Abstract: A gripper for an articulable arm of an automated processing tool is described that is suitable for picking and placing objects on a wire harness peg board. The gripper includes at least two spaced apart opposing grips. Each grip further includes spaced apart protrusions. The opposing grips and protrusions actuate between open and closed positions. When in the closed position the opposing grips are capable of enclosing a perimeter of an object and may further support an underside of the object. The gripper may further grip a wire so that the automated processing tool may orient the wire and apply a constant upward, downward or lateral tension on the wire.

Abstract: A system and method for managing a single premium whole life insurance policy with a rider for providing an accelerated benefit for covered long term care expenses. The system and method provides for accelerated benefits to be tracked and maintained as a lien against the death benefit of the single premium whole life insurance policy. The lien does not directly affect the face value of the single premium whole life insurance policy and permits dividends to continue to be earned from the whole life insurance policy. The lien is applied against the death benefit and serves to reduce the cash value provided should the policy be surrendered.

Abstract: A system and method for managing a whole life insurance policy with a rider for providing an accelerated benefit for covered long term care expenses. The system and method provides for accelerated benefits to be tracked and maintained as a lien against the death benefit of the whole life insurance policy. The lien does not directly affect the face value of the whole life insurance policy and permits dividends to continue to be earned from the whole life insurance policy. The lien is applied against the death benefit and serves to reduce the cash value provided should the policy be surrendered.

Abstract: An automatically and remotely operable retractable mooring cleat. The retractable cleat is mountable in a surface, such as the deck, of a marine vessel. A source of motive energy forms part of an actuation mechanism energisable by a user to extend or retract cleat members from the surface. The cleat members each travel along diverging paths as they extend and travel along the same respective paths as they are retracted. The cleat is thereby able to extricate itself from an attached mooring line as it retracts. Multiple retractable cleats may be positioned about a marine vessel, each of which is operable remotely to extend or retract. Single-handed launching of a moored vessel is therefore possible.

Abstract: An automatically and remotely operable retractable mooring cleat. The retractable cleat is mountable in a surface, such as the deck (80), of a marine vessel. A source of motive energy forms part of an actuation mechanism energisable by a user to extend or retract cleat members (1,2) from the surface. The cleat members (1,2) each travel along diverging paths as they extend and travel along the same respective paths as they are retracted. The cleat is thereby able to extricate itself from an attached mooring line as it retracts. Multiple retractable cleats may be positioned about a marine vessel, each of which is operable remotely to extend or retract. Single-handed launching of a moored vessel is therefore possible.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for enhancing the performance of a multi-stage pipeline in a digital processor. In one aspect, the stalling of multi-word (e.g. long immediate data) instructions on the word boundary is prevented by defining oversized or “atomic” instructions within the instruction set, thereby also preventing incomplete data fetch operations. In another aspect, the invention comprises delayed decode of breakpoint instructions within the core so as to remove critical path restrictions in the pipeline. In yet another aspect, the invention comprises a multi-function register disposed in the pipeline logic, the register including a bypass mode adapted to selectively bypass or “shortcut” subsequent logic, and return the result of a multi-cycle operation directly to a subsequent instruction requiring the result. Improved data cache integration and operation techniques, and apparatus for synthesizing logic implementing the aforementioned methodology are also disclosed.

Abstract: A lock for the locking of a sliding closure. The lock includes a housing (10) with a pair of hook shaped locking elements (11) which are mounted for counter-rotation within the housing. A handle (26) is mounted for rotation on the housing and is coupled to a gear wheel (23) which meshes with a pair of rack elements (30,32) which are located for sliding movement in the housing (10). A projection (34) from each rack element (30,32) engages in a curved slot (35) of the locking element (11). Consequently, rotation of the handle (26) results in a sliding movement of each of the racks (30,32) which causes the locking elements to move between a first position where the locking elements are substantially retracted in the housing (10) and a second position where the locking elements can latchingly engage with a strike.