Abstract: An optical instrument is provided for forming a viewable image of an object. The optical instrument includes an objective lens for forming the viewable image at an image plane, an eyepiece through which the user can view the viewable image, an eye sensor for sensing the direction of gaze of a user, and means for controlling a function of the optical instrument depending on the gaze direction. The eye sensor includes a light source for outputting light through the eyepiece towards the user's eye, a lens for causing the light from the source to be collimated when it exits the eyepiece, an imaging transducer for imaging the user's eye through the eyepiece and for generating an electrical image signal, and processing means for processing the image signal to determine the location of the user's pupil center and the location of a reflection of the light source to determine the gaze direction information.

Abstract: An improved coiled air brake tubing is formed from a nylon polyurethane laminate. The laminate includes an innermost nylon layer surrounded with a thick intermediate polyurethane layer in turn covered with an outermost thin nylon layer. The polyurethane layer is fiber reinforced. The product is extruded and coiled around a heated mandril causing it to assume a coiled set. This exhibits improved low temperature properties and is less expensive than a nylon product.

Abstract: There is a described a free space optical signalling system in which data is transmitted from an optical transmitter to an optical receiver. The optical transmitter includes means for modulating one or more light beams in accordance with the data to be transmitted so as to generate a plurality of modulated light beams which are output from the optical transmitter as substantially collimated, spatially-separated, parallel free-space light beams. The optical receiver includes a plurality of detectors, each detector detecting a corresponding one of the plurality of modulated, parallel, free-space light beams and converting the detected light beam into a corresponding electrical signal from which the data can be recovered.

Abstract: A connection for a tube is formed by placing a coiled spring around an end of a tube and inserting a barbed tubular portion from a connection into the tube. The connection forces the tube to expand applying pressure against the coil spring and forcing it to expand and exert radial pressure against the tube towards the inserted tubular portion.

Abstract: Structurally strong composite sandwich panels are made using phenolic resin adhesives to bond the face sheets to the honeycomb. Certain configurations and combinations of phenolic resins and fire protection agents were found to provide low flame, smoke and toxicity (FST) panels which have high structural strength.

Abstract: There is described a signalling device having a plurality of electro-optic elements and a lens system which is operable to receive a plurality of incoming free-space light beams from respective different light sources and direct the received light beams to respective ones of the electro-optic elements. The layout and/or shape of the electro-optic elements in the signalling device is adapted in accordance with a predetermined distribution of light sources. In this way, the number of electro-optic elements can be reduced. In an alternative embodiment, there is provided a signalling device having an electro-optic device, a plurality of lens systems having respective different fields of view, and a plurality of reflecting surfaces. Each reflecting surface is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of lens systems, and the associated reflecting surface and lens system pairs are arranged so that the electro-optic device is provided in common to the plurality of lens systems.

Abstract: An optical communications system is provided comprising first and second signalling devices in which a duplex communications link between the signalling devices can be established. The first signalling device includes a retro-reflector and the second signalling device includes at least one light source for directing light towards the retro-reflector. Half-duplex embodiments and full-duplex embodiments are described. A wave division multiplex retro-reflecting communication system is also described.

Abstract: A filter assembly for use in a press mould for moulding of cementitious products, the filter assembly including a fabric mounted in face to face contact with a support plate, perforated with a plurality of apertures arranged in a predetermined pattern to permit passage of fluid through the plate, the apertures defining imperforate zones there between, the fabric being knitted or woven to have a surface defined by a plurality of parallel ribs in face to face contact with the support plate, each pair of adjacent ribs defining therebetween opposed sides of a fluid channel which communicates with a number of said apertures and said imperforate zones, the ribs being knitted or woven to be sufficiently non-compressible in order to resist collapse of said fluid channels during compression of the cementitious product within said mould.

Abstract: A rotary power unit, comprising a housing having a circular opening and a plurality of bores extending along a radial axis from a center of the opening, a nodular rotor mounted within the opening of the housing and coaxially rotatable within the opening. The nodular rotor comprises a plurality of nodes equally distributed along the bounding circle thereof and the number of nodes is an odd integer less than the number of bores in the housing. A plurality of replaceable cylinder modules are fixedly receivable within a respective bore within the housing. Each cylinder module comprises a piston slidable within a cylinder, a piston actuating member associated with a each piston and a work unit associated with a cylinder head at a distal end the cylinder. Each piston is displaceable along the radial axis between a Top Dead Center (TDC) and a Bottom Dead Center (BDC), the pistons being biased into the BDC.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the production of ethanol as a product of bacterial fermentation. In particular this invention relates to a novel method of gene inactivation and gene expression based upon homologous recombination.

Abstract: An optical instrument, such as a microscope or a camera, is provided for forming a viewable image of an object. The optical instrument comprises an objective lens for forming the viewable image at an image plane, an eye sensor for sensing the direction of gaze of a user viewing the viewable image and means for controlling a controllable function of the optical instrument in dependence upon the sensed direction of gaze. The eye sensor comprises a sensor lens for focusing light reflected from the retina of the user, an imaging transducer located at a plane which is conjugate to the image plane with respect to the sensor lens, for generating an electrical image sign of a portion of the user's retina, a memory for storing retinal image information of the user and circuitry for comparing the retinal image signal generated by the imaging transducer with the stored retinal image information to generate gaze information indicative of the direction of gaze of the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for transforming information from one semantic environment to another. In one implementation, a SOLx system (1700) includes a Normalization/Translation NorTran Workbench (1702) and a SOLx server (1708). The NorTran Workbench (1702) is used to develop a knowledge base based on information from a source system (1712), to normalize legacy content (1710) according to various rules, and to develop a database (1706) of translated content. During run time, the SOLx server (1708) receives transmissions from the source system (1712), normalizes the transmitted content, accesses the database (1706) of translated content and otherwise translates the normalized content, and reconstructs the transmission to provide substantially real-time transformation of electronic messages.

Abstract: This invention relates to ethanol production as a product of bacterial fermentation.

Abstract: A filter assembly for use in a press mould for moulding of cementitious products, the filter assembly including a fabric mounted in face to face contact with a support plate, perforated with a plurality of apertures arranged in a predetermined pattern to permit passage of fluid through the plate, the apertures defining imperforate zones there between, the fabric being knitted or woven to have a surface defined by a plurality of parallel ribs in face to face contact with the support plate, each pair of adjacent ribs defining therebetween opposed sides of a fluid channel which communicates with a number of said apertures and said imperforate zones, the ribs being knitted or woven to be sufficiently non-compressible in order to resist collapse of said fluid channels during compression of the cementitious product within said mould.

Abstract: A method of producing a curable prepreg which comprises (i) sandwiching a multi-ply fabric layer comprising at least two superposed sheets of woven reinforcing fabric between solid films of a curable resin composition and (ii) heating the resulting sandwich under pressure so that the resin composition impregnates the sheets of woven reinforcing fabric to form a coherent curable structure.

Abstract: A carbon-based process for the selection of heterotrophically cultured plant cells is contemplated as are plants transformed using that process and a kit useful for effecting such a transformation. Plant cells are transformed with a heterologous DNA segment that contains two expression cassettes. The first cassette contains a gene that encodes a heterologous enzyme that on expression converts a growth-limiting (encrypted) carbon source that does not support growth and proliferation of non-transformed plant cells into a carbon source that supports growth and proliferation of transformed plant cells. The second cassette contains a second gene to be expressed in the transformed plant cells. A mixture transformed and non-transformed plant cells is cultured under heterotrophic culture conditions with the growth-limiting carbon source as the only carbon source.

Abstract: A method of producing a curable prepreg which comprises (i) sandwiching a multi-ply fabric layer comprising at least two superposed sheets of woven reinforcing fabric between solid films of a curable resin composition and (ii) heating the resulting sandwich under pressure so that the resin composition impregnates the sheets of woven reinforcing fabric to form a coherent curable structure.

Abstract: An improved honeycomb structure formed from a non-woven sheet material coated with a resin which contains particles of a polymeric material. The inclusion of solid polymeric particles in the resin coating was found to increase the strength and stiffness of the honeycomb without degrading compressive properties. Composite panels are also disclosed where the improved honeycomb structure is combined with one or more facing sheets.

Abstract: A low emission power generating apparatus which comprises a modified two-stroke diesel engine component and a modified turbocharger component which has a relatively low aspect ratio. The diesel engine component is a modification of a conventional two-stroke diesel engine design and includes a modified connecting rod assembly which causes a modified piston to accelerate rapidly within the combustion chamber and an exhaust valve cam of unique design that has a cam profile which results in a later than-normal exhaust valve opening and an earlier-than-normal valve closing so that the time during which the exhaust valve remains open is shorter than normal, thereby causing a substantially greater volume of residual gases to remain in the combustion chamber following the scavenge stroke. This increase in the volume of the residual exhaust gases within the chamber leads to an increase in compression temperature and effectively increases the compression ratio and consequently the compression pressure.