Abstract: An outflow valve is disclosed for use in a pressure vessel. The outflow valve includes a dual wall valve housing having a central bore, a butterfly plate assembly and an angled drive shaft. The butterfly plate assembly is designed to fit and rotate within the central bore. The angled drive shaft has first and second ends rotateably coupled to the dual wall valve housing, and the angled drive shaft is attached to the butterfly plate. The drive shaft is designed to rotate the butterfly plate assembly between a closed position and an open position within the central bore.

Abstract: A method and system for providing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony products to purchasers is disclosed herein. Purchasers of the VoIP products are provided VoIP telephony calling capability via an ITSP VoIP system. The method and system include providing an online tool to the purchasers where the online tool enables online purchasing of each of the VoIP telephony products. The method and system further include detecting an order for a VoIP product(s) by a purchaser via the online tool where the order includes data for provisioning the VoIP product in the ITSP network, forwarding the order to the ITSP network and receiving an order confirmation from the ITSP network. The order confirmation indicates successful purchasing and provisioning of the VoIP product. The purchaser may be a reseller who resells the VoIP products to an end customer. Alternatively, the purchaser may be the end customer.

Abstract: An adsorbent article having a base body or matrix onto which is applied an adsorptive coating. The body or matrix can be a honeycomb matrix or structure having a plurality of cells defining a plurality of passages extending through the body. The adsorptive coating comprises an adsorptive media, such as activated carbon or ion exchange resin, that is bound by a polymeric adhesive or resin. The adsorbent article has a minimal pressure loss therethrough.

Abstract: A duct for passage of air therethough; one particular use for the duct is as a passage for intake air for a vehicle engine. The duct has an interior, adsorptive region that is adapted to remove contaminants from the air stream passing therethrough. The adsorptive region includes adsorptive material such as carbon (usually activated carbon), activated alumina, zeolites, metal oxides or ion exchange resin. The duct inhibits diffusion of uncombusted gasoline back through the duct from the engine, after the engine has been shut off.

Abstract: Width of a write track for a magnetic tape head is measured by writing a foreground magnetic track signal on a magnetic tape having a dissimilar background signal. A magnetic tape read head is moved from beyond one edge, laterally across, and beyond the opposite edge of the foreground track signal. Logic detects the read head encountering the one edge and the opposite edge of the foreground track signal; and determines, from an independent position sensor, the width of the foreground track signal as the lateral distance between the lateral position of the read head at one edge, and at the opposite edge of the foreground track signal.

Abstract: Dynamic tension control for tape transported along a tape path between supply and take-up reels, driven by supply and take-up motors, and having tachometers for determining linear speed of the tape. A controller accelerates the tape toward a target speed, initially operating the motors in static acceleration tension control; and if the linear speed of the tape is within a predetermined range of the target tape speed, operating the motors in composite tension control employing static tension control and delta velocity control.

Abstract: Width of a write track for a magnetic tape head is measured by writing a foreground magnetic track signal on a magnetic tape having a dissimilar background signal. A magnetic tape read head is moved from beyond one edge, laterally across, and beyond the opposite edge of the foreground track signal. Logic detects the read head encountering the one edge and the opposite edge of the foreground track signal; and determines, from an independent position sensor, the width of the foreground track signal as the lateral distance between the lateral position of the read head at one edge, and at the opposite edge of the foreground track signal.

Abstract: Dynamic tension control for tape transported along a tape path between supply and take-up reels, driven by supply and take-up reel motors. Rotational angular velocities of the supply and take-up reels are determined from tachometers, and therefrom a linear speed for the tape at the supply reel, and a linear speed for the tape at the take-up reel are each determined. The tape linear speeds at the reels are compared to determine a delta velocity between the linear speeds. The motors are operated in accordance with a function of the delta velocity to provide a torque to at least one of the reels tending to reduce the delta velocity.

Abstract: Dynamic tension control for tape transported along a tape path between supply and take-up reels, driven by supply and take-up reel motors. Rotational angular velocities of the supply and take-up reels are determined from tachometers, and therefrom a linear speed for the tape at the supply reel, and a linear speed for the tape at the take-up reel are each determined. The tape linear speeds at the reels are compared to determine a delta velocity between the linear speeds. The motors are operated in accordance with a function of the delta velocity to provide a torque to at least one of the reels tending to reduce the delta velocity.

Abstract: Dynamic tension control for tape transported along a tape path between supply and take-up reels, driven by supply and take-up motors, and having tachometers for determining linear speed of the tape. A controller accelerates the tape toward a target speed, initially operating the motors in static acceleration tension control; and if the linear speed of the tape is within a predetermined range of the target tape speed, operating the motors in composite tension control employing static tension control and delta velocity control.

Abstract: A system and method for managing and processing supply and demand information in an equipment market comprises a business logic engine, a database and interface engine and communications engine on a web host server. The communications engine is configured to enable the community of participants in the market to send market inquiries from the demand side of the market, and the business logic engine is configured to process market inquiries and responses to include them in the database of supply and demand information. The database is configured to enable the search engine to retrieve all types of data relevant to business planning and executing of equipment contracts and activities from community data and published data. The business logic engine comprises tools for collaboration, calculation, optimization and forecasting in the equipment market. In the exemplary embodiment the equipment is offshore drilling rigs.

Abstract: A servo position detector and a method for detecting and following an index position displaced at an offset with respect to an edge of a servo track, an edge comprising an interface between two dissimilar recorded servo signals. The servo track has two edges on opposite lateral sides of a middle recorded servo signal, the edges separated by a predetermined distance. A servo read element has an active sensing region which is no more than and is substantially the entire predetermined distance separating the edges, thereby.sensing no more than two of the dissimilar recorded servo signals at one of the edges. An independent position sensor senses the coarse position of the servo read element, indicating which edge or which index position is aligned with the servo read element. Logic compares the two sensed servo signals to determine the ratio therebetween, and determines an error between the compared ratio and a predetermined ratio.

Abstract: An insulating layer is formed onto a surface of a semiconductor substrate by reacting a silicon-containing compound and a compound containing peroxide bonding to deposit a short-chain polymer on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. A deposition rate of the short-chain polymer is increased by further reacting a substance which associates readily with the compound containing the peroxide bonding.

Abstract: An insulating layer is formed onto a surface of a semiconductor substrate by reacting a silicon-containing compound and a compound containing peroxide bonding to deposit a short-chain polymer on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. A deposition rate of the short-chain polymer is increased by farther reacting a substance which associates readily with the compound containing the peroxide bonding.

Abstract: An improved air cleaner arrangement is provided. The preferred air cleaner is wedge shaped, and is constructed as a “no-housing” arrangement. The arrangement includes first and second end caps, with pleated media extending therebetween. The preferred arrangement includes an angled mounting flange, for mounting beneath the hood of a vehicle.

Abstract: Servo errors can be avoided in a bi-directional reel-to-reel tape transport in which magnetic tape is moved in either of two opposite directions for data recording by providing a fine-line tachometer for each reel and a directly coupled tension sensor. Control of tape speed is implemented in a servo algorithm that uses tachometer inputs to determine parameter values for generating reel motor drive currents. If the linear velocity of both reels is the same then the tension output must be within a tolerable range. The directly coupled tension output provided an is indication of the actual current of the tension sensor. The difference between the linear velocities of the tape from each reel is calculated and monitored together with the tape tension. A trip level is set when an error occurs to stop tape motion and permit recovery without damaging the tape.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an antenna system that is particularly suited for use in communications systems implementing wireless local loops. In its preferred embodiment, the antenna comprises an array of air loaded stacked patch antenna elements suspended above a ground plane. The antennas each operate in a dual slant 45 linearly polarized mode and are fed by air loaded microstrip transmission line feeds. The line widths of the feed lines are uniform throughout the design, thereby eliminating the need for impedance transformers. The electronics for the antenna is located beneath the antenna ground plane to reduce the footprint of the antenna. In addition, a "connectorless" coupling structure is provided for transferring signals between the antenna elements and the underlying electronics. In one embodiment, an antenna is provided having enhanced sidelobe suppression despite having a limited number of side by side elements in a plane of interest.

Abstract: This invention relates to showerheads for delivering gases to reactor chambers. The showerhead 18 comprises a casing 19, which includes a backing plate 20, first and second baffle plates 21, 22 and an outlet plate 23. Baffle plates 21 and 22 divide the volume defined by the casing 19 into plena 24, 25 and 26. A gas supply 27 feeds the plenum 24, a gas supply 28 feeds the plenum 25 and a further gas supply 29 feeds the plenum 26. The outlet plate 23 has an array of openings 30 and each of the baffle plates 21, 22 has a tube for each opening 31. The tubes and outlets together define concentric but separate outlets for the respective plena.

Abstract: An improved air cleaner arrangement is provided. The preferred air cleaner is wedge shaped, and is constructed as a "no-housing" arrangement. The arrangement includes first and second end caps, with pleated media extending therebetween. The preferred arrangement includes an angled mounting flange, for mounting beneath the hood of a vehicle.