Abstract: A method is provided for producing a preform structure which is used in a composite aluminium or aluminium alloy component in which a base metal of an aluminium or aluminium alloy is reinforced with reinforcing materials. A slurry is prepared by mixing reinforcing materials including ceramic particles and first whiskers with burning-away powders and liquid. Liquid components contained in the slurry are filtered to provide a dehydrated structure. Thereafter a preform structure is produced by sintering the ceramic particles with the first whiskers after burning the burning-away powders in the dehydrated structure.

Abstract: A metallic porous product is produced by applying a slurry of a mixture of skeleton constituent metal particles and property modifying particles to an inflammable porous foam, burning the inflammable porous foam having open pores by heat to provide a metallic skeleton structure, and sintering the metallic skeleton structure.

Abstract: A method for preparing a light metal or light metal alloy composite product, wherein (a) an aqueous slurry containing water, a reinforcement powder, a metal powder and an alumina sol binder is prepared; (b) a preform is prepared from the slurry; (c) the preform is sintered; and (d) the sintered preform is impregnated with a melt of a light metal or a light metal alloy to produce a light metal or a light metal alloy based composite product.

Abstract: A porous composite forming material is held in a cavity of a casting mold, and molten light alloy is poured into the cavity of the casting mold through a gate. Then a gas pressure is applied to the cavity in the casting mold with the cavity closed, thereby impregnating the pores of the porous composite forming material with the molten light alloy and forming a composite portion formed of a composite material of the light alloy and the composite forming material.

Abstract: In a frame-by-frame color image pickup apparatus, images of light components transmitted through red, green, and blue filters of a rotating filter are introduced to an image pickup device arranged in an optical path with rotating filter. The cells in the image pickup device are grouped into cell blocks, each block made up of four cells arranged in one horizontal row and four vertical columns. The rotational speed of the rotating filter is increased, and the cells within each block selected by switches for reading are fixed when an image is dynamic, a quarter of all the cells are read at one cycle of revolution of the rotating filter, and the remaining cells are interpolated to form one frame image. Color breakup is thus precluded. When an image is still, the cells selected are switched at each cycle of revolution of the rotating filter, and all the cells are read over four cycles of revolution of the rotating filter. Thus, a high resolution color image is obtained.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide high-ductility alloy which is improved both in casting characteristics and elongation without lowering strength by selecting a good combination of ingredients and a proportion thereof. It is another object of the invention to provide a casting which has an good elongation without being heat-treated. It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of manufacturing integral parts having some portions with specific construction which make it impossible for a set of molding dies to be separated after finishing casting by means of in-one-piece molding. Those objects can be accomplished bay providing an high ductility aluminum alloy which contains manganese ingredient, iron ingredient, magnesium ingredient and slice of unavoidable impurity, wherein a content of the iron usually regarded as impurity is set within specified limits, magnesium content is relatively less and manganese content is relatively more than that in a conventional aluminum alloy.

Abstract: An improved carbon/metal composite which includes a carbon matrix and metal fibers distributed in the carbon matrix. The improvement is that the metal fibers are selected from (A) metal fibers in which the surfaces of at least a portion of the fibers are coated or alloyed with another material which has a tendency to form carbides which is equal to or lower than that of the metal constituting the metal fibers, (B) metal fibers including at least two different types of metal fibers which differ with respect to their dimensions and/or material, and (C) metal fibers distributed in the carbon matrix in such a manner that their content varies along the thickness of the composite, thereby imparting to the composite improved properties with respect to at least one of mechanical strength, impact resistance, wear resistance, and electric conductivity.

Abstract: A virus infection examination apparatus includes a microscope for observing fluorescent images of antigen positive and negative cells dyed with a fluor by an indirect fluorescent antibody method using a serum of an object to be examined. An image pickup unit converts the fluorescent images as observation images of the microscope into image data. A detection unit processes the image data obtained by the image pickup unit and detects intracellular luminance distributions. A determination unit determines the presence/absence of a virus infection of the object on the basis of a difference between the fluorescent luminance distributions detected by the detecting unit.

Abstract: An improved carbon/metal composite is disclosed which comprises a carbon matrix and metal fibers distributed in the carbon matrix. The improvement is that the metal fibers are selected from (A) metal fibers in which the surfaces of at least a portion of the fibers are coated or alloyed with another material which has a tendency to form carbides which is equal to or lower than that of the metal constituting the metal fibers, (B) metal fibers comprising at least two different types of metal fibers which differ with respect to their dimensions and/or material, and (C) metal fibers distributed in the carbon matrix in such a manner that their content varies along the thickness of the composite, thereby imparting to the composite improved properties with respect to at least one of mechanical strength, impact resistance, wear resistance, and electric conductivity.

Abstract: Porous material of metal is held in a die and molten aluminum alloy is introduced into the die to surround the porous material. Thus, high-pressure squeeze casting is accomplished under an applied pressure of not lower than 400 Kg/cm.sup.2 to form an aluminum alloy casting stock with the porous material cast therein. The casting stock is heated to and maintained at 450.degree. to 550.degree. C. for 1 to 10 hours, and an intermetallic compound layer of aluminum and the metal of the porous material is thereby formed on the boundary between the porous material and the aluminum alloy.

Abstract: A film pack having a box-shaped case body containing instant picture film units therein includes a depressing unit for biasing the film unit toward an exposure opening of the film pack as well as local depressing members which urge peripheral portions of the film units toward the exposure opening. The biasing force of the local depressing members is substantially independent of the biasing force of the depressing unit, and the biasing force of the local depressing members varies with the number of film units remaining in the film pack, with the biasing force provided by the local depressing members being a maximum when the film pack is filled with film units.

Abstract: A film-packet for accommodating a predetermined number of film-units each to be used as an image carrying member for a camera based on the diffusion transfer process, which film-packet is provided with a recessed portion integrally formed on its rear side for seizing the end of a sheet-like article.When all the film-units are used up, the box-like case of the film-packet may be utilized as a picture-holder of a picture-stand assembled, with a covering member of the film-units being seized by the recessed portion at its one end for functioning as a supporting leg of the picture stand.