Abstract: A sensor unit is formed by a single integral body obtained by coupling a resiliently deforming portion with a base portion without interposing a soft material therebetween, and a force applied to a probe secured to a front end of the resiliently deforming portion is measured as a change in capacitance of a capacitor constituted by electrodes secured to opposing surfaces of the resiliently deforming portion and base portion. These electrodes are connected to a resonance circuit of a high frequency oscillation circuit, and in order to measure a change in a resonance frequency which is varied in accordance with the applied force, an output signal from the high frequency oscillation circuit is counted by a digital frequency counter for a predetermined time period. It is possible to provide the electrocapacitive type force measuring apparatus which can measure a very small force with an extremely high precision without being affected by temperature variation, humidity variation and secular variation.

Abstract: In a sliding contact guide for a flexible power transmission medium such as a chain or belt, the guide body includes a shoe and a plate-receiving portion integrally molded as a unit from a synthetic resin. A reinforcing plate is inserted into a slot in the plate-receiving portion. A surface of the reinforcing plate is of a concavo-convex shape. The concavo-convex shape enhances the strength of the reinforcing plate without increasing the overall weight of the guide. By controlling the spacing of the bend lines forming the concavo-convex configuration, the strength of the guide can be controlled in accordance with strength requirements for different regions of the guide.

Abstract: A movable lever for a transmission chain, which is able to pivot smoothly, and avoid seizing on its supporting shaft, comprises a unitary, molded resin lever body composed of a chain-engaging shoe and a plate-receiving portion, and a reinforcing plate in a slot in the plate-receiving portion. The plate and the plate-receiving portion have coaxial, cofastening mounting holes which receive the mounting shaft. Reinforcing ribs are provided on a side of the plate-receiving portion and their ends are notched to provide grooves which promote the flow of oil, which accumulates on the lever, toward the mounting holes so that adequate lubrication of the mounting hole in the plate is achieved.

Abstract: A guide for a transmission device such as a chain or belt, is injection molded using a sandwich-molding process. The process avoids the need for a complex mold and complex manufacturing steps. The guide exhibits enhanced mechanical strength and excellent sliding contact properties and wear resistance in a compatible manner, and is also light in weight and has excellent durability. The sandwich-molded guide comprises a slide rail on which a chain or belt slides, and a rail supporting member integrally provided along with the slide rail. The slide rail is composed of a material the principal component of which is a first polymeric material having wear resistance and heat resistance, and the rail supporting member is composed of a material the principal component of which is a second polymeric material having higher strength than the material having the first polymeric material as its principal component.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hydraulic type plastic tensioner comprising a body of the tensioner, which is made of plastics, a hollow metallic cylinder fit into a circular hole formed in the body, a plunger and a check valve mechanism. A ball seat in the check valve mechanism is provided on a bottom portion of the circular hole, and a retainer in a retainer-integrated type cylinder is press-fit onto the check ball to hold the cylinder in the circular hole.

Abstract: A device for fabricating a high-density microarray for cDNA or protein having an arbitrary pattern comprises an electrospray part for electrostatically spraying solutions containing a plurality of kinds of biologically active samples one by one, a support part supporting sample chips on which samples in the solutions sprayed from the electrospray part are deposited, a mask part disposed between the electrospray part and the support part and having holes the number of which is the same as that of the sample chips so as to selectively deposit the samples simultaneously in the adequate positions corresponding to the sample chips, a moving part for fabricating microarrays at a time by relatively moving the sample chip support part and the mask part and depositing the samples on the sample chips. Therefore the device can fabricate a large number of inexpensive high-density microarrays.

Abstract: A pivot shaft member is disclosed which can be mounted to a fixed frame such as a frame of a drive unit in a positive and simple manner while correcting a positional deviation, if any, between mounting holes through which the pivot shaft member is inserted, the mounting holes being formed respectively in a lower side wall of a guide body of a slide contact guide for a transmission device as assembled and in a reinforcing plate. The pivot shaft member is provided with a tapered, truncated cone-like guide inserting portion and a cylindrical support portion, the tapered, truncated cone-like guide inserting portion being inserted into the mounting holes while correcting a positional deviation between the mounting holes at the time of mounting the guide to a fixed frame, the cylindrical guide support portion being contiguous to the truncated cone-like guide inserting portion and onto which inner peripheral surfaces of the mounting holes are flushly fitted and supported after the mounting of the guide.

Abstract: A tensioner includes a plunger stopper mechanism for holding a plunger in an inoperative position in which the plunger is retracted into a cylinder chamber formed in a tensioner body. The plunger stopper mechanism has a radial pin hole formed in the tensioner body and communicating with the cylinder chamber, an annular pin stopper groove formed in a circumference of the plunger, and a stopper pin removably inserted through the radial pin hole into the annular pin hole. The radial pin hole has a center line extending parallel to a tangent to the bottom of the annular pin stopper groove and offset from the tangent toward an open side of the annular pin stopper groove, and the annular pin stopper groove has a depth slightly greater than a diameter of the stopper pin, so that a side face of the stopper pin is held in contact with the bottom of the annular pin stopper groove.

Abstract: To provide a silent chain in which a number of parts and weight thereof are reduced and a sprocket designed optimally for the silent chain. The silent chain is made up of guide plates arranged inside in the chain width direction; link assemblies, at least one of which is arranged on both outsides of the guide plate; and outer link plates further arranged on outermost sides, and they are assembled in an interlinked manner and connected by connection pins freely bendable. The link assembly has a unified structure in which at least two inner link plates having a pair of teeth that engage with the sprocket teeth are connected by a pair of bushings. The sprocket thereof has a groove capable of inserting the guide plate being arranged inside in the silent chain width direction, and formed with a ring shape inside of an outer circumference width direction.

Abstract: A sprocket has a central through-hole for attachment of the sprocket to a rotating shaft, a boss coaxial with the through-hole, and teeth on the periphery of the sprocket. The boss has a cylindrical outer surface coaxial with the through-hole and having stepped small-diameter portions formed at opposite ends of the boas. A cushion body is in the form of a disk having an eccentric through-hole and includes an annular bearing having a cylindrical inner surface defining the through-hole, and a cushion member press-fitted over a cylindrical outer surface of the bearing. The bearing is slidably mounted on the cylindrical outer surface of the boss on each side of the teeth, and a ring-like flange is press-fitted over each stepped portion of the boss so as to prevent the cushion body from moving in the axial direction of the sprocket while allowing sliding movement of the cushion body relative to the boss.

Abstract: A tensioner device having a tensioner and a lever urged by the tensioner into slide contact with a chain includes a plunger rotation inhibiting mechanism disposed between the front end portion of a plunger and a portion of the lever to inhibit the plunger from rotating about the axis thereof such that the front edge of each prong of a ratchet is kept separated from the bottom land of a mating one of rack teeth formed on an outer surface of the plunger along the axis thereof. The ratchet prong is substantially free from wear and has an improved degree of durability.

Abstract: A tensioner guide includes a stationary shoe (6) having a contact surface (6A) confronting a free span of a transmission chain (4) between a pair of sprockets (2, 3), a movable shoe (7) movable relatively to the stationary shoe (6) in a direction toward and away from the transmission chain free span, and an urging member (9) for urging the movable shoe (7) toward the transmission chain free span. The movable shoe (7) has a contact surface (7A) being pressed against and in slide contact with the transmission chain free span by the action of the urging member (9) to hold a tension in the transmission chain (4).

Abstract: A hydraulic tensioner device, which is compact in size, simple in construction and can be manufactured efficiently, has a shoe (4) for applying a tensioning force to a chain (3) or belt. The shoe has a plunger (5) which has a hollow portion (6) in which a valve block (7), a spring (9) and an inner sleeve (10) are slidably disposed. The upper end of the inner sleeve is supported within a cylindrical chamber (2) in a tensioner body (1). The tensioner body has an oil passage (11) communicating with an internal space of the inner sleeve. The bottom surface (6A) of the hollow portion and the valve block jointly define therebetween a high pressure chamber (8) filled with an oil supplied from the internal space of the inner sleeve via a check valve (7A) in the valve block.

Abstract: A detecting apparatus is disclosed, that comprises plural measurement devices with respective sensors and a support for holding the measurement devices in such a manner that the individual sensors contact a culture broth, the turbidity, dissolved oxygen, dissolved carbon dioxide the temperature, pH, and so forth of the culture broth being obtained by the measurement devices.

Abstract: A tensioner device for a power transmission chain, which has a small number of components and hence is able to reduce the cost of manufacture and assembly, can be mounted or installed easily, and requires only a small space for installation thereof. The tensioner device consists of a tensioner lever (4) pivoted at one end thereof on a support shaft (3) disposed on a fixed member (2) and carries, on a surface thereof facing a chain (7), a shoe (8) slidably engageable with the chain (7). The opposite end of the tensioner lever (4) has formed therein a plunger receiving hole (9) having an opening (9A) facing in a direction opposite to the surface to which the shoe (8) is attached. A plunger (10) is slidably received in the plunger receiving hole (9) and is held in abutment with a stopper (17) disposed on the fixed member (2).

Abstract: A novel method is proposed for the preparation of a calcium silicate powder particularly useful as a filter aid in the filtration of an acidic aqueous liquid by virtue of the extremely high acid resistance of the calcium silicate powder. The inventive method comprises a hydrothermal reaction of a blend of a silica-containing material and calcium oxide or hydroxide in a specified molar ratio under specified reaction conditions to form calcium silicate, which is then subjected to a heat treatment at 800.degree.-1200.degree. C. for 0.5-2 hours. An improvement can be obtained in the clarity of the filtrate obtained by the filtration using the calcium silicate powder prepared by the inventive method as a filter aid when the hydrothermal reaction for the preparation thereof is conducted in an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide in a specified concentration.

Abstract: An improved chain tensioner device having a small outside shape or profile and a relatively small number of components which can be assembled with a small number of steps. A tensioner body 2 slidably mounts a plunger 4 which carries a shoe 7 for engaging the chain. The shoe 7 has an extension strip 12 formed integrally therewith and extending over a guide surface 11 on the body 2 for preventing the shoe 7 from rotating about the axis of the plunger 4. A pin locking hole 13 is formed in the guide surface 11 and the extension strip 12 has a pin receiving through-hole 14 formed at a position which can be aligned with the pin locking hole 13. A stopper pin 15 is fitted through the pin receiving through-hole 14 into the pin locking hole 13, thereby locking the shoe 7 in position against movement relative to the tensioner body 2 during installation.

Abstract: A device for applying tension to an endless chain, belt or the like comprises a ratcheted plunger having a substantially planar face disposed in substantially perpendicular relationship to the axis of movement of the plunger, and a chain or belt-engaging lever having a pad with a convex face arranged to contact the substantially planar face of the plunger. Vibrational forces exerted by the lever on the tensioner are substantially parallel to the axis of movement of the plunger, so that wear of the plunger and plunger guide are significantly reduced.

Abstract: In a turbidimeter for measuring a turbidity of a test solution to be measured i.e. culture solution in a fermentation apparatus, a semiconductor laser diode and a semiconductor photodiode are integrally arranged in a detection portion of the turbidimeter in such a manner that a laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser diode is made incident upon the semiconductor photodiode through the test solution. Moreover, a protection circuit for the semiconductor laser diode and the semiconductor photodiode is also arranged in the turbidimeter to cut off a current flowed therethrough when an environmental temperature becomes above a predetermined temperature. Therefore, the turbidimeter can be made small in size and light in weight, and the turbidity can be measured accurately over wide range.

Abstract: A new species of Nocardiopsis, designated Nocardiopsis atra Huang sp. nov. ATCC 31511, when aerobically propagated in an aqueous nutrient medium, produces nocardicin A in good yield.