Abstract: A process for treating a bentonite having a montmorillonite content of at least 85% which, when activated with sodium ions dried and ground, does not swell more than about 2.5-fold when gradually added to deionised water at room temperature and when crushed dried and calcined to an LoI of less than 4% at 190° C. absorbs 16 to 22% by weight of water in a controlled environment at 25° C. and a relative humidity of 40% by weight, which process comprises the following steps in the following order: i) drying to a moisture content from 25 to 35% by weight; ii) conditioning by crushing, mixing and/or extruding; iii) addition of water to form an extrudable paste having a moisture content of 25 to 40% by weight; iv) extrusion through a die preferably from 4 to 10 mm in diameter; v) drying to a moisture content from 10 to 14% by weight; vi) calcining at 120 to 250° C. to an LoI of less than 4% at 190° C.; and vii) reduction to particles.

Abstract: A process for treating a bentonite having a montmorillonite content of at least 85% which, when activated with sodium ions dried and ground, does not swell more than about 2.5-fold when gradually added to deionised water at room temperature and when crushed dried and calcined to an LoI of less than 4% at 190° C. absorbs 16 to 22% by weight of water in a controlled environment at 25° C. and a relative humidity of 40% by weight, which process comprises the following steps in the following order: i) drying to a moisture content from 25 to 35% by weight; ii) conditioning by crushing, mixing and/or extruding; iii) addition of water to form an extrudable paste having a moisture content of 25 to 40% by weight; iv) extrusion through a die preferably from 4 to 10 mm in diameter; v) drying to a moisture content from 10 to 14% by weight; vi) calcining at 120 to 250° C. to an LoI of less than 4% at 190° C.; and vii) reduction to particles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a laminated actuator assembly and the method for making the actuator assembly. The actuator assembly is intended for use in miniature personal electronic devices, but could be used in any type of disk drive. The actuator is primarily constructed from strong, stiff, lightweight composite materials. The upper and lower planar elements of the actuator assembly, each comprising multiple composite layers, include a forward portion and a rearward portion. A flexure member, typically positioned between the layers of composite material, allows the forward portion of each planar element to pivot in unison relative to the rear portion of each planar element. In this manner, the position of an optical pick up unit or other read/write device positioned at the distal end of the actuator assembly can be adjusted relative to the surface of a data disk. The composite and flexure planar elements are formed in arrays of multiple component pieces with aligned registration members.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for dynamically positioning the object lens in an optical disk drive to maintain focus despite loss of perpendicularity between the light beam and the information layer of the optical disk. Loss of perpendicularity may occur as a result of any number of factors, including irregularities in the manufacture of the disk, amnufacturing tolerances and assembly of the disk drive components, bearing defect frequencies, shock and vibration. Failure to maintain perpendicularity may interfere with the ability of the optical pick up unit of the drive to accurately read and write. The tilt focus mechanism of the present invention utilizes a rotary actuator that positions the objective lens in three dimensions relative to the surface of the optical disk .

Abstract: Materials delivery devices, e.g. for drugs etc. (FIGS. 1-7) or body fluids (FIGS. 8-12), have administration means of piston-and-cylinder (100; 300) or peristaltic rollers and tube (546, 565; 646, 665; 746, 765; 846, 865; 946, 965) type, and intermittently incremental drive transmission means of cooperating toothed rack (143) or wheel (345, 445; 545; 645; 745; 845; 945) and deflectable biassed pawl (153, 156; 343, 356; 453, 456; 553, 556; 653, 656; 753, 756; 853, 856; 953, 956) type driven by pulsed reciprocating solenoid action (110; 310; 410; 510). Portable patient-wearable drug delivery devices (10; 30; 40; 50) can use pre-loaded cartridges (120; 320; 420; 520) and have solenoid drive (130) for needle-entry and battery-powered electronic control, etc. Intravenous infusion pumps (60; 70; 80; 90) can operate relative to body fluid reservoirs or for body fluid transfers.

Abstract: A method of forming non-spherically shaped solder interconnects, preferably conical, for attachment of electronic components in an electronic module. Preferably, the solder interconnects of the present invention are cone shaped and comprise of depositing a first solder followed by a second solder having a lower reflow temperature than the first solder. Warm placement of the electronic component at a somewhat elevated temperature than room temperature but less than the solder reflow temperature reduces the force required during placement of a semiconductor chip to a substrate. After warm placement, reflow of the module occurs at the lower reflow temperature of the second solder. The conical shape of the solder interconnects are formed by a heated coining die which may also coin a portion of the interconnects with flat surfaces for stand-offs.

Abstract: Apparatus and a concomitant method of identifying the direction of motion within a scene that is represented by a sequence of images, e.g., a series of frames in a video sequence. The apparatus contains a flow field generator, a flow field segmentor, and alarm detector and an alarm processor. The flow field generator processes the sequence of images and generates a substantially distortionless flow field representing the motion within a scene. The flow field is a vector representation of the motion of the scene that represents both the magnitude and the direction of the motion. The flow field is generated by correlating at least two frames in the sequence of images. This flow field is analyzed by a flow field segmentor to determine the magnitude and direction of motion with the scene and segment the motion information from the static portions of the scene. An alarm detector then processes the motion information to determine if an alarm should be generated based upon the motion information.

Abstract: An electronic component having a socketable bump grid array comprising shaped-solder coated metallic spheres is provided by a method which comprises positioning solder coated metal spheres in an aligning device having a plurality of openings corresponding to the array, the openings being tapered preferably in the form of a truncated cone with the base of the cone being at the upper surface of the aligning device and having a diameter larger than the diameter of the solder coated metal sphere. The opening is configured so that a sphere positioned in the opening extends partially above the upper surface of the aligning device. The pads of the substrate are then contacted with the positioned spheres and, when the solder is reflowed, the solder forms a bond between the conductive layer on the substrate in contact with the solder-coated metal sphere and takes the shape of the aligning device and which maintains a solder coating on the whole surface of the metal sphere.

Abstract: A digital image warper system produces a warped output image from an input image. The warper system increases the sampling rate of a sampled image above the Nyquist rate or samples an analog image at a higher rate than the Nyquist rate and prefilters the upsampled image to counteract filtering which may occur during the warping operation. The upsampled image is warped using an interpolator for resampling to produce a warped upsampled image. The interpolator is, for example, a low quality interpolator such as a bilinear interpolator. The warped image is then down-sampled to the same resolution as the input image to produce the warped image. Down-sampling and warping can be combined into one step by modifying the geometric transformation function implemented when warping the upsampled image.

Abstract: A hollow needle applicator for cartridged drugs etc has provision for automatic needle retraction after cartridge contents expression. Its drugs etc cartridge (125, 225, 325) can itself be at least partially accommodated bodily within a hollow piston actuator (145, 345), and will be released for retraction under bias (123, 3230 thereinto along with and by way of a piston rod (132, 332) first serving to operate contents (131, 331) discharge piston provision (130, 330) of the cartridge (125, 225, 335). The piston rod (132, 332) has deflectable arms (137, 337) that extend sideways further than side walling of the cartridge (125, 225, 335) and into temporary driving engagement with receiving formation(s) (147, 347) of the piston actuator (145, 345) until released by deflection of the arms (137, 337). The piston (132, 332) rod further has guiding formation(s) ((138, 338) extending into the hollow piston actuator (145, 345).

Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for deriving a composite video image by merging foreground and background video image data supplied from a plurality of separate video signal sources employing pattern-key insertion, rather than prior-art color-key insertion, for this purpose. Pattern-key insertion involves replacing a first pattern in a video scene with a second pattern. This is accomplished by first detecting the first pattern in the video scene and estimating the pose of this detected first pattern with respect to a reference object in the video scene. The second pattern is then geometrically transformed using the pose estimate of the detected first pattern. Finally, the detected first pattern is replaced with the geometrically-transformed second pattern.

Abstract: An electronic component having a socketable bump grid array comprising shaped-solder coated metallic spheres is provided by a method which comprises positioning solder coated metal spheres in an aligning device having a plurality of opening corresponding to the array, the openings being tapered preferably in the form of a truncated cone with the base of the cone being at the upper surface of the aligning device and having a diameter larger than the diameter of the solder coated metal sphere. The opening is configured so that a sphere positioned in the opening extends partially above the upper surface of the aligning device. The pads of the substrate are then contacted with the positioned spheres and, when the solder is reflowed, the solder forms a bond between the conductive layer on the substrate in contact with the solder-coated metal sphere and takes the shape of the aligning device and which maintains a solder coating on the whole surface of the metal sphere.

Abstract: Processing of color photographic materials can be accomplished using an aqueous redox amplifier composition comprising a color developing agent, an antioxidant therefor, hydrogen peroxide, and a stabilizing amount of nitrite ions to reduce dye loss during storage.

Abstract: Processing of color photographic materials can be accomplished using an aqueous redox amplifier composition comprising a color developing agent, an antioxidant therefor, hydrogen peroxide, and a stabilizing amount of nitrite ions to reduce dye loss during storage.

Abstract: A syringe device for cartridged drugs has automatic needle retraction after cartridge contents expression. A drug cartridge is at least partially accommodated within a hollow piston actuator or carrier and is released for further retraction under bias thereinto by way of a piston rod. The piston rod serves to operate a piston contained in the drug cartridge and has deflectable locking arms that extend sideways into latching engagement with a holding formation of the piston actuator. Release of the arms by engagement with the open rear end of the cartridge permits retraction of needle and cartridge. Automatic needle insertion and cartridge contends discharge is also foreseen.

Abstract: Hypodermic syringe or medical sampler has a hollow needle (115) that is automatically retractable after use. A one-piece body (101) moulding has a main chamber for a plunger (105) or sampler container or drug cartridge, a forward chamber (111) to house a spring (133) to bias a needle holder (117), and internal latching formations (141) to retain the needle holder (117) with the spring (133) compressed in the forward chamber until automatic retraction when the latching formations (141) are released by end of plunger movement. Direct plunger-to-body sealing involves an over-size plunger head (105 H) forcing head and wall deformation. Both ends of the spring (133) have seals (119, 160) for the forward chamber (111). The needle, its holder, spring and seals can be installed using a sliding guide. Pressure testing can be combined with needle lubrication, and retraction prevention with sterilising tell-tale.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming and packaging articles of resilient compressible foam material is disclosed. The individual sheets of foam material are formed and introduced between confronting surfaces of the apparatus. Relative motion between the surfaces causes the sheets to roll upon themselves to form a compressed rolled article. Labels or wrappers are introduced at the trailing end of the sheets whereby the rolled article is compressed and rolled within the labels or wrappers.

Abstract: A load-sensing mat comprising a pair of superposed spaced capacitance plates held together in a mat by resilient material. The load-sensing mat also contains a conductive loop for inductance dependent load detection.