Abstract: A method and composition of matter for balancing tire and rim assemblies of vehicles is disclosed wherein the composition of matter has rounded balancing elements of different sizes to line the interior of a tire casing and to move over the lining to offset points of imbalance.

Abstract: A plant-growing system includes a covering material filled with a substrate for growing plants. The covering material has a bag form or a tubular form and is made of a water-impermeable resin sheet of woven or nonwoven fabric having a basis weight of 20 to 100 g/m.sup.2, a visible-ray reflectance of more than 60%, and an air-permeability of 10 to 200 sec/100 cc. Thus, the substrate does not suffer oxygen shortage, thereby promoting healthy growth of plant roots. Excellent air-permeability prevents an excessive rise in moisture and temperature within the plant-growing system. Further, since excess water is drained from the substrate to maintain a constant water level within the substrate, watering is easy to perform, and excess watering does not cause root rot. In a plant-growing method, the plant-growing system is placed on a ground surface while the covering material is held by a metallic part at its bottom as well as at its both side walls or single side wall.

Abstract: Apparatus for injection molding plastic material has a stationary and a movable mold mounting plate which each fixes a respective mold half and thus establishes a horizontal central plane (Z) of the mold. At least one mold mounting plate (8, 2) is pivotable relative to the machine frame (1) about a centrally arranged horizontal axis (15, 15'), and rotary pivots (5, 5') forming a horizontal pivot axis of the mold mounting plate is displaced upwardly relative to the horizontal central plane (Z) of the mold.

Abstract: A safety binding for snowboards has a base plate (1) on which the snowboarder's boot is fastened. This base plate (1) is fixed in its turning position by a spring plunger (8) and a stop pin (7), but can be turned out of this position when the torque acting on it exceeds a value preset by the initial tension of the spring (10) of the spring plunger (8). The base plate (1) is rigidly connected with the snowboard by means of a turning plate (2) and is not detached from the snowboard even in the case of a "turning release".

Abstract: A storage system for round stencils, in particular those used in the textile industry, has two or several holders for releasably holding the round stencils. The holders of the storage system may be moved by a drive, preferably all together. Also disclosed is an application system which has besides the production machine and the storage system a separate washing installation for cleaning the round stencils taken from the production machine. In the washing installation, the round stencils are sprayed from the inside and cleaned from the outside, in particular by brushes, at the same time as they are rotated.

Abstract: A new structure for a colored gem, generally round or oval, in which a barrel cut is employed, but which has a center top edge and transverse boundaries which increases the thickness of the stone with additional facets provided to enhance reflection and overall brilliance.

Abstract: The present invention provides a poultry feeding apparatus (30) for receiving poultry feed from an auger pipe (60). The apparatus (30) comprises a feeder tube (35) and an interengagement member. The feeder tube (35) extends between the auger pipe (60) and a feeding pan. The interengagement member is adapted for interengaging the auger pipe (60) with the poultry feeding apparatus (30) to prevent rotational swinging of the apparatus (30) relative to the auger pipe (60). The interengagement member may comprise fastening means (53) for receiving at least one projection (63) formed in the auger pipe (60), or the auger pipe (60) may comprise fastening means for receiving at least one projection formed in the interengagement member. The fastening means is preferably a notch formed therein. The feeder tube (35) preferably comprises upper and lower receiving members (31,35A).

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the cordless remote control of a filling function of a mobile vehicle that includes a signal transmitter (12) and a liquid level sensor (14) that is mounted on a tank (18) of a mobile vehicle (16). The liquid level sensor (14) transmits a full signal to a remote signal receiver (22) by way of the signal transmitter (12). The full signal closes a control valve (26) interupting the flow of the fluid to the tank (18) by way of a conduit 28. An adjustable timer (44) provides a system safety back-up signal that closes the valve (26) if the full signal is not received within a preset time period. This apparatus and method can be operated in a semi-automatic mode or an automatic mode by the addition of an adjustable delay clock/timer (42). Audible and/or visual indicators are provided for monitoring the status of the filling operation.

Abstract: Method for machining steel edges for skis or the like, the steel edge being at least partly rapidly heated, then rapidly cooled again and consequently hardened with the aid of a plasma jet. In order to provide a method, which in economic manner can ensure the uniform and precisely defined hardening of steel edges of skis and the like in a randomly long longitudinal portion and in which simultaneously the energy can be applied in a more gentle and planned manner and a less complicated guidance of the plasma jet is rendered possible, an electric arc is produced between the cathode and the anode of the plasma head and a gas flow is passed through said arc and the anode of the plasma head, accompanied by the production of a plasma jet and the steel edge to be hardened is electrically connected as an anode in synchronized manner with the plasma head anode, i.e.

Abstract: A gripper assembly with gripper fingers (2) which are mounted so that they can be guided and moved radially inward and outward relative to the main body of the assembly. The gripper fingers (2) are biased radially inward by springs. Fitted in the main body (1) is a finger-opening device (20) with a conical body (21) which moves all of the fingers (2) radially outward together against the action of the springs. If the finger-opening device (20) is then retracted, at least some of the fingers (2) come to rest against the edge of the disc-shaped article. If the device (20) is retracted further, the remaining fingers also come to rest, under the action of their associated springs, against the edge of the disc-shaped article. The conical body (21) in the finger-opening device (20) acts on the fingers (2) via guiding elements (12) fitted inside the main body and connected to the fingers (2) by guiding rods (8).

Abstract: A system and a method for optical access of the surface of an optical disk (or another moving media information storage device) with a very short seek time is presented. The system uses two-dimensional deflection of a light (typically laser) beam. The beam reaches a stationary lenslet array, where, at a particular moment, it intercepts a single lenslet. The lenslet focuses the beam to a spot on the information storage surface of the disk. For reading information, the beam is reflected through the lenslet. Taking advantage of the "cat-eye" retro-reflection principle, only one detector (or very few detectors) is needed. Since only one spot at the surface is illuminated at any given moment, this spot gets most of the laser's light, allowing sufficient power concentration when needed for writing information on the disk.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of inhibiting a rejection response by a primate to a transplanted organ. One exposes the primate to a mutant diphtheria toxin linked to anti-CD3 antibody so as to largely eliminate the host's peripheral blood T cell lymphocyte population. At the same time as, or after, the exposure step one administers to the primate's thymus gland donor lymphocytes. Transplantation of the organ follows. The primate is tolerized to the transplanted organ.

Abstract: The device can be applied to compression machines including a turret (1), rotating around a vertical axis and fitted with a series of die holes (3) aimed at being filled with powder of granular material; pairs of punches (5,6), upper and lower punches respectively, related to each die hole (3) and guided slidably in the turret (1), engage the die holes (3) with respective counterfacing working heads (5a,6a). The device features a driving cam (9) that drives at least one of the punches (5,6) and determines the reciprocal distance between the working heads (5a,6a) of each pair of punches, in the material batching step and in the material loading step; the driving cam (9) moves axially with respect to the turret (1) so as to adjust this distance. Further cams (11,12) are provided for completion of guiding structure (15) with variable profile, which facilitates entering in the driving cam (9).

Abstract: A circuit for protecting from overload currents includes an electronic power device having at least first and second terminals and at least one control terminal. The circuit also includes at least one voltage-generating circuit for generating a reference voltage having a predetermined pattern. The voltage-generating circuit includes at least a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the power device and at least a second terminal coupled to the second terminal of the power device through a sensor. The circuit also preferably includes at least one comparator for comparing the reference voltage with a voltage present across the sensor. The comparator has at least one output terminal and at least first and second input terminals. The first and second input terminals are respectively connected to a third terminal of the voltage-generating circuit and the second terminal of the power device.

Abstract: A helical resiliently extensible and retractable multiconductor coil cord including a plurality of conductor components enclosed within an outer jacket. One of the conductor components includes a metallic conductor centrally disposed within and surrounded by a first dielectric material which in turn is centrally disposed within and surrounded by a metallic shield covered by an inner jacket. The other conductor components each include a metallic conductor covered by a second dielectric material. In one embodiment the metallic shield includes a plurality of sets of wires helically wrapped around the dielectric material in mutually opposing directions, at least one of the sets of wires being wrapped around the dielectric material at an angle of less than about 20 degrees with respect to the axis of the conductor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic device integrated monolithlly on a semiconductor material comprising a substrate having a first conductivity type in which are formed first and second diffusion regions of a second conductivity type. The substrate and the first and second diffusion regions defining a base region, a collector region and an emitter region of a parasitic transistor. The second diffusion region includes a third diffusion region having conductivity of the first type to provide in the second diffusion region a resistive path placed in series with the emitter region of the parasitic transistor while backfeeding it negatively and taking it to saturation with a resulting reduction of its current gain and limitation of the maximum current due thereto.

Abstract: An open top railroad car is equipped with end caps that allow air to flow into and out of the car chamber. A tarp extended between the end caps covers the open top of the car. A roll tube is secured to one longitudinal side of the tarp. A manually operated crank attached to the roll bar with a flexible cord is used by a yardperson to selectively roll the tarp to it's open and closed positions. A plurality of straps joined to the roll tube are connected to winches operable to hold the tarp in it's closed position.

Abstract: A grapple includes a ferrous body with a plurality of tines pivotally connected thereto. A magnetic coil is disposed within the ferrous body. When the magnetic coil is energized, it creates a magnetic field within the area defined by the tines. The tines are also magnetized by the field. Additional magnetic coils may be added to one or more of the tines.

Abstract: The acoustic warning device comprises a casing (1) in which at least one iliently deformable diaphragm (10, 11) is mounted. In the casing (1) there is also mounted, in a fixed position, at least one excitation winding (19, 20). A movable ferromagnetic member (8, 9), subjected in use to the magnetic field generated by the winding (19, 20) is connected to the diaphragm (10, 11). The movable ferromagnetic member (8, 9) includes a substantially bell-shaped axial end portion (8a, 9a) disposed around the winding (19, 20).

Abstract: A pulse generator has an input and two outputs at which to respectively generate pulses in relation to different types of signal edges received at the input of the generator. The generator provides two distinct logic circuit blocks of the sequential type, the blocks being mutually independent for generation of the pulses at the two outputs. In this manner it is possible to easily control the characteristics of the pulses. In addition, if two blocks are connected with appropriate and simple logic networks, it is possible in the generation phase to impose conditions between the pulses at the two outputs in a simple manner and with a certain freedom.