Abstract: A chimney cleaning apparatus for cleaning the walls of the chimney comprising a support member selectively placed in the chimney having a top mounting bracket and a bottom mounting bracket. The support member has a clevis arm pivotally attached at one end to the support member. The clevis arm has a cutting blade mounted at the other end which is in contact with the wall of the chimney. There is a first spring connecting the clevis arm to the top mounting bracket and a second spring connecting the clevis arm to the bottom mounting bracket, such that the first spring and the second spring bias the clevis arm in a substantially horizontal position and such that the cutting blade is biased to contact the chimney wall when the support member is moved upwardly or downwardly in the chimney.

Abstract: Active semiconductor devices including heterojunction diodes and thin film transistors are formed by PECVD deposition of a boron carbide thin film on an N-type substrate. The boron to carbon ratio of the deposited material is controlled so that the film has a suitable band gap energy. Boron carbides such as B.sub.4.7 C, B.sub.7.2 C and B.sub.19 C have suitable band gap energies between 0.8 and 1.7 eV. The stoichiometry of the film can be selected by varying the partial pressure of precursor gases, such as nido pentaborane and methane. The precursor gas or gases are energized, e.g., in a plasma reactor. The heterojunction diodes retain good rectifying properties at elevated temperature, e.g., up to 400.degree. C.

Abstract: Apparatus for packaging a fiber optic device along with electronic and opto-electronic components upon a printed circuit board. Bend members having arcuate shaped guide surfaces for directing fibers between various components are strategically mounted upon the top surface of the board. Passive fiber optic components are also mounted upon support means between bend members so that the fibers entering and exiting the passive component run tangent to the bend radius of the bend members. The radius of curvature of the bend members is within the bend tolerance of the fibers used in the device. The bend members and support members are formed of a material having a thermal coefficient of expansion that is about equal to that of the board material whereby thermally induced stresses on the board mounted components are minimized.

Abstract: A ski includes a running sole with a structural body comprising at least one upper reinforcement layer covered with an upper protective surface. In the region of the support face, an attached structure is fastened onto said upper surface at least in the rear part, that is, the zone intended to accommodate the heel binding which, in cooperation with a front toe stop, binds the boot of the skier. The heel binding is made from a sheet or plate of a viscoelastic material. The screws for fastening the anterior zone of the attached structure pass through the latter before being anchored in the upper reinforcement layer of the structural body. The screws for fastening the heel binding are anchored in the attached structure, above the sheet or plate of viscoelastic material. The attached structure is fastened in the posterior zone onto the structural body of the ski by means of the sheet or plate made of viscoelastic material.

Abstract: A process for preparing a food supplement is disclosed. In the first step of this process, at least two different food materials are juiced either together or separately to provide a juice fraction and a fiber fraction. The juice fraction is dried to produce a powder. The fiber fraction is dried. Thereafter, from about 80 to about 98 parts of the dried juice fraction, from about 1 to about 10 parts of the dried fiber fraction, and from about 1 to about 10 parts of a specified mixture of enzymes is mixed to provide the supplement.

Abstract: A seal system for joining the ends of two generally rectangular duct sections, including two frames secured to each other with a seal and attached to their respective duct end sections. The frame members each include four flange portions and four corner pieces. Each flange portion has an upstanding channel shaped leg portion and an angularly extending duct receiving leg portion. A corner piece connects adjacent flange portions to form the generally rectangular frame. The end portions of the ducts are inserted into longitudinal openings of the duct receiving leg portions. A seal, having four angular corner pieces and four linear pieces, is positioned between the frames to connect the duct sections. The overlap of the angular corner pieces and the four linear pieces establishes an effective seal to prevent air within the duct from escaping.

Abstract: A solid-state exciter circuit for establishing arc discharges in igniter devices. The exciter circuit includes first and second transformers, first and second main discharge capacitors, and first and second exciter sub-circuits for controlling the charging and discharging of the latter capacitors. The exciter sub-circuits independently generate component ignition or drive pulses each of which has a magnitude and duration that is optimized for a respective part of an ignition event. The exciter circuit then combines these pulses to produce a composite ignition pulse having voltage and current waveforms that so match the discharge characteristics of an igniter that the latter generates an arc of the desired magnitude and duration substantially without being overexcited or underexcited.

Abstract: Improved process for fluidifying flocculated aqueous suspensions of red muds in the production of alumina from bauxite by the Bayer process, which consists:in dissolving bauxite using sodium hydroxide;then, in decanting and in washing the red muds formed in order to separate them from the alumina in successive vats, while recycling the washing waters upstream;and finally, in eliminating the red muds thus treated;and in which a flocculant (F) consisting of a polyacrylamide of molecular weight greater than ten million is introduced into the suspension of one of the successive vats;wherein a dispersing agent (D) formed by an anionic acrylic acid polymer of molecular weight lower than fifty thousand is added simultaneously with said flocculant (F) to the suspension in the same vat.

Abstract: A nonlinear optical loop mirror device having a distributed directional asymmetry. A dispersion decreasing optical fiber is formed into a loop by an optical coupler which divides input pulses into two component pulses that propagate around the loop in opposite directions, and which transmits and/or reflects returning component pulses in accordance with their relative phases. The parameters of the loop, such as its length, effective area, rate of change of dispersion, etc. are selected so that input pulses may be switched or transmitted in accordance with whether their widths or amplitudes are above or below predetermined threshold values.

Abstract: An apparatus extracts juices and flavors from hydrated biological materials without adding exogenous water during operation. The apparatus uses steam produced from the water inherently present in the hydrated biological materials themselves.

Abstract: An apparatus for resizing the neck of a cartridge case which includes a housing secured to a stationary head of a reloading press. A support sleeve is attached within the housing such that the support sleeve can slide within a bore of the housing. The apparatus utilizes interchangeable bushings, located within the support sleeve, which each have substantially the same outside diameter but which have varying inside diameters. The bushings are marked with their inside diameter and the user selects a bushing with an inside diameter which the user determines will most accurately resize the neck. To change bushings, the top portion of the housing is separated from the bottom portion of the housing and the components inside the housing can then be slid out of the end of the bottom portion of the housing. A different bushing can be substituted for the one that was previously used.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for assembling a frame, wherein the frame includes slotted side members connected by corner members insertable into slots of the slotted side members. The apparatus includes a table for holding side members of the frame, and a pair of ram assemblies proximate the table and having rams which move toward and from the table. When a ram of a ram assembly is activated a corner bracket received by the ram assembly is inserted into a frame side member carried by the table. The table includes locking mechanisms and guide members. Each locking mechanism and guide member combination orients a frame side member in an aligned position in relation to a ram, and locks a side member so that the side member remains stable when a ram is activated to insert a corner bracket into a side member. The apparatus is particularly useful for assembling a flange frame of an air conditioning or heating duct.

Abstract: A table for the transfer of fragile materials such as containers of freeze dried products, flasks, or the like, has a slide that displaces horizontally on the surface of the table. The table has a marginal section including a plurality of marginal tongues that independently pivot about an axis parallel to the edge of the table surface. The containers are moved from the surface of the transfer table across the tongues onto a support surface, or vice versa.

Abstract: Anatomical intrabuccal respiratory mouthpiece in two parts, namely:a first extraoral part (1) having a first extrabuccal connection piece (2) intended to be joined to the gas source, and a second intrabuccal connection piece (5) whose outlet orifice is oblate (6);a second part (10) forming a flexible orthesis, associated with the intrabuccal connection piece (5), including:vertical vestibules (11, 12) matching the anatomical shape of the vestibules, being the upper (11) and lower (12) vestibules, respectively;upper (25) and lower (26) vertical lingual rims, respectively;a plane interocclusal vestibulo-lingual pad (20) which joins the vestibules (11, 12) and the rims (25, 26) and is arranged horizontally at the junction between the upper and lower parts, the thickness of said plane pad (20) being slightly greater than that of the interocclusal gap of the jaws in the rest position;characterized:in that the oblate intrabuccal (5) outlet orifice (6) opens out within the thickness of the vestibulo-lingual pad (20)

Abstract: A system for biomolecular separation and detection of a molecular species includes a solid state laser detector having a sample channel therein. The presence of a molecular species is indicated by a frequency shift in the laser's output, which is detected by optical heterodyning the laser's output with the output of a reference laser. The interior of the sample channel is optionally coated with a ligand for binding the molecular species of interest. The system involves preprocessing a sample by electroosmotic separation in channels that are lithographically formed in a two-dimensional planar substrate. Molecular separation is also accomplished in a nanostructural molecular sieve comprising spaced apart posts defining narrow channels therebetween.

Abstract: A method of treating the soil and turf of a golf course putting green that includes installing a gravel bed beneath the green and pumping air into the bed at a pressure such that the pressurized air is first distributed uniformly throughout the bed and then forced upwardly through the soil and turf of the green to treat the soil and turf.

Abstract: A rope substitution belt which has a higher strength than a rope having the same mass, has a substantially circular section, and is equipped with belt portions for sewing on both sides. The belt is a narrow width woven fabric (10) including warps (6) and wefts (7) of synthetic fiber filaments. The belt includes a main body portion (2), a belt portion (4) and a connecting portion (3) for connecting the main body portion (2) to the belt portion (4), that are disposed in a longitudinal direction. The main body portion (2) has a structure with wadding yarns (5) which are woven into a hollow woven structure. The warp density coefficient in the hollow woven structure portion (22) is set to be not greater than 0.700. The belt portion (4) has a structure with a part, or the whole, of the wadding yarns (5) which are so arranged as to cross the wefts with the warps (6) of the hollow woven structure of the main body portion (2). The belt portion (4) has a width W which is at least 2.

Abstract: A lifting frame for a hinged spa cover having a pair of adjustable lifting arms pivotally mounted on or adjacent to a side wall of a spa. The upper part of the arms are equipped with one or more supports that are adjacent to and parallel with the cover hinge whereby the cover is foldable over the support or supports when the lifting arms are in a first horizontal position. Rotating the frame causes the folded cover to be rotated to a second, vertical position adjacent one end wall of the spa. The lifting frame includes a plurality of L-shaped arm segments which are connected in telescoping relationship with one another to form a plurality of overlapped junctions. A plurality of fasteners located in the regions of the junctions, allow the dimensions of the frame to be adjusted to accommodate spas of different sizes.

Abstract: A device for measuring the size of targets viewed with a borescope having a housing with a longitudinal axis and a distal viewing end with an optically transparent window set therein, a source of target illumination which projects a cone of illumination so that the axis of the cone of illumination is at an angle of less than 90.degree. with the housing axis, a contrasting shadow generated in association with the illumination source so as to project the contrasting shadow on the target, an image detector disposed adjacent to the source of illumination, directed so as to detect the image of the target and the contrasting shadow, a display for viewing the target and shadow as detected by the image detector, and a measuring device for measuring the parameters of the contrasting images on the display so that the actual size of the target can be determined.