Abstract: An interlockable element for a structure assembly set includes an at least partially planar body and a connector edge having associated therewith a first A-type and B-type connector pair disposed about a first axis of rotation and a second A-type and B-type connector pair disposed about a second axis of rotation. The first and second axes of rotation are disposed on opposing sides of a generally rectangular quadrilateral of a specified dimension. Each of one pair of diagonally opposite vertices of the quadrilateral are situated internally to each of the A-type connectors and each of the other pair of diagonally opposite vertices of the quadrilateral are situated internally to each of the B-type connectors; and the quadrilateral is generally disposed in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the plane of the body of the interlockable element.

Abstract: An apparatus (1) for irradiating material comprises a single UV, pulsed brigth white light or IR lamp (2) with a centrally disposed receptacle (3) for containing material to be irradiated. The lamp can be an elongate hollow tube (2) of annular construction. Internal formations may be present within the lamp to control the position of the arc. For example, the lamp may have a plurality of longitudinal segments arranged such that a discharge arc is formed within each segment or internal formations may be provided to direct the position of the arc within the lamp. A pump (36) may be included for moving material through the receptacle which is preferably the hollow area within the annulus of the elongate hollow tube. Material can be treated batchwise or in a continuous process. This apparatus is suitable for the sterilisation of biological and/or non-biological materials. A further use is in carrying out photolysis on chemical substances in photochemical reactions.

Abstract: During injection molding of a plastic product having a base wall and a sidewall, alignment of the mold parts that shape the mold cavity is maintained by conducting injected plastic material through a sequence of variable-opening throttles in a base-wall-section flow guide of the mold cavity. The openings of the throttles vary in response to variations in the thickness of a region of the sidewall section into which injected plastic material is conducted from the base-wall-section flow guide so that upon an increase in the thickness of such region the openings of the throttles in the base-wall-section flow guide decrease and so that upon a decrease in the thickness of such region the openings of the throttles in the base-wall-section flow guide increase.

Abstract: A jumper-cable-coupling apparatus includes an elongated hollow tubular metal casing, an elongated metal carrier member telescopically disposed within the casing, a first connector component extending from the casing at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the casing, a second connector component extending from the carrier member in opposition to the first connector component, a spring disposed within the casing for forcing the first connector component into contact with the second connector component, and thumb and finger grips respectively disposed on the casing and the carrier member for enabling the carrier member to be moved relative to the casing to counteract the force of the spring and thereby separate the second connector component from the first connector component in order to enable the first and second connector components to be respectively disposed on opposite sides of a battery terminal and to be attached to the battery terminal.

Abstract: A controller allocates a bit size for a current frame in a group of pictures of a first compression-encoded digital video signal that is to be spliced following transmission of the group of pictures with a second compression-encoded digital video signal. The signals are spliced after a predetermined switching time. The spliced signals are buffered by a decoder buffer and then decoded by a decoder. When the second signal has a variable bit-encoding rate and the current frame is not decoded until after the predetermined switching time, the maximum bit size is determined in accordance with an estimate of the decoder buffer fullness at the predetermined switching time. When the second signal has a predetermined maximum variable bit-encoding rate and the current frame is not decoded until after the predetermined switching time, the minimum bit size is determined in accordance with the predetermined maximum bit-encoding rate of the second signal.

Abstract: An interlockable element for a structure assembly set includes an at least partially planar body and a connector edge having associated therewith a first A-type and B-type connector pair disposed about a first axis of rotation and a second A-type and B-type connector pair disposed about a second axis of rotation. The first and second axes of rotation are disposed on opposing sides of a generally rectangular quadrilateral of a specified dimension. Each of one pair of diagonally opposite vertices of the quadrilateral are situated internally to each of the A-type connectors and each of the other pair of diagonally opposite vertices of the quadrilateral are situated internally to each of the B-type connectors; and the quadrilateral is generally disposed in a plane that is generally perpendicular to the plane of the body of the interlockable element. The A-type connectors are interlockable with the B-type connectors.

Abstract: Interactive program guide (IPG) data is delivered to a receiver from which a program guide can be retrieved. The IPG data includes schedule-data for each of a plurality of time slots, description-data for each of the plurality of time slots, and non-time-sensitive foundation data.

Abstract: Square and octagonal building elements for a set of toy building elements that are capable of being inteconnected in a releasable engagement both side-to-side and top-to-bottom. The side walls of the building elements include a groove and/or a split flexible tongue that is compressed when frontally forced into a groove in another such building element to effect a releasable restraining frictional engagement within the groove.

Abstract: A cable tie having a locking head and a strap terminating in a tip is formed by injecting plastic material into a mold cavity defined by a first mold part that includes a head region defining a portion of the head and a second mold part that includes a tip region defining a portion of the tip. Upon initial separation of the mold parts a portion of the head is retained in the head region of the first mold part and a portion of the tip is retained in the tip region of the second mold part. Upon further separation of the mold parts, the tip is still retained in the tip region of the second mold part and the head is removed from the head region of the first mold part. Subsequently, the tip of the cable tie is ejected from the tip region of the second mold part.

Abstract: During injection molding of a thin-wall plastic product, such as a drink cup, the formation of void-based irregularities is prevented in a thin-wall portion of the product formed within a zone of a thin-wall cavity section that is located between adjoining flow chambers, in which zone the thickness of the thin-wall cavity section increases in the general direction of flow within the flow chambers adjoining such zone. Such void-based irregularity formation is prevented by dimensioning the mold cavity so that the thickness increases in such direction at less than a threshold rate. The flow chambers do not extend to a rim portion of the thin-wall cavity section; and the respective inscribed-sphere dimensions of the adjoining flow chambers within a terminal zone of the thin-wall cavity section adjacent a rim portion of the mold cavity are less than the respective inscribed-sphere dimensions of upstream portions of the adjoining flow chambers.

Abstract: A cable tie having a locking head and a strap terminating in a tip is formed by injecting plastic into a mold cavity defined by first and second mold parts. The first mold part includes head and tip regions respectively defining portions of the head and the tip. The first and second mold parts define a strap region for forming a portion of the strap that extends between the head and the tip. Upon initial separation of the mold parts, portions of the head and the tip are retained in the head and tip regions of the first mold part and a portion of the strap is retained in the second mold part to thereby remove the tip and the head from the second mold part and portions of the strap from the mold parts. Upon further separation of the mold parts some previously retained portions are thereby removed.

Abstract: A portable monitoring unit remotely monitors measurement data provided at a control console that includes a processor adapted for processing measurement data related to a plurality of monitored parameters and for providing an alarm-condition signal when an alarm condition is indicated by such processing. The alarm-condition signal is transmitted by a two-way radio coupled to the control console.

Abstract: In a game in which a plurality of players manage playing pieces in accordance with a set of rules, the rules provide for movement of movable playing pieces over spaces on a game board and for acquisition of property-type playing pieces from another player incident to a confrontation that occurs upon movement of one player's movable playing piece onto a space occupied by another player's movable playing piece. The outcome of the confrontation is determined by chance by using a random-output device, such as dice, or a random-output routine executed by a computer. The outcome of a turn involves an element of chance, as determined by a random-output device, and indicates either a number of spaces for movement of a movable playing piece, or that the player taking the turn has a choice of changing a variable rule that currently is not most favorable to such player so that such variable rule becomes more favorable to such player.

Abstract: A delivery vehicle is used to deliver oil with or without a marker and is provided with apparatus which includes a reservoir of marker and an injector pump for adding marker to the oil. A controller records the occurrence of an event associated with the depletion of the reservoir which has an upper section, a lower section and a marker level sensor located at a narrow constriction between the two sections. The apparatus includes a blender which causes fluid flow to occur at different rates and is operable so that the slugging effect of marker injection is reduced. The injector pump is arranged to provide a delay prior to each forward or reverse stroke. The memory devices of the controller are locked or sealed so as to deny access to reprogram the controller.