Abstract: Buried elongate conductors (e.g. pipes and cables) are located using an antenna assembly of ten vertical coils (A-J) arranged in two identical rows (A-E and F-J) arranged one above the other. Currents induced in the coils by alternating currents in buried conductors are fed to signal processing circuitry (12). This calculates parameters whose values can reliably indicate when a conductor is vertically beneath the antenna, and can indicate its depth.

Abstract: A method for preparing basic zinc carbonate from die casting ash, zinc skimming or zinc ash includes heating urea or a mixture of urea and ammonia and carbon dioxide with water in a closed vessel with zinc ash. After zinc is dissolved in sufficient quantities, the solution is cooled and filtered. The filtered solution is cemented with zinc dust to precipitate heavy metals and the filtered. The solution is preferably heated a second time to remove an iron precipitate. The solution is then heated a third time to precipitate the dissolved zinc as basic zinc carbonate, which is washed and dried. The filtrate and gases recovered from the heating steps are reused in the process.

Abstract: A vacuum apparatus particularly suitable for disk recording systems has a rotatable shaft mounted on a support body by an air bearing, the air bearing being provided within a vacuum chamber. A second rotatable shaft extends through the wall of the vacuum chamber in which it is mounted by a second air bearing. The second shaft has a hollow center which communicates with an output of the air bearing for removal of air exhausting from the air bearing. The air bearing may be provided within a second chamber within the vacuum chamber and may be movable relative to the axis of the second shaft. In a disk recording system, the air bearing may support a turntable.

Abstract: Ironing board comprising an iron conneted with a steam boiler and an ironing plank provided with a pierced upper surface and with a lower tank gathering the condensation water of said steam; said ironing board comprises means for recovering the condensation water which is present in the tank and means for re-circulating water from said recovery means to said steam boiler.

Abstract: A method for measuring a convergence of color CRT uses a combination pattern among Red(R), Green(G) and Blue(B) colors on a white pattern when measuring convergence by using a color camera so that convergence is measured with a high degree of precision. The method sequentially generates two test patterns after mixing two colors chosen from among red(R), green(G), and blue(B) colors, e.g., mixtures of red(R)/blue(B) and green(G)/blue(B). Images are independently obtained of the two test patterns formed on the color CRT screen, and a signal conversion is performed based on each independently obtained pattern image to produce image information. The image information is stored and a convergence of the stored image information for each test pattern is calculated.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and a system for assessing the quality of a broadcast digital signal. A reference signal (sref) is generated (1001) from an initial signal (so) and jointly broadcast (1002) with a digital signal (sn). At reception level, the broadcast digital signal and reference signal received (snr, sref) are synchronized (2001) and a value D of the distance between the reference signal and the digital signal (snr, sref) is computed (2002) for assigning (2003) a quality value Q. The invention is applicable to the broadcast of audio and/or video digital signals.

Abstract: The invention relates to specific bacterium and proteins with xylanase activity derived from the bacteria, in particular to xylanases which are free of any significant cellulase activity and which are active at high temperature and at neutral to alkaline pH. Xylanases having these characteristics are particularly useful in the bleaching of wood pulps, such as kraft pulps. The preferred bacterium designated B230 was isolated from white-rotted kerri wood in Western Australia; a sample of which has been deposited under the provision of the Budapest Treaty in the Australian Government Analytical Laboratories under the accession number N94/41262. This preferred bacterium is a gram positive, obligatively aerobic, rod-shaped with a centrally-located spore and has the taxomonic characteristics of Bacillus subtilis (by VITEK method).

Abstract: A coffee aroma composition and a particulate coffee beverage preparation aroma composition. The aroma composition includes a coffee aroma constituent and a volatile organic carrier constituent. The carrier is in the liquid state at 25° C., and has a vapor pressure of at least 0.01 mm Hg at 25° C., a boiling point in the range of 25 to 250° C., a density of less than 1.0 g/cc, and water solubility of not more than about 10% by weight at 25° C.

Abstract: An underwater acoustic projector comprising a pair of spaced apart end walls with an acoustic driver positioned between the end walls, the driver having smaller cross-sectional dimensions than the end walls. Each end wall close one end of open ended tubular pipe waveguides and is mechanically coupled to one end of a piezoelectric acoustic driver.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are new forms computer monitors and displays, and preferred embodiments utilize electro-optical sensors, and particularly TV Cameras, providing optically inputted data from the display screen or from specialized datum's on objects and/or natural features of objects, which may be illuminated using specialized light sources, such as laser pointers. The invention is a continuation of earlier applications aimed at providing affordable methods and apparatus for data communication with respect to people and computers.

Abstract: A composite magazine for feeding to a filling or packaging machine pre-formed and flattened containers includes a main magazine suitably inclined in which the containers are piled up. The main magazine includes a long upper back portion which can be opened and closed downwardly. Below the main magazine there is provided an ancillary magazine which initially is in a substantially horizontal loading position in order to be easily supplied with a pile of containers on a bottom plane which leaves uncovered lateral portions of the bottom of the pile. When the upper back portion is emptied, the upper back portion is opened and the ancillary magazine is raised to insert the pile of containers in the main magazine. The upper back portion then closes to retain the pile, while the ancillary magazine returns in the low loading.

Abstract: The present invention provides a microfistula tube including a soluble duct, defining a drainage canal having an inner surface, the duct being biocompatible, wherein the microfistula tube is coated with and/or incorporates biological for forming a basement membrane, or an intracellular matrix and a basement membrane. The biological cells may coat the inner surface of the drainage canal, and the microfistula tube may be made of a mouldable material or an absorbable material. The invention also provides an implantation system for the microfistula tube including a microfistula tube and a surgical instrument including an outer tube for penetrating body tissue, an inner tube, and an innermost rod, wherein the outer tube, the inner tube and the innermost rod are coaxial, the outer tube is adapted to receive said microfistula tube, whereby the inner tube may be used to push the microfistula tube into position and the innermost rod provides mechanical support during implantation of the microfistula tube.

Abstract: A microwave thermography apparatus to measure temperatures within a dielectric body comprises a partial ellipsoidal cavity with an electrical conductive surface wherein the body can be located at one focus of the cavity. A microwave antenna located at a second focus of the cavity is connected to a radiometer. That radiometer amplifies and filters signals from the antenna before they are applied to a detector with the temperature of the body being determined from the voltage amplitude of the detected signals.

Abstract: In a method for determining the hardness of a product, for instance fruit, during a measuring cycle, comprising: supporting the product, tapping the product with a tapping device at least one position of the product, as a result of which the product as a whole is set in its natural vibration and produces vibration signals, sensing the vibration signals with a signal sensor, and processing the vibration signals with a signal processing device, in which the hardness FRi of the product is determined, and further comprising: sensing the signals produced by the tapping device with a second signal sensor, processing the vibration signals with a second signal processing device, the elastic properties of the product being determined in a volume range around the above at least one position, determining the hardness FIi of the product, comparing FIi and FRi and checking the comparison with a pre-adjusted value, the tapping and sensing with the second signal sensor being repeated when the comparison does not satisfy the

Abstract: A telecommunication system has a space segment which includes a satellite carrying a multibeam telecommunications payload and a terrestrial segment comprising gateways for access to a terrestrial network. There is one gateway within a terrestrial coverage of each beam or of a group of beams. User terminals communicate with the payload of the satellite. The payload has, on a forward path from any gateway to any user terminal, a frame by frame routing unit for messages transmitted in time division multiplex. On a return path from a user terminal to a gateway the payload has a routing unit operating within each group of carriers belonging to a given beam.

Abstract: Respective secondary thrusters (70, 71) are added to the primary horizontal thruster (7) and primary vertical thruster (12) of a guiding device of the known type and the guide channel (6) is provided with dimensions such that the steps of guiding and feeding the capsule (C) are performed with minor successive displacements of the said capsule (C). The primary vertical thruster (12) operates, in a position distant from the sleeve (13) of the capping machine so as to allow discarding and free removal of the defective capsules (C) which have a double lid (C2) or the capsule parts which reach this thruster. The last section (206) of the guide channel (6) inside which the secondary vertical thruster (71) operates, has a width slightly smaller than that of the upstream section (106) of the said channel so as to retain firmly the end of the defective capsule (C) having lids (C2) on opposite ends of a base (C1).

Abstract: A system is provided for processing articles in a warehousing or merchandising operation wherein information bearing electronically coded labels are attached to the articles to be processed. The system uses the principle of electromagnetic communication in which an interrogator containing a transmitter generates an electromagnetic signal which is transmitted to electronic labels containing label receiving antennas. The electronic labels are attached to articles as they are processed. Each label antenna receives a proportion of the transmitted energy and operates a reply generation circuit connected either to the label receiving antenna or a separate label reply antenna with the result that an information bearing electromagnetic reply signal is radiated by the label.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe is provided for medical applications which can be used both in high resolution imaging and therapy or other high intensity applications. The probe includes a primary ultrasonic transducer array operating at first resonant frequency and formed by a plurality of elements arranged linearly along a coordinate axis, and a secondary ultrasonic transducer array operating at second resonant frequency and comprising a plurality of elements arranged linearly along the coordinate axis and being interdigitated with the elements of the primary ultrasonic transducer array. In one embodiment, separate transducer units are joined to form the probe while in a further embodiment, the two arrays are produced from a common piezoelectric member.

Abstract: A display device is provided which is formed by first and second outer panels and a third, inner panel disposed between the outer panels. The outer panels are joined together separately from the inner panel in a first portion of the device and each of the outer panels includes a slit in this first portion and fold lines therein for enabling the joined outer panels to be pulled apart and separated along the slit to expose the inner panel for display. All of the panels are joined together at a further, base portion of the device. The fold lines in outer panels provide folding of parts of the outer panels forming the base portion of the device into a support arrangement for the device. In a first state of the device, the inner panel is shielded from view by the outer panels and the inner and outer panels form a unit of a substantially flat, planar configuration, and, in a second state of the device, the inner panel is exposed for display and is supported by the support arrangement.