Abstract: Disclosed is a cascade voltage amplifier for producing an amplified output in pulse or continuous wave form comprises at least one non-final stage with an electron tube configured as a switching and Class A or C amplifying structure. A final stage comprises an electron tube configured as a Class A or C amplifying structure. The at least one non-final stage and the final stage are connected in series, and the amplified output has a voltage of at least 1000 volts. Further disclosed is a method of activating a plurality of cascaded electron tube stages within a common vacuum enclosure. Beneficially, a sufficient amount of energy supplied to the first stage serially propagates through any intervening stage to the final stage so as to facilitate activation of all tube stages.

Abstract: A system and process for controlling vehicle loading on a multi-axle vehicle and improving maneuverability is disclosed. The system includes a reservoir of pressurized air and associated leveling valve that uses a relay valve to improve refill times when the vehicle returns from a dump mode operation to normal operation. The process reduces pressure in one or more of the axles when maneuvering the vehicle at predetermined slow speeds and maintaining that first predetermined pressure while the other axle(s) is at a greater pressure than the first axle. By preventing complete exhaustion of pressure from the suspension system, restoring air pressure is attained more quickly. Also, use of a relay valve enables higher flow rates to improve the refill time of the pneumatic suspension system after the dump operation.

Abstract: A valve for use in a pneumatic system of a truck-trailer having a source of air under pressure, a reservoir, at least one spring brake unit and a brake service line is provided. The valve includes a housing, a pressure protection valve portion, a spring brake actuation valve portion and an anti-compounding valve portion. The housing has a supply passage in communication with the source of air under pressure. The pressure protection valve portion is disposed within a first chamber of the housing. The first chamber has an inlet in communication with the supply passage and an outlet in communication with the reservoir. The pressure protection valve portion is configured to selectively block the flow of pressurized air from the supply passage to the reservoir through the first chamber. The spring brake actuation valve portion is disposed within a second chamber of the housing.

Abstract: An automotive Passenger Side Inflatable Restraint (PSIR) hidden door system contained in an automotive instrument panel and a method of scoring the PSIR door system. The system includes forward and rearward doors hingedly connected at first and second hinges, respectively, to a PSIR airbag chute. The system further includes a common tear line of reduced material thickness integrally joining the forward and rearward doors. The common tear line has a substantially non-linear shape with first and second linear ends.

Abstract: A hybrid surge protector for a network interface device (NID) is disclosed. The hybrid surge protector includes a fail-safe spring connected to the ground electrode of a three-electrode gas tube. Tabs on the fail-safe spring are held away from the gas-tube end electrodes by a fusible element. The hybrid surge protector also includes metal-oxide varistor elements (“MOVs”) in contact with the gas-tube end electrodes and with the ground electrode via an MOV spring. This arrangement provides for two initial paths to ground-one path from the gas-tube end electrodes to the ground electrode through the gas tube, and another from the gas-tube end electrodes to the ground electrode through the MOVs and the MOV spring. The dominant path to ground starts as the MOV ground path but switches to the gas-tube path as the gas tube becomes activated. Another path to ground via the fail-safe spring is also available should the gas tube overheat.

Abstract: An earthen retaining wall constructed with welded wire grid includes a series of soil reinforcing elements and separate facing panels with distal ends is provided. Soil reinforcing transverse elements capture the distal ends of the facing panel on both the front face side and the back face side. Capturing the distal ends on both the front side and back side horizontally secures the reinforcing elements without the aid of secondary connectors such as hog-rings, tie wires, connection pins, or other supplemental connectors. The soil reinforcing elements are free to move in the vertical direction but not in the horizontal direction.

Abstract: A bone plate assembly utilizing at least one bone screw for fixation of adjacent bones of a spine including a base plate having at least one aperture extending therethrough and screw retaining mechanism mounted and movable on the plate between locked and unlocked positions relative to the aperture for preventing the bone screw from backing out from the base plate. Furthermore, a device for placement into an aperture of a base plate including a screw retaining mechanism mountable and movable on a plate between locked and unlocked positions relative to an aperture for preventing a bone screw from backing out from the base plate.

Abstract: The notification system identifies media content based on personal preferences of individual users and provides notification of identified media content to the users. In one embodiment, the system includes a number of user nodes that communicate with a registration site and a notification site via the interne. The notification site includes a media content database and a processor running contents election logic. The processor accesses the media content database in order to identify content that may be of interest to particular users of the user nodes. In this regard, content for a particular user may be identified by matching interest information obtained from the registration site with the content information of the media content database.

Abstract: A quick connector coupling assembly comprising a body, a tube, and a retainer to secure the tube in the body. The body defines an internal cavity extending from an opening. The tube has an endform extending through the opening and into the internal cavity. The endform has a tip and an engagement surface. The engagement surface of the endform coacts with a locking surface associated with the body or the retainer to resist rotational movement of the tube relative to the body.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting the presence of a medicament reservoir within the housing of an infusion pump. A medicament reservoir, affixed to a reservoir cap is removably inserted within the housing of an infusion pump. A magnet is affixed to or embedded in one or both of the reservoir or the reservoir cap. Alternately, the cap or the reservoir can be made of magnetic material. A sensing device embedded or otherwise affixed to the pump housing senses the presence or absence of the magnetic field created by the magnet. The presence of the magnetic field indicates that the reservoir is inserted properly within the housing and the absence of the magnetic field indicates that the reservoir has been at least partially withdrawn from the pump's housing.

Abstract: Three elements of a fluid flow control device—switch, button, label—are designed to minimize the possibility of two labeled buttons being swapped on their switches. If the parts are assembled incorrectly or mislabeled, or if the buttons are thereafter swapped on the switches, it will be very obvious; then, if one attempts to fix such a problem, it can only be fixed by placing the buttons on the correct switches, and it can not be fixed by leaving the buttons on the wrong switches.

Abstract: There is presented a system and method for providing aircraft runway guidance. One delineated runway alert system for a host aircraft comprises: a processor for executing one or more instructions that implement one or more functions of the runway alert system; a data storage device including geographical runway information; a receiver for obtaining current location data of the host aircraft; an apparatus to provide a current heading of the host aircraft; a data entry device for receiving data indicating a desired runway; memory for storing the one or more instructions for execution by the processor to implement the one or more functions of the runway alert system to: receive the identity of the desired runway; provide an indicia of: the desired runway; and the position of the host aircraft in relation to the desired runway.

Abstract: A demand initiated method for regenerating a water softener which operates the softener ion exchange bed over a capacity range in which the resin is most efficiently restored by exposure to brine. The reserve capacity of the softener is adjusted in response to the amount of softening capacity used since the last regeneration, as is the quantity of saturated brine to be used for the next regeneration, which is scheduled when the reserve capacity is exceeded, or the remaining available capacity will not be adequate for expected usage on the next day of the week. The method schedules a regeneration when the amount of exchange capacity of the resin bed used since the last regeneration plus the variation of exchange capacity used on the next day plus the average exchange capacity of the resin bed used on the next day is greater than the selected design exchange capacity.

Abstract: A robustly stabilized communication laser can output a multimode optical signal remaining aligned to a coordinate of a dense wavelength division multiplexing (“DWDM”) grid while responding to a fluctuating condition or random event, such as, without limitation, exposure to a temperature fluctuation, stray light, or contamination. Responsive to the fluctuating condition, energy can transfer among individual modes in a plurality of aligned longitudinal modes. Modes shifting towards a state of misalignment with the DWDM coordinate can attenuate, while modes shifting towards a state of alignment can gain energy. Fabrication processes and systems and light management, such as beam steering, epoxy scaffolds, spectral adjustments, mode matching, thermal expansion control, alignment technology, etc. can facilitate nano-scale control of device parameters and can support low-cost fabrication.

Abstract: Apparatus for binding perfect bound books of different thickness is disclosed where the amount of adhesive applied to the spine of the book block may be varied in relation to the thickness of the book block. An adhesive application station is provided which has a rotary driven adhesive application wheel partially immersed in a bath of a liquefied adhesive such that as a portion of the wheel rotates up out of the adhesive, the periphery of the wheel is coated with a layer of adhesive. An area of increased thickness of the adhesive if formed adjacent the top of the wheel so that upon effecting relative movement of the book block and the adhesive application station, adhesive is applied to the spine of the book block.

Abstract: There are provided components, connectors, receptacles, cables, and systems wherein passive RFID functionality is incorporated. Also provided are passive RFID elements in general. The passive RFID elements power visual indicators based on receipt of external RF signals. Passive energy storage devices may be employed to provide electrical energy to the visual indicators. The passive energy storage devices may be charged by the external RF signals. The visual indicators may operate continuously or according to a predetermined flashing pattern.

Abstract: A water treatment system is provided having an encapsulate manifold with a reverse osmosis cartridge and one or more filter cartridges. The filter cartridge includes a detent for being received within a slot in the manifold head for secure locking engagement. The water treatment system further includes a single probe conductivity monitoring system for monitoring the performance of a reverse osmosis membrane. The water treatment system is also provided in a modular arrangement wherein manifold heads are physically and fluidly coupled together via a clip which interfaces with the modular manifold heads. The water treatment system also allows for a retrofit application to include a permeate pump. The cartridges are also designed to provide a minimum annular inlet gap to minimize spillage during changing of the cartridges.

Abstract: An amplifier circuit includes a pair of amplifying devices, a first balun coupled between an input port of the amplifier circuit and RF input ports of the pair of amplifying devices and a second balun coupled between RF output ports of the pair of amplifying devices and an output port of the amplifier circuit wherein the first and second baluns are configured such that the amplifier circuit operates under open condition for signals at a second harmonic frequency even when the second harmonic frequency is within an operating frequency band of a fundamental frequency of the amplifier circuit. In one embodiment, the amplifier circuit includes a bypass circuit which selectively couples balun ports to ground such that in response to a first control signal, the amplifier circuit operates in an amplifying mode and in response to a second control signal, the amplifier circuit operates in a bypass mode.

Abstract: Plastic cards constructed from a material comprising recycled scrap material. The recycled scrap material may be provided from a variety of sources including plastic cards constructed from virgin polymeric material, plastic cards comprising recycled scrap material, and scrap polymeric material generated during processing of virgin polymeric material and/or recycled scrap polymeric material, and combinations thereof. A method for forming plastic cards comprising recycled scrap material comprises recovering scrap polymeric material, regrinding the scrap polymeric material to provide recycled scrap particles, forming a plastic sheet from the recycled scrap particles, and forming plastic cards from the sheet.

Abstract: A reporting system capable of reporting the end of a scanning session to a user through existing computer peripheral devices is proposed. By reporting at the end of a scanning session, the user can proceed with subsequent scanning operations with no delay. Hence, idle time of the scanner is greatly reduced.