Abstract: Restaurants featuring improved efficiency through use of pneumatic systems for delivery of fast food products from a kitchen area to a food delivery area, such as in an out building, can revolutionize the fast food industry. A customer order entry station is located on a first side of the restaurant, and an order unit transmits order entry information to an indicator located adjacent to the kitchen area. A pneumatic dispatch station located adjacent to the kitchen area is connected via a second dispatch unit located in the food delivery area to a pneumatic tube. Upon the taking of a customer's order, the order entry information is acted upon by food service personnel who prepare food products such as sandwiches and load them into the kitchen area dispatch station for transport to the food delivery area. The food products reach the customer who has, by this time, navigated around the restaurant to the out building.

Abstract: Lathes for working brake rotors and other components as desired. The lathes employ a pivoting carriage which mounts the tool for working, cutting, finishing or otherwise having a desired effect on the workpiece. Control of carriage positioning is accomplished preferably using a feedscrew or other desired linkage which is connected, directly or indirectly, to the carriage and to the frame of the lathe (other mechanisms or linkages may also be used). Such lathes may also employ a slide carriage for working brake drums, which carriage is preferably located on the side of the lathe opposite the pivoting carriage. The slide carriage may be easily removed and sold as a separate unit to allow a number of options for buyers.

Abstract: An underreamer which may be mounted on a core drill to allow single phase underreaming or creation of a bore hole of larger diameter beneath a pilot hole. A plurality of levers are powered by a plurality of corresponding jacks which are adapted to exert pressure on the levers in order to cause them to extend beyond the periphery of the expander body. Each lever contains at least one roller-cutter rotatably mounted to the lever so that when the levers are forced outward, the roller-cutters crush rock beyond the periphery of the expander body and thus underream the bore hole.

Abstract: Processes and devices for improving data management and reallocation in intelligent networks. Such processes and devices provide intuitive representation of models of data stored in network elements so that system users may more efficiently and reliably reallocate applications and data resources among the network elements. Users see and allocate data using high level depictions of groups of network element data structures based on data structure models. These groups may be hierarchical, and they may correspond to groups within the telecommunications network such as digits in a telephone number and local calling areas. Applications and data resources may accordingly be reallocated among network elements in a more organized fashion using the groups. These organized groups also allow engineering operations personnel more easily to coordinate with translation personnel to make proper changes to translation tables in order to accommodate the data reallocation.

Abstract: Data concurrence processes and systems for maintaining concurrence of parallel sets of data stored in telecommunication Network Elements. According to a preferred embodiment of such processes, an originating entity such as a Service Node sends a Request Message to a Network Element such as a Source Service Control Point in order to update data on that Source. The Source then sends a Request Message to the other Network Element, such as a Target Service Control Point, in order to update the parallel data contained in that Service Control Point. The Network Elements whose data are updated may send appropriate Result Messages in order to verify integrity of the data. Synchronization according to the preferred embodiment is preferably implemented by time stamping particular data in Request Messages at the first level, such as in the Service Node; the Request Messages and the updated data, together with Result Messages, then contain that time stamp which greatly simplifies reconciliation and verification efforts.

Abstract: A sports catch glove according to the present invention offers superior control and effectiveness over conventional catch gloves. The glove incorporates a dished tensegrity stiffener in its distal finger portion that weighs less but is more than ten times stiffer than stiffeners employed in conventional gloves. To allow the wearer to gain maximum benefit from this added stiffness in the distal finger portion, the glove also incorporates a close-fitting inner glove, at least a portion of which is made of an elastomeric material. The inner glove keeps the wearer's hand more closely coupled to the glove than in conventional gloves, thus allowing the wearer to maintain control over the glove under the severe forces imposed when catching fast-moving, hard objects.

Abstract: Data concurrence processes and systems for maintaining concurrence of parallel sets of data stored in telecommunication Network Elements. According to a preferred embodiment of such processes, a Network Element such as a Service Node sends a Request Message to a second Network Element such as a Source Service Control Point in order to update data on that Source. The Source then sends a Request Message to the other Network Element, such as a Target Service Control Point, in order to update the parallel data contained in that Service Control Point. The Network Elements whose data are updated may send appropriate Result Messages in order to verify integrity of the data. The processes and apparatus also allow resynchronization of the data to occur at desired predetermined interval.

Abstract: Dental implant abutment systems, related devices, and implantology processes and techniques. The abutment systems include a base that is adapted to mount in nonrotating fashion on any desired dental implant, root form or blade, from any supplier, together with a fixation screw which secures the base to the implant. A core, to which an abutment is cast in customized shape and form as desired is attached to the base preferably in threaded fashion and secured with an appropriate antirotational mechanism. Alternatively, the core and abutment may be formed using CAM processes. Such abutment systems, unlike prevalent conventional systems, do not require a central access bore in the core or abutment components, and they occupy significantly less volume than conventional abutments.

Abstract: Novel polymeric compositions are provided for polyamide fibers or fibers having terminal amino groups that impart stain resistance and are resistant to discoloration.