Abstract: An antispasticity aid device designed to aid stroke victims. The invention is a hand brace constructed to hold the thumb and fingers flat and a series of accessories designed to re-educate the muscles after a stroke. The device has a hand-mounting and thumb-mounting member. First and second restraining straps hold the hand and thumb firmly in contact with the hand-mounting and thumb-mounting member, respectively. Accessories for use with the device include: A first accessory fitting on an arm of an armchair; a second accessory providing physical therapy; a third accessory maintaining a comfortable position to rest an arm; a fourth accessory fitting frictionally over the arm of a chair; a fifth accessory accepting the mounting bracket of the device; a sixth accessory suspending the arm; a seventh accessory providing a channel for resting an arm; an eighth accessory providing exercise for arm muscles; and a ninth accessory permitting physical therapy.

Abstract: A joint hinge, an ankle brace and a method of installing the joint hinge in an ankle brace. The joint hinge typically allows a patient or practitioner to set a range limiting system that includes threaded rods that are easy to screw in and out as the patient's range of motion changes. In a typical embodiment, a proximal plate rotates about a pin with respect to a distal plate. The pin is generally aligned with the patient's ankle. The range limiting system's rods screw toward and away from a portion of the proximal plate, thereby limiting the range of the proximal, and therefore, the distal plates. The proximal plate is connected to the proximal portion of the ankle brace and the distal plate is connected to the distal portion of the ankle brace.

Abstract: A tubular instrument including a hollow wall portion and a connector arranged to be used with a guide-wire. The guide-wire has a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, the distal end portion of the guide-wire is arranged to be extended to some interior position within the body of a living being, with the proximal end portion of the guide-wire being located outside the being's body. The connector is located at the distal end of the instrument and is arranged to be readily manipulated by a twisting action to connect the instrument onto the guide-wire for sliding movement therealong.

Abstract: A bandage cooling apparatus has a bandage, a container, a casing, a valve and an actuator. The bandage has a first temperature. The container contains a gaseous fluid and has an exit. The casing comprises a chamber which contains the bandage, an inlet and outlet which both defines passages from the chamber and through the casing. The outlet has a removable lid. The valve connects the inlet of the casing to the exit of the container. The actuator operates the valve whereby a portion of the gaseous fluid expands from the container into the chamber through the valve upon operation of the actuator such that the bandage gets to a second temperature which is different from the first temperature.

Abstract: A foot orthosis includes a generally “L”-shaped splint having a generally upright leg-engaging section and a forwardly-extending foot support section with at least a portion of the splint being substantially transparent. A generally flexible foot receiving and retaining boot is removably mounted on the splint for releasably securing a foot on the splint, and a tongue-receiving pocket is mounted on one of the splint and the boot, the tongue-receiving pocket having at least one opening and a tongue retaining section therein. A generally planar skid pad includes an attached tongue section projecting from the skid pad, and the tongue section of the skid pad is insertable into the tongue-receiving pocket such that the tongue is releasably secured in the tongue-receiving pocket and the skid pad is thus releasably secured on one of the splint and the boot.

Abstract: A lumbar fixed belt that mainly holds a lumbar and a pelvic fixed belt that mainly holds the pelvis are integrally provided, and the pelvic fixed belt is inclined to the lumbar fixed belt 2 at 20° to 30° toward a lumboabdominal region, correspondingly to a physiological pelvic angle of inclination ?.

Abstract: An attachment tool to facilitate the attachment of a catheter or similar elongated instrument to a guide-wire or other elongated guide member, without requiring access to either end of said wire or member. Said tool providing repeatable and reliable alignment of components to be attached, while being operated with a single hand. The tool further facilitates the attachment of a plurality of catheters or instruments to a single wire or member.

Abstract: Method and equipment for the manufacture of corrugated paper products includes separate heaters for preparing liner and medium components. Data regarding these components is collected and an optimum conditioning for the components is determined.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a device for carrying out the method for drying crockery in a dishwasher with a rinse container closeable by means of a door. By means of two or three successive different method steps, the drying is improved. The method steps include a drainage phase, a drying phase with blower or condenser and an automatic, partial opening of the door.

Abstract: A mobile carpet dryer that includes a blower unit that forces heated air onto the carpet. The dryer further includes a vacuum unit that draws water out of the carpet to greatly speed the drying process. The blower unit and the vacuum unit are mounted in a wheeled housing to provide easy portability of the dryer.

Abstract: Apparatus for fluidizing a pulverulent material in a stream of fluidizing gas includes a membrane through which the fluidizing gas can flow but the pulverulent material cannot, a first fluidizing gas gallery on a first side of the membrane, a second fluidized pulverulent material gallery on a second side of the membrane, a passageway out of the second gallery for the removal of fluidized pulverulent material therefrom, and apparatus for generating a signal indicative of fluidizing gas pressure inside the second gallery and controlling fluidizing gas pressure in the second gallery in response to the generated signal. The passageway accommodates a conveyor having multiple conveying sections. At least a first of the multiple conveying sections is located adjacent an inlet opening of a housing for the conveyor. The first conveying section is generally coextensive with the inlet opening. A conveyor drive mechanism is selectively engageable with the conveyor.

Abstract: A dryer is provided for automatically drying the upper contour surface of a vehicle. The dryer includes a frame, a nozzle for directing a stream of air against the vehicle, and an arm pivotally connecting the nozzle to the frame. A drive mechanism raises and lowers the arm to enable the nozzle to follow the contour of the vehicle. The drive mechanism includes a follower affixed to the arm, a rotary drive member cooperating with the follower and a drive motor operably connected to the drive member. The nozzle and arm are lowered by the force of gravity which urges a follower into engagement with the drive member. The follower is capable of being lifted free of the drive member to enable the nozzle to rise up in the event of contact with the vehicle thereby minimizing damage thereto.

Abstract: An apparatus for the manufacture of wrinkle-resistant garments is disclosed which includes a housing enclosing a drum which is rotatable on a generally horizontal axis, whereby when the drum is rotated with garments disposed therein a tunnel defined by the garments is formed. Mounted on a door secured to the housing is an atomizer unit positioned to discharge a durable press resin in the form of a mist through a hole in the door and into the garment tunnel when the door is closed. In practice, durable press resin is fed into the atomizer unit while the garments are being tumbled until the garments are sufficiently wetted with the resin. The wetted garments are then ready for curing to impart wrinkle-resistant properties to the garments.

Abstract: Environmental enhancement by controlling volatile organic compound (VOC) and NO.sub.x emissions in a flatline wafer drying system. The method is characterized by advancing the wafers of the type used in manufacture of oriented strand board (OSB) on a flatline conveyor embodying a plurality of dryer zones. Particularly, heating the dryer zones in successive lower temperatures in the range 500.degree. F. to 200.degree. F. by flowing heated air upwardly through the flatline wafer drying conveyor; removing VOC-rich exhaust air from a primary dryer zone while flowing heated air upwardly therein and removing VOC-rich exhaust air from a secondary dryer zone while flowing heated air from therein.

Abstract: A recycled asphalt product (RAP) drying apparatus comprising a three-zone counterflow RAP dryer and a duct system to recycle essentially all of the hot gases back through the system. The three-zone RAP dryer has a combustion zone at one end, a drying zone at the other end, and a buffer zone between the combustion and drying zones. A RAP inlet to introduce RAP into the dryer is included at one end of the drying zone, and a RAP outlet to remove RAP from the dryer is included at the other end of the drying zone. A duct pathway routes hot air from the drying zone back to the buffer zone so that hot air may be recycled through the apparatus.

Abstract: The disclosed invention is an ultraviolet curing process that causes a wrinkle pattern to appear on the surface of a curing layer. Initially, the primary stage of the process is generated by irradiating a photopolymerizable layer with far ultraviolet light wherein the dominant wavelength emitted is 254 nanometers. Then, the second stage of the process is performed by heating the photopolymerizable layer. Finally, the third stage of the process irradiates the layer with high pressure vapor ultraviolet light.

Abstract: A siphon for removing condensation water from the surface of a planar band. The siphon comprises a slide shoe, and at least one loading element for pressing the slide shoe so that it is substantially in contact with the surface of the band.

Abstract: Apparatus for drying a wet web, such as a wet paper web, includes a through air dryer roll. A rotatable fan member having fan blades is located within the through air dryer roll interior at one end of the through air dryer roll. Rotation of the fan member causes air flow through a web on the through air dryer roll, through openings of the through air dryer roll into the through air dryer roll interior, through the end of the through air dryer roll accommodating the fan member, and through an air flow passageway to the exterior of the through air dryer roll.

Abstract: A method for feeding metalorganic gas from solid raw materials in MOCVD and its device provides an absorption reagent consisting of porous grains into which a solid metalorganic material is absorbed and the passing of the carrier gas among the absorptive porous grains in the container under a high thermal condition. The mixture gas including the metalorganic gas at a constant density is obtained in stability for a long time.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an air-moving pulsator (12) for an electric hair dryer (10) which, for the purpose of creating a pulsing action in the air stream, includes a rotor (20, 41) rotatably supported in a substantially tubular housing portion (13) and having an impeller (11) adapted to be impacted by the air stream exiting from the hair dryer (10), wherein there is arranged upstream of the rotor (20, 41), as seen when looking in the discharge direction of the air stream, a stator (38) provided with selectively moveable vanes for varying the pulsation frequency and adapted to impart rotation to the air stream about its axis. In a preferred embodiment, stator (38) is provided with air-directing blades (28) pivotally mounted on radially oriented spokes (26), and the air-directing blades (28) carry cam follower pins (31) at the ends of arms (29). A cam ring (32) is rotatably secured by outer ring (33) on the housing portion (13) and has helical camming slots (36) to cam the pins (31).