Abstract: A shredded tobacco feeding apparatus includes an optical sensor (40) for detecting stagnation of shreds in a secondary separator (20). The optical sensor (40) senses the interior of the secondary separator (20) in the width direction thereof, by transmitting and receiving detection light propagated through a stagnation-prone region of the secondary separator which is lower in level than an air locker (18). If the detection light is blocked by stagnant shreds, a controller (58) detects the stagnation based on a detection signal from the optical sensor and operates an alarm device (60). Also, the controller (58) actuates an air vibrator (62) to remove the stagnation of shreds.

Abstract: A cigarette inspection apparatus is provided, which is capable of measuring ventilation resistances of a large number of filter cigarettes easily and accurately and which includes an inspection drum (12) provided with part of an air-introducing unit for introducing air into a filter cigarette (C) from a non-filter side end face thereof, a measurement section (13) provided with the rest of the air-introducing unit, pressure transducers (17, 18) for detecting inlet side and outlet side air pressures of the cigarette, and a data processor (31) for determining the ventilation resistance of the cigarette based on a difference between the air pressures.

Abstract: There is provided an automatic splicing system comprising a motor (20a) for rotating an active roll (R1) while a web (P1) is drawn from the roll (R1) toward a cigarette rod-manufacturing machine, a motor (20b) for rotating a standby roll (R2) when a residual of the roll (R1) reaches a predetermined amount or less so that a web (P2) is fed from the roll (R2), a splicing section (70) splicing the webs (P1; P2) and changing over the feeding of web from the roll (R1) to the roll (R2) when feed speeds of the webs match each other, and suction casings (42) disposed on feed paths of the webs, respectively, the suction casings drawing the webs thereinto temporarily; wherein rotational speeds of the motors (20a and 20b) are controlled so as to maintain drawn amounts of the webs in the respective suction casings (42) within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A compact millimeter wave radar transceiver at low cost is provided wherein a direct current voltage applying circuit is coupled to a high frequency line to apply a fast pulse wave without losing a sharp input pulse pattern. A voltage is applied to a negative resistance diode, such as a Gunn diode, which is variably controlled to vary the diode oscillating frequency signal, which signal is outputted as a transmitting wave. The transmitted wave is reflected by a target and received by the negative resistance diode. The received wave is detected as a heterodyne detection utilizing a non-linear property of the negative resistance diode. A frequency difference between the transmitted wave and the received reflected wave is outputted via a low-pass filter and processed to detect the target.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide an object movement tracking apparatus and its method capable of dealing with an object with an unknown initial position and a continually moving object and capable of recovering a tracking process even when the tracking is failed.

Abstract: A compact millimeter wave radar transceiver at low cost is provided wherein a direct current voltage applying circuit is coupled to a high frequency line to apply a fast pulse wave without losing a sharp input pulse pattern. A voltage is applied to a negative resistance diode, such as a Gunn diode, which is variably controlled to vary the diode oscillating frequency signal, which signal is outputted as a transmitting wave. The transmitted wave is reflected by a target and received by the negative resistance diode. The received wave is detected as a heterodyne detection utilizing a non-linear property of the negative resistance diode. A frequency difference between the transmitted wave and the received reflected wave is outputted via a low-pass filter and processed to detect the target.

Abstract: A variable phase shifter is improved in liquid crystal response characteristics by using a thin liquid crystal material as a dielectric substrate. The variable phase shifter includes two substrates disposed parallel to each other. The substrates have alignment layers on their mutually opposing inner surfaces. A liquid crystal layer is sealed in the area between the substrates. A transmission line is formed to meander on the inner surface of one of the substrates. A grounding conductor is formed on the inner surface of the substrate along the transmission line at a predetermined distance therefrom. External electrodes are formed at least in regions on the respective outer surfaces of the substrates, each of which regions corresponds to the gap between the transmission line and the grounding conductor. A bias voltage source applies a bias voltage between the upper and lower external electrodes.

Abstract: A monitoring system comprises an inspection device incorporated in a cigarette manufacturing machine and a server computer connected to the inspection device by means of a communication line. The inspection device includes a measuring circuit for continuously calculating the fill of the cut tobacco in each of a given number of divisions of each cigarette in accordance with a detection signal from a density sensor, an enrollment control section for repeatedly storing calculation data from the measuring circuit in a quantity corresponding to a predetermined number of cigarettes at a time, and a CPU for computing average calculation data for each division of each cigarette in accordance with the stored calculation data. The server computer originates quality data for the cigarettes in accordance with the average calculation data and displays the quality data on a CRT.

Abstract: A dilution monitoring system for filter cigarettes has pairs of pressure sensors provided individually for left- and right-hand manufactured filter cigarettes, a dilution processor card adapted to receive pressure signals from the pressure sensors through an A/D converter, and a server computer connected to the processor card by means of a communication line and including a CRT. The dilution processor card computes the respective dilutions of the individual filter cigarettes in accordance with the pressure signals, and stores the computation results in a RAM. Thereafter, the processor card obtains quality data, such as the average, frequency distribution, and standard deviation of the stored dilutions, for each group of the left- and right-hand filter cigarettes, also stores the quality data in the RAM. The server computer receives the quality data transmitted from the processor card, and displays them in the form of a graph or table on the CRT.

Abstract: A process for producing recombinant human Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase, which comprises treating a solution of copper-free or copper-deficient recombinant human Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase with a copper salt in the presence of .beta.-mercaptoethanol.