Abstract: This reinforcement comprises a first piece and a second piece which are assembled with one another, said first piece comprising a longitudinal edge of corrugated shape, level with which said second piece is fixed. In this reinforcement, said first piece comprises a cutout forming a zone, located at a distance from said longitudinal edge, for the spermatic cord to pass through it, and comprises a flap which is joined to it and is dimensioned so as to extend close to said longitudinal edge and to broadly cover the zone of said first piece extending between said longitudinal edge and said passage zone, this flap being raisable in relation to said first piece in order to engage the spermatic cord between said first piece and itself and being foldable against said first piece in order to hold this cord between this first piece and itself.

Abstract: A display apparatus is formed from sheet of stock having an image portion separable from a support portion wherein an image is printed on a display side of the image portion and the two portions assembled together to form an integral frame free-standing display. The sheet is provided with die cut and score lines so that no cutting or pasting is required. A computer program enables the combination of digital photographs, simulated picture frame images, clip art and text for processing through a personal computer printer.

Abstract: A precision adjustable woodworking platform that is self-calibrating and designed to move a tool very accurately back and forth horizontally and up and down. One of a number of different woodworking tools is fastened in a saddle that can be rotated and set at a selected angle for operations such as mitering. A floating work table is provided for holding a workpiece at any angle to a cutting tool movement direction. At the same time, the floating work table can be moved precisely forward and backward. The invention woodworking platform is relatively inexpensive, while providing for accurate straight, angled and depth cuts; all without needing external instruments.

Abstract: This invention relates to an extrusion method preparing polycarbonates from a solution of an oligomeric polycarbonate. A mixture of bis(methyl salicyl)carbonate (BMSC), BPA and a transesterification catalyst are first equilibrated at moderate temperatures to provide a solution of polycarbonate oligomer in methyl salicylate. The solution is then fed to a devolatilizing extruder, where the polymerization reaction is completed and the methyl salicylate solvent is removed. The solution comprising the oligomeric polycarbonate can also be pre-heated under pressure to a temperature above the boiling point of methyl salicylate and subsequently fed to a devolatilizing extruder equipped for rapid flashing off the solvent. The method provides polycarbonate with greater efficiency than the corresponding process in which unreacted monomers are fed to the extruder. Additionally, the method of the invention does not require the isolation of a precursor polycarbonate comprising ester-substituted phenoxy terminal groups.

Abstract: An electric power assisted steering system is disclosed in which a torque demand signal (8) is generated and applied to an electric motor (1) operatively connected to a steering mechanism (5) in order to assist a driver of the vehicle when steering the vehicle. The torque demand signal (8) includes a damping component that is dependent upon a measurement of torque T carried by the steering mechanism and a measurement of the angular velocity &ohgr; of the steering mechanism. The torque produced by the motor (1) is not obtrusive during “hands-on” maneuvers but provides enhanced damping in other maneuvers such as a steering flick.

Abstract: This reinforcement comprises a first piece and a second piece which are assembled with one another, said first piece comprising a longitudinal edge of corrugated shape, level with which said second piece is fixed.

Abstract: An electrical power-assisted steering system is disclosed comprising an electric motor connected through a gearbox to act on a steering mechanism of the vehicle, the electric motor having a plurality of phase windings connected to a star point and switching means provided in at least one phase of the motor, the switching means being movable between a closed position in which current is able to flow in the phase windings, and an open position which prevents current flowing in a respective phase winding. The system incorporates a safety circuit operative when a fault develops to smooth out the transition between the presence and absence of servo support in assisting and not assisting by providing a prescribed period of damped operation as part of a shut-down phase.

Abstract: This invention relates to an extrusion method preparing polycarbonates from a solution of an oligomeric polycarbonate. A mixture of bis(methyl salicyl)carbonate (BMSC), BPA and a transesterification catalyst are first equilibrated at moderate temperatures to provide a solution of polycarbonate oligomer in methyl salicylate. The solution is then fed to a devolatilizing extruder, where the polymerization reaction is completed and the methyl salicylate solvent is removed. The solution comprising the oligomeric polycarbonate can also be pre-heated under pressure to a temperature above the boiling point of methyl salicylate and subsequently fed to a devolatilizing extruder equipped for rapid flashing off the solvent. The method provides polycarbonate with greater efficiency than the corresponding process in which unreacted monomers are fed to the extruder. Additionally, the method of the invention does not require the isolation of a precursor polycarbonate comprising ester-substituted phenoxy terminal groups.

Abstract: A method of preparing a contact mass is provided comprising reacting silicon and a cuprous chloride to form a concentrated, catalytic contact mass. Furthermore, a method for making an alkylhalosilane using the aforementioned contact mass is provided comprising effecting reaction between an alkyl halide and silicon in the presence of said concentrated contact mass to produce alkylhalosilane.

Abstract: An electric power assisted steering system is disclosed in which a torque demand signal (8) is generated and applied to an electric motor (1) operatively connected to a steering mechanism (5) in order to assist a driver of the vehicle when steering the vehicle. The torque demand signal (8) includes a damping component that is dependent upon a measurement of torque T carried by the steering mechanism and a measurement of the angular velocity &ohgr; of the steering mechanism. The torque produced by the motor (1) is not obtrusive during “hands-on” manoeuvers but provides enhanced damping in other manoeuvers such as a steering flick.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling an electric steering assist system, which system provides assist in response to a steering control signal, the apparatus comprising: torque sensing means (20) operatively connected to a vehicle hand wheel (12) for providing a torque signal (Ts) indicative of applied steering torque, blending filter means connected to the torque sensing means (20) for providing a blended filtered torque signal having a first functional characteristic at torque frequencies less than a blending frequency and a second functional characteristic at torque frequencies greater than the blending frequency, the blending filter means including a low pass filter (70) which passes all frequencies below the blending frequency and a high pass filter (71) which passes all frequencies above the blending frequency, steering assist means for providing steering assist in response to a control signal, control means operatively connected to the blending filter means for providing said control signal to the s

Abstract: An electric power assisted steering system of the kind in which an electric motor is operatively connected to a steering assembly through a gearbox to apply an assistance torque to the steering assembly and in which the steering assembly includes a steering column coupled at one end to a driver's handwheel and at the other end to steerable wheels, a means being provided for generating a signal representative of the velocity of rotation of the steering column. The system includes a high pass filter which is adapted to generate, for frequencies below a prescribed threshold, a signal at least approximately proportional to steering column acceleration and representative of the inertia of the rotor of the electric motor, the latter signal being arranged to be used to compensate for the motor rotor inertia in an overall assistance torque demand as developed by the system.

Abstract: A method of calculating the position of the rotor of a motor (1) in for example an electrical power assisted steering assembly is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of measuring the output shaft (2) (i.e. steering column) position, and scaling the measured value to produce an estimated motor rotor position value. This estimated value will be relative to an arbitrary datum point, and so the method further includes steps of adding an offset value derived from low resolution measurements of rotor position obtained using Hall effect sensors provided on the motor. Offsets for compensating for backlash and (in a second embodiment) compliance can also be included. Thus, the method allows high resolution information from an output shaft sensor (e.g. a torque sensor with a position dependent output) to be combined with the low resolution output from the Hall effect sensors to produce a high resolution rotor position signal.

Abstract: An electric power assisted steering system is disclosed in which a torque demand signal (8) is generated and applied to an electric motor (1) operatively connected to a steering mechanism (5) in order to assist a driver of the vehicle when steering the vehicle. The torque demand signal (8) includes a damping component that is dependent upon a measurement of torque T carried by the steering mechanism and a measurement of the angular velocity o) of the steering mechanism. The torque produced by the motor (1) is not obtrusive during “hands-on” manoeuvres but provides enhanced damping in other manoeuvres such as a steering flick.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling an electric steering assist system, which system provides assist in response to a steering control signal, the apparatus comprising: torque sensing means (20) operatively connected to a vehicle hand wheel (12) for providing a torque signal (TS) indicative of applied steering torque, blending filter means connected to the torque sensing means (20) for providing a blended filtered torque signal having a first functional characteristic at torque frequencies less than a blending frequency and a second functional characteristic at torque frequencies greater than the blending frequency, the blending filter means including a low pass filter (70) which passes all frequencies below the blending frequency and a high pass filter (71) which passes all frequencies above the blending frequency, steering assist means for providing steering assist in response to a control signal, control means operatively connected to the blending filter means for providing said control signal to the s

Abstract: Polymer are removed from organic solvent-polymer mixtures by preparing a liquid-liquid dispersion of finely dispersed solvent droplets containing polymer in water, adding this liquid-liquid dispersion to a stirred vessel containing water or other suitable liquid and rapidly evaporating the solvent to produce a slurry of the polymer in a liquid from which the solid polymer particles are recovered.

Abstract: An electric power assisted steering system of the kind in which an electric motor is operatively connected to a steering assembly through a gearbox to apply an assistance torque to the steering assembly and in which the steering assembly includes a steering column coupled at one end to a driver's handwheel and at the other end to steerable wheels, a means being provided for generating a signal representative of the velocity of rotation of the steering column. The system includes a high pass filter which is adapted to generate, for frequencies below a prescribed threshold, a signal at least approximately proportional to steering column acceleration and representative of the inertia of the rotor of the electric motor, the latter signal being arranged to be used to compensate for the motor rotor inertia in an overall assistance torque demand as developed by the system.

Abstract: A motor control strategy for use in combination with an electric motor (1) having a number of phase windings (201, 202, 203) is disclosed, the motor (1) being adapted to produce an output torque in response to current in the windings comprising the steps of during normal operation generating a motor torque demand signal indicative of the output torque required from the motor (1), applying a first set of currents to the windings of the motor in response to the motor torque demand signal to produce a first output torque from the motor and during a test operation to enable diagnostics to be performed generating a motor current demand signal indicative of the total current required in the motor windings (201, 202, 203) and adjusting the currents applied to one or more of the windings in response to both the torque demand signal and the motor current demand signal, whereby the adjusted currents produced in the windings are substantially equal to the total current demanded by the motor current demand signal regardl

Abstract: An electrical power-assisted steering system is disclosed comprising an electric motor connected through a gearbox to act on a steering mechanism of the vehicle, the electric motor having a plurality of phase windings connected to a star point and switching means provided in at least one phase of the motor, the switching means being movable between a closed position in which current is able to flow in the phase windings, and an open position which prevents current flowing in a respective phase winding, The system incorporates a safety circuit operative when a fault develops to smooth out the transition between the presence and absence of servo support in assisting and not assisting by providing a prescribed period of damped operation as part of a shut-down phase.

Abstract: An electric power assisted steering system is disclosed which comprises a steering shaft connected at one end to the handwheel and at its other end to at least one roadwheel, while an electric motor is connected to the steering a gearbox having a non-integer reduction gear ratio. Two sensors are also provided with one sensing the angular position of the motor rotor and the other sensing the angular position of the steering shaft. The presence of the non-integer gear ratio produces a beat frequency between the output of the two sensors from which an unambiguous measurement of the angular position of the steering shaft over a range of greater than one complete revolution can be made. The sensors may comprise either absolute position sensors or index-type sensors.