Abstract: Installation permitting the rapid chilling of products stored, in particular, inside a bottle (5), consisting of a tank (1) arranged within an insulating chamber, and which contains a liquid (3) maintained at very low temperature by means of a chilling circuit (2), the products (5) to be cooled being held in the chilling medium by means of pockets (4) which descend into the chilling fluid and inside which are arranged the products to be cooled. It is defined in that the pocket or pockets (4) is or are in the form of an envelope open at its upper part (6) with a base consisting of a flexible, leaktight plastic film, and retained along their open zone at the upper part (7) of the chamber (1), and the closed base (8) of which is associated with means enabling it to be displaced from the open upper part (6) to a position near the bottom (9) of the chamber, and vice versa.

Abstract: By using titanium, titanium based alloys, or related metals or alloys, an orthodontic bracket can be manufactured which is lighter and stronger than any conventional type of bracket made of stainless steels, plastics and even ceramics. Ti based brackets have shown excellent corrosion resistance and possess good biocompatibility. Surface treatments including nitriding, diamond coating, pre-oxidation or shot-peening on the slot bottom surface of such brackets reduce the friction coefficient against the orthodontic archwire. Furthermore, the bonding strength may be enhanced by shot-peening, ion beam etching or reactive ion etching on the tooth contact surface of the base portion of the bracket.

Abstract: A piercing blade for perforating slits in a continuous tubular web of thermo-plastic material is shown. The blade is used in a machine to form individual bags from the tube by heat sealing the bottom and perforating the top of the next bag. The piercing teeth in the blade have formed in the front face a number of horizontal grooves which serve to pick up the edge of the top layer of the slit to form a burr thereon and thus separate the two plys of the tubular web, facilitating the opening of the top of the bag when it is separated from the roll of continuous tubular material.

Abstract: A molecular spectrometer is provided that performs Fourier analysis utilizing the discrete Fourier Transform on a digitized time domain waveform that relates to the composition of a sample. Digitized reference waveforms are employed to permit the instrument to limit its analysis to frequencies of interest and thereby increase the rapidity of the analysis. Data at differing frequencies can be resolved at independent resolutions, and the instrument can analyze spectroscopic data in real time.

Abstract: An AT-cut quartz crystal for a quartz crystal microbalance has a buffer layer sandwiched between an adhesion layer and an electrode layer on the front or deposition side of the crystal. The buffer layer can be a zinc layer of 6000 .ANG. sandwiched between a titanium or chromium adhesion layer of 100 to 160 .ANG. and a gold, silver, or aluminum outer electrode layer of about 2000 .ANG.. The zinc layer has a relatively low bulk modulus, and absorbs stress imposed by the deposited layer. The buffer layer prolongs useful crystal life, particularly when depositing dielectric materials. The crystal should have a modest surface roughness as keying-in structure.

Abstract: A hydraulic intake or exhaust valve actuator for an internal combustion engine has a generally cylindrical sleeve, a piston member formed with a head portion and a rod or shaft portion, and a rod bearing through which the rod portion slides axially. To accommodate wide temperature variations, the sleeve, piston member, and rod bearing, are all formed of the same material so as to have similar thermal expansion coefficients. Outer surfaces of the piston member head portion and rod portion are provided with a coating of titanium nitride, while corresponding inner surfaces of the sleeve and the rod bearing are provided with a hard coating of a different material, e.g. nickel boride. These coatings have different hardnesses, so that galling or adhesive contact is avoided.

Abstract: A telescoping entry gate for a milking parlor has a pair of horizontal slide tubes supported on a vertical support embedded in the cow stand. A U-shaped gate member has upper and lower legs slidably journalled in the slide tubes. A pneumatic actuator coupled to the vertical support and to the distal end of the sliding gate member moves the gate between an extended or closed position and a retracted or open position. A barrier in line with the gate defines a cow-passage of about thirty-two inches clearance in the open position and a man-passage of about twelve inches clearance in the closed position.

Abstract: Improved process for producing a complex elastic molded structure of the sandwich type, consisting of a core of polyurethane foam (10) surrounded by a skin, of which at least a part is reinforced with a reinforcing textile sheet (5, 6) impregnated with a thermosetting resin adhering to said foam, which process consists in:firstly depositing on one of the faces (4) of a mold intended to be closed by a cover (2) an assembly comprising a stiffening element (12) and a semirigid reinforcing textile sheet (6), preimpregnated with a solventless, non-tacky epoxy resin,then closing the cover (2) of the mold (1) so as to define, together with said assembly, a volume corresponding to the volume of the core which is to be formed;then injecting into the volume thus defined the reactional mixture forming the polyurethane foam,and finally allowing the product to cool and opening the mold (1) to withdraw the resulting elastic complex molded structure.

Abstract: A table lamp that utilizes a fuel cell having a hollow glass or plastic envelope that includes an elongated body section joined to an expanded base by a pinched neck, and a flame shield mounted upon the top of the body section. The fuel cell has an elongated fuel container that rests upon the pinched neck of the envelope and a burner that is positioned within the flame shield. The flame shield has a top opening that permits the fuel cell to be inserted or removed from the envelope therethrough. A shade may be removably mounted upon the flame shield and a decorative insert slidably positioned between the fuel cell and the body of the envelope.

Abstract: Hollow profile elements are formed by shaping a starting workpiece that consists of multiple layers of a material having a large width-to-thickness ratio, e.g., woven fabrics or laid materials. The layers are joined by seams to define elongated pockets or channels. Shaping tools are inserted into these channels to form the profile elements with a desired cross sectional shape, which can be constant or varied. The shaping tools employ one or more endless belts that extend in closed loops around guide rollers; the belts are driven so that during the shaping process sliding friction is substantially eliminated between the material of the workpiece and the respective shaping tool.

Abstract: An electro optical random access memory uses a film of bacteriorhodopsin or similar photochromic substance which can change between two light absorbing states in response to light of each of two wavelengths. In one embodiment combined red and green laser beams are steered in two orthogonal directions to memory locations on the film. The relative amounts of the light of the two wavelength reflected from memory cell is sensed and discriminated to indicate "1" or "0". A crowbar circuit holds one or the other of the two laser beams on to compensate for degradation that occurs in a read cycle. In another embodiment a single wavelength is employed for read and write operations, but at a much greater strength for the write operation.

Abstract: A filter for use in a dry powder spray booth that includes a frame containing a quantity of pleated filter sheet material. The ends and sides of the pleated sheet are secured in the frame by a sealant. The material forming the pleated sheet is a fiber paper having a smooth and rough side and is treated with a flame retardant coating. The surface area of the pleated sheet is varied between five and ten times the interior area of the frame. The smooth side of the fiber paper faces upstream with respect to the air flow and the filter is positioned at an acute angle to the vertical with the top inclined upstream. The frame is provided with a manual vibrator and an expanded wire mesh on the downstream side.

Abstract: A room air sterilizer mounts on the wall of the room and traps airborne particulate in a HEPA filter. An ultraviolet germicidal lamp destroys any biocontamination on the trapped particulates. The sterilizer has an elongated vertical housing with a return air grille near or at its lower end and a HEPA filter assembly disposed at an outflow port at its upper end. The HEPA filter is preferably a quarter cylinder and the sterilizer lamp is situated to expose the inner or intake side of the filter to the sterilizing ultraviolet radiation. A prefilter can be situated ahead of the blowers for the sterilizer, and can have an associated ultraviolet sterilizer lamp.

Abstract: A high speed high-performance valve member has a spool that is movable within a cylindrical cavity of a valve body or sleeve. The spool and sleeve are both formed of hardened stainless steel, but the bearing surfaces and lands of the spool are provided with a deposition layer of titanium nitride to give the bearing surface a hard smooth finish. The differential hardness between the spool and sleeve prevents galling. Damage due to cavitation is avoided, and the valve has a failure rate reduced by a factor of about twenty.

Abstract: A stereo imaging and viewing system for a borescope or endoscope employs a miniature camera assembly in which are disposed a CCD imager or equivalent imager, a wide-angle focusing lens assembly with an effective aperture on the order of about f/2 or wider, and an aperture plate interposed in the optical path of the camera and adjacent the lens assembly. The aperture plate has left and right pupils therein situated on opposite sides of the optic axis of the lens assembly. The pupils are separated from one another by a predetermined pupil distance that is somewhat smaller than the lens diameter. The left image passes through the left pupil and is focused through a corresponding portion of the lens assembly onto the image plane of the imager and a right image passes through the right pupil and is focused by a corresponding portion of the lens assembly onto the image plane of the imager.

Abstract: A simplified unitary teat knife is formed of stainless steel rod with a knurled knob on one end and an eye on the other. The eye is flattened and enlarged relative to the rod of the knife and the edges of the eye are sharpened so as to provide cutting surfaces for removal of obstructions within the milk duct as the tool is rotated within the duct by manual manipulation of the knurled knob.

Abstract: A telephone support device attaches to a hospital bed-rail or similar assembly, and holds a one-piece telephone. The holder comprises an upper female and lower male member that are adapted to interlock in a guided detent mechanism to form a two-part bracket of adjustable length that mounts on the rail assembly. Upper and lower hooks respectively disposed on the upper and lower plates extend rearward over the upper rail and under the lower rail, firmly attaching the bracket to the rail assembly. One or more shelves projecting forward from the front surface of the rear wall defined by the two plates serve as a telephone rest. A pair of lateral retaining members project forward from opposite edges of the rear wall and are adapted receive a telephone instrument. The bracket is stiffened and reinforced by dimples embedded in the members and by suitably placed longitudinal ribs.

Abstract: A monolithic reinforced precast concrete post and base assembly is provided for mounting on an in-ground concrete pier having four bolts extending upwardly therefrom to register with four holes in the post and base assembly with the upper ends threaded so that the post and base assembly can be bolted onto and fastened to the in-ground pier. The posts have integral nailing strips for allowing the fastening of sound barrier panels to the posts and the posts are reinforced precast concrete having the necessary strength to withstand the wind-loading and other factors for the particular location of the installation. A sound barrier wall is provided by mounting the post and base assemblies at regular spaced intervals and affixing the sound barrier panels to the posts in either offset or aligned configuration.