Abstract: Arrangements are described for enabling a folded foil balloon to be supplied to a printer for enabling an image to be applied to a surface of the balloon. The balloon is first folded around a paper substrate, and a paper cover sheet is attached to the folded-over edge portions and tail portion of the balloon, so as to form a packaged balloon. The packaged balloon is formed with a tapered leading edge to facilitate insertion into a standard ink-jet printer. The packaged balloon may be in the form of a greetings card, with the fold of the card either along the left edge or the top edge of the card. The packaged balloon may be supplied with one or more light sources and/or power sources, either on the inside or outside of the balloon.

Abstract: A block with a rotating sheave mounted between a pair of side plates. Between the side plates may be a post about which a mounting loop may be mounted. The post is configured to permit the loop to be attached or detached from the block.

Abstract: A method to wirelessly monitor an entity having an attached transponder is disclosed. A geographical zone is defined. The geographical zone can be defined by allowing a user to define and load to a transponder a plurality of waypoints, each waypoint defined by a geographical coordinate and a radius originating from the geographical coordinate. The geographical zone can also be defined by selecting a plurality of coordinates that are loaded to a transponder and mapped on a pixilated image. The microprocessor in the attached transponder is programmed to determine the occurrence of an event associated with the status of the entity in relation to the geographical zone. The microprocessor in the transponder is also configured to transmit the data related to the occurrence of an event from the attached transponder to a user.

Abstract: A block with a rotating sheave mounted between a pair of side plates. Captured between the side plates may be a post about which a mounting loop may be mounted. The post is removable from the between the side plates to permit the loop to be attached or detached from the block.

Abstract: A method to wirelessly control an entity having an attached transponder is disclosed. A geographical zone is defined. The geographical zone can be defined by allowing a user to define and load to a transponder a plurality of waypoints, each waypoint defined by a geographical coordinate and a radius originating from the geographical coordinate. The geographical zone can also be defined by selecting a plurality of coordinates that are loaded to a transponder and mapped on a pixilated image. The microprocessor in the transponder is programmed to determine the occurrence of an event associated with the status of the entity in relation to the geographical zone. Finally, the microprocessor is configured to execute a configurable operation if the event occurs.

Abstract: A method to wirelessly control an entity having an attached transponder is disclosed. A geographical zone is defined. The geographical zone can be defined by allowing a user to define and load to a transponder a plurality of waypoints, each waypoint defined by a geographical coordinate and a radius originating from the geographical coordinate. The geographical zone can also be defined by selecting a plurality of coordinates that are loaded to a transponder and mapped on a pixilated image. The microprocessor in the transponder is programmed to determine the occurrence of an event associated with the status of the entity in relation to the geographical zone. Finally, the microprocessor is configured to execute a configurable operation if the event occurs.

Abstract: A method to define a geographical zone is disclosed. The geographical zone can be utilized to regulate a movable entity and the actions within the geographical zone. The geographical zone can be defined by allowing a user to define and load to a transponder a plurality of waypoints, each waypoint defined by a geographical coordinate and a radius originating from the geographical coordinate. The geographical zone can also be defined by selecting a plurality of coordinates that are loaded to a transponder and mapped on a pixilated image.

Abstract: A method to define a geographical zone is disclosed. The geographical zone can be utilized to regulate a movable entity and the actions within the geographical zone. The geographical zone can be defined by allowing a user to define and load to a transponder a plurality of waypoints, each waypoint defined by a geographical coordinate and a radius originating from the geographical coordinate. The geographical zone can also be defined by selecting a plurality of coordinates that are loaded to a transponder and mapped on a pixilated image.

Abstract: A method to wirelessly control an entity having an attached transponder is disclosed. A geographical zone is defined. The geographical zone can be defined by allowing a user to define and load to a transponder a plurality of waypoints, each waypoint defined by a geographical coordinate and a radius originating from the geographical coordinate. The geographical zone can also be defined by selecting a plurality of coordinates that are loaded to a transponder and mapped on a pixilated image. The microprocessor in the transponder is programmed to determine the occurrence of an event associated with the status of the entity in relation to the geographical zone. Finally, the microprocessor is configured to execute a configurable operation if the event occurs.

Abstract: The inventions separate the activated sludge, biochemical reaction stages of the batch treatment process of a sequencing batch reactor from the clarification and sedimentation stages by separating the locations where each process takes place. The separation may be accomplished in a variety of ways including constructing separate basins for each process, installing baffles or other partitions in a single vessel to isolate the areas where each process takes place, or other methods of process separation as are known in the art. In each process, treatment occurs through the performance of a series of operations. The operations are repeated for each batch of wastewater processed by the SBR. In a conventional SBR process, the cycle of operations for clarification and sedimentation are dependent on a preceding biochemical reaction step. However, in the present invention the clarification and sedimentation operations are independent of the biochemical reaction operations.

Abstract: A method to wirelessly monitor an entity having an attached transponder is disclosed. A geographical zone is defined. The geographical zone can be defined by allowing a user to define and load to a transponder a plurality of waypoints, each waypoint defined by a geographical coordinate and a radius originating from the geographical coordinate. The geographical zone can also be defined by selecting a plurality of coordinates that are loaded to a transponder and mapped on a pixilated image. The microprocessor in the attached transponder is programmed to determine the occurrence of an event associated with the status of the entity in relation to the geographical zone. The microprocessor in the transponder is also configured to transmit the data related to the occurrence of an event from the attached transponder to a user.

Abstract: A method to define a geographical zone is disclosed. The geographical zone can be utilized to regulate a movable entity and the actions within the geographical zone. The geographical zone can be defined by allowing a user to define and load to a transponder a plurality of waypoints, each waypoint defined by a geographical coordinate and a radius originating from the geographical coordinate. The geographical zone can also be defined by selecting a plurality of coordinates that are loaded to a transponder and mapped on a pixilated image.

Abstract: A latex balloon neck is pretreated by refreshing a region (18) of the inner surface (16) of the neck. The refreshed region extends substantially entirely around the inner circumference of the neck. The refreshing consists of cleaning the latex surface with a solvent e.g. isopropanol. The balloon neck is sealed by pressing (e.g. pinching and/or stretching) opposed areas of the refreshed surface (18) into direct contact with each other to form a latex-latex bond without requiring any additional adhesive coating. A removable protective tape (20) is placed over the refreshed region (18) to prevent the refreshed region from losing its bonding quality. An apparatus/method for preparing such balloons, and an apparatus/method for inflating and sealing the balloons (automatically) are also described.

Abstract: A system for removing ethylene from fruit storage chambers by catalytic combustion of ethylene in a closed circuit, wherein two heated catalytic reactors, each packed with catalyst and therebelow successive layers of material of weak heat conductivity, such as ceramics, and good heat conductivity, such as metal shavings, the reactors being connected therebetween by a collector to transpose gases from one reactor to the other, and a conduit provided with a heat exchanger connected between the collector and a storage chamber to conduct a small portion of the combusted gases to the storage chamber and cool the same before introduction thereto, and fan means for alternately conducting gas to and from the reactors and the storage chambers.

Abstract: There is provided a method for preservation of horticultural products in freshness by circulation of the atmosphere surrounding these products and removal of ethylene from it on the outside of the storage chambers, consisting in removing ethylene by catalytic combustion. Combustion of ethylene is carried out advantageously in the presence of platinum catalyst, obtained by impregnation of active aluminum oxide of specific surface area of about 200 m.sup.2 /g with a 0.05-0.5% solution of chloroplatinic acid followed by drying and heating in the stream of air at the temperature up to 550.degree. C. Ethylene combustion is carried out advantageously in the presence of platinum catalyst additionally activated by impregnation with oleic acid at the temperature of 60.degree.-80.degree. C., slow heating in the stream of nitrogen up to the temperature of 400.degree.-450.degree. C. for 2 hrs, followed by heating in the stream of air at the temperature 500.degree.-550.degree. C.