Abstract: A method of improving the landing of a hydraulic elevator car which responds to slowdown and leveling indicia associated with each floor of a building served by the car. The method, which utilizes signals which are already generated relative to the car traveling past slowdown and leveling indicia, provides an optimum deceleration time TOPT for the car to initiate deceleration and arrive at a leveling zone of a target floor, defined by leveling indicia. The method further delays the initiation of deceleration of the car, after the car reaches slowdown indicia for the target floor, by a predetermined time delay Td. The method determines the actual time TACT for the car to travel between slowdown and leveling indicia for the target floor, and then changes Td, if necessary, in a direction which tends to optimize Td, when TACT - Td is not equal to TOPT.

Abstract: A safe, portable apparatus for sterilization of saline or other liquids is provided. There is provided a device for sterilizing and storing liquids comprising a housing, a hollow cyliner formed in the housing having an open first end and a closed second end, a piston sealingly mounted for sliding within the cylinder, the piston and the cylinder thereby forming a closed chamber for receiving the liquid, the chamber provided with a sealable opening for introducing the liquid to the chamber, means for biassing the piston into the cylinder thereby applying pressure to the liquid, means within the housing for heating the liquid, and fluid discharge means for discharging the liquid when sterilized.

Abstract: An improved plasma torch for the high-frequency capacitive generation of a plasma beam, a special nozzle construction providing a large-length, small-diameter plasma beam. The nozzle includes a first channel for cooling an internal plasma-generating electrode and a second channel for converging the plasma beam.

Abstract: An improved plasma gun coaxially injects particles of ceramic materials having high melting temperatures into the central portion of a plasma jet. This results in a more uniform and higher temperature and velocity distribution of the sprayed particles. The position of the cathode is adjustable to facilitate optimization of the performance of the gun wherein grains of the ceramic material are melted at lower power input labels.

Abstract: The present invention relates to controllable electric heaters, in particular heaters employing tungsten halogen lamps and suitable for use in cookers of the type having a ceramic hob below which are placed the heaters.It is an object of the present invention to provide a controllable electric heater employing two tungsten halogen lamps and other components of an inexpensive nature and which allows six different power settings to be obtained.

Abstract: A heated handgrip is disclosed wherein a tubular sleeve is overlayed by a sheath with a heating wire sandwiched between the sleeve and the sheath.The sheath and the sleeve are connected threadedly and lock means are provided to preclude relative motion between the sheath and the sleeve.

Abstract: An intra-microspray ICP torch for use in conjunction with spectographic analysis generates a high temperature ionized gas in a plasma region at one end of the torch, and includes a preshaped tube mounted within the torch, with a first end of the tube terminating adjacent the plasma region, and a nebulizer mounted to a second end of the tube. The preshaped tube has at least one set of impactors that define at least two chambers, the impactors blocking the line of sight between adjacent chambers. The nebulizer propels a pressurized aerosol/sample mixture at the impactors, toward the plasma region. The impactors divert the mixture as it travels from chamber to chamber toward the plasma region, causing a filtering effect that promotes passage to the plasma region of sample particles having a size of about 15 microns or less, thereby resulting in optimum spectrographic clarity.

Abstract: A downstream microwave plasma processing apparatus useful in fabricating an integrated circuit semiconductor device includes a waveguide, a microwave transmitting window perpendicular to a microwave electric field in the waveguide, a plasma generating chamber below the window and a reaction chamber separated from the plasma generating region by a gas-porous microwave shield. The microwave energy is transmitted into the plasma generating chamber through the microwave transmitting window, and generates a plasma which is confined therein by the shield. Radicals of a short-lived reactive gas, generated in the plasma, pass through the shield and impinge onto a workpiece placed in the reaction chamber. Uniform and effective downstream plasma etching or ashing is produced.

Abstract: The circuit is designed to protect plasma-arc welding or cutting equipment wired for transferred or non-transferred arc operation, using a torch of which the electrode is connected to the negative terminal of the power source and the nozzle to the positive; the arc can be transferred by wiring the work to the positive terminal also. With voltage between at least two of the three connected parts (electrode, nozzle and work) constantly monitored, filtered, and measured against a set point by a comparator of which the output operates a switch controlling the power supply to the equipment, the power source can be deactivated immediately in the event that the monitored voltage registers less than the set point.

Abstract: A cutting device which includes an external tube, an internal tube disposed within the external tube, and a number of steel rods or wires housed within the internal tube. A squib, with or without additional fuel, is disposed within the external tube and adjacent to one end of the internal tube. A plurality of vent holes are provided on the periphery of the external tube to allow the combustion gases to exhaust therethrough. The vent holes are located away from the squib but adjacent to the end of the internal tube. One of the open ends of the external tube is sealed with a plug.

Abstract: A broach which has several cutting elements and a support unit to which the cutting elements are attached is made by cutting the cutting elements through electric-discharge machining, in particular wire-EDM so that the production thereof is less time consuming and less expensive. Moreover, the cutting elements can already be made to final size and final hardness.

Abstract: In a plasma cutting apparatus for cutting a workpiece with a plasma arc, a cutting torch moves relative to the workpiece. The cutting torch produces plasma arc in accordance with a cutting current supplied thereto. To improve surface roughness of the cut facet of the workpiece, a pulsating current is superimposed on a D.C. current to provide the cutting current, wherein the frequency of the pulsating current is controlled in accordance with the moving speed of the cutting torch.

Abstract: A message packet router is described that performs the functions of determining if a message packet is addressed to circuitry associated with the router, of routing message packets to their distination if possible and of storing message packets that cannot be routed on because of circuit conflicts. The router also provides additional functions of merging message packets addressed to the same destination, of saving the state of the router at each significant point in the message routing cycle, and of running the entire routing cycle backwards. This later feature makes it possible to broadcast message packets selectively to certain processors in the array.

Abstract: An auxiliary control system for an oven or similar device that is separate from the primary control circuitry and operates independently when the condition occurs that could be hazardous or unsafe. The control acts to prevent the temperature of a known point to rise above a predetermined set point, or points, and the primary circuitry failed to take corrective action.

Abstract: In the case of a heating device (1a) particularly suitable as a continuous flow heater, on an outer surface (4a) of a wall (3a), a tubular heater (6a) and a heat conducting element (10a) are so closely arranged in juxtaposed portions (14a) that the heat conducting element (10a) with a flat side (12a) and the heating element (6a) with a contact surface (16a) are uninterruptedly connected to said surface (4a) by means of very thin layers of a solder-like fixing material (11a). The longitudinal edge faces (21) of the strip-like heat conducting element (10a) are substantially connected to adjacent portions (14a) of the heating element (6a) and by means of solder-like fixing material are connected uninterruptedly to said heating element (6a).

Abstract: A power-off control circuit for a household appliance, including a manually operating momentary switch having conductive and non-conductive states. The switch is connected to a source of electric power so when the switch is momentarily manually operated into the conductive state, power flows into the power-off control circuit. There is a power regulator connected to the manually operating switch for receiving the power during the conductive state and for converting the received power into a voltage. A timer is connected to the power regulator and when activated, initiates a predetermined time period in which the household appliance operates. The circuit also includes a relay connected to the timer and the source of electrical power so as to be in parallel with the manually operating switch. The relay operates in a conductive and non-conductive state and is in the non-conductive state until receiving a signal from the timer at which time the relay changes to the conductive state.

Abstract: Electronic control device of the electrical supply of a heating resistance (1) adapted to heat a cooking or grilling enclosure (2) such as, for example, the heating enclosure of a toaster. A detector (9) detects the temperature prevailing in the enclosure (2) and is electrically connected to an electronic timing circuit (7) adjustable according t a selected temperature (To) chosen by the user, and is adapted particularly to control the opening of a switch (5) mounted in series with the resistance (1). The detector (9) is mounted outside the enclosure (2) and comprises a variable resistance (10), for example a thermistor, which is in thermal relationship with a calibrated resistance (11), and which is electrically connectd to the timing circuit (7) so as to control this circuit. The thermal characteristics of the detector (9) are such that the timing circuit (7) controls the opening of the switch (5) practically at the instant at which the heating resistance (1) achieves the selected temperature (To).

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus that comprises supplying a mixture of gases to a constricted plasma arc. The mixture comprises a gas that will sustain the plasma arc at the lower voltages typical of electric-arc welding and in the absence of a plasma and a gas which provides good heat transfer characteristics. The relative proportion of the gas that will sustain the plasma arc at the lower voltages present in the mixture is large enough to support the plasma arc, and the relative proportion of gas having good heat transfer charactristics present in the mixture is small enough to prevent failure of the arc at the lower voltage. A voltage drop is maintained which is high enough to maintaing the plasma arc using the gas mixture while low enough to operate at a substantially constant current using a low voltage constant current power supply.

Abstract: A plasma torch is provided with a safety switch which is connected in a circuit so as to control high voltage applied to the torch. The switch is held closed by the torch tip. When the tip is removed, as for service or replacement, the switch opens and disables the high voltage, so that personnel cannot accidentally be shocked.

Abstract: The device for mounting and withdrawing a plasma torch in an apparatus at high pressure and temperature comprises in combination: at least one circular sealing element (2) interposed between the inner surface of a sleeve (3) and a nose (12) of the torch (4) and surrounding the nose, devices (6, 13) for balancing the pressures on each side of a valve (5) within the sleeve, and devices (18,23) for cooling the sealing element. The devices for balancing the pressures on each side of the valve comprise a communication pipe (6) by-passing the valve (5) and a tap valve (13) inserted in the pipe.