Abstract: A panel system includes a chassis holding one or more tray arrangements, which are each configured to receive one or more cassettes at two or more bays. The tray arrangements and cassettes cooperate to define a cassette sensor arrangement and a port occupancy sensor arrangement having separate interface points. The cassette sensor arrangement may include electronic memory storing physical layer information about the cassette. All active components of the port occupancy sensor arrangement are disposed on the tray while the electronic memories of the cassette sensor arrangement are stored on the cassettes.

Abstract: In one example, a centrifugal fan includes a bearing, a shaft rotatably supported by the bearing, fan blades operatively connected to and rotatable with the shaft to take in air axially and to exhaust air radially, and a groove in the shaft extending axially along an outer surface of the shaft through the bearing.

Abstract: A method of loading glass gobs into blank molds includes producing glass gobs falling from laterally spaced orifices along falling gob axes, and receiving the glass gobs into laterally spaced blank molds having blank mold centerlines corresponding to the falling gob axes. A related system is disclosed. Also disclosed is a multiple gob feeder that includes a feeder vessel including outlets with outlet centerlines, and feeder orifices in communication with the feeder vessel and having orifice centerlines coaxial with the outlet centerlines of the outlets of the feeder vessel and establishing gob falling axes and including orifice pipes and orifice tips below the orifice pipes. The orifice pipes include heaters to heat the orifice pipes and the orifice tips include orifice tip heaters to heat the orifice tips.

Abstract: A glass container forming apparatus for forming a glass parison is disclosed. The glass container forming apparatus includes a feeder spout having a heated orifice ring, a plunger carried in the feeder spout and having a blow conduit therethrough, and die rollers immediately downstream of the heated orifice ring, with no chutes, scoops, or other gob handling devices therebetween. A glass container forming system that includes a glass feeder and a glass container forming apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A cooling panel for a melter is disclosed that includes first and second outer walls and a plurality of side walls coupled to the first and second outer walls. The first and second outer walls and the plurality of side walls define an interior space. Each of the first and second outer walls, moreover, has a plurality of openings. The cooling panel further includes a plurality of baffles disposed in the interior space. The baffles include a plurality of projections. The respective openings of the outer walls and projections of the baffles fit together and are connected from outside of the cooling panel so that the outer walls and the baffles are fixed together, and the side walls are fixed to the outer walls so that the cooling panel is fluid-tight.

Abstract: A cooling panel for a melter includes first and second outer walls and a plurality of side walls coupled to the first and second outer walls. The first and second outer walls and the plurality of side walls define an interior space. The cooling panel also includes a plurality of baffles disposed in the interior space. The baffles divide the interior space into a plurality of rows, wherein the rows have widths W, and further have first and second longitudinal surfaces and an open transverse surface. The open transverse surfaces of the baffles are spaced away from adjacent side walls by a distance D that is 70% to 80% of the widths W of the rows.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a glass parison are disclosed. The method of forming a glass container in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes flowing molten glass to a glass feeder spout located immediately upstream of die rollers; feeding molten glass through an annular space established between an orifice ring of the glass feeder spout and a plunger of the glass feeder spout; blowing gas through the plunger into the molten glass to form a continuous tube of molten glass; and die rolling the continuous tube into a continuous string of glass containers.

Abstract: A cooling panel for a melter and method for fabricating the cooling panel are disclosed. In particular, the cooling panel can include first and second outer walls and a plurality of side walls coupled to the outer walls that define an interior space. A plurality of baffles is disposed in the interior space, where projections in the baffles fit into respective openings in the outer walls and can be connected from outside the cooling panel. The cooling panel can be formed by way of welding and/or additive manufacturing, as discussed herein.

Abstract: A method of providing glass from a glass melting furnace to at least one mold, including providing an uninterrupted glass communication path from an outlet of the glass melting furnace to the at least one mold, and pressurizing the path at a location downstream of the outlet to move molten glass into the at least one mold. A related system, apparatus, and molding equipment are also disclosed.

Abstract: A cooling panel for a melter and method for fabricating the cooling panel are disclosed. In particular, the cooling panel can include first and second outer walls and a plurality of side walls coupled to the outer walls that define an interior space. A plurality of baffles is disposed in the interior space, where projections in the baffles fit into respective openings in the outer walls and can be connected from outside the cooling panel. The cooling panel can be formed by way of welding and/or additive manufacturing, as discussed herein.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a glass parison are disclosed. The method of forming a glass container in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes flowing molten glass to a glass feeder spout located immediately upstream of die rollers; feeding molten glass through an annular space established between an orifice ring of the glass feeder spout and a plunger of the glass feeder spout; blowing gas through the plunger into the molten glass to form a continuous tube of molten glass; and die rolling the continuous tube into a continuous string of glass containers.

Abstract: System and methods are described for distributing artifacts in a cloud computing environment. Processing includes receiving an artifact at an upstream computing system in a network of computing systems, the artifact including a file of a continuous integration (CI) process, dividing the artifact into chunks, storing the chunks into a shared storage of the upstream computing system accessible by downstream computing systems of the network, determining downstream computing systems in the network to receive the artifact, receiving a request from one of the downstream computing systems for a chunk of the artifact; and providing the chunk to the downstream computing system from the shared storage.

Abstract: System and methods are described for distributing artifacts in a cloud computing environment. Processing includes receiving an artifact at an upstream computing system in a network of computing systems, the artifact including a file of a continuous integration (CI) process, dividing the artifact into chunks, storing the chunks into a shared storage of the upstream computing system accessible by downstream computing systems of the network, determining downstream computing systems in the network to receive the artifact, receiving a request from one of the downstream computing systems for a chunk of the artifact; and providing the chunk to the downstream computing system from the shared storage.

Abstract: Digestion of cellulosic biomass solids may be complicated by release of lignin therefrom. Methods and systems for processing a reaction product containing lignin-derived products, such as phenolics, can comprise hydrotreating the reaction product to convert the lignin-derived products to desired higher molecular weight compounds. The methods and systems can further include separating the higher molecular weight compounds from unconverted products, such as unconverted phenolics, and recycling the unconverted phenolics for use as at least a portion of the digestion solvent and for further conversion to desired higher molecular weight compounds with additional hydrotreatment. The methods and systems can further include a further hydrotreatment step configured for additional lignin conversion and/or a further hydrotreatment step configured for generating hydrogen.

Abstract: Digestion of cellulosic biomass solids may be complicated by release of lignin therefrom. Methods and systems for processing a reaction product containing lignin-derived products, such as phenolics, can comprise hydrotreating the reaction product to convert the lignin-derived products to desired higher molecular weight compounds. The methods can further include separating the higher molecular weight compounds from unconverted products, such as unconverted phenolics, and recycling the unconverted phenolics for use as at least a portion of the digestion solvent and for further conversion to desired higher molecular weight compounds with additional hydrotreatment. The methods and systems can further include generating hydrogen with the further hydrotreatment.

Abstract: Digestion of cellulosic biomass solids may be complicated by release of lignin therefrom. Methods and systems for processing a reaction product containing lignin-derived products, such as phenolics, can comprise hydrotreating the reaction product to convert the lignin-derived products to desired higher molecular weight compounds. The methods can further include separating the higher molecular weight compounds from unconverted products, such as unconverted phenolics, and recycling the unconverted phenolics for use as at least a portion of the digestion solvent and for further conversion to desired higher molecular weight compounds with additional hydrotreatment.

Abstract: An inter-vertebral cage for use in repairing a damaged inter-vertebral disc includes a plurality of cage sections and a hinge element that connects adjacent ones of the cage sections together for relative movement. The hinge elements automatically urge the cage sections to move from an extended orientation to an installed orientation.

Abstract: Digestion of cellulosic biomass solids may be complicated by release of lignin therefrom. Methods and systems for processing a reaction product containing lignin-derived products, such as phenolics, can comprise hydrotreating the reaction product to convert the lignin-derived products to desired higher molecular weight compounds. The methods and systems can further include separating the higher molecular weight compounds from unconverted products, such as unconverted phenolics, and recycling the unconverted phenolics for use as at least a portion of the digestion solvent and for further conversion to desired higher molecular weight compounds with additional hydrotreatment. The methods and systems can further include a further hydrotreatment step configured for additional lignin conversion and/or a further hydrotreatment step configured for generating hydrogen.

Abstract: Digestion of cellulosic biomass solids may be complicated by release of lignin therefrom. Methods and systems for processing a reaction product containing lignin-derived products, such as phenolics, can comprise hydrotreating the reaction product to convert the lignin-derived products to desired higher molecular weight compounds. The methods can further include separating the higher molecular weight compounds from unconverted products, such as unconverted phenolics, and recycling the unconverted phenolics for use as at least a portion of the digestion solvent and for further conversion to desired higher molecular weight compounds with additional hydrotreatment.

Abstract: Digestion of cellulosic biomass solids may be complicated by release of lignin therefrom. Methods and systems for processing a reaction product containing lignin-derived products, such as phenolics, can comprise hydrotreating the reaction product to convert the lignin-derived products to desired higher molecular weight compounds. The methods can further include separating the higher molecular weight compounds from unconverted products, such as unconverted phenolics, and recycling the unconverted phenolics for use as at least a portion of the digestion solvent and for further conversion to desired higher molecular weight compounds with additional hydrotreatment. The methods and systems can further include generating hydrogen with the further hydrotreatment.