Abstract: An apparatus for testing soils by measuring the rate of moisture loss from soil or sediment samples is disclosed, comprising a test chamber, a fan, a heater-thermostat, a chilled water humidity control device, an automatic balance scale connected to a continuous chart recorder, a shield around the balance pan, and a magnetic damper for the balance pan. The heater-thermostat maintains a constant temperature within the chamber, while the chilled water humidity control device maintains a constant relative humidity. The fan circulates air in the chamber, and the magnetic damper and shield around the balance pan allows the soil sample to be weighed without air currents causing the balance pan to vibrate. The balance scale continually weighs the sample, with the weight being recorded on the chart recorder, thus providing a record of the rate of moisture loss. A bell jar allows the testing to be done under vacuum conditions.The method of this invention comprises the steps of:1.

Abstract: A moldboard plow implement includes an elongated tool bar and several moldboard plow units, each plow unit including a plow bottom and a plow bottom support frame connected to the tool bar for pivotal movement about a pivot axis situated in vertical alignment with the point of the respective plow bottom. The plow units are pivotally moved in unison in response to the plowing speed to maintain the specific plow resistance constant for all tractor speeds.

Abstract: A low pollution internal combustion engine is disclosed in which a predetermined portion of a stratified charge is initially pre-formed in the part of the manifold which supplies the predetermined charge portion to the cylinder, said predetermined charge portion being composed of fuel-air mixture diluted by exhaust gas and pre-formed when the intake valve for the cylinder is in the closed condition, and subsequently being introduced together with the remaining portion of the stratified charge, when the intake valve is opened during the intake stroke of the engine.

Abstract: Blue cheese flavored products are produced by forming a mixture of whey, food fat, salt and water, homogenizing and pasteurizing the mixture, adding lipase and Penicillium roqueforti spores to the mixture and fermenting. Alternatively, a mixture of food fat, salt and water is pasteurized and fermented with lipase and Penicillium roqueforti spores, and the resultant fermented mixture is mixed with a retentate produced by ultrafiltration of a milk product. The blue cheese flavored products have an extremely high quotient of flavor which can be blended with other foods to impart a blue cheese flavor.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for reducing the nitrogen oxide component from the oxygen-poor combustion products of a hydrocarbon fuel combustion device, which product would ordinarily contain an undesirable excess quantity of oxides of nitrogen. The method and apparatus include the means for associating gaseous hydrocarbon compounds in said products of combustion at a sufficiently high temperature in a related selected contained volume such that a degree of acceleration of the reduction of oxides of nitrogen is obtained so that the NO is reduced to an acceptable level within a selected reaction time related to said volume which reaction time, volume and temperature are reasonably associated with or present within said combustion device.

Abstract: An improved high capacity harvesting apparatus is disclosed which includes means for rotating an article collecting bin about its central vertical axis as articles are continuously supplied adjacent the central bottom portion of the bin, and for automatically incrementally lowering the bin relative to the article supply means in accordance with the formation of successive layers of articles in the bottom of the bin. Preferably grabber discharge means of the parallel spaced reciprocatory jaw type are provided for gently supplying the articles to the bin. Improved padded roller elevator means are provided for supplying the articles to the grabber discharge means at a relatively high rate from one or more article sources.

Abstract: A solar heat collector built about a new collector matrix formed from flexible sheet material, such as metallic foil. The matrix presented by the foil is folded into an accordion shape to form a series of linear channels to trap solar energy. The absorbed energy is transferred to air flowing through the channels. Proper support for the expended collector matrix is provided by taut lines stretched across a supporting frame and engaged with the folded flexible sheet. Inner and outer circulation channels are provided to permit air circulation by natural heating currents. The folded sheet and lines are constructed in kit form for expansion and support at the location of use. Transverse spacers might be included between pleats.

Abstract: In the process of the invention an isotopic starting material comprising at least two isotopic forms of CF.sub.3 I and particularly a mixture of carbon-12 and carbon-13 isotopic species of CF.sub.3 I is selectively isotopically enriched by means of a laser-induced photochemical dissociation followed by chemical combination to form a compound, such as an ethylenically unsaturated compound other than CF.sub.3 I. The chemical combination takes the form of recombination of dissociation fragments or the combination of the CF.sub.3 radical with a scavenger compound. The separation is carried out by irradiating a gaseous mixture of the starting materials at a reduced pressure with laser radiation, until a significant enrichment in isotopic CF.sub.3 I is achieved. The wavelength of the radiation is selected so as to selectively excite one of the CF.sub.3 I isotopes, thereby causing the excited species to dissociate and form at least one chemical species other than CF.sub.3 I.

Abstract: Compounds containing the butenolide ring have a wide variety of chemical uses. The invention is an improved method of synthesizing .beta.-halobutenolides which are valuable intermediates in preparing a variety of butenolide ring containing compounds. The method comprises reacting an acetylenic alcohol with a mercuric halide to provide a vinylmercuric halide and carbonylating the vinylmercuric halide in the presence of a basic inorganic salt to provide a .beta.-halobutenolide.

Abstract: A process for the production of alcohols and esters comprises hydroxylating a saturated hydrocarbon at between about 20.degree. and about 130.degree. C. with an oxygenated amine. The amine may be a hydroxylated secondary amine or an oxide of a tertiary amine. The reaction medium includes a Lewis acid and a salt of divalent or trivalent iron.

Abstract: The anechoic audio response of a speaker is measured over a frequency range; and the composite anechoic audio response is separated into three distinct characteristic curves, namely (1) the mechanical response characteristic of the speaker, (2) the cone-air energy transfer characteristic, and (3) the cone break-up characteristic. Compensation is made for each of these phenomena by means of separate networks having frequency characteristic curves which are complementary to, and thereby compensate for, the frequency characteristic associated with the phenomena. The networks independently process the signal to achieve a substantially uniform audio output over the desired frequency range. Compensation may also be made in a similar fashion for the acoustics of the room in which the speaker is used. Frequency compensation of a microphone is made for the same phenomena by means of similar compensation networks to achieve a substantially uniform microphone voltage over the desired frequency range.

Abstract: A low pollution internal combustion engine is disclosed in which a first portion of a stratified charge is initially pre-formed in the part of the manifold which supplies the first charge portion to the cylinder, said first charge portion being pre-formed when the intake valve for the cylinder is in the closed condition, and subsequently being introduced, together with the remaining portion of the stratified charge, when the intake valve is opened during the intake stroke of the engine.

Abstract: An anti-pollution piston construction is disclosed containing at least one storage chamber having inlet orifices contained in the periphery of the cylindrical side wall of the piston adjacent the imperforate piston end wall, said storage chamber being adapted to receive unburnt hydrocarbons during the compression stroke of the engine. During the expansion stroke following ignition, the unburnt hydrocarbons are returned to the cylinder chamber for mixing with the combustion gases to reduce the oxides of nitrogen having an excess concentration relative to an equilibrium value which is a function of the temperature, pressure and composition parameters of the combustion gases. The unburnt hydrocarbons in the storage chamber are returned in a manner that displaces unburnt hydrocarbons from the relatively cold wall of the cylinder which further aids the reduction of the oxides of nitrogen.

Abstract: Vinyl- and arylmercuric halide salts undergo reaction with rhodium (I) and (III) catalysts, preferably in the presence of lithium chloride to provide essentially quantitative yields of the corresponding 1,3 dienes and biaryls respectively. Importantly, the reaction is stereospecific and is especially valuable for synthesis of symmetrical functionally substituted dienes, biaryls and polyenes.

Abstract: An anti-pollution head construction for internal combustion engines is disclosed in which a storage chamber is formed in the head adjacent the spark plug opening, said storage chamber being in constant communication with the cylinder chamber by passages contained in the head. The storage chamber receives unburnt hydrocarbons during the compression stroke of the engine and returns the unburnt hydrocarbons to the cylinder chamber during the subsequent expansion stroke following combustion. The hydrocarbons mix with the oxides of nitrogen at a temperature of at least 2200.degree. Rankine, thereby reducing the oxides of nitrogen to the equilibrium value. Preferably the storage chamber is annular and is arranged concentrically about the spark plug opening.

Abstract: Calcium sulfate is decomposed to CaO and SO.sub.2 by high temperature treatment in a fluidized bed wherein reductive and oxidative conditions are simultaneously maintained. A highly reducing gas is formed in the lower portion of the bed from partial combustion of the fuel in admixture with the primary fluidizing air. The quantity of the primary fluidizing air is limited so that the reducing conditions in the lower zone converts the CaSO.sub.4 to a mixture of CaO and CaS. Secondary air is introduced at a higher level in the bed to create an oxidizing zone in the upper portion of the bed above the reducing zone capable of converting CaS to CaO. The concurrent use of such reducing and oxidizing zones permits reducing conditions to be maintained which favor a high rate of decomposition even though these conditions favor the formation of CaS as well as CaO.

Abstract: This autobalance hybrid circuit is used to connect a 2-wire duplex telephone line to a 4-wire line which has separate receive and transmit pairs. The impedance of a balancing network automatically is adjusted to equal the impedance of the 2-wire line, thereby maximizing echo return loss. "Howling" and "singing" are eliminated, regardless of changes in the 2-wire line impedance. Balancing is achieved by comparing the absolute values of the receive line audio voltage components appearing across two coupling transformers, one associated with the 2-wire line and the other with the balancing network. A control signal, indicative of the difference between these components, alters the balancing network impedance until equal voltages are achieved. In this condition, the receive signal cancels out as a common mode in the output circuit, so that none of the receive line audio is returned to the transmit pair.