Abstract: A process is described for forming a can from extremely thin side wall material. The process includes the steps of reverse forming a portion of the can, and during the reverse forming process including a tapered side wall portion. Battery cans formed during the process are also described.

Abstract: This invention provides a method of treating a dry or processed fluid pipe line susceptible to the build-up of iron sulfide deposits by complexing the iron sulfide in the pipe lines. The method of the present invention introduces the composition on a continuous or a batch basis to a gas pipe line. The composition is made of a solution of 1) water, 2) [tetrakis (hydroxymethyl) phosphonium] sulfate or chloride, and 3) a soluble ammonium salt, such as ammonium chloride or the like.

Abstract: Polyolefins, especially polypropylene, can be made flame retardant by the incorporation therein of a synergistic mixture of a selected hindered amine substituted by an alkoxy, cycloalkoxy or hydroxyalkoxy moiety and a selected organic or inorganic brominated and/or phosphorus containing flame retardant, such as ammonium polyphosphate or decabromodiphenyl oxide wherein the amount of organic or inorganic flame retardant required to achieve an acceptable level of flame retardancy is significantly reduced compared to that needed when the hindered amine is not present.

Abstract: A flexible and extensible virtual printer architecture is provided. According to one aspect of the present invention final status associated with a presentation job (e.g., a fax job or a print job) is made available to an output server. One or more host processing threads or processes are spawned for each new presentation job received by the output server. Then, the presentation job is submitted to a presentation device for which the presentation job is destined by way of an instance of a wrapper process that is capable of communicating bi-directionally with the presentation device. After submitting the presentation job, a host job status thread or process waits for status pertaining to the presentation job. Ultimately, a final status associated with the presentation job is received by the wrapper process and the wrapper process reports the final status to the host job status thread or process. According to another aspect of the present invention, job and device status may be reported asynchronously.

Abstract: A clean burning premeasured compressed charge for use in black powder firearms as well as cartridges. The premeasured compressed charge is manufactured to have a substantially desired shape which facilitates improved flame propagation by the leading end wall and along the exposed sidewall surfaces of the compressed charge to result in a more complete and rapid burning of the compressed charge both from the leading end wall toward the trailing end wall and also radially inwardly from each one of the four sidewalls toward a center of the premeasured compressed charge. The premeasured compressed charge has a leading end portion and a trailing end portion and the leading end portion is either the same size or a smaller dimension than the trailing end portion.

Abstract: A paintball container comprises a body 12 and a lid 14. The lid 14 is hinged to the body 12 at one side, and has a tab 42 at the other side to facilitate opening of the container. The body 12 has a guard 26 formed on it adjacent to the tab 42 on the lid. The guard is substantially U-shaped and bounds a recess 30 into which a user can insert their thumb to pull up the tab 42 to release the lid. The guard 26 prevents accidental opening of the lid, for example when the container is being removed from a harness in which it is being carried.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of a hydroxy-substituted organic compound comprising decomposing an organic hydroperoxide, preferably a compound of the formula Ar—C(CH3)2O2H, wherein Ar is a substituted or unsubstituted mononuclear or polynuclear aromatic group. The decomposition is carried out in the presence of a catalyst comprising highly fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid groups with the catalyst being in the form of particles of which at least about 20 weight % have a particle size less than about 300 &mgr;m. Cumene hydroperoxide can be decomposed in the process to phenol and acetone which can be reacted to form bisphenol A in the presence of the same catalyst that was used for the decomposition.

Abstract: The contents of clear or lightly colored plastic containers or films are protected from ultraviolet radiation by the incorporation of certain UV absorbers of the class of durable benzotriazoles and tris-aryl-s-triazines in the container or film. Contents to be protected include foodstuffs, beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, personal care products, shampoos and the like.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of handling fuel spheres in a nuclear reactor which includes scanning the spheres using a tomography scanner to permit identification of the fuel spheres. The invention extends to a nuclear plant having scanners at different positions to identify and control the movement of the fuel spheres. The invention further extends to a fuel element which incorporates particles intended specifically to facilitate identification of the fuel element.

Abstract: A web page image is modified “on-the-fly” for a specific client machine according to calibration parameters for that machine (or the user of the machine) that are generated during a one-time calibration at the client. Preferably, this calibration is effected using a software routine, e.g., a Java applet, that is downloaded to the client and executed, e.g., in a client browser. A user of the client machine runs the applet to establish a set of calibration parameters that are then stored at the server, e.g., as a user profile. When a request is later made for a given web page hosted by the server, the server identifies the user making the request and applies the calibration parameters to color adjust the image as the page including that image is served.

Abstract: A winch for use in a heave compensation system has a winch drum (42) driven by an AC asynchronous motor (50) via a gearbox (52). The motor (50) is controlled by a variable speed control (58) as a function of heave speed. The motor (50) and its drive train, and the winch (42), are chosen to have low inertia. The winch pays out and reels in to compensate for heave substantially instantaneously, without the need for prediction of wave patterns.

Abstract: A system for direct donation utilizes an Internet-connected server accessible by potential donors using an Internet browser and a data store accessible to the server and storing information about potential recipients pre-qualified for donations. A software suite executing on the server has at least a first facility enabling a potential donor to view specific information about qualified recipients of donations, and a second facility enabling the same donor to select a recipient and make a direct donation to the selected recipient.

Abstract: The wavefront sensing device consists of a light source, a binary phase mask (10), a fixed focus lens (11) and at least two finite sized spatially separated detectors (12) positioned in the plane of focus of the wavefront sensing device. The binary phase mask (10) simultaneously applies a positive bias and a negative bias to the wavefront of the incident light such that a pair of spatially separated light points are generated in the plane of focus and detected by the detectors (12). The difference in intensity between the pair of light points is representative of the aberration of the wavefront of the incident light from the ideal.

Abstract: A system (11) for presenting textual and/or graphical information for reading. The system includes a visual display unit (15) for displaying the textual and/or graphical information within a general layout screen, a microcomputer including processing means (13) to receive the textual and/or graphical information in an electronically encoded form and process the same for presentation on the visual display unit (15). A computer program (19) is provided for controlling the presentation of the textual and/or graphical information on the visual display unit (15) in a prescribed manner. A keyboard and mouse input (17) is included for inputting control signals to operate the processing means (13) and the computer program (19) or for altering control parameters of same.

Abstract: An improved intermediate belt system (ITM module) is provided, which controls the lateral motion of the belt in the scan direction of an EP printer, without the use of edge reinforcements or other attachments added to the belt. The tracking system of this ITM module is passive, and maintains roll alignment/parallelism within a predetermined tolerance while also maintaining roll conicity-end flare to a predetermined maximum diametral variation over the roll to minimize the effect of external forces on the belt walk rate. The ITM module also provides angled tracking guides near the tension roll to control the lateral position of the belt; the position of these tracking guides is adjustable at time of manufacture to achieve the desired lateral belt position.

Abstract: N-(5,7-dimethoxy[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-2-yl) arylsulfonamide compounds were prepared from 2-amino-5,7-dimethoxy[1,2,4]triazolopyrimidine and appropriately substituted benzenesulfonyl chloride and pyridinesulfonyl chloride compounds. The compounds were found to be useful as herbicides.

Abstract: An access device with an internet lock out feature for “always on” WAN to LAN connections is provided. The access device includes a high speed data port adapted to be connected to an internet and voice service connection. A data port logic transfer layer is connected between the high speed data port and at least one access device local port. A voice service layer is connected to the high speed data port. A user activated switch is provided having a first state in which the data port logic transfer layer is active, and a second state in which the data port logic transfer layer connection to the high speed data port is disabled and the voice service layer remains active.

Abstract: Methods of characterizing subsurface conditions in a selected geographic region previously associated as a whole with a specific subsurface material characteristic reference profile such as from a USDA-NRCS soil survey. The method includes deploying a sensing tool at selected positions within the geographic region to determine a depth-referenced subsurface material characteristic such as soil type or strata, comparing the determined subsurface material characteristic to the subsurface material characteristic reference profile associated with the geographic region to determine a correlation between the subsurface material characteristic reference profile and the depth-referenced subsurface material characteristic, and then deciding whether to deploy the tool at another position, and at what optimum position to deploy the tool, by considering the correlation.

Abstract: A system for controlling air bag deployment in vehicles includes the capability of accommodating varying inductants values in the air bag circuit. Wire harnesses that couple air bag components have varying characteristics, such as length, which affect the inductants value of the circuit. The inventive arrangement utilizes charge and discharge times of at least one capacitor for measuring the inductants of a particular circuit. The system includes a controller that accommodates the inductants by introducing an appropriate delay in the firing circuit signal to operate the air bag.