Abstract: A gaming table in which the outcome of the game is determined manually, and in which players place bets electronically and wins or losses are calculated electronically. The gaming system is applicable to any suitable game including roulette.

Abstract: A novelty face mask is assembled from one or two coasters and a conventional drinking straw. One embodiment of the coaster is of generally circular shape with a linear slot proximate the outer edge, such slot defining a tab on the coaster that can be inserted into one end of the straw and a peephole strategically located so as to accommodate a user's eye. Two such coasters can be used with one straw, and in this case, both tabs are inserted together into the straw's end. The two coasters will normally be covered with a complementary design such that the assemblage of the coasters and the straw creates a novelty face mask, which may be promotional, celebratory, or of some other theme. A method for assembling such masks and the resulting masks are disclosed.

Abstract: A gaming table in which the outcome of the game is determined manually, and in which players place bets electronically and wins or losses are calculated electronically. The gaming system is applicable to any suitable game including roulette.

Abstract: The side tracking system includes a window mill having a full diameter cutting surface and a reduced diameter tapered cutting surface and a whipstock having a ramp engaging the reduced diameter cutting surface. The materials of the whipstock have a first cutablity and the materials of the casing have a second cutability. The reduced diameter cutting surface contacts the whipstock ramp at a first contact area and the full diameter cutting surface contacts the wall of the casing at a second contact area. As weight is applied to the mill, there is a first contact stress at the first contact area and a second contact stress at the second contact area. A cutability ratio is the first cutability divided by the second cutability and a contact stress ratio is the first contact stress divided by the second contact stress. The mill cuts the casing rather than the whipstock by maintaining the product of the cutability ratio and the contact stress ratio less than one.

Abstract: A self-adjusting furniture foot assembly has an upper member slidably engaged with a lower member. Between the upper and lower members, a biasing member urges the two apart while a dampening member resists acceleration of the second member toward the first member. Consequently, the foot assembly can slowly compensate to an uneven support surface for an item of furniture, and can quickly reset itself when the furniture is lifted.

Abstract: A communications system includes a base station that is configured to transmit a signal that is modulated according to a predetermined modulation scheme and an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing scheme, wherein the signal is encoded using space-frequency coding. The base station includes a plurality of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transceivers. The system includes a terminal that is configured to receive the modulated signal. The above arrangement is particularly applicable to providing multichannel multipoint distribution services (MMDS) over a radio communications system.

Abstract: A gaming table in which the outcome of the game is determined manually, and in which players place bets electronically and wins or losses are calculated electronically. The gaming system is applicable to any suitable game including roulette.

Abstract: The side tracking system includes a window mill having a full diameter cutting surface and a reduced diameter tapered cutting surface and a whipstock having a ramp engaging the reduced diameter cutting surface. The materials of the whipstock have a first cutablity and the materials of the casing have a second cutability. The reduced diameter cutting surface contacts the whipstock ramp at a first contact area and the full diameter cutting surface contacts the wall of the casing at a second contact area. As weight is applied to the mill, there is a first contact stress at the first contact area and a second contact stress at the second contact area. A cutability ratio is the first cutability divided by the second cutability and a contact stress ratio is the first contact stress divided by the second contact stress. The mill cuts the casing rather than the whipstock by maintaining the product of the cutability ratio and the contact stress ratio less than one.

Abstract: Compositions herein increased creatine retention and/or glycogen storage in muscle. A composition comprises creatine or its derivative and a carbohydrate or its derivative. The carbohydrate is in an amount by weight which is greater than the amount of creatine. The amount of carbohydrate and the amount of creatine are effective for increasing creatine retention and/or glycogen storage in muscle. The compositions may be in the form of a pharmaceutical or a dietary supplement and are intended for use in the human or animal body. Other compositions comprise creatine or an active derivative together with insulin or an active derivative. The amount of creatine and the amount of insulin are effective for increasing creatine retention and/or glycogen storage in muscle. The compositions including creatine and insulin may further contain a carbohydrate or its derivative.

Abstract: The side tracking system includes a window mill having a full diameter cutting surface and a reduced diameter tapered cutting surface and a whipstock having a ramp engaging the reduced diameter cutting surface. The materials of the whipstock have a first cutablity and the materials of the casing have a second cutability. The reduced diameter cutting surface contacts the whipstock ramp at a first contact area and the fill diameter cutting surface contacts the wall of the casing at a second contact area. As weight is applied to the mill, there is a first contact stress at the first contact area and a second contact stress at the second contact area. A cutability ratio is the first cutability divided by the second cutability and a contact stress ratio is the first contact stress divided by the second contact stress. The mill cuts the casing rather than the whipstock by maintaining the product of the cutability ratio and the contact stress ratio less than one.

Abstract: A wheel cleaning cover, such as for a golf trolley wheel, is formed of a pair of hinged circular covers, each forming a semi-circular half and made of a light, robust material. When the golf trolley is not in use, a pair of such wheel covers can be closed around respective ones of the golf trolley's wheels. For each such wheel, the hinged semi-circular halves are securely fastened to one another to encase the associated wheel therewithin. The trolley wheels can remain on their axle(s) while the covers are securely closed around the wheels. When a cover is closed around its associated wheel and secured, it can be rotated and a brush installed in the cover functions as a cleaner/buffer, removing any mud, dirt, or grass on the enclosed wheel's surface. Debris from the wheel is contained within the cover until the cover is removed from the wheel, then any debris may be discarded.

Abstract: The mill assembly and whipstock assembly include a mill having a tapered end which engages a ramp of the whipstock assembly. The ramp includes a plurality of surfaces having different angles whereby the rate of deflection of the mill by the whipstock varies as the mill is lowered into the borehole. In particular, the ramp of the whipstock includes two surfaces having steep angles, one steep angled surface causing the mill to punch through the wall of the casing and the second steep angle surface moving the center of the mill across the wall of the casing.

Abstract: A symbol timing recovery method and device which aligns the received data with a free-running symbol clock such that the aligned data sampling error is minimized. The symbol timing recovery process consists of detecting the timing phase error between the transmitters symbol clock and the receiver symbol clock, filtering the error, and then using the filtered error signal to control a block which changes the phase of the data relative to the timing reference signal. A data zero-crossing phase error detector drives a loop filter whose most significant bits form the address of the FIR coefficient ROM, which allows the FIR to interpolate data at sub-symbol resolution. The FIR coefficients are then used to synchronize the received data with the receiver clock.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for use in estimating phase error in a phase-modulated carrier. The method and apparatus of the present invention may be embodied in a phase-error-estimator circuit which is typically incorporated into a demodulator of a digital communications receiver. In general, the phase-error-estimator circuit receives the I and Q components of a phase-modulated signal, and outputs an estimate of the phase error, if any, in the phase-modulated carrier signal associated with the received I and Q. Preferably, the phase-error-estimator circuit includes an index/polarity generator circuit coupled to a look-up table. The index/polarity generator receives I and Q and maps them onto a reduced range of phase angles represented by values X and Y. X and Y are fed to a reduced and substantially triangular look-up table which outputs the stored phase-error-estimate for the particular X and Y inputs.

Abstract: A sailboat traveler apparatus with bearings having a circular cross section at their pivots which are received in a track with a circular cross section with the traveler carriage being pivotal about the centerline of the track so that pivoting forces on the carriage remain transferred to the bearing surfaces of the bearings and track without binding. The bearings may be spherical or cylindrical depending upon the desired friction between bearing and track.

Abstract: A tubular pylon secured to a deck is provided with a core telescopically and slidably received in its distal end. In securing the deck to the hull, a well is provided in a shoe to be received in and secured to the hull. Glue is inserted in the well and applied along the intended glue seam between the deck and hull. The deck/pylon assembly and hull are then assembled to be clamped in a jig. During assembly, the core acts as a plunger to force glue in the well of the shoe upwardly about the outer surface of the pylon to secure the pylon to the shoe. The core is frictionally held by the pylon to exert a desired force in holding the shoe against the inside of the hull while the adhesive sets to secure the shoe to the hull and the deck to the hull.