Abstract: A training device for use by a player with a brass instrument having a tubular mouthpiece receiver with an opening in one end and a mouthpiece having an elongated shank at one end for insertion through the opening into the receiver. The device has a substantially planar shield having an upper side and an underside and an aperture formed therethrough and at least two elongate, flexible and resilient prongs extending generally perpendicularly from the periphery of the aperture along the underside of the shield. The training device is inserted prongs first into the receiver until a gap is defined between the underside of the shield and the one end of the receiver. The mouthpiece shank is then inserted through the aperture for concentric positioning within the receiver with the prongs spacing the shank from the inner walls of the receiver.

Abstract: A device for cooling welding caps of a welding apparatus includes a cooling line (10). A cooling agent is kept under pressure during removal of the welding caps. An expansion device (16) including an expansion chamber (34) is connected to the cooling line (10).

Abstract: There is described a method and an arrangement for the metrological detection of the differences in the visually perceived color impression between a multi-color patterned surface (10) of a reference and a multi-color patterned surface (12) of a test item. Concomitantly changes in the color statistics and in other color variation rates of the test item compared to a reference, and changes in the picture definition of the pattern of the test item compared to the reference, are determined by means of spatial sensors (24) provided with color capability, such as color picture cameras and displayed. According to the invention, a common variation rate for the visually perceived color variation of multi-color patterned surfaces with references is established by a combination of the two variations.

Abstract: A conditional access system for multimedia data is disclosed that offers acceptable security at drastically reduced requirements on hardware performance. A selectively encrypted transport stream is formed from a clear transport stream by detecting particular data packets within the clear transport stream, removing and encrypting the particular data packets with an event encryption key, and inserting the encrypted data packets into the remaining clear transport stream at insertion positions corresponding to the original positions of the particular data packets in the clear transport stream. For specific embodiments that include decryption circuitry inside a user smart card, the level of security of such system is even higher than that of conventional ones.

Abstract: A decoy mounting and movement system for mounting a hollow animal species decoy and for simulating life-like movement of the animal species between a rest position and a vertically pivoted position which simulates feeding by the animal species having a decoy mounting stake formed of an elongate upper stake section and an elongate lower stake section interconnected via an elongate vertical return spring capable of bending along its length to create an angle between the upper and lower stake sections, the upper stake section dimensioned for insertion into the hollow of the decoy through an opening in its underside in communication with the hollow of the decoy, wherein the fulcrum for vertical pivoting of the decoy is positioned at the lower end of the upper stake section and the ratio D?/D is less than 0.25, wherein D? is the distance between the underside of the decoy and the fulcrum for vertical pivoting, and D is the length of the upper stake section.

Abstract: A measuring cell for receiving a blood sample is designed such that it can be transilluminated with a light source. The light source and a means for determining the luminous intensity corresponding to the light source can be arranged on the measuring cell for determining the luminous intensity of the light of the light source emerging from the measuring cell, wherein the measuring cell has constant, predefined properties with respect to the light of the light source, so that the blood oxygen content of the blood sample can be detected on the means for determining the luminous intensity due to a change of the luminous intensity of the light of the light source.

Abstract: A digital television receiving system having a security mechanism which simultaneously handles two or more separate television program signals is described. The system includes a plurality of digital television receiver mechanisms for receiving a plurality of separate digital television program signal transport streams. The system also includes a multiplexer mechanism coupled to the digital television receiver mechanisms for tagging and multiplexing the received program signal transport streams into a single combined signal transport stream. The combined transport stream is supplied to a security mechanism which limits usable access to the combined stream to authorized users. The system further includes a demultiplexer mechanism for receiving an access-allowed combined transport stream from the security mechanism and demultiplexing the combined transport stream into separate transport streams corresponding to the separate transport streams received by the receiver mechanisms.

Abstract: A support assembly for supporting a high voltage electrical conductor suspended from a lattice-type tower during maintenance and repair includes a pair of elongate support arms, each of the support arms having an aperture extending therethrough intermediate its ends, the aperture opening in a direction transverse to the length of the support arms, and an elongate conductor support bar slidably received in the apertures of the support arms and extending between the support arms to define with the support arms a generally H-shaped support assembly, the support arms being slidable on the support bar for adjusting the distance between the arms and being movable on the support bar between a first position wherein the arms are parallel to each other and a second position wherein the arms are arranged at an angle to each other.

Abstract: A valve device includes a housing body having a fluidic chamber which has at least one valve seat and a valve control member. The member includes a rigid frame having first and second opposed surfaces and being shaped with recesses, at least one of the recesses extending between the surfaces, a rigid actuating member and a flexible diaphragm on the first surface which is connected with the frame and actuating member by injection molding. The recesses are filled with, and sealing contours on the second surface are formed of, the diaphragm material. At least one valve body is formed by a section of the actuating member and a section of the diaphragm surrounding the actuating member. The valve control member is joined with the housing body so that the diaphragm closes and seals the fluidic chamber and the valve body is opposite the valve seat.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting the three-dimensional shape of an object (2) during which an object (2) provided with photogrammetrically evaluable marks (4) is placed on a surface (5) at a predetermined location. This surface is provided with additional photogrammetrically evaluable marks (6) that are arranged in a predetermined manner with regard to one another. The surface extends in such a manner that the additional marks (6) are arranged around the contact surface of the object located on the surface. A number of images of the object (2) are taken from different views so that, in addition to the object (2), the surface (5) is also at least partially depicted. The three-dimensional shape of the object is determined from the images with the aid of the markers (4) of the object and of the markers (6) of the surface (5) by using a photogrammetric method.

Abstract: A digit pad, and a method, for treating trigger finger and trigger thumb includes a digit band which is slid over the affected digit to a position between the PIP and the MCP joints and a palm pad which extends from the proximal end of the digit band toward the wrist, the palm pad being dimensioned and positioned to overlie a portion of the palm to at least cover the A1 pulley, the proximal end of the palm pad extending beyond the A1 pulley, but not beyond the proximal palmer crease, the palm pad being at least as wide as the A1 pulley and being formed of a material which is soft, flexible, resilient and has a sufficient density to protect the palm area which it overlies. A patient wears the digit pad on the affected digit substantially continuously during waking hours until the condition resolves.

Abstract: A cost-effective method for detecting the three-dimensional shape of interior spaces such as footwear, prosthesis funnels, etc. is described. For this purpose the inner wall of the interior space is lined with a formfitting, elastic and photogrammetrically marked envelope (2), a series of overlapping recordings of said interior space marked in this way is produced with the aid of one or more imaging devices (4) and from this the 3D-shape of the interior space is determined using photogrammetrical methods. The invention describes various methods of lining the interior space, of guiding the imaging devices (9) into the different recording positions and of the type of the measurable interior spaces.

Abstract: There is described a photogrammetric method and an arrangement for the three-dimensional digitizing of bodies and body parts (26) which are covered with a marked, elastic cover (14), which comprises high-contrast marks which are photogrammetrically analysable, and which are photographed from different shooting positions. For the purpose, at least one camera (22) is moved around the body with a simple, inaccurate guide and images overlapping each other are taken from different positions in space to cover both the body and several of the marks (10) of the support (12). Methods of photogrammetry as well as digital image processing and pattern recognition provide precise space coordinates of the body to be digitized. One exemplary application is the digitizing of the foot/lower leg portion for the selection or custom manufacture of anatomically well-fitting footwear, the digitizing of the leg portion for the manufacture or selection of well-fitting compression stockings.

Abstract: A conditional access system is provided wherein digitized data are received in successive data packets at least some of which are scrambled. The digitized data contain content data and access control data. The system has a module with descrambler circuitry and a security device such as a smart card adapted to be coupled to the module to provide descrambling control data to the module as derived from the access control data. Selected ones of the data packets are encrypted in addition to being scrambled, and the access control data include decryption control data.

Abstract: For the purpose of metering a flow of gaseous media, there is arranged a perturbation body in a measuring chamber which has a medium flowing through it, and an ultrasonic excitation signal is transmitted through the measuring chamber transverse to the direction of flow and at a point downstream of the perturbation body. The ultrasonic excitation signal after having traversed the measuring chamber is captured together with the ultrasonic excitation signal transmitted as structure-borne noise. The captured signal is squared first and then demodulated with a filter. An indication for the flow through the measuring chamber is derived from the frequency of the demodulated signal.