Abstract: A gas bearing device is a gas bearing device for rotatably supporting a rotational shaft by using a gas as a working fluid, including: a housing where the rotational shaft penetrates; an annular top foil disposed inside the housing and surrounding an outer periphery of the rotational shaft; a back spring disposed between the top foil and the housing, and having a plurality of crests contacting the top foil and a plurality of valleys contacting the housing; and a pair of snap rings fitted in shaft holes where the rotational shaft of the housing penetrates, and configured to restrict movement of the back spring in an axial direction of the rotational shaft. An inner peripheral surface of each of the pair of snap rings has self-lubricating properties.

Abstract: A glass funnel suitable for a chemical strengthening method of an electric field application type without impairing the safety of a cathode ray tube. A glass funnel for a cathode ray tube, characterized in that glass at a body portion 3 contains at least Na2O and K2O, the conductivity of said glass at the strain point is at least 4×10?6 S/cm, the conductivity at 150° C. is at most 5×10?12 S/cm, and a compressive stress layer is formed by a chemical strengthening method on at least part of the outer surface of the body portion 3.

Abstract: A glass funnel suitable for a chemical strengthening method of an electric field application type without impairing the safety of a cathode ray tube. A glass funnel for a cathode ray tube, characterized in that glass at a body portion 3 contains at least Na2O and K2O, the conductivity of said glass at the strain point is at least 4×10?6 S/cm, the conductivity at 150° C. is at most 5×10?12 S/cm, and a compressive stress layer is formed by a chemical strengthening method on at least part of the outer surface of the body portion 3.

Abstract: Fine and homogeneous oxide particles for superconductors which can be sintered at a low temperature are prepared in a liquid phase by the sol-gel method using alkoxides as starting materials. By forming a buffer layer between a substrate and a superconducting film, good-quality and oriented superconducting film can be fabricated. Highly c-axis-oriented superconducting film and bulk products can be prepared from particular starting compositions in Ln-Ae-Cu-O and Bi-Ae-Cu-O systems. The oriented film can be produced by painting a paste of such starting compositions on a substrate followed by sintering, and the bulk form can be produced by pressing the pre-sintered powder of such starting compositions.

Abstract: A laser magnetic immunoassay (LMIA) technique is presented which combines the high detection sensitivity of the radioimmunoassay (RIA) technique with the simplicity of particle agglutination (PA) technique. The LMIA technique dispenses with the separation step of bound and free species (B/F separation), yet provides detectivity of the order of picogram of viral species per milliliter of analyte solution. The procedure includes of the steps of: preparing a superparamagnetic-labeled body of antigen or antibody; subjecting a specimen sample and the magnetic-labeled body to a specific immunoreaction to produce a reacted body; subjecting the reacted body containing both bound and free species to a spot magnetic field gradient; irradiating the spot with a laser beam; measuring the intensity of the outgoing light from the spot; and making a quantitative determination of the virus according to the time difference in the outgoing light signals generated by bound and free species.

Abstract: An in-situ laser magnetic immunoassay ("LMIA") method which eliminates the step of B/F separation generally required in the labeling method of immunoassays. The laser magnetic immunoassay permits a quantitative determination of a target immunological substance, for example, an antigen, an antibody, lymphocytes, viruses, tumorous cells and infections cells, in an analyte solution containing both bound and free species. A transitory increase in the magnetophoretic scattering of laser beam is observed when the analyte solution contains magnetic-labeled, bound target analyte, while no such increase is observed in a control test solution, containing only the relevant reagents. A magnetophoretic LMIA apparatus is provided which includes a magnetic gradient generating device which forms an integral part of the in-situ LMIA.

Abstract: In an optical fiber preform fabrication method having the steps of decomposing a glass raw material in a flame so that fine glass particles are produced; depositing the fine glass particles on a seed rod to form a porous preform; and consolidating the porous preform into a transparent optical fiber preform, use is made of a burner having a raw material supply orifice for supplying the glass raw material and a plurality of flame forming orifices deposed around the raw material supply orifice sequentially for forming a plurality of flames, respectively. The flame speed V.sub.k of a kth flame, the flame speed V.sub.k+1 of a (k+1)th flame surrounding outwardly of the kth flame and the flow speed Vm of the glass raw material are determined in a suitable manner. The glass raw material is supplied to the multi-flame produced by the burner in which the kth flame is positioned rearwardly of the (k+1)th flame to synthesize the fine glass particles.

Abstract: In an optical fiber preform fabrication method having the steps of decomposing a glass raw material in a flame so that fine glass particles are produced; depositing the fine glass particles on a seed rod to form a porous preform; and consolidating the porous preform into a transparent optical fiber preform, use is made of a burner having a raw material supply orifice for supplying the glass raw material and a plurality of flame forming orifices disposed around the raw material supply orifice sequentially for forming a plurality of flames, respectively. The flame speed V.sub.k of a kth flame, the flame speed V.sub.k+1 of a (k+1)th flame surrounding outwardly of the kth flame and the flow speed Vm of the glass raw material are determined in a suitable manner. The glass raw material is supplied to the maluti-flame produced by the burner in which the kth flame is positioned rearwardly of the (k+1)th flame to synthesize the fine glass particles.

Abstract: An infrared ray-transmitting glass composition for optical fibers consisting essentially of 28 mol % to 38 mol % of BaF.sub.2, 2 mol % to 7 mol % of GdF.sub.3 and 58 mol % to 69 mol % of ZrF.sub.4, and optical fibers comprising said glass composition.

Abstract: Glass material for infrared ray-transmitting optical fibers comprises a three-component material made of a 28 mol % to 38 mol % BaF.sub.2 -2 mol % to 7 mol % GdF.sub.3 -58 mol % to 69 mol % ZrF.sub.4 -based composition. The glass material is cast in a metal mold with a hollow section which is preheated to a temperature of at least 100.degree. C. but below the glass deformation temperature and annealing the melt in the metal mold to form a glass rod. The glass rod forming step includes heating the melt in the temperature range of between about 200.degree. C. and less than the glass deformation temperature and cooling the melt. The glass rod is removed from the metal mold and optically polished at the ends and sides and is then drawn into a fiber while applying tension to the tip of the glass rod while the glass rod is being heated. The glass rod is drawn into a glass fiber while maintaining the temperature at the end portion of the glass rod constant.

Abstract: Glass for optical fibers is made of material of a binary system containing a fluoride selected from BaF.sub.2, SrF.sub.2 CaF.sub.2 and PbF.sub.2 and another fluoride selected from AlF.sub.3 and ZrF.sub.4.

Abstract: A visible image of an apparatus including a movable element to be watched is formed on the CRT of a television by means of an industrial television camera. One or more photosensors are provided on the face plate of the CRT to receive light from the image of the apparatus. When the movable element of the apparatus is moved from an original position, the output of the photosensor is changed. This, it is electrically detected whether or not the movable element exists in its given position by watching the output level of the photosensor.