Abstract: A hose clamp is provided for compressing a hose radially to hold the hose on a pipe. The clamp has a band for wrapping about the hose over the pipe and includes a first end and a free end. Angled slots extend in parallel adjacent the free end and a housing is attached to the first end and includes first and second end walls. An adjustment screw passes through the first end wall and extends generally in parallel with respect to the bands, the screw being contained within the housing at all times but for a head and a part of a shank adjacent the head. The head is operable to rotate the screw which has a thread in engagement with the angled slots so that rotation of the screw will adjust the band about a hose. The screw also includes a thrust surface adjacent the thread and remote from the head and a helical coil spring is contained in the housing in alignment with the screw and in compressive engagement between the thrust surface and the second end wall.

Abstract: Three relatively movable fingers fit in a clamp at a preselected test diameter and pivot in response to a load transferred by the clamp. Load cells responds to the movement of the levers and the forces transmitted are displayed. In a preferred embodiment, the pivots are mounted to brackets which are fixed to the jaws of a chuck so as to be simultaneously movable to pre-selected spaced positions corresponding to the test diameter of the clamp.

Abstract: A windshield wiper superstructure of which the primary yoke has transversely spaced leeward and windward sides extending along the length thereof and transversely extending alignment means adapted to maintain a predetermined distance between said sides, the inner surface of the leeward side adjacent the windward side being inclined toward the windward side to define a ramp for directing air flow through the primary yoke.

Abstract: An adaptor for fitting a small diameter wiper arm pin to a large diameter hole in a wiper superstructure comprises at least one element of which the inner surface defines a cavity to receive the small diameter pin. The outer surface of the pin adaptor defines an outside diameter which exceeds the diameter of the pin and is adapted to fit the large diameter hole. Preferably, a pair of complementary elements are provided to encase the pin and the outer surface further defines a groove to receive a leaf spring of a conventional wiper connector assembly. An aligning flange cooperable with a slot in the wiper assures correct alignment of the adaptor in the superstructure.

Abstract: A pivotal connection for minimizing any lateral movement between pivotally connected longitudinally extending yokes in articulated windshield wipers forming elongate holders whereby wiper blades are connected to wiper arms driven to reciprocate the blades over a windshield.A preferred embodiment of the pivotal connection comprises an inner portion including a pair of spaced, parallel flanges having at least one pair of free ends and a rigid outer portion for receiving the inner portion. The portions are pivotally connected by means of a pair of inwardly directed pivot stubs located opposite one another and fixed to inner surfaces of the outer portion. The stubs are received in respective apertures provided on the flanges of the inner portion.During insertion of the inner portion into the outer portion, the flanges are biased toward one another until the pivot stubs snap into engagement with the apertures.

Abstract: An end cap for insertion over a plurality of packages each having at least one end which is susceptible to bending when the packages are shrink wrapped into a bundle. The end cap comprises an end panel for location over said ends and four dependent sides defining an opening to receive the packages, said sides extending partly along the length of the packages to locate the packages in a bundle so that during shrink wrapping of the bundle any forces exerted by a shrink wrapping film will be distributed over the end cap and the pressure on the ends received in the end cap will be minimized.

Abstract: The invention provides a package having a transparent blister defining a main cavity and a peripheral flange lying in a plane about the cavity. A substrate is attached to the blister so as to close the cavity with the product lying between the blister and the substrate.A laminated substrate having a first layer attached permanently to the flange and a second layer is provided. The first layer has an area printed with information to be retained for use by a purchaser after opening the package, and a score line penetrates the first layer at the edge of this area. When the package is opened the substrate is delaminated about the area and the score line interrupts the delamination leaving this area attached to the second layer and available intact for inspection by the user.The package also has a header portion embodying several features which minimize the risk of damage to the package that would detract from its appearance.

Abstract: The invention provides a windshield wiper superstructure which is shaped to interact with an oncoming air stream so as to divert a component of force of such an air stream downwardly and toward the windshield, thereby to counteract any tendency for the wiper to lift in adverse aerodynamic conditions. The spine of the superstructure is inclined and defines a varying angle of attack to air flowing over the superstructure. Preferably, the angle of attack is maximized at joints between a central primary yoke and a pair of depending secondary yokes connected to distribute pressure from a wiper arm to a squeegee.

Abstract: The invention provides an improvement in hose clamps of the type employing a worm screw mounted in a housing which is fastened to a metal band and engages in slots in the band. A thin backing layer is laminated to the metal band of the clamp on the face that engages the article to be clamped, for example, to prevent extrusion of hose materials through the slots. This backing layer is of a thickness such that it will be stretched by the screw thread lands, but is thick enough that it will not break or crack under such treatment. It is slightly narrower than the band material, so that it can be applied without protruding from edges and form a dangerous knife edge, and is fixed to the band by means of a resilient adhesive that will permit the required deformation without separation. The screw thread lands can now be made deep enough for positive engagement in the slots and even protrude slightly from the other side.

Abstract: A windshield wiper comprises a pressure-applying superstructure and a squeegee assembly releasably mounted on the superstructure to permit replacement of the squeegee when worn. Releasable retaining means comprise a projection on one of the superstructure yokes adjacent to an endmost pair of the claws thereof that retain the squeegee assembly and a cooperating recess on the backing member of the squeegee assembly. The retaining means thus uses the flexibility of the backing member to provide the necessary retention. The projection may have a ramp shape to facilitate the latching action as the squeegee assembly is mounted.

Abstract: A windshield wiper clip for the selective detachable attachment of a windshield wiper assembly to at least two wiper arms of the hooked end type having arm ends of different transverse widths. The clip body is shaped to fit within the hooked end of a first wiper arm of wider width having a respective first angular orientation and said clip body has a groove for the reception therein of a hooked end of a second wiper arm of narrower width being disposed in a respective angular orientation different from the first angular orientation.

Abstract: A connector for windshield wipers of low silhouette type has a sideways-extending pin that is inserted into a cooperating transverse aperture in the wiper superstructure and is retained therein by a spring latch member engaging a circumferential groove. The latch member is of spring wire and has two spaced parallel arms joined at one end by a cross-member. Each arm consists of at least a connecting portion, a pin-engaging portion, a spring portion and a reaction or anchor portion in the order stated, the last two having a loop portion between them. The latch is inserted into a recess formed in the underside of the superstructure primary yoke, the loop portion passing between two columns until they can snap apart over the top of the columns. Each pin-engaging portion moves against two longitudinally-spaced side columns which control the engagement with the pin retaining shoulders, and both portions engage a transverse projection that controls the latch portion when the pin is absent.

Abstract: The invention provides a retainer clip for holding the backing member of a windshield wiper assembly against longitudinal movement in the claws of a superstructure in which it is mounted. In a first embodiment a claw-like body has a resilient tongue formed on its upper wall by two parallel slots, the tongue having on its underface a projection that cooperates with a recess in the backing member to retain them against relative movement. A longitudinally-extending transverse flexible integral arm has a hook portion at its end that can embrace a superstructure mounting claw, so that the claw is trapped between the clip body and the hook portion against longitudinal movement, and the backing member is thereby retained in the superstructure.

Abstract: A band clamp device of the invention employs a U-shaped housing for the drive worm screw, usually formed by progressive stamping from sheet metal. The separate arms of the U embrace the band edges and the respective separate arm ends extend beneath the band. The housing can have a single ear only on one of the said separate arm ends extending through a respective cooperating slot in the band to connect the housing to the band. Usually the housing will have a single ear at each end, and the single ear adjacent the screw head end is provided on the said separate downside arm end, which is the arm end that receives the maximum force tending to spread the housing arms apart as the band is tightened about an object. It is found that such a structure is able to resist the forces tending to spread the housing arms and to separate the housing from the band, and it permits a wider ear to be used, or alternatively a narrower band for the same width ear.

Abstract: The invention provides a two-terminal flasher device, particularly for flashing automobile lamps, that can replace the thermal devices predominantly currently in use. An electro-mechanical relay is used to flash the lamps, while an electronic circuit controls the flashing rate. The power for operating the relay and the electronic circuit is maintained by means of a capacitor that is charged from the power source (the battery) and then discharged while the power source is not available, the electronic circuit being supplied from the capacitor via a constant voltage source. Preferably the charging of the capacitor is arranged so as to give an "instant-on" type of operation. The lamp current is measured by a voltage measuring means including a resistor formed by part of the copper of the board on which the circuit is mounted, and the temperature coefficient of the circuit is arranged to be as close as possible to that of the copper.

Abstract: A windshield wiper element is disclosed which includes an elongated backing strip having a slot formed therein and a squeegee element having a bulbous head received in the slot. The backing strip has a plurality of breakage indications provided thereon at predetermined spaced locations, corresponding to predetermined windshield wiper lengths, to permit it to be used as a universally applicable windshield member with different sizes of super-structure. The backing strip includes means located between each of the breakage indications for engaging the head of the squeegee in order to resist longitudinal removal of the squeegee from the backing strip.