Abstract: The method and apparatus for forming composite wood products particularly composite veneer like products which may be intermediate products and laminated to form the final composite product. Strands are fed from a source of supply at a metered rate, entrained in an air stream and carried along a confined path between an entrainment zone and the source of supply. Strands are condensed onto a surface to form a veneer lay-up of at least one layer of strands on the forming surface and this veneer lay-up is carried from the path and deposited onto a collecting surface and later consolidated into a composite product. Entraining air and strands not forming veneer are separated in the supply station, the strands fall onto the supply of strands and energy is added to the separated entraining air and it is returned to the entraining zone.

Abstract: Assay apparatus comprising: a moulded cartridge containing a lateral flow test strip which has a label pad containing an enzyme antibody or antigen conjugate having affinity for an analyte; a capture zone having a capture antibody or antigen having affinity for said analyte; a reagent storage blister; a means for removing sample and/or label pad from the lateral flow test strip; a meter in which the cartridge is inserted enabling the control for reagent release from the reagent storage blister and for the sample and/or label pad removal and a means of providing quantitative measurement of said analyte.

Abstract: Apparatus for harvesting the cartilage connected to the breastbone on the skeletal portion of a poultry carcass including positioning means for positioning the breastbone for movement along a prescribed processing path and separating means for mechanically separating the cartilage from the breastbone as it moves along the processing path.

Abstract: A system and method for providing transaction indivisibility in a transaction processing system through the use of commonly-accessible modules for monitoring and maintaining proper source message sequencing is provided. A source message is transmitted from the host processing unit upon recovery of a failure of the host processing unit, where the source message includes information destined for the database, and an identifying sequence number. The identifying sequence number is compared to a stored sequence number, where the stored sequence number is associated with an immediately preceding source message received prior to the failure of the host processing unit. A source message indivisibility failure is indicated where the identifying sequence number is not consecutive with respect to the stored sequence number, while the source message is added to a message execution queue if the identifying sequence number is consecutive with respect to the stored sequence number.

Abstract: A system and method for assembling database restoration data according to transaction in a transaction processing system. Database restoration data is collated by chronologically storing updated database records in distinct storage banks partitioned according to its corresponding transaction. Resulting database record blocks from storage banks associated with completed database transactions are queued in the order that their corresponding transactions were completed. The queued database record blocks are transferred to storage media, whereby the queued database record blocks are arranged on the storage media according to transaction, and in the order that the active transactions were completed.

Abstract: A system and method for organizing and managing recovery information on a per-transaction basis using distinct memory structures is provided. A transaction processing system includes one or more transaction request units for initiating data transactions with a database. A memory architecture includes storage modules to store transaction recovery information that is used in recovering from a transaction processing failure, and further includes transaction descriptor memory structures each of which correspond to a distinct transaction. The transaction descriptors allow access to the transaction recovery information to be isolated from other transaction recovery information. A control information field in each transaction descriptor stores a transaction identifier that identifies the distinct transaction to which it corresponds.

Abstract: A system and method for balancing database transaction request distribution between various hosts in a multiprocessor transaction processing system is provided. The transaction processing system includes a database and multiple host processors each coupled to at least one database transaction request unit. Database transaction requests sent from the host processors are collectively entered into a commonly-accessible load balancing queue. Each database transaction request is accompanied by a source identifier that identifies the database transaction request unit which initiated the corresponding database transaction request. The queued database transaction requests from the load balancing queue are processed by currently-available host processors, regardless of which host processor initiated the database transaction request.

Abstract: Operation for each action of a machine is individually controlled by providing a file of set of components necessary to carry out the operation and a file of a set of components that are available and then determining in sequence whether each required component is also available and transferring those components that are both required and available in sequence to a fault file. The fault file may then be read in sequence and used to control the action being controlled so that if anyone of the required components is not available, the fault file so indicates and terminates the operation based on the first component found to be inoperative so that it is an easy matter to define the source of the problem.

Abstract: A control for delivery system made up of a plurality of variable output feed sources each with an independently variable input of material defines the capability of each of the feed sources based on the level of material and combines these capabilities to define a total capability of the delivery system. An output setpoint for each source is determined based on its capability and a required setpoint is set based on a desired end product characteristic which is used to define a production rate based on total capacity, required setpoint and the production line characteristics. The process is iterative so that the production rate, e.g. speed of the line is varied iteratively depending on the then current capabilities of the feed sources of the system and the footprint of the feed sources are adjusted based on their sensed capabilities thereby to maximize production line speed based on capability.

Abstract: Strand lay-up system produces a layered strand lay-up from separate feed bins and then deposits incremental lengths of the so formed layered lay-up over discrete selected area to form a more homogenous lay-up.

Abstract: An entity-relation database is disclosed to include a plurality of entity fields containing arrays of data elements, the data elements being related to each other in predefined sets, with each predefined set including data elements in at least two of the entity fields. At least one linked list defines the relationship between data elements between each of the predefined sets and provides a means for retrieving all of the elements of any selected predefined set from the two entity fields. The linked list consists of two distinct portions, namely, a head portion associated with each member of one entity field and a continuation portion associated with each member of another entity field, while each entry consists of a pair of addresses thereby forming a doubly linked list.

Abstract: An air conveyor moves light objects from one location to another and may also act as an accumulator for storing objects transported thereon. The conveyor has an elongated primary plenum and one or more elongated body members disposed over and in communication with the primary plenum through openings in the bottom wall of each body member. Each body member has a generally planar top deck disposed thereover. Each body member defines a secondary plenum between the top deck and the bottom wall of the body member. The top deck has a plurality of directional orifices formed therein. Blowers in communication with the primary plenum supply air to the secondary plenum through the primary plenum. The air from the secondary plenum is delivered through the directional orifices in the top deck and creates a current, or cushion, of air on which the objects move.

Abstract: Plural digital signals are converted to plural analog signals through a plurality of sample and hold circuits, there being one for each of the desired conversions, which sequentially sample a periodic signal on a repetitive basis in response to a sample control signal, and a plurality of digital counters, each being associated with a different one of the sample and hold circuits for receiving one of the digital signals and providing a digital count of clock pulses indicative thereof when enabled to provide the sample control signal upon the completion of its count, with each enabling period being initiated at the same cyclical point of the periodic signal and wherein the number of clock pulses generated in one cycle of the periodic signal is equal to the maximum count for the digital counters.