Abstract: An apparatus for producing a heat recoverable plastic article such as a tube by deforming the article from a heat-stable configuration to a heat-unstable configuration. The heat-unstable configuration will return to the heat-stable configuration when the article is heated to above the heat recovery temperature. The article is heated such that the article is at a temperature no lower than the heat recovery temperature during the deforming step by lossy particles dispersed in the article or in a tool used in the deforming step. The lossy particles allow auto-regulated heating of the article since the particles cannot be heated beyond their Curie transition temperature when subjected to an alternating magnetic field. These particles are preferably ferrites. Alternatively, the tool can include a braided mesh tubing of a ferromagnetic alloy wire.

Abstract: An electrode seal for arc furnaces, particularly arc furnaces for steel making, has a first element in the form of a water cooled copper sleeve lining an aperture in the furnace roof for passage of an electrode, the sleeve having an upper surface engaged by a lower surface of a horizontally slidable seal ring formed by beryllium copper water cooled segments which abut end-to-end to form a close fitting collar around the electrode having an internal diameter the same as the external diameter of the electrode. The segments are spring loaded radially against each other and so as to center them over the aperture, so as to accommodate any minor oversize or irregularities of the electrode, as well as damping horizontal movement of the latter, and are also spring-urged downwardly against the sleeve. Water passages in the segments and in the sleeve are connected in series, and water piping and spring loading apparatus are arranged to leave part of the periphery of the seal free, allowing close grouping of electrodes.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for the activation or reactivation of carbon in a tubular reactor that consists of two or more sequential sections, each section containing a descending column of carbon, with inlets to introduce steam into any one or more of the sections, and wherein the electric current is fed into the column of carbon of each such section via a graphite block serving as an electrode and positioned at the center of the top of the column by attachment to a steel plate that includes a flat or a V-shaped shelf and that is provided with openings to allow the released gases and vapors to escape.

Abstract: A hanger for a power factor capacitor and method of attachment by brazing reduces metallurgical changes that can lead to cracks in the tank wall from welding. The hanger has a base plate with a circular opening and a raised shoulder that provides a single ring of contact between the tank wall and hanger. A ring of brazing alloy is placed within the opening on the tank wall. Through induction of electric current, the brazing alloy melts and flows resulting in a complete braze between the hanger and the tank wall which is accomplished at a much lower temperature than other welding techniques.

Abstract: The mirror assembly uses a non-reflective conductive coating as a heating element for preventing fog formation on a mirror exposed to a humid environment such as is found in a bathroom. As compared to conductive reflective mirror coatings, the non-reflective conductive coatings used in this invention have a relatively high resistance, which allows high reflectivity mirrors to be made fog-free. The conductive coatings may be split into separate conductive elements with one or more scribe lines in order to control the length of the conductive path from inlet bus to outlet bus. The buses may be made from an ultra thin foil tape, which can be adhered to the conductive coatings, and which is solderable for securement of power lines thereto. Such a bus tape possesses both in plane and through plane conductive characteristics and can easily be cut to any length desired for the mirror sizes being produced.

Abstract: A heated probe and sensor tip incorporating a thermocouple located near the distal end of the probe. Improved temperature monitoring and control are achieved through placement of a thermocouple at or near the heating surface. In one embodiment of the device, the heating tip surface forms one half of a thermocouple junction. In another embodiment, a spiral resistive ribbon is formed integrally with the tip and comprises a resistive heating element. In an alternative embodiment of the device, a replaceable tip is described. A method for producing the device is also described. The thermocouple is preferably formed by the junction between the heating tip and a heating wire that surrounds the tip. The tip is preferably mounted in an insulative body which is, in turn, mounted at the distal end of a conductive support tube. Power is then delivered to the heating wire through the support tube and a lead connected to the heating tip.

Abstract: An improved arc furnace regulator employs neural circuits connected in a multi-layer network configuration with various weighted relationships between the successive layers which are automatically changed over time as a function of an error signal by means of the back-propagation method so that the regulator gradually improves its control algorithm as a result of accumulated experience. The network is implemented in software which can be developed and run on a PC with extra co-computing capability for greater execution speed. A second trainable neural network which emulates the arc furnace is used to develop the error signal, and is trained in mutually exclusive time periods with the training of the regular network.

Abstract: On a first conductor layer of a capacitor element of an IC and in contact with a dielectric film made of a particular dielectric material, a first barrier metal film is made of platinum, palladium, tantalum, or titanium nitride. A second barrier metal film is made of a similar material in contact with the dielectric film and on a second conductor layer. The particular dielectric material is either tantalum oxide or a perovskite oxide, such as strontium titanate or a composite of lead zirconate and lead titanate. In cooperation with such a dielectric film, the first and the second barrier metal films make it possible to provide a compact capacitor having a great and reliable capacitance. The capacitor element is manufactured like a conventional one except for use of the particular dielectric material and for manufacturing steps of forming the first and the second barrier metal films and may be an MOS, MIS, or MIM capacitor or a multilayer wired capacitor.

Abstract: A thin-film bypass capacitor is fabricated by forming a plurality of through holes through the thickness of a nonconductive base substrate and filling the through holes with a conductive material to form ground vias and power vias. A sequence of back side metalization layers are applied to the back side surface of the base substrate. A sequence of bottom contact layers are applied to the front side surface of the base substrate. A bottom contact power terminal is formed and a bottom contact metalization layer is applied to the surface of the bottom contact layers. A portion of the metalization layer is removed and an insulating layer is formed on the surface of the bottom contact metalization layer. A ground metalization feedthrough and a power metalization feedthrough are formed at the surface of the insulating layer. A sequence of top contact layers are applied to the surface of the insulating layer and a front side ground terminal and front side power terminal are formed.

Abstract: Tantalum feedthrough conductor pins are provided with a thin, vacuum deposited metal coating to control oxidation growth during feedthrough fabrication. The coated feedthrough pins are incorporated into a feedthrough which includes a capacitive structure in electrical contact with the coated pin.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for limiting the passage of a gas such as air through an opening, particularly an opening through which solid material passes, by providing a sealing chamber in advance of the entrance to the low pressure chamber having a large plenum with a variable speed exhaust blower in its upper portion, and a grate situated in its lower portion for access of air to the plenum. The blower speed is responsive to differential pressure measurements taken in the low pressure chamber and immediately adjacent the exterior of the low pressure chamber. Upstream of the plenum are one or more mechanical seals or flexible baffles which contact the top of the solid charge material and ride over it as the solid material passes beneath the mechanical seal.

Abstract: A NaCl oxide thin layer oriented to (100) face or a spinel oxide thin layer oriented to (100) face, a perovskite dielectric thin layer oriented to (100) face and a metal electrode are sequentially laminated on a metal electrode, thus providing a thin film capacitor. Or alternatively, a thin film capacitor is manufactured by sequentially laminating a NaCl oxide thin layer oriented to (100) face or a spinel oxide thin layer oriented to (100) face, a platinum thin layer as a lower electrode oriented to (100) face, a perovskite dielectric thin layer oriented to (100) face and a metal thin layer as an upper electrode on a substrate. A plasma-enhanced CVD method is applied to form a NaCl oxide thin layer, a spinel oxide thin layer and a perovskite dielectric thin layer while a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, a CVD method or a plasma-enhanced CVD method is applied for the formation of a metal electrode.

Abstract: A quick-cooking oven equipped with a far-infrared heating tube. Heat and far-infrared radiation are generated from ceramic heating tubes. A motor for rotating a cooling fan and the heating elements are completely shielded to prevent motor failure. The cooking space can be expanded by the use of expander rings. The fan does not get soiled, and there is no need for cleaning it, and the oven can be cleaned simply.

Abstract: A rethermalization cart having top and bottom sides connected together by at least two side walls. Attached to the side walls at a plurality of vertically spaced positions are a plurality of tray supports. Attached adjacent and below the tray supports and in a cantilevered out position are a plurality of heating pads at each tray support location. Each of the pads is secured so that it can be individually disconnected, removed and replaced as needed. Switches within each individual heating pad are activated by covers that are positioned over the food. The use of the covers provides a positive indication whether the food is being heating since the switches are magnetic and the covers contain corresponding magnets. Thus, by leaving the cover off there is a positive assurance that the food will remain cold.

Abstract: An electrode separator for electrochemical energy storage devices, such as a high energy density capacitor incorporating a variety of carbon foam electrodes. The separator is derived from an aquagel of resorcinol-formaldehyde and related polymers and containing ionically conducting electrolyte in the pores thereof.

Abstract: Dust like substances which are recovered from a garbage or refuse incinerator are destroyed, eliminated or disposed of by smelting in a low shaft electric furnace having at least one electrode heating a slag melt therein. The dust is introduced into the melt by a lance opening beneath the melting surface and gas produced by the smelting process is subjected to cleaning. The slag may be continuously or discontinuously withdrawn and slag formers may be compensatorily added. A metal bath consisting predominantly of iron may be provided below the slag melt to protect metallic components of the dust upon the smelting thereof.

Abstract: An improved connection through a substrate layer is formed by embedding a conductive element such as a pin on one or more balls or spheres in a thermoplastic material which is preferably a liquid crystal polymer. The substrate may be heated to facilitate the embedding process in which material of the substrate layer is reflowed under pressure to retain the conductive element by means of a preload force. The formation of such connections with either pins or plural conductive elements allows independence of aspect ratio of the connection and, hence, feature size of conductive patterns on the substrate and the thickness of the substrate layer.

Abstract: Apparatus for transferring heat between temperature controlled air dispensed from a pair of oscillating ducts and a food product in a cabinet having an interior compartment bounded by front, side and rear walls. A foraminous partition, having a central portion and extremities, is mounted to divide the interior of the cabinet into a cooking chamber and an air conditioning chamber. It is configured to encircle a portion of the cooking chamber such that the air conditioning chamber extends around a major part of the periphery of the cooking chamber wherein air is drawn along multiple paths toward side walls and toward the rear wall from the cooking chamber.

Abstract: A solid electrolytic capacitor comprises a capacitor element including a chip body and an anode wire projecting from the chip body, an anode lead electrically connected to the anode wire, a cathode lead paired with the anode lead, a fuse wire having a first end electrically connected to the cathode lead and a second end electrically connected to the chip body, and a resin package enclosing the capacitor element, part of the anode lead, part of the cathode lead, and the fuse wire. The first end of the fuse wire has a nail head form for bonding to the cathode lead with a sufficient adhesion area without increasing the length of the first end.

Abstract: An oxidation-resistant palladium powder containing one or more alkaline earth metal elements in a total amount of at least 0.005% by weight relative to Pd. The palladium powder is useful as a conductive component of a thick-film conductive paste and the resultant conductive paste can provide internal electrodes to a multilayered ceramic capacitor with minimized structural defects such as cracks or delamination. The palladium powder is produced by spraying a palladium salt solution containing one or more alkaline earth metal elements to form droplets and heating the droplets to a temperature of at least 1000.degree. C. The preferred amount of the alkaline earth metal elements in the Pd powder is from 0.005 to 0.1% by weight relative to Pd and the preferred alkaline earth metal elements are one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba.