Abstract: Tribo-electrification of conveyed particles in a pipeline of a pneumatic conveying system is reduced by electrically isolating at least one portion of the inner surface of the pipeline, preferably the concave interior surface of at least one elbow. The isolated portion acquires an electric charge of opposite polarity to that of the conveyed particles.

Abstract: The apparatus accurately and automatically orients a shaft with an eccentric end portion for positioning in an eccentric chuck. An unoriented shaft is deposited on a support assembly. The shaft is supported by the eccentric and adjacent the end remote from the eccentric. The shaft is rotated, preferably by a magnet, to orient the eccentric at a precise angular orientation. Preferably, a proximity sensor verifies that successful orientation has been achieved. Once the shaft is properly oriented, it is removed by a pick and place robot, for insertion into the chuck.

Abstract: In a process for the winding of coils into axial slots disposed on the outer perimeter of rotationally symmetric bodies of electrical devices, at least one wire, guided by a winding arm movable about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the body, is laid into the slots via a winding form. The body is turned about its axis of rotation by the space of at least one slot after each laying of the wire into an initial slot, accomplished by an initial swinging motion of the winding arm about its axis of rotation, with the wire being laid into a second slot by a second swinging motion opposite to the first and guided back to the start of the first slot after the laying into the second slot for the formation of a coil winding by additional turning. A suitable winding form has a wire-guiding slit that ends in an undercut slot whose undercut surfaces fix the wire on the base of the slot until the completion of the following swinging motion of the winding arm.

Abstract: A system for operation of pneumatic tooling has a plurality of pneumatically operable tools (2). A servo-controller (21) is switchable to actuate any of the plurality of tools, to move that tool to a desired position. A position transducer (4) includes an element (9, 10) which is displaced from a home position by such actuation of any one of the tools. The position transducer sends a position feedback signal to indicate to the servo-controller when the desired tool position has been reached. The servo-controller is switchable by virtue of having its output connected to a number of valves (22), i.e. one valve per tool, where preferably only one valve is energized at a time. When a valve is at rest, the pneumatic circuit is such that the tool is held in its home position. When energized, the servo-controller outputs are routed to the tool to operate the tool.

Abstract: A floral display holder has a hollow body with a frontal recess for receiving a water-absorbing foam, and a manual pump to draw water from a lower portion defining a liquid reservoir. The floral display holder has U-shaped clips to secure the foam generally against a floor surface of the recess. The water drawn with the pump is directed onto the foam, thereby replenishing the foam with additional water.

Abstract: The cover assembly is designed to surround exposed posts. The assembly includes a number of sections each with an inner surface, outer surface and two side edges, the side edges being angled relative to the inner surface and outer surface. The sections are configured to abut each other along their side edges so that when a number of sections are abutted they form a polygon with a hollow interior portion to accommodate the post. Each section has one side edge with a tongue projecting from it and extending the length thereof, and one side edge having a groove extending the length thereof configured to receive the tongue of an abutting section.

Abstract: A floral display holder to be used on a funeral casket has a hollow body with an inclining recess for receiving water-absorbing foams, and a manual pump to draw water from a lower portion defining a liquid reservoir. The floral display holder has U-shaped clips to secure the foams generally against an inclined floor surface of the recess. The water drawn with the pump is directed onto the foam, thereby replenishing the foam with additional water.

Abstract: Apparatus for cleaning, assembling, testing and inspecting contamination sensitive hardware. The apparatus includes an environmental process enclosure having an inner processing chamber, and a carbon dioxide jet spray cleaning system. The enclosure includes a loadlock pass-through having front and rear access doors for providing access to the inner processing chamber. A blower is disposed in the enclosure for circulating purified gas therethrough. A prefilter disposed prior to an inlet of the blower, and a high purity filter and laminar flow screen are disposed in the inner processing chamber. A heater is provided for heating the purified gas and a temperature controller is coupled to the heater for controlling the temperature of the purified gas. A table is disposed in the inner processing chamber upon which contamination sensitive hardware and testing and assembly apparatus may be placed.

Abstract: This security bar for positioning between a door and the floor has telescopic sections which permit the door to be opened a small distance, corresponding to the degree of telescoping which is permitted, so as to permit a clear gap between the door and its frame, if desired. The sections telescope by virtue of a bolt positioned through holes in one of the sections and a slot in the other section, the length of the slot determining the maximum possible telescoping. A pin can be positioned through additional holes in the first section and through the slot, to restrict the degree of telescoping which is permitted, from the maximum telescoping down to essentially no telescoping at all. The overall length of the bar preferably is adjustable as well.

Abstract: An erosion control system is useful for coastlines, riverbeds, and the like, to protect against erosion caused by a wavefront. The system typically includes an integrated armor layer mounted upon and covering an embankment adjacent the shoreline. The armor layer comprises a plurality of blocks connected in a chainlike configuration by connecting members disposed between neighboring blocks. Each chain is linearly aligned in a direction generally perpendicular to the shore and wavefront, and each chain abuts neighboring chains, but not affixed in any manner thereto. The connecting members have separate elements for absorbing tension and compression.

Abstract: An emergency telephone number alerting and guidance process to guide emergency responders to the exact scene of an emergency declared by dialing the emergency services notification (ESN) telephone number consisting of the following steps: a decoder detecting the ESN telephone number as it is dialed on the telephone instrument; the decoder communicating via a low power, unlicenced radio link to a remotely located guidance beacon assembly informing it of the presence of the ESN detection; and, the beacon responding to the ESN detection signal by initiating a distress guidance signal. The distress guidance signal comprising of a visual strobe light and a pulsating radio signal which signal may be used by a radio direction finder. A system to implement this guidance process consisting of a decoder and guidance beacon assembly.

Abstract: The hand tool has a shaft with a distal end which is configured to receive any one of a variety of different sized chisel or scraper blades or the like, via corresponding male and female dovetail connections, for example. Storage space for the extra blades, if desired, may be provided in the handle which is secured to the shaft, or may be provided via depressions in a panel of a tool case of the type commonly referred to as "gift cases". Where storage space is provided in the handle, preferably this is accomplished by virtue of a spring-loaded collar which overlies lower portions of elongated rotatable cover pieces, preventing rotation. When the spring-loaded collar is retracted, the cover pieces can be rotated, to reveal storage areas on either side of the handle.

Abstract: A play structure building panel comprising of integrally connected spaced-apart curved parallel inner and outer panel walls joined by two side edges and end two end edges. One of the side edges and at one of the end edges have an integral connection means extending therefrom to mate with complementary connection receiving means on an identical panel. Accordingly, one of the side edges and one of the end edges of the panel also have the complementary connections means to receive the connection means extending from another identical panel. Therefore, any number of the panels may be connected to other identical panels along any of the side or end edges.

Abstract: The felling and accumulating head has a large accumulation or storage area for severed trees, separate from the severance area at the front of the head, obtained by elevating the accumulation area to extend preferably at least over the rim of the saw disc, and preferably outwardly and rearwardly over the teeth of the saw. Trees are swept from the severance area, up a small ramp into the accumulation area, by arms which preferably sweep over the saw motor so as to be able to sweep trees a substantial distance rearwardly, i.e. at least beyond an imaginary lateral line through the saw axis.

Abstract: The fastener-driving tool has an locking insert which expands or displaces to more securely lock the tool in the fastener. The tool has a distal end configured to engage a driving recess in a fastener, and has an annular recess adjacent the distal end, with a reduced cross-section at the annular recess, other than an axial circular cross-section. A locking insert having a generally similar cross-section to that of the distal end is positioned in the annular recess closely around the reduced cross-section. The locking insert may have a split portion which permits expansion of the locking insert when acted upon by the reduced cross-section as a result of rotation of the distal end relative to the locking insert, or may provide locking simply by displacement resulting from being acted upon by the reduced cross-section.

Abstract: The bed system has a rectangular frame, with a mattress assembly mounted on the frame. The mattress assembly has upper and lower wooden strip layers and intervening foam blocks. Each wooden strip layer has a plurality of laterally-oriented wooden strips arranged in proximity to each other from top to bottom of the frame, with each strip extending from one side panel to the other side panel. There are three foam blocks, namely two outer foam blocks and one central foam block, running from head to foot of the bed between the wooden strip layers. The side panels have inwardly-facing shoulder portions running the length thereof, and the wooden strips of the lower wooden strip layer rest on the shoulder portions, with the outer foam blocks extending outwardly beyond the wooden strips so as to be in general vertical alignment with the outer walls of the side panels. This permits conventional North American fitted sheets and/or bed skirts to be used if desired.

Abstract: A method (10) of phosphorus doping a semiconductor particle using ammonium phosphate. A p-doped silicon sphere is mixed with a diluted solution of ammonium phosphate having a predetermined concentration. These spheres are dried (16, 18), with the phosphorus then being diffused (20) into the sphere to create either a shallow or deep p-n junction. A good PSG glass layer is formed on the surface of the sphere during the diffusion process. A subsequent segregation anneal process is utilized to strip metal impurities from near the p-n junction into the glass layer. A subsequent HF strip procedure is then utilized to removed the PSG layer. Ammonium phosphate is not a restricted chemical, is inexpensive, and does not pose any special shipping, handling, or disposal requirement.