Abstract: An aluminum pressure plate and flywheel, for a clutch in a vehicle drivetrain, have wear resistant surfaces applied at the clutch disc interface. The wear resistant surfaces are applied to the pressure plate and flywheel using a plasma transferred wire arc thermal spray process.

Abstract: A method that adjusts the power level of a set of forward-link signals of a base station responsive to the loading of the forward link as determined by a power level measurement of the signal set. One power level measurement is a pilot fraction of the forward link. Other power level measurements, such as the signal set's power level, can be used, alone or in combination, instead of or in addition to the pilot fraction of the forward link to adjust the power level of the signal set. The power level of the signal set can be changed in any manner, including by scaling it by a scaling factor, or by increasing the power level by a fixed or a variable amount. The power level measurement of the signal set is obtained during a current time period. The scaling factor that will be used in the subsequent time period is determined using the power level measurement. In one embodiment of the invention, the scaling factor can be obtained from a look-up table that is based on the power level measurement.

Abstract: A proportional flow control valve, for controlling fluid flow through a flexible tube, includes first and second jaws on opposing sides of the tube. An actuator drives one of such jaws for adjusting the separation distance therebetween. When the valve is open, the separation distance is small enough to partially deform the tube without significantly restricting fluid flow. When the valve is closed, the separation distance is just small enough to essentially block fluid flow. A control system controls the actuator to determine such separation distance. Such valve can be used within a level control system for controlling the thickness of a work material in a slurry form cast upon a moving belt. A fluid reservoir is disposed above the belt, and the control valve adds slurry to the reservoir. A lens disposed near the moving belt and above the reservoir is coupled by fiber optics to a remote sensor for detecting the height of the slurry.

Abstract: A level control system for controlling the thickness of a work material in a slurry form cast upon a moving belt includes a fluid reservoir disposed above the belt, a sensor lens assembly for sensing the slurry height within such reservoir, and a control valve for adding slurry to the reservoir. A lens disposed near the moving belt and above the reservoir is coupled by fiber optics to a remote sensor amplifier for detecting the height of the slurry. A control circuit responsive to the light sensor regulates the flow rate of the slurry through the control valve.

Abstract: A cathode assembly 10 for an electric arc spray apparatus. The cathode assembly 10 utilizes a positive cathode retention design which provides for improved heat management characteristics, quick and easy cathode replacement and increased cathode life. The cathode assembly includes a cathode holder 14, a cathode 12 including a first portion 26 which resides within the cathode holder 14, a tip portion 28 which extends from the cathode holder, and a shoulder portion 33 which is formed on the outer surface of the cathode. The cathode assembly 10 further includes a retention member or nut 16 which removably attaches to the cathode holder 14 and which engages the shoulder portion 33, effective to positively retain the cathode 12 within the holder 14. The retention member 14 also includes an aperture through which the cathode tip 28 extends.

Abstract: A DPRAM is placed in the RF path before the digital to analog converter, to provide dynamic path gain compensation to the digital signal prior to conversion to an analog signal. The DPRAM stores corrections to the signal to compensate for amplitude losses in the signal arising from heat and non-linearities. The DPRAM has two sets of identical addresses. A logic switch, alternately directs an input signal to one of the two sets of addresses. Pre-calculated signal values which compensate for path gain are stored in one of the two sets of addresses in the DPRAM. The signal input to the DPRAM is directed to the other block. The value of the signal input to the DPRAM will determine the address to which the new value can be found. It is this new value which is actually input to the DAC and from which an analog signal is created.

Abstract: A DPRAM is placed in the RF path before the digital to analog converter, to provide dynamic path gain compensation to the digital signal prior to conversion to an analog signal. The DPRAM stores corrections to the signal to compensate for amplitude losses in the signal arising from heat and non-linearities. The DPRAM has two sets of identical addresses. A logic switch, alternately directs an input signal to one of the two sets of addresses. Pre-calculated signal values which compensate for path gain are stored in one of the two sets of addresses in the DPRAM. The signal input to the DPRAM is directed to the other block. The value of the signal input to the DPRAM will determine the address to which the new value can be found. It is this new value which is actually input to the DAC and from which an analog signal is created.

Abstract: A DPRAM is placed in the RF path before the digital to analog converter, to provide dynamic path gain compensation to the digital signal prior to conversion to an analog signal. The DPRAM stores corrections to the signal to compensate for amplitude losses in the signal arising from heat and non-linearities. The DPRAM has two sets of identical addresses. A logic switch, alternately directs an input signal to one of the two sets of addresses. Pre-calculated signal values which compensate for path gain are stored in one of the two sets of addresses in the DPRAM. The signal Input to the DPRAM is directed to the other block. The value of the signal input to the DPRAM will determine the address to which the new value can be found. It is this new value which is actually input to the DAC and from which an analog signal is created.

Abstract: A method that initiates call blocking responsive to a call-quality measurement of the forward link. The call-quality measurement is a measurement of how well a mobile terminal is able to receive the forward link. One call-quality measurement is a pilot fraction of the forward link, which is a ratio of the pilot's power level to the power level of a set of forward-link signals of a base station. Call blocking is initiated when an average pilot fraction is below a pilot-fraction blocking threshold. The pilot's power level is obtained for a time period, and the signal set's power level is obtained for the same time period. The pilot fraction is determined for the time period, and then used to determine the average pilot fraction for the time period. The average pilot fraction for the current time period is based on a pilot fraction for the current time period, and an average pilot fraction for a previous time period.

Abstract: A cathode assembly 10 for an electric arc spray apparatus. The cathode assembly 10 utilizes a positive cathode retention design which provides for improved heat management characteristics, quick and easy cathode replacement and increased cathode life. The cathode assembly includes a cathode holder 14, a cathode 12 including a first portion 26 which resides within the cathode holder 14, a tip portion 28 which extends from the cathode holder, and a shoulder portion 33 which is formed on the outer surface of the cathode. The cathode assembly 10 further includes a retention member or nut 16 which removably attaches to the cathode holder 14 and which engages the shoulder portion 33, effective to positively retain the cathode 12 within the holder 14. The retention member 14 also includes an aperture through which the cathode tip 28 extends.

Abstract: A system and method for efficiently employing procedural transaction managers from an object oriented transaction processing system. Implementation classes are introduced to bridge selected functions from an object oriented transaction processing system into a procedural system. Bridging allows both the reuse of existing procedural transaction managers and interoperation between procedural and object transactions systems which eases migration to new object oriented systems. Implementation classes include methods necessary to manage information necessary to use a procedural transaction API and to manage information returned by the procedural API.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing message traffic during two phase commitment in a distributed transaction processing system. Transactional objects manage transactions in a distributed system. A coordinator object is responsible for ensuring data consistency by enforcing atomic transaction changes. Any change to one or more resources by a transaction is either made at all or none of the resources. Distributed transactions use interposition to create subordinate coordinator for domains other than the primary domain. Each subordinate coordinator controls transaction commitment of all resources within that domain via a single message sequence per coordinator. Dynamic registration of subordinate coordinator resources ensures that the subordinate coordinator is not added to the commit tree of the root coordinator unless it has recoverable resources. Dynamic registration minimizes the size of the commit tree thereby minimizing the number of messages transmitted during commitment processing.

Abstract: A printing apparatus comprising a plate cylinder; at least one ink transfer roller for transferring ink to the plate cylinder; and a smoother associated with at least one of the at least one ink transfer roller for smoothing the ink on the ink transfer roller. Also provided is a method of providing ink for a printing apparatus comprising the steps of providing ink to an ink transfer roller transferring the ink to a plate cylinder; and smoothing the ink on the ink transfer roller using a smoother.

Abstract: An apparatus and method which reduces solid mottling in an offset printing press. One or more form rolls having a hard elastomeric outer surface, in the range of approximately 50-100 Shore A durometer hardness, preferably approximately 60-90 Shore A durometer hardness, are used to transfer ink to the plate cylinder. The use of a form roll of this type ensures a smoother application of ink to the plate cylinder, which in turn ensures smoother ink application to the blanket cylinder and printed web. If more than one form roll is used, it is preferable that, at a minimum, the final form roll, i.e., the last form roll the plate cylinder contacts in the direction of rotation, be a hard elastomeric form roll. In another aspect of the present invention, the form rolls can be made of a convex shape along their axial length, such that the diameter of the form rolls at their axial center is larger than the diameter of the form rolls at their axial ends.

Abstract: An ink metering device and method. Ink is fed at a pressure to an orifice. Pressure may be achieved by either an ink pump or a gravity feed. The size of the orifice may be varied according the conditions existing in the printing press. The pressure at which the ink is fed may also be varied. Ink exiting the orifice is fed onto the surface of an ink applicator roll. At a location downstream of the orifice, a control blade is positioned adjacent the outer surface of the ink applicator roll. The distance between the tip of the control blade and the outer surface of the ink applicator roll may be varied using a control blade positioning mechanism. The distance between the tip of the control blade and the outer surface of the ink applicator roll controls the smoothness and/or the thickness of an ink film which is created on the surface of the ink applicator roll. This film is transferred directly to the image or plate cylinder, which is in contact with the outer surface of the ink applicator roll.

Abstract: An object oriented transaction processing system based on the Object Management Group Object Management Architecture provides effective transaction scheduling and servicing through a combination of Object Transaction Services and a Transactional Object Request Broker. The Object Transactional Services manage the information needed to provide reliability in transactions, including a two phase commit process to implement transaction atomicity. The transactional Object Request Broker includes a transaction monitor facility to schedule objects to respond to object transaction requests. The tunable transaction monitor increases the efficiency of transaction processing by optimizing use of computer system resources allocated to servicing transactions. The transaction monitor activates the objects necessary to satisfy a transaction request. Activation includes an ability to start new processes or threads of execution or to reuse existing processes or threads.

Abstract: A system and process for enhancing procedural software using object oriented classes. Implementation classes are constructed that provide a defined object oriented interface to applications and are able to invoke the procedural software using defined procedural application program interfaces (APIs). New function is added to the software by adding classes that interface to the implementation classes or directly to the procedural API. The new function builds upon the procedural software without accessing the procedural software source code or modifying that source code.