Abstract: The enhanced deliquifying of the compacted bed of deep bed thickener/clarifier is disclosed. Such an apparatus comprises a vessel receiving a slurry of liquid and solid particles suspended in the liquid. The vessel defines a free settling zone, a hindered settling zone intermediate, an upper clarification zone and a lower compaction zone. A deliquifying member is provided in the vessel extending up between at least two zones for facilitating the upward flow of free liquid from one of the lower zones and the settling of particulates. A rotating rake shaft with pickets are so designed to release the interstitial liquid trapped in a lower zone. The pickets provide pathways for liquid to release generally vertically. The release liquid travels upward to the deliquifying member and on into the clarification zone. The lower zone, freed of the interstitial water, further collapses becoming more concentrated or dense.

Abstract: In a fuel injection apparatus in which a pressure regulator is attached to a vapor separator, in order to make the vapor separator compact, to improve corrosion resistance of the pressure regulator and to maintain a stable pressure regulating operation for a long time period, a vapor separator is constituted by a chamber and a cover, a pressure regulator is arranged within a recess portion of the cover and above a fixed fuel liquid surface, the longitudinal axis of the pressure regulator is arranged in a state of being approximately parallel to the fuel liquid surface, a pressure fuel inflow passage is formed in the cover and is formed so as to be branched from a fuel discharge passage formed in the cover, and a vent hole of a spring chamber is open at a lower position in the gravitational direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cooling fan motor for a condenser having a direct engagement connector.

Abstract: Disclosed is a channel resource management method in a base station using a dynamic function in a mobile communication system, in which a real-time conversion of a traffic channel to an overhead channel using a dynamic function is allowed when a trouble occurs in the overhead channel of a base station of a mobile communication system adopting code division multiple access(CDMA) system like digital cellular system(DCS) or personal communication system (PCS), and normal servicing of terminal can be maintained by a minimum channel resource conversion resulted from an effective management of channel resource.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in carrying out a microbiological assay on samples in a petri plate has a support for holding the petri plate, a camera, and a plurality of diffuse-white-light emitting diodes. The camera optically detects microbe-growth inhibition zones arising about the diffusion disks and is disposed above the support. The diodes are disposed in a circular array above the support and below the camera for illuminating the nutrient medium and the drug diffusion disks. An electrical power and control circuit energizes the diodes with power from the computer upon an activation of the camera.

Abstract: A personal transportation apparatus has a frame defining a surface for supporting a load, and a plurality of air-cushion cells mounted to the frame and depending from a lower side thereof, the air-cushion cells each having a changeable height to accommodate variations in an underlying terrain during a translation of the frame over the terrain. A pressure source is mounted to the frame and is operatively connected to the air-cushion cells for supplying air under pressure to the cells, thereby generating an air-cushion support for the frame. An elevation mechanism is mounted to the frame for lifting the frame from one step to a next higher step of a stairway so that the frame ascends the stairway from a lowermost step to an uppermost step of the stairway.

Abstract: A tension is applied to a film-like printing body to be processed in each of steps such as a printing step, a parts mounting step and the like. Further the processed film-like printing body is automatically fed out by a predetermined stroke. A supply unit (1), a printing unit (2), parts mounting units (3, 4), a heating unit (5) and a take-up unit (6) are sequentially arranged. Tension apparatuses (7, 7) which apply a tension to the film-like printing body during a process and automatically feed out the processed film-like printing body are arranged between the respective units among the supply unit (1), the printing unit (2), the parts mounting units (3, 4) and the heating unit (5).

Abstract: Disclosed is a helmet or a safety cap for protecting the rider's head and a method of manufacturing the same, in which the main body of the helmet has a dual-structure so as to reduce work process when an outer surface of the helmet is painted, and weight thereof. The main body of the helmet has a dual-structure in that an outer surface thereof is formed of a thermoplastic for an aesthetic enhancement and an inner surface thereof is formed of FRP or a mixture of aramide fiber, polyethylene fiber, vinylon, carbon fiber. Thus-formed dual structure of the helmet body contributes to enhancement in impact resistance and convenience in painting, decreasing an overall weight of the helmet.

Abstract: A motor brush dust removing filter for use in a vacuum cleaner in which the vacuum cleaner includes a cylinder-shaped canister, a supporting portion having wheels and attached to a lower portion of the canister, an air outlet formed in a cover so as to discharge air at an upper portion of the cylindrical canister, and a vacuum generating unit for sucking air into the cylindrical canister. The cover has at a center thereof a circular aperture, a circular protrusion or shelf along the aperture, a filter, and a brush dust removing filter having a connection portion. The connection portion of the filter is fastened to a case of a motor brush assembly so that brush dust discharged via an air vent in an upper surface of the brush assembly case is filtered by the filter of the filter unit from air exhausted to the ambient atmosphere.

Abstract: A method and associated apparatus for use in a microbiological assay procedure wherein a plurality of diffusion disks are placed on a nutrient medium on a plate, each of the disks carrying a respective antibiotic agent and each having an identification code identifying the respective antibiotic agent, the disks being positioned on the plate in a preselected relative arrangement. The method comprises optically scanning the disks on the plate, consequently generating a digitally encoded image including digitized representations of the identification codes, and electronically processing the digitally encoded image to determine an angle of rotation of the plate relative to a pre-established reference frame or coordinate system, wherein the electronic processing of the digitally encoded image includes detecting a region of the plate occupied by a unique subset of the disks.

Abstract: An assembly for separating solid phase material from a slurry that comprises a pressurized filtration unit including a vessel and filter media. A slurry is fed to the filtration unit where it is separated into a solid phase material and a liquid phase material. The filtration unit has a solid outlet for discharging the solid phase material to a material transport. The material transport moves the solid phase material to a depressurizing chamber that has a lower pressure than the filtration unit. As the solid phase material enters the depressurizing chamber it is exposed to the lower pressure of that chamber. The material transport maintains the pressure difference between the filtration unit and the chamber. Subsequently, the depressurized solid phase material can be conveyed to other equipment for drying or other processing.

Abstract: The present invention is an improved Pilates chair having a seat top with an underside, a base that is wider than the seat top, a plurality of bracing members between the seat top and the base, a swingable lever having an upper end and a lower end disposed between the seat top and the base, the lower end being hingeably attached from the base, an adjusting block disposed slidably along the lever between the upper and lower ends thereof, means on the adjusting block for locking it in a position along the lever, and one or more elongated helical springs each having two ends, one of the ends being attached from the underside of the seat top, and the other end being attached from the adjusting block, whereby sliding said adjusting block along said lever, and locking it in a position therealong, will result in a greater or lesser extent of stretch being imparted to the at least one helical spring.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a universal joint which includes a slip joint in which a shaft is inserted into an interior of a hollow pipe for thereby implementing a rotation force transferring and slipping operation, a hollow yoke joint installed at both sides of the slip joint and having one side which surrounds the pipe and shaft, and an elastic means inserted between the pipe and shaft and both ends of the slip joint and the yoke joint for generating an elastic force in a radial direction.

Abstract: A container for the thermostatic preservation of liquids, to be used particularly for leisure, sport and for infants, including a shell (8), formed by two coupled portions (9, 10), and forming a cavity (11) for accommodating a vessel (12) which contains the liquid. The shell is made of thermally insulating and impact-resistant material. The invention fully solves the problems of conventional containers, since it achieves a thermostatic preservation of liquids whose duration can be compared to that of thermos flasks and at the same time protects the vessel against any external aggressive agents, such as dust, insects and so forth.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sonication device includes a velocity transformer or probe which, when coupled to a vibrating transducer of the piezoelectric or magnetostrictive type, resonates in sympathy with the transducer and either increases or decreases the magnitude of the transducer's vibration. A shallow cup assembly is attached to the distal end of the probe. The cup assembly holds a microtiter tray in a suitable orientation and contains an amount of liquid which provides efficient acoustic coupling between a transverse end face of the probe and the microtiter tray.

Abstract: A storage system particularly for storing biological materials such as blood, stem cells, and DNA includes a storage unit having at least three vertical sides, at least two of the three vertical sides each being provided with a plurality of individually accessible storage receptacles. A plurality of boxes or cassettes are removably disposed in respective ones of the storage receptacles. At least one robot mechanism is movable along a track section or path extending to the two vertical sides of the unit, the robot mechanism having a robotic arm for accessing the storage receptacles. A computer is operatively connected to the robot mechanism for controlling movement and access operations thereof and for registering the contents of the storage receptacles. Where the storage unit is disposed in a room, additional storage receptacles may be disposed in a rectangular array inside a wall of the room.

Abstract: A container for the collection and disposal of emesis comprises a rigid frame and a flexible bag. The frame and the bag are typically stored as separate parts prior to use and assembled just prior to or in anticipation of a use. Subsequent to use the bag is dissembled from the frame and sealed and disposed of, with the frame optionally reused or disposed of. Optionally the frame and bag are disposed of as a unit without subsequent disassembly. Frames, bags, and other ancillary parts of the unit are inexpensively manufactured of molded polymers or plastics, and are inexpensive enough for single use as warranted.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a power shift device of a transmission for a vehicle which includes a connection link installed between a transmission lever and a power shift for transferring a select and shift operations of the transmission lever to the transmission through the power shift in such a manner that the connection link is rotated in the radius direction when the select operation of the transmission lever is performed, and is forwardly and backwardly moved in the axial direction when the shift operation of the transmission lever is performed.