Abstract: A furnace system includes an air intake that includes a pipe portion and a seal component configured to couple with the pipe portion. The furnace system also includes an internal drain disposed internal to the air intake. The internal drain includes a trough configured to collect liquid flowing along an inner surface of the pipe portion. The internal drain also includes an opening in the trough configured to guide the liquid collected in the trough to a passage through the air intake to a location outside the air intake.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for monitoring the productivity of a portable machine are provided. The method includes receiving motion data for at least one component of the portable machine from a multi-axis accelerometer, receiving position data for the at least one component from a process parameter sensor communicatively coupled to the at least one component, and determining, based on the received motion data and the received position data that the at least one component is oriented in a predetermined position for productive operation. The method also includes determining an area of productive operation using at least one physical dimension of the at least one component and the received motion data when the at least one component is oriented in the predetermined position for productive operation and incrementing a total area counter based on the determination.

Abstract: An ophthalmic surgical laser system includes: a laser that produces a pulsed laser beam having a pulse energy and pulse repetition rate; a high frequency fast scanner; an XY-scan device; a Z-scan device; and a controller. The controller controls the high frequency scanner to produce a scan line having a scan width; controls the XY-scan device and the Z-scan device to carry out of first sweep of the scan line in a first sweep direction and to carry out a second sweep of the scan line in a second sweep direction that is not parallel to the first sweep direction thereby defining an overlap region. At least one of the pulse energy, repetition rate, XY-scan speed, and the scan width is varied so as to accelerate the cutting speed and reduce the exposure of ophthalmic tissue in the overlap region to multiple exposures of laser pulses configured to modify ophthalmic tissue.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention comprises melting scrap steel into molten steel; decarburizing the molten steel and adding alloys; transferring the steel to ladles and casting the steel into slabs; hot rolling the slabs into sheets; pickling the sheets; annealing the sheets; cold rolling the sheets; and performing one or more of tension leveling, a rough rolling, or a coating process on the sheets after cold rolling, without an intermediate annealing process between the cold rolling and the tension leveling, the rough rolling, or the coating process. The sheet is sent to the customer for stamping and customer annealing. The new process provides an electrical steel with the similar, same, or better magnetic properties than an electrical steel manufactured using the traditional processing with an intermediate annealing step after cold rolling.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a canister, a power head connected to a top of the canister, an inlet defined by one of the canister and the power head, an outlet defined by one of the canister and the power head, and a pre-filter bag disposed within the canister and fluidly connected between the inlet and the outlet. The power head includes an impeller assembly operable to generate airflow through the canister from the inlet to the outlet. The pre-filter bag includes an inlet port connected to the inlet, a radial inner wall, and a radial outer wall. The radial inner wall and the radial outer wall at least partially define an internal cavity and extend circumferentially about a central axis of the pre-filter bag such that the internal cavity forms a continuous, closed loop.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for monitoring the productivity of a portable machine are provided. The method includes receiving motion data for at least one component of the portable machine from a multi-axis accelerometer, receiving position data for the at least one component from a process parameter sensor communicatively coupled to the at least one component, and determining, based on the received motion data and the received position data that the at least one component is oriented in a predetermined position for productive operation. The method also includes determining an area of productive operation using at least one physical dimension of the at least one component and the received motion data when the at least one component is oriented in the predetermined position for productive operation and incrementing a total area counter based on the determination.

Abstract: A snap-action valve assembly for an exhaust system is provided that includes a first conduit and a second conduit that are joined to together to define an exhaust passageway. A valve flap is disposed within the exhaust passageway for controlling exhaust flow. A shaft supports the valve flap in the exhaust passageway for rotation between open and closed positions. First and second bushings support the shaft. A pad made of wire mesh is attached to the valve flap. The pad includes an end portion that contacts the first or second conduit in the closed position and side wings that contact the first or second conduit in the open position. A resilient tongue may support the pad on an angle relative to the valve flap and a mass damper may be attached to one end of the shaft. These features dampen vibration and reduce valve flap flutter.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for providing improved network performance in wireless communications networks using intelligent radiation selection are provided. A radio is communicatively coupled to an antenna and configured to provide a signal to the antenna for broadcast from a cell site. One or more input components are communicatively coupled to the radio to provide information on at least one of an internal or an external condition of the antenna, so that the radio can adjust or modify the signal provided to the antenna to change an emitted pattern of radiation from the antenna to reduce signal loss, or recover or help maintain an area of coverage provided by the antenna.

Abstract: A two part adhesive system is provided with the first part being a substrate-adhesive containing at least one of a urethane, an acrylic, or an epoxy based adhesive and the second part being an elastomer-primer comprising a halogenated polyolefin and, optionally a nitroso compound. Further provided is a method of post-vulcanization bonding of an elastomer to a substrate employing the adhesive outlined above.

Abstract: This invention discloses a metal coating method whereby an abrasion resistant and wear resistant coating is first applied to the that portion of a metal object of extended size to be protected, the coating is then fused onto the metal object with the use of a temperature controlled induction heater, which results in a metal object, at least a portion of which is more abrasion resistant and wear resistant than the uncoated metal object.

Abstract: Systems and methods for using virtual reality content as therapeutic treatment of psychological, psychiatric or medical conditions of a user are provided. The system may comprise a VR device for displaying the VR content to the user and one or more biometric monitors for monitoring the user's biometrics before, during and/or after exposure to the VR content. The system may further include a processor and one or more modules for analyzing the user's biometrics. The method may include the steps of measuring the user's initial biometric data, exposing the user to selected VR content, measuring the user's biometric data during and/or after exposure to the VR content, analyzing changes in the user's biometric data resulting from the selected VR content, determining whether the selected VR content as a positive effect on the psychological, psychiatric or medical condition of the user.

Abstract: Described herein are methods, apparatuses, and systems for reducing the sulfur content of coal. Coal is loaded into an apparatus comprising a vertically rotatable drum within a housing. The rotatable drum comprises a perforated cylindrical outer wall, a solid cylindrical inner wall, and a perforated, cylindrical central wall positioned between the outer wall and the inner wall, wherein the coal is loaded into a coal wash annulus between the central wall and the outer wall. A microbial wash fluid flows into a wash fluid annulus between the inner wall and the central wall, wherein the microbial wash fluid contains sulfur digesting bacteria and nutrients for the bacteria. The drum is rotated to cause the microbial wash fluid to migrate from the wash fluid annulus through the coal in the coal wash annulus and collect in a splash wash annulus between the outer wall and the housing.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory machine readable medium are provided for creating a structured report that aggregates information related to a plurality of source code files based on selective scanning of one or more repositories. A repository search request is received including a repository identifier, a project identifier, and a search term. The specified repository is scanned to identify source code files for the specified project that include the search term. It is determined whether an instance of a search term within the source code file corresponds to a reserved term. A report is generated identifying the source code files that include an instance of the search term. A new file directory is created, and populated with a first results file including the generated report.

Abstract: A snap-action valve assembly for an exhaust system and a method for manufacturing the same is provided. The valve assembly includes a first conduit and a second conduit that is partially received in the first conduit. A valve flap is disposed within the first conduit for controlling exhaust flow. A shaft supports the valve flap in the first conduit for rotation between open and closed positions. The first conduit has first and second slots, each extending from an open slot end to a closed slot end. First and second bushings supporting the shaft are disposed within the slots between the second conduit and the closed slot ends. A pad made of wire mesh is attached to the valve flap. The pad includes an end portion that contacts the first conduit in the closed position to dampen vibration and reduce valve flap flutter.

Abstract: A snap-action valve assembly for an exhaust system is provided that includes a first conduit and a second conduit that are joined to together to define an exhaust passageway. A valve flap is disposed within the exhaust passageway for controlling exhaust flow. A shaft supports the valve flap in the exhaust passageway for rotation between open and closed positions. First and second bushings support the shaft. A pad made of wire mesh is attached to the valve flap. The pad includes an end portion that contacts the first or second conduit in the closed position and side wings that contact the first or second conduit in the open position. A resilient tongue may support the pad on an angle relative to the valve flap and a mass damper may be attached to one end of the shaft. These features dampen vibration and reduce valve flap flutter.

Abstract: An acrylic adhesive composition is provided comprising a free-radical polymerizable monomer, an initiation system and a co-accelerator that enhances the reactivity of the initiation system by increasing the reaction rate between the oxidizing agent and the reducing agent. The free radical-polymerizable monomer preferably comprises methyl methacrylate (MMA), the initiator system preferably comprises N,N-diisopropanol-p-toluidine (DIIPT) and benzoyl peroxide (BPO), and the co-accelerator preferably comprises 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (or triethylene diamine (TDA)).

Abstract: A system is disclosed for providing retailer controllable access to consolidated inventory management services through a retail worker's personal smartphone. The system—operable largely within and through the retailer's private computing network—comprises data nodes, an enterprise service bus, and a device application. Inventory-related data is kept in the data nodes, with access thereto from suitably provisioned personal mobile devices moderated by the enterprise service bus pursuant to policies and parameters defined by the retailer. Provisioning the personal mobile device involves installation thereon of the device application. The device application launches a user interface for accessing the data nodes through the enterprise service bus, thus enabling the use on the worker's personal mobile device of retailer-specific, job-related inventory management tools.

Abstract: A dual action truck cover provides two modes, actions or ways to access contents in a truck bed. Side rails can be mountable to a cargo box so as to be pivotable between a raised position to provide a rear opening in an open pivot arrangement, and a lowered or closed pivot arrangement. The side rails can be spaced apart to define an inter-rail area therebetween. A door can include a plurality of elements hingedly coupled together and extending between the side rails and movable between a closed door arrangement wherein the elements cover the inter-rail area, and an open door arrangement in which the elements are positioned to permit access through the inter-rail area. The door can move between the open and closed arrangements by rolling up the hingedly coupled elements together or folding the elements together.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and non-transitory machine readable medium are provided for creating a structured report that aggregates information related to a plurality of source code files based on selective scanning of one or more repositories. A repository search request is received including a repository identifier, a project identifier, and a search term. The specified repository is scanned to identify source code files for the specified project that include the search term. It is determined whether an instance of a search term within the source code file corresponds to a reserved term. A report is generated identifying the source code files that include an instance of the search term. A new file directory is created, and populated with a first results file including the generated report.