Abstract: The invention comprises a rigid frame that is positioned around the skull to define a multi-dimensional coordinate system. Multiple arms are coupled to the frame, each arm having an attachment assembly movable along a longitudinal axis directed toward the center of the rigid frame assembly. Multiple receptors are either attached to the skull or drilled into the skull for receiving an associated attachment assembly. The receptors provide a mounting base upon which the frame is repeatedly attached and detached from the skull at the same reproducible reference location. Each arm has a multi-station receptacle that receives various attachments used for mounting and attaching the receptors. Special bushing are used to lock the attachment assembly in a preset longitudinal position in relation to the arm. The locked attachment assembly can then be removed from the arm allowing the frame to be removed from the skull while maintaining frame position information.

Abstract: A first pump includes inner and outer intermeshing rotors, the outer rotor formed with external gear teeth. A second pump includes inner and outer meshing rotors, the outer rotor of the second pump having teeth continually engaged with the external teeth of the first pump outer rotor. The inner and outer rotors are formed with mutually intermeshing lobes that define between them pumping chambers through which hydraulic fluid is moved from a suction inlet to a pressurized outlet. A third pumping element includes pumping chambers located in the spaces between the intermeshing involute gear teeth on the outer rotors of the first and second pumps. A passage plate defines suction and pressure passages, which carry hydraulic fluid from a reservoir or sump to outlet ports, through which fluid is supplied to the hydraulic system.

Abstract: High capacity, low cost fractionation trays are formed from a number of adjacent triangular (v-shaped) downcomer modules. The trays are free of the horizontal perforated decking surface of conventional trays. The downcomer modules have perforations only in a bottom region for liquid passage and in an upper region for vapor passage, with the central portion of the two inclined downcomer sidewalls being imperforate. The difference in elevation between the bottom region and upper region is considerably larger than a ripple tray. A layer of packing material may be provided close to or adjacent the bottom surface of the tray.

Abstract: A proximity sensor system includes a sensor matrix array having a characteristic capacitance on horizontal and vertical conductors connected to sensor pads. The capacitance changes as a function of the proximity of an object or objects to the sensor matrix. The change in capacitance of each node in both the X and Y directions of the matrix due to the approach of an object is converted to a set of voltages in the X and Y directions. These voltages are processed by circuitry to develop electrical signals representative of the centroid of the profile of the object, i.e, its position in the X and Y dimensions. Noise reduction and background level setting techniques inherently available in the architecture are employed.

Abstract: A handheld computing device comprises a thin enclosure having two opposing major faces. A display screen is disposed on a first one of the major opposing faces of the enclosure and a touch-sensitive object position detector input device is disposed on a second one of the major opposing faces of the enclosure. Computing device circuitry, circuitry for interfacing the touch-sensitive object position detector to the computing device circuitry, and circuitry for driving the display screen are all disposed within the enclosure.

Abstract: Sonochemistry permits extremely rapid cooling from the melt which is necessary for forming amorphous metals. Sonochemistry also functions at an extremely small scale to produce nanophase particles. If magnetic, these particles are valuable for magnetic recording media, manufacture of permanent magnets, and other uses. The nanophase particles agglomerate, however, which limits their utility for these magnetic applications. To keep the particles isolated, we extract the particles from the n-alkane reaction solvent in a polar solvent and cast the extracted particles with a polymer, such as polyvinylpyrrolidone.

Abstract: A proximity sensor system includes a sensor matrix array having a characteristic capacitance on horizontal and vertical conductors connected to sensor pads. The capacitance changes as a function of the proximity of an object or objects to the sensor matrix. The change in capacitance of each node in both the X and Y directions of the matrix due to the approach of an object is converted to a set of voltages in the X and Y directions. These voltages are processed by analog circuitry to develop electrical signals representative of the centroid of the profile of the object, i.e, its position in the X and Y dimensions. The profile of position may also be integrated to provide Z-axis (pressure) information.

Abstract: High capacity, low cost fractionation trays comprise a flat perforated decking surface sectioned into parallel contacting areas by triangular downcomers. The bottom edges of two inclined sidewalls join together to form V-shaped downcomers having a limited number of perforations in their sidewalls to allow downward liquid passage. An imperforate zone is present in the central region of each sidewall. A layer of packing material may be provided close to or adjacent the bottom surface of the tray. The packing is located in the disengagement zone under the tray but does not extend downward to the next tray below.

Abstract: The invention includes a rigid frame that is positioned around the skull to define a multi-dimensional coordinate system. Multiple arms are coupled to the frame, each arm having an attachment assembly movable along a longitudinal axis directed toward the center of the rigid frame assembly. Multiple receptors are either attached to the skull or drilled into the skull for receiving an associated attachment assembly. The receptors provide a mounting base upon which the frame is repeatedly attached and detached from the skull at the same reproducible reference location. Each arm has a multi-station receptacle that receives various attachments used for mounting and attaching the receptors. Special bushings are used to lock the attachment assembly in a preset longitudinal position in relation to the arm. The locked attachment assembly can then be removed from the arm allowing the frame to be removed from the skull while maintaining frame position information.

Abstract: A proximity sensor system includes a sensor matrix array having a characteristic capacitance on horizontal and vertical conductors connected to sensor pads. The capacitance changes as a function of the proximity of an object or objects to the sensor matrix. The change in capacitance of each node in both the X and Y directions of the matrix due to the approach of an object is converted to a set of voltages in the X and Y directions. These voltages are processed by analog circuitry to develop electrical signals representative of the centroid of the profile of the object, i.e., its position in the X and Y dimensions. The profile of position may also be integrated to provide Z-axis (pressure) information.

Abstract: An orificeless thin film printhead for an ink jet pen which comprises a substrate having a plurality of vortex activators thereon, and ink dispensing means located adjacent to the substrate for providing a thin layer of ink of a controlled thickness over the surfaces of the vortex activators. A protective cover is disposed on the surface of the substrate and has one or more slots or other openings therein operative to expose the vortex activators during ink jet printhead operation. When each vortex activator is energized, the energy transferred from the surface of the activator into the liquid film creates a microjet and a shear force therein, followed by the formation of a vortex ring in the ink film.

Abstract: A device for detecting substances in a liquid film by measuring chemiluminescence, fluorescence or absorption using techniques such as flow-injection analysis schemes, liquid chromatographies, and gas chromatographies. The device can be used as a micro-volume mixing or reaction substrate for a variety of measurements. The device comprises at least two film supports that are separated by a small gap. One or more applicators are positioned along the gap to supply fluids to the gap. The applicators are positioned near the gap at a spacing that is near the necking length of the fluid supplied by the applicator. A thin, continuous film of the mixture of fluids to be examined is supported in the gap between the film supports. The film extends through the examining chamber and through drop and overflow detection probes. Also disclosed is a mixing or reaction chamber which comprises an enclosable mainframe into which a plurality of applicators are butted near a gap defined between two film supports.

Abstract: The capacity of multiple downcomer type fractionation trays is increased by providing imperforate calming decks (6) which extend across the tray deck (2) surface outward from the conventional downcomer inlet opening together with vertical inlet weirs (8) attached to the outer end of the calming decks (6). The inlet weirs (8) may function as "preweirs" used in addition to the conventional inlet weir formed by the upward extension of the downcomer sidewall (4).

Abstract: Changes in a telephone subscriber line voltage are detected in a telephone set by supplying a voltage dependent upon the subscriber line voltage to a potential divider having first, second, and third tapping points, the second tapping point being between the first and third tapping points, and comparing the voltages at the first and third tapping points with a smoothed version of the voltage at the second tapping point to produce pulses at respective terminals when the line voltage is falling or rising. An algorithm is described for responding to the pulses to distinguish changes in hook state of another telephone connected to the same subscriber line from interfering signals. The arrangement facilitates remote release from hold and privacy indication functions for the telephone set.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are substantially homogeneous solid ink-jet ink compositions. The use of such compositions with colored transparencies substantially reduces the level of light scattering as compared to the level of light scattering arising from the use of non-homogeneous ink-jet ink compositions. It is also disclosed that further improvements in the ink-jet ink composition can be achieved by employing a cosolvent in the composition.

Abstract: The efficiency of multiple downcomer type fractionation trays is increased by increasing the length of the liquid flow path and providing Lewis Case II point to plate efficiency enhancement. Baffles (7) extending axially along the vertical axis of a fractionation column divide the intertray volumes of the column into defined vapor passageways. A pair of inclined liquid deflecting baffles (3) over each downcomer (10) connects the outlets and inlets of vertically adjacent downcomers and provides a crisscrossing liquid flow path. Beds (14) of vapor-liquid contacting material increase tray efficiency.

Abstract: A single-pulse driver for a bubble driven ink jet ink having good staying power at operating temperature, the driver being a solvent for the ink carrier, having a molecular weight less than 150, a boiling point less than 140 centigrade degrees higher than its melting point and a boiling temperature not lower than 120.degree. centigrade.

Abstract: The efficiency of multiple downcomer type fractionation trays is increased by increasing the length of the liquid flow path and providing Lewis Case II point to plate efficiency enhancement Baffles (7) extending axially along the vertical axis of a fractionation column divide the intertray volumes of the column into defined vapor passageways. A pair of inclined liquid deflecting baffles (3) over each downcomer (10) connects the outlets and inlets of vertically adjacent downcomers and provides a crisscrossing liquid flow path.

Abstract: The efficiency of multiple downcomer type fractionation trays is improved by the provision of an individual antipenetration pan located under each set of openings in the bottom of the box-like downcomers. The pans preferably comprise perforated planar sheets and have raised lips along two opposing edges to retard significant liquid runoff along the edges parallel to the downcomer end walls. The pans are parallel to the main tray surface and located intermediate the downcomers and the upper surface of the next lower tray.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for monitoring the functional motion characteristics of the spine in each of three planes. The apparatus is designed to be mounted on the back of a patient, and it includes an exoskeleton of T-shaped elements which resemble the spinous process and the transverse process of the spine. The elements each include a central bore for receiving a cable, and three separate openings for receiving a wire therethrough. The cable is attached to a potentiometer which measures twisting movement of the spine, and each of the three wires is attached to a separate potentiometer so as to measure flexing in the and sagittal and lateral planes. The signals from the potentiometers are processed so as to provide, for each of the three planes, a measurement of the angular position of the spine as a function of time, the angular velocity as a function of time, and the angular acceleration as a function of time.