System and method for determining expiration of a timestamp using a counter. Upon the occurrence of a first event, a time value derived from a binary counter with a length N is associated with the first event. At a later second time value derived from a binary counter with length N, the first time value is checked for expiration with respect to an expiration period. The second time value is summed with a predetermined offset value and the sum formatted as a number with length N+2. The first time value is subtracted from the sum and the two most significant bits are removed. The result is then compared to the expiration period to determine whether expiration has occurred.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the timing of events in a context that involves an expiration period. In particular the invention relates to resolving wraparound of a counter used for timing and expiration.
2. Related Art
In the last few decades communications systems have been shifting from analog circuit-switched networks to digital packet-switched networks. In addition to the development of protocols for communication over infrastructure that was originally built for analog communications, new protocols are being developed in conjunction with infrastructure that is designed for digital communications.
For communication in a circuit switched network, a physical path is established in order to provide communication between two endpoints. The circuit is maintained for the duration of the communication session, and all information traverses the same circuit path.
In contrast, in a packet-switched network, the information being transmitted between two endpoints is encapsulated as one or more packets, each containing an address. The packet address enables the packet to find its destination when placed on a network having many possible paths and destinations.
A network is generally a collection of segments connected by devices that control the flow of packets between segments (e.g., routers and switches). Since a single block or stream of data may be broken up and transmitted as packets along different paths, there is a chance that some packets will experience delays.
Depending upon the nature of the data being sent and the protocol being used, a delay may result in a request for retransmission. For example, a destination application that fails to receive a packet containing part of a text document may request a retransmission of a packet that failed to arrive after a period of time. For real-time data streams such as video or voice, a delayed packet may become useless. In either case, a delayed packet loses its value to the application and it is desirable to remove it from the network. An example of a protocol that provide for packet timeout is Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).
Switches in a network may remove packets from the network by monitoring the delay associated with the transit of the packet through the switch. This is typically done by associating a timestamp with the packet upon its arrival so that its storage time in the switch can be calculated at the time it is ready to be transmitted. The storage time can then be compared to the allowable delay in the switch to determine whether the packet should be transmitted or discarded (timed out).
A general purpose method of timekeeping that is used in switches and other digital electronic devices and processing systems is to periodically increment a binary register or counter. A counter with a length N will be able to store 2N unique values and will be able to measure a maximum interval of 2N−1. For example, a 5-bit counter starting at 00000 and incremented every 1/16 of a second would reach 11111 at 1 15/16 second, and rollover or wraparound to 00000 at 2 seconds.
Wraparound or rollover is a source of ambiguity for any finite length counter. The length of a period of time that has passed between two observed values of a finite counter cannot be determined just by subtracting the first observed value from the second observed value, since wraparound may or may not have occurred between the two observations. If the result of subtracting the first value from the second value is a negative number, then further operations are required.
For example, following the above example of a 5-bit counter, a packet with a time stamp of 11000 ( 24/16 seconds) compared at a time of 11100 ( 28/16 seconds) and having an allowable expiration time of 1 second would be eligible for transmission if wraparound has not occurred (elapsed time= 4/16 seconds), but may or may not be discarded if wraparound had occurred. Thus, unambiguous timeout calculations typically involve additional computational overhead for accounting of the wraparound of the counter.
Although the computation associated with timekeeping and wraparound accounting for a single packet may not be large in absolute terms, it can be a significant part of the overall effort in handling a packet, given that a router or switch handles millions of packets per second. This also applies to other types of devices that use a finite length counter to examine a timestamp to determine whether a timeout condition exists. Although prior art methods have addressed the problem of wraparound, the commonly used brute-force methods do incur significant overhead.

System and method for resolving wraparound ambiguity in a counter

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Corticosteroid microparticle formulations are provided for use for treating pain, including pain caused by inflammatory diseases such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, and for slowing, arresting or reversing structural damage to tissues caused by an inflammatory disease, for example damage to articular and/or peri-articular tissues caused by osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Corticosteroid microparticle formulations are administered locally as a sustained release dosage form (with or without an immediate release component) that results in efficacy accompanied by clinically insignificant or no measurable effect on endogenous cortisol production.

Corticosteroids influence all tissues of the body and produce various cellular effects. These steroids regulate carbohydrate, lipid, protein biosynthesis and metabolism, and water and electrolyte balance. Corticosteroids influencing cellular biosynthesis or metabolism are referred to as glucocorticoids while those affecting water and electrolyte balance are mineralocorticoids. Both glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids are released from the cortex of the adrenal gland.
The administration of corticosteroids, particularly for extended periods of time, can have a number of unwanted side effects. The interdependent feedback mechanism between the hypothalamus, which is responsible for secretion of corticotrophin-releasing factor, the pituitary gland, which is responsible for secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone, and the adrenal cortex, which secretes cortisol, is termed the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis may be suppressed by the administration of corticosteroids, leading to a variety of unwanted side effects.
Accordingly, there is a medical need to extend the local duration of action of corticosteroids, while reducing the systemic side effects associated with that administration. Thus, there is a need in the art for methods and compositions for the sustained local treatment of pain and inflammation, such as joint pain, with corticosteroids that results in clinically insignificant or no measurable HPA axis suppression. In addition, there is a medical need to slow, arrest, reverse or otherwise inhibit structural damage to tissues caused by inflammatory diseases such as damage to articular tissues resulting from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.

Corticosteroids for the treatment of joint pain


In a video signal recording apparatus, a first video signal is compressed into a second video signal in response to a controllable quantization factor which determines a degree of the compression. The quantization factor is controlled to maintain a data rate of the second video signal at substantially a constant rate. A detection is made as to a magnitude of the quantization factor. A decision is made as to whether or not the detected magnitude is greater than a predetermined reference magnitude. The second video signal is recorded on a recording medium when the detected magnitude is greater than the predetermined reference magnitude.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a video signal recording apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, traffic-condition monitoring systems, production-line monitoring systems in factories, and other monitoring systems include television cameras for converting scenes of interest into corresponding video signals. In some cases, the video signals generated by the television cameras are recorded by video tape recorders VTR's). It is desirable that such a VTR can continuously record a video signal for a long time.
Ordinary VTR's are capable of continuously recording video signals for 6 hours to 8 hours. There are known time-lapse VTR's which intermittently execute recording for 24 hours.


A well tender system for controlling, separating, storing and offloading well fluids produced from subsea hydrocarbon formations. The system comprises a vertically aligned series of tethered cylindrical tanks which are torsionally stabilized by flexible catenary production riser and export riser bundles, and serviced by separate catenary pipe bundles. Piles are secured to the seabed, each pile assembly being pivotally connected to a lower rigid tendon, which is in turn connected to tendons arranged about the periphery of the interconnected cylindrical tanks.

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for testing and producing hydrocarbon formations found in deep (over 300 feet) offshore waters, particularly to a method and deepwater system for economically producing relatively small deep water hydrocarbon reserves which currently are not economical to produce utilizing conventional technology.
Commercial exploration for oil and gas deposits in U.S. domestic waters, principally the Gulf of Mexico, is moving to significantly deeper waters (over 300 feet) as shallow water reserves are being depleted. Deep water exploration is usually undertaken only by major oil companies, due to its very high cost. The major oil companies must discover very large oil and gas fields with large reserves to justify the large capital expenditure needed to establish commercial production. The value of these reserves is further discounted by the long time required to begin production using current technology. As a result, many smaller or "lower tier" offshore fields are deemed to be uneconomical to produce. The economics of these deepwater small fields can be significantly enhanced by improving and lowering the cost of methods and apparatus to produce hydrocarbons from them.
In water depths up to about 300 feet, in regions where other oil and gas production operations have been established, successful exploration wells drilled by jack-up drilling units are routinely completed and produced. Such completion is often economically attractive because bottom founded structures can be installed to support the surface-piercing conductor pipe left by the jack-up drilling unit. Moreover, in a region where production operations have already been established, available pipeline capacities are relatively close, making pipeline hook-ups economically viable.
Significant hydrocarbon discoveries in water depths over about 300 feet are typically exploited by means of centralized drilling and production operations that achieve economies of scale. These central facilities are costly and typically require one to five years to plan and construct. To economically justify such central facilities, sufficient producible reserves must be proven prior to committing to construction of a central facility. Depending on geological complexity, the presence of commercially exploitable reserves in water depths of 300 feet or more is verified by a program of drilling and testing a number of expendable exploration and delineation wells, typically 4 to 12 wells. The total period of time from drilling a successful exploration well to first production from the central drilling and producing platform typically ranges from two to ten years.
A complete definition of the reservoir and its producing characteristics is not available until the reservoir is produced for an extended period of time, typically one or more years. However, it is necessary to design and construct the producing facility several years before the producing characteristics of the reservoir are precisely defined. This often results in facilities with either excess or insufficient allowance for the number of wells required to efficiently produce the reservoir and excess or insufficient plant capacity at an offshore location where modifications are costly.
Early production and testing systems have been used in the past by converting Mobil Offshore Drilling Units ("MODU's"). A drilling unit is overkill for early production of less prolific wells and when the market tightens, such conversions may not be economical. Similarly, converted tanker early production systems, heretofore used because they were plentiful and cheap, can also be uneconomic for less prolific wells. The system of the present disclosure efficiently and economically supports a production operation, whereas a MODU is intended for drilling and a tanker system for transportation of hydrocarbons.
As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,340 (Morton), floating hydrocarbon production facilities have been utilized for development of marginally economic discoveries, early production and extended reservoir testing. Floating hydrocarbon production facilities also offer the advantage of being easily moved to another field for additional production work and may be used to obtain early production prior to construction of permanent, bottom founded structures. Floating production facilities have heretofore been used to produce marginal subsea reservoirs which could not otherwise be economically produced. In the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,340, production from a subsea wellhead to a floating production facility is realized by the use of a substantially neutrally buoyant flexible production riser which includes biasing means for shaping the riser in an oriented broad arc. The broad arc configuration permits the use of wire line well service tools through the riser system.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,529 (Hunter) a mooring apparatus and method for securely mooring a floating tension leg platform to an anchoring base template is disclosed. The method includes locating a plurality of anchoring means on the sea bed, the anchoring means being adapted for receipt of a mooring through a side entry opening in the anchoring means. A semi-submersible floating structure is stationed above the anchoring means for connection thereto by the mooring tendons.
An FPS (Floating Production System) consists of semisubmersible floater, riser, catenary mooring system, subsea system, export pipelines, and production facilities. Significant system elements of an FPS do not materially reduce in size and cost with a reduction in number of wells or throughput. Consequently, there are limitations on how well an FPS can adapt to the economic constraints imposed by marginal fields or reservoir testing situations. The cost of the semisubmersible vessel (conversion or newbuild) and deepwater mooring system alone would be prohibitive for many of these applications.
Note that the semisubmersible configuration was developed for drilling applications. Here a large amount of payload must be supported with low free-floating motions. In marginal field applications neither requirement is important. In the present invention, only small payloads are required and these can be supported on a small deck which can be supported by a centrally located single surface-piercing column, rather than four corner located surface-piercing columns. Low freefloating motions are not required because a permanent vertical tension mooring will restrain vertical motions. As the need for large waterplane area is reduced, the structure in the wave zone can become more transparent, reducing environmental load and cost.
A TLP (Tension Leg Platform) consists of a four column semisubmersible floater, multiple vertical tendons on each corner, tendon anchors, and well risers. A single leg TLP has four columns and a single tendon/well. The TLP deck is supported by four columns that pierce the water plane. TLP's typically bring well(s) to the surface for completion.
As the TLP size is reduced, and the distance between corners diminishes, yaw motions increase and lead to interference between well risers. They twist around each other thereby creating a potential safety hazard with well risers. In the case of a single leg TLP, a catenary mooring is required to prevent large twisting displacements. The deepwater catenary mooring is a substantial additional cost element.
There are limitations on the extent to which a TLP can be reduced in size and cost. No matter how small the TLP's payload, it must contain enough buoyancy to keep sufficient pre-tension on tendons so that tendons never go slack as a wave trough passes. A slack tendon can snap to very high tension loads that cause high fatigue damage or overstress.
A further restriction in shrinking a TLP is the fact that during tow and installation, the TLP's stability depends on water plane area. This limits how close together the columns can be spaced. After the TLP's tendons are in place, the tendon tension stabilizes the TLP and it need not be stable in the free floating condition. The system of the present disclosure is designed for a stable tow with only a single column piercing the water plane. A conventional TLP has at least four columns that pass through the water surface and attract environmental load. This is four times as much column wind area and load as the system configuration of the present disclosure.

Method and apparatus for production of subsea hydrocarbon formations


A stretching device for filiform elements comprises a main body member (1) having ends, with one of the ends having a connection opening (2) and the opposite end of the plate member having a rotating mounting opening (3) in the rotating mounting opening there is a rotating part (6) having a command head (11) which forms a winding reel (7) for the wire to be stretched; mounted on the main body (1) is a slide mobile cramp (12). The winding to stretch the element is done by turning the command head (11). Once the suitable stretching has been achieved, the slide mobile cramp (12) is slided until said command head (11) is introduced into the cramp recess (15) formed by the cramp fork (14). Under these conditions, the rotating part (6) is fixed, keeping the tension on the filiform element.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of constructive structures such as fences, wire fences, wire layings in general, covers and any other arrangement formed by filiform elements capable of being stretched.
More particularly, it consists in a stretching means for filiform elements which is much simpler than conventional stretchers, much smaller, has fewer parts and a low manufacturing cost.
2. Description of Prior Art
Up to the present there have been stretchers such as the ones disclosed by Argentina patent document No 476 (Bonifacio Medina Santurio, 17 Nov. 1885), No 483 (Bonifacio Medina Santurio, 30 Nov. 1885), No 885 (Francisco Solans, 19 May 1890) and No 5373 (Pedro Zaffaroni, 2 Aug. 1907). There are also other known stretching means such as the ones disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 2,451,389, U.S. Pat. No. 2,464,832, U.S. Pat. No. 2,519,921, U.S. Pat. No. 2,563,129 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,880.
Both these stretchers and most of the ones disclosed afterwards are based on a rotating reel mounted on two side walls. As a result, these stretching means are quite bulky since their main body is a sort of fork or support, on the side walls of which the ends of the reel axis are rotatively mounted, and the filiform element to be stretched is wound on said reel.
These conventional stretching means (also known as turnbuckles) are generally formed by several parts, which increases the possibilities of failures and production costs.
On the other hand, there are other known devices, such as the ones disclosed by Argentina patent No 4142 (Diego Roy, 6 Apr. 1905) and No 4652 (William Nepean Hutchinson, 18 May 1906). There are also other known devices, such as the ones disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,213,899, 234,903 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,478. All these stretchers are less bulky than the ones based on the double rotating mounting on two side walls, but they lack a reel capable of revolving with respect to the main supporting part.


Attenuating embedded phase shift photomask blanks capable of producing a phase shift of 180.degree. and having an optical transmissivity of at least 0.001 at selected lithographic wavelengths <400 nm comprise at least one layer of an aluminum compound and at least one component that is more optically absorbing than the aluminum compound at selected lithographic wavelengths <400 nm and are made by depositing at least one layer of an aluminum compound and at least one component that is more optically absorbing than the aluminum compound onto a substrate.

This invention relates to phase shift photomask blanks in photolithography with short wavelength (i.e., <400 nm) light. More specifically this invention relates to phase shift photomask blanks that attenuate and change the phase of transmitted light by 180.degree. relative to light propagating the same path length in air. Such photomask blanks are commonly known in the art as attenuating (embedded) phase shift photomask blanks or half-tone phase shift photomask blanks.
The electronics industry seeks to extend optical lithography for manufacture of high density integrated circuits to critical dimensions of 0.25 mm and smaller. To achieve this, lithographic photomask blanks will need to work with short wavelength light, i.e. <400 nm. Two wavelengths targeted for future optical lithography are 248 nm (KrF laser wavelength) and 193 nm (ArF laser wavelength). A phase shift photomask enhances the patterned contrast of small circuit features by destructive optical interference.
The concept of a phase shift photomask and photomask blank that attenuates light and changes its phase was revealed by H. I. Smith in U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,309 ("Lithography Mask with a p-Phase Shifting Attenuator"). Known attenuating embedded phase shift photomask blanks fall mainly into two categories: (1) Cr-based photomask blanks containing Cr, Cr-oxide, Cr-carbide, Cr-nitride, Cr-fluoride or combinations thereof; and (2) SiO.sub.2 - or Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 -based photomask blanks, containing SiO.sub.2 or Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 together with a predominantly opaque material, such as MoN or MoSi.sub.2. Commonly the latter materials are referred to generically as `MoOSiN`.
Cr-based photomask blanks have the advantage that they are chemically durable and can use most of the familiar processing steps developed for opaque Cr photomask blanks. The second category of photomask blanks based on SiO.sub.2 - or Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 exploit their transparency into the deep UV and ease of dry etching with more innocuous fluorine-base chemistry. However, the need to develop photomask blanks for even shorter wavelengths (<200 nm) renders Cr chemistries less desirable because photomask blanks based exclusively on Cr (i.e., oxides, nitrides, carbides, fluorides or combinations thereof) are too optically absorbing at such wavelengths. The disadvantage of `MoSiON` photomask blanks in this short wavelength regime is that they are too Si-rich and consequently have poor etch selectivity relative to the quartz (SiO.sub.2) substrate. Thus, they require an etch stop, an additional layer of a material which etches poorly in a fluorine etchant.
In addition, there are references in the literature to attenuating embedded phase shift photomask blanks comprising hydrogenated amorphous carbon layers, tantalum and its compounds with a layer of Cr metal, or one or more layers composed of a hafnium compound.


The present invention provides a straightforward and robust synthetic process for producing a chromatographic column with eluent-sensitive light diffracting properties based on an inherent photonic band structure and a chromatographic device using the chromatographic column. The present invention provides chromatographic devices employing a chromatographic column which in one embodiment is a photonic colloidal crystal which includes an assembly of colloidal microspheres assembled into a highly ordered array within a housing such as a tube with the highly ordered array being a photonic crystal along the length of the crystal, and a second embodiment which is an inverse construct of the first embodiment, where solid microspheres making up the photonic colloidal crystal chromatographic column are replaced with spherical voids or void spaces subsequent to infiltration of a material of selected refractive index. The photonic band structures of the first type of column made with colloidal particles and the second type of column made by inverting the first type of column may include a photonic band gap, a fundamental stop-band, higher stop-bands, or combinations thereof.

Photonic Crystals
Photonic crystals interact strongly with electromagnetic radiation, when the periodicity of the photonic crystal corresponds to the scale of the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation. The periodicity of the photonic crystal is achieved through a periodic modulation of the dielectric function. Due to the periodicity, photonic crystals display a photonic band structure with a fundamental stop-band as predominant feature for certain directions (see E. Yablonovitch, "Inhibited spontaneous emission in solid-state physics and electronics" Phys. Rev. Lett. 1987, 58, 2059; S. John, "Strong localization of photons in certain disordered dielectric superlattices" Phys. Rev. Lett. 1987, 58, 2486).
The promise for technological application in the optical properties of photonic crystals has sparked an enormous interest in methods of fabrication of photonic crystals. The main focus in future applications is directed towards the production of an all optical chip and integrated detector materials for optical sensing (see J. D. Joannopoulos, P. R. Villeneuve, S. Fan, "Photonic crystals: putting a new twist on light" Nature 1997, 386, 143; G. A. Ozin, S. M. Yang, "The race for the photonic chip: colloidal crystal assembly in silicon wafers" Adv. Funct. Mater. 2001, 11, 95; A. Arsenault, S. Fournier-Bidoz, B. Hatton, H. Miguez, N. Tetreault, E. Vekris, S. Wong, M. Y. San, V. Kitaev, G. A. Ozin, G. "Towards the synthetic all-optical computer: science fiction or reality?" J. Mater. Chem. 2004, 14, 781).
One common approach to photonic crystals is the self-assembly of spherical colloidal particles. Several methods have been developed to achieve colloidal crystal (often called "opal" due to the similarity with the gem structure) films of controlled thickness and various degrees of uniformity from spheres of varying diameters and materials (see P. Jiang, J. F. Bertone, K. S. Hwang, V. L. Colvin "Single-Crystal Colloidal Multilayers of Controlled Thickness" Chem. Mater. 1999, 11, 2132; S. Wong, S. Kitaev, S., G. A. Ozin "Colloidal Crystal Films: Advances in Universality and Perfection" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 15589).
Infiltrating a photonic crystal with any other material in the form of a solid, gel, liquid, or gas causes a change in the photonic band structure and results in a shift of the fundamental stop-band (see R. C. Schroden, M. Al-Daous, C. F. Blanford, A. Stein, "Optical Properties of Inverse Opal Photonic Crystals" Chem. Mater. 2002, 14, 3305; C. F. Blanford, R. C. Schroden, M. Al-Daous, A. Stein, "Tuning solvent-dependent color changes of three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) materials through compositional and geometric modifications" Adv. Mater. 2001, 13, 26; K. Yoshino, K. Tada, M. Ozaki, A. A. Zakhidov, R. H. Baughman, "The optical properties of porous opal crystals infiltrated with organic molecules" Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Part 2: Letters 1997, 36(6A), L714).
For a non-swelling and inert colloidal photonic crystal material, its lattice parameters and structure will remain unchanged upon infiltration with a liquid. The values of refractive indices and refractive index changes can thus be measured via spectra taken from infiltrated colloidal crystals. The limiting factors are the structural or optical quality and uniformity of the photonic crystal and the resolution of the measuring instrument.
Colloidal Crystal Sensor Arrays
Colloidal particles can be assembled and embedded in a chemically responsive matrix, usually a gel incorporating ligands or binding sites selective to specific chemical moieties. Especially cross-linked colloidal crystal arrays have been extensively researched with regard to their potential applications as chemical sensors. The gels swell either in the presence of a liquid or swell selectively in the presence of a chemical moiety in that liquid or solvent. The lattice parameter changes due to the swelling and the optical behavior can be spectroscopically monitored (see J. H. Holtz; S. A. Asher, "Polymerized colloidal crystal hydrogel films as intelligent chemical sensing materials" Nature 1997, 389, 829; E. Reese, M. E. Baltusavich, J. P. Keim, S. A. Asher "Development of an intelligent polymerized crystalline colloidal array colorimetric reagent" Anal. Chem. 2001, 73, 5038).
Thus, the presence of a swelling liquid or a specific chemical entity can be detected by a shift in the band structure. It is problematic though to accurately determine refractive index variations as not only the index of the infiltrating liquid changes but also the refractive index of the colloidal crystal array changes, as the distance between spherical particles or void spaces is subject to change. This change is also non-linear as the swelling of the gel matrix is limited by the degree of cross-linking. The detection of rapid changes of solvent or mobile phase mixtures is also limited by diffusion and inertia or response time of the gel. These problems do not arise in the invention disclosed herein as the spheres of the photonic crystal column or wall materials used to produce the inverted crystal column do not react physically or chemically with the mobile phase.
Colloidal Crystal Arrays and Entropic Entrapping Chromatography
Arrays of air-spheres, void spaces or water-spheres embedded in a hydrogel displaying light diffraction have been manufactured and claimed for chromatographic separation applications (see Hydrogels with crystalline colloidal array of water voids for macromolecule separations and detection, Asher, Sanford A.; Liu, Lei. (University of Pittsburgh, USA). PCT Int. Appl. (2000), 48 pp. CODEN: PIXXD2 WO 2000000278 A1 20000106; Liu L., Li P., Asher S. A. Entropic trapping of macromolecules by mesoscopic periodic voids in a polymer hydrogel. Nature (1999 Jan. 14), 397(6715), 141-4).
The invention in the above patent by Asher et al. is restricted to macromolecules with linear chains that can assume one of a number of shapes from spherical to rod-like including a conformation with a maximum of conformational entropy. The rod-like or elongated shapes diffuse through the gel matrix into the isolated water-voids there to be entrapped after assuming an entropically favorable shape. Additionally, for the hydrogel to selectively entrap by an entropic effect, molecules of one certain average mass, equilibrium times of three to ten days are required.
After macromolecules of one certain average mass have been trapped, they have to partition back into a mobile phase, which will also take considerable time. The size of the template spheres has to be tailored for macromolecules of one specific average mass. One the other hand, the invention disclosed herein achieves separation by molecule-surface interaction of the materials to be separated contained in a mobile phase and the surface of the photonic colloidal crystal column or inverse photonic crystal column, not by entropic trapping. Thus there is no restriction regarding shape and size of molecules that can be separated.
While the molecules to be separated have to permeate through the hydrogel to the water voids, all mass transport in the present invention is achieved by a continuous mobile phase motion through the interstitial voids or connecting pores. Open mesopores enhance the separation but do not participate in the mass transfer. The present invention avoids the problems associated with hydrogel swelling, which would interfere with the monitoring of the spectral properties. The present invention is also advantageous in that the void and pore dimensions are invariant to solvent and temperature changes.
In the prior art, water void arrays of hydrogels have not been produced in capillaries, where the contact area between the confined hydrogel and a macromolecule solution is much smaller than with described hydrogel films and a macromolecule solution, and hence the partitioning would take much longer (see Hydrogels with crystalline colloidal array of water voids for macromolecule separations and detection. Asher, Sanford A.; Liu, Lei. (University of Pittsburgh, USA). PCT Int. Appl. (2000), 48 pp. CODEN: PIXXD2 WO 2000000278 A1 20000106; Liu L., Li P., Asher S. A. Entropic trapping of macromolecules by mesoscopic periodic voids in a polymer hydrogel. Nature (1999 Jan. 14), 397(6715), 141-4).
Monolithic Columns Made from Colloidal Crystals
The structural integrity is a prerequisite for future applications of photonic crystal materials and stationary phases. An isotropic monolithic material ensures uniform optical quality and consistent separation properties. This is achieved in the invention disclosed herein and has not been realized so far using other approaches.
Colloidal Crystals in Capillaries
Until recently, capillaries have been only completely filled with colloidal crystals by sedimentation, a process that requires weeks or months for completion if not assisted by gravity (centrifugation). The resulting capillary photonic crystals produced are not of the highest quality, especially using centrifugation, and their optical properties have not been investigated thoroughly with respect to axial and rotational uniformity. Due to the time requirements it is prohibitive to produce photonic crystal capillaries in the centimeter range by this method. (see W. L. Vos, R. Sprik, A. van Blaaderen, A. Imhof, A. Lagendijk, G. H. Wegdam "Strong effects of photonic band structures on the diffraction of colloidal crystals" Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter 1996, 53, 16231).
Colloidal crystal surface coatings have been produced in capillaries, which requires a meticulous control of the meniscus of the colloidal dispersion. A colloidal dispersion is pressed into a capillary, where the capillary rests in a temperature regulated environment. The meniscus and thus the microsphere deposition is controlled by adjusting the evaporation rates via temperature and by controlling the velocity of the dispersion liquid. These surface coating films presented in prior art are mostly monolayers of microspheres, or a continuous multi-layer coatings, but complete filling has not been achieved by this method. Additionally, high film quality or the order of the colloidal particles shown in the following reference is yet to be achieved. Spectral data of monolayers or multi-layers of colloidal crystals have not been reported (see H. Wang, X. Li, H. Nakamura, M. Miyazaki, H. Maeda, "Continuous Particle Self-Arrangement in a Long Microcapillary" Adv. Mater. 2002, 14, 1662).
Microsphere monolayer coatings in capillaries might become interesting for gas chromatographic application and catalytic purposes, but they cannot be applied in liquid chromatography applications, which require continuous packed phases. This problem has been overcome by the invention disclosed herein.
Colloidal crystallization and banding of microspheres in capillaries has been examined, but the morphology and spacing of the bands were not uniform. These structures are not suitable for spectroscopy of stop-bands or chromatography. The height of the microsphere dispersion column is solely determined by the contact angle and inner diameter of the employed capillary. Crystallization is induced by solvent evaporation at elevated temperatures (see M. Abkarian, J. Nunes, H. A. Stone, "Colloidal Crystallization and Banding in a Cylindrical Geometry", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 5978).
The spacing of the bands is strongly dependent upon the growth conditions, which leads to irregular spacing and banded (striped) structures if not meticulously controlled. The micromolding in capillaries (MIMIC) technique has been used to confine the nucleation and growth of photonic colloidal crystals to microchannels fashioned in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomeric stamp held in conformal contact with a planar substrate. Thus the capillary is formed by combining the PDMS channel with a flat substrate. Alternatively a channel or a groove in a substrate could be covered by a flat PDMS stamp to construct an enclosed capillary. The PDMS mold does not allow the operation of a pressure driven mobile phase. For chromatographic applications it is necessary to utilize a method which produces well-ordered colloidal crystals inside pressure-resistant capillary tubes. MIMIC delivers capillary photonic crystal structures but optical properties have never been reported for these structures, but nevertheless these structures are not suitable for separation applications (see E. Kim, Y. Xia, G. M. Whitesides, "Micromolding in Capillaries: Applications in Materials Science", J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1996, 118, 5722).
Similar limitations apply to other related methods of the formation of ordered colloidal crystals with excellent optical properties in channels or grooves etched in templates (see S. M. Yang, H. Miguez, G. A. Ozin, G. A., "Opal circuits of light—planarized microphotonic crystal chips" Adv. Funct. Mater. 2002, 12, 425).
Colloidal particle arrays in capillaries have also been manufactured by employing capillary forces and not pressure to partially fill capillaries with a colloidal dispersion. After the capillary has been partially filled the fiber is removed from the dispersion reservoir. The length of the colloidal crystal is solely determined by the combination of capillary diameter and the dispersion concentration (see J. H. Moon, S. Kim, G.-R. Yi, Y.-H. Lee, S.-M. Yang, "Fabrication of Ordered Macroporous Cylinders by Colloidal Templating in Microcapillaries" Langmuir 2004, 20, 2033).
The above-mentioned article is also restricted to cylindrical capillaries and the optic properties for template constructs and inverse constructs have not been examined. These structures have not been infiltrated with liquids and there has not been any teaching in respect of chromatographic applications.
Monoliths History
Conventional liquid chromatography columns are uniform packings of roughly spherical porous particles. Separation of compound mixtures occurs via mass transfer of analytes into and out of diffusive particle pores. The diffusion rate of the separation is limited by the pores and their structural variance and poses a major source of band broadening in the resulting chromatogram. Smaller porous particles shorten the diffusive path length, improve mass transfer and provide better separation efficiency (see R. E. Majors, "Advances in the design of HPLC packings" LC GC North America 2000, 18, 586; R. E. Majors, "HPLC column packing design" LC GC Europe 2003, 16, 8; R. E. Majors, "A review of HPLC column packing technology" Am. Lab. 2003, 35, 46).
Driven by improvement in separation efficiency, column permeability is concomitantly decreased and thus the column back-pressure is greatly increased. These limitations are overcome by monolithic columns, employed as continuous separation beds or phases in liquid chromatography (LC) or in capillary electrochromatography (CEC). When discussing monolithic structures, the terms and concepts of particles and interstitial voids have to be replaced (see G. Rozing, "Trends in HPLC column formats—microbore, nanobore and smaller" LC GC Europe 2003, 16, 14).
A continuous porous structure has to be considered instead, consisting of through-pores or macropores and smaller mesopores. The macropores provide permeability and efficiency, while drastically reducing the pressure drop along the column. (see R. E. Majors, "Advances in the design of HPLC packings" LC GC North America 2000, 18, 586; R. E. Majors, "HPLC column packing design" LC GC Europe 2003, 16, 8; R. E. Majors, "A review of HPLC column packing technology" Am. Lab. 2003, 35, 46; G. Iberer, R. Hahn, A. Jungbauer, "Column watch: Monoliths as stationary phase for separating biopolymers—fourth-generation chromatography sorbents" LC GC North America 1999, 17, 998; R. E. Majors, LC GC North America 2001, 19, 1186; F. Svec, LC GC Europe 2003, 16, 24).
Monoliths are cast as homogeneous phases in situ and can potentially be used directly as columns. The porous structure is templated by dispersing a non-miscible monomeric component (porogen) and a polymerizable inorganic component in a mold or capillary and simultaneously initializing polymerization of both components. The polymerized phases can be removed separately resulting in a porous structure (see S. Hjertén, J.-L. Liao., R. Zhang "High-performance liquid chromatography on continuous polymer beds" J. Chromatogr. A 1989, 473, 1, 273; F. Svec, J. M. J. Fréchet, "Continuous rods of macroporous polymer as high-performance liquid chromatography separation media" Anal. Chem. 1992, 64, 820; H. Minakuchi, K. Nakanishi, N. Soga, N. Ishizuka, N. Tanaka, "Octadecylsilylated Porous Silica Rods as Separation Media for Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography" Anal. Chem. 1996, 68, 19, 3498). Control over pore sizes can be exerted to a certain degree and a double-pore structure has been disclosed (see N. Ishizuka, H. Minakuchi, K. Nakanishi, N. Soga, N. Tanaka, J. Chromatogr. A 1998, 797, 133). However, the size distribution of mesopores and macropores in these stationary phases is usually broad and the pore morphology is random (see H. Minakuchi, K. Nakanishi, N. Soga, N. Ishizuka, N. Tanaka, Anal. Chem. 1996, 68, 19, 3498; N. Ishizuka, H. Minakuchi, K. Nakanishi, N. Soga, N. Tanaka, J. Chromatogr. A 1998, 797, 133; N. Ishizuka, H. Minakuchi, K. Nakanishi, K. Hirao, N. Tanaka, Coll. And Surf. A 2001, 187-188, 273). So far, no monolithic separation phases have been presented or produced that have a bimodal pore structure with a size distribution as narrow and with a pore structure as ordered as the photonic crystal columns disclosed herein made of colloidal particles or photonic crystal columns produced by inverting the columns made of the colloidal particles. The use of polymeric porogens to produce monolithic separation beds in capillaries does not produce structure having sufficient 3-D periodical ordering to generate a change in photonic band gap structure upon interaction with electromagnetic radiation.
An incentive for the development of monolithic columns is the absence of a frit needed in conventional particulate columns to contain the separation medium particulates. The frit is a source of analyte spreading, which decreases separation efficiency. Its omission presents a major advantage in column technology.
The filling of capillaries with beads or microspheres usually requires the presence of a frit to contain the microparticles inside the capillary. Such frits contribute to the peak broadening in the chromatogram, due to inferior structural order, the additional diffusive path length, and/or different interaction of the analytes as stationary phase and frit are made from different materials. For bead templated porous monolithic columns the initial frits are produced by tapping one end of the capillary into a paste prepared from the utilized silica particles and a silicate solution. The resulting plug is fused in situ (see G. S. Chirica, V. T. Remcho, "Novel monolithic columns with templated porosity" Journal of Chromatography A 2001, 924, 223).
Monolithic Columns Based on Colloidal Crystal Templates
Monolithic columns with bead templated porosity have been produced in capillaries. Silica beads were packed into capillaries prior to flushing the bead array with a monomer solution. After polymerization of the monomeric components the silica beads were removed by aqueous wet etching (see G. S. Chirica, V. T. Remcho, "Novel monolithic columns with templated porosity" Journal of Chromatography A 2001, 924, 223). Despite using a template structure no photonic band structure is generated, the material is irregular and lacks the necessary periodicity of the invention disclosed herein.

Photonic colloidal crystal columns and their inverse structures for chromatography

The Governing Council of the University of Toronto


A system, method, and computer program product are provided for splitting primitives. A plurality of primitives is received for a scene and a pre-determined plane that intersects the scene is identified. Bounding volumes of the plurality of primitives that are intersected by the pre-determined plane are split, where a bounding volume that encloses each intersected primitive of the plurality of primitives is split into a first bounding volume and a second bounding volume at an intersection of the bounding volume and the pre-determined plane.

To promote high efficiency processing of graphics primitives, large primitives may be subdivided into a plurality of smaller primitives prior to construction of a high-quality bounding volume hierarchy (BVH). High-quality BVHs are essential for performing efficient ray tracing on a graphics processing unit (GPU). One conventional technique splits bounding boxes of triangle primitives along a longest axis of the bounding box if the surface area of the bounding box exceeds a pre-defined threshold as described by Ernst and Greiner [2007]. A similar scheme to split triangle primitive edges based on the volume of the axis-aligned bounding boxes of the triangle primitives is proposed by Dammertz and Keller [2008]. However, neither of these techniques has been proven to reliably improve ray tracing performance in practice. Instead, for some scenes, the ray tracing performance decreases. Another problem is that the amount of memory needed to store the data generated when the bounding boxes are split is difficult to predict. Thus, there is a need for addressing the issue of splitting bounding boxes of primitives to improve ray tracing performance and/or other issues associated with the prior art.

Splitting bounding volumes of primitives


In a combined gas/steam power station plant which consists essentially of a fossil-fired gas turbine group and a steam circuit, with an exhaust heat boiler (11) in between, intercooling and reheat are provided to maximize the efficiency. The gas turbine group consists of two compressors (1, 2), of two combustion chambers (7, 9) and of two turbines (8, 10). Downstream of the first compressor (1), there is an intercooler (3) and on the cool side of this is placed an evaporator (4) which is in effective connection with the intercooler. The steam quantity formed in the evaporator (4) is introduced into a turbine (6) of the steam circuit, the result of this being a first improvement in efficiency. Downstream of the first turbine (8), there is a second combustion chamber (9) in which the exhaust gases from the first turbine (8) are processed to produce hot gases for the second turbine (10) . The large calorific potential still present in the exhaust gases from this second turbine (10) flows through the exhaust heat boiler (11) in which a maximized steam power is produced, the result of which is the second improvement in efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a combined gas/steam power station plant as described in the preamble to claim 1.
2. Discussion of Background
The concept "combined gas/steam power station plant"--referred to below as combined power station for short --is always understood to mean the interaction of at least one gas turbine group with at least one steam turbine circuit, the exhaust gases from the operation of the gas turbine group being passed through an exhaust heat steam generator (=exhaust heat boiler) in which the residual heat potential of these exhaust gases is used to generate the steam necessary for admission to the steam turbine. This additional steam power leads to a higher plant thermal efficiency. These combined power stations therefore have a very good conversion efficiency which is of the order of value of some 50-55%. One possibility of significantly increasing the efficiency of this plant can be an increase in the hot gas temperature. This introduces other disadvantages which have a negative effect on the efficiency of the plant and the economy of the electricity produced, i.e. the specific costs of the plant. It should therefore be noted that the preparation of a hot gas with a temperature of more than 1400.degree. C. inevitably involves an advance into a range in which the NO.sub.x emissions from this combustion increase abruptly, which, in turn, makes measures such as water or steam injection necessary. These measures substantially negate the efficiency improvement theoretically to be expected from the increase in temperature so that the associated gain in efficiency bears no relation to the expenditure required, quite apart from the fact that any increase in temperature involves expensive adaptations with respect to high quality materials and expensive arrangements for cooling, especially as regards the blading.


A method for detecting within a networked computer a target vulnerability such as a Trojan Horse residing therein is disclosed, wherein the vulnerability is characterized by a signature response to an encrypted query. The method includes encrypting a plurality of query data packets in accordance with a plurality of encryption keys, each encrypted query data packet including a defined query field specific to the target vulnerability. The method further includes storing the plurality of encrypted query data packets in a memory. The method further includes thereafter scanning the networked computer for a target vulnerability residing within the networked computer by sending successive ones of the encrypted-and-stored query data packets to the host computer and analyzing responses thereto from the host computer with respect to the characteristic signature. Preferably, the encrypting is performed for substantially all of the encryption keys within a defined key space. The memory may be non-volatile memory such as a disk drive or a volatile memory such as random-access memory (RAM) or a memory configured as a cache.

This invention relates to the detection of Trojan Horses within a network system, and more specifically to method and apparatus for comprehensive detection of Trojan Horses or other networked computer-related vulnerabilities with minimum processing overhead on the network scanner.
Security vulnerabilities in networked computers are a growing problem and scanning for and detecting the same imposes a high processing overhead on the network scanner. Trojan Horses infect ports within host computers connected via the Internet or like network systems in which access is relatively open to hackers, viruses and other computer piracy. Most Trojan Horses do not respond to a detector probe unless the probe packet is sent with the correct encryption key, which of course is unknown to a scanner. Thus, the scanner must try every possible key in the encryption modulus to ensure detection of the Trojan Horse. Unfortunately, multiple-key detection probing of multiple computers and ports is extremely time consuming. The previously known alternative—testing only a limited subset of the key space or only a limited number of computers or ports—represents an incomplete scan of the networked computers. This less-than-comprehensive prior art approach allows Trojan Horses and other serious network vulnerabilities to lurk undetected or to posture unrecognized.

Query data packet processing and network scanning method and apparatus


A hand tool in the form of a magnetic screwdriver, having a handle provided with a cavity for storing a plurality of tool bits, and a removable cap, and the cap has a recess with means for securely holding and driving a tool bit placed in said recess so as to form an extra, small-independent, stubby-like adjustment screwdriver as a separate specialized second screwdriver.

In numerous industrial applications where various equipment and machinery are employed, mechanics or other personnel responsible for the control and maintenance of such machines and apparatus or equipment are in constant need of small screwdrivers for making slight adjustments to the machines, sometimes in tight areas or quarters. While the mechanics may not have a tool chest handy, they invariably have a large or big screwdriver in their rear pocket or belt accessory, but they do not normally have a small finger tip-sized adjustment screwdriver tool which is generally of the type required for use in such situations where machines require small adjustments.


The elastomeric yarn for safety applications discloses an elastomeric yarn that reliably breaks at 200% stretch and is therefore appropriate for use with a sacrificial textile. The elastomeric yarn for safety applications discloses the polyurethane segments, the copolymer segments, the necessary plurality of cross-links required to form a structure of a polyurethane based elastomeric yarn that reliably breaks at 200% stretch.

The present invention relates to the field of textiles including filaments and yarns, more specifically, a conjugated synthetic polymer yarn.
An Overview of Polyurethane Based Elastomeric Yarns:
The most commonly used elastomeric yarn in the textile industry is a polyurethane based elastomeric yarn 100. The polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100 is commonly referred to as spandex. As shown in FIG. 1, the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100 is a copolymer based structure that comprises a polyurethane segment 101 and a copolymer segment 102. The polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100 is further formed with a plurality of cross-links 103.
As shown in FIG. 2, the polyurethane segment 101 comprises a pair of ethyl carbamate (CAS: 51-76-6) 113 molecules (often informally referred to a urethane molecule) and a urethane link 104. The urethane link 104 is a molecule that links the nitrogen elements of each of the pair of ethyl carbamate (CAS: 51-76-6) 113 molecules to each other. As shown in FIG. 1, the copolymer segment 102 is a molecular structure that interconnects the individual polyurethane segments 101 together to form the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100.
Each of the plurality of cross-links 103 is a bond selected from the group consisting of a molecular bond and a hydrogen bond. Each of the plurality of crosslinks joins a first copolymer based structure selected from the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn to a second copolymer based structure selected from the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn. Specifically, the selected molecular bond for each cross-link selected from the plurality of cross-links 103 attaches a first polyurethane segment 101 selected from the first copolymer based structure to a second polyurethane segment 101 selected from the copolymer based structure.
The polyurethane segment 101 and the copolymer segment 102 are typically combined using a condensation polymerization technique. This technique typically results in the polyurethane segment 101 and the copolymer segment 102 being joined by a bond selected from the group consisting of an amide bond, an ester bond, or ether bond. The selection of the bond reflects the specific selection of the molecules used for the polyurethane segment 101 and the copolymer segment 102 as well as the design preferences of the producing organization.
It is commonly said that the polyurethane segment 101 of the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100 is the stiff segment and the copolymer segment 102 of the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100 is the flexible segment of the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100.
The choice of the polyurethane segment 101 and the urethane link 104 is determined by the properties desired in the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100. A representative molecule for the urethane link 104 is 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate (CAS: 584-84-9) 111. A representative molecule for the copolymer segment 102 is 1,4-butylene adipate (CAS: 24936-97-8) 112.
The 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate (CAS: 584-84-9) 111 and the 1,4-butylene adipate (CAS: 24936-97-8) 112 are readily and commercially available, and methods to incorporate these molecules into polymers are well-known and documented.
The single bonds of the 1,4-butylene adipate (CAS: 24936-97-8) 112 make it a relatively flexible molecule that is appropriate for use as the copolymer segment 102. In this scenario, the 1,4-butylene adipate (CAS: 24936-97-8) 112 gives the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100 its stretch. The 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate (CAS: 584-84-9) 111 is typical of the preference for using aromatic molecules for the urethane link 104 of a polyurethane molecule.
The use of aromatic molecules gives the polyurethane segment 101 a volume that the 1,4-butylene adipate (CAS: 24936-97-8) 112 lacks. This volume is important because the aromatic molecules of a polyurethane segment 101 of a first copolymer based structure selected from the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn will interact with the aromatic molecule contained in the polyurethane segment 101 of a second copolymer based structure selected from the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn.
This interaction between the aromatic molecules, such as 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate (CAS: 584-84-9) 111 increases the overall stretch of the molecule by protecting the relatively fragile bonds within the copolymer segment 102 from breaking during the stretching process.
The physical process is similar to bringing a bouquet of balloons through a doorway. As the balloons are brought through the doorway, the balloons push against each other in a random fashion such that each balloon prevents the remaining balloons from entering through the doorway. Within the context of a polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100, the energy applied to stretch the polyurethane segment 101 is not directly applied to the copolymer segment 102 but is instead diffused through the entire molecular substrate of the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100 by the interactions between the aromatic segments of the polyurethane segment 101. The result is that the polyurethane segment 101 can be stretched over a greater span of length than would be possible if the energy of stretching was applied directly to the copolymer segment 102.
In the above scenario, the interactions between the aromatic elements of the polyurethane segment 101 are physical. While these interactions have some influence on the modulus of a polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100, these interactions are primarily used to control the overall level of stretch available from the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100.
The modulus of a polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100 is primarily controlled by the plurality of cross-links 103 formed between the polyurethane segments 101 of two different polymer molecules. The greater the number of the plurality of cross-links 103 that are formed between the molecules forming the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100, the greater the modulus of the polyurethane-based elastomeric yarn 100.
An Overview of Sacrificial Textiles:
This disclosure addresses the construction of textiles intended for use as a sacrificial structure.
The typical textile-based sacrificial structure forms a fastening structure used to attach a first object to a second object. The purpose of the textile-based sacrificial structure is to maintain the attachment of the first object to the second object until the tensile force between the first object and the second object reaches a critical point called the break strength of the sacrificial structure. Upon reaching the break strength of the textile-based sacrificial structure, the textile-based sacrificial structure is designed to break thereby separating the first object from the second object. Sacrificial textiles have many applications including, but not limited to, arresting netting and parachute release webbings.
One of the limitations of currently available textile-based sacrificial structures is their non-elastic nature. The inelastic nature of the textile-based sacrificial structure creates a product that does not adjust to accommodate: a) the initial fitting and installation of the textile-based sacrificial structure; nor, b) the differential motion that can occur between the first object and the second object.
While methods to form elastic textiles using elastic yarns is well-known and documented in the textile arts, the current technology of available elastic yarns are not suitable for use in a textile-based sacrificial structure. The reason for this is that the currently available elastic yarns are capable of stretching between five times and eight times the span of the length of the yarn in its relaxed shape. While the break strength of these elastic yarns can be incorporated into the design of break strength of the sacrificial, the elastic nature of the elastic yarn means the first object and the second object remain tethered over a longer span of distance than is desirable. This tethering can further potentially interfere with the operation of other safety devices that may be used in conjunction with the sacrificial textile.
Clearly, an elastic yarn with a breaking property that allows the elastic yarn to reliably break at significantly less than five times the span of the length of the yarn in its relaxed shape would be of benefit to users of sacrificial textiles.

Elastomeric yarn for safety applications


A magnetic resonance (MR) dynamically imaging method is provided. The method includes acquiring a functional MR dataset including frames of k-space datasets, while a functional stimulus is applied to the subject. Acquiring the functional MR dataset includes, acquiring a frame of k-space datasets by setting an orientation as an initial angle, and acquiring a free induction decay (FID) dataset. Acquiring an FID dataset includes applying a sequence of gradients, each gradient of the sequence corresponding to a k-space spoke, wherein the sequence of k-space spokes define a k-space segment having the orientation in a 3D k-space volume. Acquiring a frame of k-space datasets also includes acquiring a gradient echo dataset corresponding to the FID dataset, and updating the orientation as golden angles. The method also includes generating anatomical MR images and functional images based on the functional MR dataset.

The field of the disclosure relates generally to systems and methods of dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and more particularly, to systems and methods of silent multi-gradient echo dynamic MR imaging.
Dynamic MR imaging has been used to study temporal responses of a subject. For example, functional MRI (fMRI) has been used to diagnose neural functions of the brain. A typical fMRI data acquisition is loud due to fast switching of magnetic field gradients, preventing the application of fMRI for patients sensitive to loud acoustic noise. In addition, to increase the sampling rate in the temporal direction, functional images have low image resolution. As a result, a separate anatomical scan having a higher image resolution is required to identify the location of the functional activities in the brain. This additional requirement increases the scan time and introduces errors from registering the functional images with the anatomical images.

Systems and methods of silent multi-gradient echo dynamic magnetic resonance imaging


A column access control circuit for generating column write enable outputs with redundancy steering control and bit write control for an integrated circuit chip, and an integrated circuit chip having the same. A column access control circuit may include: a column write enable driver, a redundancy steering logic, and a bit write controller. The column write enable driver may produce column write enable outputs through an output. The column write enable driver is configured to receive certain column interleave write enable and enable column write according to the column interleave write enable received. The redundancy steering logic is configured to receive one or more fuses and skip a damaged column indicated by a corresponding fuse. The bit write controller is configured to receive one or more bit write and provide bit write control according to the one or more bit write received.

The present disclosure relates generally to integrated circuit chips, and more particularly to chips having column write enable control, redundancy steering control and bit write control.
Conventionally, a memory chip may include column write enable control and redundancy steering control. Under certain circumstances, a memory location needs to be updated or tested only to one or more specific bits instead of a whole word. This is known as bit write.
Therefore, heretofore unaddressed needs still exist in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.

Incorporating bit write capability with column interleave write enable and column redundancy steering

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES COPRORATION


A fuel delivery system for use with a flow of heavy fuel oil for a gas turbine engine may include one or more fuel lines in communication with the gas turbine engine and a magnesium mixing system positioned upstream of the one or more fuel lines. The magnesium mixing system may include a flow of magnesium and a flow of a carrier fluid, a carrier mixing chamber to mix the flow of magnesium and the flow of the carrier fluid to form a mixed carrier flow, and a heavy fuel oil mixing chamber to mix the flow of heavy fuel oil and the mixed carrier flow.

Heavy duty gas turbines may be operated on natural gas, light crude oil, heavy fuel oil, residual fuel oil, and other types of low grade combustible liquid fuels. (The various fuels in single or in combination will be referred to as heavy fuel oil herein.) Such low grade fuels may be relatively inexpensive but such fuels may contain undesirable contaminants such as vanadium and other types of metallics. During combustion, vanadium reacts to form undesirable corrosive compounds such as vanadium oxide (V2O5). These vanadium compounds may have a corrosive effect on hot gas path components in the gas turbine engine. Specifically, vanadium compounds may form hard corrosive deposits on the turbine nozzles and buckets so to reduce hot gas path component lifetime and overall performance and reliability.
Magnesium-based compounds may be added to the flow of fuel so as to mitigate the corrosive effects of vanadium. Magnesium may form relatively low melting alloys with vanadium. These magnesium alloys may be removed more easily from the surface of turbine nozzles, buckets, and other hot gas path components. Known methods for adding magnesium to the flow of fuel oil, however, may result in a non-homogenous mixture of the protective magnesium in the fuel stream. As such, not all of the hot gas path components may be adequately or consistently protected. Moreover, magnesium slugging in the flow of fuel oil may disrupt the operation of the entire fuel delivery system.
There is thus a desire for improved systems and methods for providing heavy fuel oils and the like with treatment for impurity removal for combustion in a gas turbine engine. Such improved systems and methods may better deliver magnesium to the flow of heavy fuel oil so as to reduce hot gas path component corrosion and, hence, improve component lifetime with increased overall gas turbine performance and reliability.

Systems and methods for removing impurities from heavy fuel oil


In one or more embodiments, a storage assembly with a cup holder includes a housing including a track extending in a longitudinal direction and a first cavity partially defining the cup holder, a cover including a foot portion and movable along the longitudinal direction between first and second open positions via engagement of the foot portion and the track, and one or more retractable protrusions supported on the cover and providing access for facilitating movement of the cover relative to the track.

Automotive interiors often feature a number of storage compartments, such as a cup holder positioned in rear seat armrest or the console. Due to package requirement in certain vehicle designs, it is often desirable to provide a compact storage assembly that utilizes the interior space efficiently and provides covering to its associated cup holder. U.S. Pat. No. 7,487,343 discloses a kind of vehicle cup holding structure including a closable.

Storage assembly with cup holder and vehicle including the same


Marine fuel compositions that are low sulfur and have improved wax flow viscosity are disclosed. An example marine fuel composition may have the following enumerated properties: a sulfur content of about 0.50% or less by weight of the marine fuel composition; a density at 15° C. of about 0.86 g/cm3 to about 1.01 g/cm3; a kinematic viscosity at 50° C. of about 1 centistoke to about 700 centistokes; and a ratio of kinematic viscosity to wax flow viscosity of greater than 1, wherein the wax flow viscosity is determined using a minimum operating viscosity of about 8 centistokes at 50° C.

Marine fuel compositions, sometimes referred to as bunker fuel, have conventionally included heavy gas oils that may be otherwise difficult and/or expensive to convert to a beneficial use. The heavy gas oils may include heavier distillation fractions that are lightly processed (or even unprocessed), such as vacuum gas oils, heavy atmospheric gas oil, and residual components. Due in part to use of the marine fuel compositions in international waters, the fuels have typically incorporated heavy gas oils with relatively high sulfur content. However, many countries have recently adopted local specifications for lower sulfur emissions from marine vessels. In addition, the International Maritime Organization is implementing a new global sulfur limit of 0.50 wt. % sulfur, effective Jan. 1, 2020, commonly referred to as "IMO 2020."
In preparing low-sulfur fuels that are IMO 2020 compliant, different hydrocarbon components can be blended. These different hydrocarbon components can include wax, such as paraffin wax, as a byproduct of the refining process. Since wax can be problematic, there is a need to manage wax content when making IMO 2020 compliant marine fuel compositions. For example, solid wax in the marine fuel compositions can lead to filter blocking in the fuel handling system and starve the engine of fuel. If solid wax is present, the marine fuel compositions may be heated to melt any wax prior to injection into the engine. However, engine manufacturers also specify a viscosity at which the marine fuel composition should be injected into the engine. Raising the temperature of the fuel to melt the wax may result in too low of a viscosity.

EXXONMOBIL RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING COMPANY


The invention relates to an intermediate element for the arrangement of a probe pin with respect to the probe pin carrier of a coordinate measuring machine, having a single-piece base body with a probe pin end and a machine end. It is provided here that the machine end is provided with a coupling element and with a means for ensuring a reproducible rotational alignment, and the probe pin end has a bearing face which is inclined in a fixed manner with respect to the axis of the coupling element, is provided on a general ball segment form which is flattened by the bearing face, and is configured with a positively locking means and/or frictional means for the positively locking and/or frictional engagement with a fastening end of the probe pin in contact with the bearing face.

Coordinate measuring machines serve to measure workpieces, for example in order to check the dimensional accuracy of workpieces during production. To this end, a probe pin is fastened to a movable arm of the coordinate measuring machine and is therefore guided in contact with the workpiece. The position which the arm has when the probe pin touches the workpiece is ascertained and a surface point on the workpiece is determined therefrom. Conclusions can then be drawn about the surface contour of the workpiece to be measured from a multiplicity of measurements of points sensed in this way. Further measuring methods, in which the surface is measured by way of a coordinate measuring machine, not in a manner which makes contact at points, but rather, for example, in a manner which tracks line by line, are to be mentioned for the sake of completeness. It will be obvious that the arrangement which is described in the following text can be used for all known coordinate measuring machines.
A problem in the case of conventional coordinate measuring machines then consists in that complexly shaped workpieces also have to be sensed, for example engine blocks including the holes which are provided therein. This requires the probe pin to optionally be arranged in an inclined manner with respect to the arm, for instance in order to be introduced into an oblique hole. Here, the required inclination, the spacing of a probe pin tip from the arm, etc. are different from workpiece to workpiece. Spacer and aligning elements have therefore been placed up to now between the work pin carrier on the arm and the probe pin tip which is typically composed of very hard material and can be formed, for example, as a ruby ball. Accordingly, the tip of the probe pin is typically arranged on a suitable, thin rod which can be formed, for example, from carbon fiber reinforced plastic or hard metal, said rod in turn being anchored in a screw-in thread, by way of which the entire probe pin which is formed in this way can be fastened to one intermediate element, designed as spacer or aligning element, or to the arm.
It is then a problem if the probe pin with the small tube axis neither stands perpendicularly on the coordinate measuring machine-side support face of the arm, from which support face the arm rises up slightly upon contact, nor is exactly perpendicular with respect to said bearing face. In a case of this type, it is namely necessary to arrange the probe pin itself in an inclined or pivoted manner with respect to the probe pin carrier of the coordinate measuring machine. Here, inclinations about at least one axis have to be fixed in two directions; this requires the spacer elements to be of suitable configuration.
Probe pins are then subject to wear. Said wear can be a result both of reaming or abrasion on the probe pin ball during scanning measurement and of mechanical destruction, etc. As a result, a change of the probe pins becomes necessary. After a change of this type, the probe pin ball of a new probe pin has to be arranged exactly in the same, reproduced position as previously in the case of the old probe pin, in order to avoid measuring errors. If this is not ensured, the measured values are also no longer reproducible after a change of the probe pin, which possibly results in considerable calibration work. It will be obvious that the probe pin also has to be aligned as previously.
Clamping elements have previously been used to achieve an inclined arrangement, by way of which the pivoted or inclined position of a probe pin receptacle was fixed frictionally. The corresponding arrangements were difficult to set, that is to say imprecise, which is very disruptive, in particular, in the case of a change between different workpieces to be measured and, moreover, entails low reproducibility despite high costs of the element.
It is desirable to provide an option, by way of which probe tips can be arranged obliquely with respect to probe pin carriers of a coordinate measuring machine in a simple, inexpensive and reproducible way.
It is the object of this invention to provide something novel for industrial use.
The solution of this problem is claimed in independent form. Preferred embodiments are found in the subclaims.


The invention provides a method for producing optically active 3-quinuclidinols having one or more substituted groups at the 2-position; wherein 3-quinuclidinones having one or more substituted groups at the 2-position are reacted with compounds providing hydrogen in the presence of a certain metal complex.

Many naturally occurring organic compounds have an optically active configuration. Among these, there are many organic compounds with physiological activity in which only one optical isomer has a desirable activity. Regarding the other optical isomer, which does not have a desirable activity, there are also known cases in which the optical isomer is not only devoid of a useful physiological activity for organisms, but in which it has even toxicity towards organisms. Therefore, as safe method for synthesizing pharmaceuticals and to produce a target compound or its intermediates, it is desirable to develop a method of synthesizing optically active compounds having a high optical purity.
Optically active alcohols are useful as an asymmetric source for synthesizing various optically active substances. Typically, optically active alcohols are produced by optical resolution of racemic compounds or by asymmetric synthesis using a biological catalyst or an asymmetric metal complex as a catalyst. In particular, the production of optically active alcohol by asymmetric synthesis is a technology which is recognized to be indispensable for producing optically active alcohols on a large scale.
Optically active quinuclidinols having one or more substituted groups at the 2-position, which are synthetic intermediates of optically and physiologically active compounds used for medicine, agrichemicals, etc., are one type of industrially useful optically active alcohols. For example, optically active 2-(3-pyridylmethyl)-3-quinuclidinol is a synthetic intermediate of nicotinic cholinergic receptor inhibiting substances which is useful in various therapies of disorders of the central nervous system (Patent Documents 1 and 2). Moreover, optically active 2-diphenylmethyl-3-quinuclidinol is a synthetic intermediate of a Substance P antagonist which is effective in therapies such as the treatment of disorders of the central nervous system and senile dementia of Alzheimer type (Patent Documents 3-6). Furthermore, a multitude of different physiological activities are reported for the compound in which the hydroxyl group at the 3-position is substituted by an amino group (Patent Document 7).
As mentioned hereinafter, methods for optically resolving racemic cis-quinuclidinol have been reported as method of producing optically active 3-quinuclidinol having one or more substituted groups at the 2-position. For example, according to Non-Patent Document 1, a method is known wherein the target substance is obtained by reacting racemic 2-arylmethyl-3-quinuclidinol with optically active 2-methoxy-2-phenylacetic acid to obtain diastereomers, followed by HPLC resolution and then hydrolysis; according to Non-Patent Document 2, a method is known wherein the target substance is obtained by reacting racemic 2-diarylmethyl-3-quinuclidinol with optically active mandelic acid for conversion into diastereomers, followed by resolution by recrystallization and then hydrolysis; according to Non-Patent Document 3, a method is known wherein the target substance is obtained by reacting racemic 2-diarylmethyl-3-quinuclidinol with optically active camphoric acid to obtain diastereomers, followed by resolution through recrystallization and then hydrolysis. However, these methods are complicated since they require the prior production of racemic quinuclidinol having one or more substituted groups at the 2-position and the conversion into diastereomers, which then needs to be followed by further processes such as resolution and deprotection.
Moreover, these methods are means for obtaining the target optical isomers by optical resolution of racemic 3-quinuclidinol having one or more substituted groups at the 2-position; since the other, non-target, optical isomer is left over, it is not possible to obtain a high yield. Consequently, it can hardly be said that these methods are simple and economic methods for producing optically active 3-quinuclidinol having one or more substituted groups at the 2-position.
On the other hand, a known method for obtaining optically active alcohol is the asymmetric hydrogenation of prochiral carbonyl compounds in the presence of an asymmetric metal complex catalyst. Patent Document 8 discloses a method for asymmetrically hydrogenating carbonyl compounds in the presence of a ruthenium metal complex having an optically active diphosphine compound such as BINAP, a base such as hydroxide of alkali earth metal, alkali metal, and an ethylenediamine-type optically active diamine compound. Patent Document 9 further discloses a method for hydrogenating carbonyl compounds using a ruthenium complex having optically active phosphine such as BINAP and an optically active 1,2-ethylenediamine-type ligand as catalyst. Patent Document 10 further discloses a method using a ruthenium complex having an optically active phosphine such as SKEWPHOS and an optically active 1,2-ethylenediamine-type ligand.
As method of synthesizing optically active 3-quinuclidinol using these asymmetric hydrogenation methods, Patent Document 11 mentions a method of hydrogenation of a quinuclidinone derivative selected from compounds consisting of 3-quinuclidinone, its adduct to a Lewis acid and the specific tertiary and quaternary salts corresponding thereto in the presence of a rhodium, iridium or ruthenium complex having a chiral diphosphine. Patent Document 12 discloses a method for producing optically active 3-quinuclidinol by hydrogenating 3-quinuclidinone in the presence of a base and an optically active ruthenium complex having an optically active bidentate ligand and an optically active 1,2-ethylenediamine-type ligand. Patent Document 13 further discloses a method for hydrogenating 3-quinuclidinone by using, as catalyst, a rhodium complex having an optically active phosphine having a ferrocene skeleton and a 1,2-ethylenediamine-type ligand. In this Patent Document, even though prochiral ring ketones which may have a substitution group such as 3-quinuclidinone is described, no specific examples of 3-quinuclidinone having a substitution group at the 2-position is described. In other words, these documents all report how to obtain 3-quinuclidinol by reduction of 3-quinuclidinone not having a substitution group at the 2-position, without any mention whatsoever of an example of synthesizing optically active 3-quinuclidinol having a substitution group at the 2-position from a racemic 3-quinuclidinone having a substitution group at the 2-position.
Moreover, regarding catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation, methods using alcohol and formic acid as reducing agent, i.e. catalytic asymmetric reduction reaction, are also frequently reported. In particular, the properties of an asymmetric ruthenium catalyst having an amine ligand with a sulfonylamide group as anchor (Patent Document 14) ought to be specifically mentioned. Apart from this, a similar catalytic system with a ruthenium-amine complex as basic skeleton is also reported (Non-Patent Document 4). Moreover, in the same way, rhodium and iridium catalysts with a metal-amine bond are also reported (Non-Patent Document 5). However, these documents report no example of synthesizing optically active 3-quinuclidinol having one or more substituted groups at the 2-position by asymmetric reduction of 3-quinuclidinone having one or more substituted groups at the 2-position or even a method for synthesizing optically active 3-quinuclidinol by asymmetric reduction of 3-quinuclidinone not having one or more substituted groups.
Further, regarding asymmetric reduction accompanying dynamic kinetic resolution, Patent Document 15 reports synthesis of optically active hydrobenzoin from racemic benzoin, but does not report an example of reaction by synthesizing optically active 3-quinuclidinol from racemic 3-quinuclidinone having a substitution group at the 2-position.
As shown above, a method for synthesizing optically active 3-quinuclidinol having one or more substituted groups at the 2-position by asymmetric reduction of quinuclidinone having one or more substituted groups at the 2-position and by using a reduction technique has not hitherto been known.    Patent Document 1: JP, A, 2002-531564    Patent Document 2: WO 2000-0034276    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 3273750    Patent Document 4: European Patent No. 829480    Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent No. 2500279    Patent Document 6: European Patent No. 499313    Patent Document 7: JP, A, 2002-020287    Patent Document 8: JP, A, 8-225466    Patent Document 9: JP, A, 11-189600    Patent Document 10: JP, A, 2003-252884    Patent Document 11: JP, A, 9-194480    Patent Document 12: JP, A, 2003-277380    Patent Document 13: JP, A, 2004-292434    Patent Document 14: JP, A, 11-322649    Patent Document 15: Japanese Patent No. 3630002    Non-Patent Document 1: Bioorg & Med. Chem. Lett. 15, 2073-2077 (2005)    Non-Patent Document 2: J. Med. Chem. 17, 497-501 (1974)    Non-Patent Document 3: Bioorg & Med. Chem. Lett. 8, 1703-1706 (1993)    Non-Patent Document 4: Organometallics 1996, 15, 1087.    Non-Patent Document 5: J. Org. Chem. 1999, 64, 2186.

Method for producing optically active quinuclidinols having one or more substituted groups at the 2-position


An EPROM or flash memory cell is programmed to store two or more bits of information by applying one of a plurality of programming voltages to the control gate of the memory cell, and by injecting electrons from the source region into the well or substrate. Electrons are injected from the source region into the well or substrate by utilizing charge pumps to cause a series of current pulses to flow from the well of the memory cell through the source region to the pump. These electrons are then available to participate in the formation of well or substrate hot electrons.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for programming non-volatile memory cells and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for lowering the potential barrier across the source-to-well junction during the programming of non-volatile memory cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
A non-volatile memory cell is a semiconductor device that stores information even after power has been removed from the device. Two of the most common types of non-volatile memory cells are electrically-programmable read-only-memory (EPROM) cells and flash memory cells.
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional diagram that illustrates a conventional EPROM or flash memory cell 10. As shown in FIG. 1, cell 10 includes spaced-apart n+ source and drain regions 12 and 14 which are formed in a p-type semiconductor material 16 such as a well or a substrate.
In addition, cell 10 also includes a channel region 18 which is defined between source and drain regions 12 and 14, a layer of gate oxide 20 which is formed over channel region 18, and a floating gate 22 which is formed over gate oxide layer 20. Further, cell 10 additionally includes a layer of interpoly dielectric 24 which is formed over gate 22, and a control gate 26 which is formed over dielectric layer 24.
EPROM and flash memory cells are commonly programmed to store one bit of information as either a logic zero or a logic one. More recently, however, programming techniques have been developed which allow EPROM and flash memory cells to store two or more bits of information.
The advantages of programming a single cell to store two or more bits of information are obvious. If each memory cell, for example, can be programmed to store two bits of information as either a "00", "01", "10", or "11", then the density of an array can be doubled without changing the physical size of the array.
One of these multi-bit programming approaches, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,021 to Bergemont et al., teaches that a single EPROM or flash memory cell can be programmed to store a plurality of logic levels by utilizing a corresponding plurality of control gate voltages, and by forward biasing the source-to-well junction.
EPROM and flash memory cells are conventionally programmed by applying a programming voltage to control gate 26 and a drain voltage to drain region 14, while source region 12 and well 16 are grounded. When the programming voltage is applied to control gate 26, a positive potential is induced on floating gate 24.
The positive potential on floating gate 24, in turn, attracts electrons to the surface of channel region 20 to form a channel 30, and also repels holes to form a depletion region 32. When the drain voltage is applied to drain region 14, an electric field is established between the source and drain regions 12 and 14 in channel region 30 and depletion region 32.
The electric field accelerates the electrons in channel 30 which forms "channel hot electrons". The positive potential of floating gate 24 attracts these channel hot electrons which penetrate gate oxide layer 22 and begin accumulating on floating gate 24, thereby raising the threshold voltage of the cell.
As taught by Bergemont, given a sufficient amount of time, the threshold voltage of a cell being programmed will converge to a stable value which is defined by the programming voltage applied to control gate 26. In addition, the threshold voltages are linearly related to the programming voltages. Thus, for example, programming voltages of zero, one, two, and three volts will produce threshold voltages of approximately two, three, four, and five volts, respectively. (See FIG. 7 of Bergemont).
To reduce the amount of time required to achieve these stable threshold voltages, the source-to-well junction is forward-biased by placing a negative voltage on source region 12. By forward biasing the source-to-well junction, increased numbers of electrons are injected into depletion region 32 of well 16. These electrons are also accelerated by the electric field which, in turn, causes the formation of well or substrate hot electrons. A portion of the substrate hot electrons are then injected onto floating gate 22.
Negative voltages are commonly placed on circuit nodes, such as source region 12, via external sources or on-board charge pumps. External sources, however, are typically not a favored approach as this requires the use of a pin on the external package to input the external voltage.
Thus, although both external sources and on-board charge pumps may be used to provide the negative voltage required to forward bias the junction, it is desirable to have other approaches for injecting electrons into the well.

Apparatus and method for lowering the potential barrier across the source-to-well junction during the programming of non-volatile memory cells


In order to provide a variable cutoff printing press, the press includes a pair of plate cylinders and a pair of blanket cylinders with all of the cylinders having a cylindrical body and a central axis of rotation. The plate cylinders are each mounted perpendicular to at least one side frame in a fixed position such that the axes of the plate cylinders are maintained in spaced parallel relation. The blanket cylinders are also each mounted perpendicular to the side frame by a pair of linear slide assemblies such that the axes of the blanket cylinders are maintained in spaced parallel relation. The linear slide assemblies accommodate linear adjustable positioning of the blanket cylinders along spaced parallel adjustment axes generally in the plane of the side frame. With this arrangement, the blanket cylinders are linearly adjustably positionable along and perpendicular to the adjustment axes to adjust the spacing between the plate and blanket cylinders to accommodate blanket sleeves of different thicknesses.

Typically, a printing press will utilize two printing couples and will have an inking mechanism for each of the two printing couples. The printing couples comprise a pair of plate cylinders that are commonly journaled at their opposite ends in spaced parallel side frames as well as a corresponding pair of blanket cylinders that are similarly journaled in the side frames. Further, the printing press will be formed to have a throw-off mechanism usually based on a system of eccentric sleeves and associated linkages.
For a printing press of this type, the press will commonly be designed to utilize a specific diameter of plate and blanket cylinders. It will be understood that the diameter of the cylinders dictates the printed image cutoff which has been difficult to vary since it has involved entirely changing the printing press components by essentially rebuilding the press. Understandably, this is a very costly operation to perform, and it is undesirable from the standpoint of productivity and use of resources.
In other words, there is a great amount of "down time" when it is desired to change the cutoff in a conventional printing press. To achieve this objective, it is also necessary to have multiple different sized components including various diameters of plate and blanket cylinders along with different gears, bearings and the like in order to be able to rebuild the press to achieve a different printed image cutoff. As a result, the cost of changing the cutoff has been a deterrent to achieving the level of flexibility that is desired in a printing press.
In an attempt to overcome these problems, Riggs et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,447,872 suggested a manner of adapting a press for print and blanket cylinders of different diameters. It taught that substantially the same drive elements could be used throughout in constructing a press having cylinders of any one of a variety of diameters, provided appropriate alterations were made in the size of spur gears connecting the components of the printing couples. While eliminating the need for completely different sets of press drive parts, the Riggs et al. '872 patent failed to overcome all of the problems that had been encountered in the art.
By way of further background, Hannon U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,664 also discloses a printing press of the type that utilizes two printing couples. This patent utilizes a pair of blanket cylinders which are movably mounted by a throw-off apparatus to enable separation of the blanket cylinders from each other and from a corresponding pair of plate cylinders. As described therein, a pair of blanket cylinders are typically mounted for movement by means of a throw-off apparatus for separation to create a throw-off gap.
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the throw-off gaps are needed to install and remove plates and blankets from the plate and blanket cylinders. The apparatus utilized for this purpose has conventionally employed a suitable linkage which is pivotally connected to a peripheral arm of an eccentric member to which a shaft of the blanket cylinders is typically mounted. For mounting or dismounting the plates and blankets, the linkage is moved by a conventional drive to turn the eccentric members from an operative to an inoperative position.
While such throw-off apparatus are well known, the same cannot be said for an apparatus for varying printed image cutoff. It would, thus, be highly desirable to have suitable means for mounting and dismounting plates on plate cylinders and blanket sleeves on blanket cylinders where the blanket sleeves have different thicknesses and, thus, different outer diameters to provide desired printing cutoff points. Moreover, to be advantageous, this should be achieved in a manner that does not require the press to be changed to any significant extent.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the foregoing problems and achieving one or more of the resulting objects.