Abstract: A supermarket trolley monitoring system is provided for detecting shopping items on a lower shelf of the trolley as the trolley moves through a check-out station. Three transmitter/receivers are provided. The first and third at level A respond to light reflected by a panel 36 on the side of the trolley. The system is turned on when the panel 36 passes the first transmitter/receiver and off when the panel 36 passes the third transmitter/receiver. The second transmitter/receiver is mounted above A and if any object is detected while the system is ON, by reflection of the beam from the object, a warning is provided to alert a check-out assistant and/or a shopper that an item is present on the lower trolley shelf which may not have been entered in a till.

Abstract: A stabilizer bar or a similar metallic tube product for vehicles, has a central portion and at least two bent portions forming legs. The bar includes a thick-walled metallic tube having in the central portion a wall thickness and outside diameter in a ratio amounting to at least 1/10. This tube has an outside wall portion bent with a restricted thinning, ranging from about 5 to 15%. The bent portions are bent with an average bending radius of curvature in the range from about 1.4 to 2.1 times the outside diameter of the tube. Apparatus and methods can manufacture stabilizer bars or similar tubular metallic products of the foregoing type. For example, a method includes the steps of fitting to a bending arm one end of the thick-walled metallic tube. An inside wall portion of the tube has a radial spacing from a bending center of curvature, no greater than the length of the bending arm. The tube and the heating zone move relatively, with the heating zone advancing along the tube.

Abstract: In a warp-knitting machine with jacquard control, guide needles (1) are fastened to a guide bar (6) by means of carrier strips (3) which are bendable by at least one piezoelectric bending transducer. Each carrier strip (3) consists of electrically insulating material. The strip carries on at least one side, a layering consisting of (a) an inner electrode (8 to 11), (b) a piezoelectrically active layer (15, 17) covering the latter and (c) an outer electrode (16, 18). A control circuit (29) selectively supplies the inner electrode (8 to 11) with control voltage, while the outer electrode (16, 18) is connected to a reference potential. A contact-protected Jacquard control operated piezoelectrically is obtained in this way.

Abstract: A clothes hamper includes rotatable partition walls which divide the hamper into subcompartments of differing capacities according to the amount of clothing in that subcompartment. A conventional hamper may be divided with a free standing insert placed in the hamper compartment and comprising a rear wall to which one or more partition walls are rotatably secured. The insert comprises thermoplastic corrugated sheets having longitudinal cells. A U-shaped wire hinge is inserted in a corresponding cell at opposing ends of the partition wall and rear wall, the hinge having bulbus thermoplastic ends for interference fit with the corrugation cell walls to frictional and rotatably secure the legs of the hinge in place.

Abstract: The invention relates to proteinaceous compositions capable of modulating the development of erythroid progenitors such as obtainable from a biological material selected from bone marrow culture supernatants, or kidney cell lysates by contacting said biological material with a specific ligand for the proteinaceous compositions, desorbing said proteinaceous compositions and recovering same by elution. Said compositions are useful in therapeutics.

Abstract: A syringe tubular body forms a fluid receiving chamber having a restricted opening at one end for receiving a hollow needle and a wider opening at the other end for receiving a tubular plunger. The plunger has resilient fingers at its distal end which is inserted into the body chamber and an annular groove in one embodiment adjacent the proximal end. The fingers have inwardly extending hook-like projections. A piston assembly includes a body with an annular groove which releasably receives the projections for securing the piston assembly to the plunger during injection, the piston assembly including an elastomeric disc piston sealingly engaged with the tubular body chamber sides. A sleeve is external and movable along the body and is next adjacent the disc. The sleeve has an annular groove which is selectively engaged by the projections. The sleeve has an axial extent greater than that of the piston assembly body groove.

Abstract: A material for the elimination of biomacromolecules, in particular LDL and endotoxins from a whole blood circuit, comprising an adsorbent, comprising a porous carrier material of a homo-, co-, or terpolymer of acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid with a particle range of between 50 and 250 .mu.m, an exclusion level of at least 5.times.10.sup.5 daltons, as well as organic ligands which are covalently bound to the carrier material via a spacer, wherein the carrier material has a spherical shape and suitably, the spacer contains no double bonds.

Abstract: A warp knitting machine having a main shaft has at least one bar mounted to reciprocate in accordance with a predetermined schedule. The machine also has an electrically activated drive arrangement with a body made of a material that can alter at least one of its dimensions in dependence upon the magnitude of an applied field. The machine also has a control arrangement coupled to the drive arrangement for providing an electrical signal thereto, in accordance with the predetermined schedule and in dependence upon the angular displacement of the main shaft. This electrical signal can establish the applied field with a predetermined timing within each displacement step of the one bar.

Abstract: An adjustable vehicle seat wherein the frame supporting the seat portion is defined by two sides, each presenting a bottom portion sliding along a respective horizontal longitudinal guide, and a top portion integral with the seat portion and connected to the respective bottom portion so as to travel, in relation to the bottom portion, along a fixed vertical guide integral with the bottom portion and by virtue of two actuating devices located on either side of the fixed guide and each of which provides for rocking the respective top portion in relation to the respective bottom portion and about a respective axis perpendicular to the fixed guide.

Abstract: A light-strip apparatus including a flexible lower strip, a transparent flexible upper strip detachably engaged to the lower strip thus together forming a sheath, an elongated flexible light-emitting device being received in the sheath for emitting light, and a power box attached to a substantially central portion of the flexible light-emitting device for providing AC power to enable the flexible light-emitting device to flash. The flexible light-emitting device has a plurality of spots sequentially connected by interconnected lines and the spots and the lines will flash if the light-emitting device is electrified by the power box.

Abstract: An arrangement for driving a warp beam employs a stepless adjustable drive (7) whose coupling element (8) is displaced by a setting member (11). The setting member (11) is controlled-by a computer (10) which provides an input arrangement (17) for the take-up of data of a predetermined thread provision (F); as well as data on the machine, the stepless adjustable drive (7) and the beam (3). The data includes a wind variable size (actual wind number w.sub.a), and data characterizing the actual wind circumference (U.sub.a). The computer has a calculating segment (18) and an output (19). With such an arrangement, the coupling element (8) can be brought into the correct target position, even before the start of the machine. The computing means can also serve as part of the control arrangement during the running of the machine.

Abstract: Arrangement (15) for adjusting the tension of a thread which is pulled from a spool by means of a thread take-off arrangement, has a thread measuring device (23). This thread measuring device, positioned sequentially in the direction of thread travel, can determine thread tension. Also included is a driven drum (17) whose effective circumferential speed is alterable in the same sense as the measured thread tension. In this manner, it is possible to achieve very small thread tensions.

Abstract: There are disclosed pharmaceutical preparations and methods for the use thereof which have a cardioprotective action useful in coronary insufficiency, in the prevention of the constitution of an infarction or of sudden death. It consists in the utilization of amiodarone and a beta-blocker at certain diodes and in certain ratios whereby the gravity test is enhanced.

Abstract: There is provided water insoluble cross-linked polyhydroxy polycarboxylic acid having at least two strands each having a strand skeleton of the formula: ##STR1## wherein one carbonyl group of at least one maleoyl moiety thereof in each strand is covalently linked to a--HN.[(H).sub.p (CH).sub.z.(OH).sub.m ].NH-- moietyto provide the presence therein of at least one cross linking moiety of the formula: ##STR2## wherein R is hydrogen or lower alkylene or lower alkoxy of 1-4 carbon atoms, or phenyl, z is an integer of 1-4, p is 0 or an integer up to z-1, m is 1 or an integer up to z, wherein the ratio of cross-links to poly (alkylene carbonic acid) strands is between about 1 and about 200 to 2. There is disclosed a method of making such polyhydroxy polycarboxylic acid as well as methods of utilizing same to remove proteins from aqueous media containing same to provide a matrix.

Abstract: A needle bar is made from a support member and a carrier. The needle bar can be made with a plurality of needle grooves. The bar is made by adhering the support member to the carrier. Then the support member is divided into a plurality of individual segments of predetermined length, after the support member is adhered to the carrier. Adjacent ones of the individual segments (a) can be spaced to form a gap narrower in width than the needle grooves, and (b) can have opposing edges shaped to form a concavity having a width equivalent to the needle grooves.

Abstract: Hose arrangement for a seal-less centrifuge having a soft inner layer and a hard outer layer and is formed by means of coextrusion.

Abstract: A crude membrane fraction of leaf sheath tissue of a grass endophytically infected by A. typhinum is produced. The extract exhibits endoproteolytic activity in the presence of detergent or after methanol precipitation. This activity is optimal at 35.degree.-40.degree. C. and pH 10-11 and is exhibited only when a reductant is present. The activity is associated with a first gel electrophoresis band having apparent molecular weight of 205,000 daltons when said extract is electrophoresed without prior boiling; however, when said extract is boiled prior to electrophoresis, there results a band having apparent molecular weight of 34,000 daltons. This band gives rise to polyclonal rabbit antibodies which are not cross react with proteinase K. The preferred source of Acremonium typhinum is ATCC 74228.

Abstract: A warp knitted fabric is formed with pile. The ground fabric is formed by a first ground lap with threads (11) forming stitches (18) with a separation of n wales (19), and a second ground lap with threads laid-in and running in the same direction. The pile is formed by a pile lap, in which each thread (12) forms stitches (18) with a separation of m wales (19). Herein, n is at least 1 and m is at least 0. In a process for the preparation of warp knitted fabric, the lay-in is so provided that the successive turn-around points of the lapping movement has a separation of approximately n+1 needle spaces. A warp knitting machine comprises a first ground guide bar (L2), a second ground guide bar (L1), a pile guide bar (L3) and a pile sinker bar (PB) with the appropriate displacement control arrangements (14 through 17) which operate in the manner of the foregoing displacement movements.

Abstract: An inner cylindrical member has a pair of opposing axially extending tapered slots extending toward an end distal the other proximal end to which a needle is secured for blood collecting. A pair of tabs protrude from the distal end to permit the member sides at the distal end to be squeezed together. Temporary locking projections on the inner member sides at the distal end are engaged with locking holes on an outer nested concentric cylindrical member. The squeezing action releases the temporary locking engagement. Other projections and locking ramps are on the inner member at the proximal end for engaging the locking holes on the outer member. Guide channels are in the outer member inner wall engaged with the inner member proximal projections and ramps for guiding these elements as the outer member is axially displaced from a needle use mode overlying the inner member to a needle protection mode cantilevered from the inner member.

Abstract: A toothbrush head consists of a hollow body (16) closed at one side by a flexible membrane (13) formed with cavities (17) to hold bases of tufts of bristles. The cavities form protrusions extending up inside the body (16) which are pushed against by a reciprocating finger (18) to tilt and move the bristles relative to the body (16).