Abstract: A crossover conveyor system that allows people to safely cross over a portion of a conveyor line is disclosed. The crossover conveyor system includes a frame that has at least a first side member and a second side member. A plurality of rollers may be connected between the first and second side members. A first and second drive shaft may be connected between the first and second side members at opposing ends of the frame. At least one endless belt extends or wraps around an upper surface of the frame, the rollers and the first and second drive shaft. A drive belt may be connected with a drive mechanism. Pressure rollers are included for constantly applying pressure to the drive belt or selectively applying pressure to the drive belt. The drive belt is located between the endless belt and the pressure rollers such that when the drive mechanism rotates the drive belt and the endless belt rotates.

Abstract: A radiometer includes a sighting system that generates a digital image of an object surface having an area that is to be imaged onto the IR detector. A shape outline is overlaid on the digital image of an object surface to indicate the extent of the energy zone that is imaged onto the IR detector. A rangefinder measures the distance between the radiometer and the object surface and the measured distance is utilized to determine the size of the overlaid shape.

Abstract: A caster and leg assembly for supporting a piece of furniture on a floor. The assembly includes a caster affixed within a recessed area formed in the bottom of a wooden or plastic furniture leg to create a strong support for the furniture as well as create a good appearance. The caster has at least one spherical roller supported within the housing to allow the furniture to be readily movable omnidirectionally. With one spherical roller, the weight of the furniture acts at the center of the spherical roller. In one embodiment, there are three spherical rollers located equidistant from the vertical center line of the assembly to support the furniture weight equally by the spherical rollers. A glide can be readily attached and detached from the bottom of the caster and, when attached, the glide cup covers the spherical rollers and presents a flat, planar bottom surface.

Abstract: Haloacetamide antimicrobial agents are stabilized in an aqueous suspension by the use of a substantially acetate-free xanthan gum suspending agent together with a buffering agent comprising a combination of sodium acetate and acetic acid effective to maintain a pH of 1 to 5.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a vending machine comprising a cabinet with at least one support bracket fixed within the cabinet and a shelf slidingly interacting with at least one support bracket so as to move along a first direction between a first position and a second position. The cabinet may also include an auxiliary support arranged to pivot about an axis extending substantially parallel to the first direction so as to support the shelf in a tilted position, when the shelf is in the second position.

Abstract: A vending machine is provided with a cabinet having a plurality of inclined, vertically spaced shelves. The shelves are able to selectively feed a beverage container to an elevator which is located adjacent an interior, right side wall of the cabinet of vending machine. A beverage container is dispensed by an escapement block of a shelf onto the elevator. The elevator vertically moves the beverage container, and then dispenses the beverage container to a delivery mechanism which gently lowers the beverage container to a delivery port which communicates with the exterior of the vending machine. The shelves in the cabinet are readily reconfigurable such that their vertical spacing within the cabinet can be easily altered. The escapement blocks of the shelves are mechanically activated to dispense a beverage container by an activation device on the elevator. Thus, electrical power and control signals for the individual shelves are not necessary.

Abstract: A vending machine is provided with a cabinet having a plurality of inclined, vertically spaced shelves. The shelves are able to selectively feed a beverage container to an elevator which is located adjacent an interior, right side wall of the cabinet of vending machine. A beverage container is dispensed by an escapement block of a shelf onto the elevator. The elevator vertically moves the beverage container, and then dispenses the beverage container to a delivery mechanism which gently lowers the beverage container to a delivery port which communicates with the exterior of the vending machine. The shelves in the cabinet are readily reconfigurable such that their vertical spacing within the cabinet can be easily altered. The escapement blocks of the shelves are mechanically activated to dispense a beverage container by an activation device on the elevator. Thus, electrical power and control signals for the individual shelves are not necessary.

Abstract: A vending machine is provided with a cabinet having a plurality of inclined, vertically spaced shelves. The shelves are able to selectively feed a beverage container to an elevator which is located adjacent an interior, right side wall of the cabinet of vending machine. A beverage container is dispensed by an escapement block of a shelf onto the elevator. The elevator vertically moves the beverage container, and then dispenses the beverage container to a delivery mechanism which gently lowers the beverage container to a delivery port which communicates with the exterior of the vending machine. The shelves in the cabinet are readily reconfigurable such that their vertical spacing within the cabinet can be easily altered. The escapement blocks of the shelves are mechanically activated to dispense a beverage container by an activation device on the elevator. Thus, electrical power and control signals for the individual shelves are not necessary.

Abstract: Therapeutic agents comprising plural therapeutic compounds self assembled into high axial ratio microstructures are described. The threapeutic compounds satisfy the formula HARFM-Th, wherein HARFM is a high axial ratio forming material and Th is a therapeutic associated with the HARFM. The therapeutic agent also can satisfy the formula HARFM-S-Th, wherein S is a spacer. Release of the therapeutic by the agent generally follows either 0-order kinetics or psuedofirst order kinetics. A method for delivering drugs to animals or persons also is described. The method comprises administering an effective amount of a therapeutic self-assembled into an HAR microstructure to the animal or person.

Abstract: An improved ratio type infrared thermometer utilizes integrating amplifiers for each waveband having the integration time automatically set so that the output voltage utilizes the full range of an analog to digital convertor. The gain and offset of the amplifiers is not ambient temperature dependent so accurate digital representations of the signal for each waveband are provided. The linearized output of each detector is optionally provided so that special or proprietary algorithms for computing the temperature of colored objects can be utilized. A special feature for downloading of updated new programs utilizes a "programming jumper" and an attenuation warning signal is provided for selected levels of attenuation.

Abstract: A cable system having a coaxial cable and a plurality of twisted wire pairs and optical fibers has the capacity to carry a broad range of telephonic, video and demodulated data signal information in addition to optical signals. The cable is suitable for long distance telephonic, video and optical signals as well as transmitting signals directly into the home or office of an end user. In addition, the cable is suitable for use in local all-optical networks and for long distance and broad network all-optical cable systems of the future.

Abstract: A folding wing hand launch glider having two modes of operation is disclosed. In one mode of operation a portion of the wings are retracted and so produce a reduced air resistance and lift, while in the other mode of operation the wings are fully outstretched so that the airplane glides. The first mode of operation is used for launching the glider and the second mode of operation represents normal flight. The outer tip portions of the wing is hinged and said portions are released to their fully outstretched positions, such as by command from radio control means after the glider is launched.

Abstract: A method for the implosive consolidation into a solid body of a mass of free particles, which mass consists, selectively, entirely of amorphous particles, or a mixture of amorphous and nonamorphous particles. During the consolidation act, pressure and temperature are controlled in a manner which assures that the consolidated amorphous particles in the solid body exhibit substantially the same amorphous characteristics as those displayed by the unconsolidated, free amorphous particles.

Abstract: A depthwise-oriented capacitor comprises a cluster of separate, parallel, narrow elongated oppositely-doped conductive regions extending depthwise into a semiconductor substrate, for example, in an integrated circuit. The conductive regions can be parallel plates, but are preferably column shaped. The conductive regions are formed by ion implanting or diffusing a dopant into the substrate in a direction aligned with a crystallographic channel thereof to facilitate maximum ion penetration. P-type regions form one pole of the capacitor and N-type regions interspersed among the p-type regions form the opposite pole. Doping concentrations within the regions are sufficient to establish metal-like electric field boundary conditions. The bulk of the substrate containing the conductive regions is either near-intrinsic or semi-insulative so that the semiconductor material between the conductive regions is substantially nonconductive.

Abstract: Recognizing and counting geometrically distant objects, such as objects of a particular morphological type (e.g., reticulated red blood cells), located in a field of objects of varying types is disclosed. Coherent light is directed toward a monolayer of objects of various types. The light scattered by the objects is collected by a collecting lens and forms a composite Fourier spectrum at the focal plane of the lens. The Fourier spectrum is selectively analyzed on the basis that each object creates a unique portion of the composite Fourier spectrum, and that a family of objects that are geometrically similar have additive spectrums, when their population is large, randomly located, and nonoverlapping. The analysis is performed by making intensity measurements at radial points in the Fourier plane, weighting the measurements, and summing the result. The radial points and weighting factors are determined using regression techniques.

Abstract: A method of forming a minimum mean-square error linear filter photographically is disclosed.The optimum filter may be obtained photographically. In one form, a first photographic negative of a monolayer of cells having a high percentage of cells of the given type is made at the focal plane of a transforming lens mounted so as to collect the light scattered by the monolayer; and, developed for a gamma of unity. Thereafter, a second photographic negative is made at the same focal plane of a monolayer of cells containing a normal percentage of cells of the given type using the first negative as a filter. The second negative is developed for a gamma of two. The resulting photographic plate is a realization of the desired optimum (minimum mean-square error linear) filter.

Abstract: Circuitry operative to adjust the reference level of a sensing circuit by varying the energizing input to the sensing circuit inversely with respect to variations in the normal output of the sensing circuit. The adjustment circuit is preferably normally de-energized, and is operative to effect the desired adjustment to the energizing input of the sensing circuit within a fraction of a second after simultaneous energization and reception of a first input signal. The adjustment circuit is further operative upon receiving a second input signal to decrease the energizing input and thereby increase the sensitivity of the sensing circuit.

Abstract: Cells of a given type spread among an ensemble of cells of various types are identified and, if desired, counted. Coherent light is directed toward a monolayer of cells of various types. The light scattered by the monolayer of cells is collected by a lens and the collected light is filtered by an optimum filter located in the focal plane of the lens. The optimum filter is a minimum mean-square error linear filter which suppresses light scattered by cells other than the given type of cell whereby the light scattered by the given type is enhanced. The intensity of the light passed by the optimum filter is related to the number of cells of the given type contained in the monolayer of cells. If desired, a second lens may be used to collect the filtered light and focus it toward an integrating and squaring detector.The optimum filter may be obtained photographically.