Abstract: The technique of the present invention attains simple and accurate evaluation of the performance of a fuel cell and enables produce of a high-performance electrode catalyst and a high-performance fuel cell. The procedure makes platinum, a noble metal, and iron, a base metal, carried on carbon having a large specific surface area, and heats up the carbon with platinum and iron to a specific temperature to reduce iron. A resulting platinum-iron alloy electrode catalyst exerts excellent catalytic functions. A fuel cell using this electrode catalyst has a high IR compensation voltage. The quantity of carbon monoxide adsorbed by this novel electrode catalyst is not less than 14 Ncc per one gram of platinum. The atomic number ratio of iron (Fe) to platinum (Pt) in the catalyst is not lower than 0.14 by EDX analysis, and the ratio of the binding number of Pt atom with Fe atom to the total binding number relating to Pt atom is not lower than 0.10 by EXAFS analysis.

Abstract: A device and a method for simply and accurately evaluating performance of fuel cells have been provided. Hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas are caused to flow into a sample holder where an electrode catalyst sample is laid, and the amount of carbon monoxide gas discharged therefrom is detected. The amount of carbon monoxide gas adsorbed by the electrode catalyst sample is calculated based on the amount of supplied carbon monoxide gas and the amount of detected carbon monoxide gas. The output voltage of a fuel cell is calculated based on a correlation between calculated amounts of carbon monoxide gas adsorbed by the electrode catalyst and output voltages of the fuel cell.

Abstract: A pipe joint is comprised of a joint base member having an opening for a fluid conduit, a flange member fixed with the joint base member and a metal pipe having a first enlarged portion inserted into the opening, a second enlarged portion placed in an installation bore of the flange and a bulging portion pressed against a second end surface of the flange member. The bulging portion is formed by making the outer surface of the pipe swell at the same time when the pipe is inserted into the installation bore and enlarged by a enlargement punch to form the second enlarged portion.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy clad material for heat exchangers exhibiting excellent erosion-corrosion resistance, corrosion resistance, pitting resistance, and brazability, which is suitably used as an aluminum alloy clad sheet for forming a constituent member, in particular, a tube for an aluminum heat exchanger such as a radiator and heater, and as a pipe for circulating a working fluid in the aluminum heat exchanger or a pipe connected to the heat exchangers. The aluminum alloy clad sheet comprises a sacrificial anode material clad on one side of a core material, wherein the core material comprises an Al—Mn alloy and the sacrificial anode material comprises an aluminum alloy, for example, an aluminum alloy comprising 3.0-12.0% of Si with the remaining portion consisting of Al and impurities, or an aluminum alloy comprising 3.0-12.0% of Si, 1-10% of Zn, and 0.15-1.2% of Fe with the remaining portion consisting of Al and impurities.

Abstract: A developer amount restricting member for restricting the amount of developer on a developer bearing member has: (a) an elastic member urged toward the developer bearing member; and (b) a supporting member supporting the elastic member, wherein, when the transverse end portion of the supporting member is supported, the longitudinal end portions of the elastic member warp toward the supporting member.

Abstract: A primary printed wiring board includes: secondary printed wiring boards arranged in plural lines; main plated leads formed between the plural lines of secondary printed wiring boards; and auxiliary plated leads which connect patterns forming the secondary printed wiring boards to the main plated leads. In the primary printed wiring board, each main plated lead is zig-zagged to provide forward lines and backward lines which are laid respectively on both sides of a cutting line with respect to the pattern, and the auxiliary plated leads are connected to the backward lines.With the primary printed wiring board thus designed, the auxiliary plated leads can be isolated from one another without being processed by blanking. That is, by cutting the board along a predetermined cutting line or lines, the auxiliary plated leads can be separated from the main plated leads and isolated from one another.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire having improved rolling resistance and increased resistance to separation between coat rubber and steel cords embedded therein. The steel cord is formed from two intertwisted steel filaments containing 0.80-0.92 weight percent of carbon. The rubber coat has 100% elastic modulus of 35-55 kg/cm.sup.2. Each of the cords and the rubber coat has a specified mean cross-sectional area (Sa, Sb). The cords are spaced apart from each other by a specified distance across the junction of adjacent belts.

Abstract: Highly durable, lightweight tires of a pneumatic radial type for passenger cars are constructed with a tread portion having on its outer peripheral surface a plurality of grooves arranged circumferentially of the tire and a belt layer formed from an array of steel cords and disposed in the tread. Each of the steel cords results from twisting a selected number of steel filaments each of specified contents of C, Si and Ni and has a specified level of tensile strength. The distance of rubber from a bottom end of each of the grooves to an outer surface of the steel cord array is defined to be of a specified range as determined cross-sectionally of the tire.

Abstract: Pneumatic radial tires for automotive use are constructed with a belt layer reinforced with a steel cord of a unique structure. The steel cord results from the preformation of a single steel wire into a spiral shape meeting specified spiral parameters as determined by specified spiral diameters, specified wire diameters and specified spiral pitches. Significant weight saving is attainable with sufficient driving performance.

Abstract: An industrial robot apparatus comprise for controlling an industrial robot and a peripheral unit thereof according to a program so as to load workpieces on a pallet, an abnormal stop unit for detecting an abnormality which occurs in at least either of the industrial robot and the peripheral unit and for stopping both the industrial robot and the peripheral unit, a storage unit for storing a step of the program which is being executed when the abnormal stop takes place, and a removal unit for removing remaining workpieces to be loaded on the pallet in steps following the stored step of the storage unit.

Abstract: A stowage device for stowing workpieces of a plurality of kinds on pallets in accordance with inputted shipment information includes a supply conveyor system provided with a refuge track conveyor. A plurality of carrier means devices (e.g. containers) carrying workpieces of different kinds are supplied via the supply conveyor system. Pallets on which workpieces are stowed by an industrial robot are transferred via a transfer device. The stowing of workpieces on each pallet is effected in two cycles: In the first cycle, workpieces of each kind filling a complete layer or layers of workpieces on the pallet are stowed. In the second re-stowing cycle, remaining fractional numbers of workpieces of respective kinds are stowed on the pallet. During these stowing operations, the carrier devices may be temporarily taken into the refuge conveyor before being transferred away from the robot.

Abstract: A loading management apparatus for managing the loading of a plurality of types of workpieces onto a pallet is disclosed which is small in size, simple in structure and inexpensive to manufacture, and hence is particularly suitable for handling a relatively small number of workpieces. An operator can load a plurality of types of workpieces onto a pallet in a predetermined pattern with extreme ease in accordance with an imaged loading instruction which is displayed. The condition of the loaded workpieces is also displayed so that if there is an error or disagreement between the loading instruction and the condition of the loaded workpieces, the operator is immediately warned of such an error, thus enabling appropriate action to be taken for proper or correct loading.

Abstract: An industrial robot device in which accurate alignment between the robot and the processing machine with which it is employed are ensured. Alignment datum points are provided both on a standard mounting face of the robot, which preferably corresponds to the X axis assumed by the robot-operating software, and on a standard mounting face of the processing machine, which corresponds to the X axis of the latter. The robot is mounted to the processing machine in such a manner that the two datum points are aligned.

Abstract: An industrial robot apparatus comprises a plurality of storage devices for accommodating workpieces of specified kinds, respectively; a supply device for supplying workpieces from at least two of the storage devices; a supply command device for giving the supply device an instruction directing the kinds of workpieces and the number of workpieces by kind supplied from the storage devices, for issuing a conveyance command in time to convey the workpieces by kind; a plurality of pallets; an industrial robot for stowing supplied workpieces onto the pallets; and a stowage command device for giving the industrial robot an instruction directing the kinds of workpieces and the number of workpieces by kind to be stowed onto the pallets.

Abstract: In a second PLL circuit 200, a phase comparator 13 compares the phase of a clock B' from a frequency divider 11 with the phase of a clock A' from a first PLL circuit 100 to transmit a comparison result to low pass filters X and Y in a filter circuit 14. A phase shift detector 12 detects a phase shift between the clocks A' and B' to output a detection signal E corresponding to the phase shift. A selector 15 selectively outputs an output of either the low pass filter X or Y in response to the detection signal E to input it to a VCXO 10. When the phase shift between the clocks A' and B' exceeds a predetermined value, the low pass filter Y having a high cut-off frequency is selected, whereby the second PLL circuit 200 responds rapidly, and the clock B' follows the clock A' quickly.

Abstract: An industrial robot apparatus of the present invention comprises a rail, a plurality of robots which use the rail in common, which are disposed so as to be movable along the rail and which are respectively stopped on the rail so as to perform a robot work, a work command unit for instructing at least one of the plurality of robots to perform a predetermined robot work, and a controlling unit for maintaining the other robots in a predetermined state when the robot, which is instructed from the work command unit, works.

Abstract: An industrial robot system comprises a robot movable on a track formed on a floor; work stations arranged along the track, where the robot deals with workpieces in a predetermined order; reference points provided at the stations, respectively, and a detector installed on the robot for detecting the reference points so that the robot can be properly positioned with respect to each work station.

Abstract: A robotic apparatus for automobile assembly includes a robot which moves in sequence to a plurality of different stations and performs an operation at each station based on information obtained from a video camera. The camera can pivot to form an image of each station. While the robot is performing an operation at one station, the camera is forming an image at a subsequent station. By the time that the robot finishes the operation at one station and moves to the subsequent station, the image formed by the camera at the next station has already been processed by a controller, and the robot can immediately begin to perform an operation at the subsequent station.

Abstract: A system for reducing horizontal deviations of elevators in which a cage ascends or descends in an ascending/decending path while engaged with guide rails through guide shoes is provided. The system includes a displacement device, disposed between the cage and the guide shoes, for displacing the cage relative to the guide rails in a horizontal direction. A position detecting device is provided for detecting a position of the cage in an ascending/descending direction, storage device for storing error data corresponding to guide rail installation errors with respect to positions of the cage in the ascending/descending direction and control device for controlling the displacement device to correct positional deviations of the cage in the horizontal direction resulting from the guide rail installation errors in accordance with the error data stored in the storage device, the error data corresponding to the position detected by the position detecting device.