Abstract: A spade-type drilling tool designed for drilling holes within an ice surface for the purposes of ice fishing, comprising a spade end which is welded onto the end of a shaft. The length of the shaft is sufficient to provide an ergonomically comfortable posture for a user while drilling the fishing hole. A first side of the lower end of the spade comprises a straight knife edge, while a second opposite side is provided with a plurality of sharp cutting teeth. A sharp pointed bit, protruding beyond the lower line of the knife edge and the teeth, is located on a vertical centerline along the faces of the spade. The sharp point of the bit is intended to provide a means for punching a starter hole within the ice, and subsequently, to function as a pilot during the progressing drilling operation. The tool is provided with a circular shield, designed to slip over and clamp onto the shaft, thereby preventing water and ice particles from splashing back up onto the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for harvesting livers and hearts from a giblet package comprising an infeed pinch roller assembly, a slide assembly, an indexer assembly, an intestine pull down and a liver and heart separator assembly, for harvesting livers and hearts with an increased yield. The steps of the process include loading a load viscera pack into a feed chute that channels the pack to a pair of counter rollers. The viscera pack is captured by infeed pinch rollers thereby forcing the package into and between the rollers with only the gizzard remaining on top of the roller body. The liver and heart is isolated and separated by a pull down stripper assembly and a stripper arm assembly.

Abstract: The invention is directed to berberine compounds and processes for the preparation of berberine compounds through an intramolecular Bischler-Napieralski cyclization.

Abstract: An automated apparatus and method for processing and removing bones from primal and sub-primal cuts of meat where one embodiment of the invention is specifically adapted to remove the bones from the chuck blade portion of meat or other similar meat cuts. The invention is to provide a cutting means and fixture which will eliminate the need for manually lifting the primal cuts while securely clamping the primal into a device which will function as the transporter and said invention has alignment device for bone removal to assist in guiding a saw blade for bone removal.

Abstract: A system and method for handling poultry comprising a harvesting system, a loading system, a transport system, an unloading and storing system, a stunning system, and a singulate and hanging system. The system and method performs the steps of harvesting live poultry into stackable transport trays, stacking and loading the trays on a transport, unloading and temporarily storing the poultry for subsequent stunning and hanging. The stackable transport trays are well vented and easier for handling poultry.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an immunogenic composition for fish comprising nodavirus virus-like particles (VLPs) formed with nodavirus capsid protein assembly, for use as a vaccine. This composition is suitable for administration to fish via the intramuscular or intraperitoneal route, or by bath and/or via the oral route. The invention also relates to the use of such VPLs for the manufacturing of a vaccine for treating or preventing fish against a nodavirus infection. Fish farming baths and concentrates comprising the nodavirus VLP composition, as well as fish farming methods, are also encompassed in the present invention.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for harvesting livers and hearts from a giblet package comprising an infeed pinch roller assembly, a slide assembly, an indexer assembly, an intestine pull down and a liver and heart separator assembly, which teaches a novel method and apparatus for harvesting livers and hearts with an increased yield. The steps of the process include loading a load viscera pack into a feed chute that channels the pack to a pair of counter rollers. The viscera pack is captured by infeed pinch rollers thereby forcing the package into and between the rollers with only the gizzard remaining on top of the roller body. The liver and heart is isolated and separated by a pull down stripper assembly and a stripper arm assembly.

Abstract: An automated apparatus and method for processing and removing bones from primal and sub-primal cuts of meat where one embodiment of the invention is specifically adapted to remove the bones from the chuck blade portion of meat or other similar meat cuts. The invention is to provide a cutting means and fixture which will eliminate the need for manually lifting the primal cuts while securely clamping the primal into a device which will function as the transporter and said invention has alignment device for bone removal to assist in guiding a saw blade for bone removal.

Abstract: A system and method for the management of hair and personal hygiene is provided. The system comprises a hair care instrument including a mounting base having opposing sides each defining a mounting portion in its cross-section. The base includes a proximal end. A first implement is removably connected to at least one of said opposing sides of said base. A handle is provided having an interface edge, the interface edge is adjacent the proximal end of the base, wherein the handle is removably connected to the proximal end of the mounting base.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of cleaning cutting residue from one or both sides of cut meat. Meat, after being cut, for example with a band saw or the like, is passed through a curtain of fluid to impinge fluid on to at least one side of the meat for removing a substantial portion of the deleterious residue. The cleaned meat surface may then be passed through a drying area for removing cleaning fluid if the cleaning fluid contains liquid. After passing through a drying zone, brine or other ingredients may be applied to one or both sides of the cut meat.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a meat cut classification and fat trimming for sensing the thickness of a layer of fat of a cut of meat and the various contours thereof as it travels along a conveyance and providing the fat thickness or classification information to a downstream system for performing a fat trimming operation. The meat cut classification system comprises a split/multi-belt conveyor having split/multi-belts proximately spaced apart extending in the same direction and having a uniform equidistant gap there between and said conveyor having a drive for conveying the meat cut through the classification system and a multi-probe mechanism assembly operable to position the probes between the multi-belts of the conveyor and extend the probes upward between the multi-belts to penetrate the meat cut for measuring the fat thickness.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for a meat cut classification and fat trimming for sensing the thickness of a layer of fat of a cut of meat and the various contours thereof as it travels along a conveyance and providing the fat thickness or classification information to a downstream system for performing a fat trimming operation. The meat cut classification system comprises a split/multi-belt conveyor having split/multi-belts proximately spaced apart extending in the same direction and having a uniform equidistant gap there between and said conveyor having a drive for conveying the meat cut through the classification system and a multi-probe mechanism assembly.

Abstract: The invention relates to assembled particles of a plant virus containing a foreign peptide insert in the coat protein of the virus. The site of the insert is preferably free from direct sequence repeats flanking the insert. The invention relates to a method of production of the particles and their use, in particular in vaccines.

Abstract: A method of increasing the monomolecular recombination and the immunity to noise of a continuously tunable laser is disclosed. A concentration of recombination centers in the range of about 1×1016 cm?3 to about 1×1018 cm?3 in the tuning region of the laser device is achieved by doping the waveguide layer with impurity atoms, by irradiating the waveguide layer with high energy particles or by varying the growth conditions of the waveguide layer to introduce native point defects due to lattice mismatch. This way, the monomolecular recombination is increased and the radiative recombination over low current ranges is reduced. By increasing the monomolecular recombination, the immunity to noise is improved but the tuning efficiency is reduced. Nevertheless, only a minimal effect on the tuning efficiency is noted over high current ranges and, therefore, the overall tuning range is only insignificantly changed.

Abstract: An apparatus for the management of hair is provided. The apparatus includes a first hair management instrument, a second hair management instrument and a central connector having a first end and a second end. A first means secures the first hair management instrument to the first end of the central connector and a second means secures the second hair management instrument to the second end of the central connector.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for effecting the formation of a packaged food product with the food being contained within a receptacle having a cover adhered to the receptacle. Prior to securing the cover to the receptacle, the surface that is to be sealed to the cover is cleaned by wiping with towel material. The towel material is advanced from a supply to a cleaning position to wipe a cover engaging surface to remove at least a portion of contaminants or foreign material present on the container, thereby improving adhesion of the cover to the receptacle. Towel material can be advanced from time to time from the supply to a take-up mechanism to present clean or fresh towel material at predetermined intervals. A method for cleaning container-sealing surfaces is also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing the spinal cord from the animal carcass during processing prior to splitting the carcass. One embodiment of the apparatus includes a catheter tube, which comprises a flexible vacuum casing having a flexible rotating shaft captured therein where a cutting bit member is attached to the tip end of the rotating shaft for breaking down the spinal tissue such that a vacuum can be applied to the catheter to aspirate the spinal cord tissue. The catheter tube can be fed down the spinal channel prior to the carcass being split and as the catheter is being inserted the cutting tip is rotated to break down the spinal tissue and a vacuum is applied to aspirate the broken down tissue. Another embodiment of the apparatus for the concept of removing the spinal cord prior to splitting the carcass comprises a semi-flexible pull line or pull chain/ curly spring.

Abstract: An analytical apparatus for measuring a low concentration of a constituent in a stream at a parts per billion level is provided. The apparatus comprises a sample loop having a predetermined volume for receiving a sample from the stream, a purifier for producing substantially pure carrier liquid from a sample of the stream, a first and a second multi-path valve, a preconcentrator column for absorbing and increasing the concentration of the low concentration constituent, an eluent, and a detector. In one embodiment, the apparatus is an ion chromatograph and may be used to analyze ions at concentrations as low as about 1 to about 500 parts per trillion. A method for analyzing a stream for a low concentration constituent present in a stream at a parts per billion level is also provided. The invention also includes methods for single- and multi-point calibration of a detector in an analytical apparatus for measuring a low concentration of a constituent in a stream at a parts per billion level.

Abstract: An apparatus for the management of hair is provided. The apparatus includes a first hair management instrument, a second hair management instrument and a central connector having a first end and a second end. A first means secures the first hair management instrument to the first end of the central connector and a second means secures the second hair management instrument to the second end of the central connector.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of cleaning cutting residue from one or both sides of cut meat. Meat, after being cut, for example with a band saw or the like, is passed through a curtain of fluid to impinge fluid on to at least one side of the meat for removing a substantial portion of the deleterious residue. The cleaned meat surface may then be passed through a drying area for removing cleaning fluid if the cleaning fluid contains liquid. After passing through a drying zone, brine or other ingredients may be applied to one or both sides of the cut meat.