A window grill assembly includes a window frame having a window opening therein. A grill frame is positioned on one side of the window opening, and retaining frame is positioned on the opposite side. The grill frame includes one flange which engages the front surface of the window frame, and the retaining frame also includes a retaining flange which engages the rear surface of the door frame. A second grill flange extends into the window opening and engages a second retaining flange also within the window opening. The second grill flange and the second retaining flange are secured together to hold the grill frame, the window frame, and the retaining frame together.

The present invention relates to a window grill assembly and method for assembling same.
Window assemblies, and particularly window assemblies for use in storm doors, often require a grill or lattice work which fits over the window so as to give the impression that the window is comprised of several smaller window panes. Therefore, a primary object of the present invention is the provision of an improved window grill assembly and a method for assembling same.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a window grill assembly including a grill frame and a retainer frame which are adapted to be positioned on the opposite sides of a window frame having a window opening therein.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved window grill assembly which includes a grill frame and a retainer frame which are detachably securable together so as to embrace a window frame therebetween.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved window grill assembly which can be made of plastic and which, once assembled, will be firmly secured together.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved window grill assembly which is economical to manufacture, durable in use, and efficient in operation.

Window grill assembly and method for assembling same


A new and improved plastic bag hanger device is presented for employing plastic bags, especially those plastic bags with handles which are used for bagging groceries, as liners for all sizes of trash receptacles The device comprises a clip member having an upwardly protruding flange and a downwardly protruding flange located on opposite sides of the clip member. The clip member is secured over the rim of a trash receptacle with plastic bag handles hooked onto the upwardly protruding flange if the trash receptacle is tall, or the downwardly protruding flange if the trash receptacle is short. The plastic bag hanger device may also include a second upwardly protruding flange for storing extra plastic handled bags.

The present invention relates generally to a garbage bag hanger device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a clip for holding plastic garbage bags inside of trash receptacles.
Most all grocery stores presently use plastic grocery bags with handles for bagging groceries. Usually, these plastic bags are preferred by consumers over paper bags for a number of reasons including: 1) that the bags are easier to carry, 2) that it is easier to carry a larger number of bags at one time, 3) that the bags can be easily reused as trash can liners, and 4) that the bags do not require the destruction of trees or forests for their production.
Several devices currently exist for holding trash bags inside of trash receptacles. However, most of the current devices are designed to accommodate the larger sized trash containers by providing a means for hanging the handles of the plastic grocery bags inside of the trash container. Although this type of design results in the under-utilization of the entire volume of the trash container, it does provide a simple means for enabling one to use the plastic bags received from grocery stores as trash can liners. Reusing the plastic grocery bags as trash can liners is both economical and beneficial to the environment in that fewer bags need be bought and produced
Other trash bag holding devices are designed to permit the trash bags to cover the upper rims of the trash receptacles. However, none of the prior art devices designed so far accommodate both large and small size trash cans.
In addition, although the dual purpose of the plastic grocery bags is desirable, individuals are less likely to use the plastic grocery bags as trash can liners if the bags are not readily accessible or if it is inconvenient to store the plastic grocery bags until they are needed.
Therefore, there is an unfilled need in the prior art for a simple and inexpensive device for hanging plastic grocery bags inside trash receptacles of any size which also includes a means for storing the plastic grocery bags so that they are readily accessible when needed.


A gaming machine including a display. The display includes a plurality of display positions for displaying combinations of symbols. A controller controls operation of the machine. The controller includes a processor for processing data and displaying selected data on the display. A selector is operable by the player of the machine for enabling the player to select at least one feature which can be added to a base game played on the machine.

Players regularly playing gaming machines need to have their interests maintained. Therefore, it is necessary for manufacturers of these machines to develop inventive game features which add interest to the games provided on such machines in order to keep the players entertained and willing to continue to play the games.
There is a continuous trade-off between what the players of the machines want and what the operators of the machines want from the machines. Naturally, operators want the players to stake more money per game so that the overall turnover is higher. Conversely, players will not do this unless they feel that they are getting more for the extra money that they are betting.
Further, as the range of machines and games increases, it is becoming increasingly important to offer more options to the players. The more options that are available in one machine, the easier it is to maintain the player's interest and the easier it is for players to be able to gain access to a machine that will offer them exactly the game that they want.
To date, most types of video gaming machines which are available to players offer limited options. At best, a range of bet sizes and paylines upon which the players can bet are offered. Certain machines also offer a double-up option available after a win while other machines have various ranges of paytables particularly for higher bets.

Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd


Disclosed is a screen printing machine which has a first driving mechanism for moving a squeegee movably arranged above a screen along its surface. The printing machine has a second driving mechanism for lifting the screen from a printing material by an upward rotation of its first edge around its second edge. A controller controls the first and second driving mechanisms to operate in association with each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a screen printing machine, more specifically to a screen printing machine having excellent pattern forming accuracy.
2. Description of the Related Art
Screen printing machines have conventionally been known as one type of apparatus for printing on plate materials typified by substrates for fabricating printed wiring boards with inks to form print patterns on the substrates. Such type of printing machine is provided with a screen, a squeegee, a driving mechanism for horizontally moving the squeegee, a driving mechanism for achieving screen separation by lifting one side edge of the screen on a fulcrum secured at the opposing side edge, etc. In this printing machine, the squeegee is slid from a printing start side toward a printing end side on the screen on which an ink is loaded to apply the ink onto a plate material mounted on a printing table.
It should be noted here that during the squeegeeing motion, the printing machine also drives a driving mechanism for achieving screen separation to separate the screen from the plate material at the same time. After completion of printing, a scraper is slid from the printing end side toward the printing start side on the screen to scrape the residual ink on the screen back to the printing start side. By repeating the procedures described, a plurality of plate materials are designed to be printed successively.
However, if the squeegeeing motion and the screen separating motion occur with awkward timing, the pressure of the squeegee is concentrated on a certain part of the screen to stretch the screen at such part. If such slackened screen is used, coating films having nonuniform thickness are formed, causing reduction in the pattern forming accuracy.
In order to avoid such inconvenience, it is necessary to properly coordinate the screen separating motion with the squeegeeing motion, more typically to set the screen lifting speed depending on changes in the speed of moving the squeegee and so on.
However, it has been conventionally necessary for an operator to make adjustment of a driving mechanism for driving the squeegee and another driving mechanism for separating the screen independently on his own, requiring intricate and difficult procedures.

Screen printing machine with control means for separating a screen from a printing material


A door includes a door leaf (1) with a vertical running direction and a drive (7) for opening and closing the door. A braking device (8) is provided, and this is configured such that the door leaf (1) cannot be moved in the closure direction solely by a weight force thereof, but only with the assistance of the drive (7).

Doors with a vertical running direction of the door leaf are known in numerous embodiment variants. Thus there are lifting doors with regard to which the door leaf as a whole is moved upwards, those with regard to which the door leaf is moved upwards in a pivoting movement and those with regard to which the door leaf is moved upwards in segments. In particular, the invention relates to so-called high-speed doors with regard to which a flexible door leaf is wound up on a driven shaft for opening and is moved in the opposite direction for closure. Such high-speed doors are applied for example at the entry of refrigerated warehouses, in order to be able to keep the air exchange between the refrigerated warehouse and the surroundings as low as possible, also during the filling and emptying of warehouses. Such high-speed doors are known for example from EP 1 760 237 A2, EP 0 816 624 B1 or EP 1 874 673 A1.
Common to all lifting doors with a vertical running direction of the door leaf is the fact that they comprise a safeguard which prevents an unintended closure, in particular shutting of the door due to its intrinsic weight.
With regard to doors which are driven via a pull means, for example steel cables, chains or a toothed belt drive, the pull means is dimensioned such that a failure of this can be ruled out to a sufficient degree of certainty. However, a safeguard is effected via the drive. With modern motors controlled by frequency converter, the energy produced in generator operation on closure is fed back into the frequency converter, which can be problematic. With high-speed doors with regard to which a flexible door leaf is wound up onto a shaft, it is counted as belonging to the state of the art to provide centrifugal force safeguards which are activated on exceeding a predefined shaft speed and which stop the movement of the shaft and hence the closing movement of the door leaf.


A method and system for determining the length of collocated waveguides in a high erosion environment, such as a solid rocket motor or a braking system. The system provides for mating optical waveguides having different attenuation coefficients within the combusting, eroding, or otherwise regressing material. Optical energy generated by the environment (e.g., from burning fuel), or which is introduced and scattered into the environment, travels through the waveguides to detector means coupled thereto. The intensities of the arriving optical energy are compared and the length of the collocated waveguides calculated therefrom. By calculating the length of the waveguides over time, a regression rate is determined.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a system and method for measuring regression of a material by determining the length of optical waveguides mated to the material in a high erosion environment. More specifically, the present invention may be used to determine the burn rate, or regression rate, of a solid fuel rocket motor, braking system, or any other regressable material in a volatile environment by dividing the change in length of the waveguides by the change in time.
2. Description of the Related Art
A solid rocket or a solid fuel rocket is a rocket with a motor that uses solid propellants—fuel and oxidizer. Solid rockets are simple, reliable, and well-known in the prior art, but because of the highly volatile and high temperature environment of combusting solid fuel in the rocket motor, precise measurement of the rate of consumption of the fuel, termed "regression" or "regression rate," is difficult. More precise information than is currently available by methods and devices used in the art would be of benefit to the engineers and scientists who design solid fuel rocket motors.
A simple solid rocket motor consists of a casing, nozzle, grain (propellant charge), and igniter. The grain behaves like a solid mass, burning in a predictable fashion and producing exhaust gases, and is usually molded from a thermoset elastomer, fuel, oxidizer and catalyst. For example, hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) and polybutadience acrylonitrile (PBAN) are typical elastomers that double as fuel. Ammonium perchlorate is the most common oxidizer. The nozzle dimensions are calculated to maintain a designed chamber pressure, while producing thrust from the exhaust gases.
Not surprisingly, rocket engineers have long had difficulty measuring the burn rate, also called the regression rate, of the materials due to the volatile nature of a combusting solid rocket motor, which makes measurements of its characteristics during combustion very difficult. Not only must any measuring system be capable of operating in and withstanding the high temperature and violent environment, but such a system must also not affect the operating conditions within the rocket. In other words, such a system must be designed around the inherent dangers of operating in such a combustible environment. For example, electromagnetic interference (EMI), which can cause disruption of electronic components, is generally not desirable within such a sensitive environment.
More precise measurement of the regression rate within the rocket motor would serve at least two useful purposes. First, such a measurement would increase the ability of rocket engineers to design solid rocket motors. A large part of the current design process is trial and error: The engineers will design a solid rocket motor but have no way to accurately test how the fuel grain burns without launching the rocket. Not only is this very expensive, but it is also very time consuming. The present invention, by providing engineers with more accurate measurement of the firing characteristics of the motor, reduces the need for trial and error during the design process, in part by allowing more accurate measurement of burn rate characteristics during test flights.
Second, such precise measurements would provide data to engineers during rocket operation that may indicate a potential problem with a rocket motor, or even worse, a catastrophic event. By using one or more of the measurement systems described herein, burn characteristics can be extrapolated and analyzed to determine whether motor operation is faulty. For example, one such a potentially catastrophic event is termed "asymmetrical burn," wherein the solid rocket motor burns at different and unintended rates throughout, which could cause the rocket, inter alia, to move off course or have other adverse effects.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a system for, inter alia, measuring the regression rate in a solid rocket motor as it combusts, as well as measuring erosion of materials in other volatile environments.

Regression and erosion measurement system and method


A process for transfer printing sheet metal which is especially suited for manufacture into three-dimensional articles such as appliance panels and one-piece pictures and frames. A decorative image is transfer printed in a clear top coat on the sheet metal by pressing transfer paper against the clear coat using a printing press which includes an upper heated platen having a polished undersurface with a polymer facing sheet covering the polished undersurface. The transfer paper has an adhesive on its surface facing the polymer sheet on the platen so the transfer paper will temporarily adhere to the platen when the printing press is opened for removal of the decorated sheet metal.

This invention relates to transfer printing of sheet metal and in particular to a method and apparatus for transfer printing an image on the coated sheet metal. Transfer printing such as sublimation printing transfers dyes or inks into the clear coating on the metal by pressing transfer paper against the clear coated surface under heat and pressure.
Transfer printing of inks or dyes into a variety of articles such as shirts, mugs, plastic articles and plastic coated substrates is well-known in the art. Dispersible dye crystals or inks are printed in reverse images in transfer paper which is to be used to transfer print the article to be decorated. The article to be decorated is usually made of plastic or has a plastic or polymer coating on it into which the dyes are transferred.
Most transfer printing is referred to as sublimation printing in which the dyes are said to sublimate under heat and pressure to be driven into any receptive substrate that is put in contact with the transfer paper. Such sublimation printing was developed circa 1969 and has been used extensively to print many articles including plastic coated metal substrates.
Transfer printing also includes a melt printing process which is as described in several patents and patent applications including U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,587,155; 4,670,084; 4,668,239 and Published Application WO 92/21514. According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,155, the desired dye image is transferred from the paper to the substrate by heating the dye to a temperature above its melting point but below its vaporization temperature so the dye will diffuse into the softened plastic substrate. Published Application WO 92/21 514 describes melt printing of planar metal base members such as aluminum, steel or the like which have been coated on at least one planar surface with a melt printable layer of softenable, dye-permeable, thermoplastic or thermoset material such as polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate or other thermoplastic polyesters, polycarbonates, nylons and the like. Application WO 92/21514 further describes bilayer coatings of thermoplastic or thermoset materials including a base coat optimally provided with a pigment and a second layer that can comprise a clear resin.
Canadian Patent 1,108,929 describes a process for applying designs to unsealed, anodized aluminum which is continuously heated to a temperature at which colored components of ink will sublime. The heated strip is ted into contact with an ink carrying web so the ink is heated and transferred into the anodized aluminum surface. The decorated aluminum strip is then cooled with water and passed through a sealing bath filled with a sealing solution such as buffered aqueous nickel.
A variety of machines are commercially available for transfer printing textiles, mouse pads and the like. For example, the George Knight Company sells a transfer printing machine that has upper and lower platens for pressing transfer paper against textiles under heat and pressure to cause dyes from the paper to be transferred into the textile material.
An improved system is needed for transfer printing metal substrates to produce decorated sheets having consistent bright coloring with little or no texturing of the surface of the sheet. The process should produce decorated sheet metal to be formed into shaped articles such as appliance panels or three-dimensional pictures and signs without cracking or crazing of the coatings on the sheet metal. Transfer printing of metal substrates has heretofore frequently resulted in inconsistent and uneven transfer (mottling and/or ghosting) of the transferred images. Solid color areas have been difficult to produce in acceptable quality due to mottling. Ghosting is a faint offset second image which makes the product unacceptable. A process is needed for producing a sharp and consistent image in a variety of mass-produced products such as appliance panels, one-piece three-dimensional pictures and frames.


A method of treating earthenware bodies to enhance resistance to freezing and to assist the application of decals and the like thereto comprises treating the bodies with a liquid medium containing a water-repellent material such as silicone. In a subsequent drying step, the bulk of the liquid medium is removed while leaving the water-repellent material deposited in the pores of the earthenware body. In this way, subsequent entry of water and freezing and cracking is resisted. It has also been discovered that the treatment also enchances the ability of the earthenware surface to receive decals and the like without the need for glazing and an additional firing step.

This invention relates to the treatment of the ceramic and other earthenware bodies, and is particularly but not exclusively concerned with the treatment of fired clay bodies in the form of ceramic garden or patio pots. Other applications include hanging pots, wall hangers, house bricks and ceramic roof tiles, or any other ceramic, fired clay or earthenware article.
One particular problem associated with ceramic pots and containers intended for use outdoors eg in gardens, patios and on walls, is the tendency towards damage due to the action of frost. It is a well-known fact that when water is absorbed into the walls of porous earthenware pots, freezing temperatures will case that water to expand and the pots will often crack, laminate, effloresce or simply fracture.
Attempts have been made in the past to obviate this problem by making surfaces of the pot water repellent or waterproof, eg by glazing. If the glaze is applied while there is still some moisture in the earthenware then freezing temperatures will nevertheless have the same detrimental effect on the ware. Further, it has been found that because of the environment in which garden or patio pots are used and located, damage is often suffered by; the glaze, allowing ingress of water or moisture which is acted upon by the freezing temperature so that expensive and attractive pots are damaged and often destroyed.
Some earthenware pots are decorated by decalcomania transfers or by hand painting, the decoration being then fired onto the surface. It is preferred that the surface area of the pot where the transfer or paint is to be applied is smooth and for this reason the surface is sometimes glazed before applying the transfer or other art work. This process involves an additional firing which adds to the cost of the decorated ware.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method of treating ceramic or other earthen ware that does not suffer from some or all of the above disadvantages and which results in a pot which reduces the damage by reason of freezing temperatures acting on the ware, and/or to provide improvements generally.
A further alternative object is to attempt to provide a method of treating earthen ware and the like to enable it to be more receptive to decals or other decoration without the need for glazing the ware before decorating it.
A further alternative object includes attempting to provide ceramic or other earthen ware which does not suffer from the known limitations and faults of ware produced by conventional processes.


A system is for detecting the passage of multiple sheets along a feed path. The system includes a sensing station (12) through which the feed path passes and which has a light emitter (48) and an optical sensor (50) arranged to sense light transmitted from the light emitter through an item comprising a single or multiple sheet present at the sensing station. The optical sensor (50) provides a voltage output whose magnitude is dependent on the intensity of the transmitted light received by the optical sensor. This output is applied to the first input (58) of a log ratio amplifier (60). A voltage representative of the output of the optical sensor when no item is present at the sensing station (10) is applied to the second input of the amplifier (64). The output of the amplifier (60) is applied to data processing means (52) which then determines whether a single or multiple item is present at the sensing station. This system can be used in place of more complicated and expensive multiple sheet detect systems such as those incorporating co-operating rollers.

This invention relates to an apparatus for detecting the passage of multiple superposed sheets along a feed path. The invention has application, for example, to an apparatus for detecting the passage of superposed currency notes in an automated teller machine (ATM).
In a cash dispensing mechanism of an ATM, it is important to provide a simple and reliable means for detecting when a currency note has become superposed on another in a path of travel from a currency supply means to a note exit slot, since such superpositioning may produce an undesirable result such as the dispensing of an excessive amount of money. For convenience, two or more sheets or notes which have become disposed in a superposed relationship will hereinafter be referred to as a multiple sheet or a multiple note.
A known system for detecting multiple sheets includes a sensing station in a feed path for the sheets. The sensing station includes a light emitter and an optical sensor arranged to sense light from the emitter transmitted through an item comprising a single or multiple sheet present at the sensing station. The optical sensor provides an output voltage whose magnitude is dependent on the intensity of the transmitted light received by the optical sensor. The output voltage of the optical sensors is applied to a processing circuit, and on the basis of this voltage the processing circuit provides an output indicative of whether a single sheet or a multiple sheet is present at the sensing station.
With this known system problems have been experienced in reliably distinguishing between a single bank note and a double bank note, and between a single clean bank note and a single soiled bank note. The reason for this is that the voltage output of the optical sensor when the light incident on it has passed through one note is typically 20% of the output of the optical sensor when light from the emitter has reached the sensor directly (i.e. with no note present at the sensing station), and that the voltage output of the optical sensor when the incident light has passed through two notes is typically only 20% of the output of the sensor when the incident light has passed through one note. For example, if the output of the sensor when no note is present at the sensing station is 5 volts, the output of the sensor with one note present would typically be 1 volt and the output with 2 notes present would typically be 0.2 volt. It is seen that there is a relatively large difference between the sensor outputs for no and one note present, but a relatively small difference between the sensor outputs for 1 and 2 notes present. Thus, there is not a very clearly defined difference as regards the sensor output for single and multiple notes, and the very low sensor output for a multiple note may approach the noise level of an analog to digital (AID) converter included in the circuit used to process the output of the sensor.
Another known system for detecting multiple sheets is disclosed, for example, in EP-B-0344938. This system includes first and second co-operating rollers between which sheets pass as they are fed along a feed path, the first roller having a fixed axis of rotation, and the second roller being resiliently urged towards the first roller so as to enable it to be moved away from the first roller as a single or multiple sheet passes between the rollers. A voltage generating means associated with the second roller produces an output voltage which varies linearly with movement of the second roller towards or away from the first roller, and this output voltage is applied to a processing circuit which determines whether a single or multiple sheet has passed between the rollers. This known system has the disadvantage that it is relatively complicated compared with the known multiple sheet detector system using an optical sensor.

System for detecting multiple superposed sheets


A sonobuoy device for tracking and targeting submarines. The sonobuoy dev comprises a sonobuoy having aft and forward sections interconnected with each other, fin means mounted on the aft section for flight stabilization of the device during travel above water from the platform, separation means responsive to impact of the device with the water upon completion of the travel thereof for separating the sections of the device from each other, payload means within the forward section of the device for listening for an acoustical signal in response to submergence thereof within the water following the separation of the sections of the device, flotation means mounted within the device and inflated in response to the impact with the water for anchoring the payload means and tethering means connecting the flotation means to the payload means for limiting the submergence thereof while anchored by the flotation means to a predetermined depth at which the payload means receives an acoustical signal. An apparatus comprising the device with a launching system and a method for deploying the device also is disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a device and method for tracking and targeting submarines from a surface ship, surface platform, or land-based platform. More particularly, the device and method enable a surface ship to launch a sonobuoy into navigable waters to locate a submarine. Most particularly, the device and method facilitate immediate submarine tracking and targeting without the need for aircraft support.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sonobuoys are presently available for military air operations tracking and targeting submarines. The expendable acoustic listening devices are deployed into seawater to locate submarines by listening to noises generated by the submarines, such as engine and screw noises, and the like. Some sonobuoys also use active "pinging" and listen for an echo, or return, to locate objects. Once dropped by aircraft, sonobuoys provide data which is used by surface ships to plot submarine locations in an operating area. Sonobuoys can also locate surface vessels at greater than visual range. Surface ships are able to use the plotted information defensively to position themselves against possible submarine attack, or offensively to attack the submarine.
Currently, naval surface ships deploy sonobuoys against submarine targets by launching a ship board helicopter, such as the LAMPS helicopter currently on board many U.S. warships, or by coordinating with helicopters from other naval vessels and with land-based helicopters and airplanes, such as the P-3 Orion. These aircraft fly over an area of a possible submarine location, and then drop sonobuoys into the water. Once in the water, the sonobuoys are activated to listen for submarines, and once a submarine is located, the sonobuoys relay tracking information of the submarine to the surface ship.
The need for surface ships to coordinate the deployment of sonobuoys with aircraft impedes a ship's ability to use the sonobuoys in rapid fashion. Aircraft may require extensive warm-up times which is often excessively time consuming. Additionally, aircraft flight may be difficult or impossible in inclement weather, and hazardous over restricted flight areas, or under hostile and/or wartime conditions. Aircraft may also be unavailable for such a mission when needed.
Launch systems on board surface ships are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,718 (Woodall, Jr. et al.) discloses a torpedo decoy launched from a surface ship. U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,344 (Jones) discloses a shipboard torpedo defense. Sonobuoys are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,065,370 (Rizkowski et al), 5,020,032 (Dale et al.), and 5,012,717 (Metersky, et al.). However none of these patents disclose a ship launched sonobuoy.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for deployment of sonobuoys from naval surface vessels.
In view of the foregoing objective, it is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a transport round for launch of a sonobuoy payload from existing mortar or rocket launchers on naval surface vessels, whereby safe, rapid and effective deployment of a sonobuoy is achieved.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


Process for upgrading a paraffinic feedstock which includes: a) supplying the feedstock and an olefins-containing stream at a paraffin to olefin volume ratio greater than 2 to a reactor containing a zeolite-beta catalyst; and b) removing the upgraded product; wherein the process is operated at an olefin conversion of at least 90 mol % in an external circulation reactor having an extent of external circulation of liquid reactor content expressed as ##EQU1## of greater than 2 wherein .phi./v is the volumetric flow rate of feedstock and olefins-containing stream and .phi./vc is the volumetric external circulation flow rate, and upgraded products produced by the process.

Paraffins and olefins are the product of such methods as fluid catalytic cracking, MTBE etherification, or olefin isomerization. Production of highly branched hydrocarbons such as trimethylpentanes is important by virtue of their use as gasoline blending components high octane number. Traditional production of highly branched hydrocarbons is by condensation of isobutane with light olefins, usually butenes but sometimes mixtures of propene, butenes and possibly pentenes, using large quantities of conventional strong liquid acid catalysts, such as hydrofluoric or sulphuric acids. A mixture of immiscible acid and hydrocarbon is agitated to itiix the catalyst and reactant and refrigerated to control the highly exothermic reaction. By fine control of a complex interrelation of process variables, high quality alkylate production is maintained. The acid is recycled after use. It is desirable to use a process which is less hazardous and environmentally more acceptable.
Processes have been proposed to overcome these problems by using solid acids as catalysts. However paraffin-olefin condensation yields both desired alkylate and undesired oligomerization product. When catalyzing alkylation with solid acids it has been found tilat the selectivity for alkylate over oligomerization product is less than that obtained with liquid acids. Moreover, oligomerization products are thought to cause the observed progressive deactivation of the catalyst. Regeneration techniques are known for removing hydrocarbonaceous deposits from solid catalysts and restoring catalyst activity. Nevertheless, the known regeneration techniques are typically not totally satisfactory. One technique, for example, is raising the catalyst to elevated temperatures and oxidizing the deposits. For this method the alkylation must be interrupted and reactor conditions altered which causes lost production time.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,814 a process is disclosed for alkylation of isoparaffins using acidic zeolite catalysts and supplying to the reactor paraffin and olefin in a volume ratio of from 15 to 30, the concentration of unreacted olefin in the reactor being maintained at less than 12 mole percent. Specifically the process is operated in a continuous stirred reactor using a zeolite Y catalyst. However, the experimental results in the '814 patent indicated severe deactivation occured even at low catalyst ages.
In the process of French patent No. 2,631,956, isobutane and butene are reacted over zeolite-beta catalyst in an upflow fixed bed reactor. Product analysis at 1 hour and 4 hours time on stream shows a decrease in the percentage olefin conversion level in the reactor with time on stream.
It would be advantageous to have an alkylation process which selectively yields highly branched alkylate at an acceptable rate for prolonged periods on stream.


A process is disclosed for applying electrode layers to a polymer electrolyte membrane strip in a desired pattern, wherein the front and back of the membrane are continuously printed with the electrode layers in the desired pattern using an ink containing an electrocatalyst, and the printed electrode layers are dried at elevated temperature immediately after the printing operation, the printing taking place while maintaining accurate positioning of the patterns of the electrode layers on the front and back in relation to one another.

The present invention relates to a process for applying electrode layers to a polymer electrolyte membrane strip in a desired pattern.
Fuel cells convert a fuel and an oxidizing agent, physically separated from one another, into electricity, heat and water at two electrodes. Hydrogen or a hydrogen-rich gas can be used as the fuel and oxygen or air as the oxidizing agent. The energy conversion process in the fuel cell is distinguished by particularly high efficiency. For this reason, fuel cells in combination with electric motors are gaining increasing importance as an alternative to conventional combustion engines for automotive vehicles.
The so-called polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is suitable for use as an energy converter in motor vehicles thanks to its compact construction, its power density and its high efficiency.
The central component in a PEMFC is the so-called membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). This consists of a polymer electrolyte membrane which is provided on both sides with a catalytically active layer. One of the layers takes the form of an anode for the oxidation of hydrogen and the second layer takes the form of a cathode for the reduction of oxygen. In order to bring the gaseous reaction media (hydrogen and air) to the catalytically active layers and, at the same time, to establish an electrical contact, so-called gas diffusers or gas diffusion structures are placed on the anode and cathode layers. These are usually carbon fiber paper or nonwoven carbon fabric which allow the reaction gases good access to the electrodes and permit good discharge of the cell current. Single PEMFCs or PEMFC stacks are built up from these membrane-electrode assemblies.
The polymer electrolyte membrane consists of proton conducting polymer materials. These materials are also referred to below as ionomers for short. Tetrafluoroethylene-flourovinyl ether copolymer with sulfonic acid groups is preferably used. This material is marketed for example by E. I. du Pont with the trade name NAFION(copyright). However, other, especially flourine-free, ionomer materials such as sulfonated polyether ketones or aryl ketones or polybenzimidazoles may also be used. For use in fuel cells, these membranes generally have a thickness of between 10 and 200 um.
The anode and cathode contain so-called electrocatalysts, which cataytically support the respective reaction (oxidation of hydrogen or reduction of oxygen). The metals of the platinum group of the periodic table are preferably used as the catalytically active components. For the most part, so-called supported catalysts are used, in which the catalytically active platinum group metals have been applied, in fine-particle form, to the surface of a conductive support material. The average crystallite size of the platinum group metal is between about 1 and 10 nm. Fine particle-size carbon blacks have proved suitable as support materials.
Many different processes exist for the production of membrane-electrode assemblies, but only a few of them are suitable for industrial purposes, i.e. for continuous manufacture on a large scale at economic costs.
In DE 195 09 749 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,793) a process for the continuous production of a composite of electrode material, catalyst material and a solid electrolyte membrane is described, wherein a catalytic layer of a catalytic powder comprising the electrode material, the catalyst material and the solid electrolyte material is produced on a support. This catalytic layer is heated on a side facing away from the support to soften the solid electrolyte material and is applied on to the solid electrolyte membrane by rolling under pressure. The entire disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,793 is incorporated herein by reference.
The polymer electrolyte membrane is coated over this entire surface using this process. The application of the electrodes in a two-dimensional pattern, also referred to below as selective coating, as is absolutely essential for the production of fuel cell stacks, can only be achieved with great effort. For this purpose, appropriately shaped separators which prevent the catalyst material from being bonded to the polymer electrolyte membrane are placed on the membrane. The areas of the support overlapping the separators can then be removed with a knife after the support has been applied on to the membrane by rolling.
In addition, this process is associated with a high risk of pinhole formation in the membrane, since the material for the electrode layers is used in powder form. If coarser powder particles are present in the catalytic material, the thermally softened membrane is perforated when the powder is rolled under high pressure.
In WO 97/50142 (CA 128: 104377 F/WPI 1998-077409) a continuous process for coating a polymer electrolyte membrane with electrodes is described, in which a polymer membrane strip is drawn through a bath of platinum salt solution. The adhering salt is then reduced to the precious metal in a gas stream or in another bath. With this process again, it is only possible to coat the polymer electrolyte membrane over its entire surface. The membrane can be damaged by the strongly acidic metal salt solutions and the reducing bath.
Another process is described in DE 195 48 421 (CA 127: 138102 G/WPI 1997-351291) for the production of a membrane-electrode assembly wherein the bonding of the polymer electrolyte membrane, the electrode layers and the gas diffusion layer is carried out continuously in a rolling process. The polymer membrane is coated with the electrode layers over its entire surface in this process.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a continuous and inexpensive process for coating a polymer electrolyte membrane strip with electrode layers in a desired pattern, which also allows the required pattern to be produced simply and with high dimensional stability. In addition, the risk of pinhole formation in the membrane by the coating process should largely be avoided.
The above and other objects of the invention can be achieved by a process for applying electrode layers on to a polymer electrolyte membrane strip in a desired pattern, wherein the front and back of the membrane are continuously printed with the electrode layers in the desired pattern using an ink containing an electrocatalyst and the printed electrode layers are dried at elevated temperature immediately after the printing operation, the printing taking place while maintaining accurate positioning of the patterns of the electrode layers on the front and back in relation to one another.
For use in the process according to the invention the starting material is a polymer electrolyte membrane strip supplied, for example, in a roll. The process is carried out on a strip-coating line with various stations. This line is equipped with a minimum of an unwinding device, a printing station, a drying station and a winding device, and several deflector and guide rolls as required.
The strip speed can vary within relatively broad limits and its upper limit is set only by the constraints of the printing process selected. After leaving the printing station, the polymer strip with the still fresh electrode layers passes through the drying station. The electrode layers are therefore dried at elevated temperature immediately after the printing operation. A continuous circulating air drier may be used as the drying station, for example. Infrared driers are also suitable. The preferred temperatures for drying the layers are between 60 and 150xc2x0 C. The residence time of the polymer membrane in the drying station must guarantee adequate drying of the electrode layers. It depends on the temperature selected and can be prolonged by appropriate deflections in the drying station.
The printing process takes place with an ink which contains an electrocatalyst. This ink is often also referred to as a paste because of its consistency. In addition to a high boiling-point solvent it contains, for example, one or more electrocatalysts, proton-conducting ionomer and optionally auxiliaries such as wetting agents, pore forming agents or similar. To produce these inks, the components are processed to an intimate mixture with the aid of high shear forces. This guarantees good dispersion of the electrocatalyst in the solvent. Inks and pastes suitable for the process according to the invention are described in DE 19611510 A1 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,222), P 19810485.5 (as yet unpublished German patent application) and P 19837669.3 (as yet unpublished German patent application).
Various printing processes may be used for printing the membrane, such as for example screen printing, offset, gravure or pad printing. Depending on the printing process used and the desired layer thickness of the electrode layers, the consistency of the ink must be adjusted accordingly, in order to obtain optimum results. The necessary measures are known to the expert. The layer thicknesses for the electrodes are in the range of between 5 and 100, preferably between 5 and 15 um. If the necessary layer thickness is not achieved with one printing operation, the membrane may be printed more than once.

Process for applying electrode layers to a polymer electrolyte membrane strip for fuel cells


A feed device includes a feed roller, a transport roller pair provided further to the downstream side in the transport direction of a sheet than the feed roller, a first motor by which the feed roller is driven, and a second motor by which the transport roller pair is driven, and in which a controller that controls the first motor, and performs a skew removal operation accompanying reverse transport of the sheet by the transport roller pair causes a reverse current and a hold current as suppression currents that suppress the reverse transport amount of the feed roller to the reverse transport amount of the transport roller pair or less to flow to the first motor in at least a part of the skew removal operation.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a feed device and a recording apparatus that perform a skew removal operation that removes skew (slant) of a medium in a process of feeding the medium.
2. Related Art
JP-A-2007-84224 discloses a recording apparatus provided with a feed device that has a skew removing function for a sheet (example of a medium). The recording apparatus is provided with a transport roller pair (example of a second roller) at a position further to the downstream side in the feeding direction than the feed roller (example of a first roller) in a process of feeding a sheet, and performs skew removal on the sheet by reversing the transport roller pair in a state where the feed roller is stopped after the leading edge of the sheet is delivered to the downstream side by a predetermined amount from the nip point of the transport roller pair. That is, a "biting operation" that delivers a predetermined amount of the leading edge of the sheet fed by the feed roller further to the downstream side than the nip point of the transport roller pair and, thereafter, a "discharging operation" in which the transport roller pair is reversed in a state where the feed roller is stopped are performed. Since the sheet is in a state of being nipped by the feed roller and a retard roller, the sheet, the leading edge of which is discharged to the upstream side, is bent between the feed roller and the transport roller pair, and the sheet leading is not at the nip point of the transport roller pair, that is, the sheet becomes parallel and skew is removed. In cases where the sheet is thick, because the feed roller is prevented from reversing when the discharging operation is performed, a braking unit (reversal prevention unit of the feed roller) is provided in the recording apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2007-84224.
A hopper is biased in a direction from the standby position towards the feeding position by an elastic member, and is inclined between the standby position and the feed position interlinked with the rotation of the rotation shaft of the feed roller by the power of the feed motor via engagement between a cam provided on the rotation shaft of the feed roller and a cam follower provided in the hopper.
Incidentally, due to causes such as a reduced diameter of the feed roller, slipperiness of the sheet in the feeding process, and variations in the feed start timing of the sheet, when the biasing force from the elastic member of the hopper acts on the rotation shaft in the process of the discharging operation performed with the feed motor in a stopped state, the feed roller reverses, and there are cases where skew removal is not appropriately performed. In the recording apparatus in JP-A-2007-84224, although a braking unit (feed roller reversal prevention unit) is provided for preventing the feed roller from reversing with the stiffness of a sheet formed from a thick sheet, there is a problem in that providing the braking unit prevents size reductions in the feed device and the printer, and the structure of the device becomes complicated.
This type of problem is not limited to the biasing force of the elastic member that biases the hopper being the cause, and in a configuration that performs skew removal by reverse transporting a medium with a second roller, it is similarly difficult to appropriately perform the skew removal even in cases where the first roller is excessively reversed by any external force.


A network device to selectively filter the exception data units based on the type of the exception data units. The network device generates a first threshold value for a first type of exception data units and a second threshold value for a second type of exception data units. The first threshold value and the second threshold value are determined based on the weight factors associated with each the first type and the second type of exception data units and a scratch pad threshold value. The network data unit determines the type of exception data units and a scratch pad fullness value and filters the first type and the second type of exception data units based on the first and the second threshold values.

A computer network generally refers to a group of interconnected wired and/or wireless network devices such as, for example, laptops, mobile phones, servers, fax machines, and printers. The network devices may transfer data units from one network device to another network device. A network device such as a router may comprise a network processor, which may be designed to process the data units.
The network processor may comprise a first set of processing resources and a second set of processing resources which may be, respectively, referred to as a regular processing path and a specialized processing path. The network processor may process the data units using a first set of processing resources if the data units can be processed within a pre-determined period such as a cycle budget. The pre-determined period may be determined such that the data units may be processed to maintain the line rate of arrival of the data units. However, some data units may require more processing time than the pre-determined period and may be sent as an exception to a second set of processing resources.
The network processor may comprise a memory such as a scratch memory, between the regular and specialized processing path, to store the exception data units before the specialized processing path processes the exception data units. However, the exception data units arriving after the scratch memory is full may be filtered or dropped indiscriminately. For example, dropping the exception data units such as address resolution protocol (ARP) packets may result in a delay in arriving at a stable network state. It may be desirable to avoid or reduce such indiscriminate filtering of the exception data units.

Selective filtering of exception data units


A tongue-lid pack has an outer box (2) whose upper end is open, an inner pack (6) contained in the outer box (2) and having filter cigarettes, and a tongue lid (16) for opening/closing the open end of the outer box (2). A front wall (20) of the outer box (2) has a depression (21) that accepts a tip end portion (26) of a tongue (22) of the tongue lid (16) when the tongue (22) is superimposed upon the front wall (20), and the tip end portion (26) sinks in the front wall (20).

A tongue-lid pack of this type is disclosed, for example, in International Publication WO 2004/064550. This well-known pack includes an outer box with an open upper end, an inner pack contained in the outer box and having a bundle of rod-shaped smoking articles and an inner wrapper for wrapping the bundle, and a tongue lid hingedly jointed to the outer box and opens/closes the outer box.
More specifically, the tongue lid includes a lid for opening and closing the opening of the outer box and a tongue extending from the lid. The lid and the tongue are demarcated by a fold line. Right after the tongue-lid pack is fabricated, the tongue of the tongue lid is superimposed upon the front wall of the outer box.
The outer box further includes an insertion slit. This insertion slit is formed in the front wall of the outer box. After being opened for the first time, the tongue lid can close the opening of the outer box with the tongue, and is kept in a closed position by the tip end of the tongue being inserted into the outer box through the insertion slit.
As mentioned above, immediately after the fabrication of the tongue-lid pack, the tongue of the tongue lid is in the position where it is superimposed upon the front wall of the outer box and stands out from the front wall of the outer box. For this reason, when the tongue-lid pack is taken out from a wrapping device after being fabricated in the device, or when the tongue-lid pack in a vending machine is distributed from the machine, the tip end of the tongue lid of the tongue-lid pack catches on a transfer path in the wrapping device or vending machine, and the pack lodges in the transfer path in some cases.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tongue-lid pack that enables a stable release of the pack from a wrapping device or a vending machine, and a blank therefor.

Tongue-lid pack for rod-shaped smoking articles and a blank thereof


A charging device that may perform charging with larger current is provided. The charging device comprises a switching element for increasing or decreasing charging power, a PWM controlling circuit for intermittently turning the switching element on and off, a current detecting circuit for detecting current flowing through the switching element, and a correcting circuit for correcting output voltage of the current detecting circuit depending on the temperature of the switching element. The PWM controlling circuit has a limiter terminal for turning off the switching element when voltage equal to or above a predetermined value is input, and corrected voltage from the correcting circuit is input to the limiter terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a charging device for charging a rechargeable battery. In particular, it relates to a charging device wherein a switching element is pulse-width modulated, thereby increasing or decreasing charging power.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a charging device, it is desirable for the charging power to be as large as the charging device can handle. The rechargeable battery is thus charged rapidly.
In charging devices, rated power is usually fixed, and adjustments of the charging power take place within the range of that rated power. Japanese Patent No. 3384079 sets forth a technique for distinguishing the number of battery cells contained in a battery pack to be charged, and determining a charging current based on the number of battery cells. When a battery pack with a large number of cells is to be charged, charging voltage is high, and consequently the charging current is reduced. When a battery pack with a small number of cells is to be charged, charging voltage is low, and consequently a large charging current is caused to flow. In this manner, the charging power is adjusted within the range of rated power of the charging device, and the charging current that is as large as possible within the range of rated power flows for charging the battery pack.

Charging apparatus having a switching element for controlling charging power


A method, apparatus, and system provide the ability for storing holograms at high speed. A single laser diode emits a collimated laser beam to both write to and read from a photorefractice crystal. One or more liquid crystal beam steering spatial light modulators (BSSLMs) steer a reference beam, split from the collimated laser beam, at high speed to the photorefractive crystal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to holography, and in particular, to a holographic memory system using a mirror beam steering device
2. Description of the Related Art
Many devices (e.g., compact discs and digital video discs) use light to store and read data. However, prior art optical storage methods have limited transfer and capacity capabilities. To overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, holographic memory may be used. Holographic memory stores information beneath the surface of the recording medium and uses the volume of the recording medium for storage. However, holographic memory may also have speed limitations with respect to recording data and/or reading the data from the storage medium. These problems may be better understood by describing the future needs for memory and prior art holographic memory systems.
Current technology, as driven by the personal computer and commercial electronics market, is focusing on the development of various incarnations of Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), and Flash memories. Both DRAM and SRAM are volatile. Their densities are approaching 256 Mbits per die. Advanced 3-D multichip module (MCM) packaging technology has been used to develop solid-state recorder (SSR) with storage capacity of up to 100 Gbs. The flash memory, being non-volatile, is rapidly gaining popularity. Densities of flash memory of 256 Mbits per die exist in the prior art. High density SSR could also be developed using the 3-D MCM technology. However, flash memory is presently faced with two insurmountable limitations: limited endurance (breakdown after repeated read/write cycles), and poor radiation-resistance (due to simplification in power circuitry for ultra-high density package).
NASA's future missions may require massive high-speed onboard data storage capability to support Earth Science missions. With regard to Earth science observation, a 1999 joint Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Goddard Space Flight Center (GFSC) study ("The High Data Rate Instrument Study") has pointed out that the onboard science data (collected by high date rate instruments such as hyperspectral and synthetic aperture radar) stored between downlinks would be up to 40 terabits (Tb) by 2003. However, onboard storage capability in 2003 is estimated at only 4 Tb that is only 10% of the requirement. By 2006, the storage capability is likely to fall further behind and supporting merely 1% of the onboard storage requirements.
Accordingly, prior art electronic memory cannot satisfy all NASA mission needs. Thus, what is needed is a new memory technology that would simultaneously satisfy non-volatility, rad-hard, long endurance as well as high density, high transfer rate, low power, mass and volume to meet all NASA mission needs.
Volume holography has been predominantly considered as a high-density data storage technology. With volume holography, the volume of the recording medium is utilized for storage instead of only utilizing the surface area (such as with compact discs [CDs] and/or digital video discs [DVDs]). Traditionally, when a laser is fired, a beam splitter is utilized to create two beams. One beam, referred to as the object or signal beam/wavefront travels through a spatial light modulator (SLM) that shows pages of raw binary data as clear and dark boxes. The information from the page of binary code is carried by the signal beam to a light-sensitive lithium-niobate crystal (or any other holographic materials such as a photopolymer in place of the crystal). The second beam (produced by the beam splitter), called the reference beam, proceeds through a separate path to the crystal. When the two beams meet, the interference pattern that is created stores the data carried by the signal beam in a specific area in the crystal as a hologram (also referred to as a holographic grating).
Depending on the angle of the reference beam used to store the data, various pages of data may be stored in the same area of the crystal. To retrieve data stored in the crystal, the reference beam is projected into the crystal at exactly the same angle at which it entered to store that page of data. If the reference beam is not projected at exactly the same angle, the page retrieval may fail. The beam is diffracted by the crystal thereby allowing the recreation of the page that was stored at the particular location. The recreated page may then be projected onto a charge-coupled device (e.g., CCD camera), that may interpret and forward the data to a computer.
Thus, as described above, a complex data-encoded signal wavefront is recorded inside a media as sophisticated holographic gratings by interference with a selective coherent reference beam. The signal wavefront is recovered later by reading out with the same corresponding reference beam.
Bragg's law determines that the diffracted light intensity is significant only when the diffracted light is spatially coherent and constructively in phase. Bragg's law is often used to explain the interference pattern of beams scattered by crystals. Due to the highly spatial and wavelength Bragg selectivity of a crystal, a large number of holograms can be stored and read out selectively in the same volume. Accordingly, there is a potential for one bit per wavelength cube data storage volume density and intrinsic parallelism of data accessing up to Mbytes per hologram.
Accordingly, as described above, the prior art fails to provide sufficient memory capabilities. Prior art holographic memory systems have evolved in an attempt to provide such capabilities. However, the prior art holographic memory systems may still be improved in storage capacity, efficiency, speed, resistance to radiation, etc.


Systems and methods directed at providing browser sensitive web content are provided. A web server is configured to receiving a request from a client and to identify a browser in the client from which the request was initiated. A browser specific cascading style sheet (CSS) corresponding to the identified browser is determined. The browser specific CSS includes instructions that enable the browser to handle elements that are provided by a certain version of a CSS standard. The web server incorporates the browser specific CSS into web content and provides the web content with the browser specific CSS to the client in response to the request.

In recent years, the Web Wide Web has become one of the most important channels for information sharing and commerce. Traditionally, the structures of web sites are limited by the mechanisms available in the Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML) standard. More advanced mechanisms are now available to enable the developers to produce more sophisticated web sites. One of these standard mechanisms is Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) managed by Web Wide Web Consortium (W3C). CSS is a mechanism for adding style (e.g. fonts, colors, spacing) to web documents. One or more CSS's may be applied to web page by browsers.
To correctly display a web page with a CSS, a browser must be capable of understanding the associated CSS standard. Unfortunately, some older browsers that are still in use simply cannot handle CSS's. Also, the CSS standard is constantly evolving to meet users' demands. Thus, browsers that are capable of handling an older version of the CSS standard may not be able to handle a web page with a CSS in a newer standard. Thus, if a developer creates a web site with CSS in the newest standard, the web site may not be able to be displayed by a significant number of browsers that are in use.
An effective solution for enabling a browser that is not capable of handling a particular style sheet standard to correctly display a web page structured with that style sheet standard continues to elude those skilled in the art.
Like reference numerals are used to designate like parts in the accompanying drawings.


A sound insulator, including an assembly of connected particles, wherein the connected particles include particles adjacent to one another that are adhered to one another. The particles that are adhered to one another include particles of random shapes and random sizes and having respective diameters falling within a range from about a quarter of a millimeter to about four millimeters. The particles that are adhered to one another are adhered such that they form a sound suppression blanket.

A variety of materials may be used to block sound, but no single material blocks noise, which is sound over a full range of high to low audible frequencies, without using relatively massive amounts of the single material.
What is commonly referred to as "noise" nearly always is the combination of many different frequencies. By way of example, the sound spectrum analysis presented in FIG. 1 depicts a 3-cylinder diesel engine running at 2,800 RPMs. The "noise" it emits includes frequencies ranging from 22 Hz to over 11 kHz. No single material can effectively block all these frequencies, at least without utilizing large amounts of that material, which may be impractical in many instances, such as onboard aircraft, seacraft, and/or automobiles, etc.
Moreover, materials that do block low audible frequencies, and, perhaps to a slightly lesser extent, medium audible frequencies (as opposed to the higher frequencies), tend to be very dense, and thus heavy. In comparison, foam, which has a resonant frequency that is comparatively quite high (above 250-500 Hz depending on thickness), allows lower frequencies to pass through virtually unaffected, only blocking higher frequencies. Attenuating these lower frequencies is difficult (more difficult than attenuating the higher frequencies). Lead and filled (also known as mineral loaded) vinyl of similar density, which relies on a higher mass to dampen the lower frequencies, may be used. Unfortunately, the material's comparatively heavy weight makes the use of lead and the like prohibitive in many applications (e.g., aircraft, seacraft, etc.) Moreover, these materials rely on the phenomenon of sound waves causing the material to vibrate when the waves impinge on the material. Due to the weight of the material, this vibration creates a new problem if the vibrating mass is allowed to mechanically transfer energy to another surface (such as a wall or bulkhead). In such an instance, the noise is simply transferred through and radiated off the other surface.
Conventional acoustic insulation materials used to address lower frequencies work well if they are of a high weight and thickness. There remains a need in the art for lighter and thinner damping layers that effectively attenuate noise in mid to low frequency ranges.


A device for handling a sheet pile in a printing press includes a pile chamber with at least one opening of a size at least through which the pile is passable horizontally, a lifting platform in the pile chamber for receiving the sheet pile thereon, a lift drive for vertically adjusting the platform, and a screen assigned to the opening and adjustable between a first operating condition wherein the screen covers the opening, and a second operating condition wherein the opening is free from being covered by the screen. A conveyor section horizontally shifts the pile through the opening when the lifting platform is at a transfer level. The conveyor section includes a first conveyor subsection within the pile chamber and at least a second conveyor subsection outside and adjoining the pile chamber. The first and second subsections have alternating states of occupancy during operation. They are alternately occupied by a pile and not occupied by a pile. A conveyor section drive shifts the pile along the conveyor section. The screen is operationally independently changeable from the first to the second operating state for predetermined states of occupancy of the conveyor subsection and when the lifting platform is at the transfer level and, the screen is operationally independently changeable from the second to the first operating state thereof after the pile has been shifted completely from one of the conveyor subsections to the other.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for handling a sheet pile in a printing press, including a pile chamber formed with at least one opening which is of a size at least through which the sheet pile is passable in a horizontal direction, a lifting platform disposed in the pile chamber for receiving the sheet pile thereon, a reciprocating drive for vertically adjusting the lifting platform, and a screen assigned to the opening and being adjustable between a first operating condition wherein the screen covers the opening, and a second operating condition wherein the opening is free from being covered by the screen.
Printing presses equipped with such devices have been marketed by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen A. G. under the model designation SM102. The screen encompasses an adjustable bracket which, in a first position, extends crosswise over the opening formed in the pile chamber in the manner of a railing and represents thereat a first operating condition of the screen wherein, at least during the production run, unhindered access to the sheet pile chamber through the opening is blocked by the bracket. Moreover, the screen also encompasses a switch arrangement actuatable by the bracket for stopping the reciprocating drive of the lifting platform. A corresponding actuation of the switch arrangement is effected upon a change from the aforementioned first operating condition of the screen to a second operating condition thereof, specifically by shifting the bracket into a position thereof wherein the opening is not covered by the screen.
This conventional screen is provided whenever the printing press is mounted on a foundation projecting above the level of the floor at the location at which the printing press is installed and permits longer adjusting paths of the lifting platform and, consequently, higher sheet piles to be handled than is possible with an installation which is flat on the floor.
In the printing presses equipped with a conventional screen, sheet pile handling is effected, through the intermediary of manual lift carriages or the like, by a conveyor or feeder actuated by a machine operator.

Device for handling a sheet pile in a printing press


The present invention, therefore, is directed to a novel method for improving conversion in a fluidized catalytic cracking unit feed stream containing vanadium. According to the method, an effective amount of a composition comprising at least one overbase complex of a magnesium or aluminum salt or a mixture thereof and an organic acid complexing agent is incorporated into the feed stream.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fluidized catalytic cracking during crude oil refining, and more particularly to improvement of conversion in fluidized catalytic cracking units supplied by feed streams contaminated with vanadium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, a typical petroleum refinery includes a tank farm or storage area where crude petroleum and certain intermediates are held for optimum utilization by the refinery. The crude unit typically contains a desalter followed by a series of distillation columns whose principal function is to separate the crude oil feedstock into its various principal component fractions by differences in boiling point. The more volatile fractions are removed in the crude distillation tower leaving heavier gas oil fractions residual which are usually transported to a fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) unit. Some of the bottom or residual fractions is also frequently included in the FCC feed. The FCC feed thus comprises various gas oil cuts and residual material and is routed to a pre-heat heat exchanger arrangement that comprises one or more heat exchangers and then a pre-heat furnace before introduction to the reactor of the FCC unit. Catalytic cracking typically employs a fluidized catalytic cracking unit which comprises a reactor containing a riser and a fluidized bed of catalyst, wherein the actual cracking process occurs, and a regenerator wherein catalyst is reactivated by burning coke and other residual materials from the surface of the catalyst. The products resulting from the cracking process, principally motor fuel blending stocks such as diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene and gasoline, are separated via fractionation columns.
In the reactor of the FCC unit, large hydrocarbon molecules are converted to smaller ones for use as transportation fuels. The degree to which the larger molecules are broken down to the smaller molecules is referred to as the FCC conversion or "yield". Improved conversion, particularly with respect to gasoline, is of extreme importance to the industry. Due to the high manufacturing costs and product values and the immense production scale involved, extraordinary efforts and expenses are undertaken for even slight improvements in conversion. The reaction is catalyzed by a fluidized catalyst; particularly a high zeolite content catalyst, typically about 25% to about 35% zeolite in a clay-like matrix.
Often, the FCC feed is contaminated with vanadium originating in the crude oil being refined. Typically, unsatisfactorily high vanadium levels are due mostly to the residuum component of the FCC feed, but gas oil from a coker unit, if present, can be a major culprit as well. The vanadium tends to coat the catalyst surface in the reactor and, in the regenerator, oxidize to a form in which it reacts readily with the catalyst to form low melting eutectics. As a result, the activity of the catalyst is impaired irreversibly by clogging of the catalyst pores. Accordingly, as vanadium levels build up in the reactor from the contaminated feed, FCC conversion is suppressed. See Vanadium Poisoning of Cracking Catalysts:Mechanisms of Poisoning and Design of Vanadium Tolerant Catalyst System, Wormsbecher et al., Journal of Catalysts 100, 130-137 (1986).
Conventionally, therefore, the problem of catalyst deterioration is addressed by a variety of techniques, none of which has been found to be wholly satisfactory. For example, the catalyst may be replaced or additional catalyst may be added, but this involves the obvious waste and costs. Additives also have been employed in certain attempts to fight vanadium contamination. Thus, tin compositions and solid particle vanadium scavengers have been used. However, tin compositions are very expensive and of only questionable efficacy. Since solid particle vanadium scavengers are solid, they are difficult to add to a feed stream, to disperse in the stream and to maintain them in dispersion through the stream. Moreover, special equipment is required for the handling and injection of the solid particles.
Many patents have been issued for improving hydrocarbon processes by alteration or modification of process conditions and/or equipment. Some patents have issued which relate to improved hydrocarbon processing by the use of process additive materials. Thus, British Application No. 985,180, published Mar. 3, 1965, discloses the use of alkaline earth metal salts of sulfonic acid or thiophosphonic acid to compatibilize feedstocks. Further, British Patent No. 1,602,098 discloses the addition of an alkaline earth metal oxide to a reactor to prevent deposit formation during the cracking of hydrocarbons. Also, German Patent No. 133,570 discloses the addition of alkaline earth metal sulfonates and sulfides to crude hydrocarbon refinery steams to inhibit coke deposition. Further, an overbase complex of calcium carbonate and a calcium salt of a sulfonic acid complexing agent and an overbase complex of magnesium oxide and the magnesium salt of a sulfonic acid have been used in treating crude oil in a refinery, although not for treatment of the FCC feed or for scavenging vanadium, but rather as pre-distillation column or fractionator additives.
Thus, in spite of the many changes and improvements to refinery systems over the years, the industry is still searching for techniques to improve conversion, for more satisfactory vanadium scavengers and for more satisfactory techniques for improving FCC catalyst life.

Methods for improving conversion in fluidized catalytic cracking units


An image processing apparatus includes an information processor that is controlled by a general-purpose operating system, and an image processor. The information processor performs a function in a category different from an image processing function performed in the image processor. As a result, a general purpose application program can be used as software for making effective use of the image processing function. Therefore, it is possible to facilitate development of the software to allow the image processing apparatus to perform the function in a category different from the image processing function performed in the image processor, in addition to the image processing function as a basic function.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and a computer product for a digital multifunction product that serves a copy function, a facsimile function, and a print function.
2) Description of the Related Art
Digital multifunction products are readily available nowadays. Digital multifunction products are some times called as digital multifunction peripherals. The digital multifunction product (MFP) is a device that serves a copy function, a facsimile (FAX) function, a print function, and a scanner function. With such a digital MFP, handwritten documents and paper materials can be electronized and thereby shared and made effective use of, through a network. In other words, this kind of digital MFP is placed as one of terminals on the network.
An input image (a document image read by the scanner function and an image input by the print function or the FAX function) is transmitted from the digital MFP to a personal computer. The input image is then sometimes distributed from the personal computer to other personal computers connected thereto through the network. In other words, if any function of controlling a process in a category different from an image processing function is to be added to the digital MFP in order to make effective use of various functions provided therein, the function of controlling the process is often added not to the digital MFP but to an external computer so that an optional function is realized in the external computer.
However, the realization of the optional function is often based on the premise that a personal computer is present on the network, but the presence of such a personal computer is not always ensured.
Japanese Patent Application Laid Open (JP-A) No. 2001-312389 discloses an image processing apparatus that includes a World Wide Web (Web) server. The Web server performs process control in a category different from a basic process in the image processing apparatus.
The whole of the image processing apparatus disclosed in JP-A No. 2001-312389 is unified into one control. Therefore, if the image processing apparatus such as the Web server performs process control in a category different from the basic process in the image processing apparatus, a control program needs to be developed so as to operate in cooperation with the image processing function. Design of such a control program as explained above is generally complicated, and therefore, the development requires enormous costs and time.
A general-purpose operating system (OS) is not used but a dedicated OS is often used for whole process control of the image processing apparatus. Therefore, the control program developed with much trouble results in a lack of flexibility. In other words, even if a general-purpose application program having the same function as a function in a category different from the image processing function of the image processing apparatus is used, a development cost cannot be reduced.

Image processing apparatus and computer product


A double wishbone suspension system for a motor vehicle which achieves reduced roll center movement and wheel camber change relative to the vehicle body in jounce and rebound of the vehicle wheels throughout their suspension travel while requiring minimal packaging space. The system comprises upper and lower inwardly bifurcated control arms wherein each arm has an outer apex connected by a ball joint to a wheel carrier. The lower arm forked portions have the inner ends thereof pivotally connected to a lower pivot pin supported by a body bracket. The upper arm forked portions have the inner ends thereof pivotally connected to a floating upper pivot pin. A pair of first upstanding links each have their lower end pivotally connected at an intermediate point of an associated lower arm forked portion and an upper end pivotally connected to the upper floating pivot pin. A pair of second laterally projecting links each have an inboard end pivotally connected to the floating pivot pin and an outboard end pivotally connected to the bracket.

This invention relates to vehicle suspension systems and more particularly to a suspension system with a double floating upper arm arrangement for off-road vehicles which provides a reduction in roll center movement in jounce and rebound over existing suspension systems.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,297 issued Jun. 27, 1989 to Mitsuo Takahashi discloses a wishbone suspension system for a motor vehicle comprised of upper and lower suspension arms each having one end pin-connected to the body of the vehicle and a knuckle member operatively connected to an axle of a wheel. The Takahashi suspension further comprises a connecting rod having one end connected to an intermediate part of one of the suspension arms and a bell crank lever having a first end pin-connected to the other end of the connecting rod, a second end pin-connected to one end of the knuckle member, and a bent portion between these first and second ends. The bent portion is pin-connected to the other end of the suspension arms such that the system is capable of reducing the camber variation characteristics relative to the body of the vehicle.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,169 issued May 22, 1990 to Onofrio Scaduto discloses an automobile suspension system having linkage and geometry for compensating for roll and dip of the chassis during cornering for maintaining a substantially zero camber of the vehicle wheels relative to the ground during roll of the vehicle chassis. The Scaduto suspension system comprises upper and lower control members pivotally mounted to a wheel assembly and a vehicle chassis with one of the upper and lower control members being connected to the chassis by means of a movable pivot that enables shifting of the control member for compensating for chassis roll for maintaining zero camber of the vehicle wheels.

Vehicle suspension with floating upper arm


According to some embodiments, a queue structure includes a validity vector and an order array.

A processing system may write data into and/or read data from a queue. For example, a processor might store instructions into and remove instructions from a queue. In some cases, the order in which data was written into and/or read from a queue may be important. For example, a processing system need to read the oldest (or newest) data from a queue. In addition, a processing system may need to manage a queue (e.g., by moving data from one location to another and/or updating pointers associated with the queue).

Queue structure with validity vector and order array


A network-based apparatus for imposing a minimum transmit latency on data packets of a prescribed data type on a network includes at least one processor. The processor is operative: (i) to receive a data packet of the prescribed data type; (ii) to determine an elapsed time since an arrival of the received data packet at the apparatus; (iii) when the elapsed time is equal to or greater than the minimum transmit latency, to transmit the data packet; and (iv) when the elapsed time is less than the minimum transmit latency, to wait an amount of time at least equal to a difference between the elapsed time and the minimum transmit latency and then to transmit the data packet. The apparatus further includes memory coupled to the processor, the memory being configurable for storing data utilized by the processor.

As technology continues to advance in data communications over a network, such as, for example, the Internet, the manner in which such a network is used continues to evolve. For example, the Internet has traditionally been used primarily for relatively low-bandwidth, latency-tolerant data traffic such as electronic mail (email) communications, document searching and retrieval. More recently however, as the bandwidth of network channels increases and as network data transmission rates increase, the Internet is being used to provide such services as multimedia streaming, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), sometimes referred to as Internet calling, Internet Protocol television (IPTV), etc., which, due to the extensive bandwidth requirements of such services, had not previously been achievable using a network communication medium.
Network service providers (NSPs) find it highly desirable to be able to control certain types of data traffic being transmitted over their networks (e.g., VoIP traffic) so as to make it harder for consumers to use the Internet for phone calls or for swapping multimedia files. As stated in the article "Phone, Cable Firms Rein In Consumers' Internet Use," by Peter Grant and Jesse Drucker, Wall Street Journal Online, pp. 1-4 (Oct. 21, 2005), which is incorporated by reference herein, these network service providers contend that such consumers are taking up too much space on networks and slowing down service for all customers that tap the Internet for email, video, music, phone and other services. Many network service providers stipulate in their subscription agreements that customers may not use the company's high-speed Web-access networks for Internet calling purposes. Several cable companies are using technology to cap the speed at which some of their customers are able to swap multimedia files (e.g., video).
Conventional solutions to the problem of controlling the flow of specific types of network traffic have, thus far, been unsuccessful or prohibitively expensive. Unfortunately, consumers have come to expect unfettered use of the Internet, and therefore any efforts by network service providers to control certain types of network traffic have been met with much resistance. One approach for controlling network traffic is for the network service provider to impose bandwidth limitations. This approach, however, is undesirable in that such bandwidth limitations applied to all types of network traffic can make a network service provider less competitive and, in addition, does very little to block VoIP traffic which is characteristically not high bandwidth. Another known approach is detecting specific traffic types using deep packet inspection (DPI) and then blocking or rate-limiting the specific traffic type detected. However, DPI only works for non-encrypted data traffic and it would be easy to defeat simply by having the VoIP traffic, or other traffic type, masquerade, for example, as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encrypted web traffic. Moreover, blocking specific types of data traffic may have certain legal implications for the network service provider which, in accordance with most service provider contracts, must typically guarantee a certain minimum bandwidth. Furthermore, rate-limiting will have little effect on VoIP traffic since, as previously explained, VoIP traffic is not bandwidth intensive.
Accordingly, there exists a need for improved techniques for detecting specific types of network traffic and for controlling the flow of such network traffic, which do not suffer from one or more of the problems exhibited by conventional network traffic detection and control methodologies.

Network based data traffic detection and control


A process for forming high quality colored or multi-colored ceramic images or designs on ceramic surfaces comprising: (a) forming a liquid toner image comprised of polymer based toner particles incorporating a ceramic pigment and a carrier liquid, on an imaging surface; (b) transferring the image to a ceramic surface; and (c) heating the image and the ceramic substrate surface to an elevated temperature at which the ceramic pigment sinter and fuse to the ceramic substrate surface.

Ceramic materials have wide use in applications where it is desirable to coat them with decorative or functional colored or multi-colored designs and images that also possess the usual ceramic properties, such as chemical and mechanical stability.
Present conventional processes for coating ceramic surfaces with decorative or functional designs and images comprise forming an image using lithographic inks containing ceramic pigments on an intermediate structure, namely a starch coated paper, transfer of the printed images to a ceramic blank and firing of the image to melt the pigments and vaporize any organics left in the image. However, such processes are not suitable for short run ceramic printing or for printing ceramic tiles or other products in serial fashion.

Process for forming an image on ceramic substrates


A hand-held firearm, comprising a casing which accommodates breech parts, a stock which is attached to the casing, and a barrel which is detachably connected to the casing, and having a mounting for a telescopic sight. In order to avoid the disadvantages of the conventional telescopic sight fitting and to allow the entire weapon to have a neat and practical shape, the casing forms a casing extension at the front beyond the connection to the barrel and a longitudinal rail is integrally formed at the top on the casing and on the casing extension as a mounting for the telescopic sight. The casing parts are made of light metal alloy.

The present invention relates to a hand-held firearm, comprising a casing which accommodates breech parts, a stock which is attached to the casing, and a barrel which is detachably connected to the casing, and having a mounting for a telescopic sight.
Telescopic sights are normally attached to specific points on the weapon by means of adjustable brackets, at least one of which is attached to the barrel, because of the length of the telescopic sight. This direct connection of the barrel and the telescopic sight leads on the one hand to vibration and maladjustment of the telescopic sight while, on the other hand, the asymmetric large mass created by the connecting element has an adverse effect on the vibration behavior of the barrel, and thus on the aiming accuracy.
Nowadays, telescopic sights are being used whose reticle is further away from the eye of the person shooting, or even more complex aiming devices, some of which are even electronic. These devices are generally attached to the barrel by both brackets and, in consequence, the above disadvantages occur even more severely. Further disadvantages of the known arrangement are the large distance from the barrel axis and the lack of any adjustment capability in the longitudinal direction.
It is the principle object of the present invention to create a rifle which avoids the foregoing disadvantages of conventional telescopic sight fitting and allows the entire weapon to be designed cost-effectively and nevertheless to have a neat and practical shape.


A hand-held apparatus for directing the flow of traffic is disclosed. The palm side of a glove includes multiple high intensity red light emitting diodes (LEDs), and the back side of the glove includes multiple high intensity green LEDs. A control circuit coupled to the red and green high intensity LEDs periodically monitors the state of a motion and position sensor. When the state of the motion and position sensor corresponds to the palm side of the glove being in a vertical position with multiple fingers of the glove pointing skyward to within an acceptance angle of vertical relative to the ground, the control circuit illuminates the high intensity red LEDs. When the state of the motion and position sensor corresponds to the palm side of the glove not being in a vertical position relative to the ground, the control circuit illuminates the high intensity green LEDs.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to electronic devices and in particular to hand-held devices. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved hand-held apparatus for directing the flow of traffic.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior art in the field of traffic directing devices typically consists of one of the following: (a) a flashlight, (b) a flashlight having a translucent red cone on the end, (c) gloves with reflective tape and/or markings, and (d) gloves illuminated via low intensity Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that are monochromatic and suitable for operation only at night.
The aforementioned flashlights with translucent red cones may cause driver confusion since the red cones are constantly illuminated, thereby requiring the driver to determine whether to stop or proceed based solely on the motion of the illuminated red cone. Similarly, gloves with reflective tape and/or markings may also cause driver confusion since the color of the light reflected from the gloves is constant and the attributes of the reflected light are controlled passively, as a function of the material characteristics of the reflective tape and/or markings. The aforementioned gloves illuminated via low intensity LEDs are too dim to be seen by drivers during the day. Furthermore, gloves illuminated via low intensity LEDs are monochromatic and are constantly turned on (unless turned off via a manual on/off switch), which may cause driver confusion and/or inhibit the free movement of both hands of the user of the gloves (due to the necessity of manually operating the on/off switch).