Abstract: A signing system in the form of a support staff, a flexible sign and a plurality of flag poles. One end of the respective poles being pivotally secured to the staff and an elongate, resilient foldable retaining member connected to the flag poles intermediate the ends thereof. Securing and positioning devices are provided for positioning the flag poles, wherein the flag poles can be moved from a storage position adjacent the staff to a display position only by stretching the retaining member.

Abstract: There is provided a velocity measuring system contained on-board a projectile. The velocity is determined by a microprocessor on-board said projectile that bases the computation on a measurement of the time required for the projectile to pass two fixed points along the gun barrel. The fixed points may be passive signal sources that do not require an external power supply. A high degree of velocity accuracy is achieved because the microprocessor calculation need not be completed during the projectile's traversal of the gun barrel.

Abstract: A whistle is provided which will create two frequencies when blown to produce a beat. The whistle has a mouthpiece defining an inlet opening and an inlet passageway extending axially from the inlet opening to a main body which has two similar chambers extending generally axially. Air from the passageway engages two splitter edges associated one with each of the chambers. A lanyard receiver extends axially from the main body remote from the mouthpiece and defines a transverse cavity connected to one of the axial chambers. The whistle is made from first and second parts having mating peripheral surfaces where a joint is made. The arrangement of the whistle is such that two resonant frequencies are created each having a different audible frequency to create a beat. This is achieved in a simple, light and compact structure which is simple to assemble resulting in a relatively inexpensive whistle having good sound characteristics.

Abstract: A projectile grenade launching system tester, comprising a battery, a fem jack to receive voltage from a grenade launcher, a plurality of operational amplifiers to receive constant current from the battery and to receive firing voltage from the grenade launcher through the female jack, a plurality of opto couplers to complete circuits should the voltage from the grenade launcher be greater than 0.5 volts, a plurality of light emitting diodes to indicate by lighting that greater than 0.5 volts is being received and a push button switch to open the circuit and permit resetting of the tester.

Abstract: A level gauge for a tank of a driven sensor type includes a drum around which is wound a thread on the end of which is suspended a driven level sensor. A reversible servomotor drives the drum with the drum being driveable in reverse directions. The rotation of the drum is recorded and a variation in the force of the thread is detected. The force is directly related to the relative position of the sensor with respect to the level being measured. The detector for detecting the variation in the force in the thread includes an element rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis, with an oscillation of the element being limited by a damping arrangement, with movement of the element enabling the force exerted on the thread to be measured.

Abstract: An instrument cluster gauge includes a pointer assembly and a gauge movement. The gauge movement has a staff with a constant diameter. The pointer assembly includes a bushing intended to be placed over the staff when the pointer assembly is mounted on the gauge movement. The bushing has a bore having a lead-in portion providing radial clearance with the staff; a main contact portion with a slight interference with the staff; and a clearance portion providing radial clearance with the staff. The geometry just described facilitates the mounting of the pointer assembly on the gauge movement to a predetermined depth rather than to a predetermined force. Further, the assembly force is defined by design and is therefore more consistent than where a pointer assembly is mounted on a gauge movement staff to a target force. Also, the lead-in eases assembly of the pointer assembly onto the staff, facilitating flexible manufacturing. The bushing further has a face with a stippled surface.

Abstract: A book mark is provided for marking a selected line and page of a book where a reader should resume reading. The book mark includes a flat elongated member, first and second page indicators, and a marker. The flat elongated member has a first end, a second end spaced apart from the first end, a middle region situated between the first and second ends, a first side, and a second side facing away from the first side. Each of the first and second page indicators includes an indicia positioned on the flat elongated member. The marker marks the selected line, is fixed relative to and spaced apart from the first and second page indicators, and is situated in the middle region of the flat elongated member.

Abstract: A distributed pressure sensor is constructed such that a wire-like electrode member is arranged in the vertical (row) direction so that electrode surfaces alternately appear on the surface and the rear surface of a sheet-shaped pressure sensitive electrically conductive material, and moreover, a wire-like electrode is arranged also in the lateral (line) direction at right angles to the vertical (row) direction, and intersections defined by the electrode members arranged in the vertical direction and the lateral direction are located such that the pressure sensitive electrically conductive material is sandwiched from both the surfaces. The distributed pressure sensor has high flexibility and exhibits improved durability to repeated bending.

Abstract: Electrical instrument gage that has a pointer indicator member mounted on a rotatable shaft extending from the gage and including an electrically energizable light source mounted on and extending along the pointer portion of the indicator member. The light source is preferably an electroluminescent lamination that contains a pair of flex circuit terminal contacts extending from its base end. The light source is adhesively attached to the pointer portion of the indicator member. The base element of the indicator member contains a socket portion with a cylindrical opening configured to provide a friction fit to the axial shaft extending from the gage. The outer cylindrical surface of the socket contains an electrically conductive area and the gage contains an electrical wiper contact that makes continual electrical interconnection with the conductive portion of the socket over its rotational range.

Abstract: A system (10) for simultaneously measuring temperature and CO, CO.sub.2 and HC gas content of vehicle (11) exhaust detects and analyzes a beam of infrared electromagnetic radiation (21) projected through a plume (13) of vehicle exhaust to assess the concentration of CO, CO.sub.2, and HC in the vehicle exhaust and detects and analyzes infrared electromagnetic radiation (15) emitted by the plume (13) to assess the temperature of the plume (13) and, consequently, whether the vehicle's (11) catalytic converter is operating in the cold or hot mode. Essentially simultaneous measurement is taken by intermittently interrupting the beam (21) of projected infrared electromagnetic radiation and detecting and analyzing the emitted infrared radiation (15) during the intervals of interruption when the beam (21) is not projected through the plume (13). Intermittent projection of the beam (21) is accomplished by insertion of a chopper wheel (22) between an infrared beam projector (20) and the plume (13).

Abstract: An on demand useful life indicator (10) and method providing a uniform visual change. The indicator (10) attachable to goods or worn. This indicator includes a base (12); indicator material (14), impermeable adhesive (16), and a co-layered covering (18). The indicator material (14) provides a visual indication when exposed to a selected component of an ambient fluid.. The indicator material (14) is intimately fixed to one side of a second layer (22) of the covering (18) in a selected pattern. The adhesive layer (16) is applied in a selected pattern between the base member (12) and the covering material (18). A permeable second layer (22) of the covering (18) is adhered to the adhesive layer (16) allowing an impermeable first layer (20) to be selectively removed therefrom. The useful life indicator remains in a selected state of dormancy until removal of the first layer (2).

Abstract: A fire detection port installed in doors of occupied structures provides visible and audible signals on one side of a door in the event of fire on the other side of the door.

Abstract: A floating cooking indicator, comprising first and second layers with a thermochromic material disposed therebetween, the first layer being transparent to permit viewing of the thermochromic material and the second layer including a plastic material with lower density particles dispersed therein.

Abstract: The inventive audible warning device includes, in a preferred embodiment, a refillable pressurized air tank having a service port, a cover for covering the service port, an air pump integrated with the tank for filling the tank within pressurized air, an activator for regulating air flow, a hose connecting the tank to the activator, and a horn connected to the activator. The cover also includes a relief valve for depressurizing the tank. In addition, the cover includes locking elements for locking the cover, which can include in turn a rotatable handle that triggers the relief valve when the locking elements are unlocked. A method for producing sound is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: An improved cooler with level sensor for measuring variation in the liquid refrigerant level of a refrigerant within the cooler, comprises a cooler shell for holding the refrigerant, heat exchanger tubes for carrying the liquid to be cooled, and a liquid refrigerant level sensor comprising a probe extending to a point above the heat exchanger tubes, one or more thermistors; and a heating element. When the probe is totally within the vapor refrigerant above the heat exchanger tubes, the heater raises the temperature of the thermistors above the saturation temperature of the refrigerant. As the liquid refrigerant level begins to rise, the liquid refrigerant comes in contact with the outside of the probe. Since the heat transfer coefficient of the liquid refrigerant is significantly higher than that of the vapor refrigerant, the probe in that area is quickly cooled to the saturation temperature.

Abstract: A temperature indicator utilizing waxes, low-temperature melt metals or polymers attached to a support member that will melt to reveal a visible indicia on the support member thereby serving as an indicator that the product container to which the invention is attached has been heated beyond a predetermined stable temperature of the product.

Abstract: A double tire inflation balancer and tire pressure indicator including a main body, a tire pressure indicator and an inflation tube. The tire pressure indicator is disposed in the main body and the main body is connected to the tire valve by an inflation hose. A pair of one-way valves formed by the round head rods and the small springs are provided in the main body, during inflation, the air first goes into the tire with less tire pressure. After the pressure of the inner tire is equalized with that of the outer tire, the two tires are then simultaneously inflated until the tire pressure reaches a normal pressure value. A transmission piston of the tire pressure indicator is compressed by the air, whereby a user can observe three indications of red, green and yellow colors of the front end of the transmission piston. The red color indicates insufficient tire pressure, the green color indicates normal tire pressure, while the yellow color indicates excessive tire pressure.

Abstract: This invention concerns a water skier warning flag system of the type wherein the slackening of the tow rope causes a warning flag at the transom of the ski boat to be raised. A mechanical device mounted on the rear of the transom of a ski boat includes a lever having a normally vertical long lever arm for holding a longitudinally-mounted (normally vertical) standard of a warning flag; and this long lever arm also has a connection point to a ski tow line. The other (short) lever arm is urged by a compression spring to maintain the long lever arm vertical. When a skier is skiing, the tension on the tow line pulls the long lever arm down to horizontal against the pressure of the compression spring; and when the tow line goes slack, the spring pressure returns the long lever arm to vertical.

Abstract: Thermal, optical, physical and chemical characteristics of a substrate (11) surface are determined with non-contact optical techniques that include illuminating (23) the surface with radiation having a ripple intensity characteristic (51), and then measuring the combined intensities (53) of that radiation after modification by the substrate surface and radiation emitted from the surface. Precise determinations of emissivity, reflectivity, temperature, changing surface composition, the existence of any layer formed on the surface and its thickness are all possible from this measurement. They may be made in situ and substantially in real time, thus allowing the measurement to control (39, 41) various processes of treating a substrate surface. This has significant applicability to semiconductor wafer processing and metal processing.

Abstract: A fuel level indicator is mounted on a casing (2) in a fuel tank (1) and includes a float lever (6) connected to a lever arm (17), the float lever (6) having an elbow portion (16) passing through an opening (18) in lever arm (17) and projecting into a hole (15) in a holder (9) for rotation therein. At its lower edge (19) the lever arm (17) engages a collar (20) of holder (9) and at its upper edge (21) the lever arm (17) engages a collar (22) of holder (9). In this way, the lever arm (17), and thereby float lever (6), is guided radially and axially on the holder (9). The float lever (6) is releasably secured to the lever arm (17) by resilient snap tabs (23). Accordingly, precise support of the float lever is obtained with a simple construction and with easy assembly and disassembly of the float lever.