Abstract: An enclosure (10) for protecting and dissipating heat from electronic equipment such as telecommunications repeater cards (12). The enclosure includes: exterior walls defining a substantially enclosed chamber (14); at least one shelf (16) positioned within the chamber for holding a plurality of repeater cards, the shelf including spaced apart top and bottom walls (60, 62) configured for receiving the cards therebetween and for making direct contact with the cards to allow conduction of heat to the top and bottom walls from the cards; a plurality of elongated heat pipes (84) each having a first, proximal end (84a) coupled with the top or bottom wall for conducting heat to the heat pipe from the top or bottom wall, the heat pipes also each having a second, distal end (84b); and at least one fin (86) coupled with the second, distal end of each of the heat pipes for conducting heat to the fin from the heat pipes so that the heat may be convected from the fin to ambient air in the chamber.

Abstract: A seeding machine has a common, bulk seed container that supplies a number of independent openers, each of which is provided with its own separate metering device. Each metering device is gravity-fed through a telescoping supply tube connected between the top of the metering device and the bottom of the seed container. Each metering device has a relative narrow metering wheel rotatable about a transverse horizontal axis that is provided with one or more rows of seed pockets on its outermost peripheral edge. As the wheel rotates upwardly through a pool of incoming seeds that have collected generally above the wheel in a seed chamber inside the metering device, the pockets become filled by gravity with seeds and then successively discharged at the bottom of the downsweep side of the wheel.

Abstract: A method for packaging meat involves the steps of evacuating air entrained in the meat or between the meat and tray at a station prior to the packaging covering station. When a rotary conveyor is used, this may involve an additional station. However, parallel processing allows low oxygen contents to be achieved inside packages containing food products, which naturally include entrained air, without unduly extending processing time.

Abstract: A strike plate includes a substantially flat body having a bolt-receiving hole defined therein. The body is placed between the exterior and interior sides of a jamb of the door assembly, with the bolt-receiving hole being generally aligned with the bolt-receiving opening defined in the jamb. The strike plate further includes a substantially flat projection extending generally transversely from the body at a point spaced from the bolt-receiving hole. The projection is secured against the side of the jamb that the door moves past as it swings into and out of the closed position (i.e., the exterior or interior side of the jamb). In one embodiment, the projection is secured to the side of the jamb by a reinforcement plate attached to the side of the jamb to overlie the projection. In another embodiment, the projection includes a pair of tabs that project outwardly beyond the body, wherein each tab has an opening for receiving a fastener therein.

Abstract: A reinforcing member for a structural component such as a rail or channel of a vehicle is provided which includes a carrier and a thermally expansible structural reinforcing material element which is fastened to the carrier by mechanical fixation or an adhesive. The mechanical fixation may be provided by a flange or other mechanical connection on the carrier or by a fastener such as a push pin extending through aligned holes and openings in the carrier and foamable material. The push pins are preferably of a synthetic resin material which more closely approximates the heat conductivity of the foamable material when the latter is activated by heat, and is sufficiently yieldable to absorb impacts to the foamable material during installation.

Abstract: An improved trailer hitch is provided which provides greater control over the towing vehicle and towed vehicle by eliminating swaying of a towed vehicle and permitting the towing vehicle-towed vehicle combination to make sharper turns. The hitch comprises a beam mounted to the parallel side frame members of a towing vehicle. Pivotally attached to the beam are a pair of crossover arms which are also pivotally attached at their opposite ends to a trailer receiver. The receiver includes a traditional trailer attachment for connection to a towed vehicle. The receiver further includes an oscillator mounted on the receiver. This oscillator is operable for moving laterally along a long metal tube which is attached at each end to the frame members of the towing vehicle.

Abstract: The dog clutch for a square baler is normally retained in a disengaged position as a continuously driven sprocket rotates around it during baling operations. When a retainer for the dog is released, the dog is released by the retainer and flips out to an engaged position so as to be driven through one knotter revolution by a driving lug on the rotating sprocket, whereupon it is reset by the retainer into its disengaged position. An external lobe on the rotating sprocket blocks releasing movement of the retainer if the driving lug of the sprocket is in the immediate vicinity of the dog, which could otherwise cause an insecure engagement of the lug with the dog. The dog-engaging seat on the retainer is spring-loaded to provide yieldable relief in the event binding starts to occur between the retainer and the dog.

Abstract: A method of playing a wagering game with a deck of numerically valued cards includes the steps of having each player make an initial wager and dealing at least two cards to form a corresponding number of hands. Each player is asked to select an initial winning option based on how the player expects the hands to be dealt. The game further involves dealing an additional card to each of the hands until each of the hands has a count of at least a first predetermined value, such as seventeen in the case of blackjack, and then awarding each of the players whose initial winning option correctly predicted how the hands would be dealt. The game method may also include the step of accepting a second wager from each of the players, simultaneously having each player who made the second wager select a second winning option based on how that player expects the hands to be dealt, and awarding the players whose second winning option correctly predicted how the hands would be dealt.

Abstract: A composition is derived from an addition polymerizable organotitanium polymer which upon exposure to an oxygen plasma or baking in air, is converted to titanium dioxide (titania) or is converted to a mixed, titanium-containing metal oxide. The metal oxide formed in situ imparts etch-resistant action to a patterned photoresist layer. The composition may also be directly deposited and patterned into permanent metal oxide device features by a photolithographic process.

Abstract: An improved floor drain assembly (10) is provided which includes an upright inlet section (12) presenting a waste inlet (30) and an outlet section (14) terminating in a discharge end (16). The assembly (10) includes an oblique first wall (26b) below the inlet (30) for diverting waste materials towards the end (16); a second oblique wall (82) spaced from the wall (26b) and a third wall (28a) intermediate the walls (26b, 82) complete an in-line trap (18). The inlet (30) is equipped with a grate (46) and a perforate filter (50). The wall (26b) serves to forcefully divert waste material through the assembly (10) to minimize clogging problems.

Abstract: Reversible swellable modified starch products are provided in the form of individual, chemically cross-linked starch granules capable of undergoing multiple hot or cold water swelling/drying cycles without losing the individuality of the starch granules, and with essentially no loss of starch solubles. The starches are prepared by forming a dispersion of starch granules in water, with the granules undergoing swelling and having a crystalline phase; a cross-linker (preferably a phosphorylating agent) is added to the dispersion in order to cross-link the starch under conditions to avoid complete gelatinization thereof. The swollen/cross-linked starch granules are then heated in excess water in order to melt the crystalline phase of the granules. The granules exhibit a network-like structure with internal voids.

Abstract: A barrel claw of increased volumetric capacity without sacrificing ergonomics has a normally horizontally disposed, elongated hollow body having a generally cylindrical central portion and a pair of tapered, conical end portions on opposite sides of the central portion. Viewing windows at opposite ends of the body permit observation of the internal chamber from outside the body. Inlet openings from the teat cups are provided in the top wall section of the body in the tapered end portions thereof so that the inlets are properly angled toward the teats of the cow's udder during use of the claw. An integrated discharge spout and pulsation manifold unit is removably attached to the top of the body in any one of a number of rotative positions so as to most advantageously position the radially projecting spout of the unit relative to the observation windows and other equipment associated with the milking system.

Abstract: An intraocular lens (38) having focusing capabilities permitting focusing movement of the lens (38) in response to normal ciliary muscle movement incident to changes in the distance between the eye and an object under observation is provided. The lens (38) is designed for surgical implantation within the capsule (22) of an eye (10) and includes an optic (40) and a resilient body (46) which cooperate to form a discoid shaped lens (38) that generally conforms to the shape of the natural capsule (22). When distant objects are viewed, the ciliary body (32) is retracted and the capsule (22) flattens, thus causing the lens (38) to likewise flatten, moving the optic (40) posteriorly, closer to the fovea (26). When viewing near objects, the ciliary body (32) contracts, causing the capsule (22) and thus the lens (38) to expand to their original shape, shifting the optic (40) anteriorly, away from the fovea (26).

Abstract: An accumulator mechanism for stopping a carrier on an inverted power and free conveyor system when it approaches a stopped preceding carrier. A pivot arm on a leading trolley for each carrier has a retractable trolley dog which is normally driven by a chain dog projecting from a drive chain. The accumulator mechanism includes an actuator lever which is pivoted to mounting plates and carriers a cam roller that acts in a cam slot formed in a pivot plate. When the actuating lever is pivoted due to contacting a preceding carrier, the cam roller acts within the contour of the slot to pivotally displace the pivot plate. The pivot plate then pulls a lift link upwardly to pull on the pivot arm and retract the trolley dog from the chain dog. The slot is arranged to effect lost motion of the cam roller in the slot to accommodate over travel.

Abstract: A baler for making rectangular crop bales has a generally horizontally disposed fore-and-aft extending baling chamber. The pickup of the baler is disposed underneath the baling chamber in line with the path of travel of a reciprocating plunger in the overhead chamber. An in-line transfer duct leads generally upwardly and rearwardly from the pickup to the bottom of the chamber. An enclosed crop flow passage is defined from a point immediately behind the pickup to a point located at the opening in the bottom of the baling chamber and presents a forwardmost cutting zone, a packing zone behind the cutting zone, and an accumulating zone behind the packing zone. Cutter apparatus within the cutting zone reduces the crop materials into smaller pieces as they flow through the cutting zone, whereupon a separate packer takes the materials from the rear side of the cutter apparatus and packs them in a downstream direction toward the accumulating zone where they form into a charge.

Abstract: A thermoelectric heat pump fluid circuit apparatus (10) for alternately delivering hot and cold fluids to an end device (12) such as a therapeutic wrap or pad. The apparatus includes a heat pump (14), a fluid circuit (16) coupled with the heat pump and having a fluid contained therein, a pump (18) interposed in the fluid circuit for circulating the fluid therein, and a valve (20) interposed in the fluid circuit for selectively delivering fluid from the fluid circuit to a device coupled with the apparatus.

Abstract: Combined extrusion/sonolation apparatus (10) which is designed to continuously and efficiently incorporate components (e.g., liquid lipids or fats or meltable solids) into heterogeneous materials in order to form stable products. The apparatus (10) includes an extruder (12) having a barrel (27) and restricted orifice outlet (38); a sonolation device (14) is directly coupled to the outlet (38). Preferably a monitoring unit (50) is located downstream of the sonolation device (14) and is connected via a controller (18) with the extruder (12) and device (14) so as to control the operation of the latter. In use, starting materials are fed into the extruder (12) and are initially mixed, whereupon a component is injected through a barrel-mounted injector pipe (41). The composite extrudate is treated within device (14) by subjecting it to acoustic vibrations.