Abstract: A vacuum process apparatus includes a convey chamber having a plurality of loading/unloading ports and an airtight structure kept in a vacuum when a target object is conveyed, at least one preliminary vacuum chamber connected to the convey chamber through a loading/unloading port, a plurality of vacuum process chambers connected to the convey chamber through the loading/unloading ports and each having a vacuum process mechanism, a plurality of gate valves for opening/closing the plurality of loading/unloading ports, and a multi-joint arm member, arranged in the convey chamber, for conveying the target object between the convey chamber and the vacuum process chambers, and between the convey chamber and the preliminary chamber. The convey chamber is evacuated through a bearing for a pivot shaft of the multi-joint arm member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for determining the presence or absence of a target analyte in a liquid sample, comprising:(i) a container capable of accommodating the liquid sample and having a transparent portion; and(ii) an insertion member which is capable of being inserted into the container comprising;a porous member which has a main surface and a reverse surface and which has on the main surface a substance capable of specifically binding to the target analyte; andan absorbent bonded to the reverse surface of the porous member;the porous member being supported in the insertion member whereby, when the insertion member is inserted into the container, the main surface can be observed from the outside of the container through the transparent portion of the vessel and the liquid sample is absorbed into the absorbent through the porous member.According to the analyzer of the present invention, the presence or absence of a target analyte in a sample can be easily determined.

Abstract: To cut a workpiece along two different cutting directions, the band saw teeth are set in a first vertical cutting direction by a band saw guide device and then the cutting head (CH) is moved frontward, for instance; thereafter, the band saw teeth are twisted toward a second vertical cutting direction by the same guide device and then the cutting head is moved to-and-fro, for instance. The machine is effectively usable in cutting off a test piece from a large workpiece. To improve the cutting precision, various novel devices are incorporated, such as a balance cylinder (B-CYL) for allowing the cutting head to move up and down smoothly; two back-and-forth cylinders (BF-CYL) for moving the cutting head back and forth in symmetrical pressure application; cutting head fix device (FD); a rigid guide column; band saw holding device (BSH); a slidable small-diameter driven wheel arranged within the cutting head (CH), etc.

Abstract: A method for conveying a long workpiece to a cutting machine includes the steps of conveying a long workpiece laterally to a feed conveyor positioned in parallel with the path line of the cutting machine by a cross conveyor extending in the lateral direction of the workpiece; stopping the cross conveyor when a workpiece reaches a regulating member provided above the cross conveyor, in a line parallel to the path line of the cutting machine; moving the feed conveyor with respect to the cutting machine path line in response to the workpiece width so that the feed conveyor is located at a position for selectively scooping up the workpiece; moving at least one of the feed conveyor or the cross conveyor in the vertical direction so that the workpiece is selectively loaded on the feed conveyor; and conveying the loaded workpiece to the cutting machine by the feed conveyor.

Abstract: To cut a workpiece along two different cutting directions, the band saw teeth are set horizontally by a band saw guide device and then the cutting head (CH) is moved frontward, for instance; thereafter, the band saw teeth are twisted downward by the same guide device and then the cutting head is moved downward. The machine is effectively usable in cutting off a test piece from a large workpiece. To improve the cutting precession, various novel devices are incorporated, such as a balance cylinder (B-CYL) for allowing the cutting head to move up and down smoothly; two back-and-forth cylinders (BF-CYL) for moving the cutting head back and forth in symmetrical pressure application; cutting head fix device (FD); a rigid guide column; band saw holding device (BSH); a slidable small-diameter driven wheel arranged within the cutting head (CH), etc.

Abstract: A fully automatic white balance control circuit which is sensitive to changes in the ambient or incident illumination as well as to changes in the object being viewed includes a main photo-sensor having a video output from which three primary color signals are derived, three external or incident light sensing elements having spectral characteristics the same as those of the main photo-sensor for the three primary colors, three capacitors for converting output currents from the three external light sensing elements to respective voltages, a voltage comparator for comparing a voltage across at least the one capacitor corresponding to green light with a reference voltage, and three sample-and-hold circuits for sampling and holding voltages from the three capacitors, respectively.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for controlling the raising and lowering of a cutting head assembly of a horizontal bandsaw machine. The apparatus comprises a sensing member for sensing the top surface of a workpiece to be cut and an actuating device which is operatively coupled to the sensing member. The actuating device switches from a first state to a second state when the sensing member senses the top surface of the workpiece. A carrier device is operatively coupled to the actuator wherein the position of the carrier is movable with respect to the cutting edge of the blade of the bandsaw when the actuator is in the first state and the position of the carrier is fixed with respect to the cutting edge of the bandsaw when the actuator is in the second state.