Abstract: A method for determining proper rotation direction of a reversible motor comprises the steps of: operating the motor to rotate a fan in a first direction, monitoring an operating parameter of the motor while the fan is rotated in the first direction, determining if the monitored operating parameter is within an acceptable range, determining that the first direction of rotation is not the proper rotation direction where the monitored operating parameter is not within the acceptable range, and operating the motor to rotate the fan in a second direction if the monitored operating parameter is not within the acceptable range.

Abstract: Improved microwire strain sensor elements (20, 40, 52, 62) and corresponding methods are provided, which permit accurate, wireless strain monitoring of a variety of structures, including composite structures, through use of a remote detector (28). The sensor elements (20, 40, 52, 62) have amorphous or nanocrystalline metallic alloy microwire cores (22, 48), which exhibit substantially reduced remagnetization responses when the sensor elements (20, 40, 52, 62) are coupled with a structure to be strain-monitored, and the structures are in an unstrained condition. When the monitored structure experiences a strain above a pre-selected threshold value, the microwire cores (22, 48) exhibit substantially different remagnetization responses as an indication that the monitored structure has experienced a strain above a strain threshold or over a range of strain.

Abstract: The system for collecting and delivering heat energy with modular heating and cooling apparatus includes of at least one collecting body (20) of belt (94) or plate (95) construction with lateral tubing connection (31) installed within the exterior of the house (1) within the soil trench (3), where the lay-out of axes (98) of more than one soil trench (3) is radial and/or the lay-out of the axes (98) of the trenches (3) is parallel and/or trapezoidal, the system for collecting heat energy also includes the module of controlled ventilation of the house with a soil-air exchanger (19), a module for collecting of solar radiation by collectors (6, 63, 7, 60), where the system for collecting and delivering heat energy includes at least one heat transfer body (70) of a belt (94) or plate (95) construction with lateral tubing connection (69) installed within the interior of the house (1) on the surface of the walls, ceiling, floors and/or within the sub-surface construction, where the equipment (2) is located outside

Abstract: An electric induction motor assembly includes a rotor assembly and a stator assembly. The rotor assembly includes an exposed bar rotor comprising a plurality of axially stacked, punched-to-size rotor laminations. The stator assembly includes a plurality of axially stacked, punched-to-size stator laminations. Each of the laminations presents an axial thickness of less than 0.024 inches. The rotor assembly and the stator assembly cooperatively define a radially extending air gap between a radially outer periphery of the rotor assembly and a radially inner periphery of the stator assembly that is less that 0.012 inches.

Abstract: A powered rotary knife includes a handle, a blade housing, an annular blade, and a blade bushing for rotatably mounting the blade within the housing. The blade housing includes an inner groove that is operable to receive the blade bushing therein. The blade housing and blade bushing are split in order to expand and receive the blade. The blade includes an outer groove that is also operable to receive the blade bushing. Thus, the blade bushing is spaced between the blade housing and blade and rotatably secures the blade within the blade housing.

Abstract: An adjustable carriage assembly is provided that includes a shaft assembly, a carriage section and a vertical movement section. The carriage section has a centerline and first and second lift pad assemblies operably connected to the shaft assembly. The shaft assembly is configured to translate rotational movement to synchronous movement of the lift pad assemblies. The vertical movement section is connected to the carriage section and is configured to attach to a lift system for raising and lowering the carriage section.

Abstract: A fluid deflecting baffle is provided for use on an electric motor to be used in an environment where liquid may otherwise pass through a vent opening in an endshield of the motor. The baffle is secureable to the endshield and extends in a partial covering relationship with the vent opening. The baffle includes a vent passage therethrough and has at least one liquid flow obstructing louver that extends across the vent opening to deflect liquid away from the vent passage while allowing venting air to flow through the vent passage. The louver includes a generally flat liquid deflection surface that is disposed at an oblique angle relative to the axis of the motor and at least partially faces a venting direction of incoming air and fluid.

Abstract: An electric motor assembly is configured to be mounted within a machine in a selected one of multiple possible motor dispositions corresponding with different motor axis positions. The motor assembly includes an endshield having a pair of opposite generally radially-extending mounting flanges. Each mounting flange presents an engagement portion that includes a plurality of spaced apart, dissimilarly-shaped recesses that extend in a generally common direction. The pair of flanges cooperatively present corresponding sets of like-shaped recesses, each of which is associated with one of the motor dispositions, but only one of the sets of recesses extends entirely through the engagement portions to define a single set of like-shaped fastener-receiving through holes corresponding to the selected motor disposition. A method of manufacturing components for electric motor assemblies configured to be mounted within respective machines in a selected one of multiple possible dispositions is also disclosed.

Abstract: Wound closure apparatus is provided including a body having an elongated, lowermost force-transmitting surface operable to be placed in a proximal, external, wound-closing position on a patient, together with a force-exerting assembly coupled with the body and operable to exert a downwardly directed force serving to generate wound-closing pressure against the patient's tissue. The force-transmitting surface is preferably three-dimensionally asymmetric so that forces of different magnitude are exerted at different locations along the length of the surface. The apparatus is especially designed for the closure of wounds attendant to endovascular interventions, e.g., a femoral artery puncture wound incident to percutaneous cardiac intervention (PCI), and is capable of quickly effecting wound closure with a time-to-ambulation (TTA) of approximately 60 minutes, and with a very low complication rate.

Abstract: Improved extruded starch-bearing products (e.g., starches, starch-bearing legumes, starch-bearing grains and formulations containing any of the foregoing) are provided having relatively high cook values and low cold water viscosities. The products are prepared by initial preconditioning to partially cook the starting material(s), followed by low shear extrusion cooking, with a total STE/SME ratio of at least about 4.

Abstract: Novel water softening compositions and methods of treating hard water are provided. The compositions comprise a blend of sodium chloride and potassium chloride. The compositions are useful for regenerating ion exchange material in a water softening system and providing softened water containing both sodium and potassium ions.

Abstract: A torque arm restraint is provided with a body having a bore including an axis and an arm extending from said body transversely to the axis and is adapted for resisting torque applied to the fitting of a liquid storage tank, and is configured either for mounting on a fitting or as a component of the fitting such as an outlet fitting mounting a pipe and extending from the wall of the tank. A tubular body permits passage of instrumentation or liquid therethrough and the arm may have an abutment surface positioned proximate the inside surface of the tank wall, either in engagement or in spaced relationship, whereby the arm resists torque applied to the fitting exteriorly of the tank. The body may include an attachment member which is adapted for mounting to a tank fitting, and may be coupled to a pipe within the tank.

Abstract: A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header with a flexiable cutterbar assembly and a draper assembly that flexes with the cutterbar assembly. The draper assembly includes a side draper belt configured to receive severed crop materials from the cutterbar assembly. The draper belt includes an internal guide rib. Pivoting structure is positioned within the interior of the draper belt. The pivoting structure presents a groove that receives the guide rib therein.

Abstract: An interactive information dissemination system includes a media server (210) for receiving a plurality of media elements and storing the media elements in a database. A sender client (200) enables a first user to identify message data, a recipient identifier, and a media element from the database of media elements. A recipient client (202) presents the media element to a second user associated with the recipient identifier. The recipient client (202) further presents the message data to the second user when the second user performs a predetermined action, such as submitting authentication information or requesting the message data, to receive the message data. The message data may be secured by requiring sender and recipient authentication, and by encoding the data using a private encoding key and data package identifier managed by a main server (206) and a key server (208).

Abstract: New oral rinse solutions and mouthwashes are provided. The oral rinse solutions comprise essential oil and alcohol, supplemented with hydrogen peroxide, and natural extracts. The essential oil and/or alcohol can be provided as part of a base composition. The most preferred base compositions are antiseptic mouthwashes containing the essential oil and/or alcohol. Alternatively, the ingredients can be individually added to the inventive composition. The oral rinse solutions provide antimicrobial activity while soothing oral inflammations and irritations, thus being useful for treating, alleviating, and promoting healing of a wide variety of oral ailments such as periodontal disease (gingivitis and periodontitis), plaque, oral inflammation, toothaches, oral ulcerations, dry socket, dentin hypersensitivity, and halitosis, as well as address aesthetic issues such as bad breath and tooth discoloration.

Abstract: A silicate-resistant sorbent composition, as well as a method of making and using the same, is provided. The sorbent composition generally comprises a support component comprising one or more silicate-resistant silica-containing components that have been treated one or more silicate-inhibiting metals. The inventors have discovered that sorbent compositions made and used according to embodiments the present invention exhibit a surprisingly low in situ silicate generation rate when exposed to oxidative regeneration conditions.

Abstract: New compositions for use as protective coatings and/or adhesives are provided. The compositions comprise a hydrocarbon resin (e.g., terpene rosin) and a rubber (e.g., EPDM) dispersed or dissolved in a solvent system. The solvent system is preferably a single-solvent system, and the compositions are preferably free of surfactants, dyes, and chromophores. The compositions can be cured or dried to form layers or films that are chemically and thermally resistant, but that can be readily dissolved and removed at the appropriate stage in the fabrication process.

Abstract: A memory system includes n (n>1) memory arrays (1.1 to 1.n), a address decoder (2), a data connecting circuit (3), and a write controlling circuit (4). The address decoder (2) includes a decoder (5), and n?1 selectors (6.1 to 6.n?1). The memory system has an address bus (01) for lead in address A, k (k>1), input/output data buses (02.1 to 02.k) for data transmission, and a control bus (03) for lead in write control signals. The data is stored by bytes, each data byte D being addressable by one address A. After the address A has been set on the address bus (01), in memory arrays (1.1 to 1.n) the memory locations are activated in which the data bytes DA, DA+1, . . . , DA+k?1 are stored. The data connecting circuit (3) connects the data interfaces of the memory arrays (1.1 to 1.n) with the data buses (02.1 to 02.k) so that the first data bus (02.1) transmits the data byte DA, and simultaneously the second data bus (02.2) transmits the data byte DA+1, . . . , and simultaneously the k-th data bus (02.