Abstract: A developer device is provided with a developer vessel for storing therein a developer material composed of toner particles and carrier granules. In the developer device, a target ratio of toner particles for a detected quantity of the developer material is computed. In the device, a toner concentration detector sensor is also provided for detecting the ratio of toner particles in the developer vessel. In order to set the detected toner ratio of toner particles equal to the target ratio, quantity of toner particles to be additionally supplied to the developer vessel is controlled. As a result, the ratio of toner particles to the developer material stored in the developer vessel can be maintained in a predetermined ratio, thereby ensuring a desirable image quality.

Abstract: In a fuel injector arranged such that fuel injection is controlled by an opening/closing operation of a solenoid valve, occurrence of bouncing motion of the valve rod after the deenergization of the solenoid valve to terminate the fuel injection is prevented by forming a stopper with a flat surface for making in-plane contact with the end surface of the valve rod and defining in the valve rod a pressure chamber having an opening at the end surface. The chamber is adapted to be filled with the fuel to suppress the bouncing motion of the valve rod at the valve opening operation.

Abstract: A catalyst for the hydrogenation of CO and CO.sub.2 consists essentially of a metal oxide and gold. Synthesis of methanol and hydrocarbons by hydrogenation of CO and CO.sub.2 comprises establishing contact between a gaseous mass consisting of CO, CO.sub.2, and hydrogen and a catalyst consisting essentially of a metal oxide and gold.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium capable of making a high-density recording, with improved magnetic characteristics such as coercive force (Hc) and other factors, in which the flatness of the surface of a magnetic recording medium is maintained, and a method for the manufacture thereof are disclosed; by disposing a non-magnetic metal buffer layer 6 between a non-magnetic glass substrate 1 and a non-magnetic metal under layer 2 and keeping a ratio d.sub.1 /d.sub.2 of the half bandwidth of an X-ray diffraction peak of the metal buffer layer 6 and the metal under layer 2 predetermined values, a large increase in coercive force (Hc) can be obtained; in addition, by controlling the film thickness .delta. of the metal buffer layer 6 and the base substance temperature (T) when the metal buffer layer 6 is formed, magnetic characteristics such as squareness (S), coercive force squareness (S*), coercive force difference (.sub..DELTA. HC) and coercive force squareness difference (.sub..DELTA. S*) can be improved.

Abstract: A solenoid valve unit is provided in the middle of fuel supply path that leads to a compression space in an injection pump main body, and the fuel injection quantity is adjusted through the open and close control of the solenoid valve unit. In this fuel injection system, the plug valve is moved until it is seated on the valve seat during the preliminary injection that is performed prior to the main injection. An arrangement for leaking the fuel from within the compression space is provided in the injection pump main body and the time period during which the fuel in the compression space is leaked via the arrangement for leaking and the time period during which the fuel supply path is restricted with the plug valve being seated on the valve seat are combined to stabilize the movement of the plug valve. Consequently, an optimal small quantity is achieved for the preliminary injection that is nearly constant regardless of the rate of rotation of the engine.

Abstract: In a cloth piece spreading apparatus which carries out a process in which, after a corner C.sub.1 of a rectangular cloth piece 15 and a position Ya on the side of the cloth piece which includes this corner C.sub.1 are gripped by a movable gripper 16 to which there are attached two clips 17, and the cloth piece 15 is suspended naturally, the cloth piece 15 is pulled by the gripper 16 and is moved horizontally to the upper surface of a bench 35, which consists of a belt conveyor and the like, while undergoing contact resistance with a convex shaped front edge portion 36 of the bench 35, and is then pulled up onto the bench 35, there is provided a suction duct 47 having numerous suction holes 48 in the half the surface of the cloth edge side of the cloth pulling path on bench 35.

Abstract: A developing device is provided with a developer vessel for storing therein a developer material composed of toner particles and carrier granules and a developer material supply section for gradually supplying a carrier developer including the carrier granules from above the developer vessel, wherein a discharge opening for discharging therethrough the developer material is formed on a side face of the developer vessel. When a tilt detection unit provided with the developing device detects the tilt of the developing device, an alarm lamp is set ON for sending a warning. In the meantime, the discharge opening is closed for preventing an excessive overflow of the developer material from the developer vessel.

Abstract: A knock sensor detects the vibration of an internal combustion engine and the half wave of its output of the sensor is amplified by a half wave amplifier. From the amplified output, a vibration-signal producing circuit produces a vibration signal representative of the vibration of engine in synchronism with the crank angle. An arithmetic operation unit produces a reference signal. Then a comparator compares the reference signal with the vibration signal to output a knock signal indicative of the occurrence of knocking of the engine when the vibration signal exceeds the reference signal. A gain adjusting circuit may be provided between the knock sensor and the half wave amplifier for adjusting the input level to the half wave amplifier to set the output level of the amplifier to a proper level. The half wave amplifier may be provided with a gain selecting circuit which automatically changes the gain of half wave amplifier in accordance with the level of the knock sensor output.

Abstract: An apparatus for spreading rectangular cloth including a suction duct having many holes on the half surface on the cloth edge side on the cloth running surface of the mounting stand, comprises belt moving/stopping units which are arranged on the mounting stand and each of which comprises a unit base on a fixed member above the mounting stand, an operating lever rotating around the fixed shaft of the unit base, a brake roller which is mounted to the operating lever and simultaneously drives and stops a single or plural conveyor belts, an air actuator for operating the operating lever, and a sensor for detecting the side edge of the cloth drawn at right angles to the conveyor running direction; and a control circuit which issues a command to the air actuator based on the cloth detection signal generated by the sensor for each of the belt moving/stopping unit; and the apparatus additionally have a cloth position control function to stop a single or plural conveyors by applying brake upon receipt of the cloth pas

Abstract: A washing method by a continuous washing machine including a drum having a charge port of a wash at one end and a discharge port thereof at the other end, partitions for dividing the drum into a plurality of chambers, and a scoop for scooping up the wash with the rotation of the drum and sequentially transferring it from a chamber on the side of charge port to a chamber on the side of discharge port, in which the normal rotation of the drum without transfer in the transfer direction and the reverse rotation without transfer are repeated several times to oscillate the wash several times, and then by the reverse rotation of the drum of one complete turn or more, the raising/dropping motion of the wash is performed by the scoop at least once, whereby washing is carried out by the combination of several oscillating motions and at least one raising/dropping motion.

Abstract: A fuel injector has a solenoid valve which is opened and closed for spilling off pressurized fuel from a fuel pressure chamber in order to control fuel injection. The solenoid valve is provided with a valve rod that has one end connected with an armature, is formed with a valve head tapered to increase in diameter with increasing distance from the armature and is guided by a guide hole for reciprocal motion, with a fuel reservoir formed to surround the valve head and communicate with the chamber housing the armature, and with a tapered portion for seating the largest diameter portion of the valve head and being formed in the wall of the fuel reservoir to decrease in diameter in the direction of the armature. When the pressurized fuel is spilled to the armature chamber as a low pressure portion, it exerts a force on the valve rod in the direction of valve opening, thereby enabling the valve movement to be completed rapidly.

Abstract: A solenoid valve is installed between a high-pressure side leading to a compressor of a fuel-injection pump and a low-pressure side to adjust the fluidic connection therebetween. This valve comprises a valve body, an armature, a solenoid which moves the armature, and a return spring. In the solenoid valve, a passage connecting an armature chamber and a balance chamber is formed around the edge of the opposite side of the armature, a rising-pressure preventing passage is provided to prevent an increase in pressure in the armature chamber, and compensation mechanism is provided in the junction area between the different members which accommodate the valve body, to thereby absorb a gap or misalignment between the sliding holes of the different members.

Abstract: In a conveyor for carrying linens having processes of gripping any corner and one place on a side including the corner of a rectangular cloth (sheet 1) with clips 45 installed on a movable clamp 35; naturally hanging the cloth by raising with a clamp transfer conveyor; moving the cloth onto the top surface of a table composed of a flat belt conveyor 77 or the like by using the clamp 35; and pulling the cloth onto the table, the conveyor for carrying linens includes a drive section comprising: a clamp body 36; two pairs of wheels 39 supported by shafts fixed to the clamp body 36; a toothed block 37 which has a plurality of tooth-shaped protrusions engaging with a toothed belt 34 for driving the clamp and is installed straddling over the clamp body 36 by a pin 40 inserted into an elongated hole so that it can be moved downward by the height of the tooth-shaped protrusion; and a compression spring 41 which is energized so as to push the toothed block 37 in the engaging direction, and is engaged between the clamp

Abstract: A capacitor is connected to an ignition coil for an internal combustion engine so as to be charged by ignition current generated by the ignition coil. After firing of a spark plug in a cylinder by the ignition current, the voltage across the capacitor is applied between the center electrode and the ground electrode of the spark plug to induce an ionic current between the electrodes. The resulting ionic current is measured by a current sensor connected to the capacitor.

Abstract: A stowable container of a generally rectangular boxlike configuration which is easy to selectively erect and fold includes front and rear side walls, a pair of end walls, a top flap, a bottom wall and a pair of longitudinally partition walls while defining a longitudinally extending pocket therebetween. Rows of a plurality of bottle chambers are defined by a group of transverse walls extending between one of the longitudinal partition wall and the front side wall and between the other of the longitudinal partition wall and the rear side wall for accommodating respective rows of bottles therein. The bottom wall includes a pair of bottle wall segments continued from the front and rear side walls, respectively. When the container is folded, the bottom wall segments buckle inwardly of the box so as to protrude into the longitudinal pocket to allow the container to be flattened.

Abstract: A pressure sensor comprising a hollow main body (11) defining a bore (14) extending therethrough and having a detection end and an output end. A pressure sensing assembly is disposed within said bore (14) to divide it into a detection cavity (17) and an output cavity (18) through which output signal lines from said pressure sensing assembly extend. A flexible diaphragm (19) is attached to the detection end of the bore to define a sealed detection cavity (17) in which a pressure transmitting liquid is filled. The pressure sensing assembly comprises support plate (24) welded to said main body (11) and supporting a pressure sensing element (26) within said detection cavity (17) through a mounting bed (4). The signal lines sealingly extend through said support plate (24) from said detection cavity (17) to said output cavity (18).

Abstract: A drum type washing apparatus and a method of processing the wash using the drum type washing apparatus wherein they have a characterizing feature which consists in that the peripheral wall of a rotary drum made of a perforated plate is configured in the form of a wall having a single corrugated portion or a plurality of corrugated portions which do not intersect the direction of centrifugal force generated by rotation of the rotary drum at right angles. Further, they have other characterizing features which consist in that the apparatus is provided with a liquid injecting nozzle and/or a gas blowing nozzle and/or a hot air blowing nozzle for allowing liquid and/or gas and/or hot air to be injected and/or blown into the interior of the rotary drum whereby a period of time required for performing steps of washing, dewatering and drying the wash in the rotary drum can be shortened.

Abstract: An automotive engine control system is provided for an automobile having a variable rotation speed engine which has a plurality of spark plugs served by respective spark plugs. The system includes an optical rotary encoder having a rotatable pulse scale having a row of code pattern with specific light-permeable or light-deflection slits each for outputting a reference position signal and other light-permeable or light-reflection slits each adapted to reduce the amount of light for outputting an angular signal, both of the optical signals being photoelectronically converted and the waveform of the resultant electric signals being shaped based on threshold voltages into electric pulse signals indicative of a reference angle of 0.degree.

Abstract: A knock suppressing apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes an amplifier that amplifies the output signal of a knock sensor for sensing engine vibrations. A vibration level signal and a threshold signal are generated based on the amplifier output signals, and knocking is detected by comparing the vibration level signal and the threshold signal. The gain of the amplifier is varied in accordance with an operating condition indicative of the noise level of the engine so as to maintain the vibration level signal and the threshold signal within prescribed ranges suitable for knock determination. In one form of the invention, when the amplifier gain is varied, the threshold signal is also varied at substantially the same time and by substantially the same percentage as the amplifier gain.

Abstract: A method for spreading thin soft rectangular articles such as cloths, unwoven cloths, paper sheets, plastic sheets, etc. (generally called "rectangular sheets") is disclosed. A part of a first side of a rectangular sheet including one corner of a rectangular sheet is suspended in the air as held nearly horizontally by gripping the corner and another point on the side by grippers which are slidable on a horizontal rail. Accordingly, a second side of the rectangular sheet including the one corner is made to hang down nearly vertically. Then the lowermost end of the second side is gripped by another gripper that is movable vertically along a vertical rail. Except for the one corner, the initially held part of the one side is released, and the rectangular sheet is held with the two adjacent corners at the opposite ends of the second side gripped by two grippers which are movable on the rail.