Abstract: A filament drive for an extruder for an additive manufacturing system is provided. A drive gear is driven by a motor. A first driven gear is operably driven by the drive gear. A first hob has a toothed outer periphery connected to the first driven gear. A second driven gear is operably driven by the drive gear. A second hob has a toothed outer periphery connected to the second driven gear. The toothed outer peripheries of the first and second hobs define a filament receiving zone therebetween. A filament extruder including a heating element operated at greater than 48 volts may be provided.

Abstract: An additive and subtractive manufacturing system and method of manufacturing is provided. The system includes a print bed and both an additive machine and a subtractive machine. The additive machine will dispense material onto the print bed and the additive machine will be able to perform subtractive manufacturing on the material dispensed onto the print bed. The additive machine and subtractive machine will be mounted to actuators for moving the machines in three-dimensions within a working zone adjacent the print bed. The system may include placement machines for placing pre-made components in the product during the manufacturing process.

Abstract: A cartridge for selectively dispensing an additive to water that includes a housing, a bladder disposed within the housing, and a pump connected to the housing and in fluid communication with the bladder. The bladder is configured to contain a consumable additive such as a flavor, for water. The pump is operable to selectively dispense an amount of the additive into water. The cartridge may be connected to a water filtration system such that the cartridge may dispense the additive into filtered water.

Abstract: A laser beam machine has a laser head (3) for emitting a laser beam onto a workpiece which is to be treated, and a movement unit (1, 2, 9) for physically moving the laser head (3), which movement unit has a linearly moving machine portal (1) and a transverse carriage (2) which is held such that it can be moved on said machine portal in a transverse manner, wherein a flexible fiber cable (10) with a minimum permissible bending radius enters at an inlet point on the upper laser head end for transmitting the laser beam, and wherein a cable guidance system (12, 13) is provided in order to guide the fiber cable (10) at least over a portion of its length.

Abstract: An electro-pneumatic de-icer for an airfoil includes an electrically-powered compressor for compressing air, an air-storage tank for storing compressed air, a source of negative pressure, an airfoil pneumatic boot, and a control valve located between 1) the air-storage tank, 2) the source of negative pressure, and 3) the pneumatic boot for cycling between compressed air to inflate the pneumatic boot and negative pressure to deflate the pneumatic boot for cracking accumulated ice on the airfoil. An airfoil de-icing method lacking engine bleed air extraction includes compressing air with an electrically-powered compressor, storing high-pressure air from the compressor in an air-storage tank, delivering high-pressure air from the air-storage tank to inflate a pneumatic boot located along an airfoil, providing a negative-pressure source, deflating the pneumatic boot with the negative-pressure source, and alternating between inflating and deflating the pneumatic boot for cracking accumulated ice on the airfoil.

Abstract: A component of a gas turbine engine is provided including at least one cooling hole formed in the component. The cooling hole has an interior surface that defines a flow path for air configured to cool a portion of the component. A feature is arranged within at least a portion of the cooling hole. The feature is configured to generate non-linear movement of the air as it flows there through.

Abstract: A laser beam machine has a laser head (3) for emitting a laser beam onto a workpiece which is to be treated, and a movement unit (1, 2, 9) for physically moving the laser head (3), which movement unit has a linearly moving machine portal (1) and a transverse carriage (2) which is held such that it can be moved on said machine portal in a transverse manner, wherein a flexible fibre cable (10) with a minimum permissible bending radius enters at an inlet point on the upper laser head end for transmitting the laser beam, and wherein a cable guidance system (12, 13) is provided in order to guide the fibre cable (10) at least over a portion of its length.

Abstract: Couplings between driven shafts of an actuator and a motor of an actuator are provided. The coupling may be directly integrated into a rotor of the motor. The coupling may be provided by an adaptor that includes a shaft that extends into a central bore of the rotor of the motor. The adaptor can include a collar that defines a coupling recess that receives a distal end of the driven shaft of the actuator. The collar may take the form of a clamp.

Abstract: A linear guide including a guide rail, a carriage, a drive screw and a connection arrangement is provided. The guide rail defines a linear travel path. The carriage is mounted to the guide rail for motion along the linear travel path. The drive screw is operably mounted to the guide rail. The connection arrangement couples the drive screw to the carriage to convert rotary motion of the drive screw to linear actuation of the carriage along the linear travel path. The connection arrangement provides a single degree of linear freedom between the drive screw and the carriage in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the linear travel path. The single degree of linear freedom permits relative motion between the screw and the carriage to relieve internal binding between the relative components.

Abstract: A inverted spline rail system is provided. The inverted spline rail system includes a drive motor that rotates a drive screw. The drive screw has a associated nut body. The nut body includes a attachment portion that a user can attach a device that requires linear motion control. Furthermore, the nut body is located inside of a cylindrical body that encases the drive screw. The nut body has guide teeth that mate with an internally splined guide rail of the cylindrical body that contains both the nut and the drive screw. The reciprocating nature of the guide teeth of the nut and the internally splined guide rail of the cylindrical body translate the rotational motion of the drive screw into linear motion of the nut body. The inverted spline rail system is protected from its operating environment by a seal.

Abstract: A compact interlinking container module and an interlinking container module assembly have at least two interlinking containers that have reservoirs arranged to hold articles, such as liquid, solid and gas toiletries. Each interlinking container module has a hollow body that is configured with an opposing top portion, an opposing bottom portion, an opposing front portion, an opposing back portion, and two opposing side walls, arranged as a hollow reservoir, and configured to hold and dispense liquid, solid and/or gas contents. A container male member and female element form a close frictional fit thereby connecting the container modules. The interlinking container assembly is small enough to fit into a user's shirt or pant pocket and does not contain any sharp edges or edges that catch on materials when there is contact between the container assembly and materials.

Abstract: A nut and lead screw assembly is disclosed. The nut includes a plurality of flexible fingers for adjusting the engagement of a threaded or unthreaded portion of the nut with corresponding threads of a lead screw. The engagement between the nut and the lead screw is adjusted by installing at least one radial compression member into a circumferential groove formed in the outer surface of the flexible fingers.

Abstract: A method of partially imaging a substrate, for example glass, with a print pattern comprising layers of ceramic ink in substantially exact registration. The method relies on a mask ink layer defining the print pattern and differential thermal expulsion of ceramic ink medium during a heat fusing process between the areas outside the print pattern and within the print pattern. This results in pigment and glass frit forming a durable image material adhered to the substrate within the print pattern and non-durable material outside the print pattern, enabling its removal outside the print pattern to leave the desired layers of ceramic ink within the print pattern in substantially exact registration.

Abstract: Couplings between driven shafts of an actuator and a motor of an actuator are provided. The coupling may be directly integrated into a rotor of the motor. The coupling may be provided by an adaptor that includes a shaft that extends into a central bore of the rotor of the motor. The adaptor can include a collar that defines a coupling recess that receives a distal end of the driven shaft of the actuator. The collar may take the form of a clamp.

Abstract: A guide rail that includes a base rail having a channel therein and at least one finger extending from a portion of the channel. The guide rail further includes a race insert mounted against the at least one finger. In an embodiment of the invention, the race insert has a first and second raceway associated with the at least one finger extending from a portion of the channel. Further, the first and second raceways have different load transmission directions, wherein the load transmission directions of both the first and second raceways are oblique to the direction that the at least one finger extends from a portion of the channel.

Abstract: A telemetry apparatus and method for communicating data from a down-hole location through a borehole to the surface is described including a light source, an optical fiber being placed along the length of the wellbore and receiving light from the light source, a transducer located such as to produce a force field (e.g. a magnetic field) across the optical fiber and its protective hull without mechanical penetration of the hull at the down-hole location, one or more sensors for measuring down-hole conditions and/or parameters, a controller to provide a modulated signal to the magnetic field generator, said modulated signal being under operating conditions representative of measurements by the one or more sensors, and an optical detector adapted to detect changes in the light intensity or polarization of light passing through the fiber.

Abstract: A cartridge for selectively dispensing an additive to water that includes a housing, a bladder disposed within the housing, and a pump connected to the housing and in fluid communication with the bladder. The bladder is configured to contain a consumable additive such as a flavor, for water. The pump is operable to selectively dispense an amount of the additive into water. The cartridge may be connected to a water filtration system such that the cartridge may dispense the additive into filtered water.

Abstract: A method of partially imaging a substrate, for example glass, with a print pattern comprising layers of ceramic ink in substantially exact registration. The method relies on a mask ink layer defining the print pattern and differential thermal expulsion of ceramic ink medium during a heat fusing process between the areas outside the print pattern and within the print pattern. This results in pigment and glass frit forming a durable image material adhered to the substrate within the print pattern and non durable material outside the print pattern, enabling its removal outside the print pattern to leave the desired layers of ceramic ink within the print pattern in substantially exact registration.

Abstract: A linear guide including a guide rail, a carriage, a drive screw and a connection arrangement is provided. The guide rail defines a linear travel path. The carriage is mounted to the guide rail for motion along the linear travel path. The drive screw is operably mounted to the guide rail. The connection arrangement couples the drive screw to the carriage to convert rotary motion of the drive screw to linear actuation of the carriage along the linear travel path. The connection arrangement provides a single degree of linear freedom between the drive screw and the carriage in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the linear travel path. The single degree of linear freedom permits relative motion between the screw and the carriage to relieve internal binding between the relative components.

Abstract: A cartridge for selectively dispensing an additive to water that includes a housing, a bladder disposed within the housing, and a pump connected to the housing and in fluid communication with the bladder. The bladder is configured to contain a consumable additive such as a flavor, for water. The pump is operable to selectively dispense an amount of the additive into water. The cartridge may be connected to a water filtration system such that the cartridge may dispense the additive into filtered water.