Abstract: A product supply apparatus for a weighing system (3) for supplying a weighed product quantity (4, 5) to a product receiving device (7) of a packaging machine (8) is formed to prevent spreading of the supplied product quantity when discharging from a collecting receptacle (11, 12) and falling through the product receiving device (7).

Abstract: An optical reproducing device according to the present invention detects mean amplitude values of short marks and long marks, which are recorded marks for reproducing power control, by means of a short mark level detecting circuit and a long mark level detecting circuit. Then a differential amplifier compares a ratio between these two mean amplitude values with a standard value, and outputs the result of this comparison. Thereafter, a reproducing power control circuit controls reproducing power of a semiconductor laser such that the absolute value of this comparison result is reduced. Since mean values of the amplitude values of the short marks and long marks are detected, the detection results are very accurate, and the precision of control of reproducing power can be greatly improved.

Abstract: A packaging machine comprises a base frame having an input side and an output side as well as a transport path from the input side to the output side. A plurality of tray carriers for holding trays are arranged in succession from the input side to the output side along the transport path. A drive means advances the tray carriers in an advancement plane. Further, feed means are provided for feeding a cover film for covering the filled trays. Successive tray carriers are pivotally interconnected by means of pivoting coupling links. Each tray carrier has engagement elements provided at its forward and rearward side. The drive means is formed as a drive chain with a chain strand trained over chain wheels and the engagement elements engage the chain strand when in a position adjacent thereto.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are provided which allow two opposite plane surfaces of a body to be interferometrically measured simultaneously using light from a single light source. From a parallel light beam (P) produced by a light source (1) partial light beams (A, B) having positive and negative diffraction angles are produced using a beam splitter (8) in the form of a diffraction grating. The partial light beams strike the respective surfaces (90, 91) of the body (9) to be measured and are reflected thereat. The reflected partial light beams (A, B) are interfered with the throughgoing partial light beam (P) having an order of diffraction of zero and the thus produced interference patterns are digitized and subtracted from each other, whereby the parallelism of both surfaces (90, 91) of the body can be determined.

Abstract: The feedback caused between the output and the input of an amplification path is reduced by providing a delay in the amplification path, passing through the amplification path a signal having an auto-correlation function which is substantially a delta function, correlating the said signal before being delayed in the delay with the signal after being delayed in the delay to produce a plurality of correlation coefficients, modifying the signal in the amplification path to provide a modified signal, the modification being provided by a transversal filter controlled by the said plurality of correlation coefficients, and combining the modified signal with the signal in the amplification path so as to reduce the effect of the feedback.

Abstract: A load mechanism operation cycle counter is provided for use with a dump truck or similar vehicle. The counter preferably is operated in response to the initiation and/or cessation of signal to the counter in response to either a load containing body position sensor or the electrical state of load body position control device.

Abstract: A method for preparing thermoplastic toner resins is disclosed and the toner resins produced by said method. More particularly, an emulsion polymerized resin, constituting a high molecular weight component, is used as a seed for subsequent suspension polymerization of a lower molecular weight component. The emulsion micelles are swelled with monomers and subsequent suspension polymerization produces particles where the high and low molecular weight components are interpenetrated to form a resin with a bimodal distribution of molecular weight. A toner composition is made using the resin as the main component. The resin particle has a first resin portion having a particle size in the range of about 50 to about 200 nm. and a number average molecular weight in the range of about 104 to about 107, and a second resin portion formed around the first resin portion with a number average molecular weight lower than that of said first resin portion, the resin having a polydispersity in the range of 5 to 50.

Abstract: A teaching aid for use in conducting classroom experiments is disclosed. The teaching aid includes a transparent, flexible container with an opening at the top, and a rigid container having a rectangular cross-section for holding the flexible container. The rigid container has planar front and back portions, at least one of which is transparent. Accordingly, when the flexible container is disposed in the rigid container, students can easily view fluids and/or other materials held by the flexible container through the transparent portion of the rigid container during, e.g., a science experiment.

Abstract: A method of simulated animation for video images is disclosed. The method squiggles the features of the images by displaying a number of slightly different images in rapid succession. These slightly different images are generated automatically by a computer in accordance with a set of pre-stored editing routines. To simulate animation of an image, a set of duplicate images is created. These duplicate images are then modified by computer application of pre-stored editing routines, such that small variations result between the duplicate images. The edited duplicate images are then arranged for display in succession. To create an animated sequence comprising a plurality of multi-frame scenes, a plurality of scenes are created from a still image by modifying a set of duplicate still images by computer application of pre-stored editing routines, such that small variations result between the duplicate still images.

Abstract: A charging system including an alternator, and a controller for controlling the output of the alternator to provide a required output to be in tolerance with a measured load, the controller having at least one temperature sensor, and a temperature control device, wherein the temperature control device calculates the slope of temperature variance over time and, in a state of overtemperature, decreases the value provided to the controller representing the required output.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device has a progressive-scan structure and includes, in a unit pixel area of a semiconductor substrate, a photoelectric conversion region and a vertical transfer CCD region for reading and transferring a signal charge stored in the photoelectric conversion region by performing four-phase driving using two vertical transfer electrodes each having a two-layer structure formed over the semiconductor substrate with a gate insulation layer disposed therebetween. Among the two vertical transfer electrodes each having a two-layer structure, lead parts of one vertical transfer electrode having the two-layer structure are positioned on the photoelectric conversion region in the unit area.

Abstract: A rack for receiving an object to be supported is disclosed. The rack has a pair of parallel corner profiles (1) each having two legs (2, 3) connected at an angle along an edge. A groove (4) extends parallel to the edge and has a longitudinal portion (5) which extends through the edge and which is inclined with respect to the two legs (2, 3). It also has a transverse portion (6) formed at the base of the longitudinal portion (5) and extending to both sides thereof with respective first and second portions (13, 13′). Bolts (44) engage each of the longitudinal portions (5) of the grooves (4). Sliding blocks (20) positioned in the transverse portions (6) cooperate with the bolts for fastening the object to be supported to the frame.

Abstract: A charging system has an alternator, a battery, and a controlled rectifier bridge between the alternator and the battery. The controlled rectifier bridge has controllable elements. A controller is provided wherein the controller controls (a) the duty cycle of the alternator field winding and (b) the switching in the controllable elements to control the phase advance angle. By utilizing a half-wave controlled rectifier bridge and three controllable elements, power output can be increased at a low overall cost. In another embodiment, the controller determines switching points for the controllable elements through a third harmonic extraction device which employs a neural network for determining the zero crossings of the third harmonic voltage obtained from a single phase voltage.

Abstract: A printed-circuit substrate is described. A film-shaped support base having an electrical insulating property and elasticity is provided with a resin mold section for supporting an integrated circuit. A plurality of foil-shaped electric conductors are connected to the integrated circuit at their base side and are supported by the support base so as to extend toward the periphery of the support base at their tip side. The conductors are formed on a first surface of the support base and the first base faces electrodes of an external device. Exposed portions are provided by removing the support base in an intersecting direction of the foil-shaped electric conductors over an entire area of the support base between the integrated circuit and the periphery thereof, so that one portion of each foil-shaped electric conductor is exposed by separating the main support base supporting the integrated circuit and the periphery thereof.

Abstract: A mathematical teaching apparatus comprising block elements that fit inside a block element container. The block element container will not close until the proper number of block elements are inserted. For teaching counting and addition concepts for a number base, such as base ten, a user will quickly grasp the concepts of grouping an arbitrary number of block elements into units, such as ones, tens and hundreds. A container for holding block element containers is also provided. The block elements and containers have the same shape, and maintain a proportional ratio with each other. All block elements and containers are counted and grouped using counting devices which provide an indication of the number of units of each type present. The counting devices also signal when ten block elements or ten block element containers are inserted, signaling to a user that the block elements or containers should be inserted into a next-larger size container.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is described that records with the developer a desired image on a recording medium, which is transported in a transporting direction through a gap between a control electrode and a counter electrode, by supplying a potential to the control electrode based on image data and selectively permitting the developer to pass through gates. The control electrode is a flat-shaped member interposed between the developer carrier and the counter electrode. It has a pair of support regions that are spaced apart from a central region, one supporting region on each side of said central region in the transporting direction. A first support member has a first flat surface and a first fixing member that holds one support region of the control electrode member fixedly on said first flat surface and (2) a second support member has a second flat surface and a second fixing member that holds the other support region of the control electrode member fixedly on said second flat surface.

Abstract: A specimen collecting device is disclosed. The device has an elongated foam member that is circumscribed by a hollow tubular member along a portion of its longitudinal axis. The hollow tubular member has a cross sectional area less than the uncompressed cross sectional area of the foam member so that the foam member is compressed along the circumscribed portion. Around the hollow tubular member is slidably mounted a flexible sleeve member having a first end that fits snugly around the hollow tubular member and a second end with an enlarged diameter that can surround the uncompressed foam member.

Abstract: A spacer for insertion between two vertebrae has a variable axial length. The spacer comprises a first sleeve-shaped shape member 1 and a second member 2 which is slidably guided within the first member in axial direction relative thereto for adjusting the overall length. The second member 2 comprises, on its outer portion facing the first member 1, an axially extending portion having ratchet notch means 18, and the first member 1 has an engagement member 23 cooperating with the ratchet notch means 18 for displacement to a desired overall length.

Abstract: A diagnostic test strip for determining the presence of a specified analyte in a fluid sample is described. The test strip has a test membrane sandwiched between two layers of a plastic sheath. The upper layer of the sheath has a sample well into which a liquid sample is placed. The test membrane has a sample receiving zone typically containing a buffer and a fatty acid sarcosinate. Adjacent to the sample receiving zone is a reagent zone containing reagent chemicals including gold colloid particles coated with antibodies to the specified analyte. In fluid connection with the reagent zone is a test zone containing immobilized molecules of the specified analyte. Preferably, in fluid connection with the test zone is a control zone containing an indicator that changes color when wetted by the sample and a liquid sink zone to absorb excess liquid in the sample.

Abstract: A photoresist is applied to a first substrate made of glass or resin which has been subjected to alignment treatment. Next, the photoresist is exposed and developed by UV light so as to form a non-optical rotatory region in a stripe manner after a mask having a desired pattern is provided on the photoresist. Then, polymerized liquid crystal is applied or dropped on the substrate complex thus prepared so far after an alignment layer on the substrate is rubbed. Further, a second substrate whose surface has been subjected to alignment treatment is placed on the substrate complex such that the directions of the alignment of the two substrates are orthogonal to each other, and the substrate thus positioned is pressed against the substrate complex. Finally, the substrate complex is irradiated by the UV light to cure the polymerized liquid crystal so as to form an optical rotatory region, thereby completing an optical rotatory device.