Abstract: A new and distinct everbearing variety of strawberry plant characterized by fruit which is conic to long wedged. The plant is lacking in berries of irregular shape or which have longitudinal furrows. The plant is further characterized by attachment of fruit to a reflexed calyx and by pedicel hairs which are perpendicular to the pedicel. When planted in January and February, peak production occurs in late July and continues through fall. The berries have a good appearance due to their regular shape, high gloss and consistent color. Fruit flavor equals Heidi in excellence and the berry has a mild pleasant strawberry aroma.

Abstract: A new and distinct variety of a new cultivar of sugar hackberry tree characterized by a well balanced, spreading crown having more branches than other sugar hackberry trees in the stand, a fast growth habit, freedom from Witches Broom disease found in native hackberry trees in the same growing area, and its being very hardy even in temperatures below -20.degree. F.

Abstract: Wind-propelled apparatus in which a mast is universally mounted on a craft and supports a boom and sail. Specifically a pair of curved booms are arcuately connected athwart the mast and secure the sail therebetween, the position of the mast and sail being controllable by the user but being substantially free from pivotal restraint in the absence of such control.

Abstract: A power drive assembly having a housing, a drive mechanism removably installed in the housing, an annular biasing spring installed in the housing for biasing the mechanism, and a wear ring arrangement including an undercut annular groove in the mechanism opening coaxially toward an end of the biasing spring and a wear ring removably installed in the groove to engage the end of the biasing spring in the assembled arrangement of the power drive assembly. The wear ring has a cross section complementary to the undercut groove cross section whereby the mechanism may be installed in the housing with the groove opening downwardly and the wear ring maintained in the groove for facilitated assembly of the power drive.

Abstract: Method, apparatus and system for sorting objects exhibiting identifiable dynamic response to vibrational phenomena, such objects including tomatoes and other comestibles. The system utilizes an elongate sorting zone incorporating a surface which oscillates at a predetermined frequency and amplitude which varies from a minimum at the input of the zone to a maximum value at the output thereof. Conveyor belts transport the objects to be sorted along the zone for a coding interval promoting their dynamic reaction with the oscillatory surface. Objects with higher resilience characteristic are rejected from the zone, while those exhibiting a lesser resilience are transported therethrough. The oscillatory surface is dynamically balanced and readily mounted upon field harvesting devices. By adjustment of frequency of the sorting zone oscillatory surfaces, a multistage sorting system is made available.

Abstract: Disclosed is an exercising device in which stacked weights are manipulated by the user through a lever arm. A selected quantity of weights is raised and lowered on vertical guide rods by a lift rod. The lever arm is pivoted to the frame of the device and passes through a yoke in the upper end of the lift rod. A roller mounted in the yoke is carried on the upper surface of the lever arm. The lever arm is substantially horizontal when the device is at rest and as the lever arm is raised, the roller on the lift rod moves on the lever arm to reduce the user's mechanical advantage and increase his effective load. Also, as the lever arm is raised through its pivotal arc, a vectoring of the lifting force occurs, varying the portion of that force which is devoted to lifting of the weights, and thereby further increasing the effective load on the user. Further variations in resistance are possible by contouring the upper surface of the lever arm or the roller.

Abstract: A three-part seal to be fixed in a gland formed on the first of two mating cylindrical structures in a hydraulic apparatus. A continuous Teflon nondeformable bearing ring is provided in the gland. The bearing ring has a first cylindrical surface for contact with the second cylindrical structure, a second cylindrical surface opposite the first surface and a conical rearward facing end surface. A continuous Teflon nondeformable backup seal ring is provided in the gland for mating with the rearward facing conical end surface of the bearing ring against its forward facing conical end surface. A continuous compressible resilient ring is provided on the side of the bearing ring opposite the second cylindrical structure for contacting the bearing ring and the backup seal ring.

Abstract: An analog sound signal the time axis of which is compressed is sampled responsive to a write clock signal and the sampled output is stored in an analog shift register having a given capacity, whereupon the stored signal is read out from the analog shift register responsive to a read clock signal the frequency of which is smaller than that of the write clock signal. The above described operation is alternately repeated, whereby the output signal read out from the analog shift register is compiled for sound synthesization. The synthesizing junction of the sound signal is controlled by a microcomputer. The microcomputer is adapted to evaluate the similarity of the data concerning the waveform at the trailing end portion of a preceding sound element stored in the random-access memory and the data concerning the waveform at the leading end portion of the succeeding sound element stored in the random-access memory.

Abstract: An attachment device in the form of a bearing housing (10) and an arm (38) projecting out through an opening (44) in the housing. The arm is supported in a bearing support (42) in the housing and serves to carry, at the end opposite the housing, an ear muff to move with a rocking motion between a stationary rest position and a position wherein the earmuff exerts a pressure around the wearer's ear. A separate spring component (44), preferably annular in form, is rotatably supported in and prestressed to bear against, on one side, an adjustable spring support (48), which is located inside the housing and remains stationary during the rocking motion, and, on the opposite side, the end (52) of the arm (38) located inside the housing. By this arrangement there is exerted on the said end of the arm a controlled force directed away from the spring support (48) for the purpose of stabilizing the arm in its two positions.

Abstract: Endoprosthetic metacarpal phalangeal joint devices are well known in various forms including unitary flexible structures for connection between the bones, and others with separate phalangeal and metacarpal components for respective bone connection and inter-engagement or connection for mutual articulation in a hinge action. All such devices are applied individually to respective joints and can tend to fail due to conditions leading to ulnar drift. It is now proposed that this tendency be obviated by mechanically interconnecting a plurality of devices of the latter form in the hand, suitably by use of a common hinge pin. The pin preferably has slight longitudinal curvature to pass through the natural joint centers. The phalangeal components preferably each have a socket for bone connection and a stem for axle connection, the stem being slidably and rotatably received in the socket to accomodate torsional loading.

Abstract: A unitary assembly is adapted to be attached to a toilet for ventilating odors from the bowl and has an air scoop positionable between the bowl and the seat at the rear of the bowl in communication with the bowl with such air scoop being mounted on the bowl by bracket means attached to the conventional bolts that hingedly attach the seat to the bowl. Such air scoop has a laterally offset communicating duct that supports at its outer end and communicates with a power driven suction blower unit positioned to one side and behind the bowl with a flexible exhaust tube connected to the outlet of such blower unit and positioned vertically within the bowl and provided with a free terminal outlet portion disposed within the normal pool of water in the bowl and positioned behind the trap in the bowl and having opening means disposed in arrangement with the pool of water so as to form a trap in the exhaust tube.

Abstract: An upwardly opening receiver, a receptacle and a conduit are provided with the upwardly opening receiver including a downwardly tapering lower portion opening downwardly into one end of the conduit and the second end of the conduit opening downwardly into the receptacle. A weighted hollow body including a removably closable fluent weight material inlet and outlet opening is provided and the weighted body is removably supported about the bottom of the receptable for preventing unwanted tipping of the receptacle. the receptable is generally upright cylindrical in configuration and the weighted base comprises an annular body encircling and closely embracing the lower portion of the receptacle. The upper portion of the receptacle includes a removable closable cud receiving opening therein and clamp structure is also provided for clampingly engaging the arm of an arm equipped piece of seating furniture.

Abstract: A bed bottom is divided into a middle section and two side sections pivotably attached to the middle section at their edges. The middle section is pivotable about a longitudinal central axis with the aid of a control means into different desired angular positions. The outer side edges of the side sections are carried by the upper ends of links distributed along the length of the side sections and pivotably mounted at their lower ends on the bed frame.

Abstract: An invalid bed includes a frame and an overhead support structure which provides an elevated diagonally extending support surface for a pivot arm. The pivot arm is pivotally anchored to a corner post and extends over and is supported by the support surface. The pivot arm swings from a position at the side of the bed frame to its center and includes a strap which an invalid can grasp for elevating himself and swinging onto or out of the bed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for machining a tubular workpiece to form an internally threaded coupling having a faced and chamfered end and a tapered counterbore. The method includes forming a tool support bar having a longitudinal axis and supporting on the tool support bar first and second tools having cutting edges and a thread cutting tool. The method further includes rotating the workpiece about its longitudinal axis and positioning the tool support bar relative to the workpiece such that the axis of the tool support bar and the workpiece lie in one plane and are substantially parallel to each other. The method further includes moving the support bar to chamfer and face the end of the workpiece with the first tool, moving the tool support bar to taper and counterbore the interior of the workpiece with the second tool, and moving the support bar to thread the tapered interior of the workpiece with the thread cutting tool.

Abstract: A tool for working concrete. The body of the tool has a face with multiple openings and is used to tamp gravel from the surface of the concrete and bring the cream to the surface.

Abstract: Roller-type supporting means is disclosed herein for the lance tube of a long retracting sootblower. An assembly of four rollers is mounted in a cradle structure rockable about an axis transverse to the beam of the sootblower and also swingable about a vertical axis radial to the lance tube axis. The sides of the cradle structure are defined by rocker arms capable of limited independent rocking movement. The rollers are laterally and longitudinally spaced from each other and underengage and support the lance tube. The points of engagement between the rollers and the lance tube lie approximately in a common plane which also includes said transverse axis.

Abstract: This is a removable hinge mechanism particularly designed for use with steam table food containers for removably attaching a separate cover to the upper portion of the container, thus providing a support for holding the cover when the same is lifted from the container to provide access to the food confined therewithin.The hinge mechanism is attached to the container by a releasable clamping action between the inner and outer portions of the rolled edge or flange formed at the top of the container and to the cover by an open-ended loop to permit complete removeability from the container and the cover for cleaning.

Abstract: A waste collector for a sewing machine uses first and second different collection boxes, the second of which has a larger diameter suction hose than the first. The box having the larger diameter suction hose is coupled to the blower motor only through the first box via an airflow path which is more restricted than that of the larger suction hose.

Abstract: For use in combination with an expansible linkage bracelet of the type having rows of overlapping resiliently interconnected upper and lower links, a clasp adapted for adjustable and detachable connection to an end portion of the bracelet. The clasp has a casing with a base wall and upturned side walls defining a channel for receiving the bracelet end portion. A lid having a top wall with downturned side walls is mounted for pivotal movement relative to the casing between open and closed positions respectively exposing and enclosing the receiving channel. Engagement members at one end of the clasp are arranged to protrude between selected laterally adjacent pairs of upper and lower bracelet links, thereby retaining the bracelet end portion within the receiving channel when the lid is in the closed position.

Abstract: A releasable locking mechanism for safety belts including a lock tongue connected with the end of one belt member and a casing connected with the end of a second belt member operates with a locking bolt slideably guided on a support surface to engage and disengage a stop surface on the lock tongue for locking and releasing the safety belt. A spring loaded release member urges the locking bolt along the support surface to release the lock tongue from locking engagement therewith. The support surface is defined on the casing to extend transversely relative to a planar slot within which the lock tongue is inserted and the stop surfaces on the lock tongue and the support surface upon which the locking bolt slides are arranged to define therebetween an acute angle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to swivel fluid fittings and swivel hose ends. In prior art designs, it has been a problem to provide simple, compact, and economical swivel fluid fittings in which the ball thrust bearings are both lubricated and protected from the environment by being located on the fluid side of the rotary seal. The present invention solves the problem by partially assembling the swivel fluid fitting prior to projection welding of the two-piece outer member and by magnetically retaining the steel balls during assembly. Principal uses for the invention include providing swiveling joints in either rigid or flexible conduits for conducting of air, gasses, and liquids.