Abstract: Surgical instruments that enhance the overall performance of medical, endodontic, and dental surgical procedures have been discovered. In one embodiment, the surgical instruments are tool tips coupled to a sonically or ultrasonically-vibrating member using a universal tip holder having an irrigation spout that flushes a surgical site area with water to remove hemorrhage or other surgical debris from the surgical site and the tool tip, in addition to removing heat from the tool tip. In another embodiment, the surgical instruments are tool tips having a built-in irrigation spout and a coupling end for coupling the tool tips to a sonically or ultrasonically-vibrating member. Each surgical instrument has a tool tip adapted to perform a specific surgical function, e.g., elevating periosteum, removing bone, removing vascular soft tissue mass around the ends of teeth and bones, performing an apicoectomy, and removing a tooth or sections of a tooth.

Abstract: An auxiliary braking device for bringing a highway tractor-trailer vehicle or the like to a sudden safe stop is provided. The device has an elongated metal plate member covered with a replaceable non-adherent elastomeric sheet having a surface of high coefficient of friction bolted to the plate member to form a drag shoe. The drag shoe is supported on the frame of the trailer transversely across the trailer in front of the rear wheels by an assembly of pivotally connected metal bars for folding the assembly to form a folded stored configuration below the frame above the road surface and for permitting the assembly to unfold and drop the drag shoe to the road surface where it is rolled on by rear wheels of the trailer upon activation of the support assembly by the operator of the moving vehicle. The folded drag shoe supporting assembly not only drops the drag shoe to the road surface when it is released but also guides the drag shoe into the path of the rear wheels.