Abstract: The system and methods described herein allow users to apply for a purchase of a good from multiple providers using provider specific methodologies for generating offers for the product. For example, the system described herein may include a multi-layer architecture that includes interactive micro-services that communicate together in a bi-directional manner to create a normalized process for the purchase of a good, such as commercial goods/products (e.g. a vehicle) or real property. The micro-services may assess prequalification for a loan or financing for a good, followed by determining eligibility of the good for financing, and further followed by calculating pricing details for loans (e.g. for financing purchase of the good) that would be offered for a consumer's particular financial credentials, for each of a plurality of lenders. Prequalification and pricing may be performed on a good by good basis, or for a plurality of goods near or substantially simultaneously.

Abstract: The system and methods described herein allow users to give their applicant information when seeking to submit an inquiry associated with a product provided by at least one entity, and have various lender microservices run in parallel, segregated by entity, in a jailed and self-contained, autonomous environment. The result of these microservices may be returned as a response to the inquity, being determined autonomously for each respective entity based on one or more respective rule sets or executable logic for each respective entity. Payloads for multiple entities may be combined in a single output from the jailed and self-contained environment due to outputs from the environment being encrypted in a universal format, wherein the outputs are decrypted in a user session in an application, allowing the user to see the results of the respective responses of each of the at least one entity, to their inquiry.

Abstract: A filter cartridge assembly is disclosed, which includes a housing having a reservoir for collecting fluids entering the housing through a gas return path, a sensor located within the reservoir for detecting a fluid level therein, and a backer plate positioned within the housing adjacent an inlet port to the reservoir and including fluid management structure to shield the sensor from fluid entering the reservoir from the gas return path through the inlet port and causing a false indication of the fluid level in the reservoir.

Abstract: Tissue dissociators configured to disrupt a biological tissue sample are provided. Aspects of the tissue dissociators according to certain embodiments include a blade holder having a blade and a sample holder that includes a tissue actuator having a distal end pliable stopper where the tissue actuator is configured to be displaced along a longitudinal axis with the sample holder. Also provided are methods of dissociating a biological tissue sample with the tissue dissociators, as well as kits including the tissue dissociators.

Abstract: A filter cartridge assembly is disclosed, which includes a housing having a reservoir for collecting fluids entering the housing through a gas return path, a sensor located within the reservoir for detecting a fluid level therein, and a backer plate positioned within the housing adjacent an inlet port to the reservoir and including fluid management structure to shield the sensor from fluid entering the reservoir from the gas return path through the inlet port and causing a false indication of the fluid level in the reservoir.

Abstract: A robot vision system for generating a 3D point cloud of a surrounding environment through comparison of unfiltered and filtered images of the surrounding environment. A filtered image is captured using a camera filter which tends to pass certain wavelength bandwidths while mitigating the passage of other bandwidths. A processor receives the unfiltered and filtered images, pixel matches the unfiltered and filtered images, and determines an image distance for each pixel based on comparing the color coordinates determined for that pixel in the unfiltered and filtered image. The image distances determined provides a relative distance from the digital camera to an object or object portion captured by each pixel, and the relative magnitude of all image distances determined for all pixels in the unfiltered and filtered images allows generation of a 3D point cloud representing the object captured in the unfiltered and filtered images.

Abstract: Tissue dissociators configured to disrupt a biological tissue sample are provided. Aspects of the tissue dissociators according to certain embodiments include a blade holder having a blade and a sample holder that includes a tissue actuator having a distal end pliable stopper where the tissue actuator is configured to be displaced along a longitudinal axis with the sample holder. Also provided are methods of dissociating a biological tissue sample with the tissue dissociators, as well as kits including the tissue dissociators.

Abstract: An average spoilage temperature for a product is obtained. The average spoilage temperature is the temperature when the product becomes not viable for customer use. In real-time, the current temperature of the retail store in which the product resides is measured. In real-time, a perishability time for the product is calculated using the average spoilage temperature of the product, and the current temperature of the retail store. In real-time, the location of the product and the time since the product has left a first shelf are tracked. The first shelf is a location where a shelf temperature is maintained to adequately preserve the product. In real-time, the perishability time is compared to the time since the product has left the first shelf. When the time since the product has left the first shelf exceeds the perishability time, an action is taken.

Abstract: A rotational limit stop comprising a substantially circular disc having an upper surface, a lower surface and a perimeter surface, the perimeter surface containing a plurality of teeth on one portion thereof, a central aperture passing through the center of the circular disc, and a plurality of resilient spring legs extending downwards from the lower surface of the disc, such that the resilient spring legs of the rotational limit stop flex to accommodate the compression forces as a faucet assembly containing the rotational limit stop is being assembled.

Abstract: A rotational limit stop comprising a substantially circular disc having an upper surface, a lower surface and a perimeter surface, the perimeter surface containing a plurality of teeth on one portion thereof, a central aperture passing through the center of the circular disc, and a plurality of resilient spring legs extending downwards from the lower surface of the disc, such that the resilient spring legs of the rotational limit stop flex to accommodate the compression forces as a faucet assembly containing the rotational limit stop is being assembled.

Abstract: A faucet assembly having a spray nozzle connected to a spray hose. A weight attached to the spray hose provides a downward force to nest the spray nozzle. The weight includes an open channel extending longitudinally across a length of the weight and two members having external threads extending from the weight and positioned on opposing sides of the open channel. A hex nut including internal threads engages the external threads of the two members, such that the fastener extends over the open channel to secure the weight onto the spray hose.

Abstract: A roof assemblage for use in a furnace includes a refractory panel dimensioned to span refractory furnace walls and a wall bearing roof truss from which the refractory roof panel is suspended. The refractory roof panel is suspended by means of hangers which are connected to a bottom chord of the truss and to suspension bars which extend transversely of the roof panel. The truss is arranged intermediate of the width of the refractory roof panel and the bottom chord is situated on bearing anchors which connect the bottom chord at opposite ends thereof to the top of the refractory wall panels. Lifting hooks are provided on the top chord of the truss so that the truss-panel roof assemblage may be lifted as a unit onto and from the furnace walls.

Abstract: A roller bearing assembly for reducing friction between a relatively rotatable shaft member and support member wherein the support member has a circular hole formed therein through which a portion of the shaft extends. The bearing assembly includes an elongate length of roller chain having pivotally interconnected links with rollers rotatably mounted therein. The rollers are of a diameter smaller than the difference in radii between the shaft and opening. The link side plates at opposite sides of the rollers in the chain have a width greater than the roller diameters. The roller chain is shorter than the circumference of the shaft and may be secured adjacent one of its ends to the rotating member in the assembly.

Abstract: A dump grate for use in a furnace is rotatably mounted therein and includes fluid coolant tubes sinuously arranged within refractory material comprising a grate plate for circulating coolant fluid. The grate plate is shiftable from a first substantially horizontal fuel supporting position to a nonhorizontal fuel dumping position. A rotatable conduit is arranged beneath the grate plate secured thereto for receiving coolant fluid inlet and discharge tubes for supplying coolant fluid and discharging same from the grate plate coolant tubes. Removable grate bars are arranged on portions of the surface of the grate plate, with the spacing provided between permitting selective varying of airflow through the grate plate for additional cooling purposes.

Abstract: A recirculating furnace-dryer combination including a combustion chamber, a housing surrounding the combustion chamber for maintaining a greater than atmospheric pressure within the combustion chamber, a dryer in which a greater than atmospheric pressure may be maintained, and a feed conduit through which heated gases may be supplied from the combustion chamber to the dryer. Return conduits receive exhaust gases from the veneer dryer and recirculate them through a fan for repressurization into the housing, from which they are recirculated into the combustion chamber. A fuel feed, including an air lock, is operable to feed fuel into the combustion chamber, with an air lock maintaining a pressurized condition in the combustion chamber. Temperature sensing devices in the dryer are connected to controls to operate dampers in the feed conduits to maintain a preselected temperature range within the veneer dryer.

Abstract: A damper for controlling the passage of combustion gases through a conduit in a furnace. The damper is a mass of formed refractory material shiftable through an opening in the side of the conduit between an operative position extending into the conduit and inoperative position spaced laterally of the conduit. The damper is mounted on an elongate hollow beam which has a coolant fluid flow passage extending therethrough and apertures through which coolant fluid may pass to cool the exterior of the damper and support. A housing extends laterally of the conduit and has side and end walls positioned to receive and enclose portions of the damper and damper support retracted from the conduit. The damper support is enclosed and shielded by the housing walls throughout operation of the apparatus. A coolant fluid supply is operable to inject coolant fluid under pressure into the damper support so that such fluid may flow outwardly therefrom to cool the damper support and surfaces of the damper.