Abstract: A pneumatic rubber tire with a sidewall having an outer visible layer of a rubber composition of a relatively high electrical conductivity, wherein the tire sidewall contains an internal rubber strip of relatively high electrical conductivity. Said internal rubber strip extends radially outward from a rubber chafer component of the tire to a tread base layer component of a rubber tire tread of a cap/base configuration, wherein said chafer and tread base rubber compositions are of a relatively high electrical conductivity. The rubber strip thereby provides a path of increased electrical conductivity relative to said outer visible layer of the tire sidewall extending from the tire chafer to the tread base layer tire components.

Abstract: A structural support.

Abstract: A reflector assembly includes a reflector in which a reflector opening is defined therein. The reflector assembly has a datum structure having a plurality of a datum surfaces coupled to the reflector opening. The datum structure is configured to align a lamp with respect to a focal point of the reflector.

Abstract: A method for operating a gas turbine engine facilitates reducing an amount of emissions from a combustor. The combustor includes a mixer assembly including a pilot mixer, a main mixer, and a centerbody that extends therebetween. The pilot mixer includes a pilot fuel nozzle and a plurality of axial swirlers. The main mixer includes a main swirler and a plurality of fuel injection ports. The method comprises injecting fuel into the combustor through the pilot mixer, such that the fuel is discharged downstream from the pilot mixer axial swirlers, and directing flow exiting the pilot mixer with a lip extending from the centerbody into a pilot flame zone downstream from said pilot mixer.

Abstract: A turbine airfoil includes opposite pressure and suction sides joined together at leading and trailing edges. An outwardly convex nose bridge bridges the pressure and suction sides behind the leading edge, and is integrally joined to a complementary thermally insulating shield spaced therefrom to define a bridge channel. The shield includes the leading edge and wraps laterally aft around the nose bridge along both the pressure and suction sides.

Abstract: Small size insert and insert-blank apparatus for machine tools for grooving and turning have a body with generally parallel and opposing sides, and top and bottom surfaces which have at least a portion thereof inclined from adjacent a first end to the opposite end, and two heads extending from opposite ends of the body, each head having a rear end with which the body forms portions adapted to serve as stops to prevent rearward movement with respect to the machine tool when use. The body of the apparatus is adapted to be mounted in a toolholder having a nest or pocket having an inclined bottom wall which cooperates with the inclined portion of the bottom surface of the apparatus, and a clamp secured to the toolholder having a finger portion cooperative with the inclined portion of the top surface of the apparatus to resist forces on the apparatus during turning.

Abstract: A low residue antiperspirant and/or deodorant composition in the form of an anhydrous, surfactant-free and antiseptic alcohol-free suspension exhibiting a syneresis of less than 8% which is made by combining selected amounts of: (a) a cyclomethicone (and) dimethicone crosspolymer made with an ?Si—H containing polysiloxane and an alpha, omega-diene of formula CH2?CH(CH2)xCH?CH2 which crosspolymer has a viscosity in the range of 50,000–3,000,000 centipoise, preferably with a nonvolatiles content of 10–14% in cyclomethicone; (b) polyethylene beads having a density in the range of 0.91–0.98 grams/cm3 and a particle size in the range of 5–40 microns; (c) a volatile silicone; (d) an emollient (or a mixture of two or more emollients) which may include a non-volatile silicone and an additional amount of a volatile silicone; and (e) an effective amount of an antiperspirant active material in an amount sufficient to have an antiperspirant and/or a deodorant effect.

Abstract: A power converter for converting an input power into a desired output power adapted to a power-receiving device. The power converter includes a polarity reversal protection circuit preferably constructed with a schottky diode that is used to ensure the correct connection polarity of an input power, an inrush current protection circuit for limiting an inrush current from increasing, and a relay circuit coupled in parallel across the polarity reversal protection circuit and the polarity reversal protection circuit, the relay circuit being actuated to turn off in response to a polarity control signal for bypassing the inrush current so as to inhibiting the inrush current from flowing through the polarity reversal protection circuit.

Abstract: A vehicle seat recliner in which a lock-up gear and a sector gear are used to adjust the tilt of the back of the seat. The sector gear adjusting the tilt of the back of the seat is fixed at a main bracket installed on one side of the car seat and comprises an adjustment lever rotating around a first rotation axis and connected to the connection lever rotating around a second rotation axis. A cam is interlocked with the adjustment lever and is installed on the first rotation axis. The motion of the lock-up gear is guided so that the lock-up gear and the sector gear are locked and released completely all at once.

Abstract: In an optical scanning device and image forming apparatus according to the present invention, a light source emits a light beam, and a scanning optical unit deflects the light beam from the light source and focuses the deflected light beam to form a light spot on a scanned surface, the scanned surface being scanned by the light beam from the scanning optical unit. A temperature detection unit detects a temperature of the scanning optical unit and its neighboring locations. A temperature compensation unit adjusts a focal-point position of the light beam on the scanned surface in accordance with a change in the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit, the temperature compensation unit adjusting the focal-point position of the light beam by directly varying a focusing effect of a corrector lens on the light beam from the light source by a controlled amount of movement of the corrector lens along its optical axis that corresponds to the temperature change.

Abstract: A bottom supported solar receiver tube/header assembly having a bottom clip for supporting the entire load of a plurality of tubes carrying a heat absorbing fluid. The tubes are allowed to expand vertically upwardly under thermal flux conditions created when the fluid absorbs heat from the solar receiver panel. A receiver panel assembly incorporating a plurality of the bottom supported receiver tubes requires less piping than a comparably sized, conventional receiver panel assembly with top supported tubes and even better facilitates access and maintenance of valves associated with the receiver panel assembly. The invention further allows a solar receiver panel assembly to be constructed with significantly fewer drain and vent valves than previously developed, top supported receiver panel assemblies.

Abstract: The method includes receiving parameters input by a user and calculating crack behavior estimations based on the received parameters by using a plurality of accessible crack behavior models. The crack behavior estimations calculated from each of the models are displayed to the user in order to illustrate how the different models compare in calculating a desired crack behavior profile. The displayed crack behavior estimations utilize a compilation of both historical crack growth rate data, as well as predicted crack growth rate data, and may be displayed as an estimated crack growth rate versus time, or as estimated crack growth over time. These parameters are displayed graphically for each crack behavior model in order to enable the user to make a comparison for each crack growth model.

Abstract: A process for producing hydrocarbons comprises providing a multi-tubular reactor having at least 100 tubes units containing a catalyst, each tube being between 2 and 5 meters tall and in thermal contact with a cooling fluid; feeding hydrogen and carbon monoxide to each tube at a linear gas superficial velocity less than about 60 cm/s; and converting the gas feedstream to hydrocarbons on the catalyst, wherein the yield of hydrocarbons in each tube is greater than 100 (kg hydrocarbons)/hr/(m3 reaction zone). Each tube may have an internal diameter greater than 2 centimeters. The catalyst may be active for Fischer Tropsch synthesis and may comprise cobalt or iron. The maximum difference in the radially-averaged temperature between two points that are axially spaced along the reactor is less than 15° C., preferably less than 10° C. The catalyst loading or intrinsic activity may vary along the length of the reactor.

Abstract: A turbocharger comprises a compressor wheel (7) assembled to one end of a turbocharger shaft (8). A nut (17) is threaded on to the end of the shaft (8) to clamp the wheel (7) on the shaft to prevent both axial movement of the wheel (7) along the shaft (8) and rotational slippage. The torque capacity of the coupling between the compressor wheel (7) and nut (17) is increased by treating contacting surfaces of the coupling to increase their co-efficient of friction.

Abstract: A reel wire type of welding device for spot welding includes a first guiding portion rotatably mounted in a front end of the welding device such that the wire is supported and guided in a working area in which the wire contacts a target object. At least one second guiding portion is mounted in a rear of the roller such that the wire is supportedly guided in a zigzag manner as the wire is pressed in both upward and downward directions.