Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrode (20) for a spark plug (32) wherein a platinum cup member or (54) cap is attached to a tip (12) that extends from an extruded inconel body (10). The inconel body (10) is sequentially extruded from a cylindrical blank to produce a tip (12) on a first end (12) and a cup shaped (16) opening that extends from a second end (14) toward the first end (12). A copper core (18) is inserted into the cup (16) and the cylindrical blank (10) thereafter extruded to a substantially final length for the resulting center wire (20). In order to assure a uniform thickness, a source of platinum (38) is roller into a thin strip and a (44) disc is punched therefrom. The disc (44) is formed into a cap member (54) which has the shape of a cup . The resulting cap member (54) and center wire (20) are placed in a fixture and the cap member (54) is moved toward the center wire (20) until the cap member surrounds the tip (12).

Abstract: In a system wherein a central computer complex is connected through central control modules (CCM) and channel modules (CM) to the control units of peripheral subsystems, a first queue is maintained in a CCM for Start I/O Fast (SIOF) commands waiting to be accepted by the CMs connected thereto. After a CM accepts an SIOF command and passes it on to a control unit, the control unit may return to the CM a busy status which is then passed through to the CCM. The CCM maintains a control unit busy (CUB) queue and an entry is made therein when busy status is returned. When a control unit reports control unit end status to the CCM, the CUB queue is linked to the top of the SIOF so that the CMs may again be informed that the SIOF commands are available. The arrangement avoids two interruptions of the central computer complex to report first that the control unit is busy and then that the control unit is available.

Abstract: Proteases are separated from fluids by contacting a fluid with a porous inorganic material such as porous titania particles to sorb the protease and then eluting the protease from the inorganic material. Proteases which may be separated are the sulphydryl proteases including papain, stem bromelain, fruit bromelain, ficin, calotropain and mexicain. Elution of the protease may be carried out with plant juice from which protease has previously been removed. The porous inorganic material is preferably that prepared by mixing a finely divided sorptive inorganic material with a solid fugitive additive and a solvent to dissolve the fugitive, forming discrete particles from the resultant mixture and heating the particles to remove the solvent and fugitive to produce discrete particles of the inorganic material for contacting with the fluid.