Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for use in measuring permeability of a material. The apparatus 1 comprises a non-contact probe 6 comprising an inner pipe 8 and an outer pipe 10 which are arranged coaxially; a gas inlet for admitting a flow of gas into a first space 9 defined between the inner and outer pipes; and pressure difference measuring systems DP for measuring a pressure difference &Dgr;P between said first space (P1) and a second space (P2) comprising the interior of the inner pipe 8. The probe 6 is mounted on a moveable head assembly 11 and the apparatus 1 further includes a position control system 12, 22 for controlling the movement of the head assembly 11 so as to cause the probe 6 to scan across a surface 2 of the material to be analysed, while maintaining the probe 6 at a constant distance Z from said surface 2, and for collecting pressure difference &Dgr;P measurements, using said pressure difference measuring device DP during scanning movement of the probe 6.

Abstract: A method and system to passively monitor cement integrity and reservoir/formation parameters near the wellbore at all depths and orientations outside a wellbore. Different types (pressure, temperature, resistivity, rock property, formation property etc.) of sensors are “pumped” into place by placing them into a suspension in the cement slurry at the time a well casing is being cemented, by placing them in gravel pack used in frackpacking, or by a deflected drilling tool. The sensors are either battery operated, or of a type where external excitation, (EMF, acoustic, RF etc.) may be applied to power and operate the sensor, which will send a signal conveying the desired information. The sensor is then be energized and interrogated using a separate piece of wellbore deployed equipment whenever it is desired to monitor cement or formation conditions. This wellbore deployed equipment could be, for example, a wireline tool.

Abstract: To reduce the tendency for high center of mass vehicles to roll, or vault over a guardrail barrier or dive under it, the guardrail barrier has outer curved portions selected to adjust the moment of inertia of the guardrail barrier by providing a sufficiently high moment of inertia to slow the vehicle but sufficiently low to avoid excessive force against the occupant compartment. A central portion connecting the outer curves sized to provide an effective depth of 12.25 inches to capture high bumper vehicles and small vehicles and an area of 1.99 inches to provide rigidity enough to the curved portions to avoid flattening and penetration. The outer curves are asymmetrical.

Abstract: A method and system is shown to passively monitor cement integrity within a wellbore. Different types of sensors (pressure, temperature, resistivity, rock property, formation property etc.) are “pumped” into place by placing them into a suspension in the cement slurry at the time a well casing is being cemented. The sensors are either battery operated, or of a type where external excitation, (EMF, acoustic, RF etc.) may be applied to power and operate the sensor, which will send a signal conveying the desired information. The sensor is then energized and interrogated using a separate piece of wellbore deployed equipment whenever it is desired to monitor cement conditions. This wellbore deployed equipment could be, for example, a wireline tool.

Abstract: The invention relates to an agricultural spray apparatus whereby chemical to be sprayed is injected into spray liquid before the mixture of liquid and chemical is sprayed. The invention comprises a closed loop circulating system having a pump with an inlet and an outlet, a loop line connecting the pump inlet and outlet, a spray nozzle connected to the loop line downstream of the pump via a spray line, a spray liquid inlet connected to the loop line upstream of the pump, a chemical injection system connected to the loop line upstream of the pump and downstream of the spray liquid inlet, a venturi device, a return line, an agitation line, and a valve device in the spray line, reversing liquid flowing to the spray nozzle through the agitation line past the spray nozzle and through the return line.

Abstract: The inventive system provides a set of human input and output devices such as a video monitor and keyboard, in conjunction with a processing means such as a Personal Computer, an in-circuit microprocessor emulation means, and control software which allows a software developer to interactively and intelligently view the contents of bit-mapped hardware control and status registers in a descriptive manner. Further, the system interacts with the in-circuit emulator and code development environment to automatically create hexadecimal representations of complete register values to be read and written, and performs validity rule checking in order to notify the software developer if disallowed combinations of bit fields have been selected.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a rapid and non-evasive method of monitoring dough development and dough mixing properties using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of measuring the change in constituents of a grain flour dough during mixing.

Abstract: To reduce the tendency for high center of mass vehicles to roll or vault over a guardrail barrier or dive under it, the guardrail barrier has outer curved portions selected to adjust the moment of inertia of the guardrail barrier by providing a sufficiently high moment of inertia to slow the vehicle but sufficiently low to avoid excessive force against the occupant compartment. A central portion connecting the outer curves sized to provide an effective depth of 12.25 inches to capture high bumper vehicles and small vehicles and an area of 1.99 inches to provide rigidity enough to the curved portions to avoid flattening and penetration. The outer curves are asymmetrical.

Abstract: A conference station for use in a satellite conferencing system is arranged to receive communications on at least one satellite communication channel having a given frequency and to transmit communications on at least one satellite communication channel having a given frequency. The conference station itself controls whether or not the conference station can transmit on a satellite communication transmission channel by enabling transmission on a communication channel only when the conference station itself determines that that satellite communication channel is free for use or unoccupied. The conference station is also responsive to data signals received from a conference control station to adjust the satellite communication channel frequency or frequencies on which the conference station is able to receive or transmit signal. The conference station may form a part of a group of similar conference stations to which the same communication channels are allocated.

Abstract: A ground attitude control apparatus is provided for maintaining a constant boom attitude when traveling over uneven ground. A boom for supporting crop-spraying equipment is pivotally mounted on and extending either side of a carrier for movement about a substantially horizontal first pivot axis. A levelling member is pivotally mounted on the boom for movement about a substantially horizontal second pivot axis. At least one damper is connected between the levelling member and the boom and exerts a damping effort on the boom. A linkage is pivotally connected to both the levelling member and the carrier. The linkage is disposed to control the damping effort to cause the boom to rotate at a desired angular velocity in response to rotation of the carrier.

Abstract: Agricultural crop spraying apparatus comprising a spray boom made from a space-frame of members comprising laterally and vertically spaced longitudinally extending members joined at intervals by traverse cross-members, with the spray nozzles disposed within the boom framework for protection characterized in that the cross-members of the spray boom frame are positioned above the lowest extremity of the boom framework to allow the spray nozzles to be disposed below the cross-members while still positioning the nozzles within the boom and to allow uninterrupted longitudinal positioning of the spray nozzles. Preferably, the cross-section of the boom is substantially triangular so that the sections of the folded boom arms interfit one with the other. Hinges joining the section of the boom preferably have inclined pivot axes such that the height reached by the boom extremities during folding is less than the arms pivot vertically.

Abstract: A structure comprising a layer of copper, a barrier layer, a layer of AlCu, and a pad-limiting layer, wherein the layer of AlCu and barrier layer are interposed between the layer of copper and pad-limiting layer.

Abstract: An improved printer is provided in which one of the "built-in" resident fonts can be effectively replaced by downloading from a host computer (into either Flash memory or the printer's hard disk drive) new or modified data under the same font descriptor as the built-in font. After the replacement font has been received by the printer and stored into a non-volatile memory storage device, the user can choose whether to use the replacement font or the built-in font for a particular document, by use of a printer setting named the "Font Priority." This Font Priority setting has the values of either "Resident" or "Flash/Disk." When the Font Priority setting is set to "Resident," the printer preserves Adobe compatibility by having the PostScript interpreter search the virtual memory first to locate a font that is requested by a print job. If the particular font is found, no other font memory storage device is searched and the copy of the font reference in the virtual memory is selected.

Abstract: A railway rail support assembly (3), for resiliently suspending a railway rail (1) above a track foundation (2) at discrete locations along the rail (1), has rail supporting means through which a predetermined clamping load is exerted on the said rail (1) such that the assembly (3) has a desired resistance to longitudinal creep therethrough of the rail (1). The rail supporting means are preferably attached, when the assembly (3) is in use, to an approximately horizontal upper surface of the said track foundation (2). Such an assembly (3) may be provided by first and second brackets (31, 32) and first and second elastic members (33, 34). Each of the said first and second brackets (31, 32) has a bearing part (312, 322) and a base part (311, 321) (311, 321), the bearing part (312, 322) being located adjacent to either sides of the rail (1) when the assembly (3) is in use and the base part (311, 321) being located on an upper surface of the said track foundation (2).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for relining, repairing or reconstructing existing infrastructure pipeline systems that are new, structurally deficient or experiencing an excessive amount of exfiltration or infiltration, or converting new or damaged pipelines into dual-containment pipelines. A plurality of stock, high density polyethylene lining pipes having a cylindrical cross-section with a diameter up to 36 inches and lengths of 40-50 feet are joined together to a job specific length. The lining pipe is then heated to its flex temperature and gradually deformed to a reduced diameter. At the job site, the deformed lining pipe is inserted into the existing pipe and a controlled, pressurized environment is created therein for a period of time dependent on the pipe's length. Pressurized steam is first inserted to provide heat and internal pressure to expand the pipe. Then, compressed air is inserted to cool the pipe while maintaining the internal pressure to complete the expansion and set the pipe.

Abstract: A laryngeal mask assembly has a laryngeal mask device with a tube opening into a mask. The assembly includes an obturator inserted along the tube during insertion, with the patient end of the obturator lying adjacent the patient end of the tube so as to prevent the epiglottis entering the tube. The obturator has an air passage extending along its length and a handle projecting rearwardly from a stop, which limits how far the obturator can be inserted in the tube.

Abstract: A monomer composition characterized by being curable to form a resin suitable for optical products having a balanced refractive index and Abbe's number range and good tintability comprising a polyene monomer; a polyisocyanate, polyisothiocyanate, or an isocyanate monomer containing at least one isothiocyanate group; and a monomer having two or more active hydrogen groups such as polythiols, polyamines, and polyols. The invention also provides a special process for making the composition and for curing the composition to form a resin product.

Abstract: Agricultural or horticultural spray apparatus of the kind comprising a holding tank having a liquid to be sprayed, at least one spray nozzle, a pump for moving liquid from the tank and for causing the liquid to be sprayed from the nozzle, and a return line from the nozzle to the tank, characterized in that the return line is provided between the pump and the spray nozzle, and characterized by a venturi device for causing a depression in the return line to cause liquid to flow from the nozzle to the tank. The apparatus includes a line from the tank to each nozzle through which liquid is drawn when a depression is applied to the return line.

Abstract: A sheet delivery apparatus (10) in the form of an accessory adapted to be secured to a printing machine (11). The apparatus comprises a sheet receiver (12) arranged to co-operate with the printing machine to receive one or more sheets output by the printing machine, and sheet delivery system (18, 19) for presenting the one or more sheets to a user, the sheets being partially fed by the sheet delivery means through a security gate and deflector system to enable removal of the sheet or sheets by the user. The sheet delivery system is controlled so as to withdraw sheets from access by the user if the sheets have not been removed after a predetermined time has elapsed and to deflect them into an internal secure bin, with the security gate and deflector system being provided by a dual function dual position shutter and deflector member.

Abstract: A resilient rail-fastening clip has a first straight portion (11) for locating the clip in a clip anchoring device (2) when the clip is in use, a second bent portion (12), a third heel portion (13), a fourth bend portion (14) and a fifth toe portion (15). When viewed such that lower most points of the first and fifth portions (11 and 15) of the clip lie in a horizontal plane, proceeding from the first portion (11), the second portion (12) appears to bend up out of that plane towards and then away from a vertical plane passing through the fifth portion (15). The clip (1) is used in an assembly including a baseplate (2) having a non-vertical stop (21d) on its shoulder (21) up which the clip (1) slides during installation until brought to rest through friction at a desired height above the rail (3).