Abstract: A floral stand which is designed to display flower or branch arrangements in any desired orientation, including horizontally or upside down. The stand is a hollow shell made of a light weight plastic material and formed into any pleasing shape desired for flower display. Inside the shell are located air-tight compartments for holding liquid nutrient. Each compartment includes a hole for insertion of a flower stem into it and a means to grip the stem tightly. The air-tight nature of the compartments, the stem gripping means and the relative difference in pressure between the inside of the water filled compartment and the outside air, prevent the possibility of any significant fluid leakage from the stand in any orientation and under normal handling conditions.

Abstract: A plant cage apparatus is set forth wherein a matrix of interconnected vertical and horizontal arcuate rod members are interconnected at junctures by connector members wherein the connector members slidingly accept ends of respective horizontal and vertical members to enable expansion or contraction of the cage apparatus to accommodate plant growth. Terminal ends of respective horizontal members defining terminal junctions of a respective cage structure along one vertical perimeter are formed with projecting tapered ends at the cage and connector members are formed at the other vertical perimeter side of the cage. The connector members accommodate the tapered end portions for joinder of two respective semi-cylindrical cage structures to form a continuous cage apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for suppressing vibration of a structure. The apparatus includes a tank adapted to be mounted in the structure and a chamber defining mechanism, arranged within the tank, for defining a plurality of annular chambers, concentric about a vertical axis of the tank, to receive a liquid for suppressing vibration of the structure. The chambers are each adapted to contain such an amount of the liquid that the liquid is equal in natural period to the structure.

Abstract: In pulling or pushing steel tendons, such as strands of steel wire through ducts positioned in a concrete structural member, the ducts are sheathing tubes encased in the concrete of the structural member. To limit the friction acting on the tendon as it is displaced through a duct, forces acting in the axial direction of the duct or vibrations acting transversely of the axial direction of the duct are applied directly to the tendon. These forces are applied at recesses in the structural member accessible at its outside surface. The friction acting on the tendon is compensated by the axially directed forces and the application of vibrations greatly reduces the coefficient of friction. These forces acting on the tendon can be combined and are particularly useful for moving tendons around small radius curves and through large redirecting angles.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a combination changing mechanism for a combination lock comprising a plurality of dial wheels rotatably mounted to the housing of the combination lock, each including a first shaft and a plurality of first teeth extending axially and arranging equidistantly on the outer surface of the first shaft; a plurality of combination changing wheels, each inlcuding a bore for receiving one of the first shaft, an elongated slot communicating with the bore and extending through one side of the combination changing wheel so that the combination changing wheel can be deformed and expanded slightly by a pushing force from one of the dial wheel acting to the peripheral wall of the bore, and a plurality of second teeth on the peripheral wall of the bore to engage with one of the first teeth of the dial wheels; and a movable element having a plurality of stop projections, and capable of being moved to make the stop projections insert respectively into the elongated slots for perventing the combi