Abstract: A rotary knife having a blade with an annular body rotatable about a central axis and an annular blade section projecting away from the body. The blade section comprises a first radially inner surface, a second radially outer surface and, a cutting edge defined along the projecting end of the blade section and extending about the central axis. The cutting edge defines a sinuous line extending about the central axis forming first curved segments having radii of curvature centered radially inwardly from the edge, second curved segments interposed between adjacent first segments and having radii of curvature centered radially outwardly from the edge, and a blade edge curvature inflection location between each adjacent first and second segments.

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: The mounting system for mounting the implement to a boom assembly forming part of a construction vehicle, such as an excavator, pedestal boom, and backhoe. A pair of spaced apart side plates include aligned apertures for receiving adapter plugs sized to be received within the apertures and for resisting relative rotation therebetween. Each adapter includes a transverse bore which is sized to receive a first pin member, such that each transverse bore is of an associated pair of adapter plugs defines the pin diameter that will be accepted, as well as partially defining the distance between a first pin member and a second pin member. Each adapter plug defines a flange portion having a surface abuttably engages a side surface of its associated side plate. The flange portions of an associated pair of adapter plugs define thrust surfaces for a boom member coupled to a pin carried by the adapter plugs. The thrust surface may be machinable to adjust the lateral spacing between an associated pair of adapter plugs.

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: A food product breading machine is disclosed that comprises a breading unit and a battering unit. The breading unit includes a breading material reservoir, a conveyor for moving food products and breading material along a travel path to a breading application station, and a breading material flow controlling system for creating a standing wave of breading material at the breading application station. The breading material flow controlling system comprises food product engaging elements movable toward and away from the conveyor to enable food products to pass through the standing wave and the application station while continuing to restrict the flow of breading material from the station. An adjustable plow projects into the breading approaching the application station to facilitate breading lateral sides of food products approaching the station.

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: A hand-held power-operated blade-actuating or other work member actuating device, especially useful as shears for processing comestible products such as fowl. A servo mechanism and linkage connected with a movable blade and a finger control causes controlled powered movement of the blade in coordination with the finger control. A fixed blade and a pivoted blade are insertable and removable as a unit from a hand-held frame in which the fixed blade is restrained against rotation relative to the frame. The blades and frame are constructed so the blades are insertable or removable only when closed. In a preferred embodiment the fixed blade is retained in part by two load bearing pins extending from the frame and located substantially diametrically opposite each other relative to the pivot axis of the movable blade.

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 portable data collection device adapted to read high density bar code and matrix dataforms. The device includes an imaging assembly including a modular camera housing supporting a two dimensional (2D) photosensor array. The imaging assembly is selectively actuatable with a first trigger for reading a target dataform in the imaging assembly's target area and actuatable with a second trigger for capturing a image of the target object in the target area. The modular camera housing precisely positions an optic assembly such that the sharpest image of the target dataform is focused at a center point of the photosensor array. The optic assembly includes a plurality of lenses supported in a shroud assembly. The shroud assembly is adjustable to permit precise positioning of the lens assembly with respect to the photosensor array along a longitudinal optical axis of the lens assembly.

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: Method and apparatus for treating a workpiece implantation surface by causing ions to impact the workpiece implantation surface. An implantation chamber defines a chamber interior into which one or more workpieces can be inserted and includes a conductive inner wall portion in proximity to the chamber interior. A conductive workpiece support extends into an interior region of the implantation chamber. A conductive electrode is disposed within said implantation chamber relative to said conductive workpiece support to allow workpieces to be placed on the workpiece support in a region between the support and the conductive electrode. Gas molecules are injected into the implantation chamber to cause the gas molecules to occupy a region of the implantation chamber in close proximity to the one or more workpieces. The gas molecules are ionized near an implant surface of the workpieces.

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 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.