Abstract: A casket assembly includes a container and a two-piece lid. The two-piece lid includes a superior lid that covers the anterior end of the casket and an inferior lid that covers the opposite end. The container includes a bottom panel, an inferior end panel, a superior end panel, and two elongated side panels. Each elongated side portion has a recessed portion on the superior end of the casket for providing an improved viewing of the deceased. In one embodiment, the casket panels each include a plurality of mortise holes and/or tenons. The tenons on individual panels are designed to fit into the mortise holes on other panels. Pins are placed through pinholes on the tenons to retain the tenons in the mortise holes. A shelf and bracket assembly may be provided for use in displaying mementos of the deceased and/or for supporting the inferior casket lid.

Abstract: A tray assembly may be used in a rental casket system that ncludes a casket with a recessed side panel for ease of viewing. The casket includes a removable end piece which is one embodiment is located within grooves formed in the side panels of the casket. The grooves widen near the upper portion of the side panels and are partially covered by a top panel. The tray assembly that may be used as part of a cremation casket. The tray has short side walls and an inner assembly that prevents contact with a deceased when handholds in the tray assembly are used to move the tray assembly. The tray assembly includes side walls that are movably attached to end walls. Lids are provided with the tray so that the tray may also be used as an identification tray.

Abstract: A durable erosion control blanket featuring a novel synthetic fiber filler is disclosed. The erosion control blanket of the present invention addresses the need for a particularly resilient erosion control blanket through the use of a post-consumer, crimped, polyester fiber filler material. In one embodiment, the post-consumer fiber material is of polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) readily available in post-consumer form from the recycling of soda bottles. In short, a preferred filler material for the blanket of the present invention would utilize recycled soda bottle material which has been converted into a crimped, highly-resilient fibrous filler. It is, thus, possible to achieve the desired physical and mechanical properties in the erosion control blanket of the present invention while conserving natural resources to some extent by using a readily available post-consumer polymer material.

Abstract: There is disclosed a reusable shipping pallet formed from plastic parts and a method of assembling the same.

Abstract: There is disclosed a reusable shipping pallet formed from plastic parts and a method of assembling the same.

Abstract: An electrical interface device (10) is provided for attachment to a towing vehicle (14) in order to allow the connection of the electrical systems of differently configured towed vehicles without any modification of the device (10). The device (10) includes a receptacle body (18) having a circular receptacle (22) and a flat receptacle (24), together with an electrical lead assembly (20) allowing connection of the device (10) to the electrical system of the towing vehicle (14). Individual covers (112, 114) are pivotally supported on the body (18) and allow individual access to the different receptacles (22, 24). In preferred forms, the circular receptacle (22) includes a central terminal (54) as well as six circularly arranged terminals (62) disposed about the terminal (54). The flat receptacle (24) has four aligned terminals, three female terminals (68-72) and a male terminal (74).

Abstract: A communications card modem useful as an internal modem in a personal computer (PC) is configured with an autonomous power supply and an additional communications port for converting the modem into an external modem for a mobile user input device, such as a PDA. In a preferred embodiment, the autonomous power supply is an integrated rechargeable power source, such as a secondary battery like nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal-hydroxide or lithium-ion. The secondary battery is recharged by means of the computer power supply, during use of the computer, so that a user can remove the modem from the computer and still maintain an electrical power supply for the modem. Preferred communication ports for interfacing with the user input device include serial ports such as an EIA-232-D or an IrDA port. An isolation circuit within the modem is provided to determine whether the computer power supply or the autonomous power supply is to energize the modem circuitry.

Abstract: Aromatic sulfonates and fiber and film forming polymers containing these sulfonates, the sulfonates being represented by the general formula: ##STR1## WHEREIN R.sub.1 represents either hydrogen or an alkyl radical containing from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms; n, n.sub.1, n.sub.2 and n.sub.3 each independently represent an integer from 0 to about 6, and n.sub.1 + n.sub.2 + n.sub.3 is equal to or greater than 2 if Y and Z both are hydroxy; Y and Z are selected independently from the class consisting of hydroxy, carboxy, and alkoxycarbonyl, the alkoxy portion of which contains from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms; Ar represents a divalent aromatic radical which may be substituted or unsubstituted; m is an integer equal to the valency of the metal; and R represents a divalent radical, with the proviso that where n is O and Ar is phenylene, the metal is lithium.

Abstract: A method of measuring mechanical damage to a grain, such as corn, includes applying a reacting solution to a sample of corn. The solution contains a material, such as 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonic acid, that reacts selectively with the damaged portion of the corn kernels, i.e., the internal protein that is exposed when the outer shell is penetrated or breached. Excess solution is washed off; and the kernels are dried for convenience of handling. The dried corn is ground to a uniform fineness and then spread over a predetermined area. What is inherently a three-dimensional or volume phenomena (damage) is converted to a two-dimensional or area measurement. The sample is exposed to ultraviolet light; and induced fluorescence is measured. The output of the measuring system is linearly related to, and thus a measure of the mechanical damage of the sample.