Abstract: The oxygen tank flotation device is a floating structure adapted for use in recreational water activities. The oxygen tank flotation device is adapted for use with respiratory equipment that is required for use during recreational water activities. The oxygen tank flotation device receives and stores respiratory equipment, such as an oxygen tank, in such a manner that the respiratory equipment will float when the oxygen tank flotation device is placed in a body of water. This arrangement allows the respiratory equipment to float near the user when the user is involved in recreational water activities. The oxygen tank flotation device comprises a vessel, a first float, and a second float.

Abstract: A universal convection manipulation device for insertion into a conventional oven and a method of use are provided. The universal convection manipulation device includes a substantially rectangular flexible sheet of material including an intermediate body portion. The intermediate body portion includes a first flange arranged along an end of the intermediate body portion and a second flange arranged along an opposite end of the intermediate body portion. The flexible sheet of material is capable of being flexed into an arched shape and sized to be insertable into various sized conventional ovens depending on the amount of flexure of the sheet of material. The first flange and the second flange are shaped so that they are capable of being inserted and held with a tension against a sidewall support structure of a conventional oven when the flexible sheet of material is flexed into the arched shape and released during installation within the conventional oven.

Abstract: A plurality of available effective selections is determined in accordance with a prescription. A differential value for one of the selections is determined based on insurance coverage, values of the available effective selections, and a predetermined maximum value for the differential value. The differential value and the available effective selections and their associated values are transmitted to a user computer device over a network.

Abstract: A method for checking a mechanical integrity of at least two stabilizing elements includes providing the at least two stabilizing elements that mechanically interconnect blade airfoils of rotor blades of a turbine in a circumferential direction of the turbine in an installed state of the turbine. The at least two stabilizing elements are adjacent to one another and inter-engage to form an engagement section having a material volume of the at least two stabilizing elements in the engagement section. The material volume of the at least two stabilizing elements is scanned, in an automated manner using ultrasound, so as to determine whether cracks are present. The scanning is performed from an outside of the at least two stabilizing elements.

Abstract: A method for checking a mechanical integrity of at least two stabilizing elements includes providing the at least two stabilizing elements that mechanically interconnect blade airfoils of rotor blades of a turbine in a circumferential direction of the turbine in an installed state of the turbine. The at least two stabilizing elements are adjacent to one another and inter-engage to form an engagement section having a material volume of the at least two stabilizing elements in the engagement section. The material volume of the at least two stabilizing elements is scanned, in an automated manner using ultrasound, so as to determine whether cracks are present. The scanning is performed from an outside of the at least two stabilizing elements.

Abstract: A method for non-destructive testing the teeth of a high power electrical generator rotor includes the steps of: providing a plurality of ultrasonic pulse echo transducers (22, . . . ,25) being arranged in an array (20), and being positioned and aligned in such a way as to provide a range of different inspection angles for the tooth geometry; positioning the array (20) on top of the rotor tooth; exciting at least one of the plurality of ultrasonic pulse echo transducers (22, . . . ,25) to produce a transmission beam for the interrogation of wedge angle on the underside of the tooth; and conditioning the acquired data from the at least one of the plurality of ultrasonic pulse echo transducers (22, . . . ,25) to capture reflection from the flaws within the tooth.

Abstract: A tube connector including a tubular connector body having an inboard contact surface facing an outboard open end, a collet extending into the open end and towards the contact surface, and an o-ring positioned between the collet and the contact surface. The o-ring provides a fluid-tight seal between the connector body and an outer circumference of a tube inserted through the collet and into the connector body. The connector also includes a relatively rigid ring guide positioned between the o-ring and the collet. The ring guide is adapted to protect the o-ring and maintain the o-ring in a proper position for providing a fluid-tight seal and includes a sloped or radiused outboard surface for guiding an inserted tube and a sloped inboard surface for contacting the o-ring.

Abstract: A manifold with interconnecting, non-threaded modular sections. The connected sections define a fluidic passageway and at least one valved outlet. The valved outlet is reversible to enable the valve to be readily accessible when the modular section is in any orientation. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b).

Abstract: This invention provides a method of detecting whether a subject is predisposed to, or afflicted with, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) which comprises (A) obtaining a suitable sample comprising a nucleic acid encoding bone morphogenetic protein receptor II from the subject; and (B) detecting in the nucleic acid encoding bone morphogenetic protein receptor II whether a mutation is present which is not present in a nucleic acid encoding wildtype bone morphogenetic protein receptor-II. This invention also provides a method of detecting whether a subject is predisposed to, or afflicted with, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) which comprises (A) obtaining a suitable sample comprising bone morphogenetic protein receptor II from the subject; and (B) detecting in the bone morphogenetic protein receptor II whether a mutation is present which is not present in wildtype bone morphogenetic protein receptor-II.

Abstract: A self-cleaning glazing sheet, preferably of glass, comprises a substrate, a hydrophilic coating on a surface of the substrate, and heating means for raising the temperature of the self-cleaning glazing sheet above the temperature of a self-cleaning glazing sheet having no heating means. Preferably, the hydrophilic coating is photocatalytically active, most preferably of titanium oxide. The preferred heating means comprises a tinted glass substrate which can use incident radiant energy to raise the temperature of the substrate. Multiple glazing units and laminates comprising a self-cleaning glazing sheet and heating means are also disclosed.

Abstract: A multiple Interactive Program Guide (IPG) system provides different television programming and different IPGs to several different users respectively. A single set-top box is capable of providing programming and scheduling data to several different television sets. Each of the different IPGs share a common database. Therefore, a first IPG being viewed by a first user can display data added or modified via a second IPG by a second user of the system. Furthermore, the data added or modified by the second user can influence the viewing rights of the first user. Also, all the competing and conflicting requests for limited resources, such as VCR scheduled recordings, will be brought to the users' attention and will be displayed by the system.

Abstract: A manifold with interconnecting, non-threaded modular sections. The connected sections define a fluidic passageway and at least one valved outlet. The valved outlet is reversible to enable the valve to be readily accessible when the modular section is in any orientation. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b).

Abstract: A manifold with interconnecting, non-threaded modular sections. The connected sections define a fluidic passageway and at least one valved outlet. The valved outlet is reversible to enable the valve to be readily accessible when the modular section is in any orientation. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Abstract: A connector with a connector body, a seal (such as an O-ring), a guide, a cap, and a collet. The guide may include in an outboard radiused surface and a substantially flat surface to contact the seal. The cap may be fixed in one and of the connector body. The collet may be reversibly and placed within the cap and include a surface to bias to tooth members against tubing, thereby to prevent the tubing from being withdrawn from the connector body. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Abstract: A washdown system with a hose, nozzle fitting and water supply connection assembly. The hose includes a generally helical central portion and end portions extending generally axially from the central portion. The water supply connection assembly may include female and male portions. The male portion connects to a water supply fitting. When connected to the female portion, the male portion can be swiveled substantially 360°. The female portion may include a quick-disconnect assembly to reversibly couple the male portion.

Abstract: A device and method for producing a finished wood material beam assembly and, in particular, a finished prestressed wood material beam assembly. The device includes a support having a top that has movable chord and web adjusters carried thereon. The adjusters may be selectively moved and adjusted as desired both horizontally and vertically, so that the chords and web of the assembly may be received thereon at selected desired heights. As such, the adjusters may be selectively adjusted to precisely conform to the specific size and dimensions of the chords and the web being supported thereby. Securing cylinders and stops carried by the table are also adjustable to securely hold the assembly in place. A prestressing cylinder and prestressing stop carried by the table are also adjustable to prestress a portion of the assembly disposed therebetween. Mechanical and adhesive fasteners are applied to the portions of the assembly by respective devices.

Abstract: An I-beam or joist is formed of a pair of horizontal, parallel wood chords connected together by a wood web. The lower chord is pre-stressed by holding it in compression during assembly of the chords and web. The chords are fastened to the web by U-shaped wire staples whose legs have bevels formed on their free ends which cause the legs to move towards each other and to cross the central axis of their respective staple as they longitudinally penetrate thewood during insertion through a chord and into the wood web. Further, plates are fastened upon the opposite faces of the web at the opposite ends of the web, thereby increasing the web thickness at the opposite ends of the beam to substantially increase the allowable shear stress limits of the beam.

Abstract: A joist formed of a pair of aligned, vertically spaced apart chords interconnected by angularly arranged sheet metal webs extending between the chords. The chords are each formed of a pair of right angle cross-section metal strips, each having a horizontal leg and a vertical leg. The strips of each pair are aligned with their horizontal legs coplanar and with their vertical legs spaced apart a short distance to form a narrow vertical gap therebetween. The webs have opposite end portions which are snugly fit within the vertical gaps and are fastened to the vertical legs of the chord strips. A wood member is fastened upon at least one of the chords by positioning the wood upon the chord strips' horizontal legs and applying nails through the wood and into the gap so that the nails are frictionally locked between the vertical legs. In addition, vertically arranged wood strips interconnect the chords at the opposite ends of the joist.

Abstract: An improved corrugated staple or fastener for joining together wood members such as wood chords to form a joist-like wood beam. The staple, which is made of sheet metal, has corrugations oriented at three different angles relative to a reference line such as the edge of the staple which is to be inserted into the wood members. The corrugations which are oriented at the first and second angles pull the wood chord members toward each other and when the joist-like beam is subjected to loading, the orientation of the first and second corrugations compresses the wood chords toward each other and increases friction between the chords. The third corrugation is oriented so that when the staple is inserted into the wood chords, the fibers of the wood are temporarily displaced and thereafter move back toward their original position to resist any tendency of the staple to pull out of the chords. The third corrugation also increases the resistance of the staple to horizontal shear forces or bending.

Abstract: A joist-like wood beam formed of parallel, spaced apart, wood chords joined together by end and central elongated wood filler strips which fill the space between the chords at the opposite ends of and at the central portion of the chords. Sheet metal web units formed of angled struts are located between the central and end strips for spanning the space between and for interconnecting the chords between the strips. The chords and strips are joined together by staple-like mechanical fasteners embedded within the face of adjacent edge portions thereof. The fasteners are angled, relative to the chords, upwardly at an acute angle toward their nearest beam end so as to be placed in tension under beam loading thereby tightening the chords and strips together.