Abstract: An improved non-toxic, non-chemical, non-polluting, inexpensive electronic apparatus to control the population of many species of flies both indoors and outdoors around poultry and animal enclosures and food processing facilities which attracts and then kills the flies with a burst of high voltage oscillations that is applied to an exposed grid network of closely spaced parallel conductors.

Abstract: An improved non-toxic, non-chemical, non-polluting, inexpensive electronic apparatus to control the population of many species of flies both indoors and outdoors around poultry and animal enclosures and food processing facilities which attracts and then kills the flies with a burst of high voltage oscillations that is applied to an exposed grid network of closely spaced parallel conductors.

Abstract: An improved non-toxic, non-chemical, non-polluting, inexpensive electronic apparatus to control the population of many species of flies both indoors and outdoors around poultry and animal enclosures and food processing facilities which attracts and then kills the flies with a short burst of high voltage oscillations that is applied to an exposed pair of closely spaced parallel conductors or an exposed grid network of closely spaced parallel conductors.

Abstract: An improved non-toxic, non-chemical, non-polluting, inexpensive electronic apparatus to control the population of many species of flies both indoors and outdoors around poultry and animal enclosures and food processing facilities which attracts and then kills the flies with a short burst of high voltage oscillations that is applied to an exposure pair of closely spaced parallel conductors or an exposed grid network of closely spaced parallel conductors.

Abstract: An improved non-toxic, non-chemical, non-polluting, inexpensive electronic apparatus to control the fly population within an animal or poultry enclosure which kills by destroying the nervous system of the fly with a brief burst of high voltage oscillations that is applied to a pair of closely spaced parallel conductors every 3 to 4 seconds.

Abstract: Normally closed ventilating elements of a livestock building or the like are opened in response to failure of the supply of electrical power to the building ventilating system, an undesired increased temperature within the building or other undesireable conditions such as the inadvertent opening of one or more of the ventilating elements by a control system which includes a source of direct current electricity arranged so as normallly to energize electromagnets and thereby secure their armatures to the electromagnets. The armatures are secured to the handles of winches which are arranged to operate the building curtains or louvers. Power to the electromagnets is controlled through a semiconductor device acting as a switch which is controlled by monitoring circuits and a time delay network. When a response is required the control system deenergizes the electromagnets so as to free their armatures to rotate with the winch handles to open the building emergency ventilating elements.

Abstract: A housing (20) has an opening for receiving sunlight (54). The opening is covered with an ultraviolet-deflecting lens (50). The housing (20) contains reflectors (80, 82, 84) which direct sunlight (54) through a conduit (91) to a diffuser (98). The housing (20) rests upon and is rotatable with respect to an annular base (30). A horizontal sensor arrangement (66, 67, 68) controls rotational movement of the housing (20) with respect to the base (30) to maintain optimum horizontal alignment of the reflectors (80, 82, 84) with respect to the sun. A vertical sensor arrangement (63, 64, 65) causes vertical angular movement of the reflectors (80, 82, 84) to maintain optimum vertical alignment of the reflectors (80, 82, 84) with respect to the sun. The light conduit (91) contains an infrared-deflecting lens (92) to filter out infrared radiation. A dead air space (96) placed in the light conduit (91) prevents heat transfer as light is transmitted along the conduit (91).

Abstract: Force responsive sensors and circuitry which detect the present and absence of a meterial within a storage bin or hopper and activates a motor to maintain the level of the material within preset limits. The sealed sensors are state-of-the-art force sensing resistive types and the circuitry is all solid-state with no relays or other mechanical devices used. The ON/OFF condition of the motor is controlled by a triac switch whose gate is optically isolated from the control circuitry with the use of a zero-crossing turn on triac optical coupler. The low voltage and low power required to operate the logic and control circuitry is derived from a pair of bridge rectifiers that receive their AC inputs from the voltage across the triac when it is not conducting and from the secondary of a current monitor transformer when the triac is conducting.

Abstract: The level of brightness of rapid-start fluorescent lighting is modulated over a range from full brightness at 100% lamp power consumption to minimum brightness at near 0% lamp power consumption. Fluorescent lamp brightness is modulated by controlling the amount of time during cycles of voltage application, such as 60 hz, when current flows through the lamp. An input signal voltage in a given range, for example, from 0 to 5 volts dc, is processed to provide an output which controls the duration of current flow. A cut-off circuit prevents any line voltage from being applied to the lamp at chosen values of input voltage. The cut-off circuit contains hysteresis elements which prevents the lamp from fluttering between off and on states. Modules connected to the lamp's heater elements maintain proper heater element voltage to ensure operation of the lamp form 0% to 100% brightness.

Abstract: A circuit for controlling current flow in an instrumentation loop includes a light sensor receiving impinging light and delivering a signal varying with the intensity of the impinging light. The signal is amplified and produces a reference signal which is a current signal of about four milliamperes in the absence of incoming light and about twenty milliamperes in maximum light. A voltage controlled current driver presents an impedance to current flow through the loop which varies with the reference signal and with the intensity of the incoming light. The sensor includes a mounting plate, a photodetector mounted on the mounting plate, a filter mounted over the photodetector, and a diffuser mounted on the mounting plate forming a dome over the filter and photodetector. The diffuser disperses incoming light before the incoming light impinges the photodetector. The filter blocks infrared light thereby blue enchancing impinging light to approximate the light sensitivity response of a human eye.

Abstract: A hydraulic shock absorber for a motorcycle employs a jacket which surrounds the damping chamber of the shock absorber. The damping chamber contains damping fluid and a damping piston for providing reciprocating axial damping displacement in accordance with axial forces exerted on a shaft connecting the damping piston. The jacket forms an annular outer chamber. Fluid circulates through the outer chamber to stabilize the temperature of the damping fluid in the damping chamber. The outer chamber is connected for fluid communication with the cooling system of the vehicle engine.

Abstract: An improved motorcycle suspension system comprising a substantially straight torsion bar having a first end and a second end; a rear wheel axle support attached rotatably and pivotally to the motorcycle frame; means for holding the first end of the torsion bar fixed to prevent rotation thereof; a multiplying linkage for reversibly converting a substantially vertical motion of the rear wheel axle support caused by irregularities in the surface over which the motorcycle is ridden into a torque applied to the second end of the torsion bar causing the torsion bar to provide a progressively larger opposing torque in reaction to the applied torque and requiring progressively more force to apply an equivalent torque to the torsion bar for progressively larger upward misplacements thus damping the motions of the rear wheel axle support.

Abstract: A system (10) produces an alternating magnetic field in a detection zone between a pair of doorways (346, 348) to produce harmonic signals from a marker (330) when the marker (330) is activated and located in the detection zone. Each of the doorways (346, 348) is provided with a trapezoidally shaped coil which is in a resonant circuit. The coils in the doorways (346, 348) are driven at periodic time periods with in-phase currents to produce aiding magnetic fields perpendicular to doorways in the detection zone. At alternate time periods the coils in the doorways are driven with out-of-phase signals which produce opposing magnetic fields perpendicular to the doorways (346, 348) and aiding magnetic fields parallel to the planes of the doorways. The magnetic fields thus produced in the detection zone cause the marker (330) when activated to produce harmonic signals despite the orientation of the marker (330) as it passes through the detection zone.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a micro-marking label to be applied to an article for identification. The label is formed from a thin microsized plate of generally transparent material which includes a marking indicia thereon. The indicia is divided into a plurality of digital areas each of which are homogeneously marked in either a first or second optical condition so as to identify a digital bit of data. The label is placed upon a surface of the article to be identified and sealed thereto by a layer of sealant which is substantially larger than the microsized label. An apparatus for depositing the label is also included.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved magnetic marker and method for manufacturing same. The marker includes a ribbon of magnetic signal material of relatively low coercivity having coupled thereto at least two control elements of a ferro-magnetic material which may be permanently magnetized by a control signal in order to saturate the strip of first ferromagnetic material, thereby preventing the first ferromagnetic material from generating higher order harmonics when interrogated by a periodic magnetic signal of fundamental frequency.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an alternating inflatable support for the human body. The invention includes a flexible pillow having a plurality of fluid impervious pockets therein which are substantially flat when deflated, but which support an adjacent section of the human body when inflated with a fluid under pressure. The pockets are interspersed and grouped into an operably coupled first set of pockets and an operably coupled second set of pockets. A pump is provided which includes at least one pumping chamber for receiving and expelling fluid under pressure. A solenoid is operably coupled to the pumping chambers for compressing and expanding the pumping chambers. A valve is operably coupled between the pump and the flexible pillow for alternately inflating and exhausting the fluid through the first set of pockets and the second set of pockets, thereby alternately supporting the interspersed sections of the body adjacent to the first set of the pockets and the second set of pockets.