Abstract: An improved lever arm for a tilt tray sortation conveyor has formula defined unlatching and tipping cam sections. The tipping cam section imparts a constant angular acceleration of about 20 radians/sec..sup.2 to the tray during positive tipping. Such angular acceleration produces a maximum tangential acceleration for any article on the tray, approximately equal to or less than the acceleration of a free-falling body. An improved tray latch or index plate has an inclined cam resisting rebound of the tray after initial tipping. Integral shock absorbers disperse impact forces in tray tip-up apparatus and resist elongation of tip-up mounting pin holes. Methods are claimed.

Abstract: An identification card contains retrievable identification data in at least two formats. One format comprises a magnetic material that stores magnetically encoded data. Another format comprises electronic circuitry that stores electronically encoded data. The magnetically encoded data on the card may be retrieved by inserting the identification card into a reader having magnetic sensors. The electronically encoded data on the card may be transmitted from the card as a radio frequency signal that incorporates the data, to a remote sensor that receives and processes the radio frequency, data encoded signal. A structure for the identification card comprising these two data storage formats as well as a method of producing such an identification card is described.

Abstract: A baseball catcher's mitt having front and back walls secured at the periphery of the mitt to form a mitt body. A back panel member is secured to the back wall of the mitt for substantially covering the back of the hand. The back panel member and body of the mitt having unconnected lower edge margins defining a hand opening at the bottom of the mitt through which the hand may be inserted up into the mitt between the back panel member and the back wall of the glove. A pair of laterally spaced slots extend up from the lower edge margin of the back panel member. These slots are expansible in width to enlarge the size of the hand opening and contractible in width to reduce the size of the hand opening. Independently operable quick-operating mechanisms are provided for adjusting the widths of the slots and for releasably maintaining the slots at their selected widths.

Abstract: A fluid controlled and actuated belt driven, live roller, accumulator conveyor includes an improved article sensor and control valve, and accumulates articles of varying shape and weights of, for example, from less than 1 pound up to about 100 pounds with no fluid pressure adjustment. Loads of up to 300 pounds are handled merely by increasing fluid pressure and with no structural changes. An article sensor provides a significant mechanical advantage for operation of the control valve in each zone and, in conjunction with a normally open control valve, provides an accumulator for handling such wide range of article weights. A brake is pivoted directly on a tension roller pivot to brake an article when the tension roller is dropped out.

Abstract: A pair of athletic pants comprising a body portion including a waistband and a seat, and two legs depending from the body portion, wherein the seat comprises a plurality of panels shaped and assembled so that when a wearer of the pants assumes a crouched position the pants are adapted to closely conform to the buttocks of the wearer with the panels in a substantially unstressed condition. The seat comprises a center panel extending from the waist band to at least the crotch, and tapering from the waistband to the crotch. Two seat panels adapted to extend over the buttocks of the wearer are joined along their respective inside edges to the center panel. A leg panel extends downwardly from each seat panel and is adapted to cover at least a portion of the wearer's leg. The seat protrudes at the junction of the seat and leg panels to accommodate the buttocks of the wearer in a crouched position.

Abstract: The invention involves a baseball glove with a flexible heel construction. The glove comprises a front panel forming the front wall of the glove and a back panel forming the back wall of the glove, the front and back panels being secured together at peripheral margins of the glove to form a glove shell having finger and thumb stalls. A liner having a palm liner panel is disposed on the inside of the shell. The front panel and the palm liner panel of the glove have lower edge margins arranged so that the outside face of the front panel is in opposing face-to-face relation with the outside face of the palm liner panel. The edge margins are stitched together to form a flexible heel seam running across the bottom of the glove with the stitching being substantially concealed from view. A relatively thin flexible heel pad is disposed between the front panel and the palm liner panel above the heel seam.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a bat for striking a ball. The bat has a tapered barrel and a tapered handle and is formed of at least two pieces. Each piece, in its barrel, has a recess formed in it of a length less than the length of the barrel and which is formed along a surface which will be in the interior of the bat. The recesses combine to form a void which is of such a volume that the bat will have a desired weight and which is positioned along the longitudinal axis of the bat so that the bat will have a desired center of gravity. The bat is constructed by weighing the separate pieces, determining the proper location along each piece where material is to be removed to form the recesses and to determine how much material is to be removed, removing the material and then assembling the pieces to form the bat.

Abstract: A chlorine gas filtering material suitable for use in a high temperature oxygen environment, and a method of making the filtering material. The filtering material is prepared by impregnating a porous manganese dioxide and copper oxide hopcalite catalyst prepared by the carbonate method with sodium hydroxide. The process of making includes the steps of mixing the catalyst into a sodium hydroxide solution and then vacuum baking the impregnated catalyst for at least 8 hours, and preferably for 16 hours at a temperature of 240.degree. F.-260.degree. F.

Abstract: An improved pneumatic control for a zero pressure accumulating conveyor includes, in a discharge zone control, a first control valve and a master control valve cooperating to produce an accumulating function for one position of the master control valve, and a continuous discharge zone operation for a second position of the master control valve while all loaded upstream zones operate sequentially upon clearing of their respective adjacent downstream zones. Accumulated items in the discharge zone and in the next upstream zone are sequentially, and not simultaneously, conveyed upon movement of the master control valve to its second position.

Abstract: In an adjustable corner post for suspension scaffolding an outer tube is concentric to an elongated member such as a wire rope or rod and has an internal thread in a nut at one end. A tubular adjusting screw having an external thread is concentric to the elongated member and screws into the thread of the outer tube for reacting directly or indirectly with the elongated member so the outer tube rises and lowers when the screw is rotated in opposite directions. A platform supporting structure is supported on the adjustable posts and is leveled by selective rotation of the screws. A method of assembling suspension scaffolding using the adjustable posts is described.

Abstract: A valve assembly (10) for controlling high pressure gas with low controlling gas pressures. The assembly includes a valve housing (12) having a cavity (22), an inlet port (26) and two outlet ports (28, 30). Mounted within the housing in communication with each outlet port are tubular members (38), each having a closed end (38.3) and an aperture (42) in a smooth cylindrical sidewall (38.2). A wobble bar (50) within the cavity is associated with a rubber-like sheet of material (54), which sheet has two sealing portions (56.2, 56.4) draped over the apertures. A very soft sponge-like resilient block (56) normally holds the sealing portions against the apertures to cause the apertures to be sealed. Actuating structure causes the wobble bar to be moved from a normal position to an operative position, an end of the wobble bar bearing down upon another portion of the rubber-like sheet of material to cause an adjacent sealing portion to peel away from the aperture to permit flow through the aperture.

Abstract: A gas filter canister housing assembly (20) capable of receiving gas filter canisters (28 or 40) of differing heights. The housing assembly includes first and second housing portions (54, 56) and holding apparatus (60) capable of holding the housing portion together. The first housing portion has a cylindrical extension (70) in which a filter canister may be disposed, and the second housing portion includes a cup-shape end portion (102) and a depending flexible skirt (100) which may be held against the cylindrical portion (70) in various positions of adjustment.

Abstract: A low cost, speaker independent, limited vocabulary, word recognizing microcomputer. The microcomputer divides each spoken word into a series of word states, determines the length of each state and classifies each state as fricative, vowel-like, or silent. The incoming speech pattern, in the form of two arrays: an array of classified word states and an array of associated word lengths is then compared sequentially with a series of templates, defining the limited vocabulary stored in the microcomputer's memory. Where the states match, an error score is generated based on the difference in lengths between the template lengths and the word state lengths. Provision is made for recognizing a spoken word as a template word even when the array of states representing the spoken word is not identical to an array of states in any of the template words. This permits recognition of the same word by the microcomputer even when the word is spoken in substantially different ways.

Abstract: An instrument assembly for use with a wire rack. The assembly is constructed so that the case structure may be rotated closer to or further away from the base portion of the stand. The assembly may be firmly secured to the wire rack by clamping one of the wire elements between the base portion and case structure.

Abstract: A baseball or softball glove comprising front and back walls joined together to form thumb and finger stalls, a web between the thumb and the first finger stall, upper lacing interconnecting the thumb stall, web and finger stalls at their upper ends, and lower lacing interconnecting the thumb stall, web and finger stalls between their upper and lower ends. The lower lacing comprises a plurality of reaches of lacing lying in generally parallel planes extending generally at right angles to the finger stalls and spaced at intervals along the finger stalls, each reach running continuously along a curvilinear path, as viewed from above the glove, through openings in the thumb stall, web and finger stalls. The depth of the web relative to the thumb stall and the first finger stall and the spacings between individual finger stalls are readily adjustable by tightening or loosening the reaches of lower lacing.

Abstract: A shoulder pad for football players and the like. The shoulder pad comprises a left-hand member adapted to fit over the left shoulder and a right-hand member adapted to fit over the right shoulder, each of these members being of generally inverted U-shape as viewed from the side. Each member comprises a chestplate member, a backplate member and an arch member, and the arch members are relatively more rigid than the chestplate members and the backplate members. One chestplate member and one backplate member are fixedly interconnected to each arch member. The arches are laterally spaced to provide an opening for the neck of a wearer with the spacing such that the arches lie adjacent and relatively close to the neck. An additional aspect of this invention includes a method for producing shoulder pads of a range of sizes using arch members of one size.

Abstract: A jersey for football players and the like. The jersey comprises a body section. The body section includes a shoulder portion having a substantially inverted U-shape as viewed from the side such that it is adapted to overlay the shoulders of a wearer or a shoulder pad on the shoulders of the wearer, a chest portion adapted to cover the chest of the wearer, and a back portion adapted to cover the back of the wearer. The shoulder, chest and back portions are of relatively inelastic material. The body section also includes elastic lateral gussets for laterally tensioning the chest and back portions over the chest and back, respectively, of a wearer so that the chest and back portions fit relatively tightly around the chest and back of the wearer thereby to inhibit opposing players from getting a hand hold on the jersey. The jersey also includes arm portions adapted to cover the arms of the wearer. The arm portions are of relatively inelastic material.

Abstract: A filling valve mechanism for cans is presented. The valve includes a sleeve slidably mounted on a pair of pins and limited in downward motion by means of a stop. The sleeve carries an O-ring circumferentially thereabout for engaging within the throat of a container or can to be filled. The O-ring is of slightly greater diameter than the throat of the can such that sealing engagement is achieved. Also carried on the sleeve is a resilient compressible stripping member adapted for engaging the mouth of the can. The stripping member compresses against the mouth of the can, short of full compression by virtue of the limited downward movement of the sleeve against the stop. After the can is filled, the stripping member urges the O-ring from the throat of the can while holding the can in place.

Abstract: A chlorine gas filtering material suitable for use in a high temperature oxygen environment, and a method of making the filtering material. The filtering material is prepared by impregnating a porous manganese dioxide and copper oxide hopcalite catalyst prepared by the carbonate method with sodium hydroxide. The process of making includes the steps of mixing the catalyst into a sodium hydroxide solution and then vacuum baking the impregnated catalyst for at least 8 hours, and preferably for 16 hours at a temperature of 240.degree. F.-260.degree. F.