Abstract: An assembly for maintaining tension in a drive belt features a housing mounted on a base. The housing contains a biasing element that exerts torque on the housing to bias the housing in a radial direction. A lever arm is connected to the housing and rotates with the housing in response to the bias of the biasing element. A pulley is connected to the lever arm and engages a drive belt in response to the bias force of the biasing element on the lever arm. The pulley deflects the shape of the belt to provide tension in the belt. In one embodiment, the apparatus allows the user to switch the position of the biasing element and alter the direction of torque on the lever arm. In another embodiment, the lever arm and pulley are removable from the housing and replaceable with other arms and pulleys having different configurations.

Abstract: A pivot bearing, e.g. for a vehicle trailing arm suspension, comprising a housing (4), a resilient bush (3), preferably compressed and bonded in the housing, and a rigid axial sleeve (2) in the bush, has voids, (9) formed in the bush to be above and below the sleeve when the pivot bearing is fitted for use, and there are stiffening elements (17) in the bush which extend between the voids (9) at opposite sides of the sleeve. When the pivot bearing is in use in a vehicle trailing arm suspension, the voids increase flexibility of the bush under generally vertical loading on the pivot bearing and the stiffening elements enhance the stiffness of the bush in generally horizontal direction for improved vehicle dynamics and reduced vibration.

Abstract: The present invention provides antitumor methods, formulations, and compounds comprising a cryptophycin.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for Min star calculations in a Map decoder. Min star calculations are performed by a circuit that includes a first circuit that performs an Min(A,B) operation simultaneously with a circuit that calculates a −log(1+e−|A−B|) value. The sign bit of the A−B calculation is used to select whether A or B is a minimum. The A−B calculation is also used to select either −log(1+e−|A−B|) or −log(1+e−|B−A|) as the correct calculation. In order to hasten the selection of either −log(1+e−|A−B|) or −log(1+e−|B−A|) as the correct calculation the apparatus does not wait for the A−B calculation to complete. Any bit of the A−B calculation between the third bit and final (sign bit) can be used for the selection. If an incorrect value is selected a log saturation circuit may correct the value.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electric heater assembly with a plurality of electric heating units includes the steps of providing a tray-like support (1) and moulding microporous thermal and electrical insulation material into the support. The tray-like support (1) is formed with a number of dish-like recesses (2), each dish-like recess comprising a base (4) and a surrounding wall (5). The microporous thermal and electrical insulation material is moulded into each dish-like recess to form a base layer (6) against the base (4) of each dish-like recess and an upstanding wall layer (7) against the surrounding wall (5) of each dish-like recess, the base layer (6) being formed integrally with the wall layer (7). At least one electric heating element (12) is provided in each dish-like recess (2), the heating element being supported on or adjacent to the base layer (6). The electric heater assembly is adapted for use behind a plate (10) to provide a plurality of discrete heating zones on the plate.

Abstract: A method and system for predicting the condition of a road to be travelled by a vehicle includes a measurement device, such as a laser or machine vision system, disposed at a front of the vehicle for measuring a vertical elevation of a portion of the road at a predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle. A control unit, in communication with the measurement device, has control logic for predicting the condition of the road to be travelled by the vehicle based on the measured vertical elevation and controlling an aspect of the vehicle, such as the vehicle's suspension system, based on the predicted road condition.

Abstract: A flexible electric heater comprises a heat resistant support (4) of sheet or tape form having at least one electrical resistance heating element (1) secured thereto. The at least one heating element comprises a ribbon (2) of electrical resistance material provided with a plurality of integral tabs (3). The tabs have been pressed through the support to secure the heating element to the support. The support (4) is flexible and comprises a woven fabric material, such as woven glass fabric or woven ceramic fabric, or a non-fibrous material, such as flexible mica.

Abstract: An electric heater unit is manufactured so as to form a base in a supporting dish by compacting powdered microporous insulation into the base. At least one electrical resistance heating element is supported on or adjacent to the base and a peripheral wall is formed in the supporting dish and integral with the base by compacting further microporous insulation material into the dish to a controlled compaction density. The compaction density of the peripheral wall may be different from that of the base, for example higher.

Abstract: A method and system for floating an upper vehicle part from a lower vehicle frame includes a primary floating device, coupled to either the upper vehicle part or the lower vehicle frame, floats the upper vehicle part freely separate from the lower vehicle frame. A plurality of sensors sense appropriate road inputs. An electronic control unit, coupled to the primary floating device and the plurality of sensors, receives the road inputs and generates control signals for controlling the primary floating device in order to minimize movement of the upper vehicle part with respect to the lower vehicle frame.

Abstract: An elongate electrical resistance heating element of coiled material is secured to a support of insulating material by means of staples driven into the support. A jig is employed having an elongate slot open to a face of the jig for receiving the heating element. A movable elongate base member is provided in and co-operating with the slot, the base member having projections extending in a direction towards the face of the jig, the projections being arranged in predetermined spaced relationship along the base member. Grooves are provided at opposite sides of the slot for receiving staples, bridge members first, into the elongate slot from the face of the jig with the legs of the staples slidably received in the grooves. The grooves are positioned such that the bridge members of the staples are contactable by the projections on the base member.

Abstract: A water processable photopolymeric composition for use in the manufacture of flexographic photopolymer printing plates is disclosed. Preferably, the flexomer blend includes a flexomer having an affinity for water combined with a hydrophilic crosslinking agent, a nonhydrophilic crosslinking agent, a swell enhancing filler, a hydrophilic plasticizer, a compatibilizer and a surfactant. The compatibilizer aids the blending of the hydrophilic components with the flexomer blend.

Abstract: A kinetically multicolored light source is described, comprising: a light source capable of producing a plurality of primary colors; oscillatory means for driving said light source; and means for moving said light source. The oscillatory driving means may drive the light source so that one or more of the primary colors is alternately turned on and off at a frequency above the critical fusion frequency of an observer, whereby each of the colors appears to emanate simultaneously and continuously thereby appearing to the observer as a single secondary color when the light source moves slowly with respect to the observer.The light source may move relative to the observer sufficiently rapidly that each of the oscillating primary colors if viewed alone would appear to the observer to emanate from bright segments of a curvilinear path with intervening dark segments.

Abstract: A flexible thermal insulation panel in the form of a block of consolidated particulate microporous insulation material enclosed in a porous envelope. The block is bonded to the envelope by compression of the envelope to cause penetration of particles of insulation material at the surface of the block into pores of the envelope. The envelope comprises a stretchable material, at least in part. The consolidated block and the stretchable material of the envelope bonded thereto can be conformed to a non-planar surface with the stretchable material of the envelope remaining bonded to the block.

Abstract: A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is provided for workstations on a network in which a complex operation is controlled. At least one node on the network has a Desktop Management Interface (DMI) with an object oriented database for storing data objects for the complex operation. Objects are organized according to the DMI into components, groups and attributes. The GUI is generic to any complex operation but requires the DMI for access to data. The GUI enables the user to manage information in the database in whatever manner the user has interest through the provision of report definitions through which specific component, group, and attribute data are obtained in accordance with row and column definitions for table display. The DMI interface is probed with appropriate commands generated by the GUI to obtain and display the requested data. Provision is made for displaying data in chart format and a chain feature is provided to move from one report to another. Various other features are provided.

Abstract: A system for enabling the use of the Desktop Management Interface (DMI) in a network where the particular computing system containing the DMI and its database reside on one node and where management applications and devices (instrumented components) reside at other nodes. A client interface is established at each of the required client platforms by supporting all of the functions of the management interface (MI) and/or component interface (CI) at the platforms. In that manner, the management application can address the client management interface at its own node as though it were on the DMI node. The client MI issues a "Remote Procedure Call" (RPC) using network protocol to address the DMI node. A server agent at the DMI node receives the call and acts as a proxy management application to address the DMI and its database. Similarly, instrumented components can address the client component interface at its own node as though it were on the DMI node. The client CI issues an RPC to address the DMI node.

Abstract: A distributed computer system is provided with a listener system interposed between the application server and the surface interfaces of the system. The listener system supervises processing of user entered commands and provides substantially simultaneous feedback of system status and progress of the system response to a command to all users. This allows system users to work simultaneously on a common document.

Abstract: A communication medium and method enabling the identification of manageable data produced on mainframe equipment, so that the data can be established in a Desktop Management Interface (DMI) database. In that manner, management applications residing on desktop equipment connected to the DMI nodes can manage a complex process which includes mainframe equipment. The medium is a "tag" comprising a structured field which is sent from the mainframe to a desktop machine containing a server agent for generating DMI commands from the tag to address the database. In one embodiment, an exit agent is provided to split tags out of a mainframe generated datastream and send them to the server agent. The technique is extended to include desktop nodes so that tags can be produced and sent to the server agent for the generation of DMI commands.

Abstract: A data signal may be sampled at high speed using a clock signal by propagating the data signal and the clock signal through a series of data and clock delay elements, respectively, and latching the corresponding delayed data and clock signals. The sampling speed is thereby controlled by the relative skew between the clock and data signals, which can be made relatively small and may be limited only by noise and random variations in fabrication. Accordingly, high speed sampling may be obtained.

Abstract: A gun includes a frame and a pivoting barrel assembly which is releasably latched in a firing position by a pair of flexible and resilient latches on the barrel assembly which engage shoulders on the frame. A trigger is slidably mounted on the frame for movement between a rest position and a firing position. A projectile loader is mounted on the frame at the breech end of the barrel assembly for movement between a loading position and a firing position. The loader is provided with an opening which is aligned with a magazine in the frame when the loader is in the loading position and is aligned with the bore of the barrel assembly when the loader is in the firing position. A camming ramp on the trigger is engageable with the loader for moving the loader between the loading and firing positions as the trigger moves between the rest and firing positions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for rasterizing a two-dimensional fast Fourier transform of a size N.times.N using a pipelined butterfly computational unit with 2logN processors. The invention avoids the problems associated with transposing the matrix so that the data can be continuously driven into the arithmetic processors in a pipelined fashion. It is devised for realtime applications using raster scan or serial input and output devices.