Abstract: A guidance device for determining the angular orientation of the distal end of a surgical instrument, comprising an indicator portion containing a constant vertical reference attached to a securing portion for attaching to the surgical instrument shaft. The guidance device has graduated markings upon it for indicating angle of surgical instrument rotation from the vertical reference.

Abstract: A runway selector is provided for selecting a runway at an airport which does not have traffic control and which has one or more numbered runways. The runway selector includes a first circular scale having azimuth indicia thereon. The runway selector also includes a second circular scale positioned on the first scale and which has runway number indicia thereon. One or more flat strips, which resemble runways, are selectively rotatably mounted over the scales. A wind direction pointer is selectively rotatably mounted over the scales. The runway selector enables a pilot to visually determine the proper runway to use so that the aircraft may land into the wind as closely as possible.

Abstract: A pointing device adapted to allow a user to set a pointing arrow to point towards another location, such as a city in another country. The pointing arrow is adapted to not point in a direction along the surface of the earth but to point accurately through the Earth. An apparatus including a pointing device and a calculation portion adapted to allow the user to determine how to point the pointing arrow towards the desired location. The calculation portion may include an electronic device and may include the use of a global computer network.

Abstract: A technique for avoiding the risk of spreading communicable diseases in drinking inadvertently from another's open beverage can by applying distinctive user identification markers on the can top cover, positioned arcuately about the cover and identified by using the lever-opener also as an identification indicator through rotational alignment with and locking at a desired user's marker.

Abstract: Indicators and methods of indicating are disclosed. Intended primarily for use with medicine containers, the devices typically indicate the number of doses of medication ingested or remaining to be taken by a patient during a particular period. These devices additionally provide tactile assistance to patients in appropriately repositioning the indicator arms and, when used correctly, may reduce the possibility of patient overdose by restricting improper attempts to advance the indicator arm.

Abstract: An easy open beverage container has a lever tab for breaking open a scored panel portion of the end wall by lifting up the distal lift end. The tab is held rotatably to the end wall by a rivet, which acts as a fulcrum forcing the proximal end of the tab downward to break open the scored panel portion. A plurality of spaced apart, unique indicia are disposed in an arc on the panel wall around the rivet. The distal lift end, after opening the can is lowered to lie against the end wall and is rotated to point to one of said indicia to thereby uniquely identify that opened container so that it will not be inadvertently used by another.

Abstract: A protractor comprising a generally flat protractor disc having a straight edge portion and a semi-circular portion. An arm member is pivotally secured at one end to a central section of the straight edge portion and overlies the front surface of the semi-circular portion at the other end. The arm member has a straight drawing edge that aligns with angle indicia on the semi-circular portion. An arcuate member extends outwardly from the front surface of the semi-circular portion. The arm member has recess in a rear surface thereof that receives the arcuate member therein. The relationship between the depth of the recess and the distance that the arcuate member extends from the front surface of the semi-circular portion is such that the arm member is spaced from the indicia on the front surface.

Abstract: A vehicle body side mirror assembly includes indicia arranged to facilitate resetting of the vehicle mirror to a previously determined position. The mirror assembly includes indicia such that the mirror assembly may be mounted on either the passenger or drivers side of a vehicle without modifications. Further, the indicia are arranged such that the mirror assembly may be readily reset to a previously determined position from outside of the vehicle as well as from inside of the vehicle. A support arm is pivotably attached or mounted to a base having circumferentially arranged indicia thereupon. The support arm is generally L-shaped and includes a lower portion having two indicia adapted for alignment with the circumferentially arranged indicia on the base, whereas a top portion of the support arm likewise includes two indicia for resetting a pivotably mounted mirror housing with respect to the support arm.

Abstract: A portable navigational aid or device for use in a user-sailboat or similar vessel, where the user-sailboat and another approaching boat are traveling along courses which intersect, to indicate readily whether the user-sailboat should have the right-of-way considering the direction of the wind, the angles of approach of the two boats and the local governing rules regarding the right-of-way. The device includes a disc-shaped member which is held on board the user's boat so that an arrow on the disc-shaped member points in the direction of the wind. A marked pivoted indicator dial having a user-boat symbol is pivoted with the disc-shaped member and is oriented such that the user-boat symbol coincides with the direction of travel of the user's boat.