text: United States Patent: 5522374 ( 1 of 1 ) United States Patent 5,522,374 Clayton June 4, 1996 Multi-shot air operated, projectile launcher Abstract Air operated apparatus for successively launching a plurality of projectiles are disclosed. The apparatus employ novel constructions for multi-projectile magazines wherein projectiles may be launched from either the inner passageways of a plurality of barrels, or from the exteriors of the barrels. The magazines are designed for economical production as a molded unit. The apparatus are adapted so that an air pump may be cocked and the magazine advanced in a single operation through the use of a hand drawn slide mechanism. The invention further provides novel mechanisms for intermittent sealing of an air pump discharge port with successively selected projectile launching barrels on the magazine. Inventors: Clayton; Richard A. (Chatsworth, CA) [*] Notice: The portion of the term of this patent subsequent to February 16, 2010 has been disclaimed. Appl. No.: 08/015,137 Filed: February 9, 1993 Related U.S. Patent Documents Application NumberFiling DatePatent NumberIssue Date 793186Nov., 19915186156 Current U.S. Class: 124/59 ; 124/48; 124/66; 124/67 Current International Class: F41B 11/02 (20060101); F41B 11/18 (20060101); F41B 11/00 (20060101); F41B 011/14 (); F41B 011/34 () Field of Search: 124/45,48,56,59,63-67 References Cited [Referenced By] U.S. Patent Documents 399882 March 1889 Graydon 1259463 March 1918 De Fir 1478597 December 1923 Bebler 2237678 April 1941 Lohr et al. 3009453 November 1961 Ayala 3111121 November 1963 Baggott 3205883 September 1965 Metcalf 3540426 November 1970 Lohr et al. 3818887 June 1974 Akiyama et al. 3913553 October 1975 Braughler 4004565 January 1977 Fischer et al. 4004566 January 1977 Fischer 4289109 September 1981 D'Andrade 4411249 October 1983 Fogarty et al. 4422433 December 1983 Milliman 4732136 March 1988 Ferri 4841655 June 1989 Ferri 4843751 July 1989 Ferri 4848307 July 1989 Tsao 4986251 January 1991 Lilley 5186156 February 1993 Clayton 5224464 June 1993 Burnham et al. Other References Kenner Nerf.RTM. "Missilestorm" toy. . "Mode Patrol Secret Agent," distributed by Edison Toys USA Inc. . "Bravo 17," manufactured for K-Mart Corporation. . "Nerf.RTM. Bow `n` Arrow," distributed by Kenner Products Division. . Edison Toys USA Inc. Catalog. . Edison Toys USA Inc. Price List, Jan. 10, 1990. . Richard A. Clayton Deposition Transcript pp. 182-188, 202-204 and 214-215.. Primary Examiner: Nicholson; Eric K. Assistant Examiner: Ricci; John A. Attorney, Agent or Firm: Blakely, Sokoloff Taylor, Zafman Parent Case Text This application is a Continuation-in-Part of Ser. No. 793,186, filed Nov. 18, 1991, Pat. No. 5,186,156. Claims What is claimed is: 1. An air operated projectile launcher comprising: a frame: an air chamber: a plunger movably carried for travel from a cocked position to a discharged position for compression of air within said chamber: hand drawn slide means operably carried for moving said plunger from said discharged position to said cocked position, wherein said slide means is intermittently engageable with said plunger for drawing said plunger from said discharged position to said cocked position; outlet means cooperating with said chamber for discharge of air compressed by said plunger: a plurality of projectile launching barrels affixed to a supporting structure: said barrels being selectively alignable with said outlet means to receive air discharged from said chamber to expel a projectile carried by a selected barrel: advancement means for successive alignment of said barrels with said outlet means: wherein said air chamber is movable with respect to said frame for intermittent sealine engagement of said outlet means with a selected barrel of said magazine: means for propelling said plunger from said cocked position to said discharged position to discharge air under pressure from said chamber: said plunger cooperating with said advancement means such that operative travel of said plunger actuates said advancement means. 2. An air operated projectile launcher comprising: a frame: an air chamber: a plunger movably carried for travel from a cocked position to a discharged position for compression of air within said chamber: latch means for retaining said plunger in said cocked position; trigger means for releasing said plunger from said latch; hand drawn slide means operably carried for moving said plunger from said discharged position to said cocked position: outlet means cooperating with said chamber for discharge of air compressed by said plunger: a plurality of projectile launching barrels affixed to a supporting structure: said barrels being selectively alignable with said outlet means to receive air discharged from said chamber to expel a projectile carried by a selected barrel: advancement means for successive alignment of said barrels with said outlet means: wherein said air chamber is movable with respect to said frame for intermittent sealing engagement of said outlet means with a selected barrel of said magazine: means for propelling said plunger from said cocked position to said discharged position to discharge air under pressure from said chamber: said plunger cooperating with said advancement means such that operative travel of said plunger actuates said advancement means. 3. An air operated projectile launcher comprising: a frame; an air chamber; a plunger movably carried for travel from a cocked position to a discharged position for compression of air within said chamber; hand drawn slide means operably carried for moving said plunger from said discharged position to said cocked position; outlet means cooperating with said chamber for discharge of air compressed by said plunger; a plurality of projectile launching barrels affixed to a supporting structure; said barrels being selectively alignable with said outlet means to receive air discharged from said chamber to expel a projectile carried by a selected barrel; advancement means for successive alignment of said barrels with said outlet means; means for propelling said plunger from said cocked position to said discharged position to discharge air under pressure from said chamber; said plunger cooperating with said advancement means such that operative travel of said plunger actuates said advancement means; said plunger comprising a protruding appendage for engagement with and actuation of said advancement means; said appendage comprising a first member joined to said plunger rearwardly of said air chamber with said plunger in said discharged position; said appendage further comprising a second member extending from said first member forwardly toward said magazine; said first member serving to space said second member from said air chamber to allow travel of said second member generally parallel to a side of said chamber; said second member serving as a drive link for imparting motion to said advancement means. Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to air operated guns and projectile launchers, and more particularly to air operated devices capable of launching a plurality of projectiles without reloading. 2. Brief Description of the Prior Art Single shot toy airguns have been in common use for many years in which a spring operated piston forces air from a chamber and through a barrel to eject a projectile from the barrel ( for example, Cagan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,285). Other toy airguns have been developed for launching multiple projectiles between loadings, such as Ferri (U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,655) and Tsao (U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,307). Difficulties and disadvantages are encountered with the aforementioned designs stemming from the methods of engagement of the airpump with the launching barrels for transfer of compressed air to the projectiles, and with constructions used for projectile magazines. Tsao U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,307 provides a single airpump for propelling projectiles from a plurality of barrels in a rotating magazine, but provides no air seal between the airpump outlet 401 and barrels 21, and requires a special projectile having an internal air chamber 84 and funnel shaped tail 82 to catch an airstream from the airpump. This allows for significant amounts of air and hence propelling force to be lost in the gap between the airpump outlet 401 and the projectile 8. Ferri U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,655 provides a constant spring bias 14 within a two piece projectile magazine 12A, 12C of expandable length whereby the magazine is always in tight engagement between the gun frame on its forward end and the airpump outlet 18A on its rearward end. This arrangement provides a seal between the magazine chambers 16 and the airpump outlet 18A but yields the undesirable side effect of high friction between the magazine and frame during advancement of the magazine, thus requiring sturdier construction and greater force for operation of the gun. The two effects oppose one another, whereby adjustment of the magazine bias to give a strong air seal generates a gun which is more difficult to operate while adjustment for ease of operation yields a gun with a poor airseal. Projectile magazines for multi-shot air guns have in the past been typically formed as cylinders having a plurality of passageways in a symmetrical parallel spaced relationship about the cylinder's central axis as do both Ferri and Tsao. Such an arrangement can lead to much material being wasted in the structure of the cylinder and to warpage problems in molded parts if the spacing between passageways becomes relatively large, as will be the case for use with certain types of projectiles. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the above problems and difficulties are obviated by the present invention which provides novel means for sealing the air passage between an airpump and a magazine chamber or barrel whereby greater sealing force is applied between the airpump and the magazine during discharge of the airpump than during advancement of the magazine. The present invention provides an airpump outlet or nozzle which is movable on the launch apparatus between a forward "firing" position and a rearward "cocking" position so that the airpump outlet may be engaged and sealed with a barrel of the projectile magazine during the time that air is discharged from the airpump, but may be drawn rearward away from the magazine during the time of magazine advancement to reduce friction or completely break engagement between the air outlet and the magazine. The present invention further provides means for normally biasing and clamping the magazine into a rearward position for closer engagement with the air outlet during discharge of air through the outlet and barrel, and means for overriding or disabling said biasing and clamping means during magazine advancement. The present invention further provides novel magazine construction wherein individual tubular barrels are joined together by a support structure to eliminate wasted material between barrels, to allow greater design flexibility in spacing of the barrels, and to provide a simple and economical means of producing a multi-projectile magazine. The magazine may be formed in a wide variety of configurations--e.g., revolver, clip and ammo belt styles--and may be formed as a single piece by processes such as plastic injection and blow molding. The present invention also provides novel designs for air operated guns and other air operated projectile launchers, and novel cocking and magazine advancing mechanisms for multi-shot air operated projectile launchers. Therefore, it is among the primary objectives of the present invention to provide novel means for intermittently sealing the airpump of an air operated projectile launcher to a plurality of projectile launching tubes, chambers or barrels in a magazine. It is further among the objectives of the present invention to provide a novel magazine construction for carrying a plurality of projectiles to be successively discharged from a projectile launcher. It is another objective of the present invention to provide novel means for cocking and magazine advancement in multi-shot air operated projectile launchers. It is a further objective of the present invention to provide several novel designs for air operated projectile launchers employing in various combinations the elements and features described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood with reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a novel mechanical gun incorporating elements of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an end elevational view, partly in section, of the frame and magazine advancement and engagement mechanisms of the mechanical gun of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a linearly configured clip style projectile magazine incorporating elements of the present invention; FIG. 4 is an end view of the magazine of FIG. 3 taken in the direction of arrows 4--4; FIG. 5 is a side view, partly in section, of a projectile barrel configuration which may be employed in embodiments of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a side elevational view, partly in section of variation on the magazine of FIG. 3; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cylindrically configured rotary style projectile magazine incorporating elements of the present invention; FIG. 8 is an end view of the magazine of FIG. 7 taken in the direction of arrows 8--8; FIG. 9 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a linearly configured belt style projectile magazine incorporating elements of the present invention; FIG. 10 is an end view of the magazine of FIG. 9 taken in the direction of arrows 10--10; FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of a novel mechanical gun employing elements of the present invention to incorporate a slide cocking and magazine advancing mechanism into the gun's trigger; FIG. 12 is a fragmentary elevational view of the frame and slide element of the frame and slide element of the gun of FIG. 11, taken in the direction of arrows 12--12; FIG. 13 is a fragmentary side view, partly in section, of a novel projectile launching apparatus employing elements of the present invention; FIG. 14 is a fragmentary end view of the magazine and magazine advancing pawl of FIG. 13, taken in the direction of arrows 14--14; FIG. 15 is a fragmentary view of the apparatus of FIG. 13, taken in the direction of arrows 15--15; FIG. 16 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a novel bow and arrow type apparatus employing elements of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown by way of illustration, but not of limitation, a mechanical pistol 10 designed and constructed in accordance with this invention. The pistol includes a frame 11, having a handle 12, trigger guard 13, a shaft 14 for pivotally mounting a trigger 15, a shaft 16 for pivotally mounting a magazine advancement arm 17, and guides 18 for carrying a slide assembly 19 for forward and rearward travel between a forward position and a rearward position. (The term "assembly" is used in this case to describe a device comprising a plurality of functional members, but it is to be understood that the device may actually be assembled from a plurality of parts or it may be molded or otherwise formed as a single piece. ) Carried within the frame 11 are a cylinder 20, and a plunger 22. The plunger comprises a piston 23, and a hollow shaft 24 having a protruding shoulder 25. Both the cylinder 20 and plunger 22 are movably carried for forward and reverse travel longitudinally within the frame 11. Interior members 21 of the frame 11 provide support for the cylinder 20. A spring 26 is carried within the plunger 22 such that one end of the spring rests at the forward end of the hollow shaft 24 and the other end of the spring 26 rests against an arm 27 of trigger 15 which protrudes into the interior of the hollow shaft 24 through a pair of slots 28, 29. In its uncocked state, as depicted in FIG. 1, the plunger 22 is in its most forward position so that the arm 27 is near the rearward end of the hollow shaft 24. A projectile magazine 32 is rotatably carried by a shaft 30 on the frame 11 which supports a tubular bearing 59 on the magazine 32. In this embodiment of the invention, the magazine is able to slide forward and rearward on shaft 30, and is normally urged rearward by the bias of a spring 63. A washer 61 prevents the bearing 59 from dragging against the spring 63. The magazine 32 comprises a baseplate 33 to which a plurality of elongated barrels 34 are attached. A similar magazine is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 7 and 8. This and other magazine embodiments will be described in depth later in this specification. With reference to FIGS. 1, 7 and 8, each barrel 34 has a central passageway 35, open at both ends. The rearward opening 36 is of smaller diameter than the passageway 35 to provide a stop for a projectile to be inserted from the forward end, and for ease of alignment with a gasket 31 at the outlet 37 of cylinder 20 (refer also to FIG. 2). Each barrel is able to carry a projectile so as to form a generally airtight seal, as will be described in greater detail later in this specification. In FIG. 1 the slide assembly 19 is shown in its forward, or rest, position, being biased to this position by the force of a spring 41 which is engaged between a shaft 42 on frame 11 and a shaft 43 at the rearward end of slide assembly 19. A shaft 40 at the forward end of slide assembly 19 protrudes to the interior of frame 11 through a pair of slots 41 to engage a lever 44 which is pivotally carried by a shaft 45 on the frame 11. The opposite end of the lever 44 is pivotally attached by a shaft 46 to a clamping arm 47. A protrusion 48 on the forward end of the clamping arm 47 engages baseplate 33 of the magazine 32 to draw the baseplate 33 rearward for sealing engagement with gasket 31 of the cylinder 20. It is noted that sealing force is derived from the bias of spring 41, which, in this embodiment of the invention, actuates the magazine clamping mechanism as previously described, and additionally forces a shoulder 60 on slide assembly 19 into engagement with cylinder 20 to drive the cylinder forward. The pistol 10 is cocked and the magazine 32 is advanced as follows: An operator grips the handle 12 with one hand and draws the slide assembly 19 rearward with his/her other hand. A shoulder 38 on the interior surface of the slide 19 engages the shoulder 25 of the plunger 22 causing the plunger to travel rearward within frame 11, thereby compressing spring 26 against arm 27 of trigger 15. As the plunger 22 moves rearward, friction between the piston 23 and the interior surface of cylinder 20 drags cylinder 20 rearward such that the forward end of cylinder 20 is urged away from baseplate 33 of the magazine 32. A protruding member 39 on the frame 11 limits rearward movement of the cylinder 20 to a minimum whereby friction between the baseplate 33 and the gasket 31 is acceptably reduced without allowing lost motion to excessively shorten the effective stroke of the piston 23 within the cylinder. To further reduce friction between magazine 32 and cylinder gasket 31, as the slide assembly 19 moves rearward, shaft 40 is disengaged from lever 44, thereby removing clamping force from arm 47 and relaxing the hold of protrusion 48 on baseplate 33. Additionally, the shaft 40 on slide assembly 19 then engages the upper member 51 of the magazine advancement arm 17. As the slide 19 is drawn further rearward the shaft 40 pivots the arm 17 about shaft 16. A pawl 52, pivotally mounted by shaft 53a to the lower member 53 of arm 17, is raised upward whereby the tip 54 of pawl 52 engages a slot 57 in baseplate 33 to force the slot 57 upward, thereby rotating magazine 32 for successive alignment of barrels 34 with the air cylinder outlet 37. The pawl as shown in FIG. 1 normally rests against a point 58 on the frame 11 to prevent it from interfering with manual rotation of the magazine for loading. When the pawl 52 is raised upwardly by arm 17, a spring 49 exerts force on a member 50 of the pawl 52 to pivot the pawl 52 forwardly for engagement with baseplate 33. As the arm 17 pivots further, reactive force of the upper edge of slot 57 against tip 54 further urges the pawl 52 to pivot forwardly, thereby reinforcing engagement of the pawl 52 to the baseplate 33 and driving the magazine 32 forwardly on shaft 30, against force of spring 63, to further ensure acceptable disengagement between baseplate 33 and cylinder gasket 31. The forward movement of magazine 33 also prevents drag between the magazine and the forward bulkhead 64 of frame 11. As the slide 19 reaches its most rearward position, the plunger 22 also reaches its most rearward position whereby a hook 55 on the trigger 15 becomes aligned with a hole 56 in the hollow shaft 24. Compression of the spring 26 against arm 27 pivots trigger 15 about shaft 14 such that the hook 55 engages the rim of the hole 56 to prevent the plunger 22 from moving in the forward direction when the slide 19 is returned forward. Spring 41, having been stretched by the rearward travel of the slide 19, serves to return the slide 19 forward upon release by the operator. As the slide 19 approaches its forwardmost position, spring 49 pulls pawl 52 downward and out of magazine engagement, spring 63 again urges magazine 32 rearwardly, shaft 40 again actuates the clamping mechanism of lever 44 and arm 47, and shoulder 60 on the slide again urges the cylinder 20 forward to form a generally airtight seal between the cylinder gasket 31 and magazine baseplate 33, and to form a continuous air channel comprising air cylinder outlet 37 and passageway 35 of the barrel 34 currently in firing alignment with gasket 31. Once cocked, the pistol 10 may be fired by pivoting the trigger 15 about shaft 14 to disengage hook 55 from hole 56 thus allowing the compressed spring 26 to expand, thrusting plunger 22 forward to force air out of cylinder 20 and through passageway 35 to discharge a projectile, such as 70, 71 or 72 in FIG. 3, from the barrel 34. Friction between plunger head 23 and the interior surface of cylinder 20 urges cylinder 20 forward, thus reinforcing the seal between cylinder 20 and barrel 34. After firing, the pistol 10 may once again be cocked and the magazine advanced as previously described. A false barrel 62 is carried at the forward end of the frame 11 for cosmetic purposes. The inside diameter of the false barrel 62 is intended to be larger than the diameter of the projectiles used with the gun such that no contact is made between the projectile and the false barrel 62 at any time before, during or after projectile launch. Notches 65 are provided in the support 66 between the false barrel 62 and the frame 11 to allow clearance during magazine advancement for projectiles, similar to 71 of FIG. 3, which have enlarged suction cup type heads. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, an embodiment of the projectile magazine of the present invention is shown. The magazine 69 comprises a plurality of individual tubular barrels 73 supported and joined together in a linear, side by side, parallel spaced configuration by an elongated baseplate 74. The baseplate 74 attaches to each barrel 73 generally orthogonally to the central longitudinal axis of the barrel. The use of individual tubes for the barrels 73, allows the barrels to be widely spaced with a minimum of material being required, since the areas between adjacent barrels 73 are for the most part devoid of material. Additionally, the use of individual tubes allows the magazine 69 to be used with hollow projectiles such as 72 which may be carried on the exterior surface 75 of a barrel 73. The magazine 69 is preferably formed, by a plastic molding or other suitable process, as a single piece comprising a plurality of barrels 73 and the supporting baseplate 74. The magazine as shown may be formed using a two piece mold which separates in the forward and rearward directions (left and right, respectively, in FIG. 3). A primary advantage of the single piece molded construction is the reduction of assembly requirements for the magazine 69. The magazine 69 of FIGS. 3 and 4 is depicted in fragmentary form with three barrels 73 arranged in a linear parallel spaced configuration, stacked one on top of another, but it is understood that other than practical considerations such as size and structural integrity, there are no limits to the number of barrels 73 which may be so joined together. A variety of projectile types, such as 70, 71 and 72, may be carried and launched by magazine 69. A common requirement for good launching distance is that the projectile be capable of blocking airflow through the barrel is central passageway 76 sufficiently for pressurized air delivered into the passageway 76 through a rearward opening 77 to eject the projectile from the barrel 73. This requirement is referred to herein as a "generally airtight seal". Projectile 70 achieves the aforementioned generally airtight seal with a circular piston 78 at its rearward end which is generally complementary to the cross-sectional shape and dimensions of the barrel's internal passageway 76. Projectile 71 is bullet shaped, having cross-sectional dimensions similarly matched to the internal passageway. Projectile 72 has a hollow interior 79 with the surrounding walls 80 being sized to slide snugly over the exterior surface 75 of a barrel 73. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the inside diameter of each barrel 73 is reduced from front to rear in a tapered manner, and the outside diameter of each barrel 73 is reduced from rear to front in a tapered manner. This allows the greatest seal between a barrel 73 and an internally carried projectile 70, 71 or an externally carried projectile 72 to be achieved when the projectile is positioned rearwardly in or on the barrel 73. As the projectile is moved forwardly, the contact friction between barrel 73 and the projectile is reduced to allow compressed air delivered through opening 77 to freely accelerate and discharge the projectile from the barrel. It is understood that while the barrels 73 of FIG. 3 are shown to be tapered, a similar reduction of exterior and interior diameters may be achieved in a stepwise manner, or the barrels may be formed with uniform diameters over their length. The magazine 69 is provided with recesses 81, 82 in baseplate 74, the edges of which function as ratchet surfaces for engagement with magazine advancing means on a cooperating projectile launching apparatus. An example of such an apparatus is shown in FIG. 13. The features and operation of this apparatus will be further described later herein. Note that the recesses 81, 82 are configured to be symmetrical about the central longitudinal axis of baseplate 74 so that either end of such a magazine may be initially inserted into a firing apparatus. The barrels 73 in FIG. 3 are shown with a rear opening 77 that is of smaller diameter than the passageway 76, so that a projectile 70, 71 inserted from the forward end of the barrel is prevented from protruding or exiting through the opening 77. In some embodiments of the invention, it will be desirable to load projectiles into a barrel from the rearward end. A barrel 83 adapted for rear loading is shown in FIG. 5. The barrel 83 comprises a rear opening 84 having generally the same diameter as the barrel's inner passageway 85, so that a projectile 86 having a similar cross-sectional diameter may be inserted through the opening 84. Another barrel configuration is shown in FIG. 6 in which the barrels 87 comprise a central passageway 88 which is sealed longitudinally at the forward end 89, with outlets 90 arranged for radial or side discharge. This configuration is designed for use only with externally carried projectiles, such as a hollow, rocket shaped projectile 91. The sealed end 89 of the longitudinal path through the passageway 88 adds a measure of safety against foreign objects being inserted or discharged. As in the previously described magazines, the barrels 87 are supported and joined together by a baseplate 92. FIGS. 7 and 8 depict an embodiment 32 of the projectile magazine of the present invention in which the barrels 34 are supported and joined together by a baseplate 33 in a cylindrical parallel spaced relationship. The magazine is similar to that employed by the gun 10 of FIG. 1. As with the previously described linearly arranged magazine 69, the cylindrical magazine 32 is preferably molded or otherwise formed as a single piece comprising a plurality of barrels 34 and the baseplate 33. As with the linear magazine 69, the cylindrical magazine 32 may be formed using a two piece mold which separates in the forward and rearward directions. The passageways 35 within the barrels 34 open to the rear through openings 36 in the baseplate 33. The baseplate 33 is provided with indexing slots 93 for engagement with a magazine rotating advancement mechanism, such as the magazine advancing pawl 52 of FIG. 1. In FIG. 8, the tip of such a pawl is represented by numbers 94a and 94b. In the position of 94a, the pawl laterally engages a slot 93. As the pawl is moved upward toward the position of 94b, magazine 32 is forced to rotate to maintain engagement of the pawl and slot 93. When the pawl reaches the position of 94b, the pawl longitudinally engages the sides 95 of the slot 93. Assuming the pawl is constrained from sideways movement, the aforementioned longitudinal engagement will serve to index the magazine to facilitate alignment of an opening 36 with the air cylinder outlet of a cooperating launching apparatus, such as the gun 10 of FIG. 1. FIGS. 9 and 10 depict another embodiment 96 of the projectile magazine of the present invention in which a plurality of barrels 97 are joined in a linear parallel configuration by support members 98 which attach to the barrels 97 and provide structural support generally parallel to the central longitudinal axes of the barrels 97. Such a configuration may be employed to simulate a belt type machine gun magazine. Preferably the magazine is molded or otherwise formed as a single piece from flexible plastic whereby the magazine is resiliently bendable between adjacent barrels 97, while the support members 98 maintain parallel alignment between adjacent barrels 97. As with the previously described magazine embodiments, each barrel 97 comprises a central passageway for carrying a projectile, such as 70 or 71 of FIG. 3, and a rearward opening 103 for receiving compressed air from the outlet of a cooperating air cylinder. Each barrel 97 is provided with protruding tabs 101 which may be engaged by magazine advancing and indexing means of a cooperating projectile launching apparatus. Additionally, the sides 102 of the barrels may be engaged by magazine advancing and indexing means, such as a sprocket or pawl. FIG. 11 shows an embodiment 110 of the present invention, which is a variation on the pistol 10 of FIG. 1. In the gun 110, the previously described slide mounted cocking and magazine advancement features are incorporated into a slide assembly 119 which simulates the trigger of a conventional gun. The gun 110 comprises a frame 111, having a handle 112, trigger guard 113, a shaft 116 for pivotally mounting a magazine advancement lever 117, and guides 118a, b, c, d for slidingly supporting a slide assembly 119, at surfaces 119a, b, c, d, for reciprocating travel between a forward rest position and a rearward cocked, or firing, position. Carried within the frame 111 are an air cylinder 120 and a plunger assembly 122 similar to corresponding elements previously described for FIG. 1. The cylinder 120 is supported by guides 121 for sliding movement between a forward position and a rearward position, with its travel limited by a shoulder 139 of frame 111. The plunger 122 is likewise supported for forward and rearward movement: at its rearward end by a shaft 128 which protrudes from the frame 111 through slots 129 in the hollow plunger shaft 124, and at its forward end by piston 123 which slides against the interior surface of cylinder 120. A spring 126 is carried within hollow shaft 124, with its forward end in contact with the forward end of hollow shaft 124 and its rearward end contacting shaft 128 which is fixed to the frame. The plunger 122 also comprises a protruding sear 125 for engagement with the hooked end 138 of a pawl 155 pivotally carried by slide assembly 119 about a shaft 114. A cylindrically configured projectile magazine 132, similar to that of FIGS. 7 and 8, is rotatably carried on frame 111 by a shaft 130 which supports a tubular bearing 159 of magazine 132. Note that in this embodiment, the forward movement of the magazine 132 is restricted by a portion 161 of shaft 130 having an enlarged diameter, and by a shoulder 148 protruding from the frame 111. The slidable, spring biased magazine configuration of FIG. 1 (ref spring 63) could also be implemented in this embodiment, but it has been omitted from this design for simplicity and reduction of parts. Note also that the clamping mechanism of FIG. 1 (ref lever 44 and arm 47) is not implemented in the embodiment of 110. The slide assembly in embodiment 110 is in its most rearward position when plunger 122 is released for a firing stroke, as will be explained in further detail, and thus is not available to actuate such a clamping device. Therefore, in the gun 110 of FIG. 11, intermittent engagement and disengagement of the air cylinder gasket 131 to the magazine baseplate 133 is facilitated by forward and rearward movement of cylinder 120 in response to forward and rearward movement of piston 123 within the cylinder 120. The gun 110 of FIG. 11 is cocked and fired as follows: an operator inserts an index finger through an opening 136, in the frame 111 above the trigger guard 113, to grasp a member 115 of slide assembly 119 which simulates a conventional finger operated trigger. The operator's thumb is wrapped around the handle 112, and the remaining fingers of the hand are used to grasp the lower portion 142 of slide 119, which extends out from the frame 111 below trigger guard 113. The lower portion 142 of the slide may be omitted without deviating from the spirit of the present invention, however its inclusion provides for easier cocking and firing of the gun, particularly by a child who may have difficulty compressing spring 126 with the strength of a single finger. The operator, with hand positioned as described, now pulls the slide assembly 119 rearward on the frame 111. As the slide 119 moves rearward, hook 138 of pawl 155 engages sear 125 to draw plunger assembly 122 rearward, which in turn causes piston 123 to draw cylinder 120 rearward until the cylinder contacts shoulder 139, and causes spring 126 to be compressed between the forward end of hollow shaft 124 and shaft 128 of the frame. The slide 119 also compresses a slide return spring 141 against frame 111. The slide further comprises a shaft 140 which engages and pivots magazine advancement lever 117. The tip 154 of pawl 152 engages slot 157 in the magazine baseplate 133 to rotate magazine 132 in the manner previously described for the devices of FIGS. 1, 7 and 8. As slide assembly 119 reaches its cocked, or firing position, a release lever 127 on pawl 155 engages a member 156 of the frame 111 to pivot pawl 155 about shaft 114 and withdraw hook 138 from engagement with sear 125. Note that the forward surface of the frame release member 156 is sloped such that it will engage the uppermost corner of pawl release lever 127, to provide maximum releasing leverage to the pawl 155. With pawl 155 withdrawn, the spring 126, compressed within plunger assembly 122, abruptly urges the plunger 122 forward. Friction between piston 123 and cylinder 120 forces the cylinder forward to seal gasket 131 to the magazine baseplate 133. All further forward motion of the plunger 122 drives piston 123 forward within cylinder 120 to force pressurized air from the cylinder outlet end 137 and into the inner passageway 135 of the barrel 134 currently in firing alignment with the cylinder 120, thereby ejecting the projectile 171 from the barrel. The projectile exits the gun 110 through a false barrel 162 similar to that of FIG. 1. After the projectile 171 is discharged, the operator releases the trigger 115, 142, allowing spring 141 to return the slide assembly 119 to its forward rest position. The sloping forward surface of hook 138 slides over the sloping rearward surface of sear 125, forcing pawl 155 to pivot downward. Once hook 138 is past the sear 125, a spring 143 carried on the slide assembly 119 urges pawl 155 upward to place hook 138 in its rest position in front of sear 125. Referring to FIGS. 13, 14 and 15, a variation on the previously described embodiments is shown in which the slide mounted cocking and magazine advancing features are incorporated into a plunger assembly. In this embodiment, a projectile launching apparatus 210 comprises a frame 211 upon which are carried an air cylinder 212, a plunger-like slide assembly 213, a projectile magazine 214, and a magazine advancement lever 215. The cylinder 212 is loosely carried on the frame 211, and may be moved forwardly and rearwardly along guides 224, 225 and 226, with rearward travel being limited by rear protrusions on guides 224 and 226, and forward travel being limited by the baseplate 227 of magazine 214. The slide assembly 213 comprises a hollow shaft 216, a piston 217 at the forward end of shaft 216, a flange 218 at the rearward end of shaft 216, and forwardly extended arm 219 having a protruding shaft 220 on its forward end. A spring 221 is carried within the hollow shaft 216 with its forward end resting against the inside of the forward end of shaft 216 and its rearward end resting against a shaft 222 which protrudes from the frame 211 into the hollow shaft 216 through slots 223. An operator of the invention may cock the apparatus 210 by using a hand or other suitable means to keep the frame stationary with respect to the slide assembly 213 while using another hand or other suitable means to grasp or engage the flange 218 to draw the slide assembly 213 rearward. As the slide assembly 213 moves rearwardly the piston 217 drags the cylinder 212 rearward into the protrusions of guides 224 and 226. As the slide 213 moves further rearward, shaft 220 on arm 219 engages lever 215 to pivot the lever about its mounting shaft 228. Lever 215 raises a pawl 229, pivotally carried on lever 215 by a shaft 230, so that the pawl 229 engages a recess 231 on the magazine baseplate 227 and drives the magazine 214 through a calibrated range of motion to move one barrel 231 out of alignment with the outlet or nozzle end 232 of the cylinder 212 and to move an adjacent barrel 231 into alignment. The magazine is carried by guides 233 on the frame 211 and a movable guide 234. The movable guide 234 is carried by a shaft 235 which extends inside frame 211. A spring 236 on the shaft is compressed between the frame 211 and a flange 237 on the shaft 235, whereby the movable guide 234 is normally urged toward the frame to draw the magazine rearward for engagement with the air cylinder outlet 232. The magazine advancing pawl 229 normally extends from its pivotal mounting shaft 230 both in the direction of magazine advancing motion and in the direction of the magazine 214. Thus as the pawl 229 urges magazine 214 upward, as oriented in FIG. 13, leverage of the magazine 214 on pawl 229 will tend to rotate the pawl counterclockwise, urging the tip 239 of the pawl and the magazine 214 further forward against the bias of spring 236 on movable guide 234. With the magazine 214 pushed forward as described, the friction between baseplate 227 and nozzle 232 is reduced for the duration of magazine advancing motion. Once cocked as described above, the apparatus 210 is fired simply by releasing the flange 218 to allow spring 221 to drive the piston 217 away from shaft 222 and forward within the cylinder 212. The cylinder 212 is pushed forward by friction of the piston 217, and at the same time, shaft 220 is moved forward to allow a spring 238 to retract pawl 229, which in turn allows spring 236 to pull the magazine baseplate 227 rearward, whereby the baseplate 227 and cylinder nozzle 232 are forced into mutual engagement. The piston 217 continues forward within the cylinder 212 to force air from the cylinder 212 through nozzle 232 and into the aligned barrel 231 through a rear opening 239 in the baseplate 227, for discharge of a projectile as has been previously described. When configured for firing as described above the apparatus 210 may be used in the construction of "pull-and-release" type devices such as a multi-shot air operated toy bow and arrow. A releasable latch may optionally be added to the apparatus of FIG. 13 for engagement with an opening in the hollow shaft 216, to retain the slide assembly 213 in its rearward cocked position. Such a latch may be similar in form and function to the trigger 15 and hook 55 of FIG. 1. In this case, with the slide assembly 213 drawn rearward, the opening 240 would become aligned with hook 55, whereby hook 55, biased by suitable means would be urged to enter the opening 240 to prevent forward travel of the slide 213. The apparatus would be fired by pulling on trigger 15 to withdraw hook 55 from the opening 240. When configured for firing as described above the apparatus 210 may be used in the construction of triggered devices such as a multi-shot, air operated toy crossbow, armored vehicle, or firearm. A separate cocking device may be optionally added to actuate the slide assembly 213. Such a cocking device may be similar in form and function to the slide assembly 19 of FIG. 1. In this case, the shoulder 38 of slide 19 would engage the forward side of flange 218 whereby rearward movement of the slide 19 would cause shoulder 38 to drag slide assembly 213 rearward as well. With reference to FIG. 16, elements of the present invention are employed in the construction of a toy bow and arrow apparatus 300 which comprises a frame 301 having bow members 302, an airpump housing 303, and an advancement mechanism housing 304. Within the airpump housing 303, an elongated air cylinder 305 which is movably carried for limited forward and rearward travel as has been described for previously discussed embodiments of the invention. Within the advancement mechanism housing 304, lever 306 is pivotally carried about a shaft 307 on the frame 301. A pawl 308 is pivotally carried about a shaft 309 on the lever 306. The pawl 308 and lever 306 are biased to rest positions, as depicted, by a spring 310. A cylindrically configured projectile magazine 311, similar to that of FIGS. 7 and 8, is rotatably mounted to the frame 301 about a shaft 312. The magazine baseplate 313 is additionally supported and guided by shoulders 314 on the bow members 302. The magazine is adapted to carry elongated toy arrows 315 on the exterior surfaces of the barrels. A plunger assembly 317 is slidably carried by an opening 318 at the rear end 324 of the airpump housing 303. The plunger assembly 317 comprises a shaft 319, a handle 320 at the rear end of the shaft 319, a piston 321 at the front end of the shaft, a flange 322 on a forward portion of the shaft, and a spring 323 carried about the shaft 319 for compression between the flange 322 and the rear end 324 of the airpump housing 303. A secondary slide assembly 325 is operably carried within a side chamber 326 of the airpump housing 303. The slide assembly 325 comprises an elongated member 327 which is pivotally joined to lever 306 by a shaft 328, and a shoulder 329 which extends into the rearward path of flange 322 of the plunger, or primary slide assembly, 317. The plunger assembly 317 is depicted in an intermediately rearward position. If the plunger 317 is drawn fully rearward, flange 322 engages shoulder 329 and pulls the secondary slide assembly 325 rearward, which in turn pivots lever 306 to induce magazine advancement as has been described for previously discussed embodiments. In FIG. 16 an arrow 315 is depicted on the barrel 316 currently in firing position. If the plunger assembly 317 is driven forward by spring 323, or any other means, piston 321 will urge cylinder 305 forward for sealing engagement with the magazine 311 and force air from within the cylinder 305 and through the aligned barrel 316 to launch the projectile or arrow 315. If however the plunger assembly 317 is drawn from the depicted position to its fully rearward position, flange 322 will actuate the magazine advancement mechanism of 327, 306 and 308, causing the depicted projectile 315 to be rotated out of firing alignment. Thus, once the apparatus 300 has been cocked by the rearward positioning of plunger assembly 317, the magazine 311 may be advanced repeatedly to move any desired barrel 316 into or out of firing alignment by cyclical movement of the plunger 317 over a short range of travel near its fully rearward position. Note that firing force may be applied to drive the plunger 317 forward by many different means, either individually or in combination. Such means may include but are not limited to: the bias of a spring such as spring 323, resilient stretching of bowstrings 330 connected from the bow members 302 to the plunger assembly 317, resilient bending of the bow members 302, and pushing force applied by an operator to an accessible portion of plunger assembly 317, such as handle 320. While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and therefore the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention. * * * * *


text:
Sanofi Celebrates 50th Anniversary Of France - China Relations
PARIS, Jan. 27, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) announced today its participation in the commemoration of the 50 th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and the People's Republic of China. In supporting the celebration, Sanofi affirms its commitment to economic development and public health in China.
"As one of the first multinational pharmaceutical companies to operate in China, Sanofi has continually provided innovative healthcare solutions for patients, expanding in pace with the country's development," said Christopher A. Viehbacher, Chief Executive Officer, Sanofi. "Our expanding portfolio of medicines and vaccines allows us to contribute to important public health issues in China, such as chronic disease management, prevention and food safety."
As one of the commemoration's major sponsors, Sanofi will participate in scientific events throughout the year in France and China, which will include Chinese students from select academic institutions in France. Sanofi also plans to participate in the "Better Healthcare" conference in Beijing with "Club Santé Chine", an initiative by the French government to help small and medium enterprises export healthcare products.China is a showcase for Sanofi's collaborative approach, with many research and development agreements signed in the past six years, including in the areas of cancer, stem cells, diabetes and aging diseases. Sanofi partners include Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, the Tianjin Institute of Hematology and Peking University. In recognition of the richness of China's research ecosystem, Sanofi settled management of its Asia-Pacific research and development activities in China in 2011. About Sanofi in China Present in China since 1982, Sanofi is committed to the treatment of chronic diseases, including through programs on diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and rare diseases. The Group has 11 regional offices and seven factories producing medicines, vaccines, animal health and consumer health products. As a global leader in consumer healthcare, Sanofi signed a joint venture with Minsheng in 2010 and acquired BMP Sunstone in 2011. Sanofi generated € 1.2 billion in revenues in China in 2012, and employs 8,500 people. About Sanofi Sanofi, an integrated global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and the new Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Box Empowers Toyota's Cross-Affiliate Workforce
Box today announced that Toyota will use Box's cloud platform to power thousands of associates across national business units. Toyota's IT organization – responsible for bringing innovative, cutting-edge technology to employees – selected Box to address both employee need for access to content across devices as well as IT requirements for security and an open platform to support custom-built applications.
"It's important to arm employees with technology that drives productivity and innovation across the organization," said Zack Hicks, group vice president and chief information officer for Toyota. "Moving to technologies, like Box, provides a way to securely share and collaborate using any device and empowers associates to discover new ways to move our business forward."
"Toyota is at the forefront of in-car technology that provides consumers with new ways to access real-time services in their cars," said Aaron Levie, co-founder and CEO of Box. "Similarly, they're carrying this creative and innovative strategy over to meet their internal business needs and are leveraging cloud and mobile technologies to transform their IT architecture. We are incredibly excited to work with them to power new ways of working on the Box platform."
Toyota in North America operates as independent affiliates that are separated by different systems, business processes and slightly different corporate cultures. Using Box makes becoming "One Toyota" easier. It enables Toyota to better collaborate among affiliates, speed decision making, share best practices and leverage the combined strength of its associates.
Additional Box benefits to Toyota include:
Box makes it easy for 240,000 businesses around the world to share and collaborate across devices, while also providing IT with an administrative interface for reporting and managing business information. Other global brands using Box include GE, Procter & Gamble, Schneider Electric and Pearson.
Join us at BoxWorks 2014 to hear how businesses of all sizes, including Toyota, are leveraging Box to transform the way people work. www.boxworks2014.com [1].
About Box
Box's mission is to make businesses of all sizes more productive, competitive, and collaborative by connecting people and their most important information. Content on Box can be securely shared and easily accessed on the web, through iOS, Android and Windows Phone applications, and extended to partner applications, such as Google Apps, NetSuite and Salesforce. Headquartered in Los Altos, CA, Box is privately held and backed by several leading venture capital firms and strategic investors. To learn more about Box, visit www.box.com [2].
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we've built more than 25 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 40,000 people (more than 32,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.5 million cars and trucks (more than 2.2 million in the U.S.) in 2013 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.
[1] http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http://www.boxworks2014.com&esheet=50901902&newsitemid=20140709005330&lan=en-US&anchor=www.boxworks2014.com&index=1&md5=39273df32a380bc90c56efb342d498b3
[2] http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http://www.box.com&esheet=50901902&newsitemid=20140709005330&lan=en-US&anchor=www.box.com&index=2&md5=1f89d82d7e01c7ac15c1dc6a076bf384
[3] http://www.freshnews.com/node/469777


text:
Horse for Harvest Moon: Friends Of Mineral TownHome / GameBoy Advance /
This page contains Harvest Moon: Friends Of Mineral Town Hints for GameBoy Advance called "Horse" and has been posted or updated on Apr 29, 2007 by violet princess. Let us know what you think of this Hint by thumbs voting.
- Developer: TOSE
- Publisher: Natsume
- Genre: Strategy Breeding/Constructing
- Release Date: Nov 17, 2003
- ESRB: Everyone
When you get your horse, always talk to and brush it. When it is an adult, ride it all the time. After several days Barley will appear. If you did not take good care of your horse, he will take it.
It takes exactly one year after you get the horse for it to mature. Then a week after it matures, Barley will appear and check your horse. If it has less than six hearts, he will take it away. However, he will give it back to you next year.
When your horse is mature, walk up to it with any kind of vegetable, preferably carrots, and press (A). This will make him happy.
Back to all Cheats
Stuck on this game? Set a specific, clearly defined question and let others answer your question or view answers to previously asked questions. If you think you are an Harvest Moon: Friends Of Mineral Town expert then please try to help others with their questions.
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text:
|4 Exciting improvements in the new commercial edtion! Check it out here!
Cobub Razor
Mobile Analytics of Open Source
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Free & Open Source App Analytics Platform
Collects data and show reports at backend
Helps on Apps' marketing
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Cobub Toaster
Mobile App Push Notification Solution
What is Cobub Toaster?
Free & Open Source App Push Notification Solution
Suitable For Enterprise-level Scenarios
Includes Push Notification Server and SDK


text:
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Home » Justin Bieber
Tommy Hilfiger is designing a fashion line for Lady Gaga.
The latest craze in nails? Music stars with their own polish lines. See what a Glee manicure looks like and which other celebs want to adorn your digits.
From Katy Perry to Justin Bieber, check out which celebrities are coming to a fragrance counter near you.
Teen idol Justin Bieber is releasing a collection of nail polishes this December that are inspired by his hit songs.
Teen singing sensation Justin Bieber has become the new face of the Proactiv acne-fighting system.
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text:
It's easy to start new things isn't it? Whether it's a new diet, a new exercise programme, a new hobby, a new job, or even a new relationship, starting it off is the easy bit. The tricky part is keeping it going. It's not that we begin with the intention of later giving up. On the contrary, we often begin with a zealous enthusiasm which borders on fanatical. But so often we see that enthusiasm start to fade as we meet obstacles, as we get lazy, bored or more interested in something else. As Homer tells Bart in one of my favourite episodes of The Simpsons, "If something's difficult to learn, son, then it's really not worth doing." Whilst this is undoubtedly one way to approach life, it doesn't seem to be the most skillful way of living.
As cliché as it may sound, generally speaking the things in life which are really valuable, precious and important, take time and patience to learn. As they say, "If it was easy, they'd all be doing it." And nothing could be closer to the truth when it come to meditation. It's not about some kind of quick-fix self-improvement programme. It's about a fundamental shift in the way you relate to your thoughts and feelings. Whilst that can sound a little overwhelming, it's done by repeating the exercise little and often. Training the mind in this way, we slowly build up a very stable sense of awareness that starts to filter through to the rest of our life. And the more frequently you practice being aware, the more beneficial the meditation becomes.


text:
Geothermal energy's share of global capacity may increase more than 10-fold by 2050 if governments implement incentives according to the International Energy Agency.
Power generated from underground heat sources may account for as much as 3.5 percent of worldwide electricity within four decades, up from 0.3 percent now, the Paris based agency said today in a report on its website.
Streamlined permitting procedures and pricing incentives may result in more than 200 gigawatts of installed geothermal capacity by then, according to the IEA's technology road map.
Taking advantage of underground heat resources that are are widely available will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. High costs have hampered development of power geothermal power plants.
The IEA suggested that governments provide resources for at least 50 pilot projects that generate electricity from dry rock, which comprise most of the world's usable subterranean heat. Most existing geothermal projects are in areas with naturally occurring water or steam, the IEA said.
Capital costs for geothermal projects varied from $2,000 a kilowatt to $5,900 in 2008, depending on the technology, according to the report.
To contact the reporter on this story: Stephan Nielsen in Sao Paulo at firstname.lastname@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Will Wade at email@example.com


text:
UI Receives Top Industry Honors For Second Year In A Row
UI worked directly with municipal leaders and first-responders to ensure roadways were clear of hazards, and to restore local priorities such as hospitals and emergency shelters.
Meanwhile, it used multiple communications channels to ensure customers and stakeholders had the information they needed when it became available. It deployed an automated calling system to reach out to vulnerable medical hardship customers, and engaged other customers via both traditional and social media, issuing storm instructions, readiness tips and other proactive messages.
In the end, UI was able to restore electric service to virtually all of its customers — excluding those who could not accept service — within eight days of the storm, ahead of all stated goals.
Torgerson noted that UI itself has benefitted from mutual assistance on several occasions, including Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Tropical Storm Irene in 2011."We understand how important it is to get electric service back on quickly and safely after a devastating storm," he said. About UIL Holdings Corporation: Headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut, UIL Holdings Corporation (NYSE:UIL) is a diversified energy delivery company serving more than 700,000 electric and natural gas utility customers in 66 communities across two states, with combined total assets of over $4 billion. UIL is the parent company of The United Illuminating Company (UI), The Southern Connecticut Gas Company (SCG), Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation (CNG), and The Berkshire Gas Company (Berkshire), each more than 100 years old. UI provides for the transmission and delivery of electricity and other energy related services for Connecticut's Greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas. SCG and CNG are natural gas distribution companies that serve customers in Connecticut, while Berkshire Gas serves natural gas customers in western Massachusetts. UIL employs more than 1,850 people in the New England region. Edison Electric Institute Winner Emergency Response Award for Restoration, 2011 & 2012 Emergency Response Award for Assistance, 2012
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text:
Middle-grades teacher Heather Wolpert-Gawron in this blog post shares an excerpt from her book, in which she describes how the mind of a middle-school student works. She writes that to successfully reach middle-school students, teachers should consider both the stage of brain development and the topics that students are most interested in at that age -- primarily themselves.
View Full Article in:Edutopia.org
Published in Briefs:


text:
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 13: Steve Ott #29 of the Dallas Stars takes down Michael Del Zotto #4 of the New York Rangers during the third period at Madison Square Garden on December 13, 2011 in New York City. The Stars shut out the Rangers 1-0. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Dallas Stars v New York Rangers
Posted by Ms. Conduct under on Jan 06, 2012
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text:
I'm a seamstress and own several sewing machines (including an embroidery machine and serger) so I definitely know my way around machines. My 6 and 5 year old girls have been asking me to learn how to sew for ages and a couple months ago they saw a cheapy battery operated Hello Kitty sewing machine in a store and BEGGED me to buy it for them.... of coarse I said no because I didn't want to waste money on something I knew would break sooner, rather than later. I knew Janome made a "high quality" Helly Kitty sewing machine so I talked to my mom about it. My parents decided to buy this as a gift for my girls. It's a very sturdy machine about 3/4 the size of a standard sewing machine. It does have a vertical bobbin case which I'm not accustomed to so I did have to break out the owners manual to figure out how to insert the bobbin - took about 2 minutes to figure it out. The manual is easy to follow and perfect for someone who is a novice to sewing and sewing machines. A previous poster mentioned there is no stitch length selector on this machine... while she is right, the machine comes with various stitch length stitches - so you don't need a stitch length selector. There are three straight stiches - the first one is about 2.5mm, the second one is about 3.5mm, and the last one is about 4.5mm - the same applies to the zigzag stitch. The smallest setting for the zigzag stitch is very small and is a borderline satin stitch - so this can easily be used for appliqu� work (just another fun thing for the little one learn). While the machine comes with a buttonhole attachment and buttonhole stitch (basically just the smallest zigzag stitch) - I wouldn't exactly recommend it. It works, but it's not the greatest. So, when my girls get to the point they're sewing something with buttons - then we'll likely be doing the buttonholes on my "fancy" sewing machine. Honestly, there are a handful of cheaper Brother sewing machines that come with more stitch options - however, the likelihood that a young girl is going to need more than a straight and zigzag stitch is very slim. You might as well spring for this "girly" sewing machine which they will LOVE... should they outgrow this machine you can always resell it or pass it on to family/friends. Janome is a high quality company/machine (they also make Kenmore sewing machines). Therefore, you can rest assured you're going to get a high quality product! This is perfect for the young girl/teen in your life!
I'm 33 and have never sewn before but have always wanted to. When I saw this little baby on sale and all of the great reviews, I just couldn't resist. (I also looked around on the internet for price comparisons and couldn't even find it available elsewhere.) I was pretty confident I could learn with one of my friend's help. Before I even got to see him, though, I decided to set it up and give it a try. When I previously looked at the instructions, they seemed intimidating. When I sat down and went through them step by step, they were a breeze. I threaded a bobbin and tried every stitch, all on my own. I can't wait to learn to make something. My friend suggested starting with curtains, so I will be coming back to Overstock for some hardware!
I bought this little machine with some apprehension, and am pleasantly surprised by how it works. I have expensive sewing machines, and it DID take a little getting used to. But then I had an epihpany - women used to sew on treadle machines which did a straight stitch and that's it. There is no way to adjust stitch length, and there is no speed control (it is possible to adjust the speed with the presser foot), and the buttonhole stitch is a little "rough". But, it HAS three separate straight stitches (teeny, reg, and long) and three sizes of zig-zag, and a tricot stitch, a couple of hem stitches, and a fairly easy to use buttonhole stitch. So, all in all, I would recommend this machine! It's metal, and fairly sturdy. And, it's so CUTE!
This item arrived within 7 days in good condition. I tried it out and it works great. Instructions were easy to understand. Right now it is my "carry with" machine when I go to church quilting parties and later it will be my 3-year-old granddaughter's "learning" machine.
I bought this machine for my daughter, who just turned eleven. Man, was I ever a hero on Christmas morning! "The best mom ever", I think she said. My mom, a life-long sewist and whiz with sewing machines, was skeptical at first, but after helping her get it set up and start sewing, Mom just couldn't stop talking about how nice it was. And it's quiet! This machine stitches forward and backward, with three different stitch lengths, and it zigzags. Yes, it's basic, but it does all most of us need to do. It's got a nice light on it, and you can take the front panel off to make it a "free-arm" configuration, for sewing on a sleeve or pants leg. So my daughter spent Christmas afternoon practicing her straight seams by sewing without thread on a piece of lined paper. She'd gotten pretty good at following the lines by the end of the day. The day after Christmas, we cut some fabric, and with my help, she made a pair of pillowcases for her bed. And the machine didn't flinch at sewing through five layers of flannel. It did just fine. As one reviewer mentioned, this comes in a box that broadcasts what's inside, so beware if this is supposed to be a surprise. (I don't think that warranted giving the machine a one-star review, however.) The bottom line is that this is a real machine, not a toy, and it's a machine that a young person should be able to use for many years. She's not going to outgrow the functionality of this machine. And since Hello Kitty is a timeless character, I can see this machine going off to college with her in a few years. I already have a sewing machine, but I'm considering getting one of these for myself anyway, because frankly, I'm a little jealous.
I purchase this product for my daughter. She is a hello kitty fan. It is a good machine with all the feature you are looking for to design. it is heavy won't move around stitchings are tight and loose if you want them to. Just make sure you thread it correctly.
a great product best machine i have ever owned..would rec to anyone
Bought this for my 6 year old who was starting to learn to sew. Worked right out of the box - and i think works better than my sewing machine! I am going to use hers now. She has sewed some blankets for her dolls and a pillowcase ( with me sitting next to her) and it has worked like a charm.
I have not used this machine yet, but have it out of the box with the little cover that came with it covering the machine. It is a heavy little machiine and inspection shows it to be very similar in many ways (vertical bobbin, which I love) to my old portable Singer Featherweight, but with more types of stitches than the Singer had. I like the fact that it is metal and expect to have many happy hours sewing on it. It appears to have all the stiches I need without overdoing it. I love the turquoise color and the fact that it is smaller than many sewing machines, yet heavy enough not to fall over or move around while being used. So, at this point, I will rate this machine "EXCELLENT" and "SO GLAD I BOUGHT IT!" I love Overstock.com and buy lots of things here, and this purchase was another reason why!
I gifted this sewing machine to a 7 year old girl as a total surprise. She is in love with it and was learning to thread it within a few minutes and sewing away. She and her mother have expressed they are thrilled with this
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|I need Peach Royale. I can't find it for sale. It's all I want. Anyone want to trade for:
Total Recall
or named daylilies
Edge of Acclaim
Or my left, um, you know.
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text: Associations Now Home > Resources > Associations Now Comings and Goings Associations Now, December 2012 The A List Christine M. Klein was hired as vice president of meetings and business partnerships at the Institute of Food Technologists. Klein most recently served as executive director of the Women's Dermatologic Society. The American Chemical Society has hired Stephen S. Hecht, Ph.D., as editor-in-chief of chemical research in toxicology. Hecht will succeed lawrence j. marnett, ph.d., who will retire at the end of the year. Chuck Shields has been appointed executive director of the International Urogynecological Association. Previously, Shields was CEO of the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists. The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association announced the promotion of Barbara Bullto chapter operations manager. The American Arbitration Association has promoted India Johnson to acting executive vice president in anticipation of her advancing to the position of president and CEO on January 1. Johnson previously was the senior vice president and chief strategy officer. William K. Slate II, the current president and CEO, will retire at the end of the year. Marketing General, Inc., has hired Brent Mundt as director of sponsorship strategies. Mundt previously developed a successful sponsorship program for the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Matt Uchtman has been promoted to director of operations for the Oregon Convention Center. Uchtman had been OCC's manager of technical services. The Westin Phoenix Downtown has appointed Todd Iacono general manager. Anne Clarke has joined the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau as group sales manager. Clarke previously served as event coordinator at Dunegrass Country Club. MultiLing has hired Lyle Ballas chief operating officer. He previously served as a strategic advisor to the translation services provider. Rate this item: Please Sign in to rate this. Comments: Sign in to write a comment People also read: Quick Links Data Nugget: Cashflow at Small Nonprofits Research Insights Associations Now January 2013 Associations Now September/October 2012 You may also like: Ask the CEO: National Fenestration Rating Council The CIO (R)evolution: IT's Key Role in Strategy A Page From the For-Profit Playbook: Auto-Renewals to Enhance Retention Human Resources and Legal Affairs: The Power of Working Together Embracing Followers: A Skill Every Leader Needs In This Section Associations Now v Archive Send Us Your Ideas Request Reprints Editorial Staff Advertising Opportunities Models & Samples Associations Now Plus Collaborate Discussion ASAE-Endorsed Business Solutions Research Online Store Social Responsibility Advertisement Featured Events 2014 Technology Conference & Expo December 16–17, 2014 2015 Great Ideas Conference March 8 –10, 2015 Springtime Expo '15 April 9, 2015 2015 Marketing, Membership & Communications Conference June 1–2, 2015 2015 Finance, HR & Business Operations Conference June 4–5, 2015 2015 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition August 8–11, 2015 View Full Calendar Browse by Topic Leadership Membership Technology Marketing Meetings Human Resources Finance Legal Professional Development Government Relations Small-Staff AMCs Component Relations Young Professionals Communications Supplier Partner Corner Consultants


text:
Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef described Hurricane Sandy as the worst storm in more than a century and urged residents to exercise caution as the clean up got underway on Tuesday.
"Hurricane Sandy hit Rockland County very hard, and resulted in many downed trees, property damage, widespread power outages and unfortunately one confirmed fatality,†said Vanderhoef. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the victim and all those who suffered damage to their homes and property.â€
Vanderhoef discussed many aspects of the storm and its impact on the community.
He urged residents to continue to use caution especially when considering Halloween activities because of extensive power outage, number of downed power lines and trees.
"With Halloween approaching, parents should exercise extreme caution and common sense when deciding if their neighborhood is safe for children to trick-or-treat,†he said. "Parents may want to consider alternative Halloween activities such as small gatherings or parties inside the home.â€
According to Orange and Rockland Utilities' updated report Tuesday afternoon, 74,500 customers in the county are without electricity. According to Vanderhoef, O&R expects the majority of customers to have power restored within the next 10 days, although some customers may not have electricity for a longer period of time.
Vanderhoef also issued the following updates:


text:
2007 Buick Rainier CXL 4.2 from North America
Nice small SUV, however too many electrical issues
Rear wiper stopped working.
ABS and traction have minds of their own.
Gas gauge has mind of its own.
Front end components.
Gas tank (everything to do with it; sending unit, seals, lines, etc etc etc).
Rear defrost.
General Comments:
I was in the market for a full frame SUV and this fit the bill, however I have now figured out this is a little too small.
I like the styling of the Rainier and I like the AWD on it. The fold down seats are great, however there's not quite enough room with our 200+lb dog in the back with everything else (next will probably be a Suburban).
Fuel economy for a full frame SUV is good; it has ranged in the winter from 11.9 to 13.9 L/100km, to summer where it will get 9.6 to 10.9 depending on speed (all figures are highway only, I have not ever driven this in the city).
I find this SUV quiet and comfortable, however I would not recommend it as ours has been full of electrical issues.
The other thing is the stereo; I don't overly care about stereos in cars, but this one is awful! If you are in the market for a Rainier, make sure you find one with the upgraded stereo.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th April, 2014


text:
|Paizo Pathfinder® Paizo Games
|About Paizo Messageboards News Paizo Blog Help/FAQ
Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–08: The Segang Expedition (PFRPG) PDF
Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–08: The Segang Expedition (PFRPG) PDF
Achtung! Cthulhu: Keeper's Guide (CoC / Savage Worlds) Hardcover
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4–19: The Night March of Kalkamedes (PFRPG) PDF
Prestige Archetype: The Assassin (PFRPG) PDF
For Pathfinder Society, I kind of get stuck in a loop:
(1) I enjoy playing a new character.
I have mixed feelings about it. The atmosphere was too modern for me in parts (trains don't belong in my D&D) and I was indifferent to the world war setup.
But there were many parts I thought were brilliant:
I was leafing through a copy of the North York Post yesterday (a free community newspaper) and there was an article about board game cafes in Toronto ("Snakes & Lattes" and "For The Win Cafe").
They asked the cafe owners "What is your all-time favourite board game?" and Pat Chung of For The Win Cafe answered:
Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. It's a dungeon-crawling role-playing game.
So you have at least one fan out there who's spreading the word!
thejeff wrote:
Well put. In general, I think that players are entitled to one important thing -- they're entitled to be on the same page in terms of the GM's vision of the campaign so that they can intelligently choose whether to join the game or not.
I don't believe a GM should have the right to waste some of my limited free time by misleading me into starting a campaign I should have known in advance that I wouldn't enjoy.
LazarX wrote:
TSR was complaining about being swamped by D&D rule questions as early as 1980.
Kthulhu wrote:
I give them credit for trying something other than "find a captive market of a few thousand people, churn out a long series of splatbooks until your sales start to flag, then reboot and start over again with a new edition".
Of course, they could just stop printing splatbooks and start laying off employees; that's another option.
Jiggy wrote:
I thought it was interesting that Drogon, a real-life shopkeeper, seems to have a soft spot for people who steal from shopkeepers. ;-)
Galnörag wrote:
So, to quit my rambling, is asking players to "colour inside the line" GM hubris, or a reasonable request? and corollary is it ever okay for a GM, or a gaming group by mutual accent to install an electric fence on a few of those lines to enforce compliance? And how can it be done without hard feelings.
I think it's good to get all the players and the GM on the same page when it comes to the tone of the campaign, and this seems to be the purpose of that.
In the past when I've run adventure paths, I usually prefaced it with a comment like: "This is an adventure path, so it runs primarily in one direction. So it's up to you folks to create characters who want to move in that one direction as a cooperating party, and I'll work with you to make that as smooth as possible. If you think that's too restrictive, then this may not be the right game for you."
CRobledo wrote:
Instead, how about you take the problem player aside and explain to him that it is bad gaming sportsmanship to overpower encounters to the point that other players do not feel they are having fun.
I highly recommend that the other players should talk to Player A, not the GM. Why? Because the other players are much better judges over whether they're actually having fun or not than the GM is!
My suggestions:
If you're unhappy when Player A pulls his grappling trick against lone casters, let someone else GM the scenarios which feature lone casters.
If other players are unhappy when Player A pulls his trick, they should tell him so.
If nobody is unhappy when Player A pulls his trick (which is quite possibly the case), nothing needs to be done.
Lord Foul II wrote:
then why is making undead evil in a way that leaves: craft construct, inflict spells, and raise dead NOT evil?
(a) Because desecrating the dead is icky.(b) Because you're messing with someone's soul against their will (e.g. an undead creature can't be brought back to life with Raise Dead, so there must be some kind of soul shenanigans going on).
I'm just glad you didn't ask "why are vibrators legal, but necrophilia isn't?"
Adamantine Dragon wrote:
Was my role playing too much?
Not at all, since you politely put it in an email so you wouldn't be monopolizing game time. And there was nothing wrong with the other players' reactions either; they're not morally obligated to be interested in the stuff that you find interesting about the game.
Helaman wrote:
Good news! Even if faction missions are going away, we can still use those valuable techniques with the main or secondary scenario mission. ;-)
karkon wrote:
TL;DR: Depending on the organization of the dungeon and the relationships between the different factions resting in the dungeon can be easy or not.
Again, it's obviously campaign dependent, but that's usually the kind of information that's obvious to the GM, but not necessarily obvious to the PCs (at least at first) unless the GM is having pity on them.
Now I can certainly believe that there are some parties out there who do all kinds of scouting and picking up rumours and who know everything about the lay of the land before they even start their dungeon delving, but that never came up in any of my campaigns. If we ever slept a dungeon, we just hoped that the GM would take it easy on us.
Philip Dhollander wrote:
In our case, it was about the game and the fact that it was too much (two days basically), the fact that she did not have a real hobby and was stuck at home and the fact that she finds it a 'silly hobby'.
That's basically my wife's attitude: why should I want to waste so much time out of the house when I could be at home, entertaining her? We've settled on one night every two weeks being a happy medium, however. (Although there was that one time when she was griping that my one game every two weeks was interfering with her going to the gym every night! Gimme a break...)
Slaunyeh wrote:
But it's a waste of time! You could be mowing the lawn or fix the door to the basement instead. You know, be a real man rather than playing some stupid game once every few weeks.
Ha! My wife occasionally comments: "Why don't you get a hobby that MAKES money? Like, instead of playing games, you could write games!"
And yet she never finds it funny when I suggest: "Why don't you learn to make shoes instead of going shopping for shoes?" Odd how that works...
;-) (If you're reading this, I love you, honey!)
Neongelion wrote:
I'm going to run a Pathfinder adventure path very soon (Reign of Winter) for these same people, ie players that prefer detail-oriented, "realistic" kinds of games. I'm fairly well read on the rules but I certainly don't have them mastered, so I want to ask you folks: can Pathfinder handle games that aren't very mechanically crunchy?
I think I'm missing something here. It almost sounds like your players like a mechanically crunchy game, so you're trying to trick them into a game that's not mechanically crunchy.
Kthulhu wrote:
Hey, the wealth rules don't work in a 3.x variant. That's unbelievable! I mean, it's been true for 13 years, but still! Unbelievable!
I actually don't have many problems with money in 3E/Pathfinder. Most "complaints" I see run along the lines of:
However, I agree with the original poster that prices for land and buildings have always been on the high side in D&D. I imagine that's supposed to make it challenging for adventurers to buy real estate, but that makes no sense when you consider that by level 5 (or whatever), most adventurers are the equivalent of Bill Gates or Warren Buffett.
I Hate Nickelback wrote:
Though I somewhat disagree about the oracle/cleric list. Animate dead with no material component as a 2nd level word? Yes please!
The superstar spell that I like is Alignment Shield. Rerolling saves against any kind of "spell or effect" as long as it's not from a neutral creature? That's comparable to an improved version of Break Enchantment, but it's a first level spell!
Malachi Silverclaw wrote:
This is essentially cheating! Okay, you could state a long list of 'what ifs' before you roll any attacks, but at that point it would be quicker to roll them one at a time.
I agree that "over-rollers" can be as annoying as "under-rollers".
Recently, we had this type of situation:
GM: Roll two Fort saves...
(Note how rolling two dice super-quickly turned out to add an extraneous roll after the fact, slowing things down anyways.)
Kirth Gersen wrote:
People get really severe cases of metagamophobia and will make the most asinine rulings in order to avoid any appearance of it -- to the extend of declaring mass mental blockages and selective blindness on all of the characters in the game world.
My personal pet peeve is skeletons. In the real world, most people would be smart enough to use a hammer to smash up a pile of bones instead of an icepick, but in D&D-land players and GMs are suddenly scared to let PCs use an ounce of sense.
If I thought the DC was enough to succeed with a "take 10" (as several people have suggested), I would probably be peeved if the GM only told me afterwards that my calculation was incorrect and that I couldn't take back my action. But I'm not sure if that's exactly what's going on in this case.
When I'm GMing, I try to help the players (not necessarily the PCs) in every way possible.
Sean K Reynolds wrote:
Oh, sure. It's easy to answer these kinds of questions if you cheat and look in the book. Newb.
Shadowborn wrote:
Been there, done that. I usually end up getting hosed. As a player, I always say I'll never do it in a game again, but then I keep playing characters that would take the chance in a heartbeat.
My problem is that I see the other PCs getting good stuff and I think "One draw can't hurt..."
Yes. Yes, it can.
secher_nbiw wrote:
I agree: I think there's a gap between what you're describing and what the players are seeing. If you describe a guy moving forward in "a blur of speed", for instance, then the players won't be surprised if the guy is moving faster than a regular human. And if you describe a wraith's "eyes glimmering with malevolent intelligence", then they'll realise that some undead are smart. Etc., etc.