Abstract: An improved mechanical seal incorporating a pusher ring to hold the integral parts of the seal together, in lieu of a typical retaining ring and snap ring aligning and compressing the gland plate. The improvement consists of a pusher ring, fixedly attached to the seal body gland face with cap screws, which retains the gland plate, allowing for easy and safe repair and assembling.

Abstract: A moveable pedicure table for combination with a reclining facial bed as provided having a table frame with side portions and a central open portion. Legs extend downward from the frame and rollers are attached to the legs for movement along a horizontal ground or floor surface. Projections extend inward into the central open area from the sides of the table frame. The projections are constructed for supporting a pedicure basin at a predetermined height. A connector mechanism is attached to the table frame for detachable engagement with a facial bed.

Abstract: An articulated bed assembly includes a stationary frame structure to which an upper body support section and a lower body support section are pivotably mounted for movement between raised and lowered positions. An actuator arrangement includes an actuator member which is adapted for extension and retraction in response to operation of an operating arrangement such as a drive motor. The actuator member is interconnected with the upper body support section through a drive member for raising and lowering the upper body support section in response to extension and retraction of the actuator member. An operating mechanism is interconnected between the actuator member and the lower body support section for lifting and lowering the lower body support section in response to extension and retraction of the actuator member. The operating mechanism includes a linkage arrangement defining a first link pivotably mounted to the stationary frame assembly and a second link pivotably mounted to the actuator member.

Abstract: A frame connector for quickly and easily attaching two picture frames together in a stable manner has a support arm and a coupling member on each end. A coupling member may be a slider, snap, wedge or spring. A slider frame support attaches easily to either metal or wood frames. A coupling member for a slider frame support may be a flat piece for screwing or nailing to a wood frame, or may be slid into the channel of a metal frame. Holes, slots or spikes for attaching to a wood frame may be incorporated into any of the coupling members. A slider frame support includes a screw hole for a screw that secures the slider support to a channel of a metal frame. A snap frame support attaches to a channel of a frame by fingers that snap into the channel. A wedge frame support secures itself in a channel of a frame by wedging itself within the channel. A spring frame support secures itself in the channel of a frame by spring-like fingers that press against the channel walls.

Abstract: A gasket for fuel cells includes a gasket body composed of a metal or resin sheet and having openings, and a sealing section composed of a liquid rubber vulcanizate. The sealing section is bonded to the gasket body at low pressure. The inner face of each of the openings is covered with the sealing section. The gasket precludes generation of contaminants, such as ions, by the reaction of working fluids with the material constituting the gasket body, allowing high generating efficiency of the fuel cell.

Abstract: The use of particulate stuffings such as down or fiberfill in the construction of orthopaedic pillows has previously been limited due to formidable intrinsic difficulties: On a curved wedge of support, with natural turning movement of the sleeper, fiberfill will tend to “avalanche” downhill, settle and pack down to obliterate any initial toricity or inflected curvature. Hence the sleeper is awakened to refluff or to punch the missing inflection back into place. Though simple internal partitioning can initially delay the scenario, in due course nuisance fiber sequestering and impeded normal hand refluffing are the results. The present invention focuses on structurally overcoming these impediments to the orthopaedic use of particulate fillings. It notably provides a pillow that manifests to the sleeper as downy soft, and comfortingly restful.

Abstract: A safety crib sheet and a safety crib sheet mattress assembly to reduce the risk of infant smothering and strangulation. Pieces of material are sewn such that the resulting sheet can not be installed or dislodged from the mattress without substantially destroying the sheet or deforming the mattress. In one embodiment, a mattress is formed in two subsections coupled along a fold line. The mattress must be folded in half along the fold line to install or dislodge the sheet. In another embodiment, a conventional crib mattress is used with a sheet that covers a substantial portion of the underside of the mattress and is sufficiently unelastic that the mattress must be significantly bent at least at the corners to permit the sheet to be installed or dislodged.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a neck rest moulded from a foamed material and having a rear pillow portion of a generally tubular configuration and two generally parallel laterally extending support sections extend at right angles from the front face at each end of said pillow portion. The opposing inner surfaces of the support are curved to form a keyhole shaped space between the support sections sized to permit the neck rest to comfortable fit around a person's neck without feeling yoked. The top surfaces and bottom surfaces of said support sections are preferably flat with rounded, the top surface of the pillow portion is higher than the top surfaces of the support sections and is curved to fit comfortable against the nape of the users neck. A flocking material is applied to the exterior surfaces of the neck rest.

Abstract: A gel pad assembly includes a flexible gel pad and an adjustable shape retainer integral with the gel pad. A flexible first outer wall cooperates with a flexible inner wall to form a first chamber. A gel is located within the first chamber. A flexible second outer wall cooperates with the inner wall to form a second chamber coextensive with the first chamber. The integral shape retainer is located within the second chamber and is selectively adjustable between a flexible condition wherein the flexible walls are conformable to a variety of desired shapes and a rigid condition wherein the flexible walls are retained in a selected one of the desired shapes. Preferred embodiments of the shape retainer include a vacuum activated bean bag, a plurality of pressurizable chambers, a thermally deformable plastic sheet, and an array of pivot elements which are mechanically clamped together.

Abstract: A stretcher includes a first actuator coupled to a head section and a second actuator coupled to a thigh section. A set of buttons accessible to a patient carried by the stretcher are coupled to motors that drive the respective first and second actuators. The buttons are pressed to move the thigh section through a fill range of motion and to move the head section through a limited range of motion. A switch inaccessible to the patient is pressed to move the head section through a full range of motion. Lockout switches are provided for disabling the buttons and the switch. A first hand crank is coupled to the first actuator and is manually rotated to move the head section through the full range of motion. A second hand crank is coupled to the second actuator and is manually rotated to move the thigh section through the fill range of motion. A CPR release handle is provided for quickly lowering the head section to the lowered position without the use of the buttons, switch, or first hand crank.

Abstract: A printed display sign particularly for use with a light box reverse printed on its rear face with information, typically a menu for a fast food outlet. The information includes product names and aligned with each product name is a rectangular transparent window area where the sign is not printed. The rear of the sign is painted with a white diffusing layer which covers the entire rear surface of the sign apart from the windows and the areas bordering the windows which are not coated with the diffusing layer so as to leave a rectangular dark border or frame around each window. Labels having a size larger than that of the window but preferably smaller than that of the outer edge of the border can then be located essentially within the window using the outer edge of the border as a guide. The front of the label is printed with price indicia and if the label is correctly applied to the window, which can be checked by reference to the border, the price indicia should align correctly with the product name indicia.

Abstract: A mattress includes a head section, a seat section and first and second outer leg support sections. The seat section and the first and second outer leg support sections are configured to define a central opening therebetween. The mattress further comprises a removable center leg support section configured for movement between a first use position located within the central opening to provide a portion of the mattress and a second storage position detached from the mattress and located below the mattress. A drip flap is coupled to the seat section and first and second outer leg support sections of the mattress. The drip flap is configured to extend downwardly below a bottom surface of the mattress adjacent the central opening of the mattress.

Abstract: A placarding apparatus for use in connection with a transportable cylindrical storage tank of the type that includes a pair of opposing ends with an upper lifting lug and a lower pair of feet at each end. The placarding apparatus includes a first placard assembly that provides signage at each end of the storage tank and a second placard assembly that provides signage at each side of the tank. The first placard assembly includes a placard and strap assembly that connects the placard between one of the lifting lugs and one of the pairs of opposing feet. The strap assembly has a first portion that extends upwardly at one end from an upper aperture in the placard to the lifting lug at that end. It also includes a lower strap portion that extends downwardly from a lower aperture in the placard to a pair of strap segments that connect to each of the two feet at that end of the storage tank.

Abstract: A two-dimensional display having a three-dimensional visual appearance has printed on a substantially flat or planar surface a predetermined message or information. Superposed over the message is a lenticular lens. Adjacent to the message are a series of spaced apart lines which may either be coplanar or non-coplanar relative to the message. The spaced apart lines are arranged so that they are in a non-registration relationship with the spacing of individual lenticules forming the lenticular lens. The display produces an appearance of having the lines float or move as a viewer's focal angle or perspective of the display changes. A method for making such a display is also provided.

Abstract: A planar tag having an attachment portion and a body portion is disclosed. The attachment portion has at least one barb and the body portion being printable or carrying indicia. A tool for anchoring the tag to an object and an apparatus for holding the object whilst the tag is secured to the object are also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides a self-powered display unit for displaying at least two consecutively changing images to be viewed by a viewer, the unit comprising a housing, at least one wall portion of the housing being made of an array of linear lenses having a lenticular front face and a flat rear face; at least one displaceable, light-weight, substantially planar indicia carrier disposed inside the housing at a distance from the rear face at most equalling the focal length of the lenses, and a high efficiency, low energy consumption, battery-powered DC drive means for periodically displacing the indicia carrier for a distance at least equalling the distance between two adjacent lenses of the array.

Abstract: A seat having various hardnesses provided with a surface material. The seat is air-permeable, has a tactile feeling of the seat surface and has a hardness capable of supporting the weight of a person who sits thereon. The seat (1) is covered with an air-permeable surface material (2) and has a foamed body having a shape generally corresponding to an external shape of the seat. The foamed body includes a first foamed body (10) as a base of the foamed body and a second foamed body (6) connected integrally with the first foamed body. The first foamed body (10) has ascending parts (12, 13) which are formed on parts of a surface thereof. In the method for manufacturing the seat, the mixture (15) is introduced and layered on the first foamed body (10) and the surface material (2) is placed thereon.

Abstract: A support device provided to be arranged on a base member (1) such as a mattress, a bunk or a bed, and comprising an inflatable portion (2) which is arranged to be in an inflated state in order to lift a person resting upon the inflatable portion (2), the inflatable portion (2) comprising an inlet opening (5) and an outlet opening (6) for the supply and evacuation respectively of an inflation medium. The inflatable portion (2) comprises a lateral projection (4) provided to project beyond a lateral edge (3) of the base member (1) and at which the inlet opening (5) and the outlet opening (6) are arranged.

Abstract: A bunk bed assembly for providing a place for people to sleep. The bunk bed assembly includes a plurality of generally vertically extending elongate columns that are spaced apart and oriented in a generally rectangular configuration. Each of the columns has upper and lower ends and a transparent peripheral sidewall extending between the ends. The peripheral sidewall of each of the columns defines a bore through the column. A pair of spaced apart upper and lower bunks extend between the columns.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing mattresses is achieved by providing first and second layers of latex material having different indentation load deflection values. Each layer is then cut lengthwise along a longitudinal plane, preferably a medial plane to define first and second layer portions of the first and second layers each of an identical height. The layer portions are then cross united and adhesively bonded together thereby producing a mattress possessing a composite load deflection value dictated by the different indentation load deflection values of the starting layers. Preferably matching recesses are formed in the first and second layer portions of both layers. Medial recesses receive postural inserts of relatively high ILD values, whereas transverse recesses at headed foot sections are aligned to define voids at the foot and head sections of the mattress to provide head and foot relief.