Abstract: The invention relates to a preheating device for locally controllable preheating of a material web (12) comprising at least one smooth web and/or at least one corrugated web and moving in feed direction (A), before any adhesive is applied to the material web (12) and before the web (12) is glued to at least one other material web to form a corrugated cardboard web. The device comprises a preheating element (14) adapted to be fed with heat transfer fluid and which is in contact with the material web (12) at a contact surface (17) extending across the entire width (b) of the material web (12). The preheating element (14) comprises a plurality of adjacent preheating sections (50, 50′, 50″, 50′″) arrayed across the width of the material web (12) and each extending the length of the contact surface (17), each of which sections can be separately fed with heat transfer fluid, preferably steam.

Abstract: The invention provides a way for people to enjoy the ritual of selecting beans and grinding the beans to make them available for brewing. In one exemplary embodiment, a pelletized food product is provided which comprises a beverage base which includes individual pieces of edible plant materials which, when steeped or brewed, form a beverage. A binding material is provided which binds the beverage base into a pelletized body until subjected to a grinding process. Further, the pelletized body has a size and a range from about 0.2 cm to about 8 cm.

Abstract: Because of technological and regulatory changes, telecommunication service is becoming more of a commodity, with competition between service providers for traffic. The herein disclosed invention stimulates this competition and facilitates a service provider's and a consumer's ability to make economic choices between competing telecommunication carriers. In this method and system, telecommunication switches route calls in accordance with economic incentives (e.g., least cost routing) resulting from a bidding process between participating telecommunication carriers (Carriers), administered by a bidding service provider through operation of a central processor, at computer referred to as a bidding moderator (Moderator). The technology required to facilitate forward delivery transactions, in which a buyer and seller agree to the terms of a transaction today but schedule actual delivery for a future time, would be helpful to end users, resellers and Carriers.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pressure plate arrangement for joining together a plurality of material webs each comprising at least one plain web and/or at least one corrugated web, to form a corrugated cardboard web (P), at least one of the material webs being provided with adhesive at least in sections. The arrangement comprises a contact pressure unit (14) provided with a pressure plate (22), and a heatable counterpressure plate (26), between which the material webs being joined together are passed. The contact pressure unit (14) and the pressure plate (22) are arranged to be approachable to or removable from the counterpressure plate (26), wherein the pressure plate (22) is also constructed to be heatable. The invention also relates to apparatus for joining together a plurality of material webs comprising a plurality of such pressure plate arrangements.

Abstract: A board game apparatus upon which a card game is played contains a plurality of principal areas representing either a) international wine-producing continents in the world or, b) districts within a wine region depending upon whether the game version is a) international or, b) regional. Localities within the principal areas represent either a) wine regions within the international wine-producing continents of the world or, b) vineyards within the districts of the wine region. Playing cards correspond to the areas and localities on the board and also list one of four purchase prices and symbols as the object of the game is for players match and purchase the symbols for one of three winning playing card combinations. The playing cards must originate from either a) inside a first principal area e.g. Europe, or b) any other principal area(s) outside of the first principal area. Players must rid themselves of any remaining cards.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a process for the hydroxyalkylation of cardanol with cyclic organic carbonates in the presence of organic or inorganic catalysts and a novel composition of matter produced by that process. The unique molecular structure of cardanol allows the use of a variety of organic or inorganic basic catalysts, including triethylamine, imidazol, sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate, in the hydroxyalkylation reaction without forming quantities of undesirable side-products. According to this invention, the final product, monohydroxyalkylcardanyl ether, can be obtained with high yield and high purity. The product has a light color and its color stability is enhanced by replacing the phenol's hydroxyl group with a more stable hydroxyalkoxyl group.

Abstract: This device comprises devices (11-13) for securing tools (10) to a supporting and heating plate (3). The heat exchange surface of the supporting and heating plate (3) is continuous, the securing devices (11-13) being arranged to permit securing of each of these tools (10) in any position within an adjusting range determined on the surface of the supporting and heating plate (3). This permits adjusting the position of, the securing the tools (10) to the supporting and heating plate (3). This device also comprises devices (7-9) for positioning the supporting and heating plate (3) on a removable frame (1) of a press for hot transfer of portions of metallic films onto a paper or cardboard substrate.

Abstract: This web feeding device comprises at least one spindle (11, 12, 13) pivotally mounted in a frame (14), each spindle connected to a pair of drive motors and longitudinally divided into two sections (11a, 11b; 12a, 12b; 13a, 13b) that are mounted so as to rotate independently of one another. Two drive mechanisms (8, 25; 9, 26; 10, 27) for these two sections (11a, 11b; 12a, 12b; 13a, 13b) are connected at the same end of the spindle (11, 12, 13). The section (11a, 12a, 13a) adjacent to this end is in the form of a tubular element pivotally mounted on an axial shaft (4, 5, 6). The tubular element is connected to one drive mechanism (25, 26, 27), and the end of the shaft (4, 5, 6) adjacent to the common end of the spindle (11, 12, 13) is connected to the other drive mechanism (8, 9, 10), whereas the other end of the shaft (4, 5, 6 ) is secured to the second section (11b, 12b, 13b) of the spindle.

Abstract: A kit is provided for cleaning the tape-contacting parts of a tape transport device, particularly a data tape transport device. In the kit, separate cleaning cassettes are provided for cleaning the magnetic record/reproduce head, and for cleaning the capstan wheel. The capstan wheel of the tape transport is used as a drive source to drive a wiper arm in the first of the two cassettes, and the second cassette cleans the capstan wheel. Parts of the separate cassettes are made the same so as to minimize the manufacturing and design costs, and the two cassettes use the same replaceable cleaning elements, thus minimizing costs and making the kit easy to use. The cleaning elements used in the cassettes are high-density springy, absorbent foam pads each having an indented linear fused section or groove transverse to the direction in which wiping forces tend to remove the cleaning element from its holder.

Abstract: The disclosed voice-based communications system and method provides an architecture for communication among team-organized users. After a single, voice accessed log on procedure, a user who is a member of more than one team is able to designate a team and enter a communication session, within which the user can communicate with members of that team, either individually or as a group (by broadcast). After completing communication with correspondents associated with the first-team's activities, the user can transfer to a second communication session, within which communication with members of a second-team takes place. The computer and software that controls the system assures that within each team communication session, communication is permitted only among members of one team. Team membership and the communication services available to each team are controlled by each team's team organizer.

Abstract: The disclosed Factor V Ratio (FVR) screening blood assay (read as "factor five ratio") and kits for the conduct thereof, identify individuals that possess a specific genetic defect, known as the Factor V Leiden defect, or other genetic or acquired Factor V defect, that makes those individuals susceptible to venous thromboembolism. In this test the Factor V activity of a blood plasma sample exposed to activated Protein C (APC) is compared to the Factor V activity of a similar sample in the absence of APC, after both samples had been treated with an activating agent. The ratio between the Factor V activity level without APC and the Factor V activity level with APC, identifies individuals at risk of a thrombotic disorder due to a Factor V defect and differentiates between individuals with a heterozygous defect and individuals with a homozygous defect.

Abstract: This exercise device extends the forearms of a human user to permit running on all fours as an animal runs. The device, usually used as a set of two, is long enough to approximately equalize the user's hip to foot distance and the distance from the user's shoulder to the device's extended end. It has a brace to be grasped by the user's hand with the back of the hand in the forward direction, with an arm embracing member to grasp the elbow end of the forearm, and a forearm support in contact with at least a portion of the wrist end of the forearm at its forward facing surface. The brace is connected to a post. The brace and post are slidable engaged and coupled by a shock absorbing coupling. The outer end of the post terminates in a foot that, during use, permits the brace and post to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the forward direction.

Abstract: The cleaning elements are used in cleaning cassettes for cleaning the tape-contacting parts of a tape transport device, particularly a data tape transport device. The cleaning elements are high-density springy, absorbent foam pads each having an indented linear fused section or groove transverse to the direction in which wiping forces tend to remove the cleaning element from its holder. Ridges are provided in the holder to engage the grooves so as to securely hold the cleaning elements in place, and make it relatively easy to remove and replace them. The pads are made by partially die-cutting a foam sheet to form individual pads which can be torn free from the sheet along perforation lines, and forming the linear fused section in each of a plurality of pads simultaneously by contacting the sheet with a linear heated die.

Abstract: In this communications architecture, a receiver or a receiver control entity acting on behalf of the receiver or a group of receivers, controls the communication of voice, data, or video from individual senders. This is accomplished by placing a Registrar between the senders and receivers. Upon an authorized request from a sender to access a receiver, the Registrar issues a vector to the sender and stores the vector in a database. The vector uniquely identifies both the sender and the receiver. Each time the sender wishes to make a voice call or send a data packet or a video transmission to a particular receiver, the corresponding vector is sent to the switch as the receiver's address. The switch sends the vector to the Registrar for call treatment instruction.

Abstract: Telecommunication switches (e.g., PBX's or local exchange carrier's switches) route calls in accordance with economic incentives (e.g., least cost routing) resulting from a bidding process between participating interexchange telecommunication carriers (Carriers) by operation of a central processor, a computer referred to as a bidding moderator (Moderator). Each of the Carriers informs the Moderator of the rate it is willing to charge (or other economic incentive it is willing to offer) for service between two specific points in the telecommunication network at some particular time. The Moderator collects this bid information from all the Carriers, sorts it among originating points and transmits it to an adjunct processor at each subscribing switch location and to all participating Carriers' network management centers. From the list of all Carriers providing bid information to the Moderator, each Subscriber can select those Carriers to which it wants traffic routed and can change that selection at any time.

Abstract: This exercise device extends the forearms of a human user to permit running on all fours as an animal runs. The device, usually used as a set of two, is long enough to approximately equalize the user's hip to foot distance and the distance from the user's shoulder to the device's extended end. It has a brace to be grasped by the user's hand with the back of the hand in the forward direction, with an arm embracing member to grasp the elbow end of the forearm, and a forearm support in contact with at least a portion of the wrist end of the forearm at its forward facing surface. The brace is connected to a post. The brace and post are slidable engaged and coupled by a shock absorbing coupling. The outer end of the post terminates in a foot that, during use, permits the brace and post to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the forward direction.

Abstract: Sputtering apparatus and method employing an auxiliary magnetic structure situated between the substrate holder and target of a plasma sputtering chamber to control-the lateral extent of the plasma. The auxiliary magnetic structure, possessing a lower field strength in the plasma region than the principal magnet or magnets, is situated immediately outside of and around a circumference of the chamber's anode shield. The principal magnets maintain the plasma in a ring adjacent to the sputtering target. The auxiliary magnetic structure causes the plasma ring to expand toward the edge of the target or contract away from the edge depending on the magnetic strength and polarity of the structure and its position relative to the target.