Abstract: This invention relates to a sheathed resistance heater which comprises a metal pipe (3), a heating wire (2) received in the metal pipe, and an electrically insulating powder (4) filled in the pipe and also to a method for fabricating same. The electrically insulating powder (4) contains 0.1-10 wt % of the specific type of an oxide by which the heater has a prolonged life because the oxide serves to suppress the metallic component of the heating wire (2) from evaporating, and its insulation resistance under self-heating conditions can be prevented from lowering. The heater has wide utility in both domestic and industrial fields.

Abstract: A billet made of a polycrystalline Mn-Al-C alloy magnet which is obtained by plastically deforming a Mn-Al-C alloy for magnet such as by extrusion at a temperature of 530.degree. to 830.degree. C. is used for compressive working. When the billet is hollow, it is entirely or locally compressed along the axis of the hollow billet. On the other hand, when the billet is solid, an outer circumferential portion of the billet is compressed. By the compression, the anisotropic structure of the portion where compressed is changed into an anisotropic structure having a direction of easy magnetization in radial directions. The magnet obtained by the method is also disclosed. The magnet has a radially anisotropic structure or novel structures having two different types of anisotropies therein.

Abstract: A multi-unit induction heating apparatus for cooking applications comprises a plurality of inverter units for generating high frequency energy, each of the inverters having first and second input terminals, the first input terminals being coupled respectively through first circuits to a first terminal of a low frequency power source, the second input terminals being coupled together to a common circuit node which is connected through a second circuit to a second terminal of the power source. The apparatus further includes a like plurality of manually operated switches respectively connected in the first circuits and a like plurality of first high frequency noise rejection filters connected respectively in the first circuits. The second circuit includes a common, high frequency noise rejection filter.

Abstract: A selective gas-permeable film comprising a crosslinked copolymer product of a bifunctional polyorganosiloxane and a mixture of a styrene polymer having an aromatic ring at the side chain thereof, a phenolic polymer having an aromatic ring at the main chain thereof or an addition polymer of a phenolic compound and a phenyl ether compound joined through methylene groups and a polymer having functional end hydroxyl groups. Alternatively, the copolymer product may be of the bifunctional polyorganosiloxane and the addition polymer alone.

Abstract: An electric water heater includes an outer cylindrical structure having first and second openings defining a water inlet and outlet, respectively, and an inner cylindrical structure having an inner passage therethrough and coaxially disposed in the outer cylindrical structure to define an outer passage therebetween. The inner and outer passage are interconnected at one end of the structures and communicate respectively with the first and second openings. The inner cylindrical structure includes a cylindrical ceramic support secured at one end to the other end of the outer cylindrical structure, an electric resistance heating element on the outer surface of the ceramic support and a ceramic sheet having a thickness smaller than the ceramic support wound on the heating element so that it is embedded in the sheet.

Abstract: Disclosed is an automatic cassette loading apparatus which comprises a motor and a first sensing means for detecting when a cassette is placed in a first position to energize the motor. A counter is provided for counting clock pulses in response to the energization of the motor and generating an output signal when the counted clock pulses reach a predetermined value. A second sensing means is provided for detecting when the cassette is moved to a second, tape-operating position. The loading apparatus further includes a mechanism driven by the motor for moving the cassette from the first position to the second position and restoring the cassette to the first position and beyond to de-energize the motor when the output signal of the counter is generated prior to the detection of the cassette in the second position.

Abstract: A composition for absorption refrigeration which comprises a fluorinated hydrocarbon refrigerant, an amide or glycol ether solvent serving as an absorption liquid, and a phosphite stabilizer. The stabilizer is used in an amount of 0.05 to 0.5 wt % of the absorption liquid calculated as phosphorus, within which range the phosphite stabilizer can suitably protect the refrigerant and the absorption liquid from deteriorating and decomposing at high operation temperatures.

Abstract: An ink jet printing head comprises a laminar airflow chamber having a front channel through a combined stream of air and ink droplets is discharged toward a writing surface, and a rear channel provided through an insulative plate and axially aligned with the front channel connected to a source of liquid. The chamber is further provided with an air intake connected to a pressurized air supply source for directing an airstream to a point between the front and rear channels so that the airstream makes a sharp turn at the entry into the front channel with the result that a sharp pressure gradient is produced in the liquid discharge path. A first electrode is provided around said front channel and second electrode is provided on a rear side wall of said insulative plate around said rear channel.

Abstract: A high-temperature furnace comprising a gas burner (2) for burning a mixture of air and fuel in a combustion chamber (1), and an oxygen enricher (4). The enricher comprises a plurality of cells (13a) each comprising a pair of spaced apart oxygen permeable membranes (14), and a suction fan (12) for drawing air through the spaces between the cells (13a). The cells (13a) are coupled by a manifold (13b) to a vacuum pump (18) which causes the oxygen molecules of the air to pass through the membranes to increase the oxygen content of the air in the cells (13a), the oxygen-enriched air being drawn by the suction pump (18) to the burner (2). Preferably, a heat exchanger (31) is provided for transferring thermal energy of the emissions from the combustion chamber (1) to the air drawn by the suction fan (12) to maintain the oxygen concentration constant for a given operating condition of the combustion chamber.

Abstract: Ultrasonic echo signals are detected in phase and integrated with a period corresponding to an ultrasonic pulse. The integrated values are sampled and the difference between two integrated values is successively frequency-analyzed.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an electrode for use in lead storage batteries in which an aqueous emulsion of a silicone capable of forming an elastic, porous matrix on breaking of the emulsion, is contacted with a finely divided active electrode material at the stage of preparing an electrode paste, or after formation as an electrode. The contacted material is dried, so that the elastic, porous silicone matrix formed in association with and in intimate contact with the finely divided active electrode material. An aqueous dispersion of fluorocarbon resin can be further added to the paste, or an electrode having a fibrous network of fluorocarbon resin can be applied with the silicone emulsion. Fine particles obtained from the silicone emulsion can also be applied to a finely divided active electrode material.

Abstract: A shredder comprises a cutter unit including a pair of rotary cutters for shredding a material therebetween while the rotary cutters are rotating in a normal direction, a reversible motor for rotating the rotary cutters through a speed reducer, and a switch unit for selectively causing the motor to rotate the rotary cutter in the normal direction or reversing the motor to rotate the rotary cutters in a reverse direction to remove the material from the rotary cutters when the material is jammed in the rotary cutters. An electrical control circuit is responsive to actuation of the switch unit for enabling the motor to produce a larger torque while rotating in the reverse direction than the torque produced while rotating in the normal direction, thereby reliably releasing the rotary cutters from biting engagement with the material when jammed.

Abstract: In an optical disc having a file region and a directory region for carrying various pieces of information or data, one or more designated information can be erased by irradiating a laser light beam on a corresponding region in the file region where the light beam is modulated by a superposing writing signal which may be a d.c. or a predetermined a.c. signal. When it is intended to renew the information, designated information is first read out and stored in an external memory prior to performing superposing writing. Meanwhile, the data is renewed and is then written on an unused region in the file region. The directory of the renewed data region is also written so that the renewed information will be read out by searching the new directory. In another embodiment of the invention, the information in the file region is not erased to renew the same, but its directory is erased by superposing writing.

Abstract: Dynamic unbalance of a rigid rotor is corrected by machining the rotor in a direction parallel to the rotor axis of said rotor by subtracting or adding weights corresponding to a corrective weight in two planes for compensating initial unbalanced vectors corresponding to correction angle directions and corrective weights in the planes. Prior to effecting the machining, center of gravity position of a corrective machining weight is calculated for effecting corrective machining in the axial direction; the corrective machining corresponds to the corrective weight. The initial unbalanced vectors in the two planes are corrected into unbalanced vectors in new planes respectively including the centers of gravities of the corrective machining weights determined during the calculating step. Correction angular positions and corrective machining weights around the respective planes are obtained by repeating the calculating and correcting steps.

Abstract: A methane fermentation process wherein a strain of the genus Methanobacterium is cultivated in a fermenter containing at least a carbon source, a nitrogen source, inorganic salts and micro-flora for methane fermentation. The strain has a methanogenic activity above 8.7.times.10.sup.-8 ml/cell.day in the stationary phase of growth, exhibits the methanogenic activity even at an oxygen partial pressure of 1/30 atm. and is allowed to live under an oxygen partial pressure up to 1/5 atm. The seed of the strain is obtained by anaerobically cultivating the strain in a culture medium containing at least nitrogen sources, inorganic salts and reducing agents in a mesophilic range of 25.degree. to 45.degree. C. using a substrate such as a mixed gas of hydrogen and carbon dioxide, a formate or an acetate. The growth of the strain is facilitated when cocultured with a strain belonging to the genus Clostridium.

Abstract: In a solid electrolytic chip capacitor having a capacitor element of the type manufactured by laminating a metal oxide semiconductor layer and a cathode layer one after another on an anode electrode made of a sinter of a valve metal, which anode electrode has an anode lead made of a valve metal, and has a dielectric oxide film on the surface thereof, an anode terminal is connected to an upper portion of the anode lead, while a cathode terminal is connected to an upper portion of the cathode layer. The capacitor element as well as a portion of the anode terminal and a portion of the cathode terminal are embedded in a resin casting, and the anode and cathode terminals are respectively drawn from both sides of the casting, and bent so that exposed portions of the anode and cathode terminals are situated along the sides and the lower surface of the casting. The cathode terminal has a U-shaped portion for receiving the capacitor element, while elongate slots may be made in both terminals.

Abstract: A method for processing a video signal comprises defining a successively shifted scan window with respect to the signal level of each picture element from which said video signal has been derived, totalizing the quantum numbers of the picture elements in the scan window corresponding to the original screen dot, and reconstructing black picture elements corresponding to the total value of the quantum numbers faithfully to the area of the original dot, and an apparatus for carrying out the method.

Abstract: In a voltage-controlled oscillator having an LC resonant circuit including a varactor circuit so that resonant frequency is controlled by a D.C. bias or control voltage applied to the varactor circuit, three or more varactors are connected in series in one embodiment so that a high-frequency voltage applied to the varactor circuit is divided into a plurality. The varactors may be connected in the same direction or opposite direction. In another embodiment, a plurality of series circuits of varactors are connected in parallel to provide the varactor circuit, where each series circuit comprises two or more varactors. A series-parallel connection of a plurality of varactors may be arranged in a matrix. In order to reduce undesirable stray capacitance, some or all varactors are attached to a printed circuit board so that they are normal to the plane of the printed circuit board. In one embodiment an auxiliary printed circuit board is employed so that some varactors are spaced from a main circuit board.

Abstract: In a liquid fuel burner of the type wherein vaporization of the fuel is sustained by the heat of its own flame, an oxygen sensor is located in the flame to provide a signal when the flame diminishes indicating the occurrence of an oxygen shortage condition to permit a safety device to automatically extinguish the flame.

Abstract: An arrangement for discharging liquid droplets comprises a housing including a chamber for holding liquid therein having an intake port connected to a liquid supply container, a vibrating member secured to the housing in pressure transmitting relation with the liquid in the chamber. The vibrating member is formed with at least one nozzle opening therein through which the liquid is discharged forwardly of the housing. A piezoelectric transducer is secured to the vibrating member for inducing a rearward displacement therein to discharge a small quantity of liquid through the nozzle opening.