Abstract: A recreational water sled and method for carrying a rider while being towed behind a boat includes a sled member and a downwardly-extending rudder, with a vertical steering pole extending approximately to chest height for a standing rider, and with a three point tow rope system, including a tow rope section attached to the upper extremity of the steering pole.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system comprising a plurality of networks, encapsulated in substantially electrically non-conductive materials and positioned interior to the outer surface of an encasement region. According to the invention, at least one outer surface of at least one of the encapsulated networks is complementary to, adjacent to, and in physical contact with at least one outer surface of at least one other of the encapsulated networks. Also disclosed is a method for constructing the system. In a preferred embodiment, the system is a toroidally shaped power supply whose modular structure facilitates ease of testing and assembly, affords considerable space savings, substantially reduces manufacturing waste costs, and eliminates a proven source of circuit failure.

Abstract: The extensible support pole unit having a simple structure including a plurality of shaped members, e.g., cylindrical bodies, band-like plates having, e.g., an arched cross-sectional shape, a band-like plate feed mechanism, and a driving device. The support pole is extended to stand or retracted by only paying out or winding up the band-like plates. The support pole can therefore be extended to a length freely selected, and it is possible to freely set a large extension ratio by selecting the length of each cylindrical body and the number of cylindrical bodies. The band-like plates have, for example, an arched cross-sectional shape and have properties such as to be strong against the vertical load as compared with flat plates. The band-like plates are retained in the guide slits or guide holes formed in the partition members disposed in the cylindrical bodies to further improving the above properties.

Abstract: A sausage link handling and packaging machine which comprises a feed conveyor for receiving individual sausage links from a link forming machine and for transferring them onto a main conveyor. These sausage links are transferred in a guided manner whereby to orient them on a predetermined ejecting path. When the sausage links arrive at the receiving end of the main conveyor, they are oriented in a side-by-side transverse alignment relationship. A transfer device is provided at a transfer station along the main conveyor to transfer a predetermined number of the transversely aligned sausage links off the conveyor and onto a package support element. The package support element with the predetermined number of sausage links thereon are then conveyed downstream of the transfer station for further handling.

Abstract: A toothbrush formed of a handle, a neck and a bristle head. In order to allow the bristle head to move out of the way in the event of excessive brushing pressure being applied during toothbrushing, an elastic segment is provided between the handle and the bristle head. Injury to the gums, damage to the teeth and possibly to the tooth-holding means can be averted by the elastic flexure of the bristle head. The elastic segment is formed by one or more clearances, slots or slits at least partially filled with elastic polymeric/copolymeric plastic material.

Abstract: A power-operated lift and presenting mechanism is disclosed which lifts an article stored on a platform member in a vehicle trunk to an upwardly lifted position. A start assist member is included to assist in the initial movement of the platform member from a lowered stored position to the upwardly lifted position. The platform member is forced upwardly at two locations when it initially begins to move. The motor has a short period of time to warm up before it begins lifting the platform member. The lift and presenting mechanism is incorporated into controls for vehicle, such that when a trunk opening switch within the vehicle cab is actuated, the lift and presenting mechanism is automatically actuated to drive the platform member to an upwardly lifted position. A switch is placed in an easily accessible position within the vehicle trunk and includes a kill switch to disconnect the automatic actuation.

Abstract: A method and on board apparatus to recycle gasoline vapor emissions from the head space of a motor vehicle gasoline tank during refueling and operation of the vehicle. The apparatus comprises a canister to collect and store gasoline vapor from the head space and a vapor fan and sparger combination to retrieve vapor driven from the canister during a heating cycle and to dissolve the vapor in the liquid gasoline in the tank. The canister includes an adsorbent to separate the vapor from air and a vent valve to release air from the canister. Inside the canister is a ceramic heater, a temperature sensor and an adsorbed vapor sensor. A water drain permits condensed moisture to be released from the canister. The sparger comprises a microscopically porous body having a plurality of relatively large blind passages therein, the sparger body being entirely immersed in the liquid gasoline.

Abstract: A method for producing amorphous aluminocarbonate compounds which comprises continuously recirculating a first aqueous solution from a reaction vessel through a recycle system and injecting a gas comprising carbon dioxide into the first solution at a turbulent area located in the recycle system. A second aqueous solution is added to the first solution while the gas injection is continued, and the pH of the resulting mixture is maintained in the approximate range of from 8 to 10. The gas injection is discontinued when the entire amount of the second solution has been added to the first solution, in order to allow further precipitation of the amorphous compound. The method is particularly adapted for producing amorphous sodium aluminocarbonate and sodium magnesium aluminocarbonate.

Abstract: An elastic coupling in disk construction consists of a coupling half (2) forming a tight inner space (11) which can be filled with damping medium, and a further coupling half (1) comprising an intermediate disk (6) and a hub (3). In addition, there is provided a further coupling element (12) which is connected to both coupling halves (1, 2) by tangentially arranged springs (24, 25, 26) spaced around the circumference. The arrangement is such that, at first, weak first springs (24) for low torque come into play, which first springs are followed by stronger second springs (25) up to the rated torque of the effective range. For still higher torques, the effective range of strong third springs (26) follows. At the circumference of the intermediate disk (6) and of the further coupling element (12) there are radial surfaces (13, 14), which, with corresponding surfaces (15) at the circumference of the interior space, form displacement chambers (16) and bring about a stepwise damping in dependence on the twist angle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for restoring at least one data signal with the aid of a clock signal. In the method at least two signal delays are arranged with time delays adjustable in steps such that their time steps are given substantially the same responsiveness to at least one ambience factor, e.g. temperature. The first signal is delayed with the aid of a first signal delay. A first restored data signal is created by sensing the delayed first signal at given times determined by the clock signal. The results of sensing at different times are compared and the delay of the first signal delay is varied stepwise by varying the number of time steps in response to the comparison. A second signal delay is used for relating a plurality of time steps to the clock signal period time.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing binding wire from a bale. The bale containing a plurality of peripheral baling wires is supported on a conveyor and a cutting knife moves vertically along the bale to cut the wires. A pair of gripping knives are located on the opposite side of the bale from the cutting knife and the gripping knives more respectively from the upper and lower ends of the bale toward the vertical midpoint of the bale to gather the cut wires together. The gathered cut wires are engaged by a rotatable winding mechanism which acts to wind the cut wires and remove the wound wires to a discharge site.

Abstract: There is disclosed a protease having the following enzymatic properties in view of:(a) function and substrate specificity,(b) optimum pH,(f) activation, and(g) inhibition;(a) the protease can hydrolyze, in particular, a peptide bond on the C-terminal side of Y of a peptide X--Y--, in which X is Arg, Lys or Pro optionally having a peptide bond on the N-terminal side, Y is Arg and -- indicates a peptide bond;(b) the protease has an optimum pH of about 7.0 in Tris hydrochloride buffer;(f) the protease is activated with calcium chloride or a surfactant; and(g) the protease is inhibited with p-amidinophenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride, p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, a metal chelater, tetraacetic acid or a heavy metal.

Abstract: The invention relates to an alternating current motor comprising a rotor having an exciter part arranged therein and a stator having two fixed armature coils wherein each of the coils is surrounded on three sides by U-shaped soft iron elements forming the stator poles and air gap. The free ends of the soft iron elements are shifted by one pole division against one another. A series of soft iron blocks form the exciter poles with the polarity of the poles alternating along the direction of rotation. Between the soft iron blocks of the rotor exciter part are arranged permanent magnets magnetized with alternating polarity wherein the face surface of the permanent magnets lying opposite the soft iron blocks is greater than half the face surface of the exciter poles formed by the soft iron blocks on the air gap.

Abstract: A fume exhaustion safety device is designed for use on a boat having an internal combustion engine mounted within a closed engine compartment. An exhaust vent tube extending from the engine compartment to exhaust gaseous fluid to the exterior of the boat includes a blower fan to move the gases through the vent tube. The safety device includes a shutter or sail pivotally mounted within the vent tube to operate a microswitch when gaseous fluid moves through the vent tube. The microswitch is electrically connected to the ignition switch of the boat, the engine starter and the blower fan so as to prevent the connection of electrical power to the starter when the blower fan switch is on but no gaseous fluid is flowing through the vent tube.

Abstract: A slip form paving machine including a main frame supported by a front driven steering wheel and a pair of rear wheels that straddle the fore-and-aft center line of the main frame. An open top hopper is mounted on the frame and the lower end of the hopper communicates with an open bottom slip form, so that paving material, such as concrete fed into the hopper, will flow downwardly and be discharged from the slip form as the machine moves over the terrain. An outrigger frame is pivoted to the main frame about a horizontal axis and is located laterally of the rear wheels. The outrigger frame carries an outrigger wheel which is located laterally outwardly of the slip form and an inclined scraper blade is mounted forwardly of the outrigger wheel. When using a relatively wide slip form, the outrigger wheel is engaged with the terrain, and the rear wheel closest to the outrigger wheel is raised above the terrain so that the machine is supported on the outrigger wheel and the other of the rear wheels.

Abstract: A method of transmitting data on a communications network having two oppositely directed unidirectional buses (A,B) and a number of access units (4) coupled between buses, the method including the step of establishing a queue which is distributed in the access units and which controls when the access units can transmit data packets on the buses. When an access unit has a data packet (38) queued for transmission on bus A, it sends a REQ bit on bus B. The access units monitor the number of REQ bits passing and empty packets available so as to thereby establish the distributed queue. The access units are able to handle both data packets (38) which are suitable for information from computers and synchronous packets (36) which can be used for voice circuits.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fibreoptic switch for enabling one or more of n number of incoming optofibers to be connected selectively with a respective one of m number of outgoing optofibers. According to the invention, the switch includes a matrix block (1) having light transmitting devices (2) which extend in n number of rows and m number of columns between an input side and an output side. On the input side, the incoming optofibers (3) can be displaced linearly along a respective row of the rows of light transmitting devices (2), and the outgoing optofibers (6) on the output side can be displaced linearly along a respective column of the columns of light transmitting devices (2). A selected incoming optofibre (3) can therewith be displaced along its corresponding row to a desired column of light transmitting devices (2), and an outgoing optofiber (6) in a corresponding column can be displaced to a corresponding row of light transmitting devices (2), so as to mutually connect the selected optofibers.

Abstract: In the shaped junction portion, each end of the seat and back frame is deformed in order to obtain a flattened portion in a central area conveniently stiffened by thickened areas, raised edges, or protruding outer lips providing thereby for a perfect application of the shaped end of the tube onto a face of a flange of the articulation mechanism, these parts being thereafter connected together, junction studs of each flange of the articulation inclination being used for a respective centering of the part.

Abstract: A drying end which comprises a plurality of drying groups. Referring to FIG. 2, each drying group has its own endless support belt (171-175) which travels together with the web alternately over drying cylinders (101-138) and guide rollers. In each drying group, at least some of the drying cylinders lie in a row of cylinders (161-168) which is arranged approximately vertically. Within the first drying group (160/161) the web travels downward through a vertical cylinder row (161), the lower side of the web contacting the cylinders. In the second drying group (162/163), the web first of all travels upward, the upper side of the web contacting the cylinders. At least two drying groups have two vertical cylinder rows (162-167). Referring to these later two groups, the rows of guide rollers in one drying group are arranged outside the corresponding cylinder rows, and in the other drying group the guide rollers are arranged inside the cylinder rows.