Abstract: A water treating apparatus consisting of a water path having entrance(s) and exit(s) and ceramic grain(s) movably inserted in said water path is provided in the present invention. When water is put in said water path of said water treating apparatus, said ceramic grains may be moved and rolled by the pressure of said water flowing in said water path and said moving and rolling ceramic grains may disturb the flow of said water to intensify the effectiveness of water treatment by said ceramic grains.

Abstract: In a spark plug insulator having a sintered ceramic body, the ceramic body has silicon nitride (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4), aluminum nitride (AlN) and alumina (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3), the sum of the weight of aluminum nitride (AlN) and alumina (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3) to silicon nitride (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4) is in the range of 0.093.about.1.439. Typically, the additive is represented by the group consisting of yttrium oxide (Y.sub.2 O.sub.3), calcium oxide (CaO), lanthanum oxide (La.sub.2 O.sub.3), magnesia (MgO), cerium oxide (SrO), barium oxide (BaO) and neodymium (Nd.sub.2 O.sub.3). The percentage by weight of the sintering additive ranges from 0.3% to 15.0% of the total weight of the silicon nitride (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4), aluminum nitride (AlN) and alumina (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3).

Abstract: An antenna structure has a radiating element and a ground plane. The ground plane has a central region relatively closely spaced apart from the radiating element and a peripheral region extending away from the central region. At least the peripheral region of the ground plane has a sheet resistivity that increases as radial distance from the central region increases. Though physically small, the ground plane simulates an infinite ground plane, and the antenna structure reduces multipath signals caused by reflection from the earth.

Abstract: A shut-off device, such as a valve or a cock, for pipelines and comprising a casing provided with a flow passageway. The casing is provided with an inlet and an outlet and at least one shut-off member provided with a cavity, the member being movable between a position in which the flow passageway is open and a position in which the flow passageway is closed. An auxiliary chamber is arranged in the casing and communicates with the cavity of the shut-off member. The auxiliary chamber is defined by a separate, almost non-resilient wall portion abutting an abutment face on the wall of the casing. A pressure-relieving passageway formed in the wall of the casing is arranged between an abutment face at the auxiliary chamber and the inlet or outlet of the shut-off device. As a result, a shut-off device having more simple structure than known shut-off devices is obtained.

Abstract: An inorganic board consisting of a cured base mat and a cured surface mat is manufactured by forming a surface mat by the dry method on a base mat formed by a paper making method, embossing the composite mat, and curing the embossed composite mat. Ridges each having an enlarged top are formed on the surface of the base mat when a plural number of single mats formed by the paper making method are rolled and laminated around a making roll having a surface on which a plural number of ring grooves are formed. The ridges of the base mat engage the surface mat since each ridge has an enlarged top to improve the interlaminate strength between a cured base mat and a cured surface mat of the resulting inorganic board.

Abstract: In an automatic planting apparatus (10) a first predetermined number of pieces of blocks (4) in the first row of a plant supporting sheet (3) on a sub-conveyer (13) are torn off by a block separator (25). The blocks (4) that are torn off are inserted into holes (2) in the first row of a panel (1) on a main conveyer (11) by a block inserting unit (39). The panel (1) is then fed forward by a row pitch by a main feeder (15) and slid laterally with the sub-conveyer (13) by a distance corresponding to the width of each block (4) by a sliding unit (17). The block inserting operation is then repeated.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing wood-cement board and an apparatus used in the method are provided in the present invention. The method of manufacturing wood-cement board comprising strewing a raw materials mixture of wood-cement board on a mold panel to form a mat, piling up a plural number of the mats with the mold panels, pre-pressing the piled mats to reduce the thickness of each mat, piling up a plural number of the pre-pressed mat, main-pressing the pre-pressed and piled mats and curing the piled mats being main-pressed and the apparatus used in the method consists of a piling up machine piling up a plural number of mats formed on a mold panel, a pre-press machine pre-pressing the piled mats to reduce the thickness of each mat, a main-piling up machine piling up a plural number of the pre-pressed mats, a main-pressing machine main-pressing the pre-pressed and piled mats, and a curing chamber curing the piled mats being main-pressed.

Abstract: A shut-off device of the double block-and-bleed type comprising a flow passageway accommodating two shut-off members provided with through-going cavities, and a drain means. The flow passageway is provided with an inlet and an outlet. Each of the shut-off members may be moved between a position in which the flow passageway is open and a position in which the flow passageway is closed. In association with the shut-off members two auxiliary chambers are communicating with cavities of the shut-off members. The shut-off device is formed of a single undivided casing. The shut-off members are truncated cone-shaped and mounted in matching truncated cone-shaped recesses in the common casing. As a result, the overall length of the shut-off device may be reduced compared to prior art. Moreover, the tightness at high pressure, e.g. above 100 ato. is enhanced.

Abstract: A Call Screening service assists a subscriber to the service to screen incoming calls. In response to an incoming call, the subscriber is given a special ring. When the subscriber answers the call, a caller who has placed the call is identified to the subscriber without connecting the subscriber to the caller. This is accomplished by prompting the caller to speak through the phone into a recording machine. The recording of the caller's name is played to the subscriber, who then has the option, still without being connected to the caller, to accept the call, refuse the call, or enable the caller to leave a recorded message for later access by the subscriber. This function is accomplished by pressing a key on a telephone keypad or by uttering a command. A special caller list can be created enabling preferred callers to reach the subscriber without being screened, and a refusal list can be generated for automatically blocking calls from disfavored callers.

Abstract: A new grinding medium consisting essentially of a synthetic resin matrix in which small-sized foam, coarse powdery abrasives and fine powdery abrasives are dispersed is provided. A powder having a low electric resistance is added to the medium to form relatively large-sized foam around the powder. The medium is preferably produced by softening and blocking a synthetic resin powder by high-frequency dielectric heating to form a matrix of the synthetic resin and dispersing small-sized foam, coarse powdery abrasives, fine powdery abrasives and powder having a low electic resistance in the synthetic resin matrix wherein relatively large-sized foam is formed around the powder. The medium has a high ability of abrasion and the surface of the medium is smoothly renewed during the grinding process so that the medium has an excellent grinding effectiveness.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to clip and collect seedlings easily and effectively from runners of a parent plant such as strawberry. To attain this object, a method for raising seedlings comprising; planting a parent plant in a plant bed disposed in a high position, growing plural runners linked mutually to hang from said parent plant in said plant bed, attaching water absorbing block to each rooting part between runners hanging in midair, supplying water to each water block to grow root and seedling from said rooting part, and clipping and collecting the resulting seedlings from runners is provided.