Abstract: A nut is configured to be secured to a bolt. The nut includes a main body that defines an axially aligned bore with threads disposed on an inner wall thereof. Further, the nut includes a dome-shaped head that has an axially aligned aperture and that is provided to be deformed by threads on the bolt when a predetermined burst-through torque is applied thereto.

Abstract: Disclosed are vise embodiments designed to lower manufacturing cost and work well in an automated CNC milling production environment. The disclosed embodiments include rigid vises having high clamp force and low internal friction. The embodiments include features for resisting the ingress of metal chips into sensitive moving parts through the use of commonly available seals and the flow of CNC coolant to flush metal chips away from the vise.

Abstract: Disclosed are mechanical interfaces of an end-of-arm-tool (EOAT) and part-gripping devices. The EOAT mechanical interface is for operatively coupling a gripper actuator to the part-gripping device. The part-gripping device mechanical interface is matable to the EOAT mechanical interface for operatively coupling the EOAT to the part-gripping device. Among other improvements, also disclosed are improved gripper fingers.

Abstract: Bulk goods are transported on a rail network to a terminal which includes a loading with a metering device for measuring an amount of the bulk goods loaded or unloaded. At the terminal there is a control hub connecting to a plurality of portable hand held field computers and a communication system for communication with the rail network to obtain a Car Location Message (CLM), a way bill and mechanical data for each of the railcars. An input to the hub is provided by a plurality of self-powered scanning stations each including an RFID reader having an antenna for reading the RFID tag of an adjacent rail car where each scanning station has two radar proximity transducers responsive to presence of a rail car where the RFID reader has a quiescent mode and the radar proximity detectors activate the reader from the quiescent mode on detection of a railcar.

Abstract: An improved clutch hub assembly is disclosed. The improved clutch hub assembly provides improved wear resistance at the interfaces between separator plates and a clutch hub while allowing an operator to have improved clutch lever control and modulation when manually engaging or disengaging the clutch system.

Abstract: A nut is configured to be secured to a bolt. The nut includes a main body that defines an axially aligned bore with threads disposed on an inner wall thereof. Further, the nut includes a dome-shaped head that has an axially aligned aperture and that is provided to be deformed by threads on the bolt when a predetermined burst-through torque is applied thereto.

Abstract: The present application presents a methodology that applies reinforcement learning to train a neural network to perform medical triage by analyzing medical evidence of a patient (for instance, obtained via an interface with the patient), assigning a triage level to the patient where sufficient evidence has been obtained to make a reliable triage decision, and requesting more evidence where needed. By learning when to ask for more information and when to make a decision, the neural network can be trained to make quicker decisions on fewer pieces of evidence whilst still ensuring an accurate and safe triage level is determined.

Abstract: A method for providing a computer implemented medical diagnosis includes receiving an input from a user comprising a symptom of the user. The method also includes providing the symptom as an input to a medical model comprising a probabilistic graphical model comprising probability distributions and relationships between symptoms and diseases, and an inference engine configured to perform Bayesian inference on said probabilistic graphical model. The method also includes generating a question for the user to obtain further information concerning the user to allow a diagnosis, and outputting said question to the user. The method also includes outputting said question to the user, wherein generating a question for the user comprises ranking said questions by determining the utility of the possible questions.

Abstract: Bulk goods are transported on a rail network to a terminal which includes a loading with a metering device for measuring an amount of the bulk goods loaded or unloaded. At the terminal there is a control hub connecting to a plurality of portable hand held field computers and a communication system for communication with the rail network to obtain a Car Location Message (CLM), a way bill and mechanical data for each of the railcars. An input to the hub is provided by a plurality of self-powered scanning stations each including an RFID reader having an antenna for reading the RFID tag of an adjacent rail car where each scanning station has two radar proximity transducers responsive to presence of a rail car where the RFID reader has a quiescent mode and the radar proximity detectors activate the reader from the quiescent mode on detection of a railcar.

Abstract: A processor core having multiple parallel instruction execution slices and coupled to multiple dispatch queues provides flexible and efficient use of internal resources. The configuration of the execution slices is selectable so that capabilities of the processor core can be adjusted according to execution requirements for the instruction streams. A plurality of load-store slices coupled to the execution slices provides access to a plurality of cache slices that partition the lowest level of cache memory among the load-store slices.

Abstract: A system for using the Earth's magnetic field to provide supplemental power to a machine having a motor, the system comprising: a computer; a water wire; and an energy storing device; the computer being in electrical communication with the water wire and the energy storing device; the water wire comprising: a tube having a length and an inner diameter; a pair of conductive pins attached at each end of the tube; and a water solution having a conductive solute, the water solution being provided within the tube such that to contact the pair of conductive pins; wherein the water wire can collect electrical energy from the Earth's magnetic field when the machine is put in motion by a power source powering the motor; and wherein the collected electrical energy is stored in the energy storing device or used to provide the supplemental power to the machine or other machine components.

Abstract: In a method or apparatus for transporting bulk goods by rail cars on a rail network to a rail car handling terminal where the handling terminal includes a loading and/or unloading system with a metering device for measuring an amount of the bulk goods loaded or unloaded. At the terminal there is a center control data hub connecting to a plurality of portable hand held field computers and a communication system for communication with the rail network to obtain a Car Location Message (CLM), a way bill and mechanical data for each of the rail cars. The center control hub generates data indicating a current stage of each of the railcars and a signal indicative that a rail car can be transferred from one stage to another stage to the portable computers to control transfer of the rail car from one stage to the next stage.

Abstract: Bulk goods are transported on a rail network to a terminal which includes a loading with a metering device for measuring an amount of the bulk goods loaded or unloaded. At the terminal there is a control hub connecting to a plurality of portable hand held field computers and a communication system for communication with the rail network to obtain a Car Location Message (CLM), a way bill and mechanical data for each of the railcars. An input to the hub is provided by a plurality of self-powered scanning stations each including an RFID reader having an antenna for reading the RFID tag of an adjacent rail car where each scanning station has two radar proximity transducers responsive to presence of a rail car where the RFID reader has a quiescent mode and the radar proximity detectors activate the reader from the quiescent mode on detection of a railcar.

Abstract: A system for using the Earth's magnetic field to provide supplemental power to a machine having a motor, the system comprising: a computer; wires; and energy storing devices all in controlled electrical communication with each other; wherein the wires can collect electrical energy from the Earth's magnetic field while the machine is put in motion by a power source powering the motor; wherein the collected electrical energy is stored in the energy storing devices or used to power the motor; and wherein each wire from the wires is folded and placed radially in a cylinder, to extend across a diameter of the cylinder, to achieve a maximum length for each of the wires, a maximum total length of the plurality of wires, and such that at least a wire has a correct position relative to the Earth's magnetic field lines of flux at any given time.

Abstract: A method for providing a computer implemented medical diagnosis includes receiving an input from a user comprising a symptom of the user. The method also includes providing the symptom as an input to a medical model comprising a probabilistic graphical model comprising probability distributions and relationships between symptoms and diseases, and an inference engine configured to perform Bayesian inference on said probabilistic graphical model. The method also includes generating a question for the user to obtain further information concerning the user to allow a diagnosis, and outputting said question to the user. The method also includes outputting said question to the user, wherein generating a question for the user comprises ranking said questions by determining the utility of the possible questions.

Abstract: A system and method for using a robotic arm and a part gripping jaw to tend a CNC machine. A robotic arm picks up a part gripping jaw and used the jaw to grip a part, and moves the part into a vise in the CNC machine. The part gripping jaw has features which the vise engages, and secures the part in the part gripping jaw for processing in the CNC machine. The system and method includes a novel racking system, robotic end of arm tool, jaw grippers and vise system. The jaw grippers that hold the part are moved from the rack system, with the part to be processed, by the robot, to the vise where the vise uses the jaw grippers to secure the part for processing. After the part is processed, the robot removes the part from the vise with the jaw grippers and stores the part back into the rack system using the jaw grippers.

Abstract: Apparatus for managing transportation vehicles includes a plurality of containers each attached to a respective one of the vehicles and containing a memory, a wireless transmitter, a receiver and a writer for storing data in the memory, where data includes a secure section of data defining for the vehicle cargo packing slip information and a non-secure section of data defining for the vehicle safety information relating to the current vehicle contents. The apparatus further includes a first reader for receiving the data in the secure section and second portable reader for receiving the data in the non-secure section where the second reader is arranged to provide to a person in possession of the second reader only data from the non-secure section defining for the vehicle said safety information relating to the current vehicle contents and not the data from the secure section.

Abstract: The ecosystem for methane conversion and emissions reduction disclosed herein presents a low-cost solution to the global methane accumulation problem. Ruminants generate gases as part of their digestive process, including methane, and the negative effects of methane in our atmosphere are well known. Many attempts are underway to use diet modifiers to lessen the amount of methane created and therefore minimize the effect. The presented invention takes a different approach. A methane converter is used in conjunction with a closed system to first transform the methane into the less damaging CO2 and then to use the CO2 for feeding algae growth. Methane at concentration levels in the enclosed habitat are maintained low to minimize the possibility of explosion, and the conversion from methane to CO2 is triggered by heating the low concentration methane with a heated surface or small flame.

Abstract: A method of managing instruction execution for multiple instruction streams using a processor core having multiple parallel instruction execution slices. An event is detected indicating that either resource requirement or resource availability for a subsequent instruction of an instruction stream will not be met by the instruction execution slice currently executing the instruction stream. In response to detecting the event, dispatch of at least a portion of the subsequent instruction is made to another instruction execution slice. The event may be a compiler-inserted directive, may be an event detected by logic in the processor core, or may be determined by a thread sequencer. The instruction execution slices may be dynamically reconfigured as between single-instruction-multiple-data (SIMD) instruction execution, ordinary instruction execution, wide instruction execution.