Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator for a circuit breaker having a pair of relatively moveable contacts is disclosed. The actuator includes primary actuator coupled to at least one of the contacts by a link mechanism operable to provide closing and holding forces to the contacts of the circuit breaker and a secondary, faster acting actuator which, on tripping thereof, provides sufficient force to at least initiate opening of the contacts by the configuration of the link mechanism. The secondary actuator includes a stored energy latch which has a permanent magnet flux circuit for providing a holding force and a coil connected to receive a trigger signal to overcome the permanent magnet flux to trip the latch.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining whether a patient with congestive heart failure (CHF) will benefit from pacing therapy through the use of an implantable cardiac rhythm management device. A patient's right ventricular and left ventricular pressures are measured, and the patient's PP_Area is calculated for each normal heartbeat that occurs during the testing period. Depending upon the value of the patient's mean PP_Area, it can be determined whether the patient will or will not respond well acutely to pacing therapy. A mean PP_Area value of greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, which is about 0.3, indicates that the patient is a responder to pacing therapy, while a value of less than the predetermined threshold of about 0.3 indicates that the patient is a non-responder.

Abstract: A kitchen appliance for preparing yogurt, soft frozen yogurt and ice cream, hard frozen yogurt and ice cream, and cheese. The appliance includes a housing having a base and side walls defining an open top. A motor-driven paddle device is rotationally journaled with respect to the cover and base and the motor therefor is adapted to be driven either continuously or with a predetermined duty cycle, dependent upon the product being made. Also mounted on either the cover or the base is a vent hole occluder that is normally positioned to block the vent holes in the cover or base, but which shifts to a second position uncovering those vent holes when the consistency of the product being produced, as tested by the paddle motion or other apparatus reveals that a predetermined cultured state has been reached. Shifting of the occluding device from the covering position to the open position also actuates a switch to shut off the drive motor and a warming element.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing impedance plethysmography on a living heart for diagnostic and therapy purposes involves placement of plural leads where at least one is disposed within a coronary vein traversing the myocardium on the left side of the heart with another lead having plural electrodes thereon disposed in the right ventricle. By appropriate selection of electrodes on the first and second leads for driving with an AC carrier signal and other such electrodes coupled to a sensing amplifier, an impedance vs. time signal can be derived that when signal processed provides useful information concerning cardiac performance. The multi-site impedance sensing has been found to yield more robust data especially in patients having CHF.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing congestive heart failure therapy status. An electronic device, preferably a cardiac rhythm management device, capable of measuring transthoracic impedance and for sensing a level of physical activity is implanted in a patient. The transthoracic impedance signal is processed to obtain an estimate of the subject's minute ventilation, respiratory rate and tidal volume. From accelerometer measured activity, an estimate is obtained of oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production. Ratios of tidal volume to respiratory rate, tidal volume to inspiratory time, minute ventilation to carbon dioxide production and oxygen uptake to heart rate are meaningftil status indicators for assessing the efficacy of particular therapy regimens to CHF patients.

Abstract: Exertion levels of a patient are measured by monitoring signals from adaptive-rate sensors such as an accelerometer and or a minute ventilation sensor; sensor data is collected for conversion into metabolic equivalent measurements. The data obtained can be used to evaluate patient physical activity levels and can be used to assess the patient's condition and change pacing therapy or other treatments accordingly. An automatic adjustment of the adaptive-rate pacing therapy may be based on the activity levels detected by the metabolic equivalent measurements made by the pacemaker.

Abstract: A method for reducing the affects of intrinsic detection latency in a cardiac rhythm management device, wherein said method is initiated immediately prior to delivering a stimulation pulse to the heart tissue. A coincidence of intrinsic and cardiac rhythm management initiated stimulus or the delivery of a stimulation pulse proximate the time of an intrinsic event due to intrinsic detection latency may results in delivery of unnecessary backup stimulus and/or imprecise determination of a pacing threshold. When stimulating the heart, the timing sequence for delivering a stimulation pulse typically depends upon the timing of a previous intrinsic or device initiated event. Further, the method of the present invention reduces the affects of intrinsic detection latency thereby facilitating improved detection of capture and determination of capture threshold for minimizing power consumption while assuring therapeutic efficacy.

Abstract: A train positioning system for moving railroad cars by engaging bogey frames from one side includes a dog carriage guideway spaced from and parallel to a railroad track, a dog carriage mounted to operate along the guideway, a first dog pivotally attached to the dog carriage to pivot in a generally horizontal plane between a retracted position and an extended position. The first dog is positioned to engage a bogey frame in a first direction and be deflected by the bogey frame in a second direction in the extended position. A second dog may be mounted in opposed spaced relation to the first dog also to pivot in a generally horizontal plane between a retracted and an extended position. The second dog is configured to engage a bogey frame in the second direction and be deflected by the bogey frame in the first direction. A system is provided for reversibly operating the dog carriage along the guideway.

Abstract: A combination of versatile and inexpensive elements are combined on site to create an impermeable assembly which collects water falling through a grating or cracks between adjacent boards of a deck and completely drains it to one or more points at a selected edge. The impermeable assembly is comprised of a plurality of peaks and valleys configured to simplify installation, conserve headroom and provide an aesthetically pleasing finished surface. In a first embodiment, a collector collects the water falling through cracks between boards spanning the space between adjacent joists from which it drains transversely to a gutter positioned beneath the joists. The gutter drains the water longitudinally to the perimeter of the deck.

Abstract: A tube saw for precision cuts on tubing wherein a motorized circular saw is rotated about the circumference of a tube to cut it without leaving burrs, finishing marks or other deformations on the tubing. The tubing is held firmly and precisely by a plurality of facing triangular clamping elements and the clamping elements are centered and firmly locked in place relative the housing containing the saw to ensure the blade does not move relative the tube during the cut. The housing, rotatably holding the saw, has bearings with angular and radial stiffness to hold the saw firmly in position during the cut to ensure a high quality cut. A servomotor drives the rotatable portion of the housing at an even rate to cut the tubing with an even force and rate around its circumference. The saw is positioned close to the end of the clamping elements to limit bending and vibrations in the tubing from interfering with a square high precision cut.

Abstract: A combination thermal and vibration sensor for use in sleep monitoring equipment comprises a thin film of a plastic exhibiting both pyroelectric and piezoelectric properties. By providing a layer of foam material totally covering one major surface of the plastic film layer, it is found that the thermal mass of the sensor is changed to the point where the pyroelectric signal can more readily be isolated from the piezoelectric signal using conventional signal processing techniques.

Abstract: A device and method for multi chamber pacing a patient's heart having heart failure and intrinsic conduction wherein ventricular tracking is used to pace the ventricle when the sinus rate exceeds a preset atrial maximum tracking rate. The ventricular tracking pacemaker increases the range of pacing the ventricle. The ventricular tracking minimizes the loss of ventricular pacing caused by intrinsic conduction when the sinus rate is below an atrial maximum tracking rate, and it induces a new ventricular pacing behavior for sinus rates above the atrial maximum tracking rate without any significant pacing hysteresis as the sinus rate returns towards the lower rate limit.

Abstract: A method for automatically generating weather alerts in disclosed. Weather related data is automatically collected and processed to detect the presence of storm cells, their location, direction and speed. Alerts are automatically generated when necessary. These alerts contain information related to the nature of the storm cell, its location, the specific geographic areas likely to be affected by the storm cell, and the storm cell's expected time of arrival at each specific geographic area.

Abstract: In a high speed package printer that produces photographs of varying size from film negatives, different cropping apertures are used with different lenses for different prints. In order to provide a large combination of different cropping apertures with different lenses the lenses and cropping apertures are separately selected for each print. The high speed package printer includes a light source, a diffusion plate, a plurality of cropping apertures on an aperture member which can be moved to select which aperture will block light from the diffusion plate. The light from the cropping aperture then passes through a negative for projection by a lens onto photographic paper for printing pictures. Separate means for moving the aperture member and for selecting which lens will receive light from a negative after it is provide a selection of all combinations of lenses and cropping apertures such that the photographs produced can have different sizes and shapes.

Abstract: A swing-frame auxiliary axle system for a work vehicle and method of assembling is disclosed that includes a pivot frame having a pair of spaced pivot arms having a pivot end and a free end and being connected to carry a common transverse torque tube close to the free end thereof, each arm being pivotally mounted to a vehicle chassis rail near the pivot end, the torque tube including a pair of tag axles attached thereto and wheels. The system is provided with a pivot frame alignment system for intrinsically aligning the pivot spaced arms and the torque tube in proper transverse relation for ease in assembling or re-assembling and stability in operating.

Abstract: A low sensitivity gun propellant is disclosed having improved impetus and ballistic potential comprising RDX particles combined with at least one matrix component and plasticizer components including nitroglycerin and amounts of methyl nitrato ethyl nitramine and ethyl nitrate ethyl nitramine.

Abstract: A sizing catheter and method of measuring a preselected internal opening within a patient to provide a rapid and precise determination of a stretched diameter of the preselected internal opening. The sizing catheter includes a dilation balloon constructed of a thin expandable plastic which is inflatable and is utilized to determine a size of the preselected opening. The dilation balloon is inflated to an inflation threshold, wherein the dilation balloon deforms about the preselected opening and the size of the dilation balloon adjacent the preselected opening approximates a stretched diameter of the preselected opening. The sizing catheter and method may be utilized to determine an appropriate sized occluding device to thereby occlude the preselected opening.

Abstract: An egg holder toy for containing and supporting an egg and depicting with the egg a character of interest includes a support base or a pedestal that includes the lower body and feet of said character of interest and having an open hollow upper recess for receiving a first end of an egg nested therein and a pair of forelimbs of the character attached to the support base and an upper member that includes features of the top of the character of interest selected from the group including hats and upper head features, the upper member having an open hollow lower recess for receiving a second end of said egg.

Abstract: A self destructing impact fuse including a cylindrical firing pin having a hollow centrifugal chamber for holding a number of spheres and a number of radial openings on its surface for exposing portions of the spheres when the chamber is spun. At one end of the chamber is a spring for exerting compression force along the longitudinal axis of the chamber and at the other end is a self-destructing (SD) firing pin for striking the detonator. A centrifugal lock having a pivot offset from the longitudinal axis holds the chamber in place by mating with a groove on the surface of the centrifugal chamber. The cylindrical firing pin is seated concentrically within a frame and disposed over an escapement assembly featuring the detonator. The detonator is rotated into alignment with the SD firing pin after the projectile, incorporating the fuse, travels the minimum tactical distance. The frame is further coupled with a base, which features a point detonation (PD) firing pin for striking the detonator.