Abstract: Disclosed is a multi-cavity type utensil for molding sushi rice for use in preparing nigiri-zushi. The utensil has a split mold comprising a lower mold member and an upper mold member, and an outer frame for the split mold to removably fit in. The molding cavities defined by partition walls are formed in the lower mold member and the upper mold member. The cavities are arranged in a plurality of rows and have one or more intersections of crisscrossed partition walls. The cavity corners are rounded or beveled at least in a vertical direction. An upwardly and downwardly movable, spring-biased baffle piece is projected from the end surface of the intersection in at least one of the lower and upper mold members.

Abstract: Described herein are method and apparatus for producing instantly cookable pasta including various kinds of pasta and Chinese and Japanese noodles, and an encased instantly cookable pasta produced by such method and apparatus. According to the invention, part of raw dough of a starting mixture, which contains wheat flour as a major component, is subjected to preliminary steam-cooking, and then mixed with the remaining uncooked part of the starting mixture. The resulting mixture is then processed through shaping, steam-cooking and drying stages to obtain instantly cookable pasta, enshrouding the instantly cookable pasta product in a water-permeable casing before shipment. Due to suppression of thermal degeneration of gluten, the instantly cookable pasta possesses favorable resiliency and is free of the smell inherent to raw wheat flour and cohesion of individual pasta cords.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording sheet comprising a base film, a heat transferable ink layer formed on one side of the base film and a heat resistant lubricating layer formed on the other side of the base film, wherein the heat resistant lubricating layer contains a modified silicone oil having a viscosity of not lower than 600 cst, an average modified amount of which is not more than 1,500 g per mol of a modifying group.

Abstract: A metal having a Knoop hardness of 40 or more is used as an electrode, Cu or a Cu alloy is used as a thin metal wire, and a mechanical buffer layer is formed between the electrode and an insulating material layer. Silicon nitride or metal vanadium is used as the mechanical buffer layer. The thin metal wire is fixed to the electrode metal by compression bonding.

Abstract: A travel roller moves between the initial and the end points in a loosening unit while supporting a photosensitive material to thereby form a loop thereof. A first sensor, for detecting that the travel roller locates on the end point, is provided in the loosening unit. When it is not detected at the end of recording that the travel roller locates on the end point, a portion of the photosensitive material is cut off, whereby the photosensitive material is divided into a sheet with a reproduced image and an unexposed photosensitive material. The unexposed photosensitive material is rewound until a leading edge portion thereof reaches a recording unit, and then an image to be reproduced next is recorded onto the unexposed photosensitive material.

Abstract: An apparatus for laser recording of an image onto a selected length of photosensitive material has a loosening device positioned downstream from a feeding device for feeding the photosensitive material in a first direction so that the photosensitive material is loosened in a second direction to form a loop of a predetermined length selected by a user. In one aspect of the invention, the leading edge of the photosensitive material is held at a recording position. A cutting device is disposed between the loosening device and the feeding device and cuts off a photosensitive material sheet from the photosensitive material. An image to be reproduced is then recorded onto the photosensitive material sheet.

Abstract: A signal level detecting circuit comprises an input terminal to which an input signal with level variations is applied, a level comparator operative to compare the level of the input signal with the level of a reference signal variable in level and to produce a comparison output signal having first and second levels in response to differences between the level of the input signal and the level of the reference signal, a control signal generator operative to produce control signals one of which is obtained when a period of time in which the comparison output signal has the first level is not longer than one of two different reference periods of time and the other of which is obtained when the period of time in which the comparison output signal has the first level is not shorter than the other of two different reference periods of time, a pulse generator operative to produce a pulse signal having its pulse duty factor varied in response to the control signals obtained from the control signal generator, and an

Abstract: An image scanning apparatus comprises a linear light source being arranged in parallel with a picture plane to be scanned. The linear light source is composed of a cylindrical rod made of a transparent material on which light diffusing reflecting layer of stripe-shaped is provided along a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical, rod and a lighting means for entering light fluxes into the inside of the rod at least from one end thereof to emit light fluxes each having directivity from the outer surface of the rod.

Abstract: A signal mixing circuit for blending two signals, such as left and right channel FM stereo signals, blends the two signals at each of two outputs in response to a variable control voltage, which acts upon a transistor network connected between the two signal paths. When the variable control voltage is determined by an amplitude detector connected in a conventional FM stereo receiver, the output signals will be blended to a greater degree when the received signal strength of the broadcast FM signal becomes weaker. In a further embodiment, capacitors are added to inhibit high-frequency components of one channel and to add in high-frequency components of another channel thereby eliminating and cancelling the noise components normally present in the respective signals and improving the S/N ratio.

Abstract: A signal comparing circuit includes a differential amplifier in which first and second amplifier input signals derived from respective circuit input signals are compared with each other to provide an output signal the level of which depends on the relative levels of the amplifier input signals, and the signal comparing circuit has a hysteresis width, which is defined as a range of relative levels of the input signals within which the output signal level does not change. A variable gain attenuator circuit is connected to the differential amplifier at an input thereof and includes a switching circuit that changes the circuit gain in response to changes in the output signal level. The attenuator circuit gain changes so that at least one amplifier input signal is provided at two levels, with the difference between such two levels depending on the level of at least one of the circuit inputs. The attenuator circuit thus varies the hysteresis width in response to said at least one circuit input signal level.

Abstract: In a space diversity receiver for receiving broadcast signals and having first and second antennas coupled to first and second receiving circuits, respectively, for supplying first and second output signals therefrom to a switching circuit which normally selectively supplies the one of the output signals detected to have a superior or better signal to noise ratio; a judging circuit is provided for comparing the better signal to noise ratio of an output signal with a predetermined value and for producing a stop or inhibiting signal when the signal to noise ratio is lower than the predetermined value, and such inhibiting signal temporarily causes the switching circuit to stop switching between the output signals and to continuously supply one of the output signals.

Abstract: A pilot signal detecting circuit for use in an AM stereo receiver capable of receiving and demodulating AM stereo signals broadcast according to any of several different AM stereo modulation methods, in which the particular method employed in broadcasting the AM stereo signals is determined by detecting the individual pilot signal and providing an indication of the particular method employed in modulating the broadcast AM stereo signal. Replicas of each of the different pilot signal frequencies in each of the different AM stereo modulation systems are generated and a signal containing the pilot signal is extracted from the demodulated received AM stereo signal. The replicas are compared with the extracted pilot signal to determine the identity of the AM stereo modulation system employed in the received AM stereo signal.

Abstract: Wind power turbines are largely divided into vertical axis type wind power turbines and propeller type (horizontal axis type) wind power turbines. The present invention discloses a vertical axis type wind power turbine. The airfoil of blades in this vertical axis type wind power turbine is formed in such manner that, denoting a proper position on the airfoil chord line as a camber reversing position, a camber having a downward convex curvature is given between said position and a leading edge and a camber having an upward convex curvature is given between said position and a trailing edge so as to be a mean line and a rational thickness distribution is given to this mean line. This vertical axis type wind power turbine is formed by keeping the spanwise direction of the above mentioned blade parallel with a vertical rotary axis and fitting a plurality of blades at regular intervals at a distance to the vertical rotary axis through respective supporting arms.

Abstract: Wind turbines are largely divided into vertical axis wind turbines and propeller (horizontal axis) wind turbines. The present invention discloses a vertical axis high speed wind turbine provided with a starting and braking control system. This vertical axis wind turbine is formed by having blades of a proper airfoil fitted to respective supporting arms provided radially from a vertical rotary axis by keeping the blade span-wise direction in parallel with said axis and being provided with a low speed control windmill in which the radial position of each operating piece varies with a centrifugal force produced by the rotation of said vertical rotary axis.

Abstract: Wind turbines are largely divided into vertical axis wind turbines and propeller (horizontal axis) wind turbines. The present invention discloses a vertical axis high speed wind turbine provided with rotational speed control systems. This vertical axis wind turbine is formed by having blades of a proper airfoil fitted to respective supporting arms provided radially from a vertical rotating shaft by keeping the blade span-wise direction in parallel with the shaft and being provided with aerodynamic control elements operating manually or automatically to control the rotational speed of the turbine.