Abstract: A hydrostatic transmission with an integral actuator for a vehicle having an engine and a frame. The assembly includes a transmission housing for connection to a vehicle frame, a shaft for coupling the hydrostatic transmission to an output of a vehicle engine, a pump driven by the shaft and an actuator operatively coupled to the pump that is attached to the transmission housing.

Abstract: A flexible metal hose formed by a helically wound metal having an “S” shaped cross-section. The strip is provided with projections and recessions, with projections and recessions of adjoining convolutions meshed, enabling hose flexure without unwrapping. First and second resiliently engaged sealing surfaces extend helically along the hose to block leakage via the projections and recessions. In one embodiment the sealing surfaces are formed on a lip of one convolution and a body portion of the adjoining convolution. A second embodiment is a “smooth bore” hose having a first helical strip, constructed as described, and a second helical strip with first and second smoothly cylindrical axially spaced radially inner and outer regions. One region forms the smooth bore and the other is resiliently engaged between the radially outer lip of the first strip and the radially outer first strip body portion of the adjoining convolution to form the seal.

Abstract: A machine for forming individual packages from a web of preopened and interconnected bags one at a time is disclosed. A web is fed along a path of travel from a supply to a load station. A pair of nip rolls are positioned along the path near the load station. A printer is positioned along the path between the supply and the nip rolls. A nip roll drive is provided for rotating the nip rolls selectively and one at a time at a printing rate for the feed of the web when the printer is operating and at a faster feed rate for positioning a bag at the load station when the printer is not operating. A supply station tensioner is provided for tensioning a web along the path such that the printer when operating prints a section of a tensioned web.

Abstract: A fluid fitting is provided for connecting two members transmitting a high pressure fluid. The fitting includes an elongated tubular stem, a first connecting member, and a second connecting member. A hydraulic seal may be effected by an interference fit between the second connecting member and the stem. The first connecting member may be a flare nut. The second connecting member may be a plug fitting. The fluid fitting preferably provides a connection between a fuel oil valve and an oil burner nozzle. The valve may be rigidly mounted to the burner nozzle without the use of additional mounting hardware and within a small space adjacent to the burner.

Abstract: A database server supports weighted and unweighted sampling of records or tuples in accordance with desired sampling semantics such as with replacement (WR), without replacement (WoR), or independent coin flips (CF) semantics, for example. The database server may perform such sampling sequentially not only to sample non-materialized records such as those produced as a stream by a pipeline in a query tree for example, but also to sample records, whether materialized or not, in a single pass. The database server also supports sampling over a join of two relations of records or tuples without requiring the computation of the full join and without requiring the materialization of both relations and/or indexes on the join attribute values of both relations.

Abstract: An oil cooling system is disclosed in the environment of an over the road vehicle having a transmission and an internal combustion engine. A primary liquid to liquid heat exchanger is connected to the engine cooling system and connected to a selected on of, or both, an engine lubricant system and the transmission for cooling circulation of oil. An auxiliary heat exchanger is connected in parallel with the primary heat exchanger for selective additional cooling circulation of the oil.

Abstract: An improved cooling system for a turbo charged internal combustion engine is disclosed. A conduit connects a pressurizing engine air intake to the cooling system to raise the pressure in the cooling system thereby enabling an increase of the maximum temperature which coolant in the cooling system can reach.

Abstract: An inlet protector or guard that prevents jamming and clogging of a molten metal pump. The guard includes a flat surface having a central opening that accepts a shaft of the molten metal pump. A wall extends from the periphery of the flat surface along a longitudinal axis of the shaft. The wall is sized to fit within an inlet opening of the pump. The wall includes a plurality of openings, forming an inlet through which molten metal can enter a base of the pump. The plurality of openings are small enough to prevent solid particles that are larger than a distance between an impeller of the pump and a pump chamber from entering the pump and large enough to prevent the pump from clogging.

Abstract: An on-line moisture analyzer and method of analyzing the moisture content of an ore concentrate. A sample conveyor moves a sample of the concentrate to be analyzed to an aluminum pan that receives and holds the sample of the concentrate. A horizontal linear slide having a pneumatic vertical lift mounted to rotary arm is detachably connected to the aluminum pan by gripping fingers that detachably engage the pan. A scale is accessible by the conveyance member for weighing the sample. An oven also accessible by the conveyance member has a door that has a complimentary shape relative to a cross section of the sample container and conveyance member is used for heating the sample. A programmable logic controller controls the conveyance member and the oven door. A data processing unit receives data from the scale and determines a moisture content based on the data.

Abstract: A database server supports weighted and unweighted sampling of records or tuples in accordance with desired sampling semantics such as with replacement (WR), without replacement (WoR), or independent coin flips (CF) semantics, for example. The database server may perform such sampling sequentially not only to sample non-materialized records, such as those produced as a stream by a pipeline in a query tree for example, but also to sample records, whether materialized or not, in a single pass. The database server also supports sampling over a join of two relations of records or tuples without requiring the computation of the full join and without requiring the materialization of both relations and/or indexes on the join attribute values of both relations.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a cholesteric liquid crystal display that includes a homogeneous alignment surface effective to provide increased brightness, low focal conic reflectance and/or reflected light treat is to a significant degree circularly polarized. The homogeneous alignment surface substantially homogeneously aligns the liquid crystal director adjacent thereto. The homogeneous alignment surface may be disposed on one or both sides of a cell of the display. In the case of a cell in which the homogeneous alignment surface is disposed on only one side, the substrate with the inhomogeneous alignment surface may be upstream or downstream of the substrate with the homogeneous alignment surface relative to a direction of incident light. Also included especially in the case of a cell that has the homogeneous alignment surface on both sides is the use of a polarizer to provide very good brightness and low focal conic reflectance.

Abstract: A process of making ceramic spheroids by firing clay spheroids comprising by weight percent: FeO (3.22-5.21), Fe3O4 (3.40-5.11), SiO2 (52.49-59.42), CaO (1.99-7.96), MgO (2.81-4.69), Al2O3 (12.05-17.65), TlO2 (0.58-0.71), MnO (0.07-0.19), Na2O (0.47-0.86), K2O (1.70-2.37), P2O3 (0.13-0.19), S (0.03-0.29), CO2 (0.90-8.23), Organic C (0.22-1.04), H2O+ (4.14-7.28), H2O− (2.12-5.48) in contact with a particulate parting agent selected from aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, and their precursors at a sufficiently high temperature and for a sufficiently long time to form a shell. Preferably, the clay spheroids are obtained from a deposit located at Hallock in Kittson County Minn., U.S.A.

Abstract: In a database system, a method for determining a set of essential statistics. A set of potentially relevant, but unconstructed, statistics for a user query comprising a plurality of operators is compiled. A first value is assigned to the unconstructed statistics and a first projected query cost is computed for the query wherein the unconstructed statistics have the first value. A second value is assigned to the unconstructed statistics and a second projected query cost is computed for the query wherein the unconstructed statistics have the second value. The first and second projected query costs are compared and the determination of essential statistics is discontinued if the first and second projected query costs are equivalent. If the first and second projected query costs are not equivalent, an unconstructed statistic is selected to build and process is repeated until the first and second projected query costs are equivalent or all the unconstructed potentially relevant statistics have been constructed.

Abstract: The invention relates to objective arrangements for use in projection systems such as overhead projectors. An objective arrangement 10 provides a tilted image plane. The arrangement 10 is rotationally asymmetric by virtue of the third element 16 having a principal optical axis 22 which is displaced to one side, but parallel with the principal optical axes 20 of the first and second elements 12,14. This asymmetry has been found to correct aberrations introduced by a tilted Fresnel lens used in the projection arrangement.

Abstract: A system for providing dunnage to packages as the packages are formed is disclosed. The system includes a dunnage forming machine having a work station for inflating and sealing plastic pouches to form dunnage units. An accumulator is positioned below the station for receiving and collecting such units as they are formed. The accumulator includes an outlet opening laterally offset from the station. A pair of counter rotating brushes having axes journaled in spaced relationship are mounted at the outlet. Each of the brushes includes circumferentially spaced bristle sets defining unit receiving spaces between adjacent sets. A motor drive is operably connected to the brushes for causing counter rotation. A unit volume sensor is provided for emitting a machine start signal when the volume of units in the accumulator reaches a predetermined low volume. A process for providing dunnage in packages being formed is also disclosed.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention is directed to an impeller made of a non-metallic, heat resistant material, comprising a generally cylindrical shaped body having a central rotational axis, first and second generally planar end faces extending transverse to the central axis and a side wall extending between the first and second faces. A plurality of passages have inlets circumferentially spaced apart from each other on the first face, outlets at the impeller sidewall, and connecting portions extending between the inlets and the outlets transverse to the central axis. Each of the passages extends at an angle to the central axis along substantially an entire length and perimeter of the passages.

Abstract: Determining a degree of relative similarity between event types in event sequences by examining the context of the event types facilitates similarity analysis of large sets of event sequences. A method for determining the similarity between event types in event sequences by examining the data log of the event sequence. A context set of event types is compiled for each event type. The context sets are then compared to determine a degree of similarity between their corresponding event types. The context sets may be compiled by recording the event types which happen within a predetermined time period of the event type in question. The context sets may then be transformed into vectors and a distance calculated between the vectors. The distance indicates a degree of relative similarity between the event types which correspond to the vectors.

Abstract: A process for stripping a photoresist layer after exposure to an ion implantation process. The process includes subjecting a substrate having the ion implanted photoresist layer thereon to a UV radiation exposure and subsequently removing the ion implanted photoresist by conventional stripping processes.