Abstract: A safety shield is provided for use with an electrical plug engaged in a wall socket, the plug having two or more prongs extending from a plug body. The shield comprises a plate formed of an electrically insulating material, with two or more openings defined in the plate in alignment with the two or more prongs of the electrical plug, each opening sized for a snug fit with a corresponding prong. The plate defines a perimeter area around the two or more openings that is at least five times greater than a planar area bounded by the two or more openings.

Abstract: A walker which can be used on stairs as well as on a level surface. The walker has legs which are comprised of hydraulic cylinders with integral pistons. Each pair of legs is part of a frame. The walker is configured such that each frame provides that fluid can flow from one leg of the frame to the other. Because the fluid is generally incompressible and the amount of fluid in each frame is fixed, movement of one piston of the frame causes the other piston of the frame to move. As such, as one leg of the frame lengthens, the other leg of the frame automatically shortens in response, and vise versa. While the walker is configured such that the legs can be shortened and lengthened, preferably the walker is also configured such that the legs can be locked in place.

Abstract: A steering drive mechanism utilizes a pair of planetary gear arrangements between the input (or engine drive shaft) and the output shafts driving each wheel of a vehicle. The input is supplied to each sun gear in equal magnitude but opposite direction to account for driving the left or right wheels. The output shafts are connected to the planet carriers. In normal straight line driving, the ring gears are held fixed. The drive mechanism further comprises a steering motor that drives a steering gear that meshes with each ring gear. When the steering motor is activated, the steering gear rotates each ring gear in the same direction, so that the ring gear for one side increases the speed of the planet carrier and output shaft, while the ring gear for the opposite side decreases the output shaft speed.

Abstract: A rotary cutting die which is mountable on a metal cylinder. The rotary cutting die includes a rotary die plate having a concave, inner surface which is magnetically attractable and magnetically mountable on a metal cylinder. A cutting blade is mounted on a concave, outer surface of the die plate. Connectors may be engaged with the cutting blade and the die plate. A plurality of magnetic elements, such as neodymium magnets, are in the rotary die plate. The magnetic elements make the inner surface of they die plate magnetically attractable to the metal cylinder, thereby providing that the rotary cutting die is mountable on the metal cylinder without having to use screws, clamps or other mechanical holding devices. To prevent creep of the cutting die during operation, a magnetic member, such as a rubber magnet, may be magnetically mounted on the die cylinder, against the die plate.

Abstract: In brief, a lighting fixture is provided. The lighting fixture has both a transmitted and reflected light component employing a polymeric material which has an appearance, in varying degrees, of white. The material has internal elements which can be varied to be either highly reflective or permit efficient diffuse transmission of incident light rays. The ratio of reflected to transmitted light and the degree of diffusion are tailored to the application, light source and desired appearance. The material is adapted for providing a selected diffuse transmission component of a total fixture output. The material provides a set diffuse transmission component of greater than 1% and less than 25% where the material is formed by pigmenting a transparent material with a white pigment.

Abstract: In brief, a lighting fixture is provided. The lighting fixture has both a transmitted and reflected light component employing a polymeric material which has an appearance, in varying degrees, of white. The material has internal elements which can be varied to be either highly reflective or permit efficient diffuse transmission of incident light rays. The ratio of reflected to transmitted light and the degree of diffusion are tailored to the application, light source and desired appearance. The material is adapted for providing a selected diffuse transmission component of a total fixture output. The material provides a set diffuse transmission component of greater than 1% and less than 25% where the material is formed by pigmenting a transparent material with a white pigment.

Abstract: In brief, a lighting fixture is provided. The lighting fixture has both a transmitted and reflected light component employing a polymeric material which has an appearance, in varying degrees, of white. The material has internal elements which can be varied to be either highly reflective or permit efficient diffuse transmission of incident light rays. The ratio of reflected to transmitted light and the degree of diffusion are tailored to the application, light source and desired appearance. The material is adapted for providing a selected diffuse transmission component of a total fixture output. The material provides a set diffuse transmission component of greater than 1% and less than 25% where the material is formed by pigmenting a transparent material with a white pigment.

Abstract: In brief, a lighting fixture is provided. The lighting fixture has both a transmitted and reflected light component employing a polymeric material which has an appearance, in varying degrees, of white. The material has internal elements which can be varied to be either highly reflective or permit efficient diffuse transmission of incident light rays. The ratio of reflected to transmitted light and the degree of diffusion are tailored to the application, light source and desired appearance. The material is adapted for providing a selected diffuse transmission component of a total fixture output. The material provides a set diffuse transmission component of greater than 1% and less than 25% where the material is formed by pigmenting a transparent material with a white pigment.

Abstract: A yaw control system for an automotive drivetrain includes an equal torque differential, an engine-driven hydraulic pump, and hydraulically actuated control brakes operable to apply a resistive torque to either a left or right axle of the driven wheels. An acceleration-responsive control valve actuates one of the control brakes according to the direction of lateral acceleration of the vehicle. The control valve includes an inertial or seismic mass that moves a valve member to connect or disconnect the control brakes from the hydraulic pump. The control brakes are attached to the vehicle chassis so the resistive torque is reacted through the chassis, thereby inducing a yaw moment that coincides with and assists the turning of the vehicle.

Abstract: A novel food server and method of producing a food server is disclosed. The novel method includes moving a web of paper at a constant rate of speed, rotary perforating a plurality of lines on the moving web, using rotary timing belts to score at least two fold lines on the moving web, where the two fold lines define two glue flaps, rotary die-cutting the moving web to cut away portions of the paper adjacent the glue flaps, plow folding the moving web along the two fold lines defining the glue flaps, and applying glue to the moving web. After plow folding along the fold lines and applying the glue, the moving web is cross cut to form a blank having the glue flaps. Then, the blank is vacuum folded to cause portions of the blank to contact and adhere to the glue flaps, thereby forming the food server from the blank. The novel food server includes a first panel having two side flaps each defined by a score line, and a second panel having two side flaps each defined by a score line.

Abstract: A process for finish grinding die and anvil cylinders of a rotary die cutting machine by installing bearings on the cylinder journals, preloading the bearings, and finish grinding the cylinder/bearing assembly on a cylindrical grinder with the bearing assemblies mounted and clamped on grinder steady rests.

Abstract: A bearing temperature regulation and lubrication system is provided including a lubricating fluid which may be heated or cooled, one or more bearings disposed within a hollow chamber of a bearing housing, the bearing housing having an inlet and an outlet for allowing the fluid to circulate through the hollow chamber around the roller bearing and races, a pump for circulating the fluid, a fluid circulation and heating loop having a heater for heating the fluid, a fluid-cooling circulation loop having a chiller for cooling the fluid, solenoid valves for engaging or disengaging the circulation of fluid through each of the circulation loops, a thermostat for monitoring the temperature of the bearings and for selectively operating the solenoid valves and electric heater.

Abstract: A grain sampling probe device for insertion into grains comprises an elongated grain probe element which contains a plurality of openings extending along its length and a plurality of retaining brackets extending outwardly to define a passageway. Mounted integral to the grain probe is a hydraulic cylinder which is attached to a gate member, having a plurality of openings therein, which is slidably positioned within the passageway between the retaining brackets and the probe. The hydraulic cylinder selectively moves the gate member between an open position wherein the grain passes through the plurality of openings into the grain probe and a closed position wherein the openings are closed and the grain is sealed within the probe. A suction device is attached to the end of the probe to remove the collected grain after each sampling operation is completed.