Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling an induction motor having a variable frequency drive in a blower system so that the blower system provides a specific fluid flow. A start-up program causes the motor to ramp up to approximately a predetermined steady state speed. A required blower torque is calculated by operating on a table of blower constants, a selected flow rate and a motor speed which is read from a speed sensor in the motor/blower system. A developed motor torque is calculated by operating on a table of motor specific constants, a voltage-frequency index and the motor speed taken from the speed sensor. The calculated required blower torque is repeatedly compared with the calculated developed motor torque. The voltage-frequency index to the variable frequency drive is modified to force the developed motor torque to converge with the required blower torque in a steady state.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling an induction motor having a variable frequency drive in a blower system so that the blower system provides a specific fluid flow. A start-up program causes the motor to ramp up to approximately a predetermined steady state speed. A required blower torque is calculated by operating on a table of blower constants, a selected flow rate and a motor speed. The motor speed is calculated by operating on a table of motor specific constants, a voltage-frequency index and a measured direct current bus current. A developed motor torque is calculated by operating on a table of motor specific constants, a voltage-frequency index and the calculated motor speed. The calculated required blower torque is repeatedly compared with the calculated developed motor torque. The voltage-frequency index to the variable frequency drive is modified to force the developed motor torque to converge with the required blower torque in a steady state.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling a brushless direct current motor having a pulse width modulated variable frequency drive in a blower system so that the blower system provides a specific fluid flow. A start-up program causes the motor to ramp up to approximately a predetermined steady state speed. A required blower torque is calculated by operating on a table of blower constants, a selected flow rate and a motor speed which is read from a commutation Hall sensor in the motor. A developed motor torque is calculated by operating on a table of motor specific constants, a modulation index and the motor speed taken from the commutation Hall sensor. The calculated required blower torque is repeatedly compared with the calculated developed motor torque. The modulation index to the pulse width modulated variable frequency drive is modified to force the developed motor torque to converge with the required blower torque in a steady state.

Abstract: An extruded plastic sheath product is provided to cover studded steel T-posts and hence give fence lines or sign posts and improved, even aesthetic appearances. The plastic sheath product is formed with a series of internal projections which abut against features of the internal T-post and hence prevent the sheath from spinning about the T-post. For the fence line filed of use, the plastic sheath product is further given an external spine which has formations or else studs formed in it to prevent fence wire strapped to the sheath from slipping. For the sign post field of use, the sheath is further provided with a series of coupling accessories in order to construct frames and the like. Such coupling accessories optionally include Ell's, Tee's, crosses, or y-shaped splitters. The shape and arrangement of the extruded tubular sheath is especially designed to accommodate certain shape anomalies which result from the extrusion process.

Abstract: A truss fabrication machine has processing circuitry for partially automating the fabrication of trusses. One or more workers place in jig stops on the tabletop a set of loose pre-cut truss members and the connector plates that get seated at the joints therebetween. The machine has a pressing head for seating the connector plates, which rides on a gantry above the tabletop in generally a Y-axis, wherein the gantry rides on a track generally along an X-axis. There are drivers to drive the gantry along the track and the pressing head along the gantry, as well an actuator for the pressing head. The processing circuitry is reliant on X- and Y-axis sensors for reckoning position on the tabletop. The processing circuitry is given control over the gantry, the pressing-head driver and actuator for coordinating movement of the gantry and pressing head between one given X and Y position to succeeding X and Y positions, and then actuating or not the actuating means.

Abstract: A process for treating carbide tool bits used by the electronics industry for printed circuit board (“PCB”) fabrication combines a cryogenic cycle with two or more tempering cycles. The tool bits are subjected to a cryogenic cycle having a ramp down phase during which the tool bits are ramped down in a dry cryogenic environment to about −300° F. over between about six (6) and eight (8) hours, followed by a cryogenic hold phase during which the tool bits are held at about −300° F. over between about twenty-four (24) and thirty-six (36) hours, followed by a cryogenic ramp up phase during which the tool bits are ramped up to about −100° F. over between about six (6) and eight (8) hours. That is followed by a first tempering cycle having a ramp up phase during which the tool bits are ramped up in a dry tempering environment to about 350° F. over about one-half (½) hour, followed by a hold phase during which the tool bits are held at about 350° F.

Abstract: A vortex reducing mower blade for use with a rotary lawn mower having a motor and a depending drive shaft has a cutting edge on each leading edge thereof, an airlift on each trailing edge thereof, and outboard ends extending between the terminations of the leading and trailing edges. The outboard ends generally meet with the trailing edges at respective trailing corner- or tip-regions. Each outboard end has margins formed as a boundary-layer fence that is angled either upwardly or downwardly relative to a given relative up direction which is parallel to the central axis of the depending drive shaft. These boundary-layer fences reduce the production and/or strength of vortices in the wake of the trailing corner- or tip-regions of the blade. Each boundary-layer fence may be angled either upwardly or downwardly at generally a right angle.

Abstract: Micro video cameras are sufficiently portable, miniature and weather-resistant for ands-free use by an athlete or vacationer who wishes to wear it (or attach it to a base support structure about him or herself) and self-record his or her own amusement, whether indoors or outdoors, underwater or otherwise. Disclosed usages include an instance of a skier recording hands-free his or her own skiing activity from his or her own perspective. An alternative disclosed usage includes one or more ski instructors video recording a student while actually giving the lesson. Another disclosed usage includes a theme park configuration. In this last configuration, visitors are given a personal storage medium like a cassette. At most rides or attractions, a micro video camera is available just there for loan to the visitor to get a video record just at that ride or attraction.

Abstract: A communication path integrity supervision system is provided in a network system that allows communication of automatic alarm data. This involves a network, needless to say, in which a plurality of automatic alarm data transmitters are linked by diverse paths with at at least one central receiver on the network for receiving the automatic alarm data. In this integrity supervision system, the responsibility for carrying out the integrity supervision functions have been largely shifted onto the remote transmitters—each responsible for its own path or paths—and shifted away from the central receiver to the extent required by the prior art “receiver-polling” protocol. That is, each transmitter includes circuits for generating and sending to the central receiver a succession of “next promised check-in” messages, to be on schedule as promised.

Abstract: A pictorial tour process acquires material for producing pictorial tours from given amusement venues and then publishes those pictorial tours on an Internet website so the web users can get a “you are there” perspective of the given amusement venue. In particular as applied to the game of golf, a golf website presents pictorial tours of various golf courses by means of shot-by-shot teachings from a player's perspective of the recommended play of a given hole. Such a shot-by-shot teaching tour entertains, teaches as well as allows a web user to judge whether the given course is attractive or suitable to that user. The web users get to see not just the beauty and skill-challenge of the course, but also check such factors as whether the course will adversely challenge to their health if they have conditions of, eg., weak heart or impaired walking mobility, or otherwise cause discomfort because of eg., desert heat or mountain coolness, and so on. Some course allow carts, others don't.

Abstract: A ventilating base for combined use with a given electronic device has a frame construction including an apertured top wall. An air fan mounted to the frame and functionally connected with the apertured top wall is operative to produce one of air suction, air blowing, or either at alternate times. The given electronic device is set or docked upon the ventilating base such that a ventilated bottom panel of the electronic device is functionally coupled with the apertured top wall of the ventilating base. That way, operation of the ventilating base's fan induces a forced air current through the electronic device's enclosure and thus provides an augmenting forced air cooling current through the electronic device for improved removal of waste heat therein.

Abstract: A fishhook remover and method are achieved by a remover tool that has a handle shaped like a pistol stock and a slender shank that extends away from the pistol-grip handle like a barrel. The slender shank terminates in an end substantially configured in a J-shape, but which also includes a fork that flares out in the direction opposite to the handle. In use, the fork of the tool is preferably inserted in an elbow portion of a fishhook to allow a user to push in the elbow and unhook the fish. The handle of the remover tool includes a lateral flange. The flange is arranged so that a user, gripping the handle like a pistol, can reach his or her thumb out and press it firmly against the flange. That way, a user can clamp fishing line between the flange and his or thumb, and thereby keep the elbow of the hook pulled tightly into the fork while maneuvering the tool. The J-shaped portion of the tool allows the user to catch the elbow of the hook like the way two links of chain contact each other.

Abstract: A non-hazardous, non-flammable, biodegradable composition for use in removal of paraffin accumulations in oilfield equipment may contain limonene, a glycol ether an ethoxylate(alcohol surfactant, an aliphatic alcohol having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or mixtures thereof, a non-hazardous and biodegradable organic acid, and, sufficient water as a carrier and comprising such a major weight component of the composition as to virtually eliminate a measurable flashpoint therefor. Preferably the aliphatic alcohol is one or methanol, ethanol, or admixtures thereof. Preferably the organic acid is one of acetic acid, citric acid, or formic acid. The glycol either is preferably ethylene glycol monopropyl ether.

Abstract: A convertible drum-type coating apparatus for applying breading material to food products includes an in-line breader section, a rotary drum section, and an outflow section. The rotary drum is mounted on an elevator for lowering and lifting between a low use position and a high non-use position. The low use position is involved with tumbling the breading material and food product together to enhance the coating by the breading material, and in a sense the tumbling gives the appearance of dusting off excess breading material. The coating apparatus is convertible in that the rotary drum can be lifted out of the way to the high non-use position to allow substitution in favor of a bypass conveyor. Bypass of the drum is desired when running "formed" food products and the like, such as patties (eg., beef) or cakes (eg., fish), which are ordinarily too delicate to tumble in the drum.

Abstract: A wooden box call is modified such that its actuator top can flip over in order to allow presenting either of the opposite broad faces of the actuator top for rubbing against a sidewall edge of the box. The actuator top is preferably a composite or a bi-material in the sense that it is made of two different materials laminated together. That way the opposite broad faces are distinct from one another at least in the respect that they are different materials. Alternate use of one or the other broad faces of the actuator top for rubbing against a sidewall edge of the box provides at least two different varieties in the characteristic pitch obtained by the material of either. Additionally, a stylus-type scrape call is modified to allow adjustable pitch by the combination of a stylus and an associated damper-handle which has a hole through it in which the stylus is inserted and secured.

Abstract: The jar lid loosening device includes a pair of jaws which are arranged to compress upon a lidded jar inserted therebetween. Of the pair of jaws, one jaw is a passive jaw and the other is the active jaw. The passive jaw is fixed substantially stationary and hence it neither twists nor travels in compression or retraction. The active jaw, in contradistinction. is given compound motion. More particularly, the active jaw is mounted in a traveling head. The traveling head is arranged to cycle through compression and retraction strokes. The active jaw is carried in the traveling head such that, generally, the active jaw rides passively along with the traveling head through the compression and retraction strokes. If however, a lidded jar is inserted between the jaws, then during a compression stroke the active jaw eventually limits out against the lidded jar. From then on, the lidded jar is subjected to increasing compression between the jaws by virtue of the traveling head.

Abstract: Disclosed is a grappling dummy is useful as a mock opponent for exercise or practice for athletes training for competitive martial art or wrestling purposes, as well as for practicing self-defense moves. The dummy is given a life size stature (for example, five foot ten inches or 178 cm), but a relatively diminutive weight:--e.g., about forty pounds or 18 kg for the given example. By giving the grappling dummy such a relatively diminutive weight, it happens to just "feel" right to the user who is practicing or exercising with the dummy. To preserve strength and toughness but conserve on weight, the dummy is produced substantially from soft materials including paper (as newspaper and computer paper, in some uses it is shredded, in others not), the plastic film of waste grocery sacks, burlap (in some uses in sack format, in others plain cloth), garden hose, braided nylon rope, poly strapping, cellophane tape, and duct tape. The sum total of hard elements can be limited to just eight pieces of pine 2.times.

Abstract: A tool for folding sheet metal edges includes the following. A pneumatic hammer has a stepped barrel with an externally cylindrical proximal portion and a reduced-down distal portion externally formed with inverse spring thread. A plunger has a shank with a work-striking head, a spaced away butt end that loads into the hammer barrel, and an intermediate axial-stop enlargement disposed therebetween. A spring for retention of the plunger and has a main body formed on a major diameter, a shank-latching portion formed on a minor diameter, and a transition section therebetween. The main body has a series of closed regular coils which partly thread onto the inverse spring thread of hammer barrel and in other part which, with inclusion of the transition section, generally project so that the shank-latching portion latches across the shank of the plunger just forward of the axial stop. That way, axial extensions of the spring normally retract the plunger back into the hammer barrel.

Abstract: A pulley- or roller-type block is provided with a lock arrangement. The block has a casing and a rolling unit mounted in the casing for clockwise and counterclockwise rolling. The rolling unit has a circumferential ring portion including a line-bearing surface whereby. In use the line is allowed to transit partially around the rolling unit as the rolling unit passively rolls clockwise or counterclockwise in response to alternate-direction transit of the line. The lock arrangement has a line-contacting portion operative between locking and unlocked extreme positions, and an operator for operating the strand-contacting portion. Wherein, because of the risk of forming a permanent weak spot in the line under highly concentrated locking contact, either .cndot. the circumferential ring portion of the rolling unit, including the strand-bearing surface thereof, or .cndot. the strand-contacting portion of the locking arrangement is formed from the following:--ie.