Abstract: A bulk vending machine provides a dispensing conduit having a revolving mouth that floats on top of a heap of articles in the product bin. The mouth is movable between a horizontal orientation, in which the mouth can scoop articles off of the surface of the heap, and a vertical orientation in which a throat of the dispensing conduit opens to allow an article which has been scooped into the mouth to fall through the dispensing chute. Revolution of the dispensing conduit by turning the handle causes the mouth to revolve around the heap of articles, scooping up one or more articles in its path.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for delivering a beverage under pressure from a container to a dispensing means. The apparatus has a heat exchanger, a tank for holding a quantity of a coolant fluid and a reservoir for holding a quantity of the beverage. The reservoir is located in the tank for submersion in the coolant fluid. A first conduit delivers the beverage from the container to the heat exchanger while a second conduit delivers beverage to the reservoir. A third conduit delivers beverage from the reservoir to the dispensing means. The invention allows for the delivery of cold beverage form the container over a distance to the dispensing means.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of detecting peptides having amino groups. The method involves digesting a protein into at least two peptides having an amino group. The amino groups are trimethylated under vacuum and then the peptides are detected using mass spectrometry. Another embodiment of the invention provides a method of detecting peptides. The method employs a protein having a lysine residue having an ?-amino group. The protein is digested into at least two peptides. The ?-amino group is then trimethylated under vacuum. The peptides are then detected using mass spectrometry. The method can also be used for a protein having an ?-amino group. Alternatively, a method of detecting peptides is provided for a protein having a lysine residue where the lysine residue has an ?-amino group. The protein is digested into at least two peptides having an ?-amino group. The ?-amino group and ?-amino group are trimethylated under vacuum and the peptides are detected using mass spectrometry.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for the mapping of energy delivery devices to energy sources. Energy capable of affecting a measurable property of the system is delivered through the energy delivery devices from the energy sources. A change in a property when the energy is delivered is measured using measuring devices that are associated in a known way with the energy delivery devices. A profile of the change is compared to a profile of the energy output in order to determine which energy sources produce an output capable of affecting the property measurable by each measuring device and, because of the association between measuring devices and energy delivery devices, each energy delivery device.

Abstract: A system for adding monitoring capability to equipment located within a video, audio and/or data production facility. A sampling device is connected to a data communications network and transmits a continuous representation of the video, audio or data being sampled over a data communications network in response to commands from an operator station. To accommodate monitoring of large numbers of sampling devices on a single network, the sampling device may encode and/or compress the video, audio or data being monitored prior to transmitting the sample over the network. The sampling device may also further reduce its contribution to network loading by providing an instant sample of the stream being sampled, such as a single video frame, either a single time, or repeatedly at regular predetermined time intervals.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembling a fluid conduit assembly and testing the fluid conduit for leaks. Clipping devices support fasteners at a position remote from the conduit. According to the invention the fasteners can be loaded into clip nests provided by the clipping devices while leak testing of the conduit is performed. The performance of these steps simultaneously effectively eliminates the conventional requirement of pre-loading installation fasteners into the leak testing apparatus, and thus reduces the overall time required for the testing and assembly of fluid conduits by approximately one third. If the leak test is successful, all of the fasteners are then moved to the conduits and closed to integrate the conduit assembly.

Abstract: A colored music notation system and a method of colorizing music notation using seven colors that are easily distinguishable from one another, representing the seven unique notes in an octave. The color of a note may be chosen from a list of colors in CMYK format, with a tolerance of plus or minus ten points, preferably plus or minus five points in attributes for any of the colors. The colors may be reproduced by any printing method, including using a conventional personal computer. The colors are easily reproducible within acceptable tolerances on a wide variety of media and with a range of printing options, can be read under various lighting conditions, and do not make written music unpleasant to the eye. The colors are also sufficiently different to allow for easy recognition of common chord combinations by the recollection of simple groups of colors. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, notes affected by an accidental are the same color as the natural note to which they are related.

Abstract: A skateboard deck and a method of manufacturing a skateboard deck is provided without requiring the use of industrial-grade machinery. Precut layers of veneer or other suitable material are coated with adhesive and stacked on a one-sided, negative-contoured mold and placed in a flexible-walled, airtight container from which the air is evacuated, so as to place pressure on the container and force the layers to conform to the contours of the mold. The air evacuation may be accomplished by means of a hand operated, non-electric vacuum pump.

Abstract: A bending system comprising a series of bending stations, each equipped with a bending head. Workpieces are conveyed from one bending station to the next by grippers suspended from a two-axis gantry, that preferably grasp the workpiece at an intermediate portion. Each bending head grasps the tube at a different intermediate position, and in the preferred embodiment each bending station is capable of rotating to position the bending dye such that the free end of the workpiece being bent can be oriented in the bending plane without interference by an adjacent bending station. These features reduce the space requirements of the system considerably. A multi-level dispensing apparatus may be provided to load the bending heads. The bending system is preferably operated by computer, allowing the bending of long workpieces to precise configurations under the control of a single operator.

Abstract: A system and method of cutting a core out of a finished surface for keyhole excavation provides a truck with a turret to which a support arm supporting the cutter assembly is mounted, and a stabilizing member remote from the turret, which allows the turret to be rotated about its complete arc of motion while stabilizing the support arm at any desired position about the truck. In a first embodiment the invention comprises an upstanding support rim affixed to or integrated into the bed of the truck. In a further embodiment the invention comprises a support member affixed to the horizontal arm and supported by the truck bed. This makes the keyhole excavation procedure safer and more precise, and allows a larger-depth cutting head to be used in order to penetrate thicker finished surfaces. In the preferred embodiment the cutter head is provided with a pilot which creates a pilot hole in the core that facilitates removal, manipulation and replacement of the core, and improves the integrity of the reinstated core.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the treatment of cancer with compounds that inhibit the activity of endo-exonuclease. Endo-exonuclease has been shown to be necessary for the repair of damaged DNA. Compounds that inhibit the activity of endo-exonuclease have been shown to be particularly effective for treating cancer when used in combination with drugs that induce DNA breaks such as cisplatin and mitomycin C. These compounds have a synergistic effect when used in combination for inhibiting tumour growth. The invention includes pharmaceutical compositions for inhibiting tumour growth comprising a compound that inhibits endo-exonuclease activity. These pharmaceutical compositions preferably include compounds that induce DNA breaks. The invention includes methods of treating cancer with these pharmaceutical compositions and uses of these compositions to treat cancer. The preferred compounds that inhibit the activity of endo-exonuclease have low toxicity. One such compound is pentamidine.

Abstract: A system and method for time division multiplexing multiple lower bandwidth signals into a high bandwidth signals such as a high-definition television signal. The invention provides an integrated transmission, distribution and routing signal format in which low-bandwidth signals are embedded in the active video and vertical blanking areas of a high-bandwidth signal. Data from the source data streams, including timing data, is formatted in packets, each packet comprising a plurality of channels. The packets are inserted into the high-bandwidth signal along with a header word providing a ‘data valid bit’ or ‘status bit’ for each of the channels, which identifies valid data words within the packet. The source data streams are accurately reconstituted by de-multiplexing according to header data specifying routing destination, stream ID, stream type, channel usage and stream clock reference for clock recovery at the receiving end.

Abstract: An optical paper sorting system uses diffuse reflectance to identify a sheet of paper, conveyed on a conveyor, as either white or groundwood grade. A light source illuminates a sheet of paper and an optical collection system collects and filters the light diffusely reflected from the sheet of paper. The reflected light strikes a detector which produces a photoelectric current proportional to the intensity of the filtered light in a specific region in the electromagnetic spectrum, preferably ultraviolet. The signal from the detector may be digitized and processed by a computer which classifies the sheet as either white or groundwood, and activates an ejection device to produce an air blast for diverting whichever grade is selected for ejection.

Abstract: In a security system, a method and apparatus for two-way frequency hopping communications between the control panel and each peripheral device which maintains channel synchronization through the assignment of fixed beacon frequencies for the transmission of synchronizing data. The use of frequency hopping provides high immunity to jamming and interference, reduced occurrence of multi-path phenomena, and allows for transmissions at a much higher output power than conventional fixed-frequency communications, to thus increase the effective range of the peripheral devices while providing effective and reliable two-way communications between the control panel and the peripheral devices. The invention also provides a large number of channels, which allows for actuators such as sirens, strobes and line seizing devices to be wireless in addition to sensors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for detecting, analyzing and displaying errors in a generator of a medical treatment system. Detected errors are analyzed to define further errors. Errors may be classified, for example, in response to severity, and prioritized. Prioritization may depend on a scope of the error, an order of occurrence, importance, or other factors.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and device for improving the reliability and performance of cellular telephones. In particular, this invention provides a method of transmitting two signals which are substantially identical over two different cellular networks. The transmitted signals are received by a receiving device and synchronized and combined into one combined signal. The invention also discloses a cellular telephone system that is able to transmit two substantially identical signals over two different cellular networks which are received by a telephone device capable of synchronizing and combining the signals into one combined signal.