Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for disbursing ozone throughout a poultry house in order to disinfect the same and to reduce the concentration of pathogens found within the poultry house. An ozone generator is associated with the poultry house and ozone produced by the generator is directed through a lower main duct that disburses ozone upwardly through litter disposed on the poultry house floor. In addition, the same generator directs the produced ozone through an upper main duct and ozone is disbursed from conduits leading from the upper main duct into the air.

Abstract: An extension mechanism for mounting on a tailgate of a vehicle that is selectively positionable between a variety of orientations. The extension mechanism includes a tailgate protector mounted onto the vehicle tailgate, an extender frame movably attached to the tailgate protector allowing for separate movement of the extender frame relative to the tailgate protector. Support arms extend between the vehicle and the extender frame for selectively positioning said extender frame relative to the vehicle tailgate and also supporting the extender frame.

Abstract: There is disclosed a porous moisture-absorbing and desorbing polymer, characterized in that, said polymer is an organic polymer containing 2.0-12.0 meq/g of carboxyl-groups of a salt type, having a cross-linking structure and having macropores of not less than 1 m.sup.2 /g of specific surface area and 0.005-1.0 .mu.m of average pore size.

Abstract: A package for an article of hosiery including a card having a body and a header adjacent the body. Indicia relating to the article is disposed on the header. The body is sized and shaped to receive the article thereabout such that, when the article is mounted on the body, the article conceals the body but not the header, whereby the article is supported by the body while each of the header and at least a portion of the article are displayed. The present invention is also directed to a method of packaging an article of hosiery having an opening. The method includes the step of mounting the article on a package having a body and an indicia bearing header adjacent the body such that the article of hosiery surrounds the body and the header extends outwardly from the opening of the article.

Abstract: The present invention entails a battery identification system to be utilized by cellular telephones, battery chargers, and other electrical devices for identification of the battery types employed within such devices. The battery identification system comprises a battery type identification circuit that includes one or more input switches that are coupled to a voltage divider network that is made up of a series of voltage divider segments. Each voltage divider segment is designed to produce a signal that is indicative of the on/off state of a particular input switch. To actuate the input switches, the employed battery is provided with one or more switch actuators, where the position and spacing of the switch actuators on the battery in effect uniquely identifies the battery type. Various switching and actuating configurations are contemplated, including mechanical, galvanic, magnetic, and optical systems.

Abstract: A simplified structure is disclosed for a dual-band, double-conversion superheterodyne receiver. All mixer-injection signals are generated by combining the outputs of two phase-locked frequency synthesizers driven by a single reference oscillator. The output of one synthesizer injects the receiver's second mixer, which converts signals from the first intermediate frequency to the second intermediate frequency. The output of the other synthesizer has two uses: (1) it provides first mixer injection needed to tune the receiver to a primary band, and (2) it is mixed with the output of the first synthesizer to provide the first mixer injection needed to tune the receiver to an alternate band.

Abstract: A method of treating wastewater including: biologically treating wastewater under pressure; then reducing the pressure and substantially removing solids by dissolved gas flotation at the reduced pressure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bird feeder having a bottom structure, a roof structure, and a side support structure extending between the bottom and roof structures. Disposed within the bird feeder is a sliding feed drawer. The sliding feed drawer normally assumes a position within the bird feeder. However the entire feed drawer can be removed from the bird feeder for easy and convenient cleaning.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a wastewater treatment process wherein the waste activated sludge is digested to produce treated biosolids which are then directed to a dewatering facility that removes water from the treated biosolids. Before or during the dewatering process, both a low molecular weight polymer and a high molecular weight polymer are added to the treated biosolids. The addition of the two polymers of different molecular weights results in the treated biosolids coagulating and then forming flocs of biosolids that effectively drives water from the flocs and renders the flocs more susceptible to an efficient and effective dewatering process.

Abstract: A seismic support module for supporting communications equipment on a raised floor includes a plurality of anchoring feet secured to the structural concrete floor and a plurality of support columns having generally horizontal top plates on one end thereof extending up from the anchoring feet. Attached to the plates are a plurality of tie rails and run rails forming a horizontal frame for supporting the communications equipment and the raised floor tiles. The outermost support columns are preferably braced by a plurality of diagonal cross-braces. The anchoring feet have a base plate, preferably a plurality of vertically extending sockets, and a reinforcing plate between the sockets. Preferably, the anchoring feet are interchangeable with each other as are support columns, tie rails, and run rails.

Abstract: A fractional loading scheme is used to improve the spectral efficiency of a cellular system, and therefore increase the number of users that the system can support. The fractional loading scheme allows only a fraction of the total number of available communication channels within each cell to be used simultaneously. Thus, each cell is deliberately underloaded to operate at less than its full capacity. The underloading of the individual cells reduces the spectral efficiency within each cell. However, the underloading of each cell means that there will be fewer interfering users at any given time so that the co-channel interference is reduced. This reduction in co-channel interference allows the reuse distance between co-channel cells to be reduced thereby increasing the reuse of frequencies throughout the system resulting in an increase in spectral efficiency in the system as a whole.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a microcurrent electrotherapy device that is pre-programmed to produce a series of different microcurrent waveform signals that are directed to a selected treatment area of a human or animal. More particularly, the electrotherapy device is pre-programmed to produce a sequence of different pulsed and continuous direct microcurrent waveforms. In one programmed mode, the programmed electrotherapy device produces a pulsed direct current waveform of approximately 10 .mu.A to 100 .mu.A which is followed by a second treatment phase of a direct microcurrent of approximately 300 .mu.A to 1000 .mu.A which is followed by a third treatment phase of pulsed direct microcurrent of approximately 50 to 250 .mu.A.

Abstract: A battery pack for an electronic device including a latch assembly comprising a latching member, a biasing member, and an actuator. The latching member is movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The biasing member urges the latching member to the extended position so that when the battery pack is mounted to the electronic device, the latching member prevents its removal. To remove the battery pack, an actuator is provided to engage the latching member and push it downwardly to a retracted position. During assembly of the battery pack, the latching member can be pushed down to a retracted position allowing the actuator to move to an assembly position. In this position, the actuator is engaged by a retaining member on the battery case to hold the latching member and actuator in place during assembly.

Abstract: A removable interlock spacer is disposed between the rear face of a control knob and the face of a control panel of a cooking device, such as a stove or a barbecue grill, to prevent the control knob from being pushed in far enough to activate the associated cooking element(s). The push-in-and-turn type switches used in such devices require that the control knob be pushed in before the switch can be moved from its off position. The interlock spacer is of sufficient thickness to prevent the control knob from being pushed in far enough to allow the switch to be moved from its off position. Thus, the cooking element cannot be activated with the interlock spacer in position. When the cooking device is to be used, the interlock spacer may be removed and the switch will operate normally. Thereafter, when cooking is complete, the interlock spacer is re-installed so that young children and the like will not inadvertently create a hazard to themselves and others.

Abstract: A perpetual calendar that simultaneously and individually displays all twelve months of any predetermined year. The perpetual calendar includes an outer housing sleeve having twelve month-windows, a middle panel movably disposed inside the sleeve, and a numerical calendar grid adorning the middle panel behind the month-windows. The preferred embodiment of the perpetual calendar also includes positioning structure for orienting the middle panel and therefore the calendar grid among fourteen possible yearly positions, as well as indicia for displaying the current yearly position in which the calendar is oriented. The calendar grid includes twelve month-grids that are each configured to display only a single particular month of the year and to display the precise number of days in that particular month. Each of the month-grids includes a common year grid movable among seven common year positions and an adjacent leap year grid movable among seven leap year positions.

Abstract: The present invention measures the energy consumption of battery-powered telephone devices to prevent the inadvertent deep discharge of a vehicle's battery by prolonged use of said devices when the vehicle is unattended. In a preferred embodiment, current to the devices is incrementally measured or estimated from a measurement of other relevant parameters. The incremental measurements of current are accumulated to produce a total current consumption indicative of the total energy consumption. At each update after an incremental measurement, the accumulated total is compared to a pre-established or adaptively determined. When the total energy consumption meets or exceeds the threshold, the power to the battery-powered telephone device is interrupted in order to conserve a sufficient amount of power to start the vehicle and to operate other peripheral systems.

Abstract: The bulk material cooler/dryer apparatus of the present invention utilizes an oscillating spreader assembly in conjunction with a reciprocating discharge grate structure to achieve uniform distribution of in-flowing bulk material within a main processing chamber and also to achieve uniform and efficient discharge of the material from the chamber once processing is complete. This uniform distribution of bulk material within the processing chamber is accomplished via a spreader assembly which is mounted to the top of the chamber and which moves along two orthogonal axes. Motion with respect to each of the axes is facilitated by a pair of linear actuators, the actions of which are controlled so as to cause the stream of in-flowing material that is issued therefrom to oscillate in a sinusoidal type pattern when observed from a point above the spreader assembly.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bucket for a front-end loader. The bucket comprises a planer back and an elongated relatively narrow bottom panel that projects from the back. Extending upwardly and outwardly from the bottom panel is a pair of opposed triangular shaped sides. The triangular shaped sides and the bottom panel form a generally V-shaped forwardly converging bucket structure.