Abstract: Described herein are chewable articles intended to be provided to animals for purposes including dental cleaning, breath freshening, nutrition, administration to the animal of beneficial agents, satisfaction of the animal's urge to chew, and general enjoyment by the animal. Also disclosed are apparatus and methods for making such chewable articles, the methods including the use of a processing aid to lubricate the article-forming apparatus, such as extruders, portioners, and molds, and to reduce the power requirements of such apparatus in the forming process.

Abstract: Described herein are chewable articles intended to be provided to animals for purposes including dental cleaning, breath freshening, nutrition, administration to the animal of beneficial agents, satisfaction of the animal's urge to chew, and general enjoyment by the animal. Also disclosed are apparatus and methods for making such chewable articles, the methods including the use of a processing aid to lubricate the article-forming apparatus, such as extruders, portioners, and molds, and to reduce the power requirements of such apparatus in the forming process.

Abstract: Described herein are chewable articles intended to be provided to animals for purposes including dental cleaning, breath freshening, nutrition, administration to the animal of beneficial agents, satisfaction of the animal's urge to chew, and general enjoyment by the animal. Also disclosed are apparatus and methods for making such chewable articles, the methods including the use of a processing aid to lubricate the article-forming apparatus, such as extruders, portioners, and molds, and to reduce the power requirements of such apparatus in the forming process.

Abstract: Described herein are chewable articles intended to be provided to animals for purposes including dental cleaning, breath freshening, nutrition, administration to the animal of beneficial agents, satisfaction of the animal's urge to chew, and general enjoyment by the animal. The chews are made to be appetizing to the animal, to satisfy an urge to chew, to effect abrasive cleaning of the animal's teeth, to deliver one or more active agents to the oral cavity of the animal, or a combination of these. The chews have a resilient, chewable texture and are shaped to facilitate dental cleaning, to facilitate oral grasping by the animal, to appeal to human owners of the animal, to enhance the human-animal bond, or a combination of these. Also disclosed are apparatus and methods for making such chewable articles and for formulating and using them to effect dental health in animals.

Abstract: Described herein are chewable articles intended to be provided to animals for purposes including dental cleaning, breath freshening, nutrition, administration to the animal of beneficial agents, satisfaction of the animal's urge to chew, and general enjoyment by the animal. Also disclosed are apparatus and methods for making such chewable articles, the methods including the use of a processing aid to lubricate the article-forming apparatus, such as extruders, portioners, and molds, and to reduce the power requirements of such apparatus in the forming process.

Abstract: Described herein are chewable articles intended to be provided to animals for purposes including dental cleaning, breath freshening, nutrition, administration to the animal of beneficial agents, satisfaction of the animal's urge to chew, and general enjoyment by the animal. The chews are made to be appetizing to the animal, to satisfy an urge to chew, to effect abrasive cleaning of the animal's teeth, to deliver one or more active agents to the oral cavity of the animal, or a combination of these. The chews have a resilient, chewable texture and are shaped to facilitate dental cleaning, to facilitate oral grasping by the animal, to appeal to human owners of the animal, to enhance the human-animal bond, or a combination of these. Also disclosed are apparatus and methods for making such chewable articles and for formulating and using them to effect dental health in animals.

Abstract: A fluid sample receptacle provides a means of assuring uncontaminated, multiple samples of a fluid specimen. An upper or isolated sample chamber and a lower or primary sample chamber provide redundant test samples. A cover or lid with a downwardly extending column includes a stopper with a removable plug attached to automatically seal the lower sample chamber when the cover is sealed across the top of the upper chamber. This feature guarantees that the sample chambers are sealed or isolated simultaneously and that the test samples are therefore identical when taken. Tamper evident seals prove that either sample has not been contaminated. A preferred embodiment provides a bellows assembly to accommodate variations in ambient pressure and to provide a positive means of expelling a precise quantity of fluid from the receptacle for testing.

Abstract: A vacuum operated system for individually dispensing items of oral solid medicine from bulk storage to a user, where the medicine is dispensed under computer control, and the quantity and type of medicine is selected in advance by the user. The invention includes medicine dispensing equipment and a computer that provides a user interface. A plurality of storage containers arranged in a rotatable carousel or a rectilinear array may contain various pharmaceutical articles, or various types, dosages, ages, and lot numbers of medicines. The storage containers may be easily refilled by inserting modular refill cartridges into the storage containers. After a user enters certain data into the computer, the invention aligns a universal vacuum probe with the storage container that contains the desired items. The universal vacuum probe is lowered to the desired storage container and engaged with a container probe that is exclusive to that storage container.

Abstract: A vacuum operated system for individually dispensing items of oral solid medicine from bulk storage to a user, where the medicine is dispensed under computer control, and the quantity and type of medicine is selected in advance by the user. The invention includes medicine dispensing equipment and a computer that provides a user interface. A plurality of storage containers arranged in a rotatable carousel or a rectilinear array may contain various pharmaceutical articles, or various types, dosages, ages, and lot numbers of medicines. The storage containers may be easily refilled by inserting modular refill cartridges into the storage containers. After a user enters certain data into the computer, the invention aligns a universal vacuum probe with the storage container that contains the desired items. The universal vacuum probe is lowered to the desired storage container and engaged with a container probe that is exclusive to that storage container.

Abstract: A heat activated amusement device is stimulated, by the transfer of thermal energy from a person's body or a heated object, to reveal by color differentiation a hidden message or visual image.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing single homogeneous units upon rotation of the apparatus comprising a generally circular walled container having a bottom for holding the singular homogeneous units. A discharge area located distally from the bottom for receiving the single homogeneous units and for discharging them upon rotation of the apparatus. A helical spiraled rib member located on the generally circular walled container extending from the bottom of the container and along the circular walls of the container for creating during rotation a continuously variable inclined surface along the helical spiraled rib member and the circular walls of the container for advancing single homogeneous units along said helical spiralled rib member and the generally circular walls of the container until a single homogeneous unit reaches the discharge area for discharge from the container.

Abstract: A sonic transducer incorporating a rigid plate-like transmitting member coupled to electromechanical compression wave generating means such as a piezoelectric crystal for transmitting sonic energy in a medium. The transmitting means is damped to prevent ringing, and the transducer is particularly responsive to the high frequency audio spectrum. The sheet-like configuration of the transducer enables it to be recessed within a generally flat panel such as a front panel of a speaker cabinet while nevertheless being separated from the inside of the cabinet to avoid interaction with a conventional cone-type speaker that may be mounted in the same cabinet. The sheet-like transducer is resiliently mounted in a direction contrary to the principal direction of sonic energy propagation in the transducer to minimize loss of sonic energy to supporting structure such as a speaker cabinet.

Abstract: A sonic transducer incorporating a rigid plate-like transmitting member coupled to electromechanical compression wave generating means such as a piezoelectric crystal for transmitting sonic energy in a medium. The transmitting means is damped to prevent ringing, and the transducer is particularly responsive to the high frequency audio spectrum.

Abstract: A tension rod for a string instrument such as a guitar is utilized to dampen flexural vibrations transferred to the instrument body while maintaining direct compressional wave coupling from strings to the instrument body.

Abstract: A bridge for a string instrument such as a guitar is utilized to dampen flexural vibrations transferred to the instrument body while maintaining direct compressional wave coupling from strings to the instrument body.