Abstract: A vacuum cleaning head includes a housing having a suction opening for admitting an air flow to the head, an agitator for agitating a surface to be cleaned, the agitator having an active state and an inactive state, a duct for receiving the air flow from the housing, and a control assembly for controlling the state of the agitator.

Abstract: A method for preparing a surface, previously roughed in a mechanical manner and comprising sharp-edged ridges and recesses, on metal workpieces for applying a thermally sprayed layer. The roughened layer is machined by hammer or percussion brushes with a rapidly rotating hammer or percussion brush having a plurality of resilient percussion wires that are oriented in a radially outward manner, such that the edges of the ridges are broken in order to improve the adhesion of the subsequently applied thermally sprayed layer or are at least curved forming rear sections. The brush rotates at a high rotational speed of approximately 3000-6000 rotations per minute and is displaced laterally with its rotational axis being at a parallel distance that remains constant in relation to the surface of the workpiece such that percussion wires distributed on the periphery of the brush impact with the ends thereof of the surface areas adjacent to the workpiece at an oblique angle that is less than 90° in rapid succession.

Abstract: A surface treating head in the form of a floor tool for a vacuum cleaner includes a main body, a suction cavity and an outlet. The suction cavity includes first and second suction channels, bounded on both sides by respective working edges. A fluid flow path extends from the first suction channel to the second suction channel and from there to the outlet. The plurality of suction channels permits effective pick-up of dirt. To enable the surface treating head to be used to treat both carpeted floor surfaces and hard floor surfaces, the surface treating head may be provided with a brush unit and a drive mechanism for moving the brush unit between a stowed position and a deployed position.

Abstract: A surface treating head includes a main body; a brush unit; and a drive mechanism for moving the brush unit relative to the main body between a stowed position and a deployed position. The drive mechanism includes a pressure chamber and a valve unit for varying the pressure within the chamber. The valve unit includes a housing, a valve located within the housing and, disposed on the housing, an actuator moveable relative to the housing through engagement with a surface to be treated for operating the valve and at least one surface engaging member extending downwardly beyond the actuator. The housing is moveable relative to the main body to maintain the surface engaging member in contact with the surface to be treated.

Abstract: A surface treating head assembly for an appliance such as a vacuum cleaner includes a head and a drivable agitator in the form of a brush bar, rotatably housed in the head. A cam arrangement is rotatably driven in the head. The cam arrangement includes a pair of cams, each having a plurality of cam faces, each cam face corresponding to respective predetermined vertical positions of the brush bar. Thus, the height of the brush bar is selectively controllable between the predetermined positions, such that the depth of penetration of the bristles of the brush bar may be optimized for different types of carpet.

Abstract: Apparatus (2) for removing or fitting a compression ring (4), which apparatus (2) comprises a body (6), at least one externally threaded portion (8) which is on the body (6) and which is for receiving a compression ring nut (10), a bore (12) which is in the body (6) and which has a screw thread (14), a spindle (16) which has an external thread (18) and which is screwable backwards and forwards in the bore (12) in the body (6), at least one abutment means (20) for engaging an end (22) of a pipe (24) requiring the compression ring (4) to be removed, and a handle which in use is permanently attached to the body (6) and which is for preventing rotation of the body (6) during rotation of the spindle (16) for removing the compression ring (4) from the pipe (24), and during rotation of the compression ring nut (10) for installing the compression ring (4) on the pipe (24).

Abstract: A method for delivering a mixed media message on a client node coupled to a host node over a network such as the Internet is disclosed. The method comprises choosing a soundscape; recording a message; and mixing the soundscape and the message in a predetermined manner. A host node is disclosed which is configured to provide a client node with the means for performing the method is disclosed. A client node is disclosed which is configured to receive means for performing the method is disclosed.

Abstract: A client process resides on a host computer within a distributed data processing system, and the client process requests a remote procedure call for a service procedure. A binding handle of a server process is obtained; a determination is made as to whether the binding handle of the server process points to the client process; and in response to a determination that the binding handle of the server process points to the client process, a positive indication is generated that the service procedure is provided by the client process. In response to a determination that the service procedure is provided by the client process, the service procedure is called using a local procedure call after obtaining a local address for the function within the client process by looking up the service procedure in an interface registry.

Abstract: A method for delivering a mixed media message on a client node coupled to a host node over a network such as the Internet is disclosed. The method comprises choosing a soundscape; recording a message; and mixing the soundscape and the message in a predetermined manner. A host node is disclosed which is configured to provide a client node with the means for performing the method is disclosed. A client node is disclosed which is configured to receive means for performing the method is disclosed.

Abstract: A DCE RPC mechanism normally uses a TCP/IP-based transport service to enable client machines to make remote procedure calls to server machines in a distributed computing environment. NETBIOS protocol support for the RPC mechanism is provided by using NETBIOS application names similar to TCP/IP conventions and through use of connection-oriented or connection-less NETBIOS protocol sequences. In particular, NETBIOS names are used as though they include a fixed portion representing a machine, and a dynamic portion representing an application on that machine. New functions are provided to use NETBIOS names in place of TCP/IP addresses and these NETBIOS names are then used via the sockets API, leaving RPC's use of the sockets API unchanged.