Abstract: An orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight (oa-TOF) mass spectrometer is offered in which the repeller plate forming the ion reservoir is prevented from being electrically charged. This in turn prevents the mass spectral resolution and sensitivity from deteriorating. The mass spectrometer has an (a) external ion source for producing ions, (b) a space in which the ions are made to stay, (c) the ion reservoir consisting of the repeller plate and grids disposed on the opposite sides of the space to accelerate the ions in a pulsed manner out of the space, (d) a time-of-flight mass spectrometric portion for mass separating the ions taken out of the ion reservoir via its internal grids, (e) an ion detector for detecting the mass-separated ions, and (f) a heater for heating the repeller plate.

Abstract: Tableware of Ti or a Ti alloy having a surface hardened layer comprising a first hardened layer in which nitrogen and oxygen are diffused so as to form a solid solution and a second hardened layer which is formed in a region deeper than the first hardened layer. The substrate may have a hard decorative coating film. A substrate comprising Ti or a Ti alloy has on its surface an internal hardened layer comprising a first hardened layer and a second hardened layer, wherein the hard decorative coating film is formed on the surface of the internal hardened layer. The cutlery comprises a working part and a grip, the grip provided with a floating means such as a hollow part. Titanium tableware having excellent long-term mar resistance and high quality appearance, increasing the decorative value of the tableware. Further, a process for surface treatment to obtain the titanium tableware with high productivity and a substrate having a hard decorative coating film with excellent mar resistance and high surface hardness.

Abstract: A lawn mower comprises a blade drive shaft with a blade rotatably mounted inside a mower deck supported by a vehicle body, a blower unit including a cylindrical blower housing connected to a grass clippings discharging section provided in a side end region of the mower deck, a vertical drive shaft having a shaft portion with vanes attached thereto inside the blower housing and a shaft portion extending upward through the blower housing, and a discharging sleeve projecting rearwardly along an outer tangent line of the blower housing, a grass collecting apparatus mounted rearwardly of the vehicle body, a duct for allowing the discharging sleeve to communicate with the grass collecting apparatus, and a belt-type blower driving mechanism for driving the vertical drive shaft of the blower unit.

Abstract: The travel trailer includes a chassis having wheels and a trailer body attached to the chassis. The trailer body includes sidewalls, a front end wall, a rear end wall, a roof, and a floor. The sidewalls, end walls, roof, and floor form an internal living space of the trailer body. A slide-out area is slidably extendable outward from the trailer body. The slide-out area is extendable from a retracted position received substantially within the trailer body to an extended position extended outward from the trailer body. The slide-out area has a roof, sidewalls, a bottom wall, and a front end wall. The front end wall of the slide-out areas is adapted to seal against the trailer body in the retracted position.

Abstract: A tow bar assembly includes first and second telescopic members. A releasable locking arrangement holds the first and second telescopic members in an extended position and includes at least one movable member to maintain the telescopic members in the locked relationship and a pivotally mounted release member mounted on one of the telescopic members to move the movable member to permit slidable movement between the first and second telescopic members. The invention provides coupling of interacting members one slidable in the other. The members define an opening for an extended and circular counterpart. The counterpart penetrates the opening and the members are held in position. The members together exert forces on the counterpart and a release device between the counterpart and the members release the members.

Abstract: A message announcement system for broadcasting announcements at predetermined locations has an autonomous announcement computer at each predetermined location, wherein a plurality of event announcements and associated event identifiers are stored therein and, upon receipt of an event announcement command, the announcement computer broadcasts a particular event announcement at the location. A master computer is in communication with each announcement computer for adding, deleting or editing event announcements. This arrangement permits a modular system, whereby autonomous announcement computers, along with their associated public address systems and sign systems, may be added or removed as stations are added or removed. The system is also capable of broadcasting live announcements at each location.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of easily producing a long-lived ion sensitive film having excellent durability and used in an ion sensor. The method starts with preparing a monomer mixture consisting chiefly of monomer units including a functional group and a second group of bonded atoms. The functional group has a function of identifying a certain chemical substance. The second group can become an active species that induces a polymerization or bridging reaction by being irradiated with an electron beam or radiation. Then, the monomer mixture is irradiated with the electron beam or radiation in a low energy range. Thus, the monomer mixture is polymerized.

Abstract: Disclosed is a burner apparatus comprising an inner tube defining a second channel and an outer tube defining a first channel surrounding the inner tube air supplying means for supplying air to the first channel and the second channel, and gas supplying means for supplying fuel gas to the first channel and the second channel, either the first channel or the second channel being used as a main combustion channel and the other being used as a pilot combustion channel, the main combustion channel and the pilot combustion channel receiving the supply of fuel gas for combusting it. The burner apparatus including a common channel formed at one end of the inner tube and the outer tube for supplying the oxygen-containing gas to the main combustion channel and the pilot combustion channel.

Abstract: A safety needle assembly which is adapted for blunting of both an intravenous puncture tip and a non-patient puncture tip is provided. The needle assembly includes a cannula having a first end with an intravenous puncture tip and a second end with a non-patient puncture tip, and a blunting member in concentric relation with the cannula which includes a first blunt end proximate the intravenous puncture tip of the cannula and a second blunt end proximate the non-patient puncture tip of the cannula. An actuator is in engagement with the blunting member and the cannula. Activation of the actuator causes blunting of the intravenous puncture tip and the non-patient puncture tip by the blunting member. The needle assembly is particularly useful in connection with a blood collection system.

Abstract: A manual control mechanism for a lift unit having a lift arm and a hydraulic cylinder for lifting the lift arm up and down. The mechanism includes a control valve configured as a three-position switchover valve for selectively providing lowering, neutral and elevating conditions according to a spool position for controlling movement of the hydraulic cylinder, a lift lever for manually operating the control valve and an operational path for guiding operational displacement of the lift lever. The operational path includes an inching operational path for operating the hydraulic cylinder at a creeping speed by slightly opening a port of the control valve and a main operational path for operating the control valve over an entire stroke range thereof. An operational feel when the lift lever is operationally displaced along the inching operational path is different from an operational feel when the lift lever is operationally displaced along the main operational path.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a new structure for a high input VRM. This structure is similar to a simple buck converter and can simplify the 48V input VRM design. In this present invention, the interleaved voltage regulator is provided. The interleaved voltage regulator includes an integrated magnetic device for performing both transformer and output choke filter function, a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, and a fourth switch, wherein the integrated magnetic device includes a transformer having a first primary winding, a second primary winding, a first secondary winding, and a second secondary winding, a first choke filter having one end coupled to a first terminal of the first secondary winding, and a second choke filter having one end coupled to a first terminal of the second secondary winding, and the other end of the second choke filter coupled to the other end of the first choke filter to form the output terminal of the isolated voltage regulator.

Abstract: A transport system for transporting transport containers storing articles in a sealed condition is disclosed. Each transport container has a support portion formed on an upper portion thereof. When the transport container is moved with the support portion suspended, a receiving device supports the bottom of the transport container to lessen the load applied to the support portion. As a result, deformation of the transport container is restrained to maintained the sealed condition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a ferroelectric field-effect transistor, particularly to a ferroelectric field-effect transistor with a metal/ferroelectric/insulator/semiconductor (MFIS) gate capacitor structure. The method comprises steps of depositing a bismuth layered ferroelectric film on the insulator buffered Si, after a high-temperature thermal treatment, depositing an upper electrode on the bismuth layered ferroelectric film.

Abstract: Particle-beam apparatus is realized which is equipped with an aberration corrector capable of controlling the angular aperture of a particle beam after performing aberration correction. The corrector comprises four stages of electrostatic quadrupole elements, two stages of magnetic quadrupole elements for superimposing a magnetic potential distribution analogous to the electric potential distribution created by the two central stages of the electrostatic quadrupole elements, and four stages of electrostatic octupole elements for superimposing an octupole electric potential on the electric potential distribution created by the four stages of electrostatic quadrupole elements. An objective lens is located downstream of the corrector. An objective aperture is located upstream of the corrector. An angular aperture control lens is located downstream of the objective aperture to control the angular aperture of the probe hitting a specimen surface.

Abstract: The subject of the invention is a load handling device for an industrial truck having a lift frame, a lift carriage which can be displaced along the lift frame, and a reach carriage guided so as to move on the lift carriage. A load pick-up device is arranged on the reach carriage. According to the invention, the lift carriage is guided on the outer sides of the lift frame by rollers, and the reach carriage is guided on the outer sides of the lift carriage. In order to displace the reach carriage, a hydraulic reach cylinder is provided on each side of the lift frame and is fixed at one end to the lift carriage and at the other end to the reach carriage.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of lower olefins which comprises the step (A) of separating in a high-pressure state a mixed fluid (I) containing dimethyl ether (DME) and methanol at a specified ratio into a gas component (II) and a liquid component (III), separating the gas component (II) into an off-gas and DME, and then making this DME join the liquid component (III) to obtain a liquid component (IV) containing DME and methanol at a specified ratio and the step (B) of subjecting the liquid component (IV) to depressurization and then introducing it into a reactor for the preparation of olefins to form a lower olefin fraction (V). Lower olefins are prepared from a mixed fluid (I) containing DME and methanol at a specified ratio.

Abstract: A fuel-filler tube, which is made of a welded pipe of corrosion-resistant austenitic or ferritic stainless steel, has a fuel-supply opening with high dimensional accuracy. The austenitic stainless steel has hardness of 180 HV or less with a work-hardening coefficient of 0.49 or less. The ferritic stainless steel has Lankford value of 1.2 or more with elongation of 30% or more by a uniaxial tensile test.

Abstract: A new and distinct Malus mill. plant having a weeping, dense habit and persistent fruit.