Abstract: An artificial root system for gabions to control soil erosion has an anchor which has a nose cone threadable onto a threaded rod and deployable stainless steel blades. On deployment of one or more anchors on each of a series of rods, connectors are attached to the rods. These connectors have four couplers to receive the ends of threaded rods or bars, and a central coupler to receive one (passing through) or two (meeting) threaded rods or bars. Threaded cross bars or rods are attached to the connectors to form a framework to support geotextiles attached to the cross bars or rods to form a gabion, or gabion array. The gabions are then filled with suitable material, to repair, or replace eroded shoreline, river frontage, lake frontage, etc.

Abstract: An automatic closure mechanism, particularly adapted for use with a toilet seat is described. The mechanism will automatically lower a toilet seat that has been rotated to a raised position after a time interval determined by the viscosity of a damper fluid in a dashpot of the mechanism. The mechanism is simply constructed and preferably integral with a rear edge of the toilet seat so that it provides a clean, neat appearance which is aesthetically pleasing and does not interfere with cleaning or maintenance of the toilet fixture. The mechanism includes a dry coil spring section and a hydraulic dashpot section. The dashpot includes a primary flap valve and a relief flap valve which permit the toilet seat to be raised with very little resistance and automatically returned to a lowered position after about 1-5 minutes, depending on the viscosity of the damper fluid in the dashpot.