Abstract: Power industry boiler tube failures are a major cause of utility forced outages in the United States, with approximately 41,000 tube failures occurring every year at a cost of $5 billion a year. Accordingly, early tube leak detection and isolation is highly desirable. Early detection allows scheduling of a repair rather than suffering a forced outage, and significantly increases the chance of preventing damage to adjacent tubes. The instant detection scheme starts with identification of boiler tube leak process variables which are divided into universal sensitive variables, local leak sensitive variables, group leak sensitive variables, and subgroup leak sensitive variables, and which may be automatically be obtained using a data driven approach and a leak sensitivity function. One embodiment uses artificial neural networks (ANN) to learn the map between appropriate leak sensitive variables and the leak behavior.

Abstract: A CPR mannequin for practicing cardiopulmonary resuscitation of a human has a simulated human head and neck portion with an air passage extending from a mouth opening to a neck opening in an end of the neck remote from the head. An inflatable simulated human chest portion is secured to the neck and has an upper flexible wall member, a lower wall member and a flexible bag therebetween and a further air passage connects the air passage in the neck to the flexible bag. The upper flexible wall member simulates a chest which rises and falls with inflation and deflation of the flexible bag.

Abstract: An electrical coupler for use with a ceiling-suspended chain lamp having a two-part housing secured together with an internally threaded ring fitted over externally threaded ends of the two parts. The electrical coupler permits ease of removal of the suspended lamp without any requirement to remove the electrical wiring within the ceiling suspended lamp.

Abstract: The gyroscopically stabilized magnetic suspension system constitutes a base assembly which itself constitutes a narrow beam source of electromagnetic energy disposed at substantially the radial center of the base assembly. The base assembly also includes a first toroidal magnet surrounding the source of electromagnetic energy, the first toroidal magnet having a polarity transverse to its toroidal plane. Also provided within the base assembly are first anti-spin magnets disposed beyond the outer toroidal radius of the first toroidal magnet, the anti-spin magnets having the same magnetic axis as the first toroidal magnet but, however, having an opposite polarity thereto. The system also constitutes a suspended assembly itself constituting an electromagnetic energy receiving and converting means, and a motor disposed upon the electromagnetic receiving means and powered thereby, the motor having an axis of rotation and alignment with the axial center of the first toroidal magnet.

Abstract: An improved tape dispenser/receptacle having complimentary oblong-shaped top and bottom portions adapted to mate with each other, wherein the improvement consists of: first and second spool-dispensing axes, each axes composed of ten pegs; longitudinally-oriented inner and outer sets of ridges, extending downward from underneath the device's top portion; a plurality of tape exist and flattening apertures; resilient tabs extending outward from the device's side walls, in one-to-one correspondence with the exit/flattening apertures; and a cutting surface. The spool-dispensing axes hold rolls of tape or other material which may be marked with identifying indicia. The inner ridges touch the radial surface of the tape rolls to keep the rolls from wobbling during dispensing, while the outer ridges act as means to keep the tape straight en route through the exit/flattening apertures.

Abstract: A prosthetic axon for electrically bridging damaged nerve fibers constitutes a semi-conductive disc having therein pores substantially parallel to the polar axis of the disc, the pores having an interior coating of electrically conductive material extending substantially from the top to bottom surfaces of the disc, in which respective sides of the damaged nerve fibers are conductively secured to opposite sides of opposite pore ends of the conductive interior coating of the pores. The disc is embedded within a protein gel which is in electrical contact with both the conductive pore coating and the damaged nerve fibers.

Abstract: A drumstick having an elongated, hollow, non-tapered body portion with a closed, rounded striking tip at one end and an open, non-tipped portion at the opposite end. The manner of practice playing is the same as that used in conventional live performance drumplaying, i.e., the drummer strikes the drum skin with the drumstick tip in reciprocating fashion; however, the drumstick of the instant invention may employ either end of the stick to strike the acoustical surface. The present drumstick produces a substantially quieter sound characteristic, thus allowing one to practice drumplaying skills while not disturbing others in proximity to the practice site.

Abstract: There is disclosed a nail lacquer and enamel remover, composed primarily of methylene chloride combined with various other ingredients such as amyl acetate, butyl acetate, ethyl acetate or acetone and kaydol, aerosol, methyl glucose ether or water. The improvement of the invention as compared with other nail polish removers is that the instant compositions are non-flammable. Such characteristics is not overly important to the product's end user, but represents a significant advance to commercial entities engaged in the specialty cosmetics business, in that manufacture, transport and storage of the product are made safer and less expensive.