Knurling is applied to both side edge portions of a high-molecular film and then the film is wound up. A packing agent is applied to the knurled portions to enclose air at the time of winding in spaces between wound film layers and the film is put into an annealing isothermal chamber while contact between the wound film layers is prevented by the air. Preferably, the high-molecular film is made to pass through a heating zone just before the winding so that the high-molecular film after heated is wound up. More preferably, the winding core used for winding is a hollow porous winding core and high-temperature pressurized air is blown out onto the film through the hollow porous cylindrical surface. In a method of performing heat treatment on a wound roll film in which annealing treatment is performed on a roll film obtained by winding a high-molecular film, comprising the steps of: enclosing a winding portion of a device in a box; keeping the inside of the box at a high temperature equal to that of an annealing chamber; heating the high-molecular film to a temperature equal to the temperature of the inside of the box just before winding and then winding the high-molecular film; and conveying the high-molecular film into an isothermal chamber for annealing treatment.

The present invention relates to a method of performing heat treatment on a high-molecular film, especially a roll film having knurled portions in both side edges.
A high-molecular film, especially a polyester film, is subjected to heat treatment in order to remove its residual distortion which has been sustained in the process of production thereof. This is called annealing treatment. For this annealing treatment, a method in which a wound roll film is preserved in a high-temperature isothermal chamber for a time longer than a predetermined time or a method in which a wound roll film is treated in a continuous furnace at a low speed is carried out. If the roll film is heated unevenly in this process, there arise a problem of tightening, creasing and weaving in winding state in connection with the winding core, and another problem such as long time preservation of the wound roll film, and so on.
To make a measure against those problems, there are a method (1) in which to relax the influence of the winding core, a film having a thermal expansion coefficient not larger than the wound film is wound under on the winding core and annealing treatment is performed on the whole (see Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei-4-247321), an apparatus (2) in which dielectric heating is used as a heating method at the time of winding in production so as to cope with gradual increase of the diameter of the wound roll so that heating is carried out at an equal distance from the roll surface, and, in addition, the winding pressure is adjusted (see Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. Sho-52-14451), a method (3) in which a wound roll film is heated in a heating furnace in a state that a spacer is put between both edge portions of the film before winding, and then the film is preserved in the heating furnace for a predetermined time after winding (see Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. Hei-5-19899), and so on.
The method described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei-4-247321, however, requires a surplus of under winding, so that there are disadvantages in equipment, material and working. The apparatus described in Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. Sho-52-14451 requires expensive and complex equipment. The method described in Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. Hei-5-19899 is insufficient in its effect against creasing, weaving, etc. in the winding state because a gap is interposed between the spacer and the film so that air between film layers is leaked.
An object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problems and to provide a method of performing heat treatment on a wound roll film in which annealing treatment can be carried out in bulk so as to obtain a sufficient effect against creasing, weaving, etc. in the winding state without the necessity of surplus equipment, material, working, etc. and without the necessity of complex equipment.

Method of preforming heat treatment on a wound roll film


The absolute total isotropic sensitivity is determined for a communication device receiver circuit that is within a scattered field chamber (SFC) and is receiving communications from a base station simulator. Movement of a mode stirrer device within the SFC is controlled to sequentially move the mode stirrer device to a plurality of different static positions. The different static positions of the mode stirrer device are configured to differently mix polarizations of incident RF fields in the SFC. At each of a plurality of the different static positions of the mode stirrer device, the transmission power level from the base station simulator is varied through a plurality of different transmission power levels. At each of a plurality of the transmission power levels, a bit error rate and a received signal strength at which the communication device receives the communications from the base station simulator are measured. The absolute total isotropic sensitivity of the communication device receiver circuit is determined in response to the measured bit error rate, the measured received signal strength, and the associated transmission power levels.

Cellular mobile terminals and many other types of wireless communication devices undergo stringent Over The Air (OTA) tests before being released to the market. Promoted by CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association), OTA testing attempts to measure the performance of a device's communication components (antenna, amplifier, receiver and electronics) closer to the environment in which they will be used.
The RF excitations that devices are subjected to are no longer just an RF source in pulsed or continuous wave (CW) modes, but, instead, can be generated by a Base Station Simulator (BSS). The BSS can be configured to communicate using protocols such as Global Standard for Mobile (GSM) communication, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE), Integrated Digital Enhancement Network (iDEN), code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband-CDMA, CDMA2000, and/or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), IEEE 801.11a-g standards, Bluetooth, and/or other standard/nonstandard communication protocols.
Two types of chambers that can be used for OTA testing of a communication device are anechoic chambers and Scattered Field Chambers (SFC). Scattered Field Chambers (also called Mode Stir Chamber, reverberation chambers RC, and, in Swedish, modväxlarkammare) may, in some instances, provide faster, cheaper, and/or more reliable measurement setup compared to anechoic chambers.
In contrast to prior device testing techniques that focused on measuring antenna efficiency, OTA testing is often focused on more complex active measurement of a communication device's total radiated power (TRP) and total isotropic sensitivity (TIS). At least some existing techniques for measuring TIS can be particularly complex/difficult to carry-out because they can require accurate testing and measurement at power levels down to about −110 dBm and Block Error Rates (BLER) down to an accuracy of 0.1% units for UMTS communications and an accuracy of 0.5-1% units for GSM communications.

Measuring absolute total isotropic sensitivity of wireless communication devices in scattered field chambers


A plug-type coupler consisting of male part (P) and female part (M), particularly for the connecting of conduits (2, 3) conducting fluids (4), which coupling has, within the region of the abutment place (1) between male part (P) and female part (M), a metallic ring packing (D) which is expandable in its cross section as a result of its arrangement and of a surface slot (18) by fluid (4) which is under pressure and, in this connection, rests in part on the male part (P) and in part on the female part (M), and, in order to obtain a solution which is simple in manufacture and reliable in use, the ring packing (D) which is arranged on the male part (P), with its slot (17) facing radially inward is gripped over, on the other side of the slot edge lying in the insertion direction (arrow x) by an annular shoulder (24) from which there extends a frustoconical surface (25) which tapers down towards the axis (y--y) of the plug-type coupler and opposite which there is a mating surface (27) of the female part (M) which extends into an abutment surface (14) which urges the ring packing (D) in insertion direction (x), the frustoconical surface (25) and the mating surface (27) permitting the passage of fluid up to the ring packing (D).

The present invention relates to a plug-type coupler consisting of a male part and a female part, particularly for connecting of fluid-connecting conduits, the coupler having a metallic ring packing in the region of the place of abutment between male part and female part, said packing being expandable in cross section, as a result of its arrangement and of a surface slot, by fluid under pressure and resting in this connection in part against the male part and in part against the female part.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,615, it is known in a plug-type coupler to direct the slot of the ring packing directly into the insertion joint. The ring packing rests in a recess in the end side so that in the coupled condition of the coupler it rests in part against the male part and in part against the female part. In this connection, the pressure of the fluid promotes the sealing application of the metallic ring packing against the corresponding portions. No special securing of the ring packing is present.
From Canadian patent document 1 244 756, it is known to associate the male part with the receiving pocket of a support plate under initial axial stress.


A charge injection means periodically introduces a charge packet into a charge flow channel in a semiconductive substrate surface under the control of a clock signal. The charge packets are accumulated beneath an integrating electrode in the charge flow channel until the amount of charge stored beneath the integrating electrode reaches a predetermined amount. Upon this occurrence, the charge subsequently injected spills over a potential barrier and into charge sensing means near the integrating electrode. The charge sensing means responds to the spilled charge by causing substantially the entire accumulated charge to be spilled over the barrier into the charge sensing means in a regenerative feedback loop. Operation of the regenerative feedback loop accelerates a change in potential of the integrating electrode, causing an electrical output pulse to be generated at the integrating electrode. The dividing ratio of the device is the ratio between the pulse rate of the output pulses on the integrating electrode and the pulse rate of the clock signal applied to the charge injection means, and this ratio may be altered merely by changing the size of each charge packet injected by the charge injection means.

Currently available analog dividing circuits and frequency dividers typically include a plurality of logic circuits requiring numerous transistors in integrated circuits having relatively large geometry and relatively high power consumption. One disadvantage of such prior art dividers is that the hardware must usually be altered in order to change the dividing ratio.

Charge coupled device variable divider with integrating well


A vessel is disclosed which is particularly suited to the sterility testing of drugs and medical equipment. The vessel comprises a glass container with a flat bottom and a plain cylindrical wall and a molded nylon cap which fits over the open end of the container. The cap has a skirt portion including a sealing ring which forms an airtight seal around the container and a top portion having a removable filter element held in place by a clip and which permits venting of the container.

This invention relates to a vessel suitable for use in testing the sterility of drugs, medical devices and the like. Such vessels are used, for example, in testing for the presence of microbiological contamination in drugs, bandages, catheters, syringes, sutures, gloves, and other medical equipment or components.
The object of sterility testing is to determine whether drugs and medical devices which are required to be sterile are in fact free of living organisms. The process entails opening a sealed product to be tested under highly aseptic environmental conditions and then introducing the product into a vessel containing an appropriate sterile culture medium. The vessel is closed and incubated for a specific time (for example, 14 days at 32.degree. C.) and then examined for microbiological growth. Since a single cell can grow and result in a positive test, it is important to minimize the risk of external microbiological contamination, thus insuring that any growth which may occur can be attributed to an organism originally present in the product itself. It is accordingly important to insure that the vessel in which the product is incubated adequately protects the product from external contamination.
Although several types of culture tubes and vessels have been employed for sterility testing, generally these have not been designed specifically for this purpose and have disadvantages in relation to size, shape, ease of handling, susceptibility to external contamination and a tendency, with repeated autoclaving, to break or create a separation between the vessel and its closure.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a vessel particularly suitable for use as a sterility testing vessel.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a specific form of closure for a sterility testing vessel which produces an effective sealing of the vessel against external contamination while still allowing venting of the vessel, for example, during autoclaving.
Another object of the invention is to provide a closure for a vessel which incorporates a form of filter structure that will permit venting of the vessel interior for example, during autoclaving while effectively sealing the vessel against external microbiological contamination.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a sterility testing vessel which is simple to handle, can be easily cleaned and repeatedly used and which can be economically manufactured from readily available materials.


A method and an operator interchangeable apparatus with fast warm up time for coating flowable and pasty materials onto a workpiece, especially for the application of glue and other adhesive substances to the back of signatures in bookbinding and the like, uses a first internally heated rotating roller for applying the material which is partly immersed in a bath thereof and a second internally heated roller to smooth and doctor the adhesive on clamped stacks of pages that have passed over the first roller. Production rates suitable of in-line use with reproduction equipment are achieved with no buildup on the edges. The relative velocity of the surface of the adhesive on the first roller is maintained at the same velocity as the clamped stack of pages. A mechanical adjustment device and method that provides for ease of interchangeability. A control device for proportioning the electrical power to the heating elements for the two rollers. Wattage of these heating elements is matched to each roller's heating requirements.

My present invention relates to a method of and an aparatus for applying flowable liquid or pasty substances to a workpiece and more particularly, to a method of and an apparutus for applying hot-melt adhesives, glue, or other adhesive substances to the edges of a stack of sheets, e.g. signatures, adapted to form a pad, book or folio alone or in conjunction with a binding.


The invention is related to hermetically sealed dry accumulators having significantly larger power output per units of mass in a proportionately smaller volume. The accumulator includes one electrode comprising copper, cadmium, zinc, nickel, or iron, and another electrode of lead dioxide. An immobilized electrolyte containing a silica gel and sulfuric acid is in contact with the electrodes. A method for producing a novel silica gel which is especially suited for use in the immobilized electrolyte is also described.

Lead acid accumulators are widely used to convert chemical energy into electrical energy and conversely, to store electrical energy. The lead acid accumulators generally consist of positive and negative electrodes and electrolyte--sulfuric acid, housed in a hard rubber or plastic case.
The disadvantages of standard lead acid accumulators are well known. Lead acid accumulators require routine filling of their cells with water. The lead acid accumulators are relatively large and heavy for the amount of electrical energy, which they accumulate.
Electrical accumulators having a negative electrode made of iron, cadmium, magnesium, indium or zinc, a positive electrode made of lead dioxide, and electrolyte, which includes an aqueous solution of an alkaline hydroxide and a metallic sulfate, are also known. The alkaline accumulator is inherently limited because its operation depends on an alkaline electrochemical reaction with a salt that forms a weak electrical linkage with the positive electrode.
Consequently, the alkaline accumulator has a relatively small specific power output and must be made relatively large and heavy to produce a given amount of electrical energy.
Thus, there is a need for a hermetically sealed dry accumulator, having a significantly larger power output per unit of mass and a proportionately smaller volume. Ideally, the improved accumulator would contain relatively less lead, would weigh considerably less than conventional accumulators and would demonstrate a longer service life. An accumulator that contains less lead would be simpler to make and would involve the production of less environmentally damaging byproducts.


A hand held masking machine for applying tape along both edges of a sheet of masking material which has relatively movable frame portions that engage and journal opposite ends of a roll of masking material to accurately position tape being applied to its edges; frame portions adapted to have end portions of tape on the machine adhered thereto so that the masking machine can adhere tape along both or only a desired one of the masking material edges; an adjustable cutting blade assembly that accommodates applying tapes of different widths to the masking material, and specially longitudinally folded rolls of masking material so that the taped masking material may be wider that the roll from which the masking material is dispensed.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,379,019 (Pool et al) and 5,037,501 (Lawson) describe hand held masking machines of the type adapted to apply strips of pressure sensitive adhesive coated masking tape from rolls of the tape carried on the masking machine along both edges of a sheet of masking material (e.g., paper or polymeric film) from a supply of masking material also carried on the masking machine. While these masking machines are usable for that purpose, they do not provide all of the flexibility that may be desired in the use of such a masking machine.


A rotor for an interior magnet rotary machine, such as motors and generators, is mass produced by forming an elongated structure. This structure has channels in the periphery thereof which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the structure. The elongated structure is cut into rotor frames of a predetermined length having channels extending from one end to the opposite end thereof. Magnets are placed in the channels. Pole pieces may be placed on the magnets in the channels.. The interior magnet rotary machine produced by this method has a rotor of a structure made of a rotor frame with channels extending from one end to the opposite end, and at least one magnet in a respective one of the channels. Thus, an efficient, low cost, mass producible, and easily assembled rotor for an interior magnet rotary machine is provided.

Interior magnet rotary machines are well known in the art and include interior magnet motors and generators. Interior magnet rotary machines are a type of permanent magnet rotary machines and generally comprise a rotor having magnets built inside it. Examples of interior magnet machines may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,700,097 and 4,486,678.
Interior magnet machines have been widely investigated because their unique rotor structure combines synchronous and induction characteristics in a solid rotor that utilizes permanent magnets. Interior magnet machines may be used in different environments, with alternating current or direct current, and they provide a generally constant torque output throughout their speed range, which can include very high speeds due to the interior magnet rotor construction. Interior magnet machines are also preferred because of their contactless two-dimensional (perpendicular to the rotor axis) flux path between the rotor and stator.
Prior to the development of interior magnet machines, rotary machines were characterized by electrical windings on a rotor, the use of slip rings or brushes to accommodate the rotation of the windings or to commutate the flow of electricity, and the maintenance of a rotating electrical connection. This type of prior machine requires the rotor to be in electrical contact with the stator. Thus, slip rings and brushes are necessary even though they degrade operational efficiency through power loss from the electrical resistance of the brush contact, and through mechanical friction loss due to the drag of the brushes on the rotor. The windings on the rotor also significantly increase the mass of the rotor, necessitating slower rotational speeds or more energy from a prime mover. Moreover, the constant rotation, heating, and magnetic forces exerted on the coils and their insulation cause them to fatigue, crack, degrade, and ultimately fail with time.
The interior magnet machine solves these problems by mounting permanent magnets, rather than electromagnets, on the rotor. This eliminates the need for rotating electrical connections, saves the electrical power otherwise expended in exciting the field, lessens the amount of internal heat generation, and increases power density.
Notwithstanding the above advantages, interior magnet machines have not been widely used because a viable method for mass producing an interior magnet machine at low cost has heretofore not been available. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,750, which describes an internal magnet rotor having a frame including a group of trough-shaped openings around the periphery thereof, extending parallel to the axis of the rotor frame, within the central portion thereof. A corresponding trough-shaped permanent magnet is inserted in each rotor frame opening.
Unfortunately, the rotor of the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,750 is difficult to efficiently mass produce because of the need to provide trough-shaped openings in the central portion of the rotor. In particular, the rotor frames must be made one at a time by a molding operation, or each trough-shaped opening must be individually cut from the central portion of the rotor frame. Molding or cutting are inherently slow and expensive, and as such, these rotors cannot be efficiently mass produced.
Moreover, besides being inefficient from a mass production standpoint, the machine described in the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,750 is inefficient, because of the flux leakage paths that are associated with the trough-shaped centrally located magnets. As is well known to those having skill in the art, flux leakage causes hysteresis loss, eddy current loss, heat production, and magnetic paths that operate at less than full saturation, resulting in low energy density and an increase in bulk and weight. Furthermore, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to uniformly magnetize these trough-shaped magnets, particularly at their respective ends.


Method and apparatus for receiving an access request for an array from a controller of a platform that abstracts, pools and automates physical storage for a data center, processing the access request with an API service, and analyzing the access request by a controller service after processing by the API service. The controller then requests a third party driver from a driver module for the array. The third party driver processes the request to access the array and receive data from the array.

As is known in the art, system components, such as storage arrays, can have proprietary interfaces for enabling access to the storage. Storage drivers for various arrays from various venders may need to be developed to enable a system to access the storage. Whenever a new array is released that will be supported by the system, the array features are studied by the proprietor of the system to develop a new driver for the array. As vendors upgrade existing arrays with new features, the existing driver may need to be modified to support the new features. It will be appreciated that the entity providing the system must expend significant resources supporting third party components, such as storage arrays.
In addition vendors may want to keep some or all of the array specification confidential rendering a driver obsolete. Further there could be some special purpose array of limited distribution for which it may be impractical to develop suitable drivers. It will be appreciated that a system supporting a variety of storage systems provided by third parties can become unduly burdensome over time.

Methods and apparatus for a storage system having storage automation with integrated drivers


A work site monitoring system includes a communication component receiving image data representing at least one image of a work site captured by an imaging apparatus of an unmanned aerial device. The system further includes a controller, with memory and processing architecture for executing instructions stored in the memory, coupled to the communication component. The controller includes a scene module, an object module, and a map module. The scene module is configured to evaluate the image data and generate a scene image of the work site based on at least the image data. The object module is configured to identify at least a first object in the image and to abstract the first object as object symbology. The map module is configured to generate a work site map with the object symbology layered onto the scene image.

In the construction, agriculture, mining, and forestry industries, many different types of work vehicles are operated to perform various tasks at work sites. Typically, multiple vehicles are used simultaneously and/or cooperatively in a number of tasks to accomplish an overall job. Managing and monitoring the entire work site may be challenging.


The invention is directed generally to oligonucleotide compositions for the treatment of DNA repeat expansion diseases. The invention also relates to oligonucleotides directed to subunits of the DNA mismatch repair system.

Genomic instability underlies an increasing number of disorders, plays a major role in cancer and contributes to aging. DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is essential for maintaining genome integrity. However, when it comes to certain types of repetitive DNA, MMR actually contributes to genome instability. MMR has been implicated in repeat expansions of numerous disorders including Huntington's disease (HD) and myotonic dystrophy (DM). Friedreich ataxia (FRDA), the most common inherited ataxia, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by GAA⋅TTC repeat expansion in the first intron of the frataxin (FXN) gene. Currently there is no treatment and no cure for Friedreich ataxia or any of the many other DNA repeat expansion diseases. While each of the individual repeat expansion diseases is rare or not necessarily common, in aggregate, the victims of the currently known repeat expansion diseases number over 100,000 in the United States alone.

Compositions and uses for treatment thereof

Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College


A coated cemented carbide member includes a cemented carbide base material containing a binder metal of at least one iron family metal and a hard phase, and a coating layer provided on the surface of the cemented carbide base material. The hard phase contains at least one metal component selected from carbides, nitrides, carbo-nitrides and carbonic nitrides of Zr and/or Hf and WC. A layer consisting of only WC and an iron family metal or a binder phase enriched layer or a low hardness layer is provided on an outermost surface of each insert edge portion of the cemented carbide base material. The coating layer is a single or multiple layer consisting of at least one metal component selected from carbides, nitrides, carbo-nitrides, oxides and borides of metals belonging to the groups IVB, VB and VIB of the periodic table. Due to this structure, it is possible to improve chipping resistance with no deterioration of wear resistance in the coated cemented carbide member to be used, for example, as a cutting tool.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coated cemented carbide member which is applied to a cutting tool or the like and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, it relates to a coated cemented carbide member which is excellent in toughness and wear resistance and to a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
A coated cemented carbide member, which comprises a cemented carbide base material and a coating layer of titanium carbide or the like vapor-deposited on its surface, is generally applied to a cutting tool of high efficiency for cutting a steel material, a casting or the like, due to toughness of the base material and wear resistance of the surface.
Cutting efficiency of such cutting tools has been improved in recent years. The cutting efficiency is determined by the product of a cutting speed (V) and an amount of feed (f). When the cutting speed V is increased, the tool life is rapidly reduced. Therefore, improvement of the cutting efficiency is attained by increasing the amount of feed f. In order to improve the cutting efficiency by increasing the amount of feed f, it is necessary to prepare a base material of the cutting tool from a tough material which can withstand high cutting stress.
In order to improve the cutting characteristics of a cutting tool by implementing inconsistent characteristics of wear resistance and chipping resistance, various proposals have been made in general. For example, there have been proposed cemented carbide base materials which are provided on outermost surfaces thereof with a layer (enriched layer) containing an iron group or family metal in a larger amount than that in the interior, a layer (.beta. free layer) consisting of only WC and a binder metal, and a region (low hardness layer) having lower hardness as compared with the interior, in order to improve wear resistance and chipping resistance.
In an insert shown in FIG. 1, however, absolutely no .beta. free layer is formed particularly in each cornered insert edge portion 1, while the thickness of the as-formed .beta. free layer is extremely reduced in a peripheral portion of such a corner. Further, the insert edge portion 1 has higher hardness than the interior due to reduction of a binder phase and increase of a hard phase, and hence it is impossible to attain sufficient wear resistance and chipping resistance. When generally known chemical vapor deposition is applied as a coating method in such a coated cemented carbide, a fragile .eta. phase is formed in the cornered insert edge portion 1 by reaction with carbon forming the base material during formation of the coating layer. Thus, chipping resistance is lowered and the coating layer fails with the .eta. phase portion, to increase the progress of wear.
In order to improve the strength of a cemented carbide, there is a method of increasing the amount of the binder phase contained in the cemented carbide. In this case, however, plastic deformation is caused in the insert when used under high cutting speed conditions due to a high temperature applied thereto, although the toughness is improved by such increase of the amount of the binder phase.
On the other hand, there is a method of increasing the amounts of additives such as Ti and Ta in the cemented carbide to improve heat resistance, thereby improving the tool life. In this case, however, strength of the cemented carbide is extremely reduced.


Difficulties with starting reliability and/or combustion stability in hot gas generating systems are avoided in a construction including a storage vessel (36) for storing an oxidant, a fuel supply (22) and combustion chamber (26) having an out outlet (30) for hot gas. A fuel injection nozzle (28) provides fuel from the supply (22) to the combustion chamber (26) while an oxidant duct (44) connects the vessel (36) to the combustion chamber (26). A choked orifice (46) is disposed in the duct (44) just upstream of the combustion chamber (26) and a bypass duct (50) interconnects the combustion chamber outlet (30) and the oxidant duct (44) between the choke orifice (46) and the combustion chamber (26). A selectively operable valve (53) is disposed in the bypass duct (50) and a pressure regulator (44) is disposed in the oxidant duct (44) for selectively controlling the pressure of oxidant applied to the choked orifice (46).

Increased sophistication in aircraft has resulted in so-called "fly-by-wire" aircraft wherein the controls operated by the pilot and the control surfaces responsive to such controls are not directly mechanically coupled. Rather, the same may be coupled by electrical or hydraulic systems That in turn requires that electrical or hydraulic energy be available at all times or else the link between the controls and the control surfaces is lost.
Consequently, such aircraft require advanced airborne secondary power systems that are operable to provide the requisite electrical or hydraulic energy in a very short period of time following failure of a primary power system. For example, the same must be capable of virtually instant start up from an inactive condition, whether at sea level or extremely high altitudes in excess of 50,000 feet. While this requirement does not present a great deal of difficulty at many altitudes, at the high altitudes, where the air is the least dense, starting of a secondary power system, which is typically turbine driven, such that energy therefrom will be available to operate control surfaces in response to control commands within the requisite elapsed time of two or three seconds poses special difficulties.
One prior art proposal includes the use of hydrazine which is stored on board the aircraft. The hydrazine is applied to a catalytic chamber wherein it decomposes and generates gas under pressure sufficient to drive a turbine wheel and accelerate the same to the point where turbine operation can become self-sustaining at high altitudes. While this works well, storage of unstable material such as hydrazine aboard aircraft is not desirable and the same requires special handling and may not be readily available for use at remote sites.
To obtain the benefits of a stored energy system while avoiding the difficulties that accompany the use of material such as hydrazine, it has been proposed to provide an auxiliary combustor in which the usual fuel employed to power the aircraft is combusted with a stored oxidant which may be air, oxygen enriched air or even, in some instances, molecular oxygen. Because of the need for rapid start up of such systems, substantial gas flows from the auxiliary combustor may be required to achieve the desired acceleration of the turbine wheel so that the secondary system may be generating the required amount of electrical or hydraulic energy within two or three seconds. Kenney et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,873,577 issued Feb. 17, 1959 recognized that the flow rate of a combustible mixture in a combustor of a gas driven turbine considerably affects the ignitability of the mixture. And of course, it has long been recognized that flame stability in a combustor of a gas driven turbine is likewise affected by flow rates. Further, since the flow rate of the combustible mixture through the combustor will affect the flow rate of the products of combustion from the combustor to the turbine, the flow rate factor must be examined.
If one concerns oneself only with the necessary flow rate required to rapidly accelerate the turbine wheel, one may find oneself in the position of having a system wherein the flow rate of the combustible mixture to the combustor is sufficiently high that starting reliability and/or combustion stability are sacrificed. Conversely, if one concerns oneself primarily with starting reliability and combustion stability, the required flow rate for acceleration of the turbine wheel may not be obtained or, if obtained, may require the use of a relatively large combustor. A large combustor will necessarily add weight and volume to the system, something that is not desirable in aircraft installations.
Still another difficulty results from the fact that varying systems have various flow rate requirements. Consequently, to meet these variations, it has been necessary to design a combustor unique to each particular system so as to achieve the desired flow rate, as well as reliable ignition. This, of course, increases the costs because of the need for a unique design for each system.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the above problems.

Stored energy, wide energy range turbine starting engine


A sealing device for a gas turbine stator blade, in which an outer shroud (32) is mounted by heat insulating rings (32a,32b) on a blade ring (50). The blade ring (50) has a first air hole (1), which communicates with a space (53), and a second air hole (51), which communicates with a seal tube (2). The seal tube (2) is inserted into the second air hole (51), and a spring (6) is arranged between a projection (4) of the tube (2) and a retaining portion (5) of the air hole (51) to removably secure the seal tube (2). Cooling air (54) flows through the first air hole (1) to cool the shrouds and the inside of a stator blade (31) until it is released from the trailing edge of the blade. The cooling air also flows into a cavity (36) so that a high pressure can be maintained without a pressure loss because the tube (2) is independent of the space (53) in the blade ring.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a stator blade for a gas turbine, which is enabled by improving the feed of sealing air to reduce leakage of the air thereby to feed the air to an inner shroud efficiently and by cooling the sealing air to reduce the clearance between a rotor side and a stationary side at a rated running time.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 14 is a general block diagram of a gas turbine, which is constructed to include a compressor 150, a turbine 151 and a combustor 152. A fuel is burned in the combustor 152 with the air coming from the compressor 150 so that a hot combustion gas is fed to the turbine 151. This combustion gas flows through a combustion gas passage, in which moving blades mounted on a rotor and stator blades are alternately arranged in multiple stages, to rotate the rotor thereby to drive a power generator connected directly to the rotor. Since the turbine 151 is exposed to the hot combustion gas, the air from the compressor 150 is partially bled and fed to the turbine 151 to cool the stator blades, the moving blades and the rotor.
FIG. 15 is a sectional view showing a sealing air feed line to a representative stator blade of a prior art gas turbine, and shows the construction of the blades in the turbine 151 of FIG. 14.
In FIG. 15, reference numeral 21 designates a moving blade including a platform 22, a seal plate 23 under the platform 22, two end portions 24 and 25 of the platform 22, and a blade root 26. A plurality of moving blades 21 each composed of those members, are arranged in the circumferential direction of the rotor.
Reference numeral 31 designates a stator blade which is arranged adjacent to the moving blade 21. Numeral 32 designates an outer shroud, and numeral 33 designates an inner shroud. Numerals 34 and 35 designate two end portions of the inner shroud 33, and numeral 36 designates a cavity under the inner shroud 33. Numeral 37 designates a seal ring retaining, ring which has a labyrinth seal 37a at its end portion and which slides with respect to the rotating portion of the blade root 26 on the moving blade side. Numeral 38 designates an air hole that is formed through the seal ring retaining ring 37 to provide communication between the cavity 36 and a space at the blade root 26 of the adjoining moving blade 21. Numerals 40a and 40b designate seal portions between the platform 22 and the inner shroud 33. The seal portions adjoining each other and are constructed by fitting seal members between the end portions 24 and 34, and the end portions 25 and 35.
Numeral 50 designates a blade ring, on the inner side of which the outer shroud 32 of the stator blade 31 is fixed through heat insulating rings 32a and 32b. Numeral 51 designates an air hole, which is formed in the blade ring 50. The air hole 51 communicates with a space 53, which is formed by the blade ring 50, the heat insulating rings 32a and 32b and the outer shroud 32. The space 53 is connected at its leading end with an air source leading from the not-shown compressor. Numeral 52 designates a seal tube which extends from the outer shroud 32 in the stator blade 31 through the inner shroud 33.
In the construction thus far described, cooling air 54 from the compressor is fed from the air hole 51 of the blade ring 50 and into a space 53. This cooling air 54 flows on one side through the seal tube 52 into the cavity 36 under the inner shroud 33. The cooling air from this cavity is blown from the air hole 38, as indicated by arrow S1, into the trailing side space of the adjoining moving blade 21 at the upstream side and further through the labyrinth seal 37a into the leading side space of the moving blade 21 at the trailing stage, as indicated by arrow S2. These cooling air flows S1 and S2 emanate from the seal portions 40a and 40b, respectively, to prevent the combustion gas from entering the inside of the inner shroud 33.
As shown in FIG. 16, the air that has entered the space 53 cools the face of the outer shroud 32 and enters the cooling passage in the stator blade, so that it is blown out of the holes of the trailing edge while cooling the blade inside, until it is released into the combustion gas passage.
In the sealing structure thus far described, the air hole 51 of the blade ring has a diameter of 2 to 50 mm, and the seal tube 52 is limited in its internal diameter by the thickness and the camber of the blades. As a result, the in flow of air is subjected to a pressure loss so that its pressure drops. In addition, the cooling air having entered the space 53 leaks from clearances between the outer shroud 32 and the heat insulating rings 32a and 32b, as indicated by arrows S3 and S4.
One example of the pressure situations resulting from the aforementioned leakage will now be described. The cooling air 54 flowing into the air hole 51 of the blade ring 50 has a pressure of about 6 Kg /cm.sup.2. This pressure is lowered to about 5 Kg/cm.sup.2 in the space 53 by the pressure loss and further to 3.5 Kg/cm.sup.2 in the cavity 36 due to the pressure loss. This pressure level is equal to the pressure of 3.5 Kg/cm.sup.2 between between the moving blade 21 and the stator blade 31 adjoining each other so that the sealing effect is deteriorated.
A first problem of the sealing structure for the prior art gas turbine stator blade thus far described, is that the cooling air fed from the air hole 51 of the blade ring 50 leaks from the clearances between the outer shroud 32 and the heat insulating rings 32a and 32b, even though it flows into the space 53 between the blade ring 50 and the outer shroud 32 and into the cavity 36 under the inner shroud 33 from the seal tube 52. On the other hand, the cooling air is subjected to a pressure loss in the seal tube 52 so that its pressure drops when it flows into the cavity 36 of the inner shroud. As a result, the difference in the pressure of the combustion gas disappears to make it difficult for the cooling air to maintain sufficient pressure as the sealing air.
FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing a stator blade of the prior art gas turbine and explains the cooling of the stator blade mainly although the stator blade has the same structure as that of FIG. 15. In the stator blade 31, as shown in FIG. 16, air passages 80A, 80B and 80C are sequentially formed to form a serpentine passage. Reference numeral 80D designates the trailing edge of the blade, which has a number of film cooling air holes 60. The seal tube 52 vertically extends through the stator blade 31. The seal tube 52 opens at its lower end into cavity 36. The seal ring retaining ring 37 retains the flange of the inner shroud 33 and the labyrinth seal 37a. The air hole 38 is formed in the retaining ring 37 to provide communication between the cavity 36 and a space 72 between the adjoining moving blade. The outer shroud 32 has a cooling air feeding hole 62. Note the numeral 21 designates the adjoining moving blade 21.
In the stator blade thus constructed, cooling air 70 is fed from the hole 62 of the outer shroud 32 to the air passage 80A on the leading edge side of the stator blade 31, and the air then flows at the inner side into the next air passage 80B and then at the outer side into the adjoining air passage 80C. The cooling air 70 then flows at the inner side to cool the stator blade 31 sequentially and eventually flows from the air holes 60 of the trailing edge 80D along the outer surfaces of the trailing edge to provide a film cooling effect.
From the open end of the seal tube 52 of the outer shroud 32, cooling air 71 for the cooling operation flows from the lower end of the seal tube 52 into the cavity 36, as shown in FIG. 16, and this portion of the air flows from the air hole 38 formed in the cavity 36 into the space 72 between the former and the adjoining moving blade and further through the labyrinth seal 37a into a forward space 73. Thus, the cooling air flows from the seal tube 52 into the cavity 36 to keep the inside of the cavity 36 at a higher pressure level than that in the outside combustion gas passage to thereby prevent the hot combustion gas from entering the interior of spaces 72, 73. Although not shown, the air from the compressor passes the disc cavity and flows from the radial hole formed in the blade root 26 to the inside of the platform 22 and is guided to cool the moving blade 21.
The prior art gas turbine stator blade is provided with the air passage for cooling, as has been described hereinbefore. This air passage is ordinarily formed as a serpentine passage, and the cooling air is fed from the outer shroud into the air passage to cool the inside of the stator blade until it is released from the trailing edge. Separately of the cooling purpose, the seal tube extends through the stator blade to feed a portion of the cooling air as the sealing air from the outer shroud into the cavity of the inner shroud, which is kept at a higher pressure than that in the external combustion gas passage to prevent the hot combustion gas from entering the cavity of the inner shroud.
In the stator blade cooling system thus far described, the cooling air is fed for the cooling purpose and for the sealing purpose. The cooling air cools the stator blade and is then released from the trailing edge to the combustion gas passage. On the other hand, a portion of the cooling air is bled as sealing air and is fed through the seal tube to the cavity so that it is released from the cavity into the spaces between the former and the adjoining front and rear moving blades. In addition to the pressure loss of the foregoing first embodiment, therefore, a second problem of the sealing device for the gas turbine stator blade arises from the fact that large amounts of air are consumed for the cooling and sealing purposes so that the capacity of the compressor must be increased thereby adversely affecting the performance of the gas turbine.
FIG. 17 is a section showing a general blade cascade of the gas turbine and the entire cascade of the stator blades shown in FIG. 15 or 16. Reference numerals 81C, 82C, 83C and 84C in FIG. 17 designate the stator blades, which are individually arranged in a plurality of radial rows around the rotor and on the stationary side. Numerals 81S, 82S, 83S and 84S designate the moving blades which are mounted around the rotor through their respective roots and which are axially arranged alternately of the rows of stator blades so that they may rotate together with the rotor. Numerals 111C, 112C, 113C and 114C designate the individual inner shrouds of the stator blades 81C to 84C, respectively, and numerals 1115, 1125, 1135 and 1145 designate the individual platforms of the moving blades 81S to 84S.
Numerals 37-1, 37-2 and 37-3 designate the seal ring retaining rings, which are respectively fixed on the flanges of the inner shrouds 111C to 114C of the stator blades 81C to 84C and are arranged in an annular shape around the rotor. These seal ring retaining rings 37-1 to 37-3 retain on their interiors the labyrinth seals (or seal rings) adjacent to the rotor. Thus, in the example shown in FIG. 17, the gas turbine is constructed of the stator blades and the moving blades of four stages. With this construction, the rotor is rotated by the combustion gas to drive a generator.
In the gas turbine, as described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, the stator blades, the moving blades and the rotor are exposed to the hot gas which is 800 to 1,000.degree. C. at the entrance or up to 1,500.degree. C., as developed in recent years, so that these components are cooled by the cooling air by bleeding the air from the compressor. A constant clearance is necessary between the rotor side and the stationary side of the members. In FIG. 17, a clearance CR' is maintained between the lower end of the labyrinth seal 37a, supported by the seal ring retaining ring 37, and the opposing face on the rotor side. Between the individual turbine stages, the clearance CR' is a minimum from the start to the rated rotating speed by the time difference of the thermal elongation between the rotor side and the stationary side and increases from the minimum when the rated rotating speed is reached as the clearance is heated by the combustion gas. The clearance CR' is preferably small for the higher sealing performance. Since the clearance is at a minimum after the start by the aforementioned characteristics, however, the design value cannot be made so small while estimating not only that minimum but also the vibration during the run and manufacture error. Therefore, a third problem is that a large clearance will cause the sealing performance to deteriorate when the rotation reaches the rated value. Thus, there is a need to optimize the clearance in order to improve the drop of sealing pressure due to the pressure loss associated with the aforementioned first problem and the consumption of the high flow rate of the air in the second embodiment and to reduce the clearance during the run.

Device for sealing gas turbine stator blades


A built-up tool carriage includes a base supported on wheels, which has a transverse handhold on the front edge thereof for moving the carriage with the hand, a back panel and two side panels attached to the base at right angles through tenon-and-groove joints, two front door panels respectively hinged to the side panels, which includes one having a plurality of holes on the inside for inserting hooks for hanging tools and the other having tool compartments of different sizes and shapes on the inside for keeping different tools and accessories, a plurality of sliding boxes moved to slide in and out between the side panels, and a top cover hinged to the back panel and covered over the side panels and the front door panels on the top. Connecting rods are inserted into aligned holes on the side panels, the base and the back panel and secured by hand screws. Bolts which have each a front split cone are inserted through holes on the front door panels and the top cover, and holes on the top cover and the back panel to connect them in place.

The present invention relates to tool carriages, and relates more particularly to a built-up tool carriage for carrying a variety of tools which can be conveniently set up or collapsed with the hands.
Various portable tool boxes and chests are known and widely in use for the advantage of mobility. However, a portable tool box or chest has a limited space for keeping a small quantity tools. Increasing the size of a portable tool box or chest makes it heavy and inconvenient to carry. If a tool cabinet is used for keeping a big quantity of tools, it can only be place at a fixed place. In order to eliminate this problem, there are disclosed various wheeled tool cabinets for carrying tools from place to place. These mobile tool cabinets may be made from metal or plastic materials. However, a mobile metal tool cabinet is heavy and inconvenient for delivery, and its manufacturing cost is also high. Although a mobile plastic tool cabinet is light weight it is still inexpensive to manufacture because an expensive, big scale molding tool is required for making the big housing of a tool cabinet. Furthermore, these conventional mobile tool cabinets are commonly factory-made and not collapsible, they do not meet the requirements of do-it-yourself.


A focal-plane detector imaging system that can tolerate higher intensity optical beams than prior systems, without a reduction in the system's field-of-view, comprises an imaging lens, a fiber optic array positioned at the image plane of the imaging lens and an image detector positioned at the output end of the fiber optic array. The optical fibers that make up the fiber array have core diameters that are larger than the focal spot of an incoming optical beam. In operation, the fiber array transfers the imaged scene to the image detector at its output end. The focused optical beam is also transferred to the image detector at the array's output end, but its diameter is enlarged due to its angular divergence. In a preferred embodiment, the f-number of the imaging lens, diameter of the fiber cores, and the lengths of the fibers in the array are designed so that, as the power of an incoming optical beam increases, the optical damage threshold of the fiber array is reached before that of the image detector. An LCLV imaging system that incorporates the present invention is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to imaging systems, and more particularly to a focal-plane detector imaging system that is resistant to potentially damaging high intensity optical beams.
2. Description of the Related Art
Imaging systems with focal plane detectors are used in devices that are designed to protect the human eye from exposure to potentially damaging optical radiation, particularly laser radiation. One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,542, entitled "LIQUID CRYSTAL LIGHT VALVE GOGGLES FOR EYE PROTECTION", issued Jan. 14, 1992 to Uzi Efron et al., and assigned to Hughes Aircraft Company, the assignee of the present invention.
In this device, an imaging lens images a scene under observation onto a photoconductive liquid crystal light valve (LCLV). The LCLV reproduces the imaged scene in a spectral range to which the human eye is sensitive. The observer views the reproduced scene and is thereby shielded from potentially harmful optical radiation.
The image detectors that are used in these eye-protection devices, such as the LCLV used in the device described above, typically have relatively low optical damage thresholds. Since the image detector is positioned at the image plane of the imaging lens, an incoming optical beam will be focused onto the image detector. The resulting optical intensity can very easily damage the detector and render the imaging device inoperative. One way to reduce the optical intensity at the image detector is to increase the diameter of the focused optical beam (increase the focal spot diameter), which can be accomplished by using an imaging lens with a high f-number. However, as the f-number of the imaging lens is increased, the field-of-view of the device is reduced.

Focal-plane detector imaging system with improved optical damage threshold


The present invention comprises a system and method for determining the reverse voltage and time to apply to the dechucking of a workpiece from an electrostatic chuck (ESC). The system for dechucking comprises a processing chamber operatively coupled to a microprocessor and a memory that is configured to determine the dechucking parameters for the workpiece. The method for determining dechucking parameters comprises generating a correlation between ESC resistance and dechucking parameters, performing a single experimental test on a new ESC and generating a fitting parameter, and using the correlation and the fitting parameter to determine the dechucking parameters.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention is related to processing of dielectric or semiconductor materials. More particularly, the invention is related to releasing a dielectric or semiconductor workpiece from an electrostatic chuck.
2. Description of Related Art
During the process of wafer processing or glass processing, an electrostatic chuck (ESC) is used to clamp the semiconductor or dielectric workpiece to a metal holder. The ESC operates like a capacitor in that a static charge is built up between the workpiece and the metal holder to clamp or secure the workpiece on the metal holder. The process of semiconductor or dielectric processing deposits a substantial amount of power on the workpiece. In order to cool the workpiece during processing, a heat transfer medium is needed to transfer heat from the workpiece to a heat sink. The heat sink is the metal holder which has been water cooled. The heat transfer medium is a gas such as helium which is capable of transferring heat from the workpiece to the water-cooled metal holder. The ESC is the preferred clamping device to hold the workpiece against the metal holder.
Upon completion of the processing, the workpiece must be removed from the metal holder. A residual sticking force remains between the ESC and the workpiece after the clamping force has been turned off. The process of removing the workpiece due to this sticking force is referred to as "dechucking" or declamping the workpiece. The dechucking process is complicated by the variation in dechucking values for each individual ESC. Therefore, the dechucking values used for one ESC do not necessarily work for another ESC, even if each ESC is made by the same manufacturer using the same materials. Additionally, a single ESC has electrical properties that depend on temperature, so the dechucking values at one temperature do not necessarily work for the same ESC at a different temperature.
Prior art systems and methods for dechucking teach a variety of different dechucking methods. By way of example, Watanabe et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,121 teaches a dechucking apparatus that applies a reverse polarity voltage for a period of time. The patent teaches different dechucking voltages and dechucking time that may be stored in a computer for use with different values of the clamping voltage and for different durations of the clamping voltage. However, the patent fails to teach, inter alia, a method for determining the optimum dechucking parameters. Additionally, the patent fails to teach a system and method that accounts for the variability in the electrical properties for each ESC. Further still, the patent fails to address how the changes in temperature affect the dechucking process.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,632, U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,850, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,603 Birang et al. describes a dechucking method in which an optimum dechucking value is determined that allows the workpiece to be removed from the chuck with much less force. Birang teaches an automatic method of establishing the dechucking voltage by connecting the chucking voltage supply between the chuck electrode and the semiconductor wafer while the wafer is some distance above the chuck, and then measuring the surge of current flow from the chucking voltage supply when the wafer is lowered on to the upper dielectric of the chuck. Furthermore, Birang teaches a method that determines the optimum dechucking voltage by reducing the applied potential on the ESC electrode from the relatively high chucking voltage downwardly in small steps while monitoring the leak rate of the helium beneath the wafer. However, Birang fails to teach an efficient system and method for calculating the dechucking voltage and time at various temperatures for a batch of ESCs. Additionally, Birang fails to teach the monitoring of the current when the workpiece is lifted from the chuck. Further still, Birang fails to teach a method to measure the chuck resistance.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,793,192, Kubly et al. teaches the use of dechucking voltage for a dechucking period and provides a method for choosing the optimum dechucking values. The dechucking values of voltage and time are calculated by supplying various clamping voltages, and measurements are taken of the time it takes for the heat transfer gas to pop the wafer off the chuck. This method of calculating voltages and times is inefficient because each chuck must be analyzed individually at the various clamping voltages. Additionally, this method does not take into consideration temperature effects.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,818,682, Loo teaches a method and an apparatus that predicts an optimal period over which a dechucking voltage is applied to an ESC to achieve dechucking of a workpiece. Loo teaches a dechucking period and dechucking voltage that is related to the chucking period, chucking voltage and a constant. Loo's method and apparatus fails to use temperature, chuck current, and chuck resistance for determining dechucking parameters of reverse voltage and time.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,025, which is hereby incorporated by reference, Howald et al. teaches at least one method of dechucking. The method includes the process steps of reducing the voltage applied to the dielectric workpiece without reversing the polarity of the voltage via the electrode and insulator while workpiece processing proceeds. Another of the dechucking steps includes reversing the polarity of the DC voltage applied to the electrode upon completion of the workpiece processing. However, the method fails to teach the use of temperature and chuck resistance for determining dechucking parameters of reverse voltage and time.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide a system and method for dechucking that is simple to implement.
Additionally, it would be beneficial to provide a system and method for dechucking that takes into consideration the temperature effects on the ESC.
Further still, it would be beneficial to provide a system and method for dechucking that takes into consideration the electrical properties for each ESC.
Furthermore, it would be beneficial to provide a system and method for dechucking that is dependent on the unique properties associated with each ESC.
Further still, it would be beneficial to provide a system and method for dechucking that can be implemented for a batch of ESCs.
Further still, it would be beneficial to provide a system and method for dechucking that is not dependent on the length of time for which the chucking voltage is applied.
Further still, it would be beneficial to provide a system and method that can reliably model the ESC dechucking values.
Further still, it would be beneficial to provide a system and method for dechucking that can be implemented by programming an etch tool to perform the dechucking operations rather than present day methods that rely on the tool operator.

System and method for dechucking a workpiece from an electrostatic chuck


The latch mechanism includes a drawer pull at the front of the drawer. Under the top flange of the drawer pull is a channel in which a latch bar is slidably movable from side to side. One end of the latch bar carries a hook which is spring loaded to its latched position. When it is desired to open the drawer, the user places his fingertips beneath the pull and against the latch bar and moves the slide bar to its unlatched position.

Cabinets with drawers are constructed so that each drawer either automatically latches when closed or requires positive operation of an actuator to be latched. Drawers in filing cabinets are usually of the former character, while drawers in rolling cabinets in the marketplace must be positively actuated to latch them closed. The present application deals with a latch mechanism that is placed in its latched position automatically when the drawer is closed. It should be understood that latch mechanisms are separate from key-operated locks that may be included in cabinets. This application deals with the former, not locks.
In most latch mechanisms, the actuator is pivoted or rotated between its latched and unlatched conditions. When the cabinet is of the rolling type, that is, it is moved from place to place on its rollers, such latch mechanisms tend to inadvertently open, particularly if the floor is uneven. Known mechanisms incorporating a sliding structure have an actuator which is grasped by the user at a particular point to open it. When the pull extends across the drawer, it is more difficult to use if the user is required to grasp it at only one point.
Certain known drawer latch mechanisms require the use of two hands, one to unlatch the mechanism and the other to grasp the drawer pull and open the drawer. Also, they are unsightly because their actuators are visible.

Sliding latch mechanism for a cabinet drawer


Antibodies to Tumor Necrosis Factor receptors (TNF-Rs) which inhibit the cytocidal effect of TNF but not its binding to the TNF-Rs, and ligands interacting with other receptors of the TNF/NGF family, are provided together with methods of producing them. The antibodies preferably bind to the fourth cysteine rich domain of the p75 TNF receptor or to the region between said fourth cysteine rich domain and the cell membrane.

The present invention relates to ligands to Tumor Necrosis Factor receptors (TNF-Rs) which inhibit the effect of TNF but not its binding to the TNF-Rs, as well as to ligands interacting with other receptors of the TNF/NGF family.
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a pleiotropic cytokine, produced by a number of cell types, mainly by activated macrophages. It is one of the principal mediators of the immune and inflammatory response. Interest in its function has greatly increased, recently, in view of evidence of the involvement of TNF in the pathogenesis of a wide range of disease states, including endotoxin shock, cerebral malaria and graft-versus-host reaction. Since many of the effects of TNF are deleterious to the organism, it is of great interest to find ways of blocking its action on host cells. An evident target for such intervention are the molecules to which TNF has to bind in order to exert its effects, namely the TNF-Rs. These molecules exist not only in cell-bound, but also in soluble forms, consisting of the cleaved extra-cellular domains of the intact receptors (see Nophar et al., EMBO Journal, 9(10):3269-78, 1990). The soluble receptors maintain the ability to bind TNF, and thus have the ability to block its function by competition with surface receptors.
Another method of TNF inhibition based on the principle of competing with cell-bound molecules, is the use of antibodies recognizing TNF receptors and blocking the ligand binding.
The cell surface TNF-Rs are expressed in almost all cells of the body. The various effects of TNF, the cytotoxic, growth-promoting and others, are all signaled by the TNF receptors upon the binding of TNF to them. Two forms of these receptors, which differ in molecular size: 55 and 75 kilodaltons, have been described, and will be called herein p55 and p75 TNF-R, respectively. It should be noted, however, that there exist publications which refer to these receptors also as p60 and p80.
The TNF-Rs belong to a family of receptors which are involved in other critical biological processes. Examples of these receptors are the low affinity NGF receptor, which plays an important role in the regulation of growth and differentiation of nerve cells. Several other receptors are involved in the regulation of lymphocyte growth, such as CDw40 and some others. Another member of the family is the FAS receptor also called APO, a receptor which is involved in signaling for apoptosis and which, based on a study with mice deficient in its function, seems to play an important role in the etiology of a lupus-like disease. Herein, this family of receptors is called xe2x80x9cTNF/NGF receptor familyxe2x80x9d.
One of the most striking features of TNF compared to other cytokines, thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of several diseases, is its ability to elicit cell death. The cell-killing activity of TNF is thought to be induced by the p55 receptor. However, this p55 receptor activity can be assisted by the p75 receptor, through a yet unknown mechanism.
Parent application No. 07/524,263 and European Patent publications 398,327 and 412,486 disclose antibodies to the soluble TNF-Rs. These antibodies were found to recognize the soluble TNF-Rs and to inhibit the binding of TNF to the TNF-Rs on the cell surface. Monovalent F(ab) fragments blocked the effect of TNF, while intact antibodies were observed to mimic the cytotoxic effect of TNF. European patent publication 585,939 describes ligands interacting with a certain region in TNF-Rs.
The present invention provides a ligand to a member of the TNF/NGF receptor family, which binds either to the region of the fourth cysteine rich domain of such a receptor, or to the receptor between it and the cell membrane.
The region of the fourth cysteine rich domain will be called herein, for simplicity""s sake, the xe2x80x9c67 epitopexe2x80x9d and the antibodies recognizing it the xe2x80x9cgroup 67xe2x80x9d antibodies. This region may extend between about amino acids pro-141 and thr-179 in the p75 TNF-R (residues 163-201 of SEQ ID NO:2) or a corresponding region in another member of the TNF/NGF family. More particularly, the region may extend between about amino acids pro-141 and cys-163 of the p75 TNF-R (residues 163-185 of SEQ ID NO:2) or a corresponding region in another member of the TNF/NGF family. The ligand downstream of the fourth cysteine rich domain includes the amino acid sequence between about thr-179 and about the end of the extracellular domain of the receptor (residues 201-257 of SEQ ID NO:2) or a corresponding region in another member of the TNF/NGF family.
Preferably, the receptor is the TNF-R, in particular the p75 TNF-R.
One such ligand includes the amino acid sequence for the CDR region of the heavy chain of monoclonal antibody no. 67, and/or of the light chain thereof.
Another such ligand includes the amino acid sequence for the CDR region of the heavy chain of monoclonal antibody no. 81, and/or the light chain thereof.
Yet another such ligand includes the amino acid sequence or antibody against the xe2x80x9cstalkxe2x80x9d region, i.e., from about amino acid thr-181 to about amino acid 235-asp.
The ligands may comprise, for example, proteins, peptides, immunoadhesins, antibodies or other organic compounds.
The proteins may comprise, for example, a fusion protein of the ligand with another protein, optionally linked by a peptide linker. Such a fusion protein can increase the retention time of the ligand in the body, and thus may even allow the ligand-protein complex to be employed as a latent agent or as a vaccine.
The term xe2x80x9cproteinsxe2x80x9d includes muteins and fused proteins, their salts, functional derivatives and active fractions
xe2x80x9cFunctional derivativesxe2x80x9d as used herein cover derivatives of the ligands and their fused proteins and muteins, which may be prepared from the functional groups which occur as side chains on the residues or the N- or C-terminal groups, by means known in the art, and are included in the invention as long as they remain pharmaceutically acceptable, i.e., they cannot destroy the activity of the ligand and do not confer toxic properties on compositions containing it. These derivatives may, for example, include polyethylene glycol side-chains which may mask antigenic sites and extend the residence of the ligands in body fluids. Other derivatives include aliphatic esters of the carboxyl groups, amides of the carboxyl groups by reaction with ammonia or with primary or secondary amines, N-acyl derivatives of free amino groups of the amino acid residues formed with acyl moieties (e.g., alkanoyl or carbocyclic aroyl groups) or O-acyl derivatives of free hydroxyl groups (for example, that of seryl or threonyl residues) formed with acyl moieties.
As xe2x80x9cactive fractionsxe2x80x9d of the ligands, its fused proteins and its muteins, the present invention covers any fragment or precursors of the polypeptide chain of the ligand alone or together with associated molecules or residues linked thereto, e.g., sugar or phosphate residues, or aggregates of the protein molecule or the sugar residues by themselves, provided said fraction has the same biological and/or pharmaceutical activity.
As used herein the term xe2x80x9cmuteinsxe2x80x9d refers to analogs of the proteins, peptides and the like in which one or more or the amino acid residues of the protein found to bind are replaced by different amino acid residues or are deleted, or one or more amino acid residues are added to the original sequence, without changing considerably the activity of the resulting product. These muteins are prepared by known synthesis and/or by size-directed mutagenesis techniques, or any other known technique suitable therefor.
The term xe2x80x9cfused proteinxe2x80x9d refers to a polypeptide comprising the ligands or a mutein thereof fused with another protein which has an extended residence time in body fluids. The ligands may thus be fused to another protein, polypeptide or the like, e.g., an immunoglobulin or a fragment thereof.
The term xe2x80x9csaltsxe2x80x9d herein refers to both salts or carboxyl groups and to- acid addition salts of amino groups of the ligands, muteins and fused proteins thereof. Salts of a carboxyl group may be formed by means known in the art and include inorganic salts, for example, sodium, calcium, ammonium, ferric or zinc salts, and the like, and salts with organic bases as those formed, for example, with amines, such as triethanolamine, arginine or lysine, piperidine, procaine and the like. Acid addition salts include, for example, salts with mineral acids such as, for example, hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid, and salts with organic acids such as, for example, acetic acid or oxalic acid.
The peptides include peptide bond replacements and/or peptide mimetics, i.e., pseudopeptides, as known in the art (see, e.g., Proceedings of the 20th European Peptide Symposium, ed. G. Jung, E. Bayer, pp. 289-336, and references therein), as well as salts and pharmaceutical preparations and/or formulations which render the bioactive peptide(s) particularly suitable for oral, topical, nasal spray, ocular, pulmonary, I.V. or subcutaneous delivery, depending on the particular treatment indicated. Such salts, formulations, amino acid replacements and pseudopeptide structures may be necessary and desirable to enhance the stability, formulation, deliverability (e.g., slow release, prodrugs), or to improve the economy of production, as long as they do not adversely affect the biological activity of the peptide.
Besides substitutions, three particular forms of peptide mimetic and/or analogue structures of particular relevance when designating bioactive peptides, which have to bind to a receptor while risking the degradation by proteinases and peptidases in the blood, tissues and elsewhere, may be mentioned specifically, illustrated by the following examples: Firstly, the inversion of backbone chiral centres leading to D-amino acid residue structures may, particularly at the N-terminus, lead to enhanced stability for proteolytical degradation without adversely affecting activity. An example is given in the paper xe2x80x9cTritriated D-ala1-Peptide T Bindingxe2x80x9d, Smith C. S. et al., Drug Development Res. 15, pp. 371-379 (1988). Secondly, cyclic structure for stability, such as N to C interchain imides and lactams (Ede et al. in Smith and Rivier (Eds.) xe2x80x9cPeptides: Chemistry and Biology., Escom, Leiden (1991), pp. 268-270), and sometimes also receptor binding may be enhanced by forming cyclic analogues. An example of this is given in xe2x80x9cConfirmationally restricted thymopentin-like compoundsxe2x80x9d, U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,489 (1985), Goldstein, G. et al. Thirdly, the introduction of ketomethylene, methylsufide or retroinverse bonds to replace peptide bonds, i.e., the interchange of the CO and NH moieties are likely to enhance both stability and potency. An example of this type is given in the paper xe2x80x9cBiologically active retroinverso analogues of thymopentinxe2x80x9d, Sisto A. et al in Rivier, J. E. and Marshall, G. R. (eds) Peptides, Chemistry, Structure and Biologyxe2x80x9d, Escom, Leiden (1990), pp. 722-773).
The peptides of the invention can be synthesized by various methods which are known in principle, namely by chemical coupling methods (cf. Wunsch, E: xe2x80x9cMethoden der organischen Chemietxe2x80x9d, Volume 15, Band 1+2, Synthese von Peptiden, thime Verlag, Stutt (1974), and Barrany, G.; Marrifield, R. B.: xe2x80x9cThe Peptidesxe2x80x9d, eds. E. Gross, J. Meienhofer, Volume 2, Chapter 1, pp. 1-284, Academic Press (1980)), or by enzymatic coupling methods (cf. Widmer, F. Johansen, J. T., Carlsberg Res. Commun., Vol.44, pp. 37-46 (1979), and Kullmann, W.: xe2x80x9cEnzymatic Peptide Synthesisxe2x80x9d, CRC Press Inc. Boca Raton, Fla. (1987), and Widmer, F., Johansen, J. T. in xe2x80x9cSynthetic Peptides in Biology and Medicinesxe2x80x9d, eds. Alitalo, K., Partanen, P., Vatieri, A., pp.79-86, Elsevier, Amsterdam (1985)), or by a combination of chemical and enzymatic methods if this is advantageous for the process design and economy.
A cysteine residue may be added at both the amino and carboxy terminals of the peptide, which will allow the cyclization of the peptide by the formation of a disulphide bond.
Any modifications to the peptides of the present invention which do not result in a decrease in biological activity are within the scope of the present invention.
There are numerous examples which illustrate the ability of anti-idiotypic antibodies (anti-Id Abs) to an antigen to function like that antigen in its interaction with animal cells and components of cells. Thus, anti-Id Abs to a peptide hormone antigen can have hormone-like activity and interact specifically with a mediator in the same way as the receptor does. (For a review of these properties see: Gaulton, G. N. and Greane, M. I. 1986. Idiotypic mimicry of biological receptors, Ann. Rev. Immunol. Vol. 4, pp. 253-280; Sege K. and Peterson, P. A., 1978, Use of anti-idiotypic antibodies as cell surface receptor probes, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., Vol. 75, pp. 2443-2447).
It is expected from this functional similarity of anti-Id Ab and antigen, that anti-Id Abs bearing the internal image of an antigen can induce immunity to such an antigen. (See review in Hiernaux, J. R., 1988, Idiotypic vaccines and infectious diseases, Infect. Immun., Vol. 56, pp. 1407-1413).
It is, therefore, possible to produce anti-idiotypic antibodies to the peptides of the present invention which will have similar biological activity.
Accordingly, the present invention also provides anti-idiotypic antibodies to the peptides of the present invention, the anti-idiotypic antibody being capable of inhibiting TNF toxicity, but not its binding to the receptor.
The individual specificity of antibodies resides in the structures of the peptide loops making up the Complementary Determining Regions (CDRs) of the variable domains of the antibodies. Since in general the amino acid sequence or the CDR peptides of an anti-Id Ab are not identical to or even similar to the amino acid sequence of the peptide antigen from which it was originally derived, it follows that peptides whose amino acid sequence in quite dissimilar, in certain contexts, can take up a very similar three-dimensional structure. The concept of this type of peptide, termed a xe2x80x9cfunctionally equivalent sequencexe2x80x9d or mimotope by Geyson is known. (Geyson, H. M. et al, 1987, Strategies for epitope analysis using peptide synthesis., J. Immun. Methods, Vol. 102, pp. 259-274).
Moreover, the three-dimensional structure and function of the biologically active peptides can be simulated by other compounds, some not even peptidic in nature, but which nevertheless mimic the activity of such peptides. This field is summarized in a review by Goodman, M. (1990), (Synthesis, Spectroscopy and computer simulations in peptide research, Proc. 11th American Peptide Symposium published in Peptides-Chemistry Structure and Biology, pp. 3-29; Eds. Rivier, J. E. and Marshall, G. R. Publisher Escom).
It is also possible to produce peptide and non-peptide compounds having the same three-dimensional structure as the peptides of the present invention. These xe2x80x9cfunctionally equivalent structuresxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cpeptide mimicsxe2x80x9d will react with antibodies raised against the peptide of the present invention and may also be capable of inhibiting TNF toxicity.
Accordingly, a further embodiment of the present invention provides a compound the three-dimensional structure of which is similar as a pharmacophore to the three-dimensional structure of the peptides of the present invention, the compound being characterized in that it reacts with antibodies raised against the peptides of the present invention and that the compound is capable of inhibiting TNF toxicity.
More detail regarding pharmacophores can be found in Bolin et al., p. 150, Polinsky et al., p. 287, and Smith et al., p. 485, in Smith and Rivier (eds.) xe2x80x9cPeptides: Chemistry and Biologyxe2x80x9d, Escom, Leiden (1991).
All of the molecules (proteins, peptides, etc.) may be produced either by conventional chemical methods, as described herein, or by recombinant DNA methods.
All of the molecules (proteins, peptides, etc.) may be produced either by conventional chemical methods, as described herein, or by recombinant DNA methods.
The invention also provides DNA molecules encoding the ligands according to the invention, vectors containing them and host cells comprising the vectors and capable of expressing the ligands according to the invention.
The host cell may be either prokaryotic or eukaryotic.
The invention further provides DNA molecules hybridizing to the above DNA molecules and encoding ligands having the same activity.
The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising the above ligands which are useful for treating diseases induced or caused by the effects of TNF, either endogenously produced or exogenously administered.
The invention also provides for using the ligands according to the invention for increasing the inhibitory effect of a soluble receptor of the TNF/NGF receptor family. As stated above, the soluble receptors, especially those of TNF, have the ability to block the function of TNF by binding it in competition with the surface receptors. Application of a ligand according to the invention together with a soluble receptor is, therefore, expected to increase the inhibitory effect of the soluble receptor.

Method of inhibiting the cytocidal effect of TNF with TNF receptor-specific antibodies


A manifold assembly comprises an air intake manifold (42) having at least one duct (70) communicating air to an engine and a fuel conduit (46) having at least one fuel injector (54A) for communicating fuel to the engine (52) (FIG. 2). The fuel conduit (46) comprises at least a first fuel injector (54A) and a second fuel injector (54B) extending from the fuel conduit (46) wherein the first fuel injector (54A) extends in a direction transverse to the second fuel injector (54B). At least one support member (50A) comprises at least one duct passage (62C) in communication with the at least one duct and at least one fuel injector port passage (53C) in communication with the at least one fuel injector (54C) (FIG. 2A). The fuel injector port passage (53C) has a predetermined length greater than the length of the duct passage (62C) (FIG. 2A).

This invention relates to an air intake manifold assembly for a v-shaped engine having two banks forming a V pattern.
For such an engine, manufacturers employ air intake manifold assemblies that comprise an upper manifold portion and two lower manifold portions. A single fuel rail or conduit is frequently used to communicate fuel from a fuel tank to the combustion chambers of both banks of the engine through fuel injectors of the fuel rail. The fuel injectors that extend from the fuel rail also take a v-shaped form to meet each cylinder. Due to the proximity of the ducts of the air intake manifolds to the ports for the fuel injectors, manufacturers mold the ports and ducts together as part of the lower portion of the manifold assembly.
The manifold assembly generally consists of a pair of lower manifold portions, a fuel rail assembly, and a single upper manifold portion. The fuel rail is installed into the lower manifold portions from above. Then, the upper intake manifold is installed on top. A set of seals and additional components hold the manifold portions together. Moreover, the interface between the lower intake manifold and the engine requires another set of seals and components to assemble the lower intake manifolds to the engine.
The present design of manifold assembly has several drawbacks. The splitting of the manifold assembly into upper and lower manifold portions requires additional componentry as well as labor and time to assemble. Each portion also requires separate tooling and capital expenditures to manufacture. Finally, handling and inventory costs are increased as a consequence of the multiple components required by the current design.
A need therefore exists for a simplified manifold design that permits easy installation and service of the fuel rail and manifold assembly for a v-bank engine.
The present invention moves the location of the fuel injector ports from the air intake manifold to a separate support. In so doing, the lower portions of the air intake manifold assembly may be combined with the upper portion to form a single unit, thereby reducing the number of manifold components. As a consequence, no additional tooling is required to form the lower portions of the air intake manifold. Only a single tool to form the single unit manifold is needed. Labor and parts costs are also reduced.
The invention comprises a manifold assembly. The air intake manifold has ducts that communicate air to the engine. A single fuel rail has fuel injectors for supplying the engine with fuel. The inventive design employs a separate support having ports to receive the fuel injectors and having seals to assist in the communication of air from the air intake manifold to the engine.
The support member has duct passages in communication with the ducts of the manifold and has fuel injector port passages in communication with the fuel injectors of the fuel rail. In contrast to the prior art, the fuel injector port passages may have a predetermined length greater than the length of the duct passages. The support member may comprise a planar member. For a v-shaped engine, two support members may be used to interface the ducts and injectors of the manifold and fuel rail with each bank of the engine.
The fuel conduit may be mounted to the air intake manifold. Seals may be used between the duct passages and the ducts. These seals may be mounted to the support member. In addition, seals may be used between the duct passage and the engine. These seals may be mounted to the support member.
The air intake manifold assembly may have a planar member acting as a support comprising duct mounts in communication with the ducts of the manifold and fuel injector port mounts in communication the fuel injectors of the fuel rail. The fuel injector port mounts may have a predetermined thickness greater than the thickness of the duct mounts. Seals may be used between the duct mount and the duct and may be mounted to the planar member. Seals may also be employed between the duct mounts and the engine and mounted to the planar member.
Hence, the fuel injector ports are located separately from the air intake manifold. The support member is then mounted to the engine with each fuel injector positioned into each fuel injector port. This design then allows the air intake manifold to be mounted as a single unit on the engine.


The present invention provides a fiber containing remarkably high heat resistance and softness and fiber-processed products using the same.. A fiber formed from a polypropylene serving as at least one raw material, wherein the polypropylene is confirmed with NMR spectrometry that an isotactic pentad fraction (mmmm) of 0.950-0.995, a syndiotactic pentad fraction (rrrr) of 0-0.004, different bonds due to 2,1-insertion reaction and 1,3-insertion reaction in an amount of 0-0.3 mol %, and absence of terminal double bonds, and has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 50,000-1,000,000, and has a ratio (Mw/Mn) of weight average molecular weight (Mw) to number average molecular weight (Mn) of 1.5-3.8; and fiber-processed products using the fiber.

Conventionally, polypropylene fiber has widely been used in the field of hygienic materials such as surface materials of disposable diapers, since it is lightweight, has excellent heat-retaining properties and softness, and is significantly advantageous in balance between performance and economy. In recent years, non-woven fabrics having physical properties of even higher toughness and softness are demanded for hygienic materials.
In order to obtain non-woven fabrics having higher toughness, melt-adhesion of polypropylene fibers must be improved. To this end, non-woven fabrics must be processed under conditions of high temperature so as to satisfactorily soften polypropylene fibers upon melt-adhesion of the non-woven fabrics by way of heat-rolling. However, high-temperature processing of non-woven fabrics thermally affects part of polypropylene fibers other than melt-adhesion sites to produce non-woven fabrics having sufficient tenacity but decreased softness. In contrast, low-temperature processing of non-woven fabrics results in poor melt-adhesion, and tenacity of the obtained non-woven fabric becomes low. There is also a problem that, when used under high-temperature conditions, non-woven fabrics or processed products thereof such as cylindrical filters have poor durability, decreased shape-retention, and decreased rigidity.
As described above, processing and use of conventional polypropylene fiber at high temperature are restricted due to the disadvantage of low heat resistance, and therefore improvement of performance of polypropylene fiber is strongly desired for development of further uses.
Moreover, conventional polypropylene fiber is difficult to be made micro-fine on account of the occurrence of fuming or thread breakage during spinning due to low-molecular-weight components contained in the polymer, and the level of ultra-fining is therefore limited.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 62-156310 discloses a polypropylene fiber endowed with excellent properties for heat-roll processing and formed of an ethylene-propylene random copolymer containing ethylene in a specific amount and having a softening point of 132.degree. C. or less. However, non-woven fabric made of this fiber has disadvantages of poor softness and a narrow temperature range that enables processing into non-woven fabrics having tenacity and softness suited for actual use.
Meanwhile, in recent years, J. A. Ewen et al. have found that syndiotactic polypropylene having a narrow molecular weight distribution and a high syndiotactic pentad fraction is obtained through polymerization of propylene by combined use of an asymmetric transition metal catalyst which differs from a conventional Ziegler catalyst and a metallocene catalyst comprising aluminoxane (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 110, 6255 (1989)). In connection with the metallocene catalyst, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 3-82814 discloses a fiber formed of syndiotactic polypropylene having a syndiotactic pentad fraction of 0.7 or more. The polypropylene fiber disclosed therein is endowed with excellent softness, but heat resistance during melt-adhesion of fiber-bonding sites is particularly inferior to that of conventional polypropylene fibers.
Accordingly, no polypropylene fiber having satisfactory tenacity and softness has yet to be developed.

Fibers and fibrous moldings made by using the same


A method for measuring the solid volume of a load of timber comprises the steps of introducing the load (9) into a compartment (2) which is hermetically sealable against the ambient atmosphere and located in a housing (1) into which is gradually introduced a fill-out means (4,5) intended to reduce the volume, and thus increase the pressure, of the gas in said compartment; determining, after at least a certain excess pressure has been established in said compartment, the product of gas volume and gas pressure as a first reference value; and measuring the solid volume of the load as the difference between said first reference value and a second reference value of the product of gas volume and gas pressure, determined under identical conditions, but with no load in said compartment. The load (9) is introduced into the housing (1) on a goods vehicle (8), more precisely through a hermetically sealable gate (3,3') of the housing, and is left on said vehicle while the first reference value is being determined, where upon the vehicle is removed from the housing through a hermetically sealable gate.

In the forest industry, the solid volume, not the weight, of the timber is used as a measure for determining the price of delivered timber, for example when logs are delivered to sawmills The measuring of the solid volume of such logs which are usually transported to the sawmill by vehicles on wheels, is, in actual practice, carried out by experienced tallymen who, with the aid of mechanical measuring tools and, possibly, arithmetical tables, estimate the solid biomass content of the load received at the sawmill. This estimate is, however, often rather uncertain and may differ by as much as 10-15% from the actual value. From the economic point of view, this is, of course, unsatisfactory to both suppliers and buyers, as the value of each load of timber may run to considerable amounts of money.

Method and plant for measuring the solid volume of a load, such as a load of timber