Abstract: A silicon carbide sintered body containing not less than 0.03% by weight of boron, a total of not more than 0.3% by weight of metallic element impurities including the boron, not more than 1.0% by weight of free carbon, a total of not more than 0.15% by weight of non-metal impurities other than the free carbon, and the balance essentially consisting of silicon carbide, and having a density of not less 3.10 g/cm.sup.3. The sintered body is manufactured by heating a molding of a mixture containing a silicon carbide powder, a boron-containing sintering assistant, and a carbon-containing oxygen scavenger to a sintering temperature. The molded body is maintained at a temperature lower than the sintering temperature during the heating process until an oxide film covering the silicon carbide powder is substantially removed by the oxygen scavenger, and the molded body is then sintered at the sintering temperature under a non-pressurized condition.

Abstract: In a method of replacing a machine part (5a, 5b) of a machine installation whose essential interconnected machine parts are arranged on a common base plate (7) which is secured in the ground by individual supports (8), a purpose-built base plate (7b) is produced in a preparatory phase, on an adjacent foundation slab (12), for the newly to be connected machine part (5b). On this base plate the machine part (5b) is provided with mountings, undergoes final assembly, is aligned and has all its functions tested. In a replacement phase, the machine part (5a) to be replaced is disconnected from the remaining machine part, its base plate section (7a) is servered from that (7) of the remaining machine part and from the individual supports (8) and it is displaced onto an auxiliary structure. The structural unit comprising the "machine part/base plate newly to be connected" (7b, 5b) is displaced by hydraulic means to take the place of the severed base plate.

Abstract: A portable apparatus includes a display device coupled to a housing by means of a hinge mechanism. The display device can be closed such that it is laid on the upper surface of the housing. The portable apparatus comprises a cable-protecting member. This cable-protecting member protects a cable, which electrically connects the housing and the display together and passes through the hinge mechanism. Even if the display device is frequently raised or lowered with reference to the housing, the cable is reliably protected by the cable-protecting member. Therefore, the cable is prevented from being worn away.

Abstract: A process for the hydrogenation of heavy oils, residual oils, waste oils, used oils, shell oils, and tar sand oils by hydrogenating a slurry of the oil at a partial hydrogen pressure of 50-300 bar, a temperature of 250.degree.-500.degree. C., a space velocity of 0.1-5 T/m.sup.3 h, and a gas/liquid ratio of 100-10000 Nm.sup.3/ T, wherein the additive comprises two different grain size portions, a fine grain portion having a grain size of 90 microns or less and a coarse grain portion having a grain size of 100-1000 microns.

Abstract: When a commodity package fed out from a commodity column accommodating a plurality of commodity packages has been accommodated in a package holder of a transporter, the transporter is moved along a guide to transport the commodity package to a position above a heater and is allowed to fall into a receptacle of the heater by the operation of a dropping mechanism. When the commodity in the package has been heated by the heater, the commodity package in the receptacle is fed out up to an opening of the discharging chute and allowed to fall.

Abstract: A method for the detection of the mutagen effect of a substance or composition by producing culture of a micro-organism harboring a recombinant of a sfi gene and of a gene coding for a dosable enzyme in the presence of said substance or composition and measuring the activity of the dosable enzyme induced under the control of the sfi gene. When the latter is activated due to the mutagen character of said substance or composition, measuring the activity of a distinct enzyme synthesized by the microorganism and coded by a gene not involved in the activation process of the sfi gene and measuring the variation of the ratio of the activity of the abovesaid dosable enzyme to the activity of said distinct enzyme. Then comparing the variation that of the ratio of the activities of the same enzyme in a culture of the same microorganism, but in the absence of the mutagen substance.

Abstract: A method for controlling the level of heterologous gene expression in yeast using a soybean leghemoglobin leader sequence and a suitable promotor. Levels of expression are controlled at the post-transcriptional level by adjusting the amount of heme in the yeast culture medium.

Abstract: A foundation for a wooden building and a method of constructing the foundation are disclosed, which foundation comprises (a) a concrete foundation footing supporting foundation walls thereon, which foundation walls support the outer walls and inner walls of a wooden building thereon, (b) a plurality of concrete blocks which are integrally jointed, provided continuously along the inside portion of the foundation walls on the concrete foundation footings, (c) a vaporproof sheet material which entirely and tightly covers at least the inside of the integrally jointed concrete blocks and the outer surface of the fill formed in the areas inside the concrete blocks, and (d) a concrete floor portion which is deposited integrally with the foundation walls and the concrete blocks so as to cover the vaporproof material which covers the inside of the integrally jointed concrete blocks and the outer surface of the fill.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of a fiber reinforced plastic structure, comprising the steps of winding a continuous long-staple fiber impregnated with a liquid resin around a plurality of winding jigs until the resultant bundle of resin impregnated fibers attains a predetermined thickness; setting rings tightly in place on the linear portions of the resin impregnated fiber bundle between the jigs; and moving the tightly set rings relative to the linear portions thereby wringing the resin impregnated fiber bundle and expelling bubbles entrapped within the fiber bundle.

Abstract: A molten metal heating method according to this invention employs a heater comprising: at least one heat evolving substance disposed in contact with a molten metal held in a container with one surface thereof; and an electrode disposed in contact with the other surface of the heat evolving substance but not in contact with the molten metal. With this arrangement, a voltage is applied between the electrode and the molten metal to flow an electric current in the heat evolving substance in thicknesswise thereof and causes the heat evolving substance to evolve heat to heat the heater at a high temperature. Thus, the heater heats the molten metal, and controls the temperature of the molten metal. As a whole, this invention improves the quality of metal products. In particular, the heater is less likely to be broken by the heat confinement in it, and can be made of a wide variety of materials.

Abstract: An acceleration detecting device which detects an acceleration and/or deceleration. The acceleration detecting device comprises a beam, supporting member supporting both ends of the beam, a weight for twisting the beam in response to an applied acceleration substantially provided at the center of said beam, and, a detector for detecting the amount of the twisting deformation of said beam. When the acceleration is applied to the detecting device, the beam is bent and deformed in proportion to level of the acceleration. The deformation of the beam is detected by the detector, and the signal according to the level of the acceleration is output from the detecter.

Abstract: According to this invention, a method and apparatus for aligning a mask and a wafer arranged to oppose each other, in a direction along their opposing surfaces, relative to each other, are arranged as follows. A first diffraction grating as a one-dimensional diffraction grating, bars of which extend in a direction perpendicular to an alignment direction, is formed on the mask. A second diffraction grating which has a checkerboard-like pattern, is formed on the wafer. The first diffraction grating is irradiated with laser beam emitted from a light source. Light beams diffracted and transmitted through the first diffraction grating is transferred to the second diffraction grating. Light beams diffracted and reflected by said second diffraction grating are transferred to said first diffraction grating. The light beams are diffracted by and transmitted through said first diffraction grating, again. Is detected, one of the diffracted light beams, which do not propagate along a predetermined plane.

Abstract: A bypass connection for flexible tubes, obtained by molding a coating of a junction material about a rigid tublar insert, and a process for manufacturing the connections. In these bypass connections, the insert includes at one end a first bell mouthed flange intended to be applied against the internal surface of a boss, provided with a flange which is also bell mouthed, of a main pipe, in combination with a second flange and the insert is formed by the secondary core for supporting a member to be connected to the main pipe, so that it forms an integral part of the bypass connection.

Abstract: An image reader for digitally reading an image on an original document by causing at least two aligned CCDs to commonly read an overlapping portion of the image which corresponds to a joint portion of the CCDs and by cancelling pixel data read by one of the CCDs. A first CCD is mounted on a base plate. A second CCD is fixed in place on one or free end portion of a support plate the other end of which is rigidly connected to the base plate. The base plate and the support plate are different from each other in the coefficient of thermal expansion. In order to compensate for a change in the ratio of an overlapping portion of the image due to an expansion or a contraction of the base plate which is caused by a temperature variation, a predetermined relationship is set up between the positions of the first and second CCDs and that of the support plate relative to the base plate and the coefficients of thermal expansion of the base plate and support plate.

Abstract: An oil-resistant rubber composition comprising (A) 90 to 10 parts by weight of an unsaturated nitrile-conjugated diene rubber having a .DELTA.Tg of 58.degree. C. or more and an average bound nitrile content of 15 to 50% by weight, (B) 10 to 90 parts by weight of at least one rubber selected from the group consisting of an ethylene-propylene type copolymer rubber, a natural rubber and a polyisoprene and (C) 0 to 50 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the total of (A) and (B), of at least one component (C) selected from the group consisting of a styrene polymer and a polyalkenamer. Said rubber composition is oil-resistant and excellent in mechanical properties such as tear strength, resistance to crack growth, etc.

Abstract: An optical recording medium comprising a recording layer on a substrate and a protective layer formed adjacent to the upper and/or lower surface of the recording layer is more durable and corrosion resistant when the protective layer has a composition comprising, in % by weight, 40-60% of SiO.sub.2, 0.5-10% of an alkali metal oxide, 10-59.5% of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and/or B.sub.2 O.sub.3, and optionally up to 50% of a divalent metal oxide.

Abstract: A method of sealing electric and electonic parts, comprising employing two different ultraviolet-curing resins for upper and lower layer portions, respectively, the resin employed for the upper layer portion having a smaller specific gravity than that of the resin for the lower layer portion before the resins are cured, and simultaneously curing the resins by irradiation with an ultraviolet ray. The ultraviolet-curing resin employed for the upper layer portion is an epoxy acrylate or epoxy resin, while an urethane acrylate ultraviolet-curing resin is employed for the lower layer portion, and the thickness of the ultraviolet-curing resin employed for the upper layer portion is set at from 0.5 mm to 3 mm.

Abstract: A filtration system for treating an emulsion containing water, an oil or a fat, an emulsifying agent and insoluble solid material (such as a maritime oil emulsion containing an anionic detergent and the solid, greasy calcium salt of the detergent) has a first hydrophobic microfilter (126) and a second hydrophobic microfilter (147).Both microfilters (126, 147) have a plurality of hollow porous fibers as the separating medium with the feed to the first filter (126) being applied to the outside of the fibers and the feed to the second filter (which is the permeate from the first filter) being applied down the lumens of the fibers. The first filter (126) removes the solid material and the second filter separates the oil or fat from the solid-free emulsion.

Abstract: The process consists of depositing at least one layer of a doped material on a heated substrate placed in an enclosure, subjecting the substrate surface to the action of a molecular flux of the material, to the action of a doping particle beam and to the action of an electron beam.

Abstract: A hinge mechanism is disclosed which couples the flat-panel display of a portable apparatus to the housing of the apparatus. The flat-panel display can be folded upon the housing, and the apparatus looks like an attache case. The hinge mechanism has a torsion bar. The torsion bar is fastened, at one end, to the hinge mechanism. The other end portion of the torsion bar is flat and held by a holder such that the torsion bar is prevented from rotating around its axis, but can move in its axial direction. The axis of the hinge mechanism is defined by hollow cylindrical bosses inserted in circular holes cut in the hinge mechanism. The force which the torsion bar generates when it is twisted comes into equilibrium with the force urging the display to fall down toward the housing when the display reaches a position close to the housing. Hence, the panel display stops at this position.