Abstract: A baseball batting practice device includes a home plate having a center axle extending upright from the home plate, an elongate and radially extending bar having a first end defining a hole through which the center axle extends for the bar to be rotatable about the center axle on the home plate, a bi-directional ratchet mechanism including a toothed disc and a pawl member engageable with each other arranged between the home plate and the bar to allow for angular displacement of the bar with respect to the home plate and a stand mounted to the bar and extending upright therefrom to support a baseball on a top end thereof. The stand includes a slide movably received in a radially extending channel defined in the bar whereby the stand is linearly movable with respect to the center axle in a radial direction.

Abstract: A net retainer attaches badminton net to a net post in which a hole is defined for receiving the retainer. The retainer includes an elongate rod having first and second ends, a pair of resilient arms extending from the first end of the rod toward the second end in a diverging manner, a primary ring formed on the second end of the rod for receiving and fixing an end of an anchoring rope, and a pair of resilient straps extending transversely from the rod and deformable to completely surround the rod with second rings formed on free ends of the straps overlapping each other to receive and fix net strap. The arms are deflectable toward the rod to allow for insertion of the first end of the rod and the arms into the hole of the post. The resiliency of the arms induces a secure engagement between the arms and the hole. The net retainer may further include a locking bar associated with each arm and extending from a point of the rod away from the first end in a direction toward the first end.

Abstract: A cylindrical alkaline electrochemical cell is disclosed that includes a gel free anode. The anode includes a free flowing zinc powder with a preassembly tap density between 1.6 g/cc and 2.9 g/cc. In one embodiment, zinc powder with the desired tap density may be obtained by mixing zinc agglomerates with zinc flakes.

Abstract: A baseball batting practice device includes a home plate having a top face in which a plurality of channels extending in different direction are embedded. Each channel has top flanges spaced from each other to define a slot therebetween. The top flanges are substantially flush with the top face of the base plate. A slide is selectively and movably received the channels. A threaded rod extends from the slide and through the slot of the channel. An upright stand has a lower end defining an inner-threaded hole engageable with the threaded rod to attach the stand to the slide whereby the stand is movable along and switchable between the channels. The stand has an upper end forming a cavity for receiving and supporting a baseball to be batted whereby a user may selectively position the baseball at any desired location along the channels for practicing ball batting.

Abstract: A rotary baseball batting practice device includes a home plate having a center axle extending upright from the home plate, an elongate, radially extending bar having a first end defining a hole through which the center axle extends whereby the bar is rotatable about the center axle on the home plate, a bi-directional ratchet mechanism including a toothed disc and a pawl member engageable with each other arranged between the home plate and the bar to allow for angular displacement of the bar with respect to the home plate and a stand mounted to the bar and extending upright therefrom to support a baseball on a top end thereof. The stand includes a slide movably received in a radially extending channel defined in the bar whereby the stand is linearly movable with respect to the center axle in a radial direction.

Abstract: A configurable game controller according to the present invention selectively assigns functions within a gaming application to controller input devices. The controller includes input devices, signal sources, a switching device and a switch control unit. The input devices are each coupled to a corresponding signal source that detects or measures manipulation of the corresponding input device and produces a signal indicating the measurement. The signals produced by the signal sources are processed by a signal processor whose inputs are associated in a fixed manner with game functions. The switching device receives information from each signal source and provides the appropriate signals to the signal processor inputs to attain the desired configuration or function assignment received from the user via the switch control unit. In addition, the configurable controller may be utilized with an exercise device to enable exercise and/or controller input devices to control gaming functions.

Abstract: A respirable one-ply, two-ply or multi-ply barrier fabric including one web comprising an electrostatically charged melt blown fibers nonwoven or a nanofiber/melt blown fibers nonwoven having a weak cationic emulsifier to reduce surface energy of the fibers so as to minimize penetration and wetting by oily mists and to thereby preserve the effectiveness of electrostatic charges applied to fibers. Also disclosed is a two-layer or multi-ply barrier fabric which has at least one barrier fabric layer which is impermeable to liquids such as water and body fluids, but which allows the transport of moisture vapor through the micropores or by chemical absorption of water through a monolithic membrane, which may have additional barrier layers to include melt blown and nanofiber/melt blown composites.

Abstract: Host computer systems dynamically engage in independent transactions with servers of a server cluster to request performance of a network service, preferably a policy-based transfer processing of data. The host computer systems operate from an identification of the servers in the cluster to autonomously select servers for transactions qualified on server performance information gathered in prior transactions. Server performance information may include load and weight values that reflect the performance status of the selected server and a server localized policy evaluation of service request attribute information provided in conjunction with the service request. The load selection of specific servers for individual transactions is balanced implicitly through the cooperation of the host computer systems and servers of the server cluster.

Abstract: A facility stores attachments for electronic mail messages so that the messages may be transmitted to the intended recipients without the attachments. The recipients may then review and/or download the attachments by contacting the facility. This facility is especially useful in instances wherein the attachments are large. The facility eliminates the need to store multiple copies of the attachment throughout a system; thus consuming a great deal of memory space. In addition, the facility prevents the recipient from extensive delays that are often associated with downloading email messages that contain large attachments via a dial-up connection with a low transmission rate. The facility may be realized as a server and may be a web server so as to provide access to the attachments via an IP network.

Abstract: Communications between server computer systems of a cluster routinely exchange notice of configuration status and, on demand, transmit updated configuration data sets. Each status message identifies any change in the local configuration of a servers and, further, includes encrypted validation data. Each of the servers stores respective configuration data including respective sets of data identifying the servers known to the respective servers as participating in the cluster. Each status message, as received, is validating against the respective configuration data stored by the receiving server. A status message is determined valid only when originating from a server as known by the receiving server, as determined from the configuration data held by the receiving server. Where a validated originating server identifies updated configuration data, the receiving server requests a copy of the updated configuration data set, which must also be validated, to equivalently modify the locally held configuration data.

Abstract: An integrated high brightness electrodeless lamp includes a lamp base defining two or more compartments housing components of the lamp, wherein at least one compartment provides an opening in the lamp base, a cover fitted to the lamp base, and an optics assembly positioned in the opening in the lamp base, wherein the lamp base, the cover, and the optics assembly provide an RF sealed system. The lamp components include an RF source providing RF energy for the lamp, an aperture bulb assembly including an electrodeless envelope containing a discharge forming fill which emits light when excited by RF energy, and an excitation structure for coupling RF energy from the RF source to the discharge forming fill. The optics assembly may be mounted in the opening in the lamp base with a twist lock mounting structure.

Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a filter media for a high efficiency particulate air (“HEPA”) filter including a multiplicity of adjacent electrostatically charged piles of nonwoven fabric. The invention further includes a method of making a HEPA filter.

Abstract: An ultra bright, low wattage inductively coupled electrodeless aperture lamp is powered by a solid state RF source in the range of several tens to several hundreds of watts at various frequencies in the range of 400 to 900 MHz. Numerous novel lamp circuits and components are disclosed including a wedding ring shaped coil having one axial and one radial lead, a high accuracy capacitor stack, a high thermal conductivity aperture cup and various other aperture bulb configurations, a coaxial capacitor arrangement, and an integrated coil and capacitor assembly. Numerous novel RF circuits are also disclosed including a high power oscillator circuit with reduced complexity resonant pole configuration, parallel RF power FET transistors with soft gate switching, a continuously variable frequency tuning circuit, a six port directional coupler, an impedance switching RF source, and an RF source with controlled frequency-load characteristics.

Abstract: An ultra bright, low wattage inductively coupled electrodeless aperture lamp is powered by a solid state RF source in the range of several tens to several hundreds of watts at various frequencies in the range of 400 to 900 MHz. Numerous novel lamp circuits and components are disclosed including a wedding ring shaped coil having one axial and one radial lead, a high accuracy capacitor stack, a high thermal conductivity aperture cup and various other aperture bulb configurations, a coaxial capacitor arrangement, and an integrated coil and capacitor assembly. Numerous novel RF circuits are also disclosed including a high power oscillator circuit with reduced complexity resonant pole configuration, parallel RF power FET transistors with soft gate switching, a continuously variable frequency tuning circuit, a six port directional coupler, an impedance switching RF source, and an RF source with controlled frequency-load characteristics.

Abstract: A high frequency inductively coupled electrodeless lamp includes an excitation coil with an effective electrical length which is less than one half wavelength of a driving frequency applied thereto, preferably much less. The driving frequency may be greater than 100 MHz and is preferably as high as 915 MHz. Preferably, the excitation coil is configured as a non-helical, semi-cylindrical conductive surface having less than one turn, in the general shape of a wedding ring. At high frequencies, the current in the coil forms two loops which are spaced apart and parallel to each other. Configured appropriately, the coil approximates a Helmholtz configuration. The lamp preferably utilizes an bulb encased in a reflective ceramic cup with a pre-formed aperture defined therethrough. The ceramic cup may include structural features to aid in alignment and/or a flanged face to aid in thermal management.

Abstract: A high frequency inductively coupled electrodeless lamp includes an excitation coil with an effective electrical length which is less than one half wavelength of a driving frequency applied thereto, preferably much less. The driving frequency may be greater than 100 MHz and is preferably as high as 915 MHz. Preferably, the excitation coil is configured as a non-helical, semi-cylindrical conductive surface having less than one turn, in the general shape of a wedding ring. At high frequencies, the current in the coil forms two loops which are spaced apart and parallel to each other. Configured appropriately, the coil approximates a Helmholtz configuration. The lamp preferably utilizes an bulb encased in a reflective ceramic cup with a pre-formed aperture defined therethrough. The ceramic cup may include structural features to aid in alignment and I or a flanged face to aid in thermal management.