Abstract: A seating assist device including a base member, a seat member for receiving a person to a seated position, a main spring for simultaneously acting as a hinge between the base member and the seat means, and exerting a resilient force biasing the seat member away from the base member, and an arrangement for adjusting the resilient force of the main spring including at least one helper spring sized for close fitting relation with the main spring. An adjustable spring assembly having a main spring with a generally C-shaped portion, at least one helper spring sized for close fitting relation with the main spring for varying the resilient force of the assembly, and means for securing the helper spring to the main spring including a pair of guides on opposite ends of the C-shaped portion and a pair of corresponding grooves on the helper spring for frictionally contacting the guides when the helper spring is manually inserted within the C-shaped portion, is also disclosed.

Abstract: A flow meter includes a piston having magnetic properties. The piston is located in a cylinder having an outlet slot. Fluid flow into the cylinder and out through the slot determines the position of the piston. The piston is preferably of a magnetic material which interacts with a Hall effect type transducer to produce an output voltage related to the position of the piston and, therefore, to the flow.

Abstract: A fluid flow meter comprising a fluid tight housing including an inlet and an outlet; a hollow liner mounted within the housing including at least one slot, the slot for receiving fluid from the inlet and communicating it to the outlet; a magnetic piston slidably positioned within the liner for movement in response to the flow of fluid from the inlet through the slot; and a Hall effect transducer mounted in the housing in substantially side-by-side relation to the piston for producing an electrical signal corresponding to the position of the piston in the cylinder.