Abstract: An air suspension comprises a shock absorber having a piston rod in which a control rod for adjusting damping force is disposed, an air spring having a main air chamber and an auxiliary air chamber, a valve body for affording and shutting off communication between both air chambers to adjust the spring constant of the air spring, a support connected to a car body and including a rigid member with which the piston rod is coupled and in which the valve body is disposed and a bushing disposed diametrically outward of the rigid member and having a hole opened to the auxiliary air chamber and an actuator fixed to the piston rod above the support to operate the control rod and valve body. The actuator is provided with an electric motor, a gear fixed to the motor and a pair of rods arranged parallel to each other and extending toward the rigid member of the support, one of the rods being connected to the control rod and the other rod being connected to the valve body respectively.

Abstract: An improved poly(ester-amide) resin useful as a binder in printing inks. The resin comprises the hydroxyl-terminated ester of a diol with a polyamide which is the polymerization product of an excess of an acid mixture which comprises either a dimerized C.sub.8 -C.sub.24 fatty acid or a C.sub.19 -C.sub.21 diacid, a monomeric C.sub.16 -C.sub.18 fatty acid, a monomeric C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 fatty acid, and a mixture of diamines which comprises ethylenediamine, and a C.sub.6 diamine.

Abstract: A cantilevered, soft landing boat loading system for semiconductor processing furnaces includes an alignment mechanism, a paddle, and a boat loader. The alignment mechanism includes five handles for five degrees of freedom. The boat loader is supported from a vertical plane.

Abstract: A system for withdrawing, transporting and dispensing predetermined portions of liquid from a container with multiple portion capacity includes a dip tube assembly disposed within the container including a dip tube which extends into the container and a receiving device for matingly receiving a transfer flask. The dip tube assembly includes a plurality of apertures adapted to enable filling of and pouring from the container when the transfer flask is removed therefrom. The transfer flask is removably mounted on the receiving device and has a predetermined liquid storage capacity and walls which are deformable upon application of pressure thereto, wherein said walls elastically return to their original shape upon release of pressure therefrom, said transfer flask also having an opening in communication with the dip tube so that liquid is drawn into the transfer flask upon expansion of the walls of the transfer flask.

Abstract: The disclosure is of an improved device for the control of selected insect populations. The device comprises a body of a synthetic, polymeric resin adapted to contain and controllably release a pheromone of the sex attracting type. An insecticidal coating is on at least a portion of the outside surface of the resin body. Attracted insects make contact with the insecticide coating and are thereby killed or incapacitated in regard to mating.

Abstract: A master cylinder includes a cylinder of one-piece construction made of a synthetic resin and including a cylinder body having an axial internal bore therein. At least one mounting flange extends perpendicular to an axis of the cylinder body, the mounting flange being adapted to be secured to a support structure to mount the master cylinder thereon. A plurality of ribs are formed integrally with and extends radially outwardly from the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder body in circumferentially spaced relation, the ribs also extending along the axis of the cylinder body. The mounting flange is connected to radial outer ends of the ribs. A piston received in the internal bore for sliding movement therealong.

Abstract: An electronic typewriter including a memory storing therein text data which is printed as printing signals are produced. The electronic typewriter enables the operator to pass judgment as to whether printing can be performed on a portion of a sheet of paper between the last printed line and the trailing end of the sheet when the sheet of paper has been set in the typewriter in a usual manner, so that printing can be continued when it is possible to do so. When it is judged that it is impossible to continue printing due to a lack of space, printing is stopped and the existence of the condition of "paper empty" is indicated, prompting the operator to insert a new sheet of paper.

Abstract: This application discloses a method and apparatus for conducting various metal treatment processes including nitriding, carbonitriding, nitrocarburizing, surface activation, and selective oxidation in any desired sequence in the same fluidized bed furnace. The apparatus comprises a fluidized bed furnace having a humidifier system including a humidifier and superheater and the method involves exposing a metal workpiece sequentially to at least two separate metal treatment atmospheres in a fluidized bed furnace.

Abstract: A plastic container is produced as an integral unit comprising a container body, a container neck extending from the container body, a tear strip on the container neck, and a cap portion connected to the tear strip, said cap portion having an opening in a top position thereof, said container being adapted to be filled through the opening in said cap, and a separately produced lid means adapted to cover and seal the opening in the cap. After removal of the tear strip the cap serves as a closure for the container.

Abstract: The camholder possesses at least one section having an axis of symmetry (A) passing through the center of a first sinker selection cam (14) and through the center of a needle transfer cam (25). The transfer cam (25) is retractable by means of a control device. Arranged on either side of the axis of symmetry (A) are sinker selection cams (15, 16), taker-up cams (17, 18), loom-style cams (19, 20) and transfer and receiving cams (21, 22). All these cams, arranged between the selection cams, are automatically retractable. The camholder has a single type of drop, and it makes it possible in one and the same drop to carry out both knitting and stitch transfer forwards or backwards and in both directions of movement of the carriage.

Abstract: A modem is operated in a half-duplex mode having various elements which are trained on data and which are locked up while data is not exchanged, thereby eliminating the need for a preamble. A preamble is used only if the period between successive transmissions exceeds a preselected threshold.

Abstract: The invention relates to a coating composition containing ceramic components, for preventing high temperature oxidation of graphite electrodes employed in electric furnace steelmaking.

Abstract: An excessive gas flow detector has a probe in which an electrode and immediately surrounding part of an insulating sleeve are protected by a shielding ring surrounding the electrode from direct impingement of spray carried by gas sweeping down into a well under excessive gas flow conditions. A test unit for plugging into a socket of the detector gives an indication on light emitting diodes of whether there is an excessive or normal gas flow through the detector.

Abstract: A penile erection prosthesis fully implanted in a patient with a tubular section intermediate its ends containing a flexible zone. The flexible zone is formed by a plurality of circumferential grooves having sides of unequal length. The flexible zone contracts lengthwise with the grooves forming reentrant overlapping folds. The flexible zone is axially bendable and has the ability to retain a position without returning to its previous shape.

Abstract: This control system for a roller-blind or the like comprising swivel blades coupled to a master blade carrying at one end a stud adapted, during its downward movement, to travel in a slide groove disposed behind a rocker and, during its upward movement, to engage both the slide groove, and the rocker, this control system comprises a microcomputer having stored in its non-volatile memory a control program of which the instruction groups are adapted to control the stud movements and the blind movement in relation to four predetermined stop points with respect to the rocker.

Abstract: A damped sensor is utilized outside the crush zone of a vehicle. The energy required for release of a firing pin resulting from damped movement of a sensing mass is small in comparison with energy absorbed by a bias spring acting on the sensing mass.

Abstract: A C.sub.21 amino acid is disclosed as a useful reactant for preparing polyamide resins.

Abstract: A thermal printer using a thermal transfer-printing ribbon including a thermal head movable between an operative position in which it is held in pressing engagement with a printing sheet and an inoperative position in which it is released from pressing engagement with the printing sheet. After lapse of a predetermined time following completion of a printing operation or interruption thereof, the thermal head is automatically moved from the operative position in which it has performed a printing operation to the inoperative position in which it is away from the printing sheet and performs no printing operation.