Abstract: A process for conditioning a golf green which preferably is constructed in accordance with the specifications of the United States Golf Association. In this process, air is blown at a flow rate of from about 250 to about 1000 cubic feet per minute onto the top surface of the golf green while simultaneously withdrawing air from said vent side of the main feeder line at a flow rate of from about 250 to about 1,000 cubic feet per minute.

Abstract: A process for raising a sunken, in-ground sprinkler is provided. In the first step of this process, which is especially useful with pop-up sprinklers, the area around the top of the sprinkler is first cleared. Thereafter, the motor compartment structure and the rotatable sprinkler head are removed from the sprinkler housing. A circular sleeve adaptor is then attached to the sprinkler housing, and a threaded shaft is then attached to the adaptor. A support platform, with a hole in its middle, is then placed over the sprinkler, and one end of the threaded shaft is placed through the hole. A wing nut is then attached to the threaded shaft, and the rotation of the wing nut causes it to contact the top of the support platform, thereby raising the sprinkler assembly.

Abstract: A process for preventing the spread of vegetation from one area to another is disclosed.In the first step of this process, a vegetation-encroachment barrier is provided. The barrier preferably contains two halves which are joined at their bottoms, whose tops are normally touching each other, but whose tops may be separated from each other. The two halves of the device are so shaped that, when their tops and bottoms are contiguous, a chamber between them is defined; the chamber exists at a location intermediate the tops and bottoms of the halves.In the second step of the process, a furrow is dug around the area to be protected. Thereafter, the barrier is inserted into the furrow.

Abstract: An annular ring resonator which employs relay imaging to reduce crosstalk caused by diffusion which occurs between biconic mirrors 30 and 31 in the resonator.

Abstract: A blade assembly for cutting herbaceous terrestrial vegetation at a cutting speed of from about 1,000 to about 10,000 revolutions per minute, wherein said blade assembly is comprised of a U-shaped blade which has a Rockwell C hardness of from about 37 to 40, a flare resistance of less than about 15 degrees, and a bending resistance of less than about 5 degrees, and wherein said U-shaped blade is an integral, symmetrical member comprised a vertically-extending left cutting edge, a vertically extending right cutting edge, and a rotating support member connected to said left and right cutting edges, wherein:(a) said left cutting edge, said right cutting edge, and said rotating support member are integrally formed into a substantial U-shaped structure,(b) each of said left cutting and right cutting edges forms an angle with said rotating support member of from about 90 to about 95 degrees,(c) said U-shaped blade is from about 2.0 to about 15.0 inches long, from about 1.0 to about 3.

Abstract: An improvement for an off-axis, unstable, ring-resonator laser wherein the feedback beam 16 is rotated 90.degree. by a 90.degree. rotator 18 and is then magnified by magnification means 22 so that the dimensions of the rotated, magnified beam 24 will correspond to the dimensions of the gain medium 12 of the laser.

Abstract: A system for phase-matching arrayed telescopes by means of a corner-cube-bridge metering rod comprises a plurality of arrayed telescopes 10, a source 30 of laser light reflecting means 32,40,42,44,46 for directing the laser beam through the telescopes 10, one of the reflecting means being a beam splitter 42 for directing a different portion of the laser beam through each telescope 10, an absolute distance interferometer (ADI) 38, boresighting means including a hole plate 32, a focusing lens 34 and an alignment sensor 36, and a metering rod 16 carrying four corner-reflector cubes, two near each end. The ADI beam is aligned with the laser source beam by using the boresighting means. The metering rod 16 is mounted between two adjacent telescopes 10 so that two adjacent corner cubes reflect the beam coming through one telescope and the other two adjacent cubes reflect the beam coming through the other telescope.

Abstract: An optical resonator having an annular cylindrical gain region for use in a chemical laser or the like in which two ring-shaped mirrors having substantially conical reflecting surfaces are spaced apart along a common axis of revolution of the respective conical surfaces. A central conical mirror reflects incident light directed along said axis radially outwardly to the reflecting surface of a first one of the ring-shaped mirrors. The radial light rays are reflected by the first ring mirror to the second ring mirror within an annular cylindrical volume concentric with said common axis and forming a gain region. Light rays impinging on the second ring mirror are reflected to diametrically opposite points on the same conical mirror surfaces and back to the first ring mirror through the same annular cylindrical volume. The return rays are then reflected by the conical mirror surface of the first ring mirror back to the central conical mirror.