Abstract: A hydrocarbon gas detection system utilizes a heat chamber or oven to maintain the system at a temperature that will support cracking of hydrocarbon gases. A gas chamber which is located inside the oven is used to contain the flow of gases under analysis and to pass these gases over a first temperature sensing device. A catalyzing material is associated with the first temperature sensing device, either by placing it very near the temperature sensing device or by coating the temperature sensing device with the catalyzing material. A second temperature sensing device is located inside the heat chamber or oven, either outside the gas chamber, or inside the gas chamber, but separated from the first temperature sensing device. The output of the first and second temperature sensing devices extend outside of the furnace to measurement and/or display instrumentation. With this system, the gas sample under analysis is passed through the gas chamber and brought into contact with the first temperature sensing device.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for focused stigmatic imaging with spherical concave diffraction gratings incorporates a concave spherical diffraction grating with parallel, normally ruled lines. An entrance light beam source or projector propagates a beam of light to be analyzed through an entrance point and onto the surface of the diffraction grating. A light detector or analyzer is positioned at or near a detection point for detecting or characterizing the light diffracted from the grating. The entrance point and detection point are positioned in spaced-apart relation to each other and to the grating according to disclosed formulae, such that they are in respectively corresponding stigmatic or near stigmatic focus with each other.

Abstract: Apparatus for point of sale card manufacturing and vending includes an information storage and retrieval system for storing, referencing, and retrieving various social expression card designs from a database. A querying device queries the customer to input a series of special occasion parameters to define the field of social expression card desired, while a display device displays the various social expression card designs. A social expression card reproducing device manufactures the selected social expression card design, and a valuable medial acceptor accepts payments for the manufactured card. The functions and operations of the above components are controlled by a computer.

Abstract: An improved scissors-type hoist for dump truck bodies comprises an upper frame and a lower frame pivotally connected at a scissors axis. One end of the upper frame opposite the scissors axis is pivotally attached to the dump body, and one end of the lower frame opposite the scissors axis is pivotally attached to the truck chassis. A force multiplying power hinge assembly comprises an elongated guide link pivotally attached at one end to the lower frame and a lift link pivotally attached at one end to the upper frame, the other ends of the guide link and lift link being pivotally connected together. A hydraulic cylinder is pivotally connected at one end of the lower frame and at the other end to the pivotally connected guide and lift links.

Abstract: The method of this invention includes the steps of positioning a reseau with grid marks on the object and sequentially illuminating the grid marks separate from the object and illuminating the object separate from the grid marks or in a manner that the grid marks are not visible with the object. The image of the grid mark positions, when illuminated, are digitized and stored in computer memory and correlated with the image of the object when it is illuminated and digitized. The scale of the image can also be correlated to the scale of the grid marks.

Abstract: The improved engine load management system of the present invention includes an apparatus that will de-excite the field coils of an alternator that is driven by an internal combustion engine when the battery that the alternator charges is above a required minimum voltage and when the engine is operating under high load conditions such as acceleration or climbing. When the battery charge falls below the required minimum, the apparatus excites the alternator field coils and permits the alternator to charge the battery despite a high engine load condition. When the battery charge is above the minimum required voltage, but below the voltage at which charging is discontinued, and the engine is under high load, the alternator field coils are energized and de-energized in a cycle that reduces alternator drag on the engine, but permits limited battery charging to occur.

Abstract: A hydrophone for the detection of sound or vibrational waves, comprising a piezo electric transducer within a Faraday cage such that it is in contact with and yet isolated from a deformable pressure transmitting medium that carries vibrations. The Faraday cage reduces noise interference. The deformable medium is usually a fluid and preferably a vegetable oil, but can also include a silastic compound couple. One side of the Faraday cage is a ground plane of a surface-mount printed circuit board. Components of an electronic circuit for conditioning the signal are mounted on the printed circuit board and include a buffer having an ultra-high impedance input and a very low impedance output. The circuit has a low power draw and is powered by a replaceable battery.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hemostatic clip formed into a horseshoe shape from material having a generally triangular cross-section. The mating edges of the clip contain a groove used to provide space for the walls of the vessel when the clip is applied. The groove is located approximately in the center of the mating surfaces, and its width is less than one third the width of the mating surfaces. Because the width is less than one third of the mating surfaces, the other two thirds of the mating surfaces are too wide to fit into the groove, should the clip be applied in a misaligned manner. A plurality of slots in the occlusive surface of the clip help to hold the clip in position on a vessel, once the clip has been clamped into place. After the slots have been placed into the clip, the clip is processed in a tumbling operation to remove any serrations around the slots or at any other place on the clip. Thus, no protrusions remain around the slots to puncture a vessel during ligation.

Abstract: A call management system connected locally between a central office telephone company switching station (CO) and a conventional single telephone line having multiple extensions provides call paging and intercom capabilities between the multiple telephone extensions. An integrated voltage generator supplies a high voltage, local ringing voltage for ringing the local extensions independent from the CO and a low voltage talk or "battery" feed to the local telephone when they are operated independently from the CO. Line splitting apparatus temporarily separates the CO from the local extensions when the local ringing voltage is generated by the integrated voltage generator and injected into the local telephone extensions. A hold device mimics an active local telephone off the hook, thereby keeping a call from the CO holding when the local telephones are being used in the paging or intercom modes.

Abstract: An intermediate data buffer for prefetching data from main memory and supplying it to a processing element and taking results from the processing element and outputting them to main memory is disclosed. The apparatus, referred to as a windowed programmable data buffer (WPDB), is a programmable, one-port or two-port circular data buffer that can simultaneously input data from or output results to main memory and output data to or input results from a processing element. The transfer of data between the WPDB and main memory is separated from the transfer of data between the WPDB and the processing element by means of a window. The transfers with the main memory use the locations outside the window and the transfers with the processing element use the locations inside of the window. The window may be programmed to increment forward around the circular buffer or remain stationary. The WPDB can operate in two modes. One mode uses offsets sent by the processing element to access data within the window.

Abstract: A soldering iron holder for holding an electric. Soldering iron having a large square tip at the end of a barrel, such as an iron that is used with surface mounted integrated circuits, has a base with a shield attached to a depressible mounting rod that extends through the upper surface of the base. The shield has a large frontal opening and mounted inside the shield, offset to one side, is a bracket with a side facing slot. The large opening allows a soldering iron with a large tip to be inserted into the shield, then moved sideways to insert the barrel of the iron into the slot of the bracket. When the iron is inserted into the slot, it depresses the shield which activates a weight switch connected to the base of the mounting rod. Activating the weight switch starts a timer that removes power from the iron if the iron remains in the holder for a long period of time. Also disclosed is a spring clip that may be attached to the slot in the bracket to aid in inserting the barrel of the iron into the slot.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cartridge having a plurality of compartments for holding preformed hemostatic clips. Each compartment is dimensioned wide enough to hold a clip and to allow a clip applicator, which is wider than a clip, to be inserted without deforming the walls of the compartment. Each compartment has a center post or pedestal, dimensioned to be smaller than the inside dimension of a clip, that loosely supports a clip in the compartment. Centering protrusions are positioned symmetrically along the sides of the pedestal and along the walls of the compartment to help center the clip within the compartment. Each clip is held in place by two fingers that extend into the ends of the compartment and contact the clip. These fingers are made of a flexible material that allows the applicator to push the fingers aside as the applicator enters the compartment to grip a clip, and the fingers are angled and dimensioned to be long enough to remain in contact with the clip until after the applicator contacts the clip.

Abstract: This counterflow mild gasification process and apparatus utilizes reverse or counterflow combustion to pyrolyze or dry and gasify a carbonaceous reactant, such as a solid fossil fuel or solid biological waste. The solid carbonaceous material fills an elongated combustion chamber where it is ignited to create an advancing combustion front. An oxidant is introduced such that it flows in a direction opposite the advance of the combustion front. The system temperature and velocity of combustion front are controlled by pressure, the purity of the oxidant, and the moisture content of the carbonaceous reactant, as well as by the inlet temperature and flow rate of the oxidant and the initial bed temperature of the carbonaceous reactant.

Abstract: An improved cover lock apparatus comprises a rotatable and axially slidable crank plate connected to a plurality of retractable lock rods. The crank plate is disposed between the cover and a lock plate and is slidably and rotatably mounted to the lock plate. The crank plate has two upwardly protruding lock pins oriented to engage mating holes in the lock plate and is upwardly biased against the lock plate by a spring. When the lock pins are engaged in these holes, the crank plate cannot be rotated to retract the lock rods. Before the crank plate can be rotated to retract the lock rods, the lock pins must be disengaged from the mating holes in the lock plate by forcibly pushing down on the crank plate via a special lock key to overcome the spring bias that normally holds the crank plate pins in the engaged position. Once the crank plate is pushed downward enough to disengage the lock pins, it can be rotated to retract the lock rods.

Abstract: Disclosed is a hand-held medical device that attaches a wide range of nasally placed airway tubes to afford better control of said airway tubes, manipulation of said airway tubes by rotation and curvature the latter of which is provided by a soft, flexible manipulator containing a spring which is attached at its distal end by a braided wire the pulling of which will cause flexion of the manipulator and said airway tube that surrounds it. The device additionally allows for patient inspiration and expiration to pass unrestricted through the body of the device deflecting one-way valves positioned in clear tubes on the sides of the device allowing for visual confirmation of proper final placement of said airway tube. A stethoscope headset attached to the device provides an audible reference for guiding said airway tube and affords an additional reference to confirm proper final placement of said airway tube.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cartridge having a plurality of compartments for holding preformed hemostatic clips. Each compartment is dimensioned wide enough to hold a clip and to allow a clip applicator, which is wider than a clip, to be inserted without deforming the walls of the compartment. Each compartment has a center post or pedestal, dimensioned to be smaller than the inside dimension of a clip, that loosely supports a clip in the compartment. Centering protrusions are positioned symmetrically along the sides of the pedestal and along the walls of the compartment to help center the clip within the compartment. Each clip is held in place by two fingers that extend into the ends of the compartment and contact the clip. These fingers are made of a flexible material that allows the applicator to push the fingers aside as the applicator enters the compartment to grip a clip, and the fingers are angled and dimensioned to be long enough to remain in contact with the clip until after the applicator contacts the clip.

Abstract: A three-point hitch mounted in-row tiller has a conventional three-point hitch mounted frame member with an outrigger arm pivotally mounted to the frame member in a manner that accommodates pivotal movement of the outrigger in relation to the frame member about two orthogonal axes. Pivotal movement about one of the axes causes tilting of a working tool mounted on the outrigger arm, and pivotal movement about the other axis causes vertical lifting and depth control of the working tool. Various working tool embodiments, including several with flexible teeth, and a mechanical/hydraulic sensor apparatus are also included.

Abstract: A mensuration apparatus for converting film images and paper drawings into digital photogrammatic arrays to be computer processed, displayed, mensurated and analyzed. This mensuration apparatus includes a table on whcih a translatable camera and a reseau assembly are mounted. The reseau assembly includes an object mounting plate for mounting an object such as a photograph, map, or the like, and a grid mark system for superimposing grid marks on the object. The translatable camera includes a solid state camera having a two-dimensional array of light sensor elements mounted over the reseau assembly in a translatable mounting apparatus. The translation camera can be moved to any desired position over the reseau assembly, as well as toward and away from the reseau assembly, forming three coordinate systems, which are correlated together for precise mensuration of an object image digitized by the solid state camera.

Abstract: A mensuration apparatus for converting film images and paper drawings into digital photogrammetric arrays to be computer processed, displayed, mensurated and analyzed. This mensuration apparatus includes a table on which a translatable camera and a reseau assembly are mounted. The reseau assembly includes an object mounting plate for mounting an object such as a photograph, map, or the like, and a grid mark system for superimposing grid marks on the object. The translatable camera includes a solid state camera having a two-dimensional array of light sensor elements mounted over the reseau assembly in a translatable mounting apparatus. Said translation camera can be moved to any desired position over the reseau assembly, as well as toward and away from the reseau assembly, forming three coordinate systems, which are correlated together for precise mensuration of an object image digitized by the solid state camera.