Abstract: An instrument hanger attachable to a microphone stand facilitates the supporting or hanging of various musical instruments on the stand. The hanger has an annular loop portion for receiving the top portion of the shaft of the stand, a neck and an instrument holding portion shaped to prevent the instrument to detach from the holder in typically encountered situations. A single hanger may hold several like or different instruments. The hangers taught herein may be more convenient than large conventional musical instrument stands which add to the expense and difficulty of travelling and which may crowd a concert stage.

Abstract: Ultrasonic apparatus and associated methods for the in-line monitoring of melting, mixing and chemical reaction processes of materials inside an enclosed chamber having rotating elements associated therewith are presented. The chamber may be heated and the rotating elements may be blades and/or screws. The chamber may be a heating barrel and the materials may be polymer and polymer composites pellets, metal pellets and chemical compounds. Ultrasonic sensors, which are preferably coupled to a wall of the chamber, may be high temperature ultrasonic transducers attached to the external surface of the chamber or ultrasonic buffer rods embedded into the chamber and coupled to cooled ultrasonic transducers. These sensors are operated in the reflection mode and are placed over the rotating elements. The number and locations of the sensors depend on applications.

Abstract: A supporting rack includes rods arranged to form a planar grid pattern connected to allow for modification in the overall space occupied by the rack. In a preferred embodiment, a rack for use in a conventional domestic cooking oven is formed of perpendicularly disposed rods of material such as stainless steel enabled to withstand the temperatures to which such an oven may be subjected. The rack has an outer frame capable of interfacing with and supported by inside oven walls, and the individual rod sections being so connected as to allow folding or separation of the sections of the rack to reduce its size and facilitate handling when performing tasks such as cleaning the rack.

Abstract: An “H layout” according to the present invention affords for a smaller, simpler, less expensive and higher performance midplane for use in a communication system for connecting various modules together. The layout is based on the concept of symmetry around a mid-section, which allows for the reuse of APM cards on the top and bottom of a midplane. All high-speed tracks on the midplane are concentrated in the center thereof. Front and back connectors on the midplane are staggered so as to permit very high module densities while maintaining manageable finger access. The present invention has the advantages of: reducing high-speed track lengths in a backplane or midplane; simplifying high speed track routing by having almost only horizontal tracks on the midplane, thus reducing crossing over; and providing a smaller midplane, thus reducing costs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for automatically identifying a fiber type in an optically amplified optical fiber span. Optical spectrum analyzers are employed in order to measure profiles of one or more amplifiers connected to the fiber span. These profiles are then manipulated in order to obtain a score for the fiber span. This score is then compared to known scores for various fiber types in order to make a determination of the fiber type in the span. The profiles being measured can be either of a span loss profile or a Raman gain profile. In the case of a Raman gain profile, a Raman pump laser is employed in the measurements. According to the present invention, it is possible to identify whether a hybrid splice exists within a particular fiber span. The present invention also permits an auto mapping of networks.

Abstract: The present invention provides a closed loop control strategy using system wavelength profile information to provide accurate derivation of Raman gain in a fiber optic span. The present invention overcomes prior art limitations in which a desired Raman gain is estimated on the basis of a modeled solution, without taking into account the dynamic nature of the system span profiles. The method and system according to the present invention provide an improved method of calculating Raman gain which permits dynamic adjustments to system parameters, thus correcting gain inaccuracies induced by the application of known models and permitting an accurate derivation of the Raman gain. Cost-effective optical spectrum analyzers are used to monitor wavelength profiles, which permits the mapping of transmit and receive profiles within a span. This mapping information is then collected in a central location, such that the Raman gain within the span may be derived.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system with a redirect functionality that removes the potential of a bottleneck inherent with a central redirect server. In a communications system according to the present invention, the central redirect server is eliminated in favor of a distributed redirect server. This distributed redirect server is distributed to, and hosted on, telephony access nodes (TANs) in the system. This configuration resolves both the problem of a potential bottleneck and provisioning of redundant redirect server capability.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic side bet progressive jackpot gaming table apparatus including a color-coded player's banking center which includes a coin slot an electronic button means, a digital display means. The apparatus also includes a dealer key pad having a plurality of electronic button means for the dealer to suitably conduct a side bet progressive jackpot game. The invention furthermore relates to a method of operating the electronic side bet progressive jackpot gaming table apparatus. In addition, methods of playing casino Blackjack games employing an inventive deck of same color-coded playing cards are disclosed.

Abstract: A conventional electrolyte for a secondary cell having a carbonaceous anode is comprised of an alkali metal salt dissolved in an organic electrolyte solvent. Intercalation and de-intercalation during repeated discharge/charge cycles of the secondary cell using a conventional electrolyte solvent causes continual exposure of bare surfaces of the carbonaceous material to the electrolyte, resulting in continual consumption of electrolyte in the formation of new passivation films on the bared or partially covered surfaces, adversely affecting the performance and capacity of the cell. In accordance with the present invention, the organic electrolyte solvent comprises chloroethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate and ethylene carbonate. The chloroethylene carbonate is capable of forming a very stable passivation film on the anode. The performance and capacity of the secondary cell is improved substantially by the addition of the halogenated organic solvent.