Abstract: A composite body of silicon carbide having binderless, allotropic carbon granules distributed throughout is produced. The nominal size of the binderless allotropic carbon granules can range from 5 to 500 micrometers. The concentration of the binderless allotropic carbon particles can vary from 1.0 to 35.0 weight percent. The process to produce such a composite body is to sinter silicon carbide with binderless, carbon-yielding precursor granules. The composite body is utilized in tribological applications. The dense, impervious silicon carbide-binderless carbon composite exhibits excellent physical and tribological characteristics when used as a mechanical face seal, a sliding bearing arrangement, or some other rubbing component.

Abstract: A touch switch apparatus for detecting the presence of an object such as a human appendage, the apparatus having a touch pad and a local control circuit connected to the touch pad and to a controlled device. The touch pad preferable includes a first electrode and a second electrode spaced from and surrounding the first electrode. The control circuit is preferably in integrated circuit form. A signal is provided to the touch pad to generate an electric field thereabout. Introduction of a stimulus near the touch pad disturbs the electric field. The control circuit detects the electric field disturbance in and generates a control signal in response.

Abstract: An apparatus for multiply bundling stacks of cut reams which is comprised of multiple band stock wrapping devices, placed side by side, a move away device for individualizing the rows of cut stacks towards the band stock wrapping devices, and an upstream feeder pusher device. All devices are located on an alignment table for receiving a ream of cuts to be individualized and wrapped with band stock, with each ream of cuts consisting of multiple rows and stacks of cuts, where the depths and number of rows in each ream of cuts is variable.

Abstract: A fitting assembly for fluid and vapor connection comprising a first tube, a second tube and a thin strip of polymeric material. A male member is formed at the end of the first tube. A hollow female body is formed at end of the second tube. The male member is received in the female body. The strip of polymeric material has a layer of adhesive applied to one surface of the strip. The strip is bonded to the male member and unbonded to the female body. The strip is compressed between the male member and the female body.

Abstract: A riser section and cover is disclosed. The riser section has a smooth cylindrical sidewall surface, a tapered end and a channel end, a removable anchor tab and bosses and ribs on the inside of the sidewall. The riser sections are stackable. The cover has a channel end to removably connect to a riser section. The cover has stowable handles and posts extending from a bottom surface that define wells open at a top surface which fit into the wells of another cover. A bracket is disclosed to releasably secure and position a cover with attached riser section on a concrete form wall.

Abstract: A coated metal tubing arrangement comprises a metal tube. An inner layer of a first polymeric material is bonded to the tube to provide corrosion protection. The first polymeric material has a high crystallinity, a dampening factor of less than 0.05, and a flexural modulus of at least 100 MPa. An outer layer of a second polymeric material is extruded around the inner layer to absorb impact energies and to eliminate mechanical vibrations and acoustic noises. The second polymeric material has a dampening factor of at least 0.05 and a flexural modulus of less than 50 Mpa. The second polymeric material is a multi-phase polymer having at least one polymer component with a glass-transition temperature below room temperature.

Abstract: A coupling assembly for providing a fluid connection comprising a female connector, a tube, a retainer and a cap. The female connector defines a bore. The bore extends axially inwardly into the connector from an entrance. An annular face is defined in the bore axially inwardly of the entrance. The tube is received within the bore. The tube has an enlarged upset. The retainer is disposed in the bore. The retainer has a member directly contacting the upset and extends to the annular face to retain the tube in the bore. The cap is slidably mounted on the tube and is attached to the female connector. The cap has a protrusion directly contacting the upset.

Abstract: An ion trap mass spectrometer uses electrospray ionization to introduce multiply-charged positive ions in an axial direction into a quadrupole ion trap and glow discharge ionization to introduce singly-charged negative ions in a radial direction into the ion trap. Methods of controlling ion-to-ion charge transfer reactions include applying a combination of a dipolar DC voltage and a dipolar RF voltage across endcap electrodes to allow partial charge state neutralization reactions to occur between the positive and negative ions and then control suspension and resumption of further charge state neutralization reactions. The remaining ions can be further processed and transformed and a mass spectrum created by scanning a quadrupolar RF field.

Abstract: A post-HPA filter rejection equalizer system and method locally equalizes post-HPA filtering. A predistorter (20) uses a phase error to control the predistortion, and an equalizer (46) uses a magnitude error to control the equalization. The equalizer samples the HPA output multiple occurrences in a burst fashion. The equalized signal is then used to determine phase and magnitude errors. The phase errors (54) are used to update the predistorter (20), and the magnitude errors (52) are used to update the analytic equalizer.

Abstract: Software execution control in which a series of two-way rule checks is performed between software-defined communications system component records to ensure and maintain system security and integrity. A system platform (20) performs a series of two-way rule checks between records of a system platform (20) and an application (22) called by the platform (20), between records of the called application (22) and a module (24) that defines the called application (22), and between the records of the module (24) that defines the called application (22) and the platform (20). Both the called application (22) and the module (24) that defines the called application (22) are then instantiated if the two-way rule checks are successful. Because the rule checks are performed in a two-way manner, restrictions such as licensing and source restrictions may be placed not only on system modules (24-30), but also on the applications (22) using the modules (24-30), thereby enabling higher levels of system security to be achieved.

Abstract: A system for controlling thrust of a jet propulsion type watercraft during various steering conditions. The system comprises a thrust mechanism for providing jet propulsion thrust, a throttle regulator for regulating thrust provided by the thrust mechanism, a throttle position sensor for sensing the throttle position of the watercraft, a steering position sensor for sensing the steering position of the watercraft and a controller for determining the desired throttle position of the throttle regulator. Wherein the desired throttle position is based on the throttle position received from the throttle position sensor and the steering position received from the steering position.

Abstract: A transmitter (400) offsets the transmission time and frequency of a burst transmission such that uncertainties in reception time and reception frequency are reduced. The transmitter includes an ephemeris store (454) that includes ephemeris data for one or more possible intended receivers (130). Orbits of possible intended receivers are propagated, and an intended receiver is selected. Transmission time offsets are generated as a function of transmitter location and intended receiver location. Transmission frequency offsets are substantially equal to a Doppler frequency derived from the transmitter velocity and the intended receiver velocity. Guard times and guard bands are reduced in size, resulting in greater available communications bandwidth and simpler receiver designs.

Abstract: A system for controlling thrust of a jet propulsion type watercraft during various steering conditions. The system comprises a thrust mechanism for providing jet propulsion thrust, a throttle regulator for regulating thrust provided by the thrust mechanism, a throttle position sensor for sensing the throttle position of the watercraft, a steering position sensor for sensing the steering position of the watercraft and a controller for determining the desired throttle position of the throttle regulator. Wherein the desired throttle position is based on the throttle position received from the throttle position sensor and the steering position received from the steering position.

Abstract: A device for injecting light from one of a first group of optical fibers into a corresponding one of a second group of optical fibers includes a holder for locating each of the fibers in the first and second groups, a clamp for securing fibers in the second group to the holder, and a depressor for laterally displacing each of the fibers in the second group, thus forming a bend in each of the fibers in the second group. The maximum curvature in the bend occurs where the fibers in the second group exit the clamp. Light is injected from fibers in the first group into corresponding fibers in the second group at the point of maximum curvature. An optical gel may be used to used to promote optical coupling between fibers in the first group and fibers in the second group. The optical fibers in the second group may include a lens for focusing the light to be injected. The device can function in reverse to extract light from fibers in the second group into fibers in the first group.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for encoding an input frame of a video sequence for transmission over a channel. The method and apparatus decompose the input frame into multiple subbands and divide the multiple subbands into multiple blocks corresponding to a region of the input frame. The blocks in the highest frequency subbands of the multiple blocks are selected based upon a luminance component of the input frame and the multiple blocks in the highest frequency subbands are classified into a multiple classes to provide a multiple class labels. The multiple class labels are collected to form a subband class map for each of the multiple blocks in the highest frequency subbands and a global class map is constructed from a majority evaluation of the subband map for each of the multiple blocks. The multiple blocks within the multiple subbands are grouped which have one of the class labels to form multiple subband class sequences.

Abstract: A riser section and cover is disclosed. The riser section has a smooth cylindrical sidewall surface, a tapered end and a channel end, a removable anchor tab and bosses and ribs on the inside of the sidewall. The riser sections are stackable. The cover has a channel end to removably connect to a riser section. The cover has stowable handles and posts extending from a bottom surface that define wells open at a top surface which fit into the wells of another cover. A bracket is disclosed to releasably secure and position a cover with attached riser section on a concrete form wall.

Abstract: A non-contacting gas compressor seal assembly is disclosed with an intermediate buffer chamber. The process gas is corrosive or otherwise hazardous and is contained from entering the atmosphere by pumping the barrier gas toward the process fluid. The inboard seal of the assembly is designed to maintain a sealing relationship in the event of loss of buffer gas pressure by operating as a non-contacting seal on the process fluid.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a multiple walled tube comprising a rolling of a plated metal strip through at least two complete revolutions to form a tube having at least a double wall which has a plated layer on the inside of the tube, said rolling being followed by a heating of the tube to cause the surface of the tube walls, which are in contact with one another, to be brazed and wherein said metal strip is plated on one side, the other side being formed by the steel of the metal strip and wherein said brazing is realised by brazing directly the plated side on the steel.

Abstract: An optical fiber is bent to form a discontinuous curve through which light can be injected into the fiber or extracted from the fiber. The bend can be formed by securing a portion of the optical fiber in a fixture and laterally displacing a portion of the fiber outside the fixture using a depressor. The depressor can be an integral part of the securing fixture or a separate device. The securing fixture can be adjustable so that the degree and location of the bend can be varied. Injected light can be sourced from a second optical fiber, and extracted light can be supplied to a second optical fiber which can have a lens at its free end.

Abstract: A watercraft of the jet propulsion type comprising a steering mechanism, a throttle control mechanism, a thrust mechanism, a throttle regulator and a controlled thrust steering system. The steering mechanism has a straight-ahead position. The steering mechanism is able to rotate in a clockwise direction from the straight-ahead position to a clockwise position and in a counter-clockwise direction from the straight-ahead position to a counter-clockwise position. The throttle control mechanism is biased toward an idle position. The thrust mechanism provides jet propulsion thrust for the watercraft. The throttle regulator regulates thrust provided by the thrust mechanism. The controlled thrust steering system causes the throttle regulator to increase thrust upon the steering mechanism rotating from the straight-ahead position to the clockwise position or the counter-clockwise position.