Abstract: In a document insertion machine, third-party advertising documents are fed from downstream insert stations (36, 37, 38, 39). The third party insert stations include an optional insert station (39) from which documents are to be fed only if the additional weight occasioned by the feeding does not cause an increase in the postage for a customer's stuffed envelope. The other third party insert stations (36, 37, 38) are chargeback stations which feed documents regardless of the impact of feeding upon the weight of a customer's stuffed envelope. The insertion machine apportions, among the chargeback stations (36, 37, 38), any increase in postage cost which occurs when the feeding of documents from the chargeback stations causes a customer's stuffed envelope to be classified in a more expensive postage category.

Abstract: There is provided a method for concentrating and improving the taste, texture and mouth feel of a liquid dairy product. The liquid dairy product is cooled to a temperature at or below its feezing point. Ice crystals are crystallized from the cooled liquid dairy product to produce a mixture of concentrated product and ice crystals. A portion of the ice crystals is separated from the mixture and heated to form a melt thereof. The mixture is washed with the melt to form a washed mixture of the concentrated product and the ice crystals, and the ice crystals are separated from the washed mixture and the concentrated product is recovered. The amount of ice crystals formed in the crystallizing step is sufficient that the recovered product has a solids content of at least about 20%.

Abstract: The bracelet of this invention, having metallic links (11, 12), includes hinge knuckles (17) of plastic material at its ends. Such hinge knuckles (17) permit, in particular, the avoidance of premature wear of the case (1) especially when the latter is of relatively soft material, for example plastic.

Abstract: A pane washing appartus for a motor vehicle comprises a pressure source to drive a cleaning fluid which in turn activates a valve and a jet nozzle associated with a jet-nozzle carrier which is movable from a pulled-back rest position to an operational, deployed position. The valve is first opened once the jet-nozzle carrier has moved the jet nozzle to the deployed position. The valve includes a cap which loosely covers a passage opening in the jet-nozzle carrier leading to the jet nozzle but which follows movement of the jet-nozzle carrier until its peripheral area contacts a fixed stop thereby uncovering the passage opening immediately before the jet nozzle reaches its deployed position. The cap is pressed against the jet-nozzle carrier by cleaning fluid pressure, a spring or a permanent magnet.

Abstract: An insertion machine includes an insertion station (44) whereat groups of items are stuffed into an envelope held open at an envelope opening station (49). The insertion station comprises an cam (212)-driven carriage (202) which linearly reciprocates in a direction (480) toward and away from the envelope opening station (49). The carriage (202) carries a plurality of selectively mounted, selectively rotatable pusher fingers (204). The pusher fingers (204) have a profile suitable for shoving items along a partially inclined insertion plate surface 403 and into an opened envelope. The pusher fingers (204) are selectively rotatable to an operative orientation (720) and to an inoperative orientation (722) under the supervision of a controller (205). Jam detectors (550, 552) are provided proximate reciprocating entry fingers (500, 502) which move when a jam occurs in the inserting process. Should a jam occur, the pusher fingers (204) are controlled to rotate to their inoperative orientation (722).

Abstract: An envelope processing system (20) includes an input transport section (22); a processing/transport section (24); and a discharge transport section (28). Envelopes are fed on-edge from the input transport section to the processing/transport section (24) by a feeder section (40) comprising a feeder (72) and a feed assist device (80). When a signal controller (190) monitoring the feeder (72) detects a significant delay between the feeding of envelopes, the feeder (72) is enabled to acquire greater contact with the next envelope by displacing the feed assist device (80) out of its normally biased co-planar position with a feed belt (130) of the feeder (72), resulting in a greater force vector on the next envelope in the direction toward a singulation region (73). A stacker section (38) comprising the discharge conveyance section (28) includes introductory conveying means (302), stacker conveying means (304), and a discharge magazine (300).

Abstract: This tab surface-protective paper separating device is what removes from a tab stuck on the leading web end of a paper roll the protective paper which is attached to the outer surface of the tab except on portions along its edges; it is comprised of a table board upon which a leading web end with a tab stuck thereon is brought, a scraper which is designed to be moved transversely along the table top and is capable of being wedged into inadhesive peripheral points between the base tab and its protective paper, and a gripping claw for holding the protective paper between the scraper and itself in coordination with the wedging movement of the scraper. In seizing the protective paper between the scraper and the gripping claw, the device wedges the scraper between the tab and its protective paper with the help of ejection of compressed air. The protective paper is automatically removed from the tab as the scraper and the claw, both holding the protective paper therebetween, are moved away from the table board.

Abstract: A plurality of language display control cards are provided for insertion into the motherboard of a personal computer, each card having connector means to which a CRT display and a keyboard may be connected. Each card controls its display independently of the others so that different data may be displayed on each display screen. A display control card includes a font memory for storing the digital video representations of ideographic characters of a standard code, and an ASCII memory for storing the digital video representations of ASCII characters. In addition a loadable font memory is provided for storing the digital video representations of characters which are not commonly used characters of a language but may be frequently used in a particular application. The outputs of the three memories may be serially interspersed so that the CRT may display ASCII, or ideographic characters or a mixture of both.

Abstract: This material which has a hemi-cellulose content of less than 2%, a benzopyrene content of less than 2 .mu.g/kg and a calorific value which is about 20% greater than that of the starting material is obtained by isothermal treatment between 220.degree. C. and 280.degree. C. for a period of thirty minutes using crossed flows of treated material and of oxygen-free hot gases in an oven including stirring means (6,9) and a gas generator (1) with the gas being circulated by a fan (3).

Abstract: A method of constructing a fire-stop collar assembly involves the steps of choosing a dummy pipe (14) at a factory which is an approximate size and shape of a pipe at an installment site on which a fire-stop collar assembly (10,54) produced by this method is to be mounted and, at the factory, wrapping an intumescent collar (34,82) into an approximate ring about an outer surface of the dummy pipe. Also, at the factory, a metallic band (32) is wrapped about the intumescent collar while the collar is wrapped about the dummy pipe and the end portions (36,38) are held together by a fastening device (40,56) while the collar is wrapped about the dummy pipe. Still at the factory, the dummy pipe is removed from the intumescent collar and the metallic band by longitudinal movement along the dummy pipe, thereby leaving rings of intumescent collar and the metallic band held together as an integral fire-stop collar assembly.

Abstract: The closing and locking lever for ski boots is manufactured from shaped metal covered along the whole sides and the edges by a protecting material, such as rubber or plastic material.

Abstract: A matrix of a glass or a plastic is mixed with 1% to 10% of a niobium substance, 1% to 10% of a magnesium compound, 1% to 10% of barium fluoride, and 5% to 30% of lead, the percentages indicating the weight of these substances in the matrix. The mixture is heat-molded to form an anti-fogging material.

Abstract: In a hyperthermia apparatus, ultrasonic waves obtained by using an ultrasonic vibrator are focused in a living body through an acoustic lens and degassed water to form a heating region. In this case, the ultrasonic vibrator is not required to be divided, and the surface of the acoustic lens in contact with the ultrasonic vibrator and the opposite surface are formed in a concave surface, and hills and valleys spreading alternatively in the radial direction are formed on thik concave surface, and the portion between these hill and valley are formed in a plane or a curved surface. In accordance with this acoustic lens, the ultrasonic waves are focused on the heating region, and a phase difference is produced by a difference in thickness between the hill part and the valley part, and thereby no undesirable hot spots are produced behind the heating region.

Abstract: There is provided an integral textile composite which fabric comprises a substrate portion having at least one organic textile fiber layer and an insulating portion. The insulating portion has at least one inorganic fiber layer which is substantially co-extensive with the organic fiber layer, and at least one insulating layer of insulating material which is substantially less than co-extensive with the inorganic fiber layer. A plurality of first needled stitches composed of organic fibers from said organic fiber layer of said substrate portion are needled in and disposed at least substantially through the insulating portion, while the inorganic fibers of the inorganic fiber layer in the insulating portion are substantially undisturbed.

Abstract: Here is disclosed a method for measurement of viscosity change in blood or the like comprising steps of disposing a sensor including of an endothermic or exothermic element in blood or the like, stimulating blood or the like so as to cause a viscosity change therein and detecting the viscosity change by continuously measuring any one of changes occurring respectively in an average temperature .theta.w or a surface temperature .theta.s of the sensor containing therein the endothermic or exothermic element, a differential temperature .theta.w-.theta..infin. or .theta.s-.theta..infin. between a temperature .theta..infin. of blood or the like and .theta.w or .theta.s, a kinematic viscosity .nu. of blood or the like and a heat transfer coefficient on the sensor surface.

Abstract: A bicycle rack (10) comprises a pedestal mountable on lug bolts (25) of an exterior spare-tire mount including spokes (14a, b and c) which extend axially to the lug bolts. A main support arm (18) extending laterally to the spokes is attachable to outer ends of the spokes by means of an outer hub (16) and has mounted on it a bicycle support arm (20) for supporting a bicycle laterally of the spare-tire mount. First and second angularly-adjustable mounting mechanisms (34 and 42) allow the angular positions of the main support arm relative to the outer hub and the bicycle support arm relative to the main support arm to be adjusted respectively.

Abstract: A method and a device for sealingly fitting a connecting nipple on a pouch by means of an adhesive layer and opening the pouch at the location of the nipple. The nipple is fitted on the exterior of a wall of the at least partly filled pouch, after a cover layer has been removed therefrom. A pusher member having a piercing element is also fitted on the exterior of the pouch wall. The pusher member is used to force a passage in the wall of the pouch adjacent the connecting nipple by pushing.

Abstract: An indwelling urethral catheter system and method of its use involve a drainage shaft (16) mounted in a urinary tract (24) having an externally-operated, normally-closed, fluid valve (38) mounted therein near the meatus (22) of the urinary tract. A removable insertion conduit assembly (12), separate from the catheter drainage shaft, is for extending from outside the body, through the meatus of the urinary tract to plug into the proximal end of the catheter drainage shaft and impinge on the valve for holding it open to allow free drainage through the valve. Once the insertion conduit is removed from the urinary tract it no longer impinges on the valve for holding it open and the valve is thereafter normally closed unless opened by application of force from outside the body.

Abstract: A method of constructing a miniature balloon (96) for use as a catheter in blood vessels (10) involves spraying aerosolized particles to form successive coats of a highly diluted silicone-rubber solution (42) onto a Teflon coated mandril (48,50) having a roughened surface. Each coat is allowed to cure somewhat prior to applying a further coat. The silicone-rubber solution comprises 5% silicone and 95% solvent. The balloon products of this process have thinner, more delicate thickness-controlled walls than balloons made by the prior-art process of dipping.