Abstract: A gauge plate assembly for a food slicer includes a first plate including a food product contacting side and an attachment side. The attachment side has a plurality of fixed mount studs extending therefrom in an established arrangement, the mount studs attached to the first plate in a non-through manner. A support plate includes a mount side which faces the attachment side of the first plate and has a plurality of stud receiving openings in a mirror image of the established arrangement of the plurality of mount studs for alignment therewith. The attachment side of the first plate is positioned adjacent the mount side of the support plate with the plurality of mount studs inserted within the plurality of stud receiving openings. The studs are secured within the stud receiving openings in a press fit engagement in order to hold the two plate together. This arrangement provides an assembled gauge plate which does not require protruding fasteners to be machined or sealed and otherwise reduces assembly costs.

Abstract: A progressing cavity pump in which portions of the stator have been removed or cut away so as to provide a degree of radial access to the cavities formed by the pump elements within the progressing cavity pump suction chamber. One embodiment of such a stator includes a removed portion which results from a planar cut that starts from the suction end of the stator, proximal the central axis of the internal stator bore, is angled towards the discharge end of the stator and outwardly away from the central axis, and intersects an internal helical groove of the stator that defines a first cavity. In another embodiment of the stator, the removed portion of the stator is a radial "cut-out" which follows the internal helical groove of the stator.

Abstract: A multi-desktop computer system for a bank or other financial institution includes a plurality of functional desktop routines, each desktop operating on an identical "platform" of object-oriented routines. This "platform" of common object-oriented routines for use by each of the desktops, substantially reduces the design requirements of the desktops in that they only have to be designed to conform to the command structures of the object-oriented routines, and they do not have to be designed to any specific mainframe message structure or protocol. All of the functional desktops may be compiled together, along with the "platform" of object-oriented routines, to form one integral program, where a particular desktop will be activated, depending upon its need. The system enables a user to move between desktops, depending upon the need to activate a particular desktop. The system includes a system database that allows the desktops to share information with one another, such as customer information.

Abstract: A pressure developing unit moving along a surface of a cycolor medium to perform pressure development has a first rotating member that faces a platen and is capable of performing pressure development of a recording sheet, and a second rotating member that is capable of transmitting a load applied to the first rotating member to a carriage shaft. If the pressure developing unit is moved along the carriage shaft, the first and second rotating members move by revolving along the recording sheet and the carriage shaft respectively in a direction in which the pressure developing unit moves, so that there is no possibility of sliding friction being caused. The pressure developing unit can be moved along the carriage shaft causing only rolling friction. Thus, it is possible to reduce the size of a motor for moving the pressure developing unit and to realize thereby a recorder that is compact in size and low in power consumption.

Abstract: A gas exchange head for contacting and piercing a container to allow gas communication and exchange between the gas exchange head and the container. The gas exchange head comprises a flow probe for piercing the container, the probe being hollow so as to allow the gas communication and exchange therethrough. The gas exchange head further includes an intermediate sleeve and an outer cylinder coaxially received on the intermediate sleeve. The outer cylinder includes a lower cup portion at its distal end and is reciprocatingly mounted on the intermediate sleeve. The gas exchange head further includes a spring mounted on the outer cylinder for applying a biasing to the outer cylinder, and an inner cylinder adapted at its distal end to receive and retain the flow probe.

Abstract: A cabana system adapted for use in a stand-alone mode is disclosed. The system includes a separable floor for use as a cover for a playyard of the type having vertically extending reception apertures in the upper corners thereof. The system is comprised of a frame fabricated of two flexible rods. Each flexible rod is hollow with free ends adapted to be received within apertures of a playyard. The rods are positioned in side-by-side relationship to thereby form a generally cylindrical central extent. The rod placement further forms spaced semi-circular planar surfaces on opposite sides thereof at the ends of the central sections. A fabric cover covers the tubes with a screen door in a semi-circular configuration in one planar face thereof with a fastener for coupling and uncoupling the screened panel. A fabric floor is formed as an extension of one planar face remote from the screen door and is adapted to depend downwardly over one side of the playyard when deployed thereon.

Abstract: A locomotive cab heating system having a plurality of separately actuated heating units housed in a supply air duct and connected to a microcontroller. Preferably, the system includes a high temperature shutdown thermostat. The microcontroller is equipped with memory storing a program that is configured to control the microcontroller to turn on and off a predetermined number of the heating units responsive to temperature readings received from the temperature sensor, thereby maintaining air temperature in the duct within a selected range, regardless of fan speed and air flow rate. By controlling the number of heating units in operation at any given time, the heating system of the present invention controls the heat delivered to a locomotive cab more effectively, thereby ensuring the comfort of the occupants of the cab. The locomotive cab heating system of the present invention is designed to be easily and inexpensively retrofitted to preexisting heating systems.

Abstract: A combination stack tightener and journal bearing for a shear shredding or material processing apparatus includes a retaining ring fixedly mounted to an end of the shaft; a pressure disk slidingly positioned on the shaft between the retaining ring and the stack of cutter disks or material processing discs; a torque nut positioned on the shaft between the retaining flange and the pressure disk, where the torque nut includes an inner face facing the pressure disk, an outer face opposite the inner face, a central bore receiving the shaft therethrough, a plurality of axially extending threaded bores distributed about the central bore and extending completely through the torque nut, and a plurality of recesses formed into the outer circumferential surface of the torque nut; a plurality of jack screws threaded into the plurality of threaded bores, in through the outer face of the torque nut and out through the inner face, so as to force the pressure disk and torque nut away from one another, thereby securing the to

Abstract: A process for producing a microencapsulated system comprising the steps of: (a) emulsifying a solution of color precursor in a solvent as a first internal phase and a diluent as a second internal phase in an external phase to produce discrete droplets of each of said first and second phases; and (b) encapsulating said droplets, is disclosed. A recording sheet is also disclosed which comprises a substrate having a layer of microencapsules containing a color precursor solution and microcapsules containing a diluent. Preferably the microcapsules are clusters of gelatin capsules.

Abstract: A method for fabricating the leather firefighting helmet includes the steps of: (a) providing an outer leather covering, where the covering includes a bowl-shaped head portion attached to a brim portion; (b) providing an inner leather liner, where the liner includes a bowl-shaped head portion attached to a brim portion; (c) positioning a layer of reinforcing fibers between the covering and the inner liner; (d) positioning liquid thermoset resin between the covering and the liner; (e) assembling the cover with the liner such that the bowl-shaped head portion of the liner is received within the bowl-shaped head portion of the covering; and (f) curing the covering, liner, reinforcing fibers and thermoset resin together to form a substantially unitary firefighting helmet.

Abstract: A receptacle assembly apparatus for electric power leads that includes a receptacle, a backshell, and a disk-shaped member clamped therebetween. The receptacle has a housing and a grommet having orifices formed therethrough to receive power leads and associated pins. The disk-shaped member is formed of a relatively hard dielectric material such as nylon and contains orifices therethrough, corresponding to orifices in the grommet, which receive the electric power leads and associated pins. The lead pins have annular ribs formed thereon such that the ribs are captured between a collar on the disk-shaped member and a protrusion on the grommet, thereby preventing relative rearward movement of the lead pins and associated leads.

Abstract: A food slicer for automatic operation having a staged dynamic brake for bringing the slicer carriage to rest at a predetermined location in a smooth manner. A sensor or system of sensors are utilized to detect the slicer carriage location. The sensor output is fed through a microprocessor which controls a dynamic brake which in turn acts upon the slicer carriage. The brake acts upon the carriage in two or more stages, so as to bring the carriage to rest in a smooth manner. The invention may also operate to as to bring the carriage to rest in a predetermined location.

Abstract: A modular material processing apparatus includes a housing having a frame, where the frame defines a pair of oppositely facing lateral ends and a pair of oppositely facing longitudinal sides. The apparatus includes a pair of co-acting, substantially parallel, counter-rotating roller assemblies, where each of the roller assemblies including a substantially cylindrical, material processing roller member mounted to a rotating shaft extending substantially parallel with the longitudinal sides. The housing includes a pair of side walls, each removably mounted to one of the longitudinal sides of the frame, where removal of one of the side walls reveals an opening in its corresponding longitudinal side.

Abstract: An infant carrier system with a consumer-assembled frame is disclosed. The system includes a central frame assembly comprising two generally parallel tubes vertically disposed and positionable upon the back of an infant care provider. The central frame assembly includes two free upper ends and two free lower ends. A bracket is coupled to each tube intermediate to its upper and lower ends thereof. An upper frame assembly is formed in a generally inverted U-shaped configuration. The upper frame assembly has parallel legs extending horizontally terminating in free ends couplable with respect to the free upper ends of the tubes of the central frame assembly. A lower frame assembly is provided with a generally U-shaped configuration with a horizontal leg positionable upon the floor for support independent of a child care provider.

Abstract: A product information display system has electronic display tags for displaying pricing and product information for products in stores or warehouses. The electronic display tags are electromagnetically coupled to a conductor. A control circuit is used to generate an information signal which contains a tag address and related data. A modulator circuit modulates an ac power signal with the information signal and applies it to the conductor for transmission to the display tags. Each of the display tags is equipped with a coil that is electromagnetically coupled to the conductor for picking up the signals carried by the conductor. A demodulator is used to demodulate the signal picked up by the coil to obtain the original information signal. Each of the display tags is provided with a manually operated switch for initializing the tags with initial addresses transmitted by the conductor.