Abstract: A surgical appliance for slicing a sliver from the cornea comprises:a base comprising an annular suction chamber shaped to be pressed against the sclera of an eye;a cornea-shaping element situated above the base and having a surface turned to face it; anda cutting blade movable in a plane that is situated between the surface of the shaping element, and the base.According to the invention, the appliance has a general support to which the base is coupled by means enabling its position relative to the support to be adjusted along the axis of symmetry of the annular chamber, and to which the cutting blade is coupled by means enabling its position relative to the general support to be adjusted along a direction parallel to the axis of symmetry of the annular chamber and enabling it to be displaced perpendicularly to said axis.

Abstract: Pallet conveyor intersection apparatus having a central portion and plural conveyor portions connected to the central portion. Each of the conveyor portions has a pallet way along which pallets can be driven. The pallet ways of at least two of the conveyor portions are disposed at different levels, and the central portion is configured so that it can vertically displace a pallet, situated on the central portion, between levels corresponding to the different levels of the pallet ways of the conveyor portions. A pallet to be used in this system has a peripheral coupling which may be oriented facing at least one of the conveyor portions. The pallet's coupling can be engaged with or disengaged from a complementary coupling associated with the facing conveyor portion by vertically displacing the pallet.

Abstract: A collapsible tent frame is disclosed. The tent frame has a center pole used for stretching and sustaining a tent's roof when pitching a tent. A plurality of side poles are coupled to each other through a plurality of scissor-type ribs, with upper ends of the ribs being hinged to connectors provided at top ends of the side poles and lower ends of the ribs being hinged to sliders movably fitted over the side poles. The center pole is coupled to the connectors of the side poles through a plurality of center pole ribs. The above center pole ribs individually consist of two rib members, which are coupled to each other through a hinge joint. Each of the center pole ribs is also hinged to the slider of an associated side pole through a support link, thus being collapsible at the hinge joint in accordance with a sliding motion of the slider along the side pole.

Abstract: A frame collapsible and extendable by means of a turning movement, which frame comprises a number of supporting frames (1) and a number of rod-like upright elements (2, 2'), each upright element being connected to a supporting frame via a pivot (3) for pivoting through at least 90.degree. and being connected to at least one end via a hinge joint (4) and to one end of a further upright element connected to a further supporting frame for swinging and turning about its longitudinal axis, in such a manner that in a first collapsed position the supporting frames form a compact stack with upright elements and in a second extended position the supporting frames are spaced with the upright elements mutually resting on each other surface-to-surface as positioning means, while a spring force in the hinge joint must be overcome to bring the frame out of the extended position.

Abstract: The invention discloses a three-dimensional module with the use of volume unpackaged and film electronic components.Between the independent electronic components comprising IC chips and the microboards comprising active and passive electronic components are disposed intermediate multifunctional boards. All module members are fabricated mostly from heat conductive materials, and together with the module's heatsinks make up an effective heat dissipation system. The microboards and intermediate boards further contain film active and passive components fabricated using semiconductor, thin film and thick film techniques and increasing the operational range of equipment. The proposed design is versatile and can be used in any-purpose electronic equipment.The module structure allows its application under severe operational conditions and increases the packing density up to the technological limit.

Abstract: A quick connector comprising a female part (1) having a bore (8, 11), a male part (2) having an outer collar (6) suitable for being inserted in the bore, and a locking ring (3) mounted to slide radially in a housing (10) of the female part, which housing subdivides the bore into an inlet section (8) and a main section (11), the ring (3) being movable between a first position in which it is eccentric relative to the bore and a second position in which it is substantially coaxial with said bore, said ring being integral with a resilient member in the form of at least one tongue (12, 13) co-operating with the housing (10) to urge the ring (3) into its first position, wherein the ring (3) includes a thrust platen (9) adjacent to the inlet section (8) of the bore and projecting beside the tongue (12, 13), at least the free end portion of the tongue being of a width (L) that is less than the thickness (E) of the ring (3) minus the thickness (e) of the platen (9) measured in the same axial direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a clay pigeon throwing machine comprising a secondary throwing table (29), elements (130, 154) for placing clay pigeons in a throwing position on the throwing table (29), a throwing arm (75) fixedly secured to a main axle (60), which main axle (60) is connected to an element (70) for urging the throwing arm (75) in a rapid acceleration and thus throwing the clay pigeon from the throwing table (29). The invention is characterized in that the elements (130, 154) are arranged so as to place two clay pigeons in throwing position so that two clay pigeons are thrown simultaneously in the same plane by the throwing arm (75).

Abstract: A monitor for monitoring the moisture content of grain comprises at least one programmable PIN diode attenuator connected between a microwave measurement signal source and a transmit antenna. A controller stores an addressable attenuation table, each location in the table storing an attenuation value and an associated attenuator address. A counter accesses the table locations sequentially and the attenuator addresses are applied to the attenuator to cause a step-wise decreasing attenuation of the measurement signal which is then transmitted through the grain. After the signal passes through the grain, it is detected and applied to a threshold comparator. When the magnitude of the detected signal reaches the threshold, the counter is stopped and the attenuation value at the location pointed to by the counter is taken as the attenuation of the measurement due to moisture in the grain. Once the attenuation has been determined, the moisture content and mass grain flow may be calculated.

Abstract: An oscillator, such as a ring oscillator, uses CMOS transistors. At least some of the transistors have forward biased, current limited source-tub junctions for lowering the threshold voltages of these transistors. This enables the oscillator to operate at very low supply voltages, and it may be used in an electronic timepiece powered by a single photovoltaic cell.

Abstract: A microwave grain monitor determines grain density and moisture content without measuring the phase shift of the measurement signal in passing through the grain. A set of grain coefficients is determined and stored in a non-volatile memory. A microwave measurement signal is transmitted through the grain and the ambient temperature is sensed. The grain density and moisture content are determined from the attenuation of the measurement signal in passing through the grain, the sensed temperature and the set of grain coefficients.

Abstract: The invention pertains to flexible heating elements with carbon fiber resistive elements and can be used independently for heating greenhouses, domestic and industrial premises and as a component in other devices such as heaters. The invention also concerns a method of manufacturing the flexible heating elements in question. An electrical heater is a resistive element in the form of a bundle of carbon fibers; an insulating first layer made from a heat-conducting material in the form of a winding or braid, and a second layer made from polymer material; current supply elements each of which has three pairs of lobes. One of these pairs secures the end of the resistive element freed from the electrical insulation between the tip and a section of the first insulating layer; the second compresses the second electrically insulating layer; the third secures the insulating tube.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting the peripheral portion of a film projecting from the peripheral edge of a laminated glass plate having the film sandwiched between a pair of glass plates has a robot arm and a robot hand connected to the the robot arm. The robot hand has a releasable cutting blade, a device for biasing the cutting blade against the peripheral edge of a laminated glass plate, a device for biasing the cutting blade away from the peripheral edge of the laminated glass plate when the resistance force acting on the cutting edge of the cutting blade becomes larger than a predetermined level, and a device for biasing the cutting blade close to the peripheral edge of the laminated glass plate.

Abstract: An electroforming apparatus, in particular for the manufacture of CD/LD data media molding tools, comprises an anode assembly and a rotatable cathode assembly spaced therefrom, and a stationary nozzle means for ejecting an electrolytic fluid into the space between the anode and cathode assemblies. An annular part of the cathode assembly surrounding a molding tool blank is penetrated by a plurality of circumferentially distributed flow passages, the inlet ends thereof are disposed to successively come into alignment with the nozzle means upon rotation of the cathode assembly so that the electrolytic fluid ejected from the nozzle means is received by the flow passages and guided thereby into the space between the anode and cathode assemblies. The width of the spac can thereby substantially be minimized.

Abstract: A system for attaching a wristlet to a watch case (15) comprises at least one pin (45), which is situated in a cylindrical housing (45A) of a flexible resilient film (30), made of a plastic material or rubber, and at least one link (25) for attaching the wristlet to the watch case.The connection between the watch case and the wristlet is achieved as a result of the presence of the film (30) which is inserted in openings, provided within the attaching link (25) and the other links of the wristlet.The cylindrical housing (45A) comprises a series of hollow extensions (48), communicating with said housing, so that the coupling of a plastic element, such as the film (30), with the attaching link (25) made of metal has the effect of increasing the traction resistance of the wristlet with respect to the prior art.

Abstract: The series hybrid traction assembly comprises an electric generator set, a static converter and at least one tandem traction set intended to drive two driving wheels of a vehicle. The traction set (1) comprises two back-gear motors each comprising an electric motor (4, 14) and a reducing gear (7, 17) which drives the wheel by means of a transmission shaft. The two reducing gears are adjacent to a median plane (24). The motor driving the wheel situated on one side of the median plane is on the other side of such plane, so that each driving line preferably has a Z-shaped outline and the axial space requirement of the traction set is reduced. The assembly also comprises a generator set (40) formed of a heat engine (41) and a generator (42), this set being arranged facing one (4) of the electric motors, on the other side of the median plane. A very compact assembly results.

Abstract: The invention concerns a zirconia based ceramic article having a core of ZrO2 and/or partially reduced ZrO2, characteriZed in that it includes, over at least part of its surface, a superficial layer integral with said article, the thickness of said superficial layer including a plurality of regions of which one external region is formed of zirconium carbide having a metallic appearance.

Abstract: A compound represented by the formula (I) or (II) or a salt thereof wherein R.sup.1 represents hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 independently represent a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group, or R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 may combine together to represent a 5- or 6-membered cycloalkyl group; R.sup.4 represents, for example, a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; R.sup.5 represents, for example, a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; R.sup.6 represents a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; x represents --NR.sup.7 --, --O--, --CHR.sup.7 -- or --S-- in which R.sup.7 represents, for example, a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; and Y represents a phenylene group or a pyridinediyl group. The compounds are useful as agents for enhancing the activities of retinoid compounds.

Abstract: The invention concerns a driving system for a hybrid-powered motor vehicle. It includes a generator set producing a direct current used by a driving set with an electric motor for driving at least one driving wheel of the vehicle. Using an accelerator, the driver gives a power set-point signal that is used by a first adjusting device which acts on the thermal engine, the generator, and the AC/DC converter of the generator set. A second adjusting device adjusts the power of the driving set as a slave of the generator set, according to the variations in the voltage of the supply circuit with respect to a desired voltage, without considering the signal from the accelerator.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for measuring a longitudinal modulus of elasticity of a fiber used for composite material, including a holder for supporting a single fiber at its one end in a cantilever fashion, a heater for heating the single fiber, a measurement device for measuring deflection of the single fiber, and a calculator for calculating a longitudinal modulus of elasticity of the single fiber in accordance with a deflection measured by the measurement device, provided that the single fiber is equivalent to a beam receiving uniformly distributed load thereon based on a dead weight thereof. For instance, the heater includes a closed container having a transparent window through which the deflection of the single fiber is measured The measurement device is a laser displacement gauge or an optical displacement gauge.

Abstract: A food product comprising a matrix of fibers such as proteinaceous fibers, the matrix having inclusion bodies dispersed therein. The inclusion bodies may be solid, liquid or gases which can be intercalated within or between the fibers so as to weaken and disrupt the integrity of the fibers and tenderize the food products.