Abstract: A shoulder strap ski carrier for transporting a pair of skis and ski poles in an substantially vertical position behind a skier's shoulder and beside a portion of the waist and hip. The carrier having an upper shoulder strap with shoulder padding attached thereto and a lower adjustable strap. The upper shoulder strap having opposite ends attached to a front loop and a rear loop. The lower adjustable strap is divided into a front strap and a rear strap. The front strap has an upper end threaded through the front loop and attached to a front triglide slidably mounted on the front strap. The rear strap has an upper end threaded through the rear loop and attached to a rear triglide slidably mounted on the rear strap. The front strap and rear strap come together at an angle and are joined to form a saddle for receiving a portion of the skis therein. The front and rear straps each have lower ends which are wrapped around the skis and joined together by an attachment material.

Abstract: A fire suppression system for a double walled storage tank having an inner tank for containing a flammable liquid and an outer tank separated from the inner tank by a defined space. A leakage detector monitors any leakage of the flammable liquid from the inner tank into the space. A temperature sensor triggers a flow of coolant into the space in the event combustion of the flammable liquid is detected. If no leakage of flammable liquid has been previously detected, the flow of coolant exits the space and is sprayed on the outer surface of the outer tank. If leakage has been detected, the coolant and any entrained flammable liquid are safely diverted to a remote location. In the preferred embodiment, the inner tank is coated with a ceramic paint for added insulation and the outer tank is treated with a fire resistant coating.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer has a surface layer to be planarized in a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process. An area of the layer that is higher than another area is altered so that the removal rate is higher. For example, if the surface layer is TEOS oxide, the higher layer may be bombarded with boron and phosphorus to produce BPSG, which has a polishing rate 2-3 times that of the TEOS. Upon CMP planarization, the higher area erodes faster resulting in improved planarization. Alternatively, the lower area may be doped with nitrogen to produce a nitride which is more resistant to CMP, with the same result. Likewise areas, such as tungsten troughs, which tend to be dished by CMP, may be changed to WNx which is more resistant to the tungsten CMP than the adjacent tungsten, eliminating the dishing upon planarization.

Abstract: An integrated semi-parabolic antenna/down converter receiving system wherein the support boom of a semi-parabolic antenna contains the down converter electronics. Located at the focal area of the semi-parabolic antenna are a pair of driven feed elements which are electrically connected to the printed circuit board carrying the down converter electronics. The down converter is formed in an elongated shape to fit entirely within the formed hollow interior of the support boom. The down converter comprises a first printed circuit board which contains a low noise amplifier connected to an RF filter located at the input end of the printed circuit board. The RF filter is surrounded by an input ground shield which covers the RF filter circuit. The shield is soldered to the top and bottom ground planes of the printed circuit board. At the opposite end of the printed circuit board are two output I.F. amplifiers whose outputs are serially connected together.

Abstract: A DRAM or VRAM integrated circuit memory of the divided bit line design includes a first bit line pair divided into a first pair of bit line halves and a second pair of bit line halves, and second bit line pair divided into a third pair of bit line halves and a fourth pair of bit line halves. A row decoder addresses a row associated with the first pair of bit line halves during a first time period, addresses a row associated with the second pair of bit line halves in a second time period, addresses a row associated with the third pair of bit line halves in the first time period, and addresses a row associated with the fourth pair of bit line halves in the second time period. The access topology is thus asymmetric with respect to a column decoder connected to the second and third pairs of bit line halves.

Abstract: A two-handed pliers-type fencing tool having a circular jaw pin which provides a fulcrum point allowing the user to stretch wire is disclosed. The fencing tool further provides an upper arcuate surface terminating in double tines for removing staples and a wire-gripping pincer, a hammer pad, and cutting notches near the pivotal point of the scissors-type tool. Methods for repairing of fence and stretching of wire are also disclosed.

Abstract: An emergency locating device allows an injured person to inflate and deploy a balloon using only one hand. The device has a cylindrical housing holding a cartridge pressurized with a quantity of a lighter-than-air gas, a quick-release fitting for removably attaching the balloon to the upper end of the housing, and an actuator extending from the lower end of the housing for causing a pin to puncture the cartridge when the actuator is depressed to allow gas to flow from the cartridge through the fitting to inflate the balloon. The fitting can be manually separated into a lower segment that remains attached to the housing, and an upper segment attached to the balloon that includes a one-way valve to prevent gas from escaping. The inflated balloon is tethered by a line to the housing. The upper portion of the housing can be used as a reel or spool to store the tether line when not in use.

Abstract: An integrated semi-parabolic antenna/down converter MMDS receiving system wherein the support boom of a semi-parabolic antenna contains the down converter electronics. Located at the focal area of the semi-parabolic antenna are a pair of driven feed elements which are directly connected to the printed circuit board carrying the down converter electronics. The down converter is formed in an elongated shape to fit entirely within the formed hollow interior of the support boom. The down converter comprises a first printed circuit board which contains an RF filter located at the input end of the printed circuit board. The input of the RF filter circuit is directly connected to the pair of driven feed elements by soldering the legs of the driven feed elements directly to the input of the RF filter stage on the first printed circuit board. The RF filter is surrounded by an input ground shield which covers the RF filter circuit. The shield is soldered to the top and bottom ground planes of the printed circuit board.

Abstract: A two-way broadband audio telephone communications system using 2B1Q line coding between a program amplifier located at a remote site and the central office. The program amplifier includes a codec to convert analog audio signals to digital data at a predetermined sampling rate, and a 2B1Q transceiver to convert the digital data into 2B1Q signals. The program amplifier communicates with a channel unit in the central office channel bank over a conventional two-wire link. This channel unit includes a 2B1Q transceiver that translates the 2B1Q signals received from the program amplifier into PCM format compatible with the T1 carrier system. In order to provide wide bandwidth, the channel unit is allocated at least two channels in each T1 frame. The central office channel bank can communicate with any other similarly equipped channel bank over the T1 carrier.

Abstract: A semiconducting wafer has an active area and first and second field oxide regions adjacent opposite sides of the active area. A first poly layer is deposited to form a first landing pad member electrically contacting the active area and overlapping the first field oxide region. Then an insulating oxide layer is deposited, followed by a second poly layer to form a second landing pad member overlapping the first landing pad member and the second field oxide region. A contact etch is performed with the landing pad members acting as an etch stop. A contact is deposited to electrically contact the landing pad members.

Abstract: A system for continuously supplying supplemental therapeutic oxygen to a patient to enhance atmospheric breathing comprising an oxygen supply source for continuously supplying low pressure low volume oxygen to a patient at relatively low pressures and relatively low flow rates to supplement normal atmospheric breathing; flexible oxygen supply tube devices for supplying oxygen from said oxygen supply source to the patient; and a continuous one-piece constant diameter flexible elongated tracheal tube member having a continuous constant diameter passage extending therethrough and being flexible when inserted into an operative position within the trachea to provide therein an intermediate curved side wall portion extending between a proximate end side wall portion having an unrestricted inlet opening therein located posterior of the neck of a patient and a straight distal side wall portion located in the trachea and extending downwardly therein and having an unrestricted distal end outlet opening located in upwar

Abstract: A propellant is ignited within a well to rapidly produce combustion gases to generate pressure exceeding the fracture extension pressure of the surrounding formation. Combustion gases are generated at a rate greater than can be absorbed into any single fracture, thereby causing propagation of multiple fractures into the surrounding formation. In one embodiment, each segment of the propellant is in the form of a solid cylindrical body of fuel/oxidizer surrounded by an expandable casing made of a material similar to a fire hose. A linear shaped charge extends between the casing and the propellant. Upon ignition of the shaped charge, combustion gases quickly stretch the casing thereby allowing the hot gases to surround and ignite the entire propellant surface area. The propellant then burns in a radially inward direction in a predictable manner.

Abstract: A receiver connected to the satellite dish antenna receives signals from an electronic compass for generating a magnetic direction signal. The approximate latitude and longitude values of the parked vehicle are displayed and the user of the system manually selects the latitude and longitude coordinates corresponding to the parked vehicle location. The receiver determines an initial search position for the satellite dish antenna based upon the magnetic reading and the entered latitude and longitude values. The satellite dish antenna is moved from an unstowed position to an initial search position. The satellite dish antenna is then moved in a first rectangular spiral search pattern to obtain a rough-tune position corresponding to the detection of a signal peak for a selected audio subcarrier frequency in a selected channel of a target satellite. The frequency selected is not present in corresponding selected channels of satellites near the target satellite.

Abstract: An etch stop layer is deposited on a DRAM wafer after formation of the PMOS and NMOS transistors and A.A's. After deposition of oxide 1, a first mask and etch process is used to form the capacitor container and remove the oxide 1 and etch stop at the future poly 1 and cell poly contacts. After deposition of the capacitor, a second mask and etch removes the capacitor layers at the future poly 1 contact. After deposition of oxide 2 and a poly etch stop layer, a third mask and etch process forms the bit line contact region through the cell poly, and the poly 1 and cell poly contact region. The etch is made through the cell poly at the bit line contact and a thin oxide is deposited and etched to form cell poly spacers that don't close off the active area. An oxide etch goes to the etch stop layer at the bit contact region, to the poly 1 at the future poly 1 contact, and to the cell poly at the future cell poly contact. After etch of the etch stop at the future bit line contact, the contacts are formed.

Abstract: A multichannel, multipoint distribution services (MMDS) dipole antenna for receiving multiple channels in the S-band frequency range of 2000 and 3000 MHz is formed from a printed circuit board which is directly connected to a coaxial cable. On the printed circuit board are etched two stacked dipoles. Each of the dipoles has a first one-half element etched on the first side of the printed circuit board and the second one-half element etched on the second side of the printed circuit board. The first and second dipoles are oriented to be in phase with each other and are separated from each other at a wavelength spacing between 0.25 lambda and 0.40 lambda. The antenna of the present invention further uses a phase combining circuit and an impedance matching circuit etched on the printed circuit board for combining in phase the polarized signals, for canceling the non-polarized signals at 0.degree. and 180.degree.

Abstract: Attrition-resistant binders can be prepared by a process wherein a slurry of delaminated and calcined clay particles is brought to either a low pH level (e.g., 1.0 to 3.0) or to a high pH level (e.g., 14.0 to 10.0) and mixed with a phosphate-containing compound in a concentration of from about 2.0 to about 20.0 weight percent. Preferably, the resulting slurry is spray dried and the particulate products of the spray drying are then calcined to produce attrition-resistant binder particles.

Abstract: A continuous cycle apparatus for separating particles of precious metals from concentrate having a funnel-shaped hopper. A pump circulates a portion of the water from a sump into the hopper to create a vortex of water and concentrate such that less dense material tends to overflow from the hopper into the sump. The pump also circulates a portion of the water from the sump through a tube connected to a bottom opening in the hopper to transport concentrate and water to a sluice box which collects particles of precious metals contained in the slurry. The rate at which water and concentrate are drawn from the hopper is adjustably controlled by a metering rod located in the tube immediately below the bottom opening in the hopper. The water and remaining particles drain from the sluice box back into the hopper to complete the cycle.

Abstract: An integrated circuit sense amplifier includes a pair of complementary inputs for receiving a pair of complementary data signals which are input to a CMOS flip-flop having its output nodes connected to a logic low through a first transistor and its high side connected to a logic high through a second transistor. The first transistor is on when data signals are not being sensed, holding the nodes in a no-current, logic low state. The first transistor turns off and the second transistor turns on just prior to the arrival of a signal, precharging the nodes to an intermediate voltage, permitting the flip-flop to latch more quickly to a full-logic output when the signal arrives. A preamp may be interposed between the complementary inputs and the latch. The preamp inputs and outputs are precharged to voltage levels near or between their anticipated final levels, so that they reach their final levels quickly when the data signal arrives.