Abstract: A toner device is constructed from a container having a discharge opening in its bottom end surface, and a shutter mechanism mounted on the bottom end of the container. In a lower part of the container, at least one partition wall is disposed with wall surfaces having edging defining the discharge opening(s). The discharge opening of the container thus forms a portion of the entire bottom end surface of the container. Also, the lower edging of the wall surfaces extend over the entire periphery of the one or more discharge openings, and each wall defining the discharge opening or openings extends upwardly at an inclination angle .alpha. of at least 45 degrees to the horizontal.

Abstract: A reactor for performing endothermic catalytic reactions is disclosed formed of a monolithic counterflow reactor with parallel heating and reaction channels. The internal walls of the reaction channels are coated with a catalyst for the catalytic reaction to be performed, while the internal walls of the heating channels have a catalyst for the catalytic combustion of a fuel gas/air mixture.

Abstract: A plurality of projections 21 is disposed on a inner surface of a lid 20 which is detachably attached to a carrier body 10. Each projection 21 has a tapered end part 22 with inclined surfaces 23, 24. The surfaces 23, 24 are in the form of semitransparent mirror. A Light emitting device 47 projects light beam which travels horizontally to the projection 21 from outside of the lid 20. When a wafer is not present in slots 15 of the carrier body, the light beam travels to upper and lower adjacent photoelectric devices 48, 48 via the upper and lower adjacent projections 21. The semitransparent mirror 23, 24 changes the light beam traveling direction. When the wafer is present in the slots 15, the light beam is intercepted by the wafer, and the photoelectric devices 48 does not receive the light beam. In aforementioned manner, whether a wafer is present or not in the slots 15 can be detected.

Abstract: There is disclosed a character recognition machine adapted to recognize Japanese characters such as kanjis and kanas. The machine comprises a character string storage portion, a character extraction portion, a character recognition portion, and a language processing portion. A character string to be recognized is stored as an image in the storage portion. The character extraction portion comprises a network consisting a plurality of interconnected operators each of which has numerous inputs and outputs. An evaluation function which assumes its minimum value when a character extraction produces the best results is calculated by the operators simultaneously so as to minimize the value of the function. The character recognition portion calculates degrees of similarity of a character pattern to various character categories, the character pattern being applied from the character extraction portion.

Abstract: A refrigerator has a blowing fan being capable of blowing bilaterally in a cool air duct. When a door is opened, the blowing fan blows to discharge cool air from the cool air duct, so the air curtain for shutting off a cooling compartment is generated. When the door is closed, the blowing fan blows to draw cool air in the cooling compartment into the cool air duct, so the circulation of the cool air is actively performed, and the cooling efficiency is enhanced.

Abstract: An input/display integrated information processing device has: image display circuit for displaying document and image information; image input circuit through which information of an image such as a picture, a photograph, documents drawn or written on a sheet presented by the user can be an input; a visual coincidence structure for integrally combining a display screen of the image display circuit with an input screen of image input circuit so as to establish visual coincidence of screens as viewed from the user; contact information detection circuit for, when a finger of the user, the sheet presented by the user, or the like makes contact with the contact information detection circuit, detecting information of a contact position, the contact information detection circuit being disposed on the whole of the input screen of the image input circuit or the display screen of the image display circuit; image extraction circuit for automatically extracting only a required portion from image information input throug

Abstract: The method for forming superconducting films of complex oxide compounds in a process chamber according to the present invention includes the steps of:(a) placing a substrate near a target in a chamber so that the substrate is positioned to be generally perpendicular to a surface of the target, the target comprising a target material of complex oxide compounds; and(b) irradiating a laser beam to the surface of the target to vaporize or sublime the target material forming over the target a flame-shaped plume having on axis generally perpendicular to the surface of the target so that the target material is deposited onto a surface of the substrate, the surface of the substrate maintaining the position to be generally perpendicular to the surface of the target and being generally parallel to the axis of the plume, wherein the target rotates on an axis perpendicular to the surface of the target and the substrate rotates on an axis perpendicular to the surface of the substrate (off-axis geometry), and wherein the l

Abstract: A document original simulator including first tone simulation portion having substantially the same reflectance as a white original sheet and a second tone simulation portion having a lower reflectance than the first tone simulation portion. When an image fogging detecting operation is to be performed with the use of the document original simulator, it is checked whether or not the amount of light reflected from the first tone simulation portion when the first tone simulation portion is illuminated with light is smaller than the amount of light reflected from the white original sheet placed on a document original presenting section when the white original sheet is illuminated with light.

Abstract: A cut is made in the neck of slaughtered poultry to permit access to a tool for removing the crop. The cut is made by an apparatus which includes a carousel for moving the poultry, arch-shaped tracks which have sections which are horizontal, upward-sloping and downward-sloping, and running wheels which move in the tracks to effect vertical movement of handling units and bird positioning units. Each handling unit includes a tilting arm which has a blade fitted at its upper end, a centering fork with two centering elements which contact opposite sides of the neck of a bird, and a running wheel at its lower end where the running wheel rides in a track. During movement of the running wheel on its track, the tilting arm is first tilted from its sloping non-operative position to a less sloping vertical position to center the neck of a bird and to bring the blade against the neckskin, and the arm then makes a downward movement to form a cut in the neck.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a dust sensor of the light emitting and light receiving type, which sensor detects the quantity of dust which is sucked during a cleaning operation. The vacuum cleaner also includes a sensitivity correction section which compensates for lowering of the dust detection sensitivity due to soiling of the dust sensor, a limit detection section which detects a condition in which the compensation of dust detection sensitivity by the sensitivity correction section reaches a limit value, and an information section which informs the vacuum cleaner user of the condition in which correction of the dust detection sensitivity by the sensitivity correction section has reached its limit value.

Abstract: A device for weighing elongated members such as marine lines and ropes includes a hub, a motive wheel which is supported on the hub and is driven by a motor, and a driven wheel which is coupled to and driven by the motive wheel. The motive wheel and the driven wheel respectively form opposite sides of a groove for receiving the elongated member which is being weighed. A thrust ring is fixed to the driven wheel, and the motive wheel lies axially between the thrust ring and the driven wheel. The axial position of the driven wheel relative to the motive wheel is controlled by an idler roll which bears against the thrust ring and is adjustably mounted on the hub.

Abstract: A water based binder for use in a slurry for investment casting. The binder includes a mixture of a colloidal silica sol and at least one latex polymer. The latex polymer is preferably an acrylic latex or a styrene butadiene polymer (or a combination of these) which reduces the processing time between dips during shell mold making for investment casting. The latex polymer further lowers a critical concentration point or gelation point of the colloidal silica sol. The binder may be used as a primary binder or a backup binder in the shell mold making process. To make the slurry, the binder is combined with at least one refractory powder, preferably a refractory powder selected from the group of: alumino-silicates, fused silica, quartz silica, alumina, zircon, and zirconia.

Abstract: Principal components of an automobile driving system for a two-wheel drive vehicle including a torque converter, a belt-type variable-speed transmission, a front differential gear, a transmission case containing these components, a front drive shaft included in a transfer unit, a double-pinion planetary gear, a fixed shaft, a first friction coupling element and a second friction coupling element can be used as the principal components of an automobile driving system for a four-wheel drive vehicle. The automobile driving system for a four-wheel drive vehicle can be constructed by additionally incorporating third, fourth and fifth friction coupling elements, a rear differential gear and a power transmitting mechanism for transmitting power to the rear differential gear into the automobile driving system for a two-wheel drive vehicle.

Abstract: To realizing a filter which is capable of properly controlling the passband, and the attenuation pole of a surface acoustic wave filter, a surface acoustic wave filter connected in a ladder type with the surface acoustic wave resonators 104, 105 has an element 106 which changes in capacity by voltage to be impressed and is connected in series with a resonator 105 connected in parallel to the signal line 100.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of five-membered or six-membered cyclic ethers, in particular of anhydropolyols, by acid-catalysed cyclodehydration of polyols that contain at least two hydroxyl groups with a spacing enabling ring formation--that is to say, preferably with a spacing of 4 or 5 C atoms. The invention is directed in particular towards the production of anhydrotetritols, anhydropentitols and, particularly preferred, anhydrohexitols, from tetritols, pentitols and hexitols, respectively.

Abstract: A substrate transporting and processing system generally comprises: a supply section of a carrier 1 for housing therein wafers W to be processed, in a horizontal state; a discharge section of the carrier 1; a wafer unloading arm 14 for unloading the wafers W from said carrier 1; a wafer loading arm 16 for loading the wafers W into the carrier 1; an attitude changing unit 40 for changing the attitude of the wafers W between a horizontal state and a vertical state; a processing section 3 for suitably processing the wafers W; and a wafer transport arm 56 for delivering the wafers W between the attitude changing unit 40 and the processing section 3 and for transporting the wafers W into and from the processing section.