Abstract: An appliance muffler for absorbing sound wave vibrations and impact from foreign objects employed to muffle noise transmissions produced by the appliance and to protect the outer surface of the appliance, wherein the appliance muffler comprises a flexible appliance jacket mounted over the appliance base and a flexible and stretchable appliance container sleeve mounted over the container.

Abstract: The guitar scale calculator device of the present invention has a longitudinal housing with a longitudinal open window. A scroll is disposed within the housing and is visible through the open window of the housing. The scroll contains a first indicia indicating a finger placement pattern for playing at least one preselected musical scale in selected tonics and indicating a key note location of the finger placement pattern for each of the preselected musical scales. A clear overlay is positioned and attached within the open window of the longitudinal housing and is constructed of a material which permits seeing the scroll through the overlay. The overlay contains a second indicia indicating a simulated fret board with scale tone letters for the finger placement pattern for each of the preselected musical scales.

Abstract: A keyboard lid comprising a lid body and a frame plate attached to the edge of the lid body for reinforcing it in which said frame plate has a decoration plate arranged at the outside of said lid body and a reinforcing plate arranged at the inside of said lid body and that said decoration plate and said reinforcing plate are formed separately with each other.

Abstract: A camera is disclosed which includes a loading chamber for receiving a film cartridge. A groove in the film cartridge is engaged by a retention member during movement of the film cartridge from the loading chamber. The retention member allows the film cartridge to move partially out of the loading chamber but prevents the film cartridge from completely moving out of the loading chamber. The retention member is capable of being disabled to allow the film cartridge to be completely moved out of the loading chamber.

Abstract: A film cartridge in which a supply spool incorporated in a cartridge body is rotated to supply a film wound on the supply spool out of the cartridge body. A film supply unit rotates the supply spool to supply the film out of the film cartridge. A first control unit controls the film supply unit such that a supply operation of the film is started in response to a closing operation of the rear cover of a camera body. A film take-up unit takes up the film supplied by the film supply unit. A second control unit controls the film take-up unit to operate the film take-up unit upon completion of the supply operation of the film performed by the film supply unit. A third control unit interrupts a take-up operation of the film performed by the film take-up unit and reoperates the film supply unit when the take-up operation of the film is impossible during the take-up operation of the film performed by the film take-up unit.

Abstract: A camera viewfinder comprises a viewfinder window defining a viewing field, and a masking device movable to position respective mask openings having different aspect ratios over the viewfinder window to vary the viewing field. The masking device includes a pair of separate independent masks, each of which has one of the mask openings and is movable relative to the other over the viewfinder window from respective locations at opposite sides of the viewfinder window.

Abstract: A mechanism constructed of strong and rigid material for mounting an adjustable bridge (27) and electric pickup (29) onto an acoustic upright bass instrument (A). Located at the narrow end (22) of the invention are tailgut holes (21) for securing the invention to the instrument via the tailgut used for conventional prior art tailpieces. Conveniently located in the main body (B.sup.1) of the invention is a plurality of string holes (24.sup.h) for locking acoustic upright bass strings (FIG. 2, (30) in their usual position in relation to the instrument. At the front upper surface of the invention is an adjustable bridge mounting surface (26) on a plane parallel to that of the fingerboard and of sufficient dimension to allow the effective placement of an adjustable bridge (27) in one of several positions relative to desired scale length of the instrument strings (FIG. 1, (30), FIG. 2, (30.sup.e)).

Abstract: Core materials for strings for musical instruments of a twist of two or more multifilaments composed of a vinylidene fluoride resin. The multifilament core has a diameter of 0.1 to 5 mm, an elongation of 10 to 50%, a tensile strength of at least 30 kg/mm.sup.2, a creep elongation of at most 15% and a Young's modulus of at least 200 kg/mm.sup.2. The multifilament is made of monofilaments each having a diameter of 1 to 300 .mu.m, a dispersion diameter of at most 20%/m, a specific gravity of at least 1.6, an inherent viscosity of 0.85 to 1.6 dl/g, an apparent viscosity of 12,000 to 100,000 poise and a birefringence of 30.times.10.sup.-3. Strings for violins, cellos and the like are made by tightly wrapping the core with a metal string.

Abstract: A muffler for reducing fluid flow noise in a hydraulic system comprises a cylindrical elastomer insert having multiple reinforced flow ports with different diameter porting, internal air chambers, and cast from an elastomer mixed with hollow glass spheres to form an insert of 40 percent air by volume. The insert is placed within a housing and connected to the hydraulic pipe assembly for receiving fluid under pressure and diverting it through the multiple flow ports of the insert wherein flow sounds, pump surges, and flushing noises of the hydraulic system are muffled by the disruption of the flow through the flow ports, the absorption by the internal air chambers, and the absorption by microspheres created by the hollow glass spheres in the elastomer insert.

Abstract: An apparatus for modifying an exhaust stream of a diesel engine is provided. The apparatus includes a muffler arrangement having an exhaust inlet and an exhaust outlet in construct and arrange for sound attenuation therein. The apparatus also includes a catalytic converter arrangement positioned within the muffler arrangement. During operation, the exhaust flow is directed both through the muffler arrangement and the catalytic converter arrangement, to advantage.

Abstract: A motion generating mechanism particularly adapted for use in a music box is equipped with a vertical rod which can be actuated to swing back and forth and a pair of follower rods which are driven to rotate and repeatedly move up and down simultaneously. A shaft having one end engaged with the spring actuated rolling wheel of a music box is provided with an elliptic cam plate at each end thereof; and the bottom end of the follower rods having an abutment plate in contact with the elliptic cam plate are urged to move up and down and circularly. A rotation arm driven by the rolling wheel by way of a gear member and engaged with a swing follower having the vertical rod secured at one end is used to produce a pivotal swing motion of the vertical rod. Each abutment plate is provided with a recess which can be selectively engaged with a stop rod so as to restrain the follower rod from spinning and limit to move up and down only.

Abstract: Noise is attenuated by a resonator having an inlet pipe leading to an expansion chamber and an outlet pipe leading from the expansion chamber. The two pipes are not aligned with each other at the expansion chamber. The portions of the two pipes proximate the expansion chamber contain respective venturis. The expansion chamber also functions as a Helmholtz resonator by providing the resonator with one or more apertures between the outlet pipe and the expansion chamber.

Abstract: A music box transmission mechanism comprised of a music box, a shell connected to the casing of the music box on the outside to hold a base frame, a movable plate connected to the base frame by a connector, a link coupled to a rod on one end of the pinned barrel of the music box, a top actuating rod inserted through respective holes on the connector and the base frame and the movable plate and coupled to the link by a coupling shaft, and two swinging rods inserted through respective half-round slots on the base frame into respective holes on the movable plate, whereby the swinging rods are reciprocated vertically as the top actuating rod is turned back and forth horizontally during the operation of the music box.

Abstract: A photographic printer has a first polarizing beam splitter for splitting light from a light source into a first polarized light and a second polarized light. The first polarized light passes through a first liquid crystal cell having a liquid crystal material held between grid-like transparent electrodes. At this time, the plane of polarization of the first polarized light is changed in each small region formed in the liquid crystal cell. The first polarized light then enters a second polarizing beam splitter. On the other hand, the second polarized light enters the second polarizing beam splitter after its plane of polarization has been changed. At the second polarizing beam splitter, the first polarized light and the second polarized light are combined and then projected on a print paper via a photographic film so that an image recorded on the photographic film is exposed and printed on the print paper.

Abstract: A pedal mechanism coupling device for coupling the pivot shaft of a first pedal mechanism to the pivot shaft of a second pedal mechanism permitting the beaters of both pedal mechanism to be separately controlled to beat a base drum, the coupling device having a hexagonal axial hole and a radial screw hole at one end to hold a hexagonal link by a tightening up screw, which link is turned back and forth by the second pedal mechanism, and two axle bearings longitudinally aligned at an opposite end to hold the pivot shaft of the first pedal mechanism to the coupling device by a headed screw permitting to the pivot shaft of the first pedal mechanism to be turned back and forth relative to the coupling device. A tightening up screw threaded into the radial screw hole on said base block to hold down said hexagonal link, two bearing chambers defined within said base block and said cover block, two axle bearings received in said bearing chambers and longitudinally aligned.

Abstract: A sound absorbing panel having a front surface and rear surface, the front surface having a plurality of parallel grooves therein, the rear surface having for each groove in the front surface, a row of bores aligned with respect to the groove, each bore extending into the sound absorbing panel toward the groove with a first diameter to a depth below the depth of the grooves, and thereafter extending with a second smaller diameter into the groove, thereby communicating with the respective one of the grooves, the second diameter being smaller than the width of the grooves.

Abstract: A musical article of furniture, here jewelry chest (10) which includes at least one slidable drawer (12) for storage of articles and for activating and deactivating a musical movement (19). Mechanical spring wound musical movement (19) is attached to a supporting surface (14) of the housing (11) of chest (10) and has a rotating shaft, also serving as the winding shaft (21), protruding through an outside surface of chest housing (11). An ornament (34) is affixed to the shaft and the shaft is decoratively finished. Musical movement (19) is provided with a stop-and-start mechanism which includes a control arm (22) being positioned and configured to interfere with the back (13) of upper drawer (12) such that the mechanism will be activated when the drawer is opened and will shut off when the drawer is closed.

Abstract: An adjustable, accessory neck member configured for interchangeable attachment to an instrument body as part of a stringed instrument. A neck body includes a top surface and an opposing back surface. A rigid, elongate bar is disposed within a channel formed within the neck body. An adjustment screw is rotatably engaged within an adjustment end of the rigid bar. A flange is attached to a first end of the screw and is sandwiched between the back surface of the neck and a mounting plate secured to said back surface. A small access hole is formed in the top surface in substantial alignment with the adjustment screw. A user inserts a screw turning device into the access hole to selectively rotate the screw. When the screw is rotated in a first direction, the back surface prevents movement of the screw in a first axial direction to thereby cause controlled displacement of the adjustment end of the bar in an opposing second axial direction.

Abstract: A camera, in which film is pulled out of a Patrone which is mounted according to a drop-in procedure and then taken up by a spool, comprises a spool for taking up film, and a pull-out sheet that has one end fixed to the spool and the other end passing over a rear side of an aperture and fitted to a film, and that pulls out the film and winds it about the spool. When the pull-out sheet is located at an initial position at which the other end thereof extends over a rear side of the aperture, light passing through an optical system passes through at least a portion of the pull-out sheet. A film feed driving clutch is interlocked with the opening and closing of the Patrone cover.

Abstract: An earmuff cushion providing improved attenuation is described. The cushion is a foam material having a low static stiffness, and a high dynamic stiffness, which produces improved attenuation in the earmuff in which it is used. Earmuffs made from the cushion and improved methods of making the cushion and the earmuffs are also described.