Abstract: The present invention is a rigid collapsible litter having a base and a plurality of collapsible rib members. The rib members are capable of being folded or collapsed in a first direction while remaining rigid in a second direction to support weight placed on the litter.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention are directed to a tapered plug. The plug has a bottom base having a geometrical shape. In some embodiments the base has a well-defined geometrical shape, such as a circle, an ellipse, a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a rhombus, and the like. In other embodiments, the shape of the base is not a regular, well-defined shape. In some embodiments, the plug comes to a point at the top, with a shape analogous to a cone, while in other embodiments, the top of the plug is flat. In some embodiments, the plug has a smooth or nearly smooth surface, made of an easily compressible or semi-compressible material. It is for use in stopping or slowing the flow of a fluid or gas or other flowable material through an opening that the plug is inserted into.

Abstract: The compiling system and method of the present invention enables the recording of individually customized information onto blank storage media devices, and includes a data base memory device for storing information signals indicative of customized recipient information pertaining to a group of recipients. A presentation memory device stores a group of pre-recorded signals indicative of a group of information segments to be compiled selectively. A computing device responds to stored information signals indicative of customized recipient information for selecting certain ones of said pre-recorded signals indicative of certain ones of said segments and for causing signals indicative of certain ones of said segments to be retrieved selectively in a given sequence for compilation purposes. A recording device responds to retrieved signals indicative of certain ones of said segments for storing said retrieved signals onto individual ones of the storage media devices.