Paint spray booth wastes from clear oil-based coating compositions, such as lacquers, which have been collected in a water wash are easily detackified and removed from the wash water by contacting the wastes in the wash water with. (1) a water-dispersible polymeric condensation reaction product of a urea or an amino triazine and an aldehyde and. (2) a water-swellable clay.

Automatic spraying techniques have long been employed for painting large articles such as cars, trucks, refrigerators, etc., and small articles, such as vehicle and equipment parts. The items being sprayed are generally advanced along a conveyor line which passes through paint spray booths where a fine spray of paint is automatically directed at the articles being painted from paint spray guns which are located on one side of the conveyor. Oversprayed paint, i.e. paint which does not contact the article being painted, forms a fine mist of paint in the air space surrounding the painted article. This paint mist must be removed from the air. To accomplish this the contaminated air is pulled to the rear of the paint booth by air exhaust fans which are generally located behind the conveyor. A curtain of cascading water is maintained across the path of the air in such a manner that the air must pass through the water curtain to reach the exhaust fans. As the air passes through the water curtain the paint mist is scrubbed from the air and carried to a sump basin, usually located below the paint spray booth (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,585,407). However the water itself does not detackify the paint and unless it is treated to detackify it, it tends to adhere to the sump and drain surfaces. To prevent clogging of the sump drain and sewer system the accumulated paint must be periodically removed from the sump. This is generally accomplished by shovelling, which is costly and time consuming. It is preferable to detackify the paint so that it will not adhere to the surfaces of the waste paint collection system and to cause the detackified paint particles to coalesce for easy removal from the system. It is very desirable to be able to thoroughly separate the waste paint solids from the water so that the water may be recycled and the paint solids properly disposed of.
Various procedures and techniques have been tried to detackify the paint. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,575 discloses contacting the paint with inorganic substances, such as clay, starch, colloidal silica, talc, etc., to detackify it. In particular, this patent dislcoses the use of hectorite, a montmorillonite-type clay, for detackifying paints, including oil-based paints, lacquers and enamels. Other U.S. patents which disclose the use of clays to detackify paint are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,267,426, 4,125,476, 4,185,970, 4,220,456, 4,380,495 and 4,504,395. Although the clay materials described are somewhat effective for detackifying particles of paints which contain pigments and fillers they leave a lot to be desired in the detackification of clear lacquers.
Organic chemical substances such as polymeric flocculants have also been used to detackify paint overspray in spray booths. These systems are superior to the simple use of clays since they facilitate the coalescence and separation of the paint particles from the circulating water system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,490 teaches the use of a water-soluble salt of an amphoteric metal, propylene glycol and a polycationic polymer as a paint detackifying composition. U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,986 describes the use of zinc chloride and a polyelectrolyte at pHs above 8 to detackify paint spray booth wastes. This patent also discloses the combination of a metal salt which forms an insoluble hydroxide above pH 7, a primary amino alcohol and a polyether to clarify and detackify paint spray booth wastes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,647 discloses the use of a water-dispersible polyamideepichlorohydrin resin, a polymer formed from hexamethylene diamine and ethylene dichloride, and an amphoteric metal salt. This patent also describes the use of ferric chloride in combination with cationic polymers to treat suspended matter comprising water and oil-based paints. U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,806 discloses the use of blends of a terpolymer of dialkyldimethylammonium halide, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone and acrylamide and a water-soluble salt of an amphoteric metal, such as aluminum chloride, to reduce the tackiness of over-sprayed paint and lacquer solids in paint spray booths.
The prior art methods of detackifying paint particles is easily applied to pigment-containing latex-based paints and some of these techniques have been applied to pigment-containing and/or filler-containing oil-based paints. In these paints the pigment and/or filler particles serve as a base for agglomerating and detackifying the paint. However, in the case of pigment-free and filler-free oil-based paints, such as clear lacquers, there are no solids to provide a base on which the detackifying agents can act. New solids-free coating materials are being widely used for coatings for automobiles because of the increased protection that they provide to the finish of the automobile. However, these coating materials are more difficult to detackify and remove from spray painting system.


An electrician's center point gauge to facilitate placing conduit holes in electrical boxes wherein a circular disc is provided having a center hole and four 90.degree., circumferentially spaced notches in its peripheral edge. A trace is made of the circumferential edge of the disc, notches and center hole. Diametrical lines are drawn through the center of the circumferential trace and notches to facilitate the positioning of a conventional knockout set on the side wall of the electrical box for pulling a hole for a conduit therethrough.

Heretofore, when placing a conduit hole in a wall of an electrical box for the installation of an electrical conduit, it was necessary for the electrician to determine the diameter of the electrical conduit and mark the exact center of the conduit on the box wall. This was usually done by measuring the diameter of the conduit and transferring it to the box side wall with a rule and straight edge. The hole is formed by a conventional knockout set which includes a circular die and cylindrical anvil interconnected by a threaded bolt. A hole is drilled through the box wall at the point marked as the center of the conduit. The die is placed on the outside of the box against the wall; the cylindrical anvil is placed on the opposite side of the box wall, and the bolt extends through the anvil, the drilled hole in the box wall and into the die. By tightening the bolt, the die is drawn through the box wall and into the cylindrical anvil to thereby form a conduit opening in the box wall, which should be positioned correctly for the installation of the electrical conduit if the center of the conduit was laid out correctly on the box wall. Through experience, this method of determining the exact center of a conduit has been found to be time consuming and inexact.

Electrician's center point gauge to facilitate placing conduit holes in electrical boxes


This productivity evaluation method is for evaluating productivity of a chemical substance in a process comprising a first step of obtaining gas from a waste material and a second step of synthesizing a chemical substance from the gas obtained in the first step in the presence of a catalyst, said method including: a first carbon mass calculation stage of calculating mass of carbon contained in the waste material, a second carbon mass calculation stage of calculating mass of carbon contained in the chemical substance produced in said process, and a productivity evaluation stage of evaluating the productivity of the chemical substance based on values of the mass of carbon which are calculated in the first carbon mass calculation stage and the second carbon mass calculation stage.

In the field of production of chemical substances such as ethanol, the technique to convert a waste material into a chemical substance by a catalytic reaction after gasification of the waste material has been being developed, and various relevant techniques are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
For example, Patent Document 1 describes a waste regeneration treatment method in which a waste material, such as food residue, woody biomass, rice hull, agricultural residue, activated sludge, and waste plastic, is carbonated and also regenerated into useful liquid fuel. More specifically, in this method, a solid waste material is charged together with superheated steam into a carbonization-gasification furnace which is tilted downwardly as viewed from an inlet toward an outlet.
In this method, a waste material is carbonized by thermal decomposition without burning by indirectly heating the waste material being shut-off from air in the carbonization-gasification furnace by using an electric heater. In the furnace, the accumulated amount of the carbonized waste material is caused to increase toward the outlet, and a water gas shift reaction is caused by heat of the carbide to produce and dry distillation gas composed mainly of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Then, in this method, the dry distillation gas was converted into liquid fuel by using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst.

Productivity evaluation method, productivity evaluation device, program, and recording medium


A restraint or gripping device for anchoring within the interior of a pipe comprises a pair of end plates adapted to be urged towards each other and a plurality of shoes, positioned between the end plates, and adapted to be moved radially outwardly as the end plates are urged together. In a further aspect, a method of restraining a pipe plug or isolation tool is provided. Also provided are assemblies for pipe isolation including an integral restraint or gripping mechanism.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to clamping or restraining devices that are capable of being anchored or clamped within the interior of pipes.
2. Relevant Background
It is common for testing tools to be utilized for testing the integrity of pipes or welds provided on pipes. In addition, various isolation tools are known, which are used to isolate a particular section of a pipe from another. Examples of such tools are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,844,127 and 6,131,441 (the entire contents of these patents being incorporated herein by reference). In use, tools such as these are inserted within a pipe and anchored against the interior wall of the pipe. With the tools of the aforementioned patents, the anchoring step is achieved by means of bolts and the like that deform resilient annular rings such that the rings deform radially outwardly against the pipe wall. The tools, once positioned and anchored are able to withstand a high degree of displacement pressure.
Notwithstanding the anchoring force provided by the aforementioned tools themselves, it may be advisable to provide, for additional safety, a further clamp or restraint device within the pipe to restrain the tool in the event that pressure is built up adjacent the tool. As will be understood by persons skilled in the art, in situations where the pressure exceeds the anchoring force of the tool, the tool may be violently ejected from the pipe. Thus, a restraint device would offer an additional support in such circumstances.
It is also known in the art to provide internal clamps to maintain two pipes in axial alignment while welding such pipes together. Examples of such internal clamps are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,463,938; 5,816,475; and 5,875,955 (the entire contents of these patents being incorporated herein by reference). The devices described in these patents comprise complex mechanical mechanisms that are designed to be anchored against the interior walls of adjacent pipes so as to hold such pipes in abutting arrangement. A welding process can then be applied to join the pipe ends together.
Another issue faced with known internal clamping devices is that they often result in damage to the internal wall of the pipe in which they are used. That is, many of the known clamps utilize shoes that are biased against the internal pipe wall and which are provided with teeth to engage such wall. The teeth provide an added anchoring force to prevent translational movement of the device within the pipe. However, as will be understood, once the device is removed, the marks left by such teeth would result in damage to the pipe interior and in some cases lead to a region of weakness.
The devices known in the art comprise either cumbersome and/or complex mechanisms or are not easily adaptable for use with testing or isolation tools or result in damage to the pipe. Thus, there exists a need for an improved internal pipe clamp or restraint device.


Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for improving the performance of memory controllers for memory devices. A system may have a memory controller that interfaces with a memory device to store or retrieve information. When the system needs to retrieve information from the memory device, the memory controller sends an address and a command to instruct the memory device to read the information stored at the address. The memory device reads the information, and after a specific amount of time, the memory device sends the information to the memory controller. According to an embodiment, “dummy” data is sent first prior to the availability of the data read out of the memory devices, while waiting for the requested data to be accessed, and then the actual data is sent immediately following the dummy data. According to an embodiment, a geometry of a memory device has only one column of memory cells that are used to store information. The memory device with only one column in an embodiment does not require decoding of a column address. As such, the read latency of the memory device is significantly reduced.

The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
Electronics and electronic computing systems are continually developed with greater computing performance for a given space and within a given power profile. Additionally, as more and more functionality moves to the cloud, scalability within a short time frame becomes increasingly important. Within the systems, the integrated circuit and memory modules are building blocks used to power cloud-supported and other applications for front-end and back-end usage in products such as automotive vehicles, computers, cell phone, intelligent portable military devices, aeronautical spacecraft payloads, and a vast line of other similar products supporting many complex functions.
Products compete in world markets and attract many consumers or buyers in order to be successful. It is important for products to continue to improve in features, performance, and reliability while reducing product costs and product size, while still being available quickly for purchase by the consumers or buyers. Additionally, it is important for the computing systems to have as much power as possible so that less time is required to perform calculations, ultimately reducing the time an end-user waits for a response.

Memory controller for high latency memory devices


A torque generator for use in a bottom-hole assembly. The torque generator has a bearing pack rotationally coupled to a housing and a pump and one or more nozzles inside and supported by the housing. The one or more nozzles are in fluid communication with the pump chamber. The torque generator also has a bypass conduit extending through the pump and bypassing the pump and the one or more nozzles. The bypass conduit has a discharge end that is downhole from the pump and the one or more nozzles.

Directional drilling is well known in the art and commonly practiced. Directional drilling is generally practiced using a bottom-hole assembly connected to a drill string that is rotated at the surface using a rotary table or a top drive unit, each of which is well known in the art. The bottom-hole assembly includes a positive displacement drilling motor, turbine motor, or a pump that drives a drill bit via a "bent" housing that has at least one axial offset of around 1 to 3 degrees. A measurement-while-drilling (MWD) tool connected to the top of the drilling motor (sometimes also referred to herein as a "mud motor") provides "tool face" information to tracking equipment on the surface to dynamically determine an orientation of a subterranean bore being drilled. The drill string is rigidly connected to the bottom-hole assembly, and rotation of the drill string rotates the bottom-hole assembly.
To drill a linear bore segment, the drill string is rotated at a predetermined speed while drilling mud is pumped down the drill string and through the drilling motor to rotate the drill bit. The drill bit is therefore rotated simultaneously by the drilling motor and the drill string to drill a substantially linear bore segment. When a nonlinear bore segment is desired, the rotation of the drill string is stopped and controlled rotation of the rotary table or the top drive unit and/or controlled use of reactive torque generated by downward pressure referred to as "weight on bit" is used to orient the tool face in a desired direction. Drill mud is then pumped through the drill string to drive the drill bit, while the weight of the drill string supported by the drill rig is reduced to slide the drill string forward into the bore as the bore progresses. The drill string is not rotated while directional drilling is in progress.
However, this method of directional drilling has certain disadvantages. For example: during directional drilling the sliding drill string has a tendency to "stick-slip", especially in bores that include more than one nonlinear bore segment or in bores with a long horizontal bore segment; when the drill string sticks the drill bit may not engage the drill face with enough force to advance the bore, and when the friction is overcome and the drill string slips the drill bit may be forced against the bottom of the bore with enough force to damage the bit, stall the drilling motor, or drastically change the tool face, each of which is quite undesirable; and, rotation of the drill string helps to propel drill cuttings out of the bore, so when the drill string rotation is stopped drill cuttings can accumulate and create an obstruction to the return flow of drill mud, which is essential for the drilling operation. Furthermore, during directional drilling the reactive torque causes the stationary drill string to "wind up", which can also drastically change the tool face.
One solution to slip-slick related issues is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 8,381,839 to Rosenhauch, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. Therein, the bottom hole assembly is permitted to rotate independently of the drill string. When the bit is driven clockwise by the mud motor, reactive rotation of the bottom-hole assembly and bent sub is counterclockwise. A torque generator between the drill string and the bottom-hole assembly resists the reactive rotation. Rotation of the drill string at a static drive speed matches the reactive rotation of the bent sub and the net rotation of the bottom-hole assembly is zero so that the drill bit drills the nonlinear bore segment. Drill string rotation greater than the static drive speed results in a net clockwise rotation of the drill bit for drilling the linear bore segment. The torque generator comprises an arrangement of a modified positive displacement motor displacing fluid through a backpressure nozzle. The arrangement of the motor and the nozzles limits the peak torque available.


A method is disclosed for determining the placement of circuit elements in an integrated circuit where the circuit elements are initially represented by a netlist. The method preferably includes the steps of providing predetermined ordering constraints that indicate the preferred relative locations of the circuit elements that are represented in the netlist, partitioning the circuit elements from the netlist in accordance with a predetermined balancing criterion; determining the value of a cost function associated with the partitioning steps, and selecting a particular partition based upon the value of the cost function.

The present invention generally relates to a technique for automatically determining placement information for electronic circuit elements or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technique for producing, from a given netlist, placement information for schematic circuit diagrams which may be read and/or edited by a human.
Generally speaking, a netlist provides information concerning the number and types of elements in a circuit and the manner in which they are interconnected. For example, a netlist might include a list of circuit element terminals connected on a common net. Thus, if a first AND gate receives one input from an inverter and a second input from an OR gate, and provides an output to both a NOR gate and a second AND gate, the netlist would indicate that a first net includes the inverter and the first AND gate. A second net would include the OR gate and the first AND gate. Finally, a third net would include the first AND gate, the NOR gate, and the second AND gate. It should be understood, however, that netlists are not restricted to use in describing logic diagrams. In a netlist, the interconnected circuit elements, typically referred to as cells, may be as simple as a resistor, or as complex as a microprocessor.
Netlists may be generated in a variety of ways. One common manner in which a netlist is produced is as a result of logic synthesis generation. Stated briefly, a logic synthesis tool may receive as an input a Boolean function expressed in terms of a state table, and generate a netlist including the logic circuits and the interconnections which would implement the given Boolean function.
A netlist could also be produced as an output from a typical datapath compiler. A datapath compiler will usually receive a high level schematic as an input, and produce a netlist output providing more detailed circuit information. For example, a high level schematic may include a datapath element such as a carry-save array multiplier. The datapath compiler may produce a standard netlist representing a carry-save array multiplier cell taken from a library of such cells, which standard netlist would be incorporated into the netlist of the overall circuit.
Although a netlist provides detailed interconnection information, there is no cell placement information in a netlist. As far as the netlist is concerned, two interconnected cells may be immediately adjacent with one another, or may be separated physically by hundreds or even thousands of other cells.
Techniques are known for determining cell placement based upon a given netlist. These techniques, disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,714 to Kernighan et al. and in an article by C.M. Fiduccia et al., "A Linear-Time Heuristic For Improving Network Partitions," Proceedings of the 19th ACM Design Automation Conference (1982), generally relate to optimized circuit layout for a physical support such as a printed circuit board or a semiconductor substrate. However, a layout optimized for a physical support usually bears little resemblance to a schematic diagram suitable for human comprehension.
It is often desirable to provide a human-readable schematic circuit diagram of a circuit represented by a netlist. Such a schematic circuit diagram permits circuit designers to comprehend the circuit design and, if necessary, edit the design to correct errors or optimize operating efficiency. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a technique for producing placement information for human-readable schematic circuit layouts from a given netlist.

Integrated circuit placement method using netlist and predetermined ordering constraints to produce a human readable integrated circuit schematic diagram


A control system to control the operation of a furnace (10) having a fuel control unit (26) to supply fuel to a burner (24) includes a limit switch (48) within furnace (10) to detect an overheated condition. The limit switch (48) opens when a reference temperature is reached, shutting down the furnace (10). A logic unit (40) senses the state of the limit switch (48) and measures the shutdown period, and notes whether the shutdown period exceeds a predetermined interval. The logic unit (40) opens a lockout switch (38') that controls the fuel control unit (26) if the furnace is subject to a number of consecutive prolonged shutdowns that exceeds a predetermined limit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to heating system furnaces of the type used for heating buildings and homes, and more particularly, to a control system and method for ensuring safe operation of the furnace and for protecting the furnace in the event of a circulating air blower failure or severe air flow restriction.
2. Background of the Invention
Conventional forced air heating system furnaces, such as those commonly installed in homes, typically use a means for moving air, such as a circulating air blower, along an air flow path through a chamber embodying a heat exchanger. The circulating air blower, which is operated by a drive motor, forces air past the coils of the heat exchanger to heat the air, and then directs the heated air through outlet ducts into the space to be heated. Heat is supplied to the heat exchanger by combustion product gases entering the heat exchanger coils from a fuel burner controlled by a fuel valve. The relative positioning of the circulating air blower, drive motor and furnace heat exchanger can provide a categorization of these heating system furnaces as being "downflow" furnaces, wherein the circulating air blower and its drive motor are located above the heat exchange:; as "horizontal" furnaces, wherein the air blower and its drive motor are located to one side of the heat exchanger; or as "upflow" furnaces, wherein the air blower and the drive motor are located below the heat exchanger.
Unfortunately, in forced air heating system furnaces, circumstances can arise that will bring about overheating conditions in the enclosure housing of the furnace. If insufficient air is being delivered by the circulating air blower to the furnace chamber containing the heat exchanger, an overheated and unsafe condition can result while the fuel burner is actively combusting fuel. A similar condition will arise if the circulating air blower ceases to function properly or completely shuts down. This problem is particularly pronounced in the "horizontal" and "downflow" forced air furnaces because the heated air from the heat exchanger coils will heat the air surrounding the circulating air blower, the drive motor and the furnace filter. The resulting overheated condition arises as a consequence of the lack of air flow in the enclosure housing and the consequential inability to remove the heat generated from the burner.
Air flow through the furnace can become inadequate as the result of a variety of factors, such as a malfunctioning air blower or an obstruction of the air path, e.g., a clogged air filter or a blockage of either the input or output air ducts of the furnace. Because the possibility exists for a low or no air flow condition to occur in the furnace, various building codes have been implemented to provide safety standards to preclude an overheated condition of the furnace by stopping the flow of fuel to the burner to contain internal furnace temperatures within prescribed limits. These temperature limits are required not only to meet safety standards, but also to minimize damage to the air filter and/or other temperature sensitive parts of the furnace. An example of a test furnace designed to enforce such standards is detailed by ANSI standard Z21.47a, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
To maintain the prescribed safety temperature limits during a malfunction, it is known, as described by Z21.47a standard, to stop the flow of fuel to the burner during an overheating condition based on information provided by a temperature sensing switch. The temperature limit switch opens itself or switches to the OFF position to interrupt the flow of fuel to the furnace when the temperature of the air leaving the furnace exceeds a preset temperature of about 185.degree. F. and resets itself or switches to the ON position when the temperature of the air leaving the furnace falls below about 185.degree. F. This limit switch is called a "primary limit switch". The primary limit switch will self-reset to ON when the temperature drops below about 185.degree. F.
In addition, for a furnace for installation in the horizontal position or downflow position, in the event of a failed circulating air blower, a temperature limit switch must open to interrupt the flow of fuel to the furnace to prevent air temperatures at the inlet of the furnace (1) from exceeding 175.degree. F. above the ambient temperature prior to or during the first five cycles of the limit switch and (2) from exceeding 90.degree. F. above the ambient temperature on the sixth and subsequent cycles of the limit switch. A second temperature limit switch called an "auxiliary limit" may or may not be required to perform this function. The auxiliary limit switch may be of the manual reset type, typically reset by service personnel, after inspecting the furnace for and repairing any damage causing the loss of circulating airflow.
A fuel valve responsive to the state of the primary limit switch and the auxiliary limit switch stops fuel flow to the furnace when either of the switches are in the OFF condition. When both switches are ON, fuel flow is allowed to be restored to the fuel burner in the furnace. Fuel may then enter the furnace to be combusted in response to a demand signal from a thermostat external to the furnace. Conversely, when either switch is in the OFF position, indicating internal furnace temperatures in excess of the maximum allowable temperatures, fuel flow to the fuel burner is discontinued and signals from the thermostat for heat are ignored. In this manner, fuel will be prevented from entering the fuel burner when the internal furnace temperature rises above maximum allowable temperatures.
Requiring two switches for the operation of a heating control system in a forced air furnace, however, presents several disadvantages. For example, the operation of the second "lockout" switch may necessitate a service call whenever false alarms, not related to furnace operation, improperly trigger the switch and thereby preclude fuel flow. False alarms may arise due to power failures. The false activation of this switch adds considerably to the cost of ownership of the furnace because of the required service call.
Other disadvantages inherent in the presence of a second switch are the cost of the switch and its installation with associated circuitry, and the reduced reliability of the furnace. Reliability is reduced because the second switch increases the number of parts required for the operation of the furnace, thereby increasing the possibility of failure. In effect, the presence of the second "lockout" switch reduces overall reliability of the furnace.
Various attempts have been made to address the foregoing problems, including the employment of a microprocessor to control furnace operation in response to overtemperature conditions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,870 issued to Ballard et al. on Aug. 28, 1990, discloses an apparatus and control method for responding to furnace overtemperature conditions wherein a microprocessor is used to count the number of occurrences of automatic resets encountered by an auxiliary limit switch that opens in response to overtemperature conditions resulting from a failure of the blower motor. When the number reaches a predetermined level, the furnace system is caused to lockout.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,625 issued to Mueller on Mar. 5, 1985 discloses a furnace control apparatus for a downflow forced air furnace having a microprocessor and thermostat to initiate and control the flow of gas to the burner for the start-up of the furnace. A fuel control means is provided for turning off the fuel supplied to the furnace when the temperature of the heating air remains below a predetermined reference temperature within a preset time following the start of the operation of the air circulator. The microprocessor is substituted for two temperature limit switches by a program for controlling the gas valve for stopping gas flow to the burner if the temperature of the air exiting the compartment of the heat exchanger exceeds a predetermined temperature stored in the microprocessor memory (in the event of a restriction to the air entering the furnace) or is below a predetermined temperature by a preset amount (in the event of a circulator failure).

Limit switch control especially for warm air furnaces


A control apparatus for an automatic transmission that selectively engages a plurality of frictional engaging elements for shift control includes a shift instruction device, a temperature calculator, an engageability determiner, an engagement delay device, a load calculator, a cumulative load calculator, and a threshold temperature changer. The engageability determiner is configured to determine whether at least one of the plurality of frictional engaging elements is engageable or not based on a comparison between a temperature of the at least one of the plurality of frictional engaging elements calculated by the temperature calculator and a predetermined threshold temperature in a case where the shift instruction device outputs a shift instruction. The threshold temperature changer is configured to change the predetermined threshold temperature in a case where a cumulative load calculated by the cumulative load calculator reaches a value greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a control apparatus for an automatic transmission and a control method for an automatic transmission.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automatic transmissions that automatically perform shifting by switching power transmission paths each composed of a plurality of shift gear trains through selective engagement of frictional engaging elements, such as shift clutches, have been widely employed for vehicles. In recent automatic transmissions, in order to increase the power of engines and the shifting performance of the automatic transmissions, for example, shift operation (engagement of frictional engaging elements) of the automatic transmissions tends to be frequently performed. Accordingly, the automatic transmissions tend to suffer from an increased calorific value in engaging the frictional engaging elements during shifting. The increased calorific value of the frictional engaging elements might cause seizing (burning) of the frictional engaging elements and other problems. Thus, there is a need for protection control for protecting the frictional engaging elements against thermal damage.
Regarding such protection control, Japanese Patents Nos. 4913535 and 4913848 describe control devices for automatic transmissions. In the control device described in Japanese Patent No. 4913535, the temperature of at least one of frictional engaging elements to be engaged in shifting is computed. In a case where the computed temperature is higher than a reference temperature, if a shift operation to a target gear position is an upshift operation using the frictional engaging element to be engaged, the time of the upshift operation is delayed by a predetermined time. On the other hand, if the shift operation to the target gear position is a downshift operation, the downshift operation is allowed without a delay.
In the control device described in Japanese Patent No. 4913848, the temperature of a frictional engaging element is calculated, and the rotational difference between an input and an output of the frictional engaging element is calculated. Based on the calculated temperature and rotational difference of the frictional engaging element and a pattern of a speed change instruction, it is determined whether the frictional engagement element is engageable or non-engageable. If there is a possibility of burning of the frictional engaging element, the frictional engagement element is determined to be non-engageable, and engagement thereof is delayed until the frictional engagement element is determined to be engageable. In this manner, an appropriate cooling period is selected, and thus, engagement can be controlled with protection of the frictional engaging element against thermal damage.

Control apparatus for automatic transmission and control method for automatic transmission


A method of manufacturing a flash memory device includes forming a first polysilicon layer over a semiconductor substrate to form a floating gate. A tunnel dielectric layer is formed over the first polysilicon layer. A second polysilicon layer and a tungsten silicide layer are formed over the tunnel dielectric film to firm a control gate, the tungsten silicide layer having excess silicon. An upper portion of the tungsten silicide layer is oxidized to move the excess silicon away from an interface between the second polysilicon layer and the tungsten silicide.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly, to a method of manufacturing a flash memory device which can improve the interfacial characteristics between a tungsten silicide layer and a polysilicon layer while reducing the resistance of the tungsten silicide layer.
Existing NOR flash memory has inherent limits to program speed. To overcome the limits, NAND flash memory devices have been proposed which can perform a data program by injecting electrons into the floating gate by Fowler-Nordheim (FN) tunneling and can provide large capacity and high integration.
A NAND flash memory device includes a plurality of cell blocks. Each cell block includes a plurality of cell strings, which contains a plurality of cells. The cells are connected in series to form a string. A drain select transistor is formed between the cell string and drain, and a source select transistor is formed between the cell string and source.
The cell of the NAND flash memory device is formed by forming an isolation structure on a given region of a semiconductor substrate, forming a gate in which a tunnel oxide film, a floating gate, a dielectric layer, and a control gate are laminated on a given region on the semiconductor substrate, and forming junction regions at both sides of the gate. The floating gate is formed using a polysilicon layer, and the control gate is formed using the polysilicon layer and the tungsten silicide layer.
As the level of integration of semiconductor devices is increased and the line width decreases, line the resistance can increase significantly. Accordingly, tungsten electrodes, which have a lower resistance than the tungsten silicide, have been developed. However, use of the tungsten electrodes presents difficulties subsequent processes. Also, tungsten tends to oxidize which results in increased resistance.
On the other hand, to reduce resistance in tungsten silicide, an additional high temperature thermal process needs to be applied after deposition. This method is also difficult to apply consistently to future devices.
In addition, if the high temperature thermal process is performed in order to reduce the resistance, the interfacial characteristics between the tungsten silicide and polysilicon (i.e., primary electrode) becomes very poor. This results from an increased grain size as the amorphous tungsten silicide is crystallized by the thermal process.
Furthermore, the tungsten silicide layer is formed in a state where the ratio of tungsten to silicon is 1:2.3 to 1:2.6. However, the ratio doubles from the thermal process and the excess silicon is moved toward the interface between polysilicon and tungsten silicide, resulting in further degradation of the interfacial characteristics. For this reason, when lines are patterned by etching the gates, failures can occur. Therefore, annealing is carried out after the gates are patterned.
However, if annealing is performed after the gates are patterned, a hard mask film is deposited on the tungsten silicide and there is a high possibility that fluorine within the tungsten silicide may diffuse into the gate dielectric layer. This causes the electrical characteristic of the gate dielectric layer to be degraded.

Method of manufacturing flash memory device


A kickstand for a bicycle includes a support stand, a connector detachably mounted on an upper portion of the support stand, and a quick release device releasably mounted on the connector. The quick release device is releasably locked onto a rear wheel axle of the bicycle to attach the support stand to the rear wheel axle. Thus, the kickstand is mounted on and detached from the rear wheel axle of the bicycle easily and quickly by locking and unlocking the quick release device, thereby facilitating a user mounting and detaching the kickstand.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a kickstand and, more particularly, to a kickstand for a bicycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional kickstand 40 for a bicycle in accordance with the prior art shown in FIG. 10 comprises a support leg 42, a mounting bracket 41 mounted on the upper end of the support leg 42 and a support pad 43 mounted on the lower end of the support leg 42. The mounting bracket 41 is provided with a connecting hole 411 and two positioning holes 412. In assembly, when the mounting bracket 41 is mounted on the chain stay of the bicycle, the connecting hole 411 is attached to the chain stay of the bicycle by a locking bolt and a locking nut to lock the mounting bracket 41 onto the chain stay of the bicycle.
However, the kickstand 40 is locked onto the chain stay of the bicycle by the locking bolt and the locking nut, so that the kickstand 40 cannot mounted on and detached from the chain stay of the bicycle easily and quickly. In addition, the kickstand 40 has a determined weight, thereby increasing the whole weight of the bicycle. Further, the support leg 42 of the kickstand 40 protrudes outwardly from the bicycle, thereby greatly causing inconvenience and danger to a rider when riding on the bicycle to proceed an acrobatic performance. Further, the chain stay of the bicycle is made of a composite material, so that when the mounting bracket 41 clamps the chain stay of the bicycle, the chain stay of the bicycle is easily deformed or worn out due to the clamping force.

Bicycle kickstand having quick release function


A display device includes a substrate; a plurality of color filters on the substrate, a common electrode covering the plurality of color filters, a white emission layer covering the common electrode, a plurality of pixel electrodes on the white emission layer and a plurality of pixel switching elements on the plurality of pixel electrodes and connected to the plurality of pixel electrodes, wherein the white emission layer includes a plurality of quantum dots.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a display device and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A display device mainly uses a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display, an organic light emitting device, and a plasma display. Particularly, the organic light emitting device includes two electrodes and an organic emission layer interposed therebetween. Electrons injected from one electrode and holes injected from the other electrode are combined in the organic emission layer to form excitons, and the excitons emit light as energy is discharged.
The organic light emitting device of a bottom emission structure emits light through the substrate on which various wires are formed, such that it is difficult to obtain a desirable aperture ratio and for it to be applied to a high resolution device. The organic light emitting device of a top emission structure forms the cathode of the transparent electrode having low conductivity such that it is difficult for it to be applied to a large-sized display device due to a voltage drop.
In the organic light emitting device, to realize a color image, a red organic emission layer, a green organic emission layer, and a blue organic emission layer are respectively formed in a red pixel, a green pixel, and a blue pixel. Alternatively, a white organic emission layer for emitting white light may be formed in the red pixel, the green pixel, and the blue pixel, and a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter are formed on the white organic emission layer for each pixel, thereby realizing the color image.
However, when realizing the color image by using the white organic emission layer and the color filters formed thereon, a light characteristic such as luminance may be deteriorated.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not form prior art.

Display device and manufacturing method thereof


A positive photosensitive composition comprising: (A) a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with actinic rays or radiation; (B1) a resin of which solubility in an alkali developer increases under an action of an acid; and (B2) a resin that has at least one group selected from (a) an alkali-soluble group and (b) a group capable of decomposing under an action of an alkali to produce an alkali-soluble group, and the resin (B2) does not have a group capable of decomposing under an action of an acid; and a pattern forming method using the same.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a positive photosensitive composition for use in the process of producing a semiconductor such as IC, in the production of a circuit board for liquid crystal, thermal head and the like, or in other photofabrication processes, and a pattern forming method using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a positive photosensitive composition suitable for the processing where an exposure light source of emitting a far ultraviolet ray or the like of 250 nm or less, preferably 220 nm or less, or an irradiation source utilizing an electron beam or the like is used, and a pattern forming method using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
The chemical amplification-type photosensitive composition is a pattern forming material capable of forming a pattern on a substrate by producing an acid in the exposed area upon irradiation with actinic rays or radiation and through a reaction using this acid as the catalyst, changing the solubility in a developer between the area irradiated with actinic rays or radiation and the non-irradiated area.
In the case of using a KrF excimer laser as the exposure light source, a resin having small absorption in the region of 248 nm and having a basic skeleton of poly(hydroxystyrene) is predominantly used as the main component, and this is an excellent system capable of forming a good pattern with high sensitivity and high resolution as compared with the conventional naphthoquinonediazide/novolak resin system.
In the case of using a light source of emitting light at a shorter wavelength, for example, in using an ArF excimer laser (193 nm) as the light source, a satisfactory pattern cannot be formed even by the above-described chemical amplification system because the compound having an aromatic group substantially has large absorption in the region of 193 nm.
In order to solve this problem, a resist containing a resin having an alicyclic hydrocarbon structure has been developed as the resist for use with an ArF excimer laser.
Furthermore, it has been found that the performance is enhanced by containing a repeating unit having a lactone structure in the resin having an alicyclic hydrocarbon structure. For example, JP-A-9-73173 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application")), U.S. Pat. No. 6,388,101B, JP-A-2000-159758, JP-A-2001-109154 and U.S. Patent Publication 2001-26901A describe a resist composition containing an acid-decomposable resin having a lactone structure.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,627,391B describes a composition containing an acid-decomposable resin and a low molecular additive having a lactone group.
However, it is actually very difficult to find out an appropriate combination of a resin, an acid generator, additives, a solvent and the like from the aspect of overall performance as the resist. Furthermore, in forming a fine pattern having a line width of 100 nm or less, the formed line pattern falls despite excellent resolution performance and improvements are demanded not only in the problem of pattern falling giving rise to a defect at the production of a device but also in the line edge roughness performance of a line pattern.
Here, the line edge roughness means that the edge of the interface between the resist line pattern and the substrate irregularly fluctuates in the direction perpendicular to the line direction due to characteristics of the resist and when the pattern is observed from right above, the edge gives an uneven appearance (evenness of approximately from ±several nm to several tens of nm). Since this unevenness is transferred onto the substrate by an etching step, if the unevenness is large, an electric characteristic failure and in turn reduction in the yield are caused.

Positive photosensitive composition and pattern forming method using the same


An in-situ system for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from groundwater. The technique includes gas-lift pumping and in-situ vapor stripping.

The present invention relates generally to procedures for cleaning contaminated groundwater, and more particularly to in-situ procedures for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from groundwater.
During the last decade, over 1200 hazardous waste sites in the U.S. have been placed on the EPA National Priorities List for remedial investigation and cleanup. However, current remediation methods are often very expensive, and alternative concepts and techniques are needed. The present invention is particularly concerned with VOCs which pose a significant threat to groundwater supplies and are commonly detected in groundwater.
The most common class of VOC pollutants are petroleum products, such as gasoline and jet fuels. The U.S. EPA estimates that there are more than 2 million underground tanks in the United States and that 20 percent of them leak and contaminate groundwater. Such tanks leak benzene, toluene and their derivatives which become dissolved in groundwater. Another important group of VOC pollutants is chlorinated hydrocarbons, notably TCE (trichloroethylene, CHCl.dbd.CCl.sub.2) and its degradation products.
One challenge for hydrologists and environmental engineers is to develop new in-situ remediation methods for removing the dissolved organic contaminants in a simple, cheap and efficient manner. At many contaminated sites, it is common for the majority of the organic pollutants to exist as separate liquid phases. A portion may dissolve into groundwater or may evaporate into the gas phase of the unsaturated zone. Once in the groundwater, the dissolved organic contaminants are transported as plumes. During aquifer remediation, the main body of organic liquid is usually removed from groundwater by skimming or pumping with subsequent above ground treatment. A portion of the liquid phase that is retained by capillary forces may continue to slowly dissolve. Remedial action may also include forced vacuum extraction through the unsaturated zone to remove the gas phase of the toxic substances. Unfortunately, the dissolved portion is not treated in-situ, because remediation technologies are limited to `pump-and-treat` (i.e., above ground) methods.
The newly-developed method of biorestoration may provide an alternative for some specific cases. This method is aimed at enhancing biodegradation of organic compounds through the introduction or stimulation of natural microorganisms along with injection of nutrients and oxygen. Lately, methanogenic microorganisms have been discovered in natural systems that are able to co-metabolize TCE under reducing conditions after controlled stimulation. Although in the early phase of technology development, these methods may become practical and effective. However, these methods are limited to very specific conditions; for example, in-situ bioremediation of TCE-containing water is apparently limited to fluids containing less than about 100 ppm of TCE, as higher concentrations seem to be toxic. Alternatively, an in-situ remediation technique using an under-pressure vaporizer floating device was introduced.
Apparently, an in-situ aquifer remediation method that employs air lift pumping as a means of producing gas bubbles to remove VOCs from groundwater is not mentioned in the literature. Related studies have inspected the effects of air bubbles on various hydrologic, geologic, and engineering processes. The general behavior of air bubbles in groundwater is mentioned in the hydrological literature in relation to its effect on decreasing hydraulic conductivity, its effect on soil moisture hysteresis and its effect on water table fluctuations. It has been suggested that air bubbles might serve as carriers of suspended particles such as clay minerals in porous media, due to their special interface properties. In the petroleum engineering literature, the behavior of gas bubbles is mentioned by researchers regarding their effect on oil reservoirs. Transport by gas bubbles in the free liquid phase has received attention in fields as diverse as oceanography, where bubbles are mentioned as important carriers of organic matter to the sea-surface, and in flotation techniques for the processing of ores.
Air-liquid mass exchange has been applied in two different processes. First is "gas stripping" of industrial wastewater using large towers above the ground; and second, the "purge and trap" laboratory technique for analysis of concentrations of trace volatile chemicals. This water-gas phase mass transfer is very efficient. In the case of gas stripping it is possible to reduce concentrations in the aqueous phase to the water quality standards which are frequently at the detection limit. It is interesting to note that today gas stripping is used as a standard method for removing volatile chemicals from pumped groundwater in contaminated sites before its supply for domestic usage. The purge and trap method in the laboratory is also an effective removal method for many compounds.
The present invention involves a new concept for in-situ removal of dissolved VOCs from the saturated zone. It avoids standard `pump-and-treat` methods. It is a combined gas-lift pumping technique and in-situ vapor stripping method. The idea is to inject gas into wells which lifts the contaminated water in the well. During the process, VOCs are transferred from the water to the gas bubbles. The injected gas can be air or any specific gas such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or any other combination of gases. The injected gas can be at the ambient temperature or it can be warm or cold. The VOCs are then collected at the top of the well by vapor extraction.
An object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficient technique for removing dissolved contaminants. That is, to use the gas-lift pumping and in-situ vapor stripping techniques for removing VOCs from ground water.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or will be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.

In-situ vapor stripping for removing volatile organic compounds from groundwater

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


An attachment apparatus for forming a handle to a broom handle or the like. The attachment apparatus includes a handle member, an intermediate closure member which is installed in the handle member, and a locking member which is installed within the intermediate closure member and the handle member. The locking member has one end with external screw threads and the other end which forms a loop opening. A spring biased pawl is pivotally mounted on the handle member, such that when the tip of the pawl is engaged with the external screw threads of the locking member by the spring, it locks the movement of the handle member. However, by simply pressing the pawl against the spring, an individual can free the movement of the locking member, which in turn frees the movement of the handle member. A broom handle or the like is inserted within the loop opening established by the locking member. Then the spring-biased pawl is pressed while the handle member is pushed towards the locking member until the intermediate closure member abuts against the broom handle while the loop opening on the locking member squeezes the broom handle to secure the attachment apparatus thereon. When the spring-biased pawl is released, the inner screw threads on the engaging tip of the spring biased pawl are engaged to the external screw threads of the locking member, and the handle member can be further threaded on the locking member to precisely adjust the tightness of the attachment apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of handles. More particularly, the present invention relates to an attachment apparatus for forming a handle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The following five (5) prior art patents were uncovered in the pertinent field of the present invention:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 2,546,387 issued to Coffing on Mar. 27, 1951 for "Detachable Handle Lock" (hereafter "the Coffing Patent"); PA1 2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,489 issued to Lind on Aug. 9, 1983 for "Lever Adapter For Door Knob" (hereafter "the Lind Patent"); PA1 3. U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,179 issued to Salvucci on Jan. 19, 1993 for "Gas Cylinder Cart Removable Handle" (hereafter "the Salvucci Patent"); PA1 4. U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,589 issued to Davenport on Sep. 6, 1994 for "Lobby Dust Pan" (hereafter "the Davenport Patent"); and PA1 5. Danish Patent No. 96,038 (hereafter "the '038 Danish Patent").
The Coffing Patent discloses a detachable handle lock. It comprises two telescopic poles slidable within each other. The larger telescopic pole has a lateral opening thereon. A spring is disposed within the smaller pole therein and has a lateral protruding end. The smaller pole slides within the larger pole such that the lateral protruding end slides therein and registers with the lateral opening on the larger pole whereupon the lateral protruding end springs outwardly, thereby securing the smaller pole with the larger pole.
The Lind Patent discloses a lever adapter for a door knob. It comprises a hollow cylinder which slips over the round knob and is secured to the knob. The cylinder has an end which is closed. The other end is internally threaded to receive an externally threaded annular ring adapted to slip over the supporting shaft of the knob. Threading the ring into the cylinder causes the cylinder to be secured to the knob to provide a handle-type latch mechanism.
The Davenport Patent discloses a lobby dust pan.
The '038 Danish Patent, as disclosed from the figures shows a fastening apparatus.
The Salvucci Patent discloses a detachable handle for a gas cylinder cart. The attachment involves a mechanism which simply involves inserting the bent handle into an opening and then having mating members through which a screw bolt and nut can be inserted.
None of these prior art patents have disclosed an attachment apparatus which can be attached to a broom handle or the like for forming a handle. It is desirable to have an attachment apparatus, where it can be securely fastened onto a broom handle or the like for forming a handle so that an individual can grip the broom handle in the horizontal direction or in the vertical direction, whichever the situation may be. It is also desirable to have a very efficient and also very effective design and construction of an attachment apparatus, where the attachment apparatus can be securely fastened and quickly released.

Attachment apparatus for forming a handle


A near-real-time holographic display for operations at a remote work site where a three dimensional database is collected with a laser range scanner. The database is then divided into discrete two dimensional segments or depth planes. A holographic recording material is then sequentially exposed to multiple depth planes through a stack of three spatial light modulators in a multiplane exposure process. This procedure is repeated for all depth planes in the database. The holographic recording material is then rapidly developed for viewing of the remote work site in a holographic image that simulates natural vision.

Currently remote site display systems use multiple two-dimensional (2-D) TV camera views during the teleoperation of remote equipment controllers. Operators of the remote equipment must fuse the multiple 2-D views and form a mental image of the 3-D space to determine the relative orientation of remote objects. During close range manipulation tasks human operators have the most difficulty in efficiently and safely controlling a manipulator. Specifically it is difficult to accurately position the manipulation tool on the end of a manipulation arm closer than a half-foot or so from the desired location and the time to complete a close-range operation can take up to 20 minutes or more. Such control difficulty is the partial result of the loss of 3-D information on flat 2-D TV screens. In a TV image, 3-D information is lost. Only monocular cues to distance are preserved such as size, linear perspective, and interposition. No binocular or accommodative cues to distance are available.
Stereographic display systems have been developed as an alternate display technology to provide the observer with binocular cues to depth through the presentation of binocularly-disparate images. In a typical system, a pair of cameras at the remote site send disparate images to each of the observer's eyes. However, the fused 3-D image can only provide the correct perspective information from a single vantage point. To create a full-parallax display, that is, one having both horizontal and vertical parallax, the observer's head must be tracked so that the remote stereographic cameras can be repositioned to correspond to the new observer viewing angle. However, head-tracking technology has not yet been sufficiently perfected so that a new head location can be acquired and a new camera location repositioned fast enough to present a smoothly-transitioning display image. That is, the display cannot meet the expectations of the human visual-vestibular system and motion sickness symptoms can result while viewing the stereographic display. It would be advantageous if a system could be provided that could achieve a full-parallax, three dimensional (3-D) display with binocular as well as accommodative cues to depth that are similar to natural vision.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide holographic display of a remote operations site in near-real-time.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a full-parallax holographic display of a remote operation site that simulates natural vision.
Another object of the present invention is to provide holographic display of a remote operations site by generating a holographic image of the remote site from a database created with a laser range scanner.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide holographic image of a remote operations site from a multiplane exposure method.
Yet another object of the present invention is to generate holographic image of a remote operations site from multiple depth planes derived from a laser range scanner database.

Near real-time holographic display for remote operations


A system and method for altering a website from a default appearance to a personalized appearance includes aggregating user-specific information based on an online user activity across a plurality of platforms, analyzing the aggregated user-specific information based on the online user activity to determine a user-preferred term for describing a category of an object, detecting a default term used to describe the category of the object on the default appearance of the website, in response to a determination that a user has accessed the website, and superimposing the user-preferred term on the website at a location of the default term on the website, such that the website is altered to display the user-preferred term to the user instead of the default term for the category of the object.

Currently, websites have a default appearance or layout based on a design used to create the website. Advertisements may be rendered on the website that pertain to previous user online activity, but those advertisements are rendered around the default appearance/layout of the website. The advertisements and suggestions displayed on the screen, in addition to the default layout of popular retail and e-commerce menus can overwhelm a user visiting the website.

Personalized website modification based on online user activity

International Business Machines Corporation


An organic electroluminescent device containing an organic electroluminescent element (2) and a polarized-light scattering film (1) which comprises a light-transmitting resin (11) and dispersedly contained therein minute regions (12) differing from the light-transmitting resin in birefringent characteristics and in which the difference in refractive index between the minute regions and the light-transmitting resin in the axis direction in which a linearly polarized light has a maximum transmittance, Δn1, is smaller than 0.03 and that in a direction perpendicular to the Δn1 direction, Δn2, is from 0.03 to 0.5, the light produced by the organic electroluminescent element being emitted from the device through the polarized-light scattering film. Also disclosed are a polarizing surface light source which comprises the organic electroluminescent device and a liquid-crystal display which comprises the polarizing surface light source and a liquid-crystal cell disposed on the light emission side of the light source.

Various luminescent devices have hitherto been proposed which employ an organic electroluminescent (EL) element comprising electrodes and interposed therebetween a luminescent layer comprising an organic EL material. As compared with inorganic EL elements, the organic EL elements themselves luminesce upon application of a lower voltage, have a higher degree of freedom of material design, and can be more easily made thin. The organic EL elements are hence expected to be used as surface light sources for use as, for example, the backlights of liquid-crystal displays.
However, the conventional organic EL devices have had a problem that the efficiency of light utilization is low. Specifically, the efficiency of emission η of light generated by a luminescent layer (efficiency of taking out the light) is approximated using the equation η=½n2, wherein n is the refractive index of the luminescent layer. Supposing that n is 1.6, the value of η is about 0.2, i.e., the efficiency of emission is as low as about 20%. It has been proposed to heighten the efficiency of emission by a technique in which the light generated in an element is transmitted by total internal reflection and emitted through an edge of the element, by a technique in which a luminescent layer comprising a discotheque liquid crystal is formed to enhance light emission toward the front side, or by a technique in which a light diffuser film is disposed outside an element to reduce total internal reflection (see JP-A-6-160842 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"), JP-A-10-321371, and JP-A-8-83688). However, these techniques have drawbacks of complicated constitution, device instability, insufficient efficiency of emission, etc., and none of them is a satisfactory measure for resolution.

Organic electroluminescent device, polarizing surface light source, and liquid-crystal display


A method for re-transmitting data from nodes in a multi-hop wireless network to a control node, wherein each node is a child node to a corresponding parent node, each child node configured to communicate with the control node via its intervening parent node. The method comprises the control node determining or initiating determination of a transmission schedule for the nodes and the nodes re-transmitting previously transmitted data towards the control node using the schedule.

Conventional industrial control systems are based on wired technologies like fieldbus systems and industrial Ethernet. Wireless technologies provide a low cost alternative with many additional benefits such as fast installation and commissioning, higher flexibility, ease of maintenance and increased troubleshooting capabilities. Recent advances in wireless technologies have led to the use of multi-hop wireless networks for (open-loop) monitoring of large-scale industrial systems. However, the use of multi-hop wireless networks for control applications is still at a nascent stage.
Multi-hop control networks are representative of wireless networked control systems in which control and feedback signals are exchanged in the form of information packets over a shared wireless medium, thereby closing a global control loop. The closed-loop control typically takes place between a controller and a spatially distributed system of sensors and actuators. Closed-loop control can also occur between controllers. This is referred to as control-to-control communication. Multi-hop control network find broad range of applications in legacy and emerging industrial systems, such as discrete manufacturing, process control, collaborative remote operation, remote control of automated guided vehicles, platooning of vehicles, and virtually coupled train systems—among many others.
Realizing closed-loop control over multi-hop wireless networks becomes particularly challenging with state-of-the-art wireless technologies. This is mainly due to the limitations of existing technologies in meeting the stringent requirements of closed-loop control applications. Typically, closed-loop control over wireless demands connectivity with very high reliability and very low latency. This is because packet losses and delays, which are dominant in wireless environments, have a detrimental effect on the stability of the control loop. Closed-loop control also involves bi-directional communication with cyclic traffic patterns. The cyclic information exchange demands highly deterministic connectivity which implies that the communication latency (between cycles) must have a very low variance. Besides, due to the presence of a large number of sensor and actuators, the requirement for highly scalable connectivity naturally arises.

Method for efficient retransmissions in multi-hop control networks


A booster type DC-DC conversion circuit and a voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit are connected in series with a battery. When battery voltage is high, the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit does not operate, and the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit outputs a constant voltage lower than the battery voltage. When the battery voltage drops, the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit operates, and converts the battery voltage to a constant voltage higher than the operation voltage of the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit. The voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit outputs a constant voltage. The power supply apparatus can continuously output a constant voltage from when the battery voltage is high until it becomes low, and can efficiently utilize the battery capacity.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a power supply apparatus capable of efficiently utilizing a built-in battery, and an electronic apparatus using the power supply apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable electronic apparatuses such as notebook type personal computers, portable telephone sets, and so forth, have been widely used in recent years. A battery is built in as the power supply of such electronic apparatuses. However, because the voltage of the battery generally drops with the progress of discharge, the battery output has been stabilized by a DC-DC conversion circuit so as to keep the voltage used in the electronic apparatus main body constant.
On the other hand, the electronic apparatuses of the type described above can utilize an external D.C. power supply by utilizing an A.C. adaptor, and a voltage higher than the rated voltage used in the electronic apparatus main body is input in order to charge a rechargeable battery by an external D.C. power supply. For this purpose a voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit is used, which executes a voltage reduction operation for using the battery power supply. When the battery voltage drops, however, the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit does not operate, and this is the problem to be yet solved.
When the electronic apparatus is operated by the built-in battery without being connected to the external power supply, the battery voltage drops with the progress of discharge, but the input from the battery is regulated by the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit and outputs a predetermined voltage as a driving voltage of each portion of the electronic apparatus main body such as 5.0 V, for example. On the other hand, in the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit, the input voltage must be higher than the output voltage, because there is an input/output voltage ratio which is proportional to a voltage drop across transistors and a choke coil in the conversion circuit and to an input/voltage ratio proportional to an ON/OFF ratio of the transistor. Generally, a minimum input voltage required for obtaining a 5.0 V output is about 6.0 V.
On the other hand, when two lithium ion secondary batteries (Li+) of 4.2 V per cell, which will be a predominant battery in the future as the power supply of the electronic apparatuses, are connected in series and are used, the voltage is 8.4 V at the time of the full charge state, but as discharge proceeds, the battery voltage drops and discharge finishes finally at 5.0 V. However, because the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit does not operate at a voltage below 6.0 V, discharge of the battery must be stopped at 6.0 V.
In this case, though the battery has the capacity to discharge down to 5.0 V, the remaining 1.0 V cannot be used. There is a difference of about 10% between the case where this battery is discharged to 5.0 V and the case where discharge is stopped at 6.0 V. Therefore, if the Li+ battery is used for the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit requiring the 5.0 V output, only about 90% of the battery capacity can be used and the remaining about 10% becomes useless. In other words, there remains the problem that the battery cannot be used at maximum efficiency.
To cope with this problem, a method has been proposed which connects three lithium ion secondary batteries (Li+) in series, but in this case, the voltage at the time of full charge becomes 16.8 V, and this voltage is close to the limit of withstand voltages of ordinary components of the power supply. This voltage does not cause any problem, in particular, when the battery is discharged, but in consideration of the charging operation of the battery, the voltage necessary for charging the 16.8 V battery is at least 18.0 V and this exceeds the limit of the ordinary components. Thus, another problem develops. Efficiency of the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit becomes higher when the difference between the input voltage and the output voltage is smaller, and is likely to drop with the increasing difference between the input and output voltages. Therefore, in consideration of voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion efficiency, it is not preferred to set the battery voltage to a high level.
To solve the problem described above, there is a system which uses a booster/reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit and can always output a required voltage both when the battery voltage is higher than the output voltage and when it is lower than the output voltage.
However, whereas power conversion efficiency is from 90 to 95% in the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit, it is as low as from 75 to 85% in the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit and is extremely low, i.e. about 60%, in the booster/reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit. As described above, when the booster/reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit is used, efficiency of the use of the battery becomes deteriorated. More concretely, we consider the case of the lithium ion secondary battery (Li+), for example. In the case of the voltage reduction type circuit, the loss due to DC-DC conversion is 10% and the unused voltage of the battery at the time of the voltage drop is 10%, or in other words, the total loss is about 20%. In the case of the booster/reduction type circuit, the loss due to DC-DC conversion is 40% and this value is twice as bad as the voltage reduction type with respect to efficiency of the battery use.
To solve the problems of the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit and the booster/reduction type conversion circuit, a system has been proposed which connects in parallel the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit and the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit, operates the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit when the battery voltage is high and operates the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit when the battery voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage.
According to this system, the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit is connected in parallel with the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit. In the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit, however, the input voltage passes to the output side when the input voltage is higher than the output voltage. Therefore, the input of the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit must be cut off by a switch in such a case. Further, when the conversion circuit is changed over from the voltage reduction type to the booster type, a penetration voltage appears on the output side. In other words, the high input voltage appears as the output voltage.
In the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit, power can be supplied from a choke coil to a load in both ON and OFF cycles of a switching transistor, but in the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit, power can be supplied from the choke coil to the load only in the OFF cycle of the main switching transistor. As a result, the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit has a time lag from the start of the DC-DC conversion operation until the output of the rated output voltage. Further, the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit requires the input voltage be somewhat higher than the output voltage, as explained above. As a result, in the system wherein the voltage reduction type and the booster type DC-DC conversion circuits are connected in parallel, there is a gap between the battery voltage at which the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit can operate normally and the battery voltage at which the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit normally starts its operation.
In a power supply apparatus which connects the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit in parallel with the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit, there is another system which delays a switching time from the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit to the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit in order to prevent penetration of the input voltage. In this case, the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit is operated until the battery voltage drops to a voltage near the output voltage, and thereafter the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit is operated. Accordingly, penetration of the battery voltage becomes less, but because the output voltage drops in the switching period, there remains the problem in stabilization of the output voltage.
In the power supply apparatus wherein the voltage reduction type DC-DC conversion circuit and the booster type DC-DC conversion circuit are connected in parallel, the output voltage supplied to the load becomes discontinuous at the time of switching from the voltage reduction type to the booster type, and a step-like change occurs. Such a step-like change of the voltage results in a fatal problem in the electronic apparatus including a digital data processing circuit comprising semiconductor devices, and invites erroneous operation of the electronic apparatus.

Power supply apparatus for efficiently utilizing battery and electronic apparatus using the power supply


A gas-phase, continuous process is provided for the manufacture of 2,6-diaminopyridine and related compounds from glutaronitriles, which are used industrially as compounds and as components in the synthesis of a variety of useful materials. The synthesis proceeds by means of a dehydrogenative aromatization process.

The compound 2,6-diaminopyridine ("DAP"), which is represented by the structural formula shown below:
is a useful starting material for preparing monomers for rigid rod polymers such as those described in WO 94/25506, as well as for the preparation of dyes, metal ligands, medicines and pesticides.
It is known to prepare DAP by means of the Chichibabin amination reaction, in which pyridine is reacted with sodium amide in an organic solvent. This is a complicated reaction, however, requiring relatively severe conditions (e.g. 200° C. at elevated pressure). Additionally, handling the sodium amide and isolating the desired product from this complex mixture are difficult operations to perform on a commercial scale.
The synthesis of 2,6-diaminopyridine and related compounds from glutaronitriles or glutarimidines may be described as proceeding via a dehydrogenative aromatization reaction. A process for the preparation of 2,6-diaminopyridine and related compounds from glutaronitriles and related compounds by contacting an acyclic dinitrile compound with a chemical oxidant and/or a dehydrogenation catalyst in liquid ammonia neat or in a mixture of ammonia and a polar, aprotic solvent, and heating the reaction mixture in a closed vessel, is described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/876,577 (filed 21 Dec. 2006), which is by this reference incorporated in its entirety as a part hereof for all purpose. A process for the preparation of 2,6-diaminopyridine and related compounds from glutarimidines and related compounds by contacting a glutarimidine with a chemical oxidant and/or a dehydrogenation catalyst in liquid ammonia neat or in a mixture of ammonia and a polar, aprotic solvent, and heating the reaction mixture in a closed vessel, is described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/876,557 (filed 21 Dec. 2006), which is by this reference incorporated in its entirety as a part hereof for all purpose.
British Patent 2,165,844 discloses the gas-phase conversion of glutaronitrile to pyridine in the presence of hydrogen over a palladium on silica catalyst. U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,348 discloses a gas-phase process for making 3-cyanopyridine by dehydrocyclization of 2-methylglutaronitrile over supported catalysts to make a mixture of 3-methylpyridine and 3-methylpiperidine, and reacting such mixture with ammonia over various oxide catalysts. U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,809 discloses a gas-phase process for making 3-methylpyridine by contacting 2-methylglutaronitrile in admixture with hydrogen gas with a supported catalyst.
Despite these existing processes to make pyridines, a need remains for a process for the gas-phase preparation of aminopyridines, and in particular DAP and related compounds.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Gas-phase process for the synthesis of diaminopyridines from glutaronitriles


A high speed optical receiver for receiving a substantially diminished optical signal. An optical amplifier amplifies the diminished optical signal at least several db and an ultra narrow-band filter filters the noise generated in the optical amplifier to produce a filtered amplified optical signal which is detected by a fast response photo detector. In a preferred embodiment the optical amplifier is a semiconductor laser amplifier. In this embodiment a Faraday filter provides the ultra narrow-band filtering, virtually eliminating the noise produced by the amplifier. Transmitters are described for transmitting information at a wavelength tuned to the ultra narrow-band filters.

This invention relates to communication devices and in particular to optical communication devices.
Optical communications system receivers need high sensitivity and fast response. One approach to selecting an optical receiver for a communications system is to first identify receivers of sufficient sensitivity, and then to pick the receiver with the fastest response among them. Such a procedure has led the free space communications industry to select silicon avalanche photodiodes (APDs) for long distance, free space laser communications system operating at a wavelength of about 0.8 mm. However, the response time of ADPs is generally limits them to signals at a GHz. The speed of the APDs is limited by a time constant associated with the electron multiplication process. Much faster speeds are achievable using p-i-n photodiodes. However, the p-i-n photo diode sensitivity is not sufficient for many applications. It is known that the sensitivity of a p-i-n photo diode-based photo receiver can be increased by adding an optical preamplifier ahead of the photo diode to first amplify the optical signal prior to photo detection. The use of optical preamplifiers for laser receivers in fiber optics communications systems is known. The preamplifiers themselves typically consist of semiconductor lasers with reduced facet reflectivities, operated just below the lasing threshold. These semiconductor laser amplifiers do a good job of amplifying the signal, producing amplifications on of up to 25 to 30 db. However, the amplifiers are very noisy. Interference filters have been proposed to cut down on the amplifier noise with only limited success.
It is known that atomic line filters can be used to obtain ultra narrow band optical filtering. Faraday filters are also know and have been used to provide ultra narrow-band optical filtering. See Menders et al, "Ultra narrow line filtering using a Cs Faraday filter at 852 nm" (OPTICS LETTERS, Vol. 16, No. 11, Jun. 1, 1991).
What is needed is an optical communication system having transmitting and receiving components in which a signal beam which can be allowed to diminish to extremely low levels and still be detected by the optical receiving components in the system.


A high-frequency data transmission cable includes a plurality of groups of twisted conductors and a sheath placed around the groups of twisted conductors delimiting an internal volume for housing the groups of twisted conductors. The groups of twisted conductors are placed at the periphery of the internal volume and are practically equidistant from each other. The internal volume contains, in addition to the groups of twisted conductors, a plastics material foam that holds the groups of twisted conductors in position. Applications include data transmission networks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns high-frequency data transmission cables and a method and apparatus for fabricating a cable of this kind.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Because computer and other networks use ever increasing data bit rates, it is necessary to improve the performance of cables. Two parameters in particular are very important in high-frequency data transmission: crosstalk between the pairs of conductors and the regularity of the impedance of these pairs.
Crosstalk between pairs is a phenomenon whereby signals transmitted in one pair generate noise in the adjacent pairs. Other things being equal, crosstalk is reduced by increasing the distance between the pairs. The regularity of the impedance of a pair is determined by a reflection measurement; it can be obtained easily in a twisted pair of the conductors which have an insulation of constant thickness and good concentricity, but is more difficult to obtain in the case of quads, because there is a risk of the conductors being locally at a greater distance from each other.
Although the invention applies essentially to cables having two to eight groups of twisted conductors, each group preferably comprising two or four twisted conductors, it applies to other numbers of conductors. Sheathed electrical cables comprising a plurality of conductors and a core filled with a plastics material foam are known in themselves. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,681,510 describes a sheathed electrical cable having a plurality of conductors and the core of which is filled with a plastics material foam. Insulated conductors are uniformly distributed in the core, both at the center and towards the periphery, which is delimited by a material that is also coated with the plastics material foam. In this cable the pairs of conductors are not individualized, and this cable is therefore not suited to high-frequency data transmission.
Japanese patent application JP-52 82 921 describes a cable formed by accommodating a flat cable wound on itself, comprising some ten parallel wires, for example, so that it fits in a circular section sheath, the interior space being filled with polyethylene foam. In cross-section the disposition of the conductors is substantially in the form of a spiral, one edge conductor of the flat cable being placed towards the interior of the circular cable and that at the other edge being in contact with the sheath. A small number of conductors is placed at the outside periphery and all the conductors are adjacent to each other. Crosstalk between pairs is increased relative to that of the flat cable on its own, because the edge conductors are also near the other conductors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,629 discloses a cable for use in local area networks in which twisted pairs are each placed in a sheath. The pairs for transmitting data are surrounded by a shield. Other pairs, on the outside, are intended to transmit voice signals and not data. According to this patent, to reduce crosstalk the twisted pairs are moved apart by incorporating each pair into a circular section sheath, the two sheaths being in contact but holding the pairs apart.
The invention concerns a different construction enabling crosstalk to be reduced by moving the pairs apart and procuring excellent regularity of impedance.
In accordance with the invention, the groups of twisted conductors, which are preferably pairs or quads, are at a maximum distance from each other because they are placed in a member which, during its construction, separates them as far as possible, within the limits of a mold that forms the outside surface of the inside part of the cable. In this way the groups of twisted conductors which are fed in so that they are equidistant at the inside periphery of the mold are separated as far as possible, i.e. pushed against the inside surface of the mold, by the foam insulative internal member that holds them in place. In this way the pairs are as far apart as possible, given the imposed diameter, and this reduces crosstalk. The pairs are positioned by the foam when it has hardened, so that each twisted conductor group retains its regularity of impedance.

High-frequency data transmission cable and method and apparatus for fabricating it


An attachment is described that is mountable to the rearward three point hitch members of a tractor and is operable in response to relative movement of the three point hitch members to split logs. The device includes a top hitch connector member that is releasably mountable to the single tractor top hitch member. A cross connector member is adapted to mount between the two tractor bottom hitch members. A splitting blade is mounted on one of the connector members and a log support surface is located on the remaining member. A guide mechanism is also provided for movably joining the two connector members for guiding relative movement of the wood support surface in a line toward and away from the cutting blade. Actuation of a conventional rocker shaft on the tractor to cause upward movement of the bottom hitch member will cause corresponding movement of the cross member toward the top connector member, thereby causing the wood support and the blade to move toward one another. Wood held on the support surface is brought against the blade and is split as the support and blade move toward one another.

The present invention is related to wood-splitting mechanisms and more particularly to such mechanisms that are mountable to the three point hitch members of typical wheel tractors.
Manual splitting of logs for firewood is a slow and very strenuous process. It has therefore become desirable to provide mechanical apparatus that will increase the speed and decrease the effort required to split logs into stove or fireplace size chunks of wood. Nearly all such mechanical arrangements include a frame, a movable wood support, a cutting edge in alignment with the support, and some form of powered apparatus for driving either the cutting edge toward the support or the support toward the cutting edge. The powered splitting mechanisms are typically large and cumbersome, some requiring separate suspension and wheel support. Although a mechanized splitting apparatus may be entirely effective for quickly and easily splitting wood, it is usually bulky and extremely expensive, both to purchase and to maintain. This is due primarily to the necessary integral power drive units incorporated within them.
The typical wheel tractor utilized on small estates and farms includes a rearward three point hitch arrangement, including a central upper hitch member and two lower pivoted members. The lower pivoted hitch members can be selectively moved about a common pivot axis by a "rockshaft" for the purpose of lifting or lowering attached implements. The upper central hitch member is stationary on the tractor frame. The lifting mechanism is usually a hydraulic cylinder connected to the rockshaft through a bell crank arrangement. Considerable upward force may be applied through the lift mechanism.
The conventional wheel tractor is often available for use in wood gathering and splitting operations. It therefore becomes desirable to obtain some form of simplified wood splitting apparatus that may be powered by the standard tractor three point hitch arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,675 to M. J. Bles, Sr. discloses a tractor carried log splitter, making use of the three point hitch arrangement for supporting a self powered log splitting arrangement. A hydraulic cylinder is supplied within the splitter frame and is operated by control mechanisms also on the frame for moving a splitting wedge toward and away from a log brace.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,567 to Arnold D. Dircksen et al discloses a tractor mounted log splitter including a framework mountable to a three point hitch mechanism of a tractor. This device also includes an integral cylinder arrangement for attachment to the tractor hydraulic system and operates to move a log into engagement with a splitting wedge. The three point hitch frame mechanism is provided merely to enable elevational adjustment of the entire splitting mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,985 granted to Yvon Gosselin discloses a hydraulic log splitter implement. Again, the splitter arrangement is mounted to the three point hitch mechanism of a tractor but includes a separate hydraulic cylinder arrangement for connection to the tractor hydraulics that pivots a wedge arrangement for splitting logs. The device is upright and includes height adjustment features that allow for adjustment to accommodate logs of various sizes. Again, the three point hitch arrangement is used primarily for the purpose of mounting the splitter to the tractor and for raising or lowering the entire splitter unit relative to the ground surface.
An alternate form of log splitting arrangement is illustrated by Guy in U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,779. Guy uses a frame arrangement that replaces a forkarm along the front of a front end loader. The device makes use of a loader operating cylinder for forcing a log against a splitting wedge. The device is mounted at a single pivot point at a forward end of a tractor and, by necessity, includes specific mounting arrangements adapted to position the loader cylinder in relation to the facing edge of the splitting wedge.
LaPointe, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,246 illustrates a variation of the Guy arrangement in providing an attachment for backhoe power equipment. Here, a bracket positions the backhoe bucket operating cylinder in relation to the outer boom arm end. An elaborate wood supportive framework is mounted to the outer boom arm end in an upright orientation with the arm and with a wood support surface situated directly below the piston for the cylinder. The piston can therefore be extended to move a log against a splitting wedge.
The front end loader and backhoe arm mounted splitting arrangements may be serviceable. However, the backhoe or bucket loader are not typically provided on the type of tractors that are frequently used for wood cutting and hauling purposes. In fact, if such attachments are provided, it is more convenient to dismount them from the tractor to allow increased maneuverability in wooded areas and to present better visibility for such maneuvering. In order to arrange the devices for operation, the front end loader or backhoe arrangement must first be mounted to the tractor. Then the bucket arrangement must be dismantled and the splitting arrangement remounted to the forwardly extending arms.
The problem remains, therefore, of obtaining some form of splitting apparatus that is easily mounted to and removable from the three point hitch arrangement of wheel tractors and that can rely entirely upon the three hitch hoisting provisions for operation.

Log splitting attachment for tractor three point hitch members