Abstract: An antenna tower is provided having one or more antennae at the removed end thereof, which tower is configured for ease of maintenance of the antenna by a serviceman standing on the ground and servicing the antenna. Applicants' antenna tower includes a fixed vertical base or mast tube, fixed to the ground and having a removed end. At or near the removed end of the base tube, a swing tube is pivotally attached. The swing tube has a first end removably coupled to a near end of the base tube, and a removed end extending beyond the removed end of the base tube. Attached to the removed end of the swing tube is a pivotally mounted configured member or pivot tube. The pivotally mounted elongated member receives an antenna thereupon. The pivot tube is removably coupled to the swing tube to allow the pivot tube to rotate.

Abstract: A process for treating foliage by retaining an active agent in contact with the foliage is provided that includes the application of a biologically active ingredient carrier granule. The granule includes a mineral component, a cellulosic component, and a binder flowing upon wetting intermixed with the mineral component and the cellulosic components. A biologically active ingredient is added to the granule to treat the foliage. The foliage in either a dry or pre-wetted state. The contact of the granule with water causes the granule to flow to form a coherent film bound by the binder on the foliage with the active agent retained in the film in contact with the foliage.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adding audible noise with time varying volume to audio devices are disclosed which makes the time varying volume envelope of the added audible noise proportional to the time varying volume envelope of sound for frequencies where an individual has a restricted range of perception. The method and apparatus are used to improve the audibility, speech intelligibility, and word recognition characteristics in audio devices.

Abstract: This invention relates to dielectric barrier discharges devices. More particularly, it relates to dielectric barrier discharge apparatus which employ a dielectric barrier disposed within the discharge gap between spaced apart electrodes to generate a plasma when subjected to pulsed high voltages. The dielectric barrier material has a high thermal conductivity and is held in physical contact with a heat sink which aids in dissipation of thermal energy released in formation of the plasma.

Abstract: A puck formed from compressed paper strips is provided that has utility as an animal entertainment device and nest building material. The paper strips include at least one ply of fibrous material, and may be treated with adjuvants illustratively including flavorants, fragrances, dyes, and odor suppressants. The unfolding and deconstruction of the puck into constituent paper strips by an animal provides the animal with a degree of mental stimulation and nest construction for thermal regulation, and it is noted that animal food consumption and health are generally improved by alleviating behaviors associated with cage confinement. The pre-measured quantum of material in an inventive puck affords a benefit to the caregiver in that the product is simply placed in the cage without resort to measuring and thereby saving time and precluding spillage of separated materials. The puck is particularly beneficial to rodents and especially mice.

Abstract: A torsion slide suspension has a pair of polyethylene slides on each side of the suspension that is received in slide channels on a trailer frame. The torsion slide suspension has a rubber spring on top for bearing against the trailer frame and provides suspension to support the wheels of a ground level loading trailer.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an elongate shaft, a first paddle including a connecting member disposed generally parallel to the shaft and a cross member disposed generally perpendicular to the shaft and coupled thereto, wherein the connecting member includes at least one notch formed along an edge thereof, and a second paddle including a connecting member disposed generally parallel to the shaft and a cross member disposed generally perpendicular to the shaft and coupled thereto, wherein the connecting member includes at least one notch formed along an edge thereof.

Abstract: A sensor assembly includes a replaceable sensor module and an assembly housing. The assembly housing contains an assembly housing processor and an electrical connector connected to the processor. The replaceable sensor module has an enclosure adapted to be mounted in a position to sense a process variable, a process variable transducer positioned in said enclosure so as to be exposed to the process variable, and a non-volatile memory having stored therein specific profiling data for the sensor module. The assembly housing processor has data representing a desired sensor assembly output characteristic, and is responsive to receipt of specific profiling data and to the data representing the desired sensor assembly output characteristic to calibrate the sensor assembly to provide the desired sensor assembly output characteristic when connected to the sensor module having the specified profiling data. Radial and axial seals are provided for the openings in the assembly housing.

Abstract: A method of deriving individual gain compensation curves for hearing aid fitting includes providing a system that detects, measures and records head azimuth for sound direction affirmation by a patient and provides a plurality of audio signals through a plurality of test sequences to the ears of the patient, including establishing a comfortable listening level of the patient, establishing binaural balance for right and left ears, establishing loudness discomfort levels of the patient, establishing thresholds-of-hearing levels of the patient and generating a binaurally balanced measurement array of measured equal-loudness levels and measured thresholds-of-hearing levels for both left and right ears.

Abstract: A torsion slide suspension has a pair of polyethylene slides on each side of the suspension that is received in slide channels on a trailer frame. The torsion slide suspension has a rubber spring on top for bearing against the trailer frame and provides suspension to support the wheels of a ground level loading trailer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hypodermic injection system having a direct-drive motor for moving a ram towards an injectate chamber for discharging injectate therein through a discharge orifice. The system can have an injection head attached to a housing having an injectate chamber for holding injectate to be injected, a remote discharge device with a control apparatus or the structure for holding a cartridge containing injectate. The injectate supply could be a bottle, a remote reservoir or a cartridge. An injection head can have a nose actuator for enabling an injection only if the nose actuator has engaged the body to be injected. A clamping device clamps the body to be injected. Control is effected through a microprocessor to which the electrically-operated parts of the invention are attached. Control and output signals are readable through an electronic display.

Abstract: Polyurethane/urea elastomer compositions which retain their dimensions at elevated temperatures. These polyurethane/urea elastomers surprisingly have improved green strength or dimensional stability upon demolding at typical mold temperatures of 80 to 130 C and remain dimensionally stable throughout the post cure process which is typically overnight at about 100 C. They are useful in indirect food contact or dry food contact applications since the compositions use trimethylene glycol di(p-aminobenzoate) as a chain extender or curative. The polyurethane/urea elastomers may be prepared by reacting toluene diisocyanate prepolymers with trimethylene glycol di(p-aminobenzoate).

Abstract: A bunk bed system including a head board and a foot board assembled with corner posts and interconnecting slats including a modified mortise and tenon joint which includes a dado on a lateral face of the tenon in alignment with a vertical post channel and longitudinal pin channel which lock and fixedly holding the joint together. The vertical channel member cooperatively engages the dado to both fixedly hold the tenon within the mortise and to also hold the tenon perpendicular to the mortise.

Abstract: A modular floor tile comprising a substrate having a first land with a support surface and first and second perimeter portions each defining a second land with a surface recessed relative to the support surface, the first and second perimeter portions each defining spaced-apart T-lugs and alternating T-recesses, whereby two tiles join together by the T-recesses of a first tile receiving respective T-lugs of a second tile, and the support surface supporting footwear remote from the second land to avoid scuffing against the joined T-lugs and T-recesses which resist separation of adjacent tiles during use.

Abstract: A modular fenestration system includes a collection of standardized functional units such as double hung window units, casement window units, picture window units, transom units, and the like. The functional units all share common sightlines, common glass set-back, common interfaces, common design language, and are sized according to a unique modular or incremental sizing grid. The sizing grid specifies individual window units in terms of the rough opening size in which they are designed to be installed. Individual functional units are easily combinable in a vast array of combinations to create a large number of possible composite window units. The system also includes a collection of interior and exterior trim units, grilles, and hardware in various architectural styles that can be attached to installed standardized functional units via the common interfaces to match the architecture of a particular home or building.

Abstract: A compact mobile satellite communications system, including an integrated direct wave antenna and a low profile precision antenna positioning system, where the integrated direct wave antenna is configured to provide the minimum swept volume when steered and pointed such that it moves completely within a ten inch sphere, which provides an advantage when the system is mounted on a moving vehicle such as an aircraft, and the integrated direct wave antenna includes a refractive component as well as down conversion electronics to provide a L band signal output.

Abstract: A novel connector pair suppresses arcing during connection and disconnection. In one general aspect of the invention, first and second insulating barriers are configured to extend beyond corresponding first and second contacts, the barriers being arranged to cover a leading end of at least one of the contacts, and to engage with each other when the contacts are separated by a small gap, thereby closing off substantially all through-air arcing paths between them. In another general aspect of the invention, at least one electrical contact in a connector pair is a bimetal contact having a transitional segment made from high resistivity metal. The transitional segment is configured to make first and last contact during the initial phases of mating and un-mating, thereby increasing electrical resistance and significantly lowering the electrical current and the energy available for electrical arcing.