Abstract: A three-section convertible sofa mechanism installed in a convertible sofa. The convertible sofa has a pair of curved channels in which the head section of the sofa rides. As the mechanism is pulled outwardly from the sofa frame, the head section is guided upwardly and outwardly by the curved channels. Preferably, the movement of the mechanism in the channels is synchronized so that both sides are raised and lowered together. A retractable leg assembly is also disclosed.

Abstract: An improved patient support system including a fluid inflatable support for receiving a patient thereon; a fluid supply source in communication with said fluid support, a detector associated with said fluid support means for monitoring the degree of inflation of said support, and control valving, switching or the like operatively associated with said fluid supply and said detector to actuate said fluid supply responsive to predetermined input from said detector.

Abstract: A locking arrangement for preventing motorcar theft by locking the gearshift stick to a fixed portion of the motorcar including a rigid bar rigidly secured to a body portion of the motorcar in th vicinity of, parallel to and of a length shorter than the gearshift stick, a padlock body fixedly mounted onto the bar, and a separable padlock shackle adapted to be locked to the padlock body, with the stick enclosed by the shackle.

Abstract: Thrust bearing failure in clutches is avoided in a clutch construction including a housing 10 with first and second coaxial shafts 24, 32 and a clutch pack 34 interconnecting the shafts 24 and 32 for coupling and decoupling the same. A spring 50 is utilized to engage the clutch pack 34 to couple the shafts 24 and 32 while a motor 82, 96 is utilized to decouple the shafts by releasing compression on the clutch pack 34. This is accomplished by moving a thrust bearing 76 to engage a reaction plate 48 forming part of the clutch pack 34 to move the same away from the other reaction plate 34 of the clutch pack to disengage the clutch. The thrust bearing 76 is wholly out of the load path of the clutch when the clutch is engaged.

Abstract: A semi-circular dual window panel unit is supported by a correspondingly-shaped frame assembly including wood jamb members and removable wood sash members which extend completely around the window panel unit and confine an edge portion of the unit. A one-piece sheet of plastics material is vacuum-formed into a semi-circular cap member which is bonded to the frame. The cap member has an outwardly projecting mounting flange and an inwardly projecting protector flange which is spaced in front of the window panel unit by spacer strips. The protector flange has an inner peripheral lip bonded to the edge portion of the window panel unit by a resilient sealant material.

Abstract: A thin plate structure such as a deck structure for, for instance, a footbridge comprises at least two abutting and substantially horizontally arranged profiled girders. Each girder comprises at least two substantially vertical plate-shaped side members. The girders are interconnected two by two by means of a plurality of connection fittings in these side members. These connection fittings are formed by locking lifting and comprising at least one downwardly pointing locking tongue cut out in one of the side members of each girder. Along a preferably horizontally extending bent bending area the locking tongue is bent in an offset manner outwards. The locking tongue co-operates with a locking tongue opening punched out opposite the locking tongue in the abutting side member of the adjacent girder as well as with at least one upwardly pointing locking gill punched out of one of the side members in each girder.

Abstract: An assembly for sealing the space between adjacent architectural panel assemblies, such as window panels, includes a sealing means configured to fit between the opposing end surfaces of adjacent window panels, compressible members for engaging the sealing member and the opposing surface of each window panel, and a rigid member configured to fit in an interior cavity of the sealing member. The rigid member maintains the means in alignment with the opposing edge surfaces of the adjacent panels.

Abstract: Conversion of a ventilated roof to a thermally insulated, nonventilated roof without tearing off an existing roof sheathing which is, for example, made of asbestos cement and is carried by roof beams, includes the provision of holes in the old roof sheathing over the length of each roof beam at approximately equal intervals; and the provision of posts which are secured on the roof beams, extend through the holes, and project above the old roof sheathing. A heat-insulating intermediate structure is secured on the posts, has a U-shaped or hat-shaped profile, and extends over the posts which are arranged in a row, on which U-shaped or hat-shaped profile is secured the new roof sheathing. The space between the old and new roof sheathings is filled with an insulating layer.

Abstract: The present tile is adapted to cooperate with similar tiles to form a tiled surface, and is formed from a relatively thin sheet having a periphery disposed symmetrically about a central axis. When the tile is installed the central axis coincides with a line defining free water flow down the tile between upper and lower tile portions. The tile has first and second raised ribs extending symmetrically as mirror images of each other on each side of the central axis. Each rib has upper and lower rib portions which are interconnected so as to extend continuously between the upper and lower tile portions to increase stiffness of the tile. The stiffened tile is better able to resist weight of a person walking on the roof, and also resists a tendency for the lower portion of the tile to lift when wind blows onto the roof. The upper rib portions are smaller than, and complementary to, the lower rib portions so that the lower rib portions of an upper tile can fit over upper rib portions of a lower tile.

Abstract: A partition wall in which a plurality of sections are adjoined by a plurality of vertically spaced apart hollow clips having a tightenable screw protruding from each to which a section of wall is to be affixed, with each screw head being placed through a hole in the web of a metal stud near the end of each wall section, with the screw head screwed tight against the stud web material.

Abstract: A gate latch structure with a striker bar is mounted on a fence gate hinge mounted to the fence. A gate handle is provided that has a striker bar enclosing loop reinforcing the mounting of the striker bar on the gate. The latch structure also includes a pivotal latch member pivotally mounted on a latch mounting back plate that is mountable on a fence post or the middle end of the other half of a double gate. The striker bar receiving opening in the pivotal latch member has a rear edge recessed back from the rear end of the striker bar receiving opening in the latch mounting back plate. With this structure the back plate absorbs striker bar closing impact directly rather than such impact being imposed on the pivotal latch member and on the pivot screw mounting the pivotal latch member.

Abstract: A window sash member includes first and second generally parallel sidewalls. First and second spaced, generally parallel transverse walls, extending between and oriented generally perpendicular to the first and second sidewalls, connect the first and second sidewalls to define a first hollow chamber. A third transverse wall, located without the first hollow chamber adjacent to and generally parallel to the first transverse wall, extends from the first transverse wall and terminates short of the second sidewall. A first interior wall, oriented generally parallel to the first sidewall, extends from the third transverse wall to the first transverse wall to define a second hollow chamber. A fourth transverse wall, located without the first hollow chamber adjacent to and generally parallel to the second transverse wall, extends from the first sidewall and terminates short of the second sidewall.

Abstract: The device has a first piece mounted on the frame and a second piece mounted on the leaf (or vice versa). The first piece contains two horns defining two rigid bearing surfaces with a groove in between. The second piece is formed by a base mounted on a leaf (or frame), a flexible arm integral with the base and a catch tenon or latch piece integral with the free end of the flexible arm. At closing, the arm lodges automatically in the groove. The first and second pieces are each composed of two parts of which the first is secured to the frame (or leaf), this first part containing a slide-way (or slide) whereas the second part which contains the locking mechanism has at its base a slide (or cooperating slideway) adapted to the slide-way (or slide) of the first part.

Abstract: A tamper-proof bolt including a shank with a threaded end portion merging into an unthreaded portion of lesser diameter merging into an enlarged unthreaded portion merging into the larger base of a frustoconical head also having a smaller base, an undulating curvilinear groove in the smaller base, an island having lobes within the groove, an outer side in the groove, an inner side in the groove formed by the sides of the lobes of the island, and a cylindrical boss on the island extending axially outwardly from the smaller base and having a radial dimension which is approximately equal to the minimum radial dimension of the undulating groove.

Abstract: The object of the invention is a cubicle for machining centers, consisting of a front one or multipart face wall and stationary or multipart side walls (11, 12), which can be designed to be like sliding doors. In order to prevent damage to the side walls or the windows therein through a collision with a workpiece projecting sideways during the machining cycle or during set up, a part of the side walls (11, 12), according to the invention, is designed to swing sideways, so that it can yield way by a pre-determined distance upon impact by a workpiece. At least one emergency switch is installed in the movement range of these side wall parts, which switches off the forward drive of the workpiece table(s) (4) when it is activated.

Abstract: A panel support for various kinds of panels such as windows sliding doors, room dividers or the like, comprising sash means having wall means adapted to be spaced outwardly from and substantially encircling the periphery of panel means, shoulder means adapted to contact and retain said panel means in position within said sash means with said wall means in spaced relationship to said panel means periphery, the width of said wall means adapted to extend generally perpendicular to the plane of said panel means and for a distance at least substantially the thickness thereof, primary thermal break means in said wall means extending substantially the length thereof, mounting means for securing said sash means to a building, and shroud means adapted to lie adjacent portions of either one or both edges of said wall and mounting means and having surfaces spaced from said portions to provide dead-air, secondary thermal break means.

Abstract: A molded, high impact, industrial door having a thermoplastic resin honeycomb core formed with a multiplicity of cells. Each cell has an open end and side walls that converge to a closed bottom and alternate cells open to opposite faces of the core. The cells are filled with a lightweight resilient flexible filler material, such as foam resin, and the core is encapsulated in an elastomeric resin. The molded door is abrasion and corrosion resistant and is capable of withstanding the high impact forces of material handling equipment.

Abstract: The torsional vibration damper for the drive line of a motor vehicle driven by an internal combustion engine comprises two main parts (1, 3) rotatable in relation to one another about a common rotation axis, which are rotationally elastically coupled with one another through at least one pair of springs (7, 9) arranged in series-connection with one another. A friction damper device (R.sub.2) stressable in the relative rotation of the main parts is connected in parallel with only one of the two springs (7, 9). A further friction damper device (R.sub.1) with a smaller friction torque can be connected additionally in parallel with the series-connection of the two springs (7, 9). In such a torsional vibration damper the friction damping is independent of the torque basic loading and essentially dependent only upon the torque vibration superimposed on this torque basic loading. In this way characteristic resonances of the drive line of a motor vehicle can be damped in a deliberate manner.

Abstract: A metal "U" shape channel form is used to form a concrete beam, and has two laterally opposed outwardly extending horizontally disposed flanges with two supporting areas arranged in a stepped fashion for selectively supporting a metal deck or both a metal deck and plywood between the span of adjacently arranged channel forms used to form a slab therebetween, which slab may be composite in that the formed slab integrally includes a metal deck. A "U" shape shoring head of complementary shape to the channel form is mounted on a shoring frame to hold the channel form in place for the pouring of the concrete, and a shoring head can be used with a structural member arranged to support the metal deck of variable spans for slabs of variable dimensions in the available space.

Abstract: In an actuation system having a pair of motors simultaneously operable for driving a movable member through a torque-summing gear box, there is a need to have a simply constructed, minimal cost, light weight quick disconnect mechanism operable to disconnect a motor which has failed fixed so that the other motor can continue to operate. The quick disconnect mechanism utilizes a tapered jaw clutch connecting driving and driven elements in the drive train between the motor and the torque-summing gear box, a ball detent mechanism for holding the clutch either engaged or disengaged and a short duty cycle solenoid. The solenoid can be momentarily energized to release the ball detent mechanism to permit an axial force derived from the driven member being back driven to separate the clutch and thereafter, the solenoid is de-energized to enable the ball detent mechanism to maintain the clutch disengaged.