Abstract: Provided is a measuring method capable of accurately measuring the surface temperature of a surface to be measured, uninfluenced by the emissivity distribution of the surface to be measured. A surface to be measured having an emissivity distribution, a radiometer that measures a radiance distribution of the surface to be measured, and an auxiliary heat source installed in a specular reflection position from the radiometer with respect to the surface to be measured are prepared, radiances of two places having different emissivities of the surface to be measured are measured at two different auxiliary-heat-source temperatures, a reflectance ratio of the two places having the different emissivities is calculated on the basis of two measured radiances of the two places having the different emissivities, and temperature of the surface to be measured is obtained using reflectance ratio and measured radiances of the two places having different emissivities.

Abstract: The present invention provides a measuring method and a measuring system that are capable of accurately measuring the surface temperature of a surface to be measured, without being influenced by the emissivity distribution of the surface to be measured.

Abstract: A fixed-point cell is provided which can provide a fixed-point in a wide temperature range by changing the fixed-point material. During the use of the fixed-point cell, the fixed-point material can be prevented from being contaminated, and the crucible of the cell can be prevented from being cracked. The fixed-point cell includes: the crucible composed of carbon; the fixed-point material enclosed in the crucible and composed of one of a metal, a eutectic of a metal and carbon, and a eutectic of a metal carbide and carbon; and a woven fabric of graphite fibers containing 10 ppm or lower of impurities and interposed between the crucible and the fixed-point material.

Abstract: A temperature fixed-point cell is configured with a crucible composed of carbon and a fixed-point material enclosed in the crucible. The fixed-point material has a peritectic structure of carbon and a carbon compound. A thermometer is calibrated by installing the temperature fixed-point crucible in a furnace, increasing or decreasing the ambient temperature thereof, measuring the temperature of the temperature fixed-point cell with the thermometer, observing the state of temperature change, and using this state of temperature change as a basis for the calibration. This invention is aimed at realizing a fixed point in the temperature range exceeding the copper point and accomplishing great improvement in accuracy in the calibration of radiation thermometers, thermocouples and all thermometers used in high temperature ranges.

Abstract: A fixed-point cell is provided which can provide a fixed-point in a wide temperature range by changing the fixed-point material. During the use of the fixed-point cell, the fixed-point material can be prevented from being contaminated, and the crucible of the cell can be prevented from being cracked. The fixed-point cell includes: the crucible composed of carbon; the fixed-point material enclosed in the crucible and composed of one of a metal, a eutectic of a metal and carbon, and a eutectic of a metal carbide and carbon; and a woven fabric of graphite fibers containing 10 ppm or lower of impurities and interposed between the crucible and the fixed-point material.

Abstract: A temperature fixed-point cell is configured with a crucible composed of carbon and a fixed-point material enclosed in the crucible. The fixed-point material has a peritectic structure of carbon and a carbon compound. A thermometer is calibrated by installing the temperature fixed-point crucible in a furnace, increasing or decreasing the ambient temperature thereof, measuring the temperature of the temperature fixed-point cell with the thermometer, observing the state of temperature change, and using this state of temperature change as a basis for the calibration. This invention is aimed at realizing a fixed point in the temperature range exceeding the copper point and accomplishing great improvement in accuracy in the calibration of radiation thermometers, thermocouples and all thermometers used in high temperature ranges.

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus inputs image data obtained by scanning an inspection object by a camera which includes a line image sensor into calculation means. The surface inspection apparatus comprises a line memory and adder to add image data of two adjacent main scanning lines to generate an image data string, adds the image data in a block including a plurality of pixels continuous in a main scanning direction by the calculation processor to generate added data in the block, calculates a correlated value of the added data in the blocks adjacent to each other in the main scanning direction, and judges the correlated value with a threshold value by judgment means to obtain a surface state of the inspection object.

Abstract: Hard metal particles having hardness which is lower than the hardness of a nitrided outermost layer of a spring and in the range of Hv 500 to 800 and a diameter of 500 to 900 &mgr;m are protected against the nitrided surface of the spring at a velocity of 40 to 90 m/sec to prevent generation of a microcrack in the surface layer and provide a compression residual stress comparatively deep inside the spring. Against the resultant spring surface, a number of fine metal particles having a mean diameter of all particles of 80 &mgr;m or less, a mean diameter of each particle in the range between 10 &mgr;m inclusive and less than 100 &mgr;m, a spherical or near spherical shape with no square portions, a specific gravity of 7.0 to 9.0, and hardness which falls in the range between Hv 600 and Hv 1100 inclusive and is equal to or less than the hardness of the outermost surface layer of the spring after nitriding, at a velocity of 50 to 190 m/sec.

Abstract: A thermometer calibration method and fixed-point temperature realizing apparatus uses a fixed-point cell including a crucible of carbon and a fixed-point material enclosed in the crucible. The fixed-point material is a eutectic structure of carbide and carbon. The fixed-point cell is placed in a furnace for increasing and decreasing the environmental temperature of the cell. A thermometer to be calibrated is used to measure temperature variations in the cell and calibrated based on the temperature variations thus measured.

Abstract: A surface inspection apparatus inputs image data obtained by scanning an inspection object by a camera which includes a line image sensor into calculation means. The surface inspection apparatus comprises a line memory and adder to add image data of two adjacent main scanning lines to generate an image data string, adds the image data in a block including a plurality of pixels continuous in a main scanning direction by the calculation processor to generate added data in the block, calculates a correlated value of the added data in the blocks adjacent to each other in the main scanning direction, and judges the correlated value with a threshold value by judgment means to obtain a surface state of the inspection object.

Abstract: A thermometer calibration method and fixed-point temperature realizing apparatus uses a fixed-point cell including a crucible of carbon and a fixed-point material enclosed in the crucible. The fixed-point material is a eutectic structure of carbide and carbon. The fixed-point cell is placed in a furnace for increasing and decreasing the environmental temperature of the cell. A thermometer to be calibrated is used to measure temperature variations in the cell and calibrated based on the temperature variations thus measured.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus and method for monitoring a VDT operation which allow flexible control over a VDT. A VDT operation monitoring apparatus for putting a VDT in a rest state when a preset operating time passes, with which an operator can select “start operation”, “continue operation” or “stop operation” while the operating time is being measured. This allows a flexible action to be taken when the operator is replaced or when the operating time is to be changed. When a measured time agrees with the operating time, the VDT is put in a rest state and the operator is instructed to take a rest.

Abstract: The present invention is to realize fixed points in a temperature region exceeding the melting point of copper, thereby highly accurately calibrating all the thermometers used in a high temperature region such as a radiation thermometer, a thermocouple, and the like. A fixed-point crucible 1 comprises a crucible composed of carbon and a fixed-point material of high melting point enclosed in the wall of the crucible. The fixed-point material is carbon-metal eutectic structure. The crucible 1 is disposed in a temperature-variable furnace 6, the environmental temperature of the crucible 1 is increased and decreased by the temperature-variable furnace 6, the temperature of the cavity in the crucible 1 at the time is measured with a thermometer 9 and the thermometer 9 is calibrated from the state of the temperature variation measured.

Abstract: A temperature measuring device includes an optical fiber, a metallic protective tube covering the optical fiber, and a heat insulation coating covering the metallic protective tube such that the optical fiber is covered with the metallic protective tube and the heat insulation coating to form a double-covered optical fiber. The heat insulation coating contains carbon particles as an additive. In addition, a radiation thermometer is connected to the double-covered optical fiber, and a tip of the double-covered optical fiber forms a temperature measuring element for collecting and transmitting radiation to the radiation thermometer.

Abstract: An image pickup system including an image pickup device (4) for taking an image from an object (1) containing a periodic pattern and outputting an image signal (5), a zoom lens (2) for forming an object image on the image pickup device, a moire amount detection circuit (10) for detecting an amount of moire from the image signal (5), and an imaging magnification control circuit including a differentiating circuit (18) provided for setting a magnification of the zoom lens (2) and finely adjusting the magnification of the zoom lens (2) to allow the amount of moire detected by the moire amount detection circuit (10) to become below the setting value, a positive/negative determination circuit (20), a system controller (22), and a ROM (24).

Abstract: The present invention relates to improvement of an image processing method and apparatus which senses the state of a test object as image information by a sensor or sensors, outputs a plurality of image information signals and decides or displays said plurality of the image information signals, said image processing method and apparatus characterized by summing said plurality of the image information signals and deciding or processing a plurality of summed signals, said method and appratus permitting the precise sensing of the lightness tone and pattern of the test object.

Abstract: Fatigue-resistance is significantly increased by performing shot peening using fine shots. A plurality of particles of hard metal having a diameter ranging from 20 to 100 micrometers are ejected onto a surface of a steel workpiece at an impinging speed greater than 80 m/second. The impinging speed is controlled so that the upper limit of temperature rising of the surface of the workpiece is maintained at a temperature more than 150.degree. C. but less than the temperature at which recovery recrystallization and austentizing of steel occurs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring a true temperature using a consumable optical fiber, wherein received light emitted from a high temperature liquid is divided into two light beams through a branching filter. A light of a first wave band from a first light beam of the two light beams is detected by a first radiation thermometer, and the light of the first wave band is converted into temperature to output a first temperature. A light of a second wave band from a second light beam of the two light beams is detected by a second radiation thermometer, and the light of the second wave band is converted into temperature to output a second temperature.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring a temperature of a high temperature liquid contained in a furnace. An optical fiber covered with a metallic tube is inserted through a passageway inside a nozzle arranged on a furnace wall of the furnace. The nozzle communicates with an interior of the furnace containing the liquid, and gas is supplied into the passageway inside the nozzle to prevent the nozzle from clogging. The metal-covered optical fiber is fed through the passageway inside the nozzle into the liquid such that spectral light radiated from the liquid enters a tip of the metal-covered optical fiber and is propagated therealong. The temperature of the liquid is determined by a radiation thermometer, coupled to the metal-covered optical fiber, based on the spectral light propagated along the metal-covered optical fiber.

Abstract: An ellipsometer has a nonpolarization beam splitter (18) for dividing reflected light (17) from an object to be measured (16) into portions traveling along first and second optical paths (18a, 18b), an analyzer (19) for passing the polarized light component in a reference direction of the reflected light portion traveling along the first optical path, and a polarization beam splitter (20) for dividing the reflected light portion traveling along the second optical path into two polarized light components in different directions with respect to the reference direction. The light beams passing through the analyzer (19) and polarization beam splitter (20) are sensed by first, second and third photodetectors (21a, 21b, 21c), respectively. In a coating thickness control method, first and second ellipsometers (35a, 35b) are placed before and after a coating apparatus (36) provided along the transport path of a belt-like plate to be coated (31). A first ellipsoparameter (.DELTA.1,.psi.