Abstract: A two-stage stiffness driveshaft includes a hollow cylinder having first and second ends and a hollow cylinder stiffness. An inner shaft having first and second ends and an inner shaft stiffness extends through the hollow cylinder. The inner shaft's first end and the hollow cylinder's first end are engaged via a rotational clearance fit. The inner shaft's second end is rotationally fixed to the hollow cylinder's second end to permit the inner shaft's first end to twist through a predetermined angle relative to the inner shaft's second end. The inner shaft's stiffness defines the driveshaft's first-stage stiffness, while the combined stiffness of the inner shaft and the hollow cylinder defines the driveshaft's second-stage stiffness. A damping element positioned between the inner shaft and the hollow cylinder controls variation in torque transmitted by the driveshaft and generates gradual transition between the first-stage stiffness and the second-stage stiffness.

Abstract: A two-stage stiffness driveshaft includes a hollow cylinder defined by a longitudinal axis, a first end, a distal second end, and a hollow cylinder stiffness. The driveshaft also includes an inner shaft extending through the hollow cylinder along the longitudinal axis and defined by a first end, a distal second end, and an inner shaft stiffness. The first end of the inner shaft is engaged with the first end of the hollow cylinder via a rotational clearance fit. The second end of the inner shaft is rotationally fixed to the second end of the hollow cylinder such that the first end of the inner shaft can twist to a predetermined angle with respect to the second end of the inner shaft. The inner shaft stiffness defines a first-stage stiffness of the driveshaft, and the inner shaft stiffness and the hollow cylinder stiffness together define a second-stage stiffness of the driveshaft.

Abstract: A two-stage stiffness driveshaft includes a hollow cylinder defined by a longitudinal axis, a first end, a distal second end, and a hollow cylinder stiffness. The driveshaft also includes an inner shaft extending through the hollow cylinder along the longitudinal axis and defined by a first end, a distal second end, and an inner shaft stiffness. The first end of the inner shaft is engaged with the first end of the hollow cylinder via a rotational clearance fit. The second end of the inner shaft is rotationally fixed to the second end of the hollow cylinder such that the first end of the inner shaft can twist to a predetermined angle with respect to the second end of the inner shaft. The inner shaft stiffness defines a first-stage stiffness of the driveshaft, and the inner shaft stiffness and the hollow cylinder stiffness together define a second-stage stiffness of the driveshaft.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a personal garment constructed with a buoyancy-enhancing feature whose purpose is to provide the garment wearer with the ability to float on the surface of the water for an extended period of time with minimal expenditure of energy in a water environment in order to prevent drowning. The buoyancy enhancing feature may comprise several configurations. One configuration consists of a compressed fluid canister apparatus constructed within the garment that is activated by the garment wearer. Another configuration comprises a garment constructed in part of a fabric manufactured with minute particles of a buoyancy-enhancing material encapsulated within the fabric substance. Another configuration consists of the incorporation of one or more removable buoyancy-enhancing panels into pockets constructed within the garment.

Abstract: A method for reducing waste in imaging of flexographic plates comprises the steps of: receiving an electronic art file (10); displaying the file on a computer display; selecting a set of polygonal areas (11, 12) from the displayed file in response to cost calculation associated with the selection of the set of polygonal areas; automatically offering alternative polygonal areas based on automatic cost calculation analysis based on the selection of the polygonal areas; ganging the polygonal areas into a compacted slugs file (208); imaging the compacted slugs file on a flexographic imaging device to produce compacted flexographic plate (209); cutting the compacted flexographic plate according to the selection the polygonal areas into independent flexographic slug plate pieces (210); and mounting the flexographic slug plate pieces on a carrier (211) while matching the original structure of the electronic art file.

Abstract: An adjustable width ski can comprise a top plank and two bottom planks. The relationship between the top plank and the two bottom planks can be adjusted to increase the width of the ski. The ski can further comprise a fastener to secure the top and bottom planks in the different configurations. A user can adjust the width of the ski depending on the preferences of the user. The ski can further have a mechanical or electro-mechanical adjustment mechanism.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for generating a representation of an access control list, the representation being utilizable in a network processor or other type of processor to perform packet filtering or other type of access control list based function. A plurality of rules of the access control list are determined, each of at least a subset of the rules having a plurality of fields and a corresponding action. The rules are processed to generate a multi-level tree representation of the access control list, in which each of one or more of the levels of the tree representation is associated with a corresponding one of the fields. At least one level of the tree representation comprises a plurality of nodes, with two or more of the nodes of that level having a common subtree, and the tree representation including only a single copy of that subtree. The tree representation is characterizable as a directed graph in which each of the two nodes having the common subtree points to the single copy of the common subtree.

Abstract: The invention concerns a vehicle body panel. The vehicle body panel, such as a floor pan, may have a generally planar portion adapted to be located adjacent to and conceal a vehicle component, such as a fuel pump module. An access portion is located within and extends out of plane of the generally planar portion, and includes a periphery, wherein the access portion is integral with the generally planar portion. Also, a cutting guide feature extends around it adjacent to the periphery.

Abstract: A method for reducing waste in imaging of flexographic plates comprises the steps of: receiving an electronic art file (10); displaying the file on a computer display; selecting a set of polygonal areas (11, 12) from the displayed file in response to cost calculation associated with the selection of the set of polygonal areas; automatically offering alternative polygonal areas based on automatic cost calculation analysis based on the selection of the polygonal areas; ganging the polygonal areas into a compacted slugs file (208); imaging the compacted slugs file on a flexographic imaging device to produce compacted flexographic plate (209); cutting the compacted flexographic plate according to the selection the polygonal areas into independent flexographic slug plate pieces (210); and mounting the flexographic slug plate pieces on a carrier (211) while matching the original structure of the electronic art file.

Abstract: Apparatus for facilitating the selective lifting of the lid or the seat/lid combination of a two-piece toilet seat assembly comprises (a) a stem member that is adapted to pass through a pre-formed opening in the lid portion of the seat assembly so as to be movably supported by the lid portion, (b) a manually-engagable handle rigidly connected to one end of the stem member, and (c) a latch member radially-extending from the stem member at a location on axially spaced from the handle. During movement (e.g., rotation) of the stem member within the pre-formed opening in the lid portion, the latch member moves between a seat-latching position in which it underlies a portion of the seat portion of the toilet seat assembly, and a second position in which it is spaced from the seat portion.

Abstract: A processing system includes a processing device and a host processor operatively coupled to the processing device via a system bus, and implements a scatter gather data transfer technique. The host processor is configurable to control the transfer of information to or from scattered or non-contiguous memory locations in a memory associated with the processing device, utilizing a data structure comprising a single descriptor. An information transfer bandwidth of the system bus is thereby more efficiently utilized than if a separate descriptor were used for transfer of information involving each of the non-contiguous memory locations.

Abstract: A processing system includes a processing device and a host processor operatively coupled to the processing device via a system bus, and implements a scatter gather data transfer technique. The host processor is configurable to control the transfer of information to or from scattered or non-contiguous memory locations in a memory associated with the processing device, utilizing a data structure comprising a single descriptor. An information transfer bandwidth of the system bus is thereby more efficiently utilized than if a separate descriptor were used for transfer of information involving each of the non-contiguous memory locations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing paired or shadowed shared memory within UNIX and UNIX-like environments is provided. For the present invention shared memory segments, established using System V-like shared memory commands, are registered or paired. Once paired checkpointing operations may be performed by pushing or pulling data between paired segments. These checkpointing operations may be synchronous or asynchronous. The present invention also allows client processes to determine the status of shared memory segments and the status of checkpointing requests.

Abstract: A multiprocessor system includes a number of sub-processor systems, each substantially identically constructed, and each comprising a central processing unit (CPU), and at least one I/O device, interconnected by routing apparatus that also interconnects the sub-processor systems. A CPU of any one of the sub-processor systems may communicate, through the routing elements, with any I/O device of the system, or with any CPU of the system.Communications between I/O devices and CPUs is by packetized messages. Interrupts from I/O devices are communicated from the I/O devices to the CPUs (or from one CPU to another CPU) as message packets, and stored at an interrupt queue in memory. Storage of the interrupt data will initiate an internal interrupt to notify the receiving CPU. The receiving CPU can then access the interrupt queue, examine the interrupt data, and determine what action to take.

Abstract: A tape cartridge, e.g. for containing a spirally wound optical recording tape, is provided with safety details to prevent access to the tape by a cartridge user or by an unintended tape drive, e.g., a magnetic tape drive. According to a preferred embodiment, a movable door-locking member on the cartridge's tape access door is normally covered by a movably mounted gate member which blocks physical contact by a user, or by a door-unlocking mechanism of the tape drive. When the cartridge is loaded into an appropriate tape drive, gate-moving structure associated with such tape drive operates to move the gate member to an unblocking position in which the door-locking member is accessible to the unlocking mechanism of the tape drive. The invention enables a single tape cartridge to be used in different types of tape drives, such as optical or magnetic tape drives, with only minor modification to the cartridge's access door.

Abstract: A photographic film cassette is provided with a radial bar coded disk having first and second arcuate segments of differing radial lengths to form a gap between the disk and a circumferential lip of the cassette housing. When the cassette is removed from a camera after the film has been fully or partially exposed, the gap is positioned so as to align with a double exposure prevention hook in the camera. During a subsequent attempt to insert the cassette into the camera, the hook enters the gap and engages the housing lip to thereby prevent complete insertion of the cassette.

Abstract: A film assemblage comprises a cassette shell having a film ingress/egress slot through which a leading section of a filmstrip coiled in a roll inside the shell may be moved outside the shell, and a pull-strip for engaging the leading section which can be manually pulled outwardly through the slot to similarly draw the leading section outside the shell. According to the invention, respective cooperating means are affixed to the shell and the pull-strip for constraining the pull-strip to be manually pulled around the exterior of the shell to draw the leading section of the filmstrip outwardly through the slot.

Abstract: A film cassette comprises a spool supported inside a shell for rotation to thrust a filmstrip coiled about the spool to the exterior of the shell whether the filmstrip is unexposed or is partly exposed, and a film exposure status indicator secured to the spool for rotation from an unexposed position for providing a visible indication that the filmstrip is unexposed to respective partly exposed and fully exposed positions for providing visible indications that the filmstrip is only partly exposed or is substantially exposed. A spool lock is supported for movement to arrest the spool with the film exposure status indicator in the unexposed, partly exposed or fully exposed position, and to release the spool. According to the invention, the spool lock includes a film speed indicator for providing a detectable indication of the speed of the filmstrip which is not detectable when the spool lock is arresting the spool and is detectable when the spool lock has released the spool.

Abstract: A film cassette comprising a cassette shell having an end face with an end opening, and a rotatable spool core supported inside the shell with one end protruding through the end opening to outside the shell, is characterized in that a covering label is affixed to the end face of the shell and to the one end of the spool core to prevent rotation of the spool core. The covering label is frangible to allow it to be broken to permit rotation of the spool core and to provide a visible indication the cassette was used. The end face of the shell has a relieved area which immediately surrounds the end opening in the end face along a location beneath the covering label. When the cassette is loaded into a photographic camera, a fracturing piece is received into the relieved area which breaks the covering label.

Abstract: A photographic camera to be used with a film cassette having film speed indicator means movable between a storage position in which it cannot be detected to provide an indication of the speed of a filmstrip inside the cassette and a use position in which it can be detected to provide the indication, is characterized in that a loading chamber is configured to receive the film cassette with the film speed indicator means in the storage position, actuation means is located in the loading chamber for moving the film speed indicator from the storage position to the use position responsive to insertion of the film cassette into the loading chamber, and sensing means is located in the loading chamber for detecting the film speed indicator means when it is in the use position to determine the speed of the filmstrip inside the cassette.