Abstract: The present invention provides an upper body exercise apparatus that is portable, is compatible with various other workout machines such as stationary bikes and treadmills and is advantageous for safe, low-impact cardiovascular exercise. The exercise apparatus comprises a pair of movable handlebars that are activated by push and pull forces exerted by the user. A clamp sub-assembly is provided by which a user may attach the exercise apparatus to a separate free-standing machine, such as a stationary bike or a treadmill. A brake sub-assembly is also provided and serves to create a braking effect that results in a feeling of resistance to the user as the user moves the handlebars in a substantially forward or rearward direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides an upper body exercise apparatus that is portable, is compatible with various other workout machines such as stationary bikes and treadmills and is advantageous for safe, low-impact cardiovascular exercise. The exercise apparatus comprises a pair of movable handlebars that are activated by push and pull forces exerted by the user. A clamp sub-assembly is provided by which a user may attach the exercise apparatus to a separate free-standing machine, such as a stationary bike or a treadmill. A brake sub-assembly is also provided and serves to create a braking effect that results in a feeling of resistance to the user as the user moves the handlebars in a substantially forward or rearward direction.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for coupling a high intensity focused ultrasound transducer to a skin surface using water as a coupling agent.

Abstract: The problem of noxious fume generation during chemical treatment of hair using a hair iron is solved by providing a fume intake on the hair iron near the point of fume generation, preferably near the iron's heating elements. The fume intake receives the fumes and delivers them to the fume removal passage under vacuum flow generated by a vacuum source, then transported to a filtration system or exhausted to the outside environment. Optionally, the fume intake may extend along the length of the heating element and may be directed downward, towards the hair. Optionally, the fume removal device may be attachable as a retrofit to a standard hair iron. The present invention advantageously prevents the spread of the noxious fumes to the rest of the salon and protects both the stylist and client from discomfort and irritation, thus permitting the more widespread use of these beneficial hair treatments.

Abstract: A packaging machine includes a grouper section having changeable lane sizes and a dual servo grouper that separates product into product sets and allow the product sets to accelerate to the lane chain speed in a controlled manner. The grouper section further includes disappearing lugs that pivot into the lanes via a cam surface provided in the lanes. The product rides upon a raised surface of the cam surface as the lug pushes the product set together down the lane, thus ensuring that no gaps are provided between product set members. A gripper/grid section of the packaging machine includes a bars that travel about a carousel with a gripper head assembly and a grid assembly pair moving up and down the bars as defined by cam surfaces within the gripper/grid section. The grid section is presented below the product set such that the product set is fed through the grid section in a one-way trip into a case. The gripper head assembly cam device and the case feed section both include height adjustment assemblies.

Abstract: A packaging machine includes a grouper section having changeable lane sizes and a dual servo grouper that separates product into product sets and allow the product sets to accelerate to the lane chain speed in a controlled manner. The grouper section further includes disappearing lugs that pivot into the lanes via a cam surface provided in the lanes. The product rides upon a raised surface of the cam surface as the lug pushes the product set together down the lane, thus ensuring that no gaps are provided between product set members. A gripper/grid section of the packaging machine includes a bars that travel about a carousel with a gripper head assembly and a grid assembly pair moving up and down the bars as defined by cam surfaces within the gripper/grid section. The grid section is presented below the product set such that the product set is fed through the grid section in a one-way trip into a case. The gripper head assembly cam device and the case feed section both include height adjustment assemblies.

Abstract: A packaging machine includes a grouper section having changeable lane sizes and a dual servo grouper that separates product into product sets and allow the product sets to accelerate to the lane chain speed in a controlled manner. The grouper section further includes disappearing lugs that pivot into the lanes via a cam surface provided in the lanes. The product rides upon a raised surface of the cam surface as the lug pushes the product set together down the lane, thus ensuring that no gaps are provided between product set members. A gripper/grid section of the packaging machine includes a bars that travel about a carousel with a gripper head assembly and a grid assembly pair moving up and down the bars as defined by cam surfaces within the gripper/grid section. The grid section is presented below the product set such that the product set is fed through the grid section in a one-way trip into a case. The gripper head assembly cam device and the case feed section both include height adjustment assemblies.

Abstract: A packaging machine includes a grouper section having changeable lane sizes and a dual servo grouper that separates product into product sets and allow the product sets to accelerate to the lane chain speed in a controlled manner. The grouper section further includes disappearing lugs that pivot into the lanes via a cam surface provided in the lanes. The product rides upon a raised surface of the cam surface as the lug pushes the product set together down the lane, thus ensuring that no gaps are provided between product set members. A gripper/grid section of the packaging machine includes a bars that travel about a carousel with a gripper head assembly and a grid assembly pair moving up and down the bars as defined by cam surfaces within the gripper/grid section. The grid section is presented below the product set such that the product set is fed through the grid section in a one-way trip into a case. The gripper head assembly cam device and the case feed section both include height adjustment assemblies.

Abstract: An integration system using multiple types of MSCs (12, 14) has been provided. An access request from a mobile station (22, 24, 26) is first determined (36) whether it is associated with a second type of MSC. If so, the access request is routed (38) to a MSC of the second type. Otherwise, it is determined (42) whether the access request is a registration, and if so, the access request is also routed (38) to a MSC of the second type for the registration processing. At the registration process, it is determined (82) whether the access request should be associate with the second type of MSC, and if so, an association as such is assigned (86) between the mobile station and the second type of MSC.

Abstract: The inventions separate the activated sludge, biochemical reaction stages of the batch treatment process of a sequencing batch reactor from the clarification and sedimentation stages by separating the locations where each process takes place. The separation may be accomplished in a variety of ways including constructing separate basins for each process, installing baffles or other partitions in a single vessel to isolate the areas where each process takes place, or other methods of process separation as are known in the art. In each process, treatment occurs through the performance of a series of operations. The operations are repeated for each batch of wastewater processed by the SBR. In a conventional SBR process, the cycle of operations for clarification and sedimentation are dependent on a preceding biochemical reaction step. However, in the present invention the clarification and sedimentation operations are independent of the biochemical reaction operations.

Abstract: A packaging machine includes a grouper section having changeable lane sizes and a dual servo grouper that separates product into product sets and allow the product sets to accelerate to the lane chain speed in a controlled manner. The grouper section further includes disappearing lugs that pivot into the lanes via a cam surface provided in the lanes. The product rides upon a raised surface of the cam surface as the lug pushes the product set together down the lane, thus ensuring that no gaps are provided between product set members. A gripper/grid section of the packaging machine includes a bars that travel about a carousel with a gripper head assembly and a grid assembly pair moving up and down the bars as defined by cam surfaces within the gripper/grid section. The grid section is presented below the product set such that the product set is fed through the grid section in a one-way trip into a case. The gripper head assembly cam device and the case feed section both include height adjustment assemblies.

Abstract: The present inventions relate to water and wastewater treatment devices including stationary cloth filter media support structures forming effluent plenums for the filtered influent and self-aligning backwash assemblies for efficient periodic cleaning of the cloth filter media.

Abstract: A process for fabricating an electrolyte-electrode composite suitable for high energy alkali metal battery that includes mixing composite electrode materials with excess liquid, such as ethylene carbonate or propylene carbonate, to produce an initial formulation, and forming a shaped electrode therefrom. The excess liquid is then removed from the electrode to compact the electrode composite which can be further compacted by compression. The resulting electrode exhibits at least a 75% lower resistance.

Abstract: A paperboard tray packaging machine is adapted to handle the tray blanks and product to be packaged as both move continually in a downstream direction. The blanks are stored in an auxiliary magazine alongside the main magazine and are transferred from one to the other individually so each tray blank can be printed, at least on the blank end walls that cannot be conveniently printed in the machine itself.

Abstract: A rappelling tool having at least two essentially orthogonal tabs projecting from a ring. The first tab has an aperture by which it is connected to a rappeller's waist belt or seating apparatus carabiner. The second tab, essentially orthogonal to the first is provided for slidably retaining a rope that has been wound about it. The invention allows a threading of a rope thereto without the necessity of disconnecting it from the user. Horn-like projections from the second tab provide the facility for wrapping the rope about the tab, thus securing the rappelling user in a static condition during decent.

Abstract: When sensors are employed to monitor the evaporator refrigerant pressure and the leaving chilled liquid temperature in an air conditioning system of the type having a liquid chiller, the sensor outputs will normally have a prescribed relationship with respect to each other as long as the sensors are functioning properly and regardless of the operating condition of the air conditioning system. By effectively comparing the output of one sensor relative to that of the other sensor, a faulty condition of either sensor may be detected. This is achieved by calculating the equivalent evaporator temperature, from the evaporator refrigerant pressure, and subtracting the equivalent temperature from the leaving chilled liquid temperature to obtain a difference temperature which is then compared to a predetermined known temperature range representing normal functioning of the two sensors. When one of the sensors is defective the difference temperature will fall outside of the range.

Abstract: When sensors are employed to monitor different operating variables or parameters in a refrigeration system, the sensor outputs will normally have predetermined known relationships with respect to each other as long as the sensors are functioning properly and regardless of the operating condition of the refrigeration system. By comparing the output of one sensor relative to that of another sensor, a faulty condition of either of those two sensors may be detected. For example, during stabilized system operation the output of a condenser pressure sensor should always indicate a higher pressure than that reflected by the output of an evaporator pressure sensor. By effectively subtracting the evaporator pressure from the condenser pressure, a faulty sensor may be discovered. If the result of the subtraction is zero or negative, at least one of the pressure sensors is defective. When a faulty sensor is detected, a warning message is displayed to operating personnel.

Abstract: A programmable maintenance timer system suitable for use with industrial equipment such as a centrifugal water chilling system and a telemetry system including a microprocessor-based computer with a programming device for presetting selectively a maintenance time interval representing a number of hours before a maintenance service is to be performed, for counting down the time interval to zero, and for generating an output signal after the time interval has reached zero to the telemetry system so as to alert service personnel that the industrial equipment is due for a scheduled maintenance. The timer system also includes a non-volatile memory device to record permanently the total elapsed operating hours in the preset maintenance time interval so as to avoid loss of such information upon a power failure and/or back-up battery failure.