Abstract: A tucking bar for directing sheet material between a drive roller and a mandrel of a roll-up machine comprises an elongated member having opposing ends that are supported by an arm. The arm is adapted to pivot about an axis that is substantially parallel to an axis of rotation of the drive roller to move the elongated member along an arcuate path about the drive roller. A roll-up machine comprises a drive roller supported by a frame and a mandrel supported adjacent the drive roller. A tucking bar supported by a forward end of the frame is provided for tucking the sheet material between the drive roller and the mandrel. A method for rolling sheet material includes the steps of displacing the tucking bar to direct sheet material between a drive roller and a mandrel and rolling the sheet material on the mandrel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fiber optic connector and a method for installing a fiber optic connector including a barrel assembly disposed within a housing. The barrel assembly includes a barrel being formed of deformable material and having a barrel body and a barrel extension extending from an end of the barrel body. An opposing end of the barrel body supports a ferrule having a pre-polished fiber stub disposed therein. An insert is disposed within the barrel, the insert being deformable and is arranged and configured to receive at least one fiber. An extender cap engages a portion of the housing fixing the barrel assembly within the housing. The housing includes at least one aperture disposed in a side portion for accessing the barrel assembly. In one aspect of the invention a method for installing a fiber optic connector is provided including the steps of, first, forming a barrel assembly.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for monitoring cardiac output using bioelectrical impedance techniques in which first and second electrodes are placed in the trachea and/or bronchus in the vicinity of the ascending aorta, while an excitation current is injected into the thorax via first and second current electrodes, so that bioelectrical impedance measurements based on the voltage drop sensed by the first and second electrodes reflect voltage changes induced primarily by blood flow dynamics, rather than respiratory or non-cardiac related physiological effects. Additional sense electrodes may be provided, either internally, or externally, for which bioelectrical impedance values may be obtained. Methods are provided for computing cardiac output from bioelectrical impedance values. Apparatus and methods are also provided so that the measured cardiac output may be used to control administration of intravenous fluids to an organism or to optimize a heart rate controlled by a pacemaker.

Abstract: An optical fiber connector for use with plastic optical fibers includes a housing having a longitudinal bore forming a flat end wall adjacent the fiber entrance end. A graduated coil spring member is seated against the wall and retained within the bore. The spring has a first, compression generating section, a second section of lesser diameter for grasping and holding the jacket of a jacketed plastic optic fiber, and a third section that locates and guides the bare fiber to the interface end of the coupler.

Abstract: An optical fiber connector assembly has a connector having a bore having a cable receiving end and a reentrant interface end forming a fiber holder. Jacketed plastic optical fiber is affixed within the bore and unjacketed fiber is contained in the fiber holder. A latching arm has latch means for engaging a shoulder in an adapter, and camming lobes on the latching arm engage sloping ramps in the adapter to impart a bias force to move the connector toward the interface end.

Abstract: An optical fiber connector is disclosed for terminating an optical cable which has a plastic core and a surrounding jacket. The connector includes a body member which has a central bore extending therethrough within which is a longitudinally extending internally threaded portion dimensioned to grip the plastic jacket when the cable is screwed into the body member. The bore has a tapered section extending from the threaded portion to a cable entrant end of the body to facilitate insertion of an optical cable into the body.

Abstract: An optical fiber connector assembly has a connector having a bore having a cable receiving end and a reentrant interface and forming a fiber holder. A latching arm has latch means for engaging a shoulder in a adapter, and camming lobes on the latching arm engage sloping ramps in the adapter to impart a bias force to move the connector toward the interface end. A bias force augmenting member is included for insuring reliable connections over extended periods of time. The augmenting member is a resilient member whose elastic force is added to the biasing force produced by the camming lobes.

Abstract: An optical connector is disclosed for terminating an optical cable 10 comprising a plastic optical fiber 11 surrounded by a protective jacket 12. The connector includes a housing having an exterior latch 201 that secures it to an adapter 31. The latch is constructed as a cantilever with its fixed end positioned toward a front end of the housing. The connector further includes a cable-holding structure that attaches to the jacket of the optical cable in such a manner that the plastic optical fiber 11 connects to an associated optical device without the use of a ferrule. One cable-holding structure includes a guide tube 45 that is made from metal and is pressed, or insert molded, into the back end of one plastic housing 40. A portion of the guide tube protrudes from the back end of the housing and is crimped onto the optical cable. Here, the optical cable is immovably attached to the housing.

Abstract: An irrigation system is disclosed for determining that the moisture content of various zones of the soil are irrigated to consistent levels. A moisture sensor has lateral spaced apart antennas which extend within a horizontal plane. The moisture sensor is disposed in the soil within one of the various regions. An irrigation piping branch includes a control valve which controls the flow of water through the irrigation branch. When the control valve is open, an irrigation fluid will pass through the valve and the irrigation branch for distribution to an irrigation region of the soil. Once the moisture within the soil of the irrigation region reaches a preselected level within the horizontal plane proximate to the moisture sensor, the valve will automatically be closed, stopping the flow of the irrigation fluid from the irrigation branch to the irrigation region of the soil.

Abstract: Improvement in the physical properties of soil is achieved by the application of aqueous mixtures of agricultural polyelectrolytes and polysaccharides to the soil. The combination of agricultural polyelectrolytes and polysaccharides results in greatly improving the physical properties of the soil while significantly reducing the quantity of agricultural polymers as compared to methods of the prior art.

Abstract: A family of connectors is described for splicing, half-tapping, bridging and terminating multiple insulated wires. The connectors are particularly suitable to telephone central office applications requiring limited numbers of conductor reconnections. The basic connector consists of a mandrel around which the wires of a wire group are looped, a mandrel holder which retains the wires in loop-around configuration; and a contact module containing double-ended split beam contacts. Physical connection between wires mounted on two mandrels is made by inserting the mandrels into respective holders; and then mounting the two resulting assemblies on respective sides of a contact module. Advantageously, each mandrel holder may be double-sided to receive two mandrels. Correspondingly, the contact module may be designed to mount double-sided mandrel holders. A stack consisting of mandrels in their holders alternating between contact modules can provide for multiple appearances of wires in a given wire set.