Abstract: There is provided a cassette case for containing a magnetic tape therein, including (a) a pair of cassette halves, the cassette halves being formed with a front opening through which a magnetic tape is to be exposed, (b) a pair of reels disposed in the cassette halves for rotation, (c) a magnetic tape wound around the reels, and (d) a guard panel including a front panel and a pair of side panels integral with the front panel at opposite ends thereof. The side panels is carried at the cassette halves so that the guard panel can rotate relative to the cassette halves and thereby the front panel opens and closes the opening. The front panel is formed with thicker-walled portions at each of which a groove is formed for locking the guard panel to the cassette halves. The front panel is formed with recesses closer to a proximal end of the front panel than the grooves, the recesses extending in a widthwise direction of the front panel.

Abstract: A power source switching system for electric motor vehicles comprises a plurality of secondary cell units as a power source, one or more discriminating sensors for detecting vehicle information, a control device for accepting a signal from the sensors and a switching circuit for switching the connection state of the plurality of secondary cell units, responsive to a control signal issued by the control device. In one embodiment of the invention, the discriminating sensor detects the occurrence of an impact shock, with the switching circuit changing the connection state of the plurality of secondary cell units into a parallel connection to prevent short circuiting.

Abstract: A single bladed cooking knife having two aligned cutting edges. An enclosure for the knife is provided in which an upper half-shell are joined and a lower half-shell joined to each other to form an enclosure for the knife; one end of the knife is coupled to the enclosure for pivoting the knife from a first position within the enclosure with one of the cutting edges positioned within the enclosure and another of the cutting edges being external of the enclosure to a second position with both of the cutting edges external of the enclosure. The knife blade is lockable, in the first and said second positions, and the knife blade is associated with a mechanism for unlocking the knife blade to move the knife blade from the first position to the second position and vice-versa.

Abstract: The process comprises heat-treating a xanthan gum fermented broth, and consecutively treating the broth first with alkaline protease and then with lysozyme or in reverse order, and thereafter recovering xanthan gum from the treated broth. A clear aqueous solution of xanthan gum may be obtained without complex procedures.

Abstract: Medical instrument for injecting liquids into a hollow organ and/or drawing off liquids from a hollow organ, in particular a bile duct. Clamping apparatus are associated with the hollow needle of the instrument, this instrument being constructed as a tubular shaft, and the tissue of the hollow organ can be securely enclosed by these clamping apparatus between an entrance opening in the hollow organ and an outlet opening of the hollow needle in such a way that no liquid can escape between the tissue and the hollow needle.

Abstract: There is disclosed apparatus for selectively electrolytically treating defined regions of a continuously moving conductive workpiece. The apparatus comprises means for conveying the workpiece through an electrolytic treatment zone of the apparatus where it is contacted with a treatment electrolyte; the conveying means affording masking means to mask the workpiece so that electrolyte contacts only the defined regions; the conveying means comprising an endless chain affording indexing means by which the workpiece is located in register with the masking means; means for supplying electrolyte to the masked workpiece; and means for passing a current between the workpiece as one electrode and another electrode; the means for conveying the workpiece comprising two endless chain conveyors made of articulated links of electrically non-conductive material between which the workpiece is held whilst it is passed through the treatment zone.

Abstract: An air-permeable plug member of a rubbery material useful as a stopper of the opening in a vessel, for example, for the culture of microorganisms and a method for the preparation thereof, by which the air permeability of the plug member can be freely controlled, are described. The plug member is characterized by the unique cellular structure consisting of a combination of a closed-cell structure and an open-cell structure in an appropriate proportion. Such a plug member can be prepared by first preparing a foamed rubber body consisting of a closed-cell structure only and then subjecting the same to a foam-breaking treatment by passing the body through a gap between, for example, a pair of rollers of which the gap width is 10 to 50% of the thickness or diameter of the body so that the cell walls of the closed-cell structure are partly broken to produce an open-cell structure.

Abstract: A process for treating effluent from a flue-gas desulfurization system wherein the resulting gypsum is removed, comprises filtering the gypsum and fly ash free effluent by a filter, transferring the filtrate to an electrodialyzer wherein cation-exchange membranes and univalent anion-exchange membranes are alternately set up, concentrating chlorine ions in the solution therein by dialysis, further concentrating the solution by evaporation in an evaporator, kneading the concentrated solution with cement or a mixture of cement and coal ash to a solid matter with no harm, and thereafter abandoning for landfill; and an apparatus for treating effluent from a flue-gas desulfurization system, comprising a filter for filtering the effluent to a turbidity low enough for treatment by an electrodialyzer wherein the effluent is to be separated into concentrated and dilute solutions, the electrodialyzer equipped with an alternate arrangement of cation- and anion-exchange membranes, with concentration and dilution compartme

Abstract: A music box comprises a drive shaft for winding a spring, a drum which rotates with transmitted rotation of the drive shaft when a spring is released, a vibrating plate with reeds for playing music when struck by pins on the drum, speed governing device having a speed increasing gear train which transmits the rotation of the drive shaft and a worm shaft which is positioned in the final step of the speed increasing gear train and on which a rotor is fixed, a frame for rotatably supporting the drive shaft and one end of the worm shaft and on which the drum, the vibrating plate and the speed governing device are arranged and a housing unit which rotatably supports the drive shaft and has a spring enclosure for enclosing a spring and a support unit which is formed at an end of the spring enclosure and supports the other end of the worm shaft.

Abstract: An improvement is proposed in the method for the preparation of a ceramic heater consisting of a substrate of boron nitride, patterned graphite layer thereon as an electric resistance heater element and an overall cladding layer of pyrolytic boron nitride formed on allover the surface after pattern-wise engraving of the graphite layer and the substrate in order to enhance the stability of the cladding layer against crack formation or exfoliation. The improvement is achieved by limiting the depth of engraving not to exceed 200 .mu.m or chamfering and rounding of the edged and recessed ridge lines formed by engraving so that the cross sectional profile is in a smooth contour having a radius of curvature not smaller than 0.5 mm.

Abstract: A xanthan gum having an improved transmittance is disclosed. Further, the transmittance of the xanthan gum is at least 75% in an 1% by weight aqueous solution. The xanthan gum is prepared by subjecting a strain ATCC 55429 or ATCC 55298 to submerged fermentation conditions to produce a broth containing the gum and debris. The broth is then subjected to heating at a temperature from 45.degree. to 70 .degree. C. for a period of time of at least one half to two hours and at a pH of 9 to 12.5. Two enzyme treatments are performed using an alkaline protease and lysozyme of which the order of their application is irrelevant to the recovery of the xanthan gum. The enzymes are applied at specific temperatures and time periods as well as pH conditions such as a protease is applied at a temperature of 40.degree. to 65 .degree. C. for a period of from 20 minutes to five hours at a pH range of 6 to 10; and the lysozyme is applied at a temperature of 25.degree. to 60 .degree. C.

Abstract: A device for microanastomosis of blood vessels has a housing (1) provided with a gripper (3) for grasping and crimping staples (4, 5), housing (1) enclosing a mechanism for crimping staples (4, 5) by actuating the gripper (3). This mechanism has a control member (16) which is accessible from outside the housing (1), a staple magazine (33) and a mechanism for transferring a staple (4, 5) from the magazine to a position between the jaws of the gripper (3) which is likewise controlled by a member (9) accessible from outside the housing (1).

Abstract: A fluidized-bed reactor has a plurality of heat-removing pipes and at least one temperature detection section disposed in a fluidized-bed forming portion. The heat-removing pipes are connected with coolant-feeding pipes and coolant-draining pipes at the outside of the reactor at least one of the heat-removing pipes is supplied with a first coolant at a stationary velocity and at least one of the other heat-removing pipes is supplied with a second coolant at a variable velocity. A temperature controlling method is disclosed for a fluidized-bed reactor in which heat is removed by using these heat-removing pipes in the fluidized-bed reactor.

Abstract: The machine tool bas a combined slide which is formed of partial slides and is movable in the X direction on two linear guides by means of guide carriages. The two partial slides are supported directly relative to one another by support guides and can be moved in the X direction relative to one another in order to carry out a correcting adjustment or a feed movement. Each partial slide supports a vertical spindle which is movable in the Z direction. A joint multiple turret is associated with the vertical spindles, this multiple turret being outfitted with tools associated with the two tool spindles. The vertical spindles and the partial slides have separate driving units which can be controlled by corresponding control devices in such a way that the vertical spindles and the partial slides are displaceable jointly and synchronously or asynchronously on the one hand and are displaceable relative to one another on the other hand in order to carry out a correcting adjustment or a feed movement.

Abstract: A rotary tabletting machine, for compressing powder or granular material, includes a rotating turret (3) supporting a ring-shaped member (5) in which openings (2) are made to be filled with the powder or granular material, with pairs of punches moved by driving means (10) which engage pairs of rollers (41) joined to the punches. The punches (20,30) have operative heads (21,31) adapted to compress the material inside the openings (2), and outer mobile heads (24,34), made of wear resistant material. The pairs of opposite punches (20,30) feature also, for each of the punches (20,30), respective tightness seals (25,35).

Abstract: Sports shoe with improved safety, including closure levers (13), arranged centrally with respect to either one of the upper metatarsal region (7) and the foot instep region (8) and the front tibial region. The levers are arranged transversely and centrally and any portion protruding from the gear is arranged only at the central region of the shoe.

Abstract: Protocatechualdehyde is prepared by the steps of reacting piperonyl dichloride with molecular chlorine in the presence of phosphorus trichloride, phosphorus pentachloride or sulfuryl chloride to prepare dichloropiperonylidene dichloride and hydrolyzing the dichloropiperonylidene dichloride. The piperonyl dichloride can be prepared by the reaction of piperonal with thionyl chloride in the presence of dimethylformamide.

Abstract: The device for measuring and displaying the concentration of glucose in the blood comprises a display device (2) into which disposable sensors (1) comprising a biomembrane (9) can be inserted. The display device (2) comprises a built-in computer (3) in whose memory (7) a glucose concentration diagram (5) is stored and which can evaluate the measurement results of the sensors (1). The computer (3) comprises a time measuring device (4) whose zero setting can be correlated in an irreversible manner with the date of manufacture of the disposable sensors (1). Before the device is supplied to the patient, the glucose concentration diagram, which corresponds to the characteristics of the biomembrane (9) of the disposable sensors (1) at the time of manufacture, is irreversibly calibrated. The glucose concentration diagram is automatically and irreversibly corrected, taking into account the time-dependent characteristics of the biomembrane (9) of the disposable sensors (1), by means of the time measuring device (4).

Abstract: A decanter centrifuge comprises a bowl rotatable about a longitudinal axis, the bowl being provided with a cake discharge opening at one end and a liquid phase discharge opening. The bowl has a cylindrical portion and a beach portion disposed between the cylindrical portion and the cake discharge opening. A beach area is provided on an inner surface of the bowl at the beach portion of the bowl, the beach area including a first section and a second section with the second section located between the first section and the cake discharge opening. The second section of the beach area has a less steep or smaller slope than the first section. A conveyor is at least partially disposed inside the bowl for rotation about the longitudinal axis at an angular speed different from an angular rotational speed of the bowl. The conveyor includes a helical screw disposed inside the bowl for scrolling a deposited solids cake layer along the inner surface of the bowl towards the cake discharge opening.