Abstract: The present invention relates to a cup handling subsystem for an automated clinical chemistry analyzer system which includes a nestable sample cup for holding sample mixtures, a cup dispenser mechanism for holding and dispensing a supply of the cups into a sample shuttle for transporting them, and an incubator for controlling the temperature of the cup and its contents. In one embodiment, the cups include a conical lower portion and a cylindrical upper portion having a top flange, a bottom flange and a groove formed therebetween. An apparatus is provided for holding and dispensing a plurality of such cups including a supply tube for holding the cups in a stack wherein the stack has a bottom-most cup and a next-bottom-most cup located above the bottom-most cup. The apparatus also includes an escapement located at a lower end of the supply tube which includes a disk having an aperture formed therein, a first leaf attached to a top side of the disk and a second leaf attached to a bottom side of the disk.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for causing pressure variations in a wellbore. A valve mechanism and a sealing device are provided in the wellbore. The valve mechanism is part of a valve device which may be actuated between an open position and a closed position. The valve device is actuated to the closed position to allow an increase in pressure below the sealing device and is actuated to the open position to allow a fluid to pass through the valve device up the wellbore. The valve device is alternately actuated between the closed position and the open position to cause cyclical pressure variations in the wellbore below the sealing device. The valve device includes the valve mechanism, a fluid passage, a control mechanism for controlling the valve mechanism, and a delay mechanism for delaying the actuation of the valve device from the open position to the closed position.

Abstract: The serum transfer cup is nestable in two different size blood collection tubes such as a 13 mm diameter sample tube and a 16 mm diameter sample tube of the same axial length. The serum transfer cup includes a flange stepped down from a top edge of the cup by a distinctive axial distance that permits ultrasonic identification of the presence of the serum transfer cup regardless of which sample tube nests the serum transfer cup. The serum transfer cup has a higher elevation in the 13 mm sample tube than in the 16 mm sample tube, and the different flange heights can be detected using ultrasonic signals. Thus ultrasonic measurement of the flange position of the nested serum transfer cup identifies the presence of different serum transfer cups in the 13 mm sample tube and in the 16 mm sample tube, and also identifies the 13 mm and 16 mm sample tubes with the nested serum transfer cups.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a stream of liquid and air segments wherein the liquid and air segments are selectively aspirated into a first fluid conduit in a plurality of cycles, each cycle beginning with the aspiration of a first air segment and ending with the aspiration of a final air segment. The liquid and air segments are then transferred from the first fluid conduit to a second fluid conduit. The volume of the final air segment of each cycle is then adjusted after the final air segment has moved into the second fluid conduit. Next, the liquid segments and the air segments of each cycle are transferred from the second fluid conduit to a third fluid conduit. The volume of the first air segment of each cycle is then adjusted after the first air segment has moved into the third fluid conduit.

Abstract: A dressing tool for opening the abdomen and diaphragm of slaughtered animals comprises a knife (1) that extends like a bridge (4) between two short, substantially cylindrical pieces of tube (2) through which two fingers can be passed in order to hold the tool during use. The short pieces of tube (2) and the bridge (4) therebetween may be made of plastic and the knife (1) is then embedded in the bridge (4), with only the knife edge exposed. The short pieces of tube (2) may have longitudinal slits (3) and/or be slightly conical. The edge of the knife (1) expediently extends along the whole edge of the bridge (4) from one of the short pieces of tube (2) to the other.

Abstract: Method for solving the classical inversion problem of finding the angle dependent reflection coefficients along selected reflectors in the subsurface. The input data to the method include seismic constant offset or constant angle data cubes from Pre-Stack Depth Migration of Kirchhoff type and the corresponding reflectors and velocities from the interpretation and velocity analysis of the data. One or more of the reflectors are chosen and ray modeling is done to create synthetic seismics for all shot/receiver pairs in the seismic survey. Based on these modeling results, amplitude correction maps are made for the various reflection angles. These correction maps are applied to the amplitudes from the seismic data. The corrected amplitudes are approximations to the angle-dependent reflection coefficients in all points on each selected reflector. For each point, a weight function is computed, giving the quantitative resolution of the estimate of the reflection coefficient.

Abstract: A keypad device for telephones, mobile phones, remote control units, text and character transmitters, calculators, electronic planners or the like, wherein a control element, when actuated manually by an operator, is adapted to be able to carry out at least two function commands, and preferably wherein the movement of the control element can be felt manually, or optionally is indicated by sound and/or light.

Abstract: An electrodeposition process for producing a layered composite material and the layered composite material produced by the process. The layered composite material includes at least one layer of a first alloy species of an alloy and at least one layer of a second alloy species of the alloy. The first alloy species and the second alloy species have distinguishable properties. The process includes the steps of first energizing an electroplating circuit to provide a first electroplating current to deposit a layer of the first alloy species and second energizing the electroplating circuit to provide a second electroplating current to deposit a layer of the second alloy species. The alloy is preferably a gold-tin alloy, the first alloy species is preferably the Au5Sn alloy phase and the second alloy species is preferably the AuSn alloy phase.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for injecting a fluid into a borehole. The method includes the step of injecting an injection fluid into a primary injection zone in a borehole at an injection fluid pressure. The primary injection zone is bounded by a proximal injection zone interface and a distal injection zone interface. The proximal injection zone interface and the distal injection zone interface are maintained at pressures which are substantially balanced with the injection fluid pressure. The apparatus includes a body adapted for passage through a borehole, at least four radially extendable and retractable zone interface elements spaced longitudinally along the body which when extended define at least three zones along the body, a zone interface element actuator for selectively extending and retracting the zone interface elements, and a fluid delivery system for delivering a fluid to each zone.

Abstract: A motor includes a commutator, which has twenty-four segments. Each of eight short-circuit members is connected to three of the segments. Each short-circuit member extends in an arcuate form in an angular range corresponding to arranging positions of three segments to be connected to the short-circuit member. The eight short-circuit members are laminated to form a multiple-layer structure in the axial direction of the commutator. The short-circuit members form a substantially cylindrical laminated body. The short-circuit members are formed and arranged such that the number of the layers of the laminated body is less than the number of the short-circuit members. As a result, the axial dimension of the laminated body is reduced and the miniaturization of the motor in the axial direction is achieved.

Abstract: Apparatuses for article handling, comprising one or more of a) an article-moving conveyor belt (1) designed to move along an underlying plate (55) which has a ridge portion (56), so that a substantial part of each article (21) will lie on one side or the other of the highest point of the conveyor belt; b) a lifting apparatus (4) for moving articles, e.g., PET bottles, from an in-feed point to discharge point located above the in-feed point, with the aid of a continuous row of movable article-carrying baskets (26-36) spaced apart along the length of driving belts or drive chains; and c) an article sorting apparatus (6) that is conveyed on a continuously moving conveyor belt (22) and includes a gate (15) that is designed to be able to move an article (21) away from the conveyor belt (22) sideways, and which in the neutral position of the gate (15) is designed to allow the article (21) to move past the gate (15) unaffected thereby.

Abstract: A system for receiving a radio signal broadcast for a specific event such as a sporting contest, music concert, or other event attended by multiple persons. A portable base having a clip is attached to a fixed frequency receiver for detecting a broadcast radio signal, and a speaker for generating an audible signal can be attached to the base or to a portable speaker. The receiver can be activated by a manual switch or by a broadcast activation signal. The base has a substantially flat surface for displaying printed images, and a perimeter edge for the base can have a recognizable shape. The system includes a transmitter for broadcasting the signal, and a code mechanism can prevent unauthorized receipt of the broadcast signal.

Abstract: The jaw supporting device for use on a deceased person is a one-piece, U-shaped jaw rest for resting against and gripping around the front of the neck of the deceased person. The U-shaped element has a curved portion at the bottom of the U-shape, with the curved portion having an upper side and a lower side. A jaw rest portion is formed at the upper side of the curved portion for engaging and supporting the jaw of the deceased person when the U-shaped element is positioned against the front of the neck of the deceased person. A chest or collar engaging portion can be formed at the lower side of the curved portion for engaging against the chest or collar bone when the U-shaped element is positioned against the front of the neck of the deceased person.

Abstract: A device for controlling the conveying direction of empty liquid containers of any cross section, where the conveying direction is either through a portion of the device, or sideways away from the conveying path and the containers are supported in a horizontal position, the device comprising a rotatable drum arranged above the conveying path and with its axis of rotation in the direction of the conveying path, wherein the drum has at least one container chamber forming an opening in the drum, at least one container guide plate, and a container ejection mechanism arranged in connection with the chamber. In operation, the ejector empties the container from the chamber when the chamber opening has moved passed an upper edge of the guide plate and thus with force will thrust a container out of the chamber opening.

Abstract: A window screen includes a screen sheet with two opposite outer side surfaces. The screen sheet includes a pair of screen laminates, and an intermediate bonding layer. Each screen laminate has a first surface facing the other screen laminate, and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The bonding layer is attached to the first surfaces of the screen laminates for bonding together the screen laminates. The bonding layer is formed from a resin composition that contains a dark-colored oil-based ink. The second surfaces of the screen laminates constitute the opposite outer side surfaces of the screen sheet.

Abstract: Pedal device for rotary attachment to a pedal crank arm of physical training apparatus, e.g. a bicycle, said device comprising a first pedal rotatably attached to a pedal shaft, said pedal shaft at a free end thereof firmly attachable to said crank arm, and said first pedal having a first pedal engagement face for use in carrying out conventional training exercise. Said device is provided with a second pedal tiltably attached to said first pedal about an axis extending transversely through a longitudinal axis of said pedal shaft and parallel to said first pedal face approximately midway between an inner and an outer end thereof. Said second pedal has second pedal engagement face facing away from said first pedal engagement face and spaced from said transversely extending axis, and said second pedal is tiltable to either side relative to said first pedal by an acute angle, e.g. in the range 0-35 degrees.

Abstract: A wireless system for video game control comprised of a base transceiver engaged with an electronic game device where said base transceiver communicates wirelessly with one or more wireless controllers concurrently and which implements a variety of techniques to achieve significant advantages in the areas of latency, reliability, power consumption, and cross platform compatibility.

Abstract: Handling of liquid containers in horizontal position in the form of beverage packaging, for example, cans or or bottles of any cross-section, comprising a first and a second conveyor with respective belt, especially in connection with detection of features of the container. The belts are movable in a mutually parallel direction, and in a first, container-supporting position form an angle relative to each other, thereby forming an approximately V-shaped conveyor.

Abstract: An improvement in the process for the production of articles from lignocellulosic material and a formaldehyde based resin binder comprising the step of treating the lignocellulosic material prior to combining it with the binder by exposing the lignocellulosic material to an acidic environment.