Abstract: A display system for sensing a finger of a user applied to the display system includes a display panel; a sensor for sensing the finger; a sensing light source configured to emit a first light having a first wavelength W1; and a reflective polarizer disposed between the display panel and the sensor. For a substantially normally incident light, an optical transmittance of the reflective polarizer versus wavelength for a first polarization state has a band edge such that for a first wavelength range extending from a smaller wavelength L1 to a greater wavelength L2 and including W1, where 30 nm?L2?L1?50 nm and L1 is greater than and within about 20 nm of a wavelength L3 corresponding to an optical transmittance of about 50% along the band edge, the optical transmittance has an average of greater than about 75%.

Abstract: A tubular gripping tool for gripping a tubular includes a housing; a mandrel disposed in the housing; a plurality of slips movable along the mandrel; and an engagement member disposed in the housing and movable relative to the mandrel, wherein the engagement member is configured to apply a force against the tubular.

Abstract: A tubular gripping tool for gripping a tubular includes a housing; a mandrel disposed in the housing; a plurality of slips movable along the mandrel; and an engagement member disposed in the housing and movable relative to the mandrel, wherein the engagement member is configured to apply a force against the tubular.

Abstract: A container (2) receives anhydrous material to be hydrated and hydrating fluids. The hydrating fluids are introduced into the container through a fluid port (8) by one or more containers having hydrating fluid. The hydrating fluids may be a mixture of fluids provided in any desired proportion. The hydrated material is then ejected from the container.

Abstract: Electric arc monitoring is effected by exploiting the discovery that electric arcs are fractal phenomena in that all essential information that signifies “arc” is contained in each fractal subset. These fractal subsets are logarithmically distributed over the arc spectrum. Monitoring of arcs is most advantageously effected on a fractal subset (16) of low logarithmic order where the amplitude is higher pursuant to the 1/f characteristic of electric arcs, where cross-induction among neighboring circuit is lower, and where travel between the arc (12) and the arc signature pickup (23) is longer than at the high frequencies customary for electric arc detection. Fractal subset transformation (17) reduces the danger of false alarms. Arc signature portions may be processed in out of phase paths (242, 342) or treated as modulated carriers (42) for monitoring.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for destroying snails avoid a cleanup problem by causing live snails to cannibalize snail carcasses. To this end, snail carcasses are provided in a trap which is made accessible to live snails for consumption of the snail carcasses. The trap preferably is of a collapsible type or is otherwise provided with first volume permitting entry of live snails into the trap, and is reducible to a second volume insufficient to accommodate live snails, whereby such live snails are crushed. Further live snails are then permitted to cannibalize the crushed snails by restoring the trap to its first volume for entry of the further live snails into the trap. The first volume may be reduced to the second volume against a bias, which is employed to restore the trap to its first volume. Operation of these methods and apparatus may be tied in with a sprinkler system or other apparatus for providing a pressurized medium from time to time.

Abstract: An anti-backlash nut assembly is disclosed for longitudinal movement along a screw which has an external thread thereon, in response to relative rotational movement between the nut assembly and the screw. The assembly includes a first nut part having an internal thread complementary to the external thread of the screw, and a second nut part also having an internal thread complementary to the external thread of the screw. A coil spring is interconnected between the first and second nut parts for applying torque thereto and rotatably biasing the nut parts together to eliminate backlash therebetween and improve the positional accuracy of the nut assembly along the screw. A cylindrical collar is sandwiched between a pair of opposed portions of the nut parts and surrounds the coil spring. With this structural combination, the anti-backlash nut assembly can be adjustably preloaded by relatively rotating the nut parts to selectively preload the coil spring to a desired torque.