Abstract: An air spring bedding system includes a mattress matrix assembly and a box spring assembly. The mattress matrix assembly comprises first and second air support structures. Each support structure has alternating offset air springs and connecting tubes which interconnect to two adjacent alternating offset air springs for distributing air between them. One of the two support structures also has alternating offset apertures. A respective one of the alternating air springs of the second support structure are respectively aligned with and inserted into a respective one of the alternating offset apertures of the first support structure such that the two support structures abut against each other to form the mattress matrix assembly. The alternating air springs of the two support structures are arranged in a matrix arrangement. The box spring assembly includes upper and lower support structures. Each support structure has a plenum and hollow cylinders which are arranged in a matrix arrangement.

Abstract: A new and improved two wheeled vehicle suspension fork with reinforced legs. The reinforcement is provided to the upper inner tube of a telescoping assembly utilized in the suspension fork. The inner tube has an upper end portion for attachment to the crown. The upper end portion has an enlarged outer dimension for reinforcing the upper inner tube at the crown attachment.

Abstract: An improved water quality monitoring system and method. The system utilizes reflectance radiometers to provide multiple wavelength measurement of downwelling irradiance and/or upwelling radiance. The method calculates attenuation coefficients from the downwelling irradiance or upwelling radiance to derive chlorophyll concentration in the water.

Abstract: A self-laminating system for sealing a business card or the like to a luggage tag. The self laminating system comprises a rigid backing, a flexible transparent sheet with a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive material thereon and a removable cover liner which covers the entire area of the pressure sensitive adhesive material. The cover liner has a pre-cut crease which separates it into an upper portion and a lower portion, where the upper portion is pre-removed such that an exposed area of the pressure sensitive adhesive material on the flexible transparent sheet is affixed to the rigid backing. The card is placed between the rigid backing and the transparent sheet such that the lower portion of the cover liner is peeled off which exposes the rest of the pressure adhesive material so that the flexible transparent sheet can be securely affixed to the business card and the periphery of the rigid backing.

Abstract: An improved flexible toothbrush for enhancing the brushing of an individual. The flexible toothbrush comprises a bristle head portion, a neck portion and a handle portion integrally connected to the bristle head portion by the neck portion. An elongated flat flexible leaf-spring is embedded within the body of the toothbrush and extends partially in the head portion through the entire neck portion and the end of the handle portion for providing flexibility on the body of the toothbrush and enhancing the brushing of teeth of an individual. The flexible leaf-spring comprises a pair of spaced apart zig-zag sections which located between the head and neck portions and the beginning of the handle portion to further increase the flexibility on the body of the toothbrush.

Abstract: A unique biomechanical balancing and exercising device for rehabilitating body muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints in the ankles, legs, knees, and back in order to strengthen these areas to prevent injury. The balancing and exercising device comprises a rectangular shaped platform with a central opening therethrough to accommodate a semi flexible ball member. The platform utilizes a semi flexible ball member so that the individual has the ability to balance in numerous directions and have the angle of drop much steeper. A pair of ball-shaped rigid members are mounted on the platform and located adjacent to and on opposite sides of the central opening for balancing on and securing the semi flexible ball member therebetween. The platform is placed on top of the semi flexible ball member such that the central opening accommodates a top portion of the semi flexible ball member, and thereby allows the platform to be independently tilted or pivoted front-to-back up to a 25.degree.

Abstract: A drift canceling method and apparatus is used in conjunction with an analog to digital converter. The drift canceling method and apparatus analyzes the duty cycle of the target analog to digital converter's most significant output data bit to determine if the average numeric value of the analog to digital converter's output data stream is data centered upon the analog to digital converter's numeric data range or if it is ranging above or below the data range center. If the average data value is above or below center, a servo error signal is generated which is added to the analog to digital converter's input signal to cause the analog to digital converter's average output data magnitude to slew towards the data range center. In this way, the average analog to digital converter output data offset is continuously canceled without interfering with the normal and continuous operation of the target analog to digital converter.

Abstract: A sticky leveler utilizing a window detection technique to preserve the relatively small level changes of an audio signal. The sticky leveler includes a voltage controlled amplifier (VCA) and a sticky detector, where an input signal is received by the VCA for creating a variable gain path to the VCA output. The control output of the sticky detector is coupled to the VCA control input for controlling the VCA gain. The detection input of the sticky detector may be coupled to the input signal for generating a feedforward automatic gain control leveler. Alternatively the sticky detector may be coupled to the output signal of the VCA for generating a feedback automatic gain control leveler.

Abstract: A magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) encoder device which is used for processing checks. The MICR encoder utilizes a dot matrix printer head for printing numerical information on checks. The MICR encoder comprises a self-contained housing for housing a guiding assembly, a transporting assembly, a detection assembly, a printing assembly, a microprocessor, and a stepper motor. The printing assembly includes a ribbon cartridge and a dot matrix printer head coupled to the ribbon cartridge for printing characters on the check. The dot matrix printer head has an extended head portion with nine tip wires thereon, where the characters are printed continuously on the check while the check is traveling through the guide assembly, thereby eliminating the need to stop the check for printing as taught by prior art MICR encoder devices.

Abstract: An adjuvant is described which comprises an iron compound in colloidal form as well as a pharmaceutical composition which comprises this adjuvant together with at least a protein and/or peptide and/or polysaccharide and/or a nucleic acid derived from a virus, bacterium and/or a parasite.The adjuvant according to the invention and the pharmaceutical composition comprising this adjuvant are suitable for prophylactic or therapeutic treatment of illnesses caused by various pathogens.

Abstract: An axial loading apparatus for applying a continuous compressive force on top of a patient's head which is aligned with the top of the patient's head. The compressive force serves to strengthen the spine. The patient can direct how much force is applied and for how long the force is applied and as the patient's strength and resistance increase, the weights can be increased and the length of time can be increased. The axial loading apparatus comprises a frame member which has a base portion, a vertical portion affixed, and a top inclined portion connected to the vertical portion. The axial loading apparatus further comprises an actuator mechanism for actuating the load onto the patient's head, a locking mechanism for preventing undesirable loading, and a loading and holding mechanism for loading onto the patient's head.

Abstract: A mop apparatus for unwinding the tangled strands of a mop head such that the strands of the mop head are disentangled. The apparatus includes an inner member, an outer member slidably installed over the inner member, and a mop head which is made from a plurality of strands attached between lower ends of the inner and outer members. The outer member has a spiral ridge which is located on the lowermost portion of the outer member and a gripping portion which is located at the uppermost portion of the outer member. A ring sleeve member fits around the lowermost portion of the outer member and around the spiral ridge. A plurality of mating grooves are located inside the interior wall of the ring sleeve member to mate with the spiral ridge on the lowermost portion of the outer member. Alternatively, the outer member may have a spiral groove and the ring sleeve may have a corresponding spiral ridge.

Abstract: An automatic water regulator apparatus for automatically filling a swimming pool or comparable body of water when the water level is below a predetermined threshold. The water regulator apparatus can be added to any existing built in swimming pool equipped with a skimmer and a water fill line. The water regulator apparatus automatically senses the water level of the swimming pool, establishes if the level is within the allowable range, causes the pool water fill line to turn on if below the allowable range, and subsequently shuts off when the desired water level has been reached. The water regulator apparatus comprises a transmitter assembly and a receiver assembly. The transmitter assembly includes a water level detector which periodically automatically monitors the water level within the pool. If the water level is below a specified threshold, the transmitter assembly sends a radio transmission to be received by the receiver assembly.

Abstract: A load cell for weighing purposes which incorporates viscous damping inside a chamber in the body of the load cell. Specifically, symmetrical load cells have a central member which is where the load or weight is applied. This member is deflected under load as is common to all load cells, creating a distance change between said member and the static or fixed part of the load cell and in which the fixed part is used for mounting on a base holding the load cell. A round cavity or a cylinder space built into the static part accepts a piston which in turn is rigidly connected to the deflected part. Thus, upon loading, the piston has a slight movement relative to the cylinder. If a viscous fluid is then placed in the cavity such that the piston is immersed in it, a viscous damping will be achieved; its intensity depending on the fluid's viscosity, the geometry of the piston and cylinder, and on the load cell characteristics.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for fast, simple, and reliable isolation of desired different sequences from two DNA libraries. Excess amount of nucleotide analog-containing DNA subtracter from control cells is generated by incorporating nucleotide analog with a template-dependent extension reaction to introduce susceptible-sites for subsequent enzymatic digestion. Hybridization of the control subtracter and experimental DNA is performed with a heat-melting and then cool-reassociation technique. The hybridized DNAs are subtracted with nucleotide analog-removing enzyme first, resulting in nicking or gapping all nucleotide analog-containing hybrid duplexes which are further digested by single-strand-specific nuclease. Desired DNA sequences from the experimental cells, but not the control ones stay intact throughout the digestion procedure and can be selectively amplified at the end.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of retaining a cylindrical shaped product or container within a shadow carton so that the front label on the product or container does not rotate out of view. The shadow carton comprises an opening to enable the lower portion of the carton to be closed with an adhesive that is then attached to the bottom end of the cylindrical product or container so that the product or container essentially is glued to the bottom of the carton and will not rotate out of position. The bottom of the carton comprises a lower portion with an opening and two side flaps that are cut and scored so that the opening still remains exposed until the bottom of the carton is folded. Adhesive is applied to the bottom of the carton in order to then seal the bottom.

Abstract: A tunable time plate device for providing a continually adjustable time delay between two linearly polarized laser pulses .omega..sub.1 and .omega..sub.2. The device comprises a time plate made of a parallel flat birefringence crystal having a principal axis of refractive index n.sub.z parallel to its surface, and a principal axis of refractive index n.sub.x having an angle .phi. to its surface normal. The time plate is rotatably mounted such that it is rotatable about its n.sub.z principal axis for tuning a time delay between the two laser pulses as they travel through the time plate which is a function of an incident angle .theta. between its surface normal and the propagation direction of the laser pulses. The time delay therefore can be continually adjusted by rotating said time plate to change said incident angle .theta..