The present invention provides a heat shield for an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. The shield comprises three metal layers shaped to conform generally to the shape of a high temperature portion of said exhaust system; said metal layers having substantially the same shape and extending in face-to-face adjacency with one layer positioned between the other two layers; all three metal layers being substantially identical.

An angiogenic material is prepared which promotes extensive vascularization when implanted in animal tissue. The angiogenic material is preferably used in microcapsule coatings and microspheres for implantation in animals. In microcapsules, the angiogenic material promotes better exchange of nutrients, waste products and cellular products between encapsulated cells and the circulatory system of the host animal. Preferably, the angiogenic material consists of a biocompatible polymer and a vascula...

A one-piece boat-like shell for footwear constructed from an injection-molded sole to which a last cemented upper is secured. The last cemented upper includes a vamp and heel counter each comprising a sheet of water impermeable vinyl secured about the periphery of a insole board and secured to the sole by a double bonding process.

A stringless sports racquet made from a used stringed racquet comprises a handle, a head frame, a flexible scoop provided on a back side of the head frame for catching, tossing, and scooping up a ball, and a flexible crosspiece provided across a back side of the flexible scoop. The flexible sheet defines at least a ramp portion along which a ball can be rolled.

A fiber optic scanning interferometer in a Michelson arrangement using a polarization splitting coupler is disclosed. The splitting of s and p polarization modes into the fast and slow axes of a birefringent fiber allows the temporal separation of interference phenomena from multiple reflections such that signal recovery is simplified.

Liquid soap dispensers including a vacuum relief valve which comprises an enclosed chamber having an air inlet open to the atmosphere and a liquid inlet in communication with liquid in the reservoir and in which the liquid inlet opens to the chamber at a height below a height at which the air inlet opens to the chamber. The vacuum relief valve permits relief of vacuum from the reservoir without moving parts or valves. A chamber about an opening of an inverted container with an impeller within th...

A method of and apparatus for dispensing paste from a collapsible container elongate about an axis from a first closed end to a second open end, the method comprising rotating one of the first end and second end relative to the other to twist the container about the axis, thereby collapsing the container, compressing paste contained therein and extruding the paste from the second open end.

A kingpin-free caster in which a plate is assembled onto a yoke with ball bearings therebetween and the plate is deformed in place upon the yoke to capture the ball bearings between the yoke and plate and couple the yoke and plate together against removal.

Liquid soap dispensers including a vacuum relief valve which comprises an enclosed chamber having an air inlet open to the atmosphere and a liquid inlet in communication with liquid in the reservoir and in which the liquid inlet opens to the chamber at a height below a height at which the air inlet opens to the chamber. The vacuum relief value permits relief of vacuum from the reservoir without moving parts or values.

An apparatus is disclosed for positioning, clamping and welding together proximal edge portions of two sheet blanks. The apparatus incorporates a high energy laser and sheet clamping mechanism used to clamp each sheet blank in place between an associated electromagnet and ferromagnetic clamping shoes. The shoes are positioned above a corresponding electromagnet and are vertically movable there towards on the activation of the electromagnet. In use, the sheets are held in place with the respectiv...