Abstract: Apparatus and methods for use in the manufacture of a spring unit for incorporation into an upholstered article, for example, a mattress, cushion or the like. Coil formation apparatus includes a drive shaft used to control movement of a coil pitch guide member and a link member comprising a connecting rod connected to a radius arm of the drive shaft by means of an adjustable connection. A coil interlinking process comprises compressing a first coil to define a clearance extending a second coil passed the first coil via the clearance, allowing the first coil to extend across the clearance, and contracting the second coil such that the second coil engages the first coil thereby interlinking the first and second coils. Spring unit manufacturing apparatus comprises a plurality of jaw pairs each comprising a first fixed jaw and a pivotal second jaw, the pivotal second jaw being pivoted by a cam and linkage assembly that is operated by a rotary drive shaft.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for requesting an allocation of memory to be a backing store for architectural state information of a processor and storing the architectural state information in the backing store using an application. In this manner, the backing store and processor enhancements using information in the backing store may be transparent to an operating system. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for use in the manufacture of a spring unit for incorporation into an upholstered article, for example, a mattress, cushion or the like. Coil formation apparatus includes a drive shaft used to control movement of a coil pitch guide member and a link member comprising a connecting rod connected to a radius arm of the drive shaft by means of an adjustable connection. A coil interlinking process comprises compressing a first coil to define a clearance extending a second coil passed the first coil via the clearance, allowing the first coil to extend across the clearance, and contracting the second coil such that the second coil engages the first coil thereby interlinking the first and second coils. Spring unit manufacturing apparatus comprises a plurality of jaw pairs each comprising a first fixed jaw and a pivotal second jaw, the pivotal second jaw being pivoted by a cam and linkage assembly that is operated by a rotary drive shaft.

Abstract: A machine-readable medium may have stored thereon an instruction, which when executed by a machine causes the machine to perform a method. The method may include combining a first operand of the instruction and a second operand of the instruction to produce a result. The result may be encrypted using a key in accordance with an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm to produce an encrypted result. The method may also include placing the encrypted result in a location of the first operand of the instruction.

Abstract: A technique to modify a timer. More particularly, at least one embodiment of the invention relates to a technique to modify a timer value without the timer advancing by a significant amount.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for steering SMM code region accesses are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a status indicator, a base storage location, and an abort storage location. The status indicator is to indicate whether the apparatus is operating in SMM. The base storage location is to store a base address and the abort storage location is to store an abort address. The base address is to specify a first memory address region at which SMM code is to be accessed. The abort address is to specify a second memory address region to which accesses to the first memory address region are to be steered if the apparatus is not operating in SMM.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for requesting an allocation of memory to be a backing store for architectural state information of a processor and storing the architectural state information in the backing store using an application. In this manner, the backing store and processor enhancements using information in the backing store may be transparent to an operating system. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the automatic insertion of an individual upholstery tuft (3) and washer (1) from a plurality of connected tufts (4) and a plurality of connected washers (2) into an upholstered article. The apparatus has a cutting blade (35) to separate an individual tuft (3) from the plurality of connected tufts (4). The turf (3) is then engaged by a pair of arms (27, 28) and fed into a tuft insertion needle (14). The arms are connected to automatic washer feed apparatus which feeds an individual washer (1) from the plurality of connected washers (2) and aligns it with the tuft insertion needle (14) ready for insertion. The insertion needle (14) is pneumatically actuated to force the tuft (3) through the washer (1), into the upholstered article, release the tuft (3) and subsequently withdraw the needle (14) from the article.

Abstract: A method of coloring thermoplastic olefin resins and pulverizing resin pellets in a single step involving the steps of metering liquid coloring onto resin pellets and then passing the combination of liquid color and resin pellets into a mill blender. The liquid color is metered onto the plastic pellets at a rate of from less than 0.2% to less than 1.0% by weight of the plastic pellets. The mill blender receives the combination of plastic pellets and liquid color and pulverizes the mixture to produce a colored thermoplastic resin powder that is suitable for subsequent processing, such as roto-molding or slush-molding.

Abstract: An apparatus for blending polymer powder and pigment inside of a blender that heats the polymer through agitation of the blending process. The apparatus includes a control scheme that monitors the condition of the powder and discharges the powder from the blender just before the powder reaches its melting point. The apparatus monitors the flowability of the powder as well as the temperature. As an additional method of controlling the temperature inside of the blender, the blending speed can be varied by virtue of a variable speed motor that is attached to the blender.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser device is disclosed in which the device comprises one or more ion-implanted regions as a means to decrease the occurrence of device failures attributable to dark-line defects. The ion-implanted regions, which are formed between the laser gain cavity and the regions of probable dark-line defect origination, serve to modify the electrical, optical, and mechanical properties of the device lattice structure, thus reducing or eliminating the propagation of dark-line defects emanating from constituent defects or bulk material imperfections which may be present in the device.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor laser device is disclosed in which the device comprises one or more ion-implanted regions as a means to decrease the occurrence of device failures attributable to dark-line defects. The ion-implanted regions, which are formed between the laser gain cavity and the regions of probable dark-line defect origination, serve to modify the electrical, optical, and mechanical properties of the device lattice structure, thus reducing or eliminating the propagation of dark-line defects emanating from constituent defects or bulk material imperfections which may be present in the device.