Abstract: An autoclavable endoscope having a housing, an eyepiece, an insertion tube, proximal and distal windows, and seals seal against the passage of contaminants into the endoscope during autoclaving and the housing, eyepiece, insertion tube, windows and light pipe are comprised of materials which withstand a temperature of at least about 1200.degree. F.

Abstract: A bistable solenoid valve with an armature in the form of a movable core disposed within a core guide tube. The armature is resettable by a spring force with one single electromagnetic winding surrounding the tube. The movable core is mechanically coupled with a locking mechanism which is alternately engageable and releasable. A second locking member is longitudinally displaceable against a first member and, in its lifted position, is rotatable through a preset angle. The two locking members, as well as the spring and the movable core, are supported within the core guide tube and surrounded by the fluid medium. The core guide tube is open at one end facing the valve chamber and closed at the other end.

Abstract: To prevent unnecessary power outages, and to remove feeder lines from service only when certain hazardous fault conditions occur, a load analysis system including an apparatus and method, monitors the load level of a feeder line and determines the presence of any arcing on the feeder line. In a two stage load pattern analysis, the presence of arcing and load current level changes are used to discriminate high impedance, low current conditions including a downed conductor, a broken and dangling conductor, a tree or object contact with the feeder line, overcurrent activities, and normal switching events such as recloser operation. The load analysis system also provides output commands including wait, alarm, trip-ready, trip and normal, depending upon which status is diagnosed.

Abstract: A gravity dispensing unit for filling containers with powdered material, wherein a vessel for powdered material presents, underneath, at least one dispenser with a central supply conduit in turn presenting a shutter and made of porous material; the supply conduit extending in fluidtight manner through an annular chamber for receiving pressurized fluid, and through an annular intake manifold surrounding the annular chamber and presenting an annular, downward-facing inlet.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of joining two materials by single pulse electron radiation. The method comprises the step of disposing a first material layer adjacent to a second material layer such that an interface is disposed therebetween. Then there is the step of irradiating the interface with a pulsed electron beam such that energy of the pulsed electron beam is selectively deposited in a narrow spatial region and localized at the interface to produce an effective joint between the first and second material layers in a single pulse. Preferably, before the irradiating step, there is the step of calculating an optimum temperature profile across the interface depending on electron energy, beam current density and pulse length of the pulsed electron beam. The electron energy of the pulsed electron beam is preferably in the range of 100 keV to 10 MeV. The pulsed electron beam current density is preferably in the range of 1-1000 A/cm.sup.2.

Abstract: A seal for sealing the gaps between adjacent turbine blade structures is disclosed in which the seal is disposed in a compartment formed between adjacent turbine blade structures having first and second sealing surfaces adjacent to a generally axially extending gap and a generally radially extending gap, respectively. The seal also has a thrust surface extending obliquely to a radius from the axis of rotation of the rotor disk to which the turbine blade structures are attached which is engaged with a reaction surface formed on a reaction member located in the compartment. During rotation of the rotor disk, centrifugal force acting in a radially outward direction is transmitted both radially and axially to a seal by contact between the reaction surface and the oblique thrust surface to cause the first sealing surface to seal the generally axially extending gap and the second sealing surface to seal the generally radially extending gap.

Abstract: Flat or curved micro heat pipe panels are fabricated by arranging essentially parallel filaments in the shape of the desired panel. The configuration of the filaments corresponds to the desired configuration of the tubes that will constitute the heat pipes. A thermally conductive material is then deposited on and around the filaments to fill in the desired shape of the panel. The filaments are then removed, leaving tubular passageways of the desired configuration and surface texture in the material. The tubes are then filled with a working fluid and sealed. Composite micro heat pipe laminates are formed by layering individual micro heat pipe panels and bonding them to each other to form a single structure. The layering sequence of the micro heat pipe panels can be tailored to transport heat preferentially in specific directions as desired for a particular application.

Abstract: The description relates to a process for determining the location of a positioning body in relation to a reference body and a device for implementing it. The positioning body (10) bears a scale with evenly spaced markings and the reference body comprises a scanner (12) with a projection surface on which the mark (16) of the scale are projected and imaging optics. The coordinates of the center of projection of the imaging optics are calculated by evaluating the mark (16) arranged on the scale. Here, coded marks of two perpendicular surface scales of the scale or the positioning body are decoded and at least four centers of intersection regions of the marks of both surface scales confining an area are determined. The calculation is made via the protective relationship between the projection surface of the scanner and the plane of the scale bearing the marks.

Abstract: A discharge monitoring system for a compressed gas cylinder incorporates a seal rupturing pin mounted in a gas passage that is intended to connect to a conventional triggering mechanism for activating the seal rupturing pin connects to the object to be inflated. A chamber divided by a piston into a high pressure side which is directly connected to the gas passage and a lower pressure side on the opposite side of the piston. A flag or indicator associated with the piston is move into a flagging position when a high gas pressure is present in the gas passage and moves the piston to a displaced position. With this system, an initial high pressure formed in the gas passage immediately after the gas cylinder seal is punctured, develops a gas pressure within the chamber sufficient to displace the piston. The piston is fictionally held in its initial position indicating the cylinder is charged or after discharge in its displaced position indicating the cylinder has been discharged.

Abstract: A process for etherifying the hydroxymethyl group in position 3 of a cephalosporin by reaction of a 3-hydroxymethyl cephalosporin with an dioxycarbenium-tetrafluoroborate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a wheel chair and a cup holder which is adapted to be secured to the vertical tubular support member of the wheelchair for supporting various sizes beverage containers. The holder comprises a base for supporting a small container, e.g., coffee cups, a flat ring mounted on the base for supporting a large container. The ring having a substantial inner surface height to support the sidewall of the small container. The base can be provided with an opening for liquid drainage. Mounted to the ring is a continuous circular wall having a substantial height for supporting the sidewall of a large container. The wall can be notched for the protrusion of coffee cup handles. Projecting outwardly the wall and integral therewith a first attachment arm having an inner surface. A second attachment arm having an inner surface is provided. The first and second attachment arms each have curved portions and a centrally disposed arcuate portion on their respective inner surface.

Abstract: A conveyor belt having raised hemispheres serves as the floor for caged production of poultry. The belt is preferably molded plastic and moves continuously at a speed undetectable by the birds, allowing complete removal of manure before manure build-up becomes appreciable. The conveyor belt's direction of movement may also be reversed at variable speeds, automatically conveying the birds to catch crews.

Abstract: An antenna for a wireless communicating device can be set at a precise frequency, in the as formed state. A coil antenna is precisely held in a mold, while an appropriate plastic is molded therearound, with no distortion of the coil, to fix a precise shape for the coil. The recovered, plastic-encased coil requires little or no follow-up treatment before it can be used in a wireless communication device as an antenna.

Abstract: A recyclable filter cartridge for use in photographic processing has a main tubular housing 11 that encases a core in which a synthetic fiber filtering material 17 is located. The core is accessed by elongated slots 15, 16 formed circumferentially in an outer shell 14 of the housing 11. The slots 15, 16 allow entry of photographic processing chemicals into the core so that, under the influence of an external pump, the processing chemicals may pass through and be filtered by the filtering material 17. There is a tubular outlet 19 for exit of the filtered processing chemicals from the core and for their passage to a processing tank 35. The cartridge may be disassembled by disconnection of a stem tube 12 from the main tubular housing 11 so as to allow manual removal of the used filtering material 17 from the core and the replacement within the core of clean filtering material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting operational anomalies in a pressurized fluid circuit having a main pump, a fluid filter and a booster pump connected in series. The apparatus has an indicating detector to provide an indication of a system malfunction and a switching device connected to the indicating detector, as well as to various points in the pressurized fluid circuit, to enable the indicating detector to detect a malfunction in either the booster pump or the filter. The switching device has pressurized fluid inlets connected to a point upstream of the booster pump, a point between the booster pump and the filter inlet and to a point between the filter outlet and the inlet of the main, high pressure pump.

Abstract: A sequencing system for a printing press, the printing press having a plurality of print stations, each of the print stations for printing a respective portion of a design on an item with ink, the printing press also having a curing station for curing the printed ink, the sequencing system comprising a controller having random access memory for selecting one of the print stations, for indexing the item to the selected print station, for determining whether the item is present at the selected print station, for actuating the selected print station to print the respective portion of the design on the item, for determining completion of the actuation, for selecting one of the curing stations, for indexing the item to the selected curing station, for determining whether the item is present at the selected curing station, for actuating the selected curing station, and for determining completion of the curing operation.

Abstract: This invention concerns an improved multiple biopsy gun to collect tissue samples having a housing and an axially elongated cutting needle and stylet extending from the housing, wherein the housing contains a driving mechanism which propels the stylet and the cutting needle forward in sequential fashion to capture two or more tissue samples, without the necessity to reload the biopsy gun or to remove the biopsy gun from the target site between biopsies.

Abstract: A cutting length adjustment plate for a keratome that allows for a pre-cutting measurement of a corneal cut has a transverse groove adapted to receive a keratome, a parallel aperture in the groove for viewing the blade in the keratome, and indicia to measure the distance of the tip of the blade to the rear end of the keratome. A method of cutting a sized corneal flap is also disclosed. The invention further comprises a keratome with a spring loaded adjustable plate having a groove in which to retain a free end the spring. A collar to support the spring is also present. Lastly, a bracket is disclosed for use in measuring and adjusting the cutting depth of the keratome. The method for using the bracket is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention concerns a complex between at least one negatively charged nucleic acid and at least one positively charged polymeric conjugate, the link between the nucleic acid and the polymeric conjugate being electrostatic in nature, the polymeric conjugate containing a polymer formed from monomer components having free NH.sub.3.sup.+ functions of the aforementioned components and being as follows:--the free NH.sub.3.sup.+ functions from the aforementioned components are substituted in a ratio of at least 10%, advantageously from 45% to 70%, particularly 60%, by noncharged residues leading to a reduction of positive charges in comparison to the same nonsubstituted polymeric conjugate, facilitating the release of nucleic acid by the dissociation of the complex,--the aforementioned residues possess in addition the following properties:.fwdarw.they contain at least one hydroxyl group,.fwdarw.they do not correspond to a recognition signal recognized by a cellular membrane receptor,--the free NH.sub.3.sup.

Abstract: A method and device for forming groups of flat articles on edge, whereby articles, laid flat, arranged with a first spacing on a conveyor surface, and forming a first succession traveling in a first direction, are picked up one by one to form a second succession wherein the articles are equally spaced with a second spacing; the second succession is fed to a transfer station in which each article lies in a given plane; and the articles are then fed, in a second direction perpendicular to the given plane in the transfer station, to a withdrawal station where they are withdrawn in groups, each consisting of a number of articles on edge, in a third direction crosswise to the second direction.