Abstract: A cartridge for mounting around a movable shaft is provided. According to one exemplary embodiment, the cartridge features a cartridge housing, first and second rings having respective radial inner peripheries for establishing interfaces with a movable shaft, first and second pressure plates situated in the cartridge housing between the first and second rings, and a biasing member urging the first and second pressure plates towards the first and second rings, respectively. According to a second exemplary embodiment, the cartridge features a cartridge housing, a ring having a radial inner periphery for establishing an interface with a movable shaft, a pressure plate situated in the cartridge housing between the protruding portion and the ring, and a biasing member urging the pressure plate towards the ring. The cartridges of both embodiments may be designed to permit removal of the ring(s) from the cartridge housing without requiring removal of either the pressure plate (s) or the biasing member(s).

Abstract: A height dependent filter for a pointing device or digitizer tablet, a method of reducing jitter in position data of a pointing device, and a computer readable medium are provided. A method of stabilizing positional data in a digitizer tablet associated with a display device for reporting a position of a pointer includes detecting a current location of the pointer with respect to a coordinate grid defined on the tablet and outputting a position signal indicative of the current pointer location. Noise is filtered from the position signal based on at least one filter parameter. A distance between the pointer and a point on the tablet is determined, and an amount of jitter in the position signal is determined based on the determined distance. The at least one filter parameter is adjusted based on the estimated amount of jitter.

Abstract: A method of harvesting carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is provided. According to this method, CNT bundles, comprising CNTs associated with metallic catalysts and having amorphous carbon coatings are agitated in an aqueous liquid containing a dispersant with free-flowing grit particles to disassociate the CNTs from the metallic catalysts, remove the amorphous carbon of the amorphous carbon coatings and shorten the CNTs via shearing.

Abstract: In a position detecting apparatus, electric power of a position pointer is turned on only when the position pointer is put within a particular range from a tablet to minimize consumption of a battery disposed in the position pointer. When the position pointer is brought close to the tablet, a control signal transmitted from the tablet is detected by a resonant circuit of the position pointer, and MOSFETs serving as a power switch are turned on by the detected signal. In response, electric power is supplied from a battery via the MOSFETs to circuit elements of the position pointer, and thus an operation of the position pointer starts.

Abstract: A device for protecting an aircraft component from collision with a flying object, the device having: a main member rotating about an axis and subject to collision with a flying object; and diverting means connected angularly to the main member, also subject to collision with the flying object, and designed, in the event of collision of the main member with the flying object, to reduce the axial momentum of the flying object and divert the flying object radially with respect to the axis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a door skin comprising an exterior surface having outer portions lying on a first plane, spaced grooves recessed from the plane of the outer portions, and tonal portions having a planar area and a plurality of spaced depressions recessed from the plane of said planar area. The present invention is also directed to a method of etching a plate, for use with a molded die set, for embossing a wood grain pattern in the door skin, and the etched plate formed therefrom.

Abstract: A method of making a hypereutectoid, head-hardened steel rail is provided that includes a step of head hardening a steel rail having a composition containing 0.86-1.00 wt % carbon, 0.40-0.75 wt % manganese, 0.40-1.00 wt % silicon, 0.05-0.15 wt % vanadium, 0.015-0.030 wt % titanium, and sufficient nitrogen to react with the titanium to form titanium nitride. Head hardening is conducted at a cooling rate that, if plotted on a graph with xy-coordinates with the x-axis representing cooling time in seconds, and the y-axis representing temperature in Celsius of the surface of the head of the steel rail, is maintained in a region between an upper cooling rate boundary plot defined by an upper line connecting xy-coordinates (0 s, 775° C.), (20 s, 670° C.), and (110 s, 550° C.) and a lower cooling rate boundary plot defined by a lower line connecting xy-coordinates (0 s, 750° C.), (20 s, 610° C.), and (110 s, 500° C.).

Abstract: A device for processing mail items, having: at least one stacking device for forming a bundle of superimposed mail items and moving it from a forming position to a loading position; one or more robots for removing the bundles in the loading position and moving them into a covering position; one or more covering devices for placing upside down containers over the bundles in the covering position, so the bundles of mail items are housed inside the containers; a conveying system supplied by the covering devices with bundles of mail items covered with respective upside down containers; and a turnover device for turning the containers over through 180°, so the containers are positioned with their respective openings facing upwards.

Abstract: A method implemented in a vehicle, using information representative of an operational state of the vehicle being provided by sensors and a data communication bus. The information is representative of the engagement and disengagement of an exploitation assistance brake (EAB) and a speed of the vehicle and of a pressure on a brake pedal of the vehicle. A cut-off condition (C3) for the thermal engine can be validated when the speed is lower than a predetermined threshold and in the case where pressure is applied on the brake pedal or when the exploitation assistance brake is activated. The system includes at least one sensor for the condition of the exploitation assistance brake.

Abstract: The device according to the invention for charging a first electrical energy storage element (1), in particular an ultracapacitor, from a second electrical energy storage element (2), in particular a battery, is of the type of those comprising a reversible DC/DC converter (3) arranged between the first and second elements (1,2). In accordance with the invention, the device moreover comprises a stepdown voltage converter (4) arranged between the DC/DC converter (3) and the first element (1). Advantageously, the device comprises means controlled (11,12,23) so as to charge with a low current the first element (1) from the second element (2), in particular a battery in a poor state of charge, so as to allow the starting of an engine of a motor vehicle even from a battery in a poor state of charge.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for transporting elongate food products, comprising: a plurality of elongate product carriers, coupling means for parallel coupling of the product carriers and drive means for displacing the coupled product carriers over a transport path. The invention also relates to a method for displacing elongate food products over a transport path using elongate transport carriers.