Abstract: A wheelbarrow conversion assembly for facilitating a wheelbarrow to be rolled without lifting the wheelbarrow includes a wheelbarrow that has a bucket and a pair of support legs. A bracket is removably coupled to the wheelbarrow and the bracket is positioned on each of the support legs. A pair of rollers is each of the rollers is rotatably coupled to the bracket to roll along a support surface. Each of the rollers supports weight of the wheelbarrow to facilitate the wheelbarrow to be rolled without lifting the wheelbarrow. In this way the rollers facilitate a physically disabled user to roll the wheelbarrow along the ground.

Abstract: A docking system to aid in docking a boat includes an elongate member that engages the dock and a distal end extending into the body of water away from the dock. A line having configured to attach to the beach or walkway is connected to a distal end of the elongate member. A first connecting assembly, including a first line that is releasably securable to the dock and a float secured to a distal portion of the first line, engages a distal portion of the elongate member. A second connecting assembly comprising a second line is releasably securable to the dock. At least two elongate floats are secured to the second line. The second connecting assembly is connected to the float of the first connecting assembly, and the second connecting assembly is longer than the first line.

Abstract: A turbine engine component includes at least one treated surface wherein the treated surface has a surface roughness (Ra) of less than 12 microinches; and a hard coating disposed on the superfinished surface, wherein the hard coating is a nitride and/or a carbide material at a thickness of less than 50 microns formed using electron beam physical vapor deposition, cathodic arc evaporation, or magnetron sputtering. disclosed are methods for substantially preventing micropitting on a surface of a turbine engine component.

Abstract: A process for depositing coatings, and particularly erosion-resistant coatings suitable for protecting surfaces of a gas turbine engine blisk having a disk and integral blades with flowpath surfaces that are susceptible to erosion. The processing involves placing the blisk adjacent a coating material source in an apparatus configured to evaporate the source and generate coating material vapors. The blisk is oriented relative to the coating material source so that the axis of rotation of the blisk is within about forty-five degrees of a linear path that the coating material vapors flow from the coating material source to the blisk, and more erosion-susceptible flowpath surfaces of the blades face the coating material source. The blisk is then rotated about its axis of rotation while the coating material source is evaporated to preferentially deposit the coating material vapors and form a coating on the erosion-susceptible flowpath surfaces of the blades and disk.

Abstract: A new method for calculating the net present value and internal rate of return on an investment is provided. Here, the new method takes into account discounts that affect the net cash flow over the period of the investment. These discounts may be static or vary depending on the circumstances warranting their inclusion.

Abstract: A turbine airfoil having an improved impact and erosion resistance. The airfoil comprises: (a) a base segment having an impact resistant leading edge section proximate to the leading edge comprising a material having having a yield strength of least about 250 ksi and an elongation percentage of about 12% or less; and (b) an erosion resistant coating overlaying the base segment at least in the leading and trailing edge portions of the pressure side, the erosion resistant coating comprising at least one ceramic layer having at least one of the following properties: (1) an erosion value of at least about 200 g. of erodent to cause a thickness loss of about 15-20 microns; (2) an erosion volume loss value (V) of about 1.9 or less as defined by the equation V=H?0.18×E0.75×F?1.65 where H is hardness, E is elastic modulus and F is fracture toughness; and (3) an F value of at least about 1.5 MPa*m1/2.

Abstract: A rod end bearing comprising a body comprising a ring portion and a rod portion. The ring portion comprises a ring having an opening, the opening having a center axis. The rod portion comprises a first rod extending radially from the ring in a direction perpendicular to the center axis. The opening having a geometry sufficient to support a substantially spherical ball bearing, and permit rotation of the ball bearing inside the ring. The inner periphery of the ring is in contact with the ball bearing and includes a wear coating. An antifriction coating is disposed on a surface selected from the group consisting of a surface of the wear coating, a surface of the ball bearing and combinations thereof. The antifriction coating maintains a coefficient of friction between the wear coating and the ball bearing of up to about 0.95 in atmospheres substantially devoid of water vapor.

Abstract: A variable gas turbine compressor vane assembly comprising a case structure comprising a cavity. A compressor vane is at least partially disposed inside the cavity in the case structure. The portion of the compressor vane is rotatably supported inside the cavity. A wear coating is disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the compressor vane. An antifriction coating is disposed on the wear coating. A bushing is disposed between the antifriction coating and the case structure. The bushing is in sliding contact with each of the antifriction coating and the case structure. The antifriction coating maintains a coefficient of friction between the antifriction coating and the bushing of equal to or less than about 0.95 in atmospheres substantially devoid of water vapor.

Abstract: A turbine airfoil having an improved impact and erosion resistance. The airfoil comprises: (a) a base segment having an impact resistant leading edge section proximate to the leading edge comprising a material having having a yield strength of least about 250 ksi and an elongation percentage of about 12% or less; and (b) an erosion resistant coating overlaying the base segment at least in the leading and trailing edge portions of the pressure side, the erosion resistant coating comprising at least one ceramic layer having at least one of the following properties: (1) an erosion value of at least about 200 g. of erodent to cause a thickness loss of about 15–20 microns; (2) an erosion volume loss value (V) of about 1.9 or less as defined by the equation V=H?0.18×E0.75×F?1.65 where H is hardness, E is elastic modulus and F is fracture toughness; and (3) an F value of at least about 1.5 MPa*m1/2.

Abstract: A manually operated dog treat dispensing machine capable of dispensing dog treats one at a time. The dispenser consist of a rectangular housing with a hinged housing door and hinged capital that serves as a food supply reservoir which is gravity fed into a spring loaded spindle chamber mounted on an axel and hand crank. Treats exit the dispenser through a chute output consisting of a hinged chute lid, two side walls and a base block. A retaining plate mounted in the end of the chute lid and adjacent to the spindle chamber acts as a stop preventing dispensing of more than one dog treat at a time. The dispenser can also function using a magazine that is inserted inside the rectangular housing area once the rear interior wall is changed out to accommodate the depth of the magazine. Magazine stop tabs at the base of the magazines along with the retaining plate mounted on the chute lid prevent the dispenser from dispensing more than one dog treat at a time.

Abstract: A turbine blade has an airfoil section with a root end and a tip end, and an attachment at the root end of the airfoil section. A blade tip seal is joined to the tip end of the airfoil section. The blade tip seal is formed as an open-cell solid aluminum oxide foam made of aluminum oxide cell walls having intracellular volume therebetween. The blade tip seal has a blade interface region adjacent to the tip end of the airfoil section. The blade interface region is formed of the aluminum oxide foam and a nickel-base alloy within the intracellular volume. The blade tip seal also has a contact region remote from the blade interface region and comprising the aluminum foam wherein the intracellular volume is porosity.

Abstract: A rubber composition is provided comprising a diene-based elastomer, a vulcanizing agent, a vulcanizing accelerator and a reinforcement comprising a conical carbon. The conical carbon comprises cones, flat plates, nanotubes and fullerenes. Also provided is a tire having at least one component fabricated from the rubber composition.

Abstract: A gas turbine stationary shroud is a curved stationary shroud body having a concave inner gas-path surface and a generally convex back. The curved stationary shroud body is made of an open-cell solid ceramic foam having ceramic cell walls with intracellular volume therebetween. The ceramic foam may be tailored to provide requirement properties. The ceramic adjacent to the gas path surface may be modified to increase or decrease its abrasion resistance, depending upon the design requirements of the stationary shroud. The intracellular volume adjacent to the gas-path surface may be porosity. Some of the ceramic material adjacent to the back of the shroud may be removed, and the intracellular volume adjacent to the back of the shroud may be filled with a nickel-base alloy.