Abstract: A door, and particularly a door for a vehicle, which door can be made to pivot about two separate axis. The door is provided with first and second sets of hinge assemblies comprising releasable hinge pins and seating receptacles for lodging the hinge pins. Each set of hinge pins define one axis. Release of one set of hinge pins causes the door to be pivotable about the axis of the other set of hinge pins.

Abstract: A chair comprising fixed arm portions laterally spaced from each other and a pivotable central portion therebetween. The central portion including a head end and a foot end. A hinge couples the arm portions and the central portion. Additionally, a drive members under the control of the operator effect pivoting of the central portion with respect to the side portions. The chair further includes a foot rest. The foot rest comprises an adjustment rachet for coupling the foot rest to the foot end of the central portion. The adjustment rachet has horizontal rods reciprocable into and out of cylinders within the central portion. Additionally, depending rods fixedly secured within the foot rest are pivotally coupled to the horizontal rods and cylinders. Furthermore, the chair includes speakers within the central portion. The speakers are controlled by the operator. When the operator is seated in the chair, the operator may audially and tactically enjoy the created sound.

Abstract: A continuously operable combustion-type retort apparatus includes an insulated retort. A preheater is preferably associated with the retort for preheating incoming material, and means are preferably provided for injecting acetic acid and steam into the incoming material. Heat is supplied from a combustion zone arranged near the bottom of the retort, wherein means are provided for combusting spent shale to provide the heat necessary for retorting. Means for injecting acetic acid and water are arranged above the combustion zone for preventing the combustion from spreading into the material being retorted. The invention also comprises a method of retorting to produce a very high quality oil from shale and having a 7:1 ratio of carbon to hydrogen, along with the production of valuable nitrogen related chemicals, activated lignin and cement.

Abstract: A method for determining a dominant heart rate from a series of beat triggers representative of a mixed series of normal heart beats and non-arrhythmic activities, with the beat triggers being determined at a specific sampling rate defining sample intervals, comprising the steps of: framing a window to include a portion of the series of beat triggers and to be beat-aligned with a first beat trigger and a last beat trigger, the window thereby defining a plurality of trigger intervals for respective adjacent beat triggers, with each trigger interval containing a plurality of the sample intervals existing between the respective adjacent beat triggers; summing the windowed sample intervals; for each of the trigger intervals, computing a weight factor based upon the ratio of the summed windowed sample intervals to the number of sample intervals within that trigger interval; grouping the trigger intervals according to the weight factors; computing the percentage of the window that each group of weight factors const

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for an improved air conditioning system for admitting air from an exterior space, adjusting the temperature and humidity of the exterior air, delivering the adjusted air to an interior space of a structure, removal of exhaust air therefrom and return of the exhaust air to the exterior space and wherein a regenerative desiccant is provided for removing water vapor from the air to be delivered to the interior space and delivering the water vapor to the exhaust air stream and a heat exchanger is provided for removing sensible heat from the air to be delivered to the interior space and transferring the sensible heat to the exhaust air stream. The apparatus combines for the first time electric air conditioning reheat and solar energy with desiccant technology, thereby furnishing conditioned air at an 80% reduction of energy cost. The apparatus for the first time allows the use of waste oil heat to furnish conditioned air at an 80% reduction in energy cost.

Abstract: A system and a process for separating impurities such as grease, fuels and solid particulate matter, from water contaminated therewith, comprising passing the water to be treated through a first cleanable strainer bag assembly for filtering solids, a holding/settling tank for separation of an oily and water phase and for precipitation of solids, a second cleanable strainer bag assembly having at least one strainer bag of a porosity finer than the porosity of the strainer bag of said first cleanable strainer bag assembly, a heavy oil gravity separator, a light oil coalescer, a further oil and petrochemical and very fine solid separator with a replaceable polypropylene element for adsorbing or absorbing oil and filtering solids, and preferably also a carbon filter assembly. The invention makes possible the economical removal of impurities and the reclaiming of water with a residual impurities level of less than 5 parts per million.

Abstract: A check valve having a presettable cracking pressure. The check valve employs a spring-loaded valve element in which the compression spring and valve element are held into position in the valve body by means of an apertured plug.

Abstract: In a digital computer with multiprocessor arrangement, each processor is a highly integrated computer chip on a semiconductor basis connected to the other processors in the arrangement, which are of same design, via highly meshed management system composed of meshes and nodes for transmitting digital signals. Peripheral devices such as keyboards, memories, monitors, image sensors, speech analysis units, speech synthesis units as well as transmitters are connected to the computer. According to the invention, the management system is a beam waveguide network. Each node is associated with a processor to which it is coupled via an optical emitter and an optical receiver. The new types of chip interconnection which result and hence the high packing density of the chips and large number of cross-connections obtained are particularly advantageous. The computer network has a high functional density and the computer and peripherals are unaffected by electromagnetic influences.

Abstract: A fishing lure for improved securement of the bait to the hook comprising a hook of an essentially rigid material which has a central linear portion and a curved portion at the outboard free portion terminating in a barb at the free end and an upturned inboard portion terminating in a first eyelet. A head is formed of a material which has a specific gravity greater than water to allow, when coupled with the hook, the sinking thereof. The head is in an oval shaped configuration and covers that portion of the inboard and central portions of the hook where the inboard portion bends from the central portion. The first eyelet is located at the inboard end of the hook exterior of the head. A generally cylindrical extension extends outboardly from the head along a minor extent of the central portion of the hook. The outboard end of the cylindrical extension terminates in a radial projection to assist in maintaining the bait on the hook in contact with the cylindrical extension of the head.

Abstract: A utility knife comprising, in combination, a handle having a first handle portion and a second handle portion and coupling means to releasably join together the handle portions so as to be readily grasped by an operator during use, a central plane extending longitudinally through the handle and defining on opposite sides thereof a first blade-receiving chamber in the first handle portion for receiving a first blade holder and a second blade-receiving chamber in the second handle portion for receiving a second blade holder; and a first blade holder located in the first handle portion for supporting a first blade and a second blade holder located in the second handle portion for supporting a second blade, the blade holders being independently reciprocable in planes parallel with the central plane but on opposite sides thereof, each blade holder having an individual actuator extending to exterior of the handle whereby an operator may move either blade holder or both between a retracted inoperative orientation w

Abstract: A universal indicator cap for a dishwasher rinse agent dispenser including a reservoir with an opening positioned in door of a dishwasher for indicating a low level of rinse agent in the reservoir, the door being pivotal between an opened horizontal position and a vertical closed position. The indicator cap comprises a body including a head portion having a cavity formed therein and a neck portion, a gasket adaptor positioned about the neck portion such that the indicator cap is adaptable to different models of the rinse agent dispenser, means for vertically mounting the body into the opening in the reservoir with the neck portion extending downwardly into a bottommost area of the reservoir, a first fluid passageway extending through the neck portion from an opened terminal end thereof to the cavity of the head portion, and a visual pump for pumping rinse agent through the first fluid passageway into the cavity to visually indicate the presence of the rinse agent in the cavity.

Abstract: A precision bending press for relatively short pieces of sheet metal includes a pair of tool-holder beams one of which is movable towards the other in order to follow a working path in the general common plane of the beams. The movable beam is subdivided, at least virtually, into a number n of segments and is controlled by a plurality of actuators of a number at least equal to n+1. The actuators are connected to a reaction structure stressed by the overall forming force created by the actuators. The actuators are controlled by means of a processing unit which receives signals indicative of the relative punch--die position generated by position transducers supported by an auxiliary structure which is not affected substantially by the deformations of the reaction structure caused by the bending force. The reaction structure comprises a single pair of lateral uprights connected to one another by a connecting beam and by the fixed tool-holder beam.

Abstract: A primary gas supply circuit and a secondary gas supply circuit are provided with the primary circuit having a part in common with the secondary circuit. The primary circuit is provided with a source of hardening gas. A sand foundry part containing a binding agent is provided in the part in common with the primary and secondary gas supply circuits. Through the primary gas supply circuit a hardening gas/carrier gas is circulated through the sand foundry part containing the binding agent. The primary gas supply circuit is closed when the quantity of hardening gas present in the part of the primary gas supply circuit common to the secondary gas supply circuit is an amount corresponding to, or slightly exceeding, the theoretical quantity for a complete hardening reaction. The secondary supply circuit is opened and the hardening gas/carrier gas is circulated through the secondary supply circuit until the hardening reaction has been completed.

Abstract: A disposable marking device particularly suited for marking wires used in orthodontic treatment is disclosed, comprising a shaft made of metal, plastic, paper, wood, or any other material of suitable stiffness, preferably about the size of a toothpick, coated on at least one end with a pigmented binder, preferably a wax or polymer based material, capable of marking metal wires. A method for marking an orthodontic wire is also disclosed.

Abstract: A cartesian-type machine tool, particularly but not exclusively a laser machine, includes an operating head disposed at the end of a main beam which is cantilevered on a fixed support structure and is movable, relative to the fixed structure, in the direction of its own longitudinal axis. A considerable part of the weight of the main beam is supported by an auxiliary beam movable parallel to the main beam and cantilevered on the fixed structure, by support means which transmit the substantial part of the weight of the main beam to the auxiliary beam without rigid constraints of distance between the main beam and the auxiliary beam.