Abstract: The system and the method are used for detecting a level of liquid metal at a given location, such as a launder set between an holding furnace and a casting pit. The system comprises an emitter coil and a receiver coil in a side-by-side configuration and in close proximity of the location. In use, an AC signal is applied to the emitter coil for producing an alternating magnetic flux. At least a part of the magnetic flux passes through the location where the level of liquid metal needs to be measured and goes back into the receiver coil. The signal in the receiver coil is monitored and the data are conveyed to a control module which determines the level of liquid metal from the variation of the signal in the receiver coil. The coils of the system are advantageously provided with respective core elements having a high magnetic permeability and which are configured and disposed to channel the magnetic flux.

Abstract: A floatable firework device includes a hollow base for fitting an explosive therein, a waterproof fuse, and a tubular buoyancy member sleeved fixedly around an upper portion of the base. The base has a center of gravity at a lower end portion thereof. As such, the firework device can float on a water surface, with a flame-spraying upper end slit in the base being disposed above the water surface.

Abstract: A shadow mask is composed of an iron-based alloy plate containing 31.0-38.0 weight % of nickel and 1.0-6.5 weight % of cobalt. The iron-based alloy has a crystal grain size number of 10 or more and 12 or less, has a crystal grain size of 50 &mgr;m or less in a cross section in a direction parallel and normal to a rolling direction of the iron-based alloy plate, and has an average crystal grain size of 30 &mgr;m or less in a cross section in a direction parallel to the rolling direction of the iron-based alloy plate.

Abstract: A ballistic resistant pad having a first group of at least two successive overlying woven sheets constructed of high strength fibers. The warp and the weft for individual ones of the successive overlying woven sheets of the first group are substantially in alignment to one another. A second group of at least two successive overlying woven sheets constructed of high strength fibers is also provided. The warp and the weft for individual ones of the woven sheets of the second group are substantially in alignment to one another and are angularly displaced from the warp and the weft of the woven sheets of the first group.

Abstract: The 2-(2,14-Dimethyl-pentadecanoylamin)-pentanedioic acid (I) and compounds of the formula (II), wherein the substituents have the meaning disclosed in the specification, are used as oviposition deterring pheromones against the following fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) of economical importance: Anastrepha fraterculus (south America fruit fly), A. grandis, A. ludens (Mexican fruit fly), A. obliqua (mango fly), A. serpentina (sapodilla fly), A. striata (guayabi fly) and A. suspensa (Caribbean fruit fly). The above-mentioned substances, if conveniently formulated, can be used to reduce the damage caused by these insects to fruits which are cultivated in commercial and semi-commercial orchards, in garden orchards and in isolated trees in residential gardens.

Abstract: An optically pumped solid-state laser in which an oscillator and optical amplifier are pumped by a common laser diode pump, with the pump beam first pumping the optical amplifier and a residual pump beam transmitted through the amplifier pumping the oscillator. Such an arrangement permits the use of high power laser diode arrays with poor focusability beams to be used as the laser pump to produce high energy laser pulses at least an order of magnitude greater than provided by the prior art and greatly expands the applications of such a solid-state laser.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for encoding input words consisting of a plurality of information bits so as to produce encoded output symbols. The invention has particular application to the production of encoded output symbols which are to be subject to phase shift key (PSK) modulation. The invention is advantageously employed in generating phase shift key modulated signals for digital television signal transmission. A turbo encoder is used to receive and encode a first portion of each input word so as to generate corresponding encoded and parity bits from the input words. A puncturing module punctures the parity bits once for each encoded bit. A mapping circuit receives an uncoded second portion of each input word and forms an output symbol for each input word from the uncoded second portion and from the corresponding encoded and punctured parity bits.

Abstract: A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for utilizing a wireless link in an interface roaming network. A wireless link is utilized to scan a vicinity of the wireless link to detect one or more interface clients in the vicinity. The wireless link then transmits to an infrastructure server information relating to the interface clients detected in the vicinity. Based on the transmitted information, the infrastructure server then selects one of the interface clients. Subsequently, the wireless link receives a notification from the infrastructure server of the selected interface client and a connection between the infrastructure server and the selected interface client is initiated for communication therebetween.

Abstract: An apparatus for harvesting cartilage comprises a cartilage harvesting pipe(1) having a cutting blade(3), a drive unit for moving the cartilage harvesting pipe(1), a connecting member(21) for connecting the cartilage harvesting pipe(1) and the drive unit, and a cutting member(11) made of a wire to separate the cartilage from a cartilaginous tissue by cutting the cartilage which is harvested with the cartilage harvesting pipe(1). The apparatus harvests easily and safely cartilage as much as is necessary with minimal scaring of the chest wall or pain.

Abstract: A floating frame for an optical disc loader. It includes a pivoting-type sub-chassis of 1-degree of freedom of movement. It is rigidly connected to a chassis without any floaters. Floaters are placed at the four comers of the chassis to support the entire loader. The floater has a wide mid-section and a narrow tip. Above the mid-section are upper slots, and below the mid-section are lower slots. The floater should preferably be made of flexible material such as rubber.

Abstract: A method that includes: providing a substrate where a memory cell array region and a peripheral region are defined; forming a buried layer on the substrate; forming a gate material by positioning a gate insulating film on the substrate having the buried layer; forming first gates by covering the peripheral region, and etching the gate material of the memory cell array region according to a photolithography process; forming an insulating pattern on the substrate to fill up a space between the first gates and expose the surfaces of the first gates; forming second gates by covering the memory cell array region, and etching the gate material of the peripheral region according to the photolithography process; and forming a low resistance layer on the first gates, and simultaneously forming a source/drain at both sides of the second gates, by doping an impurity to the substrate having the first and second gates.

Abstract: Apparatus is described for sanitizing a flow of water recirculated from a body of water such as a swimming pool by a pump (16) having an inlet conduit (10) and an outlet conduit (18) both in fluid communication with the body of water. The apparatus comprises a container (22) which is adapted to hold sources of silver and copper metal and halogen reagent which, under the action of oxidising agents forms colloidal dissolved metals. Metering means (12) is adapted to deliver hydrogen peroxide reagent into the inlet conduit (10). Water is pumped from outlet conduit (18) through feed conduit (20) which is connected to the container (22) and then through return conduit (24) which connects to either inlet conduit (10) or the outlet conduit (18) to a position upstream of the connection of the feed conduit (10) to the outlet conduit (18). The amount of hydrogen peroxide and halogen added are predetermined by the volume of water to be sanitized.

Abstract: A water-proof car covering includes an integral water-proof plastic sheet having a base portion that is adapted to confine a bottom side of a car and that has a periphery, and a plurality of side portions that extend from the periphery of the base portion, that are adapted to confine the remaining sides of the car, and that respectively have peripheral side edges which are connected to form a continuous loop. A closure unit is secured to and extends along the entire length of the loop, and includes male and female interlocking members that are engageable with each other so as to permit watertight enclosing of the car by the plastic sheet.

Abstract: The ventilator is used to ventilate an offset pocket in the drying section of a papermaking machine. The papermaking machine comprises a row of spaced-apart upper drying rolls and a row of spaced-apart lower drying rolls. It also comprises two rows of spaced-apart felt rolls disposed intermediate the upper drying rolls and the lower drying rolls, respectively, and a paper web intermittently carried by two felts entrained over the upper drying rolls and over the lower drying rolls, respectively. The ventilator comprises a ventral face and a dorsal face. The ventral face comprises at least one ventral orifice disposed adjacent to the felt and the dorsal face comprises at least one dorsal orifice disposed adjacent to a combined draw of felt and paper web.

Abstract: An integrated circuit with a voltage-controlled oscillator that provides an oscillation signal with an unmodulated frequency that remains constant in response to reception of a bias current having a constant magnitude and with a modulated frequency that varies in response to reception of a modulation voltage. A current-to-voltage (I:V) conversion stage converts a bias clamp current to a control voltage. A voltage-to-current (V:I) conversion stage receives the control voltage and an external modulation voltage signal and generates the control current for a current-controlled oscillator (ICO). The control voltage is based upon the threshold voltage of one of the semiconductor devices forming the I:V conversion stage and is used to drive the V:I conversion stage so long as the external modulation voltage signal is substantially zero.

Abstract: A seal for an opening defined by a sidewall portion of the pressurizable tank. The tank contains desiccant for drying gases which pass through the desiccant. An elongate antenna extends from an interior portion to an exterior portion of the tank and is used for carrying microwave energy to the desiccant for regeneration of the desiccant. The seal has an insulator with an interior surface for receiving engagement with the antenna at the opening of the tank. In one embodiment, the interior surface of the insulator is tapered such that a distance between opposing portions of the insulator reduces as the insulator extends in a direction through the opening toward the exterior of the tank. The antenna has a cross sectional dimension which reduces in size as the antenna extends in the direction through the opening toward the exterior of the tank.

Abstract: An method for fabricating a semiconductor device reduces a size of a MOSFET by self aligning a gate electrode with a device isolation insulation film. Thus, the gate electrode is not overlapped with the device isolation insulation film, differently from a conventional method for forming a MOSFET by partially overlapping the gate electrode with the device isolation insulation film in consideration of misalignment and CD variations in a mask process. As a result, a size of the MOSFET is reduced, thereby efficiently achieving the high integration of the semiconductor device.