Abstract: This hydro-massage chair comprises horizontally-spaced sidewalls, a seat portion extending between the sidewalls, and an inclined back portion adapted to support the back of a patient seated on the seat portion. An inflatable hollow cushion has a back wall bearing against the inclined back portion and a soft front wall facing the back of the seated patient. The cushion is inflated by introducing liquid into its interior. Nozzles are mounted in spaced relation along the length of the cushion for injecting pressurized liquid jets into the interior of the cushion and against the inside of the front wall of the cushion to produce a massaging effect on the back of the seated patient. A plurality of bars spaced apart along the length of the cushion extend between the sidewalls and confine the front wall of the inflated cushion but allow the front wall to bulge slightly in the regions between the bars when the cushion is inflated with liquid.

Abstract: This high-power semiconductor device comprises (a) a disk of refractory metal having flat faces at its opposite sides and (b) two wafers of a semiconductor material having a coefficient of expansion similar to that of the refractory metal, the wafers being alloyed to the faces of the refractory metal disk in substantially aligned relationship to each other to form an assembly of the wafer and the disk with alloyed joints between the wafers and the disk.

Abstract: The power thyristor of this invention has a cellular emitter structure. Each cell also has a FET assisted turn-on gate integrated into the cell. A turn-on gate voltage of one polarity is applied to a FET gate element that overlies the surface of the cell and to the turn-on gate integrated into the cell. When this voltage is so applied, a channel underlying the FET gate element becomes conductive, which allows the integrated turn-on gate to provide drive to the upper base-upper emitter junction of the thyristor cell thereby turning the thyristor cell on.

Abstract: This speedloader, which is usable to facilitate the loading of bullets into the magazine of an automatic rifle, comprises a casing that has a passage extending therethrough from its top to its bottom, the passage having an open top through which bullets may be fed and an open bottom into which the top of the magazine may be inserted. The speedloader also comprises means for fastening the magazine to the casing in a position within the passage that allows bullets to be fed through the top of the passage into the magazine. Atop the casing is an adapter for releasably attaching to the casing a stripper clip holding bullets. Means is provided for fastening the casing to the belt of a rifle-user so that the casing remains fixed to the belt, and hence to the waist of the rifle-user, as bullets are pushed downwardly off the stripper clip into the magazine.

Abstract: This chute comprises a first section and a second section having its inner end portion pivotally connected to the outer end portion of the first section in a manner that allows the second section to be pivoted from a folded position into a position of alignment with the first section. A releasable interference device blocks the second chute section from entering into its position of alignment when the second section is pivoted from its folded position into an intermediate position near its position of alignment. This interference device comprises a blocking member pivotally mounted on the inner end portion of the second chute section and comprising an impact head that is normally positioned in a blocking position between the inner end portion of the second chute section and the outer end portion of the first chute section when the second chute section enters its intermediate position. A spring biases the impact head into its blocking position.

Abstract: This thyristor comprises a main current-carrying portion in the form of a semiconductor body having four layers, with contiguous layers being of different P and N conductivity types and with three back-to-back PN junctions between contiguous layers. One end layer constitutes an anode layer, an opposite end layer constitutes a cathode layer, and an intermediate layer contiguous with the cathode layer constitutes a gate layer. The cathode layer is divided into many elongated fingers, thereby dividing the PN junction between the cathode layer and the gate layer into many discrete PN subjunctions between the fingers and the gate layer. These subjunctions are effectively in parallel with each other so as to share the main current through the thyristor when the thyristor is "on". The gate layer has predetermined surface regions adjacent the cathode layer that are uncovered by the cathode-layer fingers and that respectively surround the PN subjunctions between the fingers and the gate layer.

Abstract: A surge arrester having a cylindrical housing with a throughbore, a metal terminal at each end of the housing, varistor elements located within the housing bore, and a vent within at least one terminal for venting arc-generated gases from the interior of the housing in the event of an arc being developed within the bore as a result of failure of a varistor element. The vent can be formed as a passage extending through one of the terminals from the bore to the exterior thereof via a substantially straight-line path that extends longitudinally of the bore. An electrode connected to the other terminal is spaced from the one terminal by a gap located externally of the insulating housing. The gap arcs over in response to receipt of arc-generated gases from the bore. The gap is located at the end of the housing of the one terminal.

Abstract: This method employs a rotatable mandrel having a circular outer peripheral portion comprising a section that is removably held in place within the peripheral portion and has an arcuate outer surface forming a part of said circular outer peripheral portion. As the mandrel is rotated, there is formed about the circular outer peripheral portion a toroidal core form that comprises laminations of amorphous steel strip having ends that meet in a joint region that extends angularly about a restricted zone of the toroidal core form. This forming step is so controlled that said restricted zone angularly aligns with the removable section of the mandrel. After the core-forming step, the removable section is removed from the mandrel thereby exposing an inner peripheral portion of the toroidal core form that angularly aligns with said restricted zone.

Abstract: This method of making packets of amorphous metal strip adapted to be wrapped about the arbor of a transformer-core-making machine comprises providing first and second composite strips, each comprising many thin layers of amorphous metal strip stacked in superposed relationship. The composite strips have leading ends that are located in initial positions (i) axially spaced from each other at the start of a packet-making operation and (ii) at opposite ends of a stacking zone where the packets are built up during a packet-making operation. The composite strips are cut to detach first sections of strip from the first composite strip and to detach second sections of strip from the second composite strip; and the detached sections are axially advanced forwardly of the respective composite strips from which they are detached into said stacking zone. The second sections are stacked in alternating relationship upon the first sections in the stacking zone.

Abstract: This series-capacitor compensation equipment comprises a series-capacitor bank in series with a power line and an overvoltage protection circuit for the capacitor bank comprising the series combination of a surge arrester and electric bus structure connected in series with the power line and in parallel with the capacitor bank. The surge arrester includes metal-oxide varistor elements which impart a relatively high resistance to the arrester when the voltage across the arrester is in a normal range and a relatively low resistance when the voltage across the arrester rises to a predetermined value that produces arrester operation. The capacitor bank will discharge through the overvoltage protective circuit should a varistor element fail during arrester operation.

Abstract: This corner joint, which serves to connect together a plurality of hollow frame members, comprises a metal trunk member containing a plurality of holes and a plurality of metal posts mounted on and projecting from the trunk member. Each post has an inner end fitting in one of the holes, an externally-threaded outer end, and a body portion between the two ends having a non-circular outer periphery. A plurality of hollow plastic sleeves respectively fit over the outer peripheries of the body portions of the posts. Each sleeve has an inner periphery of approximately the same shape and size as the outer periphery of the associated post body portion. Retaining nuts respectively mounted on the outer ends of the posts receive the externally-threaded outer ends of the posts.

Abstract: This overvoltage surge arrester has a tubular porcelain housing having a bore, metal terminals at opposite ends of the porcelain housing, stacks of metal-oxide varistor disks located within the housing in angularly-spaced relationship about the bore, and venting means within the terminals for venting gases from the housing should an electric arc develop within the housing as a result of failure of a varistor disk. First liners of electrical insulating material having relatively high thermal conductivity are sandwiched between the stacks and the bore for providing effective heat transfer between the stacks and the porcelain housing. Additional liners are disposed on the bore in locations angularly between the first liners. These additional liners are of a thermal and electrical insulating material, a major portion of which is a ceramic selected from the group of alumina, thoria, zirconia, zircon, and spinel.

Abstract: Tubular structure, referred to herein as a plant funnel, surrounds a body of enclosed soil that, in turn, surrounds the base of a growing plant. This funnel, when inserted into garden soil, acts to confine about the base of the plant water and nutrients supplied from above to the body of enclosed soil. The funnel has an open and unobstructed bottom through which the body of enclosed soil can make contact with the garden soil and through which the base of the plant extends or can grow into the garden soil beneath the funnel. The funnel is made of a material that is substantially non-biodegradable.

Abstract: This is a method for making a transformer core comprising superposed groups of amorphous steel strip wrapped about the core window, each group comprising an inner section and an outer section disposed in superposed relationship, and each section comprising many thin layers of amorphous steel strip. Each of the layers in a section has a length dimension measured between the transversely-extending edges of the layer located at opposite ends of the section. The layers in the inner section of a group have substantially equal lengths, and the layers in the outer section of said group have substantially equal lengths of a greater value than the lengths of the layers in the inner section. When the groups are wrapped about the core window, the following relationships are present. At one end of each group the transversely-extending edges of all the layers in said group are substantially aligned to form a smooth edge.

Abstract: This transformer core and coil assembly comprises (a) a low voltage coil surrounding a coil window and including first and second coil legs on opposite sides of the coil window, (b) a first plurality of side-by-side amorphous-steel core loops surrounding one of the coil legs, and (c) a second plurality of side-by-side amorphous-steel core loops surrounding the other of the coil legs. Extending between said coil legs in a position between two of said side-by-side core loops in the first plurality and between two of said side-by-side loops in the second plurality is a brace of plate form and of electrical insulating material for blocking motion of said coil legs toward each other in response to coil-collapsing forces developed by short-circuit currents through the low voltage coil, thereby protecting the amorphous-steel core loops from damage by these short-circuit produced forces tending to collapse the coil.

Abstract: This capacitor assembly includes inner and outer sheets of metal foil constituting first and second electrodes, respectively, of the assembly and dielectric film interposed between the foil sheets and insulating the foil sheets from each other when the capacitor assembly is energized. The foil sheets and the dielectric film are wound about a central axis to form a roll in which the sheets and the film are disposed in interleaving turns extending about the central axis in face-to-face relationship. Each of the foil sheets has a head edge near the central axis and a tail edge near the outer periphery of the roll. The head and tail edges of the inner foil sheet are folded over to reduce electric-field stress concentrations adjacent these edges. But the head and tail edges of the outer foil sheet are left unfolded, and the outer foil sheet adjacent its head and tail edges extends about the central axis substantially beyond the respective head and tail folded edges of the inner foil sheet.

Abstract: A compensating circuit arrangement for a power transmission system for rapidly inserting capacitance into a transmission line for desired portions of cycles of the operating frequency of the system, has first anti-parallel connected thyristors in series with a capacitance and second anti-parallel connected thyristors in parallel with the series connected first thyristors and the capacitance. A control responsive to a variable in the system, and related to system reactance, switches desired thyristors on at desired times during a cycle of operating frequency to introduce controlled amounts of capacitance into the power transmission system.

Abstract: This method of making packets of amorphous metal strip adapted to be wrapped about the arbor of a transformer-core-making machine comprises providing first and second composite strips, each comprising many thin layers of amorphous metal strip stacked in superposed relationship. The composite strips have leading ends that are located in initial positions (i) axially spaced from each other at the start of a packet-making operation and (ii) at opposite ends of a stacking zone where the packets are built up during a packet-making operation. The composite strips are cut to detach first sections of strip from the first composite strip and to detach second sections of strip from the second composite strip; and the detached sections are axially advanced forwardly of the respective composite strips from which they are detached into said stacking zone. The second sections are stacked in alternating relationship upon the first sections in the stacking zone.

Abstract: A terminal bushing which has (a) an elongated central conductor made by a powder metallurgy process from metal particles sintered together at elevated temperatures after being compacted under pressure and (b) a tubular shell of polymeric insulating material molded under high within a mold pressure about the central conductor and forming a joint with the central conductor that has a high resistance to leakage along the conductor. The central conductor includes at opposite ends of the molded tubular insulating shell mold-interface regions that are formed by the powder metallurgy process and are located to interface with and to fit tightly within the mold that is used for molding the insulating shell, thereby limiting to low values the quantity of pressurized polymer ejected about the mold-interface regions during the molding.

Abstract: This apparatus acts to fold over along a crease line an edge portion of a thin sheet of material, such as aluminum foil. On opposite sides of the crease line, the sheet includes a body portion and an edge portion, which edge portion is in-line with the body portion when the sheet is unfolded and is doubled back on the body portion when the sheet is fully folded.A pair of support rolls have spaced-apart axes and peripheries over which the sheet is caused to pass so that a region of the sheet extends between the peripheries. During the folding process the sheet is caused to travel in a direction extending from a first to a second one of the support rolls. An air film roll is positioned between the support rolls and exerts on the region of the traveling sheet between the support rolls a force that causes the body portion of the sheet in this region to be deflected toward the zone between the support roll axes.