Abstract: An air-bearing apparatus for aiding in conveying a web is taught comprising a central web support housing including a cylindrical surface and two sides. There is an end cap positioned adjacent each of the two sides, the end caps and the central web support housing defining at least one plenum therein. The central web support housing is provided with a plurality of bores extending from the at least one plenum to the cylindrical surface, the plurality of bores forming at least one row of air jet orifices in the cylindrical surface wherein each bore is directed approximately parallel to a cylindrical axis of the central web support housing with adjacent bores being oppositely directed, the at least one row of air jet orifices extending around at least a portion of the circumference of the cylindrical surface over which the web travels.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for mixing at least two reactants is taught wherein a first reactant is delivered to a reaction zone through a first annular flow path and a second reactant is delivered to the reaction zone through a second annular flow path. The first and second annular flow paths are concentric with one another and the two reactants intermix with one another in the reaction zone. There is a rotating disc having a surface, defining one boundary of the reaction zone. The flow of the first and second reactants across the rotating disc and through the reaction zone is generally radial and has a residence time in the reaction zone of not more than about 100 msec, and preferably not more than about 50 msec. The reaction zone resides in a main reactor vessel and there is a driven agitator residing in the main reactor vessel to stir the contents thereof.

Abstract: A storage case for small format memory cards is taught which utilizes those sections of known and existing computer furniture specifically designed to receive compact disc jewel cases to thereby allow for more reliable storage of small format memory cards. The storage case includes a compact disc jewel case without a disc retaining mechanism therein. A foam insert resides within the compact disc jewel case and has at least one precut cut-out section therein which is removable to provide at least one space in the foam insert to receive a small format memory card. The jewel case is preferably formed from a clear plastic material and there is preferably an insert sheet adapted to be retained proximate to a front wall of the jewel case.

Abstract: An intraoral x-ray film packet is taught which includes an integrally formed comfort enhancing perimetric bracket. The packet comprises a pair of opposing outer sheets and a continuous enclosing seal bonding the two outer sheets together to form an envelope with a perimetric projection with a film chip residing in the envelope. The perimetric projection is folded over and affixed to the packet to form an integral perimetric bracket with a rounded or creased perimetric edge.

Abstract: An image storage, indexing and retrieval system is disclosed in which a plurality of images are storable in digital form (on a writeable DVD), each with an associated information file, the associated information file including metadata which has been automatically captured and stored and/or input by a user. Metadata is automatically captured via the camera. The user can also input metadata via the camera at the time of image capture, or via a player/recorder system and its various interfaces when the captured images are added to an interactive database stored in random access memory. The user may designate one or more elements of the metadata of the associated information file as an image link for each of the image files, and further the user may specify more than one image links for each of the image files. All of the images having a common image link form a group of images, and the user can determine a sequence of display of all of the digital image files any group.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for depositing controlled short intervals of electrostatic charge on a moving web substrate to be coated, including a mathematical model that estimates the charging performance of the apparatus. The model is constructed via benchtop characterization of the apparatus. The model is implemented in coating production via an algorithm comprising a best-fit equation representing the model predictions over a range of relevant input parameter values such as web speed, web capacitance, and desired web voltage. The apparatus includes an electrical charging apparatus, a power supply for powering the charging apparatus, and a controller programmed with the algorithm for automatically setting and controlling the intensity and duration of the output of the power supply to yield the optimal electrostatic potential on the charging apparatus. In operation, run-specific variables including web type and coating speed are also provided as inputs to the controller.

Abstract: A method is provided for determining the concentration of a solution having a predetermined osmotic pressure and/or for generating a solution with a predetermined osmotic pressure. The method is performed by placing a sample of a solution into a sample cell, the sample cell including therein a membrane supported therein; sealing the sample in the sample cell; introducing gas at a predetermined elevated pressure substantially equal to the predetermined osmotic pressure; and generating a dialyzate by allowing the solution to dialyze through the membrane until equilibrium is achieved and no more dialyzate passes through while the sample cell is maintained at the predetermined elevated pressure, the sample remaining in the sample cell having an osmotic pressure substantially equal to the predetermined elevated pressure; collecting the dialyzate of said generating step; and weighing the dialyzate of said collecting step to determine the concentration of the solution remaining in the sample cell.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are taught for treating polyolefin containing or polyolefin-coated webs or laminates for obtaining the proper surface characteristics to promote adhesion of photosensitive coating materials and/or layers typically coated thereon. The web is passed through a high-voltage sheath region or dark space of the plasma generated by a powered electrode residing in a discharge zone. The frequency of the driving voltage must be above a lower bound dictated by the properties of the paper support and the plasma, and it must be below an upper bound beyond which the sheath voltages drop significantly and it is observed that the benefits of this approach diminish. The dark space is generated by a treatment electrode in a treatment zone. There is a counter electrode having a surface area in said treatment zone which is at least as great as the surface area of the treatment electrode.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a mold tool for molding optical elements is taught which comprises heating a mold tool blank made from a vitreous material to a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the vitreous material; generating an axial viscosity gradient in the mold tool blank; pressing a punch into an optical quality mold surface of the mold tool blank, the punch including a pressing surface with a predetermined geometry for forming an optical feature; cooling the mold tool blank to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the material; and removing the punch from the mold tool blank thereby creating the optical feature in the optical quality mold surface. The axial viscosity gradient is achieved by creating an axial thermal gradient.

Abstract: A reusable bite block/film packet holder is taught which includes comfort enhancing features for holding intraoral radiographic film packets therein and for proper positioning in a patient's mouth. The bite block/film packet holder includes a bite-block and a support bracket extending at an angle of about 90° from the bite-block. There is a slot in the bite-block immediately adjacent the support bracket for engaging an edge of an intraoral film packet inserted therein. A perimetric border at the peripheral edge of the support bracket has a generally rounded cross-sectional configuration and extends beyond the dimensions of the intraoral film packet inserted in the slot. Thus, the sharp, die-cut edges of the film packet are prevented from uncomfortably engaging the soft/sensitive tissues of a patient's mouth. Rather the rounded, soft-feeling perimetric border of the bite block/film packet holder is the contacting element.

Abstract: A method for making working mold tools for use in a compression molding process for molding optical glass elements from high temperature glasses having Tg's in the range of from about 400° C. to about 850° C. An yttria aluminosilicate glass is fabricated by traditional melting and casting processes to thereby make an amorphous base material having a minimum apparent viscosity of 1015 poise at the temperature at which the optical glass elements are to be molded. A mold preform is made from the base material. A first surface figure for the optical element to be molded with the working mold tool is defined. A second surface figure for a master mold tool and a third surface figure for the working mold tool are computed based upon the first surface figure and the coefficients of thermal expansion of the optical element, the master mold tool, and the working mold tool, the temperature at which the working mold tool is molded, and the temperature at which the optical element is to be molded.

Abstract: A versatile, multiple-slot, dual cavity, slide/extrusion hopper for assembling and coating a composite layer comprising a plurality of highly uniform, superposed compositions, and a method for determining the dimensions of the hopper are disclosed. The hopper is suitable for photographic applications and other applications requiring highly uniform layers. The hopper is versatile in that it can accommodate coating compositions that range from Newtonian to substantially shear thinning and in that fewer than the total number of elements may be supplied; the slide offsets between elements are suitable for both merging layers and for the top layer alone. The height of the secondary slot is preferably greater than the height of the primary slot. The method provides optimal cross-sectional shapes for the cavities. Versatility is achieved without greatly increasing the height or thickness of the elements.

Abstract: A movable trough is taught for establishing a uniform wetting line on the rear face of a curtain coating hopper lip. The trough can be pivoted or moved linearly into a position such that the hopper lip resides in or proximate to the movable trough. The curtain coating apparatus is then started and the coating solution leaving the hopper lip is intercepted by the trough. The coating solution flowing over the lip fills and floods the movable trough. The flooding of the trough forces the coating solution to substantially wet (to a height on the back side of the lip significantly higher than that of natural product flow) the back side of the hopper lip. The movable trough is then retracted from its position immediately beneath the hopper lip and intercepting the coating solution exiting the hopper lip to thereby allow the free-falling curtain to form and begin impingement on the moving support web to be coated.

Abstract: A method is disclosed to reduce the time needed to analyze data generated from very similar samples, emphasizing the differences obtained, from the combined technique of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, a technique used to analyze the composition of materials. The method quickly compares each mass chromatogram between similar samples and displays the limited number of mass chromatograms that are different to the analyst.

Abstract: A highly secure personal identification related document is achieved by having an area which contains machine readable information and also having a printed region having embedded data in the image printed thereon. The machine readable information as recorded has been encoded using a secure hash algorithm. For legitimate personal identification related documents, the machine readable data and the embedded data are identical information. The personal identification related document is used in conjunction with a reader system which includes a reader for the machine readable data, an optical scanner for scanning the image and data embedded therein, and a processor. The machine readable data is delivered to the processor which applies the secure hash algorithm thereto to generate a first data set. The digitized image data retrieved with the optical scanner is also delivered to the processor and the embedded data is retrieved therefrom to generate a second data set.

Abstract: A reusable comfort enhancing frame for holding an intraoral x-ray film packet is taught which includes four integrally formed side members with a single contiguous perimetric contact surface having a generally rounded cross-sectional configuration and rounded comers. There is a pocket formed in the four integrally formed side members adapted to have the intraoral x-ray film packet inserted and retained therein, and removed therefrom. In one embodiment, there is a slot in one of the four integrally formed side members through which the intraoral x-ray film packet can be inserted to reside in the pocket. In a second embodiment, the pocket is a snap-in pocket comprising at least one lip element projecting from an interior peripheral wall of the four integrally formed side members and at least two snap-fit elements also projecting the interior peripheral wall of the four integrally formed side members.

Abstract: An intraoral x-ray film packet is taught which includes a perimetric comfort enhancing feature. The intraoral x-ray film packet includes an envelope formed by a first outer sheet having a first generally semicylindrical perimetric element formed therein; a second outer sheet including a second generally semicylindrical perimetric element formed therein, the first and second generally semicylindrical perimetric elements forming a perimetric cushion; and a pair of continuous perimetric seals affixing the first and second outer sheets together, one perimetric seal residing on each side of the perimetric cushion. The packet also includes a film chip residing between the first and second outer sheets. The second outer sheet includes a pair of overlapping sections which are sealed together to form a tab portion to facilitate removal of the envelope after exposure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for compression molding arrays optical elements which may be later singulated. The apparatus includes first and second mold halves with the second mold half having a central nest and a plurality of predetermined negative optical surface features therein. A glass preform is placed in the central nest and the first and second mold halves and the glass preform are heated to at least the glass transition temperature of the glass preform. The glass preform is then pressed between the first and second mold halves to thereby form an integral array of optical elements with each of the optical elements being a positive of the predetermined negative optical surface features. The integrally formed array of optical elements is then cooled to below the glass transition temperature and removed from the first and second mold halves.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for ultrafiltration, washing and concentration of photographic emulsion uses the Blatt Stagnant Film Theory using a gelatin-based mass transfer coefficient of the feed, gelatin concentration of the feed and a setpoint of a constant concentration at the ultrafiltration membrane wall. A useful permeate flow is achieved by varying the pump speed and membrane pressures.

Abstract: A barrel contains an extruder conveying screw which has a drive end, a feed section, a melting section and a pumping section wherein the screw has a vent hole located from 0 to 2 screw diameters from the beginning of the feed section. An axial bore in the screw vents gases from the barrel through the gas vent hole and into the axial bore.