Abstract: In a device for forming vertical piles of items, coming from a feeding line, a pair of conveyor belts set side by side, at the end of the feeding line translate the items downwards onto a plane disposed beneath, while a pusher moves vertically in order to push the items coming from the feeding line towards the belts; a frame is made to horizontally and vertically move to engage with the support plane, in a transfer phase, and to move beneath the plane, in a return phase; the frame is also suited to support a subsequent pile being formed during the transfer phase and to allow the descent of the pile being formed on the support plane during the return phase.

Abstract: Probe cocktails contain a nucleic acid probe and a sulfated polysaccharide as a volume excluding polymer to speed up hybridization rates. Exemplary sulfated polysaccharides are chondroitin sulfate A and C, which can be extracted from cartilage and similar tissues. Compared to synthetic anionic polymers such as dextran sulfate, the probe cocktails can have reduced viscosities and surface tensions, as well as reduced water loss when the cocktail is heated to denature DNA before rehybridization. The reduced viscosity and surface tension are of particular value when entering and exiting narrow spaces, as in some automated analyzers and in capillary gap methodologies.

Abstract: An electric contact holder base for electric lighters or other gadgets for motor vehicles is provided with a thermic protection against overheating that allows its reutilization. The base has a substantially cylindrical body, permanently fixed in the passenger's cabin and carries electric contacts for the gadget that is inserted in said cylindrical body. At least a bimetallic spring acts as a holding element of the lighter in the cylindrical body during the resting phase of the same. A bimetallic lamina is the thermic protection device against overheating; this is a separated element, connected at one end with an electric contact, while the other end is facing the wall of the cylindrical body and folded back towards its bottom.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing sacks, made of polyethylene or other heat-sealable material, obtained by superposing two films or sheets which are unwound from respective rolls and are submitted to a pair of longitudinal welds to form a tube, and to transverse welds cuts. The edges of one of the sheets are formed with a re-entrant fold whereby the edges will overlap, with a portion of their outer faces, corresponding portions of the inner face of the other sheet. When only one of the sheets is folded at the edges, the welding of the overlapped end portions is effected by a single respective sealing bar acting on the outer face of the edges to be joined and having an opposite stationary contrasting member.

Abstract: This coding band, in particular for electric cables, is provided, proximate o its longitudinal edges, with perforations adapted to be engaged by the traction elements of a computer printer and with a plurality of prepunched strips which extend substantially transversely to the longitudinal extension of the band. The strips delimit regions for printing identification codes for the cables to be tagged, can be individually removed from the band and can be inserted in a seat defined in a supporting element which is associable with at least one cable to be tagged. The strip further defines teeth for its retention in the seat.

Abstract: An improved leadframe for packages of integrated power devices which, by virtue of its configuration, allows to press the dissipator on the bottom of the shell during the molding of the plastic case, without the dissipator having exposed portions of its inner face (which is in contact with the chip). In order to achieve this, the leadframe according to the invention comprises a monolithic body which defines a perimetric frame, the leads and the dissipator. The dissipator extends in a depressed plane with respect to the frame and is connected to the frame and to the leads in at least three step-like points which are mutually spaced and non-aligned. During the molding of the plastic case, a pressure is exerted on the frame and is transmitted to the dissipator by the three step-like points, so that the dissipator is effectively pressed flat against the bottom of the mold without using pushers which pass through the plastic case.

Abstract: An electrical contact comprising a male element and a female element in which the male element is mounted for sliding with a tight fit, an air chamber being formed between an end of the male element and a bottom of the female element, the male and female elements being at least partially made from a porous material impregnated with an aqueous solution charged with submicron metal particles.

Abstract: An integrated device with improved connections between the pins and the semiconductor material chip which integrates electronic components. In order to allow the integration of signal components and power components in a same device with a reduced use of area for the soldering pads and with high reliability of the connections, the connecting wires are made of different materials. Advantageously, the wires for the power connections are based on aluminum and have large diameters, and the wires for the signal connections are gold-based and have a small diameter. In order to ensure good soldering, the ends of the pins on which the connecting wires are to be soldered are gold-plated.

Abstract: Transesterified copolymers of maleic anhydride, particularly useful in the field of detergency and anti-scaling agents, obtained from preformed copolymers of maleic anhydride with vinyl acetate, by at least partial transesterification of said preformed copolymers.

Abstract: The protection device ocmprises automatic commutating means interposed between the base of a transistor to be protected and the collector of a power device to cause a flow of current having a low voltage drop between the base and the collector when the collector voltage falls below a predetermined value.

Abstract: The room-temperature stabilization process particularly for grape must, includes the steps of conveying a flow of grape must to be stabilized, which has preliminarily been subjected to a depectizing treatment with enzymes, toward a flotation tank, of pressurizing all or part of the must in a pressurization tank with dissolution of an oxidizing gas at a pressure comprised between 2 and 6 bar, of depressurizing the part through a laminar flow valve, of mixing the flow of crude must and the depressurized must, of adding coagulating substances in the flow, of feeding the flow into a tank with a very low head in which the supersaturated gas is released in the form of microscopic bubbles which cling to the particles suspended in the must, making them float toward the surface, of removing the floated solids from the surface of the tank and the settled solids from the bottom, and finally of extracting the stabilized must from the tank after a permanence time of no more than 20 minutes.

Abstract: An electronic circuit tester according to the invention comprises: a connection board for connection with each of the terminals of the circuit to be tested; n boards (16), called electronic pins, comprising signal shaping means each of which is connected to an input of the connection board; a single test vector memory unit (17) containing all the test vectors for the circuit and from the circuit, those vectors transiting through said electronic pins; a central processing unit (10) for managing the system and the external links; in which the management of the vector memory is made alternatively by a memory management unit (22 ) connected independently from the other tester units to the central processing unit (10) or by an address processor (23) asynchronously operating with respect to the central processing unit.

Abstract: The machine comprises a first station to and from which cassettes are admitted and ejected in single succession, and a second station with mechanically interconnected and simultaneously operated devices, including a first pair serving to open and shut the cassette on the one hand, and a magazine from which new film is dispensed, on the other, and a further pair by which single sheets of exposed and new film are picked up and transferred from the cassette to a collection point, located inside the machine, and from the magazine to the cassette, respectively; another mechanism connects the bay occupied by the magazine with that occupied by the cassette, and permits of adjusting the dimensions of the cassette bay to suit a different size of magazine simply by positioning the magazine between front and rear transverse stops.

Abstract: Compounds of formula I ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is OH or NH.sub.2 and R.sub.2 is H or NH.sub.2, R is H or lower alkyl, A is an alkyl chain optionally interrupted by heteroatoms and B is an amino acid, a di- or tri-peptide, are useful in human therapy.

Abstract: The valve unit includes a valve plate fitted to a head end of the cylinder of the compressor and having a valve-controlled intake part and an exhaust port surrounded by an annular seat formed in an opposite face of the plate from that which faces the cylinder, an exhaust valve reed associated with the seat, and a limit device fixed to the plate for limiting the travel of the exhaust reed. The exhaust reed includes a base portion which is restrained on the plate, an obturating head portion spaced from the base portion and cooperating with the seat, and an elongate portion connected the base and head portions. The connecting portion is "L"-shaped in plan with the head portion situated at the end of the leg of the "L" and the base portion situated at the end of the foot of the "L". The foot of the "L" is free to bend with the leg of the "L".