Abstract: A tailgate barrier for closing the open end of a truck bed is a rectangular sheet of substantially inelastic flexible material held as a membrane in bi-axial tension by continous elongated upper and lower edges extending to a tension strap at top and bottom corners of each end, the membrane being provided with a pattern of perforations, each of which is in the form of a generally U-shaped slit wherein the central portion of the U is a depending flap that flexes out of the plane of the membrane during the passage of air flow through the membrane.A preferred embodiment has an arcuate tension member connecting the top and bottom corner at each end.Another preferred embodiment has printed indicia that extends across the membrane and at least some of the depending flaps of the perforations.

Abstract: A low voltage strip lighting assembly has an elongated flexible insulator strip having a base including two sides and a top surface having elongated slits that retain flat electrical conductors. A miniature wire terminal lamp bulbs are adjacent to the top surface of the insulator strip with terminals extending from the top surface of the insulator strip into a slit in the insulator strip to electrically contact one side surface of a respective flat conductor at any point along the length of the insulator strip, whereby the application of electrical power from an external source to each of the respective conductors will light the bulbs. A generally U-shaped lens covers the light bulbs and has legs engaging the sides of the insulator and inwardly-biased and secured to the insulator by the engagement of ribs into matching grooves in the insulator.

Abstract: A piece of sculpture representing an animal having hair includes a rigid body and a plurality of thin, elongated metallic link chain strands attached by a first end of each chain to the body, leaving the second end hanging free and representing hair. A preferred embodiment includes some of the chain links rigidized with solder between adjacent links, which may be in the form of waves, curls or braids. Another preferred embodiment uses lengths of chain that are rolled and diamond cut wherein at least one surface along the length of a chain is a relatively flat reflective surface.

Abstract: A lighting fixture includes a reflector lamp having a bulb, a reflector and a bayonet base, a lampholder for holding and connecting the lamp having a proximal end connected to an external source of electrical power and a distal end supporting the base of the lamp. A generally radial flange is contiguous with the distal end of the lampholder and supports a contiguous cylindrical bulb reflector housing coaxially with the lampholder and extends beyond the bulb reflector in the distal direction. The bulb reflector has one or more rotational engagement notches engageable with a tool for installation or removal of the bayonet base of the lamp from the lampholder. A preferred embodiment has a torsion spring is disposed about a screw installed in each of two threaded transverse holes, with the springs having legs resiliently biased towards the distal end of the fixture.

Abstract: A light bar system for a motor vehicle includes a plurality of forward-facing lights and a plurality of rear-facing lights transversely spaced on a bar across a motor vehicle, the forward-facing lights sequentially operated in a pattern moving from one light to the next light in a pattern in a preferred direction, and the rear-facing lights simultaneously operated in a pattern moving from one light to the next light in a pattern in the direction opposite the forward-facing lights.The lights are sequentially operated in patterns generated from varying audio frequencies of a siren signal generator producing wail or yelp signals of changing frequency, wherein selected lights are switched on at selected frequency bands in the changing frequency siren signal, and at least one specific forward-facing light and one specific rear-facing light in the light bar are energized at each selected frequency band.

Abstract: A multiple circuit track lighting system comprises a track carrying electrical conductors and a connector mechanically engageable with the track for support and for supporting a lighting fixture. The connector is rotatable with respect to the track to effect an electrical connection between it and either of two electrical circuits carried by the track and is releasably latched in either positon.

Abstract: A lighting track system for mounting to a vertical wall includes an elongated channel in the form of an inverted U with a horizontal web having an upper surface and connecting two depending legs, the channel retaining one or more electrical conductors extending therethrough, insulated from each other and the channel, and accessable for electrical connection from the open side of the channel. At least one of the vertical legs of the channel has an upstanding or depending flange that is provided with screws for attachment of the track to a vertical wall. An external source of power is connected to the electrical conductors, and one or more lighting fixture connectors mechanically attach and electrically connect to the track at any point along its length. In a preferred embodiment the track has a depending flange that terminates in an upturned lip for the support of suspended objects, such as paintings, wall hangings and drapes.

Abstract: A kneeling aid to facilitate kneeling has planar, rectangular, platform, the upper surface provided with recessed storage compartments bounded by upstanding ribs, and a pair of three-sided recesses bounded by upstanding ribs conforming to the size and shape of a pair of resilient concave and knee-conforming pads, each three-sided recess having its fourth side open along one side of the platform. A recessed socket is provided at each corner of each end of the rectangle and an inverted U-shaped strut is installed at each end of the platform, each strut having a pair of depending legs engaged into the respective recessed sockets at each end of the rectangle.A preferred embodiment has the rectangular platform molded as a hollow plastic part including an upstanding beam extending between the recessed sockets on one long side of the rectangle, has the inverted U-shaped struts made of metal tubing, and has a tubular resilient handle disposed about the base portions connecting the legs of the strut.

Abstract: A tamper-evident child-resistant screw cap for a bottle has an internally threaded closure portion and a depending cylindrical skirt portion having a pair of diametrically spaced arc segments, frangibly attached to the skirt and flexurally attached to the open end of the closure portion. The arc segments have downward-facing ratchet dogs engaged with upward-facing ratchet teeth on the bottle neck. Each arc segment has an upstanding rigid lever which may be inwardly depressed to disengage the ratchet dogs from the ratchet teeth of the bottle neck, permitting first removal of the cap only after breaking the frangible attachments and depressing the levers while unscrewing the cap; thereafter permitting removal only by depressing the levers while unscrewing the cap, or by breaking off the levers and arc segments at their flexural attachments, thereby converting the cap to a non child-resistant configuration.

Abstract: A book and container includes a book and a formed thin-walled hollow shell with one open side having a flange closed by one of the book covers to form a closed container. The container has bottom side normal to and flush with the bottom edge of the book, and has a top side joined to the rest of the shell with an elongated upstanding rib in the cross-sectional shape of a narrow inverted U, wherein a first leg of the U is contiguous with the top side of the container, and a second leg of the U is contiguous with the rest of the shell; whereby cutting the base of the U away from the legs of the U will separate the top side of the shell from the rest of the shell to permit the container to be opened.

Abstract: A method for producing thermoplastic articles having an antistatic armor coating comprises: Coating a thermoplastic part with a solution of an organic solvent in which the thermoplastic material is soluble, the organic solvent also including a dissolved surfactant including at least one metallic salt compound, until the solvent solution penetrates the plastic surface.

Abstract: An elastic resistance exerciser comprises an an elongated elastic member having a loop formed at each end, a tubular handle slidably fit onto each loop of the elastic member, and a self-locking slider having three holes; with the elastic member slidably threaded through two of the holes and terminating the end of each loop in the third hole of each slider; the slider being adjustable along the elastic member, whereby the size of the loop may be varied by moving the slider with no tension on the loop, but self-locking by the application of tension to the loop. A preferred embodiment provides a band of flexible material attached approximately to the center of the length of an elastic member having more than one elastic element.

Abstract: A low voltage lighting fixture has a lamp housing having distal and proximal ends and is made of heat conducting material. A low voltage lamp is supported in an integral socket on a central axis in the distal end of the externally finned housing. A generally planar thermal barrier made of poor heat conducting material is provided at the proximal end of the lamp housing, and a tubular transformer housing, including a low voltage transformer means, is coaxially attached to the proximal end of the lamp housing in abutment with the thermal barrier. In a preferred embodiment convective cooling air passages are provided between the lamp housing and the thermal barrier, and additional convective cooling passages are provided between the thermal barrier and the transformer housing, whereby lamp heat is dissipated by the cooling fins with limited thermal conduction to the transformer.

Abstract: The invention comprises a surrogate weapon for simulating the sound and flash of gunfire having a combustion chamber system in which a primary chamber is an elongated cavity, having a proximal end closed with a head and an open distal end. A combustible mixture is injected via electronically timed hydrocarbon fuel and oxidizer pulses into the combustion chamber near the closed end through an annular injector having a plurality of spaced apart fuel and oxidizer nozzles. The fuel nozzles are axially spaced from the oxidizer nozzles and are closer to the head. Thus the injected fuel/oxidizer charge is stratified with a fuel concentration distribution preferentially being richer at an ignition source near the head.

Abstract: A method for producing a decorated ovoid figurine consists of the steps of bonding the small end of a truncated cone made of decorative sheet material to the surface of an ovoid shape, such as an egg or egg-shaped object, whereby the larger end of the cone forms a stable support base for the ovoid; and bonding cut shapes of decorative sheet material representing caricatures of body parts to the surface of the ovoid, whereby it becomes a figurine.

Abstract: A tilt bed exercise device for rotating a human into inverted posture is provided with a pair of pivot bearings holding a rotatable tilt bed comprising a human torso conforming support with a beam extending therefrom and terminating in a rail canted at an angle wherein the proximal end of the rail is anterior of the user's ankles and the distal end is posterior to the user's ankles. A foot supporting means is slidably attached to the canted rail with selectable fixed locations suitable for different size humans. The user's ankles are held by supporting means including a hook on each ankle support engageable with the foot supporting means. A pivot stop is provided for the tilt bed wherein the foot supporting means is rotated past the vertical plane through the axis of the pivot bearings.