Abstract: A magazine for a stack of fasteners in which the mean surface area overlap between adjacent fastener heads is substantial, has a chute, a constantly-urged follower pushing the stack in the chute, a slideway that intersects the chute at a separation station for the lead fastener, and a slide for pushing the lead fastener to an expulsion station and then retracting to get behind the next fastener to dispense from the chute and accede to the separation station, it being the new lead fastener.

Abstract: Wind turbine rotors and wind turbine blades having the startup capability of a drag-type turbine and the increased tip speed of a lift-type turbine are provided. The rotor includes a plurality of elongated blades, each of the blades having a first portion mounted to a mast at a first radial distance from the mast and a second portion mounted to the mast at a second radial distance from the mast, less than the first radial distance. Each blade includes a first chord length, a second chord length, and a third chord length between the first and second chord length. The third chord length is less than the first chord length and less than the second chord length. The blades may be helical. Aspects of the invention provide a self-starting, Darrieus-type rotor for enhanced wind energy capture.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing wind energy density for a location, for example, for locating a wind turbine at the location are provided. The method includes the steps of a) providing a location for consideration; b) identifying at least one meteorological station, for example, nearest the location; c) determining a wind speed for the at least one meteorological station; d) determining surface roughness characteristics of an area around the at least one meteorological station; e) calculating geostrophic wind speed about an area around the at least one meteorological station from the wind speed and the surface roughness characteristics of an area around the at least one meteorological station; f) determining surface roughness characteristics of an area around the location; and g) calculating a wind energy density for the area about the location from the calculated geostrophic wind speed and the surface roughness characteristics of the area around the location.

Abstract: A hammer tacker has a strike, a tack-driving piston, a tack-feeding mechanism, and a handle for a user to cause a strike against a target. The piston cycles between drive and retraction strokes. The tack-feeding mechanism cycles between recession and feed strokes to feed the tack in a next-to-lead position to the lead position after the preceding tack in the lead position is struck into the target, and includes an escaping driver for engaging a pallet of the tack in the next-to-lead position during the feed stroke to feed that tack to the lead position, as well as for escaping the pallet of that tack during the recession stroke and then receding to engage the pallet of the tack that succeeds to the next-to-lead position, if any. Wherein as the piston's drive stroke coincides with the recession stroke, the feed stroke lags after a pause behind the piston's retraction stroke.

Abstract: A tack for holding soft thin membrane-like materials such as roof shingles, roofing felt, or house wrap is produced in collated strips from a stock of band sheet metal. Each tack has a head and a shank lanced out of the head and bent out to leave behind a slot in the head. The shank of a given tack nests within the slot of an adjacent tack in a side by side relationship for collating in strips for use in a tacker tool. The production of the collated strips of tacks includes a progressive punch press operation wherein the stock of band sheet metal is indexed incrementally therethrough in a given indexing direction. At the extreme end of the progressive punch press operation, a completed tack is advanced to and through a collating operation in a given collating direction. In one example, the indexing direction and collating direction are arranged 135.degree. apart.

Abstract: A versatile, lightweight bar is shown, with multiple places for attachment, to be worn in conjunction with a sailboarding harness, which is fastened to the sail assembly of a sailboard to support a person during sailing. The bar consists of two or more connecting members attached to a rigid curved bar which is, in turn, fastened to the straps of a conventional body harness in the preferred embodiment. The connecting members hook onto the harness lines of the boom to support the person's weight, thereby decreasing forearm fatigue and stress to the hands. The support bar with the spaced apart connecting members has the advantage of allowing significant control of the sail assembly using body movements rather than the arms or hands.