Other

International Patent Development Group, LLC

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Brian A Brown

Gregory A M Brown

Lloyd Douglas Clark

Lawrence George Brown

Victor H Goulter

Herman H Lee

Gregory A Brown

Douglas E Brown

William T Davids

Winslow O Young

Jakob deVries

Chris Silveri

An illumination system for diascopic microscopy comprises a computer () with memory (), a graphics program (), a display driver (), and graphical display (). The display is positioned between a microscope's light source () and condenser (). When activated, the illumination system causes the display to display a predetermined pattern which the light source projects onto the condenser and is then focused by the condenser on a subject () to be examined. In conjunction with the microscope's light source, the illumination system emulates the illumination techniques of bright field, dark field, oblique, polarized, monochrome, modulation contrast and phase contrast illuminations.

Electronically variable illumination filter for microscopy

A permeable paving mat for installation onto a surface. The mat includes a top side, a bottom side, a notched side, and a continuous side, and is composed of shapes forming a structure. The top side includes a series of groves at the edges of the shapes with the corner of the shapes including an aperture to allow for the infiltration of water from the top side. The notched side secures to an adjacent notched side through interlocking with the continuous side including a plurality of through holes to receive a fiberglass rod. The continuous sides are secured to each other by using an extended rod. The bottom side of the shapes are frustum shaped to provide a raised surface.

Pervious paving mat with raised teeth

An aesthetically designed sink () comprises a plurality of orifices () that deliver different water flow profiles for washing, rinsing, and drinking. Hot and cold water supplies () supply water to the sink. A series of touch and sliding-touch controls (-) regulate the temperature and flow of water from the orifices. A logic circuit () controls all operations, i.e., orifice selection, flow rate, and temperature. In one aspect water flowing from an orifice forms a sheet-shaped stream that arcs over the bowl for ease of washing and drinking. The stream can be illuminated by bi-color light-emitting diodes () in colors indicative of the selected temperature of the water flowing through that orifice. Alternatively an orifice is replaced by a removable fixture () in a cavity () in the sink, which is connected to the water supply ().

Sink with colored lights for indicating water temperature

A skateboard wheel cover includes a circumferential lip, an inner surface connected to an inner portion of the circumferential lip, and an outer surface connected to an outer portion of the circumferential lip. The outer surface is a material with a durometer different than a durometer of the wheel. The cover further includes at least a first attachment device configured to selectively attach to a skateboard wheel.

Wheel cover

One embodiment of a nasal dilator comprises a pair of pads (), supported by arms () surrounding an air passage (). Each arm has a bend portion () and a pad () that grips a wearer's septum (). Leg portions (') extend down from the arms and are connected by a bight that surrounds the wearer's columella (). The dilator is installed by gripping an optional handle () or the bight and inserting the pads and the arms into both nostrils. The dilator is urged upward and inward until the inner side of the bight touches the wearer's columella. To remove the dilator, the user grips the handle or bight and gently pulls downward until the dilator is removed. In an alternative embodiment, optional cushions () soften the contact points between the dilator and the user's nasal structures and can supply medications through the user's nasal membranes.

Nasal dilator comprising joined legs with end pads and air passages

A rotary pad printing system comprises a compressible pad wheel (), one or more inkjet or other image applicator heads (), optional treatment stations (), a shaft encoder (), a control unit (), and an image source (). The image applicator heads apply an image to the wheel and the treatment stations can supply treatments such as heat, gas, light, overcoats, and undercoats. The image is then transferred to a receiving surface (). An optional cleaning station () cleans the rotary pad prior to application of the next or a continuous image. Each image can be different and can be applied to a moving surface. Since the rotary pad can continuously receive updated image information, the area printed can range from a single pixel to an image of indefinite length. In an alternative embodiment, a domed pad is used. In another alternative embodiment, a flexible belt () is used instead of a rotary wheel. In another alternative embodiment, a segmented pad () is used.

Continuously updatable rotary pad printing apparatus and method

A system () for fastening objects to a wall or ceiling () comprises a rear, wall-anchor section () with a bore, and a front, pivotable section (), rigidly abutted together with no gap, aligned by a projection (), and connected by a 'living' hinge, strap, flap, lanyard or other type of connector (). The pivotable section has a sharpened tip () for penetrating the wall while the fastener is forced into the wall by a hammer or other driving tool or device, or manually by hand. The two sections of the fastener have a tapered, elliptical cross-section () which both prevents rotation of the fastener and locally reduces load-responsive pressure in the wallboard. To install, the axes of the wall-anchor and pivotable sections of the fastener are first aligned. The fastener is forced into the wall one of the above means. Then a pin () is manually inserted into the bore of the wall-anchor section. When the pin meets the projection the pivotable section is forced to rotate about the hinge. A locking tooth () secures the pin by interfering with either threads or notches in the pin. Alternatively, the pin forces past the projection and wedges between the projection and the bore of the wall-anchor section.

System and methods for wall and ceiling fastening

Implementations described and claimed herein provide a method comprising generating a plurality of prompts, each of the plurality of prompts related to one of a plurality of elements, generating an indexed prompt file (IPF) comprising one or more of the plurality of prompts and index information about the one or more of the plurality of prompts, and generating an IPF map file relating one or more of the elements to one or more of the plurality of prompts using the index information. The method further comprises mapping a target phone number to the one or more of the plurality of elements, the target phone number being associated with a target on a target list, generating a call to the target phone number, and playing the one or more of the plurality of prompts based on the index information.

Customized message generation

A food mixer and attachment storage apparatus includes a food mixer with a housing defined by a perimeter wall. The perimeter wall includes a top wall, a bottom wall and peripheral wall attached to and extending between the top and bottom walls. A motor is mounted within the housing. A pair of attachment couplers is mounted in the bottom wall and mechanically coupled to the motor. A power cord is electrically coupled to the motor. Each of a pair of mixing attachments includes a male end extendable into and removably couplable to one of the attachment couplers. A compartment is positioned in the housing and extends into the perimeter wall. The compartment has a size configured to received the mixing attachments.

Food mixer and attachment storage apparatus

An apparatus for generating electricity from a flowing stream of water is disclosed. A rigid frame is fixed with a pair of wheels, or with two linkages in circuit around two pairs of wheels. A plurality of blades are fixed between the wheel or linkages at their side edges, a cross-sectional area of each blade being substantially comparable to the cross-sectional area of the stream of water. An orientating mechanism is adapted to maintain the orientation of each blade such that rotation of the wheels or linkages results in an opposite rotation of each blade to maintain the orientation of the blade. As such, each blade 'stabs' orthogonally into and out of the flow of water edge first, minimizing the displacement and disruption of the water upon entering. Each wheel or linkage, when mechanically coupled with a generator, results in the production of electricity.

Electrical generator for waterway

An infinitely variable transmission, in which the driver and driven members can exchange their roles&#x2014;with the driver becoming the driven, and vice versa. The initially chosen driver carries within it a number of movable parts, which the driving forces bring into contact with the driven member, in a manner designed to produce a momentary lock between the driver and driven members, at the point of the torque transfer between them. In one embodiment the driven member&#x2014;which can be a flat disc&#x2014;is clamped between two oppositely placed drivers. Infinite variability is achieved by controllably relocating the fixed diameter drivers to smaller or larger diameter points on the so clamped disc. The output can be harvested from the rotation of said driven disc directly. Or one or more driver members like these which are used to rotate said disc, can be brought into contact with different locations on said disc, and become driven by it. In such a case a number of different speeds, or torque levels, can be taken simultaneously as outputs from a single rpm/torque input. In embodiments with a single driver of convex shape input, the preferred driven member is a cone with a concave curvature, to allow for a larger contact zone than two opposing convex parts could provide. Either the flat clamped disc version, or the cone versions, can be stacked vertically or horizontally, with cones nested within each other, to multiply gear ratios and or torques as wished.

Locked contact infinitely variable transmission

In one aspect of a first embodiment, a rotary pad printing system comprises a controller (), an image source () that provides an image to the controller, a rotary pad () that is urged to rotate by a first motive source, a monochrome or color ink source or applicator such as an inkjet (), and an actuator (). The system has the ability to print onto a flat or uneven surface (). The controller actuates the ink source, causing it to deposit an ink image () onto a rotating pad wheel (). As the surface moves, the wheel is held in contact with the surface by an actuator () or arm (). As the wheel turns in contact with the surface, the ink image comes into contact with the surface and transfers to it, thereby printing the ink image onto a flat or uneven surface.

Surface tracking rotary pad printing apparatus and method

An anchoring fastener comprises a shaft () with straight and tapered portions, a tip () at the front, cam follower surfaces () at the rear, a body () with a bore, a head () with a hole, and fins (). There is a bendable region by the fins. The anchor is inserted into a wallboard () until the head contacts the wallboard. The fins slice into the wallboard, thereby preventing rotation during and after insertion. An activating member (), a screw or a pin, is inserted into the hole and urged against the cam follower surfaces, thereby forcing the shaft to rotate until it comes into contact with the inner surface () of the wallboard. An object-holding washer (), restrained by the activating member, is secured to the anchor which in turn is secured to the wallboard.

Wall and ceiling anchor with fins and hinge

A relay lens assembly () for use with a microscope (), telescope or binocular (), comprises a lens element () that is responsive to commands, conveyed from a control unit (), via a conduit () between the control unit and the lens element. A computing device () controls operation of the lens assembly and a digital camera () that has an image sensor (). The control unit causes the lens assembly to assume any of a plurality of predetermined focal lengths so that different depths of an object being imaged can be rendered in-focus on the sensor. A series of images can be taken at predetermined, computer-controlled focal depths. These images can be processed in order to create a photomontage that is in focus at a plurality of predetermined depths in a process commonly called focus-stacking. The addition of a plurality of data input and analysis units () and a combiner () makes rapid processing of individual images possible for photomontage at video rates.

Externally actuable photo-eyepiece relay lens system for focus and photomontage in a wide-field imaging system

A twist-lock anchoring fastener comprises a head (), a shaft (), and a lance (). The foot is adapted to penetrate through wallboard (). The shaft length is approximately equal to the thickness of the wallboard so that when the foot lies on the back side () of the wallboard and the shaft is rotated, the foot is captured behind the wallboard, completing installation of the fastener. An optional footer () for the head contains raised lines () or bumps () or both to aid in seating the fastener on the wall. An optional wall plate assembly () further strengthens the installation of the fastener by locally reducing pressure within the wallboard. In an alternative embodiment, the fastener comprises a wall anchor that accepts a pin (). In another alternative embodiment, the fastener is designed for installation in our prior-art wall anchor ().

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Brian A Brown