Abstract: A method and system for creating secure Internet user states between one or more servers and one or more users. The invention is carried out by a server receiving over the Internet from a user private data relating to the user and a user key; creating an encryption key from the user key; encrypting the private data with the encryption key; assigning the encrypted private data to the data field of a cookie; and sending the cookie back to the user's computer for storage, so that when the user later requests data from the server or a related server, the cookie is sent back by the user's computer to the server or related server, which extracts the encrypted private data; receives the user key; recreates the encryption key; decrypts the encrypted private data with the encryption key and uses the decrypted private data to establish an Internet state between that server and the user. Optionally, the private data may be seeded by a server prior to encryption and assignment.

Abstract: A method for culturing insect cells using fish serum. The method uses serum extracted from the blood of fish to culture insect cells for various purposes. The technique has the key advantages of consistent quality, low cross reactivity, safety from infectious agents that would endanger researchers or humans and animals receiving cell culture products as therapy and has appropriate nutrients to maintain the growth of insect cells. Fish serum is used together with designated defined medium to allow insect cells to grow and populations to be maintained. The method may also be used with lumpfish to prevent the attachment of insect cells to cultureware. Serum is derived from the blood of captive stocks of fishes raised under control conditions.

Abstract: A point of sale system designed to read information from a consumer's check, credit card, or manual input with a subsequent debiting of a consumer's account and crediting a merchant's account for the goods or services provided. Point of sale terminals are designed to accept a form of credit card with a consumer's bank account information encoded thereon or in the alternative to read the MICR number from a consumer's check in order to verify that a consumer has an appropriate balance to conduct the transaction with a given merchant. Thereafter the transaction of that information is transmitted to a central computer system which verifies the consumer's credit worthiness and stores the transaction event information for subsequent bank reconciliation via the ACH network. The invention eliminates the need for paper checks with all bank reconciliation being accomplished electronically.

Abstract: A wastewater treatment plant for removal of organic matter, suspended solids and other pollutants comprising a pre-treatment chamber, a biofilm-aeration chamber and a settling chamber. Biofilm grows on biofilm support structure which is stationary and submerged in the mixed liquor of the biofilm aeration chamber. The combination of submerged or surface aeration and suspended solids particle size reduction occurs thereby creating a sufficient fluid flow within the biofilm aeration chamber. This combination of sufficient fluid flow, and reduced size suspended organic particles results in the efficient digestion of organic matter and pollutants by the biofilm growing on the biofilm support structure submerged in the biofilm aeration chamber. This results in a vastly more effective digestive process than conventional processes producing no sludge. Further, resulting treated effluent has a high dissolved oxygen content and low BOD and SS.

Abstract: A series of large bins which can be raised and lowered on lifts in order to reach a bridge that is to be sand blasted. A skirt is attached to the upper outside edges of the bins. This skirt is raised and attached to the bridge so that the entire work area is completely enclosed. An air inlet and an air outlet are provided at either end of the enclosed work area. Air is pumped in to the work space through the inlet and is evacuated through the outlet. The outlet pressure is maintained at a higher level than that of the inlet in order to maintain a negative air pressure inside the work area relative to the outside air pressure. A grate covers each bin, providing an area on which workers can stand. As the bridge is sand blasted, all paint debris and blasting sand falls through the grates and into the bins. Smaller particles of dust are removed from the work area through the air outlet and are collected by a dust filter.

Abstract: A locking mechanism which provides a number of resistance points, all of which function to impede the opening of a door located on the chassis of a lottery dispensing machine or any other enclosure that must be secured. The locking mechanism includes a rotating cam which sets the lock in motion. Rotation of the cam is translated into reciprocating motion of a number of bolts which move into a locked position. Once the bolts are in a fully locked position, movement of the door is impeded. If two bolts are used, they face in opposite directions. If more than two bolts are used, they all face in different directions. This makes the lock impossible to jimmy. Further, to successfully pry open the lock would require an effort great enough to cause substantial structural damage to the enclosure itself. A cam extension is also provided which provides extra resistance when the locking mechanism is in a closed position.

Abstract: A filter for removal of biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids utilizing multi-layer filtration media. The filter media includes plastic particles, sand, and garnet and is operated under an automatic control condition. Fine filtering is accomplished by a sludge cake which develops at the upstream face of the filter media. For cleaning the filtration media, deposited sludge is removed from the filter bed by backwashing in a short time period at a high strength backwash flow rate.

Abstract: A filter for removal of biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids utilizing multi-layer filtration media. The filter media includes plastic particles, sand, and garnet and is operated under an automatic control condition. Fine filtering is accomplished by a sludge cake which develops at the upstream face of the filter media. For cleaning the filtration media, deposited sludge is removed from the filter bed by backwashing in a short time period at a high strength backwash flow rate.

Abstract: A method for culturing mammalian cells using fish serum. The method uses serum extracted from the blood of fishes to culture mammalian cells for various purposes. The technique has the key advantages of 1) freedom from mammalian infectious agents that could contaminate cell lines or endanger researchers or recipients of therapeutants derived from mammalian cell culture; 2) consistent and reproducible serum content and quality; 3) low cross-reactivity; and 4) provision of the appropriate serum nutrients to maintain the growth of mammalian cells. Fish serum is used together with designated defined media to allow mammalian cells to grow and populations of these cells to be maintained. Blood serum is derived from captive stocks of fish raised under controlled conditions such that the diet, habitat, genetics, life history, and reproductive status of the fish remains substantially consistent and reproducible.

Abstract: A proximity detection device for protection of personnel against exposure to hazardous radio frequency radiation. The device works by detecting the presence of people, either the operator or bystanders, who are in the system antenna's radio frequency radiation hazard zone. Upon detection, the device triggers a timer that delays the activation of alarm circuitry for a brief period of time. This time delay is instituted to minimize the triggering of nuisance alarms by a momentary intrusion in the hazard zone. If a presence is still detected after the delay time, pulsing visual and audible alarms are triggered to alert the system operator of the dangerous situation. The alarms remain activated for a timed period, allowing the operator to clear the hazard zone.

Abstract: A method for the assembly of biofilm support structure modules from individual sheets of biofilm support structure. The apparatus consists of a number of dowel rods protruding from a base. Hollow tubes are placed over the rods. Alignment holes are made in the biofilm support structure sheets such that the sheets may be slid over the tubes. When the required number of biofilm support structure sheets have been stacked in this fashion, caps are attached to the ends of the tubes, holding the biofilm support structure sheets in place. The assembled biofilm support structure modules may then be placed in a wastewater treatment plant. The tubes may also be used as passages for outside air or water, allowing the biofilm support structure sheets to be cleaned while still inside the treatment plant.

Abstract: A method for culturing mammalian cells using fish serum. The method uses serum extracted from the blood of fishes to culture mammalian cells for various purposes. The technique has the key advantages of 1) freedom from mammalian infectious agents that could contaminate cell lines or endanger researchers or recipients of therapeutants derived from mammalian cell culture; 2) consistent and reproducible serum content and quality; 3) low cross-reactivity; and 4) the appropriate serum nutrients to maintain the growth of mammalian cells. Fish serum is used together with designated defined media to allow mammalian cells to grow and populations of these cells to be maintained. Blood serum is derived from captive stocks of fish raised under controlled conditions such that the diet, habitat, genetics, life history, and reproductive status of the fish remains substantially consistent and reproducible.

Abstract: A parallel rule-based data transmission method and apparatus is described comprising multiple computer ports, modems, and multiple data transmission channels. The invention incorporates hardware and software data compression, automatic line selection and port allocation, data file segmentation and reassembly and simultaneous data transmission over multiple communications channels and their associated modems or ISDN interfaces. The invention allows a true multi-tasking environment to exist over inexpensive data communication channels thereby increasing the speed of data transmission as well as decreasing the cost associated with such transmission.

Abstract: A chlorination and dechlorination apparatus and method for the treatment of wastewater or other fluid comprising a chlorinator, a contact tank, and a dechlorinator. The contact tank is a vessel having an inlet opening and an outlet opening and is divided into two contact chambers by a baffle which runs vertically the entire length of the contact tank. A baffle opening is provided at the lower end of the baffle to allow passage of fluid from the first contact chamber to the second contact chamber. The chlorinator includes a chlorine tablet feeder and the dechlorinator includes a dechlorination tablet feeder. The fluid under treatment flows from inlet opening to the outlet opening in a plug-flow pattern. Previous to entering the contact chambers, the fluid washes over and dissolves chlorine tablets stacked in the chlorine tablet feeder. After flowing through the contact chambers, the fluid washes over and dissolves dechlorination tablets stacked in the dechlorination tablet feeder.

Abstract: A method for culturing insect cells using fish serum. The method uses serum extracted from the blood of fish to culture insect cells for various purposes. The technique has the key advantages of consistent quality, low cross reactivity, safety from infectious agents that would endanger researchers or humans and animals receiving cell culture products as therapy and has appropriate nutrients to maintain the growth of insect cells. Fish serum is used together with designated defined medium to allow insect cells to grow and populations to be maintained. The method may also be used to prevent the attachment of insect cells to cultureware. Serum is derived from the blood of captive stocks of fishes raised under control conditions.

Abstract: A swivel utilizing multiple angular contact bearings arranged in such a manner as to provide preloading for two-directional axial and radial thrust stability. This bearing arrangement of angular contact ball bearings applied to swivels adds capabilities of compression and side loading. The boring operations for which the present invention is primarily intended commonly take place in a pressurized environment of liquid and dirt slurry, thereby making sealing of the bearing cavity critical to the exclusion of foreign material which would damage the bearings. The rigidity of the assembly provided by the preloaded bearings creates critical stability in the seal area. The swivel provides the capability for bi-directional axial load support, radial load support, and a sealed inner bearing structure for both passive swivel and power driven swivel products. A particular load capacity is obtained through application of counterpoised arrangements of particular sizes of angular contact ball bearings.

Abstract: A shape for chlorination and dechlorination tablets which reduces pillaring and wicking effects during fluid treatment and offers a consistent dissolution rate during the chlorination or dechlorination process. The opposing surfaces of the stacked tablets are formed by a combination of concave and convex shapes. The shape of the opposing surfaces prevents the formation of a central pillar, resulting in the formation of a side pillar instead. During the formation of the side pillar, the fluid contact surface area of the tablets gradually increases to compensate for the diminishing periphery of the tablets. As a result, the dissolution rate of the tablet is kept substantially constant over the course of tablet dissolution. The shape of the opposing surfaces of the stacked tablets also only provides for minimum contact between adjacent tablets, slowing the moisture diffusion speed and minimizing wicking effects.

Abstract: A material handling adjustable conveyor comprising an adjustable boom, and front-end material handling device with four degrees of freedom to allow loads to be lifted and rotated into position and placed or removed from an over-the-road vehicle or unloaded from such a vehicle. During the loading or unloading procedure, the load is only supported by the front-end material handling device. Some of the load is borne by the floor of the cargo vehicle when more than minimal torsion forces are applied to the front-end material handling device. The material handling device is computer controlled based upon the dimensions of the vehicle being loaded and unloaded and further comprises sensors for fine adjustment of front-end handling device motion during the course of the loading or unloading. Other senors can be used to measure and record the internal dimensions of a cargo vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the assembly of biofilm support structure modules from individual sheets of biofilm support structure. The apparatus consists of a number of dowel rods protruding from a base. Hollow tubes are placed over the rods. Alignment holes are made in the biofilm support structure sheets such that the sheets may be slid over the tubes. When the required number of biofilm support structure sheets have been stacked in this fashion, caps are attached to the ends of the tubes, holding the biofilm support structure sheets in place. The assembled biofilm support structure modules may then be placed in a wastewater treatment plant. The tubes may also be used as passages for outside air or water, allowing the biofilm support structure sheets to be cleaned while still inside the treatment plant.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for ensuring the security of messages communicated on a network. The system employs different levels of security to ensure that communication integrity is not breached. A user must first enter a valid password to clear the access control subsystem. The sending user must also possess valid cryptographic information and belong to a particular organization and/or be located at a particular device in order to encrypt a plain text message that is to be transmitted over the network. The device and organization information, along with receiving user information specified by the sending user, will then be grouped into a header which will be appended to the outgoing encrypted message. In order to receive a transmitted message, a receiving user must be the particular receiving user and be part of the particular group specified by the sending user, and must be attempting to receive the communication at the device specified in the message header.