The method of designing a bead flange profile (24) for a pneumatic tire (30) to be mounted on a design rim (40) as specified for the tire size has the steps of (a) selecting a design rim and a cured tire construction and bead profile (33); (b) predicting or measuring the tire deformation upon mounting and inflation; (c) analyzing the deformation to show the compressed beat seat profile (23) and the bead flange profile (24) contacting the rim flange; (d) identifying any gaps between the tire (30) and the rim (40); (e) modifying the tire""s bead flange profile (24) to eliminate any gaps by moving selected points on the bead flange profile (24) in proportion to the local gap sizes; (f) shifting all modified points axially inward by a distance so that the molded base width remains the same as the original profile (24); and then (g) smoothing the connections between the modified portion and the rest of the bead profile (33).

The present invention relates to the fitment of the bead area or profile of a pneumatic tire relative to the rim flange to which the tire is to be mounted, more particularly the invention relates to an improved method of profiling this portion of the tire""s bead.
Historically, with the introduction of the tubeless type tire, the fitment of the bead portions of the tire to the design rim has increased in significance. This fitment insures that the tire remains air tightly sealed and securely fixed to the rim during vehicle use.
The typical rim has a ledge and a flange that define the contact zone with the tire bead. The tire bead has a first annular surface between the bead heel and bead toe that upon assembly to the rim contacts the rim ledge. The bead also has a second annular surface radially outward of the bead heel. This annular surface contacts the rim flange when the tire is mounted and inflated on the rim.
The prior art teaches the use of a rim with a cylindrical or very slightly conical ledge. Typically for a passenger tire the rim ledge was inclined at an angle of 5xc2x0 relative to the axis of rotation of the tire. To ensure a proper fitment, the tire beads had an annular surface having a similar 5xc2x0 inclination relative to the axis of rotation, the beads having a slightly smaller diameter than the rim ledge, thus upon assembly, an interference fit would be achieved.
As a later development, the radially innermost flexible portion of the tire between the toe and the annular tensile member comprised an inclined surface about 10xc2x0 or 5xc2x0 greater than the rim ledge. This added interference created by the angular variation facilitated sealing the tire.
Typically the portion of the bead""s second annular surface adjacent the heel and the matching portion of the rim flange are at 90xc2x0 relative to the wheel axis. This annular surface area being under pressure while the tire is inflated contacts the rim flange, helping to fasten the tire on the rim.
The prior art tires essentially relied on the rim ledge and flange orientation to establish the shape and orientation of the bead, with the exception being the flexible toe portion of the bead.
Generally, the optimal bead fitment relationship occurs when the tire bead profile exactly fits the rim profile with no gaps. Quite often, however, there is a separation between the tire and the rim in the heel-to-flange region. This gap or separation can occur around the entire peripheral surface or it may be locally occurring with the rim flange and tire bead sporadically making contact.
In either case the gap in the flange region provides no assistance to the tire""s resistance to rim slippage. Often the gap is caused by the rotation of the bead upon tire inflation and mounting due to a nonuniform tire-rim interference along the rim ledge and unequal cord tension on the two sides of the bead core.
Ideally the tire when mounted to its design rim will fit flush against the rim flange. A poor fitment in the flange area can cause the bead seat profile of the tire to seat axially inward of the design location, thus lowering the amount of contact pressure that should be generated under the bead core.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,202 assigned to The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company the second annular surface extending radially outward along the rim flange region was inclined at an angle at least 3xc2x0 relative to the rim flange. This allowed the bead to rotate as the tire is mounted to enable the second surface to contact the rim flange without obstructing the bead seat profile from fully engaging the rim ledge.
In another Goodyear patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,051, the inclination of this second annular surface was recommended to be in the range of 0xc2x0 to 3xc2x0 relative to the rim flange.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,019 to Yoshida et al a similar observation was made relating to the rim flange gap being the result of an attempt to overlap the profile of bead portions in the region of the bead seat and the flange. Yoshida et al used an x-ray CT scanner to study its effect and found that while the bottom of the bead contacts the rim airtightly a gap formed between side face of the bead portion and the axially inner surface of the rim flange results in the tire having an increase in Radial Runout (RRO) and Force Variation (FV). To solve the problem and provide improved contact between the bead portions and the mating surfaces of the rim, Yoshida et al discloses a special profile based on a mathematical formula. In a cross-section including the tire axis, the bead profile is within a range between a locus of y=f(x)+1(mm) and f(x)xe2x88x921(mm) which are made when x-value is varied from 15.29 to 0.523 (mm) wherein f(x)=3.789+2.4273 x+0.73024 x2+0.12736 x3+0.012774 x4+6.659xc3x9710xe2x88x924 x5+1.36xc3x9710xe2x88x925 x6. In the above, f(x) is a function of x, and x and y are the radial and the axial coordinates respectively in millimeters, defining the direction of increase of the x value as being radially inward and the direction of increase of the y-value as being axially inward of the tire. The origin of the x and y coordinates is the bead""s sharp point, which is the intersecting point between the straight bead bottom line being inclined at 5 degrees to the tires axis and the straight bead side line parallel to the tire radial direction.
As can be readily appreciated, the problem has been clearly observed by those of skill in the art of tire design and the solutions vary from simplistic to Yoshida""s overwhelmingly complex equation with a plus or minus 1 mm variation thus yielding an almost nondecernable profile. In addition, the solution in one case may not be applicable to another because of differences in the bead core, the wrapped-around reinforcing cords, and the bead seat profile resulting in a different bead rotation.
It is an object of the present invention to predict or measure the amount of bead rotation that will occur while a particular tire construction is mounted to its design rim, and to revise the bead flange profile with the anticipated rotation so that after mounting and inflation the tire will fit the rim. The method of bead flange profiling described herein has general applications regardless of the other design aspects of a bead, such as the type and construction of bead core and the type of bead seat profile.
The method of designing a bead flange profile for a pneumatic tire to be mounted on a design rim as specified for the tire size has the steps of (a) selecting a design rim and a cured tire construction and bead profile; (b) predicting or measuring the tire deformation upon mounting and inflation, (c) analyzing the deformation to show the compressed beat seat profile and the bead flange profile contacting the rim flange from a preselected radially outer point C extending radially inwardly toward the bead heel of the tire; (d) identifying any gaps between the tire and the rim; (e) modifying the tire""s bead flange profile to eliminate any gaps by moving selected points on the bead profile in proportion to the local gap sizes; (f) shifting all the points modified in step (e) axially inward by a distance so that the axially outermost position of the modified profile is the same as the axially outermost position of the original profile; and then (g) smoothing the connections of the modified portion of the bead profile to the rest of the bead profile up to the radially outer contact with the rim flange.
The engineer can then preferably take the adjusted flange profile of step (g) and repeat the steps (a) through (g) to verify no additional gaps exist. If new or additional gaps are found, the steps should be repeated until the analysis predicts no gaps exist between the rim flange and the bead flange profile.
If the engineer wants to, he or she may elect to change the bead core construction, component gauges in the bead area, or the bead seat profile from a first design to a modified or otherwise changed second design, and repeat steps (a) through (g) to accomplish a gap-free fit relationship.
Definitions
xe2x80x9cAspect ratioxe2x80x9d of the tire means the ratio of its section height (SH) to its section width (SW) multiplied by 100% for expression as a percentage.
xe2x80x9cAxialxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9caxiallyxe2x80x9d means lines or directions that are parallel to the axis of rotation of the tire.
xe2x80x9cBeadxe2x80x9d means that part of the tire comprising an annular tensile member wrapped by ply cords and shaped, with or without other reinforcement elements such as flippers, chippers, apexes, toe guards and chaffers, to fit the design rim.
xe2x80x9cBelt structurexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cReinforcing Beltsxe2x80x9d means at least two annular layers or plies of parallel cords, woven or unwoven, underlying the tread, unanchored to the bead, and having both left and right cord angles in the range from 17 degrees to 27 degrees with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire.
xe2x80x9cCarcassxe2x80x9d means the tire structure apart from the belt structure, tread, undertread, and sidewall rubber over the plies, but including the beads.
xe2x80x9cCircumferentialxe2x80x9d means lines or directions extending along the perimeter of the surface of the annular tread perpendicular to the axial direction.
xe2x80x9cCordxe2x80x9d means one of the reinforcement strands of which the plies in the tire are comprised.
xe2x80x9cDesign rimxe2x80x9d means a rim having a specified configuration and width. For the purposes of this Specification, the design rim and design rim width are as specified by the industry standards in effect in the location in which the tire is made. For example, in the United States, the design rim is as specified by the Tire and Rim Association. In Europe, the rim is as specified in the European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisationxe2x80x94Standards Manual and the term design rim means the same as the standard measurement rims. In Japan, the standard organization is The Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturer""s Association.
xe2x80x9cEquatorial plane (EP)xe2x80x9d means the plane perpendicular to the tire""s axis of rotation and passing through the center of its tread.
xe2x80x9cInnerlinerxe2x80x9d means the layer or layers of elastomer or other material that form the inside surface of a tubeless tire and that contain the inflating fluid within the tire.
xe2x80x9cNormal inflation pressurexe2x80x9d refers to the specific design inflation pressure and load assigned by the appropriate standards organization for the service condition for the tire.
xe2x80x9cNormal loadxe2x80x9d refers to the specific design inflation pressure and load assigned by the appropriate standards organization for the service condition for the tire.
xe2x80x9cPlyxe2x80x9d means a continuous layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
xe2x80x9cRadialxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cradiallyxe2x80x9d means directions radially toward or away from the axis of rotation of the tire.
xe2x80x9cRadial-ply tirexe2x80x9d means a belted or circumferentially-restricted pneumatic tire in which the ply cords which extend from bead to bead are laid at cord angles between 65xc2x0 and 90xc2x0 with respect to the equatorial plane of the tire.
xe2x80x9cSection heightxe2x80x9d (SH) means the radial distance from the nominal rim diameter to the outer diameter of the tire at its equatorial plane.
xe2x80x9cSection widthxe2x80x9d (SW) means the maximum linear distance parallel to the axis of the tire and between the exterior of its sidewalls when and after it has been inflated at normal pressure for 24 hours, but unloaded, excluding elevations of the sidewalls due to labeling, decoration or protective bands.
xe2x80x9cShoulderxe2x80x9d means the upper portion of a sidewall just below the tread edge.
xe2x80x9cSidewallxe2x80x9d means that portion of a tire between the tread and the bead.
xe2x80x9cTread widthxe2x80x9d means the arc length of the tread surface in the axial direction, that is, in a plane passing through the axis of rotation of the tire.


A voltage sensing system includes input impedance balancing for electrocardiogram (ECG) sensing or other applications, providing immunity to common-mode noise signals while capable of use with two electrodes. Signals are received at first and second electrodes having associated impedances. An impedance circuit includes a feedback controller that adjusts an effective impedance associated with the second electrode based on a difference signal, a common mode signal, a phase-shifted (e.g., quadrature common mode) signal, and an impedance associated with the first electrode. As a result, signals associated with each electrode undergo a similar degree of gain/attenuation and/or phase-shift. This reduces common mode noise and enhances the signal-to-noise characteristics of a desired ECG or other output signal, without requiring the use of more than two electrodes.

This invention relates generally to a voltage sensing system and particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a voltage sensing system with input impedance balancing for electrocardiogram (ECG) sensing applications.
When functioning properly, the human heart maintains its own intrinsic rhythm, and is capable of pumping adequate blood throughout the body""s circulatory system. The body""s autonomous nervous system generates intrinsic electrical heart activity signals that are conducted to atrial and ventricular heart chambers on the left and right sides of the heart. The electrical heart activity signals trigger resulting heart contractions that pump blood.
The intrinsic electrical heart activity signals can be monitored to provide an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal to a physician, clinician, diagnostician, or researcher to obtain information about heart function. In one such technique, a first external skin patch electrodes is adhesively affixed to the patient""s right arm. A second external skin patch electrode is adhesively affixed to the patient""s left arm. An instrumentation amplifier is used to detect the electrical heart activity signals at the first and second electrodes. The instrumentation amplifier outputs an ECG signal based on the difference of the signals at the first and second electrodes.
If no further electrodes are used, the ECG signal obtained between the first and second electrodes is typically severely degraded by common-mode (CM) noise signals, such as 60 Hertz or other environmental noise signals that are present at both of the first and second electrodes. Common-mode noise problems generally result even if a high-quality instrumentation amplifier is used. Skin-electrode interface impedance differences between the first and second electrodes contribute to such common-mode noise problems. Differences in skin-electrode interface impedances result from differences in body morphology, adhesion of the electrode, perspiration by the patient, etc. Because of the high input-impedance of the instrumentation amplifier, even small differences in the skin-electrode impedance (e.g., 10 kilo-ohms) can result in a common-mode noise signal amplitude that exceeds the amplitude of the desired ECG signal.
One technique of reducing the common-mode noise signal is to attach a third electrode, such as at the patient""s right leg, for use in a feedback arrangement. The third electrode is driven by an offsetting common-mode signal to cancel a portion of the unwanted common-mode noise signal. However, this technique is inconvenient for the physician, because it requires attachment of the third electrode to the patient. This increases the complexity of the medical procedure. In a medical emergency, for example, such increased complexity is highly undesirable. Thus, there is a need for improved ECG measurement techniques providing adequate common-mode noise immunity without relying exclusively on attaching additional electrodes to the patient.
The present system provides, among other things, a voltage sensing system with input impedance balancing for electrocardiogram (ECG) sensing or other applications. The present system allows sensing of ECG or other input voltage signals and reduces sensing of unwanted common-mode noise signals. The present system is capable of use with two electrodes, while still providing good signal-to-noise characteristics.
According to one aspect of the present system, signals are received at first and second electrodes or terminals, each having an impedance associated therewith. An effective impedance associated with the second electrode is adjusted based on an effective impedance associated with the first electrode. In one embodiment, an impedance circuit adjusts the effective impedance associated with the second electrode based on difference and common mode signals obtained from signals at the first and second electrodes. As a result, signals associated with each electrode undergo a similar degree of gain/attenuation and/or phase-shift. This reduces common mode noise and enhances the signal-to-noise characteristics of a desired ECG or other output signal, without requiring the use of more than two electrodes. Thus, in an ECG signal acquisition application, the present system enhances the noise immunity of the ECG signal without increasing the complexity of the associated medical procedure. Other aspects of the invention will be apparent on reading the following detailed description of the invention and viewing the drawings that form a part thereof.
According to another aspect of the present system, buffer amplifiers are added to the front end of the input circuitry, instead of compensating skin-electrode impedance mismatches at the input, to circumvent the problems associated with high capacitance cables,. This allows the ECG system to always present constant input impedance at the patient electrodes. This also permits higher capacitance values on the input without swamping out the impedance balancing range.
Another illustrative embodiment includes a switch to control flow of right leg (RL) signal (coming from the third electrode) into ECG cable to selectively turn-off the RL signal, when the RL electrode is not in use, to prevent the RL signal from entering the ECG cable for optimum performance (the standard industry ECG cable incorporates 4 input cables, and one RL output cable with a single connector connecting to the ECG system). Generally there is no means available to disconnect the RL cable, when the right-leg drive is not in use).
Another illustrative embodiment includes an automatic gain control module between the common-mode input and the impedance circuit to maintain a constant transient response time over a wide range of input noise levels.
Other aspects of the invention will be apparent on reading the following detailed description of the invention and viewing the drawings that form a part thereof.

Automatic input impedance balancing for electrocardiogram (ECG) sensing applications


Undesirable metal cation contaminants, including hafnium, can be reduced from a solution containing Lutetium-177 on a bed of an anion exchange resin. The thus purified solution can be stored and transported in a polypropylene vial, to prevent the possibility of hafnium entering the solution from a glassware wall and of Lutetium from being lost from the solution by chemically reacting with a glassware wall. The vial can be sealed with a rubber stopper which has a polytetrafluoroethylene coating facing the solution to prevent the possibility of contaminants which could interfere with later uses of the Lutetium-177 from leaching into the solution from the rubber stopper. Recipients of the Lutetium-177-containing vial can be provided with a prepackaged column of the anion exchange resin to enable such recipients to remove the hafnium which accumulated in the solution as a product of radioactive decay during shipment.

In one aspect, this invention relates to a chemical purification process. In another aspect, the invention relates to a container for chemicals. In another aspect, the invention relates to a clean-up kit for use with radioisotopes prior to the manufacture of radiopharmaceutical products with such radioisotopes.
Lutetium-177 is a radioisotope which is used for radio-diagnostic and radio-therapeutic purposes. Lutetium-177 (atomic number 71) has a half-life of about 6.71 days and decays by emission of an electron to form hafnium-177 (atomic number 72). The short half-life is beneficial from the standpoint of quickly breaking down when administered to a patient, but is problematic from the standpoint of requiring extremely prompt (and careful) handling of the material between the producer of the radioisotope and the patient. Delays between the time of production of the material and its incorporation into a pharmaceutical material, and its administration to a patient result in a decrease in the amount of Lutetium-177, with a resultant decrease in radioactive potency (curies/volume), and a concomitant increase in the concentration of the hafnium decay product (mass/volume).
Lutetium-177 is typically received for the preparation of a radiopharmaceutical in a small glass vial which contains a specific dose of Lutetium-177 chloride in hydrochloric (HCl) acid solution. The dose is typically measured by the radioactive output of the vial, typically in millicuries. The radioactive output is typically a calculated value for a specific time and day. In order to deliver the calculated dose to a target site, it is necessary to transfer all of the Lutetium-177 in the vial to the target site at the indicated time.
Delivery is typically accomplished by incorporating the Lutetium-177 into a radiopharmaceutical product. This is typically done by reacting the Lutetium-177 with an organic moiety, such as a peptide or chelator, which will seek the target site when introduced into the patient. The stoichiometries of the reactions between the Lutetium-177 and the organic moiety, and the radiopharmaceutical and the target site, however, is complicated by the presence of the hafnium, and may be further complicated by the presence of further impurities commonly found in Lutetium-177 solution, such as iron, lead, zinc, aluminum, copper and calcium.
The hafnium competes with the Lutetium-177 for reaction with the organic moiety, and the hafnium-pharmaceutical competes with the Lutetium-177 radiopharmaceutical for binding with the target site. The efficacy with which a given radioactive dose of Lu-177 can be converted into a target-seeking form and delivered to the target site is thus highly dependent on the Lu/Hf ratios at each stage of the process. Stoichiometry is also complicated by the fact that a significant portion of the Lutetium-177 cannot be easily removed from the vial. Apparently, a portion of the lutetium can become chemically bound to the glass. Further, the amount of hafnium which is present can be greater than the amount calculated as being present from the decay of the Lutetium-177. Apparently, hafnium, as well as other impurities which are inherent to the glass, can be leached out by the solution from the inside of the glass vial.
The glass wall of the vial causes a further complication in delivering a prescribed radioactive dose to the target site. The actual output of the radioactive material in the vial is often different from the measured radioactive output from the vial, due to attenuation or radioactive shielding by the glass wall of the vial, and can be as much as 50% higher.
Simple techniques for removing the hafnium from the Lutetium-177 solution and for getting all of the Lutetium-177 from the vial would be very desirable, as this would enable higher quantities of ultra-pure Lutetium-177 to be delivered to the target site.
Techniques for providing ultra-pure Lutetium-177 to the end user, and for enabling the end user to better assess the potency of the dose of Lutetium-177 to be administered would also be desirable.


Phosphite dehydrogenase mutant enzymes were generated that provide relaxed cofactor specificity and increased thermostability over the wild type enzyme. The mutant enzymes are useful for nicotinamide cofactor regeneration.

Driven by recent technical advances in genetic engineering and new societal needs, the use of enzymes and microorganisms as catalysts to synthesize chemicals and materials is rapidly expanding. However, many challenges have yet to be fully addressed, such as developmental costs of biocatalysts and the type of chemistry performed. Most biocatalysts currently used in industry (˜65%) are hydrolases that do not perform complex chemistry. The primary reason for this lack of use of complicated chemical reactions is that enzymes catalyzing more involved transformations often require one or more costly cofactors, making these reactions industrially impractical when the cofactor is added in a stoichiometric amount.
Oxidoreductases, for example, can be used for synthesis of chiral compounds, complex carbohydrates, and isotopically labeled compounds, but they often require NADH or NADPH as cofactors. The cost of NADH is about $40/mmol, whereas the price of NADPH is nearly $500/mmol (Sigma 2002 catalog), rendering stoichiometric use of either reduced cofactor at the kilogram scale prohibitively expensive. There is a need, therefore, to develop regeneration systems for NAD(P)(H) that would allow their addition in catalytic amounts, with the goal of making redox bioprocesses industrially feasible. Because approximately 80% of all reductases utilize NAD(P)(H) as a cofactor, probably accounting for over 300 known reactions, regeneration of these cofactors would be particularly advantageous.
A number of enzymatic, electrochemical, chemical, photochemical, and biological methods have been developed to regenerate cofactors. Advantages of cofactor regeneration in addition to reduced costs include simplified reaction work up, prevention of product inhibition from the cofactor, and sometimes a favorable influence on the reaction equilibrium. In some uses, the regenerative system drives the synthetic reaction forward, even when the formation of the desired product is less favored under standard conditions. Specific advantages of enzymatic strategies include high selectivity, compatibility with synthetic enzymes, and high turnover numbers. Aspects to be considered when using enzymatic methods include the expense and stability of the enzyme, cost of the substrate for the regenerative enzyme, ease of product purification, catalytic efficiency, KM for the cofactor, and thermodynamic driving force of the regenerative enzyme.
Of the enzymatic NADH regeneration systems, the best and most widely used enzyme is formate dehydrogenase (FDH) from Candida boidini. Phosphite dehydrogenase (PTDH) may have kinetic and practical advantages over FDH in certain applications, e.g. using PTDH as a regeneration system. This enzyme catalyzes the nearly irreversible oxidation of hydrogen phosphonate (phosphite) to phosphate, with the concomitant reduction of NAD+ to NADH. The large change in free energy of this reaction (ΔG°=−63.3 kJ/mol estimated from redox potentials) and the associated high equilibrium constant (Keq=1×1011) makes PTDH a promising NADH regenerative enzyme. A particularly interesting application of PTDH is the facile production of isotopically labeled products. Deuterium or tritium labeled water can be used to readily and economically prepare labeled phosphite. Subsequent use of isotopically labeled phosphite during a synthetic reduction using PTDH for NADH regeneration has been shown to efficiently generate labeled products in high isotopic purity.
NADPH is significantly more expensive than NADH and currently no widely used system for its regeneration is available. The most promising enzymatic NADPH regeneration system is a mutant FDH from Pseudomonas sp. 101 (mut-Pse FDH) available from Jülich Fine Chemicals. However, the enzyme's mutations have not been made public, the catalytic efficiency is low (1 μM min−1), and the cost is high. Another alternative is the use of a soluble pyridine nucleotide transhydrogenase which catalyses the transfer of reducing equivalents between NAD+ and NADP+. Unfortunately, this route would require addition of both cofactors and a third enzyme to the process. Currently, the high cost of regenerating enzymes and inefficient regeneration makes the production of synthetic products requiring the use of NADPH not very attractive.
There are reports about the alteration of nicotinamide cofactor specificity including determinants and evolution of nicotinamide binding sites. However, altering cofactor specificity remains a challenge, because very few examples exist where catalytic efficiency for the disfavored cofactor NADPH has been significantly improved to approximately the activity with the preferred substrate. Even fewer are the examples where specificity becomes relaxed allowing high catalytic efficiency with both NAD(H) and NADP(H). Among this last group are the non-Rossman fold NAD+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase, glucose-fructose oxidoreductase, glutathione reductase, and aldehyde dehydrogenase. A comparison of the strategies required to achieve efficient use of the non-physiological cofactor in these enzymes indicates that there is no clear recipe for success.

Phosphite dehydrogenase mutants for nicotinamide cofactor regeneration

Biotechnology Research and Development Corporation

Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois


A fire pit comprising a base assembly, the base assembly supported by a suspension assembly comprising a plurality of vertical supports, and a tower assembly disposed on a top surface of the base assembly, the tower assembly comprising a plurality of longitudinal apertures and configured to contain at least one solid fuel source. The plurality of longitudinal apertures are configured to release heat generated from the at least one solid fuel source in a substantially outward direction along at least substantially the entire length of the plurality of longitudinal apertures.

Fire pits or fireplaces are popular in backyard patios as well as in national forests, state parks, private parks, campgrounds, beaches, and the like. Fire pits are utilized for a variety of purposes, including providing heat and preparation of food.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a visually attractive fire pit for heating and cooking purposes.


An improved coal pulverizer classifying system including a classifier cone extension to protect coal flow into the pulverizer from the annular fine-lifting airflow from the pulverizer throat. The classifier cone extension replaces traditional intermittent discharge structure, improving flow through the classifier system and reducing the disruptive effects of the discharge on the annular flow from the pulverizer throat. The pulverizer feedpipe outlet is located in the classifier cone extension, but above the throat of the extension to prevent interference between the feedpipe and the flow of coal through the extension. In a preferred form an adjustable clearance cone is mounted for vertical adjustment on the lower end of the feedpipe.

Coal-fired combustion systems such as those used in large utility applications require finely-ground coal particles or "fines" for efficient operation. In general, it is desirable to use only very-finely pulverized coal in such systems in order to keep NOX emissions and oversized loss-on-ignition (LOI) unburned coal particles from contaminating the marketable ash byproduct of the combustion chamber. It is accordingly important to maintain close control over the fineness of the pulverized coal fed into the combustion system.
Bowl mill-type pulverizers, such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,145, are commonly used to grind the coal and classify the resulting fines. A vertical feedpipe drops raw coal from several feet above the pulverizer to the center of the pulverizer for grinding. An annular and upwardly-directed flow of air through a ring-shaped "throat" blows the ground coal particles up and around the pulverizer to a classifier system and combustion chute feeding the combustion chamber. The classifier system removes oversized particles of coal from the flow of air and coal fines, returning them to the pulverizer for regrinding.
A known system for classifying these upwardly traveling fines consists of an inverted classifier cone mounted above the pulverizer and concentric with the feedpipe that delivers raw coal to the center of the pulverizer. The lower, smaller outlet end of the classifier cone essentially surrounds the outlet end of the feedpipe, while the larger, upper inlet or mouth of the cone surrounds the combustion delivery chute.
A stationary ring of classifier vanes is mounted at the mouth of the cone to receive the annular, upward flow of pulverized coal/air from the pulverizer and redirect it into the classifier cone in a centrifugal flow. As the coal fines and air swirl around in the classifier cone, the heavier particles gravitate to the sides and settle out at the bottom of the cone, while the lighter, more finely ground fines are swirled up and into the entrance of the combustion delivery chute.
As the heavier particles of coal collect at the bottom of the classifier cone, they are typically contained by a flapper valve assembly at the bottom of the cone, comprising a series of vertically hanging plates blocking the openings of one or more outlet chutes. The plates are relatively heavy, and are forced open only intermittently by the weight of the accumulated coal at the bottom of the classifier cone. These fine "rejects" then fall into the bowl mill pulverizer along with incoming raw coal from the feedpipe for regrinding.
There are a number of disadvantages inherent in prior art systems such as those described above.
The prior art positioning of the feedpipe and classifier cone outlets well above the pulverizer often results in fine rejects being blown back up through or around the classifier cone when the flapper assembly opens for a discharge. This is primarily due to the position of the outlets relative to the annular flow of coal fines/air from the pulverizer throat.
Moreover, the flapper assembly and other prior art intermittent cone discharge systems such as "hula skirt" assemblies (circular arrangements of overlapping metal leaves) can become stuck in an open position, adding to the problem of fine reject backflow into the combustion delivery chute and further defeating the function of the classifier cone.
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/135,726 filed Oct. 13, 1994, I disclosed an improvement upon the prior art coal pulverizer systems described above wherein the various air and coal flow paths throughout the pulverizer are optimized to prevent them from interfering with one another. In one form of that invention the feedpipe and classifier cone are extended to eliminate the adverse effects of the annular fine-lifting air flow from the pulverizer throat on the function of the classifier cone, to improve the intrinsic functioning of the classifier cone, and to eliminate the need for complex and unreliable intermittent discharge structure in the classifier cone.
This is generally achieved by extending the feedpipe and classifier cone such that the drop-points for raw coal from the feedpipe and for reject fines from the cone are within, rather than above, the pulverizer. These extensions significantly reduce the tendency of the annular, fine-lifting flow around the outside of the pulverizer to deviate and work back up against the flow of raw coal and fine rejects into the pulverizer.
The reject fines spiraling down the cone around the feedpipe are further drawn into the pulverizer by an improved pressure flow effect from the extended feedpipe in a manner which prevents diversion of the fines back up into or around the classifier cone.
In a particular embodiment of my previous invention, the flapper valve or other intermittent discharge structure is removed from the classifier cone outlet, and replaced with a continuous flow feedpipe extension extending well below the original classifier cone outlet to a point proximate the grinding surface of the pulverizer. The classifier cone is extended in similar fashion with an extension concentric with the feedpipe and extending into the pulverizer to a point proximate the feedpipe extension outlet. In a preferred form the classifier cone extension extends into the pulverizer slightly farther than the feedpipe extension, with its outlet slightly below that of the feedpipe extension, such that the raw coal flow through the feedpipe creates a desirable pressure flow effect drawing the reject fines from the cone into the pulverizer.
The continuous-flow feedpipe and classifier cone extensions, when properly adjusted relative to the pulverizer and its annular fine-lifting airflow, provide a steady flow equilibrium not attainable with the intermittent discharge structure which they replace.
Occasionally, however, the dimensions and geometry of the feedpipe and the classifier cone are such relative to one another that the feedpipe extension interferes with the flow of coal fines through the classifier cone extension. For example, the feedpipe may be oversize in diameter to accommodate a required feed rate, with the result that the feedpipe extension fits too closely within the classifier cone extension for proper flow between the feedpipe extension and the cone extension.

Coal pulverizer and method of improving flow therein


A read/write unit for an integrated circuit card adapted to receive two integrated circuit cards includes a housing formed with a first aperture and a second aperture for receiving two integrated circuit floppy diskettes respectively. A main board is situated in the housing and has an L-shape female connector at an end side nearer to the apertures of the housing. A first secondary board a situated in the housing and has an L-shape male connector at an end side for connecting the L-shape female connector of the main board, an upstanding female connector in a position adjacent to the L-shape male connector, and a first seat matchable with the first aperture of the housing on an external end side for receiving an integrated circuit card. A second secondary board is situated in the housing a certain distance from a base panel of the housing and has a downward extending male connector at an end side for connecting the upstanding female connector of the first secondary board, a second seat matchable with the second aperture of the housing at an external end side for receiving another integrated circuit card.

Rapid development has been observed in the field of computer peripheral devices. A variety of read/write media and associated read/write unit have been developed, including tapes and tape drives, floppy disks and floppy disk drives, hard disks and hard disk drives, as well as the latest IC cards and IC read/write units. The aim of development of these media is usually to decrease their size and at the same time increase their memory capacity. The latest IC card is desirable because of its light weight, small dimensions and consequent retractability, replaceability, and portability, despite a large memory size nearly equivalent to that of a hard disk.
A problem is that conventional IC drives are adapted to receive only one IC card. To receive two IC cards, a computer or personal computer would normally require two IC read/write units. The most readily envisaged configuration would be to have each IC read/write unit occupy a specific amount of space, in which case the space occupied by two IC read/write units would be twice the space occupied by one IC read/write unit. To reduce the size of the computer or personal computer, it would instead be desirable to provide an IC drive which is adapted to receive more than one IC card.

Read/write unit for two integrated circuit cards


A method for manufacturing a VLSI semiconductor memory device, in which a cell transistor is formed in the cell array section of a semiconductor substrate, successively, a cell capacitor. Then, a transistor is formed in the periphery circuit section of the substrate. Therefore, access transistors of the cell array section are formed independently from transistors of the peripheral circuit section, optimizing transistor performance.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a VLSI semiconductor device, and particularly to a method for manufacturing a VLSI semiconductor device with the density of 16M DRAMs or greater.
Along with higher packing density and miniaturization which requires processing techniques on a 0.5 .mu.m design rule, 16M DRAM devices demand reliability and performance improvements. In consideration of reliability, a supply voltage of 3.3 V is used instead of using 5 V, providing decreased gate oxide film failure rate and improved time-dependent dielectric breakdown characteristics. And, for improving performance, it is necessary to boost the word line voltage for driving the access transistors of the cell array. For high speed operation, a technique is needed which allows a gate insulating layer of a periphery circuit's transistor to be thinner than before.
The desired case is to optimize characteristics and performance between transistors in the cell array and transistors in the peripheral circuitry. Generally, in a conventional DRAM process, a cell transistor of the cell array and a peripheral transistor of the peripheral circuit section are formed at the same time, with the cell capacitor being formed later. Accordingly, the close interdependence between the cell transistor and the peripheral transistor in the manufacturing process is followed by many restrictions in the improvements to the characteristics of each.
Moreover, since the cell transistor and the peripheral transistor are simultaneously formed on the wafer and, then, the capacitor is formed in the cell array, an impurity implanted into the silicon is diffused by the heat treatment performed during the formation of the capacitor. Thus, shallow junctions in the peripheral transistor are difficult, and the succeeding heat treatment degrades transistor's performance and reliability. Especially susceptible to the heat treatment are dopants such as boron (B) or boron difluoride (BF.sub.2) which are used to adjust the threshold voltage of a PMOS transistor, forming a deep junction and lowering the breakdown voltage of the PMOS transistor.

Method for manufacturing VLSI semiconductor device


Methods and systems that analyze electrocardiogram (ECG) data to identify whether it would be beneficial for a caregiver to administer an electric shock to the heart in an effort to get the heart back into a normal pattern and a consistent, strong beat. By conducting a running check for conditions that are pre-validated by a comprehensive patient database to have high predictive value (e.g., with a low false-positive rate), a shockable rhythm can be identified fast (e.g., less than 6 seconds, less than 3 seconds, possibly in less than a second) and without having to analyze ECG data for longer time segments than would otherwise be required using conventional methods.

Heart attacks are a common cause of death. A heart attack occurs when a portion of the heart tissue loses circulation and becomes damaged as a result (e.g., because of blockage in the heart vasculature). Heart attacks and other abnormalities can lead to ventricular fibrillation (VF), which is an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that causes the heart to lose pumping capacity. VF occurs when normal, regular electrical impulses are replaced by irregular and rapid impulses, causing the heart muscle to stop normal contractions and to begin to quiver. Normal blood flow ceases, and organ damage or death can result in minutes if normal heart contractions are not restored. Because the victim has no perceptible warning of the impending fibrillation, death often occurs before the necessary medical assistance can arrive. Other cardiac arrhythmias can include excessively slow heart rates known as bradycardia or excessively fast heart rates known as tachycardia. Cardiac arrest can occur when a patient in which various arrhythmias of the heart, such as ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, pulseless electrical activity (PEA), and asystole (heart stops all electrical activity) result in the heart providing insufficient levels of blood flow to the brain and other vital organs for the support of life. If such problems are not corrected quickly—typically within minutes—the rest of the body is deprived of oxygen and the person dies. Therefore, prompt care of a person experiencing ventricular fibrillation can be key to a positive outcome for such a person.
Cardiac arrest and other cardiac health ailments are a major cause of death worldwide. Various resuscitation efforts aim to maintain the body's circulatory and respiratory systems during cardiac arrest in an attempt to save the life of the patient. The sooner these resuscitation efforts begin, the better the patient's chances of survival. Implantable cardioverter/defibrillators (ICDs) or external defibrillators (such as manual defibrillators or automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have significantly improved the ability to treat these otherwise life-threatening conditions. Such devices operate by applying corrective electrical pulses directly to the patient's heart. Ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia can be treated by an implanted or external defibrillator, for example, by providing a therapeutic shock to the heart in an attempt to restore normal rhythm. To treat conditions such as bradycardia, an implanted or external pacing device can provide pacing stimuli to the patient's heart until intrinsic cardiac electrical activity returns. People who have had previous problems may be implanted with an automatic defibrillator that constantly monitors the condition of their heart and applies a shock when necessary. Other such people may be provided with a wearable defibrillator in the form of a vest such as the ZOLL® LIFEVEST® wearable cardioverter defibrillator product provided by ZOLL Medical Corporation. Other people may be treated using an external defibrillator/monitor, such as those found in a hospital or used by emergency medical services, for example, the R SERIES® or X SERIES® products from ZOLL Medical Corporation. Some people may be treated via an automated external defibrillator (AED) of the kind that is frequently seen in airports, public gymnasiums, schools, shopping areas and other public spaces. Examples of such AEDs are the AED PLUS® automated external defibrillator or the AED PRO® automated external defibrillator, both from ZOLL Medical Corporation of Chelmsford, Mass. As provided herein, the term AED refers generically to any device or system that incorporates some method or algorithm of acquiring an electrocardiographic (ECG) signal, analyzing the ECG for whether or not it is appropriate to provide a defibrillation shock to the patient(s) and which can provide a defibrillation shock.

Fast identification of shockable or non-shockable rhythms in ECG data


Apparatus and method for treating by injecting a fluid treatment material into porous structures such as those formed from concrete, brick, stone, marble, and wood. The apparatus includes an applicator head having an inner chamber and an outer chamber surrounding the inner chamber both of which chambers are connected with a vacuum source. The inner chamber is also connected with a source of pressurized liquid treatment material. The method is for treating such porous structures and includes the steps of engaging the structures with the applicator head, drawing a vacuum on at least the outer chamber to secure the applicator head to the structure, and supplying the pressurized liquid treatment material to the inner chamber to impregnate the structure to be treated.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus and method for treating by injecting a fluid treatment material into porous structures such as those formed from concrete, brick, stone, marble and wood including those structures with metal reinforcement members or other members embedded therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Buildings, roads, bridges, tunnels, airport runways, marine supports, monuments, sculptures, art works, and various other man made outdoor structures are formed of concrete, masonry, brick, stone, marble or wood all of which are porous in varying degrees. Many of these structures have metal, such as steel, reinforcement members or other members embedded therein. These outdoor structures are exposed to the environment including water and its various hazards from such atmospheric pollutants and conditions such as acid rain, salt, extremes of temperature and other airborne and water pollutants. Reinforcing steel members embedded in the porous structures increase deterioration created by the corrosion and oxidation of the steel following erosion of the surrounding material caused by the pollutants in the atmosphere and water. The pollutants, acid in character, penetrate and react with the salts present in the material resulting in slow and persistent erosion, cracking, crumbling, spaulling, and eventual failure of the exposed porous structures.
As carefully described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,413,808 and 5,565,032 and other U.S. Patents issued in the name of Jay S. Wyner, and repeated herein, the heretofore methods of treating and preserving porous structures of the nature referred to above, have provided only short term and often times inadequate protection. Preservative materials applied by brush, spray, roll-on, and even pressure injection methods, achieve only shallow penetration by capillary action. A single coating of the preservative material proved insufficient with a second coating tending to clog the porous structure's breathing passages according to the National Bureau of Standards Report No. 1118. With the surfaces of the porous structures clogged, internal stresses and pressures develop within, created by the effect of thermal changes on the ever-present moisture in masonry. As a result, the trapped vapor pressure generated thereby breaks through, cracks, delaminates, and destroys the protective coating.
Other methods have been used in attempts to preserve porous structures of concrete or masonry. The structure is opened, rusted reinforcing members are cleaned, the structure repainted, the reinforcing members replaced where needed, and the outer structure then repaired. In another method, holes are drilled in the structures containing reinforcing steel members, a preservative material applied under manual or pump pressure, the holes refilled and the masonry repaired. Yet another method used on roadbeds and such like structures involve cutting elongated slots or grooves, filling the slots or grooves with coating material. These preservation methods are slow, tedious, costly, and often times somewhat ineffective.
As to wood preservation, paint, shellac, epoxies, or urethanes are applied to the surfaces resulting in protection which lasts a few seasons before the need arises to scrape and sand the old protective surface and repeat the coating applications. Damage often results to the original coating from the shallow penetration and sealing effect of applications made by brush, roll-on or spray. The cellular resin structure of wood tends to cause a chemical migration in the wood when thermal expansion stresses, such as hot and cold weather conditions, are imposed. During the warm weather times, the expansion stresses cause the coatings to expand as a result of the forces imposed by the wood's cellular resins. At colder weather conditions, the contraction stresses cause the coatings to crack and peel, allowing moisture, acid rain and pollutant intrusion to cause the coatings to lift off the structures when freeze-thaw cycles occur. Moisture and pollutant absorption into the wood fibers accelerates decay.
Various concrete structures are formed in marine or water environments such as piers, sea walls, tunnels, bridge supports, and various others. In order to treat such water surrounded structures, enclosures or dikes are formed around the structure, the surrounding water pumped out, and the treating processes followed. Certain of those processes described hereinabove have been used. Extreme care is required to insure separation of the water from the structure in following the time consuming method used for treating water bound structures.
The presently used methods of preservation and treating porous structures are inadequate in providing deep impregnation of treating liquids into the structure. Additionally, the methods and treating apparatus cannot be used effectively on all structures. Typically, brushing, rolling, spraying, or pressure injecting treating liquid on vertical structures is seriously ineffective since those methods rely on gravity and capillary action to move the liquids into the structure. Although concentrated pressure injecting of treating liquids into a structure or substrate results in some degree of impregnating, the methods used are limited in that they are useable with structure such as construction lumber, utility poles, and certain portable concrete structures where the various structures are placed in a fixed tank and subjected to pressurized treating liquids. These pressure systems are not useable on outdoor structures of the kinds already mentioned. Apparatus for injecting preservative liquids into porous structures are limited to use on flat, horizontally oriented structures such as floors, roads, walkways, tunnel and bridge surfaces, runways, and such like. Spraying treatment material also results in the bouncing of the liquid as it hits the surface of the structure resulting in unnecessary waste of the treatment material. It has been found that spraying on outdoor structures does not result in deep penetration of the treatment material into the structures. Aside from not being useable on upright or vertical oriented structures, the known injection apparatus is not useable under water or on ceilings.
The present invention overcomes the problems inherent in existing methods and apparatus for treating outdoor porous structures, by providing an apparatus and method for treating and deep impregnation of such porous structures and which apparatus and method are useable on upright structures, ceilings, under water as well as on standard horizontally oriented structures. The apparatus and method of this invention are also readily useable on structures of virtually any shape or form, such as on cylindrical, fluted, artistically formed, layered structures or statues and monuments, for example. The apparatus of this invention which applies the inventive method, is simple in construction and relatively inexpensive to produce while achieving the results of deep penetration and impregnation of fluid treatment material into porous structure of virtually any configurations and orientation including walls and ceilings in the atmosphere or under water.

Apparatus and method for treating and impregnating porous structures


A semiconductor device includes a three-dimensional monolithic vertical transistor memory cell with unified inter-tier cross-couple, including a bottom tier including a contact disposed on a first inverter gate, a top tier including a second inverter gate, and a monolithic inter-tier via (MIV) that lands on the contact via the second inverter gate.

The present invention generally relates to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to semiconductor devices including a three-dimensional (3D) monolithic vertical transistor memory cell with unified inter-tier cross-couple.
Vertical transistors, such as vertical field-effect transistors (FETs), have been devised as a way to reduce contact poly pitch (CPP) to decrease unit cell size and increase efficiency by orienting current flow vertically. Vertical transistors can provide for better electrostatic control of channels (e.g., gate-all-around channels). Further, since the ohmic contacts and the channels are aligned vertically, contact density per unit of surface area of a vertical transistor is higher than in a lateral transistor.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Three-dimensional monolithic vertical transistor memory cell with unified inter-tier cross-couple

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


An object of this invention is to provide a key cylinder device which is simple in structure and is able to positively detect the presence or absence of the key. In a key cylinder device, a key cylinder body incorporates a rotor having a key inserting inlet, and a shutter made of a magnetic material is swingably mounted in the rotor to open and close the key inserting inlet, the shutter being urged by a spring to close the key inserting inlet. When the shutter is held closed, the magnetic force of a permanent magnet acts on a normally closed lead switch to hold the switch open. When the shutter is swung open by the key being inserted into the key inserting inlet, it covers the permanent magnet, thus interrupting the action of the magnetic force of the permanent magnet on the lead switch. As a result, the reed switch closes.

This invention relates to a signal transmitter comprising a signal transmitting circuit for transmitting a signal propagating in the air (hereinafter referred to as "an air propagation signal", when applicable) and its power source which are mounted on a key which is to be inserted into the key cylinder. Moreover, this invention relates to a key cylinder device which is capable of detecting the presence or absence of the key.
Recently, some motor vehicles have been equipped with a so-called "wireless door locking device". The wireless door locking device is designed as follows: A signal transmitting circuit and its power source, namely, a battery are mounted on an ignition key, which can be inserted into the ignition key cylinder and the door key cylinder. The signal transmitting circuit is activated by the driver to transmit a radio wave signal. The radio wave signal thus transmitted is detected by received-signal discriminating means. When it is determined that the radio wave signal is the one predetermined for the door of the motor vehicle, an electric actuator is operated to automatically lock or unlock the door.
The wireless door locking device is convenient in practical use, because the door is locked or unlocked merely by operating an operating button to transmit the radio wave signal.
However, the wireless door locking device suffers from the following difficulty: When the power source, namely, the power of the battery is consumed up, it is no longer possible for the signal transmitting circuit to transmit the radio wave signal; that is, it is impossible to lock or unlock the door with the radio wave signal.
On the other hand, a key cylinder device, for instance, for the door of a motor vehicle which has means for electrically detecting the insertion of the key into the key cylinder or the removal of it therefrom; i.e., the presence or absence of the key, has not been put in practical use yet.
A key cylinder device of this type, being exposed outside the vehicle body, is liable to be adversely affected by external environmental conditions. Hence, it is rather difficult for the key cylinder device to include the aforementioned detecting means for electrically detecting the presence or absence of the key. It is not impossible for the key cylinder device to include the detecting means; however, the resultant key cylinder device including the detecting means is intricate in structure and accordingly bulky as well.

Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho


An apparatus and method for food extrusion is provided. The apparatus includes a substantially circular plate having a plurality of holes in an offsetting arrangement thereon. The arrangement of the holes provide food extruded through the apparatus with a shape which approximates the arrangement.

The present invention relates generally to forming plates for use in connection with food extrusion, and more particularly, to forming plates for use in providing food extrusion with a defined extrusion shape.
At the present, forming plates used in connection with food extrusion, for example, meat extrusion, are manufactured with holes in a series of straight lines, as shown in FIG. 1, with the holes in each line offset from the holes in the lines adjacent thereto. The formation of holes in offsetting straight lines across the plate permits the manufacturing of such holes, for example, on the Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) drill press, with relative ease. In addition, formation of holes in an offsetting manner avoids the presence of substantially large ligaments (i.e., spacing between holes of adjacent lines), which ligaments are often observed when the holes between adjacent lines are not offset, but are rather linearly aligned. The presence of substantially large ligaments on the surface of the forming plate can lead to an extrusion that may not be tightly pact or sufficiently firm for packaging.
Despite the offsetting pattern of holes, many forming plates are designed with holes in a pattern which usually lead to the formation of rectangularly shaped food extrusion. In addition to the rectangularly shape extrusion, because the length of each line formed by the holes may not be similar, as seen with presently available forming plates, the resulting extrusion can be wave-like in character. Such shape and character, when present in the extrusion, may make it difficult to fit the extrusion into most trays or containers presently used for packaging. Furthermore, it has been noted that consumers often find such shape and character to be undesirable. Instead, consumers have shown preference for extrusions with a fuller, more rounded profile.
To avoid formation of rectangularly or wave-like shaped extrusions, various design changes have been attempted, for example, varying the placement of the holes on the forming plates. Another example includes varying the length of each line by, for example, adding the number of holes therein, as seen in FIG. 1. Despite this variation in the length of certain lines, the extrusion still tend to be flat, and a fuller, more rounded profile may not be achieved.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide forming plates which can provide food extrusions with a fuller, more rounded profile, so as to appeal to consumers, while being tightly pact, such that the extrusion can be easily packaged into presently available trays or containers.
The present invention, in accordance with one embodiment, provides a forming plate for use in food extrusion, including meat extrusion. The plate is substantially circular in shape and includes a plurality of holes formed thereon. The holes, in one embodiment, are arranged in successive arcs beginning at an area adjacent the perimeter of the plate and moving inward towards the center of the plate. The holes in each successive arc are preferably offset from the holes in the adjacent arcs, so as to minimize spacing between holes of adjacent arcs. By minimizing the spacing between the holes, each strand of food stuff extruded through a hole may be permitted to closely engage adjacent extrusion strands, so as to provide a firm and generally tightly packed extrusion. The pattern of offsetting successive arcs may continue toward the center of the plate until the area within which the arcs are placed can no longer support such an offsetting arrangement. In one embodiment, at least two offsetting successive arcs the are provided towards the perimeter of the plate. When the successive arc arrangement towards the center of the plate can no longer be supported, the holes may be arranged in offsetting straight lines.
In an alternate embodiment, the holes may be arranged in a concentric circular arrangement from the perimeter of the plate towards the center of the plate, with the holes in each circular arrangement being offset from the holes in the adjacent circular arrangement. This pattern may continue toward the center of the plate until such area on the plate can no longer support an offsetting circular arrangement. At such point, the holes may be arranged in offsetting straight lines.
A forming plate having the above described offsetting patterns of holes can provide food extruded therethrough with a correspondingly desired shape, for example, a curved or more rounded profile with the successive arc arrangement, or a tubular shape with the concentric circular arrangement. In general, as food stuff is being advanced across the forming plate, the resulting extrusion can be portioned into loaves for packaging in commonly used trays or containers.


An apparatus and method for effectuating multi-cycle engine braking is disclosed. The present invention controls the operation of the engine valves to permit more than one compression release event during a single engine operating cycle. The apparatus includes an assembly for operating at least one exhaust valve of an engine cylinder during a positive power operation. The apparatus further includes an assembly for operating at least one intake valve of the engine cylinder. The apparatus further including an assembly for operating the at least one exhaust valve during an engine braking operation.

With many engines it is desirable to have both a positive power mode of operation (in which the engine produces power for such purposes as propelling an associated vehicle) and a braking mode operation (in which the engine absorbs power for such purposes as slowing down an associated vehicle). It is well known that a highly effective way of operating an engine in braking mode is to cut off the fuel supply to the engine and to then open the exhaust valves in the engine near top dead center of the compression strokes of the engine cylinders. This allows air that the engine has compressed in its cylinders to escape to the exhaust system of the engine before the engine can recover the work of compressing the air during the subsequent "power" strokes of the engine pistons. This type of engine braking is known as compression release engine braking.
It takes a great deal more force to open an exhaust valve to produce a compression release event during compression release engine braking than to open either an intake or exhaust valve during positive power mode operation of the engine. During positive power mode operation the intake valves typically open while the piston is moving away from the valves, thereby creating a low pressure condition in the engine cylinder. Thus the only real resistance to intake valve opening is the force of the intake valve return spring which normally holds the intake valve closed. Similarly, during positive power mode operation the exhaust valves typically open near the end of the power strokes of the associated piston after as much work as possible has been extracted from the combustion products in the cylinder. The piston is again moving away from the valves and the cylinder pressure against which the exhaust valves must be opened is again relatively low. (Once opened, the exhaust valves are typically held open throughout the subsequent exhaust stroke of the associated piston, but this only requires enough force to overcome the exhaust valve return spring force.)
Four cycle internal combustion engines, conventionally, are outfitted with either mechanical or hydro-mechanical intake and exhaust opening systems. These systems may include a combination of camshafts, rocker arms and push rods that operate synchronously with the engine's crankshaft rotation. The timing of the valve openings is fixed in relationship to the position of the crankshaft by direct mechanical connection of the valve actuating system with the crankshaft. In any cylinder, of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, intake and exhaust valve openings and closings in conjunction with the fuel mixture and either ignition or fuel injection, are predetermined to provide optimum positive power over a range of engine speeds. This relationships between the piston motion of a cylinder and its intake and exhaust valve openings and closings, for a conventional internal combustion engine is illustrated in FIG. 1.
The crankshaft of a four-cycle internal combustion engine rotates through 720.degree. during one series of its four strokes (i.e., compression, expansion, exhaust and intake). FIG. 1 depicts the relationships between the piston and valves beginning with the piston at top dead center ("TDC") of the compression stroke 5. Both the intake and exhaust valves are closed, and remain closed during most of the expansion stroke wherein the piston is traveling away from the cylinder head (i.e., the volume between the cylinder head and the piston head is increasing). Fuel is burned during the expansion stroke and positive power is delivered by the engine. As the piston reverses direction at the end of the expansion stroke, the exhaust valve opens, illustrated as 7 in FIG. 1 and combustion gases are forced out of the cylinder as the piston travels again to exhaust TDC 6. Just prior to the exhaust TDC, the intake valve opens, illustrated as 8 in FIG. 1. Immediately after the exhaust TDC, the exhaust valve closes, and air or fuel mixture is drawn into the cylinder chamber through the intake valve as the piston travels away from the cylinder head. The intake valve closes when the piston is near the or in the proximity of the furthest distance from the cylinder head. Subsequently, both the intake and exhaust valves are closed, and the compression stroke begins bringing the piston to TDC and the four cycle repeats.
FIG. 2 illustrates the required intake and exhaust valve openings that occur when an internal combustion engine operates in a braking mode (i.e., as a compressor wherein the compressed air is evacuated at the vicinity of TDC compression). FIG. 2 also illustrates engine piston motion. During the braking mode, no fuel is being supplied to the engine. As a result, only air is being compressed during the compression stroke. FIG. 2 depicts the normal intake and exhaust valve openings (i.e., during positive power) during the exhaust and intake strokes of the piston. Additionally, an exhaust valve opening 9 is shown immediately before the completion of the compression stroke and subsequent to the closing prior to the beginning of the exhaust stroke. There are other options. This is just one example of an exhaust cam operated compression release brake. Engine braking is achieved during the compression stroke and the evacuation, by way of the added exhaust valve opening, of the compressed air immediately following.
The aforementioned process described compression release engine braking. The additional exhaust valve opening is achieved by adding components that actuate an exhaust valve independently from the normal actuating mechanisms. This is typically achieved by actuating the lifting mechanism of the exhaust valve by way of a secondary hydro-mechanical system that can be deactivated when the engine is operating in its positive power mode. In summary, the secondary system lifts the exhaust valve, at an appropriate time, and does not interfere with, nor interrupt, the normal valve lifting mechanism, and is inactive during positive power operation. Timing of the secondary system's valve lifting is usually derived from the activation of an adjacent cylinder's normal intake or exhaust valve's opening or the injection actuation mechanism. A neighboring cylinder, wherein a valve opening occurs nearest to the desired time for the active cylinder's exhaust valve opening is chosen. This approach, deriving timing from an adjacent cylinder's normal operation, eliminates the need for the secondary system to contain its own timing control.
The most common type of engine brake derives its motion from the injector cam of the same cylinder.
Conventional single-cycle engine braking systems have inherent limitations. These limitations are introduced primarily by (1) secondary valve actuating systems derive there timing from an adjacent cylinder's normal valve opening timing via hydromechanical links; and (2) secondary systems do not interrupt the normal opening and closing of the cylinder intake and exhaust valves during positive power. The first circumstance generally results in a sub-optimum realization of the full engine braking potential. This occurs because the timing and duration of the exhaust valve opening to vent the cylinder at the completion of the compression braking stroke is fixed by an adjacent cylinder's normal timing or injector timing of that cylinder during valve opening duration. The second circumstance prevents exploiting a second compression braking cycle because the exhaust valve is open during the exhaust stroke. Otherwise, the second cycle is available for compression braking. Consequently, a system that takes control of the actuation of the cylinder intake and exhaust valves enables or disables their opening. This can optimize engine performance in an engine braking mode.
Other internal combustion engine limitations have emerged in the thirty years since engine braking technology has been introduced Emission controls, turbo-chargers, and exhaust braking have affected the performance of engine braking. The net effect is a reduction in conventional engine braking performance, particularly at low speeds when the turbo-charged air volume, available for compression, is small. During the same time, demand and reliance on conventional engine braking has increased. A further motivation for improved engine braking performance has emerged.
Engine retarders of the compression release-type are well-known in the art. Engine retarders are designed to convert, at least temporarily, an internal combustion engine of either the spark-ignition or compression-ignition type into an air compressor. In doing so, the engine develops retarding horsepower to help slow the engine down. This can provide the operator increased control over the vehicle, and substantially reduce wear on the service brakes of the vehicle. A properly designed and adjusted compression release-type engine retarder can develop retarding horsepower that is a substantial portion of the operating horsepower developed by the engine on positive power.
A compression release-type retarder of this type supplements the braking capacity of the primary vehicle wheel braking system. In so doing, it extends substantially the life of the primary (or wheel) braking system of the vehicle. The basic design for a compression release engine retarding system of the type involved with this invention is disclosed in Cummins, U.S. Pat. No. 3,220,392.
The compression release-type engine retarder disclosed in the Cummins '392 patent employs a hydraulic control system. The hydraulic control system of typical compression release-type engine retarders used prior to the present invention engage the valve actuation system of the engine. When the engine is under positive power, the hydraulic control system of a typical compression release engine retarder is disengaged from the valve control system. When compression release-type retarding is desired, the fuel supply is stopped and the hydraulic control system of the compression release brake causes the compression release brake to engage the valve control system of the engine.
Compression release-type engine retarders typically employ a hydraulic system in which a master piston engages the valve control or injector system of the engine. When the retarder is activated, a solenoid valve allows lube oil to fill a hydraulic circuit which actuates the master piston which is hydraulically connected to a slave piston. The motion of the master piston controls the motion of the slave piston, which in turn typically opens the exhaust valve of the internal combustion engine at a point near the end of the compression stroke. In doing so, the work that is done in compressing the intake air cannot be recovered during the subsequent expansion (or power) stroke of the engine. Instead, it is dissipated through the exhaust. By dissipating energy developed from the work done in compressing the intake gases, the compression release-type retarder dissipates energy from the engine, slowing the vehicle down.
The master piston in typical compression release engine retarders of the type known prior to the present invention is typically driven by a push tube that is controlled by the engine camshaft. The force required to open the exhaust valve is transmitted back through the hydraulic system to the push tube and the camshaft. Historically, it has been desirable to minimize modification of the engine, as many compression release-type retarders were installed as after market items. Accordingly, a push tube that otherwise moves at a point in the engine cycle close to the desired time to operate the compression release engine retarder was typically selected for actuating the master piston. In some cases, an exhaust valve push tube associated with another engine cylinder was selected. In yet other cases, it was convenient to use the fuel injector cam lobe or push tube associated with the cylinder that was undergoing the compression event. It is also possible to use an intake valve push tube. Additionally, there are other ways to operate the master piston.
Regardless of the specific actuation means chosen, inherent limits were imposed on operation of the compression release-type retarder based on the allowable loads on the engine. A number of mechanical factors have historically imposed limitations: the temperature of critical engine parts, such as valves; the seating velocity of the valves; push tube loads; cam stress; the power available from the compression release retarder to overcome the instantaneous cylinder pressure at the point of opening and a variety of other factors. Typically, it is desired to open the compression release-type engine retarder as late in the engine cycle as possible. In this way, the engine develops a higher degree of compression, allowing more energy to be dissipated through the compression release retarder. Delaying the opening of the exhaust valve in the compression release event to a point later in the compression stroke, however, also increased substantially the loading placed on critical engine components.
Safety, reliability and environmental demands have pushed the technology of compression release engine retarding significantly over the past 30 years. Compression release retarding systems are typically adapted to a particular engine in order to maximize the retarding horsepower that could be developed, consistent with the mechanical limitations of the engine system. In addition, over the decades during which these improvements were made, compression release-type engine retarders garnered substantial commercial success. Engine manufacturers became more willing to embrace compression release retarding technology. Compression release-type retarders have continued to enjoy substantial and continuing commercial success in the marketplace. Accordingly, engine manufacturers have been more willing to make engine design modifications, in order to accommodate the compression release-type engine retarder, as well as to improve its performance and efficiency.
In addition to these pressures, significant environmental pressures have forced engine manufacturers to explore a variety of new ways to improve the efficiency of their engines. These changes have forced a number of engine modifications. Engines have become smaller and more fuel efficient. Yet, the demands on retarder performance have often increased, requiring the compression release-type engine retarder to generate greater amounts of retarding horsepower under more limiting conditions. A variety of ancillary equipment are currently employed on diesel type engines, including turbo-chargers, silencers, exhaust brakes, waste gate controls, electronic controls, sensors and other collateral apparatus.
Similarly, in an effort to secure greater performance, an engine may have a turbocharger. Another method of vehicle engine retarding has included the use of any device that causes a restriction in the turbo, or in which a restriction is imposed in the exhaust manifold, increasing the back pressure on the engine and making it harder for the piston to force gases out of the cylinder on the exhaust stroke. During the past decades many engine manufacturers, and operators, have used an exhaust restriction method on a turbo-charged engine in combination with a compression release-type retarder. The use of the exhaust restrictor, however, essentially "kills" the boost available from the turbo-charger, dramatically reducing the amount of air delivered to the engine on intake. This, in turn dramatically worsens compression release-type engine brake performance. Combination braking does result in an overall increase in retarding due to the practical effect of getting more air into the cylinder.
As the market for compression release-type engine retarders has developed and matured, these multiple factors have pushed the direction of technological development toward a number of goals: securing higher retarding horsepower from the compression release retarder, increasing mid-range performance and variable retarding capability; working with, in some cases, lower masses of air deliverable to the cylinders through the intake system; and the inter-relation of various collateral or ancillary equipment, such as: turbo-chargers; and exhaust brakes. In addition, as the market for compression release engine retarders has matured and moved from the after-market to original equipment manufacturers, engine manufacturers have shown an increased willingness to make design modifications to their engines that would increase the performance and reliability, and broaden the operating parameters, of the compression release-type engine retarder.
In addition, various techniques to improve the efficiency of the engine on positive power --and thereby reduce emissions--have also been incorporated into engines. Among the techniques that have been investigated is the recirculation of a certain portion of the exhaust gases through the engine to attempt to achieve more complete burning of the exhaust gases: exhaust gas recirculation.
Various manufacturers have incorporated exhaust gas recirculation systems into their engines. In some instances, these have been done to achieve exhaust gas recirculation for environmental reasons. In other instances, it has been done to add additional charge to the cylinder that is undergoing the compression release retarding event. Ueno, Japanese laid open Patent Publication No. Sho 63.backslash.1988-25330 (published Feb. 2, 1988), for Exhaust Brake Equipment for Internal Combustion Engine specifically discloses adding an additional cam lobe to open an exhaust valve at the end of the intake stroke or the starting part of the compression stroke. The engine described by Ueno also is equipped with an exhaust brake so that the back pressure in the exhaust manifold is significantly higher than the pressure in the cylinder. At that point, the exhaust gas recirculation event occurs forcing valve opening at the end of intake and/or beginning of compression. Consequently, higher pressure exhaust air from the exhaust manifold flows into the cylinder, increasing the amount of air in the cylinder during the succeeding compression stroke. The greater amount of gas in the cylinder at the beginning of the compression stroke generates increased retarding horsepower.
Volvo has also employed exhaust gas recirculation. Gobert et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5.146,890 for Method and a Device for Engine Braking a Four Stroke Internal Combustion Engine, discloses the addition of an exhaust gas recirculation lobe on the cam. The engine has for each cylinder at least one inlet valve and at least one exhaust valve for controlling communication between a combustion chamber in the cylinder and an inlet system and an exhaust system, respectively. The arrangement also establishes communication between the combustion chamber and the exhaust system in conjunction with the exhaust stroke and also when the piston is located in the proximity of its bottom-dead-center position after the inlet stroke and during the latter part of the compression stroke and during at least part of the expansion stroke. Communication of the combustion chamber with the exhaust system is effected upstream of a throttling device provided in the exhaust system, this throttling device being operative to throttle at least a part of the flow through the exhaust system during an engine braking operation, therewith to increase the pressure upstream of the throttling device. The exhaust gas recirculation lobe on the Volvo cam, however, is at a different cam timing than the exhaust gas recirculation of the present invention. Moreover, nothing in the Volvo '890 patent teaches or suggests two-cycle braking.
In a typical four-stroke internal combustion engine, the intake rocker arm and exhaust rocker arms have dedicated cam lobes. Historically, engine manufacturers have been reluctant to modify their engine configurations to provide a dedicated cam lobe for the compression release-type brake. In addition, on fuel injected engines, the fuel injector requires additional space on the cam shaft for the fuel injector cam lobe. This configuration has historically limited the amount ot space available to provide additional cams to actuate the compression release brake system. The availability of a dedicated cam for the compression release brake system would simplify and improve the operation, reliability, and performance of the compression release-type braking system. Insufficient space has typically been available on the cam shaft, however, to accomplish that objective.
Recently, some manufacturer have begun manufacturing engines with two overhead cam shafts. This provides a greater overall amount of space along the cam shaft to use cams to directly actuate engine components. For example, one engine manufacturer has recently adopted a dual overhead cam shaft design. In the new engine, the fuel injector cam is located on a separate cam shaft, to provide a greater contact length along the cam to operate the fuel injector. This frees additional space along the second valve actuation cam shaft to provide cams that are dedicated to the operation of the compression release-type brake. It is in this type of situation that the present invention has particular application. As embodied herein, the present invention uses a dedicated cam to directly actuate a rocker arm for the compression release-type engine retarder, thereby eliminating push tubes and other associated hardware. This simplifies installation and maintenance of the brake and improves its reliability by reducing the number of parts that are susceptible to failure and, in particular, particularly high stress parts such as push tubes.
In addition, some engine manufacturers have attempted to redesign the overhead of the engine to employ a dedicated compression brake cam. For example, certain model engines feature overhead cam shafts. Engine manufacturers have redesigned the overhead of certain of its engine models to incorporate a dedicated brake cam compression release. For example Vittorio. U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,531 assigned to Cummins Engine Company discloses an engine retarder cycle for an engine in which the exhaust valve is opened earlier during the compression stroke than previously contemplated. Vittorio discloses beginning the ripening of a retarder valve in an engine cylinder during a second half of a compression stroke of a piston in the engine cylinder. By opening the retarder valve earlier, the cylinder pressure is not allowed to build to as high a level as previously attained. The retarder valve is opened to a maximum displacement prior to a top dead center position of the piston. The retarder valve is then closed during the first half of the expansion stroke of the piston. Reedy et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,116, assigned to Cummins Engine Company discloses a dedicated rocker lever and cam assembly for a compression braking system. The Reedy dedicated rocker lever and cam assembly operates according to the method described in the Vittorio '531 patent. The braking system includes an independent exhaust valve actuator assembly having a braking mode rocker lever and a cam lobe for imparting movement to the exhaust valve when the engine is operated in the braking mode.
The present invention is a significant improvement on this type of design. The present invention uses the dedicated cam lobe to effect two-cycle braking and exhaust gas recirculation, in order to provide additional retarding power from the engine. The above-described method and device do not anticipate two-cycle braking.
Sickler, U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,114 is one example of an early effort to develop a fully integrated, high performance, two-cycle compression release-type brake. Sickler's '114 patent discloses a process and apparatus for the compression release retarding of a multi-cylinder four cycle internal combustion engine. The process provides a compression release event for each cylinder during each revolution of the engine crankshaft in which the normal motion of the exhaust and intake valves is inhibited and the exhaust valves are opened briefly at each time the engine piston approaches the top dead center position. The intake valves are opened after each opening of the exhaust valves. The apparatus includes a hydraulic assembly driven by the engine push-tubes which produces a timed hydraulic pulse adapted to open the exhaust and intake valves at the proper time. Hydraulically actuated means are provided to disable the valve crosshead or rocker arm so as to inhibit the normal motion of the valves. The process and apparatus disclosed by Sickler is too involved and has not been commercially developed.
Another method that has been employed to attempt to achieve greater efficiency and performance from compression release engine braking systems is to attempt to achieve "two-cycle" engine braking. Essentially, the engine brake in a typical compression release-type engine retarder operates on only one stroke of a four-stroke engine, namely, at the end of the compression stroke near top dead center. It has long been theorized that greater braking performance could be achieved by attempting to initiate two compression release events per engine cycle during braking operation. Attempts have been made to do so but none of those attempts has yet to produce a commercially viable engine braking system that achieves increased performance. These devices, however, were too complicated with high manufacturing costs and low reliability. Furthermore, the others have not taken their development efforts far enough to develop technology for an engagement device for an overhead cam engine.
One of the principle limitations in achieving effective two-cycle engine braking occurs with a cam shaft operated valve train in a four-cycle engine. The normal exhaust valve motion must be disabled in order to retain the gases in the cylinder and achieve braking on a second stroke of the engine, when opening the exhaust valve before the second TDC which is the normal exhaust stroke TDC. Prior to this, new air has to be admitted to the cylinders before the second compression release event occurs. Otherwise, the air simply exits through the exhaust valve on the exhaust stroke. The ability to add a second cylinder fill event prior to the second braking event is also challenging. No prior engine braking systems of which the present inventors are aware have been able to overcome these two limitations and achieve an effective second braking event.
None of these methods, however, provide solutions to certain of the problems of compression release-type retarding. First, none of these prior systems disclose, teach, or suggest how to achieve reliable, effective two-cycle braking while actuating the valves, namely, without using a "bleeder" type brake. Second, none discloses, teaches, or suggests how to optimize the actuation of the exhaust valve during the intake and compression strokes in order to achieve the highest possible retarding horsepower from the compression release event without exceeding the mechanical limits of the engine. In addition, none of these methods discloses, teaches or suggests any method for the use of exhaust gas recirculation to regulate the exhaust pressure in the exhaust manifold least of all in the context of two-cycle braking.
Prior compression release-type brakes are typically optimized at the rated speed of the engine. The engine, however, is not always operated at its rated speed and, in fact, is frequently operated at significantly lower speeds. The advertised retarding performance based on the rated speed cannot be achieved when operating at lower engine speeds called mid range. It is therefore highly desirable to provide a method for controlling the braking systems and better tuning them to the speed at which the engine is operating. This is not possible with most prior methods, including those discussed above.
There remains a significant need for a method for controlling the actuation of the exhaust valves in order to increase the effectiveness of and optimize the compression release engine retarding. Further, there also remains a significant need for a system that is able to perform that function over a wide range of engine operating parameters and conditions. In particular, there remains a need to "tune" the compression release-type retarder system in order to optimize its performance at lower operating speeds than the rated speed of the engine.
In spite of the existence of the substantial incentives and prior work to develop effective two-cycle braking, none of the known efforts to do so have been successful. There remains a significant need for an effective two-cycle braking system that provides greater increased retarding power. In addition, providing effective two-cycle braking essentially requires assuming control of the valves from the valve train over a greater range of the engine braking cycle. There remains a significant need in the field for the invention to achieve this valve control. Again, however, in spite of the substantial need for these systems, no effective systems have been able to produce this valve control, let alone in both positive power and engine braking operation.
The present invention describes a process and apparatus that accomplishes both goals. It enables effective two-cycle braking to occur. The present invention is usable in multi-cylinder engines having one or more intake valves and one or more exhaust valves per cylinder. The present invention achieves essentially two-cycle engine braking and is capable of assuming control of valve actuation in both positive power and engine braking operation.

Multi-cycle, engine braking with positive power valve actuation control system and process for using the same


The system contains a lamination press. The first cavity is formed in a chassis. A film assembly is fitted within the chassis. A buffer mounts over the film assembly and within the chassis. A tool set is shaped to fit within the first cavity. The tool set and chassis are positioned within the lamination press to confer heat and pressure from the lamination press to the film assembly and chassis.

The manufacture of some electronic devices, including some utilizing radio frequencies, requires the use of electrically conductive film epoxies. These epoxies are used to bond substrates (of various materials) to aluminum chassis that sometimes have milled channels as deep as one inch. The purpose of the channels is to provide a predetermined space for which the radio frequency energy travels. However, laminating substrates in these deep and often intricate channels presents a processing challenge The lamination process must be capable of providing enough heat and pressure to achieve a reliable bond line.
In the past, lamination has been performed with a vacuum equipped oven capable of providing pressure to the components while subjected to appropriate cure temperatures (up to 150 celsius). Although, vacuum offers a consistent means of applying pressure, the pressure is limited. An ideal vacuum will provide approximately 14.7 psi. However, in practice, there is loss and this particular vacuum process provided no greater than 11 psi of pressure. This pressure is insufficient for curing many microelectronic film epoxies. Because of insufficient pressures using the vacuum method, substrates would not bond consistently and often times delaminated or even peeled away from the chassis floor. The immediate effect is a detriment to the radio frequency performance and the longer term implication is a compromise product reliability.
Lamination presses are used throughout the industry for a variety of applications. The platens are typically flat plates used for applying pressure to flat materials. They are not typically used for bonding microelectronic substrates into deep chassis cavities.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.

System and method for microelectronics lamination press

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.