Abstract: A positioning cushion prevents a sitting infirm patient from sliding forward. The cushion comprises a base portion, and gel bladder filled with a gelatinous mixture of resin and water, and a top cover. The base portion defines thigh supporting recesses and a trough receiving the gel bladder. The base portion and top cover are constructed of a rigid urethane foam and an ergonomic urethane foam respectively. The aforementioned three parts may be then covered with a fabric cover.

Abstract: A sterile packaging system for a pipetter sheath is disclosed. The packaging system comprises two inner thermoplastic strips sandwiched between two outer paper covers. The inner strips and outer covers are connected along a tear seal formed by an electromagnetic heat sealer. The tear seal is generally in the shape of a pipetter. To remove the sheath from the package and place it onto a pipetter, one of the outer covers is removed, the pipetter placed into the partially exposed sheath, and the remaining cover removed thereby leaving the sheath on the pipetter.

Abstract: A peppermill includes an outer casing receiving a disposable cartridge containing a supply of peppercorns to be ground in order to dispense fresh pepper. Legs project radially from the grinding end of the cartridge into blind slots on an interior surface at a corresponding end of the casing. A cartridge cap operatively connected to a grinding element at the bottom of the bottom of the cartridge includes a dovetail shape for receiving a connector member, and the connector member includes an upstanding rim having ribs engaging slots on a depending skirt of a cap so that rotation of the cap causes rotation of the grinding element. A notch is provided in an upper rim of the casing body to permit a depending dovetail bar on the connector member to be slid into the dovetail slot of the cap when the cartridge is raised slightly from its normal operative position.

Abstract: In a peppermill, which is designed as a disposable container for contained peppercorns, a cylindrical body is provided with a grooved section at one end to comprise the female element of the grinding mechanism. The grooved section includes a conical inwardly directed fact which mates with a conical surface on a male grinding element which closes one end of the cylinder. The other end of the cylinder is closed by a turning knob, which is rotatably mounted on the cylinder. A connecting rod is molded in one piece with the turning knob and is permanently connected to the male grinding element so that the peppermill cannot be refilled.

Abstract: A needle and cap assembly for attaching to a hypodermic syringe body includes a needle mounting structure, a needle, and a cap slideably mounted on the needle mounting structure. The needle mounting structure includes a hub, arcuate bands making a sliding fit with an interior surface of the cap, and spokes connecting the bands to the hub. Each band has a profiled tail end including an indent, which cooperates with an axial guide rail on the interior surface of the cap, to allow the cap to be selectively rotated between a first position, in which the cap is retained in an extended position covering the needle, and a second position, in which the cap may be moved in guided axial motion to a retracted position exposing the needle.

Abstract: An assembly for preventing accidental pricking by a hypodermic syringe includes a cap mounted on a needle hub for sliding between an extended position enclosing the needle and a retracted position exposing the needle. The cap slides on resilient bands extending arcuately from flaps projecting radially from the needle hub and structure is provided to retain the cap in both its extended position and its retracted position. The cap is tapered toward an end distal to a body of the syringe so that the resilient bands snugly frictionally engage the distal end of the cap to maintain the cap in the retracted position. In one embodiment of the invention, the flaps include portions extending radially beyond the resilient band, and the cap defines channels for receiving the flaps. The channels widen abruptly, at their ends adjacent to the syringe, to define slots into which the radially extending portions of the flaps can be twisted to lock the cap in its extended position.

Abstract: In a hypodermic syringe having a sliding cap to prevent accidental pricking of the user, a needle hub assembly is provided with radial flaps having arcuate bands which extend in both circumferential directions from the ends of the radial flaps. The arcuate bands make a sliding engagement with the interior surface of the cap. An interference bead is positioned on the interior surface of the cap so that when the arcuate bands are positioned between the interference bead and the mouth of the cap and in engagement with the interference bead, the proximal end of the needle hub assembly will be spaced from the mouth of the cap within the cap.

Abstract: In a peppermill having a disposable pepper grinding cartridge which contains the peppercorns to be ground as well as the grinding mechanism for grinding the peppercorns and dispensing the ground pepper. A wooden casing surrounds the disposable cartridge. A wooden handle portion connects with the rotatable part of the disposable cartridge. A plastic adaptor is mounted on the lower end of the wooden handle portion. The plastic adaptor has a dove-tailed shaped bar which slides in a dove-tailed shaped groove defined in the rotatable cap of the disposable cartridge. A plastic adaptor fits over the lower end of the wooden casing to define slots to receive lugs formed on the disposable cartridge to prevent the cartridge from rotating relative to the wooden casing.

Abstract: In a cushion designed to prevent decubitus, a bladder containing a liquid gel is mounted enclosed within a gussetted cover. The bladder is provided with extension panels on opposite sides thereof, which are fixed to the cover by sealing along seal lines where the gusset of the cover is joined by sealing to the top panel of the cover. Resilient foam slabs are positioned in the cover between the bladder and top panel of the cover and between the bladder and the bottom panel of the cover. The cushion is manufactured by mounting blanks for the gusset and the top and bottom panels of the cushion, as well as the bladder on a rectangular tubular electrode, by being wrapped and maintained around the top and bottom profile of the electrode. The electrode is then used to heat seal the gusset and panel blanks and bladder together in one sealing step along seal lines defined by the top and bottom profiles of the electrode.

Abstract: In a cushion designed to prevent decubitus, a bladder containing a liquid gel is mounted enclosed within a gussetted cover. The bladder is provided with extension panels on opposite sides thereof, which are fixed to the cover by sealing along seal lines where the gusset of the cover is joined by sealing to the top panel of the cover. Resilient foam slabs are positioned in the cover between the bladder and top panel of the cover and between the bladder and the bottom panel of the cover. The cushion is manufactured by mounting blanks for the gusset and the top and bottom panels of the cushion, as well as the bladder on a rectangular tubular electrode, by being wrapped and maintained around the top and bottom profile of the electrode. The electrode is then used to heat seal the gusset and panel blanks and bladder together in one sealing step along seal lines defined by the top and bottom profiles of the electrode.

Abstract: In a thermometer sheath package, for electronic clinical thermometers, two strips of thermoplastic material are sandwiched between two coated paper cover strips all joined together along a seal line in the shape of a sheath for the probe of the thermometer. The inner two strips are joined together along the seal line by a tear seal to define the sheath for the thermometer probe. The cover strips are joined to the inner strips along the seal line by peelable seals. Perforated lines are defined across the width of the cover strips near the mouth of the sheath to define tabs in the cover strips at the mouth of the sheath. The tabs of the cover strips are sealed to the inner strips in broad flat seals across the width of the cover strips. The seal line defining the sheath and along which all four strips are sealed together extends past the perforated lines and into the area of the broad flat seals.

Abstract: A beverage can is provided with an improved sanitary reclosable lid assembly comprising a top disk and a bottom disk both attached to the side walls of the can. An aperture is provided in the bottom disk and the top disk is provided with structure in the form of a depression or a stopper to close the aperture. A tear score line is defined in the top disk to define a flap including the closure structure. A pull-ring is attached to the flap to pull back the flap to open the aperture in the lower disk. The flap can then be replaced in its original position to reclose the aperture.

Abstract: In a surgical glove package, the surgical glove is contained in a cylindrical ring with the cuff of the glove stretched around the ring to open the cuff of the glove. A bag also contained within the ring has its mouth sealed around said ring and encloses the outer surface of the glove to protect the sterility thereof. To don the glove, the hand is inserted through the ring into the glove and then the cuff of the glove is released from the ring. The ring is then removed from the hand in a manner to turn the bag inside out as the ring passes over the hand so that the bag remains between the ring and the hand as the ring is passing over the hand.

Abstract: A sheath-package includes two inner sheets disposed adjacent to each other and adapted to be sealed to each other, the outer surfaces of said inner sheets being sterilizable. Two cover sheets are also provided, each of which is disposed adjacent to the outer surface of one of the inner sheets, the inner surface of each cover sheet being sterilizable and adapted to be sealed to its respective adjacent inner sheet. A sheath is formed by joining the inner sheets together along a seal line in the form of a tear seal, the portions of the inner sheets outside of the tear seal forming waste portions, the seal line terminating at two end points to define a mouth adapted for insertion of an instrument into the sheath. A tab is formed by portions of the inner and outer sheets projecting beyond the mouth, the seal line being shaped so that the waste portions connect with the portions of the inner sheets in the tab outside of the seal line.

Abstract: In a surgical glove package, the cuff of the elastomeric glove is stretched around a D-shaped packaging ring so that the glove cuff extends radially back towards the center of the ring. Also extending around the ring is a flexible, transparent liner covering the outside surface of the glove and between the glove cuff and the ring so that the cuff holds the liner securely to the ring. The glove is oriented with respect to the ring so that the thumb is suspended directly below the junction of the straight portion of the D-shaped ring and the curved portion and so that the palm portion of the glove faces in the direction of the straight portion of the D-shaped ring. The glove is donned and removed from the ring by using the liner to manipulate the glove package. The glove package can also be used in connection with an inflating apparatus which inflates the glove prior to inserting a hand into the inflated glove.

Abstract: In a surgical glove package, the cuff of the glove is stretched around a packaging ring so that the glove cuff extends radially back towards the center of the ring. Also extending around the ring is a flexible, transparent liner covering the outside surface of the glove and between the glove cuff and the ring so that the cuff holds the liner securely to the ring. The glove is donned and removed from the ring by using the liner to manipulate the glove package. The glove package can also be used in connection with an inflating apparatus which inflates the glove prior to inserting a hand into the inflated glove. The glove package components are assembled by means of a standpipe and blower combination, which inflates the liner and facilitates stretching the glove cuff around the ring.

Abstract: A disposable thermometer sheath package contains a sheath to provide a sterile barrier during temperature taking with a clinical thermometer. The sheath package comprises inner strips in which the sheath is formed by a tear seal and outer cover strips. All four strips of the sheath are sealed together in the tab portion thereof along the edges of a tab portion to make the tab portion into a pocket leading to the mouth of the sheath. Additional flat seals are formed between all four strips within the tear seal to provide a restriction within the sheath in order to cause the sheath to turn inside out upon a thermometer being withdrawn. A die is provided to simultaneously make the tear seal and the flat seals. The die surfaces of the flat seal forming portions of the die are offset from the die surface of the tear seal forming portion to permit the tear seal forming portion to sink sufficiently far into the sandwich of strips of the sheath package to properly form the tear seal.

Abstract: An intravenous catheter placement system in which a puncture needle and insertion catheter are disposed in guide passages formed in an easily handled blade-like body member. The body member is provided with guide track means cooperable with the needle in a manner to permit complete withdrawal and disposal of the needle after venipuncture to leave only the pliable insertion catheter remaining in the patient's vein. The needle may be either slotted to allow insertion of the catheter within the needle or provided with a pliable external sheath insertable with the needle and remaining after needle withdrawal to guide a small diameter insertion catheter for threading into the punctured vein. A catheter clamping means is provided to releasably retain the catheter against longitudinal movement in the body member which may be fixed to the exterior of the patient's body by a strap connected to the body or by taping.

Abstract: In a tampon comprising an absorptive relatively non-compressible core surrounded by a transmissive foam jacket, the foam jacket is formed into a skirt extending from the lower end of the core to define an opening to receive the finger of the user for digital insertion.

Abstract: A catamenial tampon comprising an elongated core of conventional highly absorbent fibrous material enclosed along its sides and posterior ends by a sheath of non-absorbent, resilient and thus compressible foam material whereby the storage capacity of the absorbent core is unaffected by compressive forces due to muscular activity or withdrawal of the tampon, such compression being accommodated fully by said non-absorbent outer sheath.