Abstract: A paint pad allows a user to produce a unique finish to a surface without having to wear gloves. The pad includes a base having an upper surface and a lower surface. A painting medium, which is a cross-section of a natural sponge or chamois leather, Preferably, a handle extends from the upper surface of the base. In one preferred embodiment, the base and handle are both circular, with the handle extending from a center of the base and with the diameter of the base being greater than the diameter of the handle. The present paint pad provides for even paint distribution, is long lasting and is economical. In preferred embodiments, the paint pad is packaged in a single paper or paperboard sheet having a front panel, a back panel and a middle panel connecting bottom edges of the front and back panels. The back panel includes a cutout region for receiving the handle of the paint pad.

Abstract: A doctor blade system with clamping device is provided for clamping a doctor blade, for example, in a doctor blade chamber without using screws and without having to use tools. A clamping mechanism, preferably pneumatic, counteracts the clamping by actuation. By disposing a sectional rail between the clamping rail and the doctor beam, the sectional rail drawing the clamping rail and the beam together with a spring mechanism, the doctor blade is clamped between the clamping rail and the beam. In another embodiment, the clamping rail is designed as an angular section tipping about an edge.

Abstract: A valve device for self-watering of livestock has a valve with a valve housing located in frost-free surroundings, a subterranean well. The valve device has a sliding valve body arranged to open by actuation of an animal for discharging water through an outlet opening provided in a delivery tube. Water is discharged into a drinking bowl or nozzle disposed at a level above ground convenient for the animal. The valve body is arranged to close for water discharge through the outlet opening under subjection of water pressure in an inlet opening. The valve body may be controlled remotely from the drinking bowl or the nozzle. The valve body is arranged such that the delivery tube and the valve housing are automatically emptied of water when the valve is closed, for example, when only the valve body is subjected to water pressure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pressure reducing valve having a piston-like plug, and whose output pressure is automatically controlled relative to ambient pressure, particularly for scuba breathing apparatus regulators. According to the invention, an antifriction member (18) is interposed between the pad (13) which forms the valve seat and cooperates with the tubular plug (8) and the threaded stem (17) for adjusting the axial position of the pad (13), which antifriction member is free to rotate and to slide axially and prevents any direct contact between the pad and the adjustment threaded stem (17), thereby preventing the threaded stem from driving the pad along (13) into rotation. The antifriction member may be a disk (18) made of a relatively hard material with an appropriate surface smoothness, such as stainless steel or tungsten or a plastic material known with the trade name DELRIN, or the like.

Abstract: The invention provides tele-jam a system and methods for establishing ensembles or groups of participants by a variety of original organizational methods such that the participants interact in real-time (quasi-real-time) in a desired format (strictly predefined format, loosely defined format, or spontaneous format). A host system is provided having servers and client electronic apparatuses connected to the host system by electronic data network. A database of characteristics is stored in the host system, the characteristics including musical details, queries, responses triggered by queries for classifying users based on queried, experimentally detected, or previously stored data including network data transfer delay. Data streams are formed from user's input data and placed on queues corresponding to the particular classifications, and groups of arranged users. Algorithms in the system act on the supplied and/or detected information with capability for subsequently switching/bridging together.

Abstract: A fuel ampoule for fuel cells delivers fuel by diffusion through the ampoule walls. The fuel ampoule is stored in a fuel impermeable container. These ampoules used with small low power fuel cells need a steady controlled uniform delivery of vaporous fuel such as alcohols. This fueling system avoids the leakage problems of liquid fuel, and may be easily packaged for small compact fuel cell systems.

Abstract: The outer peripheral site of a loudspeaker unit is provided with predetermined air passages formed along substantially the overall inner perimeter of an opening in a baffle plate for allowing a communication between the interior and the exterior of an enclosure, whereby there is provided a loudspeaker system capable of achieving, e.g., improvements in low-frequency characteristics and in transient characteristics while implementing reductions in size and weight.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transport vehicle which serves to transport objects having large dimensions, especially glass stands. The transport vehicle is provided, as a low-platform railway car, with a traversal loading area. This loading area and the loading ramps assigned thereto form a travelling surface for so-called Osila glass transport vehicles, whereby the loading area is protected against soiling in an overall manner by a structure, and the load is secured on the loading area by stand fixing devices and load securing devices.

Abstract: An insulating cover for a portable toilet as used on construction sites and for outdoor events is described. In one arrangement insulating panels are fastened around the portable toilet to reduce the escape of heat therefrom.

Abstract: A vibrated bed of particles is created by vibrating a chamber. Particles are flowed to a ceiling of the chamber and cascade through a gas flowing though the chamber, exchanging heat with the gas. Particles spouted to the ceiling spread there and cascade. Larger particles, raised above the ceiling by a lateral vibrated elevator, cascade from channels beneath openings in the ceiling. A plenum and tubes release protective gas through the vibrated bed. Tubes embedded in the vibrated bed move fluid to exchange heat with the particles in the vibrated beds. Serialized chambers are reversed and particles flow from one chamber to another.

Abstract: A sheet-sorting apparatus has a stacking tray to stack sheets formed with indicia thereupon, a processing tray to receive said sheets in the process leading to said stacking tray, and when necessary, a path to discharge directly to said stacking tray and a path to discharge said sheets to said stacking tray means via said processing tray means the paths being selectable, enabling a leading set of a plurality of sheets to be discharged directly the stacking tray and continuing to stack subsequent sheet sets in said processing tray through which process leading set of sheets and the subsequent set of sheets are sorted on the stacking tray.

Abstract: Deer attractant and feed comprising stabilized rice bran and calcium carbonate is disclosed. Limestone is added to the rice during the milling process. The residue from this process, rice bran and a small amount of pulverized limestone, is the cooked in an extruder, resulting in stabilized rice bran. The extrusion process destroys lipase activity and reduces the free fatty acid content to under 4%. The product contains about 12.5% or more protein, and preferably has a 2:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorous. Because of the balanced nutritional analysis and the addition of calcium carbonate to the feed, the product aids in promoting overall deer growth as well as bone growth in bucks. The product also acts as a deer attractant, moving deer toward sources of adequate food supplies and away from cultivated gardens and crops.

Abstract: Not all gas diffusion structures known to date can guarantee water balance compensation in the fuel cell, protection against drying and prevention of water deposits while simultaneously ensuring even distribution of reaction gases. In the gas diffusion structure, according to the invention, a gradient is produced in terms of gas permeability perpendicular to the membrane by way of a stratified system. This guarantees, at an appropriate operating temperature and appropriate stoichiometry of the reactants, constant and optimal humidification in all points of the membrane by the formed product water. Additional humidification systems can thus be discarded.

Abstract: Forward error correction techniques are applied and imbedded in the designated spaces of all the Internet Transmission Protocols in the Application Layer, the Transport Layer, the Network Layer, and the Link Layer. Encoding methods are performed at the transmitting end and corresponding decoding algorithms are performed at the receiving end. Error correcting codes are used at the receiving end to check and correct the received transmissions. This invention achieves significant better performance and quality of service (QoS) in terms of capacity amelioration, efficiency enhancement, reliability improvement, message delay reduction, bandwidth conservation, faster signaling, and the prevention of traffic congestion. The results are obtained effortlessly, simply, and simultaneously. All the above attributes are accomplished without adding complexity for each improvement.

Abstract: A three-position shed-forming device with a shed-forming element (10);(60,70) in connection with a warp yarn, two lifting devices (1),(2);(41),(42);(51),(52) with a different lifting height (h), (2h) which are movable up and down in phase, and a selection device (20,21); (83,84) (93,94) in order to have the shed-forming element carried along either by the first lifting devices (1);(41);(51) or by the second lifting devices (2);(42);(52) or by none of the lifting devices. A similar device is able to bring, during successive weft insert cycles, a warp yarn alternately into the lower position and in any of the upper, center and lower positions, and has no pulley block elements.

Abstract: Fluid jet tubes having operative openings and cell traps for cell cluster, tissue and debris harvesting and collecting are used with an endoscope such that the fluid jets draw-in, stabilize and hold in-vivo target specimens at a distal end. While the catheter grips the tissue by suction, blasts of high pressure solution strip from the tissue and suspend clusters of cells which are ready for analysis. The clusters are entrained in the solution and are recovered in a cell collection trap at the proximal end. Traps are removed, replaced or rotated out of and into alignment with a trap connector to accommodate new target specimens. A switch controls fluid flow, intensity and frequency of fluid jet blasts of the solution. The fluid jet catheter paired with a fiber optic system in an endoscope allows viewing of areas surrounding the distal end of the catheter.

Abstract: A sty for sows having piglets is described. The sty may be built having the same area requirements as for sties for bounded sows, but may be used for untethered sows. This takes place in that a rectangular sty department is divided by a diagonal wall which is adjacent to a corner of a rectangular climate department for piglets which are placed at each corner of the sty department. In order to establish natural lying positions for the sow, the sty comprises mounted devices in the floor which simultaneously protects the piglets against squeezing when the sow lies down.

Abstract: A swim fin comprises a footpocket (1) and a propelling blade (2), which has a central longitudinal member (3) for supporting and stiffening the blade (2). The blade (2) has at least one pair, preferably a plurality, of ribs (5) oriented toward the free end (4) of the blade (2) and extending from the central longitudinal member (3) to the peripheral edge (4, 6) of the blade (2). The gaps (6) between the ribs (5) are at least partly closed by at least one waterproof element, so that the fin has an in-fluid behavior and an exterior aspect which is comparable to a plume or a bird's feather.

Abstract: The invention relates to a swim fin, comprising a seat for the foot, the so-called footpocket (1) and a propelling blade (102, 202), the fin being composed of at least two materials, whereof one is comparatively rigid and substantially inextensible and the other is comparatively soft, i.e. has a different rigidity and/or is extensible. According to the invention, the at least one comparatively rigid material forms a frame (4) for the blade (102, 202) and/or footpocket (1), designed to be overmolded with the part/s (101, 201, 301, 302, 402, 502, 105) made of the at least one comparatively soft material, which complete and/or connect and/or cover, at least partly, the parts of the frame (4).

Abstract: A composite laminar tape (1) for mass-sealing bottles (15) of similar containers consists, according to the invention, of at least one extensible laminar tape (16), made of an extensible plastomeric film, which is possibly provided with closed lines for a predetermined separation of areas being meant to act as sealing membranes. The invention also relates to an apparatus for mass-sealing containers with said tape, and to an apparatus for mass-unsealing the containers sealed with tape.