Abstract: This application covers a novel PEGylated interferon and a novel crystalline form of interferon which are useful, inter alia, for detailed structural analysis of interferon as well as treatment and prevention of viral infections and hyperproliferative diseases such as leukemia.

Abstract: A surround sound system acquires a set of original channel signals as picked up or modeled by a set of microphones, located in a real or virtual acoustic space. Two microphones, mounted on or near the front of a head that may be real or artificial, are oriented to pick up the sounds emanating from the front. Two additional microphones are located near the ear canals of the head configured to emulate a human head in a manner that encodes the surround sound signals with a head-related transfer function (HRTF) that, in reproduction, enhances the accuracy and realism with which a listener perceives the various source locations. The head can be augmented, e.g. with small baffles strategically configured and located to modify the HRTF for overall accuracy and realism. Surround sound channels, so originated, may be transmitted for real-time reproduction or may be recorded, filtered, delayed, or otherwise processed and stored in memory for later reproduction. In an exemplary 4.

Abstract: A pump for pumping a liquid containing solids comprises a housing having a first end and second end and an interior pump chamber. An inlet pipe leads to the pump chamber through the first end, and an outlet pipe leads from the pump chamber at the second end. A core having a vane extending therefrom rotates within the chamber. The core has hollow portions permitting material to move from the inlet pipe to the pump chamber and from the pump chamber to the outlet pipe. The vane extends from the core outwardly, seals against the housing, and works in cooperation with a pair of moving blades to draw material from the inlet pipe and expel the material through the outlet pipe. The blades, which are arcuate in shape and have curved ends, are operated by pneumatic cylinders and move from a retracted position in which they are positioned out of the pump chamber to a deployed position in which the curved end sealably engages the core.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for sterilization of water compatible products, especially food products such as sliced vegetables, chopped meats etc. A sterilization conduit through which the product passes under pressure includes steam injectors, with the pressure of the product being maintained. The steam is condensed to a liquid by the effect of product temperature and pressure within the conduit and permeates the product. The product thus raised to a sterilization temperature. The heated and pressurized product is then passed through a series of flash chambers, each allowing an incremental pressure decrease upon the product. Each pressure decrease will allow a portion of the liquid permeating the product to flash to the vapor phase, reducing the temperature and added water content of the product while preventing damage to the product caused by excessive flashing. These incremental pressure reductions continue until the product is at atmospheric pressure and a temperature below approximately 100.degree. C. (212.

Abstract: A conveyance pump having a substantially constant output pressure. The pump includes a chamber having a circular periphery. A vane is mounted within the pump chamber for oscillation through an arc and a valve chamber includes opening to each boundary of this arc, and with input and output conduits. Within the valve chamber is a valve which may move between two positions, allowing communication between alternate pairs of openings and conduits. An hydraulic motor is connected to the vane to cause its oscillation between the limit positions, and a motor rotates the valve between its positions. In operation the vane will rotate, drawing material from the input opening into the pump chamber behind the advancing vane, and pushing, and thus pressurizing, the material out of the pump chamber in front of the advancing vane and out of the output opening. Reversing the vane continues this process.

Abstract: A continuous cooking grill is provided which includes a heating element for supplying radiant heat to food items passing therebetween along a conveyor which is preferably provided with a series of intercalated rods oriented transversely to the direction of travel. The conveyor includes both a straight portion and an arcuate portion for advancing the items in a generally U-shaped path. The cooker includes a bottom presenting a series of openings along and below the path of the food items which enables the drippings to pass unobstructed out of the cooker. The food items are inverted during their passage through the cooker at a location generally at the end of the bight of the U-shaped path by movement of the rods which causes the items to tumble downwardly from the arcuate portion onto the straight portion. The heating element is configured to generate radiant heat at a substantially constant distance from the food items during movement from the upper, arcuate portion to the lower, straight portion.

Abstract: A continuous conveying mechanism especially adapted as the cooker for continuous grilling of hamburger patties and the like uses a shiftable grid which intermittently lifts the patties off a stationary grid and effects advancement after each lift-off until a U-shaped path is traversed extending initially through and terminating beyond one end of the cooker exteriorly thereof. The patties initially travel upwardly along a straight line with respect to the first pair of legs of the grids and then upwardly and arcuately along interleaved, radially extending rods, whereupon they invert and drop such as to travel upwardly and arcuately with respect to a second set of radially extending interleaved rods. Finally, the patties travel upwardly along a straight line with respect to a pair of legs of the grids forming the final stretch of travel.

Abstract: A continuous conveying mechanism especially adapted as the cooker for continuous grilling of hamburger patties and the like uses a shiftable grid which intermittently lifts the patties off a stationary grid and effects advancement after each lift-off until a U-shaped path is traversed extending initially through and terminating beyond one end of the cooker exteriorly thereof. The patties initially travel upwardly along a straight line with respect to the first pair of legs of the grids and then upwardly and arcuately along interleaved, radially extending rods, whereupon they invert and drop such as to travel upwardly and arcuately with respect to a second set of radially extending interleaved rods. Finally, the patties travel upwardly along a straight line with respect to a pair of legs of the grids forming the final stretch of travel.

Abstract: A cooker for continuous grilling of hamburger patties and the like uses a shiftable grid which intermittently lifts the patties off a stationary grid and effects advancement after each lift-off until a U-shaped path is traversed extending initially through and terminating beyond one end of the cooker exteriorly thereof. The patties travel upwardly along a straight line with respect to a first pair of legs of the grids and then upwardly and arcuately with respect to a pair of first grid quadrants, whereupon they invert and drop such as to travel upwardly and arcuately with respect to a pair of second grid quadrants. Finally, the patties travel upwardly along a straight line with respect to a pair of legs of the grids forming the final stretch of the travel.

Abstract: A cooker for continuous grilling of hamburger patties and the like uses a shiftable grid which intermittently lifts the patties off a stationary grid and effects advancement after each lift-off until a U-shaped path is traversed extending initially through and terminating beyond one end of the cooker exteriorly thereof. The patties travel upwardly along a straight line with respect to a first pair of legs of the grids and then upwardly and arcuately with respect to a pair of first grid quadrants, whereupon they invert and drop such as to travel upwardly and arcuately with respect to a pair of second grid quadrants. Finally, the patties travel upwardly along a straight line with respect to a pair of legs of the grids forming the final stretch of the travel.

Abstract: Sausages or other articles having initial lengths several times longer than their final, packaged lengths are automatically severed to their proper dimensions, accumulated into multisausage clusters and then inserted into awaiting containers, all automatically. Each long initial length of material is initially severed into separate lengths, then gathered into side-by-side relationship with other severed lengths, then severed a second time into the final length. The final lengths are then arranged into generally cylindrically configured clusters for axial packing into the awaiting containers. Special handling techniques are used throughout the process so as to render the system fully automated without damaging the materials or failing to pack the prescribed number of materials into each container.

Abstract: A flowable food product or other substance is heated or chilled by pumping it through a long, slender tube on a continuous basis in one direction only while simultaneously subjecting it to a temperature differential. The body of product contained within and moving through the tube is segmented into a number of discrete, end-to-end but longitudinally spaced-apart sections by plugs that are periodically introduced into the tube and moved along with the product. The plugs continuously scrape the wall of the tube free of any accumulation of frost or cooked-on material without interrupting the continuous flow and without subjecting the product to deleterious shear stresses. The frequency of plug insertion can be varied without changing the rate of product flow along the wall of the tube so that the best combination of temperature, speed, and scraping frequency can be achieved for each product formulation on a custom basis.

Abstract: A continuous cooking grill is provided which includes a heating element for supplying radiant heat to food items passing tberebetween along a conveyor which is preferably provided with a series of intercalated rods oriented transversely to the direction of travel. The conveyor includes both a straight portion and an arcuate portion for advancing the items in a generally U-shaped path. The cooker includes a bottom presenting a series of openings along and below the path of the food items which enables the drippings to pass unobstructed out of the cooker. The food items are inverted during their passage through the cooker at a location generally at the end of the bight of the U-shaped path by movement of the rods which causes the items to tumble downwardly from the arcuate portion onto the straight portion. The heating element is configured to generate radiant heat at a substantially constant distance from the food items during movement from the upper, arcuate portion to the lower, straight portion.