A method is described for transient production of a desired heterologous protein comprising: transfecting a eukaryotic host cell with a vector producing a trans-activating protein; transfecting the eukaryotic host cell with an expression vector comprising a stabilizing sequence downstream of a promoter and upstream of a DNA encoding the desired heterologous protein and a polyadenylation sequence downstream of which is a transcription terminatein site; culturing the transfected eukaryotic host cell under conditions favorable for production of said desired heterologous protein; and, recovering the desired protein in useful amounts within about one day to about fourteen days of transfection.

This invention relates to the application of recombinant DNA technology to develop an expression system capable of expressing desired proteins within about one day to about two weeks of transfection. Furthermore, the invention relates to the transformation of a host cell with an expression vector capable of generating stable cytoplasmic mRNA to express a desired protein and vectors capable of expressing trans-activating factors and/or certain translational control effectors, so as to give rise to transient production of the desired protein. The invention further relates to the transfection of selected eukaryotic cells with such vectors such that transient production of the desired protein is obtained.
Recombinant technology has recently been applied to eukaryotic cells, specifically mammalian cells were transformed with heterologous DNA coding for a selectable phenotype. Wigler, M., et al., Cell 11: 223-232 (1977). It has also been shown that eukaryotic cells can be transformed to yield transformants having heterologous DNA integrated into the chromosomal DNA of the eukaryotic cell nucleus.
Successful transformation of eukaryotic cell cultures and expression of DNA sequences coding for a desired protein has been disclosed. See for example, European Patent Publications Nos. 73,659 and 73,656. These successful transformations have utilized vectors to express complimentary DNA (cDNA's) requiring only 5' control signals such as enhancers (Gluzman, Y and Shenk, T. [eds ] Enhancers and Eukaryotic Gene Expression [Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1983]), promoters (Hamer, D. H. et al., Cell 21, 697 [1980]) and 3' polyadenylation sites (Proudfoot, N.J. and Brownlee, G. G., Nature 263, 211 [1976]).
In 1977 it was found that in eukaryotes the cytoplasmic mRNA is not always co-linear with the DNA. DNA sequences encoding proteins were found to be interrupted by stretches of non-coding DNA. There are long stretches of base sequence in the DNA of the gene which do not appear in the final mRNA. It was observed that the primary mRNA transcripts were "spliced" to remove the non-coding sequences, i.e. sequences which do not encode a protein. These non-coding sequences in DNA are generally referred to as introns (formerly referred to as intervening sequences) while the coding sequences are known as exons. RNA polymerase makes a primary transcript of the entire DNA, both exons and introns. This transcript was processed so that the introns were removed while at the same time the exons were all joined together in the correct order. The mechanism producing the foregoing result is referred to as "splicing."
Numerous split or spliced genes have been discovered. In fact, introns exist in virtually all mammalian and vertebrate genes and also in the genes of eukaryotic microorganisms. Introns are not limited to the coding region of a message. For example, one intron was found in the leader region of the plasminogen activator mRNA before the coding sequence in addition to multiple splice sites elsewhere in the gene. Fisher, R. et al., J. Biol. Chem. 260, 1122 (1985). There has been considerable speculation about why introns have evolved and become such a general feature of eukaryotic genes. Crick, F., Science 204, 264, 1979; and, Sharp, P. A., Cell 23, 643-646 (1981).
Given the ubiquity of introns, it is not surprising that splicing was studied in the context of recombinant technology. For example, an SV40 vector was constructed containing a rabbit .beta.-globin cDNA, regions implicated in transcription initiation and termination, splice sites from a multipartite leader sequence located 5' to the .beta.-globin cDNA sequence and a polyadenylation sequence. Mulligan, R. C. et al., Nature 277, 108-114 (1979). This recombinant genome, when infected into monkey kidney cells, was found to produce hybrid mRNAs containing the leader region for the 16S and 19S late RNA and the .beta.-globin coding sequence. This hybrid mRNA produced substantial quantities of the rabbit .beta.-globin polypeptide. Mulligan et al. discuss an experiment in which mutants lacking splicing capability failed to produce discrete mRNAs. Id. at 109.
In an attempt to establish the physiological role that RNA splicing plays in gene expression, Hamer, D. H. and Leder, P., Cell 18, 1299-1302 (1979) manipulated the location and/or presence of a splice site in SV40 recombinants transfected into monkey cells. Hamer and Leder, supra, used one splice site located within the gene encoding the desired protein or used two splice site sequences, one located 5' to and the second within the gene encoding the desired protein. They found that RNA were produced transiently by all of the viruses that retain at least one functional splice junction. They concluded that splicing is a prerequisite for stable RNA formation. Confirming that result, Gruss, P. et al. PNAS (USA), 76 4317-4321 (1979) found that construction of an SV40 mutant lacking an intervening sequence made no detectable capsid protein. These two papers suggest that RNA splicing may be important in a recombinant milieu. However, other studies abandoned splicing to express proteins using only 5' control signals such as enhancers, and promoters and 3' polyadenylation sites. In fact, recent work by Reddy, U. B. et al., Transcriptional Control Mechanisms, J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 10D, 154 (1986), found that the inclusion of introns in an expression vector actually reduced the amount of the desired protein expressed.
Straightforward expression using standard recombinant control signals such as enhancers, promoters and 3' polyadenylation sites cannot always be achieved. The SV40 promoter without a splice site has been used to direct expression of numerous cDNAs. (.beta.-galactosidase, Hall, C. V. et al. J. Mol. Applied Genetics 2,; human interferon, Gray, P. W., et al., Nature 295, 503 (1982); hemagglutinin, Gething, et al. Nature 293, 620 (1981); human lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase, McLean, J. et al., PNAS 33, 2335 (1986); DHFR, Simonsen, C. C. et al., PNAS 80, 2495 (1983); human interleukin-2, Leonard, W. T. et al., Nature 311, 626 (1984); ras-2, Capon, D. J. et al. Nature 304, 1983; src, Snyder, M. A. et al., Cell 32, 891 (1983); and hepatitis B surface antigen, Crowley, C. W. et al., Mol. Cell Biol. 3, 44-55 (1983)).
Transient expression systems have been used as tools of recombinant technology. For example, the analysis of promoter sequences, effects of enhancers, and demonstration of transcription regulation have been facilitated using transient expression systems. One well characterized transient expression system is that for chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) (Gorman, C. M. et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 2:1044-1051 [1982]).
Various viral proteins produced in cells infected by DNA viruses are known to activate viral genes expressed during later phases of the temporally regulated lytic life cycle. (Keller, J. M. et al., Cell 36:381-389 [1984]). These proteins include simian virus 40 (SV40) T antigen, adenovirus Ela and Elb protein, the herpesvirus immediate early (IE) proteins and human and simian immunodeficiency viruses. (Benoist, C. and Chamber, P., Nature (Lond.) 290:304-310 [1981]; Hearing, P. and Shenk, T., Cell 39:653-662 [1983]; Rosen, C. et al., Nature 319, 555-559 [1986]). These proteins are the products of genes containing efficient promoters activated by cis-acting elements. Each protein may also have a trans-activating function by activating the expression of other viral genes to permit the virus to progress through its lytic cycle. A transcriptional activation function by increasing expression of other viral genes of each of these proteins has been demonstrated in its respective viral system. Since this transcriptional activation can be provided by cotransfection of a separate plasmid, this effect is referred to as "trans-activation." (Berk, A. J. et al. Cell 17:935-944 [1979]; Brady, J. et al. PNAS [USA] 81:2040-2044 [1984]; Dixon, R.A.F. and Shaffer, P. A., J. Virol. 36:189-203 [1980]; Jones, N. and Shenk. T., PNAS [USA] 76:3665-3669 [1979]). Some data using transient expression with Ela and the IE proteins indicate that these proteins may also trans-activate promoters that are not homologous to their respective viral system. (Green, M. R. et al., Cell 35:137-148 [1983]; Imperiale, M. R. et al., Cell 35:127-136 [1983]). Other data suggests that Ela suppresses some enhancers. (Borelli, E. R. et al., Nature [Lond.] 312:608-612 [1984]).
It is an object of the present invention to provide a transient expression system capable of producing a desired protein. Another object of this invention is to eliminate the time necessary to establish continuous production to obtain a desired protein. It is an object of this invention to provide useful amounts of a desired recombinant protein in about one day to two weeks after transfection. Yet another object of this invention is to provide expression vectors useful in a transient expression system. Still another object of this invention is to provide a host cell capable of being used in a transient expression system to produce a desired protein in about one day to fourteen days of transfection. Another object is to provide certain trans-activating factors and/or translational control effectors capable of enhancing the yields of a desired protein in a transient expression system by stabilizing the transfected DNA.

Transient expression system for producing recombinant protein


An engine control method includes a step of setting combustion mode in which a first combustion mode in which a mixed gas is combusted by propagating flame or a second combustion mode in which the mixed gas is combusted by self-ignition is selected, a step of setting air-fuel ratio mode in which a lean first air-fuel ratio mode or a second air-fuel ratio mode equal to or richer than a theoretical air-fuel ratio is selected, a step of setting torque reduction in which a torque reduction amount by which a torque generated by an engine is reduced based on a steer angle of a steering wheel, and a suppressing step in which reducing the torque generated by the engine based on the torque reduction amount set in the step of setting torque reduction is suppressed.

In a known premixed compression ignition combustion, a sufficiently compressed mixed gas of air and gasoline fuel is combusted by self-ignition in a cylinder. Also proposed is a partial compression ignition combustion (hereinafter also referred to as "spark ignition controlled compression ignition combustion" in the specification) in which spark ignition (SI) combustion and compression ignition (CI) combustion are combined instead of combusting the whole mixed gas by self-ignition (for example, see Patent Literature 1). In the spark ignition controlled compression ignition combustion, a spark ignition initiates forced combustion of a portion of the mixed gas by flame propagation (SI combustion) and the rest of the fresh mixed gas is combusted by self-ignition (CI combustion).
In some types of the spark ignition controlled compression ignition combustion, a first air-fuel ratio mode (λ>1) in which a mixed gas is leaner than a theoretical air-fuel ratio and a second air-fuel ratio mode (λ=1 or λ<1) in which the mixed gas is equal to or richer than the theoretical air-fuel ratio are used. The first air-fuel ratio mode in which the fuel is lean improves thermal efficiency of the engine. The second air-fuel ratio mode is used in a condition where combustion stability is prioritized. To operate an engine with the spark ignition controlled compression ignition combustion, it is desirable to timely perform mode switching between the first air-fuel ratio mode and the second air-fuel ratio mode according to conditions such as an engine load and a rotational speed.
Meanwhile, a drive assist control (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle attitude control" in the specification) in which a generated torque is changed according to a steering angle to integrally control accelerations (Gs) in the front-and-rear direction and the width direction of a vehicle is known (for example, see Patent Literature 2). When a driver starts turning a steering wheel under the vehicle attitude control, the torque generated by the engine is reduced to be smaller than a requested torque, and a resulting deceleration G causes load transfer to the front wheel. This increases the grip of the front wheel tire and increases a cornering force. In the vehicle attitude control, the reduction in the engine torque is performed by, for example, retarding the timing of igniting the mixed gas by an ignition plug (ignition retard).
There are needs of performing the vehicle attitude control on a vehicle with an engine that performs the spark ignition controlled compression ignition combustion. However, the combustion might become instable when a control of reducing the engine torque is performed for the vehicle attitude control in a state where the spark ignition controlled compression ignition combustion is being performed and mode switching between the first air-fuel ratio mode (λ>1) and the second air-fuel ratio mode (λ≤1) is being performed. That is, when a reduction control on the engine torque performed by, for example, ignition retard overlaps in a state where an amount of intake air or an amount of injected fuel into a cylinder is being changed to switch the air-fuel ratio mode, instable combustion or, in a worst case, misfire might occur.


In a reciprocating internal combustion engine having first and second cylinder banks arranged adjacent each other so that the axes of their cylinders extend essential parallel, a crankshaft is rotatably supported at an end of the cylinder banks between the longitudinal axes of the cylinders of the first and second cylinder banks and includes crank pins, on which cross-levers are rotatably supported and piston rods connected with an end to the pistons are rotatably supported with their other ends on the cross levers which have sidewardly extending portions controllably supported by control arms for adjusting the compression ratio in the cylinders of the engine.

The invention relates to a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine having two adjacent cylinder banks with pistons movably disposed in the cylinders and having connecting rods for transmitting the movement of the pistons to a crankshaft.
The publication DE 43 12 954 A1 discloses such a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine, which is equipped with a device for variable compression of the mixture in the combustion chamber. The variable compression device comprises an upper connecting rod pivotally connected to the piston and to a lower cross lever, which is pivotally connected to a crankshaft. The connecting rod and the lower cross lever are connected to one another by a joint. A control lever, the position of which is variably adjustable, acts on a further joint on the cross lever. An adjustment of the position of the control lever also adjusts the point of articulation between the cross lever and the connecting rod. Different kinematic ratios with various top and bottom dead centers of the piston in the cylinder of the internal combustion engine can thereby be set, without the need to modify the design dimensions of the piston, the connecting rod or a crank pin on the crankshaft.
In order to vary the compression ratio, the casing-side point of articulation of the control lever must be at least capable of translatory displacement in the casing and the control lever must moreover be pivotally supported on the casing. In order to be able to displace the control lever, for adjustment of the compression ratio an additional mechanism is required.
It is the object of the invention to provide a compact reciprocating piston internal combustion engine having two banks of cylinders with adjustable compression ratios.
In a reciprocating internal combustion engine having first and second cylinder banks arranged adjacent each other so that the axes of their cylinders extend essential parallel, a crankshaft is rotatably supported between the longitudinal axes of the cylinders of the first and second cylinder banks and includes crank pins, on which cross levers are rotatably supported and piston rods connected with one of their ends to the pistons are rotatably supported with their other ends on the cross levers which have sidewardly extending portions that are controllably supported by control levers for adjusting the compression ratio in the cylinders of the engine.
The reciprocating piston internal combustion engine according to the invention combines the advantages of an internal combustion engine having two parallel banks of cylinders with the advantages of variable compression. The two banks of cylinders of the reciprocating piston internal combustion engine are arranged in relation to one another in such a way that the longitudinal axes of the cylinders in the first cylinder bank and second cylinder bank extend parallel or they enclose only a small angle, which is in particular less than 10xc2x0. The enclosed angle may be 5xc2x0, for example. With this at least approximately parallel arrangement of the two cylinder banks, a compact internal combustion engine of small overall dimensions is achieved, wherein the transverse dimensions, in particular, are less than those of a V-type internal combustion engines. The mechanism for the adjustment of the compression ratio comprises a cross-lever as a force transmitting member between the connecting rod and the crankshaft. This member is arranged transversely in relation to the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft. As a result, despite the approximately parallel alignment of the cylinders in the first and second cylinder bank, the connecting rods of each piston have are displaced by an adjustment of the transmission ratio only over a relatively small distance relative to the longitudinal cylinder axis for any adjustment position of the device for the adjustment of the transmission ratio. The lateral offset between cylinder longitudinal axis and crankshaft is bridged by means of the cross-lever.
It is furthermore proposed that the crankshaft is arranged in relation to the two cylinder banks in such a way that the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft lies between the longitudinal axes of the cylinders of the first and second cylinder bank. In particular, the crankshaft lies symmetrically or slightly asymmetrically below the first and second cylinder banks. In this arrangement the crankshaft is acted upon equally by the forces of the pistons of both cylinder banks, the power being transmitted between the connecting rods and the crankshaft via the cross levers.
Expediently, a cross lever is assigned to each piston of the internal combustion engine. In addition each cross lever is preferably connected to its own adjustable control lever. For this purpose the control lever is preferably pivotally connected to the cross lever on the side remote from the connecting rod. In this way each connecting rod can be supported essentially rectilinearly along the cylinder longitudinal axis and the reciprocating movement of the piston is performed symmetrically about the longitudinal axis of the cylinder, thereby avoiding a collision between the connecting rod and the cylinder inner walls. In addition this arrangement reduces the forces acting on the connecting rods and the pistons.
Immediately adjacent cylinders of the first and second cylinder banks may be slightly offset in the direction of the crankshaft longitudinal axis in order to avoid a collision between the cross levers assigned to the cylinders. This also makes it possible to provide two different crank pins on the crankshaft with different throw radii to the longitudinal axis of the crankshaft with or without intermediate webs, on which the cross levers of the immediately adjacent cylinders of the first and second cylinder banks are supported. The different throw radii mean that the kinematic lever ratios in the kinematic transmission path between connecting rod, cross lever and control lever between adjacent cylinders can be precisely adjusted to one another, particularly in the event that the control levers for the two cross levers of adjacent cylinders are situated on the same side of the internal combustion engine. This design affords the further advantage that all control levers can be adjusted by a common actuating member, for example by an eccenter shaft, which extends parallel to the crankshaft.
It may, however, also be expedient to couple the cross levers of adjacent cylinders with control levers disposed at opposite sides of the cylinder banks, an actuating member, in particular an eccentric shaft, being provided for each cylinder bank.
Other possible ways of adjusting the control levers may be considered as an alternative to an eccentric shaft. The control levers may also be actuated individually for example electrically, pneumatically or hydraulically. The use of template operating mechanisms is also possible.
Other advantages and suitable embodiments are set forth in the claims, the description of the drawings and the drawings.

Reciprocating piston internal combustion engine


A method for separating semiconductor die includes forming a porous region on a semiconductor wafer and separating the die at the porous region using mechanical or other means.

Individual semiconductor devices are typically created by fabricating numerous chips, or "die" on a semiconductor substrate, or "wafer." The process of die creation is called "wafer processing." Following the completion of wafer-level processing, the completed wafers are separated into many individual die, through a process called "dicing." The dicing process typically involves cutting through the wafer using a rotary blade saw. This process requires special equipment including, for instance, diamond impregnated saw blades, which have a limited lifetime. In addition, because of the limitations inherent in such a mechanical process, defects such as cracks sometimes appear at the edges of the die. Because of the very small size of the die, which could be 200 μm or less per side, the cracks could propagate into the active regions of the device. Moreover, the saw-blade cutting process is time-consuming and results in high material losses, through the creation of a kerf by the saw blade. Finally, the sawing process typically requires some type of coolant be applied during sawing. The coolant and residual particles from the sawing process must be cleaned off of the wafer surface after sawing. This exposes the completed die to potential liquid contaminants. As a result, the current die separation process is expensive and may impact the quality or even the functionality of the chip. This is especially true with respect to mechanically stable substrate materials such as silicon carbide (SiC). It is, therefore, desirable to find a dicing process based on currently-used unit processes and which is inexpensive and does not negatively impact the quality of the die.
Currently, mechanical sawing is used for the separation of semiconductor chips, such as in the wafer dicing of silicon carbide SiC based products, e.g. SiC based chips, e.g. SiC based dies, e.g. chips manufactured on SiC or SiC substrates. The current approach results in extremely high processing costs. Mechanical sawing of SiC may result in damages, e.g. crack formation, which may negatively impact performance and yield. Furthermore, the sawing process is extremely expensive and may impact the quality or even the functionality of the chip. To reduce processing costs and to improve the quality of dies, a novel approach for chip separation of SiC-based chips is proposed.

Method of separating semiconductor die using material modification


The disclosure relates to the field of liquid crystal display, specifically to a display screen frame eliminating apparatus and a display device. The display screen frame eliminating apparatus comprises a light source, a light tube and a drive module. The light tube comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, and the light source is located within the light tube or under the lower surface of the light tube. The light tube enables the light emitted by the light source to dispersedly exit from the upper surface. The drive module drives the light source to emit light based on the luminous condition of the edge pixels of the display area in the display screen. In this way, the light source emits light rays similar as the edge pixels of the display area in the display screen, and the light rays dispersedly exit from the upper surface of the light tube by means of the layered light tube structure. Therefore, to the human eyes, the display influence of the frame can be eliminated in all directions, and the display effect of the display device can be improved.

The Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) is a flat, ultrathin display device, which consists of certain amount of colored or black and white pixels and is placed in front of a light source or a reflective plane. It is widely applied in various electronic devices that use batteries for the advantage of low power consumption.
However, the existing liquid crystal display screen usually has frames inevitably, which may influence the display of edge pixels to a certain extent. Especially in a display device with spliced screens, the shelter of the frame may render the whole image to look like having dark lines, which influence the whole display effect of the display device.

Display screen frame eliminating apparatus and display device


The present invention discloses a method for processing validity time in trigger information, including: a machine type communication (MTC) server sending the trigger information including the validity time (VT) to a network edge entity; the network edge entity setting a validity period (VP) of the trigger information in a short message service (SMS) according to the VT in a received trigger information; and forwarding the trigger information to a user equipment through a network node in the VP; the present invention further discloses a system for processing validity time in trigger information at the same time. Through the scheme of the present invention, the problem of how the validity time in the trigger information is set in the SMS and how to process in the network node that the SMS passes can be solved.

The M2M refers to all technologies and means of establishing connection among the machines. The M2M idea appears in 1990s last century, but it only remains at theory stage. After 2000, with the development of the mobile communication technology, it becomes possible to realize networking among the machine devices by the mobile communication technology. The M2M service appears in the market in about 2002 and develops rapidly in the subsequent several years, which becomes the focus of the numerous communication device traders and the telecommunication operators. Now, the quantity of machines in the global is much more than that of people, so the good market prospect of the M2M technology can be predicted.
The research on the M2M communication application scenarios indicates that providing the M2M communication in the mobile network has the potential market prospects. But the M2M service has put forward a lot of new requirements on the system, in order to strengthen the competitiveness of the mobile network in this respect, it is necessary to optimize the existing mobile network to support the M2M communication more effectively.
The existing mobile communication network is designed mainly aiming at the human-to-human communication, and the optimization on the communication of the machine-to-machine, the human-to-machine is insufficient. In addition, how can the operator provide the M2M communication service with the low cost is the key to success of the M2M communication deployment.
Because of the above-mentioned situations, it is necessary to research the solution that the mobile network supports the M2M communication and the solution should reuse the existing network to a high limit and reduce the influence on the network caused by the heavy M2M communication and the complexity of the operation maintenance.
The competition of the telecommunication market is becoming intense gradually at present, the expense is dropping constantly, the profit space of the operator is being reduced constantly, the communication market based on people is tending to the saturation, and the M2M is a brand-new development opportunity for the operator.
In order to utilize the mobile network resource effectively, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) proposes the machine type communication (MTC), that is, the service of the M2M and the machine-to-man communication, of which the service scope has far gone beyond the communication of Human to Human (H2H) in the past, and the MTC has very great difference at the respects such as access control, charging, security, quality of service (QoS), the service mode, etc., from the current H2H communication mode.
The MTC Device Trigger (hereafter referred to as trigger) is one of the basic demand for the MTC system, and the problem that the demand pays close attention to is that: in order to control the communication of the MTC device, the communication can be performed by adopting the way that the MTC server initiates the poll; for the communication initiated by the MTC device, it also needs the MTC server to inquire data from the MTC device sometimes. If the MTC server inquires with failure or the IP address of the MTC device is not available, then the MTC server can establish the communication with the MTC device by using the trigger. If the network cannot trigger the MTC device, then the network reports to the MTC server that the trigger is failed, and the trigger is implemented through the control plane signaling in the 3GPP.
The short message service (SMS) is for sending information between the Short Message Entity (SME) and the user equipment through the Service Centre (SC). The SMS includes the Mobile Originated (MO) and the Mobile Terminating (MT) service, that is, including that the user equipment sends and receives information. The network framework of sending the short message is as shown in FIG. 1, including the SME and the short message service-service centre (SMS-SC) outside the 3GPP or the GSM network, including the short message-gateway mobile switching center (SMS GMSC) or the short message-interworking mobile switching center (SMS IWMSC), the SMS router, the mobile switching center (MSC) or the visitor location register (VLR) or serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) support node (SGSN), the mobile station (MS) within the 3GPP or GSM network.
In order to realize the effective transmission of the trigger request, the already proposed scheme includes: sending the trigger through the short message SMS, or sending the trigger through the control plane signaling. For the way of sending the trigger through the control plane signaling, the MTC server sends the control plane signaling including the trigger information to the network node, and the network node analyzes the trigger information in the control plane signaling and then sends the trigger information to the user equipment. The network framework that the SMS sends the MTC trigger adopted in the 3GPP is as shown in FIG. 2: the MTC device connects to the 3GPP-born service, the SMS or the IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) through the air interface; the MTC server is connected to the MTC-IWF through the MTCsp interface, and is connected to the SMS-SC and the IP short message gateway (IP-SM-GW) through the MTCsms interface; and the MTC server is connected to the user equipment through the API interface.
Now only 2 items of the contents for the trigger information are confirmed in the 3GPP: the first is the MTC device identification, used for indicating the MTC device required to be triggered; the second is the validity time (VT), that is, the period for which the trigger information is kept in the 3GPP network; if this time is exceeded, then the 3GPP network deletes the trigger information.
In the SMS, the time that the SC keeps the short message is the Validity Period (VP), and the VP is set in the short message service submit (SMS-submit) message by the user equipment, to indicate, before the SC sends the short message to the receiving party, the time that the short message can be kept in the SC.
But in the related art, for sending the trigger information by adopting the SMS, how to set the VT in the trigger information in the SMS and how to process in network node that the SMS passes, etc., there is no definite solution.

Method and system for processing validity time in trigger information


A shoe may include an upper sole and an outer sole. In one state of the shoe, the upper sole is conductively connected to the outer sole. In another state of the shoe, the upper sole is electrically insulated from the outer sole. The shoe may be changed between these states.

The present disclosure relates to footwear, and more specifically, to electrostatic discharge (ESD) and/or electric hazard (EH) footwear.
When working with electronics, specialized equipment is often beneficial or even necessary. For example, sensitive electronics can be damaged by discharge of an electrostatic charge built up on a user's body. This can be alleviated by the user wearing a device designed to dissipate any electrostatic (or other) charge building on the user's body to prevent it from reaching a level that threatens to harm the electronic equipment. Some workspaces provide grounding bracelets to be worn about a user's wrist, while some users prefer to wear specialized footwear to continuously discharge static electricity to the ground.
In addition, some electrical equipment poses an electric shock hazard, often by operating at or with exceedingly high voltages, currents, etc. In this scenario, if a user's body does not provide sufficient resistance, users may run the risk of the equipment discharging dangerous electric currents through the user's body to the ground potentially resulting in serious injury or even death. For example, when a user's hand touches electrical equipment, the user may effectively create an electrical circuit allowing electricity to flow from the equipment to ground via the user's hand, body (potentially across the user's heart), feet and shoe. If there is a path of high resistance from the equipment through the user's body to ground, these shocks will not occur. Thus, this risk can be alleviated through the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Such PPE may take the form of electric hazard (EH) footwear, specialized shoes that insulate the wearer from ground, effectively increasing the resistance of a path to ground through the user's body and therefore preventing electrical discharge, through the user's body, to the ground the user is standing on.
In some settings, users must interact with equipment that both operates at or with potentially dangerous electric energy levels and is sensitive to electrostatic discharge. In these scenarios, users often need to prevent buildup of electrostatic charge for one task and protect themselves from dangerous electric shocks for another task.

Adaptive electrostatic discharge and electric hazard footwear

International Business Machines Corporation


A rivet for pivotally interconnecting first and second superposed links each having an opening therethrough, including a first head having a link engaging surface and an outer concave surface, and a shank having first and second portions with a shoulder therebetween, with the first portion being adjacent the head and receivable in the first link opening and the second portion being receivable in the second link opening. During assembly, the rivet is compressed so that the second portion is deformed to form a second head to secure the links between the first and second heads, and the first head is deformed to reduce the concavity of the recess therein and axially shift the first link over the first shank portion to virtually eliminate axial free play.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed toward rivet joints, and more particularly toward window mechanism pivot joints having minimal axial free play.
2. Background Art
Pivotal connections between two members are common, including particularly in window opening mechanisms which have a number of pivotal connections between links. These connections most often consist of a conventional rivet having a flat head and a malleable tubular body or shank extending through cylindrical openings in the connected links. The malleable body is compressed to form a second head, securing the links between the two heads.
Further, such pivotal connections are commonly formed with a rivet shank having two sections and a shoulder therebetween, with the section adjacent the first head having the greater diameter and being slightly greater in length than its associated link is thick. The shoulder abuts the other link to prevent it from being frictionally bound against the first link during the formation of the second rivet head in assembly. Such binding would undesirably restrict the free pivoting of the links during operation.
Unfortunately, where the length of the rivet shank section is not precisely formed relative to the link thickness, there is an undesirable axial free play between the links. Such free play can cause excessive wear on the links and the components connected to the links. Excessive axial free play can also lead to jamming of the mechanism at the pivotal connection. Such jamming is obviously particularly undesirable when it results in window hinges or operators being stuck open. Further, inasmuch as pivoting at the joint stresses the pivotal connection, initial axial free play is naturally exacerbated and can eventually result in complete failure of the pivotal connection. Still further, the loose feel resulting from initial free play can cause potential users to believe that the mechanism is poorly constructed.
Some methods have been devised to minimize this axial free play, but they require either special tools or two separate operations significantly increasing the cost of manufacturing the connections. Thus, manufacturers have heretofore been forced to choose between either accepting undesirable axial free play or eliminating the axial free play by costly methods placing them at a competitive disadvantage.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.


A neural network architecture is disclosed for restoring noisy data. The neural network is a blind-spot network that can be trained according to a self-supervised framework. In an embodiment, the blind-spot network includes a plurality of network branches. Each network branch processes a version of the input data using one or more layers associated with kernels that have a receptive field that extends in a particular half-plane relative to the output value. In one embodiment, the versions of the input data are offset in a particular direction and the convolution kernels are rotated to correspond to the particular direction of the associated network branch. In another embodiment, the versions of the input data are rotated and the convolution kernel is the same for each network branch. The outputs of the network branches are composited to de-noise the image. In some embodiments, Bayesian filtering is performed to de-noise the input data.

Traditional neural networks implemented using fully supervised training require a set of training data comprising pairs of input data and corresponding target data. For example, in an image processing problem, the training data can include pairs of corrupted images and corresponding clean images. Newer neural network training frameworks have removed the need for clean data (e.g., uncorrupted image data) from the training data set. Instead, these frameworks can utilize pairs of images that have different realizations of the same stochastic corruption (e.g., "Noise2Noise" frameworks) or even individual corrupted images without any realization of the corresponding clean data (e.g., self-supervised or "Noise2Void" frameworks). Image restoration methods that do not require clean, uncorrupted data in the training data set are valuable whenever clean data or pairs of corrupted data is difficult, dangerous, expensive, or impossible to obtain, such as in astronomical or medical imaging.
However, self-supervised neural network frameworks can be utilized to implement a de-noiser where the training data set consists of independent images where noise or corruption is known to be independent between pixels. Examples of independent noise include white noise or per-pixel Poisson noise. One method of implementing a self-supervised framework utilizes a blind-spot network, where the receptive field of an output pixel (i.e., the region of input pixels that the neural network considers when determining a color of the output pixel) does not include a corresponding pixel in the noisy input. In other words, the value of the output pixel does not depend on the value of the corresponding input pixel. In such cases, the color of the corresponding input pixel can be utilized as the target color for the output pixel during training, assuming that the corresponding statistical independence constraints are met.
Nevertheless, a blind spot network can be difficult to implement, in practice, as multiple layers within the neural network tend to have information from pixels flow into neighboring pixels. Previous attempts to create blind-spot networks have relied on masking pixel values in the input by copying values from proximate pixels into a center pixel associated with a convolution kernel. However, as the complexity of the neural network increases, the number of pixels that can be effectively masked decreases, which can significantly reduce the effectiveness of a single training step. Furthermore, ignoring the value of the center pixel can be highly detrimental to the quality of the resulting de-noised image. Therefore, there is a need for addressing these issues and/or other issues associated with the prior art.

Convolutional blind-spot architectures and bayesian image restoration


An electrical assembly comprising plurality of heat producing devices in direct thermal contact with perforated heat pipe film. Direct benefits of this invention for circuit board packages are weight reduction, volume reduction, increase of allowable heat dissipation.

Heat dissipation in electronic devices is important and broadly publicized topic. There are wealth of published patents and technical documents attempting to improve engineering solutions in this area. Most popular technologies utilize metal heat sinks, cold plates, and thermally conductive fillers.
Number of heat sinks on typical board is close to ten, which makes it assembly and handling less convenient. In prior art Gonsalves, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,074) attempt to solve this challenge by using planar heat dissipating surface and thermally conductive filler to couple plurality of multilevel surfaces to this sink. In another invention Connors (U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,233) suggests two-level heat sink to solve similar challenge on smaller scale.
All known technologies rely on metal heat sinks with passive of forced air to dissipate collected heat.


An illumination module that may include a LED driver; a group of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that comprises at least one LED; the group of LED is coupled to the LED driver; wherein the LED driver is arranged to activate the group of LEDs by driving a high current short duration driving signal; and wherein the group of LEDs is arranged to emit at least one light pulse in response to the high current short duration driving signal.

Advanced inspection systems may use either one of two illumination methods: continuous illumination and strobe illumination. In continuous illumination the object and the camera move continuously one with respect to the other while the object is illuminated continuously.
Linear sensors such as CCD linear array or CCD-TDI are used to acquire the image. In the strobe illumination method the object and the camera also move continuously one with respect to the other, but the object is illuminated with short pulses of light. The strobe illumination method enables the use of 2D sensors such as 2D CDD arrays or MOS arrays. The pulse duration of the light source and the scanning speed are adjusted such that the movement of the image with respect to the camera during the light pulse will be at the order of one pixel or less. Common pulsed illumination sources are pulsed lasers and gas discharge flash lamps (i.e. Xe discharge lamp).
Light sources such as discharge lamps, and especially Xe lamps are characterized by long fall time or "tail" as illustrated in FIG. 1 which can go up to 10 μS or more.
Discharge lamps tail also imposes severe limitation on the maximal possible pulse rate (or frame rate) as will be clear from the following example. When using a 1000×1000 pixels camera operating at 500 frames per second, with a single pulse of light per frame—during the frame time (2 mS), the camera and the article move approximately 1000 pixels one with respect to the other to enable acquisition of next frame. In order to ensure image smear of less than 1 pixel during the light pulse, the pulse duration should be less than 2 μS, which is significantly less than what discharge lamps can provide.

Advanced inspection method utilizing short pulses LED illumination


An improved method of preparing an ortho-, meta- or para-silyl aromatic or heteroaromatic compound represented by the formula ##STR1## wherein X is oxygen or sulfur,. R.sub.1 represents the atoms necessary to complete an unsubstituted or substituted aromatic or heteroaromatic ring, and PA1 R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 individually are unsubstituted or substituted alkyl groups,. includes the steps of reacting an ortho-, meta-, or para-bromo aromatic or heteroaromatic compound represented by the formula ##STR2## with an excess of a silylating agent; removing excess reagent, solvent, and/or by-products; adding an organic solvent that is compatible with a preselected metallizing agent; cooling the resulting reaction mixture; adding the metallizing agent in an organic solvent to the reaction mixture dropwise to form a metallized intermediate; mixing the resulting reactants and monitoring the reaction until reaction completion; and then stopping the reaction before the formation of a significant amount of alkylated by-product.

This invention pertains to the preparation of a new composition of matter containing a tetrasubstituted organosilicon moiety. More specifically, the invention relates to a process for the synthesis of an aromatic or heteroaromatic compound, in particular a thiophenol or phenol, bearing an organosilyl, preferably trialkysilyl, substituent in the ortho, meta, or para position. Such compounds are useful for formation of photographic couplers for use in photographic materials and processes.
Compounds that release a group, particularly photographic couplers that release a coupling-off group, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,015, are well-known in the photographic art. However, such compounds often do not have the desired degree of stability when incorporated in photographic materials, particularly during storage before exposure. Moreover, the known coupling-off groups can show insufficient reactivity and unacceptable background discoloration. Furthermore, the known photographic couplers can yield image dyes upon oxidative coupling that are insufficiently stable to light fade.
Improved couplers that overcome the foregoing disadvantages of the known couplers comprise a silyl coupling-off group that is capable of being released upon processing in a photographic silver halide material, as described in copending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/986,841 of S. Krishnamurthy, filed concurrently with the present application. Such couplers include, for example, trialkylsilylarylthio or trialkylsilylaryloxy coupling-off groups on a parent photographic coupler moiety, for instance an o-trialkylsilylarylthio group or an o-trialkylsilylaryloxy group on a parent pyrazolone coupler. Such couplers are new compounds that require a new method of preparation that enables formation of the compounds in very good yields, while avoiding the need for complicated intermediate separation and purification steps. The new method of coupler synthesis also requires the formation of the substituted silylarylthio or substituted silylaryloxy coupling-off groups by a new method that enables effective yield of the desired product.
Synthesis of trialkylsilyl substituted arylthiols and phenols via the rearrangement of O- or S-trialkylsilylarylmetal is described in the scientific literature [A. R. Bassindale and D. R. M. Walton, J. Organometal. Chem., vol. 25, p. 389 (1970); G. Somchen and J. Pfletschinger, Angew. Chem., vol. 88, p. 444 (1976); J. Heinicke, E. Nietzschmann, and A. Tzschach, J. Organometal. Chem., vol. 243, p. 1 (1983)]. However, the cited synthetic procedures often yielded unwanted side products, namely S- or O-butylated arylthiols or phenols, with the butyl group by-product originating from the n-butyl bromide, generated in the metallization step with n-butyllithium acting as an electrophile. This was found to be especially problematic during the synthesis of trialkylsilyl-substituted thiophenols, as thiophenolates are exceptionally powerful nucleophiles and rapidly react with the n-butyl bromide present. For example, carrying out the disclosed rearrangement of o-bromo(S-trimethylsilyl)benzenethiol via the metallized intermediate (generated by n-butyllithium) at room temperature without close monitoring led to the S-butylated derivative as the exclusive final product.
There thus exists a need for a convenient, efficient, and expeditious synthesis of trialkylsilylarylthiols and trialkylsilylphenols under mild conditions.

Method of preparation of organosilyl substituted aromatic or heteroaromatic compounds


Activators with reduced volatility that are liquid at room temperature are obtained as the reaction product of (A) a secondary amine or primary alcohol having at least one tertiary amine group, (B) a polyisocyanate of the diphenylmethane series having a functionality of from 2.5 to 4.0 and an OH-functional reactive component capable of addition to isocyanate. These activators are useful for the production of polyurethane foams having improved emission behavior.

The present invention relates to activators having reduced volatility that are liquid at room temperature, which activators make it possible to produce polyurethane foams having improved emission behavior.
In the production of cellular or compact polyurethanes, organometallic compounds and tertiary amines are primarily used as catalysts. A disadvantage of tertiary amines is their volatility. Various methods for reducing the volatility of tertiary amines have been proposed. When higher molecular weight compounds are used, the price paid for lower volatility is lower activity, which must be compensated for by the addition of an increased amount of catalyst.
EP-A 176 013 teaches use of aminoalkylureas as activators. These compounds already have reduced volatility and cause less contact discoloration of covering and lining materials adjacent to the polyurethane. However, their production requires long reaction times and their emission behavior does not yet meet the high demands of the automotive industry.
DE-OS 30 27 796 describes dialkylaminoalkylureas as activators for the production of polyurethane foams. These activators are prepared by reaction of secondary amines with diisocyanates in organic solvents and are obtained, after concentration, in the form of highly viscous to crystalline products. They must then be converted into a form suitable for use in the production of polyurethanes, since they cannot readily be processed in the form of the pure product. Such a conversion is complex and expensive.
It has now been found that particular urea derivatives and urethane derivatives, which can be obtained by reaction of specific amines with higher-functional polyisocyanates and isocyanate-reactive compounds, possess excellent solubility properties and exhibit low volatility and high activity in polyurethane foam-forming systems. Use of these activators results in extremely low emissions, even when subjected to heat, and does not damage other materials adjacent to the polyurethane. These advantages are important in connection with the problem of fogging (i.e., emissions in the interior of a motor vehicle), especially under the effect of heat, which can impair adjacent materials and can be detected in the air inside the motor vehicle.
The present invention relates to an activator useful for the production of polyurethane foams and to a process for the production of polyurethane foams in which this activator is employed. The activator of the present invention is a reaction product of
A) a secondary amine or primary alcohol having at least one tertiary amino group,
B) a polyisocyanate of the diphenylmethane series having a functionality of from 2.5 to 4.0, preferably from 2.5 to 3.5, and
C) an OH-functional reactive component capable of addition to isocyanate, preferably having a number-average molecular weight of from 62 to 750.
The reaction is preferably carried out with stoichiometric amounts of isocyanate B) and the secondary amine or primary alcohol having at least one tertiary amino group A). That is, one amino group or hydroxyl group of the secondary amine or primary alcohol having at least one tertiary amino group A) is present in the reaction mixture for each NCO group of the isocyanate B). The activator-forming reaction is preferably carried out in a manner such that the solvent component C) and component A) are placed in a vessel and the isocyanate B) is added at a temperature of from 20 to 50xc2x0 C. When the addition of the isocyanate B) is complete, the reaction is carried out until no free NCO groups are present in the reaction mixture. This reaction is generally carried out at temperatures of from 20 to 100xc2x0 C., preferably at from 40 to 60xc2x0 C., most preferably at approximately 50xc2x0 C., because at these temperatures, the solvent C) reacts with the isocyanate B) to only a minor extent.
The polyurethane foams of the present invention are generally produced by reacting
a) a polyisocyanate or polyisocyanate prepolymer,
b) at least one component that is reactive towards isocyanate groups and has a functionality of from 2 to 6 and a number-average molecular weight of from 1000 to 15,000,
c) optionally, a chain-lengthening agent having a molecular weight of from 62 to 999,
d) an activator according to the present invention,
e) water,
f) optionally, liquid CO2 or an organic blowing agent,
g) optionally, a stabilizer, and
h) optionally, further additives.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the polyurethane is bonded to or manufactured with another material. For example, the polyurethane may be coated with a film or the polyurethane may be produced by applying foam-forming mixture to the back of a film or by spraying the back of a film with the polyurethane-forming mixture.
Other materials to which the polyurethane may be applied or with which the polyurethane may be manufactured preferably include PVC, ABS, mixtures of PVC, ABS, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinylbutyral, homo- or co-polymers based on vinyl chloride, styrene, butadiene, isoprene, chloroprene, dichlorobutadiene, ethylene, propene and acrylonitrile in the form of films, coatings and edgings of various colors, lacquers based on cellulose esters, polyester resins, epoxy resins, alkyd resins, as well as oil lacquers or lacquers of a combination of these components, and textiles based on cotton or leather. In a particularly preferred embodiment, polyolefins are used as the material with which the polyurethane is manufactured.
Suitable isocyanates useful for producing polyurethanes in accordance with the present invention include organic diisocyanates, polyisocyanates and polyisocyanate prepolymers. Suitable diisocyanates and polyisocyanates include aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, araliphatic, aromatic and heterocyclic polyisocyanates, such as those described in Justus Liebigs Annalen der Chemie Volume 562, page 75 (1949). Examples of such isocyanates are those represented by the formula
Q(NCO)n
in which
n represents an integer from 2 to 4, preferably 2, and
Q represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical having from 2 to 18 (preferably from 6 to 10) carbon atoms, a cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon radical having from 4 to 15 (preferably from 5 to 10) carbon atoms, an aromatic hydrocarbon radical having from 6 to 15 (preferably from 6 to 13) carbon atoms, or an araliphatic hydrocarbon radical having from 8 to 15 (preferably from 8 to 13) carbon atoms.
Polyisocyanates such as those described in DE-OS 28 32 253 are preferred. It is particularly preferred to use readily available polyisocyanates such as 2,4- and 2,6-toluene diisocyanate as well as any desired mixtures of those isomers (xe2x80x9cTDIxe2x80x9d), polyphenyl-polymethylene polyisocyanates, such as those prepared by aniline-formaldehyde condensation and subsequent phosgenation (xe2x80x9ccrude MDIxe2x80x9d), and polyisocyanates containing carbodiimide groups, urethane groups, allophanate groups, isocyanurate groups, urea groups or biuret groups (xe2x80x9cmodified polyisocyanatesxe2x80x9d), especially those modified polyisocyanates which are derived from 2,4- and/or 2,6-toluene diisocyanate or from 4,4xe2x80x2-and/or 2,4xe2x80x2-diphenylmethane diisocyanate. It is also possible to use prepolymers of these isocyanates and organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group. Examples of suitable hydroxyl group-containing compound are polyols or polyesters having from one to four hydroxyl groups and number-average molecular weights of from 60 to 1400.
Polyisocyanates that are available under the name xe2x80x9cpolymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanatexe2x80x9d and have a functionality greater than 2.0, mixtures thereof with diphenylmethane diisocyanate or ternary mixtures of polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate, diphenylmethane diisocyanate and toluene diisocyanate, as well as prepolymers prepared from the mentioned isocyanates are most preferred.
The isocyanate-reactive component contains at least one component that is reactive towards isocyanate groups and generally has a functionality of from 2 to 6 and a number-average molecular weight of from 1000 to 15,000. Such a component may be, for example, a polyether polyol such as a poly(oxyalkylene) polyol or a polyester polyol or a combination thereof.
Poly(oxyalkylene) polyols that may be used in the practice of the present invention may be prepared, for example, by polyaddition of an alkylene oxide to a polyfunctional starter compound in the presence of a basic catalyst. Preferred starter compounds are molecules having from two to six hydroxyl groups per molecule, such as water, triethanolamine, 1,2-ethanediol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, 1,2-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,2-hexanediol, 1,3-hexanediol, 1,4-hexanediol, 1,5-hexanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, glycerol, trimethylolpropane, pentaerythritol, and sorbitol. Other possible starter compounds are ammonia and compounds having at least one primary or secondary amino group, such as aliphatic amines (e.g., 1,2-diaminoethane), an oligomer of 1,2-diaminoethane (for example, diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine or pentaethylenehexamine), ethanolamine, diethanolamine, 1,3-diaminopropane, 1,3-diaminobutane, 1,4-diaminobutane, 1,2-diaminohexane, 1,3-diaminohexane, 1,4-diaminohexane, 1,5-diaminohexane, 1,6-diaminohexane, aromatic amines such as 1,2-diaminobenzene, 1,3-diaminobenzene, 1,4-diaminobenzene, 2,3-diaminotoluene, 2,4-diaminotoluene, 3,4-diaminotoluene, 2,5-diaminotoluene, 2,6-diaminotoluene, 2,2xe2x80x2-diaminodiphenylmethane, 2,4xe2x80x2-diaminodiphenylmethane, 4,4xe2x80x2-diaminodiphenylmethane, and aromatic amines that are obtained by acid-catalyzed condensation of aniline with formaldehyde. The starter compounds may be used alone or in a mixture.
Alkylene oxides that are preferably used for the preparation of the poly(oxyalkylene) polyols are oxirane, methyloxirane and ethyloxirane. They may be used alone or in a mixture. When used in a mixture, it is possible to react the alkylene oxides randomly or block-wise or both in succession. Further details may be found in Ullmanns Encyclopxc3xa4die der Industriellen Chemie, Volume A21, p. 670 f (1992).
A suitable poly(oxyalkylene) polyol may also be a dispersion of a graft polymerization product in a poly(oxyalkylene) polyol. That polymerization product may be prepared, for example, by radical in situ polymerization of acrylonitrile and/or styrene in a poly(oxyalkylene) polyol. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,093.) Other suitable polymerization products are, for example, polyurea compounds, polyhydrazides, and polyurethanes containing tertiary amino groups. Suitable methods for the preparation of dispersions of such polymerization products are described, for example, in EP-A 11 752, U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,209 and DE-OS 32 31 497. The proportion of polymerization products in the dispersion is preferably from 1 to 50 wt. %.
It is also possible to use one or more polyester polyols having number-average molecular weights of from 1000 to 30,000 g/mol., preferably, from 1000 to 10,000 g/mol., most preferably, from 2000 to 6000 g/mol., produced from an aromatic and/or aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and a polyol having at least two hydroxyl groups to produce polyurethanes in accordance with the present invention. Examples of suitable dicarboxylic acids are phthalic acid, isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, azelaic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, suberic acid, sebacic acid, malonic acid and succinic acid. The pure dicarboxylic acid as well as any desired mixtures thereof may be used. Instead of the free dicarboxylic acids, the corresponding dicarboxylic acid derivatives, such as, for example, dicarboxylic acid mono- or di-esters of alcohols having from one to four carbon atoms, may also be used. Such esters are formed, for example, in the recycling of polyester waste. It is also possible to use as the acid component dicarboxylic acid anhydrides, such as phthalic anhydride or maleic anhydride. Preferably used as the alcohol component for the esterification are: ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 1,10-decanediol, glycerol, trimethylolpropane, pentaerythritol, or a mixture thereof. It is also possible to use a polyester polyol of a lactone (for example, xcex5-caprolactone) or of a hydroxycarboxylic acid (for example, a xcfx89-hydroxycarboxylic acid).
The isocyanate-reactive component used to produce polyurethanes in accordance with the present invention may also include a polyether ester polyol, such as any of those obtainable, for example, by reaction of phthalic anhydride with diethylene glycol and subsequent reaction with oxirane.
Further examples of suitable polyols which may be present in the isocyanate-reactive component are polyfunctional alcohols or amines or amino alcohols or mixtures thereof as well as their propoxylated and/or ethoxylated secondary products, and polyester polyols that are obtained by esterification of polyfunctional alcohols with polyfunctional carboxylic acids. The isocyanate-reactive component preferably has a primary hydroxyl group content of at least 75%.
In addition to the isocyanate and isocyanate-reactive components, chain-lengthening agents or crosslinking agents having a molecular weight of from 62 to 999 g/mol. may optionally be included in the polyurethane-forming reaction mixture. Examples of suitable chain-lengthening and crosslinking agents include: glycerol, glycols, sorbitol, alkanolamines and the alkoxylation products thereof. It is possible to use both aromatic and aliphatic lengthening agents. In addition to hydroxy-functional chain-lengthening agents or crosslinking agents, amino-functional chain-lengthening agents or crosslinking agents may also be used.
In accordance with the present invention, an activator is included in the polyurethane-forming reaction mixture. Suitable activators are reaction products of
A) a secondary amine or primary alcohol having at least one tertiary amino group,
B) a polyisocyanate of the diphenylmethane series having a functionality of from 2.5 to 4.0, preferably from 2.5 to 3.5, and
C) as solvent, an OH-functional reactive component capable of addition to isocyanate.
Component A) is preferably a bis(dialkylaminoalkyl)-amine or an N-hydroxyalkyl bis(tert.-aminoalkyl) ether. Special preference is given to compounds of the general formula
wherein X=
in which
n, m, p, q represent integers from 2 to 5, and may be identical or different, and
R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 each represents a C1-C5-alkyl group, preferably methyl.
The use of bis(3-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl)amine or 2-hydroxy-ethyl-trimethyl-diaminodiethyl ether as component A) is particularly preferred.
Component B) is preferably a polyisocyanate of the diphenyl-methane series having a polynuclear proportion of at least 20%.
Component C) acts as solvent for the addition products formed by reaction of components A) and B). It is usually used in amounts such that the concentration of the addition products of A) and B) in component C) is from 20 to 60 wt. %.
Examples of compounds that may be used as component C) are dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, triisopropanolamine, and addition products of propylene oxide and triethanolamine.
The activator is usually used in an amount of from 0.1 to 10 parts by weight, preferably from 1 to 5 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the total weight of the isocyanate-reactive component and any chain-lengthening or crosslinking agent employed.
Water is used as a chemical blowing agent in an amount of from 0.5 to 7.0 wt. %, preferably from 1.0 to 4.0 wt. %, based on the total weight of isocyanate-reactive component and any chain-lengthening or cross-linking agent employed.
The polyurethane-forming reaction mixture may additionally contain liquid CO2 or one or more organic blowing agents as physical blowing agents. Examples of suitable physical blowing agents include: hydro-carbons, such as cyclopentane, isopentane, and n-pentane; halogenated hydrocarbons, such as dichloromethane, dichloromonofluoromethane, difluoromethane, trifluoromethane, difluoroethane, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, tetrafluoroethane (R 134 or R 134a), 1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobutane (R 356), 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane (R 245fa), 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluorobutane (R 365mfc), chlorodifluoroethanes, 1,1-dichloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethane, 2,2-dichloro-2-fluoroethane, heptafluoropropane and sulfur hexafluoride. Mixtures of those blowing agents may also be used. Other suitable blowing agents are carboxylic acids, such as formic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, and chemical blowing agents that liberate gases in the course of the foaming process, such as, for example, azo compounds. Such blowing agents are preferably used in combination with water.
Stabilizers which are especially useful include polyether siloxanes, particularly, water-soluble polyether siloxanes. The structure of those compounds is generally such that a copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide is bonded to a polydimethylsiloxane radical. Such stabilizers are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,834,748; 2,917,480 and 3,629,308. Of particular interest are polysiloxane-polyoxyalkylene copolymers such as those disclosed in DE-OS 25 58 523 that are branched a plurality of times via allophanate groups.
In the production of the polyurethane foams in accordance with the present invention, additional auxiliary substances and additives may optionally be added to the polyurethane-forming reaction mixture. Examples are flameproofing agents such as, for example, tricresyl phosphate, tris-(2-chloroethyl) phosphate, tris-(2-chloropropyl) phosphate, tris-(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate, tetrakis-(2-chloroethyl)ethylene diphosphate, dimethylmethane phosphonate, diethanolaminomethyl-phosphonic acid diethyl ester, as well as halogen-containing polyols having a flameproofing action. It is also possible to use paraffins or fatty alcohols or dimethylpolysiloxanes, pigments or coloring agents, stabilizers against the effects of ageing and weathering, plasticizers such as dioctyl phthalate, substances having a fungistatic and bacteriostatic action, as well as fillers such as barium sulfate, kieselguhr, carbon black or prepared chalk. These substances are usually added to the isocyanate-reactive component in amounts of from 0 to 10 parts by weight, preferably from 0 to 5 parts by weight.
Further examples of surface-active additives and foam stabilizers that may optionally be used, as well as cell regulators, retarding agents, stabilizers, flame-retardant substances, coloring agents and fillers, substances having a fungistatic and bacteriostatic action, and details regarding the use and the action of such additives, are described in G. Oertel (eds.): Kunststoff-Handbuch, Volume VII, Carl Hanser Verlag, 3rd edition, Munich 1993, p. 110-115.

Activators for the production of polyurethane foams


A pressure tube includes a central tube section (10), an intake tube section (12) and a flared tube section (14). Flared tube section (14) includes a flange ring (54) with a shell (64) secured thereto. A contact ring (76) is received in an annular recess (82) of flange ring (54).

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention is directed to apparatus for making steel and, more particularly, apparatus for transferring molten steel from a ladle to a mold.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various apparatus and processes have been developed for manufacturing steel. In steelmaking operations, it has been found that transferring molten metal to molds presents a step by which slag or other impurities are sometimes introduced. To improve steel quality, various processes for minimizing the introduction of impurities have been developed.
Such processes have included pressure casting processes wherein molten metal is transferred through a pressure tube and into a casting. Briefly, in the pressure casting process a ladle of molten metal is placed upright in an open pressure vessel. A refractory lined lid is then placed over the vessel. One end of the pressure tube is inserted through an opening in the lid and submerged in the molten metal. The opposite end of the tube is then connected to the mold. Air is pumped into the vessel to pressurize it. The air pressure on surface of the molten metal forces the metal upwardly through the pressure tube and into the mold. The metal enters the pressure tube through the submerged end of the tube and flows through the tube and into the mold. Since the molten metal flows from a location under the metal surface near the bottom of the ladle, the process tends to avoid the entrainment of slag in the molten metal and results in a high-quality casting.
In the prior art, pressure tubes have been made of various materials including alumina graphite, zirconia-alumina, high alumina, high alumina tar impregnated and coked, and muddite.
All of these tubes have the disadvantage that their preparation requires final assembly with a metal collar. The collar is bonded to the outside surface of the tube with a castable or mortar. The collar is located adjacent to one end of the pressure tube. The opposite end of the pressure tube is inserted through the lid opening and the pressure tube is passed through the lid opening until the collar engages the pressure vessel lid. The collar is located on the pressure tube such that the collar contacts the pressure vessel lid and one end of the tube is suspended in the molten metal during pressure casting.
To assemble the tube and collar, the metal collar is placed over one end of the refractory tube. The tube is secured to the collar by a mortar or castable that is placed between the inside wall of the collar and the outside wall of the refractory tube. After the tube is thus secured to the collar, a second layer of mortar is applied to the outer surface of the tube adjacent to the innermost end of the collar. This second layer of mortar is intended to prevent leakage of air between the collar and the tube while the tube is under pressurized conditions. Air leaks at this location are particularly undesirable because the air can then become entrained in the steel as it enters the mold. If air reaches the mold cavity, the mold is usually seriously damaged or destroyed. At a minimum, this results in degradation of the steel quality.
In the prior art, air leaks between the collar and the tube were sometimes caused by slippage between the collar and the tube that resulted in cracks in the mortar. Accordingly, various structures were employed to strengthen the engagement between the collar and the pressure tube. For example, in some cases circular grooves were cut in the external surface of the tube so that the castable or mortar could flow into these grooves to better engage the tube. In another example, the tube was provided with a circular groove and a steel retaining ring that was partially received in the groove extended from the tube to provide a circular flange around the tube. This also was found to improve the engagement between the collar and the tube.
Notwithstanding such improved designs, a persistent problem with the use of such collars has been that they potentially allowed passage of air through mortar cracks or seams between the pressure tube and the collar. This also created a potential for air to become entrained in the steel and carried into the mold. Moreover, the prior art process for assembling collars to the refractory tubes required substantial labor, time and space to complete. All of these requirements significantly added to the overall cost of the pressure casting process.
Thus, there was a need in the prior art for an improved design for pressure tubes that would further reduce the likelihood that a pathway between the collar and the refractory tube would develop and entrained air would enter the mold. Preferably, an improved design could also substantially reduce requirements for time, labor and space that were associated with the collar assembly process.


A spinal correction system for the connection or arrest of scoliosis or spinal deformity in immature spines includes a bridge member, a pair of spaced apart barbed legs extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom, and a fastener retaining portion extending substantially longitudinally from each end of the bridge member. The fastener retaining portions are adapted to lie in adjoining relationship when two or more spinal correction systems are arranged in end-to-end abutting relationship. The spinal correction system is intended to correct or arrest scoliosis in a growing spine by spanning the endplate growth centers of adjacent vertebrae, on the convex side of the malformed spine, to retard growth of that side of the spine while permitting unrestrained growth of the concave side of the spine.

This invention relates to devices for use in the correction, arresting or slowing of abnormal curvature of the spine, including scoliosis, hyperlordosis and hypokyphosis.
Juvenile and adolescent scoliosis is a disorder of the growing spine in which a predominantly lateral curvature develops. Curves over 40xc2x0 can require surgical correction due to the high risk of future progression during adulthood. One typical procedure, often called xe2x80x9cposterior approach scoliosis surgery,xe2x80x9d is one of the most invasive human surgeries in orthopedics. During a typical three to eight hour procedure, a surgeon strips the strong posterior muscles off of the spine for bone exposure, then attaches two metal rods to the spine with hooks, wires, or screws. An alternative scoliosis approach is through the anterior chest via thoracotomy or thoracoscopy. After multi-level discectomy and fusion, large screws are placed across the vertebral bodies, and then the screws and vertebrae are compressed together by means of a vertical rod.
Staples are often used in orthopaedics to fix two bones or pieces of bone together, such as would be required for osteotomy (bone cutting), or fracture stabilization. Staples typically used for these purposes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,796 by Karapetian; U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,621 to Austin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,960 to Garner; U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,328 to Laboureau et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,359 to Groiso; U.S. Pat. No. 5,053,038 to Sheehan; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,144 to Del Medico.
Orthopaedic staples are also used in the fixation of soft tissue to bone, such as tendon or shoulder tissue. Staples typically used for these purposes are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,229 to Goble et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,395 to Johnson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,623 to Ellison et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,454,875 to Pratt et al.; U.S. Pat. No. D320,081 to Johnson; and U.S. Pat. No. D340,284 to Johnson.
In addition, several screws with a linkage plate or rod have been developed for anterior spine fixation and are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,290 to Zdeblick et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,939 to Hall.
Additional U.S. Patents disclose spine staples, for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,523 to Hall; U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,524 to Hall; U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,372 to Holt et al.; U.S. Pat. No. D378,409 to Michelson; and U.S. Pat. No. D364,462 to Michelson.
The inventors have developed a novel procedure for correcting scoliosis in children that takes advantage of future spine growth to correct the scoliosis. This procedure relies upon slowing spine epiphyseal growth on the convex side of the scoliosis curve with a novel hemiepiphyseal spinal correction system.
The novel procedure using the novel spinal correction system requires only one-fourth of the time necessary for conventional implantation techniques and may be performed using minimally invasive endoscopic procedures. In addition, the novel spinal correction system has an extremely low profile which reduces the risk of neurological complications.
This new procedure uses a novel system of staples and screws to provide anterior non-fusion (no bone graft) correction of scoliosis in children with significant growth remaining The procedure can be performed entirely endoscopically in as little as one hour of surgical time. This procedure using the novel spinal staple avoids the complex rod-screw linkage of current anterior scoliosis corrective systems. It also holds the potential for making correction an outpatient procedure and minimizes blood loss during surgery.
Existing spinal implants do not take advantage of the hemiepiphysiodesis principle of altering spine growth and allowing for gradual correction through asymmetric growth. Prior art bone staples used to fix two bones or pieces of bone together, for example, are not designed to perform hemiepiphysiodesis, and are not designed or able to resist the forces of spinal motion and growth without significant splay. Orthopaedic staples used to fix soft tissue to bone are not designed to span two bones or two pieces of bone. Thus, such staples are inapplicable to the novel procedure for the correction of scoliosis in children.
The other staples mentioned above were not designed for spine hemiepiphysiodesis and are instead intended for other purposes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,939 to Hall discloses small staples to stabilize a screw-bone interface and to prevent migration or plowing of a screw through a bone. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,524 to Hall discloses a spinal staple meant to stabilize the screw-bone interface of a screw and rod system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,523 to Hall discloses a surgical sacral anchor implant that is half of a staple blade affixed to a cable for the fixation of the lower end of the spine. U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,372 to Holt et al., is a spinal staple that holds a strut bone graft in place and is designed for use after vertebrectomy.
Thus, there exists a need for a spinal correction system that is small and designed to span vertebral endplate growth centers on either side of a disk.
The above noted concerns and needs are addressed by the novel spinal correction system including a spinal staple in accordance with the invention. The spinal staple includes a bridge member having a length sufficient to span the vertebral endplate growth centers on either side of a vertebral disk. A pair of spaced apart wedged-shaped legs extend downwardly from the end of the bridge member and are of such a length as to penetrate no more than about half way into the depth of a vertebra. Fastener retaining portions extend horizontally outward from the opposite ends of the bridge member and define passageways therethrough adapted to receive fasteners such as screws and the like. The fastener retaining portions are proportioned so that when two or more of the spinal staples of the invention are arranged in end-to-end adjoining relationship, the fastener retaining portions extending from the abutting ends lie side by side.
The legs of the staple are equipped with barbs to resist backing out or loosening of the staple after it has been affixed to a vertebra. In addition, the fastener retaining portions have barbs or projections extending from a lower surface thereof to promote fixation of the staple in a vertebra. Optionally, the staple may be provided with a threaded cannulated post extending upward from the upper surface of the bridge member to allow attachment of a threaded removable, cannulated impaction device. Further, additional surgical hardware may be conveniently affixed to the staple by means of the threaded post.
The invention will be further described and illustrated in conjunction with the following detailed description and appended drawings.


Described are methods, kits and systems for multiplexed detection of biological agents in a sample, e.g., multiplexed detection of e.g., bacteria, viruses, and biological toxins. The method utilizes two markers for each agent; the presence or absence in a sample of each of the two markers per agent is determined in separate reactions; however each reaction is used to detect a single marker for multiple agents. Also disclosed is the multiplexed detection method using real time PCR. The invention provides an efficient, cost-effective, and specific method for multiplexed detection of biological agents.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods, kits, and systems for detection of a plurality biological agents in a sample utilizing a minimal number of containers, useful for diagnostic assays and screening for disease agents.
2. Description of the Related Art
Diagnostic assays that sensitively, specifically, and quickly detect biological agents, e.g., pathogens, in samples are becoming increasingly important for both disease and diagnostic bioagent monitoring. Few assays are able to accurately detect physiologically or clinically relevant organisms on an appropriate time-scale for the early detection of the presence of an infective or otherwise harmful agent. To date, the most sensitive detection methods involve PCR. Determining the presence or absence of a plurality of biological agents in a single sample can be performed using multiplexed detection methods. Multiplexed real time PCR is one method that can be used for this type of diagnostic assay.
Assays based on PCR can be limited by the complexity of optimizing the PCR reactions to test for multiple agents in a cost-effective number of reaction tubes. As a general rule, the number of probes needed to support a highly specific confirmation result range from two to as many as six sequences. As one of skill in the art will be aware, optimizing a PCR reaction with many different primer pairs and probes can be a formidable task that becomes increasingly unmanageable as the number of agents to be detected increases.
Assays based on PCR can also be limited by the number of unique chemical labels available for analysis of results. For example, real time PCR assays generally employ fluorescent labels. When performing multiplexed real time PCR, the number of labels that can be used in a single reaction is limited by the number of fluorescent color channels available in the optical detection system used.
An attractive approach to overcome these and other limitations of current multiplex assays is provided by the present invention.

Multiplexed detection of biological agents


The disclosed methods and systems are generally directed to the combined application of predictive analytics with clinical decision analysis to provide optimal recommendations for the implementation of various health care management programs including, for example, prescription medication adherence interventions, and providing recommendations for medication adherence interventions for individual patients, based on predictions of patient adherence and predicted or expected responses to available interventions. Such interventions may be instituted in advance of a potential negative outcome, e.g., non-adherence, to prevent or reduce the occurrence of a negative outcome and realize greater return on investment. The disclosed systems and methods generally determine a predictive function based at least on historical patient data and predictive variables derived from the historical data, apply the predictive function to data of candidate patients and provide a recommended course of health care management based on an output of the predictive function applied to a clinical decision analysis.

In most known health care management systems, actual care being received by a patient is compared to established standards or methods for providing such care to determine if there is a variance between the care being administered and established standards of clinical excellence. When such a variance is identified, such known systems may identify a medically mismanaged patient and suggest pertinent medical care considerations to improve the care of patients that such a system may identify as being medically mismanaged. An inherent shortcoming of such an approach is that it is necessarily retrospective or reactive in nature, as opposed to being predictive. Because of the retrospective, or after the fact, nature of these approaches, these approaches are also fundamentally inefficient, both from a cost and patient well-being perspective. In other words, only after mismanagement occurs and is detected, and thus only after the expenditure of economic resources and potentially preventable risks to the patient are realized, are alternative therapies suggested or implemented. Moreover, many adverse health behaviors or outcomes are difficult or impossible to reverse with reactive interventions. One such example area that suffers from the types of problems associated with the reactive approach is prescription medication adherence.
With respect to the medication adherence example, only about 50% of people take prescription medications exactly as prescribed. Because many of those who stop taking their medications typically do so for what they perceive to be good reasons, the problem of medication non-adherence is more effectively prevented than treated after the fact. For many chronic therapies, premature discontinuation of certain medications results in preventable complications, and even death. Not only does medication adherence failure have an adverse impact on the patient, it has an enormous economic impact on society. It has been estimated that the cost to society of medication adherence failure is about $290 billion per year in direct and indirect costs. Because of this heavy burden on society, dozens of medication adherence interventions and programs have been proposed and implemented in an effort to improve medication adherence among certain patient populations. Some of these solutions include electronic monitoring, reminders to take medicines daily or to refill medications in a timely manner, patient education in the form of education materials and counseling, social support programs, economic incentives and rewards, and even directly observed therapy.
Medication adherence programs are also a lucrative business for organizations that provide them because the costs are typically borne by the pharmaceutical industry. Ongoing reforms to the U.S. health care system are bringing more attention to the problems associated with retrospective, or after the fact, care management, including medication adherence. For example, new quality of care measures have been developed to evaluate health care providers, such as, for example, doctors, hospitals and pharmacists, based on adherence to chronic medications among their patients. Health care payers, e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, private health plans and employers, are becoming increasingly attentive to medication adherence, especially for medications that can prevent or reduce hospitalization, surgery, disability and other high-cost medical events.
Many known effective medication adherence interventions are costly, and typically involve a combination of patient education, counseling by trusted health care professionals and persistent monitoring to address potential drug therapy problems as they occur. It is also the case that medication adherence programs are typically more effective in patients new to a therapy than those who have already discontinued therapy, making the need for prospective (as opposed to retrospective) management and intervention more imperative. Because about half of patients will be adherent without assistance or any intervention, the value of targeting adherence programs to the individuals who will benefit most is very high, especially in view of the high cost of such interventions. Moreover, because, as noted above, medication adherence programs are more effective at preventing non-adherence than convincing patients to re-start a discontinued medication, it would be advantageous to provide a medication adherence intervention solution that is predictive in nature as opposed to known systems that are typically reactive in nature.
To that end, approaches to predicting adherence have been attempted. These approaches differ fundamentally based on the source data being used to make the prediction. For example, these approaches include electronic databases containing a patient's past use of health care services, e.g., administrative claims for payments by doctors, hospitals and pharmacies; patient surveys; and electronic databases containing purchasing, credit and other consumer behavior linked to a patient's name and address. However, these proposed generic solutions suffer from a number of shortcomings and are not, by themselves, effective as predictors that are useful for providing cost effective, patient-specific medication adherence intervention. Moreover, these purported predictors are not coupled with any clinical decision analysis or determinations that compare the expected costs and effects of available interventions based on prediction outcomes, and thus cannot provide practical cost-effective tailored patient-specific intervention recommendations in advance that may greatly improve the chances of success of the intervention program.


To excavate drifts, tunnels, stopes, caverns or the like, tools operating in an undercutting manner are mounted on radially pivotable tool arms, which are located on a rotary working head. With at least one tool (54) on a tool arm (51), a central region (Z) of the rock face is cut radially from the outside inwards by pivoting of the tool arm (32), an outer region (A) surrounding the central region (Z) of the rock face is cut radially from the inside outwards by pivoting of the tool arm (32). Pivot drives (30) for at least some tool arms (31, 32, 33) can be controlled in such a manner that cross-sections with contours deviating from a full circular shape can be cut. Muck removing devices (27, 28) are used for collecting and transporting away the muck produced by the cutting operation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for excavating drifts, tunnels, stopes, caverns and the like with tools such as disc cutters, operating in an undercutting manner on a rock face, and a machine for performing such excavation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Undercutting disc cutters working from a pilot bore-hole or opening are known as an effective cutting system, since in such a case, it is not the high compressive strength of the rock which must be overcome, but rather only its low tensile strength. A tunnelling machine with a rotary head is known (DE 31 40 707 A1), which has a pilot borer located on the front of the head working in a conventional manner (i.e. using a conventional drilling head) and spaced behind it in the axial direction, a plurality of tool supports are provided which are formed as radially pivotable arms. Disc cutters mounted on these arms start from a centrally located pilot hole in order to cut the rock in an undercutting manner with a radial pivoting-out motion of the arms. To cut the pilot hole with a relatively large diameter using a conventional drilling head requires a great deal of effort and is difficult to achieve concurrently with the operation of the disc cutters working in the undercutting mode. It is also considered disadvantageous that the pilot bore-hole drilling process requires high thrust.
In another known tunnelling machine (DE 87 17 189 U1), two pivotable supporting arms equipped with disc cutters are mounted parallel to one another on a rotary head in such a manner that they are located on either side of a diameter line of the head. The pivot points of the supporting arms are located on the periphery of the head, in such a manner that the supporting arms face one another. Instead of drilling a pilot hole, in this case each of the two disc cutters makes a start on the rock at a point lying on the far side of the central line which corresponds to the axis of rotation of the head, with respect to the pivot point of the associated supporting arm, and then moves along the path of pivoting of the arm beyond this central line and continues out to the perimeter of the opening. This means that each disc cutter is subject to very different conditions during the course of the pivoting movement of its supporting arm. In particular, each disc cutter starts a small distance from the central line, this distance decreasing until the central line has been crossed. Following this, the disc cutter is still operating in the vicinity of the central cutting area. As will be explained later, this is inefficient. Moreover, the machine is restricted to the use of only two disc cutters.

Method and machine for excavating drifts, tunnels, stopes, caverns or the like

Wirth Maschinen-und Bohrgerate-Fabrik GmbH