Abstract: A prosthetic foot having a keel formed by a flexible sole plate connected to the lower end of an ankle portion that is attachable to a user's leg or leg prosthesis. A plurality of resilient bending ribs extend from the angle portion to spaced apart locations on the upper surface of the sole plate to resiliently bias the sole plate to a neutral configuration. As the forward portion of the sole plate is progressively loaded, the sole plate flexes causing the bending ribs to deflect until they successively stack up against each other, thereby progressively stiffening the keel.

Abstract: A headbox for a paper machine is characterized by having: at least one machine-wide channel region which defines a main direction of flow; a region for the production of turbulence; a plurality of feed lines distributed over the machine width and discharging into the headbox channel region; an adjusting device in each feed line for controlling the quantity of flow; an angle .alpha. between the main direction of flow and the feed line; and the angle .alpha. being selected in such a manner that, regardless of the amount fed by the feed line, the total volumetric flow in the region directly downstream of the feed line remaining constant.

Abstract: A rod guide 10 may be installed on a sucker rod by two distinct impacts with a hammer or mallet. The rod guide 10 includes a slot 30 having a throat 38 defining therein a catch section 50 wherein a sucker rod 22 will be temporarily caught and held after the first impact. The catch section is spaced between a first restricted throat width and a second restricted throat width of the slot 30. On the second impact, the rod guide 10 is driven relative to the sucker rod past the second restricted throat width and into the rod guide bore 18. An entry port 32 is preferably provided with a radiused opening that widens to a curved surface defining the first restricted throat width. Each opposing wall of the throat 38 may be defined by first, second, and third curvilinear surfaces each having a respective center.

Abstract: An expert detection system includes a method and apparatus for detecting high impedance faults occurring on a distribution circuit coupled to an AC power source. Based upon an expert's knowledge of high impedance fault behavior and the performance of various fault detection techniques, the expert forms a belief as to whether a high impedance fault has indeed occurred. The expert's beliefs may be adjusted with an elliptic formula, and then used to weight the status output of each technique. The weighted multiple technique outputs are combined to determine whether a high impedance fault has occurred. The expert's beliefs are calibrated during initial start-up by comparison with a confirmed performance history of the detector using a scoring rule. The belief calibration may be included during operation to provide on-line adaption of the expert detector to the changing situations of the distribution circuit.

Abstract: A nail clipping and collecting device for use with a conventional nail clipper is designed to be easily grasped and manipulated, particularly by persons with reduced or impaired manual dexterity. A conventional nail clipper is removably positioned within a base and within a handle of the device which are removably hingedly connected together, and the base is configured for receiving, storing and emptying nail clippings. The handle is configured for removably storing a nail file, and a magnifying lens is adjustably connected to the handle for positioning to magnify a nail to be cut.

Abstract: An apparatus having a backplane adapted for coaction with a number of circuit boards arranged in side-by-side relationship and including a number of mutually adjacent and mutually spaced elongated, narrow backplane-related connector fields, each of which is adapted for firm but easily removed mechanical and electrical coaction with a corresponding connector field related to an edge-part of respective circuit boards. A number of first selected backplane-related connector fields are connected electrically to a first bus, and a number of second selected backplane related connector fields are connected electrically to a second bus. The backplane-related connector fields are divided into a predetermined number of groups wherein each group is allotted a part-section of the backplane and wherein the first connector fields of respective groups are joined together and connect to the first bus.

Abstract: The collapsible drum comprises flange plates associated with a hub made up of hinged elements, each of which comprises two portions and has end faces that are substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the portions, the portions having respective ends that face each other and that are connected together, and respective opposite ends that are connected to respective ones of the flange plates via resilient members.

Abstract: An end treatment for a thrie-beam type guardrail and safety device specifically oriented toward trucks, vans and other utility vehicles having high profiles and centers of gravity. A slotted thrie-beam terminal is featured for use with highway guardrail systems. At least one reinforced slotted section is provided within the thrie-beam terminal to reduce the ability of the thrie beam to resist buckling in response to an axial type loading from end-on impacts. The terminal also provides for gating of laterally impacting vehicles. The terminal incorporates a break-away support post cable release mechanism which lessens risk to impacting vehicles which impact the lead post.

Abstract: In a radar, a protective radome is placed in front of a to-be-protected antenna. The antenna is made of several networks that are superimposed. At least one of the active networks can be controlled electrically in two distinct states A or B. In state A, the radome, which is placed in front of the antenna, is transparent for the radar operation frequency band and reflective outside that band. For state B, the radome is reflective for all radar frequencies. The invention especially protects the radar against jammers that transmit outside the radar operation frequency band, while providing for the total camouflaging of the radar when it is not being used.

Abstract: A heavy-duty grinder is disclosed having increased durability and longevity due to a construction that produces low mechanical vibrations and noises during operation. The grinder includes a pair of end plates, preferably solid steel, and a pair of cutting blade rotors carried between the end plates, which are also preferably machined from solid steel. A direct in-line hydraulic drive of the rotors is provided by hydraulic motors and compression fittings which lock the hydraulic motors to the rotors without the need of keys or splines. In this manner, a drive and construction is provided which accommodates load reverses, shocks, and shears encountered during the grinding process without detrimental effect to the mechanical integrity of the grinder. Machined blade pockets having recessed heels are formed on the periphery of the rotors. Knife blades are mounted in the recessed heels for reinforcement and support against cutting. An anvil is disposed in a cutting nip of the rotors having hardened cutting edges.

Abstract: A sewing unit with a thread-guiding needle, with a lock stitch hook with a thread reserve, with a fabric holder that can be moved in any direction relative to the needle axis, and with a fabric presser foot with a needle passage opening, which can be placed on the fabric in cycle with the movement of the needle. Loop or twist stitches are formed in an area of the possible directions of movement of the fabric holder. To pull these stitches reliably into the fabric, the needle passage opening is asymmetrically widened beginning from the site of the needle passage, namely, elliptically beginning from a part semi-circularly surrounding the site of the needle passage in one design, and angularly with an arched limiting edge connecting the legs of the angle in another design.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for spraying fluids are disclosed. Multiple distinctive airflows are used sequentially to create eddy currents at and near the outer canopies of vegetation. Such currents promote uniform chemical coverage of fruit and foliage throughout the vegetation. Nozzles adapted for selective use and adjustment independently and in multiple directions and planes also enhance coverage, particularly when fruit and foliage is especially dense or sparse or close to or remote from the ground.

Abstract: A routing bits generator is associated with one or more reverse Omega networks with L stages and 2.sup.N inputs. 2.sup.N state bits, indicating whether the cells to be routed are free or occupied, are loaded in parallel into a state register, then shifted in series in this register. The state bits delivered successively by the serial output of the state register, filtered if L<N, serve to increment a first counter or decrement a second counter depending on the values of the state bits, and to select one or the other of the two counters at the input of a multiplexer. L addressing registers, receiving in serial shift mode the L address bits provided by the multiplexer, are cascaded in such a way that after 2.sup.N serial shift cycles, their contents can be transferred in parallel to means inserting the address bits at the head of the cells.

Abstract: A multi-sided collapsible container is provided in combination with a pallet. The container preferably has an octagonal shape. The upright portion of the container is formed from a plurality of side panels, end panels, and corner panels. A bottom to the container is formed from a combination of bottom flaps and floor panels. Floor panels are affixed to the pallet for securing the container thereto. A plurality of transverse fold lines in combination with a plurality of lateral fold lines enable the container to move between an open upright use position and a plurality of collapsed storage positions contained within the confines of the pallet.

Abstract: A cooking appliance includes a drum for receiving the food articles to be cooked and formed with a plurality of openings smaller than the size of the food articles. The drum is rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis in the cooking compartment of the appliance such that only the lower part of the drum is immersed in the hot liquid therein, e.g., a frying oil. Also described is a method of frying food articles which includes immersing the bottom of a drum, having the food articles therein, in a quantity of hot cooking oil, and rotating the drum such that the food articles tumble into and out of the cooking oil to cause the food articles to become fried to a crisp without absorbing significant quantities of the cooking oil.

Abstract: A hydrotherapy bed includes a substantially water-tight enclosure having an open top. The top of the enclosure is covered by an upper and lower layer of thin rubber having an intermediate layer of thixotropic gel approximately one half inch thick. The rubber layers are mounted in a peripheral groove using a strip of T-shaped molding and a supporting net is mounted beneath the lower rubber layer in another peripheral groove by attaching edge loops of the net to a plastic coated half hinge which is inserted into the peripheral groove. A pair of parallel tracks is mounted inside the enclosure and an array of upwardly directed water jets is carried on a cross member which is movable along the tracks. The cross member is coupled to an endless cable wound around pulleys mounted at ends of the tracks. One of the pulleys is coupled to a motor which drives the cross member along the tracks. The cable is kept from crossing over itself on the drive pulley by threading it through a TEFLON.RTM.

Abstract: A printed circuit board having foamed substrates of low dielectric constant and low dissipation factor and techniques for making printed circuit boards and printed circuits using such substrates. The substrate has a dielectric constant less than 1.5 and a dissipation factor less than 10.sup.-2, most preferably, polymethylacrylimide. A conductive layer is placed on the substrate surface using chemical deposition or by use of appropriate adhesives. The printed circuit may be imprinted by conventional techniques such as etching with appropriate etching materials.

Abstract: A damper seal (10) and method of sealing and damping a rotating shaft (12) is provided with a stator housing (14) and at least two sealing blades, an upstream sealing blade (16) and a downstream sealing blade (18). There are at least two partitioning walls (20) disposed between the sealing blades (16,18) and attached to the stator housing (14). The clearance between the downstream sealing blade (18) and the shaft (12) is greater than the clearance between the upstream sealing blade (16) and the shaft (12). The damper seal (10) restricts the flow of fluid from regions along the shaft that are at different pressures and damps vibratory or whirl motion of the shaft.