Abstract: An electronic apparatus that includes means for determining the temperature stress the equipment has been subjected to is disclosed that includes a multiplexer with a plurality of inputs that read the temperature at various locations on the equipment being monitored. The temperature at each location is measured regularly to determine in which of a number of different-sized temperature bands it lies, thereby providing an indication of the stress to which the equipment is subjected.

Abstract: A process for avoiding error in determining the gas consumption of a sample located in a closed container. An automatic avoidance of error during the phase of adaptation of the sample to the temperature level in an incubator is achieved by monitoring the container pressure before the beginning of measurement in a test phase, and the measurement values for the measurement of the gas consumption are to be evaluated from the reference time point at which the pressure variation over time in the container lies within a predetermined value range.

Abstract: A magnetic induction flowmeter to measure the rate of flow of a fluid features a plastic flow element (10) with a tubular section (12) adjoining a flow channel (18). Electrodes (22) penetrate the tubular section (12) and are positioned at a distance from each other in the flow channel (18). The electrodes (22) are made of an electroconductive material composed of a base material and an electroconductive supplemental substance finely distributed within said base material. The base material is identical to or is related to the plastic of the flow element (10) and the electrodes (22) are joined with the tubular section (12) of the flow element (10) to form a homogeneous material compound.

Abstract: A method for ensuring for each postage transaction in a postage meter having a vault subsystem and a printing subsystem that debiting occurs prior to printing of a postal indicia includes authenticating the postage transaction as being valid, performing debiting within the vault subsytem, sending an encrypted debit certificate from the vault subsystem to the printing subsytem, independently recreating the encrypted debit certificate in the printing subsystem, comparing the encrypted debit certificate to the recreated encrypted debit certificate to ascertain if a predetermined relationship exists therebetween, and initiating printing of the postal indicia only upon determination of the existence of the predetermined relationship. An apparatus incorporates the method.

Abstract: A particle sensor includes a sensor element comprising (a) a vibrating section having such a mass that is sensitive to the collision of solid particles contained in a fluid, with the vibrating section and (b) a detecting section for detecting the vibration of the vibrating section caused by said collision and converting the vibration to electric signals, a housing for fixing said sensor element, a fluid inlet, and a fluid outlet. The particle sensor has a characteristic structure of having a net at the upstream side of the sensor element in order to allow the fluid entering the particle sensor from the fluid inlet to pass through said net and then contact with the sensor element. With this particle sensor, the detection of the solid particles contained in a fluid also containing bubbles can be made at a higher accuracy because the vibration caused by the bubbles, containing the primary resonance vibration of the sensor element is decreased.

Abstract: A method of marking a tire to indicate both the taper vector direction and the plane of the radial force first harmonic (RF1H) vector, whereby the tire, with its axis positioned vertically, is marked with a single mark in the RF1H plane and on the positive-taper side, i.e. on the taper vector out side, by a marking head fitted to a multiple-axis device for so moving the marking head as to cooperate selectively with one or other of two shoulders of the tire.