Abstract: A methane fermentation process wherein a strain of the genus Methanobacterium is cultivated in a fermenter containing at least a carbon source, a nitrogen source, inorganic salts and micro-flora for methane fermentation. The strain has a methanogenic activity above 8.7.times.10.sup.-8 ml/cell.day in the stationary phase of growth, exhibits the methanogenic activity even at an oxygen partial pressure of 1/30 atm. and is allowed to live under an oxygen partial pressure up to 1/5 atm. The seed of the strain is obtained by anaerobically cultivating the strain in a culture medium containing at least nitrogen sources, inorganic salts and reducing agents in a mesophilic range of 25.degree. to 45.degree. C. using a substrate such as a mixed gas of hydrogen and carbon dioxide, a formate or an acetate. The growth of the strain is facilitated when cocultured with a strain belonging to the genus Clostridium.

Abstract: In a solid electrolytic chip capacitor having a capacitor element of the type manufactured by laminating a metal oxide semiconductor layer and a cathode layer one after another on an anode electrode made of a sinter of a valve metal, which anode electrode has an anode lead made of a valve metal, and has a dielectric oxide film on the surface thereof, an anode terminal is connected to an upper portion of the anode lead, while a cathode terminal is connected to an upper portion of the cathode layer. The capacitor element as well as a portion of the anode terminal and a portion of the cathode terminal are embedded in a resin casting, and the anode and cathode terminals are respectively drawn from both sides of the casting, and bent so that exposed portions of the anode and cathode terminals are situated along the sides and the lower surface of the casting. The cathode terminal has a U-shaped portion for receiving the capacitor element, while elongate slots may be made in both terminals.

Abstract: A method for processing a video signal comprises defining a successively shifted scan window with respect to the signal level of each picture element from which said video signal has been derived, totalizing the quantum numbers of the picture elements in the scan window corresponding to the original screen dot, and reconstructing black picture elements corresponding to the total value of the quantum numbers faithfully to the area of the original dot, and an apparatus for carrying out the method.

Abstract: In a voltage-controlled oscillator having an LC resonant circuit including a varactor circuit so that resonant frequency is controlled by a D.C. bias or control voltage applied to the varactor circuit, three or more varactors are connected in series in one embodiment so that a high-frequency voltage applied to the varactor circuit is divided into a plurality. The varactors may be connected in the same direction or opposite direction. In another embodiment, a plurality of series circuits of varactors are connected in parallel to provide the varactor circuit, where each series circuit comprises two or more varactors. A series-parallel connection of a plurality of varactors may be arranged in a matrix. In order to reduce undesirable stray capacitance, some or all varactors are attached to a printed circuit board so that they are normal to the plane of the printed circuit board. In one embodiment an auxiliary printed circuit board is employed so that some varactors are spaced from a main circuit board.

Abstract: In a liquid fuel burner of the type wherein vaporization of the fuel is sustained by the heat of its own flame, an oxygen sensor is located in the flame to provide a signal when the flame diminishes indicating the occurrence of an oxygen shortage condition to permit a safety device to automatically extinguish the flame.

Abstract: An arrangement for discharging liquid droplets comprises a housing including a chamber for holding liquid therein having an intake port connected to a liquid supply container, a vibrating member secured to the housing in pressure transmitting relation with the liquid in the chamber. The vibrating member is formed with at least one nozzle opening therein through which the liquid is discharged forwardly of the housing. A piezoelectric transducer is secured to the vibrating member for inducing a rearward displacement therein to discharge a small quantity of liquid through the nozzle opening.

Abstract: In a clothes dryer, the electrical resistance of wet articles and the temperature of exhaust air are monitored. At the instant the monitored electrical resistance reaches a predetermined value, the time-varying rate of change of the monitored temperature is detected, to estimate the period of time for which the dryer operation is to be continued. At the end of the estimated time period, the heat cycle of the dryer is shut down.

Abstract: In a nonimpact printer having a reciprocable printer head, ink is supplied to the head through a pair of identical, flexible conduits which are connected from first and second spaced apart outlets of an ink container. The container is not air tight with the outside so that it can act as a pressure absorber. Each of the first and second conduits have a sufficient length to allow the head to reciprocate along the length of a platen with end of each conduit moving therewith to cause pressure variations to occur in the conduits when the printer head varies its speed of movement. By virtue of the pressure absorbing action of the liquid container, the pressure variations are nullified and the printer head is supplied with constant pressure ink.

Abstract: An electroosmotic ink printer comprising a head having an array of recording electrodes successively arranged to define a print line along one edge of the head. A common electrode is provided in spaced overlying relation with the recording electrodes. Between the electrode array and the common electrode is a means for electroosmotically moving ink in a direction toward the print line and in an opposite direction depending on an electrical potential applied to the recording electrodes with respect to the common electrode. A memory stores a video input signal in a plurality of storage locations corresponding to the recording electrodes for delivery in parallel form to a modulator for generating individual recording signals corresponding to the recording electrodes.

Abstract: In a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus having a multi-track head for writing a digital signal on a magnetic recording medium, a plurality of head of the multi-track head is electrically divided into a plurality of groups which are respectively driven by writing currents produced in accordance with a plurality of modulated signals indicative of input digital data. The writing currents fed to the heads of the same group are produced in response to a pulse signal such that a plurality of pulse signals having different phases are used for respective groups. The head in the same group are positioned so that they are not adjacent to each other, and therefore, undesirable crosstalk can be reduced because heads corresponding to adjacent tracks are prevented from being driven simultaneously, while the entire writing current power can be reduced.

Abstract: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-Octahydro-11,11,12,12-tetracyano-9,10-anthraquinodimethane compounds of the general formula ##STR1## in which W, X, Y and Z independently represent hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl group, hydrocarbon group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, alkoxy group or acyloxy group provided that W=Y and X=Z, or W=Z and X=Y. The compositions and charge transfer complexes comprising these compounds are also described together with intermediates for the compounds.

Abstract: A pair of laminated metallized films is convolutely wound into a roll. The metallized area of each dielectric film is segmented into a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart metallized areas which are connected together to an electrode. The separation between successive metallized areas is in a range from 0.1 mm to 5.0 mm and the interval between successive separations is from 10 mm to 500 mm to assure a 100% guaranty. A first of the metallized areas extends transversely from a first non-metallized marginal area to the opposite edge of a first dielectric film. A second of the metallized areas extends transversely from the second non-metallized marginal area to the opposite edge of a second dielectric film. First and second electrodes are respectively connected to edges of the first and second metallized areas.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit which comprises providing a semiconductor substrate, forming a recess in the substrate through a pattern of an oxidation-inhibiting film, forming a thin film of a material capable of being oxidizing into an insulating oxide such as silicon on the side and/or bottom surface of the recess, and oxidizing the thin film to fill up with the recess with the resulting oxide which increases in volume.

Abstract: A low melting enamel frit which comprises 31 to 39 wt % of SiO.sub.2, 13 to 21 wt % of B.sub.2 O.sub.3, 14 to 21 wt % of Na.sub.2 O, 1 to 5 wt % of K.sub.2 O, 5 to 20 wt % of ZnO, 2 to 10 wt % of F.sub.2 and 2 to 9 wt % of at least one of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, ZrO.sub.2 and TiO.sub.2 provided that at least one intermediate oxide is present in an amount of 5 wt % in a maximum. The frit is capable of firing at temperatures lower than A.sub.1 transformation temperature of steel, say, 723.degree. C.

Abstract: A sewing machine comprises a pedal position detector for detecting the position of a manually operated foot pedal and generating therefrom a pedal position indicating signal. A predetermined position of the armshaft of the sewing machine is detected for generating an armshaft position signal. A soft-start speed setting circuit is provided for successively generating a soft-start speed setting signal of an increasing value as a function of time in response to the occurrence of the armshaft position signal. The soft-start speed setting signal is enabled when it is smaller in magnitude than the pedal position indicating signal and conversely the pedal position indicating signal is enabled when the latter is smaller than the soft-start speed setting signal. The enabled signal is used to control the speed of the sewing machine.

Abstract: A low melting, opaque enamel frit is described, which comprises 30 to 36 wt. % of SiO.sub.2, 15 to 20 wt. % of B.sub.2 O.sub.3, 7 to 9 wt. % of Na.sub.2 O, 5 to 10 wt. % of ZrO.sub.2, 10 to 17 wt. % of TiO.sub.2, 7 to 15 wt. % of K.sub.2 O, 2 to 10 wt. % of F.sub.2 and 0.5 to 2.5 wt. % of P.sub.2 O.sub.5. The total of Na.sub.2 O and K.sub.2 O is in the range of 15 to 20 wt. % and the total of TiO.sub.2 and ZrO.sub.2 is in the range of 15 to 20 wt. %. The ZrO.sub.2 /(TiO.sub.2 +ZrO.sub.2) ratio is in the range of 0.25 to 0.5:1 and the SiO.sub.2 /B.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio is in the range of 1.5 to 2.4:1. In addition, the Na.sub.2 O/K.sub.2 O ratio is in the range of 0.6 to 1.0:1 and the (Na.sub.2 O+K.sub.2 O)/(TiO.sub.2 +ZrO.sub.2) is in the range of 0.7 to 1.2:1.

Abstract: A coaxial-type carbon dioxide gas laser includes an oscillator comprising a gas inlet for introducing gas into a discharge tube through a gas supply chamber having a hollow cylindrical body which serves to disturb the gas flow and orientate the gas toward the discharge tube via a space defined between the discharge tube and the hollow cylindrical body. The gas which has been subjected to an electrical discharge is drawn out of the discharge tube through a chamber and a gas outlet connected therewith. A pair of anode and cathode electrodes are disposed adjacent to the ends of the discharge tube. One of the electrodes is mounted on the gas supply chamber and is annular in shape. The gas supply chamber and the hollow cylindrical body jointly define a gap for passage therethrough of the gas fed from the gas inlet toward the discharge tube via the space. The space is large in cross section than the gap.

Abstract: A plurality of transducers is arranged successively on a common impedance matching layer of a resilient material. Each transducer comprises an elongated piezoelectric element having a width expansion vibrational mode, a pair of first and second electrodes attached to opposite surfaces of the element across its thickness and an elongated block of an impedance matching material disposed between the second electrode and the common impedance matching layer. The common impedance matching layer is bent to take the shape of an arch to conform to the surface of a frame structure which is convexed in the direction of propagation of ultrasonic energy. The piezoelectric elements are secured to the frame so that they bridge the parallel side members of the frame. The piezoelectric members are divided into a plurality of subgroups, each composed of successively arranged elements.

Abstract: In a stacked, multilayer IIL (integrated injection logic) circuit, with which power consumption can be significantly reduced, a discharging circuit constructed of an IIL constant-current circuit or of a resistor is provided for one of transistors which are used for shifting the level of a signal from an IIL circuit of a top layer to an IIL circuit of a bottom layer, so that signal transmission therebetween is prevented from deterioration. A charging circuit may be added to another transistor, while a diode may be interposed between these transistors. Additional diodes may be interposed between adjacent layers for speeding up the signal transmission from one layer to another upper layer.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying headed parts from a hopper to a chute has a pickup or scooper blade movable by an actuator mechanism between a first position in which a second groove in the pickup blade is out of alignment with a first groove in the chute and a second position in which the first and second grooves are aligned with each other to allow headed parts as scooped from the hopper by the pickup blade to be fed in a row from the pickup blade to the chute. A rejector in the form of a bent wire is operatively connected to the hopper or chute and slidable along the second groove as the pickup blade approaches the second position to remove off-the-groove headed parts from the pickup blade to permit smooth supply of neatly arranged headed parts from the pickup blade to the chute.