Abstract: An anchor for a cable or rod includes a ferrule or other spring stop, to which one or more springs or arms are coupled. The spring stop may be attached to an end or other region of the cable to enable the cable to be tensioned against a support structure. The one or more springs or arms may be, for example, one or more coil springs, one or more conical coil springs, two or more cantilever springs, or one more arms. The anchor is twisted or pushed through a hole in the support structure from a first side to a second side and contacts the surface of the second side. A ferrule spring stop may be swaged to the cable or rod.

Abstract: A spring-loaded wakeboard booster has a vertical swivel connection to the towing tower of a motorboat at its proximal end. The swivel connection rotatably supports a cylindrical piston spring assembly, which has a tow rope connection shaft at its proximal end, through which the piston spring assembly is connected by a tow line extending to the wakeboard. When the wakeboard is being towed, the force on the tow line draws the piston toward the proximal end of the piston spring assembly, thereby compressing the spring. When the wakeboard reaches the crest of the boat's wake, the water resistance drops and the spring expands, drawing the board forward and over the wake.

Abstract: An improved court perimeter boundary for volleyball or other sports comprises at least one indicator that indicates a hypotenuse distance to be used in squaring the court delimited by the boundary. Optionally, the perimeter boundary may be separated, facilitating the setup of the court and the winding of the boundary for storage. A method of setting up a volleyball court is also described.

Abstract: A retractable cord queue barrier system uses a spring-biased pulley refraction mechanism acting on a stretchable cord. A constant-force coiled metal spring is used, such that the retraction force on the cord does not increase as the cord is extended—as it would for a helical spring governed by Hooke's Law. The use of a constant-force spring avoids abrupt snap-back of the extended cord when released, as well as the need for excessive pulling force on the cord as it approaches full extension, which tends to cause the stanchion to tip over. Dynamic balance between the contractive force of the stretchable cord and the retractive force of the constant-force spring achieves a taut but not unyielding tension in the interconnecting cords between stanchions.

Abstract: Retractable bird line devices are contemplated that comprise a plurality of posts and one or more lines strung between the posts to prevent geese or other birds from accessing a body of land from an adjacent body of water. The lines are automatically biased by an automatic line biasing component and may be retractable to within one of the posts.

Abstract: A detection system comprising a plurality of taut wire panels having vertical detection/sensor wires. The sensor wires are tensioned to position trigger plates associated one or more of the wires. Trigger plate movement causes an actuating means to indicate a sensor wire has been moved. In one embodiment, sensor wires and portions of the panel frame have similar coefficients of thermal expansion to substantially eliminate environmental expansion effects that may result in false alarms. Linked sensor wires on adjacent panel may signal movement of entire panels. Panels are monitored by panel controllers reporting to sector controllers that report to a central command computer that automatically numbers sector and panel controllers at start-up. Bi-directional communication enables alarms and system faults to be precisely located.

Abstract: A motion-restraint arrangement (48) with elongate lines of elements (10), wherein each line of elements (10) has a number of individual elements (12) which can be erected by spring elements (20) from a small-volume thin storage condition into a large-volume active condition. Each respective individual element (12) has flexible lateral edge elements (16, 18), which in the active condition define a parallelepiped. The spring elements (20) extend in spatially diagonal relationship between the corners (22) of the respective parallelepiped (14). A motion-restraint arrangement (48) which is easy and inexpensive to produce and which has optimum restraint properties is obtained in that the spatially diagonal spring elements (20) are formed by spring wires (24), which extend in a zigzag shape in the longitudinal direction of the respective line of elements (10).

Abstract: A webbing connector comprises first and second inter-engageable components (44, 46) and connecting means (58) co-operable with the components (44, 46) to secure the components (44, 46) to one another. The connecting means may comprise a connecting pin.

Abstract: A wire fastening device and a wire extending structure capable of extending a wire with an appropriate tension between support. The wire fastening device includes a case, a cap bolt and a pulling cylinder. The case has a wire engaging portion at one end thereof and a female thread formed on an inner circumference thereof. The cap bolt is inserted into the pulling cylinder with the head abutted with the pulling cylinder and has a male thread formed on an outer circumference thereof. The pulling cylinder is held on the cap bolt rotatably and the case, with one end of the wire engaged therewith, is screwed on the pulling cylinder.

Abstract: A wire-fence gap-closer-gate fastener has a lever rod (1) that is pivotal vertically on a lever pivot (2) proximate a pivot end of the lever rod. The lever pivot is positioned proximate a lever end of a post-attachment member (3) that is attachable to a top portion of a fixed gate-latch post (4). Fence wiring (6) is extended from a loose gate-latch post (8) to a fixed gate-pivot post (7). For a gate-closed mode, the loose gate-latch post is attachable juxtaposed to the fixed gate-latch post by positioning a top portion of the loose gate-latch post in a top post loop (12) and a handle end (10) of the lever rod is lowered to a lever rest (13) that positions a gate-tightening anchor (9) on the lever rod lower than the lever pivot.

Abstract: A temperature and stretch compensating wire tensioning system. In parallel wire capacitive security systems, the maintenance of proper tension in the sensor wires in essential in order that false alarms be avoided as a result of movement of the sensor wires in the absence of an intruder. In the present invention, "V"-shaped plastic tensioners are used on several of the wire support posts in cooperation with wire guides on other posts to provide the requisite wire tension. The plastic tensioners are constructed from pairs of identical elongated arms each having an open loop at the proximal end thereof adapted to snap onto a support post for easy assembly of a security system in a manner which keeps them perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the post and directed tangentially away from the outer surface thereof.

Abstract: A clamping arrangement for clamping a corona discharge wire in electrophotographic copying apparatuses has a bush member with an inner surface provided with a plurality of teeth, a clamping member located inside the bush and having an outer surface provided with a plurality of teeth, so that one end portion of the corona discharge wire can be clamped between the teeth of the bush and the clamping member, a sliding member displaceable in a longitudinal direction of the corona discharge wire so as to support at least the clamping member therein, and a spring member engaging the sliding member and acting in a direction which is opposite to the pulling direction of the corona discharge wire.

Abstract: A tensioning and anchoring device for fence cables including spaced upstanding posts anchored in the ground and having cables arranged therebetween including a stress distributing assembly employing a plurality of coil tension springs, one mounted around the free ends of each of the cables. The springs are positioned in a bracket between a fixed side thereof and a movable bar to which the free ends of the cables are attached, which bar applies a resultant substantially equal force to all of the cables.

Abstract: A hand rail for use along hallways or stairways is disclosed which is particularly well suited for use in retirement homes, hospitals, etc. The hand rail comprises an elongated support means which is secured to the wall by a plurality of bolts extending therethrough and which has the rail element mounted thereon. The rail element comprises a flat vertically disposed outer member having an inwardly extending arcuate portion at its upper end. A support means is secured to the lower inside surface of the flat member and is adapted to be secured to the support means mounted on the wall. The two support means have mating beveled surfaces for properly positioning and supporting the rail element relative to the wall. The rail element is comprised of a particle board material having a high pressure plastic laminate secured thereto and extending around the exposed surfaces thereof.