Abstract: A method for measuring soil in a wash liquor or other soil-containing liquid medium, the method comprising: a) a soil sensing step wherein the soil-containing liquid medium is contacted with a plurality of fuzzy-correlated soil-sensing means, each responsive to a distinct physico-chemical soil characteristic and providing one or more soil parameter measurements corresponding thereto; b) a data processing step wherein the soil parameter measurements for each sensing means are entered as input data into a model algorithm defined on the basis of an algorithm dataset comprising experimental or consumer-generated soil parameter and soil concentration information and which functions to generate predicted soil data of enhanced confidence level; and c) a communication step wherein one or more signals dependent upon the predicted soil data is issued to an output device, data store, user interface, data processor, or an appliance director or module.

Abstract: An egg harvester (100) has a shuttle (101) where a top run (32) of a conveyor (30) defines horizontal slots (40, 90) to receive eggs from a mat (10) on which eggs are laid. Damaged eggs and litter are separated on a transfer conveyor (60), and the sound eggs are transferred to an egg belt by a transverse conveyor (68). Fresh litter can be laid on the mat (10) as the shuttle (101) advances under the birds (50) in the nests (51).

Abstract: A fire barrier panel of the kind suitable for lining car decks and engine rooms of high speed aluminum ferries is described. The panel (10) includes a relatively thin layer of inorganic insulating material (12) adhered to a lightweight support structure (14). The layer of inorganic insulating material may be an intumescent material made from mineral fibers. The decribed lightweight support structure (14) is a honeycomb panel having a honeycomb core (18) of non-combustible aluminum foil provided with two face skins made of glass reinforced plastics resin material (16). This construction of the honeycomb panel (14) is lightweight and has high stiffness and rigidity suitable for stiffening and supporting the insulating material into a rigid panel. The layer of intumescent material (12) supported on the panel expands when exposed to high temperatures to form a thick fire insulating barrier panel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the preparation of substantially pure diastereoisomers of derivatives of tetrahydrofolate and the use of such diastereoisomers. More particularly the present invention provides a process for the preparation of a desired substantially pure (6R or 6S) diastereoisomer of a derivative of tetrahydrofolic acid or salt or ester. The process comprises the steps of: attaching a chiral auxiliary group at either N-5 or N-10 of a mixture of 6R and 6S diastereoisomers of tetrahydrofolic acid, separating the new diastereoisomers, recovering the desired new diastereoisomer (6R or 6S) corresponding to the desired (6R or 6S) diastereoisomer, and converting the substantially pure new diastereoisomer recovered into the corresponding diastereoisomer.

Abstract: A method of determining the rate of change of optical thickness of a thin-film during deposition comprising the steps of illuminating the thin-film (5) with electromagnetic radiation (3) having a range of wavelengths, measuring the transmission spectrum (6,7) of the thin-film (5) at least twice during the deposition process to determine the wavelength &lgr;t or turning points in the transmission spectrum, and using the measurements to determine the rate to change of optical thickness of the thin-film as a function of time. The method further comprises the steps of predicting a time T in the growth process at which the wavelength &lgr;t of the turning point in the transmission spectrum of the thin-film will be substantially equal to the wavelength &lgr;d of the turning point in the transmission spectrum of thin-film at its optical design thickness, and interrupting the growth process such that growth ceases at time T.

Abstract: A suspension system for a vehicle has an upper control arm and an associated lower control arm for mounting a wheel on the vehicle body. A hydro-pneumatic spring is connected between one of the control arms and the vehicle body. A compensating spring is associated with the hydro-pneumatic spring and is operable to act in opposition to the force exerted by the hydro-pneumatic spring as the hydro-pneumatic spring approaches full extension.

Abstract: An optical lens including an optically clear lens element; and a light absorbing coating on a surface of the lens that attenuates transmitted light; has a coloured or colourless reflection as seen from the front of the sunglass lens; and is anti-reflective as seen from the eye side of the lens.

Abstract: An egg harvester (100) has a shuttle (101) where a top run (32) of a conveyor (30) defines horizontal slots (40, 90) to receive eggs from a mat (10) on which eggs are laid. Damaged eggs and litter are separated on a transfer conveyor (60), and the sound eggs are transferred to an egg belt by a transverse conveyor (68). Fresh litter can be laid on the mat (10) as the shuttle (101) advances under the birds (50) in the nests (51).

Abstract: Kit of adhesion agents for adhering substrates, wherein the kit comprises a plurality of reactive block copolymers of formula I:

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring tubular stands between a substantially horizontal position on the catwalk and a substantially vertical position at the rig floor entry. In one embodiment of the invention, this is accomplished by moving bundles of individual tubulars to the process area, where a stand make-up/break-out machine, also called a bucking machine, makes up the tubular stands. The bucking machine aligns and stabs the connections and makes up the connection to the correct torque. The tubular stand is then transferred from the bucking machine to a stand storage area or to a trolley pick-up area. When additional stands are needed by the drilling operation, a trolley is moved into position over the trolley pick-up area to retrieve the stands previously placed in the trolley pick-up area. The stands are clamped to the trolley and the trolley is moved from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position at the rig floor entry.

Abstract: A filtering device (10) comprises a plurality of layers of paper (40). The paper (40) is formed with projections (120)) so that cavities (122) are located between adjacent layers of paper (40). A liquid being filtered passes between adjacent layers, filling at least some of the cavities (122).

Abstract: This invention relates to maintaining a customer database in a computer telephony integrated (CTI) database. In particular it relates to populating and maintaining a customer database in a computer telephony system with shared and unique telephone numbers. There is described a method, apparatus and a computer program product relating to the processing records in a telephony database. The telephony system receives an ANI number along with an incoming call and uses that number to identify records, if any, in the customer database having telephone numbers that match the ANI number. A new record is created in the database if no record from the identified records corresponds to the incoming telephone call and the new record includes a telephone number field containing the ANI number. If one or more records were identified in the database the telephone number in the new record is associated with a shared status.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring tubular stands between a substantially horizontal position on the catwalk and a substantially vertical position at the rig floor entry. In one embodiment of the invention, this is accomplished by moving bundles of individual tubulars to the process area, where a stand make-up/break-out machine, also called a bucking machine, makes up the tubular stands. The bucking machine aligns and stabs the connections and makes up the connection to the correct torque. The tubular stand is then transferred from the bucking machine to a stand storage area or to a trolley pick-up area. When additional stands are needed by the drilling operation, a trolley is moved into position over the trolley pick-up area to retrieve the stands previously placed in the trolley pick-up area. The stands are clamped to the trolley and the trolley is moved from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position at the rig floor entry.

Abstract: A method for measuring soil in a wash liquor or other soil-containing liquid medium, the method comprising:

Abstract: The present invention related to the preparation of substantially pure diastereoisomers of derivatives of tetrahydrofolate and the use of such diastereoisomers. More particularly the present invention provides a process for the preparation of a desired substantially pure (6R or 6S) diastereoisomer of a derivative of tetrahydrofolic acid or salt or ester. The process comprises the steps of: attaching a chiral auxiliary group at either N-5 or N-10 of a mixture of 6R and 6S diastereoisomers of tetrahydrofolic acid, separating the new diastereoisomers, recovering the desired new diastereoisomer (6R or 6S) corresponding to the desired (6R or 6S) diastereoisomer, and converting the substantially pure new diastereoisomer recovered into the corresponding diastereoisomer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the preparation of substantially pure diastereoisomers of derivatives of tetrahydrofolate and the use of such diastereoisomers. More particularly the present invention provides a process for the preparation of a desired substantially pure (6R or 6S) diastereoisomer of a derivative of tetrahydrofolic acid or salt or ester. The process comprises the steps of: attaching a chiral auxiliary group at either N-5 or N-10 of a mixture of 6R and 6S diastereoisomers of tetrahydrofolic acid, separating the new diastereoisomers, recovering the desired new diastereoisomer (6R or 6S) corresponding to the desired (6R or 6S) diastereoisomer, and converting the substantially pure new diastereoisomer recovered into the corresponding diastereoisomer.

Abstract: A suspension system for a vehicle has an upper control arm and an associated lower control arm for mounting a wheel on the vehicle body. A hydro-pneumatic spring is connected between one of the control arms arid the vehicle body. A compensating spring is associated with the hydro-pneumatic spring and is operable to act in opposition to the force exerted by the hydro-pneumatic spring as the hydro-pneumatic spring approaches full extension.

Abstract: In wireless local area networks utilizing frequency-hopping between different channels spaced over an allotted frequency band, two or more groups of transceivers in close proximity may be arranged to operate satisfactorily with the full bandwidth available to each by arranging that their hop sequences are kept separate. This may be achieved by arranging for the hop sequence of one group or of each group to skip at intervals from one point to another in the sequence, chosen at random.

Abstract: A mechanism for creating links and services on the Internet to reduce the bottlenecks at service providers by associating code with links to make them intelligent and a special protocol between the links and the back end servers to maintain scalableness and performance. Scalableness is supported by moving much of the functionality of searching onto the client side.

Abstract: The binary sort access method and apparatus makes use of a binary search to show where an item of data not found should be placed in sorted order within a list in a table in memory or in a file on a storage device. The method includes building the list structure when items of data are inserted in and maintained in sorted order in a table in memory or in a file on a storage device. When no blank table entry is available items of data are moved to make room for the next succeeding item of data. A partially filled or filled list of items may be rewritten again to provide one or more blank table entries between each item of data.