Abstract: A shoe includes a shoe upper portion made of flexible material, the upper portion including a foot border, a toe region, front-flex portion, arch region, rear-flex portion, and heel region. A split sole portion is secured to the bottom of the shoe upper portion, the sole portion including a front-sole portion under the toe region of the upper portion, a mid-sole portion under the arch region of the upper portion and a rear-sole portion under the heel region of the upper portion. The front-sole portion folds at the front-flex portion into the mid-sole portion and the rear-sole portion folds at the rear-flex portion into the mid-sole portion.

Abstract: The invention concerns turbochargers, or more particularly to multivariable dual stage series turbochargers having two degrees of freedom. A multistage series turbocharger apparatus has a low pressure turbocharger comprising a low pressure compressor and a low pressure turbine; a high pressure turbocharger comprising a high pressure compressor and a high pressure turbine, and a exhaust gas recirculation device. A controller controls the operation of at least two of the low pressure compressor, high pressure compressor, low pressure turbine, high pressure turbine, and exhaust gas recirculation device such that at least one operating parameter is maintained at about a selected value.

Abstract: The invention relates to torque sensors or more particularly to automotive torque sensors which measure the torque transmitted at one or more positions within an automotive power train. The invention provides a method for zeroing an automotive power train torque sensor while a vehicle is moving during the zero torque condition.

Abstract: This invention relates to printed circuit boards having improved fire resistance and improved environmental stability. The invention provides halogen-free fire retardant printed circuit boards incorporating potentially flammable polymers. Flame resistant thermoplastic layers prevent combustion of thermosetting polymers, as well as adding strength to the laminate, resulting in a less brittle thin core than the prior art. The flame resistant circuit board is cost efficient, environmentally safe and has excellent properties, including a decreased probability of shorting, good dielectric breakdown voltage, a smooth surface and good electrical/thermal performance.

Abstract: A color ant dispersion having a pigment, a solvent composition of a C1-C8 aliphatic alcohol, a mono- or di-C1-C8 alkylene glycol C1-C8 alkyl ether, or a cyclic ketone; and an aqueous alkaline soluble or swellable polymeric compound which is the reaction product of a hydroxy containing polymer and an anhydride in the presence of a catalytic amount of a tertiary amine catalyst. The pigment and the polymeric compound are present in a high relative weight ratio of from about 0.75:1.25 to about 1.25:0.75. An admixture of the dispersion, a light sensitive component diazonium compound or photopolymerizable composition and an aqueous alkaline soluble or swellable polymeric binder, when coated and dried onto a substrate, forms a photographic element, which when imagewise exposed and developed has an exceptionally high contrast between image and removed non-image areas.

Abstract: This invention pertains to an ultrafiltration process which maintains a constant developer strength in a printing plate developing operation. Such a process enables development of more plates than conventional processes while using less developer and generating less liquid waste. The ultrafiltration process is suitable for both batch and continuous plate development operations. By this process, used developer is filtered and the fluid portion returned to the working developer solution. The filtered out remainder mass is treated with an absorber to convert it into a solid.

Abstract: A negative-acting color proofing method provides a photosensitive element having a cover sheet; release layer having a polymer with phenolic groups; color layer having a binder, polymerizable monomer, colorant, and optional photoinitiator; a photoadhering layer, having a photosensitive polymer having unsaturated, photocrosslinkable groups and a molecular weight greater than about 3,000, a polymerizable monomer having at least one unsaturated group, and an optional photoinitiator. A at least one of the color layer and the photoadhering layer has a photoinitiator; and a first thermoplastic adhesive layer. A photomask is applied onto the thermoplastic adhesive layer and one imagewise exposes the color layer and photoadhering layers to actinic radiation through the photomask. After removing the photomask, the photosensitive element is laminated to a temporary receiver.

Abstract: An improved stacker apparatus for the formation of aligned stacks of signatures from one or more incoming streams of partially overlapping signatures in shingled form. The stacker has an outer framework having an input end and an output end. A stream of partially overlapping signatures in shingled form is accepted at the input end and is passed to a compression conveyor. The compression conveyor has two conveyor belts in compressed opposition to one other which follow an upward arcuate path along a series of idler rollers. The series of idler rollers is mounted to the outer framework by a quick release inner framework. The conveyor transfers the signatures to a receiving station which guides successive signatures into aligned stacking registry with one another. When a conveyor belt breaks, the inner frame is quick released from the outer frame, a new belt is wound around the inner frame, and the inner frame re-mounted.

Abstract: A relaxed sol-gel composition and a coated substrate article which is produced therefrom. A tetrafunctional alkoxide silicate is hydrolyzed in an aqueous solution together with a Lewis acid or metal chelate catalyst with optional protic acid until a viscosity of 2600-3200 cps is obtained to form a crosslinked sol-gel polymer composition. The polymer is relaxed by diluting it with water or water plus alcohol optionally containing a Lewis acid or metal chelate until a viscosity of about 1 cps is obtained while not depolymerizing the polymer. The relaxed polymer has substantially no visible polymer particles. The relaxed polymer composition is uniformly coating a substrate and dried without requiring an in-situ curing.

Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus and method for feeding, bundling and transporting a stream of sheets, such as printed sheets in signature form. A vertical stacking machine stacks a stream of signatures and then clamps, compresses and straps the signatures into a bundle for transportation and delivery. The machine has a pair of improved bar clamps for preventing sheet drift during compression and strapping. The clamps attach each bar to a driving mechanism in a cantilevered fashion. Each bar is only attached to the driving mechanism at the top and/or the center portion of the bar. The opposite, bottom end of each bar is free of attachment to the driving mechanism. As a result, a critical obstruction is removed.

Abstract: An image-bearing element comprising of a white, translucent, metallized film article wherein the film article comprises a flexible, heat resistant, polymeric film material with opposite sides. The film material has deposited on a first side a metal coating which both reflects and transmits visible light and capable of transmitting from about 1% to about 70% of incident visible light cast thereon. The second side of the film material has a white outermost surface and has a visible light opacity of from about 0.5 to about 0.98.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing a crop growing in a field by continuously cutting the crop with a transportable cutter and forming a layer of the cut crop on a moving conveyor. A stream of solar heated air is continuously forced onto the moving crop to reduce its moisture content. Thereafter the crop is continuously formed into bales and the bales accumulated. The crop is processed by continuously cutting, solar drying, baling and accumulating it directly in the field in a one pass operation within a contained, transportable chamber. A dessicant material aids in removing moisture from air used for drying so that dried air can be recirculated.

Abstract: An improved method for recovering lead sulfides from a mineral deposits. Pulverized mineral deposit material is mixed with water, agitated with pH adjustment from about 8 to about 10.5 to form a slurry. Rapeseed oil is added to the conditioned slurry to render the surface of the lead sulfide particles hydrophobic. After agitating and adding a frothing agent, air bubbles are injected into the resultant composition to cause hydrophobic lead sulfide particles to become attached to the air bubbles and to rise and form a froth fraction which is then separated and recovered. The process uses substantially non-toxic rapeseed oil as a hydrophilizing agent. The process is less environmentally damaging, less costly and more specific in separating lead sulfides from iron containing minerals which are normally present in ores together with the lead sulfides.

Abstract: This invention relates to negative working color proofing sheet constructions which, upon exposure to an actinic radiation source through a screened image, can accurately reproduce said image. The construction is useful as a color proofing film which can be employed to accurately predict the image quality from a lithographic printing process. The image is produced by forming a composite of a receiver sheet, an adhesive layer, a color layer and cover sheet. Upon imagewise exposure, a negative image appears on the receiver base after dry peel apart development.

Abstract: A light sensitive composition which is capable of photopolymerization which includes a photopolymerizable compound a free radical generating component and a benzanthrone or substituted benzanthrone which substantially prevents photopolymerization when the light sensitive composition is exposed to actinic radiation below a threshold amount but permits photopolymerization when the light sensitive composition is exposed to actinic radiation above a threshold amount. This achieves a gate effect which eliminates or decreases unwanted partial exposure in the nonimage areas and hence improves reproduction quality.

Abstract: Ornamental assemblies for buttons and athletic shoes are formed by snap-type action securing elements formed respectively on bases and ornamental caps so that a number of different caps can be removably attached to a single base to make a number of different assemblies. The assembly has a hollow cap element having top and side walls. The side walls have inner and outer surfaces which co-terminate at an edge lip. In one embodiment, a fabric covered base is attached to the cap by means for snapping the base and the cap together. In another embodiment, the base is in the form of a projection molded to and extending from an athletic shoe.

Abstract: A composition and process for identifying the origin or quality of loose, pourable materials by mixing the materials with one or more marking bodies which have a color, consistency or other visibly identifiable property different from the pourable materials. The marking bodies in the mixture do not impair the intended use of the pourable materials. The origin or quality of the pourable materials can be identified at a point in time distant from the forming of the mixture and even after manufacturing article with the mixture. The pourable materials can be peat, compost, humus, clay, lava, pumice-stone, sand, fertilizers, soil stabilizers, soil improving substances, recycled soil substances, soil drainage substances and soil fillers.

Abstract: An improved bundle transfer apparatus for sheet material in signature form is provided. The apparatus includes a frame having rails on which a bundle transfer vehicle is mounted. The bundle transfer vehicle has a platform which is movable to a position under the signatures and a means for raising the platform and the signatures. The signatures on the bundle transfer vehicle are transferred to an end of the table where it is compressed and tied.

Abstract: There is described a winch lock assembly which serves to cinch a sack and its contents closed, thereby locking said contents inside said sack, and at the same time, containing the cinch cord within the winch lock assembly. The winch lock includes a crank assembly, to hand-wind the cinch cord on a shaft inside said winch lock body. When said cinch cord is adequately wound up in order to close the cinch sack, additional force may be applied to said cord with the thumb and index finger of the hand, without said cord unwinding between said torque strokes, due to the clutch-breaking effect of the wound-up cord inside said winch lock body. The crank handle is pivotally mounted on a crank assembly, so as to be folded into crank assembly, thereby locking the crank assembly to said winch lock body.This is accomplished by a locking surface on the crank handle that moves into slots cut into the winch lock body when said handle is folded into the crank assembly.