Abstract: Assemblies and firearms incorporating such assemblies are provided. In this regard, a representative firearm includes an elongate removable backstrap selectively mountable to a grip of the firearm such that, when mounted thereto, an effective size of the grip is increased. A pin used for mounting the backstrap can also secure a trigger mechanism housing to the receiver of the firearm.

Abstract: A sensor is disclosed. A representative sensor includes a silicon substrate having a porous silicon region. A portion of the porous silicon region has a front contact is disposed thereon. The contact resistance between the porous silicon region and the front contact is between about 10 ohms and 100 ohms.

Abstract: Systems and methods for at or near room temperature of infrared detection are disclosed. Embodiments of the disclosure include high temperature split-off band infrared detectors. One embodiment, among others, comprises a first barrier and a second barrier with an emitter disposed between the first and second barrier, each barrier being a layer of a first semiconductor material and the emitter being a layer of a second semiconductor material.

Abstract: The invention proposes an improvement for a method for collecting a debt. The method includes entering in a data processing system data at least including data concerning the debtor and the debt, permitting debt access to at least two parties to at least a part of the data entered in the system, and initiating an action for collecting the debt on a basis of the data entered in the database. The improvement comprises entering accounting data regarding accounts payable to the creditor and payments to the creditor into the system, enabling a financing party providing a loan to the creditor on the payable accounts to inspect at least a part of the accounting data for determining an amount of the loan based on at least the part of the accounting data.

Abstract: An elastic loop 1 is provided for suspending an exhaust system of a motor vehicle at a vehicle floor of the motor vehicle. The elastic loop 1 has a basic body 4 made of an elastomeric material 5, the basic body 4 enclosing two receiving eyes 6 and 7, one of which being provided for receiving a supporting part, and the other of which being provided for receiving a part to be supported, and the basic body 4 comprising at least two elastic supporting bands 8 and 9 which run from the one receiving eye 6 to the other receiving eye 7 in a main plane of extension and operation of the loop. Further, the elastic loop 1 has a ring 21 enclosing the basic body 4 in the main plane, the ring 21 being a pre-cut piece 24 of a ribbon 20 which is continuously woven in consecutive one-layer and two-layer areas, i.e. once in a single closed layer and once in two separate layers, the pre-cut piece 24 including an entire two-layer area and at least parts of both adjacent one-layer areas.

Abstract: Trailer hitch (10) has a pivotal ball mount (30) having upper and lower wedge-shaped parallel plates (52, 54) that are connected by pivot pin (64) to the opening (31) of socket (29). Lock lever (34) is pivotally mounted in the mounting element (26) and is spring biased toward locking engagement with the recesses (82, 84) of the pivotal ball element. By tilting the lock lever (34) away from the pivotal ball mount, the pivotal ball mount is free to rotate so that its hitch ball can move in an arc laterally for alignment with the ball receptacle (16) of the trailer tongue (14). Forward movement of the towing vehicle and trailer causes and pivotal ball mount to become aligned with the lock lever, and the spring (44) urges the lock lever back into locking engagement with the recesses (82 or 84). The pivotal ball mount (30) can be inverted so as to raise or lower the height of the hitch ball.

Abstract: Articles are magnetically tagged by a spatial distribution of passive magnetic elements. Each such magnetic element comprises a layer of soft magnetic material characterised by high permeability, low coercivity and a non-linear B-H characteristic, and formed as a discrete region of such material. Each such magnetic element also has at least one second layer of magnetic material capable of being permanently magnetised at least in a region adjacent the first layer to provide a magnetic bias for the magnetic element. The bias of individual such magnetic elements in the spatial distribution and the particular spatial nature of the distribution enables the article to be magnetically encoded.

Abstract: A method of making a structure having an optimized sterical shape of a material 4 comprises the steps of forming a pre-form 1 of the structure of the material 4, setting geometric boundary conditions for the material 4 being in a state in which it is able to rearrange under the influence of internal tensions in the volume of the pre-form 1 so that the material rearranges itself into the structure in a self-organized way, and transferring the rearranged material 4 into a state in which the rearrangement of the material 4 is conserved.

Abstract: The seed planter includes a rotary drum (28) having a series of equally spaced seed cups (51) mounted on the inner surface of the cylindrical peripheral wall (32), and a seed meter (69) mounted over the arcuate path of the seed cups, in close spaced relationship over the large upper openings (54) of the seed cups to receive the seeds.

Abstract: An apparatus for an electrical wiring hub is provided. The electrical wiring hub includes: a hub housing, configured to receive a plurality of wires; a plurality of conductor rings, configured to conduct electrical current from one of the plurality of wires to another of the plurality of wires; a conductor mount, configured to receive at least one conductor ring; a conductor retainer, configured engage the hub housing and the conductor mount and configured to maintain a position of the plurality of conductor rings.

Abstract: For preparing an albumin isolate from a substance containing albumin, the substance is first ground to a flour. The flour is then suspended in an aqueous solution. The albumin is extracted from the flour into the solution by an at least two stage extraction process using at least one protease, at a pH greater than 8 and at a temperature between 30 and 60° C. In the first stage the flour is treated at a lower protease to albumin weight ratio, at a lower pH and at a higher temperature than in the second stage. After the first stage, a first upper flow and a fraction containing the flour are separated, and the albumin is precipitated from said upper flow. The fraction containing the flour is subjected to the second extraction stage. After that, a second upper flow is separated and fed back to the first stage.