Abstract: A tee setting device for single-handed setting of a golf ball and tee in the ground at any one of a variety of selected insertion depths, while also adjusting for a range of different tee lengths. The device generally comprises a hollow shaft having a knob and an operating handle at an upper end, a stand-up leg assembly at the lower end, and a tee-setting mechanism at the lower end for controlled insertion and release of a ball and tee in the ground. The tee and ball are inserted simply by gripping the operating handle and pushing it downward. The tee setting device allows golfers to automatically set the ball and tee in the ground, thereby avoiding squatting or bending over the ball. The device is extremely accurate and consistent in setting the height of the ball on tees of various lengths. Moreover, the tee setting device is sized like a playing club or iron, and can be easily manipulated and stowed in the golf bag.

Abstract: A method of communicating frames of management information includes loading a frame of management information from one of a plurality of stations into a respective one of a plurality of buffers. Whether the frame contains more than a predetermined number of bytes is determined. If an end of the frame is loaded into the respective one of the buffers, then a frame presence flag associated with said one of the plurality of stations is set. A request signal is transmitted to a station management module if the frame contains more than the predetermined number of bytes or if the buffer already contains management information associated with a previously loaded frame. The plurality of stations is polled to determine whether respective frame presence flags have been set.

Abstract: A tee setting device for single-handed setting of a golf ball and tee in the ground at any one of a variety of selected insertion depths, while also adjusting for a range of different tee lengths. The device generally comprises a hollow shaft having a knob and an operating handle at an upper end, a stand-up leg assembly at the lower end, and a tee-setting mechanism at the lower end for controlled insertion and release of a ball and tee in the ground. The tee and ball are inserted simply by gripping the operating handle and pushing it downward. The tee setting device allows golfers to automatically set the ball and tee in the ground, thereby avoiding squatting or bending over the ball. The device is extremely accurate and consistent in setting the height of the ball on tees of various lengths. Moreover, the tee setting device is sized like a playing club or iron, and can be easily manipulated and stowed in the golf bag.

Abstract: An adjustable nose-rest mechanism for bi-focals that allows ready one-hand and variable adjustment of the nose rest elevation relative to the lenses in order to vertically position the lenses (rather than tilting of the head) for ease of viewing computer screens and the like. The mechanism generally includes a boss attached or hooked onto the bi-focals, said boss comprising a hollow sleeve aligned vertically. An elongate slider is slidably carried in the boss, and a nose rest is attached at the lower end of the slider. A set screw is threaded frontally into the boss and is tightenable against the slider. The slider can be adjusted along a continuous range of elevations and locked into any of said positions by tightening the set screw, thereby facilitating adjustment of the nose rest. A mechanism for temporarily attaching a singularly adjustable nose-rest to any standard bi-focals, comprising an internally threaded tube, adjusting yoke, and spring support member.

Abstract: A workstation within a containment cell is provided with a services-supply module or unit by means of which a range of services such as electrical power, hydraulics, pneumatics etc are made available for in-cell use. The services are provided by means of a number of replaceable and exchangeable services-connection cartridges which sealingly engage in the unit and provide continuity between out-of-cell supply lines connectible to adaptors and in-cell supply lines connectible to adaptors. The cartridges are replaceable without breaking cell containment conditions with the aid of a tool (by which a replacement cartridge is fed forwardly to displace in nose to tail relationship the cartridge to be replaced.

Abstract: A workstation within a containment cell is provided with a services-supply module or unit by means of which a range of services such as electrical power, hydraulics, pneumatics etc. are made available for in-cell use. The services are provided by means of a number of replaceable and exchangeable services-connection cartridges which sealingly engage in the unit and provide continuity between out-of-cell supply lines connectible to adaptors and in-cell supply lines connectible to adaptors. The cartridges are replaceable without breaking cell containment conditions with the aid of a tool (by which a replacement cartridge is fed forwardly to displace in nose to tail relationship the cartridge to be replaced.

Abstract: A method of recovering from a transmission error in a station having first and second input-output ports which are respectively coupled to two other stations in a communication network includes the steps of: receiving on the first port, messages which are separated by idle characters and regenerating same on the second port; detecting the error during the receiving step; and responding to the detection of the error by (a) transmitting silence on both the first and second ports and (b) waiting for the receipt of silence on the ports, prior to passing any further messages through the station.

Abstract: A method of transmitting isochronous and nonisochronous data in a computer network in which multiple stations have respective input and output ports that are serially coupled together to form a loop includes the steps of: transmitting nonisochronous data from one station of the network and passing it through the remaining stations; periodically inserting into the nonisochronous data a lead control character followed by a trail control character and circulating the control characters twice around the network; increasing, in any station of the network that has isochronous data to send, the distance between the lead and trail control characters and sending isochronous data immediately before the trail control character as it passes through the station; subsequently decreasing the distance between the lead and trail control characters in each station of the network that performs the sending step by removing, from immediately behind the first lead control character to enter the station after the sending step begin

Abstract: A method of simultaneously transmitting both isochronous and nonisochronous data on a local area network includes the steps of: circulating around the network, a first unique signal pattern and at least one occurrence of a second unique signal pattern with a constant time interval between each unique signal pattern and the next one; writing nonisochronous data onto the network from any station and subsequently removing the same in response to a counter that is synchronized to the first unique signal pattern; and simultaneously, writing isochronous data onto the network from any station in response to a counter that is synchronized to each occurrence of the first and second signal patterns.

Abstract: A bid control circuit is incorporated into a device on a time-shared data bus to control the sequence by which that device bids for the use of the bus. In one preferred embodiment, the bid control circuit includes a means for determining if a bid from that device to use the bus is the highest priority bid being made, a means for storing all bids other than its own bid upon the determination that its bid has the highest priority and that other devices were bidding for the bus and lost, and a means for inhibiting its own future bids until those devices having their bids stored have obtained the use of the bus subsequent to the storing operation.

Abstract: A method of operating a communication station having two sets of paired input and output terminals which are normally coupled to respective paired sets of terminals in two other stations to form a network includes the steps of: monitoring the input terminal of one set of terminals in the station to detect an idle signal, a delimiter signal, or silence thereon; transmitting the idle signal on the output terminal of the one set if silence is detected by the monitoring step; sending the delimiter signal on the output terminal of the one set if the idle signal is detected by the monitoring step; and coupling internally in the station the input terminal of the one set to an output terminal of the station in a predetermined fashion to permit signals on the input terminal of the one set to pass through the station if the delimiter signal is detected on the input terminal by the monitoring step.

Abstract: An electronic circuit produces a composite signal in which a low frequency component signal is followed by a high frequency component signal such that the composite signal resists transmission line distortion. To that end, the circuit generates the half-cycle of the high frequency component signal that immediately follows the low frequency component signal with a time duration that is longer than one-half the period of the high frequency by a predetermined amount of time; and then it generates the next half-cycle of the high frequency component signal with a time duration that is less than one-half the period of the high frequency by a like amount of time.

Abstract: A method of reducing odors resulting from a ferrous metal molding operation is disclosed. A green sand molding mixture is employed having 1-2% by weight volatile organic material. The mold is provided with manifold-type channels each 0.5 inch in diameter which extend between the upper mold surface to a distance 1-2 inches from the mold cavity. The channels are spaced apart a distance 2-10 inches and at least one of the channels is located 2.5 inches from a pouring basin so that during a metal pouring operation all of the gas flows exiting from said channels will be autoignited and reduce odors by at least 50%.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine is disclosed having a cylinder and a reciprocating piston which, together with the cylinder head, define the boundaries of a combustion chamber. A movable septum is supported by the cylinder head adjacent the combustion chamber for selectively dividing the combustion chamber into a first and second combustion chamber. The movable septum may be formed by a cylindrical plate or by a flat or curved plate which makes nominal contact with the walls of the cylinder and the face of the reciprocating piston to divide the combustion chamber. The fuel supply system provides a rich-fuel mixture through a rich mixture intake valve to the first combustion chamber, and a lean-fuel mixture through a lean mixture intake valve to the second combustion chamber. The movable septum tracks the movement of the reciprocating piston during the compression stroke to maintain the division between the first and second combustion chambers.