Abstract: A safety rivet arrangement for indicating the unauthorized opening of a housing whose wall parts are connected with each other at a separating joint which has a covered outer edge. A safety rivet extends through the connection and is considerably harder than the material of the housing wall parts. The rivet ends are arranged recessed, and the safety rivet is also only loosely peened-over so as to be rotatable. By reason of its high material hardness, and the rotatable arrangement, the rivet cannot be drilled out with some evidence of the drilling.

Abstract: A fastener and tightening device for exerting force and equalization of force upon the nut or head of a bolt or threaded stud. The device is comprised of a shank fitting through a support member within an abutment head adapted to be drawn up tight against the support member. A plurality of jack bolts are threadedly engageable with holes in the head and are adapted to be tightened to exert pressure against the support member. Separate ball members are positioned between the jack bolts and a wear plate on the support member to minimize friction and provide for force equalization to counteract any off center alignment.

Abstract: A fastening system for securing an article to a base uses a conventional drive fastener. A reaction surface on the article contacts the bearing surface on the underside of the fastener head causing the fastener head to tilt relative to the body of the fastener. The reaction surface also causes the body of the drive fastener to deform when it is fully driven into the article, and a portion of the material from the reaction surface is displaced into the aperture to increase the retention force of the fastener.

Abstract: An anchor nut-cage fixing system is provided for positioning on a metal sheet from one of the faces of this metal sheet with a view to receiving bolts presented from this same face and comprising: a nut (1) with wings adapted for cooperating with an elongate hole (3) formed in the metal sheet (4); a plastic material cage (5) split by windows (6) and connected to an external collar (7). This collar is covered by a flat metal cap (9) perforated so as to let the bolts pass therethrough and having axially bent flanges (12) whose axial height is equal to or slightly less than the thickness of the collar, one at least of these flanges being bent to a little more than 90.degree. so as to imprison the collar.

Abstract: An improved cable clamping apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus is adapted for use in a cable actuated power drive mechanism having a cable and a cable drive mechanism. In a preferred embodiment, the improved cable clamping apparatus includes a coupling element for moving a mass in response to the movement of the cable. A particularly novel aspect of the invention is the provision of a cable clamp attached to the coupling element for clamping the cable such that the coupling element moves in response to the movement of the cable. The cable clamp is generally L-shaped with an integral first section and dual U-shaped second sections each adapted to receive the cable therein. In a specific embodiment, the dual U-shaped sections of the clamp are separated to receive and retain a cable collar therebetween. In a further more specific embodiment, at least one U-shaped section of the clamp is adapted for fastening with an appropriate fastener to enclose a portion of the cable therein.

Abstract: A parking meter actuator handle is provided with a clutch means comprising slip bearing members disposed between first and second relatively rotatable parts. The slip bearing members are pre-loaded in recesses in said second part to provide frictional engagement between the first and second parts. But excessive torque forces exerted upon the first part causes relative displacement between the first and second parts as said frictional force is overcome to protect the parking meter against vandalism.

Abstract: A speed control device for a bicycle is provided, which includes a positioning mechanism comprising a positioning member having a plurality of engaging portions, an engaging member selectively engageable one at a time with the engaging portions and an elastic member for biasing the engaging member toward the engaging portions. A reaction force of the elastic member affects the torque of the operating lever to generate a clicking vibration felt by the cyclist. The speed control device includes a thrust bearing which, when the operating lever is operated and the engaging member disengages from one of the engaging portions and transfers to the adjacent engaging portion, bears the reaction force of the elastic member, thereby reducing the torque of the operating lever and amplifying the clicking vibration thereof.

Abstract: A sofa bed having a foldable bed frame including a main section, center section and front section which are coplanar with one another when the frame is in the bed configuration. A mattress is supported by the foldable frame and folds with it when the bed is closed or stored in the sofa frame. When the foldable bed frame is partially folded, the front section does not fully compress the mattress between the main and front sections. When the partially folded bed frame is moved to the fully folded position inside the sofa frame, a series of links causes the front section of the bed frame to move to a horizontal position and fully compress the mattress. In this fashion, the stored energy in the mattress is reduced when the frame is partially open so as to reduce the possibility of injury to the operator.

Abstract: A device for mounting an operating lever for operating a gas pressure control plug of a gas spring is disclosed, in which the operating lever is in contact with the free end of the gas pressure control plug supported on a mounting frame of a seat or the like. The operating lever has a short shaft provided at an end and extending perpendicular to the axis of the gas spring. The short shaft is pressure fitted in an engagement groove, which is provided in a synthetic resin bearing block secured to a mounting frame and has a more-than-semicircular arcular sectional profile.

Abstract: A long stroke well pumping unit including a drive motor, a pulley and band assembly, a carriage assembly, a counterweight assembly and a belt and pulley assembly. The pulley and band assembly includes first and second pulleys and a continuous band which extends between and engages the pulleys. One of the pulleys is driven by the drive motor. The pulleys are spaced vertically. The carriage assembly includes a block base, wheels rotatably attached to the block base and an outer frame. The block base is swivelly connected to the continuous band. The wheels rotatably engage the interior of the frame. The counterweight assembly is fixedly attached to the frame. The belt and pulley assembly has first and second ends, the first end being attached to the counterweight and the second being attachable to a polish rod assembly. As the well pumping unit operates, the drive motor drives the band around the pulleys. Since the block base is connected to the band, it also travels in a loop around the pulleys.

Abstract: A device incorporating three cables for controlling a mirror support of a vehicle rearview mirror, which includes, between, on the one hand, a fixed plate on which are flanged the sleeves of the cables and, on the other hand, the support of the mirror, a crosspiece having four journals aligned in two's in two perpendicular directions and mounted in clippable fork-joints on the plate and support, respectively. According to the invention, the journals of each pair are more remote from one another than those of known crosspieces. The crosspiece has guiding bearing surfaces extending perpendicularly to a pivoting axis in order to cooperate with friction tabs on the mirror support and other guiding bearing surfaces extending perpendicularly to the other pivot axis in order to cooperate with friction tabs on the fixed plate.

Abstract: A captive screw assembly for impeding the removal of a screw from a housing or other part. The assembly includes a housing having a hole and an annular flange projecting inwardly in the hole at a location spaced from the hole's two ends. A screw encircled by a coil spring extends through the housing hole with the spring being retained between the screw head and the inwardly-projecting flange. A stopnut, which is sized to be freely received in the housing hole, is threaded to a selected location on the screw. The screw is urged longitudinally upwardly from the housing by the coil spring, to a point where the stopnut abuts against the inwardly-projecting flange. A full removal of the screw from the housing is thereby impeded.

Abstract: A threaded fastener for preventing cross threading comprises a head, a cylindrical threaded shank projecting from the head, and a tip section formed on the end of the shank opposite the head. The tip section has a generally circular cross-section and has at least one and preferably two partial threads formed on it. The tip section may be generally cylindrical, conical, frusto-conical or bullet shaped. A method of manufacturing an anti cross thread fastener comprises forming a fastener blank with a shank portion joined to a tip section having a tip threading side and a reduced radius side, and applying threads thereto.

Abstract: An anti-rotation device for a lever operated brake actuator for an all terrain vehicle of the type having brake cables connected to the brakes for the wheels of the vehicle. The actuator including a housing mounted on the vehicle, a lever arm pivotally mounted in the housing and being operatively connected to the brake cables, a sheath enclosing each of the brake cables and having one end secured to the vehicle in close proximity to the brakes. The anti-rotation device including an adjusting member connected to the other end of the sheath and mounted for axial movement in the housing, the adjusting member also including a threaded bore; a cable adjusting member mounted for rotary motion in the housing and having a threaded stud matingly engaging the threaded bore in the adjusting member, a thumb wheel mounted on the threaded stud for adjusting the length of the sheath and a cover mounted on the housing and including a number of ribs for preventing rotation of the thumb wheel.

Abstract: An elongated, generally cylindrical fastener engagable with a retaining ring to secure the fastener to a panel. The fastener includes a first set of uniformly-spaced splines extending along its external surface and terminating at an end of the fastener opposite an enlarged head. A second set of longitudinal splines is interleaved with the first set, these second splines being closed at their opposite ends. A separate crossover slot connects together each associated pair of open-end and closed-end splines. A retaining ring having inwardly-projecting tabs is slid onto the fastener with its tabs engaging the first set of open-end splines and the retaining ring is thereafter rotated to slide the tabs across the crossover slots to the closed-end splines. The depth of the crossover slots is less than the depth of the closed-end splines, such that the retaining ring must expand or flex outwardly when the tabs are slid across the slots.

Abstract: An orthopedic pillow having separately adjustable neckroll and head-support sections. The neckroll section has a foam rubber pad rolled into a spiral roll and housed within a cylindrical case. The case can be opened to allow the pad to be removed and trimmed. The diameter of the neckroll can thus be adjusted to correspond to the contour of the user's neck. The head-support section has an outer section and an inner section. The thickness of the outer portion may be adjusted by adding or removing filler material. The thickness of the inner portion may be adjusted by adding or removing inlays in a stacked arrangement.

Abstract: A threaded fastener is made of a composite material made of layers extending parallel to the fastener axis and having elongated filament fibers. A portion of the fibers extend parallel to the axis of the fastener to provide tensile and shear strength to the fastener, and a portion of the fibers extend parallel to the load-bearing thread faces to enhance tensile strength to the threads.

Abstract: A female threaded fastener, such as a nut, for preventing cross threading with a male threaded fastener comprises a body in which there is a threaded bore. A mouth is formed on at least one open end of the bore. The mouth has a partial thread section and a lip segment. The partial thread section has formed in it at least one partial thread. The lip section is unthreaded and may be angled radially outwardly from the bore.

Abstract: A pedal effort-reduction apparatus according to the present invention comprises a pedal arm and a lever which is movable as one therewith. First and second torsion coil springs are provided between the lever and a support bracket. The first coil spring urges the pedal arm to return to its initial position before the arm, starting from the initial position, reaches a position at a predetermined rotational angle to the initial position. When the pedal passes the predetermined-angle position, the first spring begins to urge the pedal arm in the direction in which it is being pushed. The second spring is attached to the lever so as to urge the pedal arm only in the direction in which it is being pushed. Therefore, when the pedal arm is pushed past the predetermined-angle position, the repulsive force generated by both the first spring and the second spring then acts as a pedal effort-reduction force.

Abstract: A fastening member to be driven into a hard receiving material, such as concrete, masonry, rock and the like, has an axially extending shank with a drilling head at its leading end and a thread adjacent its trailing end for connecting a load to the fastening member. A device is located on the shank for engagement with a tool for driving the fastening member into the receiving material. Initially, the fastening member drills a blind bore into the receiving material and then an explosive powder charge drives the member into its final position.