Abstract: A pressure relief apparatus for an engine compartment having a wall and an opening in the wall is provided. The pressure relief apparatus includes a door panel arranged in blocking relationship to the opening in the wall of the engine compartment, a plurality of hinges coupling the door panel to an inner surface of the wall of the engine compartment, a spring assembly coupled between each hinge and the inner surface of the wall, wherein the spring assembly includes a canister having an open end and a spring element housed within the canister, and a support fitting mounted to the engine compartment wall and having a portion extending toward the open end of the canister for applying a compressive force on the spring element.

Abstract: A pressure relief apparatus for an engine compartment having a wall and an opening in the wall is provided. The pressure relief apparatus includes a door panel arranged in blocking relationship to the opening in the wall of the engine compartment, a plurality of hinges coupling the door panel to an inner surface of the wall of the engine compartment, a spring assembly coupled between each hinge and the inner surface of the wall, wherein the spring assembly includes a canister having an open end and a spring element housed within the canister, and a support fitting mounted to the engine compartment wall and having a portion extending toward the open end of the canister for applying a compressive force on the spring element.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention feature methods and apparatus for the efficient utilization of detectors and other components. The apparatus comprises a pump for receiving and propelling one or more samples in a fluid path. The apparatus further comprises a valve element in fluid communication with the pump for receiving the samples from the pump and directing the sample along one fluid path selected from a group. The group comprises a delay path comprising a delay volume, and a chromatography assembly having at least one chromatography column. The apparatus further comprises a detector or grouping of detectors in fluid communication with the delay path and the chromatography assembly for detecting compounds of interest to allow a single detector or single grouping of detectors to receive samples from the two fluid paths.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing material includes a dispenser housing having a material track therein. A dispenser/cutter mechanism contained within the housing includes a trigger handle for activating the dispenser/cutter mechanism. The trigger handle is spring-biased to a non-compressed position, and is shiftable to a tape-cutting position and to a compressed position. A dispensing roller is activated by the trigger handle. A dispensing pawl is operatively located between the trigger handle and the dispenser roller, and the material is trained over the dispenser roller and is moved thereover by the action of the trigger handle. An anti-rebound pawl holds the dispensing roller in a fixed position when the trigger handle is moved to its compressed position. A cam-activated cutting blade is activated by the trigger handle when the trigger handle is moved to its tape-cutting position.

Abstract: An apparatus for winding wire upon a reel or spool includes a support for receiving the reel thereon. A spindle arm coupled to the reel support is received within an annular bearing surface of a spindle support for rotation about an axis through the annular bearing surface. A drive member, such as a Kelly Bar provided on a boom of a digger/derrick truck, may be received within a bore associated with the spindle to rotate the spindle and reel support. A reel supported on the reel support is thereby rotated to wind wire onto the reel.

Abstract: A stand for supporting one end of an elongate structural member, such as a utility pole, a distance off of the ground includes first and second pairs of legs and a cradle configured to engage a circumference of the elongate structural member. The first and second pairs of legs are movable relative to one another, from a nested configuration to a working configuration. In the nested configuration, the second legs are positioned generally between the first legs so that the stand has a generally flat profile that is convenient for storage and transporting the stand to a work site. The legs can be moved to the working configuration when it is desired to support a utility pole or other elongate structural member thereon.

Abstract: A web stop button may utilize plastic deflection to provide more secure and reliable attachment to a seat belt. The web stop button may have a first button member and a second button member. The first and second button members may each have multiple pieces attached together via crimping or the like. Protrusions extend from the first button member and plastically deflect within the second member in response to force urging the first and second members together. The protrusions may be capable of piercing the seat belt strap and/or a portion of the second button member. Plastic caps may be used on one or both of the button members to provide a larger web stop button and enhanced trim color matching capability. The second button member is shaped to induce the plastic deflection, and may therefore have a simple domed shape or a more complex, generally toroidal domed shape.

Abstract: A human-powered, ride-on vehicle, includes a main longitudinal frame member having a steering/drive mechanism mounted thereon for oscillating movement; a driven rear wheel having an axle, a rear sprocket operatively fixed to the rear wheel for coastable engagement therewith; a pair of spaced apart, steerable front wheel located adjacent the other end of the main longitudinal frame member and operatively connected to the steering/drive mechanism; wherein, the steering/drive mechanism include: a teeter arm mounted to the main longitudinal frame member intermediate the ends thereof for pivoting movement in a fore direction and an aft direction; a drive mechanism including first and second drive linkages, wherein the first drive linkage provides a motive force to the driven rear wheel during a first power stroke and the second drive linkage provides a motive force to the driven rear wheel during a second power stroke, and wherein, for equal movement of the teeter arm in the for and aft directions, the motive forc

Abstract: The invention relates to compositions, kits, and methods for detecting, characterizing, preventing, and treating human Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). A variety of newly-identified markers are provided, wherein changes in the levels of expression of one or more of the markers is correlated with RA.

Abstract: A human-powered ride-on vehicle for a rider includes an integrated body/frame element having a seat for the rider formed thereon; a pair of spaced-apart front wheels mounted to the body/frame element, wherein at least one of the front wheels is driven by the rider; a rear wheel mounted on the body/frame; and a steering mechanism to steer said the wheel, wherein the steering mechanism includes a control stick mounted for shifting movement; and a linkage between the control stick and the rear wheel is operable to shift the rear wheel in a predetermined direction corresponding to the control stick when the control stick is shifted.

Abstract: A canister endwall for use as part of a reaction canister of an airbag module for securing an airbag inflator. The airbag inflator has a cylindrical inflator sidewall of a predetermined diameter that ends in a tapered portion of the inflator sidewall that tapers radially inwardly to one end of the airbag inflator having an inflator flange. The inflator flange extends radially outwardly from the tapered portion of the inflator sidewall but has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the inflator sidewall. The canister endwall has an inner edge defining an airbag inflator mounting hole and a truncated conical array of a plurality of resilient fingers extending from the inner edge.

Abstract: A one-piece molded plastic retainer is employed to hold each of two opposed edges of an airbag mouth in engagement with a reaction canister. The retainer is sewn, or otherwise secured, in the airbag mouth and includes a rod carrying a pair of integral discs which snap-fit into rails in a diffuser plate. The rails are thereafter slid into channels in the reaction canister. The rod includes a stiffening rib to resist stresses imposed during assembly and during bag deployment.

Abstract: An optical module for an optically based measurement system, such as an electro-optic system (10) for measuring electrical characteristics of a device under test (14), has a probe arm (26), a layer of electro-optic material (27), and a first optical system for delivering a measurement beam (44) to the layer and for producing therefrom an information-carrying beam having optical characteristics indicative of the electric characteristics. The first optical system includes a first lens (128), and (optional) polarization bias adjustment (130), a dichroic beamsplitter (112), and a second lens (114). The module also has a second optical system for delivering an observation beam (66) through the layer and onto a portion (68) of the device and for forming from rays (69) stemming from the observation beam a light pattern (70) indicative of the portion. The information-carrying beam is analyzed in a polarization analysis module into component beams (136, 138) in respective linearly independent polarization states.

Abstract: An optical time domain reflectometry method and apparatus that employs Hadamard transforms to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. A sequence of N pulses of light corresponding to a Hadamard derived code are launched down a fiber optic cable for each of N such codes. Selected combinations of pulses of reflected light are transformed by a Hadamard derived matrix to a set of equations that are solved simultaneously to determine the power reflected from each of N points. Where a Hadamard code is used the average mean square error is reduced by a factor of 1/N. Where a simplex code is employed the average mean square error is reduced by a factor of 4N/(1+N).sup.2. In addition, N measurements of the power reflected at each point are computed and averaged.

Abstract: In a process for removing iodide compounds from a liquid composition comprising carboxylic acids having 2 to 6 carbon atoms or anhydrides thereof, by passing the liquid composition through a silver, mercury, palladium and/or rhodium-exchanged strong acid cation exchange resin, prior to contacting with the metal-exchanged resin the composition is contacted with a cation exchanger in the acid form to remove at least a portion of the metal ion contaminants in the liquid composition which have been found to displace the silver, mercury, palladium and/or rhodium from the metal-exchanged resin.

Abstract: A process for removing iodide derivatives from liquid acetic acid and/or acetic anhydride comprises contacting the liquid acetic acid and/or acetic anhydride with a strong acid cation exchange resin having from about 4% to about 12% crosslinking, a surface area in the proton exchanged form of less than 10m.sup.2 g.sup.-1 after drying from the water wet state and a surface area of greater than 10m.sup.2 g.sup.-1 after drying from a wet state in which water has been replaced by methanol. The resin has at least one percent of its active sites converted to the silver form preferably from 30 to 70 percent.

Abstract: An improved liquid-phase process for preparing carboxylic acids having (n+1) carbon atoms by rhodium catalyzed carbonylation of an alcohol having n carbon atoms is provided. The process is particularily suitable for preparing acetic acid from methanol in commercial carbonylation reactors operating at steady-state with a low standing quantity of water (e.g. 0.5 to 5% by weight). The improvement lies in carrying out the carbonylation in the presence of an iodide stabilizer (e.g. lithium iodide) and a Group VI B metal costabiliser. The process can optionally be carried out in the presence of hydrogen.

Abstract: A crushable, composite, columnar, self-stabilized structure for absorbing energy by progressively reacting compression forces along the axis of the structure. The compression failure initiates at one end and progresses to the second end of the stiffener in a controlled fashion in that at any cross section, the local compression strength at that point is less than the general stability strength of the remaining structure.

Abstract: A device for marking the point of impact of a golf ball on the face of a golf club. The marker (8) is comprised of an outer translucent sheet (10) which adheres to an underlying sheet (18) in areas where pressure is applied such as that resulting from the impact color of the underlying sheet (18) is visible through the translucent outer sheet (10), thus producing a visible indication of the point of outer translucent sheet (10) and thus breaking the adherence between it and the underlying sheet (18). The marker is attached to the face of a golf club by a layer of adhesive (20) on the back of the marker. This layer of adhesive is covered by the protective sheet (22) prior to installation of the device. A pressure-sensitive adhesive coating (29) enables the sheet (10) to adhere to the sheet 18.

Abstract: A polarization insensitive optical attenuator (10,40) uses a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film (14,56) to provide attenuation control over a wide range of attenuation values. The attenuator has a relatively low minimum attenuation and reliable light transmission with minimal insertion loss. The present invention is also adaptable for use with a temperature controller (200) that stabilizes the PDLC film, which promotes more uniform, predictable attenuation values.