Abstract: An improved porous article and a method for forming such porous article are provided. A mixture of ceramic or articles and pliable organic hollow spheres is prepared in a liquid typically as a suspension. The article is formed by pressing, slip casting, extruding or injection molding the mixture. The article is dried to remove the liquid, and then is fired so that the particles are bonded such as by sintering, and the organic spheres are eliminated, resulting in a strong porous article having uniformly spaced interconnected voids.

Abstract: A balanced building ventilation system that employs a fireplace as an element of the ventilation system. The fireplace includes a firebox, and an exhaust gas flue is connected to the firebox for exhausting gas from the firebox to the outdoor ambient. A ventilation channel conveys outdoor ambient air into the building interior. A motor-driven draft inducer is connected to the exhaust gas flue for forcing exhaust gas flow out to the outdoor ambient. A motor-driven blower is provided for forcing ventilation airflow through the channel to replace building interior air lost to exhaust gas flow.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is provided which aid in the diagnosis of patient conditions by providing access from the ultrasound system to a library of reference ultrasonic images. The image library is cataloged in accordance with an image characteristic such as the type of examination, the part of the body or the type of pathology shown in the image, and the images of the library are accessed in accordance with these characteristics. The image library may he remotely located and accessible by a number of ultrasound systems over a network, or it may be located on the ultrasound system itself such as on a system disk drive. In a preferred embodiment reference images are concurrently displayed with patient images to aid in discerning the patient's condition.

Abstract: A carrier board which has a plurality of conduction layers is provided. A plurality of electronic units are produced on surface regions of the board with electronic components arranged at regular spacing. The surface regions, for use in a separation operation, are held at predetermined separating regions to a frame. The frame has an externally contactable, connecting region for an operating voltage or load for electronic units. Each electronic unit can be acted upon with the operating voltage or a load, by way of supply, load and/or signal lines in the frame and at separating regions of the carrier board. The electronic units can be operated and tested by the supply as well as the load and/or signal lines in a full-load mode of operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a power supply module for high output currents, particularly a DC-DC converter, with a plate-shaped carrier element (10) configured to interact with a planar inductor and having a plurality of conductor layers, which has a suitably formed opening (12) to receive a core element of the planar inductor, on the component side is formed for automated mounting of electronic components (16), particularly a power semiconductor (14), and on the output side has a contact arrangement (40) to discharge the high output current. On the component side a strip- and/or rail-shaped bridge element (18) is provided, which forms a conductor for the output current and has a conductor cross section greater than 2 mm2. The bridge element, as a component independent of the carrier element, is preferably mounted and contacted on the carrier element by means of an automated assembly process.

Abstract: Instruments for measuring the gas flow permeability of a fiber sample, particularly a cotton fiber sample; and apparatus and methods employing multiple volumetric compressions to acquire data products for determining “micronaire,” “maturity” and “fineness” of the fiber sample. A gas flow permeability testing instrument includes sensors in a gas flow stream enabling the determination of fiber mass delivered to a testing chamber, and a computer outputting a control signal to terminate delivery of fibers to the testing chamber when a predetermined mass set point is reached. A multiple compression fiber gas flow permeability testing device includes a testing chamber into which a fiber sample of known mass is delivered. A movable chamber wall is driven in a substantially continuous manner so as to compress the fiber sample, while a gas flow system determines permeability.

Abstract: An underwater cable protection pipe (11) is comprised of two identical longitudinal half-pipe sections (13, 13′) interconnectable with one another by integrally formed mating connectors (14). The half-pipe sections (13, 13′), when interconnected together, form a longitudinal hollow pipe (11) having a stub end (15) and an articulatable clamping ball end (16) shaped to clampingly receive the stub end (15) of a like pipe (11) to interconnect two or more of the pipes (11) end-to-end about a submerged cable (12).

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for segregating ponded coal combustion materials for use in various products, such as block sand products, concrete or mid-size sand products and fine ash products. After screening ponded coal combustion raw materials to remove the first size material for use as a block sand product, the remaining material passes through a rotating magnetic separator to remove iron bearing materials and then to a hydraulic classifier for separating coarse materials, middling size materials and fine materials. The coarse materials are combined with the first size materials and are de-watered to form the block sand product. The middling size materials are segregated into low, middle and high specific gravity materials by the use of spirals. The low specific gravity material is passed through a sizing sleeve and coarse low specific gravity material is combined with the middle specific gravity material and are de-watered to form a concrete or mid-size sand product.

Abstract: There is provided an improved ceramic foam filter for use in filtering molten metals, metal prepared from a ceramic slurry containing silicon carbide, a colloidal silica binder and at least 10 percent of fumed silica. The filter has enhanced strength properties.

Abstract: Patch cords suitable for Category 6 data transmission applications terminated at the two ends by first and second modular plugs that differ from each other in a complementary manner such that relative positioning of wire pairs is maintained at both ends of the patch cord, and without any crossing of any wire of one pair over a wire of another pair within either modular plug.

Abstract: A heat sealing jaw assembly for effecting a heat seal of at least two juxtaposed heat sealable sheet materials is described. Preferably, but not exclusively, the heat sealing jaw assembly is adapted for use in a form, fill and seal machine forming thermoplastic bags. The heat sealing jaw assembly comprises a first and a second metal jaw member, each having a heating element for heating the jaw members. Each of the jaw members has an end face disposed in facial alignment with one another. A ribbon member is secured to each of the end faces and disposed in planar alignment with one another. The ribbon member is made of soft material having rubber-like properties and capable of conducting heat from the sealing jaw to a fusing temperature to melt the heat sealable sheet materials.

Abstract: There is provided an improved two-ply sterilization wrap and a method for using the improved sterilization wrap to sterilize an article. The wrap is made of a single sheet of sterilization material. The sheet is folded forming at least one fold. The folded sheet forms first and second overlapping panels and two layers of sterilization material. Preferably, the panels are bonded to each other. The folded single sheet provides two layers of sterilization material covering the article to be sterilized.

Abstract: The system includes a permanent magnet three-phase motor and an electronic current controlled inverter by pulse width modulation. The motor has twenty-two poles and twenty-four slots, three phases and a cylindrical outer rotor. This structure minimizes torque ripple and maximizes energy efficiently. All coil windings are wound around the stator teeth. Several winding configurations are proposed and a special one with only one coil per slot. The motor phases are supplied by alternating rectangular current waveforms. A specific inverter control system is described to maximize efficiency and reduce current ripple and electromagnetic interference under motorizing or generating operations. The current control is realized by using the mosfets voltage for the current measurement.

Abstract: Apparatus utilizing electrical activity of the brain to control a series of low-stimuli educational exercises (displayed on a computer monitor to increase the following educational components: time on-task, visual tracking, short-term memory, visual discriminatory processing, auditory discriminatory processing, and focus. The exercises are governed by real-time analysis of the focus and processing states of the user. Specific relative exercise performance data are collected and recorded from the use of each of the educational components to demonstrate improvement over time of the user in each of the sited educational components.

Abstract: A method and a machine for making a plastic film bag with opposed closable end openings as well as a double compartment bag is described. The bags may be formed from J-folded, U-folded or tubular film sheets. In one embodiment, a bag is formed with a gusseted end adjacent which a zipper closure and a detachable end is provided and at the other end of the bag there is provided an opening which is closable by a closure tag. The method and machine are also adaptable to form double-ended closure bags having two distinct compartments, each accessible by a respective one of the end closure. The bags formed by the method and machine have various uses such as carrying two separate articles, each article being accessible from one of the opposed ends of the bags. The double compartment bags may also contain two different products, each accessible separately through a zipper closure. The bags may also be formed with a flap provided with wicket holes to support the bag in an automatic bag filling machine.

Abstract: A security lock assembly for a shut-off valve consisting of a valve body and an exterior engageable portion secured to a gate stem so as to rotate the stem. The body has a flange with a hole therein. The security lock assembly comprises a lock disk having a central opening for receiving the engageable portion. Abutment edges are formed integrally with the disk for engagement with the engageable portion so as to rotate therewith. Indentations are formed in a bottom surface of the lock disk at a predetermined position. A pin-lock assembly is retained in the hole of the flange of the valve body. The pin-lock assembly has a pin portion upwardly biased against the lock disk. The pin portion is aligned with the indentation so as to engage therein when the valve stem is rotated to a predetermined closed position, whereby the valve is locked in the predetermined closed position by the pin portion.

Abstract: Machine for ultra-rapidly condition cotton fiber. In a processing embodiment for conditioning fiber being pneumatically transported by a gas flow, fibers are collected to form a thin mat. Aerosolized liquid is delivered to the thin mat, and then conditioned fiber form the thin mat is re-delivered into the gas flow.

Abstract: An improved porous article and a method for forming such porous article are provided. A mixture of ceramic or metal particles and pliable organic hollow spheres is prepared in a liquid, typically as a suspension. The article is formed by pressing, slip casting, extruding or injection molding the mixture. The article is dried to remove the liquid, and then is fired so that the particles are bonded such as by sintering, and the organic spheres are eliminated, resulting in a strong porous article having uniformly spaced interconnected voids.