Abstract: An electronic maintenance record file system for facilities comprising local monitoring units, installed near the equipment to be maintained, a calculator made available to the maintenance company and connected to the local units using a transmission network to receive and process the information transmitted by the local units. Each local unit comprises identification resources of the technician in charge of maintaining the associated equipment; time stamping resources of the start and end of each operation performed by the technician; data input resources of the description of the work performed during the technician's operation; and storage resources for storing, in the form of an electronic maintenance report file, the description of each operation performed on the associated equipment in relation with the identification information of the technician that performed the operation and the time stamp information of the start and end of the operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic component comprising a package PACK including input pins PIi and output pins PSj, and an integrated circuit IC, encased in the package PACK, which integrated circuit is provided with input contact pads CIi and output contact pads CIj, which are connected, respectively, to the input pins PIi and the output pins PSj of the package PACK by conducting wires WIi and WSj. In accordance with the invention, each current path connecting an input contact pad CIi to an output contact pad CIj comprises a buffer element Bi having a high input impedance. Said high input impedance of the buffers substantially reduces the value of the current Ii flowing through the conducting wires WIi connecting the input pins PIi to the input contact pads CIi, and hence the inductive coupling between said conducting wires.

Abstract: An appliance for protecting the bottom end of a human lower limb, and in particular the foot, from propagation of the blast wave and the heat generated by an explosive device of the mine type exploding. The invention provides an ammunition type boot whose sole is constituted by an assembly comprising a dispersion boat-shape, an antifire barrier, and support studs. The assembly provides simultaneously an optimum dispersion effect and satisfactory use for walking and running on any type of ground. It also withstands the explosion, and the heat, and it does not create puncturing projectiles because it constitutes a homogeneous assembly.

Abstract: A thin walled microtube is formed by providing a continuous elongated member having an outer surface. The member is at least partially formed of a water soluble material. A coating material is provided. The coating material may be a silicone compound that is curable such that the coating material cures into a substantial non-porous silicone. The outer surface of the elongated member is coated with a coating material so as to form a substantially uniform and continuous layer of coating material on the outer surface. The layer of coating material is cured so as to form a substantial uniform and continuous layer of substantially non-porous silicone on the outer surface. The elongated member is at least partially dissolved using water and purged from the silicone layer, such that an elongated tube of substantially non-porous silicone is formed.

Abstract: The proposed installation comprises a plurality of carriages which pass in succession from a product loading station (3) to a product unloading station (15) in succession via an inlet lock (10), a sterilizing tunnel (11), a transfer lock (12), a cooling tunnel (13), and an outlet lock (14). The superheated water of the sterilizing tunnel (11) and the cooling water of the cooling tunnel (13) are maintained at a pressure P1 greater than the pressure that exists inside the packages contained in the carriages during sterilization. The sterilizing tunnel (11) and the cooling tunnel (13) preferably constitute an assembly having an even number of superposed segments, with the carriages being caused to travel along the tunnels by linear magnetic couplers. The installation is adapted to sterilizing products contained in flexible packages.

Abstract: The proposed installation comprises a plurality of carriages which pass in succession from a product loading station (3) to a product unloading station (15) in succession via an inlet lock (10), a sterilizing tunnel (11), a transfer lock (12), a cooling tunnel (13), and an outlet lock (14). The superheated water of the sterilizing tunnel (11) and the cooling water of the cooling tunnel (13) are maintained at a pressure P1 greater than the pressure that exists inside the packages contained in the carriages during sterilization. The sterilizing tunnel (11) and the cooling tunnel (13) preferably constitute an assembly having an even number of superposed segments, with the carriages being caused to travel along the tunnels by linear magnetic couplers. The installation is adapted to sterilizing products contained in flexible packages.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel naphthopyran-type compounds, which are annelated in position C5-C6 with a seven-membered carbocycle, and which are of formula (I) given below: These compounds (I) possess interesting photochromic properties. The invention also relates to their preparation, their applications as photochromes as well as the compositions and (co)polymer matrices containing them.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel naphthopyran-type compounds, which are annelated in position C5-C6 with a seven-membered carbocycle, and which are of formula (I) given below: 1

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dry dog food, characterized in that it has the shape of a parallelepiped having dimensions from 29 to 40 mm×29 to 40 mm×19 to 30 mm. The invention also relates to the use of such a food for slowing down the speed of ingestion of foods by dogs, or as veterinary medicament or additive, in particular for its use in improving dentibuccal hygiene in dogs.

Abstract: An engine block 10 is disclosed having machined front and rear faces. Each of the front and rear faces is capable of receiving and sealing against a housing (20,40) enclosing a gear train for coupling the engine crankshaft to a camshaft of the engine. The front face is additionally capable of directly receiving and sealing against an engine front cover while the rear face is additionally capable of directly receiving and sealing against a flywheel housing. In this way, the same engine block may be selectively assembled into an engine having a front mounted or a rear mounted camshaft gear train.

Abstract: This system comprises local monitoring units (31, 32) installed in close proximity to the facilities (33) to be monitored, each of which comprises means for detecting facility malfunctions; a computer (21) made available to the facility maintenance company, connected to the local units (31, 32) through a transmission network (10) for receiving and processing fault information transmitted from the local units; a computer (22) made available to a facility management company (2), which receives the same information as the computer (21) from the local units (31, 32); each local unit (31, 32) being associated with a facility (33) and further comprising control means (45) allowing a maintenance engineer to signal the beginning and end of his inspection of the associated facility, these events being transmitted to the computers (21, 22) which comprise means for storing all information transmitted by the local units.

Abstract: A device for ensuring self-massaging of the foot when walking. The device includes a foot engaging surface comprising a base having raised prints incorporated thereon. The foot engaging surface is one of a standard type, a medical type, and a paramedical type. The foot engaging surface is one of a stocking, a tight, a sock and a foot pad.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a mulch sheet characterized in that this comprises a tissue layer laminated with a lamination adhesive to a second layer made of another biodegradable sheet, and, in particular, in that the second layer is also a tissue layer.

Abstract: An integral cylinder block is provided having features which enhance structural stiffness, thereby reducing noise emissions. The block includes an upper portion with cylinder bores and a lower portion forming at least a part of a crankcase. At the upper and lower portions of the block, the casing has sculpted wall portions with a curved, undulate shape. At a side of the cylinder block, a closed oil cooler cavity is formed. A wall is provided to generally separate the oil cooler cavity from the water jacket defined within the block. An opening is provided in the wall, but the opening is distally located relative to a water pump outlet that provides a flow of coolant into the cavity, thereby improving the flow direction of coolant across the oil cooler. Also, an opposite side of the cylinder block includes a closed tappet cavity to accommodate pushrods.

Abstract: An apparatus for attaching an anvil or an impaction hammer to a proximal impactor to be impacted into a bone. The apparatus includes an impaction rod, the distal end of which is provided with an attachment element for releasably securing it to a securing device provided on the proximal impactor.

Abstract: A microwave antenna element comprising a ground plane printed on an insulating substrate and an antenna plate having at least one antenna outlet. The ground plane and the antenna plate are separated by a dielectric, wherein the dielectric separating the plate from the ground plane is air. The antenna plate is constituted by a conductive plate of a shape adapted to the polarization of the transmission microwave vector. The antenna plate has at least two legs formed by stamping and folding which serve to support the plate on the substrate. Each leg passes through a respective orifice in the substrate, at least one of the legs serves not only for support purposes, but also constitutes an antenna outlet. There is a gap in the ground plane surrounding the orifice via which each leg of the antenna outlet passes through the substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rotary drum structure for a sterilizer. The structure includes: four beams (30, 32, 34, 36) disposed parallel to said axis and defining a rectangular parallelepiped volume; a plurality of spacer elements (52, 54, 56) disposed in the four faces defining said parallelepiped volume and forming triangulated structures; a second end part (60) fixed to second ends of the beams to define an inlet opening (64) into said drum; and a circular running path (62).

Abstract: The invention relates to a frequency converter comprising a guide and a non-linear medium (NLM) in which the condition of phase matching between non-linear polarization and created waves is satisfied locally. The object of the invention resides in an additional layer C lying on the medium (NLM), the refractive index of which is such that it increases the conversion yield, for conversion of the incident waves to the waves created within the guide. This layer may be a symmetrization layer whose index is close to the index of the medium (NLM). The conversion yield may be further increased by means of an intermediate layer C.sub.ex, which lies between the layer C and the medium (NLM) and the index of which is close to that of the guide.

Abstract: A device assists in the loading and/or unloading of a field artillery gun using cylindrical uni-modular charges or powder bags. The loading/unloading device includes an implement to carry the charges into the chamber of the gun, and to release the charges before firing. A method for loading/unloading a field artillery gun includes placing the charges on an implement; and inserting the implement into the chamber along with the charges to position the charges within the chamber before firing.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus for installation in an automobile, such as a radio receiver, includes in a removable part thereof elements which are indispensable to the operation of the apparatus and also elements whereby the removable part can serve an independent function. If, for example, the indispensable elements include a key and a display screen, then simply by also including an audio element in the removable part a parking timer can be formed which alerts the holder of the key against overtime parking.