Abstract: A coupling device for a hat-like umbrella frame consisting of a coupling member and a rib stretcher. A visor rib comprising an outer segment with a smaller diameter than the inner segment thereof is pivotably connected to a main rib and a respective rib stretcher. The coupling member is substantially U-shaped with an opening at one end thereof. The coupling member is disposed between the rib stretcher and the visor rib for allowing the visor rib to pass through. The outer segment of the visor rib is freely slidable within the opening of the coupling member. The inner segment of the visor rib is unable to pass through the opening member so that a sliding movement between the visor rib and the coupling member will be stopped.

Abstract: A structural assembly is used for producing walls. The assembly includes a plurality of structural elements, each element having at least one surface defining at least a portion of a dovetail joint. A first one of the elements is parallelepiped in shape and includes a first longitudinal side, the longitudinal side defining a half dovetail groove at each of its ends. The first element also includes a centrally disposed full dovetail groove and a full dovetail tongue separating the full groove from each half-groove. A second element of the assembly corresponds to one half of the first element. A securing element is also provided which includes at least one side defining a dovetail tongue member corresponding to the full groove in the first element. The securing element also includes an aperture extending therethrough. The structural assembly can be manufactured very economically on conventional machines and permits garden walls and the like to be easily produced and also to be secured firmly in position.

Abstract: A clutch release bearing comprises a drive member through which it is adapted to operate on the clutch release device of a clutch. It also comprises an operating member through which it is adapted to be operated on by a clutch release yoke. The operating member incorporates two recesses the bottom of each of which faces axially towards the drive member and forms a transverse bearing facet. Each of the recesses is adapted to interlock with the clutch release yoke to prevent rotation of the clutch release bearing about its axis.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to improved tank structures and the processes and apparatus for their construction. The walls of the prestressed tank are formed by inflating a membrane, applying one or more layers of rigidifying material outwardly of said membrane and then prestressing the walls by circumferentially wrapping prestressing material to minimize the tension in the rigidifying material when subject to loading. In another embodiment, wall forms are placed inwardly of said membrane to aid in the forming of the walls and circumferential prestressing. In the best mode of the invention, the walls are of reinforced plastic, "FIBERGLASS fiber-reinforced plastic", or resin sandwich composite construction. Seismic countermeasures may also be used to protect the structure against earthquakes and other tremors, by the anchoring of the tank walls to the base and permitting the seismic forces to be shared by the seismic anchors.

Abstract: An apparatus is described that has been created to maintain a constant level of saturation of water near the foundation of houses, buildings, or the like. The maintenance of such a level of moisture is essential to the structural integrity of foundations especially in those geographic locations where the level of soil moisture varies significantly from season to season. Soil, when it absorbs water, expands. This soil can exert tremendous pressure on the foundation of a house. To prevent cracking of foundations, and thus, to prevent the need for costly repairs, the apparatus described herein provides sufficient moisture to the soil surrounding the foundation of a house such that additional moisture (i.e. rain) does not cause the soil to expand dramatically.

Abstract: A corrosion-protected tension member, such as a tendon for prestressed concrete with post-tensioning, is made up of a bundle of individual tension elements, such as strands, arranged within a tubular envelope. The tension member extends between anchoring devices, each forming an anchor region for the tension member with a free region located between the anchor regions. In the free region, the tubular envelope is formed of a sheathing tube. Each individual element is located within a separate sheathing duct, and a corrosion-protection mass fills the space within the ducts about the elements. The open volume within the sheathing tube around the sheathed elements is filled with cement mortar. In the anchor regions, the tubular envelope includes an anchor tube enclosing an anchor pot. The anchor pot has a base with openings through which the individual elements pass in a sealed manner. The anchor pot is filled with a corrosion-protection mass.

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to an improved pivotal positioning member for use as a joining knuckle of a shade, and particularly for a large beach umbrella. The pivotal positioning member includes an upper element and a lower element pivotally joined by a pin. The upper element is provided with a projection block on each side thereof which is slidably engaged with an arcuate groove defined on the top edge of each upright lug of the lower element; and at the bottom end of the upper element is disposed a number of positioning grooves which will be in selective engagement with the front end of a spring-biased locking piece mounted on the lower element so that the tilted upper element can be firmly fixed in a selective place with the opened canopy tilted at a desired angle, and the canopy will not be overtilted in operation as a result of the restraint of the projection block in association with the arcuate groove.

Abstract: A set of stackable blocks in which there is a subset of blocks each having its center of mass offset from where the center of mass would be located if the block had a uniform mass distribution. In other aspects, the distribution of mass in one block can be shifted, and the blocks bear arbitrary symbols indicative of the characteristics of their mass distributions.

Abstract: A structural connection system for resisting uplift loads on the shear walls for each level of a wood frames structure includes anchors for each level. The system, employed at least at the lateral ends of the shear walls, compressively restrains the shear walls against upward movement. The anchors, which are vertically aligned, are coupled to one another through tie rods. A tie rod connects the anchor for the bottom floor to a foundation anchor embedded in the foundation. The anchors and tie rods are positioned between pairs of closely spaced vertical framing elements, such as studs. Uplift loads for each level are transferred to the foundation through the connection system. This eliminates any accumulation of uplift loads from level to level.

Abstract: An insulated roof support system including a plurality of transversely spaced longitudinally extending purlins having bottom flanges with insulation layers occupying the spaces between the purlins, a lattice work of transverse and longitudinal support straps extending beneath the insulation layers so that the transverse support straps extend beneath the bottom flanges of the purlins, a plurality of elongated channel-shaped support bars containing elongated insulation boards secured in flush engagement co-extensively against the bottom surface of each purlin bottom flange and the transverse straps crossing the purlins, to completely thermally insulate the roof structure including the purlins from the space below the roof structure.

Abstract: A drywall frame compression anchor assembly for use with a sectional metal frame to be mounted in an opening of a wall comprises a restraining bracket having a pair of space support legs and a jamb anchor. The jamb anchor includes a hat section havng a generally U-shaped center portion and a pair of opositely extending wings projecting therefrom. The jamb anchor is moveably mounted between the supports of the spaced support legs to engage the surface of the opening.

Abstract: A claw resistant sorbent pad laminate is employed for the collection of animal urine. The laminate includes a bottom sheet layer of moisture impermeable material, an intermediate sorbent layer of material having a high sorbency capacity for urine, a top claw resistant screen means. The laminate is secured to a container by means of securing means around the periphery of the bottom sheet layer. In one emodiment of the invention the securing means is an elasticized area or areas around the periphery of the moisture impermeable material. In an alternate embodiment a drawstring is movably affixed to the periphery of the bottom sheet layer.

Abstract: A method is described for applying roofing paper to a roof by first heating the roofing paper before the paper is applied to the roof, and then applying the heated roofing paper to the roof for final assembly. The applicator consists of a flat table bed and a cradle at one end for holding a roll of roofing paper and a handle at the other end for pulling the applicator. Located on the flat table is a plurality of infrared heaters that form an oven over the flat table and which are pivotally attached to the handle for allowing the roofing paper to pass over the table and through the oven. The paper is drawn from the roll through the oven and under a pair of rollers that support the applicator.

Abstract: A building pad of rectangular construction having a pair of pockets extending through the longitudinal sides thereof. The ends are closed and an identical pad is attached thereto having a pair of pockets extending through the sides thereof. Tabs are insertable in any of the pockets for attaching a similar pad edge-to-edge or side-to-side thereto. Photographs are insertable in the outermost pockets.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved access spline that is used in a hung ceiling tile at the abutting edges of the tiles. The access spline of the present invention comprises a flexible strip-like body member having a central slot forming a pair of independently flexing portions from the body member and preferably a pair of depending toggle membes connected to the body member adjacent the slot. The access spline is used with one flexing portion located within an edge groove defined in the abutting edge of the adjoining ceiling tile and with the other flexing portion alternatingly located within a groove segment and a contiguous recessed portion defined in the abutting edge of the access tile. The preferred pair of depending toggle members extend between the abutting edges of the access and adjoining ceiling tiles and below the underside of the ceiling.

Abstract: A one-piece metal stud comprises a longitudinal web with generally centrally located punch outs forming alternately oriented bent tabs, a folded and hemmed front flange, and a back flange formed of alternately oriented bent tabs. The bent tabs are folded into a lip of double thickness and extend back past the web in a single thickness. The punch out tabs and the back flange tabs form channels therebetween on each side of the web for holding a separate wallboard panel in each channel. A further wallboard panel or panels can be fastened to the front flange or to both the front flange and back flange tabs to complete formation of a double-wall or cavity wall construction.

Abstract: A centering device to locate and center a reinforcing thread bar in a hole formed in an excavation to receive a foundation of a building. The device has a body having a band of appreciable thickness formed on its periphery. There is central opening. A thread is formed in the central opening to engage the thread of a reinforcing thread bar. Sloping portions extend from the peripheral band, inwardly to the central opening. Openings allow concrete to pass by the device while the device is positioned in the hole.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for repair of deteriorated eaveposts on houses having eaveposts. The apparatus consists of an elongated, tubular body with an end cap and a mounting flange. The apparatus slips over the deteriorated eavepost and attaches to the house with conventional fasteners. The body and end cap of the apparatus are textured to resemble the texture of an intact wooden eavepost and the mounting flange is textured to resemble the texture of the exterior wall of the house.

Abstract: A canopy assembly includes a frame composed of a plurality of elongated elements interconnected to form an array to which a fabric is secured and stretched. Portions of the fabric are secured in tension into corresponding different ones of the elements, and corresponding ends of respective elements are connected together to form the frame. At least some of the elements each respectively have an H-shaped cross-section with space-opposed pairs of each of mutually-spaced legs projecting individually away from respective opposite ends of the crossbar of that cross-section. A variety of different devices may be used alternatively to secure the portions of fabric to the different elements, while creating tension in the fabric. A number of different interconnectors may be used alternatively or in various different combinations to connect corresponding ends of respective different elements in the formation of the frame.

Abstract: A suspension ceiling for a walk-in cooler comprises a set of panels that have a thermally insulated foam core in which a rigid support channel is embedded so as to extend from one panel side to another. Hangers are included that have a bar sized to be inserted into the ends of the support channels of adjacent panels from which bars suspension rods or wires extend.