A quick connect coupling includes male and female elements of which one includes a closure valve that is spaced inwardly from an open end of the one element and that is opened by engagement of the other element after a portion of the other element passes through an annular opening in the one element. To prevent accidental opening of the valve, a ratio of a radial width of the annular opening and a depth of the annular opening between the valve and an entrance into the annular opening is less tha...

An apparatus for rotating structures such as large antennas which incorporates a motor for controlling rapid rotation of the structure through a ring gear and a screw jack which is selectively coupled to the ring gear for controlling a slower more exacting rotation of the structure about a common axis.

The present invention provides a rotary drum (22) cutting machine for cutting or shredding lamina material such as tobacco leaf, comprising a support frame (10), means for compressing and feeding material to be cut, as a plug, to a mouth (14) mounted on the support frame, a cutter carriage (20) movably mounted on a track (23) on the support frame, a cutter drum (22) mounted for rotation on said cutter carriage, and drive means (26,27,51,52,28) arranged to move the cutter carriage between an open...

A trailer hitch assembly which includes a hitch ball which is selectively positioned within a retention sleeve mounted below and through the cargo bed of a vehicle and which further includes a locking pin which secures the hitch ball either in a first upright position within the sleeve wherein the ball is elevated with respect to the cargo bed or in an inverted position wherein the base of the hitch ball is mounted flush with the cargo bed.

The depth of a hydraulic fracture zone is determined by sensing and recording seismic wave motion at a series of spaced depths in a portion of a bore hole subjected to fracturing pressure during a shut-in period after the application of pressure while the fracture zone is unstable, and analyzing such motion recordings by eliminating components not attributable to the fracturing and discrete components from seismic sources attributable to the fracturing to determine an average background level of...

Periodontal and dental scalers and curettes for removing tartar and other debris from the outer surface of teeth and especially root areas and which incorporate blades which are carried by a handle with the blades including a concavely curved cutting edge which extends in a plane transverse to the elongated axis of the handle and which cutting edge is configured so as to conform to an arcuate segment of the outer surface of the root or crown portion of a tooth taken generally normal to the elong...

A device for coupling elements which are connected in line and which elements are carried by opposing holding plates wherein one of the plates is urged toward the other and threadingly locked with respect thereto by a rotating shaft having a threaded end portion which is engagable with a threaded member associated with the other plate and wherein the advancement of the threaded shaft is resiliently retarded in order to permit a proper meshing of the threaded elements upon their initial engagemen...

A dump truck or trailer has a side hinged rear door and longitudinal rails for wheeled pallets in order that it may be used, alternatively, for hauling comminuted or palletized cargo. A winch and cable system is provided to assist in movement of the palletized cargo on the rails. A storage rack for pallets is provided.

A periodontal implement in form of a scaler or curette having at least one blade mounted to one end thereof in which the body of the implement includes at least one fluid passageway through which a source of medicinal fluid supply including germicidals, anesthetics, soothing agents hemostatics and the like are released to the area of the blade during patient treatment by controlled flow such as by metering or capillary action.

A gravity timer of the hour-glass type having a pair of chambers which communicate through an intermediate portion in which a restrictor valve is normally seated in order to regulate the rate of flow of a granular material therethrough and which valve may be selectively opened so that the granular material contained within one chamber may freely pass to the other chamber.