Abstract: The telecommunications cable of the invention comprises optical fibers and stabilization fibers disposed in an envelope in such a manner as to ensure longitudinal coupling therewith, such that part of the force to which the cable is subjected is shared uniformly over the fibers.

Abstract: Data transmission system comprising a data transmitter (1) including:swept frame display means (2), anda generator of composite video signals (20, 22) to control the operation of said swept frame display means (2); anda portable information detection device (7) for receiving said transmitted data by said data transmitter (1).The data transmitter (1) further comprises means (23) for modulating at least one of the elementary signals constituting said composite video signals with the data to be transmitted, and said information detection device (7) further comprises any inductive antenna (44, 45) for detecting said modulated elementary signal.

Abstract: A control knob (1) includes a companion part (2) as a base of the control knob and a control-knob top part (3) having a grip handle (4). The control-knob top part (3) includes a plate (9) having a flexible elastic material coated thereon to form sidewalls (5.1) of the grip handle (4) which can be flexibly deformed when the grip handle (4) is manipulated. This provides improved manipulation and quiet operation of the control knob (1). Additional push-button and switch functions can be included via a flexible facing wall (5.2) on the grip handle (4).

Abstract: A removable lid (10) for an analytical specimen cup (12) of a type for defining a test space (26) with a chemical strip (24) mounted therein includes a selectively-removable protective cover (16) for selectively covering and uncovering an outer surface of a transparent portion of an outer partition (18) forming the test space. The protective cover is formed as one piece with an inner partition to be attached thereto by a dual living hinge (28a and b). The lid is rectangular in shape and includes an elongated magnifying lens (20) which has protrusions extending into blind holes (62) of the inner partition. The magnifying lens extends across the transparent portion of the outer partition. When the protective cover is in a closed position it impinges on the magnifying lens. A peel-off color analysis chart (22) is mounted on an inside surface of the protective cover.

Abstract: A water dispersible coating composition for fat-fried foods contains a starch, a stabilizing agent, an acid salt and a leavening agent. The improvement is the use of a combination of at least one modified cornstarch and rice flour, in respective weight proportions of about 10:1 to 1:1, as the starch. The composition may also contain a dextrin, a high amylose starch, modified potato starch and a vegetable oil. The composition is dispersed in an aqueous medium having from about 20 to 90 weight percent of the composition for application to a food prior to fat frying.

Abstract: A flexible fabric container having stiffening webbing attached to the outside thereof. At least one bottom flap is releasably attached to the bottom and is attached to the container by a quick release buckle that has a free portion, not attached to the container, to allow free movement of the quick release buckle upon actuation to release the bottom flap and allow the container to discharge the contents thereof.

Abstract: In an assembly for controlling the temperature of a fountain fluid and/or selected rollers of a printing machine, which includes a fountain fluid circulating system, a cooling fluid circulating system, a refrigerant circulating system, and a means for selectively operating one or, simultaneously, more than one of the circulating systems, a common heat exchanging means is provided. The common heat exchanging means comprising a plurality of flow passages disposed in heat exchanging adjacent relationship with each other, and a distributing means for connecting each of the circulating systems to a selected series of flow passages of the common heat exchanging means. Adjacent flow passages can be connected to different circulating systems for heat exchange therebetween. The temperature-controlling assembly therefore can be operated in different heat exchanging functions.

Abstract: The bar feeder provides bars (2') of material to a machine tool such as an automatic lathe. It includes a revolving barrel guide or an opening guide (4) in which the bar (2) to be machined is moved axially by a feed device including a pusher (20) driven by a chain (25). A first digital angular sensor (30) is associated with a pinion of this chain. A longitudinal camshaft (12) associated with a second digital angular sensor (35) actuates all the other operational mechanisms of the bar feeder. An automatic control electronic unit (31) can thus control in a reliable and precise manner all the bar feeder's operation, from signals originating from the machine tool and the two single sensors (30, 35) of the bar feeder.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a machine-tool (20) including at least one machining station able to accommodate selectively a tool, at least one tool magazine for storing the tools, a tool transfer device, and control means for driving the tool magazine. The machine-tool is characterised in that the tool magazine (21) is formed as a closed circuit of several interconnected main supports (30), in that each main support (30) can accommodate and hold several subsidiary supports (31) intended to carry at least two tools. The machine-tool (20) further includes an operator interface for loading/unloading the subsidiary supports (31) from outside the machine-tool (20), independently of the operating state of the machine-tool (20). The storage capacity of such a tool magazine (21) is advantageously high, and makes the machine-tool highly autonomous.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for homogenizing bulk material, wherein the bulk material is supplied from above into a container which is restricted sidewards and downwards and is fed out by means of a feeding out conveyor located in the lower portion of the container. The characteristic features of the invention are that the bulk material is fed in from above in one end of the container (20), wherein the bulk material is caused to slide down towards the opposite end of the container such that a bed of bulk material is formed having a sloping profile in the container, and wherein, due to the sliding, heavier and/or coarser fractions of the bulk material slides more than lighter fractions, and that during each time unit a volume of bulk material is fed out from the bottom portion of the container from each section (.DELTA.

Abstract: Adjustable tube-cleaning device (10) has a scraper sub-assembly (16) which includes a substantially annular sleeve (32) on a circumferential outer surface (30) of an elastic core (14) which, in turn, is mounted on a central shaft (12). The sleeve (32) contracts toward a pre-formed, non-loaded configuration in which it has a smaller internal diameter than a diameter of the outer surface of the elastic core. The scraper assembly further includes a plurality of scrapping vanes (32) held by the sleeve to the elastic core and extending radially outwardly from the elastic core. Each of the scraping vanes has a scraping edge (54) directed radially away from the elastic core. The elastic core is substantially cylindrical and surrounds the central shaft between anchor (18) and adjustable compression member (26). The scraping vanes in one row of vanes can be placed on an angle relative to a plane perpendicular to an axis of the central shaft.

Abstract: Hepatocyte growth factor stimulates proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells, most preferably burst-forming unit-erythroid cells. The hepatocyte growth factor may be obtained from cells transformed with human gene sequences coding therefor. Pharmaceutical compositions useful to induce the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells may contain hepatocyte growth factor as an active principle in admixture with a suitable carrier. The pharmaceutical compositions may additionally contain stem cell factor as an active principle.

Abstract: A method for producing moisture-containing soft contact lenses by polymerizing monomers for contact lenses in the presence of a diluent for monomers and substituting the diluent contained in the resulting polymer with an aqueous solution, wherein the diluent is composed of one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of triethylene glycol, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether and triethylene glycol monomethyl ether and a moisture-containing contact lens composed of a copolymer of the following main components, (1) two or more kinds of hydrophilic monomers selected from the group consisting of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone and N,N-dimethylacrylamide, (2) an alkyl methacrylate and (3) a crosslinkable monomer, and an aqueous solution, which has a moisture content of 50-70% and exhibits a penetration strength of 1100 gf/mm or more. The contact lens of the present invention is optically transparent and exhibit excellent mechanical strength.

Abstract: A process for producing a polythiol oligomer having disulfide linkages by reacting polythiol (with the functionality of two or above) with sulfur in a molar ratio of m to (m-1) (where m is an integer of 2 to 21) in the presence of a basic catalyst, whereby the oligomers produced have a degree of oligomerization of m (wherein m is defined as above). Specifically disclosed is a process for reacting 2,5-dimercaptomethyl-1,4-dithiane (DMMD) with sulfur in a molar ratio 2:1 or 3:2 in the presence of a basic catalyst, thereby producing an oligomer represented by the below formula: ##STR1## (wherein n is an integer of up to 21). Also disclosed are optical polymers made with the oligomer and optical materials and devices made with the polymer.

Abstract: This X-Y table can move a load (CH) along perpendicular active directions (X, Y). It includes a base (1), a carriage (4) for the load (CH) mounted so as to move on the base along the active directions (X; Y), in particular via sliding means (3, 4) for each of said directions, two linear motors (B, C) which each include a stator (5) and a moving element (6) coupled to the carriage (4). Coils and magnets are respectively embedded in the moving elements and in the stators for applying driving forces to the carriage (4) along the active direction of the motor concerned (B, C), while allowing the moving element mobility in the other active direction with respect to said stator element.

Abstract: There is provided a structure for joining an impeller to a rotatable shaft, including (a) a bushing through which the impeller is joined to the rotatable shaft, the bushing including a hollow cylindrical portion which is to fit into a recess formed with the impeller and into which the rotatable shaft is to fit, (b) a first joint structure for joining the bushing to the impeller so that the bushing is positioned coaxially with the impeller, and (c) a second joint structure for joining the rotatable shaft to the bushing so that the rotatable shaft is positioned coaxially with the bushing. The structure provides a sufficient ability for transferring a torque between an impeller and a shaft, self-aligning performance between an impeller and a shaft, and good serviceability for assembling and disassembling, and further provides higher accuracy in axially positioning an impeller and a shaft and lower fabrication costs.

Abstract: An expansion-joint system (48) for forming a seal between a steam turbine and a condenser includes an expansion-joint belt (50, 51) having a width-wise cross-sectional shape with first and second knobs (62, 64) at respective first and second opposite ends (72, 74) of a thinner elongated web (70). The knobs are formed by an abrupt bulge (66, 68) on only a first opposite side, while each of knob portions (76) of a second opposite side of the belt, opposite the bulge, forms a substantially straight line with a lead-in portion (80) from the elongated web. The knob portion and the lead-in portion of the second side are parallel with a symmetrical center (57) of fabric layers (56) in the belt. In one embodiment the substantially straight line formed by the knob portion and lead-in portion of the second side continues over a distance of approximately at least twice the length of the bulge.

Abstract: An umbrella support attachment for a bicycle is provided which comprises a distal portion support member including a fastening portion to be attached to a seat stay of the bicycle and a support portion for supporting a distal portion of the umbrella, and a proximal portion support member including a fastening portion to be attached to a frame bar of the bicycle and a clipping portion for supporting a proximal portion of the umbrella. The umbrella support attachment is effective to carry an elongate object such as an umbrella on a bicycle without interfering with the operation of the bicycle and smooth movement of movable components of the bicycle.

Abstract: A rotary switch has a control knob (3) that is mounted on at least three balls (6) that move, guided by a cage disk (7), in a housing groove (8) formed by a radial wall (9) and an axial wall (10), against which the balls (6) are urged by an outward or inward conical bearing surface (11) or (12). The radial and axial wall bearing surfaces have contact segments and contact paths (13, 14) that are shorted by at least one of the balls (6). The control knob has a stop lug (15), an operational adjustment angle (4) of which is limited by housing lugs (16) and which, during operational adjustment, contacts at least one of two stop lugs (17) of the cage disk, which are positioned at an angle that corresponds approximately to one-half the maximum operational adjustment angle (4) and to a maximum contact adjustment angle (5). This structure results in reduced cost and functional improvement.

Abstract: There is provided a fuel cell generating set including (a) a fuel cell, (b) a Lysholm compressor, (c) a gas-liquid separation apparatus condensing humidity generated in the fuel cell into water and retaining the thus-produced water therein, and (d) an injection pump for injecting the water to an intake port of the Lysholm compressor. The water exchanges heat with air under pressure in the Lysholm compressor to thereby cool air to be discharged from the Lysholm compressor by latent heat of vaporization. The water injected from the injection pump seals a leakage path in the Lysholm compressor. The above-mentioned generating set enhances volumetric efficiency and temperature efficiency of a Lysholm compressor, which ensures that the generating set can operate with less power and the generating set can be made smaller in size and lighter in weight. In addition, it is not necessary to supply water to the generating set, because the generating set is self-sufficient with respect to water.