Abstract: A steerage wheel for a vessel such as a sailing yacht is disclosed. A rim member is attached to a hub member by a series of spokes. The rim member includes pivot mechanisms to allow sector portions of the rim member to be folded over to reduce the effective width of the steerage wheel. The spokes connecting the hub to the sector portions have releasable securing means to allow the connection between the rim member and the hub to be severed to permit folding of the steerage wheel without interference from the spokes. The releasable seeming means is a screw threaded sleeve that allows connection and detachment of the free ends of two lengths of the spoke.

Abstract: Disclosed is a marine steering assembly having a steering wheel pedestal, a steering output member, a manual steering mechanism and an auto-pilot drive. The manual steering mechanism is connected to a steering wheel. The manual steering mechanism is retained by the steering wheel pedestal for manual control of the steering output member. The auto-pilot drive is connected to the steering output member and provides automatic control of the steering output member. The auto-pilot drive is aligned with and located adjacent the steering output member. The steering output member, the manual steering mechanism, the pedestal and the auto-pilot drive are accommodated within an outer casing.

Abstract: A method of forming a rotor comprises the step of welding a rotor element. The weld metal comprises: from 0.04 to 0.1% carbon, from 0 to 0.5% silicon, from 0.1 to 0.6% manganese, from 0 to 0.01% sulphur, from 0 to 0.03% phosphorous, from 1.9 to 2.6% chromium, from 0.05 to 0.3% molybdenum, from 0.2 to 0.3% vanadium, from 0.02 to 0.08% niobium, from 1.45 to 2.1% tungsten, from 0 to 0.03% nitrogen, from 0.0005 to 0.006% boron and from 0 to 0.03% aluminium. The rotor element may be formed from steel which comprises from 0.15 to 0.35% carbon, from 0 to 0.3% silicon, from 0.2 to 1% manganese, from 0 to 0.03% sulphur, from 0 to 0.03% phosphorous, from 0.3 to 1% nickel, from 0.7 to 1.50% chromium, from 0.5 to 1.2% molybdenum, and from 0.2 to 0.4% vanadium.

Abstract: A printing unit comprises a pair of blanket cylinders (2) that form a nip through which a substrate can pass as ink images are transferred from the blanket cylinders to both sides of the substrate. Each blanket cylinder (2) is provided with a pair of plate cylinders (1A, 1B) carrying inked lithographic plates which transfer ink images to their respective blanket cylinder. While one plate cylinder (1A, 1B) is in contact with its blanket cylinder (2) the lithographic plates on the other plate cylinder (1A, 1B) can be changed. The other plate cylinder can then be brought into contact with the blanket cylinder (2) and the first plate cylinder removed from contact to allow its plates to be changed. The plate cylinders on one side of the substrate can be moved independently of those on the other side of the substrate. The blanket cylinders (2) can also be moved to release the substrate.

Abstract: Apparatus (10) for interrogating an optical signal (not shown) propagating in an optical waveguide, such as an optical fibre, having an input section (12) and a second section (14) through which light entering from the input section (12) will subsequently propagate. The second section (14) includes a grating portion, such as a tilted chirped fibre Bragg grating (16). The grating (16) causes at least part of the optical signal to be coupled out of the optical fibre, through the fibre cladding. A photodetector (18) is provided generally alongside the grating (16). The photodetector (18) is arranged to collect and detect substantially all of the outcoupled optical signal. The relationship between the optical power outcoupled by the grating (16) and the wavelength of the optical signal is known, allowing a measurement of the outcoupled optical power to be used to determine the wavelength of the optical signal propagating through the grating (16).

Abstract: A method of forming a rotor comprises the step of welding a rotor element. The weld metal comprises: from 0.04 to 0.1% carbon, from 0 to 0.5% silicon, from 0.1 to 0.6% manganese, from 0 to 0.01% sulphur, from 0 to 0.03% phosphorous, from 1.9 to 2.6% chromium, from 0.05 to 0.3% molybdenum, from 0.2 to 0.3% vanadium, from 0.02 to 0.08% niobium, from 1.45 to 2.1% tungsten, from 0 to 0.03% nitrogen, from 0.0005 to 0.006% boron and from 0 to 0.03% aluminium. The rotor element may be formed from steel which comprises from 0.15 to 0.35% carbon, from 0 to 0.3% silicon, from 0.2 to 1% manganese, from 0 to 0.03% sulphur, from 0 to 0.03% phosphorous, from 0.3 to 1% nickel, from 0.7 to 1.50% chromium, from 0.5 to 1.2 % molybdenum, and from 0.2 to 0.4% vanadium.

Abstract: An improved device or tool is provided for cleaving angled ends on to at least one optical fiber (1) (FIG. 1) in which spring means (6) and co-operating pivotally mounted clamping blocks (7a, 7b) are employed to clamp and tension the optical fiber (1) with tension (T). A sharp corner edge (11) of an anvil (10) is used to locally deflect or displace the fiber (1) and bend it about the opposing sharp corner edge (12) of the clamping surface (5) of one of the clamping blocks (viz 7b) so that the fiber experiences a localized shear force. The resultant stress is a superposition of tension and shear and is directed away from the axis of the fiber (1). An acutely angled blade (13) is operable to score the fiber (1) at a point between the two opposing corners (11, 12). The fiber (1) cleaves with ends which are consistently angled at between 1° and 20° (preferably 5° to 10°) away from the perpendicular to the fiber axis.

Abstract: Biphenyl-substituted triazines of the formulae 1

Abstract: Biphenyl-substituted triazines of the formulae which are notable for high thermal stability, are used as stabilizers for organic polymers to counter damage thereto caused by light, oxygen and heat, as light stabilizers for textile fiber materials and as sunscreens for the human skin.

Abstract: An improved device or tool is provided for cleaving angled ends onto at least one optical fiber (1) in which spring means (6) and co-operating pivotally mounted clamping blocks (7a, 7b) are employed to clamp and tension the optical fiber (1) with tension (T). A sharp corner edge (11) of an anvil (10) is used to locally deflect or displace the fiber (1) and bend it about the opposing sharp corner edge (12) of the clamping surface (5) of one of the clamping blocks (viz 7b) so that the fiber experiences a localised shear force. The resultant stress is a superposition of tension and shear and is directed away from the axis of the fiber (1). An acutely angled blade (13) is operable to score the fiber (1) at a point between the two opposing corners (11, 12). The fiber (1) cleaves with ends which are consistently angled at between 1° and 20° (preferably 5° to 10°) away from the perpendicular to the fiber axis.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved barbecue cooking device. The barbecue cooking device has particular application for use with wood or charcoal fuels and enables the cooking platform to be raised and lowered towards the heat source.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a rapid and non-evasive method of monitoring dough development and dough mixing properties using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of measuring the change in constituents of a grain flour dough during mixing.

Abstract: A fault monitoring system comprises a fault detection mechanism to determine the status of a parameter to be monitored. An integrator counts in one direction when a fault in the measurement system is detected and counts in an opposite direction in the absence of fault detection. A threshold detector generates a hard fault indication when the integrator count reaches a threshold value, and an integrator count monitor generates information indicative of the state of the integrator count when below the threshold value thereby providing an indication of the progression of the fault.

Abstract: Biphenyl-substituted triazines of the formulae 1

Abstract: A system and method for organising information items in a database. The system and method use a three-dimensional classification space having a co-ordinate origin, which in a preferred embodiment may be displayed as a rotatable sphere 20. Subject topics are associated in the classification space with solid cones 22 having radii 21 of the sphere as their axes and information items are assigned co-ordinates 24 within the appropriate subject cone. The sphere may be further divided into shells 11,12,13 of different radii corresponding to different categories of information items within the same subject area. In retrieving information it is possible to display items of information assigned similar co-ordinates within the classification space and to rotate the sphere to show neighboring items having associated subject content. The invention has particular application to classifying and search for web sites or other information on the Internet.

Abstract: Biphenyl-substituted triazines of the formulae which are notable for high thermal stability, are used as stabilizers for organic polymers to counter damage thereto caused by light, oxygen and heat, as light stabilizers for textile fiber materials and as sunscreens for the human skin.

Abstract: A golf putting green apparatus comprises an elongate putting green surface flexible panel supported on spaced apart elongate side members which are pivotally mounted at an intermediate portion on first support legs. The side members are supported at a putting off end of the apparatus on independently height adjustable second support legs so that as the putting-off end of each side support member is raised or lowered an opposite cantilevered hole end of the side support member is lowered or raised respectively.

Abstract: A system and method for video data processing for searching a region of overlapping candidate blocks to locate the best match to a comparably sized reference block comprising plurality of tree adder computational structures which each calculate the sum of absolute difference values for the corresponding data pixels in the comparison. The system further comprises a memory and addressing configuration comprising a dual part RAM, a funnel shifter, and control logic to supply the necessary data pixel values to allow the plurality of tree adders to compute the sum of absolute difference values for adjacent locations concurrently. Another aspect of the system and method for video processing is accumulating two values representing mathematical comparisons of two multi-dimensional images performed in a pixel-wise manner to determine which of the comparison produces less of a difference between the compared images.

Abstract: A device for the controlled release of vapour and a method of dispensing a volatile medium into the air. The device includes a carrier impregnated with a volatile medium and a wrapper of flexible material surrounding said carrier for retaining the volatile medium on the carrier. Said wrapper has a plurality of contiguous tear strips arranged in longitudinal sequence disposed over the carrier that may be successively removed to expose a portion of the carrier of increasing size without any need to provide for relative movement of the wrapper and carrier. The method of dispensing a volatile medium into the air includes providing such a device, removing a first tear strip to expose a portion of the carrier, and subsequently removing an additional tear strip to expose a fresh area of carrier to maintain the concentration of volatile medium at a desired level.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the production of a compound of formula: ##STR1## in which X and Y, independently, are hydrogen, halogen, NO.sub.2, CF.sub.3, CN, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy, COO--C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, CO--C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, NH--(C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl), N(C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl).sub.2, NH(C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl-OH), N(C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl-OH).sub.2, COOH or SO.sub.3 H or an ester or amide thereof, or COOM or SO.sub.3 M in which M is Na, K, Ca, Mg, ammonium, mono-, di-, tri- or tetra-C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylammonium, mono-, di- or tri-hydroxyalkylammonium or ammonium that is di- or tri-substituted with a mixture of C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl and C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 hydroxyalkyl groups;Z is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy, CF.sub.3, halogen (F, Cl, Br, I), SO.sub.3 H or SO.sub.