Abstract: A computer based system for rendering a plurality of graphical environments includes a plurality of painter maker objects, and a painter maker chain comprising at least one of the painter maker objects. A task, which is coupled to the painter maker chain, passes to the painter maker chain a request to render a particular graphical primitive in a particular graphical environment. In response to the request, the painter maker objects create a painter chain comprising a plurality of painter objects each optimized to perform, in the particular graphical environment, a predetermined graphical operation in order to render the particular graphical primitive. The task uses painter objects to perform rendering operations in the particular graphical environment.

Abstract: A drill string having a core sampling device at its lower end is suspended in an earth borehole by a rotary drilling rig at the earth's surface. Drilling fluid pulsations are monitored in the drilling fluid standpipe to generate characteristic signatures of normal coring operations and a precursor, abnormal, signature when the core sampling device first begins to jam, before catastrophic jamming has occurred. Responsive to the abnormal signature, remedial action is commenced, such as reducing WOB, RPM, or terminating the coring operation. The system is also used to determine that an activatable downhole tool has one or more of its parts moved from a first position to a second position.

Abstract: A cam follower disposed on a limit switch utilized in elevator systems comprises a tire and a hub. The tire comprises a torus and a web, wherein the web includes a plurality of elongated slots that allow free movement of the tire within the hub. The hub comprises two portions that snap fit together securing the tire therebetween so that when the tire of the cam follower is impacted, the tire absorbs the impact shock and minimizes noise caused by the impact. The cam follower design also allows an inexpensive fabrication and assembly.

Abstract: An elevator limit switch is constructed of molded plastic box and lid and is readily adaptable for left side or right side use on an elevator or an elevator hoistway. The box and lid hold a one piece plastic hub which carries a mounting system for holding readily reversible electrical contacts.

Abstract: A four stroke outboard motor crankcase drain plug opening attachment is described to facilitate drainage and collection of crankcase oil from four cycle outboard motors. The attachment includes a manually operable valve 20 attached by a fitting 21 to the motor drain plug opening. The valve extends to a flexible downspout 25 that extends on downwardly to an auxiliary plug 30 at a bottom end 27 thereof. The valve includes an operator 22 that can be rotated selectively to open and close the valve. The plug 30 can be selectively removed and adds a redundancy feature to facilitate unintentional drainage of oil by operation of the valve 20. An oil drainage collector 40 including opening 42 and a top end and a bale 45 mounted thereon, may be selectively secured over the valve to facilitate collection of oil. The opening and downspout, and bale are related dimensionally such that the collector container cannot swing free of the downspout when the bale is secured over the valve.

Abstract: A multi-channel and multi-capability facsimile system including N(.gtoreq.2) signal-carrying facsimile channels, an image server means to process, store and retrieve document image information, and a master processing unit to control the process by which information is transferred between a facsimile channel and the image server means, and to enable and disable data compression and expansion document image information that is provided to or received from the facsimile channels. The system: (1) allows visual display of document pages sent and/or received in the resolution in which the document is originally received or generated; (2) allows transmission, receipt and storage of document image information and speech or voice signals; (3) allows control of the destination address and route used for transmitted document and speech infomation, using the DTMF touch tone signaling available with a telephone; (4) supports CCITT group 2, Group 3 and Group 4 standards.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy that can be fabricated into aluminum sheet having novel properties is provided. The strip stock is suitable for the fabrication of both container ends and container bodies in thinner gauges than are typically presently employed, has low earing characteristics and may be derived from recycled aluminum scrap. The alloy preferably has a magnesium concentration of from about 2 to about 2.8 weight percent and a manganese concentration of from about 0.9 to about 1.6 weight percent. The process preferably includes continuous chill block casting the alloy melt into a strip, hot rolling the strip to a first thickness, annealing the hot rolled strip and then cold rolling the annealed strip to a final thickness. Cold rolling preferably includes two stages with an intermediate anneal step between the two stages. The process increases tensile and yield strength while decreasing earing percentage, even in very thin gauges, such as 0.010 inches.

Abstract: A process for the production of strip stock from an alloy is provided. The strip stock produced from the alloy is suitable for the fabrication of both container ends and container bodies in thinner gauges than are typically employed, has low earing characteristics and may be derived from recycled aluminum scrap. The alloy preferably has a magnesium concentration of from about 2 to about 2.8 weight percent and a manganese concentration of from about 0.9 to about 1.6 weight percent. The process preferably includes continuous chill block casing the alloy melt into a strip, hot rolling the strip to a first thickness, annealing the hot rolled strip and then cold rolling the annealed strip to a final thickness. Cold rolling preferably includes two stages, with an intermediate anneal step between the two stages. The process increases tensile and yield strength while decreasing earing texture, even in very thin gauges, such as 0.010 inches.

Abstract: An aluminum sheet having novel properties is provided. The strip stock is suitable for the fabrication of both container ends and container bodies in thinner gauges than are typically employed, has low earing characteristics and may be derived from recycled aluminum scrap. An alloy particularly suited to the fabrication of the aluminum sheet preferably has a magnesium concentration of from about 2 to about 2.8 weight percent and a manganese concentration of from about 0.9 to about 1.6 weight percent. A process particularly suited to the fabrication of the aluminum sheet preferably includes continuous chill block casting the alloy melt into a strip, hot rolling the strip to a first thickness, annealing the hot rolled strip and then cold rolling the annealed strip to a final thickness. Cold rolling preferably includes two stages with an intermediate anneal step between the two stages. The process increases tensile and yield strength while decreasing earing percentage, even in very thin gauges, such as 0.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for providing high resolution images for static display of document pages that are scanned in through a document scanner at high resolution, with reduced bandwidth requirements. In one embodiment, groups of four scanned image pixel values, each one bit in length, are reduced to a single two-bit pixel value that determines a pixel value for a display image pixel; and selected displayed image pixel values are periodically varied between the original displayed image pixel value and an alternative pixel value to restore the perception of high resolution available in the scanned image.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for producing aluminum-containing strip stock which is suitable for drawing and ironing and has reduced earing. A continuously-cast, aluminum-containing strip is introduced into a hot-mill operation to provide a thickness reduction of at least 70 percent with the exit temperature of the strip being minimized. The strip is allowed to crystallize to form grain having an annealed texture. This strip is then subjected to cold rolling to reduce the thickness at least 30 percent. The cold-rolled strip is annealed at an intermediate annealing temperature. The annealed strip is then subjected to further cold rolling sufficient to optimize the balance between the 45.degree. earing and yield strength.

Abstract: An inorganic powdery or granular material which is coated with a coating of an inherently conductive polymeric material, such as a conductive polypyrrole or substituted polypyrrole, a polythiophene or substituted polythiophene, a polyaniline or substituted polyaniline, a polyethylene oxide or an aniline copolymer. The material which is coated is talc, mica, wollastonite, calcium carbonate, aluminium hydroxide, clay or hydroxyapatite.

Abstract: A multilayered detector apparatus comprising:a first conductive layer:a photoconductive layer having two sides thick enough to obtain a desired level of sensitivity and resolution of the detector apparatus when the detector apparatus is exposed to radiation of known energy, one side of said photoconductive layer being integrally affixed to and in electrical contact with one side of said first conductive layer;a insulating layer having two sides that is a phosphor that will emit light when irradiated by X-rays, one side of said insulating layer being affixed to the other side of said photoconductive layer; andtransparent conductive layer having two sides, one side of said transparent conductive layer being affixed to the other side of said insulating layer.

Abstract: A molecular sieve type gas separation system capable of delivering oxygen-enriched air by increasing the oxygen content of air fed to the system has control means including a valve arrangement associated with each sieve bed for cyclically subjecting each bed to a charge/adsorption on-stream phase followed by a purge/desorption regeneration phase. During the regeneration phase of each sieve bed the gas pressure in the bed at least substantially equals the ambient atmospheric pressure or a pressure related thereto such as the ambient pressure of an outlet to which the oxygen-enriched air is being delivered and, for a predetermined range of outlet ambient pressure, the overall cycle time and the relative durations of the phases are fixed at values such that the oxygen content of air delivered by the system remains within physiologically acceptable limits for breathing.

Abstract: A press machine (10) having a slide (18) operable by a clutch controlled rotatable drive system (24, 26, 30, 34) is provided. The press (10) includes a sensor (42) interconnected into the drive system (34) for sensing the rotation of the drive system (34). A timer (64) is provided for generating an elapsed time signal representing the amount of time for the drive system (34) to rotate from a first angular position to a second angular position. Circuitry (64) is provided for comparing the elapsed time signal with a predetermined magnitude to thereby generate a signal representing the speed of the press (10). Circuitry (64) is further provided which is responsive to the speed signal for generating a control signal. The control signal is appolied to the clutch solenoid (40) for deactuating the clutch (24) to thereby enable stoppage of the press at a predetermined position at the top of the slide's (18) cycle.

Abstract: A method of recording and reading out a latent image which comprises placing a uniform surface charge on the photoconductive layer of a multilayered detector apparatus, biasing said photoconductive layer with an electric field whose polarity opposes said surface charge, discharging some portion of said surface charge of said photoconductive layer by exposing said detector to a modulated radiation flux capable of generating electron hole pairs in the photoconductor; scanning the surface of said partially discharged photoconductive layer with a small diameter photon beam whereby said surface charge is sequentially further discharged, and measuring the changing electric current of said sequential further discharge as a function of time.

Abstract: An image scanning apparatus for obtaining radiographic information from a detector system. The apparatus produces a video signal by optical readout of a latent image found in a detector system. The video signal is processed and displayed to provide radiographic information.

Abstract: A method of operating a photodetector system. The method impresses a surface charge on a photon detector by establishing an electric potential across the detector, storing the detector in the dark, disconnecting the source of electric potential, and electrically connecting layers in the detector.