Abstract: An arrangement for simultaneous optical determination of temperature and strain fluctuations in an optical fiber for precisely determining the changes in environmental influences and/or fiber loads is disclosed.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a beverage dispensing apparatus which has a housing including a beverage container storage section. At least one beverage container from which measured amounts of beverage will be dispensed is supported in the storage section. An inclined beverage conveying channel supported by the housing has a receiving end adapted for receiving a measured amount of beverage from at least one of the containers. The other end of the beverage conveying channel is located at a height lower than the receiving end so that beverage will flow by gravity toward the delivery end of the channel where a delivery spout is located for delivering the measured amount of the beverage into the mouth of a consumer. A beverage releasing mechanism is coupled to each container in the storage section for dispensing the measured amount of beverage onto receiving end of the inclined channel.

Abstract: A non-contact light beam scan system small enough to fit into a hand holdable wand, pen or calculator size terminal incorporates a novel scan element which can scan at rates of ten to hundreds of scans per second in one or two dimensions. The device is immune to low frequency vibrations and can scan large angles of 60 degrees or more. Automatic trigger circuitry enables it to be used equally well in hand held or fixed mount applications. The depth of operating range is extended with a novel focal system which is integrated with the light source. The entire scanning system for generating a beam, focusing the beam electronically, scanning the beam, collecting light from a target and converting it into electrical signals, and automatically generating a trigger signal can work with industry standard low or high speed bar code decoders.

Abstract: A composite food and condiment container is provided. The container includes an upper compartment that retains a food product and a lower compartment positioned directly below the upper compartment. The lower compartment holds a condiment. The container further includes a barrier that may be positioned in a retracted state or a non-retracted state. In the non-retracted state, the barrier separates the food product in the upper compartment from the condiment in the lower compartment. In the retracted state, the barrier exposes the food in the upper compartment to the condiment in the lower compartment.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling the pressure within a surgical tourniquet so as selectively to occlude blood flow within a portion of a limb of a patient, wherein the pressure within an inflatable cuff surrounding a portion of a limb of a patient is changed by automatically opening a first valve connected to a controller and located within a first conduit between an inflatable bladder and the inflatable cuff, when the pressure in the inflatable cuff is different from that in the inflatable bladder. In another aspect, a system and method of controlling the pressure within a surgical tourniquet so as selectively to occlude blood flow within a portion of a limb of a patient within five seconds. In another aspect, a system and method of detecting a leak in a surgical tourniquet. In another aspect, a surgical tourniquet that, from an inflated state, may enter a deflated state, a set state, a default display state, or an off state.

Abstract: An adjustable hand-held exercise weight with pulse detection and remote infrared control is disclosed, including a handle contoured for grasping by a user and having a plurality of buttons thereon, a printed circuit board mounted within the handle, a sensor mounted to said printed circuit board which senses a pulse signal, a radio frequency transmitter which transmits the pulse signal, a first slotted bar, a second slotted bar, at least one weight slidably locked in the respective slots between the first and second slotted bars, and an infrared frequency transmitter communicatively connected to the printed circuit board and mounted substantially within the handle. Also disclosed are combinations including at least one of the features of adjustability, pulse detection, and remote infrared control in a hand-held weight.

Abstract: An electronic sourcing system includes a computer that maintains a catalog database of data including product information (such as product identification and descriptive information) relating to catalog items available from vendor product catalogs, and a means for building (generating) a requisition including at least one requisitioned item. Information at least partially identifying an item desired to be requisitioned is entered by a user, and utilized by a means for searching the database for catalog items matching that information and for selecting at least one catalog item located as a result of the search. Text describing the catalog items, and images of the items, may be viewed. Data identifying selected catalog items are communicated to the requisition building means, which generates a requisition including entries for items corresponding to the selected catalog items.

Abstract: An ultrasonic measurement method in an ultrasonic measurement system having an ultrasonic transducer includes emitting an ultrasonic pulse from the ultrasonic transducer. An ultrasonic pulse is received in accordance with a pulse travel time wherein the amplitude of the received ultrasonic pulse varies according to the pulse travel time. A first electrical signal is provided representative of the received ultrasonic pulse wherein the amplitude of the first electrical signal varies in accordance with the pulse travel time. A second electrical signal is provided in accordance with the first electrical signal wherein the amplitude of the second electrical signal is substantially independent of the pulse travel time. In order to determine the second electrical signal variable amplification is applied to the first electrical signal in accordance with the travel time.

Abstract: A switcher for selectively routing a plurality of input signals to a plurality of output signal ports. The switcher includes a motherboard disposed in a housing, and a switch card for routing ones of the input signals to an output card, wherein the output card functions to amplify signals received from the switch card. The output card and the switch card are also disposed in the housing, and are electronically coupled to each other and to the motherboard by a signal bus on the motherboard. A controller card is provided for controlling the routing of the input signals to the output signal ports. The controller card, the output card, and the switch card are electronically coupled to each other and to the motherboard by a control bus on the motherboard.

Abstract: An externally operable electronic switch which is entirely located within a housing but which is in no way mechanically or physically attached to the inside or the outside of the housing, has no moving parts, nothing to wear out, requires no holes or special treatments to the housings of equipment into which it may be incorporated and has no optical parts to fog or become dirty which could lead to unreliable operation is disclosed. The switch is operated without mechanical force. It is unnecessary to touch anything to operate it and it consumes extremely low stand by power. It is suited for sealed and portable battery operated equipment.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a system for controlling a fume hood with a face. The system comprises a device for controlling air flow through the fume hood based on air flow face velocity. The controlling device has a device for measuring pressure at the face of the fume hood which produces a signal corresponding to the pressure. Additionally, the system comprises a controller. The controller is remote from the fume hood controlling device but in communication with the controlling device. The present invention also pertains to a system for controlling a fume hood having a face. The system comprises a pitot tube assembly for determining a desired face velocity. The pitot tube produces a pitot signal corresponding to the face velocity. The system comprises a device for converting the pitot signal into a face velocity signal. The converting device is connected to the pitot tube. Additionally, the system comprises a processor for controlling air flow through the fume hood based on the face velocity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining a condition of a fluid which circulates within a fluid circuit in which the optical characteristics of the fluid change dynamically due to the presence of physical contaminates in the fluid. An optical source is provided for generating light, and an optical detector is provided for receiving the light from the optical source. The fluid is positioned between the optical source and the optical detector. A signal analyzer is coupled to the optical detector. The signal analyzer monitors an output of the optical detector and determines the condition of the fluid in accordance with the output of the optical detector. Such fluid circuits are used in liquid type electrical transformers used for power distribution in the electrical power industry.

Abstract: A high speed non-contact beam scanning device sized and shaped to provide the ergonomic benefits of a pen or wand, yet can scan a wide angle moving beam across an information-bearing target in one or two dimensional scan patterns such as lines, rasters or other patterns in order to read information therefrom. The device is well suited for reading one or two dimensional bar-code or other printed matter. In order to achieve the high density optical packaging necessary for its high performance to size benefits the device employs a novel in-line or "axial" gyrating, or "axial" scan element. The axial scan element can accept an input light beam at one end and cause the light beam to emerge from its opposite end as a scanned beam, propagating in the same general forward direction the light beam had upon entering the element. Reflected light, which carries information contained on the target, is collected by an internal non-imaging light collector and is processed by signal processing electronics.

Abstract: A system for maintaining a desired air flow through a fume hood having a sash. The system comprises a mechanism for controlling air flow through the fume hood based on at least one gain. The system is also comprised of a mechanism for automatically tuning the gain connected to the controlling mechanism. Additionally, the system is comprised of a mechanism for manually inputting information to the tuning mechanism so the tuning mechanism automatically provides a desired gain to the controlling mechanism based on information received from the input mechanism. Additionally, the present invention pertains to a qualitative tuning system for a processor. The present invention also pertains to a method for controlling air flow through a fume hood with a sash. The method comprises the steps of providing information concerning flow of air through the fume hood to a processor. Then, there is the step of manually inputting information concerning gain into a qualitative tuning system connected to the processor.

Abstract: A method for selective alteration and control of door movement modes utilizing an apparatus that is primarily non-hydraulic and incorporated with a known mechanism which is functional independently from the apparatus in one mode of operation and which includes a piston for controlling door closing characteristics by selected fluid flow within the mechanism. The apparatus includes a motor driven lead screw having a linearly movable shuttle unit mounted thereon, the shuttle unit being positioned relative to the piston of the mechanism to accommodate nonattached contact with the piston to urge the piston, when the shuttle unit is moved, in a direction that will at least provide selective assistance with door opening in another mode of operation. Operation of the apparatus is controlled by programming of a related controller including non-volatile memory.

Abstract: A battery charger and method of charging a rechargeable battery which comprises charging the battery with an initial charging current and measuring and comparing the charging temperature to an initial temperature to identify a temperature factor which either identifies a need to lower the current or terminate the charging current. The temperature factor may be a temperature gradient .DELTA.T. The open circuit voltage may be monitored from the beginning or may begin when .DELTA.T is identified. V.sub.OCV is plotted with respect to time t elapsed to identify a point or points on the V.sub.OCV (t) curve, such as an inflection point in the dV.sub.OCV /dt data or a transition point in the d.sup.2 V.sub.OCV /dt.sup.2 which indicate the onset of overcharge. If the open circuit voltage V.sub.OCV of the battery is sampled from the beginning of charging the second order differential information should be ignored until a predetermined temperature gradient is realized.

Abstract: Polymers capable of reversibly complexing carbon dioxide and other acid gases and a method of producing such polymers are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the present polymers incorporate amine groups capable of reversibly complexing carbon dioxide to produce an environmentally safe foamed polymer product. Because the reaction of an amine and CO.sub.2 is a reversible reaction, and because the amines are incorporated into the polymer backbone, the foamed polymers can be reverted to foamable polymers simply by collection, washing, granulating, and re-exposure to CO.sub.2. The polymers are environmentally desirable as carbon dioxide is non-toxic and is easily isolated from the atmosphere. Moreover, the process recycles the gas continually, rather than generating new gases.

Abstract: An improved flexible respiratory mask facial seal, as well a respiratory mask incorporating such seal. The facial seal comprises an annular member including a peripheral sidewall bounded by an inner end and an outer end generally opposite the inner end. The inner end is adapted for attachment to the shell or body portion of a respiratory mask and the outer end defines a contoured sealing surface adapted for confronting sealing engagement with a user's face. The annular member is formed of a gel substance possessing resilience characteristics corresponding to those of human fat tissue. Preferably, the annular member is encapsulated in a thin, pliable, membranous covering to enhance the durability and washability of the facial seal. Because the facial seal simulates the resiliency of human fat tissue, the user experiences the sensation of a natural substance against his skin when the mask is donned.

Abstract: A pressure sensitive valve for a positive pressure airway system which allows bi-directional flow with low resistance. When positive pressure from the air generator of the positive pressure airway system is lost, a spring actuated disc moves away from its compressed position to block the outlet of the air generator. By blocking the outlet of the air generator, the path of entry for contaminants is significantly restricted in so doing, an alternate, low resistance path to atmosphere is exposed to allow contaminants to escape.