Abstract: An opthalmic spectacle or contact sharp cut-on orange lens that improves visual acuity and substantially reduces eye damage in a bright sunlit environment. The lenses substantially eliminate ultraviolet radiation and blue light shorter than 515 nm. The ultraviolet radiation has been implicated as a cause of cateractogenisis. The blue light is implicated in senile macular degenerations, night blindness and snow blindness. The lens is substantially transparent to wavelengths greater than 636 nm which are most useful for high visual acuity in bright sunlit environment.

Abstract: A reliable moisture-indicating capactive sensor is provided with wire electrodes at least one of which includes a coating of moisture-absorbing dielectric material by spirally twisting the wire electrodes about each other, thereby establishing a pair of electrodes in contact with opposite surfaces of a layer of dielectric material, and assuring consistent contact of each electrode with the dielectric material despite changes in environmental conditions.

Abstract: A differential pressure-actuated valve with a piston slidable to open or to close an inlet port. The piston slides in a cylindrical wall, and separates a bias chamber and a flow chamber. The piston is fitted with two oppositely-directed lip seals, one of which seals against bias chamber pressure, and the other of which scrapes particulate matter off of the wall. Optionally, an elongated filter extends from the piston into an inlet pipe where it filters water which flows to the bias chamber. The filter may have a perforated mesh wall, or a solid wall with an open end.

Abstract: A flushometer valve integrable with a structure to which it is mounted.

Abstract: A welding helmet with welder's glass includes one or more reducing auxiliary vision systems providing viewing of areas which would otherwise be blocked by opaque portions of the welding helmet.

Abstract: A solid electrolytic type hygrometer is described, which operates with high reliability while providing rapid and sensitive response. A gold foil electrode (16) is wrapped about a hollow glass cylinder (18), a sheet (12) of hygroscopic-electrolytic material is wrapped about the foil, and a wire (14) is wound around the outside of the electrolytic sheet. Moisture passing between wire turns can be absorbed by the electrolytic material (12), and then dissociated by current passed by the electrodes (14, 16) through the electrolytic material. The cylinder has a slit (20) extending along its length, to allow resilient expansion to press the sheet of electrolytic material firmly against the electrodes. The wire turns lie against one another to cause rapid dissociation of moisture throughout the electrolytic material. Additional guard wires (42,44, FIG. 2) lie at opposite ends of the electrolytic sheet, and currents pass through them to avoid moisture buildup at the ends of the main wire coil.

Abstract: YA flow proportioning control for proportioning flow from a water level sensing valve. A barrier is positioned downstream from the valve adjacent to a refill line. A restrictor ring is positioned on said barrier with a portion overlying the upper surface of the refill line. It is interchangeable so that by substituting rings of various sizes, various proportions of flow can be selected.

Abstract: A curtain for surrounding welding and cutting operations, especially electric arc welding and electric arc cutting operations to protect the eyes of otherwise unprotected observers such as supervisors, adjacent workers, and visitors to the welding operation. The curtain contains dyes for the purpose of absorbing radiation of wavelengths of potential hazard to such eyes. Because no dye can absorb all potentially harmful radiation and still provide some visibility, means is provided to improve the protection by means of reducing the exposure of the retina to undesirable intensities by optically enlarging the small arc spot, and by presenting the eye with general area illumination instead of pinpoint illumination.

Abstract: A curtain for surrounding welding and cutting operations, especially electric arc welding and electric arc cutting operations to protect the eyes of otherwise unprotected observers such as supervisors, adjacent workers, and visitors to the welding operation. The curtain contains dyes for the purpose of absorbing radiation of wavelengths of potential hazard to such eyes. Because no dye can absorb all potentially harmful radiation and still provide some visibility, means is provided to improve the protection by means of reducing the exposure of the retina to undesirable intensities by optically enlarging the small arc spot, and by presenting the eye with general area illumination instead of pinpoint illumination.

Abstract: A system is provided for forming small accurately-spherical objects. Preformed largely-spherical objects (18) are supported at the opening of a conduit (16) on the update of hot gas emitted from the opening, so the object is in a molten state. The conduit is suddenly jerked away at a downward incline, to allow the molten object to drop in free fall, so that surface tension forms a precise sphere. The conduit portion that has the opening, lies in a moderate-vacuum chamber 40, and the falling sphere passes through the chamber and through a briefly-opened valve (30) into a tall drop tower (32) that contains a lower pressure, to allow the sphere to cool without deformation caused by falling through air.

Abstract: A curtain for surrounding welding and cutting operations, especially electric arc welding and electric arc cutting operations to protect the eyes of otherwise unprotected observers such as supervisors, adjacent workers, and visitors to the welding operation. The curtain contains dyes for the purpose of absorbing radiation of wavelengths of potential hazard to such eyes. Because no dye can absorb all potentially harmful radiation and still provide some visibility, means is provided to improve the protection by means of reducing the exposure of the retina to undesirable intensities by optically enlarging the small arc spot, and by presenting the eye with general area illumination instead of pinpoint illumination.

Abstract: A by-pass water softener system including a water softener made from a tube and two end caps, enclosing a charge of ion-exchange resin. A port passes through each end cap. One port is connectible to a hose which leads to a water distributor such as a hand-held shower head. The other port is connected to a diverter valve which selectively directs water from a water supply either to some other water distributor such as a wall-mounted shower head, or to a hose which leads to the other port of the water softener. A suspension device is provided to suspend the water softener, perhaps from the wall of a shower stall.

Abstract: An extension for the fill port of a fuel tank. The fuel tank has a wall and a fill port. The extension comprises a tube having an axis, an innermost end, and an outermost end. The tube is axially movable in the fill port with its innermost end inside the fuel tank and its outermost end outside of the tank and adapted to be closed by a closure. A peripheral flexible diaphragm has an inner and outer periphery, the diaphragm being imperforated between its peripheries. The outer periphery is sealingly attached to the wall and the inner periphery is sealingly attached to the tube adjacent to its outermost end so that the diaphragm makes a fluid sealing barrier between the tank and the tube to prevent escape of fluid from the fill port except through the tube. The diaphragm is shaped so as to flex and thereby enable the tube to move axially from the retracted to an extended position relative to the fill port.

Abstract: A method for extracting an underground mineral such as coal, which avoids the need for sending personnel underground and which enables the mining of steeply pitched seams of the mineral. The method includes the use of a narrow vehicle which moves underground along the mineral seam and which is connected by pipes or hoses to water pumps at the surface of the earth. The vehicle hydraulically drills pilot holes during its entrances into the seam, and then directs sideward jets at the seam during its withdrawal from each pilot hole to comminute the mineral surrounding the pilot hole and combine it with water into a slurry, so that the slurried mineral can flow down to a location where a pump raises the slurry to the surface.

Abstract: An improved cryostat for use in a low or a substantially gravity-free environment adapted to cool an experiment through the use of helium II, or helium in its super fluid state. The cryostat is characterized by a plurality of interchangeable daughter dewars and helium supply or mother dewar having connected therewith a low pressure venting system for converting helium I contained therein to a super fluid state for use as a primary cryogen. Each daughter dewar is adapted to be removably mounted in mated relation on the mother dewar and is characterized by a support for an experiment package, a source of helium to be employed as a secondary cryogen, and a heat pipe suspended therefrom and adapted to be extended into the mother dewar for facilitating cooling of the secondary cryogen whereby a transfer of heat from the package to the primary cryogen, via the secondary cryogen, is accommodated as a film flow of helium II progresses from the heat pipe to the experiment dewar.

Abstract: A portable testing device is disclosed for testing the electrical circuits of power tools and cables having a general three-conductor wiring circuit including a first test station for checking the wiring polarity of an outside electrical receptacle from which the testing device operates and a second test station having a testing circuit and receptacle for receiving a plug of the power equipment being tested for detecting the existence of a defective ground circuit in the power equipment. A third test station is provided for checking the ground continuity of a power tool wiring circuit. A fourth test station is provided for checking the wiring conditions of a three-conductor extension power cable having a three-prong plug carried on one end and a three-socket receptacle carried on the other end.

Abstract: A fixed, linear, ground-based primary reflector having an extended curved sawtooth-contoured surface covered with a metalized polymeric reflecting material, reflects solar energy to a movably supported collector that is kept at the concentrated line focus of the reflector primary. The primary reflector may be constructed by a process utilizing well-known freeway paving machinery. The solar energy absorber is preferably a fluid-transporting pipe. Efficient utilization leading to high temperatures from the reflected solar energy is obtained by cylindrical shaped secondary reflectors that direct off-angle energy to the absorber pipe. To obtain higher temperature levels, refocusing secondary reflectors, that cause a series of discrete spots of highly concentrated solar energy to fall on the fluid-transporting pipe, are utilized. A seriatim arrangement of cylindrical secondary reflector stages and spot-forming reflector stages produces a high temperature solar energy collection system of greater efficiency.

Abstract: A fixed, linear, ground-based primary reflector having an extended curved sawtooth-contoured surface covered with a metalized polymeric reflecting material, reflects solar energy to a movably supported collector that is kept at the concentrated line focus of the reflector primary. The primary reflector may be constructed by a process utilizing well-known freeway paving machinery.

Abstract: A fixed, linear, ground-based primary reflector having an extended curved sawtooth-contoured surface covered with a metalized polymeric reflecting material, reflects solar energy to a movably supported collector that is kept at the concentrated line focus of the reflector primary. The primary reflector may be constructed by a process utilizing well-known freeway paving machinery.

Abstract: An opthalmic spectacle or contact sharp cut-on orange lens that improves visual acuity and substantially reduces eye damage in a bright sunlit environment. The lenses substantially eliminate ultraviolet radiation and blue light shorter than 515 520 nm. The ultraviolet radiation has been implicated as a cause of cateractogenisis. The blue light is implicated in senile macular degenerations, night blindness and snow blindness. The lens is substantially transparent to wavelengths greater than 636 600 nm which are most useful for high visual acuity in bright sunlit environment.