Abstract: A plate heat exchanger, comprising a plurality of mutually facing plates that are hermetically coupled at at least one substantially peripheral portion and form at least two separate circuits for at least two fluids, each one of said plurality of plates having access ports that provide input ducts and output ducts for said at least two fluids, at least one portion of at least one face of at least one of said plurality of plates being uneven.

Abstract: The manifold includes a sleeve element (10) extending longitudinally about an axis (x), formed in one piece of plastics material and having a plurality of pairs of apertures (11, 12) distributed along the manifold. The apertures of each pair are aligned transversely with each other for engaging and locking on the manifold respective pairs of tubular metal elements (20, 30) connectable mechanically the one to the other (16) and to a branch (T) of the heating system.

Abstract: The valve includes a duct (13) for carrying water into the valve, a rotatable knob (18) for adjusting the flow of water through the duct (13) by means of a shutter, an externally projecting tubular body (20) of a transparent material with an internal cavity (21) and a flow indicator rod, slidable inside the valve, with a portion in the intake duct (13) and an indicator portion in the internal cavity (21) of the transparent body (20). The lower portion of the indicator rod (40) has a conical head (41) acting as a shutter for the intake duct (13) while the upper, indicator portion has an upper area able to indicate no water is flowing and a second, lower area able to indicate that water is flowing through the duct (13).

Abstract: A case management method that reduces the number of manual operations, prevents manual errors, guarantees updated data, and enables knowledge of the present location of a storage file. In the case management method, case information involving a processing deadline is input to the management computer. At least one event, which is a task including a single operation and involving the processing deadline or a task including a series of operations and involving the processing deadline, is generated. Workflows, which are series of operations performed in a section that is determined beforehand in accordance with the type of generated event, are stored in a database. A predetermined workflow is selected from the stored workflow. An event pool storing the generated event in association with the selected predetermined workflow is generated in the database.

Abstract: A watercraft constructed according to the invention includes at least one hull according to the invention described in the grandparent and great-grandparent patent applications that issued as U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,314,903 and 6,250,245, which hull includes first and second channel defining structures connected to the hull that define a first channel on a port side of the hull with a forwardly facing first channel entrance and a second channel on a starboard side of the hull with a second forwardly facing channel entrance. According to one aspect of the invention, the hull has a bow that extends to a vertical knife edge, and the first and second wing channel entrances are arranged to form a near horizontal knife edge at the deck level in order to enhance high speed operations. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an onboard air system for injecting air into the first and second channels in order to enhance high speed operation of the watercraft.

Abstract: A watercraft constructed according to the invention includes at least one hull according to the invention described in the grandparent and great-grandparent patent applications that issued as U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,314,903 and 6,250,245, which hull includes first and second channel defining structures connected to the hull that define a first channel on a port side of the hull with a forwardly facing first channel entrance and a second channel on a starboard side of the hull with a second forwardly facing channel entrance. According to one aspect of the invention, the hull has a bow that extends to a vertical knife edge, and the first and second wing channel entrances are arranged to form a near horizontal knife edge at the deck level in order to enhance high speed operations. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an onboard air system for injecting air into the first and second channels in order to enhance high speed operation of the watercraft.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a watercraft having a wave suppressing “M-shaped” hull design. The hull comprises a central displacement body flanked by two downwardly extending outer skirts. The outer skirts are attached to the displacement body by planing wings having wing channels. The bow wave is directed into the wing channels, thereby increasing planing efficiency and reducing the effect of such waves on other boats and the shoreline. One embodiment takes the form of a twin-hull catamaran with two M-shaped hulls and four arcuate channels for containing the spiraling bow waves from the two central displacement bodies, thus to increase lateral stability and to suppress boat waves to protect nearby boats and structures at the water/land interface.

Abstract: The present invention relate to a watercraft having a wave suppressing “M-shaped” hull design. The hull comprises a central displacement body flanked by two downwardly extending outer skirts. The outer skirts are attached to the displacement body by planing wings having wing channels. The bow wave is directed into the wing channels, thereby increasing planing efficiency and reducing the effect of such waves on other boats and the shoreline.

Abstract: A method for the preparation of an immobilized protein ultrathin film reactor by immersing a solid support alternately into an aqueous solution of protein, and into an aqueous solution of polyion charged oppositely to said protein and preparing a structurally controlled ultrathin film of mono- or multi- protein layers on a said solid support with precision at molecular level. And a method for chemical reaction of a substrate by preparing an immobilized protein ultrathin film reactor composed of multiple layers of protein on a solid support by above mentioned method, and initiating a chemical change of the substrate molecules using obtained immobilized protein ultrathin film reactor.

Abstract: A glass substrate for a magnetic disk of the present invention is one in which a laser beam is irradiated on a magnetic recording surface side thereby forming a large number of protrusions thereon to form texture thereon, each of the protrusions having a convex shape, an optical absorption coefficient of a glass with respect to a wavelength of a laser beam at 266 nm being within a range of 20 to 2000 mm.sup.-1, the glass having a composition by weight of:silicon oxide (SiO.sub.2): 58 to 66%,aluminum oxide (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3): 13 to 19%,lithium oxide (Li.sub.2 O): 3 to 4.5%,sodium oxide (Na.sub.2 O): 6 to 13%,potassium oxide (K.sub.2 O); 0 to 5%,R.sub.2 O: 9 to 18% (provided R.sub.2 O=Li.sub.2 O+NaO+K.sub.2 O),magnesium oxide (MgO): 0 to 3.5%,calcium oxide (CaO): 1 to 7%;strontium oxide (SrO): 0 to 2%;barium oxide (BaO): 0 to 2%,RO: 2 to 10% (provided RO=MgO+CaO+SrO+BaO), andiron oxide (Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3): 0.05 to 2%,titanium oxide (TiO.sub.2): 0 to 2%,cerium oxide(CeO.sub.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a carpenter planer in which a stock is cut during the reciprocative motion on a stock feeding table. The stock to be cut is reciprocated by a stock feeding unit above the stock feeding table, which is driven by a reversible motor. A detector for detecting the passage of the stock to change the forward or reverse rotation of the motor is provided on the side of the feeding table. The detector is adapted to emit a signal toward the side of the stock and to receive the reflected signal from the stock. With the detector is connected a timer for preventing the detector from malfunction even if the reflected signal has not been received by the detector for a predetermined period of time due to irregular reflection of the signal on the stock.

Abstract: A wood-planing and finishing machine in which a cutting tool is secured to a knife stock through a mounting plate. The mounting plate is mounted on the inclined mounting surface of the knife stock in such a manner that the tilting angle of the former, and therefore its vertical position, can be adjusted by means of a wedge member. The degree of projection of the tool increases when the upper end of the mounting plate is tilted upwardly, and decreases when it is tilted downwardly. The mounting plate is secured by the wedge member against tilting and vertical movements resulting from a resisting force acting on the tool during operation.

Abstract: A carpenter planer in which a stock reciprocatingly moved on a stock feeder table by a stock feeding belt can be cut during both the forward movements and backward movements of the stock. On the stock feeder table, a knife stock is provided via rotary disc such that a planer blade can be turned round in accordance with the direction in which the stock is moved. When a stock is fed from a front portion of a planer base onto the upper surface of the stock feeder table, it is moved toward the rear portion of the planer base by a stock feeding belt. The stock is cut by a planer blade while it is moved in the above-mentioned manner. When the rear end of the stock comes off rearwardly from the upper surface of the rotary disc, the rotation of the stock feeding belt is interrupted as the stock is kept pressed on the stock feeder table by the stock feeding belt. The rotary disc is thereafter turned in the opposite direction and the planer blade is turned in a different direction.