Abstract: A hand-held liquid applicator for wipingly applying liquid herbicide to undesired vegetation. The applicator includes an elongated tubular handle and a removable wiper head. The tubular handle serves as a reservoir for containing liquid herbicide and as a conduit for supplying the herbicide to the applicator head. The applicator head is made of porous, bonded crumb-rubber irrigation piping, sealed at one end. Internally disposed inside the applicator head is a bendable wire stiffener which allows the applicator head to be conformed to a desired shape.

Abstract: A vertebral lock mountable in a cavity surgically formed in a vertebra, to separate and stabilize the adjacent vertebrae above and below the cavity. Oppositely extending pins project upwardly and downwardly from a generally cylindrical body which is insertable in the cavity. The pins are fixed vertically by a spline which is slid between their inner ends, at a right angle, to prevent the pins from loosening.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing metered amounts of a viscous material includes a rigid tube which defines a compartment for the material, a discharge passage at one end of the tube, a push button activated and reciprocatingly movable rod which moves back and forth between two positions in the tube, and a sealing plunger which moves step-wise on the rod, from the push button end to the discharge end. Each activation of the push button expels a metered amount of the viscous material. The plunger is formed of a short inner tube section which makes sealing contact with the rod, an outer tube section which is in sealing contact with the interior surface of the tube and a radially extending, ring-shaped, rib which connects the two sealing tubes to one another. In a preferred embodiment, the radial cross-section of the plunger exhibits and H-shape. A metallic gripper is secured to the plunger and has a free end which is inclined toward the rod.

Abstract: A writing instrument with ink quantity or level detecting function which has an ink tube containing ink, and a float so arranged in intimate contact with the rear end surface of the ink in the ink tube as to be driven in contact with the rear end surface of the ink upon decrease of the ink in the ink tube. Further, a magnetic sensor is further provided externally at the writing instrument, while the float is formed of magnetic material. Thus, lack of the ink in the ink tube of this writing instrument can be readily detected.

Abstract: An attaching device includes an anchoring plate 11 having four bores 12, 13, 14, 15 receiving two crimping tubes 19, 29 and two crimping rings 17, 18 for holding a multi-ply cable 20 or 21. The crimping tubes are adapted to be placed into holes drilled through the femur below the trochanter major, so as to guide the cables 20, 21 passing through the femur wall. The device is adapted to be used for attaching the trochanter major to the femur in the case of a trochanterotomy.

Abstract: A prosthetic knee joint is provided having an extended position, an intermediate position, and a flexed position. The motion of the joint includes a minor segment from the extended position to the intermediate position, and a major segment from the intermediate position to the flexed position. The center of pressure between the femoral component and the tibial component moves rearward on the tibia during the minor segment. During the major segment, the joint flexes about an axis of rotation with the bearing surfaces on the femoral and tibial components being in congruent engagement. The distal surface of the femoral component includes two rails for engagement with a patellar prosthesis. The contour of the rails is either a straight line or a concave curve to provide line contact between the rails and the patellar prosthesis.

Abstract: A stem-type femoral prosthesis has a distal tip with a fixation-resistant finish on the external peripheral surface of the distal tip so that the distal tip remains uncoupled from the femur upon implant of the prosthesis and during use. The distal tip is selectively removable and replaceable to enable a choice of size combinations in the joined stem and distal tip of the prosthesis for increased ease in the fitting of both the proximal and the distal portions of an appropriate prosthesis.

Abstract: A mechanical pencil comprising a tubular casing, a centrally apertured conical tip piece connected to an end of the tubular casing to form a pencil tip, a lead engaging chuck device longitudinally movably mounted within the tubular casing, first spring for biasing the chuck device rearwardly relative to the chuck actuator, second spring for biasing the chuck actuator longitudinally forwardly and circumferentially relative to the tubular casing, actuation knob device longitudinally mounted on the tubular casing for rotation the chuck actuator against a resilient force of the second spring, engagement device for slidably engaging the chuck actuator against a resilient force of the second spring, and locking device for locking the chuck actuator to prevent a further rotation of the chuck actuator to thereby release the engagement between the actuation knob and the chuck actuator.

Abstract: A mechanical pencil is disclosed in which lead feed occurs automatically upon lifting of the pencil from the paper surface or the like and in which the slider can be locked in a retreated position when the pencil is not in us.

Abstract: A prosthetic meniscus is disclosed which can be implanted in a humanoid knee, and which can act as a scaffold for regrowth of native meniscal tissues. The meniscus comprises a three dimensional array of collagen fibers interspersed with glycosaminoglycan molecules. The collagen fibers are present at a concentration of about 65 to 98 percent by dry weight, and the glycosaminoglycan molecules are present at a concentration of about 1 to 25 percent by dry weight. Crosslinks are provided by at least a portion of the glycosaminoglycan molecules, and may consist of at least one of the group comprising chondroitan 4-sulfate, chondroitan 6-sulfate, keritan sulfate, dermatan sulfate, heparin sulfate, and hyaluronic acid.

Abstract: A mechanically fixable acetabular unit for hip prostheses, having a conical acetabular basket made of a tissue-compatible metal alloy, the acetabular basket (1) is provided with cutouts (3) running in the direction of the generatrix and L-shaped anchors (4) are inserted into the cutouts (3) so, as to be tilted around the geometric axis running parallel with the tangent of the mantle of the acetabular basket and in such a manner that the shorter shank of the anchors (4) is arranged at the end with a smaller diameter of the acetabular basket and on the outer end it is formed as a pointed sharp claw (7), while the thickness of the longer shank (6) corresponds substantially to the wall-thickness of the acetabular basket (1), while the length corresponds to the length of the cutout (3).

Abstract: A dispenser including a container body, a mounting member fitted on the container body and a dispensing head such as an applicator head movably mounted on the mounting member. The mounting member includes an axially extending closure member with a pin member thereon. The dispensing head includes an aperture and an axially extending wall forming a skirted chamber beneath the aperture, the skirted chamber including slits at least one opening through the wall for controlling flow of material from outside the wall, through the opening and into the skirted chamber from the container body. The dispensing head is movable from an open position to a closed position wherein the closure member fits within the skirted chamber and the pin member fits within the aperture.

Abstract: The apparatus is adapted to an exercise device with an energy absorbing unit that has a self calibrating energy monitor. It comprises at least one rotating flywheel which is driven through a one way clutch. There is a braking mechanism to apply resistance to the flywheel. A self calibrating energy monitor computes the dissipated power with a formula relating power to angular velocity, typically a coefficient of resistance times the angular velocity of the flywheel raised by an exponent determined by the brake used. The monitor consists of a microprocessor that is programmed to periodically self calibrate the formula and receives its impulses from a sensor.

Abstract: A skipping rope assembly of a type particularly useful by small children or handicapped people attempting to learn how to coordinate movements required for skipping rope includes a relatively stiff elongate skipping element which carries handles on its opposite ends. The handles are readily removable so they can be opened to permit the ends of the skipping element to be adjusted lengthwise therein, thereby adjusting the length of the exposed portion of the skipping element defined between the handles.

Abstract: Exercise apparatus including an arm pivotally mounted on a base, a fluid actuator carried by the arm and having a piston drive by an arm also pivotally mounted on the base, and a member for rotating the arm to move the piston against force resulting from fluid pressure applied to the piston.

Abstract: This patellar tendon bearing (PTB) prosthesis has a socket, a modular shank component, and a foot component which is attached rotatably to the shank component.It allows a more comfortable sitting of the amputee fitted with such a prosthesis by allowing the foot component of the prosthesis to be safely and smoothly axially rotated inwardly or outwardly (.+-.90.degree.) with respect to the shank component of the prosthesis and to distribute uniformly the load, while sitting, on the whole lower limb, and to be latched in one of several positions.

Abstract: The apparatus of the invention enables positioning a drilling guide parallel to the axes of transversal holes in the broach without seeing the holes. To this effect the drilling guide is adjustable with one degree of freedom on a mounting, the adjustment being effected as a function of positional information relating to the axis of the hole and sensed by mechanical feeler means which may be inserted into the broach. After this positioning is done by the apparatus according to the invention, a translation of the drilling guide may be done quickly by any conventional means in order to compensate for the distance between the axis of the drilling guide and the axis of the hole.

Abstract: An improved modular prosthetic joint has a stem portion embedded in a bone with a removable bearing head frictionally mounted on the stem portion. The bearing head has a bore which mates with a tapered shaft of the stem portion. The bearing head has a generally thin wall defining its continuous and unbroken bearing outer surface, with a wall portion extending directly over the tapered shaft which is thinner than the remainder of the bearing head wall. A puller engages an annular shoulder of the bearing head to pierce through the thinner wall portion of the bearing head, engage the tapered shaft and urge the bearing head away from the tapered shaft. Thus, the bearing head is pierced and removed from its associated stem portion, and second replacement bearing head is then mountable on the tapered shaft by impaction.

Abstract: A multi-positionable arrangement of substantially parallel bars which form a substantial track for a ball and for disposing the track to a position accessible to the feet, legs, hands and arms of the body to be exercised. The bars are adjustably spaced apart to provide for adjustment of contact engagement with ball surface so that repeated stroking of the ball on the track path requires striking contact at a particular point on the ball surface and thereby exercise of some specific body muscles and reflexes.

Abstract: A prosthesis for replacing bone extracted from a cadaver. A preferred prosthesis is formed of two tubes of differing diameter, the larger-diameter tube beng slidable over the smaller-diameter tube to provide a telescoping assembly. A stop is provided on the smaller tube, and is adjustably positioned thereon for operatively contacting an end of the larger tube to resist contraction of the assembly after insertion within a cadaver. Threaded pins are provided at the ends of the assembly for engagement within bone of a skeleton of the cadaver. The prosthesis retains the physical appearance of a cadaver after extraction of bone for use in surgical and other therapeutic purposes on living organisms.