Abstract: The invention provides certain novel metal oxide materials which exhibit superconductivity at elevated temperatures and/or which are useful in electrode, electrolyte, cell and sensor applications, or as electrochemical catalysts. The metal oxide materials are generally within the formulaR.sub.n+1-u-s A.sub.u M.sub.m+e Cu.sub.n 0.sub.w (1)where n.gtoreq.0 and n is an integer or a non-integer, 1.ltoreq.m.ltoreq.2, 0.ltoreq.s.ltoreq.0.4, 0.ltoreq.e.ltoreq.4, and 2n+(1/2)<w<(5/2)n+4, with the provisos that u is 2 for n.ltoreq.1, u is n+1 for 0.ltoreq.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved method for the manufacture of magnetically responsive particles, also called ferrofluids. The improved method involves a heat treatment step, which may occur at various times during the preparation of the materials, including during subdivision of the magnetic starting material, during the addion of a coating material, after formation of a magnetically responsive particle, or some combination thereof. The materials formed by such a process have numerous advantages over materials formed by other processes, including enhanced salt stability, increased coating uptake, and increased binding capacity. These ferrofluids have applications in a variety of preparative and diagnostic techniques, including immunoassay, cell separations, toxicity testing, food testing, environmental analysis, and MRI.

Abstract: To reduce a sliding resistance of a tensioner lever of a transmission chain and to suppress any flapping vibration in a free span portion of the transmission chain, a tensioner lever (1,11) has a tensioner sprocket (2,12) disposed in registry with a bent portion of a transmission chain C having a minimum bent radius of curvature. The tensioner sprocket is pressed by the tensioner lever against the slack run of the transmission chain to form the bent portion, and a shoe member (3,13) is mounted between the tensioner sprocket and a proximal end (1', 11') of the tensioner lever to slidably guide the free span portion of the run.

Abstract: An electronic device includes one or more semiconductor chips interconnected to a next level substrate in a flip chip mode using flexible conductive adhesive having a low modulus of elasticity. The flexible conductive adhesive is applied as conductive bumps on the contact pads of the substrate or on the contact pads of the semiconductor chips and is a flexible thermoplastic or thermosetting resin filled with electrically-conductive particles. Other electronic devices, such as packaged components including resistors, capacitors and the like, are bonded with the same flexible conductive adhesive bump approach as is employed for the semiconductor chips. The contact pads of both the chip and the next level substrate are preferably passivated with a metallic coating, preferably a precious metal, prior to interconnection to inhibit oxidation of the pads.

Abstract: Needle retraction mechanism for a medical device comprising a spring housing at the forward end of the device having an aperture for aligning a needle therein such that the needle extends forwardly out of the device. A spring is positioned concentrically about the needle and compressed within the spring housing. The needle is held within the spring housing against the expansive force of the spring by a needle retainer. The needle retainer forms the rear of the spring housing and comprises a plurality of axially extending resilient fingers. An actuating member, comprising a cavity for receiving the needle, is slidably positioned within a barrel of the device. The actuating member further comprises a forward facing shoulder surface formed to mate with rearward facing angled surfaces on the fingers.

Abstract: A fixed chain guide for absorbing vibrations during running of a chain is composed of a shoe in sliding contact with the chain and a plate base supporting the shoe. The plate base is secured to a mounting surface by two mounting seats integral with the base plate. The mounting seats are formed by bending them in opposite directions along bend lines, to have the seats in an essentially common plane but extending in opposite directions from the bottom edge of the base plate. The base plate is punched out of sheet stock in such a way that failure will not occur at the respective bend lines of the mounting seat by forming the ends of the bend lines so that there is a shear surface on the outside of the bend and a rupture surface on the inside of the bend. Punching the stock originally produces a shear surface adjacent one surface of the stock at the ends of one of the bend lines and a rupture surface adjacent the other side of the stock.

Abstract: To break the trim cover 2 effectively and positively for instantaneous emerging of the inflated and expanded air bag from inside the seat, less-elongation stay cloths 7 and 8 each having two parallel sides of different lengths are provided in a region over both the front side and lateral trim cover portions 2a and 2b where the air bag is to be inflated and expanded, the stay cloths extending from the seam line 2c, or break line 3, along which the trim cover 2 is to be broken when the air bag is inflated and expanded, the front side and lateral portions 2a and 2b, respectively, of the trim cover 2, and the stay cloths 7 and 8 are positioned on the inner surfaces of the front side and lateral portions 2a and 2b of the trim cover 2, respectively, with their shorter sides thereof aligned with the respective seam-line ends of the front side and lateral trim cover portions 2a and 2b and registered with each other, and sewn at the shorter sides thereof together with the ends of the front side and lateral trim cover

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for cleaning poultry carcasses having a cavity. A plurality of cleaning heads are spaced about a sprayer carousel that is rotatably mounted upon a vertical shaft. The cleaning heads are mounted upon a plurality of vertically oriented guide rails which are spaced about the sprayer carousel. A circumferential cam is fixedly connected to the vertical shaft inside the sprayer carousel. A cam follower connected to each cleaning head follows the profile of the cam, displacing the cleaning head vertically along the guide rails. A conveyor transports the carcasses sequentially into and out of engagement with the sprayer carousel and an indexing member maintains each of the carcasses in alignment with one of the cleaning heads. In response to relative movement between the fixed cam and the rotatable sprayer carousel the cam follower of each cleaning head follows the circumferential profile of the cam.

Abstract: A hydraulic tensioner device, which is compact in size, simple in construction and can be manufactured efficiently, has a shoe (4) for applying a tensioning force to a chain (3) or belt. The shoe has a plunger (5) which has a hollow portion (6) in which a valve block (7), a spring (9) and an inner sleeve (10) are slidably disposed. The upper end of the inner sleeve is supported within a cylindrical chamber (2) in a tensioner body (1). The tensioner body has an oil passage (11) communicating with an internal space of the inner sleeve. The bottom surface (6A) of the hollow portion and the valve block jointly define therebetween a high pressure chamber (8) filled with an oil supplied from the internal space of the inner sleeve via a check valve (7A) in the valve block.

Abstract: To provide a tensioner lever having a shoe made of resin is molded to prevent distortion of the shoe and increase the precision of shape and reduce the power loss caused by the abrasion of the shoe surface by friction with the chain. A tensioner lever (1) in which a shoe (3) made of resin in sliding contact with a chain is secured to a lever base (2) made of metal having a proximal end (2A) is supported rotatably about a pivotal axis so that an extreme end (2B) can be pivoted, wherein a portion of the shoe (3) having a large wall-thickness is formed with cored-out portions (3F, 3H) whereby when the shoe is molded, the resin for material thereof uniformly flows within a mold, a curing speed of the whole shoe (3) is made uniform, and distortion when molding is prevented to enhance the shape precision of the shoe (3) and the mounting precision to the lever base (2).

Abstract: A method and system are provided for effecting interactive, three-dimensional renderings of selected body organs for purposes of medical observation and diagnosis. A series of CT images of the selected body organs are acquired. The series of CT images is stacked to form a three-dimensional volume file. To facilitate interactive three-dimensional rendering, the three-dimensional volume file may be subjected to an optional dataset reduction procedure to reduce pixel resolution and/or to divide the three-dimensional volume file into selected subvolumes. From a selected volume or subvolume, the image of a selected body organ is segmented of isolated. A wireframe model of the segmented organ image is then generated to enable interactive, three-dimensional rendering of the selected organ.

Abstract: A system and method for producing three-dimensional representations of an object. A first series of projected images of the selected object is recorded in a first projection plane and a second series of projected images of the selected object is recorded in a second projection plane. The first and the second series of projected images are rendered at a common magnification. The first set of projected images is then integrated into a first three-dimensional volume and the second set of projected images is integrated into a second three-dimensional volume. The three-dimensional representation of the object is then produced by combining one projected image from the first set of projected images with one projected image from the second set of projected images. Alternatively, the three-dimensional representation is produced by merging the first three-dimensional volume with the second three-dimensional volume.

Abstract: An article diverging sorting apparatus includes a multiplicity of spherical sorting rollers arranged in plural rows both in a conveyance direction aligned with an article conveyance path or line and in a crosswise direction transverse to the conveyance direction over a plurality of consecutive conveyance areas along the article conveyance line. The spherical sorting rollers contained in every conveyance area are simultaneously turned about respective vertical axes to move between a first position aligned with the conveyance direction and a second position aligned with a sorting direction deflected at an acute angle from the first position such that the angle of deflection of the spherical sorting rollers becomes greater in a downstream one of the conveyance areas than in an upstream one of the conveyance areas. An article is gradually turned or deflected toward the sorting direction as it is conveyed by the spherical sorting rollers.

Abstract: In an arc furnace or melter furnace employing concentric graphite inner and outer electrodes, the accumulations of tolerances, distortion and mechanical forces can cause a loss of concentricity leading to reduced performance and eventually to electrode degradation. To avoid that condition, a plurality of insulating spherical or cylindrical spacers are disposed in the annular gap between the inner and outer electrodes. The spacers are held in position by arcuate recesses in the outer surface of the inner electrode or in the inner surface of the outer electrode. The electrodes may be constructed in segments that are assembled by threading one segment into another segment.

Abstract: To break the trim cover effectively and positively for instantaneous emerging of the inflated and expanded air bag from inside the seat, less-elongation stay cloths are provided on the inner surface of the trim cover and in a region over both the front side and lateral trim cover portions where the air bag is to be inflated and expanded, the stay cloths being sewn at one end thereof to the seam line of the trim cover and secured at the other end thereof to the seat back frame, and at least one of the stay cloths is wide enough to be sewn at one side thereof to the entire length of the seam line along which the trim cover is to be broken.

Abstract: A conveyor chain having a hollow roller housing (15), an annular series of cylindrical rollers (14A and 14B) therein providing rotation of the hollow roller on an internal bushing (13). Alternate cylindrical rollers (14A) have a pair of cylindrical roller separating retaining rings (17) rotatably fitted over both ends. Intermediate cylindrical rollers (14B) have no cylindrical roller separating retaining rings (17). The retaining rings (17) on the alternate rollers (14A) engage the intermediate cylindrical rollers (14B). The cylindrical bearing surfaces (13A, 15A) are sandwiched between the retaining rings at each end of the rollers (14A) and project toward the outer circumferential surfaces of the cylindrical rollers (14A and 14B). The roller (15) and the bushing (13) have recessed surfaces (15A and 13A) which are spaced from the outer and inner circumferential surfaces of the retaining rings (17).