Abstract: A superconducting bearing device includes a permanent magnet on a rotor, with a superconductor placed opposite the magnet. Flux trapped in the superconductor during cooling helps to stabilize the rotor. More specifically, the permanent magnet is mounted on the rotor so that, as the rotor rotates, its rotation does not alter the magnetic flux distribution around the axis of rotation of the rotor. The superconductor permits penetration of the magnetic flux from the magnet, being space from the magnet by a distance that permits a predetermined quantity of the magnetic flux to penetrate it, while not permitting rotation of the rotor to alter the distribution of the penetrating magnetic flux.

Abstract: An apparatus for filtering liquids, especially for recovering fibers from white water, includes rotatable filter discs at least partially immersed in the liquid to be filtered, and a shaft wall connected to the discs forming a circular cylindrical filtrate chamber, which extends centrally through the discs. A rigid stationary partition wall extends in the filtrate chamber dividing the latter into at least two axial channels. The partition wall is spaced from the shaft wall and arranged such that all of said axial channels receive various fractions of filtrate, respectively. Filtrate discharge means is provided for discharging said fractions of filtrate respectively from the respective axial channels, such that the pressure prevailing in the filtrate of each channel is at least substantially as high as atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: An image reproducing apparatus includes an input part for inputting digital signals indicating an image and for inputting supplementary digital signals, a composition part for coding the digital signals through a prescribed coding process so as to generate a matrix of blocks in which coded data described by coefficients produced through the coding process is contained, the blocks being arranged in two-dimensional coordinates depending on a level of a frequency corresponding to each of coded digital signals, a first control part for determining a first region of low-frequency blocks in which the coded data corresponding to the digital signals are substantially located within the matrix, and a second control part for placing allocation data defining a location of the first region within the matrix into a maximum-frequency block of the matrix, and for placing data corresponding to the supplementary digital signals into a second region of high-frequency blocks of the matrix.

Abstract: A non-volatile semiconductor memory device has an erasure control circuit which, during erasure operation, is switched to a source of a memory cell having a floating gate. The erasure control circuit is constituted by a resistor element and a reference transistor having the same structure as that of the memory cell. One end of the resistor element is connected to a node which, during erasure operation, is electrically connected to the source of the memory cell. The reference transistor has a drain connected to the node, a gate connected to a constant-voltage source, and a source grounded. A floating gate/substrate insulating film of the memory cell and a floating gate/substrate insulating film of the reference transistor are formed simultaneously in the same fabrication step so that the thickness of these insulating films are substantially the same.

Abstract: A system for positioning and retaining in place an article of modular furniture in the form of a slab upon the upper face of a rest block comprises an intermediate piece and a fastener. The intermediate piece has a horizontal plate an arcuate heel extending upwardly from the upper face perpendicular to the plate at one end thereof, the shape and dimensions of the heel being the same as a concave recess provided in the external edge of the slab. The lower face of the plate includes a locking mechanism for locking the plate into a recess in the upper face of the rest block. The heel has a hole therethrough positioned to align with a hole in the concave recess in the external edge of the slab. The fastener includes a locking stud and a head, the head having a vertical planar part and a horizontal part which fully close the concave recess in the external edge of the slab when the stud is forced into the holes.

Abstract: The memory cell array in accordance with the invention is divided into several memory cell array portions, each memory cell array portion having refresh period determined so as to be adapted to a memory cell having minimum data retention time among memory cells therein. The invention can greatly reduce consumption of electrical power by refresh relative to the conventional memory cell array.

Abstract: In a method of lubrication between two sliding members at least one of which is made of a ceramic material, the improvement according to the present invention is characterized in that soot as produced by burning a hydrocarbon fuel is supplied between the two sliding members.

Abstract: A well penetrator has a housing moveable down a well casing with a radially moveable punch being supported in the housing for movement between retracted and extended positions; a fluid jet is discharged from the outer end of the punch with liquid for the jet coming from a tube fixedly positioned at one end in the housing and held in slightly bowed condition when the punch is retracted to permit movement of the punch to its extended position from its retracted condition without the creation of excessive force on this metal tube. The jet creates a bulbous drumstick shaped cavity in the earth which is packed with a gravel slurry which hardens and cannot move into the casing due to the bulbous shape of the hardened slurry mass. Similar procedures are employed using a hose or lance with a nozzle at its outer end; one nozzle embodiment includes radial jets activated to transversely enlarge the cavity at a location spaced from the casing.

Abstract: Rollback-preventing apparatus for a rail vehicle for engaging a toothed rack securely joined to the rail track includes a detent pawl attached to the wheel of the rail vehicle. The detent pawl has a ratchet which is shaped for engagement in the toothed rack. The detent pawl is frictionally engaged with a friction disk that is rotated by the wheel of the rail vehicle. The extent of rotational movement of the detent pawl is limited by a stop. The frictional engagement between the detent pawl and the friction disk raises the ratchet above the toothed rack during travel of the rail vehicle in the normal direction, preventing engagement and noise. If the rail vehicle begins to move backwards, the ratchet of the detent pawl is moved by the frictional engagement of the disk and detent pawl into engagement with the toothed rack and thus prevents the vehicle from rolling backward.

Abstract: In a equipment for manufacturing polycrystal silicon by depositing it on filament cores electrically heated, by means of thermal decomposition of monosilane gas, a bridge for connecting said filament cores is constituted by tantalum, molybdenum, tungsten or zirconium. Preferably the sectional shape of the connection bridge may be of upturned triangle, tear droplet or rectangle.

Abstract: A neuron unit processes a plurality of input signals and for outputs an output signal which is indicative of a result of the processing, and includes input lines for receiving the input signals, a forward process part including a supplying part for supplying weight functions and an operation part for carrying out an operation on each of the input signals using one of the weight functions and for outputting the output signal, and a self-learning part including a function generating part for generating new weight functions based on errors between the output signal of the forward process part and teaching signals and a varying part for varying the weight functions supplied by the supplying part of the forward process part to the new weight functions generated by the generating part. The supplying part includes a memory for storing each weight function in the form of a binary value, and a generating circuit for generating a random pulse train based on each binary value stored in the memory.

Abstract: An image processing system for smoothing edges of an image, includes a sampling part for sampling a group of dots from an image having a plurality of input black and white dots, the group of dots having a target dot at the center of a region and being sampled for each dot of the image, a recognition part for recognizing a dot pattern from the sampled dots, the dot pattern described by successive black dots and located at a boundary between a black dot region and a white dot region, and for producing code signals from the result of the recognition to define features of the dot pattern for each target dot, a discrimination part for detecting whether or not each target dot is part of an inclined line having a gradient relative to horizontal or vertical direction in response to the code signals, thus determining whether or not each target dot is to be corrected, a correction part with a memory, for inputting the code signals to the memory as address inputs when the dot is to be corrected, and for outputting a cor

Abstract: A neuron unit processes a plurality of binary input signals and outputs a neuron output signal which is indicative of a result of the processing. The neuron unit is provided with a plurality of first gates respectively for carrying out a logical operation on a binary input signal and a weighting coefficient, a second gate for carrying out a logical operation on an excitatory output signal of each of the first gates, a third gate for carrying out a logic operation on an inhibitory output signal of each of the first gates, a fourth gate for synthesizing output signals of the second and third gates and outputting the neuron output signal, and a generating circuit for generating the weighting coefficients which are supplied to each of the first gates.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device uses a memory cell array having of a plurality of cell array blocks, a redundancy cell array as a replacement for a cell array block containing a faulty memory cell, a replacement-information memory circuit for holding faulty-cell detection information and discrimination information of a cell array block containing a faulty cell in a plurality of memory transistors each, in normal mode, with source and control gate electrodes kept at ground potential and a drain electrode kept at a specified voltage of lower potential than the supply voltage. Each is forced into depletion or enhancement mode depending on the accumulated charge on the floating gate. The memory also includes a redundancy selector for outputting the redundancy signal which goes to active level by the decision based on an information held in this replacement-information memory circuit that a cell array block containing a faulty cell has been selected.

Abstract: A graphic output device for removing the aliases of the edges of a vector image by an antialiasing procedure and effectively outputting image data undergone such processing. Whether or not the inclination of an input vector is greater than 45 degrees is determined. In the event of outputting the result of antialiasing processing, a pulse width modulation system (vertically long dot diameter) is selected if the inclination of the vector is greater than 45 degrees, or a power modulation system (horizontally long dot diameter) is selected if it is smaller than 45 degrees.

Abstract: A continuous frying apparatus comprising a primary frying vessel for transferring foodstuff with the stream of oil; a secondary frying vessel for holding and frying the foodstuff below the oil surface with the use of a conveyor including rollers, a running member moving around the rollers and interlocked therewith, and projections arranged on the outer surface of the running member; and a joining section for connecting the primary frying vessel and the secondary frying vessel. According to the present invention, one of the rollers which is arranged nearest the starting side of the secondary frying vessel is positioned so that the intersection with the oil surface of a circular arc defined by the ends of the projections moving around that roller is positioned closer to the ending side of the secondary frying vessel than intersection of the oil stream flowing downward and out of the primary frying vessel meeting with the oil level in the secondary frying vessel.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for treating and preventing urethral stricture following surgery. The apparatus comprises a hollow cylindrical stent having a normally-expanded, contractible locating member attached at one end and a retrieving string attached at the other end. The contractible locating member is attached to the tube by two flexible strings. The contractible locating member is adjusted to its contracted condition by a cylindrical pusher prior to insertion into the bladder through the urethra. Once the contractible locating member is located in the bladder, the pusher is removed to permit the contractible locating member to return to its normally-expanded condition to provide an anchor in the bladder neck. The two strings connecting the stent and the contractible locating member are placed in the prostate and external sphincter, allowing the patient to remain continent. After healing is completed, the assembly can be retrieved by pulling the retrieving string.