Abstract: An actuator is provided. The actuator includes: a housing having an interior elongated hole; a rod dimensioned to fit in the elongated hole; a piston dimensioned to fit in and move along the elongated hole while connected to the rod; mating structure located on at least one of the piston and rod, the mating structure configured to allow the rod to attach to the piston in a manner to create clearance between the rod and the piston to allow the rod and piston to move with respect to each other. A method of attaching a piston to a rod in an actuator may also be provided. The method may include: fitting the piston to the rod; providing a clearance between the piston and the rod; fastening the piston to the rod in a loose manner as to preserve the clearance and allow the piston to move with respect to the rod.

Abstract: An actuator has: a rod having a socket portion at one distal end of the rod; and a swivel cap including: a base portion having an inner surface and an outer surface having an origin of the radius at the center of the plane that defines the outer surface; a raised domed portion disposed on the inner surface of the base portion and mounted in the socket portion of the rod; a raised region located on at least one of the raised domed portion or the socket portion; wherein the swivel cap tilts relative to the rod in response to angular misalignment with a load to a tilt angle; a housing having an interior elongated hole wherein the rod is dimensioned to fit in the elongated hole; a piston dimensioned to fit in and move along the elongated hole while connected to the rod; and mating structure located on at least one of the piston and rod, the mating structure configured to allow the rod to attach to the piston in a manner to create clearance between the rod and the piston to allow the rod and piston to move with re

Abstract: An actuator is provided. The actuator includes a rod having a socket portion at one distal end of the rod and a swivel cap. The swivel cap includes a base portion having an inner surface and an outer surface and a raised domed portion disposed on the inner surface of the base portion. The outer surface has an origin of the radius at the center of the plane that defines the outer surface of the base portion. The raised domed portion is mounted on the socket portion of the rod and has an origin of the radius on the plane that defines the outer surface of the base portion. A raised region is located on at least one of the raised domed portion or the socket portion. The swivel cap tilts relative to the rod in response to angular misalignment with a load to a tilt angle.

Abstract: An actuator is provided. The actuator includes: a housing having an interior elongated hole; a rod dimensioned to fit in the elongated hole; a piston dimensioned to fit in and move along the elongated hole while connected to the rod; mating structure located on at least one of the piston and rod, the mating structure configured to allow the rod to attach to the piston in a manner to create clearance between the rod and the piston to allow the rod and piston to move with respect to each other. A method of attaching a piston to a rod in an actuator may also be provided. The method may include: fitting the piston to the rod; providing a clearance between the piston and the rod; fastening the piston to the rod in a loose manner as to preserve the clearance and allow the piston to move with respect to the rod.

Abstract: A cylinder retainer is provided. The cylinder includes: a retainer body having an exterior end and an interior end; a bearing surface located on the retainer body; and an oiler located in a recess in the retainer body. A method of lubricating a rod may be provided. The method may include: contacting an oiler with the rod; and locating a bearing surface on a cylinder retainer between a seal configured to keep fluid located on a surface of the rod in a cylinder and the oiler.

Abstract: An actuator has: a rod having a socket portion at one distal end of the rod; and a swivel cap including: a base portion having an inner surface and an outer surface having an origin of the radius at the center of the plane that defines the outer surface; a raised domed portion disposed on the inner surface of the base portion and mounted in the socket portion of the rod; a raised region located on at least one of the raised domed portion or the socket portion; wherein the swivel cap tilts relative to the rod in response to angular misalignment with a load to a tilt angle; a housing having an interior elongated hole wherein the rod is dimensioned to fit in the elongated hole; a piston dimensioned to fit in and move along the elongated hole while connected to the rod; and mating structure located on at least one of the piston and rod, the mating structure configured to allow the rod to attach to the piston in a manner to create clearance between the rod and the piston to allow the rod and piston to move with re

Abstract: An actuator is provided. The actuator includes a rod having a socket portion at one distal end of the rod and a swivel cap. The swivel cap includes a base portion having an inner surface and an outer surface and a raised domed portion disposed on the inner surface of the base portion. The outer surface has an origin of the radius at the center of the plane that defines the outer surface of the base portion. The raised domed portion is mounted on the socket portion of the rod and has an origin of the radius on the plane that defines the outer surface of the base portion. A raised region is located on at least one of the raised domed portion or the socket portion. The swivel cap tilts relative to the rod in response to angular misalignment with a load to a tilt angle.

Abstract: A device for placing food on a floor within reach of one or more animals that are feeding along a feeding rail. The device is mounted on or near the feeding rail and has an extendable and retractable arm connected to a plow. The arm is storable above the floor and does not have moving parts located on the floor. The device may move along the length of the feed rail, as well.

Abstract: An on-substrate driver circuit for a display line of a liquid crystal display having an amplifier connected in conjunction with an amplifier input capacitor, a sample/hold capacitor and three switches. The circuit operates in a first compensation mode wherein the first and second of the switches connect both a null reference voltage and the amplifier output voltage to the amplifier input capacitor, effectively nulling out or compensating for offset between the turn-on threshold, and hence the output, of a plurality of amplifiers on the display. After compensation, the circuit is switched to an operational mode wherein the first and second switches are open and a third switch connects the analog display signal to the sample/hold capacitor. A second preferred embodiment employing a double buffer including two consecutive, serially connected amplifier stages as described is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for high-speed processing of video images of objects in a scene. Each pixel, in lines of bicolored pixels of a raster scanned video image containing at least one object, is identified as to the object of which the pixel corresponds. Adjacent bicolored pixels of the same color across a line are grouped into corresponding numbered pixel groups. Pixel groups of the same color are downwardly grouped into numbered blobs of pixel groups. When a next line pixel group occurs which is of the same color with more than one previous line pixel group, the next line pixel group is grouped as part of first occurring previous line blob. Additional pixel group matches occurring between pixel groups of a previous and next line are upwardly grouped to provide a common ancestor blob number to each blob of the pixel group in each additional pixel group match.

Abstract: A video converter operating in real time that responds to frames of N lines of video data in a non-interlaced format to form two fields of interlaced data without loss of any information. The converter operates with a minimum of two lines of memory storage capacity and a minimum of timing structure. The concept in accordance with the invention allows data of substantially any non-interlaced format to be converted for display on an interlaced display unit such as a standard TV system.

Abstract: This specification is directed to a method of producing oil from an oil-containing subterranean formation by a caustic waterflood. Oil containing carboxylic acids is passed through an ion-exchange resin to selectively remove the carboxylic acids therefrom. The removed carboxylic acids are injected into the formation in conjunction with the caustic waterflood to enhance the production of oil from the formation.