Abstract: Self-grooming aid for animals, especially felines, whereby they can brush their fur or hair and can exercise or sharpen their claws. Such animal can stand at least partly on a base adapted to be clawed and with head or body at the level of a brush adapted to be rubbed. The brush is removable for cleaning or manually brushing the animal, and the mat is removable for replacement when thoroughly clawed.

Abstract: A marker buoy includes a base with a post coupled to and extending theref, a line attached to the post and is wrapped about a portion thereof, and a float attached to the line and fitted over the wrapped portion of the post. When the marker buoy is deployed near the bottom of a body of water, the base sinks to the bottom and the float rises to the surface of the body of water causing the line to unwrap from the post. The line length is user set as a function of depth and speed of the surface current at the time of buoy placement and use.

Abstract: A missile is housed in a launcher from which it is launched by efflux gases from a thrust motor of the missile. A closure device is secured by retaining screws in a position in which it closes off the rear end of the missile and embodies a thrust generating cartridge which is fired to propel the device clear of the rear end of the missile. The closure device comprises a demand cap and base plate and the cartridge generates thrust first to release the cap and plate from the screws and then to displace the domed cap relative to the base plate to bring them to a disposition in which the momentum of the domed cap is imparted to the complete closure device thereby to propel the cap and the plate together at velocity determined by the motion of the domed cap relative to the base plate.

Abstract: Sealing leaks in pressurized membranes, such as waterbeds without depressurizing. Such a membrane is gripped manually at the leak locus and vicinity, thereby folding and compressing the membrane to segregate and to seal the leak locus temporarily--and also enabling it to be dried. Next a patch is adhered over the leak locus, after which the membrane is released to return to its original shape. Apparatus for performing the steps subsequent to such manual gripping of the membrane include a base member and a first clamp member, pivoted together, between which the folded membrane is compressed; also a second clamp member, which--with the base member--compresses a patch onto the membrane, sealing off the leak locus permanently. The respective pivoted members are disengageably engageable, configured so as to maintain each such compression until completion of the desired steps, whereupon manual flexing disengages them from one another.

Abstract: A compact electromagnetic relay of the type having an insulative base (1) adapted to receive an electromagnetic assembly (2, 3, 4) on one side of its partition wall (15) and a contact assembly (6) on the other side includes especially adapted armature (3) and pusher (5). The armature has one leg (32) that is bifurcated to form a slotted opening (324) communicating with a socket (323). The shaft region (55) of the pusher has two cross-sectional dimensions of different size. One dimension d1 allows the slotted opening to freely pass over it while the other dimension d2 prevents the socket from disengaging with the pusher when the armature is rotated to assume its working position.

Abstract: An electromagnetic relay of the type having an insulative base (1) which supports an electromagnetic assembly (2, 3) and a contact assembly (6) separated by partition walls (14, 15) includes a multipurpose retaining spring (4). The retaining spring is adapted to mate with the longitudinal portion (24) of the magnetic yoke and includes a plurality of tabs (411, 412 and 413) that dig into the insulative base securing it and the magnetic yoke into position. The retaining spring includes a flexible extension (43) located near a free end (243) of the magnetic yoke. An armature (3) is pivotally mounted on the free end and retained into position by the flexible extension of the retaining spring.

Abstract: A method of assembling electromagnetic relays by securing and aligning the magnetic pole pieces in the base of the relay through the use of ultrasonic reformation of the base material.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for attaching leads to the movable armature assembly of a relay or to other movable elements. The apparatus includes a rigid, nonconductive carrier member (41) mounted to the armature of the relay and provided with a plurality of grooves (51) on one end for receipt of the leads (56). The opposite end of the carrier is adapted to receive and support the movable contact arms (59) such that the arms will intersect the grooves. The conductive cover is trimmed away from the ends of the leads to expose the wires which may be welded or otherwise attached to the contact arms. The leads are also firmly attached to the carrier farther back along the leads where the conductive cover remains intact. In operation, as the armature assembly moves up and down during the operation of the relay, the exposed lead wires will be prevented from bending back and forth by the surrounding carrier.