Abstract: A printing system for printing documents and forms, as needed, in response to user-entered commands, includes a touch screen monitor for displaying information regarding the documents and forms, and user options, and for entry of commands by the user. A memory stores a plurality of documents and forms, the documents and forms being organized into a plurality of libraries, and stores software to control the display of options on the monitor and the interpretation and implementation of commands entered on the monitor. A printer prints documents and forms, and a processor, responsive to the monitor and the memory and communicating therewith, is connected to the printer to control printing of a document or form by the printer upon selection thereof by a user and entry of commands via the touch screen monitor. The memory further stores software to control the display and printing of the documents and forms without the native applications in which the documents and forms were created.

Abstract: A bridge mandrel construction is provided which is simple to manufacture, light weight, and easy to mount and dismount from underlying printing cylinders in flexographic and gravure printing systems. The bridge mandrel includes a generally hollow, cylindrically-shaped tube adapted to fit over a print cylinder. A channel extends substantially around the circumference of the inner surface of the tube, and a plurality of orifices extends generally radially outwardly from the channel to the outer surface of the tube. The channel and orifices permit pressurized air to be provided from the interior of the mandrel to its surface for the mounting of a print sleeve onto the mandrel. In one embodiment, the bridge mandrel includes a locking mechanism which is adapted to engage the print cylinder to prevent movement of the mandrel during printing operations.

Abstract: A tunable pulsed narrow bandwidth light source and a method of operating a light source are provided. The light source includes a pump laser, first and second non-linear optical crystals, a tunable filter, and light pulse directing optics.

Abstract: A cellulosic sheet suitable for use as a security document is provided including a multi-functional transparent secure mark formed therein. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention the secure mark comprises a transparentized portion of the substrate. The cellulosic substrate defines first and second major faces. The transparentized portion comprises a transparentizing composition applied to the cellulosic substrate in a predetermined pattern so as to define a graphical image having a relative transparency selected so as to define an area of increased transparency in the substrate. The transparentizing composition comprises a transparentizing agent and a security agent. In one embodiment of the present invention, the transparentized portion includes a printed portion and printed matter defining the printed portion is covered by the transparentizing composition.

Abstract: The present invention is the formation of solid polymer layers under vacuum. More specifically, the present invention is the use of “standard” polymer layer-making equipment that is generally used in an atmospheric environment in a vacuum, and degassing the liquid material prior to injection into the vacuum. Additional layers of polymer or non-polymer may be vacuum deposited onto solid polymer layers. Formation of polymer layers under a vacuum improves material and surface characteristics, and subsequent quality of bonding to additional layers. Further advantages include use of less to no photoinitiator for curing, faster curing, fewer impurities in the polymer electrolyte, as well as improvement in material properties including no trapped gas resulting in greater density, and reduced material wetting angle that facilitates spreading of the material and provides a smoother finished surface.

Abstract: A method of forming silicon storage nodes on silicon substrates, wherein the silicon storage nodes have a roughened surface, which does not result in deposition of silicon atoms over the entire surface of the silicon substrate and which does not require the silicon storage nodes to be comprised of amorphous silicon prior to being subjected to the surface-roughening treatment.

Abstract: A wafer processing apparatus and method of processing a wafer utilizing a processing slurry are provided. The wafer processing disk comprises a processing disk body and a plurality of processing teeth secured to the processing disk body. The plurality of processing teeth project from the disk body to define respective processing surfaces. The plurality of processing teeth include at least one pair of spaced adjacent teeth defining a processing channel there between. The processing channel is shaped such that the cross sectional area of the processing channel decreases as a function of its distance from the processing disk body.

Abstract: A process for etching oxides having differing densities which is not only highly selective, but which also produces uniform etches is provided and includes the steps of providing an oxide layer on a surface of a substrate, exposing the oxide layer to a liquid comprising a halide-containing species, and exposing the oxide layer to a gas phase comprising a halide-containing species. The process desirably is used to selectively etch a substrate surface in which the surface of the substrate includes on a first portion thereof a first silicon oxide and on a second portion thereof a second silicon oxide, with the first silicon oxide being relatively more dense than the second silicon oxide, such as, for example, a process which forms a capacitor storage cell on a semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A connecting adapter configured to mate on opposite ends with a standard adapter shank and a standard welding electrode of the resistance type. The connecting adapter is a hollow body with male and female connecting portions. The male portion, integral with the female portion, is sized to accommodate the standard welding electrode thereon. The female portion is sized to accommodate a taper portion of the shank within the hollow body and has exterior cross-sectional dimensions similar to those of the shank. The connecting adapter being formed of a wear-resistant conductive martial is replaced only periodically, thus reducing greatly the wear on the more expensive standard adapter shank.

Abstract: A distributed service network provides telecommunications and other services to users transparently of where the user accesses the network and the particular client used to access the network. The network comprises a plurality of regions, each comprising a region manager and one or more region servers. A personal agent is defined for each user and is replicated to remote regions in the network from the user's home region as the user connects through those remote regions. The personal agent stores user information including services to which the user is subscribed and preferences set by the user. The region servers include a set of transducers which operate to make services transparent to the actual client used to connect to the network and to the service provider.

Abstract: A multilayer structure is provided which suppresses hillock formation due to post-heat treatment steps in thin aluminum films deposited on other substrates by sandwiching the aluminum film between thin layers of aluminum titanium nitride. The first aluminum titanium nitride layer acts as a compatibilizing layer to provide a better match between the coefficients of thermal expansion of the substrate and aluminum metal layer. The second aluminum titanium nitride layer acts as a cap layer to suppress hillock formation.

Abstract: An inflow conduit assembly for conducting blood from a ventricle to a Ventricular Assistance Device (VAD) is provided. The assembly includes a rigid tube including an angled heart engaging end for insertion into a ventricle. The angled heart engaging end defines a long side for placement adjacent a heart septum. The tube includes an orifice end for attachment to the VAD, and the inflow conduit assembly further includes a coupling for attaching the orifice end of the tube to the VAD. The coupling is movable between a rotatable position wherein the tube is rotatable relative to the VAD, and a locked position wherein the tube is immobile relative to the VAD.

Abstract: A seal gas pressure booster system for use with a gas compressor, particularly of the type used for boosting pressure in gas transmission, process or utility industries and which contains pressure about the shaft/casing interface with the use of dry gas seals. Seal supply gas is supplied from the discharge side of the compressor. During normal operation, sufficient head across the compressor exists to supply the necessary flow of seal supply gas against the restrictions provided by the filters, interconnections and components in the seal gas supply system. During startup, or during modes of operation where sufficient head across the compressor does not exist, the pressure booster system increases the pressure of a stream of compressor discharge gas to provide the necessary pressure differential to supply the dry gas seal with a continuous flow of clean, filtered gas.

Abstract: A low dielectric constant material and a process for controllably reducing the dielectric constant of a layer of such material is provided and comprises the step of exposing the layer of dielectric material to a concentration of an oxygen plasma at a temperature and a pressure sufficient for the oxygen plasma to etch the layer of dielectric material to form voids in the layer of dielectric material. The process may also include the step of controlling the reduction of the dielectric constant by controlling the size and density of the voids. The size and density of the voids can be controlled by varying the pressure under which the reaction takes place, by varying the temperature at which the reaction takes place, by varying the concentration of the oxygen plasma used in the reaction or by varying a combination of these parameters. The process of the present invention is particularly useful in the fabrication of semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A driver is provided with storage for interchangeable bits in the handle portion. The handle portion comprises a generally cylindrical driver body, that is aligned along a common longitudinal axis with the shaft. Evenly spaced and outwardly opened grooves span longitudinally along the body for providing channel access to bits, such that one bit is stored in each groove. A bit cap is positioned over the heel end of the driver body and extends at least partially along the length of the driver body to form bit storage chambers. Through apertures in the closed end of the bit cap are spaced to align with the corresponding grooves in the handle body, for inserting and removing bits. A bit gate consisting of a circular disk having a single gate aperture is positioned between the heel of the driver body and the bit cap for selection of a desired bit. A bit selector knob extends longitudinally outward from the bit gate, through the back portion of the bit cap.

Abstract: A shelf stand for goods is proposed which has individually rotatable shelves, which are substantially circular and located one above the other. At the periphery of each shelf there is a driving device adapted to cooperate with driving means on the peripheral part of the shelf for turning or rotating the shelf. The shelves are divided into sections provided with impulse generators cooperating with impulse counters for determining the rotational position of the shelf.

Abstract: A plastic screw closure for bottles comprising a cap having a substantially cylindrical peripheral portion (1) with an internal screw thread (8) for screwing onto an external screw thread (11) of a bottle neck (10), and with a disc-like top plate portion (2). A substantially cylindrical sealing strip (4) which extends axially from the inside of the top plate portion (2) has an outside diameter at least equal to the bottle neck's outside diameter (D) and an inside diameter (2r2) smaller than the bottle neck's outside diameter (D). Inside the cylindrical sealing strip (4), a further, substantially cylindrical sealing olive-shaped button (3) is radially fitted, the outside diameter (2R1) of which, at least in the area near the top plate and opposite the sealing strip (4), is larger than the inside diameter (d) of the bottle neck (10).

Abstract: An arrangement is provided for determining the relative angular orientation between an excavator bucket and the dipper stick of an excavator. The excavator bucket is mounted on a bucket linkage that is pivotally secured to the end of the dipper stick. A hydraulic actuator has a hydraulic cylinder pivotally connected to the dipper stick, and a piston rod pivotally connected to the bucket linkage. Extension or contraction of the hydraulic actuator causes the excavator bucket to be pivoted by the bucket linkage with respect to the dipper stick. A cable extension linear position transducer having a transducer casing, a sheath extending from the casing to a pulley system, and an extensible belt cable extending from the sheath through the pulley system to an end of the piston rod, provides an electrical output related to the extension of the belt cable from the sheath. A transducer mounting secures the casing of the cable extension linear position transducer in fixed relationship to the hydraulic cylinder.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for incinerating certain volatile organic compounds especially odorants commonly used in the natural gas industry. The procedure uses a first (car bottom) furnace as a heating chamber, where precise temperature control during both low and high temperature process stages ensures safe and controlled feed of volatile substances into a second (primary) furnace for incineration. The combustion process is completed in an afterburner and all generated gases are scrubbed in a conventional wet scrubber.

Abstract: A single multipurpose tuck label/form is provided and is imprinted with only a single pass of a printer. The multipurpose tuck label/form includes a label ply and a liner ply, both having respective first and second sides. The first side of the liner ply contacts the second side of the label ply and includes a release coating thereon. Through a unique placement of the release coating on the liner ply and pattern-coated adhesive on the label ply, the tuck label/form can be imprinted in a single pass through a computer-driven printer and may be used without the need for any die cuts to be made on the liner ply.