Abstract: An installation for printing fabric pieces having: a fixed printing frame; two take-up drums, situated spaced apart from and facing the terminal edges of the frame, each drum having a horizontal rotary shaft; drive means for causing said drums to rotate; a printing band as a support for the fabric piece to be printed and which is provided with end portions attached to the take-up drums and adapted to slide over the horizontal surface, alternately between a position of maximum take-up on the first drum and a position of maximum take-up on the second drum.

Abstract: A multi-dose inhaler (1; 2) for medicaments in powder form comprises a container unit (24; 124) for the medicament in powder form, a withdrawal and dose preparation unit (22, 26; 122, 126) for the medicament, and a unit (16, 50; 152, 176) for mixing the dose of medicament with an air stream. The withdrawal and dose preparation unit comprises: a cup-type conveyor device (22; 122) provided with at least one cup (20; 120) for withdrawing from the container unit a certain quantity of powder and conveying it into a dispensing position, the cup (20; 120) having two coaxial identical holes (56; 156); and a plunger-type dispensing device (36; 106) disposed above the mixing unit, the plunger (36; 106) being insertable as an exact fit into and withdrawable from the holes (56; 156) in the cup (20; 120) when the latter is in the dispensing position, to cause a dose of medicament in powder form to fall into the mixing unit.

Abstract: Upon inhalation of air from the interior of a housing, a flexible diaphragm-type valve exposed to the ambient air surrounding the housing is moved inwardly due to the difference in ambient air pressure to that in the housing to expose the interior of the housing to the ambient air which is then drawn into the housing. Upon movement of the valve, it strikes a lever connected to a toggle linkage arrangement, causing the lever to pivot to break the toggle linkage, enabling a coil spring to extend and move downwardly a medicant-containing bottle relative to the valve stem of an aerosol valve. The valve stem is urged upwardly relative to a nozzle and moved into the interior of the bottle dispensing a metered dose of the medicant to be mixed with the inhaled air, which is inhaled by the user until the valve automatically closes by extension of the valve stem relative to the nozzle.

Abstract: Ventilating/aspirating apparatus, and related methods, the apparatus comprising novel medication effluent structure forming a part of a ventilating/aspirating fitting immediately adjacent the patient by which a metered predetermined dosage of respirating medication is introduced as an atomized spray using one hand.

Abstract: A device for creating vibration within a chair which provides a therapeutic benefit to users. The chair has a control for adjusting the frequency of the vibrations and the amplitude of the vibrations, providing a wide variety of therapeutic results. The circuit powering the vibration sources within the chair employs a unique design that acts as a heat sink, effectively drawing heat away from the vibration sources and thus extending their useful life. The vibration sources may be incorporated into the seating furniture of vehicles such as automobiles or airplanes to provide relief from the strain associated with trips of extended duration. The structure has a sufficiently low profile to lend itself to placement in seating used in vehicles which have rather stringent dimensional requirements.

Abstract: A portable massage unit which is attachable to a chair, sofa, vehicle seat and the like, which includes an elongated plate member assembly having several massage protrusions on one side thereof for massaging the back of the user's body and on the other side thereof for massaging a body part such as a hand, arm, foot, leg and thigh by swinging the plate member assembly relative to a base plate member by an electric motor and crank mechanism. By connecting the two members with a flexible plate, reciprocating movement is further provided to the elongated plate member in the longitudinal direction. The plate member may provide further delicate massage performance by mounting several leaf springs thereon, each having at least one protrusion.

Abstract: A lung ventilator system has a demand valve to provide for spontaneous breathing with modification of the ventilator action to complement the spontaneous breathing and to synchronize restored forced ventilation with a last spontaneous breath. The system includes means to detect gas flow in the supply to the demand valve and to output a signal to the oscillator to modify or inhibit its operation in relation to the volume of gas drawn from the demand valve to vary the duration of the exhalation phase of the ventilation cycle. The system preferably uses a pneumatic oscillator with a feedback circuit connected to be influenced by the pressure drop across a restriction in the supply to the demand valve, signalled by the operation of selected ones of a plurality of inhibitor valves responding to different pressure drop levels.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for employing intermittently pulsating or arcuately moving pressured streams of water for massage purposes. A pallet-like structure and the like is provided with a relatively thin sheet-like material on its topside, and a plurality of conduits and nozzles are disposed below to direct pulsating or arcuately oscillating jets of water upwardly against the underside of the sheet-like material.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a fault triggering component for life-sustaining systems such as ventilating apparatus and anesthesia apparatus. The fault triggering unit is adapted so as to be connectable to or exchangeable with one of the standard plug-in components of the system. The fault triggering unit includes at least one remote-controllable drive member and this drive member is connected to a movable triggering component which triggers at least one fault with its movement. A circuit arrangement for assembling a training program for a ventilating apparatus having a lung simulator is also disclosed.