Abstract: A kit for assembling a portable display system. The kit includes a plurality of H-shaped members which can be assembled one on top of the other, a flexible panel attachable to the assembled H-members and a tensioning device for tensioning the flexible panel.

Abstract: A more effective and efficient method for separating the components of crude oil, particularly off-gases and LSR naphtha and heavy naphtha, is disclosed. The crude oil is heated and fed to a prefractionator that operates at relatively high pressure and uses a multiple condenser/accumulator overhead system for collecting and separating off-gases and LSR naphtha while avoiding the problems of water condensation in the top section of the prefractionator and the need to compress overhead vapors to fuel gas system pressure. After heating, the bottoms from the prefractionator are fed to an atmospheric crude tower to recover desirable components such as diesel, kerosene, atmospheric gas oils and reduced crude. The overheads of such crude tower are processed through a set of overhead condensers/accumulators for collecting the small amounts of naphtha and sending them to a naphtha stripper column for further recovery and purification.

Abstract: A number of intelligent nodes (bus interface units-BIUs and memory control units-MCUs) are provided in a matrix composed of processor buses (105) with corresponding error-reporting and control lines (106); and memory buses (107) with corresponding error-reporting and control lines (108). Error-detection mechanisms deal with information flow occuring across area boundaries. Each node (100, 101, 102, 103) has means for logging errors and reporting errors on the error report lines (106, 108). If an error recurs the node at which the error exists initiates an error message which is received and repropagated on the error report lines by all nodes. The error message identifies the type of error and the node ID at which the error was detected. Confinement area isolation logic in a node isolates a faulty confinement area of which the node is a part, upon the condition that the node ID in an error report message identifies the node as a node which is a part of a faulty confinement area.

Abstract: A number of intelligent nodes (bus-interface units-BIUs and memory-control units-MCUs) are provided in a matrix composed of processor buses (105) with corresponding error-reporting and control lines (106); and memory buses (107) with corresponding error-reporting and control lines (108). Each node (100, 101, 102, 103) has means for logging errors and reporting errors on the error-report lines (106, 108). Processor modules (110) and memory modules (112) are each connected to a node which controls access to a common memory bus (107). Each node includes means (a married bit-170 and a shadow bit-172) for marrying modules in pairs such that each module in the pair tracks the operations directed to the module pair, and each module in the pair alternates with the other module in the handling of requests or replies. Each node registers the ID of the other node in a spouse ID register.

Abstract: A number of intelligent bus interface units (100) are provided in a matrix of orthogonal lines interconnecting processor modules (110) and memory control unit (MCU) modules (112). The matrix is composed of processor buses (105) and corresponding control lines; and memory buses (107) with corresponding control lines (108). At the intersection of these lines is a bus interface unit node (100). The bus interface units function to pass memory requests from a processor module to a memory module attached to an MCU node and to pass any data associated with the requests. The memory bus is a packet-oriented bus. Accesses are handled by means of a series of messages transmitted by message generator (417) in accordance with a specific control protocol. Packets comprising one or more bus transmission slots are issued sequentially and contiguously. Each slot in a packet includes an opcode, address, data, control, and parity-check bits. Write-request packets and read-request packets are issued to the memory-control unit.

Abstract: An arbitration mechanism comprising a request FIFO (408) for storing ones and zeros corresponding to received requests in the order that they are made. A one indicates that the request was made by the module in which the FIFO is located, and a zero indicates that the request was made by one of a number of other similar modules. The request status information from the other modules is received over signal lines (411) connected between the modules. This logic separates multiple requests into time-ordered slots, such that all requests in a particular time slot may be serviced before any requests in the next time slot. A store (409) stores a unique logical module number. An arbiter (410) examines this logical number bit-by-bit in successive cycles and places a one in a grant queue (412) upon the condition that the bit examined in a particular cycle is a zero and signals this condition over the signal lines.

Abstract: A combined pump and oil reservoir and oil delivery apparatus directs oil to the internal chambers of a portable sewing machine where oil is distributed by pump pressure, gravity flow, capillary action, wicking, misting and movement of machine components. Oil is pumped into a manifold leading to upper and lower main drive shaft bearings and to the needle driving assembly for subsequent dispersion during rotation and reciprocation of machine parts to fling such oil outwardly within the internal chambers to oil machinery both directly and by misting.

Abstract: A number of intelligent crossbar switches (100) are provided in a matrix of orthogonal lines interconnecting processor (110) and memory control unit (MCU) modules (112). The matrix is composed of processor buses (105) and corresponding error-reporting lines (106); and memory buses (107) with corresponding error-reporting lines (108). At the intersection of these lines is a crossbar switch node (100). The crossbar switches function to pass memory requests from a processor to a memory module attached to an MCU node and to pass any data associated with the requests. The system is organized into confinement areas at the boundaries of which are positioned error-detection mechanisms to deal with information flow occurring across area boundaries. Each crossbar switch and MCU node has means for the logging and signaling of errors to other nodes. Means are provided to reconfigure the system to reroute traffic around the confinement area at fault and for restarting system operation in a possibly degraded mode.

Abstract: A portable bag-closing sewing machine is provided with a self-oiling system which includes an oil reservoir connected to the machine and oil-delivery means to direct oil from the reservoir into the inner chambers of the machine where oil is distributed by gravity flow, capillary action and movement of machine components, the oil moving along through the machine components and through a series of channels, troughs, and reservoirs within the housing to distribute oil throughout the machine. During operation, the rotating and reciprocating machine parts fling oil outwardly within the chambers to directly oil machine assemblies and to create a fine mist of oil throughout the chambers so as to further lubricate machine components. Also disclosed is an improved and self-lubricating feed dog assembly and thread chain cutting device.

Abstract: A rake for smoothing sand and other particulate material surfaces has a head which is an elongate helical coil. Preferably, the coil is a coil spring which can be compressed axially from an open to a storage condition and means are provided for retaining the spring in its storage condition and advantageously also in intermediate operative conditions to compensate for variations in coarseness of the particulate material to be raked. It is also preferred that the rake handle is formed of a mutually inclined pair of arms movable to reduce their included angle and having the coil spring extending between their distal ends. It is especially preferred that the arms are arcuately mutually divergent so that the distal ends thereof move substantially linearly.