Abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is diagnosed by determining with a quantitative immunoassay the quantity of free kappa light chains in the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient. The immunoassay is preferably a radioimmunoassay. In carrying out the immunoassay, the free kappa light chains are combined with antiserum specific thereto. This method of diagnosing MS has high sensitivity in distinguishing between normal patients and patients affected with MS.

Abstract: A hologon scanner system in which a pair of laser beams which are collinear with each other are deflected by a common hologon scanner. The beams are initially linearly polarized in orthogonal directions and are combined in a polarization sensitive beam combiner so that they are collinear. The combined beams are passed through a quarter-wave plate (the laser beams both being of the same wavelength) so as to circularly polarize them in opposite hands. The combined circularly polarized beams may be modulated to change their intensity. Such modulation may be provided by an acousto-optic diffraction grating modulator. The modulated beams are then directed to the hologon deflector and are scanned across the image surface. The modulator is also part of a closed loop feedback system with a detector which responds to positional variations of the image surface due to its transport system and deflects the beam to compensate for such position variations.

Abstract: Achromatic optical systems forming phase shifters and phase modulators are presented and shown to impart (temporal) phase-angle shifts in incoming waves which are independent of wavelength over extremely broad spectral ranges (achromatic or white light). Three major classes of achromatic phase shifters are described including the triangle, close cascade, and imaged grating configurations. When constructed utilizing volume holographic optical elements, very high diffraction efficiencies may be achieved over the large bandwidths used. These systems may similarly be utilized to impart achromatic frequency shifts and frequency modulations which are wavelength independent over extreme spectral ranges and usually do not disturb the spatial form of the input waves. These devices may be used in AC interferometers and allow such interferometers to be operated with white light. The devices are also useful in switching between spatial sine and cosine optical transforms in optical pattern recognition systems.

Abstract: An integrated laser scanning system for scanning a modulated beam across an image surface, which may be a receptor on which the image is scanned, is provided by a rigid housing having a central plate and walls which define a plurality of cells on opposite sides of the central plate, some of which may extend through the central plate. A deflector, preferably having a rotatable hologon, a laser and optical components, including an assembly of components for processing and modulating the laser beam, are mounted in different ones of the cells and define a beam path which is folded and extends in one direction over the central plate and in an opposite direction out of the housing toward the image surface.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for optical phase conjugation, which apparatus is also known as a phase conjugate mirror, utilizes Brillouin enhanced four wave mixing in which a forward going pump wave and a backward going pump wave have frequencis which differ by twice the Brillouin frequency of the medium. The probe wave and the conjugate wave, which is obtained by Brillouin enhanced four wave mixing in the medium, have the same frequency, which differs from the pump wave frequencies by the Brillouin frequency of the four wave mixing medium. High reflectivity (gain) is obtained as a result of Brillouin resonance enhancement. The backward going pump wave is created from the forward going pump wave which is transmitted through the four wave mixing medium by stimulated Brillouin scattering in a Brillouin scattering medium having a Brillouin frequency twice that of the four wave mixing medium.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner nozzle with a retractable brush having a plate carrying strips of bristles along the forward and rearward edge thereof and having leaf springs extending from one side and cam following members extending from the opposite side. A slide having camming members in engagement with the cam following members of the brush plate. The slide and brush plate are captured in a housing into which a conduit from the vacuum source extends through the housing and out of a sole plate, which is removably secured to the top plate and against which the brush plate leaf springs bear. Projections from the slide extend through the top of the housing and move the slide laterally in one direction to bring the brush through openings along the forward and rearward edges of the sole plate against the bias of the leaf springs to extend the brush. The projections move laterally in the opposite direction to permit the springs to retract the brush.

Abstract: A universal grass catcher which may be used with lawnmowers having grass discharge openings from the sides of the decks thereof, which may be of different size and have different attachment means, such as a hook or spaced pins which are mounted on the deck adjacent to the discharge opening. An adjustable frame which can be contracted or expanded to match the size of the discharge opening is attached to arms which carry the grass collecting bag. The open end of the bag is fastened around the frame. A support plate is mounted to the frame and may be connected between outer ends of the arms. The support plate projects perpendicular to the frame and rests on the deck. The support plate has a slot which receives the hook or the pins. A stop plate is moveably mounted on the support plate and has a slot which is aligned with the slot in the support plate.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method of expressing fluent liquid (e.g. juice) from source material comprise subjecting inner and outer surfaces of pressure application means (1) to a pressure differential constituted by applying suction (7,8) to both the source material and the inner surface of the pressure application means while the outer surface of the pressure application means is acted upon by free pressure of the earth's atmosphere, such that the inner surface of the pressure application means transmits to the source material at least a portion of the pressure differential, and fluent liquid is expressed from the source material.

Abstract: Methods for sterilization wherein air is purged from the load to be sterilized prior to the addition of the sterilant and wherein residue chemical sterilants, such as ethylene oxide, are purged post-sterilization by introducing air and steam at pressures which cause the steam to condense on the interstices of the load and then vaporize to provide a carrier for trapped air (prior to sterilization) and residue chemical sterilant (post-sterilization).

Abstract: A frame synchronization detection system which enables frame synchronization and synchronizing pulses to be provided from at least two formats of DS1 TDM signals, specifically the D4 and extended superframe Fe formats. A first search logic circuit provides an output indicating the onset of a maintenance mode of frame detection when either Fe or D4 patterns are decoded. For the D4 pattern an alternate pattern is decoded and the first search circuit enters the maintenance mode only after both alternate D4 framing patterns are decoded. A second search logic circuit enables the decoding of a subsequent sequence and detection of framing, thereby reducing the probability of false framing. A frame counter which is synchronized upon the detection of a valid framing pattern by the first search circuit continues to supply frame sync pulses until an error detector, which detects whether a predetermined ratio of invalid to valid framing bits occurs, resets the system back to the search mode.

Abstract: A document feed tractor has a multiposition lid which is held by projections from the frame of the tractor in open position to enable loading of the perforated document (paper) in the tractor. The lid is pivotally mounted in openings in the projections which enable lid to be both rotated and translated from the open position over the projections, which then define ledges holding up the lid, to closed position when the lid is moved over the edges of the ledges. Then, the lid can snap down under a spring bias to the closed position where it confines the document on the tractor belt.

Abstract: An upright vacuum cleaner which is convertible for floor cleaning and above the floor cleaning, has a housing mounted on a floor nozzle in which a vacuum is drawn. A hose extending from the housing is insertable into a conduit which leads into the floor nozzle for floor cleaning. The hose also receives tools for above the floor cleaning. These tools are removably held in a tool holder on the rear wall of the housing with recesses and lands in the wall which is flexible. The recess at one end of the wall is defined by a member which overlaps the wall to define a lip. A nozzle for above the floor cleaning snaps over the lip and is held in the compartment between the wall and the end of a land between the recesses with the mouth of the nozzle behind the lip and the open end of the nozzle opposite its mouth on a rib on the end of that land which catches the open end of the nozzle.The flexible wall can readily be depressed so as to release the nozzle when it is to be used.

Abstract: A wheelchair having a propulsion and speed change mechanism, the mechanism has a clutch with a cam clutch (21) and a cylindrical fly wheel (23) installed on a hub (24) of the shaft (25) of the main wheel of the chair. The clutch includes roller bearings (14), plate springs (22) and forward and backward regulating device (15). A matched union gear (20) is formed at the center of the cam clutch (21) and matched with a union gear (19) formed on a propulsion and speed change bar (12) so that the cam clutch (21) and the propulsion and speed change bar move as one body. The cam clutch (21) and the bar (12) are installed with a bearing (17) on the axle of the frame (13) of the wheelchair. A connecting rod (2) has one end connected to one of a plurality of holes (10) on the propulsion and speed change bar (12) with a fixing pin. The other end of the rod is connected to the hole (7) of the propulsion and speed change bar with a moveable pin (6).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for steam sterilization in which goods are conditioned by removing air and heated to a desired temperature in a chamber. The goods are subjected to a plurality of pressure pulses at above atmospheric pressure by alternate pressurization and venting of the chamber to atmospheric pressure. At the beginning of the process and following pressurization pulses, at or slightly above atmospheric pressure air is flushed from the chamber with steam prior to pressurization. Upon removal of air from the load and the chamber sterilizing environment, the chamber is pressurized until a selected pressure related sterilization temperature is reached. After a timed exposure period, the sterilizing chamber is vented to atmospheric pressure and a vacuum is created in the sterilizing chamber to dry the load.

Abstract: A transmission from a hydroacoustic source, especially for underwater geophysical exploration, is generated in accordance with two binary codes (provided by two pulse trains or sequences having two levels and which provide a spectrum of harmonically related components). One of these codes has one more or one less harmonic component than the other. The transmission is provided with a frequency spectrum which extends between an upper and lower frequency limit by sweeping the pulse trains over an octave (2:1) frequency range, far shorter than the range of the spectrum, and utilizing one of the codes and then the other of the codes during the sweep. The spectrum of the transmission extends between two arbitrary frequencies which need not be harmonically related, notwithstanding that the sweep is limited to an octave in frequency range.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ion exchange process and composition useful therein for creating a gradient-index profile in a glass structure which uses a monovalent metal salt bath modified by the addition of a non-monovalent metal salt which provides for complexing of the outdiffusing cation (of the ion exchange process) to prevent poisoning via that cation.

Abstract: An optical system which provides wavelength tuning and which may be a spectrometer, monochromator or tunable laser uses a volume transmission diffraction element which is characterized by a periodic, spatial variation of refractive index or polarizability or other light transmission effecting parameter, and which is distributed throughout the volume of the element. The wavelength is tuned by (1) varying the angles of the incident and diffracted light symmetrically with respect to the periodic distribution in the element and/or (2) by varying the spatial period of the diffracting element's volume modulation distribution which is maintained symmetric with respect to fixed incident and diffracted beam angles.

Abstract: A continuous process, namely the quality control of web production, is monitored and analyzed for defects with high resolution continuously, notwithstanding that the processing of signals for such continuous monitoring and analysis with high resolution requires handling of data at enormous data rates (e.g., billions of calculations per second). The system uses a computer architecture for continuous processing of the data in real time. In a first level of the architecture, signals arriving from the process (from the scanning of successive lines on the web) are digitized, and reduced to represent data corresponding to certain events, such as defects in the web. In a second level of the architecture, an array of parallel processors operate concurrently and continuously on the reduced data to provide outputs characterizing the events, for example, measurements of the locations and extents of the web defects.