Abstract: A method for reducing the amount of immunogenic and/or toxic substances in a building's indoor air. The method is particularly directed at reducing the level of gases generated by certain wood and/or petrochemical based building materials. The method also serves to reduce levels of electromagnetic radiation within the building.

Abstract: The present invention is a magazine for retaining a plurality of magnetic cartridges (3480 style) for loading into a tape drive autoloader. The magazine comprises a series of cartridge slots having integral spring detents to retain the cartridges in the magazine. Integral gear racks are formed on the rear wall of the magazine to enable the autoloader to manipulate the magazine either sequentially or for random access to the cartridges. Horizontal slots are formed on the side wall of each cartridge slot so that the autoloader can directly engage the cartridges for loading into a tape drive. The magazine is formed of a one-piece molded plastic body having inherent lubrication properties.

Abstract: The moving data storage media mode/direction change optimization apparatus makes use of information received concerning the mode and direction of the next operation to be performed by the data storage system to efficiently reposition the media in a single repositioning operation. In the case where the data storage media is a magnetic tape, the tape control unit receives information concerning the mode and direction of the next operation to be performed prior to the completion of the tape transport automatic repositioning cycle. The tape control unit signals the tape transport to abort the standard repositioning operation and instead to initiate a new repositioning operation which repositions the magnetic tape based on the mode and direction of both the presently executing operation and the next operation.

Abstract: The disk drive memory of the present invention uses a large plurality of small form factor disk drives to implement an inexpensive, high performance, high reliability disk drive memory that emulates the format and capability of large form factor disk drives. The plurality of disk drives are switchably interconnectable to form parity groups of N+1 parallel connected disk drives to store data thereon. The N+1 disk drives are used to store the N segments of each data word plus a parity segment. In addition, a pool of backup disk drives is maintained to automatically substitute a replacement disk drive for a disk drive in a parity group that fails during operation.

Abstract: The improved data compression system concurrently processes both strings of repeated characters and textual substitution of input character strings. In this system, the performance of data compression techniques based on textual substitution are improved by the use of a compact representation for identifying instances in which a character in the input data stream is repeated. This is accomplished by nesting a run length encoding system in the textual substitution system. This structure adds the recognition of runs of a repeated character before the processor performs the textual substituted data compression operation. A further performance improvement is obtained by expanding the alphabet of symbols stored in the compressor's dictionary to include both the characters of the input data stream and repeat counts which indicate the repetition of a character.

Abstract: The disk drive memory of the present invention uses a large plurality of small form factor disk drives to implement an inexpensive, high performance, high reliability disk drive memory that emulates the format and capability of large form factor disk drives. The plurality of disk drives are switchably interconnectable to form parity groups of N+1 parallel connected disk drives to store data thereon. The N+1 disk drives are used to store the N segments of each data word plus a parity segment. In addition, a pool of backup disk drives is maintained to automatically substitute a replacement disk drive for a disk drive in a parity group that fails during operation.

Abstract: A percutaneous oxygenator has a Y-shaped tubular connector and a number of hollow, gas-permeable fibers. One end of each fiber is located in the first upper arm of the connector. The other end of each fiber is located in the other upper arm of the connector, with each fiber forming a loop extending out of the lower opening of the connector. To guide insertion of the device into a patient's vein, and to provide structural support for the fiber loops, a support member extends downward from the connector with an aperture at is distal end. Each of the fiber loops pass through this aperture. The device is inserted through a single small incision into the patient's venous system. An oxygen supply is attached to one of the upper arms of the connector and flows through the length of the fiber loops. Oxygen and carbon dioxide diffuse across the fiber walls between the blood and the interior of the fiber tubes.

Abstract: The composite optical grating for optical disk data storage systems uses a first optical grating to generate three light beams disposed approximately on a straight line. A second optical grating in the composite optical grating is juxtaposed with the first optical grating and divides the three light beams into two images, each consisting of a three spot array. The first of these images is focused on a first data storage track while the second image of three spots is focused on a second adjacent data storage track. The three spot array formed on the first track is used in conventional fashion to read data from this data storage track. The center spot is used to read the data from the data storage track while the two outer linearly oriented spots are used for tracking purposes. The second image formed by the second optical grating is focused on a second adjacent data storage track and only the center spot of the three spot array is used to read data from the second data storage track.

Abstract: The document authentication apparatus provides document authentication and authenticity capability. Document authentication requires that the person to be charged apply an authenticating mark on the document indicating intent to authenticate the document. This requirement is analogous to a signature on a printed document and is implemented in the document authentication apparatus electronically through the use of both hardware and software. A program which immediately checks the identicalness of the document at the transmitting and receiving station through a high speed comparison, locks in the document such that no modification can occur and then awaits authentication handshakes from the two end points. Such authentication is real-time and can be both hardware and software executable, i.e., password and physical confirmation.

Abstract: A developer roll adjustment indicator device for use in association with a xerographic printer has an indicator plate with a collar that is removably secured to the end of the print drum shaft. A pointer made of a material having a magnetic attraction to the magnetic brushes in the developer roll is attached to the collar to permit the distal end of the pointer to freely rotate with respect to the axis of the print drum in response to the relative angular position of the magnetic brushes. The indicator plate has a number of visual indicia to measure the angular relationship of the pointer with respect to the axis of the print drum. Proper angular orientation of the indicator plate on the print drum shaft during installation is verified by means of a bubble level which provides a fixed point of reference for angular measurements.

Abstract: An improved coarse access and tracking servo system for use with an optical disk storage system is disclosed. Concentric servo tracks placed on the disk are readily distinguished from data tracks placed on the disk which may or may not be present on the disk depending upon the amount of information that has been written on the disk, i.e., how "full" the disk is with respect to its maximum capacity for storing data. A predetermined signal is embedded within each of the plurality of concentric servo tracks found on the disk. A radial strip or line, sufficiently long to always include at least one servo track, but also long enough to include data tracks, if any, on either side of the illuminated servo track is projected on the surface of the disk in order to detect the servo tracks.

Abstract: The fat content of food or non-food products can be quickly and accurately determined by processes which solublize the product's fat content in tetrachloroethylene. These processes generally involve extracting the fat from a product to be tested for fat content with tetrachloroethylene, dissolving the fat/tetrachloroethylene solution in a polar organic solvent such as acetic acid, treating the resulting solution with an aqueous surfactant such as Triton X-100.RTM. in order to transfer the solution's fat content to the aqueous surfactant and thereby inducing the formation of fat globules in a resulting suspension and then testing the resulting suspension for monochromatic light dispersion. The light dispersed at the maximum turbidity of the sample is compared to a standard curve plot produced by previous tests on tetrachloroethylene solutions of a pure fat taken from samples comparable to the product being tested.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for recovering floating material, such as pollutants or debris, from the surfaces of bodies of water. This system is designed to be modular to be quickly transportable to any desired area in the world. The system uses an elongated scoop having a spiral shaped cross-section mounted on a floating vessel to pick up the floating material in a substantially laminar flow. The material is separated from the surface by a rotating frame having a mechanism on its periphery to separate the material. The mechanism can be of several embodiments including compressible absorbent pads, rigid or flexible paddles, permeable layers and eccentric frames. The separated material is removed from the separating mechanism and deposited into retaining troughs. The collected material is then pumped to inflatable collecting tanks which are towed behind the catamaran. The system is designed to be adaptable to a wide range of conditions and sites.

Abstract: The vision system illumination calibration apparatus uses a pair of lamps, located one on either side of a vision element to illuminate a set of machine-readable characters imprinted in bar code format on a label affixed to a calibration target plate. The required level of illumination is set by the use of a predetermined calibration target label. The vision system is positioned opposite this calibration target label and the illumination level is varied in sequential steps. Control software identifies a range of illumination levels in which the calibration target label is accurately read by the vision element and sets the level of illumination of the lamps in this range of values.

Abstract: The automated magnetic tape drive read/write head module assembly apparatus enables a worker to completely assemble and align the read/write head module in a single step process. A read/write head assembly fixture that securely holds the rectangular-shaped read/write head frame in a fixed position. A read head and write head alignment tool is pivotally attached to the read/write head assembly fixture for magnetically suspending the read head and write head in the rectanglar-shaped opening in the read/write head frame in a predetermined position. A brass shield loader apparatus automatically places a brass shield between the suspended read and write heads. The alignment tool includes an aperture such that the worker can view the transducing gaps on the read head and the write head for alignment purposes.

Abstract: A recreational net is formed with a plurality of loops extending along the lateral edges of the net by securing each end of a number of the horizontal strands of the net to itself at a predetermined distance from the end of the strand. The net is secured to two posts by extending each post through the loops along one of the lateral edges of the net.