Abstract: A method and products are disclosed in which a fertilized egg is non-invasively infused with oxygen such that the structural integrity of the shell of the egg is not compromised. The method comprises the step of subjecting the external surface of the eggshell to the oxygen under a condition of at least one of vacuum and positive pressure. The oxygen is from a substance selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nascent oxygen, liquid oxygen, oxone, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, and potassium permanganate.

Abstract: A ribbon comprises a pair of facing strips and at least one string disposed between both the strips. Both the strips and the string are joined together at their one ends, and both the strips are joined to each other at a plurality of points on each of a plurality of lines spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction so that both the strips can be moved relative to the string in their longitudinal direction. Each strip has at least one slit extending in the longitudinal direction either between a joint in one end of the strip and a line adjacent thereto or between two lines adjacent to each other. A plurality of pairs of facing strips similarly joined by a plurality of lines spaced apart from each other in their longitudinal direction are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for transferring patients to and from emergency medical vehicles and for securing the patients within the vehicles during transport is particularly adapted for helicopters, with at least two stations within the helicopter for securing two patients therein. The system accommodates standard stretchers or patient litters, including a first litter positioned in the first station in the rear of the aircraft approximately aligned with but above and behind the second patient station. In order to load the patients into the separate stations, interlockable trays and support plates are used. An upper tray is initially telescoped within a lower tray which, in turn, is supported on a carriage and lift assembly. The lower tray can be swung relative to the lift assembly to an oblique position pointed toward the exterior door of the helicopter. In addition, the lower tray, with the upper tray supported thereon, can be raised so that the upper tray can be slid rearward into the second station.

Abstract: A constant flow rate controller valve includes a piston spring biased towards the top of the valve. Fluid or gas flowing into the valve increases the forces in the chamber above the piston, forcing the piston toward a valve seat. The piston is thus seated in the valve seat, blocking gas or fluid flow to the outlet port. The forces on the piston in the chamber below the piston builds as flow goes through the piston until the forces in this chamber including the piston spring force is greater than the forces in the chamber above the piston. The piston then is lifted from the valve seat, and the pathway to the outlet orifice is opened. At equilibrium, fluid or gas flows through or around the piston via the variable orifice.

Abstract: A system for easily creating a menu structure for the control of an electronic device via a telephone is disclosed. The system contains an editor for easily creating a menu structure design, a memory table for containing the parameters of the menu structure design, and a logic engine for implementing the menu structure design according to the memory table. The use of a memory table to define each menu structure allows multiple menu structures to be available for execution by the engine and allows switching between them. It also allows certain user inputs to be defined as short cuts to reach other portions of the menu structure.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the synthesis of ultra-free (submicron) ceramic carbides in a thermal plasma torch reactor using primarily silica, boron oxide, titanium dioxide or other oxides as metal sources and methane as a reductant. A plasma torch operated with both argon and helium as plasma gases and having methane as a primary carrier gas is connected to the plasma reactor for providing the heat necessary to carry out the reaction. A collection chamber with both interior and exterior cooling is connected to the reactor for quenching of the reactants. Cooling is provided to the torch, the reactor and the collection using coils, baffles and jackets.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing blade fatigue strength in a turbine engine. The blades in the turbine engine are configured so as to reduce stress at the tip of the blades during operation of the turbine engine, thus increasing blade fatigue strength. This stress reduction helps to counteract the detrimental effect of abrasive tip coatings on blade fatigue strength. In one embodiment, the tip of the blade is chamfered in order to reduce the stress on the tip of the blade. An abrasive coating is then applied to the tip of the blade to assist the blade in seating into an abradable outer air seal. In another embodiment, an abrasive coating is applied to a center portion of the tip of the blade, with the periphery of the abrasive coating being set back from the opposing surfaces of the blade.

Abstract: Exercise treadmill with motor driven tread belt and means for varying the tread belt speed by a speed control system which makes available to the treadmill user a plurality of nominal speeds and also a plurality of rates of restoration of the tread belt speed upon the occurrence of a change in load on the moving tread belt resulting from the user's foot plant impact on the tread belt. By selection by the user of one of the plurality of available rates of restoration of tread belt speed, the user through the user operated speed control can select a desired "stiffness" or "softness", otherwise known as "feel", to reduce user foot plant induced stress or trauma. The preferred speed control system involves a variable speed DC motor with a microprocessor controlled SCR phase control power module, the microprocessor including program memory with plural sets of program values, each with respective delta gain, loop gain and maximum power values.

Abstract: A machine tool apparatus, and a linear motion track therefore, are disclosed where the linear motion track is comprised of a tube having a circular cross-section with at least two bearings longitudinally disposed on opposite exterior sides of the tube such that the tube forms a pair of arches joined by the two bearings. The tube arches minimize localized bending moments when radial or moment loads are applied to the tube arches through the bearings and from the longitudinally slidable carriage on the tube. In addition to the linear motion track, the machine tool apparatus also includes a table, for supporting a workpiece, to which the linear motion track is attached, and a machine tool attached to the linear motion track.

Abstract: An optical memory is disclosed in which data is stored in an optical data layer capable of selectively altering light such as by changeable transmissivity or polarization. The data is illuminated by controllable light sources and an array of multi-surface imaging lenslets project the image onto a common array of light sensors. Data is organized into a plurality of regions or patches (called pages) in which each page contains a field of data spots that encode multiple states or levels of data by the amount of transmissivity or polarization of that spot. By selective illumination of each data page, one of the lenslets images the selected data page onto the light sensors. Light in the data image pattern strikes different ones of the arrayed light sensors, thereby outputting the multiple levels per spot in the form of electrical data signals that are A/D converted to digital.

Abstract: A microswitch with a housing and base from which connection contacts project which are adapted to be sealed with respect to the housing by means of a sealing compound and which include receptors for connecting electrical lines thereto. The microswitch is usable under different environmental conditions and with as many identical structural components as possible without causing any change in the overall size. For receiving the sealing compound, the base is provided with a troughlike recess which is surrounded by walls on at least three sides, with the connection contacts each having a separating line extending within the recess and with each being cuttable to length at this separating line in such a way that the remaining residual parts still end within the recess. The remaining residual parts are also provided with receptors for connecting electrical lines thereto.

Abstract: A microswitch comprising a housing, a switching tappet, connection contacts connected with fixed contacts positioned in the interior of said housing, and a contact bridge with at least one switching contact movable from a first to a second switching position by way of the switching tappet. The contact bridge is held in its first or second switching position by means of a bistable spring arrangement. The microswitch has structurally simple forced, separation means without any necessity for change in the overall size. Its switching tappet is provided with a cantilever with a holding-down device at one end which, in the first switching position of the contact bridge is arranged at a small distance from said contact bridge and which, in the second switching position, projects into the path along which the contact bridge moves.

Abstract: A target shooting capsule comprising a non-toxic, bio-degradable, injection molded shell of various shapes and forms having a dry wall thickness of from about 0.001 inches to about 0.1 inches, having a diameter from about 0.125 inches to about 1 inch, and containing a brightly colored water washable, non-toxic liquid dye fill material.

Abstract: A cyclocomputer for use on a bicycle displays route instructions stored in the cyclocomputer, displays two dimensional graphs on the face of the cyclocomputer, and is capable of exporting and importing information to and from other computers or cyclocomputers. The route instructions may be displayed with symbols such as left arrow, right arrow and up arrow or with alphanumeric characters. The displayed instruction is advanced to the next instruction automatically when a predetermined distance has been measured by the odometer or by the press of a button. Button presses may advance or review the displayed instructions. The distance to the next instruction point is constantly displayed. Importing information may be accomplished with an infrared link which communicates to many cyclocomputers at one time. Recorded data, such as speed, pedal cadence, or heart rate, may be displayed over distance or time, with the graphs being marked for each instruction point.