Abstract: A nut feeder having a piston with a rod attached thereto disposed within a chamber of a cylinder. A rod air passage extending through the rod between a rear port at a groove circumscribed around a back end of the rod and a front end of the rod. A ring disposed within the groove and free to slide axially within the groove to cover and uncover the rear port. An air nozzle at the front end of the rod. One or more piston air passages extending through the piston to the groove. A stop at a front end of the chamber positioned to stop forward movement of the ring and cause the ring to cover the rear port. The air nozzle includes one or more apertures aimed backwards and the air nozzle may be in a pin at the front end of the rod.

Abstract: Protective device for a needle, more particularly for a catheter introducing needle or so-called cannula needle, whereby this protective device comprises protective means which slidably cooperate with the needle, characterized in that said protective means comprise a combination of at least, on one hand, safety means having at least one part which, upon retraction of the needle through the protective means, is placed in front of the needle point and prevents the re-use of the needle, and, on the other hand, blocking means which cooperate with the safety means and which, when the protective device passes from a non-operative state into an operative state, release said safety means from a blocked position into an unblocked position.

Abstract: A two-stroke internal combustion engine includes dual transfer passages in gaseous communication between a crankcase chamber and a combustion chamber of the engine, an air passage through the crankcase to the crankcase chamber and in gaseous communication with a carburetor of the engine. A rotatable circular disk or crank-web is rotatably connected to a crankshaft. A piston may be used to open and close a top end of the passages. An air inlet port to the transfer passage for stratified scavenging is opened and closed by the crank-web that has passages and cutouts. The rotary valve replaces the one-way reed valve used in stratified scavenged and charged two-stroke engines. The air passes from lower ends of the transfer passages to top ends and into the crankcase through a piston passage, through the adjacent transfer passages directly, or through a passage in the piston into the crankcase.

Abstract: A two-stroke internal combustion engine includes at least one gaseous communication charge passage between a crankcase chamber and a combustion chamber of the engine and a piston to open and close the top end of the passage and a rotary valve to open and close the lower end of the transfer passage. The air inlet port to the transfer passage for stratified scavenging is opened and closed by the crank-web that has passages and cutouts. The rotary valve replaces the one-way reed valve used in stratified scavenged and charged two-stroke engines. The air passes from the lower end of transfer passage to the top end and into the crankcase through the piston passage, alternatively air may also pass through the adjacent transfer passage directly or through a passage in the piston into the crankcase. A two-stroke engine also consists of a charge injection system controlled by the crank web eliminating the one-way valve.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of a sling for moving objects includes a sheet of flexible material having opposite first and second sides, longitudinally spaced apart transversely extending first and second side edges, transversely spaced apart longitudinally extending third and fourth side edges, transversely extending first and second edge loops along the first and second side edges respectively, and transversely extending intermediate loops attached to the sheet and longitudinally spaced apart between the first and second side edges. First and second elongated element may be disposed through first and second one of the loops, respectively, and cut-out sections positioned between distal ends of the loops. A more particular embodiment of the sheet includes longitudinally extending edge loops attached along the third and fourth side edges, longitudinally extending intermediate loops attached to the second side, and the transversely extending intermediate loops attached to the first side.

Abstract: The present invention provides software, methods, and computer systems for displaying banner ads with a set of navigation options presented to an end-user, such as a customer or consumer, who selects or clicks on the displayed banner ad. The navigation options include URLs on a network to which the end-user computer is connectable. The invention includes software, systems, and methods for allowing the publisher to define and update the set of options. The invention includes software, systems, and methods for recording display event statistics for the banner ad whether the end-user is viewing the banner ad either off-line or on-line. The invention also includes a means for targeting and sending messages across the network to end-users.

Abstract: A carton for storing and serving a self-heating meal and a beverage container includes a closable first compartment for storing and heating the meal. The first compartment has a first top wall and a first flap covering a first opening to the first compartment and a first securing means for releasably securing the first flap in a first closed position. The carton includes a second compartment for storing the beverage container and has a hole in a second top wall of the second compartment for holding the beverage container. An exemplary embodiment of the invention includes a second flap attached to the second top wall covers a second opening to the second compartment. A third compartment in the carton is disposed between the first and second compartments wherein the third compartment is open along a top side of the carton.

Abstract: A 4-stroke engine incorporating a mono-shaft multi-valve operating system, the multi-valve operating system incorporating a first cam follower assembly that is associated with an intake valve, a second cam follower assembly that is associated with an exhaust valve, and a cam follower channel assembly that is integrated into a crank web of the engine, the cam follower channel assembly including a base circle channel, a cam channel, and a cross-over channel. The cam follower channel assembly is configured to commonly interact with the two cam follower assemblies to operate the intake valve at a first instance, and the exhaust valve at a second instance, with both instances occurring while the crank web completes two rotations. When either of the two cam follower assemblies engages with a cam channel of the cam follower channel assembly, the cam follower channel assembly is configured to provide a camming operation to operate the respective valve.

Abstract: A casing includes a housing has a pair of spaced apart housing side walls and housing rear wall therebetween. A drawer slidably supported within the housing has a bottom, drawer side walls extending vertically from the bottom, and drawer front and rear walls extending vertically from the bottom. A key retaining lock is disposed in the drawer front wall and a rotatable shaft is connected to the lock and extends through an interior of the drawer to the drawer rear wall. A rotatable locking cam is connected to the shaft and located behind the drawer rear wall. A blocking member attached to the housing is located to cooperate with the locking cam to lock the drawer in a closed position. A stop block attached to the housing blocks the locking cam until the locking cam is in a position to cooperate with the blocking member to lock the drawer in a closed position.

Abstract: A two stroke internal combustion engine includes at least one gaseous communication passage between a crankcase chamber and a combustion chamber of the engine. A first rotary shut-off valve on a periphery of a rotatable circular disk is operatively disposed between the passage and the crankcase chamber and rotatably connected to a crankshaft of the engine. The valve includes at least one circumferentially extending pathway extending axially at least partially through the disk and is rotatably alignable with a crankcase port of the passage though the crankcase chamber. The circumferentially extending pathway extends circumferentially less than 180 degrees. Two particular embodiments of the pathways include rectangular cross-sectional slots and annular L-shaped pathways. The gaseous communication passage may be a transfer passage or a charge injection passage or both which are controlled two or more axially adjacent rotary shut-off valves on the periphery of the disk.

Abstract: An aircraft gas turbine engine includes a low pressure turbine having a low pressure turbine flowpath and low pressure inner and outer shaft turbines with counter rotatable low pressure inner and outer shaft turbine rotors, respectively. The low pressure inner and outer shaft turbine rotors include low pressure first and second turbine blade rows disposed across the turbine flowpath which are drivingly connected to first and second fan blade rows by low pressure inner and outer shafts, respectively. At least one row of low pressure variable vanes is operably disposed across the low pressure turbine flowpath between the low pressure inner and outer shaft turbines. The low pressure first turbine blade rows of the low pressure inner shaft turbine may be in tandem with or interdigitated with the second turbine blade rows of the low pressure outer shaft turbines.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine turbine assembly includes a high pressure spool having a high pressure turbine drivingly connected to a high pressure compressor by a high pressure shaft which is rotatable about an engine centerline. A low pressure turbine has counter rotatable low pressure inner and outer shaft turbines with a row of low pressure variable vanes disposed therebetween and drivingly connected to coaxial low pressure inner and outer shafts respectively which are located radially inwardly of the high pressure spool. The low pressure inner and outer shaft turbines are drivingly connected to a forward and aft fan blade rows by the low pressure inner and outer shafts. A single direction of rotation booster is drivenly connected to the low pressure outer shaft and axially located aft and downstream of the aft fan blade row.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine turbine assembly includes a high pressure spool having a high pressure turbine drivingly connected to a high pressure compressor by a high pressure shaft which is rotatable about an engine centerline. A low pressure turbine has counter rotatable low pressure inner and outer shaft turbines drivingly connected to coaxial low pressure inner and outer shafts respectively which are at least in part rotatably disposed co-axial with and radially inwardly of the high pressure spool. The low pressure inner shaft turbine is drivingly connected to a forward fan blade row by the low pressure inner shaft. The low pressure outer shaft turbine is drivingly connected to a aft fan blade row by the low pressure outer shaft. A single direction of rotation booster is drivenly connected to the low pressure outer shaft and axially located aft and downstream of the aft fan blade row.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine aspirating face seal includes rotatable and non-rotatable engine members and a leakage path therebetween. Annular generally planar rotatable and non-rotatable gas bearing face surfaces are operably associated with the rotatable and non-rotatable engine members respectively and are circumscribed about and generally perpendicular to a centerline axis. A substantially fully annular pull off biasing element is operably disposed for urging the non-rotatable gas bearing face surface axially away from the rotatable gas bearing face surface and circumscribed about the centerline axis. The pull off biasing element may be at least one wave spring or one bellville washer. The non-rotatable gas bearing face surface may be on a face seal ring mounted on a translatable cylindrical piston which is axially movable and supported by the non-rotatable engine member.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine rotor disk assembly includes a disk having an annular hub circumscribed about a centerline. An annular web extends radially outwardly from the hub to an annular rim. A plurality of dovetail slots extend generally axially through the rim. A plurality of cooling air slots extending generally radially through the rim and are skewed circumferentially with respect to the centerline and slanted axially aftwardly with respect to a normal radius perpendicular to the centerline. In the exemplary embodiment, each cooling air slot has parallel side walls skewed circumferentially with respect to the centerline and an aft wall extending between the side walls and slanted axially aftwardly with respect to the normal radius. The side walls are skewed circumferentially about 5 degrees with respect to the centerline and the aft wall is slanted axially aftwardly about 18 degrees with respect to the normal radius.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustor can downstream of a pre-mixer has a pre-mixer flowpath therein and circumferentially spaced apart swirling vanes disposed across the pre-mixer flowpath. A primary fuel injector is positioned for injecting fuel into the pre-mixer flowpath. A combustion chamber surrounded by an annular combustor liner disposed in supply flow communication with the pre-mixer. An annular trapped dual vortex cavity located at an upstream end of the combustor liner is defined between an annular aft wall, an annular forward wall, and a circular radially outer wall formed therebetween. A cavity opening at a radially inner end of the cavity is spaced apart from the radially outer wall. Air injection first holes are disposed through the forward wall and air injection second holes are disposed through the aft wall. Fuel injection holes are disposed through at least one of the forward and aft walls.

Abstract: An aircraft gas turbine engine includes high and low pressure turbines having respective counter rotatable low pressure inner and outer rotors with low pressure inner and outer shafts in part rotatably disposed co-axially within a high pressure rotor and drivingly connected to first and second fan blade rows and first and second boosters respectively. A bypass duct radially bounded by a fan casing and an annular radially inner bypass duct wall surrounds the boosters axially located between the first and second fan blade rows. The engine has a high pressure compressor operable to produce an overall pressure ratio in a range of about 40-65 and a fan inlet hub to tip radius ratio in a range between 0.20 and 0.35, a bypass ratio in a range of 5-15, an operational fan pressure ratio in a range of 1.4-2.5, and a sum of operational fan tip speeds in a range of 1000 to 2500 feet per second.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine fuel injector conduit includes a single feed strip having a single bonded together pair of lengthwise extending plates. Each of the plates has a single row of widthwise spaced apart and lengthwise extending parallel grooves. Opposing grooves in each of the plates are aligned forming internal fuel flow passages through the strip from an inlet end to an outlet end. The feed strip includes a substantially straight middle portion between the inlet end and the outlet end. In one alternative, the middle portion has a radius of curvature greater than a length of the middle portion. The feed strip has at least one acute bend between the inlet end and the middle portion and a bend between the outlet end and the middle portion. The feed strip has fuel inlet holes in the inlet end connected to the internal fuel flow passages.