Abstract: An acrylic resin is provided which has excellent weatherability, outstanding transparency and improved heat and solvent resistance, as well as improved impact strength. The acrylic resin comprises an intimate blend of a polymerization syrup and a catalytic amount of a polymerization catalyst capable of effecting polymerization of the syrup. The polymerization syrup, which has an improved shelf life and can be stored at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure, consists essentially of:(a) from about 300 to about 1000 parts per volume of an acrylic monomer represented by the formula ##STR1## wherein R is an alkyl moiety containing 1 to about 18 carbon atoms; (b) from about 0.1 to about 1000 parts by volume of a non-peroxide oxygen donator;(c) from about 0.1 to about 5 parts by volume of mercaptan; and(d) from about 0.3 to about 40 parts by volume of a crosslinking agent compatible with the acrylic monomer.

Abstract: A method for eliminating overshoot of a destination track by a servo head of a rotating disk data storage device during seeks wherein the seek is carried out in accordance with an adaptive velocity demand profile selected to undershoot the destination track by an amount sufficient to offset overshoot arising from an incapacity of the servo head to follow a velocity demand profile. Prior to performing the seek, the servo head is moved a distance about a null position on the disk at which the only force on the actuator on which the head is mounted arises from a constant current passed through the actuator and the time for the movement is measured and utilized to select the adaptive demand profile. Adaptive demand profiles are obtained by performing seeks while modifying a nominal profile to eliminate actuator current ringing at the end of the seek.

Abstract: A method for removing metallic coatings from polymeric substrates is provided. The method comprises contacting a metallic-coated polymeric substrate with an aqueous solution consisting essentially of from about 0.75 to about 11.25 weight percent trisodium phosphate and from about 0.75 to about 11.25 weight percent of an alkali metal hydroxide for a period of time effective to remove the metallic coating and produce a polymeric substrate substantially free of metal constituents and binder materials. The polymeric substrate and the metal constituents present in the metallic coating are recovered and reclaimed. A composition for removing the metallic coating from a metallic-coated polymeric substrate is also provided.

Abstract: An improved sealing apparatus for sealing a disc drive assembly from external contaminants, the sealing apparatus including modifications to a base member and to a top cover member such that these components meet at a clearance gap with the outer surfaces of these components being coplanar in the region of the clearance gap. A sealing element is provided consisting of a planar adhesive film carried on a flexible backing which bridges the clearance gap to seal the interior against external contaminants.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the thermal decomposition of waste materials comprising an induction arc chamber having a thermal decomposed cavity formed therein and a plurality of electrode assemblies supported with the thermal decomposition cavity so that the electric arc gap formed between the electrode assemblies can be selectively varied to maintain a sufficiently high temperature in the thermal decomposition cavity to effect efficient decomposition of waste material in the induction arc chamber.

Abstract: Servo disk, including three types of servo patterns distinguishable by phase, are stored in concentric tracks on a magnetic information storage disk. For phase recognition, the pattern types are arranged in triplets of sectors, each sector having a radially extending plurality of only one type of pattern with consecutive patterns in a sector being separated by three track spacings. The patterns are further arranged in radially repeating frames, each including one of each type of pattern, and the patterns are radially offset within a frame by one track spacing from one type of pattern to the next. The patterns have a radial width greater than a track spacing and, in one embodiment, are divided radially into two portions spaced apart by a distance less than one track spacing.

Abstract: A burner assembly for gaseous fuels having an outer housing, a blower and a unitized combustion cartridge. The combustion cartridge comprises an elongated cylinder having a flame holder at a downstream end thereof. The flame holder is provided with a plurality of spatially disposed diffusion plates attached to the cylindrical body of the combustion cartridge such that the center lines of the diffusion plates extend radially and perpendicularly from the cylindrical body. Each plate extends from the cylindrical body at an acute positive angle from the plane of their center lines. A plurality of orifices are disposed in the cylindrical body substantially adjacent the flame holder and a portion of the orifices communicate with orifice extender tubes so that gaseous fuel can be distributed over the upstream surface of the flame holder.

Abstract: A method for assigning tracks on a magnetic data storage disk to different zones in which data is written at selected zone frequencies so as to write data on the tracks at the maximum frequency that will limit the read/write error rate to a preselected value. A plurality of data bit groups is written onto selected tracks and read while checking for error to determine an error indication parameter for each of the zone frequencies. Tracks are assigned to frequency zones by determining such parameter for all tracks and assigning each track to the zone corresponding to the maximum frequency for which the error indication parameter is below the preselected value or by determining circular paths at which the error indication parameter has the preselected value for each of the selected frequencies and assigning all tracks between two consecutive circular paths to the lower of the two frequencies defining the circular paths.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for rapidly determining the biochemical oxidation demand (BOD) of a liquid at an on-site location. The apparatus includes a cell body member having a vertically extensive plunger chamber formed therein and a sample holding chamber communicating therewith, a dissolved oxygen sensor for generating a signal in proportion to the amount of dissolved oxygen content in a liquid sample and a culture medium disposed in the sample holding chamber, and a tubular plunger member extensive into the plunger chamber for supporting the dissolved oxygen sensor such that the dissolved oxygen sensor extends into the sample chamber and into contact with the liquid sample and the culture medium.

Abstract: An acrylic-based particulate filled polymeric composition is provided which is curable at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature and has a pour to pull time of less than about 4 hours. The acrylic-based particulate filled polymeric composition comprises an intimate blend of a polymerization syrup, a filler, and minor effective amount of crosslinking agent, a polymerization catalyst, a quaternary compound and a polymerization initiator. To enhance and reduce the pour to pull time of articles molded or cast from the acrylic-based particular filled polymeric composition, an effective miner amount of a reaction modifier, such as trimethylpropane triacrylate, can be incorporated into the polymeric composition. The polymerization syrup employed in formulating an acrylic-based particulate filled polymeric composition consist essentially of from about 300 to about 1,000 parts by volume of an acrylic monomer, from about 0.01 to about 1 part by volume of peroxide-free oxygen donator, from about 0.

Abstract: A board game apparatus is provided for educating the players about the consequences of the use of drugs and alcohol. Broadly, the invention comprises a game board having a playing path, a plurality of movable game pieces, a random number generator (a conventional six-sided die), a plurality of decks of question cards, a deck of penalty cards, and a plurality of challenge tokens. The playing path is formed by a plurality of segments or spaces, each of which is provided with an identifying indicia corresponding to an identifying indicia of either one of the decks of question cards or the deck of penalty cards and a plurality of corner penalty segments. The playing path is a modified, substantially inwardly disposed spiral having an outer level, an intermediate level and an inner level.

Abstract: An improved disk drive breather vent for communicating air between the interior and the exterior of a sealed disk drive housing, comprising a vent passageway extending through the housing, a long, narrow groove disposed in an interior surface of the housing, and a sealing member adhesively bonded over the long, narrow groove to provide a long, narrow air passage which reduces diffusion of water vapor to and from the sealed disk drive housing as pressure equalization to ambient occurs.