Abstract: A projectile is accelerated along a confined path by supplying a pulsed high pressure, high velocity plasma jet to the rear of the projectile as the projectile traverses the path. The jet enters the confined path at a non-zero angle relative to the projectile path. The pulse is derived from a dielectric capillary tube having an interior wall from which plasma forming material is ablated in response to a discharge voltage. The projectile can be accelerated in response to the kinetic energy in the plasma jet or in response to a pressure increase of gases in the confined path resulting from the heat added to the gases by the plasma.

Abstract: A scrotum guard for male use comprises substantially identical side walls sealed along edges thereof to establish a sheath formed with an insertion opening. When the guard is in place by inserting the scrotum through the opening, the opening is firmly and gently clamped to grip the genitals by means of hook and loop fastening strips providing an infinitely adjustable fit. A series of elastic gatherers or pleats formed along an edge portion of the opening cooperate with the hook and loop fastening strips to improve retention of the guard in the protective position.

Abstract: An idler drive mechanism for particular use in video tape recorders has an idler wheel drivable by a motor-driven roller and movable into driving contact with a supply reel disc or a takeup reel disc for rotating the same at a rapid rate in a forward or reverse search mode of operation. The idler wheel is rotatably supported on an arm assembly operatively connected by a torsion spring to a slide lever. When the slide lever is displaced in one direction, in the forward or reverse search mode, the torsion spring urges the idler roller into contact with the supply or takeup reel disc. When the slide lever is displaced in the opposite direction, in the recording and reproducing modes of operation, the torsion spring is released into its free state, allowing the idler roller to be retracted out of contact with the supply or takeup reel disc.

Abstract: Applicant processes to be performed on several processors in a data processing system are synchronized and allocated. The data processing system includes plural processors, each of which derives a control signal indicating that an event has occurred which requires a change in the status of the system, as well as registers for storing signals indicative of a process being executed by the processor. A memory common to the processors is selectively coupled to the processors via a bus. A circuit connected to the memory, the bus and selectively coupled to the processors selectively couples signals between a selected processor and the memory via the bus.

Abstract: Foodstuff is heated in a chamber ventilated by a fan through an exhaust duct. The duct has a sufficiently long airflow passage to produce a substantially laminar flow therein. An opening at an intermediate position along the duct length faces in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the laminar airflow. The opening is closed by an enclosure so vaporized substance emitted by the foodstuff diffuses from the duct through the opening into the enclosure. A sensor in the enclosure detects the diffusing substance and develops a signal indicating a condition of the foodstuff.

Abstract: The positions of the ends of circularly disposed optical fibers of an optical fiber cable are re-arranged into a substantially linear side-by-side relationship by a device having a solid elongated body with first and second opposite end faces between which extend elongated grooves. Each groove receives only one of the optical fibers. The grooves intersect the first end face in a topological arrangement that is similar to the topological arrangement of the fibers in the cable so that the fibers in the cable can extend into the grooves without crossing each other. The grooves intersect the second end face in a substantially linear topological arrangement. The grooves extend between the first and second end faces in such a manner that they do not intersect.

Abstract: This invention relates to a sheathed resistance heater which comprises a metal pipe (3), a heating wire (2) received in the metal pipe, and an electrically insulating powder (4) filled in the pipe and also to a method for fabricating same. The electrically insulating powder (4) contains 0.1-10 wt % of the specific type of an oxide by which the heater has a prolonged life because the oxide serves to suppress the metallic component of the heating wire (2) from evaporating, and its insulation resistance under self-heating conditions can be prevented from lowering. The heater has wide utility in both domestic and industrial fields.

Abstract: A doze warning system has a circuit 20 for producing pulse signals representative of left- and right-hand steering angle variations, circuits 30 and 40 counting the pulse signal and producing a warning signal when the counter value reaches a threshold value, and a circuit 60 for producing a reset signal to clear the counter value when a difference between a number of pulse signals representative of the left-hand steering angle variations and a number of pulse signals representative of the right-hand steering angle variations exceeds a given value, or of a condition wherein the left-hand or right-hand pulse signals inputted exceeds a predetermined pulse number. The reset signal generating circuit detects a steering angle variation in excess of the threshold value in a normal driving condition such as passing through a curved road and produces the reset signal to inhibit production of the warning. By this reset signal generating circuit function, the warning system is prevented from malfunctioning.

Abstract: Products made of batter, such as pancakes, are automatically cooked on a continuous elongated, continuously advanced heated conveyor belt. A dispenser adjacent one end of the belt dispenses individual masses of the batter onto the belt to form the individual product units. At an intermediate location along the belt length, the product units are flipped. The dispenser and flipper are activated in synchronism with each other and longitudinal movement of the belt in response to the belt being continuously advanced.

Abstract: A tridimensional electrostatic accelerometer comprises a cube-shaped test ight. On each of the six faces of the cube is a pair of conducting electrodes. A hollow cage accommodates the test weight and twelve electrodes on the cage to form, with the test weight electrodes, three sets of four capacitors C.sub.ij, where i varies from 1 to 4 and j is x, y and z respectively. Measurements are made for each value of j of the sums and differences of the capacities(C.sub.1 -C.sub.2).sub.j (C.sub.3 -C.sub.4).sub.j(C.sub.1 +C.sub.2).sub.j (C.sub.3 +C.sub.4).sub.jFrom these quantities voltages are derived for positioning the test weight. The voltages are applied selectively to the electrodes of the set of capacitors C.sub.ij.

Abstract: A digital luminance signal and two digital color difference signals having high bit-rates and composed of words representing color picture elements are encoded into an encoded digital luminance signal and two encoded digital color difference signals having low bit-rates and composed of second words. The second words are selected in terms of real variation intervals of the two color differences having limits depending on a linear relation associating them with the luminance value.

Abstract: A well screen-filter includes a pair of substantially spaced concentric screens defining an annular filtrating space therebetween, connected with perforated joint(s) closing the lower end of the filtrating space. The annular space is filled with filtrating materials (gravel or synthetic balls) as a pack and an upper joint acts as a cover cap of the annular filtrating space to seal the pack. The lower perforated joint includes holes for passage of fine particles to a sedimentation tube, preventing clogging of the pack and enabling proper functioning of the double walled screen-filter.

Abstract: Polymeric materials consisting essentially of a polymer of recurring units of a five-membered oxygen family heterocyclic ring which is selected from furan, thiophene, selenophene, tellurophene and derivatives thereof. The polymer is doped with anions of the specific type. A method for producing the polymeric materials is also described which comprises electrochemically polymerizing a five-membered oxygen family heterocyclic compound in coexistence with an acceptor with or without use of a supporting electrolyte in such a way that anions of the specific type is taken in the polymerized heterocyclic compound. The polymeric material is obtained in the form of a dense tenacious film.

Abstract: A hygienic tongue scraping and massage instrument for freeing and removing pathogenic foreign matter entrapped in upper surfaces of the tongue comprises a pair of elongated handles and a generally straight cross bar formed with a scraping edge and having opposite ends connected respectively to forward ends of the handles. Connections of the opposite ends with the forward ends establish corners so that the scraping edge extends continuously along the cross bar to intersect the corners. Each handle is preferably rectangular in cross section with the cross bar being of triangular cross section and tapered downwards to form the scraping edge. The corners are generally sector or triangular shaped so that the handles and cross bar are sufficiently rigid to resist torsional flexing of the handles and minimize the tendency of the scraping edge to partially disengage the tongue as the instrument is brought forward by the user out of the oral cavity.

Abstract: An upright vacuum cleaner includes a floor nozzle having a rotatable brush housed therein for operative contact with a surface to be cleaned, a main cleaner assembly coupled with the floor nozzle and accommodating a motor-driven fan having a motor shaft and a filter therein, a flexible power transmitting shaft for transmitting rotative power from the motor-driven fan to the rotatable brush along a power transmitting path between the motor shaft and the rotatable brush, and an intermediate power transmitting mechanism including a torque limiter mechanism disposed in the power transmitting path for cutting off power transmission from the motor shaft to the rotatable brush when the rotatable brush is subjected to a torque greater than a preset torque.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting driver drowsiness on the basis of steering pulses, each steering pulse being produced whenever a steering wheel is rotated through a predetermined angle and indicating the direction of rotation of the steering wheel, comprising means for detecting the roughness of the road surface on which the vehicle is travelling and interrupting the detection of driver drowsiness for a fixed interval of time when the road surface roughness exceeds an acceptable level, i.e. a level conductive to accurate drowsiness detection.

Abstract: An oblong cheese mould (1) having a substantially constant cross-section has in its side wall (3) slits (2) for drainage of whey from the cheese mass received by the cheese mould. According to the invention, the slits (2) extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the mould, and their width, measured internally in the longitudinal direction of the cheese mould (1), is smaller than the cheese particles in the cheese mass, and the bottom (14) of the slits (2) facing the exterior of the mould is substantially closed, apart from channels (4) for drainage of the whey. This causes the cheese to be movable longitudinally of the mould because of its own weight so that the cheese obtains a very smooth surface, and thus the mould easily releases the cheese.

Abstract: A grinding tool comprises an endless abrasive belt looped around a drive pulley 2 and an idler pulley 23 and straddling therebetween a first arm 6 and a second arm 18. Tension is maintained in the belt by biasing element 10 acting on an end of the first arm. The first arm 6 is mounted in a slide assembly 4 which includes elements 5,7,8 for preventing the arm from sliding back into the assembly in use. The second arm 18 is pivotally mounted in a tracking head assembly 14 on an end of the first arm 6, with lateral biasing elements 16, 17 acting on respective opposing sides of the end portion of the second arm 18. This permits tilting of the idler pulley 23 to obtain correct tracking of the belt, and enables the arm 18 and the belt to be rapidly and easily changed.

Abstract: A billet made of a polycrystalline Mn-Al-C alloy magnet which is obtained by plastically deforming a Mn-Al-C alloy for magnet such as by extrusion at a temperature of 530.degree. to 830.degree. C. is used for compressive working. When the billet is hollow, it is entirely or locally compressed along the axis of the hollow billet. On the other hand, when the billet is solid, an outer circumferential portion of the billet is compressed. By the compression, the anisotropic structure of the portion where compressed is changed into an anisotropic structure having a direction of easy magnetization in radial directions. The magnet obtained by the method is also disclosed. The magnet has a radially anisotropic structure or novel structures having two different types of anisotropies therein.

Abstract: A television system combines signals representing a picture derived from a foreground scene moving in front of a backing, with a background scene. An input processing circuit mixes a color from the background scene, preferably different from the backing color, with certain colors in the composite foreground and backing picture. A first combiner responsive to the picture and background scene representing signals determines picture zones where false colors are created at transition points between the foreground scene and the backing. At transitions, e.g. a transparent object, between the foreground and background scenes in the resultant picture transmitted by the system, the colors are modified progressively such that a viewer no longer sees the edges or the reflections due to the backing, but rather a slight blur blending perfectly with the background and foreground scene colors.