Abstract: A print media sheets trailing edge knockdown stacking assistance system, in a compiler or other stacking system with a substantial sheet gravity drop, activated for each ejected sheet to move substantially linearly and perpendicularly downwardly from above, but adjacent to, the sheet ejection position to engage a sheet end area and rapidly push it down towards the underlying stack of sheets and into engagement with any sheet compiling device, then automatically rapidly reciprocally lifting up out of the way above the sheet ejection position before another sheet is ejected, without any significant pause between its up and down movements.

Abstract: A container formed from a blank sheet of material. The container includes a plurality of panels that are coupled together along substantially parallel fold lines and that include a first major panel and a second major panel. The plurality of panels form a plurality of sides of the container and define a cavity with a bottom and a top. An outer bottom flap is coupled to the first major panel and has a plurality of edges, and an inner bottom flap is coupled to the second major panel. The container also includes a plurality of flanges where each flange is coupled to one edge of the outer bottom flap. When the container is assembled, the inner bottom flap is positioned adjacent to the cavity bottom and the outer bottom flap is positioned adjacent to the inner bottom flap in a face-to-face relationship forming a bottom of the container. Each flange is folded and coupled to an outer surface of one side of the container.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for detecting and diagnosing disease states in a living organism by using a plurality of electrical impedance measurements. In particular, the invention provides for an improved electrode array for diagnosing the presence of a disease state in the human breast, and discloses a method of application of the array to the breast that ensures that the multiplicity of impedance measurements obtained from a first body part correspond as precisely and reproducibly as possible to the multiplicity of impedance measurements that are obtained from another, homologous, second body part. A number of diagnostic methods based on homologous electrical difference analysis are disclosed, including the calculation of a number of metrics used to indicate disease states by comparison with pre-established threshold values, and the construction of a number of graphical displays for indicating the location of disease to a body part sector.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for detecting and diagnosing disease states in a living organism by using a plurality of electrical impedance measurements. In particular, the invention provides for an improved electrode array for diagnosing the presence of a disease state in the human breast, and discloses a method of application of the array to the breast that ensures that the multiplicity of impedance measurements obtained from a first body part correspond as precisely and reproducibly as possible to the multiplicity of impedance measurements that are obtained from another, homologous, second body part. A number of diagnostic methods based on homologous electrical difference analysis are disclosed, including the calculation of a number of metrics used to indicate disease states by comparison with pre-established threshold values, and the construction of a number of graphical displays for indicating the location of disease to a body part sector.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for detecting and diagnosing disease states in a living organism by using a plurality of electrical impedance measurements. In particular, the invention provides for an improved electrode array for diagnosing the presence of a disease state in the human breast, and discloses a method of application of the array to the breast that ensures that the multiplicity of impedance measurements obtained from a first body part correspond as precisely and reproducibly as possible to the multiplicity of impedance measurements that are obtained from another, homologous, second body part. A number of diagnostic methods based on homologous electrical difference analysis are disclosed, including the calculation of a number of metrics used to indicate disease states by comparison with pre-established threshold values, and the construction of a number of graphical displays for indicating the location of disease to a body part sector.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for detecting and diagnosing disease states in a living organism by using a plurality of electrical impedance measurements. In particular, the invention provides for an improved electrode array for diagnosing the presence of a disease state in the human breast, and discloses a method of application of the array to the breast that ensures that the multiplicity of impedance measurements obtained from a first body part correspond as precisely and reproducibly as possible to the multiplicity of impedance measurements that are obtained from another, homologous, second body part. A number of diagnostic methods based on homologous electrical difference analysis are disclosed, including the calculation of a number of metrics used to indicate disease states by comparison with pre-established threshold values, and the construction of a number of graphical displays for indicating the location of disease to a body part sector.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for detecting and diagnosing disease states in a living organism by using a plurality of electrical impedance measurements. In particular, the invention provides for an improved electrode array for diagnosing the presence of a disease state in the human breast, and discloses a method of application of the array to the breast that ensures that the multiplicity of impedance measurements obtained from a first body part correspond as precisely and reproducibly as possible to the multiplicity of impedance measurements that are obtained from another, homologous, second body part. A number of diagnostic methods based on homologous electrical difference analysis are disclosed, including the calculation of a number of metrics used to indicate disease states by comparison with pre-established threshold values, and the construction of a number of graphical displays for indicating the location of disease to a body part sector.

Abstract: A pulse code modulation (PCM) data enhancer which corrects bit errors using correlations between two particular PCM words received by a receiving unit separated by a predetermined time interval and a method therefor. A primary and a number of secondary pulse codes are stored in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) memory. The primary pulse code is modified, and the modified and secondary pulse codes provide addresses to a memory storing the probability of a transition between the modified pulse code and each of the secondary pulse codes. The probabilities are then accumulated, and the modified pulse code resulting in the greatest accumulated probability is output as an error-corrected data word.

Abstract: An operational amplifier is provided and includes at least two input terminals of one polarity and another input terminal of the opposite polarity. The amplifier includes an amplifying portion which comprises a differential section for receiving input signals applied to the input terminals. The differential section includes at least two differential amplifiers which form difference signals from the input signals. A summing section receives the difference signals and forms a sum result therefrom. A multiplying section provides an amplification gain to the sum result to form an output signal of desired gain. The amplifier is also provided with a feedback for applying an input signal to one of the input terminals, the output signal. The amplifier can be configured to provide amplification gains of 2, 1/2, -1 and 1.

Abstract: This invention relates to a bicycle attachment which can serve as a carrier rack, or as a back protector, or as a seat cover, when moved to various positions. A convertible bicycle carrier-seat cover apparatus which comprises: (a) an attachment adapted to be removably secured to a seat post of a bicycle; (b) a swing arm which at one end thereof is pivotally connected to the attachment, and can be pivoted through a first relatively horizontal position, a second upwardly angled position, and a third upright position in a vertical plane, and is capable of being secured in any one of the positions by a swing arm-attachment securing device; and (c) a platform secured to the end of the swing arm opposite the attachment, said platform being adapted to pivot through a vertical plane in relation to the swing arm, and being capable of being secured in a first relatively horizontal position, a second upwardly angled position, and third upright position relative to the swing arm by a platform-swing arm securing device.

Abstract: A compressed gas mixture, for example air, is passed through one of beds 12 and 14 of adsorbent that selectively adsorbs oxygen from the air. Unadsorbed nitrogen-enriched gas flows into a buffer vessel 28, from which product gas is withdrawn through pipeline 30. While one of the beds 12 and 14 is adsorbing oxygen for air the other is being regenerated, and during this period the communication between the beds is denied. At the end of a chosen period of time the beds are placed in communication with one another by opening valves 54 and 56. Then the bed that was previously being regenerated is placed in communication with the source of compressed air and the other bed regenerated. The period of intercommunication between the beds lasts for as long as it takes the volume of product gas as measured by an integrating flow meter 31 from the start of the preceding adsorption step to reach a chosen value. The apparatus is able to supply nitrogen of a chosen purity at a variable flow rate.

Abstract: An electron beam instrument having an objective lens coil 14 and stigmator coils 18 has its astigmatism corrected for by measurement of the contrast in the final image. The currents through the objective lens and the stigmator coils are adjusted in sequence iteratively to optimize the contrast.The optimum contrast may be either a maximum contrast or a minimum contrast depending on the nature of the instrument and its mode of operation. Measurement of contrast may be made by measuring the magnitudes of successive points of an image and calculating the variance. Alternatively two measurements of magnitude at each point of an image may be made and the covariance calculated.

Abstract: In a scanning transmission electron microscope 1 the image of the diffraction pattern formed on a phosphor screen 6 as a result of electron beam impingement on a point on the specimen 4 is converted by a camera 7 into a video signal and digitized in an ADC convertor 9 and stored in a digital store 10. The stored signal is then modified by a weighting factor representing a notional pattern overlaying screen 6. The weighting factor may have one of two binary values, representing a notional opaque and transparent pattern, or may have a multiplicity of different values. The modified signals are then added together to provide a picture value for the point of impingement. By this means a complete picture is built up point-by-point.To speed up the picture taking operation diffraction images from different points may be displayed on different parts of screen 6 so that several images can be scanned together by camera 7.

Abstract: The fabrication of a microcircuit by beam lithography requires an economic distribution of processing time between the high resolution portions of the exposure pattern and areas of much lower resolution. At least one ion beam provides the high resolution performance and at least one electron beam satisfies the lower resolution requirement. The beams are independently operable and are relatively inclined for substantial convergence at the substrate. The convergence is such that all beams can be scanned simultaneously in a single elemental area of substrate or in adjacent elemental areas which are presented for exposure in sequence. For registration the substrate is imaged by electron scanning and the positions of registration marks are related in the image to predetermined positions which represent the required position of the substrate. A positional correction signal is derived by observation of image brightness, size and orientation at the predetermined positions.

Abstract: In electron beam lithography apparatus a substrate, on which an exposure pattern is to be produced, is exposed to a plurality of electron beams. In a double beam arrangement one beam is capable of the highest resolution required and has a necessarily low writing speed. The other beam is relatively coarse in beam width but carries a higher current and has a much higher writing speed. Single-pole magnetic lens focusing is used with close angular spacing between the beams. Scanning of the pattern is programmed for economy of time so that the beams produce complementary portions of the pattern, the fine beam defining for example the edges of a structure while the coarse beam scans the area bounded by the edges. Scanning may be simultaneous or sequential. Selection of the relative values of beam potential and the use of energy selective detectors enable the two scanned regions to be imaged.

Abstract: In an electron-beam probe instrument such as a scanning electron microscope in which the electron gun employs a field-emission cathode the condenser lens is of the `snorkel` design. The term `snorkel` is used to denote a single-pole magnetic lens in which the pole-piece has an axially extending nose portion. The lens is positioned so that the cathode region is immersed in the radial field at the nose of the lens. Preferably the lens is placed closely behind the cathode but outside the vacuum envelope.

Abstract: Pneumatically-conveyable particulate material is withdrawn from a hopper using vacuum wands extending into the interior of the hopper. The wands are operated in a cyclic sequence, with material being withdrawn from each wand in turn. This permits material to be withdrawn substantially continuously where the material tends to compact together in flow-preventing bridges and the invention can be put into practice employing a relatively simply applied attachment connected on the exterior of the hopper.

Abstract: A fluid supply system includes a pressure-swing adsorption plant e.g. for supplying oxygen-rich gas to an activated sludge reactor in a sewage works. The product gas from the plant is supplied to the utilization apparatus by a compressor at a rate dependent on the demand for the gas, while waste gas is desorbed from the plant by a vacuum pump. When using the plant to separate oxygen from an air feedstock the major proportion of the power consumed by the plant is represented by the vacuum pump, which has to impell substantially greater volumes of gas than the product compressor. To economize on the power consumed by the plant, the rate of delivery of the vacuum pump is controlled by means sensitive to the demand of the utilization apparatus for product gas, so that a reduction in the demand from the product compressor leads to a reduction in the power consumption of the vacuum pump.

Abstract: Oxygen containing gas is dissolved in sewage passing to, or through, a sewer during periods when sewage is being pumped therethrough. A stream of the sewage is withdrawn during periods when sewage is being held in the sewer. This stream is passed through a conduit so as to promote in such a stream dissolution of oxygen-containing gas introduced into, or entrained in, the stream. The stream is then returned to the sewer. By this means a chosen concentration of dissolved oxygen may be maintained in the volume of sewage between the points of withdrawal and return of the stream.