Abstract: An aqueous suspension of polyvinyl acetate, modified by at least one alcohol, renders its residual evaporative product insoluble; in that it does not disintegrate and tend to revert to an aqueous suspension when immersed or otherwise subjected to an excess of water, as does the unmodified product. The modified evaporative product, used experimentally as a shielding film that protects plants and fruit from insect damage, does not depend on toxicity for effectiveness, and maintains its integrity by stretching and thinning to accommodate plant growth without rupture to provide uninterrupted protection between applications. The shielding transmits moisture and is believed to transmit needed atmospheric gases as well, to provide long lasting, primarily mechanical protection. The modified suspension, and evaporative product, have demonstrated medicinal properties as a topical treatment for control of psoriasis.

Abstract: A substantially rigid shaft is obtusely angled adjacent to an enlargement at its distal end. The proximal end of the shaft and a receptacle, forming and defining an aperture slightly smaller than the enlargement, are flexibly affixed to differing portions of an encircling article that become releasably joined when the enlargement is forcibly passed through the aperture, Highly resistive to accidental opening, purposeful pressure applied to the enlargement by a single finger or thumb creates a leveraged force that assists the pressure in accomplishing intentional disengagement. Optional attributes include a magnetic pre-positioning for engagement and disengagement and use of gemstones as distal enlargements.

Abstract: The invention provides automatic protection from heat damage due to continuing emissions from the distal ends of untended fiberoptics lighting cables, especially those employed in surgical procedures. Damage from such intense and concentrated emissions may include burning of patient tissues, cloth, polymer sheeting and other heat sensitive materials. A simplified proximity detection circuit permits emissions only when an electrically conductive distal terminal or attached implement is purposely held by an operator. Sensitivity is adjusted to provide that casual contact of the small area of the terminal surface at the distal end of the cable with a portion of the human body or other source of substantial earth-ground capacitance, insulated by a non-conductive covering, will not initiate emissions. Emissions can be instantly initiated when wanted by direct contact or by a surgically gloved hand that holds the small terminal with sufficient pressure to maximize the proximity of hand and terminal surfaces.

Abstract: The invention employs the principle that the force of buoyancy received by a body immersed in a liquid is determined by the density of the liquid and the extent or depth of immersion in the liquid and is unrelated to the displacement of the liquid by the body, thereby reducing the total size and weight of devices providing buoyant support. Buoyant support is provided to bodies in a manner that permits devices to be made for the measurement of both small and large weights and for support of the human body for the purpose of relieving the pressure induced trauma and skin abrasion otherwise incurred by bedridden patients, such as burn victims and those requiring extended or continual bed rest. A tub-like cavity that closely conforms in size and shape to the part of the body to be immersed is made to contain and float a human body on a volume of liquid that equals only a fraction of the body's weight.

Abstract: A sensing conductor (62) within an appliance housing (56) and a detection circuit (59, 60, 61, 63) preferably within the housing, cause a low resistance shorting of an appliance circuit (57, 58) in response to immersion in water, and an interrupter device (4, 5, 6, 27), preferably located in the plug (65) of the cord set, reacts to the resulting overcurrent by opening two fuses, one in each side of the line (2, 16; 3, 17). An overcurrent opens one fast acting fuse link (27) in the normally ungrounded side of the line (3, 17) and such fuse link (5) in the normally grounded neutral side of the line (2, 16). The fuse link (27) is directly assisted in opening by a spring element (4) so as to have a slight precedence in opening, over fuse link (5) which is indirectly assisted in opening by spring (4), through an insulating coupling block (6), to achieve an initially sequential but substantially overlapping and simultaneous opening, thus disconnecting both sides of the line.

Abstract: A simple aid to shuffling is incorporated into the structure of playing cards with no significant loss in quality of appearance or feel. A slightly raised area or pattern of such areas is provided on one side of each card in a deck to act as a fulcrum between cards. The deck is then "cut" or divided into two substantially equal parts, and the two parts of the deck are each held firmly at one edge. Each card becomes a lever and acting on the fulcrum areas causes the cards to spread apart at the opposite edges so that the parts of the deck can easily be slid into each other or interleaved, with cards from one part passing between cards in the other. While the deck is thus shuffled as effectively but more easily and with less card abuse than when more vigorous methods are used, the structure of the cards does not prevent the use of the other methods when they are preferred.

Abstract: A sensing conductor and a detection circuit cause a low resistance shorting of an appliance circuit in response to immersion in water or other electrically conductive liquid, and an interrupter device, preferably located in the plug of the cord set, reacts to overcurrent, by opening both sides of the line. The sensing conductor must be strategically placed, within the appliance housing, to pass in proximity to liquid access points and the current carrying parts of the appliance. The detection circuit may be within the appliance or in the plug, with the sensing conductor extended to the appliance as a third conductor in the line cord. When a small current passes between the sensing conductor and the ungrounded or grounded neutral sides of the line or earth ground, current is shunted through the detection circuit from the ungrounded to the grounded neutral conductor, and away from the appliance circuit.

Abstract: When equipped with this improvement, a Gound Fault Circuit Interrupter will continue to monitor its protected circuits after tripping and automatically reset itself to restore power when no fault conditions are detected or when detected faults do not exceed a predetermined conduction level and are determined to be non-hazardous. The reset circuit shunts the tripped GFCI relay to pass a safely limited test current into the otherwise disconnected circuits of electrical utilization devices to determine the absence or the extent of fault conditions and is substantially fail-safe in regard to its own function. Four of the embodiments show the circuit as incorporated into the circuitry of an electrically resettable GFCI and a fifth as contained within an attachable enclosure.

Abstract: Positive assurance of correct connection, in supplying electrical utilization equipment from a current source, is provided when it is critical to safety and particularly when receptacle outlets are used or a fixed wiring installation required which may be subject to wiring error. An electromagnetic relay is employed to prevent equipment use and to provide audible indication in the event of hazardous connective error such as reversal of ungrounded and grounded neutral conductors and the omission of a grounding connection. The relay may be one that is also otherwise controlled for on-off power switching.

Abstract: Improved shock and electrical-fire protection circuits provide line-to-ground plus "line-to-line" fault protection in a power system, and monitor conditions after protective interruption to safely provide automatic restoration of current when the fault is cleared. Both full-wave and half-wave circuits employ less expensive component combinations, including rectifiers and electromagnetic relays, to carry and switch load current. Protection is provided against the possibility of semi-conductor failure and the hazards associated with severed power conductors. A specialized resistance network fault detector for sensitizing enclosures, a hybrid zero sequence current transformer system and polyphase supply provide additional features.

Abstract: A bow having a rigid handle section and a pair of resiliently and flexibly recurved limb sections, with limb tip nocks and bowstring.The bow has self-holding, cock position of higher brace for the retention of potential energy. The bow is selectively releasable from such cock position to another position of lower brace for the delivery of such potential energy.The limb may have a slot in the direction of string travel for the free passage of the bowstring therethrough.The bowstring includes a bowstring length related to limb characteristic and where applicable also includes a design to provide such free and direct path by a bifurcation or a division of the string, spaced by an enlargement of the limb nocking sections for passage of the string portions on either side of the limbs, such space being maintained for a sufficient distance by a yoke means adjacent to a central arrow nocking section wherein the string portions are undivided.

Abstract: A load selective circuit in which the dangers associated with accidental contact with conductors and terminals, sometimes causing electrocution, are eliminated even during the time a proper load is connected to the supply circuit and is deriving power through it from an alternating current source. Such a proper load must include a unidirectional current device in series with the load. Half-wave power can be supplied to a load with one such current device and with only two load terminals, whereas full-wave power can be supplied to a load with two such current devices and three load terminals. The supply circuit for half-wave includes a resistor-capacitor phase control SCR circuit; and for the full-wave, two such SCR circuits are included.