Abstract: A sealing member includes a gland packing pressed into a wide, flat, ring-shaped seal housing to seal a sliding portion of a gate plate. The seal housing has a bamboo shoot-like shape or a bevel-like shape structure in front and cross sectional view and includes wide ring-shaped or oval shaped steps and a rear step. An inner wall of the seal housing has an included face that abruptly rises to be oriented almost perpendicular to the axis of the gate plate, in the sliding direction, a ring-shaped face that is extended from the included face to be oriented almost parallel to the axis, the step that is extended from the ring-shaped face, a ring-shaped face that is similar to the ring-shaped face and is extended from the step, the step that is extended from the ring-shaped face, a ring-shaped face that is similar to the ring-shaped face and is extended from the step, and an opening end that is extended from the ring-shaped face.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium rechargeable battery including a negative electrode comprising a copper core material, to which is fixed an active material made by mixing artificial graphite particles A obtained by kneading and granulating a base material of pulverized bulk mesophase pitch with pitch in a softened state and/or thermosetting resin, carbonizing the resulting granules at 700 to 1,500° C. and graphitizing the carbonized granules at 2,500 to 3,000° C. with spherical graphite particles B having a high mean circularity, with a view to inhibiting the deterioration in battery capacity through the repeated charge/discharge cycles, which occurs remarkably in a high energy density lithium rechargeable battery, and providing excellent discharge characteristic and safety.

Abstract: A booster 8 extending in an internal area 53 of a sieve 7 is attached to the outer circumferential face of a rotating shaft 6. The booster 8 has four blades 82, which are radially extended from the outer circumferential face of the rotating shaft 6 and are arranged at preset angles (for example, 90 degrees) to form a pi shape from the front view. The booster 8 has multiple (for example, two) cross-shaped radial members 81 that are arranged radially at a little angle (for example, 3 degrees) and are located on both ends of the rotating shaft 6 via a preset space, the blades 82 that are set in and fixed to the respective ends of each of the radial members 81 and are inclined at a preset angle to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 6, and sheet-like scrapers 83 that are attached to the blades 82 to be a little projected outward in the radial direction. The end of each scraper 83 faces the inner circumferential face of the sieve 7 across a little gap.

Abstract: A sealing member 9 includes a gland packing 92 pressed into a wide, flat, ring-shaped seal housing 91 to seal a sliding portion of a gate plate 2. The seal housing 91 has a bamboo shoot-like shape or a bevel-like shape structure in front and cross sectional view and includes wide ring-shaped (oval shaped) steps 90 (90a and 90b) and a rear step 93a. An inner wall of the seal housing 91 has an inclined face 95 that abruptly rises to be oriented almost perpendicular to the axis of the gate plate 2 (the sliding direction), a ring-shaped face 96 that is extended from the inclined face 95 to be oriented almost parallel to the axis, the step 90a that is extended from the ring-shaped face 96, a ring-shaped face 97 that is similar to the ring-shaped face 96 and is extended from the step 90a, the step 90b that is extended from the ring-shaped face 97, a ring-shaped face 98 that is similar to the ring-shaped face 97 and is extended from the step 90b, and an opening end that is extended from the ring-shaped face 98.

Abstract: A powder receiving device has a loading chamber with an integral dust collector. The dust collector preferably includes at least one bag filter which filters air taken from above powder loaded into the loading chamber. The filtered air is then fed either back into the loading chamber, into a hopper where the powder is released to an external location, or out over the container from which the powder is loaded. This air flow provides for increased fluidity of the powder. The bag filter is positioned facing the loading chamber, such that when a backwash mean sends a pulse of air into the bag filter, the collected powder is dropped back into the loading chamber. The resulting powder receiving device prevents powder from escaping when powder is transferred from a container into the loading chamber. Since the powder is prevented from escaping, the powder receiving device further provides a clean workplace.

Abstract: In a nickel-metal hydride storage battery comprising: an electrode plate assembly including current collectors on the top and bottom portions; an alkaline electrolyte; and a battery case having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped part for accommodating the electrode plate assembly and the alkaline electrolyte, the capacity degradation due to deep discharge and reverse charge inherent to a nickel-metal hydride storage battery is suppressed by setting the amount of the alkaline electrolyte at 70 to 90% of the volume V of the residual space in the battery represented by the equation (1): V=S·h−(V1+V2+V3+V4) (1), where S is the cross sectional area of the inner space of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped part, h is the height of the electrode plate assembly, V1 is the true volume of the positive electrode plate, V2 is the true volume of the negative electrode plate, V3 is the true volume of the separator, and V4 is the volume of the two current collectors.

Abstract: The present invention provides alkaline storage batteries high in energy density and excellent in overdischarge resistance, and, besides, less in decrease of capacity even if charging and discharging cycle is repeated at high temperatures. There is used a positive electrode comprising a foamed nickel substrate having the number of pores of 80-160 pores/inch (PPI2D) and a thickness of skeleton of 30-60 &mgr;m in which spherical nickel hydroxide solid solution particles having an average particle size of 5-20 &mgr;m and a cobalt oxide conductive agent having an average particle size of 1 &mgr;m or less and mainly composed of &ggr;-cobalt oxyhydroxide having a cobalt valence of higher than 3.0 are held and the total occupying ratio of the spherical nickel hydroxide solid solution particles and the cobalt oxide conductive agent based on the whole electrode plate is in the range of 75-85 vol %.

Abstract: The present invention provides a positive electrode material for alkaline storage batteries which has high energy density and causes little capacity reduction even when a charge/discharge cycle is repeated at high temperatures. The positive electrode material for alkaline storage batteries of the present invention comprises nickel hydroxide particles and a layers of cobalt oxide coating the nickel hydroxide particles. A valence of cobalt of the cobalt oxide is greater than 3.0, and the cobalt oxide contains sodium ions or potassium ions inside the crystal and further fixes lithium hydroxide or lithium ions.

Abstract: A method of automatically inserting terminals with wires into desired terminal accommodating cavities in a connector housing after putting neighboring wires aside, and a wire sweeping arm and a driving device for the sweeping arm. The method includes the steps of: grasping the terminal with wire by terminal supporting hands and wire supporting hands; moving the wire sweeping arm in the direction that the wire sweeping arm sweep wires which are already accommodated in neighboring terminal accommodating cavities, the wire sweeping arm being disposed between the terminal accommodating cavities and the terminal supporting hands so as to move back and forth; moving the wire supporting hands and the terminal supporting hands toward the connector housing to insert the terminal with wire into the terminal accommodating cavity.

Abstract: Disclosed is a positive electrode material which provides an alkaline storage battery having high active material utilization, wherein good capacity recovery can be obtained by charging even after standing in the state of overdischarge or short circuit, and reduction in capacity scarcely arises. This active material comprises nickel hydroxide particles and a cobalt oxide. The cobalt oxide is a higher cobalt oxide containing as a main component .gamma.-cobalt oxyhydroxide, which belongs to any one crystal system of hexagonal, orthorhombic and monoclinic systems and has a layered structure, wherein a lattice spacing of the (003) plane is from 5.5 to 7.0 angstroms and an average valence of cobalt is higher than 3.0. Those which are prepared by coating the surface of nickel hydroxide particles with the higher cobalt oxide are preferable.

Abstract: The present invention provides a nickel/metal hydride storage battery using improved nickel hydroxide with an increased energy density as the active material. This invention is characterized in that the nickel hydroxide as the active material of the positive electrode constituting the battery indispensably contains as a solid solution at least one transition metal selected from the group consisting of Mn, Cr and Co in a proportion of 2 to 20 atomic % based on the amount of the nickel hydroxide in terms of metallic nickel, and that the crystal structure of the nickel hydroxide at charged state is a hexagonal or tetragonal system which has a diffraction peak of 2.theta. on (00l) plane of .beta.-NiOOH at an angle of approximately 15.degree. to 19.degree. in X-ray diffraction using CuK.alpha. as a source and has a regular array with a NaCl type structure.

Abstract: A cover of a powder loading device prevents the escape of loose powder when the powder is transferred from a storage container of a plant to a receiving container. A blower inside the cover moves air from the outside, under the cover, a filter, and returns the filtered air to the outside. A backwash device is operated periodically to remove the filtered powder from the filter into the receiving container. The powder is delivered storage container to the receiving container through a retractable loading chute. A powder detection switch within the retractable loading chute determines when the receiving container is full and stops the transfer of powder. The result is a powder loading device which maximizes dust collection and minimizes lost loose powder. The powder loading device adapts to various plant and receiving container sizes.

Abstract: A method of automatically inserting terminals with wires into desired terminals accommodating cavities in a connector housing after putting neighboring wires aside, and a wire sweeping arm and a driving device for the sweeping arm. The method includes the steps of: grasping the terminal with wire by terminal supporting hands and wire supporting hands; moving the wire sweeping arm in the direction that the wire sweeping arm sweep wires which are already accommodated in neighboring terminal accommodating cavities, the wire sweeping arm being disposed between the terminal accommodating cavities and the terminal supporting hands so as to move back and forth; moving the wire supporting hands and the terminal supporting hands toward the connector housing to insert the terminal with wire into the terminal accommodating cavity.

Abstract: An automatic interior cleaning system for a powdered material processing device cleans interior surfaces of powdered material processing devices such as silos, mixers, and dust collectors. A compressor and an accumulator tank supply a cleaning gas, preferably air, at a sufficient pressure to dislodge residues of powdered materials that collect on interior surfaces of a powdered material processing device. A valve connecting the accumulator tank to a cleaning nozzle tube opens and closes, supplying a pulse of air to the cleaning nozzle tube. Slits in the cleaning nozzle tube deliver the pulse of pressurized air to an inside surface of the powdered material processing device. The pulse of pressurized air produces a shock wave which dislodges residues from the interior surface of the powdered material processing device. Automatic removal of residues during processing prevents contamination of subsequently processed materials.

Abstract: An automatic bag opening device includes a housing having a bag intake opening for receiving a filled shipping bag. A bag assist plate forms a chute, allowing the bag to slide down and rest on a bag rest. A hollow penetrator penetrates the bag to hold it in place while a bottom of the bag is cut. The bag rest moves away from the bottom of the bag, allowing the contents of the bag to spill out. An air blast through the penetrator helps the bag empty. Additional air blasts hit and shake the bag, knocking the contents loose. A bag pusher pushes the empty bag into a set of rollers, folding the empty bag in half, and discharging the bag outside the housing. A dust collector within the housing collects loose dust, thereby enhancing safety and cleanliness of the workplace.

Abstract: A method of automatically inserting terminals with wires into desired terminal accommodating cavities in a connector housing after putting neighboring wires aside, and a wire sweeping arm and a driving device for the sweeping arm. The method includes the steps of: grasping the terminal with wire by terminal supporting hands and wire supporting hands; moving the wire sweeping arm in the direction that the wire sweeping arm sweep wires which are already accommodated in neighboring terminal accommodating cavities, the wire sweeping arm being disposed between the terminal accommodating cavities and the terminal supporting hands so as to move back and forth; moving the wire supporting hands and the terminal supporting hands toward the connector housing to insert the terminal with wire into the terminal accommodating cavity.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optically triggered lateral thyristor is to form an anode region by providing a first opening in an insulating layer formed on a semiconductor substrate, a diffusion layer by providing a second opening in the insulating layer to be spaced from the anode region, a base-forming region by providing a third opening in the insulating layer externally adjacent to the second opening, and a base region and simultaneously a cathode region by means of double diffusion through the third opening, the base region having a lateral width determined by a diffusion difference between the base and cathode regions for effective minimization of the width.

Abstract: A damper device for use in an air conditioner of a vehicle, which changes over the direction and volume of an air flow in an air conditioner when a screen (41) is slid. The screen has a laminated resin coat layer (8) or the resin film layer (5), and the cloth layer (7). The resin film layer (5) has excellent tensile and bending strength, and exhibits anti-creep properties, and further it inhibits elastic deformation or plastic deformation (initial elongation) that is the weak point of the cloth layer (7). The cloth layer (7) makes up for the tear strength that is a weak point of the resin film layer (5). The resin coat layer (8) makes up for anti-abrasion and low frictional properties that are weak points of the cloth layer (7). Each layer is provided with flexibility, moisture resistance and heat resistance, so that the entire arrangement of layers provides the necessary characteristics required for the screen.

Abstract: A solid state relay circuit includes a MOSFET receiving a photovoltaic output generated across a photovoltaic diode array responsive to a light signal from a light emitting element, a control electrode of a normally ON type driving transistor made to be at a high impedance state by a voltage generated across an impedance element connected in series to the photovoltaic diode array upon application of the photovoltaic output across the gate and source of the MOSFET and at a low impedance state upon disappearance of the photovoltaic output is connected to a connecting point between the diode array and the impedance element, and the driving transistor is connected across the gate and source of the MOSFET with a resistor interposed. A falling gradient of output signal upon being turned OFF of the relay circuit is made thereby sufficiently gentle, and relay operation upon being turned OFF can be minimized in response time.

Abstract: A combustor includes a first premixture supply device provided in a central portion of a combustion chamber disposed generally concentric with a combustion cylinder, and a second premixture supply means provided adjacent to an outer periphery of the first premixture supply device. The first premixture supply device is operable when the combustor is under a high load, and the second premixture supply device is operable when the combustor is under a low load. A method of operating a combustor is also proposed wherein the combustor comprises a combustion cylinder having a combustion chamber therein and a premixture supply device provided on one side of the combustion cylinder for supplying a combustible mixture to the combustion chamber. The premixture supply device comprising at least two inner and outer premixture supply devices.