Abstract: A locking plate which is adapted for fastening insulation to a roof deck employs a locking grommet which snaps into the roofing plate and seats the head of the fastener. The locking grommet locks the fastener to the plate and maintains a constant fixed relationship at all times between the fastener head and the locking plate thereby preventing the head from popping up above the plate.

Abstract: A derailleur guard adapted to be mounted on a bicycle frame and shaped to protect a rear derailleur from impacts from a generally sideward direction. The derailleur guard includes a forward portion shaped to engage a chain stay of a bicycle frame, a rearward portion shaped to engage a dropout attached to the chain stay, and a loop portion extending between the forward and rearward portions and shaped to extend sidewardly from the frame about a rear derailleur mounted on the dropout of the frame.

Abstract: A rivet installation method creates a preload on the workpieces being joined. The rivet shank is urged to resist compression during installation while a ring on the end of the shank is compressed against the workpieces. Withdrawing the compression releases the shank to provide the preload.

Abstract: A composite bed cover including a substantially rectangular bed sheet having a pair of substantially parallel sheet side edges spaced apart by a distance d and spaced apart top and bottom sheet edges joining ends of the sheet side edges and extending transversely thereto; a sheet fastener mechanism retained by the bed sheet and disposed adjacent to each of the sheet side edges; a substantially rectangular bed coverlet of substantially greater weight than the bed sheet, the coverlet having a pair of substantially parallel coverlet side edges spaced apart by a distance D at least as great as the distance d and spaced apart top and bottom coverlet edges joining ends of the coverlet side edges and extending transversely thereto; and a coverlet fastener mechanism retained by the coverlet and disposed adjacent to each of the coverlet side edges and adapted for fastenable engagement with the sheet fastener means.

Abstract: An improved transmission housing is disclosed utilizing slots in mirror image housing castings to mount bolts that retain the brake to the transmission housing without the necessity of any machining. The axis of the slots extend substantially perpendicular to the parting line of the housing castings with the enlarged heads of the bolts located therein so that the bolts cannot be rotated.

Abstract: A bed base having first and second members which are of generally U-shaped configuration so as to slidably telescope together to permit expansion or contraction of the bed base in the lengthwise direction. Locking mechanisms coact between the telescoping legs to lock the bed base in the selected expanded or contracted position. A sheetlike cover is anchored at one end of the bed base and extends along the upper surface thereof towards the other end, at which point an intermediate part of the cover wraps downwardly around a guide drum and then projects reversely toward the other end of the bed base. The lower free end edge of the cover is connected to a compensating mechanism which adjusts the cover length, namely by moving the cover upwardly or downwardly around the guide drum, so that the upper section of the cover always stretches tautly across the upper surface of the bed base irrespective of the adjusted expanded or contracted position.

Abstract: A pedal for racing bicycle comprises a pedal body carrying a toe clip at the front with a strap for retaining a cycling shoe and a transverse stop at the rear which is adapted to engage a recess formed in a cleat fitted to the sole of the shoe. The transverse stop is movable relative to the body of the pedal so as to enable the cleat to be released in use as a result of a backward and/or rotary force applied by the shoe above a threshold value.

Abstract: A camshaft arrangement including a pair of cams (7, 8 ) mounted on the same camshaft (1) with at least one of the cams rotatable relative to the camshaft (17) and with the cams (7, 8) maintained at a given axial spacing on the camshaft (1), a differential mechanism (a, b, c, d) coupling the two cams (7, 8) together for rotation about the camshaft axis with a selected relative angular phase, and phase adjusting means (14, 15) for acting on the differential mechanism (a, b, c, d) to effect a relative rotation of the cams (7, 8) to adjust the selected angular phase of the cams (7, 8) and thereafter to retain the cams in the adjusted position.

Abstract: A pump lever for a jack is disclosed which comprises a protrusion formed near a plunger of a fluid pump for the jack; a handle sleeve having a first end and a second end, the first end being adapted to receive a handle and the second end being pivotally joined at said protrusion by a first pin, and in addition, a certain position between the first and second ends of the handle sleeve being pivotally joined with the plunger by a second pin; and a torsion spring having a pair of counteraction portions and a loop portion shaped between said pair of counteraction portions, the loop portion being passed through and supported by the first pin, and the pair of counteraction portions being adapted to respectively make contact with the protrusion and the second pin so that the torsion spring will urge the handle sleeve to raise to its uppermost position when one frees the handle, the top end of which is received in the first end of the handle sleeve at a lowered position.

Abstract: A key for locking a threaded insert in a carrier material is provided with an improved tang portion. The improved tang portion includes spring retention means for reducing the friction required to position and hold the key within an insert slot prior to final installation and provide superior driveability over known prior art keys. The spring retention means includes a flexure area and a pair of protrusions which are held by spring force against the walls of the insert slot. The flexure area is centrally located on the tang portion and includes an aperture therein.

Abstract: A dog clutch includes complementary cooperative male and female connection parts, one of which parts is defined by a hub integral with a wheel while the other part is carried by an end part of a shaft and which have such configuration as to define a series of cylindrical peripheral bearing surfaces and to provide between two successive bearing surfaces radial abutments which define therebetween projections engaged in cavities. A centrifugal expansion device is disposed directly and at least partly in the end part so as to produce a radial expansion of the series of male bearing surfaces and normally achieve an immobilization by the effect of friction of the hub on the end part, and exceptionally achieve a locking against rotation by contact of the abutments.

Abstract: A thread cleaning nut including a nut body having a central axis, first and second spaced apart faces formed on the nut body and a central aperture extending through the nut body along a central axis between the first and second faces. A screw thread is formed between the first and second faces within the central aperture wherein less than one-half of the first face is shaped as a first flat surface and more than one-half of the first face is shaped as a second flat surface inclined at an actue angle to the first flat surface. An end portion of the screw thread between the first and second surfaces is exposed to define at least one cutting tooth for cutting a path for the screw thread. The first and second surfaces intersect a third flat surface. The third flat surface intersects the central aperture at a position spaced from the central axis and it intersects the end portion of the screw thread at an acute angle to define a cutting edge of the at least one cutting tooth.

Abstract: Furniture which resides in one of a levitated position and a sunk position is disclosed. The furniture includes a bladder which is shaped to remain stable when placed on a floor and which is shaped to support a body. The bladder contains a lighter-than-air gaseous substance, such as helium, confined therein. The gaseous substance operates in conjunction with the bladder to define the furniture shape. The bladder is dimensioned to contain a sufficient quantity of the gaseous substance so that buoyancy in the atmosphere causes it to rise to a ceiling of a room when the furniture is out of use. The furniture additionally includes a tether attached to a bottom surface thereof. The furniture is moved from a levitated, out-of-use, position to a sunk, in-use, position by grasping the tether and pulling the furniture downward from the ceiling. The furniture may then be maintained in the sunk position, wherein it rests on a floor of the room, by using the furniture in a conventional manner to support a body.

Abstract: The device permits the control of a derailleur by means of a lever (9) with the use of indexation means which ensure a precise positioning of the lever in the various positions corresponding to the various gear ratios. It also permits the adjustment of the indexation pitch, so as to adapt it to freewheels having a different spacings or pitches between different sprocket pinions. For this purpose, positioning elements (19) may be shifted by a pitch selection element (21) so that the pitch between the various positions of the lever is modified.

Abstract: A clamping holder for fixing a support rod to the headboard of a child's bed is disclosed. The clamping holder is a simple, easy to manufacture device which securely anchors the support rod while distributing the clamping forces over an area sufficient to avoid distortion or marring of the headboard.

Abstract: A cable operated assembly for actuating a device comprises a housing assembly and a plunger movably mounted within the assembly for movement between return and actuating positions. A coil spring is mounted within the housing and biases the plunger toward the return position. A cable is movable in return and actuating directions relative to the housing and has one end engageable with the device to be actuated. The other end of the cable is connected to the plunger so as to permit movement of the cable relative to the plunger when the same moves toward the actuating position, and limiting relative movement of the cable when the plunger is moved toward the return position thereby to move the cable in the return direction. A second coil spring has a biasing force less than that of the first coil spring and urges the cable in the actuating direction, but is normally compressed.

Abstract: A cable operating apparatus includes a pawl and ratchet arrangement for maintaining an operating lever in a cable-tensioning position. The pawl is bifurcated to define a pair of pawl tips, the pawl being pivotable in opposite directions for effecting alternate engagement of the pawl tips with the ratchet. The pawl contains a slot that receives the pawl pivot pin and which permits lateral movement of the pawl between a pair of end positions. An overcenter spring arrangement alternately pivotally biases the pawl in opposite directions when the pawl is displaced toward the end positions, respectively. A cam arrangement serves to effect lateral displacement and pivotal movement of the pawl when the operating lever is pivoted from the released position toward a cable tensioning position.

Abstract: A nut assembly comprises two end-to-end nuts threaded onto a screw and coupled by splines which prevent relative rotation between the nuts while permitting relative axial movement. A sleeve surrounds the nuts and is threaded onto one of the nuts. The other nut is formed with ratchet teeth adapted to fit into angularly spaced notches in the sleeve. When the sleeve is rotated relative to the nuts, it forces the nuts away from one another to take up backlash between the nuts and the screw. During such rotation, the teeth ratchet into and out of successive notches and ultimately prevent relative rotation between the sleeve and the nuts during normal service use.

Abstract: A motion transmitting remote control assembly (10, 110) of the type for transmitting motion in a curved path. The assembly (10, 110) includes a conduit (14, 114) having an end fitting (16, 118) thereon adapted for mounting to a support structure. A tubular member (22, 122) is connected to and extends from the end fitting (16, 118). A telescoping member (25, 125) is slideably supported by the tubular member (22, 122). A coupling member (30, 130) fixedly supports the telescoping member (25, 125) and defines a channel (34, 134) therein. A core element (26, 126) extends through the conduit (14, 114) and the tubular member (22, 122) and into the channel (34, 134) of the coupling member (30, 130). A slug (46, 146) is disposed on the end of the core element (26, 126) and is received in the channel (34, 134) to define a lost motion connection between the core element (26, 126) and the coupling member ( 30, 130).

Abstract: A speed control device is provided for operating a bicycle derailleur via a control wire. The device includes a fixing member, an operating member supported rotatably relative to the fixing member and including a plurality of engaging portions and a passive portion, and an operating lever supported rotatably relative to the fixing member and including a transmitting portion engageable with the passive portion of the operating member to transmit an operating force supplied to the operating lever to the operating member. The operating member has one end of the control wire secured thereto. A lever spring biases the operating lever in a predetermined rotation direction, and a retaining pawl is pivoted to the fixing member and is selectively engageable with the engaging portions of the operating member. A pawl spring biases the retaining pawl in a direction of engagement with the engaging portions.