Abstract: An evaporative fuel emission control system for an internal combustion engine has a canister connected to a fuel tank of the engine. The canister temporarily stores evaporative fuel generated from the fuel tank. The evaporative emission control system also includes a purging passage connecting the canister and a portion of an intake passage at a location downstream of a throttle valve arranged in the intake passage. An amount of evaporative fuel is increased which is generated from the fuel tank. In a preferred form, the system includes a second fuel tank arranged between the first-mentioned fuel tank and the canister. Evaporative fuel is increased by evaporating fuel in the second fuel tank.

Abstract: An evaporative emission control system for an internal combustion engine controls purging of evaporative fuel into the intake pipe of the engine. A first control valve is arranged in a communication passage communicating between a charcoal canister and the intake pipe, for supplying the evaporative fuel to the engine at a flow rate dependent on load on the engine. A second control valve is arranged in a bypass passage bypassing the first control valve for supplying the evaporative fuel to the engine at a predetermined flow rate. When a temperature of the engine is below a predetermined value, the first control valve is closed and at the same time the second control valve is made open, to thereby supply the evaporative fuel to the engine at the predetermined i.e. small flow rate. For a predetermined time period after the engine has been warmed up, the first and second control valves are controlled in the same manner. When the engine is idling as well, the same control of the two valves is carried out.

Abstract: A transformer and associated rectifier for supplying low voltage (e.g. 5 volts), high current (e.g. 1,500 amperes) power to a load such as a supercomputer, with a high electrical conversion efficiency and a high volumetric efficiency. The primary winding comprises a number of disc-shaped coils which are spaced apart from each other by coaxial single turn secondary coil elements which are interleaved between the primary coils. A core having E-shaped parts has an inner portion extending through the primary and secondary coils and an outer portion forming two windows with the inner portion, so that the coils extend through the windows. A rectifier assembly is mounted directly to plates which support and act as terminals to the secondary coils.

Abstract: An attachment for a weight stack type exercise machine to pull the weight stack down while it is being lowered, so that the eccentric exercise force required to lower the stack is greater than the concentric exercise force required to raise it. Such asymmetric exercise forces more closely match muscle strengths, which are normally greater for eccentric exercise than for concentric exercise. The attachment has an electric motor and a control unit including a keypad, a display and a microcontroller. The motor is coupled to the weight stack by an eccentric force control cable. The keypad allows the user to select the amount of force added during the eccentric phase of exercise, when the weight stack is moving down and part of a lifting cable connected to a handle or engageable member on the weight stack type machine is moving in. A sensor enables the controller to determine whether the weight stack is moving up or down.

Abstract: A transducer for inline process control of highly viscous fluids at high pressure and high temperature having a torsionally oscillating sensor tip supported by a pressure resistant threaded body portion. The sensor tip, which includes a thermocouple to measure fluid temperature, is driven by a crossarm which oscillates with a constant angular amplitude, the power required to maintain that amplitude despite the viscous resistance offered by the fluid being a measure of the viscosity-density product of the fluid. The crossarm driver and detector electromagnetic coils are oriented at right angles to each other to reduce crosstalk and transducer housing diameter. The associated electronic control unit includes means to compensate for the effects of fluid flow rate and fluid pressure which were found to be encountered with the vibratory viscometer method of measurement when inline measurements are made on high viscosity fluids.

Abstract: A motor-driven treadmill includes a stationary ultrasonic range finder which continuously measures the distance to the torso of a person walking or running on the moving tread of the treadmill. When the person approaches too closely to the front of the treadmill, the treadmill speed and/or the treadmill slope are increased; and when the person retreats too far away from the front of the treadmill, the treadmill speed and/or the treadmill slope are decreased. The response of the treadmill speed and/or slope control system may be improved by making the controller responsive to the rate of change of the distance between the person using the treadmill and the front of the treadmill, so as to provide anticipation of the distances which will be traversed by the user of the treadmill.

Abstract: A method of controlling supercharging pressure in an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The supercharging pressure is controlled based on a basic control amount determined in dependence on operating conditions of the engine. When the transmission is in a lower speed position, the basic control amount is corrected so that the supercharging pressure is lower than a value assumed when the transmission is in a higher speed position. When the engine is in a feedback control mode, the basic control amount is corrected in response to the difference between the actual supercharging pressure and a desired value of the same. The desired value of the supercharging pressure is set lower when the transmission is in the lower speed position than a value assumed when the transmission is in a higher speed position.

Abstract: An evaporative fuel-purging control system for an internal combustion engine having a canister in which evaporative fuel from a fuel tank is absorped. Purge control valves are arranged between the canister and the intake system of the engine for controlling the flow rate of evaporative fuel supplied from the canister to the intake system. An ECU is responsive to an output from an exhaust gas ingredient concentration sensor arranged in the exhaust system of the engine for calculating an air-fuel ratio correction coefficient, based upon the output from the exhaust gas ingredient concentration sensor and controlling the air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine by the use of the air-fuel ratio correction coefficient. The ECU calculates an average value of the air-fuel ratio correction coefficient, and is responsive to the calculated average value for controlling the purge control valves.

Abstract: A device for rapidly wrapping a bundle of newspapers or magazines to be recycled, consisting of a fiberboard plate having a hole with a string-receiving slit through its major surfaces, and arcuate recesses on opposite edges of the plate, each recess having a string-receiving slit. A string is looped through the hole and around an adjacent edge of the plate, and tied near one end of the string. To wrap the bundle, the other end of the string is passed around the bundle and through the hole, wedged into the corresponding slit, and then passed by each arcuate recess and wedged into each of the corresponding slits.

Abstract: A system for detecting deterioration of a three-way catalyst of an internal combustion engine. Cutting-off of the fuel supply to the engine is started when the engine is decelerated with the throttle valve substantially fully closed, and the fuel supply to the engine is resumed when the rotational speed of the engine has become lower than a predetermined value. Time is measured which output from the air-fuel ratio sensor has required to reach a predetermined reference value after the resumption of the fuel supply to the engine. It is determined that the three-way catalyst is deteriorated when the time measured is shorter than a predetermined time period.

Abstract: A driving circuit for driving a stepping motor has a plurality of excitation coils, a plurality of excitation transistors for driving the excitation coils of the stepping motor, respectively, and at least one chopping transistor for effecting chopping control of current flowing to the excitation coils. A fault diagnosis transistor is connected in parallel with the chopping transistor. A current limiting resistance is serially connected to the fault diagnosis transistor. A CPU selectively turns on and off the fault diagnosis transistor. The CPU detects output states of the chopping transistor assumed respectively when the fault diagnosis transistor is turned on and turned off. The CPU compares the detected output levels of the chopping transistor with respective predetermined logic levels and detects faults in the driving circuit from results of the comparisons.

Abstract: An arrangement for determining when a fuel tank installed in a boat is full, including (i) a proximity detector for detecting when fuel starts to flow up the vent stack, and (ii) a small reservoir in the vent stack above the proximity detector to prevent fuel from escaping from the stack before the filling of the tank can be halted in response to a warning signal generated in response to the output of the proximity detector.

Abstract: A method of detecting deterioration of an exhaust gas ingredient concentration sensor for use in controlling an air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to an internal combustion engine having an exhaust system in which the sensor is arranged. The sensor has an output characteristic approximately proportional to concentration of a specific ingredient in exhaust gases emitted from the engine. The air-fuel ratio is feedback-controlled to a desired air-fuel ratio by calculating an amount of fuel supplied to the engine by the use of a desired air-fuel ratio coefficient indicative of the desired air-fuel ratio and set in dependence on operating conditions of the engine, and an air-fuel ratio correction coefficient set in dependence on a value of an output from the sensor and the desired air-fuel ratio coefficient. A plurality of average values of the air-fuel ratio correction coefficient are calculated, respectively, when the desired air-fuel ratio falls within a plurality of predetermined ranges.

Abstract: An optical shield which is transparent to ambient light but which blocks high intensity light such as that from a laser, with a response speed on the order of several picoseconds or less, to provide eye protection and to protect light sensors from laser beams. The shield is a multilayer structure with layers in which colloidal silica particles are dispersed in a transparent polymer binder having an index of refraction close to that of the silica particles under ambient light conditions. The application of multiple sealant layers of pure binder material results in improved transmittance of ambient light. High intensity light such as that from a laser causes third order nonlinear optical effects, particularly photorefractive effects, in the silica which change its effective index of refraction so that the mismatch between the effective index of refraction of the silica and the index of refraction of the binder causes scattering of the incident light.

Abstract: A control system for controlling driving wheels of an automotive vehicle in which when at least one of the driving wheels undergoes excessive slip, an ECU drives a pulse motor to bring a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine installed in the vehicle toward a closed position thereof to thereby suppress the excessive slip. When a state that a detected value of throttle valve opening is smaller than a detected value of accelerator pedal angle while the pulse motor is in stoppage has continued over a predetermined period of time, the ECU determines the initial position of the pulse motor by storing the detected throttle valve opening value as a reference value of the pulse motor position.

Abstract: A remotely controllable circuit breaker and switch for controlling the flow of current from a three phase AC power source to a three phase load, and usable in either wye or delta configurations. A latching relay controls the current for each phase. Current samples in the three phases are scaled and converted to DC values by scalers and RMS to DC converters. The DC values are converted to digital current values by an analog-to-digital converter which sequentially scans the DC values of the currents in the three phases. A central processing unit monitors the digital current values to detect significant phase imbalances and overcurrents which persist for time periods which exceed allowable limits according to a predetermined time-dependent function, and to initiate opening of the relays in response thereto. The central processing unit also opens and/or resets the relays in response to remote control signals.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control method for an internal combustion engine. An amount of fuel to be supplied to the engine is calculated in response to operating conditions of the engine and output from an exhaust gas ingredient concentration sensor, to thereby feedback-control the air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine to a desired air-fuel ratio. The method comprises the steps of (1) calculating a fuel cooling correction value for compensating for a change in an actual air-fuel ratio caused by cooling effects of actually-injected fuel, according to at least one parameter which can determine the amount of fuel to be supplied to the engine, and (2) calculating the amount of fuel to be supplied to the engine by the use of the fuel cooling correction value.

Abstract: A method of detecting abnormality in an internal combustion engine, which is applied to at least one of a catalyst system, an evaporative fuel-purging system, a fuel supply system, an air-fuel ratio sensor, and an ignition system, for performing detection of abnormality therein according to operating parameters of the engine. An amount of residual fuel in the fuel tank is detected and the amount of residual fuel is compared with a predetermined value. The abnormality detection is inhibited when, as a result of the comparison, the amount of residual fuel is below the predetermined value.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control method for an internal combustion engine. The air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture supplied to the engine is feedback-controlled to a predetermined value in response to an output from the exhaust gas ingredient concentration sensor. The temperature of at least one component part of the engine, which should be controlled, is estimated based on the detected temperature of exhaust gases, engine rotational speed, and engine load. The air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture is inhibited from being feedback-controlled but enriched, when the estimated temperature of any one of the at least one component part of the engine is higher than a corresponding predetermined value.

Abstract: A viscosity measuring transducer especially useful for process control of fluids. The transducer oscillates an immersed blade sensor in the direction of the plane of the blade in order to maximize generation of shear waves and to minimize generation of compression waves. The transducer includes a bar which penetrates and is secured and peripheral sealed to an isolation plate which serves to protect the oscillation driver and pickup adjacent one end of the bar from the sensor blade to be immersed in a fluid adjacent the other end of the bar. Either the bar is relatively rigid and the isolation plate is relatively compliant, or vice versa. In the former case the isolation plate acts as an intrinsic flexible member of the oscillating system of the transducer; and in both cases the isolation plate constitutes a strong impermeable seal between the fluid and the driver/pickup mechanism.