Abstract: A compact package for a garment made from a delicate material includes a container body having a volume of less than 10 in3 (164 cm3), a delicate material garment, a cover member and a cap. The cover member is inserted into the container body atop the garment, followed by the cap. Preferably, a buffer material is arranged between the garment and the cover member within the container body to protect the garment from damage during the packing process. The package is preferably produced by directing the garment and buffer material into a pre-loading tube, followed by shifting of a plunger member to load the container body with the garment, buffer material and the cover member. Subsequently, the cap is snap-fit upon the container body.

Abstract: A compact package for a garment made from a delicate material includes a container body having a volume of less than 10 in3 (164 cm3), a delicate material garment, a cover member and a cap. The cover member is inserted into the container body atop the garment, followed by the cap. Preferably, a buffer material is arranged between the garment and the cover member within the container body to protect the garment from damage during the packing process. The package is preferably produced by directing the garment and buffer material into a pre-loading tube, followed by shifting of a plunger member to load the container body with the garment, buffer material and the cover member. Subsequently, the cap is snap-fit upon the container body.

Abstract: A compact package for a garment made from a delicate material includes a container body having a volume of less than 10 in3 (164 cm3), a delicate material garment, a cover member and a cap. The cover member is inserted into the container body atop the garment, followed by the cap. Preferably, a buffer material is arranged between the garment and the cover member within the container body to protect the garment from damage during the packing process. The package is preferably produced by directing the garment and buffer material into a pre-loading tube, followed by shifting of a plunger member to load the container body with the garment, buffer material and the cover member. Subsequently, the cap is snap-fit upon the container body.

Abstract: A computer architecture that permits applications resident on remote "client" computers to communicate simply and efficiently with applications resident on a central server is disclosed. Client applications can effectively retrieve information from the server without detailed knowledge of server applications, the location of a requested data item or the particular hardware configuration of the host or even the client. A circuit manager module opens and maintains a communication circuit to the appropriate server application, supervising routing of messages from all client applications to that server application. The circuit manager also receives all incoming messages, routing them to the appropriate client applications. A client application can specify message destination in the form of a specific circuit (which requires substantial program awareness of communication patterns), or an identifier associated with the target application, or the type of information being requested from the server.

Abstract: Disclosed is an object-oriented approach to storage and transmission of retrievable items in a client-server computer environment. Special processing modules manage retrieval and permanent storage, on client computers, of requested objects in a manner that minimizes unnecessary transmission and storage. The user enters a "subscription" in connection with items related to hierarchically inferior items. The subscription specifies the amount of information the user desires to download and store locally with respect to a specified hierarchical depth level. The invention also includes a pruning module for deleting, from local storage, items inconsistent with the subscription and which the user does not explicitly indicate a desire to store, and a facility for updating locally stored items upon re-establishment of communication with the server.