Abstract: Flexographic printing plates crosslinkable by photopolymerization are produced by exposing the plates to a light source and washing out (developing) with a solvent the non-crosslinked areas that are masked out during the exposure process. The invention provides terpene ester-based solvents suitable for use in the development of photopolymer printing plates. The solvents, which include terpene esters alone or terpene esters mixed with organic solvents and/or non-solvents, are effective in developing a a large number of different photopolymer printing plates and can produce images superior to those obtained with commercially available solvents currently used in such applications.

Abstract: A packing device for use in endoscopic operative procedures is formed of an elongate strip of absorbent, preferably expandable material having a rigid, dry state of a size to permit passage through a narrow endoscopic portal to an internal operative site and having a soft wet state when body fluids are absorbed thereby such that the packing device exposes and isolates tissue to be treated and protects adjacent tissue at the operative site while, in the dry state, is sufficiently rigid to manipulate tissue. A method of packing an internal operative site during an endoscopically performed procedures includes inserting a rigid strip of absorbent, preferably expandable, material through a narrow endoscopic portal and positioning the strip of material at the operative site such that at least a portion of the strip of material absorbs body fluids to become soft and pliable.

Abstract: A dual connector arrangement made up of two discrete multiport connectors, each with an external shield, that may be vertically stacked, the first of the two connectors being a conventional single row multiport connector, and the second of the two connectors being a single row multiport connector with a vertical extension that houses a single row of contact tails and that fits behind the first multiport connector and shields the contact tails of the second multiport connector when it is seated on top of the first multiport connector.

Abstract: The invention relates to the study and the manufacture of lubricants used in particular in diesel engines. According to the invention, the neutralization capacity of a lubricant comprising detergent additives is determined by a method which consists in reacting, in a leaktight tank, at a constant temperature, the bases contributed by the additives present in a lubricant film of known mass with a predetermined amount of a liquid acid and in recording, as a function of the time, the values of the pressure within the leaktight tank, and in then determining, from the recorded values of the pressure, at lest one of the following three characterizing parameters: an initiation period for the reaction, a neutralization potential and a reaction rate. The invention finds its application in research and control laboratories of manufacturers of lubricants and in those of engine manufacturers.

Abstract: A contact element for a smart card contacting apparatus, the contact element comprising a substantially straight first or contact leg having a contact end and at least one second or mounting leg which is substantially straight, wherein the mounting leg is arranged adjacent to the contact leg.

Abstract: A smart card connector, in particular a SIM-card connector has a top portion supporting contact elements (30) and a bottom portion supporting contact elements (31) disposed in a spaced relationship to the top portion, said top portion (12) and said bottom portion (13) form a card slot (14) in which two smart cards, in particular SIM-cards can be inserted in such a manner that one card (27) faces with its card contacts (29) towards the contact portions of the contact elements (30) of the top portion whereas the other SIM-card (28) faces with its card contacts (290) towards the contact portions of the contact elements (31) of the bottom portion.

Abstract: A splitter for splitting stone, concrete, wood and the like comprising a frame (21), a first splitter blade (24) moveable relative to the frame (21), a second splitter blade (23), and hydraulically actuatable means (26, 27) for pulling the first splitter blade (24) towards the second splitter blade (23) to effect said splitting. The hydraulically actuatable means (26, 27) preferably acts on end portions of the first blade (24) to provide increased leverage for the splitting operation. The first blade (24) is preferably provided with centering means (32, 28, 29, 31) for urging the first blade (24) into a central position when it has been moved to one side during the splitting operation.

Abstract: An electrical connector for connecting to a receptacle or squib coupled to an electrical control for a vehicle restraint system such as an air bag. The connector has a housing (12) having a plugging portion (14) facing the receptacle (60). The plugging portion (64) of the receptacle has a shorting bar (50) which is guided resiliently and is situated against the contact pins (44, 46) when the housing is unplugged from the receptacle. The shorting bar has resilient arms on both sides, extending from its portion contacting the contact pins, which serve as support surfaces for the locking member.

Abstract: A ball position determining and course management system for a golf course includes a base station for course management and a plurality of golf carts for use during play of the course. The base station and the golf carts are adapted to operate in conjunction with a system for use in determining the relative position of and distance between objects on the course. Each golf cart has a roof and a monitor for displaying a map of each hole of the golf course with its tee boxes, fairways, greens and cups, and hazards. The monitor is mounted on the underside of the roof for shading and ease of viewing in sunlight, and has a screen which is canted back by a predetermined angle to reduce the amount of light reflected from the screen into the eyes of a viewer seated in the golf cart. The underside of the roof has a diffuse, black coating to reduce the reflectivity of its surface and to enhance the contrast of the display on the monitor.

Abstract: SIM-card connector having a cover disposed on a contact support for pivotal movement about a pivoting axis, wherein said pivoting axis is displaced towards the front to reduce the longitudinal dimension, and an optimized roll off geometry recessed in the contact support is provided.

Abstract: A method of heat sealing a heat sealable multilayer film having a first film surface which is heat sealable to itself or to other surfaces and a second film surface including particles of a cross-linked polymethyl methacrylate as an antiblock agent, the method comprising sliding the said second film surface over a heated heat sealing surface before effecting heat sealing of the film to itself or to another surface using said heated heat sealing surface.

Abstract: A smart-card reader that includes a base, a first group of contact elements, a cover, a second group of contact elements and connecting means is disclosed. The smart-card reader can be readily soldered into a printed circuit board of a customer to be used in an apparatus in which the smart card reader is located.

Abstract: A player position determining and course management system for a golf course having a plurality of roving units for use by players in playing the course is disclosed. Each roving unit includes a central processing unit (CPU) including a data processor for executing various tasks ranging from fastest execution of a task to slowest execution of a task on a schedule of priorities of task completion, a real-time means -For controlling the processor to give the tasks priority ranging from fastest execution of a task with highest priority to slowest execution of a task with lowest priority, and a means for precisely timing functions of the system including modulating means utilizing a common digital modulation technique for digitally modulating data transmitted to and from all of the roving units.

Abstract: A baking pan for baking wedding cakes has the overall form of a cupcake pan, except that each baking unit has multiple tiers. In one embodiment, the baking pan has six baking units, each of which has three cylindrical tiers with steadily decreasing diameters to define the shape of a three-tier wedding cake. Thus, multi-tier wedding cakes are baked in one piece.

Abstract: A steel railroad sleeper of inverted channel section whose open ends can selectively be closed by end plates detachably connected one to open end of the sleeper and whose sides incline downwardly and outwardly from the upper rail supporting surface of the sleeper, the sleeper being produced by cold forming strip steel. The sleeper may be produced by cold pressing or cold rolling and the end plates may also be produced by cold forming steel strip. In one embodiment the sleeper has a waisted section of reduced width. This waisted section may be positioned generally midway along the length of the sleeper. The central section of the sleeper interior may be filled with a material to prevent the ingress of ballast to this central region.

Abstract: An expandable endoscopic portal for providing a passage through a body cavity wall includes a cannula comprising an absorbent member having a distal end for positioning in the body cavity, a proximal end for positioning external of the body cavity and a passage between the distal and proximal ends for receiving instruments. The absorbent member has a compressed dry state prior to introduction through the cavity wall and an expanded wet state when supplied with fluid upon introduction of the distal end in the body cavity. The absorbent member is rigid in the dry state to facilitate passage through the cavity wall and is soft in the wet state. The absorbent member has an initial cross sectional size in the dry state for introduction through an opening in the cavity wall corresponding in size to the initial cross sectional size.