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Archive for the 'renewable energy' Category
Open Letter to David Cameron
29 March 2016
The Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP
The Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
Dear Prime Minister,
Whatever happened to the greenest government ever?
Given my experience of working in environmental consultancy or regulation, I understand the importance of making pragmatic, risk-based decisions (as opposed to dogmatic, opinion-based ones). I therefore believe that government policy should be formulated this way. Unfortunately, however, this does not always seem to be the case.
As a pragmatic scientist, I am not ideologically opposed to nuclear power. However, I do question the logic of pursuing 'Hinkley Point C' when equivalent investment in distributed renewable technologies – from domestic solar PV to submarine tidal stream – could probably generate more electricity faster. Indeed, as Greenpeace has recently pointed out, the UK could meet nearly all its electricity generation needs from renewable energy sources by 2030.[1]
With regard to risk, the scientific consensus is that, in order to minimise anthropogenic climate disruption (ACD), the World must now embark upon the fastest-possible transition to a zero carbon economy. Therefore, I also question the logic of simultaneously promoting investment in shale gas; discouraging investment in renewables; and cancelling investment in Carbon Capture and Storage research.
It is now over 50 years since scientists started warning of the climatic implications of continuing to burn fossil fuels;[2] and 50 years since fossil fuel company executives started spending huge sums of money on being "Merchants of Doubt".[3] As such, along with their counterparts in the tobacco industry, they have clearly not acted in the long-term interest of humanity as a whole.
However, as with the individual health benefit of ceasing to smoke tobacco, the sooner we stop burning fossil fuels the greater the collective environmental benefit will be. Therefore, I am pragmatically opposed to shale gas exploration because burning it is not consistent with the need to transition away from fossil fuels as fast as possible.
I am certain that you would like to secure an enduring political legacy; and would therefore like to ask just one question:
What could be better than being remembered as the Prime Minister that committed the UK to meeting nearly all its electricity generation needs from renewable energy sources by 2030?
Yours sincerely,
Martin C. Lack
[1] See: http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/climate/uk-can-be-almost-entirely-powered-renewable-energy-2030-new-study-shows-20150921.
[2] Nuccitelli, D. (2015), 'Scientists warned the US president about global warming 50 years ago today', Guardian newspaper, 5 November 2015: London.
[3] Oreskes, N. & Conway E. (2010), Merchants of Doubt, New York: Bloomsbury. See: http://www.merchantsofdoubt.org/
It's 'Game Over' for Fossil Fuels
I'd really like to think oil companies will soon admit the game is up: The extraction of fossil fuels is going to become increasingly financially uneconomic and socially unacceptable.
After all, it is almost 4 months since Mark Carney said as much at the Bank of England: http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/09/30/bank-england-head-warns-potentially-huge-risks-literally-unburnable-fossil-fuel
It is also 20 months since Lloyds of London urged financial investors to consider the risks of continuing to back fossil fuels: http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/2014/05/09/insurers-should-consider-climate-risks-says-lloyds-of-london/
No wonder academics that have watched 50% of the Great Barrier Reef disappear in the last 30 years – and say it will all be gone in another 20 years – are almost reduced to tears:
'Does Australia Care About Saving The Great Barrier Reef?' (Andrew McMillen, in GQ Australia, 18 January 2016)
The Guardian may be five years late with it's warning that humanity has now delayed the onset of the next Ice Age by 100 thousand years – a prospect first highlighted by the Geological Society of London in 2010 – but this is no excuse for the oil industry to continue to deny the nature of reality.
The game is up. Now is the time to invest in non-fossil alternatives that could even make Forumla1 carbon neutral. Alternatives like the mixed alcohol fuels being produced by Bioroot Energy: Fuels that can be created from any waste product containing carbon.
This is the hydrocarbon equivalent of the nuclear industry's Fast Breeder Reactor, which could burn all the world's nuclear waste and the 99% of the Earth's uranium that a conventional reactor cannot burn and, when we're through with all of that, we could extract uranium from seawater…
Fracking off in Lancashire (and elsewhere?)
I know this is very late but, it is such significant moment, I feel I must comment on the recent decision of Lancashire County Council to refuse to allow fracking to proceed in their county.
Never mind that their decision was primarily the result of NIMBYism… spurious worries about earth tremors; slightly-less spurious worries about groundwater contamination; and probably-valid worries about methane escaping into overlying aquifers (rather than being sucked out of the ground)… this was a great result for anti-fracking campaigners all around the world.
This decision sets an important precedent that I hope will not be overturned by the inevitable appeal by Cuadrilla; and/or over-ruled by the same national government that has promoted the cause of NIMBYism when it comes to opposing onshore wind turbines and solar farms.
Our supposedly "greenest government ever" could and should therefore be decried as hypocritical if they try and go against the wishes of local people in Lancashire.
Long-standing readers of this blog, written as it is by someone with a geological and hydrogeological background, may recall some of my previous posts on the subject of fracking. However, in a nutshell (or perhaps I should say "in a drill casing"), my opposition to fracking has hardened over time. Initially, my opposition was based on the same logical grounds as that against drilling for oil in the Arctic: Having established that burning fossil fuels is changing our climate, humans should now be trying to stop burning them as soon as possible. Now, however, I am also against it because it has been proven to give rise to methane contamination of groundwater; and because as little as 3% of the gas will actually be recoverable.
Given that China has now announced that it intends to make its carbon emissions peak within 15 years, can the G7 now be shamed into doing the same? We can but hope.
However, I digress from fracking (and Lancashire): In May this year, I was delighted by the appointment of Amber Rudd, as the new Climate Change Minister. This was partly because she is a woman. However, I was mainly pleased because, unlike so many totally ill-qualified, 'sceptical' non-experts — with Degrees in subjects like economics (Lord Lawson), Sociology (Benny Peiser), English (James Delingpole) or Classics (Christopher Monckton) — Amber Rudd accepts that the IPCC is not part of a global conspiracy to foist environmental alarmism upon a credulous world.
Amber Rudd, in common with the vast majority of relevant experts with a history of producing peer-reviewed scientific research, has concluded that the growing disruption to the Earth's climate is being predominantly caused by the burning of fossil fuels in the last 200 years.
The only people now disputing this (as-near-as-science-ever-gets-to) certain fact are those with a vested interest in the perpetuation of the oil industry… and a handful of credulous (or wilfully blind) economists and journalists who perpetuate the myth that the science is uncertain.
Sadly, whether deliberately or otherwise, these very same people have, just as they did for the tobacco industry, succeeded in delaying for decades the effective regulation of an environmentally-damaging product.
That being the case, investment in fossil fuel companies should not only be seen as financially unwise; it should be seen as corporately irresponsible and socially unacceptable. We can but hope.
However, in the UK at least, there is of course the problem of the Energy Gap: The UK is being forced to close down it's 'dirty' (i.e. high carbon intensity) coal-fired power stations. Unfortunately, the mix of low-carbon and renewable sources (i.e. wind, solar, tidal, and nuclear) — which even the fossil fuel executives of 50 years ago thought would have become dominant in the power-generation sector by now — is nowhere near to being in a position to replace coal. This leaves the UK importing huge amounts of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
As a quick aside, I would like to encourage all non-scientific types not to be intimidated by jargon. Take "carbon intensity" as an example. This is merely a reference to the number of carbon atoms in the product being burnt. As such, mining tar sands is 'highest' and burning methane is 'lowest'.
Sadly, however, none of this changes the fact that burning any fossilised carbon increases the total amount of CO2 circulating within the biosphere, which is warming the planet as a result of the basic Laws of Physics. To make matters even worse extra atmospheric CO2 is slowly reducing the pH of seawater, which is making it harder for shellfish of all kinds to live and grow. This is a much more serious problem because they are the only means Nature has for removing excess carbon from the biosphere (by the processes that created the fossil fuels in the first place)…
Getting back to LNG: Clearly, it would be much better if the UK did not have to do this. However, if we accept the science, we do not have the luxury of taking decades to phase-out fossil fuel use.
China is right and the G7 should follow their lead.
As many economists have now pointed out, humanity needs to treat climate change as an existential threat — far more potent than any Earthbound terrorist group — that requires mobilisation of the military-industrial complex to minimise and/or adapt to it. Sadly, far too much of the military-industrial complex is still fighting a rear-guard action to perpetuate its own existence — rather than on trying to safeguard the habitability of planet Earth for future generations.
World-famous film director, James Cameron, might well have cited the ill-fated MS Titanic as an analogy for humanity today. However, I am sure we would all rather that money would be invested in minimising climate change; rather than on constructing Elysium.
We can but hope.
A personal exchange of email with LEGO
In my original email to LEGO (via the Greenpeace website), I tried to be as brief as I could. Sadly, all I got was a generic reply that did not address the issues I was raising. Here is the correspondence to-date (any further responses from Lego will be appended as comments by me):
—–Original Message—–
From: Martin Lack
Sent: 04 July 2014 19:48
To: Responsibility
Subject: Invest in the future not the past – stop sponsoring Shell
Dear LEGO,
Fossil fuels are a 19th century technology and a finite resource. A post-carbon era is inevitable, the only question that remains is whether 10 billion humans will be able to share in it.
I'm really disappointed to learn that you have agreed to help Shell clean up its image, while it helps to endanger the environmental biodiversity of the Arctic.
You claim that it is your ambition to protect children's right to live in a healthy environment, both now and in the future. If that is true, please cut your ties with Shell now.
Yours faithfully,
Martin Lack
On 17 July 2014 10:08, email@example.com <email@example.com> wrote:
Dear Martin Lack,
Thanks for getting in touch with us.
I'm sorry to hear you feel so strongly about our co-promotion with Shell. We really appreciate you taking the time to write and share your concern with us, and I've passed your thoughts and opinions to our promotions team.
We're determined to help make the world that children will inherit a better place. Our unique contribution is to inspire and develop children through creative play. By entering a co-promotion like the one with Shell, we can put LEGO® bricks into the hands of even more children around the world. This allows more children to develop their imagination and creative skills through building and creating models with LEGO bricks.
The Greenpeace campaign focuses on how Shell operates in one specific part of the world. We expect that Shell lives up to their responsibilities wherever they operate and that they take appropriate action to any potential claims should this not be the case. We're sad to see the LEGO brand used as a tool in any dispute. We believe this is a matter where Greenpeace and Shell must work out their differences between themselves.
For more information, you're welcome to read our CEO Jørgen Vig Knudstorp's comment on this Greenpeace campaign. There's also more information about our responsibility agenda in this area of LEGO.com. More information on the environmental targets that we have set for ourselves can be found here.
Please let us know if you need anything else.
Kind regards,
LEGO® Service
Dear Tanja/LEGO,
Thank you for taking the time to personalise your response to me; and for explaining LEGO's thinking in working with Shell. I understand and accept that, since Lego is itself a product of the petrochemical industry, such a "co-promotion" makes good business sense. However, the Arctic is not just a "specific part of the world" in which Shell is operating. In order to preserve a habitable planet for future generations, the Arctic is somewhere that Shell should not be operating! Even if it were good, therefore, this makes Shell's operational safety record (etc) irrelevant.
The only reason it is now possible to operate in the Arctic is because the ice is melting; and most of the ice is melting because of the exponential growth of fossil fuel use since the Industrial Revolution. Humans may well use fossil fuels to make all sorts of things (including Lego) but this does not make it right for us all to disregard the long-term consequences of continuing to pump geospheric carbon (i.e. that derived from fossil fuels) – in the form of CO2 – into the biosphere (i.e. the atmosphere and the oceans). In combination with deforestation and the exponential growth of livestock farming, global warming and ocean acidification were therefore an inevitable result of the exponential growth of the human population on this planet since the Industrial Revolution. However, now we know we are in a hole, is it not time we stopped digging? See my blog post regarding the Rio+20 Summit: 'When in hole keep digging?' (21 June 2012).
If LEGO truly wants to preserve a habitable environment and planet, it should place conditions upon its support for Shell. Given that the vast majority of relevant scientists agree that there are now 5 times more fossil fuels left on this planet than it would ever be safe for us to burn – something the IEA, IMF, OECD and Pentagon all acknowledge – LEGO needs to encourage Shell to find alternative means to meet (or reduce) global demand for fossil fuels. As such, although "turkeys will never vote for Christmas", the petrochemical industry needs to invest in finding non-fossil alternatives for its current products. Such things definitely exist (e.g. biosythetic fuels and energy from waste products). What is lacking is the corporate will or political incentive to pursue them. Things that are worth doing are rarely the easy option. Shell's exploration in the Arctic is both the wrong option and the lazy option; one that is collectively endangering the future habitability of this planet.
Therefore, I hope I may look forward to LEGO placing conditions upon its future support for Shell, which needs to adopt a long-term business strategy that does not contradict the science and economics underlying the call for humans to leave the vast majority of fossil fuels in the ground. For more information, please see this recent blog post: 'Geoscientists get all ethical about climate change' (2 May 2014).
Yours very sincerely,
Martin Lack
The Arctic 30 are back – please help Shell say no to Gazprom
Latest email from Greenpeace:
Five months ago, they tried to silence us. They arrested our activists, and threw them in jail for peacefully protesting oil drilling in the Russian Arctic. The oil giants thought they could scare us away with intimidation. But as long as the Arctic is in danger, we'll take action to protect it. We're ready to do whatever it takes to prevent an oil spill in the home of the polar bears. This morning, 80 activists confronted a tanker carrying the same oil the Arctic 30 protested against to a refinery in Rotterdam. Seven of the original Arctic 30 joined them.
Join the action, tell Shell and Gazprom that Arctic drilling is a losing battle.
As dawn broke, a dramatic chase unfolded with the Rainbow Warrior chasing the Russian tanker into Rotterdam harbor and the Esperanza speeding in to support the Warrior. As the tanker slowed down to turn, the more nimble Rainbow Warrior slipped in front and put itself between the tanker and the dock where it was to unload the oil. Dutch police then quickly stormed the Warrior taking control of the ship and arresting the crew. They are safe and are currently in contact with colleagues on the ground. This isn't just any oil. It's the first ever Arctic oil extracted from ice-covered waters by Shell's partner, Gazprom. It comes from the Prirazlomnaya platform, where the Arctic 30 were violently arrested following a peaceful protest last year.
These aren't just any activists. Despite spending two months in jail for their last protest, seven of the Arctic 30 are back, defiantly fighting for the Arctic. Their fellow brave activists witnessed their unjust detention, but refuse to be silenced.They know the Arctic is too valuable to lose. They aren't alone. You, me, and over 5 million people are standing with them.
Plagued by our daring actions and relentless pressure, oil giants and investors are finally waking up to the risks of drilling in the frozen north. Just last month, Shell backed out of their Arctic drilling plans. If we keep up this momentum, we know we can win.
As a citizen and consumer, you have the power to resist the destruction of the Arctic. We engage in peaceful civil disobedience because public confrontation is often the only way to get results from billion dollar companies.
But only you, and our millions of dedicated supporters, can amplify our voice.
Wherever they go, we'll follow. For every plundered drop of Arctic oil, we'll make sure the other oil giants pay the price of humiliation and infamy. However they try to destroy the Arctic, we'll be there to stop them. Thank you for standing with us.
Ben Ayliffe
BBC Panorama on the Energy Crisis in the UK
The BBC have very helpfully posted the recent Panorama programme 'Energy Bills: Power Failure' on YouTube (as embedded below). Presented by Tom Heap (who regularly does spots on CountryFile), it is very fair-minded and includes contributions from a wide range of people. Therefore, even if you do not live in the UK, I would recommend watching the programme because: it is very good at describing the problems that we all face; and makes it crystal clear that we must find a solution (but does so in a way that somehow avoids being dogmatic).
Some questions I would like help in answering are as follows:
1. What is the instrumental music used in the opening night-time sequence in Blackpool?
2. Why do so many poor people use the most expensive (pay-as-you-go) way to heat their homes?
3. Can we give Angel Gurria (Secretary-General of OECD) a Nobel Prize for plain-speaking?
4. How can anyone avoid concluding that Ed Milliband is an opportunist and a con-man?
5. Why did the CEO of RWE nPower not admit profit margin on generation (as opposed to sales)?
6. Is the need for decarbonisation actually incompatible with power generation being privatised?
7. Why has carbon capture and storage not been made a priority in order to continue burning coal?
8. Is it realistic to think that (in a post-carbon era) energy will ever be cheaper than it is now?
9. When will the UK government admit that fracking is not actually low-carbon and (thus) not the answer?
10. Has Michael Fallon not read the BGS report that says only 10% of shale gas is probably recoverable?
UPDATE (23/12/2013): I think the answer to Q1 is "Burn" by Ellie Goulding (see comments below).
James Lovelock stuck between a rock and a hard place
Although much delayed and interrupted by other stuff, this is now the third part of my review of The Revenge of Gaia, as published by James Lovelock in 2006. The first and second parts were published on this blog last month (i.e. here and here).
Once again, I will assume the reader is familiar with the concept of Gaia (as described in part one of my review and on Wikipedia). Also, as discussed in part two of my review, I will also assume the reader is aware of Lovelock's subsequent attempts to repudiate his 'alarmism' (April 2010) and, even more astonishingly, disavow his faith in the objectivity of climate scientists (June 2012). However, in all of this, I hope readers will recognise that I am trying to be pragmatic and objective; as opposed to dogmatic and prejudiced.
Previously, I had got as far as Lovelock's assertion (circa 2006) that humanity needs to get off its addiction to fossil fuels as quickly as possible. Therefore, I now continue by looking at the ways in which he suggests we might (or indeed might not) do that. However, it must be stressed that Lovelock accepts (or at least accepted) that carbon capture and storage (CCS) will not prevent excessive climate disruption unless we decide to leave most fossil fuels in the ground (or radically reduce the rate at which we are burning them).
Lovelock's first non-fossil fuel option is hydrogen; and his first point is that, as with electricity, hydrogen has to be manufactured. In addition to pointing out that it can be manufactured from fossil fuels and in nuclear reactors, Lovelock explains how hydrogen can be produced from water by hydrolysis. However, the problems inherent in transportation and distribution of hydrogen (e.g. very low atomic mass and high explosive potential) and the low amount of energy return on energy input (EROEI) mean that this is unlikely ever to be commercially viable.
In contrast to this, hydrogen could be widely used in fuel cells (i.e. as used to generate electricity on the command module in the Apollo missions), although this is not without its own problems and dangers. Wikipedia has a good summary of methods of hydrogen production, from which the important takeaways appear to be that hydrogen is:
(1) mostly produced from hydrocarbons (steam reforming); and
(2) mostly used in oil refineries to derive lighter products from heavy ones (hydrocracking); or
(3) used in other chemical processes to produce other things (e.g. ammonia and methanol).
Both Lovelock and the above Wikipedia article refer to the potential of a hydrogen economy. Indeed, Lovelock refers specifically refers to the work of Geoffrey Ballard – who pioneered the concept of cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells (i.e. like rechargeable batteries), which would consume hydrogen in use (by driving an electric motor) and generate it when not in use (by being recharged).
Expressing his hope that this technology will become widespread, Lovelock moves on to explain why he hopes that renewable technology will not: In essence, his objections are based on:
(1) low EROEI (i.e. in manufacture of hardware with a low energy conversion efficiency); and
(2) low energy density (i.e. need for large areas of land to be given over to electricity production).
Lovelock suggests that the concept of sustainable development has been hijacked by those who promote renewable energy as a means of avoiding dealing with the impossibility of perpetual economic development on a finite planet with finite resources. This is a point on which I would agree – and have agreed (as published here by the Geological Society of London). However, even so, I find his complaints about the industrialisation of the countryside somewhat tiresome. The bottom line is this: anything that reduces our dependency on fossil fuels must be a good thing; as must be the use of any fossil fuels consumed in working towards that goal.
Lovelock does himself no credit whatsoever by suggesting that pursuit of wind power is short-sighted because climate change will alter planetary atmospheric circulation. Such an assertion is almost (but not quite) as stupid as suggesting that harnessing the Earth's tidal energy is likely to slow the Earth's speed of rotation (to any significant extent). Similarly, his suggesting that the UK would need 276 thousand wind turbines (each 100m high) to meet national demand for electricity is nothing more than a straw man argument (because no-one is suggesting that this can or should be the aim and it ignores the agreed need for overall consumption to be reduced).
Lovelock's comments about tidal energy, pre-date the development and testing of numerous technologies (e.g. around the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland), but he does make the valid point that, as with CCS, it will take decades for any technology to become widely available and implemented. However, this does not change the fact that it would be almost insane for an island nation such as the UK not to pursue these technologies. The down-side to all this is that it will require additional power distribution infrastructure to be built. However, so will micro-generation (as opposed to centralised generation), unless everyone is to become self-sufficient and not feed-in unused power to the national network (the income from which is the main reason most people install the systems).
Lovelock then moves on to consider hydro-electric power (HEP). He makes the point that HEP is not without environmental cost (loss of farmland, enforced displacement of populations, and interference with fluvial deposition patterns including the benefits of regular flooding of farmland). However, he also seems to ignore the fact that HEP can be of considerable benefit to communities in areas where population density, competition for land and ecological carrying capacity are all low.
On the subject of biofuels, Lovelock merely re-states his objections to the diversion of agricultural land away from producing food (and takes another swipe at those who favour the inherently inefficient use of land for organic farming). It is on this subject that the intellectual incoherence of Lovelock's position is most clearly displayed: being simultaneously pessimistic (about the prospects for so many people living on such a small planet) and optimistic (about the potential for technology to solve all our problems) – especially if we embrace GM crops.
However, given that he could not possibly have heard of it in 2006, Lovelock may be forgiven for not mentioning a new avenue for sustainable biofuel production that emerged in 2010 – namely GM algae that photosynthesise ethanol (instead of glucose). However, even this may now be eclipsed by the potential of the latest idea – higher mixed alcohol fuels. These can be produced form any solid, liquid or gaseous waste product and, therefore, could solve all our energy problems (but only if fossil fuel companies don't buy up the patents to such ideas and then make them disappear).
Finally, in his long preamble to consideration of the future potential of civil nuclear power, Lovelock turns his attention to solar energy: Here, once again, his argument is primarily based on low EROEI and on the cost of manufacturing the hardware (not to mention all the other finite metallic resources required).
On this front, I must confess I have some sympathy: Harnessing the energy the Earth receives from the Sun (especially in mid-to low latitude countries where population densities are and probably will remain low) would seem like an obvious choice. However, pursuing solar power generation on a large scale simultaneously in a large number of countries would have a serious impact on the demand for – and cost of – copper (and other even rarer metals), which is already high as a consequence of the success of hand-held electronic devices such as mobile phones.
As for Lovelock's justification for his pro-nuclear stance, that will be the subject of the next post in this series (although I am not promising when that will be).


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subset: commoncrawl


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I love making things show up on computer screens. I've been developing websites since junior high and nabbed a full-time job out of college developing for websites where you can buy belting products or replacement parts for exercise equipment. These days I deal mostly with PHP, MySQL, and Javascript, and I've also been learning more about SEO. I also like reading and writing about music, technology, economics, and more.
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Teaching your child to love mathematics
From sharing chocolates with friends to watching cricket, mathematics is present in ever part of our lives. You use fractions to divide chocolate equally and calculate batting averages and run rates while watching cricket. Despite its importance in our day-today lives, maths is the most hated subject for most kids. Find out how you can get your child excited about math here.
Ask any child what he thinks of mathematics (also math or maths), and the typical answers will be boring, difficult, or both. The fear of anything to do with numbers is ingrained in not just children but also adults. However, the fault lies not with this beautiful subject, but with the teaching methods used to impart it. No matter what age your child is, you could use the following tips to make mathematics an enjoyable activity.
Discover the Importance of Mathematics Yourself
Before you teach your child, you need to understand the importance of mathematics yourself. Otherwise, your child is likely to inherit your fear or dislike of maths. Understand your concepts well before you explain them to your child.
Mathematics and the Real World
The common misconception that people have about mathematics is that most of its concepts do not have direct, day-to-day applications. Nothing could be further from the truth. Adding, subtraction, multiplication, etc. have direct uses in our lives. We also use more abstract mathematical concepts in our day-to-day lives unknowingly.
Take, for example, a typical day in most people's lives. You wake up in the morning and watch the weather forecasts, which have been calculated using complex equations. You use fractions to divide fruits among the members of your family. When someone offers you a lottery ticket, you calculate the probability of winning. You probably avoid smoking because statistics suggest that smoking causes cancer. In cricket, you often refer to the batting averages and run rate.
So you see, mathematics governs our life in more ways than we could imagine. The trick is to help your child understand the relationship between complex maths concepts and the world around him. Make mathematics part of your child's daily life. When he accompanies you to the store, ask him to help you add the prices in a bill.
Make Learning Interesting
Once the great Albert Einstein was four years old and sick in bed. To overcome his boredom, his father gifted him a magnetic compass. Young Albert was fascinated by the fact that no matter which way he turned the compass, the need would point in the same direction. He nurtured this fascination for natural phenomena later in life to become the world's greatest physicist.
Similarly, you can provoke your child's imagination and curiosity - which is never in short supply at that age - by using everyday objects to explain mathematics.
Provide Real World Examples
Take a thread and make a perfect circle (by tying it around a round object). Now let another piece of thread pass through the centre of the circle. The ends of the second thread should touch both sides of the circle. Ask your child to measure the two threads. Divide the first (circumference) by the second (diameter) to get a number that is approximately equal to 3.1415926. Try it for different circle sizes. The number is always the same and is known as 'pi'.
You could explain other concepts such as the Fibonacci sequence, zero, golden mean, etc. in the same way.
Some more examples:
- Explain geometry by showing flower petals to depict symmetry or
volcanoes to depict a cone.
- Show him a photo of a beehive and ask him why cells are hexagonal (the answer: hexagons fit most closely together without any gaps).
- Show him patterns in nature. Most shapes in nature are circular or
spherical. A drop of water in outer space would be spherical but gravity
distorts its shape.
- Tell him fun facts. Among shapes of the same area, a circle has the least perimeter (the length of the line enclosing the shape).
Provide a Background
Sometimes, it is necessary to explain how a theory was developed before explaining what the theory is. This gives your child the necessary context and a window into the mind of mathematicians. For example, the famous story of Archimedes could be used to explain the principle of displacement. Explain the contributions of great Indian mathematicians such as Aryabhatta so that your child can develop a greater respect for the subject.
Teach the Vocabulary of Math
One reason why children find maths intimidating is that the terms and notations used are confusing. Help your child learn the basics by using flash cards, games, toys such as building blocks, and diagrams. Also, use lots of puzzles. Try formulating problems while teaching him a concept. For example, how would he divide three bananas among his four friends? This will help your child understand the formulation of a problem.
Use Faster Methods
There are numerous books and techniques available on faster ways to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Vedic mathematics and Russian Peasant's Method of Multiplication are some notable examples. By using such methods, your child can easily develop confidence.
As you can see, mathematics need not be boring. It all depends on how you teach it. If your child finds mathematics difficult, do not be disheartened. Be positive at all times. Remember, learning mathematics is not just limited to getting a good score in an examination but is a window to the amazing world that we live in.
You may also be interested in:
- The Indiaparenting Team


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text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|15 Jun 1976
|Filing date
|16 Apr 1975
|Priority date
|16 Apr 1975
|Also published as
|Publication number
|George F. Goodley
|Original Assignee
|Fmc Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (7), Referenced by (37), Classifications (21), Legal Events (1)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing tension material from a reel and more particularly to apparatus for dispensing plastic strap or the like from a reel to an automatic strapping machine that first feeds the strap from the reel and around an article and then reverses to tension the strap about the article.
A known strap dispenser for strapping machines includes a dancer arm that is urged by a strong spring to its retracted position at which position it applies a brake to the dispensing reel. Since the spring loading on the dancer arm is substantial, this design momentarily applies a relatively high tension to the length of strap disposed between the dispenser and the strapping machine, as the supply coil or reel is initially accelerated by start up of the strap feed mechanism in the strapping machine. This initial high tension during acceleration of the reel will lead to splitting and abrasion of the strapping which in turn increases the frictional resistance of the strapping to its being fed through the yoke in the strapping machine. Such resistance of the strapping to feed in the strapping machine yoke can lead to a jam up and malfunction of the strapping machine.
Another problem arises in a strapping dispenser wherein the energy stored in the retracting spring of a spring loaded dancer arm is intended to supply the torque reaction required for initial acceleration of the strap reel. This problem arises after the reel has been accelerated until its speed of rotation matches the rate of strap feed by the strapping machine. When this condition is reached during a feeding cycle, a spring loaded dancer arm will swing back towards its fully retracted position. In dispensers wherein the dancer arm applies a reel brake in or near its fully retracted position, the effect of the brake must be overcome by an increased tension in the strap applied by the strapping machine feed mechanism, which tension will again advance the dancer arm. The brake is now released in these types of dispensers, but in addition to causing variations of strap tension during feed, the condition repeats itself and the resultant hesitant type of feeding operation, characteristic of the aforesaid prior known dispensers, can also result in a malfunction of the strapping machine.
The strap dispenser of the present invention is not subject to the disadvantages outlined above because it incorporates two basic principles as follows:
1. The energy stored in a dancer arm retracting spring is not relied upon to provide the strap tension necessary for initial acceleration of the reel. The dispenser of the present invention provides the dancer arm with what may be termed a "passive" resistance to advance of the arm during strap feeding and reel acceleration. This "passive" resistance to advance of the dancer arm is provided by connecting a double acting pneumatic cylinder to the dancer arm in a manner wherein air under pressure can be applied to both the rod end and to the piston end of the cylinder. Under these conditions the cylinder mounting and air connections are such that the effective area at the piston end of the cylinder is greater than that at the rod end, and when equal pressures are applied to both ends, the dancer arm is pneumatically retracted. An adjustable throttle valve is provided at the piston end of the cylinder to bleed air from that end of the cylinder. When the strap is being fed around the package by the strapping machine, the pull of the strap tends to advance the dancer arm, but now the air connections leading to the ends of the cylinder are opened to exhaust. Advance of the dancer arm is resisted by the air trapped in the piston end of the pneumatic cylinder. However, since air is bled from the piston end of the cylinder through the aforesaid adjustable throttle valve, the dancer arm is permitted to slowly advance under the pull of the tape thereby providing a passive but steady force or strap tension during the initial acceleration of the strap reel. Of course, the compressability or resilience of the air trapped in the piston end of the cylinder also facilitates smooth acceleration of the reel.
The aforesaid construction has another advantage in that when strap feed is steady, that is, after the period of reel acceleration has ended, the means for accommodating that acceleration, namely the air trapped in the piston end of the pneumatic cylinder, does not provide a force that urges the dancer arm strongly towards its retracted position, as would be the case if a spring provided the sole retracting force on the dancer arm. Thus, when the strap feed has been completed or when machine and reel speeds are equal, the arm throttle is adjusted so that the dancer arm will usually be substantially or almost completely advanced by the pull of the tape thereon. After completion of strap feed, the dancer arm will now be in an advanced position, and when air pressure is again applied to both ends of the pneumatic piston and cylinder assembly to retract the arm to its initial or start position the arm will have a full range of travel in its retract direction and hence can accommodate any loose strap loops at the supply coil due to coasting of the reel after the brake had been applied. Since substantially the full swing of the dancer arm retraction is available to take up slack, there is no slack in the length or loop of tape between the dispenser reel and the strapping machine reservoir that could pick up dirt or oil from contact with the floor or that could become entangled with other equipment or components in the area.
2. Under the present invention a reel brake is provided, but its action is independent of the dancer arm position. In the apparatus of the present invention and in its preferred embodiment, the reel brake is applied by a pneumatic cylinder and is spring released. The actuation of the brake cylinder is completely independent of the dancer arm position because the air under pressure for applying the brake is received from valves of the control circuit of the strapping machine itself. The brake is spring urged to its "off" position and is pneumatically actuated to its "on" position. Air under pressure for fully applying the brake is received from the strapping machine control circuit after the strapping machine has completed its feeding operation after which the strapping machine feed mechanism is reversed, first to take up a loop of strap that developed during feeding and then to tension the strap about a package. When the strap feed mechanism is reversed, the control system for the strapping machine also feeds air to both ends of the pneumatic dancer arm cylinder, which due to the differential area conditions just described, causes the cylinder to retract the dancer arm so as to tend to withdraw strap from the machine. Since the brake is now fully applied, such retraction of the dancer arm can withdraw the strap and does not merely unwind strap from the reel itself.
Several minor features of the apparatus of the present invention will be mentioned briefly. Although the resistance of the dancer arm to advance during feeding of the tape by the strapping machine is principally a passive pneumatic resistance controlled by the throttle valve previously described, it has been found preferable to include a relatively light spring in the dancer arm assembly which will assist the relatively small differential pressure effect in retracting the arm and which will retract the dancer arm to its starting position when the machine is shut down with no air to the dancer cylinder. However, this spring is by no means strong enough to supply the resistance to dancer arm advance necessary to accelerate the reel during feeding of the tape, and although it can take up slack in the strap it is not strong enough to restore the dancer arm to its initial or retracted position while tape is being fed under uniform velocity conditions of the reel and the machine feed mechanism.
As to the brake, it has been found preferable to adjust the brake so that it exerts a slight friction drag even in its "off" position during feeding of the tape by the strapping machine from the strap reel. This slight steady resistance of the brake to tape feeding prevents minor accumulations of slack in the reach of tape between the dispenser and the strapping machine, and maintains the dancer arm in its fully extended position during the aforementioned constant velocity condition.
The circuit to the double ended pneumatic damping cylinder which supplies air to both ends of that cylinder includes not only an adjustable throttle valve, described previously, but a check valve which is connected in parallell to the throttle valve. The check valve is so oriented that it opens when air under pressure is being supplied to the pneumatic cylinder, thereby freely directing air to the piston end of the cylinder. The check valve closes when air is being exhausted from the piston end of the cylinder during strap feed, thereby forcing all air from the piston end through the throttle valve to provide precise control of the dancer arm during reel acceleration.
FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing a strap dispenser of the present invention associated with a package strapping machine.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the dispenser.
FIG. 3 is a section through the dispenser taken on line 3 -- 3 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the strap dispenser connected into the air system of an air controlled strapping machine.
FIG. 5 is a diagram like that of FIG. 4 showing the action during initial feeding of the strap.
FIG. 6 is a diagram like that of FIG. 5 after strap feeding has continued for some time.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the action when the strap feeding mechanism reverses to take up strap for tensioning.
FIG. 8 is a diagram of a dispenser showing a reversed mounting of the cylinder for the dancer arm.
In order to illustrate a typical utilization of the strap dispenser of the present invention, FIG. 1 shows a strap dispenser D of the invention associated with a strapping machine M. Although the strap dispenser can be utilized with other strapping machines, for clarity of illustration it is shown connected to a strapping machine such as that of the United States Goodley U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,169, issued Sept. 18, 1973 and assigned to the FMC Corporation. The disclosure of this Goodley patent is incorporated here by reference and only enough of the mechanism of the strapping machine of the aforesaid patent will be described to provide a complete understanding of the operation and principles of the dispenser D of the present invention.
Referring to the strapping machine M in FIG. 1, the machine includes a housing 10 which is broken away to indicate the strap feeding and tensioning mechanism and which is supported by legs 11. The housing has a table top 12 which supports a package P to be strapped and a yoke 14 surrounds the package. At the dotted area 15 are front and rear grippers for the strap as well as strap sealing and cutting mechanisms. The strap feeding and tensioning mechanism includes a feed wheel 16 that is geared to a tensioning wheel 18. The strap passes partially around these wheels and is gripped between them. The tensioning wheel 18 is driven by a chain 20 from a reversible motor 22 so that operation of the motor 22 in one direction feeds the strap and reversal of the motor withdraws the strap either to take up a loop of strap developed after feeding or to tension the strap around the package P. The length of strap received from the dispenser D passes around a lower pulley 24, between two guide pulleys 26 and into the feeding mechanism.
During feeding, the free end of the strap is fed beneath the package 12 and up around the yoke 14 in the direction of the arrows on the yoke. When the end of the strap reaches its final position it strikes a stop at a tongue, anvil and sealing blade construction in the dotted area 15, which are shown in the aforesaid patent. When the strap end is fed against the stop (not shown) a loop of strap is developed which stops strap feeding and reverses the motor 22 to withdraw the loop. The next step is the actuation of an air valve that again actuates the motor 22 in reverse, to pull the strap clear of the yoke 14 down onto the package P and tension the strap around the package. During strap tensioning, the free end of the strap will have been held by a front gripper and when the strap tension is completed, the bight of the strap is held by a rear gripper, in the dotted area 15. The superimposed portions of the tensioned strap beneath the package are now sealed and the strap is cut off by mechanism (not shown), in the area 15, completing the strapping operation. As explained in the aforesaid Goodley patent, the idler device 28 appearing in FIG. 1 is provided to stop the reverse actuation of the motor 22 during strap tensioning when a sufficient amount of tension has been imparted to the strap.
The basic elements of a dispenser D embodying the invention, appear in the assembly view of FIG. 1. The dispenser includes a base 30 that rests on the floor and an upright or stand 40 for rotatingly supporting a reel R of strap S. Other fundamental features of the dispenser include a pivotally mounted dancer arm assembly A over which the strap passes en route from the reel R to the strapping machine M. The dancer arm is basically controlled by a double ended pneumatic cylinder assembly C and reel rotation can be braked by a pneumatically applied, spring released brake B, which is of the caliper type. An air line L leads from valving in the housing 10 of the strapping machine M and is connected to one end of the cylinder that applies brake B and to both ends of the dancer arm control cylinder assembly C.
Details of the construction of the dispenser D appear in FIGS. 2 and 3. The base 30 mounts a pair of U-shaped straps 32 which slidably receive spacer legs 34 that are bolted to the framework 11 of the strapping machine by means of angles 36. Clamp bolts 37 clamp the legs 34 to the strap 32. Straps 32a are provided at the other end of the base for mounting the dispenser from that end. Projecting upwardly from 38, 39 base 30 of the dispenser are hinge brackets 38,39 which pivotally mount the upright reel supporting stand 40. The stand is fabricated of structural elements including vertical legs 41, 42 which legs are pivoted to the brackets 38, 39 by pivot bolts 43. A latch 44 (FIG. 2) retains the stand 40 in its vertical, operating position but the latch can be released so that the stand can be hinged to a horizontal position to facilitate loading and unloading of a reel R on the stand.
In addition to the uprights 41, 42, the stand 40 includes an upper cross bar 46 and an intermediate mounting plate 48. The plate 48 is secured to bosses 50 which are attached to the uprights 41, 42. A lower cross bar 52 extends between the uprights of the stand. Rubber bumpers 53 on the plate 48 limit the motion of the dancer arm assembly A.
In order to rotatably support the reel R, a shaft 56 (FIG. 3) is welded to the mounting plate 48. The reel can be disassembled to receive a coil of strapping S. Thus, the reel is constructed to have an inner flange 58 that is bolted to a flange 59, which flange is welded to a hub sleeve 60 rotatable on the shaft 56. A brake disc 62 for the reel is also bolted to the hub flange 59. The outer reel flange 64 is removably secured to the sleeve 60 by a large nut 66 threaded on the sleeve. The reel sleeve 60 is retained on the shaft 56 by a snap ring 68.
When it is desired to change reels of strap S, the latch 44 (FIG. 2) is depressed and the stand 40 is pivoted to its horizontal position. The outer reel flange 64 is then removed and a new coil of strap is centered on a shoulder 69 on the inner reel flange. The outer reel flange 64, having a coil shoulder 69a, is then replaced and the stand 40 is returned to its upright position.
The dancer arm assembly A is swingingly mounted on an extension 56a of the shaft 56, which extension projects forwardly from the mounting plate 48. (FIG. 3). The dancer arm assembly includes a hub 70 that is freely rotatable on the shaft extension 56a and is retained thereon by a snap ring 72 (FIG. 2). Projecting from the dancer arm hub 70 is a dancer arm portion 74 which extends radially and is bent to extend axially, as best seen in broken lines in FIG. 3, thereby forming a shaft portion 76 that mounts a freely rotatable pulley 78 for receiving a loop of the strap S. The pulley 78 is retained on the shaft portion 76 of the dancer arm by a U-shaped guide wire 80 which is clamped in place by a nut 82 threaded to the shaft portion 76 seen in broken lines in FIG. 3.
In normal operation, the dancer arm assembly A is controlled by the pneumatic cylinder assembly C. The cylinder assembly includes a cylinder proper 84 (FIG. 2), the lower end of which is formed as a clevis to pivotally mount the cylinder on the cross bar 52 by a pivot 86. The cylinder contains a double acting piston 88 connected to a piston rod 90, the free end of the rod being pivotally mounted at 92 (FIG. 2) to one end of a double ended crank arm 94 secured to the hub 70 of the dancer arm assembly. As seen in FIG. 2, the cylinder 84 has a piston end chamber 96 and a rod end chamber 98. Due to the presence of the piston rod 90, this provides a differential area device so that if equal pressures are applied to the chambers 96, 98, there will be a resulting force tending to expand the base end chamber 96 and move the piston 88 toward the upper end of the cylinder 84. This will retract the dancer arm.
The air connections to the cylinder assembly C are as follows: The line L which is connected to the control valve system in the strapping machine M runs to a tee 100 (FIG. 2). Although this tee is also connected to the brake B, air passes through the tee 100 and on to a second T 102 at the rod end of the cylinder 84. This tee provides an air connection to the rod end chamber 98, previously described. The line L continues from the second tee 102 to a combination fitting 104. As will be explained presently, the combination fitting 104 includes an adjustable throttle valve and a check valve connected in parallel. The throttling of the throttle valve can be controlled by adjustment of the needle valve screw 106. The lower end of the fitting 104 is connected to the piston chamber 96 of the cylinder.
A coil spring 110 is connected at 110a to one end of the crank 94 and at 111 to the cross bar 52. This spring lightly urges the dancer arm toward a retracted position.
The brake B is constructed so when there is air under pressure in the line L, the brake is applied and when the line L is open to exhaust a spring releases the brake. The brake assembly includes a pneumatic cylinder 112 (FIG. 2) which is pivotally mounted to the mounting plate 48 at 114. The cylinder piston 116 is connected to a piston rod 118 which rod is pivotally mounted to a brake operating arm 120. The brake cylinder 112 provides a pneumatic chamber 122 which when pressurized, applies the brake. When the brake chamber 122 is open to exhaust, a spring 124 surrounding the piston rod 118 moves the piston 116 to the left in the figure and releases the brake. The brake arm 120 forms part of a caliper type brake assembly which includes brake shoes 126, 128, FIG. 3, that can be cammed against the brake disc 62 on the reel. A brake arm 120 has a camming function that brings the brake shoes 126, 128 against the brake disc. An adjusting nut 130 is provided on the shaft for the brake arm 120 which nut can be adjusted to control the degree of brake application and is preferably adjusted so that even when the brake is released, the brake shoes exert a slight drag on the reel brake disc 62. This is accomplished by insertion of a spring 131 between the nut 130 and the arm 120. The details of the brake just described are not critical to the present invention. Any drag adjustable brake that can be operated by the pneumatic cylinder could be used to replace that herein illustrated. The specific brake illustrated is manufactured by the H-H Products Division of the Kelsey-Hayes Company of Mequon, Wisconsin. The particular model employed is a series 230M2 (floating mount) assembly which is one of the 200 series of mechanical caliper type disc brakes manufactured by the aforesaid H-H Products Division.
As mentioned, the cross bar 52 is drilled at 111 to receive one end of the spring 110. The bar 52 is also drilled at 111a so that the direction of tape emergence can be reversed 180� if desired. Under the latter conditions, the pivot 92 of the piston rod 90 would be connected to the crank 94 at the location of the spring anchor 110a. The spring 110 would then be connected between the crank 94 at the location of the piston rod pivot 92, shown in FIG. 2, and the auxiliary hole 111a in the cross bar 52. Under these conditions the legs 34 would be secured in brackets 32a at the right of the frame 30, as viewed in FIG. 2. Also the keeper 80 on the dancer arm is reversed.
The operation of the dispenser D in conjunction with the strapping machine M will be explained in connection with the pneumatic diagrams of FIGS. 4 - 7. As previously mentioned, in order to illustrate a typical utilization of the dispenser, it is shown connected to the air circuit of the strapping machine shown in the Goodley U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,169. Only certain of the control valve connections, valves and other elements of the control circuit for the strapping machine of that patent are illustrated in the aforesaid diagrams, and only those valves and elements will be described in detail which are essential to an understanding of how the dispenser cooperates with a strapping machine. The control element shown in FIGS. 4 - 7 can be keyed to the schematic diagrams beginning with FIG. 32 of the aforesaid Goodley patent.
FIG. 4 shows the dispenser in its starting condition ready to accommodate the feeding of strap by the strapping machine M, and dancer arm assembly A is fully retracted to its right hand position in the figure. The valves shown in FIG. 4, forming part of the strapping machine control circuit, includes a foot valve FV which is actuated by the operator to initiate strap tensioning after the strap has been fed around the package P. Also included is an On-Off valve which is actuated by the operator to set up the control circuit for operation. A solenoid operated valve V-6 is connected to an air supply AS (these air supply connections are repeated for other units in the diagram) and which is solenoid operated under control of a pressure operated switch PE-1 the diaphragm of which is mechanically connected to its contacts pe-1, the latter being wired across the line in series with the solenoid for the valve V-6 just mentioned. In the conditions of FIG. 4 there is no air pressure on the diaphragm of PE-1 and its contacts pe-1 are closed, thereby energizing the solenoid of valve V-6. This places the valve V-6 in the condition shown in FIG. 4 so that air from the air supply AS is passed on through the valve and into the circuit by means of a line L-1. Other valves and elements shown are a pair of air shifted spool valves V-1, V-2 and not illustrated in the diagram but present in the actual circuit, are various valves such as SV-1, SV-2, V-3, V-5 and S-V. These are all shown in a single box 134. In addition, a cam limit valve CL is shown which controls an air shifted, spring return valve V-4 that is connected by a line 135 to the reversible motor 22 (also see FIG. 1) that drives the feed and tensioning wheels 16 - 18 of the strapping machine. The cam limit valve CL controls the valve V-4 and is operated by a plurality of cams 137 all as described in the aforesaid Goodley patent and this sequence of operation is not material to understanding the present invention. Also shown, is a diaphragm operated front gripper 138 which is closed upon the free end of the strap after it has been fed around the yoke 14 (FIG. 1). An air line 140 leads from valve units in the box 134 to the motor 22 for driving the latter in the reverse direction.
A shuttle valve SV-5 has been added to the circuit shown in the aforesaid Goodley patent. The air line L for the dispenser runs from the side of this shuttle valve. One end of the shuttle valve is connected to a line L-2 which has been added to the patent circuit and forms a continuation of the line L-1 which is present in the circuit of the patent. Also, a line L-3 has been added to the patent circuit and this line connects the other end of the shuttle valve SV-5 to a line 141 connected to the diaphragm that operates the front gripper 138.
The condition of the circuit shown in FIG. 4 corresponds to that shown in FIG. 32 of the Goodley patent wherein the On-Off valve of the strapping machine has not been manually depressed, there is no pressure on the diaphragm of PE-1, contacts pe-1 are closed, and the solenoid valve V-6 is energized. The valve V-6 now conducts air from the air supply AS of V-6 through the line L-1 to one set of shifters for V-1 and V-2 and to the additional line L2 leading to the lower end of the shuttle valve SV-5. The shuttle valve thereby transmits the air under pressure to the line L leading to the brake and damper cylinders of the dispenser D of the present invention.
Shown diagramatically in the diagram of FIG. 4, are the two elements of the combination fitting unit 104, previously mentioned. These elements are an adjustable throttle valve 104a controlled by the needle valve adjustment 106 and a check valve 104b connected in parallel with the throttle valve.
When air under pressure is in the dispenser line L, as in the condition of FIG. 4, the air passes through the brake tee 100 into the brake chamber 122 and on to the damper cylinder tee 102. The T 102 directs air under pressure via a passage 102a to the rod chamber 98 of the cylinder 84. Air under pressure continues on through the tee 102 to the throttle and check valves 104a, 104b. The check valve 104b is arranged so that it is opened by the air under pressure under these conditions and hence the air is transmitted by a passage 104c to the piston chamber 96 of the cylinder 84. Although the cylinder chambers 96, 98 receive equal pressures, because of the differential area effect previously mentioned, chamber 96 expands and the piston 88 is urged upwardly to retract the dancer arm assembly A to the right, which readies the dancer arm pulley 78 for maximum take-up action. The aforesaid pneumatic retraction force is augmented by the spring 110.
As mentioned, air from the tee 100 is also directed to the chamber 122 of the brake B which moves the brake piston 116 to the right (as viewed in FIG. 4) thereby applying the brake and placing it in the "Brake On" condition. This brakes the reel R by means of the caliper and brake disc assembly, previously described.
The diagram of FIG. 5 illustrates the conditions when strap is being fed by the transport wheels 16, 18 of the feed mechanism of the strapping machine and the strap reel R is being accelerated. To initiate strap feeding, the On-Off valve has been depressed so that air under pressure from the air supply AS is directed through the valves V-1 and CL to the pilot of valve V-4. This shifts the valve V-4 which now supplies air to the line 135, which is the "Feed" line leading to the motor 22 that drives the transport wheels 16, 18. Also, when the On-Off valve is depressed, the pressure switch assembly PE-1 also receives air under pressure and its contacts pe-1 are opened, deenergizing the solenoid of the valve V-6. This opens the lines L-1, L-2 and the dispenser air line L to exhaust.
At the dispenser, when the line L is connected to exhaust through the strapping machine air circuit, as just described, pressure is relieved in the brake cylinder chamber 122 and the spring 124 releases the brake and places it in the "Brake Off" position. However, as previously mentioned, the brake is preferably adjusted so that even in the "Brake Off" position, it exerts a slight drag on the brake disc 62, shown in FIG. 3.
With the dispenser air line L connected to exhaust, the rod end chamber 98 of the dancer arm cylinder 84 is likewise connected to exhaust through passage 102a and the tee 102. The piston end chamber 96 of the cylinder 84 is connected to exhaust through the passage 104c and through the adjustable throttle valve 104a. The flow of air in the exhaust direction in the passage 104c will close the check valve 104b so that all of the air being exhausted from the piston end chamber 96 of the cylinder must pass through the throttle valve 104a.
The resistance to acceleration of the strap reel R under action of the strap feeding mechanism 16, 18 results in the strap pulling or advancing the dancer arm A to the left, by means of its pulley 78. This advance of the dancer arm is passively resisted, because in order for such advance to take place, the piston 88 must move into the chamber 96 and air trapped in the chamber 96 can only be expelled from that chamber through the adjustable throttle valve 104a. Thus, by adjusting the screw 106 of the throttle valve 104a, a controlled, passive resistance to advance of the dancer arm A is provided. This resistance is sufficient to prevent immediate swinging of the dancer arm to its fully advanced position as soon as feed starts, which condition would eliminate the acceleration control function of the dancer arm. However, the resistance provided by the throttle valve 104a is not great enough to prevent a steady advance of the dancer arm assembly A to the left, as viewed in FIG. 5, resulting in smooth acceleration of the reel R and a reduction in the tendency of the feeding mechanism to abrade or break the strap S. The conditions of FIG. 5, wherein the strap is being fed around the yoke 14, correspond to those of FIG. 33 of the aforesaid patent.
The diagram of FIG. 6 shows the same circuit conditions as those illustrated in FIG. 5. However, in FIG. 6 strap feeding has been substantially completed and the reel R will have been accelerated to its final velocity so that the feeding is under steady conditions. The dancer arm assembly A, having accommodated acceleration of the reel, has been pulled or advanced to the left in the figure and will remain in substantially that position during completion of the feeding operation. In both the operations illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 just discussed, the relatively weak spring 110 is urging the dancer arm assembly A to the right or towards its retracted position. However, the pull of the strap on the dancer arm pulley 78 prevents motion of the dancer arm to the right and under force of the spring 110, but as previously mentioned, the energy stored in the spring 110 is not enough to accelerate the reel R sufficiently to permit any substantial retraction of the dancer arm against the force of the strap S acting thereon. Also, and as previously mentioned, slight drag on the brake maintains sufficient tension in the strap between machine and dispenser to prevent arm retraction due to spring 110.
The diagram of FIG. 7 illustrates the control circuit conditions when the motor 22 is reversed to take up strap, either to take up a loop of strap developed at the end of the feeding or as illustrated in the diagram of FIG. 7, to take up strap S-1 fed into the strapping reservoir when the motor 22 is reversed in order to withdraw a strap from the yoke 14, and tension it about the package P. In the diagram of FIG. 7, the foot valve FV has been opened in order to initiate the tensioning operation, which corresponds to FIG. 36 of the Goodley patent. This conducts air under pressure from the air supply AS to a line 142 leading to a number of valves shown in the box 134 connected to that line. The result of this operation includes the direction of air by a line 144 to shift the valve V1 so that air from the air supply connected to the On-Off valve (which is open as before) is now conducted to line 141 to close the front gripper 138 and to grip the free end of the strap that has been fed around the yoke. Air is also conducted from the valve group 134 to the line 140, to reverse the motor 22 that drives the transport wheels 16, 18 for taking up strap. Also in the circuit conditions of FIG. 7, air under pressure is now conducted from the valve V-1 to the line L-3, which has been added to the basic circuit shown in FIGS. 34 and 36 of the Goodley patent. Air in the line L-3 shifts the shuttle valve SV-5 which directs air under pressure from L-3 to the line L leading to the dispenser D of the present invention.
When the dispenser line L is pressurized, the brake cylinder chamber 122 is also pressurized, as described in connection with FIG. 4, which applies the brake and prevents further rotation of the reel R. Air under pressure from line L is likewise directed to the rod end chamber 98 of the dancer arm cylinder by the tee passage 102a. Air under the same pressure passes through the tee 102, opens the check valve 104b to the passage 104c and enters the piston end 96 of the dancer arm cylinder 84. Since both the rod and piston ends of the cylinder 84 now receive air under the same pressure, the differential area effect on the piston 88 will urge the dancer arm assembly A to the right in the figure, to take up any loose loops of strap that may result from coasting of the reel assembly after the brake is applied.
The pneumatic retraction action on the dancer arm assembly just described, which takes up loose strap developed at the reel supply of the dispenser, is augmented by the action of the spring 110 which also urges the dancer arm to the right. Thus, it can be seen that by providing the differential area pneumatic cylinder construction just described for control of the dancer arm, a passive resistance to advance of the dancer arm under tension of the strap being pulled therethrough during strap feeding is provided and although a dancer arm retraction spring is provided, this spring is relatively weak and does not store enough energy to cause acceleration of the reel during strap feeding. Thus the spring will not cause the dancer arm to creep back towards its fully retracted position after the reel has been accelerated and strap feeding is continued under equilibrium conditions. Also, brake engagement is independent of dancer arm position and the brake is applied only when needed. The brake is not cyclically applied and released during the strap feeding operation, which would provide a non-uniform dispensing operation.
FIG. 8 shows a modified dispenser D-1, wherein the dancer arm cylinder C-1 has been mechanically reversed end-to-end so that the piston rod 90 is pivoted to the crossbar at the pivot 86 which formerly received the clevis for the cylinder 84. The cylinder 84 is pivoted to the crank arm 94 of the dancer arm at the location 92 which formerly received the pivot for the piston rod 90. Because of this reversal of the cylinder C-1 from the previous arrangement the lines 102a and 104c are shown crossed in the air circuit diagram. However, their respective connections to the rod end chamber 98 and to the piston end chamber 96 of the cylinder C-1 are the same as before. The mode of operation of this modification will be like that described in conjunction with the diagrams of FIGS. 4 - 7.
Although the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention has been herein shown and described, it will be apparent that modification and variation may be made without departing from what is regarded to be the subject matter of the invention.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|28 Apr 1953
|22 Sep 1959
|Acme Steel Co
|Coil unreeler
|15 Nov 1960
|19 Mar 1963
|Metaverpa Nv
|Wire-feeding apparatus for a machine, such as a packaging machine
|24 Mar 1966
|22 Aug 1967
|Signode Corp
|Strapping dispenser
|3 Nov 1969
|31 Aug 1971
|Signode Corp
|Strap dispenser
|8 Jul 1970
|5 Sep 1972
|Interlake Inc
|9 Jul 1970
|20 Feb 1973
|Interlake Inc
|Coil unreeler
|15 Nov 1971
|18 Sep 1973
|Fmc Corp
|Strapping machine
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|15 Apr 1981
|17 Apr 1984
|Reed Barrie T
|Flying splice apparatus
|26 Sep 1991
|21 Apr 1992
|Highland Supply Corporation
|Means for securing a decorative cover about a flower pot
|22 Sep 1992
|23 Aug 1994
|Highland Supply Corporation
|Decorative cover with band
|8 Sep 1992
|2 May 1995
|Highland Supply Corporation
|Decorative assembly for a floral grouping
|21 Sep 1993
|23 May 1995
|Highland Supply Corporation
|Means for securing a decorative cover about a flower pot
|24 Aug 1992
|27 Jun 1995
|Highland Supply Corporation
|Band applicator for applying a band about a sheet of material and a pot
|3 Jan 1994
|14 Nov 1995
|Highland Supply Corporation
|Method for applying a band about a sheet of material and a pot
|25 Feb 1994
|14 Nov 1995
|Highland Supply Corporation
|Method for applying a band about a sheet of material and a pot
|1 Feb 1995
|5 Dec 1995
|Highland Supply Corporation
|Method for applying a band about a sheet of material and a pot
|22 Jun 1994
|11 Jun 1996
|Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik Gmbh
|Arrangement for the control of thread tension in a thread spool creel
|27 Feb 1995
|2 Jul 1996
|Southpac Trust International, Inc. As Trustee Of The Family Trust U/T/A
|Means for securing a decorative cover about a flower pot
|17 Apr 1995
|31 Dec 1996
|Southpac Trust International, Inc.
|Band applicator for applying a band about a sheet of material and a pot
|1 Jun 1995
|7 Jan 1997
|Southpac Trust International, Inc.
|Method for applying a band about a sheet of material and a pot or floral grouping
|4 Oct 1995
|8 Apr 1997
|Southpac Trust International, Inc.
|Method for securing a decorative cover about a flower pot
|8 May 1995
|29 Apr 1997
|Southpac Trust International, Inc.
|Method for applying a band about a sheet of material and a pot or floral grouping
|6 Jun 1995
|27 May 1997
|Weder; Donald E.
|Method for applying a band about a sheet material and a pot
|30 Oct 1996
|10 Mar 1998
|Southpac Trust International
|Method for securing a decorative cover about a pot means
|6 Jun 1995
|9 Jun 1998
|Southpac Trust International, Inc.
|Method for applying a band about a sheet of material and a flower pot
|21 Nov 1995
|12 Oct 1999
|Sca Hygiene Products Ab
|Arrangement and web tension control unit for web delivery
|7 Jul 2000
|9 Apr 2002
|Seiko Epson Corporation
|Roll paper pulling load-buffering device for a printer
|4 Feb 1998
|1 Oct 2002
|The Goodyear Tire And Rubber Company
|Method and apparatus for controlling the tension of wire being pulled from a wire spool on a bead wire letoff stand
|3 Dec 2001
|2 Sep 2003
|Mechanical Tool & Engineering Co.
|Space-saving reel for strip-stock
|31 Mar 2000
|9 Sep 2003
|L&P Property Management Company
|Wire supply control assembly for feeding wire
|23 Jan 1998
|30 Dec 2003
|Southpac Trust International, Inc.
|Method for applying a band about a sheet of material and a floral grouping
|8 Oct 2003
|1 Mar 2005
|The Family Trust U/T/A 12/8/1995
|Method for applying a band about a sheet of material and a floral grouping
|21 Jan 2005
|17 Jan 2006
|Wanda M. Weder and William F. Straeter, not individually but solely as Trustees of The Family Trust U/T/A dated December 8, 1995
|Method for applying a band about a sheet of material and a flower pot
|4 Feb 2005
|30 Oct 2007
|Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
|Strap dispenser with start assist
|9 Jul 2003
|15 Jan 2008
|Helmut Schmetzer
|Method for strapping and especially longitudinally strapping packaged material with a strap
|3 Dec 2001
|5 Jun 2003
|Nordlof Richard D.
|Space-saving reel for strip-stock
|8 Oct 2003
|15 Apr 2004
|Weder Donald E.
|Method for applying a band about a sheet of material and a floral grouping
|21 Jan 2005
|9 Jun 2005
|Weder Donald E.
|Method for applying a band about a sheet of material and a floral grouping
|25 Oct 2005
|6 Apr 2006
|Weder Donald E
|Method for applying a band about a sheet of material and a floral grouping
|4 Feb 2005
|10 Aug 2006
|Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
|Strap dispenser with start assist
|9 Jul 2003
|2 Nov 2006
|Helmut Schmetzer
|Method for strapping and especially longitudinally strapping packaged material with a strap
|15 Oct 2013
|29 Apr 2015
|Working method of steel bundling robot
|5 Jun 1985
|10 Dec 1986
|SUNDEVED Maskinfabrik A/S
|Device for applying a web to a support
|3 Jul 2003
|21 Jan 2004
|Helmut Schmetzer
|Apparatus for strapping goods with a strapping band
|U.S. Classification
|242/417.3, 242/156.2, 242/421.6, 242/422.2, 242/423
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|22 May 1991
Owner name: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC., A CORP. OF DELAWARE, ILL
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:CYKLOP STRAPPING CORPORATION, A CORP. OF DELAWARE;REEL/FRAME:005755/0522
Effective date: 19910430


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Two storied programs face off in Spokane this weekend. Ferris is still rebounding from a loss to LC a few weeks ago. Pasco should be prepared as they always are in the playoffs. Another twist to the eastside games is bragging rights between the two conferences. Will the GSL teams show their league deserved more than two playoff spots or will the CBBN prove they deserved their four.
Mt. Spokane vs. Hanford, 7pm, Richland
These teams are hard to judge as they both play in conferences with 4A teams. The amount of losses they have is not always and indicator of their quality as 3A teams. I think that Mt. Spokane will pull this out as they have been tested all year by the quality 4A teams in the GSL.
Edmonds-Woodway vs. Kentwood, 7pm, French Field
Edmonds-Woodway comes in as the lower seed but I have them as a favorite. Their physical attack behind RB Tony Heard should be able to wear out the KW defense. KW is the two seed in the SPSL North which was down in quality this year. Should be a fun one to watch.
Issaquah vs. Marysville-Pilchuck, 7pm, MP
Marysville-Pillchuck had a perfect season. What did that earn them? Issaquah, and the toughest round one matchup of any conference winner in the state. Three weeks and two losses ago everyone was talking about how Issaquah might be the best team in the state. I think MP wins this one but it won't be easy. I think this is the game of the week.
Central Kitsap vs. Snohomish, 7pm, Snohomish
Due to tie breakers Snohomish grabbed the #2 seed out of their conference. That being said they have 3 losses and could be vulnerable to CK coming up and beating them at their house. This should be a very close game.
Camas vs. Kennedy, 7pm, Kennedy
This game would be a lock if we knew the condition of Kennedy quarterback Nolan Washington. He sprained his knee two weeks ago and may be good to go in the game. If he can't go, things get interesting. Tre Watson will be asked to carry the load for Kennedy.
Have a fun weekend of playoff football…


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About WWOZ
history, staff, contact us ..»
Every Tuesday from 7pm-1:30am
This will be a once weekly event, every Tuesday. It is a pop up bar @ Dante's Kitchen. Features... live music throughout the summer and hopefully beyond. We feature weekly changes to both our craft cocktails, as well as seasonal and locally sourced small plate offerings. All weekly cocktails and plates are affordably priced at 7 $ each, allowing for a brief and inspired treat or an all evening affair with a date or friends. We are open every Tuesday from 7 pm until 1:30 am. We are as casual as you would like, and as playful as you might hope. Join us!


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Worstell discusses volunteering with the Wounded Warrior Project
Latest recognition is VEGAS SEVEN Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl Pac-12 Player of the Week.
Kearney discusses his first career interception last week against Colorado.
The nation's top and eighth ranked passing attacks meet in Pullman
Junior running back has posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing games.
Lasco picks up honorable mention CFPA All-Purpose Performer of the Week selection CFPA
Golden Bears and Huskies to kick off at 3 p.m. PT.
Golden Bears have 31 former players currently on NFL rosters.
Sophomore quarterback throws seven touchdown passes in win over Colorado.
Senior drills game-winner in double overtime
James Langford field goal clinches shootout; Jared Goff throws 7 TD passes.
New voice of Cal football games talks about the job


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Shapeways: Bring your creativity to life in 3D http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php Shapeways: Bring your creativity to life in 3D Suggestion for vouchers http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&goto=47632&th=9318#msg_47632 <![CDATA[Hi Shapeways,
 I have a suggestion for keeping track of vouchers and codes. How about you put a running total on each account. I have had several canceled orders and have a lot of money spread over several vouchers that I can not use together. Knowing the balances would help greatly. Thank you for your time.]]> Kharum 2012-04-29T14:45:23-00:00 Re: Suggestion for vouchers http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&goto=47644&th=9318#msg_47644 <![CDATA[Send the voucher #'s to firstname.lastname@example.com
 They have on multiple occasions combined vouchers for me.]]> stonysmith 2012-04-29T21:25:34-00:00 Re: Suggestion for vouchers http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=rview&goto=47657&th=9318#msg_47657 <![CDATA[That is a good point. Would you mind registering it on feedback.shapeways.com?

 Thanks!

 Bart]]> bartv 2012-04-30T11:04:26-00:00


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Our Platform
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Blue Utopia Campaign System
From online fundraising to back-office operations like donor-management and compliance, the Blue Utopia suite of products is an end-to-end system of powerful and integrated modules. This integrated system enables you to communicate, engage, organize, fundraise, and build relationships with ease but without high costs. Super-charge your entire organization and spend considerably less than piecing together disparate solutions.
How Blue Utopia Will Help You
Increase your web traffic
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What Does an All-in-One Mean to You?
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Why have three different systems to manage your campaign? Your data flows into your campaign in all kinds of ways but one thing is clear - you and your people are better when you have full information.
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There is no imaginary wall between online and offline actions in a campaign. Our comprehensive system addresses all critical campaign tasks, from website, to online advertising, to candidate call-time, even compliance reporting -- plus a whole lot more.
Built for campaign people, who need to be up and running fast with little or no training. Intuitive screens, modularized approach, and a very user-centric approach enables you to get your done today, without spending weeks in training.
We serve all campaigns, at every level, not just the federal campaigns with huge budgets. Our easy-to-use software reflects this approach but no more so than our pricing that allows even the smallest-budget campaigns build a great campaign.
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Four more of the smaller banking institutions have announced that they will be redeeming so-called bailout money in late 2008, as part of the Capital Purchase Program (CPP) of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). This increasing trend of banks cashing in on the government shows no sign of slowing, and is a sign that the government's heavy-handed politicization of the program is starting to cause a backlash.
IN PICTURES: 10 Tips For Choosing An Online Broker
The Myth
It's clear that the stampede of banks returning TARP money runs contrary to the government's goal of reversing the credit contraction that is hurting economic growth. The politicization of the program is partly the result of public misperception of the program as being a "bailout." This misperception has been inflamed by the constant use of that term by the media.
Signature Bank (Nasdaq:SBNY) has $7.19 billion in assets and operates 22 offices in the New York City area. The bank is repurchasing $120 million in preferred stock, citing its strong tangible equity ratio of 8%, as evidence that it doesn't need the additional capital. Management said that it was returning the money so it could be "recycled to those institutions that need the funds." This is a unique bank, as it doesn't use the word branches, but calls them private client offices.
If Signature Bank went out like a lamb, then Sun Bancorp (Nasdaq:SNBC) went out like a lion, blasting the government for changing the original deal. Thomas X. Geisel, the CEO of Sun Bancorp, said, "the partnership then became politicized; the rules and regulations changed, and the dynamics of the partnership substantially shifted. These changes significantly restricted the way we support our customers and communities, as well as the way we run our business." The bank currently has $3.6 billion in assets. (Break down the walls around researching financial instutions' financials, see Analyzing A Bank's Financial Statements.)
Old National Bancorp (NYSE:ONB) is the largest banking institution headquartered in Indiana, and prior to the redemption announcement, it performed a stress test with the aid of an outside firm to make sure it could afford the loss if capital. The bank redeemed $100 million in preferred stock.
Bank of Marin Bancorp (Nasdaq:BMRC) was the smallest of the four institutions and redeemed $28 million of preferred stock held by the government. The bank said it took the money to help stimulate the economy, and cited as justification for returning it, "the operating restrictions we experienced as a participant."
The Reality
Virtually every bank that received TARP money was in sound financial condition, and didn't really need the capital. The banks that did need the capital were not approved for it by the government, due to a weak financial condition. A bank like Colonial Bancgroup (NYSE:CNB) falls into this category. (Find out more in Liquidity And Toxicity: Will TARP Fix The Financial System?)
The government didn't bailout the banking system; it invested in it and received something of value in return for that investment – a preferred stock that pays a 5% dividend. Please note that every single recipient of TARP funds is current on its dividend payments.
The government also received warrants to purchase stock. Although these warrants are, in most cases, underwater currently, once the economy recovers and valuations expand in the financial sector, these warrants could be worth billions for the taxpayer.
The Backlash
There are now at least seven banks that have either redeemed or announced its intention to redeem the preferred issue. These banks include Iberiabank Corporation (Nasdaq:IBKC), TCF Financial (NYSE:TCB) and Sussex Bancorp (Nasdaq:SBBX).
The list of banks returning TARP funds is starting to snowball, something that runs contrary to the original goal of the program, which was to counteract the effect of the credit contraction. Our political leaders may one day regret politicizing such an important part of the recovery process.


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Science Keywords>OCEANS>OCEAN CHEMISTRY>ORGANIC MATTER
Distribution of Particulate organic carbon and nitrogen and its stable isotope ratio off Lützow-Holm Bay, AntarcticaEntry ID: UM0809_7_distribution_organic
Abstract: Water samples from 5 depths (0-100 m) were collected by Niskin bottles at 9 stations (L1, L3, L5, L9, L12, L37, L33, Ⅰ-10, Ⅱ-7) off Lützow-Holm Bay during Umitaka-maru cruise (Jan-feb. 2009). The waters were seived on pre-combusted Whatmann GF/F, and stored at -80ºC until analyses. http://biows.ac.jp/~plankton/um0809-1a.png
Related URL
Geographic Coverage
Spatial coordinates
Temporal Coverage
Start Date: 2009-01-12Stop Date: 2009-01-25
Location Keywords
Science Keywords
ISO Topic Category
Use Constraints PICCCBY
Data Center
Role: INVESTIGATOR
Phone: +81-42-512-0738
Email: odate at nior.ac.jp
Contact Address:
National Institute of Polar Research 10-3, Midori-cho
City: Tachikawa-shi
Province or State: Tokyo
Postal Code: 190-8518
Country: JAPAN
Extended Metadata Properties
(Click to view more)
Creation and Review Dates
DIF Creation Date: 2010-04-21
Last DIF Revision Date: 2016-01-27


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Though still in the early days since its Dec. 6 approval, Gilead Sciences' hepatitis C drug Sovaldi may be enjoying one of the most massive drug launches of all time. Current consensus calls for sales of $4.6 billion this year — and the whisper numbers are running even higher.
This doesn't surprise Wall Street, as Sovaldi provides a faster, safer and stronger alternative to a punishing yearlong regimen of interferon. But as analysts obsessively watch the weekly prescription numbers grow, they're also eyeing data from Sovaldi's potential challengers in a market that's estimated at $20 billion a year and growing.
Bristol-Myers Squibb's (BMY) daclatasvir grabbed headlines last April when a phase two trial combining it with Sovaldi scored a 100% cure rate.
But Gilead (GILD) elected not to pursue the combo further. Instead, it's studying Sovaldi in combination with its similar drug ledipasvir, so that it can co-formulate the two into a single pill and not share the market.
Bristol, however, filed in the European Union for approval of daclatasvir "for use in combination with other agents, including sofosbuvir" (the generic name for Sovaldi), and was granted accelerated review there in early January. The firm plans to submit a similar filing to the Food and Drug Administration soon.
Sovaldi Sets New Standard
In October, Bristol filed to approve a combo of daclatasvir with another of its drugs, asunaprevir, in Japan, which has an unusually high rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection due to a formerly tainted blood supply.
Douglas Manion, Bristol's vice president of development, virology and Japan, says that the dual regimen scored good results, but its 24-week duration is looking like yesterday's news now that Sovaldi has set a 12-week standard. He hopes that will be resolved by a triple therapy involving daclatasvir, asunaprevir and a drug dubbed BMS-791325, co-formulated into one pill to be taken twice a day, now in phase three testing.
Ultimately, however, he does not expect a single regimen to conquer the others because not all patients are the same.
Treating Toughest Patients
"Daclatasvir has been studied with so many different drugs, it's used in all genotypes (of the hepatitis C virus) and all patient populations — especially the toughest-to-treat populations," Manion said. "These are going to be liver-transplant patients, genotype 3 patients, patients with cirrhosis, and ultimately patients with decompensation."
Decompensated cirrhosis, the worst form of liver damage that can result from HCV, usually results in liver transplant or death.
The decompensated group was one population not included in AbbVie's (ABBV) six phase three trials of its "3D" regimen combining three antiviral agents. AbbVie also stuck to the most common genotype, genotype 1. It did very well in the trials, with cure rates ranging from 90% to 100%. The company plans to file in the U.S. during the second quarter and hit the market late this year.
In one respect it will have nearly caught up with Gilead, because current FDA guidelines on Sovaldi recommend that it be used with interferon in genotype 1, unless the patient can't tolerate interferon. Gilead is banking on its sofosbuvir-ledipasvir combo to be its first official interferon-free genotype 1 treatment — also expected to launch later this year after a Feb. 10 filing.
Barry Bernstein, AbbVie's vice president of infectious disease development, touted 3D's strong safety profile and the fact that it cured upward of 92% of patients with compensated cirrhosis.
"We believe that the regimens will provide an option for any genotype 1-infected patient," Bernstein told IBD.
AbbVie, Bristol-Myers and Gilead are all expected to report final study details at the International Liver Congress, meeting in London April 9-13. Company officials are keeping mum on which studies will be presented, but abstracts will go online March 24. (Late-breaking abstracts, which appear right before the conference, often have the hottest data.)
Next-Generation Regimes
Further down the road, even more drugs are on the way.
AbbVie and partner Enanta Pharmaceuticals (ENTA) are already working on a next-generation regime that will treat more genotypes and also be simpler to take. (A common criticism of the 3D is that it's more complicated than Gilead's promised pill-a-day routine.)
Earlier this month, Merck (MRK) also reported very strong phase two results for its two-drug combo for genotype 1 patients, some of whom were co-infected with HIV. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) last October acquired three HCV drugs from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which it hopes to combine with its already approved Olysio into an all-oral regimen.
Sovaldi, meanwhile, has lately been under pressure both for its $1,000-a-pill price tag and concerns about sustainability — after all, one outcome of finding a curative drug is that the patient population eventually shrinks.
Still, Morningstar analyst Damien Conover says Gilead has a first-mover advantage and such strong trial data that it likely will be the biggest player for the indefinite future.
"I think we'll have Gilead representing 50% of the hep C market," he told IBD. "AbbVie will take the lion's share of what's remaining."


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If you suggest that world peace could be achieved by handing out cookies in warring nations, you would be revealing a certain amount of naivete. This is a lack of wisdom and sophistication.
Naivete has four syllables and is pronounced nigh-eve-i-TAY. The root naïve is a French adjective meaning "natural, just born." Because it suggests innocence or ignorance, naivete is often associated with children, who lack experience and knowledge. But plenty of adults, too, display a certain amount of naivete when they make assumptions based on ignorance, an inability to grasp a situation, or a tendency to oversimplify complex things.
Definitions of naivete
n lack of sophistication or worldliness
- Antonyms:
mundaneness, mundanity, sophistication, worldliness
the quality or character of being intellectually sophisticated and worldly through cultivation or experience or disillusionment
- Types:
- show 4 types...
- hide 4 types...
artlessness, ingenuousness, innocence, naturalness
the quality of innocent naivete
credulousness, gullibility
tendency to believe too readily and therefore to be easily deceived
simple mindedness, simpleness, simplicity
a lack of penetration or subtlety
an innocent quality or thing or act
- Type of:
an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone


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This job posting is no longer active, please click here to see other opportunities
Western Canada's leading food and consumer goods retailer is now looking for great people to join our Grocery and Non-Foods Departments! Our Grocery and Non-Foods Department opportunities include roles in our Grocery, Dairy, Frozen, Natural, Bulk, General Merchandise and Personal Care (Cosmetics) departments.
As a Team Member of PriceSmart Foods you can expect:
As a Grocery and Non-Foods Department Team Member, you will:
No experience necessary as we love to train the right people!
PriceSmart Foods offers a positive working environment focused on great experiences for our customers and team.
Thank you for your interest in working at Price Smart Foods!


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2012 Maipe Torrontes
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Item #59105
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- Size: 750ml
- Type: White Wine
- Varietal: Torrontes
- Country: Argentina
- Region: Mendoza
"Spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon and hints of jasmine and rose petals.
On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body. Well balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish. Reviewed by: Producer
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