Abstract: An auditory and tactile stimulation and feedback system for promoting development of individuals. The system stimulates attention and movement, helps individuals to learn cause and effect relationships, to control a surrounding environment and to promote normal development by facilitating the individual's exploration of a developmental sequence of sounds or other stimuli. The system includes an input device which can be interconnected electrically and physically with other input devices, all of which are responsive to the individual as the individual traverses the input devices.

Abstract: A dry pump (32) has an inlet connected to the oven (10) for the purpose of establishing the desired low pressure conditions inside the oven and for extracting residual gas therefrom, a hydrolysis reactor (50) is connected to an outlet of the dry pump in order to receive residual gases coming from the oven, the hydrolysis reactor includes a first outlet (52) for solid deposits or for acid solutions coming from hydrolysis of the gases it receives, and it has a second outlet (54) for gas which is connected to the atmosphere. Gas injection means (46, 48) are located between the inlet of the dry pump (32) and the hydrolysis reactor (50) to prevent any backflow from the hydrolysis reactor towards the pump. Water feed means (74, 76) are connected to the hydrolysis reactor (50), at least via the second outlet (54) thereof, in order to put into solution the acid vapors that come from the hydrolysis reactor, thereby avoiding discharging them in the atmosphere.

Abstract: A process for the management of multiple inheritance for application in a system or language employing persistent and shared objects. According to this process, the format of an object is maintained unchanged when it is being loaded from persistent space into virtual space. Moreover, each class producing an object is associated with an identifier of the class constant in all those applications utilizing the class as well as through all the recompilations. The structure of the object is thus independent of the address of storage in memory and of the code of the class producing this object. Finally, according to the present process, an addressing path permitting the management of inheritance is imposed via different tables.

Abstract: A yarn is formed from discontinuous parallel fibers which are not twisted d which are held together by a covering yarn of sacrificial material wound around the fibers. The fibers comprise an intimate mixture of fibers of at least two different natures selected from carbon fibers or pre-oxidized polyacrylonitrile based carbon precursor fibers, or anisotropic or isotropic pitch based carbon precursor fibers, or phenolic or cellulosic based carbon precursor fibers, and ceramic fibers or ceramic precursor fibers. The mixture of fibers comprises, in its carbon state, at least 15% by weight of high strength fibers, having a tensile strength of at least 1500 MPa and a modulus of at least 150 MPa, and at least 15% by weight of fibers with a low Young's modulus of at most 100 GPa.

Abstract: A technique for the blind equalization of digital communications channels relies on the iterative minimization of a cost function known as the J-divergence between a known or assumed probability density function (PDF) of the source data signal and an estimated PDF of a receiver decision output signal derived from the equalizer output signal by minimum-distance mapping. The J-divergence function is defined in terms of the Kullback-Leibler distance between the two PDFs. Minimization is achieved by continually updating both an equalizer tap coefficient vector and the estimated PDF of the decision output signal using a stochastic gradient algorithm applied to the J-divergence cost function.

Abstract: A self-powered electrical clamp meter measures AC voltages in the range of 6 volts to 600 volts and AC currents in the range of 1 ampere to 300 amperes, and receives operating power from the source of the voltage or current being measured. The clamp meter employs first and second rectifier circuits. One rectifier generates rectified AC power from an AC voltage signal supplied by a voltage probe, and the other rectifier generates rectified AC power from an AC current signal supplied by a current probe. First and second regulator circuits generate regulated DC power from the rectified AC power, and corresponding scaling circuits generate first and second scaled voltage signals whose respective amplitudes are proportional to the output of the corresponding rectifier. A switch selects the first scaled voltage signal when a voltage is being measured, and the second scaled voltage signal when a current is being measured.

Abstract: A bidirectional dredge provides active dredging on both forward and reverse passes across an area being dredged. The dredge includes a pivot turning mechanism that allows a turnaround of the dredge, allowing each pass to start at the terminating point of the previous pass. The dredge is driven by a winch attached to an overhead cable strung between the perimeter of the dredging area. The winch is mounted on a pivot mechanism which is operative to rotate the dredge at each end of a dredging pass. The pivot mechanism includes a pair of plates which rotate, a lower plate being attached to the dredge, and an upper plate attached to the winch. At the end of each pass, the pivot unit is activated and the dredge rotated. Following rotation, the dredge is now facing forward toward the distal end of the dredging area, and ready to effect an active dredging pass in the opposite direction, thereby utilizing every pass over the area for active dredging.

Abstract: The convertible child safety seat of the present invention provides improved occupant protection in all vehicles, and especially in vehicles equipped with a passenger-side airbag. The child safety seat includes an air bag deflector to deflect an expanding air bag away from the infant and is shock-mounted to reduce crash and airbag energy the occupant is exposed or subjected to. The child safety seat is convertible from a rearward facing position to a forward facing position. The cradle of the safety seat is removable. Additionally, to accommodate the changing size of the child a knee bracket is provided which allows a larger size child to be safely transported within the child safety seat.

Abstract: A coaxial shaped power inserter connector for a CATV (Cable Television) housing accepts two conductors at a first end. A first conductor, typically a power conductor, is secured to a center terminal which extends beyond the distal end of the connector body. A second conductor, typically a ground conductor, is secured to the body of the connector. The connector may be sealed or unsealed. The connector is useful for providing power to a CATV housing.

Abstract: A low NOx burner having a burner body, to which an electric fan for supplying air for combustion is connected and which includes an exhaust gas recirculation passage for supplying combustion gas from the burner body to air for combustion, the low NOx burner including an exclusive exhaust-gas recirculation fan provided for the exhaust gas recirculation passage and arranged to forcibly recirculate exhaust gas, and a bypass passage formed between the exhaust gas recirculation passage and a passage for air for combustion formed in the burner body.

Abstract: At least a portion of the data units in a bridge/router device are analyzed for purposes of filtering by employing high speed logic circuits. A data unit is analyzed by such logic circuits by examining the header portion of the data unit, employing information obtained from the header portion to designate possible output ports for transmission of the data unit, examining a predefined per-port filter enable indicator to determine whether filtering is to be applied to the data unit, and applying filtering for each respective port for which the per-port filter enable indicator indicates that filtering is to be applied. Filtering is also implemented with logic circuits and executed at high speed. Filtering may be executed based on MAC address group, port group, combination MAC address and port group, protocol type, and non-unicast traffic frequency. Data units that cannot be analyzed by the logic circuits are analyzed by software.

Abstract: A helical turbine assembly capable of providing high speed unidirectional rotation under a multidirectional ultra low-head fluid flow is disclosed. The assembly comprises an array of helical turbine units or modules arranged, vertically or horizontally, to harness, for example, water or wind power. Each turbine unit or module comprises a plurality of helical blades having an airfoil profile. The modules for wind power may be mounted to rotatable shafts supported by lightweight structures anchored by guy wires to the ground. The helical turbine can also a provide ship propulsion by utilizing the power of ocean waves. In a further embodiment, a cylindrical distributor is provided in the helical turbine to channel the fluid flow to the blades of the turbine, thereby increasing efficiency and power output. The helical turbine with distributor may be used to lift or lower a body either being submerged into a fast stream or dragged in the fluid.

Abstract: Device for connecting a first duct of a very small diameter, such as for instance a needle or a capillary column, to a second duct, wherein the device comprises a receiving part and a sealing element, wherein the receiving part is provided with a duct bore in which the first duct is slidably receivable, wherein the receiving part is also provided with a sealing-element bore which intersects the duct bore and in which the sealing element is slidably received, wherein the sealing element is provided with a recess, wherein the sealing element is adapted to assume a sealing position in which the duct bore is sealed, and is adapted to assume a connecting position in which the two duct bore parts on either side of the sealing-element bore are in fluid connection with each other via the recess, wherein the sealing element is biased in the sealing position by a spring under spring action.

Abstract: A system of gating orifices for continuous pressure infiltration processes eliminates blow-out of the pressurized molten metal matrix material and friction damage to the infiltrated perform. The system includes three or more orifices along a vertical path of an upwardly moving perform which passes from vacuum or atmospheric pressure into a pressurized infiltrating bath of molten metal, then into a pressurized atmosphere in which the matrix fully solidifies, and from there to an atmospheric environment. The entering orifice, at the bottom of the pressurized bath, is elongated in the direction of the perform movement to provide a temperature gradient from above the matrix material melting temperature at the bath to below the solidification temperature farthest from the bath. The resulting liquid-mushy-solid sequence of the matrix material forms a solidification seal to prevent blow out of the pressurized molten metal.

Abstract: A refrigerant compressor is configured such that a compressor unit is installed in a hermetically sealed container, an HFC type refrigerant or a mixture thereof and a refrigerator oil having compatibility with the refrigerant are charged into the hermetically sealed container, and the refrigerator oil essentially comprises a polyvinyl ether type compound having structural units represented by the following general formula (1): ##STR1## wherein n is an integral number in the range of 1 or more, R1 to R3 are each a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms and may be the same or different, R4 is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and units in which R4 is an alkyl group having 1 to 2 carbon atoms are 40 to 100% and units in which R4 is an alkyl group having 3 to 4 carbon atoms are 0 to 60%.

Abstract: A label sheet comprises a substrate and an adhesive layer formed by applying an adhesive agent to a surface of the substrate, said adhesive layer being formed only on a limited area of the surface. With such an arrangement and if it is part of a larger label sheet or a multi-layer structure of label sheets, it can be stripped off easily from the remaining part. If perforations are formed in adhesive free areas, they do not produce any projections of the applied adhesive agent so that the final product can be handled with ease. Additionally, by forming an adhesive-repellent layer on the outer surface with an ink type adhesive-repellent agent, the overall manufacturing process can be simplified and the product is adapted to making by hand.

Abstract: A method for laminating a porous sheet 1 and a coarse mesh reinforcing material 2 which includes an adhesive layer and is reinforced by drawing, by heat pressing with that adhesive layer in between, in which, (1) the heating temperature during heat pressing is equal to or above the melting point of the adhesive layer and equal to or below the melting point of the porous sheet, (2) a specific relationship is maintained among the difference between the heating temperature and the melting point of the adhesive layer, the difference between the heating temperature and the softening point of the porous sheet, and the heating time, and (3) the unrolling tension of the porous sheet is maintained at 200 to 550 g/mm.sup.2.

Abstract: A motor controller controls motor rotational speed by repeatedly executing a sequence of operations. Initially, a pulse is generated that causes a predetermined fixed current to be supplied to the motor winding for a predetermined driving interval. The winding current is forced to zero after the pulse has occurred. A settling interval is allowed to pass in which the back EMF across the motor winding stabilizes, and then the winding back EMF is compared to a velocity command voltage representing the desired rotational speed of the motor. If at the end of the settling interval the back EMF is less than the velocity command voltage, indicating that the motor speed is less than the desired speed, then a new control cycle is begun, starting with the assertion of the current-driving pulse.

Abstract: A network comprises a plurality of switching nodes interconnected by communication links. The nodes transfer message packets thereamong over the communication links over paths defined through the nodes over the communication links. At least one of the nodes includes a communication link operational status determination element and an advertising message packet broadcast element. The communication link operational status determination element determines the operational status of the communication links, and the advertising message packet broadcast element broadcasts advertising message packets over the network including the operational status of the communication links. The other switching nodes in the network receive the advertising message packets and determine from the operational status identifier values whether to initiate a re-routing operation to re-route a path to avoid communication links which are malfunctioning.

Abstract: There is provided a fluorescent lamp comprising a tubular glass bulb, an internal electrode provided at the center of the tubular glass bulb, a fluorescent layer formed on an inner surface of the tubular bulb, and an external electrode provided on an outer surface of the tubular glass bulb, said tubular glass bulb being charged with a rare gas containing xenon as a main ingredient, wherein the charged pressure of the rare gas is 100 to 300 torr, the inner diameter of the tubular glass bulb is 4 to 12 mm and the thickness of the tubular glass bulb is 0.4 to 1.2 mm. As a result, lighting voltage is greatly reduced, whereby the charged pressure of the rare gas can be increased, thereby making it possible to improve illuminance.