Abstract: A ceramic resonance type electrostatic sensor apparatus with an oscillator at a fixed frequency including a first ceramic resonator which has a fixed resonance frequency, a detecting unit for detecting a capacitance between the detecting unit and an object to be detected, a resonating circuit including a second ceramic resonator and having a resonance point which varies with the small change in capacitance detected by the detecting unit, a high impedance circuit connected between the oscillator and the resonating circuit, and a high impedance circuit connected between the resonating circuit and the detecting circuit.

Abstract: A sliding storage container apparatus is provided that is comprised of a storage container having a pair of laterally spaced and longitudinally extending rails secured to its underside, and a pair of tracks that engage the rails in sliding engagement. The tracks are mounted in a laterally spaced longitudinally extending disposition on a flat horizontal base surface and the container is mounted for sliding fore and aft movement on the tracks. The tracks or rails are provided with fore and aft stop abutments that limit the extent to which the container may slide over the tracks, and the container rails are provided with slots dimensioned to enable the rails and the container to be disengaged from the track by elevating or leveling the rails and container and sliding the rails and container forward over the fore track abutments.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the efficient removal of hazardous and nonhazardous volatile and semi-volatile organic materials from contaminated materials includes an evaporation/vacuum heating chamber that communicates with a microwave generator, a vacuum pressure system, a contaminated material in-feed system, and a residue removal system. The evaporation/vacuum heating chamber is fed with successive batches or a continuous supply of contaminated material and subjects the contaminated material to microwave energy and vacuum pressure to draw off volatile and semi-volatile material from the contaminated material as vapor and reduce the contaminated material to a dry residue. The vapors are drawn from the chamber by the vacuum pressure system and are condensed and collected. The dried material residue is removed from the chamber by the residue removal system and is also collected for later disposal or reuse.

Abstract: A packet switch having broadcasting capability for an ATM network includes a copy network stage having an increased number of copy outputs over the number of switch inputs and outputs to improve data throughput under worst case conditions, broadcast translation circuits with inputs connected to a multiple number of copy network outputs for multiplexing the data packets therethrough, partitioned memories for the broadcast translation circuits to reduce their memory requirements, and techniques for aligning broadcast copies of data packets for minimizing the number of copies each BTC must translate and thereby reduce each of their memories. All of these enhancements to a prior art broadcast ATM switch substantially reduce its memory requirements to thereby enable broadcasting in an ATM switch to be practically realized.

Abstract: A rotary cutting die assembly is comprised of a support roll having a cylindrical exterior surface with a first axial slot formed in the exterior surface and extending a first depth into the support roll, and a second axial slot formed in the exterior surface adjacent the first slot and extending a second depth into the support roll, the second depth being less than the first depth. A cutting blade, shim and lock-down bar are received in the first slot of the support roll. The lock-down bar supports a plurality of set screws oriented at an acute angle relative to the cutting blade. Tightening the plurality of set screws in the lock-down bar causes the set screws to urge the cutting blade and bar apart from each other and into friction engagement against the opposite sidewalls of the first slot, thereby securing the cutting blade and mounting bar in the first slot.

Abstract: A cooking utensil for microwave cooking foods includes a horizontal base with a cooking surface and a bottom surface, and a plurality of pores and/or openings extending through the base between the two surfaces. A plurality of support legs support the base in a horizontal position on a bottom oven wall of a microwave oven. The base and the plurality of support legs are constructed of a moisture absorbent material that absorbs moisture from foods supported by the cooking utensil and cooked by microwave.

Abstract: An improved blower housing is constructed of a pair of end walls and a sidewall joined by a seam extending around at least portions of the peripheral edges of the end walls, wherein the seam is formed in two sections positioned at an angle relative to each other, the angle dividing the seam sections extending around the seam. The angle formed between the two seam sections improves the ability of the seam to resist relative movement between the sidewall and the two end walls of the blower housing due to vibrations of the sidewall and two end walls during blower operations. The seam also enables a blower housing to be constructed from a coated sidewall and a pair of coated end walls without the need for spot welds or screws along the seam joining the sidewall and end walls. What is meant by coated is a prepainted, galvanized or aluminized wall. The particular seam construction also enables the sidewall to be joined to the pair of end walls without deforming the end walls.

Abstract: A shoe sole having improved lateral and medial stability is comprised of a shoe sole formed from a material having a predetermined hardness and one or more stabilizer apparatus contained in the shoe sole, the stabilizer apparatus being formed from a material having a hardness different or the same as the hardness of the shoe sole. The stabilizer apparatus are formed with opposed support wall sections that are positioned adjacent the sidewalls of the shoe sole and resist the compression of the midsole in the areas adjacent the opposite left and right sidewalls. The spacing of the stabilizer support walls at the opposite left and right sides of the midsole prevents the support walls from appreciably affecting the cushioning ability of the portion of the midsole between the stabilizer sidewalls.

Abstract: A storage shelf assembly has a plurality of shelves, each shelf being of one-piece, integrally molded, plastic construction, and having a socket at an end thereof for positioning adjacent a socket of a shelf of a like storage assembly with said assemblies positioned in end-to-end relationship. The shelves are supported in horizontal, parallel, vertically spaced relation. A coupler is provided for coupling the like assemblies together in said end-to-end relationship. The coupler is of one-piece, integrally molded, plastic construction, and has spaced members adapted for insertion in the sockets, the spaced members of the coupler being maintained in fixed spaced relationship.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are disclosed for expressing heterologous coding sequences in host cells. The compositions include infectious Sindbis virus RNA molecules containing at least one heterologous coding sequence inserted within the structural region of the Sindbis virus genome. RNA molecules consisting essentially of a Sindbis virus junction region are also provided. Methods utilizing the novel compositions of the present invention to express heterologous coding sequences in transformed host cells are provided. Methods for producing infectious Sindbis virus particles containing infectious Sindbis virus RNA molecules comprising at least one heterologous coding sequence are provided.This invention was made with government support under grant numbers AI24134, AI11377 and AG05681 awarded by the National Institutes of Health. The government has certain rights in the invention.

Abstract: A water control includes three water sources which are plumbed into a single supply pipe where a flow meter and temperature sensor is used by a computer to monitor the water flowing therethrough. A valve set controls the flow of water from each water source into the single supply pipe such that a desired amount of water as measured by the flow meter is produced at a desired temperature as is monitored by the temperature sensor. The water sources include a tap water supply with an unregulated temperature, and a cold and hot water source.

Abstract: An emergency medical card includes a first location for displaying a reduced-sized medical data transparency with a detachable lens element for separation from the card to view the medical data contained on the transparency. In a first embodiment, the hinge member secures the periphery of a first card with the periphery of a reduced-size lens card, with the hinge permitting the lens card to be bent back adjacent to the first card so that its profile remains that of a typical credit card. In a second embodiment, the lens is secured by a perforation within the profile of the same card.

Abstract: There is a drawer having a bottom, front, rear and left and right side walls. A continuous rim defines left and right upper edge flanges that extend along and connect to the respective upper edges of the left and right side walls. The left and right rim-flanges also define left and right roller tracks. Left and right rollers extend out from the side walls. Correspondingly, there is a set of left and right roller and slide hardware for attaching to a cabinet cavity. Thus, the side flanges defined by the rim also function as components of the drawer's roller slide. The drawer is supported by its flanges and rollers in such operable engagement with the roller and slide hardware that the drawer can slidably travel in a horizontal plane relative to the mounting structure.

Abstract: A tennis equipment support rack has a fixed frame in combination with a basket. The fixed frame includes a single wire element that is bent to form a basket support rack. The basket has a front, a back, and two opposite side walls. At the upper edges of the side walls there is a continuous peripheral wire that functions as a flange portion by which the basket is supported on the basket support rack. The basket is for containing accessories of the game like balls, towels, sweatbands, and so on, and is easily freed from the basket support rack for transport. The fixed frame has another single wire element that is bent to form a tennis racket support rack. The tennis racket support rack can removably support one or several tennis rackets. The forms of both the fixed frame and the basket permit them to be nested with additional fixed frames and baskets.

Abstract: A pet confinement system includes a loop antenna for placement about the border of an area within which the pet is desired to be confined, a control panel for recording a voice command in the pet owner's voice, and means for generating an RF signal encoded with said prerecorded voice command for transmission over said antenna. A receiver is mounted to a collar for attachment to a pet such that as the pet approaches the antenna the pet owner's voice command is received from the antenna and announced to the pet to encourage him to withdraw from the border. A threshold level detector detects when the pet approaches even closer to the antenna and the collar includes a pair of electrodes for applying a shock to the pet to further reinforce the pet owner's voice command and convince the pet to withdraw from the border. The control panel further includes monitoring circuits for monitoring the integrity of the loop antenna and the AC power supply.

Abstract: A toy vehicle for a child includes a track and roller drive train for propelling the vehicle. Each of a pair of pedal arms is pivotally mounted at its forward end and has a split track mounted at the rear end thereof which rides on a roller mounted on either side of the axle. As the pedal arms are reciprocated by a rider, the tracks drive the rollers and axle with the gap between ramps of the track allowing the track to straddle the axle at the bottom of each stroke. The track may be generally curvilinear, or compound angled to balance the torque generated by each stroke in either the forward or rearward direction, and to also provide a smoother driving action through substantially 180.degree. of axle rotation with each stroke.

Abstract: A hydra-jack screw apparatus is provided for exerting a force against an object, for adjusting the magnitude of the force exerted against the object, and for providing a visual indication of the magnitude of the force exerted against the object. The apparatus is comprised of a base member housing a piston chamber, a jack screw extending from the bottom of the base member, a fluid pressure gauge mounted on the base member, and a pair of pistons received in the piston chamber for reciprocating movement. One of the pistons has a piston rod that extends through a center bore of the jack screw and engages against an object against which a force is to be applied. The second piston has a piston rod that extends from the piston chamber of the base member and is attached to a manual forced adjusting knob. A volume of fluid is contained in the piston chamber between the first and second pistons, and as the manual knob is turned, the pressure of the volume of fluid is adjustably increased or decreased.

Abstract: A carrier apparatus for carrying packages is formed in the configuration of a tubular body having opposite ends and a slot spiraling through the body between its opposite ends. The carrier apparatus is easily attached to and removed from cords secured to objects such as binding cords of packages or cord or plastic loop handles of shopping bags by inserting the cords or handles in the slot at one end of the body, and then rotating the body around its longitudinal axis causing the cords or slots to be directed along the length of the spiraling slot from one end of the apparatus to the other end of the apparatus. The carrier apparatus provides a rigid carrier or holder on the package or bag cords or handles that fits comfortably in the palm of a user's hand.

Abstract: A pneumatically operated apparatus is provided for automatically disengaging the bogie pins from the trailer rails of a tractor-trailer rig. The apparatus is designed to be retrofit to existing truck trailer and bogie assemblies and to work along side the conventional manual pin retracting mechanisms of the bogie assemblies. The apparatus includes safety features that prevent the apparatus from retracting the bogie pins of the trailer and bogie assembly when the emergency brakes of the assembly have not been engaged. The apparatus is also provided with safety features that automatically control the bogie pins to reengage in the holes of the trailer rails upon disengagement of the emergency brakes of the tractor-trailer rig.