Abstract: A form fill packaging and sealing apparatus comprises a film dispenser and a film forming plow which, together with a roller guide, forms the film to be sealed into a tube with the free edges at the side. The object to be packaged is inserted into the film tube. The free edges of the film are longitudinally sealed together at the side of the package by a rotary heat sealer and immediately cooled to approximate impulse sealing. The quality and width of the longitudinal seal can be adjusted by changing the amount that the film is preheated before sealing. A cross seal is made at the front and back of the object to be packaged. The excess gas in the package is pressed out by a presser before the back cross seal is made.

Abstract: A large area multi-channel flat fluorescent lamp with improved efficiency consists of two groups of closed hollow electrodes which are printed on the inner surfaces of the opposing ends of two flat glass substrates. The substrates are sealed together and have wave-guiding spacers which protect the lamp from implosion and also maintain a fixed spacing between the two substrates. A dielectric reflective layer is coated on the inner side of one of the substrates with an over-coat of phosphor, and the inner opposing surface of the other substrate is coated with only the phosphor. The space between the substrates is first evacuated and then filled with an inert gas and mercury vapor. The multi-channel closed hollow electrode structure with wave-guiding spacers, in combination with a reflective dielectric layer produces greater brightness with better brightness uniformity over a large area. In addition, the large area multi-channel flat fluorescent lamp maintains high efficiency and has a long life.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing coins is described. In particular, the resistance introduced into a tuned circuit by the proximity of a coin while it is moving past an inductor of the circuit is determined by changing the amount of phase shift present in a feedback path associated with the circuit and measuring the resulting change in frequency of oscillation, which is dependent upon the resistance in the tune circuit.

Abstract: A method for automatic control of sensitivity, for implanted pacemaker, cardioversion and/or cardiac defibrillation device. Prior to the start of the cardiac cycle, the sensitivity threshold is set to a low value (Smax) so as to have maximum sensitivity. Upon detection of a ventricular complex, the amplitude is measured and the sensitivity threshold S is set to the value of that amplitude. The sensitivity threshold subsequently decreases in stages to return to the low value Smax.

Abstract: A coin validator has a thickness sensor formed by two coils positioned one on each side of the coin path. The coil outputs are processed separately to derive values which, when combined, produce a thickness-indicating measurement which is independent of coin position. Each output may be processed to give values which are linearly dependent upon coin position with the same constant of proportionality. Alternatively, one output is scaled relative to the other to an extent dependent upon the thickness for which the coin is to be tested, so that the thickness-indicating measurement does not vary significantly over a region which corresponds to a likely maximum variation in the position of coins of that thickness.

Abstract: A hydrocyclone plant comprises a multiplicity of hydrocyclones arranged in groups of at least two hydrocyclones, each group being made in a single piece. The hydrocyclones extend substantially radially in an annular space for a liquid mixture to be separated. The inlet space extends concentrically around a cylindrical heavy fraction space for receiving a heavy fraction of the liquid mixture from the hydrocyclones. According to the invention, the hydrocyclone groups are distributed around the cylindrical heavy fraction space in the circumferential direction and are spaced from one another in the inlet space to allow the liquid mixture to flow between adjacent hydrocyclone groups.

Abstract: A safety system for relieving over pressure in a pipeline carrying a congealable material, in which the pipeline is provided with a bursting disc located in a spur of the pipeline, the disc being mounted in a holder so that the surface of the disc forms part of the wall of the pipeline so that material passing down the pipeline washes the surface of the disc and keeps its clean.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for use in designing and evaluating filters to resolve undesired signal transmission in a device including, without limitation, EMI filters for suppressing an identified EMI in a device under test in a particular application. The complex impedance of the source impedance presented to the filter and the load impedance presented to the filter are separately determined over a frequency range of interest. The impedances are used to determine a complex power flow of the device under test without the filter. The power flow is used to identify frequencies corresponding to the undesired signal transmission. A filter is then designed or selected, based upon the complex impedances of the filter load impedance and filter source impedance at the identified resonant frequencies, to attenuate the identified resonances or undesired signal transmission over each frequency range of interest.

Abstract: A hydrocyclone assembly comprises at least one hydrocyclone (1) having at least two through flow members (2, 3) for distribution of liquid between the outside and the interior of the hydrocyclone, and circular cylindrical pipes (4, 5) of the same number as that of the through flow members of the hydrocyclone, the through flow members of the hydrocyclone being connected to the pipes, respectively. According to the invention each through flow member (2, 3) defines an annular end portion (6), which extends around a radial bore (7) in its associated pipe (4, 5) and abuts sealingly against the mantle surface of the pipe via a gasket (8) extending around said bore in the pipe.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a machine for performing nucleic acid amplification under computer control. The machine utilizes any one of a number of heating and cooling systems under control of a host computer which directs the heating and cooling systems to heat and cool a reaction-chamber-containing heat exchanger at appropriate times in the process. The reaction chambers are pre-loaded with the nucleic acid(s) to be amplified, a thermostable enzyme to catalyze polymerization, specific oligonucleotide primers, and four different nucleotide triphosphates. Also disclosed is the process for the amplification chain reaction implemented by the machine, which utilizes a thermostable enzyme.

Abstract: In one configuration, a urine sampler comprises a hollow, cylindrical main stick body that is closed at least at one end and has a plurality of urine collection apertures formed in the wall thereof and, in another, comprises a urine collector having a long rod-shaped handle, a urine collection member constituted continuously with the handle and provided with urine collection apertures and a urine accumulator constituted continuously with the base of the urine collection member, and a urine storage capsule having a cutter for cutting a portion of the urine collector, a urine container for receiving urine flowing in from the urine collector and a lid. In the second configuration, the urine collector and the urine storage capsule are separate units. The urine sampler of either configuration is compact and extremely easy to use for collecting a urine sample of the minimum required quantity and, moreover, enables the collected sample to be safely transferred without spilling.

Abstract: Methods and validation apparatus for achieving improved acceptance and rejection for coins, bills and other currency items. One aspect includes modifying item acceptance criteria by creating and defining three-dimensional acceptance clusters, the data for which are stored in look-up tables in memory associated with a microprocessor. A second aspect involves fraud prevention by temporarily tightening or readjusting item acceptance criteria when a potential fraud attempt is detected. A third aspect relates to minimizing the effects of counterfeit items such as slugs on the self-adjustment process for the item acceptance criteria. A final aspect relates to calculation of a relative value of the acceptance criteria in order to conserve memory space and minimize computation time.

Abstract: A pacemaker with patient effort-controlled stimulation frequency that responds to a control parameter. Accelerometers (1) with capacity variation are placed on a substratum. Each of the accelerometers is sensitive in one direction of a Cartesian coordinate system. The output of the accelerometers are combined and integrated over a small time constant to produce a signal representative of the patient's metabolic power exerted. The signal is then used to control the stimulation frequency of the pacemaker. The integration may be based on the sum of the absolute value of the acceleration signals or the square root of the sum of the squares of the acceleration signals.

Abstract: A machine readable binary code which is dynamically variable in size, format and density of information is provided. The binary code is formed as a matrix having a perimeter and data contained therein. The perimeter is provided with density indicia for indicating the density of data contained within the matrix. The perimeter is also provided with size indicia for indicating the size of the matrix. By utilizing the density indicia and size indicia, a scanning device is able to calculate the size and information density of the binary code.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for submicron lithography of semiconductor materials, circuits and other objects. A source of multiply charged ions is applied to a thin layer of electrically conductive material. The recombination of ions and free electrons in the layer produce soft x-ray radiation which used to irradiate an object. The object may include a semiconductor substrate, an x-ray sensitive resist, and an x-ray absorbing mask for forming semiconductor circuit devices. The soft x-rays are produced by careful selection of the type and energy of multiply charged ions and the thickness of the thin electro-conductive layer, which may be a light element metal.

Abstract: A gasket for sealing a channel of a mounting cup to a container bead including at least one protrusion at an end of the gasket for retaining the mounting cup in position on a container bead prior to clinching. Six such protrusions can be equidistantly positioned about the gasket. A gasketed mounting cup including such protrusions is also disclosed. A method for manufacturing such a gasketed mounting cup is disclosed as well.

Abstract: The difference between the divergences between the determined PR and RR intervals (dPR-dRR) is measured, cycle by cycle, and compared to two selected thresholds S1 and S2. If the difference exceeds threshold S1, a signal corresponding to a ventricular tachycardia is triggered. If the difference is below threshold S2, a signal corresponding to a supraventricular tachycardia related signal is triggered. The trigger signals may be used to control the therapeutic treatment of an implantable tachycardia treatment device accordingly.

Abstract: A piece of upholstery fabric for covering three-dimensional supports such as vehicle seat bases and seat backs is machine-knitted, preferably in a mainly double jersey structure, with integral tubular portions. These serve as anchorage devices for securing the fabric piece to the support which it is to cover using rods or tapes which are threaded through the tubular portions. The tubular portions may be located at the margins of the fabric piece and also at intermediate positions where the fabric piece needs to be held down, for example in a depression in the support. They may project from a surface of the fabric piece and may be like loops or they may be in the form of tubular hems or a tube lying between front and rear faces of a double jersey structure.

Abstract: A coin testing apparatus is provided in which two oscillating magnetic fields interact with a coin and these interactions are monitored to test for the acceptability and/or the presence of a coin. The fields are associated with respective inductive coils which have a common core so arranged that not more than a minor proportion of the field of one coil interacts with the other coil. In a preferred embodiment one of the two coils encircles the other, which provides a very compact two-field coin sensing arrangement. In some embodiments one coil encircles the other but they have respective core elements.