Other

Wet Enterprises, Inc.

John L Werner

Mark W Fuller

Alan S Robinson

The slats of a venetian blind panel are divided into upper and lower sections, the tilt of the panel slats being separately adjusted for each section, utilizing a three-position switch attached to a rotatable and horizontally movable control rod. Depending upon the position of the switch, the control rod adjusts the tilt of the slats in the upper section only, the lower section only, or both sections together. The mechanism includes at least two spline gears which can adjust the tilt of the slats of the upper and lower panel sections when the control rod is rotated. The control rod is horizontally movable and mounts inner spline gears and engaging outer spline gears. In one position, the inner spline gear engages a first outer spline gear, and upon rotation, will adjust the tilt of the upper blind section. In a second position the inner spline gear engages a second outer spline gear to adjust the tilt of the bottom blind section, and in a third position, the inner spline gear engages both outer spline gears to adjust the tilt of both upper and lower blinds simultaneously.

Venetian blind with a three-position tilt adjustment

A fire vortex display for providing an interesting fire display for decorative and attention getting purposes. The display utilizes a burner for burning a gaseous or liquid fuel, typically in a very fuel rich mixture. The burner is located at one end of a normally vertical transparent tube such as a Pyrex tube, with a blower blowing air into the tube adjacent to the burner in a substantially circumferential manner to provide a swirling action for the flame given off by the burner as the flame proceeds upward into the tube. A second transparent tube concentric with and somewhat larger than the first tube is provided over the first tube, with the region between the two tubes being ducted to form the inlet for the blower. This keeps the outer tube cool so that the fire vortex can be observed from a position close thereto and the outer tube even touched by an observer without danger thereto. Also disclosed are methods of controlling the fire vortex to control the direction and speed of spiraling thereof and the color of the flame.

Fire vortex display

Water ball game control valve

Water ball game base

The present invention comprises a base coupled to a water source, the base outputting a stream of water for supporting a toy ball in mid air. The base includes filtering device for substantially eliminating turbulence from the water stream so that it is substantially laminar. The flowing stream contacts a toy ball and lifts it into a position of equilibrium where the upward force of the stream balances the downward force of gravity acting on the ball so that the ball is suspended in mid air. The flowing water clings to the surface of the ball and generates a force tending to center the ball in this supporting stream. If the ball becomes off center, an unequal force on the side of the ball furthest from the center of the stream will force the ball back to the stream center.

Suspended ball water toy

A method for sealing and protecting a plastic lined pipe joint from corrosive fluid passing through the plastic lined pipe involving the placing of a plastic collar seal internally within the pipe joint at the time of assembly of the pipe joint. The plastic collar seal involves concentric O-rings at each end that annularly seal off the end of the pipe and pipe collar. An external ridge on the collar seal allows the collar seal to rest on the end of the pipe section during assembly and assists in assembling the joint. Such a collar seal has been found to be particulrly useful in oil and gas well applications for injecting corrosive fluids into the well.

Method of sealing and protecting a plastic lined pipe joint

Non-heeling sailboat

A portable uncoupling device comprising a raised resilient strap attached to a self locating base and used to uncouple miniature railroad cars where the two couplers connecting two railroad cars each have one lift pin located on opposite sides of the centerline running between the rails of a miniature railroad track. The raised resilient strap is secured at one end to the self locating base, the other end of the strap touching the base but being able to slide freely along it so as not to buckle as the raised straps is depressed. The base has crimped ends to secure it between two railroad ties and sufficient width to allow it to fit snugly between the rails. The resilient strap has a width slightly greater than half the width of the base and is positioned so that it lifts only one lift pin of two connected couplers and provides support below the center of mass of the railroad cars passing over it. The strap is curved on the end where it touches the base so that it can slide freely as it flexes up and down under the weight of the miniature railroad cars passing over it. Notches in the sides of the base permit the uncoupler to be installed in curved sections of track as well as straight ones.

Growing community of inventors

Seal Beach, CA, United States of America

John L Werner