Abstract: A portable wind resistant target and sign stand, that is lightweight, wind resistant and can be stored in a relatively small container approximately two feet tall and five inches in diameter. The stand is made of rigid pipes that can be rapidly and easily assembled and disassembled without tools, The stand can accommodate target or sign panels of varying height or width, as the backdrops can be secured at any position along the vertically adjustable, horizontally disposed, rigid crossbars by a plurality of spring clips or, alternatively, a plurality of magnets if said crossbar is made of ferrous metal. Wind resistance is enhanced by a novel three-way-tee fitting assembly developed for this application.

Abstract: A Thermos Coffee Maker having a main thermos body, a lid member, a screen member and a screen retaining assembly. The screen retaining assembly includes a threaded cylindrical member and a screen retaining ring. The lid has internal threads and is attached to the upper portion of the screen retaining assembly. The screen retaining assembly is attached at its lower end to the internally threaded portion of the main thermos body. The screen is trapped between the screen retaining ring and a ledge located on the interior of the screen retaining assembly. The user to pours ground coffee into the main thermos body then pours in hot water and screws on the lid. The coffee is allowed to brew-steep. The brewed coffee can be poured through the screen member thereby blocking the coffee grounds and allowing brewed coffee to be poured from the main thermos to a coffee cup.

Abstract: A Thermos Coffee Maker having a main thermos body, a lid member, a screen member and a screen retaining assembly. The screen retaining assembly includes a threaded cylindrical member and a screen retaining ring. The lid has internal threads and is attached to the upper portion of the screen retaining assembly. The screen retaining assembly is attached at its lower end to the internally threaded portion of the main thermos body. The screen is trapped between the screen retaining ring and a ledge located on the interior of the screen retaining assembly. The user to pours ground coffee into the main thermos body then pours in hot water and screws on the lid. The coffee is allowed to brew-steep. The brewed coffee can be poured through the screen member thereby blocking the coffee grounds and allowing brewed coffee to be poured from the main thermos to a coffee cup.

Abstract: A lightweight, small size, high sensitivity gauge for indirectly measuring displacement or absolute gap width by measuring axial strain in an orthogonal direction to the displacement/gap width. The gap gauge includes a preferably titanium base having a central tension bar with springs connecting opposite ends of the tension bar to a pair of end connector bars, and an elongated bow spring connected to the end connector bars with a middle section bowed away from the base to define a gap. The bow spring is capable of producing an axial strain in the base proportional to a displacement of the middle section in a direction orthogonal to the base. And a strain sensor, such as a Fabry-Perot interferometer strain sensor, is connected to measure the axial strain in the base, so that the displacement of the middle section may be indirectly determined from the measurement of the axial strain in the base.