Abstract: A fluidized type paint powder tank has a fluidizing chamber for fluidizing paint powder and a storage chamber into which the paint powder in the fluidizing chamber is fed to keep it still. There is also provided a paint supply device for an electrostatic powder painting apparatus that includes a paint tank for containing paint powder and a painting gun coupled to the paint tank through an injector and a hose. The device includes a discharge member for discharging the paint powder from the paint tank and a hopper for receiving the paint powder discharged by the discharge member. A screw feeder is provided under the hopper. With this arrangement, the paint powder supplied at a uniform rate by the screw feeder is fed into the injector.

Abstract: An oxide superconductor lamination member has a base, precious metal plates and an oxide superconductor layer. The precious metal plates and the oxide superconductor layer are successively laminated on the base, and the precious metal plates overlap each other at their ends. Another oxide superconductor lamination member has precious metal bases, and an oxide superconductor layer lamination on the precious metal bases. The precious metal bases overlap each other at their ends. End portions of the precious metal plates (bases) are connected by an adhesive so as to form a lap joint. The lap joint of the precious metal plates (bases) are covered with a precious metal foil.

Abstract: A RE-Ba-Cu-O type oxide superconducting material (RE represents Y, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu or a combination of two or more of them) having a phase structure including a REBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.y phase and a RE.sub.2 BaCuO.sub.5 phase of 20 .mu.m or less in diameter dispersed in the REBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.y phase, in which superconducting material RE consists of at least two elements selected from Y, Cl, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu. Said oxide superconducting material can be produced by melt processing.

Abstract: A graphic data processing apparatus including an input device for entering graphic data, a graphic data processing device for generating a visible pattern such as a drawing consisting of points represented by the graphic data, and lines connecting the points, and a display for displaying the generated pattern. The apparatus further includes a pattern data memory for storing pattern data representative of the visible pattern, an assessment data memory for storing assessment data for assessing the visible pattern, and a design assessing device for retrieving from the pattern data memory a portion of the pattern data which relates to at least one specified assessment item. The design assessing device operates to assess the portion of the pattern data against the assessment data, to determine whether the pattern data is adequate or not.

Abstract: In a method of making a cantilever for atomic force micoscopes, to provide a method of manufacturing a high-resolution cantilever having a sharpened metal needle by introducing an electrolytic polishing process. In the method of making a cantilever, an erect metal structure, an electrode layer and an electric insulation layer are formed, and they are subjected to the electrolytic polishing process to allow a large number of erect metal structures formed on a silicon wafer to be formed into sharpened metal needles at a time. The cantilever having a sharpened metal needle manufactured by the method of this invention makes it possible to measure with high resolution specimen surface with deep grooves and holes and high projections that cannot be measured by the conventional cantilever having a pyramidal needle.

Abstract: A fluidized type paint powder tank has a fluidizing chamber for fluidizing paint powder and a storage chamber into which the paint powder in the fluidizing chamber is fed to keep it still. There is also provided a paint supply device for an electrostatic powder painting apparatus that includes a paint tank for containing paint powder and a painting gun coupled to the paint tank through an injector and a hose. The device includes a discharge member for discharging the paint powder from the paint tank and a hopper for receiving the paint powder discharged by the discharge member. A screw feeder is provided under the hopper. With this arrangement, the paint powder supplied at a uniform rate by the screw feeder is fed into the injector.

Abstract: The superconducting structure for magnetic shielding according to the present invention comprises at least two layers of a superconducting layer and a substrate. This superconducting structure for magnetic shielding can be formed in a plate-like shape or a cylindrical shape. When the structure is prepared in three-layers by providing an intermediate layer between the superconducting layer and the substrate, the three-layered structure has improved superconducting properties. When a protective layer is provided on the superconducting layer to protect the layer, the resulting structure has improved thermal shock resistance. The intermediate layer preferably consists of a ceramic or a noble metal and the ceramic preferably consists of a glass.

Abstract: A data compressing device for preparing compressed outline data from normal outline data representative of an outline of a character which consists of a plurality of segments connected end to end so as to form a closed loop. The normal outline data includes coordinate data representative of X and Y coordinate of segment specifying points which determine positions of the segments, and segment type data indicative of a type of each segments. The device is adapted to determine whether or not all of a plurality of successive points of the segment specifying points which successive points are successively located along the closed loop have a same X or Y coordinate, and omits the X or Y coordinate for at least one of those successive points, to thereby prepare the compressed outline data, if all of the successive points have the same X or Y coordinate which is equal to the X or Y coordinate to be omitted.

Abstract: A print head for a dot printer of the present invention includes a plurality of armatures which support a print wire on one end. A back stopper is provided on the rear side of the armatures to stop the armature as the print wire retreats after a print strike. The back stopper is provided with openings so that when an armature strikes the back stopper, upon withdrawal from the print strike, the noise emanated from the back stopper is reduced. A sound dampening piece may be abutted to the rear of the back stopper to further reduce the noise.

Abstract: A data converting apparatus for converting outline data of a character into dot data including dot-forming bits each indicative of an image dot to be formed at a position of a corresponding dot-forming picture element which lies within the outline of each stroke of the character, when the character outline is superimposed on a pixel screen wherein picture elements are defined by x-axis and y-axis pixel lines perpendicular to each other. The apparatus includes a device for changing width direction data indicative of a direction of a nominal width of each stroke, if the outline data of the character are subjected to a conversion for rotation or italicization of the character as represented by the converted outline data.

Abstract: The present process for producing a Bi-based superconducting oxide includes the steps of molding a material powder and subjecting the molded article to partial melting and then to crystallization in the presence of oxygen. In that case, the molded article is annealed, after the partial melting, to the crystallization temperature and subjected to crystallization at that temperature. Also, the article after the crystallization is cooled and the cooled article is heat-treated in an inert gas atmosphere. According to the above process, there can be obtained a Bi-based superconducting oxide having excellent superconducting properties.

Abstract: A data converting apparatus having a dot data preparing device for converting outline data representative of an outline of a visible representation such as characters, into dot data comprising dot-forming bits indicative of image dots to be formed at positions of respective picture elements which correspond to each stroke of the visible representation. The apparatus includes a discontinuity detector for detecting a discontinuous portion of each stroke as defined by the image dots to be formed according to the dot-forming bits, by checking the dot-forming bits to determine whether the image dots represented by the dot-forming bits are discontinuous along the outline of the stroke.

Abstract: A jointed structure comprising at least two kinds of oxide superconductor having different melting points, higher melting point superconductor and one lower melting point oxide superconductor being alternately jointed. In this jointed structure, the lower melting oxide superconductor is used as a joint layer for the higher melting oxide superconductors. The jointed structure can be obtained by combining an Y--Ba--Cu--O oxide superconducting material and a Bi--Sr--Ca--Cu--O oxide superconducting material, or by combining two Bi--Sr--Ca--Cu--O oxide superconducting materials of different compositions and accordingly of different melting points. Large cylindrical structures used as, for example, a container for apparatus for biomagnetism measurement can be produced by jointing two or more divided cylindrical parts. In this case, the techique of the jointed structure of the present invention can be applied for jointing of the divided cylindrical parts.

Abstract: Apparatus including a device for calculating coordinate values of intersections between the image outline and parallel scanning lines which are superimposed on each other in a coordinate system, and a device for storing the calculated coordinate values such that the values for each scanning line are arranged in order of the magnitude of the values and adjacent two of the ordered values are paired as a pair of coordinate values. The apparatus further includes a device for preparing a batch of dot data indicative of the dots to be formed in corresponding picture elements positioned in the coordinate system. The dot data is prepared such that successive bits of the dot data corresponding to successive picture elements consisting of two picture elements represented by the above-indicated pair of coordinate values and at least one picture element between these two picture elements are set at one time such that each of the successive bits indicates a dot to be formed in the corresponding picture element.

Abstract: A data converting apparatus for converting outline data representative of an outline of a character, into dot data including dot-forming bits each indicative of the presence of an image dot to be formed at a position of a corresponding dot-forming picture element which lies within the outline of each stroke of the character, so as to satisfy a predetermined requirement, when the outline of the character is superimposed on a pixel screen wherein picture elements are defined by x-axis pixel lines and y-axis pixel lines perpendicular to the x-axis pixel lines. The apparatus includes a device for determining whether or not a difference between an outline width of each character stroke as defined by the outline data and a reproduction width of the as reproduced according to the dot data as normally prepared based on the outline data exceeds a reference value.

Abstract: A data converting apparatus for converting outline data including multiple sets of segment data representative of respective segments of an outline of a character, into dot data representative of the character. The data conversion is effected according to a conversion rule that each stroke of the character is constituted by picture elements which lie within an outline of the stroke so as to satisfy a predetermined requirement, when the character outline is superimposed on a coordinated pixel screen wherein the picture elements are defined by parallel x-axis and y-axis lines. The apparatus includes an ornamental end data converter operable without following the conversion rule, for processing ornamental end data comprising at least one of the multiple sets of segment data of the outline data which represents an ornamental end portion of an ornamented stroke of the character.

Abstract: Disclosed are a porous molded product comprising a foam having a three-dimensional cell-membrane-free network skeletal structure, which has been extended to make long the shape of the mesh pores thereof in a given direction, and having deposited onto the skeleton thereof a cured resin without clogging the mesh pores and a process for preparing said porous molded product. The porous molded product according to this invention can be used as a filter material or used when a porous ceramic structural body is sinter molded.

Abstract: Disclosed is a photo-pressure sensitive recording sheet developing apparatus in which vibratory pressure generated by an ultrasonic wave generating means is applied to a photo/pressure sensitive recording sheet using microcapsules carrying a latent image formed through exposure to thereby develop the photo/pressure sensitive recording sheet by the vibratory pressure. Preferably, the ultrasonic wave generating means is formed as a single resonance system and has parallel surfaces opposite to each other, each of the opposite surfaces having a vibration mode so that the opposite surfaces are displaced in the directions opposite to each other and substantially along a vertical axis of the opposite surfaces.

Abstract: A catalytic structure for cleaning exhaust gas from automobiles, etc., is provided. The catalytic structure comprises a ceramic carrier having a three-dimensional network skeleton forming the intercommunicating voids therein and a catalyst-carried activated alumina layer formed on the surface of the three-dimensional network skeleton. This catalytic structure is produced by contacting a ceramic carrier with a catalyst-containing solution and drying the carrier by evaporating the solvent in the solution so that the catalyst will be carried at a higher density in the activated alumina layer on the side of the skeleton surface against which side the incoming exhaust gas does not impinge, than on the side against which the exhaust gas impinges.

Abstract: A method of applying .gamma.-alumina to a porous ceramics structure includes the steps of: causing fine particles of .gamma.-alumina together with a carrier gas to flow through pores in the porous ceramics structure so as to deposit the .gamma.-alumina fine particles on the surfaces of the skeleton of the porous ceramics structure, and heating the structure with the .gamma.-aluminum particles deposited thereto to a predetermined temperature thereby fixing the .gamma.-alumina particles. The fine particles of .gamma.-alumina are formed by causing an arc discharge between the surface of molten aluminum and an aluminum electrode so as to generate vapor of aluminum, and oxidizing the aluminum vapor by an oxidizing gas which may be Ar-O.sub.2 carrier gas which is made to flow through the pores in the porous ceramics structure.