Abstract: A method for beaching a boat that includes four steps. The first step is to attach one end of a boat fender to one end of another boat fender to form a roller assembly. The second step is to position the roller assembly near and parallel to a shoreline of a body of water. The third step is to position a boat in the water and perpendicular to the shoreline with the center of the bow of the boat centered at the center of the roller assembly. The fourth step is to move the boat toward and onto land, the boat rolling on the roller assembly. In addition, an article of manufacture and an apparatus for joining boat fenders together to form such a roller assembly. The boat can be stowed on the roller assemblies and can be launched back into the water by reversing the method.

Abstract: An electric motor having a first rotor, a second rotor and a third rotor, a first permanent magnet, a second permanent magnet and a third permanent magnet, a first stator and a second stator, a first electromagnet and a second an electromagnet with one end of the core larger than the other, a shaft, a shaft rotation position sensor and an electric switch.

Abstract: A three part container system. The first part is an outer rigid container formed with a mouth defining an opening into the outer container. The second part is an inner container positioned within the outer container, the inner container formed with a mouth defining an opening into the inner container, the mouth of the inner container being positioned in and sealed to or adjacent to the mouth of the outer container, at least a portion of the inner container being collapsible so that the inner container can be filled with a liquid. The third part is a turret fitted directly or indirectly by way of the outer container to the mouth of the inner container. The turret contains a one way valve so that if the inner container contains a liquid and the collapsible portion of the inner container is held above the turret, the fluid in the inner container will flow through the one way valve and out of the mouth of the turret as the inner container collapses within the outer container.

Abstract: A process for applying an adhesion primer to a window. The process includes the steps of directing light (11) onto the window (10) to illuminate a portion (13) of the window and then applying an adhesion primer along the illuminated portion of the window. If the adhesion primer contains a component that evaporates, then the process can further include the step of forming an infrared image (19) of the window as the component evaporates to indicate the area of application (20) of the adhesion primer. If the adhesion primer contains a component that fluoresces when illuminated by ultraviolet light, then the process can further include the step of illuminating the window with ultraviolet light (22) to indicate the area of application (23) of the adhesion primer.

Abstract: A porous metal structure having a continuous metal phase intermingled with a continuous tortuous porous phase. The continuous tortuous porous phase can be made to terminate at a surface of the porous metal structure with elongated pores. The porous metal structure can be made to have a bulk density divided by the density of the metal of from, for example, 0.99 to 0.01. Such structures can be made by electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces of a polymer foam and by electroforming a metal in the interstitial spaces of a stretched porous structure of sintered polymer beads.

Abstract: This invention is a process to manufacture high quality vinyl aromatic polymer that is essentially free of unreacted vinyl aromatic monomer using retarded anionic polymerization wherein the retardant is insoluble and can be removed from the polymerization at an intermediate stage so that the polymerization can be carried to completion in the absence of the retardant.

Abstract: A kit for forming a hollow block assembly to be used to construct a wall, the kit consisting of two face panels and a plurality of fasteners, each face panel comprising a plurality of spaced apart flanges extending perpendicularly from and attached to each panel so that a hollow block structure is assembled when the flanges of the face panels are connected together, directly or indirectly, by the fasteners.

Abstract: A method to determine the concentration ratio of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide in the gaseous product of a fluidized bed reactor for producing titanium tetrachloride. The hot fluidized bed of the reactor is used as the source of infrared radiation which radiation is directed through the gaseous products in upper portion of the reactor through a window in the reactor to an infrared spectrometer. The concentration ratio can be used to control the temperature of the fluidized bed reactor by controlling the amount of cool titanium tetrachloride that is introduced into the reactor.

Abstract: An improved process for producing titanium dioxide by reacting a titanium dioxide ore with chlorine to produce a gaseous stream containing titanium tetrachloride, condensing titanium tetrachloride from the gaseous stream containing titanium tetrachloride to produce chlorinator tail gas, vaporizing the condensed titanium tetrachloride, reacting the vaporized titanium tetrachloride with oxygen to produce a gaseous stream containing titanium dioxide particles and chlorine, separating the titanium dioxide particles from the gaseous stream containing titanium dioxide particles and chlorine to produce burner tail gas, analyzing the chlorinator tail gas for residual chlorine to control the step of reacting the titanium dioxide ore with chlorine, analyzing the burner tail gas for oxygen to control the step of reacting the condensed titanium tetrachloride with oxygen. The improvement is to analyze the chlorinator tail gas for residual chlorine (and/or the burner tail gas for oxygen) using an on-line analyzer.

Abstract: A three part container system. The first part is an outer rigid container formed with a mouth defining an opening into the outer container. The second part is an inner container positioned within the outer container, the inner container formed with a mouth defining an opening into the inner container, the mouth of the inner container being positioned in and sealed to or adjacent to the mouth of the outer container, at least a portion of the inner container being collapsible so that the inner container can be filled with a liquid. The third part is a turret fitted directly or indirectly by way of the outer container to the mouth of the inner container.

Abstract: A method for making the anode (or the cathode) of a nickel-metal hydride battery by electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces a bed of metal-hydride active material particles (or electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces of a bed of nickel hydroxide particles). Alternatively, the anode (or cathode) can be made by pressing metal-hydride active material particles (or nickel hydroxide particles) into a cellular metal substrate formed by electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces of a bed of particles. Or, the anode (or cathode) can be made by flowing a suspension of metal-hydride active material particles (or nickel hydroxide particles) through a cellular metal substrate formed by electrodepositing a metal in the interstitial spaces of a bed of particles.

Abstract: A wood burning furnace having an enclosed combustion chamber including a top, a bottom, a back, a front and opposing side walls and a secondary combustion air admission chamber including a top, a bottom, a back, a front and opposing side walls, the bottom wall of the secondary combustion air admission chamber being arched and perforated, the bottom wall of the secondary combustion air admission chamber forming at least a portion the top wall of the combustion chamber

Abstract: A cold weather breathing device and method. Exhaled air warmed by the lungs of a user is flowed into contact with a heat exchange medium to heat the heat exchange medium. The heat exchange medium is positioned in a hollow body adjacent the chest and under cold weather outer clothing of the user. Upon inhaling, cold outside air is contacted with the heat exchange medium so that the inhaled air is heated by the heat exchange medium.

Abstract: A hockey equipment rack composed of intersecting panels. The panels are easily dismounted for storage. Apertures and/or cutouts in the panel(s) are provided for positioning hockey equipment.

Abstract: An improved electrochromic device of the type having an electrochromic electrode in contact with an ion conductor, the ion conductor in turn being in contact with a layer of gold. The improvement of the instant invention is to interpose a layer of ruthenium oxide between the ion conductor and the layer of gold. The layer of ruthenium oxide is not an electrochromic material.

Abstract: An electrochromic device comprising three elements. The first element is a first electrode. The second element is a second electrode. The second electrode is spaced apart from the first electrode so that there is a space between the first electrode and the second electrode. The third element is a dispersion positioned in the space. The dispersion is in electrical contact with the first electrode and with the second electrode. The dispersion comprises a transition metal surface substituted polyoxometalate and a solvent. The first and second electrodes can be a transparent electronically conducting layer of indium-tin oxide coated upon a panel of glass. The transition metal surface substituted polyoxometalate can be Li.sub.x MnPW.sub.11 O.sub.40. The dispersion is resistant to photodegradation such as discoloring in sunlight.

Abstract: A process for preparing a cellulose ester liquid chromatographic stationary phase by reacting cellulose with an aromatic acid halide, such as p-toluoyl chloride, in the presence of a base catalyst, such as pyridine, the reaction temperature and the concentration of base catalyst being below the temperature and concentration at which the cellulose ester dissolves, the reaction time being less than the reaction time at which the cellulose ester dissolves. Similarly, a process for preparing a cellulose carbamate liquid chromatographic stationary phase by reacting cellulose with an aromatic isocyanate, such as 3,5-dimethyl phenyl isocyanate, in the presence of a base catalyst, such as pyridine, the reaction temperature and the concentration of base catalyst being below the temperature and concentration at which the cellulose carbamate dissolves, the reaction time being less than the reaction time at which the cellulose carbamate dissolves.

Abstract: An improved electrochromic device of the type having an electrochromic electrode in contact with an ion conductor, the ion conductor in turn being in contact with a layer of gold. The improvement of the instant invention is to interpose a layer of iridium oxide between the ion conductor and the layer of gold wherein the layer of iridium oxide and the layer of gold do not form an electrochromic electrode.

Abstract: A process for separating enantiomeric mixtures by liquid chromatography using a stationary phase that includes cellulose or amylose derivative and a mobile phase that includes methanol and pentane, the concentration of methanol in the mobile phase being greater than one tenth percent by volume and less than the saturation concentration of methanol in the mobile phase, the concentration of pentane being at least that necessary to resolve the enantiomeric mixture into its enantiomers with a resolution at least one and one half times greater than the pentane of the mobile phase is replaced with hexane.

Abstract: A fiber optic probe apparatus useful for conducting Raman spectroscopy remotely over optical fibers with minimal interference from Raman scattering within said fibers which includes three elements. The first element is at least one transmitting optical fiber having a first end and a second end. The second element is at least one collecting optical fiber for collecting light from a sample positioned near the first end of the transmitting optical fiber, the collecting optical fiber having a first end and a second end, the first end of the collecting optical fiber being in closely spaced relationship with the first end of the transmitting optical fiber wherein the longitudinal axis of the first end of the collecting optical fiber converges with the longitudinal axis of the first end of the transmitting optical fiber at an angle of less than forty five degrees. The third element is at the heart of the invention.