Abstract: The present invention is used to mark the location on a piece of jewelry being constructed where the bail or embellishments are to be placed. It uses a stationary vee-shaped stop and a vee-shaped planar sliding marking guide to clamp the jewelry piece by pressing against the bezel that forces the jewelry piece into a position to be marked or scribed on front and/or back of the piece. This allows slots where the marking tool is placed to be perfectly aligned with the centerline of the bezel. The sliding marking guide relies on the clamping force exerted typically by rubber bands or springs, to force the jewelry piece into position using a guillotine effect. To assure the mark on the work piece is clean and precise, the clamping force is applied to the moving marking guide which lays flat against the back of the piece being marked. The mark is typically applied with a marking pen or a scribe.

Abstract: A tool for holding a work piece being soldered, welded or glued, the tool being made up of a weight with three or more legs that protrude from said weight, each leg having an end such that the ends of three of the legs define a triangle. Typically, the legs extend completely through the weight. The legs are preferably rotatable about their longitudinal axes, and are longitudinally adjustable along their length with respect to the weight. One or more of the legs may be bent at the end. Generally, the legs are held in place by the effect of gravity and a precision fit of the legs within the weight. Each of the legs is moveable along its longitudinal axis through the weight, and one of the legs is bent at an end to an angle ranging from greater than 0 to less than 180 degrees.

Abstract: A method of blending a fine precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) filler with larger PCC, the resulting blend to be used alone or in conjunction with a ground carbonate, clay or other filler, resulting in improved porosity by the lowering of the porosity of supercalendered paper, thereby imparting improved and offset printability. The fine PCC can be ultrafine PCC filler which then is blended with other fillers including but not limited to pigments. These fillers which are blended with the fine PCC include commercial and experimental PCC and commercial clays. Ultrafine PCC has agglomerates of small, discrete particles. Ultrafine PCC for use in the invention has a specific surface area of about 20 m2/g as measured by BET gas adsorption. As measured by a sedigraph, the average size of these agglomerates is from 0.4 to 1.1 microns.

Abstract: A method of blending a fine precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) filler with larger PCC, the resulting blend to be used alone or in conjunction with a ground carbonate, clay or other filler, resulting in improved porosity by the lowering of the porosity of supercalendered paper, thereby imparting improved and offset printability. The fine PCC can be ultrafine PCC filler which then is blended with other fillers including but not limited to pigments. These fillers which are blended with the fine PCC include commercial and experimental PCC and commercial clays. Ultrafine PCC has agglomerates of small, discrete particles. Ultrafine PCC for use in the invention has a specific surface area of about 20 m2/g as measured by BET gas adsorption. As measured by a sedigraph, the average size of these agglomerates is from 0.4 to 1.1 microns.

Abstract: A method and computer program product for locating data in a system including a plurality of archive units, and answering a query directed to an archive unit. Locating includes broadcasting a query to all the archive units; identifying a set of the archive units that could contain a result for the query; receiving at least one query reply from the archive units; and validating the query reply when the archive unit that sent the query reply is in the set. Answering includes receiving the query; responding to the query when the archive unit could contain a result for the query; and discarding the query without responding when the archive unit could not contain a result for the query.

Abstract: A method and computer program product for locating data in a system including a plurality of archive units, and answering a query directed to an archive unit. Locating includes broadcasting a query to all the archive units; identifying a set of the archive units that could contain a result for the query; receiving at least one query reply from the archive units; and validating the query reply when the archive unit that sent the query reply is in the set. Answering includes receiving the query; responding to the query when the archive unit could contain a result for the query; and discarding the query without responding when the archive unit could not contain a result for the query.

Abstract: A memory management system and method of managing a memory system are disclosed. The memory management system includes a plurality of physical storage media and a memory manager for generating virtual storage devices or "stores," with one or more first storage devices each having a corresponding first mapping plug-in, or device driver, associated with the plurality of physical storage media. Each first device driver scans its corresponding first storage device to determine its partitioning format and generates one or more second virtual storage devices from a partition map stored in the partitioning plug-in, or partition manager, associated with the corresponding first storage device, each second virtual storage device having one or more second partitioning formats, a second partition manager and second device driver. The first and second partition managers are independent of the first and second device drivers.

Abstract: A block storage memory management scheme. According to the disclosed embodiments, a memory list of data is generated from a set of address ranges, a descriptor is created to interact with the memory list, and data is retrieved by preparing the memory specified by the descriptor for an input/output operation, performing the operation, and deleting the descriptor. Memory mappings are delayed as long as possible to enhance the performance of the system, particularly for RAID applications.

Abstract: A memory management system and method of managing a memory system are disclosed. The memory management system includes a plurality of physical storage media and a memory manager for generating virtual storage devices or "stores," with one or more first storage devices each having a corresponding first mapping plug-in, or device driver, associated with the plurality of physical storage media. Each first device driver scans its corresponding first storage device to determine its partitioning format and generates one or more second virtual storage devices from a partition map stored in the partitioning plug-in, or partition manager, associated with the corresponding first storage device, each second virtual storage device having one or more second partitioning formats, a second partition manager and second device driver. The first and second partition managers are independent of the first and second device drivers.