Abstract: A blade alignment mechanism for an ice skate including a clamp for releasably securing the blade assembly to a skating boot in a trial position. The clamp includes a first member secured to the boot at a point remote from the screw apertures in the front or rear flanges, and a second member attached to the first member and disposed to contact one of the flanges to hold it in a trial position. The second member includes an enlarged adjustment opening that allows side-to-side and fore-and-aft adjustment of the second member with respect to the first member. The first and second members are locked into the selected trial position by tightening a threaded fastener that draws contacting serrated faces of the first and second members together. Thus, the blade assembly is releasably attached to the boot in a trial position for trial use by the skater.

Abstract: A head mounted stainless steel stereotaxic apparatus for precise locallization of probes/cannulas in selected regions of the mammalian brain. Novel aspects of this apparatus include versatility in placement of probe/cannula in selected sites in the brain, mobility of the animal after attachment of the apparatus to the frontal bone, and repeated use of the same instrument on different animal species.

Abstract: Plastic covered equipment is secured to a support surface such as a table or the like by first and second interconnected coupling devices. The first coupling device is mounted on the support surface, while the second coupling device is embedded into the plastic covered equipment. The second coupling device includes a body member having a stub shaft secured to the first end thereof which terminates in a pointed probe head having an inner face with a greater diameter than that of the stub shaft. A concave surface on the first end of the body member surrounds the stub shaft and terminates in an arcuate annular shoulder on the first end of the body member. The annular shoulder has a diameter greater than that of the probe head and creates an annular space with respect to the inner face of the probe head.

Abstract: An animal head restrainer for holding the head of an animal confined in an animal chute is provided and includes a pair of bracket assemblies adjustably attached to the chute and a head cradle connected to the bracket assemblies. The cradle includes a crossbar adjustably connected at opposite ends to the bracket assemblies, a clamp unit pivotally attached to the crossbar intermediate the ends thereof, a pair of spaced apart arms connected to and extending forwardly from the clamp unit, and a jaw support member slidably mounted upon the arms. The head restrainer permits the head of the animal to be raised, lowered, tilted and turned to the desired position for work thereon.

Abstract: A cable control apparatus for selectively locking a cable in a plurality of axially disposed positions. The apparatus includes a movable cable having a first end connected to a biasing unit for biasing the cable away from the apparatus and a second end upon which a force may be exerted, a control unit affixed to the cable, a first track unit for receiving the control unit when urging the control unit away from the biasing unit a second track unit for receiving the control unit when returning the control unit to an at rest position, a plurality of third track units for receiving the control unit when locking said control unit in other than said at rest position, and a plurality of fourth track units for receiving the control unit when moving the control unit from the first track unit to the second track unit, with at least one of the fourth track units being positioned between at least two of the third track units.

Abstract: A means for actuating artificial or disabled arm members is described. The control mechanism may be either used to control the operation of an artificial hand or a prosthesis attached to a disabled arm. The prosthesis comprises a wrist-engaging portion having a rigid thumb portion extending therefrom and a finger-supporting portion also extending therefrom. The finger-supporting portion has sufficient flexural characteristics so that the supported fingers are normally held in a partially opened position. The artificial hand includes a substantially rigid thumb portion and a plurality of flexible finger members. The artificial hand is comprised of a single jointless material having springlike characteristics whereby the springlike characterstics of the hand will normally maintain the finger members in an open position relative to the thumb portion. A control apparatus is provided for controlling the operation of the fingers in both the prosthesis and artificial hand devices.

Abstract: An expansible shear head device within a pulling cradle is lowered into a bore hole; and the device is expanded hydraulically to exert a predetermined normal pressure on the side walls of the bore hole. The pressure plates of the device are ribbed for permitting interlocking with the rock. Vertical shear stress is exerted on the rock by pulling on the device. The shear head includes a body having a plurality of hinge points, and is laterally expansible. A laterally extendible plunger with a movable shear plate is mounted opposite to a similar shear plate which is secured to permit some deflection of the body about its hinge points from its normal parallel configuration as the shear force moves the body through the bore. The body is locked in its normal parallel configuration until the shear force is applied.