Abstract: A continuous, seamless, copper tube having a mass in excess of 500 kilograms formed by an extrusion process and at an extrusion temperature of approximately 750 degrees Celsius.

Abstract: Continuous extrusion apparatus for the production of copper tubing having a rotatable wheel formed with a plurality of circumferential grooves registering with (as shown in FIG. 1) abutments 4 formed on a die top 2. Respective exit apertures 6 each have a cross-sectional area of between two and five times the radial cross-section of the associated groove and lead to a passage 8 smoothly diverging to connect into an extrusion die chamber 10 housing an annular extrusion die (not shown). The appartus produces an extrudate in the form of a continuous, seamless, copper tube having a mass in excess of 500 kilograms extruded at a temperature of approximately 750 degrees Celsius.

Abstract: A high strength Wedgethread Pipe Connection having a ratio of the radius change per turn to the thread width change per turn, as is required to maintain both a thread seal and tightness, even when the connection is subjected to transient service loads such as vibrations, shock, bending, tension, compression, torsion and/or thermal changes. The thread form may be Open or Trapped for use on large or small diameter pipe, configured such as: a flush joint; with collars of larger diameter than the pipe; with double-pin couplings; tool and accessory connections; or it may also be used to reversibly connect such as solid structural posts to base members where a wide range of repeatable makeup torque is desired. The threads have provisions for ease of manufacture and assembly, and to minimize handling damage.

Abstract: A vacuum unit used to vacuum lawn debris includes a vacuum unit body having at least first and second inlet openings and at least one flap that can be adjusted to selectively cover and open the second opening. The vacuum unit body includes a flap adjustment member that is located within the second opening and that includes a contact surface that contacts the flap. Preferably, the flap adjustment member has one end that is adapted to receive a vacuum hose. The flap adjustment member can be placed into a first position where it causes the flap to open the second opening and a second position where it permits the flap to cover the second opening. The vacuum hose has a handle that can be attached to the vacuum unit handle permitting the vacuum hose to remain permanently attached to the vacuum unit even when the vacuum hose is not being used.

Abstract: A suction band, for use in a cigarette making machine for conveying a cigarette filler stream, comprising a tape of heat-softenable plastics material wound so as to produce a multi-layer endless band and having perforations of which the edges of the adjacent perforations in adjacent tape layers are welded or fused together so as to join together the tape layers to form a cohesive perforated band.

Abstract: A vacuum unit used to vacuum lawn debris includes a vacuum unit body having at least first and second inlet openings and at least one flap that can be adjusted to selectively cover and open the second opening. The vacuum unit body includes a flap adjustment member that is located within the second opening and that includes a contact surface that contacts the flap. Preferably, the flap adjustment member has one end that is adapted to receive a vacuum hose. The flap adjustment member can be placed into a first position where it causes the flap to open the second opening and a second position where it permits the flap to cover the second opening. The vacuum hose has a handle that can be attached to the vacuum unit handle permitting the vacuum hose to remain permanently attached to the vacuum unit even when the vacuum hose is not being used.

Abstract: Continuous extrusion apparatus for the production of copper tubing having a rotatable wheel formed with a plurality of circumferential grooves registering with (as shown in FIG. 1) abutments 4 formed on a die top 2. Respective exit apertures 6 each have a cross-sectional area of between two and five times the radial cross-section of the associated groove and lead to a passage 8 smoothly diverging to connect into an extrusion die chamber 10 housing an annular extrusion die (not shown). The appartus produces an extrudate in the form of a continuous, seamless, copper tube having a mass in excess of 500 kilograms extruded at a temperature of approximately 750 degrees Celsius.

Abstract: A continuous, seamless, copper tube having a mass in excess of 500 kilograms formed by an extrusion process and at an extrusion temperature of approximately 750 degrees Celsius.

Abstract: Several embodiments of a wedgethread pipe connection are disclosed that have improved makeup, sealing and non-loosening characteristics. In one embodiment, an open wedgethread is disclosed that has an included angle measured in the gap between the stab flank and the load flank to be not less than zero, so as to prevent premature wedging between mating flanks before the position of full makeup is reached, as does occur between trapped wedgethreads wherein the included angle is less than zero.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of enantiomerically enriched N-derivatized (1R,4S)-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-3-ones by use of an enzyme.

Abstract: A clevis pin joins a thrust link to a support in an aircraft engine thrust mount. The pin includes a shank having a semicircular section for carrying in shear thrust load between the link and support. A head is disposed at one end of the shank, and a tip is disposed at an opposite end of the shank. In a preferred embodiment, a pair of the pins are nested together for collectively effecting a circular cross sectional area for carrying the thrust load in shear therethrough.

Abstract: A vacuum unit used to vacuum lawn debris includes a vacuum unit body having at least first and second inlet openings and at least one flap that can be adjusted to selectively cover and open the second opening. The vacuum unit body includes a flap adjustment member that is located within the second opening and that includes a contact surface that contacts the flap. Preferably, the flap adjustment member has one end that is adapted to receive a vacuum hose. The flap adjustment member can be placed into a first position where it causes the flap to open the second opening and a second position where it permits the flap to cover the second opening. The vacuum hose has a handle that can be attached to the vacuum unit handle permitting the vacuum hose to remain permanently attached to the vacuum unit even when the vacuum hose is not being used.

Abstract: An audio visual e-mail system and method are presented. The audio visual e-mail system of the invention reduces the complexity of sending and receiving audio visual e-mail messages to a level that allows a user to send and receive audio visual e-mail with a minimum of inconvenience. The prior art paradigm of selecting e-mail addresses from a list of long and complex e-mail addresses is replaced by selecting a thumbnail image of the intended recipient. Instead of trying to guess the identity of the sender of an e-mail message, an e-mail message created according to the invention is automatically “signed” by a thumbnail image of the sender. Instead of sending long written descriptions that are prone to misunderstanding and difficult to read, the sender of an e-mail message according to the invention can send a photo of the object to be described together with a verbal, audio description.

Abstract: An integral high strength threaded pipe connection formed on joints of plain-end pipe, and a method for manufacturing, wherein the ends of the joints are rough machined, swaged, and then finish machined, preferably but not necessarily, with only one chucking.

Abstract: A conveyor system for transporting cigarettes between a making machine and a packing machine includes a mass flow conveyor (204) for transporting cigarettes directly and a reservoir system (212) in which successive batches of cigarettes comprising portions of the stream on an input conveyor (204) are diverted when required into compartmented containers (224). Transfer to the containers is made by way of a plunger (232) and shuttle (234) arrangement which allows the stream to move continuously during transfer of a batch. Unloading containers to reform a continuous stream may involve use of a similar plunger and shuttle arrangement so that the reformed stream can move continuously on an output conveyor (218). The input and output conveyors (204, 218) may be provided with retractable spaced partitions to bound the ends of batches of cigarettes transferred from or to the respective conveyor.

Abstract: A method for the preparation of N-acetyl-D-neuraminic acid (NANA) N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (NAG) is described.

Abstract: A system and method for aligning data in stack memory in a data processing system where the stack memory provides temporary storage for storing parameters for a function call. The method first determines if any of the parameters in the function being call are of a selected type. If a parameter is of a selected type, code is generated for aligning the parameter on a stricter boundary than the default boundary for the stack memory. Code is then generated to align the remaining parameters in the function call on the default boundary in the stack memory. The aligned parameter in the stack provides a reference point which is used by the called function to align locally scoped variables in the stack. By aligning a parameter of a selected type on stricter boundary in the stack, for example, a double precision floating point aligned on an 8 byte boundary, the execution performance of the compiled program code is improved.

Abstract: A crop harvesting machine comprises two or more separate storage compartments (5a,5b) and a mechanism (6) for diverting harvested crop between the storage compartments as the machine moves across a field. The machine may also include a GPS positioning system and a control system (1) for controlling the diverter (6) on the basis of the machine's position and a map of harvesting instructions. The machine may in addition or alternatively include sensors (8) to analyse properties of the crop as it is harvested, enabling the control system (1) to control the diverter (6) accordingly.

Abstract: A scanning device for a cigarette making machine comprises a low energy X-ray beam emitter (110) for passing an X-ray beam through the cigarette rod (116), and an X-ray detector (126;202) arranged to receive the beam after it has passed through the cigarette rod and to produce an output signal which can be amplified and fed to a control circuit (130) for the cigarette making machine.

Abstract: A cigarette making machine comprises a channel (104; 106/228; 230/319; 320) through which tobacco is showered onto the inside surface of a suction band (100; 102/232; 234/309; 310) passing around a number of pulleys having approximately vertical axes of rotation, so as to form on the band a cigarette filler stream (114 etc.) which passes around one of the pulleys (100A; 102A/236; 238/314; 318), while lying between the pulley and the band, and is then arranged to transfer to a second band (122; 124/204; 206/321; 322) which transports the filler stream towards a rod-forming device by which the filler stream is enclosed in a wrapper web to form a continuous cigarette rod. A twin-track cigarette making machine may comprise two such arrangements side-by-side and forming mirror-images of one another.