Technical Systems Corp.

Other

Cleveland State University

Jack A Soules

Bryan D Carpenter

A tissue dispenser comprises a base, at least one retaining strut connected to the base, and a dispensing pedestal. The tissue dispenser further comprises a box filled with tissue and an aperture in the bottom of the box, wherein the dispensing pedestal passes through the aperture in the bottom of the box holding the tissue at or near the top of the box.

System and method for dispensing products

A vehicle safety system method and apparatus comprises at least one cupboard formed in a ceiling of a vehicle, at least one net stored in the cupboard, at least one detection module configured to identify a state requiring deployment of the net; and at least one deployment module configured to deploy the at least one net when the state requiring deployment of the net is positive.

Safety net for vehicles

A method for determining a &ldquo;safe-operation&rdquo; point for a metal structural element subjected to repeated loading, the same or different, generating variable levels of strain and residual stress in the worked element; and, predicting the imminent failure of the structural element. The surface of the metal element is worked to provide a residual strain, for example, by shot-peening. Measurements of electrical conductivity are compared at various chosen frequencies corresponding to different depths in the &ldquo;near-surface&rdquo; of the element. Similar measurements are made in the near-surface of a &ldquo;standard&rdquo; and a first difference is computed between the conductivity of the shot-peened surface and the &ldquo;standard&rdquo; surface. This first difference provides a basis for comparison of the effects of residual stress after successive loadings of the shot-peened metal element. The effect of residual stress on the peened portion after it is subjected to a number of successive loadings is measured and compared to the reference. When the effect of residual stress is measured as conductivity or resistivity, it is found that there is a progressive increase in conductivity (and decrease in resistivity) as the metal element begins to succumb to fatigue. It is found that when the resistivity decreases to a value in the range from about 50% to 60% of the measured first difference in resistivities, the metal element has reached its 50% &ldquo;safe-operation&rdquo; point beyond which it rapidly,progresses to fatigue failure.

Test method for determining imminent failure in metals

An active cover plate is provided for a standard electrical device such as a switch or receptacle which has a body unit-molded from a synthetic resin. The active cover plate is so termed because an active load is embedded within it. The exterior of the body is provided with at least a pair of terminals for connection to a building's current supply. A pair of opposed spring-strips embedded in the plate are positioned so as to protrude rearward from the plate and contact terminals on the device. The spring-strips are connected to terminals of the active load. Contact of the spring-strips against the terminals is good enough to provide the active load with the current it needs. The active load may be an electroluminescent panel, one or more light emitting diodes, an array of organic light emitting diodes, or a radio transmitter, or receiver preferably coupled with an annunciator or other signalling means, or any other device which consumes less than about 25 watts, and the components of which can be sandwiched within the plate.

Active cover plate for an electrical outlet

An active cover plate is provided for a standard electrical device such as a switch or receptacle which has a body unit-molded from a synthetic resin. The active cover plate is so termed because an active load is embedded within it. The exterior of the body is provided with at least a pair of terminals for connection to a building's current supply. A pair of opposed spring-strips embedded in the plate are positioned so as to protrude rearward from the plate and contact terminals on the device. The spring-strips are connected to terminals of the active load. Contact of the spring-strips against the terminals is good enough to provide the active load with the current it needs. The active load may be an electroluminescent panel, or a radio transmitter, or receiver, or any other device which consumes less than about 25 watts, and the components of which can be sandwiched within the plate.

A device for measuring residual stress in ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic metal objects. The device having four electrically identical induction coils which form a four terminal alternating current bridge circuit. There is a fine wire shield formed of fingers for shielding the coils from stray capacitance. The bridge having four coil terminals. Two diagonally opposite coil terminals are connected to a variable frequency constant voltage generator. The other two diagonally opposite coil terminals are connected to a low noise broad band preamplifier. The preamplifier amplifies any unbalance in the bridge. There is a double pole double throw switch connected to two coil terminals which are diagonally opposite each other. Connected to the preamplifier is an amplifier. The amplifier is connected to a phase detector which is connected to a computer. The phase detector detects in phase and quadrature component signals. The computer has software for determining changes in differential resistivity as a function of frequency, and for converting resistivity differences into residual stress using an algorithm.

Residual stress measurements in metal objects using four coils

A novel test method enables physical properties in ferromagnetic metals to be more reliably measured with induced eddy current flow. An adverse Barkhausen effect is prevented during the test measurements to enable detection of extremely small conductivity changes in the particular ferromagnetic metal object being tested.

Magnetic field generation in ferromagnetic metal objects

A novel test method enabling residual stress in non-ferromagnetic metal objects to be reliably measured which requires particular circuit elements in the alternating current bridge circuit being employed for measurement to be environmentally controlled. In doing so, the selected circuit resistor elements are thermally isolated in a manner enabling lift-off impedance values to non-destructively measure near-surface residual stress in the metal object being tested.

Eddy current test method for residual stress in non-ferromagnetic metal

An apparently conventional document such as an identification (ID) card is constructed as a laminate within which is a code or other coding indicia such as a photograph, bar code or fingerprint. concealed from human view. The document is read by a conventional electro-optic reader means placed against a face of the card, if the reader uses a beam of light in the wavelength absorbed by the material with which the coded indicia is produced, but reflected by the background against which the coded indicia is 'seen' by the beam. The card is preferably a laminate of at least an upper lamina and a lower lamina, each made of a synthetic resin which has a substantially white imprintable surface conventionally printed with the identification of the owner of the card with a pigment-free, non-aqueous ink which is visible to the human eye but substantially transparent to wavelengths outside the visible range. Typically, both the upper and lower laminae, are opaque to visible light, but the face through which the coded indicia is to be read by the reader, is transparent to the reader's beam. The code is read because there is sufficient contrast between the transmitted and absorbed light in the wavelength used by the reader.

Coded identification card and other standardized documents

An apparently conventional playing card is invisibly coded so that it can only be read face down, by an electrooptic reading means. The card may be of non-laminated conventional card stock which has a substantially white surface conventionally printed with the identification of the suit and value of the card with inks chosen because they are visible but substantially transparent to wavelengths outside the visible range. The face of the card is coded with indicia inklessly marked across its surface with a compound which absorbs wavelengths (outside the visible range) which wavelengths are used by the reading means to read the indicia. The indicia, invisible to the human eye, correspond to a code which uniquely identifies the card. The card may be laminated from top and base sheets and the code concealed behind the front printed face of the top sheet. The upper surface of the top sheet is imprinted with the face value of the card with the inks described. The base sheet serves as a support layer, either for the indicia per se, or for an intermediate layer on which the indicia may be printed. The code is read because there is sufficient contrast between the transmitted and absorbed light in the wavelength used by the reading means. A coating or auxiliary layer may be provided to enhance the contrast.

Method of making coded playing cards having machine-readable coding

An apparently conventional playing card is invisibly coded so that it can only be read face down, by an electro-optic reading means. The card may be of non-laminated conventional card stock which has a substantially white surface conventionally printed with the identification of the suit and value of the card with inks chosen because they are visible but substantially transparent to wavelengths outside the visible range. The face of the card is coded with indicia inklessly marked across its surface with a compound which absorbs wavelengths (outside the visible range) which wavelengths are used by the reading means to read the indicia. The indicia, invisible to the human eye, correspond to a code which uniquely identifies the card. The card may be laminated from top and base sheets and the code concealed behind the front printed face of the top sheet. The upper surface of the top sheet is imprinted with the face value of the card with the inks described. The base sheet serves as a support layer, either for the indicia per se, or for an intermediate layer on which the indicia may be printed. The code is read because there is sufficient contrast between the transmitted and absorbed light in the wavelength used by the reading means. A coating or auxiliary layer may be provided to enhance the contrast.

Coded playing cards and other standardized documents

A simple, easily affordable and portable, yet rugged and reliable, collapsible anchor is disclosed for use with small water craft, particularly those susceptible to damage by sharp edges or protuberances of a conventional non-collapsible anchor stower aboard. When snagged, the anchor is self-tripped by a force exerted in a direction upstream from where the craft was anchored. The force trips a release mechanism which allows a pair of flukes to rotate in an 'A'-shaped spring yoke in which they are held, and unsnag the anchor. The flukes are nonrotatably disposed on a fluke shaft which is journalled in the lower terminal portions of the yoke's two spring arms. The upper terminal portions (apex) of the yoke are held together by a fulcrum pivot (shoulder bolt) means. The release mechanism comprises, a spreader bar having a clevis in its upper terminal portion and a release pin in its lower terminal portion, the release pin being biased against the spring arms; and, a line lever having a through-bore in its lower terminal portion and a cam end, the anchor line being attached to the other end. The line lever is pivotable about the fulcrum pivot member, and held in the clevis so that the spreader bar is rotatably disposed on the same fulcrum pivot.

Collapsible anchor having releasable flukes

A deck of cards is coded by marking each card on its face with a bar code which is essentially invisible to the human eye, but can be read by a detector matched to the source of wavelength of the light used to irradiate each card as it is passed over the surface of a portable housing which houses the detector and the associated reading means. Appropriate hardware is also housed in the housing to process the coded information read. The software provided stores a number of predetermined 'hands' which are to be dealt. It can also deal a random deal, more random than can be dealt by human shuffling of the deck. A method is provided to deal a preselected 'deal' to a chosen number of players, typically four, the apparatus indicating to the human dealer to which location each card is to be dealt.

Coded playing cards and apparatus for dealing a set of cards

A simple yet rugged and reliable collapsible anchor in an anchor assembly is disclosed for use with various small craft which are susceptible to damage by a conventional anchor stowed aboard or by the anchor being fouled when there is a swift current. The anchor is a stock anchor in which both the stock arms and the flukes are foldable alongside the anchor's hollow shank so as to be sheathed in a sheath from which the anchor is released when it is cast. A release mechanism is provided within the anchor's hollow shank which mechanism allows the anchor to be either self-tripped, or manually tripped, by exerting a pulling force of predetermined amount, which force required is adjustable; the mechanism obviates the use of shear pins. The anchor assembly is optionally protected by a cushioning means such as a resilient bumper or fender in which the sheathed anchor is removably inserted; or, a seat cushion in which the sheathed anchor is removably inserted, and thus may be stowed aboard the craft without occupying additional space.

Growing community of inventors

Shaker Heights, OH, United States of America

Jack A Soules