Abstract: The present invention provides for a canister and an indexing apparatus that provides for automatic positioning of items in predetermined indexed positions when items are added or removed therefrom, without need of an external tab or positioning member to be adjusted by a user's hand. Merely by adding or removing the items to or from the canister, the items are automatically positioned. A pole having a track with positioning members receives a finger of a platform that rides in the track and automatically adjusts the platform's position when items are placed on or removed from the platform.

Abstract: A container includes a platform supported by legs and a handle extending from the platform and including a base for attaching the handle to the platform. The handle includes a first telescoping section nested within a second telescoping section, a grip attached to the second telescoping section, a rod extending from the grip and a latching member attached to the base for engaging the rod when the handle is in a compressed condition. The legs may be pivotally attached to the platform and each leg may be formed of wire having a generally rectangular shape with a first side and a second side. The platform may be formed of interleaved portions pivotally attached to a central hub and each section may be movable between an open and closed position. The handle may be biased in order to extend the handle when the latch member is released from the rod.

Abstract: An aircraft engine nacelle inlet is provided with an inlet cowling. The inlet cowling includes an inner lip, an outer lip, and a leading edge portion connecting the inner and outer lips. Heating elements are provided proximate the leading edge, either on an inside surface of the cowling or on an outside surface. An inner barrel portion and an outer barrel portion of the nacelle inlet define a space therebetween. Ice protection-related equipment such as controllers, cables, switches, connectors, and the like, may reside in this space. One or more access openings are formed in the outer barrel to enable an operator to gain access to this equipment. The inlet cowling attaches to the inner and outer barrels with its outer lip extending sufficiently far in the aft direction to cover the access opening. When the cowling is removed, the access opening is uncovered, thereby permitting access to the equipment.

Abstract: An aircraft engine nacelle inlet is provided with an inlet cowling. The inlet cowling includes an inner lip, an outer lip, and a leading edge portion connecting the inner and outer lips. Heating elements are provided proximate the leading edge, either on an inside surface of the cowling or on an outside surface. An inner barrel portion and an outer barrel portion of the nacelle inlet define a space therebetween. Ice protection-related equipment such as controllers, cables, switches, connectors, and the like, may reside in this space. One or more access openings are formed in the outer barrel to enable an operator to gain access to this equipment. The inlet cowling attaches to the inner and outer barrels with its outer lip extending sufficiently far in the aft direction to cover the access opening. When the cowling is removed, the access opening is uncovered, thereby permitting access to the equipment.

Abstract: A canister for housing a tool such as a toilet brush or plunger and the canister has a pair of walls which pivot between an open and closed position via actuation of a platform which moves vertically within the canister upon receipt or removal of the tool therefrom. An actuator is provided to actuate the walls and a bias member may retain the walls in an open position when the tool is removed from the canister.

Abstract: An endplate assembly is connected to a fuel cell stack. An endplate assembly has an external surface and an internal surface. The internal surface faces toward the fuel cell stack and the external surface is opposite the internal surface and faces away from the fuel cell stack. The endplate assembly includes at least one internal fluid flow passage located between the internal surface and the external surface. The at least one internal fluid flow passage is configured to direct fluid in a direction transverse to the direction faced by the internal surface and the direction faced by the external surface. Also, an interior portion may be located between the internal surface and the external surface. A port may provide fluid communication between an external component connected to the external surface and the interior portion. In addition, a component that processes, senses or measures a fluid may be integrated with said endplate assembly.

Abstract: A single pump fuel cell system is provided that has multiple valves that have selective positioning to control fluidic flow throughout a fuel cell system. One of the valves provides for high and low concentration fuel dosing. Another valve or series of valves controls an unreacted fuel recirculation loop leading from the fuel cell. Another valve or series of valves control condensate collection by the fuel cell system, and allows the purging of the anode recirculation loop. Each of the valves is selectable between various positions to place the fuel cell system in a desired operating mode. A heat exchanger may also be employed to dissipate heat as desired out of the fuel cell system. A concentration sensor can also be employed to aid in achieving a desired fuel concentration within the fuel cell system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for producing multi-dimensional tissue characterization images are described. By combining colorized MRI images composited from multiple gray tone MRI images, riffle stacks can be formed and combined to render multidimensional reconstruction of anatomical, physiological and pathological features. Biophysical parameters are therefore automatically segmented, characterized, tagged, mapped and otherwise labeled. In another embodiment, gray tone images are collected by acquiring orthogonally opposed pulse sequences, the images of which are color masked and uniquely rendered in three dimensions to obtain voxels in which the color is determined by the summative color masks applied to original gray tone pixels. This method can be embodied as specific applications designed for the brain, abdomen, breast, pelvis, musculoskeletal and other organs and biophysical systems to facilitate diagnosis, surgical planning and virtual exploration.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for creating and manipulating one or more color-coded magnetic resonance images. The method includes acquiring a digitally-stored first gray tone series of images of a region of interest at a first predetermined time on a predetermined plane using a predetermined pulse sequence parameter, and applying a first color mask to the first gray tone series of images to create a first color masked series of images, wherein the first color masked series of images represent a first state of a biophysical property of interest.

Abstract: A method of reprogramming a field device in a process control network using the standard communications protocol for the network, and a reprogrammable field device in the process control network adapted for being reprogrammed using the standard communications protocol for the network. The method and device of the present invention use the standard communications protocol to transmit the downloaded code to the field device and store the downloaded code in the field device while the device is enabled to perform process control. Once the new code is downloaded and stored in the field device, the field device is disabled from performing process control, reprogrammed to execute the downloaded code, and reenabled to perform process control.

Abstract: An instant dry mix composition produces a beverage having a two-toned foam on the surface upon reconstitution in a hot liquid. The composition includes a foaming creamer for producing a foam layer and a separately enclosed quick dissolving or dispersing flavor/color component and optional sweetener component. The density of the combined flavor/color component and optional sweetener component is higher than the density of the foam layer. A beverage is prepared by combining the foaming creamer and hot liquid until the foaming creamer dissolves and creates a foamed layer on the surface. The combined flavor/color component and optional sweetener component is then added. Upon stirring the resultant mixture, a two-toned effect results in the foam layer.

Abstract: An automated method for analyzing crashes of a computer operating system begins with writing a dump file with the operating system state at the time of the crash. The dump file is processed to collect footprint information from the dump file into a footprint file, and a matching underlying cause is found by searching a footprint rule database for a match against the footprint information. Cause and repair information corresponding to the matching underlying cause is then extracted from a knowledgebase and merged with the footprint information for presentation to a technician.

Abstract: An instant dry mix composition produces a beverage having a two-toned foam on the surface upon reconstitution in a hot liquid. The composition includes a foaming creamer for producing a foam layer and a separately enclosed quick dissolving or dispersing flavor/color component and optional sweetener component. The density of the combined flavor/color component and optional sweetener component is higher than the density of the foam layer. A beverage is prepared by combining the foaming creamer and hot liquid until the foaming creamer dissolves and creates a foamed layer on the surface. The combined flavor/color component and optional sweetener component is then added. Upon stirring the resultant mixture, a two-toned effect results in the foam layer.

Abstract: A tool assembly for removing the torque converter from a transmission. The tool assembly is comprised of a brace member, a pair of elongated threaded bars with handles, and a cooperating pair of plate members. The brace member is constructed and arranged for mounting to the front of the torque converter and the plate members are constructed and arranged for mounting to the front of the transmission housing. The threaded bars are positioned in threaded apertures of the brace structure whereby turning of the threaded bars cause the assembly to engage and push against the press plates to pull and remove the torque converter from the transmission.

Abstract: The subject of this patent specification is a new and extremely innovative wheelchair design, which will allow the users to easily and temporarily elevate themselves to a height greater than that of an able bodied person standing, in order to access things which are presently out of their reach, while remaining within the same size and performance constraints as most conventional manual wheelchairs. The invention accomplishes this through a new and unique elevating mechanism of the scissor type, designed to provide exceptional performance, and extreme stability especially in the fully elevated position. The invention is designed to be a general purpose, utility wheelchair, designed to assist the user with his/her day to day living and transportation. The invention also is designed to incorporate all of the features which are standard on other top of the line wheelchairs, thereby rendering it “state of the art” by today's standards, notwithstanding the new elevating feature it incorporates.

Abstract: A method for providing an indication and alarm of a possible failure in a fluid control valve stem, plug or seat in a process control system having a microprocessor based valve positioner. The drive pressure, drive signal and valve position feedback are monitored. If greater than a predetermined change in the drive pressure or the valve position feedback is detected, then a second series of detection steps is initiated. In the second detection steps the present set point to process value relationship, such as flow rate or other process variable is compared to a stored test cycle derived set point to process value relationship for the same set point. If there is a process value change, then the operator is alerted as this change may indicate there is a damaged valve stem, plug, or seat problem which needs to be inspected.

Abstract: A cholesteric liquid crystal fluid level indicator that determines the level of a cooled liquid, such as beer, in a closed, opaque keg when placed in thermal contact with the exterior surface of the keg, by producing a color change that is a function of the liquid temperature when the liquid is within a predetermined temperature range, the indicator comprises a multiple level strip having a top transparent layer, liquid crystal layer, a black background layer and an attachment layer employing a protected adhesive on its bottom surface for removably attaching the strip to the keg, the instant invention employs a heat conducting adhesive on the attachment layer and for securing certain layers in the strip, such as the liquid crystal layer.

Abstract: A side loading transport apparatus for swathers and the like is disclosed comprising a transport vehicle such as a truck or a trailer with one or more load bearing ramps hingably attached along a loading edge thereof, at positions corresponding to the wheel paths of the equipment to be loaded. Each load-bearing ramp has an outboard section that is at least as long as the wheelbase of the wheeled vehicle to be loaded. The swather or equipment can then be driven up onto the load bearing ramp or ramps, and the weight of the equipment will level the load-bearing surface back down onto the transport vehicle—the ramps can be folded up or retracted and the load locked down. No hydraulic or other powered mechanical drive mechanism is needed to raise or lower the load-bearing surface during loading or unloading.

Abstract: A diverter apparatus and method are provided for high-speed media processing for diverting media such as envelopes or envelope inserts including folded sheets of paper from a conveying path and in a divert direction substantially opposite to the direction of the conveying path. In the preferred embodiment, the diverter apparatus includes a rotation member such as a belt which can be moved in opposite directions and which includes a plurality of push members thereon for engaging and conveying media. A closed-loop servomotor or a step motor can be utilized to drive the belt. In an advance mode, the belt rotates so that at least one push member causes media to be conveyed in the direction of the conveying path. In a divert mode, rotation of the belt is reversed so that at least one push member diverts and conveys media in a divert direction opposite to the direction of the conveying path. Diverted media is advanced to a divert chute through which it can pass to a collecting bin.

Abstract: A document collector, stager and diverter apparatus and method are provided for processing sheet articles through a first and second stage. The first stage is adapted for receiving sheet articles advanced thereto and collected therein and includes a first transport mechanism being operative for selectively diverting collected sheet articles in a divert direction opposite to the conveying direction of the sheet articles. Alternately, the first transport mechanism is operative for selectively advancing the collected sheet articles from the first stage to the second stage. In the second stage, sheet articles can be independently processed and held until a predetermined time when they can be advanced from the second stage by a second transport mechanism. The first and second transport mechanisms each preferably includes plastic chains each with plastic lugs thereon. The chains of the first and second transport mechanisms are simultaneously rotatably movable by a motor and gears or pulleys associated therewith.