Abstract: A water conditioner device is provided with magnets engaged on opposing sides of a gap and engaged to a housing. Projections extend from said housing in opposite directions and are aligned with said gap and each other. These projections are engageable with a compressive engagement of the projections with a water pipe to treat water running therethrough.

Abstract: Coupling for joining conduits in a dielectric heating reactor comprising: a connector for forming a sealed joint between conduits, and an expandable electromagnetic shield arranged to surround joined conduits such that electromagnetic shielding of the joined conduits is maintained in response to dimensional changes due to temperature and/or pressure. Furthermore, an electromagnetic heating reactor comprising: an electromagnetic enclosure having a pressurisable interior and a reactant supply conduit at least partially enclosed within the pressurisable interior, wherein the pressurisable interior is arranged to at least partially counterbalance pressure within the reactant supply conduit and further wherein the interior of the reactant supply conduit is sealed against the pressurisable interior.

Abstract: A vehicle rearview mirror system including a sweep mirror movable back and forth between a home position to an extended position. In the home position the driver views the normal rearview area while in the extended position the driver views the blind area into which another vehicle passing from behind enters after moving out of the normal viewing area of the mirror. The sweep mirror is moved to its extended position by a high speed motor controlled by the driver. The control is preferably included as part of the turn signal mechanism of the vehicle. Movement of the turn signal lever to actuate operation of the turn signal also activates the motor for the sweep mirror to move it quickly to its extended position.

Abstract: This invention pertains to a void-free superconducting magnesium diboride (MgB2) product, especially wire, and to a method for its fabrication. The product is a well-connected and void-free superconducting magnesium diboride. The fabrication method includes the steps of: 1) charging a metal billet or tube with magnesium and boron, or magnesium diboride; 2) sealing the billet; 3) heating the filled and sealed billet to an elevated temperature above room temperature at which the billet metal can be hot-worked and at which reaction between magnesium and boron to form magnesium diboride proceeds or magnesium diboride can be deformed; and 4) hot-rolling the billet until the desired magnesium diboride dimensions and the reaction are achieved. There is an optional step of hot-treating the billet after hot-rolling to change superconducting properties of magnesium diboride by modifying microstructure thereof.

Abstract: This invention pertains to a product and a method for making the product. The product is a lightweight solid porous metallic product containing small solid spheres having a coating of a primary alpha phase thereon disposed in a solid metal alloy eutectic matrix. The method includes the steps of mixing the hollow rigid spheres and a metal alloy, which metal alloy can be preheated to render it molten, in order to form a dispersion of the spheres distributed in the molten alloy; initially cooling the dispersion to render it semi-solid whereby the spheres are coated by a solid and the coated spheres are disposed in the semi-solid mixture of the solid and liquid; and finally cooling the sphere-containing semi-solid mixture to a temperature at which the sphere-containing semi-solid mixture becomes solid and the product is formed.

Abstract: The shape memory effect is displayed by near-equiatomic ruthenium alloys of Ta or Nb with compositions of Ta.sub.x Ru.sub.1-x where x can be as low as 0.38 and preferably x=0.44 to 0.63 and Nb.sub.x Ru.sub.1-x where x can be as low as 0.25 and preferably x=0.45 to 0.59 which exhibit a transition from the high-temperature cubic phase to a tetragonal phase. These alloys are prepared by melting together tantalum and ruthenium, or niobium and ruthenium, in the above mentioned ratios. A further embodiment of this invention is to alloy NiTi alloys with, one of these two ruthenium-based high-temperature alloys (i.e. either Ta--Ru or Nb--Ru) so as to obtain a similar behavior which will result in an increase in the transition temperature relative to unalloyed Ni--Ti.

Abstract: A cable hook comprises a body member having a longitudinal channel of generally rectangular cross-section formed therein for receiving a portion of a cable against one wall thereof, a cable clamping member laterally movable in such channel and having an inner surface engaging the cable and a longitudinally double-tapered inverted V-shaped outer surface, a transverse aperture extending through the channel, and a wedge member insertable in such transverse aperture and having a vertically tapered surface for driving the cable clamping member against the cable in the channel and a transversally double-tapered surface mating the longitudinally double-tapered surface of the cable clamping member to provide oppositely acting wedging surfaces generating increased clamping action during pulling of the cable in either direction.

Abstract: A tobacco product characterized by improved void volume and firmness characteristics and a method of making a tobacco product by applying binder material to tobacco filler, treating the filler to the extent necessary to cause the filler to become substantially non-tacky, forming a rod, activating the binder and treating the rod to the extent necessary to cause the filler shreds to become bonded to one another.

Abstract: Apparatus for processing of soil by vibratory sifting to remove rocks and other objects embedded in the soil provides a scoop for use with a backhoe or crawler tractor having a positionable boom. The scoop includes an elongated main frame to which are secured arcuately configured evenly spaced tines which extend downwardly from the main frame with sharp distal ends for readily penetrating the soil. By pivot arrangement, the main frame is secured to an outer end of the boom for placement upon the surface, the tines extending into the soil for processing. A hydraulic vibrator motor is coupled to the tines for causing vibratory sifting by the tines of the soil upon the main frame being pulled across the surface. Such operation sifts rocks and other objects from the soil. The apparatus is especially useful for processing the root medium after strip mining.

Abstract: An inertia switch comprises a spiral spring-like member supported by a post in a housing, the spring comprising one contact of the switch and the housing the other. The post is insulated from the housing and provides a terminal for the switch. Acceleration or shock applied to the switch causes the spring-like member to move relative to the housing and when it contacts the housing or approaches a detector located inside and supported by the housing, switching is effected.

Abstract: This is an invention in a method for locating the azimuthal direction of fractures induced into an underground formation adjacent to a well bore. Practicing the method of the invention involves measurement of stresses created at or near ground surface by such fracture propagation, utilizing pressure sensitive devices making up stress meters which reflect those stress changes on standard pressure gauges. Such stress meters are preferably each placed at an optimum distance from a well bore and spaced therearound, and, when a fracture is induced in the formation around the well bore, preferably by hydraulic means, said stress meters measure surface stress changes as horizontal pressure changes, which pressure change measurements can then be used to mathematically determine the direction of the fracture.

Abstract: Corrosion protection in hollow metal structures is attained by placing an injected, foam-in-place, closed cell plastic polymer foam into an interior of a hollow metal structure, thereby preventing the ingress of foreign matter, such as dirt or water.