generator rotational speed, turbine inlet temperature, and generator output power respectively. These three signals are processed and combined with two independent reference electric signals, representing preset desired values of rotational speed and turbine inlet temperature, to provide an output which, when applied to an electrically actuated fuel flow control means, will maintain a constant given turbine inlet temperature.

Abstract: In foundry manufacture of metallic castings it is customary to employ inserts to form elongate ducts whether rectilinear curved or branched ducts and whether of regular cross-section or varying cross-section, including enlarged cavities. A core insert is disclosed which has a wire formed outer tubular casing and an internal wire structure, the core insert being removable in stages. Removal is accomplished by first removing a central longitudinal wire, then any intermediate layer is removed and finally by uncoiling the outer tubular casing, which has preferably previously been wound in such manner and of such diameter wire as to avoid, so far as possible, any exaggerated surface undulations.

Abstract: A stabilizer for a vehicle having a chassis and transversely-positioned wheel supports mounted for vertical movement relative to the chassis. The stabilizer has a pair of levers and means for pivoting these levers to the chassis about horizontally spaced longitudinal axis. The levers are formed to dispose their normally lower ends adjacent to the wheel supports. Means are provided for slidably connecting the lever ends to the wheel supports to cause conjoint vertical displacement of the lever ends and the wheel supports. The levers are formed with juxtaposed normally upper ends and means are provided for pivotal connection of the upper ends to provide conjoint vertical displacement.

Abstract: A degassing apparatus which has a degassing head from which extends a tube; a shaft is rotated in the tube; a screw conveyor above intake holes of the tube conveys drill mud upward against a deflector disc at the open top of the tube; three rows of inwardly inclined baffles around the side wall of the degassing head are so arranged that the baffles of the various rows are staggered relatively to one another; the mud flows by gravity to the inclined bottom of the head and to an outlet leading out of the head to a container for the degassed mud; a fan above the deflector disc sucks air through the mud spray and out through an outlet; a conduit conducts gas from below the mud spray to the fan and a vent; the shaft at the bottom of the tube is held in a bearing protected against influx of mud; adjustable legs on the degasser head are adapted to support the head on top of a vessel in which the drill mud is contained.