Abstract: Nails are manufactured using a sequence of steps including hot galvanizing of the nails with a zinc/tin/flux composition followed by vinyl coating to provide fasteners which resist corrosion that may result from chemically treated wood and cement infused materials.

Abstract: An improved garage door lock mechanism includes a housing, a crank, a slider, a catch and a single, multipurpose biasing member. The elements are adapted such that the biasing member both biases the slider from a locking position and biases the catch to catch the slider when the slider is in the locking position.

Abstract: A rotary shelf storage unit for mounting in a corner cabinet includes an upper pivot mounting and a lower pivot mounting. The lower pivot mounting includes an adjustable hub mounted on a plate attached to the floor of the corner cabinet. A hub receptacle projects downwardly from the bottom shelf and engages the hub for support of the shelf unit. The hub includes rollers which are biased outwardly for engagement with appropriately positioned detents of the hub assembly. By adjusting the position of the hub relative to its mounting plate, it is possible to control the detent position of the rotary shelf unit. Wheels attached to the bottom shelf ride on the mounting plate to support the shelf unit.

Abstract: A lock for a motorcycle saddle bag container includes a key operated plug attached to a lock housing mounted on the inside wall of the container. The plug operates a pivotal and transversely movable shutter. The shutter, in turn, cooperates with a strike attached to the inside of the lid for the container. A rubber seal maintains the shutter and strike in a locked position until the lid is manually depressed to compress the seal and release the shutter from the strike.

Abstract: Aluminum pellets are ejected from the nozzle of an elongated tube into a stream of liquid steel flowing from a tundish into a continuous casting mold. Protective gas is utilized to propel the pellets of aluminum from the elongated tube into the molten stream. A special nozzle structure for the elongated tube insures that the aluminum pellets will properly impinge upon and mix with the molten stream. The elongated tube is retained within a larger cylindrical tube that directs low velocity, protective gas at the molten stream. The protective gas, such as nitrogen or argon, provides essentially nonreactive atmosphere that envelops the molten stream of steel.

Abstract: An improved container and lid construction includes a rectangular box of molded plastic with one pair of opposed sides of the box having a shaped lip member that cooperates with a compatible shaped flange member of the lid. The lid is fabricated from an extruded plastic material and designed to snap on the top of the box in an automatic filling operation. The lid may then be slidably removed from the box.

Abstract: A perforated board display bracket assembly is adapted for mounting on a perforated board. The perforated board openings receive a hanger member comprised of a flexible U-shaped rod having generally parallel spaced legs connected by a crown. The legs are retained against the back side of a display panel by a locking bar which engages the legs and biases the legs toward the panel. The display panel may slide on the legs between a locked and unlocked position. When in the locked position, the hanger member is in a detent. Manual flexing of the legs releases the hanger member from the detent and permits sliding of the display panel on the hanger member for ultimate removal from the perforated board.

Abstract: An improved concrete anchor consists of an expansion nut in the form of a cylindrical coil of a resilient material and a bolt provided with a thread adapted to receive the coil. The thread of the bolt has two sections of different effective minor diameters. A first section immediately adjacent the threaded end of the bolt has a minor diameter sufficiently small to permit the bolt to enter the coil without causing any distortion or enlargement in the outer diameter of the coil. Adjacent the first threaded section and extending toward the head of the bolt is a second section having a larger minor diameter which causes expansion of the coil on engagement therewith. The end of the coil facing away from the head of the bolt is provided with a short, straight tab portion which extends in a direction generally away from the head of the bolt while tapering inwardly toward the axis thereof.

Abstract: A cedar chest lock remains unlocked unless positive actuation of a strike engaging member is effected. The lock includes a strike member projecting from the chest lid for cooperation with a locking latch plate retained in a housing mounted in the side wall of the chest. The housing thus has an opening for receipt of the strike member. A latch plate is pivotally mounted in the housing and is spring biased to a position which avoids engagement with the strike member upon insertion of the strike member through the housing opening. A push button in the housing may be actuated to engage and position the latch plate for cooperation with the strike member. Actuating the push button and subsequent positioning of the strike member through the opening in the latch housing permits the latch plate to engage the strike member thereby locking the chest lid in a closed position. The push button may include a key operated lock.

Abstract: An improved strap guide for a package strapping system having an upper movable horizontal strap guide section, integral with or connected to a compression bar having press feet extending on each side of the movable strap guide section toward a package to be strapped and means for moving the upper strap guide and compression bar toward and away from the package to be strapped.

Abstract: A changeable combination, axial pin tumbler lock is operable by means of a cylindrical service key. Set keys are used to change the tumbler combination and thereby provide for operation of the lock by a different service key. The lock includes a fixed cylindrical barrel with twelve tumbler passages in opposed relation with a rotatable plug and barrel having seven tumbler passages. One half of the passages of the fixed barrel store reserve tumblers. A single shear interface is defined by the plug barrel and fixed barrel. Transfer of reserve tumblers from the fixed barrel passages to the plug barrel passages by means of set keys effects a combination change.

Abstract: A package strapping machine for strapping a package to a pallet, which pallet is usually constructed from lumber and is of standard shape or configuration. The pallet comprises generally a supporting platform for the package with longitudinally parallel extending stringers secured to the underside of the supporting platform. The strapping machine is provided with a strapping station where the package is tied to the pallet and is so constructed that a strap is carried beneath the stringers and through a strap ring including an arch around the package if the pallet is facing in one direction, because a pallet position sensing means, such as a ray of light which is provided at one side of the pallet, cannot pass through the solid stringers to a photo-sensitive device located at the other side of the pallet. However, if the pallet is turned 90.degree. so that the voids between the stringers which extend completely through the pallet structure are positioned 90.degree.

Abstract: A mechanism for positioning a sewing machine in a sewing machine cabinet includes an improved linkage attached to the cabinet and supporting a mounting platform for the sewing machine. The linkage permits movement of the platform between a storage position within the cabinet to either one of two horizontal operating positions. The linkage includes one pair of pivot arms connected from each side of the platform to a bracket suspended from the cabinet. Also one support pin projects from each side of the platform and cooperatively engages an associated positioner attached to the cabinet. The positioners retain the platform in either horizontal operating position. The platform may be tilted from the horizontal operating positions to release the support pins from the positioners and permit movement of the platform to another desired position.

Abstract: A molded plastic latch assembly includes a housing adapted to receive a rotatable latch member. The inner end of the latch member includes bifurcated locking tabs received by an opening in the bolt. The locking tabs cooperate with an integrally molded locking pin. The latch member and housing include a cooperative detent construction integrally molded in the housing and latch member.

Abstract: In a package strapping machine an improved means for tightening the strap extending from a strap supply about a package to be strapped including feed means, retract means, linearly reciprocating tension means and a secondary gripper in which the tension means is outside of the path of the strap between the feed means and the retract means and in which the tension means reciprocates in a direction approximately normal to the usual path of the strap traveling through the tension means.

Abstract: An improved floating heat tongue and mounting device for use in conjunction with a package strapping device which forms a heat seal in overlapping portions of a plastic strap wrapped about a package. A floatable metal heat tongue mounted for vertical floating movement within a holder which is adapted to deliver heat to the heat tongue.