Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for imparting a smooth surface to a gypsum fiber panels. The method involves imparting energy to the surface of the slurry as the slurry is dewatered just prior to rehydration. The apparatus used to impart the energy is an air lance including an air source such as a blower, a distribution manifold and a plurality of nozzles to direct the flow of air at the surface of the slurry. In operation, the air lance directs a flow of air against the surface of the slurry. The flow disrupts the slurry to a fraction of its total depth, thus dispersing clumps or flocs of crystals in the depth that would give the surface of the finished panel a rough surface if they were allowed to remain.

Abstract: Error-free or rapid protection switching between two basestations, one main and one standby, or two transmitters (1,2) etc. of one basestation (8) is achieved using a downstream marshalling scheme involving the transmission of a sequence from the standby basestation to an outstation (9,10,11) at levels below the noise sensitivity of a receiver (7) at the outstation and alignment of the phases of the transmitted sequence and a reference main basestation sequence by, for example, a correlation process. If a similar upstream marshalling process is employed for marshalling additional outstations into the system the same circuitry can be used for phase alignment for both marshalling processes. (FIG. 1).

Abstract: A communications system query processing element, for example a home location register for a mobile communications system, includes a plurality of application processors. First data such as permanent data relating to a plurality of mobile subscribers (subscription information etc.) is available at all application processors, whereas second data such as temporary data relating to the plurality of subscription is partitioned between the application processors. Queries are allocated via a transaction bus to an available application processor. If it is not the correct one for the subscriber originating the query, it is redirected via the transaction bus. This arrangement permits a linear growth in terms of database to be achieved with increasing numbers of subscribers by the addition of application processors as necessary and in a manner not involving a processing bottleneck.

Abstract: A process for use in manufacturing opto-electronic components in opto-electronic hybrid module form. V-grooves (42) are provided by anisotropic etching techniques in a silicon substrate (41). Electrical ground planes (43) and interconnects (46, 49) are provided on dielectric layers (44, 50) with interconnections between them by way of vias (45, 51). Solder wettable pads (52) are provided on the outermost dielectric layer (50). Solder bumps (54) for use in a flip-chip bonding technique are provided by a wet forward technique. Components such as a laser array (30) are bonded to the solder bumps in accurate alignment therewith.

Abstract: A high-availability computer system comprises at least two processors, each having its own private disk drive, and a shared disk drive, accessible by both processors. Each of the private disk drives holds system files for establishing a processor as a secondary processor, and the shared disk drive holds system files for establishing a processor as a primary processor. When it boots up, each processor decides whether to use the system files from its private disk so as to become a secondary, or to use the system files from the shared disk so as to become the primary. As as result, after a system failure or reboot, either processor can pick up the characteristics of the the primary processor, and will have all the most up-to-date primary information available to it.

Abstract: A conveyor belt scraper blade adapted for use in cleaning the surface of a conveyor belt. The scraper blade includes a resilient arm member extending between a lower base portion and an upper end portion. The arm member is adapted to pivot about an axis extending through the base portion. A scraping block is attached to the upper end portion of the arm member. The scraping block includes a front surface and a rear surface. The front surface extends between an upper scraping edge adapted to contact the surface of the conveyor belt and a spaced apart lower edge. The front surface is adapted to form an obtuse scraping angle with the surface of the conveyor belt. A restraining member extends substantially from the scraping edge to the arm member. The restraining member substantially prevents movement of the scraping edge with respect to the front surface and controls the amplitude of vibration of the scraper blade during use.

Abstract: In a twin roll caster, the problem of the casting sticking to one or other of the rolls can be overcome or at least reduced by adjusting the relative speed of rotation of the rolls when sticking is detected or anticipated.