Abstract: A gas or fluid pressure or force sensor is disclosed consisting of a fluid-tight housing containing a supply of electrochemically active gas and an electrolytic membrane disposed to divide the housing into two chambers. The electrolytic membrane has one or more pervious electrodes disposed on each side of and in contact with the membrane. A flexible bellows or diaphragm is disposed to form one wall of the fluid-tight housing and provide the contacting surface for transferring a force or pressure to the sensor. A controller is connected to display measurements and to permit automatic sensor calibration, differential pressure-induced diffusion compensation, temperature compensation and sensor chamber pressure control. The disclosed force sensor is useful for application to robotic manipulators and the basic device is useful for measurement of the gas partial-pressure of a selected gas.

Abstract: In a breakaway trailer brake activating mechanism mounted on a trailer surge brake actuator, one end of a tension coil spring is attached to the breakaway activating mechanism while the other end of the spring is connected to an intermediate link on a breakaway chain. The connection is such that a surplus, predetermined number of breakaway chain links, forming a slack section of the breakaway chain, are connected between the ends of the spring. The spring prevents the slack section of the breakaway chain connected between the ends of the spring from being pulled tight so as to allow for tow vehicle turns even if the breakway chain is incorrectly secured. Thus, during a sharp turn of the tow vehicle, the spring will allow the reserve links of the slack section of chain to extend but not so far as to cause the trailer brake to be activated.

Abstract: An electric beverage maker comprising: a water reservoir; a water delivery tube for conducting hot water from the reservoir; a water distribution chamber located above a location of a filter holder and disposed for receiving water from the water delivery tube, the chamber being provided with a water outlet opening; a water recycling conduit providing a water flow path between the water distribution chamber and the reservoir; and a valve for blocking or unblocking the water outlet opening for permitting, when the water outlet opening is blocked, recycling of water via the recycling conduit, the improvement wherein the recycling conduit is constituted by a guide member forming a channel enclosing the water delivery tube.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck comprising a chucking body of a dielectric ceramics and an electrostatic inner electrode embedded in the chuck (first invention), the ceramics having a volume resistivity value not more than 10.sup.13 .OMEGA.cm at a high temperature not less than 250.degree. C. This electrostatic chuck can properly chuck, fix, carry and correct wafers even at a high temperature not less than 250.degree. C. in CVD, PVD or high temperature etching apparatuses.An electrostatic chuck comprising a chucking body of a single-crystalline sapphire and an electrostatic inner electrode embedded in the chuck (second invention). This electrostatic chuck is characterized by extremely small leak current, high mechanical strength and strong chucking force even in the temperature range of room temperature to 500.degree. C. and in the voltage range of 500 to 2000 V. With this electrostatic chuck, objects to be chucked, such as silicon wafers, are less contaminated.

Abstract: An integrated circuit wafer composed of a substrate having a surface carrying a plurality of circuit chips spaced from one another by scribe lines constituted by regions of the substrate surface along which the substrate will be cut in order to separate the chips from one another, each chip having at least one semiconductor element composed of a plurality of patterned layers of electrically conductive material and the wafer further including at least one interlayer insulation film having portions which extend across each chip and interposed between two of the layers of electrically conductive material to form a component part of each element, the interlayer insulation film further having portions which extend across the scribe lines at the time the substrate is cut along the scribe lines and which are contiguous with portions of the interlayer insulation film that extend across each chip, wherein the wafer is provided with one or more defined patterns located at at least one scribe line region and a passivati

Abstract: Antiwithdrawal agents and veterinary antiwithdrawal agents are disclosed which contain lipopolysaccharide (LPS) representatives which have the following physical properties:LPS1 Dominant molecular weight: 5,000.+-.1,000 as determined by SDS-PAGR method______________________________________ Phosphorus number: 2 .+-. 1/5,000 (m.w.) Hexosamine number: 9 .+-. 1/5,000 (m.w.) KDO number: 2 .+-. 1/5,000 (m.w.); ______________________________________LPS2 Dominant molecular weight: 6,500.+-.2,500 as determined by SDS-PAGR method ______________________________________ Phosphorus number: 1 to 2/5,000 (m.w.) Hexosamine number: 7 .+-. 1/5,000 (m.w.) KDO number: 1 to 2/5,000 (m.w.); and ______________________________________LPS3 Dominant molecular weight:6,500.+-.2,500 as determined by SDS-PAGE method ______________________________________ Phosphorus number: 2 .+-. 1/5,000 (m.w.) Hexosamine number: 5 .+-. 1/5,000 (m.w.) KDO number: 2 .+-. 1/5,000 (m.w.

Abstract: An artificial hip joint of the type wherein a metal stem is fitted into the tapered hall of a ceramic stem head via a tapered cone in the stem, the hip joint being characterized in that the tapered stem engages the tapered hall in the deeper portion of the tapered hall, whereby the compression strength (fracture load) of the stem head is improved. Deep engagement of the tapered stem within the tapered hall is accomplished by, for example, making the angle of the taper of the tapered cone slightly smaller than that of the tapered stem. Preferably, the angle of taper of the tapered cone is smaller than that of the tapered hall by about 40 minutes or less. In addition, the diameter at the base of the hall is enlarged to form a cavity.

Abstract: A circuit for applying a direct current to a winding. One end of a primary winding of a transformer is connected to a first transistor via a resistor. The other end of the primary winding is connected to a second transistor. The first and second transistors constitute a current mirror circuit. By by-passing through a capacitor, no alternating current flows in the first transistor. The primary winding of the transformer includes a center tap and an AC/DC superimposed signal is input to the primary winding via the center tap. In the primary winding, DC components flow so as to mutually negate DC-magnetization. As a result, there is no need to provide a gap in a magnetization circuit and the construction of the whole circuit including the transformer can be miniaturized with improved characteristics.

Abstract: A plasma gun assembly for use in high temperature environments couples electrode and cooling water supplying hoses to a plasma gun via an extension arrangement having a conductive cathode extension tube coaxially disposed within a conductive anode extension tube. The cooling water flows through the hollow interior of the cathode extension tube to the plasma gun, then returns from the plasma gun via a passage formed between the outside of the cathode extension tube and the interior wall of the anode extension tube. In this manner the anode and cathode extension tubes are cooled as well as the plasma gun. Powder and plasma gas are supplied to the plasma gun by water-cooled tube arrangements in which such tubes are surrounded by intermediate and outer tubes forming separate passages. Cooling water is coupled via fittings to flow through the passages formed by the intermediate and outer tubes to provide cooling.

Abstract: A credit card includes an integral magnifying lens positioned in the non-data area on the credit card for permitting magnification of the credit card transaction form at the point-of-sale. The placement of the lens assures that the machine readability of the magnetic encoding strip and the embossed indicia associated with the card is not impaired. The magnifying lens incorporates a fresnel-type contour lens mounted in a window provided in the credit card base.

Abstract: A provisional key is determined on the basis of a relatively small amount of performance information (for instance, information on one chord), while a definite key is determined on the basis of a relatively large amount of performance information (for instance, information on progression of plural chords). If a definite key has been determined, an automatic accompaniment tone is controlled on the basis of the determined definite key, but, if no definite key has been determined, an automatic accompaniment tone is controlled on the basis of the provisional key. The definite key based control is performed in a different manner from the provisional key based control. The definite key based control can achieve control of higher musical quality (for instance, tension notes can be used in a daring manner), but such a daring control is refrained in the provisional key based control.

Abstract: A solid body having extremely narrow passages formed therein for the separation and conveyance of gases by surface diffusion. Because of the relatively high flow resistance resulting from the extremely small cross sections of the passages, the gas conveyance through the solid body can be performed substantially exclusively by surface diffusion. Only those gas particles which are adsorbed on the solid body or on the wall of the passages will be conveyed through the solid body. The surface diffusion can be controlled by suitable selection of the gas/solid body combination. The diffusion is influenced particularly by the temperature of the solid body. When, in the case of a two-gas mixture, the solid body is heated to a temperature above the desorption temperature of one of the gases and below the desorption temperature of the other gas, only the gas particles of the adsorbed gas are conveyed on the passage walls by surface diffusion.

Abstract: In construction of a pickup unit used for electroacoustic conversion of various vibrations produced on a string instrument, a piezoelectric assembly clamped between a string holder and a bridge is provided with a dual layer arrangement of piezoelectric elements kept in contact with corresponding positive electrodes. The piezoelectric elements closer to the string holder detect string vibrations and the piezoelectric elements closer to the bridge detects body vibrations of the string instrument so that electric signals from piezoelectric elements of different groups can be tactfully blended together for rich and voluminous generation of musical tones over a wide tone range.

Abstract: A secondary signal is processed and injected into a primary color video signal. The timing of the subsequent transmission of the secondary signal is controlled by timing signals. The timing signals also control the transmission of a carrier burst prior to the transmission of the secondary data signal. This carrier burst is used by a receiver to synchronize with the transmitter, reduce transmission errors and to indicate that a data transmission is to follow.

Abstract: A thin film transistor includes a semiconductor thin film formed with a source region and a drain region at opposite end portions thereof and having an offset region near at the drain region, a gate electrode formed above the region between the source region and the offset region of the semiconductor thin film, with a gate insulating film being interposed, and a conductive layer formed above the gate electrode or under the semiconductor thin film, with an insulating film being interposed, the conductive layer being applied with generally the same potential as the gate electrode, wherein the resistance value of the offset region is controlled by the potential of the conductive layer. The gate electrode may be formed under the semiconductor thin film. In this case, the conductive layer is formed above the semiconductor thin film or under the gate electrode, with an insulating film being interposed. An SRAM is also provided which uses a thin film transistor constructed as above.

Abstract: Described are plants not naturally capable of reducing dihydrokaempferol and containing a DNA sequence inserted according to recombinant DNA techniques which DNA sequence encodes a protein with the enzymatic activity of a dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) with extended substrate specificity for dihydrokaempferol. Furthermore, methods for the production of said plants, recombinant vectors and the use of said plants for the breeding of plants and parts of plants with modified flower colour are described.

Abstract: An optical coupler having a tapered fused region produced by locally heating the periphery of a plurality of aligned optical fibers, each having a core and a cladding, so that the optical fibers fuse together at the heated part, and then drawing the resulting fused region by pulling. The length of the fused region is not longer than 10 mm. The tapered fused region may be provided in such a manner that a plurality of optical fibers are disposed to intersect each other at a predetermined angle, and the intersecting portions are locally heated so as to fuse together and then subjected to pulling. The tapered fused region may be provided at each of two or more positions.

Abstract: An automatic accompaniment apparatus employs a chord designating section, a pattern memory, special operation designating section, a pattern read out section, a note conversion section and a tone generator. The chord designating section designates a root and a type of a chord. The pattern memory stores a performance pattern containing note data which designate tone pitches of musical tones. The pattern read out section sequentially reading out the note data from the pattern memory durring the automatic accompaniment. The note conversion section carrying out a note correction operation corresponding to the type designated by the chord designating section on the note data read out by the pattern read out section when the special operation is not designated. In contrast, the note conversion section outputs the note data read out from the pattern memory when the special operation is designated by the special operation designating section.