Abstract: A spectrometer includes a light source, a fiber optic bundle with a first and second leg, where the first leg has more fibers than the second leg, a flow cell, focusing optics, a disperser, and a detector. The spectrometer may also include a mask and system electronics to control the spectrometer. The spectrometer allows for simultaneous dual analysis of a reference and sample beam and minimizes errors and attenuations in the signals. The elimination of mechanical moving parts and control of attenuation losses enables less sophisticated control electronics to be utilized.

Abstract: Apparatus for shock-absorbingly supporting a bicycle seat on a bicycle frame. A longitudinal beam means is pivotably attached via transverse bearings a first end to the frame, the beam bearings being configured to permit pivot motion only in a plane containing the bicycle frame. The beam is supportive of seat device near an opposite end of the beam. Shock absorbing means, preferably an adjustable gas strut, is disposed below the beam, and is connected at a first strut end to the frame and at an opposite strut end to the beam adjacent the seat device to form a triangular strut shock-absorbing suspension for the seat device wherein the triangle side comprising the strut is variable in length. In a preferred embodiment, the length of the strut may be remotely adjusted by the rider to vary the distance between the seat and the pedals or ground. In a further preferred embodiment, the beam includes a control to adjust the attitude of the seat in accordance with the height thereof.

Abstract: A system for optimizing the flow of air through a fume hood by dynamically controlling the air flow to provide a stable vortex in the vortex chamber of the hood, the optimum condition for minimizing backflow of fume-laden air through the hood doorway. A highly-sensitive pressure sensor disposed at a critical location in the vortex chamber sidewall senses minute variations in vortex pressure indicative of turbulence and sends signals via a transducer to an analog controller which uses proportional integral and adaptive gain algorithms to formulate output signals to an actuator which adjusts dampers in the hood to change the airflow into the vortex. The system operates in feedback mode and seeks a minimum in the amplitude of the sidewall pressure variations, indicating that turbulence has been eliminated and that a stable vortex exists. The pressure sensor signals can also be directed to an alarm to signal an off-standard and potentially dangerous condition.

Abstract: A method and system that assists medical practitioners who treat or prescribe treatment of patients having a medical condition which requires long-term profiling of medical data taken from the patient's body. Medical practitioners, their assistants, and patients take medical readings of predetermined medically important variables. These readings are stored as raw data in a data receptacle such as a smart card or in a portable medical instrument, then input into a remote computer, or the raw data is manually entered into a remote computer. The remote computer then connects with a primary computer using a communications connection and transmits the raw data to the primary computer system which maintains a database of patients and their medical readings. The communications connection can be any means of connecting two computers for communication therebetween but is preferably an Internet connection wherein the remote computer is operated as a web client and the primary computer is operated as a web server.

Abstract: A food composition containing from about 80 to about 98 parts by weight of a first plant material derived from fruit and/or vegetable juices, from about 1 to about 10 parts by weight of a second plant material derived from fruit and/or vegetable fiber, and from about 1 to about 10 parts by weight of enzyme material selected from the group consisting of amylase, protease, lipase, cellulase, and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the first and second materials are each dried before being combined, and the enzyme material is derived from at least one species of Aspergillus mold.

Abstract: A fabric prosthetic unit for repairing an incissional hernia including a joining strip is intended to be positioned in a space created by a tear or collapse of an aponeurosis. Two substantially planer sheets of colonisable flexible prosthetic fabric material extend substantially parallel to each other and are linked together by the joining strip. Each of the planer sheets includes flap extensions lying opposite to each other and are on either side of an edge part of a corresponding face on the joining strip.

Abstract: A bumper for a boat dock is provided which is durable, resilient and visible at night. The bumper is constructed of an expanded polymer such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The bumper is preferably made of translucent polyethylene foam with a density of between 2 and 4 pounds per cubic foot. When polyethylene foam is subjected to impact, it absorbs the force of the impact and returns to its original shape. The present invention includes a light for illumination of the bumper itself or illumination of an area immediately adjacent the bumper. A slot in the bumper is provided for accepting the illumination source. If the bumper is translucent, as with white polyethylene foam, the illumination source may be inserted into the back of the bumper such that light is emitted through the front of the bumper. If the bumper is opaque, the illumination source may be inserted into a slot in the bottom of the bumper so that the light is emitted from the bottom of the bumper.

Abstract: A system for treating industrial sludges to recover a hydrocarbon portion and a solid particulate substrate portion. A sludge feedstock is screened to remove large particles and is diluted to between about 5% and about 50% solids to form a slurry. The slurry is agitated and heated to 180.degree. F. or higher for a time sufficient to melt waxy hydrocarbon solids, reduce the viscosity of the slurry, reduce the density of hydrocarbons within the slurry, and break surface adhesion of hydrocarbon compounds to substrate particles. In a first separation step, the substrate particles are separated from a first liquid effluent containing most of the hydrocarbons from the original sludge, which may be further processed for recycle use.

Abstract: A trailer braking system including one or more trailer wheel assemblies having conventional hydraulically-actuated shoe or disc brakes; a conventional brake master cylinder mounted on the trailer to provide pressurized hydraulic fluid to the wheel cylinders to actuate the brakes; an electric solenoid mounted on the trailer to drive the piston of the master cylinder, preferably through a force-multiplying lever arm, in response to an electrical braking signal from the towing vehicle; and a controller to generate a braking signal proportional to the amount of braking force desired in the trailer brake. The controller may be connected to, and follow the movement of, an element of the towing vehicle's braking system, such as the brake pedal or the vehicle master cylinder piston rod, or the controller may be manually actuated by an operator. There is a manual parking brake which can maintain the force exerted on the wheel cylinder by the trailer master cylinder when power to the solenoid is shut off.

Abstract: A hollow cathode magnetron for sputtering target material from the inner surface of a target onto an off-spaced substrate. The magnetron is in the shape of a truncated cone, also known as a conical frustum. The target cone is backed by a conical cathode maintained at a predetermined voltage for attracting gas ions into the inner surface of the target cone to sputter material therefrom. The inner surface of the cone is bounded at its inner and outer edges by magnetic pole pieces orthogonal to and extending inwardly and outwardly of the cone surface. The magnetic path is completed by a conical magnet surrounding the target and conical electrode and magnetically connected to the pole pieces Lo form a magnetic cage. Lines of magnetic flux extending above the target surface between the pole pieces are substantially parallel the target surface, providing uniform erosion over the entire surface.

Abstract: An echelle grating having a groove facet angle and groove periodicity such that for laser-emitted light of two different wavelengths the highest propagating diffraction order is blazed and the next higher order is non-propagating such that the intensity of each blazed order is enhanced. In an example, the 84th diffraction order of a KrF excimer laser emitting at 248.4 nm and the 108th diffraction order of an ArF excimer laser emitting at 193.3 nm will both be blazed when the groove spacing d is 0.010623 mm, corresponding to a frequency f of 94.13 grooves per mm, and the groove facet angle .theta..sub.g is about 80.degree., whereas the next higher order for each laser, i.e., the 85th and 109th orders, respectively, are non-propagating, and thus both blaze orders are enhanced.

Abstract: A system for adapting a dry cleaner machine to the use of hydrocarbon-based cleaning fluids provides a purging gas flow of an inert gas through the machine and through articles to be cleaned in a cleaning compartment therein prior to introduction of the hydrocarbon-based cleaning fluid. The system further provides a maintenance gas flow of an inert gas through the machine during at least a cleaning cycle and a drying cycle. The maintenance gas flow also flows through an aspirating device which communicates with an interior portion of the machine and which aspirates gas samples therefrom. The oxygen level of the gas samples is sensed and monitored, with the maintenance gas flow adjusted to maintain the oxygen level safely below a limit value. At least a portion of the purging gas flow and the maintenance gas flow is exhausted from the machine at two locations, the locations selected to provide a uniform bathing of all interior components of the machine in the inert gas flow.

Abstract: In order to enable the instruments of a percussive instrument assembly to be located where desired and to prevent the instruments from moving away from the player, anchoring devices are disposed in clamping relationship with a removable rug on which the instrument assembly is disposed. The devices have opposite edge surfaces one of which in concave and preferably has a notch or undercut. The devices are located were desired by the player through the rugs and receive the legs or other appendages of the percussive instruments thereby anchoring them permanently in place and preventing movement when the instruments are struck or are foot operated by foot pedals the operation of which results in forces pushing kick drums and cymbal assemblies (hi-hat) away from the player. The anchoring devices may be called "Drum Ruggers".

Abstract: An automated container handling and processing system includes a metal container handling subsystem and a plastic container handling subsystem. Each container subsystem includes a roller conveyor for conveying a plurality of large bins carrying crushed containers derived from reverse vending machines. An automated dumping station receives and inverts the bins sequentially to dump the crushed containers into a central hopper, then sends the bins to a washer which cleans the bins for reuse. A separate belt conveyor receives containers which do not require identification or accounting and conveys them to the central hopper. A second belt conveyor which also leads to the central hopper receives containers from one or more sorting machines which process non-crushed containers from non-RV machine return centers.

Abstract: A battery pack having an electrical circuit including a battery array of one or more batteries, a thermostat switch, and a positive temperature coefficient resistor (PTCR). Preferably, the thermostat and PTCR are disposed in a trianguloid channel formed by the nip of adjacent cylindrical batteries in a multiple battery pack so that the finished pack may have the same size and shape as a non-protected pack for the same application. Preferably, the batteries are rechargeable and the pack includes a charging plug connected across the battery array in series with the thermostat and PTCR. Preferably, the pack is wrapped in a film of a heat-shrinkable polymer to provide physical integrity.

Abstract: A system for providing improved bulk liquid mixing and effective gas-liquid contacting for mass transfer of the gas to the liquid, especially a non-Newtonian liquid, the viscosity of which decreases when under shearing conditions (shear thinning), in an upright tank. A process, such as fermentation which produces commercial quantities of polysaccharides such as xanthan gum, may be carried out in the tank. An upright draft tube is mounted within the tank and has a lower end spaced from the tank bottom and an upper end spaced below the surface of the liquid in the tank. A plurality of mixing impellers in the draft tube are sufficiently close to each other to establish a field or pattern of agitation to cause shear thinning and upflow throughout the draft tube and which may produce turbulence at the liquid surface. A plurality of radially inwardly projecting, circumferentially spaced baffles extend from the draft tube and are proximate the mixing impellers to prevent swirling of the liquid within the draft tube.

Abstract: A fluid having magnetorheological (MR) properties and including a finely-divided abrasive material is directed through a non-ferromagnetic nozzle disposed axially of the helical windings of an electric solenoid. The MR fluid may contain magnetosoft or magnetosolid particles or mixtures thereof. A magnetic field created by the solenoid orients and aligns the magnetic moments of the particles to form fibrils thereby stiffening the flowing MR fluid which, when ejected from the nozzle, defines a highly-collimated jet. Collimation of the MR material persists for a significant time outside the magnetic field, permitting use of the abrasive jet to shape and/or polish the surface of a workpiece at some distance from the nozzle. The jet is directed into a shroud against a workpiece mounted for multiple-axis rotation and displacement to meet predetermined material removal needs for shaping. The solenoid may be similarly mounted to also move the jet over the surface of the workpiece.

Abstract: A visual signaling device has one or more light source modules arranged in a stack. Each module is of "Tri-liptic" i.e. generally triangular shape, but with the triangle corners rounded. Inside the triangle, is a perfect circle, to aid in the optical dispersion of the light source. The modules are each formed by back and front moldings. The front molding defines one of the sides of the module, while the back molding defines the other two sides of the module. The light source module contains a light source (incandescent, halogen, rotating, strobe or LED) on a printed circuit board. This module also contains the electronics, which operate the light source, and can cause it to flash, be illuminated constantly or operate a rotating reflector around a stationery bulb. A conduit, which is a strip of printed circuit board with connectors at its opposite ends, extends between the top and bottom of each module of the stack.