Abstract: A soft, expanded shoelace is extruded from a PTFE paste. Its ends are permanently hardened by laterally compressing the lace, and terminations are installed on the ends.

Abstract: An inline valve includes a glass body having an upwardly open bore with a tapered seating surface, and colinear inlet and outlet ports having passages intersecting the seating surface. Fluid flow between the ports is regulated by a valve member whose stem has a tapered tip conforming substantially in shape to that of the seating surface. The tip has a relatively soft surface which can conform to irregularities in the seating surface when the valve is closed. An annular seal or an extensible boot prevents fluid leakage along the valve stem.

Abstract: A machine for grinding and polishing ends of glass articles comprises a grinding wheel mounted for rotation about a first axis, and a fixture for holding a plurality of articles to be ground by the wheel. The fixture includes a spindle rotatable about a second axis, and a work holder mounted at an end of the spindle. The work holder has a plurality of workpiece-receiving cavities circumferentially spaced around the second axis, and each cavity has an axis parallel to the second axis. The first and second axes may be parallel to one another, oblique, or perpendicular, depending on the desired product.

Abstract: A versatile thread grinding machine includes a grinding wheel with concentric thread forms thereon, rotatable about a first axis, and a work spindle which is rotatable about a second axis. Both the angularity and distance between the axes may be varied. In order to produce threads having different leads with a single grinding wheel, the work spindle is provided with externally threaded sections having different leads which are integral multiples of the grinding wheel thread pitch. One of a correspondingly threaded set of inserts is brought into engagement the corresponding threaded section, to produce the desired lateral feed rate of the workpiece.

Abstract: A stopper for a bottle mouth includes a hollow body closed at its lower end and defining a cylindrical cavity, into which a plug of relatively soft material is placed. A cap having a core portion sized to fit within the cavity, and external helical threads engaged with the internal threads within the body, can be turned to advance the core against the plug, causing the plug to expand the hollow body against the mouth. The cap may have a peripheral flange provided with threads for engaging like threads on the bottle, and these threads may be driven radially together by a band clamp.

Abstract: A valve includes a hollow body having both a valve seat, and a threaded portion having helical right-handed threads. A stem disposed within the body has a threaded portion at one end, with left-hand threads. The stem is moved within the body by turning a cap assembly which has both a left-hand threaded portion engaging the threaded portion of the stem, and a right-hand threaded portion engaging the threads on the valve body. Large stem displacements per turn are realized.

Abstract: A unique bellows seal for sealing valve components, joining sections of pipe together, and the like, includes an elongate, accordion-pleated body having first and second ends and a plurality of axially spaced apart reinforcing rings thereon. The seal is machined from a solid piece of material to produce an elongate, thin-walled tubular section having the reinforcing rings on the outer surface thereof and is then axially compressed to form the accordion-like pleats. In one form of the invention, the seal extends coaxially around the actuator shaft of a valve to seal the actuator shaft relative to the valve body. Threaded portions on the opposite ends of the seal and on spaced portions of the actuator shaft are interengaged to cause reciprocating movement of a valving member when the shaft is rotated. The pitch of the threaded portions may be reversed from one another to effect doubling of the rate of movement of the valving member upon given rotation of the shaft.

Abstract: A combined seal and actuator support for valves, in which a sleeve is engaged between the actuator shaft of the valve and the valve body to effect a seal between the shaft and body, and wherein complementally interengaged actuator means are on the sleeve and shaft to support and effect reciprocating movement of the shaft, thereby eliminating the need for expensive o-ring seals and other expensive manufacturing techniques.

Abstract: A connector for tapered glass joints includes a first glass tubing section having a tapered sealing surface on an inner end surface thereof and threads on an outer surface of said end. A second glass tubing section has an end adapted to be telescoped into the end of said first tubing section, and a replaceable, resilient sealing sleeve is adapted to be sealingly engaged concentrically between the outer end surface of the second tubing section and the inner end surface of the first tubing section. A threaded cap is adapted to be threaded onto said threads of said first tubing section to secure the parts together and to force the sealing sleeve into tight sealing engagement with the respective tubing surfaces.

Abstract: A gripping saddle and O-ring apparatus comprising a hub structure having a central aperture therethrough, resilient flanges extending from each end of said hub structure and integral therewith, and thus providing a central groove therebetween for reception of a resilient O-ring therewith. Depending upon the size of the O-ring, the flanges will be only slightly deformed outwardly or greatly deformed outwardly. When this structure is used with laboratory apparatus containing corrosive liquids, the embodiment with slightly expanded flanges is preferred, while when the apparatus is used for stop cock securing functions, the greatly deformed flange apparatus is preferred.Preferably, the saddle hub structure is made of Teflon or other fairly slippery and non-frictional plastic material, while any type of rubber or rubber composition may be employed for the O-ring.

Abstract: A non-stick stopper with easy removal structure includes a device having an integral body with an upper portion for use in removing the stopper and a lower portion of special configuration for relatively non-compressive sealing with a tapered neck of a glass container. In one embodiment of the invention, an elongated pin handle is inserted through a traversely extending aperture in the body upper portion for use of a tool and/or a user's hand for ease in removing the stopper from the container. The tool is specially configured with a U-shaped recess bottle engaging portion at one end of an elongated handle. The U-shaped stopper engaging portion has double recesses from either side thereof so that the tool can be used with both the first embodiment and the second embodiment of the invention.The second embodiment involves an inverted cone-shaped stopper having a radially extending stopper removing flange at one end thereof and a further conical closure structure at the other end thereof.

Abstract: A separatory funnel having a valve stem mounted through its center to accurately open, close, and regulate the flow of liquid from the funnel. The valve stem is provided with a passageway therein for forming a separate channel from the path of liquid flow to permit air to pass through the separatory funnel independently of the liquid flow from the funnel. This air passageway may exit internally of the funnel chamber, or externally thereof. In the external exit version, the valve stem is modified so that the air exit path can be capped and/or connected to another device. The lower end of the valve stem is provided with sealing structure of several types for assuring a tight and positive seal when the valve is closed. Also, the lower end of the valve stem is sandblasted to effect flow of all liquid therealong and tapered to a spherical ball at the very end for collecting and forming liquid droplets for precision liquid flow measurement.

Abstract: A seal for stirring apparatus, wherein the stirring apparatus comprises an elongate glass rod having a stirrer blade at one end thereof for disposition inside a laboratory flask and the like to stir the contents thereof and motor means connected with the other end of the rod to rotate the rod, said seal including a glass stopper for fitting in the neck of a flask and the like, a synthetic plastic sleeve threadably engaged at one end thereof on the stopper and sealed relative thereto, synthetic plastic seal rings disposed in the sleeve for sealingly engaging a rotatable glass rod extended coaxially through the sleeve and stopper, and a synthetic plastic seal ring clamp threadably engaged with the other end of the sleeve and extended into clamping engagement with the seal rings to effect a secure and leak tight seal of the stirring apparatus relative to the flask and the like, and to enable adjustment of the seal as it becomes worn and the like.

Abstract: A bottle cap made of Teflon and the like has a relatively thin end closure portion for engagement with a bottle end and an annular back-up flange is spaced axially of a peripheral marginal portion of the closure portion, and a resilient insert is disposed back-up the backflange and the marginal portion of the closure portion, whereby the closure portion is resiliently yieldable to effect a tight seal even with irregularly shaped bottle ends.