A railroad bogie is disclosed. Such railroad bogie has a bogie body with a horizonal frame with front and rear ends and elongated sides therebetween. The bogie body also has an upstanding front plate and rear plate and side plates therebetween with lower ends secured to the frame to define an open top. A pair of front railroad wheels are provided as well as a pair of rear railroad wheels. The bogie has a pair of front support arms and a pair of rear support arms, the front and rear support arms being pivotally secured to the frame adjacent to the front and rear ends respectively for rotatable movement between a lower inoperative position and a raised operative position. The support arms are each in a generally A-shaped configuration with an intermediate cross beam and with a pivot rod at lower ends and with a transverse brace at upper ends. Each transverse brace is formed in an L-shaped configuration with extents for receiving a portion of a truck trailer to be supported and transported. A pneumatic cylinder for each pair of support arms is provided and has a lower end pivotally secured to a cross beam. The cylinder is adapted to raise and lower the transverse braces. Lastly provided are a pair of vertical posts having upper ends rotatably secured to the cross beam and free lower ends positionable in cups secured to the frame adjacent to central extents thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved railroad bogie and, more particularly, pertains to effecting the safe and efficient transportation of truck trailers over railroad tracks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of devices for transporting truck trailers of various designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, devices for transporting truck trailers of various designs and configurations heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of increasing the safety and efficiency of truck trailer transportation while reducing costs through various methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The prior art discloses a large number of devices including those for effecting the transportation of truck trailers over railroad tracks. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,865 to Pelz dated May 30, 1972 discloses a low-platform railway car bogie.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,169 to Viens dated Apr. 23, 1991 discloses a twin axle rail bogie for convertible rail-highway vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,772, also to Viens, dated Apr. 28, 1992 discloses a rail bogie for transporting semi-trailers with vertically movable king pin assemblies on common frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,358 to Kemppainen et al. dated Jun. 23, 1992 discloses bogie construction of a railway car.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,049 to Kobayashi dated May 25, 1993 discloses a railway vehicle bogie.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,602 to Richter et al. discloses bogies for rail vehicles.
In this respect, the railroad bogie according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of the effecting safe and efficient transportation of truck trailers over railroad tracks.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved railroad bogie which can be used for effecting the transportation of truck trailers over railroad tracks. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

Railraod bogie, for connecting vehicles in an articulated train


A transfer pump configured to move a hydraulic fluid in a hydraulic fluid management system of a hydraulic system of a vehicle including a transmission. In one embodiment, the transfer pump moves the fluid from a differential case to a hydraulic reservoir coupled to the transmission. The transfer pump is a positive displacement pump including an unloading device, such as a sealing plate, that is resiliently biased against the pump during a normal operation but is moved away from the pump upon the application of a pilot pressure. The result is an open chamber for the pump gears to turn without developing pressure, to thereby reduce parasitic losses.

Agricultural equipment, such as a tractor or a self-propelled combine-harvester, includes a prime mover which generates power to perform work. In the case of a tractor, the prime mover is a gas powered engine or a diesel engine that generates power from a supply of fuel. The engine drives a transmission which moves wheels or treads to propel the tractor, or other work vehicles, across ground or other surfaces. In addition to providing power to wheels through a transmission, tractors often include a power takeoff (PTO) which includes a shaft coupled to the transmission and which is driven by the engine or a hydraulic motor.
Both gas powered and diesel powered vehicles includes a fluid management system to manage the movement of a hydraulic fluid in the transmission. In different embodiments, the fluid management system manages the movement of fluid to other vehicle systems and components including a differential, a steering system, brakes, the PTO, and various fluid reservoirs and coolers. Other systems and components which use the managed fluid include a suspension, a hitch, a cab suspension, and selective control valves.
Fluid management systems typically include a positive displacement pump which transfers the fluid between different portions of the fluid management system, for instance between a differential and a hydraulic reservoir. In one known configuration, the hydraulic system and the drivetrain share the hydraulic fluid and the drivetrain system circulates fluid through a fluid cooler. In one embodiment, a transfer pump, typically a gear pump, moves the common fluid from the differential case to the hydraulic reservoir through a hydraulic filter.
Energy losses occur throughout the drivetrain when the vehicle is moving or standing still. This energy loss, also known as a parasitic loss, is a result of many factors including the movement of oil in the system which exceeds the flow requirements. The excess flow is returned to a reservoir or a transmission sump, and is consequently not converted to perform a function but instead results in lost energy.
Transfer pumps under different operating conditions can be a source of these parasitic losses, even when the vehicle's engine is idling. Attempts to reduce the parasitic losses of positive displacement pumps have been provided by the use of additional devices such as expensive clutches, external unloading valves, large unloading valves, piston pumps, and variable displacement mechanisms for vane pumps. These solutions, however, still develop pressure losses. Consequently, what is needed therefore is a transfer pump that further reduces parasitic losses without the use of costly additional devices or the additional complexity associated with such devices.

Positive displacement pump including an unloading device


A lock-up torque converter includes a converter cover secured to a pump impeller and a clutch piston drivingly connected to a turbine runner. The clutch piston is engageable with the end wall of the converter cover and forms therewith a clutch chamber which is adapted to be pressurized or exhausted. A feed passageway and a discharge passageway communicate with the inside of the pump impeller and with the inside of the turbine runner, respectively, and cooperate with each other to feed a pressurized fluid into the pump impeller and to discharge the pressurized fluid from the turbine runner. A third passageway communicates with the clutch chamber and a lock-up control valve. The lock-up control valve selectively pressurizes and exhausts the clutch chamber.

The present invention relates to a torque converter and more particularly to a lock-up torque converter including a direct drive clutch.
Motor vehicles installed with an automatic transmission including a torque converter give an easy drivability but are poor in fuel economy because there is a slip within the torque converter between a pump impeller thereof and a turbine runner thereof. Therefore, there have been proposed lock-up torque converters in which during a certain operation mode such as high speed engine operation where engine cyclic torque variation is small and negligible, the turbine runner will be coupled directly with the pump impeller to prevent the occurrence of slip in the torque converter thereby to improve fuel economy.
According to a lock-up torque converter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,043, a clutch piston drivingly connected to a turbine runner is engageable with the adjacent end wall of a converter cover secured to a pump impeller to provide a direct drive between the engine and transmission of a vehicle. Upon engagement of the clutch piston with the torque converter cover, a clutch chamber is formed therebetween. When the clutch chamber is pressurized, the clutch piston is urged against the torque converter pressure within a chamber formed by the converter cover and pump impeller out of engagement with the converter cover. When the clutch chamber is exhausted, the clutch piston is urged into engagement with the converter cover by the torque converter pressure. A lock-up control valve is provided for effecting clutch engagement or disengagement. A passageway extending partly through an output shaft communicates with the clutch chamber and with the lock-up control valve, while, another passageway extending between a stationary sleeve rotatably supporting the output shaft, and a pump driving sleeve communicates with the inside of the pump impeller and with the control valve. For effecting clutch disengagement, the control valve pressurizes the passageway communicating with the clutch chamber and exhausts the passageway communicating with the pump impeller so that a pressurized oil will flow from the clutch chamber toward the chamber of the torque converter assembly. Under a lock-up condition when the clutch engagement is required, the control valve exhausts the passageway communicating with the clutch chamber and pressurizes the passageway communicating with the pump impeller so as to create a pressure difference across the clutch piston urging the latter into engagement with the converter cover.
With the control system employed by this known torque converter, since communication between the chamber enclosing the torque converter and the clutch chamber is closed upon engagement of the clutch piston with the converter cover, the oil is confined within the chamber enclosing the torque converter and thus can not be used for lubrication of various parts of the torque converter under lock-up condition. This means that this control system must be provided independently from the conventional lubrication system.
Another problem with the known torque converter is derived from the above mentioned fact that the oil is confined within the chamber enclosing the torque converter assembly under lock-up condition which means that the oil within the torque converter can not be cooled under lock-up condition so that if the oil temperature is hot immediately before plunging into lock-up condition, the temperature within the torque converter assembly will be held high under lock-up condition.

Lock-up torque converter with clutch piston engageable with converter cover


A method and device to store a moving strip of material in a continuous strip-feeding system adapted to variations of the feed-in speed in relation to rate of withdrawal, comprises forming a strip into a spiral coil having a constant number of turns and proceeding the strip in substantially the same angular direction with a spare space provided for convolutions to make variations of their mean diameter, and facilitating a change in the length of stored strip without direct forces applied perpendicular to a face of a single, or to a set of separated convolutions; and having the improvement in means to support and to run the strip along the convolutions involved, and comprises at the outer section a separate set of support rollers having at least two driven by a synchronized mechanical transmission from a torque generating unit, and also comprises at the inner section another set of rollers having at least two driven by another synchronized mechanical transmission.

The industries, feeding their process lines with continuous rolled materials, are looking for some accumulating device to obtain a continuous operation during downtime caused by the joining of the tail end of an old strip to the leading edge of a new strip. Some devices currently in use, bent the material strip around several horizontal axes, for example as it is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,689 of May 2, 1978. Other devices form spirals around a single vertical or a single horizontal axis. These kinds of device are attractive due to the comparatively small overall dimensions and by the ease of installation into existing plants.
The science on how to keep a moving strip in form of spiral coils to save the storage space has been gradually developed in a number of the U.S. patents. Good part of the said science belongs to the development of devices that can facilitate an uninterrupted motion of moving strip to use this kinematics for continuously working cinematographic apparatus. Among those patents are: U.S. Pat. No. 1,706,296 March 1929 by James; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,809 March 1973 by Leisring. The said devices can not be used in the process having a need for regular interruptions in the flow of incoming strip during ends-joining operations.
There is a number of moving strip storage devices keeping the said strip in form of spiral coils, and also providing an uninterrupted flow of outcoming strip during a process having regular interruption at incoming flow; having an internal loop of the stored strip with a flexible linear dimentions which allows to change the amount of length stored inside the said devices. Those devices are described in following units of Art: U.S. Pat. No. 2,318,316 May, 1943 by Lawrence; U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,255 March, 1967 by Sendzimir; U.S. Pat. No. 3,506,210 April, 1970 by La TOUR et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,742 December, 1971 by Fritzsche; U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,144 April, 1973 by Bijasiewicz et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,065 February, 1975 by Maruszczak; U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,007 May, 1978 by Weatherby et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,452 February, 1985 by Sendzimir. The said devices are good as long as they are applied to handle very flexible strip materials like telegraphic tapes, as it was first suggested by Lawrence in U.S. Pat. No. 2,318,316. In case of metal strip, the said devices are less attractive. The moving metal strip usually possess less flexibility than common telegraphic tape, so a permanent intercristal deformation could be developed inside the strip body during the motion along the machine loop due to the fact that the said loop has an opposite curvature regarding the curvature within incoming part of the strip storage space involved. Here a metal strip is bent inside the loop in the opposite direction, what is undesirable. For the device itself a change in direction of curvature of moving strip needs a heavy and a complicated construction capable to cope with great inertia of quickly moving metal strip. For heavy gauge materials the inertia and lack of elasticity may never allow to build the said king of device within some reasonable overall dimentions. The other way to handle a metal strip materials must be searched.
There is a number of devices to keep a quickly moving strip with uninterrupted outcoming flow, while incoming flow may have some interruptions, and also utilizing only one directional curvature within the space of the device involved. Those devices are developed in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 617,432 January, 1899 by Casler; U.S. Pat. No. 2,032,336 February, 1936 by Strauss; U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,212 June, 1966 by La TOUR; U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,139 September, 1967 by La TOUR; U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,188 January, 1975 by Bradshaw; U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,718 December, 1976 by Ziemba; U.S. Pat. No. 4,012,004 March, 1977 by Tonellato; U.S. Pat. No. 4,410,121 October, 1983 by Wheeler et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,189 June, 1984 by Wheeler et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,193 September, 1984 by Cooper et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,140 June, 1985 by Cooper. The devices by Casler--U.S. Pat. No. 617,432; Strauss--U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,212 and Tonellato U.S. Pat. No. 4,012,004 are mainly intended to handle some light materials coiled around horizontally oriented axis. They do not provide any parts or assemblies to separate the stored spiral convolutions one from another, so a lot of friction forces must be anticipated between the adjacent material convolutions, especially as soon as heavy gauge material going to be processed by those devices. Those devices can not be considered for future application to process a heavy and/or quickly moving metal strip.
The devices by Wheeler et al--U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,410,121 and 4,456,189; and by Cooper, U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,140 et al are utilising some special parts and assemblies to change the main diameter of stored, however, being moved material strip. All those devices do apply a direct force perpendicular to faces of processed coils that should be maintained by a precise synchronization between the parts involved in a common reciprocating motion perpendicular to the faces of stored coils, and the parts involved to control the speed of coiled spiral within the accumulator. The needed synchronization is hard, if only not impossible, to achieve by affordable technical means.
Five additional devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,258,212; 3,341,139; 3,860,188; 3,999,718; 4,410,121. The first three devices take incoming flow of strip at outermost convolution having the outcoming flow in area of innermost convolution. Two last devices are handling the processed material in an opposite direction.
In the preferred device the processed strip is moved inside the accumulator through a set of vertical rolls in the form of a downward helix. At the bottom, the material is transferred around the inner diameter of the storage section of the machine, then through a sequence of several continuous spirals around the machine's vertical center line--towards outermost diameter of the spiral, and, finally, out to feed a mill process line. During the jointing of strip ends the flow of input material is interrupted, but it is essential to maintain continuous feed of outermost spiral convolution that goes into the mill process line without any interruption. While the strip in the machine input line is held to allow the ends-joining operation, the innermost spiral contracts down the inner vertical rolls to the maximum extent. This contraction lasts as long as the outermost spirals are supplied into the mill process line. Only material strip disruption such as in the feed to join another strip, or a machine breakdown, or a control signal engagement may stop this process; Then, controlled by a special signal, the accumulator is gradually filled in to the capacity, as all available spirals must be expanded to the maximum toward the outermost diameter.
Shrinking and rolling out of the spirals are supported by a set of horizontal radially-elongated rolls having a constant rotating surface speed along the machine diameter. The velocities of the mating surfaces of the spirals, however, are not constant. The poor match of the mating velocities generates abnormal friction leading to a greate consumption of energy, frequent maintenance, an excessive need for replacement parts, poor operation, and damages to the processed material.
Nevertheless, the machines utilizing heavy gauge materials do perform their functions, whereas with light gauge materials they tend to malfunction. Here then, we see the second problem of moving materials along the root of continuous spirals. A proper control of the input and the output material speed is not enough to ensure proper operation, while the speed of material expansion from the inner diameter zone into the outer diameter zone also needs to be controlled. With heavy gauge materials expansion speed may be sufficiently controlled by the elastic deformation forces directed toward the spiral tendency to expand it's curvature line. With light gauge materials the elastic deformation forces must be negligible, if even measurable, so the said forces can not ensure a dependable expansion speed. Thus, irregular waves have been observed along the curvature of light gauge material spirals.
The waves generate conditions which damage the spiral surfaces, that is absolutely unacceptable for coated and plated materials. On the other hand, excessive expansion forces may also cause the same kind of damages, due to lack of clearances between adjacent spirals, what is also unacceptable in these processes.
It is important to notice that the kinematic relationship between mating surfaces of the moving spirals and the supporting rolls should influence the spirals to expand, providing the rolls transfer some torque to the spiral. Otherwise, this relationship should influence the spiral to make waves, especially if the rolls take some rotating torque from them. Depending on the material thickness and the elastic deformation involved, the direction and amount of mechanical influence needed to be transferred from the supporting rolls to the spirals, if any, may vary. The existing coil accumulators do not provide any effectively controlled flexibility in kinemetic relationship between the two mating surfaces under consideration, that means they are suitable only for a small group of materials. As long as the said group of materials is smaller than the group of materials that can go through the strip ends-joining equipment, and then through the mill process line, one should expect such machines to be dismissed from a customer's consideration.
A further weak point of the existing machines concerns operating difficulties in setting up proper timing for all the power driven motors to synchronize the machine modes with the cycles of the adjoining material processing line equipment. It is clear that as long as an operator's attention needs to be engaged in controlling the machine, any benefits from machine utilization are undermined.
It is an objective of the invention disclosed herein to provide an improved machine by reducing all the above listed disadvantages down to an acceptable level; and to generate an increased customer demand for the said machine.

Automatic rolled convolution accumulator


A method for viewpoint selection assistance in free viewpoint video generation includes: executing acquisition processing that includes acquiring three-dimensional information with respect to a subject on a field by using a plurality of cameras placed around the field; executing first identification processing that includes identifying a path of a ball for a predetermined period based on the three-dimensional information; executing second identification processing that includes identifying at least one player located within a predetermined distance from a position of the ball for a predetermined duration of time or longer in the predetermined period; executing setting processing that includes setting, as a video output range, a range containing both of the path of the ball and a path of the at least one player; and executing generation processing that includes generating video for the range set by the setting processing.

A technique called free viewpoint video is known. In this technique, for example, three-dimensional (3D) information of a subject is analyzed using multiview images captured by a plurality of cameras with different viewpoints. Then, based on the 3D information, free viewpoint video is generated so that video of the subject may be viewed from a free viewpoint, such as a free position or a free direction.
In one aspect, free viewpoint video is utilized in, for example, spectating of various sports such as soccer, basketball, and baseball. For example, free viewpoint video generated for soccer spectating enables players and a ball moving on a plane called a field or pitch to be viewed from a free viewpoint. With presentation of a goal-scoring scene or a scene of a phenomenal play or the like with such free viewpoint video, highly entertaining viewing style may be provided.
Examples of the related art include Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2013-98740, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2015-187797, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2016-10145.

Method, apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for view point selection assistance in free viewpoint video generation


A spray coating apparatus (10) for applying a paint composed of a controlled mixture of two liquid components. A first gear pump (32) is disposed in a spray booth (30) and pumps the first component to an applicator (14). A second gear pump (36) in the spray booth (30) pumps the second component to the applicator (14). A manifold (44) is disposed between the two gear pumps (32, 36) and the applicator (14) for converging the two paint components. A variable speed motor (16, 20) controls the rate of fluid pumped by each of the gear pumps (32, 36). Each motor (16, 20) includes an encoder (27, 29) sending feedback signals to an adjustor module (24) which computes an instantaneous ratio between the volumetric flow rates of the first and second components and compares this instantaneous ratio with a reference ratio, then adjusts the instantaneous speed of each motor (16, 20) thereby adjusting the ratio between the volumetric flow rates of the first and second components with respect to the reference ratio.

Electrostatic spray coating apparatuses are typically supplied with a fluid which is electrically charged either before or after atomization, then applied to an electrically grounded workpart.
In non-electostatic coating applications, coating materials composed of a mixture of two components have been found to provide superior results. The two component coating materials, typically, comprise a paint component and a hardener component which are thoroughly mixed together at a predetermined optimum ratio to provide a fast-drying, hard material.
There are generally two reasons why two component coating materials are considered nonadaptable to the electrostatic spray coating art. The first is that, because two component materials harden very fast when mixed at the proper proportions, they cannot be mixed together until just prior to application. Therefore, the mixing must take place within the spray booth at a location proximately upstream of the applicator. This requirement leads to the second, and more basic, reason why two component systems are rare in the electrostatic spray coating art. Namely, the two components must be mixed together at very precise proportions in order to achieve their advantageous results over single component materials. Even minute variations from the optimum mixing ratios can result in serious coating flaws, e.g., inability to harden, cracking, peeling, etc.
The prior art Behr Industrieanlaegen "Audi 001" spray coating apparatus mixes two paint components prior to application. This system employs two 5-phase 60 volt DC stepper motors to drive separate gear pumps through a 3:1 gearbox. Proximity sensors are used to sense motor speed.

Electrostatic spray coating apparatus for applying two component mixture


A radiation detector assembly is enclosed in a heat pipe which is positioned in a dewar flask. A thermo-electric cooler is joined to one end of the heat pipe. The heat exhaust of the thermo-electric cooler is communicated to a heat dissipation device in the form of a fin assembly. A thermistor senses the temperature at the heat pipe. When the thermistor indicates a temperature in excess of that corresponding to a reference signal, a control signal is produced by a control device to cause a power source to operate the thermo-electric cooler to remove heat from the heat pipe to the fin assembly. The vacuum within the dewar flask effectively limits the environmental heat passing to the heat pipe to radiant heat. The detector assembly and temperature stabilization system may extend to the interior of a conduit or other housing containing material whose radiation is to be detected, while the fin assembly is exposed to the atmosphere. In particular, the temperature stabilization system may be used in conjunction with a detector comprising a scintillation crystal optically coupled to a photomultiplier tube in an environment which would otherwise diminish the performance of such a detector by raising its temperature.

The present invention pertains to methods and apparatus for maintaining the temperature of an area or apparatus at a predetermined value. More particularly, the present invention relates to techniques for stabilizing the temperature of heat-sensitive equipment, such as radiation detectors, at sufficiently low temperatures to enhance the performance of such equipment.
Monitoring and measuring techniques employing the activation of materials under investigation, and the detection of resulting radiation find increasing use in the oil industry. One such application involves the monitoring of crude oil flowing in a line between an oil well and a storage tank or other destination. In such an application, small amounts of salt in the crude oil may be detected by utilizing the characteristic gamma radiation emitted by the chlorine in the salt when the chlorine is first activated. A neutron source is placed within the pipeline to radiate the chlorine. A continuous chemical neutron source, such as an actinium berylium source, or a californium 252 source may be used. The radioactive isotope chlorine 36 is generated according to the reaction Cl.sup.35 (n,.gamma.)Cl.sup.36. Then the unstable chlorine 36 isotope decays by the emission of gamma radiation predominantly in the energy range of 5.5 to 8.0 MEV. The gamma rays may be detected by an appropriate radiation detector placed a short distance downstream within the pipeline.
The radiation detector may be a sodium iodide thallium-activated scintillation crystal. The crystal is optically coupled to a photomultiplier tube. As is well known, gamma rays entering such a crystal interact therewith to produce light flashes, or scintillations, whose intensity is functionally related to the gamma ray energy. The light flashes are then detected by the photomultiplier tube to generate voltage pulses proportional in magnitude, or height, to the intensity of the corresponding light flashes. Thus, a succession of pulses is produced by the photomultiplier tube, wherein each pulse is proportional to the energy of the corresponding incident gamma ray. The pulse stream from the photomultiplier tube is received by an amplifier which amplifies the pulse signal before it is transmitted to appropriate data processing equipment used to analyze the pulse data to acquire information concerning the oil flowing in the pipeline.
In order to function optimally, the scintillation crystal, photomultiplier tube and amplifier must operate at a constant temperature, preferably below room temperature. The photomultiplier tube is particularly sensitive to temperature variations, with the signal-to-noise ratio decreasing as the temperature of the photomultiplier tube increases. Thus, when the detector assembly is exposed to a high temperature environment, such as within a crude oil pipeline, wherein the temperature may be as high as 90.degree. C., a means must be provided to cool and stabilize the detector assembly at or below room temperature.
The detector assembly may be cooled by thermal contact with a coolant. In particular, a phase change material, such as ice or other chemical, may be used to absorb heat, transmitted to the detector assembly, at the phase change temperature. However, such a cooling system is time-dependent, and limited by the volume of phase change material available for thermal communication with the detector assembly.


A display mount for calendars and the like having a glass tube thermometer attached thereon with inherent protection from breakage of the glass tube. The thermometer element is attached to the face of the mount and a thick pad, such as a calendar is affixed to the mount face with a straight edge of the pad aligned essentially parallel to and immediately adjacent the glass tube of the thermometer. In one implementation, the mount includes a carboard back panel and a cardboard face panel with a well formed by a window cutout therein. The thermometer is attached to the back panel in the well with the glass tube aligned with one window cutout edge. The pad is affixed adjacent that edge and the glass tube. Protection against breakage when mailing or shipping the display mount is thus provided without additional carboard or other protective material, resulting in lower manufacturing and mailing costs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to display mounts and in particular to a calendar display mount and method of fabrication thereof having a thermometer attached thereto which is protected by the design and construction from breakage during mailing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, mounts for the display of calendars or other inserts have generally been made of a plurality of superimposed boards. Generally, sufficient thicknesses of boards is provided for a reasonably stiff mounting surface and to provide easel-type structures therein for standing. Such mounts are desirably constructed to fold flat to permit easy insertion into envelopes for mailing and to minimize cost of postage. One type of mount that is desirable and attractive to advertisers may utilize a calendar in conjunction with a simple thermometer for reading room temperature. The thermometer elements constructed of glass are easily broken, especially when the mount is mailed to a user.
In the prior art mounts, it has been found necessary to use additional thicknesses of cardboard having wells or openings cut therein to surround the glass thermometer element for protection from breakage during mailing, or additional cardboard added for mailing. Such mounts which combine a glass tube mounted thermometer and a calendar with several plies of thick ornamented cardboard to avoid the danger of breakage, particularly when mailed, require excessive cost in both material and postage.
In addition, prior thermometer and calendar combinations have had the calibrated thermometer scales printed on cards a measurable distance from the calendar pad. Some also print the degree indicia on both sides of the thermometer tube. In such prior art designs, the glass tube has not been protected by the calendar pad and has required a substantial recessed depth in the cardboard mount to obtain protection against breakage. While deep wells and extra cardboard are effective, it is seen that these techniques add significantly to the cost of production of the mount as well as the cost of postage for mailing. With continual increases in postal rates, the attractiveness for advertising give-aways of this type of display mount becomes much less. Thus, a need exists for a simple, light-weight calendar or display mount having a glass thermometer element attached thereto but which requires no additional cardboard for protection during mailing.

Display mount with protected thermometer

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This invention relates to a power transistor which includes a driving transistor and an output transistor in the Darlington connection. This invention has for its object to prevent the power transistor from being destroyed by a surge in such a way that a surge destruction-preventing Zener diode is connected between the base and the collector or the emitter of the power transistor. Especially, it is intended to dispose the Zener diode within a semiconductor substrate together with the power transistor. According to this invention, a p-n junction for the Zener diode is formed between a semiconductor region continuous to a collector region of the transistor and a semiconductor region continuous to a base region thereof. The p-n junction is surrounded by the base region of the transistor, whereby it is formed within a bulk and is prevented from reaching the surface of the semiconductor substrate.

This invention relates to a semiconductor device, particularly a monolithic semiconductor device including a driving transistor and an output transistor in the Darlington connection, and also to a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device and an application thereof.
In a case where a power transistor which includes a driving transistor and an output transistor in the Darlington connection is employed as an element for switching the current of an inductive load in, for example, an electronic ignition device of an automobile, a very great surge voltage is sometimes generated from the inductive load. When the surge voltage exceeds the breakdown voltage of the power transistor, the power transistor is destroyed in some cases.
By connecting a Zener diode between the base and collector or emitter of the power transistor, it is possible to prevent the power transistor from being destroyed due to the surge.
However, with a construction in which the Zener diode is connected outside the finished power transistor, the number of external components of the electronic device increases, and also the number of man-hours for assemblage increases.
The Zener diode for the above-described use must be selected so as to have a Zener voltage which is higher than the operating voltage of the power transistor to be protected and which is lower than the breakdown voltage of the power transistor to be protected. Therefore, it is subject to limitations in use.
It is more desirable that the Zener diode be formed integrally with the transistor to be protected.

Semiconductor device, method of manufacturing the same and application thereof


A portable fresh water supply apparatus for providing continuous fresh water to an animal when a caregiver is absent includes a reservoir capable of receiving and dispensing fresh water and a water supply line in fluid communication with the reservoir. A shut-off valve is located within the reservoir and is in fluid communication with the water supply line. A water drain line is in fluid communication with the reservoir, and an over-flow drain valve is located exterior of the reservoir as well as in fluid communication with the water drain line. In this manner, when a water level inside the reservoir reaches a threshold level, the shut-off valve is automatically toggled between open and closed positions and thereby selectively supplies fresh water from the water supply line to an interior of the reservoir. The overflow drain line diverts excess water away from the reservoir.

Technical Field
Exemplary embodiment(s) of the present disclosure relate to water supply apparatuses and, more particularly, to a portable fresh water supply apparatus for providing continuous fresh water to an animal when a caregiver is absent.
Prior Art
Pet owners who are forced to leave their pets unattended for substantial periods of time have long been interested in providing their pets with watering apparatus which will have ample capacity to satisfy the pet's water requirements. Further, for hygienic reasons it is undesirable to leave a large amount of water standing in a single open reservoir. One preferred means of providing a continuous supply of water over a period of time involves the use of an inverted bottle arranged to deliver its contents of water slowly or as required into a small receptacle.
Further, domesticated animals, especially dogs and cats, often remain home while their owners work are on vacation trips or otherwise not around the animals. For most pet owners, it is important to provide continuous nourishment and water during extended periods of time away from the animal, especially when the animal is left outside during inclement weather conditions.
In many areas where the outside temperature drops well below freezing there is severe danger that animal drinking water supplies will freeze so the animal no longer has access to drinking water. Conversely, when the outside temperature rises above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, for example, the water becomes worm and prone to bacteria growth. This can become very dangerous and many expensive animals can be lost unless the animal handler carefully watches the water supply situation.
Accordingly, a need remains for a portable fresh water supply apparatus in order to overcome at least some of the above-noted shortcomings. The exemplary embodiment(s) satisfy such a need by providing a portable fresh water supply apparatus that is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, versatile in its applications, and designed for providing continuous fresh water to an animal when a caregiver is absent.

Fresh water supply apparatus for animals and associated use thereof


The present invention relates to a vehicle door lock and an associated method for the operation thereof, wherein the vehicle door lock is equipped with a locking mechanism, which essentially consists of a catch and a pawl. The pawl has a contact surface for the catch, which rests on said contact surface when the locking mechanism is closed. According to the invention, a supporting element, which delays the opening of the locking mechanism, is associated with the pawl, so that the catch glides along the contact surface up to a predetermined opening angle until is it is released from the pawl.

The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock with a locking mechanism, essentially comprising a catch and pawl, with the pawl containing a contact surface against which the catch rests when the locking mechanism is closed.
In a motor vehicle door lock of the above design, as disclosed in DE 10 2009 029 031 A1, the pawl has a closing moment in the main latching position of the locking mechanism, changing to an opening moment during closing of the locking mechanism. This aims to provide a relatively quiet opening of the known motor vehicle door lock. Such a motor vehicle door lock presents the fundamental problem that the catch and/or the pawl are released more or less abruptly and move apart. At the same time, the pawl or the catch often move against the associated stops.
Such abrupt opening movements are caused by or are a result of relatively great forces acting on the locking mechanism of the motor vehicle door lock or the locking bolt retained in the closed state of the locking mechanism. In most cases these are caused by one or several rubber door seals with the aid of which a respective motor vehicle door is sealed from a car body. When closing the motor vehicle door, the respective rubber door seal is compressed and produces respective resetting forces or a counter pressure which is or are then released when the locking mechanism is opened.
At this point forces or torques often exceeding 500 N m appear at the locking mechanism, resulting in a "plopping noise" typically associated with the opening operation. Most operators find these noises annoying, in particular, as the respective motor vehicle door often amplifies noises at this point as it causes an amplifying resonance or as the noises are transferred as structure-borne noises to the motor vehicle body. This applies in particular for tailgates.
The state of the art disclosed in the aforementioned DE 10 2009 029 031 A1 uses at this point preferably a flat surface in the contact area between the pawl and a contour of the catch, which together with a contact area of the pawl serving to latch the catch, forms an angle of between 120° to 150°. This has generally proven to be successful. The components of the locking mechanism, i.e. essentially the catch and the pawl are, however, punched steel parts that are (can) only be manufactured with a certain accuracy. The same also applies to a normally solid lock case, also made of steel, containing the rotary axes for the locking mechanism parts mounted therein. In other words, the geometric conditions described in DE 10 2009 029 031 A1 can not always be implemented without problems in practical application. This also applies to the further prior art disclosed in DE 23 26 808 A. The invention aims to remedy this.


An aerated frozen confection coated in a coating, the frozen confection comprising a plurality of substantially flat faces, each substantially flat face having a radius of curvature substantially across the whole of the face of greater than 50 mm, and wherein the relatively flat faces meet to form edges, wherein substantially all or all of the edges have a radius of curvature of from 5 mm to 20 mm.

Frozen confections which consist of ice cream, frozen yoghurt, or the like coated with chocolate, frozen fruit juice, or other coatings are popular products. These products are often supported on a stick so that they can be conveniently consumed without being held directly. Chocolate-coated stick products are one example of this type of product that have been known for many years.
Frozen confection products, including those on sticks are often produced by an "extrude and cut" process. This provides an uncoated frozen confection, which may at this stage already include a stick inserted in the confection.
More recently it has been proposed to manufacture frozen aerated products with cold roller apparatus the process comprising providing two rollers with open cavities on their surfaces, filling two cavities, one on each roller, with a frozen aerated material, wherein at least one of the cavities is filled with a frozen aerated product which is then allowed to expand outside its cavity, the two cavities then being moved opposite one another and the frozen aerated product in each cavity is pressed against the frozen aerated product in the other cavity. The product is thus formed from two halves and is self-releasing from the rollers.
Once manufactured, the uncoated frozen aerated confection can then be coated by dipping into a bath of liquid coating to form the coating or may also be sprayed or enrobed with liquid coating. Once coated, the frozen products are typically blast frozen and moved from the production area to the storage areas in the factory prior to distribution.
In some regions of the world such confections are manufactured at one altitude and then shipped and sold at another altitude. Such confections can also be manufactured at one altitude and experience different altitudes in the distribution chain for example when items are shipped via air freight or by road over mountain regions. Sometimes the difference in altitude can be significant. It has been observed that when such frozen aerated confections are shipped to a significantly higher altitude the coating applied can break and fall away from the surface of the frozen confection. Additionally, when such frozen confections are shipped to a significantly lower altitude, the coating applied is seemingly more easily damaged by mechanical shocks.
It would therefore be desirable to prevent these altitude-related problems from arising.


The systems, apparatus, methods, and computer program products described herein allow a user to find published content that may be about the user on a social network by analyzing the user's profile information and social contact information to generate terms, face recognition data, contacts and other data, searching the contacts based on the generated terms, face recognition data, and other data and identifying content that may be about the user.

Social media provides users with ways of connecting and sharing content. Users of social media networks often post content about themselves and their lives on the social media network for others to view. For example, a user may post images, videos, text, or other content related to an event or activity that the user has participated in to the social media network to share that content with other users on the social media network.

Method for associating previously created social media data with an individual or entity

International Business Machines Corporation


An inscribed meshing speed increasing and reduction gear construction in which external teeth (for example, a1 and a2, b1 and b2, and c1 and c2) cut at the same position during processing are not simultaneously meshed with (outer pins 111 of) internal-tooth gear during operation in order to improve the accuracy after completion of assembling even if the gear is cut by a machine of similar processing accuracy. Thereby, (although it seems to be contrary to a conventional idea that said external teeth cut at the same position should be simultaneously meshed with the internal-tooth gear), the actual accuracy after completion of assembling can be improved. In this case, when both the number of teeth (24 in FIG. 1) of external-tooth gears 105a and 105b, and a difference in the number of teeth (4 in FIG. 4) between the external-tooth gear and (outer pins 111) internal-tooth gear, are set to integer times of the number (2 in FIG. 1) of the external-tooth gears, the external teeth of the external-tooth gears and various holes formed in the external-teeth can be all simultaneously (by one setting) cut, and remarkably improving the accuracy of the positional relationship between the external teeth and various holes.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an inscribed meshing planetary gear construction which is preferably applied to a speed increasing or a reduction gear, more particularly, a small-sized speed increasing gear or a reduction gear in which a high output torque is required.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, it is widely known to provide a speed increasing gear or a reduction gear employing an inscribed meshing planetary gear construction comprising a first shaft, an external-tooth gear mounted (assembled) on the first shaft through a eccentric body in a state where the external-tooth gear can be rotated eccentric around the first shaft, an internal-tooth gear with which the external-tooth gear is inscribed and meshed, and a second shaft connected to the external-tooth gear through means for transmitting only the rotation component of the external-tooth gear.
An example of the prior art of this construction is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. This prior art is constructed such that said first shaft is applied as an input shaft, said second shaft is applied as an output shaft and at the same time said construction is applied to a reduction gear by fixing the internal-tooth gear.
Eccentric bodies 3a, 3b are mounted on the input shaft 1 with a predetermined phase difference (180.degree. in this example). The eccentric bodies 3a, 3b are integrated into one body. Two external-tooth gears 5a, 5b are placed on to each of these eccentric bodies 3a, 3b through eccentric bearings 4a, 4b. A plurality of inner roller holes 6 are provided in the external-tooth gears 5a, 5b and then an inner pin 7 and an inner roller 8 are fitted in the roller holes.
External teeth 9 such as trochoidal teeth or circular teeth etc. are at outer circumferences of said external-tooth gears 5a, 5b. The outer teeth 9 are inscribed and meshed with the internal-tooth gear 10 fixed to a casing 12. The internal teeth of the internal-tooth gear 10 are constructed such that an outer pin 11 is loosely fitted to an inner pin hole 13 and held to be easily rotatable.
An inner pin 7 passing through said external-tooth gears 5a, 5b is tightly fitted to or fixed to a flange part 14 of the output shaft 2.
When the input shaft 1 is rotated once, the eccentric bodies 3a, 3b in conjunction rotate once. The external-tooth gears 5a, 5b are apt to oscillatebly rotate around an eccentric axis about shaft 1 through this one revolution of the eccentric bodies 3a and 3b. However, since the rotation is restricted by the internal-tooth gear 10, the external-tooth gears 5a, 5b almost perform an eccentric rotation while being inscribed with the internal-tooth gear 10.
Now, it is assumed that the number of teeth of the external-tooth gears 5a, 5b is N and the number of teeth of the internal-tooth gear 10 is N+1, then the difference between the numbers of teeth is 1. Consequently, the external-tooth gears 5a, 5b are displaced by one tooth relative to the internal-tooth gear 10 fixed to the casing 12 every time the input shaft 1 is rotated. This means that one revolution of the input shaft 1 is decelerated to a revolution of -1/N (- sign show change in direction) of the internal-tooth gear.
Oscillation component of the external-tooth gears 5a, 5b is absorbed by clearances between the inner roller holes 6 and the inner pins 7 and then only the revolution component is transmitted to the output shaft 2 through the inner pins 7.
In this case, the inner roller holes 6a, 6b and the inner pins 7 (inner rollers 8) form an "isokinetic inscribed meshing mechanism".
As a result, finally, a reduction of reduction ratio -1/N can be accomplished.
In the example of this prior art, the internal-tooth gear of the inscribed meshing planetary gear construction is fixed, the first shaft is an input shaft and the second shaft is an output shaft. However, a reduction gear can be also constructed by fixing the second shaft and applying the first shaft as an input shaft and the internal-tooth gear as an output shaft. Furthermore, a speed increasing gear can also be constructed by reversing these inputs and outputs.
By the way, in the above-described prior art, two external-tooth gears are provided mainly because of consideration of increase in transmission capacity, increase of strength or maintenance of rotational dynamic balance. Generally, external teeth of these two external-tooth gears are simultaneously cut (manufactured or processed) in a condition where they are superimposed in order to reduce the number of steps of manufacturing. In this case, these two external-tooth gears are assembled so that the external tooth of one of the external-tooth gears and the external tooth of the other external-tooth gear(s), which had been cut at same position during manufacturing respectively, are simultaneously meshed with the internal-tooth gear during operation in order to cancel manufacturing errors with each other.
For example, in case of "two" external-tooth gears, phases in the maximum eccentric direction are deviated by 180.degree. from each other. Therefore, the two external-tooth gears are rotated by 180.degree. and assembled so that said external teeth cut at the same position are simultaneously meshed with the internal-tooth gear during operation. Under an idea similar to the above, in case of "three" external-tooth gears, since the respective maximum eccentric directions are rotated by 120.degree. from one another, the external-tooth gears are rotated by 120.degree. and assembled so that said external teeth cut at the same position are simultaneously meshed with the internal-tooth gear during operation.
This is because of the idea that said external teeth cut at the same position are simultaneously meshed with the internal-tooth gear whereby manufacturing errors are cancelled from each other.
Recently, also in the field of the speed increasing and reduction gear employing the inscribed meshing planetary gear construction of this kind, miniaturization and higher accuracy have been strongly demanded.
Actually, to respond to such a demand by improving the working accuracy is one aspect and the limitation of cost has to be considered.

Inscribed meshing planetary gear construction


Computing devices receive data type specific data from various local and external sources and managed entities. The data is received and process using modules and monitors, where the modules are sequenced to process the data and the monitors are used to provide condition states of the individual data sources and/or an overall condition state of a grouping of the data sources.

A management system typically includes a management server and multiple computers or computing devices. Computing devices may also be known as client computers or clients. The management server can receive performance information from the clients. Examples of performance data include utilization as to resources resident at a client, such as a client processor, client memory, client disk storage, etc. Furthermore, performance information is also provided as to certain services, such as network interconnections between the client and management server.
Each client can implement a management agent to gather and process data received from various sources and particularly sources local to the client. The processed data is provided as performance information to the management server An example of a local source is an instrumentation module run by a client operating system. Data from sources are sent to the management agent for processing.
When data is received by the management agent, the data is analyzed or filtered as to a particular data type. Filtered data is sent to a sequence of processes defined as a workflow. Each particular data type is processed using a specific workflow. In other words, a workflow is specific to a particular data type. Processed data may be reanalyzed or filtered again, and reprocessed using either the same workflow or a different workflow.
In many instances, it is desirable to support new data types to allow different tasks to be performed. For example, it may be desirable to monitor a new or different source that provides a different data type. A management agent is limited to a number of data types based on the number of workflows available at the management agent. In order to support new or different data types, new or different workflows are needed. Because workflows can include complex processes strung together, it can be a significant modification to a management agent when new or different workflows are added. In other words, workflows are not necessarily extensible to support different data types. Furthermore, since existing workflows can include complex strings of processes, it can be a significant undertaking to change, modify, and/or maintain the existing workflows.


A liquid container 1 comprises a larger glass bottle 2 and a smaller glass bottle 3 which are separately formed and adhesively bonded together. A base 11 of the smaller bottle 3 is spaced slightly above the base 10 of the larger bottle 2 so that in use, the base 10 of the larger bottle 2 forms a standing surface for the container 1 to prevent rocking.

The invention relates to beverage containers.
In conventional beverage systems a liquid beverage is provided as a single liquid in a bottle. There have been attempts to provide immiscible or non-homogeneous liquids in a bottle, however, such systems require a consumer to mix the contents of the bottle prior to pouring to ensure that a homogeneous product is obtained.

Gilbeys of Ireland (Manufacturing) Limited


A group of one or more channels among a plurality of channels is allocated to one of channel strips. Signal-adjusting parameters of the one or more channels belonging to the group are controlled in an interlinked fashion in response to an operation of the one channel strip to which the group is allocated. In response to a deployment instruction, a deployment controlling circuitry presents values of the signal-adjusting parameters of the one or more channels belonging to the group in such a manner that the values of the signal-adjusting parameters of the one or more channels belonging to the group are presented by use of one of a display device and the channel strips, and that setting contents of manual-operators in the channel strips are presented by use of another of the display device and the channel strips.

The present invention relates generally to a signal controlling apparatus constructed to allocate a channel group to one of a plurality of channel strips provided on an operation panel so that values of parameters for adjusting signals to be processed in a plurality of channels belonging to the channel group can be collectively adjusted by a manual-operator of the allocated channel strip, and more particularly to an improvement in techniques for visually deploying the individual values of adjusting parameters of individual channels belonging to the channel group.
Audio mixers (also referred to simply as "mixers") are constructed generally in such a manner that sound characteristics adjustment processing are performed on input audio signals in individual ones of a plurality of channels, the processed audio signals are selectively supplied to mixing buses, one or more audio signals supplied from one or more channels are mixed in at least one of the mixing buses, and one or more resultant mixed audio signals are output to one or more output destinations. A digital mixer performs various signal processing, such as sound characteristics processing, route setting of audio signals, etc., by performing digital signal processing on digital audio signals. All of parameter values for using in such signal processing are stored in a memory of the mixer. As well known in the art, the mixer includes, on an operation panel, a plurality of channel strips each having a plurality of manual-operators, such as a fader, an encoder and various buttons. A desired object of operation, such as one channel, is allocated to each of the channel strips, and a value of a desired parameter of the allocated object of operation is adjusted by use of any one of the manual-operators of the channel strip.
There has also been known a grouping function for grouping a plurality of channels into a channel group (hereinafter also referred to simply as "group") and collectively controlling individual channels belonging to the group. Such a grouping function is discloses, for example, in an instruction manual "YAMAHA DIGITAL MIXING CONSOLE PM5D/PM5DRH" published in 2004 by Yamaha Corporation and available from the Internet at URL:http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/pa/japan/mixers/cs1d_ja_om_r21.pdf?_ga=1.18964906 7.145683692.1426226024 (hereinafter referred to as "Non-patent Literature 1") and an instruction manual "DIGITAL MIXING CONSOLE M7CL" published in 2005 by Yamaha Corporation and available from the Internet at URL: http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/pa/japan/mixers/m7c1_ja_om_e0.pdf?_ga=1.261478797.145 683692.1426226024 (hereinafter referred to as "Non-patent Literature 2"). For example, level adjustment and mote-ON/OFF can be performed collectively, by means of a single group fader operator, on individual channels belonging to one group (see "Chapter 7 DCA Group/Mute Group" at pages 92 to 98 of Non-patent Literature 1, and "Chapter 11 Grouping/Link" at pages 113 to 121 of Non-patent Literature 2). Further, pages 120 and 121 of Non-patent Literature 2 discloses a channel link function for causing a desired parameter to be interlinked among a plurality of channels belonging to a group.
Although the above-mentioned grouping function for grouping a plurality of channels into a group and collectively operating the channels belonging to the group by means of a single manual operator is convenient, a user may sometimes want to operate the channels of the group individually or independently of one another. Therefore, a digital mixer has been proposed and known which can deploy individual channels constituting (belonging to) a group to channel strips through a predetermined operation. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2011-066863 (hereinafter referred to as "Patent Literature 1") discloses, as a technique for flexibly designating deployed-to (or deploying or deployment-destination) channel strips, dividing a plurality of channel strips on an operation panel into a plurality of blocks and designating any one of the blocks as a deployment destination so that individual channels constituting a group can be deployed to the channel strips belonging to the designated block.
Further, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0285573 corresponding to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2016-181834 (hereinafter referred to as "Patent Literature 2") discloses a mixer which is configured to: store, for each of channel strips, object-of-operation designation information that designates a channel or a group as an object of operation of the channel strip, or designates the channel strip as a deploying channel strip for individually deploying thereto any one of the channels belonging to the group; and allocate the object of operation to the plurality of channel strips based on the object-of-operation designation information, where none of the channels or group is allocated to the channel strip designated as the deploying channel strip so as to set the channel strip in an empty state as the deploying channel strip, and in response to a deployment instruction of a given group, individual channels belonging to the given group are allocated to the channel strips designated as the deploying channel strips.
However, with the conventionally-known technique as shown in the aforementioned Patent Literatures 1 and 2, because a predetermined block of channel strips or designated channel strips of the plurality of channel strips are dedicatedly set as deploying channel strips, it is necessary for the dedicated deploying channel strips to be put in the empty state at the time of non-deploying mode, and thus, the efficiency of utilization of the channel strips would be degraded. For this reason, the conventionally-known technique is not proper for applying to a small scale mixer having less channel strips. Although it would be possible for any one of channel strips in a mixer without any dedicated deploying channel strip to be used as a deploying channel strip in response to a deployment instruction, if so, such usage will bring an undesirable result that previous adjustment content having set, before the deployment instruction, in the channel strip used as the deploying channel strip has to be avoided by overwritten with contents of the deployment.

Signal controlling apparatus and method of deploying parameters


Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing wireless communications, and, more particularly, for implementing multiple simultaneous wireless services using a universal wireless station. In various embodiments, a universal wireless station (and/or a computing system(s)) might determine a first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols for communications with a second device and might determine a second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols for communications with a third device. The universal wireless station might establish a first communications channel between the universal wireless station and the second device using the determined first set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, establish a second communications channel between the universal wireless station and the third device using the determined second set of wireless communications frequencies and protocols, and concurrently send and receive both a first communications signal over the first communications channel and a second communications signal over the second communications channel.

Software-defined radio ("SDR") technology is useful in a number of ways. For inexpensive customer premises equipment ("CPE"), SDR provides a precious future-proof advantage. For instance, an 802.11g modem can be software upgraded to 802.11n, and later to 802.11ac, and even later to 802.11ax, and so on, using only software upgrades. This has a clear advantage on cost of operations. Conventional uses of SDR technology, however, do not appear to focus on the use that flexible hardware in combination with increasingly cheaper computing power to simultaneously or concurrently produce multiple wireless services.
Hence, there is a need for more robust and scalable solutions for implementing wireless communications, and, more particularly, to methods, systems, and apparatuses for implementing multiple simultaneous wireless services using a universal wireless station.

Universal wireless station for multiple simultaneous wireless services


A solenoid winding and housing for use with an armature actuated fuel poppet valve and the process of applying interior and external annular plastic shields on and in the housing to seal against moisture and fuel and to provide joint and weld protection. A prong housing for the solenoid winding ends is molded along with the exterior molded shields. Noise insulation as well as protection of parts is provided with the molded shields.

Much development work has been done in connection with delivery fuel to internal combustion engines, in particular in recent years, the delivery of combustible fuel and gas, especially air, in metered quantities. Much of the work has centered around the delivery of a fuel mixture to two-cycle, spark ignition engines. U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,224 (Sep. 15, 1987) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,828 (May 2, 1989) illustrate and describe the problems of fuel injection and the advantages of direct in-cylinder injection which is effective in operation, economic to manufacture and achieves and maintains acceptable atomization of the fuel.
The present invention is specifically directed to spark ignited, internal combustion engines where a premetered quantity of fuel is entrained in a gas, conveniently air, and the fuel entrained in the gas is delivered directly into the combustion chamber of the engine through a nozzle which is intermittently opened. This is achieved by the use of a poppet valve which is controlled and moved axially to open and closed positions using an electromagnetic coil and an armature closely associated with the poppet valve. Each cylinder, in a multi-cylinder engine, is provided with a fuel and air nozzle injection assembly.
The present invention is directed to the construction of the solenoid which is used to actuate the poppet valve. The solenoid bobbin assembly is housed in a case and cover. It is known to mold plastic simultaneously externally and internally of the solenoid assembly and some of the problems in connection with this involve the pressure and heat needed. This may result in winding bobbin distortion which may cause seal failures. Another problem lies in the possibility of plastic resin flowing to areas where it cannot be tolerated or allowing fuel leakage past the seals to the outside of the injector.
Other manufacturers of fuel injectors have used injection molding into the solenoid assembly by leaving an end of the solenoid open so that when inserted into the mold, the mold can be used as a back-up for the bobbin to prevent distortion and to prevent mold material from flowing into areas where it cannot be tolerated.
The present invention is directed to a combination of an internal and external molding process which is accomplished without any internal mold support for the solenoid bobbin assembly. With the proposed process, damage to critical areas of the solenoid case and cover is avoided by eliminating the use of a support mandrel.
Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent in the following description and claims in which the principles of the invention are set forth together with details to enable persons skilled in the art to practice the invention, all in connection with the best mode presently contemplated for the invention.

Solenoid winding case and protective overmold and method of making


The present invention relates to a method and a device for handling artillery shells (14-16) when loading artillery guns (1) that have an integral shell magazine (9) fixed in the traverse system but independent from the elevating mass, which magazine on command feeds out shells (14-16) one by one with a specific linear velocity in the longitudinal axis of each shell. Each shell is subsequently transferred to the loading position for the gun by a loading pendulum (13) and cradle (6). The basic idea behind the present invention is that the outfeed velocity of the shells (14-16) from the magazine (9) shall be braked to zero in a brake module (12) mounted on the gun while they lie in a shell carrier (17, 18) mounted on the loading pendulum (13). Immediately after the linear velocity of the shell has been braked to zero and its rear plane has been reversed to a pre-defined position the shell carrier (17, 18) takes over the handling of the shell and re-angles it to coincide with the angle of elevation of the gun, and transfers the shell to a laterally displaceable shell loading cradle (6).

The present invention relates to a method and a device for handling artillery shells when loading artillery guns that have an integral shell magazine fixed in the traverse system but independent from the elevating mass, which magazine on command feeds out shells one by one with a specific linear velocity in the longitudinal axis of each shell. Each shell is subsequently transferred to the loading position for the gun by a loading pendulum and cradle.
The logical location for a magazine incorporated in the gun and fixed in the traverse system but independent from the elevating mass is directly beside the gun as the magazine must not obstruct the recoil of the gun. This in turn means that transfer of shells from the magazine to alignment with the breech opening must involve both a lateral transfer to alignment with the direction of the barrel and adjustment of the angle to coincide with the angle of elevation of the gun.
The present invention is primarily intended for heavy and medium artillery guns that are equipped with a fully automatic loading system.
On the eve of the 21st century one must count on the fact that each artillery gun will necessarily be self-propelled and constitute its own artillery system, thus incorporating its own fire control and a sufficient number of rounds for at least a limited number of engagements. The capabilities that already exist for locating artillery guns that give fire and then rapidly deploying counter-fire will result in a requirement for an absolute minimum limit on the time that an artillery gun can be permitted to give fire, after which the artillery gun must leave the deployment sites rapidly as possible.
The need to fire the maximum number of rounds in the shortest possible time more or less assumes that the guns are equipped with fully automatic loading systems. Such fully automatic loading systems must be able to handle a number of different types of shells and propellant charges which, moreover, may often be fired directly after each other in one and the same artillery salvo. This means in turn that both shells and propellant charges must be handled at the greatest possible speed inside their respective magazines, as well as between the magazines and the loading pendulums and cradles normally used to transfer shells and propellant charges between each magazine and the breech opening.
By reason of their relatively high dead weight shells especially may give rise to a number of handling problems resulting from the combination of their dead weight and the high handling velocities that may be upwards of several metres per second.
The gun system in the present invention assumes that the shell magazine is incorporated in the traverse system but is not part of the elevating mass. To enable the gun to maintain a high rate of fire it is necessary for the shells to be fed out from the shell magazine at high speed and then to have this outfeed velocity braked to zero immediately thereafter, thenxe2x80x94at the same high speedxe2x80x94be re-positioned to the same angle of elevation as the gun and be rammed.
Ramming the shells into the gun necessitates a loading cradle and rammer. It must also be possible for the cradle to be moved to the side so as not to obstruct gun recoil. In addition to the transfer movements of the shell already mentioned, the shell needs to be moved laterally while located in the cradle.
Even if a lateral transfer movement and ramming of the shells are assumed to be achieved using a separate loading cradle, a loading pendulum that can both brake and re-align the shells will necessarily be heavy and unwieldy.
As claimed in the present invention it is proposed that these two functions be divided between two closely interacting but mechanically independent devices of which the firstxe2x80x94the brake modulexe2x80x94is designed to receive the shell and brake its outfeed motion within a short linear distance and provide a pre-defined stop position for the rear plane of the shell, after which the brake device of the brake module is deactivated and the shell is taken over by the shell loading pendulum that re-aligns it with the angle of the rammer that shall coincide with the angle of elevation of the gun and the shell shall be transferred to the rammer. Retardation of the shell is thus achieved during a short forwards motion, after which the shell is returned rearwards a short distance to a pre-defined stop position. By using a pre-defined stop position for the rear plane of the shell as the initial point for transfer of the shell to the loading pendulum we have devised a device that can handle shells of various lengths designed for the same artillery gun. We must, namely, assume that in the future there will be shells available in different lengths designed for different purposes and ranges.
On a practical level it is proposed that the device as claimed in the present invention be designed with a first brake device mounted in the brake module that grips the front section of the shell and that is linked to a linearly operating short-stroke brake and return function. The brake device is thus designed with a grab jaws device openable in one direction, preferably downwards, that is suitably equipped with brake blocks for engagement with the front conical nose section of the shell.
As the brake device grips the shell ahead of the centre of the shell, the centre and rear sections of the shell are available for engagement with the shell carrier incorporated in the loading pendulum. As claimed in one development of the present invention this shell carrier is designed so that initially it constitutes a guide chute for the shells from the outfeed aperture of the magazine to the brake blocks of the brake device. The shell can also be returned in the guide chute to rest against a deployable rear stop lug that shall constitute the pre-defined rear stop position. As soon as the shell has reached this stop position the brake device can be deactivated/opened after which the shell loading pendulum-which is arranged in parallel with the linear direction of motion of the brake device and that is pivotable around the trunnion centre of the gunxe2x80x94can be pivoted downwards towards the loading pendulum without the brake device obstructing the shell carried in the shell carrier. Simultaneous with this movement the shell carrier is re-angled relative to the loading pendulum carrier arm so that when the shell reaches the rammer the shell has a horizontal angle position that is parallel to the shell loading cradle. The re-angling of the actual loading pendulum can be achieved using a chain-drive driven by an electric motor, while the re-angling between the loading pendulum carrier arm and the shell carrier can, for example, be controlled by a slewing bracket system between the loading pendulum and the shell carrier in which the slewing bracket system is controlled by a fixed arc mounted on the gun that always gives the shell carrier the correct angle depending on the angular position of the shell loading pendulum.
Provided the shell in the shell carrier is at an angle so that at least part of its own weight rests against the previously mentioned deployable stop lug throughout the re-angling of the shell carrier until it reaches the shell loading cradle, no special securing device will be needed for the shell as its own weight will ensure that it lies still in the shell carrier during re-angling.
As claimed in the above indicated functional sequence the shell carrier must, in the first instance, act as a guide chute leading to the brake blocks of the brake device for the shells fed out from the magazine at high velocity by a force imparted from the rear and, secondly, must secure each shell during re-anglingxe2x80x94achieved by its own rearwards acting weight against the stop lugxe2x80x94and ,thirdly, be able to release the shell through its base section to the rammer. One way to manufacture a downwards opening shell carrier having the basic shape of a horizontal semi-cylindrical chute is based on the use of two quarter-cylindrical shaped carrier plates that in initial position meet with a longitudinal joint along the centre of the chute thus formed, and which plates can be displaced or pivoted away from each other with the axis of the cylinder as pivot axis until they meet each other along their other longitudinal edges at the diametrically opposite side of the axis of the cylinder whereby the base of the chute is completely open. This type of motion can be achieved, for example, if each of the quarter-cylindrical shaped carrier plates is mounted on at least two semi-circular carrier yokes that are displaceable along similar semi-circular guides fixed above the outfeed direction of the chute. Displacement of the semi-circular carrier yokes along the guides can be by means of a cog driven by an electric motor and operating directly on the gear teeth in the semi-circular carrier yokes.
If in the method indicated above these semi-circular carrier yokes are displaced along the guides to the open position of the device the quarter-cylindrical shaped carrier plates meet in the upper position of the cylindrical space, while in closed position they meet under the centre of the guide chute that they form.


An armband that holds an electronic device is presented. The armband includes a pouch which includes a window and an opening configured to allow an electronic device to be inserted into the pouch. The armband also includes an arm strap wherein the proximate end of the arm strap is coupled to the pouch, and wherein the arm strap includes: holes arranged in a specified pattern; loop cells at specified locations along the length of the arm strap; and a hook cell located at a distal end of the arm strap. The armband further includes a ring coupled to the pouch configured to allow the distal end of the arm strap to be passed through the ring and pulled toward the proximate end of the arm strap so that the hook cell can be coupled to one or more loop cells.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an armband which is configured to hold an electronic device.
2. Related Art
Electronic devices such as portable music players, cell phones, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) are used every day by millions of people. Though electronic devices are becoming smaller, carrying these electronic devices may still present a problem. For example, PDAs and hybrid PDA-cell phone devices are typically large and cumbersome to place in a pocket. Similarly, carrying and using a portable music player while exercising can be a challenge.
Existing techniques for carrying these electronic devices involve using: belt clips, necklace cases, and armbands. Belt clips are typically used for larger devices such as PDAs and hybrid PDA-cell phone devices. However, these belt clips can be bulky and cumbersome to use. Necklace cases can be used for smaller electronic devices such as portable music player, but are not practical for larger electronic devices. Armbands are typically used to carry portable music players while exercising. However, existing armbands have a number of disadvantages. More specifically, existing armbands are relatively large, do not let skin breathe through the armband, do not stretch, and become brittle as the armband ages.
Hence, what is needed is an apparatus to carry electronic devices without the problems described above.

Armband for holding an electronic device


Compounds of formula (I) are disclosed: ##STR1## wherein L.sup.1 is a main group atom, L.sup.2 is a neutral ligand, M is a transition element or a metal element of Group 13, 14, 15, or 16 of the Periodic Table, x is the number of coordination sites of M, R.sup.1 is a polymerizable group, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 are ligands, and R.sup.5 is an anionic ligand. The compounds or monomers of formula (I) are capable of conversion to polymers by combination with one or more other known monomers, such as methyl methacrylate. Such polymers can then be added as a binder in a paint formulation to make marine antifouling coating compositions. Also described is a method to prevent fouling on surfaces wherein a composition containing a metal complex compound of formula (II): ##STR2## wherein M, x, L.sup.2, n, and R.sup.4 have the same meaning as in formula (I), is applied to the surface susceptible to fouling.

The present invention relates to novel compounds that are particularly useful in marine antifoulant coating compositions.
Marine fouling on ships and marine structures has been a problem for thousands of years. This problem has been recently addressed primarily by the use of certain coatings containing biocides that are toxic to marine organisms. These conventional coatings leached biocides out of the coating when in seawater.
Such a paint system, however, fails to provide a desired constant toxicant release, and moreover, does not advantageously erode in service. This is due to the selective extraction of the water-soluble component and consequent leaching of the toxicant from the interior of the paint film. A matrix of the insoluble resin component remains behind after the water-soluble component of the film (gum rosin) is leached away. Moreover, the spent paint film no longer controls fouling even though it might contain up to 30-40% of the initial level of toxicant because water penetration required for leaching the toxicant to the surface is limited through the matrix of residual resin. Spent antifouling systems of this type do not provide a suitable base for repainting since they possess poor mechanical properties due to the voids in the film resulting in poor adhesion of the new paint film.
Attempts to incorporate toxicants into water soluble polymers and to use these as antifouling paints have also failed to produce the desired results. Such paints swell in seawater and cannot be expected to provide good mechanical properties and uniform control of fouling since the whole paint film is weakened on prolonged water immersion.
In recent years, so-called self-polishing antifouling coatings have become increasingly popular. These coatings are based on polymers of tributyltin methacrylate, methyl methacrylate, and film softening monomers such as 2-ethylhexyl acrylate. The organotin polymer acts as the paint binder. All such paints also contain a toxicant additive such as cuprous oxide or a triorganotin compound. In addition, the usual paint additives such as pigments, thixotropic agents, etc. may also be present. In normally alkaline seawater, the polymeric organotin binder is gradually hydrolyzed and the tributyltin is liberated in a form that is an active antifoulant. The hydrolyzed polymer formed is water-soluble or water-swellable and is easily eroded off the surface by moving seawater, exposing a fresh surface of paint. The major advantage of these systems is that, unlike leaching paints, toxicant release is linear with time and all of the toxicant present is utilized over the lifetime of the paint. Furthermore, there is no need to remove the residues of an old self-polishing paint system prior to repainting, since the composition of the residue is essentially the same as it was when originally applied unlike conventional antifouling paints which leave a weak, leached-out matrix of binder on the ships' hull at the end of their lifetime. An additional advantage claimed for such systems is a reduction in hull surface roughness with time as a consequence of erosion of the paint film. This roughness reduction translates to fuel savings for the ship operator.
Sea-going vessels usually have between 2 and 4 coats of antifouling paint, each coat of 100 microns film thickness, applied to the hull. This coating, of 200 to 400 microns total film thickness, is expected to last for about five years.
A marine antifoulant coating should preferably meet some criteria in order to be commercially acceptable, such as:
1. The polymer is preferably soluble in a paint media for easy application; PA1 2. The polymer solution preferably has good film-forming properties; PA1 3. The film coating preferably has good adhesion to the ship's surface and is flexible; PA1 4. The film preferably undergoes hydrolysis only at the coating surface. This permits the controlled release of the metal. The remaining paint surface becomes susceptible to the moving seawater and is eroded. This mechanism is known as "self-polishing" and a marked improvement in the ship's fuel efficiency is observed; and PA1 5. The polymer preferably has controlled release characteristics. PA1 where M is a Group 3 element, which includes Sc and Y, PA1 where M is a Group 4 element, PA1 where M is a Group 5 element, PA1 where M is a Group 7 element, which includes Mn, Re, and Tc, PA1 where M is a Group 8 element, PA1 where M is a Group 9 element, PA1 M has a coordination number of 4, 5, or 6; and PA1 M has mainly oxidation states of +1, +2, +3, or +4. PA1 where M is a Group 10 element, PA1 where M is a Group 11 element, PA1 where M is a Group 12 element, PA1 where M is a Group 13 metal element, which includes Al, Ga, In, and Tl, PA1 where M is a Group 14 metal element, which includes Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb, PA1 where M is a Group 15 metal element which includes As, Sb, and Bi, PA1 where M is a Group 16 metal element, which includes Te and Po, PA1 R.sup.1 is a polymerizable group. In other words, R.sup.1 will be a substituent which will be polymerizable when the compound of formula (I) is polymerized into a polymer. For purposes of the present invention, R.sup.1 can be any type of polymerizable group. This includes: PA1 H.sub.2 N--R.sup.8 --NH.sub.2 PA1 HO.sub.2 C--R.sup.9 --CO.sub.2 H PA1 H.sub.2 N--R.sup.10 --CO.sub.2 H PA1 HO--R.sup.11 --OH PA1 Cl--R.sup.12 --Cl PA1 ClOC--R.sup.13 --COCl PA1 1. The polymer is solvent soluble, for easy application. PA1 2. The polymer solution provides a clear, hard film with enough flexibility to coat a ship's surface. PA1 3. The film undergoes at least some surface hydrolysis to release a metal, to become a material that either dissolves or swells and is attritted or dissolved off to provide a fresh and new polymer layer that is preferably smooth to preserve a ship's fuel efficiency.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to novel compounds and marine antifoulant coating compositions containing polymers polymerized from these compounds.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present invention. The objectives and other advantages of the present invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the written description and appended claims.

Organometallic compounds and polymers made therefrom