Abstract: A spark plug is provided having a resistor. The resistor is made from resistor glass material containing an alkali free barium alumino-silicate glass mixed with mullite. In one embodiment, the resistor is a 15 to 30 wt % alkali free barium alumino-silicate glass and 10 to 25 wt % mullite. The resistor material provides for a greater processing kiln temperature range with reduced resistor variability and improved durability performance.

Abstract: A method of applying a coating to a spark plug insulator comprises the steps of forming a slurry solution and applying the slurry solution as a first coating to an insulative sleeve configured for use in a spark plug. The method further includes the step of heat treating the insulative sleeve to a temperature of between about 500 degrees Celsius and about 1000 degrees Celsius for between about 10 minutes and about 2 hour(s). Still further, the method includes the step of applying a second coating overlying at least a portion of the first coating, wherein the second coating comprises an organic binder.

Abstract: A telescopic sight for a firearm includes a scope tube, first and second optical lenses, an eyepiece set and a linear power adjustment mechanism. The optical lenses are contained in the scope tube and configured to move along a longitudinal axis of the scope tube. The eyepiece set is coupled to one end of the scope tube. The linear power adjustment mechanism adjusts zooming power of the telescopic sight, and includes a zoom cam tube and a lever that are contained in the zoom cam tube. The lever is coupled to rotate the zoom cam tube. When actuated, the lever moves linearly along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the scope tube such that a distance between the first and the second optical lenses along the longitudinal axis of the scope tube to change to adjust a zooming power of the telescopic sight.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an insulator for a spark plug comprises the steps of combining at least two raw materials to form a powdered insulator formulation, spray drying the powdered insulator formulation, and pressing the powdered insulator formulation to create an insulator blank. The method further includes the steps of bisque firing the insulator blank, grinding the bisque fired insulator blank to form the insulator, and sintering the insulator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new type of oil displacement agent and the process for preparing the same. The oil displacement agent is formed of a polyacrylamide-based polymer characterized by a partly crosslinked and partly branched structure, wherein said polyacrylamide-based polymer is obtained by aqueous copolymerization of acrylamide and N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate as a functional monomer, in the presence of a redox initiator system.

Abstract: Provided are a method and a system for identifying whether the twins are dizygotic twins, the method comprising: typing at least one polymorphic loci of the twins fetuses to obtain the fetal polymorphism types, comparing the fetal polymorphism types with the corresponding polymorphism types of their parents, determining whether the twins are dizygotic twins on the basis of the comparison result.

Abstract: A spark plug is provided. The spark plug has an insulative sleeve with a central axial bore and an exterior surface of a shaped tip portion. A coating is disposed on the exterior surface of the shaped tip portion and the coating comprises a transition metal compound or a combination of transition metal compounds, and an alkali metal compound. A center electrode extends through the central axial bore of the insulative sleeve. A metal sleeve is provided, wherein the insulating sleeve is positioned within, and secured to, the metal shell. A ground electrode is coupled to the metal shell and positioned in a spaced relationship relative to the center electrode so as to define a spark gap.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a spark plug comprising an insulative sleeve having a central axial bore and an exterior surface and a center electrode extending through the central axial bore of the insulative sleeve. The insulating sleeve is positioned within, and secured to, a metal shell that serves as a mounting platform and interface to an internal combustion engine. The metal sleeve also supports a ground electrode that is positioned in a spaced relationship relative to the center electrode so as to generate a spark gap. The insulating sleeve includes a shaped tip portion that resides in a recessed end portion of the metal shell. A coating is disposed on the exterior surface of the shaped tip portion of the insulative sleeve. The coating comprises a metal oxide, a noble metal, late transition metal, or a combination comprising two or more of the foregoing metals.

Abstract: A spark plug is provided having a resistor. The resistor is made from resistor glass material containing an alkali free barium alumino-silicate glass mixed with mullite. In one embodiment, the resistor is a 15 to 30 wt % alkali free barium alumino-silicate glass and 10 to 25 wt % mullite. The resistor material provides for a greater processing kiln temperature range with reduced resistor variability and improved durability performance.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a magazine for a firearm are described. In one aspect, a magazine for a firearm may include a magazine shell having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a plurality of sidewalls between the first end and the second end. The first end may have an opening and may be configured to attach to the firearm. The second end may include a bottom plate. At least a first primary sidewall of the sidewalls may include a deformable concave area that caves inward with respect to the magazine shell such that the concave area bulges outward with respect to the magazine shell to accommodate one or more ammunition cartridges with of a first caliber and that the concave area does not bulge outward to accommodate one or more ammunition cartridges of a second caliber smaller than the first caliber.

Abstract: A dialog assistant embodied in a computing system can present a clarification question based on a machine-readable version of human-generated conversational natural language input. Some versions of the dialog assistant identify a clarification target in the machine-readable version, determine a clarification type relating to the clarification target, present the clarification question in a conversational natural language manner, and process a human-generated conversational natural language response to the clarification question.

Abstract: A magazine for a firearm comprises a magazine shell and a main magazine spring. The magazine shell includes a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and sidewalls between the first end and the second end. The first end includes an opening and is configured to attach to the firearm. The second end includes a bottom plate. The main magazine spring includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The second end of the main magazine spring is coupled to the bottom plate of the second end of the magazine shell.

Abstract: A bolt assembly comprises: a bolt front half piece having an extractor slot through which the spent casing is ejected; a bolt rear half piece; an elastic body; and a bolt interlock received in the bolt rear half piece and movable longitudinally with respect to the bolt rear half piece. The elastic body is disposed between the bolt interlock and the bolt rear half piece when the bolt front half piece and the bolt rear half piece are mated together. When the bolt interlock is in a first position, the bolt front half piece is interlocked axially with respect to the bolt rear half piece with the extractor slot pointing in a first direction. When the bolt interlock is in a second position, the bolt front half piece is rotatable axially with respect to the bolt rear half piece so that the extractor slot can point in a second direction.

Abstract: An annular piston system for a firearm comprises a barrel, a gas block assembly, a piston, and a spring. The barrel has multiple sections lengthwise, one of the sections having at least one gas port hole to vent gas from the barrel. The gas block assembly is disposed annularly around the barrel and is adjustable to control an amount of gas flowing out of the barrel through the at least one gas port hole. The piston is disposed annularly around the barrel and can move longitudinally along the barrel in response to being pushed by the gas flowing out of the barrel. The spring is disposed annularly around the third section of the barrel and coupled to the piston. The spring limits a distance that the piston can move longitudinally along the barrel when the piston is pushed to move by the gas flowing out of the barrel.

Abstract: An insulator for a spark plug is provided having an insulator tip. The insulator tip includes a feature extending radially inward from an exterior surface of the insulator tip.

Abstract: A spark plug is provided having a resistor. The resistor is made from resistor glass material containing an alkali free barium alumino-silicate glass mixed with mullite. In one embodiment, the resistor is a 15 to 30 wt % alkali free barium alumino-silicate glass and 10 to 25 wt % mullite. The resistor material provides for a greater processing kiln temperature range with reduced resistor variability and improved durability performance.

Abstract: A spark plug is provided. The spark plug has an insulative sleeve with a central axial bore and an exterior surface of a shaped tip portion. A coating is disposed on the exterior surface of the shaped tip portion and the coating comprises a transition metal compound or a combination of transition metal compounds, and an alkali metal compound. A center electrode extends through the central axial bore of the insulative sleeve. A metal sleeve is provided, wherein the insulating sleeve is positioned within, and secured to the metal shell. A ground electrode is coupled to the metal shell and positioned in a spaced relationship relative to the center electrode so as to define a spark gap.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for adapting a language model in response to error correction. One embodiment of a method for processing an input signal including human language includes receiving the input signal and applying a statistical language model combined with a separate, corrective language model to the input signal in order to produce a processing result.

Abstract: A magazine for a firearm comprises a magazine shell, a main magazine spring, and a follower assembly. The follower assembly is disposed inside the magazine shell and movable generally along a longitudinal axis of the magazine shell. The follower assembly includes a non-tilt-able piece coupled to a first end of the main magazine spring and having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The follower assembly also includes a tilt-able piece having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. A middle portion of the tilt-able piece is pivot-ably coupled to a middle portion of the non-tilt-able piece. The follower assembly further includes an elastic element that is elastically disposed between the non-tilt-able piece and the tilt-able piece and exerting a force on the non-tilt-able piece and the tilt-able piece.