Abstract: A drill bit for cutting hard and abrasive materials has cutting lips formed from sintered polycrystalline diamond (PCD) or polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) contained in one or more inserts installed in a drill bit blank. The inserts are made by forming depressions in the upper surface of a matrix slab of tungsten carbide, filling the depressions with fine mesh grains of diamonds or cubic born nitride, subjecting the slab to heat and pressure sufficient to fuse the grains to one another and to the surrounding matrix walls, and then cutting the matrix slab to remove individual inserts containing an elongated vein having an exposed PCD or PCBN surface supported by at least one and preferably two or more side walls of tungsten carbide. A rectangular slot having side walls parallel to one another and equidistant from the diameter of a cylindrical drill bit blank is cut into one transverse end wall of the blank, and one or more inserts placed in the slot.

Abstract: A support strap for hand tools, hand guns and other hand-held implements having a pistol grip-type handle includes an elongated strip of flexible material having a ring attached to a first transverse end of the strip. A first fastener member is attached to the lower surface of the strip, proximate the second transverse end or tip of the strip, and a second fastener member releasably engageable with the first fastener member is attached to the upper surface of the strip. The strap is used by inserting the tip of the strap through the ring to form a first, wrist loop, into which loop the hand is inserted, and the free end pulled with a tension sufficient to tighten the loop to a desired tightness around the wrist of a user. The inner diameter of the loop is preferably slightly less than the width of the strip, thereby frictionally gripping the edges of the strap.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for installing covers to protect picture frame corners from damage during shipment utilizes thin cardboard preforms having symmetric, left and right-side, right-triangular cover flaps joined at vertical sides thereof to opposite vertical sides of a vertically elongated, rectangular spine flap, the left-hand triangular cover flap having depending downwardly from its base a horizontally elongated rectangular side cover flap, and depending downwardly from the lower lateral edge of the side cover flap a trapezoidally-shaped securement flap. The preform is positioned below a picture frame corner, with intersecting side members of the frame vertically aligned with the sides of the left-hand right-triangular cover flap, which serves as a lower face cover flap.

Abstract: A device for compressing stacks of branches or twigs pruned from trees or shrubs into compact bundles includes a winch having an elongated tubular shaft terminated at one end thereof by a hand crank, and rotatably supported by a pair of longitudinally spaced apart support structures disposed transversely to the winch shaft. Each support structure has a base plate having a lower surface adapted to abut a stack of prunings, and a bearing support structure protruding upwards from the base plate for rotatably supporting the winch shaft. An aperture through the base plate disposed radially rearwards from the winch shaft receives a tensioning rope wound around the winch shaft. The opposite end of each tensioning rope encircles a pruning stack, and is attached at longitudinally spaced apart locations to an anchor rod.

Abstract: A drumhead particularly adapted for use on tom tom drums used in marching bands has an impact resistant protective overlay located asymmetrically on a tone producing membrane. The protective overlay has a generally symmetrical ovoidal shape, and is located on that semi-circular region of a drumhead most likely to be impacted by a beater wielded by a drummer having a plurality of tom tom drums arrayed on an arc in front of the drummer.

Abstract: A remote wound assessment method and apparatus includes forming an oblique image of a wound and a target plate containing a rectangle and placed near the wound. Using a novel method of determining vanishing points where photographic images of parallel lines on the target object intersect, coordinate transformations are calculated which map the oblique image of the rectangle into a normal image thereof. Using the same coordinate transformations, an oblique image of a wound adjacent to the target plate is mapped into a normal view thereof, allowing precise measurement of wound features. By forming two separate images of a wound and target plate at two different oblique inclinations, three dimensional features of a wound may be measured.

Abstract: An ultrasonic bonding method and apparatus utilizes a locking mechanism which limits motion of an ultrasonic bonding tool tip during formation of a bond. In a basic embodiment of tie invention, motion of the tool tip in the up/down, z-axis direction is inhibited during bond formation. Preferably motion in the longitudinal, in/out y-axis direction is also inhibited, and motion in the lateral, x-direction may optionally be limited. A separate locking mechanism or brake is provided for each orthogonal direction in which it is desired to inhibit motion during bond formation. Each brake is actuated in response to a bond initiation command signal, locking the tool tip against motion in particular coordinate directions prior to application of ultrasonic energy to a bond site, and maintaining the tip in that position for a period sufficient to melt wire insulation, weld the stripped wire to a bond site such as the microcircuit pad or lead, and allow the weld to cool and solidify.

Abstract: An accessory apparatus for mobile radio telephones, particularly those used in cellular networks, permits utilization of the full communication range capability of a vehicle-mounted cellular radio telephone by a cordless portable handset remote from the vehicle. The apparatus includes a plug-in adapter unit located in a vehicle and interconnected between the existing handset and transceiver of the vehicle-mounted radio telephone. The adapter unit includes a first, resident, down-link transceiver operating at radio frequencies outside of the cellular frequency band, and adapted to receive demodulated audio and/or data signals from the resident cellular transceiver, and retransmit the signals via a low-power modulated down-link RF carrier signal to a portable remote cordless handset/transceiver.

Abstract: An air turning vane and rail assembly for promoting laminar air flow in angled duct work transition sections includes longitudinally spaced apart air turning vanes transversely disposed between a pair of flat rails. Each turning vane is a hollow double-plate airfoil having a convex front airfoil plate, and a concave rear airfoil plate joined at their edges. Each rail has a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart, upstanding tabs each having an upper trapezoidally-shaped portion and a lower rectangularly-shaped pedestal portion. Each tab has a pair of laterally opposed, outwardly and downwardly angled edge walls, each joined at its lower end to a vertically disposed pedestal edge wall. The width of the pedestal is greater than the maximum lateral spacing between the front and rear airfoil plates.

Abstract: A golf putter providing improved control of distance and direction of a golf ball impacted by the putter includes a resilient insert having a controlled rebound factor fitted into a wedge-shaped recess provided in the face of the putter head. The insert includes a front rebound control pad made of a resilient polymer material, and a rear backing plate releasably fastenable to the putter head. Intrinsic resiliency, thickness and hardness of the pad are chosen to yield in combination with the putter head body an overall, composite ball-impacting rebound factor that may be varied over a relatively wide range of rebound factors, which determine in a substantially linear way the roll distance of a ball impacted by the putter. The insert may be readily interchanged by a golfer with other inserts which provide higher or lower rebound factors, which may be chosen on days in which greens were slower or faster, respectively.

Abstract: A safety support apparatus for ladders which enhances the stability of the lower end of the ladder against slipping, sliding or being jostled away from a position on the ground or other such supporting surface includes an open frame structure having a pair of laterally spaced apart A-frames. Each A-frame has a rearwardly and upwardly angled front leg and a rearwardly and downwardly angled, shorter rear leg. The front and rear legs are fastened together near their respective upper ends by an upper transversely disposed bolt, and at locations intermediate their ends by a longitudinally disposed straight side beam member. The two A-frames are held in a parallel vertical orientation by the combination of a front transversely disposed strut fastened at opposite lateral ends thereof to the upper surface of A-frame side members near their junction with the front A-frame legs, and a rear transversely disposed strut fastened at opposite lateral ends thereof to the rear A-frame legs, below the side members.

Abstract: A variable magnification mirror having a thin diaphragm provided with a reflective front surface includes a mechanism for deforming the diaphragm from a flat shape, yielding unity magnification of images formed by the reflective surface, to adjustably greater curvatures yielding adjustably larger magnification factors. The mechanism includes a screw-driven, flexible circular puller plate fastened to a rear central portion of the rear surface of the reflective diaphragm, the outer peripheral edge of the diaphragm being held axially fixed with respect to the screw. In the preferred embodiment, the puller plate is so constructed as to have greater flexibility at outer radial portions thereof to accommodate larger angular defections of the outer radial portions of the diaphragm, thereby aiding in maintenance of substantially spherical, distortion free contour.

Abstract: A protective cover for use on motor vehicle radiators while the vehicle is being serviced, fits over a radiator to protect it from damage which might otherwise be caused by inadvertent impact of a tool or engine component being removed or replaced, and to protect hands and other body parts of service personnel from cuts resulting from contact with sharp heat exchanger core fins of the radiator, or burns resulting from contact with hot radiator components, comprises a flexible pad having a front section that is adapted to lie on and remain in place on the upper tank portion of a radiator, and a rear core section adapted to drape downwards from the front tank section, over the heat exchanger core section of a radiator. Transversely disposed, sealed tubular weight-containing pockets are provided near the front peripheral edge of the cover, to maintain the tank portion of the cover in place by the force of gravity.

Abstract: A hair clip for gripping strands of a woman's hair arranged in a desired coiffure includes upper and lower tapered jaw pieces having front portions which curve arcuately downwards in a manner suggestive of the jaw parts of a flamingo's bill. The rear portions of the jaw pieces are joined by a transversely disposed pivot pin which permits relative motion of the upper and lower jaw pieces in a vertical plane. A coil spring encircling the pivot pin urges apart the rear portions of the upper and lower jaw pieces, thereby urging the front arcuately downwardly curved portions of the jaw pieces into compressive clamping contact. Preferably, the front portion of the lower jaw piece is shorter and more curved than the front portion of the upper jaw piece, and is received in a longitudinally disposed channel formed in the lower surface of upper jaw piece.

Abstract: An improved drumhead construction for drums of the type used in percussion sections of bands and orchestras utilizes a sound absorbing muffling ring attached to the drumhead to minimize the amplitude and duration of undesirable resonance sounds or over-ringing. The muffling ring according to the present invention includes a flat annular ring having a sound absorbing surface such as felt adjacent to the inner, or non-battered surface of a drum head membrane. The sound absorbing ring is attached to the drumhead membrane only at certain locations of the ring, thereby permitting unattached portions of the ring to float with respect to the drumhead membrane, away from the membrane in response to initial brisk movement of the membrane in response to a drum beat, thereby minimizing attenuation of initial drumhead membrane vibrations which produce desired sharp attack sounds.

Abstract: A micropositioner affording the ability to precisely move the tip of an ultrasonic bonding tool relative to a miniature workpiece such as a microcircuit includes a pantograph-like input manipulator mechanism coupled by a single ball joint coupling to a follower mechanism which supports an ultrasonic transducer support housing from which a transducer and bonding tool attached thereto protrudes. In the preferred embodiment, the input manipulator includes a longitudinally outwardly protruding control arm having a control knob at the outer longitudinal end thereof, for grasping between the thumb and fingers of a human operator. The control arm is coupled to the outer lateral end of a four-bar parallelogram linkage comprising part of a pantograph mechanism, while the inner lateral end of the pantograph mechanism is pivotably connected through vertically and horizontally disposed pivot support bearings to a support structure.

Abstract: A self-ratcheting wrench for applying torque to a polygonal cross-section body such as a bolt or nut has an elongated handle terminated at one end thereof by a head having an opening adapted to receive the nut. A plurality of three-sided pawls pivotable in a transverse plane are arranged around the opening and spring biased to place a flat face wall of the pawls against the flat sides of alternate nut faces. Motion of each pawl radially inward into the nut-receiving opening is limited by abutting contact of a first inner side wall of each pawl with a triangular-shaped stop, the abutting contact also providing means for transmitting torque applied to the handle of the wrench to the pawl and contacting nut.