Abstract: Apparatus for cleaning a cat litter box to remove lumps of excrement while leaving most of the particles of liter in the box, and for hygienically disposing of the removed lumps. The apparatus includes a flexible bag (32) with a front bag end (36) forming a main opening (34) and with a rear bag portion (72) having multiple small openings (70). A wire frame ((40) holds the bag main opening in an open state, and a cardboard handle (42) holds the wire frame and bag front end. The handle is used to drag the bag forwardly through the pool of particles in the litter box while lumps larger than the small openings are captured in the bag. The handle is then slid down to close the bag, and the bag with lumps therein is disposed of as by dropping it in a garbage can.

Abstract: A scooper apparatus (10) for removing feces (44) from the ground, of the type that includes a scooper (11) with a cardboard closing plate (12) that is moved horizontally to move an open bag end (30) so it receives the feces, the cardboard plate then being moved down to close the bag. The scooper includes a pusher plate (50) to help push feces into the bag. The cardboard plate has an opening (52) that holds a piece of cardboard that can be pushed out to form the pusher plate that is used to prevent feces movement.

Abstract: A chart recorder is described, which is especially useful in recording the temperature of a cargo being shipped, which can be constructed at low cost and which provides a tamper-resistant and accurate record. The recorder includes a strip of pressure-markable paper having an inner portion wound into a roll and an outer portion forming a leader. The leader extends past a marking station, a transport that pulls the leader, a storage space within a housing that encloses the rest of the mechanism, and through an opening in the housing with the outer end of the strip attached to the outside of the housing. During recording, the chart is pushed by the transport station into multiple folds lying in the storage space of the housing. The strip can be removed by pulling on its outer end to pull it out of the housing. Pulling of the outer end releases the strip from the marking and transport stations.

Abstract: A disposable waste scooper is provided for scooping up the feces of dogs into a container and closing the container, the container being of low cost so it can be economically disposed of and the container being remotely closeable so it can be cleanly disposed of. The scooper includes a U-shaped wire frame which holds the opening of a flexible bag. The legs of the u-shaped frame can slide up along a cardboard closing device. After the bottom of the frame is dragged along the ground to scoop up the waste into the bag, the cardboard closing device is pushed down to slide down against the cover to close the bag. One side of the bag opening is fixed to the bottom of the cardboard closing device so the opening of the bag is pressed closed. The entire apparatus is then thrown away.

Abstract: A system is described for connecting a bottle to a shower dispenser, which enables connection with only a small angle of turning, which latches the bottle in position while permitting detachment, and which avoids leakage of material during dispensing. The bottle, or container, has a cam on its neck, and the shower dispenser receiver into which the container can be screwed has a slot forming a detent that is deflected by the cam as the container is turned, to resist unscrewing of the container. The bottom of the slot that forms the detent, also forms a stop that prevents further screwing in of the container. The receiver has an internal cylindrical projection that is closely received within the container neck, and which substantially abuts an internal flange within the container, to minimize leakage of liquid during dispensing.

Abstract: An apparatus for mixing a bathing liquid into shower water, of a type that includes a reservoir assembly for holding the liquid and a mixer coupling connected between a water outlet and shower head to mix bathing oil from the reservoir with water flowing towards the shower head. The reservoir assembly includes a reservoir that can hold a small quantity of bathing liquid, a container which can hold more than the reservoir to repeatedly fill it, and a housing that pivotally supports the container to flow bathing liquid into the reservoir until the liquid reaches the level of the opening in the container. The mixer coupling includes a venturi to pass shower water and draw in bathing liquid, a chamber between the venturi inlet and the shower water entrance, an air vent leading to the chamber, and a diaphragm freely movable in the chamber against and away from the air vent to permit the outflow of liquid from the coupling when the shower is turned off.

Abstract: A recording instrument for accompanying a cargo to record an environmental variable such as temperature, the housing of the instrument containing a removable chart pack with two spools and the chart pack being retained in the housing by two lugs located on a motor case in the housing lid. The battery circuit that drives the electric motor for the spools is activated by pulling an exposed non-conductive strip out from between two terminals.