Abstract: A process for the optical resolution of racemic dropropizine, carried out using L(+)tartaric acid as the optical resolution agent in aqueous medium, is described.

Abstract: In the improved gypsum board in accordance with this invention, the board has a gypsum core and first and second cover sheets of fibrous material on opposing faces. The core has a first stratum parallel to and adjacent the first cover sheet. This stratum does not contain any fibers of the fibrous material. This first stratum has relatively few voids and a substantially greater density than the central portion of the core of the board. The central portion of the core has a plurality of relatively large discrete voids substantially uniformly distributed throughout the central portion of the core. These voids have substantially spherical coherent walls.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for effecting radiation therapy by placing at least one guide tube through an orifice in an animal body and disposing the end portion of the guide tube near the site of intended therapy. The other end of the guide tube is connected to a channel in a shielding block. A high dose radiation source assembly is moved from the channel to the end portion and positioned a plurality of times at each of a series of preselected positions lying in the end portion to effect a plurality of pulsed radiations. The effects of low dose radiation can be duplicated by the high dose radiation source, the radiation field can be patterned, and when the repeated pulsed radiations are within repair times of healthy cells, cancer cells are destroyed and healthy cells survive.

Abstract: In a power shift transmission system, two tables of values are established for modulating a clutch actuation, signal. When a clutch pedal is depressed below a limit position, both tables are accessed to obtain a pair of values, and the value which will result in the lower clutch pressure is used to modulate the actuation signal. One table is accessed in accordance with clutch pedal position and the other table is accessed in accordance with the selected gear speed ratio and engine speed. The arrangement prevents overheating of the clutch by the energy applied to it as a result of stalling the engine immediately after clutch inching.

Abstract: In a microprocessor controlled power shift transmission system having hydraulically actuated clutches, compensation is provided to offset the effects of centrifugal force on the fluid in the clutch piston cavity, these effects causing a variation in the response of a clutch to a clutch actuation signal. A table of compensation values is provided for each clutch which may be inched. Engine or input speed and vehicle or output speed are sensed to derive an address for addressing the table of an active clutch. The compensation value read from a table is used to modify a modulation value and the modulation value is then used to generate an actuation signal which is applied to the active clutch. If the piston cavity of a clutch is mounted on a member which is in direct drive connection with the input or output shaft of the transmission then the table is addressed by an address derived from the input speed or the output speed, respectively.

Abstract: A safety net assembly (16) includes elongated rigid attachment spars (34) having attachment-spar swivel links (36) which are selectively linked to an external net support (18) at first ends thereof but which further include traction-force-responsive clamp hooks (42) at second ends thereof for selectively gripping a lower flange (58) of a steel beam (12) located adjacent an exterior of a building (10). The safety net further includes pulleys, of winches (60) for example, mountable on extra attachment spars for lifting and lowering the external net support. The elongated rigid attachment spars are disengaged from the external net support and the external net support is attached to the extra attachment spars at a new vertical location. A truss structure (66) couples adjacent lateral net support spars (22) at unit ends. Corner net units are included.

Abstract: In a forage harvester, a microphone is used to detect air-borne sounds waves generated by impacts of a rotating cutterhead on a shear bar during adjustment of the shear bar relative to the cutterhead. In response to the detected sound waves, the microphone produces electrical output signals which are applied to a control circuit, the control circuit producing output signals to selectively drive first and second motors to move one end or the other of the shear bar. The microphone may be mounted in positions remote from the shear bar, such as on side sheets defining lateral limits of the crop feed path, or in the interior of a crop feed roll. A vibration absorbing pad is provided between the microphone and its support to isolate the microphone from mechanical vibrations of the support.

Abstract: The miniature peristaltic pump (1) of this invention includes a pump module (2) comprising a gear (11) arranged to drive a rotor bearing rollers, said rollers crushing locally at least one tube into which a medicinal preparation may be sucked in at the input (13) and expelled at the output (14) thereof. The gear (11) meshes with a pinion (12) forming part of a motor module (3) adapted to be mounted with or dismounted from the pump module. The motor module comprises a timepiece movement of the type currently employed in a wrist watch, such movement including a stepping motor, an integrated circuit, a quartz resonator and down gearing by means of toothed wheels. An energy cell renders the pump self contained. The pump is intended to be carried on the human body and thus renders unnecessary that the patient recline on a bed.

Abstract: A speed optimization circuit (140) is employed by an insertion machine to result in a greater actual throughput of successfully enveloped sets of documents. The speed optimization circuit (140) includes a microcontroller (142) which determines whether the machine cycling speed should be changed and which generates a signal for application to a speed adjustment servomechanism (136) for automatically changing the machine cycling speed in accordance with the determination.

Abstract: This invention relates to an orienting apparatus for orienting round or approximately round articles, for instance fruit, comprising two parallel rollers extending obliquely upwardly and rotating in the same direction, and a chain with conveying elements, arranged above the rollers and extending obliquely upwardly, each conveying element having a holder formed with an annular cup in which a ball is mounted. The ball is freely rotatably mounted on a horizontal bearing pin in the holder so that a quick orientation of the articles can be accomplished.

Abstract: A thin film highly directional audible sound sensor is mounted within a rotatable feed roll of a forage harvester to detect the presence of stones and other hard foreign objects in a crop material being fed past the feed roll to a cutter mechanism. Air-borne sound waves produced by the impact of foreign objects on metal parts of the harvester are detected by the sensor which produces a signal for stopping the crop feed mechanism before the foreign objects reach the cutter mechanism. The sensor is mounted on a stationary support within the rotatable feed roll. Output signals from the sensor control a stop mechanism for the crop feed mechanism via conductors extending through a stationary support shaft for the feed roll, thereby avoiding the need to commutate output signals from the detector.

Abstract: A disinfectant vaporizing apparatus for dropwise flowing a disinfectant liquid on a heating unit so as to provide a uniform disinfection gas on a surface of a material to be sterilized, characterized in that at least one supply port for supplying heated carrier gas at a high temperature is provided in a vaporization chamber for the disinfectant liquid. A vaporization part is provided with a plurality of cavities on an upper surface thereof and at least one dropping nozzle is provided above each cavity, wherein the disinfection gas carried by the heated carrier gas is applied on a surface of a material to be sterilized through a droplet splash removing apparatus. The droplet splash removing apparatus has a series of vertically, spaced-apart shield plates with staggered holes therein through which the vaporized disinfectant and carrier gas pass and entrained droplets of disinfectant liquid are removed.

Abstract: Cell cultivation is carried out by proliferating cells in a small preliminary culture tank containing immobilizing carriers, stripping proliferated cells from the carriers, forming a cell suspension of the stripped cells in culture medium in an intermediate reservoir, intermittently transferring the suspension into a main culture tank containing ceramic immobilizing carriers and further culturing the cells. The main culture tank has an inversed funnel-shaped inlet above the carriers with a perforated plate attached to the bottom of the inlet for uniform distribution of cell suspension from above the carriers, and a plate in the form of a net under the carriers on a perforated plate for uniform distribution of cell suspension from beneath the carriers.

Abstract: The caseband (1) of this invention is fashioned from a contoured strip (2) which includes a profile in relief elongated in the longitudinal direction of the strip. This profile may serve a purely decorative purpose but may also have functional applications for instance that of attaching a watch crystal to the caseband. In such case the profile in relief includes projections (3) which define facing slide channels (6) into which the crystal may be introduced.

Abstract: A magnetically operated latch includes one or two latching members, the or each member including a permanent magnet and being turnable or slidable between an engaging position and a disengaged position, and a further member of a magnetically soft material which attracts the magnet(s) to displace the latching member(s) into the engaging position(s). To disengage the latching member(s) a further magnet is brought to a position in which it acts repulsively on the permanent magnet(s) by way of the further member.

Abstract: A process for producing polymer particles containing one microvoid or two or more discrete microvoids, which comprises(1) adding a base to a latex of a carboxyl-modified copolymer containing 0.1 to 1000 parts of an organic solvent per 100 parts by weight of the carboxyl-modified copolymer to neutralize at least part of the carboxyl groups in the copolymer, and(2) adding an acid to the latex to adjust the pH of the latex to not more than 7.

Abstract: Moving equipment for applying reciprocating drive to the diaphragm of a mechanically actuated diaphragm pump of adjustable stroke, the moving equipment comprising a slider slidably mounted in a fixed guide co-operating at one of its ends with an eccentric drive device whose eccentricity defines the maximum amplitude of the stroke of the slider in the guide, and coupled at its other end to the membrane.

Abstract: To take upright articles such as ampules out from a case for storage thereof, the case having a pair of laterally opposite side plates formed with a pair of vertical slots, respectively, which are provided with pointed protrusions, defining notches into which a shutter is removably engaged and thereby held in a posture inclined forward with respect to the transporting direction. A control device is adapted to disengage the shutter from the notches and then to engage the shutter into the other notches so as to erect the shutter. A front ejector plate is inserted into the case and the shutter is removed by a chuck from the case. A pusher plate provided on the inner side of a case rear side plate pushes the ampules forward and the rear ejector is inserted into the case. Then a device for moving the front and rear ejector plates is actuated horizontally and thereby the upright articles are transported onto a conveyor.

Abstract: A throttle-valve apparatus involves a throttle valve (D) mounted on a shaft (W) which is coupled to a cable line (S) for rotating the shaft. The apparatus includes a first engaging detent, or stop, mechanism, (A1) having a movable engagement point between the cable line and the shaft, a first coupling apparatus (K1) between the cable line and the shaft, and a positioning motor (M) which creates a throttle-valve apparatus whose operation, in a particular uncomplicated and cost effective manner, increases safety and dependability during operation of a motor vehicle. When the positioning motor is driven to drive the throttle valve it is relieved from overcoming a return force of a spring by the first coupling apparatus which includes a first coupling having a changeable or cancellable driving linkage whereby a driving engagement of the linkage is greatest in an immediate area of the movable engagement point of the detent mechanism.

Abstract: In a forage harvester having an acoustic detector for sensing air-borne sounds produced by the impact of hard foreign objects on the crop feed mechanism of the harvester, a start-up control is provided for inhibiting the detector output during the intervals when the crop feed mechanism is stopped or being brought up to running speed. In forage harvesters having metal detectors for sensing the presence of metal in the crop material, the electromagnetic sensor in the metal detector inherently produces a noise output signal which is dependent on the speed of the crop feed mechanism, and this signal is used to control the inhibiting of the acoustic detector output.