A seed monitoring apparatus for use with a seed planting machine includes a seed sensor comprising a housing forming a substantially tubular passageway and mounting a light source and three photosensitive elements arranged substantially in a triangular configuration. The arrangement of the light source and the triangular photosensor configuration is such that a seed passing through the tubular passageway will momentarily obscure the passage of light to the photosensor the apex of the triangle, if at all, before obscuring the passage of light to either of the photosensors forming the base of the triangle. The monitoring circuit includes two signal paths in which different methods of counting are used to produce different numbers of pulses in response to signals from the three photosensors. One or the other of these signal paths is selected automatically in accordance with the rate at which seeds are detected. One of these signal paths includes a delay circuit interposed in the line from the apical sensor while the other includes a one shot circuit interposed in the line from the same apical sensor. Additionally, a bunch detector circuit produces a predetermined number of additional pulses or counts in response to seeds detected substantially simultaneously at the two sensors forming the base of the triangle.

This invention is directed generally to monitoring of a flow of discrete small articles, and more particularly to the accurate detection and counting of seeds being planted by a seed planting machine.
More specifically, the present invention is directed to the problem of providing a seed monitoring apparatus capable of providing a substantially accurate count of different types of seeds which may be planted by the same seed planting machine, but requires no action by the operator in the way of modifications or changing of components thereof to accomplish this end.
Seed monitoring and counting apparatus used in the past have generally included a housing or other means forming a path of travel for seeds to traverse on their way to the ground to be planted. Conventionally, a photosensor arrangement is used, consisting of one or more light emitting devices and one or more photo-sensitive elements mounted generally on opposing sides of the path of travel. Consequently, a seed passing along the path of travel will momentarily partially obscure the light falling on one or more of the photo-sensitive elements and thereby cause the emission of a signal therefrom. Suitable circuits are provided to receive these signals and to derive therefrom a pulse signal for driving a visual indicator device such as a flashing lamp or for driving a cumulative counter thereby keeping a running count of the number of seeds planted.
While such devices have been heretofore proposed and have in fact proven highly reliable in operation in monitoring and/or counting seeds of a particular type, it has heretofore been difficult or impossible to provide a single monitoring apparatus capable of monitoring different types or sizes of seeds. In this regard, at least three types of problems are encountered when it is desired to change over the planting machine from one type of seeds to another. Firstly, the difference in the sizes of different seeds (i.e., corn vs. soybeans) present a problem in that a given sensing arrangement having a given fixed sensitivity for the purpose of sensing a relatively large seed (e.g. corn) may fail to respond reliably to a substantially smaller seed (e.g., soybean). Secondly, the rate of planting may differ substantially for different types of seeds, such that a sensor having sufficient sensitivity for a given relatively slow rate of planting (e.g., of corn) may fail to respond rapidly enough to count all of the seeds planted at a substantially higher rate of planting (e.g., soybeans). Thirdly, the attitude of seeds at the point of detection by the sensor may differ substantially when different types of seeds are being planted. In addition to the foregoing problems, both the rates of planting and attitudes of seeds may also differ as between seed planting machines of different makes and models or configurations.
With particular reference to the problems encountered when switching over from planting corn to planting soybeans, it should be noted that soybeans are substantially smaller than kernels of corn and moreover that typical planting rates for soybeans tend to be significantly higher than those for corn. Accordingly, a soybean passing a seed sensing device will not only be considerably smaller than a corn kernel, but will also be followed more closely by additional soybeans. Consequently, the sensing and counting of soybeans place a considerably greater demand, in terms of both sensitivity of response and accuracy, upon the sensor and associated monitoring apparatus than do the sensing and counting of corn. Additionally, a problem has heretofor been encountered in obtaining adequate "coverage" of the entire path of travel without unduly narrowing the path of travel which may cause clogging, particularly at the high rate of planting of soybeans. However, it will be recognized that attempts to use two or more photosensitive devices to "cover" the path of travel may result in erroneous counts of the seeds because a single seed may trigger a response from both photo-sensitive elements.


A basket drawer structure contains: a basket and two rail elements. The basket includes a mesh, a holding space, an opening, and a peripheral rib. The peripheral rib has two recessed portions, two orifices, and two first rollers. The two recessed portions have two shaft holes, and two rivets insert through the two shaft holes to rivet with the two first rollers individually. The two rail elements are symmetrically fixed on a shelf or a cabinet. A distance between the two rail elements is equal to a width of the basket, and the two rail elements respectively include two support rails. Two second rollers are riveted on two front ends of the two support rails individually. The basket is retained in the two support rails by way of the peripheral rib, and the two second rollers of the two rail elements are mounted in the peripheral rib.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cabinet for accommodating objects (such as clothes) and, more particularly, to a basket drawer which pulls rollers easily.
Description of the Prior Art
A conventional cabinet is applied to accommodate objects and contains a drawer fixed across a rail, so the drawer is pulled difficultly because of pulling resistance. To decrease the pulling resistance, the conventional cabinet contains a drawer, two rails, and two rollers arranged on the two rails respectively, such that the drawer is pulled easily. However, the two rollers are arranged on the two rails respectively, thus occupying storage space and increasing manufacture cost.
A conventional basket drawer contains a hollow accommodation space, and two rollers are arranged on two rails of the cabinet, thus having an unattractive appearance. Furthermore, it is not easy to form the two rails on cables of the basket drawer, so the two rollers are arranged on the two rails of the conventional cabinet. The basket drawer when loaded cannot be pulled easily.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.


A bandgap reference circuit (14) in a bandgap voltage reference device (10) generates a bandgap voltage reference (V.sub.BG) at the base of a Q1 transistor (22) and a Q2 transistor (20). A reference current signal I.sub.T flows into the collectors of the Q2 transistor (20) and the Q1 transistor (22) as generated by a difference in base to emitter voltages due to a difference in emitter areas between the Q2 transistor (20) and the Q1 transistor (22). A correction current signal (I.sub.TT) generated by a current squaring circuit (16) is injected into the collector of the Q1 transistor (22) such that the collectors of the Q2 transistor (20) and the Q1 transistor (22) have unequal current values. The current squaring circuitry (16) generates the correction current signal (I.sub.TT) by squaring the reference current signal (I.sub.T) and dividing it into a sampling current signal (I.sub.SC ) generated in a current generator amplifier (18). The collector current difference between the Q2 transistor (20) and the Q1 transistor (22) enable the elimination of the second order temperature coefficient, as well as the first order temperature coefficient, of the base to emitter voltage (V.sub.BE) Of the Q1 transistor (22). In this manner, a bandgap voltage reference (V.sub.BG) becomes more stable, accurate, and less temperature dependent.

Many electronic circuits require a stable and accurate reference voltage for effective operation. However, reference voltages may be unstable due to temperature variations caused during circuit operation. To compensate for the temperature dependence of reference voltages, bandgap circuits were designed to minimize the effect of temperature on the reference voltage. These conventional bandgap circuits only compensate for the first order temperature coefficient of a transistor's base to emitter voltage without completely eliminating the temperature dependent characteristics of the circuit. Thus, the base to emitter voltage remains dependent on changing operating and process characteristics.

Bandgap reference with compensation via current squaring


Disclosed is a seismic source device, known in the industry as an air gun, having internal sleeve and shuttle control for allowing a predetermined discharge of compressed air into water for purposes of seismic exploration. The shuttle engages an internal sleeve having ports that momentarily align with exhaust ports and then moves past, sealing off the exhaust ports before all of the compressed air in the firing chamber of the air gun is exhausted. By preventing further discharge of air with little or no loss in acoustic output, pulses are greatly reduced, thereby enhancing the operation of the entire system. Further by preventing all the air in the firing chamber from being discharged, the system becomes more efficient and more cost effective.

This invention relates to seismic source devices and more particularly to a shuttle controlled seismic source device which allows only a portion of the air found in the firing chamber of the device from being discharged into the surrounding environment.
In marine seismic exploration, a source of acoustic energy is released into the water every few seconds to obtain appropriate acoustic waves that propagate into the earth's surface. These waves are reflected at interfaces of the subsurface formations and propagated back to instruments where transducers convert the acoustic waves to electronic signals which are recorded and later processed into a record section for interpretation of the subsurface formations. Marine seismic exploration is of two types, the first type being on water where the seismic source units are strung or towed from a water vehicle. The second type of marine seismic exploration is arctic marine exploration where the seismic source units are disposed below an ice layer to determine the formation of the rock surfaces below the ice layer.
During the past decade, the major marine seismic energy source for both types of marine exploration has been the air gun. An air gun, as in the prior art, releases high-pressure air (typically 2000 PSI up to 6000 PSI or even more) into the water to create the desired acoustic wave.
State of the art air guns normally comprise an annular housing that contains means for discharging compressed air through exhaust ports in the housing. Compressed air is stored within the housing in a firing chamber. The only moving component (except for the solenoid triggering device) in the state of the art air guns is a shuttle, which when raised, permits air to escape from the firing chamber through the exhaust ports in the main housing into the surrounding water. The size of the gun is determined by the firing chamber volume selected. By having a constant source of compressed air through an inlet passage in the housing, the upper chamber containing the shuttle is filled and forces the shuttle into a sealed position closing off all exhaust ports from the firing chamber. By using a solenoid valve to allow air flow underneath the shuttle flange thus forcing the shuttle upward and causing an unequal pressuring on the shuttle pistons opposing each other on the shuttle shaft, the shuttle is accelerated in the upward direction exposing the chamber exhaust ports and allowing compressed air to escape into the surrounding water. When the shuttle is in the down, or closed position, the air gun is charged and ready for firing. When fired, the state of the art air gun allows 80-90% of the air in the firing chamber to be exhausted into the water. Consequently, prior art air guns suffer two major disadvantages: first, the efficiency of the air gun for converting stored energy to useful acoustic energy in the seismic passband is well below 10%, and second, the undesirable secondary pressure pulses follow the first acoustic pulse and obscure or confuse the time of the reflected signals.
Several approaches have been taken by the industry to overcome this second disadvantage of undesirable secondary pressure pulses. However, it has been found that the solutions provided are either the cause for a less efficient system of converting stored to acoustic energy or result in greater expense in processing the data. Among the methods presently employed to reduce secondary pulse amplitudes are those that include throttling additional air into the bubble as it forms outside the chamber with a so-called "wave shaping kit", using an array of guns of different sizes, and thus different bubble pulse periods, to destructively reduce the secondary pulses and finally, "signature correction" techniques in data processing to reduce the secondary pulses recorded. "Signature" may be defined as the recorded wavelet or pressure level of the acoustic pressure discharged into the water over a fixed period of time.
Copending U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 929,883, entitled "Air Release Control in Seismic Energy Source Air Gun", filed July 31, 1978, and assigned to the assignee of this invention, teaches, as a preferred embodiment, an air gun incorporating a secondary shuttle which is activated at the proper moment to cause the closure, by a primary shuttle, of the exhaust ports to further discharge of air from within the air gun.
The present invention utilizes an internal sleeve having ports therethrough, activated by the shuttle to permit the escape of compressed air when the exhaust ports communicate with the sleeve ports, and closing off the flow of air, through the exhaust ports, from within the body of the air gun when the sleeve ports move above the exhaust ports. The shuttle reverses direction, moving the sleeve with it to its charged position.

Internal sleeve air release control apparatus in seismic air gun


The present invention relates to a control system, in particular a lighting control system, having a control line to control power modes of network components, such as data forwarding components as well as end nodes, e.g. application control components, according to a global application plan. Controlling the power modes may comprise switching off data-ports in the control network. A data-forwarding device having switchable data port can be used to switch off data paths “in efficio” through the control network. Furthermore, a protocol to interrogate the status of a network component as well as to receive a schedule for unattended operation is provided, thereby enabling improved energy usage and enhanced safety.

In application control networks, such as—but not limited to—lighting control networks, data forwarding devices, are used to forward messages between different application control components, such as sensors and actuator of a lighting application. It is known from Heller et all, "ElasticTree: Reducing Energy in Data Center Networks", that present data-forwarding devices like data-forwarding devices are inefficient at low load. Presently, when being in an idle status—that is powered but not used for communication—a typical data-forwarding device uses only 5% less power compared to when these status in which the data-forwarding device is fully loaded with data transmission.
In wired application control environments an application device may be powered via Power Over Ethernet (i.e. PoE). From DE 10 2008 035544 A1 it is known to switch off respective PoE end devices by switching off the power supply to these end devices via a controllable switch integrated in the network card the respective end devices are connected to. An intermediate PoE device, such as a data-forwarding device, however, is an all ports on/off device, just like a normal Ethernet data-forwarding device without Power Over Ethernet functionality. A typical PoE data-forwarding device will thus require a relative high additional power budget to "keep the line alive". This is standardized in Ethernet standard "802.3 at" (i.e. "Eight-oh-two-dot-three-Alfa-Tango"). The Ethernet standard 802.3at for Power Over Ethernet requires a minimum standby power of 250 mW per port. In big installations with many nodes this amounts to large standby-power, not only from data communication equipment such as e.g. data-forwarding devices such as but not limited to data-switches and routers but also from the nodes that are attached thereto, such as electrical actuators/loads or sensors. This causes several problems:                Large standby power generates heat and degrades the life of electronics, unless it is overdesigned to cope with that, which results in extra cost.        Application end notes with large energy saving potentials such as LED's in the lighting sector, may become less substantial due to the standby power consumed by the data communication network.        More ambitious requirements on "Energy Performance Calculations" for new buildings and/or renovations and reductions in energy use are expected in the context of sustainability.        Energy loss in itself results in non negligible costs in moderate to large buildings.        Energy loss of devices usually heats the surrounding air, which requires additional cooling, which in itself consumes additional energy and thus produces costs.
PoE equipment cannot be sent to 'sleep', meaning that the equipment is switched off entirely, since a PoE device would have to maintain a network interface in order to be able to receive a wake up command and therefore a PoE device requires power which it receives via Ethernet as well. But also switching off components with external power supply within the network might influence to overall network performance in an un-desired way, for instance, data paths may be cut off or be unduly prolonged.

System, device and method for conserving energy in controlling network applications


An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for power generation. A wind turbine is configured to drive an electrical generator. One or more solar panels are electrically coupled to the electrical generator to provide power from the electrical generator and/or the one or more solar panels. A base is configured for mounting the wind turbine to a structure. The wind turbine may be pivotally coupled to the base such that an angle of the wind turbine is adjustable relative to the structure.

Most electrical power generation in the United States relies on non-renewable fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, which are harmful to the environment and increasingly costly. Generating power from renewable sources, such as solar and wind energy, avoids the increasing cost and environmental harm associated with fossil fuels.
Residential power customers can reduce power bills significantly by generating some of their own electricity from renewable sources. However, installing a large array of solar panels or a windmill may involve a large upfront investment, which may be paid off by reduced power bills only over several years (if at all, depending on the cost and the lifespan of the solar panels or windmill). Also, solar energy and wind energy are highly variable, and may provide little power on overcast or calm days. Moreover, some cities and homeowner associations don't allow homeowners to install large arrays of solar panels, or a large windmill.

Combined solar and wind power generation


An apparatus for gauging vehicle damage. The invention comprises a plurality of removable magnetic stop members for placement upon a vehicle and for determining a point of reference. Each of the magnetic stops has an axially extending alignment pole and a calibrated measurement chain attached to the pole for making a measurement from the point of reference. In the method of the present invention a point of reference on an automotive body is determined. Next, a portable magnetic stop is placed on the automotive body at the point of reference. Finally, a calibrated chain is extended from the portable magnetic stop for making an auto body measurement from the point of reference.

Each year, tens of thousands of automobiles and trucks are damaged in automotive accidents. The repair of these vehicles is typically performed by one of the approximate 50,000 automotive body shops located throughout the United States and Canada.
A key element in auto body repair is the correct alignment and measurement of the vehicle frame and/or body in order to determine both the extent of damage and the correct alignment necessary for proper repair. At present, there are a number of popular devices and methods for gauging vehicle body and frame disalignment and damage.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,663; 4,302,883; and 4,899,457 each disclose various vehicle straightening and measurement bridges and frames for gauging autobody repair. These devices are bulky, expensive and must be utilized by trained personnel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,663, for example, includes cumbersome position locating arms which are movable along several axes, but which are difficult to position. several axes, but which are difficult to position.
Some prior art devices such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,635 incorporate sight alignment mechanisms. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,635 telescoping tubes suspend from the frame for supporting a pointer. These devices are also complex and relatively difficult to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,330,945 utilizes a laser based measurement system. Laser based measurement systems, which have recently gained popularity, are very expensive (often costing over $50,000) and require substantial training by automotive repair personnel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,250 discloses an acoustical system for determining vehicle damage utilizing computerized acoustical measurement. The system includes a data acquisition apparatus comprised of emitters, receivers, and microprocessor controls. The emitters are mounted at various predetermined positions on the body and emit an acoustic burst signal. An array of microphones act as the receiver. A coprocessor initializes an external clock which measures the travel time from the emitter to the receivers. The repetition of the process yields three dimensional coordinates which can be utilized to measure vehicle damage.
Each of the above discussed prior art devices and methods thus utilizes complex, expensive or bulky apparatus for measuring vehicle damage. Such apparatus, while accurate, are often far beyond the financial reach of the small auto body shop and the cost of their purchase and use is a contributing factor to the increased cost of auto body repair. Auto body repair is a substantial component in increasing automotive insurance rates. The use of these devices further increases the cost and time required for estimating auto body damage.
It would be desirable to have a vehicle frame measurement system which is small, inexpensive and which can be easily utilized and moved to determine vehicle damage.
It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide a vehicle damage measurement system which is small, inexpensive and which can be rapidly utilized to make a significant number of auto body measurements.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a vehicle damage measurement apparatus which incorporates a plurality of magnetic measurement stops which can be easily maneuvered to measure a wide variety of relevant vehicle gauges and distances.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent in view of the following Summary and Detailed Description.

Apparatus and method for measuring automotive damage and disalignment


The invention relates to a method for producing a threaded bolt. A blank is introduced into a threaded-bolt negative mold. The blank has a bolt-shaped portion. Fibers which are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the bolt-shaped portion are embedded in a plastics material in the blank. Pressure is exerted on the blank in order to deform the blank in the negative mold such that a threaded structure is formed on a circumferential face of the bolt-shaped portion. The invention moreover relates to a threaded bolt which is manufacturable by this method, and to a system which is conceived for carrying out the method. Lightweight and hard-wearing threaded bolts may be manufactured by the method according to the invention.

The invention relates to a method and to a system for producing a threaded bolt. The invention moreover relates to a threaded bolt which is producible in this manner.
Threaded bolts are used in establishing screw connections. Modern threaded bolts are predominantly composed of steel. The threaded structure on the circumferential face of the bolt is produced by a material-forming process. A plurality of established forming methods which enable threaded structures to be produced exist. These forming methods cannot be directly applied to other materials.
Threaded bolts of steel have a high weight, constituting a disadvantage in many types of applications.

Method and system for producing a threaded bolt


A method of joining diamond bodies which includes the steps of positioning the bodies such that a surface of one body is close to a surface of the other body and a space is provided therebetween, growing diamond on the surfaces by chemical vapor deposition and continuing the growth until the surfaces are joined by grown diamond.

This invention relates to joining diamond bodies.
It is possible to synthesise diamond from the gas phase. This method is known as chemical vapour deposition (CVD) and the diamond produced is known as CVD diamond. The process generally involves providing a mixture of hydrogen gas and a suitable gaseous carbon compound such as a hydrocarbon, applying sufficient energy to that gas to dissociate the hydrogen into atomic hydrogen and the gas into active carbon ions, atoms or CH radicals and allowing such active species to deposit on a substrate to form diamond. Dissociation of the gases can take place by a variety of methods.
One such method is the use of a hot filament. In this method, the gas temperature at the filament is about 2000.degree. C. and the substrate on which diamond growth occurs is at 800.degree. to 1100.degree. C.
A second commonly used method is a plasma assisted method. The hydrogen and gaseous carbon compound enter a plasma region, which may be microwave, RF or DC plasma, where they are excited to their reactive states. They diffuse in this state to a substrate. The substrate is heated by the plasma.
Yet a further method of exciting the hydrogen/gaseous carbon compound mixture is with the use of a plasma jet. One such method is described in EP 0286306 which involves effecting an arc discharge while feeding a discharge gas between an anode and a cathode of a thermal plasma chemical vapour deposition device, activating or producing radicals from a gaseous carbon compound by feeding the gaseous compound to a generated plasma jet and permitting the plasma jet containing the radicals to impinge on a substrate thereby to form diamond on the substrate.


Bait for attracting crustaceans, particularly lobster. The bait includes a pelletized carrier composed of ingredients intended for long life in sea water. The pelletized carrier is mixed with specific crustacean attractants and a fish oil is added to coat the pellets and attractant and to allow for the timed release of the attractant. In experiments to date, it has been found that the use of the pelletized carrier and attractant together with the fish oil coating has been effective as a bait in attracting lobsters and has an extended life within lobster traps.

This invention relates to crustacean bait and, more particularly, to lobster bait which includes an attractant or attractants and which is intended to have an extended attractant life for lobsters and other commercially fished crustaceans.
Presently, lobster fisherman utilise fresh or frozen fish parts or whole fish to bait lobster traps. The fish used are traditionally herring, mackerel, red fish or salmon. The bait works in a satisfactory manner and lobsters and other crustaceans are attracted to the fish bait. However, there are disadvantages inherent in using fresh or frozen fish or fish parts in lobster traps.
First, fresh or frozen bait has a very short life within the traps. Salt water and other opportunistic scavengers will quickly deteriorate the quality of the bait and, after a relative short period depending on the conditions under which the bait is used, the bait will no longer serve as an attractant because of its deterioration. Secondly, the handling of fresh or frozen bait is not convenient. Fresh bait may not be available and, in any event, such bait must first be obtained if the traps are to be baited. Frozen bait will ensure availability but refrigeration is necessary to preserve the frozen bait which is energy consuming. Thirdly, the cost of fresh or frozen baits may vary substantially depending on the time of the fishing season and the availability of the fresh or frozen bait and such cost may sometimes be expensive. Fourthly, traditional baits must be obtained and this sometimes done under directed fishing conditions in which the bait is frozen or salted prior to each fishing season. A reduced demand for fresh or frozen bait would be environmentally attractive, would enhance fish stocks and would allow more efficient use of scarce marine resources.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided bait for a crustacean trap, said bait comprising a pelletized carrier and attractant having ingredients which offer extended life relative to a fish feed, said ingredients forming a pelletized feed, an attractant for attracting said crustaceans and an oil coating for coating said pellets and said attractant, said oil coating allowing a timed release of said attractant thereby to attract said crustaceans.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for attracting crustaceans to a crustacean trap comprising the steps of obtaining a pelletized crustacean bait consisting of a carrier made from relatively long life ingredients, at least one crustacean attractant mixed with said pelletized crustacean bait and an oil coating allowing timed release of said attractant, placing said crustacean bait within said crustacean trap and setting said crustacean trap within water for attracting and trapping said crustaceans.
According to yet a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making a crustacean bait for use within crustacean traps comprising the steps of mixing a pelletized crustacean feed composed of relatively long life ingredients with an oil and at least one crustacean attractant to form said crustacean bait.
According to still yet a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a product produced according to the foregoing method.


Two or more kinds of thermal paper are set in a paper housing unit, whether the thermal paper are double-side thermal paper or one-side thermal paper is previously determined by printing marks and detecting the printed marks, and the thermal paper are selectively fed for double-side printing and one-side printing.

There is a conventional thermal printer, which is provided with a thermal head at positions corresponding to one side and the other side of thermal paper having a thermosensitive layer on both sides, so-called double-side thermal paper, and prints both sides of thermal paper by operating both thermal heads, or prints one side of thermal paper by operating one of the thermal heads (e.g., Jpn. PAT. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-71569).
Double-side thermal paper is more expensive than thermal paper with a thermosensitive layer on only one side, so-called one-side thermal paper. Therefore, one-side printing using double-side thermal paper is undesirable from an economic viewpoint.

Thermal printer and method of controlling the same


A valve closure system for rotating a rotatable actuator of a valve relative to a body of the valve to operate the valve from open to closed. The system contains a motor having a rotatable shaft, a mounting that comprises plural parts including a bracket, for associating the motor with the valve, and a coupling for coupling the motor shaft to the valve actuator to impart rotation of the motor shaft to the valve actuator to operate the valve closed. The bracket comprises a plate having a surface defining a notch that has a) an entrance at a perimeter of the plate and b) a shape enabling the plate to associate with the valve body by i) disposing the plate alongside the valve body with the notch entrance aligned with the valve body and ii) then moving the plate laterally of the valve actuator axis to cause of the valve body to pass through the notch entrance and enter the notch. One of the parts, namely a pin, is disposed on the plate and protrudes from the plate to present a dimensional interference with the valve body axially, as measured along the actuator axis, beyond the portion of the valve body disposed within the notch, for keeping the valve body disposed in the notch and preventing the plate from rotating on the valve body as the motor operates to close the valve.

Various types of transportable vessels are used for packaging various commercial and industrial gases at superatmospheric pressure. One type of vessel is a gas cylinder, an example of which is an elongate metal tank adapted to contain gas at relatively high pressure. An upper axial end of the cylinder has a neck containing an opening to the interior. A shut-off valve is mounted in closure of the neck opening. Another type is a container, a vessel that may have substantially larger volume than a cylinder. A container may have several such shut-off valves each mounted in closure of a respective opening in the container wall.
A representative shut-off valve comprises a first port fitted in sealed relation to an opening in a vessel wall, a second port, and a valve mechanism that is operable via an external actuator, or tool, to allow and disallow fluid communication between the two ports. The second port is externally available for connection to a gas supply source when the cylinder is to be filled and for connection to a gas utilization system at a facility that uses gas stored in the cylinder. The valve mechanism comprises a stem that is rotated by an external actuator or tool to open and close the valve. An external actuator may be either manual or powered. A knob or handle that is turned by hand is an example of a manual actuator. An electric- or pneumatic-powered prime mover is an example of a power actuator. A wrench is an example of a hand tool for turning the valve stem. The term "actuator" includes the stem.
The representative valve may be a globe style valve whose stem is rotatable more than one full turn between closed and full open positions. Opening the valve allows contained gas to pass from the vessel by entering the first port, flowing through the valve, and exiting via the second port. In such case, the first port forms a gas inlet connected to the vessel, and the second port a gas outlet. The gas outlet may be connected via a conduit to a point of use of the gas.
Such vessels can hold gases that may be considered hazardous, examples of such gases including chlorine and sulfur dioxide. A facility that utilizes one or more of such gases in a process, or processes, conducted at the facility may, for example, have any number of such vessels containing the same or different gases on the premises. When connected to a gas handling system at the facility, such vessels are able to deliver gas, or gases, into the system once their shut-off valves have been opened. Because of inherent characteristics of certain gases, vessels that contain them may be housed in locations that are remote from attending personnel, and/or the vessels may be in use at times when personnel are absent.
When a vessel, or vessels, is, or are, in use at a facility, and gas leakage is detected, it may be appropriate to shut off all vessels in an attempt to minimize further gas leakage. Accordingly, an automatic gas leak detection and valve shut-off system may be employed at a facility to address such a situation. Such a system may include a power actuator associated with the shut-off valve of each vessel. Examples of known valve closure systems include electromechanical actuators and pneumatic actuators.
The following U.S. Pat. Nos. show various shut-off valve operating systems: 4,633,897; 4,872,482; 5,257,771; 5,340,078; and 5,588,637.

Powell Fabrication & Manufacturing, Inc.


Plasmids containing synthetic DNA sequences are described which are suitable for the expression of the intermediate protein of the recombinant scu-PA (i.e., the unglycosylated protein moiety of the single chain prourokinase) in Enterobacteriaceae, especially in E. coli, with expression rates far higher than those obtainable according to prior methods. The plasmids comprise operons that include a regulatable, optionally synthetic, promotor, a Shine-Dalgarno sequence, a start codon, a synthetic structural gene with selected codon usage, and downstream of the structural gene, 1 to 2 transcription terminators. The preparation of the plasmids and of synthetic DNA-sequences starting from commercially available plasmids and intermediates is described. The intermediate protein, expressed in high yields by using the plasmids for transforming suitable hosts, may be refolded to produce the therapeutically useful plasminogen activator recombinant scu-PA. This protein also may serve as a starting material for obtaining the recombinant two chain unglycosylated urokinase protein (rtcu-PA) on a large scale by splitting the single chain product.

Plasminogen activators are of great importance in treating occlusions of blood vessels by fibrin clots, as in acute myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, arterial thromboembolism and other clinical conditions.
Since about 1951 it has been known that human urine contains a proteolytic enzyme which by limited proteolytic activates plasminogen to plasmin, i.e., the enzyme which degrades fibrin to soluble polypeptides and thus causes the dissolution of the fibrin component of blood clots. This plasminogen activator first isolated from urine in 1951 was named urokinase. Later several different forms of urokinase were described, which all turned out to be related to the same precursor molecule. This zymogen "prourokinase" has been known since at least 1977. The primary structures of the two major forms of urokinase and the structure of prourokinase were elucidated, however, only in 1982 and 1984, respectively. Prourokinase has a single chain structure. Therefore it was designated scu-PA (single chain urinary plasminogen activator). This scu-PA consists of 411 amino acids, and in its naturally occurring form it is glycosylated at the amino acid in position 302 of the protein chain.
Several papers describe the production of the unglycosylated protein moiety of scu-PA by recombinant techniques, in Escherichia coli (hereinafter E. coli), which is designated as "recombinant scu-PA" (recombinant scu-PA; proposed INN "Saruplase"). In a randomized double-blind therapeutic trial on 401 patients, recombinant scu-PA proved to be more efficient in thrombolysis and better tolerated than conventional fibrinolytic agents (see, for example, The Lancet, Apr. 22, 1989, pp. 863 to 868).
As described in various publications, procaryotic organisms can be used to produce the unglycosylated plasminogen activator recombinant scu-PA. The processes known for the production of the recombinant scu-PA involve the expression of the scu-PA structural gene obtained from human tissues. Unfortunately, in these processes only very low expression rates are obtained. These low yields make impossible economically feasible large scale production of the desired product. For instance, Hibino et al., in Agric. Biol. Chem. 52:329-336 (1988), obtained an expression of only 2% from recombinant E. coli when calculated per amount of total bacterial protein. Other publications such as, for example, the European patent application published under number 00 92 182 A2 and Holmes et al., Biotechnol. 3:923-929 (1985) give no precise values of the expression rates obtained. Reproduction of these experiments in different bacterial strains, however, also has yielded recombinant scu-PA expression of less than 2% of the bacterial protein.
As in most cases of expressing eukaryotic proteins in bacteria, the recombinant scu-PA protein chain is produced by the transformed bacterial cell in the form of inclusion bodies consisting of denatured protein designated hereinafter as "intermediate protein". This intermediate protein, after isolation, must be renatured ("refolded") by chemical treatment to form the correct tertiary structure of recombinant scu-PA that is suitable for use as a thrombolytic agent. To determine the amount of recombinant scu-PA formed, the resulting product may be treated with plasmin to transform recombinant scu-PA to recombinant (unglycosylated) two chain urokinase ("rtcu-PA"), the enzymatic activity of which is then determined and may serve as a measure of the amount of recombinant scu-PA formed. Of course, it is also possible to determine the amount of intermediate protein formed or the amount of recombinant scu-PA directly, for example, by densitometric scanning of the total bacterial proteins after electrophoretic separation, and thereby determine the expression rate.
Despite a great deal of work which has been done in the art, there remains a need for means and techniques for expressing scu-PA at rates which facilitate economically feasible production of recombinant scu-PA.

Plasmids, their construction and their use in the manufacture of a plasminogen activator


A phase-locked loop (PPL) utilizing a RAM is disclosed. The RAM is provided to store a reference clock and a clock to be controlled. The PLL further comprises a voltage-controlled oscillator section controls a phase of the clock to be controlled. The PLL further comprises a controller for retrieving, from the RAM, data of said reference clock and said clock to be controlled. The controller determines a phase difference between said reference clock and said clock to be controlled. Additionally, the controller generating a control signal so as to reduce said phase difference and applying said control signal to said voltage-controlled oscillator section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a phase-locked loop (PLL), and more specifically to a PLL using a random access memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known in the art that a PLL is essentially a closed loop electric servomechanism whose output is locked onto, and will track a reference signal.
Before turning to the present invention, it is deemed advantageous to briefly describe, with reference to FIG. 1, a conventional PLL.
A PLL 10, shown in FIG. 1, is comprised of a phase detector 12, a control voltage generator 14, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 16, and a frequency divider (or frequency demultiplier) 18. A reference clock CLK0 is fed to the phase detector 12 which also receives a clock CLK2 from the frequency divider 18. The phase detector 12 compares the phases of the two clocks CLK0 and CLK2, and generates an error signal which is proportional to the phase difference between the two clocks. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the error signal is typically filtered by a loop filter (low-pass filter) and is applied to the control voltage generator 14 whose output is adjusted to generate a clock CLK1 from the VCO 16 with a predetermined clock rate (frequency). The clock CLK1 is applied to an external circuit (not shown) and to the frequency divider 18. Assuming that a divide value of the frequency divider 18 is Nv, then the frequency of the clock CLK1 is expressed by Nv multiplied by the frequency of the reference clock CLK0.
The above-mentioned conventional PLL has failed to pay any attention to the quality of the reference clock CLK0. In other words, the PLL of FIG. 1 is unable to determine the quality of the reference clock CLK0. Therefore, the PLL of FIG. 1 has suffered from the following difficulties. That is, the output clock CLK1 is undesirably deteriorated in the case where the clock rate of the reference clock CLK0 becomes unstable, and in the case where the wave-form of the reference clock CLK0 is disturbed due to noises superimposed thereon, and in the case where the reference clock CLK0 is instantaneously terminated.

Phase-locked loop using a random-access memory


An approach is provided in which an information handling system receives a request from a subject to perform an operation between a first object and a second object. The first object belongs to a first set of domains and the second object belongs to a second set of domains. The information handling system determines whether a set of common domains exist between first set of domains and the second set of domains that meet an inter-domain restriction that is imposed on the subject, which requires that the first set of domains and the second set of domains have at least one domain in common. The information handling system, in turn, performs the operation based on the determination.

Role-based-access-control (RBAC) is a policy-neutral access control mechanism defined around roles and privileges. RBAC can be used to facilitate administration of security in large organizations with hundreds of users and thousands of permissions.
Role-based access control (RBAC) provides the facility to delegate duties and improves the security of a system because of the ease of auditing and tracking of activities on the system, such as by providing a mechanism to split various functions of a super user root into roles that can be delegated to other users on a system. Although RBAC provide delegation of responsibility to another user (referred as an "authorized user"), it does not provide a mechanism to limit the administrative rights of an authorized user to specific resources of the system. For example, a user that has network administrative rights is able manage every network interface on the system.
In an RBAC system, a "subject" is an entity that requests access to an object (e.g., process, user, etc.). An "object" in an RBAC system is an entity that holds information of value, such as files, devices, and network ports. A "domain" in an RBAC system is defined as a category to which an entity belongs. RBAC includes a feature to restrict access to authorized users by attaching domain tags to users and resources in the system. The specific access rules determine access to resources by the users. When a subject belongs to two or more domains, and those domains contain unique objects, RBAC does not restrict a subject to execute an operation between the objects in the two different domains. For example, if a subject S1 belongs to domain D1 and D2 that include objects O1 and O4. respectively, the subject S1 may perform operations between O1 and O4 without restriction.

Managing inter-object operations in a domain role-based access control (RBAC) system

International Business Machines Corporation


A tire chopping apparatus includes a rotor assembly with a plurality of circumferentially and axially spaced rotor teeth which cooperate with a plurality of stationary teeth supported on a shear bar assembly to shearingly engage tire carcasses to reduce the carcasses to smaller fragments. A plurality of axially spaced guards extend outwardly from the shear bar assembly toward the rotor assembly and limit the size of fragments which can pass through a shear zone formed by the interengaging rotary and stationary teeth. The guards may be in the form of bridge plates spanning the rotor assembly or upstanding guard plates which extend upwardly from the shear bar assembly and include a distal end which extends outwardly toward and in horizontally spaced relation to the rotor mandrel.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of grinders for reducing discarded tires into smaller pieces for disposal or recycling.
2. Description of the Related Art
The disposal of worn tires is complicated by the material characteristics that are designed into them. Thus, the tendencies of modern tires toward structural integrity and weather resistance that make them serviceable for long periods of time also make their disposal more difficult. There are problems with simply placing whole tire carcasses in landfills. The voids in the carcasses give them a tendency to float to the surface over time and can cause an undesirable softness or sponginess and, thus, instability to the overall landfill. Simply accumulating tires in the open often results in water collecting in the carcasses, which promotes the breeding of mosquitos and other pests. Additionally, while tires are not highly flammable, fires occurring in large collections of tires are highly polluting, as well as difficult and dangerous to extinguish.
In order to facilitate the disposal of tires, machines have been developed to reduce tire carcasses to smaller pieces ranging in size from several inches in extent down to small pellet sizes. The larger sized xe2x80x9cchunksxe2x80x9d are suitable for further processing, such as reduction to a smaller size or, alternatively, for more convenient disposal in a land fill. The smaller pellet size particles are suitable for disposal in land fills, but also for such uses as a component of road paving materials or as a component of a fuel, as for steam generation.
Conventional machines for chopping or comminuting tire carcasses include hammer mills having rotating blades or teeth which shear the carcasses into pieces in cooperation with additional sets of counter-rotating teeth or shear bars with stationary sets of teeth. One problem with conventional tire chopping machinery is that the moving blades tend to pull the entire carcass through the sets of teeth before it can be fully reduced. This can cause a xe2x80x9cjamxe2x80x9d in the machine, requiring interruption of carcass processing and, possibly, requiring partial disassembly of the machine to clear. In some cases, damage to the machinery can occur, such as by deforming a mandrel on which the rotating tooth structures are mounted, the shear bar, or both. In any case, the oversized pieces must be retrieved and reprocessed. Often, such machinery incorporates size classifiers to separate larger pieces of tires to be reprocessed from those which can be passed on, as by a conveyor, to the next process or to a place of collection.
The present invention provides an improved tire chopping apparatus for comminuting or reducing tire carcasses to smaller fragments. The apparatus includes a support framework on which a rotor assembly is positioned, along with a stationary shear bar. The rotor assembly is formed by a central mandrel onto which are mounted a plurality of axially spaced chopper xe2x80x9cdiscsxe2x80x9d. The chopper discs are somewhat pinwheel shaped and provide a structure on which a plurality of replaceable rotor teeth are mounted. The shear bar includes a plurality of laterally spaced shear teeth which are also replaceable.
The rotor teeth, or rotor shear tools, are positioned in an outwardly or radially extending and circumferentially spaced orientation. The chopper discs are oriented in such a manner that the teeth thereon are angularly staggered from one disc to the next in a multiple xe2x80x9cchevronxe2x80x9d or V-shaped pattern of teeth in adjacent discs. In general, the staggering of the teeth limits the number of teeth xe2x80x9cbitingxe2x80x9d into a carcass at the same time to reduce the torque requirements for a rotor motor to drive the rotor assembly and to avoid bogging down such a motor. The chevron pattern of the rotor teeth is oriented in such a direction relative to rotation that carcasses are urged laterally in relation to the rotor assembly to avoid jamming of carcasses at single section of the rotor assembly. To some extent, the lateral carcass movement caused by the chevron rotor teeth pattern tends to xe2x80x9cchurnxe2x80x9d a group of tires within the hopper to thereby prevent bunching up or jamming of the apparatus by too many carcasses being fed at one time.
Additional jamming prevention is provided by a plurality of guards which are spaced along the rotor assembly and positioned respectively between the chopper discs. The guards are oriented in vertical planes and extend between the rotor assembly and the shear bar to form a xe2x80x9cclassifierxe2x80x9d or grate to limit the size of carcass fragments which can pass through a chopper or shear zone at which the rotor and shear teeth engage the carcasses. Carcass fragments too large to pass between the guards, or be driven therebetween by the rotor teeth, are positioned to be engaged and reduced by the rotor teeth in cooperation with the shear teeth.
In a first embodiment of the present invention, the guards take the form of bridge plates, which are generally C-shaped with radial extensions at the ends. The bridge plates are retained at one end by engagement or hooking under frame structure of the tire hopper and at the shear zone by the shear teeth and are, thus, removable and replaceable if worn, damaged, or dislodged. As tire carcasses are urged toward the shear teeth by contact with the moving rotary teeth, engagement of the carcasses with the bridge plates prevents them from being drawn between the rotor and shear bar. Only after the carcasses are reduced to much smaller size can they be drawn through.
In a modified embodiment of the tire chopping apparatus, the guards are in the form of upstanding guard plates which extend upwardly from the shear bar proximate each of the stationary shear teeth and outwardly toward the rotor mandrel. The guard plates are cantilevered from the shear bar so that a gap remains between the distal end of the guard plate and the rotor mandrel. The gap allows hard to grind fibrous materials, such as the steel belting from steel belted radial tires, to pass through the machine, while still preventing large pieces of tire carcass from being drawn through. The upper edge surface of each guard plate slopes downwardly toward the gap so that belt material is more likely to fall through the gap instead of building up on the guard plate. The upper edge surface may further be provided with a plurality of teeth arrayed in a ratchet or stair-step pattern to help prevent the tire carcasses from being pushed away from the shear zone by the action of the rotor.
The shear bar is mounted on its supporting framework in such a manner that a shear gap between the shear teeth and the rotor teeth can be adjusted. Adjustment of the shear gap is desirable to selectively control the shear relationship between the moving and stationary teeth. If the shear gap is too small, excessive wear, or breakage, of the teeth can occur. Conversely, too large a shear gap reduces the effectiveness of the teeth in converting the carcasses into smaller fragments and may result in jamming of the shear zone for that reason. Additionally, periodic adjustment of the shear gap is required to compensate for wear of the rotor and shear teeth. In the present chopper apparatus, the shear bar is slidably mounted on the support framework and is engaged by a mechanism such as bolts which can be driven inwardly or outwardly to adjust the position of the shear teeth relative to the rotor teeth. Once the desired position has been achieved, the bolts can be secured in position, as with lock nuts.
Although the tire chopping apparatus could be installed and operated in a stationary configuration, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a chassis of a movable trailer or on a self-propelled vehicle. This allows more flexible and efficient use of the present invention, since it can be transported to a quantity of tire carcasses to be processed, rather than the carcasses being transported to and then from the apparatus. The apparatus support frame is mounted on the vehicle chassis and has the rotor assembly journaled thereon. The apparatus frame also supports the shear bar, the feed hopper, and the feed bumper. A rotary hydraulic motor is engaged between the support frame and the rotor assembly. The feed bumper includes one or more linear hydraulic motors or cylinders which are controlled to reciprocate the bumper toward and away from the rotor.
The chassis also preferably has a conveyor, such as a belt conveyor, positioned below the shear zone and conveys the tire carcass fragments to a storage location or container. The apparatus may also include equipment to load tire carcasses into the feed hopper, such as a grapple mounted on a boom. Although the chopping apparatus is described principally in terms of processing tire carcasses, it could also be used for other purposes, such as for comminuting refuse building materials from demolitions and rehabilitation projects, and other materials. For such other applications, some variations in dimensions, spacing of the guards, tolerances, and the like may be required, in comparison to an apparatus suitable for chopping tire carcasses. However, such variations are believed to be within the scope of the present invention.


The present invention has for its object to obtain a composition for moisture curing hot melt adhesives superior in both moisture curing reactivity after adhesion and thermal stability in the use.. The composition for moisture curing hot melt adhesives according to the present invention is characterized by containing a urethane prepolymer having isocyanate group in its end and a compound having a structure represented by the following formula (I): ##STR1## (where X, Y and Z in the formula (I) are alkyl groups or groups represented by the following formula (II), and at least one of X, Y and Z is a group represented by the formula (II): ##STR2## n in the formula (II) is an integer from 1 through 10, and R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are hydrogen or alkyl groups.)

Moisture curing hot melt adhesives composed of a urethane prepolymer having an isocyanate group in its end have been conventionally known. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 189486/1988 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 284577/1989 disclose moisture curing hot melt adhesives using a urethane prepolymer which are superior in initial adhesive strength.
Furthermore, it has been known that an organic metal compounds such as dibutyltin dilaurate or tin octate or a tertiary amine compounds such as triethylamine or triethylenediamine is added as a catalyst to this type of moisture curing hot melt adhesives.
The initial heat resistance of the above described moisture curing adhesives composed of the urethane prepolymer depends on the softening point similarly to a case of ordinary hot melt adhesives. Thus, it takes a very long period for the adhesives to exhibit practical heat resistance with progress of polymerization due to moisture curing. Consequently, an adherend must be subjected to aging for two to three days after adhesion. As a result, in the conventional adhesives disclosed in the above described prior art, the adherend must be aged for a long time, so that the productivity of a bonding operation cannot be sufficiently increased, which is uneconomical.
On the other hand, if the above described catalyst composed of organic metal compounds or the like is added, the moisture curing characteristics of the adhesives can be enhanced, thereby to make it possible to shorten a curing time period. However, if the catalyst composed of the organic metal compounds or the like is added, the thermal stability of the adhesives is significantly lowered, so that the adhesives may, in some cases, be gelled in a coating machine.
More specifically, in the conventional moisture curing hot melt adhesives composed of the urethane prepolymer, both the curing speed and the thermal stability cannot be made adequate, so that the improvements have been required.

Compositions for moisture curing hot melt adhesives


The exposed welt of a footlet-type sock is divided by knit construction into a rear portion and a front portion. The rear portion, which is substantially the rear half, is of a substantially freely and outwardly rolled construction. The rolled rear portion is not tacked down and encircles the lower ankle area when emplaced on the foot. The remainder or front portion includes an upper edge which is tacked down in a controlled folded construction. The rear portion is thus left free to roll upon itself into a relatively heavy, thick mass of material. The front portion, on the other hand is folded across the instep of the wearer minimizing the thickness of material beneath the shoe tongue. The rear half is a knitted fabric formed with a combination of body yarn and elastic yarn. The elastic yarn forms the backing fabric for the body yarn, which itself is formed into terry loops. The front portion of the decorative welt may be made with any type of construction as long as it is tacked down and not allowed to freely roll. In a preferred form of the present invention of the front portion of the welt is as a ribbed construction. In this front portion selected wales include stitches which are formed and cast off separated by at least two successive wales of float stitches. In the resulting fabric relatively wide bands of raised fabric are separated by relatively narrow bands of base fabric which exhibit a low relief area.

During the last several years low-cut or footlet-type athletic socks have become quite popular, especially amongst lady golfers and tennis players. While male athletes also wear the footlet-type sock the demand for decorative type footlets is not as great with males as with females. The footlets for female athletes have included several types of unique decorations around the top. Some have included ribbons around the upper edge or welt, pom-poms around the rear thereof, and some have included a combination of both.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,274,804 to Thornburg et al describes and illustrates such a sock that has a roll top construction with terry loops on the inside. A rear and forward tab are knit and caused to roll down upon themselves when emplaced on the foot of the wearer. Such products have been generally acceptable; however, are open to some comfort objections. The front rolled down portion tends to work beneath the tongue of the shoe where its thickness causes discomfort to the wearer. U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,115 to Nester is illustrative of an alternate approach of the earlier mentioned Thornburg et al patent. In this sock the sides are tacked down to better cause the front and rear portions to conform to the configuration of the shoe.


A power factor correction circuit may include a boost converter circuit in which a plurality of boost circuits including a boost inductor, a rectifying diode, and a boost switch are connected with each other; and a snubber circuit including a snubber inductor and a snubber switch so as to snubber the boost converter circuit. The snubber inductor may be controlled so as to be turned on before the boost inductor is turned on to apply zero voltage to the boost inductor. It is possible to reduce switching loss occurring when the boost switch is turned on and increase efficiency of an AC-DC power supply apparatus.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a power factor correction circuit and a method for controlling power factor correction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various electronic devices and information communication devices are used to facilitate a human life. Home or industrial devices require an AC-DC power supply apparatus that converts AC voltage into DC voltage. Recently, a necessary medium and large-capacity power supply apparatus is urgently required.
As the capacity of the power supply apparatus is medium and large sized, the power supply apparatus needs to meet very strict power supply criteria. In order to meet these criteria, a power factor correction circuit is essentially required. As a technology that is applied to the power factor correction circuit, an active power factor correction (PFC) technology that uses a power semiconductor device and can be controlled by a control signal has been known.
However, it is difficult for the circuit to which the existing active PFC technology is applied to be used for the medium to large AC-DC power supply apparatus of 1 kw or more due to low efficiency, high internal current, input voltage, ripple, electro magnetic interference (EMI) noise.

Power factor correction circuit and method for controlling power factor correction


Novel organosilicon compounds having a second order hyperpolarizability coefficient .beta. greater than zero, well suited for use in the field of nonlinear optics, e.g., in telecommunication devices, have the general formula: ##STR1## which n is an integer ranging from 1 to 20; R.sub.1 is an electron donating group; R.sub.2 is an electron accepting group; R.sub.3 is an alkyl radical having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, a hydrogen atom, an aryl radical, or an R.sub.1 or R.sub.2 radical; and R.sub.4 is an alkyl radical having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, a hydrogen atom, an aryl radical, or an R.sub.1 radical when R.sub.3 is not an R.sub.2 radical or an R.sub.2 radical when R.sub.3 is not an R.sub.1 radical.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel organosilicon compounds, to a process for the preparation thereof, and to their applications in the field of nonlinear optics.
This invention especially relates to novel hyperpolarizable organosilicon compounds which are particularly active in nonlinear optics applications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As reported by J. Zyss and I. Ledoux in the article in L'Echo des Recherches, 1st quarter, 1987, entitled "Organic molecules and the treatment of optical signals", the development of optical telecommunications requires the availability of components that include materials having strong nonlinear capabilities of the second or third order.
Numerous compounds, both organic and inorganic, are thus used in different forms, such as solutions, polymers, doped polymers, monomolecular layers, liquid crystals, single crystals, polymeric liquid crystals, and the like.
The organic compounds are especially interesting, as the synthesis of a wide variety of products is generally possible. Furthermore, most of the organic compounds have a great resistance to external effects (humidity, acidity, oxidation, etc.).
J. F. Nicoud and R. J. Twieg, in their paper entitled "Design and synthesis of organic compounds for efficient second harmonic generation" list different molecules which are active in the field of nonlinear optics.
These molecules have carbon chain skeletons generally comprising aromatic rings, substituted on the one hand by electron donating groups and, on the other, by electron accepting groups.
Thus, the dislocation and circulation of .pi. electrons and the non-centrosymmetry of the molecule generate a strong hyperpolarizability of the second and third order.
Large scale research efforts have to date been continuously carried out in an effort to develop novel compounds having nonlinear optical activity.


The invention relates to a process for the hydrolysis of cellulose containing biomass which comprises                a liquefaction step in which a first enzyme or first enzyme composition is added to liquefy at least part of the solids present in the biomass and to keep the viscosity of the cellulose containing biomass below 1000 cP, preferably below 800 cP, more preferably below 600 cP in the liquefaction step; followed by        a saccharification step in which a second enzyme composition is added to form oligomeric and/or monomeric sugars; and        whereby the first enzyme or first enzyme composition is different from the second enzyme composition;        whereby the first enzyme or first enzyme composition comprises an endoglucanase;        whereby the second enzyme composition comprises a cellulase; and        whereby the first enzyme or first enzyme composition comprises more endogluconase than the second enzyme composition (expressed in protein wt %).

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic material.
Description of Related Art
Ligno-cellulosic plant material, herein also called feedstock or cellulose containing material, is a renewable source of energy in the form of sugars that can be converted into valuable products e.g. bio-fuel, such as bio-ethanol. During this process, (ligno or hemi)-cellulose present in the feedstock, such as wheat straw, corn stover, rice hulls, etc., is converted into reducing sugars by (hemi)-cellulolytic enzymes, which then are converted into valuable products such as ethanol by microorganisms like yeast, bacteria and fungi.
Since the (hemi)-cellulose is crystalline and entrapped in a network of lignin, the conversion into reducing sugars is in general slow and incomplete. Typically, enzymatic hydrolysis of untreated feedstock yields sugars <20% of theoretical quantity. By applying a chemical and thermo-physical pre-treatment, the (hemi)-cellulose is more accessible for the (hemi)-cellulolytic enzymes, and thus conversions go faster and at higher yields.
A typical ethanol yield from glucose, derived from pre-treated corn stover, is 40 gallons of ethanol per 1000 kg of dry corn stover (Badger, P, Ethanol from cellulose: a general review, Trends in new crops and new uses. 2002. J. Janick and A. Whipkey (eds.) ASHS Press, Alexandria, Va.), or 0.3 g ethanol per g feedstock. The maximum yield of ethanol on cellulose base is approximately 90%.
Cellulolytic enzymes—most of them are produced by species like Trichoderma, Humicola and Aspergillus—are commercially used to convert pre-treated feedstock into a mash containing insoluble (hemi)cellulose, reducing sugars made thereof, and lignin. This mash is then used in a fermentation during which the reducing sugars are converted into yeast biomass (cells), carbon dioxide and ethanol. The ethanol produced in this way is called bio-ethanol.
The common production of sugars from pre-treated ligno-celullosic feedstock, the hydrolysis also called liquefaction, pre-saccharification or saccharification, typically takes place during a process lasting 6-168 hours (Kumar, S., Chem. Eng. Technol. 32 (2009) 517-526; Murray, P., et al., Enzyme Microbial Technol 29 (2001) 90-98); under elevated temperatures of 45-50° C. (Kumar, S., Chem. Eng. Technol. 32 (2009) 517-526) and non-sterile conditions. During this hydrolysis, the cellulose present is partly (typically 30-95%, dependable on enzyme activity and hydrolysis conditions) converted into reducing sugars. In case of inhibition of enzymes by compounds present in the pre-treated feedstock and by released sugars; and to minimize thermal inactivation, this period of elevated temperature is minimized as much as possible.
The fermentation following the hydrolysis takes place in a separate anaerobic process step, either in the same or in a different vessel, in which temperature is adjusted to 30-33° C. (mesophilic process) to accommodate growth and ethanol production by microbial biomass, commonly yeasts. During this fermentation process, the remaining (hemi)cellulosic material is converted into reducing sugars by the enzymes already present from the hydrolysis step, while microbial biomass and ethanol are produced. This type of fermentation is therefore often called Simultaneously Saccharification and Fermentation, SSF. The fermentation is finished once (hemi) cellulosic material is converted into fermentable sugars and all fermentable sugars are converted into ethanol, carbon dioxide and microbial cells.
The so obtained fermented mash consists of non-fermentable sugars, non-hydrolysable (hemi) cellulosic material, lignin, microbial cells (most common yeast cells), water, ethanol, dissolved carbon dioxide. During the successive steps, ethanol is distilled from the mash and further purified. The remaining solid suspension is dried and used as, for instance, burning fuel, fertilizer or cattle feed.
With each batch of feedstock, enzymes are added to maximize the yield and rate of fermentable sugars released from the pre-treated ligno-cellulosic feedstock during the given process time. In general, costs for enzymes production, feedstock to ethanol yields and investments are major cost factors in the overall production costs (Kumar, S., Chem. Eng. Technol. 32 (2009) 517-526). Thus far, cost of enzyme usage reduction is achieved by applying enzyme products from a single or from multiple microbial sources (WO2008/008793) with broader and/or higher (specific) hydrolytic activity which use aims at a lower enzyme need, faster conversion rates and/or a higher conversion yields, and thus at overall lower bio-ethanol production costs. This requires large investments in research and development of these enzyme products. In case of an enzyme product composed of enzymes from multiple microbial sources, large capital investments are needed for production of each single enzyme compound.
It is therefore desirable to improve the above process involving hydrolysis and fermentation.
Thermostable cellulolytic enzymes derived from Talaromyces, have been used for degrading ligno-cellulosic feedstock and these enzymes are known for their thermostability in WO2007091231. However, no disclosure is given how to optimize the process of hydrolysis and fermentation.

Process for enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic material


Optical radiation from a sample is received by the slit and it is passed through an aperture in a reflective plane of a folding mirror towards a curved reflective surface of a collimating mirror. The slit and the curved reflective surface have a common optical axis. The reflective plane and the curved reflective surface face each other. The optical radiation passed through the folding mirror is collimated by the curved reflective surface. The collimated optical radiation is directed to the reflective plane of the folding mirror by the curved reflective surface. The collimated optical radiation is reflected in a direction other than the common optical axis of the slit and the curved reflective surface by the reflective plane.

1. Field
The exemplary and non-limiting embodiments of this invention relate generally to an imaging spectrometer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A spectrometer is an optical device which receives optical radiation and separates light by wavelengths to produce a spectrum. The spectrum, which may also be called a spectral density, is a distribution of intensity of the optical radiation input to the spectrometer as a function of a wavelength. A detecting element transforms the spectrum into an electrical form after which a signal processor may be used to analyze the spectrum by, for example, quantifying the amount of each wavelength component that is present in the input optical radiation.
An imaging spectrometer is a device which allows simultaneous spatial and spectral information to be collected from a sample. The imaging spectrometer provides a distribution of intensity of the optical radiation as a function of both a wavelength and a location.
There are several kinds of optical configurations for the spectrometers, depending on the nature of operation principle. Prism(s), concave or plane reflective gratings or transmission gratings can be used as the dispersive component. Both reflective mirrors and lenses may be used for collimating and focusing and they can modify the wavefronts incident on and diffracted by the grating. Some commonly known layouts are Czerny-Turner-, Ebert- and Off-ner-designs.
There are problems with older designs, such as Czerny-Turner- and Ebert-types. The designs have a limited flat field image, and a strong aberration due to mirrors, which are on both sides of the dispersive component. Additionally, the reflective surfaces are at an angle with respect to the optical axis i.e. they are optical subsystems operating in off-axis.
A dominant off-axis aberration associated to an off-axis reflective optical component is usually coma, but also astigmatism appears. The main image surface deformation is a field curvature. Additionally, smile and Key-stone become a problem. Hence, a point becomes a large spot and image is distorted on the detecting element and this is a reason why they cannot be used with a two-dimensional detecting element in a high resolution spectroscopy. Offner-design is only a slightly better because of a curved surface grating which is an attempt to compensate the aberrations caused by the off-axis mirrors. However, Offner-design still has too strong aberrations for spectroscopy with a good resolution.
That detecting is performed at the same side of the spectrometer as the input of the optical radiation is also common to Czerny-Turner-, Ebert- and Offner-designs. Such a configuration causes the detector, such as a camera, to physically hinder the optical input to the spectrometer. An additional mirror may be used to deflect the optical output for obtaining space for the input but this only increases the already disadvantageous complicatedness and cost of the spectrometer.
In some spectrometers, at least one refractive optical component is used to collimate the optical radiation before the dispersive component instead of a mirror for an optical on-axis operation to avoid off-axis aberrations. However, the at least one refractive optical component causes a chromatic aberration to the optical radiation to be dispersed which naturally deteriorates the accuracy of the spectrometer substantially. Additionally, a zero-deviation dispersive component itself causes smile and Keystone which are unsymmetrical relative to the optical axis, which deteriorates the accuracy of the spectrometer, too. Hence, there is a need for a good imaging spectrometer.


An apparatus for recording analysis of a reagent test strip having a plurality of color blocks for testing different constituents of a fluid, comprises a reference panel having a plurality of visually distinguishable and calibrated color areas or spots, a plurality of first lights for designating the testing of a different constituent or parameter, a plurality of second lights each located adjacent a different color spot, a cavity or space adjacent groups of color spots, detection optical detector for detecting the presence of the reagent strip positioned in the space, and a microcomputer for recording and storing test results and having means for directing sequential testing of the different parameters and for turning the lights on and off during the sequential testing. The apparatus includes switches for signaling the microcomputer to record and store the test data and for turning the apparatus on and off. The invention includes a process for operating the apparatus.

Test strips, usually made of inert plastic or paper having a reagent absorbed on the strip surface for testing the presence or concentration of constituents of a body fluid are commonly used in medical diagnosis and treatment. For example, reagent strip testing of different conditions in urinalysis is used for measuring pH, sugar or glucose, protein, ketone bodies, bilirubin and urobilinogen, hemoglobin, and the like. The reagents on the strip are activated when the strip is exposed to the fluid and given sufficient time to develop, with the reagent developing a color or color intensity corresponding to the presence and/or concentration of the constituent present in the body fluid being tested. The use of such reagent test strips is especially beneficial for assisting the management of medication dosage or therapy for patients with chronic diseases, for example, in diabetics for monitoring blood glucose levels in managing insulin therapy, for monitoring urine glucose for screening gestational diabetes and for measuring proteins in toxemia detection during pregnancy.
A common method for reading a reagent paper color uses resealable vials having calibrated color areas on the exterior label corresponding to different concentration levels for the tested parameters. In another technique, the patient inserts the exposed reagent strip into an electronic colorimeter which converts the reagent paper color to a quantitative measurement of the parameter concentration. A disadvantage of such techniques is the requirement of the patient to record the measured information for later review by a clinician or physician. Moreover, patient compliance for punctual test performance and subsequent reporting is problematic. Often, patients forget to promptly take the test or record the test results accurately. Although electronic reagent color measuring devices, for example, Accu-Check II and Merlin produced by Boehringer-Mannheim Diagnostics provide for improved capture and storing of the reagent test readings, these devices measure only one parameter and thus are not useful for testing a plurality of parameters, which are provided on some reagent papers. Moreover, some electronic reagent color measuring devices require use of a calibration code for each vial of strips and if the code is misplaced, the entire vial of strips is rendered useless.

Apparatus for recording reagent test strip data by comparison to color lights on a reference panel


A removable toilet seat cover comprising deep pile carpet for cushioning of the rim of a rigid toilet seat and elastic bands that aid the elderly in positioning the cover on a seat for securing by the closing of overlapping flaps equipped with VELCRO.RTM.-type fabric hook-and-link fasteners.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to devices that aid the elderly and more specifically to devices that attach to a toilet seat to relieve pain and discomfort in the upper posterior thigh and buttocks areas while seated.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The elderly are afflicted with numerous problems associated with the deterioration of skin, muscle, and bone commensurate with old age that can make ordinary and routine activities painful and uncomfortable. Slow healing skin sores, a loss of skin elasticity, wasting of muscle, and a loss of the fatty layer between the skin, muscle and bone can place exaggerated pressures on brittle bones and sensitive nerves. In particular, ordinary toilet seats have sharply defined areas of support that can seem to cut into the thighs along sharp edges and cause discomfort. Some toilet seat covers have been developed in the prior art, but these address different problems and can be very difficult for the weak and often unsteady hands of the elderly to install and remove.
A water closet seat cover is described by Warnberg in U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,008, issued Apr. 1, 1975. A flexible cover carries eyelets or apertures suitable for engaging downwardly projecting anchor members that are secured to the seat. The outer peripheral edge of the flexible cover is slotted to pass hinge arms so that the cover can be drawn taut over the entire upper surface of the seat, and thus provide for a neat and aesthetic appearance. An object of the Warnberg seat cover is to provide a method for quickly mounting and positioning a flexible, aesthetic cover on the rigid toilet seat used in water closet construction so that the inclusion of an annular stiffening ring secured to the inner periphery of the flexible cover is not needed.
A second cover for a water closet seat is described by Robertson in U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,267, issued Oct. 14, 1980. A cover for a water closet seat includes an annular panel of flexible fabric having an inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge, and adapted to fit across and to cover the upper surface of a water closet seat. A band of resilient material is mounted at and around the outer peripheral edge of the panel and constrictively urges the outer peripheral edge to a contracted, converged position. A hem channel is carried by the panel at its inner periphery, and is transversely crossed by a channel closure that blocks the channel at a point around the periphery. A channel opening is provided at a location spaced along the hem channel. A two-ended, resilient stiffening member is positioned in the channel with the two ends abutting the channel closure.
Earlier, U.S. Pat. No. 1,575,640, was issued to Ragland, on Mar. 9, 1926, for a toilet seat cushion. The cushion adjusted to accommodate seats of various diameters and secured to a seat with shoelace-style ties that are knotted under the seat. The cushion has a padded material that is stuffed within the cushion's leather panels.
On Jul. 18, 1967, U.S. Pat. No. 3,331,085 issued to Potosky for an auxiliary toilet seat. The stated disadvantages of the prior art were the problem of sanitation, particularly in public toilet areas, and the creation or aggravation of physical ailments. The shape and the hardness of a standard toilet seat is taught to place an extreme amount of pressure on both sides of the gluteal region. The problems of hardness of the standard toilet seat causes particular discomfort to the aged. An object was to provide a seat which is sanitary, soft, easily portable, and properly shaped to avoid discomfort and aggravation. The auxiliary seat has a central stiffening core in a horseshoe shape with a vinyl foam cushion fitted over the top. A similar cushion is fitted over the bottom surface of the stiffening core. The cushion are wider than the stiffening core and are cemented together along their overlapping margins. The entire surface of the auxiliary seat assembly is coated with a suitable vinyl or latex film that is moisture resistant and provides a smooth and easily cleaned surface.
The prior art, in general, does not offer the textures and cushioning conducive to the elderly user and are universally difficult to install and remove by someone with limited dexterity.

Cushioned toilet seat cover for the elderly


The invention provides articles and methods for making such articles including a substrate coated on at least one region thereof with a layer of nanocomposites nano-cellulose materials and nanoparticles.

Nano Crystalline Cellulose (NCC) is one of the most exciting new bio-materials made from cellulose, the main component of cell walls of trees and plants, and which is present in waste streams of, e.g., paper mills and municipal sewage system sludge. In its almost-pure form, cellulose has a tiny crystalline molecular structure. NCC has intriguing properties and many potential applications. NCC may be present as liquid crystal solution in water and is known to self-assemble to macro scale ordered films having thicknesses at the nanoscale.
The nano-sized crystals possess interesting size-dependent structural and optical properties. The ability to play with the processing variables allows one to control the structure, composition, size, and level of dispersion of such nano crystals.
The routine and extensive use of plastic films composed of such materials as polyethylene (PE) and polycarbonate (PC) or poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) has greatly increased, becoming a major environmental concern. The ability to reduce the amounts of such polymers in polymeric articles, while maintaining mechanical integrity, yet endow the materials or articles with optoelectronic properties has thus far been proved unsuccessful for a variety of reasons.

Coating layers of a nanocomposite comprising a nano-cellulose material and nanoparticles

Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Ltd.


Low sulfur gasoline of relatively high octane number is produced from a thermally cracked sulfur-containing naphtha such as coker naphtha, by hydrodesulfurization followed by treatment over an acidic catalyst, preferably a zeolite such as ZSM-5 or zeolite beta with a hydrogenation component, preferably molybdenum. The treatment over the acidic catalyst in the second step restores the octane loss which takes place as a result of the hydrogenative treatment and results in a low sulfur gasoline product

Heavy petroleum fractions, such as vacuum gas oil, or even resids such as atmospheric resid, may be catalytically cracked to lighter and more valuable products, especially gasoline. Catalytically cracked gasoline forms a major part of the gasoline product pool in the United States. It is conventional to recover the product of catalytic cracking and to fractionate the cracking products into various fractions such as light gases; naphtha, including light and heavy gasoline; distillate fractions, such as heating oil and Diesel fuel; lube oil base fractions; and heavier fractions.
Where the petroleum fraction being catalytically cracked contains sulfur, the products of catalytic cracking usually contain sulfur impurities which normally require removal, usually by hydrotreating, in order to comply with the relevant product specifications. These specifications are expected to become more stringent in the future, possibly permitting no more than about 300 ppmw sulfur in motor gasolines. In naphtha hydrotreating, the naphtha is contacted with a suitable hydrotreating catalyst at elevated temperature and somewhat elevated pressure in the presence of a hydrogen atmosphere. One suitable family of catalysts which has been widely used for this service is a combination of a Group VIII and a Group VI element, such as cobalt and molybdenum, on a suitable substrate, such as alumina.
In the hydrotreating of petroleum fractions, particularly naphthas, and most particularly heavy cracked gasoline, the molecules containing the sulfur atoms are mildly hydrocracked so as to release their sulfur, usually as hydrogen sulfide.
After the hydrotreating operation is complete, the product may be fractionated, or even just flashed, to release the hydrogen sulfide and collect the now sweetened gasoline. Although this is an effective process that has been practiced on gasolines and heavier petroleum fractions for many years to produce satisfactory products, it does have disadvantages.
Naphthas, including light and full range virgin naphthas, may be subjected to catalytically reforming so as to increase their octane numbers by converting at least a portion of the paraffins and cycloparaffins in them to aromatics. Fractions to be fed to catalytic reforming, such as over a platinum type catalyst, also need to be desulfurized before reforming because reforming catalysts are generally not sulfur tolerant. Thus, naphthas are usually pretreated by hydrotreating to reduce their sulfur content before reforming. The octane rating of reformate may be increased further by processes such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,767,568 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,409 (Chen) in which the reformate octane is increased by treatment of the reformate with ZSM-5.
Aromatics are generally the source of high octane number, particularly very high research octane numbers and are therefore desirable components of the gasoline pool. They have, however, been the subject of severe limitations as a gasoline component because of possible adverse effects on the ecology, particularly with reference to benzene. It has therefore become desirable, as far as is feasible, to create a gasoline pool in which the higher octanes are contributed by the olefinic and branched chain paraffinic components, rather than the aromatic components. Light and full range naphthas can contribute substantial volume to the gasoline pool, but they do not generally contribute significantly to higher octane values without reforming.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,609 U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,596 and (Ser. No. 08/850,106) we have described a process for effectively desulfurizing catalytically cracked naphthas while maintaining a high octane number. Briefly, the process comprises an initial hydrodesulfurization step which reduces the sulfur to an acceptable level, although at the expense of octane which is restored in a subsequent step by treatment over an acidic catalyst such as one based on ZSM-5, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,609 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,596 (Ser. No. 08/850,106), zeolite beta as described in Ser. No. 07/891,124 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,696) or MCM-22 as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,354. The use of a molybdenum-containing ZSM-5 catalyst is described in Ser. Nos. 08/133,403 and 08/133,942. Reference is made to these disclosures for a detailed description of the problems of cracked naphtha desulfurization as well as of the octane-retention desulfurization processes described in those patents.
Other highly unsaturated fractions boiling in the gasoline boiling range, which are produced in some refineries or petrochemical plants, include pyrolysis gasoline and coker naphtha. Coker naphtha is a fraction which is produced by a coking process, either delayed coking, fluid coking or Contact coking, all of which are well-known processes in the petroleum refining industry. See, for example, Modern Petroleum Technology, Hobson and Pohl (Ed.), Applied Science Publ. Ltd., 1973, ISBN 085334 487 6, pages 283-288, and Advances in Petroleum Chemistry and Refining, Kobe and McKetta, Interscience, N.Y. 1959, Vol. II, pages 357-433, to which reference is made for a description of these processes.
Coker naphtha, being produced by the coking of residual chargestocks, has a high sulfur content, typically at least 1,000 ppmw (0.1 percent by weight) or even higher, for example 5,000 to 10,000 ppmw (0.5 to 1.0 percent) and a low octane number, typically no higher than about 70. It is also unstable and tends to form gums by polymerization of diolefins and other unsaturated species which are present in these thermally cracked products. Although the content of unsaturates is high, with bromine numbers typically in the range of 50 to 80, there is no positive contribution to octane from the unsaturates as they are low octane components. The combination of high sulfur content and low octane makes coker naphtha an unpromising candidate for treatment by the process described in the patents referred to above.
We have found, however, that the use of molybdenum-containing catalysts is favorable for the treatment of coker naphthas, using either medium pore size or large pore size acidic components in the catalysts, especially ZSM-5 and zeolite beta.