Abstract: To alleviate the problem that a considerable amount of force is required by an archer to bend the bow by pulling or drawing the bowstring, this invention introduces an auxiliary force aid to supplement the manual force of the archer's arm for drawing the bowstring. Thus, an elastic member anchored to the archer's body is stretched to store a force when the archer's arm reaches for the bowstring to draw it, and the stored force from the stretched elastic member supplements the manual force provided by the archer's arm in a vectorial direction for drawing the bowstring thereby to make the drawstring easier to draw. The elastic member, typically a bungee cord, is affixed to a body harness held on the upper torso by a shoulder strap for movement and stretching along the line of travel of the archer's hand when reaching for the bowstring to draw it. Thus, the peak drawing force exerted by the archer is reduced by distributing it over the reciprocal reaching and drawing motions of the archer's arm.

Abstract: A dado joint is provided between first and second members and includes at least one elongated groove formed in the first member of a constant width and constantly varying depth in the likeness of a shallow, smoothly curving sine wave. The second member includes a marginal edge tongue of constant thickness for mating with and snug reception within the groove, the tongue including a sine wave likeness longitudinal contour corresponding to the aforementioned sine wave and being seated and secured in the groove.

Abstract: A bracket for mounting a roadway guardrail to a post adjacent a roadway involves a generally rectangular backing member having an inwardly-extending flange extending along each of the upper and lower edges thereof. The bracket can be interposed between, preferably, a W-shaped guardrail and the post with the upper and lower edges of the guardrail being located adjacent the upper and lower flanges of the bracket respectively. The normal guardrail-mounting bolt will extend through the guardrail, a central aperture in the bracket, and the mounting post for clamping the guardrail end bracket to the post. Upon the impact, particularly sliding impact from a snowplow or the like, the upper and lower edges of the guardrail will contact the flanges and further deformation thereof will be resisted by the flanges. Thus the guardrail which would otherwise be detrimentally deformed by minor impacts will now retain its shock-absorbing capabilities, such detrimental having been resisted by the back of the invention.

Abstract: The disclosed cattle guard includes a base and grills which may easily be removed for cleaning without disturbing the adjacent roadway. The cattle guard includes side wings which are attached to the base to ease the removal of the grills. In a further aspect, the ends of the base include angled portions designed to facilitate funneling of water through the base while preventing ground erosion.

Abstract: A fencing system and a method for confining farm animals includes conventional rectangular fence panels having end posts and cross rails but the posts are connected by flexible elements of a type which allow the posts to flex apart when impacted by an excited animal. This prevents damage to the panel while maintaining the animal properly confined. Various examples of the flexible element are disclosed including an elastic band that is wrapped around the posts in a figure of 8 arrangement, a convoluted spring and an elastic block.

Abstract: A locking sleeve (14) for holding the tensioned, internal elastic cord (22) of a compactable, collapsible tubular assembly (12-10) comprises a resilient member (14), in the shape of a slit tube. It is held in position within the tubular insert of the compactable, tubular assemblies by external barbs (16). The elastic cord is in turn held in position within the locking sleeve by an internal tongue (20) and prongs (18).

Abstract: The invention concerns a coupling with a hub, for transmitting a torque to a shaft, with a cylindrical annular chamber arranged in the hub at a slight spacing from the shaft. The annular chamber can be pressurized with an hydraulically actuated servo valve arranged in the hydraulic fluid channel connecting to said annular chamber. A separate hydraulic fluid channel serves to actuate the servo valve. As control pressure is admitted to this second hydraulic fluid channel, the servo valve opens and establishes the connection between the first hydraulic fluid channel and the annular chamber for admission of a high-pressure medium. The advance of the connecting nipples onto the hub may be effected by remote actuation, thus enabling an automatic roll change, for instance in a rolling mill, without difficult and time-consuming manual assembly in congested space conditions.

Abstract: A toy saucer launching and catching device comprised of a base covered with an upper cover and supported on a handle to hold a saucer seat, a curved spring rod retained between said base and said saucer seat, a push plate controlled by a trigger on said handle to squeeze said spring rods inwards, and a lifting plate controlled by an auxiliary trigger on said handle to lift said upper cover, and wherein pulling said trigger causes a toy saucer to be launched out of said saucer seat into the air; pulling said auxiliary trigger causes said upper cover to be opened for catching a flying toy saucer.

Abstract: A butt clamp consists of two shoes slidably mounted within a sleeve. The shoes are joined by a bolt having a nut threaded onto one end thereof. Each shoe has suitable openings therein so that it can be affixed to a substrate of a section of countertop. The assembled clamp is used to join two sections of countertop where one shoe is affixed to one section and the other shoe is affixed to the other section. The sleeve aligns the two shoes and when the bolt and nut are tightened, the two shoes are pulled towards one another, thereby pulling the two sections towards one another until the two sections are joined. Additional clamps can be used on the same joint. Adhesive can be used in the joint if desired. When the clamps are used, the two sections of countertop can be joined in the field rather than at the manufacturing site. Presently after two sections of a countertop have been cut along a 45.degree. angle, part of the substrate of each section is machined out by a LOCKTITE machine.

Abstract: A safety device for protecting personnel against falling from a platform of a printing press having a handrail anchored to the printing press, and a kneerail located below the handrail, including devices for swiveling the kneerail and devices for releasably locking the kneerail both in an inwardly swiveled position wherein it blocks access to the platform, and in a normal position wherein it is disposed below the handrail.

Abstract: A flexible double U-joint assembly that includes structure for locking the assembly in a single U-joint mode to permit easy insertion into a pipeline with an associated inspection device. When in the pipeline, the assembly may be converted to a double U-joint mode by applying tension to the device.

Abstract: An improved linkage assembly (10) provides for locking the pivotable position of one member (12) relative to another member (14). The linkage assembly permits the unlocking of these members, their subsequent repositioning, and the reliable relocking in a desired position without utilizing tooling. The first member (12) includes a pair of spaced apart support flanges (24,26) each having a through aperture (28) therein defining a flange female spline (29). The second member (14) has an end (42) positioned between the pair of support flanges (24,26) and also includes a through aperture (46 ) defining a pair of second member female splines (47). A pair of control members (84,86) are each slidably moveable along the common axis (32) and extend through the respective flanges (24,26). Each control member (84,86) has a male splined portion (66) which normally engages both the respective flange female spline and the second member female spline to lock the rotatable position of the first and second members.

Abstract: An interlocking joint uses an interlocking mounting bracket to permit the easy incorporation of diagonal braces on the structure. The bracket is primarily intended for use with composite beams that cannot be effectively bolted, nailed, or welded together.

Abstract: A tubular shock-absorbing device including a post, a block having a curved surface for engagement with the post and having a waved surface, both ends of the block having reinforcing flanges which are cast into form integrally, a curb which has a waved shape being engaged with the waved surface of the block, and a bolt fixing the curb and the block and the post together, so that the block forms a buffer.

Abstract: A frame assembly for a display structure formed of a plurality of tubular support members joined end to end. An elastic cord is permanently connected in and winds its way through the tubular support members so that the support members are joinable in only one predefined arrangement to facilitate set up of the frame assembly. Some of the end-to-end connections include key and keyhole connections with apertured keys through which the elastic cord extends.

Abstract: A modular hand rail comprises a tubular length of material attached to at least one elbow section. The assembly is easily mounted to a wall to aid elderly or disabled persons in moving about. Use of different colors or materials provides in an aesthetically pleasing appearance, flexibility in design and aids the user in delineating the gripping portion in areas of little or no light.

Abstract: A coupler for reinforcing bars includes an internally threaded sleeve with first and second internally threaded coupling portions respectively extending and tapering outward from two ends thereof. Each first and second coupling portions has a number of slits extending along a longitudinal direction thereof. The coupler further has first and second clamping collars each having a conical hole which tapers outward with an inner diameter of an inner opening thereof greater than that of an outer opening thereof and with a slope slightly greater than that of associated conical first and second coupling portions. An outer diameter of a distal end of each first and second coupling portion is slightly less than the inner diameter of the inner opening of associated first and second clamping collars. When the coupler is used to couple two reinforcing bars, a threaded coupling end of each reinforcing bar is screwed into the sleeve means via associated first and second coupling portions.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for joining structures, an active structure (10) and a passive structure (12), and imposing a tensile pre-load on the joint by a remotely operable mechanism comprising a heat contractible joining element (15). The method and apparatus include mounting on the structure (10) a probe shaft (15) of material which is transformable from an expanded length to a contracted length when heated to a specific temperature range. The shaft (15) is provided with a probe head (21) which is receivable in a receptacle opening (41) formed in the passive structure (12) when the active structure (10) is moved into engagement therewith by an appropriate manipulator mechanism. A latching system (45) mounted on the structure (12) adjacent to the receptacle opening (41) captures the probe head (21) when the probe head (21) is inserted a predetermined amount.

Abstract: A modular fastening system which is integrally molded as part of a plastic member which is being fastened to another member is disclosed. The fastening system comprises a locking member and a movable positioning means for selectively permitting the locking member to move between locked and unlocked positions. The position means is connected to the plastic member during the molding process and easily broken away during the assembly process and positioned in the plastic member to complete the fastening process. Because the positioning means is molded as an integral part of the plastic member, no loose fasteners or additional pieces are required.

Abstract: A quick connect modular unit retainer assembly for easily installing or removing a modular unit such as a disk drive in a computer housing. Threaded inserts having elastomer sleeves are mounted to the modular unit. The insert assemblies are inserted first vertically, and then horizontally, into L-shaped channels on bosses projecting upward from the computer base. Cooperating fingers extending downward from a pivoted computer cover are maneuvered into the L-shaped channels adjacent to the insert assemblies, thereby locking the insert assemblies, and hence modular unit, into place.