Abstract: A propulsion system and method for driving one or more accessories in an outdrive of a boat having an engine coupled to a drive shaft to supply torque thereto are provided. The torque received by the drive shaft is principally used to propel the boat. The propulsion system includes a driven shaft dedicated to drive the one or more accessories, and further includes a gear assembly for passing a portion of the torque received by the drive shaft to the driven shaft so that each of the one or more accessories coupled to the driven shaft receives driving torque therefrom.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for determining and displaying a helical artifact index to a system operator are provided. The HAI is determined by acquiring and processing imaging data of a phantom. The HAI is then displayed to the operator on a console so that the operator may, if necessary, reset the scanning parameters or select a new scanning protocol that will result in a reconstructed image of a subject having reduced artifact presence. By providing a likelihood of artifact presence to the system operator, the present invention eliminates the need for the operator to recall those scanning profiles that are susceptible to high artifact presence.

Abstract: A portable and fully integrated welder and compressor combination includes a housing having an engine, electrical current generating alternator, and a belt-driven screw air compressor. The engine is configured to drive the generator directly, and a pulley arrangement is provided on the engine to drive the belt-driven screw air compressor.

Abstract: An air cap for an air-assisted spray nozzle assembly of a spray gun system is disclosed. The air cap has a body formed by a housing having an inner surface which includes a plurality of apertures configured to pass a pressurized medium therethrough. The plurality of apertures includes at least one non-circular bounded discharge orifice through which the pressurized medium passes through providing improved air flow through the air cap.

Abstract: A bar code for a component, wherein the bar code has characteristics of the component encoded therein. The characteristics may have performance indicia for the component, which may be retrieved by a bar code scanner. Accordingly, the bar code may provide ready access to the characteristics for a variety of applications, such as an assembly process.

Abstract: A method and apparatus-are disclosed for achieving suppression of blood pool signal to detect myocardial infarction using MR technology. An RF pulse sequence is applied that includes a notched inversion RF pulse designed to suppress blood pool in and around a region-of-interest. MR data is then acquired within the region-of-interest that not only has signals from normal myocardial tissue suppressed, but also has blood pool signal suppression to improve delineation of infarcted myocardium from the ventricular blood pool and normal myocardium.

Abstract: A vent control system having a closed biased vent valve is used to separate vapor and/or air from a liquid in an enclosed chamber. The closed biased vent valve has a float having an upwardly extending float arm which cooperates with a lever arm of the closed biased vent valve to prevent unintended release of vapor or liquid from the enclosed chamber. The upwardly extending float arm and the lever arm are coupled to one another when the float is located beneath a designated level in the enclosed chamber and are decoupled from one another when the float rises above the designated level. The vent control system is much less susceptible to vibration induced vent opening than a traditional vent valve. The vent control system is well suited for use in a fuel vapor separator that includes a housing having the enclosed chamber formed within it.

Abstract: The present invention provides a detector cell having an x-ray absorption component and a thermal sensing component configured to detect thermal differentials in the absorption component resulting from the absorption of x-rays. The absorption component comprises high density materials that respond thermally to the reception of x-rays or other HF electromagnetic energy. The thermal sensing component detects the changes in temperature of the absorption component and outputs electrical signals indicative of the number and intensity of the x-rays absorbed. An image reconstructor then processes those electrical signals to reconstruct an image of the subject scanned. A method of manufacturing the detector cell is also provided.

Abstract: A non-steerable reverse gate having a structure which reverses the lateral flow component when the steering nozzle is turned. The reverse gate produces high reverse and steering thrusts, while requiring low operating loads. The steering response in reverse is the same as an outboard or inboard/outboard. In effect, the transom thrusts to the side that the steering wheel is turned to. The reverse gate has a pair of flow-reversing passages for providing reverse thrust, a lateral steering passage for producing a lateral thrust when the steering nozzle is turned, and a fixed or pivotable central deflector body. The deflector body has three vertical walls connected to a juncture. One vertical wall is straight and extends forward of the juncture. The other vertical walls are curved and extend rearward and laterally outward from the juncture on opposite sides of a plane of symmetry. Each curved vertical wall has a flow-deflecting surface which is concave and faces a front opening of the reverse gate.

Abstract: A direct fuel injection internal combustion engine configured to reduce engine knock during high speed operation of the engine is provided. The engine comprises a cylinder head including a lower surface portion closing an upper end of a cylinder to define a combustion chamber between a piston upper surface and the cylinder head lower surface portion. The lower surface portion has therein an upwardly extending recess. The recess has a lower end which is complementary with the piston surface and an upper end. The lower end of said recess has an area in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the cylinder and that area comprises a range from more than 20% to about 65% of the cross-sectional area of the cylinder.

Abstract: A welding apparatus having a metal enclosure and a pair of plastic end panels affixed to the enclosure to contain therein the various components of the welding apparatus. A conductive grounding tab is affixed in a receptacle formed in each of the plastic panels and the grounding tab has a friction terminal for easy connection to a standard electrical connector of a grounding wire. The grounding tab has a pair of prongs having angled distal ends that forcefully engage the enclosure when the end panels are assembled to the enclosure to provide a good conductive path to ground from the metal enclosure through that ground wire and ultimately to a ground wire of a supply cable. A second grounding connection between the enclosure and the grounding tab is created by a screw that passes through the enclosure and is threaded into a threaded hole in the grounding tab.

Abstract: A convertible or collapsible tiller arm assembly is provided for an outboard motor. The motor may be of a generally conventional structure, but includes an interface bracket for mounting the tiller arm assembly in place. The tiller arm assembly has a mating bracket which is fixed to the outboard motor for securement of the tiller arm assembly in a deployed position. Threaded fasteners may be employed for rapidly moving the assembly to the deployed position, and for collapse of the assembly. Anti-rotation structures afford transmission of steering torques to the outboard motor when the tiller arm is in the deployed position. In the collapsed position, the overall assembly offers a significantly reduced envelope dimension, facilitating storage and passing of the outboard motor through hatches, openings, and the like.

Abstract: A method and system for welding with a plurality of welding power supplies connected in parallel. The system includes a first power supply and a second power supply. A reference signal indicative of a welding output of the first power supply is provided to a balancing circuit. The balancing circuit converts the reference signal into a command signal usable by the second power supply. A welding output of the second power supply is responsive to the command signal.

Abstract: The present invention includes a distribution manifold for evenly distributing engine oil to the cylinders of an internal combustion engine, as well as, directing oil and purging any air accompanying the oil through the fuel system of an internal combustion engine. The manifold includes a plurality of cylinder oiling outlet housings, each having a number of cylinder oiling valves corresponding to the number of cylinders in an internal combustion engine. The distribution manifold has a centrally-located dome in fluid communication with the cylinder oiling outlet housings. Extending from the apex of the dome is a fuel system outlet housing also having an oiling valve to regulate the flow of oil to the fuel system. A notch extends along the upper interior surface of the centrally-located dome in fluid communication with the fuel system outlet housing.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a CT imaging system utilizing a pre-subject cone-angle dependent filter to optimize dosage applied to the scan subject for data acquisition. The cone angle dependent pre-subject filter is designed to have a shape that is thicker for outer detector rows and thinner for inner detector rows. As a result, x-rays corresponding to the outer detector rows undergo greater filtering than the x-rays corresponding to the inner detector rows.

Abstract: A system and method for optimally imaging the peripheral vasculature is disclosed which includes defining a given number of scan stations along a patient's peripheral vasculature and initially injecting a relatively small amount of contrast agent into the patient to pass a test bolus through the patient's peripheral vasculature, and thereafter tracking the test bolus through the patient and adjusting the patient on a moveable table within the MR imaging device from one scan station to a next station to determine a maximum travel time that the test bolus takes to travel through each of the given number of scan stations. Additional contrast agent is then injected into the patient to pass an exam bolus through the patient's peripheral vasculature, and using the test bolus travel time, MR data can be acquired from each scan station while it is known that the exam bolus is present in that station to optimize image resolution.

Abstract: A propulsion unit for a watercraft including a prop which is adapted for producing thrust when rotated, and an electric motor drivingly coupled to the prop. The electric motor is of the switched reluctance type which includes a stator, formed of a plurality of windings, and a rotor having a plurality of poles about the circumference of the rotor. The stator windings are divided into a plurality of phases which are sequentially energized by electric current. A controller is coupled to the electric motor to determine the order and timing of phase energization. Proper sequencing of the phase energization creates a dynamic magnetic field inducing the rotor to rotate accordingly.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a repair program for multiple versions of computer programs that have a common error by using a pattern search and substitution technique. The invention includes identifying a common error in a main computer program, finding a common code section that contains the common error, and locating a segment of the common code section that is modifiable. The code section is then modified by optimizing the code to perform the same functionality and adding additional code to correct the error. A repair program is then written to search other versions of the main computer program and perform the modification step automatically without having to manipulate the source or machine code manually on the various versions of the software.

Abstract: A snap-in heat sink assembly that has an injection molded one piece frame having a plurality of spring members extending outwardly with protrusions at the free ends thereof. The assembly has a spring located against the frame and an electronic component is located atop of the spring. A heat sink has lateral surfaces with elongated grooves formed along those lateral surfaces. The sink is affixed to the frame by a simple step of inserting the heat sink into the space between the spring members such that the protrusions of the spring members snap into the grooves when the heat sink is in the desired location. By sandwiching the spring between the frame and the electronic component, the spring creates a bias to force the electronic component against the heat sink to assure good conductivity of heat from the electronic component through the heat sink.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a coil assembly capable of producing a flexible FOV for use with an MRI system. The coil assembly includes a gradient coil disposed about an imaging axis and a plurality of higher order gradient coils, or shim coils, positioned about the primary gradient coil such that the plurality of higher gradient order coils have a radius greater than the radius of the primary gradient coil. A change in the FOV is realized by modulating the current in the higher order gradient coils or shim coils.