Abstract: A variable grip structure has a shaft body formed of plural shaft portions that are rotatable relative to one another. An elastic finger-grip member encircles the shaft body and has its forward and rearward ends fixed to different shaft portions so that relative rotation of the shaft portions elastically twists the finger-grip member about the longitudinal axis of the shaft body. This construction makes it possible to adapt the shape of the finger-grip member to the hand size and shape and the preference of the user.

Abstract: This is a retractable-nib writing tool having a retractable writing body in a shaft tube and having a sealing lid and a sealing tube which seal the writing nib of the writing body in association with the forward and backward movements of the writing body. In this retractable-nib writing tool, the sealing lid and a guide tube fixed to the writing body are linked by a plurality of thin line portions, the sealing lid and thin line portions are formed integrally, and the sealing lid is opened and closed relative to the sealing tube by the forward and backward movements of those thin line portions. This retractable-nib writing tool can securely seal, when the writing body is retracted, the writing nib at the tip by the sealing lid and the sealing tube and thereby prevent the writing body from drying.

Abstract: This is a retractable-nib writing tool having a retractable writing body in a shaft tube and having a sealing lid and a sealing tube which seal the writing nib of the writing body in association with the forward and backward movements of the writing body. In this retractable-nib writing tool, the sealing lid and a guide tube fixed to the writing body are linked by a plurality of thin line portions, the sealing lid and thin line portions are formed integrally, and the sealing lid is opened and closed relative to the sealing tube by the forward and backward movements of those thin line portions. This retractable-nib writing tool can securely seal, when the writing body is retracted, the writing nib at the tip by the sealing lid and the sealing tube and thereby prevent the writing body from drying.

Abstract: A relatively rotational engagement is made between an elastic member and a shaft body to which the elastic member is fixed, and means for keeping their relative rotating actions is provided. This configuration makes it possible the adaptation of the shape to the hand size and preference of each of users, which may individually vary from one user to the other, by the relative rotation of those shaft body and elastic member and also makes it possible to keep that shape. There is an additional advantage of allowing an appropriate degree of hardness to be selected and maintained. Moreover, these can be achieved by a relatively simple component configuration.

Abstract: An automatic fire extinguishing system wherein at least two fire detecting sensors are provided. The sensors are disposed at a distance from each other and movable in the horizontal and vertical directions to scan the region to be protected for detecting the angles of a fire source in the horizontal and vertical directions. A distance to the fire source is obtained from the angles of the fire source detected by the respective sensors. A discharge nozzle is set based on the fire source position determined by the angles and the distance of the fire source.

Abstract: An inking system comprising an ink vessel removably mounted on a nose portion of a wire dot matrix printer. The ink vessel is stationarily connected to a capillary path member for transferring ink reserved within the ink vessel to the rear surface of a bearing plate which is disposed at the front end of the nose portion of the printer for supporting printing ends of printing wires. The ink vessel accommodates therein an ink absorbent member such as synthetic fibers in contact with the upper end portion of the capillary path member, and reserves ink in an absorbed state in the ink absorbent member. At least one slit is formed in the lower end portion of the capillary path member such that the slit permits a group of the printing wires to extend therethrough without causing any forced contact between the respective printing wire and the lower end portion. The lower end portion wetted with the ink is forcedly contacted with the rear surface of the bearing plate by pressing means disposed within the nose portion.

Abstract: A timer circuit for connecting a DC voltage source to an electric device, such as a small portable radio, comprises a switching device, such as a switching transistor, connected between the source and the device and having conductive and non-conductive states; a drive circuit operative to selectively establish the states of the switching device in response to a control voltage; a timing circuit for holding a voltage level that initially decays at a first decay rate from a first voltage related to the voltage of the source of a second voltage, and subsequently decays at a second, different decay rate from the second voltage to a third voltage; and a control device, which may be a thyristor, such as, a programmable unijunction transistor, or a thyristor-like circuit, for providing the control voltage to a drive circuit to cause the latter to establish one of the states of the switching device when the voltage level of the timing circuit is above the third voltage, and to establish the other of the states when t