Abstract: Copolyorganosiloxanecarbonates are prepared by first preparing an oligomeric aromatic polycarbonate, such as an oligomeric bisphenol A polycarbonate, in the presence of a tertiary amine as the only catalyst species; contacting the oligomeric polycarbonate mixture with a polyorganosiloxane bis(aryl)chloroformate, such as the bischloroformate of hydroxy-terminated eugenol polydimethylsiloxane; and introducing phosgene and/or chain termination agent either continuously or in stages. A feature of the process is the presence of dihydroxyaromatic compound in only one charge, at the beginning. The products have excellent physical properties, including transparency.

Abstract: A system and methods for shipping a package (12) from a package sender (16) to an intended recipient (18), utilizing Internet communications (30) to place shipping orders, request on demand package pickup, maintain and utilize prestored profile information, view shipping history, track orders, etc. A package sender (16) with an Internet-accessible computer (20) accesses an Internet site and associated shipping system (10) operated by a shipping service provider (14). The package sender (16) enters information required for shipping the package (12), including shipping options and methods for payment. The options and payment for the shipment transaction are validated. If the transaction is validated, printer indicia are communicated to the customer's computer (20), which is enabled to locally print a prepaid label (25) containing special machine-readable (876) as well as human-readable indicia (904).

Abstract: Silicone-containing copolycarbonates possessing relatively long siloxane chains and yet having low haze values and hence transparency are prepared by reacting a siloxane bischloroformate with a hydroxy-terminated polycarbonate oligomer to afford a silicone-containing polycarbonate intermediate which is then reacted with a bisphenol, phosgene and a chainstopper under interfacial reaction conditions to afford a product silicone-containing copolycarbonate. The product silicone-containing copolycarbonates have lower haze values than similarly constituted copolycarbonates prepared by other methods.

Abstract: Thermally stable block copolyestercarbonates comprising chain members derived from at least one dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon moiety and at least one aromatic dicarboxylic acid moiety, said polymer being substantially free of anhydride linkages linking at least two mers of the polyester chain segments, are prepared by a method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a hydroxy-terminated polyester intermediate comprising structural units derived from at least one dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon moiety and at least one aromatic dicarboxylic acid moiety; and (b) conducting a reaction of the polyester intermediate with phosgene in a reaction mixture comprising water, a substantially water-immiscible organic solvent, and a base, wherein base and phosgene are added simultaneously to the reaction mixture at a substantially constant molar ratio of base to phosgene for a time period of at least about 60% of the total amount of phosgene added.

Abstract: A new method of converting oligomeric chloroformates to high molecular weight polycarbonate is presented. By carefully controlling the relative concentrations and amounts of hydroxyl and chloroformate groups present in the oligomeric polycarbonate, the method of the invention provides for the efficient preparation of polycarbonate while minimizing phosgene usage. The product polycarbonates prepared by the method of the invention are fully capped with no additional phosgene required beyond that needed to prepare the oligomeric chloroformate starting material. The method of the present invention provides polycarbonates having non-detectable levels (<5 ppm) of aromatic hydroxyl endgroups, low polydispersity, and low levels of residual monomer and endcap, thereby obviating the need for monomer and endcap recycle.

Abstract: A grass grooming brush arrangement 10, which is coupled with a propelling vehicle via a draw bar 11, and which comprises:

Abstract: A method and an inter-chip communication port for supporting a concatenated type of a high order SDH/SONET signal, with processing Transport Overhead bytes (TOH) and Path Overhead bytes (POH) thereof, in a structure which comprises a group of chips, wherein each of the chips is capable of supporting a lower order SDH/SONET signal with processing its TOH and POH, while one of them named a master chip is operative to coordinate operation of the remaining chips named slaves so as to cause them working in accord as one unit.

Abstract: Siloxane bischloroformates are prepared in a continuous process by phosgenating siloxane bisphenols in a flow reactor using a substantial excess of phosgene and sodium hydroxide. While very high levels (>95%) of conversion of the siloxane bisphenol to the corresponding siloxane bischloroformate are achieved using a flow reactor according to the method of the invention, only more modest conversion (˜90%) of the siloxane bisphenol to the corresponding siloxane bischloroformate is attained when analogous batch processes are employed. The process holds promise for use in the manufacture of silicone-containing copolycarbonates which requires high purity siloxane bischloroformate intermediates.

Abstract: Methods and systems disclosed herein are used to deliver a package or product to an alternate delivery location (ADL) for pick up by a customer or authorized retriever. The customer can register to receive delivery of a package or product with an ADL solution provider before delivery of the product, or may do so when purchasing the product. Alternatively, a product or package can be shipped from sender to an ADL for pick up by a person, outside of the context of purchasing a product. The methods and systems also offer the capability to track transported packages or products.

Abstract: A chassis (10) for a grass treatment machine and which is adapted to mount thereon an elongate grass treatment module (20, 21, 22, 23) having opposed outer ends (24) by which it is mounted on the chassis (10), and in which: the chassis (10) is intended to be mounted in, or form part of the frame of a grass treatment machine; the chassis (10) has two module mountings (11) which are laterally spaced from each other with respect to the direction of travel of the machine, and each mounting (11) being adapted to receive a respective outer end (24) of the module (20); and the chassis comprises two chassis portions (12, 13) which can be asssembled in order to hold the outer ends (24) of the module (20) in the module mountings (11) in order to mount the module (20) on the chassis (10), and which can be relatively separated in order to provide access to the module mountings (11) for the purposes of mounting or de-mounting the ends (24) of the module (20) relative to the chassis (10).

Abstract: A new method of converting oligomeric chloroformates to high molecular weight polycarbonate is presented. By carefully controlling the relative concentrations and amounts of hydroxyl and chloroformate groups present in the oligomeric polycarbonate, the method of the invention provides for the efficient preparation of polycarbonate while minimizing phosgene usage. The product polycarbonates prepared by the method of the invention are fully capped with no additional phosgene required beyond that needed to prepare the oligomeric chloroformate starting material. The method of the present invention provides polycarbonates having non-detectable levels (<5 ppm) of aromatic hydroxyl endgroups, low polydispersity, and low levels of residual monomer and endcap, thereby obviating the need for monomer and endcap recycle.

Abstract: Siloxane bischloroformates are prepared in a continuous process by phosgenating siloxane bisphenols in a flow reactor using a substantial excess of phosgene and sodium hydroxide. While very high levels (>95%) of conversion of the siloxane bisphenol to the corresponding siloxane bischloroformate are achieved using a flow reactor according to the method of the invention, only more modest conversion (˜90%) of the siloxane bisphenol to the corresponding siloxane bischloroformate is attained when analogous batch processes are employed. The process holds promise for use in the manufacture of silicone-containing copolycarbonates which requires high purity siloxane bischloroformate intermediates.

Abstract: Silicone-containing copolycarbonates possessing relatively long siloxane chains and yet having low haze values and hence transparency are prepared by reacting a siloxane bischloroformate with a hydroxy-terminated polycarbonate oligomer to afford a silicone-containing polycarbonate intermediate which is then reacted with a bisphenol, phosgene and a chainstopper under interfacial reaction conditions to afford a product silicone-containing copolycarbonate. The product silicone-containing copolycarbonates have lower haze values than similarly constituted copolycarbonates prepared by other methods.

Abstract: Siloxane bischloroformates are prepared in a continuous process by phosgenating siloxane bisphenols in a flow reactor using a substantial excess of phosgene and sodium hydroxide. While very high levels (>95%) of conversion of the siloxane bisphenol to the corresponding siloxane bischloroformate are achieved using a flow reactor according to the method of the invention, only more modest conversion (˜90%) of the siloxane bisphenol to the corresponding siloxane bischloroformate is attained when analogous batch processes are employed. The process holds promise for use in the manufacture of silicone-containing copolycarbonates which requires high purity siloxane bischloroformate intermediates.

Abstract: Thermally stable polymers comprising chain members derived from at least one 1,3-dihydroxybenzene moiety and at least one aromatic dicarboxylic acid moiety, said polymer being substantially free of anhydride linkages linking at least two mers of the polymer chain, are prepared using an interfacial method comprising the steps of: (a) combining at least one 1,3-dihydroxybenzene moiety and at least one catalyst in a mixture of water and at least one organic solvent substantially immiscible with water; (b) adding to the mixture from (a) a controlled stoichiometric ratio of at least one acid chloride and at least one base while maintaining the pH between about 4 and about 8.5, and (c) adjusting the pH of the reaction mixture to a value in the range of about 7 and about 9 following complete addition of acid chloride, and stirring the reaction mixture for a time sufficient to destroy any anhydride linkages in the polymer chain.

Abstract: A grass treatment apparatus is adapted to be coupled with a propellant vehicle in order to be movable over the ground and which mounts a plurality of grass treatment units which are engageable with the ground in order to carry out required grass treatment operations. The apparatus includes a main frame having mountings for coupling to the propelling vehicle and a grass treatment unit mounted on the main frame. A side frame is adjustably mounted on the main frame and has a grass treatment unit mounted thereon. The main frame has a mounting recess for receiving the side frame. A power operated device couples the side frame to the main frame and adjusts the side frame between an outwardly deployed position in which it is laterally spaced from the main frame and an inwardly deployed position in which the side frame is received by the mounting recess.

Abstract: A method for detecting troubles in transmission over a layer of connection in an SDH/SONET telecommunication network, the method comprising a step of obtaining periodically transmitted strings having a standard length (16 or 64 bytes), wherein each of the strings is formed using an overhead byte defined in the layer for the purpose; the method also comprises a step of checking the strings by applying to them a BIP16 procedure.

Abstract: A cell bus arbitration system comprises a data bus and a plurality of modules operative for sending data in data cell. The modules are connected to the data bus and each one of the modules is in communication with each one of the other modules via at least one control line such that each one of the modules is capable of receiving control signals generated by each other module. Arbitration logic assigns bus mastery to one of the modules.

Abstract: Thermally stable block copolyestercarbonates comprising chain members derived from at least one dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon moiety and at least one aromatic dicarboxylic acid moiety, said polymer being substantially free of anhydride linkages linking at least two mers of the polyester chain segments, are prepared by a method comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a hydroxy-terminated polyester intermediate comprising structural units derived from at least one dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon moiety and at least one aromatic dicarboxylic acid moiety; and (b) conducting a reaction of the polyester intermediate with phosgene in a reaction mixture comprising water, a substantially water-miscible organic solvent, and a base, wherein base and phosgene are added simultaneously to the reaction mixture at a substantially constant molar ratio of base to phosgene for a time period of at least about 60% of the total amount of phosgene added.

Abstract: A perfusion incubator having a fluid conditioning unit (12), a well assembly (7) and a well assembly heating unit (14), a peristaltic pump (4) and a fluid collection unit (11). The well assembly has a number of wells (20, 21) each having a transparent lid (30) and a fluid inlet (26) and a fluid outlet (27). An illumination device (13) is under the well so that the cell being cultured in the well assembly can be observed by means of a microscope (15). Each fluid inlet (26) is positioned so as to allow a tangential entry of fluid to the well at a mid point in the well, and each fluid outlet (27) is above the fluid inlet with the cell to be cultured in a lower portion of the well so that flow of fluid in the well is formed into a vortex which tends to draw fluid from around the cell without direct flow over the embryo.