Abstract: A utility bucket lid uses a common bucket lid and one or more rigid support members to strengthen the bucket lid in order to secure a pump and rigid pipe to deliver on-demand water or other fluid via a fluid manifold and valve that is connected to the rigid pipe. The rigid support member(s) support a pump having a suction hose and discharge hose and the rigid support member(s) also support a rigid pipe. The rigid pipe is passed through the bucket lid and also through the rigid support member(s). The pump's suction hose is passed into a hole proximate the top end of the rigid pipe (above the top side of the bucket lid) and exists the rigid pipe through a second hole proximate the bottom end of the rigid pipe (below the bottom side of the bucket lid). The rigid pipe holds the position of the open end of the suction hose proximate the bottom of the bucket.

Abstract: An article support device that can be arranged in a plurality of architectures to suit the user's needs and can be easily collapsed for storage and/or transported within a vehicles cargo area. The article support device uses a horizontal frame member with a plurality of positions to receive one or more vertical frame members that can be secured into desired positions. The frame members may also be arranged in an architecture to support a raised platform by attaching two or more vertical frame members to the horizontal frame member. The assembled frame members can become a rigid structure by adding frame supports in appropriate fashion. Hinge pin receivers may be attached to the vertical frame members. The hinge pin receivers accept the hinge pins that are attached to SUV doors.

Abstract: An article support device that can be arranged in a plurality of architectures to suit the user's needs and can be easily collapsed for storage and/or transported within a vehicles cargo area. The article support device uses a horizontal frame member with a plurality of positions to receive one or more vertical frame members that can be secured into desired positions. The frame members may also be arranged in an architecture to support a raised platform by attaching two or more vertical frame members to the horizontal frame member. Hinge pin receivers may be attached to the vertical frame members. The hinge pin receivers accept the hinge pins that are attached to SUV doors. When the hinge pins of SUV doors are aligned with the hinge pin receivers on a vertical frame member, the SUV doors can be secured to the article support device by lowering the SUV doors and hinge pins into the hinge pin receivers until the doors are in a position resting on the horizontal frame section the article support device.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and systems are disclosed to characterize the wear and measure temperature of a surface of a lining of a metallurgical container. Wear characterization is accomplished by a scanning device by making thickness measurements of the lining and surface temperature measurements are made using a two-color pyrometer integrated with the scanning device where surface temperature is measured by correlating a ratio of two light intensities to the surface temperature. A controller controls operation of the scanning device and the two-color pyrometer.

Abstract: Apparatuses, methods, and systems are disclosed to characterize the wear and measure temperature of a surface of a lining of a metallurgical container. Wear characterization is accomplished by a scanning device by making thickness measurements of the lining and surface temperature measurements are made using a two-color pyrometer integrated with the scanning device where surface temperature is measured by correlating a ratio of two light intensities to the surface temperature. A controller controls operation of the scanning device and the two-color pyrometer.

Abstract: A versatile roof mounted cargo and recreation system is comprised of a tubular framework that provide a means for securing and transporting articles on the roof of a vehicle. The tubular framework also provides longitudinal channels which allow various accessories to be stored within the framework of the roof mounted carrier and which accessories can be arranged and fastened in a variety of configuration to serve multiple purposes such as adjusting the position of support members to support the weight of a removable hardtop for lifting and removing the hardtop and also for adjusting the position of the support members to support a canopy that is attached to the vehicle.

Abstract: A golf tee dispenser is configured to provide a single tee for retrieval when the golf tee dispenser is agitated. A golf tee dispenser has a deflector to deflect a plurality of tees away from a tee-opening to increase the effectiveness of the tees being extended through the tee opening upon agitation. A golf tee dispenser also has a resilient retainer that is configured to retain a tee by a tee-head until the tee is pulled from the tee dispenser. A resilient retainer is configured to deform or deflect to allow the tee head to pass through the resilient retainer and then return substantially to a pre deformed state. A golf tee dispenser is configured to hold a plurality of tees in a container and a cap is configured to attach to a container opening.

Abstract: A versatile roof mounted cargo and recreation system is comprised of a tubular framework that provide a means for securing and transporting articles on the roof of a vehicle. The tubular framework also provides longitudinal channels which allow various accessories to be stored within the framework of the roof mounted carrier and which accessories can be arranged and fastened in a variety of configuration to serve multiple purposes such as adjusting the position of support members to support the weight of a removable hardtop for lifting and removing the hardtop and also for adjusting the position of the support members to support a canopy that is attached to the vehicle.

Abstract: A lightweight convertible cargo carrier cart system and accessories adaptable for transporting articles using a vehicle's receiver hitch, or wheeled hand cart, or trailer (pulled via a bicycle or other device). Users can select appropriate components to manage loads based on the available method for transporting the load. Accessories include a handle accessory, a leg/foot accessory, and inserts (for attaching wheels, hardware, and accessories). When the convertible cargo carrier and cart system is used as a cart the user is afforded a variety of positions for installing inserts and wheels based on the weight, mass, and distribution of the load.

Abstract: A directed graph of data includes nodes 10, properties 22 attached to nodes and resources 34. The nodes 10, properties 22 and resources 34 are classified as indexable or non indexable. At least one property 30 links a pair of nodes, one node being a parent and one being a child. An indexing algorithm indexes each indexable property pointing to a resource as related to any respective indexable nodes linked to the node to which the indexable property is attached through a chain of indexable links from child to parent through intermediate nodes, all of which are non-indexable.

Abstract: The present invention is a system to describe software requirement logic that includes a plurality of software requirements and an exclusive natural deduction style of formal reasoning that includes a plurality of connectives and a plurality of corresponding Latinate. The connectives include the group consisting of and, if-then, or, or not and the Latinate include the group consisting of conjunction, implication, disjunction or negation. The software requirements are included in a requirement phase and an implementation phase of a traditional software development cycle. The present invention also includes a method for describing software requirement logic.

Abstract: A hierarchical digital signature method is provided by which different levels of data elements of a data entry are processed in turn to derive function values (for example hash function values) for data elements in the level which are to form part of the digital signature. All function values for one level are combined in a further function to provide an additional function value, and the additional function value is used in the processing of data elements in the next level nearer to the root. This provides a digital signature which can use only selected data elements of a data entry, and which is not sensitive to the ordering of the data entry structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a transmission device implementing a flow control mechanism for aggregate trunks. The transmission device can be implemented as a router that includes an input for receiving aggregate traffic streams, an output for releasing the aggregate traffic streams to a destination point and a control unit capable to regulate the rate of release of packets from the output. Specifically, the flow control operation effected by the control unit is dependent on receipt of acknowledgement messages issued at the destination point, each acknowledgement message confirming the receipt of one or more particular packets at the destination point. The control unit will continuously increase the packet sending rate until a packet is lost in the network between the transmission device and the destination point. On detection of packet loss, based on the lack of one or more corresponding acknowledgement messages from the destination point, the control unit will reduce the packet sending rate.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention provides a detection system for determining whether an object is present at a predeterminable location, the system comprising a sensor tool including an air outlet at a forward surface thereof from which an air flow is in use delivered; an air catch sensor pneumatically connected to the air outlet of the sensor tool and being operative to detect a change in pressure of the air flow as delivered from the air outlet indicative of the air outlet being moved proximate a surface of an object; a positioning mechanism to which the sensor tool is attached; and a control unit for controlling the positioning mechanism to advance the sensor tool such that the air outlet of the sensor tool is advanced through at least one detection point to sense for a surface threat and determine whether an object is present at a predeterminable location.

Abstract: A first aspect of the invention provides an object holding tool for holding objects, comprising a gripping unit which is operable between a contracted configuration and an expanded configuration to grip and release objects in transporting the same, wherein the gripping unit defines a first, outwardly-facing gripping surface which, with the gripping unit in an expanded configuration, acts to grip an inner peripheral surface of an object of one kind, and a second, inwardly-facing gripping surface which, with the gripping unit in a contracted configuration, acts to grip an outer peripheral surface of an object of another kind.

Abstract: Methods for modeling costs of wireless network infrastructure are described. More specifically, the cost contribution models for modeling radioports are described. Various radioport architectures include a constant channel capacity model (48) and a constant offered load model (82). Under constraints imposed by a class of dense user networks, such as wireless metropolitan area networks, cost models are shown to exhibit convex cost functions having minimums. Processes for analyzing these cost models are described for determining which radioport architecture, provides a least-cost radioport cost segment to the overall network cost.

Abstract: The invention provides a lithographic printing for precursor having an imagable coating on an aluminum support, wherein the imagable coating comprises a polymeric substance comprising colorant groups, and wherein the aluminum support on which the coating is provided is anodized but not subsequently modified by means of a post-anodic treatment compound, and the coating does not comprise a colorant dye. The polymeric substance may also comprise pendent infra-red or developer dissolution inhibiting groups, and these groups may also be the colorant groups themselves.

Abstract: A method of investigating the response of an instrument to gamma emissions using a source package includes providing a source package on one side of a collimator including an aperture and a detector on the other side of the collimator relative to the source package, the collimator and detector positions defining an operating axis for the instrument. The position of the source package is then moved relative to the collimator. The response of the detector is measured for two or more of these different positions of the source package. The aperture in the collimator has a first dimension measured in a first direction perpendicular to the operating axis. The source package includes one or more individual gamma emitting sources provided in a container. During use, the individual source(s) have an overall extent in the first direction, the overall extent, during at least 10 seconds of use, being two or more times the first dimension of the collimator in that first direction.

Abstract: Transport networks are facing new challenges and opportunities because of the explosive growth of data traffic. Besides having to meet the ever increasing bandwidth demand, transport networks need to provide new functionalities for the support of data applications. Novel enhanced transport systems with inherent packet multiplexing to meet these challenges are described. It uses Internet protocols and technologies to implement these packet transport systems, and thereby re-use much of the existing Internet infrastructure already widely deployed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a switch for processing data units, such as IP data packets. The switch can be implemented as a router that includes a plurality of input ports, a plurality of output ports and a switch fabric capable of establishing logical pathways to interconnect a certain input port with a certain output port. A characterizing element of the router is its ability to control bandwidth usage on a basis of a logical pathway. This prevents congestion to occur in the switch fabric and also at the level of the output ports. For every active logical pathway the router sets-up a bandwidth control mechanism including at least one queue to hold data units received at an input port. The bandwidth control mechanism performs an accounting operation to determine the average bandwidth usage and if less than a threshold requests for releasing data units in the switch fabric are sent to the switch fabric controller.