Abstract: A skywatcher's tripod has a seat mounted on a rider support that swivels 360 degrees on a base having upwardly foldable tripod legs. A post forms a forward end of the rider support. An extension arm configured to secure a tripod head for attachment of a surveillance device is axially slidable in a holder that is pivotally secured to the upper end of the post for rotation towards the seated user. The user sights on targets from horizon to zenith depending on the rotated position of the holder and the extension of the arm. The seat folds against the post outboard of the folded tripod legs and is held in folded position by a folded leg that abuts a handle that extends from a bottom side of the seat. The rider support includes a swivel lock and a combination holder/extension arm lock.

Abstract: A camcorder mounted on a binocular includes a periscope that receives incident light on the effective line-of-sight of the binocular and reflects the light onto the line-of-sight of the camcorder into image processing elements of the camcorder, the camcorder being operable in telephoto mode and the binocular having a wide angle field of view, whereby the binocular serves as the target acquisition and maintenance of centering means for the camcorder, thereby enabling easiest acquisition of a target and enabling distant subjects of particular interest to be recorded in largest image without loss of sight of the target when the camcorder is operated in telephoto mode.

Abstract: A camcorder including an image display monitor that swings open from laterally from a side of the camcorder, is mounted on top of a binocular having a wide-angle field of view, such that, the camcorder and the binocular always sight on the same target, whereby the binocular serves as the target acquisition and maintenance of centering means for the camcorder instead of the display monitor, thereby freeing the user to observe an event in wide-angle view while the camcorder is recording it in telephoto mode. In one embodiment the camcorder is mounted inclined on the binocular so that the lines-of-sight of the camcorder and the binocular converge at a distance. In another embodiment the camcorder is provided with a periscope that receives incident light on the line-of-sight axis of the binocular and reflects the light onto the line-of-sight axis of the camcorder.

Abstract: A dual derailleur bicycle gearshift comprises a first cable pull member pivotally secured to a support for rotation about a first axis and a second cable pull member pivotally secured to the first cable pull member for rotation about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, wherein the second cable pull member defines a single actuator that is centered on both axes for pivotal movability within a first arc located within a first plane that extends axially of and contains the first axis to rotate the second cable pull member about the second axis and pivotal movability within a second arc located within a second plane that extends axially of and contains the second axis to rotate the first cable pull member about the first axis. In a handlebar mounted embodiment the first cable pull member rotates about a longitudinal axis of the bicycle's handlebar and the actuator is a yoke centered on both axes and having one end defining the second cable pull member.

Abstract: A child-resistant lighter includes a pushbutton depressible toward an upper end portion of the lighter body to operate a normally closed valve to an open condition that releases a combustible gas for ignition by sparks produced by means operated when the pushbutton is depressed. Wall members spaced apart on the upper end portion define a slot at a rearward end of the upper end portion. A stop member slidable longitudinally on the upper end portion includes a blocking member that normally blocks depression of a lower surface of the pushbutton whereby it is normally locked. A neck portion of the stop member extending through the slot has a projecting end defining an actuator having resilient arm members having free ends slidably engaged with outboard surfaces of the wall members such that the arm members flex when the actuator is pushed inwardly toward the slot and a longitudinally-directed return bias is thereby imparted to the actuator.

Abstract: A child-resistant lighter includes a housing defining a fuel compartment, normally closed valve means communicating with the fuel compartment, ignition means and a pushbutton that is depressible to open the valve means for release of fuel. A cylindrical safety release member including a base and a probe member is mounted on a horizontal top wall of the lighter's housing with the safety release's base slidable on the top wall and the probe abutting a horizontal undersurface of the pushbutton whereby the pushbutton is normally blocked against depression.

Abstract: A one-piece handle member provided with a bore and a tubular pinion gear fixed to and projecting from a forward end of the handle coaxially with the bore is rotatably mounted on the rearward portion of a single drive shaft against a driven gear fixed coaxially to an intermediate portion of the shaft. A lug member fixed to the intermediate portion of the shaft on the other side of the driven gear projects laterally therefrom and supports a pivot spaced parallel to the drive shaft. First and second transfer gears connected for rotation together are rotatably mounted on the pivot with the first transfer gear permanently meshed with the pinion gear and the second transfer gear permanently meshed with the driven gear. A planar lock member slidably mounted in a slot extending cross-sectionally through the handle has exposed ends used to position the lock member relative to a shaft segment passing through the lock member.

Abstract: A disposable lighter includes a pushbutton depressible toward a top wall of the lighter's upper end portion to operate a normally closed valve to an open position that releases fuel for ignition by sparks generated by rolling a flintwheel. A spring is added having a U-shaped first portion mounted in a recess in the lighter's upper end portion under the pushbutton. A second portion of the spring extends from a resilient first arm of the first portion and defines a stop member slidably mounted on the top wall under a peg depending from the pushbutton. An actuator part of the second portion projects outwardly of the upper end portion and is pushable inwardly to slide the stop member from an initial position that blocks depression of the pushbutton whereby the valve normally cannot be operated to its open position, to an alternate position wherein an opening in the stop member permits depression of the pushbutton by entry of the peg into such opening.

Abstract: A child-resistant lighter includes a housing defining a fuel compartment, normally closed valve means communicating with the fuel compartment, ignition means and a pushbutton that is depressible to open the valve means for release of fuel. A cylindrical safety release member including a base and a probe member is mounted on a horizontal top wall of the lighter's housing with the safety release's base slidable on the top wall and the probe abutting a horizontal undersurface of the pushbutton whereby the pushbutton is normally blocked against depression. Wall structure dependent from the pushbutton's undersurface is arranged to restrict the directions in which it possible to move the probe, such that, only certain rotational and horizontal manipulations of the safety release will move the probe from a given rest position whereat it blocks depression of the pushbutton to a given alternate position whereat a clearance provided in the pushbutton's undersurface over the probe permits depression of the pushbutton.

Abstract: An open top, waterproof, cardboard box has an elongated rectangular bottom bordered by side and end panels which extend the length and width, respectively, of the bottom and are joined to form closed corners. Each side panel has a pair of wing portions between which a central portion of the side panel extends, the wing portions being defined by a pair of diagonal fold lines each of which intersects with a corner of the box. The end panels are folded so that they lie nearest the bottom of the box and the side panels are folded over and lie flat against the end panels, the wing portions being folded first with the end panels and then with the side panels whereby the wing portions are finally folded under the central portion of the side panels.

Abstract: A forwardly inclined storage unit is secured behind a rearwardly inclined copyboard so that the two converge. The storage unit provides at least one compartment--for placement of draft pages as they are removed from the copyboard, and preferably, a second compartment for newly typed or computer printed pages. Because of the forward inclination of the storage unit, pages or printed portions of a document dropped sequentially into the compartments lean face down, thereby retaining collation.

Abstract: A child-resistant disposable lighter has its pushbutton normally locked and requires the user to move a safety release bidirectionally in order to unlock the pushbutton for operation in the conventional way. The lighter's housing includes a second compartment appended to but otherwise isolated from the fuel compartment, the second compartment having an open upper end. The pushbotton has an underside portion that overhangs and is depressible into the open upper end of the second compartment. A safety spring anchored at a lower end in the second compartment has its upper end providing a probe that extends into a channel formed in the underside of the pushbotton. The safety release is accessible at a side of the housing and is moved first inboard and then rearward and then released so that it returns to a given intermediate position, such movements effecting corresponding movements of the probe within the channel whereby the pushbutton is unlocked.

Abstract: A single, manually operated lever rotates cam means providing guide surfaces that program a progressive series of different drive ratio combinations of the front and rear sprockets of a conventional 10-speed bicycle. The gearshift is mounted on and projecting forwardly from the bicycle's handlebar next to the handlebar stem. The lever has a limited range of movement in a fore and aft direction and can be placed in any one of six drive ratio positions. The lowest and highest drive ratio combinations of the front and rear sprockets are obtained automatically when the lever is placed in its rearwardmost and forwardmost positions, respectively, and intermediate drive ratios are obtained in consecutive increments ordered from the lowest to the highest drive ratio positions of the lever. The guide surfaces have cooperating cam followers to which the control cables for the front and rear derailleurs are attached.