Abstract: Systems and methods for diverting infiltration and subsurface water disclosed herein include excavation of interceptor trenches under roadways, such as gravel roads, and filling the trenches with suitable material. An interceptor trench is a trench, which may be filled with gravel, surge stone, rip rap, or other aggregate that intercepts the water flowing down a slope and carries it off to minimize soil erosion. These interceptor trenches, incorporated under the road, may be filled with heavy material such as rock. The interceptor trenches intercept the water and carry it off before it can build up speed and volume and carry off material.

Abstract: The installation comprises three reaction vessels (100, 200, 300) in series, each containing an aqueous phase and a specific bacterial population. The vessels serve in succession to dissolve the liquid feedstock for treatment by enzymatic hydrolysis, then to biodegrade the resulting effluent by biological digestion, and finally to reduce the residual bacterial components by biological action. The vessels are mutually isolated by tangential filters (108, 208, 308) and by centrifugal separators (212, 312) for filtering the biomass from the reaction products. The result is a final liquid effluent (EFF/N) that is essentially non-organic, with the filtered biomass downstream constituting an ultimate organic waste (DU) of reduced volume.

Abstract: A method for processing a duplexed document having a first side with a first image and a second side with a second image includes scanning only the first side of the document under a first imaging condition to retrieve first information relating to each of the first image and the second image; scanning only the first side of the document under a second imaging condition to retrieve second information relating to each of the first image and the second image; and determining from the first information and the second information a show-through contribution of the second image with respect to the first side of the duplexed document.

Abstract: A method for generating a tonal response curve for a scanner includes (a) directing light from the scanner to a calibration target having a single uniform neutral tone; (b) measuring with the scanner an amount of incident light reflected from the calibration target to obtain a simulated optical density value associated with the calibration target and the amount of incident light; (c) changing the amount of the incident light; (d) repeating acts (b) and (c) until a predetermined number of simulated optical density values are accumulated; and (e) generating the tonal response curve for the scanner by matching each of the simulated optical density values with one of a plurality of reference optical densities.

Abstract: A method for removing streaks from a scanned image includes performing a scanner light source OFF scan to generate a dark image having M rows of pixels and N+W columns of pixels; generating a line noise profile for the N columns of pixels of the dark image; performing a scanner light source ON scan to generate a regular image having M rows of pixels and N+W columns of pixels; processing the W columns of pixels of the regular image to detect a magnitude of the streak in the regular image; use the magnitude of the streak and the line noise profile to predict an amount of dark noise removal for each of the N columns of pixels of the regular image at the location of the streak; and subtracting the predicted amount of dark noise removal for each of the N columns of pixels from the respective N columns of pixels of the regular image.

Abstract: A method for generating a tonal response curve for a scanner includes (a) directing light from the scanner to a calibration target having a single uniform neutral tone; (b) measuring with the scanner an amount of incident light reflected from the calibration target to obtain a simulated optical density value associated with the calibration target and the amount of incident light; (c) changing the amount of the incident light; (d) repeating acts (b) and (c) until a predetermined number of simulated optical density values are accumulated; and (e) generating the tonal response curve for the scanner by matching each of the simulated optical density values with one of a plurality of reference optical densities.

Abstract: An electromagnetically actuated valve is provided formed from three elements, an armature pivot assembly forming a poppet valve member and encapsulated in thermoplastic material, a first body member forming one part of a valve chamber with the valve seat to a fluid port and including an encapsulated solenoid, and a second body member forming another part of a valve chamber for containing the poppet valve member relative to another fluid port. The solenoid operates to pivot the poppet valve member. The fluid flowing through the valve is isolated from metallic components, magnet flux and heat. The assembly is of simplified construction and maintenance.

Abstract: A skirt guided control valve provides streamlined flow and minimum resistance to flow in flow up and flow down conditions when the valve is open. The skirt guided control valve has a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a passageway disposed between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet, a valve seat and a valve plug with a skirt. The valve seat and the skirt portion of the valve plug include blended edges and contoured surfaces to provide for streamlined flow.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for controlling the play of progressively operated lottery-type game systems wherein at least one selected player becomes eligible to play for a bonus award which if not awarded to or won by a player rolls over and is added to the bonus award for a subsequently played game, and specifically an apparatus for awarding an initial or an accumulated bonus award when the bonus award equals or exceeds a predetermined amount.

Abstract: A severe service control valve is disclosed and which comprises a valve body having an inlet, an outlet, and a flow passage extending between the inlet and the outlet, an elongated valve contour disposed within the valve body, a tubular valve sleeve disposed within the valve body and having an end sized to be received over the valve contour, the valve sleeve having a sidewall surrounding a bore, an outer surface and an inner surface, with at least a portion of the bore disposed along the flow passage. The valve sleeve is shiftably mounted within the valve body for movement between a first position and a second position, the valve sleeve cooperating with the valve contour to close the flow passage when the valve sleeve is in the first position.

Abstract: An improved seat ring, valve body, and seat ring valve assembly have self-aligning characteristics that reduce leakage without the need for an unacceptably high level of assembly torque. The seat ring includes at least one annular thrust bearing surface rim for receiving a valve plug to open and close the valve. The seat ring further includes threads positioned on its exterior surface for mating with threads in the valve body to provide a secondary seal of the seat ring. In order to prevent unacceptable leakage, a point of contact is provided to seat on an angled body contact surface of the valve to form a superior primary contact seal. The seat ring valve assembly reduces torque requirements, properly aligns the seat ring within the cavity, and reduces leakage.

Abstract: An improved seat ring, valve body, and seat ring valve assembly have self-aligning characteristics that reduce leakage without the need for an unacceptably high level of assembly torque. The seat ring includes at least one annular thrust bearing surface rim for receiving a valve plug to open and close the valve. The seat ring further includes threads positioned on its exterior surface for mating with threads in the valve body to provide a secondary seal of the seat ring. In order to prevent unacceptable leakage, a point of contact is provided to seat on an angled body contact surface of the valve to form a superior primary contact seal. The seat ring valve assembly reduces torque requirements, properly aligns the seat ring within the cavity, and reduces leakage.

Abstract: A skirt guided control valve provides streamlined flow and minimum resistance to flow in flow up and flow down conditions when the valve is open. The skirt guided control valve has a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a passageway disposed between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet, a valve seat and a valve plug with a skirt. The valve seat and the skirt portion of the valve plug include blended edges and contoured surfaces to provide for streamlined flow.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for controlling the play of progressively operated lottery-type game systems wherein at least one selected player becomes eligible to play for a bonus award which if not awarded to or won by a player rolls over and is added to the bonus award for a subsequently played game, and specifically an apparatus for awarding an initial or an accumulated bonus award when the bonus award equals or exceeds a predetermined amount.

Abstract: An apparatus and method provides directory service to software applications throughout an enterprise. Directory entries are kept in a data store. A web server having one or more API's is coupled to the data store. The web server may have an API locator for selecting an appropriate API. An enterprise software application such as a purchasing or accounts payable transaction requests directory information by sending a query to an appropriate wrapper based on the programming language, protocol or format of the application. The wrapper sends the request to the appropriate API which then sends a request to the data store. A directory entry is received and returned to the enterprise.

Abstract: A fluid pressure reduction device with stacked disks. Flow disks with inlet stage slots and outlet stage slots alternate with plenum disks having plenums and bypass slots. The bypass slots are aligned with the inlet stage slots so the flow capacity increases continually in a substantially linear manner when used in a flow control valve and the valve flow control element uncovers more of the stacked disk flow inlet openings.

Abstract: A waterborne vessel capable of carrying in its partially submerged hold a predetermined number of buoyant cargo containers, each container being partially supported by its own buoyancy and also engaged by the vessel, resulting in exchange of buoyancy between each container and the vessel. Plural hinged swash bulkheads are provided, and when the vessel is loaded to less than full capacity, some of the swash bulkheads are raised to an upright position at predetermined locations in the bottom hull structure of the vessel to resist potentially damaging forces of sloshing waters therein. When a full load of cargo containers is carried in the hold, the swash bulkheads are retracted to a stowed position in the bottom structure of the hull.

Abstract: A vessel for transport of a floating buoyant cargo such as barges, lighters, and pontoons, wherein the cargo is partially supported in the vessel by its own buoyancy. The hull has an imperforate bottom shell with rigid submarine cargo-supporting and hull-reinforcing structure, a bow, a stern, side walls providing a series of buoyancy compartments, and a hollow enclosed interior including a cargo hold. Water can be introduced into or expelled from the buoyancy compartments to adjust the draft, trim, and list of the vessel. The cargo-supporting and hull-reinforcing structure has openings communicating with the hold and providing a bottom chamber that is always flooded during the voyage but can be pumped out for maintenance and repair. A series of water conduits pass to the ocean at intervals along the length of the hold, each conduit being located (when the vessel is level) at all points above the top of the bottom chamber.

Abstract: A vessel for transport of floating buoyant barges and other containers wherein said barges or containers are partially supported in the vessel by their own buoyancy. The vessel's hull has a bottom shell with rigid submarine barge-supporting and hull-reinforcing structure, a bow, a stern, side walls providing a series of buoyancy compartments, and a hollow enclosed interior including a cargo hold. The hull has conduit means communicating with the ocean for free passage of water into and out from the hold at all times, so that the hold is always flooded to the same level as the vessel's draft during the voyage. A series of locking spuds releasably locks the barges in place in the flooded hold against movement relative to the hull, with the bottom of the barge engaging a substantial area of the submarine cargo-supporting structure. Each said spud has barge-engaging means, including an L-sectioned beam of substantial length for engaging an upper side edge of the barge over a substantial length.