Abstract: A bipod for a rifle traditionally has a release button/bracket in the front of the adjustable leg. To release the adjustable leg the shooter must reach forward and push the button/bracket. This forces the shooter to lose the aligned shooting position on the target. The present invention provides a rearward facing lever that the shooter can depress with his free arm while maintaining the shooting position and his finger on the trigger. The lever can be folded up to a neutral position for use in the prior art fashion or for storage. The lever has a pivot arm that pulls the stopper in a ring bracket rearward out of the traditional locking grooves located along the adjustable leg. The invention is suited for either a retrofit or factory new embodiment.

Abstract: A disc drive top cover incorporates an acoustic damper having alternating constraining layer material and damping layer material. Each constraining material layer is a sheet material having a high mechanical stiffness. Each damping material layer is a visco-damping adhesive having a pre-selected maximum damping efficiency for a particular disc drive operating condition. The acoustic damper may also include a carrier layer between damping layers so that multiple layers of damping material can be incorporated between any two constraining layers.

Abstract: An actuator assembly suitable for a disc drive with at least one rotating disc for storing information. The actuator assembly has an actuator body having a mounting opening with at least a portion of the mounting opening being threaded and a bearing cartridge having an outer surface with at least a portion of the outer surface being threaded. The bearing cartridge is threadably received within the mounting opening of the actuator body so that the actuator body is releasably secured to the bearing cartridge. A method for securing an actuator body to a bearing cartridge in an actuator assembly of a disc drive is also provided.