Abstract: A light bar system for a motor vehicle including a plurality of forward-facing lights and a plurality of rear-facing lights transversely spaced on a bar across a motor vehicle, sequentially operating the forward-facing lights in a pattern moving from one light to the next light in a pattern in a preferred direction, and simultaneously operating the rear-facing lights in a pattern moving from one light to the next light in a pattern in the direction opposite that of the forward-facing lights; and sequentially operating the lights with a frequency modulating ramp generator optionally driving an acoustic siren and producing an electrical ramp signal of changing frequency, including a means for selecting a series of time-spaced frequencies in the changing frequency ramp signal, and a means for operating at least one specific forward-facing light and one specific rear-facing light in the light bar at each selected frequency of the ramp signal.

Abstract: A plastic foam material comprises an aggregate of discrete elements made of substantially individual cellulose fibers combined with a cellulose starch and including a plurality of bubbles produced by a gas-generating agent. The discrete elements are suspended in a matrix also including a plurality of bubbles produced by a gas-generating agent. In a preferred embodiment the matrix is also made of substantially individual cellulose fibers combined with a cellulose starch and formed into a geometric shape. In another preferred embodiment the discrete aggregate elements are substantially closed-cell foam and the matrix is substantially open-cell foam. In yet another preferred embodiment the discrete aggregate elements are substantially closed-cell, and the foam matrix is also substantially closed-cell.

Abstract: A fiber optics illuminator includes a source of illumination on an optical axis and an optical element coaxially disposed on the optical axis, forming an image of the illumination source at an image plane. A housing encloses the source of illumination, the optical element and the image plane. A thermal control bushing is disposed on the optical axis at an exit aperture in the housing and includes an elongated, generally cylindrical glass rod coaxially disposed on the optical axis, having a first end at the image plane of the optical element, receiving illumination and heat, and a second end external to the housing. The thermal control bushing includes a means for dissipating heat from the glass rod by radiation outside the housing and by convection aided by a ventilating fan. An elongated fiber optics light guide has a light receiving end coaxially disposed adjacent to the second end of the glass rod, and a remote light-emitting end.

Abstract: A toy glider in the form of a molded foam plastic animal figure has an animal body form fuselage including a longitudinal axis, generally parallel sides, a front end and a rear end. A pair of wings in the form of animal wings are attached to the fuselage in a horizontal plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage. A nose section in the form of an animal head and attached to the front end of the fuselage and a tail section is attached to the rear end of the fuselage. One or more male appendage studs extend distance from a surface of the glider and engage elongated hollow, appendages in the form of animal limbs, each having an elastomeric and hollow recess at an angle to the length of the limb and frictionally engaged onto a respective appendage stud, whereby rotation of the limb changes the angle of the limb with respect to the fuselage.

Abstract: A toy glider in the form of an animal figure has an animal body form fuselage including a longitudinal axis, generally parallel sides, a front end and a rear end. A pair of wings in the form of animal wings are attached to the fuselage in a horizontal plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage. A nose section in the form of an animal head and attached to the front end of the fuselage and a tail section is attached to the rear end of the fuselage. A wing in the form of a pair of animal wings has a depending pylon, matingly engageable and latched into the aperture of the fuselage, and including a means for disengaging the wing pylon from the fuselage to permit use of the toy as an animal form without the wings. A plug is provided to close off the aperture in the fuselage when the wings are removed.

Abstract: A toy glider has an elongated fuselage having a longitudinal axis in the normal horizontal flight attitude, a nose section and a tail section having airfoil portions in horizontal and vertical planes. The fuselage includes a trapezoidal portion with non-parallel sides forming wing root fairings at an angle to the longitudinal axis for mounting a pair of wings having wing roots at an angle to a wing span axis, and pivotal on the wing root fairings. The wings may be extended into normal flight position and may also be pivoted into a retracted position parallel to the longitudinal axis. In a preferred embodiment the nose section simulates a head, and the vertical tail portions simulate feet, providing the appearance of an animal figure. The glider has the aft edges of the tail section in a vertical, transverse plane, whereby the glider can stand on its tail in an erect, standing posture, and the aft edges of the vertical tail portions also include wheels so the erect glider may also be rolled on the wheels.

Abstract: A racing plate horseshoe system with movable calks has an arcuate racing plate attachable to a horse's hoof. An elongated groove is provided in the lower surface and has a plurality of spaced-apart threaded holes extending from the upper surface to the groove in the lower surface. The threaded holes are provided with set screws to protect the holes during fitting the shoes. One or more screw-attached calks are mounted to the racing plate, each calk having upstanding tabs engaged into the groove and having a depending blade. The blade calk is attached to the racing plate with a screw replacing the set screw. Each calk may be mounted to the racing plate in with blade in any one of four orthogonal positions with one or more of the upstanding tabs engaged into the groove of the shoe. A preferred embodiment uses cap screws installed in the threaded hole to provide simple wear-resistant calks.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a sculpture having simulated hair includes forming a rigid body of an animal figure having a plurality of small holes, cutting a plurality of lengths of metallic link chain to the desired length of hair strands for the body, soldering at least some of the chain links together with a metallic matrix having a lower melting temperature than the metal of the chain links, orienting the bonded chain links to style the chain into a preferred hair pattern, finishing the styled hair pattern chain with decorative metal plating or patina, and bonding the styled and plated chain hair pattern into the holes of the animal body.

Abstract: A toy glider has an elongated fuselage including a nose section and a tail empennage section, an elongated, recessed wing mounting channel on each side of the flight axis including a female, V-shaped bottom for receiving a pair of wings. Each wing has a wing root in the form of an elongated polygon having male corners matching the V-bottom channel of the fuselage. A tension means, such as an elastic band, urges each wing root into a mating engagement with the wing root channel of the fuselage, whereby the tension means may be manually overcome to disengage wing root and permit movement of either wing in a vertical direction from the horizontal plane. In a preferred embodiment one male corner of the wing root as an upstanding rib matching an elongated groove in the V-bottom of the fuselage channel, providing a positive position for the wing in a flight configuration.

Abstract: A toy glider is provided in the form of an animal figure having an elongated fuselage, a nose section, in the form of an animal head attached by a hinge to the front end of the fuselage, a tail section in the form of a pair of animal legs terminating in feet and attached by a hinge to the rear end of the fuselage and a pair of animal wings attached to the sides of the fuselage. The feed may rest on a horizontal surface and form an animal in a biped standing position. In a preferred embodiment each wing each has a root section retained in a recess in the fuselage, and each wing has a outer section joined to the respective root section by a hinge.

Abstract: A light bulb is provided has a lamp base electrically connecting a radiant light source and supporting the light source on a central axis. An envelope is supported from the base, comprising a generally tubular transmissive portion adjacent to the base and a generally reflective portion contiguous with the transmissive portion and completing enclosure of the light source. The reflective portion is in the form of a concave curve of revolution having a first focus at the light source and configured to direct the light from the source through the transmissive portion of the envelope at approximately a 45.degree. angle from the central axis, and wherein the 45.degree. angle is rotated to form a depending cone of light. A preferred embodiment has an envelope including a partially transmissive reflector and a tubular window as an optically transmissive light diffuser.

Abstract: A lamp shade is provided in the form of a translucent material in a generally tubular shape disposed about the vertical axis of a light source. The shade has an optical transmittance in the horizontal plane passing through the centroid of the light source, and a greater optical transmittance through the portion of the shade extending below the horizontal plane. A preferred embodiment controls the optical transmittance providing variable reflectance on the inner surface of the shade, and includes a generally reflective upper end closure having a means for supporting the shade, and a generally reflective convex cone below the light source.