Abstract: A gear box having an input shaft and an output shaft which are coaxial and two lay shafts parallel to and spaced from the input shaft, the lay shafts having respective gears fixed to them, said gears engaging with a gear fixed to the output shaft and the lay shafts carrying gears which mesh with respective gears which are non rotatably carried on the input shaft, the said meshing input and lay shaft gears providing respective ratios through which torque is transmitted from the input shaft to either one of the lay shafts, through the appropriate permanently meshing gears to the output shaft and clutch means for selectively engaging the gears on the lay shafts with said shafts.

Abstract: A shaped, elongated board having shaped face surfaces is formed of a foamed thermoplastic material and may be substituted for wood or composite moldings which are now used in the manufacture of frames for pictures and the like. The molded board has a cellulated interior and a density that varies continuously between a greatest density at the outer surface of the board to a least density at the greatest spacing inwardly of said surface and without discreted delineation between the relatively denser surface and the lesser dense interior of the board. The average bulk density of such a product is in the range of between about 24.7 and 33.5 lbs. per cubic foot, which is approximately equivalent to that of natural wood. The board has a good quality surface finish and where appropriate can accurately replicate an ornamental surface design for the finished frame. The molded board can be subsequently processed in the same manner as present wood moldings with existing production tooling and equipment.