Abstract: This invention relates to a catalyst for ammonia synthesis. The main phase of the catalyst is a non-stoichiometric ferrous oxide expressed as Fe.sub.1-x O, which is structurally in a Wustite crystal phase form having the rock salt face-centered cubic lattice with lattice paracueter of 0.427-0.433 nm. This catalyst, which has quick reduction rate and high activity, and remarkably lowers the reaction temperature, is especially applicable as an ideal low-temperature, low-pressure ammonia synthesis catalsyt and can be widely used in ammonia synthesis industry.

Abstract: A system to disinfect and detoxify indoor duct-transported air to improve the quality thereof. A reactor is provided across a duct or housing and consists of a coated surface along the airstream path on which a semiconductor catalyst such as TiO.sub.2 has been coated. Ultraviolet lamps are installed in the reactor such that the catalyst is exposed to UV rays as the air passes over it. As the photons of ultraviolet light are absorbed on the TiO.sub.2 catalyst in the presence of water molecules in the air, hydroxyl radicals are created, which, in turn, cause the destruction of chemical and microbiological contaminants in the air. A relative humidity of 50%, under specific conditions of residence time provides an efficient number of water molecules to cause inactivation of microorganisms. The catalyst may be fixed on the matrix or on the surface of the duct as long as the ultraviolet light is incident on the catalyst as the air moves across it.

Abstract: A tool for measuring the extent of decay in a wooden object, comprising an elongated probe adapted to be inserted in an inspection hole drilled in the wooden object. The tool has at least one barb protruding therefrom adjacent to one end of the probe. The barb is designed to engage a side wall of the inspection hole so as to shear wood fibers in the side wall as the probe is withdrawn. There is indicator mechanically coupled to the probe for measuring the amount of pull-force required to shear the wood fibers in the inspection hole. The indicator includes a deflector mechanically connected to the other end of the probe and adapted to provide a measurable deflection as the pull-force required to shear the wood fibers increases. In use, when the pull-force exceeds a predetermined value, the indicator provides an indication of a transition within the wooden object from decaying wood to sound wood.

Abstract: A bottle cap remover is activated by inserting a bottle into an orifice. A detector adjacent the orifice detects the presence of the bottle and causes a linear actuator to drive a gripping device away from the top of the bottle where the cap is located. As the gripping device is moving away from the bottle cap, cam members direct hooked members of the gripping device around the bottle cap so that it is pulled off of and away from the bottle as the linear actuator drives the gripping device away from the bottle top. Once the bottle cap is removed, the linear actuator recycles to ready the bottle cap remover for the next bottle cap.

Abstract: A method of preserving sensitive biological dispersions, suspensions, emulsions and solutions by forming stable foams from fluid materials to be dehydrated, as an aid both to the drying of one or more biologically active substrates in the fluid and as an aid in preparing an easily divisible dried product suitable for further commercial use. The stable foams are formed by partially removing the water to form a viscous liquid and by further subjecting the reduced liquid to vacuum, to cause it to "boil" during further drying at temperatures substantially lower than 100 degrees C. In other words, reduced pressure is applied to viscous solutions or suspensions of biologically active materials to cause the solutions or suspensions to foam during boiling, and during the foaming process further solvent removal causes the ultimate production of a stable open-cell or closed-cell foam.

Abstract: The invention provides DNA molecules consisting essentially of a nucleotide sequence or part thereof which are asosciated with the genome of banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) as illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 8 (SEQ ID NOS: 49-54, 27-37, 55-60, 38-48, and 9-23, respectively) of the specification attached herewith.

Abstract: A high-Ni austenitic stainless steel having swelling resistance, high-temperature creep strength, and phase stability under irradiation. The irradiation resistance and high-temperature strength of the high-Ni austenitic stainless steel are enhanced when it is composed of the following percentages by weight: Si, not exceeding 0.5 wt. %; Mn, not exceeding 1.0 wt. %; Cr, 13-18 wt. %; Ni, 30-50 wt. %; Mo+W=2.0-6.0 wt. %; Nb+V=0.1-0.8 wt. % (Nb/(Nb+V) ?weight ratio!=0.20-0.85 ?weight ratio!; N, 0.01-0.2 wt. %; and the residual consisting of Fe and unavoidable impurities.

Abstract: A lighting system for an interior of a building and the like includes a means (30) for collecting and converting sunlight into concentrated light. The collecting means (30) is optically coupled, preferably by way of optical joint (43), coupling means (44), and optical joint (45), to a channelling means (46), such as an optical cable, so that the concentrated light passes to the channelling means (46) and is channelled to a light emitting fitting for the interior of the building and the like.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for supporting a plurality of virtual channel (VC) connections within a single virtual path (VP) in a digital communications network operating in the Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). The apparatus (56) is combined with the cross-connected part of a conventional VC switch (54) to form a Data Switch (40). A VP switch (42) switches and terminates incoming bandwidth-resourced VPs on lines (48), some of which are carrying non-bandwidth-resourced VCs and switched onto lines 50 on the output side of VP switch 42. VPs on lines (50) are switched and multiplexed by the Data Switch (40). Buffers (66) store cells and a VP rate server. The buffers (66) are significantly larger than in a conventional VC switch to enable smoothing of data flow peaks associated with data flowing from multiple bandwidth resourced VP tributaries into single resourced VP tributaries. Despite the large buffers in the Data Switch (40) congestion may result when data bursts occur on several converging streams.

Abstract: A stopper manufacturing method of a silicon micromachining structure comping steps of growing an oxidized film on a n-type substrate; opening a n.sup.+ -diffusion window by the photo-lithography through first selective diffusion and forming a n.sup.+ -diffusion region using n-type impurity sources; forming a n.sup.+ diffusion region by the depth 0.5 to 5 .mu.m on the portion subject to form a stopper through the secondary diffusion; removing the oxidized film and growing a n-type silicon epitaxial layer on the front surface of the substrate; etching the n-type silicon epitaxial layer, selectively, exposing the n.sup.+ -layer and depositing a porous silicon layer in HF solution by the anodic reaction; and etching the porous silicon layer away in etching solution to form a microstructure, thereby preventing the side etching and the breaking down of the microstructure by the exterior shock.

Abstract: An automatic bottle scrubber for use with automatic bottle washing machines utilizes vertical powered brushes which rotate as the bottles go by on a conveyor system to scrub the bottles in a wet environment to remove dirt. The bottles are allowed to rotate during the scrubbing process so that all of the exterior of the bottle will be scrubbed. The brushes used are preferably helically disposed on a drive rod and rotated in such a manner as to cause the bottle to lift up out of its conveyor receptacle. Thus, while rotating, abrasion to the bottle and to the conveyor receptacle is minimized due to reduced contact between the conveyor receptacle and the bottle. A guide or bar disposed over the scrubber station keeps the bottles from coming completely out of the conveyor receptacle.

Abstract: A clarification system for water having entrained in solution or as an emulsion, broad spectrum contaminants. The system comprises a collision chamber having an entry aperture and an ion collider disposed in a central region therein. The ion collider treats the water and the contaminants with a plurality of free electrons. A separation chamber is disposed rearwardly of the collision chamber and is in flow communication with a first overflow weir for receiving the treated water and treated contaminants. An upstanding member in the separation chamber has a plurality of apertures sized to urge passage of the bulk of the treated contaminants through the apertures. A clarifying chamber is disposed rearwardly of the separation chamber and has a plurality of baffle plates obliquely oriented that urge upward flow of the treated water therethrough across the baffle plates. A water collection reservoir is disposed rearwardly of the clarifying chamber and is in flow communication with the clarifying chamber.

Abstract: A lighting system for an interior of a building includes a device for collecting and converting sunlight into concentrated light consisting of a stack of fluorescent sheets. The collecting device is optically coupled, preferably by way of an optical joint to a channelling member such as an optical cable, so that the concentrated light passes to the channelling member and is channelled to a light emitting fitting for the interior of the building. The channelling members are formed such that their cross-sectional shape changes from the cross-section of the collecting device to the cross-section of the channelling members with an approximately constant cross-sectional area being maintained throughout the change of cross-sectional shape, whereby the coupling device is an optical joint created by a medium having a refractive index close to that of the collecting device and channelling members.

Abstract: A pulverizing apparatus comprising: a grinding chamber formed between the inlet of materials and the outlet of the materials with bearings at the bottom, a shaft supported in the bearings extending into the grinding chamber and being driven by a motor, a conical plate mounted on the shaft with more than one radial blades or radial hammer plates on its inner surface, a powder selector, an air-blower and an air duct connecting the blower with the grinding chamber, the air vent of said air duct located above the conical plate. The pulverizing apparatus merges hammer pulverization, impact pulverization and power self-grind into a whole, which simultaneously finishes intermediate crush, fine crush and grinding materials, and which can improve the fineness and transmit the unfinished product into a selecting system by creating the high speed vortex.

Abstract: A method of increasing the amount of hydrocarbons that are recoverable from an underground reservoir into which an oil well has been drilled. The method includes first pumping a quantity of negatively charged water down the oil well and into the underground reservoir. Then a quantity of particles of a copper-nickel-zinc alloy are pumped down the oil well and into the underground oil reservoir. Optionally the alloy is followed by a quantity of frac sand pumped down the well and into the reservoir and followed by a sufficient volume of negatively charged water to flush the frac sand out of the well casing and wellbore and into the reservoir. The well is then shut-in to stabilize the particles of alloy and frac sand, if added, within the reservoir.

Abstract: Provided is a method of inhibiting estrogen activity by administering a biologically active amount of a substituted dibenzofuran or substituted dibenzodioxin.

Abstract: A distribution apparatus for transporting an article struck from sheet metal is disclosed, which includes a receiving head having a recess for receiving the article struck from the sheet. The recess includes a resilient interference feature extending inwardly beyond the boundary of the article to be received. Transporting apparatus is further provided for transporting the receiving head to a selected destination and, finally, a discharging element is included for discharging the article from the receiving head at the selected destination.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an 8-beam bridge-type silicon acceleration sensor omprises the steps of: growing a silicon oxide layer on the top surface of the silicon substrate; forming an n.sup.+ diffusion region in the substrate by successively performing the process of opening a diffusion window in the silicon oxide layer, implanting n.sup.+ impurities in the silicon substrate through the diffusion window, and evenly diffusing the n.sup.+ impurities into the substrate; removing the silicon oxide layer, and then growing an epitaxial layer thereon; forming a plurality of piezo-resistors in the epitaxial layer by successively performing the process of growing an oxide layer on the epitaxial layer, implanting impurities, and then evenly diffusing the impurities; removing the silicon oxide layer; forming a porous silicon layer from the n.sup.

Abstract: Method and apparatus to facilitate the economical recovery of crude oil from an oil well having a string of tubing which extends to the level of the underground reservoir of crude oil. An Ion Collider is attached to the lower end of the tubing with the Ion Collider at the level of the crude oil reservoir. The Ion Collider consists of two spaced-apart cylindrical metal tubes whose common vertical axis coincides with the axis of the string of tubing. The Ion Collider's inner tube has its upper end capped and its lower end joined to the lower end of the outer tube whose upper end opens into the interior of the tubing. The Ion Collider's inner tube contains a multiplicity of spaced-apart holes in its cylindrical wall. The entire inner tube and the inner surface of the outer tube are made of an alloy of copper and nickel in which the copper comprises at least 80% of the alloy.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for separating immiscible solid or liquid particles such as oil from a liquid-based mixture or emulsion. The apparatus consists of two spaced apart concentric elongated metal cylinders. The wall of the innermost cylinder contains a multiplicity of spaced apart radially bored holes and its exit end is capped. The outer surface of the innermost cylinder and the inner surface of the outer cylinder consists of an alloy of copper and nickel. Liquid is pumped under pressure into the innermost cylinder causing a multiplicity of jets of liquid to issue from the holes in the inner cylinder wall to bombard the copper-nickel surface of the inner wall of the outer cylinder. Electrons freed from the copper in the wall combine with both liquid molecules and particle molecules, causing the particles to separate from the liquid.