Abstract: Disclosed herein is a strut assembly 10 comprising of a piston 3 in slideable communication with a housing 2; a seal 6 in operative communication with the piston 3 and/or the housing 2; wherein the seal 6 comprises an active material adapted to control the motion of the piston 3. Disclosed herein too is a method of operating a strut assembly 10 comprising displacing a suspended body 60 in mechanical communication with a piston 3; wherein the piston 3 comprises a piston head 14 and a piston rod 12; activating an active material in operative communication with the piston head 14; and controlling the motion of the suspended body 60.

Abstract: The present invention relates in general to semiconductor light emitting devices and in particular to methods of altering the spatial emission patterns of such devices. A known problem with these prior art light emitting devices (and laser diodes in general) is that their far-field emission patterns are elliptical and astigmatic in nature. The present invention addresses this problem by refractive index perurbations in the semiconductor device aligned in a direction substantially transverse to the light emission direction to achieve a desired spatial distribution of the emission.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a strut assembly 10 comprising a locking device 11 in operative communication with a piston 3, wherein the locking device 11 comprises an active material operative to resist motion of the piston 3 in response to an activation signal. Disclosed herein too is a method of operating a strut assembly 10 comprising displacing a suspended body 60 in mechanical communication with a piston 3; activating an active material in operative communication with the piston 3; and controlling the motion of the suspended body 60.

Abstract: A laser lighting system which employs employ visible and reflective laser beam lighting sources to provide illumination of airport runways and taxiways, preferred approach and departure routes, seaplane base landing areas, marine waterways, as well as to assist in search and rescue operations. The lighting system includes handheld laser lighting units or flares particularly useful for search and which have an optic which emits a laser beam for generating a laser line which is uniformly illuminated from end to end. The handheld laser lighting units may have a pistol grip housing or a cylindrical housing, and may feature either a trigger switch, a plunger switch, or a rotary switch. The handheld laser lighting units are battery powered, and include waterproofing seals for protection from the elements.

Abstract: A laser lighting system which employs employ visible and reflective laser beam lighting sources to provide illumination of airport runways and taxiways, preferred approach and departure routes, seaplane base landing areas, marine waterways, as well as to assist in search and rescue operations. The lighting system includes handheld laser lighting units or flares particularly useful for search and which have an optic which emits a laser beam for generating a laser line which is uniformly illuminated from end to end. The handheld laser lighting units may have a pistol grip housing or a cylindrical housing, and may feature either a trigger switch, a plunger switch, or a rotary switch. The handheld laser lighting units are battery powered, and include waterproofing seals for protection from the elements.

Abstract: A laser lighting system of beam shaping, delivery, and the retroreflection of laser light on specially designed markers to reduce the problems associated with the illumination of markings, signage, and reflectors installed in northern climates. The laser lighting system employs employ visible and reflective laser beam lighting sources to provide illumination of airport runways and taxiways, preferred approach and departure routes, seaplane base landing areas, marine waterways, as well as to assist in search and rescue operations. The laser lighting system may be a laser lighting post or a laser lighting unit for providing radiation along a surface that includes at least one laser for producing a beam of coherent visible or reflective radiation, and a glass plano-convex cylindrical lens which has an aspherical convex cylindrical surface for generating a laser line which is uniformally illuminated from end to end.

Abstract: A laser lighting system which employs employ visible and reflective laser beam lighting sources to provide illumination of airport runways and taxiways, preferred approach and departure routes, seaplane base landing areas, marine waterways, as well as to assist in search and rescue operations. The laser lighting system may be a laser lighting post or a laser lighting unit for providing radiation along a surface that includes at least one laser for producing a beam of coherent visible or reflective radiation, and a glass plano-convex cylindrical lens which has an aspherical convex cylindrical surface for generating a laser line which is uniformally illuminated from end to end. The laser lighting post includes a mounting column which has an access door for providing access to a tilt switch assembly and an AC/DC power adapter unit. The mounting column is attached to a base plate by a frangible coupling.

Abstract: A laser lighting system which employs visible and reflective laser beam lighting sources to provide illumination of airport runways and taxiways, preferred approach and departure routes, seaplane base landing areas, marine waterways, as well as to assist in search and rescue operations. The laser lighting system may be a laser lighting post or a laser lighting unit for providing radiation along a surface that includes at least one laser for producing a beam of coherent visible or reflective radiation, and a glass plano-convex cylindrical lens which has an aspherical convex cylindrical surface for generating a laser line which is uniformally illuminated from end to end. The laser lighting post includes a mounting column which has an access door for providing access to a tilt switch assembly and an AC/DC power adapter unit. The mounting column is attached to a base plate by a frangible coupling.

Abstract: A laser lighting system which employs employ visible and reflective laser beam lighting sources to provide illumination of airport runways and taxiways, preferred approach and departure routes, seaplane base landing areas, marine waterways, as well as to assist in search and rescue operations. The laser lighting system may be a laser lighting post or a laser lighting unit for providing radiation along a surface that includes at least one laser for producing a beam of coherent visible or reflective radiation, and a glass plano-convex cylindrical lens which has an aspherical convex cylindrical surface for generating a laser line which is uniformally illuminated from end to end. The laser lighting post includes a mounting column which has an access door for providing access to a tilt switch assembly and an AC/DC power adapter unit. The mounting column is attached to a base plate by a frangible coupling.

Abstract: Golf clubs can be suspended within a golf bag by the use of an add-on club holder releasably attached to the upper edge of a conventional golf bag. The club holder can include an elongated bendable strip having a number of supporting clamps spaced along the strip lower edge to grip the upper edge of the bag. The strip is bendable to conform to the shape of the bag perimeter edge. Heads of the golf clubs can be positioned in slots in the upper edge of the bendable strip. Each slot is aligned with a cantilever finger extending from the elongated strip so that the finger prevents the head of the golf club from slipping out of the slot.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention a piece of perforated tubing is formed into a series of loops which define a generally truncated shape with at least one large diameter loop at the top and at least one smaller diameter loop located below the top loop. The tubing has sufficient strength and is wound into a contour shape to fit around the root ball of a tree or shrub harvested from a nursery. Ther perforated tubing includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings of a size sufficient to supply water and/or fertilizer to the root ball after the root ball is planted in the ground. Means are provided to maintain the tubing in the truncated shape. In one embodiment this shape comprises a series of specially fixed wound loops. In one embodiment this comprises formed loops with six connection points where the loops contact one another. Means are provided for supplying water and/or fertilizer to the tubing after the root ball has been planted.

Abstract: An open mouth receptacle adapted for mounting on a vertically disposed surface, such as a door or wall, is provided for receipt of articles, such as newspapers and packages, delivered to a residence. The receptacle is fabricated from flexible material and has its mouth bounded by facing strips of a relatively rigid and elastic material; the rigid strip assisting in the mounting of the receptacle and the elastic strip tending to normally retain the mouth of the receptacle in a closed condition.

Abstract: A novel golf course is disclosed. The course includes a plurality of golf holes, each golf hole having a tee area, fairway and a putting surface or "green." The tee area is generally flat and suitable for teeing and striking a golf ball. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each golf hole includes multiple tee areas, each tee area disposed a different distance from the putting surface. An important feature of the present invention is the tow round putting cups of substantially different diameters which appears in the putting surface of each green on the golf course. Each cup includes means for supporting a flagstaff and a flag. Each flag preferably includes visually perceptible indications of the diameter of the cup supporting its respective flagstaff so that distant golfers may direct a golf ball at a selected cup. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each flag is constructed of an easily identifiable colored material.

Abstract: A convertible open top hopper car (10) is assembled by longitudinally aligning a pair of railway car stub sills (12) in an assembly position. Transversely extending shear plates (16) are attached to each stub sill. A transversely extending inclined locating plate (18) is integrally connected to the inner end portion of each stub sill. The locating plate preferably includes a flange portion (22) adapted to receive a desired hopper car bottom (24). The bottom may be a conventional gondola bottom having pivoting doors, a light weight gondola bottom for use in cars which are rotated 180.degree. to unload the lading, or a gondola bottom having rapid discharge doors. The bottom selected for application is preferably first attached at each of its ends to the longitudinally spaced locating plates (18). Then hopper car sides (40) including side sills (42) and side sheets (46) are lowered onto the respective shear plates (16) and are welded to the shear plates.

Abstract: A passive restraint belt system in which one end of an occupant restraint belt is mounted on the vehicle body inboard the seat and the other end is mounted on the vehicle door so that belt is unwound from a retractor provided at one of the belt ends when the door opens to automatically move the belt somewhat forwardly of the occupant to facilitate occupant ingress and egress. An arm is associated with the belt and is pivotally mounted inboard the occupant for pivotal movement between a position in which the arm lowers the belt to the normal restraining position across the occupant lower torso and a pivotally raised position in which the lap belt is raised above the occupant lower torso to facilitate occupant ingress and egress.

Abstract: A knitting machine having two opposed arrays of latched needles arranged in respective flat needle beds and means for actuating the needles of the arrays independently in succession along the arrays, the actuating means being borne by a carriage mounted above and movable back and forth longitudinally along the needle beds, the machine further including an elongated restraining element extending longitudinally between the needle beds, a housing to support and contain the restraining element, the restraining element also extending longitudinally between the needle beds, both housing a restraining element being borne by the carriage on a substantially horizontal support member for movement therewith, the element and the housing being relatively movable longitudinally of the needle beds whereby the element can be brought to an operative position projecting from the housing or to an inoperative position retracted in the housing, and actuator means for causing the restraining element to be in its operative position