Abstract: Methods of making a container strip in the form of a chain of interconnected preopened bags with openings preferably having longitudinal dimensions of at least about 1/64 inch is disclosed. The container strip provides greatly enhanced facility for bag registration and opening during packaging operations utilizing the improved container strip. Processes of forming a chain of preopened bags are also disclosed. Face and back plastic webs are fed along individual paths of travel to a common path. In one embodiment the webs are differentially tensioned while in their independent paths by stretching the face web more than the back web such that the face web will retract longitudinally more than the back web upon release of the web tension. While so tensioned edge seals are formed between the webs to convert the webs into a tube and longitudinally spaced transverse seals are formed between the webs to delineate bottoms of bags.

Abstract: A belt type oil and grease skimmer for removing hydrocarbon contaminants from surfaces of bodies of water is disclosed. The skimmer includes a housing and frame structure for positioning above a contaminated body of water. An idler roll and a coating nip roll pair are rotatively mounted on the structure for rotation about generally horizontal axes when the skimmer is in use. An endless belt is trained over the idler roll and between the nip rolls and is suspended in a contaminated body of water when the skimmer is in use. A pair of wipers are positioned on opposite sides of the belt at a wiping location between the idler roll and the nip rolls for removing belt adhered hydrocarbons. A receptacle is positioned to receive wiper removed hydrocarbons. The receptacle includes a heat chamber and a heat transfer wall for transferring heat from the chamber to heat collected hydrocarbons. The wipers skew the belt to cause the formation of a containment draining depression upstream from the wipers.

Abstract: An index selection tool helps reduce costs in time and memory in selecting an index configuration or set of indexes for use by a database server in accessing a database in accordance with a workload of queries. The index selection tool attempts to reduce the number of indexes to be considered, the number of index configurations to be enumerated, and the number of invocations of a query optimizer in selecting an index configuration for the workload.

Abstract: A packaging machine and process for loading bags of a novel web of side connected bags are disclosed. The web is fed through a bagger section by a pair of grooved main transport belts and a pair of lip transport belts each disposed in the groove of the associated main belt to trap bag lips in the grooves. Adjustable belt spreaders space reaches of the transport belts as they move through a load station whereby to sequentially open the bags into rectangular configurations. A closure section in the form of a novel and improved heat sealer is releasably connectable to the bagger section. The sections are adjustable together between horizontal and vertical orientations. Processes of opening, closing and sealing side connected bags are also disclosed.

Abstract: A clamp having two like members for securing service lines and cables to the frame of a motor vehicle. Service lines are secured between the members. The members are fixed together by a nut and bolt with each held in an associated member recess by an associated tension tab. The tension tabs permit any nut and bolt within a range of sizes to be used. At least one of the members has an external saddle formed in a surface which is an external surface when the clamp is in use. The saddle is used to carry additional service lines held in place by a self sizing tie.

Abstract: A method of detecting the color of an article such as gambling chips to permit the different color chips to be sorted. The method comprises sensing the color of the article at a plurality of places thereon by moving the article relative to color sensing means and integrating the color measured with respect to time.

Abstract: A contra flow air to air heat exchanger, and an evaporative air conditioner employing such a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger (10) utilises a series of stacked plates (24), each having curved deep groove corrugations which form channels (27) with an adjacent plate which are inclined at a small angle with the channels (28) of the first plate (24), each stack of plates (24) having two inlet ducts (14, 16) and two outlet ducts (18, 20) and (19, 21).

Abstract: An oil skimmer and method of operation for removing hydrocarbon contaminates from ground water are disclosed. A drive pulley and upper portions of a pickup belt of a belt type oil skimmer are encased within a hermetically sealed housing. A seal collar forms an hermetic seal between the housing and a well casing. A vacuum source draws air from within a collection tank and from within the skimmer housing. The withdrawal of air from the skimmer housing functions to draw further air from within the well casing and from within the well itself Optionally, air under pressure is injected into ground strata at locations near, but spaced from the contaminate pickup area.

Abstract: An index selection tool helps reduce costs in time and memory in selecting an index configuration or set of indexes for use by a database server in accessing a database in accordance with a workload of queries. The index selection tool attempts to reduce the number of indexes to be considered, the number of index configurations to be enumerated, and the number of invocations of a query optimizer in selecting an index configuration for the workload.

Abstract: A catheter assembly is provided for delivering a diagnostic fluid to a diagnostic site within the vascular system of a patient comprising an elongated central tube that can be routed into and through a vascular system of a patient, the tube including a tube proximal end and a tube distal end, a flexible sleeve defining a space between the interior surface of the sleeve and an exterior surface of the central tube, the sleeve comprising a sleeve proximal end sealably connected to the exterior circumference of the central tube. The sleeve extends along a length of the central tube from the sleeve proximal end to a sleeve distal end, the central tube defining one or more openings that extend through a wall of the central tube so that the interior of the central tube is in fluid communication with the interior of the sleeve.

Abstract: Grower experience, with poor disease control of grape vines has suggested that, despite overspraying, actual spray coverage was poor, failing to penetrate the dense outer foliage, so that parts of the tree, particularly the top, were inadequately sprayed. Consequently, there was a requirement to ensure that spraying materials were deposited more efficiently and effectively upon targeted foliage, thereby reducing the volume of liquid carrier and therefore the amount of chemical required for a particular crop. This problem has been overcome by directing two fan-driven spray units (14) upward and into the foliage canopy, so as to displace the leaves in upward and outward directions, in co-operation with at least one further spray unit (16) downwardly directed, so as to spray into and partly through the canopy. The spray units are mounted on an inverted U-frame (21), which in turn is mounted on a mobile chassis or tractor (10) for transport through the crop area.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for implementing a virtual machine interpreter such as an interpreter for interpreting Java compiled bytecodes. The Java language supports class structures and a hierarchy of such structures. As the Java software virtual machine loads the class file containing the Java bytecodes it allocates a first block, of memory based on the class definition for all dynamic methods implemented by a class hierarchy that includes a base class and any additional classes derived from the base class. The virtual machine instantiates instances of classes within a class hierarchy derived from the base class in other memory blocks by initializing a method table pointer at a base location in that other memory block for each such instance in the class hierarchy. The method table pointer is initialized to point to the first block of memory defining the dynamic methods for the class hierarchy.

Abstract: A coil of an interconnected chain of open bags is provided in which the coil has a center opening having a diameter at least as great as the transverse dimension of the bags. A dispenser is provided on which a coil of bags is mounted. An end of the chain is pulled from the center opening and fed around a tapered mandrel and thence over a feed control mandrel oriented in angular relationship with the tapered mandrel. The web is then fed to a bagging machine for dispensing, loading and closing of the bags. The table on which the coil is mounted is rotatable so that the orientation of a span of bags running from the coil to the tapered mandrel remains substantially constant as the web is fed.

Abstract: A system for controlling a manufacturing system including a plurality of working units is described. Each working unit has an operational tool and a unit controller which controls the corresponding tool. Each unit controller includes a storage device for storing data about the status of multiple working units including its own. A data control device is connected to the storage device and the remainder of the unit controllers. The data control device renews unit status data stored in the storage device with the newest data about the status of the working units including that of its own working unit. Thus, all the unit controllers always have the newest unit status data in common. Each unit controller includes a drive control device for controlling the corresponding tool based on the unit status data stored in the storage device.

Abstract: An index selection tool helps reduce costs in time and memory in selecting an index configuration or set of indexes for use by a database server in accessing a database in accordance with a workload of queries. The index selection tool attempts to reduce the number of indexes to be considered, the number of index configurations to be enumerated, and the number of invocations of a query optimizer in selecting an index configuration for the workload.

Abstract: An inertial positioner comprising a base plate and a carriage plate (2) slidably connected to one another via a bearing assembly (3) so as to allow relative movement of the plates in a positioning direction. The bearing assembly (3) comprises two sets of caged ball bearings seated in respective pairs of V-grooves (25 and 26) formed in the facing surfaces of the base and carriage plates, the V-groove pairs extending spaced apart in the positioning direction. An actuator comprising a piezoelectric element (4) and a rod (5) extends between the plates (1 and 2), the piezoelectric element (4) being secured to the carriage plate (2) and the rod (5) forming a frictional engagement characterized by a force F with the base plate via a collar (20) fastened to the base plate via biasing means (not shown). In operation, a periodic saw-tooth voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element (4) to produce motion.

Abstract: An index selection tool helps reduce costs in time and memory in selecting an index configuration or set of indexes for use by a database server in accessing a database in accordance with a workload of queries. The index selection tool attempts to reduce the number of indexes to be considered, the number of index configurations to be enumerated, and the number of invocations of a query optimizer in selecting an index configuration for the workload.