Abstract: A device is provided for use in releasably securing one unit (e.g., the rear end of a truck vehicle) against a second unit (e.g., a loading dock). The device comprises an elongated member mounted for controlled endwise movement relative to a locking assembly, the latter being adjustably mounted on the loading dock. Carried by the elongated member and extending from an end thereof towards the truck is an attaching means which is secured to the truck. A friction means is adjustably mounted within the locking assembly for movement between operative and inoperative positions. When in an operative position, the elongated member can be moved endwise in only one direction away from the truck. When in an inoperative position, the elongated member can be moved in either endwise direction relative to the locking assembly. The friction means is biased to normally assume an operative position.

Abstract: In signal measurement circuits which are referred to a floating ground and which derive their input signals from electrodes attached to a patient's body, the effects of common mode potentials on the patient's body are minimized without requiring any patient electrodes other than those acting as signal sources by using a unity gain amplifier to drive the floating ground toward the common mode potential on the patient's body.This process is accomplished without significantly degrading the isolation impedance between the measurement circuits and true ground.The patient is protected from hazardous electrical shock by referencing the unity gain amplifier to a given point and connecting a large impedance between that point and true ground.

Abstract: Improvement in the art of exhibiting fish comprising a vertical aquarium consisting of a transparent fish tank and a metal cowl, the aquarium requiring the usual accoutrements for proper operation thereof, the fish tank standing vertically and having a height greater than its width or depth, the cowl standing vertically and having a height, width, and depth greater than that of the fish tank, the cowl covering the accoutrements and silencing in part the noise from the operation thereof, the cowl having a cutaway portion in the front and side walls thereof so as to expose the fish tank to view, and the fish tank having radiused front corners and no seams therealong so as to present from the front and sides thereof a full and unobstructed view thereof, the cowl having vertically extending sheet metal stanchions at the rear corners of the fish tank, the cutaway portion extending continuously around the sides and front of the cowl from one rear corner stanchion thereof to the other, whereby the cowl is wholly dev

Abstract: Process for flotation of copper sulfide ones using a flotation reagent produced by the reaction of an alkali metal lower alkyl xanthate and 2-chloroisopropyl formate.

Abstract: An auxiliary heating element acts on a steam trap connected to the return outlet of a radiator. A check valve placed between the trap and the radiator prevents dissipation of the steam generated by the auxiliary heating element into the radiator. A thermostat provides automatic control over the operation of the heating element and the radiator.

Abstract: An apparatus for altering an optically projected member includes a writing light which is directed at the apparent projected image of the member, which may be a transparency or workpiece or the like. The writing light is transmitted backwards through the projection optics, and is focussed to an intensely illuminated writing spot near the projection member. A recording member, such as a recording transparency which is sensitive to the writing light and insensitive to the projection beam, is disposed adjacent to the projection slide. The recording member is altered by the focussed writing light to form a locally marked area which becomes incorporated in the apparent projected image.

Abstract: Glass tubes which form an integral part of optical fiber preforms from which optical fibers are drawn are fabricated from tubular structures comprising amorphous powdery particles. The tubular structures are heated so as to fuse the particles thereby yielding a transparent tubular glass structure of optical fiber quality. During the fusing step, the structure is substantially constrained against shrinkage in both the radial and longitudinal direction thereby yielding a glass tube with improved dimensional characteristics.

Abstract: Vise jaws are mounted on supporting jaw structures by interfitting dovetail formations which taper to draw the jaws into tight-fitting engagement with their supporting jaw structures while also serving to accurately position and orient the jaws relative to their supporting jaw structures. The jaw mounting system utilizing these interfitting dovetail formations is particularly well adapted for use on a fluid-operated vise of a modular type. The preferred vise construction includes an elongate base structure having a generally rectangular top surface with an elongate undercut groove formed in the base structure and opening through the top surface. The jaw structures are supported on the top surface and are movably positionable therealong. In preferred practice, one of the jaw structures includes a fluid-operated movable component. This component and the other jaw structures are each provided with a jaw mounting surface.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for recording sweat gland activity which provides a pictorial representation thereof by physical contact of an iodide treated skin area with a dry sensitized substrate. In one preferred embodiment, the sensitized substrate comprises a sheet material which has been coated with an aqueous solution containing from 1 to 10 percent by weight of starch and from 2 to 10 percent by weight of a suitable oxidizing agent such as potassium persulfate. Alternately, the dry sensitized substrate comprises a starch-oxidizing agent mixture which has been impregnated into an absorbent base layer. With slight modification of the foregoing embodiment, the present invention also provides a method and apparatus for obtaining inkless fingerprints by forming a sensitized coating in situ on a substrate. For fingerprinting purposes, the sensitized coating is preferably formed from a quick drying starch-oxidizing agent solution including alcohol as a solvent.

Abstract: Certain catalysts containing iron, bismuth and molybdenum plus nickel, cobalt, manganese, magnesium, zinc, cadmium or calcium have been found to give especially large volumes of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile in a given time when germanium, tin, copper, silver, chromium, ruthenium, titanium, tungsten and/or beryllium are incorporated into the catalyst.

Abstract: A rack and pinion steering gear incorporating controlled rack loading through the range of rack operation and providing optional pinion damping or braking selectively preventing or minimizing road shock forces from affecting the steering wheel without inhibiting steering motions by the driver, and providing optional improved ball-stud cross-rod construction.

Abstract: An electrical cable connector for use in a knockout opening of an electrical box or the like includes a cam element with a slot therein arranged to receive the tip of a screwdriver transverse of its rotational axis so as to permit the application of a significant torque on the cam with a minimal force to thereby securely wedge the cable in the connector body and prevent its removal. This connector features a tubular body with an enlarged inner end to permit its installation into a knockout opening from the inside of the box, an integrally molded pressure pad opposite the cam element to permit the connector to accommodate several sizes of cable, and snap locks designed to defeatably hold the cam element selectively either in its open or its locked positions.

Abstract: Novel 18.xi.-, 19.xi.- and 20.xi.-hydroxy-prostaglandin derivatives of the formula I ##STR1## wherein the dotted line in the position 8-12 indicates the optional presence of a double bond, the waved lines in position 15 indicate that the hydroxyl group and the group R.sub.4 are either in .alpha.- or .beta.-position and Z represents a --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 -- or a cis --CH.dbd.CH-- group, and wherein R represents one of the groups: ##STR2## (wherein the waved lines indicate that the hydroxyl groups are either in .alpha.- or .beta.-position and R.sub.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl or ethyl group), R.sub.2 represents either an oxygen atom or a hydrogen atom and an .alpha.- or .beta.-hydroxyl group, R.sub.3 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl group and R.sub.4 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, with the proviso that when simultaneously, R.sub.1, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 each represents a hydrogen atom, R.sub.

Abstract: In a CT scanner having a rotating source of radiation and a series of stationary radiation detectors spaced about the axis of rotation of the source, an eclipsing shutter mechanism restricts the width of the diverging fan pattern of radiation to that portion of the patient scan circle which is intermediate the array of stationary detectors and the orbiting source. The eclipsing shutter may include a single elongated slit aperture for flooding the scan circle with radiation or a plurality of smaller apertures defining a collimator for continuously training each one of a plurality of discrete diverging beams in the fan pattern on a single stationary detector during rotation of the source for as long as the separate beam intersects the scan circle. An epicyclic gear train powered by the rotation of the source drives the shutter mechanism in a counter-rotation and causes the collimator to keep each beam aimed at a respective detector.

Abstract: A covering for an expansion joint of a building is formed from an extruded thin vinyl strip having a relatively thick expanded plastic insulating strip secured to one side of the vinyl strip. A reinforcing strip of material may be bonded securely to the vinyl between the vinyl and foam insulating strip in a sandwiched configuration to provide dimensional stability for the assembly and particularly to resist shrinkage of the assembly in a longitudinal direction. The vinyl strip is wider than the foam insulating strip to define longitudinal marginal flanges extending along the length of the strip. Metal nailing strips are embedded in the longitudinal flanges to facilitate attachment of the flanges to the spaced building sections which define the expansion joint. The nailing strips are formed to define a weakened, longitudinally extending line to facilitate longitudinal bending of the flanges along the nailing strips directly at the construction site without the use of heavy bending equipment.

Abstract: Seating for a telescoping row system or the like includes a chair back and seat mounted to a frame which automatically raises and lowers as the rows are opened and closed respectively. A pair of hinge mechanisms are clamped to the frame at the side of each chair for mounting the seats and backs while permitting them to rotate about a common axis which extends along the intersection of the hip and lumbar region of the occupant. The hinge mechanisms include one spring which normally biases the seat of the chair to the three-quarters fold position when it is unoccupied, but permits it to be lowered for an occupant or moved to the fully raised position for passing. In one embodiment, a second spring biases the back of each chair to the use position when the chair is raised. When the chair is folded for storage, the back and seat are rotated toward each other to a fully closed position.

Abstract: A tachometer circuit for an engine having an alternator driven capacitive discharge ignition system functions as a frequency-to-current converter converting each ignition capacitor discharge into a precisely controlled amount of electric charge, which is then passed thru an indicating microammeter movement graduated in RPM. The precisely controlled electric charge is developed in a charge transfer capacitor, with the peak voltage appearing across the capacitor being regulated by a programmable transistorized voltage regulator. The temperature coefficient of the charge transfer capacitance is neutralized by the temperature coefficient of the voltage regulator, such that the product of capacitance multiplied by voltage--which is equivalent to charge--remains constant. The precisely controlled charge is initially established by machine trimming of a voltage--determining resistor in the voltage regulator, thereby allowing practical large volume manufacture of the circuit from unmatched components.

Abstract: A power supply arrangement that substantially eliminates the effects of the sidebands and harmonics at the switching frequency of the power supply on the RF carrier of an amplifier or other unit being supplied power. The switching frequency of the power supply arrangement is continuously varied in frequency at an appropriate rate and deviation with the result that a band of frequencies replaces the fundamental switching frequency of the power supply and all harmonics so that noise created by the switching frequency signal and the RF signal are then similarly diffused. The net power present as spurious noise in the amplifier unit is constant with the maximum amplitude of the noise as viewed, for example, in a doppler filter being substantially reduced. In a radar transmitter, for example, the transmitted pulse frequency appears as PRF sidebands of the CW frequency and the extraneous modulation from the switched power supply provides sidebands of the PRF sidebands.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter is described in which a sequence of samples of an analog signal is converted into a sequence of binary numbers which appear at the output terminals of a composite counter comprising a first counter and a second counter. The first and second counters are gated in sequence by gating waveforms to provide for each sample the count corresponding to the logarithm of the sample. The gating waveforms are derived from a charge and discharge cycle of a capacitor to which the sample is supplied. Selected times in the charging and discharging portions of the cycle are utilized for deriving the gating waveforms.

Abstract: This improvement of a vehicle cab temperature control system for a cab having an operator enclosure with a roof and an outwardly exposed air filter attached to the roof includes a blower and a temperature control unit mounted within a duct which is secured to both the roof and to the air filter. The duct is spaced apart from the roof, thereby forming a chamber which receives controlled air from the temperature control unit. The flow of controlled air is produced by the blower as it moves the air through the air filter into the duct through its inlet aperture and then through the temperature control unit within the duct. The controlled air then exits the duct through either the duct's bleed aperture into the chamber or through the duct's outlet aperture into the operator enclosure.