Abstract: A modular drive assembly for a sliding door, comprising: a guide track having a hinge slidably received therein; a pair of pulleys disposed on either end of the guide track; a pair of cables each having an end that is secured to the hinge and the other end is secured to a cable drum of a motor drive unit mounted to the guide track, the motor drive unit being configured to rotate the cable drum, wherein the cable drum is also capable of freely rotating within the motor drive unit when the motor drive unit is not rotating the cable drum, wherein rotation of the cable drum causes the hinge to move in the guide track as one of the cables wraps onto the cable drum while the other one of the cables wraps off of the cable drum.

Abstract: A music generation engine automatically generates musical compositions by accessing musical sections and corresponding properties including similarity factors that provide a quantified indication of the similarity of musical sections to one another (e.g., a percentage of similarity). A sequential relationship of the musical sections is then determined according to an algorithmic process that uses the similarity factors to assess the desirability of the sequential relationship. The algorithmically created musical composition may then be stored, such as by rendering the composition as an audio file or by storing a library file that refers to the musical sections. The created musical composition may include layers respectively having different audio elements such that the created musical composition has a first dimension along a timeline and a second dimension that provides a depth based upon the presence of different audio elements.

Abstract: A drive assembly for a vehicle door, comprising: a motor having a driving member; a housing having a shaft rotatably received therein; an input member being rotatably received upon the shaft, the input member being operatively associated with the driving member, wherein rotation of the driving member causes rotation of the input member; an armature mounted on the input member; a rotor fixedly secured to the shaft, the rotor being cylindrical in shape and has a plurality of teeth positioned along the periphery of the rotor, the teeth being positioned in an equidistant manner; a coil mounted to the housing, the coil providing magnetic flux lines through the rotor to attract the armature when the coil is energized; and an inductance sensor assembly mounted to the housing in a facing spaced relationship with respect to the plurality of teeth of the rotor, wherein rotational speed and direction of the rotor is detected by the inductance sensor assembly.

Abstract: An automotive vehicle has a power operated lift-gate that is opened and closed by two drive units. The typical drive unit has a guide channel, an attachment assembly that is disposed in the guide channel, a flexible drive member that is attached to the attachment assembly and formed in a loop for moving the attachment assembly in the guide channel. The flexible drive member is trained solely around two pulleys at the respective opposite ends of the guide channel to form the flexible drive member in a narrow loop. One of the pulleys is an idler pulley that is part of an adjustable pulley assembly and the other pulley is driven by a power unit that is attached to the guide channel. The adjustable pulley assembly adjusts the distance between the pulleys to take up slack in the flexible drive member.

Abstract: A modular drive assembly for a sliding door, comprising: a guide track having a hinge slidably received therein; a pair of pulleys disposed on either end of the guide track; a pair of cables each having an end that is secured to the hinge and the other end is secured to a cable drum of a motor drive unit mounted to the guide track, the motor drive unit being configured to rotate the cable drum, wherein the cable drum is also capable of freely rotating within the motor drive unit when the motor drive unit is not rotating the cable drum, wherein rotation of the cable drum causes the hinge to move in the guide track as one of the cables wraps onto the cable drum while the other one of the cables wraps off of the cable drum.

Abstract: A new and efficient synthesis of the (+)-pancratistatin phosphate prodrug 2a has been accomplished. Selective protection (tetraacetate 4) of (+)-pancratistatin (1a) was followed by phosphorylation (to 5) with dibenzyl chlorophosphite (prepared in situ from dibenzyl phosphite). Cleavage of the acetate (with sodium methoxide) and benzyl (by hydrogenolysis) protecting groups followed by concomitant reaction with two equivalents of sodium methoxide afforded good yield of disodium (+)-pancratistatin phosphate (2a). Further increases in yields of the prodrug (2a) were realized by avoiding heat in the final purification steps. Fourteen (2b-o) additional metal and ammonium derived phosphate prodrugs were also synthesized.

Abstract: A differential gear assembly including a differential housing. A pair of side gears substantially axially aligned and spaced apart from each other, wherein the side gears are adapted to be supported by the differential housing and to engage axle shafts. A pair of pinion gears substantially axially aligned and spaced apart from each other, wherein the pinion gears are adapted to engage the side gears. A ring gear is mounted externally to the differential housing and a pinion pin engages and extends diametrically across the ring gear. The ring gear includes features adapted to receive the ends of the pinion pin and to position the pinion pin relative to the ring gear such that a center of mass of the ring gear is aligned with a center of mass of the pinion pin.

Abstract: A differential gear assembly including a differential housing. A pair of side gears substantially axially aligned and spaced apart from each other, wherein the side gears are adapted to be supported by the differential housing and to engage axle shafts. A pair of pinion gears substantially axially aligned and spaced apart from each other, wherein the pinion gears are adapted to engage the side gears. A ring gear is mounted externally to the differential housing and a pinion pin engages and extends diametrically across the ring gear. The ring gear includes features adapted to receive the ends of the pinion pin and to position the pinion pin relative to the ring gear such that a center of mass of the ring gear is aligned with a center of mass of the pinion pin.

Abstract: In order to laminate a fabric to a plastics material grid formed of oriented strands connected by junctions having thicker and non-oriented or less-oriented nodes, the fabric and the grid having the same melting temperature, the grid is heated by a drum to melt the surfaces of the nodes, and the grid and the fabric are passed through a nip formed by nip rollers, the fabric having been pre-heated by passing around a preheat roller. One nip roller has surface protuberances formed by knurling of such a size that a number of protuberances engage (by way of the fabric) each node of the grid.

Abstract: To apply hot grit particles to a continuous thermoplastic web such as a geonet, the web is brought to the upper part of the surface of a roller which is rotating in a container containing grit particles. A controlled layer of grit particles is carried up over the upper part of the roller, and the particles are heated by halogen emitters and are pressed into the web, causing local melting of the web so that the grit particles are embedded and firmly retained. Grit particles are added to a hopper and the top surface of the mass of grit particles adjacent the ascending part of the roller surface is kept at a controlled level below the uppermost part of the roller. Surplus grit particles not taken up by the web are recirculated by interaction with the roller surface.

Abstract: To form a paved surface, a laminate is used which has on the bottom a geotextile fabric with the mesh structure on the top. The fabric is adhered to the road base by spraying or spreading a bituminous liquid onto the base and laying on the laminate and applying further adhesive to the top of the laminate; asphalt is then placed and rolled. The laminate is formed of a square or rectangular mesh structure which has oriented stands connected at junctions which are thicker than the strands and have low-orientated or unorientated nodules. On one side the surface of the nodules are melted and the fabric is pressed into the nodules so that the plastics material of the nodules envelopes some of the fibers or filaments of the fabric to form a mechanical bond. In this way, the oriented strands stand proud of the fabric, to enable the asphalt aggregate to penetrate into the meshes and interlock with the strands.

Abstract: To form a paved surface, a laminate is used which has on the bottom a geotextile fabric with the mesh structure on the top. The fabric is adhered to the road base by spraying or spreading a bituminous liquid onto the base and laying on the laminate and applying further adhesive to the top of the laminate; asphalt is then placed and rolled. The laminate is formed of a square or rectangular mesh structure which has oriented stands connected at junctions which are thicker than the strands and have low-orientated or unorientated nodules. On one side the surface of the nodules are melted and the fabric is pressed into the nodules so that the plastics material of the nodules envelopes some of the fibres or filaments of the fabric to form a mechanical bond. In this way, the oriented strands stand proud of the fabric, to enable the asphalt aggregate to penetrate into the meshes and interlock with the strands.

Abstract: In order to provide a suitable packaging system, mesh pieces are deposited across the width of a moving run of flexible wrapping material and are deposited in longitudinally overlapping relationship along the length of the wrapping material, by feeding the mesh pieces on a belt which moves more quickly than the wrapping material; the mesh pieces are ejected from the end of the belt onto the wrapping material. The direction of movement of the wrapping material is inclined downwards so that the trailing ends of the mesh pieces contact the wrapping material before the leading ends contact the preceding mesh piece. The wrapping material, with the mesh pieces on it, is then rolled up under tension into a spiral bale so that the overlapping edges curl down and prevent the mesh pieces slipping out.

Abstract: A funnel for use in filling containers with liquid and designed to prevent overflowing of the container during filling. The funnel has two air vents one of which is adapted to be closed during initial filling of the container while the other stays open to vent the container during this inital filling. When the container is nearly full, the liquid in it closes the second vent and this provides an indication in the funnel that filling is nearly completed. The first vent is then opened to allow filling of the container to be completed with a small amount of liquid remaining in, or added to, the funnel.

Abstract: Apparatus for packaging commodities particularly delicate articles consists of a hollow vertical mandrel over which a tubular flexible packaging material is driven. The material is axially slit as it passes over the mandrel to allow the commodities to be inserted into the mandrel through a product opening and the tube is axially resealed and transversely sealed on issuance from the mandrel discharge end. According to the invention a platform is provided below the mandrel which is lifted into the mandrel interior so that the commodities can be inserted through the product opening and supported by the platform to prevent their dropping through the mandrel interior. The platform is then retracted to provide descending continuous support for the commodities during the remainder of the packaging process.

Abstract: An extruded integral plastics net structure comprising first sets of spaced parallel strands, second sets of spaced parallel strands extending transversely thereto, the sets of strands being joined together at all or certain of their points of intersection to form a net structure wherein the intersection points along any one strand are in the alternating forms of any two of the following: (a) integral masses of mirror image symmetry about the median plane of the net, (b) assymetrical junctions in which there is substantially only linear contact and adhesion between the strands and (c) symmetrical junctions having only linear contact with little or no adhesion between the strands.