Abstract: An improved cage slip system is disclosed. The cage is constructed so that the cones which actuate the slips extend into the cage openings. The radial extension of the slips is limited so as to retain them if they are extended in an unsupported situation. The cones have a maximum outside dimension equal to the outside dimension of the cage so as to increase the rating of the slips by increasing the bearing area of the cones on the slips. The beneficial features of the cage design are retained while a greater degree of radial expansion of the slips is possible allowing minimization of tool inventory for situations where a lighter wall casing requires further slip extension. The release system allows the lower cones to be driven out from under the lower slips, thus facilitating release of the grip of the lower slips from the casing for extraction of the packer. The mechanical release is functional through the mandrel, whether tension or compression is placed on the mandrel.

Abstract: A stress relief apparatus includes a base having a plurality of pins projecting from the base in an axial direction. The pins may have different lengths to accommodate a conductor. Alternatively, spring loaded pins may be used to accommodate the conductor. Spring loaded pins of a common length may be used. The base having a plurality of slots. The base can be mounted to a mounting surface of a printed circuit board or other electrical system. A clip has an engaging surface normal to the axial direction. A latch is attached to the clip. The latch is received by any one of the plurality of slots for detachably mounting the clip to the base in any one of a plurality of heights. Each height provides a respectively different distance between the pins and the engaging surface, such that any one of a plurality of differently sized conductors is gripped between the pins and the engaging surface when the clip is attached to the base, so as to provide stress relief.

Abstract: A method for forming a Ti1-xAlxN coating on a part without plasma enhancement, wherein a chemical vapor deposition chamber is heated to 250-500° C.; the part to be coated is heated to 550-650° C. and placed in said chamber; and a mixture of titanium and aluminium chlorides, NH3 and H2 is injected into the chamber. The molar amount of NH3 is greater than the molar amount of chlorides, and the molar amount of hydrogen is over five times greater than the molar amount of chlorides.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing variations in a supply voltage signal. The voltage signal which powers a circuit is regulated by adding or removing a series of redundant loads to the circuit. The redundant loads are normally not connected to the circuit. However, when one of the loads of the circuit is switched out of the circuit, one or more of the redundant loads are switched into the circuit, and then removed gradually from the circuit. When one of the loads of the circuit is to be switched into the circuit, one or more of the redundant loads are switched into the circuit first, then switched out of the circuit when the load is switched in. Thus, the voltage supply sees almost the same load during a turn-on and turn-off transition period, and variations in the voltage signal are reduced.

Abstract: A transducer apparatus is disclosed including a spool member having a body portion and first and second elevated regions formed on the body portion. A piezoelectric film such as a PVDF film surrounds the spool member and is spaced apart from the body portion of the spool member by an elevation of the elevated region, thereby forming a predetermined gap between the piezoelectric film and the body portion of the spool member. The predetermined gap is at least 0.1 mm and enables a predetermined resonance frequency in the piezoelectric film to control the resonance frequency of the transducer. Opposite lateral ends of the piezoelectric film are secured together such that secured ends of the piezoelectric film have substantially the same resonance frequency as a remainder of the piezoelectric film.

Abstract: The self-propelled stairs moving unit A1 moves on stairs, putting a manual wheelchair K on the pallet 7, by driving the front crawler traveling units 1a, 1b and the rear crawler traveling units 2a, 2b wherein right and left are unitedly connected with each other. When the stairs moving unit A1 is started to go up to the stairs from the flat face of lower hand, the front crawler traveling unit 1a relatively gently goes up. Then, the angle between the pallet 7 to be held to be level with the connecting shaft 6 which is rotation center of the traveling unit 1a as its center of oscillation and the line connecting both connecting portions of the support frames 5a connecting the front and rear crawler traveling units 1a, 2a (that is, the self-propelled portion) is slowly changed.

Abstract: A lightweight, portable pet bed is described. It features an open structure with a hollow ring around its periphery. This ring can trap air which provides a thermal barrier for the pet. A thermoelectric unit is mounted to its underside with appropriate ducting for air circulation so that, depending on the electrical connection, heating or cooling is provided to a sink which is integral with the platform in the pet bed. The pet bed can also provide holes in the platform to secure an appropriate mat for the pet to lay on and to cover the sink which forms a part of the platform. A host of shapes are contemplated, including rectangular, round, oval, and the like. The thermoelectric or other heating or cooling unit can be manually controlled or thermostatically controlled. The units are stackable for easy storage or for shipping or display.

Abstract: The invention allows for an increase in termination density for customer cable pairs in electronic cabinets, building terminals, and protectors and switching equipment terminations in central offices by providing a connector module is provided having a first insulating housing cap including a row of slots and a row of contact cavities defined within the first housing cap by contact guiding walls. Each slot is adapted for receiving a wire and each cavity is arranged in open communication with one of the slots and has a first orientation relative to the slots. A second insulating housing cap including a row of slots and a row of contact cavities defined within the second housing cap by contact guiding walls. Each slot is adapted for receiving a wire and each cavity being arranged in open communication with one of the slots and has a second orientation relative to the slots. A row of contacts are mounted within the first and second housing caps.

Abstract: A batting tee device for training a batter to contact a pitched baseball only along an optimal line of contact, the batting tee including a tee member for holding a ball to batted above a ground surface and a base member for supporting the tee member in a generally vertical position relative to the ground surface. The tee member includes a ball support member disposed at a free end thereof and the base member includes a portion representing a baseball home-plate. The batting tee is adapted to allow at least the ball support member of the tee member to be selectively located only along a single predetermined optimal line of contact located relative to the portion of the base member representing the baseball home-plate for left-handed or right-handed batters.

Abstract: An animal feeder has a hopper for storing pieces of food. The bottom of the hopper has an opening accessible by an animal. The opening is smaller than a piece of food, but large enough for the animal to gnaw the food through the opening. The hopper has a surface adjacent the opening, to receive fallen gnawed food and hold the fallen gnawed food in a position accessible by the animal for eating. The hopper engages a mounting bracket. The bracket is directly attachable to the animal's cage. The bracket has a lip which partially covers the receiving surface of the hopper to physically limit the animal from leaning on the hopper and to prevent the hopper from tipping back so far that it falls off the conical mount. A conical bottom surface is attached to the hopper. The conical bottom surface seats on a conical mount. The conical mount transmits a downward force from the conical bottom surface to a sensor, but does not transmit an upward force or moment to the sensor.

Abstract: An improved method for making silicon-on-sapphire transducers including the steps of: forming a first silicon layer on a first side of a first sapphire wafer; bonding a second sapphire wafer to the first side of the first sapphire wafer such that the first silicon layer is interposed between the first and second sapphire wafers; reducing the thickness of the first sapphire wafer to a predetermined thickness; depositing a second silicon layer on a second surface of the first sapphire wafer, wherein the second surface of the first sapphire wafer is oppositely disposed from the first surface of the first sapphire wafer; bonding a silicon wafer to the second surface of the first sapphire wafer such that the second silicon layer is interposed between the first sapphire wafer and the silicon wafer, wherein the silicon wafer includes p+ regions indicative of a transducer structure and non-p+ regions; and, removing the non-p+ regions of the silicon wafer thus forming the transducer structure of p+

Abstract: This invention provides reinforced, water-resistant membranes, and methods of manufacturing and installing such membranes. These membranes include a mastic layer having first and second major surfaces and a fiber-containing reinforcing layer disposed within the mastic layer for improving the mechanical strength of the membrane. The membrane can be bonded to an underlying substrate by the application of heat or pressure to form an adherent bond. The reinforced membrane of this invention can have a tensile strength of at least about 300 psi or more.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for conditioning a polishing pad used in a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process. The polishing pad is conditioned by the application of a conditioning device to the surface of the rotating polishing pad. The amount of force which is applied to the conditioning device is directly controlled by a force control mechanism so as to make the conditioning process more consistent.