Abstract: A tunnel diode voltage reference circuit includes a tunnel diode; bias voltage circuit for biasing the tunnel diode to operate in the region of the peak current where the tunnel diode output current variation is a fraction of the bias voltage variation; and circuits responsive to the tunnel diode output current, for isolating the tunnel diode output from load variations and converting the tunnel diode output to a reference voltage. A resistance may be placed in parallel with the tunnel diode for raising the negative resistance region to the levels of the peak region to flatten the slope of the negative resistance region between the peak and the valley regions, reducing the reference voltage variation at bias points greater than the peak voltage of the tunnel diode characteristic.

Abstract: A formed non-planar heat exchanger having two non-planar plates continuously joined across their contacting surfaces and complementarily curved to form an integral curved member; at least one channel is formed in at least one of the plates to define an integral internal heat exchange fluid flow passage within the curve contour of the curved member; the integral internal heat exchange fluid flow passage conforms with the curved member. A method of making such a device is also disclosed.

Abstract: The first difference signal between the current and previous frame signals is obtained by the subtracter pixel by pixel and supplied to both the line memory and the average value calculation circuit. The average value calculation circuit calculates the average value for at least one line of the first difference signal which relates to only pixels with smaller absolute of the difference value than the present threshold. If the pixels which have absolute values smaller than the threshold, are less than the present number, the average value is set 0. Large values of the first difference caused by motion of the target are excluded and not treated as the flicker noise. The second difference signal is transformed by the non-linear circuit according to predetermined characteristics and supplied to the adder. The previous frame signal is supplied to the adder at the same time by delaying the signal through the line memory.

Abstract: A goods-handling door of the raisable type, the door comprising a flexible or hinged curtain, optionally having horizontal reinforcing bars and capable of being wound, folded concertina-like, or displaced above the door, the edges of the curtain sliding between the side walls of vertical slideways which are spaced substantially further apart than the thickness of the curtain, or of the reinforcing bars, if any, with thrust means being provided in each slideway for thrusting the edge of the curtain against one of the side walls of the slideway. Each thrust means is constituted by an elongate element, is resiliently held in a horizontal position by a resilient hinge disposed between one of the ends of the thrust means and one of the walls of the slideway, and is shorter than the spacing between the side walls of the slideway so as to leave a gap substantially equal to the thickness of the curtain or to the thickness of a reinforcing bar, if any.

Abstract: An improved method for isolating and purifying nucleic acid from cell culture media contemplating adding to resuspended cell solutions a lysing solution and neutralizing/deproteinating agent without mechanical mixing, followed by centrifugation to partially pellet cellular debris, mixing the solution to complete the reaction, and additional centrifugation to fully pellet the debris.

Abstract: A display table including a plurality of substantially rigid vertical support members, each having upper and lower ends, the support members being interconnected to hold them in substantially vertical positions. There is a horizontal top member and connecting members for provisionally connecting the top member to the vertical support members at their upper ends. There is in addition a tensioning membrane and attachment members for provisionally attaching the tensioning membrane to the top member and the lower end of at least one of the vertical support members to rigidify the top and vertical members.

Abstract: A can crushing machine comprising a first crusher device (14, 15) for crushing a can (2) from a side of the can (2) such that a first side (2a) of the can (2) is forced towards a second side (2b) of the can (2) and such that ends (2c, 2d) of the can (2) are caused to pivot inwardly towards each other and towards the second side (2b), a second crusher device (10) for acting on the pivoted ends (2c, 2d) of the can (b 2) to further crush the can (2), a magnetic separator (45, 46, 39) for holding steel based cans but not aluminium based cans whereby the magnetic separator (45, 46, 39) is able to separate steel based cans from the aluminium based cans during use of the can crushing machine, and an adjuster device (70, 89) for moving all cans placed in the can crushing machine against a stop member (93).

Abstract: An automated parking facility management system which determines when a vehicle is at a facility entrance, stores the locations of vacated facility parking spots, determines the location of a desirable vacated parking spot in relation to either the facility entrance or the facility exit, prints a parking record for the customer including the computed location, removes the computed location from the memory after it has been printed to prevent assigning the same spot to two vehicles, and then adds the computed location back into the memory when the vehicle is leaving the facility to make the location available to another vehicle.

Abstract: An automatic grinding system and method for grinding a surface having a predetermined pattern of raised and lower regions includes sensing the width of at least one of those regions; determining the height of the raised region above the lower region in response to the sensed width; and selecting the grinding speed and force and the velocity of the grinder over the surface in response to the determined height of the raised region.

Abstract: A method of making a formed non-planar heat exchanger is disclosed in which two non-planar plates are continuously joined across their contacting surfaces and are complementarily curved to form an integral curved member where at least one of the contacting surfaces is provided with at least one channel to define an integral internal heat exchange fluid flow passage within and conforming to the curved contour of the curved member.

Abstract: An ornamental lighting frame device for the quick and easy shaping of a lighting set having a number of electric lights joined by electric wire, the device including a preshaped frame with a number of openings therethrough and a cantilevered retainer proximate to and extending across the openings to support the electrical wire to provide for the quick and easy placement of the electric lights in a configuration approximating the shape of the frame.

Abstract: A solid state, directional, thermal cable including a bundle of elongated, flexible, carbon fibers having a high thermal conductivity in at least the longitudinal direction. Couplings at each end of the cable, bind together the fiber bundle and thermally engage the cable with objects having different temperatures, for transferring heat between the objects. The thermal cable may be used with a frame which supports a device to or from which heat is to be transferred. The thermal cable engages with the frame at a first region proximate the device, and with a second region remote from the device for transferring heat between the first and second regions. The heat transfer frame may include a composite material whose constituents have at least two different coefficients of thermal expansion, for establishing the overall coefficient of thermal expansion of the composite material. One of the constituents may have a negative coefficient of thermal expansion, and may be a carbon based material.

Abstract: A computerized technique for generating masters for embossing and printing color images with local regions of variation of an optical characteristic such as reflectance is disclosed. The color image is read into a computer and displayed on the computer screen. An electronic embossing mask is created for each local region which is to have a preselected optical variation. The line pattern is designated for each local region mask and an embossing film is exposed with each electronic embossing mask for creating in the embossing film a composite image including each line pattern in each local region. A plurality of electronic color separation masks are generated from the original color image, and each of these is combined with an electronic embossing mask to form an electronic line color separation mask having line patterns which correspond to those designated for the local regions.

Abstract: A goods-handling door comprises a raisable curtain 1 which folds concertina-like and which is stiffened by reinforcing bars 2 having rings 4 through which lifting straps 3 are passed, which straps are wound onto a top shaft 5. During lifting and while the curtain is folding, it is desirable for the curtain to fold regularly and in a preferred direction. Flexible and inextensible elements 11 are placed between adjacent bars in order to limit the spacing between the bars, and they are given a structure which facilitates folding in the desired direction.

Abstract: A scattered light multi-Brillouin guided wave optical gyroscope includes a coherent light source; an optical waveguide responsive to the coherent light source for generating a Brillouin, inertially stationary, synchronized fringe from two counter-rotating fringes each derived from a pair of Brillouin waves separated by twice the Brillouin shift; and means for detecting relative rotation between the Brillouin stationary synchronized fringe and the waveguide.

Abstract: An ambient surface contamination sensor including a source for supplying gas, which is energized before it reaches the surface being sensed so that it is capable of transferring energy to the contaminants on the surface or vapor originating therefrom. The sensor then detects the optical emission from the gas passed over the surface within a selected wavelength band characteristic of the presence on the surface of the contaminant, and indicates the presence of the contaminant on the surface when such an emission is detected.

Abstract: An automatic venting system for a vehicle having a plurality of motor operated vents in which the interior of the vehicle is monitored for the temperature as well as the presence of a living being, and a separate sensor is included for sensing precipitation outside the vehicle. When the interior of the vehicle is above a preselected threshold temperature, at least one of the vehicle vents is at least partially opened to cool the vehicle. Then, if precipitation is sensed, the open vent or vents are automatically closed unless a living being is sensed within the interior of the car, in which case one or more of the vents remains at least partially open even during the precipitation to provide sufficient ventilation and safety for the being in the car.

Abstract: A stabilized flying disc comprising a disc, having a convex upper surface, a substantially flat central portion, a downwardly-curving rim, and a concave inner surface and having an attachment member, rotatably connected to the disc proximate the center of the concave inner surface and a plurality of flexible strips secured to the attachment member.

Abstract: An integrated standardized digital precision thermometer has a sheath including a temperature sensing element and a handle physically interconnected with the sheath and housing an integrated digital standardized thermometer circuit, including a analog to digital converter responsive to the temperature sensing element for converting an analog signal representative of the resistance of the sensing element to a digital signal representative of the resistance of the sensing element; and a microcomputer responsive to the digital signal representative of the resistance of the sensing element for converting the digital signal representative of the resistance of the sensing element to a standardized temperature scale.