Abstract: An energy emitting system includes a housing with a controller, scanner and non-interruptible interface, having a bandwidth of at least 20 KHz and a latency of not more than 5 milliseconds, disposed therein. An interface port receives input at the housing. The controller issues command control signals, including trajectory control signals, corresponding to the received input. The non-interruptible interface interconnects the controller and the scanner, and communicates the issued trajectory control signals from the controller to the scanner. The scanner directs a continuous movement of energy simultaneously in two directions, in accordance with the communicated trajectory control signals.

Abstract: A diaphragm operated water pressure regulator switchable between an operating mode and a flushing mode by changing the relative positions of the water inlet port and the valve in the regulator. By moving the port to a position in which the valve cannot close the inlet port, water at full line pressure enters the watering system to flush the system. A mounting bracket is also disclosed which independently suspends the regulator and a support pipe from a cable in the poultry house such that the regulator can be removed from the watering system without affecting the support pipe.

Abstract: A carbon fiber has a coaxial stacking morphology of truncated conical tubular graphene layers, wherein each of the graphene layers includes a hexagonal carbon layer and has a large ring end at one end and a small ring end at the other end in the axial direction. When the carbon fiber is subjected to a heat treatment in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, the large ring ends of each two of the hexagonal carbon layers are linked by layer link sections in at least one of groups of the hexagonal carbon layers arranged in an axial direction, and an outer surface is closed to have a multi-semiring structure in cross section. When the carbon fiber is then subjected to a heat treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere, the layer link sections are released, whereby the edges of the hexagonal carbon layers are exposed at the large ring ends in a regularly arranged manner.

Abstract: A carbon fiber has a coaxial stacking morphology of truncated conical tubular graphene layers, wherein each of the truncated conical tubular graphene layers includes a hexagonal carbon layer and has a large ring end at one end and a small ring end at the other end in an axial direction. The hexagonal carbon layers are exposed on at least a part of the large ring ends. Part of carbon atoms of the hexagonal carbon layers are replaced with boron atoms, whereby projections with the boron atoms at the top are formed. An electrode material for a secondary battery using the carbon fiber excels in lifetime performance, has a large electric energy density, enables an increase in capacity, and excels in conductivity and electrode reinforcement.

Abstract: A carbon fiber in which hexagonal carbon layers in the shape of a bottomless cup are stacked. At least part of edges of the hexagonal carbon layers are exposed on an outer surface and an inner surface of the carbon fiber. The exposed large ring end has an armchair edge, a zigzag edge, and a chiral edge on the circumference. This carbon fiber has a high degree of activity on the exposed edges of the hexagonal carbon layers and the surfaces of the carbon fiber. Therefore, the carbon fiber can be used as various types of filters and the like.

Abstract: A carbon fiber having catalytic metal supported thereon according to the present invention is a carbon fiber in which a number of hexagonal carbon layers in the shape of a cup having no bottom are stacked. At least part of edges of the hexagonal carbon layers is exposed at an outer surface or inner surface of the carbon fiber. Catalytic metal is supported on the exposed edges of the hexagonal carbon layers. The edges of the hexagonal carbon layers are further exposed by removing a deposited layer formed on the outer surface or inner surface of the carbon fiber. The exposed edges of the hexagonal carbon layers have an extremely high activity and are suitable as a support for catalytic metal.

Abstract: A waveguide device in the form of either a solid-state laser or amplifier is divided into separate pumping and output mode control sections along at least one direction of the device by leaving a portion of a core of the device unclad or by depositing appropriate coatings on different sections of the core or by contacting/bonding materials with different refractive indices to different sections of the core or by a combination of these approaches. The core has a pump input surface for receiving pumping radiation at a pumping wavelength and one or more output surfaces for emitting a laser beam at an output wavelength. When used as an amplifier, the core also has a laser input surface which may be the same as one of the output surfaces.

Abstract: A wall panel system of the present invention includes a plurality of inter-connecting tongue-and-groove panels which are framed by top, bottom, and side channel members to form walls which may be easily erected and taken down. The bottom channel member has a back leg, a front leg, and a bottom surface extending between the back and front legs. The top channel member can either be an integral, one-piece assembly or a two-piece assembly. In the one piece assembly, the top channel member is substantially similar to the bottom channel member. The two piece top channel member includes a fixed member and a locking leg mountable to the fixed member. The fixed member includes a back leg, an upper surface, and a rearwardly facing groove in the upper surface. The locking leg includes a finger which is received in the groove. The locking leg can have either a single panel or have or a pair of spaced apart arms.

Abstract: A method and of determining scanner coordinates to accurately position a focused laser beam. The focused laser beam is scanned over a region of interest (e.g. an aperture) on a work-surface by a laser scanner. The position of the focused laser beam is detected by a photodetector either at predetermined intervals of time or space or as the focused laser beam appears through an aperture in the work surface. The detected position of the focused laser beam is used to generate scanner position versus beam position data based on the position of the laser scanner at the time the focused laser beam is detected. The scanner position versus beam position data can be used to determine the center of the aperture or the scanner position coordinates that correspond with a desired position of the focused laser beam.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically generating reference height data for use in a 3D inspection system are provided wherein local reference areas on an object are initially determined and then the height of these local reference areas are determined to generate the reference height data. When the object is a printed circuit board, the local reference areas are located relative to predetermined interconnect sites where solder paste is to be deposited or components placed and from which the relative height of the solder paste or components is to be determined using the reference height data during the subsequent inspection process.

Abstract: In an optical-radiation patterning apparatus, a scan mirror (29) so deflects laser light from a source (32) as to draw a pattern on a substrate (26). A focusing system (42) forms a light spot on the substrate that is significantly narrower than the line to be drawn, and it thereby minimizes the sensitivity of the line-edge position to variations in light-spot size. To achieve the intended line width, an acousto-optical device (32) introduces dither in the direction orthogonal to the light-spot motion that the scan mirror (30) causes. The focusing system (42) shapes the spot so that it is wider in the scan direction than it is in the dither direction, and this permits a relatively high scan rate for a given dither frequency.

Abstract: An electrode material for a secondary battery has a carbon fiber. This carbon fiber has a coaxial stacking morphology of truncated conical tubular graphene layers, wherein each of the truncated conical tubular graphene layers includes a hexagonal carbon layer, and has a large ring end at one end and a small ring end at the other end in an axial direction. The hexagonal carbon layers are exposed on at least a part of the large ring ends. Such an electrode material for a secondary battery excels in lifetime performance, has a large electric energy density, enables an increase in capacity, and excels in conductivity and electrode reinforcement.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for directing an optical beam by a movable optical element and especially in a free space optical switch. The control element (5) comprises a movable member (10) including an optical element such as a mirror (30) fixedly attached thereto and supported for movement by a fixed member (40). A magnetic element (50) is fixedly attached to the movable member (10) and a magnetically permeable stator element (70) is provided fixedly attached to the fixed member (40). The stator element (70) and the magnetic element (50) mutually generate a magnetic traction force between them for substantially holding the movable member (10) in a stationary position during periods when it is not moving. The stator element (70) is provided with current coils (60) wound around portions thereof and connected with a current driver (400) for providing a controlled current in the stator coils. The current in the coils is provided to induce an electromagnetic force in the stator element (70).

Abstract: A position sensor comprises a capacitive transducer and an inductor connected in series with the transducer. The transducer is a differential capacitor whose total admittance is essentially independent of changes in the sensed position. The total capacitance and inductance resonate at the fundamental frequency of a generator that provides a drive voltage and the resulting voltage across the sensor is thus substantially greater than the drive voltage. This increases the current through the transducer, and consequently increases the sensitivity of the sensor.

Abstract: A poultry feeder which includes a mechanism for automatically adjusting the size of the opening from the feeder's drop tube to the feeder pan so as to permit the feed pan to be flooded with feed as young chicks are introduced into a poultry house and then, as the chicks grow, to automatically reduce the amount of feed introduced into the pan. The feeder includes a feed level controller movable relative to the feeder's drop tube to be moveable axially relative to the drop tube and feeder pan. The drop tube includes a plurality of support members (fins) pivotally mounted to the drop tube body and which extend from the body outlet.

Abstract: A device and a method for converting flow of charge into a frequency signal is proposed. The device comprises: two parallel circuit branches (Z; Z′) which are arranged to receive flow of charge alternately and each of which has a series arrangement of a switching element (40; 40′), an integrator (10; 10′) and a comparator (30; 30′), wherein the switching elements (40; 40′) serve to supply the flow of charge to one of the two circuit branches (Z; Z′) and in the receiving circuit branch (Z; Z′) the integrator (10; 10′) serves to integrate the flow of charge and is configured to be resettable and the comparator (30; 30′) is configured to emit a signal when the integrated flow of charge corresponds to a specific threshold value signal.

Abstract: A material machining system for machining a workpiece (PCB, PWB etc.) for drilling blind vias. The system includes a laser supply system (20, 26, 30) for supplying discrete machining beams (22a, 22b) that are separate from each other. A deflecting devices (28, 32) is provided for deflecting each of the discrete machining beams to generate multiple independent beams at a plurality of positions within a field of operation on the workpiece. A scan lens (34) having an entrance pupil configured to receive the multiple independent beams from the deflecting devices is provided proximate to the entrance pupil of the scan lens. A computer is used for controlling the deflecting devices to change the respective positions of the multiple independent beams in at least one co-ordinate direction within the field of operation. The deflecting devices include galvo/mirror pairs at the entrance pupil of the scan lens. This is accomplished since the scan lens has a relatively large entrance pupil and the mirror parts are small.

Abstract: An electrode material for an electric double layer capacitor having a carbon fiber as an essential material. The carbon fiber has a coaxial stacking morphology of truncated conical tubular graphene layers, and each of the truncated conical tubular graphene layers includes a hexagonal carbon layer. Edges of the hexagonal carbon layer are exposed. The exposed edges of the hexagonal carbon layers have a high degree of activity and can be modified with functional groups such as —COOH, —CHO, or —OH. This enables use of the carbon fiber as the electrode material. The specific surface area of the surfaces on which the edges are exposed is extremely large, whereby a large-capacitance electric double layer capacitor can be formed.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling grain flow within a column of a grain dryer is disclosed. The grain dryer includes a metering roll positioned to contact grain advancing out of a discharge opening of the column. The grain dryer further includes a regulator member which is movable between a flow regulating position and a trash escape position. The regulator member contacts either the metering roll, or grain supported by the metering roll when the regulator member is positioned in the flow regulating position. The regulator member is spaced from the metering roll by a distance sufficient to enable a trash object to advance between the regulator member and the metering roll when the regulator is positioned in the trash escape position. A method of controlling grain flow within a column of a grain dryer is also disclosed.

Abstract: A carbon fiber product according to the present invention is a carbon fiber product in which one to several hundreds of hexagonal carbon layers in the shape of a bottomless cup are stacked. Edges of the hexagonal carbon layers are exposed on at least part of an outer surface or inner surface. The exposed part of the edges of the hexagonal carbon layers have a high degree of activity and excel in adhesion to base materials such as resins. Therefore, this carbon fiber product is suitable as a material for composites.