Abstract: A steam generator for nuclear power plant applications. U-shaped heat exchanger tubes within said steam generator are provided with compliant antivibration bars at the U-shaped portion of the tubes. Flexible plates located at opposite sides of the antivibration bars are placed in contact with the opposite sides of the rows of tubes. Support ribs spaced along the length of the compliant bars limit the deflection of the flexible plates and establish the effective length of the flexible plates. The ribs in successive columns of antivibration bars are located between the ribs of the bars of each preceding and following row.

Abstract: A fishing apparatus including a wire yoke designed to extend around the bottom of and to each side of a tail portion of a minnow. A straight bendable wire shank member is connected at one end thereof to the top end of one side of the yoke and extends substantially horizontally in use when attached to a minnow. This shank member is designed to extend through a tail section of a minnow. A downwardly extending member on the top of the other side of the yoke is provided for selectively holding the other end of the shank member from bending upwardly when disposed within such downwardly extending member, but permitting the shank member to bend downwardly and outwardly to become disengaged from such downwardly extending member such that the free end of the shank member, when unlocked, can be pushed through the tail section of a minnow and then locked into place under the downwardly extending member. A hook is connected to the bottom of the wire yoke.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises an annular water-cooled metallic mold having open upper and lower ends, a core member located in the inner space of the mold to form therebetween an annular casting passage for solidifying therein the molten metal supplied in the casting passage, and a movable supporting base member adapted to initially close the lower end of the casting passage to support the molten metal therein and then to be moved downwardly apart from the lower end as the metal in the casting passage solidifies so as to permit the solidified metal to be pulled out from the casting passage for continuously producing the hollow metallic ingot.

Abstract: A trap assembly (10) and housing (11) providing an electrical circuit (FIG. 5) for triggering the trap assembly is described. A coil (31) pulls a plunger (30) to activate a lever (20) to release a rod 18 holding the U-shaped wire 12. The wire and rod are part of the electrical series circuit so that the circuit is disconnected after the trap is sprung. The animal A and base 17 can be discarded from the housing, battery B and coil which can be reused.

Abstract: A portable hunting blind or stand adaptable to rest on a mobile or permanent platform, the blind having a cylindrical cross-section and external frame to avoid obstruction with a hunter's movement. The deer stand comprises a conical overhanging roof resting above a cylindrical wall. The wall has external framework and contains a plurality of radially spaced window apertures; an outside-facing window at each window aperture that is adapted to swing upwardly and outwardly; a connection to allow an inhabitant on the inside of the cylindrical wall to open the outside-facing window; a horizontal gun rest adjoining the inside of the cylindrical wall inside the portable building beneath the window aperture and, an inside-facing window at each of the window apertures adapted to swing upwardly and toward the interior of the cylindrical wall and a window latch adapted to hold the inside-facing window in a vertical position.

Abstract: A fishing spear tip for mounting on a fishing spear shaft has a first, second, and third spear prong mounted in a prong holder having a central longitudinally extending straight bore extending rearwardly from the forward end thereof and adapted to receive the proximal end portions of the first, second, and third prongs therein. An adapter is operatively associated with the prong holder for attaching the prong holder to a spear shaft. Matrix material is positioned in the straight bore in the prong holder in fixed bonding relationship therewith and in fixedly holding, engaging contact with proximal end portions of the first, second, and third prongs. The central longitudinal axes of the first, second, and third prongs, and the central longitudinal axis of the prong holder all are positioned in nonparallel, nonintersecting relationship.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ice fishing rig comprising a rotatable reel, an electrical alarm device, a battery for operating the alarm device and a support stand for the reel, alarm device and battery. An electrical circuit is formed from the battery through the support stand and reel to the alarm device, and includes a circuit breaker located in a reel set-up position away from which the reel rotates for closing the circuit and activating the alarm to indicate the presence of a fish.

Abstract: A fishhook for hooking fish upon the outside of their bodies, particularly in the soft tissue behind the fish's lip. The fishhook comprises two or more elongate members with external hooks at distal ends. Proximate ends of the elongate members are connected. A contraction linkage mounts a bait hook or other bait which is pulled upon by the fish to contract the external hooks into the fish's snout.

Abstract: An adapter is provided for mounting fishing accessories, such as a downrigger, in the flush mounted rod holders normally provided in the gunnels or stern of a sport fishing boat. The device comprises an elongate, cylindrical sleeve which is inserted axially in the flush mounted rod holder. The elongate sleeve is provided with a distal end and a proximate end disposed within the rod holder. First and second elastomeric rings are disposed on the distal and proximate ends of the sleeve. Distal and proximate end plugs are provided which are slidably received in the distal and proximate ends of the elongate sleeve. An accessory mounting plate is disposed on a portion of the proximate end plug which extends above the flush mounted rod holder. A threaded fastener actuated by a hand knob connects the distal and proximate end plugs for axially adjusting the plugs and compressing the first and second elastomeric rings.

Abstract: An insect killing system is disclosed which comprises a circulation chamber within which steam is allowed to flow and circulate and a differential insect killing cell which forces the steam within the circulation chamber to flow therethrough. In this insect killing system, by guiding the steam in the circulation chamber maintained at a preselected temperature and humidity into the differential insect killing cell, the product temperature or fruit core temperature of raw fruit can be maintained at a desired level so as to kill out the maggots and eggs of insect pests such as orange flies and melon flies attaching to the raw fruit contained within the differential insect killing cell.

Abstract: A continuous caster tundish having refractory wall dams formed as part of a portion of the lining of the interior of the side walls, where each refractory wall dam is characterized by a flange projecting substantially horizontally inwardly to prevent turbulent surface flow as molten metal is poured into the tundish.

Abstract: An aerated live well consisting of a double walled vessel where the inner chamber formed by the walls can be filled with ice for the purposes of cooling the water in the vessel, and/or the inner chamber can be filled with pressurized air via an air pump, having a wide mouth inlet into the inner chamber through which the ice can be added, for the purposes of generating a reservoir of air which is diffused into the water in the vessel; where the combination of diffused air and cooling ice serves to substantially extend the life expectancy of the bait contained in the said aerated live well.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the continuous casting of thin steel slabs in which a chilled surface submerged below the surface of a pool of molten metal is exposed to molten metal to cause an embryo cast strand to be formed thereon and in which the embryo strand is withdrawn upwardly continuously over a continuation of said chilled surface. The strand may be moved directly from withdrawal rolls to reshaping rollers while still retaining sufficient residual heat to permit reshaping without reheating.

Abstract: An electric roach trap comprising a housing with three spaced apart conductors composed of a water pan conductor, a floor and wall conductor and a bait holder conductor. These conductors are connected to an outside power source so that when a roach enters the trap and contacts simultaneously two of these spaced apart conductors, the roach will be electrocuted. The electric roach trap of this invention is safe to handle, easy to clean, has shock proof protection for humans and pets, and has special features such as a window to see into the trap to see if it contains dead roaches and should be cleaned and an indicator light to tell when the trap has power and is operational when it is located in a dark area. An additional feature is that the trap is shock proof in that electrical current to the trap is terminated when the trap is opened by removing the top housing from the bottom housing.

Abstract: A bait threading tool is provided having a stainless steel shank, pointed at one end and defining a crook at the opposite end. To mount a shrimp as bait on the free end of a fishline, a short length of fishing leader line is utilized having a hook at one end and a loop at its opposite end. The loop is engaged in the crook of the bait threading tool and the shrimp is impaled on the point at the end of the shank. The bait threading tool is passed entirely through the body of the shrimp, carrying the loop of the fishing leader line therewith. The fishing leader is pulled until the hook is concealed in the body of the shrimp. The fishing leader loop is then disengaged from the crook and secured to the clip of a snap swivel at the end of the main fishline.

Abstract: A kind of opening and recovering type net device, in which the net frame includes several joints and frame rods together with the function of driving shaft and transmission assemblies to form into a retractable mechanism that can be put into an adjustable sleeve assembly. The whole net can be retracted into the adjustable sleeve assembly for carrying convenience.

Abstract: The insect trap of the present invention comprises a conical shell having a downwardly and inwardly tapered sidewall and an upstanding annular rim provided at the top of the sidewall. Baffles are positioned within the conical shell and extend upwardly therefrom. An insect receptacle is provided into which the bottom of the conical shell opens. The baffles of the insect trap preferably comprises four fins, each fin having a slot and an aperture formed therein. Flat insect lures which extend through the slots in the fins are provided in the baffles and a plug-like insect lure is positioned in the aperture in one of the fins of the baffles. The two types of insect lures effectively attract insects into the insect trap such that insects like the baffles, fall downwardly through the conical shell and are captured in the insect receptacle.

Abstract: A castor comprises a moulded plastics body (1) having a socket for a swivel pin and a center wall (6) with an aperture of which the edge is formed as the outer ball track (9) of a ball bearing. Two moulded plastics wheels (2) have hollow hub portions (11) extending towards the center wall and shaped to co-operate to provide the inner ball track (17) of the ball bearing.

Abstract: An animal trap especially suited for trapping rodents such as rats and other small animals, in one embodiment comprising a generally cylindrical or rectangular container having a movable top adapted for limited rotation in one direction about a pair of centrally positioned fulcrum points in response to the animal's weight on one side of the top on which is provided a suitable bait. The top is normally positioned horizonally fully covering the interior of the container. Upon activation of the top in response to the animal's weight on the trigger side of the top, the top rotates to a substantially vertical position causing the animal to fall into the container and permitting the top to reset itself horizontally for trapping another animal. The trap is preferably configured to cause the animal to have all of his weight on the non-trigger side of the top before it goes after the bait on the trigger side of the top.

Abstract: A trotline reel assembly includes a elongated shaft, a crank member fixed to the shaft for rotation thereof, and a handle rotatably connected to the shaft adjacent the crank for supporting the assembly. A main or major line of a trotline is wound about the shaft adjacent the handle during rotation of the crank, and as each drop line or leader line is encountered, the corresponding hook is inserted into an open end of the shaft remote from the crank and handle. The assembly presents an open, unrestricted area between the wound extent of the major line and the open end of the shaft for receiving the leader lines and facilitating insertion of hooks in the open end of the shaft regardless of the spacing of the leader lines along the length of the major or main line. Preferably, a flange fixed to the shaft between the wound major line and the handle substantially precludes entanglement of the trotline with the handle as the shaft is rotated to reel in the line.