Abstract: A pivotable trackball-type computer command pointing device for entering commands into a computer has a housing and a ball retained within the housing for generating electrical signals translatable into commands for the computer. A coupling assembly removably attaches to the computer, preferably the keyboard. A knuckle joint assembly pivotally connects the housing to the coupling assembly and includes a pivot blade pivotally received in an elongated recess of a hinge pocket plate to define an axis of rotation within the housing about which the housing is rotatable. Opposing button members each carry actuation teeth which engage a corresponding row of teeth formed in a coupling frame held stationary with respect to the computer by the coupling assembly. When the button members are moved together, the actuation teeth disengage the rows of teeth to permit the housing to be selectively angularly oriented by the user.

Abstract: A technique for fastening together logs and a fastener therefor is directed to a self-drilling/tapping fastener which allows the fastener to be driven through the log to be secured without pre-drilling a bore. Counter-bore fins on the fastener head also form a counter-bore for the head. A lubricious coating applied to a portion of the shank accommodates settling of the logs and facilitates installation.

Abstract: In a gas-fired stove or oven, gas is burned in a porous ceramic surface combustion burner which generates selective emissive radiation in a narrow band. The high temperature surface of the burner includes a narrow band quantum emitting substance such as rare earth metal oxide. Relatively shorter wavelength radiation from this quantum emitting surface illuminates process targets having an absorption spectrum nearly matched to the emission spectrum of the burner surface, for a variety of applications such as cooking. The selected emission may be passed through a glass top stove to heat a pot with an absorptive bottom or may pass on through a glass pot to heat the food directly.

Abstract: Wire spring assemblies for use in furniture items such as mattresses and seat cushions are made of two half units. The half units include spring elements extending from a generally planar deck with the spring elements containing complementary connecting structures at their distal ends which enable the half units to be assembled together by inverting one half unit relative to the other, aligning the two half units and snap-fitting the connecting structures of the spring elements together to form a double sided mattress or seat core. The assemblies are then upholstered in a normal fashion.

Abstract: An integral gas regulator and flowmeter unit. The unit has a housing body with a high pressure gas inlet, a low pressure gas outlet, and a receptacle. A passage communicates gas to a valve seat in the receptacle. A differential pressure piston having seals at each end is slidably received within the receptacle and is spring biased away from the valve seat. A first end of the piston cooperates with the valve seat for controlling gas flow into the receptacle. A bore within the piston communicates gas from the first end to a second end of the piston. A floating inner flow tube mounted on the second end of the piston receives gas from the bore. A ball is slidably received within the inner flow tube. An outer flow tube overlies the inner flow tube. Both tubes are arranged for being positioned in a normally vertical position and may be marked with graduations for indicating the ball position.

Abstract: A chroma keyer with correction for background defects generates a control signal that does not include variations associated with the background defects. The chroma magnitude of a reference signal that represents a chroma key set with a color background scene without a foreground object is used as a divisor for a hue select signal generated by a hue selector from a chrominance component of an input signal that represents the chroma key set with the foreground object to produce a chroma key control signal. The chroma key control signal is combined with the reference signal to produce a control signal for background suppression. The chroma key control signal also is input to a key circuit to produce a key signal for shaping a new background scene.

Abstract: A shoulder pad assembly for contact sports such as hockey is described. Two separate shoulder assemblies, in the form of generally U-shaped shoulder bands, are each pivotally connected fore and aft to chest and back pieces. Preferably the pivotal connections are co-axial, so that there are just two pivot points, namely fore and aft pivot points centrally located on the chest and back pieces, thus generally defining a V-shape for the shoulder portions of the pad. Preferably, the flexibility is limited by the use of a pivot clip at each pivot point, the pivot clip having at least one post disposed from the pivot axis and projecting from the clip through an arcuate slot in each shoulder band, the arcuate slots being of finite length such that further pivoting is prevented once the post reaches an end of the slot.

Abstract: There is provided an optical circulator (16) for bidirectional communication on a fiber optic communication transmission system. Polarization preserving single-mode fiber lengths (26), (28) connect all-fiber polarization splitter (18) with the Faraday single-mode fiber lengths (22), (24). Polarization preserving single-mode fiber lengths (30), (32) connect the opposite ends of Faraday single-mode fiber lengths (22), (24) with all-fiber polarization splitter (20). A communication transmitter is connected to splitter (18) at port 1, and a communication receiver is connected to splitter (18) at port 3. A fiber optic communication link (50) is connected to splitter (20) at port 2. The components of optical circulator (16) cooperate such that light transmitted into port 1 exits from port 2, and light transmitted into port 2 exits from port 3.

Abstract: An activity table is made from a plurality of stackable cots and a top surface which is placed on the uppermost cot. The activity table may clamp onto particular components of the formed cots. The top surface applies as a cover on to the top of the stacked cots, and this surface may also include walls to define a basin which may hold water, toys, or even an infant. The top surface of the cots may also include other indicia, such as to form a game board, or the like. The activity boards are removably connected to the sides of the table by means of clips or brackets which engage frame members on the cots. Additionally, the activity boards are constructed to clamp onto other supporting structures, such as a table, cart, rails or balusters of a staircase.

Abstract: An in-line skate is shown, including a rigid plastic chassis having a main portion and integral wing portions extending upwardly therefrom on either side adjacent the heel end of the chassis, with an integral heel portion between the wing portions. The main portion, heel portion and wing portions together define a heel box area. A plastic boot is secured to the chassis inside the wing portions and against the heel portion, and extends forwardly along the chassis. A plastic cuff wraps around either side and the rear above the boot, and is pivotally connected to each wing portion. A soft flexible padded sock-like liner is positionable inside the boot and the cuff.

Abstract: A garage door bottom seal assembly includes a garage door bottom panel presenting a pair of elongated, laterally spaced apart bottom wall sections, and an elongated intermediate wall section extending between the bottom wall sections and presenting a recess extending along the length of the bottom panel. An elongated seal support presents an upstanding connector element extending along the length thereof and is located within the recess. The intermediate wall section is formed to interfit with the connector element at locations along the length of the intermediate wall section for securing the seal support to the bottom panel. An elongated, resilient seal is operatively coupled with the seal support. Preferably, the seal and seal support present an astragal seal which can be affixed to the normal groove structure of a conventional tongue and groove garage door panel.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for both disposing of an environmentally undesirable material comprising petroleum coke and the sulfur and heavy metals contained therein and of providing fuel for a process of making molten iron or steel preproducts and reduction gas in a melter gasifier having an upper fuel charging end, a reduction gas discharging end, a lower molten metal and slag collection end, and means providing an entry for charging ferrous material into the melter gasifier; introducing petroleum coke into the melter gasifier at the upper fuel charging end; blowing oxygen-containing gas into the petroleum coke to form at least a first fluidized bed of coke particles from the petroleum coke; introducing ferrous material into the melter gasifier through the entry means, reacting petroleum coke, oxygen and particulate ferrous material to combust the major portion of the petroleum coke to produce reduction gas and molten iron or steel preproducts containing heavy metals freed from combustion of the petrole

Abstract: A method of cryogenically separating a mixture of atmospheric gases within a distillation column system having at least one distillation column. In accordance with the method, liquid and gaseous phases of the mixture of atmospheric gases to be separated are countercurrently passed through structured packing. The column is operated with a pressure greater than 2 bars and with a vapor rate of the vapor phase that is less than a critical vapor rate at which the column floods and which varies with the liquid rate of the liquid phase. Minimum and critical vapor rates at which the column floods are set in accordance with experimentally derived data for maximum column utilization in terms of packing volume or column throughput. Additionally, separation performance in terms of HETP increases with the increase in pressure so that a lower than prior art height of structured packing can be used to obtain a particular separation.

Abstract: A formaldehyde-free composition for finishing fabrics, the use thereof, and the fabrics obtained thereby are disclosed, the finishing composition being an aqueous dispersion containing from 10-50% by weight of a polymeric resin binder such as a carboxy-modified polymer, 1-10% by weight of an aqueous-dispersible epoxy resin or blend of said resin with another thermosetting resin and one or more additives such as surfactants, delustrants, antistatic agents, flame retardants, fillers, thickeners, catalysts, as needed.

Abstract: A utensil for use in preparing foods in a microwave oven comprises a microwave transparent, nonconductive, ceramic, opentop food receiving vessel, a microwave transparent, nonconductive, ceramic cover for closing the open top of the vessel, special glaze or coating sintered onto at least the interior surfaces of the vessel and cover or onto both the interior and exterior surfaces thereof; the glaze or coating being comprised of a dielectric matrix and semiconductive particles dispersed throughout the matrix; the percent loading of the conductive particles in the matrix being such that the food contained in the vessel is partially shielded from microwave energy and the glaze absorbs microwave energy and the glaze absorbs microwave energy and converts it to thermal energy concentrated at the utensil so that the outside surface of the food is browned and crisped and the food is cooked from the outside to the inside by the heat transferred to the food from the utensil, as well as being cooked in part from the ins

Abstract: A spring wire core for use in bedding mattresses and/or upholstered furniture cushions and the like comprised of a pair of half units. Each half unit includes a surface portion and a plurality of springs projecting in one direction from the surface portion. Connecting elements are provided to enable a pair of half units, one inverted relative to the other, to be connected together forming a wire core with two spaced surface portions. Preferably, the spring portions are configured to enable a plurality of the half units to be nestably stacked one upon another to enable efficient shipping of the half units without compression of the spring portions.

Abstract: An adaptive feedback system provides a means and method for removing selected signals from the feedback path, for compensating for changes in electrical characteristics of the feed forward and feedback paths so as to maintain negative feedback, and for prevention of closed-loop oscillation. Application to the suppression of amplifier distortion is emphasized. Cancellation techniques are employed to remove the desired output signal from the feedback path leaving only distortion to be negatively fed back. By this means, in-band distortion such as intermodulation products and noise can be suppressed without reduction in effective amplifier gain. Adaptive feedback compensation is used to assure negative feedback of a selected spectral band even when transfer characteristics of the forward and/or feedback paths vary due to such factors as changing input-signal parameters, component value drift due to environmental conditions, etc.

Abstract: A a spinal fixation system comprises an elongated fixation plate having a bottom side for facing the vertebrae, an opposite top side extending generally parallel to the bottom side, and an elongated slot defined therethrough which extends substantially along the length of the plate. The slot has a lower edge at the intersection of the slot and the bottom surface and an upper edge at the intersection of the slot and the top surface with a number of concave depressions formed at each edge. In one embodiment, the concave depressions at the lower and upper edges of the slot form comparable scalloped surfaces. In another embodiment, the lower edge of the slot forms a single concave surface extending around the entire perimeter of the lower edge of the slot. The system further includes a pedicle screw and a nut for load transmission between the vertebrae and the fixation plate. The pedicle screw includes a threaded nut engaging portion, a threaded bone engaging portion and an intermediate portion therebetween.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying a liquid coating which can be cured to a dry film to a plurality of fasteners each with a blind recess therein without accumulating excessive coating in the blined recesses. The fasteners are received in a cage with a cylindrical sidewall which is rotated with its axis inclined at an acute included angle of about 25.degree. to 65.degree. to the vertical and a speed of 1 to 30 rpm to circulate the fasteners while the liquid coating is sprayed onto the fasteners in the rotating cage. The fasteners with a liquid coating thereon are heated to a temperature of about 325.degree. F. to 425.degree. F. for 10 to 30 minutes to cure the coating to a dry film adhered to each fastener.