Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for counting the rotation frequency of a numeral wheel of a meter to be used for a remote metering system. A light reflection tape is coated on one of low placed numeral wheels. A light sensor unit has an opaque case formed with first and second holes in which an infrared ray emitter and an infrared ray sensor are located, respectively. The light sensor unit is fixedly mounted on the ceiling of a rectangular shaped housing which is detachably coupled with a meter to cover the front of the meter. A portion of the housing over numeral wheels and a front plate of the meter is transparent. The transparent portion of the housing has an infrared ray rejection function to prevent infrared rays from entering into the housing. In place of employing such housing, a light shield may be used to shield a space between the light sensor unit and the light reflection tape coated numeral wheel from outer light.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for attaching a pressure washing device to a storage tank that allows adjustment of the location of the pressure washing device. One embodiment includes a mounting plate adapted to be connected to a tank opening, a second plate hingably attached to the mounting plate, and a pressure washer attachment plate hingably connected to the second plate. The hinged connections may be arranged such as to allow rotation about two axes that are substantially perpendicular to each other. Linear connection apparatus may also be provided to control the relative location between the plates. A roof mounted system includes a vertical extension arm that is suspended from a roof-mounted manway. The vertical extension arm supports a primary pivot point about which a first extension arm deploys. The first extension arm carries a telescoping extension arm that has a secondary pivot point about which pivots a wash head arm having a wash head mounted on the end.

Abstract: A method of controlling the pressure of a casing annulus in a subterranean well that includes injecting into the casing annulus a composition including a base fluid and a polymer coated colloidal solid material. The polymer coated colloidal solid material includes: a solid particle having an weight average particle diameter (d50) of less than two microns, and a polymeric dispersing agent coated onto the surface of the solid particle during the cominution (i.e. grinding) process utilized to make the colloidal particles. The polymeric dispersing agent may be a water soluble polymer having a molecular weight of at least 2000 Daltons. The solid particulate material may be selected from materials having of specific gravity of at least 2.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for applying road marking material to a pavement surface. The apparatus includes a vehicle having a holographic sight and at least one road marking material applicator mounted thereon. In accordance with the method, an operator of the vehicle steers the vehicle to a desired position on the pavement surface based upon aiming information observable through the holographic sight.

Abstract: A method of controlling the pressure of a casing annulus in a subterranean well that includes injecting into the casing annulus a composition including a base fluid and a polymer coated colloidal solid material. The polymer coated colloidal solid material includes: a solid particle having an weight average particle diameter (d50) of less than two microns, and a polymeric dispersing agent coated onto the surface of the solid particle during the cominution (i.e. grinding) process utilized to make the colloidal particles. The polymeric dispersing agent may be a water soluble polymer having a molecular weight of at least 2000 Daltons. The solid particulate material may be selected from materials having of specific gravity of at least 2.

Abstract: A method for detecting quiescent current in an integrated circuit is provided that includes detecting a magnetic field generated by the quiescent current and in response generating a magnetic field signal that is indicative of the detected magnetic field. The magnetic field signal is then amplified and converted into a differential voltage signal. The differential voltage signal is then converted into a digital format.

Abstract: A cutting device including a cutting drum, a motor housing, a structural web extending between the motor housing and the cutting drum, and a structural member attached to the cutting drum adjacent the web. The structural member has a structural surface including an edge adjacent the web and an edge away from the web. The surface has an edge away from the web, the surface being inclined away from the web by having the edge adjacent the web forward in the cutting direction of the edge away from the web. In the preferred embodiment, the structural member is a bit mechanism including a bit, and the structural member houses the bit.

Abstract: An aromatic monovinyl resin composition comprising (a) a polymer comprising an aromatic monovinyl monomer and having a weight average molecular weight of 150,000-700,000 and (b) a 3-arylbenzofuranone, the amount of the 3-arylbenzofuranone being 0.006-0.5% by weight based on the weight of the polymer and the residual amount of the aromatic monovinyl monomer in the aromatic monovinyl resin composition being not more than 100 ppm. According to the present invention, it becomes possible to provide an aromatic monovinyl resin composition which is excellent in heat stability, gives molded products of good color tone, develops little odor and is excellent in moldability.

Abstract: A method of beneficiating coal in a dry process includes separating raw coal from a coal mine into coal fines and larger pieces of coal using pressurized air, separating the larger pieces of coal according to size, removing ash from the larger pieces of coal on an air table, and further removing ash from the larger pieces of coal using a size-discriminating device to obtain a beneficiated coal product. The invention also includes an apparatus for the dry beneficiation of coal. The apparatus includes at least one air separating device, at least one air table, and at least one first and second shakers which separate the coal by size and remove ash from the coal. The air table effectively removes ash from infed coal without the need for a fluidizing media.

Abstract: A plastic drink-through lid of the type having a deck, a peripheral skirt, and a partially separable, preformed tab in the deck to form a drink-through hold which does not extend through the peripheral skirt. The tab has an upstanding thumb catch preformed thereon. The fold back hinge is formed in the deck immediately adjacent the tab and spaced less than about one-half of the lid radius from the periphery. This creates a very short throw which allows a user to open the tab and lock it back with the thumb of the same hand that is holding the cup.

Abstract: A package for a light emitting diode (LED) including an electrically insulating substrate layer, a non-conductive layer disposed on the electrically insulating substrate layer, and a reflector layer disposed on the non-conductive layer. The electrically insulating layer includes metallized portions for coupling a light emitting diode thereto.

Abstract: A water-base fluid for use in drilling wells and other drilling operation includes a shale clay which swells in the presence of water. The fluid preferably includes: an aqueous based continuous phase, and a shale hydration inhibition agent having the formula: H—(OR)x—[—NH—CH2—CH2—CH2—O—CH2—CH2—NH—]—(R?O)y—H wherein R and R? are independently selectable alkylene groups having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and wherein x and y have independently selected values such that the sum of x and y is at least 1. The shale hydration inhibition agent should be present in sufficient concentration to reduce the swelling of the shale clay. The fluid may be used for formulating drilling fluids such as water-base drilling muds or clear brine drilling fluids. The fluid may also be used in the slurrification and disposal of drill cuttings that contain water swellable clays or shale clays.

Abstract: A common narrow-band speech signal is expanded into a wide-band speech signal. The expanded speech signal gives the impression of a wide-band speech signal regardless of what type of vocoder is used. Extending the narrow-band speech signal into a lower range involves analyzing the narrow-band speech signal to generate one or more parameters, and synthesizing a lower frequency-band signal based on at least one of the one or more parameters. The synthesized lower frequency-band signal is then combined with a signal that is derived from (e.g., via up-sampling) the narrow-band speech signal. In preferred embodiments, a pitch frequency parameter is generated, and generation of the lower frequency-band signal includes generating continuous sine tones that are frequency shifted with the pitch frequency parameter.

Abstract: An engine includes a compressor, and combustor, and an expander. The compressor compresses ambient air. The combustor burns the compressed air, and produces exhaust gasses. The expander receives the exhaust gases from the combustor, and expands the exhaust gasses. The compressor may be a gerotor compressor or a piston compressor having variable-dead-volume control. The expander may be a gerotor expander or a piston expander having variable-dead-volume control. Moreover, the engine may include a regenerative brake. The regenerative brake may include one or more valves coupled to the compressor, an expander clutch, and a compressor clutch. Specifically, during braking, the expander clutch is disengaged and the compressor clutch is engaged.

Abstract: In ridding fluids, including hydrocarbon fluids, both gaseous and liquid, of sulfur compounds including hydrogen sulfide, oxides of sulfur, and thiols, the present invention uses a small quantity of an activator, generally a noble metal oxide, preferably a copper species and/or a manganese species, along with a known oxide product, such as iron oxide, iron hydroxide, zinc oxide, zinc hydroxide, manganese oxide, manganese hydroxide, or combinations thereof, to thoroughly remove sulfur contaminants in a short amount of time. The activator allows for the use of smaller reactor vessels and the production of hydrocarbon fluids substantially free of sulfur products.

Abstract: A system for separating hydrocarbons from a material which includes a process chamber, a process pan operatively connected to the process chamber and removable therefrom, a blower operatively connected to the process chamber and to a heat source, the blower adapted to force heated air into the process chamber through the material disposed on the process pan, the forced heated air adapted to vaporize hydrocarbons and other contaminants disposed on the material, and at least one condenser operatively connected to the process chamber and adapted to condense the vaporized hydrocarbons and other contaminants is disclosed. Further, a method for separating hydrocarbons from a material which includes passing a stream of heated air over the material to volatilize the hydrocarbons, passing the stream of heated air containing the hydrocarbons through at least one condenser to form liquid hydrocarbons, collecting the liquid hydrocarbons, and recirculating the heated air is disclosed.

Abstract: A decomposition apparatus is provided that includes an excimer lamp emitting UV light for decomposing an organic compound and a decomposition container provided with the excimer lamp for decomposing the organic compound in a liquid or a gas. In the decomposition apparatus, since the UV light irradiated from the excimer lamp is emitted to the liquid or the gas, the organic compound in the liquid or the gas can be decomposed easily by the simple decomposition apparatus and method. The decomposition apparatus and method are effective to decompose the organic compound, such as dioxin (polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxin), PCB (polychiorinated biphenyl), trichloroethylene or the like, polluting the air or water to purify the environment.

Abstract: A digital communication receiver communicates with a digital communication transmitter across a communication channel and has: a channel estimator, which provide a channel estimate of the communication channel based on a received signal; an equalizer, which estimates a sequence of transmitted symbols and provides a sequence of decided symbols based on the received signal and the channel estimate; and a channel tracker, which produces an updated channel estimate based on the received signal and the decided symbols, and which supplies the updated channel estimate to the equalizer. The digital communication receiver has a controller, which receives channel quality indicative data associated with an output from the equalizer, determines whether these data fail to meet a predetermined criterion, and, if so, supplies an enabling control signal to the channel tracker.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for regulating the porosity and printing properties of paper, in particular uncoated wood-containing paper such as SC-paper, wherein a sufficient quantity of colloidal PCC having a BET surface area of 10-100 m2/g is used as a filter in the paper to achieve a desired porosity of the paper; as well as paper containing colloidal PCC as filler, and a pigment mixture suitable for paper manufacture and containing colloidal PCC.

Abstract: A flow diverter and a vacuum blower for vibrating screen separator assembly. The flow diverter decelerates and increases the exposed surface of materials. The exhaust blower removes vapors from the materials.