Abstract: An improved baseball glove, including a heel pocket is disclosed. The heel pocket opens and closes when the glove is manipulated between open and closed positions. The heel pocket comprises a web, first and second end flaps, each having an upper edge and a base edge. The base edges are secured to the heel of the glove and the end flaps are secured to the thumb stall and the little finger stall.

Abstract: In a garment, such as a firefighter's garment, which has a collar having two front portions, a foldable chinstrap having a primary portion, a secondary portion, and two opposite ends may be fastened in a substantially permanent manner, as by sewing, at the primary portion to one such front portion of the collar, near one such end of the chinstrap. In an unfolded condition, in which the primary portion of the chinstrap is disposed below the secondary portion, the primary portion of the chinstrap can be releasably fastened, as by a hook-and-pile fastener, to the other front portion of the collar, near the other end of the chinstrap. In the unfolded condition, moreover, the secondary portion of the chinstrap can be releasably fastened, as by hook-and-pile fasteners, to the front portions of the collar, near the opposite ends of the chinstrap.

Abstract: A new protective helmet with attachable visor for protecting a cyclists eyes without need of glasses. The inventive device includes a protective visor adapted for removable securement to a front peripheral edge of a protective helmet. The protective visor has a plurality of hook and loop strips disposed on an interior surface of an upper edge thereof. The hook and loop strips couple with corresponding hook and loop strips disposed on the protective helmet.

Abstract: A drawing unit for drawing sliver includes first and second drawing roll pairs being spaced from one another in the direction of sliver advance. One drawing roll in each drawing roll pair is a driven roll.

Abstract: A protective batting glove including padding in critical hand areas. The padding is a thin, shock absorbing material covering the hand areas that are susceptible to injury during batting. These critical hand areas include portions of both the upper and lower palmar side of the hand, portions of the digits, and a portion of the thumb. In additions, certain other critical areas have the shock absorbing material wrap around the hand, from the palmar surface to the dorsal surface. Non-critical hand areas are not padded to maximize tactile sensation and control.

Abstract: A padded protective garment to be worn on the upper body of a user comprises a number of padded panels for positioning against the chest and back regions to cover the shoulders and a major part of the rib cage of the wearer. The garment also includes an external shell comprising generally vertically extending stiffener bands provided in laterally spaced pairs for overlying portions of the front and rear padded sections. The stiffener bands at their upper ends are connected to shoulder arches and are fabricated from a stiffly flexible material so as to be able to attenuate localized impact forces and distribute such forces to an enlarged region of the underlying padding layers.

Abstract: An air isolation hand or handle covering has a bladder consisting of a plurality of interconnected or independent inflation cells that is positioned between the hand and a hand-held tool or other vibrating object. The cells are oriented to permit easy bending of the hand covering in directions appropriate for grasping an object. The effectiveness of the bladder in reducing the vibration energy transmitted to the hand is a function of the bladder material thickness, the shape and configuration of the bladder, the pressure in the bladder, the compressible fluid used, the volume of the bladder, and the grip force and push force used when clasping a tool or other object. The bladder is attached in place by way of an attachment tab which is integrally formed from at least one of the layers of the bladder and extends for at least about one sixth the length of the fluid cavity.

Abstract: A fiber processing machine includes a sliver guiding device having first and second wall elements as well as first, second, third and fourth wall faces. The first and second wall faces which form part of the first and second wall elements, respectively, are oriented toward and spaced from one another to define a first gap. The third and fourth wall faces are oriented toward and spaced from one another to define a second gap. Some of the wall faces are convergent for densifying a sliver running through the first and second gaps. At least one of the first and second wall elements is stationary during operation. First and second cooperating withdrawing rolls immediately adjoin the first gap for pulling the sliver therethrough upon their rotation. The first and second withdrawing rolls define a bight into which the first and second wall faces extend. The first and second withdrawing rolls have respective first and second circumferential roll surface portions forming the bight.

Abstract: A protective pad worn under the trousers, hooked to the trousers or belt, for protecting skaters from spinal injury when falling. The pad has a substantially rigid central flat panel curved at the bottom to conform to the human form and a hook at the top for clipping to the trousers. A foamed synthetic resin member covers the front of the central panel and a high density foamed synthetic resin member covers the rear. The central panel and foamed members are encased in a fabric sheath. The hook protrudes through the fabric sheath. The central panel and front and rear foamed members are perforated by ventilation holes. A gel filled cushion provides additional shock absorbency.

Abstract: A device for adjusting and securing a helmet to the head of a user. The helmet comprises a shell, a pair of temporal straps, a pair of rear straps and a chin-strap provided with a closure, connected together through anchoring and shifting members. The device also includes a stretcher fastened to said shell for stretching an elastic spring provided in said rear straps and adjusting to the desired tension said chin-strap, and a releasing button to release said elastic spring. The stretcher includes a capstan-like rotatable lever adapted to pull and apply a tension to said elastic means when it is manually rotated.

Abstract: A plastic gin rib is manufactured of nylon material with long glass fiber reinforcement and carbon fiber reinforcement. In some cases, synthetic resinous fluorine-containing polymers is added to the nylon before molding.

Abstract: A knee, elbow or other body part protector includes a playful, fanciful or novelty feature, figure or object that is not related to safety integrated therewith. A protective portion of the protector and the figure or object are integrated into the protector so as to provide protection or safety while also lending enjoyment, satisfaction or entertainment to the wearing of the protector. Such protectors are particularly attractive to young children to induce the children to wear them. The integration into the protector of the protective portion and the figure or object can be one of relative location or one in which part or all of the protective portion forms part of the feature or object, which can be defined graphically, by surface ornamentation and/or by one or more three-dimensional objects. Other parts of the protector, e.g., straps or an elastic sleeve, may be integrated into the figure or object.

Abstract: A batting helmet includes an adjustable circumferential head band that allows the helmet to be worn by individuals with a wide range of head sizes while maintaining a constant air gap between the wearers head and the interior padding of the helmet. This air gap increases the elapsed time between impact of a ball with the helmet and impact between the helmet and its padding and the wearers head, thereby allowing for increased dispersion of energy through the shell of the helmet.

Abstract: A spinning can stand of a fiber sliver-processing machine such as a flyer or a jet spinning frame having a plurality of spindles in at least one row. Rectangular cans are used instead of round cans for reducing the expenditure for exchanging the spinning cans. Each unreeling spinning can or operating can has an instantaneous filling level. The filling level differs between adjacent operating cans by a fraction of the can filling. A full can or reserve can is allocated to the position of the operating can emptied to the greatest extent.

Abstract: An apparatus for making a fiber batt includes an opening roll for opening fibers fed thereto; a fiber removing device directing an air stream to the opening roll for removing the opened fiber therefrom; a downwardly open fiber gathering hood; an arrangement for introducing into the hood an air stream carrying the opened fiber removed from the opening roll; an air-pervious, continuously moving fiber gathering surface covered by the fiber gathering hood; an arrangement for forcing air from the fiber gathering hood through the fiber gathering surface for depositing the fibers thereon to form a fiber batt; and an arrangement for heating the fibers with a heated air stream in a zone between the opening roll and the fiber gathering surface for effecting a heat treatment of the fibers, such as a binding of the fibers with a binding agent mixed to the fibers.

Abstract: A hand held knot tying device used for tying fishermen's knots, such as nail knots, which are used to tie monofilament segments to fishing line segments. The device has a straight portion that extends approximately one-half of its length at which point the other half tapers down to a diameter that is small relative to the straight portion. The grooves run the length of the straight portion but run out in the tapered portion due to the taper going below the depth of the grooves. To tie a knot with the device, the fisherman lays the fishing line in the widest groove, then, coming from the opposite direction, he lays the monofilament in one of the other grooves. Next, and having provided enough slack to do so, he wraps the monofilament back upon itself and the fly line, so as to form multiple coils, and then tunnels the free end of the monofilament back beneath the coils, using the third groove as a tunneling means. He then tightens the coils to form a knot around the straight portion.

Abstract: A device for automatically adjusting the staking pressure in staking machines with beating plates, wherein the machine includes at least one fixed plate (5) and at least one moving plate (4) which face each other and are provided with complementarily shaped tools; the fixed plate (5) is installed on threaded posts (11) which can be screwed in complementarily threaded bushes (12) which are rigidly coupled to a bed (3); there are locking devices (13) which act selectively on the fixed plate (5).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating kenaf into fiber and core uses a modified stick machine conventionally used in the cotton industry for removing trash from unginned cotton. Lengths of kenaf are delivered onto the periphery of a saw cylinder so the toothed wheels snag the fiber and draw the kenaf across a grate. Core is detached from the fiber, passes through the grate and is delivered to a core outlet. Fiber on the toothed wheels are removed by a doffing wheel and delivered to a fiber outlet. Multiple saw cylinder/doffing wheel assemblies are provided.

Abstract: A helmet apparatus includes a head-covering assembly which includes a top portion and a side portion extending downward from the top portion. A guard support is connected to the side portion of the head-covering assembly, and a guard assembly is connected to the guard support. The helmet apparatus of the invention can be used as a batter's helmet to protect a batter in a baseball or softball game. The guard assembly can be installed when a player is batting, and the guard assembly can be easily removed when the player is no longer batting. The guard assembly includes a lower guard portion for covering a wearer's chin and an upper guard portion for covering a wearer's cheek. With a first embodiment of the invention, the guard support includes a guard support bracket, and the guard assembly includes bracket-connection portions for connecting to the guard support bracket. The guard support bracket includes a reception panel which includes a plurality of reception apertures.

Abstract: A snap clamp includes a planar part which has a slit area and a resilient flap formed in the slit area. The resilient flap has a fixed end integrally connected to the planar part, a free end opposite to the fixed end, and a resilient protrusion formed on the free end to project normally outward from one side of the planar part. A clamp has two clamping plates to sandwich the planar part therebetween. The clamping plates have opposing inner faces in sliding contact with the planar part. One clamping plate has an engaging slot for engaging the resilient protrusion. As such, the resilient flap is bendable inward to retract inward the resilient protrusion upon insertion in the clamping plates, and is engageable with one of the clamping plate via interengagement of the resilient protrusion and the engaging slot.