Disclosed is a new pole mounted revolving air circulating fan for inducing air movement within an air mass by use of a rotating impeller which simultaneously revolves around a vertical axis. The pole mounted revolving air circulating fan comprises a telescoping support pole extending substantially vertically upwardly from a mounting floor surface to a mounting ceiling surface, the ends of the support pole frictionally engaging the mounting surfaces. A fan, comprising a rotary air impeller coupled to an electric motor through a drive shaft, is revolvedly mounted on the vertical support pole. A generally cylindrical motor housing encloses the motor and the motor power supply leads. A blade guard, constructed of wire rods forming a substantially annularly shaped wire cage, encloses the impeller to prevent injury from contact therewith. The guard has a central hole through the back wherethrough the front end of the motor housing extends. The blade guard also has a bracket formed thereon adjacent the central hole whereby the blade guard is connected to the motor housing. A rotatable electrical contact assembly, having rotating wiper contacts cooperating with stationary ring contacts, allows power to be supplied to the fan motor while the fan is rotating around the vertical support pole. A manually actuated fan power switch, mounted on the support pole, completes or interrupts the electrical circuit to the fan motor thereby turning the device on or off. The fan is moved around the support pole with a rubber drive wheel coupled to the motor drive shaft, the drive wheel frictionally engaging a stationary rail which encircles the vertical support post whereby rotation of the drive wheel causes the fan to revolve around the post.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to air circulating devices and more particularly pertains to a pole mounted revolving air circulating fans which may be adapted for inducing air movement within an air mass by use of a rotating impeller which simultaneously revolves around a vertical axis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of air circulating devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, air circulating devices heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of inducing air movement are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The present invention is directed to improving devices for inducing air movement within an air mass in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,769 to Sanderson discloses a self-oscillating fan and U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,382 to Patton describes a portable air circulating fan.
The prior art also discloses an air circulating fan and motor with separable safety guard as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,548 to McLarty and a centrifugal fan for circulating room air of U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,441 to Mejia.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,399 to Kawashima describes a double-locking device for connector terminals and method of preparing the locking device. This is included for general interest.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a pole mounted revolving air circulating fan for inducing air movement within an air mass by use of a rotating impeller which simultaneously revolves around a vertical axis.
In this respect, the pole mounted revolving air circulating fan according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of inducing air movement within an air mass by use of a rotating impeller which simultaneously revolves around a vertical axis.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new pole mounted revolving air circulating fans which can be used for inducing air movement within an air mass by use of a rotating impeller which simultaneously revolves around a vertical axis. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to develop devices for inducing air movement. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.

Pole mounted revolving air circulating fan


In a semiconductor laser, non-disordered quantum well active region functions as a lasing region. Surrounding the non-disordered quantum well active region is a disordered quantum well active region which prevents diffusion of injected carriers from the non-disordered quantum well active region or provides a lateral heterobarrier. The disordered quantum well active region is formed by rapid thermal annealing in which defects from one or two InP defect layers diffuse into the parts of the quantum well active region to be disordered.

The present invention is directed to a semiconductor laser and more particularly to a semiconductor laser having disordered and non-disordered quantum well active regions for increased efficiency.
Many areas of technology require compact, low-power sources of coherent light which can be coupled into a waveguide such as an optical fiber. To that end, semiconductor lasers and light-emitting diodes are widely used. Typically, a semiconductor laser includes a quantum well active region in which light is produced. However, carriers which have been injected into the quantum well active region can diffuse into surrounding areas of the semiconductor substrate, in which case they are wasted. Such diffusion increases the threshold current required for lasing and reduces the efficiency of the laser.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,179 to Harder et al teaches a lateral current injection laser formed in a semiconductor heterostructure. However, Harder et al does not provide a solution to the above-noted difficulty.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/833,078 to Thompson et al, filed Apr. 12, 2001, entitled xe2x80x9cA method for locally modifying the effective bandgap energy in indium gallium arsenide phosphide (InGaAsP) quantum well structures,xe2x80x9d and published on Mar. 14, 2002, as U.S. 2002/0030185 A1, whose entire disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure, teaches a method for locally modifying the effective bandgap energy of indium gallium arsenide phosphide (InGaAsP) quantum well structures. That method allows the integration of multiple optoelectronic devices within a single structure, each comprising a quantum well structure.
In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, an InGaAsP multiple quantum well structure 104 formed on a substrate 102 is overlaid by an InP (indium phosphide) defect layer 106 having point defects 108, which are donor-like phosphorus antisites or acceptor-like indium vacancies. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) is carried out under a flowing nitrogen ambient, using a halogen lamp rapid thermal annealing system. During the rapid thermal annealing, the point defects 108 in the defect layer 106 diffuse into the active region of the quantum well structure 104 and modify its composite structure. The controlled inter-diffusion process causes a large increase in the bandgap energy of the quantum well active region, called a wavelength blue shift.
Another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1B, uses two defect types, one to generate a wavelength blue shift and the other to decrease carrier lifetime. A first InP defect layer 110 contains slowly diffusing vacancy defects 114, while a second InP defect layer 112 includes rapidly diffusing group V interstitial defects 116. Rapid thermal annealing causes both types of defects to diffuse into the quantum well active region.
However, the prior art has yet to provide a technique to address the issue of diffusion of injected carriers.
It will be readily apparent that a need exists in the art to overcome the problem of diffusion of injected carriers. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a semiconductor laser which includes an element for blocking such diffusion.
To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention is directed to the realization of a disordered region of quantum well active region surrounding a region of non-disordered quantum well region in order to prevent diffusion of injected carriers from the non-disordered, light emitting quantum well active region. The method provides blocking of current in a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser, lowering its threshold current and raising its efficiency. The method provides the formation of a lateral heterobarrier in lateral-current-injected edge-emitting lasers, lowering threshold and raising efficiency. The disordered region can be produced by any of the techniques of the above-cited Thompson et al patent application or by any other suitable intermixing or other disordering techniques.

Semiconductor laser with disordered and non-disordered quantum well regions


Apparatus, architecture and methods for integrating and/or presenting stimuli to sensory receptor(s) are provided. An electronically stored value may encode stimuli presentable via electronic display(s) to receptor(s). Stimulus/stimuli may include “attended” and/or “unattended” data. Data may mediate neurophysiological benefit(s). Data may include visual, motion and/or auditory information. Benefits) may include motion sickness alleviation. “Unattended” data may include translucent moving patterns and/or shapes and/or shifts in screen luminance, such as flashing. “Unattended” data may be associated with detected motion function(s) to convey sense of motion. “Unattended” data may be configured to be presented so as to avoid being distracting. “Unattended” data may be configured to be presented in a periphory(ies) of user(s). Display(s) may be handheld, worn and/or vehicle-mounted.

The brain is hardwired for processing parallel sensory data-streams in an automatic manner. Some of these sensory processes are consciously learned and reliant on attention, such as browsing the web or watching a movie. Others are subconscious and instinctive, such as the detection of neurotoxin influence in the brain, bused on discordant multisensory events. In the modern world, some of these instinctive processes are less than beneficial. For instance, the neural system for detecting neurotoxins triggers motion sickness in otherwise healthy individuals when they travel in moving vehicles. In fact, motion sickness is an ailment that afflicts countless millions and inhibits their ability to perform basic tasks, such as reading while traveling.
Motion sickness is due to discordant multisensory events that may occur when a person is travelling while attending visually to something other than the view that is ahead of the person. The vestibular system senses the motion, whereas the visual system acquires information that is inconsistent with that acquired by the vestibular system. The inconsistency or multisensory discord may trigger a defensive biological response hardwired for the detection and elimination of ingested neurotoxins that lead to similar sensory-discordance in the mammalian brain.


A hay harvesting machine contains a rake wheel whose housing is formed by an upper housing portion non-rotatably connected with a vertical upright shaft and a lower driven housing portion rotatably mounted at such upright shaft. In bearing bushings rotatably mounted at the lower housing portion there are retained tine supports provided with raking tines or prongs. These tine supports extend in an essentially horizontal plane and, by rotating the bearing portions, can be selectively shifted from a first operating position into a second operating position. In the first operating position the tine supports extend approximately in tangential direction and in the second operation position they protrude essentially in radial direction from the upright shaft. Each tine support is connected with a control lever engaging, by means of a control head or follower, into a control track or cam. This control track is located in a plane extending essentially perpendicular to the upright shaft, i.e. horizontally. Each control lever is connected with the related tine support by means of a hinge shaft extending approximately perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the related tine support and located in a plane which is essentially perpendicular to the upright shaft. By virtue of this hinge connection, with the tine supports located in the second operating position, there is eliminated the control connection between the control lever and its tine support.

The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of a hay harvesting machine.
Generally speaking, the hay harvesting machine of the present development is of the type comprising at least one rake wheel revolving about a substantially vertical or upright shaft and contains a driven rotatable housing part or portion rotatably mounted upon the upright shaft. At the rotatable housing portion there are mounted a plurality of tine supports equipped with rake tines or prongs. The tine supports can be selectively brought into each of two operating positions by rotation thereof about an axis extending transversely with respect to their lengthwise axis and approximately parallel to the upright shaft. The tine supports are connected by means of a hinge connection with a control element which continuously engages with a control track or cam which is non-rotatably mounted at the upright shaft. In the first operating position of the tine supports there can be established a control connection by blocking the hinge connection between the control element and the tine supports. This control connection brings about pivoting or rocking of the tine supports about their lengthwise axis during their revolving motion. In the second operating position no control connection exists, in that there is released the hinge connection between the control element and the tine supports, and the tine supports are now secured against rocking or pivoting about their lengthwise axis.
A similar type of hay harvesting machine is known from German Patent Publication No. 2,619,867 and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,944, wherein the control elements, hingedly coupled with the tine supports, are guided in a control cam or track. This control track extends at the same spacing about the upright shaft and possesses, in the direction of the upright shaft, an ascending and again descending portion or section for raising the rake tines during swath formation. Due to the space required by the control track or cam in the direction of the upright shaft, it is therefore necessary to correspondingly increase the structural height of the machine, and thus also its weight. This increased weight of the equipment requires a corresponding design and dimensioning thereof. Due to the relatively large structural height the use of the machine at the region of hedges, bushes and trees having low slung branches is rendered more difficult, if not made impossible.


A system for computer-based testing for producing and delivering a test to an examinee includes a test driver, a storage device that stores the test definition language as a plurality of segments, and a validation expansion module that validates the plurality of segments of the test definition language and writes the at least one of the plurality of segments directly to the storage device. A method of computer-based testing includes instantiating a validation expansion module during a test production cycle and validating the plurality of segments from the source file. The method also includes instantiating the validation expansion module and loading the plurality of segments of the test definition language into the validation expansion module during a test delivery cycle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates the field of computer-based testing, and in particular, the present invention relates to a non-deterministic test definition language that defines a test specification and content of a computer-based test and supports non-predetermined property sets to any area of the test definition.
2. Background of the Related Art
For many years, standardized testing has been a common method of assessing examinees as regards educational placement, skill evaluation, etc. Due to the prevalence and mass distribution of standardized tests, computer based testing has emerged as a superior method of providing standardized tests, guaranteeing accurate scoring, and ensuring prompt return of test results to examinees.
Tests are developed based on the requirements and particulars of test developers. Typically, test developers employ psychometricians or statisticians and psychologists to determine the specific requirements specific to human assessment. These experts often have their own, unique ideas regarding how a test should be presented and regarding the necessary contents of that test, including the visual format of the test as well as the data content of the test. Therefore, a particular computer based test has to be customized to fulfill the client's requirements.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art process for computerized test customization, denoted generally by reference numeral 10. First, a client details the desired test requirements and specifications, step 12. The computerized test publisher then creates the tools that allow the test publisher to author the items, presentations, etc., required to fulfill the requirements, step 14. The test publisher then writes an item viewer, which allows the test publisher to preview what is being authored, step 16.
An item presenter is then written to present the new item, for example, to the test driver, step 18. Presenting the new item to the test driver requires a modification of the test driver's executable code. The test driver must be modified so that it is aware of the new item and can communicate with the new item presenter, step 20. The test packager must then also be modified, step 22. The test packager, which may also be a compiler, takes what the test publisher has created and writes the result as new object codes for the new syntax. Subsequently, the scoring engine must also be modified to be able to score the new item type, step 24. Finally, the results processor must be modified to be able to accept the new results from the new item, step 26. This process requires no less than seven software creations or modifications to existing software.
Current computer based test definition languages are deterministic and finite. There comprises a fixed set of grammar constructs that define the extent of the language. Also, test components in current computer based test drivers are fixed to the set of exam constructs. Therefore, new test functionality cannot be added without code changes and compilation of many modules.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,070 (Kershaw et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,316 (Kershaw et al.) are incorporated herein by reference. The '070 and '316 patents, which have similar specifications, disclose a computer-based testing system comprising a test development system and a test delivery system. The test development system comprises a test document creation system for specifying the test contents, an item preparation system for computerizing each of the items in the test, a test preparation system for preparing a computerized test, and a test packaging system for combining all of the items and test components into a computerized test package. The computerized test package is then delivered to authorized examinees on a workstation by the test delivery system.
FIG. 2 illustrates the relationship among session scripts 30, test scripts 32, and units. A script consists of a series of files and further specifies the option settings and configuration data, which the Test Delivery Application (TDA) needs for operation. During test preparation, scripts are prepared and combined with the items prepared during item preparation. Scripts control the sequence of events during a testing session. Two types of scripts are preferably used: the session script 30 and one or more test scripts 32. The session script 30 controls the order in which units within the testing session are presented. Units provide specific services to the examinee, such as delivering a test or presenting a score report. Just as the session script controls the session, the test script controls what is presented to the examinee during the testing unit. Each testing unit may include one or more delivery units, which are separately timed and scored subdivisions of a test. The system can dynamically select, or spiral, scripts and other test components so that examinees are given what appear to be different tests. FIG. 24 shows the relationship among session scripts 30, test scripts 32, and units.
The session script is the second-level component of the testing package. It performs two primary functions: First, it specifies the Session Control Information, which defines the default options that are in effect for the entire examinee testing session. Second, it controls the order in which units within the testing session are presented and the options used to present them. The units that can be presented within a session script are: General information screen units, Tutorial units, Break units, Data collection units, Scoring and reporting units, and Testing units.
The session control information contains the default options in effect for the entire session. Control information can be provided at multiple levels within the testing session. Thus, the control information provided at the session level can be overridden by information that occurs later in the session. The information provided at the session level would generally include the following: Name—the session script name to be used by administrators in selecting a specific session script from Administrative Application menus; Input device—the input device to be used during the session (e.g., mouse or keyboard); Color—the colors to be used during the session; Messages—program-specific messages to override default messages during the session; Demo Script—indicates whether the script presents a demonstration or operational test; Research Indicator—indicates whether the script presents a research pilot test; Special Timing—indicates whether the script is standard or specially timed version.
The testing unit presents a test, based on the contents of a test script that may have been selected at runtime. The following units can be included within a testing unit: general information screen unit; tutorial unit; break unit; delivery unit, which delivers items to the examinee. This permits testing programs to interleave general information screens, tutorials, and breaks with sections of a test. The testing unit contains the following information: script selection mode indicates whether dynamic runtime selection is to be used to select the test script; reference to a test script which controls the sequence of events and options used during the testing unit. If dynamic runtime selection is to be used, the reference is to a set of test scripts. Like the session script, the test script performs two primary functions. First, it specifies the test and delivery unit control information. Test control information defines the options that are in effect for the testing unit. Delivery unit control information defines the options that are in effect for a particular delivery unit within a testing unit. It controls the order in which units are presented within the testing unit and the options used to present them. The rules for presentation of units are the same as those for the session script, except that an additional unit, the delivery unit, can be included within a test script.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,994 (Kershaw et al.), which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a centralized administrative system and method of administering standardized test to a plurality of examinees. The administrative system is implemented on a central administration workstation and at least one test workstation located in different rooms at a test center. The administrative system software, which provides substantially administrative functions, is executed from the central administration workstation. The administrative system software, which provides function carried out in connection with a test session, is executed from the testing workstations.
None of the Kershaw et al. patents appear to make any mention of a test definition language that is non-linear and does not require interpretation of the commands at delivery time. What is required is computer based testing system that supports a non-deterministic test definition language that is able to expand with the definition of new testing components and allows the test driver to be expanded to support new item types, scoring algorithms, etc., without making any changes to the test driver's executable or recompiling the test driver to support the new testing components. Other alternative and/or additional benefits and features are described below in connection with the Summary of the Invention and Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments.

Method and system for computer based testing using a non-deterministic exam extensible language (XXL) protocol

Prometric, a division of Thomson Licensing, Inc.


A method of producing a carbon-doped amorphous silicon thin film upon a substrate comprising the steps of growing a carbon-doped amorphous silicon layer by plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition, including generating a glow discharge in a gaseous mixture of a silane gas and a hydrocarbon gas, and exposing said carbon-doped amorphous silicon layer to a plasma in a gas containing hydrogen to achieve a resultant layer having a prescribed value of photoconductivity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of producing a carbon-doped amorphous silicon thin film to be used as a material of a light incident layer (i.e., window layer) of an amorphous solar battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an amorphous solar battery, it is necessary to reduce the optical absorption coefficient of the window layer so as to allow as much incident light as possible to reach the layer of the solar battery having a photoelectric conversion function. In order to reduce the absorption coefficient of the window layer, it is necessary that the window layer have a large optical band gap. It is sufficient that the window layer of an amorphous silicon solar battery be comprised of a carbon-doped amorphous silicon thin film having an optical band gap larger than that of the materials comprising the solar battery itself. Conventionally, such a carbon-doped amorphous silicon thin film has been produced in the following manner.
First, a gaseous mixture of a mono-silane gas (SiH.sub.4) and an acetylene gas (C.sub.2 H.sub.2) is led into a vacuum chamber so as to make the pressure in the chamber 10-1000 Pa Next, a 13.56 MHz high frequency electric field is applied across a pair of parallel-plate electrodes disposed in the vacuum chamber so that a glow discharge is generated across the electrodes. The gaseous mixture is decomposed by energy from the glow discharge, and a carbon-doped amorphous silicon thin film is deposited on a substrate which has been placed in the vacuum chamber and heated to 150.degree.-300.degree. C. The carbon concentration x in the film is a function of the ratio of the acetylene flow rate F(C.sub.2 H.sub.2) to the mono-silane flow rate F(SiH.sub.4), and is represented by equation (1) based on data presented by Asano et al. in Journal cf Applied Physics, Vol. 63 (1989), No. 7, p. 2346. EQU x=0.68[F (C.sub.2 H.sub.2)/F(SiH.sub.4)].sup.0.466 ( 1)
Further, the magnitude of the optical band gap Eg (unit: electron volt) of the film is a linear function of the carbon concentration x in the film, and is represented by equation (2). EQU Eg=1.72+1.54x (2)
Therefore, the optical band gap of the formed carbon-doped amorphous silicon thin film can be successively altered by varying the mixing ratio of monosilane to acetylene in the raw material gas.
In the conventional method for producing such a carbon-doped amorphous silicon thin film, however, there are disadvantages in that the defect density of the resultant carbon-doped amorphous silicon thin film sharply increases as the carbon concentration in the carbon-doped amorphous silicon thin film increases. This leads to a deterioration of the film's photoelectric characteristics such as electric conductivity (photoconductivity) or the like. The photoconductivity of a carbon-doped amorphous silicon thin film having an optical band gap, for example, of 2.0 electron volts is low, about 10.sup.-8 s/cm while under irradiation of an artificial sun having intensity of 100 mW/cm.sup.2.

Method of producing carbon-doped amorphous silicon thin film

Fuji Electric Corporate Research and Development Ltd.


A natural gas dehydrator and process for dehydrating natural gas employ a longitudinal horizontal pressure vessel containing a threshold level of liquid desiccant. A plurality of spaced-apart baffles divides the vessel into a series of pneumatically discrete compartments. The baffles have a plurality of apertures which define a sinusoidal gas flow path through the vessel into and out of the liquid desiccant from the inlet to the outlet. Each of the baffles also has an opening in its lowermost portion which define a linear primary liquid desiccant flow path through the vessel from the inlet to the outlet. The baffled vessel is fixed within another longitudinally horizontal pressure vessel so as to define a chamber therebetween. Dried gas and wet desiccant are discharged from the inner or baffled vessel into the chamber where they are gravity separated, the dried gas flowing to an outlet on top of the outer vessel and the wet desiccant flowing to a sump at the bottom of the outer vessel.

This invention relates generally to equipment used to purify natural gas and more particularly concerns dehydrators for removing water from natural gas.
Natural gas is presently dried by use of trayed towers, perhaps 1.5 to 9 feet in diameter and 20 or more feet tall. The gas is passed from a spreader at the bottom of the tower to a small outlet at the top of the tower while liquid desiccant, such as triethylene glycol spurted into the top of the tower against approximately 1,000 psi flows to bottom of the tower as each tray overflows to the next in zig-zag fashion. Each tray interposes an approximately one inch thick lamina of desiccant in the path of the gas. Since there are typically 5 to 9 trays in a tower, every gas molecule is expected to pass through 5 to 9 inches of desiccant. The wet desiccant at the bottom of the tower is then heated to boil off the water and the pure desiccant is pumped to the top of the tower. For example, if triethylene glycol is used, the wet glycol is heated to approximately 375.degree. F. to boil off the water.
There are serious disadvantages in using the trayed tower equipment. A first disadvantage is that the diameter of the dried gas outlet at the top of the tower, typically is 1/6 the diameter of the trays. Since the gas tries to flow along the most direct path to the outlet, the gas flow pattern is generally conical. Thus, while the trays and, therefor, the glycol laminae are of equal diameter, the unused area of each sequentially higher lamina concentrically increases until, at the top of the tower, very little of the glycol is put to use. A second disadvantage related to the first is that, as tower diameter is increased, the inefficiency of the unit is also increased because the unused area is a function of the square of the diameter. Thus, while an 18" diameter tower might require 3 gallons of glycol to absorb 1 pound of water, a 9' diameter tower might require 4 gallons of glycol to absorb 1 pound of water. This leads us to a third disadvantage which is that, even for small diameter towers, more glycol must be heated in the boil-off process than was effectively used in the drying process and, for larger diameter towers, energy is wasted at an increasing rate. A fourth disadvantage is that the trayed tower system blows an initial gas molecule through a small hole in the bubble cap associated with the tray. Subsequent gas molecules tend to follow the path cleared by the initial molecule and, therefor, may not be fully contacted by the desiccant. A fifth disadvantage is that, since the tower configuration provides 5 to 9 one inch laminae of desiccant, the residence time of the gas in the desiccant is quite limited, further reducing the efficiency of the equipment. A sixth disadvantage of trayed tower dehydrators is that, although the gas is relatively volatile, the gas flow pattern is so linear that there is too little interaction of the molecules to promote useful contact with desiccant between laminae. A seventh disadvantage of trayed tower dehydrators is that they cannot be used in floating production system operation or FPSO such as a tanker retrofitted with production equipment on the deck. The angle and alignment of the trays must be maintained to assure the uniform flow of desiccant across each tray and overflow between trays. The natural motion of a ship or tanker floating on a body of water prohibits this necessary uniform flow and overflow. Most of the future offshore drilling and production will be in water one to two miles or more deep. This is impossible with fixed leg platforms and, therefore, all such drilling and production will be done using FPSO systems.
It is, therefor, an object of this invention to provide a dehydrator for and method of dehydrating natural gas in which the flow path of the gas is sinusoidal along a horizontal axis into and out of the liquid desiccant. Another object of this invention is to provide a dehydrator for and method of dehydrating natural gas in which the flow path of the gas is sinusoidal between zeniths and nadirs radially distant from the longitudinal axis of the dehydrator. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a dehydrator for and method of dehydrating natural gas which uses the liquid desiccant available for the drying process and the energy required in the boil-off process more efficiently than in presently known dehydrators. Still another object of this invention is to provide a dehydrator for and method of dehydrating natural gas in which a greater percentage of the gas molecules come in full contact with the liquid desiccant while they are in the desiccant pool than in presently known dehydrators. A further object of this invention is to provide a dehydrator for and a method of dehydrating natural gas which afford greater residence time of the gas in the liquid desiccant than presently known dehydrators. Another object of this invention is to provide a dehydrator for and method of dehydrating natural gas which take advantage of the volatile nature of the gas to cause the gas to come into useful contact with liquid desiccant even when the gas is not in the desiccant pool. It is also an object of this invention to provide a dehydrator for and method of dehydrating natural gas which is useful in floater applications.


The present invention concerns a gateway, and a method at a gateway for retrieving information from a device without requiring any configuration and installation at the device. To this end the invention relates to a method in a gateway device comprising an interface to a first network, an interface to a second network and a local web server. The method comprises the steps intercepting a request from a first device detected on the first network to a web server located on the second network, sending a webpage located on the local web server to the device, the webpage comprising means for, when the webpage is loaded by the device, retrieving information from that device and receiving information from the device, the information being retrieved from said device by the webpage.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present invention that are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
A network router usually functions as a gateway connecting a local area network to the Internet. It is configured with the proper settings including an either dynamic or fixed public IP address. It performs Network Address Translation (NAT), defined in the IETF RFC 3022, between the local network private IP addresses and the public Internet IP address. In addition it contains a local network IP address and typically contains a DHCP server function to dynamically assign IP addresses to all devices on the local network.
The gateway is usually managed by a Management Server located on the network via a management protocol such as DSL Forum TR-069 or the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). The TR-069 is specified in "DSL Forum Technical Report, TR-069 Amendment 1, CPE WAN Management Protocol, dated November 2006". SNMP is specified in the IETF RFC 1157. The Management Server is managed and controlled by an Internet service provider.
To reduce the number of helpdesk calls and overall installation and service problems, the service providers typically rely upon diagnostics and troubleshooting tools. These tools aim at providing relevant diagnostics information and possibly performing active troubleshooting tests, such as device and service availability tests. The gateway then plays an important and central role in providing local network diagnostics and troubleshooting capabilities under control of a management server. The gateway collects information about the home network devices based upon passive collection of device information such as hardware and IP address, status and connection time. In particular, it can get information from the gateway DHCP server lease table.
The monitoring and diagnostics at the service provider consists in the collection of relevant local network device information. In particular, information on hardware and IP addresses, operating system and web browser used enables a helpdesk to support a customer. It helps to diagnose any home networking problem such as lack of Internet access.
To be able to retrieve information from home network devices, existing solutions rely upon local network device installation of software programs. These software programs usually run on a computer or on device operating system. They collect relevant device information. They optionally use this information for pro-active troubleshooting. They optionally communicate this information to the service provider. An example of such a solution is the Network Magic software (Registered Trademark) from Pure Networks. It permits to discover the home network and provide a local based overview of the home network.
Relying upon such software programs is not user friendly and may pose problems. It requires installing a software program on each device of the local network. Each Operating System needs a compatible program to be created and supported by the devices on the local network. The tool is dependent on software; whenever installation of the software fails, there is no information available at the service provider.

Device and method for retrieving information from a device


A key fob for a vehicle has a first end that is used as a key for insertion into a vehicle ignition receptacle and a second end that defines an opening for internal storage of a separate, removable key. While the key fob will remotely unlock the vehicle doors and start the vehicle engine when turned in the vehicle ignition, the removable key is an auxiliary, mechanical access key that may be used on door locks and interior storage compartments. The key fob will not unlock interior storage compartments and the removable key will not sustain operation of the vehicle engine.

Modern vehicles may employ various methods for vehicle owners to gain entry to their vehicles and also to start their vehicles. One such method of gaining access to and starting a vehicle is by using an electronic key fob. Such electronic key fobs generally provide access to a vehicle when a user presses a button on the fob to unlock a door(s). Such fobs may also have a traditional metal key protruding from the fob which inserts into an ignition component that, when turned, starts a vehicle engine. While such electronic key fobs have proven satisfactory for their purposes, each is associated with its share of limitations.
One such limitation of current vehicle key systems occurs when a vehicle operator desires to use a valet to park his or her vehicle while at a restaurant. More specifically, the valet usually takes the key fob from the driver which not only permits the valet to start the car, but also provides the valet with access to the various interior compartments of the vehicle, such as a center console and glove compartment. Another limitation of current vehicle key systems is that while some vehicle manufacturers offer a valet key separate from the electronic key fob, a vehicle operator must remember that he or she wants to use valet parking and remember to bring the separate valet key. Still yet, actually finding a seldom used, separate valet key may be inconvenient, frustrating and time consuming for a vehicle operator.
A further limitation of current key systems is that when a key fob is provided to a valet, a vehicle operator's entire ring of keys, including house keys, is commonly provided to a valet, or time is spent removing such excess keys for a ring on the fob. This presents an opportunity for a valet to copy significant keys of the operator and is also a burden to the valet who must find a place for a bulky and heavy ring of keys. Finally, many electronic key fobs that are used by a valet have no hole or device by which to hang or store the key fob while in the valet's possession.
What is needed then is a device that does not suffer from the above limitations. This, in turn, will provide a device that: possesses a valet key yet limits access to vehicle interior compartments; permits a valet to quickly and easily handle just one key; permits a valet with a method to hang the valet key; is aesthetically pleasing, relatively lightweight, and appear as if only one fob or key is present when in fact more than one are present; provides a way for an operator to very quickly detach a single vehicle access and engine operation key from the balance of an owner's keys.


Apparatus for dispensing a fine spray of liquid particles comprises a manually operated pump connected to supply air under pressure directly to a nozzle so positioned that air leaving the nozzle is directed onto and over the nib of a pen releasably supported within a holder with the pen nib in close proximity with the nozzle outlet to cause liquid from the pen to be dispensed as a fine particulate spray in air.

This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing a fine spray of liquid particles and more especially, but not exclusively, to liquid dispensers known as air brushes.
An air brush for non-contact marking of objects is disclosed in GB 2035138 in which a jet of compressed air released from a cylinder or other source of air under pressure is directed onto a fibrous wick carrying marking material, e.g. a felt-tipped pen. The compressed air jet is controlled by means of a valve connected to the air cylinder. Such an air brush is both cumbersome and expensive because of the presence of the compressed-air cylinder and the need for a relatively complicated and expensive valve system for controlling the flow of compressed air.

Air brush apparatus having an improved nozzle and connection mechanism

c/o Bolton Research Limited, Unit 6, City Business Centre, Basin Road


A gas turbine shaft assembly comprises first and second axially mating shafts. The first shaft has a circumferential array of splines configured to mesh with a corresponding circumferential array of splines on the second shaft. The first shaft defines at least one axially extending slot aligned with one of the splines on the first shaft. The second shaft has at least one radial projection aligned with one of the splines on the second shaft. The engagement of the radial projection with the slot provides angular correspondence between the splines of the first and the second shafts prior to axial engagement of the splines.

Splines are widely used to provide torque transmission between engine parts. In some instances, it may be challenging to ensure proper angular alignment between the splines of the mating parts. This is particularly true for blind assemblies where visual access to the splines is not available while the parts are being drawn together. Misalignment at assembly may result in damages to the splines and eventually compromise the integrity of the spline assembly.


A storage device implements a method for garbage collection. The storage device arranges data blocks of a storage medium into a bin and determines first coldness of a first data block in the bin and second coldness of a second data block in the bin that are respectively associated with a first rate of change of valid data in the first data block into invalid data and a second rate of change of valid data in the second data block into invalid data. Based on the first coldness and the second coldness, the storage device selects a colder data block from the first and second data blocks as a garbage data block. Because the valid data in the selected garbage data block are more stable, they may cause less new stale data or garbage data in a new block to which the valid data are moved.

A flash storage device usually contains a flash controller and at least one flash chip. One limitation of the flash chip is that, although it can be read or programmed a byte or a word at a time in a random access fashion, the data stored in the flash chip can be erased only a block at a time. If the data in a data block of the flash chip need to be updated or replaced by new replacement data, rather than directly delete the data from the data block, the chip controller will mark the data to be replaced as "stale" and program the new replacement data into the same data block. When the data block is fully programmed, a garbage collection operation may be performed to the data block. For example, during the garbage collection operation, the data in the data block that are marked as "stale" may be deleted and the other data that are not marked as "stale" may be copied to another data block. After the garbage collection operation, the data block is empty, ready to store new data. When a plurality of data blocks inside a flash chip are full, the chip controller may select the data block with the least valid data from the plurality of data blocks as a garbage block and perform the garbage collection operation on the data block that has been marked as the garbage block.


A capture clock generation control mechanism is provided. The capture clock generation control mechanism controls the number of at-speed clocks generated and supplied to one or more scan chains during scan testing of a microcircuit based on control data stored in a JTAG or scan test register. The scan test register may be formed out of scan cells and comprise part of a scan chain. Automatic Test Pattern Generation (ATPG) tools may generate the data that is loaded into the scan test register to automatically configure the clock generation control mechanism. The clock control mechanism may include the ability to adjust the position of the at-speed clocks within a capture cycle, thereby facilitating transition fault detection.

1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the present disclosure relates to integrated circuits, and, more particularly, to the generation and control of capture clocks used during scan and built-in self-testing of integrated circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
Design-for-Testability (DFT) is a technique that enhances a microcircuit's testability by incorporating certain features into the microcircuit's design to facilitate testing of the manufactured product. The goal of such a design is to make difficult-to-test sequential circuits easier to test by replacing traditional sequential elements, such as flip flops (hereinafter called flops) with scannable sequential elements, called scan cells, and then connecting the scan cells together to form scan chains. A scan cell is a normal latch or flip-flop with an additional input, called the scan input, and an additional output, called the scan output. The scan output of one scan cell connects to the scan input of the next scan cell to form the scan chain. The scan cells connect to the core logic and become part of the core design. With the added inputs and outputs that form the scan chains, you can shift data serially into and out of the core logic to inject test patterns into, or receive test results from, a manufactured microcircuit design.
Each scan cell of the scan chain serves as both a control and an observation point for Automatic Test Pattern Generation (ATPG) testing and fault simulation. ATPG tools automatically generate test patterns for use in the scan chains. Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) shifts these test patterns into the scan chains and supplies, or causes to be supplied, one or more clock pulses to the core logic. The responses to the test patterns are captured within the scan cells and the results are shifted out of the scan chain. ATE then compares the results with expected results to determine if a fault is present.
Many test patterns are typically generated and used during scan testing. Different test patterns provide different test coverage. A pattern having high test coverage typically tests many different parts of the design while a pattern having low test coverage tests only smaller portions. To meet a test budget, it is desirable to move test patterns with high test coverage to the beginning of a pattern set and test patterns with low test coverage to the end of the pattern set or drop them altogether.
Because each test pattern usually requires a different number of at-speed clock pulses to be applied to the scan chain, test patterns are typically ordered by the number of at-speed clock pulses each requires. Ordering test patterns by the required number of clock pulses reduces the number of times the clock circuitry must be adjusted during test. A typical scan test cycle includes shifting a scan test pattern into the scan chain, pulsing a system clock one or more times to capture test results within the scan chain, and shifting the results out. A capture cycle is that portion of the scan test that captures the test results.
Boundary-Scan Testing, also known as the Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) standard, or IEEE 1149.1, is another test architecture known in the art. Among other things, it provides a means for testing integrated circuits within the core logic by, for example, initiating logic built-in self-test (LBIST), without using physical test probes. JTAG architecture adds boundary-scan cells to each pin on a microcircuit device and to core logic so that test and control data can be injected into the logic, tests can be initiated, and the results shifted out, even when the microcircuit is encased in a package. JTAG registers and control circuitry interact with other circuitry within a microcircuit device to initiate and control internal testing.

Scan or JTAG controllable capture clock generation


A flux which contains irreversibly dehydrated K.sub.2 AlF.sub.5, for soldering light metal materials, in particular aluminum. The flux has the advantages of forming a very uniform flux coating on the workpiece or workpieces to be soldered and exhibiting outstanding flow of the solder. An appropriate soldering process, an aqueous flux suspension and preparation processes for the flux are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a process for brazing metallic materials, an aqueous flux suspension and a novel flux for use in a brazing process and a preparation process for the novel flux.
During brazing, metal materials are joined at a temperature of above 500.degree. C. with the aid of a molten additional metal (solder). The melting point of the solder is lower than the melting point of the materials, so that the solder joints of many metals can be separated in a nondestructive manner by melting the solder again.
During soldering, oxides and other interfering top layers on the metal surface present a problem: the surface must be metallically pure so that a satisfactory solder joint forms. This is achieved using fluxes, which are generally brushed on, sprayed on or applied as a solder covering on the material.
Fluxes based on alkali metal salts, preferably potassium salts, of complex aluminum fluorides are particularly suitable, for example for brazing light metal materials, in particular alloyed (for example with magnesium) or unalloyed aluminum materials, since they are non-corrosive and non-hygroscopic. Fluxes of this type which are, for example, mixtures of KAlF.sub.4 and K.sub.3 AlF.sub.6 or mixtures of KAlF.sub.4 and K.sub.2 AlF.sub.5 are already known, and the last mentioned compound can optionally be present as the hydrate.
The surface-cleaning action of a flux is evident from, inter alia, the fact that, after melting, the solder runs on the surface of the component or of the components. The better the surface of the component has been cleaned by the flux, the more readily the solder runs on that surface.

Process for preparing flux suitable for soldering light metals such as aluminum


An implement includes a clevis assembly connected to the forward end of the implement hitch for limited fore-and-aft movement to permit holes in the clevis and of a tractor drawbar to become aligned for receiving a hitch pin, a latch then being operable to prevent further fore-and-aft movement of the clevis. First and second parallel legs of the clevis are provided with holes in which are received first and second bushing portions respectively of first and second jaws. The bushing portion of the first jaw is threaded and the hitch pin has a threaded end received therein, the pin being operable to move the first jaw towards the second jaw so that the jaws may tightly clamp a drawbar located therebetween.

The present invention relates to a clevis assembly for a towed implement and more particularly relates to a clevis adapted for being hitched to a tractor drawbar.
Tractor drawn implements, such as pull-type rotary cutters, require a hitch-to-drawbar connection that allows for rotation in three directions, namely, turning, twisting and pitching. Most drawn implement hitches only allow for turning about the vertical axis of the drawbar pin, with slop in the hitch-to-drawbar connection allowing for movement in the other two directions. Some implements, including rotary cutters, provide two-way rotation (turning and pitching) using a pivoting clevis and others provide three-way rotation by using two pivoting clevises, but because of the relatively high weight of the implement carried by the drawbar, the drawbar and clevis tend to wear and fail prematurely. Furthermore, even though it is possible to size the hitch pin and clevis so that a tight, swivel connection may be made between the clevis and the drawbar, such sizing would make hook-up of the hitch more difficult and could possibly result in the inability of a different tractor to be connected to the implement or in the sizing being wrong for gaining any benefit.
On some cutters, a leveling rod is mounted between the clevis and the front of the mower deck to keep the clevis level as the cutter is raised and lowered so as to minimize stresses imposed on the connection, but this system does not allow for rotation during pitching, and in some cases twisting movements of the cutter relative to the tractor.
Also, with the hitches used on current implements, it is difficult to align the hitch and drawbar holes for receiving the hitch pin during hook-up of the implement to the tractor, especially when there's only one person.


An off-axis optical system having a rectangular aperture stop to control rays of incident electromagnetic radiation passing through the optical system along an optical path is provided. The optical system includes one or more optical surfaces along the optical path, each surface being configured to change a direction of each ray on the surface based on a location of the ray relative to the surface. At least one of the surfaces is conjugate to and has the same shape as the rectangular aperture stop. In one embodiment, each optical surface is shaped to avoid vignetting the rays. In one embodiment, the optical system is a three-mirror anastigmat (TMA) and includes a concave primary mirror to collect and focus the electromagnetic radiation; a curved secondary mirror to reflect the electromagnetic radiation focused by the primary mirror; and a concave tertiary mirror to focus the electromagnetic radiation reflected by the secondary mirror.

In many remote sensing applications, such as observation, surveillance, and reconnaissance, there is a need for better object space resolution, such as improved ground sampled distance (GSD), and without increasing the system package size. For example, multi-band systems that include spectrometers can benefit from improving the object space resolution. Improved object space resolution provides more information to the end user, such as when resolving between stars in an extraterrestrial-viewing system (e.g., an astronomical telescope observing the sky) or when resolving between objects on the ground. For instance, in digital imagery of the ground captured from an airborne platform (such as a digital photo captured by an airborne surveillance system or satellite), GSD refers to the distance between pixels measured on the ground. So, for example, for an image having a GSD of 1 meter, adjacent pixels of the image correspond to locations on the ground that are 1 meter apart. An example of an off-axis reflective system is a three-mirror anastigmat (TMA), which is an optical instrument (e.g., telescope) having three mirrors to correct for spherical aberration, coma, and astigmatism.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those in light of the present disclosure.

Three-mirror anastigmat having rectangular aperture stop

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.


A user-incontinence cleaning kit including at least one of a scent blocker and a facial mask, a plurality of gloves sized configured to be worn by the user in an overlapping relationship with respect to each other and corresponding to a select order of use for cleaning a patient, and a plurality of incontinence pads sized and shaped to be interposed between a backside of a patient and a top of a patient support structure.

There are many known systems and kits used to clean a user or patient confined to a bed or other location, wherein the user or patient has limited mobility. Although there are numerous types of kits which allow users to clean incontinent patients, little attention has been paid to effective solutions to clean the patient in a specific manner that is both time saving and cost effective using readily available materials arranged in the order of use. Further, many kits fail to provide a container, e.g., a drawstring bag, equipped with the materials needed to clean a patient and which can serve as a waste container after cleaning the patient. As an added problems, existing kits often fail to include a scent or odor eliminator or blocker to reduce or mask the smell associated with user waste.
A number of known devices which attempt to provide the user with a cleaning kit are, for various reasons, costly, inefficient, or burdensome. For example, U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2009/0014351 describes a prepackaged kit for cleaning an incontinent patient including an impermeable bag, disposable gloves, at least one cleaning cloth, and a skin care ointment. The prepackaged kit provides for quick disposal of the materials after the materials are used. As with many standard kits and methods of using the same, the kit and method fail to take into account a specific order of cleaning the patient, wherein the user is provided with a clean set of gloves and materials throughout the cleaning and changing steps. Such kit also fails to include a scent blocker to alleviate the unpleasant scent often experienced by the user, which also alleviates embarrassment experienced by the patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,238 describes a waste cleanup kit for cleaning up body substances while reducing the chances of infection from diseases carried by the substances. The cleanup kit includes an absorbent material, a disinfectant, a scoop, a glove, an absorbent towel, a hand wipe, and a plastic bag. In use, the kit is provided with a specific set of instructions for cleaning up the body substance using the absorbent material and scoop. The cleanup kit is not, for example, designed to quickly and inexpensively clean waste from a patient and thereafter clean the patient. In addition, the kit may only include one pair of gloves, which may become infected and dirty, thus making the gloves unsanitary for use during cleaning of the patient following the removal of a soiled garment, such as a diaper.
Therefore, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above.

User-incontinence cleaning kit and method of use thereof


A method and apparatus for managing palettes in collaborative systems. This includes one or more host computers connected to one or more remote computers, wherein an image displayed on the host computer is substantially simultaneously displayed on the remote computer. The invention recognizes when a change is made to a system palette on the host computer, and communicates those changes to the remote computer. A logical palette is created on the remote computer to reflect the system palette on the host computer, and the changes made therein. A system palette on the remote computer may be updated to reflect the logical palette, and the changes made therein, depending upon whether the collaborative system is active or idle. When sharing images between the host computer and the remote computer, the images must first be translated from their device dependent format using the system palette on the host computer into a device independent image. The device independent image, like the system palette, is transmitted from the host computer to the remote computer. The device independent image is then translated into a device dependent image suitable for display on the remote computer using the logical palette maintained by the collaborative system on the remote computer.

The present invention generally relates to a collaborative system for sharing applications between computers, and in particular, to a method and apparatus for managing display palettes in collaborative systems. Many computer programs use as many colors as are available from the computer's video subsystem to allow the programs to have as much visual impact as possible. This is fine when displaying a computer program on one system, because the computer program has full control over the system, but special techniques had to be developed to allow the computer program to be displayed identically when shown simultaneously on many computers.

Palette management for application sharing in collaborative systems


A method and apparatus for stabilizing the operation of a dewatering press operating on a known liquid-solid mixture by measuring a physical property such as the pressure of the material being dewatered at an intermediate position in the press, comparing the measured value with a predetermined optimum value set at will by the machine operator, and generating from the comparison a process alteration capable of stabilizing the operation of the press.

The invention deals with the practical operation of separating liquids from solids by pressing. This operation has many industrial applications including the separation of fibers or solid materials from water or liquids of any kind in the sugar industry, in pulp and paper manufacturing, in chemical manufacturing and in other fields.
For example, in the processing of wood or any other lignocellulosic material for the production of pulp and paper, the raw material is subject to a series of treatments in water suspension or with chemical solutions at relatively low solid-to-liquid ratios or consistencies that require subsequent dewatering steps.
In applications where only slight dewatering and consistency increases are desired, vacuum or pressurized screens or filters are commonly used. In applications where higher consistencies must be reached, as in feeding pressure vessels, digesters or chemical reactors, presses of many designs have been built and operated. These may be classified in the following three main categories:
(1) Roll presses in which the material is pressed between two rolls, perforated or not, such as in paper making, sugar cane crushing and others. PA0 (2) Disk (or cone) presses in which the material is pressed between two perforated disks (or cones) rotating around their respective axes that are set at an angle relative to each other. PA0 (3) Screw presses in which the material is pressed by a specifically designed screw rotating inside a cylindrical or conical perforated barrel.
Presses are particularly useful when substantial dewatering is desired because of the high consistencies they can provide as compared to other dewatering devices. This becomes particularly important as a water and energy saving factor in vapor phase cooking systems, in high consistency washing and bleaching procedures and in other operations. However, despite these obvious advantages, presses are not generally used as effectively as they could be for several reasons, among which are the following:
Roll presses are expensive and quite delicate in their operation since hard foreign bodies, even if small, may damage the roll surfaces, especially if the latter are of the perforated type. PA1 Disk presses are expensive, have small drainage surface and feed ports requiring pre-dewatered material, and the sealing of moving parts against the casing of the machine is difficult and generally inefficient. PA1 Commercially available screw presses, though generally less expensive and of simpler design than other types, are unstable in their operation and difficult to control.
The shortcomings of prior art screw press operation can be explained as follows.
Most materials subjected to dewatering by pressing require increasing pressure increments for every equal increment of liquid removal. For this reason, the pressure follows an exponential curve relative to the volume reduction curve. This relationship means that at the last stages of the compression, corresponding to the higher pressures, a small difference in the compression ratio or a small excess in the material feed rate to a screw press having a fixed configuration may cause a sudden and substantial increment of the pressure that may "jam" the machine, meaning that the material being pressed may become very hard because of excessive dewatering. Consequently, the power needed to drive the machine may exceed that available, or the pressure may reach a level that may damage the machine itself. When a "jam" occurs the press must be stopped and any over-compressed material must be freed before the press can resume operation. On the other hand, if the feed rate or the consistency of the feed slurry momentarily decreases below the designed value, even by a small margin, the press may "slip" meaning that no compression results from the rotation of the screw element because the material in the press rotates with the screw.
The proper operation of such a press requires, therefore, a gradual increase of pressure from the inlet to the outlet. Such a condition is unstable, because a pressure increase at any point, due to any variation of the slurry feed rate or consistency, tends to increase the dewatering, and this, in turn, results in increased friction which generates still further pressure increases. Conversely, a decrease of pressure, resulting from an opposite event, tends to decrease the dewatering, and that generates a further decrease of the internal friction and of the pressure-generating capability of the machine. In the former event the machine will tend to jam and in the latter, to slip.
It is apparent that presently available screw presses are characterized by an unstable operation since any deviations from stable operating conditions tend to become larger rather than be corrected by the natural dynamics of the machine operation. By contrast, the present invention provides a means for stabilizing the operation of screw presses at a desired level of performance, in a manner such that deviations from optimum operating conditions are readily corrected.

Method and apparatus for stabilizing operation of a press


Bottles, cans or other types of containers are filled with accurately metered quantities of a liquid by employing a number of discrete filling units which orbit about a vertical axis and are provided with metering chambers receiving liquid from a main source of supply. The metering chambers are overfilled with liquid, and the excess is collected and returned to the main source. The filling units and certain other parts (such as an annular vessel of the main source) of the apparatus can be of modular design to facilitate storage and transport of modules which are assembled into a container filling apparatus at the filling plant. The method and apparatus can be utilized with advantage for the admission of metered quantities of carbonated and/or pulp-containing beverages into bottles or cans. The capacities of the metering chambers can be varied within a desired range, and each filling unit is provided with a first outlet which serves to admit metered quantities of liquid from the respective metering chamber into successive containers, and with a second outlet which is used to admit liquid from the vessel into the respective metering chamber.

The invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for admitting liquids into containers, and more particularly to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for admitting metered quantities of liquids (such as carbonated beverages) into bottles or cans. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus which can be utilized with advantage for admission of pressurized liquids into containers wherein the pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure.
It is known to provide a bottle filling apparatus with a plurality of filling units each of which can receive liquid from a vessel and each of which is equipped with a bottle centering and sealing device as well as with a sealable outlet which admits liquid into a properly centered bottle. The vessel contains a relatively large supply of liquid below a cushion of compressed gas, and the apparatus normally embodies a regulator which maintains the top surface of the supply of liquid at, or at least close to, a preselected level. This establishes satisfactory circumstances for admission of desired quantities of liquid into each of a shorter or longer series of successive containers. The vessel can resemble or constitute an annular tank which is driven to rotate about a vertical axis and receives liquid from a centrally located primary source. Thus, the annular tank can turn relative to and about the primary source, and all of the filling units share the angular movements of the tank. Each filling unit is equipped with means for receiving liquid from the tank, with means for dispensing liquid into a properly centered container, with a centering and sealing device as well as with other parts which are needed for controlled admission and dispensing of gaseous and/or hydraulic fluids. Apparatus of the above outlined character can be used for the filling of bottles, cans and/or other types of containers with all kinds of liquids including non-carbonated beverages (such as milk, fruit juices and plain water) as well as carbonated beverages (e.g., beer, club soda and various colas) which must be admitted into internally pressurized containers. The filling units of apparatus for admission of carbonated beverages are equipped with integrated conduits and valves for liquids as well as with integrated pipes and valves for gaseous fluids. An apparatus of the above described character is disclosed, for example, in published German patent application No. 30 25 786. If the apparatus is to be used for the filling of containers with non-pressurized beverages or other non-pressurized liquids, liquid is discharged from the filling units into properly centered empty containers by gravity flow in response to opening of valves which control the outflow of liquid from filling units. If the apparatus is to dispense a pressurized liquid, the filling units admit compressed gas into the properly centered and sealed containers below them so that the pressure in the containers matches the pressure in the tank. The liquid is then permitted to flow into the containers to thereby expel the gases from the containers. As a rule, the expelled gases are caused to flow into the space above the supply of liquid in the tank. To this end, each filling unit is equipped with a gas evacuating pipe having a lower end extending into the upper portion of a properly centered container. The level of the lower end of the gas evacuating pipe determines the upper level of the body of liquid which can be admitted into a container. However, since the capacity of bottles and certain other containers is not constant, i.e., it does not match a preselected value, the aforedescribed mode of selecting the quantity of liquid in filled bottles or other containers does not ensure that each of a short or long series of filled containers invariably stores a predetermined quantity of liquid.
Another drawback of the aforedescribed mode of filling containers to the level of the lower ends of gas evacuating pipes is that the rising body of liquid in a bottle which is in the process of receiving liquid is likely to wet the lower ends of the pipes. Such liquid is atomized during admission of gas into the next bottle and is likely to cause foaming which is undesirable in many or most instances.

Apparatus for admitting metered quantities of liquid into containers


A process is described for the removal of chloride impurity from zinc sulphate solution. The process comprises the steps of forming a slurry of said solution with an inert particulate support material having elemental silver dispersed thereon, and an oxidizing agent, agitating said slurry at a temperature between about 60.degree. and about 100.degree. C. for precipitation of silver chloride on said support material, filtering said slurry to separate purified zinc sulphate solution from the support material containing the precipitated silver chloride, and treating said separated support material containing precipitated silver chloride with a reductant in an aqueous alkaline medium to regenerate elemental silver on said support material.

This invention relates to the purification of zinc sulphate solution and, in particular, relates to the removal of chloride impurity from aqueous solutions of zinc sulphate intended for use in the electrolytic recovery of zinc.
The presence of chloride in zinc sulphate solution, which may be introduced into the solution during hydrometallurgical treatment of zinc sulphide concentrate, e.g., during pressure leaching with sulphuric acid, has a deleterious effect on electrodes during electrolysis. For example, leaching of a typical Mississippi Valley-type concentrate containing 55% Zn and 0.08% Cl in a single pass of return acid from zinc electrolysis may dissolve about 145 mg/L chloride. To avoid deleterious effects of chloride during electrolysis, this chloride should not exceed 100 mg/L. Use of return acid initially containing 100 mg/L chloride would produce a leach solution containing about 245 mg/L in the next pass and, without chloride removal, the amount of chloride in solution would increase as cycling of return acid continues. It is therefore evident that a process is required in which all the solution being used in electrolysis is treated to decrease the chloride to not more than 100 mg/L or a portion of the electrolyte is treated for substantially complete removal of chloride and then mixed with untreated solution. The latter is considered to be more economic.
It is noted in U.S. Pat. No. 1,403,065 that corrosion of electrodes is largely reduced if chloride is removed from the electrolyte prior to the electrolysis of zinc-bearing solution. A method of chloride removal is provided wherein a portion of solution is withdrawn from the circuit, treated with a soluble silver salt to precipitate silver chloride, and purified solution is returned to the circuit. The silver chloride is reduced to metallic silver and reconverted into a soluble salt for re-use. In more detail, the portion of zinc-bearing solution to be treated is made slightly acid with sulphuric acid and finely powdered silver sulphate is added. The mixture is agitated for about one hour and then rendered neutral or slightly basic to coagulate silver chloride. The precipitate is allowed to settle and clear solution is decanted and treated with zinc dust to remove traces of silver. Sulphuric acid and zinc dust are added to bottom solution and silver chloride filter cake to reduce silver chloride to metallic silver. When reduction is complete, the precipitate of metallic silver is agitated for some time in slightly acid solution to ensure complete dissolving of excess zinc dust. The silver precipitate is washed with water until free of chloride and then dried and heated with pure sulphuric acid to 250.degree.-300.degree. C. to convert all the silver to sulphate. This is ground to a fine powder for re-use. Each cycle takes nearly 3 days to complete and, in an ongoing operation, a large inventory of costly silver is required. In 1936 AIME Transactions 121, pages 503-4, silver recoveries by this method are reported to be 97.5 to 98 percent per cycle, i.e., silver losses are about 2 percent per cycle.

Precipitation of chloride from zinc sulphate solution


A hydro-mechanical transmission 10 having fluid motor 48 that is entirely rotatable to eliminate the need for separate gearing is disclosed. The gearless hydro-mechanical transmission 10 provides a variable speed and torque output from an external mechanical power source 14 and an external hydraulic power source 20. The hydro-mechanical transmission 10 comprises a stationary case 42, an output shaft 44 mounted within the case for rotation about a central axis 52, a mechanical input 46 mounted in coaxial alignment with the output shaft 44 for rotation about the central axis 52 with the input 46 being connected to and rotatable driven by the mechanical power source 14, a rotatable hydraulic motor 48 having a drive unit 60 for rotatably driving a driven unit 62 with the driven unit 62 being coupled to drive the output shaft 44, and means 100 for conducting pressurized hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic power source 20 to the hydraulic motor 48 for driving the driven unit 62 of the hydraulic motor 48 by the drive unit 60.

Various hydro-mechanical transmission arrangements known in the art have been proposed for use in vehicles and the like as the primary variable speed transmission. Such arrangements may also be employed as steering mechanism for track-type tractors. For example, a hydro-mechanical variable ratio transmission is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,251 issued Sep. 16, 1975 to Clarence Kirk Greene. This transmission utilizes either a planetary gear mechanism or a bevel gear type differential mechanism to combine the mechanical and hydraulic inputs. While an in-line motor is disclosed in one embodiment of this patent, such motor is not revolvable, thus necessitating the use of separate gearing, adding to the complexity and cost and preventing compactness of the unit.
An in-line hydro-mechanical transmission is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,190,074, issued Jan. 22, 1965 to S. S. Johns. This transmission has a revolvable mechanism containing a charging pump, a main pump and a fluid motor. As the pump is integral with the transmission, rather than being remote, the system is extremely complex and requires a mechanical connection to the pump rotor for changing the speed or power ratio of the transmission. Incorporation of the main and charging pumps into the transmission also increases the size of the entire unit, making its use impractical where available space is at a minimum. Also, the vane type of pump and motor construction disclosed is not compatible with radial or axial piston motor designs.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,434, issued Feb. 22, 1972 to Dieter Widmaier, a dual hydraulic unit is disclosed which can be used as a double pump or double motor, or as a hydrostatic transmission. Here, as in the preceding prior art device, the dual pump/motor arrangement makes the unit large and complex. Further, such dual device does not provide a gearless transmission with separate mechanical and hydraulic inputs and a combined output. Also, the dual axial piston pump/motor design is not fully compatible to a radial piston motor design.


A method and apparatus for adaptively enhancing a scanned ultrasound image of a body portion having both areas of tissue and areas of blood pool. Clutter which appears in the blood pool areas is removed by processing the image signal to generate a mask signal, which signal is substantially present in areas of tissue to pass such areas and is substantially not present in areas of blood pool to block such areas. The image signal is modulasted with the mask signal, preferably on a pixel-by-pixel basis, to substantially remove the clutter.

Ultrasound images of various parts of the body, and in particular cardiac ultrasound images, may contain pools of blood in, for example, arteries or cardiac chambers, which blood pools are surrounded by tissue. Such images are frequently degraded by the presence of "clutter" which can be defined as extraneous image echoes displayed in blood pool areas. The presence of such clutter effectively lowers the contrast between blood and tissue, making it harder to find true physical tissue boundaries.
There are many causes of clutter, some of which can be addressed by the design of the system. However, there are also many patient-dependent factors involved in clutter, resulting in very different clutter levels from one patient to the next, these patient-dependent factors being poorly understood, and, therefore, difficult to eliminate.
At present, to the extent the clutter problem is dealt with at all in ultrasound imaging systems, an attempt is made to process the raw or received image in order to reduce the apparent clutter. This processing usually takes the form of a non-linear intensity mapping function which suppresses or rejects low level echoes, the assumption being that echoes resulting from clutter will be at a lower level than echoes resulting from tissue. However, this is not necessarily a valid assumption. Although a properly set threshold level for such non-linear intensity mapping will reduce or eliminate clutter, it will also degrade the presentation of tissue, since the speckle pattern making up tissue contains many echoes at or below the intensity of the clutter, even though the average intensity of the tissue is generally higher. Therefore, such reject processing is not particularly effective in increasing the contrast between blood and tissue.
A need, therefore, exists for an improved method and apparatus for suppressing clutter in an ultrasound image of a body portion containing both blood pool areas and tissue areas, without any significant degradation in the tissue portion of such image.

Adaptive contrast enhancement for scanned ultrasonic image