Abstract: A paint tray, for use with a paint roller or the like, including substantially coplanar front and rear edges, a paint well adjacent to and below the rear edge for storing a supply of paint, and an inclined surface tapering upwards from the well to the front edge for rolling excess paint off the roller. The tray and roller coact for supporting at least one portion of the paint roller above the well thereby allowing excess paint from the roller to drip back into the well.

Abstract: A socket for a ball point pen comprises a hollow sleeve receiving a writing ball at the forward end, a rod member forcefully inserted into the sleeve to be pressed at the forward end against the writing ball, and ink passageways defined between the sleeve and rod member so as to extend throughout the socket. The sleeve is provided with a communication section for causing the ink passageways to communicate with the outside of the socket, thereby attaining a reliable delivery of ink from the ink passageways to the writing ball and preventing ink from leaking out of the pen body through an air passage provided at the forward end portion of the barrel of the ball point pen.

Abstract: A mechanical pencil of the collet-action type is provided with a collet member formed of a pair of identically configured mating half shells guiding and clamping the lead. The half shells are maintained in fixed relation with respect to one another by means of an annulus cooperating with a conically flared portion formed at one end of the collet member, whose diameter is partially reduced corresponding to the inner diameter of the annulus, and by means of a cap at the opposite end of the collet member. The parts are assembled by first sliding one and then the other one of the two collet shells through the annulus into mating relation with one another and thereafter fitting the end cap over the end of the mating shells. All parts of the pencil are maintained in assembled relation by a compression spring.

Abstract: A socket for holding the writing ball of a ball point pen comprising an outer tubular member having a circular cross section and an inner tubular member having an elliptic or circular cross section, wherein an ink-conducting chamber or chambers are defined between the inner peripheral wall of the outer tubular member and the outer peripheral wall of the inner tubular member, thereby enabling ink to be conducted smoothly from an ink cartridge provided in the ball point pen through the chambers to the writing ball.

Abstract: This mop comprises a removable cleaning cover or mitt which is folded about an open wire mop frame over which is mounted an absorbent pad of foam plastic and the like. A long extension handle optionally may be a water conduit having one end attached to a fitting mounted on the frame inside the foam pad and the other, remote end is provided with a plastic gripping handle and a water hose coupling. The mitt is a chenille-like fabric with an open pocket which is closed by a foldable flap. This device is especially useful for washing automobiles, windows and the like where extension is necessary.

Abstract: An absorbent tipped liquid applicator apparatus is equipped with a mechanism for selectively capping and uncapping the tip in response to manual pressure. The applicator includes an absorbent tip and a body which normally contains a reservoir of fluid. A flexible sleeve is attached to the body at one end. A spring loaded sleeve retractor is connected to the other end of the sleeve and is flexibly attached to the body of the applicator also. In its capping mode, the sleeve is drawn over the absorbent tip and is clamped there by the retractor means. When the retractor means is squeezed, it opens up the end of the sleeve and withdraws it so as to effectively uncap the tip. Releasing the manual pressure on the retracting means causes the sleeve to return to its capping mode position. This technique can be applied to nylon tipped pens, felt tipped marking and highlighting pens, glue sticks, shoe polish applicators and the like.

Abstract: A laryngoscope blade includes an upper wall, a lower wall, and a side wall joining the upper and lower walls. The upper wall includes an upper lip engaging portion and an upper gum engaging portion which are contiguous with one another. The lower wall includes a tongue engaging portion and a tip portion disposed for engaging and lifting the epiglottis. The gum portion is substantially parallel to a major extent of the lower wall, whereas the lip portion extends at an acute angle with respect thereto. An inner surface of the upper wall, at the juncture of the gum portion and the lip portion, is provided with a groove and the inner surface of the tip portion is provided with another groove. The bottom surfaces of the grooves are aligned with one another, such that a line of sight extends along such surfaces from each end of the blade.

Abstract: A vibrating receiver for punch tape produced by Teletype or other high speed printer. The device is secured to resilient mounts on a base. A receiving magazine is vibrated by an electrically driven eccentric secured to an arm oscillating the magazine on the resilient mounts. As an alternate structure a rotating off-center weight tuned to the proper harmonic secured to the oscillating floor of the magazine might be used to impart vibrating motion.

Abstract: A retractable ball-point pen includes a housing comprising a barrel and cap, the latter being rotatable with respect to the former to control extension and retraction of a writing tube located within the housing. A ferrule which is pressfit into an opening at the non-writing end of the barrel serves as a mount for a guide bushing having an offset bore therein through which a writing tube extends. The cap rotates about the cylindrical surface presented by the bushing and a retaining ring which engages the inner wall of the cap prevents axial movement of the cap. A cam member which includes a helical cam surface is fixedly mounted in the cap and a spring biases writing tube against the cam surface so that rotation of the cap in first direction causes extension of the tube while rotation in the opposite direction causes retraction of the tube.

Abstract: Remotely operated mechanisms for quickly clamping and unclamping one or both sides of an automatic catcher for a cloth spreading machine to a cloth cutting table. These mechanisms permit the automatic catcher to be clamped to and released from the cutting table by an operator who remains on one side of the table. The operator can also connect and disconnect the automatic catcher relative to the cloth spreading machine while remaining on one side of the cutting table.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for spreading mixtures of primary colors in fluid form by means of a spreading device, such as a drawing or painting device, having containers for colors and thinner connected to a spreading or painting element.

Abstract: The cap of a fountain pen is releasably locked to the barrel by spherically arcuate projections in the bore of the cap engaging a groove in the barrel which is bounded by a circumferential sealing rib on the barrel in a direction inward of the cap when the latter is in the closed position. Three, equiangularly distributed, axial ribs in the cap guide the barrel during insertion of the barrel into the cap and bound capillary ducts in the assembled pen which collect condensate from the air chamber surrounding the nib and prevent contamination of the condensate with coloring matter from the ink. The sealing rib on the barrel engages a cylindrical face portion of the cap between the projections and the outer ends of the guide ribs.

Abstract: A dispensing holder for cosmetic stick product and the like, comprising an outer casing which is completely cylindrical and has an opening at one end. A circular rim surrounds the opening and has an annular shoulder at its underside. Cooperable with the shoulder is a thin, curved wafer-like closure member disposed in the casing and movable from a retracted position closely underlying the cylindrical casing wall to an advanced position wherein it spans the open end of the casing so as to engage the shoulder and form a tight, dust-proof seal therewith. The circular rim lies in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the casing axis, such that the casing has the especially pleasing external appearance of a perfect cylinder. The closure member is carried by a flexible, push-pull actuator strap which is guided for movement along diametrically opposite longitudinal portions of the casing by a tubular internal guide member.

Abstract: A needle endoscope includes a hollow needle of about 18-gauge, a lens system within the needle, an image transmitting bundle of flexible fiber-optic rods within the needle, a plurality of illumination transmitting fiber-optic rods within the needle, an operative channel within the needle, and apparatus to shift the image transmitting bundle with respect to the lens system and needle to provide focus adjustment for focusing the endoscope on objects at various distances from the end of the needle. The channel is adapted to receive an electrode having an end which, when extended beyond the needle, can be microscopically viewed and supervised through the needle during application of radiofrequency pulses to the spinal cord's nerve tracts or nerve cells, for example. Both medical and industrial uses are contemplated.

Abstract: A marker system that employs an erasing unit that can couple and uncouple readily from its marker to facilitate the use of specific chemical reagents to "erase" their associated indicator dye inks without the use of non-discriminating bleaches. This erasing unit or anti-marker marker can be mounted in the marker cap, alternately in the marker barrel or used as a separate erasing unit.

Abstract: This application relates to a ball point pen and more particularly to a mechanism for turning or rotating the ink cartridge each time the plunger is depressed to project the ball point from the pen into the writing position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for binding of perforated sheets together through their perforations with at least one loop of flexible tape. The apparatus includes a tape feed station, a tape cut-off station, a tape loop forming station, and a tape loop sealing station. The various stations are interconnected and are activated in a series of interlocking cycles which together result in stringing or inserting a strip of flexible tape through each perforation, cutting the inserted tape to length, and looping the cut length around an adjacent edge of the stack of sheets. End portions of the looped lengths of tape are then sealed to close the loops and thereby form hinges. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, jets are provided to assist stringing the strip of tape through the perforations, and also to assist looping.

Abstract: A multi-ply lottery ticket or like article is formed from a single sheet of material transversely accordion folded into a set of three contiguous panels disposed in registered zig-zag relationship. The articles are formed from an endless web of sheet material transversely subdivided into a series of connected blanks each of which is transversely trisected into a set of three contiguous panels spanning the full width of the web, wherein portions of each surface of the web are provided with adhesive which is not activated for adhering to other panels until after original indicia has been applied to an upper surface of at least one panel of each blank. Thereafter, each set of panels is accordion folded into registered zig-zag relationship, abutting panels permanently bonded to one another, producing the continuous series of multi-ply tickets or like articles.

Abstract: A plunger-mounted pin moves axially in the tubular stylus projecting from the front end of a stylograph barrel. Ink is supplied to the stylus from a reservoir in the barrel through a continuous capillary conduit system partly constituted by an annular gap between the plunger and a feed bar in which the plunger is axially movable. A portion of the conduit system by-passes an air chamber behind the plunger.

Abstract: A toothbrush having an elongated handle provided at one end with a head comprising a surface from which bristles project in the usual manner. Within and extending longitudinally of the handle is an elongated cartridge chamber terminating at the head end of the handle with an opening communicating at one end with the chamber and at its other end with the bristled surface. The smaller of the two angles between the opening and the bristled surface is no more than about 45.degree.. The cartridge chamber is adapted to receive therein an elongated, tubular, flattenable, dentifrice cartridge insertable through an opening at the end of the chamber remote from the head.