Other

Acorn Engineering Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3m Innovative Properties Company

Robert L Wheeler

F Andrew Ubel

Gregg A Patnode

Robert J Rothrum

Donald E Morris

Walter A Crowley

A rigid concavity is formed in the underside of a hull of a water craft. Air enters into the concavity when the water craft is moving forward. Supplemental air is introduced into the concavity by an air scoop mounted to the bow. A one-way valve in an air passageway between the air scoop and the concavity prevents air from flowing from the concavity to the air scoop. A first stern plate mounted at a slight downward angle causes air to flow under the stern in the form of small bubbles and increases the back pressure presented to the flow of water and air through the concavity. A pair of adjustably mounted stern plates may also be provided on opposite sides of the motor to control the amount of back pressure. The airflow through the rigid concavity reduces drag so that the water craft can travel at higher speeds.

Self-Generating Air Cushion Vessel

A drag-reducing air chamber is formed under a watercraft when the watercraft is underway. Air enters into the air chamber when the watercraft is moving forward. Supplemental air is introduced into the air chamber by an air scoop mounted to the bow in a first embodiment and in side-mounted air scoops in another embodiment. A one-way valve in an air passageway between the air scoop and the air chamber prevents air from flowing from the air chamber to the air scoop. A pair of elongate rails depends from opposite sides of the hull and defines the sides of the air chamber. Shorter rails may be used in high-speed applications where the bow of the watercraft is lifted from the water.

Self-generating air cushion vessel

An antifreeze heating system which prevents the freezing of water present in an instant water heater of the type having a primary heater which remains inactive under static flow conditions. A secondary heater is placed within an enclosed housing volume of the instant water heater, and electrically connected to a temperature-sensitive switch which activates the secondary heater when a monitored temperature, such as the ambient temperature, falls below a threshold value.

Antifreeze system for instant water heaters

Lavatory and toilet combination

The present invention provides a tube and cable restraint comprising: a strip of flexible material having a generally elongated rectangular loop-section adapted to form a loop about the tube with an attachment means near the first end of the loop-section adapted to secure (e.g., adhere) the strip to a surgical drape and a refastenable loop forming means adapted to secure (e.g., adhere) the second end of the loop-section to the first end thereby forming a loop around the tube or cable. In another embodiment, the restraint is adapted to secure a tubular drape around a projecting object such as a microscope eyepiece.

Method for making a refastenable tube and cable restraint

A toilet seat cover assembly for use as a combination toilet seat cover and auxiliary bathroom seat with self-positioning, retractable backrest. The assembly includes a cover which is hinged to either the toilet or a housing structure positioned on either side of the toilet. A backrest having a base portion and an adjoining upright portion is hinged to the cover at the base portion such that when the cover is raised from a closed position to an open position, the backrest pivots with the cover until it contacts a stopper. At such point, and as the cover is continuously raised, the stopper urges the backrest to hinge separately from the cover and to retract in a compact manner.

Toilet seat cover assembly

Toilet and sink combination unit

An aquatic exercise device for use by an exerciser standing in a natural or man-made body of water. The device includes containers that fill with water when immersed and which have drainage openings formed in them so that they drain when lifted out of the body of water. The exercise device may include a single container that is lifted from the body of water by a pulley and cable mechanism, or it may include a single container connected to a rigid bar, mid-length of the bar, or it may be provided in the form of a barbell or a dumbbell having water containers at opposite ends of a rigid bar. In all embodiments, the flow rate of water draining from the container or containers may be adjusted to a flow rate selected by the exerciser. In the barbell, dumbbell, and central container embodiments, the containers are rotatably and eccentrically mounted with respect to an elongate or short or medium length bar, respectively, so that they invert when initially immersed and return to their repose position when lifted from the body of water, aligning the drain holes of the containers in their respective proper positions so that the containers drain at the same rate when lifted out of the water. The size, number and location of the fill and drainage openings may be varied. In all embodiments, the rigid bar is hollow and buoyant.

Aquatic exercise weight

Refastenable tube and cable restraint for medical use

Surgical drapes for isolating the knee or other portion of a limb of a patient in surgery wherein the drape comprises a sheet having two fenestrations in elastomeric material to receive the limb of the patient. These fenestrations are located on the drape so that they normally lie in a generally common plane when the drape is placed on a flat surface. Due to the location of the fenestrations, the drape itself has a low profile with respect to the operative site and readily adapts to different limb positions that may be encountered during surgery. This advantage is particularly important in drapes comprising a fluid collection pouch.

Multi-position drape for surgery on a limb

A flexible sterilized bag which easily unfolds to receive an x-ray cassette and is easily closed using a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating strip located around the bag. The bag is advantageously used in a surgical or operating room environment. The bag is composed of a sterilized bag portion, a cuff formed at the open end of the bag and a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating along the circumference near the open end of the bag. As the cassette is pushed into the bag the adhesive coating strip becomes reoriented so that the adhesive coating on one side of the bag directly faces the remaining adhesive coating on the other side of the bag. The open end of the bag is then sealed by simply pressing the opposing sides of the bag together at the location of the adhesive coating.

Sterile holder for x-ray cassettes

A flexible transparent lens that may be darkened to substantially block passage of bright sunlight is releasably or fixedly secured to the underside of a bill of an article of headwear such as a cap. In a first embodiment, buckles are affixed to the upper opposite corners of the lens and complemental snaps are affixed to the opposite rear corners of the bill. The lens follows the contour of the trailing edge of the bill when the snaps and buckles are engaged to one another. The top edge of the lens is spaced forwardly of its bottom edge when the lens is in its bowed configuration so that the bottom edge is closely spaced to the face of the individual wearing the head gear to thereby minimize the amount of sunlight reflected into the individual's eyes from reflective clothing and other sources of reflected sunlight. In another embodiment, the lens is riveted or stapled into position. In all embodiments, the lens may be clear or darkened.

Head gear having protective lens

Apparatus that maintains a sailboat sail in a position where maximum power is derived from the wind. The apparatus includes a wind vane that responds to directional changes in the wind and sends an electrical signal to a motor that adjusts sail-positioning lines as needed. The new position of the sail is communicated to the wind vane and the motor is shut off.

Servomechanism for sailboats

A trolling depth adjusting device is disclosed which includes a vane having a forward corner with a first hole and the aftward corner having a second hole. The device further includes a principal line passing from the upward facing surface of the vane, slideably through the forward corner to the underside of the vane and then passing from the underside, slideably through the aftward corner and terminating in a lower end connected to a fishing hook. The device further includes a weight slideably mounting on the principal line and unique adjustable stop mounted on the principal line between the lower end thereof and the second hole in the vane. The weight forces the vane to slide downwardly on the principal line toward the stop when the tension between the trolling line and the hook is relatively low, causing the vane to be disposed at an acute attack angle with respect to the pulling force direction of the trolling line, enabling the vane to apply a downwardly directed reactive force on the trolling line as the vane is pulled through the water. The principal line forces the vane to slide upwardly when the tension between the trolling line and the hook is relatively high, causing the vane to become parallel with the pulling force direction of the trolling line, enabling the vane to apply a lower reactive force on the trolling line as the vane is pulled through the water. In this manner, the fish may be retrieved with less tension on the vane.

Growing community of inventors

Indian Rocks Beach, FL, United States of America

Robert L Wheeler