Abstract: A torch comprising a frame structure with a fuel container disposed therein, a flame guard cap extending upwardly from the frame with an aperture formed therein, a wick disposed in the aperture, and a rotatable snuffer cap attached to the frame and adapted to cover the wick.

Abstract: A method and device for producing an image effect, applied to an image residing in an image buffer, is used to increase the flexibility of the image effect module. The device includes an image effect module, an access call-back function unit, and a buffer manager. The application program obtains the source image through the access call-back function unit and transfers the source image as well as the access call-back function unit to the image effect module. The image effect module then performs the image effect processing and the image accessing through the collaboration of the access call-back function unit and the buffer manager. After the image effect module returns the destination image to the application program, the application program receives the pixel values of the destination image for display. This image effect module can be commonly shared by different software applications that have their own access call-back function units without further modification.

Abstract: A torch comprising a frame structure with a fuel container disposed therein, a flame guard cap extending upwardly from the frame with an aperture formed therein, a wick disposed in the aperture, and a rotatable snuffer cap attached to the frame and adapted to cover the wick.

Abstract: A torch comprising a frame structure with a fuel container disposed therein, a flame guard cap extending upwardly from the frame with an aperture formed therein, a wick disposed in the aperture, and a rotatable snuffer cap attached to the frame and adapted to cover the wick.

Abstract: A method is provided for cooling coke drum deheading devices, thereby extending the life of same. The method calls for spraying water or other coolant on the devices when they are in operation.

Abstract: A job distribution system implemented by a computer network having a plurality of nodes, each having a cross-mounted local directory. The job distribution system has a job balance object, a node-processing object, and an updatable node distribution table. The job distribution system is on a first node of the plurality of nodes. A node daemon object is on each of the plurality of nodes. The job balance object has access to the local directory of each remaining node. The updatable node distribution table has a plurality of distribution data structures which correspond to each of the remaining nodes, and are updated by the node daemon object with a job status value. With these objects, the job balance object distributes the plurality of jobs by averaging the job status value of each of the remaining nodes to distribute a plurality of the pending job requests.

Abstract: A financial system for processing and printing financial documents takes the form of a professional financial workstation capable of multiple system tasks including financial applications, security operations, and networking. The system further supports the general functions of financial document typesetting, printing, data processing, and data management to provide a complete automatic financial service system. The system is modular in design, including a control module and an operation module, and a database. The control module includes a high speed image output device, a database/networking controller, a synchronous power supply, an electronic lock, a system real-time recorder, an authorization card, an identification card, and a removable high capacity storage device. The operation module includes a display, an operation processor, a financial keyboard, an optical scanner, and a magnetic ink character reader/magnetic reader.