Abstract: A fountain-style carbonated soft drink dispenser includes a housing adapted to attach to a beverage container, an actuator for selectively opening a fluid conduit, and one or more long tubes that vary a pressure drop across the dispensing assembly and convey fluid. The resistance through the tube(s) is decreased as the pressure within the container decreases so as to maintain a substantially constant flow rate throughout dispensing.

Abstract: A fountain-style carbonated soft drink dispenser includes a housing adapted to attach to a beverage container, an actuator for selectively opening a fluid conduit, and one or more long tubes that vary a pressure drop across the dispensing assembly and convey fluid. The resistance through the tube(s) is decreased as the pressure within the container decreases so as to maintain a substantially constant flow rate throughout dispensing.

Abstract: A fountain-style carbonated soft drink dispenser includes a housing adapted to attach to a beverage container, an actuator for selectively opening a fluid conduit, and one or more long tubes that vary a pressure drop across the dispensing assembly and convey fluid. The resistance through the tube(s) is decreased as the pressure within the container decreases so as to maintain a substantially constant flow rate throughout dispensing.

Abstract: A fountain-style carbonated soft drink dispenser includes a housing adapted to attach to a beverage container, an actuator for selectively opening a fluid conduit, and one or more long tubes that vary a pressure drop across the dispensing assembly and convey fluid. The resistance through the tube(s) is decreased as the pressure within the container decreases so as to maintain a substantially constant flow rate throughout dispensing.

Abstract: A fountain-style carbonated soft drink dispenser includes a housing adapted to attach to a beverage container, an actuator for selectively opening a fluid conduit, and one or more long tubes that vary a pressure drop across the dispensing assembly and convey fluid. The resistance through the tube(s) is decreased as the pressure within the container decreases so as to maintain a substantially constant flow rate throughout dispensing.

Abstract: A dispenser assembly that can be used as a dispenser on a container includes a dispenser body having a flow passage, and a porous flow control member positioned in the flow passage such that the liquid must pass through at least a portion of the porous flow control member before being dispensed. The porous flow control member is operable to vary a resistance to flow of the liquid through the dispenser assembly during dispensing. A valve is provided and is movable between an open position that allows the liquid to be dispensed and a closed position that prevents the liquid from being dispensed. A discharge spout directs the flow of liquid discharged from the container. A dip tube is attached to the dispenser body and extends inside the container to supply the liquid to be discharged to the dispenser body. An attachment portion is provided to attach the dispenser assembly to the container.

Abstract: A dispenser includes a dispenser body which defines a flow passage, a valve assembly, and an actuator. The valve assembly is disposed in the flow passage and includes a first valve member and a second valve member. An actuator is coupled to the valve assembly. When the actuator is manipulated through a first range of motion, only the first of the two valve members is displaced, and when the actuator is manipulated through a second range of motion, both the first and second valve members are displaced in unison.

Abstract: A dispenser includes a dispenser body which defines a flow passage, a valve assembly, and an actuator. The valve assembly is disposed in the flow passage and includes a first valve member and a second valve member. An actuator is coupled to the valve assembly. When the actuator is manipulated through a first range of motion, only the first of the two valve members is displaced, and when the actuator is manipulated through a second range of motion, both the first and second valve members are displaced in unison.

Abstract: A storage server architecture supporting virtual devices and virtual circuits for storing data is provided. The storage server includes a plurality of communication interfaces. A first set of communication interfaces in the plurality is adapted for connection to all kinds of users of data. A second set of communication interfaces in the plurality is adapted for connection to respective devices in a pool of storage devices. Data processing resources in the server are coupled to the plurality of communication interfaces for transferring data among the interfaces. The data processing resources comprise a plurality of driver modules and configurable logic linking driver modules into data paths. Each configured data path acts as a virtual circuit that includes a set of driver modules selected from the plurality of driver modules. A data storage transaction which is received at a communication interface is mapped to one of the configured data paths.

Abstract: A jugfishing apparatus and signaling device for indicating to a jugfisherman that a fish has struck the bait. The signaling device can include an illumination device such as a light bulb, or an audible signal. When a fish strikes the bait, the signaling device is activated and remains so until de-activated by the fisherman. The force necessary to trigger the signaling device can be adjusted along a continuous range for a variety of fishing conditions, to implement different fishing tactics, and to allow the use of any of a number of standard-size buoyant containers.

Abstract: An elevator system for up-peak servicing of a building having a dual lobby. The system includes a controller having an electronic processor coupled to a memory; a plurality of elevator cars controllably connected to the controller, a dual lobby routine stored within the memory, the dual lobby routine includes instructions for dispatching at least one of the elevator cars to a lower lobby during up-peak, indicating a sector assigned to the car, nudging (if needed) the car if a lower lobby time-out is exceeded, dispatching the car to the upper lobby if a load weight threshold is not exceeded, and then indicating the sector assigned to the car while the car is located at the upper lobby.

Abstract: During downpeak time period of an elevator system, cars are assigned to sectors of an approximately equal number of floors with remaining floors being assigned to sectors near the lobby, one car per sector. The invention provides a dispatching strategy for serving elevator traffic in both up and down directions, giving priority service to the down traveling traffic while providing limited service to the up traveling traffic. All floors requiring down service are given equal access to the system regardless of the position of the floor in the building.

Abstract: Factors (IFL, UPK, DPK) indicative of the relative need for an elevator system to be operating in off-peak, up-peak and down-peak modes, respectively, are compared and if the relative need for up-peak is greater than for off-peak or down-peak, the ratio of up-peak need to total need is utilized to assign a proportionate number of elevator cars to up-peak service. Cars are chosen for up-peak service based upon the estimated relative speed with which the cars will be able to return to the lobby. The details of one embodiment include determining interfloor traffic by examining expected destinations of passengers estimated to be waiting behind hall calls and examining the lobby and non-lobby car calls which are registered.

Abstract: A mine clearing rake comprising a rake assembly with alternately disposed large and small teeth which are arranged to form a broad "V" and are rigidly supported laterally by horizontally disposed bars and rods to provide a maximum proportion of open space rearwardly and are supported rearwardly by a rigid reinforcing frame assembly which is attached to the bottom edge of the moldboard of a propelling vehicle, such as a tank, and have four additional points of support and/or attachment to the moldboard. An extension grid assembly is also mounted above the rake assembly to prevent unearthed mines from rolling over the mine clearing rake. A skid shoe assembly is attached to the reinforcing frame assembly and protrudes through the rake assembly so that the skid shoe rests upon the surface of the minefield during operation of the mine clearing rake.

Abstract: A detachable or separable scraper bar attachment for various types of trad vehicles includes first, second, and third generally planar rectangular bar elements which when fixedly interconnected and attached to a vehicle's body frame form a generally U-shape or .mu.-shape configuration, of which the first and third bar elements constitute generally parallel legs of the u-shape or .mu.-shape portion. It is mounted with the legs generally also parallel to the vehicle's cylindrical drive sprocket hub subassembly. One leg is in close proximity to the hub to facilitate the scraping of collected mud or debris, and the other leg is adapted to be operatively rigidly attached to the vehicle frame; and the second bar element which constitutes a bight portion connecting the legs of the u-shape or .mu.-shape portion is notably canted at an angle of between about 45.degree. and 60.degree. to laterally deflect the scraped-off mud or debris away from the track paths.