Abstract: A vehicle passenger seat active occupant restraint provides for absorbing energy from a passenger during sudden deceleration of a vehicle. The torso belt portion of a three-point restraint system is anchored using a spring and a displacement limiting linkage at the opposite end from its point of connection to the lap portion of the belt. During deceleration energy is transferred from the restrained occupant to the spring up to the displacement limit.

Abstract: The invention involves creating a thinner structured seat capable of complying with the federal requirements. The steel back pan is rigidly mounted on three edges to the back frame seat structure. The bottom of the back pan is unformed and allowed to flex in the fore-aft direction. The back pan is then covered with foam that may be one third as thick at the bottom as to thickness at the top of the back pan. The three to one ration of the lower to upper portion for the foam is important in achieving seat thinness. When seat spacing is measured at the h-point or cushion level, the knee protection zone is thinner than conventional seats and allows for a greater number of seats to be placed into a school bus. Utilizing a flexible steel back pan combined with foam in the proper ratios to absorb energy in the knee protection zone through the upper portion achieves the invention.

Abstract: The invention provides a seat for a bus that has a movable front frame or seat back that a seat occupant rests his or her back against normally. The front frame is the mounting point for the upper portion of a three-point seat belt. The seat frame contains a rear passenger support wall or rear frame to protect a passenger of rearward seat from moving out his safety zone in a forward direction in the event of a rapid deceleration. The rear frame is part of the seat frame and only moves upon initial contact by a rearward-unbelted passenger impact. A rotation guide slot defines the amount of rear frame movement. The front frame is limited in the amount of its forward pivoting movement by a tether, spring or fluid dampener that is engaged to an immovable portion of the frame and thereby limits forward travel of the front frame.

Abstract: The caster leg assembly has a slidable collar mounted on a shank that is threaded onto a stud fixed within a hollow table leg. A resiliently deformable ring is positioned between a shoulder on the shank and an inwardly turned end of the leg. A locking nut is threaded onto a threaded portion of the collar to abut the inwardly turned end of the leg. After the shank has been adjusted along the length of the stud, the locking nut is threaded against the end of the leg to cause the collar to be drawn in a direction out of the leg thereby compressively deforming the ring to frictionally engage the collar and leg. This, in turn, locks the shank against rotation relative to the leg.

Abstract: A tree stand with a seating section and a standing section, at least one of the sections having a frame with first and second sides, inner and outer ends, a first cable attachment arm with inner and outer ends along the first side, and a second cable attachment arm with inner and outer ends along the second side; a rotatable threaded rod mounted parallel to the first attachment arm; a releasable cable retainer including a channel for receiving the attachment arm and a threaded bore for receiving the threaded rod, the retainer being moveable along the first attachment arm upon rotation of the threaded rod; drive means for rotating the threaded rod; and a cable having a first end releasibly attachable to the connector and a second end attachable to the second attachment arm.

Abstract: The caster leg assembly has a slidable collar mounted on a shank that is threaded onto a stud fixed within a hollow table leg. A resiliently deformable ring is positioned between a shoulder on the shank and an inwardly turned end of the leg. A locking nut is threaded onto a threaded portion of the collar to abut the inwardly turned end of the leg. After the shank has been adjusted along the length of the stud, the locking nut is threaded against the end of the leg to cause the collar to be drawn in a direction out of the leg thereby compressively deforming the ring to frictionally engage the collar and leg. This, in turn, locks the shank against rotation relative to the leg.

Abstract: A prosthetic wrist having at least one of a radial insert, which is configured to be fixed to a radius of a patient, a carpal implant and a wrist bearing component. The carpal implant includes a body and a pair of flanges, each of which being skewed to the axis of the body in a manner that permits them to abut the ulnar side of the hamate bone and the radial side of the distal portion of the carpal bone complex, respectively. The radial insert may be provided with a plurality of modular portions to allow for selection and customization of an implant.

Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation cooler (1) with a coolant chamber (14), a bypass tube (50) and means (70) to selectively direct exhaust gas through the coolant chamber (14) or bypass tube (50). The bypass tube (50) may be used to direct hot exhaust gases to the engine under low engine temperature/load operating conditions and during start up of the engine; the coolant chamber (14) may be used to cool very hot gases under high engine temperature/load conditions and direct the cooled gas to the engine. The bypass tube (50) is integrally formed with the coolant chamber, reducing space required for the cooler and making for easier installation.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for scrolling database records, particularly in a client-server computing system, are disclosed. A database holds records, accessible by a server, that each include a unique identifier. A client requests the server to retrieve a set of database records. Records are retrieved from the database and stored on the server. The server determines an upper context token and a lower context token corresponding to the end records for a subset of those records. The upper and lower context tokens include a reference to the respective unique identifier. The first subset records is passed to the client for display. The client then makes a scrolling request by a previous or next subset of data, and passes the relevant upper or lower context token to the server.

Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation cooler (1) with a coolant chamber (14), a bypass tube (50) and means (70) to selectively direct exhaust gas through the coolant chamber (14) or bypass tube (50). The bypass tube (50) may be used to direct hot exhaust gases to the engine under low engine temperature/load operating conditions and during start up of the engine; the coolant chamber (14) may be used to cool very hot gases under high engine temperature/load conditions and direct the cooled gas to the engine. The bypass tube (50) is integrally formed with the coolant chamber, reducing space required for the cooler and making for easier installation.

Abstract: An exhaust gas heat exchanger comprising an external shell (20) extending between two tube plates (30, 31) and defining a coolant chamber; internal tubes (38) forming exhaust gas passages which extend between the tube plates (30, 31); an exhaust gas manifold divided by a baffle plate (29) into first and second chambers (26, 28) with an exhaust gas inlet (25) and outlet (27) respectively. The baffle plate (29) is provided with a valve (51) which can be operated between an open position, in which exhaust gas flows along the cooling tubes (38), and a closed position, in which exhaust gas is diverted directly from the first chamber (26) to the second chamber (28).

Abstract: The leg support is constructed of a split plastic housing into which a tubular plastic foot is threaded. Metal sleeves of non-corrosive material are slidably mounted on each of the housing and foot to provide an aesthetic appearance. The internal thread on the housing is a buttress thread with a not quite perpendicular load receiving flank. The external buttress thread on the plastic foot has a mating upper flank. The leg support is able to withstand relatively heavy loads.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for scrolling database records, particularly in a client-server computing system, are disclosed. A database (104) holds records, accessible by a server (102), that each include a unique identifier. A client (100) requests the server (102) to retrieve a set of database records. Records are retrieved from the database (104) and stored on the server (102) The server determines an upper context token and a lower context token corresponding to the end records for a subset of those records. The upper and lower context tokens include a reference to the respective unique identifier. The first subset records is passed to the client for display. The client then makes a scrolling request by a previous or next subset of data, and passes the relevant upper or lower context token to the server.

Abstract: A gas regulator is of a modular construction, having a base providing coupling to a gas supply system and a body in which the pressure regulation elements are located. The base and body form a plug and socket type connection, the body being removable from the base, for repair or replacement without the base being disconnected from the gas supply. Inlet and outlet ports in the base align with corresponding inlet and outlet chambers in the body to provide a gas flow path through the regulator with the base and body connected.

Abstract: A process for the packaging of fragile articles, such as processed foods articles. The fragile articles are receiving from a source and positioned in a staging area, prior to being placed, in a shock-free manner, upon an unerected container blank. The protective container is erected around the fragile articles, substantially without any contact or physical shock to the fragile articles, so as to preclude damage to the articles. The invention further includes an apparatus for accomplishing the process of packaging the fragile articles.

Abstract: A pneumatic pump of the type having a pair of pump chambers each divided by a diaphragm assembly coupled by a main shaft includes a housing having a central valve chamber. An integral counter, mounted in the pump housing, is also coupled to the diaphragm shaft, and provides a count of the number of shaft reciprocations performed.

Abstract: A water-based emulsion paint, for example, is formulated with high refractive index opacifying pigment particles, dispersant, and polymer particles in which substantially all of the pigment particles (40) are disjuncted from one another and contained within an attached cluster of polymer particles (41) or have appendant polymer particles to give opacifying units having a nodular outline. Preferably micro-voids are trapped between particles and the dispersant is less than 1% of the pigment by weight.

Abstract: A paste-the-wall wallcovering has a deep emboss paper ply (10a) adhered to a flat plastics ply (16) having perforations (22). The ply (16) can restrain the ply (10a) against any significant expansion in the course of hanging and paste drying. The perforations (22) are regulated on the one hand so that weight loss from the hanging paste is not so excessive that the paper ply becomes softened and, on the other hand, so low that tacking of the wallcovering to the surface on which it is to be adhered is not unduly delayed.In making the wallcovering the paper ply is moistened and embossed and allowed to dry just below ambient humidity prior to laminating it to the plastics ply. The wallcovering may be decorated in the course of manufacture or after hanging.

Abstract: Paint is contained in a rectangular tray (10) and has provided at its surface a flexible membrane (13) having multiple openings (17), preferably of at least 5 mm mean transverse dimension. Paint is removed from the tray by sweeping the membrane with an applicator such as a roller. The membrane remains on the surface of the paint as paint is consumed. Preferably the membrane has (FIG. 5) the openings (17) confined to a broad central band with narrow imperforate marginal bands (51). The openings (17) lie in lines, or a matrix, which are inclined to the side walls (11) of the tray and which have apparent overlap when viewed along the membrane. The edges of the membrane may be downturned (FIG. 8) to form a paint reservoir for supplementary brushwork. The membrane may be sealed into the mouth (91) of a flexible bag (98) which is filled with paint.

Abstract: A wallcovering comprising a paper ply (13) and plastics ply (10) laminated together and embossed after lamination has materials of the plies chosen so that inherent expansion of the paper ply when wetted is substantially wholly restrained by high resistance of the plastics ply to stretching without taking the plastics ply beyond its elastic limit so that the wallcovering does not bubble or pucker when the paper ply is wetted. Materials suitable for the plastics ply are foamed polystyrene and orientated polypropylene. A degree of fissuring of the plastics ply during embossing is acceptable and can aid porosity for drying.