Abstract: A material handling adjustable conveyor comprising an adjustable boom, and front-end material handling device with four degrees of freedom to allow loads to be lifted and rotated into position and placed or removed from an over-the-road vehicle or unloaded from such a vehicle. During the loading or unloading procedure, the load is only supported by the front-end material handling device. Some of the load is borne by the floor of the cargo vehicle when more than minimal torsion forces are applied to the front-end material handling device. The material handling device is computer controlled based upon the dimensions of the vehicle being loaded and unloaded and further comprises sensors for fine adjustment of front-end handling device motion during the course of the loading or unloading. Other senors can be used to measure and record the internal dimensions of a cargo vehicle.

Abstract: A method for culturing insect cells using fish serum. The method uses serum extracted from the blood of fish to culture insect cells for various purposes. The technique has the key advantages of consistent quality, low cross reactivity, safety from infectious agents that would endanger researchers or humans and animals receiving cell culture products as therapy and has appropriate nutrients to maintain the growth of insect cells. Fish serum is used together with designated defined medium to allow insect cells to grow and populations to be maintained. The method may also be used to prevent the attachment of insect cells to cultureware. Serum is derived from the blood of captive stocks of fishes raised under control conditions.

Abstract: A swivel utilizing multiple angular contact bearings arranged in such a manner as to provide preloading for two-directional axial and radial thrust stability. This bearing arrangement of angular contact ball bearings applied to swivels adds capabilities of compression and side loading. The boring operations for which the present invention is primarily intended commonly take place in a pressurized environment of liquid and dirt slurry, thereby making sealing of the bearing cavity critical to the exclusion of foreign material which would damage the bearings. The rigidity of the assembly provided by the preloaded bearings creates critical stability in the seal area. The swivel provides the capability for bi-directional axial load support, radial load support, and a sealed inner bearing structure for both passive swivel and power driven swivel products. A particular load capacity is obtained through application of counterpoised arrangements of particular sizes of angular contact ball bearings.

Abstract: A shape for chlorination and dechlorination tablets which reduces pillaring and wicking effects during fluid treatment and offers a consistent dissolution rate during the chlorination or dechlorination process. The opposing surfaces of the stacked tablets are formed by a combination of concave and convex shapes. The shape of the opposing surfaces prevents the formation of a central pillar, resulting in the formation of a side pillar instead. During the formation of the side pillar, the fluid contact surface area of the tablets gradually increases to compensate for the diminishing periphery of the tablets. As a result, the dissolution rate of the tablet is kept substantially constant over the course of tablet dissolution. The shape of the opposing surfaces of the stacked tablets also only provides for minimum contact between adjacent tablets, slowing the moisture diffusion speed and minimizing wicking effects.

Abstract: A material handling adjustable conveyor comprising an adjustable boom, and front-end material handling device with four degrees of freedom to allow loads to be lifted and rotated into position and placed or removed from an over-the-road vehicle or unloaded from such a vehicle. During the loading or unloading procedure, the load is only supported by the front-end material handling device. Some of the load is borne by the floor of the cargo vehicle when more than minimal torsion forces are applied to the front-end material handling device. The material handling device is computer controlled based upon the dimensions of the vehicle being loaded and unloaded and further comprises sensors for fine adjustment of front-end handling device motion during the course of the loading or unloading. Other senors can be used to measure and record the internal dimensions of a cargo vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the assembly of biofilm support structure modules from individual sheets of biofilm support structure. The apparatus consists of a number of dowel rods protruding from a base. Hollow tubes are placed over the rods. Alignment holes are made in the biofilm support structure sheets such that the sheets may be slid over the tubes. When the required number of biofilm support structure sheets have been stacked in this fashion, caps are attached to the ends of the tubes, holding the biofilm support structure sheets in place. The assembled biofilm support structure modules may then be placed in a wastewater treatment plant. The tubes may also be used as passages for outside air or water, allowing the biofilm support structure sheets to be cleaned while still inside the treatment plant.

Abstract: A system for increasing the security of a computer system, while giving an individual user a large amount of flexibility and power. To give users the most power and flexibility, a standard object that has the capability to embed objects is used. To allow users even more flexibility, a standard object tracking mechanism is used that allows users to distribute multiple encrypted embedded objects to other individuals in a single encrypted object. By effecting compartmentalization of every object by label attributes and algorithm attributes, multi-level multimedia security is achieved.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for ensuring the security of messages communicated on a network. The system employs different levels of security to ensure that communication integrity is not breached. A user must first enter a valid password to clear the access control subsystem. The sending user must also possess valid cryptographic information and belong to a particular organization and/or be located at a particular device in order to encrypt a plain text message that is to be transmitted over the network. The device and organization information, along with receiving user information specified by the sending user, will then be grouped into a header which will be appended to the outgoing encrypted message. In order to receive a transmitted message, a receiving user must be the particular receiving user and be part of the particular group specified by the sending user, and must be attempting to receive the communication at the device specified in the message header.

Abstract: An improved golf cup and in particular to a golf cup which has all the features of a normal golf cup and conforms with the appropriate Professional Golfer's Association (PGA) rules and regulations but, additionally, has been modified to provide a means to contain an advertisement. The advertisement can be inserted and removed at will, without disturbing the normal functioning of the cup. The advertisement is in the form of a flexible insert that can be snapped into an indentation in the inner wall of the golf cup. A small hole is placed within the recessed area to facilitate the insertion of a screwdriver or like device to assist in the removal of the advertising insert which has been snapped into place. The advertising insert is constructed of a light, flexible durable material which is flat when not inserted into the golf cup and is, therefore, easy to handle, store and ship.

Abstract: A chlorination and dechlorination apparatus and method for the treatment of wastewater or other fluid including a chlorinator, a contact tank, and a dechlorinator. The contact tank is a vessel having an inlet opening and an outlet opening and is divided into two contact chambers by a baffle which runs vertically the entire length of the contact tank. A baffle opening is provided at the lower end of the baffle to allow passage of fluid from the first contact chamber to the second contact chamber. The chlorinator includes a chlorine tablet feeder and the dechlorinator includes a dechlorination tablet feeder. The fluid under treatment flows from the inlet opening to the outlet opening in a plug-flow pattern. Previous to entering the contact chambers, the fluid washes over and dissolves chlorine tablets stacked in the chlorine tablet feeder. After flowing through the contact chambers, the fluid washes over and dissolves dechlorination tablets stacked in the dechlorination tablet feeder.

Abstract: A filter for removal of biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids utilizing multi-layer filtration media. The filter media includes plastic particles, sand, and garnet and is operated under an automatic control condition. Fine filtering is accomplished by a sludge cake which develops at the upstream face of the filter media. For cleaning the filtration media, deposited sludge is removed from the filter bed by backwashing in a short time period at a high strength backwash flow rate.

Abstract: A method of passing tones transparently over narrowband channels without having to detect the tones at the transmit side is described. This method requires neither separate handling of tones for the transmission purpose, nor prior knowledge of the characteristics of the signaling tones used. It is a relatively general method that can be applied to systems using a variety of speech coding techniques utilizing a frame structure.

Abstract: A lottery game card vending machine on which multiple games are available for play. The user can select any specific game desired. If an additional element of chance is desired by the player, the player can select a random selection function whereby a processing means comprising a random number generator adapted to the number of games available on the lottery machine is initialized upon actuation of a switch by the player. When the player actuates the random game selection switch the processing means randomly selects a lottery game/card to be played based upon the random number generated at the time the select button is actuated. The visual indicia will also light one at a time in a sequence, eventually stopping such that the indicia of the game selected by the random number generator is illuminated. The indicia may be lights or light emitting diodes (LEDS), for example, used to indicate the different games.

Abstract: A wastewater treatment plant comprising a pretreatment chamber, aeration chamber and a settling chamber designed to minimize or eliminate sludge buildup at the bottom of the aeration chamber. Two support walls are provided. The combined function of one support wall and an angular portion at the bottom of the common wall between the aeration and settling chamber is to regulate the flow pattern in the aeration chamber and return settled biodegradable matter from the bottom of the settling chamber to the aeration chamber for further treatment. The fluid flow created by the wall structure enhances the action of the settling chamber and elinates dead zones in the aeration chamber thus minimizing sludge buildup.

Abstract: Tissue extracting forceps are disclosed which have been designed for use in laparoscopic surgery. The forceps firmly grasp tissue or organs which are to be moved or removed during the procedure. The grasping members of the forceps are aligned such that fragmentation damage to the grasped tissue is minimized. The mechanical layout of the forceps allows the user to manipulate the working end for a distance, so that the user's fingers do not get in the way of the surgical procedure. The working end of the forceps is adaptable to be used with grasping members of different shapes, or with disposable cutting instruments. Any of these working ends may be incorporated in the same overall mechanical design.

Abstract: A deployable spill containment boom which, when not in use, is stored along a shoreline. Attached to one end of the deployable boom is a floatation device. The boom is deployed into a moving waterway by means of a cable to which the boom is attached. The deployment cable runs through a pulley attached to an anchor permanently located on the bottom of the river. The other end of the deployment cable is attached to a winch system located on shore on a "take-up" reel. During an oil spill, the system is actuated by a radio signal. The take up reel reels in one end of the deployment cable and a "supply reel" pays out the cable through the anchored pully cable. The deployable boom is then pulled away from the shoreline. Since the boom floats it remains on the surface of the water while the cable is deployed The deployment cable winding operation causes the boom to be extended out into the river. The end of the boom with the floatation device extends into the river to the location above the anchor.

Abstract: A compact beacon-detector type IFF system to be carried by individual soldiers. The system consists of a beacon and a special purpose detector. The beacon is a small, light-weight, battery powered device that is worn on the soldier's web gear. The detector consists of a small flashlight-like device that can be hand held or mounted on a weapon, similar to a rifle scope. The beacon's signal is not visible to those using existing night vision equipment nor is it otherwise exploitable by a potential adversary. The system achieves its covertness through the selection of the optical wavelength used by the beacon. Further signature reduction is achieved through the use of a Low Probability of Intercept ("LPI") spread spectrum waveform as the beacon output. This waveform utilizes a spreading code to encode the beacon output signal.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus which selects a label from a stack thereof, folds it on a predetermined fold line, and then applies the folded label in a predetermined location on a product.

Abstract: The close range Photogrammetric Laser System ("PLS") is an all digital system designed to measure three dimensional ("3-D") surfaces at relatively close ranges. The PLS comprises two modified stereo cameras with associated analog video and digital recording capability. Using synchronized laser illumination and X and Y cylindrical lens arrangements in each stereo camera, all laser illuminated points can be focused onto a linear detector array whose intensities are used to calculate X and Y position of a 3-D target in the image plane of each camera. Photogrammetric techniques are then used to calculate an X, Y and Z position from the X and Y positions measured in the two stereo cameras. An alternate embodiment eliminates the intermediate recording step in favor of a direct recording in the memory of a data processing system for subsequent manipulation.

Abstract: A lineage information processor enables a user to obtain information concerning the various data layers in a spatial data base which contributed to any particular data layer of interest. The component software parses input commands and determines if those commands to the spatial data processing and information systems are valid. The lineage information processor also creates a knowledge representation of the spatial database comprising a meta-database consisting of a semantic network that describes the various data layers in the spatial database and the relationships among these layers. The semantic network consists of parent and child links symbolizing the relationship among data layers, nodes describing the data layers in the spatial database, frames comprising attributes that describe the input data layers, the commands and command modifiers acting on those data layers, and characteristics of the final products.