Abstract: Shock absorber apparatus for mooring lines of boats and yachts includes an automotive type, double acting, telescopic shock absorber arranged in a two part, telescoping cage with attachment rings on each end for the mooring lines. Tensile forces in the lines caused by wave action or the like elongates and cage and compresses the shock absorber and minimizes force transfer to the yacht. Relaxation of the tensile force in the lines permits the unit to return to a neutral condition.

Abstract: An improved optical measuring instrument having an image combining mirror which reflects part of the light from one source and transmits part of the light from another source and superimposes such reflected and transmitted light over the entire surface of the mirror is disclosed. In the preferred embodiment an improved sextant is disclosed using the image combining mirror. Sextants are double reflecting optical devices which are generally used to measure the angle between a celestial object, such as the sun, the moon, or a star, and the horizon. This measurement is used primarily in navigation for determining the user's location at sea. Prior sextants split the viewing area of the horizon mirror into two fields of view: one-half horizon and one-half celestial object. The improved sextant uses a horizon mirror which combines and overlaps (superimposes) the horizon and celestial images over the entire viewing area.

Abstract: Given the known position of the optical center of an unfinished lens which is to be contoured for an eyeglass frame, this invention relates to a single device for locating and aligning the contemplated geometric center of what will be the finished lens with the optical center so that a block may be secured to the lens at such geometric center for holding the lens for contouring. The device comprises a lens holder situated above a slidable grid scale which is used in combination with a fixed scale to decenter the lens on the lens holder such that the contemplated geometric center of the lens will line up above the position of a block that may be accurately moved into place by moving the same slider containing the grid.