Abstract: A linked mail/message board system wherein a data communication center and a facsimile mail center are linked. The control data of facsimile malls/message boards are held in a data communication center, as well as in the facsimile mail center. The data communication center has a unit for receiving from one of data terminals connected thereto, a command for operating the facsimile mail center, and a unit for transferring the command to the facsimile mail center. The facsimile mail center has a unit for receiving the transferred command, and a unit for executing the command. The data communication center has a unit for receiving from one of the data terminals and transferring to the facsimile mail center, additional information to be attached to a facsimile mail when the facsimile mail is delivered.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting the quality of combustion in each cylinder of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine is disclosed. The invention determines a combustion stroke of each cylinder by sensors and detects the rotational speed of the engine at least three times during each combustion stroke by a rotation speed calculation device. The detected rotational speeds are evaluated by an arithmetic calculation device to identify the variation in rotational speed of each piston during a combustion stroke whereby the quality of combustion is, thus, determined. In a feature of the invention fluctuations in rotational speed caused by reciprocating inertia (.omega..sub.c) are calculated and eliminated from fluctuation in engine speed caused by combustion (.omega..sub.g) so that the quality of combustion based only upon variation in detected speeds caused by combustion is derived.

Abstract: A conversion efficiency of a catalyst is estimated by a correlation function concerning output signals of upper and down stream side air fuel ratio sensors. The conversion efficiency is measured by comparing the correlation function and a complement value of the correlation function with a comparing standard value.

Abstract: In a fuel control device for an internal combustion engine wherein an estimated pressure (Pi) in the engine intake manifold is calculated by digital filtering an output signal from a H/W sensor by making use of a difference equation, an air flow rate (Qc) at the engine cylinder port is estimated based upon a detected engine rotating number (N) and the calculated estimated pressure (Pi) by retrieving a value of air flow rate from a map defined by the engine rotating number (N) and the estimated pressure (Pi) in the engine intake manifold. Then, the fuel quantity (Tp) to be injected is calculated based upon a detected engine rotating number (N) and the estimated air flow rate (Qc) at the engine cylinder port. However during the engine starting period, a learned estimated pressure in the engine intake manifold is used instead of the calculated estimate pressure (Pi) in the engine intake manifold to determined the retrieved estimated air flow rate (Qc).

Abstract: An ignition current conduction time control apparatus, comprising power transistors for producing a spark for ignition at the ignition plugs, and a controller for applying ignition signals to the power transistors, wherein the saturated state of the power transistors is eliminated by controlling the start time of current conduction time of said ignition signals applied to the power transistors according to the internal resistance values of the ignition coils, thereby eliminating the heat generation of the ignition coils.

Abstract: A method for continuous casting of steel comprises the steps of feeding molten steel to cooling device for cooling molten steel by use of feeding device for feeding molten steel; cooling fed molten steel by the cooling device; generating a high-frequency magnetic field near a zone where the feeding device, the cooling device and molten steel contact each other; and converging the high-frequency magnetic field on the zone where the feeding device, the cooling device and molten steel contact each other. Further, an apparatus for continuous casting of steel comprises feeding device for feeding molten steel; cooling device for cooling molten steel fed by the feeding device; generating device for generating a high-frequency magnetic field near a zone where the feeding device, the cooling device and molten steel contact each other; and converging device for converging the magnetic field on the zone where the feeding device, the cooling device and molten steel contact each other.

Abstract: There is provided an air-flow ratio control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which comprises a means for measuring a flow amount of intake air, a means for assuming an amount of intake air filled in a surge tank, and means for assuming an amount of exhaust gas remaining in a combustion chamber, and controls a feed amount of fuel based on the result of an assumption effected by these means. Therefore, according to the present invention, an amount of intake air supplied into each cylinder can be precisely measured, an air-flow ratio can be kept constant even in a transient state such as in acceleration or deceleration, and NOx, CO and HC contained in exhaust gas can be reduced. Further, with this arrangement, the size of a conventional ternary catalyst can be reduced.

Abstract: Molten metal is put under pressure of up to 10 atmospheres in a covered ladle and a gas soluble in the metal is bubbled through the melt. Some gas goes into solution, while the remainder rises in bubbles and brings inclusions suspended in the molten metal up to the surface. Then the pressure is lowered, after which gas comes out of the solution in fine bubbles which also bring impurity inclusions up to the surface. In another method molten steel is refined at pressures not exceeding atmospheric pressure in a covered ladle equipped for evacuation and equipped for bubbling gas through the molten steel bath. Bubbling followed by pressure reduction can then be performed to form two stages of cleaning. Heat may be added for compensating the cooling effect of gas expansion.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an automobile is provided with a system manager, which initiates and manages the operation of units for controlling and operating various devices and accessories installed in the automobile. The system manager is coupled with a card unit, in which a card is inserted. Such a card has an identification code ID of a user and a code indicating that the card is registered in advance. The system manager has a list of codes of cards registered. If a card inserted is confirmed to be correct and valid by the ID and the registration code, the system manager executes a predetermined processing operation and produces a set-up instruction signal. Upon receipt of this set-up instruction signal, operations of the control units for the devices and accessories are initiated.

Abstract: On an outer peripheral portion of a rotor (1), three protrusions are provided per each cylinder. A pickup coil 2 is disposed facing to the outer peripheral portion with a predetermined distance. A rotation signal (S.sub.0) is converted to a rotation signal pulse (S.sub.1) having three pulses (A, B and C) per each cylinder corresponding to the three protrusions. According to the first signal (A) of the rotation signal pulse (S.sub.1) the cranking ignition period (A.sub.1) is determined. According to the second signal (B) of the rotation signal pulse (S.sub.1), the starting timing for flowing current to the ignition coil (8) is decided. According to the third signal (C) of the rotation signal pulse (S.sub.1), the ignition timing at cranking operation is defined by detecting time intervals (3t, t, 2t) between the three signals (A, B, C).

Abstract: An inventive method may perform a plating the surface of the metals sheet without using a molten plating metal. This method successively melts a supplied solidus plating metal in close proximity of the passing metal sheet and adheres the molten plating metal as a plating film to the surface of the metal sheet, where the metal sheet passes upwardly and the plating metal is supplied through an upwardly-directed nozzle disposed near the passing sheet, and when or immediately before the plating metal is supplied from the nozzle, it is molten by a heat melting means. The molten plating metal forms a pool at a corner defined between the surface of the passing sheet and the tip of the nozzle, and the molten metal of the pool forms a plating adheres to the sheet surface and forms the plating film.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the idling engine speed of an automobile engine comprises: an engine speed sensor for detecting an engine speed; a control unit for calculating a difference between an actual engine speed detected by the sensor and a targeted idling engine speed preset in accordance with the operating conditions of the engine, for judging whether or not a power steering system is being operated to a point close to an operatable limit thereof when the automobile is at a standstill, and for outputting a signal for increasing by a predetermined value a gain of a proportional term for proportional-integral type feedback control employed in controlling the idling engine speed if judgment is made that the power steering system is being operated to a point close to the operatable limit thereof when the automobile is at a standstill; and an ISC valve for adjusting a flow rate of air supplied to the engine in accordance with a signal output by the control unit.

Abstract: An ignition timing control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders. The apparatus includes a knock sensor for detecting a knocking condition in the engine, sensors for detecting other operating conditions of the engine, a microprocessor unit for receiving signals from the sensors to determine a basic ignition timing of the engine and generate an ignition timing control signal, and a power transistor circuit responsive to the ignition timing control signal from the microprocessor unit to switch on and off the primary current in an ignition coil and generate a high-voltage ignition signal.

Abstract: The invention involves the generation of dry hot steam to be drawn into an oven cooking cavity where the steam is allowed to contact dough pieces on a baking plate in order to bake French bread with a glossy appearance and a hard crust, for example. In one embodiment, the cooking cavity is partitioned in the top thereof to form a steam generating chamber which receives therein a supply of water to convert it into hot steam with the heat from an upper gas burner located beneath the chamber. The upper gas burner and a lower gas burner located beneath the baking plate may be of forced combustion type and a perforated burner tube has provided along the length thereof a flame transmitting member which is divided into a plurality of segments mounted with a proper gap between two adjacent ones thereof to accommodate the thermal expansion of the segmented flame transmitting member and the tube per se.

Abstract: A prism partly of a solid glass block enclosed with inoperative planes is provided on the inoperative planes with transparent members each of which comprises a light transmission part and a light attenuation part having a great number of either superfine prismatic protuberances or small acute indentations formed over the whole outer surface thereof. The transparent member has a refractive index of n.sub.1 which satisfies the following condition:n.sub.1 .gtoreq.n.sub.0 -0.03wherein n.sub.0 is the refractive index of the prism. A ray of light incident upon the polished surface of the inoperative plane at an angle less than a critical angle passes the through transmission part and then is gradually attenuated as it is repeatedly reflected by the internal surfaces of the prismatic protuberance.

Abstract: A vertical type electro-galvanizing apparatus, which comprises: a U-shaped electro-galvanizing tank including a first vertical path (12) at a steel strip inlet side, a second vertical path (13) at a steel strip outlet side and a horizontal path (14) for communicating the lower end of the first vertical path (12) to the lower end of the second vertical path (13); a first conductor roll (2), arranged above the first vertical path (12), for directing a steel strip (5) downwardly into the first vertical path (12) and applying electricity to the steel strip (5); at least one sink roll (3, 3'), arranged in the horizontal path (14), for upwardly reversing the travelling direction of the steel strip (5); a second conductor roll (4), arranged above the second vertical path (13), for directing the steel strip (5) upwardly from the second vertical path (13) and applying electricity to the steel strip (5); at least one first electrode plate (6, 6) arranged in the first vertical path (12); at least one second electrode pl

Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus for use with a camera of the type having two interchangeable lenses with different focal lengths, includes a ranging device for finding in which distance range is located an object to be photographed, i.e., close range or long range. The ranging device is capable of shifting the position of the boundary between short range and long range when interchanging lenses in order to widen the limits of the range in which either of the lenses can be focused better.

Abstract: A method of controlling an internal combustion engine employs a microcomputer to control the fuel supply to the engine as well as the ignition timing thereof on the basis of measurement of the air quantity fed to the engine. For measuring the air quantity charged to the engine with high accuracy, the intake air flow fed to the engine is sampled in synchronism with the pulsating variation thereof. A value obtained by averaging the sampled values is used as the intake air quantity on the basis of which the fuel supply and the ignition timing are arithmetically determined.

Abstract: An ignition timing control apparatus for an internal combustion engine wherein an ignition timing .theta. of at least one cylinder of the engine is retarded (or advanced) by a little amount .DELTA..alpha. to intentionary check the generation sensitivity of a knock detection signal, that is, the detection sensitivity of knocking, then a knock judging level is modified thereby to judge as to whether knock is produced or not on the basis of the modified knock judging level, in order to correct and control the ignition timing .theta. of the engine. As a result, irrespective of the non-uniformity of properties of the knock detection device and an internal combustion engine due to the deterioration with age or manufacturing errors, correct judgement of knocking can always be insured.

Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus for use with a camera of the type having two interchangeable lenses with different focal lengths, incudes a ranging device for finding in which distance range is located an object to be photographed, i.e., close range or long range. The ranging device is capable of shifting the position of the boundary between short range and long range when interchanging lenses in order to widen the limits of the range in which either of the lenses can be focused better.