Abstract: The apparatus of the present invention typically comprises a pair of opposing restraint members wherein a first restraint member is attached to a first end of a thin, flexible, high tensile belt, cord or cable tether, whose second end is attached to a controllably-ratcheted, winding-rewinding spool within a suitable housing. A second restraint member is attached to an opposite end of the housing. The housing may have respective arms which further include a pivotable connection. When actuated by a user, a controllable ratchet-pawl release mechanism permits the tether to be withdrawn against the tension of the rewinding mechanism. When the ratchet-pawl release mechanism ceases to be actuated, the tether can no longer be extracted and can only be ratcheted back onto the spool while being retracted by the rewinding mechanism, thus bringing the attached opposing restraint members toward a closed connection.

Abstract: An improved text line underscoring and overscoring method having a graspable control member (21) which may be grasped between the thumb (4) and fingers (5, 6, 7) at a first end (27), and be movably angleably connective at an opposite, connective end (22) with a first non-pointing end (28) of a pointer arm (25) with a second pointing end (26) aligned with a reader's line of sight toward text lines (8) with intervening linear spaces (9), so that when the thumb and fingers twist the control member (21) in alternating directions, the first end of the pointer arm (28) will be urged to rotate, and the second pointing end (26) of the pointer arm (25) will be urged to shuttle left and right, whereby the second pointing end (26) of the pointer arm (25) will be enabled to underscore or overscore text lines to be read.

Abstract: An improved text line underscoring and overscoring method having a graspable control member (21) which may be grasped between the thumb (4) and fingers (5, 6, 7) at a first end (27), and be movably angleably connective at an, opposite, connective end (22) with a first non-pointing end (28) of a pointer arm (25) with a second pointing end (26) aligned with a reader's line of sight toward text lines (8) with intervening linear spaces (9), so that when the thumb and fingers twist the control member (21) in alternating directions, the first end of the pointer arm (28) will be urged to rotate, and the second pointing end (26) of the pointer arm (25) will be urged to shuttle left and right, whereby the second pointing end (26) of the pointer arm (25) will be enabled to underscore or overscore text lines to be read.

Abstract: An improved auxiliary shading device for use upon a vehicle sun vis or, typically having a flexible shading endpiece of sufficient size to shade the focal light rays of the rising or setting sun or headlamp glare. The shading endpiece is connected to a first end of a movably controllable flexibly rigid tube, which is itself further connective at its opposite end to a compression clip mounting endpiece. The device is used as a supplement to or in lieu of a traditional vehicle visor to shade external focal light glare from the eyes of an operator or passenger. The invention additionally comprehends.

Abstract: An integral music system for use in association with all chromatically scaled musical instruments comprising an improved graphic keyboard design utilized in various mechanical, electric and over-keyboard embodiments, and a cooperative improved hexaline scoring method utilizing octave-designating noteforms, and a cooperative improved graphic referencing method utilizing color, symbol and tactual coding means. The improved graphic keyboard design has essentially coextensive alternately arranged, uniformly narrowed and widened keys. The improved hexaline scoring method has one or more six-line staffs which respectively utilize eight distinct noteforms to provide an eight-octave compass for each staff. The improved graphic referencing method has code formats which correlate the lines and spaces of the improved scoring method with the keying means of the various instruments. The invention additionally comprehends manual and computer assisted methods for converting existing music into the improved scoring format.