Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a hand-held tool that may be held in the palm of a hand, the hand-held tool being of adequate length and size to allow users to comfortably transfer the tool from a palm grip to a pen grip to maintain the use of the fingers and the thumb when the hand tool is stored in the palm. One or several storage housings are attached offset from a drive shaft housing for improved torque transfer from a hand to the tool head, integral storage of work pieces, optimized use of palm torque during use, and better overall grasping. The hand tool is also equipped with a retractable or nonretractable torque drive shaft designed to allow the fingers and thumb of a user to be rotated freely when the tool is in palm grip and capable of transmitting torque through the housing when an axial pressure force is placed along the drive shaft to engage the tool head with the housing. The drive shaft can also be reversed to create a prolongation shaft or placed in another opening of the housing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically managing investment portfolios is disclosed which substantially tracks a selected index and automatically harvests tax losses. The system includes an accounting system for maintaining tax lot information for individual accounts, an optimization system for rebalancing each account to substantially model the index and for harvesting tax losses, and a trading system for executing trades. Each investor owns the securities in his/her account, and therefore, harvested losses can be used to offset capital gains. Securities sold to harvest tax losses are repurchased at a later time selected to avoid application of the Internal Revenue Service wash sale rules, with exchange traded funds (ETF's) from the same technological sector as the securities being sold to harvest tax losses being used as temporary replacement securities for the portfolios.

Abstract: An improved metering apparatus is provided for use with a foam dispenser that disperses beads of foam after mixing streams of two foam components together. The dispenser has a pair of seal passages formed in a body portion of the dispenser and a spool valve rotated mounted in the body portion. The spool valve has a pair of flow passages formed in it that can be rotated into mating alignment with the seal passages formed in the dispenser body. The spool valve flow passages have circular cross-sections while the seal passages have non-circular cross-sections, and preferably triangular cross-sections.

Abstract: A vibration isolation assembly comprises a base, a plunger and an annulus of resilient material between the base and plunger. The base has a pair of oppositely inclined, internal, tapered surfaces connected to each other which define an opening though the base. The tapered surfaces of the base contact corresponding external surfaces of the annulus. The plunger has an inclined surface substantially parallel to one of the internal surfaces and a second surface within the opening and facing the pair of tapered surfaces. The inclined surface and the second surface of the plunger engage corresponding internal surfaces of the annulus. In this device vibration creates a load on the annulus which is entirely compressive, or nearly so.

Abstract: An adjustable fixture for mounting any of a plurality of weapon sets to an aircraft includes a bracket and lugs that are adjustably mechanically coupled to the bracket. The fixture may be adjusted once, to achieve proper orientation relative to the aircraft for boresighting, and may thereafter allow switching of weapon sets, either of the same type or of different types, without a need for re-boresighting. Quick-release fasteners, such as quick-release pins, may be used to couple the weapon sets to the fixture, to allow for easy and rapid change of weapon stores. The fixture may include one or more adapters used to allow various kinds of weapon sets to be coupled to the bracket.

Abstract: A self-energizing and de-energizing adjustable gripping tool for engaging a workpiece to impart movement thereto includes a first element and second element connected for relative angular movement. The second element includes an actuation portion having a plurality of slots. Each of the slots includes a first section and a second section wherein the first and second sections each define divergent paths. The first element includes a gripping portion having a plurality of gripping elements and a plurality of aligning elements. Each gripping element has a pin connected thereto. One of the aligning elements is disposed between a pair of adjacent gripping elements.

Abstract: An adjustable fixture for mounting any of a plurality of weapon sets to an aircraft includes a bracket and lugs that are adjustably mechanically coupled to the bracket. The fixture may be adjusted once, to achieve proper orientation relative to the aircraft for boresighting, and may thereafter allow switching of weapon sets, either of the same type or of different types, without a need for re-boresighting. Quick-release fasteners, such as quick-release pins, may be used to couple the weapon sets to the fixture, to allow for easy and rapid change of weapon stores. The fixture may include one or more adapters used to allow various kinds of weapon sets to be coupled to the bracket.

Abstract: A vibration isolation assembly comprises a base, a plunger and an annulus of resilient material between the base and plunger. The base has a pair of oppositely inclined, internal, tapered surfaces connected to each other which define an opening though the base. The tapered surfaces of the base contact corresponding external surfaces of the annulus. The plunger has an inclined surface substantially parallel to one of the internal surfaces and a second surface within the opening and facing the pair of tapered surfaces. The inclined surface and the second surface of the plunger engage corresponding internal surfaces of the annulus. In this device vibration creates a load on the annulus which is entirely compressive, or nearly so.

Abstract: An improved metering apparatus is provided for use with a foam dispenser that disperses beads of foam after mixing streams of two foam components together. The dispenser has a pair of seal passages formed in a body portion of the dispenser and a spool valve rotated mounted in the body portion. The spool valve has a pair of flow passages formed in it that can be rotated into mating alignment with the seal passages formed in the dispenser body. The spool valve flow passages have circular cross-sections while the seal passages have non-circular cross-sections, and preferably triangular cross-sections.

Abstract: A carton for a foam dispensing system which includes supply containers, a dispenser and hoses for connecting each container to the dispenser. The carton includes first and second face panels which are interconnected by respective first and second side panels. Bottom panels extend from the first and second face panels to define a bottom of the carton. The cover panel extends from the first face panel to define a cover of the carton. A first flap which is defined in the cover panel, which, in an open position, is disposed at an angle to the cover panel. A handle is connected to the containers for carrying the carton and projects through the first access opening. A second flap is defined in the second face panel and the first reinforcing element. A third flap is defined in the second flap. The hoses extend from the containers, through hose paths associated with the second flap to the dispenser.

Abstract: A carton for a foam dispensing system which includes supply containers, a dispenser and hoses for connecting each container to the dispenser. The carton includes first and second face panels which are interconnected by respective first and second side panels. Bottom panels extend from the first and second face panels to define a bottom of the carton. The cover panel extends from the first face panel to define a cover of the carton. A first flap which is defined in the cover panel, which, in an open position, is disposed at an angle to the cover panel. A handle is connected to the containers for carrying the carton and projects through the first access opening. A second flap is defined in the second face panel and the first reinforcing element. A third flap is defined in the second flap. The hoses extend from the containers, through hose paths associated with the second flap to the dispenser.

Abstract: A handle assembly for holding together a pair of bulky fluid supply containers, such as liquid foam reaction product containers is provided that has a unique force exerting characteristic. The two containers are encircled by a flexible band capable of tightening, while a wire form member is provided that attaches to the supply container handles. This wire form member may serve as a handle and it has two diverging leg portions with free ends that engage the handles of the supply containers. The leg portions exert an outward force due to their divergence on the supply containers to bias them outwardly against the band.

Abstract: A dispenser for mixing together multiple fluids, such as foam components and dispensing the mixed fluids includes a body portion of the dispenser with fluid entrances and an exit. A handle extends from the body portion to facilitate grasping and operation by a user. A flow control valve is positioned in the body portion for controlling flow of foam components entering the dispenser mixing chamber. The trigger is movably mounted to the body portion in opposition to and spaced apart from the handle. A safety for preventing unintended operation of the dispenser is movably mounted to and extends lengthwise of the trigger that is always biased into a safety position. The safety has an arm for preventing movement of the trigger sufficient to cause unintended operation of the flow control valve, and the safety may be disengaged by the same single-handed action used to actuate the dispenser to dispense the mixed fluids.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically managing investment portfolios is disclosed which substantially tracks a selected index and automatically harvests tax losses. The system includes an accounting system for maintaining tax lot information for individual accounts, an optimization system for rebalancing each account to substantially model the index and for harvesting tax losses, and a trading system for executing trades. Each investor owns the securities in his/her account, and therefore, harvested losses can be used to offset capital gains. Securities sold to harvest tax losses are repurchased at a later time selected to avoid application of the Internal Revenue Service wash sale rules, with exchange traded funds (ETF's) from the same technological sector as the securities being sold to harvest tax losses being used as temporary replacement securities for the portfolios.

Abstract: A method and apparatus provides for a subscriber device (106) to signal changing from a first network to a second network including receiving via a transceiver (120) at the subscriber device (106) a time value from another network and generating from a clock (124) at the subscriber device (106) a current time value and then using a controller (126) deriving a delta time value between the time value and the current time value. The controller (126) signals the user when the delta time value between the time value and the current time value changes.

Abstract: A dispensing gun for fluent products such as viscous adhesives and sealants. The gun includes a removably mounted nozzle and fittings for attachment to a product source such as a can or a hose. A valve body has product inlet and outlet passages with flow being controlled therethrough by a valve that includes a nose portion seated in the valve body, and a rod that extends through the nose portion of the valve and seats on tapered surfaces inside the end of the nozzle. The valve contains a shrouded internal spring biasing the valve to a closed position. A trigger engages the yoke carrying the valve and the valving rod and moves the yoke so that the rod and valve move between open, closed and intermediate positions. In one preferred form, the valving rod may be adjusted between positions wherein more or less product is dispensed in response to full trigger movement.

Abstract: An anti-crossover nozzle with two principle pieces that snap together, having a forward end portion with a dispensing opening, a rear end portion which includes at least a pair of inlets. Each inlet has a center passage, therethrough and at least two valve leaflets biased by their own inherent resiliency to a normally closed position covering openings in the passages. There is at least one point of attachment formed between an interior surface of the rear end portion and the valve leaflets. The leaflets are displaced from their normally closed position by the force of incoming liquid foam components.

Abstract: A spool valve and cooperating housing with a particular shape. A portion of the housing has a relatively thin sidewall and it includes an integrally formed stub cylindrical wall portion. A cooperating cylindrical force-applying element is present which deforms the thin wall portion into snug sealing contact with the portion of the valve spool lying adjacent thereto.

Abstract: A processing system that is accessible via a number of speech transmission media. Access to the processing system may be made via a mobile radiotelephone, land line telephone, acoustic link or datalink. Access to programs, files and data is based upon the security of the communication media and authentication of the user.