Abstract: A communication system includes a control element, a bidirectional communications link, and one or more devices coupled to the link. The control element, via driver circuits, reversibly applies a predetermined potential to the link for the purpose of energizing the one or more devices as well as communicating therewith. The devices can respond at appropriate time intervals. During the responding time intervals, the control element can continue to supply power to the devices.

Abstract: A fluid flow delivery system switches a variable speed pump drive among a plurality of pumps. The remaining pumps can be operated as constant speed pumps and can be energized one at a time in response to increasing demand. The pump associated with the variable speed drive can be operated over a variable output range to provide relatively low levels of fluid output, in response to low demand, and can be operated in combination with one or more constant speed pumps to provide increased levels of output fluid in response to greater demand levels.

Abstract: A wire cable isolator and an associated energy absorbing restraint for connecting between a device subject to movement due to dynamic loads and possibly thermal deflection, and an adjacent structure, such as a building or a support member is disclosed. The isolator has predetermined, symmetrical force-deflection properties. The isolator includes first and second pairs of entrapment members, and a wire cable formed in a spiral. The first pair of entrapment members clamp the wire cable spiral at opposite side of the spiral and the second pair of entrapment members clamp the wire cable spiral at opposite sides of the spiral. The first and second pair of entrapment members are disposed at predetermined positions about an exterior periphery of the spiral.

Abstract: In a wheel and brake assembly for a wheeled cart, such as a shopping cart or a luggage cart, a horn is mountable to the cart so as to extend downwardly from the cart. A wheel defining a wheel axis and including a hub is journalled to the horn at the hub. A pin projects from the hub but clears the horn when the wheel is rotated. A bracket is mounted pivotably to the horn so as to be pivotable over a limited range, between an inoperative position and an operative position, with a tang projecting axially from the bracket. The tang is arranged to engage the pin so as to brake the wheel against further rotation in one rotational sense, once the bracket has been pivoted to the operative position, if the wheel is rotated by less than one full revolution in the same rotational sense. The pin is arranged to engage the tang so as to pivot the bracket from the operative position, and so as to release the wheel, if the wheel is rotated by less than one full revolution in the opposite rotational sense.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing light panels using a plate- or sheet-like carrier having optical fibers therein ending according to a certain pattern. The optical fibers (4) taken from a fiber supply are positioned in accordance with said pattern by means of a pattern plate (5). The optical fibers (4) lying on the side of the pattern plate (5) remote from the fiber supply (21) are introduced into a mould (1) in order to have them surrounded by a layer of a castable or injectable and quickly setting material (3) for forming the carrier. The fibers (4) are held in the desired position at the upper surface of the carrier to be formed within the mould (1) and the fiber ends are deflected in a group out of the mould (1).

Abstract: A window mounted antenna system having a foot or exterior support member attached to an antenna radiator or whip and typically mounted on the outside of a window or dielectric member comprised of a plastic decorative housing, a conductive foot portion which acts as the coupling capacitor and is inserted into the cover and conductively connected to the radiating member or whip, and a fastener for attaching the whip to the foot or base portion. The conductive foot includes attachment fingers insertable into the housing and retained in place upon insertion therein, and one or more flanges for receiving a fastener passed through the end of the antenna. A coupling assembly disposed on the other side of the window includes a formed or stamped conductive element which incorporates the various conductive components which make up the coupling assembly.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for sensing any of a wide range of liquid hydrocarbons. A ribbon-like sensor is employed, which has an inner, silicone rubber layer and an outer, silicone rubber layer and which has two broad faces and two narrow edges. The silicone rubber layers are capable of absorbing and swelling in the presence of a liquid hydrocarbon. The inner layer but not the outer layer is filled with electrically conductive particles, preferably carbon black particles, so as to be capable of switching from having an electrical impedance which is relatively low to having an electrical impedance which is relatively high when swollen in the presence of a liquid hydrocarbon. As made from an open cell, polyethylene foam, a porous body is attached to the sensor. The porous body is capable of floating with the sensor on water or on a liquid hydrocarbon and of conducting a liquid hydrocarbon through the porous body to the sensor.

Abstract: The present invention provides an AC-DC converter in which a voltage at a light load is kept from rising, and an application range of an AC input voltage can be made broader. In the AC-DC converter having a rectifier 3, a boost chopper 4 and a DC--DC converter, a PWM circuit 6, a frequency divider 7 and a peak value detector 8 are further arranged. A first pulse signal V.sub.pa which the PWM circuit 6 outputs is inputted to a first switching transistor Q1 in the DC--DC converter 5 and the frequency divider 7. The frequency divider 7 divides a frequency of the first pulse signal V.sub.pa according to a frequency dividing control signal which the peak value detector 8 outputs, for monitoring a rectified output voltage in the rectifier 3 and outputs a second pulse signal V.sub.pb generated by the frequency divider 7 to the second switching transistor Q2 in the boost chopper 4.

Abstract: The present invention provides a stress absorbing composite for road repair that comprises a low stiffness geotextile, a viscoelastic material disposed over the low stiffness geotextile, and a high stiffness geotextile disposed over the viscoelastic material. Also provided is a method for retarding reflective cracking in an overlay using a stress absorbing composite and a repaired road containing a stress absorbing composite.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce a cost and a power consumption, eliminating a voltage source for generating a reference voltage in an isolated switching power source achieving a feedback from an output side of the power source to a control circuit in an input side of the power source through a photo-coupler. A voltage V.sub.1 obtained by dividing an output voltage V.sub.0 by a voltage dividing resistors 8, 9 is applied to a base of a transistor 11-1 for an error amplifier, and a photo-coupler light emitting element 10-1 is connected between an emitter of the transistor 11-1 and a negative side of an power source output. A forward dropping voltage of the photo-coupler light emitting element becomes approximately constant (approximately 1.1 v) over a variation range of a current flowing to the photo-coupler light emitting element at actually using time.

Abstract: Carrier stock for beverage cans or other cans of a type having a chime at an upper end and having a frusto-conical wall below the chime is formed from a single sheet of resilient polymeric material, such as low density polyethylene, with band segments defining can-receiving apertures, with webs extending generally transversely and separating the can-receiving apertures in each longitudinal row, and with finger-gripping straps arranged in pairs and configured such that each strap of each pair extends generally transversely between two of the inner band segments and is curved inwardly toward the other strap of the same pair. Each finger-gripping strap has two legs, each being connected not only with an inner band segment but also with a connecting web, which extends therefrom, which extends generally along an inner band segment, and which connects such leg with a separating web. At each leg, connecting web, and inner band segment, the carrier stock may have a dividing slit or a dividing aperture.

Abstract: An omni-directional, collinear, vertical base station antenna having an adjustable or variable radiation beam tilt capability. Terminations at the drive or feed points are provided by an adjustable, capacitive coupling structure at the feed points between the conductive elements of a feed structure and a radiator assembly for adjusting the physical position of the feed points and thereby the phase of the feed points relative to the upper and lower portions of the antenna to alter the deflection angle of the radiation produced. A signal feed, having first and second conductive feed elements, is connectable to a signal feed line to couple a signal between the feed line and the radiator assembly.

Abstract: A knob and bezel assembly for an appliance having a wall with an aperture and having a control with a shaft movable over a limited range of axial movement, rotatable about the axis when moved inwardly, biased outwardly, and projecting outwardly through the aperture. A knob has a handle and a hub, which is adapted to be axially fitted over the shaft so as to be axially movable with the shaft, and which has a keying formation adapted to coact with a keying formation of the shaft so as to be conjointly rotatable therewith. A bezel has a skirt and a hub, which fits slidably over the hub of the knob so that the skirt is disposed between the knob and the appliance wall. Ribs formed integrally on the hub of the knob are fitted slidably into grooves formed in the hub of the bezel to enable conjoint rotation of the knob and the bezel. Two retaining fingers are formed integrally on and extend from the ribs and have outwardly hooked tips hooked outwardly over an inner end of the hub of the bezel.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an isolated and purified peptide comprising the LDV domain of the CSI peptide sequence or single amino acid substitutent analog thereof. A preferred peptide has the amino acid residue sequences shown in SEQ ID NOs:8-14, 17-23, 25, 28, and 51. The present invention is further directed to a process of inhibiting the binding of .alpha..sub.4 .beta..sub.1 integrin to a protein such as VCAM-1 or fibronectin comprising exposing a cell that expresses .alpha..sub.4 .beta..sub.1 integrin to the protein in the presence of an effective inhibiting amount of such a peptide. The present invention is still further directed to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a peptide of SEQ ID NO:8-102.

Abstract: An uninterruptable power supply incorporates a plurality of substantially identical inverter modules in combination with a plurality of transformers. Each of the inverter modules is coupled to one coil of a respective transformer. The second coil of the transformers are electrically coupled in series. The inverter modules can be driven by a battery and the switched outputs therefrom, transformer coupled, can be added in the series connected second windings thereby producing alternating output voltages and currents of any desired magnitude. Other output voltage waveshapes are also possible.

Abstract: In a package for substantially identical containers, such as substantially identical bottles, a wrapper is formed from a paperboard sheet, folded, and seamed so as to have a bottom wall and two lateral walls providing expansive surfaces for labelling. Each lateral wall has a longitudinal row of container-receiving apertures, each of which is surrounded completely by portions of such lateral wall. The lateral walls are joined to each other at longitudinally extending folding lines, between the longitudinal rows of container-receiving apertures, so as to define an upper edge of the wrapper. As formed from sheet-form, resilient, polymeric material, a carrier has band segments defining container-receiving apertures in a generally rectangular array, which comprises two longitudinal rows corresponding to the longitudinal rows of container-receiving apertures of the wrapper. The carrier is disposed above the bottom wall of the wrapper, below the upper edge of the wrapper.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for controlling slag in a trough of a tilting furnace or in a free-standing tilting vessel. On a tilting furnace, the apparatus is mounted on a trough extending from the furnace tap hole and has a reservoir for receiving flow of molten metal and slag from the trough. The reservoir has a slag opening. One of its walls functions as a dam with a bottom opening. A passage extends from the bottom opening along a weir which terminates at an elevation above the bottom opening but below the slag opening. The molten metal flows over the weir and out of the device. The slag is retained in the reservoir and is discharged from the reservoir through the slag opening. In the free-standing tilting vessel, there is a reservoir, slag opening, dam portion, bottom opening, passage and weir, of a substantially similar design as that of the apparatus attached to a trough of a tilting furnace.