Abstract: An Employee Performance Return on Investment (EP-ROI) tool helps a customer decide where to make investments in workplace design features to optimize employee performance and, thus, maximize the impacts on the financial productivity of the organization. The EP-ROI tool considers many factors in illustrating the impact on predicted business outcome values given various levels of investment in workplace design features. For example, the EP-ROI tool considers the customer's workplace environment type, such as a call center or professional\office, and the customer's remodeling or construction project type when developing the predicted business outcome values. In addition, the EP-ROI tool considers a customer's employee job types and their associated work process characteristics in reaching the predicted business outcome values.

Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and methods for the synthesis of combinatorial chemical libraries. The apparatus comprises a plurality of reaction vessels having an inner surface, an outer surface, a first opening, and a second opening. An agitator is contained within each of the reaction vessels for stimulating liquid circulation within the vessels. The apparatus has a common gas line having a plurality of gas outlet ports, where each of the reaction vessels has at least one gas outlet port positioned to feed into the vessel. The apparatus also has a common liquid line having a plurality of liquid outlet ports, where each of the reaction vessels has at least one liquid outlet port positioned to feed into the vessel. Each reaction vessel also has at least one valve coupled to the second opening on the vessel.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for harvesting bone using a manual, cylindrical, multi-directional coring device with a guided delivery system that can be inserted through a percutaneous or closed approach to extract precisely measured amounts of bone or bone marrow. A series of guide wires, obturators, dilators and cannulas are used as the exposure and delivery instrumentation for a cutting tool. The cutting tool has a tip with six cutting edges for cutting in all directions.

Abstract: A Control circuit for a differential scanning calorimeter which includes a sample heater, a reference heater, a system for generating a sample heater DC voltage and a system for generating a reference heater DC voltage. A balanced operational amplifier arrangement is provided which includes a circuit for controlling the differential heater voltage and a circuit for independently controlling the average heater voltage, so that the average heater power and the differential heater power are independently controlled.

Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing the dielectric properties of a sample. A thin planar sample having a hole therein is positioned over two bottom electrodes having the hole over one of the bottom electrodes. An oscillator provides a first signal to one of the bottom electrodes and a second signal 180.degree. out of phase with the first signal to the second bottom electrode. A differential signal is obtained on the top electrode representative of the dielectric properties of the sample with the elimination of edge effects. A phase sensitive demodulator synchronized with the oscillator extracts the two components of the conductance and susceptance of the sample. A position sensor measures the thickness of the sample and is used to calculate the dielectric constant of the sample. Thereby, an accurate measurement of the dielectric properties of the sample is obtained without a complicated structure in order to eliminate edge effects.

Abstract: A high impedance current source includes a voltage to current transducer having positive and negative inputs with an output current passed through a monitor resistor. Matched resistances are connected from both sides of the monitor resistor back to the positive and negative inputs to the transducer. Matched resistances are also connected between the positive and negative inputs and a common base, and the control voltage is applied across the inputs through matched resistances. The circuit is preferably utilized to provide current to a circuit utilized in differential calorimetry.

Abstract: A circuit for differential calorimetry includes a pair of resistance elements in a bridge circuit. Separate DC heating currents are effected in each element by high impedance current sources. An AC voltage is applied to the bridge. In measuring AC differental voltage between the elements, the DC is filtered out. The filtered AC differential voltage is fed back to effect a current differential between the heating currents to null the differential temperature causing the differential voltage. A similarly filtered average AC voltage on the elements is compared with a reference voltage, and the resulting error voltage is fed back to control the average of the heating currents. A very high impedance current source includes a voltage-current transducer with an output of a heating current passed through a monitor resistor, with matched resistances from both sides of the monitor connected back to positive and negative inputs to the transducer, and a control voltage applied across the inputs.

Abstract: A mower deck height adjustment mechanism having a frame coupled to a rear base unit having driven wheels. Ground engaging wheels support the frame, and a deck is coupled to the frame. A crank handle is coupled to a transverse bar that is fixed to a lower parallel member. The operator turns the crank handle to pivot the bar and lower parallel member to thereby raise and lower the front of the deck. A bell crank couples the rear of the deck to the crank handle. The bell crank is carried by and shifts vertically with a connecting member supported by the front of the deck. As the front of the deck shifts vertically, the connecting member, bell crank, and rear portion of the deck also shift vertically. The bell crank is also operatively coupled with the bar for pivoting therewith, which also causes the rear portion of the deck to shift vertically.

Abstract: A mower control linkage having a double ended dead man control lever, left and right steering control levers, and a linkage interconnecting said levers with left and right transmission mechanisms. The linkage has swingable left and right are members that adjust the transmission mechanisms between braked, clutch disengaged and driven modes. The arm members arm connected to the dead man control lever via a lost motion coupling and are each linked with respective steering control levers. As the dead man control lever is depressed, both arm members are placed in a driven mode, and either steering control lever can then be depressed to shift the respective arm member to its braked mode to execute a turn about that wheel.

Abstract: In an electrical circuitry a sinusoidal wave to and an associated wave with the same frequency are represented by square waves which are combined to form pulsed time signals representing a phase difference for each half cycle. A pair of analog switches are receptive of the control voltage and responsive to the respective time signals, to feed a switched output to an integrating capacitor such that successive voltage levels are effected in proportion to the time signals and the control voltage. Sample hold modules receptive of the voltage levels effect a steady voltage output representative of average phase shift independently of operating frequency and any time-varying DC level in the associated wave. The sinusoidal wave is generated by combining a triangular wave with an alternating wave equal in magnitude to about half of the square of the triangular wave. The triangular wave is generated with a control voltage proportional to the operating frequency.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an edger with a belt braking device, including a belt driving device and a cutter blade, which are arranged at the side of an edger vehicle. A bearing housing portion of the cutter blade is provided for forward and rearward movement, a belt cover for covering the whole driving belt is fixed to the edger vehicle, and a belt braking device is arranged between the front end of the belt cover and the front driven pulley, whereby performing ON-OFF operation of a clutch and engagement/ disengagement of a brake simultaneously is enabled. In this way, the fixed belt cover can be compact and the operation for changing of working conditions can be simplified.

Abstract: The present invention provides an edger wherein a cutter device is arranged on one side of an edger frame, the position of a front wheel is adjustable, the position of one of the rear wheels situated on the other side of the edger frame is also adjustable, and a mechanism for changing the position of the front wheel as well as changing the position of the rear wheel is performed by a single control lever at the operator's station. With this arrangement, the adjustment of the depth of the cutter and the adjustment for maintaining the edger in a horizontal condition when the edger is driven on a curbstone can be easily effected by the operator.

Abstract: A thermomechanical analysis apparatus includes a probe assembly supported in substantially weightless contact with a sample material over a range of displacement of the probe by means of a linear motor controlled from a constant current source. The probe assembly is automatically weighed by measuring and storing the value of the current needed to raise the probe, that value is thereafter employed during the analysis mode to maintain the probe assembly in a substantially weightless condition.

Abstract: A hitch linkage for hitching an implement to a front mount riding mower including a plurality of hitch arms detachably mounted to the lift arms of the riding mower. A cross-link is pivotally mounted between the hitch arms. The support struts of a support wheel are fixably mounted to the cross-link. A cylinder selectively pivots the cross-link to raise or lower the support wheel. When the support wheel is lowered into ground engaging position, the support wheel is leading to the drive wheels of the riding mower during implement transport.

Abstract: A liquid level sensor includes a sensor coil co-axially positioned within a heater coil. Preferably, the sensor is coiled on a core of thin-walled stainless steel tubing to minimize the thermal conductivity along the axis thereof. The probe provides a continuous measurement of the level of a liquid due to the difference in thermal conductivity between the vapor and the liquid within the reservoir.

Abstract: A differential scanning calorimeter includes a baseline correction apparatus which simultaneously corrects for both linear and curvilinear heat flow variation between the sample and reference holders.

Abstract: A transmission control mechanism for a vehicle having a dual hydrostatic transmission vehicle drive system having a first and second lever mounted to respective displacement control rods of transmission pump units. A cross member communicates with the levers via connecting rods. A steering column is mounted to the cross member. The steering column is mounted in the vehicle such that it can experience simultaneous rotational and pivotal motion. Pivoting of the steering column causes the pump units to displace with a constant relative displacement, and rotation of the steering column causes the pumps to displace with a differential relative displacement.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing the leakage current error from a resistance furnace includes a grounded electrically conductive member, an electrically insulating, thermally conductive member adjacent thereto, which thermally conductive member is contacted by a thermocouple junction.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for harvesting bone using a manual, cylindrical, multi-directional coring device with a guided delivery system that can be inserted through a percutaneous or closed approach to extract precisely measured amounts of bone or bone marrow. A series of guide wires, obturators, dilators and cannulas are used as the exposure and delivery instrumentation for a cutting tool. The cutting tool has a tip with six cutting edges for cutting in all directions.