Abstract: Self-locking devices for locking cords against longitudinal movement and maintaining the cords in a locked position even with no tension on the cords. A cord locking device includes a body and a slide piece for locking two cord segments. The body includes a housing, and the slide piece slides within the housing. The slide piece includes two ears, each having a cord channel through which one of the cord segments may pass, and two arms extending toward the housing, with a substantially upwardly extending tab at the free end of each arm. The cord segments pass through the housing and between the inside surface of the housing and a toothed wedge at a lower end of the slide piece. The toothed wedge grips the cord segments and locks them in place when they are pulled downwardly in the direction that the wedge is tapered.

Abstract: The present invention relates to self-locking devices for locking cords against longitudinal movement and maintaining the cords in a locked position even with no tension on the cords. In one embodiment, a cord locking device includes a body and a slide piece for locking two cord segments. The body includes a housing, and the slide piece slides within the housing. The slide piece includes two ears, each having a cord channel through which one of the cord segments may pass, and two arms extending toward the housing, with a substantially upwardly extending tab at the free end of each arm. The cord segments pass through the housing and between the inside surface of the housing and a toothed wedge at a lower end of the slide piece. The toothed wedge grips the cord segments and locks them in place when they are pulled downwardly in the direction that the wedge is tapered. Additional downward tension applied to the cords causes the wedge to grip the cords even more tightly, further locking them in place.

Abstract: A cord lock apparatus includes an open-ended housing and a slide member slidably received at least partially in the housing and movable relative to the housing between a cord locking position and a cord releasing position. The slide member includes cord engaging structure that is displaceable relative to the slide member in two generally orthogonal directions. In another embodiment, the cord lock apparatus includes respective openings on the housing and slide member which are substantially aligned when the slide member is in the cord locking position. A lock may be extended through the respective openings to lock the slide member in the cord locking position.

Abstract: An elastomeric cord lock has two specially shaped passages extending through an elastomeric body. Lengths of cord pass through each of the passages and can be tied off at the ends to keep the cords from slipping out of the cord lock passages. Each passage has a cross section extending from a wide end to a narrower outwardly extending slot portion. The passages may, for example, have keyhole-shaped cross sections. When the lengths of cord are substantially parallel, the cord lock can easily slide along the lengths of cord. However, many applications for the cord lock require that the lengths of cord be maintained in a state of tension (for example, when the cord lock is being used to hold a drawstring tight). When outward tension is applied to the lengths of cord, the lengths are forced into the narrower slot portions, causing greater locking force to be exerted. The cord lock of the present invention thus provides greater locking force when greater force is needed. When not as much locking force is needed (i.

Abstract: A vehicle alarm apparatus includes a frame mountable to a vehicle and defining a distal end spaced from the vehicle. A roller is rotatably mounted to the frame adjacent the distal end thereof to rotate upon coming into contact with a curb or other object. An alarm device is connected to the frame and is responsive to rotation of the roller to generate a warning signal.

Abstract: A cord lock apparatus includes an open-ended cage and a slide slidably received at least partially in the cage and movable relative to the cage between a cord locking position and an intermediate position. The slide includes travel limiting structure to engage the cage at the intermediate position, a slide body, and a tension spring mechanism to allow the slide body to be displaced to a cord releasing position while urging the slide body toward the cord locking position.

Abstract: A hat or other headgear having a cord, preferably an elongated flexible plastic tube, with a portion extending across the interior of the hat between opposite sides of a lower portion of the crown, at a location to contact the user's forehead and position the hat relative thereto, with the forehead contacting portion of the cord being spaced rearwardly of the lower portion of the crown at the front of the hat to define a front air circulation space through which air can flow upwardly and downwardly between the crown and the cord. At opposite ends of the forehead contacting portion, the cord extends through openings in opposite sides of the hat and then downwardly to form a chin strap. The hat may have an additional air circulation opening, desirably near the rear of the hat, formed by a generally horizontal slit in a generally vertical wall of the hat, with a lower portion of the wall being deformed inwardly beneath the slit.

Abstract: An eyewear retainer to be attached to the forward lens carrying frame of a pair of eyeglasses in substitution for the usual temples. The retainer has two flexible elongated elements connectible at their forward ends to the usual frame carried hinge elements, and which extend rearwardly about the head and are detachably and adjustably connected together at the back of the head, preferably by velcro fastener pads. The elongated elements may be formed as flexible plastic tubes, carrying connectors at their forward ends adapted to extend through openings in the frame carried hinge elements and be retained against separation therefrom.

Abstract: A racket with a stringing pattern utilizing at least one string has two fully interwoven string regions and a partially interwoven string region interposed between the two fully interwoven string regions. At the boundaries between the regions elastomeric anchoring tubes with the strings passing therethrough space the cross strings from the main strings so that spin is easily imparted to a ball struck by the racket and balls with spin are easily received and returned. In the partially interwoven region, the string is strung in three planes. A racket stringing kit provides at least one string and at least one tubular anchor having an outer diameter sufficiently greater than the string diameter to space the main strings from the cross strings in the partially interwoven string region. A method of completing the string pattern comprises inserting the string through a hole in the racket head and inserting the string through a first anchoring tube.

Abstract: A self locking cord lock including a cage containing a passage through which a cord or cords can extend, a slide body movable within the cage between a locking position for retaining the cord or cords against movement in a predetermined first direction and a released position permitting such movement, and a spring yieldingly urging the slide body in that direction relative to the cage and toward locking position, with the slide body having a handle portion projecting in the opposite direction beyond the spring and to the exterior of the cage and which is adapted to be pulled by a user to move the slide body in that opposite direction to released position. The spring is preferably molded integrally with the slide body, having a first end attached to the slide body and a second free end bearing yieldingly against a shoulder on the cage. The spring arm may be bowed laterally through an opening in a wall of the cage and then back into the cage and into an opening formed in the slide body.

Abstract: A cord lock including a body of resiliently deformable elastomeric material containing a passage through which one or more cords extend, with the passage having walls urged by the resilience of the elastomeric material against opposite sides of a cord or cords in the passage to resist movement of the cord or cords longitudinally relative to the body, and with the body being manually compressible by a user in a manner spreading the walls of the passage apart against the resilience of the elastomeric material and thereby releasing the cord or cords for movement longitudinally relative to the body. The cords may be of a type having outer essentially smooth and essentially continuous preferably cylindrical surfaces for frictionally contacting the walls of the passage. Flexible resinous plastic tubing is the preferred material for the cords. The elastomeric body of the lock device has projections at its opposite sides to be engaged by the thumb and forefinger of a user's hand in squeezing the body of the device.

Abstract: A racquet having interwoven longitudinal and transverse strings, with most of the transverse strings being arranged in pairs in a pattern locating the two transverse strings of each pair in close proximity to one another, and with successive pairs being spaced apart a distance greater than the individual strings of a pair. The two strings of each pair of transverse strings are interwoven with the longitudinal strings in phase with one another, so that both of the strings of the pair are received at the same side of each longitudinal string. In conjunction with this stringing pattern, there is provided at least one elongated positioning element associated with and closely adjacent one of the pairs of transverse strings and extending therewith past a series of longitudinal strings and having locating surfaces acting to block lateral deflection of the longitudinal strings.

Abstract: A racquet having two sets of strings crossing one another and preferably interwoven, and having at least one string positioning element engaging and extending along a string of one of the sets and contacting a plurality of strings of the second set in a relation preventing lateral deflection thereof at the points at which the strings cross one another, while permitting deflection of the strings of the second set at locations between those cross points. This enables the application of spin forces to a ball by such deflection while at the same time minimizing wear by virtue of retention of the strings against relative motion at the crossing points. The positioning elements are preferably tubular and desirably disposed about the transverse strings of a racquet, and may contain notches for receiving successive longitudinal strings in locating relation.

Abstract: A tennis racquet having a stringing pattern in which there are fewer transverse than longitudinal strings, and with the longitudinal strings being interwoven with the transverse strings and preferably being arranged in spaced pairs. The longitudinal strings may be retained against lateral displacement by transverse connectors, which in one form of the invention are cords tied by figure 8 knots to the longitudinal strings, and in another form of the invention may be elongated integrally molded elements containing preformed apertures for receiving and locating the longitudinal strings.