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this invention relates to a method for producing non - thrombogenic materials which involves a reaction between heparin and an aldehyde group - containing polymer . this invention differs from the prior art , which has been directed to linking heparin and a polymer by the function of a dialdehyde , in that the present invention does not involve undesirable side reactions such as heparin - heparin bonding or polymer - polymer bonding . therefore , there are no unfavorable gelled materials formed as by - products and probably because of the minimum chemical modification of the heparin , non - thrombogenic properties of the composition of this invention are outstanding . this is surprising from the fact that it has been observed that the anti - coagulant function of heparin is appreciably decreased by any sort of chemical modification . in practice of the present invention , the &# 34 ; aldehyde group - containing polymer &# 34 ; can be prepared by the polymerization or copolymerization of the monomer which has an aldehyde or aldehyde group - forming group , namely , acetal or hemiacetal group . thus , the &# 34 ; aldehyde group containing polymer &# 34 ; means the polymer containing aldehyde group or aldehyde group - forming group such as acetal or hemiacetal along the polymer chain . examples of these monomers are acrolein , methacrolein , p - formyl styrene , n - formyl amino ethyl acrylamide , n - formyl ethyl acrylamide , formyl ethyl acrylamide , formyl ethyl methacrylate , ketene dimethyl acetal , ketene diethyl acetal , acrolein acetal , methacrolein acetal and so forth . the polymerization or copolymerization of this kind of the monomer with other copolymerizable vinyl compounds can be performed in the usual manner by using a common radical initiator . an example of the copolymerization is given below to form &# 34 ; aldehyde group - containing polymer &# 34 ;. allylidene diacetate ( ch 2 ═ ch -- ch ( oac ) 2 ) prepared by the reaction between acrolein and acetic anhydride can be copolymerized with another vinyl compound like vinyl acetate , which is subsequently hydrolyzed to an &# 34 ; aldehyde group - containing polymer &# 34 ; as follows : ## str1 ## other monomer such as vinyl chloride , acrylonitrile , methacrylonitrile , methyl methacrylate , isopropyl methacrylate , isopropenyl acetate , ethyl methacrylate , methyl acrylate , ethyl acrylate , methacrylic acid , acrylic acid , styrene , or α - methyl styrene may be used for copolymerization with &# 34 ; aldehyde group - containing monomer &# 34 ;. the &# 34 ; aldehyde group - containing polymer &# 34 ; may be prepared , in turn , by periodic acid ( or its salt ) or lead tetraacetate cleavage of carbon - carbon bonds , which is a characteristic reaction of carbon - carbon bonds , where adjacent carbon atoms possess oh groups , i . e ., vic - glycol . the typical polymers having vicinal hydroxyl groups can be natural polymers having glucose units . the natural polymers may be cellulose , cellulose derivatives such as oxycellulose , benzyl cellulose , cyanoethyl cellulose , cellulose acetate , polysaccharide , starch , gum arabic , chitin , chitosan , galactane , araban , galactomannane , xylane , alginic acid ( or its salt ), heparin and so forth . these natural polymers have repeating glucose units in the chain molecule . the glucose unit has a vic - glycol moiety which can be cleaved by the action of periodic acid ( or its salt ), or lead tetraacetate as follows : ## str2 ## therefore , by treating with periodic acid , the polymer having glucose units can be easily converted to &# 34 ; aldehyde group - containing polymer &# 34 ; (&# 34 ; p - cho &# 34 ; will be used short for &# 34 ; aldehyde group - containing polymer &# 34 ;.) by the simple treatment with periodic acid or lead tetraacetate . in the case of cellulose , the reaction can be visualized as follows : ## str3 ## hereafter , we use ## str4 ## for the above reaction product ## str5 ## for generalization ; p means polymer chain ). on the other hand , the chemical structure of heparin has a repeating unit described below : ## str6 ## heparin also has vic - glycol moieties in the chain . hereafter we use simplified formula ## str7 ## for heparin . the vic - glycol moiety in the heparin molecule reacts with an aldehyde in an acidic medium . thus , the reaction between the vic - glycol moiety of the heparin and the aldehyde groups in the polymer forms a 5 - membered ring , i . e ., dioxolane ring which is very stable by nature , in accordance with the following reaction : ## str8 ## the hemiacetal structure is likely to be converted to more stable acetal by elimination of one water molecule . the aldehyde group in the polymer may be converted to acetal or hemiacetal in the presence of an alcohol as follows : ## str9 ## the chemical reactivity of acetal or hemiacetal shown above does not make any difference from &# 34 ; free &# 34 ; aldehyde , and these react with heparin in the same way as &# 34 ; free &# 34 ; aldehyde . ## str10 ## when the reaction ( 1 ) is carried out in an acidic medium in the presence of alcohol , hemiacetal structure may be formed . ## str11 ## but this structure is liable to react further to form stabler 1 , 2 - dioxolane ring by liberating ethanol . ## str12 ## thus , the reaction in this invention can be summarized as follows : ## str13 ## by the above reaction , heparin and the &# 34 ; aldehyde group - containing polymer &# 34 ; can be covalently bonded , which means that the linked heparin does not dissociate , thus , the heparin can not be leach out when exposed in the blood stream . in this reaction , there is neither a heparin - heparin side reaction , nor a polymer - polymer reaction as occurs to a great extent in the prior art . in the present invention , from the principle of the above reaction , one can understand that any polymer which has aldehyde or acetal group can be obviously used . the polymer may be a homopolymer , copolymer , block copolymer or a graft copolymer and blends of the above polymers . the aldehyde group - containing polymer contains preferably aldehyde group ranging from 1 . 0 to 20 . 0 % by weight of the polymer , and heparin solution preferably has 50 to 100 , 000 usp unit heparin when applied to the reaction . the above reaction can be carried out in a homogeneous phase or in a heterogeneous phase . for example , a water soluble starch is dissolved in water to form a homogeneous solution , treated with sodium metaperiodate and then allowed to react with heparin in an acidic medium . on the other hand , the surface of medical device which is exposed to blood can be coated with the above reaction product which can be rendered insoluble by the cross - linking with a dialdehyde such as glyoxal or glutaraldehyde . the invention may also be applied to any shaped article made from cellulose . for example , the interior of a cellulose hollow fiber , or cellulose tube may be treated with periodic acid to form aldehyde groups , followed by the above - described treatment with heparin . cellulose film may also be treated in the same way . the polymer treated is not always limited to a sole polymer , but may be a composite material or a blend material . this invention may be applied on the surface of a shaped article which is exposed to blood when in use . thus , the coating material having aldehyde groups which can cover foreign surface may be utilized . in the case of cellulose hollow fiber , the present invention may be applied in a hollow fiber manufacturing process . the inventor has already disclosed a novel method for producing cellulosic hollow fiber . according to his above - mentioned disclosure , cellulose ester , preferably cellulose acetate is dissolved in an organic solvent , for example , acetone . the hollow fiber can be spun through a &# 34 ; tube in orifice &# 34 ; spinnerete . the key to the success for forming the hollow fiber at a high speed ( 200 m / min ) lies in the fact that a core solution which contains an effective amount of a salt which plays an important role in developing phase separation between the core solution and the spinning dope is used . examples of said water soluble salt are sodium chloride , potassium chloride , calcium chloride , sodium phosphate , ammonium chloride , sodium acetate , sodium oxylate and so forth . when this technique is applied in the dry - jet wet spinning method , and spun - dope filament from the orifice is not gelled during the dry passage because the phase separation prevents the diffusing of the core solution into the sheath dope filament . therefore , the spun dope - filament can be easily stretched during the air gap before being introduced into the coagulation bath . the present invention may also be applied to the above hollow fiber producing process . when the core solution contains sodium metaperiodate , for example , in the form of a mixture with another water soluble salt such as sodium chloride , calcium chloride or sodium acetate , the inner surface or the hollow surface of the filament is contacted with sodium metaperiodate which selectively attacks vic - glycol of the cellulose ester to develop aldehyde groups . the core solution can contain an alkali metal hydroxide such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide . in this case , the inner surface or the hollow surface can be simultaneously hydrolyzed so as to regenerate cellulose , which is attacked simultaneously by the periodate to give rise to aldehyde groups . preferable concentration of periodic acid or its salt in the core solution is 0 . 01 to 3 mol / l and more preferably 0 . 05 to 1 . 0 mole / l . when the concentration is lower than 0 . 01 mole / l , reaction will not proceed satisfactorily , and , when the concentration is more than 3 . 00 mole / l , degradation due to cleaverage of cellulose molecule may take place . the core solution may be acidic , for example , the core solution can contain periodic acid . this acidic core solution , can contain other inorganic or organic acids , such as hydrochloric acid , nitric acid , sulfuric acid or acetic acid . the solution also may contain neutral salts or acidic salts such as sodium chloride , potassium chloride , ammonium chloride , ammonium bromide and so on . the hollow fiber thus formed can be successively treated with heparin in an acidic medium . thus , heparin can be linked co - valently on the inner surface of the hollow fiber . the follow fiber thus obtained has a long - term , almost permanent non - thrombogenicity , which has long been needed . the core solution may be an organic liquid containing periodic acid which does not gel the spinning solution , namely , a liquid having a swelling effect for the dope - polymer , or a solvent for the dope polymer . in this case , the core solution does not coagulate the spinning dope during the dry - passage ( or in the air gap ) when applied to dry - wet jet spinning method . the spun dope can be stretched before being introduced into the coagulation bath , where gellation take place instantaneously . this makes the spinning speed extremely high ( 180 m / min ), compared to the known process . the example of this type of core solution may be formamide , dimethyl sulfoxide , dimethyl acetamide , dimethyl formamide , γ - butyrolactone , tetromethylene sulfone , 2 - pyrrolidone , or mixtures of the above compounds , for cellulose acetate as dope polymer . these core solution can contain heparin to react based on the same principle . the principle presented in the present invention can also be applied in a different mode . heparin , which also contains vic - glycol , is first treated to form aldehyde groups in its molecule as follows : ## str14 ## the product can react with a polymer having vicinal hydroxyl groups such as cellulose or polyvinyl alcohol as follows : ## str15 ## when the hydroxy polymer is cellulose , the heparin is linked through a 5 - membered substituted dioxolane ring : ## str16 ## when the hydroxy polymer is polyvinyl alcohol , the acetal linkage is in the form of a 5 - membered substituted 1 , 3 - dioxane ring : ## str17 ## the both 5 - and 6 - membered acetal rings are very stable by nature , thus , the heparin molecules are bonded firmly by the covalent bonds . this is the reason why the above reaction products have long - term thrombogenicities . the procedure presented in this invention can be applied in any form of the shaped articles . the invention also is applied as a coating material which has previously been subjected to this invention to link heparin . also the present invention can be applied after being coated with the polymer having vic - glycol or aldehyde ( or acetal ) groups , through said functional groups . the heparin can be bonded as described in detail supra . this invention is further illustrated in and by the following examples which are given merely as illustration and are not intended to restrict in any way the scope of the invention nor the manner in which it can be practiced . sodium metaperiodate was dissolved in 100 ml of water and the solution thus obtained was maintained at 5 ° c . into this solution , a commercial cuprophane film prepared from cuproammonium solution was immersed for 30 minutes , the solution was then washed with distilled water and dried at ambient temperature . the film was next immersed in 50 ml of an aqueous solution containing 25 , 000 unit / ml heparin for 30 minutes at 40 ° c . the heparin solution was adjusted at ph 4 with sulfuric acid . after being treated in the heparin solution , the film was washed with water again , and dried at ambient temperature . a 100 ml aqueous solution having 0 . 01 mole of sodium metaperiodate was adjusted to ph 8 with h 2 so 4 . the solution was placed in a dark place at 10 ° c . into this solution , a commercial cellophane film was immersed and allowed to react for 20 minutes . then , the film was thoroughly washed with distilled water . the film was then allowed to react with heparin by being immersed in an aqueous solution having 5 , 000 unit / ml of heparin at ph of 3 . temperature was maintained at 50 ° c . during the reaction . after ten minutes , the film was taken up from the solution , washed with a sufficient amount of distilled water and then dried at ambient temperature . 50 g of water soluble starch was dissolved in 300 ml of water and the solution obtained was maintained at 30 ° c . to this solution , an aqueous solution ( 50 ml ) containing 1 g of sodium metaperiodate was added , and the mixture was stirred for 10 minutes . the reaction product was precipitated by pouring the reaction mixture into large excess of methanol . the precipitant was filtered , and then the residual material was dissolved in water again . after the aqueous solution thus obtained had been adjusted to ph 3 . 5 with h 2 so 4 , 5 ml of a solution having 25 , 000 unit / ml of heparin was added , and the solution was allowed to react at 40 ° c . for 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was again precipitated in a large excess of methanol under agitation . the precipitant was sufficiently washed with methanol . purification of the reaction product was performed by reprecipitation using a water - methanol system . thus , heparinized starch was obtained . using a tube made from polyvinyl chloride ( 100 mm long and 10 mm in inner diameter ), a test tube was prepared by closing one end of the tube . the heparinized starch obtained above was dissolved in water to form a 25 % solution ; the ph thereof was adjusted to 1 . 0 with h 2 so 4 and an amount of glutaraldehyde calculated to form a 3 % solution was added thereto . immediately after the addition of the glutaraldehyde , the solution was poured into the polyvinyl chloride test tube , then the tube was rotated so that the inner surface was covered uniformly with the solution . after this operation , excess solution was decanted , then the tube was dried at 50 ° c . as the result , the inner surface was uniformly coated with cross - linked , heparinized starch . another experiment was conducted as follows , using soft - polyvinyl chloride film containing dioctyl phthalate ( dop ) as a plasticizer : immediately after the addition of glutaraldehyde to the acidic aqueous solution of the heparinized starch , the aqueous solution was coated on the surface of the film described in example 2 , then the coated film was heat - treated at 60 ° c . to evaporate water therefrom . as a result , glutaraldehyde - cross - linked heparinized starch , which is no longer soluble in water , was uniformly coated on the surface of the film . after being washed with a sufficient amount of water to eliminate the soluble portion , the film was dried at ambient temperature . using a tube made from cellulose butyrate acetate by eastman kodak co ., the following experiment was carried out . first , the inner surface of the tube was treated with 3 normal aqueous solution . by this procedure ( koh treatment ), the inner surface of the tube was partially hydrolyzed to regenerate cellulose . after being washed thoroughly with water , the inner surface of the tube was contacted with the aqueous solution of sodium metaperiodate as in example 1 at 5 ° c . in dark place . after this , the periodate solution was removed from the tube , which was then washed with water . the water - washed tube was then immersed in an aqueous solution containing 10 , 000 unit / ml of heparin at ph 3 for 30 minutes at 40 ° c . the tube was then washed with water and dried . anti - coagulant tests were carried out using surface - heparinized film obtained in the examples 1 to 3 . the following tests were employed . for comparison , un - heparinized films of the same materials were tested as controls . the test for non - thrombogenetic properties was made by two methods described below : the film was first thoroughly washed with the saline solution , then placed on a watch glass . on this film , 1 ml of the fresh human blood was placed , then the test was made in such a manner that a silicon - coated needle was tipped into blood and pulled up , and checked if any fibrous material may be pulled up with the needle or not . the time that the fibrous material was first observed was defined as the initial coagulating time . the complete coagulation time was defined as the time that the blood was no longer flow down when the watch glass was tilted and tipped over . this test was carried out using dog &# 39 ; s acd blood . for one sample , 5 pieces of films were prepared and placed in watch glasses independently . these are kept at 37 ° c ., then the fresh dog &# 39 ; s acd blood ( 0 . 25 ml each ) was placed on every pieces of the films . immediately after this , the addition of 0 . 025 ml of aqueous cacl 2 solution , the concentration of which was 0 . 1 mole / l , was followed . this will start coagulation of the blood . after appropriate time intervals , coagulated blood mass was fixed with formation . this was again washed with water . after removing the water , the blood mass was weighed . the weight percent of the blood mass based on the control means which was prepared in the same condition on the glass plate . ______________________________________ test itest sample coagulation time test iikind heparinized initial complete blood mass______________________________________example 1 yes 300 min & gt ; 10 hrs 3 % no 11 min 16 min 81 % example 2 yes 240 min & gt ; 10 hrs 6 % no 10 min 19 min 89 % example 3 yes 240 min & gt ; 10 hrs 8 % no 8 min 14 min 72 % glass plate ( control ) no 6 min 12 min 100 % ______________________________________ from the above results , it is obvious that the heparinization in the present invention shows outstanding effect . in this example , the tests of coagulation of the blood were examined using lee - white method . specimens used in this example were polyvinyl chloride tube coated with the heparinized starch obtained in the example 3 , and the partially hydrolyzed and heparinized cellulose acetate butyrate tube obtained in example 4 . for comparison , unheparinized tube specimens of the same kind , and glass test tubes with and without the treatment with silicone were tested in the same condition . the results are summarized in the following table . ______________________________________tube specimen coagulationkind heparinized start time______________________________________example 3 yes & gt ; 5 hrs no 16 minexample 4 yes & gt ; 5 hrs no 10 minglass tube * -- 8 min glass tube ** -- 32 min______________________________________ * without treatment with silicone ** treated with silicone 215 . 2 mg of sodium heparin was dissolved in 100 ml of distilled water . to this , 0 . 0624 mole of sodium metaperiodate was added , and the mixture was kept for 28 hours at 5 ° c . by this procedure , one glycol per 16 glucose units of heparin was cleaved on an average . this solution was used as solution ( i ). after this solution was maintained for an additional 20 hrs in the dark , two glycols per 16 glucose units of heparin were cleaved . this solution was used as the solution ( ii ). the commercial cuprophan ® and cellophan ® film were cut to square ( 5 × 5 cm ). the films were treated with solutions ( i ) and ( ii ) at ph 3 adjusted with h 2 so 4 for 60 min . temperature was maintained at 60 ° c . the films were then washed with water and dried . a polyvinyl alcohol aqueous solution was prepared using a commercial polyvinyl alcohol . from the solution , a polyvinyl alcohol film was prepared by usual casting method . after heat - treatment of the film at 80 ° c . for 4 hours , the film became insolube in water because of the crystallization . this film was treated at ph 1 . 0 for 4 hours at 50 ° c . with solution ( i ). a film made from a copolymer of vinyl acetate - ethylene copolymer was treated in a kcl saturated aqueous solution with 1 n of potassium hydroxide for 1 hour at 40 ° c . the surface of the film was hydrolyzed , which was confirmed by ir spectrum , showing the presence of -- oh group . this surface - hydrolyzed film was treated with solution ( ii ) at ph 1 . 0 for 1 hour at 40 ° c . the film was then washed with water and dried . a commercial vinyl chloride - ethylene - vinyl acetate graft copolymer ( graftmer ® from the nippon zeon co .) was shaped into a tube . the interior of the tube was hydrolyzed by contact with 2 normal potassium hydroxide aqueous solution . thus interior surface of the tube became vinyl chloride - ethylene - vinyl alcohol copolymer . after being washed sufficiently , the tube was treated with solution ( i ) at ph 3 for 1 hour . temperature was maintained at 30 ° c . after being washed with h 2 o , the tube was cut to 10 cm length , and one end of the tube was heat - closed to form a test tube . a tube from cellulose butyrate acetate was surface - hydrolyzed in the same manner as in example 10 . after being washed thoroughly with water , the tube was treated with solution ( ii ) at 30 ° c . for 1 hour at ph 4 . 0 . using the specimens obtained from examples 7 to 11 , non - thrombogenic properties were examined by the method proposed in example 5 . the results obtained are summerized in the following table . ______________________________________ test itest specimen coagulation time test iikind heparinized initial complete blood mass______________________________________example 7 yes 230 min & gt ; 10 hrs 3 % no 8 min 12 min 82 % example 8 yes 300 min & gt ; 10 hrs 6 % no 6 min 17 min 91 % example 9 yes 120 min & gt ; 10 hrs 8 % no 5 min 14 min 88 % glass -- 8 min 14 min 100 % ______________________________________ the tubes obtained by examples 10 and 11 were tested by lee - white method . for comparison , glass tubes were tested with and without silicone treatment . the results are summarized in the following table . ______________________________________tube specimen coagulationkind heparinized start time______________________________________example 10 yes & gt ; 10 hours no 13 minexample 11 yes & gt ; 10 hours no 18 minglass tube * -- 12 min glass tube ** -- 43 min______________________________________ * without treatment with silicone ** treated with silicone a film was prepared from the hydrolyzed product of the allylidene diacetate - vinyl acetate copolymer . the hydrolyzed product has acrolein unit ( 6 . 9 mole %) and vinyl alcohol unit in the polymer . by heat - treatment , the film became insoluble in water because of the crystallization . the film was immersed in the heparin solution containing 10 , 000 units of heparin for 30 min , which was adjusted at ph 3 . 0 with h 2 so 4 . after being washed , the film was dried at ambient temperature . a copolymer comprising methyl methacrylate and methacrolein ( 6 . 1 mole %) was dissolved in acetone . using this solution , a film was casted by the usual method . the film was immersed in the solution containing 50 , 000 units of heparin for 40 minutes , adjusted at ph 2 with h 2 so 4 . the dried film was presented for non - thrombogenetic test . the powdered copolymer of methylmethacrylate and methacrolein was suspended in the aqueous solution containing 50 , 000 units of heparin at 50 ° c . for one hour at ph 3 . 2 adjusted with h 2 so 4 . the polymer was filtered and dried . this was dissolved in acetone , and after the insoluble part had been removed , the solution was casted to form a film . the film obtained was presented for non - thrombogenicity test . a copolymer of acrylonitrile - methyl acrylate - methacrolein acetal ( 86 : 9 : 5 by weight ) was dissolved in dimethyl formamide . from the solution thus obtained , a film was prepared by casting the solution . the film was treated in boiled water to remove traces of dimethyl formamide retained in the film . this film was treated in the acidic aqueous solution having 10 , 000 units of heparin and the film was presented for non - thrombogenic test . a copolymer of acrylonitrile - vinyl acetate - p - formyl styrene ( 91 : 3 : 6 ) was dissolved in dimethyl formamide . from this solution , a film was prepared in the same manner as in example 17 . heparinization process was the same as in example 17 . from homogeneous blend of 30 parts of methyl methacrylate - methacrolein copolymer ( 84 : 16 ) and 70 parts of soft - polyvinyl chloride plasticized with dop ( dioctyl phthalate ) a tube having inner diameter of 8 mm was shaped . the tube was transparent and flexible . one end of the tube was heat - sealed to form a test tube . the test tube was filled with the heparin solution used in example 17 . after being stood over night at 30 ° c ., the heparin solution was removed by decantation , and the tube was dried . the non - thrombogenic tests were performed according to the method described in example 5 using the film specimens obtained in examples 14 to 18 . the results are summarized in the below . ______________________________________ test itest specimen coagulation time test iikind heparinized initial complete blood mass______________________________________example 14 yes 300 min & gt ; 10 hrs 3 % no 12 min 16 min 82 % example 15 yes 260 min & gt ; 10 hrs 2 % no 8 min 19 min 89 % example 16 yes 120 min & gt ; 10 hrs 8 % no 5 min 14 min 81 % example 17 yes 280 min & gt ; 10 hrs 4 % no 6 min 12 min 86 % example 18 yes 245 min & gt ; 10 hrs 2 % no 7 min 12 min 86 % glass -- 6 min 12 min 100 % ______________________________________ the non - thrombogenic test was performed by lee - white method using the tube obtained in example 19 . the result is shown with control data for comparison . ______________________________________specimen coagulationkind heparinized start time______________________________________example 19 yes & gt ; 10 hrs no 14 minglass tube * -- 8 min glass tube ** -- 32 min______________________________________ * without treatment with silicone ** treated with silicone cellulose acetate ( eastman kodak co ., e - 400 - 25 ) was dissolved in acetone - formamide mixture to form a spinning solution . the hollow fiber was produced using a &# 34 ; tube - in - orifice &# 34 ; spinneret , namely , the spinning solution was extruded through an annular slit , and simultaneously from a tube which was placed at the center of the annular orifice , core solution was introduced . the core solution ( a ) was a 20 % aqueous solution of cacl 2 , while core solution ( b ) has 0 . 5 mole / l sodium metaperiodate in addition to 20 % of cacl 2 . the spinning method employed was the so - called dry - jet wet spinning . the spun filament was introduced into a water coagulation bath after passing through an air gap of 30 cm . the filament was washed with water , and then wound up on a reel . this was immersed in water overnight , during that period , gradients in the core solution were dialyzed . in the inner surface of the hollow fiber prepared by using the core solution ( b ), the presence of aldehyde group was confirmed by infra - red spectrum . interior surface of this hollow fiber was then treated with acidic ( ph 2 ) heparin solution and then dried . hemodialyzers were assembled using the fibers obtained in this example and , using each , blood dialysis was performed on a dog . there was observed non - thrombogenecity for the dialyzer assembled by use of the heparinized hollow fibers , while the hollow fiber without heparinization ( using the core solution ( a )) shows considerable blood clotting . the same spinning solution in example 22 was used . ammonium chloride was dissolved in 1 n hcl aqueous solution to form core solution ( c ). to this , 0 . 1 mole percent of periodic acid was added ( core solution ( d )). as in example 22 , the hollow fiber was prepared using the core solutions ( c ) and ( d ). the spinning was performed using usual dry - jet wet spinning ( air gap : 30 cm ) as in example 22 . the hollow fiber obtained on the reel was cut to be 30 cm long , then the core solution was removed from the hollow portion . the fiber was washed with water , followed by the treatment with acidic ( ph 2 ) heparin solution . using the hollow fibers thus obtained , a hemodialyzer was assembled . the non - thrombogenenic properties of the dialyzer were tested using a dog . the hollow fiber dialyzer using the heparinized hollow fibers obtained in this example shows no blood clotting . except for the use of the core solution having 0 . 1 mole of periodic salt ( potassium periodate ) in propylene glycol - water mixture ( 55 : 45 ), all the procedure was the same as in example 22 . the hollow fibers wound up on the reel was cut to be 30 cm long , then the core liquid was removed . the fiber was then treated with dilute acetic acid , then washed with h 2 o , followed by the treatment with the heparin solution acidified with hcl . the hemodialyzer using this hollow fibers shows a minimum clotting of the blood , and outstanding effect of the present invention was confirmed .

non - thrombogenic material comprising a base polymer treated with heparin , the improvement in which the heparin is covalently bonded with the base polymer through only one acetal bond or hemiacetal bond at each bonding site between the heparin and the base polymer .

illustrative embodiments of the invention will be described below in the context of a battery . however , it is to be understood that the encapsulation techniques and mechanisms described herein are more generally applicable to any power source for which it would be desirable to prevent harmful chemical leakage , reduce harm caused by ingestion , and / or other related harms caused by the power source and its components . fig1 illustrates an encapsulated battery system 100 . the system 100 includes a power source 102 having a set of power terminals 103 - 1 and 103 - 2 . in this embodiment , the power source 102 is a battery , by way of example only , a button or cylindrical type battery such as , but not limited to , a lithium cell battery . the power source 102 can also be a disposable battery or a rechargeable battery . in this example , power terminal 103 - 1 is the positively charged electrode of the battery or anode , while power terminal 103 - 2 is the negatively charged electrode of the battery or cathode . however , the power terminals can be reversed in alternate embodiments . furthermore , the power terminals do not have to be located on opposite sides of the battery as illustrated in fig1 but rather can be located in other locations on the battery . as further shown in the system 100 of fig1 , a cover 104 encapsulates the power source 102 as well as the set of power terminals 103 - 1 and 103 - 2 , thus sealing the power source 102 and the set of power terminals 103 - 1 and 103 - 2 within the cover 104 . in one embodiment , the material used for the cover 104 to encapsulate and seal the power source 102 and the set of power terminals 103 - 1 and 103 - 2 is a natural elastomer such as natural rubber or other natural polymer . in another embodiment , the cover material is a synthetic elastomer such as a synthetic rubber or other synthetic polymer . for example , the material is a rubber material or silicone gel material in certain illustrative embodiments . some of the advantages of elastomer materials include , but are not limited to , prevention of leakage of the battery chemicals into nature when they are thrown away instead of being recycled , as well as when they are ingested by a human or animal . the cover 104 can also be formed with a silk material that can be ingested without harm to the human or animal that ingests it . as is known , silk can be processed into various forms such as gels and films . as such , a gel or film - like silk material can be used to encapsulate and seal the power source 102 and the set of power terminals 103 - 1 and 103 - 2 . still further , the cover can be formed with an electrical conducting material that is harmless if swallowed by humans or animals , e . g ., gold , platinum or silver . in this case , the cover 104 could also have insulating material surrounding the power terminals 103 - 1 and 103 - 2 of the power source 102 or otherwise electrically separating the two terminals to prevent shorting of the anode and the cathode . as further shown in the system 100 of fig1 , a set of conductive contacts 106 - 1 and 106 - 2 are configured to pass through the cover 104 and contact the set of power terminals 103 - 1 and 103 - 2 , respectively , thus providing conductive access to the set of power terminals of the power source 102 from outside the cover without allowing exposure of the power source or the power terminals to an environment outside the cover 104 . this means that none of the harmful chemicals of the power source 102 are able to escape from the cover 104 when the power source leaks . note that the set of conductive contacts are made of an electrical conducting material , and are configured to be removable from the cover 104 without allowing exposure of the power source 102 or the set of power terminals 103 - 1 and 103 - 2 to the outside environment . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the conductive contacts 106 - 1 and 106 - 2 are pin - shaped ( but can be pointed in shape in some other manner ) such that they penetrate the cover 104 but allow the cover to re - seal upon removal of one or more of the contacts . while two pin - shaped structures for each conductive contact are shown penetrating the cover 104 and contacting each of the power terminals ( 103 - 1 and 103 - 2 ), it is to be understood that more or less pin - shaped structures can be used to form each conductive contact . while the set of conductive contacts 106 - 1 and 106 - 2 are preferably removable from the system 100 , in an alternative embodiment , the conductive contacts are integrally - formed with the cover 104 . fig2 illustrates a conductive contact for an encapsulated battery system , according to an embodiment of the invention . recall that the system 100 of fig1 illustrates a set of conductive contacts 106 - 1 and 106 - 2 that are pin - shaped in form . in an alternate embodiment of a conductive contact 200 shown in fig2 , the conductive contact also includes an electrically conductive spring 201 in the form of an adjustable spiral structure . the spring 201 allows for compressive pressure to be put on the conductive contact and the corresponding power terminal ( 106 - 1 or 106 - 2 ) of the power source 102 in order to make a better electrical connection between the conductive contact 200 and the corresponding power terminal of the power source . the spring 201 is also configured to be able to penetrate the cover 104 , if needed for a given configuration , without exposing the power source or power terminals to the outside environment , both while installed and after being removed from the cover . fig3 illustrates an encapsulation structure for an encapsulated battery system , according to an embodiment of the invention . recall that the system 100 of fig1 illustrates a cover 104 that encapsulates the power source 102 as well as the set of power terminals 103 - 1 and 103 - 2 , thus sealing the power source 102 and the set of power terminals 103 - 1 and 103 - 2 within the cover . in one embodiment , a cover 300 is shown in fig3 . as mentioned , the cover can be made of various materials including , in one or more embodiments , a rubber material that encapsulates the power source and power terminals so as to seal the power source and power terminals from exposure to the outside environment . in one embodiment as shown in fig3 , a tyer 301 is included as part of the cover 300 . in this embodiment , the tyer 301 is an integral part of the cover structure that securely attaches the cover 300 to the power source . the tyer 301 , in one example , is made from the same rubber material as the cover with adhesive material on the portion of the tyer that comes into contact with the body of the power source . other tyer configurations are possible within the scope of alternate embodiment . whether or not the cover includes a tyer structure , it is to be appreciated that the power source and power terminals remain sealed from exposure to the outside environment once the power source is encapsulated within the cover . fig4 illustrates a methodology for forming and installing an encapsulated battery system , according to an embodiment of the invention . as shown in a methodology 400 , a battery ( one example of a power source and its power terminals ) is encapsulated in a rubber cover , in step 402 . one of ordinary skill in the art will realize various known rubber application processes for encapsulating and sealing a component such as a battery . it is assumed the conductive contacts ( e . g ., contacts such as shown as 200 in fig2 ) are installed by pressing the pin structures of the contact through the rubber cover in the vicinity of the power terminals of the battery . in step 404 , the contacts ( pins ) are adjusted to place the encapsulated battery in a compartment . the compartment may be , for example , the battery compartment of an electronic device that requires battery power for operation . in step 406 , the encapsulated battery is placed in the compartment . it is to be understood that when the conductive contacts each include a spring ( 201 in fig2 ), the springs are compressed on each side of the battery ( e . g ., contacts are compressed between the fingers of the installer ) so that the encapsulated battery can fit into the compartment . in step 408 , the contacts ( pins ) are released so that the contacts respectively connect with the electrical contacts of the electronic device ( located inside the compartment ). in step 410 , a check is made to verify that the battery is properly installed and sufficiently contacting the contacts of the electronic device . this may be verified by checking whether or not current is flowing through the battery , i . e ., check to see that the electronic device is getting the power it needs to operate . if yes , then the methodology ends at block 412 . however , if the electronic device is not getting the needed power from the battery , in step 414 , the encapsulated battery is removed and the penetration of the pins of the conductive contacts is increased through the rubber cover . this is to ensure that there is more sufficient contact between the conductive contacts and the power terminals of the battery sealed inside the rubber cover . once this is done , the methodology 400 returns to step 404 and repeats . it will be appreciated and should be understood that the exemplary embodiments of the invention described above can be implemented in a number of different fashions . given the teachings of the invention provided herein , one of ordinary skill in the related art will be able to contemplate other implementations of the invention . indeed , although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments , and that various other changes and modifications may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention .

a method comprising the steps of encapsulating a power source including a set of power terminals in a cover and sealing the power source including the set of power terminals within the cover and inserting a set of conductive contacts through the cover to contact the set of power terminals and provide conductive access to the set of power terminals of the power source from outside the cover without allowing exposure of the power source to an environment outside the cover .

as described in greater detail below , the invention advantageously can be used or applied to convert carbon dioxide to useful fuel and oxygen utilizing heat , such as can be provided , result or be a part of exhaust from or by a co 2 exhaust gas - producing apparatus . the co 2 decomposition generates co and oxygen , which carry waste heat to the combustion chamber for further reaction . such processing can desirably recover energy from the waste heat and also increase combustion efficiency such as due to or through increases in oxygen concentration . moreover , those skilled in the art and guided by the teachings herein provided will understand and appreciate that the invention can be practiced with or in conjunction with various co 2 exhaust gas - producing apparatus such as including but not necessarily limited to combustion engines , solar concentrators , furnaces , boilers , steel refineries , glass smelters , aluminum mills and the like . in accordance with one preferred aspect of the invention , there is provided a method to decompose carbon dioxide to useful co fuel and oxygen catalytically at mid - range temperature ( i . e ., at a temperature below 700 ° c ., preferably at a temperature in a range of 300 ° c . to 450 ° c .). such a method includes or involves : ( 2 ) co 2 dissociation on an oxygen deficient catalyst to co and oxygen anion ( o 2 − ) on the oxygen deficient ferrites ( odf ); and ( 3 ) oxygen formation via two oxygen anions losing electrons to form oxygen , with return of electrons to the ferrite catalyst : a ceramic substrate is desirably incorporated or used to transport co 2 to the odf catalyst surface and decompose the co 2 to co and oxygen anion . to prevent or avoid carbon deposition , a suitable catalyst effective to prevent carbon deposition can desirably be incorporated in or with the oxygen - deficient ferrite material . for example , rh catalyst can be incorporated or used to prevent or avoid carbon deposition . those skilled in the art and guided by the teachings herein provided will , however , understand and appreciate that other suitable catalyst materials such as known to those skilled in the art can similarly and correspondingly incorporated or used . a mixed conducting perovskite catalyst can be used as a support for the odf and rh to perform a micro - cell redox reaction , in which oxygen anion loses electrons to be oxygen gas and magnetite metal ion gains electrodes . similar micro - cell redox reactions have previously been known in the field of corrosion protection . turning to fig1 there is shown a schematic representation of a process , generally designated by the reference numeral 10 , for co 2 decomposition on an oxygen deficient ferrites ( odf )/ mixed ceramic conductor in accordance with one aspect of the invention . as shown in fig1 , co 2 is desirably continuously decomposed by heat . the oxygen deficient ferrite catalyst 12 removes one oxygen from co 2 to form co gas and an oxygen anion by obtaining two electrons from the catalyst . the oxygen anion transports through the mixed ceramic conductor 14 to the surface 16 . two of the oxygen anions lose electrons to form oxygen gas . the electrons lost by the oxygen anions , in turn , flow back to the catalyst such as to be used again to produce additional oxygen gas . thus , the overall process reaction is the conversion of co 2 to co and oxygen by heat . in accordance with one embodiment , the odf catalyst is desirably deposited on the mixed conductor ceramic support surface such that the two parts are adjacent , adhere or otherwise neighbor each other . the rh or other carbon deposition preventing or avoiding catalyst material , such as in nano - particle form , can be disposed on or between the odf and / or on ceramic particles . therefore the synergistic reactions of co 2 decomposition and o 2 formation can occur simultaneously . for example , in an embodiment utilizing a ceramic membrane for co 2 transport , the mixed conductor ceramic powder can be inserted or otherwise included in or with the porous layer or media ( e . g ., tube ) to form a co 2 transport membrane and the odf then deposited on the membrane . in such an embodiment , the odf and the ceramic powder are also adjacent . as described in greater detail below , an alternative embodiment to such use of a ceramic mixed conductor powder co 2 transport membrane embodiment is the use of a eutectic carbonate co 2 transport membrane . cation excess oxygen deficient ferrites can be made by a mixed ion co - precipitation method to form mfe 2 o 4 - δ ( m = transition metals , δ is the oxygen deficient number ). those skilled in the art and guided by the teaching herein provided will , however , understand and appreciate that other suitable methods or techniques such as known in the art may be used and that the broader practice of the invention is not necessarily limited by or to specific methods or techniques for preparing or forming oxygen deficient materials . the mixed conductor ceramic support can be synthesized from commercial available perovskite powders such as la 1 - x sr x coo 1 - δ ( lsc ) and srco 0 . 8 fe 0 . 2 o 3 - δ ( scf ), for example . the mixed ceramic conductor powder can be used as a substrate to deposit the odf catalysts and , if desired , a suitable catalyst material such as effective to prevent carbon deposition particularly at low temperature . for example , the incorporation or presence of the chemical element rhodium ( rh ) such as in a relative amount of 0 . 5 to 2 composition weight percent can desirably serve to avoid or prevent carbon formation , particularly at temperatures less than 850 ° c . those skilled in the art and guided by the teaching herein provided will again , however , understand and appreciate that other suitable catalyst materials effective to prevent carbon deposition can be used and that the broader practice of the invention is not necessarily limited by or to the inclusion of specific or particular catalyst materials to avoid or prevent carbon formation . turning to fig2 , there is shown a schematic representation of oxygen transport through a dense perovskite membrane in accordance with one aspect of the invention . the overall mechanism , generally designated by the reference numeral 210 , shows a membrane 212 having an air side 214 , with a relative high p o2 , and a sweep side 216 , with a relative low p o2 . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art and guided by the teachings herein provided , temperature can be and typically is very important in and oxygen transport . moreover , the temperature for the co 2 decomposition should preferably be compatible with the mixed conductor for oxygen anion transport / recombination to oxygen . the mixed ceramic conductor substrate should also preferably have good electrical conductivity for both electron and ions transport . fig3 is a graphical presentation showing the temperature dependence of the total conductivity of srco 0 . 8 fe 0 . 2 o 3 - δ ( scf ) and scfnb in air , where the temperature range is from 100 to 600 ° c . the exhaust gases provided or resulting from combustion processing typically , in addition to co 2 , include various impurities . however , to retain and maintain the catalyst performance and lifetime for the co 2 decomposition reaction / process , such reaction / process desirably employs a sufficiently good quality of co 2 , e . g ., co 2 without the presence of sufficient impurities from co 2 sources such as may undesirably poison or otherwise harm or disrupt the effectiveness or efficiency of the co 2 decomposition catalyst materials . common or typical impurities that may be present in exhaust gases provided or resulting from combustion processing may include soot , fine particulates unburned fuel or oil and the like . thus , in a preferred practice of the invention , a co 2 permeable porous media or layer is used for co 2 transport to the odf / scf catalyst surface . co 2 permeable media have been well investigated at elevated temperatures . membrane separation for co 2 capture has been studied in both pre - combustion gases and post - combustion gases . most common co 2 separation membrane materials are organic polymers , which typically work best at temperatures below 200 ° c . significant efforts have been directed towards the use of inorganic membranes for co 2 separation and some such membranes exhibit high co 2 perm - selectivity and permeance . unfortunately , at higher temperatures , the co 2 selectivities of these inorganic membranes typically decrease significantly . since the separation by these microporous inorganic membranes is typically based mainly on the mechanism of preferential adsorption of co 2 on the membrane material , the co 2 selectivities for such membranes commonly diminish at high temperatures (& gt ; 400 ° c .). in recent years , however , dense dual phase inorganic membranes that exhibit an infinite selectivity for co 2 over n 2 or h 2 at temperatures above 500 ° c . have been developed . these kinds of membranes generally include a porous inorganic phase and a molten carbonate phase . the inorganic phase serves as a porous support and also as an electron and / or oxygen ion conductor . a molten carbonate phase such as of li / na / k can be introduced into the porous support . at high temperature , the co 2 can transport through the dual - phase membrane as a carbonate - ion ( co 3 2 − ) under the driving force of the co 2 partial pressure gradient . table 1 lists examples of suitable eutectic carbonates for such duel phase co 2 transport . a suitable support for such eutectic carbonates and ceramic powders can be formed or made of a porous media such of stainless steel , ceramic alumina , carbon fiber composite , glass fiber composite , or the like suitably selected dependent on factors such as mechanical sealing , cost , co 2 transport and the like parameters or requirements . turning now to fig4 and fig5 , fig4 shows a co 2 decomposition device , generally designated by the reference numeral 410 , in accordance with one aspect of the invention and fig5 is a schematic representation of the co 2 decomposition device 410 shown in fig4 . while fig4 and fig5 depict the co 2 decomposition device 410 in a context of an engine with an associated catalytic converter , those skilled in the art and guided by the teachings herein provided will understand and appreciate that the broader practice of the invention in not necessarily so limited , as the invention can be appropriately applied to other co 2 exhaust gas - producing apparatus , as well . the device 410 is generally composed of a housing 412 through which a conduit or tube 414 is passed . the conduit or tube 414 includes at least a co 2 permeable porous tube section 416 contained or otherwise appropriately enclosed within the housing 412 . the conduit or tube 414 includes or has an entrance 420 to permit the introduction of exhaust gases from a co 2 exhaust gas - producing apparatus . the conduit or tube 414 also includes or has an exit 422 for passage of residual gases including non - co 2 gases from the originally introduced exhaust gas . at least a portion and , in accordance with one embodiment , all or nearly all of the co 2 permeable porous tube section 416 contained or otherwise appropriately enclosed within the housing 412 has or includes a catalyst material such as in the form of a partial or complete layer or coating 426 disposed on an outer surface 430 thereof . as discussed above , such a catalyst material can desirably be composed of odf , preferably with or including a suitable catalyst material such as effective to prevent carbon deposition such as rh on or with a mixed conducting perovskite catalyst . as shown , the decomposition products , e . g ., co and o 2 , are desirably captured or retained via the housing 412 and can , if desired , be returned to the engine or otherwise appropriately processed . while concentration differences can generally serve as the principle driving force for the co 2 transport , in practice the flue gas back pressure can also serve as a driving force for the co 2 transport . furthermore , the eutectic membrane can desirably have a very high co 2 permeability . moreover , in accordance with one embodiment , as the porous media of the subject device has a thin smooth layer ( for example a fine alumina coating layer ) on the surface , any particulate fouling effect can and desirably will be reduced . the inclusion and use of eutectic - based membrane can also provide or result in various functional type of advantages including relating to adsorption , reaction , and desorption , for example . different combustion processes typically have or exhibit correspondingly different exhaust gas temperatures . for example , a two - stroke engine may typically produce or form an exhaust gas at or with a temperature of approximately 450 ° c . for a natural gas fired furnace , the flue gas temperature typically changes with the gas composition . in the practice of the subject technology , temperatures in a range of 200 ° c . to generally less than 700 ° c . are generally preferred , as at low temperatures , the time required for co 2 transport through the porous membrane and the co 2 decomposition reaction may be unsuitably prolonged . an increase of oxygen concentration can desirably serve to increase the combustion efficiency . the air used most commonly in industrial combustion processes as an oxidizing agent , has a high nitrogen content ( e . g ., 78 - 79 %). in a fuel combustion process , nitrogen generally acts as useless thermal ballast . that is , during air - fuel combustion , the chemically inert nitrogen in the air dilutes the reactive oxygen and carries away some of the energy in the hot combustion exhaust gas . an increase of the oxygen content in the combustion air can act or serve to reduce the energy loss in the exhaust gases and increase the heating system efficiency . for example , previously identified benefits associated with or resulting oxygen - enriched combustion can include : increase efficiency . the flue gas heat losses are reduced because the flue gas mass decreases as it leaves the furnace . there is less nitrogen to carry heat from the furnace . lower emissions . certain burners and oxy - fuel fired systems can achieve lower levels of nitrogen oxide , carbon monoxide , and hydrocarbons . improve temperature stability and heat transfer . increasing the oxygen content allows more stable combustion and higher combustion temperatures that can lead to improved or better heat transfer . increase productivity . when a furnace has been converted to be oxygen - enriched , throughput can be increased for the same fuel input because of higher flame temperature , increased heat transfer to the load , and / or reduced flue gas . thus , the invention desirably provides techniques or methods and associated apparatus or devices for mitigating co 2 emissions that facilitate or otherwise permit continuous or near continuous operation or practice . the invention illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element , part , step , component , or ingredient which is not specifically disclosed herein . while in the foregoing detailed description this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof , and many details have been set forth for purposes of illustration , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention .

carbon monoxide and oxygen gas can be produced from carbon dioxide by introducing a supply of co 2 - containing gas to a co 2 permeable porous media . the co 2 permeates through the media to separate the co 2 from other species in the co 2 - containing gas supply . an oxygen - deficient ferrite material , disposed on a surface of the co 2 permeable porous media , contacts with the separated co 2 at decomposition reaction conditions to produce co and o 2 . corresponding devices for treating exhaust gases from a co 2 exhaust gas - producing apparatus are also provided .

fig1 schematically shows a longitudinal cross - sectional view of a portion of a pipe assembly 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig2 , 3 and 4 schematically show perspective views of pipe assembly 10 , with fig2 and 3 showing cut - away perspective views of the two longitudinal halves of pipe assembly 10 and fig4 showing an upstream view of pipe assembly 10 . pipe assembly 10 may transport fluids , such as steam flowing from a nuclear reactor . pipe assembly 10 includes a main pipe 12 , a standpipe 14 , a relief valve 16 ( omitted from fig2 to 4 for clarity ) and a scoop insert 18 . a first end 61 of standpipe 14 is coupled to main pipe 12 at an intersection 44 and a second end 62 of standpipe 14 is coupled to relief valve 16 . during normal operation , when a pressure in pipe assembly 10 is below a predetermined threshold of relief valve 16 and relief valve 16 is closed , steam in main pipe 12 flows from upstream of standpipe 14 to downstream of standpipe 14 . scoop insert 18 is arranged to extend into main pipe 12 and drive a small portion of steam flowing through main pipe 12 upward into standpipe 14 to closed relief valve 16 and back into main pipe 12 . the upwardly directed steam then recirculates back into the main pipe 12 , thereby disrupting vortex shedding past the inlet of standpipe 14 . scoop insert 18 includes a coupling portion 20 , which may be flange 20 , a body portion 22 , which in this embodiment has semi - cylindrical shape , and a scoop 24 . flange 20 may be fixed in between a flange 30 of standpipe 14 and a flange 32 of relief valve 16 . body portion 22 extends downwardly from flange 20 against an inner circumference 41 of standpipe 14 and connects scoop 24 to flange 20 , which couples scoop 24 to second end 62 of standpipe 14 . scoop 24 is positioned with a top end 34 of scoop 24 in standpipe 14 and a bottom end 36 of scoop 24 in main pipe 12 , so that scoop 24 is located at intersection 44 of standpipe 14 and main pipe 12 on an upstream side of standpipe 14 with respect to main pipe 12 and extends from within standpipe 14 into main pipe 12 . scoop 24 may include a front face 26 extending downward from body portion 22 having an opening 40 formed therein . in this embodiment , front face 26 is integral and flush with body portion 22 . scoop 24 also includes a channeling face 28 opposite of front face 26 extending from within standpipe 14 into main pipe 12 . channeling face 28 is positioned to channel steam flowing through main pipe 12 into standpipe 14 . channeling face 28 is substantially parallel with standpipe 14 at top end 34 and is angled with respect to standpipe 14 at bottom end 36 , so scoop 24 redirects steam flowing through main pipe 12 by approximately ninety degrees . in this embodiment , front face 26 has a semi - cylindrical shape and channeling face 28 has a semi - cylindrical shape at top end 34 . thus , at top end 34 , front face 26 has a convex shape with respect to channeling face 28 and channeling face 28 has a concave shape with respect to front face 26 . scoop 24 may also include channeling sides 27 , 29 connecting front face 26 and channeling face 28 that assist in directing steam from main pipe 12 to standpipe 14 . in a preferred embodiment , standpipe 14 is six inches in diameter and main pipe 12 is twenty - four inches in diameter . in alternative embodiment , flange 20 and body portion 22 may be omitted and scoop 24 may be directly coupled to at least one of main pipe 12 and standpipe 14 , for example by welding . fig5 and 6 show a downstream perspective view and side perspective view , respectively , of scoop insert 18 . flange 20 has evenly spaced holes 38 formed therein . fasteners such as bolts may be passed through holes 38 to secure flange 20 to at least one of standpipe 14 ( fig1 to 4 ) or relief valve 16 ( fig1 ). front face 26 extends downward from body portion 22 and has opening 40 defined therein for steam to enter and be directed upwards by channeling face 28 towards body portion 22 and flange 20 . channeling face 28 is parallel to body portion 22 at top end 34 , but extends downward and curves towards front face 26 at bottom end 36 . fig7 and 8 show a perspective upstream view and a perspective downstream view of a scoop insert 118 according to another embodiment of the present invention . scoop insert 118 may be inserted in standpipe 14 ( fig1 to 4 ) to direct steam from main pipe 12 ( fig1 to 4 ) into standpipe 14 in substantially the same manner as scoop insert 18 ( fig1 to 6 ). scoop insert 118 includes a flange 120 , a body portion 122 and a scoop 124 . scoop 124 includes a front face 126 , a channeling face 128 and channeling sides 127 , 129 . channeling sides 127 , 129 connect front face 126 and channeling face 128 and assist in directing steam from main pipe 12 ( fig1 to 4 ) to standpipe 14 ( fig1 to 4 ). body portion 122 extends downward from flange 120 to front face 126 at a top end 134 of scoop 124 , which curves away from body portion 122 at a bottom end 136 and protrudes past body portion 122 upstream in main pipe 12 ( fig1 to 4 ). at bottom end 136 , at least a portion of front face 126 may contact an inner circumference of main pipe 14 ( fig1 to 4 ). channeling sides 127 , 129 extend inwardly from front face 126 , connecting front face 126 with channeling face 128 . front face 126 , channeling face 128 and channeling sides 127 , 129 define an opening 140 for steam to flow through , which scoop 124 directs towards body portion 122 and flange 120 . at both ends 134 , 136 , opening 140 has a semi - annular shape . fig9 shows a top view of scoop insert 118 . top end 134 of scoop 124 is shown , with channeling sides 127 , 129 extending radially inward from front face 126 towards channeling face 128 . front face 126 has a convex shape with respect to channeling face 128 and channeling face 128 has a concave shape with respect to front face 126 . in the preceding specification , the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments and examples thereof it will , however , be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of invention as set forth in the claims that follow . the specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative manner rather than a restrictive sense .

a piping assembly for directing fluid and mitigating acoustic and vortex coupled resonance is provided that includes a main pipe delivering fluid in a first direction ; a standpipe coupled to the main pipe at an intersection ; and a scoop positioned at the intersection directing the fluid towards the standpipe . a scooping insert and a method for disrupting vortex shedding in a piping assembly are also provided .

the present invention relates to a process and apparatus for use in musical instruments . in particular , the invention identifies a chord played on a manual keyboard of a musical instrument , such as the accompaniment manual of an electronic organ , and identifies the root of the chord and the type of chord being played . the pedal circuitry ( which may be responsive to either the pedal keys or manual stops controlling pedal tone sequences ) of the musical instrument is then caused to play automatically either this root or a sequence of notes which is compatible with the identified root without actual playing of the pedals . the basic operation of a microprocessor controlled organ system in accordance with the present invention is as described below . the microprocessor includes a random access memory , a portion of which is used to store information regarding the identity of notes to be sounded by the organ . the microprocessor stores a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in its memory at the location allocated to a particular note if the key on the keyboard corresponding to that note is actuated , and a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; in the memory location corresponding to each key on the keyboard which is not actuated . in addition , the microprocessor stores in defined locations a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; or a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; representing the on / off state of various stop and control tabs . there are as many as 61 accompaniment keys , 61 solo keys , 32 pedal keys and typically 50 to 100 stop and control tabs , or switches , available on most electronic organs . the precise number of such keys and tabs is immaterial to the present invention . the status of the various key switches of the keyboard ( as well as the status of stop control switches , pedal switches of the pedal keyboard and function tab switches ) is ascertained by addressing the location of these switches , and loading this information into designated portions of the memory . this operation is performed under the control of the microprocessor , and at intervals selected so as to eliminate any audible delay in the response of the instrument to a change in the status of a key or switch . programmable signal generators are then assigned to produce tones corresponding to notes to be sounded ( i . e ., the notes played plus the notes to be filled - in ) and these tones are transmitted to an appropriate output system . in a typical microprocessor controlled organ system , as shown in fig1 microprocessor 800 includes a strobe 810 , an output port 820 , a bi - directional input / output port (&# 34 ; i / o port &# 34 ;) 830 , and a random access memory 840 . for clarity , other conventional features of the microprocessor 800 are not shown . strobe 810 of microprocessor 800 is connected to strobe expander 850 by a line 855 . strobe expander 850 is connected in turn to latch array 860 via 12 lines 865 . output bus 870 connects the output port 820 of microprocessor 800 to the rest of the organ system via the eight lines which comprise output bus 870 as follows : four lines of output bus 870 are connected to strobe expander 850 ; three lines of output bus 870 are connected to latch array 860 ; and six lines of output bus 870 are connected to decoder 880 . five of the six lines connected to decoder 880 are also connected to strobe expander 850 or latch array 860 . however , no ambiguity arises between the strobe expander 850 and latch array 860 are only addressed during operations affecting the output system ( i . e ., gate array 890 , sustain array 900 , data selector array 910 and divider array 920 ) whereas the decoder 880 is only addressed when the status of the switches in switch matrix 930 is being read into the memory 840 of microprocessor 800 . as depicted in fig1 the switch matrix 930 is a 32 × 8 matrix , i . e ., 256 possible switch positions . decoder 880 is connected to switch matrix 930 by decoder bus 925 which comprises 32 lines which are addressed sequentially by decoder 880 . each of the 32 lines 925 addresses eight switches of the switch matrix and the status of the 32 sets of eight switches per set is thereby read into microprocessor 800 via the eight lines of i / o bus 875 , as a series of 32 8 - bit words . in this manner , the microprocessor 800 scans the condition of each of the switches in the switch matrix 930 . the switch matrix 930 includes a switch for each key of the keyboard ( s ) ( not shown ) as well as each of the stops ( i . e ., voice selection controls -- not shown ) and function tabs ( e . g ., automatic fill - in , automatic chording , and sustain -- not shown ) and each of the pedals on the pedal keyboard . this information is read into the random access memory 840 of the microprocessor 800 for further processing in accordance with the instructions called for by the switches . the microprocessor then uses the information stored in memory for the chord identification (&# 34 ; cid &# 34 ;). as will be appreciated , repetitive scanning of the keys through decoder 880 permits a determination of any changes to the keys being played by comparing the &# 34 ; current &# 34 ; state of the respective keys to that stored in temporary memory . once this determination is made , note assignments and generator allocations may be made based upon the new state of the keys and switches and signals may be generated for the synthesis of audible sounds by audio system 950 . it will be noted that the foregoing assignment and allocation function is fully and completely described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 163 , 409 , filed on june 26 , 1980 , entitled &# 34 ; electronic organ having an improved tone generator system ,&# 34 ; and assigned to the assignee of the present invention ; that application ( hereinafter referred to as the &# 34 ; tone generator system application &# 34 ;) is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes . after assignments and allocations have been made , solo (&# 34 ; solo &# 34 ;) and accompaniment (&# 34 ; acc &# 34 ;) keyswitch information is used by the microprocessor 800 to compute solo fill , or harmony , information . the solo fill is fully and completely described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 158 , 585 , filed on june 6 , 1980 , entitled &# 34 ; harmony generator for electronic organ &# 34 ;, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention ; that application ( hereinafter referred to as the &# 34 ; harmony generator application &# 34 ;) is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes . after the foregoing steps have been performed , the cid system 190 ( see fig2 ) of the present invention may be initiated to determine the root of the chord being played on the accompaniment manual keyboard and the chord type , i . e ., major , minor or flatted fifth , and to cause automatic playing of either the identified root or a sequence of notes musically compatible with this root . referring to fig2 the sequence of events occurring after solo , acc and pedal scanning has occurred is depicted . it will be appreciated that the microprocessor 800 of the present invention includes an array of memory bits which are set / reset during the playing of the musical instrument . for present purposes these memory bits include those relating to the accompaniment keys of the manual keyboard , the solo keys of the manual keyboard , the pedals of the pedal board and various tabs which control such functions as added harmony , etc . thus , when the musical instrument is being played , the memory bits of the microprocessor 800 are set / reset whenever the musician changes notes , tabs , etc . by comparing the state of the switches to the state of the memory bits each time that the switch matrix 930 is scanned , it is possible to determine which of the switches have been actuated / released since the last scanning sequence . and because such repetitive scanning occurs very rapidly , i . e ., on the order of milliseconds , it may be said that the state of any of the switches of the switch matrix 930 is instantaneously determined and , accordingly , any change in the state of any of the switches is also known . corresponding flags are thus set / reset to reflect these changes and to identify the status of the keyboards . in keeping with the present invention , the change of state of the switches of switch matrix 930 is used to initiate the cid process . thus , these switches are continuously tested / retested . table i generically identifies those memory bits which are set / reset based upon the results of the change of state of the switches of switch matrix 930 . table i______________________________________keyboard status flags brief description______________________________________δ a change in accompaniment keysδ s change in solo keysδ p change in pedal keyssa added solo keyswitchaa added accompaniment keyswitchakp accompaniment key being playedskp solo key being playedpkp pedal key being playedep easy - play mode being activatedchord cid mode being activated______________________________________ as noted in fig2 test 10 checks the state of the δa flag to ensure that the pedal root does not change unless there has been a change in accompaniment keys . if there has been no change in accompaniment keys since the last key scan routine , test 10 is negative and the δp flag is checked by test 20 . if there have been no changes to either the accompaniment or the pedal keyboards since the last key scan there would be no change in the pedal root ; test 20 would then be negative and the program would branch to exit . if test 20 is positive , test 30 checks the state of the easy play (&# 34 ; ep &# 34 ;) flag . if the ep flag is on ( i . e ., the test is positive ), test 40 checks the akp flag to determine if any accompaniment key is being played . if test 40 is positive , the program branches to exit . it should be noted in this sequence that the ep system described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 40 , 107 , filed on may 18 , 1979 , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 292 , 874 , issued on oct . 6 , 1981 , entitled &# 34 ; automatic control apparatus for chords and sequences ,&# 34 ; and assigned to the assignee of the present invention , ( hereinafter referred to as the &# 34 ; chords and sequences patent &# 34 ;) has priority over the pedal functions of the present invention . thus , when the ep system referred to in the chords and sequences application is being utilized , the on state of the δp and akp flags is effectively ignored . in other words , the ep system disclosed in the chords and sequences patent and the cid system disclosed herein are mutually exclusive . the chords and sequences patent , referred to above , is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes . in the event that either ( i ) test 30 establishes that the ep flag is on and test 40 establishes that the akp flag is off ( i . e ., the test is negative ) or ( ii ) that the ep flag is off , test 50 checks the state of the pkp flag . if this flag is on , i . e ., pedal keys are being played , the ep flag is again checked in test 55 . if test 55 is negative , i . e ., the ep flag is off , the pedal key being played is stored in memory as the pedal root by function 60 . in addition , a minor flag latch is set to 0 and a flatted fifth flag is set to 1 . however , if test 55 establishes that the ep flag is on , the pedal key being played is stored in memory as the root , a flatted fifth flag is set to 0 and a minor flag is set to the minor bar by function 65 . thereafter , the program branches to exit and the next sequential instruction is taken . if test 10 establishes that the δa flag is on , a check of the state of the ep flag is made by test 70 . if the ep flag is on , test 80 determines the state of the akp flag . if this flag is on , function 100 sets the pedal root equal to the ep note being played and the major / minor nature of the chord type is directly determined . in addition , the flatted fifth flag is set equal to 0 and the minor flag is set equal to the minor bar . thereafter , the program branches to exit . on the other hand , if test 70 establishes that the ep flag is off , a check of the pkp flag is made by test 110 . test 110 determines if a pedal key is being played . if test 110 is positive , ( i . e ., a pedal key is being played ), the cid system is inhibited and test 120 checks the state of the δp flag . if the δp flag is on , function 60 stores the pedal key being played as the pedal root . function 60 also sets the minor flag equal to 0 and the flatted fifth flag equal to 1 . thereafter , the program branches to exit . however , if the test 120 establishes that the δp flag is off , the program branches to exit . as noted , test 110 checks the state of the pkp flag , if that flag is off , test 130 checks the state of the chord tab . if the chord tab is off , test 140 checks the state of the pedal memory tab ; if the pedal memory tab is on , the program branches to exit . if the pedal memory tab is off , function 150 stores no key played in memory and the program branches to exit . thus , it will be noted that if test 140 is negative , no pedal note is sounded . as previously noted , test 80 checks the state of the akp flag . if that flag is off , the δp flag is checked by test 90 . if that test establishes that the δp flag is on , the program branches to test 50 . test 50 checks the state of the pkp flag . if that flag is off , the program branches to test 140 and that test , as previously described , is taken . in addition , if the test 90 establishes that the δp flag is off , the program also branches to test 140 for the purposes previously described . in the event that test 10 is positive ( δa flag is on ), test 70 is negative ( ep flag is off ), test 110 is negative ( pkp flag is off ) and test 130 is positive ( chord tab is on ), the program branches to test 160 which determines if an accompaniment key (&# 34 ; aa &# 34 ;) has been added since the previous scan . if test 160 is negative , i . e ., no accompaniment keys have been added since the previous scan , test 170 checks the state of the cid memory tab . if the cid memory tab is on , the program branches to exit . however , if the cid memory tab is off , test 180 checks akp flag . if this flag is off , the program branches to test 150 for the purposes previously described . it should be noted that if test 180 is negative , no pedal note is sounded . on the other hand , if test 180 establishes that the akp flag is on , the program branches to exit . in the event that test 160 establishes that the aa flag is on and because the chord root can change only on an added accompaniment key , the cid system 190 of the present invention is activated . after cid is taken , the program branches to exit . the cid system will now be described in detail . the cid system of the present invention has as its basis eleven ( 11 ) standard chords . for convenience , these standard chords are described in fig3 as &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; chords . it should be recognized , however , that the cid system of the present invention is not limited merely to &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; chords ; rather , the invention may be used with any chord . as shown in fig3 the c major triad is comprised of c , e and g notes . in machine readable binary code , the c major triad , as shown in fig3 may be written as &# 34 ; 100010010000 &# 34 ;. it also should be noted that for simplicity the remaining standard chords shown in fig3 are depicted in binary code form with the 0 &# 39 ; s excluded . as one skilled in the art will appreciate , the standard chords identified in fig3 can be divided into three groups as follows : the c augmented triad has three notes equally spaced on four semi - tone intervals . the c diminished seventh has four notes equally spaced on three semi - tone intervals . the chords in this group all have one root fifth interval . the chords in this group all have two pair of root fifth intervals . in the c minor seventh , the b b note is a fifth interval above the e b . by transposing each note down three semi - tones , the e b becomes c ; the g becomes e ; the b b becomes g ; and the c becomes a . the result of this transposition is a c major sixth chord . in other words , a c minor seventh is also an e b 6 . correspondingly , a c major sixth is also an a m7 . as one skilled in the art will also appreciate , the c major seventh chord also has two root fifth intervals . however , if the chord is transposed to the alternate root position , the chord would be a c minor triad with flatted sixth added , i . e ., root , minor third , fifth and flatted sixth . this is not one of the standard chords and , accordingly , the c major seventh chord may be non - ambiguously identified by the cid process . likewise , if the c dominant ninth chord is transposed up five semi - tones , the result is a c minor triad with both the fourth and sixth added ; because this is not one of the standard chords , the c dominant ninth transposition may also be identified without ambiquity . with the foregoing in mind , reference is now made to fig4 . when the cid system is activated , function 310 assumes that the root of the chord is the lowest , or bottom , note (&# 34 ; bn &# 34 ;) in the played chord . with this assumption , test 320 checks to determine if there is a fifth interval note in the chord based upon the assumed root . if no fifth interval note exists for the assumed root , the chord is transposed and the next higher interval note is assumed to be the root . this transposition is made by transposition means 330 . means 330 contains a counter ( not shown ) which counts the number of rotations each time a search is made for a new transposition . test 340 uses the value from this counter to determine if the transposition found is new , i . e . after 12 rotations the binary code has returned to the original inversion and the transposition would not be new at that point . if all chord transpositions are tested and no fifth interval note is found , the lowest note is assumed to be the root by the function 350 . the flow path just described is that path followed by the chords of group i , i . e ., the augmented triad or the diminished seventh . in addition to identifying the root of the chord to be automatically played by the pedal system , it is desirable to have the automatic pedal pattern play a sequence of notes compatible with the identified chord . this feature requires that the chord be identified as a major or minor chord . because the augmented triad and the diminished seventh are not always played in the root position , function 355 sets the minor flag equal to 0 and the flatted fifth flag equal to 1 . the result of this operation stores in memory the binary code for a flatted fifth rather than a major third or a minor third . thereafter , the program exits the cid process . in the event the test 320 determines that a fifth interval is present , test 360 is taken to determine if less than four notes are present . if this test is positive , a valid root for a major triad or a minor triad has been identified . in addition , if only a root fifth pair had been played , the correct root would also be determined . test 480 now determines if the chord is a major or minor chord . if test 480 is positive , the minor flag is set equal to 1 and the flatted fifth flag is set equal to 0 by function 500 . if the test 480 is negative , the minor flag is set equal to 0 and the flatted fifth flag is also set equal to 0 by function 490 which results in the output of a major third chord . a major third is musically valid with either a major triad or a root - fifth pair . the cid process is exited from either of the functions 490 or 500 . if the test 360 is negative , a chord of four or more notes has been identified . thus , it is necessary to determine the correct root fifth pair of either the group ii or group iii chords . this determination is commenced by test 370 which checks for a major third . if test 370 is positive , test 380 checks for a sixth . if no sixth is present , the chord can only be one of the major chords of group ii or the dominant ninth chord in the correct root position . thus , in the event test 380 is negative , a dominant seventh , major seventh , dominant ninth or diminished ninth chord has been identified . thereafter , test 480 is taken as previously described . if test 380 is positive , only a major sixth or a transposed minor seventh could be present . thus , test 390 checks to determine if the assumed root of the chord being tested is the lowest note . if this test is positive , the root assumed by function 310 is the preferred root and test 480 is taken as described . if test 390 is negative , test 400 determines if the corresponding fifth of the chord being tested is the bottom note . if this test is positive , test 480 is taken as described . however , if test 400 is negative , it has been determined that a minor seventh is the preferred chord and the root is transposed down three semi - tones to correspond to the root of a minor seventh rather than a major sixth . this transportation is made by function 410 . after such transposition , test 480 is taken as described . if test 370 is negative , i . e ., there is no major third , test 420 checks for the presence of four notes . if this test is negative , function 330 is addressed and a transposition of the chord occurs by function 330 . if test 420 is positive , test 425 checks for a minor third . if there is no minor third , transposition means 330 is addressed and a transposition of the chord occurs . if the test 425 is positive , test 430 is taken to check for the presence of a sixth chord . if this test is positive , test 480 is taken as described . however , if test 430 is negative , test 440 determines whether a flatted seventh interval is present . if no flatted seventh interval is present , transposition means 330 is addressed and a transposition of the chord occurs . if test 440 is positive , a minor seventh chord or a transposition of a major sixth chord has been identified . test 450 checks to determine if the assumed root of the chord being tested is the bottom note ; if test 450 is positive , test 480 is taken as described . however , if test 450 is negative , test 460 is taken to determine if the corresponding fifth of the chord being tested is the bottom note . if test 460 is positive , test 480 is taken as described . finally , if test 460 is negative , it has been determined that a major sixth chord is the preferred chord and the root is transposed up three semi - tones to correspond to the root of a major sixth rather than a minor seventh . this transposition occurs by function 470 . thereafter , test 480 , as previously described , is taken . as an example of the foregoing description of the cid system , consider the c major sixth chord which comprises the c , e , g , and a notes ( see fig3 ). if the chord is played with the c as the bottom note it is identified by the cid system as shown in table ii . table ii______________________________________test result remarks______________________________________320 positive root fifth interval identified360 negative four or more notes in chord370 positive major third identified380 positive sixth present390 positive root = bn ; sixth identified480 negative major chord confirmed______________________________________ likewise , consider the c minor seventh chord which comprises the c , d ♯, g and a ♯ notes ( see fig3 ). if the chord is played with the g as the bottom note it is identified by the cid process as shown by table iii . table iii______________________________________test / func - tion result remarks______________________________________320 negative root fifth interval is not identified . 330 transpose this transposes chord one semitone . - 340 positive new transposition found . repeat 320 - 330 - 340 this test / function sequence is iterated four more times until test 320 is positive . 320 positive root fifth interval identified . 360 negative four or more notes in chord370 negative no major third identified420 positive four notes in chord425 positive minor third identified430 negative no sixth present440 positive minor seventh identified450 negative assumed root not equal bn460 positive fifth = bn480 positive minor third identified ; minor chord identified______________________________________ as previously noted , once the cid system has identified the chord being played on the manual keyboard , a signal may be generated for the synthesis of music on the pedal keyboard which is compatible with the identified chord . such synthesis is fully and completely described in the tone generator system application , the harmony generator application , and the chords and sequences patent , all of which are referred to above . those skilled in the art will recognize that the preferred embodiment described above can be extended to other less common chords . thus , a so - called suspended chord can be identified . for example , a c suspended chord comprises a c root , a g fifth and an f fourth . if this chord were being played , the chord would be transposed in that loop of fig4 containing functions 320 , 330 and 340 until c or f appeared in the root position . test 360 would then be taken because of the presence of g or c . because of the presence of less than 4 notes , function 480 would be taken , followed by function 490 . as discussed with respect to fig4 the invention would identify a major third by setting both the minor and flatted fifth flags to zero . in order to identify a suspended chord it is desirable to provide certain additional test sequences . these additional tests are depicted in fig5 where function 480 is the same as that of fig4 . however , functions 355a , 490a and 500a are slight modifications of those disclosed in fig4 where the ability to set a 4th flag is included . tests 510 and 520 and flag setting routine 530 are also included . if the c / g - root / fifth pair is encountered first in the transposition sequence identified above , test 480 will be negative ; test 510 will be positive because of the presence of the f , and function 490a will set the 4th flag . if the f / c - root / fifth pair is encountered first in the transposition sequence , tests 480 , 510 and 520 will all be negative , and the program will return to the transposition sequence at function 330 ( fig4 ) and proceed until the c / g - root / fifth pair is encountered . as can be seen by the above example , the general procedure can be extended to new chords as required by the type of music synthesis systems being serviced by cid . thus , the general process of the present invention comprises iteratively transposing the chord to be identified until the number of notes and the interval relations of these notes match the chord types specified . if this is not possible , the lowest note is assumed to be the root and the chord type is identified based on that assumption . it should be appreciated that differing music synthesis systems may require more or less precise identification of the chord type . those skilled in the art will recognize that the preferred embodiments described above can be altered and modified without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as described above and defined in the following claims .

the present invention relates to a process and apparatus for use in musical instruments . in particular , the invention is useful for identifying a chord played on a keyboard of a musical instrument , such as the accompaniment manual of an electronic organ , and for identifying the root and the type of chord being played . pursuant to the invention , a microprocessor used in conjunction with the instrument selectively causes the associated circuitry of the pedal and / or accompaniment keyboard of the musical instrument to play automatically in an appropriate octave either the identified root or a sequence of notes which is compatible with the identified root and chord . a pedal override feature is also provided which overrides the chord identification invention when the musician plays one or more pedal notes .

an overall block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig1 . the major components are an integrated circuit chip 110 , an external if filter 111 , a filter coefficient adjustment circuit 112 , an operating cycle timer 113 , and configuration changing gates 113a . the integrated circuit chip 110 includes thereon a radio receiver 110a , an on - chip filter 110c and a signal comparator 110b . the blocks shown in fig1 are not meant to show the actual layout of the components on the chip 110 since the layout of the chip can be conventional and it forms no part of this invention . the details of the radio receiver 110a and its associated external components are shown in fig6 and they will be explained in detail later . it is noted that what is generally termed an fm radio receiver includes if filters . herein for the sake of convenience the parts of the radio receiver on integrated chip 110 , that is , the radio receiver minus the if filter , is called a radio receiver . a key aspect of the present invention is that it reduces the number of external or off - chip components required . the invention is applicable to a receiver system that includes two if filters . with the present invention one of these filters , namely filter 110a , is implemented on - chip and the second filter 111 is an off - chip component . as will be explained later , the on - chip filter is made to conform to the off - chip filter prior to the activation of the receiver . while the on - chip filter may drift out of the acceptable range of specifications in a relatively short time , the receiver is only activated for a short period and during this period the on - chip filter 110a operates appropriately . the radio receiver 110a is designed for operation in a time slot paging system such as that shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 713 , 808 ( gaskill ) wherein the receiver is only active for very short periods , each active period being followed by a relative long period of inactivity . since the receiver is only active for very short periods , it uses relatively little power . this is important in applications such as where the radio receiver is part of a wristwatch where there are very severe power limitations . with the present invention the system operates with an operating cycle which has three portions : second : the receiver 110a is turned on for a short period . fig2 shows the relative length of the three portions of the operating cycle . key to the present invention is the fact that the first and second portions of the operating cycle are relatively short with respect to the third portion of the operating cycle . the length of the various portions of the operating cycle is shown in fig2 . the components within the system are connected in a different manner during the first and second portion of the operating cycle . fig3 shows how the components in the system are connected during the first portion of each operating cycle . fig4 shows how the components are connected during the second portion of each operating cycle . as shown in fig3 during the first portion of each operating cycle , the circuit is connected so that the on - chip filter 110c can be adjusted . during the first portion of each operating cycle , the frequency characteristics of on chip filter 110c are made to match the frequency characteristics of external filter 111 . this portion of the cycle requires approximately 4 . 3 milliseconds . after the first portion of each operating cycle , the on - chip filter 110c and the off - chip filter 111 are connected in series as shown in fig4 and the receiver is activated for approximately 33 milliseconds . as explained in the above referenced gaskill patent , while the receiver is only active for a short period of time , this is time enough to span one time slot in a time slot protocol . in the third , and relatively long portion of each operating cycle , the receiver is deactivated . fig5 shows the details of the on - chip filter 110c . on - chip filter 110c is a two pole filter which includes two coupled resonators 550a and 550b . the two resonators 550a and 550b are connected by a series coupling capacitor 550c . resonator 550a includes on - chip capacitors 501a and 502a , gyrator 503a , and variable resistor 504a . resonator 550b includes on - chip capacitors 501b and 502b , gyrator 503b and variable resistor 504b . the on - chip components shown in fig5 are connected in a conventional fashion to form a band pass filter . such filters are well know ; however , it is also well known that such on - chip gyrators working at 10 . 7 mhz are relatively unstable . that is , once they are adjusted to certain parameters , they will retain those values for only a short period of time . the present invention takes advantage of the fact that the receiver 110a is only active for a very short period , that is , for 33 milliseconds . thus , the parameters are adjusted during the first portion of each cycle and they only need retain their value for the 33 milliseconds that the receiver is active during the second portion of each cycle . unique to the invention is the fact that the parameters are automatically adjusted each time that the receiver 110 is activated . the particular adaptive algorithm used to adjust the parameters or gyrators 503a and 503b is not relevant to the present invention and such adjustment algorithms are known in the art . for example the algorithm shown in a paper by d . a . johns , w . m . snelgrove , and a . s . sedra entitled &# 34 ; continuous - time analog adaptive recursive filters &# 34 ; published in iscas 1989 pages 667 - 669 . as shown in fig3 during the first or &# 34 ; adjustment &# 34 ; portion of each operating cycle the antenna 116 is removed and the rf amplifier 22 is connected to a fixed voltage . mixer 28 and if amplifier 34 are connected in series , thus providing a &# 34 ; white noise &# 34 ; signal input to filters 110c and 111 . the output of filters 110c and 111 are compared by comparator 110b , and if they are not equal a signal is sent to adjustment circuit 112 . the adjustment process continues until both filters 110 and 111 produce the same output signal . at this point the on - chip filter 110c has the same frequency response as does external filter 111 and the first portion of each operating cycle ends . next the components are connected as shown in fig4 . the gates 113a for switching the connections are not specifically shown in fig3 and 4 since such gates can be conventional . the switching gates 113a are activated by cycle timer 13a as shown in fig1 . as shown in fig4 during the receive portion of each cycle , the components are connected as a receiver such as that shown in the previously referenced patent application . this connection will be explained in detail with reference to fig6 . the details of how receiver 110 is connected into the system during the second or &# 34 ; receive &# 34 ; portion of each cycle are shown in fig6 . the system as shown in fig6 includes an rf stage 10 , an if stage 12 and a baseband stage 14 . the rf stage 10 includes an antenna 116 which may be fabricated into the wristband 17 of the wristwatch 19 in which the receiver 8 is mounted . ( a suitable wristwatch enclosure is described in the gaskill et al patent ). the antenna 116 provides rf signals to an antenna tuner stage 18 . antenna tuner stage 18 is a conventional varactor controlled bandpass filter which also performs limited impedance match functions . a tuning voltage is applied to a tune voltage port 20 from a microprocessor based control system not shown earlier . such a microprocessor system is discussed in gaskill et al . the voltage supplied via port 20 tunes a voltage - variable capacitor in tuner 18 . the antenna tuner 18 also serves a limited impedance transformation function . the antenna 116 is typically a very small loop and consequently has a very small impedance . receiver performance and noise figure are optimized if this impedance is transformed up to more closely match the input impedance of the following rf amplifier stage 22 . rf amplifier stage 22 is a low noise broadband amplifier tuned for maximum gain in the fm broadcast band ( 88 - 108 megahertz ). the maximum gain of rf amplifier stage 22 is approximately 10 db . the actual gain is controlled by an agc control circuit discussed below . a receiver mixer stage 26 is provided with a wide band of amplified input signals . to minimize the effect of image signals which pass the tuner stage 18 , mixer stage 26 is configured in an image canceling topology . two individual quad mixers 28 and 30 are driven with quadrature local oscillator signals on lines 27 and 29 from a local oscillator synthesizer 31 . high side injection is used , so the local oscillator tunes the 98 . 7 to 118 . 7 megahertz range to yield a 10 . 7 megahertz intermediate frequency . the output of the mixer 28 driven from local oscillator line 27 is delayed 90 degrees and is combined with the output of the mixer 30 that is driven from the delayed local oscillator line 29 . the combination of these signals cancels any image response while reinforcing the desired signal response . mixer 26 has a conversion gain at the desired signal frequency of approximately 7 db . the output of mixer stage 26 is provided to an if chain 32 comprised of two if amplifiers 34 and 36 and ceramic band pass filters 111 and adaptive filter 110a . as shown in the previously referenced patent applied the filter 110 is of chip construction and may be of the sfec 10 . 7 series manufactured by murata . in accordance with the present invention only filter 40 is implemented using an ic chip . if amplifiers 34 and 36 have gains of approximately 20 db each and filters 38 and 49 have about 6 db each of loss . the if amplifiers 34 and 35 can be gain controlled , to optimize noise figure . the output of if chain 32 is provided to a synchronous , or coherent detector comprised of a mixer 49 injected with a 10 . 7 megahertz local oscillator signal . the synchronous detection process adds the side band signal voltage and the side band noise powers , resulting in a 3 db improvement in signal - to noise ratio . the technique also permits detection at a much lower signal level than would be possible if a limiter stage was employed . consequently , the if stage gain can be lower than would normally be the case , thereby reducing the risk of feedback . the local oscillator 48 which provides the 10 . 7 megahertz signal is locked to the frequency of the if by a feedback circuit 71 , discussed below . a 90 degree phase shift of the local oscillator signal by a phase shifter 47 causes the signal output by mixer 49 to an output line 51 to be proportional to the frequency of the signal modulating the 10 . 7 megahertz if . this baseband frequency modulated signal is fed to a low pass filter 52 and then to a baseband amplifier 53 . baseband amplifier 53 has a break point of about five kilohertz for discrimination against the left plus right fm stereo channel . the breakpoint also minimizes distortion caused by the main audio channel bleeding into the subcarrier channel . the high end rolloff breakpoint is at about 150 kilohertz . the output of the baseband amplifier 53 is provided to conventional decoder circuitry , as disclosed in the gaskill et al . patent . a second synchronous detector is also driven by the if chain 32 and provides an agc signal for application to the rf and if gain stages . this second synchronous detector again includes a mixer 60 , this one driven in phase with the 10 . 7 megahertz local oscillator signal . the output of this mixer 60 is thus related to the amplitude of the if signal and can be used to gain control preceding stages . the limiting stages found in most fm receivers were found disadvantageous in the present system . limiting does not benefit the receiver &# 39 ; s signal - to noise or signal - to - interference ratio due to the low modulation index of the subcarrier being decoded . consequently , the automatic gain control technique was employed . the agc circuitry 24 employed in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 07 / 146 , 446 of suter entitled &# 34 ; agc delay on an integrated circuit ,&# 34 ; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . an agc loop filter 70 is a single rc stage with a break point at about one kilohertz . all other bypassing of agc points is done with much higher break points so that the one pole is clearly dominant . radio receiver as shown herein is afc controlled in a relatively continual manner . afc is effected by a dc component on the feedback loop 71 produced by a synchronous detector 49 . an amplifier 74 is included to insure that the loop gain is high enough to control local oscillator drift . the afc loop controls two local oscillators : the synthesized local oscillator 31 used for high side rf injection and the 10 . 7 megahertz local oscillator 48 used by the synchronous detectors 49 and 60 . both oscillators respond to any dc component on the feedback loop 71 to adjust their frequencies to minimize the resulting dc output from synchronous detector 49 . the afc feature is included here not for threshold extension ( which is not viable with a low modulation index ), but to reduce cross - modulation of entertainment energy into the receiver &# 39 ; s subspectrum due to distortion in the filters 111 and 110b . afc of the synthesizer 31 can be disabled by a switch 72 , which can be operated to apply a fixed reference voltage to the synthesizer 31 instead of the afc signal . further details concerning the operation and system organization of the receiver shown in fig6 can be found in the previously referenced co - pending patent application . while the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the scope of the invention .

the present invention provides an improved single chip radio receiver which has less external components than do previous similar receivers . with the present invention the integrated circuit which includes the radio receiver also has an on - chip adaptive filter . the radio receiver is designed for use in a radio pager which is only active for a very short time slot during a relative long repeat cycle . thus the adaptive filter only need remain stable for a short period after its coefficients are adjusted to the desired values . the radio receiver includes an external filter which has the same frequency response as desired from the adaptive filter . immediately prior to activating the radio receiver , the circuit is activated to adjust the parameters of the adaptive filter so that the adaptive filter matches the external filter . the radio receiver is then activated using both filters in series thereby producing the desired radio reception . the adaptive filter quickly changes characteristics ; however , since the radio receiver is only active for a short period of time , operation of the system is not affected .

with reference to fig1 , there is shown a ballast water treatment apparatus or device 102 according to the present invention . the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 includes a tank housing 104 as illustrated . the housing 104 includes an inlet port 106 having a gallon metered device as shown . the housing 104 further includes a discharge port 108 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , the housing member 104 is further provided with a discharge hose 110 mounted thereon by use of hook brackets 112 . during use of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 as described in further detail below , the discharge hose 110 is connected to the discharge port 108 . with continuing reference to fig1 , there is further shown transport wheels 114 integrally arranged with the housing member 104 to thereby provide mobility during use of the apparatus on a ship &# 39 ; s deck . as also shown in fig1 , the housing member 104 is provided with a filter apparatus which is discussed in further detail in connection with fig2 - 5 . with reference now to fig2 , there is shown the filter apparatus 116 including a filter bag 118 , support rods 120 , and a support frame 122 . the support frame 122 is positioned on a first platform 124 as illustrated . the first platform 124 divides the interior housing 124 into an upper filter chamber 125 and a lower treatment chamber . according to this embodiment of the present invention , there is also provided a second platform 126 positioned below the first platform 124 and above the bottom 128 of the housing 104 . the first platform 124 fluidly isolates the upper filter chamber from the lower chambers . the first platform 124 includes a first flow aperture 130 which allows filtered water to pass from the upper chamber into a first lower flow channel formed between the first platform member 124 and the second platform member 126 . as further illustrated in fig2 , the second platform member 126 includes a flow aperture 132 allowing fluid flow from the first treatment channel into the second treatment channel formed between the second platform 126 and the tank bottom 128 . as further indicated by the arrows in fig2 representing the direction of flow of ballast water through the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 , the filtered water exits the housing 104 through a third flow aperture 134 . as illustrated , water flow is through the aperture 134 in the tank bottom 128 and then through the discharge port 108 . as discussed above in conjunction with fig1 , during use of the device 102 , the discharge hose 110 is connected to the discharge elbow 108 to direct filtered and treated water over the side of the ship as further discussed in detail below . as further illustrated in fig2 , each of the lower flow chambers includes at least one ultraviolet ( uv ) lamp 136 which is secured to either side of the housing 104 by uv lamp sockets 138 . each of the individual uv lamps 136 is provided with an electrical feedback connection 140 that connects into an electrical control box 132 as illustrated . the electrical control box 132 further includes an electrical power supply 134 that provides power to the uv lamps 136 . electrical power is provided to the control box 132 by an electrical connection 146 that connects to the ship &# 39 ; s power supply . during use of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 , the control box 142 includes an hour meter to monitor and record uv bulb usage time . fig2 illustrates one uv lamp in each of the lower treatment chambers . it would be readily understood by those of skill in the art , however , that a greater number of uv bulbs may be situated within these treatment chambers to provide additional electromagnetic uv energy into the chamber . thus during the operation of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 , after the ballast water has passed through the filter bag 118 , it is directed by gravity flow into the lower uv treatment chambers wherein electrical energy is applied to the uv bulbs and uv energy is directed in all directions into the flowing filtered water . the uv energy is selected to be of sufficient power so that any micro - organisms or other biological organisms passing through the filter - bag 118 will be deactivated by the application of the uv energy . as used herein , “ deactivation ” means rendering any harmful or undesired biological organisms inactive in a manner that either kills the organisms , renders them unable to reproduce , or otherwise prevents them from causing harm to the open water environment into which the ballast water is discharged . the uv lamps utilized in one specific embodiment preferably number 8 in each chamber and are preferably 2000 watts ( 2 kw ) with an operating voltage of 1 , 454 volts ac running at 1 . 35 amps . thus in this embodiment of the present invention , uv radiation is principally employed to deactivate any biological organisms contained within the ballast water . as further illustrated in fig2 , the ballast treatment apparatus 102 may be provided with two inlet ports 106 each having a respective gallon meter . in this alternate embodiment of the present invention , two supply hoses may be utilized from the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant system to double the input flow into the apparatus 102 thereby decreasing the time required to filter and treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water according to the various methods of the present invention discussed below in further detail . with reference now to fig3 , there is shown a perspective top view of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 according to the present invention . fig3 also shows a top view of the filter apparatus 116 including filter bag 118 and support rods 120 . as further shown in fig3 , the filter bag 118 is folded upwardly within the filter bag itself so that the bottom of the filter bag is situated some distance below the top edge of the filter bag 118 . as further shown , the bottom of the filter bag 118 is provided with a change - filter indicator strip 148 . in this manner , during use of the device when particulate matter is filtered from ballast water , the material forming the filter bag 118 will eventually collect an external layer of filtered particulate matter . as this layer of filtered particulate matter increases in thickness , the change - filter indicator strip 148 will eventually become fully covered by such filtered particulate matter . when this occurs , this is an indication that the filter bag 118 should be changed . fig4 illustrates the process for changing the filter bag 118 . as illustrated in fig4 , one or two crew members may grasp the support rods 120 and lift the filter bag 116 from the housing member 104 . as further shown in fig4 , when filter bag 118 is removed from the housing member 104 , the support frame 122 remains within the housing 104 . the preferred shape of the support frame 122 is the a - frame style indicated in fig4 . in this manner , the support frame 122 provides the necessary elevation so that the end of the filtered bag and the change - filter indicator strip 148 , fig3 , is situated at a desired height within the housing 104 so that it is substantially always submerged under ballast water during the filtration process to provide an accurate indication of the amount of particulate matter filtered during the filter operation . as further illustrated in fig4 , the top edge of the housing member 104 is provided with support rod notches 150 that are located to position support rods 120 in a desired parallel fashion as indicated in fig3 . the support rod notches 150 also secure the rods during use of the device . fig5 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of the filter frame support structure 122 and filter bag 118 . as illustrated , as the filter bag 118 is loaded into the apparatus , the support frame 122 provides a structure that positions the indicator strip 148 at a desired location above the first platform 124 shown , for example , in fig4 . in this manner , not only does the indicator strip 148 result in being positioned in a desired height above the first platform 124 , the surface area of the filter bag is thereby increased thus giving increased flow - through and filtering effect during the filtering operation . with reference next to fig6 and 7 , there is shown an alternate embodiment of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 according to the present invention . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 , the upper chamber is substantially similar to that discussed in connection with fig1 - 5 . as illustrated , this embodiment of the apparatus 102 includes the filter apparatus 116 , and the housing member 104 having an inlet port 106 and discharge port 108 . this embodiment of the present invention also includes a first platform 124 and a second platform 126 . this embodiment also similarly includes the first flow aperture 130 provided in the first platform 124 and a second flow aperture 132 formed in the second platform 126 . as illustrated , the first flow aperture 130 is rectangular in shape while the second flow aperture 132 in this embodiment is circular to conform to an inlet pipe 152 shown in fig7 . as illustrated in fig6 and 7 , this embodiment of the present invention includes a treatment tank 154 . the treatment tank 154 includes the uv lamps 136 . depending on the application of the energy required , anywhere between one and eight uv lamps extending the entire length of the treatment tank 154 are preferably desired . the tank 154 is further provided with discharge piping 156 . as illustrated in fig6 , the discharge piping 156 is fluidly connected to the discharge port 108 . the discharge piping 156 includes a trap portion 158 which is situated above the highest water level attainable within the tank 154 . in this manner during non - use , water will be maintained within a pipe segment 160 to thereby prevent undesired back - flow . the treatment tank 154 is similarly provided with an electrical power supply 144 and an electrical feedback connection 140 . in this specific embodiment of the apparatus as illustrated in fig7 , the treatment tank 154 is further provided with heat sensors 162 . the electrical feedback connection 144 and electrical power supply 144 are similarly connected to a control box 142 as illustrated in fig2 . in this embodiment , the heat sensors 162 are similarly connected to the control box 142 . the heat sensors detect the temperature of the filtered water as it passes through the treatment tank 154 . in one preferred embodiment , once the uv bulbs 136 reach a desired temperature , they will heat the water and thereby deactivate any biological organisms contained within the ballast water as it passes through the tank 154 . in this embodiment , both uv radiation and heat are employed as indicated to deactivate any biological organisms contained within the ballast water . to prevent premature discharge of filtered water from the treatment tank 154 through the discharge port 108 , this embodiment of the present invention is provided with a solenoid - activated valve 164 which is similarly electrically connected to the control box 142 . in this manner , the valve 164 is not opened until the water temperature within the tank 154 reaches a pre - determined processing temperature . in one preferred embodiment , the required bulb temperature for water treatment is 125 ° f . in this embodiment low pressure uv lamps are employed to achieve the desired temperature . in another preferred embodiment of this aspect of the present invention , high pressure uv lamps are utilized to achieved a water temperature of 400 ° f . thus during use of the apparatus illustrated in fig6 and 7 , discharge flow is not permitted until the temperature in tank 154 reaches a predetermined desired temperature set to effectively kill or otherwise deactivate any biological microorganisms contained within the ballast water . as with the embodiment of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 discussed in connection with fig1 - 4 , the uv lamps utilized in the embodiment shown in fig6 and 7 are preferably 2000 watts ( 2 kw ) with an operating voltage of 1 , 454 ac running at 1 . 35 amps . in one specific implementation , six uv lamps of this particular rating are preferred . referring now to fig8 , there is shown a schematic cross - sectional side view of a typical ship &# 39 ; s ballast tank and first main deck . as represented schematically , the main deck includes a fire hydrant outlet 166 as indicated . during the process of loading sea water into the ship for ballast , the sea chest and sea valve 168 are open to allow sea water to enter the ballast tanks 170 . to allow sea water into the ballast tank , ballast tank valve 172 is typically provided to control the flow of sea water into the ballast tank . a strainer is provided to remove any large particulate matter from the sea water as it enters the ballast tank 170 from the sea chest through the sea valve 168 and into the ballast tank 170 through the ballast tank valve 172 . as indicated in fig8 , the sea water mechanical system also typically includes a fire hydrant system main valve 174 . during use of the apparatus of the present invention , the sea valve 168 is closed while the ballast tank valve 172 is opened . a pump 176 is activated to pump sea water from the ballast tank 170 up through pump 176 and through the connecting piping 178 to feed the fire hydrant outlets 166 with sufficient pressure . thus in this manner , the apparatus of the present invention may advantageously utilize the ballast water mechanical systems and the fire hydrant system of a ship to direct ballast water from the ballast tanks of a ship through the fire hydrant system to the fire hydrant outlets 166 on board the ship and then into the apparatus of the present invention . with reference now to fig9 , there is shown a typical container ship 180 docked in port alongside a dock 182 . according to one aspect of the present invention , the ballast treatment apparatus 102 is mounted on a dock - side service vehicle 184 . in accordance with one method of the present invention , the dock - side service vehicle 184 is positioned adjacent to the docked ship , in this case the container ship 180 . fire hoses 186 are then connected to the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant outlets and directed overboard from the ship &# 39 ; s deck to be secured to the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 contained on or secured to a suitable work space area provided preferably on the back of the dock - side service vehicle 184 . the fire hoses 186 are then connected to the inlet ports 106 of the apparatus 102 and filtration and treatment of the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water proceeds as described above . the dock - side service vehicle 184 contains a discharge pipe 188 which directs the filtered and treated water back into the harbor or port . the inventors of the present invention have designed and contemplated many implementations of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 for use in combination with the dock - side service vehicle 184 . as indicated , the preferred embodiment of the dockside vehicle 184 is a modified , small tank truck that has a filter apparatus contained therein and the uv lamps positioned within the truck - mounted tank or tanks . thus in this manner , the truck - mounted tanks are completely self - contained and include a suitable number of inlet ports 106 designed to readily quick connect to the ends of fire hoses provided from the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrants . with continuing reference to fig9 , the inventors hereof have specifically provided a method of treating discharged ballast water from the ship 180 using the dock - side service vehicle 184 . this method includes the steps of providing a ballast water treatment apparatus on the dock - side service vehicle 184 , positioning the service vehicle 184 adjacent the ship 180 , and directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship 180 into the ballast water treatment apparatus on the dock - side service vehicle 184 to thereby treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into an open water environment . in this method , the respective ship &# 39 ; s ballast water may be directed from the ballast tank through the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant system and into the ballast water treatment apparatus on the dock - side service vehicle 184 . the method may include the further step of connecting at least one fire hose 186 between a fire hydrant outlet on the deck of the ship 180 and an inlet port provided on the ballast water treatment apparatus on the dockside service vehicle 184 . the inventors hereof have further provided a method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from the ship 180 using the dock - side service vehicle 184 . this method includes the steps of ( 1 ) positioning the dockside service vehicle 184 adjacent the ship 180 , ( 2 ) directing ballast water from a ballast tank of a ship 180 into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained on the dock - side service vehicle 184 to thereby treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into an open environment , ( 3 ) determining an amount of time required to treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water , and ( 4 ) calculating a water treatment service fee based on the amount of time required to treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water . there is also provided another method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from a ship using the dock - side service vehicle 184 . this method includes the steps of ( 1 ) positioning the dock - side service vehicle 184 adjacent ship 180 , ( 2 ) directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained on the dock - side service vehicle 184 to thereby treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into an open environment , ( 3 ) determining a total volume of treated ballast water processed from the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water tanks , and ( 4 ) calculating a water treatment service fee based on the total volume of treated ballast water . referring next to fig1 , there is shown the deck plan of the typical container ship 180 and the location of the fire hydrant outlets 166 . fig1 shows the ballast tank areas 170 relative to the cargo areas represented by reference numeral 190 . the typical cargo container ship 180 will carry a known amount of sea water for ballast . thus if it is desired to completely treat and filter the ballast water in accordance with the methods of the present invention , the number of available fire hydrant outlets 166 may be determined along with flow rates thereof and the known flow rates of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 to completely filter the entire ship &# 39 ; s ballast water within a predetermined maximum amount of time . as represented diagrammatically in fig1 , a number of ballast water treatment apparatus 102 are distributed around the ship &# 39 ; s main deck or second deck adjacent fire hydrant outlets 166 . the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant as indicated in fig8 typically includes one outlet . according to one aspect of the present invention , ships with one outlet fire hydrants many be equipped with a y - adaptor to thereby provide two outlets . both of these outlets may be employed to direct ballast water into the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 . alternatively one outlet may be employed with the apparatus 102 while the other is reserved for use in case it is needed in a fire emergency . thus according to one preferred method of this invention , two hoses may be connected to each of the fire hydrants 166 and directed to adjacent ballast water treatment devices 102 as interconnected by the ship &# 39 ; s fire hoses 186 . as represented in fig1 , the series connected arrangement of fire hydrants 166 feeding two adjacent ballast water treatment apparatus 102 will utilize the full flow - through rate of the fire hydrant system of the ship to filter and treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water according to this aspect of the present invention in a minimum amount of time . fig1 next illustrates a perspective pictorial representation of this multi - hydrant and multi - apparatus method . turning now to fig1 , there is shown a perspective view of a typical tanker 202 situates dockside in a port - of - call . as indicated in fig1 , the main deck of the tanker 202 includes a number of fire hydrant outlets 166 . in accordance with another aspect of the present invention , there is provided an in - port service vessel 204 which is out - fitted with a ballast water treatment apparatus 102 according to the present invention . thus in accordance with alternate methods of the present invention , the in - port service vessel 204 may be employed to pull alongside a docked ship and provide ballast water filtration and treatment services . for example , as illustrated in fig1 , a tanker 202 may be required by local , state , national , or international regulations to have the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water treated before its ballast water is discharged into the port or harbor . thus in accordance with this method of the present invention , the ship &# 39 ; s fire hoses 186 are connected to the main deck &# 39 ; s fire hydrants 166 and directed to the in - port service vessel 204 as represented in fig1 . the in - port service vessel 204 may be a barge type vessel or tug boat type vessel utilized to provide the water filtering and treating service to a ship . according to alternate methods of this embodiment , neither the ship nor the service vessel 204 need necessarily be dockside . the ship may be anchored in port or alternatively , even serviced in this manner in open waters or on the high seas before entering port . thus in continuing reference to fig1 , the inventors hereof have provided a method of treating discharged ballast water from a ship using the in - port service vessel 204 . this method includes the steps of ( 1 ) providing a ballast water treatment apparatus 102 on board the service vessel , ( 2 ) positioning the service vessel adjacent the ship 202 requiring ballast water treatment , ( 3 ) and directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship 202 into the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 on board the service vessel 204 to thereby treat the respective ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water . in this method , the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water is directed from the ballast tank through the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant system and into the ballast water treatment apparatus on board the service vessel 204 . the method may include the further step of connecting at least one fire hose 186 between the fire hydrant outlet 166 on the deck of the ship 202 and an inlet port provided on the ballast water treatment apparatus on board the service vessel . accordingly , there is also provided a method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from a ship using the in - port service vessel 204 . this method includes the steps of positioning the service vessel 204 adjacent the ship 202 requiring ballast water treatment ; directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship 202 into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained on board the service vessel 204 to thereby treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into the environment ; determining an amount of time required to treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water ; and calculating a water treatment service fee based on the amount of time required to treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water . there is further provided another method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from the ship 202 using the in - port service vessel 204 . this method includes the steps of positioning the service vessel 204 adjacent the ship 202 requiring ballast water treatment ; directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship 202 into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained on board the service vessel 204 to thereby treat the respective ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into the environment ; determining a total volume of treated ballast water processed from the respective ship &# 39 ; s ballast water tanks ; and calculating a water treatment service fee based on the total volume of treated ballast water . referring next to fig1 , there is shown a perspective view of a typical cruise ship 194 in port dockside for loading or unloading passengers , cargo , and supplies . as discussed in connection with fig9 , 10 , and 11 , the cruise ship 184 may be similarly serviced by the dock - side service vehicle 184 or alternatively carry on - board a desired number of ballast water treatment apparatus 102 for on - ship deck hands to filter and treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water according to the methods discussed above . in addition thereto , cruise ship 194 may have its ballast water treated by the in - port service vessel 204 discussed above . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of the tanker illustrated in fig1 illustrating the ballast tank area 170 relative to cargo space 190 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of an intermediate class great lakes bulk vessel showing the ballast tank area 170 relative to cargo space 190 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of a panamax size oil bulk ore carrier representing the ballast tank area 170 relative to cargo space 190 . in each of these three different types of ships , typically the weight of the cargo loaded on or off the ship is approximately made equal to the weight of ballast water used to counter - balance the ship in accordance with known methods for loading and unloading ships . in these types of ships , ordinarily , a relatively larger volume of ballast water is discharged during loading as compared to the typical container ship illustrated , for example , in fig9 . nonetheless , the apparatus 102 and methods of the present invention utilizing either the dock - side service vehicle 184 or the in - port service vessel 204 may be readily scaled up to meet the volume of ballast water typically discharged by these types of ships . with reference now to fig1 , there is shown an alternate embodiment of the ballast water treatment apparatus of the present invention . a ballast water filtration apparatus 210 is shown in fig1 . the ballast water filtration device 210 similarly includes a filter bag 118 and support rods 120 . in this embodiment , the support rods 120 are provided with members to hook over the side of the ship as illustrated in fig1 . in use , a fire hose 186 is connected to the fire hydrant on the ship &# 39 ; s deck and the open end of the fire hose 186 is simply placed in the filter bag 118 as illustrated . thus in this embodiment of the present invention , there is provided a very simply and economically cost effective filtration apparatus and method . fig1 shows a half - face housing member for the ballast water filter apparatus 210 illustrated in fig1 . the half - face housing member 212 illustrated in fig1 may be employed in conjunction with the ballast water filter apparatus 210 shown in fig1 to provide a directed outlet flow as indicated in fig1 . the half - faced housing is similarly provided with the discharge port 108 to direct the water downwardly into the harbor . the discharge port 108 may similarly have adapted thereto the discharge hose 110 illustrated in fig1 to thereby further direct the filtered ballast water into the open water environment of the harbor or port . with reference next to fig2 and 21 , there is shown a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 according to the present invention . fig2 in particular is an exploded view of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 illustrated in fig2 including break - away sections to show interior elements of principal components of the apparatus 102 . in this embodiment shown in fig2 and 21 , the apparatus 102 includes a filtration unit 214 , a uv containment vessel or compartment 218 , and an electrical compartment 220 . as illustrated , the filtration unit 214 includes a cap member having view ports 216 . when in use , the cap member prevents ballast water from splashing out of the apparatus 102 while the view ports 216 provide viewing access to the interior of the filtration unit 214 during filtration operations . as further illustrated in fig2 , the filtration unit 214 includes the inlet port and associated piping 106 which may be implemented with a gallon meter at the t - junction shown . to further increase the intake flow , the filtration unit 214 may be outfitted with two inlet ports and associated piping 106 , one such situated as illustrated and the other similarly installed on the reverse - side or back - side of the unit 214 as shown . the uv compartment 218 includes the uv lamps 136 which in this embodiment are positioned within the uv compartment 218 by use of a pair of uv bulb mounting brackets 222 . as shown in fig2 , the uv compartment 218 includes uv sensors 221 which are employed to detect the uv output of the bulbs 136 . as shown , the apparatus 102 illustrated in fig2 and 21 includes the control box 142 that is implemented to similarly control operations of the apparatus as discussed above in connection with the embodiment of the apparatus 102 illustrated in fig1 - 5 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 and 21 , the electrical compartment may include additional components to provide further operations and functions to the apparatus 102 . in operation , a fire hose connected to the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant at one end is connected at its other end to the inlet piping 106 . ballast water then travels from the lower right area of the filtration unit 214 as illustrated to the upper left thereof to then be directed and discharged into the filter apparatus 116 . the ballast water then drains through the filter 116 to thereby remove particulate matter as small as 1 micron . the filtered ballast water then exits the filtration unit 214 through the first flow aperture 130 and is directed into the uv compartment 218 for uv treatment . as the uv compartment 218 fills with filtered ballast water at one end , filtered water is then directed to the other end thereof toward the discharge port 108 . as the filtered water flows along in the uv compartment 218 toward the discharge port 108 , the uv lamps are activated to treat the filtered water so that any micro - organisms , viruses , or bacteria that may have remained in the ballast water after the filtration step are thereby deactivated by uv treatment . the general direction of flow is indicated by the wide arrows shown in fig2 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 and 21 , the uv lamps 136 are situated substantially perpendicular to the flow of ballast water . in one particular preferred embodiment of the uv compartment 218 , the uv lamps 136 utilized therein are 3000 kw lamps operating at 220 vac and 30 amps . in one such preferred embodiment , six uv lamps 136 are employed . while in other embodiments , the number of uv lamps 136 may vary depending on the desired flow rate , type of ballast water , and desired deactivation or “ kill ” effectiveness . fig2 is a detailed partial plan view of a uv lamp assembly utilized in conjunction with the ballast water treatment apparatus shown in fig2 and 21 . fig2 illustrates build - up of uv - irradiated biological material on the lamp assembly . fig2 is a view similar to fig2 showing a tube wiper system and actuator assembly 226 cleaning the build - up of uv - irradiated biological material on the lamp assembly according to another aspect of the present invention . fig2 is a view similar to fig2 showing the lamp assembly in a fully cleaned or wiped condition after full activation of the tube wiper system 226 . fig2 is a detailed isolated elevation view of a wiper or face plate 228 employed in the tube wiper system 226 illustrated in fig2 - 24 . as illustrated in fig2 - 24 , each uv lamp 136 is enclosed in a transparent sleeve 224 . when the filtered ballast water is treated in the uv compartment , deactivated particulate matter may build up on the transparent sleeves 224 . as this build - up of particulate matter increases in thickness , the effect of the uv lamps will be diminished . thus the uv sensors 221 are employed to detect the uv output of each associated bulb . once the uv lamp output decreases below a certain set threshold , the cleaning actuator 226 is activated to wipe clean the transparent lamp sleeves 224 . this wiping effect is achieved by use of a rubber wiper washer 230 , fig2 , which snuggly fits around the sleeve 224 as illustrated . after activation , the sleeve is wiped clean and the uv effectiveness is returned to a maximum . the control box 142 and electrical compartment 220 , fig2 and 22 , are implemented with operational features that control sleeve cleaning or wiping in a desired manner . while this invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments and aspects thereof , it should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to those precise embodiments . rather , in view of the present disclosure which describes the current best mode for practicing the invention , many modifications and variations would present themselves to those of skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the following claims rather than by the foregoing description . all changes , modifications , and variations coming within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be considered within their scope .

ballast water treatment apparatus and methods for preventing foreign aquatic invasive species form entering marine ecological zones by translocation in ship &# 39 ; s ballast water . the apparatus includes a housing , a filter member , and uv water treatment chambers . methods include use of a ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant system for moving ballast water from the ship &# 39 ; s ballast tanks into the apparatus for filtration and treatment . in - port service vessels and dock - side service vehicles are equipped with the treatment and filtration apparatus to provided in - port or dock - side ballast water treatment services . related methods are also provided .

the following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature , and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its application or uses . a representative sootblower , is shown in fig1 and is generally designated there by reference number 10 . sootblower 10 principally comprises frame assembly 12 , lance tube 14 , feed tube 16 , and carriage 18 . sootblower 10 is shown in its normal retracted resting position . upon actuation , lance tube 14 is extended into and retracted from a combustion system such as a boiler ( not shown ) and may be simultaneously rotated . frame assembly 12 includes a generally rectangularly shaped frame box 20 , which forms a housing for the entire unit . carriage 18 is guided along two pairs of tracks located on opposite sides of frame box 20 , including a pair of lower tracks ( not shown ) and upper tracks 22 . a pair of toothed racks ( not shown ) are rigidly connected to upper tracks 22 and are provided to enable longitudinal movement of carriage 18 . frame assembly 12 is supported at a wall box ( not shown ) which is affixed to the boiler wall or another mounting structure and is further supported by rear support brackets 24 . carriage 18 drives lance tube 14 into and out of the boiler and includes drive motor 26 and gear box 28 which is enclosed by housing 30 . carriage 18 drives a pair of pinion gears 32 which engage the toothed racks to advance the carriage and lance tube 14 . support rollers 34 engage the guide tracks to support carriage 18 . feed tube 16 is attached at one end to rear bracket 36 and conducts the flow of cleaning medium which is controlled through the action of poppet valve 38 . poppet valve 38 is actuated through linkages 40 which are engaged by carriage 18 to begin cleaning medium discharge upon extension of lance tube 14 , and cuts off the flow once the lance tube and carriage return to their idle retracted position , as shown in fig1 . lance tube 14 over - fits feed tube 16 and a fluid seal between them is provided by packing ( not shown ). a sootblowing medium such as air or steam flows inside of lance tube 14 and exits through one or more nozzles 50 mounted to nozzle block 52 , which defines a distal end 51 . the distal end 51 is closed by a semispherical wall 53 . coiled electrical cable 42 conducts power to the drive motor 26 . front support bracket 44 supports lance tube 14 during its longitudinal and rotational motion . for long lance tube lengths , an intermediate support 46 may be provided to prevent excessive bending deflection of the lance tube . now with reference to fig2 a more detailed illustration of a nozzle block 52 according to prior art is provided . as shown , nozzle block 52 includes a pair of diametrically opposite positioned nozzles 50 a and 50 b . the nozzles 50 a and 50 b are displaced from the distal end 51 , with nozzle 50 b being referred to as the downstream nozzle ( closer to distal end 51 ) and nozzle 50 a being the upstream nozzle ( farther from distal end 51 ). the cleaning medium , typically steam under a gage pressure of about 150 psi or higher , flows into nozzle block 52 in the direction as indicated by arrow 21 . a portion of the cleaning medium enters and is discharged from the upstream nozzle 50 a as designated by arrow 23 . a portion of the flow designated by arrows 25 passes the nozzle 50 a and continues to flow toward downstream nozzle 50 b . some of that fluid directly exits nozzle 50 b , designated by arrow 27 . as explained above , the downstream nozzle 50 b typically exhibits lower performance as compared to the upstream nozzle 50 a . this is attributed to the fact that the flow of cleaning medium that passes the upstream nozzle 50 a and downstream nozzle 50 b designated by arrows 29 comes to a complete halt ( stagnates ) at the distal end 51 of the lance tube 14 , thereby creating a stagnation region 31 at the distal end 51 beyond downstream nozzle 50 b . hence , the cleaning medium represented by arrow 33 has to re - accelerate , flow backward and merge with the incoming flow 27 . the merging of the forward flow represented by arrow 27 and backward flow represented by arrow 33 results in loss of energy due to hydraulic losses at the nozzle inlet , and also results in flow mal - distribution . the loss of energy associated with stagnation conditions at the distal end and hydraulic losses at the nozzle inlet , and the deformation of the inlet flow profile is believed to be responsible for the downstream nozzle &# 39 ; s lower performance in prior art designs . as mentioned previously , there are various explanations for the comparatively lower performance of downstream nozzle 50 b as compared with nozzle 50 a . these inventors have found that the performance of downstream nozzle 50 b is enhanced by eliminating the stagnation area at nozzle block distal end 51 and moving the stagnation area to the inlet of the downstream nozzle ; in other words , substantially eliminating the cleaning medium flows represented by arrows 29 and 33 shown in fig2 . the advantages of this design concept can be described mathematically with reference to the following description and fig2 a . one of the key parameters in designing an efficient convergent - divergent laval nozzle , such as nozzles 50 a and 50 b , is the throat - to - exit area ratio ( ae / at ). a nozzle with an ideal throat - to - exit area ratio would achieve uniform , fully expanded , flow at the nozzle exit plane . the amount of gas expansion in the divergent section is given by the following equation which characterizes cleaning medium flow as one - dimensional for the same of simplified calculation . a   e a   t = 1 m   e  [ ( 2 γ + 1 ) · ( 1 + γ - 1 2 · m   e 2 ) ] ( γ + 1 ) 2  ( γ - 1 ) equation   1 at = throat area which is also equal to the area of the ideal sonic plane the exit mach number , me , is related to the throat - to - exit area ratio via the continuity equation and the isentropic relations of an ideal gas ( see michael a . saad , “ compressible fluid flow ”, prentice hall , second edition , page 98 .) p   e = p   o · ( 1 + γ - 1 2 · m   e 2 ) γ 1 - γ equation   2 γ = specific heat ratio of cleaning fluid . for air γ = 1 . 4 . for steam , γ − 1 . 329 in the above equation 2 , the relationship between exit mach number and the pressure ratio is based on the assumption that the flow reaches the speed of sound at the plane of the smallest cross - sectional area of the convergent - divergent nozzle , nominally the throat . however , in practice , especially in sootblower applications , the flow does not reach the speed of sound at the throat , and not even in the same plane . the actual sonic plane is usually skewered further downstream from the throat , and its shape becomes more non - uniform and three - dimensional . the distortion of the sonic plane is mainly due to the flow mal - distribution into the nozzle inlet section . in sootblower applications , as shown by arrows 23 for nozzle 50 a and arrows 33 and 27 for nozzle 50 b in fig2 the cleaning fluid approaches the nozzle at 90 ° off its center axis . with such configuration , the flow entering the nozzle favors the downstream half of the nozzle inlet section because the entry angle is less steep . the distortion and dislocation of the sonic plane consequently impacts the expansion of the cleaning fluid in the divergent section , and results in non - uniformly distributed exit pressure and mach number . these findings were consistent with the measured and predicted exit static pressure for one of the conventional sootblower nozzles . to account for the shift in the sonic plane , the actual mach number at the exit can be related to the ideal throat - to - exit area as follows : a   e a   t · a   t a   t_a = 1 m   e_a  [ ( 2 γ + 1 ) · ( 1 + γ - 1 2 · m   e_a 2 ) ] ( γ + 1 ) 2  ( γ - 1 ) equation   3 the degree of mal - distribution of the exit mach number and the static pressure varies between the upstream and downstream nozzles 50 a and 50 b respectively of a sootblower . it appears that the downstream nozzle 50 b exhibits more non - uniform exit conditions than the upstream nozzle 50 a , which is believed to be part of the cause of its relatively poor performance . the location of the downstream nozzle 50 b relative to the distal end 51 not only causes greater hydraulic losses , but also causes further misalignment of the incoming flow streams with the nozzle inlet . again , greater flow mal - distribution at the nozzle inlet would translate to greater shift and distortion in the sonic plane , and consequently poorer performance . for the prior art designs , the ratio ( at / at_a ) is smaller for the downstream nozzle 50 b compared to the upstream nozzle 50 a . in designing more efficient sootblower nozzles , it is necessary to keep the ideal and actual area ratio ( at / at_a ) closer to unity . several methods are proposed in this discovery to accomplish this goal . for the upstream nozzle , the “ at / at_a ” ratio is in part influenced by dimension “ x ” and “ α ” shown in fig2 a , ( at / at_a = f ( α , x ). dimension x designates the longitudinal separation between nozzles 50 a and 50 b . a smaller spacing x would cause the incoming flow stream 27 to become more mis - aligned with the upstream nozzle axis . for example , a five inch space for x has a relatively better performance than a four inch spacing for x . while the greater x distance is beneficial , it is at the same time desired in most sootblower applications to keep x to a minimum for mechanical reasons . in such circumstances , an optimum x distance should be used which would minimize flow disturbance and yet satisfy mechanical requirements . also , reducing the flow streams approach angle ( α ) shown in fig2 a would reduce flow mal - distribution at the nozzle inlet , and potentially reduce inlet losses . for downstream nozzle 50 b , the “ at / at_a ” ratio is in part influenced by dimension “ y ” shown in fig2 a , ( at / at_a = f ( y )). dimension y is defined as the longitudinal distance between the inside surface of distal end 51 and the inlet axis of downstream nozzle 50 b . again referring to fig2 a , the location of the distal plane relative to the downstream nozzle 50 b , influences the alignment of the flow stream into the nozzle and cause greater flow mal - distribution . for instance , y1 ( which typifies the prior art ) is the least favorable distance between the nozzle center axis and the distal end 51 of the lance tube . with such configuration , the nozzle performance is relatively poor . y2 is an improved distance which is based on a modified distal end surface designated as 51 ′. in the case of y2 , the cleaning fluid 25 does not flow past the downstream nozzle 50 b , therefore eliminating stagnation conditions of the flows represented by arrows 29 and 33 . instead the flow is efficiently channeled to the nozzle inlet . thus , if the dimension y is assumed positive in the left hand direction along the longitudinal axis of nozzle block 52 shown in fig2 a , there is an absence of any substantial flow of cleaning medium in the negative y direction . also , if the longitudinal axis ( shown as a dashed line ) of nozzle 50 b defines a z axis assumed positive in the direction of discharge from the nozzle , then it is further true that once the longitudinal point is reached along the nozzle block 52 where flow first begins to enter downstream nozzle 50 b , there is a complete absence of any flow velocity vector having a negative z component . in this way the hydraulic and energy losses at the nozzle inlet are minimized , improving the performance of downstream nozzle 50 b . furthermore , with this improvement the cleaning fluid enters the downstream nozzle 50 b more uniformly , therefore minimizing the distortion of the sonic plane which in turn enhances the fluid expansion and the conversion of total pressure to kinetic energy . the optimal value of y is substantially equal to y2 which is one - half the diameter of the inlet end of downstream nozzle 50 b . on the other hand , providing a shape of the distal end inside surface to 51 ″ is not beneficial . in such a configuration , the inlet flow area is reduced and the flow streams are further mis - aligned relative to the nozzle center axis , which could lead to flow separation and shedding . now with reference to fig3 and 4 , a lance tube nozzle block 102 in accordance with the teachings of the first embodiment of this invention is shown . the lance tube nozzle block 102 comprises a hollow interior body or plenum 104 having an exterior surface 105 . the distal end of the lance tube nozzle block is generally represented by reference numeral 106 . the lance tube nozzle block includes two nozzles 108 and 110 radially positioned and longitudinally spaced . preferably , lance tube nozzle block 102 and the nozzles 108 and 110 are formed as one integral piece . alternatively , it is also possible to weld the nozzles into the nozzle block 102 . fig4 illustrates in detail the nozzles 108 and 110 . as shown , the nozzle 108 is disposed at the distal end 106 of the lance tube nozzle block 102 and is commonly referred to as the downstream nozzle . the nozzle 110 disposed longitudinally away from the distal end 106 is commonly referred to as the upstream nozzle . with reference to fig4 and 5a the upstream nozzle 110 is shown which is a typical converging and diverging nozzle of the well - known laval configuration . in particular , the upstream nozzle 110 defines an inlet end 112 that is in communication with the interior body 104 of the lance tube nozzle block 102 . the nozzle 110 also defines an outlet end 114 through which the cleaning medium is discharged . the converging wall 116 and the diverging wall 118 form the throat 120 . the central axis 122 of the discharge of the nozzle 110 is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 125 of the lance tube nozzle block 102 . however , it is also possible to have the central axis of discharge 122 oriented within an angle of about seventy degrees ( 70 °) to about an angle substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis . the diverging wall 118 of the nozzle 110 defines a divergence angle φ 1 as measured from the central axis of discharge 122 . the nozzle 110 further defines an expansion zone 124 having a length l 1 between the throat 120 and the outlet end 114 . with reference to fig4 and 5b , the downstream nozzle 108 also comprises an inlet end 126 and outlet end 128 formed about axis 136 . a portion of the cleaning medium not entering the upstream nozzle 110 , enters the downstream nozzle 108 at the inlet end 126 . the cleaning medium enters the inlet end 126 and exits the nozzle 108 , through the outlet end 128 . the converging wall 130 and the diverging wall 132 define the throat 134 of the downstream nozzle 108 . the plane of the throat 134 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis 125 of the nozzle block . the diverging walls 132 of the downstream nozzle 108 are straight , i . e . conical in shape , but other shapes could be used . the central axis 136 of nozzle 108 is oriented within an angle of about seventy degrees ( 70 °) to about an angle substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 125 of the lance tube nozzle block 102 . the nozzle 108 defines a divergent angle φ 2 as measured from the central axis of discharge 136 . an expansion zone 138 having a length l 2 is defined between throat 134 and the outlet end 128 . referring to fig4 since the performance of a nozzle depends , in part , on the degree of expansion of the cleaning medium jet that exits through the nozzle . preferably , the downstream nozzle 108 and the upstream nozzle 110 have identical geometry . alternatively , the present invention may also incorporate downstream and upstream nozzle 108 and 110 , respectively , having different geometry . in particular , the diameter of throat 134 of the downstream nozzle 108 may be larger than the diameter of throat 120 of the upstream nozzle 110 . further , the length l 2 of the expansion chamber 138 may be greater than the length l 1 of the expansion chamber 124 of the upstream nozzle 110 . in an alternate embodiment , the diameter of the throat 134 is at least 5 % larger than the diameter of throat 120 and the length l 2 is at least 10 % greater than length l 1 . hence , the l / d ratio of the downstream nozzle 108 may be larger than the l / d ratio of the upstream nozzle 110 . as shown in fig4 the flow of cleaning medium that passes the upstream nozzle 110 represented by arrow 152 is directed by a converging channel 142 . the converging channel 142 is formed in the interior 104 of the lance tube nozzle block 102 between the upstream nozzle 110 and the downstream nozzle 108 . the converging channel 142 is preferably formed by placing an aerodynamic converging contour body 144 around the surface of downstream nozzle throat 134 . the converging channel 142 gradually decreases the cross - section of the interior 104 of the lance tube nozzle block 102 between the inlet end 112 of the upstream nozzle 110 and the inlet end 126 of the downstream nozzle 108 . the tip 148 of the body 144 is in the same plane as the inlet end 126 of the nozzle 108 . in the preferred embodiment , the contour body 144 is an integral part of the lance tube nozzle block 102 and the downstream nozzle 108 . the contour body 144 has a sloping contour such that the flow of the cleaning medium will be directed toward the inlet end 126 of the downstream nozzle 108 . thus , converging channel 142 presents a cross - sectional flow area for the blowing medium which smoothly reduces from just past upstream nozzle 110 to the downstream nozzle 108 and turns the flow of cleaning medium to enter the downstream nozzle with reduced hydraulic losses . as shown in fig4 operation of nozzle block 102 in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . the cleaning medium flows in the interior 104 of the lance tube nozzle block 102 in the direction shown by arrows 150 . a portion of the cleaning medium enters the upstream nozzle 110 through the inlet end 112 . the cleaning medium then enters the throat 120 where the medium may reach the speed of sound . the medium then enters the expansion chamber 124 where it is further accelerated and exits the upstream nozzle 110 at the outlet end 114 . a portion of the cleaning medium not entering the inlet end 112 of the upstream nozzle 110 flows towards the downstream nozzle 108 as indicated by arrows 152 . the cleaning medium flows into the converging channel 142 formed in the interior 104 of the lance tube nozzle block 102 . the converging channel 142 directs the cleaning medium to the inlet end 126 of the downstream nozzle 108 . therefore , the cleaning medium does not substantially flow longitudinally beyond the inlet end 126 of the downstream nozzle 108 . in addition , once the flow reaches inlet end 126 , there is no flow velocity component in the negative “ z ” direction ( defined as aligned with axis 136 and positive in the direction of flow discharge ). due to the presence of the converging channel 142 , the flow of the cleaning medium is more efficiently driven to the nozzle inlet 126 . the loss of energy associated with the cleaning medium entering the throat 134 of the downstream nozzle 108 is reduced , hence increasing the performance of the downstream nozzle 108 . unlike prior art designs , the flowing medium does not have to come to a complete halt in a region beyond the downstream nozzle and then re - accelerate to enter the inlet end 126 of the nozzle 108 . further , since it is also possible to have different geometry for the upstream nozzle 110 and the downstream nozzle 108 , the cleaning medium entering the expansion zone 138 in the downstream nozzle 108 is expanded more than the cleaning medium in the expansion zone 124 of the upstream nozzle 110 so as to compensate for any nozzle inlet pressure difference between the nozzles 108 and 110 . the kinetic energy of the cleaning medium exiting the downstream nozzle 108 more closely approximates the kinetic energy of the cleaning medium exiting the upstream nozzle 110 . with particular reference to fig6 a lance tube nozzle block 202 in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention is shown . the lance tube nozzle block 202 is similar to the lance tube nozzle block 102 defining a hollow interior 204 and exterior surface 205 . the lance tube nozzle block 202 has a downstream nozzle 208 and an upstream nozzle 210 that have identical configuration to nozzles 108 and 110 of the first embodiment . further , the nozzle block 202 has identical internal volume and flow paths as the nozzle block 102 . the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the wall thickness of the nozzle block 202 is reduced . the flow obstruction 244 is hollow , thereby reducing the mass of the nozzle block 202 . with reference to fig7 a and 7 b , a lance tube nozzle block 302 for a sootblower in accordance with the teaching of the third embodiment of the present invention is shown . the lance tube nozzle block 302 includes a hollow interior 304 . the lance tube nozzle block 302 includes a downstream nozzle 306 and an upstream nozzle 310 . the dimension and geometry of the downstream and upstream nozzles 306 and 310 , respectively , are identical to the dimension and geometry of the nozzles 108 and 110 of the first embodiment . this embodiment of the lance tube nozzle block 302 differs from the previously described embodiment in that the upstream nozzle 310 includes an airfoil or streamline body 311 around the nozzle diverging surface 312 of the upstream nozzle 310 . preferably , the upstream nozzle airfoil body 311 has a trapezoidal cross section . the divergent section 307 ( as shown in fig7 a ) of the upstream nozzle 310 is circular at each point along its axis from the inlet to the exit plane . the airfoil body 311 has a smooth upstream incline surface 314 a and a downstream incline surface 314 b . the upstream incline surface 314 a receives the cleaning medium from the proximate end of the nozzle block which flows in the direction as shown by arrows 319 in fig7 . the downward incline surface 314 b allows a smooth flow of the cleaning medium past the upstream nozzle 310 to the inlet end 316 of the downstream nozzle 306 as shown by arrows 320 . the angle of incline ψ 1 of the airfoil body 311 is measured between central axis 315 of upstream nozzle 310 and the inclining surface 314 b of the airfoil body 311 as shown in fig7 . in the preferred embodiment the airfoil body 311 is made of same material as the nozzle block 302 . the airfoil body 311 provides for a smooth flow of the cleaning medium to the inlet end 316 of the downstream nozzle 306 as shown by arrows 320 . further , the airfoil body 311 will help reduce the turbulent eddies influencing the upstream nozzle 310 and minimize pressure drop of the flow 320 that passes upstream nozzle 310 to feed the downstream nozzle 306 . fig7 a is a sectional view of nozzle block 302 which is tipped slightly . this perspective helps to further illustrate the contours of hollow interior 304 . fig7 b shows particularly a solidified form of airfoil body 311 . this view shows that airfoil body 311 ′, like airfoil body 311 , includes side surfaces 324 . airfoil bodies 311 and 311 ′ are configured to minimize obstructions of flow area past nozzle 310 . this is , in part , provided by having side surface 324 closely approach these inside surfaces , 307 , of nozzle 310 . now referring to fig8 a lance tube nozzle block 402 in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . the lance tube nozzle block hollow interior 404 defines a longitudinal axis 407 . the lance tube nozzle block 402 has a downstream nozzle 408 , positioned at a distal end 406 of the lance tube nozzle block 402 . the upstream nozzle 410 is longitudinally spaced from the downstream nozzle 408 . in this embodiment , the downstream nozzle 408 has the same configuration as the nozzle 108 of the first embodiment . however , the geometry of the upstream nozzle 410 is different . in this embodiment , the upstream nozzle 410 has a curved interior shape such that the inlet end 412 curves towards the flow of the cleaning medium as shown by arrows 411 . the central axis of discharge end 416 as measured from the inlet end 412 to the outlet end 418 is curved and not straight . the upstream nozzle 410 has converging walls 420 and diverging wall 422 joining the converging walls . the converging walls 420 and the diverging walls 422 define a throat 424 . a central axis of throat 424 is curved such that the angle ψ 3 defined between the throat 424 and the longitudinal axis 407 of the nozzle block 402 is in the range of 0 to 90 degrees . preferably the angle ψ 3 is equal to about 45 degrees . fig9 represents a lance tube nozzle block 502 in accordance with the fifth embodiment of the present invention . the lance tube nozzle block 502 has identical configuration as the lance tube nozzle block in the fourth embodiment . the lance tube nozzle block 502 has a downstream nozzle 508 positioned at the distal end 506 of the lance tube nozzle block 502 . the lance tube nozzle block 502 has an upstream nozzle 510 that defines an inlet end 512 and an outlet end 514 . a throat 516 is defined by converging walls 520 and diverging walls 522 . the present embodiment differs from the nozzle geometry in the fourth embodiment in that the upstream nozzle 510 has a central axis 518 , which is straight and not curved as described in the previous embodiment . the present embodiment has an inlet end 512 angled towards the flow of the cleaning medium , as shown by arrows 511 . in order to have the inlet end 512 angled toward the flow of the cleaning medium , the converging and diverging walls 520 and 522 , diametrically opposite each other are of different length . thus , the diverging wall 522 a is longer than the diverging wall 522 b . fig1 represents the sixth embodiment of the present invention . the lance tube nozzle block 602 defines an interior surface 604 and an exterior surface 606 . the downstream nozzle 608 is positioned at the distal end 607 of the lance tube nozzle block 602 . the downstream nozzle 608 is of the same configuration and dimension as the nozzle 108 of the first embodiment . the upstream nozzle 610 is a straight nozzle having an inlet end 612 and an outlet end 614 . like the upstream nozzle of the previous embodiments , the upstream nozzle 610 has a throat 616 defined by the converging walls 618 and diverging walls 620 . the upstream nozzle 610 defines a central axis of discharge 622 between the inlet end 612 and the outlet end 614 . in this embodiment , the plane 624 of the outlet end 614 is flush with the exterior surface 606 of the lance tube nozzle block 602 . the nozzle expansion zone 622 provided by the diverging walls 620 is located entirely inside the diameter of lance tube nozzle block 602 . nozzle block 602 further features a “ thin wall ” construction in which the outer wall has a nearly uniform thickness , yet forms ramp surfaces 628 and 630 , and tip 632 . the foregoing discussion discloses and describes a preferred embodiment of the invention . one skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion , and from the accompanying drawings and claims , that changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined in the following claims .

the present invention discloses a new design of the nozzle and the lance tube of a sootblower to clean the interior of a heat exchanger by impingement of a jet of cleaning medium . in accordance with the teachings of the present invention the sootblower design developed , incorporates a nozzle at the tip of the distal end of the lance tube . the lance tube also includes an upstream nozzle positioned opposite and longitudinally apart the distal end nozzle . this design allows for the flow of the cleaning medium to enter into the inlet end of the nozzle without coming to a halt at the end of the lance tube . further , the present invention also provides for a converging channel to be disposed in the interior of the lance tube to direct the flow of cleaning medium passing the upstream nozzle into the inlet end of the downstream nozzle with minimal hydraulic losses and flow maldistribution . the present invention also discloses an airfoil body to be placed around the upstream nozzle to minimize the flow disturbances caused by the bluff body of the converging channel .

in the drawings , fig1 illustrates the general principle involved in the system of the invention . the principle is sometimes known as electro - hydraulic . the electro - hydraulic effect is described in terms of following events in time , starting with the discharge of stored energy into a liquid volume 10 and the space around a center electrode 12 ( in the case of a coaxial electrode arrangement as illustrated ). at the moment of the closure of a discharge switch ( not shown ), the current at the surface of the center electrode 12 begins to heat up the liquid . when the boiling point of the liquid is reached , a blanket of steam starts forming on the electrode surface . until that time , no pressure increase is generated in the liquid and the energy used so far is lost as far as the desired effects are concerned . as the steam blanket expands out from the electrode 12 , the electrode surface is increasingly insulated from the conducting liquid . this effect is accelerated by the fact that the current is driven ( although continuously increasing at this point in time ) in a &# 34 ; current driving mode .&# 34 ; therefore , the electrical conduction shifts from the insulated parts of the electrode to areas that are still in contact with the liquid , heating these regions even faster . when the entire electrode tip is covered by steam , the steam blanket breaks through electrically and the electrical discharge generates a plasma region 14 that becomes heated up very fast by the ionic current . since the current flows from the electrode against the plasma - liquid interface , more liquid is ionized at that interface due to the ion bombardment and the pressure in that region rises quickly . the electrical resistance of the plasma is much higher than that of the liquid , and therefore most of the supplied energy is deposited there . at this point the plasma region is a source of intense light , much of it in the uv region , that irradiates the liquid volume 10 according to the specific radiation - absorption condition of the liquid , the chemical compounds dissolved in it , etc . the power levels desired are quite high , and can be approximately two gigawatts per liter , and for all practical purposes it can be said that the matter in the entire volume 10 is temporarily ionized at some time or another during the discharge . as the plasma region 14 expands , it generates a shock wave 16 that propagates through the volume and compresses the liquid in the zone 18 behind it . depending on the discharge circuit , its timing elements ( circuit inductance , storage capacitance , etc .) and the conductive properties of liquid and plasma , part or all of the firing chamber volume is irradiated while the compression takes place ; and that process might continue during the propagation of the rarefaction zone 20 following the compression wave . since the turbulence in the shocked material is very high , and since the photon flux keeps the material ionized , it is believed that the electrical bonds between the molecules and atoms are canceled , with all chemicals going into the free - ion state . after the radiation ceases to exist and the plasma cools off , recombination occurs according to chemical reactions possible by the elements present ; however , it is observed that nonreactive elements precipitate out not in molecular form but in micron - sized particles . that is thought to be the case because of the turbulence going on while some elements are still partially ionized and therefore electrically positive - charged , while others are temporarily negative - charged by the free electrons present and therefore electrically mutually attracted . particles as large as 100 microns have been observed , and the lower limit observed is limited by the resolution of analytical instruments ( microscope , particle spectrometer ). the forming of the relatively large solids particles is important for the commercial aspect of this method , since these particles can easily be filtered from the liquid by mechanical means . fine - mesh filters work well , but centrifugal filtering is industrially more convenient . after the shock waves hit the container wall ( not shown ), some of its energy is reflected and some propagates through the material of the process vessel ( not shown in fig1 ). the vessel has to be constructed to withstand the pressure generated ; depending on discharge energy and timing it is on the order of a few hundred thousand psi . fortunately , the wall material ( e . g . steel ) has a tendency to work harden and even some permanent volume compression of the firing chamber &# 39 ; s steel wall has been observed , probably due to the elimination of microscopic voids in the material . also , a self - compression loading effect takes place on the inside surface of the process container ( firing chamber ), prestressing its inside surfaces . firing chambers are illustrated in later figures . as far as electrode materials and insulating materials are concerned , a certain burnup rate has to be expected , and these materials have to be replaced , either by dismantling the firing chamber ( a hydraulic lock of the invention , discussed below , makes that arrangement practical to use in an industrial environment ) and exchanging the used parts , or they can be continuously replaced . the central electrode can be fed into the firing chamber as it burns up , and the insulation around it can be extruded by an extrusion device mounted next to the electrode feed mechanism . depending on liquids to be processed , frequency of machine use , operating conditions , etc ., the polarity can be either negative on the center electrode 12 , causing electrolytic transfer of some material from the container wall and the concentric electrode 22 ( which is in electrical contact with the container wall ), or negative on the container wall , using up the center electrode more rapidly . two opposing electrodes are also possible ( shown in later figures ); these can be adjusted externally by a mechanism as they are consumed , giving greater efficiency to the process but requiring a relatively complex feed mechanism . what firing chamber design is used , what electrode arrangement and what materials are used in the process are subject to economic considerations , such as what liquids are to be processed , operating costs , permissible frequency and duration of service intervals , and so on . since all chemical compounds in the process liquid are being ionized , this method has a wide range of applications . examples are the destruction of toxic waste , mineral recovery from waste , sewage waters and geothermal brines , the desalination of liquids , including the removal of nutrients that could cause bacterial growth , the processing of sewage water into irrigation water , etc . the machine can be used as a catalyst for chemical reactions and the photon flux can supply the energy for endothermic reactions . typical power levels are on the order of 20 to 25 kilowatts for a flow rate of approximately 40 gallons per minute through a machine , resulting in an overall operations cost of the equipment between 0 . 2 cent / gallon ( high ) and 0 . 05 cent / gallon ( low ), depending on the wear of the equipment . these costs are important for the commercial applications of the process and the principal objective of the invention is directed toward bringing costs down per unit of production . since the conducted charges are quite high ( for a 50 , 000 gallon / day machine they may be on the order of approximately 750 , 000 coulombs the difficulties experienced with this type of electrical discharge equipment have to do with the burnup of electrodes in the firing chamber and in the discharge switch serving the chamber . therefore , the design of easily exchangeable electrodes in these parts is important for the usefulness of the electro - hydraulic process in commercial applications . one aspect of the present invention is the use of solid state shock wave generation by transducers and the selective photolytic dissociation of molecular bonds by coherent light ( use of lasers for ionization ). the invention also contemplates the use of solid state switching devices , and more efficient firing chambers , as made from nonconducting materials such as quartz , ceramic , etc . with these features , operations cost can be brought down by approximately two orders of magnitude , making economic desalination of seawater possible . it also should be pointed out that the energy efficiency of the process increases with the firing chamber volume , and that machines in accordance with the invention can be built in any size . a prototype built for a throughput of 50 , 000 gallons / day ( at power consumption of 27 kilowatts ) requires approximately $ 100 to $ 200 per day in cost of electrical power and spare parts . this makes a basic embodiment of the invention suitable for all the applications described , except for economic mineral recovery from seawater and its use for irrigation . ii . firing chamber , electrode / chamber erosion , and attenuation of shock waves ( fig2 ) fig2 shows an example of a liquid processing system ( lpx ) in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . other configurations are possible and are discussed below . the firing chamber body 24 in this embodiment may be designed for approximately 50 , 000 to 100 , 000 psi static pressure , and 500 , 000 psi dynamic pressure . a firing chamber &# 34 ; lid &# 34 ; 26 or grounded electrode is held against the firing chamber body 24 by external hydraulic pressure ( by structure discussed below in reference to fig4 and 5 ) or mechanically bolted to the firing chamber body ( as by spring - loading , threads , bolts , etc .). a bushing 28 comprising an electrical insulating sleeve is concentrically located inside the grounded electrode 26 . within the sleeve 28 is the center electrode 30 , which may be stainless steel , nickel alloy , heavy - metal or copper - heavy metal alloy , depending on lifetime desired . this electrode can be fed into the chamber , together with a sacrificial sleeve 28 or independent of it , or the arrangement can be fixed and replaced periodically . an o - ring seal 32 provides a liquid seal against process fluid leakage to the exterior of the preferably cylindrical firing chamber 34 . at a process fluid inlet 36 there is a flow restriction 38 . adjacent to the inlet restriction 38 is a pressure equalizing volume 40 allowing pressure to equalize around the annulus of a gap 42 formed between the grounded electrode 26 and the firing chamber wall 44 . as indicated by a broken line 46 in fig2 a sacrificial volume or burnup volume 48 is included in the electrodes and sleeve 28 and also in the firing chamber wall 44 . this is the amount of material that can be lost without compromising the firing chamber performance . the firing chamber 34 preferably includes a conical shock wave reflector 50 for reflecting the moving wave front and keeping it in the chamber 34 as much as possible . the process fluid exits the chamber through a fluid channel 52 , and a shock attenuator 54 comprising a 90 degree sharp bend is included in the channel . a threaded fitting 56 with a conical inlet 58 may be rated for 5 , 000 to 10 , 000 psi operating pressure . a transfer line 60 leads from the fitting 56 , and , depending on length , may have a burst pressure rating of 10 , 000 to 20 , 000 psi . an air ( or nitrogen ) supply line is shown at 62 , for feeding pressurized gas into a shock absorber vessel 64 , which may be designed for about 800 psi maximum pressure , at operating pressures of between 50 and 150 psi . at 66 is a liquid outlet ( or inlet ) fitting ( the flow through the firing chamber can be in either direction ). proper damping of the generated shock wave energy in the process of the invention is crucial for the functioning of the system , since the equipment can be destroyed by unattenuated shock waves in a very short time . the hydraulic shock absorber structure 64 in fig2 forms a part of the system of the invention . a second , similar hydraulic shock absorber ( not shown ) is used upstream of the liquid inlet 36 . the functioning of the hydraulic shock attenuation system is as follows : the flow direction of the liquid through the firing chamber 34 has very little to do with the generation and attenuation of the shock waves from the discharge . the propagation speed of shock waves is large as compared to the speed of the moving fluid . fluid ( wastewater , sea water , brine , etc .) enters the firing chamber through the inlet port 36 , from a shock absorber which may be identical to that shown at 64 . the space 40 is provided to give a uniform flow of liquid through the gap 42 . a conical section 68 of the electrode 26 helps attenuate the shock wave energy to an extent , along with the fact that the shock is generated in the opposite direction . this enables a fluid connection rated at about 1 / 20 that of the pressure rating of the firing chamber body to be used . in the forward direction , the conical section 50 of the firing chamber reflects most of the shock wave back at different angles , and so avoids nodes of concentrated pressure from reflected waves . ( this is for pulses generating pressure waves which are short as compared to the firing chamber dimensions .) in fact , the shock wave energy is attenuated by multiple reflections inside the firing chamber 34 and is generally turned into a &# 34 ; white noise .&# 34 ; the channel 52 together with the 90 degree angle at 54 , provides for a very high flow resistance for fast pulses of &# 34 ; water hammer ,&# 34 ; and at the walls of the space 54 the rest of the shock energy coming down through the channel 52 is reflected back into the chamber . moreover , the attenuation of the primary shock is not the only item of concern . gases generated by the electrolytic action of the current and by the chemical reactions of the compounds dissolved in the fluid generate expanding gas bubbles that accelerate the fluid out of the firing chamber . this amounts to a secondary &# 34 ; shock ,&# 34 ; smaller in amplitude , but longer in time . so as not to disrupt the flow of the liquid by this action , differential flow resistance is built into the design . ( if enough gas is precipitated , the firing chamber could be acting as its own pump because of the difference in dynamic pressure in the feed lines in and out , and the inertia of the water columns .) the flow resistance of the gap 42 increases dramatically with the liquid velocity . at the 90 degree bend 54 there is also an increase in resistance , but to a lesser degree . therefore the liquid has a tendency to move from point 38 to the fitting 56 as shown on the drawing , and not in the other direction . the pressure rating of the inlet and outlet feed lines 60 depends to a great extent on their length . the pressure drops approximately linearly from the point 54 to the end of an input tube 70 in the shock absorber 64 . the liquid level 72 is held near the tube end by a small supply of gas ( air , but nitrogen if the oxygen is detrimental to the gases generated by the reactions ). the high liquid level 72a shown in the drawing is for the input shock absorber design , while the low level 72 is indicated for the output side . through the gas supply 62 the external gas is supplied at a quantity or flow rate large enough to cover the loss of gas by turbulence in the container body 74 , i . e . by mixing or dissolving of the gas into the liquid . since the flow resistance from the end of the tube 70 to the liquid surface is small , the tube back pressure is essentially the same as the gas supply pressure . at 66 is shown the output ( or input ) connection fitting to the system , running at a constant 100 to 150 psi depending on flow resistance of the firing chamber - hydraulic connections , etc . any primary shock wave energy coming down the lines is dissipated in the large volume of liquid in the shock absorbers and at the liquid surface therein . the hydraulic fittings on the firing chamber have to be conically enlarged , as shown at 58 , in order to prevent axial loading of the threads , that have been shown to fail if ordinary stepped fittings are used having a shoulder at this location . by using a chamfered bore , however , the dynamic pressure expands the fittings slightly and actually has a tendency to swage them in even tighter . it should be pointed out that several pounds of the firing chamber material can be lost due to erosion and electrolytic action without compromising system performance . if the center electrode is held at negative potential , the lifetime of the entire arrangement is greatly enhanced . this is desirable for fixed mounted center electrodes 30 , and sacrificial sleeves 28 . for continuously replaceable center electrodes and fed sleeves or long lasting composite sleeves , a positive polarity on the center electrode prevents electrolytic erosion of the firing chamber body and of the lid 26 . depending on service intervals allowable and the design selected , either electrode material or firing chamber material can be selectively sacrificed . therefore , if a fixed center electrode 30 is used , of heavy and corrosion - resistant construction , this electrode should generally be negative , with the firing chamber walls having the positive polarity where wear will occur . on the other hand , with a continuously fed electrode and surrounding insulative sleeve , the center electrode can be positive . in order to keep the process functioning properly , the discharge from the energy storage bank must be prevented from overswinging in a negative direction ; otherwise , both electrodes will be depleted electrolytically , and the lifetime of the equipment will be greatly reduced . therefore the discharge circuit ( is inductance and damping resistance ) must be properly adjusted to the conductivity of the liquid and its plasma . in one embodiment , i . e . a prototype , a fixed electrode 30 is used , and insulating bushings 28 are made from quartz or nylon , and therefore the center electrode 30 ( tungsten ) is run at negative potential . the shock absorbers in the one preferred embodiment of the machine are about eight inches in diameter , and the liquid volume of the firing chamber may be 1 / 20 gallon . the gas volume in the shock absorbers 64 is approximately 5 times the volume of the firing chamber , and that arrangement has been found to work very well . the schematic diagram of fig3 shows one preferred embodiment of the overall system of the electro - hydraulic liquids processor . fig3 a and 3b show coaxial electrodes , wherein the firing chamber body is normally grounded to the outer electrode ; and an alternative arrangement wherein a pair of opposed positive and negative electrodes are both in the form of rods . fig3 c , 3d and 3e show arrangement of components in an actual assembly . referring to fig3 power from a power main 76 is stepped up in a high voltage power supply ( hvps ) 78 , and charges an energy storage bank 80 . this can be a capacitor bank ( as shown ) or an inductive store , or the energy can be supplied by an electromechanical pulse generator . when the bank 80 is charged , a trigger generator 82 fires the discharge switch 84 , and the bank discharges its energy through the electrode 86 into a small volume of liquid 88 around the tip of the electrode . the generated plasma expands , creating a shock wave 90 and a burst of light , which propagates through the liquid volume . all electrical bonds between the molecules of the compounds dissolved in the liquid and the liquid itself are in essence temporarily canceled . the generated turbulence from the shock and the shock wave itself and its rarefaction zone precipitate dissolved solids out as insolubles ( unless they are directly reactive with the liquid itself , or with each other ). in the rarefaction zone , the solid compounds congeal into micron - sized particles that can be removed by simple filtering techniques . the flow restrictions in the firing chamber , in and out , provide for the reflection of the shock wave energy as discussed above , and the hydraulic shock absorbers 64 attenuate the rest , preventing damage to pipes and pumps of the system . since the discharge pulses are in the order of tens of microseconds ( at a discharge current between 10 and 300 kiloamperes for a chamber volume of 1 / 20 gallon to one gallon ), the wave length of the shock wave is on the order of a few inches . therefore , no valves are needed to close the firing chamber , and a continuous liquids exchange can be used . as a pump 92 pumps the liquid through the firing chamber ( constructed to withstand several hundred thousand psi peak pressure ), the precipitated particles are carried by the advancing liquid stream into a centrifugal separator 94 ( or any other kind of filtering device ), where the solids are separated from the liquid and the liquid is then discharged at 96 and the solids ( approximately 50 % to 70 % liquids content ) are collected ( 98 ). a level control line keeps the liquid level in the shock absorbers constant . the air lines 62 contain orifices to limit flow rate of air ( or other gas ) into the shock absorbers 64 , and air is constantly being passed out of the shock absorbers with the liquid flowing through ; the pressure inside the vessel is always less than the supply pressure from the air compressor . the pressure drop of the firing chamber of the embodiment illustrated is approximately 50 psi , and the pressure drop in the separator 94 may be set to 60 psi . in tuning of the firing chamber , experimental results have shown that different energy levels ( and different discharge lengths ) favor the precipitation of different chemical compounds from a mixture of all compounds , as should be expected by such a photolytic process . in experiments performed with the illustrated embodiment , the shock front 90 traveled throughout the liquid volume while the discharge from the electrode was still active . the peak discharge current occurred at approximately 3 / 4 the traveling distance of the shock front along its longest path length . fig3 c , 3d and 3e show in plan , end elevation and side elevation views a preferred assembly of a liquid processing system of the invention . these views show arrangement of most of the system components shown schematically in fig3 with principal components labeled . different engineering approaches to the firing chamber design are possible and are encompassed by the invention . the electro - hydraulic assembly 100 as shown in fig4 and 4a is intended for industrial applications of the machine ; variations are contemplated for increased machine performance and for various operating modes . the liquid processing system ( lpx ) may be run with two different types of insulators , one from nylon and one made from quartz . a nylon electrode sleeve 102 is shown in fig4 . shown in the drawing of fig4 is the firing chamber assembly of the machine of this embodiment , and the mounting arrangement or assembly arrangement of the accompanying components . by lifting an hydraulic piston 104 to an upper position as indicated in solid lines , the entire firing chamber assembly 106 can be lifted from a lower cradle 108 , and the center electrode 110 and connected anvil 111 and insulator 112 at a head end of the assembly can be replaced in a matter of a few minutes . a load transfer plate 114 may be biased by retraction springs 116 ( four may be provided ) toward an upper position ( shown in lower position ), moving the piston 104 up as it rises . with this movement , hydraulic fluid moves out of an hydraulic cylinder 118 , exiting through an inlet port 120 . with the piston 104 retracted , this leaves the components at the top of the firing chamber 122 available for removal and replacement . a frame 124 ( as of structural steel ) supports these components and provides a rigid framework against which the hydraulic force acts . the fluid lines used are flexible hydraulic high pressure hoses and need not be disconnected for this service operation . this &# 34 ; hydraulic lock &# 34 ; of the firing chamber structure is an important feature of the invention , since it provides operator convenience and time savings , on a machine in operation . the illustrated arrangement may be called the electro - hydraulic assembly , and comprises the most highly stressed part of the system of the invention . the liquids processing takes place in the liquid volume space 126 of the firing chamber 122 . the hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic ram or piston 104 not only holds the firing chamber closed against the explosive pressure generated by the plasma arc , but also provides the liquid seal between the firing chamber body 128 and the grounded electrode 130 ( a seal is provided at 131 ), between the grounded electrode 130 and the coaxial insulator and pressure seal 112 , and between the insulator / pressure seal 112 and the anvil / electrode holder 111 . also , this arrangement provides the contact pressure necessary for electrical connections between the lower cradle 108 and the firing chamber body 128 ( for the grounded electrode ) and between an electrical power connecting plate 132 and the anvil 111 ( for the center electrode ). an electrical insulator pad 133 insulates the power plate 132 from the load transfer plate 114 above . another important feature of this arrangement is in the self - aligning of the assembly with the hydraulic cylinder 118 , by the use of a nylon disc 134 that liquefies under the hydraulic pressure and allows for self - centering and axial alignment of the force applied by the piston 104 . this prevents side loading and wear of the piston in the cylinder 118 , and assures an equal pressure necessary for a positive sealing action of the firing chamber parts around their circumference . manufacturing tolerances , i . e . variations from part to part , are taken up in this way . the retracting springs 116 hold the upper assembly in place , i . e . they retain the cylinder 118 against an upper cradle 136 ( retained to the frame 124 by bolts 138 ), and the load transfer plate 114 against the lower end of the piston , as discussed above . the described hydraulic firing chamber lock assembly is especially useful for constructions wherein the electrodes have to be replaced manually and are not fed automatically into the firing chamber , since frequent refurbishing might have to take place . another feature of the hydraulically operated firing chamber is that the firing chamber components are preloaded by the external pressure , and therefore the alternating , internal pressure does not fatigue the firing chamber body 128 as much as it otherwise would . the heavy assembly frame 124 shown in fig4 and 4a helps to keep down vibrations caused by the operation of the firing chamber . the firing chamber is also designed in such a way that the weight of the firing chamber body approximately equals the weight of the &# 34 ; lid &# 34 ; ( i . e . the parts 111 , 112 and 130 as well as the electrodes and insulator themselves ) and the plate 114 , thus resulting in cancellation of the vibration generating forces in the up - and - down direction , and keeping the frame steadily at the same location . the following further components are shown in the schematic assembly views of fig4 and 4a : a pair of lifting eyebolts 140 secured to the frame 124 ; a pressure pad 142 ( e . g . brass or copper plate ) between the frame 124 and the upper cradle 136 ; process fluid inlet and outlet ports 144 and 146 in the firing chamber body 128 , communicating with the liquid process volume 126 ; a manifold volume 148 in the firing chamber / process volume , for evenly distributing the input process fluid ; a shock wave attenuator gap 150 in the firing chamber , as discussed above ( fig2 ); a grounded electrical power connection 152 in electrically conductive connection with the firing chamber body 128 ; a bottom pressure pad 154 ; and bottom connecting bolts 156 . v . variations of lpx firing chamber ; electrode feed mechanism , flat plate transmission line and methods for generating faster pulses ( fig5 a , 5b ) the drawing of fig5 shows an alternate configuration 160 of the lpx type firing chamber . in this case an external liquids manifold 162 is used . when the hydraulic ram 164 is withdrawn ( generally as discussed above ), the firing chamber body 166 can be lifted off the manifold and carried elsewhere for rebuilding without the need to disconnect hydraulic lines . in this embodiment the firing chamber is connected both at top and bottom by pressure seals ( o - rings are shown at 168 , top and bottom ), providing for easy disassembly of the parts . coaxial connections to flat plate power transmission lines 170 and 172 , via spring contacts 174 , are easily released when the hydraulic ram 164 is withdrawn , leaving the &# 34 ; lid &# 34 ; ( grounded electrode 176 ) free . for the center electrode 178 , a conductive disc 180 transfers current to the electrode via the spring contacts 174 , as shown . in this arrangement the center electrode 178 is fed into the chamber by an external mechanism ( e . g . a cylinder actuator as in fig5 a ), but the insulating sleeve 182 is not . the insulating sleeve is made from a composite material of high temperature resistance ( e . g . carborundum , quartz ) and a carrier material that absorbs the mechanical shock and substantially liquefies under shock wave pressure ( e . g . teflon , polyolefins ). fig5 b shows schematically the assembly of the composite insulator 182 and the center electrode 178 . the insulator 182 absorbs and attenuates the shock . its carrier material melts and evaporates at the surface 194 . the quartz or sapphire particles then form a burnup - resistant film on the surface 194 , so that insulator life is extended without &# 34 ; feeding &# 34 ; an insulator into the chamber . as indicated by arrows 184 , flow of process liquid in this embodiment is from an inlet port 186 to an annular inlet channel 188 into the chamber , then out through a central exit channel 190 and an exit port 192 . the drawing of fig5 a shows an lpx type firing chamber 196 and frame 198 fitted with an electrode feed mechanism 200 in accordance with the invention . this may be in the form of a hydraulic cylinder 202 as shown , capable of adjusting the position of the electrode rod 178 reaching down into the firing chamber . an insulating sleeve extruder as shown at 204 ( with associated extruding equipment 206 ) provides a continuous replacement of the insulated sleeve component , as both the center electrode and the sleeve around it are used up . in this way , the down time of the machine can be reduced greatly , making a more profitable operation possible . also with this arrangement , higher discharge currents can be used ( using the flat plate transmission line 170 , 172 ) resulting in hotter plasma operation , shorter wave length of light with greater ionization - potential , and therefore more efficient operation and savings in energy . ( the entire light spectrum of the arc is shifted more toward the ultraviolet due to hotter operation .) the electrical connection to the center electrode is made by two spring - loaded metal blocks ( not shown ). the insulating sleeve flows around them under the pressure of the extruder . this arrangement is located inside the connector 208 of the center electrode . vi . opposed electrode arrangement ; conductive coolant fluid as trigger ; fixed and extruded insulator sleeves ( fig6 ) for nonconductive fluids and / or for greater firing chamber efficiency , opposed electrodes should be used . because of the inductance of such an arrangement , higher operating voltages have to be generated . the higher voltages are also necessary to break through the gap in the case of nonconductive process fluids ( hydrocarbons , etc .). since the shock wave and the light energy can spread out in all directions , here an increase in efficiency of about a factor of two can be realized . shown in the drawing of fig6 is a firing chamber 210 designed for a flow rate of , for example , two million gallons per day , using fed electrodes 212 and extruded thermoplastic insulating sleeves 214 . the position of the electrode tips is electronically sensed and the feed mechanism driven accordingly . the feed rate of the extruded insulating sleeves is adjusted by driving the extruder 216 motor ( or piston , etc .) at the proper rate . the sleeve extrusion material 215 is forced through a flow chamber 217 as shown . ( chamber held to electrode holder using threads and nut 230 ). high power connections are made at the outside of an insulating seal 218 , using laminated contact springs ( multilam connections ). the discharge current may be approximately 300 kiloamperes peak for this operation , and the energy used per gallon of fluid ( the space indicated at 220 ) may be about 16 kilojoules . because of the skin effect occurring at this high discharge current , the electrodes must be internally cooled and are therefore hollow , with a bore of about 3 / 8 inch diameter ( see fig7 ). the fluid to be processed enters through two opposing process liquid ports at 221 , passes through a narrow gap 222 ( e . g . 6 inch diameter ) between the firing chamber wall and a conical electrode holder 224 , and arrives at the process space 220 , where it is irradiated . the fluid then leaves through an identical output arrangement with outlet ports 226 , as shown in the drawing . the firing chamber body 228 preferably is constructed from steel with a yield strength of 180 , 000 psi ; the electrode holders 224 may be type 416 heat treated stainless steel with replaceable protective threaded nuts on their tips ( not shown ). a spring - loaded washer 234 preferably is used between a nut 232 and the firing chamber body 228 , at the outer end of the electrode holder as shown . the fluid used for electrode cooling is the same as the process fluid . a small amount is diverted and pumped through the hollow electrodes 212 by a high pressure pump , and it exits the electrodes into the process volume . operating voltage for this arrangement may be 20 to 40 kilovolts , depending on the process fluid . in the case of a nonconducting process fluid , the electrode cooling fluid can be made conductive ( salt water , etc .) and can act as an initiator for the plasma discharge , or it can be doped with certain elements emitting light at a selected wavelength - peak for specifically exciting certain chemical bonds . attenuation of the shock wave energy is achieved by the fact that multiple reflections occur between the electrode holders 224 and the converging space of the firing chamber , as shown in fig6 . by the time the shock front reaches the flow gap 222 , it has lost most of its energy . the converging / diverging flow channel also guides the fluid into the process region 220 without causing great turbulence and mixing between already processed and new incoming fluid , avoiding wasting of energy by having to process some of the fluid volume twice . schematically , the machine is identical to the system described above , except for the higher - power feature , requiring a larger power supply , storage bank , etc . the incoming and outgoing fluid passes through external hydraulic shock absorbers in the same manner as explained above ( not shown in this drawing ). with this type of firing chamber layout , i . e . with opposed electrodes , a further increase in efficiency can be realized by using larger - diameter , thin - walled electrodes in combination with vary fast pulses , as shown on the drawing of fig7 . vii . plasma compression chamber and short wavelength generation ( fig7 a , 7b ) different chemical compounds and elements require different dissociation energies . however , in a bulk process like the arc - generated electro - hydraulic process , much of the radiated energy ( approximately 1 / 2 of the supplied energy into the arc ) is in the infrared region . the energy associated with these photons might be too low to ionize the compounds / elements in question . therefore , it is apparently desirable to use plasma temperatures as high as possible , since the radiated light has a tendency to decay toward the longer wave lengths in any event . therefore , unless one wants to excite certain bonds and not others , which would require irradiation at narrow light bandwidths , higher plasma temperatures would correspond to greater system efficiency . referring to fig7 the plasma temperature can be raised by a &# 34 ; theta pitch &# 34 ; type plasma compression . in that process a cylindrical plasma structure collapses inwardly on itself , as at 140 , building a fine , highly compressed filament having a high temperature . the kinetic energy of the magnetically driven imploding plasma ring 240 is converted into extra heat during the compression phase . the principle behind this process is that the increasing magnetic field associated with the discharge current through the opposed electrodes 242 , 244 , and driven by the discharge current itself ( the movement of the ionized matter ) results in a motoring force that accelerates the ions inward in a radial direction . there are two shock fronts generated by this process ( shown in fig7 a ). depending on the discharge current waveform , a primary shock front is generated by the exploding outer plasma shell , at a time when a magnetic field is still relatively weak . following this primary front is a secondary , very steep shock wave caused by the explosion of the collapsed plasma ring that occurs when the radially accelerated plasma atoms bounce off each other in the center 246 between the two electrodes . to provide a strong enough magnetic field for this process , the electrical pulses must be very short in order to provide the required discharge current ( at a given energy per pulse ). the hollow electrodes 242 , 244 used to generate the plasma ring would be too small in diameter and too long ( from the connection to the discharge in the middle of the firing chamber ), resulting in too high a circuit inductance and resistive losses . approximately 10 nanohenries inductance is allowable for the 500 kiloamperes to 1 megaampere current . therefore the current is carried by a coaxial sleeve 248 to the front end of the electrode . sliding contact springs 250 carry the pulse current to the electrode 244 . the insulation 252 for the coaxial system is provided by extruded material ( nylon , teflon , etc .) which is fed into the system as shown previously . the hollow electrode 244 is cooled as explained before -- a pump pushes coolant fluid ( which may be electrically conducting ) through the electrodes and cools the coaxial transmission line 248 as well as the electrodes . for a 500 kiloampere pulse system , a few kilowatts of cooling power are required , depending on the pulse width ( in the microsecond region ) and the surfaces of the transmission line ( silver / rhodium plating reduces the skin effect losses greatly ). it should be pointed out that the energy required to drive such a system is actually less than for the same system operating in a non - theta pinch mode ( also referred to as &# 34 ; plasma bounce &# 34 ;); approximately 2 kilojoules per liter of fluid would be an average value . there is also a shock wave traveling down the length of the bore of the electrode 244 , but its attenuation at the electrode end is not a problem . energy for such a system can be supplied from a capacitor bank through a flat plate transmission line ( not shown in fig7 ), which feeds into the coaxial electrode holder / transmission line 248 just outside the extrusion - mechanism . the system is quite similar to the opposed electrode - arrangement described earlier , that operates in a regular non - compression mode of operation . the specifics of the plasma - bounce arrangement are as follows : the protective nut at the tip of the electrode holder , which is a replaceable item since material loss is to be expected there ; the better electrical parameters tailored for faster pulses ; higher current discharge switches must be used ; and the sleeved electrode arrangement keeps the inductance and skin resistance down . the drawings of fig7 and 7b show how the plasma ring is compressed into a thin , very hot filament 246 that radiates in the far ultraviolet region ( fig7 b ), and how the extrusion process provides the required electrical insulation for the electrodes . the insulating sleeve is continuously extruded between the electrode holder and the high current conductor , and through a narrowing conical space toward the electrode tip . the high current is carried not through the entire length of the electrode , but through the high current conductor ( generally on its outer skin ) and then through the contact springs , as explained above , into the electrode itself . in this way the full length of the electrode under high current conditions is avoided . this avoids the high inductance and resistance which would be encountered if the full length of the electrode were used for current conducting . to keep the current from electroplating material off the firing chamber walls and the electrode holder , the electrical system is insulated from the firing chamber , which is at ground potential . in order to make the electro - hydraulic principle useful for industrial processing , high discharge currents have to be switched repetitively from the energy storage bank , preferably a capacitive storage bank , into the firing chamber . although commercially available switches such as ignitrons , thyratrons or spark gaps could be used , the price and lifetime of these components is still not adequate at the present time to make them useful for the high - current , high repetition - rate duty required here . the system of the preferred embodiment of the invention , for example , may run at a repetition rate of 12 / second , which is not too high for ignitrons or thyratron - firing , but the cumulative switched charge makes frequent replacement of tubes necessary , which is costly and results in much down time for the equipment . in the case of the two million gallon / day larger processing system whose firing chamber was discussed previously , the switching conditions are even more severe -- the best available thyratron would have to be replaced every few weeks and a whole bank of them would be needed , resulting in high circuit inductance in addition to the high cost , so that the processing system would be very difficult to use in an industrial environment . solid state devices are being continuously developed for higher currents and show great promise for the furture , since they would never have to be replaced in ordinary service . however , at the present time only a bank of them could switch the discharge current required for an average size liquid processing system of the invention . accordingly , a discharge switch has been developed as a part of the present invention , that is based on the principle of easily replaceable electrodes . plasma gaps are known as the highest current carrying devices constructed so far , but their physical arrangement required a lengthy replacement procedure in the past , when their electrode material was used up . that made them unsuitable for firing chamber operation as in the present invention . the idea behind the new development is in the fact that no matter how the electrodes are arranged , a certain amount of electrode material is always lost at each firing . however , the amount lost per unit of charge conducted is directly dependent on the current density to which the switch electrodes are subjected and goes down rapidly if the same switch current is spread over a large surface area . that principle has been used in the past in the construction of rail gaps and rotating - arc devices , both involving the concept that the electrodes should be kept as cool as possible during the discharge . in the new design of the present invention , a rail gap has been constructed that has a large amount of electrode material built into it to begin with , and nearly all of that material can be burned off without disturbing the operation of the device . in addition , it uses heavy - metal electrodes that are not fixed and bolted to the transmission line , carrying the current , but are mounted on a contact slide that pulls out from the high current conducting block in a matter of seconds and enables a new electrode pair to be inserted . both these features increases the usefulness of the device substantially , so that no technically skilled personnel are required for the servicing of the rail gap , and the down time for maintenance is very short . laminated springs provide a low - resistance contact , all along the length of the rail gap , assuring equal current density at each point of the rail . a blower extinguishes the arc as soon as the current ceases to exist and restores the insulation feature of the device , ready for the bank to build up its charge again without keeping the switch conducting . for a typical rail gap of this construction the operating voltage may be quite low , about ten kilovolts in the case of examples described herein . to assure equal ignition of the entire plasma sheet all along the rails , a fast ignition generator has been provided , that uses 50 kilovolts ( 75 kv maximum ) to ignite the rails that carry only ten kilovolts . the ignition arcs are current driven through drop off resistors from a fairly large storage - capacitor and a number of them are distributed all along the rails at about 11 / 8 inch intervals . this ignition works regardless of whether there is power in the rails , making very low operating voltages possible . this is a distinctive feature of the new rail switch , since normally rail gaps and spark channels have been ignited with an ignition voltage equal to or even 1 / 2 of the operating voltage . in the case of the rail gap of the present invention , the ignition occurs in a time period so short that any variation of ignition timing from one part of the rail to another is negligible in comparison to the power - current rise across the rails . ( at 40 kiloamperes , the maximum normally used discharge current in a system constructed as a prototype of the invention , the current reaches the 10 kiloampere point in 10 microseconds . at 85 kiloamperes ( the maximum allowable discharge current ), it reaches the same 10 kiloampere point in about three microseconds ). the ignition current reaches its maximum in approximately 0 . 1 microsecond , so that a possible 10 percent variation of that would be quite inconsequential for the current distribution along the rails . the importance of equal current distribution on the rails is of course that it provides the longest lifetime of the rail electrodes . to further aid that principle , the current to and from the rails is carried by a number ( e . g . 16 ) of coaxial lines , all equal in length and balanced in their conductance at the connecting points at capacitor bank and firing chamber . any increase in current through one line would result in a decrease of switched voltage in the rest of the rails ( the resistance of the center conductors of the coaxial balances against the negative resistance of the arc ) and therefore the system balances itself into a steady state , with the current density the same at every point along the rails . the drawings of fig8 through 8d show the rail gap 260 assembly in accordance with the invention , in a construction which can be operated up to about 500 kiloamperes . the drawing shows the electrode arrangement , with the main or rail electrodes 262 easily replaceable by sliding operations . as can be seen in the drawings , the design of the rail gap and the ignition circuit is quite simple . the value of this arrangement is in the ease of operation , the simplicity of the circuit and the fact that the heavy metal electrodes can be burned away completely before they must be replaced . in the design built for the preferred embodiment of the present invention , i . e . the liquid processing system described , pure tungsten electrodes 262 are used , which are nickel plated for solderability . the switch electrodes 262 may be assembled from six pieces each , about three inches long soldered with lead - tin solder to the sides ( left and right ) so as not to distort the straightness of slides 264 and affixed rails 262 when the solder solidifies . ignition electrodes 266 ( which may be 16 in number ) are held by an insulating rod 268 ( fig8 b ) that is clamped on both ends against front and back plates ( back plate 270 visible in fig8 b ) of a plenum 272 . as the electrodes 266 burn up , the holder 268 is pushed upward by adjustment as needed . about 1 / 2 year &# 39 ; s operation can be had from one set of 161 / 8 inch diameter tungsten ignition electrodes 266 , each 12 inches long . ignition wires 274 make contact to the ignition electrode rods via contact springs located inside of hollow bolts 276 , through which the electrodes 266 pass , so that these electrode rods 276 are slidable inside the bolts 266 . a blower 278 on the bottom of the plenum 272 applies an air stream 280 through the switch gap 282 that extinguishes the arc as soon as the current stops flowing , to provide quick restoration of the insulation of input and output side . there is enough air supplied to move the entire arc one inch away from the rail electrodes 262 in less than a millisecond , during which time the voltage increase from the main power supply is only a few volts -- not enough to jump the gap . during ignition and during firing the continuous air flow moves the arc also , of course , but the discharge time is so short that during the entire discharge time period the arc moves only approximately 0 . 05 inch at the most . as explained earlier , the contact from and to the electrodes 262 is made by spring loaded laminations 284 , between the slides 264 and slide holder structure 286 , that provide very little contact resistance and a good tight fit of the slides 264 in their holders so they do not move , despite the vibrations of the blower motor , and of the entire liquid processor . the burn products ( tungsten oxide , etc .) are exhausted in the air stream , that is , channeled through a duct 288 away from the machine . the ignition circuit ( fig8 d ) is self firing and does not require any electronic timing elements or trigger for its operation . power for the ignition generator may be supplied by a 75 watt 75 kilovolt dc power supply that is regulated down to 50 kilovolts . the capacitor c1 ( fig8 d ) is charged via r1 to about 40 kilovolts . at that voltage , the gap gp40 breaks over and charges the ignition electrodes 266 via the balancing resistor ( s ) r2 . since the ignition circuit inductance and capacitance is quite small ( only about one microhenry and approximately 100 pf line capacitance is present ), the voltage rise on the ignition electrodes 266 is fast , and they fire almost simultaneously , discharging c1 . after c1 is empty , the circuit balances itself against the low - impedance power circuit through r3 and remains neutral . then the gap gp40 cools off and c1 charges again for the next pulse . by adjusting the gap at gp40 and choosing a suitable drive voltage for the 50 ( 75 kv ) power supply , the pulse repetition rate of the discharge , and therefore that of the firing chamber , can be selected . although the circuit is built to run at 40 kilovolt ignition voltage , it works well and fires smoothly and continuously from 15 kilovolts up . this type of ignition circuit was chosen for the liquid processing system of the invention , because of its simplicity and its lack of semiconductors and low - level electronics , which have shown a tendency to fail in high - voltage type applications , especially where high discharge currents and therefore high levels of generated rf are present . the slides 264 and the slide holder 286 shown in the drawing are manufactured from steel , nickel plated , and the coaxial cable 290 ( fig8 b , 8c ) ground line connection rods 292 ( fig8 b ) are made from brass and insulated with teflon ( ultraviolet resistant ). the plenum is a fiberglass box , painted with uv - absorbing paint to prevent molecular damage . the slides 264 can be refurbished with new electrodes indefinitely . although tungsten is used in the preferred embodiment , other metals and metal alloys have shown to work quite well . hastalloy ( nickel alloys ) works quite well as electrode material with somewhat reduced lifetime , but is much less costly . ordinary stainless steel electrodes last quite well , and can be used for low cost and infrequent operation . continuously run they last about one day , depending on the discharge current . ix . coaxial plasma switch for higher - current operation and for self interrupting discharge circuit ( specially suited for high flow machines and plasma compression chamber operation ) ( fig9 ) the rail gap construction 260 above has an insertion and built - in self inductance of approximately 12 nanohenries . this is more than adequate with the operation of the small liquid processing system of the invention , and even in systems quite larger than that illustrated in the drawing . also , several of these rail gaps can be used in parallel . for the use of very - high current systems , especially the ones requiring fast risetimes such as necessary for theta pinch operation , the rail gap inductance is still somewhat high . therefore , another plasma switch of the invention has been developed that uses a coaxial design throughout , and its insertion loss into a parallel plate transmission line and its self - inductance is only about three nanohenries . this is shown in fig9 . the electrodes 296 and 298 of this coaxial plasma switch 300 are very massive ; about 10 pounds of the electrode material can be burned up before the electrodes have to be replaced , and the physical arrangement is such that , as in the case of the easily serviceable rail gap , no technically skilled personnel is required and the exchange of the electrodes can be done in approximately 15 seconds . to exchange the burned up parts , all that is required for the embodiment shown is to loosen a contact bolt 302 on the transmission line ( generally shown at 304 ) and drop down the old device . a new unit can be inserted in its place , pulled up against the transmission line contact with the bolt 302 , making the contact to the center electrode 296 . a contact ring 306 makes contact to the second , ring electrode 298 , via spring contacts 308 , completing the assembly and the operation can be restarted again . the contact ring 306 is in electrical contact with one flat plate conductor 310 of the transmission line 304 . for better heat conduction away from the ring electrode 298 via the contact ring 306 , the ring 306 can comprise a split design which is tightly pulled onto the ring electrode 298 , with appropriate contact made to the plate 310 ( not shown ). the drawing shows the switch 300 with its plug assembly 312 for the ignition cable 314 , and a section of transmission line 304 carrying the switch connecting means . the arc burns in a ring type fashion between the center electrode 296 and the outer ring electrode 298 , spreading over the entire inner surface . ignition occurs at a section in the center of the center electrode , using a fast discharge generator as described earlier ; the ignition voltage is equal to or higher than the operation voltage of the plasma switch itself . the electrode materials can be tungsten or copper - tungsten , if so desired for increased service intervals . however , the ease of replacement of this switch type makes it possible to use ordinary iron as electrode material . if it is run in an inert gas atmosphere , the lifetime is quite adequate . at a certain current flow , this coaxial switch 300 shows a self - interrupting capability . the magnetic field in the space between the electrodes has a tendency to expand outwardly , and if it is strong enough , it blows out the arc by disconnecting it from the rim of the electrodes . this feature can be used to shorten the tail end of the discharge pulse that normally would be slowly decaying . however , during that time no more electro - hydraulic action is desired anyway . the shock front has already been generated and has expanded through the liquid and the radiation is no longer necessary . if the current flow could be interrupted at this point , that remaining energy can be saved in the capacitor bank for the next pulse . this type of pulse shortening cannot be accomplished by using a rail gap , since the rail gap stays conducting until there is no more current to support the arc . the coaxial switch interrupts itself , if run in the correct operating region . therefore , no blower need be used , and the switch case can be either filled with inert gas required for its operation ( using iron electrodes ) and then hermetically sealed off ; or it can be connected to an external gas supply to keep it pressurized . by adjusting the gas pressure , the switch insulation resistance can be selected . there is a further operation mode possible . by setting the gas pressure at a certain value , either at a permanently sealed switch or an externally regulated one , the switch can be self - igniting at a certain operating voltage . connected to a capacitor bank and to the firing chamber , automatic operation is possible , eliminating the need for the ignition generator altogether . when the bank voltage has reached its desired value , the switch breaks down , firing the process chamber . at the point of highest current the switch interrupts and the bank starts charging up again from the power supply . this type of operation results in less flexibility in the operation of a general purpose system such as the liquid processing system described , but can be used in the construction of a dedicated system that is laid out for specific operation , such as for a fixed - site sewage treatment plant or mineral recovery plant . such a system can substantially reduce the amount of energy used , and such systems are also less costly to build . it is estimated that about 20 to 30 percent of the energy supplied to the firing chamber is not useful but wasted during the current decay , and for a large scale operation the cost savings in energy can be substantial -- with the self interruption switch - operation described herein . presently there is no other device available that can act as a repetitive fast interrupter for currents in the range between about 300 kiloamperes and one megaampere . experimentation has been done with photoelectric devices in the high current region , but no useful and inexpensive switch has yet been constructed , particularly as would be suitable for use with the present invention . the switch case 314 , as shown in the drawing , is built as a spherical container large enough to hold a substantial amount of gas and also large enough to accommodate the quantity of residue 316 generated by electrode burnup . several of these switches have been built with different electrode materials using tungsten , copper , iron and thoriated tungsten . a process station has been constructed that provides the means to assemble these devices , clean them under vacuum conditions and fill the switch cases with purified gases before the cavity is sealed . the switch 300 shown in the drawing is an example of the remotely triggered coaxial type having very low self - inductance . this type has been built with a switch case diameter of 8 inches and a ring electrode ( 298 ) diameter of 6 inches . the switch shown in the drawing is of the permanently sealed type . the illustrated switch 300 can be exchanged for a replacement switch in a few moments by pulling the ignition cable 314 out of the bushing 318 and loosening the bolt 302 at the top ; this is done by turning the attached handle 320 . a ball bearing 322 aids in achieving a good contact between the upper plate conductor 324 of the transmission line and the center switch electrode 296 . the other electrode 298 has a sliding contact arrangement with the contact ring 306 and the band of contact making springs 308 , as shown and as briefly described above . in the discharge circuit , the center electrode 296 is the anode and the surrounding electrode 298 is the cathode . the reason for this is that the anode becomes hotter and is cooled by contact with the transmission line plate 324 , which in turn can be cooled by air flow against it . the cathode is cooled through the switch case 314 , which conducts the heat away and can be forced - air cooled also . for a 30 pulse / second ( pps ), 200 kilo - amperes operation of 4 kilojoules , the heat loss is a few hundred watts , so that simple air cooling is quite adequate . the switch shorts the transmission - line conductors 310 and 324 to each other when fired . an epoxy seal 326 is protected from the uv generated by the arc by a ceramic ring 328 , but it has been discovered that a mixture of epoxy and alumina powder works as well for the construction of the seal 326 , eliminating the need for the ceramic ring 328 . as described earlier , the switch can blow out its own arc , if the magnetic field between the center electrode 296 and the ring electrode 298 is strong enough , causing self - interruption . the field drives the arc downwardly until it is put far enough away from the electrodes that it is extinguished . ignition is accomplished by rapidly charging an ignition electrode 330 with high voltage , with the space between the electrodes 330 and 296 acting as a capacitor . when the ignition arc breaks over , this capacitor discharges , giving a strong ignition current , whose rise time is quite fast . this causes an rf pulse that ionizes the gap between the elements 330 , 296 and 298 and the power arc jumps over and the switch starts conducting . as shown in the drawing , much of the electrode material can be burned away and the switch will still operate , because the gap distance remains the same . a good safe ignition voltage for this operation is about 100 to 150 kilovolts . the burn residue 316 falls to the lower part of the spherical switch case , where it accumulates as shown in the drawing . switches such as shown in the drawing are easily manufactured and refurbished . a solder seal at 332 can be melted as often as desired , and a new electrode pair can be soldered in . the ignition electrode 330 can be exchanged by unscrewing a small flathead screw 334 in the center of the assembly , but the ignition electrode outlasts many power electrode changes . the ignition cable 314 may be a stripped coaxial cable of the type rg220 - u or similar . the illustrated switch is held in place by the bolt 302 only , on the transmission line assembly 304 . if it is desired to have greater cooling through the transmission line contact , as stated above the ring 306 can be split and clamped tight against the ring electrode 298 , giving good thermal contact at this location . in this particular switch , the electrodes are made of regular construction steel tubing , and the ignition electrode 330 from ss304 . the switch case 314 is a thin wall stainless steel sphere , nickel plated for solderability . a bushing body 336 at the bottom of the sphere is brass and bushing insulator 318 is polycarbonate which is resistant to uv radiation . epoxy is used at 340 as well as at 326 . the connections at 332 and 342 are soft solder joints . shown at 344 is a copper tube , pinched off after gas fill . the transmission line 304 can be constructed of plated steel or aluminum ; it is desirable to use heavy material , since during the discharge the electromagnetic forces have a tendency to separate the two conductors . a dielectric at 346 in the transmission line is polycarbonate sheet ; in the case of a 20 kilovolt firing chamber operation , 1 / 8 inch material is used . this type of coaxial switch can switch 500 kiloamperes at 30 pulses / second with the switch used alone ; but it is better to use a number of the switches in parallel , since the switches ganged in parallel will produce an increase in the lifetime of the switches that is significantly greater than a succession of single switches used alone . in other words , additional switch lifetime can be realized by spreading the switched charge out among a number of separate switches , at each firing . the reduced stress on each switch increases its lifetime in a manner approximating an exponential function . operation of the liquid processing system as a modular concept for the building of medium size processing plants is illustrated in the drawing of fig1 . ( such a system may handle from about 50 , 000 gallons / day to about 1 to 2 million gallons / day . for higher flow rates , machines using the larger , opposed - electrode type firing chamber are more energy efficient , but such systems are also more costly to construct . the liquid processing system of the invention is an open frame construction with exposed wiring , and high voltage components . the system has to be operated in an enclosed area ( for safety considerations ; and access should not be possible while the machine is under operation or while any of the capacitors are still charged after shut down ). a safety system has been designed ( not described herein ) that automatically locks out access and shuts the machine down if personnel access is required . the operational controls are located away from the machines on remote control panels , located outside the machine room . up to three machines can be located inside a cubicle . as shown in the drawing , which is a top plan view , the various pipes and cables that manifold all machines 350 together run lengthwise through all cubicles ; all machines are run in parallel . exhaust ( air from switches and cooling air ) is conducted through a central duct 356 , collecting discharge air from all cubicles . xi . narrow band operation ; resonating chamber ; catalytic operation ; laser irradiation ; transducer - induced shock waves ; self - breakdown of arc lamp ( fig1 ) a significant part of the operation &# 39 ; s cost of an electro - hydraulic system results from the need to replace machine parts frequently . the firing chamber electrodes as well as switch electrodes have a high specific current load ( amperes / surface area ), since the discharge currents are quite high . also , it seems desirable to be able to selectively excite certain electrical bonds between molecules or atoms by tuning the light frequency to just these excitation frequencies . this need comes not so much into play for the use of this method in the wastewater / water sterilization or mineral recovery area , where a wide spectrum of compounds might want to be excited . selectivity might be desirable , however , in the event that the mixture of chemical compounds dissolved in the process liquid would give rise to unwanted reactions , if all chemical compounds are indiscriminately broken down at the same time . also , in the catalysis of reactions one might selectively want to excite certain chemical bonds , but not others . if that can be achieved , a lot of energy can be saved in the process , since only the type of radiation really required would have to be supplied . a processing chamber that is based on that principle is described herein . the turbulence ( believed to be necessary ) in the chamber ( for the formation of larger particles of the precipitated insoluble compounds ), and the excitation radiation are supplied separately and coupled into the processing chamber . even if wide band radiation from an electrical discharge not taking place within the firing chamber is supplied , the problems of material loss from the process chamber walls due to electrolytic transportation can be avoided , making the device last longer . also , by using certain elements in the discharge arc even with a simple discharge lamp , matching of wavelength could be achieved . if coherent light ( laser source ) is used , selective photolytic processing is possible . to achieve the required intensities , the discharges are pulsed as before and synchronized with the shock wave generator ( transducer ). a suitable transducer can be constructed from a stack of piezoelectric plates , that are coupled to a capacitive discharge machine . this is done to avoid the high excitation voltages , as would be required for a single crystal possessing equal electrostrictive parameters . the processing chamber can be made from a high q material such as quartz or sapphire , so that any shock wave energy not used can be coupled back into the transducer in phase , and no energy is wasted . another important feature is the possibility that flat wave fronts can be used , giving uniform processing conditions throughout the entire liquid volume , and the dimensions of the processing chamber can be tailored to the reaction wanted ; i . e . the useful depth in which the radiation is still active ( depending on the optical absorption of the process material ). such a &# 34 ; solid state &# 34 ; processing chamber ( or cell ) would greatly increase the operating efficiency of the system and would have a lifetime that might be indefinite . one feature of the internally driven firing chamber ( as described earlier ) is that , in the case of water based processed fluids at least , it is always electrically conductive . that is the reason why the energy from the storage bank has to be switched into the chamber using a separate switch . in the case of a separate light source , that would run in an ( inert ) gas atmosphere instead of conducting liquid , the need for a separate switch is eliminated , if the discharge lamp is triggered when the energy bank reaches its desired charge . there are many designs and variations possible , using different discharge lamp configurations , piezoelectric or magnetic transducers , laser excitation or x - ray irradiation . only the basic idea of separate generation of irradiation energy and turbulence and their coupling into a resonating process chamber is discussed here . the accompanying drawing of fig1 shows one device possible , where the process volume 400 is enclosed by a transparent envelope 402 and irradiated from the outside ( radially ). piezoelectric transducers 404 supply sonic energy into the volume ( axially ). shown on the drawing is approximately one - half of the unit ; it is symmetrical about x and y axes . the piezoelectric stack 404 is backed up by a ( resonating ) mass 406 which acts as a reflector of the sonic waves also . this unit 406 , depending on wave requirements , can be made from a solid piece ( of high q material ), or a stack of quarter wave plates ( having different sonic propagation speeds ) can be used ( not shown ), acting as a sonic multilayer mirror , for the shock wave fronts . the entire assembly is held together by a frame , a portion of which is shown at 408 , that preloads the components with a mechanical force to prevent separation of the components . each transducer stack 404 comprises a solid , integrated unit by itself , fabricated from wafers of quartz ; lithium niobate , lithium tantalate or ceramics can be used , but quartz has been used in experiments . the plates ( cut in the &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; crystal axis direction ) are deposited with silver alloy for conductivity and mechanical strength , then stacked and melted together under vacuum and applied pressure . ( an assembly station has been constructed for this purpose .) the electrical connections 410 are made on the sides of the stack 404 . the rest of the components of the processing assembly are held in place just by the pressure exerted by the frame 408 , which balances the hydrostatic pressure in the process chamber via the spherical alignment bearing 412 ( hydraulic bearing ) and 414 ( bearing shell ). this bearing - assembly is designed to allow the transducer - lens - unit to be tilted in any direction by approximately 11 / 2 ° of arc and then clamped into place . the illumination source is built around the chamber and is liquid cooled from both sides ( 416 , 402 ). process fluid cools the inside ( via inlets / outlets 426 and manifolds 428 ), and the outside is water cooled using heat sinks 416 . since the lamp electrodes 430 ( 16 pieces for 8 lamp - assemblies ) are fed into the arc chamber 431 for longer service intervals ( feed mechanism not shown ), burnup products must be carried away . therefore , a flowing ( recirculating ) gas process is used ( gas inlets / outlets 418 conduct gas into / out of the chamber ). the window 402 and the mirrors ( eight pieces ) 420 have to be kept clean from burn products and the geometry of the discharge space and the gas flow ( recirculated ) accomplish this . the gas is directed along the envelope of the window 402 and mirrors 420 ( 8 pieces ) by a gas deflection plate / radiation shield 422 . the gas flow is along the surfaces of these elements , and particles are drawn into the flow and carried out of the chamber . the assembly as shown can basically operate in any kind of pulse or cw mode , depending on the requirements of the chemicals to be processed . it also should be pointed out that , depending on the optical line widths required , the discharge gas and the gas pressure can be chosen as appropriate . a higher gas pressure can be used to give a broadband discharge , while a narrow band operation can be accomplished by using low gas pressure ( in combination with metal vapors for certain spectral lines if required ). a further feature of this embodiment lies in the arrangement of the transducers with respect to each other . the transducers 404 transmit the sonic energy via a lens 424 that has a corrective curvature ( drawn exaggerated in fig1 ) incorporated on the contact surface with the process liquid ( as shown ), or between two sections having different wave propagation speeds ( not shown ). this surface is shaped in such a way that the reflected waves coming back from the opposite lens surface ( on the other side of the envelope 402 ) coincide with the transmitted wave after a number of cycles , spatially . if both transducers ( top and bottom as viewed in fig1 ) are driven in phase , then the piezoelectric stacks 404 can induce a sonic standing wave into the process volume , consisting of a number of nodes . the processing of the fluid can be done at elevated hydrostatic pressure ( which helps conduction of the wave through the liquid ), in which the static pressure applied to the bottom of the resonating mass 406 is canceled by the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in the space 400 . the frame 408 balances the forces . by using this method ( of generating standing waves and of biasing the pressure by accurately aligning the transducers / lens assemblies toward each other with bearings 412 and 414 ) the case can be avoided wherein the transducer assembly can undergo high negative pressure anywhere within itself and therefore very high wave front pressures can be transmitted into the liquid without creating a rarefaction zone in the transducer / lens / resonating mass assembly , which would destroy the unit . hydrostatic biasing in the embodiment shown might be a few tens of thousands of psi , while the wave front pressures may reach a few hundreds of thousands of psi . the lens and transducer material cannot be overloaded , of course , but a sapphire lens should be able to withstand at least 1 to 11 / 2 million psi surface pressure . as far as processing energy is concerned , the hydrostatic biasing does not require any energy , the fluid is brought up and down in pressure via a pump driven by its own pressure against the other side of its piston . only initial pressure has to be supplied , and some energy to make up for friction losses . the liquid manifold 428 is bolted to the hydraulic frame 408 ( connection not shown ). shown at 432 are the electrical connections to capacitors ( eight pieces -- not shown ), and at 434 is seen a sliding contact spring for the electrodes 430 . a fluid connection 436 is shown for the hydraulic biasing pressure into the bearing 412 . a flexible ring 438 is soldered to the resonating mass 406 that holds the transducer assembly ( 424 , 404 , 406 ) at the correct position within manifold and bearing . the ring 438 provides for slight axial movement of the transducer assembly , which in the case of a standing wave setup in the liquid volume , would have a tendency to locate itself at a point of minimum pressure with respect to the nodes in the liquid . this self locating feature helps in the alignment and correct operation of the unit ( under the condition of wandering of operating frequency ), since it is a self stabilizing feature that minimizes material stress on the surface most likely to undergo erosion . the transducer driven processor shown in fig1 may have an inside diameter ( of the envelop 402 ) of four inches and an overall diameter of about 191 / 2 inches from heat sink to heat sink ( 416 ). it may be designed to process 150 thousand gallons per day and would have an approximate power consumption of 60 to 75 kilowatts , depending on the excitation necessary for processing different types of liquids . dimensions are shown ( in inches ) in some of the drawings discussed above ; these dimensions should be understood as examples only , for the exemplary process throughput rates discussed in connection with some of the figures , and to show relative sizes , radii of curvature , etc . of various components . the dimensions are not to be taken as limiting the invention to any particular size . also , the terms &# 34 ; up ,&# 34 ; &# 34 ; down ,&# 34 ; &# 34 ; above ,&# 34 ; &# 34 ; below ,&# 34 ; etc . are intended only as references for understanding the subject matter of the drawings , and not as limiting with respect to circulation of system assemblies or components of the invention , since nearly all components can be in different orientations from what is shown . the above described preferred embodiments illustrate the principles of the invention but are not intended to limit the scope of the invention . variations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims .

a method and apparatus are disclosed for efficient endothermic processing of liquids and the precipitation of dissolved elements and chemical compounds . improvements over prior systems include system layout , components and modes of operation of the system . applications of the system include destruction of toxic wastes and sewage treatment , precipitation of chemical compounds and elements including metals from solution , sterilization and water purification , catalytic formation of chemical compounds , and processing of hydrocarbons .

the following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention , its application , or uses . referencing fig1 , a passenger compartment 10 of a golf car 12 is shown . the passenger compartment 10 includes a seat 14 , a floor 16 , and a dash panel 18 , steering wheel 20 , a brake pedal 22 , and an accelerator pedal 24 . a non - skid floor mat 30 , designed in accordance with the principles of the present invention , covers the floor 16 of the passenger compartment 10 . with particular reference to fig2 , 3 and 3 a , the non - skid floor mat 30 will be discussed in detail . the non - skid floor mat 30 is formed of an elastomeric material 32 having an outer perimeter 34 shaped to conform with the floor 16 of the passenger compartment 10 . the floor mate 30 has the advantages of which are discussed in further detail herein below , but may also be formed of alternate materials . the non - skid floor mat 30 may include a steering wheel aperture 36 , a brake pedal aperture 38 , and an accelerator pedal aperture 40 . a series of attachment apertures 42 are positioned about the perimeter 34 for enabling fixed attachment of the non - skid floor mat 30 to the floor 16 . the non - skid floor mat 30 further includes a first section 44 having a flat surface 46 and a second section 48 having a flat surface 50 with a plurality of protrusions , or nibs 52 , extending upward therefrom . it is anticipated , however , that the flat surfaces 46 , 50 are textured of either or both of the first and second sections 44 , 48 may be rough , or otherwise textured . as best seen in fig3 a , the nibs 52 are generally semi - spherical in form with a sufficient radius . however , it is anticipated that the nibs 52 may take any one of a number of forms including , but not limited to , conical , frusto - conical , pyramid , truncated , cylindrical and the like at the bottom . as discussed in further detail below , each nib 52 is formed to fit within recesses of a soft spike . with particular reference to fig4 through 6 , a typical soft spike 60 of a golf shoe is shown engaging the nibs 52 of the non - skid floor mat 30 . soft spike 60 described herein is one of a number of soft spike configurations known in the art . the soft spike 60 generally includes a conical body 62 having a threaded post 64 extending upward therefrom , for threaded attachment with a golf shoe sole 66 . a series of ribs 68 extend downward from a conical face 70 of the soft spike 60 , thereby forming recesses 72 . as the soft spike 60 contacts the non - skid floor mat 30 , the nibs 52 are received into the recesses 72 of the soft spike 60 , as seen in fig5 and 6 , and as shown in phantom in fig4 . in this manner , the non - skid floor mat 30 provides traction for the soft spikes 60 , promoting passenger safety and comfort . it should further be noted that application of sufficient downward force through the soft spike 60 ( e . g . when passenger is standing ) enables the ribs 68 to contact the flat surface 50 between the nibs 52 concurrent to the nibs 52 engaging the recesses 72 . in this manner , improved traction is provided . as discussed briefly above , the nibs 52 are preferably semi - spherical in form for efficiently fitting within the recesses 72 . however , it is anticipated that other forms of the nibs 52 would suffice to fit within the recesses 72 for providing traction . for example , as shown in fig6 , partially frusto - conical nibs 52 are one possibility . more importantly , however , the size and spacing of the nibs 52 must be appropriate for enabling sufficient engagement between the nibs 52 and soft spike 60 , provide clearance to prevent a tripping hazard , and providing clearance for cleanability . additionally , spacing of the nibs 52 must be appropriate to enable hard spikes ( not shown ) to contact the flat surface 50 . in this manner , the non - skid floor mat 30 provides traction for both hard spike and soft spike golf shoes . to that end , the nibs 52 have a center - to center distance no greater than 0 . 80 inches . the center - to - center distance ensures that at least two nibs 52 , and optionally four nibs 52 , engage the recesses 72 of the soft spike 60 . additionally , the center - to - center distance ensures that a hard spike may pass between the nibs 52 for contacting the flat surface 50 , as well as enabling easy cleaning of the non - skid floor mat 30 . for example , if the nibs 52 were positioned too close together it would be difficult to remove dirt and debris deposited therebetween . further , the nibs 52 preferably have a height within the range of 0 . 12 to 0 . 19 inches . this height range ensures that there is adequate engagement between the soft spike recesses 72 and the nibs 52 . if the nibs 52 are too low , the non - skid floor mat 30 would fail to provide adequate traction . on the other hand , if the nibs 52 are too high , a soft spike may not move smoothly over the enon 0 skid floor mater 30 . similarly to the center - to - center distance , the height of the nibs 52 influences the cleanability of the non - skid floor mat 30 . if the nibs 52 are too high , removal of dirt and debris from between the nibs 52 is hindered . both the height and spacing of the nibs 52 are limited to prevent grabbing of the passenger &# 39 ; s golf shoe . as mentioned above , the non - skid floor mat 30 is formed using an elastomer component . the elastomeric material 32 provides toughness and wear resistance to extend the service life of the non - skid floor mat 30 . as an elastomer , the non - skid floor mat 30 is resilient and deformable for enabling improved traction . in the case of a hard spike , the tip of the hard spike may engage the flat surface 50 between the nibs , thereby gripping the non - skid floor mat 30 to provide traction for the passenger . if , however , the hard spike contacts a nib 52 , the hard spike can similarly project into the nib 52 , providing traction regardless of whether direct contact with the flat surface 50 is achieved . with regard to a typical soft spike 60 , as the recesses 72 engage the nibs 52 , the nibs 52 are able to slightly deform under the applied force of the passenger , thereby increasing the contact surface between the soft spikes 60 and the nibs 52 , thus increasing the traction . additionally , nib deformation enables the soft spike 60 to engage the nibs 52 and concurrently contact the flat surface 50 . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and , thus , variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .

a non - skid floor mat for use in a golf car is provided to enable traction with one of a hard spike and a soft spike of a golf shoe . the non - skid floor mat includes a sheet of elastomeric material and nibs in the wall area of the mat . the nibs are sufficiently spaced from one another to enable one of direct contact of the hard spike with the sheet and contact of the soft spike with both the nibs and the sheet . preferably , the nibs have a height between 0 . 12 and 0 . 19 inches , and are offset from one another by a center to center distance of between 0 . 5 and 0 . 8 inches .

fig1 - 3 are highly simplified illustrations of apparatus according to the invention , and illustrate in turn the various steps of folding , for example , a diaper 1 , which is advanced to the folding apparatus , for example , on a belt conveyor 2 . in the illustrated embodiment the diaper 1 is joined to a following diaper by means of a weld seam 3 , separating the diapers 1 from the other . the folding apparatus , which also constitutes a severing device for separating the diaper 1 from the following diaper , by cutting through the weld 3 , comprises a cylindrical severing and folding roll 4 , which is journalled for rotation on a central shaft 5 , which is driven by a motor 6 , preferably an electric motor . journalled for movement in the roll 4 is a folding finger 7 , which accompanies the roll 4 during its rotation and which can be projected from the position illustrated in fig1 in which the tip of the finger 7 lies in or beneath the cylindrical surface 8 of the folding roll 4 , out to an extended folding position , as described hereinafter . the movement path of the folding finger 7 lies along a radius in the roll 4 , and the width of the path , calculated parallel with the shaft or axis 5 of the roll , is preferably equal to the width of the diaper 1 , although it may be greater or smaller than said diaper width . the folding roll 4 co - acts with a counter roll 9 , which is preferably driven , and the forward end 10 of the diaper 1 is caught in the nip between the rolls 4 and 9 , and transported towards and in contact with the upper part of a first transport roll 11 , which feeds and guides the end 10 towards a second transport roll 12 located at a level above the transport roll 11 . as with the roll 11 , the transport roll 12 is located at a small distance from the cylindrical surface 8 of the folding roll 4 . this distance need not be smaller than the thickness of the diaper 1 , since the rolls principally have a guiding function and the forward driving force is produced by the rolls 4 and 9 . the two transport rolls 11 and 12 are driven , for example , by a motor 13 , common to said rolls , and preferably have the same diameters , i . e . mutually the same peripheral speeds . the cylindrical surfaces of the rolls 11 , 12 , and also the cylindrical surfaces of the remaining rolls , may be coated with a friction enhancing material , for example a thin layer of rubber . since the principle function of the roll 11 is to guide the diaper , the roll can be replaced with a guide means in the form of a slide bar with low friction characteristics , and can in certain cases be omitted completely . when the folding roll 4 during its anticlockwise rotation in fig1 together with the counter roll 9 , which rotates clockwise in fig1 has advanced the end 10 of the diaper to the position illustrated in fig1 the folding finger is located approximately vertically and is directed towards the counter roll 9 . when the roll has rotated through about 45 °, the roll 4 will have the position illustrated in fig2 and a knife fixedly mounted in the roll 4 and intended to co - act with the counter roll 9 will approach a cutting position , in which the diaper 1 is separated from the following diaper , by cutting through the weld 3 with the edge 15 of the knife 14 . to enable the diaper 1 to be folded with the aid of the finger or bar 7 , the illustrated embodiment incorporates two folding rolls 16 and 17 which are arranged one within the other , as described in more detail hereinafter . the folding roll 16 is driven in the direction of the arrow a , i . e . anti - clockwise in fig1 and the folding roll 17 is driven in the direction of the arrow b , i . e . clockwise in fig1 . the roller 16 rotates about a shaft 18 and the roller 17 about a shaft 19 . the two folding rolls 16 , 17 are journalled for co - rotation in the direction of the arrow c about the axis , or shaft , 19 as described hereinafter . the rotational movement of the roll in the direction of arrow c about the shaft 19 is synchronized with the rotation of the folding roll 4 , and therewith also rotation of the counter roll 9 , with the aid of means not shown , these means possibly comprising , for example , gears which connect the shaft 5 with the shaft 19 , illustrated by a transmission line 21 in fig1 . fig2 illustrates the end part of the diaper 1 when captured by the folding roll 17 , which during its rotation about the shaft 19 has been moved into contact with the diaper and clamps the diaper firmly against the folding roll 4 , and thus draws the diaper upwardly towards the upper part of the roll 4 . the folding finger 7 is now located in the position illustrated in fig2 . as the roll 17 continues to rotate about the shaft 19 , abutment with the diaper progressively decreases and the diaper 1 will finally reach a terminal position , illustrated in fig3 . in this position there is activated a hydraulic piston - cylinder device 22 ( fig1 ), which responds by rapidly moving the finger 7 out to the position illustrated in fig3 . as the finger 7 is projected from the peripheral surface of the roll 4 , the diaper 1 is pressed in between , the folding roll 16 , which during rotation around the shaft 19 has reached the illustrated position , and as a result of co - action between the roll 16 , which is progressively rotated about the shaft 18 , and the transport roll 12 the diaper 1 , which in the illustrated embodiment is now folded in two equal parts , is conveyed to a belt conveyor 23 , which conveys the folded diaper to a further working station , for example a packaging machine . the finger is retracted immediately after being extended . the knife 14 reaches the clipping position against the counter roll 9 at the same time as the finger 7 is extended , or immediately prior thereto , and severs the diaper 1 from the following diaper , which in fig3 is referenced 1 &# 39 ; and which therewith is located in the nip between the rolls 4 and 9 and carried thereby towards the roll 11 , whereafter the aforedescribed folding operation is repeated with this diaper . fig4 and 5 are detailed views of the folding rolls 16 and 17 . the folding roll 17 comprises a cylinder having a plurality of arcuate flanges 17 &# 39 ; arranged along the shaft 19 , these flanges , in the illustrated embodiment , embracing approximately 180 ° of the cylindrical surface of the cylinder , as shown in fig5 . when seen in the direction of rotation b , each flange , or cam 17 &# 39 ;, has a leading edge which is lower than the trailing edge , and thus when the diaper 1 is captured for folding , will progressively engage the diaper with greater force so as to drive the diaper upwards in accordance with fig1 . the cylindrical surface of the roll 17 is provided with through - passing slots 20 located substantially diametrically opposite the cams 17 &# 39 ;. projecting through each such slot 20 is part of the drive ring 16 &# 39 ;, said ring being arranged on a cylindrical roll 16 , which is journalled for rotation in the folding roll 17 on the shaft 18 . the shaft 19 is journalled in the machine frame 24 and carries on one end a gear drive 25 , to which a drive force is applied from the transmission line 21 in fig1 . the illustrated embodiment also incorporates a gear drive 26 , which is also driven from the transmission line 21 . as will be seen from fig4 and 5 , the folding roll 16 is journalled eccentrically in the folding roll 17 . one end of the shaft of the folding roll 16 is rotatably journalled in an end plate 27 on the folding roll 17 , while the other end of the shaft is rotatably journalled in a further end plate 28 on the folding roll 17 . this other end of the shaft carries a drive 29 which co - acts with the inner teeth 30 of a gear wheel 31 , which is rotatably journalled in the folding roll 17 and which is driven from the aforesaid drive 26 . thus , the folding roll 16 is driven about its own shaft 18 and executes rotational movement about the shaft 19 of the folding roll 17 as the roll 17 rotates . as will be understood , the speed of rotation about the shaft 18 is greater than the speed of rotation about the shaft 19 , so that the diaper 1 is drawn downwards and fed - out , in the manner illustrated in fig3 i . e . the peripheral speed in direction a must be greater than the peripheral speed in direction c of the folding roll 17 , and preferably coincides with the peripheral speed of the transport roll 12 . although the aforedescribed folding arrangement incorporating double folding rollers 16 , 17 is the one preferred , it is also possible to use a single , reversible folding roll which , during a first phase in which the diaper is advanced up on the roll 4 according to fig1 and 2 , is rotated in the direction of the arrow b and during a second phase is rotated in the direction of the arrow a . in order to obtain rapid reversal in the feed direction , such a roll should have but small mass and is preferably made of a light metal . when seen at right angles to the rotational axis , the roll should have an approximately elliptical cross - sectional shape , as shown in fig6 in which the parts lying against the diaper 1 have been illustrated with the driving parts 16 &# 39 ; and 17 &# 39 ; according to fig5 . naturally , in this case there is found only one single rotational shaft corresponding to the rotational shaft 18 of fig5 . fig7 illustrates a folding roll 4 , provided with a modified folding finger arrangement . the shaft 5 of the folding roll 4 is driven by the motor 6 illustrated in fig1 via a gear drive 32 , and is connected to a planetary gear 33 which rotates together with the folding roll 4 . the planetary gear 33 is arranged to drive a shaft 34 rotatably journalled in the interior of the folding roll 4 . the shaft 34 is provided with a plurality of folding fingers 7 which , during rotation of the shaft 34 , can be swung out through slots 35 located in the roll 4 , one such slot being provided for each finger . in fig7 the fingers 7 are shown in a fully outwardly swung position , which corresponds to the position of the finger 7 in fig3 . subsequent to rotation of the shaft 34 through 180 ° from the position illustrated in fig7 the fingers 7 are located completely within the roll 4 . the relative rotation between the roll 4 and the shaft 34 is adapted so as to obtain a folding function in accordance with fig1 - 3 . it is emphasized that the constructional elements illustrated schematically in the aforegoing have been shown merely to illustrate the function of the arrangement , and that many modifications can be made within the scope of the claims . for example , the described arrangement of apparatus can be utilized in folding diapers or other flexible articles advanced separately to the folding station , thereby obviating the need for a cutting or severing function , and possibly also the need for the transport roll 11 . the fingers 7 of the fig7 embodiment can also be replaced with a single bar projecting out from the shaft 34 , in which case the cylindrical surface of the roll 4 is provided with an aperture corresponding to the length of the bar . the roll 4 illustrated in fig1 - 3 , which in addition to the finger arrangement is also provided with a knife 14 , has been found particularly suitable , since it enables the production rate to be substantially increased . in addition , as before indicated it is presumed to use a knife 14 having a straight cutting edge 15 , the whole length of which is brought into immediate engagement with the counter roll 9 and therewith sever one diaper from another . it is a well known fact that the edge of a cutting knife used in such cutting techniques becomes swaged or likewise deformed in the passage of time , i . e . burrs are formed on both sides of the edge which hook into the article 1 and lift the same . this drawback has been turned to advantage in the illustrated embodiment , since these burrs lift up the forward part of the diaper , as seen in the feed direction , and thus automatically guide said diaper part upwards into contact with the roller 12 and the cylindrical surface of the roll 4 .

the invention relates to apparatus for folding diapers and like articles , in which apparatus the article is advanced to a folding station by a conveyor . the folding station includes a driven folding roll which co - acts with a counter roll in a manner to feed the article to at least one driven transport roll . the transport roll guides the forward end of the article onto the cylindrical surface of a folding roll co - acting with the folding roll and intended , in a first folding phase , to be driven in a first transport direction through a given distance up towards the upper part of the folding roll and , during a second folding phase , to be driven in the opposite direction and move the forward part of the article down from the aforementioned upper part . the folding roll is provided with a folding finger arrangement intended for pressing a central part of the article into the nip between the folding roll and the transport roll located therebeneath during the second folding phase .

as will be seen more clearly in fig1 through 13 , the method of the present invention relates to hot tapping a damaged oil well to release any pressure within the layers of casing or pipe , without removing the outer casing string to access inner casing strings and production tubing . the novel method utilizes a multiple string hot tap system 10 , also referred to as the novel system 10 . the equipment is designed to allow hot tapping of each string of pipe in the completion without removal of the support clamps . in the present system , as illustrated in the various fig1 through 13 , a front clamp 18 and a rear clamp 36 are connected together with four tension chains 22 . the chains 22 are tensioned by applying torque to the nuts 10 on the chain connectors 14 . the tension on the chains 22 is based on the outer casing size , wall thickness , and material properties . if the chains 22 are tensioned too high , the casing 24 will fall and collapse . this amount of tension in the chains 22 will also control the maximum pressure that the hot tap assembly 10 can operate at or drill . with the novel system 10 , each casing string 24 is first hot tapped with a standard hot tap drill . the hot tap drill size is generally a ½ to ¾ inch diameter . after each casing string has been drilled , access holes 25 are bored . the access holes provide a way to extend the hot tap seal saddle 32 to the next casing string 260 r the production tubing 28 . the access holes 25 are generally 6 inches in diameter for casing sizes larger than 9 inches in diameter . for casing size smaller than 9 inches in diameter , the access hole can be as small as 3 inches in diameter . the process is repeated for each inner casing string until the production tubing is reached without removing each casing string . the novel system or method , as illustrated fully in the figures , and more completely in fig7 , is designed around two cramps ( a front clamp 18 and rear clamp 36 ) as shown above in the drawing figures of the hot tap assembly 10 . the key to the system is the larger access bores 25 in the two clamps 18 , 36 which provide access to inner casing string 26 and production tubing 28 . the major components of the novel system 10 would comprise a front clamp 18 with large access bore 25 ; rear clamp 36 with large access bore 25 ; a front donut 30 with replaceable hot tap seal saddle 32 ; a rear donut 38 with adjustable rear support anvil 40 ; and an extension 44 for hot tap seal saddle 32 positioning . a critical feature of the multiple string hot tap system 10 includes a provision to allow the stabilization or gripping the inner string 26 or pipe 28 for hot tap drilling . through a second access hole 25 , the rear support anvil 40 is installed 180 ° from the hot tap seal saddle 32 . the casing / pipe 26 is firmly held in place . this eliminates the need to force to one side of the outer pipe 24 and insure that the inner pipe 26 will not move during the hot tap operations . it also prevents the pipe 26 that is being hot tap grabbing the drill and failing in buckling due to bending loads . the multiple string hot tap system 10 shows the use of standard hot tap drilling equipment . the donut insert 30 which contains the hot seal saddle mechanism 32 has been designed to allow the uses of extensions 44 to make up the addition distance to the next pipe . as stated earlier , the multiple string hot tap system 10 also provides a rear support anvil 40 for stabilization the inner string to be hot tapped . the rear support anvil 40 has been designed to allow position adjustment by screwing the anvil 40 in or out of the rear donut insert 38 . the multiple string hot tap system has a wider clamp to provide more support and bearing area . the increase bearing area provides higher operating pressure . the wider clamp can provide more resistant to bending load that are created by the hot tap drilling subassembly . the present novel system 10 is connected using a combination of roller chains 22 and chain connectors 14 . the chains 22 are tensioned by applying torque to the nuts 12 on the end of the chain connector 14 . the condition of a coating of teflon ( a registered trademark of dupont corp .) on the chain connector threads and the nuts 12 will control the actual tension in the chain 22 . on chain connectors 14 and nuts 12 , with new teflon coating , the coefficient of friction is low about 0 . 15 to 0 . 05 . on chain connectors 14 and nuts 12 with worn teflon coatings , the coefficient of friction is higher about 0 . 2 to 15 . as the coefficient of friction rises , the tensile load for a specific torque falls . in the present hot tap system , the specified setting torque is about 50 ft - lbs to 105 ft - lbs to produce 5000 lbs . of clamping load in the chain . if a hydraulic cylinder 50 , of the type illustrated in fig1 was added to the chain connectors 14 , the clamping load can be controlled by applying especial hydraulic pressure . the modified chain connectors 14 would replace each one of the four standard chain connectors 14 and nuts 12 . this would eliminate the problems of accurately applying clamping loads . the clamping loads would be uniformly applied to each of the four chain in the hot tap clamp assembly . as illustrated in the fig1 through 13 , to carry out the method in the multiple string hot tap system 10 of the present invention , the first each casing string 24 is first hot tapped with a standard drill . the standard hot tap drill size is generally ½ to ¾ inch in diameter . next , the multiple string hot tap clamp assembly 10 is installed on the outer casing 24 without the front donut 30 and the rear donut 38 in place . in the preferred embodiment , the centerline of the front clamp 18 and the rear clamp 36 should be aligned to insure that correct support on future operations . the chains 22 should be tensed only enough to hold the clamp assembly 10 in place . there is next provided a chain tensioning nut 12 which should be torqued to the value specified preferably by the engineer in charge of the plug and abandon operation . the torque value is based on the casing specification , hot tap pressure , and condition of the component of the hot tap assembly components . next , the rear donut 38 with the rear support anvil 40 is installed . the position of the rear support anvil 40 should be adjusted to insure that there is a minimum gap of 0 . 060 inch between the rear donut 38 and the rear clamp 36 when the retainer bolts 12 are installed . the retainer bolts 12 can be replaced with 4 swing bolts and nuts . the swing bolts 12 are then pinned to the rear clamp 36 . in the next step , the front donut 30 with the hot tap seal saddle 32 is installed . the position of the hot - tap seal saddle 32 should be adjusted to insure that the there is a minimum gap of 0 . 060 inch between the front donut 30 and the front clamp 18 when the retainer bolts 12 are installed . the retainer bolts 12 may be replaced with 4 swing bolts and nuts . the swing bolts are pinned to front clamp . again , the front retainer bolts 12 should be torqued to the value specified by the engineer in charge of the plug and abandon operation . the torque value is based on the hot tap , pre - charge pressure that is required . the pre - charge pressure is usually set at a higher than the casing . the pressure provides an indicator when the hot tap drill breaks through the easing wall by dropping . next , the hot tap drilling sub assembly 10 is attached to the front donut 30 and the hot tap saddle 32 as illustrated . the hot tap drilling subassembly would include the hydraulic drill or manual drill with a drill bit ; the pressure gauge to monitor hot tap drill pre - charge pressure ; the pressure pre - charge control valve ; the hot tap vent valve ; and the union . the hot tap drilling subassembly should be pressured up to the pre - charge value that was specified by the engineer in charge of the plug and abandon operation . the casing or pipe is drilled with ½ to ¾ inch diameter bit when the bit breaks through the pipe wall , the pre - charge pressure will drop to a casing or pipe internal pressure . the casing or pipe internal pressure is vented and the hot tap drilling sub assembly 10 is removed . next , the front donut 30 with the hot tap saddle 32 is removed . the rear donut 38 with the hot tap rear support anvil 40 is removed . the rail system , which is used to support and position the large diameter drill ( 4 inch to 6 inch in diameter ) or hole saw , is then installed on the outer casing 24 below the multiple string hot tap clamp assembly 10 . if the multiple string hot tap clamp assembly 10 has to be moved or rotated to provide better support during hot tapping of an inner casing string 26 , the rail system can also be used as a support while the clamp is repositioned . next , a probe is then run into ’ hot tap hole , and the location of the next inner casing string or production tubing 26 is determined . if the inner casing or pipe 26 is not located on the center line the hot tap clamps 18 , 36 , the hot tap clamps must be repositioned to insure that the next string is located in the center tine of the hot tap clamps . two access holes 25 are drilled in the outer casing 24 . the first access hole 25 is drilled through the clamp 18 . the second access hole 25 is drilled through the rear clamp 36 . the access holes 25 will allow the hot tap saddle 32 to be installed on the inner casing 26 and the rear support anvil 40 to be installed . before the rear donut 38 is installed , the rear support anvil 40 must be adjusted . when the rear donut 38 is installed and bolted in the rear hot tap clamp 36 , the flange on the rear donut 38 should have an offset gap with the rear clamp 36 . the rear donut 38 is now installed . before the front donut 30 is installed , the hot tap seal saddle 32 must match the casing diameter or pipe diameter . the position of the hot tap saddle 32 is adjusted by inserting the hot tap seal saddle extensions 44 . when the front donut 30 is installed and bolted in the front hot tap clamp 18 , the flange on the front donut 30 should have an offset gap with the front clamp 18 . next , the front donut 30 is installed . the front donut 30 retaining bolts or nuts 12 should be made up to the torque value that is specified by the engineer in charge of the plug and abandon operation . the torque value is based on the hot tap pre - charge pressure . the hot tap drilling sub assembly 10 is attached to the front donut 30 and the hot tap saddle 32 . the hot tap drilling subassembly would include the hydraulic drill or manual drill with a drill bit ; the pressure gauge to monitor hot tap drill pre - charge pressure ; the pressure pre - charge control valve ; the hot tap vent valve ; and the union . the hot tap drilling subassembly should be pressured up to the pre - charge value that was specified by the engineer in charge of the plug and abandon operation . the casing or pipe is drilled with a ½ to a ¾ inch diameter bit . when the bit breaks through the pipe wall , the pre - charge pressure will drop to a casing or pipe internal pressure . the casing or pipe internal pressure is vented . following the venting of the internal pressure in the casing or pipe , as described above , the process is repeated for each addition inner casing layer and production tubing in the well has been drilled and the pressure vented or brought under control . for each casing layer , the multiple string hot tap seal saddle 32 must be changed to match the casing or tubing diameter . in addition , seal saddle extensions 44 must be added to compensate for the added distance from the multiple string hot tap clamp assembly 10 . fig8 through 10 illustrate front , side and overall views respectively of the multiple string hot tap system 10 having a front clamp 18 designed to provide a larger bearing area 19 , and for providing larger access holes 25 in the casing or pipe . the claim 18 is held in place by a series of four tension chains 22 secured to nuts 12 . fig1 and 12 illustrate front and side views respectively of yet another modified manner in which to secure the front and rear 18 , 36 onto the wall of the casing 24 so as to provide a more stable means to hot tap the casing 24 , and drill the larger access bores 25 in order to have access to the next size casing or tubing 26 and production strings 28 . as referenced earlier , fig1 illustrates the use of a hydraulic cylinder 50 that would be engaged to the chain connectors 14 , so that the clamping load can be controlled by applying especial hydraulic pressure . the modified chain connectors 14 would replace each one of the four standard chain connectors 14 and nuts 12 . this would eliminate the problems of accurately applying clamping loads . the clamping loads would be uniformly applied to each of the four chain in the hot tap clamp assembly . the following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention . all measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure , at sea level on earth , unless indicated otherwise . all materials used or intended to be used in a human being are biocompatible , unless indicated otherwise . the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only ; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims .

a method of hot tapping into a multiple string configuration for obtaining access to the production tubing without removing outer layers of casing by providing a multiple casing string that includes at least an outer casing and an inner casing or production string ; mounting a clamp assembly around the wall of the outer casing ; hot tapping a small opening through the outer casing wall to capture any pressurized fluid through the opening ; cutting first and second large openings through the wall of the outer casing to access the inner casing , each opening being approximately 180 degrees from the other opening ; through the first opening , drilling a small hole through the wall of the inner casing to capture any pressurized fluid through the opening in the inner casing ; and inserting an anvil through the second opening to contact and stabilize the wall of the inner casing to prevent the casing from moving while the casing is drilled .

hereinafter , the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . a steering wheel , as shown in fig1 to 3 , includes a steering wheel rim 1 taking a shape of a ring , a hub 2 into which the front end of a steering shaft is mounted in addition to a horn and an air - bag , and an upper spoke 3 a and a lower spoke 3 b for connecting the hub 2 and the steering wheel rim 1 . the upper and the lower spoke 3 a and 3 b include a t - shaped connector 4 manufactured in a 1 die casting . the three end openings of the t - shaped connector 4 are respectively inserted and welded into a hub core 5 and a hub rod 2 a secured at the hub 2 for an integral form of the steering wheel rim 1 and the hub 2 . following the completion of the frame of a steering wheel , a cover layer 6 having a hard part 6 a and a soft part 6 b is formed thereon for a fine external look and easy operation . the hard part 6 a is preferably formed by an injection molding using a glass fiber , while the soft part 6 b is preferably formed by a foam molding using a polyurethane ( pu ). moreover , a grained vinyl cover 7 and a leather cover 8 are used to shroud the external surface of the cover layer 6 for a good external look and non - slippage of the steering wheel . in other words , as shown in fig1 , the grained vinyl cover 7 is wrapped around the upper part of the steering wheel 1 above the upper spoke 3 a and around the lower part of the steering wheel 1 below the lower spoke 3 b . the leather 8 is covered at the remaining portions of the steering wheel rim 1 . on the other hand , because the grained vinyl cover 7 and the leather cover 8 respectively have different contraction and expansion coefficients in response to temperature and moisture , the boundary part ( m ) therebetween may generate a gap when a hard contraction occurs . this drawback , however , can be overcome by extensively protruding the frontal end of the hard part 6 a toward the soft part 6 b and by coupling the hard part 6 a protruded toward the soft part 6 b with the soft part 6 b and the leather cover 8 . as a result , the frontal end of the hard part 6 a is formed with a coupling protruder 6 a - 1 projected to the soft part 6 b , wherein a plurality of coupling ribs 6 a - 2 are formed at the surface of the coupling protruder 6 a - 1 . the soft part 6 b is coupled with the plurality of coupling ribs 6 a - 2 by foam molding so as to be overlapped with the hard part 6 a . in addition , when the leather cover 8 embraces the soft part 6 b , the plurality of coupling ribs 6 a - 2 are closely attached to the inner side of the leather cover 8 , thereby preventing the boundary part ( m ) of the grained vinyl cover 7 and leather cover 8 from being widened even if contraction or expansion occurs due to the temperature and moisture . the coupling protruder 6 a - 1 and the plurality of coupling ribs 6 a - 2 are preferably integrally formed with the hard part 6 a , the hard part 6 a made via injection molding . further , coupling rib grooves 8 b into which the plurality of coupling ribs 6 a 2 are inserted are formed inside the leather cover 8 for increasing the connecting force of the grained vinyl cover 7 and leather cover 8 . the steering wheel is preferably configured through a process as illustrated in the flowchart in fig4 . a hub core 5 of the steering wheel rim 1 is manufactured by either steel roll - molding or mg injection - molding ( s 1 ). a t - shaped connector 4 manufactured by al die casting is assembled with a hub core 5 by welding ( s 2 ). the hub core 5 and t - shaped connector 4 assembly is put into a mold for integrally forming with a hard part 6 a , a coupling protruder 6 a - 1 , and a plurality of coupling ribs 6 a - 2 at a predetermined section thereon by glass fiber injection molding ( s 3 ). a soft part 6 b embraces the leftover section unformed with the hard part 6 a , by pu foam - molding ( s 4 ), thereby completing the exterior of the steering wheel . a film sheet of a grained vinyl cover 7 is attached onto the surface of the hard part 6 a manufactured by the glass fiber ( s 5 ). a leather cover 8 is wound by stitches around the surface of the soft part 6 b manufactured by pu ( s 6 ), allowing to complete the manufacturing process of a steering wheel having the grained vinyl cover 7 and the leather cover 8 . thus , there is an advantage in embodiments of the present invention in that a soft part 6 b shrouds a coupling protruder 6 a - 1 and a plurality of coupling ribs 6 a - 2 embedded into coupling rib grooves 8 b of a leather cover 8 . as a result , the end of the leather cover 8 may be held by the plurality of coupling ribs 6 a - 2 , preventing contraction between the grained vinyl cover 7 and the leather cover 8 even in varying temperature and moisture conditions . there is another advantage in that the structure thus described prevents the boundary part ( m ) of the grained vinyl cover 7 and the leather cover 8 from being widened , thereby maintaining a fine look of the steering wheel . as apparent from the foregoing , there is still another advantage in that the automobile steering wheel is integrally formed with a coupling protruder and a plurality of coupling ribs at a frontal end of a hard part as a cover layer wherein a soft part is overlapped with the coupling protruder and the plurality of coupling ribs by foam molding , enabling to prevent a gap at a boundary caused by changes in temperature and moisture between the grained vinyl cover and leather cover which respectively encompass the hard part and soft part .

an automobile steering wheel and method of manufacturing a steering wheel are disclosed . the steering wheel comprises a hub core connected with rods of a hub via t - shaped connectors . a cover layer includes a hard part and a soft part around the periphery of the hub core and connectors . a vinyl layer and a leather layer encompass the cover layer . a coupling protruder is formed at the front end of the hard part and extends toward the soft part . a plurality of coupling ribs are mounted on the surface of the coupling protruder .

in accordance with one embodiment , the curing agent is an adduct of : ( i ) an amine , ( ii ) an epoxy compound , and ( iii ) an adduct of an elastomer and an epoxy resin . the elastomer / epoxy resin adduct functions as an reactive dispersant enabling the formation of a dispersion of spherical un - encapsulated particles in the reaction medium . another aspect of the invention is a method for the preparation of fine spherical core particles of a curing agent that comprises reacting an amine compound with an epoxy / elastomer adduct followed by an epoxy compound , in the presence of a continuous phase at elevated temperatures with agitation , and recovering fine spherical particles formed from the reaction mixture solution . optionally , the recovered particles may be filtered to remove aggregated particles and classified by methods such as gravity fractionation , filtration , sedimentation , field flow fractionation , and field flow classification to remove small satellite particles . the continuous phase is an organic solvent or solvent mixture comprised of either a solvent capable of dissolving the amine compound , the epoxy compound and the epoxy / elastomer adduct but incapable of dissolving the adduct formed from the three reactants or a mixture of a solvent and non - solvent , where the solvent is capable of dissolving the amine compound , the epoxy compound and the epoxy / elastomer adduct but incapable of dissolving the adduct particles formed from the three reactants or a mixture and the non - solvent is a non - solvent for the amine compound , the epoxy compound , the epoxy / elastomer adduct , and the adduct particles formed from the three reactants . the selection of the continuous phase affects the dispersion stability and the particle size and particle size distribution . yet another embodiment of the invention is a heat curable composition that comprises , as its major components , an epoxy composition and spherical particles of the curing agent . in this case , the spherical particles of the curing agent of this invention are not soluble or swellable in the epoxy composition . in one embodiment the particles have a melting flow temperature of at least about 50 ° c . and a particle diameter of 0 . 1 μm to 30 μm . the particles are incorporated in the adhesive in an amount of about 1 to 60 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the epoxy resin . the present invention also includes a curing agent masterbatch for epoxy resins wherein the masterbatch comprises a liquid epoxy resin in which fine spherical particles of the curing agent are uniformly dispersed . in a particular embodiment , the particles have been reacted with 1 to 100 parts by weight of a polyfunctional isocyanate compound , and optionally with 1 - 100 parts by weight of an epoxy compound , based on 100 parts by weight of said particles . the particles are then allowed to react one or more additional times in successive steps with 1 to 100 parts by weight of a polyfunctional isocyanate compound , and optionally with 1 - 100 parts by weight of a multifunctional epoxy compound , and optionally with 1 - 100 parts by weight of an epoxy compatible material , based on 100 parts by weight of said particles . the present invention further includes a method for preparation of a curing agent masterbatch for epoxy resin with comprises the step of dispersing spherical particles of the curing agent in an epoxy resin at a temperature below the melt flow temperature of said spherical particles . in the present invention the amine compounds and the epoxy compounds which can be employed in the preparation of the curing agent are selected based on its chemical structure which promotes the curing reaction by anionic polymerization , its melting point , and its compatibility with the epoxy resin which will be cured in a molten or plasticized viscoelastic state , its quick curability and its reactivity . the melting flow temperature is defined herein as the temperature at which the substance begins to flow as a molten fluid , as determined by the conventional methods . examples of amine and epoxy compounds useful in certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed in ep 459 , 745 , ep 552 , 976 , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 357 , 008 , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 480 , 957 , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 548 , 058 , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 554 , 714 , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 561 , 204 , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 567 , 792 , and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 591 , 814 , which are incorporated herein by reference . while any amine compound can be used , the selection of the amine will be based upon the nature of the epoxy compound . an amine is selected that reacts with the epoxy compound but enables the reaction without full polymerization . while it is possible to use substantially any amine compounds when reacting monofunctional epoxy compounds , when reacting polyfunctional epoxy compounds , an amine compound which has only one active hydrogen , i . e ., a secondary amino group that contributes to the reaction of the epoxy group . use of compounds having a tertiary amino group , i . e ., having no active hydrogen , is also permitted . the following compounds are illustrative examples of amine compounds which can be combined with bifunctional bisphenol a diglycidyl ether : imidazoles represented by 2 - methylimidazole and 2 , 4 - dimethylimidazole , piperazines represented by n - methyl piperazine and n - hydroxylethyl - piperazine , anabasines represented by anabasine , pyrazoles represented by 3 , 5 - dimethyl - pyrazole , purines represented by tetra - methyl - quanidine or purine , pyrazoles represented by pyrazole , and triazoles represented by 1 , 2 , 3 - triazole , and the like . examples of epoxy compounds are monofunctional epoxy compounds such as n - butyl glycidyl ether , styrene oxide and phenylglycidyl ether ; bifunctional epoxy compounds such as bisphenol a diglycidyl ether , bisphenol f diglycidyl ether , bisphenol s diglycidyl ether and diglycidyl phthalate ; trifunctional compounds such as triglycidyl isocyanurate , triglycidyl p - aminophenol ; tetrafunctional compounds such as tetraglycidyl m - xylene diamine and tetraglycidyldiaminodiphenylmethane ; and compounds having more functional groups such as cresol novolac polyglycidyl ether , phenol novolac polyglycidyl ether and so on . the selection of epoxy is also determined by the type of the amine compound to be combined . the epoxy compounds are also selected based upon the softening point of the adduct formed and the compatibility in a molten state with respect to the epoxy resin which is to be cured . since the majority of the epoxy resins to be cured comprise bisphenol a diglycidyl ether , this compound is most typically used as the starting material for the preparation of an adduct . in one embodiment , epoxy compounds having an epoxy equivalent weight of , at most about 1 , 000 , and preferably at most about 500 are typically employed . it is also important to select a solvent system which can dissolve the amine compounds and the epoxy compound as the starting materials but can precipitate the adduct in the form of particles without dissolution . examples of solvents that can be used in certain embodiments of the present invention are methyl isobutyl ketone , methyl isopropyl ketone , methyl ethyl ketone , acetone , n - butylacetate , isobutyl acetate , ethyl acetate , methyl acetate , tetrahydrofuran , 1 , 4 - dioxane , cellosolve , ethyleneglycol monoethyl ether , diethyleneglycol dimethyl ether , anisole , toluene , p - xylene , benzene , methylene chloride , chloroform , trichloroethylene , chlorobenzene and pyridine . these solvents can be used alone , or two or more solvents can be used together . additionally a non - solvent may need to be added to assist with forcing the amine compound to react with the epoxy functionalities of the dispersion stabilizer and epoxy resin . a non - solvent in the case is any solvent that does not dissolve either the amine compound , dispersion stabilizer , or epoxy resin . one possible class of compounds that can be used as non - solvents are linear or branched aliphatic compounds such as heptane , hexane , octane , iso - octane , petroleum ether , and the like . one example of a non - solvent in combination with a solvent is a mixture of heptane and mibk . in addition to the above - mentioned solvent and non - solvent , a diluent or a weak solvent may be optionally used to widen the formulation or process window . the dispersion stabilizer or dispersant enables a stable dispersion of the adduct particles in the reaction medium . without such a dispersion stabilizer , the particles of the adduct formed may aggregate and precipitate out as a viscous mass during the reaction , and thus the desired fine spherical particles cannot be obtained . an optimum dispersant is important for the preparation of a stable dispersion with a narrow particle size distribution . reactive dispersants are often more effective than non - reactive dispersants since desorption or migration of the dispersant away from the particle surface is less likely once it reacts with the particle phase . elastomer / epoxy adducts are used as reactive dispersants in accordance to this invention . a suitable molecular weight range of the reactive dispersant is from about 1 , 000 to 300 , 000 , preferably from about 2 , 000 to 100 , 000 , and most preferably from about 3 , 000 to 10 , 000 . the epoxy / elastomer adduct itself generally includes about 1 : 5 to 5 : 1 parts of epoxy or other polymer to elastomer , and more preferably about 1 : 3 to 3 : 1 parts of epoxy to elastomer . more typically , the adduct includes at least about 5 %, more typically at least about 12 % and even more typically at least about 18 % elastomer and also typically includes not greater than about 50 %, even more typically no greater than about 40 % and still more typically no greater than about 35 % elastomer , although higher or lower percentages are possible . the elastomer suitable for the adduct may be functionalized at either the main chain or the side chain . suitable functional groups include , but are not limited to , — cooh , — nh 2 ′ — nh —, — oh , — sh , — conh 2 , — conh —, — nhconh —, — nco , — ncs , and oxirane or glycidyl group , etc . the elastomer optionally may be vulcanize - able or post - crosslink - able . exemplary elastomers include , without limitation , natural rubber , styrene - butadiene rubber , polyisoprene , polyisobutylene , polybutadiene , isoprene - butadiene copolymer , neoprene , nitrile rubber , butadiene - acrylonitrile copolymer , butyl rubber , polysulfide elastomer , acrylic elastomer , acrylonitrile elastomers , silicone rubber , polysiloxanes , polyester rubber , diisocyanate - linked condensation elastomer , epdm ( ethylene - propylene diene rubbers ), chlorosulphonated polyethylene , fluorinated hydrocarbons , thermoplastic elastomers such as ( ab ) and ( aba ) type of block copolymers of styrene and butadiene or isoprene , and ( ab ) n type of multi - segment block copolymers of polyurethane or polyester , and the like . in the case that carboxyl - terminated butadiene - acrylonitrile ( ctbn ) is used as the functionalized elastomer , the preferable nitrile content is from 12 - 35 % by weight , more preferably from 20 - 33 % by weight . an example of a preferred epoxide - functionalized epoxy / elastomer adduct is sold in admixture with an epoxy resin under the trade name hypox ™ rk84 ( fig5 ), a bisphenol a epoxy resin modified with ctbn elastomer , and the trade name hypox ™ ra1340 ( fig6 ), an epoxy phenol novolac resin modified with ctbn elastomer , both commercially available from cvc thermoset specialties , moorestown , n . j . in addition to bisphenol a epoxy resins , other epoxy resins can be used to prepare the epoxy / elastomer adduct , such as n - butyl glycidyl ether , styrene oxide and phenylglycidyl ether ; bifunctional epoxy compounds such as bisphenol a diglycidyl ether , bisphenol f diglycidyl ether , bisphenol s diglycidyl ether and diglycidyl phthalate ; trifunctional compounds such as triglycidyl isocyanurate , triglycidyl p - aminophenol ; tetrafunctional compounds such as tetraglycidyl m - xylene diamine and tetraglycidyldiaminodiphenylmethane ; and compounds having more functional groups such as cresol novolac polyglycidyl ether , phenol novolac polyglycidyl ether and so on . examples of additional or alternative epoxy / elastomer and other adducts suitable for use in the present invention are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 846 , 559 and u . s . patent publication 2004 / 0204551 to czaplicki , michael both of which are incorporated herein by reference . to prepare the curing agent , in one non - limiting process , the selected amine compound and the epoxide - functionalized reactive dispersant are first allowed to react to ensure the dispersant is fully incorporated . the reactive dispersant is dissolved in a selected solvent system and allowed to react using a combination of heating and stirring from about 2 min to about 3 h , preferably from about 4 min to about 2 h , and most preferably from about 5 min to about 1 h . thus , the reaction temperature which can be employed in the present invention is typically 40 ° c . to 90 ° c ., preferably 50 ° c . to 80 ° c ., and the concentration of the starting materials , i . e . the amine compound and the epoxide - functionalized reactive dispersant , is typically about 2 to 40 % by weight , preferably about 5 to 30 % by weight . the amount of reactive dispersant is from about 1 to 70 % ( w / w ) based on the combined weights of the reactive dispersant and amine compound , preferably from about 5 to 50 % ( w / w ) based on the combined weights of the reactive dispersant and amine compound and most preferably from about 9 to 35 % ( w / w ) based on the combined weights of the reactive dispersant and amine compound . in the special case where the epoxide - functionalized reactive dispersant contains a residual epoxy compound that is not bonded to the elastomer , such as in fig5 and 6 , an additional purification step is undertaken which consists of removing the unreacted epoxy compound from said reactive dispersant . this purification step is especially important to avoid the formation of aggregates and lumps of solid material after the addition of the epoxy compound ( see below ). the epoxy compatible material is any epoxy - functional material that contains a functional group or groups that are compatible with an epoxy resin . one example are the epoxide - functionalized epoxy / elastomer adducts that are sold as admixtures with an epoxy resin , available commercially under the trade name hypox ™ rk84 ( fig5 ) and the trade name hypox ra1340 ( fig6 ), from cvc thermoset specialties , moorestown , n . j . said hypox elastomers contain the epoxy compatibilizing monomer acrylonitrile . other examples would include , but are not limited to , epoxy - functional polyacrylates that would contain epoxy compatible co - monomers , like acrylonitrile and methyl methacrylate . amine compound plus epoxide - functionalized reactive dispersant plus epoxy compound , formation of the un - encapsulated particles . after the amine compound has been allowed to react with the epoxide - functionalized dispersant , the formation of the un - encapsulated latent hardener particles begins with the addition of the epoxy compound . a solution of the epoxy compound is slowly added to the stirred heated solution of the amine compound - dispersion stabilizer solution over the course from about 5 min to 6 h , preferably from about 10 min to 4 h , and most preferably from about 15 min to 2 h , using an apparatus that allows for a constant uninterrupted addition of epoxy resin solution , such as a syringe pump or peristaltic pump or the like . the amount of epoxy compound is from about 10 to 90 % ( w / w ) based on the combined weights of the amine compound , reactive dispersant , and epoxy compound , preferably from about 30 to 85 % ( w / w ) based on the combined weights of the amine compound , reactive dispersant , and epoxy compound , and most preferably from about 50 to 80 % ( w / w ) based on the combined weights of the amine compound , reactive dispersant , and epoxy compound . in one example , a solution of the reactive dispersant and the amine is agitated , while heating , under an inert atmosphere and after a predetermined time , a solution of epoxy compound is added over a predetermined time . the originally clear solution will become opaque as the epoxy compound begins to react . as the reaction progresses , the opaqueness of the reaction system gradually increases , with a characteristic milky white turbid dispersion eventually occurring . when the reaction temperature and the concentration of the starting materials are too high , aggregates may easily form even in the presence of a suitable amount of the reactive dispersant . thus , the reaction temperature which can be employed in the present invention is typically 40 ° c . to 90 ° c ., preferably 50 ° c . to 80 ° c ., and the concentration of the starting materials , i . e . the amine compound , the reactive dispersant , and epoxy compound , is typically 2 to 40 % by weight , preferably 5 to 30 % by weight . generally , the particle size of the adduct increases with increased concentrations of the starting materials but decreases with increased concentrations of the reactive dispersant . the particles are subsequently encapsulated , with each layer of encapsulate or protective shell applied over the particle in two or more successive steps . various known methods for encapsulating spherical curing agents may be used in this invention . in one embodiment , the adduct particles may be reacted with an encapsulation agent to form two or more protective shells , where said encapsulating agent is comprised of a polyfunctional isocyanate compound or a mixture of polyfunctional isocyanate compounds and multifunctional epoxy compounds or a mixture of polyfunctional isocyanate and epoxy compatible compound ( e . g ., acrylonitrile ), or a mixture of a polyfunctional isocyanate , epoxy compounds , and epoxy compatible compound . suitable polyfunctional isocyanate compounds include the mononuclear and polynuclear species of toluene diisocyanate , methylene diphenyl diisocyanate , hydrogenated methylene diphenyl diisocyanate , 1 , 5 - naphthalene diisocyanate , isophorone diisocyanate , hexamethylene diisocyanate , xylylene diisocyanate , hydrogenated xylylene diisocyanate , tetramethylxylene diisocyanate , 1 , 3 , 6 - hexamethylene triisocyanate , lysine diisocyanate , triphenylethane triisocyanate , polyfunctional isocyanate compounds formed by addition of such compounds and other active hydrogen - containing compound , and any mixtures thereof . representative examples of multifunctional epoxies include methylene bisglycidyl aniline , heloxy ™ modifier 48 ( a product of hexion specialty chemicals ), toagosei gp - 301 graft polymethylmethacrylate - g - epoxy modified acrylate polymer , and a multi - functional epoxy containing acrylonitrile ( epoxy compatible co - monomer ) but other multifunctional epoxies should also work . the amount of the encapsulation agent employed to encapsulate the un - encapsulated particles affects the storage stability and the curability of a curing agent masterbatch . with the same particles of the addition product , increased amounts of the encapsulation agent improve the storage stability , but lower the curability . thus , for adduct particles having a diameter of about 0 . 1 micron to 30 micron , the encapsulation agent is employed in ratio from about 50 : 50 to 95 : 5 ( w / w ) core particles to encapsulation agent , preferably from about 60 : 40 to 90 : 10 ( w / w ) core particles to encapsulation agent , and most preferably in a ratio from about 70 : 30 to 90 : 10 ( w / w ) core particles to encapsulation agent . additionally , when the encapsulation agent is a mixture of isocyanate compounds and epoxy compounds or isocyanate compounds and epoxy compatible compounds , the amount of epoxy compound is used in a ratio from about 1 : 99 to 99 : 1 ( w / w ) isocyanate compounds to epoxy compounds , preferably from about 60 : 40 to 99 : 1 ( w / w ) isocyanate compounds to epoxy compounds , and most preferably in a ratio from about 80 : 20 and 99 : 1 ( w / w ) isocyanate compounds to epoxy compounds . additionally , when the encapsulation agent is a mixture of isocyanate compounds , epoxy compounds , and epoxy compatible compounds , the amount of epoxy compound is used in a ratio from about 1 : 99 to 99 : 1 ( w / w ) isocyanate compounds to epoxy compounds , preferably from about 60 : 40 to 99 : 1 ( w / w ) isocyanate compounds to epoxy compounds plus epoxy compatible compounds , and most preferably in a ratio from about 80 : 20 and 99 : 1 ( w / w ) isocyanate compounds to epoxy compounds . thus , the compromise between storage stability and curability varies depending on the size of the adduct particle , with smaller particle sizes requiring increased amounts of shell forming material such as polyfunctional isocyanate to achieve the same release or barrier properties . in one embodiment , when the particle forming reaction is completed , the un - encapsulated particles are isolated from the reaction medium by filtration and then washed with fresh solvent . the particles are then subsequently encapsulated . in general , to form the masterbatch , the encapsulated particles are uniformly dispersed in an epoxy resin in a range from about 5 to 90 % ( w / w ) based on the combined weights of the particles and epoxy resin , preferably in the range of about 15 to 80 % ( w / w ) based on the combined weights of the particles and liquid epoxy compound , and most preferably in the range of about 20 to 70 % ( w / w ) based on the combined weights of the particles and liquid epoxy compound . in one embodiment , the epoxy resin can be one or more epoxy resins of bisphenol a , bisphenol f , novolac epoxies , and the like . in one embodiment , to avoid the formation of secondary particles , the encapsulated particles are mechanically dispersed in the epoxy resin as primary particles , for example , by blending with a three roll mill . in another embodiment , after the encapsulation process is completed , heating and stirring are stopped and an epoxy resin is added to the dispersion . the mixture is again stirred , enough to distribute the epoxy resin equally in the dispersion . the solvent is then removed , using vacuum distillation , or the like , such that the total solid content is about 60 to 100 % ( w / w ), preferably about 70 to 100 % ( w / w ), and most preferably about 80 to 100 % ( w / w ). the particles are then dispersed further in the epoxy resin using techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art , such as a three - roll mill , or the like . in yet another embodiment , when the reaction is completed , the solvent is removed using vacuum distillation to 100 % ( w / w ) solids content . the solid particles are then added to an epoxy resin and the particles dispersed further in epoxy resin using techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art , such as a three - roll mill , or the like . in still yet another embodiment , when the reaction is completed , the particles are separated by filtering the dispersion of the particles . fresh solvent is used to wash off unreacted starting material adhered to the surface of the particles . an epoxy resin is then added to the solid particles and the mixture dispersed further using techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art , such as a three - roll mill , or the like . the adhesive compositions disclosed herein are potentially useful in various applications including in a conducting adhesive , composite , molding compound , anisotropic conducting film ( acf ) adhesive , non - random array acf , non - conductive adhesive film ( ncf ), coating , encapsulant , underfill material , lead - free solder , etc . having described the invention in detail , the invention will be illustrated by the following non - limiting examples : synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 1 ) commercial material hypox rk84 [ a commercial material of cvc thermoset specialties and mixture of a bisphenol a epoxy resin and its adduct with ctbn ( fig5 )] was used as the dispersion stabilizer . a three - necked round bottom flask , equipped with a ptfe fluoropolymer half moon - shaped overhead stirrer , a reflux condenser , an addition funnel , and an argon gas inlet was charged with 0 . 93 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole and 48 g of 4 - methyl - 2 - pentanone ( mibk ). the reactor was placed in an 80 ° c . bath and purged with argon . after 1 h , a solution of 3 . 39 g ( 0 . 019 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 ( a product of dow chemical ) and 3 . 4 g of mibk was added dropwise over the course of 20 min , after which the reaction was allowed to stir at 300 rpm for 6 hr under an argon atmosphere . a white milky dispersion was formed . the dispersion was discharged from the reactor , centrifuged , washed with mibk , and evaporated to dryness to afford 3 . 6 g ( 60 . 4 % yield ) of product . a small drop of the dispersion was diluted , coated on glass slide and dried in vacuum at room temperature . the dried sample was sputtered with a thin layer of gold and the scanning electron micrograph of this taken using a hitachi s - 2460n scanning electron microscope . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 2 ) a ctbn - epoxy adduct that was isolated from cvc thermoset specialties hypox ™ rk84 was used as the dispersion stabilizer . the adduct was obtained by dissolving the material in methyl ethyl ketone , followed by precipitation with methanol , and repeating the process two more times . the un - encapsulated core particles 2 were synthesized from 0 . 51 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct , 1 . 63 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 51 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 and 51 g of mibk using the procedure of example 1 to afford 4 . 4 g ( 78 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ ra 1340 ( 3 ) commercial material hypox ra1340 [ a commercial material of cvc thermoset specialties and mixture of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol a and its adduct with ctbn ( fig6 )] was used as the dispersion stabilizer . the microcapsule core 3 was synthesized from 1 . 15 g of the aforementioned ctbn - epoxy adduct , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 2 . 87 g ( 0 . 0164 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 and 51 g of mibk using the procedure of example 1 to afford 1 . 2 g ( 21 . 2 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ ra 1340 ( 4 ) a ctbn - epoxy adduct isolated from cvc thermoset specialties hypox ™ ra 1340 was used as the dispersion stabilizer . the adduct was obtained by first dissolving the material in methyl ethyl ketone , followed by precipitation with methanol , and repeating the process two more times . the un - encapsulated core particles 4 were synthesized from 0 . 53 g of the ctbn - adduct , 1 . 65 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , and 51 g of mibk using the procedure as described in example 1 to afford 2 . 6 g ( 45 . 9 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - ethyl - 4 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 5 ) the un - encapsulated core particles 5 were synthesized from 0 . 57 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 2 . 20 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - ethyl - 4 - methylimidazole , 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , and 63 g of mibk using the procedure of example 1 to afford 0 . 7 g ( 11 . 2 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ ra 1340 ( 6 ) the un - encapsulated core particles 6 were synthesized from 0 . 26 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 4 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , and 50 g of mibk using the procedure of example 1 to afford 1 . 6 g ( 26 . 9 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - ethyl - 4 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 7 ) the un - encapsulated core particles 7 were synthesized from 0 . 57 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 2 . 20 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - ethyl - 4 - methylimidazole , 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 and 56 g of mibk using the procedure of example 1 and the reaction was allowed to stir at 300 rpm for 16 . 5 h under an argon atmosphere to afford 2 . 5 g ( 40 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 8 ) the microcapsule core 8 was synthesized from 0 . 52 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , and 51 g of mibk using the procedure of example 1 . the reaction was allowed to stir at 300 rpm for 16 h under an argon atmosphere to afford 4 . 0 g ( 71 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 9 ) the un - encapsulated core particles 9 were synthesized from 0 . 52 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , and 52 g of mibk using the procedure of example 1 . the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 h under an argon atmosphere to afford 4 . 18 g ( 74 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 10 ) the un - encapsulated core particles 10 were synthesized from 0 . 52 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole and 37 . 3 g of 4 - methyl - 2 - pentanone ( mibk ). the reactor was placed in an 80 ° c . bath and purged with argon . after 1 h , a solution of 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 ( a product of dow chemical ) and 3 . 5 g of mibk was added dropwise over the course of 15 min , after which the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 1 h under an argon atmosphere . after this , 10 g of heptane was added dropwise over the course of 1 h . the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for another 4 h . a white milky dispersion was formed . the dispersion was discharged , centrifuged , washed with mibk , and evaporated to dryness to afford 2 . 1 g ( 37 % yield ) of dried particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 11 ) the un - encapsulated core particles 11 were synthesized from 0 . 52 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , and 37 . 3 g of 4 - methyl - 2 - pentanone ( mibk ). the reactor was placed in an 80 ° c . bath and purged with argon . after 1 h , a solution of 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 ( a product of dow chemical ) and 3 . 5 g of mibk was added dropwise over the course of 15 min , after which the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 1 h under an argon atmosphere , after which 3 g of heptane was added drop wise over the course of 1 h . the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 4 h . a white milky dispersion was formed . the dispersion was discharged , centrifuged , washed with mibk , and evaporated to dryness to afford 3 . 0 g ( 53 % yield ) of dried particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 12 ) the un - encapsulated core particles 12 were synthesized from 1 . 05 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , and 51 g of mibk using the procedure of example 1 . the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 h to afford 4 . 4 g ( 71 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 13 ) a three - necked round bottom flask , equipped with a ptfe fluoropolymer half moon - shaped overhead stirrer , a reflux condenser , an addition funnel , and an argon gas inlet . the flask was charged with 0 . 52 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 5 . 1 g of heptane and 42 . 3 g of 4 - methyl - 2 - pentanone ( mibk ). the reaction flask was placed in an 80 ° c . bath and purged with argon . after 1 h , a solution of 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 ( a product of dow chemical ) and 3 . 6 g of mibk was added dropwise over the course of 15 min , after which the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 h . a white milky dispersion was formed . the dispersion was discharged , centrifuged , washed with mibk , and evaporated to dryness to afford 3 . 4 g ( 60 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and “ purified ” hypox ™ rk 84 ( 14 ) a three - necked round bottom flask , equipped with a ptfe fluoropolymer half moon - shaped overhead stirrer , a reflux condenser , an addition funnel , and an argon gas inlet was charged with 0 . 52 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 5 . 1 g of heptane and 46 . 8 g of 4 - methyl - 2 - pentanone ( mibk ). the reactor was placed in an 80 ° c . bath and purged with argon and stirred for 1 h at 300 rpm . a solution of 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 ( a product of dow chemical ) and 3 . 5 g of mibk was added dropwise over the course of 15 min , after which the reaction was allowed to stir at 300 rpm for 1 hr and then at 1000 rpm for another 5 h . a white milky dispersion was formed . the dispersion was discharged , centrifuged , washed with mibk and evaporated to dryness to afford 3 . 2 g ( 57 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 15 ) the un - encapsulated core particles ( 15 ) were synthesized from 0 . 51 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , 15 . 3 g of heptane and 34 g of mibk using the procedure of example 13 . the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 h under an argon atmosphere to afford 4 . 5 g ( 80 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 16 ) the un - encapsulated core particles 16 were synthesized from 0 . 52 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , 2 . 6 g of heptane and 49 g of mibk using the procedure of example 13 and the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 h under an argon atmosphere to afford 2 . 4 g ( 42 . 4 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 17 ) the un - encapsulated core particles 17 were synthesized from 0 . 52 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , 10 . 2 g of heptane and 41 g of mibk using the procedure of example 13 . the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 h under an argon atmosphere to afford 3 . 9 g ( 69 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 18 ) a three - necked round bottom flask , equipped with a ptfe fluoropolymer half moon - shaped overhead stirrer , a reflux condenser , an addition funnel , and an argon gas inlet was charged with 0 . 52 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , and 47 . 3 g of 4 - methyl - 2 - pentanone ( mibk ). the reactor was placed in an 80 ° c . bath , and purged with argon . after the reaction was allowed to stir at 300 rpm for 1 hr , a solution of 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 ( a product of dow chemical ) and 3 . 5 g of mibk was added dropwise over the course of 15 min , after which the reaction was allowed to stir at 300 rpm for 1 h and then 1000 rpm for another 5 h . a white milky dispersion was formed . the dispersion was discharged , centrifuged , washed with mibk , and evaporated to dryness to afford 4 . 53 g ( 80 % yield ) of particles . synthesis un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 19 ) the un - encapsulated core particles 19 were synthesized from 0 . 51 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , and 51 g of mibk using the procedure of example 13 and the reaction was allowed to stir at 1500 rpm for 6 h under an argon atmosphere to afford 4 . 05 g ( 71 . 5 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 20 ) the un - encapsulated core particles 20 were synthesized from 0 . 52 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct of example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , 7 . 6 g of heptane , and 43 g of mibk using the procedure of example 13 and the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 h to afford 4 . 05 g ( 71 . 5 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 21 ) the un - encapsulated core particles 21 were synthesized from 0 . 51 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 1 . 65 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 5 g ( 0 . 02 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , 7 . 6 g of heptane and 43 g of mibk using the procedure of example 13 . the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 16 h to afford 3 . 6 g ( 64 % yield ) of particles . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 22 ) the un - encapsulated core particles 22 were synthesized from 0 . 51 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 85 g ( 0 . 022 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , 7 . 6 g of heptane , and 43 g of mibk using the procedure of example 13 . the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 h under an argon atmosphere to afford 4 . 95 g ( 82 . 3 % yield ) of particles . a small drop of the dispersion was diluted with mibk , coated on glass slide , and dried under vacuum at room temperature . the dried sample was sputtered with a thin layer of gold and its electron micrograph ( fig1 and fig2 ) taken with a hitachi s - 2460n scanning electron microscope . synthesis of un - encapsulated core particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , and hypox ™ rk 84 ( 23 ) the un - encapsulated core particles 23 were synthesized from 0 . 51 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 85 g ( 0 . 022 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , 7 . 6 g of heptane and 42 g of mibk using the procedure of example 13 . the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 16 h to afford 4 . 49 g ( 74 . 7 % yield ) of particles . encapsulated particles from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , hypox ™ rk 84 , and mdi ( 24 ) the microcapsule core was synthesized from 0 . 52 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 85 g ( 0 . 022 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , 7 . 6 g of heptane and 42 g of mibk using the procedure of example 13 . the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 h under an argon atmosphere . a small drop of the dispersion was removed , diluted with mibk , coated on glass slide , and dried under vacuum at room temperature . the dried sample was sputter - coated with a thin layer of gold and the electron micrograph taken with a hitachi s - 2460n scanning electron microscope . the encapsulation was started by adding a solution of 1 . 56 g ( 0 . 0125 equivalent weight ) of 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( phenyl isocyanate ), most commonly referred to as mdi , and 14 . 1 g of mibk , which was added dropwise over the course of 110 min , after which the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 15 h under an argon atmosphere . a small drop of the dispersion was dried and its ft - ir spectrum showed complete conversion of the isocyanate moiety . after it was confirmed all of the isocyanate had been consumed , a small drop of the dispersion was removed , diluted with additional mibk , coated on glass slide , and dried under vacuum at room temperature . the dried sample was sputtered with a thin layer of gold and its electron micrograph taken with a hitachi s - 2460n scanning electron microscope ( fig3 and fig4 ). synthesis microcapsules from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , hypox ™ rk 84 , mdi , and 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( n , n - diglycidylaniline ) ( 25 ) the microcapsule core was synthesized from 0 . 51 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 85 g ( 0 . 022 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , 7 . 6 g of heptane and 42 g of mibk using the procedure of example 13 and the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 hr under an argon atmosphere . the encapsulation was started by adding a solution of 1 . 4 g ( 0 . 0112 equivalent weight ) of mdi , 0 . 16 g ( 0 . 00038 equivalent weight ) of 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( n , n - diglycidylaniline ), and 14 . 1 g of mibk , which was added dropwise over the course of 110 min , after which the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 15 h under an argon atmosphere . a small drop of dispersion was dried and its ft - ir spectrum showed complete conversion of the isocyanate moiety . synthesis of microcapsules from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , hypox ™ rk 84 , and mdi ( 26 ) the microcapsule core was synthesized from 0 . 52 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 86 g ( 0 . 022 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , 7 . 6 g of heptane , and 42 g of mibk using the procedure of example 13 . the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 h under an argon atmosphere . the encapsulation was performed by the addition of a solution of 1 . 57 g ( 0 . 0125 equivalent weight ) of mdi and 14 . 1 g of mibk , which was added dropwise over the course of 90 min , after which the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 15 h under an argon atmosphere . a small drop of dispersion was dried and its ft - ir spectrum showed complete conversion of the isocyanate moiety . synthesis of microcapsules from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , hypox ™ rk 84 , mdi , and 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( n , n - diglycidylaniline ) ( 27 ) the microcapsule core was synthesized from 0 . 52 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 1 . 64 g ( 0 . 02 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 3 . 85 g ( 0 . 022 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 , 7 . 6 g of heptane and 43 g of mibk using the procedure of example 13 and the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 hr under an argon atmosphere . the encapsulation was started by adding a solution of 2 . 8 g ( 0 . 0223 equivalent weight ) of mdi ( a product of sigma aldrich ), 0 . 35 g ( 0 . 0033 equivalent weight ) of 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( n , n - diglycidylaniline ), and 14 . 1 g of mibk , which was added dropwise over the course of 240 min , after which the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 15 h under an argon atmosphere . synthesis of microcapsules from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , hypox ™ rk 84 , mdi , and 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( n , n - diglycidylaniline ) ( 28 ) a three - necked round bottom flask , equipped with a ptfe fluoropolymer half moon - shaped overhead stirrer , a reflux condenser , an addition funnel , and an argon gas inlet was charged with 1 . 03 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 3 . 28 g ( 0 . 04 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole , 15 . 2 g of heptane and 76 g of 4 - methyl - 2 - pentanone ( mibk ). the reactor was placed in an 80 ° c . bath and purged with argon . after 1 hr , a solution of 7 . 7 g ( 0 . 044 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 ( a product of dow chemical ) and 7 . 7 g of mibk was added drop wise over the course of 40 min , after which the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 hr under an argon atmosphere . a white milky dispersion was formed . a small drop of the dispersion was diluted , coated on glass slide and dried in vacuum oven at room temperature . the dried sample was sputtered with a thin layer of au and taken scanning electron micrographs . the encapsulation was started by adding a solution of 2 . 8 g ( 0 . 0223 equivalent weight ) of mdi , 0 . 32 g ( 0 . 003 equivalent weight ) of 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( n , n - diglycidylaniline ), and 28 . 2 g of mibk , which was added dropwise over the course of 240 min , after which the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 12 . 5 hr under an argon atmosphere . synthesis of microcapsules from 2 - methylimidazole , dgeba , hypox ™ rk 84l , desmodur ® w , and 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( n , n - diglycidylaniline ) ( 29 ) a three - necked round bottom flask , equipped with a ptfe fluoropolymer half moon - shaped overhead stirrer , a reflux condenser , an addition funnel , and an argon gas inlet was charged with 2 . 09 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 6 . 56 g ( 0 . 08 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole and 183 g of 4 - methyl - 2 - pentanone ( mibk ). the reactor was placed in an 80 ° c . bath and purged with argon . after 1 hr , a solution of 15 . 4 g ( 0 . 088 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 ( diglycidyl ether of bisphenol a ( dgeba ) from dow chemical ) and 18 . 7 g of mibk was added drop wise over the course of 1 hr , after which the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 hr under an argon atmosphere . a white milky dispersion was formed . the particles were allowed to precipitate under gravity allowing the supernatant liquid was removed by decantation . the particles were redispersed in mibk . the residual dispersion was filtered through a small pore size membrane filter . the particles were redispersed in mibk and then filtered through a 30 μm pore size filter to remove large - sized particles and aggregates . a few drops of the resulting dispersion were dried , sputtered with gold , loaded into an sem . its micrograph showed the particles were of adequate quality to be allowed to proceed on to the encapsulation step . the solid content of the dispersion was measured at 9 . 84 % ( w / w ). the yield of total dispersion was 84 . 4 g . a three - neck round bottom flask , equipped with a ptfe fluoropolymer half moon - shaped overhead stirrer , a reflux condenser , an addition funnel , and an argon gas inlet was charged with 0 . 83 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 10 . 3 g of mibk , and the purified dispersion . the reactor was placed in an 80 ° c . bath and purged with argon . to this , 17 g of heptane was added drop - wise over the course of 1 hr . the encapsulation was started by adding a solution of 1 . 9 g ( 0 . 0145 equivalent weight ) of desmodur ® w ( a liquid cycloaliphatic diisocyanate from bayer materialscience ), 0 . 19 g ( 0 . 002 equivalent weight ) of 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( n , n - diglycidylaniline ), and 18 . 9 g of mibk , which was added drop - wise over the course of 4 hr , after which the reaction was allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 12 . 5 hr under an argon atmosphere . a three - necked round bottom flask , equipped with a ptfe fluoropolymer half moon - shaped overhead stirrer , a reflux condenser , an addition funnel , and an argon gas inlet is charged with 2 . 09 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 6 . 56 g ( 0 . 08 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole and 183 g of 4 - methyl - 2 - pentanone ( mibk ). the reactor is placed in an 80 ° c . bath and purged with argon . after 1 hr , a solution of 15 . 4 g ( 0 . 088 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 ( a product of dow chemical ) and 18 . 7 g of mibk is added drop - wise over the course of 1 hr , after which the reaction is allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 hr under an argon atmosphere . a white milky dispersion is formed . the particles are allowed to precipitate under gravity allowing the supernatant liquid to be removed by decantation . the particles are redispersed in mibk . the residual dispersion is filtered through a small pore size membrane filter . the particles are redispersed in mibk and then filtered through a 30 μm pore size filter to remove large - sized particles and aggregates . a three - neck round bottom flask , equipped with a ptfe fluoropolymer half moon - shaped overhead stirrer , a reflux condenser , an addition funnel , and an argon gas inlet is charged with 0 . 83 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 10 . 3 g of mibk , and the purified dispersion . the reactor is placed in an 80 ° c . bath and purged with argon . to this , 17 g of heptane is added drop - wise over the course of 1 hr . the encapsulation with the first shell layer was started by adding a solution of 1 . 9 g ( 0 . 0145 equivalent weight ) of desmodur ® w ( a product of bayer materialscience ), 0 . 19 g ( 0 . 002 equivalent weight ) of 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( n , n - diglycidylaniline ), and 18 . 9 g of mibk is added drop - wise over the course of 4 hr , after which the reaction is allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 12 . 5 hr under an argon atmosphere . the second shell layer is formed by the addition of a solution of 1 . 9 g ( 0 . 0145 equivalent weight ) of desmodur ® w ( a product of bayer materialscience ), 0 . 19 g ( 0 . 002 equivalent weight ) of 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( n , n - diglycidylaniline ), and 18 . 9 g of mibk is added drop - wise over the course of 4 hr , after which the reaction is allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 12 . 5 hr under an argon atmosphere . synthesis of microcapsules comprised of two shell materials , where the outermost shell material is comprised of an epoxy compatible material a three - necked round bottom flask , equipped with a ptfe fluoropolymer half moon - shaped overhead stirrer , a reflux condenser , an addition funnel , and an argon gas inlet is charged with 2 . 09 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 6 . 56 g ( 0 . 08 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole and 183 g of 4 - methyl - 2 - pentanone ( mibk ). the reactor is placed in an 80 ° c . bath and purged with argon . after 1 hr , a solution of 15 . 4 g ( 0 . 088 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 ( a product of dow chemical ) and 18 . 7 g of mibk is added drop - wise over the course of 1 hr , after which the reaction is allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 hr under an argon atmosphere . a white milky dispersion is formed . the particles are allowed to precipitate under gravity allowing the supernatant liquid to be removed by decantation . the particles are redispersed in mibk . the residual dispersion is filtered through a small pore size membrane filter . the particles are redispersed in mibk and then filtered through a 30 μm pore size filter to remove large - sized particles and aggregates . a three - neck round bottom flask , equipped with a ptfe fluoropolymer half moon - shaped overhead stirrer , a reflux condenser , an addition funnel , and an argon gas inlet is charged with 0 . 83 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 10 . 3 g of mibk , and the purified dispersion . the reactor is placed in an 80 ° c . bath and purged with argon . to this , 17 g of heptane is added drop - wise over the course of 1 hr . the first shell layer encapsulation was started by adding a solution of 1 . 9 g ( 0 . 0145 equivalent weight ) of desmodur ® w ( a product of bayer materialscience ), 0 . 19 g ( 0 . 002 equivalent weight ) of 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( n , n - diglycidylaniline ), and 18 . 9 g of mibk is added drop - wise over the course of 4 hr , after which the reaction is allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 12 . 5 hr under an argon atmosphere . the second shell layer is formed by the addition of a solution of 1 . 9 g ( 0 . 0145 equivalent weight ) of desmodur ® w ( a product of bayer materialscience ), 1 . 9 g of cvc thermoset materials hypox ™ ra1340 , and 18 . 9 g of mibk is added drop - wise over the course of 4 hr , after which the reaction is allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 12 . 5 hr under an argon atmosphere . synthesis of microcapsules comprised of two shell materials , where the outermost shell material is comprised of an epoxy compatible material a three - necked round bottom flask , equipped with a ptfe fluoropolymer half moon - shaped overhead stirrer , a reflux condenser , an addition funnel , and an argon gas inlet is charged with 2 . 09 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 6 . 56 g ( 0 . 08 mole ) of 2 - methylimidazole and 183 g of 4 - methyl - 2 - pentanone ( mibk ). the reactor is placed in an 80 ° c . bath and purged with argon . after 1 hr , a solution of 15 . 4 g ( 0 . 088 equivalent weight ) der ™ 332 ( a product of dow chemical ) and 18 . 7 g of mibk is added drop - wise over the course of 1 hr , after which the reaction is allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 6 hr under an argon atmosphere . a white milky dispersion is formed . the particles are allowed to precipitate under gravity allowing the supernatant liquid to be removed by decantation . the particles are redispersed in mibk . the residual dispersion is filtered through a small pore size membrane filter . the particles are redispersed in mibk and then filtered through a 30 μm pore size filter to remove large - sized particles and aggregates . a three - neck round bottom flask , equipped with a ptfe fluoropolymer half moon - shaped overhead stirrer , a reflux condenser , an addition funnel , and an argon gas inlet is charged with 0 . 83 g of the ctbn - epoxy adduct from example 2 , 10 . 3 g of mibk , and the purified dispersion . the reactor is placed in an 80 ° c . bath and purged with argon . to this , 17 g of heptane is added drop - wise over the course of 1 hr . the encapsulation was started by adding a solution of 1 . 9 g ( 0 . 0145 equivalent weight ) of desmodur ® w ( a product of bayer materialscience ), 0 . 19 g ( 0 . 002 equivalent weight ) of 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( n , n - diglycidylaniline ), and 18 . 9 g of mibk is added drop - wise over the course of 4 hr , after which the reaction is allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 12 . 5 hr under an argon atmosphere . the second shell layer is formed by the addition of a solution of 1 . 9 g ( 0 . 0145 equivalent weight ) of desmodur ® w ( a product of bayer materialscience ), 1 . 9 g of toagosei gp - 301 graft polyacrylate , 0 . 19 g ( 0 . 002 equivalent weight ) of 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( n , n - diglycidylaniline ), and 18 . 9 g of mibk is added drop - wise over the course of 4 hr , after which the reaction is allowed to stir at 1000 rpm for 12 . 5 hr under an argon atmosphere . the dispersion of the particles of example 24 were evaporated under vacuum at 50 ° c . to obtain a yellow solid , ground with a mortar and pestle , and added to diglycidyl ether of bisphenol a in a ratio of 35 : 65 ( w / w ) particles to epoxy resin . the mixture was dispersed for 20 min using a three roll mill to obtain a creamy yellow dispersion . at room temperature , 10 g of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol a was added to the reaction mixture of example 28 , which contained the dispersion of the particles , and stirred for 3 hr . the solvent was removed under vacuum at 31 ° c . to a solids content of 86 % ( w / w ). from this , 12 . 86 g was removed and mixed with and additional 7 . 90 g of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol a . the mixture was then process further for 3 min using a three - roll mill to obtain a creamy yellow dispersion . for the solvent resistance test , mixtures were prepared by combining the particles , diglycidyl ether of bisphenol a , and mibk in a ratio of 4 : 50 : 46 ( w / w ). the mixtures were then placed in a 40 ° c . oil bath and monitored visually for a change in viscosity . the results are shown below in table 1 . aliquots of the mixtures above were coated on glass slides as thin films and dried under vacuum at room temperature . dsc traces were obtained using a ta instruments q10 differential scanning calorimeter using a temperature window of 30 to 250 ° c ., a heating rate of 5 ° c ./ min , and performed under a nitrogen atmosphere . the results are shown below in table 1 . having described the invention in detail and by reference to specific embodiments thereof it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous variations and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims .

a curing agent for epoxy resins that is comprised of the reaction product of an amine , an epoxy resin , and an elastomer - epoxy adduct ; compositions containing the curing agent and an epoxy resin ; the compositions are useful in electronic displays , circuit boards , semi conductor devices , flip chips and other applications .

exemplary systems and methods are described herein . it should be understood that the word “ exemplary ” is used herein to mean “ serving as an example , instance , or illustration .” any embodiment or feature described herein as “ exemplary ” or “ illustrative ” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or features . more generally , the embodiments described herein are not meant to be limiting . it will be readily understood that certain aspects of the disclosed systems can be arranged and combined in a wide variety of different configurations , all of which are contemplated herein . illustrative embodiments relate to aerial vehicles , which may be used in a wind energy system , such as an energy kite , which may also be called an airborne wind turbine ( awt ). in particular , illustrative embodiments may relate to or take the form of bridles that may be used in awts . by way of background , an awt may include an aerial vehicle that flies in a closed path , such as a substantially circular path , to convert kinetic wind energy to electrical energy . in an illustrative implementation , the aerial vehicle may be connected to a ground station via a tether . while tethered , the aerial vehicle can : ( i ) fly at a range of elevations and substantially along the path , and return to the ground , and ( ii ) transmit electrical energy to the ground station via the tether , ( in some implementations , the ground station may transmit electricity to the aerial vehicle for take - off and / or landing .) in an awt , an aerial vehicle may rest in and / or on a ground station ( or perch ) when the wind is not conducive to power generation . when the wind is conducive to power generation , such as when a wind speed may be 3 . 5 meters per second ( m / s ) at an altitude of 200 meters ( m ), the ground station may deploy ( or launch ) the aerial vehicle . in addition , when the aerial vehicle is deployed and the wind is not conducive to power generation , the aerial vehicle may return to the ground station . moreover , in an awt , an aerial vehicle may be configured for hover flight and crosswind flight . crosswind flight may be used to travel in a motion , such as a substantially circular motion , and thus may be the primary technique that is used to generate electrical energy . hover flight in turn may be used by the aerial vehicle to prepare and position itself for crosswind flight . in particular , the aerial vehicle could ascend to a location for crosswind flight based at least in part on hover flight . further , the aerial vehicle could take - off and / or land via hover flight . in hover flight , a span of a main wing of the aerial vehicle may be oriented substantially parallel to the ground , and one or more propellers of the aerial vehicle may cause the aerial vehicle to hover over the ground . in some implementations , the aerial vehicle may vertically ascend or descend in hover flight . moreover , in crosswind flight , the aerial vehicle may be oriented , such that the aerial vehicle may be propelled by the wind substantially along a closed path , which as noted above , may convert kinetic wind energy to electrical energy . in some implementations , one or more rotors of the aerial vehicle may generate electrical energy by slowing down the incident wind . embodiments described herein may relate to or take the form of an electro - mechanical bridle . in an illustrative implementation , the electro - mechanical bridle system may link together to form a “ y ”- shaped system that is used to divide a load transfer between the tether and the aerial vehicle between multiple locations . fig1 depicts an awt 100 , according to an example embodiment . in particular , the awt 100 includes a ground station 110 , a tether 120 , and an aerial vehicle 130 . as shown in fig1 , the tether 120 may be connected to the aerial vehicle on a first end and may be connected to the ground station 110 on a second end . in this example , the tether 120 may be attached to the ground station 110 at one location on the ground station 110 , and attached to the aerial vehicle 130 at three locations on the aerial vehicle 130 . however , in other examples , the tether 120 may be attached at multiple locations to any part of the ground station 110 and / or the aerial vehicle 130 . the ground station 110 may be used to hold and / or support the aerial vehicle 130 until it is in an operational mode . the ground station 110 may also be configured to allow for the repositioning of the aerial vehicle 130 such that deploying of the device is possible . further , the ground station 110 may be further configured to receive the aerial vehicle 130 during a landing . the ground station 110 may be formed of any material that can suitably keep the aerial vehicle 130 attached and / or anchored to the ground while in hover flight , crosswind flight , and other flight modes , such as forward flight ( which may be referred to as airplane - like flight ). in some implementations , a ground station 110 may be configured for use on land . however , a ground station 110 may also be implemented on a body of water , such as a lake , river , sea , or ocean . for example , a ground station could include or be arranged on a floating off - shore platform or a boat , among other possibilities . further , a ground station 110 may be configured to remain stationary or to move relative to the ground or the surface of a body of water . in addition , the ground station 110 may include one or more components ( not shown ), such as a winch , that may vary a length of the tether 120 . for example , when the aerial vehicle 130 is deployed , the one or more components may be configured to pay out and / or reel out the tether 120 . in some implementations , the one or more components may be configured to pay out and / or reel out the tether 120 to a predetermined length . as examples , the predetermined length could be equal to or less than a maximum length of the tether 120 . further , when the aerial vehicle 130 lands in the ground station 110 , the one or more components may be configured to reel in the tether 120 . the tether 120 may transmit electrical energy generated by the aerial vehicle 130 to the ground station 110 . in addition , the tether 120 may transmit electricity to the aerial vehicle 130 in order to power the aerial vehicle 130 for takeoff , landing , hover flight , and / or forward flight . the tether 120 may be constructed in any form and using any material which may allow for the transmission , delivery , and / or harnessing of electrical energy generated by the aerial vehicle 130 and / or transmission of electricity to the aerial vehicle 130 . the tether 120 may also be configured to withstand one or more forces of the aerial vehicle 130 when the aerial vehicle 130 is in an operational mode . for example , the tether 120 may include a core configured to withstand one or more forces of the aerial vehicle 130 when the aerial vehicle 130 is in hover flight , forward flight , and / or crosswind flight . in some examples , the tether 120 may have a fixed length and / or a variable length . for instance , in at least one such example , the tether 120 may have a length of 140 meters . the aerial vehicle 130 may be configured to fly substantially along a closed path 150 to generate electrical energy . the term “ substantially along ,” as used in this disclosure , refers to exactly along and / or one or more deviations from exactly along that do not significantly impact generation of electrical energy . the aerial vehicle 130 may include or take the form of various types of devices , such as a kite , a helicopter , a wing and / or an airplane , among other possibilities . the aerial vehicle 130 may be formed of solid structures of metal , plastic and / or other polymers . the aerial vehicle 130 may be formed of any material which allows for a high thrust - to - weight ratio and generation of electrical energy which may be used in utility applications . additionally , the materials may be chosen to allow for a lightning hardened , redundant and / or fault tolerant design which may be capable of handling large and / or sudden shifts in wind speed and wind direction . the closed path 150 may be various different shapes in various different embodiments . for example , the closed path 150 may be substantially circular . and in at least one such example , the closed path 150 may have a radius of up to 265 meters . the term “ substantially circular ,” as used in this disclosure , refers to exactly circular and / or one or more deviations from exactly circular that do not significantly impact generation of electrical energy as described herein . other shapes for the closed path 150 may be an oval , such as an ellipse , the shape of a jelly bean , the shape of the number of 8 , etc . the aerial vehicle 130 may be operated to travel along one or more revolutions of the closed path 150 . fig2 is a simplified block diagram illustrating components of the awt 200 . the awt 100 may take the form of or be similar in form to the awt 200 . in particular , the awt 200 includes a ground station 210 , a tether 220 , and an aerial vehicle 230 . the ground station 110 may take the form of or be similar in form to the ground station 210 , the tether 120 may take the form of or be similar in form to the tether 220 , and the aerial vehicle 130 may take the form of or be similar in form to the aerial vehicle 230 . as shown in fig2 , the ground station 210 may include one or more processors 212 , data storage 214 , and program instructions 216 . a processor 212 may be a general - purpose processor or a special purpose processor ( e . g ., digital signal processors , application specific integrated circuits , etc .). the one or more processors 212 can be configured to execute computer - readable program instructions 216 that are stored in a data storage 214 and are executable to provide at least part of the functionality described herein . the data storage 214 may include or take the form of one or more computer - readable storage media that may be read or accessed by at least one processor 212 . the one or more computer - readable storage media can include volatile and / or non - volatile storage components , such as optical , magnetic , organic or other memory or disc storage , which may be integrated in whole or in part with at least one of the one or more processors 212 . in some embodiments , the data storage 214 may be implemented using a single physical device ( e . g ., one optical , magnetic , organic or other memory or disc storage unit ), while in other embodiments , the data storage 214 can be implemented using two or more physical devices . as noted , the data storage 214 may include computer - readable program instructions 216 and perhaps additional data , such as diagnostic data of the ground station 210 . as such , the data storage 214 may include program instructions to perform or facilitate some or all of the functionality described herein . in a further respect , the ground station 210 may include a communication system 218 . the communication system 218 may include one or more wireless interfaces and / or one or more wireline interfaces , which allow the ground station 210 to communicate via one or more networks . such wireless interfaces may provide for communication under one or more wireless communication protocols , such as bluetooth , wifi ( e . g ., an ieee 802 . 11 protocol ), long - term evolution ( lte ), wimax ( e . g ., an ieee 802 . 16 standard ), a radio - frequency id ( rfid ) protocol , near - field communication ( nfc ), and / or other wireless communication protocols . such wireline interfaces may include an ethernet interface , a universal serial bus ( usb ) interface , or similar interface to communicate via a wire , a twisted pair of wires , a coaxial cable , an optical link , a fiber - optic link , or other physical connection to a wireline network . the ground station 210 may communicate with the aerial vehicle 230 , other ground stations , and / or other entities ( e . g ., a command center ) via the communication system 218 . in an example embodiment , the ground station 210 may include communication systems 218 that allows for both short - range communication and long - range communication . for example , the ground station 210 may be configured for short - range communications using bluetooth and for long - range communications under a cdma protocol . in such an embodiment , the ground station 210 may be configured to function as a “ hot spot ”; or in other words , as a gateway or proxy between a remote support device ( e . g ., the tether 220 the aerial vehicle 230 , and other ground stations ) and one or more data networks , such as cellular network and / or the internet . configured as such , the ground station 210 may facilitate data communications that the remote support device would otherwise be unable to perform by itself . for example , the ground station 210 may provide a wifi connection to the remote device , and serve as a proxy or gateway to a cellular service provider &# 39 ; s data network , which the ground station 210 might connect to under an lte or a 3g protocol , for instance . the ground station 210 could also serve as a proxy or gateway to other ground stations or a command center , which the remote device might not be able to otherwise access . moreover , as shown in fig2 , the tether 220 may include transmission components 222 and a communication link 224 . the transmission components 222 may be configured to transmit electrical energy from the aerial vehicle 230 to the ground station 210 and / or transmit electrical energy from the ground station 210 to the aerial vehicle 230 . the transmission components 222 may take various different forms in various differ embodiments . for example , the transmission components 222 may include one or more conductors that are configured to transmit electricity . and in at least one such example , the one or more conductors may include aluminum and / or any other material which allows for the conduction of electric current . moreover , in some implementations , the transmission components 222 may surround a core of the tether 220 ( not shown ). the ground station 210 could communicate with the aerial vehicle 230 via the communication link 224 . the communication link 224 may be bidirectional and may include one or more wired and / or wireless interfaces . also , there could be one or more routers , switches , and / or other devices or networks making up at least a part of the communication link 224 . further , as shown in fig2 , the aerial vehicle 230 may include one or more sensors 232 , a power system 234 , power generation / conversion components 236 , communication system 238 , one or more processors 242 , data storage 244 , program instructions 246 , and a control system 248 . the sensors 232 could include various different sensors in various different embodiments . for example , the sensors 232 may include a global positioning system ( gps ) receiver . the gps receiver may be configured to provide data that is typical of well - known gps systems ( which may be referred to as a global navigation satellite system ( gnns )), such as the gps coordinates of the aerial vehicle 230 . such gps data may be utilized by the awt 200 to provide various functions described herein . as another example , the sensors 232 may include one or more wind sensors , such as one or more pitot tubes . the one or more wind sensors may be configured to detect apparent and / or relative wind . such wind data may be utilized by the awt 200 to provide various functions described herein . still as another example , the sensors 232 may include an inertial measurement unit ( imu ). the imu may include both an accelerometer and a gyroscope , which may be used together to determine the orientation of the aerial vehicle 230 . in particular , the accelerometer can measure the orientation of the aerial vehicle 230 with respect to earth , while the gyroscope measures the rate of rotation around an axis , such as a centerline of the aerial vehicle 230 . imus are commercially available in low - cost , low - power packages . for instance , the imu may take the form of or include a miniaturized microelectromechanical system ( mews ) or a nanoelectromechanical system ( nems ). other types of imus may also be utilized . the imu may include other sensors , in addition to accelerometers and gyroscopes , which may help to better determine position . two examples of such sensors are magnetometers and pressure sensors . other examples are also possible . while an accelerometer and gyroscope may be effective at determining the orientation of the aerial vehicle 230 , slight errors in measurement may compound over time and result in a more significant error . however , an example aerial vehicle 230 may be able mitigate or reduce such errors by using a magnetometer to measure direction . one example of a magnetometer is a low - power , digital 3 - axis magnetometer , which may be used to realize an orientation independent electronic compass for accurate heading information . however , other types of magnetometers may be utilized as well . the aerial vehicle 230 may also include a pressure sensor or barometer , which can be used to determine the altitude of the aerial vehicle 230 . alternatively , other sensors , such as sonic altimeters or radar altimeters , can be used to provide an indication of altitude , which may help to improve the accuracy of and / or prevent drift of the imu . in addition , the aerial vehicle 230 may include one or more load cells configured to detect forces distributed between a connection of the tether 220 to the aerial vehicle 230 . as noted , the aerial vehicle 230 may include the power system 234 . the power system 234 could take various different forms in various different embodiments . for example , the power system 234 may include one or more batteries for providing power to the aerial vehicle 230 . in some implementations , the one or more batteries may be rechargeable and each battery may be recharged via a wired connection between the battery and a power supply and / or via a wireless charging system , such as an inductive charging system that applies an external time - varying magnetic field to an internal battery and / or charging system that uses energy collected from one or more solar panels . as another example , the power system 234 may include one or more motors or engines for providing power to the aerial vehicle 230 . in some implementations , the one or more motors or engines may be powered by a fuel , such as a hydrocarbon - based fuel . and in such implementations , the fuel could be stored on the aerial vehicle 230 and delivered to the one or more motors or engines via one or more fluid conduits , such as piping . in some implementations , the power system 234 may be implemented in whole or in part on the ground station 210 . as noted , the aerial vehicle 230 may include the power generation / conversion components 236 . the power generation / conversion components 236 could take various different forms in various different embodiments . for example , the power generation / conversion components 236 may include one or more generators , such as high - speed , direct - drive generators . with this arrangement , the one or more generators may be driven by one or more rotors . and in at least one such example , the one or more generators may operate at full rated power wind speeds of 11 . 5 meters per second at a capacity factor which may exceed 60 percent , and the one or more generators may generate electrical power from 40 kilowatts to 600 kilowatts . moreover , as noted , the aerial vehicle 230 may include a communication system 238 . the communication system 238 may take the form of or be similar in form to the communication system 218 . the aerial vehicle 230 may communicate with the ground station 210 , other aerial vehicles , and / or other entities ( e . g ., a command center ) via the communication system 238 . in some implementations , the aerial vehicle 230 may be configured to function as a “ hot spot ”; or in other words , as a gateway or proxy between a remote support device ( e . g ., the ground station 210 , the tether 220 , other aerial vehicles ) and one or more data networks , such as cellular network and / or the internet . configured as such , the aerial vehicle 230 may facilitate data communications that the remote support device would otherwise be unable to perform by itself . for example , the aerial vehicle 230 may provide a wifi connection to the remote device , and serve as a proxy or gateway to a cellular service provider &# 39 ; s data network , which the aerial vehicle 230 might connect to under an lie or a 3g protocol , for instance . the aerial vehicle 230 could also serve as a proxy or gateway to other aerial vehicles or a command station , which the remote device might not be able to otherwise access . as noted , the aerial vehicle 230 may include the one or more processors 242 , the program instructions 246 , and the data storage 244 . the one or more processors 242 can be configured to execute computer - readable program instructions 246 that are stored in the data storage 244 and are executable to provide at least part of the functionality described herein . the one or more processors 242 may take the form of or be similar in form to the one or more processors 212 , the data storage 244 may take the form of or be similar in form to the data storage 214 , and the program instructions 246 may take the form of or be similar in form to the program instructions 216 . moreover , as noted , the aerial vehicle 230 may include the control system 248 . in some implementations , the control system 248 may be configured to perform one or more functions described herein . the control system 248 may be implemented with mechanical systems and / or with hardware , firmware , and / or software . as one example , the control system 248 may take the form of program instructions stored on a non - transitory computer readable medium and a processor that executes the instructions . the control system 248 may be implemented in whole or in part on the aerial vehicle 230 and / or at least one entity remotely located from the aerial vehicle 230 , such as the ground station 210 . generally , the manner in which the control system 248 is implemented may vary , depending upon the particular application . while the aerial vehicle 230 has been described above , it should be understood that the methods and systems described herein could involve any suitable aerial vehicle that is connected to a tether , such as the tether 220 and / or the tether 120 . fig3 depicts an aerial vehicle 330 , according to an example embodiment . the aerial vehicle 130 and / or the aerial vehicle 230 may take the form of or be similar in form to the aerial vehicle 330 . in particular , the aerial vehicle 330 may include a main wing 331 , pylons 332 a , 332 b , rotors 334 a , 334 b , 334 c , 334 d , a tail boom 335 , and a tail wing assembly 336 . any of these components may be shaped in any form which allows for the use of components of lift to resist gravity and / or move the aerial vehicle 330 forward . the main wing 331 may provide a primary lift force for the aerial vehicle 330 . the main wing 331 may be one or more rigid or flexible airfoils , and may include various control surfaces , such as winglets , flaps ( e . g ., fowler flaps , hoerner flaps , split flaps , and the like ), rudders , elevators , spoilers , dive brakes , etc . the control surfaces may be used to stabilize the aerial vehicle 330 and / or reduce drag on the aerial vehicle 330 during hover flight , forward flight , and / or crosswind flight . the main wing 331 and pylons 332 a , 332 b may be any suitable material for the aerial vehicle 330 to engage in hover flight , forward flight , and / or crosswind flight . for example , the main wing 331 and pylons 332 a , 332 b may include carbon fiber and / or e - glass , and include internal supporting spars or other structures . moreover , the main wing 331 and pylons 332 a , 332 b may have a variety of dimensions . for example , the main wing 331 may have one or more dimensions that correspond with a conventional wind turbine blade . as another example , the main wing 331 may have a span of 8 meters , an area of 4 meters squared , and an aspect ratio of 15 . the pylons 332 a , 332 b may connect the rotors 334 a , 334 b , 334 c , and 334 d to the main wing 331 . in some examples , the pylons 332 a , 332 b may take the form of , or be similar in form to , a lifting body airfoil ( e . g ., a wing ). in some examples , a vertical spacing between corresponding rotors rotor 334 a and rotor 334 b on pylon 332 a ) may be 0 . 9 meters . the rotors 334 a , 334 b , 334 c , and 334 d may be configured to drive one or more generators for the purpose of generating electrical energy . in this example , the rotors 334 a , 334 b , 334 c , and 334 d may each include one or more blades , such as three blades or four blades . the rotor blades may rotate via interactions with the wind and be used to drive the one or more generators . in addition , the rotors 334 a , 334 b , 334 c , and 334 d may also be configured to provide thrust to the aerial vehicle 330 during flight . with this arrangement , the rotors 334 a , 334 b , 334 c , and 334 d may function as one or more propulsion units , such as a propeller . although the rotors 334 a , 334 b , 334 c , and 334 d are depicted as four rotors in this example , in other examples the aerial vehicle 330 may include any number of rotors , such as less than four rotors or more than four rotors ( e . g ., eight rotors ). a tail boom 335 may connect the main wing 331 to the tail wing assembly 336 , which may include a tail wing 336 a and a vertical stabilizer 336 b . the tail boom 335 may have a variety of dimensions . for example , the tail boom 335 may have a length of 2 meters . moreover , in some implementations , the tail boom 335 could take the form of a body and / or fuselage of the aerial vehicle 330 . in such implementations , the tail boom 335 may carry a payload . the tail wing 336 a and / or the vertical stabilizer 336 b may be used to stabilize the aerial vehicle 330 and / or reduce drag on the aerial vehicle 330 during hover flight , forward flight , and / or crosswind flight . for example , the tail wing 336 a and / or the vertical stabilizer 336 b may be used to maintain a pitch of the aerial vehicle 130 during hover flight , forward flight , and / or crosswind flight . the tail wing 336 a and the vertical stabilizer 336 b may have a variety of dimensions . for example , the tail wing 336 a may have a length of 2 meters . moreover , in some examples , the tail wing 336 a may have a surface area of 0 . 45 meters squared . further , in some examples , the tail wing 336 a may be located 1 meter above a center of mass of the aerial vehicle 130 . while the aerial vehicle 330 has been described above , it should be understood that the systems described herein could involve any suitable aerial vehicle that is connected to an airborne wind turbine tether , such as the tether 120 and / or the tether 220 . fig4 depicts the aerial vehicle 330 coupled to a ground station 510 via the tether 120 . referring to fig4 , the ground station 410 may include a winch drum 412 and a platform 414 . the ground station 110 and / or the ground station 210 may take the form of or be similar in form to the ground station 410 . fig4 is for illustrative purposes only and may not reflect all components or connections . as shown in fig4 , the tether 120 may be coupled to a tether gimbal assembly 442 at a proximate tether end 122 and to the aerial vehicle 330 at a distal tether end 124 . additionally or alternatively , at least a portion of the tether 120 ( e . g ., the at least one insulated electrical conductor ) may pass through the tether gimbal assembly 442 . in some embodiments , the tether 120 may terminate at the tether gimbal assembly 442 . moreover , as shown in fig4 , the tether gimbal assembly 442 may also be coupled to the winch drum 412 which in turn may be coupled to the platform 414 . in some embodiments , the tether gimbal assembly 442 may be configured to rotate about one or more axes , such as an altitude axis and an azimuth axis , in order to allow the proximate tether end 122 to move in those axes in response to movement of the aerial vehicle 330 . a rotational component 444 located between the tether 120 and the tether gimbal assembly 442 may allow the tether 120 to rotate about the long axis of the tether 120 . the long axis is defined as extending between the proximate tether end 122 and the distal tether end 124 . in some embodiments , at least a portion of the tether 120 may pass through the rotational component 444 . moreover , in some embodiments , the tether 120 may pass through the rotational component 444 . further , in some embodiments , the rotational component 444 may include a fixed portion 444 a and a rotatable portion 444 b , for example , in the form of one or more bearings and / or slip rings . the fixed portion 444 a may be coupled to the tether gimbal assembly 442 . the rotatable portion 444 b may be coupled to the tether 120 . the use of the word fixed in the fixed portion 444 a of the rotational component 444 is not intended to limit fixed portion 444 a to a stationary configuration . in this example , the fixed portion 444 a may move in axes described by the tether gimbal assembly 442 ( e . g ., altitude and azimuth ), and may rotate about the ground station 410 as the winch drum 412 rotates , but the fixed portion 444 a will not rotate about the tether 120 , i . e ., with respect to the long axis of the tether 120 . moreover , in this example , the rotatable portion 444 b of the rotational component 444 may be coupled to the tether 120 and configured to substantially rotate with the rotation of tether 120 . via the rotational component 444 , the tether 120 may rotate about its centerline along the long axis as the aerial vehicle 330 orbits . the distal tether end 124 may rotate a different amount than the proximate tether end 122 , resulting in an amount of twist along the length of the tether 420 . with this arrangement , the amount of twist in the tether 420 may vary based on a number of parameters during crosswind flight of the aerial vehicle 330 . fig5 depicts the aerial vehicle 330 coupled to the tether 120 via a bridle system 500 . fig5 and the remaining figures depicting bridles and bridle systems are for illustrative purposes only and may not reflect all components or connections . further , as illustrations , the figures may not reflect actual operating conditions but are merely to illustrate the embodiments described . for example , while a perfectly straight figure may be used to illustrate the described bridle components , during orbiting crosswind flight the tether and / or bridle ( s ) may in practice exhibit some level of droop between the ground station and the aerial vehicle . further still , the relative dimensions in the figures may not be to scale but are merely to illustrate the embodiments described . as shown in fig5 , the bridle system 500 includes a first bridle 510 and a second bridle 520 , according to an example embodiment . the bridle system 500 includes a first bridle - to - tether interface 510 a and a second bridle - to - tether interface 520 a . the bridle system 500 includes a first bridle - to - wing interface 510 b and a second bridle - to - wing interface 520 b . the bridle system 500 includes a tether termination component 502 . in some implementations , the tether 120 terminates at the tether termination component 502 . a double clevis , 2 - pin connector may be used as the bridle - to - tether interface for interfaces 510 a and 510 b . this interface transfers mechanical load from the tether to the bridles , allows for a roll degree - of - freedom , and allows the transfer of power and signal conductors from the tether to the bridles . other connectors may be used as well ( e . g ., a double clevis and single pin connector and a 3 pin configuration ). in some embodiments , the pins may use wear - resistant and low - friction journal bearings to achieve good roll motion . for example , a journal bearing with a polytetrafluoroethylene (“ ptfe ”) embedded fabric on a stainless steel backing may be used . in some embodiments , a spherical bearing may be used at the bridle - to - tether interface . other connectors and examples are possible . the power and signal transfer may occur , for example , by way of a power transfer loop , cable , or system such as a full or partial service loop that allows roll motion without generating bending fatigue on the conductors . the first bridle 510 and the second bridle 520 may have a structural member composed of wrapping fiber filaments around thimbles ( e . g ., the clevis pin at the tether - to - bridle interface may go through the bridle thimble ). the wrapped fiber filaments may be consolidated and cured into a solid , stiff , and strong link . as shown in fig5 , the length of the bridles may be different . for example , the length of the second bridle 520 from the bridle - to - tether interface 520 a to the bridle - to - wing interface 520 b may be shorter than the length of the first bridle 510 from the bridle - to - tether interface 510 a to the bridle - to - wing interface 510 b in order to balance the load during power generation ( since the aerial vehicle may be flying in a one - directional path ). the electrical conductors ( not shown in fig5 ) may take advantage of this shorter distance ( and the nominally smaller loads experienced along the second bridle 520 compared to the loads along the first bridle 510 ) and only extend along the second bridle 520 . the bridle - to - wing interfaces 510 b and 520 b may use a spherical bearing to allow low - friction and high - cycle pitch movement . a metal plate installed on the aerial vehicle may act as a clevis and capture the bearing to transfer load in the aerial vehicle ( e . g ., into the wing spar of the aerial vehicle ). in some embodiments , the bridle - to - wing interface may not comprise a spherical bearing . for example , the bridle - to - wing interface may be a saddle - type bearing surface ( e . g ., links in a chain ), a combination of journal and thrust bearings ; or two journal bearings joints that serve as a universal joint . other examples are possible . fig6 depicts a bridle 600 in a first orientation and in a second orientation where the bridle 600 is turned 90 degrees from the first orientation , according to an example embodiment . the bridle 600 includes one or more sensors ( not shown ), bridle - to - tether interface 610 a , a tether thimble 612 , a bridle - to - wing interface 620 a , a wing thimble 620 , and a structural member 630 . as shown in fig6 , the wing thimble and the tether thimble are rotated ninety degrees . in some implementations , the wing thimble and the tether thimble may be rotated more or less than ninety degrees , or may be in phase and not rotated at all . the structural member 630 may comprise wrapped fiber filaments or a variety of materials . for instance , in some embodiments , the structural member 630 may comprise carbon fiber , glass fiber , dry strength fiber ( e . g ., aramid , poly ( p - phenylene - 2 , 6 - benzobisoxazole ) (“ pbo ”), or ultra - high - molecular - weight polyethylene (“ uhmw - pe ”)), metallic wire , or any other suitable material . portions of the bridle that may experience higher loads may be more reinforced than others . for example , as depicted in fig6 , the portion of the bridle - to - tether interface 610 a that is closest to the tether thimble 612 may have more reinforcement ( e . g ., a higher number of wrapped fiber filaments ) in comparison to the center of the structural member 630 . similarly , the portion of the bridle - to - wing interface 620 a that is closest to the wing thimble 622 may have more reinforcement ( e . g ., a higher number of wrapped fiber filaments ) in comparison to the center of the structural member 630 . the dimensions of the bridles and bridle components may be selected based at least in part on a predicted loading of the bridle 600 , such as a predicted tensile loading of the bridle 600 . for use with awts , a first bridle may have a length l of about 7100 millimeters ( e . g ., the distance from the center of the tether thimble 612 to the center of the wing thimble 622 ). on the first bridle , the tether thimble 612 may have an inside diameter d 2 of about 62 millimeters and a width w 2 of about 57 millimeters . on the first bridle , the wing thimble 622 may have an inside diameter d 1 of about 120 millimeters and a width w 1 of about 45 millimeters . a second bridle may have a length l of about 7880 millimeters . the second bridle may have a tether thimble 612 with an inside diameter d 2 of about 62 millimeters and a width w 2 of about 57 millimeters . the second bridle may have a wing thimble 622 with an inside diameter d 1 of about 120 millimeters and a width w 1 of about 45 millimeters . the bridle system 600 may include one or more sensors ( not shown ). the sensors may be placed on the terminations ( e . g ., the bridle - to - tether interface 610 a and the bridle - to - wing interface 620 a ), or the sensors could be placed elsewhere in the bridle 600 , in the tether 120 , or the aerial vehicle 330 . in some embodiments , the bridle system 600 may be designed to measure loads or positions . for example , the bridle system 600 may include a sensor such as an embedded fiber - bragg strain - sensing fiber optic , a one - directional load pin at a bridle end , a bidirectional load pin at a bridle end , or a direct strain gage coupled to the bridle - to - wing interface 620 a . fig6 a and 6b depict the bridle 600 in cross - section along the lines aa and bb in fig6 , according to an example embodiment . as shown in fig6 a and 6b , the structural member 630 may have an approximately elliptical shape in cross - section . in some implementations , the oval aspect ratio is about 2 : 1 . as shown in fig6 a , the structural member 630 cross - section is in phase with the wing thimble 622 . as shown in fig6 b , the structural member 630 is still in phase with the wing thimble , but is 90 degrees out of phase with the tether thimble 612 . by providing a 90 degree phase difference between the tether thimble 612 and the wing thimble 622 , the tether thimble 612 may be aligned with a roll axis to allow for roll motions , and the wing thimble 622 may be aligned with a pitch axis to allow for pitch motions . further , having the cross - section of the structural member 630 in phase with the wing thimble 622 minimizes drag on the bridle 600 . while fig6 a and 6b depict an elliptical cross - section of the structural member 630 , the cross - section may have various shapes , such as a circle or an aerofoil shape , among others . fig7 a , 7b , 7c , and 7d depict example implementations for placing conductors in or around the bridle , according to some embodiments . fig7 a depicts a bridle 700 with a structural member 730 , two hollow tubes 740 , and conductors 750 . the conductors 750 may be insulated or bare . in some implementations , one or more hollow tubes may be configured inside of the structural member 730 . conductors 750 may run through the hollow tubes 740 and extend throughout the bridle 700 . in other implementations , the conductors 750 may be connected in other ways . for example , the conductors 750 may be connected to the wing along a path that is separate from the bridles . in some embodiments , the conductors ( and other components ) may run on the only one bridle . in other embodiments , the conductors ( and other components ) may be split between two or more bridles . in some embodiments , the conductors are run on the outside of the bridle in a straight line . in some embodiments , the conductors are helically wrapped around the structural member of the bridle . in some embodiments , the conductors are tacked to the structural member in several places but have slack between those spots so the structural member can be loaded without straining the conductors . in some embodiments , each conductor on a bridle is matched with a conductor on the tether . in other embodiments , conductors on the bridle may be combined such that the bridle has fewer conductors than the tether ( e . g ., conductors within a phase may be combined ). fig7 b depicts a bridle 700 with an elliptically shaped structural member 730 , a fairing component 735 , and conductors 750 . as shown in fig7 b , the bridle 700 may include a fairing component 735 that couples to the structural member 730 to provide a more aerodynamic shape for the structural member 730 and conductors 750 . the structural member 730 may be surrounded by a layer of compliant material 732 with an elastic modulus higher than that of the structural member 730 . the compliant material 732 may protect the conductors 750 from abrasion caused by friction against the structural member 730 and from the full axial strains of the structural member 730 . a bridle may be faired in some or all parts , including along the main length of the structural member 730 and at the terminations ( e . g ., the bridle - to - wing interface and the bridle - to - tether interface ). the fairing could comprise a “ v ” shape that is added to a round or elliptical main cross - section , or the main section itself may be molded into an aerodynamic shape . fairing design includes a proper positioning of the center of gravity , elastic center , and the aerodynamic center such that the bridle will be stable at all flights speeds and not flutter . to mitigate flutter , the conductors 750 may run along the leading edge of the bridle 700 so that the center of mass of the bridle 700 is placed in such a way that the faired bridle is stable . the fairing component 735 may be a non - structural component that is added around all or part of the bridle 700 to lower the drag and / or pull back the aerodynamic center of the bridle 700 cross - section for stability and to resist flutter . the cross - section of the structural core may be elliptically shaped where the minor axis is aligned with the airflow . this alignment provides more width to fit the conductors 750 neatly in front of the structural member 730 and shortens the amount of total fairing needed , which in turn allows the bridle 700 to be more tolerant of high angles between the oncoming air or relative wind and a reference line on the bridle 700 . the fairing component 735 may be designed to fit around the bridle 700 such that it can rotate and “ vane ” into the wind to help achieve a proper orientation . in some embodiments , where wind direction is expected to remain substantially constant along the length of the bridle 700 , the fairing component 735 may be affixed to the structural member 730 in alignment with the airflow such that it cannot rotate or “ vane .” in some implementations , the fairing may have a profile that not only reduces drag ( e . g ., via boundary tripping features ) in one direction , but has a low drag and / or low lift when the angle of attack is at higher angles . the major axis of the fairing may be angled slightly to help match the typical direction of the local relative airflow ( instead of being aligned perpendicular to the wing axis ). in some implementations , the angle of the major axis of the fairing may vary along the length of the bridle 700 . in some implementations , bridle 700 may have surface features that trips the boundary layer for lower overall drag . for example , the bridle 700 may have riblets , grooves , vortex generators , dibbles , or other boundary layer tripping features . in some implementations , bridle 700 may have surface features that provide leading edge protection , such as a polyurethane elastomer or any other material that may provide leading edge wind protection . fig7 c depicts a bridle 700 with a circular structural member 730 , a fairing component 735 , and conductors 750 . as shown in fig7 c , the bridle 700 may include a fairing component 735 that couples to the structural member 730 to provide a more aerodynamic shape for the structural member 730 and conductors 750 . the conductors 750 may run along the leading edge of the bridle 700 so that the center of mass of the bridle 700 is placed in such a way that the faired bridle is stable and won &# 39 ; t flutter . the fairing component 735 may be a non - structural component that is added around all or part of the bridle 700 to lower the drag and / or pull the aerodynamic center of the bridle 700 cross - section for stability and to resist flutter . fig7 d depicts conductors 750 helically wrapped about a structural member 730 of a bridle 700 . as shown in fig7 d , the bridle 700 may include a structural member 730 , a plurality of electrical conductors 750 , and a jacket 760 . the bridle 700 may have a long axis 702 . for purposes of illustration only , the bridle 700 in fig7 d is shown with a portion of some components removed ( e . g ., the jacket 760 and the plurality of electrical conductors 750 ) to illustrate the arrangement of components in the bridle 700 . accordingly , fig7 d may be referred to as a partial cutaway view of the bridle 700 . the structural member 730 may be wrapped fiber filaments that have been consolidated and cured as described herein . in some embodiments , the structural member 730 may provide a significant contribution to the tensile strength and / or shear strength of the bridle 700 . beneficially , the structural member 730 may improve resistance of the bridle 700 to fatigue loads while an awt ( e . g ., the awt 100 and / or awt 200 ) is in operation . further , the structural member 730 may improve resistance of various components of the bridle 700 to fatigue or tensile loads , such as the plurality of electrical conductors 750 . the structural member 730 may take various different forms in various different embodiments . for example , in some embodiments , the structural member 730 may comprise pultruded fiber rod , carbon fiber rod , fiberglass , one or more metals ( e . g ., aluminum ), a combination of carbon fiber , fiberglass , and / or one or more metals , and / or resins or thermoplastics . as one example , the structural member 730 may comprise a combination of fibers , such as a first carbon fiber having a first modulus and second carbon fiber having a second modulus that is greater than the first modulus . as another example , the structural member 730 may comprise carbon fiber and fiberglass . further , the structural member 730 may comprise a matrix composite and / or carbon fiber and / or fiberglass , such as a metal matrix composite ( e . g ., aluminum matrix composite ). in some embodiments , the structural member 730 may have a circular cross - section shape or may comprise other cross - section shapes . for example , in some embodiments , the structural member 730 may have an elliptical shape ( e . g ., with an aspect ratio of about 2 : 1 ), a trapezoidal cross - section shape , a pie - wedge cross - section shape , a rectangular cross - section shape , a triangular cross - section shape , etc . in some embodiments , the structural member 730 may comprise a plurality of smaller structural members with various cross - section shapes . in addition , in some embodiments , the structural member 730 may have a cross - section shape that varies along the long axis 702 of the bridle 700 . further , the plurality of electrical conductors 750 may be configured to transmit electricity . for example , the plurality of electrical conductors 750 may be configured for high - voltage ac or dc power transmission e . g ., greater than 1 , 000 volts ). for instance , the plurality of electrical conductors 750 may be configured to carry an ac or dc voltage of between 1 kilovolt and 5 kilovolts , or higher , and an associated power transmission current of between 50 amperes to 250 amperes . in some embodiments , as shown in fig7 d , the plurality of electrical conductors 750 may be helically wound around the outer surface of the structural member 730 . the plurality of electrical conductors 750 may be wound in other ways . for example , in some embodiments , electrical conductors in the plurality of electrical conductors 750 may have an alternating arrangement around the outer surface of the structural member 730 , or a reverse oscillating lay around the outer surface of the structural member 730 . in some embodiments , the plurality of electrical conductors 750 may include groups of electrical conductors that define separate electrical paths . further , in some embodiments , the groups of electrical conductors may be configured to operate differently . for instance , in an ac power transmission arrangement , a first group of electrical conductors may be configured to carry a first phase of electrical power along a first electrical path , a second group of electrical conductors may be configured to carry a second phase of electrical power along a second electrical path that is different from the first phase of electrical power , and so on . moreover , in a dc power transmission arrangement , a first group of electrical conductors may be configured to operate at a first potential along a first electrical path , a second group of electrical conductors may be configured to operate at a second potential along a second electrical path that is different from the first potential , and so on . as one example , the first potential may be + 2000 volts relative to ground , and the second potential may be − 2000 volts relative to ground . as another example , the first potential may be a high voltage , and the second potential may be near ground potential . in some embodiments , each electrical conductor of the plurality of electrical conductors 750 may comprise the same material and have the same thickness . however , in some embodiments , at least two electrical conductors of the plurality of electrical conductors 750 may comprise different materials and / or have different thicknesses . for example , in some embodiments , an electrical conductor in the first group of electrical conductors that is adjacent to an electrical conductor in the second group of electrical conductors may have a different thickness than an electrical conductor in the first group of electrical conductors that is adjacent to two electrical conductors in the first group of electrical conductors . in some embodiments , the electrical conductors 750 may be relieved of strain by winding at a helical angle that is steep or far from the bridle axis . the electrical conductors 750 may additionally be relieved of strain by inclusion of a low bulk modulus layer within the winding radius of the electrical conductors 750 , such that the low bulk modulus layer compresses under the tension of the electrical conductors 750 , allowing some inward radial travel of the electrical conductors 750 , and thus reduces the required free length of the electrical conductors 750 . moreover , in some embodiments , each electrical conductor of the plurality of electrical conductors 750 may include an insulating layer 752 . however , in other embodiments , at least one electrical conductor of the plurality of electrical conductors 750 may not include an insulating layer . in some embodiments , the bridle 700 may further include a fill material 790 located between the conductors 750 and the jacket 760 , such that the fill material 790 fills the interstices . with this arrangement , the fill material 790 may block moisture from the plurality of electrical conductors 750 . for instance , in some embodiments , the fill material 790 may block moisture from diffusing inside of the bridle 700 along the plurality of electrical conductors 750 . fill material 790 may take various different forms in various different embodiments . for instance , in some embodiments , the fill material 790 may include a vulcanizing rubber on silicone , such as a room - temperature vulcanizing rubber . in addition , the fill material 790 may include mylar . further , in some such embodiments , the fill material 790 may comprise one or more filler rods , fibers , and / or tapes . the jacket 760 may take various different forms in various different embodiments . for instance , the jacket 760 may include a thermoplastic polyurethane (“ tpu ”), polypropylene , hytrel , and / or nylon ( e . g ., nylon 11 ). in some embodiments , the jacket 760 may be extruded over the plurality of electrical conductors 750 . moreover , in some embodiments , when the bridle 700 includes the fill material 790 , the jacket 760 may be extruded over the fill material 790 . further , in some embodiments , the jacket 760 may have a preferred thickness of 1 . 2 or 1 . 5 millimeters . other thicknesses are possible as well . in some embodiments , one or more materials of the jacket 760 may be selected to increase the visibility of the bridle 700 to humans and / or animals . for instance , in some embodiments , the jacket 760 may include materials that have a white or bright color , or a contrasting color pattern . further , in some embodiments , the jacket 760 may include a material or coating that reflects ultra - violet ( uv ) light , glows , or a combination of uv reflection and glowing . further , in some examples , the bridle 700 may further include at least one fiber optic cable and / or a coaxial conductor ( not shown ). the fiber optic cable or coaxial conductor may be configured for communication between an aerial vehicle ( e . g ., the aerial vehicle 330 ) and a ground station ( e . g ., the ground station 410 via the tether 120 ). in some embodiments , the fiber optic cable or coaxial cable may be wound around the outer surface structural member 730 in the same or similar way as the plurality of electrical conductors 750 are wound . yet further , in some examples , the bridle 700 may further include conductors configured to communicate via ethernet over power (“ eop ”). in some implementations , a bridle may include a jacket that has a plurality of drag - affecting surface features ( e . g ., features that trip the boundary layer ). fig8 a depicts a bridle 800 , according to an example embodiment . further , fig8 b depicts the bridle 800 in cross - section along line aa , according to an example embodiment . for purposes of illustration only , the bridle 800 in fig8 a is shown with a portion of some components removed in the same way as the bridle 700 in fig7 d . as shown in fig8 a , the bridle 800 may include , among other components , a structural member 830 , a plurality of electrical conductors 850 , a jacket 860 , and a fill material 890 . components in fig8 a and 8b similar to those in fig7 d may be of the same configuration and function in a similar manner . the jacket 860 may include an inner surface 842 that covers at least a portion of the plurality of electrical conductors 830 and an outer surface 844 opposite the inner surface 842 . the outer surface 844 of the jacket 860 may comprise a plurality of drag - affecting surface features 846 . the plurality of drag - affecting surface features 846 may be configured to affect drag of the bridle 800 . as one example , the plurality of drag - affecting surface features 846 may reduce the drag of the bridle 800 . as another example , the plurality of drag - affecting surface features 846 may increase the drag of the bridle 800 . the plurality of drag - affecting surface features 846 may take various different forms in various different embodiments . in some embodiments , the plurality of drag - affecting surface features 846 may comprise a plurality of flutes 847 ( e . g ., grooves ) in the outer surface 844 of the jacket 860 . as shown in fig8 b , in some embodiments , the plurality of flutes 847 may include sixteen flutes having a pitch of 500 millimeters ( flute 847 a of the plurality of flutes 847 labeled in fig8 b ). however , in other embodiments , the plurality of flutes 847 may include more or less than sixteen flutes and / or the plurality of flutes 847 may have a different pitch . in addition , in some embodiments , each flute of the plurality of flutes 847 may have the same depth and same radius . however , in other embodiments , at least two flutes of the plurality of flutes 847 may have a different depth and / or a different radius . as one example , flute 847 a may have a depth of 0 . 6 millimeters and a radius of 0 . 8 millimeters . moreover , in some embodiments , the plurality of drag - affecting surface features 846 may include a plurality of strakes ( e . g ., ridges ) protruding from the outer surface 844 of the jacket 860 , a plurality of dimples , tape with riblets , or any other textured shape / material that can affect drag of the bridle 800 . in addition , the plurality of surface features 846 may include one or more of flutes , strakes , dimples , and tape with riblets . with this arrangement , the plurality of surface features 846 may comprise a combination of flutes , strakes , dimples and / or tape with riblets . the plurality of drag - affecting surface features 846 may be arranged on the outer surface 844 of the jacket 840 in a variety of ways . for instance , in some embodiments , the plurality of drag - affecting surface features 846 may be disposed on the outer surface 844 along the long axis 802 of the bridle 800 . further , in some embodiments , the plurality of drag - affecting surface features 846 may be disposed on the outer surface 844 in a helical pattern . in some such embodiments , the helical pattern a be based on a fixed helical angle and / or a varying helical angle . further still , in some embodiments , the plurality of drag - affecting surface features 846 may be disposed on the outer surface 844 in an oscillating path . moreover , in some embodiments , at least a portion of the plurality of drag - affecting surface features 846 may be disposed on the outer surface 844 along the long axis 802 of the bridle 800 , in a helical pattern with a fixed or varying helical angle , or in an oscillating path . with this arrangement , the plurality of drag - affecting surface features 846 may comprise surface features arranged on the outer surface 844 in a combination of being disposed along the long axis 802 of the tether 800 , in a helical pattern with a fixed or varying helical angle , and / or in an oscillating path . although example bridles described above may be used in awts , in other examples , bridles described herein may be used for other applications , including overhead transmission , aerostats , subsea and marine applications , including offshore drilling and remotely operated underwater vehicles ( rovs ), towing , mining , and / or bridges , among other possibilities . the particular arrangements shown in the figures should not be viewed as limiting . it should be understood that other embodiments may include more or less of each element shown in a given figure . further , some of the illustrated elements may be combined or omitted . yet further , an exemplary embodiment may include elements that are not illustrated in the figures . additionally , while various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein , other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art . the various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting , with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims . other embodiments may be utilized , and other changes may be made , without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein . it will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure , as generally described herein , and illustrated in the figures , can be arranged , substituted , combined , separated , and designed in a wide variety of different configurations , all of which are contemplated herein .

an energy kite may be coupled to a tether and ground station via an electro - mechanical bridle . the energy kite may generate a significant amount of lift during power generation and may need to transfer this load to a tether that is anchored at the ground . transferring the load at a single point would place a substantial bending moment on the energy kite . to mitigate this bending moment , the load may be divided between multiple locations with a bridle system . the bridle system may have a plurality of electrical conductors to conduct electrical power and signals .

referring to the figures , an illustrative embodiment of a fairing removal tool according to the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10 . fig1 and 2 illustrate a side view and a top view of one embodiment of a fairing removal tool 10 , respectively . the fairing removal tool 10 includes a handle 12 , a shaft 14 , and a head 16 . the handle 12 allows an operator to easily grip the fairing removal tool . the handle 12 may be contoured to fit comfortably in an operator &# 39 ; s hand . the handle 12 may also be shaped , textured , or covered with a non - slip material so that an operator may easily grip the handle securely with a minimum of slippage when the fairing removal tool is in use . the shaft 14 connects the handle 12 to the head 16 . the head 16 includes a prying radius 18 . while the fairing removal tool 10 of fig1 and 2 has a generally curved convex prying radius 18 , the fairing removal tool of the present invention is not limited to this configuration . the prying radius 18 may also have a flattened v - shape or other geometries suitable for providing a fulcrum or fulcrums necessary for effective prying . the prying radius 18 may include an effective prying area 24 and a prying relief 26 . the effective prying area 24 is the area of the head 16 that contacts the fairing as it is removed . contact points along the effective prying area 24 act as fulcrums as the fairing is pried from an inner strut . a more detailed discussion of fairing removal is provided below . in an exemplary embodiment , the effective prying area 24 will have a length approximately equal to the length of the bond between the fairing and the attached inner strut . in such an embodiment , the entire or nearly the entire effective prying area 24 can be utilized as a fulcrum during release of the bond joining the fairing and inner strut . the prying relief 26 is the area of the fairing removal tool head that does not directly contact the fairing during fairing removal . the head 16 also includes a hook 20 near the end of the head 16 distal the handle 12 and a notch 22 located between the hook 20 and the prying radius 18 . the hook 20 and notch 22 are configured to engage a downstream end of a fairing allowing an operator to pry and disengage the bond between the fairing and a joined inner strut , or a similar structure , bonded to the fairing . the hook 20 and notch 22 allow an operator to easily position the tool on a downstream end of a fairing . fig3 illustrates a fairing removal tool 10 engaged to a downstream end of a fairing 28 that is bonded to an inner strut 30 . the downstream end of the fairing is positioned within the notch 22 of the fairing removal tool during use . as fig3 illustrates , when the downstream end of the fairing 28 is engaged with the fairing removal tool 10 , the inner side of the fairing abuts the hook 20 and the end and outer sides of the fairing are located within the notch 22 . ideally , the hook 20 and notch 22 are configured so that when the fairing removal tool 10 is engaged to a downstream end of a first fairing 28 , an adjacent fairing 32 does not interfere with the shaft 14 and the handle 12 of the fairing removal tool as shown in fig3 . thus , an operator may both position the fairing removal tool on the downstream end of the fairing and operate the tool without interference from adjacent fairings . this is accomplished most easily near the outer diameter ring where adjacent struts 30 and fairings 28 , 32 are spaced apart farthest . closer to the central inner ring , however , the struts and fairings are closer together . in an exemplary embodiment , the hook 20 and notch 22 are configured so that even near the central inner ring , an adjacent fairing 32 does not interfere with the shaft 14 and the handle 12 of the fairing removal tool when engaged to a fairing . additionally , the hook 20 and notch 22 do not interfere with the first variable vanes 36 . the fairing removal tool acts as a first class lever . release of a bond 34 between a fairing 28 and an inner strut 30 is accomplished by first engaging a downstream end of the fairing 28 with the hook 20 and notch 22 of the fairing removal tool 10 as illustrated in fig3 and described above . once engaged , the operator applies force to the handle 12 or shaft 14 of the fairing removal tool 10 generally in a direction toward the longitudinal axis of the fairing 28 as shown in fig4 to pry the fairing away from the inner strut . as force is applied to the handle 12 or shaft 14 , the downstream end of the fairing 28 is pulled by the hook 20 away from the inner strut 30 . during prying , the downstream end of the fairing is pulled along the prying radius 18 . as the fairing is pulled , the bond 34 between the fairing 28 and inner strut 30 is released . in an exemplary embodiment , the length of the bond 34 is about equal to the length of the effective prying area 24 of the prying radius 18 . the length of the bond 34 between the fairing 28 and inner strut 30 is typically between about 2 inches ( 5 . 1 cm ) and about four inches ( 10 . 2 cm ). fig5 illustrates a view from an area of the engine inlet case downstream of the fairings where engagement of the fairing tool with a downstream end of a fairing has occurred and prying of the fairing has begun . the area of the fairing 28 engaged with fairing removal tool 10 has become separated from the inner strut 30 . areas of the fairing not directly engaged to the fairing removal tool but adjacent such areas have also separated from the inner strut , but to a lesser degree . due to the typical strength of the bond 34 between a fairing 28 and an inner strut 30 and the lengths of the fairing and inner strut , one instance of prying may be insufficient to release the bond 34 over the entire length of the inner strut . in these instances , it is necessary to repry the fairing at a different location along the length of the fairing . once the fairing has been pried at enough locations along its length , the bond 34 may be fully released . a fairing 28 is typically bonded to an inner strut 30 along both downstream sides ( fig3 and 4 ). thus , bonds 34 along both sides of the inner strut 30 must be released before the fairing 28 can be completely removed . the process described above is performed on both sides of the fairing 28 until both bonds 34 are released . once both bonds 34 are released , the operator may fully remove the fairing 28 from the inner strut 30 and the engine inlet case . dimensions of one exemplary embodiment of the fairing removal tool 10 are provided below . the description of this embodiment does not impose limitations on other possible configurations and dimensions of the fairing removal tool or its components , however . the overall length of one embodiment of the fairing removal tool is about eighteen inches ( 45 . 7 cm ). the lengths of the handle , shaft , and head are about four inches ( 10 . 16 cm ), ten inches ( 25 . 4 cm ), and four inches ( 10 . 16 cm ), respectively . the width of the head is about one inch ( 2 . 54 cm ). the depth of the notch 22 is about 0 . 1 inches ( 0 . 254 cm ) and the width of the notch 22 ( the distance from the hook to the prying radius ) is about 0 . 07 inches ( 0 . 178 cm ). the angle of the notch 22 relative to the longitudinal axis of the fairing removal tool 10 is about thirty degrees . the width of the head may affect the number of pries necessary to release the bondline between a fairing and an inner strut . thus , head widths between about 0 . 5 inches ( 1 . 27 cm ) and about two inches ( 5 . 08 cm ) may be suitable for smaller or larger engine inlet cases . the fairing removal tool and its components may be comprised of steel or any other materials strong enough to facilitate the fairing removal process . the configurations of the fairing , inner strut , and the fairing removal tool allow an operator to work from the front of the engine inlet without the need for the operator to position his hand downstream of the fairing . the design of the fairing removal tool also allows fairing removal without the need for removing engine inlet components downstream of the fairing and inner strut , such as the first row of variable vanes . the design of the fairing removal tool further allows an operator to engage in fairing removal from the ground or while on the wing of the aircraft near the engine inlet . although the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments , workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .

a fairing removal tool and a method of using the tool provide for an improved method of removing a fairing from an engine inlet case . the fairing removal tool employs a hook and notch to engage the fairing and release the bonds joining the fairing to an inner structural element of the inlet case .

as summarized above , this invention discloses means and methods for securing an all - terrain vehicle ( atv ) to a truck or trailer bed , so that the atv can be transported safely at high speeds on conventional roads or highways . all references herein to &# 34 ; high speeds &# 34 ; refer to speeds which equal or approach the maximum lawful speeds on conventional highways , such as about 50 to about 70 miles per hour ( about 80 to 110 kilometers per hour ). referring to the drawings , callout number 10 in fig1 refers to a &# 34 ; securing connector &# 34 ; assembly . such securing connectors , and the various components that are assembled to make these securing connectors , are commercially available , and can be purchased in automobile parts stores and in some hardware stores . for convenience , the discussion below will refer only to trailers . however , it should be understood that such comments are also generally applicable to trucks . securing connector 10 comprises a first eyehole flange 12 which is coupled to a threaded shaft 14 having a right - hand thread ( i . e ., when the shaft 14 is turned in the direction of the extended fingers on a right hand , the shaft will be driven in the direction of the outstretched right thumb , and will travel further into sleeve component 20 ). securing connector 10 also comprises a second eyehole flange 30 , which is coupled to a threaded shaft 32 having a left - hand thread . the sleeve component 20 is provided with accommodating internal threads at both ends . it is also provided with a means for rotating it with the aid of a wrench or other tool . in fig1 sleeve 20 is shown as a round cylinder , and the rotating means is shown as hole 22 , which passes through both opposed walls of the cylinder , so that a steel bar can be inserted through the holes and used to rotate the sleeve 20 . alternately , sleeve 20 can be provided with a wall portion which is square , hexagonal , or has any other desired non - circular shape , so that an open - end or adjustable wrench can be used to turn the sleeve . if the two eyehole flanges 12 and 30 are prevented from rotating , forcible rotation of the sleeve 20 will alter the length of the securing connector . rotation in one direction will pull both of the threaded shafts 14 and 32 into the sleeve 20 . this procedure will be used to tighten ( i . e ., shorten the length of ) the securing connector 10 , when an atv is being secured to a trailer for high - speed transport . conversely , rotation of the sleeve in the opposite direction will extend the two threaded shafts 14 and 32 , allowing the securing connector 10 to be removed from the tine pins when it is time to remove the atv from the trailer . in most cases , it will not be necessary to take extra steps to lock a securing connector at a specific level of tightness , after it has been tightened . they normally do not work loose quickly , and will stay sufficiently tight to provide adequate security and safety during most normal trips . however , if desired , a securing connector can be locked at a desirable level of tightness by any of several means , depending on the design of the sleeve . for example , if a hole is provided through both walls of a connector sleeve at a midpoint location , a clip can be inserted through the hole and attached to a short chain . the other end of the chain can be clipped to any suitable attachment point on the trailer , truckbed , or atv , to prevent the clip from being pulled away if the sleeve tries to rotate during travel . alternately , securing connectors are available with ratcheting mechanisms . such ratcheting mechanisms allow a sleeve to be tightened , but they require an additional step ( such as depressing a button , or moving a lever to a different position ) before a sleeve can be loosened . in one preferred embodiment , eyehole flange 12 contains an eyehole piece 16 which is mounted in a manner that allows it to rotate , or swivel , within the eyehole flange 12 . the eyehole piece 16 has a cylindrical orifice 18 passing through it , with a diameter slightly larger than the tine pins , to allow each eyehole piece 16 to be slid over a tine pin . in one possible embodiment , rotation of the eyehole piece can be unconstrained ; this type of eyehole piece would be made from a completely spherical ball , as shown in fig1 . in an alternate embodiment , the orifice 18 can be extended beyond the reach of the ball , by means of an extended sleeve - type device ; this type of eyehole piece would still be able to rotate a generous amount , but rotation would be constrained by the extended sleeve tips . the eyehole flange 30 at the opposite end of the connector device 10 also has a rotatable eyehole piece 34 , with an orifice 36 passing through it to hold a tine pin . this embodiment , with rotatable eyehole pieces 16 and 34 at both ends of a connector device 10 , is well - suited for minimizing abrasion and wear on the securing connectors and the tine pins . however , it should be recognized that various other clamps , hooks with spring - mounted closure devices , or other reversible connecting devices alternately can be used if desired , so long as they can interact properly with tine pins , closed eyelets , or other comparable attachment devices affixed to an atv and / or trailer or truckbed . for example , fig2 depicts an eyelet device 90 mounted on an atv , which interacts with a clamp - type hook 92 which has a threaded locking screw 94 passing through a threaded ear or lug component 96 on the shaft of hook 92 . the threaded shaft 98 of hook 92 interacts with the sleeve of a securing connector , in the manner previously described . such devices would likely cause higher levels of abrasion and wear ( compared to connectors with rotatable eyehole pieces ) on both the connector devices and on any securing eyelets or other devices mounted on an atv and a trailer or truckbed ; accordingly , they are not highly preferred , but can be used if desired . also , it should be recognized that while many common and inexpensive types of securing devices , such as hooks with spring - mounted closure devices , can provide adequate levels of tension on a connector device to pull an atv down toward the trailer or truck bed , they cannot provide a desirable level of protection against certain types of jarring and hammering forces that can occur during transport across a bumpy road . for example , if a wheel of a trailer carrying an atv hits a large pothole in a highway while travelling at high speed , the trailer bed will drop suddenly , as the wheel drops into the pothole . the atv will also drop , along with the trailer , pulled down by the tension on the connector pieces . however , an instant later , the trailer wheel will hit the far edge of the pothole , and the trailer bed will be jarred , possibly quite hard , in an upward direction . a securing connector ( such as a hook with a spring - mounted closure device ) that does not provide a rigid and secure attachment cannot prevent the atv from bouncing downward toward the trailer bed for an instant , while the atv suspension becomes even more compressed , losing the tension in the connecting device . an instant later , the atv will jerk back upward , hard , as the suspension springs of the atv try to force themselves back into a relaxed position . when this happens , the ascending atv will exert a &# 34 ; hammering &# 34 ; force on the attachment pins and the hook - type securing devices . in addition , this type of jerking motion can also cause any open - type hooks ( if attached to a chain , rope , bungee cord , etc .) to become unhooked , which poses a threat of complete loss of control over the atv , which might fall off of the trailer , severely damaging the atv and possibly causing a traffic accident . because of this factor , securing devices which provide rigid control of their length , and which equally resist both tension and compression , offer better protection than non - rigid devices ( such as hooks ) against the types of hammering forces that can be encountered on a highway with potholes or other uneven surfaces . preferred types of connectors ( which includes connectors with rotatable eyehole pieces at each end , as shown in fig1 ) will allow the larger and more heavy - duty suspension system of a trailer or truck to absorb and minimize the hammering - type shocks that might be encountered during transport . fig3 depicts a trailer tine pin assembly 40 that can be permanently affixed to a trailer or truckbed ( such as trailer 100 in fig4 ). this tine pin assembly 40 comprises a mounting plate 42 , which can be welded to a steel trailer component , and which can also be bolted to any suitable surface by means such as bolt holes 44 . pin support plate 46 is permanently affixed to mounting plate 42 , by means such as welding ( alternately , a plate assembly can be molded , forged , or formed by a hot bending process if desired ). a tine pin 48 is inserted through a hole in pin support plate 46 , and permanently affixed to the support plate 46 by means such as welding , preferably on both sides of the plate 46 . in general , smooth - surfaced tine pins should be used ; threaded pins are likely to become badly caked and coated with mud and dirt . tine pin 48 is provided with a plurality of spaced holes 50 along at least a portion of its length . this allows a retaining clip 52 to be inserted through one of the holes 50 , to ensure that the end of a securing connector 10 cannot slip off of a tine pin 48 while an atv is being transported . preferably , two tine pins should be mounted on an atv , preferably at or near the front and back ends of the atv , to provide good attachment points at opposing ends of the atv . the pins should be attached to semi - sheltered locations , so they will not create significant additional protrusions that might extend beyond the prior perimeter of the atv . suitable attachment points are available on any atv . for example , the front ends of most atv &# 39 ; s are provided with a so - called &# 34 ; front rack &# 34 ;, which is a lattice made of welded steel bars , that serves as a combination bumper and brush guard . a tine pin attachment plate can be securely attached to any such steel rack , using attachment means such as u - shaped bolts with threads on both ends . similarly , the back ends of most atv &# 39 ; s are ( or can be ) fitted with a trailer hitch , or at least a horizontal hitch plate , to allow the atv to be used as a towing vehicle in rough terrain . such front racks , trailer hitches , and various other structural components and attachments all offer good locations for mounting tine pin attachment plates to the front and rear of an atv . if desired , an owner or mechanic can drill two or more holes through a structural plate or other component , in order to provide additional flexibility for mounting a tine pin attachment plate in a suitable location on the front or back of an atv . since not all front racks or rear hitch plates will have exactly the same dimensions , a variety of tine pin attachment kits can be sold , if desired , to be retrofitted onto atv &# 39 ; s . each attachment kit can be designed and manufactured to fit one or more specific makes and models of atv &# 39 ; s . this would be comparable to buying any of several different types of headlight replacement bulbs , for various different makes and models of cars or trucks . in addition , if this method of securing atv &# 39 ; s for high - speed transport on highways is adopted by one or more manufacturers , front and rear tine pins can be provided by atv manufacturers either as standard equipment , or as an option which any purchaser can order . preferably , the tine pins should be attached to an atv at a location at each end which is above the axle of the atv , mounted on a component such as a front rack or a rear hitch plate . if the tine pins are attached at locations which are in effect , above the suspension system of the atv , two benefits can be provided . first , when the securing devices are tightened at both ends of the atv , the suspension springs of the atv will be compressed slightly . as the suspension springs resist this compression , they will exert a steady tension on the tightened securing devices . this can minimize repeated hammering - type shocks on the securing devices and the atv ; such low - level shocks , from irregularities in the road surface , will be absorbed and minimized by the suspension system of the trailer or truck . in addition , by exerting a pulling - down tension on the top structure of the atv , above the suspension , the risk of substantial swaying , rocking , and other lateral forces on the atv can be minimized . this can minimize the risk of a rollover during high crosswinds , sharp turns , and roads or other surfaces that slope steeply toward one side or the other . also , tine pins or other attachment devices designed to be affixed to a truckbed or trailer can be provided with means ( such as threaded ends , bayonet - type coupling devices , etc .) that will allow the attachment devices to be conveniently disconnected and removed , if they interfere with other desired uses of the truck or trailer . fig4 depicts a trailer 110 , with a platform 112 and an axle with a tire 114 mounted to each end of the axle . atv 100 is secured to trailer 110 by a front securing connector 10 and a rear securing connector ( not shown ). trailer 110 is a simplified depiction ; it does not show taillights , a front hitching device , or other components necessary for highway use . if desired , a wheel well 116 can be provided , and the bed component may be made of or covered by sheet metal , to reduce splattering of mud or water up from the highway onto the atv . this type of trailer can be towed behind any truck or automobile that has adequate power , using a conventional hitching device ( not shown ) welded to the front end of the trailer , which can be coupled during use to a trailer hitch mounted on the car or truck . if desired , the trailer can be provided with a ramp gate ( not shown ), attached to the rear end of the trailer bed 112 by means of hinges , so that the edge of the ramp gate can be lowered to the ground to provide an inclined ramp , to facilitate loading and unloading of the atv onto and off of the trailer . however , this is not essential , and boards can be used to provide such a ramp if desired . the trailer bed 112 can also be provided with guard railings around the periphery , if desired . alternately , the entire trailer can be enclosed with walls and a roof , if desired , to provide convenient closed storage for the atv , to protect the atv against the weather and reduce the risk of theft . accordingly , when the method of this invention is described in claim terminology , it comprises the following steps : a . rolling an all - terrain vehicle which has been provided with first and second rigid vehicular attachment components ( such as tine pins , as shown in fig3 and 4 ) at two opposed locations on the vehicle ( preferably at the front and back of the vehicle ; alternately , at the sides of the vehicle if desired ), onto a vehicular platform ( such as a truckbed , or a towable trailer ) which has been provided with at least two rigid platform attachment components ( such as tine pins ) at corresponding locations on the platform ; b . positioning the atv on the platform in a manner which places each vehicular attachment component in proximity to a platform attachment component ; c . coupling a first securing connector ( such as the turnbuckle device shown in fig1 ) having ( i ) a rigid shaft of adjustable length and ( ii ) first and second connecting components ( such as rotatable eyelets ) positioned at both opposed ends of the rigid shaft , to the first vehicular attachment component and to a proximately - positioned platform attachment component ; d . coupling a second securing connector having ( i ) a rigid shaft of adjustable length and ( ii ) first and second connecting components positioned at both opposed ends of the rigid shaft , to the second vehicular attachment component and to a proximately - positioned platform attachment component ; e . manipulating each of said first and second securing connectors in a manner which shortens its length , thereby exerting sustained tension on each of said first and second securing connectors , thereby pulling the atv in a downward direction in a manner which reduces motion of the atv relative to the platform when the platform is being towed , thereby allowing safe and secure transportation of the atv on the platform at a maximum lawful highway speed . this invention also discloses a kit , containing a total of four tine pins ( two will be mounted on the atv , and the other two will be mounted on the truck or trailer ), and two adjustable - length securing connectors , such as the devices shown in fig1 . a kit 200 is illustrated in fig5 containing four tine pin assemblies 40 and two connectors 10 . thus , there has been shown and described a new and useful means for securing an all - terrain vehicle on a trailer or truck , to allow high - speed transport of the atv across roads and highways . although this invention has been exemplified for purposes of illustration and description by reference to certain specific embodiments , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications , alterations , and equivalents of the illustrated examples are possible . any such changes which derive directly from the teachings herein , and which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention , are deemed to be covered by this invention , as claimed below .

an all - terrain vehicle can be secured to a truck or trailer bed , for transporting on roads or highways , using adjustable - length connectors with rigid shafts , rather than chains , ropes , or cables . two steel &# 34 ; tine pins &# 34 ; are securely mounted on opposed ends or sides of the atv . similar tine pins are also mounted on the bed of a trailer or truck used to carry the atv . the atv is loaded onto the trailer or truck , moved into position and secured by turnbuckle - type securing connectors which have adjustable lengths . unlike chains or ropes , these adjustable connectors become rigid and non - yielding after their lengths have been adjusted . an eyehole which accommodates a tine pin is provided at each end of each connector . the eyeholes should contain sleeve - type devices mounted in a rotating or swivelling manner , to allow the sleeves to fit snugly on the tine pins and minimize wear and abrasion on the tine pins and connectors during transport . after the connectors have been slid over the tine pins , they are tightened to exert tension on the connectors , which compresses the suspension of the atv . this system has been tested and provides excellent performance , allowing safe high - speed travel on highways , while allowing complete security and safety for the atv on a trailer or truck that is crossing rough or sloped roads or terrain .

the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the figures and particularly to fig1 . as seen in fig1 a sports shoe 10 is provided having a plurality of straps 12 , 14 and 16 that embody the invention and function as fasteners . the fasteners are shown in more detail in fig3 and it will be seen that the fasteners 12 - 16 extend transversely across a longitudinally extending opening 18 of conventional construction and location within the shoe 10 . below the opening 18 is the usual tongue 20 also of conventional construction . the side edges of the elongated opening 18 are designated 22 and 24 . the opening extends on the upper surface of the shoe from the portion adjacent to the ankle almost to the toe portion so that by spreading the opening apart one can easily place the foot in the shoe . this structure thus far described is conventional . sewn to the right hand side of the shoe 10 are a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart centrally extending straps 26 , 28 and 30 each held in place by a stitching 32 . the ends of the straps 26 - 30 are sewn to themselves at 34 and within the loops 36 thus formed are held elongated eyelets 38 each being about four to six times wider than its height and each having its longitudinal axis aligned with the longitudinal axis 40 of the shoe . the structure 26 - 38 thus far describes and comprises one - half of each fastener 12 - 16 , three of which are used in this case . the other half of each fastener comprises a second strap of fabric 42 sewn at 44 to the upper surface of the shoe opposite and in lateral alignment with the sections 26 , 28 and 30 respectively by means of suitable stitching or , if desired , attached in any other suitable way , for example , adhesive , rivets or the like . in any event , the fixed end portion 45 at the left of the shoe is securely fastened to the shoe surface . at this point the strap extends toward the opening 18 and passes through one of the aligned eyelets 38 as clearly shown in the figure . one surface which can be referred to as the outside surface of the strap 42 is coated with a sticky cloth composed of two component fabrics 46 and 48 former of which can comprise tufts or loops of fibers the latter hooks adapted to stick in the loops . these sticky cloth surfaces 46 and 48 are aligned one above the other when the free end 47 of the strap is pulled tight . then by applying downward pressure on the free end , the two sticky component fabrics 46 and 48 will become bonded together securely retaining the shoe on the foot by maintaining the strap under tension . it will be seen that this operation can be performed quickly with only one hand thereby saving time . moreover , since the eyelet 38 applies pressure longitudinally of the strap there is little opportunity for the bonded sections of the strap to be pulled apart . refer now to fig2 which illustrates another embodiment of the invention . in fig2 is shown a baseball shoe 60 having the usually elongated opening 62 and tongue 64 . extending across the opening 62 are a pair of fasteners 66 and 68 each of which comprises a strap having ends 70 composed of adjacent contacting surfaces of sticky cloth that are bonded together during use to maintain the fasteners 66 and 68 tight across the opening 62 . the straps 70 extend through eyelets 74 in the body of the shoe . thus the eyelets 74 in this case comprise openings in the shoe itself . refer now to fig4 which illustrates two different forms of fasteners in accordance with the invention in the same figure for simplicity of illustration . the top fastener 90 is the same as fasteners 70 of fig2 and will illustrate their construction in more detail . normally the two forms of straps shown in fig4 will not be used together on the same shoe although this can be done if desired . any of the eyelets can be composed of hard flexible rubber or plastic as well as from metal . in fig4 is shown the top of a shoe 80 having a central longitudinal opening 82 with aligned side edges 84 and 86 beneath which is the tongue 88 of the shoe . the top fastener designated 90 is the same as fasteners 70 already described in connection with fig2 . it consists of a single length of strap material 92 formed into a closed loop when in use having an inside surface 94 and outside surface 96 . the strap 92 extends through eyelets 74 aligned on either side of the opening 82 . the eyelets comprise metal rings mounted within openings in the material of the shoe itself so that the strap 92 extends through the rings and openings simultaneously . as shown in the figure , the central inner surface , i . e ., upwardly facing surface in this case , is composed of a sticky fabric material 98 . the ends of the strap 92 also have sticky fabric surfaces . at the end 100 is a sticky inside surface 101 facing downwardly , while end 102 has a sticky surface 104 facing upwardly and a sticky surface 103 facing downwardly . if the surface 98 at the center of the strap comprises fiber loops , then the downwardly facing surface 103 will comprise hooks . similarly , if the downwardly facing surfaces 101 , 103 both comprise loops , the upwardly facing surface 104 that is opposite loops adjacent to the free end 102 will comprise hooks . for simplicity of construction , the free end 102 is coated on both surfaces with the same sticky fabric comprising hooks while the centrally facing surfaces 98 and 101 comprise loops of fibers . to use the fastener , one simply draws the ends tight and applies finger pressure to the upper free end 100 thereby securing all three layers together at the center in the space between the edges of the opening 82 of the shoe . the lower strap 93 is in all respects similar to the strap 92 with the same numerals referring to corresponding parts . the only difference in this case is that another form of eyelet is used . the eyelet in this case is designated with the numeral 110 and is also illustrated in fig5 . each eyelet 110 is an elongated ring having a longitudinal axis 112 about four to eight times longer than its width and the longitudinal axis 112 is aligned with the longitudinal axis 114 of the shoe 80 . the eyelets 110 each comprise a metal ring with a downwardly extending mounting or securing lug 116 at its lower end . the securing lug 116 is attached in any suitable manner , for example , by sewing , riveting , or by means of a loop of fabric to the upper surface of the shoe so that the eyelet portion 112 extends upwardly from the surface in position to receive a segment of the strap 93 . a variety of methods of tacking or bonding the secured lug 116 to the surface of the shoe will be apparent to those skilled in the art . as best seen in fig4 two eyelets 110 are secured in lateral alignment on opposite sides of the opening 82 so that the strap 93 will be able to pass through them both . during use , the tension applied to the strap 93 will cause the eyelets to swing toward one another thereby exerting tension on the securing lugs which in turn pull parts of the shoe on opposite sides of the opening toward one another when the shoe is on the foot . turn now to fig6 which illustrates another embodiment of the invention . as shown in the figure , the upper portion of the shoe 120 is shown having three pairs of aligned eyelets 122 on opposite sides of a longitudinally extending opening 124 used to facilitate entry of the foot into the shoe and a tongue 127 of conventional construction . extending through the openings 122 which are each elongated and aligned with the longitudinal axis 125 of the shoe is a single strap 126 , the center portion of which is secured through the eyelets 122 closest to the toe of the shoe . from there , the strap is laced through each successive pair of openings or eyelets 122 proceeding toward the top of the shoe in a criss - cross manner similar to that used in conventional laces . however , in this case , one free end of the strap 126 is provided with a terminal eyelet 128 permanently secured through a loop 130 formed by sewing the end of the strap 126 to itself at 132 . the opposite end 134 of the strap 126 is provided with a sticky cloth composed of two components of different compositions distributed longitudinally from one another near the free end 134 , both components on the same surface . these sticky fabric components are designated 136 and 138 . for example , section 136 can comprise fiber loops while 138 will then comprise fiber hooks . by pulling tightly on the free end 134 after extending it though the ring 128 , one is able to tighten the strap to the desired degree . then by pressing the sticky fiber material 138 against the upwardly extending loops 136 one is able to exert tension on the strap sufficient to securely hold the shoe tightly on the foot . a number of variations can be employed in the invention . for example , if the invention is applied to a golf shoe , three of the fasteners of the type 12 , 14 , and 16 are preferably used . the fasteners are distributed longitudinally on the top of the shoe and extend transversely across the top . the straps comprise two portions in each case sewn on opposite sides of the shoe , all as shown in fig3 . the eyelets can be metal or plastic or , if desired , flexible rubber . while a variety of sticky fabrics can be employed , one of the best suitable fabrics is sold under the trademark velcro . if the invention is applied for use on a tennis , golf , track or football shoe , or if it is used on a running or baseball shoe , it is usually desirable to use two longitudinally spaced apart laterally extending straps arranged and shown in fig2 and 4 . as already described , the eyelets which can be formed from metal , plastic or flexible rubber are held in place within a permanent loop sewn on the end of the strap which is bonded or otherwise fixed to the surface of the shoe , for example , by being sewn in place . a piece of strap material that extends through the eyelet on the other side is coated with the velcro fabric in the manner already described in connection with fig1 and 3 . it will be seen that the invention is highly effective in providing a secure means of holding the shoe on the foot . since the tension exerted on the eyelets , 38 for example , is along the axis of the plane between the bonded layers 46 and 48 the tension will have little likelihood of unpeeling the bonded surfaces . moreover since the eyelets 38 , 74 , or 122 as the case may be , are much longer than they are wide , the strap material extending through them will have little tendency to become worn and at the same time will be held reliably in place , remaining parallel to the upper contour of the shoe . the eyelets 74 have the advantage of being mountable within openings of the shoe itself . therefore they require no separate means of attachment . the embodiment of fig6 has the advantage of requiring only a single strap . all embodiments can be tightened and released within the use of only one hand . many variations in the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art within the scope of the appended claims once the principles of the invention are understood .

a sports shoe is described in which the conventional laces are replaced by one or more straps having sticky cloth surfaces including two component fabrics of different composition adapted to stick together in the nature of the material sold under the trademark velcro . the strap is passed through an eyelet connected to one side of the shoe , folded back upon itself , pulled tight , and held together by means of the sticky cloth surfaces .

referring now to fig1 the reference numeral 1 designates a metal cabinet having an opening 2 on its front wall for insertion and withdrawal of the foodstuff . a door 3 is affixed to the front wall by means of a hinge to freely open and close the opening 2 . the oven cavity 4 is a rectangular box made of stainless steel or aluminium and is enclosed within the cabinet 1 . the foodstuff is placed in the oven cavity 4 . a magnetron ( not shown ) is coupled directly or via a waveguide with the oven 4 and activated to heat the foodstuff when the door 4 closes the opening 3 and a power switch is turned on . a timer 5 is installed on the front panel of the cabinet 1 and thus the magnetron is operative only during the period of time set by the timer 5 . a cook switch 6 supplies cooking start instructions after setting the timer 5 . a circular turntable 10 on which the foodstuff is mounted is positioned on the bottom wall 14 of the oven 4 cavity while a circular concave having a radius equal to or larger than the radius of the turntable 10 and of sufficient depth is formed on the bottom wall 14 . the turntable 10 is made up of low dielectric loss materials such as a ceramic or porcelain material . furthermore , it is preferable if the turntable is made of an inorganic material which is not weakened at the cooking temperatures . fig2 illustrates a first embodiment of the turntable 10 positioned on the bottom wall of the oven . a journal 13 is disposed in an aperture 12 formed in the center of the oven bottom 14 and a coupling shaft 17 driven by a speed reduction system 18 including motor 19 is inserted in the journal 13 . a square depression 16 is established in the head of the coupling shaft 17 to positively transmit the revolution force to the turntable 11 . thus , the turntable 11 is provided on the bottom portion thereof with a square swelling 15 adapted to fit in the square depression 16 . thus , the turntable 11 is removably installed on the coupling shaft 17 utilizing a combination of the depression 16 and the swelling 15 . freely rotating rollers 7 are affixed to the bottom wall 14 to movably support the turntable 11 at plural points . the turntable 11 supports and carries the foodstuff thereon as a foodstuff shelf to effect uniform heating and , after completion of the cooking process , is separated from the coupling shaft 17 so as to be utilized as a tableware , such as a dish or tray . for this reason the turntable 10 is further provided at its peripheral position with an annular projection 20 which extends to the same plane as the swelling 16 thereby preventing the turntable 10 from becoming unstable when it is removed from the oven 4 and placed on the dinning table . by providing the annular projection 20 on the bottom of the turntable 10 , an annular groove is provided on the top of the turntable 10 , serving as a drain for collecting the liquid ingredients from the foodstuff . the turntable 11 includes legs 20 a formed at a plurality of positions , for example , three positions equally dividing the whole length of the annular projection 20 into three substantially equal sections for stabilizing the turntable . see fig6 in this regard . in addition , in order that the stock or gravy from the foodstuff drops into the annular groove effectively , the central surface of the turntable 10 is made higher than the peripheral surface thereof . thus the peripheral surface is provided with a gradual inclination . in this way the turntable 10 may be utilized as a convenient cooking tray . a modification of the rotating drive system useful for the above mentioned turntable utilized both as shelf and a dish will now be described . fig3 illustrates a second embodiment of the driving mechanism which transmits the revolution force to the turntable according to the present invention wherein the turntable is removably coupled with the revolution force transmission system by utilizing the peripheral edge of the circular turntable . in this drawing a plurality of the rollers 7 which are disposed on the bottom wall 14 can rotate freely in the same way as the first embodiment and also functions to support the turntable 21 . a strut 23 secured at the center by a screw 22 supports or carries the central portion of the turntable 21 . the strut 23 merely carries the turntable an does not receive the revolution force . the turntable 21 is provided on the bottom portion thereof with a projection 24 in which the central strut 23 fits . a flat extension portion is provided around the annular groove formed in the turntable 21 , with teeth 25 which have a predetermined pitch as shown in fig7 . a transmission gear 27 having teeth spaced apart with the same pitch as that of the turntable teeth 25 and in engaging relationship therewith is deposited within the oven cavity . a rotary shaft 28 associated with the transmission gear 27 passes through a journal 29 tightly secured on the bottom wall 14 and protrudes from the oven wall to serve as a driving shaft for a pulley 30 . the revolution power from a motor is fed to the pulley 30 via a belt thereby rotating the turntable at a predetermined rate . the turntable and transmission gear may be mechanically coupled by friction coupling . it will be understood that the power transmission system is provided on the peripheral position and not on the central position in the second embodiment . in other words , the weight supporting mechanism and the power transmission mechanism are separated from each other and therefore the loads applied to the respective mechanism are remarkably reduced to minimize machine troubles . furthermore , since the turntable is provided at its peripheral edge with teeth to serve as a gearing of comparatively large radius , the reduction ratio of the power transmission is larger . as a result a multi - stage reduction gearing is not necessary . although the illustrated embodiment utilizes a pulley and belt , the rotary shaft of the transmission gear 27 may be directly coupled with the shaft of the motor . the flat brim portion of the turntable 21 having teeth 25 formed therein may be utilized as a grip to facilitate installation and removal of the turntable . the third embodiment of this invention will be described with reference to fig4 . a strut 37 supporting the turntable 31 at the central position thereof is tightly installed on the over bottom 14 by a bolt 38 , etc . in the same way as the first and second embodiments three rollers 32 , 32a is secured to the bottom wall 14 to effect stable movement of the turntable . the two rollers 32a are of the free rotating type and the remaining roller 32 is coupled with a power source to rotate the turntable 31 . a transmission roller 33 is positioned to contact the remaining roller 32 and its rotary shaft is joined directly or via a speed reduction 18 with a motor 19 disposed on the exterior of the oven 4 . when the motor 19 starts rotating , the revolution force is fed to the roller 32 contacting the transmission roller 33 and accordingly the turntable 31 is rotated at a fixed rate via the roller 32 as the strut 37 supports the central position thereof . the turntable 31 is especially shaped and adapted to the above driving mechanism and to be mounted on the rollers 32 , 32a and the strut 23 . the turntable 31 is provided at the periphery and at the bottom portion thereof with an annular projection 34 having the same radius as that of the three rollers 32 , 32a and further is provided at its central bottom position with a concave portion 35 adapted to receive the strut 37 . when the turntable 31 is installed , the strut 37 fits in the concave portion 35 and the annular projection 34 contacts the three rollers 32 , 32a . the turntable 31 is removable from the strut 37 and the rollers 32 , 32a and , when it is utilized as a cooking tableware , its annular projection 34 serves as a leg . the concave region 35 does not protrude from a plane containing the leg 34 . to ensure transmission between the roller 32 and the turntable 31 the surface of the annular projection 34 contacting the roller 32 is provided with a rough finish while the roller 32 is made of a material having a coefficient of friction or said roller is with a material having a large coefficient of friction . furthermore , the turntable 31 is provided with a raised edge 36 to contain the foodstuff when used as the tableware . the strut 37 is supported by a screw mechanism containing an upper bolt 38 and a lower bolt 39 and thus its height with respect to the bottom is adjustable . as described above , the third embodiment drives directly the bottom of the turntable so that the transmission mechanism is simplified and the gearing system can be disposed between the turntable and the oven bottom to effectively utilize the space of the oven cavity . moreover , steady rotation of the turntable can be effected even if the surface of the turntable is more or less finished rough because the strut 37 supporting the turntable 31 is height - adjustable . fig5 illustrates the fourth embodiment wherein the turntable and the roller are specially shaped and formed in order to omit the strut 37 used in the above embodiment . four rollers 42 , 42a are deposited at four corner of the oven 4 of which three rollers 42a are of free rotating type and only the remaining roller 42 is utilized as a power transmission gear . a transmission gear 43 coupled with a rotary shaft of a roller 42 within the oven is disposed on the exterior of the oven to transmit the revolution of the motor to the turntable 41 . the four rollers 42 , 42a are shaped to include a conical section and column section while the bottom of the turntable 41 is shaped to a flat section 44 and an inclination section 45 fitting and sliding along the conical and column sections respectively .

in a type of the microwave cooking apparatus provided with a turntable rotating foodstuffs within the oven cavity to effect uniform heating , the turntable is provided to freely couple with or separate from a power transmission system including a power source . in particular , the turntable is utilized as a foodstuff shelf within the oven cavity when the it is associated with the power transmission system and also is utilized as a cooking tray when it is removed from the power transmission system and desposed directly on a dining table .

water - soluble resinous materials useful for the invention may preferably obtained by copolymerizing at least one of ethylenic monomers and conjugated diolefinic monomers with at least one unsaturated carboxylic acid . among the useful ethylenic monomers , there are included monomers having 2 to 25 carbon atoms such as linear or branched olefins , e . g ., ethylene , propylene , butylene , etc . ; aromatic vinyl compounds , e . g ., styrene , vinyl toluene , halogen - substituted styrene , etc . ; vinyl cyanide compounds , e . g ., acrylonitrile , methacrylonitrile , etc . ; alkyl acrylates and methacrylates , e . g ., methylacrylate , butyl acrylate , methyl methacrylate , etc . ; vinyl ethers , e . g ., isopropyl vinyl ether , methyl vinyl eter , etc . ; vinyl halides , e . g ., vinyl chloride , vinylidene chloride , etc . ; and vinyl acetate . there are preferably used linear or branched olefins , aromatic vinyl compounds , alkyl acrylates and methacrylates . particularly ethylene , styrene , methylacrylate , butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate are most preferably used . among the conjugated diolefinic monomers , there are included monomers having 4 to 10 carbon atoms such as butadiene , isoprene , chloroprene , piperylene etc . butadiene is most preferably used . among the useful unsaturated carboxylic acids , there are included acrylic acid , methacrylic acid , crotonic acid , itaconic acid , maleic acid , fumaric acid etc . acrylic acid , methacrylic acid and maleic acid are preferably used . when the amount of the unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymerized is less than 30 % by weight on the basis of that of the copolymer , the coating film of the copolymer is soft and sticky . on the other hand , when the amount of the unsaturated carboxylic acid is more than 70 % by weight , the coating film becomes very hard to produce a roughened color developing layer and to degrade the quality of the resultant heat - sensitive record material . accordingly , the copolymer comprising 30 % to 70 % by weight of the unsaturated carboxylic acid unit is preferably used . as described above , according to the invention , water soluble resinous materials having carboxyl radicals are used . in order to achieve the advantages aimed by the invention , it is essential that the carboxyl radicals of the water - soluble resinous material are wholely or partly by at least 35 % of its total amount , neutralized by alkaline materials . the salt produced by neutralization must be a magnesium salt with and at least one another salt which is a member selected from the group consisting of sodium salt , potassium salt , ammonium salt and amine salt . the preferred another salt is sodium salt or potassium salt . the carboxyl radicals existing in the form of magnesium salt must be within the range of 30 to 80 %, preferably 40 to 70 % of the total carboxyl radicals and the carboxyl radicals existing in the form of another salt must be within the range of 5 to 70 % of the total carboxyl radicals . if the carboxyl radicals of the water - soluble resinous material are neutralized by more than 90 %, preferably , more than 95 % of its total amount , the so - called &# 34 ; fogging &# 34 ; or undesired incidental color developing can be prevented in addition to the above mentioned improvement in the water resistance and the continuous recordability . it is known to use as a binder sodium salts or ammonium salts of copolymers having carboxylic radicals . however , it has never been proposed to use a copolymer in which the carboxyl radicals are neutralized in the above specified manner to improve the water resistance and the continuous recordability of the resultant record material . the above specified water - soluble resinous material may be added in the color developing layer in an amount of 10 to 40 % preferably 15 to 30 % by weight on dry basis of the total amount of the solid components of the color developing layer . the other usual binders such as polyvinyl alcohol , methylcellulose , hydroxyethylcellulose , styrene - butadiene latex and the like may also be added , if required and in an amount within such the range as not sacrificing the advantages obtained according to the invention . there is no limitation about the amount of the other binders used but usually it will be within the range of two parts by weight or less , preferably one part by weight or less per part by weight of the specified water - soluble resinous material . among examples for the combination of color former and acceptor included in the color developing layer according to the invention , there are included the combination of basic colorless chromogenic material with inorganic or organic acidic material and the combination of metal salt of long chain fatty acid , e . g ., ferric stearate , ferric myristate and the like with phenol , e . g ., tannic acid , gallic acid and the like . the former combination is preferred for obtaining stable record images . any of various known colorless chromogenic materials may be used for the present invention . among them there are included , by way of examples , 3 , 3 - bis ( p - dimethylaminophenyl )- 6 - dimethylaminophthalide ( cvl ), 3 , 3 - bis ( p - dimethylaminophenyl ) phthalide , 3 -( p - dimethylaminophenyl )- 3 -( 1 , 2 - dimethylindole - 3 - yl ) phthalide , 3 -( p - dimethylaminophenyl )- 3 -( 2 - methylindole - 3 - yl ) phthalide , 3 , 3 - bis ( 1 , 2 - dimethylindole - 3 - yl )- 5 - dimethylaminophthalide , 3 , 3 - bis ( 1 , 2 - dimethylindole - 3 - yl )- 6 - dimethylaminophthalide , 3 , 3 - bis -( 9 - ethylcarbazole - 3 - yl )- 5 - dimethylaminophthalide , 3 , 3 - bis -( 2 - phenylindole - 3 - yl )- 5 - dimethylaminophthalide , 3 - p - dimethylaminophenyl - 3 -( 1 - methylpyrrole - 2 - yl )- 6 - dimethylaminophthalide , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis - dimethylaminobenzhydrinebenzylether , n - halophenyl - leucoauramine , n - 2 , 4 , 5 - trichlorophenyl - leucoauramine , rhodamine - b - anilinolactam , rhodamine -( p - nitroanilino ) lactam , rhodamine -( p - chloroanilino ) lactam , 7 - dimethylamino - 2 - methoxyfluoran , 7 - diethylamino - 2 - methoxyfluoran , 7 - diethylamino - 3 - methoxyfluoran , 7 - diethylamino - 3 - chlorofluoran , 7 - diethylamino - 3 - chloro - 2 - methylfluoran , 7 - diethylamino - 2 , 3 - dimethylfluoran , 7 - diethylamino -( 3 - acetylmethylamino ) fluoran , 7 - diethylamino -( 3 - methylamino ) fluoran , 3 , 7 - diethylaminofluoran , 7 - diethylamino - 3 -( dibenzylamino ) fluoran , 7 - diethylamino - 3 -( methylbenzylamino ) fluoran , 7 - diethylamino - 3 -( chloroethylmethylamino ) fluoran , 7 - diethylamino - 3 -( diethylamino ) fluoran , 2 - phenylamino - 3 - methyl - 6 -( n - ethyl - n - p - toluyl ) amino - fluoran , benzoylleucomethylene blue , p - nitrobenzyl - leucomethylene blue , 3 - methyl - spirodinaphtopyrane , 3 - ethyl - spiro - dinaphthopyrane , 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- dichloro - spirodinaphthopyrane , 3 - benzylspiro - dinaphthopyrane , 3 - methyl - naphtho -( 3 - methoxy - benzo )- spiropyrane and 3 - propyl - spiro - dibenzopyrane . the above colorless chromogenic materials may be used either solely or in combination . the acidic material as acceptor may be either or organic or inorganic . among organic acidic materials as acceptor there are included phenolic compounds , aromatic carboxylic acids and their polyvalent metal salt . typical phenolic compounds which can be used as acceptor are : 4 - tert - butylphenol , 4 - hydroxydiphenoxide , α - naphthol , β - naphthol , 4 - hydroxyacetophenol , 4 - tert - octylcatechol , 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- dihydroxydiphenol , 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- methylene - bis ( 4 - methyl - 6 - tert - isobutylphenol ), 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isopropylidene - bis -( 2 - tert - butylphenol ), 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- sec - butylidenediphenol , 4 - phenylphenol , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isopropylidenediphenol ( bisphenol a ), 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- methylene - bis ( 4 - chlorophenol ), hydroquinone , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- cyclohexylidenediphenol , novolak phenol resin and other phenol polymers . typical aromatic carboxylic acids which can be used as acceptor are : aromatic carboxylic acids , for example , benzoic acid , o - toluylic acid , m - toluylic acid , p - toluylic acid , p - tert - butylbenzoic acid , o - chlorobenzoic acid , p - chlorobenzoic acid , dichlorobenzoic acid , trichlorobenzoic acid , phthalic acid , isophthalic acid , terephthalic acid , 2 - carboxybiphenyl , 3 - carboxybiphenyl , m - hydroxybenzoic acid , p - hydroxybenzoic acid , anisic acid , p - ethoxybenzoic acid , p - propoxybenzoic acid , p - benzyloxy benzoic acid , p - phenoxybenzoic acid , gallic acid , anthranilic acid , m - aminobenzoic acid , p - aminobenzoic acid , phthalic acid monoamide , phthalic acid monoanilide , 3 - isopropyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoic acid , 3 - sec - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoic acid , 3 - cyclohexyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoic acid , 3 - phenyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoic acid , 3 - benzyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoic acid , 3 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - hydroxybenzoic acid , 3 , 5 - dichloro - 4 - hydroxybenzoic acid , trimellitic acid , pyromellitic acid , α - naphthoic acid , β - naphthoic acid , tetrachlorophthalic acid , 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- dicarboxydiphenyl , salicylic acid , o - cresotinic acid , m - cresotinic acid , p - cresotinic acid , 3 - ethylsalicylic acid , 4 - ethylsalicylic acid , 3 - isopropyl - salicylic acid , 3 - sec - butylsalicylic acid , 5 - sec - butyl - salicylic acid , 3 - tert - butylsalicylic acid , 3 - cyclohexyl - salicylic acid , 5 - cyclohexylsalicylic acid , 3 - phenyl - salicylic acid , 5 - phenylsalicylic acid , 3 - benzylsalicylic acid , 5 - benzylsalicylic acid , 5 - tert - octylsalicylic acid , 3 -( α - methylbenzyl ) salicylic acid , 5 -( α - methylbenzyl )- salicylic acid , 3 - nonylsalicylic acid , 5 - nonylsalicylic acid , 5 -( α , α - dimethylbenzyl )- salicylic acid , 3 - chlorosalicylic acid , 5 - chlorosalicylic acid , 3 - hydroxy - salicylic acid , 4 - hydroxysalicylic acid , 5 - hydroxy - salicylic acid , 6 - hydroxy salicylic acid , 3 - methoxysalicylic acid , 3 - ethoxysalicylic acid , 4 - methoxysalicylic acid , 5 - methoxysalicylic acid , 5 - benzyloxysalicylic acid , 5 - octoxysalicylic acid , 3 , 5 - dichlorosalicylic acid , 3 - chloro - 5 - methylsalicylic acid , 3 - chloro - 5 - ethylsalicylic acid , 3 - chloro - 5 - isopropylsalicylic acid 3 - chloro - 5 - tert - butylsalicylic acid , 3 - chloro - 5 - cyclohexylsalicylic acid , 3 - chloro - 5 - phenylsalicylic acid , 3 - chloro - 5 -( α - methyl - benzyl ) salicylic acid , 3 - chloro - 5 -( α , α - dimethylbenzyl )- salicylic acid , 3 - chloro - 5 - chlorosalicylic acid , 3 , 5 - dimethylsalicylic acid , 3 - methyl - 5 - tert - butylsalicylic acid , 3 - isopropyl - 5 - tert - butylsalicyclic acid , 3 - isopropyl - 5 - cyclohexylsalicylic acid , 3 - isopropyl - 5 -( α - methylbenzyl )- salicylic acid , 3 - isopropyl - 5 -( α , α - dimethylbenzyl )- salicylic acid , 3 - sec - butyl - 5 - tert - butylsalicylic acid , 3 - tert - butyl - 5 - cyclohexylsalicylic acid , 3 - tert - butyl - 5 -( 4 - tert - butylphenyl ) salicylic acid , 3 -( 4 &# 39 ;- tert - octyl - phenyl )- 5 - tert - octylsalicylic acid , 3 -{ 4 &# 39 ;-( α , α - dimethyl - benzyl ) phenyl }- 5 -( α , α - dimethylbenzyl ) salicylic acid , 3 , 5 - di - α - methylbenzylsalicylic acid , 3 , 5 - di - α , α - dimethylvenzylsalicylic acid , 3 - phenyl - 5 - α , α - dimethylbenzylsalicylic acid , 3 - hydroxysalicylic acid , 1 - hydroxy - 2 - carboxynaphthalene , 1 - hydroxy - 2 - carboxy - 4 - isopropylnaphthalene , 1 - hydroxy - 2 - carboxyl - 7 - cyclohexylnaphthalene , 5 -( 4 &# 39 ;- hydroxybenzyl ) salicylic acid , 5 -( 3 &# 39 ;- carboxyl - 4 &# 39 ;- hydroxybenzyl ) salicylic acid and 3 -( α , α - dimethylbenzyl )- 5 -{ 3 &# 39 ;- carboxyl - 4 &# 39 ;- hydroxy - 5 -( α ,. alpha .- dimethylbenzyl ) benzyl } salicylic acid . polymers of the above mentioned aromatic carboxylic acids with aldehydes or acetylene are also useful . in addition , various polyvalent metal salts of the above mentioned phenolic compounds and aromatic carboxylic acids ( including their polymers with aldehydes or acetylene ) are also useful as acceptor . among the polyvalent metals which can form such metallic salts like this there are included magnesium , aluminum , calcium , titanium , chromium , manganese , iron , cobalt , nickel , copper , zinc , silver , cadmium , tin and barium . preferred metals are zinc , magnesium , aluminum and calcium . among useful inorganic acidic materials as acceptor there may be included activated clay , acid clay , attapulgite , bentonite , colloidal silica , aluminum silicate , magnesium silicate , zinc silicate , tin silicate , calcined kaolin and talc . the above enumerated acceptors may be used either solely or in combination . there is no special limitation about the composition ratio of the color former and the acceptor . in case where the combination of a basic colorless chromogenic material with an acidic material is used , the amount of the acceptor is usually within the range of 1 to 50 parts by weight , preferably 4 to 10 parts by weight , per one part by weight of colorless chromogenic material . the color developing layer of a heat sensitive record material according to the invention may be formed by any conventional method . typically it may be formed by preparing an admixture of color former and acceptor , pulverizing the admixture into finely divided particles utilizing attritor , sand mill , ball mill or any other pulverizer , preparing a coating composition in which color former particles and acceptor particles are dispersed , adding to the coating composition the above mentioned specified binder and by coating a suitable base sheet with the thus prepared coating composition . after the coating the sheet may be subjected to a calendering step for smoothening the coated surface of the sheet . in the coating composition various additives may also be added . among the additives , for example , there are included pigments having a good oil - absorbability in order to prevent the heat - sensitive record material from being stuck in contact with stylus of recording head ; surfactants such as sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate ; ultraviolet ray absorbing agents such as benzophenone derivatives and triazol derivatives ; sensitivity moderators such as stearic acid amide , palmitic acid amide and 2 , 6 - diisopropylnaphthalene ; releasing agents such as zinc stearate and aluminum stearate ; fluorescent dyes and coloring dyes . as for the base sheet , paper , plastic film , synthetic paper , and metal film may be used , but paper is used most preferably from the economical viewpoint and the coating receptivity . the amount of coating composition applied to form a color developing layer , though not particularly limited , usually is 2 - 15 g / m 2 , preferably 3 - 12 g / m 2 on dry basis . the following examples serve to illustrate the invention in more detail although the invention is not limited to the examples . unless otherwise indicated , parts and % signify parts by weight and % by weight , respectively . ______________________________________2 - phenylamino - 3 - methyl - 6 -( n - ethyl - n - p - tolyl ) 25 partsaminofluoranstearic acid amide 10 parts5 % aqueous solution of methylcellulose 35 partswater 105 parts______________________________________ pulverization was continued until an average particle size of 3 microns . ______________________________________4 , 4 &# 39 ; isopropylidene - diphenol ( bisphenol a ) 100 partsstearic acid amide 40 parts5 % aqueous solution of methylcellulose 140 partswater 420 parts______________________________________ pulverization was continued until an average particle size of 3 microns . a dispersion was obtained by mixing and agitating the following components : ______________________________________a liquid 175 partsb liquid 700 partssilicon oxide (&# 34 ; syloid no . 74 &# 34 ; manufactured by 100 partsfuji - davidson chemical ) styrene - butadiene copolymer latex 70 parts (&# 34 ; dow latex 1571 &# 34 ; manufactured by dow chemicalcompany , solid content : 50 %) water 550 parts______________________________________ 500 parts of 20 % aqueous solution of a water - soluble resin which was made from the monomers as shown in table 1 and neutralized in the neutralization ratio as shown in table 1 was added to the above dispersion to prepare a coating composition . the coating composition was coated on a base sheet of 50 g / m 2 in the weight of an amount of 8 . 0 g / m 2 on dry basis to obtain a heat - sensitive record material . ______________________________________crystal violet lactone ( cvl ) 25 parts10 % aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol 25 partswater 75 parts______________________________________ pulverization was continued until an average particle size of 3 microns . ______________________________________4 , 4 &# 39 ;- cyclohexylidene - diphenol 80 parts4 , 4 &# 39 ;- methylidene - diphenol 20 parts10 % aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol 100 partswater 300 parts______________________________________ pulverization was continued until an average particle size of 3 microns . a dispersion was obtained by mixing and agitating the following components : ______________________________________a liquid 125 partsb liquid 500 partspolyethylene (&# 34 ; hi - wax &# 34 ; manufactured by mitsui 250 partspetrochemical industries , ltd . solid content : 20 %) kaolin (&# 34 ; ultra white 90 &# 34 ; manufactured by engelhard 500 partsminerals & amp ; chemicals corporation ) ______________________________________ to the dispersion there was added 800 parts of 20 % aqueous solution of a water - soluble resin obtained by copolymerizing the monomers as shown in table 2 and neutralizing the carboxyl radicals of the resultant copolymer to 70 % of magnesium salt and 30 % of sodium salt to prepare a coating composition . the coating composition was coated on a base sheet of 50 g / m 2 in the weight of an amount of 5 g / m 2 on dry basis to obtain a heat - sensitive record material . the properties of the fourteen heat - sensitive record materials obtained by the above examples and controls were examined with the following methods . all - mark image was recorded on the heat - sensitive record materials with the use of practical heat - sensitive facsimile kb - 600 ( manufactured by tokyo shibaura electric co ., ltd .) for one minute . the applied voltage was 19 v , dot density of thermal head was 5 dots / mm and line density was 4 lines / mm . the resultant sticking on the surface was checked . the color density of the obtained images was measured by macbeth densitometer model no . rd - 100r ( manufactured by macbeth corporation ). as to water resistance , the images were rubbed with the finger wetted with water five times in the same condition and the color density of the rubbed images was measured . additionally , the brightness of the color developing layer was measured by hunter multipurpose deflect meter ( according to jis p 8123 ) to determine the fogging . these results are shown in table 3 . as shown in table 3 , the heat - sensitive record materials obtained in examples according to the invention are superior in both of water resistance and continuous recordability and substantially are not fogged . table 1__________________________________________________________________________ neutralization ratio of carboxylmonomers (%) radicals (%) methyl methacrylic maleic magne - styrene acrylate acid acid sium sodium potassium ammonium__________________________________________________________________________control 1 30 10 60 100control 2 30 10 60 10 80example 1 30 10 60 40 60example 2 30 10 60 70 30example 3 50 10 40 70 25control 3 50 10 40 40 25example 4 40 60 50 30 10example 5 50 50 80 20__________________________________________________________________________ table 2______________________________________monomers (%) butyl methyl - metha - sty - ethy - acry - metha - but - acrylic cyrlicrene lene late crylate adiene acid acid______________________________________con - trol 4 30 10 40 20ex - ample 6 40 10 10 40ex - ample 7 30 10 60ex - ample 8 40 60ex - ample 9 30 10 60ex - ample 10 30 10 60______________________________________ table 3______________________________________ color watersticking density resistance brightness (%) ______________________________________control 1 o 0 . 80 0 . 11 73control 2 δ 0 . 80 0 . 13 70example 1 o 0 . 80 0 . 75 73example 2 o 0 . 81 0 . 79 78example 3 o 0 . 80 0 . 77 72control 3 × 0 . 81 0 . 70 58example 4 o 0 . 80 0 . 78 73example 5 o 0 . 81 0 . 80 70control 4 ×× 0 . 80 0 . 77 70example 6 o 0 . 80 0 . 77 72example 7 o 0 . 80 0 . 75 72example 8 o 0 . 81 0 . 76 70example 9 o 0 . 80 0 . 75 71example 10 o 0 . 80 0 . 75 70______________________________________ ( note )- 1 . sticking : o sticking was never found . δ the sound of sticking wa recognized but the color images were stable . × the loud sound of sticking was heard and the change of the color images was recognized . ×× sticking was very hard . the continuous recording was stopped early , lest the recording head should be damaged . 2 . color density : the larger the number , the higher or more preferable th density . 3 . water resistance : the larger the number , the fewer the peeling of the color developing layer and the more preferable the water resistance . 4 . brightness : the larger the number , the more superior the brightness an the fewer the fogging .

the heat - sensitive record material comprises a base sheet and a color developing layer formed on at least one surface of said base sheet , said color developing layer comprising electron donating color forming material and acceptor reactive with said color forming material to develop a color , said color developing layer further including as a binder water soluble resinous material having carboxyl radicals , partly in the form of magnesium salt and partly in the form of another salt .

referring now to the drawings , fig1 illustrates a drive system 10 that includes a milner ball variator 12 , and two planetary gearsets 14 , 16 . an engine 18 is connected to the gearset 16 . a pulley 20 is connected to gearset 16 . the milner ball variator 12 , two planetary gearsets 14 and 16 , and the pulley 20 are concentric with the engine crankshaft centerline 33 . a pulley 22 is driveably connected to an electric machine 24 . a drive belt 23 driveably connects pulleys 20 and 22 and other vehicle accessories of the fead . the pulleys 20 and 22 and drive belt 23 provide a fixed speed relationship between the electric machine 24 and pulley 20 . the electric machine is an electromagnetic device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy to charge the battery and power the vehicle &# 39 ; s electric system when its engine is running . in this mode , it replaces the alternator that is more conventionally used . it also converts electrical energy to mechanical energy to drive the vehicle accessories of the fead when the engine is stopped as well as to restart the engine when required . the milner ball variator 12 includes spherical balls 26 and is a type of variable geometry , 4 - point contact ball bearing . the inner race is divided in two parts 28 , 29 , and the outer race is divided in two parts 30 , 31 . by varying the axial distance between the parts of the outer race 30 , 31 the distance between the parts of the inner race 28 , 29 changes and the balls 26 are displaced radially between the inner and outer races . as the position of the balls change relative to the races , the location of the contact between the balls 26 and the races varies , thereby changing the speed ratio of the variator . as used in this description , the inner race 28 , 29 is the input to the variator 12 , the outer race 30 , 31 is grounded at 32 against rotation preferably on a case or chassis , and the ball carrier 34 , which rotates about axis 33 , is the variator output . the output speed of variator 12 is always less than the speed of its input 28 , 29 . planetary speed change gearset 14 includes a sun gear 36 , secured to the inner races 28 , 29 ; a grounded ring gear 38 , a carrier 40 , and a set of planet pinions 42 supported for rotation on the carrier 40 and in meshing engagement with the sun gear 36 and ring gear 38 . planetary mixing gearset 16 includes a sun gear 44 , secured to the ball carrier 34 ; a ring gear 46 , driveably connected to the shaft 48 of the engine 18 ; a carrier 50 ; and a set of planet pinions 52 supported for rotation on the carrier 50 and in meshing engagement with the sun gear 44 and ring gear 46 . carriers 40 and 50 are secured mutually and are , driveably connected to pulley 20 . the variator 12 in combination with two planetary gearsets 14 , 16 comprise a transmission that produces an infinitely variable speed ratio . beta , the ratio of the ring gear pitch diameter and the sun gear pitch diameter of a planetary gearset , is chosen for planetary gearsets 14 and 16 so that , when used with the available speed ratio range of the variator 12 , the overall speed ratio of the engine 18 to the pulley 20 can be varied between 0 and 1 , or slightly more than 1 . fig2 shows the betas of gearsets 14 , 16 . the engine 18 can be smoothly restarted by the electric machine 24 by changing the speed ratio of the drive system 10 from 0 to about 1 : 1 , which is accomplished by changing the speed ratio of the variator 12 from 0 . 625 towards 0 . 24479 . the speed ratio of the variator 12 is defined as the speed of ball carrier 34 divided by the speed of the variator &# 39 ; s inner race 28 , 29 and sun gear 36 . when the engine 18 is driving the electric machine 24 , the speed ratio of variator 12 is preferably 0 . 24479 . in this condition , inner race 28 , 29 and sun gear 36 rotate 4 . 0851 times faster than carriers 40 , 50 and pulley 20 rotate . the electric machine 24 can drive the vehicle accessories , such as the air conditioning system compressor and power steering pump , through the fead when the engine 18 is stopped . as fig3 shows , when the variator speed ratio is 0 . 62500 and the electric machine is driven in rotation by the vehicle &# 39 ; s battery , engine speed is zero . when axial positions of the inner race 28 , 29 and outer race 30 , 31 of the variator are controlled such the variator &# 39 ; s speed ratio decreases to 0 . 43490 , the engine speed increases to one - half the speed of pulley 20 . when the variator &# 39 ; s speed ratio decreases to 0 . 24479 , the engine speed is equal to the speed of pulley 20 . when the variator speed ratio decreases to 0 . 15625 , the engine is overdriven at a speed that is 1 . 2329 time the speed of pulley 20 . also the engine 18 can drive the pulley 20 at a variable speed ratio , from about 1 : 1 to an overdrive speed at which the pulley 20 rotates faster than engine 18 . as fig3 shows , when the variator speed ratio is 0 . 35885 and the engine is driving , the pulley 20 is overdriven relative to the engine at a speed that is 1 . 4286 times engine speed , and the speed of the sun gear 36 and the inner race 28 , 29 is 5 . 8359 times the speed of the engine 18 . when the variator speed ratio increases to 0 . 47292 and the engine is driving , the pulley 20 is overdriven relative to the engine at a speed that is 2 . 500 times engine speed , and the speed of the sun gear 36 and the inner race 28 , 29 is 10 . 2128 times the speed of engine 18 . fig4 shows the system 10 with a one - way clutch 60 producing a one - way drive connection between the carrier 40 of speed change gearset 14 , which is driveably connected to the pulley 20 , and the engine shaft 48 . in this case , when the engine 18 is running , pulley 20 is driven directly through the one - way clutch 60 at a 1 : 1 ratio , thereby eliminating variator and gearing efficiency losses when the electric machine only needs to be driven by the engine at engine speed . the pulley 20 could still be overdriven relative to the engine as necessary . if a one - way clutch 60 is used , the alternate driving o / d operation shown in fig3 , in which engine 18 is being driven by the pulley 20 at a speed greater than that of the electric machine is not available , and the variator speed ratio cannot be lower than 0 . 24479 for the preferred beta ratios of the planetary gearsets 14 , 16 . the drive system allows engine 18 to remain at zero speed while electric machine 24 is driving the vehicle accessories , permits the electric machine to drive the engine up to its starting speed when an engine restart is required , and allows the engine to drive both the electric machine and accessories under normal driving conditions . in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes , the preferred embodiment has been described . however , it should be noted that the alternate embodiments can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described .

a drive system includes a pulley , an engine , a variator for varying a ratio of an output speed and an input speed , a gearset including a first and second components driveably connected to the engine and pulley , respectively , and a third component connected to the output , and a second gearset for increasing an input speed relative to an pulley speed .

referring to the drawings , fig1 is a block diagram of the steps involved in exemplary process for making a reduced cte composite structure . the first step shown in block a is to provide a matrix material whose cte in one or more dimensions is to be constrained . the matrix material will typically have a positive cte . the matrix material can be a metal , polymer , plastic , ceramic , glass or epoxy material . in a preferred application it is a metal , such as copper , having desirable heat sink properties but an undesirably large cte for important applications . the matrix material can be a block with machined holes , a porous block or even a collection of rods or an aggregation of powder . the next step shown in block b is to add , within the matrix material , bodies of a negative cte material . this can be accomplished in a variety of ways . if the matrix has machined holes , the negative cte material can be added as rods , bars , strips or wires . preferably the bodies are roughened , shaped or serrated to facilitate strong mechanical coupling with the matrix material . roughness or serrations can be produced by machining , grinding , shot blasting , patterned etching or the like . if the matrix material is a powder , the low cte material can be added as shaped bodies or a powder . the negative cte material advantageously has a large negative cte of at least ( in a negative value ) − 0 . 1 ppm /° c ., preferably at least − 5 ppm /° c ., even more preferably at least − 20 ppm /° c . an example of such an advantageous alloy is ni — ti with a composition near 56 wt % ni and 44 % ti . the desirable serration or roughness on the surface of the negative cte bodies has a depth of at least 1 % of the thickness or width of the negative cte body , and preferably at least 5 % of the thickness or the width . alternatively , one can use a geometrically nonlinear ( bent ) configuration of the negative cte rods , wires or flakes . desirably , at least a portion of the length of the negative cte body is bent by at least 20 degrees in at least one location . the bending can be straight , curved , random or a mixture of these in any given composite . such a bent configuration provides enhanced mechanical coupling of the two materials during thermal expansion or contraction of the composite . fig2 a through 2f illustrate typical bodies of matrix material 20 to which shaped negative cte bodies 22 have been added . the third step ( block c ) is to mechanically couple the matrix material with the negative ( te material so as to reduce the cte of the composite structure . the mechanical coupling can be achieved by mechanical deformation of the composite structure . compressive deformation provides compaction , reduced dimension and ensures strong mechanical coupling of the component materials . for example , a matrix body containing serrated rods can be plastically deformed as by press - forming or plate rolling . fig3 illustrates the step whereby a composite body 20 of matrix material 21 and negative cte bodies 22 is deformed by the rollers 23 of a rolling mill to produce a composite structure 24 with strong mechanical coupling between the components . alternatively , the structure can be deformed by rod processing such as swaging , rod rolling or wire drawing . fig4 shows deformation wherein the composite body 20 is deformed by a size reducing drawing die 30 . if the matrix material is not plastically deformable as in the case of polymer , plastic , ceramic or epoxy glass material , a tight coupling can be achieved using thermal differential contraction , e . g ., by inserting the negative cte body into holes in the matrix material at a temperature higher than the maximum anticipated service temperature ( preferably 50 ° c . higher ). during cooling , the matrix material will shrink while the negative cte body will expand , leading to mechanical locking . curing or solidification of liquid matrix ( e . g ., uncured epoxy ) with the negative cte bodies embedded therein will produce a similar locking effect . the composite material containing the negative cte bodies is expected to have highly anisotropic mechanical and thermal expansion properties . the cte reduction occurs in the direction of alignment of the negative cte bodies , and hence they are preferably arranged along the direction of thermal expansion to be managed . if a two - dimensional , three - dimensional , or isotropic reduction of cte is needed , the negative cte bodies can be arranged either at an inclined angle or a diagonal angle ( in a three - dimensional rectangular body ). subsequent deformation and compaction will result in either two - dimensional ( x - y , y - z , x - z ) or three - dimensional ( x - y - z ) reduction the cte of the matrix material . fig5 illustrates the effect of deformation on a composite body 20 with inclined bodies 22 to produce a composite structure 24 having reduced cte in at least two dimensions . instead of inserting rods of the negative cte material in the matrix preform , a multitude of rods , bars or strips of matrix material ( positive cte elements ) and rods , bars or strips of negative cte material can be bundled together , placed in a metallic jacket , e . g . of the positive cte material , and uniaxially deformed by rod drawing , swaging , rolling , etc . yet another method of fabricating the composite structure is to use a powder metallurgy processing . for example , powders of cu and powders of the negative cte material ( e . g . ti — ni ) can be co - compacted , sintered , or uniaxially deformed ( by rolling or rod drawing and roll flattening ) to produce a composite with anisotropically reduced cte . a random distribution of elongated particles or short fibers in the preform produces , after deformation , nearly isotropic cte reduction . the composite structure as processed by plastic deformation may be given a post - annealing heat treatment , if desired , to relieve residual stress . fig6 a illustrates deformation of a powdered composite body 20 to produce a composite structure 24 of anisotropic cte . fig6 b illustrates deformation to produce a structure 24 of isotropic cte . fig7 illustrates the preferred application of the invention to produce a semiconductor device 60 with an improved heat sink 61 . the semiconductor device 60 can comprise a microelectronic circuit or an active optical device 62 on a semiconductor substrate 63 . the heat sink 61 can be fabricated in accordance with the process of fig1 to closely match the thermal properties of the semiconductor substrate 62 . the substrate 62 is attached to the heat sink 61 as by a thin layer 64 of solder or epoxy . the preferred composition range of the ni — ti based negative cte body is typically about 48 - 64 weight % ni , with the balance ti , and preferably 52 - 60 % ni , with the balance ti . othier alloying elements such as v , cr , mn , fe , co , mo , nb , ta , w , pd , cu , and zn may also bel present in an amount less than 5 wt %, as long as the temperature range of phase transformation is near ambient temperature , e . g ., between − 150 ° to + 150 ° c . range , and preferably in the − 200 ° to + 200 ° c . range . other alloys with phase transformation occurring near ambient temperature may also be used , for example , cu — al — zn ( 1 - 10 wt % al , 20 - 40 % zn , balance cu ), au — cu — zn ( 10 - 30 % cu , 20 - 40 % zn , balance au ), cu — zn — si ( 30 - 40 wt % zn , 0 - 20 % sn , balance cu ), cu — al — ni ( 10 - 20 % al , 1 - 5 % ni , balance cu ), cu — zn — sn ( 30 - 45 % zn , 0 - 20 % sn , balance cu ), and cu — sn ( 20 - 30 % sn , balance cu ). for a desirably large coefficient of thermal expansion , the phase transformation near ambient temperature ( e . g . at the − 150 ° to + 150 ° c . range , and preferably in the − 200 ° to + 200 ° c . range ) is advantageous . it has been found that a large negative cte in a desirably wiide temperature range ( e . g . at least over 100 ° c . range near room temperature ) is more easily obtained in these materials if uniaxial tensile deformation , such as wire drawing or rod drawing , is used . the exact mechanism for this behavior is not clearly understood . the desired uniaxial deformation is at least 2 % elongation in length , preferably 5 % or more elongation , even more preferably 10 % or more . the invention can be more clearly understood by consideration of the following specific examples . for the fabrication of a cu composite with a reduced cte , a ti — ni alloy rod with a nominal composition of 56 % ni and 44 % ti ( wt %) was wire drawn to a diameter of 2 . 16 mm and was used as the negative cte body . the ti — ni rod was inserted into a copper tube (˜ 4 . 8 mm od and ˜ 3 . 2 mm id ) and these were swaged together using 4 . 24 mm , 3 . 76 mm , and 3 . 35 mm diameter dies successively . before swaging , shallow circumferential notches spaced about 0 . 5 - 1 mm apart were cut on the surface of the ti — ni rods with a rotary carbide tool to improve interlocking with the cu during swaging . the resulting composite structure consisted of a ti — ni alloy core with a tight cladding of cu around it . the volume fraction ( v f ) of the ti — ni in the composite was estimated to be ˜ 0 . 35 . the composite rod was cut into specimens measuring 3 mm in length for dilatometry . a netzsch ( model 402 e ) dilatometer with a fused silica push rod and type - j thermocouples was used for studying the thermal expansion characteristics . heating was at a rate of 5 ° c ./ min . and cooling was through forced air convection . shown in fig8 is the thermal expansion curve for the 56 % ni - 44 % ti ( wt %) alloy rod . the material exhibits a negative cte value between 25 ° c . and 100 ° c . of about − 21 ppm /° c . and an average cte between − 100 to + 100 ° c . of about − 19 ppm /° c . the thermal expansion behavior of fig8 is quite reproducible upon subsequent temperature cycling after initial stabilization cycling of a few times , with a variation of less than about ± 10 %. shown in fig9 is the thermal expansion curve for the cu —( ti — ni ) composite rod with ˜ 65 %, by volume of cu ( α ˜ 17 ppm /° c .) and 35 % of the negative cte ( α ˜− 21 ppm /° c .) ti — ni alloy . also shown are the thermal expansion curves for si and cu for comparison . the composite material , in the temperature range of 25 - 100 ° c ., exhibits a low average cte value of α ˜ 4 ppm /° c . this cte value of ˜ 4 ppm /° c . is generally consistent with the calculated value of the composite of the positive expansion matrix cu and the negative expansion ti — ni core , i . e ., as is evident in the figure , the composite cu material exhibits a much reduced cte , almost comparable to that of si . the thermal conductivity of the composite structure is expected to be a geometrical average of the two constituent materials ( cu and ti — n ), and is calculated to be a further advantage of the inventive composite materials is that because of the use of negative cte bodies , a relatively large volume fraction of the matrix cu of al can be utilized as compared to the prior art composites utilizing zero cte ( e . g ., invar ) or low cte ( e . g ., w ) elements . accordingly , the inventive composites provide high thermal conductivity , which is desirable for thermal management applications . because of the continuity in the cu matrix material , it is expected that in a multi - filamentary distribution of the negative cte bodies , the thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity of the composite is not likely to be highly anisotropic especially because of the dominance of cu conductivity . even higher thermal conductivity is expected in the inventive composites if cu - based negative cte elements such as cu — al — zn alloys are used . the inventive low - cte composites desirably have thermal conductivity of at least 45 % of that of the matrix material , and preferably at least 60 % of the matrix conductivity . it is to be understood that the above described embodiments illustrate only a few of the many possible specific embodiments of the invention . numerous variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .

a reduced cte composite structure is made by providing a matrix material whose cte is to be reduced , adding negative cte bodies to the matrix material and mechanically coupling the matrix material to the negative cte bodies as by deforming the composite structure . a preferred application is to make an improved composite material for use as a heat sink for semiconductor substrates with a minimum of thermal expansion mismatch .

hereinafter , embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a whole storage battery recycle system according to an embodiment of the present invention . the storage battery recycle system in this embodiment includes storage battery relocation assistance server 1 , a plurality of vehicles 100 , a plurality of houses 200 , a plurality of buildings 300 , a plurality of factories 400 , collected - battery warehouse 500 , and network 600 utilized for data transmission . in fig1 , one each of the plurality of vehicles 100 , houses 200 , buildings 300 and factories 400 is illustrated by one representative element . in these configurations , storage battery relocation assistance server 1 corresponds to an embodiment of the storage battery relocation assistance apparatus according to the present invention , and vehicle 100 , house 200 , building 300 , and factory 400 correspond to an embodiment of a plurality of facilities using a storage battery . storage battery relocation assistance server 1 is a computer including , for example , a cpu ( central processing unit ) as an arithmetic unit , a ram ( random access memory ) and a hard disk as storing section 20 , a communication apparatus , a display or a printer as an information output section , and an input apparatus for inputting an operational command from an operator . in storage battery relocation assistance server 1 , a software module read from the hard disk is expanded on the ram and is executed by the cpu to implement a plurality of functional modules . more specifically , storage battery relocation assistance server 1 includes , as the plurality of functional modules , in - use battery state collection section 11 , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 , input section 13 for inputting information on use destinations , relocation determination section 14 , reporting section 15 , collected - battery deterioration prediction section 16 , and collected - battery state collection section 17 . storing section 20 in storage battery relocation assistance server 1 includes in - use battery information storing section 21 , in - use battery deterioration prediction information storing section 22 , use - destination - information storing section 23 , unused - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 24 , collected - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 25 , and collected - battery information storing section 26 . this plurality of storing sections 21 to 26 stores and manages predetermined information according to predetermined formats . in - use battery information storing section 21 corresponds to an embodiment of the battery information management section according to the present invention , and use - destination - information storing section 23 corresponds to an embodiment of the requirement information management section according to the present invention . in - use battery state collection section 11 collects information ( referred to as battery information ) representing a state of a plurality of storage batteries used in the plurality of vehicles 100 , the plurality of houses 200 , the plurality of buildings 300 , and the plurality of factories 400 , and stores the information in in - use battery information storing section 21 . the battery information is collected always or periodically . in - use battery state collection section 11 is capable of exchanging data with the communication sections of the plurality of vehicles 100 , the plurality of houses 200 , the plurality of buildings 300 , and the plurality of factories 400 through a communication apparatus connected to network 600 . the collected in - use battery information will be described below in detail . in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 predicts future deterioration of each storage battery on the basis of the battery information on an in - use storage battery , and stores this prediction result ( referred to as deterioration prediction information ) in in - use battery deterioration prediction information storing section 22 . this deterioration prediction information will be described below in detail . input section 13 receives information , which is inputted by an operator according to a predetermined input format through the input apparatus , on each facility ( referred to as use - destination - information ) of the plurality of vehicles 100 , the plurality of houses 200 , the plurality of buildings 300 , and the plurality of factories 400 . input section 13 then stores the inputted use - destination - information in use - destination - information storing section 23 . the content of this use - destination - information will be described below . collected - battery state collection section 17 collects information representing a state of a plurality of storage batteries kept in collected - battery warehouse 500 , and stores the information in collected - battery information storing section 26 . collected - battery state collection section 17 is capable of exchanging data with a communication section of collected - battery warehouse 500 through a communication apparatus connected to network 600 . the collected information in this case is almost the same as information collected by in - use battery state collection section 11 . collected - battery deterioration prediction section 16 predicts future deterioration of the plurality of storage batteries kept in collected - battery warehouse 500 , and stores information on the prediction result in collected - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 25 . the details of this deterioration prediction will be described later as a supplement for prediction of deterioration of an in - use storage battery . unused - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 24 is a storing section for beforehand storing , as deterioration prediction information , information on the future deterioration property of an unused storage battery that is kept while being unused . relocation determination section 14 reads , from storing section 20 , the deterioration prediction information on an in - use storage battery , the deterioration prediction information on an unused storage battery , the deterioration prediction information on a collected storage battery , and the use - destination - information on each facility . based on the above - described deterioration prediction information and information on predetermined relocation requirements for a storage battery , relocation determination section 14 then performs an optimization process and determines the optimal relocation time and relocation destination of each storage battery . that is , relocation determination section 14 determines the optimal relocation schedule for each storage battery . reporting section 15 extracts , for example , a relocation schedule involving relocation time close to the present time from among the optimal relocation schedules for respective storage batteries determined in relocation determination section 14 , and lists these information items on the display or on a printout . based on these information items , an operator sets the schedule for relocation exchange for storage batteries in the plurality of vehicle 100 , the plurality of house 200 , the plurality of building 300 , the plurality of factory 400 , and collected - battery warehouse 500 , and advances a procedure of relocation of the storage batteries . that is , the operator and a worker , for example , report to a contractor , an exchange of a storage battery , and then perform exchange maintenance of a storage battery on the basis of the schedule for a relocation exchange . vehicle 100 includes storage battery b , charger 101 , battery control section 102 , in - vehicle communication section 103 , and socket 104 . storage battery b supplies electric power to a running motor ( not illustrated ) of vehicle 100 to drive the vehicle . socket 104 is connected to external cable 211 for the input of an external power source and transmission and reception of data . charger 101 charges storage battery b with the external power source inputted from socket 104 . battery control section 102 controls necessary electric power supplied to the running motor from storage battery b . battery control section 102 measures and monitors , for example , the voltage , input and output currents , a temperature , a state of charge ( soc ), and a deterioration state ( soh : state of health ) of storage battery b , and transmits these information items to storage battery relocation assistance server 1 through in - vehicle communication section 103 . if cable 211 serving as a communication path is connected to socket 104 , in - vehicle communication section 103 performs data communication through cable 211 . otherwise , in - vehicle communication section 103 is connected to network 600 through radio communication and performs data communication . here , the state of charge ( soc ) is the ratio of a residual capacity to a fully charged capacity , and the deterioration state ( soh : state of health ) is a value representing a state of deterioration of a storage battery calculated from the internal resistance value of the storage battery . house 200 includes , for example , storage battery b , battery control section 201 , electric load 202 , and in - house communication section 203 . for example , storage battery b is charged with electric power from a commercial power source ( also referred to as a common power source ) in the time zone when an electricity price is low , and supplies electric power to electric load 202 in the time zone when the electricity price is high or when electricity is deficient . electric load 202 is one of various kinds of electric appliances used in house 200 . battery control section 201 measures and monitors , for example , the voltage , input and output currents , a temperature , a state of charge ( soc ), and a state of health ( soh ) of storage battery b , and transmits these information items to storage battery relocation assistance server 1 through in - house communication section 203 . in - house communication section 203 can be connected to network 600 to perform data communication . each of building 300 and factory 400 also includes storage battery b , a battery control section , an electric load , and a communication section similarly to house 200 . when relocation use ( also referred to as reuse ) of storage batteries b is performed between the facilities which are vehicle 100 , house 200 , building 300 , and factory 400 , collected - battery warehouse 500 is a facility for keeping storage batteries b temporarily collected from any of the facilities . collected - battery warehouse 500 includes collected storage battery b , battery management section 501 , and communication section 502 . battery management section 501 controls storage battery b so as to be maintained in an appropriate state of charge , or control storage battery b so as to appropriately charge and discharge , in order to delay the progression degree of deterioration of storage battery b . battery control section 501 measures the voltage , input and output currents , a temperature , a state of charge ( soc ), and a state of health ( soh ) of storage battery b , and transmits the measurement result to storage battery relocation assistance server 1 through communication section 502 . fig2 is a data table illustrating an example content of the in - use battery information stored in in - use battery information storing section 21 . in - use battery information storing section 21 stores a plurality of respective information items representing states of a plurality of storage batteries used in the plurality of facilities . to these information items , the information collected by in - use battery state collection section 11 is sequentially added . the in - use battery information stored in in - use battery information storing section 21 includes , for example , a model number , a present use place , the history of past use places , an initial capacity , a voltage log , a current log , a temperature log , a state of charge ( soc ), a state of health ( soh ), and charge / discharge allowable electric power ( also referred to as an sop : state of power ( prediction electric power ability )). these information items are independently stored for all the registered storage batteries . information on the voltage log , the current log , and the temperature log is stored as the series of data representing the voltage , current , and a temperature at a plurality of time points ( ti ), respectively . information on the state of charge , the state of health , and charge / discharge allowable electric power is also stored as the series of data representing the respective values at a plurality of time points . here , the charge / discharge allowable electric power ( sop ) represents the maximum charge electric power and the maximum electric discharge electric power estimated from , for example , the voltage and the internal resistance of the storage battery . in - use battery state collection section 11 collects , from each facility , respective information items on the voltage log , the current log , the temperature log , the state of charge ( soc ), the deterioration state ( soh ), and the charge / discharge allowable electric power ( sop ) among the items in the data table of fig2 . in - use battery state collection section 11 then adds the collected information items to the in - use battery information items and stores the resultant information items . collected - battery information storing section 26 also stores respective collected - battery information items including the items in the data table of fig2 . collected - battery state collection section 17 collects , from collected - battery warehouse 500 , respective information items on the voltage log , the current log , the temperature log , the state of charge ( soc ), the deterioration state ( soh ), and the charge / discharge allowable electric power ( sop ). collected - battery state collection section 17 then adds the collected information items to the collected - battery information items and stores the resultant information items in collected - battery information storing section 26 . fig3 is a data table illustrating an example of the deterioration prediction information stored in in - use battery deterioration prediction information storing section 22 . as illustrated in fig3 , in - use battery deterioration prediction information storing section 22 stores a plurality of pieces of curvilinear data of deterioration states predicted according to various relocation models for each storage battery . the relocation model is a model representing at which time and to which facility a target storage battery is relocated . the relocation model will be described below in detail . as illustrated in fig9 a to 9d , 9m and 9q , various relocation models are set so as to include various relocation patterns possible for relocation of storage batteries in reality . the curvilinear data of deterioration states will be described below in detail . as illustrated in fig1 , the curvilinear data is data representing a time variation in a deterioration state ( referred to as soh or “ the residual capacity of a battery ”). fig4 is a data table illustrating an example of the use - destination - information stored in use - destination - information storing section 23 . the use - destination - information includes , as information representing each facility , use destination data for identifying the facility , contractor data for identifying a contractor , and use destination category data for representing the category ( for example , a vehicle , a house , a building , and a factory ) of the facility , for example . the use - destination - information includes , as requirement information to the storage battery , information on contract electric power demand representing the maximum electric power which can be supplied from the storage battery , information on a contract battery capacity representing the minimum capacity of the storage battery , and information on an installation space for installing the storage battery , for example . use - destination - information storing section 23 stores the above - described use - destination - information for all facilities receiving service of the supply of the storage batteries . when a contractor is added , information representing the facility of the contractor is inputted from input section 13 , and use - destination - information concerning the new contractor is added to use - destination - information storing section 23 . here , the action and the advantageous effects of the relocated and used storage battery will be explained . fig5 is a graph illustrating a time variation in the discharge capacity of the same storage battery charged and discharged repeatedly with a predetermined current amount . respective three graph lines in fig5 indicate the cases of high , middle , and low charge / discharge currents . as illustrated in the graph of fig5 , the storage battery deteriorates and gradually decreases the discharge capacity ( also referred to as a battery capacity ) by repeating charge and discharge . the magnitude of a charge / discharge current for the storage battery , i . e ., the severity of use of the storage battery also varies the rate of deteriorating the storage battery . for example , a higher charge / discharge current increases the rate of the deterioration , and a lower charge / discharge current decreases the rate of the deterioration . the graph line for the high charge / discharge current in fig5 indicates an example case used for a vehicle . storage battery b of vehicle 100 outputs a large current in the case of running , and rapidly charges in the case of charging . therefore , the use conditions for the storage battery in vehicle 100 are very severe in comparison with the other facilities . moreover , since vehicle 100 is required to have a high storage battery performance , the storage battery performance reaches the lower limit of the required performance of vehicle 100 at a stage at which the deterioration degree of the storage battery does not progress so much . the graph line for the middle charge / discharge current in fig5 indicates an example case used for a house . storage battery b in house 200 or building 300 charges and discharges relatively moderately . furthermore , in house 200 or building 300 , the installation space for storage battery b is large in comparison with vehicle 100 , and many storage batteries can be used in parallel . therefore , in house 200 or building 300 , the use conditions required for storage battery b are moderate in comparison with vehicle 100 . moreover , since the use conditions are moderate , the storage battery performance required for house 200 or building 300 is low in comparison with that for vehicle 100 . the graph line for the low charge / discharge current in fig5 indicates an example case used for a factory . in factory 400 , storage battery b charges and discharges in a further planned and stable manner . moreover , in factory 400 , the installation space for storage battery b is further large in comparison with house 200 and building 300 , and an enormous number of storage batteries can be used in parallel . therefore , the use conditions for storage battery b in factory 400 are moderate in comparison with the use conditions for house 200 and building 300 . moreover , since the use conditions are moderate , the storage battery performance required for factory 400 is low in comparison with those for house 200 and building 300 . therefore , as illustrated in fig5 in many cases , the progression degree of deterioration is large in the storage battery used in vehicle 100 , and decreases in the storage batteries used in house 200 ( or building 300 ) and factory 400 in this order . even if vehicles 100 are of the same type , respective vehicles 100 involve different progression degrees of deterioration since , for example , users use vehicles 100 at different frequencies . in the other facilities , the progression degrees of deterioration also differ in the respective facilities similarly . moreover , as illustrated in fig6 a to 6c , the storage battery performance required for each application is the highest in vehicle 100 , and decreases in the order of house 200 ( or building 300 ) and factory 400 . fig6 a to 6c are graphs illustrating changes in deterioration curves in the case of relocation use of the storage battery . fig6 a to 6c illustrate deterioration curves of storage batteries when a storage battery used for a certain period in a vehicle continues being used in the vehicle and when the storage battery used for the certain period is relocated to and used in a house or a factory , as an example . as illustrated in fig6 a to 6c , the deterioration curve of a storage battery variously changes depending on to which facility the storage battery is relocated for use and depending on when the storage battery is relocated . moreover , assuming that the time point of the storage battery performance reaching the lower limit of the performance required for each facility is defined as a storage battery life , as can be seen from comparison in fig6 a to 6c , the relocation use of a storage battery can lead to a longer storage battery life of the storage battery . fig7 is a configuration diagram illustrating the details of storage battery b . storage battery b as an object to be provided in a system of the present embodiment is composed of , for example , a lithium ion secondary battery . storage battery b is provided by being packaged in a form of battery pack bp which can readily be mounted on each facility . moreover , battery pack bp includes a plurality of battery modules bm bundled in order to provide predetermined output and capacity . moreover , each battery module bm has a plurality of battery cells bc mounted therein . the collection and management of the battery information and the relocation use of the storage battery described above can be performed in units of battery packs bp , and also in units of battery modules bm or in units of battery cells bc . next , a storage battery deterioration prediction process performed by in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 will be explained . fig8 is a flow chart illustrating the procedure of the storage battery deterioration prediction process . fig9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the various relocation models subject to deterioration prediction . fig1 a to 10c are graphs illustrating the outline of the deterioration prediction curves of the storage battery in one relocation model . fig1 a to 11c are graphs illustrating the outline of the deterioration prediction curves of the storage battery in another relocation model . for example , at a time when an execution instruction is inputted from an operator , or at predetermined time intervals , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 starts this storage battery deterioration prediction process . if the process starts , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 first reads in - use battery information from the in - use battery information storing section in step s 11 . next , in step s 12 , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 sequentially selectively sets one relocation model for relocating a storage battery in the plurality of facilities from among the various relocation models . as illustrated in fig9 a to 9d , 9m and 9q , the various relocation models include a plurality of relocation patterns in which a storage battery is first used for vehicle 100 having severe use conditions and is then relocated to house 200 , building 300 , or factory 400 in order of the gradually loosened use conditions . as illustrated in fig9 b to 9d , the various relocation models also include relocation patterns involving the skip of one or more of house 200 , building 300 , and factory 400 . moreover , the various relocation models also include patterns based on changing storage battery relocation time . for example , the relocation models in fig9 a to 9m have patterns in which a storage battery is relocated when the storage battery performance reaches the lower limit of the required performance for the facility using the storage battery . on the other hand , the relocation model in fig9 q has a pattern in which a storage battery is relocated a little earlier ( for example , a storage battery is relocated when the storage battery performance reaches a higher level by a predetermined amount than the lower limit of the required performance ). moreover , as illustrated in fig9 d and 9m , the various relocation models also include patterns in which a relocation destination is set to another house 200 , another building 300 , or another factory 400 in the same category . even in a facility in the same category ( for example , house ), a storage battery is severely utilized in some place and less severely utilized in another place , and the progression degree of deterioration is not necessarily the same . in consideration of this , the relocation model in fig9 m involves relocation destinations changed independently . in the case of an enormous number of facilities , if relocation models for relocating storage batteries are prepared for all the facilities , the number of relocation models increases significantly . therefore , in the case of an enormous number of facilities , in the same facility category , a facility model may be prepared so as to have a standard progression degree of deterioration , a plurality of facility models may be prepared so as to have progression degrees of deterioration shifted from the standard degree at a plurality of levels , and these facility models may be combined to thereby prepare relocation models . next , in step s 13 , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 predicts deterioration of the storage battery according to the relocation model set in step s 12 . for example , the graphs in fig1 a to 10c illustrate the case of a relocation model in which a storage battery used in vehicle 100 is used down to the lower limit of the required performance in each facility and is sequentially relocated to house 200 and then factory 400 . in this case , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 predicts the deterioration prediction curve in vehicle 100 in fig1 a , for example , from the time transition data of the deterioration state ( soh ) in the in - use battery information . alternatively , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 can calculate a deterioration prediction curve from the data of the voltage log , the current log , and the temperature log in the in - use battery information , assuming that the same use situation continues . in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 also calculates the deterioration prediction curve in house 200 in fig1 b , on the basis of the in - use battery information on another storage battery used in house 200 . that is , a deterioration prediction curve is calculated from the data of the time transition data of the deterioration state ( soh ) or the voltage log , the current log , and the temperature log included in the in - use battery information , assuming that the storage battery is used in the same situation . furthermore , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 similarly calculates the deterioration prediction curve of factory 400 in fig1 c , on the basis of the in - use battery information on another storage battery used in factory 400 . next , another example of a deterioration prediction step will be explained . the graphs of fig1 a to 11c illustrate the case of a relocation model for sequentially relocating a storage battery presently used in vehicle 100 to house 200 and factory 400 in a stage involving a higher level by 10 % than the lower limit of the required performance in each facility . in this relocation model , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 calculates a deterioration prediction curve by setting the relocation time for a storage battery to the time when the storage battery performance reaches a higher value by a predetermined ratio than the lower limit of the required performance of each facility . in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 also summarizes and calculates prediction of the progression degree of deterioration in each facility on the basis of the in - use battery information also in this relocation model similarly to the case of the relocation model in fig1 . in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 may also read the use - destination - information from use - destination - information storing section 23 to acquire information on the storage battery required performance in each facility . through such deterioration prediction , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 obtains the deterioration prediction curve of the storage battery for one relocation model , as illustrated in fig1 a to 10c or 11a to 11c . next , in step s 14 , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 accumulates the prediction result data representing the deterioration prediction curve obtained in step s 13 , into in - use battery deterioration prediction information storing section 22 . through a process loop of steps s 12 to s 15 , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 then repeats the deterioration prediction and accumulation of the prediction result data for all the relocation patterns . through a process loop of steps s 11 to s 16 , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 also repeats the deterioration prediction and accumulation of the prediction result data for all the storage batteries . through such a storage battery deterioration prediction process , as illustrated in fig3 , in - use battery deterioration prediction information storing section 22 accumulates therein the data of the deterioration curve in the case of the relocation use in the various relocation models for each storage battery . collected - battery deterioration prediction section 16 predicts deterioration of the plurality of storage batteries b that would occur if they are continued to be kept in the collected - battery warehouse , and stores the data of the predicted deterioration curve in collected - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 25 . this deterioration curve can be predicted and calculated from the time transition data of the deterioration state ( soh ) or the data of the voltage log , the current log , and the temperature log stored in collected - battery information storing section 26 , assuming that the deterioration progresses in the same situation . additionally , collected - battery deterioration prediction section 16 may also predict deterioration of a collected battery used by relocation , for example , to the house , the building , or the factory similarly to in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 , and may store the deterioration curve in collected - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 25 . next , a relocation determination process performed by relocation determination section 14 will be described . fig1 is a flow chart illustrating a procedure of the relocation determination process . fig1 is a table illustrating determination requirements for relocating a storage battery . relocation determination section 14 starts this relocation determination process in response to an instruction from an operator or at predetermined time interval . if the process is started , relocation determination section 14 first reads , in step s 21 , the data of predicted deterioration curve ( also referred to as “ deterioration prediction information ”) of each storage battery from in - use battery deterioration prediction information storing section 22 , unused - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 24 , and collected - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 25 . next , in step s 22 , relocation determination section 14 reads use - destination - information from use - destination - information storing section 23 . then , in step s 23 , relocation determination section 14 determines the combination of the optimal relocation time and relocation destination ( referred to as “ relocation schedule ”) for each storage battery on the basis of the read data , by performing a calculation process ( for example , optimization process ) for comprehensively improving the sufficiency level of a plurality of predetermined determination requirements . as illustrated in fig1 , the determination requirements for relocating storage batteries include , for example , a requirement of maintaining the contract electric power demand in each use destination , a requirement of maintaining the contract battery capacity in each use destination , and a requirement of setting relocation time in a way that makes the relocation time close to a time when the storage battery performance comes near the lower limit of the required performance in each facility . moreover , the determination requirements include , for example , a requirement of decreasing the number of new storage batteries to be supplied , a requirement of reducing a variation in the deterioration degrees of storage batteries simultaneously used in each facility , and a requirement of decreasing the reserved quantity of collected batteries . moreover , the determination requirements include a requirement of increasing the usage rate of the installation space for storage batteries in each facility . the respective determination requirements are assigned with weighting factors λ 1 , λ 2 , . . . . in step s 23 , relocation determination section 14 performs a calculation process so as to better satisfy a requirement having a larger weighting factor , and determines the relocation schedule for each storage battery . through such a relocation determination step , for example , when the storage battery of certain house 200 approaches the lower limit of the required performance , the optimal storage battery which can be relocated from vehicle 100 to this house 200 is extracted to display this information on the relocation schedule . similarly , when the storage battery of certain factory 400 approaches the lower limit of the required performance , the optimal storage battery which can be relocated from the plurality of vehicles 100 , houses 200 , or buildings 300 to this factory 400 is extracted to display this information on the relocation schedule . moreover , when abnormality or a sign of failure is found in several storage batteries in a certain facility , information representing that the several storage batteries need to be replaced is displayed on the relocation schedule . moreover , through the above - mentioned relocation determination step , the calculation process for comprehensively improving the sufficiency level of each determination requirement calculates a relocation schedule for storage batteries , the relocation schedule surely satisfying a requirement of maintaining the contract electric power demand in each use destination and a requirement of maintaining the contract battery capacity in each use destination . moreover , the relocation schedule for each storage battery is calculated to set relocation time in a way that makes the relocation time as close as possible to a time when a storage battery comes near the lower limit of the required performance in each facility and so as to minimize the number of new storage batteries to be supplied . moreover , the relocation schedule is calculated so as to minimize a variation in the deterioration degrees of storage batteries simultaneously used in each facility and so as to minimize the reserved quantity of collected batteries . moreover , the relocation schedule is calculated so as to relocate many progressively deteriorated storage batteries to a facility having a large installation space to increase the usage rate of the large installation space . the relocation schedule is calculated according to other determination requirements that are set variously . next , in step s 24 , relocation determination section 14 distinguishes a relocation schedule involving relocation time close to the present time ( for example , within one month from the present time ) from among the determined relocation schedules . then , if relocation determination section 14 finds a relocation schedule close to the present time , relocation determination section 14 outputs information on the relocation schedule to reporting section 15 , in step s 25 . thereby , the information on the relocation schedule is reported from reporting section 15 to an operator . through such a relocation determination process , the optimized relocation schedule , which can better satisfy the determination requirements for relocation , for the storage battery is determined to display information on this relocation schedule for an operator . based on the information on this relocation schedule , an operator sets the schedule for relocation exchange for storage batteries in the plurality of vehicle 100 , the plurality of house 200 , the plurality of building 300 , the plurality of factories 400 , and collected - battery warehouse 500 in reality , and can advance a procedure of relocation of the storage batteries . that is , the operator and a worker , for example , report an exchange of a storage battery and perform exchange maintenance of a storage battery for a contractor according to the schedule for a relocation exchange . fig1 a to 16 are explanatory diagrams of an example of repacking for relocating a storage battery . as illustrated in fig1 a and 14b , instead of relocation of a storage battery , battery pack bp 1 , without modification , the storage battery may be relocated after repacking battery pack bp 1 into other battery packs bp 2 and bp 3 according to conditions of a relocation destination or the battery state in battery pack bp 1 . alternatively , a storage battery may be relocated in units of battery modules bm 1 . alternatively , as illustrated in fig1 , a storage battery may be relocated after such repacking that the deterioration degrees of a plurality of battery modules bma and bmb in battery packs bp 2 and bp 3 are uniform . then , battery packs bp 2 a and bp 3 a repacked so as to have uniform deterioration degrees may also be relocated . alternatively , as illustrated in fig1 , when only one or more battery cells bc 1 in battery module bm 1 have deteriorated significantly , a storage battery may be relocated after replacing this battery cell bc 1 with battery cell bc 2 deteriorated in a similar degree to the other cells . then , battery module bm 1 a partially replaced may be relocated . in the above - described relocation determination process , relocation determination section 14 can also determine a relocation schedule in units of battery modules bm or in units of battery cells bc to thereby display information on combination for repacking battery packs and information on combination for uniforming non - uniform deterioration degrees . as described above , according to storage battery relocation assistance server 1 and the storage battery recycle system in this embodiment , the in - use battery information representing the states of the plurality of storage batteries used in the plurality of facilities is collected in storage battery relocation assistance server 1 . furthermore , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 in storage battery relocation assistance server 1 predicts deterioration of storage batteries in the case of relocating the storage batteries in the plurality of facilities , on the basis of these information items . therefore , this deterioration prediction result can assist determination of the optimal relocation time and relocation destination of a storage battery . according to storage battery relocation assistance server 1 in this embodiment , relocation determination section 14 determines the combination of the optimal relocation time and relocation destination for each storage battery , on the basis of the deterioration prediction result in the case of relocating each storage battery among the plurality of facilities and the use - destination - information . storage battery relocation assistance server 1 then outputs information on the relocation schedule of the determination result to the exterior . therefore , on the basis of the information on this relocation schedule , an operator or a worker can set the schedule for relocating storage batteries in reality among the plurality of facilities and can cause the plurality of storage batteries to be relocated and used in the plurality of facilities . this can contribute to a comprehensive cost reduction for the life cycle from manufacturing to recycling of a storage battery . the embodiment of the present invention has been described thus far . the above - described embodiment has been described in an example case where in - use battery state collection section 11 collects battery information through communication network 600 . however , the battery information may also be collected after a delay of one week to several months , instead of real - time collecting of the battery information . therefore , for example , the battery information may be accumulated in the facility during a predetermined period , and in - use battery state collection section 11 may collect this battery information through a storage medium , such as a record disk , a memory card , or a usb ( universal serial bus ) memory . specifically , the storage medium having battery information written in the facility may be sent to the manager of storage battery relocation assistance server 1 , and the manager may read battery information from this storage medium to send the battery information to in - use battery state collection section 11 . the embodiment has been described above with an example which involves one kind of storage battery , i . e ., a lithium ion secondary battery . however , storage battery relocation assistance server 1 may handle a plurality of kinds of storage batteries ( for example , a lithium ion secondary battery and a nickel hydrogen secondary battery ). storage battery relocation assistance server 1 then performs a relocation schedule for relocating , to a facility using a first kind of storage battery , and using a second kind of storage battery . the embodiment has been described using specific examples for the contents of the in - use battery information , use - destination - information , and the determination requirement for relocation . however , the in - use battery information , the use - destination - information , and the determination requirement for relocation are not limited to the contents described in the embodiment . the relocation model which is set for predicting deterioration of a storage battery can also be modified appropriately by , for example , adding a relocation model having a collection period in midstream . the disclosure of japanese patent application no . 2011 - 266774 , filed on dec . 6 , 2011 , including the specification , drawings and abstract , is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . the present invention can be utilized for the storage battery comprehensive management service for relocating and using a storage battery among the plurality of facilities .

the present invention serves to reduce the costs associated with the overall life cycle of storage batteries by performing support so that a plurality of batteries are transferred between and used at a plurality of facilities . this storage battery transfer support device comprises : a collection unit that collects battery information representing the status of each battery used at a plurality of facilities ; a battery information storage unit that stores the battery information collected by the collection unit ; and a deterioration prediction unit that , on the basis of the battery information stored in the battery information storage unit , predicts deterioration of storage batteries that have been transferred between and used at a plurality of facilities .

referring to fig1 , a high temperature fuel cell system 10 as may be suited to use as an auxiliary power unit ( apu ) in a vehicle 11 includes components known in the art of solid - oxide or molten carbonate fuel cell systems . fig1 is not a comprehensive diagram of all components required for operation but includes only those components novelly formed and / or arranged in accordance with the apparatus and method of the invention . missing components will be readily inferred by those of ordinary skill in the art . a hydrocarbon catalytic reformer 12 includes a heat exchanger / combustor 14 , preferably formed integrally therewith . a fuel cell stack 16 comprises preferably a plurality of individual fuel cell elements connected electrically in series as is known in the art . stack 16 includes passageways for passage of reformate across the anode surfaces of the stack and passageways for passage of air across the cathode surfaces of the stack , as is well known in the prior art . a cathode air heat exchanger 22 includes an intake air side 24 and a combuster exhaust gas side 26 . a pump 28 is provided for recycling a portion 29 a , 29 b of the anode tail gas 31 , or syngas , into an inlet of reformer 12 . optionally , stream portion 29 a may be cooled as it enters pump 28 by optional heat exchanger 37 . the heat 27 absorbed from stream portion 29 a can be used , as for example , for fuel vaporization , and for preheating of reformer inputs . an additional portion 33 of tail gas 31 may also be provided to exchanger / combustor 14 , and the balance 35 may be exhausted or diverted to other purposes . endothermic reforming with syngas recycle may be represented by the following equation , c 7 h 12 + 9h 2 o + 10 . 5co 2 + heat → 10h 2 + 10co + 5h 2 o + 7 . 5co 2 ( eq . 4 ) hydrogen and oxygen , combined to produce water in the electrochemical process of the fuel cell stack , are recovered by endothermic reforming and are used over again , thus greatly increasing the hydrocarbon fuel efficiency of the system . further , the energy required for the water reforming is derived from the “ waste ” energy in the anode syngas which in prior art high temperature fuel cells is entirely discarded in the cathode cooling air and / or through the system exhaust . in operation , fuel 15 a is controllably supplied from a source ( not shown ) to an inlet 30 of reformer 12 , as is known in the art . fuel may comprise any conventional or alternative fuel as is known in the art , for example , gasoline , diesel , jet fuel , kerosene , propane , natural gas , carbon , biodiesel , ethanol and methanol . air 17 a is supplied from a source ( not shown ), such as a blower or other air pump , to intake air side 24 of heat exchanger 22 and thence to stack 16 . a portion of air 17 a may be diverted selectively around heat exchanger 22 by control valve 32 to control the temperature of the air entering the fuel cell stack . at start - up , fuel 15 b and air 17 b are also supplied to a reformer pre - heater 34 connected to an inlet 36 on reformer 12 . the air / fuel mixture in pre - heater 34 may be combusted therein , as by a spark igniter , or alternatively may be reformed therein upon an electrically - heated catalyst , to provide a hot exhaust for rapid warming of catalytic elements in reformer 12 to provide a rapid start - up of system 10 . at a time after start - up when such heating is no longer needed , the air flow and fuel flow to pre - heater 34 may be terminated . reformate 40 is supplied from reformer 12 to anodes in stack 16 . syngas 31 ( anode tail gas ) is exhausted from stack 16 and is preferably assisted by inline pump 28 . first portion 29 of the exhausted syngas is recycled to an inlet of reformer 12 ; preferably , recycled portion 29 is between about 20 % and about 60 % of total syngas flow 31 . second portion 33 of the exhausted syngas is recycled to an inlet of heat exchanger / combustor 14 . heated cathode air 38 is exhausted from stack 16 and is provided to heat exchanger / combustor 14 wherein it is mixed with syngas portion 33 and combusted to provide heat for endothermic reforming of water and carbon dioxide with hydrocarbon fuel in reformer 12 . spent air and combustion products 42 are exhausted from heat exchanger / combustor 14 and passed through exhaust side 26 of heat exchanger 22 wherein heat is abstracted by intake air 17 a in inlet side 24 . cooled exhaust is discharged to atmosphere 44 . optionally , additional fuel 15 c may be controllably supplied to reformer 12 from a source ( not shown ) so that a greater portion of tailgas 31 may be exported for other purposes through exhaust 35 . under these or similar steady - state operating conditions , little or no outside air need be provided to reformer 12 . sufficient heat is provided to the reformer from the sensible heat of the recycled tail gas plus combustion of syngas portion 33 to permit endothermic reforming of the input fuel and the water and carbon dioxide in the syngas . most or all of the needed reforming oxygen is derived from the water and carbon dioxide . the following benefits accrue to a fuel cell system in accordance with the invention : 1 . the net fuel / electric efficiency of the system may be substantially increased over prior art high temperature fuel cell systems . most of the system efficiency improvement is from higher reforming efficiency . some of the improvement is from higher effective stack fuel utilization . 2 . the power density of the stack is increased by increasing the concentration of reactants in the stack and by minimizing concentration polarization by less nitrogen dilution . 3 . the system is allowed to operate with a higher margin of safety in terms of carbon formation in the reformer , reformate piping , or stack inlet . 4 . the admission of water - borne contaminants on the fuel cell anodes is avoided or eliminated altogether , by eliminating the need for exogenous water and exogenous oxygen . all fuel cells tend to have sensitivities to trace contaminants which come into the system over time in the air , fuel , and / or water consumed in operation . the level of sensitivity depends in part upon the fuel cell technology and the operating temperature . while solid oxide fuel cells tend to have less sensitivity to contaminants than some other types , the accumulation of sulfur , metal oxides , salts , carbon , and other contaminants can lead to long term loss in performance . in endothermic reforming in accordance with the invention , the combustion water and oxygen are chemically pure , resulting from generation within the fuel cell system itself . using recycled anode exhaust as the steady - state oxidant for the system allows a near fully endothermic ( using only recycle ) reforming process . depending upon the selected operating temperature for the stack and reformer , the efficiency of heat recovery in the final exhaust and the minimization of thermal losses to the walls , there may not always be a balance between heat required to preheat the reactants and do the endothermic chemistry with heat available through simple heat exchange from the cathode exhaust . therefore , a portion of the anode exhaust which is not recycled into the reformer may be used as shown to supply combustive heat to the reformer to support the endothermic reforming process . reformate is a highly useful fuel which in itself can be exported for use on other apparatus , for combustion and / or exhaust after - treatment functions . it is possible to operate the reformer to produce excess reformate for these additional uses . to further improve the fuel cell system efficiency , the exported reformate may be taken from downstream of the stack , with reduced fuel utilization in the stack resulting in improved stack efficiency . if this export periodically is not necessary ( e . g ., vehicle engine or other reformate consumer is off ) then the reformate volume can be reduced to just the amount required by the fuel cell stack with higher utilization . while the invention has been described by reference to specific embodiments , it should be understood that numerous changes may be made within the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts described . accordingly , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the described embodiments , but will have full scope defined by the language of the following claims .

a method for improving the efficiency of a hydrocarbon catalytic reformer and close - coupled fuel cell system by recycling a percentage of the anode exhaust syngas directly into the reformer in a range between about 20 % and about 60 %. oxygen is supplied to the reformer at start - up . under equilibrium conditions , oxygen required for reforming of hydrocarbon fuel is derived entirely from endothermic reforming of water and carbon dioxide in the recycled syngas . recycling of anode syngas into the reformer increases fuel efficiency , adds excess water to the reformate to increase protection against anode coking , and protects the fuel cell stack against air - and water - borne contaminants . a method for producing an excess amount of syngas for exporting for other purposes is also provided .

the drug delivery device illustrated in fig1 comprises a main body 14 that extends from a proximal end 16 to a distal end 15 . at the distal end 15 , a removable end cap or cover 18 is provided . this end cap 18 and the distal end 15 of the main body 14 work together to provide a snap fit or form fit connection so that once the cover 18 is slid onto the distal end 15 of the main body 14 , this frictional fit between the cap and the main body outer surface 20 prevents the cover from inadvertently falling off the main body . the main body 14 contains a micro - processor control unit , an electro - mechanical drive train , and at least two medicament reservoirs . when the end cap or cover 18 is removed from the device 10 ( as illustrated in fig1 ), a dispense interface 200 is mounted to the distal end 15 of the main body 14 , and a dose dispenser ( e . g ., a needle assembly ) is attached to the interface . the drug delivery device 10 can be used to administer a computed dose of a second medicament ( secondary drug compound ) and a variable dose of a first medicament ( primary drug compound ) through a single needle assembly , such as a double ended needle assembly . a control panel region 60 is provided near the proximal end of the main body 14 . preferably , this control panel region 60 comprises a digital display 80 along with a plurality of human interface elements that can be manipulated by a user to set and inject a combined dose . in this arrangement , the control panel region comprises a first dose setting button 62 , a second dose setting button 64 and a third button 66 designated with the symbol “ ok .” in addition , along the most proximal end of the main body , an injection button 74 is also provided ( not visible in the perspective view of fig1 ). the cartridge holder 40 can be removably attached to the main body 14 and may contain at least two cartridge retainers 50 and 52 . each retainer is configured so as to contain one medicament reservoir , such as a glass cartridge . preferably , each cartridge contains a different medicament . in addition , at the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 , the drug delivery device illustrated in fig1 includes a dispense interface 200 . as will be described in relation to fig4 , in one arrangement , this dispense interface 200 includes a main outer body 212 that is removably attached to a distal end 42 of the cartridge housing 40 . as can be seen in fig1 , a distal end 214 of the dispense interface 200 preferably comprises a needle hub 216 . this needle hub 216 may be configured so as to allow a dose dispenser , such as a conventional pen type injection needle assembly , to be removably mounted to the drug delivery device 10 . once the device is turned on , the digital display 80 shown in fig1 illuminates and provides the user certain device information , preferably information relating to the medicaments contained within the cartridge holder 40 . for example , the user is provided with certain information relating to both the primary medicament ( drug a ) and the secondary medicament ( drug b ). as shown in fig3 , the first and a second cartridge retainers 50 , 52 comprise hinged cartridge retainers . these hinged retainers allow user access to the cartridges . fig3 illustrates a perspective view of the cartridge holder 40 illustrated in fig1 with the first hinged cartridge retainer 50 in an open position . fig3 illustrates how a user might access the first cartridge 90 by opening up the first retainer 50 and thereby having access to the first cartridge 90 . as mentioned above when discussing fig1 , a dispense interface 200 is coupled to the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 . fig4 illustrates a flat view of the dispense interface 200 unconnected to the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 . a dose dispenser or needle assembly that may be used with the interface 200 is also illustrated and is provided in a protective outer cap 420 . in fig5 , the dispense interface 200 illustrated in fig4 is shown coupled to the cartridge holder 40 . the axial attachment means between the dispense interface 200 and the cartridge holder 40 can be any known axial attachment means to those skilled in the art , including snap locks , snap fits , snap rings , keyed slots , and combinations of such connections . the connection or attachment between the dispense interface and the cartridge holder may also contain additional features ( not shown ), such as connectors , stops , splines , ribs , grooves , pips , clips and the like design features , that ensure that specific hubs are attachable only to matching drug delivery devices . such additional features would prevent the insertion of a non - appropriate secondary cartridge to a non - matching injection device . fig5 also illustrates the needle assembly 400 and protective cover 420 coupled to the distal end of the dispense interface 200 that may be screwed onto the needle hub of the interface 200 . fig6 illustrates a cross sectional view of the double ended needle assembly 402 mounted on the dispense interface 200 in fig5 . the needle assembly 400 illustrated in fig6 comprises a double ended needle 406 and a hub 401 . the double ended needle or cannula 406 is fixedly mounted in a needle hub 401 . this needle hub 401 comprises a circular disk shaped element which has along its periphery a circumferential depending sleeve 403 . along an inner wall of this hub member 401 , a thread 404 is provided . this thread 404 allows the needle hub 401 to be screwed onto the dispense interface 200 which , in one preferred arrangement , is provided with a corresponding outer thread along a distal hub . at a center portion of the hub element 401 there is provided a protrusion 402 . this protrusion 402 projects from the hub in an opposite direction of the sleeve member . a double ended needle 406 is mounted centrally through the protrusion 402 and the needle hub 401 . this double ended needle 406 is mounted such that a first or distal piercing end 405 of the double ended needle forms an injecting part for piercing an injection site ( e . g ., the skin of a user ). similarly , a second or proximal piercing end 406 of the needle assembly 400 protrudes from an opposite side of the circular disc so that it is concentrically surrounded by the sleeve 403 . in one needle assembly arrangement , the second or proximal piercing end 406 may be shorter than the sleeve 403 so that this sleeve to some extent protects the pointed end of the back sleeve . the needle cover cap 420 illustrated in fig4 and 5 provides a form fit around the outer surface 403 of the hub 401 . referring now to fig4 to 11 , one preferred arrangement of this interface 200 will now be discussed . in this one preferred arrangement , this interface 200 comprises : the main outer body 210 comprises a main body proximal end 212 and a main body distal end 214 . at the proximal end 212 of the outer body 210 , a connecting member is configured so as to allow the dispense interface 200 to be attached to the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 . preferably , the connecting member is configured so as to allow the dispense interface 200 to be removably connected the cartridge holder 40 . in one preferred interface arrangement , the proximal end of the interface 200 is configured with an upwardly extending wall 218 having at least one recess . for example , as may be seen from fig8 , the upwardly extending wall 218 comprises at least a first recess 217 and a second recess 219 . preferably , the first and the second recesses 217 , 219 are positioned within this main outer body wall so as to cooperate with an outwardly protruding member located near the distal end of the cartridge housing 40 of the drug delivery device 10 . for example , this outwardly protruding member 48 of the cartridge housing may be seen in fig4 and 5 . a second similar protruding member is provided on the opposite side of the cartridge housing . as such , when the interface 200 is axially slid over the distal end of the cartridge housing 40 , the outwardly protruding members will cooperate with the first and second recess 217 , 219 to form an interference fit , form fit , or snap lock . alternatively , and as those of skill in the art will recognize , any other similar connection mechanism that allows for the dispense interface and the cartridge housing 40 to be axially coupled could be used as well . the main outer body 210 and the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 act to form an axially engaging snap lock or snap fit arrangement that could be axially slid onto the distal end of the cartridge housing . in one alternative arrangement , the dispense interface 200 may be provided with a coding feature so as to prevent inadvertent dispense interface cross use . that is , the inner body of the hub could be geometrically configured so as to prevent an inadvertent cross use of one or more dispense interfaces . a mounting hub is provided at a distal end of the main outer body 210 of the dispense interface 200 . such a mounting hub can be configured to be releasably connected to a needle assembly . as just one example , this connecting means 216 may comprise an outer thread that engages an inner thread provided along an inner wall surface of a needle hub of a needle assembly , such as the needle assembly 400 illustrated in fig6 . alternative releasable connectors may also be provided such as a snap lock , a snap lock released through threads , a bayonet lock , a form fit , or other similar connection arrangements . the dispense interface 200 further comprises a first inner body 220 . certain details of this inner body are illustrated in fig8 - 11 . preferably , this first inner body 220 is coupled to an inner surface 215 of the extending wall 218 of the main outer body 210 . more preferably , this first inner body 220 is coupled by way of a rib and groove form fit arrangement to an inner surface of the outer body 210 . for example , as can be seen from fig9 , the extending wall 218 of the main outer body 210 is provided with a first rib 213 a and a second rib 213 b . this first rib 213 a is also illustrated in fig1 . these ribs 213 a and 213 b are positioned along the inner surface 215 of the wall 218 of the outer body 210 and create a form fit or snap lock engagement with cooperating grooves 224 a and 224 b of the first inner body 220 . in a preferred arrangement , these cooperating grooves 224 a and 224 b are provided along an outer surface 222 of the first inner body 220 . in addition , as can be seen in fig8 - 10 , a proximal surface 226 near the proximal end of the first inner body 220 may be configured with at least a first proximally positioned piercing needle 240 comprising a proximal piercing end portion 244 . similarly , the first inner body 220 is configured with a second proximally positioned piercing needle 250 comprising a proximally piercing end portion 254 . both the first and second needles 240 , 250 are rigidly mounted on the proximal surface 226 of the first inner body 220 . preferably , this dispense interface 200 further comprises a valve arrangement . such a valve arrangement could be constructed so as to prevent cross contamination of the first and second medicaments contained in the first and second reservoirs , respectively . a preferred valve arrangement may also be configured so as to prevent back flow and cross contamination of the first and second medicaments . in one preferred system , dispense interface 200 includes a valve arrangement in the form of a valve seal 260 . such a valve seal 260 may be provided within a cavity 231 defined by the second inner body 230 , so as to form a holding chamber 280 . preferably , cavity 231 resides along an upper surface of the second inner body 230 . this valve seal comprises an upper surface that defines both a first fluid groove 264 and second fluid groove 266 . for example , fig9 illustrates the position of the valve seal 260 , seated between the first inner body 220 and the second inner body 230 . during an injection step , this seal valve 260 helps to prevent the primary medicament in the first pathway from migrating to the secondary medicament in the second pathway , while also preventing the secondary medicament in the second pathway from migrating to the primary medicament in the first pathway . preferably , this seal valve 260 comprises a first non - return valve 262 and a second non - return valve 268 . as such , the first non - return valve 262 prevents fluid transferring along the first fluid pathway 264 , for example a groove in the seal valve 260 , from returning back into this pathway 264 . similarly , the second non - return valve 268 prevents fluid transferring along the second fluid pathway 266 from returning back into this pathway 266 . together , the first and second grooves 264 , 266 converge towards the non - return valves 262 and 268 respectively , to then provide for an output fluid path or a holding chamber 280 . this holding chamber 280 is defined by an inner chamber defined by a distal end of the second inner body both the first and the second non return valves 262 , 268 along with a pierceable septum 270 . as illustrated , this pierceable septum 270 is positioned between a distal end portion of the second inner body 230 and an inner surface defined by the needle hub of the main outer body 210 . the holding chamber 280 terminates at an outlet port of the interface 200 . this outlet port 290 is preferably centrally located in the needle hub of the interface 200 and assists in maintaining the pierceable seal 270 in a stationary position . as such , when a double ended needle assembly is attached to the needle hub of the interface ( such as the double ended needle illustrated in fig6 ), the output fluid path allows both medicaments to be in fluid communication with the attached needle assembly . the hub interface 200 further comprises a second inner body 230 . as can be seen from fig9 , this second inner body 230 has an upper surface that defines a recess , and the valve seal 260 is positioned within this recess . therefore , when the interface 200 is assembled as shown in fig9 , the second inner body 230 will be positioned between a distal end of the outer body 210 and the first inner body 220 . together , second inner body 230 and the main outer body hold the septum 270 in place . the distal end of the inner body 230 may also form a cavity or holding chamber that can be configured to be fluid communication with both the first groove 264 and the second groove 266 of the valve seal . axially sliding the main outer body 210 over the distal end of the drug delivery device attaches the dispense interface 200 to the multi - use device . in this manner , a fluid communication may be created between the first needle 240 and the second needle 250 with the primary medicament of the first cartridge and the secondary medicament of the second cartridge , respectively . fig1 illustrates the dispense interface 200 after it has been mounted onto the distal end 42 of the cartridge holder 40 of the drug delivery device 10 illustrated in fig1 . a double ended needle 400 is also mounted to the distal end of this interface . the cartridge holder 40 is illustrated as having a first cartridge containing a first medicament and a second cartridge containing a second medicament . when the interface 200 is first mounted over the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 , the proximal piercing end 244 of the first piercing needle 240 pierces the septum of the first cartridge 90 and thereby resides in fluid communication with the primary medicament 92 of the first cartridge 90 . a distal end of the first piercing needle 240 will also be in fluid communication with a first fluid path groove 264 defined by the valve seal 260 . similarly , the proximal piercing end 254 of the second piercing needle 250 pierces the septum of the second cartridge 100 and thereby resides in fluid communication with the secondary medicament 102 of the second cartridge 100 . a distal end of this second piercing needle 250 will also be in fluid communication with a second fluid path groove 266 defined by the valve seal 260 . fig1 illustrates a preferred arrangement of such a dispense interface 200 that is coupled to a distal end 15 of the main body 14 of drug delivery device 10 . preferably , such a dispense interface 200 is removably coupled to the cartridge holder 40 of the drug delivery device 10 . as illustrated in fig1 , the dispense interface 200 is coupled to the distal end of a cartridge housing 40 . this cartridge holder 40 is illustrated as containing the first cartridge 90 containing the primary medicament 92 and the second cartridge 100 containing the secondary medicament 102 . once coupled to the cartridge housing 40 , the dispense interface 200 essentially provides a mechanism for providing a fluid communication path from the first and second cartridges 90 , 100 to the common holding chamber 280 . this holding chamber 280 is illustrated as being in fluid communication with a dose dispenser . here , as illustrated , this dose dispenser comprises the double ended needle assembly 400 . as illustrated , the proximal end of the double ended needle assembly is in fluid communication with the chamber 280 . in one preferred arrangement , the dispense interface is configured so that it attaches to the main body in only one orientation , that is it is fitted only one way round . as such as illustrated in fig1 , once the dispense interface 200 is attached to the cartridge holder 40 , the primary needle 240 can only be used for fluid communication with the primary medicament 92 of the first cartridge 90 and the interface 200 would be prevented from being reattached to the holder 40 so that the primary needle 240 could now be used for fluid communication with the secondary medicament 102 of the second cartridge 100 . such a one way around connecting mechanism may help to reduce potential cross contamination between the two medicaments 92 and 102 . fig1 a - d illustrate the production of a y - channel with git / wit . it will only be described with respect to git , but the description can be used for wit in an analogue manner . turning first to fig1 a , one can see a device 300 comprising a mold 302 , and an injection site 304 for molten plastic and a second injection site 306 for gas . in this step of the production , molten plastic 308 is inserted via a first guide 312 into the mold 302 . the outer part of the molten plastic 308 starts to cool down while the inner part is being kept hot . right before or right after the end of the molten plastic injection process , the gas injection via the guide 310 can start . the gas is preferably an inert gas , for example nitrogen . as illustrated in fig1 b , a y - channel 314 is formed within the molten plastic 308 , which is pushed to the walls of the mold 302 and solidifies as a plastic part 316 . after the plastic part 316 has cooled down , it can be taken out of the mold 302 . the produced plastic part 316 with the y - channel 314 as illustrated in fig1 c has a first arm 318 , a second arm 320 and a third arm 322 . these three arms 318 , 320 , 322 each have an end 324 , 326 and 328 , respectively . the two arms 318 , 320 form an angle which is smaller than 180 °. the third arm 322 extends away from said angle . the second arm 320 has at its end 326 an opening 330 due to the gas injection guide 310 . along the lines 332 , 334 , 338 the ends 324 , 326 , 328 are cut off from the plastic part 316 . by this step all three ends 324 , 326 , 328 are opened . this cutting is preferably done with mechanical means , but it can also be done by laser cutting , for example . as can be seen in fig1 d the three arms 318 , 320 , 322 of the plastic part 316 with the y - channel 314 have now defined openings 340 , 342 and 344 , respectively . through the openings 340 and 342 preferably two different medicaments 92 , 102 can enter the y - channel 314 and through the opening 344 a mixture of the two medicaments 92 , 102 can exit the y - channel 314 . fig1 e shows another exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention . similar to the plastic part 316 shown in fig1 d , the plastic part 316 ′ shown in fig1 e has three ends 324 ′, 326 ′, 328 ′, which have the openings 340 ′, 342 ′ and 344 ′, respectively . the plastic part 316 ′ can be produced in the same way as the plastic part 316 . in contrast to the plastic pat 316 shown in fig1 e , the ends 340 ′ and 342 ′ extend substantially parallel to each other . in this case they also extend parallel to the third end 328 ′, such that if the axis of the third end 328 ′ defines a downward direction , the first end 324 ′ and second end 326 ′ extend substantially in the upward direction . this further facilitates the manufacturing process . moreover , this further facilitates the insertion of needles into the ends 324 ′ and 326 ′. fig1 illustrates a cross - sectional view of a dispense interface 200 similar to the one illustrated in fig9 . the dispense interface 200 illustrated in fig1 shows the plastic part 316 and the y - channel 314 illustrated in fig1 d . the plastic part 316 is integrated via form fit into a first inner body 220 ′. together with a second half of the inner body ( not illustrated ) the plastic part 316 can be fixed in between the inner bodies , for example . the inner body 220 ′ can then be attached to the main outer body 210 in the already described manner . the piercing needle 240 is attached to the opening 340 of the first arm 318 of the y - channel 314 . accordingly the piercing needle 250 is attached to the opening 342 of the second arm 320 of the y - channel 314 . the attachment of the needles 240 , 250 to the y - channel 314 can be realised by any appropriate method , for example form fit or force fit connections , or by adhesive bonding . the third opening 344 of the y - channel 314 is sealed by a pierceable septum 270 . those features shown in fig1 , which are also shown in fig9 , are further described in connection with the description of fig9 .

the technical problem of providing a channel , which is more reliable , prevents contamination of guided liquids and which can be produced in an easy and cost saving way , is solved by an apparatus , comprising a plastic part , a channel within said plastic part configured to guide at least one fluid , wherein said channel is configured to be used in a medical device , wherein said channel is a y - channel having three ends and wherein said channel is produced with gas injection technique and / or water injection technique . the technical problem is further solved by a method to produce at least a part of a medical device , comprising the steps of producing a y - channel within a plastic part with gas injection technique and / or water injection technique and opening said y - channel to produce at least one opening .

a keeper for coiled items in accordance with the present invention comprises an elongated strap 2 of flexible material having a plurality of fibrous loop elements 4 throughout one surface 6 of the strap 2 and a plurality of fibrous hook elements 8 throughout the opposite surface 10 of the strap 2 . the coil keeper in accordance with this invention may be used with any item that is gathered up into a coil or bundle when not in use , such as an electrical cord , a garden hose or the like . the construction may be the same for all , differing only in size . for purposes of description , reference in this specification will be made to use of the coil keeper with an electrical cord 12 . the coil keeper in accordance with this invention is secured to the electrical cord 12 by a two part interlock 14 comprising a longitudinally extending slot 16 and a laterally extending opposed pair of notches 18 and 20 extending inwardly from opposite side edges 22 and 24 of the strap 2 at a pre - determined spaced apart distance from the intermediate point 26 of the longitudinally extending slot 16 . such pre - determined spaced apart distance is substantially equal to the outer circumference of the electrical cord 12 which is to be received within a loop 28 to be formed in the strap 2 between the longitudinal slot 16 and the laterally extending notches 18 and 20 . when the loop 28 is formed , it fits snugly against and around the electrical cord 12 to keep the strap 2 secured thereto when the cord 12 is uncoiled and in use . the longitudinally extending slot 16 has a longitudinal dimension somewhat greater than the cross - sectional dimension of the strap 2 . a pair of relatively short laterally extending opposed slots 30 and 32 extend outwardly from longitudinal slot 16 at its intermediate point 26 for the respective opposed notches 18 and 20 to intermesh with when loop 28 is formed . when the opposed notches 18 and 20 are intermeshed with the opposed laterally extending slots 30 and 32 , the loop 28 is locked in place and can be neither loosened nor tightened until the strap 2 is twisted in such a way as to release the opposed notches 18 and 20 from the opposed laterally extending slots 30 and 32 . after use of the electrical cord 12 has been completed , it is rolled into a coil 34 as shown in fig5 partially in section , and the strap 2 is wrapped around the coil . the free end 36 of the strap 2 is brought far enough around to overlap a portion of the opposite end region 38 of the strap 2 . at such time , one of the surfaces 6 having the loops 4 or 10 having the hooks 8 of the overlapped free end portion 36 is facing the opposite surface of strap 2 of the overlapped portion of the opposite end region 38 . thus , as shown in fig5 when strap 2 is wrapped around the coil 34 with surface 6 having fibrous loops 4 facing outwardly , the overlapping portion of free end 36 has surface 10 with fibrous hooks 8 facing inwardly to releasably interconnect with fibrous loops 4 on surface 6 which are facing outwardly along the overlapped portion of opposite end region 38 . the fibrous loops 4 and hooks 8 releasably interconnect when pressed into contact with each other to hold the opposite end regions of strap 2 together . when free end 36 of strap 2 is pulled away from the overlapped portion of opposite end region 38 , the fibrous loops 4 and hooks 8 release , thereby opening the large loop 40 formed by strap 2 which extends laterally around the gathered loops 42 of the electrical cord 12 that make up the coil 34 . the electrical cord 12 can then be uncoiled for use . when electrical cord 12 is uncoiled for use , the strap 2 remains attached to electrical cord 12 by means of the interlocked loop 28 . it is thereby available on the electrical cord 12 for use in forming the releasably interconnected large loop 40 to extend around the gathered loops 42 when cord 12 is coiled up for storage and to hold such coil 34 together until the electrical cord 12 is again put in use . as stated above , the coil keeper in accordance with this invention can be used with any item that is rolled up into a coil when not in use and uncoiled when put to use . the strap 2 may be any desired length . the interlockable loop 28 may be any desired size to fit snugly around whatever item the coil keeper is to be used with , by appropriate spacing of the notches 18 and 20 from the intermediate point 26 at which lateral slots 30 and 32 intersect longitudinal slot 16 . the strap 2 may have more than one pair of notches 18 and 20 , each pair spaced at different distances from the intermediate point 26 at which lateral slots 30 and 32 intersect longitudinal slot 16 . fig6 illustrates a modification of that kind , in which strap 2 has a first pair of opposed notches 18 and 20 spaced apart a first predetermined distance from intermediate point 26 , and a second pair of opposed notches 180 and 200 spaced apart a second and farther predetermined distance from intermediate point 26 to fit snugly around a larger diameter item when interlockable loop 28 is formed by intermeshing opposed notches 180 and 200 in lateral slots 30 and 32 . another modified form of the keeper in accordance with this invention is shown in fig7 . the strap 2 has fibrous loops 4 on and extending throughout its surface 6 from its end 36 to its opposite end 38 , and fibrous hooks 8 on and extending throughout its opposite surface 10 from its end 36 to its opposite end 38 . the fibrous loops 4 are releasably interconnectable with fibrous hooks 8 when brought into facing relationship and pressed together . by providing such loops 4 and hooks 8 throughout the entire length of the strap 2 on opposite sides from end to end , the strap 2 can be twisted at any intermediate portion to bring loops 4 on surface 6 into facing relationship with hooks 8 on surface 10 to form a small loop 28 having a peripheral circumference corresponding to that of an electrical cord 12 or other item such as a garden hose and the like , to hold the strap snugly in place thereon . the elongated portions of strap 2 which extend outwardly from the twisted portion that forms the small loop 28 can then be brought around to form a larger loop 40 to laterally surround the gathered loops of a coil of electrical cord 12 or other coiled item . the end 38 of strap 2 is brought around to overlap a portion of strap 2 which extends inwardly from its end 36 . at such time as shown in fig7 surface 6 having loops 4 extending inwardly from end 36 is in facing relationship with surface 10 having hooks 8 on the overlapping portion of strap 2 which extends inwardly thereof from end 38 . the overlapped portions are pressed together whereby the hooks 8 and loops 4 releasably interconnect to hold the large loop in place to keep a coil of electrical cord or other item together in the coil until it is desired to release . when the large loop 40 is released by separating the overlapped portions extending inwardly from ends 36 and 38 of the strap 2 , the small loop 28 remains intact to retain the strap 2 on a portion of the electrical cord or other item until it is desired to use again to form large loop 40 to keep the electrical cord together in a coil .

a keeper for coiled items such as electrical cord , garden hose or the like , having a first smaller loop to receive a single strand to secure the keeper thereto and a second larger loop to extend around all of the coiled strands to keep them together when the electrical cord , garden hose or the like is rolled up into a coil . the keeper comprises a single flexible strap having cooperative loops and hooks on opposite sides throughout to form the second larger loop and a slot near one end to receive the opposite end through to form the first smaller loop .

the following observations , measurements and description of the plants and flowers are based on the environmental and cultural practices at coquille , oreg . the following measurements , values and comparisons describe plants grown under a double layer of polyethylene film with temperatures typically ranging from about 55 ° f . to about 85 ° f . during the daytime . night heat was provided by bench top set at 62 ° f . the individual plants were grown in six - inch azalea containers in a soiless medium . plants were liquid fed with high nitrate plus trace elements applied at n level 150 ppm of two successive feedings followed by one leaching of clear water . plants started in the last week of june and finished in late september and grown at light levels between 4 , 000 and 6 , 000 ft . candles . the plant of the present invention has not been observed in all possible environmental and / or cultural conditions . the phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature , light level , humidity and also with cultural practices such as fertility , soil and water quality . the accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance and the flower color of the cultivar of the present invention described herein . the photograph was taken of a mature plant 14 weeks of age , during full inflorescence . there may be variations between the colors in the photograph and the colors in the following description due to light reflectance , or the amount of blue or red light captured in the film . if such variations occur , the written description shall control . parentage : the new cultivar was developed by standard cross - pollination . as noted above , its seed parent was a semi - double with orange flowers . its pollen parent was a semi - double with orange flowers . type cutting .— lateral tips of plants were the cuttings used for asexual reproduction . time to initiate roots .— approximately 7 to 14 days at 72 ° f . soil temperature . plant form and habit .— mounded to prostrate mounded , with a medium vigorous , dense and bushy growing habit . plant size .— height is about 24 cm and width is about 45 cm . root description .— the rooting habit is characterized by numerous , fibrous and well - branched roots . branching habit .— plants are self - branching . stems are strong and freely produced . the number of stems depends upon cultural practices , age of stems used as cuttings and the number of growth buds present on the cutting when stuck . the average stem length is about 22 . 5 cm . each stem generally produces about three laterals . stems .— diameter is about 0 . 5 cm , and become larger with age . internode length is about 2 . 75 cm . color is 146b to 146c with markings close to 178a . the observed plant &# 39 ; s stem texture is smooth . foliage .— leaves are simple , generally symmetrical , abundant , alternate and flat . shape is ovate with attenuate base , acuminate apex , and crenate margin . texture is smooth and satiny . the observed plant &# 39 ; s leaf venation pattern is similar to other plants having similar leaf shapes , with single veins branching upwardly off from the central , longitudinal axis of each leaf , along the length of the axis , toward the margin of the leaf and forming an acute angle relative to the axis . foliage size .— size of the largest leaves is about 7 cm in length , and 4 . 5 cm in width . foliage color .— adaxial color is darker than 147a , venation is 146a . abaxial is close to 148b with markings close to 177a , venation is close to 146a with reddish markings close to 178b . petioles .— each petiole is half round with a top surface width of about 3 mm , a depth of about 1 . 5 mm and a length of about 1 . 5 cm . color on the bottom surface is 146b , the top surface is close to 148b to 148c with reddish markings close to 178b . flower size .— the largest flowers have a diameter of about 5 . 5 cm , a depth of about 2 . 25 cm . flower count .— 12 or more per stem from buds to open flowers at any time during the flowering period . natural flowering season .— year around under greenhouse conditions , and the frost - free period from spring through fall outdoors . buds .— buds are ovate in shape with a length of about 1 . 1 cm , a width of about 1 cm and a depth of about 1 cm . bottom color close to 146c to 146d . top is 146c with blotches close to 178b . petal size and shape .— the largest petals generally consist of two petals fused at base , overlapping at center , each being about 2 . 5 cm in length and about 2 . 7 cm in width . shape is obovate to exaggerated obovate with attenuate base , entire margin , obtuse to retuse apex . petal color .— adaxial color is close to 33a at the center and 40a toward edges . abaxial color is closest to 40c with spots at center toward base close to 193c to 193d . spur .— shape is a curved acicular tube about 4 cm . in length , and about 3 mm . in diameter at sepal end , tapering to a point at the apex . color is close to 199b at the base , darkening to close to 183a at the apex . calyx .— the calyx consists of a single sepal . the size of largest is about 1 cm . long and about 1 cm . wide . abaxial color is 193a . adaxial surface color is 193b with a blotch at base close to 181c . peduncles .— length is about 2 cm . and diameter is about 2 mm . color is 146b with reddish hard to determine tiny streaks which appear close to 187c . peduncles have a smooth texture . pedicels .— usually number 2 or 3 with a length of about 2 cm . and diameter is about 2 mm . color is 146b with reddish hard to determine tiny streaks which appear close to 187c . pedicels have a smooth texture . reproductive organs .— the plants of the new cultivar are both male and female sterile . no reproductive organs have been found to exist . cold / heat resistance .— ‘ titag ’ was grown side by side with ‘ tropical orange ’ in temperatures of daytime highs of about 90 ° f . ‘ tropical orange ’ had weak stems , causing the plant to fall over , the peduncles were weak and could not properly support the flowers in a face - out position , and the color was faded and unstable . ‘ titag ’ showed strong peduncles keeping the flowers positioned face out , the color was bright and clear the plant maintained a nice mounded appearance , and its flowers were larger than the flowers of ‘ tropical orange ’.

a new an distinct cultivar of impatiens walleriana plant as illustrated named ‘ titag ’, characterized by moderately strong peduncles and pedicels , large flowers , fully double and symmetrical , very bright orange colored flowers , strong stems , flowers that are positioned above or beyond the foliage , good heat tolerance , dark green foliage and mounded , freely branching and dense plant habit .

referring to the drawings , a bucket attachment 10 , in accordance with the present invention , broadly includes a generally upright rear wall or attachment plate 12 , a generally rectangular bottom 16 , a pair of upright triangular forward tapering side walls 20 and a fork assembly 22 preferably of one piece having two tines 24 . the bucket attachment 10 has a generally low wedge shaped side profile with the bottom 16 joined generally perpendicularly relative to the pair of side walls 20 . the bottom 16 and the side walls 20 may be bent and formed of a single plate . the attachment plate / rear wall 12 is attached to the rear ends of the sidewalls 20 and bottom 16 . fork assembly 22 is secured to the nose end of the bucket attachment 10 . referring particularly to fig4 exemplary attachment plate 12 comprises an upper flange 32 and a pair of lower hookups 34 . the attachment plate may be configured differently to adapt the bucket for attachment to different earthmovers . the attachment plate 12 may have a safety bar 30 affixed to the top edge thereof . gussets 36 strengthen and stiffen the connection of attachment plate 12 connection to sidewalls 20 . gussets 36 may be flat plates as depicted in fig1 or rectangular tubes as in fig2 . risers 38 are secured to the bottom of attachment plate 12 and bottom plate 16 . safety bar 30 is a robust grid structure of vertical and horizontal bars secured to and extending above the attachment plate . upper flange 32 extends across the upper edge of the attachment plate 12 and comprises a ridge protruding from the rear of attachment plate 12 angled downward at about thirty degrees . hookups 34 each comprise pockets similarly angled downward at about thirty degrees . aperture 35 extends through attachment plate 12 and has a racetrack configuration with the long axis generally horizontal . side bars 37 reinforce the ends of upper flange 32 . referring to fig3 and 18 , the fork assembly 22 , 22 ′ includes two tines 24 and is removably connected to the nose end of the bucket by nut and bolt assemblies 25 received through recessed bolt holes 26 . the fork assembly 22 may be composed of two separate plates or , preferably , may be part of a single integral unit . the tines 24 may include beveled forward edges 50 which are beveled forwardly upward from their lower extremity . if the tines 24 are part of a single unit , the forward edge 52 of the portion of the fork assembly 22 , 22 ′ interposed between the tines has a similar upward beveled edge . thus , the sharpest edges of fork assembly 22 are located at the upper forward edge . the forward edge 52 of the portion of the fork assembly 22 , 22 ′ between the tines may be curved as depicted in fig3 or straight as depicted in fig1 . fork assembly 22 , 22 ′ may include a beveled rear edge 53 . at least one grading bar 54 may be secured to the underside of the bottom of the bucket 10 , also by nut and bolt assemblies 25 held in recessed bolt receiving holes 27 , at or near to the nose end of the bucket 10 . the grading bar or bars 54 preferably are beveled upward from their lower edges to create an angled edge 56 . it is noted that the upward beveling at the nose edges of the bucket and grading bar 54 , and fork assembly 22 is the opposite of that used on conventional earth moving equipment buckets and also the opposite of normal backhoe teeth . referring to fig1 and 6 , the side rails 58 reinforce sidewalls 20 of the bucket attachment 10 and may also comprise collars 60 defining an opening in each side to receive a locking pin 62 to secure sub - attachments to the bucket 10 . these collars 60 are preferably set back somewhat from the nose end 28 of the bucket 10 . mini - bucket sub - attachment 70 is depicted in fig5 and 6 . the mini - bucket 70 has a generally upright rear wall 72 and triangular sidewalls 74 secured to generally rectangular bottom 76 . it is sized to slip fit between the sides of the bucket attachment 10 . the mini - bucket further comprises a latching mechanism 77 comprising a sleeve 78 to receive the pin 62 placed through the collars 60 of the bucket attachment 10 for selectively removably securing the mini - bucket in place . a lip or lips 80 may be placed on the underside of the mini - bucket . lip 80 comprises a transverse plate with a rearwardly extending overhang defining a gap between the lip and the bottom 16 of the bucket attachment 10 . the locking pin 62 comprises a shaft , sized to fit through collars 60 and sleeve 78 , an enlarged head 82 large enough to prevent the locking pin 62 from passing through collar 60 , and a securing fastener 84 to prevent the other end of the pin 62 from passing through the other collar when in place . fastener 84 may include a hairpin or safety pin type fastener and a bore through lock pin 62 , a bolt and nut , a snap ring and circumferential groove in lock pin 62 or other appropriate fastener . other sub - attachments may be employed with bucket attachment 10 . some attach in a manner similar to that of mini bucket 70 . others may be bolted to the bucket attachment 10 in place of fork assembly 22 . referring to fig1 , 11 and 12 , several different embodiments of a bolt on chute sub - attachment are depicted . referring particularly to fig1 , a bolt on chute sub - attachment 86 takes the form of a straight sided chute having a generally flat , rectangular bottom 88 and generally vertical sides 90 . the chute sub - attachment 86 is secured to bucket attachment 10 by nut and bolt assemblies 25 after removal of fork assembly 22 . fig1 and 12 depict an alternative embodiment of chute sub - attachment 86 . funnel chute sub - attachment 86 ′ is similar in construction to chute sub - attachment 86 aside from presenting a width tapering from approximately that of bucket attachment 10 at the rear to substantially less at the front thereof . referring to fig1 , elongate funnel chute sub - attachment 86 ″ presents a funnel shape similar to sub - attachment 86 ′ but having a further extended reach . referring to fig1 , an extended digging bar 92 is depicted . the extended digging bar 92 is similar in structure to bolt on chute sub - attachment 86 but is made of a heavier material . extended digging bar 92 also includes a beveled front edge 94 and a beveled rear edge 96 . extended digging bar 92 may be bolted to bucket attachment 10 in place of fork assembly 22 by via nut and bolt assemblies 25 . referring to fig1 a scraper sub - attachment 98 is depicted . scraper sub - attachment 98 includes an extended support 100 , a scraping member 102 , and reinforcing gussets 104 . scraping plate 102 is connected to the end of extended support 100 in a generally perpendicular orientation . scraper 98 may be attached to bucket attachment 10 in place of fork assembly 22 via nut and bolt assemblies 25 . referring to fig1 a further sub - attachment is depicted . rock chute 106 generally includes side plates 108 rising generally vertically from bottom 110 . transverse braces 112 extend transversely interconnecting opposed side plates 108 . each of opposed side plates 108 further include a collar 114 passing through reinforcement plate 116 . collars 114 are positioned so as to be alignable with collars 60 on bucket attachment 10 . collars 114 are further sized appropriately to receive locking pin 62 therethrough . referring to fig1 , an alternative construction of bucket attachment 10 includes nose brace 118 . note that alternative nose brace 118 reinforces each side of the nose of bucket attachment 10 as well as partially enclosing the ends of grading bar 54 . the width of the bucket attachment 10 is substantially uniform and relatively quite narrow as compared to conventional bucket attachments . preferably , the width of the bucket , not including the mounting plate , is between fifteen and thirty inches , optimally about twenty - three inches . the rear wall 12 and bottom 16 of the bucket attachment preferably meet at an acute angle 40 . most preferred is an angle of about seventy two degrees . an angled inside plate 14 may be secured into the acute corner 42 formed by the rear wall 12 and bottom 16 . bottom 16 is generally rectangular in shape with the longer axis of the rectangle having length l positioned orthogonal to the attachment plate 12 . the shorter axis of the rectangular bottom 16 having width w is generally parallel to rear wall 12 . in order for the bucket attachment to have a longer reach than conventional buckets and to assure that the bucket attachment can be safely used it is helpful that the bucket attachment be self - limiting in load capacity . this is accomplished by limiting the width of the bucket itself . a ratio of width to length of about 0 . 30 to 0 . 38 is preferred . this also reduces the weight of the bucket , leaving more load capacity available . additionally , the wedge shaped profile concentrates the weight of the attachment and load near to the loader so as not to overbalance the counterweight . as noted above , the bucket attachment 10 has a much smaller ratio of width w to length l than conventional loader buckets . it also provides for a greater length l than conventional loader implements . the length l of the bucket attachment 10 ( exclusive of the fork assembly 22 ) can range from thirty to one hundred inches , and preferably is about sixty two inches . the ratio of width w to length l for the bucket attachment is less than about 0 . 50 . optimally , the ratio of width to length is about 0 . 30 to 0 . 38 . in operation , and referring to fig8 and 9 , the skid steer loader or tractor 90 is positioned so that the lift arms 92 of the loader are in contact with the attachment plate 12 . the hookups 34 and the upper flange 32 are engaged by the attachment mechanism at the end of the loader lift arms to raise and manipulate the bucket attachment . a locking mechanism secures the lift arms to the attachment plate . in operation the bucket attachment 10 is removably attached to a skid steer loader 90 , and is used to dig , trench , spread granular materials , and manipulate unit items . referring to fig8 the skid steer loader 90 and bucket attachment 10 are depicted in a load carrying configuration . note that a granular material load is held near to the front of the loader for stability . the fork assembly 22 is angled to cradle a unit load securely . fig9 depicts the bucket attachment 10 in a position that facilitates digging . the fork assembly 22 loosens packed soil to allow its removal with the bucket attachment 10 . this position may also be employed for the unloading of flowable materials when a load is to be placed . a position ( not shown ) between that in fig8 and fig9 is used to pick up unit items on the fork assembly 22 and to use the fork assembly 22 and grading bar 54 to grade and smooth materials . a plurality of other operating positions will be apparent to those skilled in the art for placing and moving materials . the safety bar 30 serves to prevent loads carried by the bucket attachment 10 from sliding rearward , passing over the attachment plate 12 and injuring the operator or damaging the tractor . the greater length and narrow width of the bucket attachment facilitates improved maneuverability and reach for the attachment in confined areas such as between boulders , trees and structures and over terraces and plantings . in particular , this allows the bucket attachment to reach over obstructions such as when reaching over a retaining wall to back fill behind it . the acute angle 40 at which the attachment plate meets the bottom plate 16 provides the preferred angle of tilt for the bucket attachment to carry granular materials low and close to the center of gravity of the tractor as well as keeping unit items securely on the fork assembly . the angled inside plate 14 serves to increase strength and fill the acute comer 42 to prevent the compaction of granular materials into the rear of the bucket attachment 10 . the fork assembly 22 , 22 ′ facilitates the handling of heavy unit objects such as boulders , concrete items , balled and burlapped plants and the like . the fork ends 50 are beveled upward to ease the lifting of unit items and to facilitate the spreading and smoothing of granular materials . the upward bevel 50 of the fork assembly 22 and grading bars 54 moves gradable material down and away from the grading bar 54 and fork assembly 22 , preventing the buildup of materials therebetween and making the bucket attachment especially useful in spreading and smoothing operations . the upward bevel 50 of the fork assembly 22 facilitates the lifting of unit objects by allowing the forks to slide under the unit object readily . the upward bevel 50 of the fork assembly 22 also loosens hard packed material for digging . the bucket attachment 10 may include a locking device to releasably connect a sub - attachment such as mini - bucket 70 thereto . the mini - bucket 70 further extends the reach of the bucket attachment and is preferably sized to have a capacity equal to that of a standard six cubic foot wheelbarrow . this allows the easy and rapid filling of wheelbarrows to transport granular materials to extremely confined areas . other sub - attachments may be used in concert with the bucket attachment . sub - attachments generally can be placed so that a pin 62 can be inserted through the collars and through collars 114 or sleeve 78 on the sub - attachments to secure the sub - attachments to the bucket attachment 10 quickly and easily . in practice , the sub - attachment is located within or outside of bucket attachment 10 and locking pin 62 is placed through the first collar 60 , then through the sleeve 78 of the sub - attachment then through the second collar 60 . a fastener 84 is then used to secure the locking pin 62 from unintentionally being retracted from the collars 60 and sleeve 78 . alternately , fork assembly 22 may be removed and a different sub - attachment bolted in its place . the lip 80 of the mini - bucket sub - attachment may be hooked under the nose edge of the bucket attachment 10 , the fork assembly 22 , 22 ′ to assist in securing the mini - bucket 70 to the bucket attachment 10 . note that lip 80 both prevents mini - bucket 70 from lifting relative to bucket attachment 10 and transmits digging force from fork assembly 22 to mini - bucket 70 along with pin 62 . lip 80 also aligns sleeve 78 with collars 60 to ease placement of pin 62 therethrough . other means of securing the mini - bucket sub - attachment 70 to the bucket attachment 10 may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention . the mini - bucket 70 can then be used to place small quantities of granular material at a great distance from the tractor 90 or to fill a wheelbarrow easily . a liner made of a durable nonstick material such as polyethylene may be incorporated into the bucket 10 to facilitate the hand mixing of small quantities of concrete . the liner may be held in place by spring clips or other appropriate connectors to prevent it from inadvertently sliding out of the bucket during concrete pouring operations . funnel chutes 86 ′ and 86 ″ may be used to fill postholes with gravel or concrete . scraper sub - attachment 98 may be employed to push or pull materials in difficult locations such as to spread gravel under a low deck or to remove weeds from the shoreline of a pond . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential attributes thereof ; therefore , the illustrated embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , reference being made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention .

a unique bucket attachment and sub - attachment adaptable for use with skid steer loaders and other earth moving equipment . the bucket attachment has a much smaller ratio of width to length than conventional loader buckets . it also provides for a much longer reach than conventional loader implements . the bucket attachment is well adapted for use with a skid steer loader or other tractor for trenching , excavation and moving of granular materials such as earth , sand , gravel or crushed rock . the bucket attachment may include a short fork assembly at the distal end . in addition to increasing the reach of the attachment , the fork assembly assists in the manipulation of heavy unit items such as balled and burlapped trees and shrubs , boulders , and blocks of stone or concrete . sub - attachments , such as a smaller bucket that further extends the reach of the bucket attachment , and a variety of chutes can be removably attached to the distal end of the bucket attachment .

in the figures , identical reference numerals designate identical or similar components or sets of components . fig1 shows that the packaging e according to the invention includes a wall 1 defining a volume which is substantially parallelepiped - shaped , for example , when the packaging is in a service configuration ( i . e . a configuration enabling it to be emptied or filled ). the parallelepiped - shaped volume can be obtained by folding and gluing a cutout blank 2 of semi - rigid material such as cardboard , for example ( see fig5 ). the wall 1 includes a first side 3 , a second side 5 , a third side 7 and a fourth side 9 , in succession in that order , and respectively having a first edge 11 , a second edge 13 , a third edge 15 and a fourth edge 17 defining an opening 21 , for example a rectangular opening . a first flap 23 , a second flap 25 , a third flap 27 and a fourth flap 29 are respectively articulated to each of the aforementioned edges , the first flap 23 and the third flap 27 being wide enough to overlap at least in part . according to one essential feature of the invention , a first group 31 and a second group 33 of deformation folding lines are formed on the second side 5 and the fourth side 9 of the wall 1 . the deformation folding lines are preferably formed by scoring , rows of perforations or other kinds of internal or external marking of the blank and substantially define inverted y - shapes ( when the opening 21 is at the top , i . e . as shown in fig1 ) whose branches 35 , 37 and 39 , 41 respectively extend substantially from the middles of the second edge 13 and fourth edge 17 to edges 43 , 45 and 47 , 49 respectively separating the second side 5 and the fourth side 9 from the first side 3 and the third side 7 , and whose stems 51 and 53 are in substantially median areas of the second flap 25 and the fourth flap 29 . the first flap 23 includes a tongue 55 and the third flap 27 and the third side 7 respectively include a first slot 57 and a second slot 59 , both of which slots are adapted to receive the tongue 55 . the bottom of the packaging e is closed by a fifth flap 61 , a sixth flap 63 , a seventh flap 65 and an eighth flap 67 which are glued or stapled together , for example . fig2 shows the packaging e in a first storage configuration . the first storage configuration is obtained from the previous configuration by folding the second flap 25 and the fourth flap 29 toward the interior of the packaging , folding the third flap 27 over them , and finally folding the first flap 23 over the third flap 27 and inserting the tongue 55 into the first slot 57 . fig3 shows the packaging e in an intermediate configuration preceding a second storage configuration . the intermediate configuration is obtained from the service configuration shown in fig1 by folding toward the interior of the packaging the portions 69 and 71 of the second side 5 and the fourth side 9 respectively situated between the branches 35 , 37 and 39 , 41 of the first group 31 and the second group 33 of deformation folding lines and by folding the second flap 25 and the fourth flap 29 in half around the stems 51 and 53 of the first and second groups of deformation folding lines so that the first edge 11 and the third edge 15 come into contact . fig4 shows the packaging e in its second storage configuration . the second storage configuration is obtained from the previous configuration by folding the first flap 23 , the second flap 25 , the third flap 27 and the fourth flap 29 over the third side 7 and inserting the tongue 55 into the second slot 59 . fig5 shows the blank 2 formed in a semi - rigid material such as cardboard and adapted to be folded and assembled to form the packaging e . the figure shows that the blank 2 includes a first rectangular panel 3 , a second rectangular panel 5 , a third rectangular panel 7 and a fourth rectangular panel 9 , in succession in that order , connected together by a first vertical folding line 43 , a second vertical folding line 45 and a third vertical folding line 47 . the blank 2 also includes a gluing tab 72 connected to the fourth panel 9 by a fourth folding line 49 . the blank 2 further includes a first flap 23 , a second flap 25 , a third flap 27 and a fourth flap 29 respectively connected to the first panel 3 , the second panel 5 , the third panel 7 and the fourth panel 9 by a first horizontal folding line 11 , a second horizontal folding line 13 , a third horizontal folding line 15 and a fourth horizontal folding line 17 . the blank 2 further includes a fifth flap 61 , a sixth flap 63 , a seventh flap 65 and an eighth flap 67 respectively connected to the first panel 3 , the second panel 5 , the third panel 7 and the fourth panel 9 opposite the aforementioned four flaps by a fifth horizontal folding line 81 , a sixth horizontal folding line 83 , a seventh horizontal folding line 85 and an eighth horizontal folding line 87 . the blank 2 further includes a first group 31 and a second group 33 of deformation folding lines formed on the second panel 5 and the fourth panel 9 and on the second flap 25 and the fourth flap 29 , substantially defining inverted y - shapes whose branches 35 , 37 and 39 , 41 respectively extend substantially from the middles of the second horizontal folding line 13 and the fourth horizontal folding line 17 to the first vertical folding line 43 and the second vertical folding line 45 , on the one hand , and to the third vertical folding line 47 and the fourth vertical folding line 49 , on the other hand , and whose stems 51 and 53 are in substantially median areas of the second flap 25 and the fourth flap 29 . the first flap 23 includes a tongue 55 and the third flap 27 and the third side 7 respectively include a first slot 57 and a second slot 59 adapted to receive the tongue . the first group 31 and the second group 33 of deformation folding lines are preferably formed by scoring , rows of perforations or other type of internal or external marking of the blank . how the packaging according to the invention is used and its advantages flow directly from the preceding description . to access the content of the packaging e for the first time , the conventional closure members ( not shown ) provided to make the packaging completely airtight are torn or peeled off and the first flap 23 , the second flap 25 , the third flap 27 and the fourth flap 29 are unfolded so that the packaging is in the service configuration shown in fig1 . the packaging e can be closed up again from the service configuration in two different ways . a first way is to fold the packaging e as described above into its first storage configuration , that is shown in fig2 . as anyone who eats breakfast cereal will be aware , this conventional storage configuration offers only a mediocre seal , given in particular the tendency of the first flap 23 and the third flap 27 to return to the open position because of their elasticity . the second way is to fold the packaging e as described above into its second storage configuration , which is that shown in fig4 . in this second storage configuration the first flap 1 clamps the wall 1 in a substantially airtight manner along the folding line 11 . this clamping is made possible by the first group 31 and the second group 33 of deformation folding lines . because of these lines and the relative flexibility of the material forming the wall 1 , the wall can be deformed locally from a state in which the sides 3 and 7 are parallel throughout their height to a state in which the sides are parallel only in their lower parts ( i . e . in the parts below the intersection of the branches 35 , 37 and 39 , 41 with the edges 43 , 45 and 47 , 49 ) and define a roof - shaped profile in their upper parts ( i . e . in the parts above said intersections ). when the first flap 23 , the second flap 25 , the third flap 27 and the fourth flap 29 are folded over the third side 7 of the wall 1 , the four edges 11 , 13 , 15 and 17 butt up against each other , which reinforces the clamping effect and thereby improves the seal obtained . note in particular that the second flap 25 and the fourth flap 29 prevent any ingress of air at the ends of the first edge 11 in the second storage configuration . note also that , if the contents of the packaging e are inside a flexible sachet , in the second storage configuration clamping the wall 1 can also hold the sachet in a position in which its top part is rolled up on itself , for example , which further improves the seal obtained . note also that in the second storage configuration the packaging e has a vertical overall size slightly less than that of its first storage configuration , enabling it to be stored on shelves with a relatively small distance between them , for example . note further that the locking of the opening 21 obtained when the packaging e is in its second storage configuration is significantly stronger than that obtained in its first storage configuration , and this enables the packaging to be stored on its side , for example , with no risk of its contents escaping and spilling . note further that the deformation which changes the packaging e from its service configuration to its second storage configuration is entirely reversible . what is more , the packaging tends to return spontaneously to its service configuration as soon as the first flap is raised , thanks to the elasticity of the material forming the wall 1 . this is very practical because it provides access to the contents of the packaging e with minimum manipulation . of course , the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown , which is provided by way of illustrative and non - limiting example only . thus the blank for forming the packaging in accordance with the invention could be formed in a semi - rigid plastics material , for example . thus only the part of the packaging in the region of its opening could be formed in a semi - rigid material , other parts of the packaging , such as its bottom , being formed of rigid materials . thus the wall forming the packaging could have only one edge defining an opening , for example a circular or elliptical opening . thus the opening in the packaging could extend over only a portion of its top face . thus the deformation folding lines could be replaced by portions of the packaging that are easy to fold because they are more flexible than the remainder of the packaging .

packaging suitable for food products has at least one wall which is formed in a semi - rigid material such as cardboard and has at least one edge defining an opening for inserting articles , in particular foods , and at least one first flap articulated to that edge along a folding line . the packaging can be conformed into a service configuration in which the flap uncovers the opening and a first storage configuration in which the flap closes the opening . the wall includes reversible deformation arrangements for conforming the packaging into a second storage configuration in which the first flap clamps the wall in a substantially sealed manner along the folding line and in the area of the edge .

referring first to fig1 and 2 , a tool body 10 is provided with a plurality of bolt holes 12 for mounting the cutting tool on the spindle of a gear manufacturing machine . in this preferred form , a plurality of blade holders 14 are mounted upon respective side faces 16 of body 10 , each respective side face being perpendicular to front face 18 of body 10 with the lines of intersection between the side and front faces forming , when extended , an equilateral convex polygon about center of rotation 20 . it should be appreciated that while the tool body shown is in the general form of a square ( a four - sided equilateral convex polygon ), the invention contemplates other polygonal shapes as well , e . g ., pentagon , hexagon , and octagon . means for mounting the blade holders to the tool body are shown in the sectioned portion of fig1 and in fig3 . a t - slot 22 in each side face 16 receives a tongue 24 formed in the bottom of blade holder 14 . a plurality of bolts 26 pass through appropriate holes in blade holder 14 and thread into a bolt plate 28 , the tightening of bolts 26 causing bolt plate 28 to be pulled against the upper edges of t - slot 22 to secure blade holder 14 against movement . when bolts 26 are loosened , blade holder 14 can be adjusted along a linear path by appropriate screw means comprising a locking bolt 30 and an adjusting screw 32 . a plurality of corner blocks 34 are fixed to each corner of tool body 10 and include a respective screw slot 36 and a bolt abutment 38 . the head of adjusting screw 32 is received in screw slot 36 , while its other end is threaded into blade holder 14 . therefore , rotation of adjusting screw 32 causes blade holder 14 to move along it linear path defined by t - slot 22 . the linear path of movement of each of the respective blade holders is effectively parallel to a side of the convex polygon referred to above . following positioning of a blade holder by rotation of adjustment screw 32 , locking bolt 30 , which is threaded into the opposite side of blade holder 14 , is unscrewed until it presses against bolt abutment 38 , thereby preventing further linear movement of the blade holder . bolts 26 are then tightened to secure the blade holder in its adjusted position . before describing the blade - supporting means in detail , attention is called to the relative position of the cutter blade 40 shown in fig1 and , generally , to the adjustability of its cutting edge 42 . this adjustment is used to make fine radial changes in cutting edge 42 , and some geometric constructions are superimposed on the apparatus shown in fig1 to facilitate understanding of this feature of the invention . an imaginary circle 44 is shown in phantom lines inscribed within the equilateral convex polygon formed by the straight lines of intersection between the side and front faces of tool body 10 , and an imaginary radial line 46 ( also shown in phantom lines ) has been drawn from the center of rotation 20 through the point of tangency between inscribed circle 44 and one side of the polygon . it will be noted that cutter blade 40 is mounted so that its cutting edge 42 is off - set from radial line 46 . the effect of this off - set can be seen by constructing an arc 48 with a radius equal to the radial distance between the tip of cutting edge 42 and center of rotation 20 . adjustment of blade holder 14 along its linear path , in the manner described above , causes the tip of cutting edge 42 to move along dotted line 50 . it can be seen that adjustment to the right causes cutting edge 42 to move beyond arc 48 , i . e ., increases the radial distance of edge 42 from center of rotation 20 , while adjustment to the left along dotted line 50 causes edge 42 to move inside arc 48 , thereby reducing the radial distance of cutter edge 42 . in this manner , blades 40 can be radially adjusted for blade truing the tooth - shape developments without changing shims . the same blade holder 14 and cutting blade 40 , shown in fig1 mounted on tool body 10 for clockwise rotation of the cutting tool , can each be respectively re - oriented 180 ° and remounted , as shown in fig4 for a different cutting operation in which counter - clockwise tool rotation is required . it will be appreciated that this is accomplished by backing bolts 26 out of bolt plate 28 , loosening locking bolt 30 so that the head of adjusting screw 32 can be lifted from screw slot 36 of the left hand corner block 34 ( see fig2 ) and reinserted in the screw slot of the opposite corner block . bolts 26 are then reinserted into bolt plate 28 and , following the reversal and appropriate mounting of blade 40 in the manner to be explained below , blade holder 14 can be readjusted to assure proper radial positioning of cutting edge 42 , etc ., in accordance with the design requirements of the particular gear tooth being cut . it should be noted that in order for the cutting portion of any gear - cutting blade to avoid interference with the workpiece as the blade passes through a tooth slot being cut , it is necessary for this cutting portion to be mounted so that its sides are substantially parallel to the cutting path through which the blade moves as it cuts a tooth slot in a workpiece . further , as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , blade manufacture is simplified and , therefore , made more economical , if blades are designed with the sides of the blade shanks generally parallel to the sides of the cutting portion of the blade . such economically manufactured blades can be used with the apparatus disclosed herein by virtue of the special design of blade holders 14 . referring now to fig1 , 5 , 6a , and 6b , the preferred embodiment of each blade holder 14 includes a canted blade - receiving slot partially defined by plane surfaces 52 , 54 which are inclined acutely to a respective side of the equilateral polygon , that is , canted surfaces 52 and 54 are inclined acutely to the linear path along which blade holder 14 is adjustable . the amount of inclination is selected so that both the shank and cutting portion of blade 40 will be substantially parallel to the cutting path through which the blade moves , as just referred to above . the shank of each cutter blade 40 includes a pair of plane surfaces 56 , 58 which are adapted to mate with surfaces 52 , 54 of blade holder 14 . a pair of clamping bolts 60 , which can be tightened into a pair of threaded holes 62 in the bottom of the blade - receiving slot , pass through appropriate holes in sets of shims 64 , top wedges 66 , and bottom wedges 68 as well as through clearance holes 70 in the shank portion of blade 40 . the means for securing blades 40 in blade holders 14 is best seen in fig5 . a shim 64 is used to provide rough radial positioning of cutting edge 42 of blade 40 , finer radial adjustment being made by the tangential positioning of blade holder 14 in the manner described above . to provide versatility for blade angle adjustment , i . e ., the angle between cutting edge 42 and the plane of front face 18 of tool body 10 , a selected wedge can be placed between bottom surface 72 of the blade - receiving slot and the shank portion of cutter blade 40 . any one of a set of wedges 68 ( provided , for instance , in 1 ° increments , such as 0 °, 1 °, 2 °, or 3 °) can be used in either of two orientation to provide a range of angular adjustment for cutting edge 42 . in fig5 wedge 68 represents the largest of the wedges so that the blade angle of cutting edge 42 , as shown in solid lines , is considerably greater ( e . g ., + 3 °) than it would be were a 0 ° wedge being used . since the wedges are reversible , wedge 68 can be reversed 180 ° from its illustrated position , and such reversal results in changing the blade angle to considerably less ( e . g ., - 3 °) than would be the case were a 0 ° wedge used . thus , the reversal of wedge 68 results in a substantial change in blade angle , moving blade 42 to the position shown in phantom lines in fig5 . to insure proper and rigid support for blade 40 , top wedge 66 is selected with the same number of degrees as bottom wedge 68 , but top wedge 66 is placed on the opposite side of the shank of blade 40 and in an orientation 180 ° different from that of bottom wedge 68 , thereby providing the heads of bolts 60 with a seating surface parallel to bottom surface 72 of the receiving slot . as a further means for maintaining rigid support of blade 40 , each blade is provided with a circular arc seat 74 which extends from the back of the blade to rest solidly against a surface of blade holder 14 in all positions of blade angle adjustment . it can be seen that each blade holder 14 has two side surfaces parallel to front face 18 of body 10 , and circular arc seat 74 rests against one or the other of these side surfaces according to the orientation of the blade holder for clockwise or counter - clockwise cutting . also , as part of the blade - supporting means , a pin 76 , fixed to bottom surface 72 of the blade - receiving slot , cooperates in close tolerance with either one of a pair of recesses 78 formed in the edges of each bottom wedge 68 ( see fig7 ). with this arrangement , no matter which orientation is selected for wedge 68 , it is held by pin 76 to prevent loosening when cutting forces are experienced . finally , extremely fine adjustments of blade angle ( e . g ., for truing purposes ) may be achieved by the application of additional clamping forces causing distortion of wedge 68 . this is achieved by means of a further , very slight recess of a large portion of the bottom of each wedge 68 . this further recess 80 cooperates with a slight rounding of the upper end edges 82 and 84 of the wedge to permit its very slight angular distortion when clamping bolts 60 are tightened with a force exceeding some predetermined torque required for normal securing purposes . ( it should be understood that such fine adjustments are measured in ten - thousandths of an inch -- thousandths of a millimeter -- or less , and that the dimensions in the drawings have been greatly exaggerated for clarity .) as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , blades 40 will be made with various top and side reliefs , hook angles , side rakes , etc ., depending upon ( a ) the particular tooth shape being cut , ( b ) whether or not the cutting is a roughing or finishing operation , and ( c ) also upon the nature of the cut being made , e . g ., inside cut , outside cut or bottoming cut . nonetheless , certain other features of blades 40 should be pointed out in addition to circular arc seat 74 referred to above . referring specifically to fig6 a and 6b , it should be noted that the shank of blade 40 is relatively simple , requiring only clearance holes 70 ( permitting adjustment of blade angle ) and a plane bottom surface 90 perpendicular to parallel side faces 56 and 58 , surface 90 cooperating with either bottom wedge 68 or a shim 64 to maintain appropriate blade angle . as noted above , the cutting portion of each blade is substantially parallel to the shank , thereby providing a basic design format that is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture . further , as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , blade 40 is designed in a conventional manner so that it can be sharpened by grinding only its sharpening face 92 , and the removal of a parallel thickness or sharpening face 92 does not cause any change to the blade angle or to the top and side relief angles . in this regard , attention is called to the plane surfaces of blade 40 which form relieved portions 86 and 88 . relieved portion 86 is located in the resharpenable part of the blade . however , because of the forces involved in cutting large gears , it is essential that the upper portion of blade 40 be made fairly long to provide required rigidity to cutting edge 42 , and in order to provide clearance between this extended rearward portion of the blade and the slot of the tooth being cut by the rotary motion of the tool , it is necessary to provide side relief 88 in addition to the normal side relief 86 of the resharpenable portion of the blade . as was pointed out above , the same blade may be used for clockwise or counter - clockwise cutting . however , it will be appreciated that when clock - wise blade holder 14 and blade 40 , as shown in fig1 are each reversed for counter - clockwise cutting , as shown in fig4 cutting edge 42 also reverses , moving from a position closer to bottom surface 72 of the blade receiving slot to a position closer to the open end of the slot . this , in effect , changes blade 40 from an &# 34 ; inside - cutting &# 34 ; blade when cutting clockwise to an &# 34 ; outside - cutting &# 34 ; blade when the cutting tool is rotated counter - clockwise . the opposite is true , of course , with a clockwise - rotating outside blade . attention is again called to the fact that while the preferred embodiment disclosed utilizes only four blades mounted in four holders adjustable in linear paths which form a square , similar arrangements can be made with different numbers of blades utilizing tool holders adjustable along linear paths which form the outside of other equilateral convex polygons , e . g ., triangles , pentagons , hexagons , etc ., depending upon the number of blades desired . further , the blade holders need not be mounted on the side surfaces of the tool body but , for instance , could be adjustable in appropriate mounting ways fashioned directly on the front face of the tool body .

versatile face - mill cutting tool apparatus particularly useful in the manufacture of relatively large gears having diameters of 2 to 6 feet . a single cutter body can be used in combination with one set of cutter blades to satisfy a wide variety of tool parameters : blades and blade holders can be readily reversed as required for clockwise or counter - clockwise tool rotation . the angle of the cutting edge of each blade can be adjusted through a fairly wide range of settings as required by the design of the tooth slot being cut . fine radial adjustments of cutting blades can be made for cutter truing and gear tooth development without shims . this latter feature is accomplished by moving the blade holders along respective straight line paths which , when extended , form an equilateral convex polygon about the center of rotation of the cutter body .

according to at least one embodiment of the present invention , a demulsifier comprises the reaction product of : a ) an alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof ; and b ) a dicarboxylic acid . in accordance with at least one emdodiment , the demulsifier is obtainable by reacting : a ) an alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof ; and b ) a dicarboxylic acid . when used herein , the term “ dicarboxylic ” refers to an acid comprising two functional groups , i . e . carboxylate groups . the term dicarboxylic acid defines the group of compounds containing both bi - functional carboxylic acids and dimer acids . the demulsifier is operable to separate oil - in - water and / or water - in - oil emulsions . preferably , the demulsifier is operable to separate water - in - oil emulsions of the type commonly harvested in crude oil drilling . preferably , the demulsifier is operable to separate brine from crude oil . the polyol in the alkoxylated species preferably comprises at least 3 hydroxyl groups . preferably , the polyol in the alkoxylated species comprises up to 9 hydroxyl groups . desirably , the polyol has an average of 1 or 2 primary hydroxyl groups and at least 1 , preferably 1 to 4 secondary hydroxyl groups . the group r 1 is desirably an aliphatic hydrocarbyl group . preferably , the group r 1 is saturated . preferably , r 1 has from 3 to 10 carbon atoms , preferably from 3 to 8 , and especially from 3 to 6 carbon atoms . r 1 will usually be linear , though it may include branching . suitable polyols include glycerol , c 4 polyols such as threitol and erythritol , c 5 polyols such as inositol , arabitol and xylitol and c 6 polyols such as sorbitol , and compounds derived therefrom , for example sorbitan . the c 4 to c 6 polyols are commonly the reduced or hydrogenated forms of corresponding tetrose , pentose and hexose sugars . desirably the polyol is glycerol or a derivative thereof , particularly sorbitol or sorbitan ( usually derived in situ from sorbitol ) or a mixture or combination of these . the polyol may be present in the demulsifier in an esterified form . preferably , when the polyol is sorbitan , the sorbitan is present in the demulsifier in the form of an ester derived from the reaction of the sorbitan with a fatty acid or derivative thereof . preferred fatty acids or derivatives thereof comprise in the range from 6 to 24 , more preferably 8 to 20 , particularly 10 to 18 , and especially 12 to 16 carbon atoms . linear fatty acids are preferred . suitable fatty acids include capric , lauric , myristic , palmitic , stearic , and / or behenic acid . suitable fatty acids or derivatives thereof for reaction with the sorbitol or derivative thereof are preferably derived from natural sources , preferably from vegetable sources . for example , lauric acid is the main acid in coconut oil and in palm kernel oil . it may also be found in animal milk , for example cow &# 39 ; s milk and goat &# 39 ; s milk . the fatty acids or derivatives thereof may be derived from palm oil , american oil palm oil , nutmeg oil , peach palm seed oil , betel nut , date seed , macadamia nut oil , watermelon seed oil , pumpkin seed or flower oil , and other vegetable sources . in one embodiment , the polyol or ester thereof is a sorbitan compound , more specifically , a sorbitan ester . suitable sorbitan esters include sorbitan cocoate , sorbitan caprate , sorbitan laurate , sorbitan myristate , sorbitan palmitate and / or sorbitan stearate . preferred sorbitan esters are sorbitan caprate and / or sorbitan laurate , preferably sorbitan monolaurate . the polyol present in the demulsifier is alkoxylated . the alkoxylated polyol preferably comprises residues of an alkoxy group , preferably a univalent radical r 2 — o —, or anion r 2 — o − , where r 2 is an alkyl group , preferably a c 1 to c 6 alkyl group , preferably c 1 to c 4 and more preferably c 2 to c 3 . preferably , the alkoxy group is a methoxy group , ethoxy group or propoxy group , preferably ethoxy or propoxy . an increase in the presence of ethoxy groups in the alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof increases the solubility of the demulsifier in water , or in aqueous phases of oil - in - water and / or water - in - oil emulsions . an increase in the presence of propoxy groups in the alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof decreases the solubility of the demulsifier in water , or in aqueous phases of oil - in - water and / or water - in - oil emulsions . the presence of ethoxy groups in the alkoxylated species increases the hydrophilic - lipophillic balance ( hlb ) of the alkoxylated species . the presence of propoxy groups in the alkoxylated species lowers the hlb of the alkoxylated species . preferably , ethoxy groups are present in the alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof at a pre - determined concentration to provide the desired water solubility and / or hlb in the demulsifier . alternatively , a mixture of ethoxy and propoxy groups may be present to provide the desired water solubility and / or hlb in the demulsifier . preferably , the alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof is derived from the reaction of an alkylene oxide with the polyol or ester thereof . one or more equivalents of alkylene oxide may react with each polyol molecule or molecule of the ester thereof . preferably , the polyol is polyalkoxylated . preferably , the alkylene oxide is selected from the group comprising c 1 to c 6 alkylene oxides , preferably c 1 to c 4 and more preferably c 2 to c 3 alkylene oxides . preferably , the alkylene oxide is ethylene oxide or propylene oxide or a mixture thereof . preferably , the alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof comprises between 1 and 500 alkylene oxide equivalents per molecule , preferably between 1 and 400 , more preferably between 1 and 200 and most preferably between 2 and 100 alkylene oxide equivalents per molecule . where the number of equivalents of alkylene oxide is given in terms of per molecule , preferably , this is the average number of equivalents per molecule in a sample of the product . individual molecules in the sample may have fewer or greater than the stated number of equivalents of alkylene oxide , but on average , the sample will comprise molecules having an average of the stated number of equivalents of alkylene oxide . where the demulsifier comprises an alkoxylated polyol , there are preferably between 1 and 500 alkylene oxide equivalents per molecule , preferably between 2 and 400 , more preferably between 5 and 200 and most preferably between 10 and 100 alkylene oxide equivalents per polyol molecule . where the demulsifier comprises an alkoxylated ester of a polyol , there are preferably between 1 and 500 alkylene oxide equivalents per molecule , preferably between 2 and 300 , more preferably between 3 and 150 and most preferably between 5 and 50 alkylene oxide equivalents per molecule . in one embodiment , the alkoxylated polyol is preferably an alkoxylated sorbitol , more preferably an ethoxylated sorbitol . preferably , the alkoxylated polyol comprises between 1 and 500 alkylene oxide equivalents per molecule , preferably between 1 and 400 , more preferably between 1 and 200 and most preferably between 2 and 100 alkylene oxide equivalents per sorbitol molecule . preferably , the alkoxylated sorbitol has the general structure ( ii ): where a , b , c , d , e and f may each independently be any number between 0 and 100 ; ao is an alkylene oxide residue , preferably an ethylene oxide ( eo ) residue ; and where a + b + c + d + e + f is between 1 and 500 , preferably between 1 and 400 , more preferably between 1 and 200 , even more preferably between 2 and 100 and most preferably between 10 and 40 . preferably , in this embodiment , the alkoxylated polyol is an ethoxylated sorbitol , more preferably a polyoxyethylene ( x ) sorbitol , wherein x is a number between 1 and 40 , preferably polyoxyethylene ( 10 ) sorbitol or polyoxyethylene ( 40 ) sorbitol , where a + b + c + d + e + f in formula ( ii ) is 10 or 40 , most preferably polyoxyethylene ( 40 ) sorbitol , where a + b + c + d + e + f in formula ( ii ) is 40 . polyoxyethylene ( 40 ) sorbitol is available commercially from croda under the trade name atlas tm g2004 . in another embodiment , the alkoxylated polyol ester is preferably an alkoxylated sorbitan ester , more preferably an ethoxylated sorbitan ester . preferably , the alkoxylated polyol ester comprises between 1 and 500 alkylene oxide equivalents per molecule , preferably between 1 and 400 , more preferably between 1 and 200 and most preferably between 2 and 100 alkylene oxide equivalents per sorbitan ester molecule . preferably , the alkoxylated sorbitan ester has the general structure ( iii ): where w , x , y and z may each independently be any number between 0 and 100 ; ao is an alkylene oxide residue , preferably an ethylene oxide ( eo ) residue ; r is an alkyl group ; and where w + x + y + z is between 1 and 300 , preferably between 2 and 200 , more preferably between 3 and 100 and most preferably between 5 and 50 . in formula ( iii ), r may be saturated or unsaturated , preferably saturated . r preferably comprises between 1 and 29 carbon atoms , preferably between 5 and 25 , preferably between 9 and 21 , more preferably between 11 and 17 . preferably r is derived from a fatty acid , preferably selected from the group comprising lauric acid , palmitic acid , stearic acid and oleic acid . preferably , in this embodiment , the alkoxylated polyol ester is an ethoxylated sorbitan ester , preferably an ethoxylated sorbitan monolaurate , monopalmitate , monostearate or monooleate , more preferably an ethoxylated sorbitan monolaurate , and most preferably polyoxyethylene ( 20 ) sorbitan monolaurate , where w + x + y + z in formula ( iii ) is 20 . polyoxyethylene ( 20 ) sorbitan monolaurate is available commercially from croda under the trade name tween ™ 20 . the dicarboxylic acid present in the demulsifier preferably has from 4 to 40 carbon atoms . preferably , the dicarboxylic acid is aliphatic . typically , the dicarboxylic acid is of the formula ( iv ): where r 3 is a c 2 to c 36 hydrocarbyl group which can be saturated or unsaturated , linear or branched and can be aromatic e . g . a phenyl ring ( thus giving a phthalic , terephthalic or iso - phthalic dicarboxylic acid ) or , desirably , aliphatic e . g . an alkylene or alkenylene group , and may be cyclic though it is desirably open chain . commonly r 3 r is a group : —( ch 2 ) m -, where m is from 2 to 36 . suitable reactive derivatives of the dicarboxylic acids include lower e . g . c 1 to c 4 and particularly methyl , alkyl esters ( usually diesters ) and anhydrides , particularly cyclic anhydrides such as succinic , maleic and phthalic anhydrides . in one embodiment , the dicarboxylic acid has at least 4 carbon atoms , preferably at least 5 and more preferably at least 6 carbon atoms . in this embodiment , the dicarboxylic acid preferably comprises up to 36 carbon atoms , preferably up to 20 carbon atoms , more preferably up to 12 carbon atoms and most preferably up to 10 carbon atoms . in this embodiment , the dicarboxylic acid may be selected from the group comprising malonic acid , succinic acid , glutaric acid , adipic acid , pimelic acid , suberic acid , axelaic acid and sebacic acid , preferably adipic acid , suberic acid and sebacic acid , more preferably adipic acid . in another embodiment , the dicarboxylic acid is preferably a dimer acid . in this embodiment , the dimer acid preferably comprises from 24 to 52 carbon atoms , preferably from 28 to 48 carbon atoms , more preferably from 32 to 46 carbon atoms and most preferably from 36 to 44 carbon atoms . preferably the dimer acid is a c36 dimer acid . the term dimer fatty acid is well known in the art and refers to the dimerisation product of mono - or polyunsaturated fatty acids and / or esters thereof . preferred dimer acids are dimers of c 10 to c 30 , more preferably c 12 to c 24 , particularly c u to c 22 , and especially c 18 alkyl chains . suitable dimer fatty acids include the dimerisation products of oleic acid , linoleic acid , linolenic acid , palmitoleic acid , and elaidic acid . the dimerisation products of the unsaturated fatty acid mixtures obtained in the hydrolysis of natural fats and oils , e . g . sunflower oil , soybean oil , olive oil , rapeseed oil , cottonseed oil and tall oil , may also be used . hydrogenated , for example by using a nickel catalyst , dimer fatty acids may also be employed . in addition to the dimer fatty acids , dimerisation usually results in varying amounts of oligomeric fatty acids ( so - called “ trimer ”) and residues of monomeric fatty acids ( so - called “ monomer ”), or esters thereof , being present . the amount of monomer can , for example , be reduced by distillation . particularly preferred dimer fatty acids have a dicarboxylic ( or dimer ) content of greater than 70 %, more preferably greater than 85 %, and particularly greater than 94 % by weight . preferably , the molar ratio of alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof to dicarboxylic acid in the reaction product is at least 0 . 05 : 1 , preferably at least 0 . 1 : 1 , more preferably at least 0 . 5 : 1 and most preferably at least 1 : 1 . preferably , the molar ratio of alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof to dicarboxylic acid in the reaction product is up to 20 : 1 , preferably up to 10 : 1 , more preferably up to 5 : 1 and most preferably up to 3 : 1 . optionally , the reaction product of the alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof and the dicarboxylic acid may further comprise an end - cap . preferably , the end - cap comprises a monovalent radical . preferably , the end - cap comprises a monocarboxylic acid . preferably , the monocarboxylic acid is a fatty acid . preferably , the monocarboxylic acid comprises from 2 to 30 carbon atoms preferably between 12 and 26 , more preferably between 14 and 22 carbon atoms and most preferably between 18 and 22 carbon atoms . the monocarboxylic acid may be selected from the group comprising lauric acid , myristic acid , palmitic acid , stearic acid , arachidic acid and behenic acid , preferably stearic acid and behenic acid . fatty acids suitable for use herein can be obtained from natural sources such as , for example plant or animal esters . for example , the acids may be obtained from palm oil , rape seed oil , palm kernel oil , coconut oil , babassu oil , soybean oil , castor oil , sunflower oil , olive oil , linseed oil , cottonseed oil , safflower oil , tallow , whale or fish oils , grease , lard and mixtures thereof . the fatty acids can also be synthetically prepared . relatively pure unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid , linoleic acid , linolenic acid , palmitoleic acid , and elaidic acid may be isolated , or relatively crude unsaturated fatty acid mixtures employed . resin acids , such as those present in tall oil , may also be used . preferably , the monocarboxylic acid is saturated . the fatty acid may be either a branched fatty acid or a linear fatty acid . a mixture of fatty acids may be present . in this case , the mixture may comprise branched fatty acids , linear fatty acids , or a mixture thereof . preferably , the molar ratio of the end - cap to the reaction product of the alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof and the dicarboxylic acid is at least 0 . 05 : 1 , preferably at least 0 . 1 : 1 , more preferably at least 0 . 2 : 1 and most preferably at least 0 . 35 : 1 . preferably , molar ratio of the end - cap to the reaction product of the alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof and the dicarboxylic acid is up to 20 : 1 , preferably up to 10 : 1 , more preferably up to 5 : 1 and most preferably up to 2 : 1 . preferably , the molar ratio of the alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof to the dicarboxylic acid to the end - cap is at least 1 : 0 . 1 : 1 and more preferably at least 1 : 0 . 5 : 1 . preferably , molar ratio of the end - cap to the reaction product of the alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof and the dicarboxylic acid is up to 1 : 1 : 5 and more preferably up to 1 : 1 : 2 . preferably , the reaction product has a molecular weight of greater than 700 daltons , preferably greater than 1000 daltons , more preferably greater than 1500 daltons and most preferably greater than 2000 daltons . preferably , the reaction product has a molecular weight of less than 100000 daltons , preferably less than 80000 daltons , more preferably less than 50000 daltons and most preferably less than 20000 daltons . preferably , the reaction product has a relative solubility number ( rsn ) of at least 2 , preferably at least 4 , more preferably at least 6 and most preferably at least 8 . preferably , the reaction product has an rsn of up to 100 , preferably up to 60 , more preferably up to 30 and most preferably up to 20 . the rsn is a measure of the solubility of the demulsifier and corresponds to the hydrophilic - lipophilic balance of the demulsifier . the rsn can be determined according to the method set out in wu et al , colloids and surfaces : a , physicochemical and engineering aspects ; 2004 ; vol . 232 ( 2 - 3 ); pages 229 - 237 . preferably , the reaction product has a toxicity of less than 20 , 000mg / l , preferably less than 15 , 000 mg / l , preferably less than 10 , 000 mg / l and most preferably less than 5 , 500mg / l . the toxicity is determined according to the method set out below in experimental example 2 . preferably , the reaction product shows a biodegradation of at least 1 %, preferably at least 5 %, more preferably at least 8 % and most preferably at least 10 %. the biodegradation is determined according to the method set out below in experimental example 2 preferably , the reaction product has a viscosity at 25 ° c . of greater than 100 mpa · s , preferably greater than 300 mpa · s , more preferably greater than 500 mpa · s and most preferably greater than 900 mpa · s . the viscosity is measured at 25 ° c . on a brookfield viscometer using a 29 spindle at a shear rate of 0 . 25n . preferably , the reaction product has a pour point of less than 100 ° c ., preferably less than 80 ° c ., more preferably less than 50 ° c . and most preferably less than 30 ° c . preferably , the reaction product has a pour point of greater than 1 ° c ., preferably greater than 5 ° c ., more preferably greater than 10 ° c . preferably , the pour point is measured on an isl mpp 5gs automated pour point analyser according to the astm d97 standard method . preferably , the reaction product has a ph which is approximately neutral . preferably , the reaction product has a ph of between 3 and 12 , preferably between 4 and 10 , more preferably between 5 and 8 and most preferably between 6 and 7 . the ph of the reaction product is measured at a concentration of 1 % in an 85 % ipa solution using an hi 8424 portable ph probe . preferably , the reaction product has a density at 25 ° c . of at least 0 . 1 g / cm 3 , preferably at least 0 . 5 g / cm 3 , more preferably at least 0 . 8 g / cm 3 , and most preferably at least 1 . 0 g / cm 3 . preferably , the reaction product has a density at 25 ° c . of up to 10 g / cm 3 , preferably up to 5 g / cm 3 , more preferably up to 3 g / cm 3 , and most preferably up to 2 g / cm 3 . the density may be determined by pouring 10 ml of sample into a measuring cylinder and calculating the approximate density from the weight . preferably , the reaction product has good thermal stability in air and / or nitrogen . preferably , the reaction product is stable in air up to a temperature of at least 50 ° c ., preferably at least 100 ° c ., more preferably at least 150 ° c . and most preferably at least 200 ° c . before the product starts to degrade . preferably , the reaction product is stable in nitrogen up to a temperature of at least 50 ° c ., preferably at least 100 ° c ., more preferably at least 150 ° c . and most preferably at least 200 ° c . before the product starts to degrade . the thermal stability in air and nitrogen was measured according to the method set out in experimental example 1 below . preferably , the reaction product shows a mass loss in air over a period of 1 hour at 150 ° c . of less than 50 %, preferably less than 30 %, more preferably less than 15 % and most preferably of less than 7 %. preferably , the reaction product shows a mass loss in air over a period of 1 hour at 200 ° c . of less than 90 %, preferably less than 85 %, more preferably less than 80 % and most preferably of less than 75 %. the mass loss was measured according to the method set out in experimental example 1 below . preferably , the demulsifier is used at a dosage rate of between 0 . 01 and 1000 ppm , preferably between 0 . 05 and 800 ppm , more preferably between 0 . 1 and 500 ppm and most preferably between 0 . 5 and 100 ppm in the emulsion to be demulsified . it should be noted that particular demulsifiers can be extremely emulsion - specific . therefore , the failure of a demulsifier to work on one or two tests does not mean that the demulsifier is unsuitable everywhere . this fact makes it extremely difficult to judge the worth of a particular potential demulsifier based on a few negative results alone . positive results , however , may point to the worth not only of the demulsifier itself , but of the class of chemistry that that particular demulsifier represents . consequently , the existence of several cases of outstanding positive performance gives credibility to this invention as a whole . according to a second aspect of the present invention , there is provided a demulsification formulation comprising a demulsifier which is the reaction product of : a ) an alkoxylated sorbitol or sorbitan ester ; b ) a dicarboxylic acid ; and c ) optionally , an end - cap . preferably , the demulsification formulation is for demulsifying an oil - in - water or a water - in - oil emulsion . preferably , the demulsifier which is the reaction product of the alkoxylated polyol or ester thereof , dicarboxylic acid and optional end - cap is present in the demulsification formulation at a concentration of at least 2 % w / w based on the total weight of the demulsification formulation , preferably at least 5 % w / w , more preferably at least 10 % w / w and most preferably at least 15 % w / w . preferably , the demulsifier is present in the demulsification formulation at a concentration of up to 80 % w / w based on the total weight of the demulsification formulation , preferably up to 60 % w / w , more preferably up to 50 % w / w and most preferably up to 30 % w / w . preferably , the demulsification formulation also comprises a solvent . the solvent is preferably a derivative of the oil phase of the emulsion to be demulsified . for example , for crude oil , the solvent may be selected from xylene , heavy or light aromatic naphtha , ipa , methanol 2eh , diesel or toluene . preferably , the solvent is present in the demulsification formulation at a concentration of at least 20 % w / w based on the total weight of the demulsification formulation , preferably at least 30 % w / w , more preferably at least 40 % w / w and most preferably at least 50 % w / w . preferably , the solvent is present in the demulsification formulation at a concentration of up to 98 % w / w based on the total weight of the demulsification formulation , preferably up to 90 % w / w , more preferably up to 80 % w / w and most preferably up to 70 % w / w . preferably , the solvent is present in the demulsification formulation at a ratio to the demulsifier of up to 50 : 1 , preferably up to 30 : 1 , more preferably up to 20 : 1 and most preferably up to 10 : 1 . preferably , the solvent is present in the demulsification formulation at a ratio to the demulsifier of at least 1 : 10 , preferably at least 1 : 5 , more preferably at least 1 : 2 and most preferably at least 1 : 1 . the demulsification formulation may optionally further comprise a wetting agent . preferably , the wetting agent is a surfactant , preferably an anionic surfactant . preferably , the wetting agent is or comprises an ester . any suitable surfactant , particularly an ester - containing surfactant , or mixtures thereof may be used as the wetting agent in the present invention . examples of suitable wetting agents include , but are not limited to alkyl sulfates , such as ammonium lauryl sulfate , sodium lauryl sulfate ; alkyl ether sulfates , such as sodium laureth sulfate , also known as sodium lauryl ether sulfate ( sles ), sodium myreth sulfate ; sulfonates such as dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate , perfluorooctanesulfonate ( pfos ), perfluorobutanesulfonate ; alkyl benzene sulfonates ; phosphates such as alkyl aryl ether phosphate , akyl ether phosphate , carboxylates such as alkyl carboxylates , i . e . fatty acid salts ( soaps ), sodium stearate , sodium lauroyl sarcosinate , carboxylate fluorosurfactants ( perfluorononanoate , perfluorooctanoate ( pfoa or pfo )) and synperonic ™ lf / 30 ( ex croda ). when present , the wetting agent is preferably present in the demulsification formulation at a concentration of at least 1 % w / w based on the total weight of the demulsification formulation , preferably at least 3 % w / w , more preferably at least 6 % w / w and most preferably at least 8 % w / w . preferably , when present , the wetting agent is present in the demulsification formulation at a concentration of up to 25 % w / w based on the total weight of the demulsification formulation , preferably up to 20 % w / w , more preferably up to 15 % w / w and most preferably up to 12 % w / w . the demulsification formulation may optionally further comprise an alkylene oxide block copolymer , for example an ethylene oxide ( eo )/ propylene oxide ( po ) block copolymer . the block copolymer may be either an eo - p0 copolymer , eo - po - eo copolymer or po - eo - po copolymer . preferably , the block copolymer has a molecular weight of between approximately 1000 and 10000 , preferably between 1500 and 8000 , more preferably between 2000 and 7000 . preferably , the block copolymer has an hlb of between 0 . 1 and 20 , preferably between 0 . 5 and 17 , and ore preferably between 1 and 15 . examples of suitable block copolymers include , but are not limited to surfonic ™ eo / po block copolymers ex huntsman and eo / po block copolymers from ineos oxide . when present , the alkylene oxide block copolymer is preferably present in the demulsification formulation at a concentration of at least 1 % w / w based on the total weight of the demulsification formulation , preferably at least 3 % w / w , more preferably at least 6 % w / w and most preferably at least 8 % w / w . preferably , when present , the alkylene oxide block copolymer is present in the demulsification formulation at a concentration of up to 25 % w / w based on the total weight of the demulsification formulation , preferably up to 20 % w / w , more preferably up to 15 % w / w and most preferably up to 12 % w / w . preferably , the demulsification formulation is anhydrous . preferably , the demulsification formulation comprises less than 5 % water , preferably less than 3 %, more preferably less than 2 % and most preferably less than 1 % water . it will be appreciated that the exact composition of demulsifying formulations will vary according to the particular emulsion it is to be used on , and even for crude oil obtained from the same well , over time , the optimum amount of demulsifier will vary as the production conditions change . for example , different temperature and pressure conditions , concentrations of naturally occurring emulsifiers , production techniques , etc ., make it impossible to predict in advance the demulsifier proportions required . preferably , the demulsification formulation is used at a dosage rate of between 1 and 1000 ppm , preferably between 5 and 800 ppm , more preferably between 15 and 500 ppm and most preferably between 20 and 200 ppm in the emulsion to be demulsified . according to a third aspect of the present invention , there is provided a method of demulsifying an oil - in - water or water - in - oil emulsion , the method comprising adding a reaction product of : a ) an alkoxylated sorbitol or sorbitan ester ; b ) a dicarboxylic acid ; and c ) optionally , an end - cap to the emulsion . preferably , the emulsion is a water - in - oil emulsion . preferably , the emulsion is an emulsion of water , preferably salted water , more preferably sea / ocean water in crude oil . according to a further aspect of the invention , there is provided the use of a reaction product of : a ) an alkoxylated sorbitol or sorbitan ester ; b ) a dicarboxylic acid ; and c ) optionally , an end - cap preferably , the reaction product is used in the demulsification of an oil - in - water or water - in - oil emulsion , preferably a crude oil emulsion . any of the above features of the invention may be combined in any combination and with any aspect of the invention . the present invention will now be described further , for illustrative purposes only , in the following examples . all parts and percentages are given by weight unless otherwise stated . a composition comprising sorbitan ( 20eo ) monolaurate and adipic acid in a 2 : 1 molar ratio was produced . 384 kg of sorbitan ( 20eo ) monolaurate was added to the reaction vessel and heated to 80 ° c . whilst stirring . 23 kg of adipic acid flake was slowly added to the warm stirred sorbitan ( 20eo ) monolaurate . the mixture was heated to 235 ° c . observing distillation water removal . the reaction was continued until an acid value of the less than 5 mgkoh / g was observed . a composition comprising sorbitan ( 20eo ) monolaurate , adipic acid and stearic acid in a 2 : 1 : 2 molar ratio was produced . 313 kg of sorbitan ( 20eo ) monolaurate was added to the reaction vessel and heated to 60 ° c . whilst stirring . 73 kg of stearic acid flake was slowly added to the warm stirred sorbitan ( 20eo ) monolaurate and the resulting mixture heated to 80 ° c . 19 kg of adipic acid flake was then added to the mixture in the reaction vessel . the mixture was heated to 235 ° c . observing distillation water removal . the reaction was continued until an acid value of the less than 5 mgkoh / g was observed . a composition comprising sorbitol ( 40eo ), adipic acid and stearic acid in a 1 : 1 : 2 molar ratio was produced . 299 kg of sorbitol ( 40eo ) was added to the reaction vessel and heated to 60 ° c . whilst stirring . 86 kg of stearic acid flake was slowly added to the warm stirred sorbitol ( 40eo ) and the resulting mixture heated to 80 ° c . 23 kg of adipic acid flake was then added to the mixture in the reaction vessel . the mixture was heated to 235 ° c . observing distillation water removal . the reaction was continued until an acid value of the less than 5mgkoh / g was observed . a composition comprising sorbitol ( 40eo ) and c 36 dimer acid in a 4 : 3 molar ratio was produced . 72 kg of c 36 dimer acid was added to the reaction vessel and heated to 80 ° c . whilst stirring . 335 kg of sorbitol ( 40eo ) was slowly added to the warm stirred c 36 dimer acid . the mixture was heated to 235 ° c . observing distillation water removal . the reaction was continued until an acid value of the less than 5mgkoh / g was observed a ) the physical properties of the demulsifiers 1 - 4 were tested . the results and standard testing methods are detailed in table 1 below . between 10 and 15 mg of the sample to be tested was weighed into a 70 μl alumina crucible put into the thermogravimetric analyser &# 39 ; s ( mettler tg50 ) furnace and run under air at the following conditions : gas ( flow rate ): air ( 200 ml / min ) temperature range : 30 - 150 ° c . at 50 ° c ./ min then 150 ° c . for one hour then 150 - 600 ° c . at 50 ° c ./ min then 600 ° c . for five minutes . the method as described above was performed , but over the below temperature range : 30 - 200 ° c . at 50 ° c ./ min then 200 ° c . for one hour then 200 - 600 ° c . at 50 ° c ./ min then 600 ° c . for five minutes . the percentage mass lost was calculated by step horizontal analysis using stare software ( version 9 . 2 ) on the results of the two methods described above . the results are shown in table 2 below . the biodegradation of the demulsifiers was tested according to the guidelines set out in oecd 306 “ biodegradability in sea water ” ( adopted : 17 . 07 . 92 ). the method set out on pages 10 to 17 of the guidelines , i . e . the closed bottle method , was performed . the results are given in table 3 below . the toxicity of the demulsifiers was tested according to iso 10253 ( second edition , 15 . 04 . 2006 ). the results are given in table 3 below . samples of crude oil used was classified using the american petroleum institute ( api ) test guidelines . the oil was obtained from a uk onshore source at star energy located near to lincoln in april 2011 . the crude oil samples were cut with water at the percentages described below in table 4 . tests were performed on the oil samples from table 4 to determine the effectiveness of the demulsifiers described above . the tests were carried out using a turbiscan tlab thermo manufactured by formulaction . the demulsifiers were added to the crude oil at a concentration of 100 ppm ( in xylene ) and analysed in the turbiscan at 1 scan per minute for 60 minutes . the temperature of the turbiscan was 60 ° c . the turbiscan monitors the duration of the demulsification , along with the transmission level and clarity of the resulting water phase and the quality of the interface between the resulting water and oil phases . the results of the turbiscan tests are given in table 5 . the present invention , therefore , provides a demulsifier which shows the same or superior properties and efficacy as the standard production chemicals , but which is environmentally friendly and reaches or surpasses the rules of the ospar . the demulsifier of the present invention shows good stability , so it can easily be stored onsite at off - shore drilling locations until required for use . when used , the demulsifier shows good efficacy in demulsifying crude oil emulsions , and has superior biodegradability and toxicity properties meaning it can safely be discharged into the sea / ocean without further treatment of the aqueous phase of the demulsified emulsion being required . any or all of the disclosed features , and / or any or all of the steps of any method or process described , may be combined in any combination . each feature disclosed herein may be replaced by alternative features serving the same , equivalent or similar purpose . therefore , each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features . the above statements apply unless expressly stated otherwise . the term specification , for these purposes , includes the description and any accompanying claims , abstract and drawings .

the invention relates to novel demulsifiers for use in the demulsification of oils from water and vice versa , including the demulsification of crude oil from sea water or brine . in particular , the present invention relates to novel demulsifiers which are environmentally friendly , or ‘ green ’, and which can be used without restriction on - site in offshore oil drilling fields , for example in the north sea . the novel demulsifiers are based on the reaction product of alkoxylated polyols or polyol esters with dicarboxylic acids .

referring to the drawings , there is shown a building structure such as a family dwelling , indicated generally at 10 , and being of two stories , the building structure being erected upon footings 12 which in turn support vertical foundation walls 14 about all four sides of the building . these footings and foundation walls are mounted within an excavation e or rectangular hole within ground g determined by the horizontal dimensions of the building structure , the excavation penetrating to a certain vertical depth within the ground . of importance to the present invention , is the fact that the excavation e extends to a level somewhat below the normal frost line l of the ground . that is , particularly in the northern sections of the country during the winter , the ground freezes progressively and to a distance vertically downward from the ground surface as determined by the length and severity of the freezing temperatures to which the ground is subjected . nevertheless , below the frost line l , the ground maintains itself at a temperature of 40 ° to 50 ° f . and therefore acts as a winter heat sink or summer cool sink which is very pertinent to the present invention . the building is shown in somewhat simplified form , particularly to stress the inventive concept which constitutes a solar heated system of simple construction and one which completely eliminates the necessity for liquid heat collectors and the piping necessary to feed or circulate liquid through a heat exchanger or collector mounted to the roof as is exemplified by the referred to patent . specifically , and important to the present invention , a concrete slab 16 , which in the building structure 10 as shown is rectangular in form , extends between the foundation walls 14 . the peripheral edge 17 of the concrete slab 16 is extended by wooden sills 34 upon which the vertical walls 18 of the building structure 10 are mounted , the wood sills constituting thermal insulation members and preventing good thermal conduction between the concrete slab 16 , vertical walls 18 , and the foundation walls 14 which are in direct contact with the ground g at the walls of excavation e . embedded within the concrete slab 16 , which may be , for instance , 7 inches in thickness , is 6 × 6 × 10 / 10 wire mesh for reinforcing purposes . the concrete slab 16 therefore thermally floats relative to foundation walls . further , the building structure 10 which rests upon the foundation as partially defined by foundation walls 14 , footings 12 and the concrete slab 16 , is composed , in addition to vertical walls 18 , of a roof 24 and horizontal floors at 20 and 22 defining a first floor 28 , a second floor 30 , and an attic 31 for the structure . since the building structure is to be heated at least partially by solar energy , east , west and south walls including the right side vertical wall 18 , fig1 are provided with glass windows as at 26 for both first and second floors which permit direct radiation of the structure interior including the concrete slab 16 through the windows 26 , whereby the heat is picked up by air circulated due to thermo - siphon effect as shown in fig1 or alternatively by forced circulation through the utilization of one or more blowers which may be associated with a horizontal center duct 32 beneath slab 16 . important to the present invention is the utilization of a series of parallel rows of end - to - end abutting and axially aligned and side - to - side abutting cinder or concrete blocks indicated generally at 38 forming a cinder block array 56 . the blocks 38 are hollow and formed with paired parallel passages or holes at at 38a . a single hole may extend through the blocks 38 . the sides 38b of the blocks of adjacent rows abut each other while the ends 38c of respective blocks 38 within a given row abut each other and are in axial alignment , as may be seen by reference to fig1 and 2 . thus , the holes 38a of the blocks form elongated transverse air flow paths which extend from longitudinal or lengthwise passages 52 and 54 at opposite lateral ends of the cinder block array . the cinder block array indicated generally at 56 forms in conjunction with the concrete slab 16 the basic heat sink for the solar heating system of the present invention . preferably , the blocks 38 are positioned on top of a mass of gravel 40 which fills most of the excavation space between the foundation walls 14 , the gravel being applied over a one inch styrofoam sheet material layer 44 which abuts the ground g below the frost line l such to permit thermal conduction between the gravel and the ground g over a full horizontal surface area corresponding to that of the concrete slab 16 . the gravel acts in addition to slab 16 and cinder block array 56 to store some of the heat and permits heat by conduction to pass to and from the cinder block array 56 and the concrete slab 16 to the ground g . interposed between the bottom of the cinder block array 56 and the gravel 40 is a vapor barrier 42 which may take the form of four mill polyethylene sheet material . in order to prevent heat transfer to that portion of the ground above the frost line l , about the periphery of the gravel 40 , the cinder block array 56 , and at least a portion of the concrete slab 16 , there is provided a thermal insulation barrier in the form of paired thermal insulation sheets , constituted by an outer sheet 49 in direct contact with the side of the foundation walls 14 facing the gravel , and constituting preferably 2 inch urethane sheet material , while the interior layer or sheet 50 may comprise a continuation of the one inch styrofoam sheet material layer 44 lying between the gravel 40 and the ground g . if desired , one or more of the longitudinal passages 52 and 54 may carry a sheet metal duct or member such as 58 which extends the complete length of the building and which is provided at intermediate locations with lateral duct openings as at 60 . in this case , both the bottom and the outside vertical walls of the sheet metal longitudinal duct member 58 is suitably covered with fiberglass thermal insulation to minimize radiation heat losses therefrom . the cinder or concrete blocks 38 may comprise 12 inch standard weight concrete blocks having , as noted previously , two parallel holes 38a defining the horizontal transverse air paths for the multiple row cinder block array . further , it is preferred that the blocks 38 be loosely placed but in end - to - end and axially aligned abutment and in side - to - side contact with other blocks of adjacent rows so as to define multiple rows which extend from the front to the rear of the building , fig1 . the cinder blocks 38 form parallel heat transfer air flow paths between the laterally spaced longitudinally extending ducts 52 and 54 . even when the temperature outside of the building is 0 ° f ., the ground g immediately beneath the sheet materials 44 and underlying the gravel 40 is from 40 ° to 50 ° f . this ground , therefore , acts as a heat source relative to the building structure interior , and regardless of any applied thermal energy input to the building interior above the concrete slab 16 , there would be sufficient heat transfer by conduction to the cinder block array 56 from the ground g below the frost line l for pick up by the air circulating by thermal siphon effect through the first and second stories 30 and 28 . this is sufficient to maintain the interior of the building at approximately 40 ° f . or above freezing , and if the building were used as a vacation home or the like and unheated during the winter , this would be sufficient under most conditions to prevent freezing of the water pipes within the structure 10 regardless of lack of applied heat by a furnace , electric heater or other thermal energy input . however , due to the solar energy passage by way of the rays r through the windows 26 , the slab tends to heat up as well as the interior walls of the building and floor , causing heat to be transmitted to the air circulating as indicated by the arrows a within these rooms and passing into and out of longitudinal passages 52 and 54 via the vertical slots 36 and 37 , respectively , adjacent the periphery of the concrete slab and being transferred laterally through the horizontal air flow paths as defined by the aligned openings 38a within the various cinder blocks 38 . further , some of the heat is transmitted by conduction through the walls 18 , for instance , and picked up by convection of the air moving across those surfaces . the rooms 28 and 30 form natural mixing chambers ; for instance , if there were a stove within the first floor , this would radiate heat to the interior of the first floor 28 where that heat would be picked up by the air circulating , arrows a , within that floor , and mixing with the air from the upper floor 30 and moving into the longitudinal passage 52 for transfer laterally through the cinder blocks . preferably , the concrete slab is poured with the cinder blocks in place such that the concrete flows into intimate contact between and about the concrete blocks to in fact bury the blocks in situ , and in hardening to form a composite , basic two layer heat sink , that is , the upper layer constituting the concrete slab and the lower layer constituting the cinder block array . as shown in fig1 the wall containing the glass windows 26 is provided on the interior with thermal insulation shutters 64 which are shown as raised but which may be lowered as indicated by the double headed arrows 70 to overlie the glass 26 completely and to impede heat flow into and out of the building by both conduction and radiation . at night , therefore , the thermal insulation shutters 64 would be pulled and moved across the glass window to prevent heat loss from the building interior ( except by natural conduction ) through the walls and insulation shielded glass layer . thus , the air circulating through the house and drawn through the passages defined by the openings 38a within the individual cinder blocks act in the summer to cool the house during the day and heat it in the winter . heat transfer is particularly enhanced by the fact that the interior of the holes 38a of the cinder blocks are very rough and provide good heat transfer with the air which is prevented from laminar flow due to the roughness of the interior surfaces of these blocks . it is estimated that a dwelling constructed in the manner of the present invention and functioning during the months of january and february of 1977 in employing the solar heating system of the present invention , provides approximately 40 % of the heat load of the building , thereby effectively reducing the heat costs of the building by approximately a 40 % factor during these months . where the buildings are employed as family dwellings and the temperature is maintained from 65 ° f . to 70 ° f . within the building interior , there is some loss of heat through the gravel and insulation layer 44 to the ground , but this loss is relatively low since the δt is low . obviously , the heat loss of the building above the slab is controlled by the thermal insulation for the external walls , the roof structure and / or the ceiling between the upper story and the attic . however , the novel solar heating system of the present invention is characterized by the utilization of south facing windows as at 26 which are about 80 % efficient in contrast to the best liquid roof collector which is between 40 % and 60 % efficient . thus , the present invention needs only about one - half the glass area to collect the same amount of solar energy as compared to a roof mounted collection system . further , the heat is radiated directly to the concrete slab which acts as a heat sink and the excess heat is readily stored within the first floor concrete slab . the stored heat subsequently assists in heating the home at night and on cold days by radiation from the slab , the cinder block array 56 and the gravel 40 . the presence of the vertical air passages 33 , 36 , 37 in the various floors permit the heat derived from a wood buring stove in the family room to be either distributed to other parts of the dwelling or to be placed in storage via the passages 38a within the cinder blocks . at any point where direct sunlight enters through windows , the sun radiates and heats the building interior , i . e ., the concrete , the surrounding walls or upper floors even through layers of linoleum , rugs , etc . there is natural transfer of heat therefore by conduction and convection . thermal siphon effect of mechanical blowers for positive circulation of the air , is such that the temperature of the air captured within the internal volume of the dwelling tends to become the termperature of the slab . the house acts as a mixing chamber so that any central or localized heat causes the temperature at the slab to pick up some of the heat . by reference to fig1 it may be seen that the transverse rows of concrete or cinder blocks 38 are interrupted at approximately the center of the building to form a third longitudinally extending air passage 35 which parallels passages 52 and 54 . within this passage 35 is mounted the sheet metal cold air return duct 32 , being provided with a series of lateral openings as at 32a which permit selectively air flow to be achieved by way of a mechanical blower associated with the cold air return duct 32 as at b within l portion 32b , thereby pulling air , fig1 from the left and the right to the center longitudinal passage 35 in contrast to the circulation of the air as shown in fig1 wherein the air enters passage 52 , passes by the duct holes from left to right and exits back to the building interior through vertical openings 36 . in the absence of blower operation , thermal siphonic air circulation occurs as in fig1 this being achieved by the warm south wall and cold north wall setting up convection currents . when the air circulation is required , for instance , at night when the house temperature is less than 72 ° f ., forced air circulation occurs by energizing blower b and causing air to flow down along both walls and to the center of the cinder block array from left and right and for discharge into the building interior rooms through the cold air duct return openings within respective rooms ( not shown ). a typical operation involving the passive , thermal siphonic air circulation solar heating system of the present invention in conjunction with a furnace . in that regard , reference to fig4 shows diagrammatically the operation of such system in which the building structure enclosure identified as the house is connected via duct work d to the solar slab duct work indicated by schematic lines to the solar slab 16 , there being a thermostat 3 , operable at 68 ° f . within the duct work , as at 76 , a thermostat 4 operable at 80 ° f . within the duct work , as at 78 , the furnace blower b , a furnace f and a damper which selectively vents the air circulating with the duct work d to the outside , via vent extension 82 , although normally it circulates the air flow through the house . within the schematic diagram of fig4 thermostat 1 may be located on the second floor 30 of the building structure having a day setting of 68 ° f . such that the contacts close below 68 ° f ., thermostat 2 for instance could be located on the first floor and set for 75 ° f ., such that the contacts close below 75 ° f . thermostat 3 is located in the fan duct upstream of the blower b , set for 68 ° f ., that is , its contacts close below 68 ° f ., while thermostat 4 is also located in the fan duct and set at 80 ° f . with its contacts closing below 80 ° f . in a typical installation , therefore , with the employment of such thermostats , a typical winter operation would be one in which thermo - siphon effect may be employed for circulation of air , particularly with adequate thermal input by radiation through the windows 26 of the building . forced air circulation would occur with the furnace blower motor operating when the temperature within the downstairs or first floor room 28 drops below 75 ° or the air temperature within the second floor drops below 68 °. further , if the air temperature in the furnace blower drops below 68 °, the furnace gun and the blower are operating so that the furnace adds heat to the powered forced air being circulated through the system . if the air temperature into the furnace blower is greater than 68 ° f ., the furnace gun does not go on , and the warm air is circulated from the solar slab 16 which is sufficient to maintain proper temperature within the rooms of the building structure 10 . in contrast , during summer and under the cooling mode , the operator manually closes a switch for instance on a time clock to allow the blower b to operate from 12 o &# 39 ; clock midnight to 4 : 00 a . m . continuously . during this time , the motorized damper 80 exhausts warm air to the outside through the vent duct 82 . upon building structure overheat , the thermostat 2 will effect circulation of cool air from the solar slab should the house overheat during the day , with the vent damper 80 closed in the sense that air is continuously circulated through the house and duct work and is not vented to the outside by way of the vent duct 82 which is closed off to the main duct work d . thermostat 4 is an override shut off control for summer cooling . in summer time when the air temperature coming out of the solar slab exceeds the setting on thermostat 4 , i . e ., 80 ° f ., this calls for an override for system shut down . in other words , the capacity of the solar slab to absorb heat has been exceeded , so that 80 ° f . would tend to make the house uncomfortable . the blower now shuts off . that is the point at which a mechanical air conditioner ( not shown ) would have to operate , or if there is no mechanical air conditioner , the house windows would have to be opened and the house vented , because the primary heat sink has absorbed all the heat it is capable of doing within its capacity . in its most simple sense , it is evident that the solar heating system of the present invention as applied to a slab constructed house permits the house to be continuously in thermal balance , that is , if the solar slab 16 is at a temperature too high with respect to the building interior , heat will be given off and circulated through that building . further , the solar slab will lose some heat continuously due to the temperature differential which exists between the slab and the ground g and across the concrete block array 56 . should the air be warmer than the solar slab , obviously heat is given up during air circulation . further , the existence of the thermal insulation shutters permits the heat loss or heat input through the windows to be readily varied to meet changing conditions . purposely , the storage capacity of the heat sink , that is , the mass of concrete and gravel and cinder blocks must be balanced to the heat gain and heat loss of the building , the heat gain being principally on the south side through the windows and the heat loss by way of radiation throughout the building and some minor radiation through the gravel 40 . the solar heating system of the present invention has the natural ability to store at low purchased energy cost hundreds of thousands of btu per day in excess of the normal house needs for the period of solar energy collection , which btus are stored within the heat sink compositively formed of the solar slab , the cinder blocks and the gravel . the stored btus are then available for heating the house in the winter during the night and ensuing cloudy days and in the summer for expulsion at night . of course , the storage capacity may be readily varied as may the heat gain and heat loss characteristics of the building so as to ensure proper balance dpeending upon the geographical location of the building and exposure to the solar radiation . the present invention advantageously employs these factors in the creation of a simplified , preferably passive solar energy heating and cooling system . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .

a concrete slab forming a part of the building structure foundation is thermally insulated about its periphery from the ground upon which it resides from the ground surface to below the ground frost line , with the bottom of the slab in heat transfer relation to the ground below the frost line over a large part of the building structure surface area . the concrete slab directly overlies and is in thermal contact with an array of side abutting parallel rows of end abutting hollow cinder blocks to form air passageways for circulating air beneath the concrete slab and between the ground and the slab . by thermal siphon or forced air circulation , air , within the building structure transfers heat to and from the concrete slab , particularly heat entering glassed walls and impinging directly upon the surface of the concrete slab .

referring to the drawings and more particularly to fig1 , a sliding door system in accordance with the present disclosure is generally shown having a pair of sliding doors 10 made of glass panels , or any other suitable panel material , or any combination of see - through or translucent materials and structural materials ( e . g ., wood , metal ). the sliding doors 10 translate to open / close an opening in a structure 11 , in the directions shown by a . the structure 11 is typically made of glass panels as well , but may also consist of any other suitable materials or combination of materials . the doors 10 are top - hung by roller units 12 to a transom 14 . the transom 14 may be part of the structure 11 , and typically made of glass panels as well , but may also consist of other materials . the transom 14 is secured to the structure 11 by connectors 16 , above a door opening defined by the structure 11 . although the transom 14 is illustrated as being supported by three of the connectors 16 , more or fewer connectors 16 may be used . in fig1 , the doors 10 are each shown supported by a set of four roller units 12 . however , any appropriate number of roller units 12 may be used to support a sliding door . moreover , the roller units 12 are not restricted to being used with a top - hung sliding door as in fig1 , as will be described hereinafter . for instance , the roller units 12 may support a bottom edge of sliding panels , amongst other possibilities . referring concurrently to fig2 and 3 , one of the roller units 12 is shown in greater detail . the roller unit 12 has a connector assembly rotatably supporting a wheel . the roller unit 12 has an end cap 20 . the end cap 20 is visible when the roller unit 12 is assembled to a door , whereby the end cap 20 may have any appropriate ornamental features : paint , finish , ornaments . moreover , the end cap 20 may have other shapes than that of a disk . referring to fig3 , a shoulder 21 may be defined between a circumferential surface of the end cap 20 and one of its two circular surfaces . the shoulder 21 receives an o - ring , as will be described hereinafter . a neck 22 projects from one of the circular surfaces of the end cap 20 , and is on the same side as the shoulder 21 . the neck 22 has a tapped bore 23 , preferably not extending through the cap 20 . in the illustrated embodiment , the neck 22 and the tapped bore 23 are concentric with the end cap 20 . referring to fig2 and 3 , another end cap 30 is provided on the opposed end of the roller unit 12 . the end cap 30 is visible when the roller unit 12 is assembled to a door , whereby the end cap 20 may have any appropriate ornamental features . the end cap 30 has a neck 31 , and a spindle 32 projecting concentrically form the neck 31 . the neck 31 and spindle 32 are preferably concentric with the end cap 30 . the spindle 32 has a tapped bore 33 . the rolling components of the roller unit 12 are positioned between the end caps 20 and 30 . the end caps 20 and 30 define the visible face portions of the roller units 12 . referring to fig2 and 3 , the roller unit 12 has a middle disk 40 . the middle disk 40 has a pair of necks 41 on opposite circular surfaces . a shoulder 42 may be defined between a circumferential surface of the middle disk 40 and one of the two circular surfaces . the shoulder 42 receives an o - ring , as will be described hereinafter . a tapped throughbore 43 passes through the necks 41 . alternatively , each neck 41 may have an own tapped bore . the tapped throughbore 43 is concentric with the necks 41 . in order to secure the roller unit 12 to a bore in a structural panel or in a door , the end cap 20 and middle disk 40 are positioned on opposite sides of the bore , in such a way that the necks 22 and 41 , respectively , enter into the bore and may contact one another . o - rings 50 are placed in the shoulders 21 and 42 beforehand , whereby the circular surfaces of the disks 20 and 40 do not come in direct contact with the structural panel . moreover , the o - rings 50 are preferably made of a soft resilient material , to generally dampen transmission of vibrations between the panel and the roller unit 12 . the o - rings 50 also prevent water infiltration between the disks 20 and 40 and the structural panel . the o - rings or like rings of resilient material may be received in grooves on the circular surfaces alternatively to the shoulders 21 and 42 . a threaded rod 51 interconnects the disks 20 and 40 . in the embodiment of fig3 , the middle cap 40 has a throughbore 43 , whereby the threaded rod 51 also interconnects the end cap 30 to the middle disk 40 . other constructions are also considered . for instance , the middle disk 40 may be optionally in the connector assembly . moreover , the connector assembly may consist of any other means that is securable to a door or structure , with a spindle to rotatably support a wheel . referring to fig2 and 3 , a wheel 60 of the roller unit 12 is between the end cap 30 and the middle disk 40 . the wheel 60 has a bearing 61 , which may be any suitable type of bearing ( e . g ., roller bearing , ball bearing ), and preferably of rolling - element bearing as opposed to sleeve bearings . alternatives to rolling - element bearings may be used as well , such as annular rings of low - friction materials ( e . g ., ptfe ) and the like . the bearing 61 is mounted on the spindle 32 of the end cap 30 , although the spindle 32 could be integral with the middle disk 40 as well . a first wheel ring 62 has an annular body and is positioned adjacent to the end cap 30 when the roller unit 12 is assembled . the wheel ring 62 has a cylindrical surface portion 63 and a flared surface portion 64 . the flared surface portion 64 is positioned adjacent to the end cap 30 when the roller unit 12 is assembled . an inner shoulder 65 projects radially inwardly from the flared surface portion 64 , in the opening of the wheel ring 62 . the inner shoulder 65 is provided to define a seat in the wheel ring 62 for the bearing 61 . tapped bores 66 are defined in an axial surface of the wheel ring 62 , and are used to connect a second wheel ring 67 to the first wheel ring 62 . referring to fig2 and 3 , the second wheel ring 67 has an annular body and is positioned adjacent to the middle disk 40 when the roller unit 12 is assembled . the wheel ring 67 has a flared surface portion 68 . countersink holes 69 are defined axially through the wheel ring 67 , and are spaced apart so as to be in register with the tapped bores 66 . accordingly , with appropriate fasteners ( e . g ., with a countersunk head ), the first wheel ring 62 and the second wheel ring 67 are secured to one another . an inner diameter of the wheel ring 67 is similar to that of the inner shoulder 65 , and smaller than an outer diameter of the bearing 61 , whereby the bearing 61 is held captive in the first wheel ring 62 . as shown in the embodiment of fig2 , a spacer 70 may be provided to increase the width of the wheel 60 . the spacer 70 has a cylindrical ring body having an outer diameter similar to that of the cylindrical surface portion 63 of the first wheel ring 62 . the width of the wheel 60 is selected as a function of the thickness of the panels . axial throughbores 71 are defined in the spacer 70 , to allow the connection of the first wheel ring 62 and the second wheel ring 67 with fasteners , as described above . the wheel 60 therefore has the shape of a sheave , with the flared surface portions 64 and 68 acting as flanges , and the cylindrical surface portion 63 , and optionally the spacer 70 forming the groove between the flanges . accordingly , when a panel having the appropriate shape is in contact with the wheel 60 , it is held captive by the sheave shape . although a modular construction of the wheel 60 is described , it is pointed out that the wheel 60 may be an integral piece ( e . g ., cast , machined , or the like ). however , the modular construction allows the wheel 60 to be adapted to various thicknesses of panels ( e . g ., 6 mm to 25 mm ), by simply selecting appropriate spacer width . accordingly , the modular construction addresses inventory issues . it is pointed out that through the description , reference is made to tapped bores and throughbores . this includes self - tapping bores . now that the examples of construction of roller units have been described , a use of the roller units 12 in a door system is set forth . referring to fig4 , the door 10 is shown top - hung by roller units 12 on the transom 14 . in the side view of fig4 , only two of the roller units 12 are visible , although more of the roller units 12 may be used ( e . g ., as shown in fig1 ). there is provided roller units 12 for contact with an upper edge of the transom 14 , and roller units for contact with a lower edge of the transom 14 . for esthetic and practical reasons , it is preferred that the door 10 be as close as possible to the structural panel 11 . in the transom - supported configuration of fig4 , it is the thickness of the transom 14 that defines the gap between the door 10 and the structural panel 11 . in order to minimize the width taken by the transom 14 between the door 10 and the structural panel 11 , the top and bottom edge surfaces of the transom 14 have a given shape . more specifically , the top and bottom edge surfaces of the transom each have beveled edge surfaces , namely a sequence of a longitudinal slanted edge surface 14 a ( i . e ., a beveled edge ), a longitudinal flat edge surface 14 b , and another longitudinal slanted edge surface 14 c ( i . e ., another beveled edge ). referring concurrently to fig3 and 4 , when the roller units 12 contact the transom 14 , the cylindrical surface portion 63 of the roller units 12 is in contact with the flat edge surface 14 b , and optionally with the spacer 70 if a spacer 70 is present in the roller units 12 . the roller unit 12 is selected as a function of the thickness of the transom 14 , and more particularly as a function of the width of the cylindrical surface portion 63 . therefore , the flared surface portions 64 and 68 of the wheel 60 are against the slanted edge surfaces 14 a and 14 c when the roller units 12 are top - hung to the transom 14 . it is however observed that the slanted edge surface 14 a projects beyond the flared surface portion 64 . the gap between the slanted edge surface 14 a and the structural panel 11 accommodates a portion of the end cap 30 . therefore , in the embodiment of fig3 and 4 , the horizontal thickness of the portion of the transom 14 that features the slanted edge surface 14 a is at least equal to the combined width of the flared surface portion 64 and the end cap 30 . this ensures a minimum gap between the door 10 and the structural panel 11 . similarly , the horizontal thickness of the portion of the transom 14 that features the slanted edge surface 14 c is at least equal to the combined width of the flared surface portion 68 and the end disk 20 . an additional space may be provided for a head of the connectors 14 c , if necessary , as shown in fig4 . this construction allow the minimization of the gap between the door 10 and structural panel 11 . referring to fig5 , an alternative embodiment is shown in which the door 10 is top - hung by the roller units 12 to a slot 11 a in the structural panel 11 . the slot 11 a preferably has slanted edge surfaces ( one shown at 70 ), as was described for the top and bottom edge surfaces of the transom 14 ( fig3 and 4 ). therefore , the gap between the door 10 and the structural panel 11 is even further reduced with the configuration of fig5 . in the embodiments of fig4 and 5 , the roller units 12 roll on the edge surfaces of the transom 14 ( fig4 ) or the slot 11 a ( fig5 ). the door 10 moves in a translational fashion , which is referred to as a sliding movement . therefore , even if roller units 12 are used causing a rotational movement transmission , the door 10 is referred to as a sliding door . it is considered to install a magnetic layer 71 on the rolling edge surfaces of the transom 14 ( fig4 ) or the slot 11 a ( fig5 ), to facilitate the translational movement of the door 10 . moreover , despite the fact that top - hung solutions are illustrated , it is considered to use the roller units 12 in other door - supporting configurations .

a sliding door system comprises a door made of a glass panel . roller units are connected to the door and project from a plane of the door . a structural transom has a glass panel body with main surfaces of the glass panel body positioned generally vertically . the glass panel body has at least one slot defined therein having a lower edge surface and an upper edge surface . the slot has a height for receiving a portion of the roller units between the lower edge surface and the upper edge surface , and a length for allowing a translation of the door to open and close an opening by movement of the roller units in the slot .

an embodiment shown in fig1 is a tripod type constant velocity universal joint of a single roller type . this constant velocity universal joint is composed of , as essential structural members , a tripod member 12 with three radially extending leg shafts 11 , an outer joint member 15 with three axially extending track grooves 13 formed on the inner circumferential surface of the outer joint member , and rollers 17 . each of the track groove 13 have , at both sides , axially extending roller guide surfaces 14 . the rollers 17 are mounted on the leg shafts 11 of the tripod member 12 through a plurality of needle rollers 16 and positioned in the track grooves 13 of the outer joint member 15 . the rollers 17 are guided on their external circumferential surfaces by the roller guide surfaces 14 provided at both sides of each of the track grooves . the tripod member 12 is fitted over a serration part ( or spline part ) formed on an end part of the other shaft , not shown , and is secured . a plurality of the needle rollers 16 are mounted on the circumferential surface of the leg shaft 11 of the tripod member 12 so that they can rotate . the displacement of the needle rollers 16 on the leg shaft 11 is limited in an axial direction by washers 18 and 19 , installed at a base and top part of the leg shaft 11 , and retaining ring 20 installed on a top part of the leg shaft 11 . the outer joint member 15 forms a substantial cylindrical cup with one end open and the other end closed . the other shaft , not shown , is integrally provided at the other end of the outer joint member , and three axial track grooves 13 are formed on the circumference around a center shaft at intervals of 120 degrees . at the both sides of each track groove 13 are the two roller guide surfaces 14 , and , as shown in fig2 the roller guide surface is in angular contact with the roller 17 at two points c and d by forming the roller guide surface 14 in the shape of a gothic arch . in this tripod type constant velocity universal joint , power is transmitted by the connection of the roller guide surfaces 14 of the outer joint member 15 with the rollers 17 of the tripod member 12 . the rollers 17 absorb plunging by rotating along the roller guide surfaces 14 . in the case of transmission when the axis of the outer joint member 15 and the axis of the tripod member 12 are aligned , or when an operating angle is 0 degrees , the point of intersection of the axes of each leg shaft 11 is located on the axis of the outer joint member 15 . in this way the rollers 17 rotate while maintaining dual contact points with the roller guide surfaces 14 . when there is an operating angle , although the magnitude of the contact force fluctuates depending on the rotational phase , the operation of the tripod type constant velocity universal joint is stable because the rollers 17 and the roller guide surfaces 14 are always in contact with each other at the two points c and d . in this embodiment , grooves 21 and 22 extending along the track grooves 13 are formed on the two contact points c and d on the roller guide surface that is in contact with the roller 17 , and at the same time a groove 23 extending along each of the track grooves 13 is formed on the intermediate part between the contact points c and d . the grooves 21 to 23 formed on the roller guide surface 14 function as pockets for grease supplied inside the constant velocity universal joint . the grease in the pockets improves the lubrication and consequently the induced thrust can be reduced . the term “ induced thrust ” means thrust force produced by friction inside a constant velocity universal joint when torque is applied to this joint rotating at a certain operating angle . in a tripod type joint induced thrust appears mainly as a strong tertiary component . in the embodiment shown in fig1 and fig2 the roller guide surface 14 is provided with the grooves 21 to 23 . however , a structure shown in fig3 and fig4 is also possible . in the embodiment shown in fig3 and fig4 a roller guide surface 14 ′ in cross section forms a polygon shape and the roller 17 makes contact with the roller guide surface at the four points e to h . clearance formed between each of the four contact points e to h serves , in the same way as the grooves of 21 to 23 described above , as pockets for grease supplied inside the constant velocity universal joint . in the embodiments shown in fig1 to fig4 when a conventional type and an improved type ( in accordance with the embodiments ) are compared as shown in fig5 the improved type has less induced thrust than the conventional type even with larger operating angles . consequently the improved type can be used for vehicles operating at higher angles . [ 0053 ] fig6 and fig7 show an embodiment in which an outer circumferential surface 24 of the leg shaft 11 ′ of the tripod member 12 and on an inner circumferential surface 25 of a roller 17 ′ are crowned . crowning the outer circumferential surface 24 of the leg shaft 11 ′ and the inner circumferential surface 25 of the roller 17 ′ increases mutual freedom of movement of the leg shaft 11 ′ and the roller 17 ′ ( needle rollers 16 ′ exist between the two ) so that the level of vibration can be reduced . this means that the roller 17 ′ is in parallel with track groove 13 as much as possible when it moves , with a reduced inclination , even when there is an operating angle , and as a result the level of vibration can be reduced . in the embodiment shown in fig6 and fig7 both the outer circumferential surface 24 of the leg shaft 11 ′ and inner circumferential surface 25 of the roller 17 ′ are crowned . however , a reduction in the level of vibration can be obtained by crowning either of the outer circumferential surface 24 of the leg shaft 11 ′ or the inner circumferential surface 25 of the roller 17 ′. crowning in the range r 89 to r 700 on the outer circumferential surface 24 of the leg shaft 11 ′ is preferred , and in the range r 50 to r 800 on the inner circumferential surface 25 of the roller 17 ′ is preferred . crowning below r 89 and r 50 causes the surface pressure to become too high , which causes a shorter lifetime of the joint in a load endurance test and lowers durability . contrary to this , when the crowning is larger than r 700 and r 800 it becomes difficult to obtain a reduction in induced thrust . this means that a reduction of 5 % or less in induced thrust is only within an allowance , and the desired reduction cannot be obtained . in the preferred crowning range on the outer circumferential surface 24 of the leg shaft 11 ′, which is from r 89 to r 700 , the ratio of the crowning r to the outer diameter d of the leg shaft 11 ′ becomes r / d = 5 . 0 to 39 . 3 . in the preferred crowning range on the inner circumferential surface 25 of the roller 17 ′, which is from r 50 to r 800 , the ratio of the crowning r to the inner diameter d of the roller 17 ′ becomes r / d = 2 . 2 to 35 . 2 . in order to further reduce the level of vibration , it is preferable that the ends 26 of needle rollers 16 ′, provided between the roller guide surface 14 and the roller 17 ′, are formed in a convex shape . a convex shape on the ends 26 of the needle rollers 16 ′ helps reduce sliding resistance and induced thrust . the term “ sliding resistance ” means the magnitude of axial friction force that occurs when an outer joint member and a shaft mutually slide in a sliding type joint such as a tripod type constant velocity joint . in the embodiments shown in fig6 and fig7 as shown in fig8 when a conventional type and a improved type ( in accordance with the embodiments ) are compared , the improved type has less induced thrust than the conventional type even with a higher operating angle so that the improved type can be used for vehicles operating at higher angles . [ 0061 ] fig9 and fig1 show an embodiment in which the outer circumferential surface of a roller 17 ″ in cross section forms an arc shape and the centers of curvature o 1 and o 2 are shifted radially outward from an axis o of the roller 17 ″. fig1 to 13 show an embodiment in which the outer circumferential surface of roller 17 ″ in cross section forms an arc shape with the centers of curvature o 1 and o 2 shifted radially outward from the axis o of the roller , and furthermore , the outer surface of the leg shaft 11 ′ in cross section forms an elliptical cylinder . the outer circumferential surface of the leg shaft 1 l ′ and the inner circumferential surface of the roller 17 ″ are crowned . in the tripod type constant velocity universal joint of this embodiment , by forming the roller 17 ″ with the outer circumferential surface in an arc cross section with the centers of curvature o 1 and o 2 shifted radially , outward from the axis o of the roller , the force suppressing the inclination of the roller 17 ″ is increased . this means that the roller 17 ″ is in parallel with the track groove 13 as much as possible when it moves , with a reduced inclination , even when there is an operating angle , and as a result the level of vibration can be reduced . making the leg shaft 11 ′ in an elliptical cylinder and crowning the outer circumferential surface of the leg shaft 11 ′ and the inner circumferential surface of the roller 17 ″, enables a swinging motion of the roller 17 ″ on the leg shaft 11 ′ in the axial direction of the leg shaft . thereby , the roller 17 ″ is in parallel with track groove 13 as much as possible when it moves , with a reduced inclination , even when there is an operating angle , and as a result the level of vibration can be further reduced . when the roller 17 ″ is inclined in the axial direction of the leg shaft 11 ″, a contact angle between the roller 17 ″ and the roller guide surface 14 varies and a track clearance becomes smaller . therefore , it is preferable that , like this embodiment , the outer circumferential surface of the roller 17 ″ in cross section forms an arc shape with the centers of curvature o 1 and o 2 of the outer circumferential surface shifted radially outward from the axis o of the roller . at the same time , the roller guide surface 14 is formed in a shape in which a track clearance can be secured between the track groove 13 and the roller guide surface 14 even when the roller 17 ″ is inclined at a maximum operating angle . by doing this , freedom of movement of the roller 17 ″ relative to the roller guide surface 14 is increased and the level of vibration is further reduced . in the embodiment shown in fig9 and fig1 , and the embodiment in fig1 to 13 , when a conventional type and improved types ( in accordance with the embodiments ) are compared as shown in fig1 , the improved types have less induced thrust than the conventional type even at larger operating angles so that the improved types can be used for vehicles operating at higher angles . while there has been described what are at present considered to be preferred embodiments of the invention , it will be understood that various modifications may be made thereto , and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .

a tripod type constant velocity universal joint of a single roller type is provided , which can be used in a vehicle operating at high angles without causing an increase in costs by lowering the level of vibration even at a high operating angle . a tripod type constant velocity universal joint is composed of an outer joint member with three track grooves , extending in its axial direction , on the inner circumferential surface of the outer joint member , a tripod member with three radially projecting leg shafts around the circumference of the tripod member , and rotatable rollers mounted on each leg shaft through a plurality of needle rollers and positioned in the track grooves of the outer joint member , the outer circumferential surfaces of the rollers being guided by roller guide surfaces provided on both sides of the track grooves . in this construction , grooves extending along the track grooves are provided on the roller guide surfaces where the rollers contact .

an object of embodiments of the present invention is to substantially improve the treating of domestic , industrial and agricultural wastewater as well as aqua - culture farming water stored in large bodies of water such as lagoons and ponds . the water treatment device in accordance with embodiments of the present invention comprises a surface - floating and submerged floating biomass - carrier system , kept afloat by a flotation system , and an aeration device , deployed in close association to the biomass carrier system and kept afloat by a flotation system . the biomass - carrier system and water aeration device are either in close association where the biomass - carrier system and water aeration device each float independently with its own flotation system or , alternatively , in close association where the biomass - carrier system and water aeration device are connected to each other , thus , floating with the aid of a single flotation system and forming a self contained water treatment device . dissolved oxygen - containing ( aerated ) water , which contains dissolved organic compounds , comes into contact with the biomass carrier elements and enables the continual development of the biomass in the biomass carrying system . in aerobic conditions , imparted by the aeration device , the biomass in the biomass - carrier system may also transform ammonia compounds into nitrates . when a water aeration device in accordance with embodiments of the present invention is deployed as a water agitation device in the vicinity of the biomass carrying system , the set - in - motion water comes into contact with the biomass carrying system . in the anoxic and or anaerobic water environment the biomass in the biomass carrying system metabolizes water dissolved organic substances in anaerobic metabolism and transforms nitrate compounds to nitrogen . the biological aerobic transformation of ammonia compounds to nitrate compounds and the biological anaerobic transformation of nitrate compounds to nitrogen are of especial significance in the treatment of water in aqua - culture farming facilities . the water treatment device in accordance with embodiments of the present invention is simple to deploy and simple to remove from a water location for maintenance and redeployment . the positioning and removal of the water treatment device to and from the body of water can be carried out by the use of a mobile - crane . the choice of the number water treatment device units to be deployed and the location of the units in the treatment of a given body of water will vary in accordance with treatment requirements . the floating water treatment device , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention , can be secured to remain in a desired location - position in a given body of water by connecting the device to an anchor or anchors . in order to deploy the water treatment device , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention , no infrastructure in the body of the water to - be - treated is required . for deployment of the water treatment device only an electricity supply source is required . in alternative configurations of the water treatment device , a supply of compressed air is required . in yet other alternative configuration , both an electricity source and a compressed - air supply are required . typically , electricity is supplied by an electricity cable that stretches from the water treatment device ( s ) to an electricity distribution source on the bank of the water body . in a water treatment device , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention , where the aeration device comprises diffuser elements , compressed air for the diffusers is generated by either an air - blower or an air compressor that is an integral part of the aeration device and is part of the structure of the water treatment device . alternatively , when the aeration device comprises diffuser elements and the aeration device does not include an air - blower or an air compressor , compressed air is supplied to the diffuser elements via a gas feed line ( supplying air / or oxygen ) that may float on the water , as described in wo 2009 / 053975 ( magen h . et al .). if a given bio - carrier system deployed in a given water treatment device does not require electricity for functioning , and compressed air for the aeration device is supplied via a gas feed line , than no electricity source is required to be connected to the operating water treatment device . the choice of the bio - carrier elements , their construction material and their formation - shape as well as the spatial configuration in which they are positioned in the bio - carrier system which is deployed in the water treatment device is an integration of choices from a large number of possible configurations . the figures illustrating preferred embodiments of the water treatment device in accordance with the present invention present sheet - like rigid - material structure biomass carriers . the figures illustrate a few examples of many possible bio - carrier system configurations . fig5 a and fig5 b illustrates preferred embodiments of the present invention in which the bio - carrier system comprises mono - filament knit fabric sheets in accordance to the description given in wo2009 / 004612 ( gavrieli et al .). in the course of the treatment of water the knit - fabric sheets are mechanically stretched and relaxed , causing the removal of excess biomass that forms on the knit - fabrics to the surrounding water . the removal of the excess biomass enables the biomass that remains on the knit fabrics to continue to proliferate rapidly on the surfaces that were cleared by the stretching - relaxing movements . the mechanism for stretching and relaxing of the knit - fabrics , done via the motion of pneumatic or hydraulic pistons or directly by a motor via mechanical gears , is integrated into the biomass carrier system in the water treatment device . when operating of pneumatic pistons for the stretching - relaxing , deployment of the pistons can be obtained by the feeding of compressed air to the pistons via a pipe that runs from a compressed air source on the bank of the water body to the pistons on the water treatment device . each of the different water aeration devices ( previously described hereinabove ) when integrated into a water treatment device in accordance with the present invention , can be in a variety of mechanical configurations . the configuration of an aeration device of choice deployed in a given water treatment device “ supplies ” to - be - treated water “ loaded ” with dissolved oxygen together with dissolved organic compounds and / or ammonia - containing compounds to the biomass in the bio - carrier system in the device . alternatively , when an aeration device is deployed as a water agitation device , water with low oxygen concentration and “ loaded ” with dissolved organic compounds and / or nitrate - containing compounds is supplied to the biomass in the bio - carrier system . the mechanical configuration of a biomass - carrier system , the aeration device , and the flotation system deployed in a given water treatment device , in accordance with the present invention , are chosen from a large selection of possible mechanical configurations of systems . the figures are divided into embodiments of the current invention in which the biomass carrier system and the aeration device are in close association and are connected ( fig1 to fig6 ) and where the biomass carrier system and the aeration device are in close association but are not connected physically by a common floatation system . while not being connected physically by a common floatation system , the biomass carrier system and the aeration device may , in other embodiments , be connected by a connection that is either a fix - in - place , “ permanent ” mechanical connection - fixtures or , alternatively , a reversibly connected mechanical connection - fixture that is simple to connect and disconnect ( fig7 and fig8 ): fig1 shows a general side view of a water treatment device 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the water treatment device floats on a to - be - treated body of water 12 with a diffuser aeration device 14 bubbling air in the vicinity of the biomass - carrying system 16 of the water treatment device . water treatment device 10 is floats with the aid of a floatation system 18 comprising cylinder - shaped floating elements 20 . aeration device 14 is fed with compressed air generated by an air - blower 22 . compressed air is delivered to aeration device 14 via a tube 24 which is fixed in its position by a cable 26 extending between the water treatment device 10 and the dry bank 28 surrounding the body of water 12 . cable 26 is shown connected to stabilizing pole 76 through which tube 24 reaches aeration device 14 . fig2 shows an isometric and a partially cross sectional view of floating water treatment device 10 in , accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the water treatment device 10 shown in the figure comprises : an aeration device 14 constructed of diffuser elements 32 , a bio - carrier system 16 constructed of sheet - form bio - carrying elements 30 and a floatation system 18 comprising cylinder - shaped floating elements 20 . the aeration device 14 , the bio - carrier system 16 and the floatation system 18 are connected and fixed in place to a structural - frame 11 . diffuser aeration elements 32 are shown bubbling air bubbles between the sheet - form bio - carrier elements 30 of the water treatment device . in traveling vertically between the bio - carrier elements , the bubbles form an air - lift effect that causes turbulence in the water , thus , the bubbles enrich the water with dissolved oxygen and drive the to - be - treated water to contact with the bio - carrier elements . compressed air is supplied to diffuser elements 32 by an air - blower 34 , positioned on the upper section ( that is not submerged ) of structural - frame 11 of water treatment device 10 on platform 13 . from platform 13 extends stabilizing pole 76 . an electricity cord 28 supplies the electrical power to air - blower 34 from an electricity source external to water treatment device 10 . cable 26 which , extends between and an anchoring position ( not shown ) on the bank of the water body stabilizes treatment device 10 in the water and ( also ) supports electricity cord 28 . cylinder - shaped floating elements 20 are connected to the upper section of structural - frame 11 . fig3 is an isometric view of another embodiment of the floating water treatment device 10 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . water treatment device 10 comprises : an aeration device 14 constructed of paddle wheels 34 , a bio - carrier system 16 constructed of sheet - form bio - carrying elements 30 and a floatation system 18 , comprising cylinder - shaped floating elements 20 . the aeration device 14 , the bio - carrier system 16 and the floatation system 18 are connected and fixed - in - place to a structural - frame 11 . an electrical gear - motor 36 rotates paddle wheels 34 and is fixed - in - position on bridge 38 . bridge 38 is fixed - in - position to floating elements 20 . protective cover structure 40 is ( also ) fixed - in - place on bridge 38 and protects motor 36 from the environment . in rotating , paddle wheels 34 cause turbulence in the water and by so dissolve oxygen in the water as well as guide oxygen enriched to - be - treated water towards the bio - carrier elements . cable 26 stabilizes treatment device 10 in the water and has electricity cord 28 connected to it . cable 26 extends between water treatment device 10 and an anchoring position ( not shown ) on the bank of the water body . cylinder - shaped floating elements 20 are connected to the upper section of structural - frame 11 . fig4 is an isometric and a partially cross sectional view of the floating water treatment device , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention . water treatment device 10 comprises : an aeration device 14 constructed of propeller 42 , a bio - carrier system 16 , constructed of sheet - form bio - carrying elements 30 and a floatation system 18 , comprising cylinder - shaped floating elements 20 . aeration device 14 , bio - carrier system 16 and floatation system 18 are connected and fixed - in - place to a structural - frame 11 . propeller 42 is rotated by a shaft 44 , driven by an electric motor 46 , positioned and fixed - in - place on the upper section of partially submerged structural - frame 1 , on platform 13 . propeller 42 is rotated , preferably in the direction that steers water from the surface of the body of the water towards the propeller , at rotational speed that causes oxygen enriched water to stream through the spaces between bio - carrier elements 30 . alternatively , propeller 46 ( serving as an “ agitation device ”) is rotated , preferably in the direction that the water is directed upwards , towards the surface of the water body , at a rotational speed that steers water with relatively small concentrations of dissolved oxygen to stream through the spaces between bio - carrier elements 30 . in water “ loaded ” with dissolved organic compounds and nitrate - compounds and with relatively low oxygen concentration , the environmental conditions surrounding the biomass - carrying elements become anoxic or anaerobic and denitrification takes place . cable 26 stabilizes treatment device 10 in the water and supports electricity cord 28 . cable 26 extends between stabilizing pole 76 that extends from platform 13 and an anchoring position ( not shown ) on the bank of the water body . cylinder - shaped floating elements 20 are connected to the upper section of structural - frame 11 . fig5 a is an isometric view of yet another embodiment of the floating water treatment device 10 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . water treatment device 10 comprises : a structural - frame 48 to which a floatation system 18 , comprising cylinder - shaped floating elements 20 are connected and fixed - in - place . in addition , device 10 comprises a bio - carrier system 16 sub - divided to three independent units , each sub - bio - carrier - system unit is numbered in the figure as 16 a . the floating water treatment device 10 in the figure also comprises an aeration device 14 which is sub - divided to three independent units ; each sub - aeration - device unit is numbered in the figure as 14 a . sub - bio - carrier - system units 16 a , sub - aeration - device units 14 a and floatation system 18 are connected and fixed - in - place to structural - frame 48 . each sub - bio - carrier - system units 16 a comprises an assembly of mono - filament knit fabric sheets 50 that are positioned in parallel , as described in wo2009 / 004612 ( gavrieli et al .). a unit of sub - aeration - device 14 a is fixed - in - place under each unit of bio - carrier - system 16 a . each unit of sub - aeration - device 14 a comprises diffuser elements 32 . compressed air is provided to each of the sub - aeration - devices 14 a from a central - distribution air pipe 52 that obtains compressed air from an air - compressor or an air - blower ( not shown ). each sub - bio - carrier - system units 16 a and sub - aeration - device 14 a are positioned and fixed - in - place to structural - frame 48 a ( see fig6 for elaboration ). the compressed air is delivered to air pipe 52 ( of which only an external , protective tube shown ) via a tube 24 which is fixed - in - its - position to a cable 26 , extending between water treatment device 10 and the dry bank surrounding the body of water ( not shown ), as illustrated in fig1 . cable 26 also supports electricity supplying cable 28 . electricity is provided via cable 28 to the electrical gear motors 54 that operate in stretching and relaxing the assembly of mono - filament knit fabric sheets 50 in each sub - bio - carrier - system units 16 a . fig6 explains in detail the modus operandi of sub - bio - carrier - system units 16 a in conjunction with sub - aeration - devices 14 a . cable 26 extends between water treatment device 10 and an anchoring position ( not shown ) on the bank of the water body and serves to stabilize treatment device 10 in the water . fig5 b is an isometric view of a variant of the embodiment of the floating water treatment device 10 shown in fig5 a . in the embodiment compressed air for the bubbling sub - aeration - devices 14 a is generated by an air blower 56 positioned on platform 50 positioned at the upper and central section of structural - frame 11 in water treatment device 10 and is distributed via a central - distribution air pipe ( not shown ). cable 26 supports electricity supplying cable 28 , with no need for a compressed air feed - pipe . fig6 is an isometric detailed view of a section of fig5 a and fig5 b . fig6 shows a single sub - bio - carrier - system unit 16 a comprising an assembly of mono - filament knit fabric sheets 50 positioned in parallel . fig5 a and fig5 b are shown with each water treatment device comprising three sub - bio - carrier - system units 16 a . positioned beneath sub - bio - carrier - system unit 16 a is sub - aeration - device 14 a which comprises of diffuser elements 32 . sub - aeration - device 14 a if fed with compressed air through pip 53 that obtains air from pipe 52 shown in fig5 a . diffuser elements 32 discharge air bubbles and / or oxygen between knit fabric sheets 50 . electric motor 54 , via a gear and chains system 60 , pulls frame 62 axially . in moving , frame 62 stretches mono - filament knit fabric sheets 50 which are connected on one side to frame 62 and on the other side to frame 64 . frame 64 is part of structural - frame 48 a ( see fig5 a for a broad view of the position of 48 a within frames 48 ). following the pulling movement , motor 54 via gear and chains system 60 , moves frame 62 in the direction of frame 64 , thus relaxing the stretched mono - filament knit fabric sheets 50 . by repeated stretching and relaxing some of the biomass that builds on the knit fabric sheets 50 is removed to the surrounding water , enabling renewed biomass development on the surfaces cleared from excess biomass . the stretching - relaxing movements are timed to occur by a programmed logic controller ( plc , not shown in the fig .) that controls motor 54 . the stretching - relaxing timing is set in accordance with the development of biomass on knit fabric sheets 50 . fig7 shows a side view of water treatment device 10 floating on a to - be - treated body of water 12 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the device comprises a propeller aeration device 14 and a biomass - carrying system 16 , each having a separate floatation system . the two flotation systems are designated 16 a and 16 b , respectively . bio - carrier system 16 is constructed of sheet - form bio - carrying elements 30 and connected to floatation system 18 b , comprising cylinder - shaped floating elements 20 . propeller aeration device 14 is connected to floatation system 18 a , comprising cylinder - shaped floating elements 20 . propeller 42 is rotated by a shaft 44 , driven by an electric motor 46 , positioned and fixed - in - place on partially submerged structural - frame 13 . propeller 42 is rotated in the direction that steers water from the surface of the body of the water towards the propeller , at rotational speed that causes oxygen enriched water to stream through the spaces between bio - carrier elements 30 . the stream of water with air bubbles is indicated by flow - arrows , numbered collectively 66 . two cables 26 stabilize treatment device 10 in the water by being connected to an anchoring position 68 on the bank of the water body . one of two cables 26 supports electricity cord 28 that extends between motor 46 and an electricity source on the bank of water body 12 . flotation systems 18 a and 18 b are closely associated and are connected together by either a fixed - in - place , connection - fixtures 70 , or alternatively , by reversibly connected connection - fixtures 70 that can be easily connected and disconnected at will . flotation systems 18 a and 18 b are shown anchored by anchors 72 to the bottom of water body 12 fig8 shows a side view of water treatment device 10 floating on a to - be - treated body of water 12 , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention . the device comprises : an aeration device 14 constructed of diffuser elements 32 , a bio - carrier system 16 constructed of sheet - form bio - carrying elements 30 and two floatation systems , designated 18 a and 18 b . the floatation systems comprises cylinder - shaped floating elements 20 . aeration device 14 is kept afloat by being connected to floatation system 18 a . submerged biomass - carrying system 16 is kept afloat by being connected to flotation system 18 b . flotation systems 18 a and 18 b are closely associated and are connected together by either a fixed - in - place connection - fixtures 70 , or alternatively , by reversibly connected connection fixtures 70 that can be easily connected and disconnected , at will . flotation systems 18 a and 18 b are shown anchored by anchors 72 to the bottom of water body 12 . the two cables 26 stabilize treatment device 10 in the water by being connected to an anchoring position 68 on the bank of the water body . one of two cables 26 supports air tube 24 which extends between aeration device 14 and an air - blower or air compressor 22 , positioned on dry land and supplies aeration device 14 with compressed air . the second cable 26 is shown connected to stabilizing pole 76 in the biomass - carrier system 16 . aeration device 14 is shown with two branched sets of diffuser elements 32 extending from a central - distribution air pipe 52 . taps 74 enables the shutting and regulating the flow of air through diffuser elements 32 . biomass - carrier system 16 is deployed in conjunction with aeration device 14 , having air bubbles from diffuser elements 32 that are positioned below the biomass - carrier system 16 rise towards the surface of the water through the gaps between sheet - form bio - carrying elements 30 . when the two branched sets of diffuser elements are deployed aeration device 14 can supply aeration simultaneously to two biomass - carrier systems . it should be clear that the description of the embodiments and attached figures set forth in this specification serves only for a better understanding of the invention , without limiting its scope . it should also be clear that a person skilled in the art , after reading the present specification could make adjustments or amendments to the attached figures and above described embodiments that would still be covered by the present invention .

a floating water treatment device for biological treatment of water in a body of water , the device comprising : a submerged biomass - carrying system having at least one biomass - carrying element ; a water aeration device adapted to aerate the water in the body of water in the vicinity of the biomass - carrying system ; and at least one flotation system , having at least one floating element , the at least one flotation system adapted to float on the surface of the body of water and to support the submerged biomass - carrying system and water aeration device from totally submerging into the body of water .

the emulsions of the present invention may be made with a large variety of materials . a variety of fluorochemical liquids may be used . suitable fluorochemical liquids include straight and branched chain and cyclic perfluorocarbons , straight and branched chain and cyclic perfluoro tertiary amines , straight and branched chain and cyclic perfluoro ethers and thioethers , chlorofluorocarbons and polymeric perfluoro ethers and the like . although up to 50 % hydrogen - substituted compounds can be used , perhalo compounds are preferred . most preferred are perfluorinated compounds . exemplary fluorochemicals useful in the present invention are commercially available materials such as the fluorochemicals sold with the trademarks kel - f ® and fluorinerts ® ( 3m , st . paul , minn . ), freon ® and series e ( dupont , wilmington , del .) and fomblins ® ( montedison , italy ). although any fluorochemical liquid i . e . a substance which is a liquid at about 20 ° c . at atmospheric pressure , can be used to prepare a fluorochemical emulsion of the present invention , for many purposes emulsions with longer extended stability are preferred . in order to obtain such emulsions , fluorochemical liquids with boiling points above 30 ° c are preferred . preferably the fluorochemical liquids have boiling points above 50 ° c ., and most preferred are fluorochemical liquids with boiling points above about 100 ° c . suitable fluorochemical liquids include perfluorodecalin , perfluoro - n - pentane , perfluoromorpholine , perfluorotriamylamine , perfluorodimethylcyclohexane , perfluorodicyclohexyl ether , perfluoro - n - butyltetrahydrofuran , perfluoro - n - octyl bromide , perfluorotri - n - butylamine , and compounds which are structurally similar to these compounds and are partially or fully halogenated ( including at least some fluorine substituents ) or partially or fully perfluorinated . emulsifying agents , for example surfactants , may be used to facilitate the formation of emulsions . typically , aqueous phase surfactants have been used to facilitate the formation of emulsions of fluorochemical liquids . one of the primer materials such as albumiris , polysaccharides , and phospholipids may be used as an emulsifying agent . other known surfactants such as pluronic f - 68 , a block copolymer of -- o ( ch 2 ) 2 -- o --( ch 2 ) 2 -- o -- and -- o --( ch 2 ) 3 -- o --( ch 2 ) 3 -- o --, may be used . these surfactants &# 39 ; are used alone or in combination in amounts of 0 . 10 to 5 . 0 % by weight to assist in stabilizing the emulsions . fluorinated surfactants which are soluble in the fluorochemical liquid to be emulsified can also be used . suitable fluorochemical surfactants include perfluorinated alkanoic acids such as perfluorohexanoic and perfluorooctanoic acids and amidoamine derivatives thereof such as c 7 f 15 conh ( ch 2 ) 4 n ( ch 3 ) 2 and 1 , 1 - dihydroperfluoroalcohols such as 1 , 1 - dihydroperfluoro - n - octanol . these surfactants are generally used in amounts of 0 . 01 to 5 . 0 % by weight , and preferably in amounts of 0 . 1 to 1 . 0 %. other suitable fluorochemical surfactants include perfluorinated alcohol phosphate esters and their salts ; perfluorinated sulfonamide alcohol phosphate esters and their salts ; perfluorinated alkyl sulfonamide alkylene quaternary ammonium salts ; n , n -( carboxyl - substituted lower alkyl ) perfluorinated alkyl sulfonamides ; and mixtures thereof . as used herein , the term &# 34 ; perfluorinated &# 34 ; means that the surfactant contains at least one perfluorinated alkyl group . suitable perfluorinated alcohol phosphate esters include the free acids of the diethanolamine salts of mono - and bis ( 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - perfluoroalkyl ) phosphates . the phosphate salts , available under the tradename &# 34 ; zonyl rp &# 34 ; ( e . i . dupont de nemours and co ., wilmington , del . ), are converted to the corresponding free acids by known methods . suitable perfluorinated sulfonamide alcohol phosphate esters are described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 094 , 547 , and have the general formula : ## str1 ## wherein r is hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to about 12 carbon atoms , preferably from 1 to 6 carbon atoms ; r &# 39 ; is an alkylene bridging group containing 2 to 12 carbon atoms , preferably from 2 to 8 carbon atoms ; r f is perfluoroaliphatic c n f 2n + 1 or perfluorocycloaliphatic c n f 2n - 1 ( n is an integer from 1 to 18 , preferably from 6 to 12 ); and m is an integer from 1 to 3 . although each of the mono -, di - and triesters are useful , the diester is most readily available commercially . suitable perfluorinated sulfonamide alcohol phosphate esters and salts of these include perfluoro - n - octyl - n - ethylsulfonamidoethyl phosphate , bis ( perfluoro - n - octyl - n - ethylsulfonamidoethyl ) phosphate , the ammonium salt of bis ( perfluoro - n - octyl - n - ethylsulfonamidoethyl ) phosphate , bis ( perfluorodecyl - n - ethylsulfonamidoethyl ) phosphate and bis ( perfluorohexyl - n - ethylsulfonamidoethyl ) phosphate . the preferred formulations use pluronic f - 68 as the aqueous surfactant in phosphate buffered saline and perfluoroamidoamines and perfluorodihydroalcohols as the fluorochemical surfactants . the fluorochemical emulsion can be prepared with or without a primer material . suitable primer materials include proteins such as albumins ( e . g . bovine serum albumin and ovalbumin ), casein , whole sera such as normal human serum , fibrinogen , collagens , synthetic poly ( amino acids ) e . g . poly ( lysine - phenylalanine ) and polylysine . primer materials rich in lysine content produce emulsions droplets which are highly active in coupling reactions . use of copolymers which have a one to one ratio of lysine with a hydrophobic amino acid such as alanins or phenylalanine as primer materials results in a very high concentration of amino groups available for coupling reactions . these lysine - hydrophobic amino acid copolymers are adsorbed tightly with the hydrophobic residues interacting with the fluorochemical fluid phase . in some cases , however , the use of the copolymer alone as a primer material may result in crosslinking of emulsion droplets during coupling reactions with specific binding species . a mixture of bovine serum albumin and copolymer alleviates the crosslinking problem , however the amount of specific binding species that , can be coupled is also reduced . other suitable primer materials include naturally occurring or synthetic polymers which are highly charged such as charged polysaccharides e . g . heparin , dextran sulfate , dima ( a dimethylamine adduct of expoxidized polybutadiene as disclosed , in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 210 , 722 ), protamine sulfate , nucleic acids and the like . the emulsions of the present invention may be prepared by various techniques . one method is sonication of a mixture of a fluorochemical liquid and an aqueous solution containing a suitable primer material or specific binding species . generally , these mixtures include a surfactant . cooling the mixture being emulsified , minimizing the concentration of surfactant , and buffering with a saline buffer will maximize both retention of specific binding properties and the coupling capacity of the primer material . these techniques provide excellent emulsions with high activity per unit of absorbed primer material or specific binding species . when high concentrations of a primer material or specific binding species coated on fluorochemical droplets are desired , the mixture should be heated during sonication , the mixture should have a relatively low ionic strength , and the aqueous solution should have a moderate to low ph . too low an ionic strength , too low a ph and too much heat in some cases may cause some degradation or loss of all of the specific binding properties of the specific binding species or the coupling capacity of the primer material . careful control and variation of the emulsification conditions will optimize the properties of the primer material or the specific binding species while obtaining high concentrations of coating . variation of ionic strength , ph , and temperature have been found to be particularly valuable where bovine serum albumin is the primer material . the quality of the emulsions obtained can be evaluated by conventional techniques such as visual observation , nephelometry , coulter counter measurement or spectrophotometric measurement . when suitable indicators are included in the emulsion components , such as dyes or fluorescent and chemiluminescent markers , the emulsion droplets can be observed by the properties of these materials . the useful emulsions may have a wide range of mean droplet diameters , e . g ., from as small as 0 . 01 microns to as large as 500 microns . the droplet sizes can be controlled and varied by modifications of the emulsification techniques and the chemical components . while preparation of emulsions by sonication has been acceptable , some degree of variability of droplet size distribution of the droplets is observed . an alternative method of making the emulsions involves directing high pressure streams of mixtures containing the aqueous solution , a primer material or the specific binding species , the fluorocarbon liquid and a surfactant ( if any ) so that they impact one another to produce emulsions of narrow droplet size distribution and small droplet size . the microfluidizer ™ apparatus ( microfluidics , newton , mass .) is used to make the preferred emulsions . the apparatus is also useful to process emulsions made by sonication or other conventional methods . feeding a stream of droplets through the microfluidizer ™ apparatus yields emulsions having narrow droplet size distribution and small droplet size . the specific binding species may be immobilized on the fluorochemical droplet surface by direct adsorption or by chemical coupling . examples of specific binding species which can be immobilized by direct adsorption include antibodies , protein a , and enzymes . to make such an emulsion the specific binding species may be suspended or dissolved in the aqueous phase prior to formation of the emulsion . alternatively , the specific binding species may be added after formation of the emulsion and incubated with agitation at room temperature ( 25 ° c .) in a ph 7 . 0 buffer ( typically phosphate buffered saline ) for 1 . 2 to 18 hours . where the specific binding species is to be coupled to a primer material , conventional coupling techniques may be used . the specific binding species may be covalently bonded to primer material with coupling agents using methods which are known in the art . one type of coupling agent uses a carbodiimide such as 1 - ethyl - 3 -( 3 - n , n - dimethylaminopropyl ) carbodiimide hydrochloride or 1 - cyclohexyl - 3 -( 2 - morpholinoethyl ) carbodiimide methyl - p - toluenesulfonate . other suitable coupling agents include aidehyde coupling agents having either ethylenic unsaturation such as acrolein , methacrolein , or 2 - butenal , or having a plurality of aidehyde groups such as glutaraldehyde , propanedial or butanedial . other coupling agents include 2 - iminothiolane hydrochloride , bifunctional n - hydroxysuccinimide esters such as disuccinimidyl subsrate , disuccinimidyl tartrate , bis [ 2 -( succinimidooxycarbonyloxy ) ethyl ] sulfone , disuccinimidyl propionate , ethylene glycolbis ( succinimidyl succinate ); heterobifunctional reagents such as n -( 5 - azido - 2 - nitrobenzoyloxy ) succinimide , p - azidophenylbromide , p - azidophenylglyoxal , 4 - fluoro - 3 - nitrophenylazide , n - hydroxysuccinimidyl - 4 - azidobenzoate , m - maleimidobenzoyl n - hydroxysuccinimide ester , methyl - 4 - azidophenylglyoxal , 4 - fluoro - 3 - nitrophenyl azide , n - hydroxysuccinimidyl - 4 - azidobenzoate hydrochloride , p - nitrophenyl 2 - diazo - 3 , 3 , 3 - trifluoropropionate , n - succinimidyl - 6 -( 4 &# 39 ;- azido - 2 &# 39 ;- nitrophenylamino ) hexanoate , succinimidyl 4 -( n - maleimidomethyl ) cyclohexane - 1 - carboxylate , succinimidyl 4 -( p - maleimidophenyl ) butyrate , n - succinimidyl ( 4 - azidophenyldithio ) propionate , n - succinimidyl 3 -( 2 - pyridyldithio ) propionate , n -( 4 - azidophenylthio ) phthalamide ; homobifunctional reagents such as 1 , 5 - difluoro - 2 , 4 - dinitrobenzene , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- difluoro - 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- dinitrodiphenylsulfone , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diisothiocyano - 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- disulfonic acid stilbene , p - phenylenediisothiocyanate , carbonylbis ( l - methionine p - nitrophenyl ester ), 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dithiobisphenylazide , erythritolbiscarbonate and bifunctional imidoesters such as dimethyl adipimidate hydrochloride , dimethyl suberimidate , and dimethyl 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- dithiobispropionimidate hydrochloride . covalent bonding of a specific binding species to the primer material can be carried out with the above reagents by conventional , well - known reactions , for example , in the aqueous solutions at a neutral ph , at temperatures of less than 25 ° c . for 1 hour to overnight . in some applications the emulsions of the present invention are more useful if the fluorochemtcal droplets incorporate dye which can be detected by spectrophotometric , fluorometric , or colorimetric means . for example , agglutination end points are more easily observed with the naked eye when the fluorochemical droplet is colored . suitable dyes useful for this purpose are dyes sufficiently soluble in fluorinated liquids to color the liquid . the preferred dyes are soluble in perfluorinated liquids . such dyes will typically possess one or more solubilizing groups such as halogenated side chains or preferably a perfluorinated side chain such as a perfluoroalkyl or perfluoroalkyl ether side chain or perfluorinated cyclic group . some examples of suitable dyes are the perfluoroalkylated phthalein , phthalocyanine , rhodamine , and quinophthaline dyes described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 281 , 426 which is hereby incorporated by reference . representative dyes described in that patent are thioindigo ( pink ), pyranthrone ( orange ), violanthrone ( dark blue ), isoviolanthrone ( violet ), and tiers &# 39 ; blue , a copper phthalocyanine substituted by perfluoroalkyl groups : ## str2 ## a substituted methyl red analog with a perfluoroalkyl group is : ## str3 ## other suitable dyes are perfluoroalkyl - beta - diketone lanthanide complexes such as , ## str4 ## wherein r f and r 1 f are perfluoroalkyl or perfluoroaryl and the like . the soluble dyes may be dissolved in the fluorochemical liquid to be emulsified before emulsification by simple mixing , optionally with heating . alternatively , the addition of the soluble dye and the emulsification may be carried out simultaneously using standard emulsification techniques such as sonication and mechanical emulsification as obtained using a motorized french press , model fa - 078 ( available from slm instruments , inc ., urbana , ill .). dye can be added to the emulsions after the formation of the emulsions , although this operation may be more difficult because the primer material or the specific binding species may act as a barrier . combinations of different dyes in separate droplets offer the possibility of preparing emulsions of any color . selective removal of one color of droplets due to an antibody - antigen aggregation reaction for example , would cause a change in the apparent color of the emulsion . also dyed droplets which are adhered to a dipstick , due to an antigen - antibody reaction , would produce a color on a dipstick . both of these approaches have the potential of producing an easily interpreted , qualitative endpoint for a number of immunoassays . dye precursors may also be used . for instance , color forming agents may be associated with the surface of droplets so that they can couple to an appropriate material to form dyes ( a type of color coupling technique ). this could be accomplished using the diazo salt used to produce the perfluoroalkyl methyl red material described above . further aspects of the invention , including the process of using the emulsions , will be apparent from the following non - limiting examples . in order to compare the formation of fluorochemicals emulsions in a standard way , each of fluorochemicals fluids shown in table 1 was emulsified by sonication in an ice bath cooled rosette cell for five minutes . each fluorochemical liquid ( 100 microliters ) was dispersed at a concentration of 1 volume % in 10 ml of aqueous saline , phosphate buffered to ph 7 and containing 0 . 5 % by weight plutonit f - 68 as a surfactant . these solutions were evaluated after one day and again after 7 days for droplet size by recording the amount of sedimentation . droplet size was determined on a qualitative basis under 400 × magnification with dark field illumination after 1 and 7 days . the low boiling perfluorocarbons fc - 78 and fc - 88 and the chlorofluorocarbons freon 113 and kel - f1 formed poorer quality emulsions than the rest of the substances . the presence of nitrogen or oxygen in the fluorinated compounds appeared to result in increased emulsion stability and decreased droplet size in this group of substances . table 1______________________________________perfluorinated liquid______________________________________ 1 . decalin ( pp - 5 : dupont ) 2 . n - pentane ( fc - 88 : 3m ) 3 . morpholine ( fc - 78 : 3m ) 4 . tri - n - amylamine ( fc - 70 : 3m ) 5 . dimethylcyclohexane ( fc - 82 : 3m ) 6 . polyether e - 2 ( dupont ) 7 . polyether e - 5 ( dupont ) 8 . kel f - 1 ( 3m ) ( cl ( cf . sub . 2cclf ). sub . 2 cl ) 9 . fomblin ls ( montedison ) ## str5 ## 10 . freon 113 ( dupont ) ( cl . sub . 3 ccf . sub . 3 ) 11 . dicyclohexyl ether ( dce ) 12 . octyl bromide ( ob ) 13 . tri - n - butylamine ( fc - 43 : 3m ) 14 . c - 8 cyclic ether ( fc - 75 : 3m ) 15 . c - 8 mixture ( fc - 77 : 3m ) ______________________________________ a fluorochemical cosurfactant consisting of perfluoro - n - octanoic acid or perfluoroamidoamine , c 7 f 15 c ( o ) nh ( ch 2 ) 4 n ( ch 3 ) 2 was dissolved in each of the fluorochemical fluids of table i before the emulsion was prepared as in example 1 . the perfluoroacid - containing fluorochemicals were emulsified in the surfactant buffer described in example 1 with 0 . 05 to 0 . 1 % bovine serum albumin ( bsa ) solution and the perfluoroamidoamine - containing fluorochemicals were emulsified in a 0 . 05 % dima solution . these emulsions were also evaluated for droplet size and sedimentation as described in example 1 . each of the fluorochemicals listed in table 1 was successfully dispersed as an emulsion with these fluorocarbon and polymer cosurfactants . these emulsions appeared to be more stable and their droplet size was generally smaller than the emulsions prepared without the cosurfactants in example 1 . the emulsions prepared in example 2 were analyzed for the amount of fluorochemical dispersed , the amount of bsa or dima bound to the surface of the droplets , and the sizes of the droplets produced . prior to this analysis the emulsions were separated from free protein by addition of a saturated solution of ammonium sulfate , volume : volume , centrifugation of the precipitate and resuspension of the precipitate in fresh buffer - surfactant solution . this was followed by centrifugation at 30 , 000 × g for 15 minutes and resuspension in fresh buffer - surfactant solution two additional times . the fluorochemical content of these emulsions was determined by 9as chromatographlc analysts on an ov - 101 packed column , 6 feet × 0 . 125 inch . the fluorochemical content was determined by comparison with a standard curve prepared by injection of known amounts of fc - 43 . since the response of the flame ionization detector ( fid ) varied somewhat to the various fluorochemicals emulsified , the fluorochemical content calculated also varied accordingly . the amount of bsa and dima on the surface of the emulsion droplets was determined by the bradford method using coomassie blue g - 250 and a standard curve prepared with known amounts of bsa and dima . the size of emulsion droplets was examined by microscopic evaluation ( 400 × under dark field illumination ) and assigned a numerical score on days one and seven after preparation . a numerical score was determined by assigning a value of 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , or 6 to emulsion droplets judged to be about the size of 200 , 330 , 460 , 800 , 1200 , or above 2500 nanometers , respectively , by comparison to sized polystyrene latex beads ( sigma chemical ). using a representative microscopic field of each sample , the number of droplets of a particular size range were multiplied by their size value .. the final score for an emulsion was the sum of these size scores divided by the total number of droplets . when an emulsion sample appeared to have a substantial number of droplets aggregated into clumps , the emulsions were noted as aggregated and were not scored further . the analytical results and scores assigned by microscopic examination of these emulsions are shown in table 2 . this data shows that significant amounts of bsa or dima are present on the droplet surface after emulsification and that it is not removed by repeated washing with fresh buffer - surfactant . the amount of bsa or dima found bound to the fluorochemical ( milligrams per milliliter of fluorochemical emulsion ) is greatest in dispersions of fc - 43 , fc - 75 , e - 2 , e - 5 , and dce , which are fluorochemicals with heteroatoms ( nitrogen or oxygen ). also , more bsa is bound than is dima for all formulations . the size data indicates emulsions formulated with bsa showed a tendency to aggregate into clumps of droplets while the dima emulsions did not . additionally , the change in numerical score of some of the emulsions over the 7 day period indicates that these preparations are dynamically approaching a more stable size distribution for the particular formulation . table 2__________________________________________________________________________fluorocarbon emulsions prepared for quantitative comparison fluoro - micro protein carbonfluoro - exam content contentcarbonemulsifier 1 day 7 day mg % __________________________________________________________________________pp - 5 bsa - acid 1 . 58 1 . 58 7 . 53 2 . 97dima - amidoamine 1 . 58 1 . 67 5 . 93 2 . 74fc - 70bsa - acid 1 . 88 agg 9 . 95 0 . 71dima - amidoamine 1 . 88 1 . 59 4 . 74 0 . 68fc - 82bsa - acid 1 . 54 1 . 43 9 . 86 1 . 07dima - amidoamine 1 . 54 1 . 59 4 . 74 0 . 96e - 2 bsa - acid 1 . 65 1 . 82 19 . 0 0 . 53dima - amidoamine 1 . 65 1 . 50 8 . 85 0 . 67e - 5 bsa - acid 2 . 06 agg 13 . 1 0 . 48dima - amidoamine 2 . 06 2 . 19 5 . 73 0 . 52ls bsa - acid 1 . 65 agg 10 . 8 0 . 51dima - amidoamine 1 . 65 2 . 10 4 . 71 0 . 52dce bsa - acid agg agg 14 . 0 0 . 66dima - amidoamine 1 . 60 2 . 10 7 . 44 0 . 65ob bsa - acid 1 . 60 2 . 03 10 . 1 0 . 54dima - amidoamine 1 . 60 2 . 59 2 . 66 0 . 25fc - 43bsa - acid agg agg 11 . 3 0 . 59dima - amidoamine 2 . 03 2 . 54 6 . 04 0 . 62fc - 75bsa - acid 1 . 54 1 . 80 12 . 5 1 . 04dima - amidoamine 1 . 80 1 . 54 7 . 28 0 . 71fc - 77bsa - acid 2 . 06 1 . 54 12 . 1 0 . 86dima - amidoamine 2 . 06 1 . 52 9 . 83 0 . 71__________________________________________________________________________ agg = aggregated droplets . emulsions were prepared with a variety of aqueous surfactants by sonication of mixtures containing 1 volume % of fc - 43 containing 0 . 5 weight % of either perfluoroctanoic acid or perfluoroamidoamine , as in example 2 , and phosphate buffered saline containing a 0 . 5 weight % of emerst 2400 , triton x - 100 , tween 40 , pluronic p - 85 , pluronic f - 38 ( nonionic surfactants ), lauric acid , triton x - 200 , emersol 6434 ( anionic surfactants ), miranol c 2 m - sf ( an amphoteric surfactant ), or c 10 f 21 s ( o ) 2 nh --( ch 2 ) 3 -- n ( ch 3 ) 3 cl ( a cationic fluorochemical surfactant ) at ph 6 . 5 to 8 . 5 . before sonication bsa ( 0 . 5 % final concentration ) was added to perfluoroacid mixtures and dima ( 0 . 5 % final concentration ) was added to perfluorooamidoamine mixtures . the emulsions were evaluated at days 1 , 4 , and 7 after preparation with regard to sedimentation and emulsion droplet size as noted in examples 1 , 2 , and 3 above . those prepared with nonionic and amphoteric aqueous surfactants were superior to those prepared with anionic or cationic surfactants . emulsions were prepared with 10 volume % fc - 43 containing 0 . 5 to 1 . 0 weight % c 7 f 15 co 2 h in phosphate buffered saline at ph 7 with either 0 . 05 weight % tween 20 or 0 . 1 weight % c 7 f 15 co 2 h as a surfactant . the resultant emulsions were washed using the centrifugation and resuspension procedure described in example 3 . to a 0 . 5 milliliter aliquot of these emulsions alkaline phosphatase ( sigma type viit ) or protein a ( sigma chemical company ) were added and incubated for 0 . 5 to 18 hours . the emulsions were then again washed by the procedure above before being assayed for alkaline phosphatase activity with a chromogenic substrate , p - nitrophenylphosphate , or for protein a activity by agglutination with immunoglublin g ( igg ). these assays were positive for the respective specific binding species demonstrating that such materials can be adsorbed to the emulsion droplet and maintain their activity . emulsions were prepared as in example 4 with the addition of 0 . 5 weight % of a perfluoroether polymer with terminal ester functional groups ch 3 o 2 ccf 2 o --( cf 2 cf 2 o ) 7 ( cf 2 o ) 14 -- cf 2 co 2 ch 3 ( the cf 20 and cf 2 cf 2 o units are randomly interspersed ) in the fc - 43 in place of the perfluoroacid . alkaline phosphatase was added as in example 5 and also was found to adsorb to the emulsion droplets . emulsions were prepared with 1 to 5 volume % of fc - 43 containing 0 . 1 to 0 . 5 weight % each of c 7 f 15 c ( o ) nh --( ch 2 ) 4 -- n ( ch 3 ) 3 and c 7 f 15 ch 2 oh in solutions of a series of proteins , synthetic polyamino acids , and polysaccharides as listed in table 3 . the emulsions were prepared by sonication of the fc - 43 mixture , addition of an equal volume of phosphate - buffered saline containing 2 % by weight pluronic f - 68 at ph 7 and thrice washed by centrifugation at 30 , 000 g for 15 minutes and by resuspension in fresh surfactant - buffer solution containing no bsa . the resulting emulsions were coupled to alkaline phosphatase ( sigma type viit ) using either method a , c , e or f , listed below . with each material alkaline phosphatase activity was recovered on the emulsion droplets demonstrating both that the material was adsorbed to the droplet surface and that it was available for immobilization of enzyme antibodies or antigens . the materials thus prepared are suitable for one to detect the presence , concentration , or both of an antigen or antibody in a sample . emulsions prepared with fibrinogen and ovalbumin tended to aggregate during the processing operations while the other materials produced more acceptable emulsions . table 3______________________________________materials used to prepare fluorochemicalemulsion - biomolecule combinationsbiomolecule in concentrationaqueous solution ( mg / ml ) ph______________________________________bovine serum albumin 0 . 5 to 10 7 or 0casein 2 to 10 12gelatin 2 to 10 1collagen 1 . 8 to 3 . 6 3ovalbumin 2 to 5 1normal human serum 2 to 10 5fibrinogen 1 11protamine sulfate 0 . 5 to 2 . 0 4 or 0poly ( lysine ) 0 . 5 to 1 . 0 4 or 0poly ( phenylalanine - lysine ) 0 . 5 4 or 0poly ( alanine - lysine ) 0 . 5 4 or 0heparin 1 . 0 4dextran sulfate 1 . 0 4______________________________________ an emulsion was prepared as in example 7 with bsa in the aqueous phase and washed as in example 7 . to an aliquot of this emulsion the antibody , anti - bsa , was added and upon mixing aggregation of the emulsion occurred which was observed by changes ( increases ) in the optical density of the emulsion . using this technique the presence of the antibody was detected and measured semi - quantitatively , using standard curves generated on a spectrophotometer . this result verified that bsa was very tightly bound to the emulsion droplet surface and was antigenically active . an aliquot of the emulsion prepared and washed in example 8 was mixed with fluorescein - labeled anti - bsa producing aggregation of emulsion droplets . these clumps were fluorescent as viewed by a fluorescence microscope indicating that the antibody was acting to crosslink and aggregate the emulsion droplets . this result also verified that bsa is very tightly bound to the droplet surface and . was antigenlcally active . emulsions with 1 volume % fc - 43 containing 0 . 1 weight % each c 7 f 15 ch 2 oh and c 7 f 15 c ( o ) nh --( ch 2 ) 4 n ( ch 3 ) 2 or c 7 f 15 c ( o ) nh -- c 6 h 4 n ( ch 3 ) 2 were prepared in 0 . 5 weight % poly ( phenylalanine - lysine ) solution at ph 0 by sonication for 5 minutes in a rosette cell . after sonication the emulsions were stabilized with an equal volume of phosphate buffered saline containing 2 . 0 weight % pluronic f - 68 and 0 . 2 weight % triethanolamine . the dispersions were washed by the procedure of example 7 before being coupled to specific binding species by one of the methods described below . substances which have been coupled to emulsions successfully and the methods which have been used for these reactions are shown in table 4 . the substances were coupled alone or in combinations which resulted in separate specific binding activities being recovered intact on the same emulsion droplets . the materials were obtained from commercial sources as follows : glucose oxidase ( sigma type v ), horseradish peroxidase ( sigma type vi ), alkaline phosphatase ( sigma type viit ), beta - galactosidase ( sigma grade viii ), wheat germ agglutinin ( triticum vulgaris lectin , sigma ), pha ( phaseolus vulgaris lectin , sigma ), protein a ( sigma ), rabbit anti - goat igg ( cappel laboratories and american qualex ), mouse anti - hcg ( hybritech , monoclonal ), rabbit anti - hrp ( sigma ), goat igg ( cappel laboratories ), hcg ( sigma ), luminol ( sigma ), and dl - thyroxin ( sigma ). the coupled emulsions were evaluated for the material immobilized by known procedures , e . g ., enzymes by the assay procedures supplied by the source , antibodies with their antigens in agglutination reactions , lectins by red blood cell agglutination , protein a by binding of igg &# 39 ; s and their reaction with antigen and luminol by reaction with peroxide and peroxidase . when combinations of materials were coupled to emulsions , separate assays for each component were carried out . table 4______________________________________materials coupled to fluorochemical emulsionsmaterial method______________________________________glucose oxidase a , c , e , fhorseradish peroxidase e , f , ialkaline phosphatase a , b , c , d , g , hbeta - galactosidase awheat germ agglutinin aphaseolus vulgaris lectin ( pha ) aanti - horseradish peroxidase agoat immunoglobulin g ( igg ) c , e , ganti - goat igg a , gthyroxin ( t - 4 ) dluminol dhuman chorionic gonadotropin ( hcg ) c , g , ianti - hcg c , gprotein a a______________________________________ to 2 ml of an emulsion ( 1 to 2 % by volume ) at ph 7 . 0 in phosphate buffered saline containing 2 % pluronic f - 68 and 0 . 2 % triethanolamine , 0 . 05 to 1 . 0 mg of the substance to be coupled was added in water solution ( 0 . 1 to mg per ml ) followed by 100 to 500 microliters of a carbodiimide reagent ( generally 1 -[ 3 -( n , n - dimethylamino ) propyl ]- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide at 2 mg / ml in water ). the mixture was mixed at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours and 0 . 5 ml each of 1 . 0m glycine and 10 % ethanolamine were added and mixed for an additional two hours . the coupled emulsion was centrifuged at 12 , 900 g for 30 minutes . the supernatant was discarded and the emulsion pellet resuspended in fresh surfactant buffer . this centrifugation and resuspension procedure was repeated two more times . the resulting emulsion was then ready for use . the substance to be coupled to the emulsion was activated with carbodiimide reagent solution ( as in method a ) at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes . the ratio of carboiimide reagent was generally in a two to five - fold molar excess . dialysis for 2 to 6 hours at room temperature with 3 buffer changes or diafiltration with 10 volumes of filtrate was usually satisfactory to remove excess reagent . this activated solution was then added to 2 ml of emulsion and the mixture rotated for 2 to 6 hours at room temperature . as in method a glycine and ethanolamine were then added to cap activated groups and the coupled emulsion was isolated as described in method a . to two ml of an emulsion in saline , phosphate - buffered at ph 7 . 0 containing 2 % pluronic f - 68 and 0 . 2 % triethanolamine , the substance to be coupled to the emulsion , 0 . 05 to 1 . 0 mg , was added in aqueous solution ( 0 . 1 to 10 mg per ml ) along with 100 to 500 microliters of 1 % glutaraldehyde monomer solution ( sigma chemical co ., grade i ). the mixture was then mixed at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes . the reaction was stopped by adding 500 microliters of 10 % ethanolamine and mixed for 2 to 18 hours . sodium borohydride , 500 microliters of 2 mg / ml in water ( freshly prepared ), was then added and the mixture ; rotated for an additional 30 minutes . clean - up by centrifugation and resuspension was carried out as specified in method a . the surface of 2 ml of an emulsion in surfactant buffer was activated by reaction with 250 microliters of 1 % glutaraldehyde monomer solution for 30 minutes and then dialyzed against surfactant buffer at 4 ° c . for 18 hours with 3 changes of buffer . then an aqueous solution of the material to be coupled to the emulsion was added ( 0 . 05 to 1 . 0 mg ) and rotated for 18 hours . the coupling reaction was stopped by addition of 500 microliters of 10 % ethanolamine and the emulsion recovered by the procedure described in method a . a solution of the substance to be coupled was dissolved in 0 . 3m sodium bicarbonate at about 5 mg / ml , ph 8 . 1 , and was activated by reaction with one milliliter of 0 . 6m sodium periodate solution for 5 minutes , followed by the addition of one milliliter of 0 . 16m ethylene glycol solution for 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was then extensively dialyzed against 0 . 01m sodium bicarbonate . the activated material , 100 to 200 microliters , was then added to two milliliters of emulsion ; 100 microliters of sodium cyanoborohydride ( 100 mg / ml ) was added and the mixture rotated for two hours unreacted activated groups were then capped by reaction with 100 microliters of 10 % ethanolamine for 1 hour followed by reaction with 1 mg of sodium borohydride for another 30 minutes . the coupled emulsion was then recovered by the centrifugation and resuspension procedures described in method a . to 2 ml of emulsion in surfactant buffer and 0 . 05 to 1 . 0 mg of the substance to be coupled , 200 microliters of 0 . 06m sodium periodate at ph 7 and 100 microliters of sodium cyanoborohydride ( 100 mg / ml ) was added and the mixture was rotated for 1 hour . the excess reagent was reacted with 200 microliters of 0 . 16m ethylene glycol and 200 microliters of 10 % ethanolamine for an hour and the coupled emulsion was purified by the centrifugation and resuspension procedure of method a . to a mixture of 2 ml of emulsion in surfactant buffer and 0 . 05 to 1 . 0 mg of substance to be coupled to the emulsion was added 100 microliters of freshly prepared bis ( n - hydroxysuccinimidyl ) terephthalate solution ( 10 mg / ml ) in n , n - dimethylformamide and the mixture was rotated for 18 hours . any remaining reagent was then reacted with 500 ul of 1m glycine and 500 ul of 10 % ethanolamine for 2 hours . the coupled emulsion was then isolated by centrifugation and resuspension in fresh buffer as in method a . to a mixture of 2 ml of emulsion in surfactant buffer , was added 0 . 05 to 1 . 0 mg of substance to be coupled to the emulsion , and a 100 microliter aliquot of a mixture of 10 mg of a difunctional organic acid which cannot cyclize , such as fumaric or terephthalic acid and 100 microliters of carbonyl diimidizole solution ( 10 mg / ml ) in n , n - dimethylformamide which had reacted for 15 minutes , and the mixture was rotated for 2 hours . excess reagent was reacted with 500 microliters each of 1m glycine and 10 % ethanolamine for 2 hours . the coupled emulsion was then isolated by centrifugation and resuspension in fresh buffer as in method a . to a mixture of 2 ml of emulsion in surfactant buffer and 0 . 05 to 1 . 0 mg of material to coupled to the emulsion was added 100 microliters of a p - nitrophenylcyanate solution ( 10 mg / ml ) in n , n - dimethylformamide , and the reaction mixture was rotated for 30 minutes at room temperature . as the reaction proceeded a yellow color developed from the p - nitrophenol produced from the reaction . then the mixture was cleaned up by the centrifugation and resuspension procedure of method a . an emulsion was prepared as in example 7 and was coupled to a mixture of glucose oxidase and horseradish peroxidase by method e ( the periodate method i ), above . the resulting emulsion , when exposed to glucose and substrate for peroxidase , produced color in proportion to the amount of glucose present . using o - dianisidine ( 0 . 0021m ) in 0 . 05m sodium acetate buffer at ph 5 . 1 and reference glucose solutions containing from 50 to 500 mg per dl emulsion , the linear reference curve of absorbance at 500 nanometers vs . glucose concentration was plotted indicating that the emulsion may be used to assay for glucose concentration . a solution of 0 . 2 % by weight of tiers &# 39 ; blue , a perfluoroalkylated copper phthalocyanine dye , in fc - 43 was used to prepare emulsions of 1 to 10 % by volume of perfluorotri - n - butylamine in phosphate - buffered saline containing 0 . 5 % by weight pluronic f - 68 and 2 mg / ml bsa . the dispersions were effected by sonication for 5 to 10 minutes in an ice - cooled rosette cell . the emulsions were then washed by centrifugation at 30 , 000 g and resuspended in fresh buffersurfactant solution without bsa thrice . the resulting preparations were highly colored with a slight shift in the absorbance maximum from 610 to 612 nanometers as measured by a beckman spectrophotometer model 35 . a solution of c 8 f 17 so 3 -- c 6 h 4 n -- nc 6 h 4 n ( ch 3 ) 2 in perfluorotri - n - butylamine was used to prepare emulsions of 1 to 10 % by volume of perfluorotri - n - butylamine in phosphate buffered saline containing 0 . 5 % by weight pluronic f - 68 and 2 mg / ml bsa . the dispersions were effected by sonication for 5 to 10 minutes in an ice - cooled rosette cell . the emulsions were then washed by centrifugation at 30 , 000 g and resuspended in fresh buffered surfactant solution without bsa thrice . the washed emulsions were yellow in color , but changed to a red when the solution ph was changed to the range of 2 to 4 . the color was associated only with the emulsion droplets , as was shown by centrifuging the emulsion at 30 , 000 g to completely remove the color from the supernatant . portions of the above red emulsions were combined in portions varying from 1 to 1 to 1 to 5 ( by volume ) of the blue emulsions from example 12 to form several shades of purple emulsions . the combined emulsions could be changed in color from purple to green by changing the ph of the aqueous solutions . two milligrams of mouse immunoglobin ( ig ) ( commercially available from cappel laboratories , cochranville , pa .) was dissolved in 0 . 15m aqueous sodium chloride solution , and glutaraldehyde was added to provide a weight percent of 1 . 15 %. after two hours at room temperature the activated ig was chromatographed on bio - gel p - 2 ( commercially available from biorad laboratories , richmond , calif .) to remove excess glutaraldehyde . one milligram of the activated ig was combined with 1 ml of a bsa emulsion from example 7 in phosphate buffered saline of ph 9 . 0 . after the mixture had settled for 24 hours the emulsion was washed to remove unbound ig and the emulsion tested for immunoreactivity to anti - bovine serum albumin and anti - mouse immunoglobin by capillary immunodiffusion as described in &# 34 ; handbook of experimental immunology &# 34 ;, d . m . weir , ed ., vol . 1 pp . 19 . 1 - 19 . 5 , blackwell scientific publications ( 1973 ). the results of the evaluation are shown in table 5 . when a solution of antibody is mixed with its corresponding antiserum , the antigen combines with the antibody , and if conditions are suitable , the reactants form precipitating or flocculating aggregates which are readily visible to the naked eye . table 5__________________________________________________________________________ fluorochemical fluorochemical fluorochemical emulsion with emulsion without emulsion with bovine serum surfactant bovine serum bovine serum albumin andantibody used only albumin albumin immunoglobin__________________________________________________________________________anti - bovine - - + + serum albuminanti - immunoblogin - - - + __________________________________________________________________________ a sample of the fluorochemical emulsion from example 7 was conjugated using the method of example 14 with streptococcus a - carbohydrate prepared by the method described in stanford medical bulletin 13 , 290 - 291 . the ability of free streptococcus a organisms to inhibit the aggregation of the fluorochemical emulsion - bound streptococcus a - carbohydrate mixture in the presence of an igm monoclonal antibody was tested . a combination of the fluorochemical emulsion - bound streptococcus a - carbohydrate , the antibody and varying concentrations of free streptococcus a organisms was incubated for 30 minutes at about 20 ° c . and observed for aggregation . aggregation was scored on a scale of zero to 4 +, with zero being no inhibition of droplet aggregation and 4 + complete inhibition of droplet aggregation . the results are shown in table 6 . they indicate that this method is able to detect organisms at a level of 10 5 per milliliter . table 6______________________________________ concentration of aggregation organisms inhibitionrun number ( organisms / ml ) score______________________________________1 10 . sup . 8 4 + 2 10 . sup . 7 4 + 3 10 . sup . 6 3 + 4 5 × 10 . sup . 5 3 + 5 10 . sup . 5 1 + 6 5 × 10 . sup . 4 07 10 . sup . 4 08 10 . sup . 3 0______________________________________

fluorochemical emulsions comprised of a fluorochemical droplet discontinuous phase and aqueous continuous phase with at least one specific binding species immobilized on the fluorochemical droplets are shown . the emulsions may include a primer material to couple to specific binding species to the fluorochemical droplets . the emulsions may be used in diagnostic procedures or biochemical reactors where binding of the immobilized specific binding species to its binding partner is desired . the droplets may also incorporate a species which is detectable by spectrophotometric , fluorometric or colormetric means or a precursor to a detectable species .

the present invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 depicts a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention . mobile device 100 may be a pda , a laptop computer , an internet capable phone , or another similar device . preferably , the mobile device has an operating system with java vm 1 . 1 . 4 or personaljava and at least about 5 mb of memory . preferably , mobile engine 110 is based on java , so that it may run on any platform supporting java . mobile device 100 contains an internet browser 105 . it also contains mobile engine 110 . mobile engine 110 should be capable of generating any standard markup language , such as html , so that internet browser 105 may be a standard browser , such as microsoft internet explorer or netscape , rather than a proprietary one . however , a proprietary browser could be used on mobile device 100 in addition to or in lieu of the standard browser if desired . when mobile device 100 is operating with a computer system over the internet in an online mode and applications are being run from computer system 200 across the connection , browser 105 is connected to computer system 200 , such as an application server , in a traditional manner represented by box 197 . when mobile device 100 is operating in an offline mode and applications are being run locally on mobile device 100 , mobile engine 110 is engaged . mobile engine 110 contains two major components : a java plug - in 90 and various components for data synchronization and deployment . the java plug - in contains web server 115 , servlet engine 120 , modular offline application building blocks 125 , 130 and 135 , and api layer 145 . all of the information to start and run the java plug - in is preferably held in separate property files . for instance , the information related to the web server , including host , port , and wwwroot , can exist in a file named webserver . properties . the information related to mappings , such as url to servlet mappings , can exist in a file named mappings . properties . the information relating to mimes , such as mime types , can exist in a file named mime . properties . web server 115 is preferably programmed in java and provides the ability for the user of mobile device 100 to log onto web server 115 contained within mobile device 100 when operating offline . by doing so , the user is provided with the same or similar look and feel to operating online over the internet and can run the same applications offline that the user could run over the internet in an online mode . preferably , web server 115 is single threaded and has a small footprint . web server 115 is connected to servlet engine 120 . servlet engine 120 enables the mobile device &# 39 ; s user to engage various offline applications locally on mobile device 100 through web server 115 . servlet engine would preferably be based upon java servlet api 2 . 1 . web server 115 and servlet engine 120 preferably would meet the sun java webserver 2 . 0 specification . various different programming models can be deployed in mobile engine 110 as modular offline building blocks . for instance , a proprietary model 125 , like sapmarket &# 39 ; s microits , may be deployed which is designed to maximize certain types of transactions based upon the foreseen use of mobile device 100 . microits model 125 contains a flow logic parser , html business parser , language resource parser / preparser and module provider . a java server pages model 130 may be deployed to take advantage of java features . java server pages model 130 would preferably be based upon tomcat . other models , such as custom plug - in model 135 , can also be used as needed . custom plug - in model would permit users to implement their own logic . these other models may be proprietary or standards - based . by using modular offline application building blocks and permitting the use of one or more models , the mobile engine architecture is easy to enhance or modify . moreover , new offline application building blocks can be downloaded and installed via the deployment and installation process discussed hereinafter with respect to fig6 and 7 . mobile engine api layer 145 , which will be discussed in more detail below , provides independence between modular offline application building blocks 125 , 130 , 135 and servlet engine 120 . modular offline application building blocks 125 , 130 , and 135 utilize programming sources stored in memory 140 . while memory 140 is shown within mobile engine 110 , it may be located elsewhere . mobile engine api layer 145 forms an interface between the various programming models 125 , 130 and 135 and the application data that resides on database 180 within mobile device 100 . while database 180 is shown within mobile engine 110 , it may be located elsewhere . by providing api layer 145 , alternative programming models , offline applications and services may be incorporated , activated or substituted for existing models , offline applications and services in the future without having to completely reprogram mobile engine 110 . api layer 145 contains file i / o apis , database apis , synchronization layer apis and xml parsing apis . this mobile engine api layer 145 also provides device independence so that any application can run on any device without specific programming for device specific dependencies . referring now to fig2 , api layer 145 provides an interface between application or service 50 and the mobile device &# 39 ; s file programming interface 40 on the mobile device platform 45 . service 50 may be any of the previously mentioned services , such as data exchange 150 , or the like , or an offline application . api layer 145 consists of various module providers , such as ebp . class 5 , isales . class 10 and my . class 15 . java methods grouped in packages 20 , 30 , and 35 , such that all methods needed for a specific function are part of a corresponding package , also form part of api layer 145 . these methods can be called by the appropriate module provider . for instance , enterprise buyer professional is a product available from sap markets , inc . it provides the ability to coordinate the internet business procurement process . the product permits the creation of shopping baskets and catalogs . a package for enterprise buyer professional would include the module provider of ebp . class 5 and the groups of methods basket . class 20 a and catalog . class 20 b . module providers 5 , 10 , and 15 instantiate the appropriate java method calls and make them available for the flow logic in an application or service . there is always one module provider assigned to each package of the api layer 145 . various services that can be integrated that operate through api layer 145 are shown . data exchange 150 is utilized during a synchronization procedure when data is to be exchanged between a computer system and mobile device 100 . many business applications utilize xml . so an xml translation service 155 can be provided . a personalization service 160 can be included . personalization permits the manipulation of settings necessary to operate within a given server environment , such as a server url , logon data , proxy , etc . multiple user control can be included if more than one user of a device would be anticipated . an installation service 165 can also be provided . installation service 165 automatically installs or uninstalls offline applications , offline application building blocks and other software so that the device is outfitted as it should be based upon a deployment console , as will be discussed in detail later , located at the computer system . the installation service 165 creates a new entry in registry service 175 ( discussed below ) when a new application is installed and deletes an entry when an offline application is deleted . this function occurs in the background so as to be transparent to the user . local database access 170 is provided to permit access to database 180 . a home service 172 can be provided that sets up a homepage that the user accesses offline that provides links to the offline applications resident on the mobile device . preferably , the synchronization service is accessible through this page by clicking on an icon , for example . library service 174 offers standard functionality for application methods . it handles file operations and parsing . library service 174 contains an open catalog interface and parser for xml parsing , as well as a local data storage encryptor . registry service 175 maintains a list of all installed offline applications . alternatively , registry service 175 can maintain a list of all installed software subject to deployment from the deployment console , which would include at least offline applications and modular offline application building blocks . preferably , information from the registry 175 is provided to the deployment console during a synchronization and used by the deployment console to make sure that mobile device 100 is outfitted as it should be . the operation of registry service 175 will be discussed in more detail later . synchronization layer 185 is part of mobile engine 110 . synchronization layer 185 controls the synchronization of data on mobile device 100 with computer system 200 once the mobile device achieves connection through the internet ( or alternatively , through another means ) to computer system 200 , such as an application server , as is represented by box 195 . the synchronization layer 185 does this by sending the data containers resident in synchronization folder 187 . synchronization layer 185 preferably will contain an inbound / outbound queue , module ( s ) supporting different types of synchronization , a file handler , an error handler , a soap connector for xml , a data transmission security module , a synchronization security module and an authority checker . the details of the creation of such components would be apparent to one skilled in the art . this synchronization layer 185 and synchronization process will be discussed in greater detail later . a few examples of offline applications that can be run on mobile device 100 are now discussed . such applications can be created through the use of a tool such as web application builder by sap , ag . one such application is an easy shopping application . easy shopping permits one - step wireless shopping and buying , personalized product offerings , seamless integration into a full internet sales cycle , seamless integration into a procurement cycle , intelligent status tracking / synchronization , easy changing web templates , xml catalog content exchange , and provides the identical look and feel for sales and procurement . functions supported could be catalog , shopping cart , synchronization , and order status . the catalog can include search functionality and can hierarchically group products . the shopping basket allows for the creation of multiple orders and provides order status information . when this data from this application is synchronized with the central computer system , catalog content , orders , and software can be updated . manager &# 39 ; s inbox is another possible offline application . manager &# 39 ; s inbox contains an inbox overview listing incoming messages and work items . view selection can be available . when an inbox item is clicked , the message or the work item can be displayed . work item details such as the ability to approve or reject a work item and forms can be shown . during synchronization , inbox items , item details , and approvals / forms would be updated . plant maintenance is another application . plant maintenance includes an order section . functions possible with plant maintenance could include searching for open or released , orders , selecting operations , and adding components . the catalog function can provide a hierarchical view catalog with search functionality . during synchronization open and released orders would be exchanged , catalogs would be updated and new components would be added . the discussion above , with respect to fig1 , focused on the use of the framework with a mobile device . another use for this framework would be to install it as described above on a desktop computer rather than a mobile device or on a laptop that has a more or less permanent network connection . having such a framework would permit users to run applications offline and then exchange information between the desktop and the computer system during a synchronization process . thus , when offline application data needs to be provided to the computer system , it is provided to the system through the synchronization layer . the synchronization process can occur upon the clicking of an icon or hyperlink or the like , or alternatively , because a network connection does exist , it can automatically be provided without user intervention when data is available to be sent . by using the mobile engine framework on a desktop , or laptop with a somewhat permanent network connection , the volume of exchange of information between the computer system and the desktop can be minimized . this would mean that entire html pages would no longer need to be exchanged . instead , just the data of the business objects would be exchanged . in fig3 , a synchronization system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown . mobile device 100 is shown connected to computer system 200 through a connection such as the internet . other networks or a direct connection can alternatively be used . the synchronization process could begin through clicking on an icon , button , hyperlink or the like , on a home page displayed via the browser . alternatively , it could automatically occur upon a link being established between mobile device 100 and computer system 200 . mobile engine 110 , through api layer 145 and synchronization layer 185 , talks with functional module 220 on computer system 200 through synchronization rfc 210 . this communication is carried out through the use of data containers , such as data container 230 . data container 230 is normally made up of a header 240 and a body 250 . however , certain types of containers may not require a body 250 . the header 240 can be made up of the following parts : 1 ) a container id that uniquely identifies the particular container ; 2 ) an identification of the user of the device ; 3 ) an identification of the type of container ; 4 ) the method describing which function module should be called in the computer system to process the data ; 5 ) the date the container is sent ; 6 ) the time the container is sent ; 7 ) the date the method was executed to create the data container ; 8 ) the time the method was executed ; and 9 ) the status relating to the data . the body 250 of container 230 can be made up of a container id , line number , field name and field value . the following is sample java code for an outgoing data container : fig4 shows a computer system with synchronization capability and fig5 shows a synchronization process according to an embodiment of the present invention . preferably , the synchronization layer on the computer system has an inbound / outbound queue , module ( s ) for different types of synchronization , a dispatcher , a spooler , a file handler , an error handler , a mapping algorithm , a data transmission security module , a synchronization security module , and an authority checker . the details of the creation of such components would be apparent to one skilled in the art . the embodiment shown in fig5 includes an optional data preservation scheme . in order to preserve the containers , a container is maintained on at least one location . the container on the mobile device will remain on the mobile device if a problem occurs such as the connection getting lost during synchronization . if that occurs , it will be sent automatically with the next synchronization . if there is no entry in the mapping table for the function module call , the container remains in the incoming table on the computer system and a program is used to generate an automatic mapping , as will be discussed later . if the called function module aborts and creates a dump , the container remains in the incoming table . if the called function module has the wrong interface implemented , it remains on the incoming table . if the data contained in the container is errored , the called function module returns an error message to the mobile device for processing by the offline application . making reference now to fig4 and 5 , in step 230 of fig5 , the user of mobile device 100 clicks the synch icon , button , hyperlink , or the like , on the home page to initiate the synchronization process . the synchronization class reads all data containers in the synchronization folder and compares the containers with a history table that records the container ids for containers already sent by the mobile device 100 and received by computer system 200 as shown in step 232 . this is done so that duplicate containers , should they arise for some reason , such as a reboot of the mobile device , can be deleted from the mobile device without sending them . in step 234 , the synchronization class sends the remaining containers over the synchronization transport layer to synchronization rfc function module 210 in the computer system in step 252 . in step 236 , the synchronization rfc function module 210 writes the incoming containers into container database 260 . the incoming containers are stored in database 260 as a failsafe to ensure that the containers are available should a problem occur after they are passed on to mapping layer 265 . synchronization rfc function also reads out from the outgoing container database 275 any data containers with the same class and user as those received and sends them to mobile device 100 . additionally , it sends an acknowledgement for the containers just received and stored in incoming container database 260 . in step 238 , the mobile device 100 then writes the container id referred to by the acknowledgment into a history table indicating that it was previously received by the computer system 200 and no longer needs to be maintained on the mobile device 100 . the container is then deleted off of mobile device 100 . in step 240 , the incoming containers are read out of inbound container database 260 by scheduled function module 265 . in step 242 , scheduled function module 265 consults mapping table stored in database 270 to map the data within the container so that it may be processed accordingly . scheduled function module 265 then calls the appropriate function module 220 to execute the function required in step 244 . one such function module could be an ebp processing function , for example . in step 246 , appropriate function module 220 sends back responsive data , such as status , to scheduled function module 265 . scheduled function module 265 then places the data in a container and writes it to outgoing container database 275 in step 248 . depending on the type of incoming containers , the responsive outgoing containers may be sent immediately in step 249 or may be stored until the next time a synchronization process is initiated . at least three separate types of synchronization would preferably be supported . the first type is publish synchronization . in publish synchronization , the type of container used can be called an outbound container . the outbound container is created in mobile device 100 and , when a connection is present , is sent to computer system 200 for processing . once it has been received by computer system 200 , any return containers waiting to be sent to the same user and of the same method are sent back to the user . the connection is terminated however , prior to any outgoing containers responsive to the data just sent by the user being sent back to the mobile device . the second type of synchronization is online processing . this type is similar to publish but includes return of responsive outgoing containers having processed data relating to the container that was just sent . with online processing synchronization , the owner sends a request - type container . first the connection is made . then the request - type container is sent . the container is then received by the computer system 200 . because it is a request type container , the computer system returns not only any containers waiting to be sent to the same owner of the same method , but also processes the incoming container and sends a response to that container prior to the connection being terminated . the third type of synchronization is subscribe . subscribe synchronization is used to check on the status of previously sent containers . for instance , it can be used to check on the status of an electronic order placed through a shopping cart . the owner sends a notify - type container to computer system 200 . computer system 200 then returns containers of same method and user . such containers need not include a body , as the status information is contained within the head of the containers . development tools can be utilized with the mobile engine according to an embodiment of the present invention . on the computer system , a generator tool can generate the wrapper function module that maps the generic structure of a container to the individual interface of a function module and generate the table entries for the mapping table . preferably , the tool will utilize the programming language of the computer system . a tool can also be used as a java class generator to handle flow logic to java for modular offline application building blocks 125 and / or 135 . preferably , the tool utilizes java on the mobile device . these tools are essentially translators . creation of such translators would be well within the abilities of one of ordinary skill in the art . a computer aided test tool can also be created and used for modular application building blocks 125 and / or 135 . referring now to fig6 , to handle the management of the myriad of differently programmed mobile devices , a deployment console 400 is resident on the computer system as one of the application function modules 220 . deployment console 400 is preferably programmed in a language supported by computer system 200 . for example , if the computer system is a mysap workplace system by sap , ag , then the deployment console could be programmed in abap . deployment console 400 has an overview of all installed offline applications per user and device through an installation log 432 that records that an installation has occurred whenever an offline application , modular offline application building blocks or other software is deployed and installed on a device . some computer systems serving a plurality of users install applications according to user roles . for example , an employee may have a role of salesman , field engineer , secretary , or the like . role assignment module 410 permits an administrator to assign a user to a role and to assign what software should be installed for each role . a user may have one or more roles if desired . because , in some cases , deviation from a strict role - based regiment may be desired , personal assignment module 412 can be provided . personal assignment module 412 would permit an administration to assign an application that may be needed by an individual , but not by others within the same role . for example , a vice president of sales may be assigned a role of vice president , but may need some but not all applications of the salesman role . personal assignment module 412 would permit such customization . the deployment console 400 can also manage versions of software for deployment by defining the current version of each offline application that should be installed . version control module 416 provides an administrator with this functionality . storage media , such as database 418 , keeps track of what software should be installed on each device for each user . this data stored therein is based upon the parameters set by role assignment module 410 , personal assignment module 412 and version control module 416 . storage media 436 is provided upon which software that may be downloaded to a device and installed thereupon is provided . such software may include offline applications , modular offline application building blocks , patches , and other software . installation protocol module 434 is provided . it permits an administrator to update or alter installation protocol . device type / id handler 440 is provided which determines how to handle different device types . installer 430 is provided that retrieves software from storage media 436 for downloading and installation on a device . this is done based upon the comparison of information from a registry service on a device to information stored in database 418 relating to what is supposed to be resident on that particular device . additionally , installer 430 is equipped to provide mobile device with a deinstall instruction should the information from the registry service indicate that software is installed on the device that should not be . when installer 430 retrieves software from storage media 436 and sends it off to a device and retrieves a notice from the device that the software was received , it stores the information relating to the download and install in install log 432 . install log 432 , database 418 , and storage media 436 may be collocated or separate . moreover , they may be a part of deployment console 400 as shown , or alternatively , any of them may be located externally . a process for deploying and installing the framework according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig7 . in order to install the mobile engine framework , a user opens browser 105 on mobile device 100 and connects to computer system 200 online as shown in step 300 . once online , an install mobile engine icon , hyperlink or the like is displayed . in step 305 , the user selects to install mobile engine 110 by clicking on the icon , hyperlink or the like . in step 310 , the mobile engine framework is downloaded to mobile device 100 and , preferably , is automatically installed by installation service 165 . once installation is complete , the user connects into the deployment console system in step 315 . upon this connection , a data container containing information from registry service 175 is sent to a deployment console on computer system 200 . as shown in step 325 , the console reads the registry and determines that no offline applications are currently installed on mobile device 100 and then downloads the appropriate applications that are supposed to reside on mobile device 100 . these offline applications are installed automatically by installation service 165 . installation service 165 also automatically updates registry service 175 to reflect the installation of the new offline applications . when a deployment console receives information from a registry service that indicates an outdated version of a program or a version requiring a patch is resident on a mobile device , the current version and / or patch can be sent to the device and installed and the old version deinstalled , as needed , just as any other program , as will be described with respect to fig8 . it should also maintain error logs sent by the mobile devices . in fig8 , a process using the registry in association with the deployment console is depicted . in step 350 , the user opens browser 105 and connects to computer system 200 through the internet , or the like , using the synchronization function . as part of the synchronization process , mobile device 100 then sends a data container containing the data within the registry service 175 that is eventually retrieved by the deployment console as shown in step 355 . this retrieval may be in the manner discussed above relating to the retrieval of data from data containers during the synchronization process . the console then compares the data from registry service 175 to stored information that reflects what offline applications ( or alternatively what software that is subject to deployment through deployment console ) are supposed to be resident on mobile device 100 in step 360 . in step 365 , it is determined if changes need to be made to the mobile device . a few examples of changes that may need to be made include : 1 ) an offline application may no longer be authorized and may need to be deleted from the mobile device ; 2 ) a new application may need to be added ; 3 ) a new version of an existing application may need to be placed on the mobile device ; 4 ) a patch for an existing application may need to be installed on the mobile device ; 5 ) modular application building blocks may need to be deleted and / or installed ; and 6 ) other software such as special extra html pages and / or graphics , for example , may need to be added or deleted , such as for a “ christmas ” special . if no changes need to be made , then the routine ends . if changes do need to be made , it is determined if a deinstall or an install needs to be performed . in step 370 , it is determined if a deinstall is needed . if one is , then a data container is sent to mobile device 100 directing installation function 165 to deinstall the appropriate offline application or other software . it is then determined if an install is necessary in step 385 . if no install is needed , then the routine ends . if an install is needed , in step 390 , the offline application or other software to be installed is downloaded to - mobile device and installed automatically through the installation function 165 . this sending of the registry occurs each time there is a synchronization process . this way the deployment console keeps the mobile devices outfitted as they should be . although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated in detail , it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and equivalents thereof .

a process for synchronizing data between a remotely located device , such as a personal digital assistant , internet - enabled phone , handheld computer , laptop or desktop computer , and a central computer system . the data may be related to offline applications running on the device .

referring to fig1 of the drawings , a vehicle engine 1 comprises an oil pan 1 a and exhaust manifold 2 . the exhaust manifold 2 is connected to an exhaust pipe 3 via a converter 20 . a separate converter 21 is interposed midway in the exhaust pipe 3 . a three - way catalyst 8 and hydrocarbon ( hc ) adsorbent 4 a comprising a coating layer of hydrocarbon ( hc ) adsorbent are housed in series with respect to the flow of exhaust in a converter 21 . an hc adsorbent 4 b identical to the hc adsorbent 4 a is housed in the converter 20 . the hc adsorbents 4 a , 4 b comprise a coating of a layer 6 for adsorbing hc on the surface of a vanadium support 5 , this being coated with a three - way catalyst layer 7 as shown in fig4 . the adsorbent layer 6 and three - way catalyst layer 7 are coated for example by the method disclosed in tokkai hei 5 - 57148 . a converter 20 housing the hc adsorbent 4 a is arranged immediately after the exhaust manifold 2 at a high exhaust temperature . a converter 21 housing the hc adsorbent 4 b is disposed midway in the exhaust gas pipe 3 in a substantially horizontal direction pointing in a direction from the engine room to the rear of a vehicle , and situated under an oil pan 1 a of the engine 1 which has good high temperature retention characteristics . the heat capacity of a part 3 a of the exhaust gas pipe 3 situated between the converters 20 , 21 is set so that the temperature of the hc adsorbent 4 b does not exceed an upper limiting temperature at which hc can be adsorbed until discharge of hc by the adsorbent 4 a is complete . as the temperature of the exhaust passage 3 has not increased much before warming up of the engine 1 is complete , the three - way catalyst 8 and three - way catalyst layer 7 of the hc adsorbents 4 a , 4 b are not activated . therefore , in this stage , purification by oxidation of hydrocarbons ( hc ) in the exhaust cannot be expected to occur . however , all the hydrocarbons ( hc ) which have passed through the three - way catalyst 8 are effectively adsorbed by the hc adsorbents 4 a , 4 b . when a certain time has elapsed after engine startup , the temperature of the hc adsorbent 4 a rises as shown by the line a in fig5 and eventually exceeds an hc adsorption upper limiting temperature t 1 . subsequently , the adsorbent layer 6 of the hc adsorbent 4 a stops adsorbing hydrocarbons ( hc ), and discharge of adsorbed hydrocarbons ( hc ) begins . on the other hand , when the temperature of the hc adsorbent 4 a exceeds a catalyst activation temperature t 2 , hydrocarbons discharged by the hc adsorbent 4 a are oxidized by the upper three - way catalyst layer 7 to become water vapor and carbon dioxide . while the temperature of the hc adsorbent 4 a is increasing from t 1 to t 2 , the three - way catalyst layer 7 is not activated , so hydrocarbons ( hc ) discharged from the hc adsorbent 4 a flow into the downstream converter 21 without being oxidized . at that time , if the hc adsorbent 4 b of the converter 21 has not reached the upper limiting temperature t 1 at which adsorption is possible , the hydrocarbons flowing into the converter 21 are adsorbed by the hc adsorbent 4 b . however , if the temperature of the hc adsorbent 4 b exceeds the upper limiting temperature at which adsorption is possible before the hc adsorbent 4 a has reached the catalyst activation temperature t 2 as shown by the line d of fig5 a time zone is created where the hydrocarbons flowing into the converter 21 are discharged without being adsorbed or oxidized as shown by the region x of the figure . to deal with this problem , in this purification device , the temperature rise characteristics of the hc adsorbent 4 b of the converter 22 are set as shown by the line b in fig5 . this is achieved by setting the heat capacity of the part 3 a of the exhaust pipe 3 situated between the converters 20 , 21 as described hereabove . as a result , even when the temperature of the hc adsorbent 4 a of the converter 20 becomes equal to or greater than the upper limiting temperature t 1 and is lower than the catalyst activation temperature t 2 , the hc adsorbent 4 b of the converter 21 has not reached the upper limiting temperature t 1 at which hc adsorption is possible , so the whole amount of hydrocarbons flowing into the converter 21 is adsorbed by the hc adsorbent 4 b . in the converter 21 , the temperature of the hc adsorbent 4 b eventually reaches the upper limiting temperature at which hc adsorption is possible , and discharge of adsorbed hydrocarbons begins . at the stage when the catalyst activation temperature t 2 is exceeded , these hydrocarbons are oxidized by the three - way catalyst 7 . in the converter 21 , as in the case of the converter 20 , during the interval when the temperature of the hc adsorbent 4 b increases from t 1 to t 2 , a time zone is created where hydrocarbons temporarily cannot be processed . however , as this is a two - stage processing , the discharge amount of hydrocarbons from the converter 21 in this time zone is less than the inflow amount of hydrocarbons to the converter 20 . in the hc adsorbents 4 a , 4 b , the adsorbent layer 6 is coated on the surface of the carrier 5 , and the three - way catalyst layer 7 is coated on the absorbent layer 6 . in the temperature region at and above the catalyst activation temperature t 2 , hydrocarbons released from the adsorbent layer 6 which is the underlayer are oxidized by the three - way catalyst layer 7 which is the upper layer , and a good purification efficiency is obtained . according to experiments performed by the inventors , it was found that when the upper limiting temperature t 1 of hc adsorption is 200 ° c . and the catalyst activation temperature t 2 is 270 ° c . in the above device , when the heat capacity of the part 3 a of the exhaust pipe 3 is set to 80 cal /° c ., the temperature of the hc adsorbent 4 b reaches the upper limiting temperature t 1 at which hc can be adsorbed when the hc adsorbent 4 a reached the catalyst activation temperature t 2 . this corresponds to the line c of fig5 . also , in the case of the exhaust pipe 3 of an ordinary vehicle engine , the heat capacity of the part 3 a is 80 cal /° c . when the length of the part 3 a is set to approximately 180 mm . therefore , the effect of this invention is generally achieved by setting the length of the part 3 a to 180 mm or more . next , a second embodiment of the invention will be described referring to fig2 . according to this embodiment , a converter 22 is provided in the exhaust pipe 3 downstream of the converter 21 of the first embodiment . this converter 22 is installed in a part underneath the floor of the vehicle . an hc adsorbent 4 c comprising an adsorbent layer 6 and a catalyst layer 7 similar to those of the hc adsorbents 4 a , 4 b is housed in the converter 22 . a heat capacity q 2 of a part 3 b of the exhaust pipe 3 between the hc adsorbents 4 b , 4 c is set larger than a heat capacity q 1 of the part 3 a between the hc adsorbents 4 a , 4 b . this is accomplished by setting the length of the part 3 b to be longer than that of the part 3 a . however , the heat capacity can be increased without lengthening the part 3 b if a cornice 9 is provided as shown in the figure . the heat capacity q 2 of the part 3 b is set so that the hc adsorbent 4 c does not exceed the upper limiting temperature at which hc is adsorbed before the hc adsorbent 4 b reaches the catalyst activation temperature t 2 , i . e . so that the temperature increase characteristics shown by the line e in fig6 are obtained . according to this embodiment , there is one more hydrocarbon adsorption , discharge and oxidation process than in the aforesaid first embodiment , so a higher hydrocarbon processing performance is obtained . next , a third embodiment of this invention will be described referring to fig3 . in this embodiment , a converter 23 of different internal construction is used instead of the converter 22 of the aforesaid second embodiment . the converter 22 housed only the hc adsorbent 4 c , but the converter 23 comprises a three - way catalyst 10 downstream of the hc adsorbent 4 c , and an hc adsorbent 4 d situated still further downstream . the construction of the three - way catalyst 10 is identical to that of the three - way catalyst 8 , and the construction of the adsorbent 4 d is identical to that of the adsorbent 4 c . the three - way catalyst 10 functions as an exhaust passage between the hc adsorbents 4 c , 4 d . in other words , the temperature increase characteristics of the hc adsorbent 4 d is determined by the heat capacity of the three - way catalyst 10 . the heat capacity of the three - way catalyst 10 is determined so that the temperature of the hc adsorbent 4 d does not exceed the upper limiting temperature t 1 at which hc can be adsorbed before the hc adsorbent 4 c reaches the catalyst activation temperature t 2 . due to this setting , the distance between the hc adsorbents 4 c , 4 d can be set shorter than when the passage is formed by a pipe or cornice . according to this embodiment , there is one more hydrocarbon adsorption , discharge and oxidation process than in the aforesaid second embodiment , so an even higher hydrocarbon processing performance is obtained than in the aforesaid second embodiment . in the aforesaid embodiments , in any of the aforesaid converters , part of the hydrocarbons ( hc ) discharged by the adsorbent layer of the hc adsorbent is oxidized by the three - way catalyst layer and part is discharged from the converter without being oxidized after the temperature of the hc adsorbent has reached the upper limiting temperature t 1 at which hc can be adsorbed . in other words , the chance of oxidizing hydrocarbons ( hc ) increases the larger the number of converters , and the amount of hydrocarbons becomes less each time the exhaust gas passes through a converter . as a result , the volume of hc adsorbent can be reduced further downstream , which also reduces the weight and cost of the exhaust purification device . the contents of tokugan hei 10 - 149899 with a filing date of may 29 , 1998 in japan , and tokugan hei 11 - 22792 with a filing date of jan . 29 , 1999 in japan , are hereby incorporated by reference . although the invention has been described above by reference to certain embodiments of the invention , the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above . modifications and variations of the embodiments described above will occur to those skilled in the art , in light of the above teachings . for example , the volume of hc adsorbents is set to be constant , but the coating amount of hc adsorbent may be reduced further downstream . the embodiments of this invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows :

a first and second converter are connected via an exhaust passage so that the first converter is situated further upstream relative to the flow of exhaust . these converters comprise an adsorbent which adsorbs hydrocarbons at a temperature lower than a first temperature and discharges hydrocarbons at a temperature higher than the first temperature , and a catalyst which oxidizes hydrocarbons when a second temperature higher than the first temperature is exceeded . the heat capacity of the exhaust passage is set so that the temperature of the adsorbent of the second converter does not reach the first temperature before the catalyst of the first converter reaches the second temperature . by repeating this hydrocarbon adsorption / oxidation , the hydrocarbon discharge amount is reduced especially during a cold start of the engine .

a memory cell of a sram as embodiment 1 of the present invention is shown in an equivalent circuit diagram of fig5 . as shown in fig5 the memory cell of sram is arranged at intersecting portion of complementary data lines dl , dl and a word line wl . the complementary data line dl extends in the column direction , and the word line wl extends in the row direction . the memory cell is composed of a flip - flop circuit and two transfer misfets qt 1 and qt 2 with one semiconductor area ( region ) thereof connected to a pair of input / output terminals of the flip - flop circuit , respectively . the transfer misfets qt 1 , qt 2 are constituted by n - channel type , respectively . the other semiconductor area ( region ) of the transfer misfets qt 1 , qt 2 is connected to the complementary data line dl , respectively . each gate electrode of the transfer misfets qt 1 , qt 2 is connected to the word line wl . the flip - flop circuit is constituted as an information storage member ( having information storage node portion ). the flip - flop circuit is composed of two drive misfets qd 1 and qd 2 and two load misfets qp 1 and qp 2 . the drive misfets qd 1 and qd 2 are constituted by n - channel type , and the load misfets qp 1 and qp 2 are constituted by p - channel type . that is , the flip - flop circuit is constituted by complete cmos . respective source areas ( regions ) of the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 are connected to the reference voltage vss . the reference voltage is the ground potential 0 ( v ) of the circuit , for example . drain area ( region ) of the drive misfet qd 1 is connected to the drain area ( region ) of the load misfet qp 1 , one semiconductor area ( region ) of the transfer misfet qt 1 , gate electrode of the drive misfet qd 2 and gate electrode of the load misfet qp 2 . drain area ( region ) of the drive misfet qd 2 is connected to the drain area ( region ) of the load misfet qp 2 , one semiconductor area ( region ) of the transfer misfet qt 2 , gate electrode of the drive misfet qd 1 and gate electrode of the load misfet qp 1 . respective source areas ( region ) of the load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 are connected to the power source voltage vcc . the power source voltage vcc is the operation voltage 5 ( v ) of the circuit , for example . next , specific structure of the memory cell of sram constituted as above described will be briefly described referring to fig4 ( plan view ) and fig3 ( sectional view taken in cutting line iii -- iii of fig4 ). the memory cell , as shown in fig3 and 4 , is provided on a main surface portion of p - type well area 22 formed on a main surface portion of n - type semiconductor substrate 21 of monocrystalline silicon . although not shown . in an area other than the p - type well area 22 n - type well area is provided on main surface portion of the semiconductor substrate 21 . between memory cells or between elements each constituting a memory cell , a field insulation film 23 and p type channel stopper area 24 are provided on main surface of the well area 22 . the field insulation film 23 and the channel stopper area 24 are constituted respectively so as to effect electrical isolation between memory cells or between elements each constituting a memory cell . the transfer misfets qt 1 , qt 2 of the memory cell respectively , as shown in fig3 and 6 ( plan view in the prescribed manufacturing process ), are formed on a main surface of the well area 22 in an area surrounded by the field insulation film 23 and the channel stopper area 24 . that is , the transfer misfets qt 1 , qt 2 respectively are mainly composed of the well area 22 , a gate insulation film 25 , a gate electrode 27 , a pair of n type semiconductor areas 29 being source area and drain area , and a pair of n + type semiconductor areas ( regions ) 31 . the well area ( region ) 22 is used as a channel forming area . the gate insulation film 25 is constituted by a silicon oxide film formed by oxidizing the main surface of the well area 22 . the gate electrode 27 of both the transfer misfets qt 1 , qt 2 and that of the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 is constituted in the same layer according to a prescribed upper portion of the gate insulation film 25 . the gate electrode 27 is constituted by a composite film comprising a polycrystalline silicon film 27a and a high melting - point metal silicide film ( wsi 2 ) 27b stacked on upper side of the silicon film 27a . the polycrystalline silicon film 27a is deposited by means of cvd , and n type impurity ( p or as ) to reduce the resistance value is introduced therein . the high melting - point metal silicide film 27b is deposited by means of sputtering or cvd . the gate electrode 27 constituted by the composite film has specific resistance value being small in comparison to that of a single layer of the polycrystalline silicon film , thereby the operation speed can be made high . since the gate electrode of the transfer misfets qt 1 , qt 2 is formed simultaneously with the gate electrode of the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 , i . e . the word line is formed using the high melting - point metal silicide film having small resistance value , high speed of read / write operation of information can be realized . also since the gate electrode 27 has the upper layer constituted by the high melting - point metal silicide film 27b , irrespective of the conductivity type of the impurity introduced in the polycrystalline silicon film ( 34 and 37 ) of the upper layer of the gate electrode 27 , the ohmic connection can be effected in connection to the polycrystalline silicon film of the upper layer . respective gate electrodes 27 of the transfer misfets qt 1 , qt 2 are constituted integrally with the word line ( wl ) 27 extending in the row direction . the word line 27 is provided on the field insulation film 23 . the gate electrode 27 may be constituted by a composite film comprising the polycrystalline silicon film 27a and a high melting - point metal silicide film other than the above ( mosi2 , tasi2 , tisi2 ) or a high melting - point metal film ( mo , ta , ti , w ) stacked on the silicon film 27a . also the gate electrode 27 may be constituted by a single layer of the polycrystalline silicon film , the high melting - point metal film or the high melting - point metal silicide film . a semiconductor area 29 of low impurity density is constituted integrally with a semiconductor area 31 of high impurity density , and provided at a side of the channel forming area in the main surface portion of the well area 22 . the semiconductor area 29 of low impurity density constitutes the transfer misfets qt 1 , qt 2 respectively in so - called ldd ( lightly doped drain ) structure . the semiconductor area 29 of low impurity density is constituted in self - alignment to the gate electrode 27 . the semiconductor area 31 of high impurity density is constituted in self - alignment to a side wall spacer 30 formed on a side wall of the gate electrode 27 . the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 of the memory cell respectively are formed in substantially the same manner as that of the transfer misfets qt 1 , qt 2 respectively . that is , the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 respectively are composed of the well area 22 , the gate insulation film 25 ; the gate electrode 27 , a pair of n type semiconductor areas 29 being source area and drain area , and a pair of n + type semiconductor areas 31 . the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 respectively are constituted by the ldd structure . one extending end of the gate electrode 27 of the drive misfet qd 2 passes through a connection hole 26 , and is connected to one semiconductor area 31 of the transfer misfet qt 1 through the n + type semiconductor area 28 interposed therein . also one extending end of the gate electrode 27 of the drive misfet qd 1 passes through the connection hole 26 , and is connected to one semiconductor area 31 of the transfer misfet qt 2 through the n + type semiconductor area 28 interposed therein . the connection hole 26 is formed on the gate insulation film 25 . the semiconductor area 28 is constituted by the n type impurity diffused from the polycrystalline silicon film 27a of the lower layer of the gate electrode 27 through the connection hole 26 onto the main surface portion of the well area 22 . the other extending end of the gate electrode 27 of the drive misfet qd 2 passes through the connection hole 26 , and is connected to the semiconductor area 31 which is the drain area of the drive misfet qd 1 through the n + type semiconductor area 28 interposed therein . the semiconductor area 31 being the drain area of the drive misfet qd 2 and one semiconductor area 31 of the transfer misfet qt 2 are constituted integrally . a data line ( dl ) 40 is connected to respective other semiconductor areas 31 of the transfer misfets qt 1 , qt 2 through a connection hole 39 formed on an interlayer insulation film 38 . the data line 40 extends in the column direction on an upper side of the interlayer insulation film 38 . the data line 40 is constituted , for example , by an aluminium film or an aluminium alloy film to which cu or si is added so as to prevent the migration . the reference voltage vss is applied to the semiconductor area 31 corresponding to the respective source areas of the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 . supply of the reference voltage vss is effected by reference voltage wiring which is formed by the same conduction layer as the gate electrode 27 and the word line 27 , i . e ., a composite film comprising the polycrystalline silicon film 27a and the high melting - point metal silicide film 27b , and extends in the same row direction . the reference voltage wiring is connected through the connection hole 26 formed on the gate insulation film 25 to the semiconductor area 31 corresponding to the respective source areas of the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 . the load misfet qp 1 of the memory cell is constituted on an upper side of ( i . e ., insulatedly above ) the drive misfet qd 2 . the load misfet qp 2 is constituted on an upper side of ( i . e . insulatedly above ) the drive misfet qd 1 . that is , respective load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 are mainly composed of a gate electrode 34 , a gate insulation film 35 , a channel forming area 37a , a drain area 37b and a source area 37c . as shown in fig7 ( plan view in the prescribed manufacturing process ) in detail , the gate electrode 34 of the load misfet qp 1 is constituted on an upper side of the gate electrode 27 of the drive misfet qd 2 so as to cover it . the interlayer insulation film 32 is provided between the gate electrode 34 and the gate electrode 27 . the gate electrode 34 of the load misfet qp 1 is connected through the connection hole 33 formed on the interlayer film 32 to the upper surface of the high melting - point metal silicide film 27b of the gate electrode 27 of the drive misfet qd 1 . consequently , the gate electrode 34 of the load misfet qp 1 is connected to the semiconductor area 31 corresponding to the drain area of the drive misfet qd 2 through the gate electrode 27 interposed therein . also the gate electrode 34 of the load misfet qp 2 is constituted an upper side of the gate electrode 27 of the drive misfet qd 1 so as to cover it . the gate electrode 34 of the load misfet qp 2 is connected through the connection hole 33 to surface of the high melting - point metal silicide film 27b of gate electrode 27 of the drive misfet qd 2 . consequently , the gate electrode 34 of the load misfet qp 2 is connected to the semiconductor area 31 corresponding to the drain area of the drive misfet qd 1 which is integrally formed with one semiconductor area 31 of the transfer misfet qt 1 . the gate electrode 34 is constituted by a polycrystalline silicon film in which impurity is introduced so as to reduce the resistance value . p type impurity ( b ) is introduced in the polycrystalline silicon film . the gate electrode 34 is constituted by the polycrystalline silicon film with the p type impurity ( b ) introduced therein , and connected to the semiconductor area 31 or the gate electrode 27 through the high melting - point metal silicide film 27b interposed therein in order to prevent insertion of a parasitic diode . the gate electrode 34 comprising the polycrystalline silicon film with the p type impurity introduced therein can decrease the threshold voltage of respective load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 in comparison to the case of the n type gate electrode . the decrease of the threshold voltage can decrease the introduction quantity of the impurity introduced in the channel forming area 37a of the respective load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 , thereby making the introduction quantity of the impurity more controllable . when the n type impurity ( as or p ) is introduced in the gate electrode 34 , the ohmic characteristics cannot be deteriorated during the connection to respective gate electrodes 27 of the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 or the n type semiconductor area 31 . as a result of the basic study by the inventor , effect has been confirmed in that when the gate electrode 34 is formed in film thickness of about 1000 ( a ) or more , a depletion layer is formed within the gate electrode 34 ( polycrystalline silicon film ) by the field effect from the gate electrode 27 of the drive misfet qd 1 or qd 2 , thereby the field effect from the gate electrode 27 can be shielded by the gate electrode 34 . consequently , the gate electrode 34 is constituted in the above - mentioned film thickness . the gate electrode 34 is not limited to the polycrystalline silicon film , but may be constituted by a single layer of a high melting - point metal silicide film or a high melting - point metal film . in this case , the conductivity type of the conductive layer connected to the gate electrode 34 has no relation . also the gate electrode 34 may be a composite film comprising a polycrystalline silicon film , and a high melting - point metal silicide film or a high melting - point metal film on the polycrystalline silicon film . capacitance c 5 using the interlayer insulation film 32 as a dielectric layer is formed between the gate electrode 27 of the drive misfets qd 2 , qd 1 and the gate electrode 34 of the load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 . the capacitance c 5 has effect of increasing the capacitance of the storage node portions n 1 , n 2 of the flip - flop circuit , as shown in fig5 . the gate insulation film 35 is constituted by a silicon oxide film deposited by means of cvd . the channel forming area 37a , as shown in fig8 ( plan view in the prescribed manufacturing process ) in detail is formed on prescribed upper portion of the gate insulation film 35 . the channel forming area 37a is constituted by a polycrystalline silicon film of i type where impurity to reduce the resistance value is not introduced or p type impurity is slightly introduced . the drain area 37b is formed integrally with one end side of the channel forming area 37a , and is constituted by a p type polycrystalline silicon film in which p type impurity is introduced . the drain area 37b is connected through the connection hole 36 formed on the gate insulation film 35 ( part except for the channel forming area 37a is used as an interlayer insulation film ) to gate electrode 27 . since the drain area 37b and the gate electrode 27 are connected through the high melting - point metal silicide layer , the drain area 37b and the gate electrode 27 can be connected in the ohmic connection . the source area 37c is formed integrally with the other end side of the channel forming area 37a , and is constituted by a p type polycrystalline silicon film in which p type impurity is introduced . the source area 37c is formed integral with the power source voltage wiring vcc extending in the row direction . as shown in fig3 the gate electrode 34 of the load misfet qp 1 is formed to be overlapped positively with the source area 37c and the drain area 37b . according to such overlapping , capacitance c 3 is provided between gate and source of the load misfet qp 1 , and capacitance c 1 is provided between gate and drain thereof . also capacitance c 4 is provided between gate and source of the load misfet qp 2 , and capacitance c 2 is provided between gate and drain thereof . these capacitances c 1 - c 4 are equivalently connected to the information storage nodes n 1 , n 2 thereby the capacitance provided in the information storage nodes can be increased . consequently , the effect that is obtained is that soft error due to α - ray or the like is not easily generated . in the sram having the memory cells of the cmos type , the gate electrode 34 of the load misfet qp in such a memory cell is provided on the upper side of the gate electrode 27 of the drive misfet qd ( i . e . it is insulatedly disposed thereover ), thereby the field effect from the gate electrode 27 of the drive misfet qd can be shielded . consequently , current amount during operating and current amount during the waiting , or quiescent period respectively , of the load misfet qp can be optimized independently . gate electrodes of the load misfet and the drive misfet may be made independent thereby the degree of freedom in the layout can be increased . since the gate electrode of the transfer misfet can be constituted by employing a material of low resistance having a high melting - point silicide layer , the read / write operation of information can be effected at high speed . further , since capacitance provided in the information storage node of the memory cell can be increased , the storage quantity of the information storage member can be increased and the soft error can be prevented . next , the manufacturing method of the memory cell of sram will be briefly described referring to fig9 through 15 ( main part sectional view shown in each manufacturing process ). first , n - type semiconductor substrate 21 comprising monocrystalline silicon is prepared . next , in a memory cell forming area and n - channel misfet forming area of a peripheral circuit ( not shown ) respectively , p - type well area 22 is formed on main surface portion of the semiconductor substrate 21 . between elements of the memory cell , a field insulation film 23 and p type channel stopper area 24 are formed on main surface of the well area 22 . as shown in fig9 between element forming areas of the memory cell , a gate insulation film 25 is formed on main surface of the well area 22 . the gate insulation film 25 is constituted by a silicon oxide film formed by oxidizing the main surface of the well area 22 . the gate insulation film 25 is formed in film thickness of about 250 - 350 ( a ) for example . as shown in fig1 , a connection hole 26 is formed . the connection hole 26 may be formed by partially removing the gate insulation film 25 in portion where a gate electrode 27 is connected directly to main surface of the well area 22 . as shown in fig1 , a gate electrode 27 , a word line 27 and a reference voltage wiring are formed . the gate electrode 27 is formed by a composite film comprising a polycrystalline silicon film 27a , and a high melting - point metal silicide film 27b stacked on upper side of the silicon film 27a . the polycrystalline film 27a is deposited by means of cvd , and p being n type impurity to reduce the resistance value is introduced therein . the polycrystalline silicon film 27a is formed in film thickness of about 2000 - 3000 ( å ) for example . the high melting - point metal silicide film 27b is deposited by means of sputtering . the high melting - point metal silicide film 27b is formed in film thickness of about 2500 - 3500 ( å ) for example . the polycrystalline silicon film 27a and the high melting - point metal silicide film 27b are subjected to patterning by anisotropy etching of rie or the like . as shown in fig1 , n type semiconductor area 29 to be used as source area and a part drain area is formed . the semiconductor area 29 can be formed , for example , in that p of about 10 13 ( atoms / cm 2 ) is introduced by ion implantation of energy of about 40 - 60 ( kev ). in the introduction of the impurity , the gate electrode 27 and the field insulation film 23 are mainly used as an impurity introducing mask . consequently , the semiconductor area 29 can be formed in self matching to the gate electrode 27 . also as shown in fig1 , n + type semiconductor area 28 is formed on main surface portion of the well area 22 where the gate electrode 27 is connected through the connection hole 26 . the semiconductor area 28 can be formed in that n type impurity introduced in the polycrystalline silicon film 27a being a lower layer of the gate electrode 27 is subjected to thermal diffusion on the main surface portion of the well area 22 . the semiconductor area 28 is formed in the same process as the heat treatment process where , for example , the high melting - point metal silicide film 27b being an upper layer of the gate electrode 27 is activated . next , a side wall spacer 30 is formed on a side wall of the gate electrode 27 . the side wall spacer 30 can be formed in that a silicon oxide film is deposited by means of cvd so as to cover the gate electrode 27 , and anisotropy etching of rie or the like is applied to the silicon oxide film . as shown in fig1 , n + type semiconductor area 31 to be used as source area and drain area is formed . the semiconductor area 31 can be formed , for example , in that as of about 10 15 - 10 16 ( atoms / cm 2 ) is introduced by ion implantation of energy of about 40 - 60 ( kev ). in the introduction of the impurity , the gate electrode 27 , the field insulation film 23 and the side wall spacer 30 are mainly used as an impurity introducing mask . consequently , the semiconductor area 31 can be formed in self matching to the side wall spacer 30 . since the semiconductor area 31 is formed , the transfer misfets qt 1 , qt 2 and the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 are completed respectively . although not shown , p + type semiconductor area being source area and drain area of p - channel misfet to constitute a peripheral circuit is formed after the process to form the semiconductor area 31 . next , an interlayer insulation film 32 is formed on the whole surface of the substrate including upper side of the gate electrode 27 . the interlayer insulation film 32 is formed by a silicon oxide film deposited by cvd and having fine film property . the interlayer insulation film 32 is formed in film thickness as thin as about 300 - 1500 ( å ) so that the growth of stepped form is relieved and the step coverage of the conductive layer of the upper layer can be improved . in the connecting portion between the gate electrode 27 and the gate electrode 34 , the interlayer insulation film 32 is partially removed and a connection hole 33 is formed . as shown in fig1 , respective gate electrode 34 of the load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 to be connected to the gate electrode 27 through the connect on hole 33 are formed . the gate electrode 34 is constituted by a polycrystalline silicon film deposited by means of cvd . the gate electrode 34 is formed in film thickness as thin as about 1000 - 1500 ( å ) for example . p of about 10 15 - 10 16 ( atoms / cm 2 ) is introduced into the gate electrode 34 by ion implantation of energy of about 20 - 40 ( kev ). that is , the gate electrode 34 is formed by the polycrystalline silicon film of n type . next , a gate insulation film 35 is formed on the whole surface of the substrate so as to cover the gate electrode 34 . the gate insulation film 35 is formed , for example by a silicon oxide film deposited by cvd and having fine film property . the gate insulation film 35 is formed in film thickness of about 1000 - 1500 ( å ) for example . as shown in fig1 , on upper side of the gate insulation film 35 respective channel forming areas 37a of the load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 , drain area 37b and source area 37c ( including the power source voltage wiring are formed in sequence . the channel forming area 37a , the drain area 37b and the source area 37c is constituted by a polycrystalline silicon film deposited by cvd for example and formed in film thickness of about 650 - 2000 ( å ). the drain area 37b and the source area 37c are formed in p type , for example , in that bf 2 of about 10 15 ( atoms / cm 2 ) is introduced into the polycrystalline silicon film by ion implantation of energy of about 50 - 70 ( kev ). since the channel forming area 37a , the drain area 37b and the source area 37c are formed , the load misfets qp 1 and qp 2 are completed . next , an interlayer insulation film 38 is formed on the whole surface of the substrate . the interlayer insulation film 38 is constituted , for example , by a composite film comprising a silicon oxide film deposited by cvd , and a psg film formed on upper side of the silicon oxide film by cvd . and then a connection hole 39 is formed on the interlayer insulation film 38 . next , as shown in fig3 and 4 a data line 40 is formed on upper side of the interlayer insulation film 38 so that connection is effected to respective other semiconductor areas 31 of the transfer misfets qt 1 , qt 2 through the connection hole 39 . these series of the manufacturing processes are applied thereby the memory cell of sram of the embodiment is completed . fig1 shows an example where in the structure of the embodiment of the invention shown in fig3 the conductive layer to constitute gate electrodes of the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 and the transfer misfets qt 1 , qt 2 is made structure of three layers , a polycrystalline silicon film , tin and a high melting - point metal silicide layer in the order from the lower layer . since the gate electrode 27 of the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 is n type , and the gate electrode 34 of the load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 and the source - drain area 37b , 37c are p type , if both are connected directly , the impurities will be mutually diffused . however , the above - mentioned structure shown in fig1 can prevent the mutual diffusion of the impurities . further if a barrier layer of tin is interposed between the polycrystalline silicon film and the high melting - point metal silicide layer , such problem can be prevented that the high melting - point metal passes through the polycrystalline silicon film and enters the gate insulation film under the polycrystalline silicon film thereby the withstanding voltage of the gate insulation film is deteriorated . of course this structure of the gate electrodes may be applied to other examples of the invention . fig1 shows an example where the gate electrode of the load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 is provided on upper side of area of source , drain and channel and is a sectional view taken in cutting line xvii -- xvii of fig1 . also fig1 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the memory cell shown in fig1 . reference numerals of parts in fig1 - 19 are the same as those in fig3 - 5 . this embodiment is different from the previous embodiment in that the gate electrode of the load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 is provided on upper side of area of source , drain and channel . that is , the area of source , drain and channel of the load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 is formed by the polycrystalline silicon layer being the second layer , and the gate electrode is formed by the polycrystalline silicon layer being the third layer . further , area of source and drain of the load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 is an impurity area in which boron is introduced . the boron is introduced using the gate electrode 34 as a mask and then annealed so that the gate electrode and the impurity area are overlapped . it follows that the capacitance due to the overlapping between the gate electrode and the area of source and drain is connected as in c 1 - c 4 of fig1 . as a result , capacitance to be added to the information storage nodes can be increased . fig2 and 21 are views illustrating the manufacturing method of the memory cell shown in fig1 - 19 . in similar manner to that in fig9 - 14 , the polycrystalline silicon films in the first layer and the second layer are formed . however , plane pattern of the polycrystalline silicon film in the second layer is different from that in fig1 . as shown in fig2 , the polycrystalline silicon film 37 deposited by cvd for example is formed in film thickness of 650 - 2000 ( å ), and then , as shown in fig2 , the gate insulation film 35 is formed in film thickness of about 200 - 400 ( å ) for example . further , the polycrystalline silicon film 34 is formed in film thickness of 100 - 1500 ( å ) onto the gate insulation film 35 by cvd . the polycrystalline silicon film 34 is subjected to patterning as shown in fig1 . and then ion implantation of bf 2 of about 10 15 ( atoms / cm 2 ) is effected in energy of about 50 - 70 ( kev ) onto the gate electrode and the area of source and drain of the load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 , and annealing of 850 °- 950 ° c . is effected thereby the boron implanted into the polycrystalline silicon film 37 is diffused in the lateral direction . consequently the overlapping capacitance is formed between the area of source and drain and the gate electrode . the gate electrode is used as the mask in the ion implantation for forming the area of source and drain as above described , thereby the area of source and drain can be formed in self matching to the gate electrode , and further the manufacturing process can be simplified . an example shown in fig2 and 23 is nearly similar to the example shown in fig1 - 19 , but different in the plane pattern of the gate electrode 34 of the load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 . fig2 is a sectional view taken in cutting line xxii -- xxii of fig2 . in this example , the gate electrode 34 of the load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 is widely overlapped with the area of source and drain . the gate electrode 34 is overlapped with the area of source and drain as above described , thereby the capacitance of c1 - c4 of fig1 can be increased . in this case , however , since the gate electrode of the load misfet cannot be made a mask in the ion implantation for forming the area of source and drain as described in fig2 , the manufacturing process number is increased corresponding to this . fig2 and 25 show an example where the polycrystalline silicon film in the second layer is used as a reference voltage wiring . fig2 is a sectional view taken in cutting line xxiv -- xxiv of fig2 . a reference voltage wiring 42 constituted by the polycrystalline silicon film in the second layer is formed on the gate electrode 27 of the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 as shown in fig2 . the reference voltage wiring 42 is arranged between the gate electrode 27 of the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 and the channel area 37a ( i ) of the load misfets qp 1 , qp 2 , and extends in the parallel direction to the word line . according to this constitution , the field effect to the load misfet from the gate electrode 27 of the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 can be shielded . consequently , it can be prevented that the field effect of the gate electrode of the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 varies the current amount of the load misfet in the operating state and the waiting state . further , since the reference voltage wiring 42 can be formed on the forming area of the drive misfets qd 1 , qd 2 , the memory cell area can be made small .

a memory cell of the type a pair of cross - coupled cmos inverters of a sram is disclosed in which the load misfets are stacked above the semiconductor substrate and over the drive misfets . each load misfet of a memory cell consists of a source , drain and channel region formed within the same polycrystalline silicon film , and a gate electrode consisting of a different layer conductive film than that of the drive misfets . in a memory cell having such a stacked arrangement , the source region and gate electrode of each load misfet thereof are patterned to have an overlapping relationship with each other so as to increase the effective capacitance associated with each of the memory cell storage nodes . the gate electrodes of both the drive and load misfets are formed of n - type and p - type polycrystalline silicon films , respectively , and the drain regions of the first and second p - channel load misfets are electrically connected to the drain regions of the first and second n - channel drive misfets through separate polycrystalline silicon films , respectively . the polycrystalline silicon gate electrodes of the first and second load misfets are respectively electrically connected to the drain regions of the second and first drive misfets in each memory cell of the sram , furthermore .

referring now to fig1 a string of salter ducks 11 are shown on a common spine 10 in the sea and aligned broadside to the waves . each salter duck 11 as shown in fig2 comprises a pivotable member 12 shaped to define an enlarged hollow beak portion 13 which is pivotable by means of bearings 14 about a portion 15 of the spine 10 and is sealed from the marine environment . the rear portion 19 of the salter duck 11 is circular so as to minimise energy transfer between the rear portion 19 and the waves . four gyroscope assemblies arranged in two pairs of gyroscope assemblies 20a , 20b , are mounted in the beak portion 13 , each assembly 20a , 20b being pivotable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the direction of the spine portion 15 , and a hydraulic motor 3 - phase electric alternator assembly 21 is mounted midway between the pairs of gyroscope assemblies 20a , 20b . as shown in more detail in fig3 each gyroscope assembly 20a and 20b , comprises a disc - like rotor 25 drivably connected at each side thereof to an auto - variable swashplate - type hydraulic motor 26 . the rotor 25 is rotatably held in a mounting 27 which is pivotably mounted in the body of the salter duck 11 at 28 , 29 along an axis perpendicular to the spin axis of the rotor 25 . cam shaped discs 32 of respective ring cam pumps 33a , 33b are rigidly supported one above the other from the body of the salter duck 11 and engage on each side thereof respective rollers 39 each mounted as shown in fig4 on a link 42 pivoted at 44 and pivotally connected to a rod 45 extending from a piston 46 moving in a cylinder 47 which discharges into ring - shaped manifolds 48a , 48b in the mounting 27 . as shown in fig4 the manifolds 48a , 48b , of one of the gyroscope assemblies 20a or 20b discharge into high pressure mains 37 , 38 respectively connected in parallel to a swashplate type hydraulic motor 40 of the hydraulic motor / alternator assembly 21 , the motor 40 being drivably connected to one side of a 3 - phase electric alternator 41 of the assembly 21 . the other manifolds 48a , 48b , of the other pair of gyroscope assemblies 20b or 20a are similarly connected to high pressure mains ( not shown ) connected in parallel to a swashplate - type hydraulic motor 43 of the assembly 21 and drivably connected to the other side of the alternator 41 . the hydraulic motors 26 are connected in parallel across the high pressure mains 37 , 38 , and low pressure mains 49 , 50 form the return path of the system of fig4 . in operation , the rotors 25 are set spinning with the rotors 25 of a pair of gyroscope assemblies 20a , 20b spinning in opposite directions , and when the beak portion 13 of the salter duck 11 pivots about the spine portion 15 in response to waves , the gyroscope assemblies 20a , 20b precess in opposite directions about the pivotal mountings 28 , 29 , and cause the pistons 46 of the ring cam pumps 33a , 33b , to be operated by the lobes of the cam - shaped discs 32 engaging the rollers 39 . the high pressure mains 37 , 38 are thus energised by the ring cam pumps 33a , 33b and drive the hydraulic motors 40 , 43 , which thus drive the alternator 41 . if the pressure in the high pressure mains 37 , 38 rises above a mean value as a result of a burst of wave energy , the angular deflection of the swash plates on the hydraulic motors 26 increases so as to allow the extra energy to speed up the rotors 25 . if the pressure in the high pressure mains 37 , 38 is at a mean value , the swash plates in the hydraulic motors 26 move to their zero displacement angle and all the oil in the high pressure mains 37 , 38 flows to the hydraulic motors 40 . if during a lull in the wave pattern on the surface there is less oil from the pumps 33a , 33b than is necessary to maintain a required pressure in the high pressure mains 37 , 38 , the swash plates in the hydraulic motors 26 open and draw the energy deficit from the rotors 25 . as the gyroscope assemblies 20a , 20b of a pair precess in opposite directions , the output torques thereof are in opposite directions and are absorbed in the beak portion 13 without having any significant effect on the spine portion 15 of the salter duck 11 . the lobes on the cam - shaped discs 32 are shown as being on the sides normal to the respective pump 33a , 33b axis , but the lobes may be defined along circumferential surfaces of the cam - shaped discs 32 . ring cam pumps may be obtained from messrs mactaggart - scott , poclain , and from haggelund . each cylinder 47 may have an electronically controlled poppet valve ( not shown ) so that the decision about which poppet valves are to open may be made by a computer to which information is fed such as the duck &# 39 ; s pivotal angle , angular velocity , pressure field , recent history of power levels , rotor speed and precession angle of the gyroscope assembly , condition of the power take - off system , and the deflections of the spine of the string of ducks . the poppet valves may also be used to isolate a cylinder having a defective piston or roller which has been detected by an acoustic transducer . although the invention has been described in relation to a salter duck , it may be incorporated in other apparatus , for example of the cockerell raft , and the shrivenham triplate . referring to fig5 and 6 , a representation of a cockerell raft 55 is shown having a leading pontoon 56 , and a rear pontoon 57 hingedly connected at 58 . two arrangements of gyroscope assemblies 59 and a power take - off system similar to those described in relation to fig1 to 4 are installed in the leading pontoon 55 so that when the leading pontoon 55 pivots about the hinge connection 58 , electric power is produced in a similar manner to that produced by the angular pivotal motion of the beak portion 13 of the salter duck 11 of fig1 to 4 . in the representation of the shrivenham triplate of fig7 a front plate 60 pivoted at 61 is positioned in front of two fixed plates 62 , 63 respectively which are braced by diagonal ties 64 . the plates 60 , 62 , 63 are mounted on a buoyant member 65 which is arranged to present the plates 60 , 62 , 63 just above the mean wave height and parallel to each other normal to the incident wave direction . the fixed plates 62 , 63 are spaced half a wavelength at the optimum conditions for which the triplate is designed , and the front plate 60 and the fixed plate 62 are spaced apart by a quarter of this wavelength . an arrangement of gyroscope assemblies 66 and a power take - off system similar to those described in relation to fig1 to 4 are mounted on the front plate 60 . in operation the resonant wave between the fixed plates 62 , 63 , forms a reference frame , and the incoming wave is fully reflected by the fixed plate 62 so that the front plate 60 is at the point of maximum horizontal motion . thus the front plate 60 pivots about 61 and electric power is produced from this angular motion in a similar manner to that produced from the angular pivotal motion of the beak portion 13 of the salter duck 11 of fig1 to 4 . it will be understood that the invention may be incorporated in other apparatus for extracting energy from waves from the angular motion of a member in response to the waves . it will also be appreciated that although a ring cam pump is preferred , other suitable hydraulic pumps might be used , or alternative work performing means arranged to be energised from the precession of the gyroscopes . if desired , a single or an uneven number of gyroscopes might be used although the balanced output of an even number of gyroscopes is preferred . in order to minimise losses by windage it is desirable for the rotors of the gyroscope assemblies to rotate in a reduced pressure , partial vacuum environment .

in a method of , and apparatus for , extracting energy from waves on a liquid , the precession of a gyroscope in response to angular motion of a member in response to waves performs useful work by operating a hydraulic pump . advantageously , pairs of gyroscopes having their rotors spinning in opposite directions are mounted in the member so as to balance the output torques of the gyroscopes .

it is useful to collect a set of special definitions which will be used in the specification and in the attached claims . embedded distributed grating structure — a distributed grating structure such that all interfaces between the grating elements are confined vertically between a top and a bottom high - refractive index layer . high - contrast — a structure having two different dielectric materials , said materials having refractive indices which form a ratio of at least 1 . 5 . alas — the term alas will be used to describe aluminum arsenide , and also any iii - v semiconductor alloy in which the group - iii composition is at least 85 % aluminum , and in which the group - v composition is at least 85 % arsenic . gaas — the term gaas will be used to describe gallium arsenide , and also any iii - v semiconductor alloy in which the group - iii composition is at least 85 % gallium , and in which the group - v composition is at least 85 % arsenic . oxidizable grating material — any material which oxidizes rapidly enough compared to the material of the top and bottom high refractive index layers for the instant process to be useful . a semiconductor structure fabricated in accord with the process of the instant invention is shown in fig1 . for simplicity a complete semiconductor device is not shown , only the embedded filled distributed grating structure being shown . also , the iii - v semiconductors alas and gaas will be used in this example — that use is not intended to limit the scope of the instant invention . a gaas bottom high refractive index layer 101 is positioned atop substrate 100 . substrate 100 can also be of gaas , although this is not a requirement . grating elements 102 , made of oxidized alas , are formed atop bottom high refractive index layer 101 . their dimensions , shape , and spacing is determined , using well - known optical principles , by the optical interactions desired of the completed structure . the use of gaas and alas is particularly felicitous , as the almost total lack of lattice mismatch between these materials makes defect - free epitaxial growth of the grating structure relatively easy . this allows such structures to be used in regions where device charge carriers also travel , thereby increasing the range of application of such grating structures . for example , distributed feedback lasers become practical designs . a thin (˜ 50 å ) layer 103 of gaas is grown atop the exposed top surface of bottom high refractive index layer 101 and the top surfaces of the grating elements 102 . this is to facilitate the regrowth process which produces the gaas upper high refractive index layer 104 . the final structure has a filled embedded distributed grating structure with a refractive index contrast of about 2 . 2 . it can be fabricated , using the instant invention , essentially defect - free at the macroscopic ( optical ) level and at the level of the crystal structure . the use of gaas and alas in this example is not intended to limit the scope of this invention . the individual growth , lithographic , and etching processes called for in the process are known to one skilled in the art . a process according to the instant invention to fabricate filled embedded distributed grating structures is shown in fig2 . a gaas bottom high refractive index layer 201 is grown on top of a gaas substrate 200 , followed by growth of an alas grating layer 202 . if the bottom high refractive index layer 201 is not literally gaas , then subsequent regrowth can be facilitated by growing a thin layer 210 of stoichiometric gaas before growing the grating layer 202 . layer 210 can also act as a stop etch layer for the grating layer etch to be described , thereby allowing the height of the grating to be precisely defined . a gaas cap layer 211 can then be grown on top of grating layer 202 . this cap layer prevents the grating layer from oxidizing during handling , and also provides a surface on which gaas regrowth can be easily initiated . fig2 a shows the resulting structure after an etch mask layer 203 has been applied and patterned . the alas grating layer 202 is etched through etch mask 203 using an appropriate etching technique , thereby forming grating elements 204 and gaas grating top caps 212 . if the grating elements 204 are intended to have a rectangular cross section , it is important that the etching technique used be anisotropic and compatible with formation of vertical sidewalls . in many material systems , reactive ion etching will serve this purpose . in some cases , a suitable anisotropic chemical etch will exist . other cross section shapes can be formed using techniques known in the art . etching the grating layer 202 results in the structure shown in fig2 b . fig2 c shows the embedded grating structure following growth of the gaas upper high refractive index layer 206 . however , at this point the structure is only a low - contrast grating ( contrast ˜ 1 . 15 ). to obtain the desired structures , it is necessary to oxidize the alas grating elements 204 . oxidization produces grating elements having relatively low refractive index (˜ 1 . 6 for alas ), and hence converts the embedded grating into a high - contrast grating . however , as the grating elements are now embedded between the upper and lower high refractive index layers , and are not accessible to external oxidizing conditions . note that the combination of the exposed portions of gaas cap layer 210 and the gaas grating top caps 212 provide the basis for regrowth of gaas upper layer 206 . the detailed structure of the grating elements 204 is relatively unimportant to the regrowth process . as a result , an alternate to lateral selective oxidization of grating elements 204 is to oxidize these elements before growing gaas upper layer 206 . the gaas upper layer is then grown on the exposed gaas surfaces , eventually merging into one nearly perfect layer . alas is subject to oxidization when exposed to an atmosphere of flowing nitrogen containing water vapor at elevated temperatures . typical etching conditions are to bubble nitrogen gas through water held at 75 - 95 ° c ., then to flow this wet nitrogen gas over the structure to be etched , said structure being held at temperatures in the neighborhood of 400 - 500 ° c . under these conditions , alas oxidizes so much faster than does gaas that a phenomenon known as lateral selective oxidization occurs . in lateral selective oxidization , a buried lateral structure which is exposed at an end oxidizes so rapidly that the entire lateral structure can be partially or completely oxidized without doing significant damage to the surrounding structures . fig3 shows various approaches to rendering the grating structure formed as shown in fig2 susceptible to lateral selective oxidization . fig3 a shows the structure resulting from a mesa etch . here the material around a central ridge 310 is removed by an etching process . the depth of the etching will depend on the purpose intended for the grating structure , but must be deep enough that the alas grating elements 204 can be laterally oxidized . such structures are particularly useful for distributed bragg reflector lasers , as the ridge can also function as an optical waveguide . fig3 b shows an alternate approach toward rendering the grating structure susceptible to lateral selective oxidization . here a trench 311 is etched into the upper high refractive index layer , thereby exposing the alas grating elements 204 . fig3 c shows another approach , which is simply to dice the devices being fabricated before lateral selective oxidization . the individual dice 320 have open sides , which expose the alas grating elements 204 to oxidization . once the grating elements have been exposed , lateral selective oxidization is carried out as described above . at this point further device fabrication can be carried out if required for the intended purpose . fig4 shows a variety of optical devices which comprise an embedded distributed grating structure according to the instant invention . fig4 a shows a pumped excited optical medium 401 in a ridge waveguide 402 atop a substrate 400 containing a pair of embedded distributed grating structures 403 . if grating structures 403 designed to be reflective at the emission wavelength of the pumped optical medium , the resulting device can function as a light emitting device or as a laser , depending on the operating characteristics . alternately , if grating structures 403 are , e . g ., optical filters at the operating frequency , the resulting device can function as an optical amplifier . fig4 b shows a similar structure , save that only one grating structure 404 is used , and that grating structure extends under the optical medium . the grating structure 404 functions as a distributed feedback element , again providing filtering and / or reflective properties to the device . the resulting device can again be an optical amplifier , or an optical source . the specific implementations of the instant invention described above , and the materials used in those implementations , were chosen for purposes of illustrating general features of the structure and function of said invention . their presentation was not intended to limit the scope of this invention , which is defined by the claims appended hereto .

a new class of fabrication methods for embedded distributed grating structures is claimed , together with optical devices which include such structures . these new methods are the only known approach to making defect - free high - dielectric contrast grating structures , which are smaller and more efficient than are conventional grating structures .

referring to fig1 to 3 , a neck brace in accordance with the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10 . the neck brace 10 includes a front section 12 and a rear section 14 which can be secured together at lateral hinge connectors 16 to form a ring that can extend around the neck of a wearer . the front section 12 is u - shaped in plan view and includes a top flange 20 defining part of a generally upwardly facing impact surface 30 that can receive impact loads from the bottom of a full face helmet worn by the wearer , a bottom flange 22 defining a cushioned chest bearing surface 44 that is configured to bear on the wearer &# 39 ; s chest , and a structure in the form of a wall 24 that extends between the top and bottom flanges to transfer the impact loads from the helmet to the wearer &# 39 ; s body . the rear section 14 is also u - shaped in plan view and includes a top flange 52 that is generally a continuation of the top flange 20 of the front section , with an upwardly facing impact surface 30 , and bottom flange 54 that is generally a continuation of the bottom flange 22 and that defines padded shoulder bearing surfaces 88 where it is configured to bear on the shoulders of the wearer . a structure in the form of a wall 66 extends between the top flange 52 and the bottom flange 54 . the rear section further includes two bars 68 that each extends from the rear of the bottom flange 54 along the upper back of the wearer with a padded back bearing surface 72 for bearing on the back of the wearer . the purpose of the top flanges 20 and 52 is to limit movement of the wearer &# 39 ; s helmet during impact , e . g . during high speed motor sport accidents , by contacting the underside of the helmet with the impact surface 30 and transferring the impact load to the wearer &# 39 ; s body via the chest , shoulder and back bearing surfaces 44 , 88 , 72 to reduce the risk of injury to the neck and upper spine of the wearer . embodiments of the invention may utilize two bars 68 as shown or any other number of bars as one skilled in the art will recognize as any number of bars 68 including one or more displaced at any point along bottom flange 54 may be utilized in keeping with the spirit of the invention . referring further to fig1 to 3 , in the present invention , a rear part of the top flange 52 is pivotally connected to the remainder of the rear section 14 at pivotal joints 90 , so that it forms a rear displaceable part 92 that can pivot downwards towards the upper back of the wearer , i . e . towards the shoulder and / or back bearing surfaces 88 , 72 . two impact brake elements 94 extend between the displaceable part 92 and each of the bars 68 to permit some pivotal movement in the joints 90 , but to inhibit undesirable pivotal movement , as described in more detail below . similarly , a front part of the top flange 20 is pivotally connected to the remainder of the front section 12 at pivotal joints 96 , so that it forms a front displaceable part 98 that can pivot downwards towards the chest of the wearer , i . e . towards the chest bearing surface 44 . in addition , the pivotal joints 96 are configured to allow the rear ends of the displaceable part 98 to slide rearwards relative to the remainder of the front section 12 to allow the displaceable part to slide rearwards and / or pivot downwards . two impact brake elements 100 extend between the displaceable part 98 and lateral locations on the bottom flange 22 to permit some pivotal and / or sliding movement in the joints 96 , but to inhibit undesirable pivotal and / or sliding movement , as described in more detail below . referring to fig4 a to 4c , each of the impact brake elements 94 , 100 includes a first component in the form of an outer cylindrical sleeve 102 which defines a first , cylindrical brake surface 104 on the inside of the sleeve and a second component in the form of an elongate probe 106 , most of which is receivable inside the sleeve and which is longitudinally ( i . e . axially ) displaceable relative to the sleeve . the probe 106 has an elongate protuberance 108 at its upper end that protrudes outside the sleeve 102 by a degree that varies depending on the position of the probe inside the sleeve . the probe 106 defines an annular recess 110 on its circumference , with a second , tapered ( i . e . frusto - conical ) brake surface 112 defined on the inner circumference of the annular recess . the inner circumference of the annular recess ( i . e . the tapered brake surface 112 ) is tapered at a very small angle with the result that the recess is not strictly “ annular ” in shape , but for the purposes of this description , the term “ annular ” is to be interpreted to include an annulus with a slightly tapered inner wall . a number of lock elements in the form of balls 114 are held captive inside the annular recess 110 by the wall of the sleeve 102 , i . e . between the cylindrical and tapered brake surfaces 104 , 112 . the brake element 94 , 100 is shaped and dimensioned such that the balls 14 fit inside the recess 110 with a slight clearance at the wider , lower end of the recess , such that the balls fit inside the recess with an interference fit higher in the recess . the impact brake element 94 , 100 is shown in fig4 a in a fully extended condition , with the protuberance 108 extending far outside the top of the sleeve 102 . a compression coil spring ( not shown ) is provided inside the sleeve 102 , below the probe 106 , to urge the probe upwardly towards its fully extended position . the lower end of the sleeve 102 is attached to the bottom flange 22 or one of the bars 68 , as the case may be , and the top end of the protuberance 108 can be attached to the relevant displaceable part 92 , 98 or can simply be positioned so that the underside of the displaceable part can press longitudinally against the end of the protuberance . each of the impact brake elements 94 , 100 is normally in this extended condition and is held in this condition by its coil spring , but as the relevant displaceable part 92 , 98 is displaced relative to the remainder of the brace 10 , it presses the probe 106 towards the sleeve 102 , to slide further inside the sleeve against the bias of the spring . referring to fig4 b , if the probe 106 is caused to slide longitudinally downwardly into the sleeve at a relative low rate , the balls 114 are held at the lower end of the recess 110 by gravity and there is thus a clearance between the balls and the respective braking surfaces 104 , 112 , so that the sliding movement can continue without interference . however , referring to fig4 c , if the probe 106 is caused to slide longitudinally downwardly into the sleeve 102 at a relative high rate , e . g . under an impact load , the inertia of the balls 114 cause them not to follow the rapid downward movement of the probe at the same rate , with the result that the balls slide upwardly relative to the recess 110 ( because the probe and balls are sliding downwardly at different rates ). at the higher position of the balls 114 in the recess 110 , the circumference of the tapered brake surface 112 is wider and the balls are urged outwardly by the tapered brake surface to become locked between the tapered and cylindrical brake surfaces 112 , 104 in a taper lock . the dimensions and particularly the tolerances and clearances of the balls 114 and brake surfaces 104 , 112 can be dimensioned to allow downward movement of the probe 106 relative to the sleeve 102 without interference if the rate of relative movement between the probe and the sleeve is below a predetermined rate and to activate the taper lock as described herein above , when the rate of relative movement of the probe into the sleeve exceeds the predetermined rate . it is to be understood that in the illustrated example of the present invention , the balls 114 are biased downwardly towards the wider end of the annular recess 110 by gravity . it is possible to enhance this bias or to replace it by using another biasing element such as a flexible element in the annular recess 110 that presses against the balls 114 . however , the simplicity of the illustrated configuration is shown for ease of understanding . any other method of biasing balls 114 in the freely moving position is in keeping with the spirit of the invention . referring to all the drawings , in use , when a wearer needs to tilt his head far backwards , e . g . when a motorcyclist is tucking into an aerodynamic position on the motorcycle and needs to get his torso as low as possible on the motorcycle , the head can be tilted backwards at a moderate ( safe ) rate so that the bottom edge of the motorcyclist &# 39 ; s helmet presses the rear displaceable part 92 to pivot downwardly at a rate lower than a predetermined rate , while pressing the probes of the rear impact brake elements 94 into their respective sleeves without interference , as described above with reference to fig4 b . if the rider tilts his head forward again , the impact brake elements 94 are extended by their coil springs and the rear displaceable part 92 pivots upwards . however , in the event that the rider &# 39 ; s head is tilted backwards rapidly , e . g . during a rear impact collision , whether the impact brake elements 94 are fully extended or only partly extended , the downward impact of the bottom of the helmet on the rear displaceable part 92 will cause the rapid downward movement of the displaceable part and of the probes 106 , at a rate that is higher than the predetermined rate , and the downward movement of the probes relative to the sleeves 102 will be stopped by the taper lock as described above , with reference to fig4 c . the result is that the impact load from the helmet is transferred from the displaceable part 92 along a load path via the locked rear impact brake elements 94 to the bars 68 and thus to the rider &# 39 ; s body , to inhibit excessive head movement and to reduce the risk of injury to the rider &# 39 ; s neck and upper spine . the same applies to the front displaceable part 98 that can be pivoted downwardly and slid rearwards at rates lower than a predetermined rate by a pressing the bottom edge of the helmet against the front displaceable part . in the event of an impact , e . g . a front impact collision that tends to cause the rider &# 39 ; s head to rotate forward , the front displaceable part 98 will be pressed towards the wearer &# 39 ; s chest at a rate exceeding the predetermined rate and the front impact brake elements 100 will be locked by their taper lock and will transfer the impact load along a load path from the helmet and displaceable part 98 to the chest bearing surface 44 and to the chest of the rider , to inhibit excessive head movement and to reduce the risk of injury to the rider &# 39 ; s neck and upper spine . in addition to the advantages of the neck brace 10 mentioned above , the provision of two bars 68 spaced from the centre of the wearer &# 39 ; s back , allows the brace to be worn comfortably with clothing such as motorcycling apparel that includes an aerodynamic protuberance or “ hump ” on the wearer &# 39 ; s back , for preventing a vacuum behind the wearer &# 39 ; s helmet at high speed . further , the front bottom flange 22 defines a recess 116 which allows the wearer easy access to zippers or the like , that is often positioned centrally on the front of garments such as motorcycling apparel and / or to prevent discomfort by pressing on such zippers or the like .

neck brace that inhibits excessive neck movement during impact , yet allows for a high degree of movement of the wearer &# 39 ; s head during normal operation of the neck brace . may include impact surface that limits movement of a helmet by contacting an underside of the helmet ; bearing surface configured for bearing on wearer ; a structure between impact surface and bearing surface , sufficiently resilient to transfer impact loads of the helmet to the impact surface , to the wearer &# 39 ; s body ; wherein the impact surface is displaceable towards an adjacent part of the bearing surface and wherein the structure is configured to permit the displacement at rates slower than a predetermined rate of displacement and to resist the displacement if the rate of displacement exceeds the predetermined rate . may include a pivotal joint between the displaceable part and remainder of neck brace and impact brake element .

referring now to the drawings and more particularly fig1 - 7 , a hatch latch with integral lock is shown generally at 10 suitably mounted in an opening 12 of a hatch cover 14 . the latch 10 includes a housing 16 which is snugly and sealingly received in the opening 12 and bedded therein by the usual bedding compound , so that water may not leak therepast . the opening 12 is counter - sunk at 18 so that a top flange 20 of the housing 16 can be received therein . a generally &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; shaped lift ring 22 , when in its &# 34 ; down &# 34 ; position , fits in a conformingly shaped groove 23 formed in the top of the housing 16 , so that , as seen in fig2 when the ring 22 is in the groove 23 , it is flush with the top of the housing 16 . a knob shown generally at 24 is formed on the top of a knob shaft 25 , which knob 24 has a pair of diametrically opposed openings therein , one of which is shown at 26 , which openings pivotally receive the opposed ends of the &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; shaped ring 22 , whereby the ring 22 can be pivotally upwardly into a graspable position and downwardly into a flush position relative to the housing 16 . when in its upward position , the ring can be pulled on to raise the hatch 14 relative to the deck 15 and also to rotate the knob 24 to &# 34 ; latch &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; unlatch &# 34 ; the hatch latch . the knob shaft 25 is rotatably mounted in an opening 27 formed in the housing 16 , and an &# 34 ; o - ring &# 34 ; 28 carried by the shaft 25 immediately below the knob 24 seals against the housing 16 so that no water can flow therepast . a cam shaft 30 is formed integrally with and extends downwardly from the knob shaft 25 so that its lower end 31 projects below the inside of the deck 15 . the cam shaft 30 is threaded for its full length and has a pair of diametrically opposed flat surfaces 32 and 33 formed thereon . referring now to fig2 and 3 for clarity , a washer 34 is mounted on the cam shaft 30 and abuts a shoulder 35 formed on the housing 16 around the opening 27 therein , and a lock nut 36 is threaded on the shaft 30 securely against the washer 34 to lock the knob shaft 25 securely in housing 16 against vertical movement while allowing the shaft 25 to freely rotate relative to the housing . on the lower end of the cam shaft 30 is mounted a lock bar 37 which has a opening adjacent one end thereof ( not shown ) receiving the shaft 30 while a pair of lock nuts 38 and 39 , disposed on opposed sides of the bar 37 secure the same against movement relative to the shaft 30 . preferably , the opening in the bar 37 has a pair of flats ( not shown ) thereon in the opening therein ( not shown ) which register with the flat surfaces 32 and 33 on the shaft 30 to prevent relative rotation . the locking bar 37 projects perpendicularly from the shaft 30 , so that in the secured position of the lift ring 22 , the distal end of the bar 37 is disposed below the deck 15 to prevent upward movement of the hatch cover 14 relative to the deck . upon raising the ring 22 , the ring can rotate the knob 24 one hundred and eighty degrees thereby completely moving the bar 37 from engagement with the deck 15 . in this position , the ring 22 can be used to raise the hatch cover 14 . since the knob 24 has been rotated one hundred and eighty degrees , the ring 22 can again be lowered and received in the groove 23 . a securing plate 40 has an opening 42 therein which receives the lower part of the housing 16 so that the plate 40 abuts a shoulder 41 on the housing and also abuts the underside of the hatch cover 14 to securely mount the housing 16 and the hatch cover 14 . a pair of screws 40a and 40b secure the plate 40 to the bottom of the housing 16 . locking means , shown generally at 43 , are provided to lock the knob 24 and the cam shaft 30 alternately in their &# 34 ; locked &# 34 ; position , with the lock bar 37 under the deck 15 as seen in fig2 or to lock the lock bar in a position one hundred and eighty degrees from such position in its &# 34 ; unlocked position &# 34 ;. the locking means 43 includes a key actuated tumbler 44 which is sealingly pressed into an opening 45 and retained therein by a snap ring 46 engaged in a groove in the tumbler 44 and a registering groove in the housing 16 . the tumbler 44 has a key slot 47 therein which , when the key is removed therefrom , has a spring loaded cover which seals the opening against water leaking therepast . such a tumbler can be obtained from the hurd lock corp . of 603 bohannon avenue , greenville , tenn . 37744 - 1450 under part number 2400030000 . the lower end of the tumbler has an eccentric pin 48 thereon which engages in a transverse slot 49 in a slide plate 50 . rotation of the tumbler 44 causes the eccentric pin 48 to move the slide plate 50 for and aft . an opening shown generally at 51 in the rear end of the slide plate 50 has an enlarged round end 52 which at the inner end thereof blends into a flat sided slot 53 . when the bar 37 is disposed below the deck 15 , or one hundred and eighty degrees therefrom , the flat surfaces 32 and 33 are aligned with the flat sides of the opening 53 and the slide plate 50 can be moved by the pin 48 so that the flat sides of opening 53 engage the flat surfaces 32 and 33 of cam shaft 30 to prevent rotation of the cam shaft 30 , whereby the bar 37 is locked into its &# 34 ; locked &# 34 ; or unlocked position . activation of the tumbler 44 to move the pin 48 and thereby the slide plate 50 so that the round end 52 of the opening 51 receives the cam shaft 30 , allows the knob 24 to rotate the cam shaft such that the bar 37 may be moved to any position around its circumventual plane of movement , but preferably to either its &# 34 ; locked &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; unlocked &# 34 ; position . once the bar 37 is in its locked or unlocked position , the ring 22 can be lowered into the groove 23 and the key ( not shown ) removed from the tumbler 44 . a cover plate 50a overlies the slide plate 50 and is secured to the housing 16 by mounting screws 50b , so that the cover plate holds the slide plate in place while allowing operative movement thereof . in the event that the ring 22 is lowered at such time that the knob 24 is positioned so that the bar 37 is not fully locked or unlocked , the ring 22 will not register with the groove 23 and will be held up by the surface of the housing 16 adjacent the groove 23 . to prevent inadvertent damage to the ring 22 at such time , reference is made to the embodiment of fig8 wherein resilient means 54 has been provided to inhibit shock loading or bending of the ring 22 . more particularly , a coiled compression spring 55 is received around the knob shaft 25a and it top end abuts against a shoulder 35a on the housing 16a , while a lock nut 36a engages a washer 34a which , in turn , engages the bottom end of the spring 55 . thus the knob 24a is resiliently held in place in the housing 16a by the resilient means 54 , and in the event of the ring 22 is inadvertently stepped on while the ring is not in the groove 23 , the resilient means 54 will allow the knob 24a to move axially and prevent the ring 22 from bending or breaking . when the ring 22 is not in the groove 23 , the top surface of the housing 16 adjacent the groove 23 will engage the ring 22 and act as a fulcrum in the event the ring is stepped on . thus if someone steps on the ring 22 when not in the groove 23 and thus in its intermediate position , the outer end of the ring would be moved downwardly and the inner end , connected to the knob 24a , would be lifted , which moves the knob shaft 24a upwardly and compresses the resilient means 54 and thereby prevents damage to the ring . means are provided to indicate the locked status of the hatch latch . referring to fig1 a bump 56 is positioned on the housing 16 adjacent the knob 24 , and a bump 57 is positioned on the knob 24 . when the bumps 56 and 57 are adjoining each other as shown , the bar 37 is in its unlocked position and when the bumps are displaced , the bar is unlocked .

a waterproof hatch latch with a lifting ring for mounting in a hatch cover with the lift ring connected to a cam member disposed in the latch housing . the cam member carries a locking bar on its inner end which is engagable with the adjourning deck to lock the hatch . a waterproof lock tumbler is mounted in the latch housing and a slide plate connects the tumbler to the cam member to lock the lock bar in its position engaging the deck and to lock it in position one hundred eighty degrees removed from engagement . a spring is disposed in the mounting between the cam member and the housing to prevent damage to the lift ring .

the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the appended drawings showing preferred embodiments of the invention . firstly referring to fig1 to 4 , coins are successively fed to a coin guide passage 1 and conveyed through the passage by a conveyor belt 2 . the coin guide passage 1 is provided with means for rejecting coins of different species , for example a coin rejection hole or slot 3 , sensors for detecting the passage of coins comprising photoelectric elements 4 and 4 , a stopper 5 for stopping passage of coins after a pre - set number of coins has been passed to a coin accumulator tube 7 and adapted to rotate to a normal position for allowing the coins to pass in response to a signal for instructing to start the next cycle operation , and another conveyer belt 6 moving at a relatively higher speed than the conveyor belt 2 so as to increase the gaps between adjacent coins . a coin accumulator tube , designated by numeral 7 , has a hollow cavity 7 &# 39 ; in which coins are accumulated . the diameter of the cavity 7 &# 39 ; may be varied in accordance with the diameter of coins to be accumulated therein , or a coin accumulator tube having a cavity for snugly receiving coins of single species may be selected from a group of accumulator tubes to be assembled in the system . a coin reception recess 7 &# 34 ; is formed on the top of the coin accumulator tube 7 . the coin accumulator tube 7 is assembled such that the top face of the coin reception recess 7 &# 34 ; is flush with the guide face of the coin guide passage 1 or positioned at the level slightly lower than the latter . a vertically - extending slit 8 is cut through the peripheral wall of the tube 7 , and a circumferential slit 9 is formed at the lower portion of the cylindrical tube 7 . a radial through - hole 10 for an upper photoelectric sensor 10 &# 39 ; for sensing the height of accumulated coins is provided at the upper portion of the tube 7 . another radial through - hole 11 for a lower photoelectric sensor 11 &# 39 ; for detecting the presence of a carrier bar 12 ( see fig3 ) is provided at the lower portion of the tube 7 . a movable shutter mechanism b is associated with the coin accumulator tube 7 . the movable shutter mechanism b of this embodiment comprises shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; each having a generally semicircular free end , an elongated stem portion and a generally trapezoidal base portion . in the normal closed position , both shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; engage with each other with their free ends forming a generally circular shutter which is inserted in the cavity of the coin accumulator tube 7 to form the bottom thereof and to support the accumulated coins until a pre - set number of coins is stacked in the tube 7 . the base portions of the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are pivoted by pins 15 and 15 &# 39 ; of a support member 14 and moved by rollers 16 and 16 &# 39 ; mounted on lugs of the base portions to open or close the shutter formed by the generally semicircular free ends of the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ;. an operation pin 17 is mounted to another lug of the base portion of the one shutter plate 13 &# 39 ;. the support member 14 has a threaded hole for engaging with a screw shaft 18 and another hole through which a guide rod 19 extends to prevent the support member 14 from rotating . the screw shaft 18 is rotated by a driving system 30 to lower or raise the support member 14 . when the support member 14 is lowered to the lowermost position , the operation pin 17 engages with a hole 21 of an operating lever 22 . the operating lever 23 is connected to a solenoid 23 . referring now to fig3 the lower movement of the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; which is controlled on the basis of the output signal generated from the upper photoelectric sensor 10 &# 39 ; will be first explained . at the beginning of the accumulation operation , in order to raise the support member 14 to its uppermost position , as shown in dot - and dash line , a reversible motor 25 is actuated to rotate the screw shaft 18 in a reverse direction . when the support member 14 reaches the uppermost position , a cam 24 mounted to the support member 14 engages with an actuator of a limit switch a to switch - off the limit switch a thereby to stop the motor 25 . in the state , the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are closed and supported at a level slightly lower than the top face of the recess 7 &# 34 ; of the coin accumulator tube 7 . coins a are successively fed by a conveyer belt 2 and the gaps therebetween are increased by the action of the high speed conveyer belt 6 . the coins are then passed through the recess 7 &# 34 ; to be placed on the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ;. since the difference in height between the top face of the recess 7 &# 34 ; and the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; is small , the distance of falling movement of individual coins within the hollow cavity 7 &# 39 ; of the tube 7 is limited . as coins a are stacked on the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; and the through - hole 10 is shielded by the accumulated coin pile , a signal is generated to actuate the reversible motor 25 to rotate the same in the forward direction , whereby the screw shaft 18 is rotated through the driving system 20 in the direction to lower the support member 14 . the lowering speed of the support member can be controlled by detection , by the sensor 10 &# 39 ;, of the coins accumulated in the accumulator tube or by the combination of the pitch of the screw and the rotational speed of the shaft 18 , so that the shutter mechanism is lowered in synchronized with the coin feeding rate . the shutter mechanism is thus lowered stepwisely or continuously while maintaining the distance between the top face of the lastly stacked coin and the top face of the recess 7 &# 34 ; at a small limited value . coins a fed to the accumulator tube 7 are counted by the counting elements 4 as described before , and when the counted number reaches the pre - set number , the stopper 5 is rotated to interrupt the coin flow in the coin guide passage 1 to stop coin supply . at that time , the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are lowered to the lowermost position , shown by the solid line in fig3 to be aligned with the circumferential slit 9 . in the meanwhile , the tube 7 may have a height such that the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; clear the bottom peripheral face thereof when the pre - set number of coins is stacked thereon and the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; reach their lowermost position . in such a case , the circumferential slit 9 may be dispensed with . anyway , when the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are lowered to the lowermost position , the cam 24 depresses the actuator of a limit switch b to stop the reversible motor 25 and the carrier bar 12 is raised beneath the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; to be ready for receiving the coin pile . when the lower through - hole 11 is shielded by the thus raised carrier bar 12 , a signal is generated from the lower photoelectric sensor 11 &# 39 ; for energizing the solenoid 23 , whereupon the operating lever 22 is drawn or retracted by the solenoid 23 with its hole 22 receiving the operating pin 17 to swing the base portions of the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ;. as the result of these swinging movements of the base portions , the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are opened to pass the stack of coins accumulated thereon to the carrier bar 12 . the coin stack is then carried by the carrier bar 12 to be moved to a wrapping station ( not shown ). the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are kept open until the top face of the uppermost coin clears the level of the through - hole 11 , since the hole 11 is shielded by the descending coin stack until then . when the coin stack clears the level of the through - hole 11 , the solenoid 23 is deenergized and the operating lever 22 is returned back to the normal extended position , whereby the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are swinged back to the closed position . then , the reversible motor 25 is actuated to rotate the screw shaft 18 in the reverse direction to raise the shutter mechanism b to the uppermost position to be ready for the next cycle operation . although not specifically shown , the screw shaft 18 may be replaced by a rack which is meshed with a pinion rotated by a suitable motor mounted on the support member 14 . a further modified arrangement is shown in fig5 which comprises a swingable arm 26 having one end engaging with the support member 14 . the arm 26 is swinged by a roller 28 mounted on a rotatable cam plate 27 to lower or raise the support member 14 . the limit switches a and b are also operated by the cam plate 27 to be brought to the on or off position . there is provided means for controlling the swinging movement of the arm 26 thereby to lower the support member 14 from the uppermost position to the lowermost position at a substantially constant speed . such means include an electric circuit for controlling the rotating speed of the motor by changing the pulse number depending on the number of counted coins , and a servo or pulse ( step ) motor assembled in place of the reversible motor 25 . the control of the above mentioned movable shutter mechanism b will be now explained . as a first embodiment , the control system which is made by utilizing the outputs from the upper photoelectric sensor 10 &# 39 ; ( hereinafter referred to as an upper photo ) associated with the through - hole 10 will be first explained . this control system is based on the idea that if the counted coins are detected by the upper photo , it is clear that the counted coins are stacked at least up to the position where the upper photo is located or the height of the upper photo . in such a case , the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are lowered until the coins are not detected by the upper photo . fig6 diagrammatically shows the above - mentioned control in a block diagram . the upper and lower photos 10 &# 39 ; and 11 &# 39 ; are actuated by the coins a ; by these photos 10 &# 39 ; and 11 &# 39 ;, and the upper and lower limit switches a and b , the motor 25 and the solenoid 23 are electrically actuated ; and by the motor 25 and the solenoid 23 , the movable shutter mechanism b is mechanically actuated . in turn , by the movable shutter mechanism 6 , the coin a and the upper and lower limit switches a and b are mechanically actuated . fig7 is a flow - chart for explaining a sequence of operations of the above - mentioned control system and fig8 shows its embodied circuit . the circuit of fig8 will be explained with reference to the flow chart of fig7 . to a terminal 801 , the h level of a pulse signal is put in by a start operation ( which corresponds to start 701 of the flow chart of fig7 ; only numerals will be indicated hereinafter ) and the signal is put in a set terminal s of a flip - flop ff1 through an or gate or1 . furthermore , the flip - flop ff1 is provided for memorizing a condition that the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; should be returned to their initial position . the h level signal is put out from the output terminal q of the flip - flop ff1 and is put in an and gate and1 . at another input terminals of the and gate and1 , a signal which is turned to the h level when the limit switch a is turned on is put in from a terminal 803 through an inverter inv1 , and in addition , a signal which is turned to the h level when the upper photo 10 &# 39 ; detects a certain coins a is put in from a terminal 804 through an inverter inv2 . for this , the output of the and gate and1 maintains the h level from the time when the flip - flop ff1 is set until the time when the limit switch a is turned on , and this signal of the h level output of the and gate and1 is given to the motor 25 as a reverse rotation signal through a buffer amplifier ba1 and a terminal 809 ( 702 , 703 of fig7 ) to raise the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; of the movable shutter mechanism b to their initial position . in such a case , if there are coins a on the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ;, the shutter plates cannot be raised to their initial position . therefore , if any coin is detected by the upper photo 10 &# 39 ;, the output of the inverter inv2 is turned to the l level to make the output of and gate and1 to be at the l level , for safety . when the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are raised to the initial position , the limit switch is turned on and , therefore an h level signal is put in at a terminal 803 . this h level signal causes the output of the reverse rotation signal ( put out from the terminal 809 ) to be stopped and at the same time resets the flip - flop ff1 since the signal is put in at a reset terminal r of the flip - flop ff1 ( 703 , 704 of fig7 ). furthermore , the signal which is put in at the terminal 803 is also put in an and gate and2 at one terminal thereof and at the other terminal , a start hold signal is put in . this start hold signal is one which is maintained to be at an h level from the time when the start operation ( 701 of fig7 ) is made to the time when the operation is ended , for example , by a stop operation or an actuation of an automatic stop mechanism due to detection of nonpresence of coins ( 728 , 729 of fig7 ). the output of the and gate and2 is put in at a set terminal of a flip - flop ff2 , and the output from the output q of the flip - flop ff2 is fed as a coin transfer signal to a motor , not shown , for driving the conveyor belt 2 , through a buffer amplifier ba2 from a terminal 810 . consequently , as soon as the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; return to their initial position , the flip - flop ff2 is caused to be set to start the transfer of the coins ( 705 of fig7 ). furthermore , at the reset terminal r of the flip - flop ff2 , a count end signal which is turned to the h level when the coins a reaches predetermined number ( or wrapping number ) is put in from a terminal 805 and the flip - flop ff2 is reset so as to stop the transfer of the coins a at the time of the count end . in a meanwhile , attendent on the transfer and accumulation of the coins , the coins a are detected by the upper photo 10 &# 39 ;. the detection signal of the upper photo 10 &# 39 ; is put in an and gate and3 through a fall edge delay circuit nd and an or gate or2 . at the other input terminal of the or gate or2 , the signal from the output terminal q of a flip - flop ff3 is put in the flip - flop ff3 puts out its h level signal when the count end signal put in from the terminal 805 is put in at the set terminal of the flip - flop ff3 and puts out its l level signal when a shutter plate closing signal , hereinafter described , is put in at the reset terminal r of the flip - flop ff3 . furthermore , at the other input terminal of the aforementioned and gate and3 , a signal which is turned to the h level when the limit switch b for detecting the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; being lowered up to their open position is turned on , is put in through an inverter inv3 through from a terminal 806 . the output of the aforementioned and gate and3 is fed to the motor 25 as a forward rotation signal through a buffer amplifier ba3 from a terminal 811 . when the coin a is detected by the upper photo 10 &# 39 ;, an h level singal is put in at the fall edge delay circuit nd ( 706 of fig7 ). this h level signal is put in the and gate and3 through the or gate or2 . in a meanwhile , since the counting operation has been just started , the flip - flop ff3 is maintained to be reset and since the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; is not in the open position , an l level signal is supplied to the terminal 806 . this l level signal is put in the and gate and3 as a h level signal through the inverter inv3 . for this , an h level signal is put out from the and gate and3 to issue the forward rotation signal from the terminal 811 ( 707 of fig7 ). while the coins a are successively transferred , counted and accumulated , the detection signals by the upper photo 10 &# 39 ; are intermittently put out at a very short interval . for this , if the forward rotation signals put out from the terminal 811 are intermittently put out at a very short interval , such intermittent output are not suitable for the motor 25 . in order to avoid these intermittent outputs , the fall edge delay circuit nd is provided for absorbing the intermittent condition and putting out a smoothed or continuous forward rotation signal as a whole . consequently , when the coins a are successively accumulated and detected by the upper photo 10 &# 39 ;, the motor 25 is caused to continue its forward rotation and if the coins a are intermittently detected beyond a predetermined interval , the motor 25 is caused to be stopped at each time of detection ( 708 , 709 , 710 of fig7 ). thus , mainly , the motor 25 is controlled by the detection signals of the upper photo 10 &# 39 ; until the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; reach their open position to make the limit switch on and thereby putting the l level signal from the inverter inv3 in the and gate and3 . in other words , in case where the coins a are successively accumulated , before the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; reach the open position , the count operation is ended . at the time , the h level of the count end signal is put in from the terminal 805 at the reset terminal r of the flip - flop ff2 and the set terminal s of the flip - flop ff3 . the resetting of the flip - flop ff2 causes the transfer of the coins a to be stopped ( 712 , 713 of fig7 ). on the other hand , the flip - flop ff3 is caused to be set . the flip - flop ff3 is provided for automatically lowering the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; up to the open position , regardless of the condition of the detection signal of the upper photo 10 &# 39 ; in case where the count operation is ended before the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; reach the open position . when the flip - flop ff3 is set , the h level signal is fed from its output terminal q to the and gate and3 through the or gate or2 to continue to put out the forward rotation signal until the limit switch b is turned on . on the other hand , in case where the coins a are intermittently accumulated , there is a possibility that the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; reach the open position before the end of count . in such a case , the limit switch b is turned on and an h level signal is put in from the terminal 806 , inverted into a l level signal through the inverter inv3 and then put in the and gate and3 . consequently , thereafter the forward rotational signal is not put out from the terminal 811 ( 711 , 717 of fig7 ). in this state , the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are stand - by until the count end and at the time of the count end , the transfer of the coins a is stopped in a similar manner mentioned above ( 718 , 719 of fig7 ). in either case of the above , at the time when the coin count is ended , a signal for starting a wrapping operation is put out by a conventional control , not shown . then , the carrier bar 12 starts to be upwardly moved toward the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; up to just below the same in order to receive the coins a accumulated in the tube 7 and transfer the same to a wrapping mechanism , not shown . when the carrier bar 12 is moved just below the shutter plate 13 and 13 &# 39 ; in open position , the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are opened to transfer the accumulated coins a onto the carrier bar 12 . more particularly , when the lower photo 11 &# 39 ; detects the carrier bar 12 and the transferred coins a to put out a detection signal , the detection signal is put in an and gate and4 from an terminal 807 . at the other terminals of the and gate and4 , the signal from the output terminal q of the flip - flop ff3 and the detection signal from the limit signal b are put in . then , the output signal of the and gate and4 is put out as a shutter plate open signal to the solenoid 23 through buffer amplifier ba4 from a terminal 812 and simultaneously put in a fall edge detection circuit ndf . this fall edge detection circuit ndf puts out an h level pulse signal by detecting the time when an input signal is fallen from h level to l level and the output signal is fed to the or gate 1 and the reset terminal r of the flip - flop ff3 as a shutter closing signal showing that the shutter plate open signal is not put out from the terminal 812 . under a condition that the count end signal is put out , that is , the h level signal is put out from the output terminal q of the flip - flop ff3 , and when the limit switch b is on , as the carrier bar 12 is detected by the lower photo 11 &# 39 ;, the h level signal is put out from the and gate and4 to be fed as the shutter plate open signal to the solenoid 23 from the terminal 812 ( 720 , 721 of fig7 ). thus , the accumulated coins a are dropped on the carrier bar 12 from the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ;. thereafter , when the carrier bar 12 is started to be lowered so as to transfer the coins a to the wrapping mechanism , not shown , the lower plate 11 &# 39 ; continues to detect the carrier bar 12 and the accumulated coins . when the carrier bar 12 is further lowered and then the accumulated coins a are not detected , since the h level signal is put in at the terminal 807 , the h level of the shutter plate open signal is not put out from the terminal 812 ( 722 , 723 of fig7 ). for this , due to deenergization of the solenoid 23 , the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are closed by an action of the spring . on the other hand , when the shutter plate open signal is not put out , the h level of pulse signal is put in the set terminal s of the flip - flop ff1 and the reset terminal r of the flip - flop ff3 from the fall edge detection circuit ndf . then , when the flip - flop ff1 is set , the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are actuated to be returned to the initial position ( 724 - 726 of fig7 ) in a similar manner to initial operations at the starting time ( 701 - 704 of fig7 ). furthermore , by the resetting of the flip - flop ff3 , the forward rotation signal is inhibited not to be put out to the motor 25 from the terminal 811 even when the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are moved from the open position . furthermore , when all operations for the coin a are ended , the h level of the start hold signal which has been supplied to the terminal 802 is reset ( 727 - 729 of fig7 ). moreover , in case where a step motion or a pulse motor may be used as the motor 25 in order to perform a reliable position control of the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ;, the outputs of the and gates and1 and and3 may be put in and gate and5 and and6 , respectively , and at the other input terminals of the and gates and5 and and6 , the pulse signal may be put in from the terminal 808 , as shown in dotted lines of fig8 . each output of two and gates and5 and and6 may be fed to the motor as the reverse rotation signal or the forward rotation signal through each buffer amplifier ba5 , ba6 from each terminal 813 , 814 . as a second embodiment , the control system which utilizes the outputs of the counter elements 4 provided for counting the number of the coins a will be explained . this control system is based on the idea that from the counted number of the coins a counted by the counting elements 4 , the accumulated height of the coins a accumulated in the tube can be calculated since a specific kind of the coins to be counted is preset and , therefore , the thickness of the one coin can be found . in the case , the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are lowered in accordance with the accumulated height of the coins a corresponding to the number of the accumulated coins a . fig9 diagrammatically shows the above - mentioned control in a block diagram . the coin kind signal which is issued from a coin kind setting switch 901 associated with coin kind setting means , such as a dial or a button switch , not shown for selecting a specific kind of coins to be counted , is put in a pulse member setting circuit 902 . the pulse number setting circuit 902 determines a pulse number per one number of coin corresponding to the selected kind of the coins and feeds a pulse number signal to a pulse generator 902 . the pulse generator 903 feeds pulses per one number of coin to the step motor 25 through a driver d each time when it receives a count pulse from count elements 4 . then , the movable shutter mechanism b is driven by the step motor 25 . consequently , the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; are caused to be lowered by the height corresponding to the number of the accumulated coins a . furthermore , the pulse generator 903 is operated by the limit switches a and b which are actuated by the movable shutter mechanism b , and the lower photo 11 &# 39 ; for detecting the transfer of the accumulated coins a by the carrier bar 12 so as to move the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; to the initial position or the open position . fig1 is a flow - chart from explaining a sequence of operations of the above control system and fig1 shows its embodied circuit . since the main portions of the circuit elements shown in fig1 are similar to these of fig8 the different points will be explained mainly . relationship among the coin kind setting switch 901 , the pulse number setting circuit 902 and the pulse generator 903 is mentioned above , and in the illustrated embodiment , there are six kinds of coins and four kinds of coin thickness ( the pulse numbers n 1 , n 2 , n 3 , n 4 ). the pulse generator 903 receives four pulse number signals representative of the coin thicknesses at its terminals n 1 , n 2 , n 3 and n 4 . the pulse generator 903 also receives the reverse rotation signal put out from the and gate and1 at its terminal r , receives a coin signal put out from the and gate and3 at its terminal f , and receives the forward rotation signal put out from the and gate and4 . in addition , the pulse generator 903 further receives a drive signal put out from the or gate or2 when either one of these reverse rotation signal , coin signal and forward rotation signal are put in the or gate or2 . in accordance with combination of the above - mentioned input signals , the pulse generator 903 feeds a reverse rotation drive signal from its terminal rd or a forward rotation drive signal from its terminal fd , respectively , through the driver d from a terminal 1111 or 1112 . the reverse rotation signal put out from the and gate and1 is put out in a similar manner to that of the first embodiment , and similarly the coin transfer signal put out from a terminal 1109 and the shutter plate open signal put out from a terminal 1110 are also constructed in a similar manner to those of the first embodiment . that is , the pulse signal by the start operation , the start hold signal , the signal by on operation of the limit switch a , the detection signal of the upper photo 10 &# 39 ;, the count end signal , the signal by on operation of the limit switches 13 , and the detection signal of the lower photo 11 &# 39 ; are put in at terminals 1101 , 1102 , 1103 , 1104 , 1106 , 1107 and 1108 , respectively . from each terminals , these signals are put in a group of gates constructed in a similar manner to those of the first embodiments . therefore , detailed explanations on functions of the gates will be omitted . in case where the lowering of the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; is controlled by the number of the coins a , the count is always ended before the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; reach the open position . therefore it is necessary to drive the step motor 25 until the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; reaches the open position . then , the drive by the count elements and the drive after the count end must be controlled , which will be explained . at the terminal 1105 , the coin count signal from the count elements 4 is put in , and this signal is fed to the and gate and3 at one terminal thereof through the delay circuit td . furthermore , the delay circuit td is provided in view of the transfer period of the coins from count element position to accumulator tube position . at the other terminal of the and gate and3 , the signal by on operation of the limit switch b which is put in from the terminal 1107 is put in through the inverter inv3 and while the coin count signal is put in the and gate and3 , the limit switch b is usually not actuated . therefore , as mentioned above , each coin signal per each coin is put in at the terminal f of the pulse generator 903 from the and gate and3 and the drive signal is put in at the terminal d of the pulse generator 903 through the or gate or2 so as to issue a predetermined pulse number ( either one of n 1 , n 2 , n 3 and n 4 ) of the forward rotation drive signal per each coin from the terminal fd ( 1008 - 1011 of fig1 ). the output terminal q of the flip - flop ff3 which memorizes the count end condition by receiving the count end signal from the terminal 1106 is connected to one input terminal of the and gate and4 , and at the other input terminal , the signal by on operation of the limit switch b is put in through the inverter inv3 from the terminal 806 . consequently , when a predetermined number of the coins a , the flip - flop ff3 is set and , thereby the forward rotation signal for moving the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; to the open position is put in at the terminal ff of the pulse generator 903 from the and gate and4 . the pulse generator 903 continues to put out the forward rotation drive signal from the terminal fd until the forward rotation signal put in from the terminal ff disappears . thus , the step motor 25 is actuated to move the shutter plates 13 and 13 &# 39 ; to the open position ( 1011 - 1016 of fig1 ). the second embodiment can allow the fall distance of each coin in the accumulator tube to be maintained to be a minimum , comparing with the first embodiment .

a coin accumulator assembly for use in a coin wrapping machine is provided . the coin accumulator assembly comprises a coin accumulator tube , a shutter movably inserted into the coin accumulator tube for supporting coins stacked in the tube until a predetermined number of coins is accumulated and for opening to pass coins for a further treatment when the predetermined number of coins is accumulated in the tube , and a system for stepwisely lowering the shutter during the coin counting and accumulating operation . the system for effecting stepwise lowering of the shutter includes a support member for supporting the shutter and having a threaded hole , a screw shaft thrusting through said threaded hole of the support member , a reversible motor for rotating the screw shaft , and a guide rod to be slidably engaged with the support member for preventing the support member from being rotated but for guiding the same in the downward or upward direction when the screw shaft is rotated . a modified system including a rack - and - pinion unit may be used in place of the aforementioned system . a further modified system including a swingable arm for lowering or raising the support member is also disclosed herein . further disclosed are the control systems for controlling the coin accumulator assembly in accordance with the pre - set control sequence .

as shown in fig3 the sorbent filters of the invention are formed by a process 10 of filling a preformed flexible tubular web structure with a flowable filter material blend of sorbents and binder and sealing the ends of the tubular structure . this forms a precursor sorbent filter . the filled precursor sorbent filters are then formed into the invention sorbent filters by heating the precursor sorbent filter to activate the binder material immobilizing the filter material blend within the flexible tubular structure . this heating is preferably proceeded by or is simultaneous with a deformation or molding step to create a three dimensional sorbent filter . the flowable filter material blend is preferably premixed 32 to form sorbents 34 coated with a particulate binder 35 . the tubular web structure 38 material is porous and has two ends which in the formed sorbent filter are sealed , preferably by heat sealing . other known methods of sealing off the ends of a tubular web structure , as known in the art , are also possible . in order to fill the flexible tubular web structure without contamination of the ends seals , generally one end of the tubular structure is presealed . the flowable filter material blend of preferably particulate sorbents and binder is then added into the opposing open end , which opposing end is then sealed . a preferred method of forming sorbent filters employs a vertical form , fill and seal machine 36 , which machines are often used to package flowable materials . the flowable filter material blend or sorbent and binder particulates is fed into the vertical form fill and seal machine . for example , using such a machine a flat web of porous flexible web material is unwound from a roll and formed into a continuous tube in a tube forming section by sealing the longitudinal edges on the web together , such as by forming a lap seal 39 or a fin seal . the tube thus formed is pulled vertically downwards to a filling station . the tube is then collapsed across a transverse cross - section of the tube , the position of such cross - section being at a sealing device below the filling station . a transverse heat seal 31 is made , by the sealing device , at the collapsed portion of the tube , thus making an continuous seal across the tube . the sealing device generally comprises a pair of jaws . after making the transverse seal , but before the jaws of the sealing device are opened , a pre - set quantity of particulate material is allowed to enter the tube , at the filling station , and fill the tube upwardly from the transverse seal . the tube is then allowed to drop a predetermined distance under the influence of the weight of the material in the tube or by mechanical means such as the jaws or other means . the jaws of the sealing device are closed again , thus collapsing the tube at a second transverse section usually just above the air / material interface in the tube . the sealing device seals 33 and severs the tube transversely at said second transverse section . the material - filled portion of the tube is now in the form of an elongated pillow shaped pouch of a filled sorbent filter 38 , the pouch 38 contains the loose unconsolidated filter blend . thus , the sealing device has heat sealed the top of the filled pouch , heat sealed the bottom of the next - to - be formed pouch and separated the filled pouch from the next - to - be formed pouch , all in one operation . the filled flexible tubular structure 38 precursor sorbent filter as shown in fig1 and 3 is then heat set and preferably deformed or molded 44 into a complex three dimensional shaped structure such as a u - shape 42 , as shown in fig2 or 3 , or other shapes such as a s - shape , a v - shape , a w - shape or the like or a flat form 46 . the heat set is to activate the binder 35 and immobilize the particulate sorbents 34 . this deformation or molding step 40 can be carried out prior to , simultaneous with , or subsequent to the heating step 41 provided that the deformation and activation ( i . e . prior to the binder has set by thermosetting , or solidifying , or the like ) of the binder are coextensive over some period of time to allow the deformation to become permanent . generally , the filled tubular structure 38 is filled to about 50 to 90 percent of its maximum capacity to permit the deformation step to be completed without rupture of the end seals ( 31 and 33 ) but still fill the tubular structure along its full length . with more complex shapes the percent to which the tubular structure is filled will be less , possibly even below the above range due to internal volume loss created by bending portions of the complex shape . the sorbent material 34 can be any suitable sorbent which is capable of removing contaminants from air and is flowable . particulate adsorbents are preferred , but absorbents are also contemplated , as are other shapes such as fibrous sorbents , provided that the sorbent material is still flowable . the sorbent material used , as a particulate or other flowable form , is preferably an adsorbent activated carbon or silica gel . the adsorbent carbon particles are well known and described , for examples , in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 061 , 807 . the sorbent particle materials can be as small as 100 microns , but will typically have a size ranging from about 0 . 2 mm to about 2 mm , and preferably from about 0 . 4 to 0 . 7 mm . it is not necessary to have sorbent material of uniform size , rather the sorptive material size can range broadly . the bonding material used is generally a particulate thermoplastic polymer binder 35 having a softening temperature below that of the sorptive material 34 and the porous flexible web material 20 . the average particulate size of the binder material should be less than that of the sorptive material . generally the binder particle size will be about at least 20 % less than the average sorptive particles size , and preferably about at least 90 % less than the average sorbent particle size . however , it is generally preferred that the mean binder particle size less than about 250 microns , and preferably less than about 200 microns . again , it is possible to use binder particles of a wide range of particle sizes and shapes provided that the average particle size is less than that of the sorptive material . suitable thermoplastic polymer binders can be formed by polymers such as polyolefins , polyacrylates , polyarenes , polyamides , or thermoplastic elastomers such as polyurethanes , polydiene polymers and block copolymers , or the like . generally , the selection of the thermoplastic binder is limited by softening point temperatures considerations and the ability to form the thermoplastic material into a fine binder particle . for example , higher softening point binders are preferred for higher service temperature applications . also some binders are too tacky to form fine particles unless ground and stored under extreme temperature conditions , which is economically not feasible . the binder particle 35 will typically constitute less than 40 weight percent of the flowable filter material 10 , preferably less than 25 weight percent , and most preferably less than about 15 weight percent of the filter material 10 . the binder and sorbent material are preferably pre - blended to form the flowable filter material , with the binder adhered to the sorbent material as shown schematically as 32 in fig3 . this is preferably done by preheating the sorbent material to a temperature about 5 to 10 ° c . above the softening temperature of the binder material . the heated sorbent material is then placed in a mixing device and the binder materials added without any consolidation pressure . it is possible to form agglomerates but preferably agglomerates are broken down by shearing elements provided in the mixing device . the porous flexible web material 20 used to form the tubular structure is preferably a non - shedding nonwoven web such as a spunbonded web or like consolidated nonwoven web . preferably the web material is formed of or contains a heat sealable thermoplastic . the flexible web material 20 can also be a porous film such as a polytetraflourethylene film or a non - shedding filter paper or laminate of any of the above . generally , the porous web material contains only loose particulate material that may shake loose as well as permit the rapid penetration of gaseous contaminants . the sorbent filter can have a three dimensional shape adapted to the available space provided in the intended electronic device 70 or the like as shown in fig7 where the three dimensional sorbent filter 42 is fit into an available space in a hard disk drive . the sorbent filter 38 or 42 generally has an effective width ( taken at the end seams ) of less than 3 cm , preferably less than 2 cm , and a length of from less than 10 cm , preferably less than 6 cm . however , the length of the sorbent filter device is not critical . the effective width effects the ability to form the precursor sorbent filter 38 into suitable shapes . with smaller effective widths bending of the filled tubular web material 20 of the precursor sorbent filter 38 is easier , particularly when there are multiple bending portions that are closely spaced . the formed three dimensional filter device 42 is generally nonlinear with at least one bending portion 43 of angle 45 of at least 10 degrees , preferably at least 45 degrees . the bending portions 43 , when subject to deformation , have a shape retention ( as defined below ) of at least 35 percent , preferably at least 40 percent . shape retention represents the ability of the filters to retain its shape when deformed . the filters as such exert a force that helps keep the filters in place by a friction fit when inserted into a space that deforms the filter from its as - formed shape . resiliency of a sorbent filter structure was evaluated by determining the available restoring energy of the filter according to procedures defined in the user &# 39 ; s guide , instron series xii software , issue c , september 1989 , which utilizes a one kilogram cell on an instron ™ # 4302 test apparatus ( available from instron corp ., canton , mass .). u - shaped filters as shown in fig2 the preparation of which is described below , were placed between a 6 . 4 mm ( 0 . 25 inch ) diameter probe and the base of the load cell ( initial gap setting of 12 mm ) such that the probe contacted the open end of the upper leg of the filter , the probe was advanced at a rate of 0 . 1 mm / sec over a distance of 4 . 5 mm followed by retraction to its original position at the same rate while the restoring energy for the body was monitored over both the loading and unloading cycles , and the available energy for the body was calculated by the instrumentation software supplied . the hysteresis loss c as a percentage of the loading energy or force ( shown in fig4 ) is calculated according to the equation : this shape retention reported as a percentage in table 2 is calculated by subtracting the hysteresis loss calculated by the above equation from 100 percent . duplicate sorbent filter samples were subjected to 90 % relative humidity ( rh ) at 72 ° f . for 3 days while monitoring weight gain . moisture adsorption is reported as the percent weight gain based on the weight of the sorbent filter . duplicate sorbent filter samples were placed in a sealed container having a saturated carbon tetrachloride atmosphere , sustained by open beakers containing the solvent , for three days at ambient temperature while monitoring weight gain of the filters . carbon tetrachloride adsorption is reported as the percent weight gain based on the weight of the sorbent filters . beaded activated carbon ( bac g - 70r )— available from kreha corporation of america , beaverton , oreg . k 2 co 3 treated beaded activated carbon — bac g - 70r carbon ( 8 . 0 kg ) was mixed with deionized water ( 8 . 0 kg ) containing 0 . 8 wt . % k 2 co 3 , the mixture was blended for approximately one - half hour and dried in a vacuum rota - cone ™ vacuum drier ( available from paul o . abbe ′, inc ., little falls , n . j .) for approximately 6½ hours . activated carbon gac type gg —( carbon coal , 25 × 45 screen size ( 0 . 71 × 0 . 35 mm ), available from kuraray chemical co ., ltd ., osaka , japan ). activated carbon gac type gg —( carbon coal , 16 × 35 screen size ( 1 . 19 × 0 . 5 mm ), available from kuraray chemical co ., ltd .). activated carbon gac type gg —( carbon coal , 12 × 20 screen size ( 1 . 68 × 0 . 84 mm ), available from kuraray chemical co ., ltd .). exxon exact ™ 4006 — an ethylene based ( co ) polymer available from exxon chemical company , polymers group , a division of exxon corp ., houston , tex .) which was cryoground , using standard procedures , to an average particle size of 140 μm . 3m scotchcast ™ 265 epoxy ( stock # 80 - 7002 - 6502 - 0 )— an average particle size of 44 μm , available from 3m , st . paul , minn . morthane ™ polyurethane resin —( p8455 - 200 , available from morton thermoplastic polyurethane polymers group , seabrook , n . h . ), which was cryoground , using standard procedures , to 120 - 160 μm , mean particle diameter size particles . sorbent particles and binder particles were mixed in the ratios indicated in table 1 as follows : filter material blends utilizing the exxon exact ™ 4006 polyethylene binder were prepared by heating the sorbent particles to 85 - 90 ° c . for approximately 15 minutes in a circulating air oven , adding the exxon 4006 particles to the hot sorbent particles , and blending to produce a uniform mixture of sorbent particles with attached binder particles . after cooling to ambient temperatures the binder / sorbent particle mixture was passed through a number 20 sieve ( mesh size 0 . 85 mm × 0 . 85 mm ) to break up and / or remove larger agglomerated clumps . the sieved filter material was used without further processing . filter material blends utilizing the morthane ™ polyurethane binder were prepared by heating the sorbent particles to approximately 170 ° c . for approximately 15 minutes in a circulating air oven , adding the morthane ™ polyurethane particles to the hot sorbent particles , and blending to produce a uniform mixture . after cooling to ambient temperatures the binding / sorbent particle filter material blend was processed through a number 20 sieve as described above . filter material blends utilizing the scotchcast ™ epoxy binder were prepared by blending the sorbent and epoxy particles for approximately 10 minutes at ambient temperatures to produce a uniform sorbent / binder particle filter material blend . the carbon / binder filter material blends ( 0 . 5 gm per shaped body ) were subsequently packaged in hand made tubular structures approximately 12 mm × 36 mm ( ½ inch × 1½ inch ) formed from scrim laminated polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ) film ( available from bha technologies , inc ., kansas city , mo .). one open end of the tubular structures were heated sealed , the tubes were then filled and the opposite open end sealed to provide complete containment of the loose fill material in precursor sorbent filters . the filled tubular structures precursor sorbent filters were converted into u - shaped sorbent filters using a “ t - shaped ” channel jig assembly 50 as shown in fig5 ( 2 mm wide × 20 mm long top member and a nominally 8 mm wide × 22 mm tall vertical member ) which held the tubular structures during heating and allowed subsequent formation of the heated tubular structure into a u - shape . the precursor filters were inserted into the top member 52 of the t channel and the assembly placed in a circulating air oven 41 maintained at 105 ° c . for approximately two ( 2 ) minutes . the jig assembly 50 was subsequently removed from the oven and the tubular structure precursor sorbent filters 38 formed into a u - shaped sorbent filter 42 ( 12 mm × 18 mm - ½ inch × ¾ inch ) by deforming the tubular structure 38 within the vertical cavity member 53 of the jib assembly 50 using a 2 mm wide × 20 mm tall blade 55 having a rounded edge 56 ( approximately 2 mm diameter ). the jig assembly 50 was then cooled to room temperature , the three dimensional shaped sorbent filter 42 was removed from the jig and characterized relative to its restoring energy , moisture absorption and carbon tetrachloride adsorption performance as described above , the results of which are reported in tables 2 - 4 below . the data in tables 2 - 4 suggest that a broad range of binder and sorbent materials can be used to prepare consolidated sorbent bodies . restoring energy for the shaped sorbent filter can be adjusted over a rather broad range by increasing or decreasing the amount of binder material and / or binder type to optimize the properties of the shaped sorbent filter for a specific application . generally speaking , constructions based on the polyethylene binder showed greater respective energy or shape retention at higher binder content but at the exposure of lower sorptive capacity . constructions based on polyethylene binders were also more resilient than constructions based on the epoxy binder . a number of loose fill tubular structures of example 10 were placed on a tray and heated at 105 ° c . for approximately two ( 2 ) minutes . on removal from the oven the hot pouches were formed into a variety of shapes , including “ j ”, “ s ”, “ o ”, “ v ”, “ l ”, “ w ”, “ z ”, and “ c ” shapes , as well as a twisted rod shape , by manually forming the tubular structure into the desired shape and maintaining it in that shape until it had cooled to ambient temperature . this example demonstrates the versatility of the loose fill approach to form sorbent shaped filter constructions in that a wide range of over - wrapped constructions can be easily and conveniently fabricated from the loose fill tubular structures .

there is provided a method of forming a shaped sorbent filter preferably having a three dimensional shape . the method generally entails : a ) providing porous flexible tubular web structure having two open ends ; b ) sealing a first end of the tubular web structure ; c ) filling the sealed tubular web structure with flowable filter material of sorbent material and binder ; d ) sealing the opposite open end of the tubular web material ; and e ) heating the tubular web structure to active the binder and form a shaped sorbent filter . the tubular web structure preferably is deformed while it is heated so that there is provided at least one permanently deformed bending portion . the invention method provides a simple effective process for forming complex overwrapped shaped small sorbent filters for use in the electronics industry .

arrangements described herein relate to device turbocharger having a heat shield formed with the bearing housing . detailed embodiments are disclosed herein ; however , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are intended only as exemplary . therefore , specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the aspects herein in virtually any appropriately detailed structure . further , the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of possible implementations . arrangements are shown in fig3 - 7 , but the embodiments are not limited to the illustrated structure or application . embodiments described herein can address issues experienced with prior heat shield arrangements by integrating the heat shield into the casting of the bearing housing itself . examples of such an arrangement are shown in fig3 - 7 . as is shown , the turbocharger ( 40 ) includes a heat shield that can be implemented as a wall ( 50 ) formed unitary with the bearing housing ( 52 ). the wall ( 50 ) can be formed in any suitable manner with the bearing housing ( 52 ), such as by casting and / or machining thus , the wall ( 50 ) and the remainder of the bearing housing ( 52 ) can be made of the same material . the wall ( 50 ) can extend in a generally radially outward direction relative to the axis of rotation ( 54 ) of the shaft ( 56 ). more particularly , the wall ( 50 ) can extend at substantially 90 degrees relative to the axis of rotation ( 54 ) of the shaft ( 56 ). referring to fig4 , the wall ( 50 ) can have a turbine wheel - facing surface ( 58 ) and a compressor - facing surface ( 60 ). the turbine wheel - facing surface ( 58 ) and / or the compressor - facing surface ( 60 ) can be substantially planar . the turbine wheel - facing surface ( 58 ) and the compressor - facing surface ( 60 ) can be substantially parallel to each other . alternatively , the turbine wheel - facing surface ( 58 ) and the compressor - facing surface ( 60 ) can be non - parallel to each other . in some embodiments , at least the turbine wheel facing surface ( 58 ) of the outside of the wall ( 50 ) can be at least partially covered with a thermal insulating material ( not shown ), such as a thermal barrier coating ( tbc ) which can include , for example , titanium diboride , aluminum oxide , alumina - silica , boron nitride ; silicon carbide ; vitrium oxide ; ysz ( yttria stabilized zirconia ); and zirconium oxide . the wall ( 50 ) can include a radially inner end region ( 62 ) and a radially outer end region ( 64 ). the radially outer end region ( 64 ) can include an outer peripheral surface ( 66 ) of the cast wall ( 50 ). the outer peripheral surface ( 66 ) can be generally cylindrical in conformation . the radially outer end ( 67 ) of the wall ( 50 ) can be chamfered or beveled . the wall ( 50 ) can transition to another portion of the bearing housing ( 52 ), such as the nose ( 68 ), at the radially inner end region ( 62 ) thereof . the wall ( 50 ) can have any suitable configuration . for instance , the wall ( 50 ) can be generally disc - shaped . unlike prior heat shield designs , the wall ( 50 ) may not include a flange . the wall ( 50 ) can have an associated thickness ( t ). the thickness ( t ) of the wall ( 50 ) can be substantially constant , or the thickness ( t ) of the wall ( 50 ) may not be constant . as an example , the thickness ( t ) of the wall ( 50 ) can increase going from the radially inner end region ( 62 ) of the wall ( 50 ) to the radially outer end region ( 64 ). the wall ( 50 ) can be supported on the bearing housing ( 52 ) in any suitable manner . for instance , support can be provided by a plurality of ribs ( 70 ) connecting the wall ( 50 ) to a main body ( 53 ) of the bearing housing ( 52 ). there can be any suitable quantity of ribs ( 70 ). in one embodiment , there can be about four ribs ( 70 ), as is shown in fig3 b . in other embodiments , there can be fewer or greater ribs ( 70 ). the ribs ( 70 ) can have any suitable size , shape and configuration . the ribs ( 70 ) can have any suitable thickness ( into and / or out of the page in fig4 ). further , the ribs ( 70 ) can extend at any suitable angle relative to the compressor - facing surface ( 60 ). the ribs ( 70 ) can be substantially identical to each other , or one of the ribs ( 70 ) can differ from the other ribs ( 70 ) in one or more respects . the ribs ( 70 ) can be equally spaced ( as is shown in fig3 b ). however , in other instances , the ribs ( 70 ) can be non - equally spaced , as is shown in fig5 . in at least some instances , the wall ( 50 ) can be connected to the main body ( 53 ) solely by the plurality of ribs ( 70 ). with the inclusion of the wall ( 50 ) in the bearing housing ( 52 ), a chamber ( 72 ) can be formed . the chamber ( 72 ) can be generally defined between the wall ( 50 ) and the rest of the bearing housing ( 52 ). more particularly , the chamber ( 72 ) can be defined at least in part by the compressor facing surface ( 60 ) of the wall ( 50 ) and one or more surfaces of the bearing housing ( 52 ), including one or more turbine facing surfaces ( 74 ), one or more generally radially inward facing walls ( 76 ) of the bearing housing ( 52 ), one or more generally radially inwardly facing surfaces ( 76 ) of the bearing housing and / or one or more generally radially outwardly facing surfaces ( 78 ) of the bearing housing ( 52 ). the chamber ( 72 ) can also be defined by neighboring pairs of the ribs ( 70 ). while fig3 a and 4 show only a single chamber ( 72 ), it will be appreciated that a plurality of chambers ( 72 ) can be formed with adjacent chambers ( 72 ) being separated by a rib ( 70 ). arrangements herein can provide an entry and an exit for exhaust flow through the chamber ( 72 ). a volume ( 80 ) can be defined between the turbine wheel facing surface ( 58 ) of the wall ( 50 ) and the backface ( 82 ) of the turbine wheel ( 84 ). it should be noted that the turbine wheel facing surface ( 58 ) can be configured to provide a desired arrangement for the volume ( 80 ). one or more passages ( 86 ) can be provided in the bearing housing ( 52 ) to permit fluid communication between the chamber ( 72 ) and the volume ( 80 ). as will be described in more detail below , these passages ( 86 ) can define an exit path from the chamber ( 72 ) to the volume ( 80 ). in one embodiment , there can be a plurality of passages ( 86 ). the passages ( 86 ) can have any suitable size , shape and / or other characteristics and features . in one embodiment , the passages ( 86 ) can be configured as generally circumferential slots . the passages ( 86 ) can be distributed in any suitable manner . for instance , the passages ( 86 ) can be generally equally spaced . in some embodiments , the passages ( 86 ) may be unequally spaced . the passages ( 86 ) can be substantially identical to each other , or at least one of the passages ( 86 ) can differ from the other passages in one or more respects , including any of those described above . the passages ( 86 ) can be provided in any suitable location . in one embodiment , the passages ( 86 ) can extend through the wall ( 50 ) from the compressor facing surface ( 60 ) to the turbine wheel facing surface ( 62 ). alternatively or in addition , the passages ( 86 ) can extend through a portion of the bearing housing ( 52 ), such as the nose ( 68 ). the passages ( 86 ) can extend at any suitable orientation . as an example , the passages ( 86 ) can extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ( 54 ) of a shaft bore ( 55 ) in the bearing housing ( 52 ), the shaft bore receiving a rotatable shaft ( 56 ) therein . alternatively , the passages ( 86 ) can extend substantially perpendicular to the axis ( 54 ). still alternatively , the passages ( 86 ) can extend at any suitable angle between these two positions . the one or more passages ( 86 ) can be optimized in multiple radial positions to attain ideal pressure ratios . the passages ( 86 ) can be formed in any suitable manner , such as by casting and / or machining . an entry to the chamber ( 72 ) can be provided . such entry can be provided through the annulus ( 88 ), generated by the outside peripheral surface ( 66 ) of the heat shield wall ( 50 ) and a portion of a turbine housing ( 93 ), which can be the inner diameter ( 90 ) of the lower vane ring ( 92 ) for a variable turbine geometry ( vtg ) type of turbocharger . for a non - vtg type of turbocharger , the joint between turbine housing mounting / piloting flange and bearing housing pilot , would be such that a similar flow path is available for entry of exhaust gas to the chamber ( 72 ). when the turbocharger ( 40 ) is in operation ( e . g ., the shaft ( 56 ) is rotating at high speed ), the rotation of backface ( 82 ) of the turbine wheel ( 84 ) in a volume ( 80 ) with the non - rotating wall ( 50 ) can produce a forced vortex in the volume ( 80 ) behind the turbine wheel ( 84 ). in a forced vortex , the particle velocity closest to the center is low , with the velocity increasing proportionally to the radius of rotation . the greater the velocity , the lower the pressure , so the forced vortex causes there to be a low pressure in the volume ( 80 ) behind the rotating turbine wheel ( 84 ). this low pressure behind the backface ( 82 ) of the turbine wheel ( 84 ) can cause low pressure to develop on the outboard side of the turbine - end piston ring ( s ) ( 94 ), which are at the effective inboard end of the volume ( 80 ) behind the turbine wheel ( 84 ). this makes for an unfavorable pressure gradient across the piston ring ( s ) ( i . e ., a gradient which promotes the flow of gas and oil from inside the bearing housing ( 52 ) into the turbine stage ). the oil , soot , and gas can damage the catalyst , which is downstream of the turbine wheel ( 84 ). however , by providing a path of high pressure exhaust gas through the chamber ( 72 ) ( that is , around the turbine wheel backface ( 82 )), the pressure gradient across the piston ring ( s ) ( 94 ) can become more favorable to preventing this passage of oil , soot , and gas into the turbine stage . in this way , an effective the flow of exhaust gas ( 96 ) out of the turbine housing volute ( 98 ) is directed by the vanes ( 100 ) of a vtg , and thence the flow ( 102 ) off the vtg vane , flows to the entry of the turbine wheel ( 84 ), when the turbo is a vtg , or the flow ( 96 ) out of the volute ( 98 ) flows directly onto the entry of the turbine wheel ( 84 ). in either case , some recirculation flow ( 102 ) turns to flow through the annulus ( 88 ). the entry recirculation flow ( 102 ) from the recirculation inlet annulus ( 88 ) then flows into the chamber ( 72 ). the recirculation flow ( 104 ) in the chamber ( 72 ) can flow toward the one or more passages ( 86 ), where it can exit the recirculation chamber ( 72 ). some recirculation flow ( 106 ) passes through the one or more passages ( 86 ) to increase the pressure in the volume ( 18 ) between the rotating backface ( 11 ) of the turbine wheel ( 84 ) and the static turbine wheel facing surface ( 58 ) of the wall ( 50 ). as explained above , such increase in pressure can make the pressure differential across the turbine - end piston ring seal ( 94 ) more favorable . embodiments described herein can address many issues experienced with prior heat shield designs in which the heat shield is a separate component . as described above , embodiments herein provide a design in which the function of heat shield is provided by the details in the casting of the bearing housing , such as the nose thereof such a design allows a chamber behind the wall of the nose of the bearing housing , larger than would be attainable in the prior separate heat shield configurations . such increased volume can facilitate turbine end cooling . further , embodiments herein can provide closer matching of the bore in the wall ( the heat shield ) with the outside of the ring boss of the shaft and wheel as the inside diameter of what was formerly the “ heat shield ” can now be defined during the typical machining on the nose of the bearing housing . by casting the turbine heat shield integral to the bearing housing , this invention provides a heat shield which can be accurately machined as part of the bearing housing machining and which does not present the problems of a loose heat shield for the core balance operation or any assembly problems which have clamp load ramifications . in addition , since the heat shield is integrated with the bearing housing , there is no longer a need to restrain the heat shield on the bearing housing , thereby saving time and cost . further , the integrated heat shield configuration can be applied to vtg turbochargers as well as non - vtg turbochargers . in addition , the heat shield configuration described herein can facilitate the use of a split bearing housing , as the ribs can be designed accordingly . still further , the heat shield configuration described herein can facilitate the assembly / processing stage of the core assembly ( the assembly of the rotating assembly in the supporting bearing housing ). with the above - described configuration , the heat shield is kept from touching the rotating assembly during this procedure without the use of additional retaining mechanisms . the terms “ a ” and “ an ,” as used herein , are defined as one or more than one . the term “ plurality ,” as used herein , is defined as two or more than two . the term “ another ,” as used herein , is defined as at least a second or more . the terms “ including ” and / or “ having ,” as used herein , are defined as comprising ( i . e ., open language ). aspects described herein can be embodied in other forms and combinations without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof . thus , it will of course be understood that embodiments are not limited to the specific details described herein , which are given by way of example only , and that various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the following claims .

a system and method is provided in which a turbocharger includes a heat shield wall that is formed together with the bearing housing as a unitary structure . the wall can extend from a main body portion of the bearing housing in a generally radially outward direction . the wall can be spaced from the main body and attached by a plurality of ribs such that chambers are defined therebetween . a circumferential passage can extend through the bearing housing to permit fluid communication between the chambers and outside of the bearing housing . in this way , a fluid outlet from the chambers is provided . as a result of such an arrangement , the need for a separate heat shield is eliminated , which can facilitate the assembly process and special attachment methods associated with a separate heat shield .

this invention exploits the fact that the limited measurement capabilities of ordinary production network elements , such as exemplary routers , typically have a temporal and spatial granularity . measurement capabilities within current network elements such as routers enable the creation of reports that relate to a subset or aggregation of the traffic that are , for example , incident at the router during some limited time frame . furthermore , all packets of the subset share certain properties — a “ common key ”— that can be discerned by the router measurement capability , and which distinguishes the packets in the subset from all other traffic incident at the router during that time frame . this common key can be single dimensional or multidimensional , i . e ., the key can be a single property characteristic of each packet in the subset , such as for example the source address , or a plurality of properties characteristic of each packet in the subset , such as for example the source and destination addresses . in addition to the common key , the plurality of packets has another characteristic which causes them to be aggregated by the network element for a single report . most simplistically , this “ aggregation characteristic ” may relate to the fact that the plurality of packets was sent within a given time period . in one aspect , our method entails tailoring a set of active measurement packets , or probe packets , such that if one or more of them reach an ordinary router , they will cause the router to form a measurement report that relates to the set of probe packets , and to no other traffic . this achieves effective termination of the active measurement for that set of packets . such tailoring of a stream of active measurement packet sets results in distinct packet sets causing the formation of distinct reports if any of their packets reach the ordinary router . ( much of the discussion herein will be in terms of exemplary routers , but persons having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other network elements besides routers may be used in other embodiments to practice the invention . fig1 is a schematic representation of elements that may be used to practice this invention . fig1 is best understood in the context of fig2 which is a flow chart that schematically illustrates a method of measuring a parameter of a packet network in accordance with an aspect of this invention . in fig2 at 210 a probe packet source transmits a plurality of probe packets into a packet network . the probe packets have a common key which distinguishes the probe packets from other packets in the network . the plurality of probe packets have the same aggregation characteristic which will result in the packets being the subject of a report by a network element . at 220 , the probe packets pass through one or more instructionless network elements triggering each element to create an aggregate report on the probe packets . at step 230 , at least one router sends an aggregate report to a report receiving element . at step 240 , the probe packet reports are analyzed to determine at least on parameter of the network . such reports may include information on one - way parameters of the network . as indicated above , fig1 is a schematic representation of elements that may be used to practice this invention . in fig1 , 110 is a probe packet source that transmits a plurality of probe packets addressed to probe packet destination , 120 . 140 , are various network elements such as routers , and 130 is a report collector . the report collector receives the reports from one or more of the network elements , such as the routers , 140 . while the report collector is shown as a separate element , in other embodiments it can be part of the probe source or any other element . the probe packet destination , 120 , may be an end user or a specific network element . the probe packets contain a unique key and common aggregation characteristic that cause the router 140 to make a report that relates to the plurality of packets and to substantially no other packets . whenever packets pass through any of the elements 140 , the element makes a record of the packet and aggregates the packet with other like packets . in this embodiment , the element aggregates a plurality of the probe packets separately from any other packets passing through the element . periodically , the element 140 sends reports on the various aggregate sets of packets to a report collector 130 . at the collector , the single or multiple reports documenting the journey of the probing packets can easily be isolated from the other aggregated reports for analysis to determine at least one parameter of the network , including , is some embodiments , a one - way parameters . when there is a sequence of probe sets , we are able to correlate each probe set that is sent with the resulting measurement record ( s ) generated by a collector . so if , in particular , each packet carries a sequence number or some other unique identifier , we can associate the sequence number of the first packet of any group to the corresponding measurement record ( s ). the correlation can be achieved by using one ( or both ) of the following methods : time comparison : probe groups and reports are matched up by using suitably synchronized clocks at the probe source and the observation point ( if it timestamps reports ) or the collection subsystem . this method requires knowledge of propagation times and their variability , together with sufficient separation between groups in order to unambiguously match probe groups to reports . timing artifacts due to external synchronization ( e . g . ntp or gps ) may need to be removed by one of a number of available methods . dead reckoning : probe groups and reports are matched by counting from the commencement of probing . gaps in the report sequence due to complete loss of a probe set must be identified and filled . this requires sufficient temporal separation between groups . the implementation of our method relies on the measurement capability of the ordinary router which is to be exploited . following are two embodiments utilizing the operating system netflow . netflow is an operating system feature of cisco routers ; related capabilities are provided by other router vendors , and flow measurement capabilities based on netflow are the subject of standardization in the ietf . we now give a brief description of netflow in order to explain how our method applies . netflow compiles reports on flows of ip packets — a flow being a set of packets sharing a common property , known as the key , and incident at an exemplary router network element during a certain time frame . when an ip packet arrives at the router , the router calculates the key for the packets , which is typically a function of the ip packet header ( including source and destination address ) and transport protocol ( udp / tcp ) header ( including protocol type and source and destination port numbers ). in future versions of netflow , additional information , such as mpls labels , may also form part of the key . the router maintains a summary for each packet key that it observes , including the total packets and bytes seen with that key , and time of first and most recent arrival . these are updated accordingly when the packet arrives . if no summary is currently kept for the arriving packet &# 39 ; s key , one is first instantiated . the router is said to terminate the flow by closing out the summary , exporting it as a record to the collector ( i . e ., a separate network device ), and freeing up storage for statistics for new flows . termination can occur for several reasons : ( i ) inactive timeout : the time since the router last observed a packet bearing the summary &# 39 ; s key exceeds a threshold . common values for the threshold are of the order of 30 s or 1 min . ( ii ) active timeout : the time since the summary was first instantiated exceeds a threshold . the active timeout period is usually long compared with the inactive timeout , e . g . 30 minutes . ( iii ) protocol based : a packet signaling the end of a connection at the transport level is observed , for example , a tcp packet with the syn or rst flag set . ( iv ) resource management : a flow may be terminated to free up the router &# 39 ; s flow cache if this is becoming full . these methods of flow termination afford an opportunity to terminate the active measurement of a suitably crafted set of probe packets . we describe two ways to terminate the active measurements . ( i ) timeout based . a set of probe packets is dispatched bearing packet header information distinct from all other traffic , i . e ., by source and destination ip address and tcp / udp port number , and / or by mpls label . address spoofing could possibly pollute ip header based identification , although this has low probability to succeed and may by independently detected and / or blocked at the isp level . in order for individual groups of probe packets to each give rise to a single report , the time between dispatch of the first and last packets is preferably less than the inactive timeout , so that loss of one or more packets in transit , coupled with variation in propagation delay , or load balancing possibly causing packet to take different paths , could not cause any observing router to generate two flow records for the set . for example , consider the case that all but the first and last packets are lost . the difference in arrival time at a router must be less than the inactive timeout if they are to be reported in the same flow record . finally , each set of packets is to be separated by a time exceeding the inactive timeout , in order that each will give rise to separate flow records . note that each netflow enabled router on the path taken by the packets , and not just a netflow destination router , will generate flow records in same manner . more generally we might have a probe set that lasts considerably longer than the inactive timeout period , but which is separated from neighboring groups by periods considerably longer than the inactive timeout period . such a group might generate multiple netflow records , which can then be grouped and joined at the collector based on their timestamp relative to other reports . ( ii ) protocol based . ip address or reserved tcp / udp port or mpls label are used as in ( i ) above to distinguish traffic . flow termination is triggered by sending a tcp fin or rst packet as the last packet of a set . if this packet is lost before it reaches the router there are at least two options . one option is to send multiple fin or rst packets ; the first one observed will terminate the desired flow record , the rest will generate extraneous one packet flow records which must be discarded from the analysis . we note that flow cache clearance by the router for resource management ( termination method ( iv ) above ) can interfere with both these methods , due to the potential to close out and export a flow record while a group of packets is being processed by the router , hence giving rise to multiple flow records for that group . events of this type can be detected at a collector as follows . if the time between probe packet sets is substantially longer than the inactive flow timeout , the collector would observe successive flow records with closer arrival times than expected . in this case , the collector could aggregate multiple flow records into a single flow record representing all packets in the probe set . a second option in dealing with the flow terminating packet being lost before it reaches the router is based on snmp . routers ubiquitously maintain , as part of their management information base ( mib ), aggregate statistics of all traffic traversing their interfaces in the form of cumulative counts of packets and bytes seen . by regularly polling these counters using the snmp protocol , the difference between successive counts indicates the average data rate during the polling interval . however these statistics are increasingly being kept at finer spatial granularity . if one can arrange for probe traffic to exclusively cause increments of one such counter , then polling of that counter indicates the cumulative amount of probe traffic that has reached the router . following are two examples : ( i ) ip multicast . multicast enabled routers maintain a mib that contains per group , or per source / group pair , counters . thus we reserve and configure a multicast group , or pair of source and multicast group , for probing . ( ii ) virtual interfaces . we assume a mib is maintained for each virtual interface configured on an atm or frame relay switch . by configuring a virtual path from a probe source to a target machine and then arranging for probe traffic to pass exclusively through the virtual channel configured at a target network element , the mib statistics reported for that channel will reflect exactly the probe traffic seen there . by synchronizing probe generation with snmp polling of a target network element , perhaps only roughly , we may determine , for example , how many packets in a probing set reached the router . this is straightforward when the duration of a probe packet set , plus any uncertainty between the arrival time of probe packets at the target router and the time at which the polling is affected , is less than the polling interval . in this way , we may construct a stream of probe packet sets , one per polling interval . while polling intervals of 5 minutes are the norm , shorter intervals are certainly feasible . indeed , it has been claimed that a polling interval as small as 1 second may be used without impacting router performance . burst loss probing . this measurement application aims to determine how many packets in a closely spaced probe set are successfully transmitted and received . this information is useful for investigating the likely performance of tcp transmission along a path , without requiring the measurement endpoint to actually implement the tcp protocol . in the application of our methods , probe packet sets of the desired size and with appropriately closely spaced packets , are dispatched to the target device with e . g ., the timeout based method used to delineate the boundary between groups . trajectory monitoring . in our method there need be no essential difference in role between the measurement target ( i . e . the destination ip address of the probe packets ), and any other ordinary router in the probe packets &# 39 ; path . thus each ordinary router equipped with netflow or an appropriate snmp mib may generate reports on the probe packets . these reports , when collated at a collector , enable one to determine the performance experienced by the probe packets at successive hops along a path . for example , by comparing the number of packets that reach successive routers on the path , one can determine the loss experienced on the link connecting them . if the reports contain timestamps generated by synchronized clocks , one can , potentially , determine the latency on the hop , although packet loss may complicate this . for example , if the first packet of a burst is lost on a link , the timestamp of first packet arrival in the netflow records generated at the initial and terminal nodes of the links will not correspond to the same packet . one way to ameliorate this would be to set a tcp flag on the first packet of a probe set that is not used by any other packet in the set . since netflow reports the cumulative or of the tcp flags of the entire packet in a flow , the collector can determine whether or not the first packet reached the reporting router . delay analysis could then ignore the results of all probe sets for which the flag was not set . on the other hand , this may bias delay estimation against those probes sets that tend to suffer loss . a similar way ( tailored to netflow version 9 ) is for the sender to set the ttl of the first packet substantially different from those of other packets . since the maximum and minimum ttl seen for the flow is reported , if the probe sender sets a substantially different ttl for the first packet , the collector can detect from the reports , whether or not the first packet had been observed . multicast inference from aggregates . ( mifa ). multicast inference is a method to infer network internal performance from measurements performed at a network edge . thus the setting is somewhat different from the previous example : instead of assuming that we can take direct measurement from ordinary routers along a probe packet path , we that the measurements are not available from the network portions whose performance we wish to determine . possible reasons for this are ( i ) netflow is only enabled in routers at the network edge , e . g ., to reduce measurement load and license costs ( ii ) there is no access to netflow statistics or administrative access to router mibs e . g . because the routers in question reside in another provider &# 39 ; s network . mifa of loss rates requires ( i ) setting up a multicast group that is routed through the network under study ; ( ii ) sending probe packet sets from one or more group members ; ( iii ) having each receiver report the number of packets received in each probe set to a collector ; and ( iv ) collating the reports at a collector to infer performance on the logical links of the multicast tree . the analysis requires matching up the reports from different group members on each probe set . our method is well suited to this requirement since it can distinguish reports in suitably spaced groups . in the setup for this measurement , we do not assume that the ordinary routers are themselves able to serve as multicast group members , although this is not precluded . instead , some additional devices would serve as multicast group members , while ordinary routers ( e . g . peering or other edge routers ) sitting at the border of the network under study , each on the path between one of the participating devices and the network under study , would provide the measurements by observing traffic en route . this setup is attractive since , compared with using measurements taken at the group member devices , it enables us to factor out from our measurements the performance on the path portion between the devices and the boundary of the network under study . the foregoing detailed description is to be understood as being in every respect illustrative and exemplary , but not restrictive , and the scope of the invention disclosed herein is not to be determined from the detailed description , but rather from the claims as interpreted according to the full breadth permitted by the patent laws . it is to be understood that the embodiments shown and described herein are only illustrative of the principles of the present invention and that various modifications may be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . those skilled in the art could implement various other feature combinations without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention .

a method is disclosed for implementing and reporting network measurements between a source of probe packets and an element , such as a router . the invention exploits commonly implemented features on commercial elements . by exploiting these features , the expense of deploying special purpose measurement devices can be avoided . in one aspect of the invention , a plurality of probe packets is transmitted in a packet network with each of the probe packets having the same key and the same aggregation characteristic . a report is then received from an instructionless element regarding the plurality of probe packets , thereby enabling measurement of a parameter of the packet network .

generally speaking , the present invention provides active probes and active probe arrays , which are designed to achieve direct - write nanolithography , such as dpn . devices according to the present invention can generate sub - 100 nm patterns in a high speed , parallel , and controllable fashion . the active probe arrays offer greater functionality by allowing actuation of individual probes through supplying current or voltage to an actuator of the probe . the present invention is primarily directed to methods and devices for parallel dpn using active probe arrays , and methods for fabricating active probes and active probe arrays . the active probe array can also be used for other existing or future surface patterning and lithography methods based on the scanning probe microscope ( spm ) instrument family . an atomic force microscope ( afm ) is considered a member of the spm instrument family . examples of such lithography systems include local thermal oxidation and displacement lithography . referring now to fig1 an example of a conventional dpn process is shown . dpn employs a tip 20 on a distal end of a cantilever of an afm probe 22 ( or other spm probe ) to deposit , or “ write ”, nanoscale patterns onto a solid writing substrate 24 , such as gold . the tip 20 applies a patterning compound 26 coated on the tip 20 to the writing substrate 24 . the patterning compound 26 may be a hydrophobic patterning compound with a chemical affinity for the writing substrate 24 , such as , but not limited to , 1 - octadecanethiol ( odt ) or mercaptohexadecanoic acid ( mha ). similar to traditional macroscopic “ dip pens ” ( e . g ., quill , fountain , or ball - point pens , or multi - pen plotters ), dpn employs molecular ( capillary ) transport to transfer the patterning compound 26 from the tip 20 to the writing substrate 24 , forming a pattern 28 of the patterning compound . a water meniscus 30 forms between the tip 20 and the writing substrate 24 due to relative humidity in a work area , and carries the patterning compound 26 from the tip to the writing substrate as the tip is moved relatively to the writing substrate in the direction of the writing w , as indicated on fig1 . initial dpn processes involved a single probe 22 ( pen ). parallel patterns also have been realized using an array of up to eight commercial probes 22 with an inter - probe spacing of 1 . 4 mm to write a plurality of patterns 28 on the writing substrate 24 . this technique also allows application of multiple patterns 28 , where each pattern contains a different patterning compound , such as a biocompound . parallel writing is also useful , for example , to form patterns 28 during integrated circuit formation . examples of parallel probe structures can be found in r . piner et al ., “ dip - pen ” nanolithography , science , 1999 , v . 283 , pp . 661 - 663 ; s . hong et al ., multiple ink nanolithography : toward a multiple - pen nano - plotter , 1999 , v . 286 , pp . 523 - 525 ; s . hong et al ., a nanoplotter with both parallel and serial writing capabilities , science , v . 288 , pp . 1808 - 1811 . conventional parallel probe dpn processes are performed using commercially available afm probes 22 . individual probes 22 cannot be moved independently from one another . hence , all probes 22 must move simultaneously . also , the inter - probe spacing of current parallel dpn arrays is too large for certain dpn applications and cannot fully satisfy the needs for a high - throughput and high - density arrayed dpn writing system . the present invention provides a nanoplotter with an array of independently active , microfabricated , closely spaced dpn probes . [ 0035 ] fig2 shows a schematic view of an active multi - pen , parallel dpn writing system 32 according to one type of embodiment of the current invention . a dpn probe chip 34 having a probe array including a plurality of active probes 38 is mounted on an afm scanner tube 40 in a manner similar to standard single - tip afm probes . afm feedback electronics 42 , typically piezo tube electronics , control horizontal and vertical movement of the probe chip 34 . as the tips 20 of the active probes 38 are in contact with the writing substrate 24 , an integrated actuator 46 controlled by a connected auxiliary control circuit 48 directs individual movement of the tips , preferably while the probe chip 34 is raster - scanned along the substrate 24 for patterning . the location of the integrated actuator 46 indicated in fig2 is illustrative , and other actuator locations are contemplated . the term “ in contact ” is intended to refer to a sufficient proximity between the tips 20 and the substrate 24 to allow patterning of the patterning compound 26 . when supplied with current or voltage from the control unit 48 via the probe chip 34 , the actuator 46 moves a cantilever 50 of the active probe 38 to lift the tip 20 at an end of the cantilever off the writing substrate 24 . this suspends the chemical deposition process . in this way , the active probe 38 can be individually controlled through selective application of current or voltage to create arbitrary patterns with high throughput . [ 0037 ] fig3 a and 3 b show an array 56 of thermally actuated probes 54 according to a preferred type of embodiment of the present invention , before and after actuation of selected probes , respectively . in fig3 a , the array 56 is shown having five thermally actuated probes 54 , none of which is actuated . in response to an applied current , and as shown in fig3 b , the second and fourth thermally actuated probes ( indicated by arrows ) are flexed upwardly ( in fig3 a and 3 b , into the paper ), thus moving their tips 20 away from the writing substrate 24 , and suspending chemical deposition . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the selective distribution of current to form the patterns 28 may be controlled by programming the control circuit 48 . the material of the cantilever beam 50 in the thermally actuated probes 54 preferably is silicon nitride thin film formed by low pressure chemical vapor deposition methods ( lpcvd ). according to a preferred type of method of the present invention , the thermally actuated probes 54 are formed by creating silicon nitride probes that include a thermal actuator having at least a resistive heater 66 . [ 0039 ] fig4 a and 4 b show one of the thermally actuated probes 54 in non - flexed and flexed ( actuated ) positions , respectively . the resistive heater 66 , patterned onto the silicon nitride cantilever 50 of the thermally actuated probe 54 , is coupled to a bonding wire 70 for carrying current to the resistive heater . the bonding wire 70 is in turn coupled to the control circuit 48 for selectively distributing current to the bonding wire 70 and thus actuating the thermally actuated probes 54 . preferably , a metal film patch 68 is connected to the cantilever 50 to increase the deflection of the probe 54 . [ 0040 ] fig5 a - 5 e and 6 a - 6 d show formation steps for the thermally actuated probe array 56 , forming a single thermally actuated probe 54 and a pair of thermally actuated probes , respectively . referring to fig5 a , a silicon dioxide thin film 60 is grown on a front side of a silicon substrate 62 , preferably a & lt ; 100 & gt ;- oriented silicon wafer , to form a protective mask for creating the tip 20 . the oxide layer 60 is patterned photolithographically to realize the mask for forming the tip 20 . in fig5 b ( also in fig6 a ), a portion of the silicon substrate 62 defining the pyramidal shape of the tip 20 is formed by using anisotropic wet etching in ethylene diamine pyrocatechol ( edp ). next , as shown in fig5 c ( 6 b ), a layer of lpcvd silicon nitride 64 is deposited and patterned onto the etched silicon substrate 62 to define the shape of the thermally active probe 54 , including the cantilever 50 . as shown in fig5 d ( 6 c ), the resistive ( ohmic ) heater 66 and the ( optional ) metal patch 68 are formed on the thermally active probe 54 by depositing and patterning , for example , cr / au onto the layer of silicon nitride 64 , creating an integrated bimetallic thermal actuator . the thermally actuated probes 54 are then released by using edp etching to undercut the support substrate 62 . a portion of a silicon substrate 62 provides a handle for the thermally actuated probes 54 , as shown in fig4 a and 4 b . in operation , the thermally actuated probes 54 , in response to an applied current , bend along their length to move the tip 20 as shown in fig4 b , due to differential thermal expansion of the metal for resistive heater 66 and optional patch 68 and the cantilever 50 of the thermally actuated probe . in a preferred method of operation , the control circuit 48 sends a current through the bonding wire 70 to the resistive heater 66 to bend the thermally actuated probe 54 into a circular arc of radius r due to differential thermal expansion of the silicon nitride cantilever 50 and the gold patch 68 . the expression for r under a given temperature change of δt is approximately r = - ( w 1  e 1  t 1 2 ) 2 + ( w 2  e 2  t 2 2 ) 2 + 2  w 1  w 2  e 1  e 2  t 1  t 2  ( 2  t 1 2 + 3  t 1  t 2 + 2  t 2 2 ) 6  w 1  w 2  e 1  e 2  t 1  t 2  ( t 1 + t 2 )  ( α 1 - α 2 )  δ   t . the parameters w , t , e and α , respectively , are the width , thickness , young &# 39 ; s modulus of elasticity , and the coefficient of thermal expansion of two constituent materials , denoted as materials 1 and 2 . the subscripts correspond to these two materials . the temperature of a thermal actuator is dictated by the heat balance of the beam . heat is generated by ohmic heating and lost through conduction and convection . in the thermally actuated probe 54 , the bending of the cantilever beam 50 results in a deflection of the tip 20 of δ : δ = r  ( 1 - cos  ( l r ) ) accordingly , application of current i through selected bonding wires 70 causes the cantilever 50 of the thermally actuated probes 54 connected to the bonding wires to deflect upwardly and thus move the tip 20 , as shown in fig4 b . the throughput of probe - based nanolithography can be made very high when a large number of active probes 38 in parallel are integrated on the probe chip 34 . the thermally actuated probe array 36 , manufactured according to the preferred type of embodiment of the present invention described above , results in a compact nanoplotter with high probe densities ( spaced 100 μm on center ) and integrated sharp tips , and may be used for nanolithography and afm imaging . according to another preferred type of embodiment of the present invention , an electrostatically actuated probe 72 , shown in a preferred type embodiment in fig7 is provided . preferably , the probe 72 is formed as a unit of an electrostatic probe array 74 , shown in a preferred embodiment in fig8 in combination with the probe chip 34 . as shown in fig7 and 8 , the electrostatically actuated probe 72 includes an electrostatic actuator 76 , which may include a paddle - shaped plate 78 at the inner longitudinal end of the cantilever 50 , longitudinally opposite to the tip 20 . the paddle - shaped plate 78 is preferably integrally formed with the electrostatically actuated probe 72 . the electrostatic actuator 76 further includes a counter electrode 81 , which is preferably stationary , and may be formed on the probe chip 34 , for electrostatically interacting with the paddle - shaped plate 78 . the counter electrode 81 may be formed as part of a parallel array of electrodes electrically connected to a number of bonding pads 85 longitudinally opposed to the counter electrodes , and both are patterned , adhered , or otherwise formed or attached to a glass substrate 94 which , in the completed embodiment , covers the array of counter electrodes and connecting bonding pads . the bonding pads 85 are preferably electrically connected to the control circuit 48 for selectively applying a voltage to one or more of the bonding pads . methods for manufacturing the glass layer 94 including the counter electrodes 81 and the bonding pads 85 will be apparent to those in the art . it is preferred that the electrostatically actuated probe 72 is also supported at or near the midpoint of the cantilever 50 by a compact , soft spring 80 , for providing torsion support to the electrostatically actuated probe , allowing deflection and thus angular motion of the probes , for moving the tips 20 of the probes . as shown in fig8 the spring 80 for each of the array 74 of electrostatically actuated probes 72 is preferably a section of a unitary piece ( such as a twist beam ) laterally extending through each individual probe . it is further preferred that each section of the spring 80 have a relatively small cross section along the longitudinal direction of the cantilever 50 . as one in the art will appreciate , dimensions of the spring 80 such as the cross - sectional area can be varied depending on boundary conditions to control the angular flexibility of the cantilever 50 . [ 0050 ] fig9 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the electrostatically actuated probe 72 . it is preferred , though not required , that the cantilever 50 , paddle - shaped plate 78 , and soft spring 80 be formed integrally from boron - doped silicon . this material is preferred both for its low etch rate in edp solutions and for its relatively high electrical conductivity . a preferred method of fabrication of the electrostatically actuated probe 72 is shown in fig1 a - 10 f . referring first to fig1 a , a silicon dioxide layer 82 is grown on a front side of a three - layered wafer containing a heavily boron - doped silicon layer 84 sandwiched between a & lt ; 100 & gt ;- oriented silicon wafer 86 and an epitaxial & lt ; 100 & gt ;- oriented silicon layer 88 . alternatively , the silicon layer 84 may be doped by phosphorous . the silicon dioxide layer 82 defines boundaries of a mask for forming the tip 20 . furthermore , the silicon dioxide layer 82 can define boundaries for forming a spacer 90 , which vertically separates the electrostatically actuated probe 72 from the counter electrode 81 , which is patterned on a separate glass substrate 94 . in fig1 b , the silicon tip 20 and the spacer 90 are formed from the epitaxial silicon wafer 88 by edp etching . next , as shown in fig1 c , a thermal oxide layer 92 is grown over the epitaxial silicon wafer 88 , including the tip 20 , the spacer 90 , and the boron - doped silicon layer 84 to protect the front side during the final release . as shown in fig1 d , the silicon wafer 86 is then etched by edp to remove material underneath the boron - doped silicon layer 84 , and release the boron - doped silicon cantilever 50 . next , as shown in fig1 e , the thermal oxide layer 92 is removed , and the electrostatically actuated probes 84 are formed from the boron - doped silicon layer 84 , including , preferably integrally , the cantilever 50 , the soft spring 80 , and the paddle - shaped plate 78 , for each probe in the array . as shown in fig8 the portion of the cantilever 50 longitudinally disposed between the paddle - shaped plate 78 and the soft spring 80 is preferably wider in cross - sectional area along the lateral direction , i . e . in the direction of the length of the soft spring , than the distal portion of the cantilever . in this way , the deflection of the tip 20 is greater because the bending torque is fully transferred to the support spring 80 . the electrostatically actuated probe 72 is released . finally , as shown in fig1 f , the layer of glass 94 and the connected counter electrode 81 are formed or placed over the spacer 90 . the preferred fabrication method results in electrostatically actuated probes 72 having a sharp tip 20 ( preferably , & lt ; 100 nm radius of curvature ) and spaced approximately 620 μm on center . accordingly , electrostatically actuated probes 72 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention can be used for both dpn writing and afm imaging . bonding wires 70 ( not shown in fig1 a - 10 f ) preferably connect the paddle - shaped plate 78 to ground potential , while the counter electrode 81 is preferably electrically coupled to the control circuit 48 via bonding pads 85 for applying voltage to the counter electrode . it will be appreciated that the electric potentials of the paddle - shaped plate 78 and the counter electrode 81 may alternatively be reversed ; i . e . the paddle - shaped plate may be coupled to a voltage source , while the counter electrode may be grounded . the modifications necessary for such an alternative embodiment will be understood by those in the art . in a preferred method of operation , voltage is applied to the paddle - shaped plate 78 to apply potential to the paddle - shaped plate 78 , while the conductive counter electrode 81 is grounded . again , alternatively , the voltage application and grounding functions could be reversed between the top electrode 81 and the paddle - shaped plate 78 . either operation applies a differential electrical voltage across the top electrode 81 and the paddle - shaped plate 78 , which are preferably separated by the spacer 90 . an attractive force develops between the plates of the counter electrode 81 and the paddle - shaped plate 78 that pulls them toward each other , thus tilting the cantilever 50 , and preferably angularly deflecting the cantilever 50 about the soft spring 80 , to move the tip 20 away from the substrate 24 . as in the thermally actuated probes 54 , the tip 20 can thus be selectively lifted to suspend the writing ( or imaging ) process . a number of preferred embodiments have been described for active , one - dimensional arrays . however , arrays are possible in two dimensions as well . fig1 shows a two - dimensional array 100 according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention . the two - dimensional array 100 shown in fig1 includes six rows and five columns of downwardly - angled probes 102 . the downwardly - angled probes 102 may be produced by , for example , modifying the formation process for the thermally actuated probe array 56 to extend cantilevers of individual , thermally actuated probes 54 from cavities ( replicated cells ) that are preferably evenly disposed along the two - dimensional array 100 . the thermally actuated probes 54 are preferably integrated into the two - dimensional array 100 due to a shorter required length for each cantilever 50 . the methods for modifying steps of fabrication and operation for the thermally actuated probes 54 in the two - dimensional array 100 will be understood by those in the art . one skilled in the art can appreciate that several inventive devices and methods for dpn arrays have been shown and described , which have various attributes and advantages . by configuring each probe to be individually addressed and actuated by application of current or voltage , either thermally or electrostatically , the active probe arrays according to embodiments of the present invention allow the formation of arbitrary patterns with added resolution , at throughput comparable to conventional methods . while various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it should be understood that other modifications , substitutions and alternatives are apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art . such modifications , substitutions and alternatives can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which should be determined from the appended claims . various features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims .

a microfabricated probe array for nanolithography and process for designing and fabricating the probe array . the probe array consists of individual probes that can be moved independently using thermal bimetallic actuation or electrostatic actuation methods . the probe array can be used to produce traces of diffusively transferred chemicals on the substrate with sub - 1 micrometer resolution , and can function as an arrayed scanning probe microscope for subsequent reading and variation of transferred patterns .

fig1 shows that the installation comprises a first liquid - liquid extraction device 1 , a second liquid - liquid extraction device 3 and a cation exchange resin column 5 . the aqueous effluent to be treated is introduced by the line 7 into the liquid - liquid extraction device 1 , where it is contacted with the organic phase introduced by the line 9 . thus , recovery takes place by the line 11 at the outlet of the device 1 of the decontaminated aqueous effluent and by the line 13 of the organic phase which has extracted the strontium and sodium traces . this organic phase is then introduced by the line 13 into the second extraction device 3 , where it is contacted with an aqueous reextraction solution introduced by the line 15 . at the outlet from the device 3 recovery takes place of a purified organic phase , which is recycled by the line 9 in the first extraction device 1 and a strontium - containing aqueous solution which is discharged by the line 17 into the cation exchange resin column 5 . in said column 5 , the strontium is fixed to the resin and recovery takes place at the outlet from the column of an aqueous solution which is recycled in the extracted device 3 for again reextracting the strontium . thus , in said installation , circulation takes place in a first closed circuit 13 , 9 of the organic liquid strontium extraction phase and circulation takes place in a second closed circuit 15 , 17 of the aqueous reextraction solution . in the second circuit , the aqueous reextraction solution is gradually filled with no 3 - ions and h + ions coming from the resin and consequently becomes acid , which can be prejudicial , because the reextraction selectivity of strontium with respect to sodium decreases when the hno 3 content of the aqueous solution increases . to obviate this disadvantage , periodically or continuously sampling takes place by the line 19 of part of the aqueous reextraction solution passing out of the reextraction column and it is recycled to the intake of the extraction device , where it is added to the effluent to be decontaminated . this sampling is obviously compensated by an equivalent water top - up in the second circuit using the line 21 . the following examples illustrate embodiments of the process according to the invention . in these examples a study is made of the influence of the diluent on the result obtained in the first stage of the process of the invention when the crown ether used is dch18c6 . in these examples , contacting takes place of 1 volume of an aqueous effluent containing 0 . 1 mole / l of na + and 235 μg / l of strontium sr 2 + , having an acidity of 0 . 9n and a nitrate ion concentration of 1 mole / l , with 1 volume of organic phase constituted by the tested diluent containing 0 . 1 mole / l of the crown ether dch18c6 . after contacting the effluent with the organic phase , accompanied by stirring for 15 min , separation takes place of the two phases and their strontium and sodium concentrations are determined . on the basis of these results , determination takes place of the distribution coefficients d sr and d na , which correspond to the ratios of the concentration in the element ( strontium or sodium ) in the organic phase to the concentration of said same element in the aqueous phase . on the basis of d sr and d na , determination takes place of the selectivity of the organic phase for strontium by the ratio d sr / d na . the results obtained and the tested diluents appear in table 1 . this table also indicates certain characteristics of the tested diluent , such as its density , its solubility in water ( in wt . %), its clear point and the dch18c6 loss in water ( when using 0 . 1 mole / l in the diluent ). table 1 shows that the best results are obtained when using as the diluent with dch18c6 , chlorinated diluents and in particular chloroform . for comparison purposes , said table also gives the results obtained when using as the diluent an alcohol ( heptanol , octanol and decanol ) such as those recommended in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 100 , 585 . under these conditions , the extraction selectivity with respect to strontium is considerably inferior being approximately 10 to 12 . moreover , the dch18c6 losses are much lower with the diluents used in the invention . these examples study the influence of the pair formed by the crown ether and the diluent used for the selective extraction of strontium in the first stage of the process according to the invention . these examples follow the same operating procedure as in examples 1 to 10 using as the diluent chloroform , nitrobenzene or benzonitrile containing 0 . 1 mole / l of a crown ether constituted by dch18c6 or complying with formula i with r 1 representing the hexyl , decyl or dodecyl group and r 2 , r 3 and r 4 representing a hydrogen atom . as hereinbefore , determination takes place of d sr and d na , as well as the d sr / d na selectivity . determination also takes place of the distribution coefficient d h of the proton , as well as the d sr / d h selectivity . the diluents and crown ethers used , as well as the results obtained are given in table 2 . on the basis of these results , it is clear that the selectivity is better in all cases with chloroform and is also better in all cases with dch18c6 compared with alkyl crown ethers and that the selectivity increases with the number of carbon atoms of the alkyl group up to 10 , but then drops . in the case where the solvent is benzonitrile , a satisfactory selectivity is not obtained . these examples study the influence of the crown ether isomer on the results obtained . in all these examples the same operating procedure as in examples 1 to 10 is adopted , using different diluents , either with the cis - syn - cis isomer of dch18c6 , or the cis - anti - cis isomer of dch18c6 . the results obtained appear in table 3 . this table also shows the results obtained in the case of isomer mixtures , i . e . the results which correspond to examples 2 , 3 , 5 and 6 of table 1 . these results make it clear that the cis - syn - cis isomer leads to a better strontium extraction than the cis - anti - cis isomer , but the selectivity is better with the cis - anti - cis isomer when using a benzene diluent and is better or equivalent to that of the cis - syn - cis isomer with the isomer mixture when a chlorinated diluent is used . this example uses an installation like that shown in the attached fig1 for the treatment of an aqueous effluent having the following composition : and using an organic phase constituted by chloroform containing 0 . 022 mole / l of dch18c6 ( isomer mixture ) for the extraction of strontium , water for the reextraction of strontium and a duolite arc 9651 resin as the cation exchange resin for fixing strontium . in the extraction device ( 1 ) and reextraction device ( 3 ), use is made of three mixer - settlers in series , one of which is shown in fig2 . fig2 shows that the mixer - settler comprises a mixing chamber 21 equipped with a turbine 23 making it possible to create the dispersion necessary for the transfer of materials between the effluent or water and the organic phase , which are respectively introduced by the lines 25 and 27 . the two phases sucked up by the turbine penetrate the mixing chamber and then by flowing over the weir 31 into the settling chamber 29 where they are separated by the gravity and coalescence effect . they finally leave the settler , the light phase through the upper pipe 35 and the heavy phase through the lower pipe 33 . the resin column 5 used has a height of 47 cm and a diameter of 19 mm . for performing the process according to the invention in said installation , the effluent is circulated at a flow rate of 750 ml / h , the organic phase at a flow rate of 750 ml / h and the water at a flow rate of 750 ml / h , using the following volumes for a treatment lasting 40 h : at the end of the operation , measurement takes place of the strontium concentration of the treated effluent leaving by the line 11 . this concentration is 0 . 1 μg / l . it is therefore possible to recover more than 95 % of the strontium traces present in 30 l of nitric effluent containing a few g / l of sodium nitrate . moreover , said strontium is trapped in 6 ml of cation exchange resin , i . e . concentrated by a factor of 5 , 000 , which is a spectacular result compared with the previously used processes . the regeneration of the resin and the recovery of the strontium in the aqueous phase can be brought about by washing with twice 10 ml of a 4n nitric acid solution ( strontium recovery above 95 %). the solution obtained only contains a little sodium and can then be supplied as it is to the vitrification operation . table 1__________________________________________________________________________ density solubility clear point dclh18c6 lossex . diluent ( g / cm . sup . 3 ) in water ( wt . %) (° c .) in water ( vol . %) dsr dna dsr / dna__________________________________________________________________________1 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 - 1 . 586 0 . 29 inin 1 ) 0 . 031 105 0 . 063 1700 tetrachloroethane2 chloroform 1 . 489 0 . 815 inin 1 ) 0 . 048 25 0 . 013 20003 dichloromethane 1 . 326 1 . 3 inin 1 ) 0 . 080 27 0 . 019 15004 1 , 2 - dichloroethane 1 . 252 0 . 81 15 0 . 35 14 0 . 03 5005 benzonitrile 1 . 001 0 . 2 71 0 . 70 11 0 . 12 906 nitrobenzene 1 . 203 0 . 19 88 0 . 70 6 . 0 0 . 05 4207 chlorobenzene 1 . 106 0 . 0488 23 0 . 84 1 . 25 & lt ; 0 . 01 & gt ; 1008 bromobenzene 1 . 491 0 . 045 51 0 . 88 1 . 24 & lt ; 0 . 01 & gt ; 1009 1 , 2 - dichlorobenzene 1 . 306 0 . 0156 65 0 . 90 1 . 05 & lt ; 0 . 01 & gt ; 10010 1 - chloronaphthalene 1 . 194 insoluble 121 1 . 4 1 . 3 & lt ; 0 . 01 & gt ; 100comp . 1 - heptanol 0 . 822 0 . 1 73 1 . 5 0 . 87 0 . 07 12ex . 1comp . 1 - octanol 0 . 825 0 . 0538 81 2 . 0 0 . 57 0 . 05 11ex . 2comp . 1 - decanol 0 . 829 & lt ; 0 . 01 82 2 . 9 0 . 35 0 . 04 10ex . 3__________________________________________________________________________ 1 ) inin = nonflammable table 2__________________________________________________________________________ex . diluent crown ether dsr dna dh dsr / dna dsr / dh__________________________________________________________________________11 chloroform hexyl - 18c6 2 . 0 0 . 04 0 . 003 500 65012 decyl - 18c6 2 . 1 0 . 004 0 . 004 525 52513 dodecyl - 18c6 0 . 9 0 . 003 0 . 002 300 4502 dch18c6 25 0 . 0125 0 . 008 2000 300014 nitrobenzene hexyl - 18c6 3 . 1 0 . 040 0 . 026 80 12015 decyl - 18c6 4 . 5 0 . 043 0 . 037 100 12016 dodecy - 18c6 1 . 3 0 . 027 0 . 024 50 506 dch18c6 6 . 0 0 . 05 0 . 076 120 8017 benzonitrile hexyl - 18c6 5 . 0 0 . 083 0 . 070 120 8018 decyl - 18c6 7 . 0 0 . 089 0 . 046 80 15019 dodecyl - 18c6 2 . 3 0 . 055 0 . 038 40 605 dch18c6 11 0 . 12 0 . 077 90 14__________________________________________________________________________ table 3__________________________________________________________________________ex . diluent isomer dsr dna dh p (%) dsr / dna dsr / dh__________________________________________________________________________20 chloroform syn 30 0 . 015 0 . 010 0 . 06 2000 300021 anti 15 0 . 008 0 . 006 0 . 04 1900 25002 mixture 25 0 . 125 0 . 008 0 . 05 2000 300022 dichloromethane syn 28 0 . 027 0 . 032 0 . 09 1000 85023 anti 18 0 . 011 0 . 017 0 . 07 1600 10003 mixture 27 0 . 019 0 . 028 0 . 08 1400 95024 nitrobenzene syn 5 . 5 0 . 062 0 . 088 0 . 72 90 6025 anti 7 . 3 0 . 031 0 . 056 0 . 64 240 1306 mixture 6 . 0 0 . 05 0 . 076 0 . 70 120 8026 benzorlitrile syn 9 . 3 0 . 13 0 . 090 0 . 76 70 10027 anti 10 0 . 087 0 . 058 0 . 64 120 1805 mixture 11 0 . 12 0 . 077 0 . 70 90 140__________________________________________________________________________

the invention relates to a process and an installation for the decontamination of radioactive nitric effluents containing strontium and sodium . according to this process , contacting takes place in 1 of the aqueous effluent with an organic phase incorporating a crown ether such as dch18c6 and a diluent such as chcl 3 , in order to selectively extract the strontium with respect to the sodium , followed by the reextraction of the strontium in an aqueous solution in 3 , followed by fixing in 5 on a cation exchange resin . this leads to a high strontium decontamination level with a very high concentration factor .

referring now to the drawings and , more particularly , to fig1 - 15 , there is shown generally a specific , illustrative adjustable hinge 10 for doors , windows or the like according to various aspects of the present invention . in one embodiment , illustrated generally in fig1 , the hinge comprises two hinge bodies , an upper body 11 and a lower body 12 , respectively , for respective attachment to a fixed frame 13 and a mobile frame or leaf 14 of the door or window and pivotally connected to one another by a pin 15 . both the upper body 11 and the lower body 12 of the hinge are provided with suitable means 16 for fixing them respectively to the leaf 14 and to the frame 13 of the door or window , such as fixing screws 16 a and a plate 16 b for covering the screws 16 a . the plate 16 b is attached with further screws 16 c ( see fig5 ) accessible to the operator from the inner side of the door , and thereby also provides protection against burglars . first means 17 , described later on with reference in particular to fig5 and 6 , for the adjustment of the mutual positions of the two hinge bodies in a direction crosswise to the axis of the pin 15 are associated with the upper body 11 . more in particular , this direction is substantially parallel to the plane of the door or window leaf and is indicated by the letter z in fig8 , 9 , 10 and 11 . for the sake of brevity , from now on , the adjustment in said direction z will be called “ lateral adjustment ”. second means 18 ( see fig4 ) for the adjustment of the mutual positions of said two hinge bodies 11 and 12 in a direction substantially orthogonal to the plane of the door or window leaf 14 (“ orthogonal adjustment ”) are associated with the lower body 12 . third means 19 for the adjustment of the mutual positions of said two hinge bodies 11 and 12 in the direction of the axis of the hinge pin (“ vertical adjustment ”) are also associated with the same lower body 12 . the second and third adjustment means are described later on . the first means 17 of hinge lateral adjustment comprise a sleeve 20 defining an internal seat 21 ( or , in other words , a circular blind hole ) for coaxially coupling , by interference , with the upper part 15 a of the revolving pin 15 , and an outer lateral surface for coupling with a corresponding housing 22 passing through the upper body 11 . clearly , in other embodiments , the pin 15 and sleeve 20 may be made in a single piece or , in any case , be monolithic . the sleeve 20 substantially consists of a cylindrical body 20 a extending over the full length of the upper body 11 of the hinge 10 . a flange 23 abutting against the lower edge of the upper body 11 projects from the lower end of cylindrical body 20 a . at the other end of the sleeve 20 , opposite the flange 23 , a blind hole 24 is formed , shaped to form a hexagon - shaped seat for a wrench . the lateral surface of the cylindrical body 20 a forming the sleeve 20 is formed with three distinct portions 20 b of contact with the walls of the housing 22 . in the present embodiment , the contact portions 20 b are longitudinal projections with a semicylindrical shape the axis of which is parallel to the axis of the cylindrical body 20 a . as clearly shown in the figures , the projections 20 b are equidistant from one another around the cylindrical body 20 a , i . e . they are spaced at an angle of 120 °. fig1 shows a variation of the sleeve , identified here as 120 , equivalent to the one described above . in this variation the sleeve 120 is still formed with three projections 120 b , but two of them are radiused to one another . the sleeve 20 is axially pivotable in the housing 22 and the form of the housing is such that , while the sleeve remains constantly in contact with the walls of the housing during its rotation to change position , it can occupy substantially any position along a limited length in the direction parallel to the plane of the door or window leaf , i . e . the direction z of lateral adjustment of the first means 17 . see specifically fig8 , 9 , 10 and 11 . in particular , the shape of the housing 22 is symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal plane parallel to the axis of the pin 15 and is formed with three different sliding grooves for respective projections 20 b . in particular two first grooves 22 a that are symmetrical to one another in relation to said plane , and one second groove 22 b , extending between the first grooves 22 a . the two first grooves 22 a are radiused to one another at adjacent ends thereof , while at the opposite ends they have abutments 22 c for the respective projections 20 b , corresponding to the ends of the pivotal stroke of the sleeve 20 , i . e . the limit stops for the adjustment in the direction of the plane of the door or window leaf 14 . the upper hinge body 11 comprises means 25 for reversibly locking the sleeve 20 inside the housing 22 by means of a thrust exerted in a defined locking direction that , in this example , is crosswise to the housing 22 ( and also orthogonal to the lateral adjustment direction z ) and lies on its symmetry plane . in fig8 , 9 , 10 and 11 , said plane / direction corresponds to the position “ 0 ” of the sleeve inside the housing , as explained in more detail later on . the locking means 25 comprise , for instance ( see fig4 and 5 ), a threaded dowel 26 inserted through a corresponding counter - threaded through hole 27 provided on the side of the upper hinge body 11 . the dowel 26 extends in the housing 22 and abuts against the side of the cylindrical body 20 a of the sleeve 20 , at a recessed area or gap 22 d formed an intermediate position in the projections 22 a . when the locking dowel 26 pushes against the cylindrical body 20 a of the sleeve 20 , at least two projections 20 b exert a thrusting action on the inside wall of the housing 22 , i . e . on the respective grooves 22 a , 22 b in two directions incident to one another . in other words , the thrust exerted by the dowel is decomposed along two directions that are not parallel to one another ( in the example , the result is achieved because the projections are angularly spaced by 120 °; in fig8 , the arrows showing the thrusting action on the projections for locking the sleeve are indicated by the letter s ). the locking dowel thus succeeds completely in taking up any slack due to machining tolerances in the coupling between the sleeve 20 and the housing 22 . the lateral adjustment of the hinge is carried out as follows . the sleeve 20 is coaxial to the hinge pin 15 and it is integral therewith . the pin can rotate inside the lower hinge body 12 . action can be taken with a wrench in the hexagon - shaped seat in the blind hole 24 at the end of the sleeve 20 to make the sleeve rotate ( note that the sleeve cannot translate because it is attached to the pin , which is pivotally connected to the hinge body associated with the fixed door frame ). the particular shaping of the housing 22 ensures that the projections 20 b sliding along the walls of the housing induce a thrust sufficient to achieve a substantial translation of the housing , i . e . of the upper hinge body 11 , in the lateral adjustment direction z ( i . e . the direction parallel to the main plane of the door leaf ). fig8 shows the respective positions of the sleeve 20 and the upper hinge body 11 in position “ 0 ”, i . e . in the position of intermediate adjustment in which the three projections 20 a are in contact with their respective grooves on the inside walls of the housing 22 and the hinge body can still translate to the right or left of said position . fig9 shows the respective positions of the sleeve 20 and the upper hinge body 11 in position “ x ”, i . e . after maximal rightward displacement , where one projection 22 a abuts against the corresponding limit stop 22 c . note that the axis of the pin 15 has been displaced from position “ 0 ” to position “ x ” while sliding in the z direction ; the three projections 22 a are in a different position , but always abutting with the inside surface of the housing 22 . similarly , fig1 shows the respective positions of the sleeve 20 and the upper hinge body 11 in position “ y ”, i . e . of maximal leftwards displacement , where one projection 22 a abuts against the corresponding limit stop 22 c . note that the axis of the pin 15 has been displaced from position “ 0 ” to position “ y ” while sliding in the z direction ; here again , the three projections are in another different position , but always abutting with the inside surface of the housing 22 . fig1 schematically shows the mutual positions of the sleeve 20 and the upper hinge body 11 in any of the different intermediate positions in which they can be adjusted . once the upper hinge body 11 has been suitably positioned in relation to the sleeve 20 , the locking dowel 26 is tightened against the sleeve 20 , thus preventing any mutual movements of the sleeve and the housing and taking up the slack in the coupling between the two . finally , a small cap c 1 is fitted to cover the housing 22 . it should be noted that the respective positions of the sleeve and the housing can be adjusted continuously and not stepwise , so they can occupy any intermediate lateral hinge adjustment position . as mentioned previously , second adjustment means 18 are advantageously associated with the lower body 12 for adjusting the respective positions of said hinge bodies 11 and 12 in a direction substantially orthogonal to the plane of the door leaf (“ orthogonal adjustment ”), and third adjustment means 19 are associated therewith for the vertical adjustment of the hinge . the first lateral adjustment means 17 , the second orthogonal adjustment means 18 and the third vertical adjustment means 19 are substantially independent of one another . as shown in particular in fig4 , 6 and 7 , the second orthogonal adjustment means 18 comprise a cylindrical cavity 28 passing through the lower hinge body 12 along an axis parallel to the axis of the pin 15 . a sleeve 29 is housed in the cylindrical cavity 28 and is fitted with a flange 30 abutting against the upper end of the lower hinge body 12 the sleeve 29 is formed with a vertically - extending through hole 29 a , which in turn contains a bushing 31 — made of a self - lubricating plastic material , for instance — pivotally housing the lower part 15 b of the revolving pin 15 . the bushing 31 is eccentric with respect to the sleeve 29 . the eccentricity between the axis of the bushing 31 and pin 15 and the axis of the sleeve 29 is indicated by the letter e in fig1 . in this figure the axis of the bushing 31 and pin 15 , and the axis of the sleeve 29 lie on the same plane , which coincides with the direction “ z ”, i . e . a direction parallel to the plane of the corresponding door leaf ( when closed ) passing through the axis of the pin 15 . the lower opening 32 in the through hole 29 a of the sleeve 29 is in the shape of a hexagon to enable the rotation of the sleeve with the aid of a suitable wrench . the bushing 31 on which the pin 15 is supported and rotates is substantially integral with the sleeve 29 so that , when action is taken on the hexagon - shaped lower opening 32 , the bushing 31 is also rotated . with reference to the orthogonal adjustment of the hinge , fig1 shows the intermediate position of the hinge in which the eccentricity e is aligned with the direction z . from the intermediate position , a rotation of the sleeve induces an angular displacement of the eccentricity and a consequent revolution of the axis of the pin 15 on a circular path with a radius e . depending on the direction of rotation , the axis of the pin 15 may consequently come to be displaced forwards or backwards in a direction orthogonal to the direction z , i . e . it may be brought closer to or further away from the door frame . fig1 shows a clockwise rotation of the sleeve such that the pin 15 is displaced ( in z ′) from the direction z towards the door frame . fig1 shows an anticlockwise rotation of the sleeve such that the pin 15 is displaced ( in z ″) from the direction z away from the door frame . a screw 33 engages with the sleeve 29 through a counter - threaded through hole 34 in the side of the lower hinge body 12 . one end of the screw 33 is inserted in a semicircular groove 35 formed on the lateral surface of the sleeve 29 and abuts against the sleeve 29 to lock it in position and take up any slack on the coupling between the cylindrical cavity 28 and the sleeve 29 . the ends 36 of the groove 35 define the limits stops for the rotation of the sleeve and consequently the ends of stroke for the orthogonal adjustment of the hinge . there is a further semicircular groove 35 a on the sleeve 29 , symmetrical to the groove 35 in relation to a vertical plane , enabling the sleeve to be used for both rightward and leftward opening hinges . the internal lower portion 37 of the through hole 29 a in the sleeve 29 is threaded for coupling with a small counter - threaded cylinder 38 , with a blind backing plate 38 a that has a hexagonal shape to allow for the insertion of a suitable wrench . the bushing 31 , and therefore the pin 15 , rest on said small cylinder 38 . together , the small cylinder 38 and the internal lower portion 37 of the through hole 29 a constitute the above - mentioned third adjustment means of vertical hinge adjustment 19 . in fact , by acting on the small cylinder 38 , the bushing 31 with the pin 15 , and consequently also the upper hinge body 11 , is displaced upwards or downwards . once the orthogonal and vertical adjustments are carried out , a lower cap c 2 is inserted to cover the cylindrical cavity 28 . the hinge thus conceived enables the proposed objects of the invention to be achieved . in fact , this hinge structure enables the respective positions of the hinge bodies to be adjusted independently , thereby succeeding in completely taking up the slack due to manufacturing tolerances , entirely to the advantage of a greater durability of the hinge assembly . in particular , this hinge enables a lateral adjustment of the respective positions of the hinge bodies that is extremely precise ( because it is not stepwise ) and that is particularly effective in taking up the slack , this latter action taking place “ automatically ” with the locking of the hinge bodies in the required position . moreover , the range of adjustment is extremely precise thanks to the presence of limit stops on the adjustment elements , thereby any problems of erroneous hinge adjustments are avoided . it has to be pointed out that the terms “ upper ” and “ lower ”, “ right ” and “ left ”, as used in the present specification , are to be understood with reference to the corresponding sides of the drawings in which the hinge of the invention is shown . clearly , the hinge thus conceived may undergo numerous modifications and variants , all coming within the scope of the present invention ; moreover , all the components may be substituted with other , technically equivalent elements , without departing from the scope of the invention . in practical terms , any materials may be used , providing they are compatible with the intended use , and they may be of any shape and size , according to need and the state of the art . where the characteristics and techniques mentioned in any of the claims are followed by reference signs , these have been included merely as an example and for the sole purpose of facilitating the reading of the claims and they shall consequently not be construed to limit the interpretation of the element they identify . various modifications and alterations to the present invention may be appreciated based on a review of this disclosure . these changes and additions are intended to be within the scope and spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims .

an adjustable hinge comprising : a ) two hinge bodies for attaching respectively to a window or door frame and a window or door leaf ; b ) a revolving pin suitable for mutually articulating the hinge bodies ; c ) a member for adjusting shared positions of the hinge bodies in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of the pin . the adjustment member includes a sleeve , associated axially with the pin , defining an external lateral coupling surface with a corresponding housing defined in a first of the hinge bodies . the sleeve is pivotally engaged with the housing - such that , while remaining in relatively constant contact with the walls of the cavity during any rotation to change its position , it may occupy substantially any position required along a limited length of the perpendicular adjustment direction . a reversible locking member is also provided for locking the sleeve in positions it occupies inside the housing upon a thrusting action in a defined or selected locking direction . the sleeve has at least three distinct points of contact with the walls of the housing spaced angularly relative to one another . when the locking member is in action , at least two of the distinct points exert a thrusting force , in directions incident to one another , on respective points of the walls so as to accommodate for slack upon coupling between the sleeve and housing in directions generally incident to one another .

fig1 shows a prior art multilayer curtain coater of a slide hopper type as shown in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 508 , 947 . three separate coating liquids are delivered to a slide hopper 10 , ascend to associated exit slots 11 , and are deposited in a form of a layer on the individual associated inclined surfaces 13 . under the effect of gravity , the individual layers flow down the associated surfaces 13 , flow over one another and to the coating edge 15 where a free - falling curtain 12 of the three distinct layers is formed . the free - falling curtain 12 thus formed drops over a height &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; and impinges onto a continuously advancing web 18 to form the layers thereon . it is to be understood that the free - falling curtain can comprise photographic coating compositions or any other suitable coating liquid compositions for forming layers on a support or object . after the line where the multilayer curtain 12 impinges web 18 , the web 18 is preferably guided onto and around a coating roller 20 . the width of coating roller 20 can be narrower or wider than the width of the web 18 being guided around it , as is well known in the art . the coating roller 20 is mounted on a shaft 19 and can , but not necessarily , be driven by a motor which is not shown . the free - falling liquid curtain 12 is guided in its free fall at its edges by two edge guides 14 disposed behind each other in fig1 of which only the rear edge guide 14 is shown . the edge guides 14 are vertically arranged and act to hold the edges and stabilize the free - falling curtain before the curtain 12 impinges on the web 18 . the edge guides 14 are spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the web 18 to be coated , as may be seen in fig3 . fig1 shows how a prior art start - up deflector 16 , 22 can be pivoted into place from the non - engaging position 22 with the curtain 12 to the engaging position 16 to intercept the free - falling curtain 12 . in engaging position 16 , the coating liquids from the free - falling curtain 12 flow down the sloping surface of the start - up deflector and into a catch pan 24 . after the free - falling curtain 12 has been stabilized , and the web support 18 brought up to the proper coating speed , the curtain start - up deflector 16 , 22 is retracted into the non - engaging position 22 until the free - falling curtain 12 impinges on the moving web 18 supported by coating roller 20 . the curtain deflector 16 , 22 is retracted in a direction which is both upwards and either opposite or in the direction of travel of moving web 18 , depending on its position 21 or 23 relative to curtain 12 . the start - up deflector 16 , 22 usually is positioned as close as possible to the coating roller 20 giving due consideration to the downward inclination of the deflector in position 16 and the orientation of container 24 . practical considerations limit the downward inclination angle of the deflector 16 shown in fig1 to an angle of from 10 ° to 35 ° relative to horizontal . at angles in this range , the coating liquids will tend to accumulate and form a puddle in the area where the free - falling curtain 12 impinges the deflector 16 , 22 surface . for inclination angles less than 10 °, the puddling and splashing generated by the curtain liquid impinging on deflector 16 surface is so severe that the free - falling curtain 12 cannot be allowed to fall on the catch pan 24 for more than one to two seconds or else spillage will occur . also , when the fig1 deflector 16 is retracted to the non - engaging position 22 during start - up , the inertia of the liquid on the retracting deflector 16 , 22 will cause the liquid to be partially spilled onto the moving web 18 . another problem with the curtain coater illustrated in fig1 is that when the curtain deflector 16 , 22 is disposed in position 21 and is retracted in a direction opposite to the direction of web 18 travel , the free - falling curtain 12 will be deposited on the web 18 prior to the coating application zone . the pre - coating of the web 18 on start - up results in additional excess coating liquid on the web 18 at start - up and adversely affects the coating at the normal coating zone . the presence of such pre - coating results in an inability for the curtain 12 to uniformly wet the web 18 and causes air entrainment between the coating layer and the prewetted web 18 , which shows up as a coating defect commonly referred to as &# 34 ; wetting failure &# 34 ;. fig2 illustrates a prior art catch pan 30 disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 851 , 268 that retains excess coating liquids which could not be satisfactorily retained by the deflector 16 , 22 of fig1 . an exemplary arrangement of the known catch pan 30 comprises a primary lip 32 and a secondary lip 44 which are attached to the trailing end of catch pan 30 . the required height &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; of primary lip 32 depends on parameters such as ( 1 ) the speed of retraction of catch pan 30 , ( 2 ) the volume of accumulated excess coating liquids , ( 3 ) the angle of inclination &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; of the pan , ( 4 ) the flow rate of the curtain liquids , and ( 5 ) the length of time the curtain 12 is allowed to impinge onto the catch pan 30 surface . the required height of the primary lip 32 can be reduced by including a lip extension 34 inclined at an angle &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; to lip 32 as illustrated in fig2 . the primary lip 32 retains the excess coating liquid illustrated as puddling liquid 36 results from the free - falling curtain 12 impinging on the catch pan 30 . catch pan 30 during the start - up process is positioned in close proximity to the moving web 18 , supported by coating roller 20 , and is retracted in the same direction as the moving web 18 as noted by the direction of arrow 40 . before the retraction of catch pan 30 is started , the point of impingement of the falling curtain 12 onto the catch pan 30 is positioned a predetermined distance from primary lip 32 . this distance depends on the time it takes for the catch pan 30 to accelerate to a constant retraction speed . as the catch pan 30 is retracted during start - up , the puddling area 36 is moving towards primary lip 32 , and primary lip 32 acts to restrain puddle 36 from being deposited on moving web 18 . continued retraction of the catch pan 30 will eventually cause the primary lip 32 to interrupt falling curtain 12 while the catch pan 30 still completely contains puddle area 36 . continued retraction of the catch pan 30 creates a second source of excess coating liquids to be contained by the catch pan 30 . more particularly , when primary lip 32 penetrates the free - falling curtain 12 , further retraction of pan causes the falling curtain 12 to attach to primary lip 32 causing the falling curtain 12 to pull away from its vertical position . eventually the curtain 12 breaks and the extended curtain 12 liquids are deposited on the catch pan 30 as a heavy puddle in pan extension area 42 of catch pan 30 . the height of secondary lip 44 is less than primary lip 32 since it needs only retain the extended curtain material . preferably , the height &# 34 ; f &# 34 ; of secondary lip 44 should be as small as possible since this secondary lip 44 also tends to create a second curtain extension . the length &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; of pan extension 42 , and height &# 34 ; f &# 34 ; of secondary lip 44 will depend on the speed at which catch pan 30 is retracted during start - up . these dimensions also depend on the time it takes for the extended curtain to release from primary lip 32 . because of its configuration , the catch pan 30 can be kept in close proximity to the moving web 18 so as to avoid any additional excess coating liquids associated with a second curtain extension by secondary lip 44 as the catch pan 30 is completely retracted . although the catch pan 30 configuration shown in fig2 overcomes most of the problems of start - up deflector 16 , 22 of fig1 the configuration of catch pan 30 of fig2 does not sufficiently control the liquids adjacent to the edge guides 14 during retraction or extension of catch pan 30 through the free falling curtain 12 . supplemental complex vacuum systems located on the upper side edges of the catch pan 30 were found to be ineffective to sufficiently control the liquids adjacent the edge guides 14 . therefore , a problem still remained to provide a simple and efficient technique for removing liquids from adjacent the edges guides 14 during start - up and shut - down of the coating operation and prevent spillage onto the web 18 or coating roller 20 . referring now to fig3 there is shown a catch pan 30 - 1 in accordance with the present invention which is used with a portion of the curtain coater of fig1 . catch pan 30 - 1 provides an effective way to strip the liquids from the edge guides in accordance with the present invention . as shown in fig3 a curtain 12 of a liquid is falling between opposing edge guides 14 onto a web 18 moving in a direction 40 around a roller 20 . the catch pan 30 - 1 is shown positioned in a non - engaging position to allow the free - falling curtain 12 to impinge web 18 and achieve the coating of web 18 . catch pan 30 - 1 includes the primary and secondary lip 32 and 44 shown in fig2 and also comprises a resiliently flexible means hereinafter referred to as a first and a second thin flexible shim 50 that are shown as extending laterally out from the upper edges of opposing sides 52 of catch pan 30 - 1 in accordance with the present invention . shims 50 comprise a thin flexible material and are arranged outward from sides 52 to engage the inboard portion of edge guides 14 and deflect upward to strip the edge guide liquids when catch pan 30 - 1 is disposed to intercept curtain 12 during start - up or shut - down of the coating process . additionally , the shims 50 extend along a major portion of the sides 52 to cover at least the distance from adjacent the secondary lip 44 to slightly beyond the area where curtain 12 flows into catch pan 30 - 1 when catch pan 30 - 1 is fully inserted during shut - down . the catch pan 30 - 1 is moved back and forth by , for example , pneumatic or electric actuation using a retraction means 54 . shims 50 can comprise any thin resilient flexible suitable material such as , for example , a plastic material with exemplary thicknesses of 0 . 003 to 0 . 010 inches or metallic material such as stainless steel with , for example , a 0 . 002 inch thickness . shims 50 extend outwards from sides 52 of catch pan 30 - 1 a distance which exceeds the distance between catch pan 30 - 1 and edge guide 14 by , for example , 0 . 5 inches of other suitable dimension . it is preferable that the leading and trailing edges of shims 50 be angled or curved away from the edge 52 of catch pan 30 - 1 at angles which are not so great that the shims snag on the edge guides during relative movement of the pan and edge guides but , also , are not so small that the leading and trailing edges are so long as to make the catch pan 30 - 1 undesirably long . in one embodiment of the present invention , in which the shims are formed of polyester with 5 mil thickness , the angles are 30 °. the shims 50 are forced against , and deform around , the associated edge guide 14 by movement of the catch pan 30 - 1 as is shown in fig4 a , 4b and 4c , and 5a , 5b and 5c . the shims 50 are designed to minimize web and coating roller contamination by stripping liquids from the edge guides 14 and directing these liquids into the catch pan 30 - 1 during start - up and shut - down of the coating process . fig4 a , 4b and 4c , and 5a , 5b and 5c , illustrate corresponding top and front views , respectively , of three stages of the operation of shims 50 as catch pan 30 - 1 is moved to intercept curtain 12 during shut - down of the coating operation . in fig4 a and 5a , catch pan 30 - 1 is being moved towards edge guides 14 to intercept the curtain 12 . at this stage , shim 50 is extending out from catch pan edge 52 by a predetermined amount that exceeds the normal distance between catch pan edge 52 and edge guide 14 . in fig4 b and 5b , catch pan 30 - 1 has moved adjacent edge guide 14 to begin intercepting curtain 12 . at this stage , shim 50 has engaged edge guide 14 and is being flexed upward along a portion of its length . the curtain coating liquids adjacent to the edge guide 14 are now being directed down the upwardly flexed shim portion and into catch pan 30 - 1 . in fig4 c and 5c , the catch pan 30 - 1 has moved sufficiently to cause shim 50 to be flexed upward along its entire length while engaging the edge guide 14 . it is to be understood that both similar and opposite sequences occur when the catch pan 30 - 1 is moved in similar and opposite directions compared to fig4 a , 4b and 4c , and 5a , 5b and 5c , prior to and during start - up of the coating process . it is to be understood that contact of the edge guides 14 with a thick ( e . g ., greater than an exemplary 0 . 0075 inches ) plastic shim 50 material was found to cause liquids to accumulate along the top edge of the shim 50 and eventually flow onto the backside of the edge guide 14 . since cleaning of the edge guides 14 after the coating start is not practical , the liquids would eventually drip from the edging equipment and contaminate the product . the thin shims 50 were found to be very effective for stripping the liquids from the edge guides 14 . however , the stripping of the liquids was found to cause the non - water flushed portions of the edge guides 14 to dry out , making reformation of curtain 12 difficult . failure of the curtain 12 to reform upon removal of the shims 50 is unacceptable , due to excess coating thickness which results from coating of the &# 34 ; narrow &# 34 ; curtain . the impact of drying the edge guide 14 surface during the coating start - up sequence can be minimized by ( 1 ) increasing the edge guide water flush flow rate ; ( 2 ) starting curtain reformation as soon as possible during the start - up sequence ; ( 3 ) contacting the edge guide 14 as low as possible with the shim 50 material ; and ( 4 ) minimizing the time of contact of the shim 50 with the edge guide 14 . although the first item above enhances edge guide wetting , it also increases the likelihood of web 18 or coating roller 20 contamination by edge guide water prior to the start of coating . the start of curtain reformation on the protected section of the edge guides is controllable by the geometry of the shims 50 added to the sides 52 of catch pan 30 - 1 . in addition to the criteria described above for determining the angling and / or curvature of the edges of the shims , the angling and / or curvature should also be such that edge guide wetting should be simultaneously with formation of the curtain wetting line on the web . in this way the curtain 12 rewets the edge guide 14 just prior to the start of coating . the shape of the leading and trailing edges of each of the shims 50 serve to effectively and smoothly vary the force of the shims 50 on the first and second edge guides 14 . the rewetting of edge guide 14 occurs once the shim 50 fails to contact the edge guide 14 , and results in a full width curtain wetting line at the start which minimizes excess density at the edges of the coating start . the concern of edge guide 14 rewetting at the start of coating increases as the flow rate of the curtain 12 is reduced . limited data suggests that curtains 12 of a flow rate less than 6 pounds / minute per foot of width may be plagued by this concern . to minimize this problem , the height of the curtain 12 interception along the edge guide 14 should be minimized to utilize the momentum of the curtain 12 to aid edge guide rewetting . in addition , minimization of the time ( less than 1 - 2 seconds ) of the stripping of the liquids from the edge guides 14 reduces the likelihood of excessive edge guide drying and the resultant edge guide rewetting concerns . additionally , the shims 50 are flushed by the edge guide 14 water stripped from the edge guides , which prevents liquids from collecting on the shims 50 and contaminating the edge guides 14 . standing waves in the curtain 12 have not been observed as a result of contact of the edge guides 14 with the shims 50 or associated edge guide contamination . referring now to fig6 there is shown a catch pan 30 / 2 in accordance with the present invention , intended for inboard edging , that is , the width of the coating is less than the width of the web , and , for this purpose , the edge guides are spaced apart a distance less than the width of the web . the catch pan 30 - 2 can be used to prevent liquids adjacent to an edge guide , which may not be stripped by shims 50 , from contaminating the web 18 prior to the start of the coating process . catch pan 30 - 2 is very similar to catch pan 30 - 1 of fig3 and comprises shims 50 , as described hereinabove , and , in addition , an optional extension means 56 , shown by dashed lines , which is attached to , and projects outward from , for example , the bottom edge of each of sides 52 of catch pan 30 - 2 . such extension means 56 can comprise a plastic or metallic material which is preferably thicker than shims 50 , and can have some flexibility to avoid damaging web 18 and coating roller 20 . the extensions means 56 is positioned for movement beneath the associated edge guide 14 during the retraction and insertion of catch pan 30 - 2 with curtain 12 . extension means 56 has a predetermined thickness , of , for example , 0 . 020 inches , to possess sufficient flexibility to minimize damage to the web 18 , coating roller 20 , and / or edge guides 14 due to a collision during movement of catch pan 30 - 2 . such extension means 56 catch any remaining liquid which are not stripped from the edge guides 14 by the shims 50 , such as wetting solution moving either down the outer surface of edge guides 14 beyond the area of shims 50 or out from an inboard slot along the length of hollow edge guides 14 and leak from that slot below shims 50 , and thereby prevent contamination of the web 18 or roller 20 by such liquids . it is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are intended merely to be illustrative of the spirit and scope of the invention . modifications can readily be made by those skilled in the art consistent with the principles of this invention . for example , a catch pan for removing edge guide liquids and preventing contamination of the support 18 during start - up and shut - down can be provided to any other suitable catch pan configuration as , for example , a flat catch pan without primary and secondary lips 32 and 44 of fig2 .

a novel method and apparatus is disclosed for the coating of a support or moving web using curtain coaters during the start - up and shut - down of a free falling liquid curtain . the apparatus is typically a catch pan positioned between a first and second edge guide and in close proximity to a support . the catch pan includes a main catch pan surface and first and second opposing sides each having a shim projecting out along the upper edge thereof and into contact with the first and second edge guides , respectively . each shim strips liquids from the adjacent edge guide , and then directs such liquids onto the catch pan surface during start - up and shut - down without the deposition of excess liquids on the support , web , or coating roller . means are provided for retracting the catch pan and controlling the falling curtain during start - up , and for inserting the catch pan for intercepting the falling curtain during shut - down .

spherules of enhanced product quality containing mixtures of uranium , plutonium , thorium , and mixtures thereof are derived by control of the crystallite size of the phases therein by heat treatment of the hmta - urea feed solution to be used in the formation of the spherules . the product spherules are suitable for formation of nuclear - reactor fuels capable of being directly loaded into fuel elements by vibration - packed or gel - derived - pellet technologies . preferably , it has been found that high density spherules with small crystallites make the best vibra - packed fuel forms and that moderate density spherules with large crystallites make the best gel - derived - pellet fuel forms . the method of the present invention is directed to the optimization of crystallite growth in mixed - fuel spherules of nuclear - reactor fuels and is effected by heat treating the concentrated hmta - urea feed solutions . basically , three steps are combined in the heat - treating procedure . the first step comprises heating the feed solution to boiling , i . e ., about 104 ° c ., within about thirty minutes . the second step comprises maintaining this boiling temperature for a sufficient duration without causing excessive urea decomposition . heating the solution to a temperature less than boiling will not provide the desired control of the crystallite size . the third step comprises cooling the boiled solution from boiling down to about ambient temperature . preferably , the heating step takes place within about thirty minutes so that the solution is taken very rapidly from about ambient temperature to boiling . typically , the duration at which the solution then boils will vary according to the desired end use of the product spherules and will normally be in the range of about 0 to 60 additional minutes yielding a total heating and boiling duration of about 30 to 90 minutes . the shorter durations are preferred for denser spherule formation , hence , the vibra - packed fuels , while the longer durations are preferred for the moderately dense spherules . total durations for heating and boiling of much below about 30 minutes accomplish little or no benefit and total durations in excess of about 90 minutes are unnecessary to cause the desired effect and may result in excessive urea decomposition . the third step of the heat - treating procedure comprises cooling the resultant solution in about 30 to 40 minutes to approximately ambient temperature , i . e ., 25 ° c .± 5 ° c . before mixing with the metal solution . it has been found that the heat - treatment , or boiling - cooling procedure , of this invention significantly and beneficially effects the control of the crystallite size of the phase or phases present in the resultant air - dried spherules . for example , crystallites of about 1200 å to 3000 å may be derived in urania - plutonia spherules ( pu / u + pu = 0 . 25 ), by simply heating and boiling the hmta - urea feed solution for about 90 minutes . the resultant spherules have been found to have a tap density of about 0 . 92 g / cc and are especially suited for forming gel - derived pellets of about 93 to 95 % theoretical density . micrographic examination of such pellets have revealed good - quality ceramic pellets characterized by the absence of visible voids and defects or structural remnants of the spherules . in comparison , urania - plutonia spherules prepared without heat treatment of the hmta - urea feed solution have been found to be characterized by crystallites within the range of about 500 å to 1400 å and by high tap densities of about 1 . 31 g / cc . pellets prepared from these denser spherules were of about 84 % theoretical density . since 88 % theoretical density is considered to be the absolute minimum density for loadable fuel pellets for nuclear - reactor applications , heat - treated spherules prepared herein are more suitable for making gel - derived - pellet fuel forms . in a series of experiments , the effect of heat treatment on hmta - urea feed solutions provided to an internal gelation process was evaluated . spherules were tailored within a range of hmta - urea preparations to establish the relationship between duration and extent of heat treatment as well as ultimate calcined pellet density . the first experiment was designated a control test wherein the hmta - urea feed solution was not heat - treated prior to deployment in spherule forming operations of the aforementioned copending patent application of assignee . the prepared spherules were found to have a tap density of about 1 . 29 ± 0 . 02 g / cc after air drying at 110 ° c . electron micrographs of specimens of these high - density spherules revealed a large population of crystallites within the size range of about 500 å to 1400 å with a maximum urania crystallite size of about 1500 å . sintered pellets prepared from these spherules were not of good ceramic quality and were only of about 83 . 7 % theoretical density . micrographic examination of sections of these pellets revealed structural remnants of the pressed spherules which is undesirable . in a second experiment , the hmta - urea feed solution was heated to boiling ( 104 ° c .) in about thirty minutes but not maintained at that temperature for any duration . the prepared spherules were of about 1 . 24 g / cc tap density . thus , little difference can be effected in spherule density by heat treatment of the feed solution without sustained boiling . in each subsequent experiment , a 500 ml solution of 3 . 2m hmta and 3 . 2m urea was heat treated under reflux conditions to the solution boiling point of about 104 ° c . for varying periods of measured time within the range of about 30 to 90 minutes and then rapidly cooled to about ambient temperature in about 30 minutes . a standard heat - up time of about thirty minutes to boiling was applied in each experiment so that only the actual time of boiling was varied . thereafter , each hmta - urea feed solution was combined with a solution containing a metal selected from the group consisting of uranium , plutonium , thorium , or mixtures thereof . the results of boiling durations as a function of sphere density are graphically depicted in the figure of the drawing . as demonstrated in the figure , the effect of heat treatment produces an almost linear function in spherule tap density with more boiling time producing spherules of lower densities . when the feed solution was heat treated for about 40 minutes , the product spherules were found to have a tap density of about 1 . 04 g / cc which is much below that found in the first and second tests with no or only minimal heat treatment . electron micrographs of these spherules revealed a large population of crystallites within the size range of about 1200 å to 3000 å with a maximum urania crystallite size of about 3000 å . sintered pellets prepared from these spherules appeared to be of good ceramic quality and of about 95 . 4 % theoretical density . visual examination of the microstructures of these pellets revealed no voids or defects and the complete absence of structural remnants from the pressed spherules . from the foregoing , it can readily be concluded that tap density of air - dried spherules to be used in the manufacture of nuclear - reactor fuels may be varied within the range of about 1 . 31 to 0 . 92 g / cc by heat treating the hmta - urea feed solution for a duration in the range of about 30 minutes to 90 minutes , respectively . by varying spherule tap densities within this range , the ultimate quality of the nuclear - reactor fuel form may be effectively determined . in addition to a better understanding of the reasons for variant product qualities heretofore encountered in the art , the method of the present invention has the added advantages of providing greater process flexibility to the method described in the aforementioned copending application including the probability for commercial production of high plutonium content mixed fuels ( pu / u + pu = 0 . 35 ) in pellet form , a highly tolerant system for nh 4 no 3 present in nuclear fuel reprocessing streams which formerly required pretreatment for removal , and a simplified system with minimal reagent requirements for processing or waste treatment .

improved spherules for making enhanced forms of nuclear - reactor fuels are prepared by internal gelation procedures within a sol - gel operation and are accomplished by first boiling the concentrated hmta - urea feed solution before engaging in the spherule - forming operation thereby effectively controlling crystallite size in the product spherules .

the present invention represents broadly applicable improvements to chemically inert fluid controls . the embodiments detailed herein are intended to be taken as representative or exemplary of those in which the improvements of the invention may be incorporated and are not intended to be limiting . referring first to fig1 the fluid control module is generally identified by numeral 10 . the fluid control module 10 generally includes a rectangular housing consisting of a housing body 12 and housing cover 14 , mounting plate 16 , pressure inlet / outlet fittings 18 , pressure transducers 20 and control valve 22 . the housing body 12 and housing cover 14 are preferably manufactured from a chemically - inert , non - contaminating polymer such as polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ). the cover 14 has bores 24 extending through it for mounting the cover 14 to the housing 12 with appropriate screws . a gasket of known suitable construction is preferably positioned between the cover and housing to allow the cover 14 to be sealed to the housing 12 . without any limitation intended , a gasket or seal manufactured from a multi - layer fabric , sold under the gor - tex trademark by w . l . gore & amp ; assoc ., inc ., allows venting of an internal area of the housing 12 for true atmospheric pressure reference , while restricting the flow of liquids into the internal area of the housing 12 . a longitudinal bore 28 extends through the housing 12 forming a conduit . thus , when the fluid control module 10 is connected in - line with a fluid flow circuit , via pressure fittings 18 , the bore 28 serves as the fluid flow passage within the fluid flow circuit . the orientation of the fluid control module 10 , within the fluid flow circuit , may be reversed without affecting its effectiveness . a constricting area 30 is formed in the bore 28 between the two pressure sensors 20 to create a pressure drop as the fluid flow traverses the constricting area or orifice 30 . in the preferred embodiment , cylindrical cavities 32 extend from an outer surface of the housing 12 to the bore 28 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that cavities 32 may each extend into the housing from different sidewalls of the housing . the two cavities 32 are separated a predetermined distance by dividing wall 34 . near the region within the housing where each cavities 32 and bore 28 intersect , an annular lip 36 is formed . each lip 36 surrounds and further defines the opening to each cavity 32 from the bore 28 . a thin flexible polymer disk or isolation membrane 38 is positioned on the lip 36 of each cavity 32 . without limitation , the membrane is preferably constructed to have a thickness in a range between 0 . 001 and 0 . 040 inches . preferably , the flexible membrane 38 is manufactured from fluorocarbon polymers . one such tetrafluoroethylene fluorocarbon polymer is sold under the teflon trademark by e . i . dupont nemours . alternatively , the isolation member 38 may be molded integral with the housing 12 to form a thin wall separating the cavity 32 and bore 28 . each pressure transducer 20 is held in place within their respective cavities 32 by spacer ring 48 and externally threaded hold down ring 50 . the isolation membranes 38 and transducers 20 are sealed within the housing 12 by chemically inert o - ring seals 52 . a redundant seal is created by the positioning of o - ring 54 . the seals 52 and 54 are readily available and of known construction to those skilled in the art . a drain or conduit 40 may be formed extending through the housing 12 into each cavity 32 between the redundant seals 52 and 54 , thereby draining the area between the redundant seals . in this manner , the drain acts as a drainage , passageway or outlet , in the event that fluids leak past seal 52 from the fluid flow circuit . a sensor 42 may be positioned within the drain 40 and electrically connected ( by leads not shown ) to integrated circuit or controller 46 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that a conductive sensor , capacitive sensor or non - electric fiber optic sensor may equally be used to sense the presence of fluids in the drain 40 . when fluid leaks past the first seal , the fluid activates the sensor 42 , thereby transmitting a signal to the electric circuit 46 which subsequently sets off a leak indicator . the redundant sealing arrangement helps prevent exposure of the pressure transducer 20 and controller 46 from the potential damaging affects of the caustic fluids . the redundant seal also further isolates the fluid flow , thereby reducing the potential contamination of the fluids . each pressure sensor 20 may be of a capacitance type or piezoresistive type known to those skilled in the art . the base of each pressure sensor is in direct contact with the membrane 38 and may be either in pressure contact with or bonded to the membrane by an adhesive , thermal welding or by other known suitable fixation . in an alternate embodiment , an alumina ceramic pressure sensor may be used , wherein the alumina ceramic pressure sensor comprises a thin , generally compliant ceramic sheet having an insulating spacer ring sandwiched between a thicker , non - compliant ceramic sheet . the first thin ceramic sheet or diaphragm is approximately 0 . 005 to 0 . 050 inches in thickness with a typical thickness of 0 . 020 inches . the thicker ceramic sheet has a thickness range between 0 . 100 to 0 . 400 inches . the spacer ring may be constructed of a suitable material such as a glass , polymer or alternatively the ceramic sheets may be brazed together . the opposed faces of ceramic disks are metalized by metals such as gold , nickel or chrome to create plates of a capacitor . a similar capacitive pressure transducer is described by bell et al . in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 177 , 496 ( the &# 39 ; 496 patent ). other capacitive pressure transducers similar to that described in the &# 39 ; 496 patent are available and known in the art . it is contemplated that the flexible membrane 38 could be eliminated if the pressure sensor used is of the sapphire capacitive pressure transducer type . a sapphire capacitive or sapphire piezoresistive transducer type is inert , and is resistant to wear when subjected to caustic fluids . having a sapphire sensor in direct communication with the fluid flow may further enhance the pressure measurements of each transducer . the controller 46 may be in any of several forms including a dedicated state device or a microprocessor with code , and may include read only memory ( rom ) for storing programs to be executed by the controller and random access memory ( ram ) for storing operands used in carrying out the computations by the controller . the controller 46 is electrically coupled to a power supply and manipulates the electrical circuitry for sensing pressure and controlling the actuation of the control valve , wherein flow , pressure and / or volume may be controlled . the controller 46 is used to convert the pressure readings from the two pressure transducers 42 and 44 to an analog or digital representation of flow or , alternatively , a pressure reading of the downstream pressure transducer . the raw analog signal from the upstream transducer is supplied to an input terminal and , likewise , the raw analog transducer output signal from the downstream transducer is supplied to an input terminal . the controller 46 computes the instantaneous pressure differences being picked up by the upstream and downstream transducers and performs any necessary zeroing adjustments and scaling . it is known that , in steady - state flow , the flow rate is the same at any point . the flow rate ( i ) may be expressed as i m = ρva . where ρ represents the density of the fluid , v represents the velocity of the fluid , and a represents the area through which the fluid travels . using the continuity equation a 1 v 1 = a 2 v 2 , the rate of flow within the fluid control module 10 may be found equal to a constant multiplied by { square root }{ square root over ( p 1 − p )} 2 . the controller 46 thus computes the pressure and rate of flow from the data received from the two pressure sensors . those skilled in the art will recognize that with laminar flow , the rate of flow approximates more closely a constant multiplied by p 1 − p 2 . hence , a low flow limit could be built into the system , such that if the “ reynolds number ” is below a certain threshold , the flow meter identifies the flow rate as zero . the controller 46 may then convert the computed rate of flow into a digital signal or an analog signal falling in the range of from 4 ma to 20 ma for use by existing control systems . as fluid flows through the flow circuit , the pressure adjacent each of the two cavities is detected by the controller 46 , whereby the rate of flow may be calculated from the two detected pressures . the gauge pressure or absolute pressure may equally be used . those skilled in the art will recognize that the flow rate may be calibrated so that minimum desired output values are associated with minimum pressure and maximum desired output pressures are associated with maximum pressure . for example , a pressure sensor intended to measure 0 to 100 psig ( pounds per square inch gauge ) can be calibrated to read 4 ma ( milliamps ) at 0 psig and 20 ma at 100 psig . the conduit 28 interconnects with the control valve 22 , wherein a valve seat 60 is formed within the fluid conduit . a double diaphragm 62 is actuated fore and aft , wherein when the diaphragm is actuated into engagement with the valve seat 60 , fluid flow past the valve seat is terminated . alternatively , a single diaphragm may be utilized to control the flow of fluid past the valve seat 60 ( see fig2 ). those skilled in the art will appreciate that the double diaphragm 62 is unaffected by changes in atmospheric pressure . the driver 66 shown in fig1 used to actuate the diaphragm 62 is of the electric motor type . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the actuation of the valve between the open and closed position may be accomplished with any of several mechanical electrical or pneumatic drivers of known suitable construction . further , without limitation , the mechanism for opening and closing flow may comprise for example , a diaphragm , poppet , weir valve , or pinch valve with the diaphragm and valve seat being preferred . [ 0040 ] fig3 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the driver 66 being of the pneumatic type . a piston 68 is sealed within a sealed chamber 70 , wherein the mechanical force of a compression spring 72 forces the piston 68 in a downward or first direction and a pressurized air line 74 increases the pressure on the lower end 76 of the piston to force the piston 68 upward thereby compressing the spring 72 . in this manner , the air pressure within the chamber 70 may be increased or decreased a controlled amount to actuate the piston 68 and thus the diaphragm 64 attached to the piston 68 between an open and closed position . the lower end of the diaphragm 64 may include a conical member 78 extending therefrom which may enhance the sealing between the valve seat 60 and the diaphragm 64 ( see fig4 ). alternatively , a valve stem 80 extending from the piston 68 may extend through the chamber wall 82 through a bore 82 having a seal 84 to seal the air chamber 70 and provide for fore and aft motion of the valve stem 80 within the bore 82 ( see fig5 ). the lower end 86 of the valve stem 80 seals directly with the valve seat 60 when in the closed position . the lower end 86 may be tapered to further enhance the sealing between the valve stem 80 and the valve seat 60 when in the closed position ( see fig6 ). referring to fig7 and 8 alternate embodiments of the fluid control module 10 are shown having a single pressure sensor for determining flow rates within the fluid flow conduit . the control valve 22 shown in fig7 is pneumatically driven as described above in greater detail . the control valve 22 shown in fig8 is actuated by the motor 66 as described above in greater detail . when determining flow rates with the fluid control module of the type shown in fig7 and 8 , the orifice 30 must be downstream of the pressure sensor 20 and control valve 22 and the output end 90 of the fluid control module 10 must be connected to a conduit , tubing , void , or other pathway wherein the pressure therein is at atmospheric pressure ( a known constant ). in this manner the flow rate may be determined as described above , wherein the pressure p on the downstream side of the orifice is a constant . additionally , a tubing of known length and diameter may be coupled to the output end 90 of the fluid control module 10 , whereby the pressure difference between the pressure at the output end 90 and the pressure within the tubing is constant . in use , the tubing may be filled with fluid and then the control valve 22 may be shut . the pressure sensor is then calibrated to indicate zero pressure . when the control valve is opened , then the pressure sensor will indicate the change in pressure . having described the constructional features of the present invention the mode of use in conjunction with fig9 will next be described . the controller 46 either automatically or when prompted by the user calibrates the pressure sensors 20 and control valve 22 ( see block 100 ). during the calibration process , the controller creates and stores in memory values corresponding to valve position , flow rate and internal and external pressure for predetermined set points . once the valve position , flow and pressure are known for desired set points , the controller may automatically set the valve position based on determined flow pressure or demand by the external process . alternatively , the user may select a desired set point and the controller adjusts the valve position based on measured pressure and flow rates ( see block 102 ). the controller then determines whether it is desired to control pressure ( see decision block 104 ). if pressure is to be controlled , the controller monitors the pressure and / or flow rate and adjusts the valve to keep the pressure at a controlled amount ( see block 106 ). if it is not desired to control pressure , the controller then determines whether it is desired to control flow ( see decision block 108 ). if flow is to be controlled , the controller monitors pressure and / or flow and adjusts the valve to keep the flow rate at a controlled amount ( see block 110 ). the control may include a macro and micro adjust of the control valve , wherein the controller stores values associated with flow rate , pressure , temperature and valve position for the set points . when the flow , for example , is controlled the controller adjusts the valve to roughly approximate the valve position for prior measured pressure temperature and valve position for the desired flow ( the macro adjust ). thus , the flow rate may be approximated rather quickly and then the control may make minor adjustments to the valve position to obtain an even more precise control of flow ( see block 112 ). if volume is to be controlled ( see decision block 114 ) then the flow rate and pressure are monitored and the valve is opened for a time sufficient to allow the controlled volume of fluid to pass past the control valve 22 ( see block 116 ). if neither the pressure , flow or volume is to be controlled then the controller waits to receive input ( see loop 118 and block 102 ). during fluid processing , the controller 46 may automatically re - zero or calibrate the pressure sensors when the control valve 22 is closed ( see block 120 ). alternatively , a second dedicated valve may be provided which is operable in either an open or closed position . the controller may be programmed to re - zero the pressure sensors when the second dedicated valve is in the closed position . during processing , the pressure within the flow conduit may undergo significant changes , thereby requiring changes in the valve position to keep the flow rate , for example , constant ( see block 122 ). the controller 46 waits to receive the next input ( see loop 124 and block 102 ). thus , the control module of the present invention eliminates the additional components and disadvantages of interconnecting individual pressure sensors and individual control valves . this invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required . however , it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different equipment and devices , and that various modifications , both as to the equipment and operating procedures , can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself .

a fluid control module that may be connected in - line within a chemically corrosive or ultra pure fluid flow circuit that delivers fluids in either a liquid or gaseous state . the fluid control module of the present invention may be utilized to control the flow , pressure or volume of fluid flowing through the fluid flow circuit and is capable of automatically adjusting or “ calibrating ” the module to compensate for changes in atmospheric pressure or drift in the pressure sensors of the fluid control module . the fluid control module also includes a rapid or macro adjustment of the control valve to reach the desired flow rate at a quicker pace .

the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawing figures wherein like numerals represent like elements throughout . referring initially to fig1 , there is shown a message listing 10 . wireless devices are typically synchronized with a network so that the devices know to wake up at predetermined periods and check to see if there are any messages for them . to conserve battery , it is preferable for wireless devices to not only be asleep between the predetermined periods , but also to spend as little time as possible determining whether there is a message for them . wireless devices typically determine whether they are the intended recipient of a message by checking a message listing . message listings of the prior art include not only a plurality of identifiers indicative of the destination of each message contained in the listing as well as a count of the number of messages therein , but also the messages themselves . including the messages themselves in the message listing increases the time which wireless devices must remain awake while determining whether a message listing includes a message for them . for example , where a message listing includes 10 messages listed in increasing order of destination identifiers and there are messages for devices one through four , a wireless device having a device identifier “ 5 ” must stay awake for not only the first four message identifiers , but also the first four messages themselves . once device “ 5 ” receives its message it may go back asleep until the next message listing is received , which as mentioned , occurs at predetermined intervals . to decrease the time which devices must remain awake while determining whether particular message listings include a message for them , the present invention arranges message listings as shown in fig1 , 2 and 6 . those message listings may be modified as desired / needed to maximize the message determination process without departing from the scope of the present invention . referring initially to fig1 a first embodiment of a message listing 10 in accordance with the present invention is shown . the message listing 10 includes a count of the number of destination identifiers included in the message listing and is provided at the beginning of the message listing 10 . in this embodiment , the count is indicated with reference numeral 12 and is entitled “ count of identifiers listed .” the destination identifiers 1 - n , referred to generally with reference numeral 14 , are listed in increasing numeric order . each destination identifier 1 - n has an associated message pointer . the message pointers 1 - n , in this embodiment , are also listed in increasing numeric order and are generally referred to with reference numeral 16 . in an alternate embodiment , as shown in fig2 , the message listing 10 may be configured so that the message pointers 1 - n 16 follow their associated destination identifiers 1 - n 14 . it should be noted that , in fig1 and 2 , the destination identifiers 1 - n 14 are organized in increasing monotonic numeric order with their associated message pointers 1 - n 16 , but may also be organized in decreasing monotonic numeric order . a logic diagram showing a method 30 for determining whether a message has arrived for a wireless device is shown in fig3 . the wireless device may be any type of wireless device such as , for example , a wireless telephone , a personal digital assistant , or pocket size personal computer . the methods shown in fig3 , 4 , and 5 may be applied for both embodiments of message listings shown in fig1 and 2 . the method 30 begins with step 32 by initializing a search pointer of the device to a first identifier and loading the count of identifiers listed into a count variable ( i . e . a register or memory unit that contains the count ). the method 30 then proceeds to step 34 to determine whether the count is equal to zero . if the count is equal to zero , the method 30 proceeds to step 36 wherein the message flag is cleared . if the count is not equal to zero , the method proceeds to step 38 . in step 38 , the destination identifier pointed to by the pointer search is loaded by the device . the device preferably loads the destination identifier into a processing element of the device . once the destination identifier is loaded by the device , the method 30 proceeds to step 40 wherein the destination identifier is compared with the device identifier to determine whether the destination identifier is greater than the device identifier . if yes , there are no subsequent messages for the device and the method 30 proceeds to step 36 where , as mentioned , the message flag is cleared . if no , the method 30 proceeds to step 42 wherein it is determined whether the destination identifier is equal to the device identifier . if the destination identifier is equal to the device identifier , there is a message for the device and the method 30 proceeds to step 44 . in step 44 , the message flag is set and a pointer to the message corresponding to the destination identifier is loaded . if the destination identifier is not equal to the device identifier , the method 30 proceeds from step 42 to step 46 . in step 46 , the search pointer is advanced to the next destination identifier and in step 48 the count is decreased . referring now to fig4 , a method 50 for determining whether a message has arrived for a wireless device is shown . in this embodiment the devices are expecting more than one message with the same device identifier within the message listing . the method 50 begins with step 52 wherein a search pointer of a wireless device is initialized to a first identifier , the count of identifiers listed is loaded into a count variable , and the message list and message flag are cleared . from step 52 , the method proceeds to step 54 where it is determined whether the count of the identifiers listed is equal to zero . if the count is equal to zero , the method 50 ends at step 56 . if the count is not is equal to zero , the method 50 proceeds to step 58 wherein the destination identifier pointed to by the search pointer is loaded by the wireless device . from step 58 , the method 50 proceeds to step 60 where it is determined whether the destination identifier is greater than the device identifier . if the destination identifier is greater than the device identifier the method 50 proceeds to step 56 where , as mentioned , the method ends . if the destination identifier is not greater than the device identifier , the method 50 proceeds to step 62 where it is determined whether the destination identifier is equal to the device identifier . in step 62 , if the destination identifier is equal to the device identifier , a message flag is set and the pointer to the message corresponding to the destination identifier is added to the message list for the particular wireless device performing method 50 ( step 64 ). from step 64 , the method proceeds to step 66 wherein the search pointer is advanced to the next destination identifier . if , in step 62 , the destination identifier is not equal to the device identifier , the method 50 proceeds directly from step 62 to step 66 . after step 66 , the count of identifiers listed is decremented . the amount the count is decremented may be determined as desired . referring now to fig5 , a method 70 for determining whether a message has arrived for a wireless device is shown . in this embodiment the devices are expecting more than one message with the same device identifier or multiple identifiers within the message listing . multiple device identifiers for a single device may be used where the user of a particular device subscribes to several wireless multicast services , for example . by way of explanation , a device may have an identifier for messages specifically meant for the device and it may have another identifier assigned to it associated with a group of devices . in this way the entire group may be sent a message with only a single identifier being sent . a device may also be looking for some transmission broadcasted to an arbitrary number of devices such as , for example , sports game information or stock reports . the method 70 begins with step 72 wherein a search pointer to the first device identifier is initialized , the count of identifiers listed is loaded into the count variable , the flag and list messages are cleared , and a first test identifier from a test message list is loaded into a processing element of a wireless device . the test message list contains all of the identifiers that the device could potentially be receiving a message from during the time window is awakened to examine . the test list should be in a monotonic order suitable for searching the received identifiers . from step 72 , the method 70 proceeds to step 74 where it is determined whether the count of identifiers listed is equal to zero . if yes , the method 70 ends at step 76 . if no , the method 70 proceeds to step 78 wherein the destination identifier pointed to by the search pointer is loaded into a processing element of the device . moving to step 80 , it is determined whether the destination identifier is greater than the test identifier . if yes , the method proceeds to step 82 where it is determined whether there is another test identifier in the test list . if there is another test identifier in the list , the next test identifier is loaded in step 84 and the method returns to step 74 . if there is not another test identifier , the method 70 ends at step 86 . returning to step 80 , if the destination identifier is not greater than the test identifier , the method 70 proceeds to step 88 . in step 88 , it is determined whether the destination identifier is equal to the test identifier . if yes , a message flag is set and a pointer to the message corresponding to the destination identifier is added to the message list ( step 90 ). from step 90 , the method 70 proceeds to step 92 . if , in contrast , the destination identifier is not equal to the test identifier , the method 70 proceeds directly to step 92 . in step 92 , the search pointer is advanced to the next destination identifier and in step 94 the count of identifiers listed is decremented . the amount the count is decremented may be determined as desired . referring now to fig6 , there is shown an alternate embodiment of a message listing 100 in accordance with the present invention . in this embodiment there is not a count of the identifiers listed , but rather a list terminator 102 wherein the message listing is terminated by a unique number in the usual identifier position . an efficient value for this terminator in the increasing identifier implementation would be zero . in this way only the pointer needs to be changed during the search , and the comparison for an identifier larger than the one in the listing would terminate the search . a method whereby devices may determine whether a message listing as shown in fig6 includes any messages for them is shown if fig7 . the method 120 begins in step 122 with initializing a search pointer to the first destination identifier . in step 124 , the destination identifier pointed to by the search pointer is loaded into a processing element of the device . in step 126 , it is determined whether the destination identifier is equal to the termination value ( i . e . the value of the list terminator ). if the destination identifier is equal to the termination value , the method proceeds to step 128 where the message flag is cleared and the method 120 ends . if the destination identifier is not equal to the termination value , the method 120 proceeds to step 130 where it is determined whether the destination identifier is greater than the device identifier of the particular device that is determining whether a message listing contains a message for it . if the destination identifier is greater than the device identifier , the method 120 proceeds to step 128 where the message flag is cleared and the method 120 ends . if the destination identifier is less than or equal to the device identifier , the method 120 proceeds to step 132 . in step 132 , it is determined whether the destination identifier is equal to the device identifier . if so , the message flag is set and the pointer to the message that corresponds to the destination identifier is loaded into a processing element of the device ( step 134 ). if not , the search pointer is advanced to the next destination identifier in step 136 and the method 120 continues at step 124 . which of the preceding forms is used , or some variation of those presented , is based on efficiency tradeoffs associated with the numerical values allowed for the identifiers and message pointers , and the processing devices searching for messages . the pointer to the message can be a simple programming language pointer to the information defining the existence of the actual message transmission , or it may be the information itself . the actual information may be of the form : carrier channel , time slot , and channelization code . if the message information is very short ( e . g . telephone number ), it will often be more efficient to insert in the message in the usual position for the message pointer . in this case one or more bits of the message pointer part of the stream will need to be reserved as definition bits for the other bits present . two bits , for instance , could be encoded such that one encoding indicates the rest of the bits is the message , another encoding that the pointer to the message follows , and a third encoding that the pointer to the data defining where to find the message follows . the fourth encoding possibility is a spare for some future use . with respect to implementation of the present invention in 3g radio access networks , there are two basic methods for identifying “ destinations ” and “ message pointers .” broadcast ( bcch over bch / p - ccpch ) or dedicated ( dcch over dch / dpcch + dpdch ) signaling . if dedicated signaling is applied , the signaling is specific for the “ destination ,” and there is no application or benefit in ordering the control information since all of it is for the destination device . if broadcast signaling is applied , the existing mechanism that retrieves this data is independent of the processing of the data . when the number of messages is small , the above - described embodiments are usually the fastest means for locating or determining there is not a message for the device . however , if the list is long , there are faster methods which may be implemented to search a monotonically increasing or decreasing message list . for example , binary search protocols on average require log 2 ( count ) tests . the calculations are more involved , and different processors will be able to perform them with varying speeds . typically if there are more than approximately 32 received identifiers , binary searching will be faster for a single identifier being tested . if there are multiple identifiers being tested , sequential testing is more efficient for a larger count . the choice of protocol may also be chosen based on the values of the identifier or identifiers being tested . if a single number is being searched for is low and the receive sequence ( i . e . message listing ) monotonically increasing , the best approach is to begin the search at the beginning of the received data . if the signal number is high and the receive sequence monotonically increasing , the best approach is to begin the search at the end of the received data . ( data is often transmitted in wireless systems in blocks with interleaving for error correction reasons . all the data of a block therefore needs to be received and decoded before any of it can be examined .) therefore , a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to take into account the number of received identifiers , whether or not there is one or more identifiers to be looked for , and the numeric distribution of the looked for identifiers in the selection of the search protocol utilized for each search occurrence . referring now to fig8 , there is shown a system 200 for optimizing power resources in wireless devices . the system 200 comprises at least one radio network controller ( rnc ), at least one base station ( bs ), and at least one wireless device ( 206 ). the wireless device 206 includes a processor 208 for searching message listings for messages wherein the device 206 is the intended recipient . to maximize the amount of time that the device 206 may be asleep ( i . e . having only the clock running which will tell the device to periodically wake - up ), the message listings are adapted as described above . the device 206 will determine whether a particular message listing includes a message ( s ) for it using the methods described above according to the type of message listing . although particular processing functions have been described as being performed by particular components , it should be understood that performance of processing functions may be distributed among system components as desired . although the present invention has been described in detail , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto , and that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which is defined by the attached claims .

a method and system is disclosed for a device to quickly determine if data is being sent to it . if no data is being sent to the device , the device may return to a sleep mode so as to conserve energy . the present invention includes organizing and transmitting , one at a time , all device destination identifiers . if a message listing search indicates that no message is being sent for a device , the device can continue with any other activity that needs servicing , or if no other activity is pending , it may shut down to conserve power until the next wake up period arrives . if the search returns a positive indication , the count value when the identifier is found can be used to determine the location of the pointer to the message .

identically acting parts are given the same reference symbols in the figures . referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first , particularly , to fig1 thereof , there is shown a blind rivet setting device 2 , being an angled robot arm 3 , and is disposed as a machine tool on a multiaxial industrial robot 4 . the setting device 2 is in this case fastened exchangeably via flanges 5 a , 5 b to what is known as a sixth axis of the six - axis industrial robot 4 . the setting device 2 contains a setting or riveting unit 6 , a rivet feeding unit 8 , a hydraulic unit 10 and a hole detection unit 12 . in the configuration variant according to fig2 , a repositioning unit 14 for the fine positioning of the riveting unit 6 within an x - y plane , which spans perpendicularly to an axial direction 16 , is additionally provided . the setting device 2 is , overall , a mechanically rigid structure . only the riveting unit 6 is disposed movably within certain limits . the industrial robot 4 with the setting device 2 is suitable for the fully automatic setting of a blind rivet 18 . to feed the blind rivet 18 to the rivet feeding unit 8 according to fig1 , a hose is provided as a supply unit 20 for the supply and feed of the rivets 18 . blind rivets 18 are individually shot in pneumatically via the hose , for example from a separating station , not illustrated in any more detail here . furthermore , in the exemplary embodiment , the riveting unit 6 is connected on its rear side to a further hose which is part of a residual plug discharge unit 22 and via which a residual plug occurring during the setting operation is sucked away . for the automatic setting operation , the blind rivet 18 is first fed via the supply unit 20 to a gripping element 24 of the rivet feeding unit 8 and is caught by the gripping element 24 . the gripping element 24 is therefore configured particularly as a catching element and has a conical introduction funnel for the blind rivet 18 . in the gripping element 24 , the blind rivet is secured , for example by a magnetic or mechanical holding force , against falling out . the gripping element 24 is subsequently moved forward in the axial direction 16 , and subsequently a rotational movement takes place about an . axis of rotation 26 oriented parallel to the axial direction 16 , so that the blind rivet 18 is positioned in front of a mouthpiece 28 of the riveting unit 6 . thereafter , the gripping element 24 is displaced back in the axial direction 16 again , and the blind rivet 18 is introduced , with its rivet plug in front , into the mouthpiece 28 . the gripping element 24 is then rotated away again , and the riveting unit 6 is advanced in the axial direction 16 to a workpiece 30 , illustrated here diagrammatically merely as a line . in this case , the blind rivet 18 is inserted , with its shank in front , into a rivet hole 29 ( cf . fig3 ) which is configured as a through bore through at least two workpieces 30 to be connected . the blind rivet 18 is inserted until it lies with its setting head on a workpiece surface . subsequently , the rivet plug located in the mouthpiece 28 and firmly surrounded by the riveting unit 6 is drawn to the rear in the axial direction 16 with the aid of a hydraulic drive . for this purpose , the riveting unit 6 is connected to the hydraulic unit 10 by hydraulic lines , not illustrated in any more detail here . in this case , a closing head is formed on that side of the blind rivet 18 which faces away from the setting head , so that the two workpieces 30 are firmly connected to one another . as soon as a predetermined tensile force is overshot , the rivet plug tears off and is sucked away as a residual plug via the residual plug discharge unit 22 . thereafter , the riveting unit 6 moves back again and is moved by the industrial robot 4 onto the next learnt desired position , in order to carry out the next setting operation . furthermore , fig1 and 2 illustrate a combined laser / camera unit 60 which , oriented obliquely to the axial direction 16 , is fastened to the setting unit 2 in a way not illustrated in any more detail here . the unit 60 is part of the hole detection unit 12 and has as a light source a laser and also an optical camera , which are not illustrated in detail here . the construction of the rivet feeding unit 8 and its functioning are explained in more detail below with reference to fig3 a to 3 h . as may be gathered from fig3 a and 3b , the rivet feeding unit 8 contains an outer guide tube 62 which is configured as a pneumatic cylinder and in which a hollow piston rod 64 configured as a rotary element is displaceably held and guided telescopically in the axial direction 16 . the hollow piston rod 64 is configured as a double tube with an outer tube 64 a and with an inner tube 64 b . the gripping element 24 is disposed at the front end of the inner tube 64 b . the hollow piston rod 64 is sealed off with respect to the guide tube 62 via a front piston seal 66 a , configured as a piston ring , and a rear sliding seal 66 b . in the space between these two seals , 66 a , 66 b , in the region of the rear sliding seal 66 b , a pneumatic drive is provided for displacing the hollow piston rod 64 within the guide tube 62 in the axial direction 16 . for this purpose , a connection 68 , via which a pneumatic line can be connected , is arranged . a magnetic drive is provided for executing a rotational movement . to form this magnetic drive , a permanent magnet 70 is disposed at the rear end of the inner tube 64 b . a plurality of magnet coils 72 are suitably arranged , held fixedly on the guide tube 62 , around the inner tube 64 b , so that a plurality of electromagnetic poles 74 are formed around the circumference of the inner tube 64 b and can be reversed , as required ( cf ., in this respect , particularly fig3 e , 3f and 3 h ). the inner tube 64 b may therefore be considered as a rotor of an electric motor . in the double tube configuration , described here , of the hollow piston rod , a decoupling of the rotational movement from the axial movement is advantageously achieved . alternatively to this , the hollow piston rod may basically also be configured as a single tube or single shaft . in the design variant illustrated in fig3 h , overall , four electromagnetic poles 74 are provided , in each case two poles 74 being disposed , offset at 180 °, opposite one another . this configuration of the poles 74 disposed so as to be offset to one another defines fixed angular positions . by a suitable activation of the magnet coils 72 , therefore , there is the possibility of bringing the inner tube 64 b into a desired defined angular position . the inner tube 64 b and consequently the gripping element 24 are therefore brought in each case into the desired firmly defined rotary position either for taking over the blind rivet 18 from the rivet feed 20 or for transferring the blind rivet 8 into the mouthpiece 28 . as may be gathered from fig3 h , the permanent magnet 70 is inserted into a slot of the hollow piston rod 64 and therefore penetrates through the latter . in the region of its poles , the permanent magnet has in each case a nose or a projection . correspondingly to this , the core of the electromagnets 74 is also provided with a corresponding projection . by virtue of this configuration , only a very small gap is achieved in this region , so that the magnetic flux is as far as possible uninterrupted . moreover , due to the contraction in this region , a high magnetic flux density prevails , so that a high magnetic holding force is achieved in the defined angular position . this holding force is sufficiently high due to magnetization already caused by the permanent magnet 70 alone , so that the inner tube 64 b is already held in the defined angular position without an electromagnet . when another angular position is to be assumed , a “ pole reversal ” is brought about as a result of the connection of the electromagnet by an oppositely directed magnetic flux , and the inner tube 64 b rotates into the new desired position . in the cross - sectional illustration according to fig3 e , an alternative design variant with , overall , three pairs of poles 74 is illustrated , with the result that three discrete angular positions are defined . the third angular position here defines an angular position in which the residual plug is taken over again at a defined location from the riveting unit 6 after the setting operation has taken place and is subsequently delivered to the residual plug discharge unit 22 . in the exemplary embodiments according to fig1 and 2 , this is not necessary , since the residual plug discharge here takes place rearwardly via a residual plug suckaway . in the exemplary embodiment illustrated , two guide webs 76 offset rotationally at 180 ° with respect to one another are provided at the rear end of the hollow piston rod 64 and are mechanically connected firmly to the inner tube 64 b . for this purpose , a corresponding element is fastened to the rear side of the hollow piston rod 64 . correspondingly to this , the guide tube 62 is provided with guide grooves 78 formed complementarily thereto ( cf . fig3 g ). these guide grooves 78 are formed in a rear region 80 . the guide grooves 78 serve for the axial guidance of the guide tube 62 in a defined angular position , that is to say prevent a rotational movement of the inner tube 64 b . in principle , a single guide web 76 is also sufficient . in an alternative not illustrated here , at least one further guide web and , correspondingly to this , a further guide groove are provided for guidance in a further defined angular position . to control the movement sequence of the rivet feeding unit 8 , a control unit 82 is provided , which is illustrated merely diagrammatically in fig3 c . this is connected to a sensor , not illustrated in any more detail here , which detects whether , in the catching position of the gripping element 24 , the blind rivet 18 has already been shot in . furthermore , the control unit 82 is connected to the magnet coils 72 for the activation of these . the pneumatic advance of the shaft 64 is also controlled by the control unit 82 . as soon as it is detected that the blind rivet 18 is in the catching position , the magnet coils 72 are given corresponding polarity , in order to transfer the hollow piston rod 64 from the lower angular position into the upper angular position . however , since , in the retracted position in which the blind rivet 18 is caught , the permanent magnet 70 is in a rear region 80 , there is still no rotation . at the same time , the pneumatic drive is activated , so that the shaft 64 moves forward in the axial direction 16 . as soon as the permanent magnet 70 reaches the region in which the magnet coils 72 are arranged , the magnetically controlled rotational movement takes place up to a defined rotary position in which the blind rivet 18 is located in front of the mouthpiece 28 of the setting unit 6 . since the magnet coils 72 are positioned at a fixed location , the rotational movement only ever takes place in the extended position at the predetermined rotary position . in the next step , the blind rivet 18 is introduced with its plug into the mouthpiece 28 by being moved back axially . in this case , the hollow piston rod 64 is guided in a defined manner in the axial direction 16 in a second angular position by further guide webs , not illustrated here .

a feeding unit for feeding an element to a treatment unit of a machine tool , in particular for feeding a rivet to a riveting unit , has a gripping element provided for the fastening element for the automatic take - up of the fastening element from a supply unit and automatic feed to the treatment unit . the gripping element is disposed on a rotary element rotatable about an axial direction , and at least one electromagnet is provided which is configured in such a way that a torque acting on the rotary element is generated by a magnetic force .

referring now to fig1 there is shown an electrical connector shield case 100 formed according to the present invention so as to define a space 101 having a trapezoidal section . its parallel major sides 102 and 103 have bosses 104 and 105 , respectively , projecting outward . the major side 102 has at its center a pair of mating portions 106 each with an engaging tab 107 which is extended upward . the major side 102 has along its upper edge a pair of enclosing flanges 108 curved outward and then upward . the major side 103 has along its upper edge an enclosing flange 109 curved outward and then upward . the major side 102 has a latch claw 112 between the enclosing flange 108 and the minor side 110 and a latch claw 113 between the enclosing flange 108 and the minor side 111 , while the major side 103 has a latch claw 114 between the enclosing flange 109 and the minor side 110 and a latch claw 115 between the enclosing flange 109 and the minor side 111 . the major side 102 has a pair of stopper flanges 116 bent inward along its lower edge , while the major side 103 has an stopper flange 117 bent inward along its lower edge . referring to fig2 there is shown a plug connector 200 having an insulating housing 201 to which the shield case 100 according to the present invention is applied . the insulating housing 201 has a fitting protuberance 202 having a section similar to that of the space 101 and a base portion 203 integral with the fitting protuberance 202 and having a section greater than that of the protuberance . the base portion 203 has a pair of flanges 206 and 207 on its upper and lowr major sides 204 and 205 . the flange 206 has a pair of notches 208 and 209 with which the respective claws 112 and 113 and the flange 207 has a pair of notches ( not shown ) for the claws 114 and 115 . the fitting protuberance 202 is adapted to fit into the enclosure defined by the major sides 102 and 103 and the minor sides 110 and 111 of the shield case 100 . the front edges of the fitting protuberance 202 engage with the stop flanges 116 , 117 . the engaging tab 107 is inserted into a slot ( not shown ) opened through the flange 206 into the base 203 . an end 212 of a female contact ( not shown ) is projected from the rear side 210 of the base 203 and is connected to a core wire 301 of a shield cable 300 . a pair of metal plug case halves 213 and 214 are adapted to house the base 203 and the flange 206 in such a manner that the fitting protuberance 202 may be projected from the case . portions of the plug case inside adjacent to the flange 206 are brought into contact with the enclosing flanges 108 and 109 and the latch claws 112 to 115 thereby to secure shielding function . the case halves 213 and 214 have cutouts 215 and 216 , respectively , to allow insertion of the shield cable 300 . the insides of the cutouts 215 and 216 are brought into contact with a conductive tape 303 wrapped around a folded shield sheat 302 to secure shielding function . the above plug connector is adapted to insert into a receptacle connector 400 with a receptacle case 401 secured to a circuit board 500 with a screw 501 . the receptacle case has an opening 402 for receiving the protuberance 202 of the plug connector 200 . within the opening 402 there are provided a plurality of male contacts 403 so that they may come into contact with the female contacts placed in the holes of the other face of the protuberance 202 . the base of each male contact 403 is inserted into a hole ( not shown ) of an insulating housing 404 within the receptacle case 401 and connected to a appropriate element ( not shown ) on a circuit board 500 . when the plug connector 200 is inserted into the opening 402 , the bosses 104 and 105 of the shield case 100 are brought into contact with the inside 405 of the opening to provide shielding function . fig3 a - 3f illustrate a method of making the electrical connector shield case according to the invention . a metal sheet 10 with dimensions corresponding to those of a final product or electrical connector shield case 100 is placed on the lower die 20 with depressions 21 and other depressions ( not shown ) provided at the positions corresponding to the bosses 104 and 105 and the parts to be cut off , respectively , and the upper die 30 with projections 31 and other projections ( not shown ) provided at the positions corresponding to the bosses 104 and 105 and the parts to be cut off , respectively , is pressed against the lower die 20 ( fig3 a and 3b ) to form bosses 104 and 105 , tab 107 , enclosing flanges 108 and 109 , latch claws 112 , 113 , 114 , and 115 , and stop flanges 116 and 117 ( fig3 c ). the metal sheet 10 is then placed on the die 40 with a depression 41 , and the upper die 50 with a projection 51 having a shape corresponding to the depression 41 is pressed down ( fig3 d ). the core die 60 with a shape substantially identical with that of the space 101 is then placed on the central part of the metal sheet 10 , and the opposite ends of the sheet 10 are pressed in the directions of arrows ( fig3 e ). after the pressing , the core die 60 is removed to provide an electrical connector shield case 100 made according to the invention ( fig3 f ). the above electrical connector shield case 100 has latch claws 112 through 115 to engage the notches 208 and 209 of the insulating housing 201 , but these claws 112 through 115 and notches 208 and 209 may be eliminated as shown in fig4 . this electrical connector shield case 100a has an engaging tab 107a with an extended end 128a and an engaging tab 127a with an extended end 128a provided at the center of the enclosing flange 109a . the shield case 100a is applied to a plug connector 201a with flanges 206a and 207a each having engaging slot 217a . each of the engaging tabs 107a and 127a is snapped into the engaging slot 217a so that its extended end 128a may rest on the flange . the other structures are identical with those of fig1 through 3 , and their description will be omitted . the above electrical connector shield case 100 or 100a is fitted over the protuberance 202 of a plug connector and is brought into contact with the shield member , such as the metal case , of a receptacle connector to secure shielding function when it is inserted into the receptacle connector . this sytem , however , requires that the receptacle case be made of conductive metal , increasing the number of parts . thus , the receptacle case 401 of a receptacle connector 400 is made of insulating material , with a shield case placed within its opening 402 as described below with reference to fig5 . in fig5 a shield case 403b defines a space 406b with a trapezoidal cross section substantially identical with that of an opening 402b and has bosses 409b and 410b on the insides of its major sides 407b and 408b . the major sides 407b and 408b have engaging tabs 411b and 412b , respectively , on their rear edges . the engaging tab 411b has an extended end 413b . the major sides 407b and 408b have flanges 414b and 415b , respectively , along their front edges . the receptacle case 401b has a number of male contacts 416b arranged on its base part within the opening 402b and , at the central parts on opposite major insides , a snap slot 418b into which the snap tab 411b is snapped and a slot 419b into which the tab 412b is inserted . after inserted , the free end of the tab 412b is bent and connected to a circuit board 500b to secure shield function . the edges of the opening 402b have cutouts 421b and 422b for receiving the flanges 414b and 415b , respectively . the shield case for covering the protuberance of a plug connector to be inserted into the opening 402b of this receptacle requires no bosses on its surface to secure shielding function because of the presence of bosses 409b and 410b on the shield case 403b . alternatively , these bosses 409b and 410b may be eliminated from the shield case 403b by providing bosses on the shield case of a plug connector . the other structures of the plug connector are similar to those of fig1 through 4 , and their description will be omitted . as has been described above , according to the invention , a metal sheet may be punched out and bent to form a cylindrical electric connector shield case to eliminate the drawing press process and the metal sheet deformation in connection with the process , thus increasing the material utility . in addition , since no drawing press is used , it is unnecessary to use any extensible , soft material , thus allowing the formation of resilient bosses and eliminating the deformation caused by the excess external force otherwise required . moreover , the wall thickness is even in every section , giving high precision . the direction of a protuberance is selectable , too . although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above , other embodiments and modifications which would be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art are intended to be covered by the spirit and scope of the appended claims .

an electrical connector shield case for covering either protuberance or opening of an insulating housing with a plurality of contacts therein , which comprises a cylindrical metal member ; at least one boss provided on the side of said cylindrical member so as to make shielding contact with the shield member of another connector ; and latch means provided on said cylindrical side for engaging with said insulating housing . a method of making such an electrical connector shield case , which comprises the steps of punching out a metal sheet with at least one boss and latch means ; bending opposite ends of said metal sheet upright ; and bending said opposite ends inward to form a cylindrical shield case .

the preferred embodiments of the present invention are recording heads for use with magnetic recording media , which may be configured for longitudinal or perpendicular recording . although not limited to such use , such a recording head is particularly useful for fixed or hard drives for computers . as used herein , recording head is defined as a head adapted for read and / or write operations , although the present invention is specifically directed towards the write portion of the recording head . the invention will most commonly be used within a fixed disc drive 10 for computers , one of which is illustrated in fig1 . the fixed disc drive 10 includes a housing 12 ( with the upper portion removed and the lower portion visible in this view for maximum clarity ) dimensioned and configured to contain and locate the various components of the disc drive 10 . the disc drive 10 includes a spindle motor 14 for rotating at least one magnetic storage medium 16 within the housing , in this case a magnetic disc . at least one arm 18 is contained within the housing 12 , with each arm 18 having a first end 20 with a recording head or slider 22 , and a second end 24 pivotally mounted to a bearing 26 . an actuator motor 28 , such as a movable coil dc motor , is located at the arm &# 39 ; s second end 24 , pivoting the arm 18 to position the head 22 over a desired sector of the disc 16 . the actuator motor 28 is regulated by a controller which is not shown and which is well known . referring to fig2 , 4 , and 14 , the features of the recording head 22 are illustrated . the recording head 22 includes means for concentrating magnetic flux onto a small surface area of the magnetic recording media , here a magnetically permeable main pole 30 , oriented substantially perpendicular to the magnetic recording medium 16 , and having a tip 32 . the tip 32 includes a bottom surface 34 . the top 36 of the main pole 30 is preferably magnetically coupled to an opposing pole 38 , possibly through a joint 40 . the opposing pole 38 includes a bottom surface 42 . if perpendicular recording is desired , then the bottom surface 42 will have a surface area significantly larger than the surface area of the bottom surface 34 of the main pole 30 . if longitudinal recording is desired , then the bottom surfaces 34 and 42 may have substantially identical areas . an electrically conductive coil 44 is located adjacent to the main pole 30 , and is dimensioned and configured to induce a magnetic flux in the main pole 30 . the coil 44 is surrounded by insulation 46 , which in the present invention is made from inorganic material . a preferred and suggested material for the insulation 46 is alumina . located adjacent to opposing pole 38 , opposite the main pole 30 and coil 44 , is a read element 48 . the read element 48 is preferably a gmr read element or spin valve , operating in conjunction with electrical contacts 50 located on opposing sides of the read element 48 . if the read element 48 is a gmr read element , a permanent magnet 52 may be located above the read element 48 . the read element 48 is located between a pair of opposing shields . in some preferred embodiments , the opposing pole 38 may form one of the two magnetic shields . the other shield 58 is located on the opposite side of the read element 48 . the entire recording head 22 is built up on a surface 54 of a substrate 56 . one alternative method of making a recording head according to the present invention is illustrated in fig5 - 13 . as illustrated in fig5 the method begins by providing a substrate 56 upon which the read element 48 and its associated shields 38 and 58 have already been deposited . the surface 60 of shield / pole 38 is chemical - mechanical polished to ensure that it is flat . the write gap 62 , which forms a part of the insulation 46 , is deposited on the surface 60 of pole 38 . a preferred material for the write gap is alumina . a first photoresist shield 64 is applied over the write gap 62 , as illustrated in fig7 thereby defining the eventual size and location of the coil 44 . the material forming the coil , preferably copper , is deposited as illustrated in fig8 and 9 . this material may be deposited either perpendicular to the write gap 62 , or at an angle to the write gap 62 , to produce an appropriately dimensioned and configured coil 44 within the gap 66 defined by the photoresist 64 . at this point , the first photoresist 64 may be removed as illustrated in fig1 , for replacement with a second photoresist shield 68 defining an opening 70 larger than the opening 66 in the first photoresist 64 ( fig1 ), or the original photoresist 64 may simply be left in place . referring to fig1 , a layer of insulation material 72 is deposited over the coil 44 and photoresist 64 or 68 . the photoresist 64 or 68 is removed as illustrated in fig1 . the use of these deposition procedures has now defined a surface 74 having a very flat surface area . referring back to fig3 the write pole 30 is deposited on top of the surface 74 . the flat surface 74 permits the photoresist that will ultimately define the width of the write pole 30 to be spinned into place in a more controlled manner , thereby permitting a small write pole to be produced without compromising the pole &# 39 ; s magnetic properties . an alternative procedure for making a write pole of the present invention is illustrated in fig1 - 20 . as before , the process begins by providing a substrate 56 having a read element 48 and its associated shields 38 and 58 secured to the substrate surface 54 . the surface 60 is chemical - mechanical polished to ensure that it is flat . these components are illustrated in fig1 . referring to fig1 , a first layer of insulation 76 ( preferably alumina ) is deposited on the surface 60 , followed by the material forming the coil 44 ( preferably copper ), and a second layer of insulation 78 . a photoresist shield 80 is then deposited over the second layer of insulation 78 , thereby protecting those portions of the insulation layers 76 and 78 that will remain , and that portion of the coil 44 that will remain . the photoresist 80 has also thereby defined the excess material 82 to be removed in subsequent steps . this excess material 82 is removed as illustrated in fig1 . a preferred method of removing the excess material 82 is by ion milling , which may be performed at an angle . preferably , the angle is selected so that the remaining coil and insulation assembly 98 is tapered , with the area of the surface 84 , adjacent to the photoresist ( and eventually the main pole 30 ) being smaller than the area of the surface 86 adjacent to the shield and opposing pole 38 . the arrows b indicate a preferred direction for the milling process . photoresist 80 may then be removed as illustrated in fig1 , and write gap 62 may be deposited as illustrated in fig2 . these deposition processes define a surface 88 on the write gap 62 , with the surface 88 preferably having flat surface topology . referring back to fig1 , the flat surface 88 permits the photoresist that will ultimately define the width of the write pole 30 to be spinned into place in a more controlled manner , thereby permitting a small write pole to be produced without compromising the pole &# 39 ; s magnetic properties . referring back to fig2 a magnetic storage medium 16 , here a magnetic disc , for use with a perpendicular recording head 22 is illustrated . the disc 16 includes a recording layer 90 having a plurality of magnetically permeable tracks 92 , which are divided into sectors . each sector has several different magnetic fields within the magnetically permeable material ( not shown and well understood ). the tracks 92 are separated by nonmagnetized transitions 94 . if perpendicular recording is desired , then the disc 16 also includes a magnetically permeable lower layer 96 , which is magnetically soft relative to the tracks 92 . in use , the disc 16 will be separated from the tip 32 of the main pole 30 by a flying height a . the flying height a is sufficiently small so that a high concentration of flux from the main pole 30 will pass through the track 92 , but sufficiently large to prevent damage to disc 16 from contact with the recording head 22 . recording is accomplished by rotating the disc 16 relative to the recording head 22 so that the recording head 22 is located above the appropriate sectors of the tracks 92 . as recording progresses , the disc 16 will move past the recording head 22 . current will be supplied to the coil 44 , thereby inducing a magnetic field within the main pole 30 . as a portion of the sector of the track 92 passes under the main pole 30 , the orientation of its magnetic field will correspond to the orientation of the magnetic field of the main pole 30 in the case of perpendicular recording , or the orientation of the magnetic field within the write gap in the case of longitudinal recording . as the main pole passes over the disc 16 , the direction of current passing through the coil 44 will remain constant when a binary “ 0 ” is being recorded , thereby creating consistent orientation of the magnetic fields within the track 92 . the current passing through the coil 44 will reverse directions when a binary “ 1 ” is being recorded , thereby changing the orientation of a magnetic field within the track 92 . the recording density possible with a perpendicular recording head is primarily dependent upon the main pole &# 39 ; s width c . the width c required is determined by the precision with which the deposition or plating process used to deposit the write pole 30 can be accomplished . this precision is affected by the flatness of either surface 74 or surface 88 , upon which the write pole 30 will be plated . it is well known in the art that a photoresist will be used to define the area upon which the main pole 30 will be plated or sputtered , and that this photoresist is applied by a spinning process with the photoresist in liquid form . the spinning process can be controlled more precisely if applied to a flat surface . therefore , maximizing the flatness of the surface area 72 or 88 minimizes the area upon which the write pole 30 must be deposited to ensure that the proper magnetic properties are present , thereby minimizing the width c of the write pole and maximizing recording density . additionally , because all electrically insulating materials used within a recording head 22 of the present invention are inorganic , and preferably vacuum deposited , a thermally efficient , low stress structure results . the hard bake process is typically used to cure organic insulators are avoided , freeing the read sensor from degradation caused by these processes . additionally , the hard bake process causes the components of the recording head 22 to expand and contract , resulting in thermal stresses and possibly cracks . the present invention has the additional advantage of keeping the path for the magnetic field around the coil 44 as simple as possible . the distance from the bottom surface 34 to the top of the coil may be less than 2 microns . while a specific embodiment of the invention has been described in detail , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure . accordingly , the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof .

a recording head for use with magnetic recording media has an improved structure , made by a simplified manufacturing process . the electrically insulating materials within the recording head are inorganic . the insulating materials are vacuum deposited , with no need to use a hard bake process that would be required for use of organic insulators . in one embodiment , the write gap is first masked , and then the coil is deposited on the write gap . a slightly larger area is then exposed within the mask , permitting insulation to be deposited over the coil . in a second embodiment , the coil and associated insulation are deposited and then milled to have a tapered configuration . this recording head also places the writing pole on a very flat surface , thereby allowing plated or deposited films to be easily manufactured to correspond to narrow track widths .

for conciseness , the process and product of the invention will be described in details hereinafter by an example of plated matte tin deposit layer . however , this does not mean to any limit on the application of the invention . for one skilled in the art , it is easy to be understood that the invention could not only be applied in the matte tin deposit layer , but also could be applied in other sn rich deposit layers , such as sncu , snbi , snag deposit layer . the preferred and comparative examples of the present invention are prepared by an auto strip plating line or a conventional hull cell . the auto strip plating line is available in the market and a schematic view of its construction is shown in fig2 . specially , fig2 shows a schematic view of an auto strip plating line 200 used in the plating process according to one embodiment of the present invention . the auto strip plating line 200 comprises tanks 11 - 15 , rectifiers 21 - 25 for transforming an alternative current into a direct current and supplying the same to each tank , baths 51 , 52 and a steel belt 4 for conveying a substrate . the auto strip plating line 200 further comprises some nozzles 31 - 35 for ejecting plating solution from the bottom . according to the invention , in the tanks filled with plating solution , the metal tin serves as an anode , and the product to be plated serves as a cathode . according to a typical example , the product to be plated is sdip ( shrink dual in line package ) 64 / 24 , and the lead frame ( l / f ) of the sdip 64 / 24 is alloy 194 ( one kind of copper l / f , comprising 2 . 4 % fe , 0 . 03 % p , 0 . 1 % zn , and cu remain ). the two electrodes are electrically connected to the corresponding anode and cathode of a direct current power supply respectively . the plating solution can be a methyl sulfonic acid based tin plating solution available in the market , it comprises of tin methyl sulfonic acid in the amount of 40 g / l and methyl sulfonic acid in the amount of 150 g / l , and some starter additive with a concentration of 40 - 100 g / l ( preferably , 40 g / l ) and some brighter additive with a dose of 3 - 9 ml / l ( preferably , 4 ml / l ) are added . the starter additive can use aqueous solution of nonionic wetting agents , the brighter additive can be selected from ethoxylated naphthol sulphonic acid , α - naphthol or α - naphthol sulphonic acid , and the solvent can be isopropyl glycol based solvent or other suitable solvent known in the art . of course , some other additive or composition can be added into the plating solution based on the specific or practical need , which will not be described in detail here since they are common knowledge in the art . the controllable factors or parameters for the plating condition are listed as follows : of course , these factors or parameters can be adjusted depend on the different plating product ( such as different plating area ). it can be seen from table 1 , by adjusting the plating condition , sn deposit layers with three different types of grain structure as shown in fig3 can be obtained . specially , fig3 shows the surface topography and the morphology of a cut ( formed by focused ion beam technology ) with three different types of grain structure , i . e ., regular modified matte tin ( regular mmt ) a , irregular modified matte tin ( irregular mmt ) b and regular matte tin ( regular mt ) c . as shown in fig3 , regular modified matte tin a and regular matte tin c generally have the similar grain structure , i . e ., columnar grain structure , which has a much larger size in the direction perpendicular to the deposit surface than in other directions . in contrast , irregular modified matte tin b has another kind of grain structure ( so called as non - columnar grain structure ), which is completely different from the columnar grain structure as mentioned above . it can be known from the description hereinafter in combination with what shown in fig3 , both the regular modified matte tin a and the regular matte tin c are predominated by the grains perpendicular to a substrate , and whisker growth can be observed regardless the size of grains . on the other hand , the irregular modified matte tin b is predominated by the grains parallel to a substrate , in this case , since the copper atoms mainly diffuse from the substrate to the deposit layer along the grain boundaries and most of the grain boundaries in the irregular modified matte tin b are parallel to the substrate , the intermetallic compound will grow as a sort of semi - bulk diffusion , so that the wedge typed growth of intermetallic compound is inhibited . it can be known from table 1 and fig3 , by properly adjusting the plating condition , the sn deposit layer with different types of grain structure can be obtained . it is apparent from fig4 a to fig1 b , in the grain structure of irregular modified matte tin b of the invention , the size of the grains in the direction perpendicular to the deposit surface ( i . e ., direction z ) is much smaller than in the directions parallel to the deposit surface ( i . e ., direction x or y ), which will be described in details hereinafter . it has been proved that under the plating condition as mentioned above , only the regular matte tin c can be obtained if there is no starter additive and brighter additive in the plating solution . the regular modified matte tin a can be obtained in the case that starter additive and brighter additive are added in the plating solution , the current density is lower and the bath temperature is higher . the irregular modified matte tin b1 ( when the bath temperature is higher ) and b2 ( when the bath temperature is lower ) can be obtained in the case that starter additive and brighter additive are added in the plating solution and the current density is higher . by controlling the plating condition so as to obtain form three different types of grain structure and limiting the total thickness of the deposit layer ( s ) in a range of 2 - 10 μm , the examples c1 - c34 with sn deposit layer ( s ) on sdip 64 / 24 ( see table 2 ) and the examples r1 - r11 with sn deposit layer ( s ) on sdip 32 ( see table 3 ) are prepared . fig4 a to 9a show the photography of the grain structure in examples c28 , c33 , c21 , c15 , c1 , and c32 respectively , fig4 b to 9b show the schematic views corresponding to fig4 a to 9a . in these figures , the reference number 50 represents a substrate ( e . g ., cu l / f ), the reference number 60 represents a deposit layer , the reference number 70 represents a sn grain , and the reference number 80 represents an intermetallic compound . the samples obtained from these examples are placed in an environment of 55 ° c ., 85 % rh ( high temperature and humidity , hth test ) for 2000 hours ( see table 2 ) and placed at the room temperature for 15 months ( see table 3 ), so that hth whisker test is carried out , so as to compare the behavior of whisker growth and analyze the effect of grain structure and plating condition on the whisker growth . i ) structure types a and b are produced by auto strip plating line , structure type c is produced by hull cell , structure type c ′ is produced by auto strip plating line as shown in the examples c1 - c20 of table 2 , if the grain structure of the bottom layer exhibits an irregular structure type b ( irregular modified matte tin b ), none whisker grows in the hth test till 2000 hours . in contrast , as shown in the examples c21 - c22 , c29 - c34 , m1 - m4 of table 2 and the comparative examples r1 - r5 of table 3 , if the grain structure of the bottom layer exhibits a regular structure type , i . e ., regular matte tin c or regular modified matte tin a , whisker appears in all the cases . accordingly , as shown in fig4 a - 9b , none whisker presents in finished product even after the hth whisker test since the same bottom structure b is selected . in contrast , in both the examples c21 and c33 in which a bottom structure c or a is sleeted , whisker is observed . it can be further known from the examples c28 , c15 and c1 as shown in fig4 a , 4 b , 7 a , 7 b , 8 a and 8 b , in the solution of the invention , a fine grained deposit layer is directly deposited on a substrate , and the grains in the fine grained deposit layer are formed in a specific structure type , that is , these grains have a smaller ( preferably , much smaller ) size in the direction perpendicular to the deposit surface than in the direction parallel to the deposit surface . in this condition , the intermetallic compound between sn and the substrate will grow along the grain boundaries , which are closer together than in the normal deposit and be evenly distributed over the deposit layer ( e . g ., sn layer ), causing a more lateral growth of the intermetallic compound , resulting in a better distribution of stress and thus no whisker growth . it can be clearly seen this kind of growth of the intermetallic compound from two preferred embodiments of the invention , which is best shown in fig1 a , 10 b , 11 a and 11 b . specially , as compared with the “ bulk diffusion ” appearing at higher temperature , the intermetallic compound in the invention grows as a sort of “ semi - bulk diffusion ”. in contrast , as shown in fig1 a , 1 b , 5 a , 5 b , 6 a , 6 b , 9 a and 9 b , the normal sn deposit layer in the art has a columnar grain structure , which allows a wedge typed growth of the intermetallic compound ( e . g ., cu 6 sn 5 ) in the vertical direction along the grain boundaries , and thus results in whisker growth . furthermore , it has been found that in the invention , the size of grains in the direction perpendicular to the deposit surface is preferably not more than 2 μm . more preferably , the size of grains in the direction perpendicular to the deposit surface ( i . e ., direction z ) is 0 . 05 - 2 μm , and the size of grains in the direction parallel to the deposit surface ( i . e ., direction x or y ) is 0 . 2 - 10 μm . for example , when the size in the direction x or y is 2 μm or more , the size in the direction z is preferably set to about 1 μm ; when the size in the direction x or y is 0 . 2 μm or more , the size in the direction z is preferably set to about 0 . 05 μm . besides , it is preferred that the sizes in the direction x and y are different , and an example is : x = 0 . 5 μm , y = 0 . 2 μm . further , it is preferred that all the grains in the deposit layer tend to be arranged in the same orientation parallel to the deposit surface , so that the whisker growth will be more effectively inhibited . the total thickness of the deposit layer is well known in the art . in the examples of c1 - c20 , the total thickness is set as 2 - 10 μm . it can be seen from the examples c1 - c20 and c23 - c28 as shown in table 2 , when the same bottom structure type b ( i . e ., irregular modified matte tin b ) is exhibited in the bottom layer , none whisker grows in the hth whisker test till 2000 hours regardless the thickness and structure of the top layer , even only 2 μm thickness of the bottom layer . there is clear conclusion that if the bottom layer dominates imc self - bulk diffusion not to induce whisker growth , the whisker will be inhibited regardless the thickness and structure of the top layer . to compare the thickness of irregular grain structure on the bottom layer - 2 μm and 4 μm , the thinner has the same effect with the thicker . in this evaluation , the thickness , 2 μm , is enough to retard whisker growth . it can be seen from table 1 that the irregular ( non - columnar ) grain structure can be obtained both in a higher bath temperature and in a lower bath temperature . that is , the bath temperature is not the crucial factor of the invention . referring to fig1 a and 11b , if necessary ( e . g ., in order to obtain an excellent surface roughness ), one or more additional sn rich deposit layers can be added on the fine grained sn rich deposit layer of the present invention . the additional sn rich deposit layer can be formed by any suitable technology well known in the art . in summary , in the solution of the invention , a fine grained sn rich deposit layer with a specific irregular grain structure is directly deposited on a substrate , so that the intermetallic compound is induced to grow as a sort of semi - bulk diffusion and thus whisker growth is effectively inhibited . furthermore , in the case that the deposit layer in constituted by two layers , that is , a top layer and a bottom layer , if the bottom layer dominates imc self - bulk diffusion not to induce whisker growth , the whisker will be inhibited regardless the thickness and structure of the top layer . besides , it can be concluded that the self - bulk diffusion of imc has more influence on whisker growth than plating thickness . it has been proved that the intermetallic compound in the fine grained sn deposit layer of the invention will grow as a sort of semi - bulk diffusion in any case , regardless the storage temperature . obviously , the invention is not limited to be applied to sdip 64 / 32 / 24 . instead , it can also be applied to lead of integrate circuit package and discrete element ( e . g ., transistor / diode and passive component of chip resistor / capacitor ), electrical connector , substrate ( printed circuit board or tape ) or any other electrical component known in the art . preferably , the invention is applied to copper base material that needs sn rich deposit lay and sensitive for whisker issue . although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that these embodiments are only given for the purpose of illustration , and the invention is not limited to those particular embodiments . as a matter of fact , various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention .

the invention relates to an electronic component with sn rich deposit layer on the part for electric connection , wherein the sn rich deposit layer is a fine grained sn rich deposit layer composed of grains with smaller size in the direction perpendicular to the deposit surface than in the direction parallel to the deposit surface . it also relates to a process for plating an electronic component , so as to form a sn rich deposit layer on the part for electric connection , comprising the steps of : adjusting the composition of tin plating solution in which starter additive and brighter additive are included ; moving the electronic component through the tin plating solution , so as to form a fine grained sn rich deposit layer on the part for electric connection . as compared with the prior art , the invention can validly inhibit the whisker growth with low cost and reliable property .

the invention is concerned with a method for separating certain substituted 4 - amino - 3 - hydroxypentanoic acids . specifically , it deals with the recovery of what applicants call boc - benztine ( or n - tertiary - butoxycarbonyl )- 4 ( s )- amino - 3 -( s )- hydroxy - 5 - phenylpentanoic acid , ## str1 ## ( wherein φ is phenyl ) and the compound applicants call boc - cyclotine ( or n ( tert - butoxycarbonyl )- 4 -( s )- amino - 3 -( s )- hydroxy - 5 - cyclohexanepentanoic acid , which has formula ii ## str2 ## ( wherein ## str3 ## is cyclohexyl ). t pre red separation process of the invention involves ( 1 ) production of the r -(+)- alpha - methylbenzylamine salt of the boc - benztine or boc - cyclotine , ( 2 ) one or more fractional crystallization ( s ) of the salt from solution to produce solid crystals in which the s , s - isomers predominate and ( 3 ) regeneration of the acid . the starting material from which the amine salts are produced may be boc - benztine or boc - cyclotine or functionally eguivalent analogs thereof . the boc - containing reactant is contacted under suitable reaction conditions with at least one amine species which functions to assist in the production of crystals which contain a predominant amount of the s , s - isomer of the amine salt ( s )-- i . e ., the concentration of s , s - isomer is greater than that of other isomer ( s ) present . one preferred group of amines includes r -(+)- alpha - methylbenzylamine and functional equivalents thereof . other amines contemplated for use in the invention include r -(+)- 1 -( 1 - naphthyl )- ethylamine , and the like . when the amine salt formation is substantially complete , crystallization occurs . the crystallization takes place from solution using ethyl acetate / methanol , ethyl acetate / ethanol , ethyl acetate / isopropanol and / or other suitable solvent ( s ) or diluent ( s ). the solvents or other diluents used during the crystallization step ( s ) can also be employed during the previous salt formation and the subsequent regeneration of the acid and / or other recovery operation ( s ). the initial solution crystallization is followed by one or more recrystallization ( s ) to optimize the concentration of s , s - isomer in the precipitated or crystallized solid particles . generally , from about one to about 4 additional recrystallizations are employed , with a total of about two crystallizations preferred . during the crystallization steps the temperature and pressure will vary depending upon parameters such as starting materials , solvents , relative humidity , solvent quantity , instrumentation and the like . unless set out otherwise , all temperatures stated herein are in degrees celsius . the recovery process can be stopped with the recrystallization and isolation of the amine salt ( s ). however , it is generally preferred that the amine salt be converted to the free acid of boc - benztine or boc - cyclotine before recovery of the acid is effected . the regeneration of the free acid from the amine salt takes place under conditions well known in the art . generally , the amine salt suspended in an organic solvent , is contacted with a suitable acid at a low temperature i . e ., room temperature or less , preferably about 1 ° to about 10 °. a wash with sodium chloride solution follows . the product is then dried , over mgso 4 and the solvent / diluent removed with the optional use of reduced pressure . when boc - benztine is the acid product , it can be converted to boc - cyclotine via conventional hydrogenation . generally , catalytic hydrogenation using , e . g ., a rhodium on carbon catalyst and one or more solvent ( s ) is preferred . when the requisite hydrogenation has occurred , the reaction is terminated and the reaction liquid filtered to remove the catalyst . the boc - cyclotine can then be recovered via removal of any solvent or other diluent . such removal may be by solvent / diluent evaporation or stripping under reduced pressure . the resultant white material , which is foamy , contains a predominant quantity of boc - cyclotine . a solution of 92 . 4 ml ( 0 . 706 moles ) of diisopropylamine in 600 ml of tetrahydrofuran was cooled to - 35 ° and 271 . 1 ml ( 0 . 706 moles ) of a 2 . 6m solution of n - butyl lithium in heptane was added slowly . the solution was then cooled to - 85 ° in an ethanol / liquid nitrogen bath and 68 . 9 g ( 0 . 706 moles ) of ethyl acetate was added slowly keeping the reaction temperature below - 80 °. after stirring for 15 minutes , a solution of 125 . 5 g ( 0 . 504 moles ) of boc - phenylalaninal [ j . a . fehrentz and b . castro , synthesis , 676 ( 1983 ).] in 1 l . of tetrahydrofuran , precooled to - 78 °, was added dropwise , keeping the temperature below - 80 °. after stirring at - 80 ° for 15 minutes , the solution was allowed to warm to - 5 ° and 400 ml of 12 % hydrochloric acid was added . the ph was adjusted to 2 . 0 and the solution extracted twice with ether . the combined ether solution was washed with 1n hydrochloric acid , water , saturated sodium bicarbonate , and then with saturated sodium chloride solution . after drying over magnesium sulfate the ether was removed under reduced pressure to give 154 g . ( 90 . 6 % yield ) of the crude product as a white solid sufficiently pure for use in the next step . the product has been previously described . see d . h . rich and e . t . o . sun , j . med . chem . 23 , 27 ( 1980 ). a suspension of 154 g ( 0 . 456 moles ) of crude n - tert - butoxycarbonyl )- 4 ( s )- amino - 3 ( r , s )- hydroxy - 5 - phenylpentanoic acid , ethyl ester in 1 l . of a 1 : 1 dioxane / water mixture was brought to ph 12 using a 50 % solution of sodium hydroxide and maintained at this ph with additions of sodium hydroxide , monitoring the reaction with a ph meter standardized with a 1 : 1 mixture of ph 10 buffer / dioxane . the suspended solid soon went into solution . and the solution was kept at ph 12 for two hours . the ph was then brought to 7 . 0 with dil . hcl and the solution washed with ether . the ph was then brought to 1 . 8 and the precipitated product collected . there was obtained 68 g of the crude acid . hplc analysis showed this to be a mixture of 36 % s , s - isomer and 64 % of the s , r - isomer . the solid was suspended in 2 . 8 l . of ether and stirred overnight . the undissolved solid was collected to give 42 . 5 g of material . hplc analysis showed this to be 5 . 2 % s , s - isomer and 94 . 8 % s , r - isomer . the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to give 24 . 3 g of a white solid . hplc analysis showed there to be 87 . 9 % of the s , s - isomer and 12 . 1 % of the r , s - isomer . the filtrate from the original acid precipitation was extracted three times with ether , the combined ether extracts dried over magnesium sulfate , and the solvent removed under reduced pressure to give 31 . 5 g of a white solid . hplc analysis of this material showed 75 . 8 % s , s - isomer and 24 . 2 % s , r - isomer . this material was suspended in 1 . 26 l . of ether and stirred overnight . the undissolved solid was collected to give 12 . 3 g of material . hplc analysis showed 51 . 5 % s , s - isomer and 48 . 5 % s , r - isomer . the filtrate was concentrated to give 18 . 8 g of a solid . hplc analysis of this material showed 90 . 1 % s , s - isomer and 9 . 9 % s , r - isomer . after resuspending the 12 . 3 g of material from above ( 51 . 5 % s , s - isomer ) in 490 ml of ether , stirring overnight , filtering off the insoluble material , and concentrating the filtrate under reduced pressure , there was obtained an additional 6 . 0 g of material with an isomer ratio of 87 . 2 % s , s - isomer and 12 . 8 % s , r - isomer . combining all the fractions enriched in the s , s - isomer gave 49 . 1 g of product with an isomer ratio of 88 . 6 % s , s - isomer and 11 . 4 % s , r - isomer . a solution of 22 . 45 g ( 0 . 0726 moles ) of n -( tert - butoxycarbonyl )- 4 ( s )- amino - 3 -( r , s )- hydroxy - 5 - phenylpentanoic acid ( 88 . 6 % s , s - isomer ) in 100 ml of methanol was treated with 9 . 6 ml ( 0 . 0726 moles ) of r -(+)- alpha - methylbenzylamine and diluted with 650 ml of ethyl acetate . crystallization soon occurred and the mixture was kept at 5 ° overnight . the precipitated salt was collected and washed with ethyl acetate . there was obtained 21 . 0 g of a white solid , mp 169 °- 175 °; [ α ] d 23 - 24 . 5 ° ( c , 0 . 6 . methanol ). a small sample was used to regenerate the free acid . hplc analysis showed 92 . 2 % s , s - isomer and 7 . 8 % s , r - isomer . a solution of 21 . 0 g of the above salt was dissolved in 100 ml of warm methanol and diluted with 500 ml of ethyl acetate . crystallization soon occurred and the mixture was kept at 5 ° overnight . the precipitated salt was collected and washed with ethyl acetate . there was obtained 13 . 9 g of a white solid , mp 176 °- 178 °, [ α ] d 23 - 27 . 9 ( c , 0 . 56 , methanol ). a small sample was used to regenerate the free acid . hplc analysis showed 97 . 8 % s , s - isomer and 2 . 2 % s , r - isomer . regeneration of free acid from the salt to yield n -( tert .- butoxycarbonyl )- 4 ( s )- amino - 3 ( s )- hydroxy - 5 - phenylpentanoic acid . a suspension of 14 . 7 g of the above salt in 500 ml of ethyl acetate was washed with two 100 ml portions of cold 1n hcl , then with sat . sodium chloride . after drying over magnesium sulfate and removal of the solvent under reduced pressure , there was obtained 10 . 16 g of a white solid , mp 146 °- 148 °, [ α ] d 23 - 34 . 1 ( c , 1 . 05 , methanol ). hplc analysis showed 98 . 3 % s , s - isomer and 1 . 7 % s , r - isomer . a solution of 16 . 49 g of n -( tert - butoxycarbonyl )- 4 ( s )- amino - 3 ( s )- hydroxy - 5 - phenylpentanoic acid in 150 ml of isopropyl alcohol was reduced at 24 °, 50 p . s . i . using 1 . 5 g of 10 % rhodium on carbon as the catalyst . when the required amount of hydrogen had been taken up , the reaction was stopped and the mixture filtered to remove the catalyst . removal of the solvent under reduced pressure gave 16 . 9 g of the product as a white foam . [ α ] d 23 - 29 . 1 ° ( c , 1 . 06 , methanol ). reasonable variations , such as those which would occur to a skilled artisan , can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention .

the s , s - isomers of boc - benztine and boc - cyclotine can be produced via the fractional crystallization of r -- alpha - methylbenzylamine salt . the products are useful in the production of renin inhibitors .

referring now to the drawings in more detail and initially to fig1 , the present invention relates in a preferred embodiment to a diffuser assembly or module 10 for use individually or in a diffuser grid structure containing a number of the modules 10 . the module 10 has a non - buoyant portion 11 and a selective buoyant portion 14 . the non - buoyant portion includes a frame 20 and a diffuser assembly 22 comprising a plurality of individual diffusers 24 arranged parallel to one another . the selective buoyant portion 14 includes a buoyancy vessel 12 having an interior flotation chamber 19 . the frame 20 supports the diffuser assembly 22 and the buoyancy vessel 12 , operably connecting the structures together . in the illustrated embodiment in fig1 and 2 , the frame 20 has a generally rectangular shape , although the frame could have any suitable shape and size . as used herein , non - buoyant means the object has a density greater than the liquid it is in and will not float on its own and buoyant means the object will float on its own and has a density ( including a chamber and its contents ) less than the liquid it is in . as shown in fig1 and 2 , the diffuser assembly 22 includes a central header pipe 28 providing a supply of air to the diffusers 24 . air is supplied to header pipe 28 by an air supply conduit 40 which may be equipped with a quick disconnect coupling 44 . the diffusers may be tubular membrane diffusers of the type having rigid tubes 23 that receive flexible membranes 25 . the size and position of the diffusers 24 may be varied to suit the needs of the particular wastewater treatment process . for simplicity , only representative membranes 25 are shown in fig1 . other types of diffusers can be employed , including disk diffusers and coarse bubble diffusers . the frame of the diffuser assembly includes a series of transverse ballast beams 18 ( fig2 ) positioned below the diffusers 24 . the ballast beams 18 are positioned and sized to provide the ballast required to keep the diffuser module 10 positioned on the bottom of a wastewater basin when operating . the header pipe 28 may be strapped , bolted or otherwise secured on top of the ballast beams 18 at a location extending along the longitudinal axis of the module 10 . the wastewater basin may have an earthen , polymeric , metallic or concrete bottom which may invoke different details in the construction of the module 10 , particularly in the portions adjacent the bottom . the buoyancy vessel 12 may take the form of a u - shaped tubular structure that has side portions 12 a , 12 b preferably extending generally along the length of the assembly parallel to the pipe 28 and perpendicular to the diffusers 24 . coaxial end portions 12 c and 12 d connect with the respective side legs 12 a and 12 b through elbow fittings . the shape and size of the buoyancy vessel 12 and chamber 19 may be selected to fit the size profile and buoyancy needs of the module 10 . the components that are buoyant during lift are sized and positioned to effect the lift and descent of the module 10 in the wastewater reservoir . lift and descent may be controlled as discussed below . additionally , the flotation chamber 19 is preferably positioned relative to the remainder of the module 10 so at least some portion of the chamber 12 , and preferably all of it , is located at or above the center of mass ( designated cm in fig2 ) of the non - buoyant portion 11 when the module 10 is in a horizontal orientation . it is not necessary but preferred for the entire body of flotation chamber 19 to be above the non - buoyant portion 11 . this configuration enhances stability and allows the module 10 to descend in a substantially horizontal orientation , which limits planning , rolling or flipping of the module 10 during descent . the configuration , size and orientation of the chamber 19 determines the location of the center of lift ( designated as cl in fig2 ), and the center of lift may change as gas flows in or out of the chamber . the center of lift is the general mean point where the lift forces exerted by the air in the chamber 19 may be considered to be focused . the center of lift relative to the center of mass may vary as the chamber 19 varies between ballast and buoyancy , i . e ., as the relative amounts of gas and liquid in the chamber 19 changes . the buoyancy chamber 19 is in flow communication with gas supply lines such as a pair of flexible air hoses 30 each having a three - way air valve 32 . one of the hoses 30 connects to chamber portion 12 c and the other hose 30 connects with portion 12 d . the portions 12 c and 12 d are preferably isolated so that flow between them is not permitted the buoyancy vessel 12 terminates in one or more flow control sections 33 , each of which may take the form of a down turned elbow 16 presenting a flow control opening 36 communicating between chamber 19 and the exterior to the chamber 19 . the opening 36 may be at the lower end of a spout 34 . the opening 36 , in the illustrated structure can function as an inlet and an outlet for liquid , as will be described . in one embodiment , the elbow 16 forms a generally 90 ° angle following a bend 35 . the opening 36 is shown as positioned below the level of the center of lift cl when the module 10 is relatively horizontal or level , to allow the opening 36 to function as a self - sealing hydraulic seal when air is in the chamber 19 , thereby forming a valve with no mechanical valve elements . it is preferred that the end portion of each side leg 12 a and 12 b of the flotation chamber be equipped with a flow control section 33 and a flow control opening 36 . the module 10 is normally located in a wastewater treatment basin submerged either on the basin bottom or suspended from floating air laterals . in either case , when air is supplied through hose 40 to the header pipe 28 , the air is directed into the diffusers 24 and discharged through slits in the membranes 25 into the wastewater in the form of fine bubbles . this effects aeration and mixing of the wastewater with the fine bubbles efficiently transferring air to the liquid . if the operator wishes to raise the module 10 , he or she may commence purging liquid from the chamber 19 through the openings 36 by first opening the air valves 32 to allow gas under pressure to enter the chamber 19 through hoses 30 . the following described process will apply to all the embodiments described in this application , but for simplicity this description will only refer to the embodiment shown in fig1 - 3 . in any embodiment , the chamber 19 is generally filled with liquid when the module 10 is in an operating position on the bottom of the wastewater treatment basin . as the gas enters the chamber 19 , it displaces liquid in the chamber and purges it through openings 36 in flow control sections 33 . as the gas displaces the liquid in the chamber 19 , the module 10 becomes buoyant and begins to lift off the bottom surface of the wastewater basin , first near the end of the module where the gas is introduced into the chamber 19 , which is opposite openings 36 . while a plurality of openings 36 and flow control sections 33 are shown , the use of only one of each can suffice in some applications . as the air enters the chamber 19 , openings 36 act as hydraulic seals to prevent gas from escaping the chamber , so long as the openings 36 remain below the level of the chamber 19 . in a preferred embodiment , the elbow 16 and position of the openings 36 relative to the chamber 19 create this self - sealing feature without the use of mechanical valve elements or moving parts or other mechanical closures or devices . the absence of mechanical valves provides for a more trouble free product for use in environments such as wastewater treatment . mechanical methods to seal the opening could easily become blocked or corroded in the sludge or materials processed by most wastewater treatment works . the absence of mechanical valve obstacles within the flow control section 33 means the present invention offers fewer opportunities for repair problems or malfunction delays . in a less preferred embodiment , the flow control sections 33 could include a mechanical valve upstream from the respective opening 36 for selectively opening and closing the chamber 19 to liquid flow . once the gas has displaced most of the liquid from the buoyancy vessel 12 , the module 10 will rise as a result of its buoyancy and approach the surface of the liquid in the basin . the operator may then retrieve the module by any convenient method , including towing from a boat or removal by crane . the module 10 may be removed for servicing , repair , or replacement of the diffusers 24 or other components . it may also be serviced while at the surface without removal from the basin . the module 10 can be moved to an edge of the basin where it can be lifted or , often more conveniently , tilted and then lifted out of the basin . when the operator desires to install the module 10 in the basin following maintenance , he or she can position the module 10 on the surface of the wastewater at the desired location . the operator will then begin to bleed gas from the buoyancy chamber 19 by positioning the three - way valves 32 to allow air to escape from the flotation chamber 19 . as the air escapes the chamber 19 through the conduits 30 , liquid will begin to re - enter the buoyancy vessel through the openings 36 . as the liquid re - enters the buoyancy chamber 19 , the vessel 12 begins to lose buoyancy , causing the module 10 to begin its descent to the bottom of the wastewater basin . the center of lift cl of the buoyant portion 14 is generally above the center of mass cm of the non - buoyant portion 11 . the force vector at the center of lift cl is generally in line with and generally above the force vector due to the counterpoise weight of the non - buoyant portion 14 . also , at least a portion of the chamber 19 is preferably positioned above the center of mass of the non - buoyant portion 11 . for stability , the buoyant portion includes two chamber legs 19 a , 19 b located in sides 12 a , 12 b and each extending along a respective side portion of the module 10 . additionally , the chamber legs or portions 19 a , 19 b are connected to the separate infeed hoses 30 by vessel portions 12 c , 12 d which also have a respective chamber portion 19 c , 19 d therein each communicating with the chamber portions 19 a , 19 b . the chamber portions 19 c , 19 d are isolated from each other and provide for buoyancy at the end of the module 10 opposite that of the location of the flow control sections 33 . accordingly , the end of the unit opposite the openings 36 normally rises first and descends last , providing a slight cant or inclination to the module 10 . this can help achieve and maintain a seal in the flow control sections 33 while still substantially preventing planning of the diffuser module , particularly during descent . in an alternative embodiment , a single vessel 12 with a single chamber 19 therein may be provided and preferably would be positioned generally along the longitudinal central axis of the module 10 . by proper relative positioning of the center of mass and the center of lift , appropriate ascent and descent may be accomplished . however , two separate chambers spaced apart on opposite sides of the unit is preferred because such a configuration enhances the stability much in the manner of a double pontoon boat . fig4 illustrates a plurality of modules 10 positioned in a basin 60 in a grid configuration . a gas supply conduit 61 extends along a portion of the reservoir and preferably along a substantial length of a grid system 60 . the gas supply conduit is provided with a plurality of gas supply branch conduits 62 connected thereto , each also being connected in flow communication with a respective module 10 through one of the valves 32 . the supply conduit 62 connects through valve 32 with both the gas lines 30 and the header pipe 28 so that air can be fed to either the diffusers 24 or the buoyancy vessel 12 . when it is desired to raise a module 10 , air is fed primarily to the chamber 19 with zero to low air flow to the diffusers through appropriate operation of the valving . a respective module 10 of the grid may be raised or lowered for appropriate maintenance or inspection in the manner previously described . fig5 and 6 depict an alternative embodiment of the invention which includes a modified diffuser module 110 . the module 110 is equipped with a diffuser assembly which may be of any desired type , including a plurality of large tube diffusers 123 which may be clustered relatively closely together , individual tube diffusers 124 which may be spaced closer together and may be smaller overall than the diffusers 123 , or a plurality of disk diffusers 126 mounted along the length of supply pipes 126 a . diffusers 123 may be equipped with flexible membranes 123 a which discharge air into the wastewater in the form of fine bubbles . similarly , diffusers 124 may be equipped with flexible membranes 124 a through which air is transferred to the wastewater in the form of fine bubbles . the disk diffusers 126 may be of any suitable type , including bodies having their faces equipped with flexible disk membranes through which air in the supply pipes 126 a is delivered to the wastewater in the form of fine bubbles . the diffusers 123 , 124 and / or 126 are mounted on and receive air from a horizontal header pipe 128 which in turn receives air from a blower ( not shown ) through an air supply conduit 140 which may be a flexible hose . the header pipe 128 extends along the longitudinal center line of the module 110 . ballast beams 118 are secured to the header pipe 128 near its opposite ends by suitable straps 131 or other fastening means . the module 110 is equipped with a single buoyancy vessel 112 which may be located above the header pipe 128 and arranged to extend above pipe 128 along the longitudinal center line of the diffuser module 110 . the buoyancy vessel 112 may take the form of a pipe having a hollow interior forming a flotation chamber 119 ( fig6 ). one end of vessel 112 may be equipped with a down turned elbow 116 which in turn connects with a short vertical spout 134 . the lower end of the spout 134 is open to provide a flow control opening 136 that functions in substantially the same manner as opening 36 . the buoyancy vessel 112 may be connected with the module 110 in any suitable manner such as being formed as part of a frame that includes the diffuser module and buoyancy vessel 112 . air is supplied to and bled from the buoyancy vessel 112 through an air hose 130 that connects with the vessel 112 at the end opposite the spout 134 . the air hose 130 may be equipped with a valve such as a three - way air valve 132 . the end of the buoyancy vessel 112 adjacent to the connection of the air hose 130 may be provided with a down turned leg 155 that connects with the header pipe 128 . the diffuser module 110 may be lifted to the surface by a pair of retrieval cables 157 , each connected with a harness 159 . the two harnesses 159 connect with the two ballast beams 118 near the opposite ends of the beams . the embodiment of fig5 and 6 functions and operates in substantially the same manner as described for the embodiment of fig1 - 4 . the buoyancy vessel 112 may be supplied with air through the hose 130 in order to effect a buoyant condition of the module 110 , causing it to rise to the surface for maintenance and / or repair . the flow control opening 136 functions as a valve to confine the air in the buoyancy vessel 112 while avoiding the ingress of water due to the air pressure . when the buoyancy vessel 112 is bled of air through the air hose 130 , water enters the flotation chamber 119 , and the module 110 then reverts to a non - buoyant condition in which it descends to the basin floor 113 and remains in place on the floor until it is again made buoyant . thus , there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention . as is evident from the foregoing description , certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein , and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications , or equivalents thereof , will occur to those skilled in the art . the terms “ having ” and “ including ” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “ optional ” or “ may include ” and not as “ required ”. many changes , modifications , variations and other uses and applications of the present construction will , however , become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings . all such changes , modifications , variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow .

a diffuser assembly with a buoyancy vessel and a chamber for buoyantly raising the diffuser assembly for maintenance work . the diffuser assembly has a support structure , diffusers connected to the frame , and a buoyancy vessel positioned on the frame , capable of alternating between a state of buoyancy or ballast .

throughout all the figures , same or corresponding elements are generally indicated by same reference numerals . these depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way . turning now to the drawing , and in particular to fig1 , there is shown a permanent - excited synchronous motor 2 , with a rotor position sensor 4 , a brake 6 , a converter 8 , in particular an intermediate voltage converter , and a conventional field control 10 . the stator of the permanent - excited synchronous motor is powered by the converter 8 . the conventional field control 10 includes a rotation speed control circuit 12 , two current control circuits 14 , 16 as well as two conversion circuits 18 and 20 . the field control 10 also includes a differentiating circuit 22 and a conversion device 24 . the rotation speed control circuit 12 includes a rotation speed controller 26 , a comparator 28 and a limiter 30 . a predetermined rotation speed setpoint n * is applied to the non - inverting input of the comparator 28 , whereas a measured actual rotation speed value n is applied to the inverting input . the actual rotation speed value n is generated by the differentiating circuit 22 from the position signal r generated by the rotor position sensor 4 . the output of the comparator 28 is connected to an input of the rotation speed controller 26 , with the output of the rotation speed controller 26 being connected to the limiter 30 . the output of the limiter 30 produces the setpoint signal i * q of the secondary current control circuit 14 . the current control circuit 14 includes a comparator 34 and a current controller 32 connected to an output of the comparator 34 . a second current control circuit 16 also includes a comparator 38 and current controller 36 connected to an output of the comparator 38 . the outputs of the two current control circuits 14 and 16 are connected to corresponding inputs of a conversion circuit 20 which converts the two orthogonal setpoints u * q and u * d of the field voltage into three voltage setpoints u * r , u * s and u * t for the stator . the voltages u * r , u * s and u * t represent the voltage setpoints of the permanent - excited synchronous motor . the stator currents i r and i s of the permanent - excited synchronous motor 2 are measured , and an input - side conversion circuit 18 converts the stator currents i r and i s into two orthogonal field current components i q and i d of a stator current space vector of the synchronous motor 2 . the current components i q and i d are supplied to corresponding inverting inputs of the comparators 34 and 36 of the two current control circuits 14 and 16 , as described above . the current component i q , which is also referred to as a torque - forming current , is applied to the inverting input of the comparator 34 . a setpoint of the current component i d , which is also referred to as a flux - forming current component and has a value of zero , is applied to the non - inverting input of the comparator 38 . each of the two conversion circuits 18 and 20 requires information about the rotor position angle φ , which is generated by the conversion device 24 from the rotor position signal r of the rotor position sensor 4 . fig2 shows a linear motor 40 of a feed system of a processing machine ( not shown in detail ). the motor 40 includes a primary section 42 and a secondary section 44 . the secondary section 44 of the linear motor 40 is adapted to hold a tool 46 , for example a cutting tool . the secondary section 44 of the linear motor 40 includes a plurality of permanent magnets 48 which are arranged side - by - side along the secondary section 44 . the depicted magnetic field distribution 50 depends on the particular arrangement of the permanent magnets 48 . a primary field with a q - component 52 and a d - component 54 ( see fig3 ) is produced in the primary section 42 of the linear motor 40 . fig2 shows the q - component 52 of the primary field of the linear motor 40 . the q - component 52 of the primary field is shifted by 90 ° elec . with respect to the magnetic field distribution of the permanent magnets 48 of the secondary section 44 of the linear motor 40 . the d - component 54 of the primary field of the linear motor 40 is shown in more detail in fig3 . the d - component 54 of the primary field is in phase with the magnetic field distribution 50 of the permanent magnets 48 . the q - component 52 of the primary field is produced when the linear motor 40 is energized in the feed direction . conversely , the d - component 54 of the primary field is produced when the linear motor 40 is energized in the direction of the attractive force . the q - and d - components can be linearly combined and applied simultaneously . in conventional servo drives , only the q - component is used to move a secondary section relative to a primary section in a linear motor . fig2 also shows a workpiece 56 to be machined by an exemplary cutting tool 46 . the workpiece is omitted from fig3 for sake of clarity . a workpiece can be machined eccentrically by moving the secondary section 44 of the linear motor 40 back and forth in the feed direction . this motion is indicated by the double arrow 58 . machining the workpiece 56 in this way can generate chatter oscillations , as indicated by the arrows 60 and 62 . chatter can render the surfaces of the workpiece 56 unusable . chatter is frequently caused when the machine structure mechanically yields to the cutting forces . periodic excursions occur in particular , when the cutting force oscillations have a frequency in the range of a characteristic resonant frequency of the machine . the periodic machine excursions due to chatter can also produce periodic discontinuities in the cutting force which can have a phase relationship to the machine resonances that sustain and / or even amplify chatter . in particular , with materials requiring a large cutting force or a large cutting depth , the onset of chatter oscillations can reduce or limit the machine productivity . the cutting depth may therefore have to be reduced so as to reliably eliminate chatter . fig4 depicts a linear motor 40 of a feed system of a processing machine ( not shown in detail ) according to fig2 coupled to a device for carrying out the method of the invention . the device includes an acquisition system 64 that generates an actual signal s rs which is proportional to the chatter oscillation , and a control circuit 66 . the control circuit 66 is electrically connected to an output of the acquisition system 64 . in its simplest embodiment , the control circuit 66 includes a comparator 68 , a controller 70 , in particular a pi - controller , and a limiter 72 . a setpoint signal s * rs for the chatter oscillation is applied to the non - inverting input of the comparator 68 . the measured actual signal s rs of an occurring chatter oscillation is applied to the input of the acquisition system 64 , with the output of the acquisition system 64 being connected to the inverting input of the comparator 68 of the control circuit 66 . the output of the comparator 68 is connected to the input of the controller 70 , and the limiter 72 is connected to the output of the controller 70 . the output of the limiter 72 produces a control variable s rsy which is supplied as a setpoint signal i * d to the current control circuit 16 for the d - component of the field control 10 depicted in fig1 . the control variable s rsy is indicative of a correction that has to be applied to the actual signal s rs of an occurring chatter oscillation , such that the setpoint signal s * rs for the chatter oscillation has a predetermined value . the value for the setpoint signal s * rs is set to zero , since any chatter oscillation present can render surfaces of the workpiece 56 unusable . in the embodiment illustrated in fig4 , the acquisition system 64 that generates an actual signal s rs proportional to the occurring chatter oscillation includes a seismic acceleration sensor 74 and an integrating circuit 76 . the exemplary seismic acceleration sensor 74 is a piezo sensor which does not require a reference point . as a result , the seismic acceleration sensor 74 can be placed directly on the tool 46 . the output signal s rsa of the seismic acceleration sensor 74 is the acceleration a of an occurring chatter oscillation in the direction of the attractive force of the linear motor 40 . the integrating circuit 76 generates from the determined output signal s rsa a corresponding velocity signal which is supplied as the actual signal s rs to the inverting input of the comparator 68 of the control circuit 66 . the actual velocity signal s rs and a predetermined velocity signal setpoint s * rs can be used to generate a setpoint s rsy , which is supplied as a current setpoint i * d to the secondary current control circuit 16 for the d - component of the motor current of the field controller 10 . the secondary current control circuit 16 for the d - component regulates the attractive force in the linear motor 40 so as to counteract the velocity of the occurring chatter oscillation . in this way , the velocity of the chatter oscillation is controlled to the predetermined value of the setpoint signal s * rs . fig5 shows a second embodiment of the device for carrying out the method for damping an occurring chatter oscillation in a processing machine with at least one feed system . this embodiment is different from the embodiment of fig4 in that the acquisition system 60 includes an optical sensor 78 and a signal processor 80 . the optical sensor 78 is used to measure the velocity of the occurring chatter oscillation in the direction of the attractive force of the motor . the output signal of the optical sensor 78 is supplied to the signal processor 80 which generates an actual signal s rs which is proportional to the chatter oscillation . the method of the invention can be used when chatter oscillations that have a component in the direction of the attractive force extend into the air gap space of the linear motor 40 . the method of the invention does not depend on the particulars by which a chatter oscillation is detected or measured . the method of the invention advantageously uses the previously unused d - component of the field controller 10 to dampen chatter oscillations . the method of the invention can advantageously be implemented with a single acquisition system 64 and a single control circuit 66 . the control circuit 66 can subsequently be integrated with other field controllers , for example , as a software module . the software module can also be activated on demand , so that the method of the invention operates only in the presence of chatter oscillations . the acquisition system 64 depicted in fig4 operates with a piezo sensor which does not require a reference point and can therefore determine the velocity of an occurring chatter oscillation . moreover , the seismic acceleration sensor 74 is small enough to be placed in close proximity to a location where a chatter oscillation is generated . while the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated .

a device and a method are disclosed for attenuating a chatter oscillation in a processing machine , for example a cutting machine , such as a lathe . the machine includes at least one feed system with a primary section and a secondary section driven by a linear motor which can be powered via a converter . the device has a magnetic field control to control an in - phase component of the magnetic field which produces the attractive force between of the primary section and the secondary section . an actual signal that is proportional to the chatter oscillation is generated and compared with a predetermined setpoint for a chatter oscillation . the comparison produces a control variable which is applied as a current setpoint to a field control that controls the current of the linear motor . this sufficiently attenuates chatter oscillations so that a reduction of the cutting depth is no longer required .

in the preferred embodiment of the instant invention the principal components of known processes are integrated in a manner providing a highly advantageous and surprising advancement in refinery technology leading to the production of high octane gasoline and distillate . known processes are combined in a unique configuration that provides enhancement of the performance of component processes as well as achieving surprising advantages for the integrated process . the processes integrated include etherification to produce methyl tertiary butyl ether ( mtbe ) and methyl tertiary amyl ether ( tame ), the conversion of methanol to gasoline , known as the mtg process , and the conversion of olefins to gasoline known as the mog process . the mto and mog processes are closely related processes employing medium pore size shape selective zeolite type catalyst whose operating conditions are selected to shift the conversion reaction toward the production of olefins and the conversion of olefins to gasoline . the above processes are further integrated in a novel way through a dehydrogenation step to yield the fully integrated process of the instant invention . these known processes are discussed further herein . however , in fig1 the fully integrated process of the present invention incorporating these individual processes is presented in a schematic drawing . as known and employed in the present invention , the reaction of methanol with isobutylene and isoamylenes at moderate conditions with a resin catalyst is established technology , as provided by r . w . reynolds , et al in the oil and gas journal , june 16 , 1975 , and s . pecci and t . floris , hydrocarbon processing , december 1977 . an article entitled &# 34 ; mtbe and tame - a good octane boosting combo ,&# 34 ; by j . d . chase , et al , the oil and gas journal , apr . 9 , 1979 , pages 149 - 152 , discusses the technology . a preferred catalyst is a bifunctional ion exchange resin which etherifies and isomerizes the reactant streams . a typical acid catalyst is amberlyst 15 sulfonic acid resin . processes for producing and recovering mtbe and other methyl tertiaryalkyl ethers from c 4 - c 7 isolefins are known to those skilled in the art , such as disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 544 , 776 ( osterburg , et al ) and 4 , 603 , 225 ( colaianne , et al ). various suitable extraction and distillation techniques are known for recovering ether and hydrocarbon streams from etherification effluents . in one segment of the present invention lower paraffins such as c 4 - c 5 hyrocarbons from the olefins to gasoline conversion step are separated and passed to a dehydrogenation zone for dehydrogenation to olefins . it has been established that the conversion of paraffins , such as propane and butane , to mono - olefins , such as propylene and butylene , can be accomplished by thermal or catalytic dehydrogenation . a general discussion of thermal dehydrogenation ( i . e ., steam cracking ) is presented in encyclopedia of chemical technology , ed . by kirk and othmer , vol . 19 , 1982 , third ed ., pp . 232 - 235 . various processes for catalytic dehydrogenation are available in the prior art . these processes include the houdry catofin process of air products and chemical , inc ., allentown , pa ., the oleflex process of uop , inc ., des moines , ill . and a process disclosed by u . s . pat . no . 4 , 191 , 846 to farha , jr . et al . the houdry catofin process , described in a magazine article , &# 34 ; dehydrogenation links lpg to more octanes &# 34 ;, gussow et al , oil and gas journal , dec . 8 , 1980 , involves a fixed bed , multi - reactor catalytic process for conversion of paraffins to olefins . typically , the process runs at low pressures of 5 - 30 inches of mercury absolute , and high temperatures with hot reactor effluent at 550 °- 650 ° c . dehydrogenation is an endothermic reaction , so it normally requires a furnace to provide heat to a feed stream prior to feeding the feed stream into the reactors . the uop oleflex process , disclosed in an article &# 34 ; c 2 / c 5 dehydrogenation updated &# 34 ;, verrow et al , hydrocarbon processing , april 1982 , used stacked catalytic reactors . u . s . pat . no . 4 , 191 , 846 to farha , jr . et al teaches the use of group viii metal containing catalysts to promote catalytic dehydrogenation of paraffins to olefins . another key process in the instant invention is the conversion of oxygenates such as methanol and lower olefins to higher hydrocarbons over zeolite type catalyst such as zsm - 5 . these processes are described in detail in the aforenoted and referenced patents and articles . referring now to the figure , a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is presented . etherification hydrocarbon feedstream 20 preferably comprises a c 4 + hydrocarbon stream rich in isoalkenes . the hydrocarbon stream is passed to etherification reactor 21 and mixed with at least 2 % excess of methanol based on the isoalkene content of the hydrocarbon stream . a unique advantage of the present invention is the capability to use large stoichiometric excesses of methanol in the etherification reaction , thereby promoting the improved formation of ethers . excess methanol in the range of 2 to 50 % may be conviently used . the etherification reaction is conducted preferably at about 60 ° c . the etherification effluent is passed 23 to a fractionator 24 wherein a bottom stream 25 is separated comprising ether - rich gasoline . the overhead from the fractionator comprises essentially etherification excess methanol and all or a major portion of unreacted hydrocarbon . the mixture is passed to an olefins to gasoline conversion reactor 27 supplemented , optionally , by a feedstream 28 of c 3 - olefinic hydrocarbons . olefins are converted to gasoline at a pressure between 420 kpa and 2100 kpa ( 60 and 300 psia ) and a temperature between 204 ° c . and 500 ° c . under these conditions methanol in the mixture is also converted to higher hydrocarbons including c 4 - c 5 olefins . the conversion effluent is passed 29 to a fractionation unit 30 for the separation of c 3 - fuel gas 31 , c 4 - c 5 paraffins 32 and a c 5 - c 9 gasoline product 33 . the c 4 - c 5 paraffins are passed to a dehydrogenation zone 34 where are dehydrogenated to olefins . c 4 - c 5 olefins are recovered from the dehydrogenation effluent stream 35 and passed to the etherification zone 21 . optionally , a c 3 - olefin stream may also be recovered from the dehydrogenation stream and recycled to the olefins to gasoline conversion zone 27 . alternatively , c 2 - c 3 components leaving the mog reactor can be sent to the dehydrogenation unit for further conversion to olefins which can be upgraded in the mog unit . also , the dehydrogenation reaction reactor effluent can be fed to the etherification unit without separating or efficiently separating c3 - components from c 4 - components . this will allow utilizing the mog separation section as the only gas plant in the process . one embodiment of the present invention involves an improvement on conventional etherification processes to produce mtbe where the etherification reaction effluent stream is extracted with water to remove excess or unreacted methanol and unreacted methanol recovered by distillation for recycle to the etherification reactor . in the present invention the hydrocarbon portion of the effluent stream after aqueous extraction is separated into c 4 + hydrocarbon overhead stream containing unrecovered methanol for further conversion in contact with medium pore shape selective catalyst followed by dehydrogenation of c 4 - c 5 aliphatic hydrocarbons as described above . the catalyst useful in the practice of the instant invention in the conversion of methanol to olefins and in the conversion of olefins to gasoline and distillate belongs to a group of related zeolites . recent developments in zeolite technology have provided a group of medium pore siliceous materials having similar pore geometry . most prominent among these intermediate pore sized zeolites is zsm - 5 , which is usually synthesized with bronsted active sites by incorporating a tetrahedrally coordinated metal , such as al , ga , or fe , within the zeolytic framework . these medium pore zeolites are favored for acid catalysis ; however , the advantages of zsm - 5 structures may be utilized by employing highly siliceous materials or crystalline metallosilicate having one or more tetrahedrally species having varying degrees of acidity . zsm - 5 crystalline structure is readily recognized by its x - ray defraction pattern , which is described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 702 , 866 , ( argauer , et al ), incorporated by reference . while the invention has been described by reference to particular embodiments , there is no intent to limit the inventive concept except as set forth in the following claims .

an integrated process for the production of ether - rich liquid fuels containing mtbe and tame by etherifying a hydrocarbon feedstock containing c 4 + isoalkenes in the presence of a high stoichiometric excess of lower alkyl alcohol . unreacted alcohol and olefins are passed to a zeolite catalyzed conversion reactor under olefinic and oxygenates conversion condition whereby gasoline and light hydrocarbons are produced . the light hydrocarbon fraction comprising c 4 - c 5 paraffins is dehydrogenated and c 4 - c 5 olefins are recycled to the etherification reactor .

various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . referring to fig1 an etching apparatus for etching silicon wafers 15 , one by one , is arranged in a clean , dust - free room . the etching apparatus comprises vacuum chamber 10 for etching silicon wafer 15 on stage 19 in a vacuum and two preliminary chambers 12 and 13 for loading wafer 15 into vacuum chamber 10 or unloading it therefrom . vacuum chamber 10 comprises a vacuum device ( not shown ) and an exposure device ( not shown ). handling apparatuses 14 are respectively arranged in preliminary chambers 12 and 13 . vacuum chamber 10 has the following dimensions : 370 mm length × 370 mm width × 200 mm height ; and each preliminary chamber 12 or 13 has the following dimensions : 300 mm length × 300 mm width × 80 mm height . vacuum chamber 10 and preliminary chambers 12 and 13 communicate with each other through openings 10a and 10b . gate valves 21 and 22 are arranged in openings 10a and 10b , respectively . preliminary chambers 12 and 13 communicate with the outer air through openings 12a and 13a . gate valves 20 and 23 are arranged in openings 12a and 13a , respectively . each preliminary chamber 12 or 13 has a predetermined size for receiving one wafer which must be immediately discharged therefrom at a high speed since the wafer is exposed to the outer air during the process of loading and unloading the wafer . in order that a wafer be evacuated from a preliminary chamber within a desired period of time , the preliminary chamber must have a small volume , and the movement of handling apparatus 14 must be limited accordingly . stage 18 is arranged in front of opening 12a of preliminary chamber 12 . when wafer 15 is loaded on stage 18 by a robot &# 39 ; s hand ( not shown ), wafer 15 is automatically aligned on stage 18 . first handling apparatus 14 in preliminary chamber 12 loads wafer 15 from aligning stage 18 to vacuum chamber 10 . then , second handling apparatus 14 arranged in preliminary chamber 13 unloads wafer 15 from vacuum chamber 10 . each cylindrical base member 31 of handling apparatuses 14 is installed in the center of each of preliminary chambers 12 and 13 , respectively . a rotating shaft of each base member 31 is connected to a driving shaft of a stepping motor ( not shown ) having a speed control means . an arm portion of handling apparatus 14 can be rotated by the stepping motor through a desired angle around the member 31 . distance 2l between the center of base member 31 and the center of stage 19 of vacuum chamber 10 is about 370 mm . the arm of handling apparatus 14 is constituted by three parallel motion mechanisms ( parallel crank mechanisms ). while the apparatus is in use , a maximum arm length is 2l . while the apparatus is not being used , a space required for the folded arm is l × w × h , wherein w is 50 mm . as shown in fig2 holding member 52 is mounted at the distal end of the arm of handling apparatus 14 . holding member 52 is detachably mounted on the arm and can be replaced with another in accordance with the wafer sizes . the multijoint arm of the handling apparatus and its driving mechanism will be described with reference to fig5 and 2 . the multijoint arm of handling apparatus 14 is constituted by the assembly of three parallel crank mechanisms . the first - stage parallel crank mechanism comprises first to third links 33 , 34 , and 36 and base member 31 . large pulley 39 is coaxially fixed on shaft 32 of base member 31 . shaft 32 is fixed at one end of first link 33 . one end of second link 34 is pivotally supported on base 31 by shaft 35 such that second link 34 is parallel to first link 33 . third link 36 is pivotally mounted on first and second links 33 and 34 through corresponding shafts 37 and 38 . first to third links 33 , 34 , and 36 are mounted on the same plane . the mechanism for driving the multijoint arm will be described below . first small pulley 40 is fixed on shaft 37 . wire 41 is looped around large pulley 39 and first small pulley 40 . a rotational force of shaft 32 is transmitted to small pulley 40 through wire 41 . a ratio of the diameter of large pulley 39 to that of small pulley 40 is 2 : 1 . in this case , the length of each of first and second links 33 and 34 is l / 2 . the length of third link 36 and the distance between shafts 32 and 35 are each given as w . in this manner , base member 31 and first to third links 33 , 34 , and 36 constitute the first - stage parallel crank mechanism . the second - stage parallel crank mechanism is arranged to overlap the first - stage parallel crank mechanism . one end of fourth link 42 is fixed on shaft 37 , and one end of fifth link 43 is pivotally mounted on shaft 38 . sixth link 44 is pivotally coupled between fourth and fifth links 42 and 43 through shafts 45 and 46 . the length of each of fourth and fifth links 42 and 43 is l , and the length of sixth link 44 is w , which is equal to that of third link 36 . third to sixth links 36 , 42 , 43 , and 44 constitute the second - stage parallel crank mechanism . second small pulley 47 is fixed on shaft 38 , and third small pulley 48 is fixed on shaft 46a . wire 49 is looped around second and third small pulleys 47 and 48 . second and third small pulleys 47 and 48 are identical to first small pulley 40 . the third - stage parallel crank mechanism is arranged to overlap the second parallel crank mechanism described above . the third parallel crank mechanism is constituted by sixth link 44 , seventh link 50 , eighth link 51 , and holding member 52 . one end of seventh link 50 is fixed on third pulley 48 by two screws 46b . the other end of seventh link 50 is pivotally mounted on holding member 52 through shaft 53 . one end of eighth link 51 is pivotally mounted on sixth link 44 through shaft 45 , and the other end thereof is pivotally mounted on holding member 52 through shaft 54 . in this case , the length of each of seventh and eighth links 50 and 51 is l / 2 , and a distance between shafts 53 and 54 is w . the length l is substantially equal to the diameter of the wafer to be handled . in a handling apparatus for handling an 8 &# 34 ; wafer , length l is set to be about 180 mm and distance w preferably falls within the range of l / 4 to l / 2 . as shown in fig3 and 4 , handling apparatus 14 is folded and can be stored in a small container while the apparatus is not in use . the area occupied by the folded arm is defined as l × w . most of the folded arm is concealed below wafer holding member 52 , and small pulleys 40 , 47 , and 48 protrude from under holding member 52 . the material of which the parallel crank mechanisms , the links constituting the driving mechanism , and the pulleys are composed , is stainless steel or an aluminum alloy with a tetrafluororesin coated thereon by so - called tufram process . when an aluminum alloy is used as a base metal , a hard anodized aluminum film is formed on the surface of the base metal prior to the coating of a tetrafluororesin . wires 41 and 49 are made of stainless steel wires coated with a tetrafluororesin . a titanium alloy may be employed as a material for the links , the pulleys , and the wires . the amount of tetrafluororesin coating material is small enough so that the formation of dust during sliding is inconsequential . loading of the silicon wafer into the etching ( vacuum ) chamber or unloading it therefrom by means of the handling apparatuses will be described below . one of silicon wafers 15 is taken out from a wafer cassette by a robot hand ( not shown ) and is temporarily placed on stage 18 . wafer 15 on stage 18 is aligned in a desired position by a robot hand and a sensor ( not shown ). after wafer 15 has been prealigned on stage 18 , gate valve 20 is moved downward to open opening 12a of the preliminary chamber . the operation of the driving mechanism of handling apparatus 14 is controlled by a computer system in accordance with the so - called computer software programming . base member 31 is rotated to direct wafer insertion port 52a of holding member 52 toward opening 12a . shaft 32 is rotated at a low speed by a stepping motor to extend the arm of handling apparatus 14 . holding member 52 is moved forward toward wafer 15 placed on stage 18 and is caused to hold wafer 15 . after wafer holding has been detected , the stepping motor is driven in the reverse direction to retract the arm . wafer 15 is loaded in preliminary chamber 12 while being held by holding member 52 . gate valve 20 is moved upward to close opening 12a of preliminary chamber 12 . the gas in preliminary chamber 12 is removed therefrom by a vacuum pump until an internal pressure of preliminary chamber 12 becomes equal to that of vacuum chamber 10 . when the internal pressure of preliminary chamber 12 reaches a predetermined value , gate valve 21 is moved downward to cause preliminary chamber 12 to communicate with vacuum chamber 10 . base member 31 is rotated 90 ° counterclockwise to direct holding member 52 toward vacuum chamber 10 . shaft 32 is forwardly rotated to extend the arm from preliminary chamber 12 to load wafer 15 in holding member 52 of vacuum chamber 10 . wafer 15 is transferred from holding member 52 to chuck 19 . shaft 32 is reversely rotated to retract the arm to return from holding member 52 of chamber 10 to preliminary chamber 12 . gate valve 21 is moved upward to block vacuum chamber 10 from preliminary chamber 12 . wafer 15 is etched in a hermetic state in vacuum chamber 10 . when etching has been completed , gate valve 22 is moved downward to cause evacuated preliminary chamber 13 to communicate with vacuum chamber 10 . the arm of second handling apparatus 14 in preliminary chamber 13 is extended to cause holding member 52 to hold wafer 15 on chuck 19 . when wafer 52 is detected as being held , shaft 32 is reversely rotated to retract the arm , and wafer 15 held by holding member 52 is transferred from vacuum chamber 10 to preliminary chamber 13 . gate valve 22 is upwardly moved to block preliminary chamber 13 from vacuum chamber 10 . base member 31 is rotated 90 ° counterclockwise to direct holding member 52 toward gate valve 23 . gate valve 23 is moved downward to open preliminary chamber 13 . shaft 32 is forwardly rotated to extend the arm . the wafer is unloaded from preliminary chamber 13 to the outside . after the wafer has been unloaded , the arm is retracted to return holding member 52 to preliminary chamber 13 . gate valve 23 is upwardly moved to close preliminary chamber 13 . the air is evacuated from the chamber 13 . thus , preliminary chamber 13 is prepared to receive the next wafer . the reason of straight movement of holding member 52 at the distal end of the arm upon extension of the arm of handling apparatus 14 will be described below . the arm of each handling apparatus 14 comprises three parallel crank mechanisms . a ratio of the arm length of the first - stage parallel crank mechanism ( first and second links 33 and 34 ) to the arm length of the second - stage parallel crank mechanism ( fourth and fifth links 42 and 43 ) is set to be 1 : 2 . a ratio of the diameter of small pulley 40 , 47 , or 48 to that of large pulley 39 is set to be 1 : 2 . if an angular displacement of first link 33 directly driven by shaft 32 is given as 2δ , an angular displacement of fourth link 42 indirectly driven through small pulley 40 is given as δ . thus , a displacement of the distal end of first link 33 becomes ( 2δ × l / 2 ). a displacement of the distal end of fourth link 42 is given as ( δ × l ). therefore , these displacements cancel each other ( 2δ × l / 2 = δ × l ), so that the distal end of the arm is moved straight from base member 31 . four or more parallel crank mechanisms may be combined in the above arm . the space for containing the handling apparatus described above can be reduced to l × l × h when the apparatus is not in use , and its maximum transporting distance can be increased to 2l . for example , the space required for containing an 8 &# 34 ; wafer transportation handling apparatus is 310 mm × 310 mm × 80 mm , and its maximum transporting distance is 370 mm . for this reason , the volume of the preliminary chamber for loading or unloading the wafer can be reduced . the preparation time prior to the vacuum processing can be greatly reduced . according to the above embodiment , the links , the pulleys , and the wires are coated with a tetrafluororesin . therefore , the settling of dust between the members can be minimized during sliding . the wires are not slid along the pulleys but are moved together therewith . for this reason , the amount of dust entering the vacuum chamber through the preliminary chamber can be minimized , and a clean , dust - free environment can be maintained within the vacuum chamber . according to the above embodiment , the respective operations of the handling apparatus can be controlled utilizing computer software programming , and the silicon wafers can be automatically transported . in the above embodiment , loading / unloading of the silicon wafer into / from the vacuum chamber of the etching apparatus by the handling apparatuses is exemplified . however , the present invention is not limited to this . other semiconductor wafers and liquid crystal substrates ( lcds ) can be loaded or unloaded into / from various processing and testing apparatuses . according to the present invention , there is provided a lightweight , compact handling apparatus having a long transporting distance . in particular , the space occupied by the apparatus while it is not in use can be greatly reduced as compared with a conventional handling apparatus which utilizes a pantagraph mechanism . therefore , the handling apparatus according to the present invention is suitable for the transportation of semiconductor wafers such as in an etching apparatus requiring vacuum processing . when the arm is constituted by three parallel crank mechanisms , the space wherein the handling apparatus is contained can be reduced to about 35 % of conventional container . according to the handling apparatus of the present invention , the settling of dust on the mechanism during driving can be minimized . the handling apparatus can be suitably used to process semiconductor wafers , one by one , in processing or testing apparatuses which require a high degree of cleanliness , such as an ion implantation apparatus and a probing machine .

a handling apparatus includes a base member having a rotating shaft , of a multijoint arm having one end portion thereof connected to the rotating shaft , a holder mounted at the free end portion of the arm , for holding a wafer , a stepping motor for circling the holder together with the arm about the rotating shaft , and another stepping motor for pivoting the arm joints . the multijoint arm is constituted by a plurality of parallel crank mechanisms arranged on corresponding planes in parallel with the circulating plane . one of the links constituting the first - stage parallel crank mechanism is fixed on the base member . during nonuse of the apparatus , the respective parallel crank mechanism overlap each other on the base member . pulleys are mounted on joints of the arm , and a wire is wrapped around the pulleys . when at least one of the pulleys is pivoted , the parallel crank mechanisms are displaced , thereby extending or retracting the arm .

as illustrated by fig1 to 9 of the drawings , the mechanism is identical to that described in our aforesaid patent application and its mode of operation is the same . however , for the sake of complete disclosure the detailed description of the mechanism is repeated herein . the mechanism is indicated generally as 11 and is designed for installation in a door frame 12 to cooperate with a conventional dead - lock 13 fitted to a door 14 mounted within the frame . more particularly , mechanism 11 includes a catch member 16 which can cooperate with the spring loaded bolt 17 of the lock 13 to provide a locking function . however , this catch member 16 can be pivoted to an inoperative position so as to release bolt 17 and permit the door to open . the condition of catch member 16 is controlled by an electric solenoid included in the mechanism . mechanism 11 has a body 15 comprised of a hollow casing 18 and a front plate 22 . casing 18 includes a removable side plate 19 held in position by screws 23 and it is fastened to front plate 22 by means of screws 21 . body 15 has a lower relatively deep slot 25 to register with the bolt 17 of lock 13 and door 14 swings to its closed position and an upper relatively short slot 26 to register with the dead lock actuator bar 27 of the lock 13 as will be more fully explained below . catch member 16 is mounted across slot 25 . more particularly , it is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 28 which traverses slot 25 and extends into holes in casing wall portions 30 , 35 which define upper and lower walls of the slot . it is shaped generally as a long bar of l - shaped transverse cross - section , one limb 31 of which is mounted on the pivot pin 28 and the other limb 32 of which serves as the catch for lock bolt 17 . limb 31 has a bore 33 extending through it to receive pivot pin 28 and is counter - bored at each end to provide end recesses 34 to house a pair of torsion springs 36 disposed about pin 28 . springs 36 have short end arms 37 which project into slots 38 formed in the walls of recesses 34 of catch member 16 and rather longer arms 38 which react against the side wall 40 of casing 18 . they bias catch member 16 toward the position shown in fig1 and 4 in which position the flat end surface 45 of its limb 31 abuts the casing side wall 40 to limit pivoting movement and its limb 32 is generally parallel with wall 40 and can serve as a catch for the spring loaded lock bolt 17 . this is most clearly illustrated in fig4 in which the phantom lines indicate the position of the door and the lock bolt as the door approaches the fully closed position and the full lines show the position of these components when the door is fully closed . the outer end of limb 32 of the catch member is chamfered to provide a sloping striker face 41 which is struck by the lock bolt as the door is closed to force the lock bolt back against its spring loading . as the door reaches its fully closed position the lock bolt is forced outwardly by its spring loading to locate behind the side face 42 of catch limb 32 . at the same time the dead lock actuator bar 27 of the lock enters slot 26 and strikes a ramp surface 55 formed in front plate 22 at the end of the slot so as to be actuated to move the dead lock pin within the lock in the usual manner . as will be described below catch member 16 can be locked in position so that face 42 of its limb 32 acts as a locking face to prevent opening of the door . however , catch member can be released so that it can be pivoted about pivot pin 28 to allow release of the door in the manner shown in fig5 . the locking and release of catch member 16 is achieved through a detent mechanism comprised of a lever 43 and a keeper member 44 which is controlled by means of a solenoid 46 . lever 43 is in the form of a long bar provided at one end with a bore 48 to receive a pivot pin 47 by which it is pivotally mounted on casing 18 . it is disposed within casing 18 immediately behind catch member 16 and it extends longitudinally of the catch member . more specifically , it is arranged to engage the outer corner part 49 of the catch member at the junction between the two limbs 31 , 32 . this outer corner part of the catch member serves as a cam to engage lever 43 and pivot it about its pivot pin 47 when catch member 16 is pivoted between its operative and inoperative positions . it has a cam surface 51 which is cylindrically curved about the pivot axis of catch member 16 and a leading cam edge 52 which subtends an angle of rather more than 90 ° to surface 51 . lever 43 is biased into firm engagement with catch member 16 by two helical compression springs 53 acting directly between the lever and a rear wall portion 54 of casing 18 . it is formed from rectangular bar stock so as to have flat front and side faces 56 , 57 but one corner edge 58 is relieved by a saw - tooth notch 59 to form a flat triangular cam face 61 which engages the leading cam edge 52 of catch member 16 when the catch member is in its operative position . this condition of the catch member 16 and lever 43 is illustrated by fig2 and 4 . it will be seen that lever 43 , although extending generally longitudinally of catch member 16 , subtends a slight acute angle to it and its triangular cam face 61 lies flat against an end part of cam edge 52 . keeper member 44 acts to enable lever 43 to be locked in this condition or released according to the supply of electrical signals to solenoid 46 . keeper member 44 is shaped generally as a bell crank . it has two mutually perpendicular arms 62 , 63 and is pivotally mounted on body 18 by a pivot pin 64 . its arm 62 is transverse to lever 43 and has a notch 66 to engage the outer end of the lever so as to provide a detent action holding the lever in the position shown in fig2 . notch 66 is generally of saw - tooth shape to define a sloping catch face 67 and the outer end of lever 43 is notched at 68 so as to be shaped as a tooth having a tooth face 69 to engage the catch face 67 of the keeper arm . keeper member 44 may be held in its keeping position shown in fig2 by the action of solenoid 46 . this solenoid has a coil 71 wound on a body 72 about a central core 73 . it is mounted in casing 18 so that when energized its magnetized core will attract the outer end of actuator arm 63 of keeper member 44 to hold the keeper member in its keeping position . its core is connected to a mild steel backing plate 50 which extends close to the outer end of arm 63 so as to direct magnetic flux through the keeper member and thus increase the attractive force of the solenoid . as shown in fig2 a slight clearance is maintained between the solenoid core and arm 63 to prevent sticking when the solenoid is de - energized . keeper member 44 is biased away from its keeping position by a biasing spring 74 . this spring has a coiled portion 76 looped around the keeper member pivot pin 64 and two end arms 77 , 78 which are engaged respectively with the casing 18 and a hole in keeper arm 62 . when solenoid 46 is energized it holds the keeper member in its keeping position against the action of biasing spring 74 . however , when solenoid 46 is de - energized spring 74 acts to pivot keeper member 44 to the position shown in fig3 in which its actuator arm 63 is held against an adjustable stop screw 74 and its keeper arm 62 is drawn away from keeping engagement with the outer end of lever 43 . the only action then holding catch member 16 in its catch position is that provided by springs 53 acting on lever 43 . however , because of the cam action between lever 43 and cam portion 49 of the catch member only a light force is needed on catch member 16 to pivot it away from its operative position to force lever 43 back against its biasing springs to the inoperative position shown in fig3 and 5 . at the start of such movement of the catch member its cam edge 52 acts on the triangular cam face 61 of lever 43 to force the lever backwardly against its biasing springs until the cylindrical curved cam surface 51 can engage the flat front face 56 of the lever as shown in fig5 . the rear part of casing 18 has a compartment 81 which houses a micro - switch 82 the actuator 83 of which is engaged by a bracket 84 on lever 43 when the lever is moved consequent to pivoting of catch member 16 to its inoperative position . electrical leads from solenoid 46 and micro - switch 82 are connected within casing 18 to a terminal block 86 which is located partly within compartment 82 but extends rearwardly through an opening in the back wall 87 of the casing and is fitted outside the casing with a series of terminals 88 for connection to external wiring . the catch mechanism illustrated in fig1 to 8 will operate to hold the door locked for so long as solenoid 46 is energized . by de - energizing the solenoid , catch member 16 is freed and the door can be opened . the mechanism has a wide range of applications . for example it may be used in a fire door installation in order to maintain a fire door in a normally locked condition but to release the door in response to a signal created by a smoke or heat detector acting through any suitable relay to interrupt the supply of power to solenoid 46 . in other applications the supply of power to solenoid 46 may be interrupted by operation of a push button located inside a building or by a signal derived from a reader device in response to a magnetically coded key or card . micro - switch 82 may be used to derive a warning or alarm signal each time that the door is opened . fig9 illustrates a modification by which the mechanism is adapted to keep a door locked when the solenoid is de - energized and releases the door when the solenoid receives an electrical signal . the components of the mechanism are not altered but the setting of spring 74 is altered to bias keeper member 44 toward its keeping position and solenoid 46 is displaced through 90 ° from its previous position so as to act directly on keeper arm 62 rather than on arm 63 of the keeper member . the re - setting of biasing spring 74 involves insertion of its arm 77 in a hole drilled in arm 63 instead of in the hole in arm 62 and the other spring arm 78 acts against a different part of casing 18 . in this case keeper arm 62 is normally held by spring 76 in keeping engagement with the upper end of lever 43 by the action of spring 74 but is lifted to free the lever when solenoid 46 is energized . stop screw 79 is set to engage arm 63 of keeper member 44 before arm 62 can engage the solenoid core so that even when the solenoid is energized there will be a slight clearance between its core and arm 62 . mechanism 11 is set into a recess 91 in door frame 12 and may be held in position by conventional wood screws passed through counter - sunk holes 92 in front plate 22 . a groove 93 may be formed in the door frame to receive the projecting part of terminal block 86 and the external wiring . as shown in fig4 and 5 side plate 19 of casing 18 has an inturned lip 96 which abuts cam surface 51 of catch member 16 and as the catch member pivots the cylindrical surface 51 simply slides on lip 96 . thus , contact is maintained between catch member 16 and lip 96 at all times to seal off the interior of the casing and prevent tampering by insertion of an instrument between the catch member and the casing . fig1 and 11 show the heat responsive locking means which is incorporated in the mechanism in accordance with the present invention . this locking means comprises a stainless steel pin or plunger 101 which is located within a cavity 102 in catch member 16 and is biased by a helical compression spring 103 located within the cavity . cavity 102 is in the form of a deep cylindrical hole drilled in the outer corner part 49 of catch member 16 to extend parallel with the pivot axis of the catch member . it has an enlarged mouth 104 at one end of the catch member and this mouth is closed by a plug 105 of white metal which will melt at a selected temperature . the enlarged mouth of the cavity may be internally screw threaded and the plug may be in the form of a white metal grub screw with a driving slot 110 to screw into the threaded mouth . in normal service of the mechanism plug 105 retains plunger 101 within cavity 102 with biasing spring 103 held in a compressed condition . the casing wall portion 35 of the body 15 is provided with a recess 106 at such a location that it registers with the plugged cavity 102 of the catch member when the catch member is in the operative position shown in fig1 and 4 . recess 106 may be formed by drilling a hole through casing wall portion 35 and then plugging the outer end of this hole with a plug 107 held in place by a transverse pin 108 . during normal service of the mechanism the locking means illustrated in fig1 and 11 is inoperative . however , plug 105 has a much lower fusing temperature than the other parts of the mechanism such as the body 15 , catch member 16 and plunger 101 which may all be made of high melting temperature steels . thus , if a fire should occur and cause heating of the mechanism , plug 105 will melt at such a stage that plunger 101 will be extended under the influence of biasing spring 103 to enter recess 106 in casing wall portion 35 and so provide locking interengagement between catch member 16 and the body of the mechanism . the catch member will then be locked in the operative or locking position regardless of the electrical or physical condition of the other components of the mechanism . the composition of white metal plug 105 is chosen to have a fusing temperature appropriate to the particular application . this temperature will generally be in the range of 300 °- 900 ° f . so that when the plug melts there would normally be no survivors within the space closed by the fire door . thus , the design will be such that the mechanism can be released electrically to open the door during conditions when people may have to escape through the door but the catch member subsequently becomes permanently locked in position even should the electrical components be burned out and the lever and keeper mechanism be damaged . the dead lock 13 can , of course , always be operated manually to provide for emergency exit . since the mechanism is designed to be used with fire doors , casing 18 and front plate 22 are both constructed of stainless steel . catch member 15 is an investment casting of non - magnetic stainless steel . lever 43 is also made of non - magnetic stainless steel and keeper member 44 is made of a magnetic steel . the illustrated mechanism has been advanced by way of example only and it could be modified considerably . for example , although the illustrated arrangement of a lever and keeper arm is preferred in order to allow a very compact and robust mechanism other actuator means are possible . australian patent specification no . 426 , 474 describes one alternative in which a lever which normally holds the catch member in its operative position is acted on directly by an electromagnet . it is to be understood that the heat responsive locking means of the present invention may be fitted to such mechanisms and accordingly that many variations will fall within the scope of the appended claims .

a catch mechanism for installation in a door frame to cooperate with a door lock on a fire door . the mechanism includes a catch member pivotable between an operative position in which to serve as a door catch and an inoperative position to enable release of the door no matter what the condition of the door lock . the mechanism includes a heat responsive locking device which locks the catch member in its catch position in the event of a fire generating high temperatures . the locking device may comprise a biased locking plunger mounted in a cavity within the catch member and normally held in a retracted position by a heat fusible metal plug but extendible on melting of the plug to engage the catch body and so lock the catch member .

the present invention relates generally to light ballasts and more particularly to a method and system for providing a high resolution dimmable light ballast . the following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements . various modifications to the preferred embodiment and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein . electronic dimmable ballasts are controlled by on / off pulses . varying the pulse lengths up and down controls the brightness of the light . a pulse is typically generated by dividing a frequency base through a series of fixed prescalers and / or programmable dividers . a designer of a ballast typically chooses to use a variable frequency with a fixed ratio of on time and off time ( frequency control ), or of a mixed frequency where the ratio of on time to off - time can be varied ( pwm control ). a fixture of the two where the frequency and the ratio can be varied is conceivable . a system and method in accordance with the present invention is applicable in all three variations , but will be explained using the frequency paradigm where the pulse length is varied by changing the frequency . 1 . to reduce the base frequency required achieving a certain resolution at a certain target frequency to a frequency lower than that required by a normal frequency divider . 2 . to use direct pwm / frequency control allowing integration of the functionality into an inexpensive microcontroller using a standard semiconductor process . 3 . to reduce the processing requirement to allow implementation using low cost 8 bit controllers . the invention relies on the fact that the human eye is not capable of detecting small frequency changes in high frequency signals and uses pulses of two or more frequencies . the average frequency can be varied at much higher resolution than any single frequency . a system and method in accordance with the present invention comprises a timer capable of generating a sequence of on - time and off - time pulses where the on and / or off - time pulse lengths can be programmed to continuously switch between at least two different values at a particular resolution within a time period short enough to avoid flickering in a dimmable ballast light system . to describe the features of the present invention in more detail refer now to the following discussion in conjunction with the accompanying figures . fig2 is a block diagram of a timer structure 140 in accordance with the present invention . the timer structure receives a clock signal that is fed into a first counter ( pwm ) 142 . in this embodiment , two reload registers 144 are utilized but a single register or more could be utilized and this would be within the spirit and scope of the present invention . each of the reload registers 144 may include a different pulse length value . in a preferred embodiment a security mechanism 153 is utilized to deassert on - time signals when error conditions are detected . during operation , the first counter 142 counts down until zero is reached and then it restarts by reloading from one of the reload registers . when the value in counter 142 is less than a predetermined value in a compare register 147 indicating that the resolution can not be changed the output from the comparator is provided directly to the output decision logic ( pwmout ) 152 of the pulse width modulator , which sets / clears the pwm signal and its inverse respecting requirements for non - stop . whenever the first counter 142 has reached a predetermined value indicating one cycle is completed ( i . e ., the counter 142 has reached zero ), a second counter 146 ( frame ) is incremented . when the contents of the counter 142 are equal to the contents of the register 147 the contents of a “ dither ” register 148 via comparator 150 to determine the ratio of first counter 142 pulses that should be extended by one clock cycle for a particular resolution . for example if a frame is 4 bits wide , between 0 to 15 pulses can be extended in a 16 pulse frame . if the comparison was performed normally only the first pulses would be extended ( i . e ., if 3 out of 16 pulses should be extended , pulses 0 . . . 2 would be extended and pulses 3 . 15 would not be extended ). however , to spread the pulses out , the counter 146 value is bit reversed before the comparison . an example of a normal comparison versus a bit reversed comparison is shown in table 1 . as is seen with the normal comparison , the first three pulses get a “ match ”. with the bit reversed comparison , the pulses 0 , 4 and 8 get a match . an optimal distribution is reached by using differential data synthesis ( dds ), where utilizing a frame size of 16 , 16 / n would be added to the number . accordingly , where n = 3 16 / 3 would be added to the number . the algorithm for implementing dds would require more logic and be relatively expensive utilizing present day technology . however , one of ordinary skill in the art recognizes that there may be a time that this type of algorithm may require significantly less die area and could be readily utilized in such an application . fig3 is a table 2 which illustrates the operation of the timer structure which includes an adder which increases or decreases by n for each increase or decrease in the light intensity of the light ballast . the system would operate in accordance with the following algorithm . as is seen in column 3 , as the frequency increases , the number of pulses that should extended by one cycle increases in a distributed fashion . in a preferred implementation , the control mechanism allows the average pulse width over a sequence of pulses to be programmed without specifying a value for each and every pulse . in a preferred implementation , only two frequencies are used , the dividers only differ by one . f1 = f / n , f2 = f ( n − 1 ), allowing the control mechanism to choose between extending a pulse by one clock or not , instead or providing two unrelated values . in a preferred implementation , the number of cycles in a frame is fixed , and the number of cycles to be extended is programmable . in a less desirable implementation , the number of extended cycles is fixed , and the number of cycles in a frame is programmable . in a less desirable implementation , the number of extended cycles and the number of cycles per frame are both programmable . in a preferred implementation , the number of pulses to be extended in each frame is supplied as a number to the timer . in a preferred implementation , the pulse - width is in the upper parts of a register , while the number of pulses to be extended is in the lower part of the register . this treats the average value as a fractional number . in a less desirable implementation , the number of pulses to be extended is in the upper part of a register and the pulse - width is in the lower part of the register . this simplifies the silicon implementation allowing a timer with a long time period to be used in several modes without adding too much logic . in a less desirable implementation , the pulse width and the information regarding which pulses are to be extended is separated into two or more registers . it is to be noted , that when a register is wider than the data - width of the micro - controller it can take several memory cycles to access a register . in a less desirable implementation , there is a register or set of registers containing one or more bits for each pulse or for a group of pulses in the frame , which is used to determine whether a pulse should have a certain pulse length or another pulse length . in a preferred implementation , the timer maintains a frame - counter , which is updated with every pulse or group of pulses . it has a dual purpose , the first purpose is to introduce a mechanism to detect the end of a frame and start a new one , and the second purpose is to allow a mechanism to decide whether to extend a pulse or not . in a preferred implementation , the frame - counter counts up or down in a linear fashion . in a less desirable implementation , the frame - counter counts in a non - linear fashion . an example is a “ gray ” counter . in a less desirable implementation , the frame - counter directly is compared to the number of pulses to be extended , and if the frame - counter is lower or equal to the number of pulses , the current pulse is extended . in a preferred implementation , the frame - counter and / or the number of pulses are scrambled through bit reversal to binary distribute the number of pulses . in a less desirable implementation , dds ( digital differential synthesis ) algorithms are used to distribute the pulses . it will distribute the pulses more evenly , but will cost more logic . in a less desirable implementation , the pulses are distributed using a random fashion using a pseudo - random generator . the pulse - length functionality can be implemented using a down counter , an up counter or an up - down counter . the down - counter approach compares the counter with an end value , which is normally zero . when the end value is reached , the counter is reloaded from one of a set of reload registers . the up - counter approach compares the counter with a set of compare registers . when a compare match is detected , the timer can toggle an i / o pin , or start a new cycle and maybe generate an interrupt . the up - down counter approach counts up until a compare - match occurs , which may or may not be programmable . it then counts down until zero , before it restarts counting up . a compare register will determine if the counter is below , equal or above the compare register and a match can force the setting or resetting of a pin . compare registers can be attached to the counters , to force events in the middle of a counter cycle . in a preferred implementation , a pulse can be extended by stopping the counter temporarily or by manipulating a reload or a compare register value . the reload / compare values can contain the on time , the off time or a combination of both . the timer is normally connected to two outputs allowing direct control of the output pulses . the reload / compare values can contain times for either one or both outputs . either of the on / off - time cycles or both can be modulated . in a less desirable implementation , the timer block provides a single output which can be used by an external circuit to drive a half - bridge or full - bridge . in a preferred implementation there are two outputs with programmable “ dead - time ” between the on time of one output and the on time of the other output . in a preferred implementation , there are two outputs with inverted outputs , allowing direct drive of an inverting transistor between the part containing the invention and the power transistor ( typically a fet transistor ). in a preferred implementation , the micro - controller contains a fuse setting which sets the initial state of the output pin to a value , which disables any power transistors in the system . in a preferred implementation , external hardware ( i . e ., pullup / pulldown resistors ) set the initial state of the outputs . in a preferred implementation , the registers have shadow registers , which can be selected instead of the “ normal ” registers to handle error conditions . both normal and shadow registers can support pulse extension . in a preferred implementation , there are security mechanisms that can deassert the on - time signals when error conditions are detected . ( fig2 , 153 .) in a preferred implementation , the error circuitry may either interrupt the microcontroller , which can subsequently reprogram the timer block , and / or it may directly change the timer frequency before a possible interrupt using values in shadow registers . 1 . a system and method in accordance with the present invention uses direct control of a pulse width ( pwm ), making it more cost effective / using less board space than previous indirect control solutions using analog pwm circuits for the high frequency . 2 . a system and method in accordance with invention implements a frequency generator using a relatively small base frequency , which can be implemented in low cost controllers . low frequency reduces the power consumption compared to a pure frequency divider , and is advantageous for other reasons including emi considerations . 3 . a system and method in accordance with the present invention combines low base frequency with high resolution , making it more attractive for dimmable ballasts . 4 . a system and method in accordance with the present invention can be implemented in a very small die area compared to timer complexes , dma driven timers or timers with multiple reload registers , making it possible to reduce the cost of a microcontroller for ballasts . although the present invention has been described in accordance with the embodiments shown , one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that there could be variations to the embodiments and those variations would be within the spirit and scope of the present invention . accordingly , many modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims . an example of such a modification is a mechanism to guarantee “ dead time ” between two different outputs which ensures that both fet transistors , in a half bridge and not turned on at the same time .

a microcontroller or state machine controls a light ballast utilizing a timer structure . the microcontroller can program the timer structure to generate pulses where the “ average ” frequency of a series of pulses can be varied with higher resolution than the frequency of a single pulse . this variation can occur without further microcontroller / state machine intervention . the pulses are used to control the on and / or off time of the light . the timer can be configured to modulate the outputs fast enough to ensure that the light does not appear to flicker to the human eye by limiting the number of pulses in a frame and by increasing the number of times the frequency shift occurs compared to the obvious implementation . the present invention relies on the fact that the human eye is not capable of detecting small frequency changes in high frequency signals and therefore uses pulses of two or more frequencies where the frequencies are close together . the average frequency can then be varied at much higher resolution than any single frequency .

as required , detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein ; however , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms . the figures are not necessarily to scale ; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components . therefore , specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention . fig1 illustrates an example block topology for a vehicle based computing system 1 ( vcs ) for a vehicle 31 . an example of such a vehicle - based computing system 1 is the sync system manufactured by the ford motor company . a vehicle enabled with a vehicle - based computing system may contain a visual front end interface 4 located in the vehicle . the user may also be able to interact with the interface if it is provided , for example , with a touch sensitive screen . in another illustrative embodiment , the interaction occurs through , button presses , audible speech and speech synthesis . in the illustrative embodiment 1 shown in fig1 , a processor 3 controls at least some portion of the operation of the vehicle - based computing system . provided within the vehicle , the processor allows onboard processing of commands and routines . further , the processor is connected to both non - persistent 5 and persistent storage 7 . in this illustrative embodiment , the non - persistent storage is random access memory ( ram ) and the persistent storage is a hard disk drive ( hdd ) or flash memory . the processor is also provided with a number of different inputs allowing the user to interface with the processor . in this illustrative embodiment , a microphone 29 , an auxiliary input 25 ( for input 33 ), a universal serial bus ( usb ) input 23 , a global positioning system ( gps ) input 24 and a bluetooth input 15 are all provided . an input selector 51 is also provided , to allow a user to swap between various inputs . input to both the microphone and the auxiliary connector is converted from analog to digital by a converter 27 before being passed to the processor . although not shown , numerous of the vehicle components and auxiliary components in communication with the vcs may use a vehicle network ( such as , but not limited to , a controller area network ( can ) bus ) to pass data to and from the vcs ( or components thereof ). outputs to the system can include , but are not limited to , a visual display 4 and a speaker 13 or stereo system output . the speaker is connected to an amplifier 11 and receives its signal from the processor 3 through a digital - to - analog converter 9 . output can also be made to a remote bluetooth device such as personal navigation device ( pnd ) 54 or a usb device such as vehicle navigation device 60 along the bi - directional data streams shown at 19 and 21 respectively . in one illustrative embodiment , the system 1 uses the bluetooth transceiver 15 to communicate 17 with a user &# 39 ; s nomadic device 53 ( e . g ., cell phone , smart phone , personal digital assistant ( pda ), or any other device having wireless remote network connectivity ). the nomadic device can then be used to communicate 59 with a network 61 outside the vehicle 31 through , for example , communication 55 with a cellular tower 57 . in some embodiments , tower 57 may be a wifi access point . exemplary communication between the nomadic device and the bluetooth transceiver is represented by signal 14 . pairing a nomadic device 53 and the bluetooth transceiver 15 can be instructed through a button 52 or similar input . accordingly , the central processing unit ( cpu ) is instructed that the onboard bluetooth transceiver will be paired with a bluetooth transceiver in a nomadic device . data may be communicated between cpu 3 and network 61 utilizing , for example , a data - plan , data over voice , or dual - tone multi - frequency ( dtmf ) tones associated with nomadic device 53 . alternatively , it may be desirable to include an onboard modem 63 having antenna 18 in order to communicate 16 data between cpu 3 and network 61 over the voice band . the nomadic device 53 can then be used to communicate 59 with a network 61 outside the vehicle 31 through , for example , communication 55 with a cellular tower 57 . in some embodiments , the modem 63 may establish communication 20 with the tower 57 for communicating with network 61 . as a non - limiting example , modem 63 may be a usb cellular modem and communication 20 may be cellular communication . in one illustrative embodiment , the processor is provided with an operating system including an api to communicate with modem application software . the modem application software may access an embedded module or firmware on the bluetooth transceiver to complete wireless communication with a remote bluetooth transceiver ( such as that found in a nomadic device ). bluetooth is a subset of the ieee 802 pan ( personal area network ) protocols . ieee 802 lan ( local area network ) protocols include wifi and have considerable cross - functionality with ieee 802 pan . both are suitable for wireless communication within a vehicle . another communication means that can be used in this realm is free - space optical communication ( such as infrared data association ( irda )) and non - standardized consumer infrared ( ir ) protocols . in another embodiment , nomadic device 53 includes a modem for voice band or broadband data communication . in the data - over - voice embodiment , a technique known as frequency division multiplexing may be implemented when the owner of the nomadic device can talk over the device while data is being transferred . at other times , when the owner is not using the device , the data transfer can use the whole bandwidth ( 300 hz to 3 . 4 khz in one example ). while frequency division multiplexing may be common for analog cellular communication between the vehicle and the internet , and is still used , it has been largely replaced by hybrids of with code domian multiple access ( cdma ), time domain multiple access ( tdma ), space - domian multiple access ( sdma ) for digital cellular communication . these are all itu imt - 2000 ( 3g ) compliant standards and offer data rates up to 2 mbs for stationary or walking users and 385 kbs for users in a moving vehicle . 3g standards are now being replaced by imt - advanced ( 4g ) which offers 100 mbs for users in a vehicle and 1 gbs for stationary users . if the user has a data - plan associated with the nomadic device , it is possible that the data - plan allows for broad - band transmission and the system could use a much wider bandwidth ( speeding up data transfer ). in still another embodiment , nomadic device 53 is replaced with a cellular communication device ( not shown ) that is installed to vehicle 31 . in yet another embodiment , the nd 53 may be a wireless local area network ( lan ) device capable of communication over , for example ( and without limitation ), an 802 . 11g network ( i . e ., wifi ) or a wimax network . in one embodiment , incoming data can be passed through the nomadic device via a data - over - voice or data - plan , through the onboard bluetooth transceiver and into the vehicle &# 39 ; s internal processor 3 . in the case of certain temporary data , for example , the data can be stored on the hdd or other storage media 7 until such time as the data is no longer needed . additional sources that may interface with the vehicle include a personal navigation device 54 , having , for example , a usb connection 56 and / or an antenna 58 , a vehicle navigation device 60 having a usb 62 or other connection , an onboard gps device 24 , or remote navigation system ( not shown ) having connectivity to network 61 . usb is one of a class of serial networking protocols . ieee 1394 ( firewire ), eia ( electronics industry association ) serial protocols , ieee 1284 ( centronics port ), s / pdif ( sony / philips digital interconnect format ) and usb - if ( usb implementers forum ) form the backbone of the device - device serial standards . most of the protocols can be implemented for either electrical or optical communication . further , the cpu could be in communication with a variety of other auxiliary devices 65 . these devices can be connected through a wireless 67 or wired 69 connection . auxiliary device 65 may include , but are not limited to , personal media players , wireless health devices , portable computers , and the like . also , or alternatively , the cpu could be connected to a vehicle based wireless router 73 , using for example a wifi 71 transceiver . this could allow the cpu to connect to remote networks in range of the local router 73 . in addition to having exemplary processes executed by a vehicle computing system located in a vehicle , in certain embodiments , the exemplary processes may be executed by a computing system in communication with a vehicle computing system . such a system may include , but is not limited to , a wireless device ( e . g ., and without limitation , a mobile phone ) or a remote computing system ( e . g ., and without limitation , a server ) connected through the wireless device . collectively , such systems may be referred to as vehicle associated computing systems ( vacs ). in certain embodiments particular components of the vacs may perform particular portions of a process depending on the particular implementation of the system . by way of example and not limitation , if a process has a step of sending or receiving information with a paired wireless device , then it is likely that the wireless device is not performing the process , since the wireless device would not “ send and receive ” information with itself . one of ordinary skill in the art will understand when it is inappropriate to apply a particular vacs to a given solution . in all solutions , it is contemplated that at least the vehicle computing system ( vcs ) located within the vehicle itself is capable of performing the exemplary processes . a vehicle used for typical consumer purposes spends most of its time turned off , and temperature and state - of - charge ( soc ) are critical to lithium ion battery life during this time . the following functions describe the growth of resistance and the fade of capacitance at various states of charge . the functions demonstrate that a fully charged battery grows significantly in resistance over time and fades significantly in capacity , as compared to , for example , a battery kept at a 20 % soc . resistance growth at 100 % soc : r ( t ) 100 = 4 . 0806 × t 2 + 52 . 049 t + 972 . 52 resistance growth at 60 % soc : r ( t ) 60 = 2 . 8591 t 2 − 3 . 9611 t + 538 . 71 resistance growth at 20 % soc : r ( t ) 20 = 1 . 6184 t 2 + 8 . 9448 t + 102 . 22 fade at 100 % soc : f ( t ) 100 = 4 . 0806 t 2 + 52 . 049 × t + 972 . 52 fade at 60 % soc : f ( t ) 60 = 2 . 8591 t 2 − 3 . 9611 × t + 538 . 71 fade at 20 % soc : f ( t ) 20 = 1 . 6184 t 2 + 8 . 9448 t + 102 . 22 three functions of damage with respect to temperature can be derived : assuming that the random temperature variable is expressed as a weibull function , t , λ and k are output from the black box model , the variable p represents the likelihood that the temperature is less than t . the likelihood that the battery damage will be less than a particular value is estimated as follows . three temperature values are computed for the mean , mean plus standard deviation and mean minus standard deviation ( μ , μ + σ , μ − σ ) because they are easy to compute . for the weibull function the equations follow : next d ( t ) 100 , d ( t ) 60 , d ( t ) 20 are computed for t = μ , t = μ + σ , t = μ − σ giving d ( μ ) 100 , d ( μ + σ ) 100 , d ( μ − σ ) 100 , d ( μ ) 60 , d ( μ + σ ) 60 , d ( μ − σ ) 60 , d ( μ ) 20 , d ( μ + σ ) 20 , d ( μ − σ ) 20 . from the three d 100 values the weibull variables λ and k for d 100 , so the cumulative distribution function for the random variable d 100 will have the same form as that for temperature ( t ) as shown above . similar equations can be made for d 60 , d 20 so that d 100 , d 60 , d 20 can be expressed as random variables . to develop a real function for damage from both t and soc , three equations are used at the onset : if t is computed as a random variable from the black box , d ( t , s ) can be computed as a random variable as is described in another figure in which d ( t ) is computed as a random variable . the black box represents a forecast of the temperature as it varies in time as a time series of t values for each time interval . the parking space ranking module converts the time series into damage series and has algorithms for estimating total damage for the expected parking time window and distance from the final objective . in one example , it determines which parking spots have the best value during the time interval so the driver can be directed to those spots . operation of a battery cooling system while the vehicle is turned off can help keep the battery cool and a low state of charge can be maintained until shortly before the vehicle is needed . this is a good way to maximize battery life if charging is available . when charging not available , which is frequently the case , choosing a cool parking location and maintaining as low a state of charge as possible are the best strategy , but difficult to do in practice ( since future temperature and / or shade conditions are often not known ). it can be very difficult to predict the temperature of a parking space during the interval in which a vehicle is expected to park there because there are many unknown temperature - affecting factors . if the space is in the open , the sun is high and the weather clear , it will be hot during the day but likely cool at night . so this would be a good place to park at night , but a bad place during the day . if the space is shaded under the same conditions it may be cooler during the day but warmer at night . the situation varies under cloudy conditions , windy conditions , etc ., making it difficult for a driver to incorporate into their parking decisions . an application program running on a vcs platform and , for example , incorporated into a social network content delivery network , and which further has access to vehicle sensors , can be used to help the driver locate an optimal parking space and the vehicle to implement an soc strategy . the application will use back - end services from a weather provider to provide data that is unavailable from vehicle sensors and from a map provider for data unavailable on the vehicle . of course , neither the social network nor the vehicle sensors are necessary , as the application could simply pull all relevant data from a cloud server . the application may include two phases if sensors are available , a data gathering and sharing phase and parking strategy phase . the parking strategy phase may include an advisory feature and a state - of - charge management feature . in the data gathering and sharing phase , vehicle sensors are used to collect location information from parked vehicles and any weather related information that is available such as , but not limited to , temperature , time of day , date , humidity , barometric pressure and solar heating . this data is augmented with data available from back - end weather services to provide meteorological data such as wind speed and direction . all the meteorological data is used to train a black - box model for predicting the temperature at the location of the parked vehicle . other vehicles that park in the same location also contribute to the training of the black - box model . the black box model may be implemented as a software module and in the content delivery network . as a vehicle enters the parking area , the driver informs the application , via a human - machine interface ( hmi ), for example , of the final destination , the time interval the vehicle is expected to be parked , and information relating to how far the vehicle must travel after parking to reach the next charging location . the application then combines known parking locations acquired from historical locations of parked vehicles with the locations of currently parked vehicles and applies the black - box model to determine a set of vacant parking spaces close to the final destination with favorable temperature profiles . the human - machine interface can then be used to direct the driver to these preferred parking locations . once parked , the black - box model of the selected parking space is combined with the weather forecast from the back - end weather service to produce a temperature forecast for the parking space . the minimum battery state of charge requirement is determined using the next charge location provided by the driver and a distance to empty calculation . the battery control system then implements a strategy for cooling the battery using excess battery state - of - charge that takes the battery down to the minimum state - of - charge while cooling during the most damaging portions of the parking interval . fig2 shows an illustrative process for data gathering . in this illustrative example , the process will engage in data gathering at any number of vehicles that have the appropriate sensors provided thereto . by using this crowd - sourced data , models for actual temperature profiles associated with various parking spots on various days of the year under various current weather conditions ( current for the time when the data was gathered ) can be determined . in this example , once the vehicle is parked at a location , data gathering can begin 201 . this illustrative example engages in data gathering for some or all of the time the vehicle is parked in the location . in this example , because data gathering is ongoing , the process first checks a last data point gathered ( if any ) 203 to determine if it is time to gather new data 205 . for example , data may be gathered every five minutes , every half hour , etc . if new data is needed , the process will engage any number of appropriate vehicle sensors 207 . these can be , for example , without limitation , humidity , temperature , ambient light , wind speed , etc . sensors . data is gathered from the accessed and engaged sensors 209 and the data is saved locally 211 . at some point , when a connection to a remote system is available 213 , the process will upload the data to the remote system 215 . this data can then be used to build both a local temperature / weather profile ( for use in this and possibly other concepts ) and a model for the current parking space under current weather conditions on the current day / time of year . a relatively few number of vehicles can gather a rather significant amount of data about parking space characteristics in a relatively short period ( a few months or a year or two ) of time . this data can be used to profile the parking spaces and used , in the future , to recommend which parking spaces should be utilized under which weather conditions at which times . also , parking spaces sharing similar characteristics in a similar area of the country can be assumed to have relatively similar profiles , so some measure of extrapolation can be used to quickly model spaces for which data is unavailable or for which limited data is available ( e . g ., an uncovered , un - shaded parking space in one location is probably similar in characteristics to another , similarly situated space a half mile away ). fig3 shows an illustrative process for further data gathering . in this example , the process receives vehicle data over some time period ( reported periodically or when a vehicle is driven out of a space ) 301 . the process then contacts a weather data provision service 303 , which stores weather data for the day , for example . weather data , for the location at which the vehicle was / is parked , and for the duration of the parking , is obtained from the service 305 . this data can then be correlated to noted sensor data from the vehicle , to further determine characteristics of the parking space 307 . a model of the particular parking space can then be adjusted as appropriate 309 . fig4 shows an illustrative process for parking location recommendation . in this illustrative example , a driver will be provided with recommendations for parking a vehicle , based on current weather conditions , time of day , and observed or extrapolated characteristics of local parking locations . the process checks a current vehicle location 401 to determine if the vehicle is proximate to a known destination 403 . if the vehicle is not at / near the destination , the process checks to see if the vehicle is in a parking lot 405 . this may be relevant , because the vehicle may be stopping on the way to an eventual destination . if the vehicle is not in a parking lot , the process also checks to see if the vehicle is in park 407 , which may also indicate an intent to stop for some time period . if any of these conditionals apply , the process obtains information from the driver on how long of a stay is intended 409 . this information could also be “ guessed ” by a vehicle , based on a business at which the vehicle is currently present ( charging station , restaurant , etc .). the process also attempts to obtain vacancy information for known , local parking locations 411 . this can be done by checking which known vehicles are currently parked at the present location , for example . of course , the more vehicles that are on a network , the more accurate this data will be . based on assumed to be available parking , or at least , avoiding spaces known to be in use , the process may suggest parking spots or general areas where optimal battery life preservation characteristics are environmentally present 413 . once an area is accepted by a driver 415 , the process may further suggest the “ best ” spots in the area 417 . fig5 shows an illustrative charging process , incorporating battery life preservation . this strategy employs the known or projected characteristics of the space , along with knowledge about a driver &# 39 ; s continuing journey , to optimize a cooling strategy for a battery . in this example , based on current weather , time of day and time of year , and known or projected characteristics of a space , the process obtains a space profile forecast 503 . this can be for the duration of the driver &# 39 ; s stay , so that a proper cooling strategy can be implemented . the vehicle will also determine a minimum charge needed to complete the journey 505 , so that the driver does not return to a vehicle , only to find the charge depleted beyond usefulness . care can be taken in this determination such that a minimum drivable distance ( e . g ., 30 miles ) always is preserved , no matter what . then , in this example , the process determines an optimal cooling strategy , based on the amount of charge that can be used to cool the battery , along with the space forecast 507 . this and other strategies can also be obtained by the vehicle remotely , from a similar process running on a remote server ( which may have greater data - access and processing power ). the cooling strategy is then implemented for the duration of the vehicle &# 39 ; s stay , as appropriate . fig6 shows a further illustrative charging process , incorporating battery life preservation . here , a trip may have multiple destinations associated therewith . accordingly , a more comprehensive cooling strategy may be more appropriate , and the charge will need to be sufficient to travel to all known destinations . additional destinations along a route are determined 601 , as well as a known , preferred charging location ( e . g ., home , a certain station , etc .) 603 . the process also determines a distance to empty 605 and , based on this information , what level of excess power remains for usage in a cooling strategy 607 . this information is integrated with a forecast for the entire route , along with likely parking for the entire route 609 to profile parking and weather for the whole route . a cooling strategy is then implemented for the whole journey . for example , if a vehicle is to travel to a parking garage for two hours and then to an open mall parking lot for two hours , and only two hours of power to cool the battery remains , the process may wish to save this power for when the vehicle is in the open , presumably hotter , mall parking lot . in this manner , a comprehensive entire - route strategy can serve to better preserve vehicle battery life . while exemplary embodiments are described above , it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention . rather , the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation , and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . additionally , the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention .

a system includes a processor configured to receive parking space environmental characteristics , from a vehicle parked in a parking space . the processor is also configured to download weather data for an area in which the parking space is located , covering a time duration for which the vehicle was parked . the processor is further configured to correlate the weather data to the received environmental characteristics to build a parking space environment profile for the duration of time and update a parking space model based on the environment profile .

the present disclosure proposes a technique in which a membrane distillation process is combined with a bio - reactor . the membrane distillation process induces evaporation of water by endowing a temperature difference to both sides of the membrane and condenses and extracts the evaporated vapor , which gives great improvement of treated water quality . in the present disclosure , the membrane modules are immersed in a bio - reactor , and detailed configurations of the membrane modules and the channel for an optimal membrane distillation process are proposed . in addition , the present disclosure proposes a technique for generating bio - gas by operating the bio - reactor in an anaerobic condition , and also proposes a technique for minimizing adhesion of contaminants to a surface of the membrane by providing rotary disks at both sides of the membrane module and also providing a fluidizable media in the bio - reactor to contact the surface of the membrane . hereinafter , an apparatus and method for anaerobic wastewater treatment with membrane distillation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . referring to fig1 to 3 , the apparatus for anaerobic wastewater treatment with membrane distillation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a bio - reactor 100 . the bio - reactor 100 performs anaerobic treatment to wastewater to induce generation of bio - gas and also gives a space for mounting submerged membrane modules 10 . in order to maintain the anaerobic state , the bio - reactor 100 is isolated from an external environment , and an air supply device such as an air diffuser provided at an existing mbr is excluded . the submerged membrane modules 10 provided in the bio - reactor 100 play a role of filtering off contaminants in the wastewater through a membrane distillation process . the membrane distillation process basically gives a temperature difference at both sides of the membrane to filter contaminated water by evaporating moisture from the contaminated water and retrieving the clean water by condensing evaporating moisture . in the present disclosure , in order to implement the membrane distillation process , the submerged membrane module 10 is configured as follows in detail . the submerged membrane module 10 comprises a channel - formed plate 110 and a unit membrane 120 ( see fig4 ). channels are provided at both surfaces of the channel - formed plate 110 , and the unit membranes 120 are provided on both surfaces of the channel - formed plate 110 . here , the ‘ channel ’ means a moving passage of cooling water , and the cooling water includes treated water condensed by means of membrane distillation . the channel - formed plate 110 comprises a master plate 111 , a rectangular frame 112 and a central frame 113 in detail . the master plate 111 is a flat plate with a predetermined area , and the rectangular frame 112 is provided on a circumference of the master plate 111 to be perpendicular to the master plate 111 . accordingly , an inner space of the master plate 111 and an outer space of the master plate 111 are divided by the rectangular frame 112 , and a space corresponding to the height of the rectangular frame 112 is formed in the master plate 111 . the central frame 113 is a straight frame having a predetermined height and a predetermined length , and the central frame 113 is disposed at a center portion of the master plate 111 in parallel to both sides of the rectangular frame 112 . the central frame 113 is shorter than the length of the rectangular frame 112 disposed in parallel , and accordingly one end of the central frame 113 is connected to the rectangular frame 112 and the other end of the central frame 113 does not extend to one end of the master plate 111 . in this configuration , the inner space of the master plate 111 forms a ‘ u ’ shape by the rectangular frame 112 and the central frame 113 , and the ‘ u ’- shaped space means a channel . as described above , the rectangular frame 112 and the central frame 113 forming a u ′- shaped channel are provided on one surface of the master plate 111 . in addition , on the other surface of the master plate 111 , a rectangular frame 112 and a central frame 113 having the same shape as above are provided to form a channel . in other words , ‘ u ’- shaped channels are provided at both surfaces based on the master plate 111 . in other words , based on the master plate 111 , a first channel is provided at a front surface of the channel - formed plate 110 and a second channel is provided at a rear surface thereof . in addition , the rectangular frames 112 at the front and rear surfaces of the master plate 111 may be integrally formed , and the rectangular frame 112 may have various shapes , without being limited to a rectangular shape , as long as it may divide the inner space of the master plate 111 and the outer space thereof . meanwhile , a cooling water inlet 114 and a cooling water outlet 115 are provided at an upper side of the rectangular frame 112 . cooling water is introduced through the cooling water inlet 114 , and the introduced cooling water passes through the u - shaped channel and discharges through the cooling water outlet 115 . at this time , the cooling water inlet 114 and the cooling water outlet 115 are spatially connected to both the first channel and the second channel of the channel - formed plate 110 , respectively . in other words , the cooling water introduced through the cooling water inlet 114 is distributed to the first channel and the second channel , and both the cooling waters of the first channel and the second channel discharge through the single cooling water outlet 115 . the channel - formed plate 110 has been described above . here , the unit membranes 120 are provided on the rectangular frames 112 at the front and rear surfaces of the channel - formed plate 110 . the unit membrane 120 is closely adhered to the rectangular frame 112 , and accordingly the channels ( the first channel and the second channel ) of the channel - formed plate 110 are isolated from the external environment . the unit membrane 120 is made of a porous hydrophobic membrane , so that water does not directly pass through the unit membrane 120 but only vapor passes through pores of the unit membrane 120 . in a state where the submerged membrane module 10 of the present disclosure is configured as above , a membrane distillation process using the submerged membrane module 10 will be described below ( see fig5 ). in a state where wastewater of 35 to 55 ° c . is provided in the bio - reactor 100 , the cooling water of the cooling tank 40 is supplied through the cooling water inlet 114 of the channel - formed plate 110 to the first channel and the second channel . the cooling water supplied to the first channel and the second channel passes through the u - shaped channel and discharges through the cooling water outlet 115 , and the discharged cooling water is returned to the cooling tank 40 . the cooling water repeatedly circulates in the order of the cooling tank 40 , the cooling water inlet 114 , the first channel and second channel , the cooling water outlet 115 and the cooling tank 40 . in the above circulation of cooling water , the first surface 121 of the unit membrane 120 comes into contact with the wastewater , and the second surface 122 of the unit membrane 120 comes into contact with the cooling water which moves along the first channel and the second channel . at this time , since the temperature of the cooling water is lower than the temperature of the wastewater , a temperature difference is generated between the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 of the unit membrane 120 . due to the temperature difference between the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 of the unit membrane 120 , moisture contacting the first surface 121 having a relatively high temperature is evaporated into vapor , and the corresponding vapor passes through the unit membrane 120 to the second surface 122 , and finally to the first channel and the second channel in contact with the second surface 122 to join the cooling water . in other words , contaminants in the wastewater are filtered off on the first surface 121 of the unit membrane 120 , and only moisture is evaporated to move through the pores of the unit membrane 120 and condensed at the second surface 122 of the unit membrane 120 to join the cooling water which moves along the first channel and the second channel . the wastewater is filtered by means of generation of vapor due to the temperature difference , movement of the vapor through the unit membrane 120 , and join to the cooling water , as described above , and this means the membrane distillation process using the submerged membrane module 10 of the present disclosure . heretofore , the submerged membrane module 10 of the present disclosure and the membrane distillation process using the same have been explained . a plurality of submerged membrane modules 10 may be provided , and a cooling water pipe 41 may be provided for a connection between the cooling tank 40 and the cooling water inlet 114 and between the cooling tank 40 and the cooling water outlet 115 . in addition , since the cooling water discharges while containing a condensed vapor , the temperature of the cooling water may rise . this , in order to maintain the temperature of the cooling water constantly , the cooling tank 40 may be controlled by a separate cooling device . along with it , a treated water tank 50 for storing a predetermined amount of treated water may be provided at one side of the cooling tank 40 . meanwhile , as the membrane distillation process using the submerged membrane module 10 is performed , the surface of the submerged membrane module 10 , namely the first surface 121 , may be clogged by filtered contaminants . in order to prevent this , a rotary disk 20 and a fluidizable media 30 are provided in the bio - reactor 100 . in detail , rotary disks 20 are provided at both sides of the submerged membrane module 10 . the rotary disk 20 rotates by a motor 22 connected to one side thereof . the rotation of the rotary disk 20 induces turbulence of the wastewater , which ultimately detaches contaminants adhered to the surface of the membrane module 10 or restrains adhesion of contaminants to the surface of the membrane module 10 . the rotary disk 20 and the surface of the membrane module 10 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance , and two rotary disks 20 provided at both sides of the membrane module 10 are connected to the motor 22 by means of a shaft 21 so that both rotary disks 20 rotate simultaneously by the motor 22 . in another embodiment , it is also possible to connect each rotary disk 20 to a motor 22 separately so that the rotary disk 20 operates independently . meanwhile , the rotary disks 20 may be installed successively at the shaft 21 depending on the number of installed membrane modules 10 so that each membrane module 10 is interposed between the rotary disks 20 . in other words , a plurality of rotary disks 20 may be provided at intervals , and the membrane module 10 may be provided in each space between the rotary disks 20 . by means of the rotation of the rotary disk 20 , contamination of the membrane module 10 may be restrained . here , the contamination restraining effect of the membrane module 10 may be further improved by adding the fluidizable media 30 . in detail , in a state where a plurality of fluidizable media 30 having a predetermined unit size are provided in the bio - reactor 100 , the fluidizable media 30 may be allowed to fluctuate due to the turbulence caused by the rotation of the rotary disk 20 so that contaminants may be detached due to the fluctuation of the fluidizable media 30 as well as the contact between the fluidizable media 30 and the membrane surface . in addition , the fluidizable media 30 is made of porous material , and anaerobes may be attached to and grow at the surface of the fluidizable media 30 and in the pores thereof so as to treat contaminants in the bio - reactor 100 and generate bio - gas such as methane gas . in particular , since anaerobes attached on the surface of the fluidizable media 30 may treat contaminants and the attached anaerobes may be present at a high concentration and take the place of suspended anaerobes to treat contaminants , the concentration of suspended anaerobes could be reduced . therefore the concentration of floating substances which should be rejected by the submerged membrane module 10 is lowered greatly , and thus the contamination of the submerged membrane module 10 may be greatly reduced in comparison to an existing membrane separation bio - reactor 100 in which suspended microorganisms are used for treatment . along with it , the fluidizable media 30 has a porous form to serve as a habitat of anaerobes and is made of organic polymer material such as polyurethane , polypropylene , polyethylene or the like , which are so soft not to damage the membrane when producing friction with the surface of the membrane . in addition , the media has a hexahedral or spherical shape with a diameter of 1 to 20 mm or a spherical shape in which yarns made of the above materials are bundled . a baffle ( not shown ) is provided at a top portion of the bio - reactor 100 to prevent the fluidizable media 30 from rising over the top of the membrane module 10 . in addition , at one side of the top portion of the bio - reactor 100 , a bio - gas pipe ( not shown ) for extracting bio - gas such as methane gas generated through anaerobic treatment in the bio - reactor 100 is provided , and the extracted bio - gas passes through the bio - gas pipe and is stored in a bio - gas storage tank 60 . along with it , a water level sensor for detecting a water level of the bio - reactor 100 is provided at one side of the bio - reactor 100 . heretofore , the configuration of the apparatus for anaerobic wastewater treatment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has been described . next , operations of the apparatus for anaerobic wastewater treatment will be described . if wastewater is introduced into the bio - reactor 100 , anaerobic treatment is performed to the wastewater by means of anaerobes flowing in the bio - reactor 100 and anaerobes present in the bio - film formed at the surface of the fluidizable media 30 and in the pores thereof . since the bio - reactor 100 comes to an anaerobic state in which air supply is blocked as described above , if the wastewater stays in the bio - reactor 100 for a predetermined time , an anaerobic digestion process is performed . bio - gas such as methane gas is generated due to the anaerobic digestion of the wastewater , and the generated bio - gas is carried to the bio - gas storage tank 60 . meanwhile , along with the anaerobic treatment process , a membrane distillation process is performed by the submerged membrane module 10 , and contaminants in the wastewater are filtered off by the submerged membrane module 10 during the membrane distillation process . in detail , if a cooling water having a lower temperature than the wastewater is supplied to the channels ( the first channel and the second channel ) in the submerged membrane module 10 , a temperature difference is generated between the first surface 121 of the unit membrane 120 in contact with the wastewater and the second surface 122 of the unit membrane 120 in contact with the cooling water , moisture in contact with the first surface 121 having a relatively higher temperature due to the temperature difference between the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 of the unit membranes 120 is evaporated into vapor , and the corresponding vapor passes through the unit membrane 120 and moves to the second surface 122 , finally to the first channel and the second channel in contact with the second surface 122 to join the cooling water . moisture of the wastewater is evaporated into vapor , finally condensed to join the cooling water , and then discharges to the cooling tank 40 . also , contaminants in the wastewater are filtered off by the unit membrane 120 . meanwhile , along with the anaerobic treatment process and the membrane distillation process , contaminants at the surface of the submerged membrane module 10 are removed . in a state where the fluidizable media 30 fills the bio - reactor 100 , the rotary disks 20 provided at both sides of the membrane module 10 are rotated to remove contaminants at the surface of the membrane module 10 by means of turbulence of the wastewater , and simultaneously contaminants at the surface of the membrane module 10 are removed by means of the fluidizable media 30 . the rotary disks 20 are rotated while the filtering process is in operation , and the rotary disks 20 may also be operated intermittently .

disclosed is an apparatus and method for anaerobic wastewater treatment , which combines membrane distillation and biological treatment to improve treated water quality , performs anaerobic treatment to the wastewater to generate bio - gas and effectively restrain contamination of a membrane surface . the apparatus comprises a bio - reactor , submerged membrane modules , rotary disks and fluidizable media , wherein the bio - reactor is configured to give a space for filtration and biological treatment of wastewater and operated under an anaerobic condition , wherein the modules are provided in the bio - reactor to filter the wastewater , and wherein the rotary disks are provided at both sides of the module to induce turbulence of the wastewater and moving of the fluidizable media , wherein a channel is provided in the modules so that a cooling water flows therein , moisture of the wastewater is evaporated due to a temperature difference of the wastewater and the cooling water , moved to the channel .

the various parts of a single handle faucet valve that embodies the invention are best shown by fig3 and they include bonnet 11 , retainer member 13 , retainer peripheral o - ring seal 15 , stem 17 , stem ball o - ring seal 19 , stem bearing member peripheral o - ring seal 21 , stem bearing member 23 , slide member 25 , control disc 27 , inlet porting seal housing 29 , inlet porting disc 31 , inlet port o - ring seals 33 , spout member hub o - ring seals 35 , valve body 37 , spout member hub 39 , and spout member hub bearing ring 41 . the valve body 37 is generally cylindrical , having an open end and a closed end , so that the valve body inner cylindrical wall 43 and planar inner closed end surface 45 define a chamber . the valve body is provided on its exterior with a pair of spaced peripheral grooves 36 for receiving spout member hub o - ring seals 35 . the valve body is also provided at its exterior upper end portion a set of threads 38 for receiving bonnet 11 . the inlet porting disc 31 has a generally cylindrical exterior surface 47 with a first pair of oppositely disposed protuberances 48 at its upper end portion and a second pair of oppositely disposed protuberances 50 displaced 90 ° from the first pair . the exterior surfaces of the protuberances 48 , 50 are cylindrical and are matingly received by the valve body inner cylindrical wall 43 . the first pair of protuberances 48 each has a slot 96 merging with the porting disc upper surface 51 , for a purpose to be hereinafter explained . the inlet porting disc 31 also has a planar lower surface 49 that abuts the valve body inner closed end surface 45 , and a planar upper surface 51 . the valve body closed end is provided hot and cold water inlet openings 53 which are aligned with inlet openings 55 in the inlet porting disc 31 . in the embodiment shown , the inlet porting disc 31 is provided a cavity 57 for matingly receiving the inlet porting seal housing 29 , which incorporates conventional seal elements 59 . the usual inlet port o - ring seals 33 are received by the lower end portion of the inlet openings in the inlet porting disc 31 . the control disc 27 has a planar lower surface 61 which engages the upper surfaces of the inlet porting seal elements 59 . the control disc 27 is provided suitable control openings 63 which merge with planar lower surface 61 and the control disc side surface 65 . the control disc 27 upper side 67 is provided a depression which forms a rack portion 69 for receiving a single gear tooth 71 which is formed on the lower end portion 72 of the stem 17 . the metal slide member 25 has a pair of downturned flanges 73 that are matingly received by the controlled disc side surface 65 and a pair of upturned flanges 75 that are matingly received by a first pair of side surfaces 77 of a stem bearing member base portion 79 . the retainer 13 , stem 17 and stem bearing member 23 make up a cartridge assembly . the retainer member 13 has a generally cylindrical exterior surface including an upper portion 81 , an intermediate portion 83 and a lower portion 85 . the upper portion 81 , which is of smaller diameter than the intermediate portion 83 merges with same to form a shoulder 87 . the intermediate portion 83 is provided a groove 89 to receive the retainer peripheral o - ring seal 15 . the intermediate portion is also provided with a rectangular protrusion 91 which mates with an orientation notch 93 on the upper end of the valve body 37 . the lower portion 85 forms the exterior of a pair of generally rectangular depending legs 95 , each of which carries at its lower end a rectangular protuberance 97 that is matingly received by a respective slot 96 when the retainer member 13 is assembled relative to the inlet porting disc 31 . the retainer member 13 has a generally triangular opening 99 at its upper end portion , the side wall of which serves as a guide for lever portion 101 of the stem 17 . the interior of the retainer member 13 includes a first cylindrical portion 103 which merges with a tapered shoulder portion 105 , which in turn merges with a second cylindrical portion 107 , which in turn merges with an upper stem ball seat 109 . a slot 111 traverses the second cylindrical portion 107 and the upper stem ball seat 109 and is disposed symmetrically with respect to a plane that is a longitudinal bisector of the retainer member 13 and its legs 95 . each leg is provided a rectangular opening 113 at its upper end portion for a purpose to be hereinafter described . the base portion 79 of stem bearing member 23 , which is generally rectangular , has a second pair of side surfaces 115 which are , of course , perpendicular to the first pair 77 . centrally disposed on each of said second side surfaces 115 is a generally rectangular protuberance 117 , for a purpose to be hereinafter described . the base portion 79 of the stem bearing member 23 merges with a cylindrical portion 119 , which is provided a groove 121 to receive the stem bearing member peripheral o - ring seal 21 . the stem bearing member 23 is provided a generally triangular opening 123 to permit passage of the lower end portion 72 of the stem 17 . the side wall 125 of the triangular opening 123 merges with a lower stem ball seat 127 , which in turn merges with a stem bearing member o - ring groove 129 which in turn merges with the upper end surface 131 of the stem bearing member 23 . the lever portion 101 of the stem 17 merges with a stem ball 133 which in turn merges with the stem lower end portion 72 . projecting from the upper hemisphere of the stem ball 133 is a guide pin 135 for a purpose to be hereinafter described . to make up the cartridge assembly above - mentioned , the retainer peripheral o - ring seal 15 is placed in groove 89 and the stem 17 is installed in the retainer 13 , with the lever portion 101 projecting through the triangular opening 99 , the stem ball received in the upper stem ball seat 109 , and the guide pin 135 disposed in the slot 111 . the stem bearing member peripheral o - ring seal 21 is placed in the groove 121 , the stem ball o - ring seal 19 is placed in the stem bearing member o - ring groove 129 and this assembly is inserted into the retainer member first cylindrical portion 103 with the protuberances 117 bearing on the inner surfaces of legs 95 , forcing them to move slightly outwardly until the protuberances 117 are received by respective rectangular openings 113 , at which time the legs 95 return to their normal positions and the stem bearing member 23 is locked on the retainer member 13 . the bonnet 11 is generally cylindrical and is open on one end 137 and is provided an internal flange 139 at the other end portion 141 , with the inner surface of the internal flange 139 forming a shoulder 143 . the bonnet 11 is provided internal threads 145 that merge with its open end and are adapted to be matingly received by the external threads 38 on the valve body 37 . the diameter of the internal flange 39 is greater than the diameter of the retainer member upper portion cylindrical surface 81 but less than the diameter of the retainer member intermediate portion cylindrical surface 83 , so that the bonnet shoulder 143 will engage retainer member shoulder 87 in assembly . to assemble the single handle faucet valve , the inlet porting disc 31 , with inlet port o - ring seals 33 and inlet porting seal housing 29 and conventional seal elements 59 all installed , is placed into valve body 27 so that its planar lower surface 49 is adjacent the valve body closed end surface 45 and so that the porting disc inlet openings 55 are aligned with the valve body hot and cold water inlet openings 53 . the slide member 25 is then installed on the stem bearing member 23 and control disc 27 is installed on the slide , with the stem gear tooth 71 received by the control disc rack portion 69 . this entire assembly is then inserted into the valve body so that legs 95 bottom out on the inlet porting disc planar upper surface 51 with the leg protuberances 97 being received by the respective slots 96 on the inlet porting disc protuberances 48 , and the retainer member rectangular protrusion 91 being received by the valve body orientation notch 93 . next , the spout member hub bearing ring 41 is installed on the valve body ( the valve body having been mounted to a conventional base not shown ) and the spout member hub o - ring seals 35 are installed in respective grooves 36 on the valve body 37 . then the spout member hub 39 is installed on the valve body 37 and the bonnet 11 is threaded onto the valve body . when the bonnet shoulder 143 contacts the retainer member shoulder 87 , and as the bonnet continues downward , the retainer member 13 moves downward with its legs 95 bottomed out on the inlet porting disc upper planar surface 51 , so that the inlet porting disc 31 also moves downward until its planar lower surface 49 bottoms out on the valve body closed end inner surface 45 , at which time the threading of the bonnet 11 onto the valve body 37 is stopped . the depth of the valve body o - ring grooves that receive the inlet port o - ring seals 33 is such that when assembly is completed the o - ring seals 33 are properly compressed for sealing . the interrelation of the valve body orientation slot 93 , retainer member rectangular protrusion 91 , rectangular protuberances 97 of legs 95 , and inlet porting disc slots 96 assures proper alignment of the relevant valve parts . a primary aspect of this invention is the manner in which stem sealing is accomplished . as best seen in fig4 clearance is provided between the stem bearing member protuberances 117 and the retainer member rectangular openings 113 , and between the stem bearing member upper extremity and the retainer member shoulder portion 105 , so that the stem bearing member 23 is allowed limited movement in the directions of the valve body central axis . the showings of fig1 and 5 assume that the single handle faucet valve has been fully installed and is turned on to permit water flow and that the water pressure is sufficient to move the stem bearing member 23 upwardly so that the lower stem ball seat 127 is in contact with the stem ball 133 . whether or not the lower stem ball seat 127 will be in contact with the stem ball 133 will depend on the magnitude of the water pressure . the compression of the stem ball o - ring seal 19 will vary with the magnitude of the water pressure . the stem ball o - ring seal 19 is not subject to excessive compression , due to the fact that upward movement of the stem bearing member 23 is limited by contact of the lower stem ball seat 127 with the stem ball 133 . because the stem ball o - ring seal compression varies with water pressure magnitude and is not subject to excessive compression , wear on the stem ball o - ring seal 19 is minimized . the foregoing disclosure and the showings made in the drawings are merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and are not to be interpreted in a limiting sense .

in a single handle faucet valve of a type wherein a stem is interconnected with a control member so that movement of the stem moves the control member to vary hot and cold water mix and flow rate and wherein the stem includes a stem ball and there is provided bearing means for the stem ball , there is disclosed stem sealing means that is novel and advantageous .

referring now to fig1 - 5 a printed circuit board support 5 , printed circuit board conveying system 60 , and a printed circuit board processing system 70 according to the present invention are illustrated . the printed circuit board support 5 illustrated in fig1 comprises a support base 10 defining a support surface 12 . a base extension assembly 20 is secured to the support base 10 . the base extension assembly 20 may be secured to the support base 10 by forming the extension assembly 20 and the support base 10 as a single integral piece or by coupling two separate pieces mechanically , adhesively , magnetically , or otherwise . the support base 10 defines a leading edge 14 , a trailing edge 16 , and a pair of lateral edges 18 . as is illustrated in fig1 the leading edge 14 , the trailing edge 16 , and the pair of lateral edges 18 are defined in a substantially planar support surface 12 of the support base 10 . in the illustrated embodiment , the base extension assembly 20 comprises a pair of support legs 22 , 24 . according to one embodiment of the present invention , a cut - out 15 is formed in the support base 10 . the cut - out 15 is positioned between the pair of lateral edges 18 and extends from the leading edge 14 in the direction of the trailing edge 16 to a position between the leading edge 14 and the trailing edge 16 . in the illustrated embodiment , the cut - out 15 is formed in the support surface 12 of the support base 10 . the purpose of the cut - out 15 is illustrated in further detail herein with reference to the function of the conveying and processing systems of the present invention . referring specifically to fig1 and 2 , the printed circuit board support 5 may further comprise a pair of permanent magnets 30 secured within respective cavities in each of the support legs 22 , 24 of the base extension 20 . the magnets 30 are positioned such that the lower surface of the support base 10 is arranged to secure the printed circuit board support 5 to a conveyor platform or other object 40 under magnetic force . alternative magnetic sources 30 , e . g ., electromagnets , may be provided without departing from the scope of the present invention . the base extension assembly 20 may comprise a single molded piece with or without attachments or , as is illustrated in fig3 may comprise a compound assembly arranged to define a variable height dimension a of the extension assembly 20 and at least a portion of a height dimension b of the printed circuit board support 5 . as will be appreciated by those practicing the present invention , variation of the variable extension assembly height dimension a results in variation of the height dimension b of the printed circuit board support 5 . the extension assembly 20 illustrated in fig3 may comprise a spring arranged to compress in response to a force applied to the support surface 12 , a viscously damped extension arranged to compress in response to a force applied to the support surface 12 , or any other components arranged to enable variation of the height dimension a of the extension assembly 20 . the variation of the height dimension a may be in response to a force applied to the support surface 12 or may be a result of selective control of the height dimension a independent of the force applied to the support surface 12 . in the illustrated embodiment , each of the pair of support legs 22 , 24 are arranged , in the manner described herein , such that the extension assembly height dimension is variable . referring further to fig2 an additional embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . a spacer 50 is provided in engagement with the support surface 12 . a spacer securement 52 includes a recess 54 in the form of a cylindrical bore and a projection 56 in the form of a pin . in the illustrated embodiment , the pin 56 is mounted to or formed integrally with the spacer 50 and the recess 54 is formed in the support base 10 . it is contemplated , however , that the pin 56 may be mounted to the support base 10 and the recess 54 may be formed in the spacer 50 . in the engaged state , the projection 56 extends into the recess 54 and the projection 56 and the recess 54 are configured such that the extension of the projection 56 into the recess 54 limits movement of the spacer 50 relative to a plane parallel to the support surface 12 . as is illustrated in fig2 the printed circuit board support 5 may comprise at least two spacer securements 52 . the spacer 50 functions to provide an upper spacer surface 58 spaced from and substantially parallel to the support surface 12 . as clearly illustrated in fig2 and 4 , the upper spacer surface 58 is sized and configured to support and engage a major portion of a printed circuit board 80 . most preferably a plurality of spacers of different thicknesses are made available for engagement with the support base 10 . in this manner , the printed circuit board support 5 may be configured to support a variety of printed circuit boards of varying thickness profiles . in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 the spacer 50 engaging the support surface 12 includes an additional cut out 55 formed therein . the spacer securements 52 are arranged to secure the spacer 50 to the support surface 12 with the additional cut - out 55 aligned with the cut - out 15 formed in the support base 10 . typically , the additional cut - out 55 and the cut - out 15 in the support base 10 are coextensive , i . e ., they have substantially the same spatial scope or boundaries . moreover , as clearly illustrated in fig1 - 3 , the cut - out 15 transects the thickness of the support base 10 and , as clearly illustrated in fig2 the additional cut - out 55 transects the thickness of the spacer 50 . the additional cut out 55 is formed in an upper spacer surface 58 of the spacer 50 . the upper surface 58 of the spacer 50 and the support surface 12 collectively define a pair of supportive extensions 25 which provide additional support for printed circuit boards that extend across the cut - out 15 and the additional cut - out 55 . referring now to fig4 and 5 , a printed circuit board conveying system , a printed circuit board processing system , and their manners of operation are described . a printed circuit board conveying system 60 is incorporated within the processing system 70 and includes a conveyor 62 coupling a printed circuit board loader 72 to a stencil printer 74 , a pick and place machine 76 , and a reflow oven 78 . the printed circuit board conveying system 60 comprises a pair of conveyor rails 64 positioned to engage opposite lateral edge portions 82 of a printed circuit board 80 and is configured to convey the printed circuit board 80 along a conveyor path , as indicated by directional arrow 66 . a printed circuit board support 5 according to the present invention is positioned to support a major portion of the printed circuit board 80 between the lateral edge portions 82 within an operating envelope of the pick and place machine 76 . it is contemplated by the present invention that the printed circuit board support 5 may be positioned to support a major portion of the printed circuit board 80 within the respective operating envelopes of other components of the processing system 70 as well . a stop mechanism 90 is illustrated in fig4 and includes an actuator 92 and a pin 94 . the stop mechanism 90 is configured to selectively extend and retract the pin 94 to and from a position engaging the printed circuit board support 5 at a point within the cut - out 15 . in this manner , the stop mechanism 90 may be utilized to control the movement of selected printed circuit board supports 5 along the conveyor path . in operation , one of a plurality of spacers 50 ( see fig2 ) having different thicknesses is selected depending upon the thickness profile of the printed circuit board 80 engaged by the pair of conveyor rails 64 . more specifically , the spacer 50 having a thickness most suitable for optimum supportive engagement of the printed circuit board 80 by the printed circuit board support 5 is selected . the selected spacer 50 is installed by extending or positioning the respective projections 56 into the corresponding recesses 54 . the upper spacer surface 58 of the selected spacer 50 is then utilized to engage the printed circuit board 80 within the operating envelope of the pick and place machine 76 . alternatively , the spacer 50 may be eliminated and the base extension assembly 20 may be arranged to define a variable extension assembly height dimension a , as discussed herein with reference to fig3 and the height dimension of the base extension assembly 20 may be varied as a function of a thickness profile of the printed circuit board 80 . in which case the upper surface 12 will engage the printed circuit board 80 . it is contemplated that the variable height base extension assembly 20 and the spacers 50 may be utilized in a cooperative relationship in a single embodiment of the present invention . having described the invention in detail and by reference to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims . more specifically , although some aspects of the present invention are identified herein as preferred or particularly advantageous , it is contemplated that the present invention is not necessarily limited to these preferred aspects of the invention .

a printed circuit board conveying and processing system . in accordance with the present invention , a printed circuit board conveying system is provided comprising a pair of conveyor rails and a printed circuit board support . the conveyor rails are positioned to engage opposite lateral edge portions of a printed circuit board along a conveyor path . the printed circuit board support is positioned to support a major portion of the printed circuit board between the lateral edge portions . it is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure . it is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims . 37 cfr § 1 . 72 .

referring now to the drawings , fig1 depicts a typical zinc / air fuel cell , wherein two polymer based solid gel membranes ( 1 , 2 ) are disposed between the zinc anode ( 3 ) and the air cathode ( 4 ). the first is an anode protective membrane ( 1 ) and the second is a hydroxide conductive membrane ( 2 ). the membranes are not only the source of ionic species , and are highly conductive to that species , but they also provide a protective layer to the electrodes to prevent the usual sources of cell destruction . the membranes prevent diffusion of zinc oxidation product into the electrolyte solution phase , they prevent corrosion of the zinc anode by either the electrolyte solution or air , and they prevent blockage of the cathode air channels by water from the electrolyte solution . the zinc / air system of fig2 includes a protective and conductive solid gel membrane ( 5 , 6 ) on the surface of the zinc anode ( 3 ) and the air cathode ( 4 ), and an aqueous electrolyte ( 7 ) between the two . referring now to fig3 an aluminum / air fuel cell system incorporating a solid gel hydroxide conductive membrane ( 8 ) between the aluminum anode ( 9 ) and the air cathode ( 10 ) is depicted . as in the zinc / air system , the solid gel membrane of this embodiment serves to prevent the corrosion problems associated with the use of pure liquid electrolyte . as illustrated in fig4 when applied to the art of hydrogen fuel cells , the principles of the present invention provide a proton or hydroxide conductive membrane that is easy to produce , much less expensive than existing proton conductive membranes and that functions well at room temperature . because the actual conducting media remains in aqueous solution within the polymer gel backbone , the conductivity of the membrane is comparable to that of liquid electrolytes , which at room temperature is significantly high . in this embodiment of the invention , a proton or hydroxide conductive solid gel membrane ( 11 ) is sandwiched between the hydrogen anode ( 12 ) and the air cathode ( 13 ), thereby separating the hydrogen and the air . as shown in fig5 the principles of the present invention may also be applied to electrochromic systems . here , the electrochromic materials are dispersed within the solution phase of the polymer gel backbone of a solid gel membrane . since the ecm &# 39 ; s are in solution , the device exhibits the superior reliability and long life of a solution phase device and in addition , because the ecm &# 39 ; s are physically confined , they can not diffuse into the device &# 39 ; s bulk electrolyte and the device therefore also exhibits the superior memory of a thin - film type device . as shown , the device includes two electrode substrates ( 14 , 15 ) having solid gel membrane encapsulated electrochromic materials ( 16 , 17 ) there between . as illustrated , the device optionally includes an aqueous or solid electrolyte ( 18 ) disposed between solid gel membranes ( 16 , 17 ). preferred embodiments of the present invention are hereinafter described in more detail by means of the following examples that are provided by way of illustration and not by way of limitation . the following procedure was used to prepare a strong polymer film for use in the present invention . 0 . 75 grams methylenebisacrylamide , 0 . 56 g acrylamide , 4 . 70 g methacrylic acid , and 0 . 25 g poly ( sodium 4 - styrenesulfonate ) were dissolved in 10 milliliters water and then 20 ml 40 % koh was added to the resulting solution , which was maintained at room temperature . 0 . 05 g ammonium persulfate was then added to the solution . a piece of fabric was soaked in the resulting monomer solution and then sandwiched between a piece of glass and a piece of pet transparent film . this was heated on a 75 ° c . hotplate for 1 minute and then irradiated under strong uv light for 5 minutes , whereby a strong polymer film was formed . the resulting film is highly conductive of hydroxide ions , making it suitable for use in an alkaline hydrogen fuel cell . here , the membrane film is sandwiched between an air cathode and a hydrogen anode , separating the air and hydrogen , while allowing the diffusion of hydroxide ions . in this example , a polymer based solid gel membrane was prepared in accordance with the principles of the invention and applied to the surface of a cathode . 0 . 75 g methylenebisacrylamide , 0 . 56 g acrylamide , 4 . 70 g methacrylic acid , and 1 . 5 g polysulfone ( anionic ) were dissolved in 10 ml water and then 20 ml 40 % koh was added to the resulting solution , which was maintained at room temperature . 0 . 038 g ammonium persulfate dissolved in 1 ml water was added and the resulting solution was poured onto the surface of a cathode . the cathode was then covered by a piece of pet film and heated on a 75 ° c . hotplate for 1 minute and then irradiated under strong uv light , whereby a strong polymer film was formed . this cathode may be used with an anode prepared as in example 3 , below , or it may be used directly with a plain zinc sheet or plain aluminum sheet in the formation of a zinc / air or aluminum / air fuel cell battery . a polymer based ion conducting membrane was prepared and applied to the surface of an anode according to the principles of the present invention . 0 . 75 g methylenebisacrylamide , 1 . 5 g poly ( sodium 4 - styrenesulfonate ), 5 . 18 g 1 - vinyl - 2 - pyrrolidione , and 3 . 36 g acrylic acid were dissolved in 30 ml nh 4 cl and k 2 so 4 saturated aqueous solution . the solution was spread onto the anode surface , and covered by a pet film and then irradiated under strong uv light , whereby a strong polymer film was formed . a polymer based solid gel membrane was prepared according to the present invention and processed to form a hydrogen conducting film . 6 . 4 g 70 % perchloride acid , 0 . 75 g methylenebisacrylamide , 5 . 18 g acrylic acid , and 0 . 1 g potassium sulfite were dissolved in 27 ml water and then 0 . 1 g ammonium persulfate was added to the solution . a piece of fabric was soaked in the resulting monomer solution and then sandwiched between a piece of glass and a piece of pet transparent film . this was heated on an 85 ° c . hotplate for 1 minute and then irradiated under strong uv light for 8 minutes , whereby a strong polymer film was formed . the resulting film is highly conductive of hydrogen ions , making it suitable for use in a hydrogen fuel cell . in this embodiment , the membrane film is sandwiched between an air cathode and a hydrogen anode , separating the air and hydrogen while allowing the diffusion of hydrogen ions . the principles of the present invention may also be applied to electrochromic devices . for example , one or several electrochromic materials are dissolved in an aqueous monomer solution which is then applied to an electrode substrate . the substrate may be comprised of such materials as for example , platinum , gold , conductive glass , e . g ., indium - tin oxide glass , or other electro - conductive materials . the solution is polymerized according to either of the above methods wherein the ecm &# 39 ; s are contained within the polymer membrane formed on the surface of the substrate . two such modified electrodes , containing the same or different ecm &# 39 ; s , are used in the electrochromic device with one acting as the anode and the other as the cathode . the electrodes may be packed together as a complete display device or they may be separated by a liquid or solid electrolyte . examples of other monomers that may be used in the formation of a solid gel membrane of the invention include any water - soluble ethylenically unsaturated amides or acids , including , but not limited to , n - isopropylacrylamide , fumaramide , fumaric acid , n , n - dimethylacrylamide , 3 , 3 - dimethylacrylic acid , and the sodium salt of vinylsulfonic acid . other cross - linking agents may include , for example , any water - soluble n , n ′- alkylidene - bis ( ethylenically unsaturated amide ). examples of polymers other than poly ( sodium 4 - styrenesulfonate ) that may be used as reinforcing elements within the solid gel electrolyte may include any water - soluble or water - swellable polymers , such as , for example , carboxymethyl cellulose , polysulfone ( anionic ), sodium salt of poly ( styrenesulfonic acid - co - maleic acid ), and corn starch . suitable fabrics onto which the monomer solution may be applied include , for example , woven or non - woven fabrics of , for example , polyolefine , polyamide , and polyvinyl alcohol . with regard initiation of the polymerization reaction , in addition to other chemical initiators such as , for example , alkali metal persulfates and peroxides , the reaction may be initiated by radical generating methods such as , for example , x - ray and the like . this invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments , set forth in detail . it should be understood , however , that these embodiments are presented by way of illustration only , and that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto . the principles of the present invention may , for example , also be applied in the preparation of a solid gel membrane for use in such other electrochemical systems as for example , ni / cd and zn / mno 2 cells . additionally , other monomers , polymers , polymerization initiators , reducing agents , and the like , other than those particularly disclosed herein might be used . modifications and variations in any given material or process step will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the following claims , and all such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention .

a highly conductive polymer based solid gel membrane is disclosed . the membrane is especially well suited for use in such electrochemical devices as , for example , aluminum / air , zinc / air , zn / mno 2 , ni / cd and hydrogen fuel cells , as well as in electrochromic devices such as smart windows and flat panel displays . in accordance with the principles of the invention , anion - and cation - conducting membranes are formed . the gel composition of the membrane contains the ionic species within its solution phase such that the species behaves as in a liquid electrolyte , while at the same time , the solid gel composition prevents the solution phase from diffusing into the device . methods of forming polymer based solid gel membranes of the present invention are also disclosed .

the peelable seal described in this invention is a separable joint formed between a film and a rigid substrate . this separable joint is most commonly produced by heat sealing . the mechanical resistance of the peelable seal is low enough to permit ready manual opening of the joint , i . e ., without the use of any auxiliary instrument . it has been discovered that blends from 5 to 95 percent by weight of a polyolefin based plastomer or elastomer and from 5 to 95 percent by weight of a second plastomer or elastomer ( of different density and melt index ), have a seal strength in the range that would make them particularly well suited for use as a peelable seal to rigid substrates like polypropylene or crystalline polyester trays , namely in the 1 - 3 lbs / in range , measured at 275 degrees f ., 30 psia , 0 . 5 seconds dwell . the blend that has been developed , has shown an outstanding low seal initiation temperature as compared to other blends of similar polyolefins . this surprising discovery is disclosed here . the pealable seal blends include at least two components , and are particularly well suited for use as a peelable lidding seal . these blends are preferably configured to be processed by extrusion coating at melt temperatures between 225 - 350 ° c ., more preferably between 250 - 335 ° c . they can be incorporated in a monolayer or a coextruded layer , whichever best fits the extrusion coating equipment . the total thickness of this seal layer should be between 2 - 100 microns , preferably between 5 - 75 microns . the first component in the blends is a polyolefin plastomer with a density of between 0 . 84 and 0 . 910 gm / cubic cm based on astm d792 and a melt index between 3 and 10 gm / 10 min , based on astm d1238 . this component will exhibit vicat softening point in the 40 - 60 ° c . range based on astm d1525 . the seal layer may include 5 wt . % to 95 wt . % of the first plastomer , preferably 10 to 85 wt . %, or 20 to 75 wt . %. examples of this first component could be a variety of polyolefin plastomers such as dow &# 39 ; s affinity kc8852g or eg8200g or most generic polyolefin plastomers . the second component in the blends is a different polyolefin - based plastomer than the first component that has a density of between 0 . 880 and 0 . 92 gm / cubic cm based on astm d792 and a melt index between 6 and 10 gm / 10 min based on astm d1238 . this second component will exhibit a vicat softening point in the 60 - 90 degrees c . range based on astm d1525 . the seal layer may include 95 wt . % to 5 wt . % of the second plastomer , preferably 90 to 15 wt . %, or 80 to 25 wt . %. examples of this second component could be a variety of polyolefin plastomers such as dow &# 39 ; s affinity sq1503ue , pf1162g , pt1450g1 , or pt1451g1 , among many . certain additives are useful in modifying properties other than sealing properties of the peelable blend . examples of some of the properties which can be modified are coefficient of friction , resistance to blocking , uv stability , thermal stability and color . diatomaceous earth or silica may be added in the amount of 1 , 000 parts per million ( ppm ) to 10 , 000 ppm to add microscopic surface roughness which prevents sticking or “ blocking ” when the co - extruded blend side ( layer 1 ) is wound against the opposite side in a roll . fatty amides such as oleamide or erucamide may be added to modify the coefficient of friction of the material . the amount added is dependent on the coefficient of friction desired , the co - extrusion structure , lamination structure and co - extrusion thickness . in general , the amount of fatty amide required is 100 ppm to 2000 ppm . these sealant blends can be processed in various manners , preferably extruded by cast or blown techniques . these blends can be processed by extrusion coating at melt temperatures between 200 - 300 degrees c ., more preferably between 250 - 280 degrees c . they can be incorporated in a monolayer or a coextruded layer , whichever best fits the extrusion coating equipment . the total thickness of this seal layer should be between 10 - 100 microns , preferably between 15 - 75 microns . the base film onto which this seal layer is applied onto can be a commercially available polyester film such as toray plastics pa10 . the base film thickness should be between 9 - 75 microns , preferably between 9 - 50 microns . the base layer provides structural integrity of the film and support for the other layers . in some embodiments , the base layer may include predominantly a thermoplastic polymer such as semi - crystalline homopolymer polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene terephthalate copolymer or a biopolymer such as polylactic acid . the base layer may also optionally include organic or inorganic particulates for various purposes , such as to facilitate winding and handling of the film , or to enhance the mechanical and optical properties of the film , including reduction of the density of the film via cavitation . representative examples of such particulate additives that may be added to the base layer include amorphous silica , calcium carbonate , clay , talc , diatomaceous earth , cross - linked spherical polymers such as poly ( dimethylsiloxane ), glass beads or mixtures of two or more of these . moreover , to reduce material costs the base layer can optionally include a filler or extender component , such as regrinded recycled layer or film composition , or other polymeric compositions having suitably compatible processing and physical properties . the base layer may be stretched in one or two orthogonal directions , i . e ., for mono - or biaxial orientation . this treatment provides greater strength for the layer , and thus also for the overall film . it also permits the film to be produced to a thinner cross section dimension . the resulting lidding article may be sealed onto rigid substrates such as frozen trays made of a variety of polymers such as polypropylene , polyester , coated paperboard , and coated aluminum . the sealing mechanism may be driven by temperature , pressure and contact time . the frozen trays and lidding film are usually sealed with drum sealers or platen sealers at speeds that vary from a few trays per minute to several hundred per minute . this invention will be better understood with reference to the following examples , which are intended to illustrate specific embodiments within the overall scope of the invention . the following examples show how this particular invention provides a lower seal initiation temperature as compared to other traditional lidding films . a heat seal layer with a thickness of 80 ga was formed from a blend of dow affinity ® pt1450g1 and dow affinity ® eg8200g as described herein . this heat seal blend was applied to toray plastics pa10 with a thickness of 48 ga . the film was made by extrusion coating the sealant blend onto the biaxially oriented polyester film layer . comparative example 1 is a lidding film made by toray plastics under the name 272xl5 . it is a 36 ga toray plastics pa10 polyester film layer with a 56 ga ethyl vinyl acetate ( eva ) seal layer . the film was made by extrusion coating the sealant blend onto the biaxially oriented polyester film layer . comparative example 2 is a lidding film made by toray plastics under the name 206xl5 . it is a 48 ga toray plastics pa 10 polyester film layer with a 70 ga eva seal layer . the film was made by extrusion coating the sealant blend onto the biaxially oriented polyester film layer . comparative example 3 is a test sample made of 48 ga toray plastics pa10 polyester base film layer with a 56 ga eva sealant layer . the film was made by extrusion coating the sealant blend onto the biaxially oriented polyester film layer . heat seals were made with a laboratory flat steel bar ( 1 ″× 12 ″) sealer ( sentinel sealer , sencorp ) at 30 psi , with a 0 . 5 second dwell at various temperatures in degrees ° f . the seals were made to a polypropylene tray . prior to peeling , the heat sealed material was cut into 1 ″ wide strips so that the film sample could be gripped in separate jaws of the tensile tester in a 180 degree configuration . the two jaws were separated at a rate of 12 in per minute and the average as well as the maximum force was recorded across the 1 inch seal width . the results of these tests are shown in the following table 1 . the above description is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention , and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements . various modifications to the preferred embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . thus , this invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown , but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein . finally , the entire disclosure of the patents and publications referred in this application are hereby incorporated herein by reference .

a polyolefin - based heat sealable and peelable lidding film . the peelable seal films comprise from 5 to 95 percent by weight of a polyolefin based plastomer or elastomer and from 5 to 95 percent by weight of a second plastomer or elastomer . the invention also relates to methods of making and using the heat sealable , peelable seal films , having improved low seal initiation temperature .

turning first to fig1 , a woven article , namely fabric 1 is shown in schematic perspective . in the longitudinal or warp direction warp threads 3 are shown which preferably comprise a polyetherimide ( pei ) fiber which is the ultem ® fiber supplied by general electric company and are selected from pei formulations designated ultem ® 1000 , 1000 d , 1010 , or 9011 . other warp fibers or yarns such as yarn 4 may be an inextensible or relatively inextensible yarn to give the fabric added dimensional stability . the yarn 4 may be mineral based comprising quartz , fiberglass or basalt , or it may be carbon , a metal or metal alloy , or a polymeric material having inextensible and heat resistance properties . in the weft or fill direction fibers 2 are also pei fibers . these may be accompanied by weft inextensible fiber 5 . in addition , other yarns may be optionally added to the fabric such as weft yarn 8 , and warp yarn 9 . these added or additional yarns may be polymeric , metal , or mineral and are used to impart desired properties to the woven article . the woven article of fig1 may have only warp yarn 3 which comprise pei and the weft yarns may be of another material . likewise , the warp yarns may be of a material other than pei and the weft yarns may be pei . preferably , a minimum of 10 % of pei yarns should be included in the article and up to 65 % or more may be included . it is desirable to have a relatively inextensible yarn woven into the article to provide dimensionally stability . in addition , the woven article may be of single - ply , multi - ply , or a conform fabric ®; and any weave pattern may be used such as satin , twill , plain , crowfoot or similar pattern . if a conform fabric ® product is desired , the fabric may be first shaped into the desired geometric configuration and then heat applied which will cause the intersections of pei strands 2 and 3 to bond at an intersection 7 as illustrated in fig1 . this tends to lock the fabric into its desired three - dimensional shape . looking now at fig2 , a schematic representation of a woven article 11 is shown in cross section , having warp threads 3 of pei and a weft 5 of an inextensible fiber such as quartz or fiberglass . to a configuration such as this , heat is applied by pressing a heated plate against fabric 11 until the pei becomes soft and flows . this will occur at or above the glass transition temperature as the melt temperature range is approached . as an alternate way of applying heat , the fabric 11 can be passed through the nip of heated rollers or a press or oven or autoclave or an alternative heating device . the result will appear as shown in fig3 where the pei yarns 3 have melted and have flowed together to form the sheet - like planar surface 6 which , upon cooling , becomes a semi - rigid to rigid surface . by varying the yarn density of pei more or less sheet material 6 can be produced . fig3 represents a preferred embodiment and a best mode of carrying out the invention . the woven article 10 with the sheet - like pei surface has remarkable toughness and impact resistance being able to withstand the impact of small to medium caliber projectiles and making it a desirable material for protective garments . another application for the product due to its high frequency insulation properties is in aerospace components and in microwave communications . other applications are for ballistic protection and for filtration applications . turning now to fig4 , an alternate embodiment 20 is shown where two layers 21 , 22 or sheets of fabric have been positioned over each other before heat is applied . this is accomplished by taking sheets of fabric 11 as shown in fig2 and applying heat to achieve a multi - layer structure of the article 10 of fig3 . fig6 shows a representative mold 60 having a movable pressure plate 61 which is heated and can compress a woven article 64 against stationary bottom heated plate 62 to produce a pressed article 10 . a preferred method of making article 20 is to stack sheets of the types shown in fig1 and 2 in the manner shown in fig7 to form stack 65 in a mold 60 , and apply pressure and heat until the pei strands 23 flow and join together as shown . the sheets may be stacked with warp yarns in the same direction , at right angles to each other , at 45 ° degree angles or other angular orientation . each layer may have a different yarn make - up , that is , one layer may comprise pei and quartz warp and weft yarns while the next or superposed layer of fabric may comprise pei yarn and innegra ™ polyolefin yarn , that is , quartz , fiberglass , carbon , metal or innegra ™ strands may be strands 24 . each layer of fabric is chosen to impart desired characteristics to the composite , finished article . the significant feature is that a polymeric material having the desirable properties of pei fiber or is a pet fiber , is used in each fabric layer . the faces 25 may be used as the outer surface of the article or the article may be adhered to another surface . the embodiments of fig3 and 4 have many unique uses and applications and provide novel and useful articles . for example , circuit boards may be made according to the fig4 embodiment and used directly eliminating the preparation step . an ultemate armor ™ product for blast protection may be also produced . the products of this invention have the advantages of relatively low cost , low weight , corrosion resistance , flexibility and high impact resistance . in a first example which is one best mode of the invention which employs 75 denier ultem 100 d yarn as the fill and is identified as applicants &# 39 ; style 15382 , an 8h salem weave fabric with a 60 × 104 construction having a thickness 0 . 0208 ,″ and a weight of 15 . 97 oz / sq . yd . had a warp tensile strength of 545 lbs / sq . in . and a tensile fill strength of 605 lbs / sq . in . the warp is 75 denier fiberglass . in a second example using 150 denier , cyclic polyolefin innegra ™ yarn as the fill , identified as applicants &# 39 ; style 15400 a fabric ; a fabric having plain weave with a 60 × 46 construction with a thickness of 0 . 00392 ″ had a weight of 1 . 72 oz / sq . yd ., a warp tensile strength of 147 . 9 lbs / sq . in ., and a fill tensile strength of 30 . 6 lbs / sq . in . the warp yarn is fiberglass . the fabrics of examples 1 and 2 above may be stacked and pressed as described for fig6 and 7 to provide reinforced articles such as shown in fig3 and 4 . the need to carefully position reinforcing sheets of carbon fiber or fiberglass in a mold and then pour in a molding resin such as epoxy is not required to produce a product such as a circuit board or other articles . another alternate and preferred embodiment of the invention is a wrapped yarn or composite fiber . such a fiber is described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 127 , 035 which issued on oct . 3 , 2000 and which is incorporated herein by reference . looking now at fig5 , composite fiber 30 is shown having a core 31 of a mineral fiber , preferably quartz or fiberglass , wrapped with pei strands 32 . this is a versatile , high strength composite fiber which can be used in the weaving of fabrics as described above . this composite fiber , being wrapped with pei , readily bonds to adjacent pei fibers under heat and pressure to form very strong woven articles . as mentioned above , the thermoplastic fibers that may be used in this invention are useful for their chemical inertness , heat and flame resistance and dimensional stability . among these are fibers of quartz , fiberglass including e , s , and s - 2 , and basalt . carbon fibers are also of this type and may readily be used . metal fibers that are of particular usefulness are those of copper , aluminum , nickel , gold , and platinum , and alloys including steel and bronze . the fibers of useful polymeric materials include kevlar ® aramid , polypropylene , and the ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fiber innegra ™. the woven fabric of this invention is especially useful as reinforcing matrices in structures formed with epoxy resins such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 720 , 080 to murari , et al . which is incorporated herein by reference . in addition , finish can be applied such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 036 , 735 to carter , et al . which also is incorporated herein by reference . while preferred embodiments of the invention have been described using specific terms , such description is for illustrative purposes only as it will be understood that upon reading the foregoing disclosure modifications and alterations may become apparent to those skilled in the art . but our invention is limited only by the scope of the claims which follow .

a woven article having strands of polyetherimide fiber or organic fibers and strands of inextensible , heat resistant fiber is disclosed . preferably warp and weft fibers of pei are provided wherein said fibers bond together when heated . by using a multiplicity of pei fibers , heating and compressing the woven article will produce a sheet - like surface on at least one side thereof .

the control mechanism shown on the figures encompasses a switchable switching path comprised of mechanism links 2 mounted on a frame 1 , as shown by example on fig2 based on a gear - shift sleeve transmission . using the transmission path , which in this embodiment is accommodated in the driving path of a motor vehicle 33 according to fig2 , in which a motor 34 can operate via a coupling 35 and other elements of the driving path ( not shown ) to drive a transmission 36 and , through the latter , driving gears 38 of a motor vehicle 33 via a differential 37 , torques and rotational speeds can be influenced in a known manner by optionally incorporating at least two mechanism links 2 or toothed gears in the transmission path . this embodiment involves a total of six forward gears and one reverse gear , wherein , as shown on fig2 , the transmission encompasses a main shaft 39 and a preceding shaft 40 , on which escape wheels 41 to 45 can optionally be secured to the main shaft 39 by axially shifting the corresponding gear - shift sleeve 50 , 51 . such a shifting is initially accompanied by a synchronization before the gear - shift sleeve , which meshes with the corresponding guide sleeve as well as the corresponding switching collar 52 to 54 ( numbered as an example ) of the corresponding escape wheel , and hence fixes this escape wheel on the main shaft 39 and engages the corresponding gear . moving the corresponding gear - shift sleeve 50 , 51 back disengages the corresponding gear . to this end , the corresponding gear - shift sleeves 50 , 51 are held on switching elements 3 or wipers , and can be engaged or disengaged by means of these switching elements 3 , as shown by example in particular on fig2 . for engagement and disengagement , the switching elements 3 are interactively connected with a switching pinion gear , in this embodiment a shift lever , via a switching path 4 . as visible in particular from fig1 and 17 , this switching path 4 encompasses a lever 12 on the one hand , and a gear rack 9 on the other , which are each interactively connected with the switching pinion gear in a known manner by means of switching passes ( not shown ). to this end , the lever 12 is provided with a projection 14 on the one hand , to which such a switching pass can be secured , while the gear rack 9 has a recess 11 on the other hand , in which a corresponding switching pass can engage . actuating the gear rack 9 makes it possible to select a suitable lane 15 ( see fig1 ), while the lever 12 is used to disengage or engage the gears belonging to a corresponding lane 15 . for reasons of operational safety , a template 20 on the frame 1 of the control mechanism is provided with a recess 22 , in which runs a corresponding template pin 21 , which is secured to the gear rack 9 . the switching path 4 also encompasses a toothed gear 8 , which is situated on a control shaft 5 , and engages in the gear rack 9 . this results in a shifting of the gear rack 9 in a corresponding rotational movement of the control shaft 5 . in addition , the toothed gear 8 is enveloped by an axial drive 13 , which on its part guides the gear rack 9 . the axial drive 13 is interactively connected with the lever 12 via an arm 23 , and is shifted along the axis of the control shaft 5 via the lever 12 . the fact that the axial drive 13 positively envelops the toothed gear 8 relative to the control shaft 5 causes the control shaft 5 to follow an axial shifting of the axial drive 13 . the control shaft 5 is mounted by sliding bearings 10 on the frame 1 so that it can rotate and shift axially . in this embodiment , this bearing takes place with sliding bearings 10 , which are accommodated in a bearing shell 11 of the frame 1 , for example . it is understood that suitable roller bearings or other types of bearings can be used in this regard , especially since the control shaft 5 is shifted under a switching load , so that a sufficient quality of bearing must be selected for the switching shaft 5 . the switching elements 3 are mounted to the control shaft 5 via bearing bushes 16 ( see in particular fig5 to 7 and 9 to 12 ), so that the switching shaft 5 serves as a bearing element relative to the switching elements 3 . as readily apparent , the bearing bushes 16 have divided bearing surfaces 24 and 25 ( marked by way of example on fig5 to 7 ). in this way , the bearing bushes 16 can be interleaved , which increases the overall length of the bearing , and counters tilting . in this embodiment , the switching elements 3 are mounted on slide bearings to the control shaft 5 in the simplest manner , since the switching elements 3 are moved only under no load relative to the control shaft 5 . depending on requirements , it is conceivable to also provide other types of bearings , in particular more complex bearings , such as roller bearings or sliding bearings with special bearing bushes . as already explained above , a corresponding lane selection 15 involves rotating the control shaft while axially shifting it for engaging or disengaging a gear or mechanism link 2 . in this case , means are provided in this embodiment with which a switching element 3 can be selected and connected with the control shaft in such a way that the selected switching element 3 follows an axial movement of the control shaft 5 . the respective selection is here made by rotating the control shaft 5 . in this embodiment , a spring element 6 is used to this end as a connecting element between the control shaft 5 and a respective switching element 3 . this spring element 6 is connected with the switching element 3 by means of a riveted joint 26 so that it cannot be lost , and arranged in a groove 27 of the switching element 3 . in this way , the spring element 6 and the connecting element are fixed between the bearing element 5 and the switching element 3 axially relative to the switching element 3 . the spring element 6 has two spring arms 28 and 29 ( numbered by way of example on fig2 ), which grip the control shaft 5 . based on the positions of the spring elements 6 , the control shaft 5 has grooves 30 ( numbered by way of example on fig2 , 3 and 12 ), in which the spring elements 6 can engage , depending on the rotational position of the control shaft 5 . to this end , the spring elements 6 are provided with a sufficient pre - stressing . if the control shaft 5 is now rotated , the spring elements 6 successively grip into a corresponding groove 30 of the control shaft 5 at selected rotational positions . it is understood that embodiments are also conceivable in which several spring elements engage into a corresponding groove in a rotational position . by engaging into the grooves 30 , the spring elements 6 are each axially brought into a formfitting engagement with the control shaft 5 , while the spring elements 6 can otherwise glide along the surface of the control shaft 5 ( see fig2 and 3 ). in this regard , the spring elements 6 can be brought into a switching position by rotating the control shaft 5 in which the respective switching element 3 is fixed relative to the control shaft 5 , i . e ., in an axial direction . if the spring element is not located inside the corresponding groove 30 , the spring element 6 , along with the corresponding switching element 3 , can be axially shifted relative to the control shaft 5 . a binder 7 is provided as an insertion lockout on the frame 1 , fixed locally relative to the frame 1 or relative to the bearing bush 11 of the frame 1 . the binder 7 has grooves 31 ( numbered by example on fig1 ), whose axial position relative to the control shaft 5 corresponds to the grooves 30 of the control shaft 5 . in this case , the spring elements 6 as well as the corresponding grooves 30 and 31 are arranged relative to each other in such a way that the spring element 6 is located either in the grooves 30 or in the grooves 31 , depending on the rotational position of the switching spring [ sic ] 5 . in this way , the control shaft 5 can be rotated to move the respective spring element 6 from one switching position in which it fixes the switching element 3 relative to the control shaft 5 into a locked position in which it fixes the switching element 3 relative to the frame 1 . this ensures that only the switching elements 3 corresponding to the rotational position of the switching shaft 5 are axially fixed relative to the control shaft 5 . the binders 7 also have recesses 32 that enable an axial shifting of the spring elements 6 , so that these can follow an axial shift of the control shaft 5 . in order to have a suitable and user - friendly influence on the counteracting forces of the switching path against a lane selection , a gate 18 is provided on the gear rack 9 , against which a gate follower 19 is pressed by means of a spring 17 . the spring 17 here serves as an energy - storing device , which draws or feeds energy or work depending on the position of the gate in the switching path . for example , this makes it possible to suitably select or correct an idle position of a corresponding shift lever as well as a desired force profile on actuation of the switch lever , in particular during lane selection . the transmissions disclosed on fig1 to 24 correspond to the embodiment described above in terms of their selector forks 3 and control shaft 5 . only the drive circuit is automated . in addition , the the formfitting engagement in the area of the toothed gear or the drive of the control shaft 5 is realized in a different manner . in this regard , a disk 60 permanently engages a groove 61 of a toothed gear 62 that is fixed on the control shaft 5 or formed as a single piece with the latter in these embodiments . the disk 60 is also embedded in a toothed gear 63 , which is mounted in such a way that it can both axially shift and rotate . in the embodiment shown on fig1 to 21 , actuators 64 and 65 , which are preferably electric motors , but can also be hydraulic , pneumatic or other adjusting devices , are fixed on a frame 66 . in this embodiment , the actuator 64 uses an actuator shaft 67 mounted in actuator bearings 68 to drive a thread 69 , which can also be designed as a worm wheel , for example , and imparts a rotational movement to it or fixes it in a specific position . a counter - thread 70 rigidly connected with a swiveling fork 71 , which can swivel around a bolt 72 of the frame 66 , engages the thread 69 . this transforms the swivel motion of the swiveling fork 71 around the bolt 72 into a sliding motion of the fork noses 73 on the disk 60 , so that a gear can be engaged or disengaged as a result . the lanes are changed with the actuator 65 , which uses an actuator shaft 74 on which is provided an axial gearing 75 , e . g ., a spline gearing or a tongue - in - groove connection , to drive the toothed gear 62 , which is situated so that it can axially shift on the actuator shaft 74 . the actuator shaft is mounted to the frame 66 via actuator bearings 76 . because the toothed gear 62 is permanently engaged with the toothed gear 62 , a lane change can be effected by rotating the control shaft 5 . in the embodiment shown on fig2 to 24 , actuators 77 and 78 are arranged essentially coaxially on a frame or casing 69 . the actuator 77 slides a flange 79 axially back and forth over its actuator axis 78 , which has a thread , or fixes it in a desired position . in this embodiment , the disk 60 is bonded via rivets 80 or similar fastening means with the toothed gear 62 , which also grips the flange 79 and fixed it axially . in this case , the flange 79 is mounted by a bearing 81 to a toothed gear 62 or the disk 60 so that it can rotate , and by a bearing 82 to a frame 79 so that it can axially shift . to execute a gear change , the disk 60 permanently engages the groove 61 in this embodiment as well . to change lanes , the actuator 78 is in a position to rotate the toothed gear 62 , which is permanently geared with the toothed gear 62 . in this case , an actuator axis 83 is mounted over an axially active gearing 84 , like a spline gearing , to a flange 85 so that it can shift axially , wherein the flange is designed as a single piece with the toothed gear 62 in this embodiment . the flange 85 is mounted on a bearing 86 both axially and so that it can rotate on the frame 79 . the bearings 81 and 82 can be designed as sliding or roller bearings . the same holds true for the bearings 84 and 86 , which can be designed as sliding bearings or bearings with rollers or similar sliding aids .

in a control mechanism with a switchable transmission path comprised of mechanism links mounted on a frame , and with a switching pinion gear , through which at least two mechanism links can be optionally incorporated in the transmission path for switching purposes , wherein the two mechanism links are moveably held on a mount of the frame via switching elements , and wherein the switching pinion gear acts through a switching path to select and / or engage or disengage one of the two mechanism links on the switching elements , the mount can encompass a bearing element that is arranged so that it can move relative to the frame , and comprises part of the switching path , and an insertion lockout can be securely fastened to the frame , and the switching elements can be secured to the mount by means of an axially divided bearing block .

modes for carrying out the document retrieval assisting method and document retrieval assisting service by utilizing the method , in accordance with the present invention , will now be described below . fig1 is one example of the system composition of the document retrieval assisting service . the document retrieval assisting service is composed of information holding / processing means 1 ( general purpose computer , work station , personal computer , etc .) for information provider , communication network 2 ( internet , intranet , or a combination thereof ) and information holding / processing means 3 ( work station , terminals , computers such as personal computer ) for users . plural users and information providers may be satisfactory , but for simple description , the diagrams herein are expressed by assuming a single user and a single information provider . the information holding / processing means 1 for information provider ( referred to as “ computer ” hereinafter for simple description ) comprises input means 11 , display means 12 , cpu 13 , work area 14 , information storage means 15 and the like , and in response to a query from a user , the means 1 primarily functions for carrying out the retrieval of the corresponding documents in a text data base as a supply subject , to transmit the results to the user , and the means also functions for generating and processing useful information with relevance to the query and the search results , if necessary , to send the information to the user . the work area 14 comprises memory media such as semiconductor memory capable of read and write at a high speed , wherein retrieval assisting program 143 for the execution of document retrieval assisting service functions , together with operating system 141 and communication process 142 . the information storage means 15 comprises a combination of memory media capable of storing an enormous volume of information and suitable for high - speed read , such as magnetic disk , optical disk , and cd rom , and the means stores user side retrieval assisting driving program 15 x 1 operable as a retrieval assisting means on a user side computer , user side hypertext 15 f 1 for retrieval assisting start , which works for delivering the program and carrying out the program , and retrieval data 15 d such as search subjects . the retrieval data 15 d comprises dictionaries 15 d 0 and data 15 d 1 , 15 d 2 , - - - , relevant to the individual text data base . the user side information holding / processing means ( referred to as “ computer ” or “ terminal ” hereinbelow for simple description ) is composed of input means 31 , display means 32 , cpu 33 , work area 34 , information storage means 35 and printing means 36 , and primarily functions for transmitting the query from a user to an information provider side and for proposing , in a user friendly manner , the search results and attached information , sent back . from an information provider side . the input means 31 comprises keyboard 31 , mouse 32 , and pen input means 33 , wherein the work area 34 is composed of memory media capable of high - speed read and write , such as semiconductor memory , while the information storage means 35 comprises memory media , such as magnetic disk , optical disk and cd rom . the mode for carrying out the retrieval assisting service is variable , and a method by utilizing hypertext browsing interfaces such as www browse is described below . in the user side computer 3 of fig1 hypertext browsing process 343 already loaded in the work area 34 is in operation , and on the display means 32 , hypertext browsing interface 321 is at a state on display . when an address designated by the retrieval assisting service ( namely , the address of the network of the information provider computer 1 and the file name where the user side hypertext 15 f 1 for initiating retrieval assisting if present , and the like ) is directly designated at the address input area 3211 of the hypertext browsing interface 321 or when an address designated by the retrieval assisting service is preliminarily embedded as an anchor in a hypertext displayed on the text display area 3212 of the hypertext browsing interface 321 and the address embedded part is clicked with mouse , the hypertext browsing process 343 receives the user side hypertext 15 f 1 for starting retrieval assisting through the user side communication program 342 and the information provider side communication program 142 . simultaneously , then , the user side retrieval assisting driving program 15 x 1 is sent in a dependent manner and is initiated in the work area 34 of the user side computer , which functions as the retrieval assisting program 344 , and the retrieval assisting program 344 displays the retrieval assisting interface 322 on the display means 32 . additionally , the retrieval assisting interface 322 may be displayed in the hypertext display area 3212 or may be displayed in another window . fig1 depicts an example of the display in another window . alternatively , the user side retrieval assisting driving program 15 x 1 may satisfactorily be received through a communication program by direct command input and the like , with no use of the hypertext browsing program 343 , and the program may then operate satisfactorily on the work area for receiving retrieval assisting service . still additionally , a service mode is also possible , comprising preliminarily delivering the user side retrieval driving program 15 x 1 to users with such desire , who may start the program if necessary . fig2 is a block diagram representing the detail of the user side retrieval assisting program 344 loaded on the work area 34 of the user side computer 3 . the user side retrieval assisting program 344 comprises main retrieval assisting routine 3441 , data area 3442 , and routine for generating display data of the search result 3443 , routine for generating display data of topic word graph 3444 , and routine for generating display data of topic word list 3445 . the data area 3442 comprises area 34421 for storing various parameters , area 34422 for storing data relevant to interface imaging , query storage area 34423 , search results storage area 34424 a , search results display order storage area 34424 b , topic word storage area 34425 , between - topic word linking information storage area 34426 , topic word / document corresponding table storage area 34427 , and document / topic word corresponding table storage area 34428 . the parameter storage area 34421 includes parameter 344211 for preparing search results imaging data , as well as parameter 344212 for preparing topic word graph mapping data . on the basis of the data 34422 relevant to interface imaging , the user side retrieval assisting routine 3441 displays the retrieval assisting interface 322 on the display means 32 . additionally , the user side retrieval assisting routine 3441 carries out various operations , depending on the type of a button on the interface , if pushed with mouse . fig3 depicts a composition example of retrieval assisting interface 322 displayed on display area 32 . the retrieval assisting interface 322 comprises query input window e 1 for a user to input queries such as key words , button b 01 for carrying out key word search , associative search button b 02 for carrying out search ( associative search ) on the basis of the similarity to the designated document , text input button b 03 for inputting sentences and a set of words for carrying out associative search , a set of parts relevant to search , such as db selection means m 1 for selecting a text data base as search subjects , a set of objects relevant to the displaying of results , such as search results display area p 1 for displaying search results and topic word display area p 2 for displaying information characterizing the search results , and a set of objects to carry out various operations on the basis of the search results and the topic word display . the set of objects for carrying out various operations on the basis of the search results and the topic word display , includes expand button b 11 for retrieving a document similar to the selected document or set of documents , prune button b 12 for discarding documents except the selected document or set of documents , unselect button b 12 for releasing all the selection states attached to the document ( s ), mark title button b 31 for attaching emphasis , such as check mark , to the titles of selected documents containing a single or a plurality of topic words , sort button b 32 for rearranging the titles in the decreasing order of mark intensity , clear button b 33 for deleting the marks , mark topic word button b 41 for emphasizing topic words contained in selected documents , the topic words corresponding to a single or a plurality of titles , selection button b 42 for selecting marked topic words , clear button b 43 for releasing the marks , unselect button b 23 for releasing all the selected state of topic words , and topic word selection propagate button b 21 for putting topic word with strong relation with a single or a plurality of topic words selected , at selection state . the characteristic point of such arrangement is that the search results display area p 1 for directly displaying search results such as title list and topic word display area p 2 for displaying the overview of a set of retrieved documents and are arranged adjacently for ready comparison . advantageously , users can thereby catch instantly specific information ( title list ) of the search results and the whole abstract information , to readily construct the interaction between the two , as shown in the latter part of the present example . fig4 depicts the detail of data storage area 34422 for imaging retrieval interface . the area 34422 is composed of imaging data of all objects composing the retrieval interface . for example , the data 34422 e 1 for imaging query input window e 1 comprises arrangement position , window size , display contents ( search queries ), origin position ( number of words hidden on the left of the window or the length corresponding to the number ), cursor position , mark position , background color , type of character font , and type of frame line . fig5 is a pad view representing the process flow of the user side retrieval assisting routine 3441 . the retrieval assisting routine 3441 primarily manages the retrieval assisting interface , and display search results or relevant information , in response to the operation of a user . firstly , the parameters ( for example , flag ) used in the retrieval assisting routine 3441 will be described . update flag of search results imaging ( name of parameter is “ fr ”) indicates whether the imaging data to be displayed on the search results display area p 1 ( fig3 ) should be updated . update flag of topic word imaging ( name of parameter is “ fc ”) indicates whether the imaging data to be displayed on the topic word display area p 2 should be updated . according to the present retrieval method , the search results display area p 1 and topic word display area p 2 are required to be updated since the commitment of retrieval , but such updating is not necessarily required for other operations . neither one is required to be updated , for example , when query is inputted . therefore , these flags should be used so that these operations might be done only when these operations are necessary . additionally , drag mode ( name of parameter is mm ) indicates the type of operation when drag operation with mouse is continued , including document selection ( mm = 11 ), display document designation ( mm = 12 ), topic word move ( mm = 21 ), and topic word selection region ( mm = 22 ). furthermore , parameter ms records the temporary identification number of the document or of the topic word at a position where mouse is pushed just immediately beforehand ; parameter mf records the selection state of the same document or topic word before the mouse is pushed ; and parameter md records the ( global ) identification number of a document currently displayed for browsing . at initial process 34411 , these parameters are set at start as follows ; fr = fc = 0 ; mm = 0 ; ms , mf , and md , no value set . the processes after 34412 are continuously repeated until quit button is pushed . at first , update operation 34412 of search results display area imaging data 34422 p 1 should be effected by using routine for generating display data of the search result 3443 when the update flag of search results imaging ( fr ) is on . when the update flag of topic word imaging ( fc ) is on , alternatively , update operation 34413 of the topic word display area imaging data 34422 p 2 should be done by using the routine for generating display data of topic word graph 3444 . because both the flags are off at start , these operations are skipped . at the following process 34414 , on the basis of the retrieval interface imaging data 34422 ( fig4 ), the retrieval interface 322 is imaged on the display means 32 . when these processes are completed , input stand - by state 34415 is set . the display image of fig3 depicts the display state of the retrieval interface 322 , at a stage when the retrieval assisting program is initiated to lead to the input stand - by state . on an input from keyboard and mouse , the stage progresses to branch 34416 , where process 3441 kb is executed in case of keyboard input ( including cut & amp ; paste ); process 3441 mp is executed in case of mouse push ; process 3441 md is executed in case of mouse moving under pushing ( or dragging ); and process 3441 mr is executed in case of mouse release . the details of these individual processes will be described later . through the retrieval assisting interface , users can input query and carry out various operations . various methods may be used at the starting point of the retrieval operation , including for example key word search by key word input , designation of a highly interesting document , to retrieve documents with similarity to the document or just some sentences or phrases as parts of the document , not as the whole document . firstly , a case starting from key word search will be described . queries are inputted into the query input window e 1 ( fig3 ) from keyboard , but the query input window e 1 may sometimes not be at an input stand - by state at start , so in that case , the query input window e 1 should be clicked with mouse prior to the initiation of input . thereby , the process 3441 mp for mouse pushing puts the query input window e 1 at an input stand - by state . and every character input from the keyboard is stored on display contents area 34422 e 13 of the query input imaging data , by the process 3441 kb , then displayed on the query input window by the imaging process 34414 . in other words , the input characters from keyboard are consistently and sequentially written on the query input window e 1 . after the termination of the input of the queries , retrieval is committed on mouse clicking of the keyboard search button b 01 ( fig3 ). more specifically , the process 3441 mr is selected on the branch 34416 when the mouse is released , where branching occurs , depending on the type of a button clicked . in a case of the search button b 01 , key word search query is transmitted to the retrieval assisting program 143 of the information provider side computer 1 , so that search results and topic word information and the like are sent back . because both the update flag of the search results imaging and the update flag of the topic word imaging are set at on , the search results imaging data update process 34412 and the topic word imaging data update process 34413 prepare individual imaging data on the basis of the newly received data , so that the data of the search results display area imaging data 34422 p 1 and the data of the topic word display area imaging data 34422 p 2 are updated . fig6 is a view representing a display example of search results and topic words on retrieval assisting interface . it is an example of retrieval interface image after “ key word a 1 , key word a 2 ” input as queries for key word search . on the search results display area p 1 , the list of retrieved documents is output , together with relevance scores . one line corresponds to the information about one document , and each line is composed of a small window for users to select the corresponding document , a numerical figure showing the suitability with the query for the document , information for a person to identify the document ( information about document title , issue date , etc .). furthermore , the total number of retrieved documents is shown on the area l 12 thereon . as the numerical figure , the retrieved document number “ 22 ” is stored as character row information in the “ total number ( left )” imaging data 34422 l 11 as one of the character row imaging data 34422 l in the interface imaging data 34422 , and the number is displayed on the display area l 12 . on the topic word display area p 2 , furthermore , words characteristically appearing in a set of the retrieved documents are graphically displayed so that their interactive relation might be identified . as the method for generating such topic word graphs from the set of the retrieved documents , the method described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 888 , 017 entitled “ document retrieval assisting method and system therefor and document retrieval service using the same ” may be used . fig7 depicts the detail of the search results display area imaging data 34422 p 1 ( fig4 ) then . the data is composed of display position , area size , origin position and display contents . the display position shows at which position in the overall interface frame the area is attached ; the origin position shows the coordinate of the imaging area lying at the upper left corner of the display area . by scrolling , the value can be modified . the imaging contents 34422 p 14 is composed of imaging position , figure type , and attached information . the first line thereof means that a transparent rectangle should be imaged at position ( 40 , 30 ) and size ( 5 , 5 ). the second line means that a character row “ 2 ” should be imaged at position ( 60 , 30 ). additionally , the third line means that the title name of the corresponding document , “ title - a 1 ” should be imaged at position ( 80 , 30 ). by imaging following these lines , then , the first line of the search results display area p 1 of fig6 is to be imaged . the same is true with the second line and thereafter . similarly , fig8 depicts the detail of the topic word display area imaging data 34422 p 2 ( fig4 ) then . the imaging contents thereof are composed of a line imaging data set representing links of graphs and a character row imaging data set representing the character row of a node . the line is designated with the start point and end point . for example , the first line means that a line should be imaged from coordinate ( 80 , 80 ) to coordinate ( 100 , 30 ); and the fifth line means that a character row “ topic word - a 1 ” is imaged on a background color green at coordinate ( 100 , 30 ). the graph on the topic word display area p 2 of fig6 is imaged , on the basis of the imaging contents . it has been described insofar that when key word search button b 01 is pushed at a state where query “ key word al , key word a 2 ” is inputted from the query input window el of the retrieval assisting interface image , various processes are intermediately executed , to generate such an interface image as shown in fig6 which displays the title list of search results and the information about topic words . it will be described hereinafter the processing course until search results display area imaging data 34422 p 1 and topic word display area imaging data 34422 p 2 , shown in fig7 and 8 , are prepared after pushing a search button , that is , to transmit the query to the retrieval assisting program 143 of information provider side , to prepare necessary information such as search results and topic words , which is sent back to the user side retrieval assisting program 344 to prepare the imaging data , based on the information . when the key word search button b 01 is clicked , the demand of key word search is sent to the information provider to receive necessary information at one branch of the process 3441 mr which acts when a mouse button is released . fig9 is a view representing an example of the contents of the user side query storage area when the key word search button b 01 is clicked at the state of fig3 after inputting keywords . as the retrieval method , “ key word search ” is stored ; as the retrieval contents ( search queries ), “ key word - a 1 ” or “ key word - a 2 ” is stored ; as the search subject data base , furthermore , the currently selected “ document db - d 1 ” is stored . the retrieval contents are prepared from character rows ( in this case , “ key word a 1 ”, “ key word a 2 ”) stored in the display contents column of the query input area imaging data 34422 e 1 ( fig4 ). additionally , the search subject data base is the data base shown in the column of db selection means m 1 in fig3 . in practice , the information is written in the search subject selection area imaging data 34422 m 1 ( fig4 ). the information provider side retrieval assisting program 143 and data sets used therein are described below in fig1 through 12 . fig1 is a view representing a composition example of the information provider side retrieval assisting program 143 operating in the work area 14 of the information provider side computer 1 . the retrieval assisting program 143 comprises main routine 1431 , data area 1432 and sub routines 1433 to 1439 and the like . the data area 1432 is composed of area 14321 for storing various parameters used in the main routine and sub routine , query storage area 14322 , search results storage area 14323 , topic word storage area 14324 , between - topic word linking information storage area 14325 , topic word / document corresponding table storage area 14326 , document / topic word corresponding table storage area 14327 , between - topic word co - occurrence table storage area 14328 and the like ; and the sub routine is composed of word spelling normalization routine 1433 , word spelling / word number lookup routine 1434 a , word number / word spelling lookup routine 1434 b , key word search routine 1435 , associative search routine 1436 , topic word extraction routine 1437 , between - topic word co - occurrence table preparation routine 1438 , between - topic word linking information preparation routine 1439 and the like . fig1 is a view representing the detail of the data 15 d 1 relevant to a text data base with an identification name “ document db - d 1 ” as one of search subject data base stored in the information storage means 15 of the information provider side computer 1 . the data 15 d 1 is composed of text data base 15 d 11 , document / word corresponding data 15 d 12 , word / document corresponding data 15 d 13 , word frequency data 15 d 14 , cluster tree 15 d 15 and the like . the detail of the individual data is now described below . the text data base 15 d 11 is a data base about the text and bibliographical information about a document as a search subject , and on receipt of the browsing query with designated document identifiers from a user , the information provider side retrieval assisting routine 1431 draws out the corresponding document data from the data base to send back the data to the user . the document / word corresponding data 15 d 12 is a list of a set of the number of each word contained in the document and the frequency of the word , vs . document number . when the size of a subject document is large , furthermore , not the whole document is defined as a subject of word counting , but a part thereof , well reflecting the contents described in the whole document , such as summary , may be used as a subject . additionally , only a word list may be used for comparison , with no frequency data , because of omission . the document number means an identification number unique to each document contained in the data base , and the word id is an identification number unique to each of all the words treated as key words on the present retrieval assisting system . so as to get the identification number ( id ) of a word , the word spelling / word id lookup routine 1434 a ( fig1 ) should be used . so as to get the word spelling of a word , word id / word spelling lookup routine 1434 b ( fig1 ) is used . for these lookup routines , the word id / word spelling lookup table in the dictionary 15 d 0 ( fig1 ) is to be referenced . the word / document corresponding data 15 d 13 is a data with an inverse relation with the document / word corresponding data 15 d 12 . more specifically , each word id corresponds to the list of a set of the number of documents containing the word and the frequency of the word . herein , the frequency data may be omitted , and a list of words ( documents ) alone may be corresponded . the word frequency data 15 d 14 is a data set , vs . each word number d , of the frequency f ( d ) of word d , which means how many times the word appears in the overall document db , and the document frequency df ( d ) of word d , which means how many documents contain the word . the cluster tree 15 d 15 is in a stratified form prepared by repeating clustering of similar documents in the document db ( repeating clustering of similar document clusters into more larger clusters ). by using for example “ document classifying method according to probability model ” of japanese patent laid - open no . hei 9 - 62693 , a document cluster tree of a high precision can be prepared . ( word distribution status in a document may be gained from the document / word corresponding data 15 d 12 and because the word distribution status can be defined as one vector with a base of the entire words , a method comprising measuring the similarity from that angle between word distribution vectors is also present ). the cluster tree is utilized by carrying out associative search ( retrieval based on between - documents similarity ) by a top - down binary search decomposition method at a high speed . the search is done , through a process comprising selecting a cluster where a key document is at a higher probability , among candidate document clusters , at each branch point . the probability of a document belonging to a document cluster is calculated by using a calculation method according to the japanese patent laid - open no . hei 9 - 62693 . fig1 is the detail of the information provider side retrieval assisting routine 1431 ( fig1 ). the routine 1431 starts on receipt of the query from auser side . firstly at branch 14311 , keyword search 143111 or associative search 143112 is carried out according to the designation of a retrieval method on the query . if the query in the example of fig9 is received , the retrieval method is designated as “ key word search ” and therefore , key word search should be selected . for key word search , retrieval contents storage area 344232 functions as a logical binding of key words , and therefore , an assembly of document numbers containing each key word is obtained with reference to the word / document corresponding data 15 d 13 , to calculate an assembly as the logical binding of them . for associative search , furthermore , a document similar to the document as a key according to the method described in the description of the cluster tree 15 d 15 , should be retrieved . in any case , the search results are expressed as assemblies of sets of document identification numbers and suitability scores for search queries , and they are stored in the decreasing order of suitability score in the search results storage area 1423 . the suitability score for key word search can be gained for example from the number of key words contained therein , and for associative search , similarity can be used as the score . subsequently , operations including topic word extraction 14312 , between - topic word co - occurrence table preparation 143131 , between - topic word linking information preparation 143132 , topic word graph mapping coordinate calculation routine 143133 , topic word / document corresponding table preparation 143141 , and document / topic word corresponding table preparation 143142 are carried out , to send back necessary information for representing search results and topic words to users . the present retrieval assisting method is characterized by the proposition of search results along with the characteristic information . herein , drawings and descriptions are skipped , but users can select whether or not they want them . if a user selects an option of no need thereof , only search results may simply be sent back to the user , so the processes after the topic word extraction 14312 can be skipped . because the method described in “ document retrieval - assisting method and system therefor and document retrieval service by using the same ” is used for the topic word extraction 14312 and between - topic word co - occurrence table preparation 143131 from search results , between - topic word linking information preparation 143132 , and topic word graph mapping coordinate calculation routine 143133 , brief description thereof is simply illustrated herein . by the topic word extraction 14312 routine , the number df ( x ) of documents in a search results containing each ( x ) of all the words appearing at least one in the search results is counted . with reference to the document / word corresponding table 15 d 12 , this calculation can be performed in a simple manner . with reference to the word frequency data 15 d 14 ( fig1 ), additionally , document frequency df ( x ) indicating in how many documents these words appear in the entire data base , can be recovered . since the ratio of df ( x ) to df ( x ) represents the extent as to how unusually frequently word x appears in the search results , a word with a larger value thereof is to be extracted as topic word . because the comparison between a general word with a larger frequency and a highly specific word with a smaller frequency at an identical scale is very difficult , words are divided in some classes on the basis of the document frequency df ( x ) in the search results , to pick up topic words from each frequency class of at good balance . the topic word co - occurrence table generation routine generates a table - form data wherein the topic word extracted by the above method are arranged vertically and horizontally . in a column with topic word x vertically and topic word y horizontally , number cf ( x , y ) of documents in the search results where topic word x and y concurrently appear is placed . by between - topic word links generation routine 143132 , topic words with larger frequencies than the frequency of each topic word ( x ) are prepared in arrangement in the decreasing order of relevance degree . the calculation method of the relevance degree between the topic words x and y includes various methods , and one of these methods comprises calculating the ratio of cf ( x , y )/ df ( y ) wherein cf ( x , y ) and df ( y ) represent co - occurrence document frequency cf ( x , y ) and document frequency of y ( namely , df ( y )) in the search results , respectively . linking candidates are arranged in the decreasing order of the value . because not all of the extracted topic words are displayed , actual link address is determined by examining the linking candidates starting from the upper order ( left ) to select the one which is displayed . since it is very convenient to examine where links may come , other than the link address , where links may come should be examined to be stored as information . by topic word graph mapping coordinate calculation routine 143133 , the coordinate for arranging a topic word two - dimensionally is calculated on the basis of topic word linking information , under the provision that and all topics words are displayed . for brief description of the method of the u . s . pat . no . 5 , 987 , 460 , the document frequency df ( x ) of each topic word in the search results is on the vertical coordinate . ( so as to make the parameter region compact , herein , logarithmic representation or inverse tangent function may be used .) on the horizontal coordinate , firstly , nodes with no link address are uniformly arranged within a predetermined range . thereafter , horizontal coordinates should be sequentially determined , recursively , by a method comprising uniformly arranging the horizontal coordinates of the nodes with the same link address nodes for which the horizontal coordinates are already determined . because overlaps of nodes may occur according to the method , furthermore , a right node should be shifted , further toward the right side , if any overlap is present , to avoid overlapping . by the topic word / document corresponding table preparation routine 143141 , a data to correspond the temporary id numbers of retrieved documents containing a topic word among the retrieved documents to the temporary id number of the topic word , should be prepared , with reference to the word / document corresponding data 15 d 13 . herein , the temporary id number of a word means the number representing what position is occupied by the topic word stored in the topic word storage area . additionally , the temporary id number of a document stored in the search results storage area means what position is occupied by the document . by the document / topic word corresponding table preparation routine 143142 , a table to correspond the temporary id numbers of topic words contained in each retrieved document to the document is prepared with reference to the document / word corresponding data 15 d 12 . after completion of the aforementioned operations , the information provider side retrieval assisting routine 1431 sends back the data relevant to the search results and topic words and the data representing the relation between documents and topic words , to users . hereinafter , fig1 a and 13b to 17 show examples of data sent back to a user side . fig1 a and 13b are examples of the data of transmitted search results . the data is divided as main part ( a ) and data ( b ) relevant to display order . the main user side search results storage area 34424 a is composed of temporary document number , flag relevant to document selection , the mark intensity attached to a document , document identification number , suitability score with search queries , and information for users to identify a document , such as title and issue date . ( the temporary document number is a number indicating at what position the document is stored in the table , but the document identification number is rather used for actually recovering document contents .) the selection flag and the mark intensity are at states of all clear , as initially set by an information provider side . when a user operates the retrieval assisting interface 322 ( fig3 ), these values change and correspondingly , the interface image changes . the selection flag is on ( 1 ) when a user designates a document as interesting . the flag is utilized for associative search based on the selected documents or for marking ( emphasizing ) topic word contained in the selected documents . the selection flag may take two values , namely on ( 1 ) and off ( 0 ), or may be three values of 1 / 0 /− 1 when negative selection ( selection indicating no active interest ) is permitted . in the present example , two values of 1 / 0 are present . as to the mark intensity , alternatively , a mechanism exists for selecting such intensity for topic word , and is utilized for a case of marking a document containing the selected topic words , and the like . a greater number of topic word species increases the mark intensity . as to the suitability score , the former two have a value of 2 and the remaining ones have a value of 1 in the example of fig1 a , which indicates that , by using a scoring method on the basis of the number of the species of designated key words being contained for key word search , the former two contain both the designated key words “ kw - a 1 ” and “ kw - a 2 ” and are accordingly scored as point 2 , while others except them contain only either one of them and are therefore scored as point 1 . various methods may be applicable as the calculation method of suitability degree . when associative search ( similarity ) is done , furthermore , the similarity may be used as such score , as it is or after some normalization by a certain process . as the normalization process , for example , a process is illustrated , comprising defining a document with the highest similarity as point 100 and subsequently proportionally dividing the score . fig1 b is a data relevant to the display order of documents . because the data is represented in the increasing order of temporary document numbers , as initially sent from an information provider side , the documents are arranged in the sequential order from 1 . as will be described below , the present retrieval assisting interface has sorting function b 32 ( button b 32 ( see fig3 )) based on mark intensity , to provide a function to display documents in the decreasing order of the mark intensity . in order that the document display order can be changed or reversed to the original state when the function is used , the display order storage area 34424 b is substantially used . fig1 is an example of the data relevant to topic words . the data stored in the user side topic word storage area 34425 is composed of the temporary topic word number , flag showing whether or not the topic word appear in graph mapping , selection flag , mark intensity , word spelling , display position on a topic word graph , and frequency class . as to the flags concerning the presence or absence in graphic display , the former five are defined as 1 ( present ) and the remaining ones are defined as 0 ( absent ) in the example of fig1 . the number 5 indicates that the number of words appearing in graphs is defined by presetting in the parameters storing area 344212 in fig2 and an information provider side or both an information provider side and a user side can preset parameters for actually determining the value . under no presetting from a user side , the preset value from an information provider side is to be used as default . like the case of search results , the selection flag and mark intensity are at initial states of all clear . graphic display position is represented as a value calculated by a provider side retrieval routine 1431 according to the topic word graph mapping coordinate calculation routine 143133 ( fig1 ). the frequency class is represented as a classification value , depending on the document frequency in the search results of topic words in the topic word extraction routine 14312 ( fig1 ). class 1 represents a relatively high frequency ; class 2 represents a moderate frequency ; and class 3 represents a relatively low frequency . fig1 depicts one example of between - topic word linking information data . words to be linked from each topic word are arranged in the decreasing order of the preference for graphic mapping of topic words . the data is represented in such a form that a list of temporary topic word numbers as linking candidates might correspond to a temporary topic word number . when a set of words to be expressed on graphs are determined , the most preferential linking partner is selected among linking candidates . for example , the preferential order from a topic word with the temporary topic word number 3 is 1 , 2 , - - - , but for the data of fig1 , temporary topic word numbers 1 through 5 are displayed on graphic display , and therefore , the first number 1 is the linking partner . the linking base list is automatically prepared from the linking partner data . fig1 is an example of the topic word / document corresponding table . the table is shown in such a form that a document list with temporary numbers of documents containing each topic word corresponds to the temporary number of the topic word . this is prepared with reference to the word / document corresponding data 15 d 13 ( fig1 ) in the topic word / document corresponding table preparation routine 143141 ( fig1 ). fig1 is one example of the document / topic word corresponding table . the table is shown in such a form that the list of temporary numbers of topic words contained in each document with a temporary number as search results corresponds to the document . the table is prepared with reference to the document / word corresponding data 15 d 13 in the document / topic word corresponding table preparation routine 143142 ( fig1 ). the topic word / document correspondence and the document / topic word correspondence are in the inverse relation with each other . in fig1 , for example , the document with a temporary document number 1 appears in the columns with temporary topic word numbers 1 , 2 and 4 , while in fig1 , the topic word numbers 1 , 2 and 4 appear in the column with a document number 1 . based on the received data described insofar ( search results and topic word data ), user side retrieval assisting routine 3441 ( fig5 ) carries out updating process 34412 of search results imaging data and updating process 34413 of topic word imaging data . for updating of search results imaging data , the routine for generating display data of the search result 3443 ( fig2 ) is used as subroutine ; for updating of topic word imaging data , routine for generating display data of topic word graph 3444 is used as subroutine . additionally , these imaging data preparation routines utilize the parameter values preset in the parameter storage area 34421 ( fig2 ). the routines and parameter values are described in detail by using fig1 to fig2 a through 21 c . fig1 depicts the detail of the parameter 344211 to be used for search results imaging data preparation . there are parameters such as line interval ( δy ), mark display position ( x 1 ), mark shift width ( δx 1 ), bit map mark identifier ( bm ), selection window display horizontal coordinate ( x 2 ), selection window size ( h , v ), window display color ( cs 0 ) for unselect , window display color for select ( cs 1 ), horizontal coordinate of score display position right end ( x 3 ), horizontal coordinate of title display position left end ( x 4 ), background color ( cd ) of title display area of document display , title display font ( f ), and the like . the character rows shown in ( ) are for reference in the description of the routine for generating display data of the search result 3443 . fig1 a through 19c depict the detail of routine for generating display data of the search result 3443 , which is used for the search results imaging data update routine 34412 of the retrieval assisting routine 3441 ( fig5 ). at initial presetting 34431 , firstly , variable “ i ” representing display order and variable “ y ” representing the vertical coordinate value of the display position should be preset at 0 . at loop 34432 , the following process should be repeated at the number of documents as search results . firstly at the process 34433 , the value of variable “ i ” and the value of variable “ y ” should be incremented by 1 and δy , respectively . δy is a value preset as a line interval value for displaying search results in the parameter 344211 ( fig1 ). ( the numerical figure of the vertical coordinate of the display position increases from top to down .) additionally , the temporary number of a document displayed on the sequential order “ i ” is substituted with the variable “ n ”. with reference to the search results display order storage area 34424 b ( fig1 b ), the value is determined by picking up a number corresponding to the display order i . in the following description , furthermore , “ document with a temporary document number n ”, if described accurately , should be abbreviated as “ document n ”, if no specific concern of the occurrence of any mistake exists . subsequently , mark imaging data preparation routine 34434 , selection window imaging data preparation routine 34435 , score imaging data preparation routine 34436 , and imaging data preparation routine of title , etc ., 34437 are performed . the former two are described in detail in fig1 b and 19c , respectively . at the score imaging data preparation routine 34436 , an imaging data of “ position ( x 3 , y ), diagram type = character row , attaching position = lower right , character row =( decimal expression of the score of document n )” is added to the search results imaging data 34422 p 1 ( fig7 ). herein , x 3 is preset as the horizontal coordinate of the right end of the score display position in the search results imaging data preparing parameter 344211 ( fig1 ). finally at the imaging data preparation routine of title , etc . 34437 , temporal variable col is set to the background color cd ( fig1 ) of the title display area during the display of the document if the document is displayed , and otherwise , col is set to transparent . whether or not the document is on display is determined , depending on whether or not the identification number of the document ( indicated in the document number column of the search results storage area 34424 a ) is equal to the value of the variable md to be used in the retrieval assisting routine 3441 ( fig5 ). continuously , an imaging data of “ position ( x 4 , y )”, diagram type = character row , attaching position = lower left , background color = col , character row =“( title of document n )” is added to the search results imaging data 34422 p 1 . herein , x 4 is a value , parametrically preset as the horizontal coordinate of the left end of the title display position ( fig1 ). the score of the document n and the title of the document n can be picked up from the corresponding column of the search results storage area 34424 a . fig1 b is the detail of the mark imaging data preparation routine 34434 . by the operation , a process of adding an imaging data to display a mark symbol ( check mark , etc .) parameter preset in the variable bm ( fig1 ) as a bit map identifier for marking , to the search results imaging data 34422 p 1 ( fig7 ) is repeated at a number of times corresponding to the mark intensity of the document n ( recovered from the search results storage area 34424 a ). for display on the horizontal coordinate ( x ), the parameter preset value x 1 as mark display position is substituted by initial presetting 344341 , and after shifting , mark is shifted each time by a shift corresponding to the similarly preset value δx 1 as mark shift pitch ( fig1 ) for display . therefore , a check mark with a broadness in proportion to the mark intensity is drawn . fig1 c depicts the detail of the selection window imaging data preparation routine 34435 . at conditional branch 344351 , firstly , it is determined whether or not the document n is selected ( as indicated by the selection flag in the search results storage area 34424 a ) and if selected , the window display color ( col ) is defined as a color ( unambiguous color such as red ) and otherwise , the color is defined as an ambiguous color ( transparency , etc .). continuously at conditional branch 344352 , if it is judged whether the document pushed just immediately beforehand with mouse is in the line ms from top and the position currently designated with mouse is in the line mp from top and that the mouse is in the course of document selection ( mm = 11 ), is “ n ” present in between the position pushed with mouse and the position currently designated , as shown by the formula ms ≦ n ≦ mp or mp ≦ n ≦ ms . if yes , then it is judged whether the article of the position user mouse button was pushed is preliminarily selected or not . if selected , non - selection color cs 0 is substituted with the variable col , and the selection color cs 1 is substituted with the variable col , if not selected . by further using the designated value x 2 as the horizontal coordinate of selection window and ( h , v ) as the size of the selection window , an imaging data of “ position ( x 2 , y ), diagram type = rectangle , size ( h , v ), color = col ” should added to the search results imaging data 34422 p 1 . thereby , the selection window is colored with the selection color ( cs 1 ) of the document at selected state or a document currently under dragging to be put at selection state ; otherwise , the document is colored with non selection color ( cs 2 ). fig2 depicts the detail of the topic word graph mapping data preparation parameter 344212 . the background color , font type and frame line color of a part displaying the character row of a topic word are designated , and for them , individually , values during selection or non - selection or values marked or not marked are designated . in this example , the background color is green and the font is general one , when a topic word is not selected ; if selected , the background color is orange and the font is a font for emphasis ; if marked , the frame line color is red , and otherwise , the line color is transparent . generally , prominent color and prominent font are preferably used , if selected or if marked . fig2 a depicts the detail of the routine for generating display data of topic word graph 3444 , for use in the topic word imaging data update routine 34413 of the retrieval assisting routine 3441 ( fig5 ). firstly , if the drag mode of the retrieval assisting routine 3441 works to move topic word ( mm = 21 ), the shift value ( vertical , horizontal ) from the position where the mouse was pushed should be substituted with the variable δm ; if the drag mode works to set the topic word selection region ( mm = 22 ), a data imaging the topic word selection region ( rectangle with diagonal angles on the position where the mouse was pushed and the position currently designated ) is added to the topic word imaging data 34422 p 2 . continuously , a data imaging the node of a topic word ( temporary number = i ) with a display flag being on as well as a data imaging the link from the topic word is prepared . firstly at the process 34444 , a variable “ place ” is substituted with the display position of topic word “ i ”. the value can be gained from the topic word storage area 34425 ( fig1 ). additionally , whether or not the display flag of topic word are on can be known , similarly , from the corresponding column of the topic word storage area . when the mode is topic word move mode ( mm = 21 ) and the selection flag of the topic word “ i ” is on , continuously , δm ( mouse move distance ) previously calculated is added to the variable “ place ”. ( more specifically , the display position varies , depending on the mouse move .) in such manner , the preparation routine 34446 ( fig2 b ) of the imaging data of links from the topic word “ i ” and the preparation routine 34447 of the imaging data of the node of the topic word “ i ” are executed . fig2 b depicts the detail of the preparation routine 34446 of the imaging data of links from the topic word “ i ”. if any of linking partners from the topic word “ i ” is present , all of such linking partners are processed as follows . at the process 344462 , firstly , the display position of a linking partner ( in the topic word storage area 34425 ) is substituted with a variable “ end ”. continuously when the mode is the topic word move mode ( mm = 21 ) and the selection flag of the linking partner is on , the δm as the mouse move is added to the variable “ end ” of the linking partner . by presetting as described above , the imaging data of “ position = place , diagram type = line , end position = end ” is added to the topic word imaging data 34422 p 2 . fig2 c depicts the detail of the preparation routine 34447 of the node imaging data of the topic word “ i ”. depending on whether or not the topic word “ i ” is selected , the background color “ cb ” and font “ ft ” are set at preset values , and depending on whether or not the topic word “ i ” is marked , the frame line color “ cf ” is set at the preset value . then , the imaging data of “ position =( display position of topic word i ), diagram type character row , attaching position = center , background color = cb , font = ft , frame line color = cf ” should be added to the topic word imaging data 34422 p 2 . various functions provided to users by the present retrieval assisting interface are described hereinbelow . by utilizing various combinations of these functions , users can analyze search results or can browse the desired search results while selecting the optimal retrieval method and refining the search queries . the retrieval assisting routine 3441 for operating the interface has already been shown in fig5 but the details as to which process works for various inputs , such as button operation and mouse operation , where omitted . as shown in fig5 the part corresponds to the process 3441 kb for keyboard input , the process 3441 mp when mouse is pushed , the process 3441 md when mouse is moved under pushing , and the process 3441 mr when the mouse is released . with reference to fig2 to 26 a and 26 b hereinbelow , these are described in detail . fig2 depicts the detail of the process 3441 kb for keyboard input . because plural interface objects with a possibility of receiving input are present , it should be determined firstly which object is at a state capable of receiving input , and when the query input window e 1 ( fig3 ) is at a state capable of receiving input , the input characters should be added to a position designated with the cursor position 34422 e 15 of the display contents 34422 e 13 in the query input imaging data 34422 e 1 of the interface imaging data storage area 34422 ( fig4 ). the contents are displayed on the query input window el on the interface , at the interface image imaging process 34414 ( fig5 ) of the retrieval assisting routine 3441 . ( hence , the input from keyboard is going to be written on the query input window e 1 .) as to the method for executing deletion input , a number of variations are possible , but a method is suggested , comprising deleting characters from the mark position to the cursor position when the mark position is designated , and deleting a character just immediately before the cursor position , if no position is designated . it is also a convenient setting that when the query input window e 1 is at a receivable state , the same process as the case of pushing a key word search button should be effected if a carriage return is inputted , so that the present retrieval method is easier to use . as an additional input receiving window , text input part te 1 ( described below in the description of fig3 ) to be opened when text input button b 03 is pushed is present , and text should necessarily be inputted therein from keyboard . the detail is described in the section “ text input function ”. fig2 a depicts the detail of the process 3441 mp in the retrieval assisting routine 3441 when mouse is pushed . when any input window is pushed , the input window falls into an input receiving state ( process 3441 mp - e ). because the process 3441 mp - p 1 for the case the position pushed is on the search results display area p 1 as well as the process 3441 mp - p 2 when the position is on the topic word display area p 2 requires complex procedures , these processes are shown separately in fig2 b and fig2 c , respectively . fig2 b depicts the detail of the process 3411 mp - p 1 when mouse is pushed on the search results display area p 1 . firstly at the process 3441 mp - p 1 - 1 , the sequential order of the pushed document from top is recorded in the variable ms ( fig5 ) used in the retrieval assisting routine 3441 when the area is pushed . then , branch 3441 mp - p 1 - 2 comes , depending on the position of mouse pushed , and when the position is on the selection window ( small rectangle ) of any document ( see fig6 ), the variable mm used in the retrieval assisting routine 3441 is defined as 11 , which indicates that the mode is during document selection . furthermore , the value of a selection flag just immediately before the pushing of mouse on the corresponding document ( the value is gained from the search results storage area 34424 a ( fig1 a )) is substituted with the variable mf . when the pushed position is on the score or title display area of any document , the mode variable mm is set at the value (= 12 ) meaning that the display document is on the way of designation . these values are referenced and used when mouse is moved under pushing or released , to facilitate the processes corresponding to the individual values . therefore , what effects may be brought about are described in the section for processes for mouse move or mouse release . at the end of the process 3441 mp - p 1 for mouse push on the search result display area , the search results imaging update flag fr ( fig5 ) is set at 1 ( on ), so that the search results imaging data be updated . fig2 c depicts the detail of the process 3441 mp - p 2 when mouse is pushed on the topic word display area p 2 . for mouse operation for topic word , a designated topic word is used as search key word , or selection / non selection (+ move ) is done . in the present example , it is preset such that selection / non selection is executed with left mouse , while key word addition or deletion can be executed with right mouse . it is needless to say that these may be replaced with each other . additionally , it is preset that different operations may be performed , depending on the use of shift key in combination or no such use , but these may also be replaced with each other . therefore , the description herein is about a method for the practice of one of possible presetting . at the process 3441 mp - p 2 when mouse is pushed , firstly , branching is done , depending on whether or not the position where mouse is pushed lies on any topic word . when mouse is pushed on a topic word , branching is effected , depending on the mouse type , and for left mouse , the following operations are effected . firstly , conditional branching is effected , depending on whether or not shift key is pushed , and by a concurrent use of left mouse and shift key , the process 3441 mp - p 2 - 1 is effected to toggle the selection / non selection of the pushed topic word alone . in other words , the value in the selection flag column of the topic word storage area 34425 ( fig1 ) should be rewritten . when left mouse is pushed with no use of shift key , further branching is effected , depending on the selection state of the pushed topic word , and when the topic word is already at selection state , no operation is effected ; when the topic word is at non selection state , the topic word is set at selection state while other topic words are all set at non selection state . the above processes correspond to the process 3441 mp - p 2 - 2 . when a pushed topic word falls into selection state after the aforementioned processes are effected by using left mouse , the value of mode variable mm in the retrieval assisting routine 3441 is set at the value (= 21 ) meaning the topic word under moving . thereby , mouse move under pushing can move a selected topic word , following the move of the mouse . no operation is executed if right mouse is pushed on a topic word , but when released , an operation for adding the selected topic word to query or deleting the topic word from query is effected ( see the operation when mouse is released , as described below ). when the position pushed with mouse does not lie on any topic word , the process 3441 mp - p 2 - 3 is executed to set the value of the mode variable mm at the value (= 22 ) meaning that the topic word selection region is now under the way of setting . thereby , a rectangle representing the topic word selection region is displayed on the topic word display area p 2 when mouse is moved under pushing , to effect the process of selecting all topic words with some overlap with the topic word selection region , when the mouse is released . at the end of process 3441 mp - p 2 for mouse push on the topic words display area by setting the update flag of topic word imaging fc ( fig5 ) at 1 ( on ), the imaging data on the topic word display area is to be updated . fig2 depicts the detail of the process 3441 md during mouse move under pushing ( during dragging operation ). the following processes are effected , depending on the position of mouse pushed just immediately beforehand . because mouse was pushed on the selection window of the search results display area , the update flag of search results imaging fr ( fig5 ) is set at on (= 1 ), to continuously update the imaging contents on the search results display area during move . in case mouse was pushed on the topic word display area , furthermore , the update flag of topic word imaging fc is set at on (= 1 ) to continuously update the imaging contents on the topic word display area . in case mouse was pushed on any of buttons except those described above and the mouse is currently positioned on the same button as when the mouse was pushed , the button is set at a pushed state ; otherwise , the button is put at a state not pushed . [ rewriting the data of the corresponding button in the interface imaging data storage area 34422 ( fig4 ).] for the former two cases , herein , the update flag of search results imaging fr or the update flag of topic word imaging fc are set at on , respectively , to continuously update individual imaged contents during move , and how these operations appear on image will now be described below . first case starts dragging from the selection window of the search results display area therefor the mode mm is set to 11 by the process 3441 mp - p 31 - 3 of fig2 b . and at the selection window imaging data preparation routine 34435 ( fig1 c ) of the routine for generating display data of the search result 3443 to update the search results imaging data , the mode is checked at branch 344352 ; at document selection mode ( mm = 11 ), the selection state of a document between at the position ( ms ) where mouse is pushed just immediately beforehand and at the position currently designated is locally modified , to effect the process of setting the document at an inverse value of the selection flag ( substituted with the variable mf ) of the document at the position where mouse is pushed just immediately beforehand . ( at the process 3441 mp - p 1 when mouse is pushed , variables mm , ms and mf are already set .) more specifically , when the selection window of a document at a non - selection state is pushed with mouse which is then moved under pushing , the selection windows of all documents between at the position pushed and at the current position are imaged with the color for the selected state . it should be noted herein that the change of the selection state of a document simply means that the change is local , not for rewriting the selection flag of the search results storage area 34424 a ( fig1 a ). in other words , the initial selection flags of individual documents are stored , and therefore , the flags after temporary change along with mouse move can be reversed to initial states . when mouse starts from the third document to move downward as it is , to subsequently reach the seventh document ( provided that the third document is initially selected ), the third to seventh documents are put at selected state . by changing the direction while pushing the mouse to move the mouse upward to reach the fifth document , the third to fifth documents are put at selected states , and others except these are reversed to the initial states . then , a case will be described such that the area pushed with mouse just immediately beforehand is the topic word display area to display topic word graphs . the following two cases are illustrated , wherein the imaging contents are changed during move . one case is such that mouse is pushed on a topic word and the topic word is immediately thereafter put to selected state ; and the other case is such that mouse is pushed on the base area with no display of topic word . it should be noted that at the process 3441 mp - p 2 ( fig2 c ), the mode variable is set at topic word move mode ( mm = 21 ) in the former case , while in the latter case , the mode variable is set at topic word selection area setting mode ( mm = 22 ). the generation of imaging data is done by the routine for generating display data of topic word graph 3444 ( fig2 a ). firstly , in case of topic word move mode ( mm = 21 ), mode determination is done at branch 34441 , to record mouse move distance on the variable δm . imaging position of topic word nodes for preparing an imaging data of topic words selected are based on the coordinate written in the topic word storage area 34425 ( fig1 ), but the mouse move from the pushed point should be added to the imaging position for a selected topic word at the process 34445 . more specifically , the imaging position shifts by the mouse move . because δm is added to the coordinate when topic words corresponding to the link start or end points are selected even in the linking imaging data preparation routine 34446 ( fig2 b ), and furthermore , links are also transferable together with the transfer of topic words , and are then to be displayed . then , the case of topic word selection region setting mode ( mm = 22 ) is described . in this case , process 344412 is selected at conditional branch 34441 , to prepare an imaging data of a rectangle with diagonal angles lying on the position of mouse pushed and the currently designated position as a topic word selection region and display the data . fig2 a through 25c depict the detail of the process 3441 mr when mouse is released ( mouse is reversed to the initial state from the pushed state ). fig2 a is the overall view separately including a case wherein the position pushed just immediately beforehand with mouse is the search results display area ( 3441 mr - p 1 , fig2 b ); a case wherein the position is the topic word display area ( 3441 mr - p 2 , fig2 c ); a case wherein mouse is pushed at other parts ; and a case wherein the mouse is released on the same parts ( 3441 mr 1 , fig2 a and 26 b ). fig2 b depicts the detail of the process 3441 mr - p 1 of the retrieval assisting routine 3441 when mouse is released , provided that the position pushed just immediately beforehand is the search results display area . when conditional branching occurs at the position pushed just immediately beforehand and when mouse is pushed on the selection window of any document ( when the mode variable mm is 11 ), the process 3441 mr - p 1 - 1 is executed ; provided that the inverse value of the selection flag just immediately before the pushing of a document at a position where mouse is pushed is defined as “ tmp ”, the selection flags of all documents displayed between at the position where mouse is pushed and at the position where mouse is released are defined as “ tmp ” in the search results storage area 34424 a ( fig1 a ). when the position pushed just immediately beforehand is on the score or title of any document ( in case that the modevariable mm is 12 ), the process 3441 mr - p 1 - 2 is executed , to substitute the identification number of a defined document with the identification number variable ( md ) of a document displayed in the retrieval assisting routine 3441 . when not yet opened on display means 32 , document browsing means 322 r is opened . a query to demand to send the contents of the corresponding document is transmitted to information provider side retrieval assisting program 143 , which displays the contents of the document demanded on the document browsing means 322 r ( see the description of fig2 described below ). for carrying out these operations , mouse pushing should be done on parts visible on the search results display area p 1 , but mouse release may satisfactorily be done on invisible parts thereon . at the process 3441 mr - p 1 - 3 , finally , the mode variable mm of the retrieval assisting routine 3441 is set at 0 to set the variable at general state , irrespective of the position where mouse is pushed just immediately beforehand . fig2 c depicts the detail of the process 3441 mr - p 2 of the retrieval assisting routine 3441 when mouse is released , provided that the position pushed just immediately beforehand is on the topic word display area during the display of topic word graphs . depending on the value of mode variable mm in the retrieval assisting routine , a different process should be executed . because mouse is pushed on the topic word display area during the display of topic word graphs , possible values of mode variable mm are 0 , 21 and 22 . 21 means the mode of moving the selected topic word ; 22 means the mode of setting topic word selection region ; and 0 means modes except these modes ( see the process 3441 mp - p 2 in fig2 c ). at the mode during the move of topic word ( mm = 21 ), left mouse is pushed on a topic word node when mouse is pushed just immediately beforehand , so that the topic word falls into selection state immediately after such pushing . when mouse is released in this case , the process 3441 mr - p 2 - 1 is executed , to modify the display position coordinate of all topic words at selected state in the topic word storage area 34425 , by the difference between the position currently designated with mouse and the position pushed just immediately beforehand . during move since mouse pushing , the same process is executed for calculating the coordinate of an imaging data at the routine for generating display data of topic word graph 3444 , but the display position in the topic word storage area 34425 of itself is not modified . mouse release means the settlement of the move partner of the topic word , so that the coordinate position of the topic word storage area 34425 is rewritten . the topic word selection region setting mode ( mm = 22 ) put at on at the timing of mouse release is arranged by mouse pushed just immediately beforehand on base positions , not on the node of any topic word [ see fig2 c , process 3441 mp - p 2 - 4 ]. depending on whether or not shift key is pushed when mouse is released , a different process is executed . when shift key is pushed , the selection / non selection state of all of topic words overlapped with the topic word selection region ( rectangle region with diagonal angles on mouse pushed position and mouse released position ) is toggled . if shift key is not pushed , all of the topic word overlapped with the topic word selection region should be set at selection state , while others except these topic words should be set at non selection state . ( in any case , the selection flags of the topic word storage area 34425 should be rewritten .) in a special case that the base area with no display of any topic word on the topic word display area p 2 is clicked , all topic words are at non selection state because the topic word display region is displayed as one point on areas with no display of topic words . furthermore , this un - selecting operations can be executed by pushing the unselect ( right ) button as described below . excluding these two cases , general mode ( mm = 0 ) is on . ( one case is such that right mouse is used and the other case is such that immediately after pushing of a topic word node by using left mouse , the topic word is set at non selection state .) when the position pushed just immediately beforehand with right mouse is on any topic word node and the mouse is then released on the same topic word , the following operation should be executed , depending on whether or not shift key is used in combination with mouse pushed just immediately beforehand or depending on the on / off of the selection flag of the designated topic word . when mouse is pushed while pushing shift key and the selection flag is on , all the same words as any of selected topic words are deleted from the graph in put column . when mouse is pushed while pushing shift key and the selection flag is off , all the same words as the designated topic words should be deleted among the words on query input column . when the selection flag is on without pushing of shift key , all the topic words at selection state should be added to the query input column . when the selection flag is off with no pushing of any shift key , only the designated topic words are added to the query input column . furthermore , finally , operation 3441 mr - p 2 - 4 to set mode variable mm to general state 0 is executed . fig2 a and 26b depict the detail of the process when buttons and the like on the retrieval assisting interface 322 are clicked . more accurately , the figures depict the detail of the operations , when mouse is pushed on an object such as button and mouse is then released on the same object , and because such operations are mostly executed with clicking , the operations are referred to as the case of mouse clicking for simple description , unless otherwise required . hereinafter , the operations will be described , following the sequence of figures . when key word search button b 01 is clicked , key word search query is sent to information provider side computer 1 , which receives information concerning search results and topic words . because search results imaging data and topic word imaging data should necessarily be updated , individual update flags fr and fc on retrieval assisting routine 3441 should be set at 1 ( on ). associative search button b 02 is the same as the case for key word search case , and in this case , the retrieval process is designated as “ associative search ” in light of the contents of query in this case , and the retrieval contents are designated as word row or address on network ( url on internet ). when the address on network is designated , an information provider firstly recovers a document at the designated address to compose word rows contained therein to use them as the input for associative search . the search results and topic word information when associative search is executed are in the same form as in key word search . in the column suitability score in the search results storage area 34424 a ( fig1 a ), however , the similarity degree ( or relevance degree ) or the degree in a normalized form should be placed . also in this case , the imaging update flags fr and fc both are set at on . for text input button b 03 , text input means 322 t ( see fig3 ) should be opened as another window for text input . text input is for inputting an interesting phrase or paragraph or a further longer chapter or section or the whole text through keyboard input or cut and paste operation from input part te 1 of the text input means , which is used as key for associative search . the expand button ( b 11 ) is for associative search by using as the key a set of selected documents if one or more documents are selected among search results . fr and fc both should be set at on . prune button ( b 12 ) works to define the set of selected documents ( one or more ) among search results , as new search results . because topic word extraction from the new search results should be effected again , the assembly of the selected documents is sent to an information provider and receive therefrom the results of topic word extraction . ( fr = fc = 1 ). unselect ( left ) button ( b 31 ) can release entirely the selected state of documents . more specifically , all the selection flags in the search results storage area 34424 a should be set at 0 . ( fr = 1 ) mark title button ( b 31 ) functions to make unambiguous the documents among search results containing selected topic word which operates to put marks such as check mark on the left ends of the corresponding documents on the search results display area . if plural types of topic words are selected , furthermore , documents containing more such topic words should be made distinctive , and therefore , it is effective to put marks at a broadness in proportion to the number of the topic words contained . because which documents contain each selected topic word can be identified with reference to the data in the topic word / document corresponding table storage area 34427 , in practical operation , documents containing each selected topic word as search results should be examined , to increase the value of the mark intensity in the corresponding column of the search results storage area 34424 a by an increment of 1 . ( fr = 1 ) sort button ( b 32 ) is for rearranging the documents as search results in the decreasing order of the intensity of a mark attached to the search result . conveniently , users can thereby collectively check documents more intensely marked . practically , temporary document numbers rearranged in the decreasing order of the mark intensity column in the search results storage area 34424 a are stored in the search results display order storage area 34424 b ( fig1 b ). ( if the intensities are equal , the initial order should be stored ( in the increasing order of temporary document numbers ) ( fr = 1 ). because documents of the corresponding document numbers are sequentially displayed in the order of the search results display order storage area 34424 b by the routine for generating display data of the search result 3443 ( fig1 a through 19 c ), documents at a high rank of the mark intensity can be first displayed . if the mark intensities are equal , the original order is stored for display . when sort button is clicked at all un - marked state , in a specific case , the original order can be restored . this is because documents are rearranged so that the original order might wholly be stored since the mark intensities are all 0 . this is a convenient function for restoring the original arrangement state , after marking and sorting are executed for rearranging the order . clear ( left ) button ( b 33 ) works to set all the mark intensities of documents as search results at 0 ( fr = 1 ). thereby , all the marks can be deleted . mark topic word button ( b 41 ) works to make unambiguous the topic words contained in the selected documents . for more specific description , when topic words displayed in the topic word display column p 2 are contained in any of the selected documents , the topic words are displayed with emphasis . for example , it is illustrated a method to attach vivid color such as red to frame lines or a method to modify the character font . because it can be identified , with reference to the data of the document / topic word corresponding table storage area 34428 , which document contains which topic word , at practical operation , topic words contained in each of the selected documents should be examined to increase the value of the mark intensity in the corresponding column of the topic word storage area 34425 ( fig1 ) by an increment of 1 ( fc = 1 ). at the imaging data preparation routine 34447 ( fig2 c ) of topic word nodes at the routine for generating display data of topic word graph 3444 , it is determined whether or not topic words are marked , and if marked , the emphasis color ( cfm 1 ) preset in the topic word graph mapping data preparation parameter 344212 ( fig2 ) is used for the frame lines , the topic words thereby emphasized are emphatically displayed . selection button ( b 42 ) is a function to set all the marked topic words at selection state . if the mark intensity is 0 , the selection flag is 0 ; otherwise , the selection flag is 1 . fc is set at 1 . clear ( right ) button ( b 43 ) is for clearing the marks attached to the topic word . more specifically , the mark intensity columns in the topic word storage area 34425 are set at 0 . fc is set at 1 . the unselect ( right ) button ( b 23 ) works to wholly release the selection states of topic words . more specifically , the selection flag columns in the topic word storage area 34425 are all set at 0 . fc is set at 1 . propagate button ( b 21 ) is a function to add all topic words linked through one link path from the already selected topic words to selection state . among the individual topic words in the topic word storage area 34425 , a topic word as a linking partner and a linking source of each topic word at selection state should be identified , with reference to the between - topic word linking information storage area 34426 ( fig1 ), and then , these topic words are all put at selection state . fc is set at 1 . quit button ( b 04 ) is for terminating the present retrieval assisting interface . db selection means ( m 1 ) works to select the data base as a search subject , wherein the names of the db usable are proposed in a menu form to select a search subject therefrom . when the selection menu is displayed on the db selection means and any one thereof is clicked , the designated data base is selected as a search subject . description as to the associative search button ( tb 1 ), clear button ( tb 2 ) and quit button ( tb 3 ) of the text input means 322 t will be given , with reference to fig3 below . hereinafter , it will be described how image display changes when various operations are executed by using the present retrieval assisting interface 322 . because the processes which are conducted then at the retrieval assisting routine 3441 is already present in the descriptions of fig5 fig1 a through 19c , fig2 a through 21c , fig2 a through 23 c to fig2 a and 26b , only brief description thereof will be given herein . fig2 is an example of the displayed image when documents as search results are browsed one by one . when search operation ( key word search or associative search ) is effected , the title list of search results , etc . are displayed on the search results display area p 1 of the retrieval assisting interface 322 . by clicking an interesting title part , a user can display and read the contents of the designated document . the operation of the retrieval assisting routine 3441 then is as follows . at the time when mouse is pushed , the process 3441 mp - p 1 - 4 ( fig2 b ) is performed , to set the mode variable mm of the retrieval assisting routine 3441 at the mode (= 12 ) during the designation of display document , and when mouse is released , the process 3441 mr - p 1 - 2 ( fig2 b ) is executed to open document browsing means 322 r , if not yet opened , to receive the contents of the corresponding document from information provider side retrieval assisting program 143 and display the contents on the document browsing means 322 r . at the process 3441 mr - p 1 - 2 , herein , the document identification number displayed on the retrieval browsing means 322 r is substituted with variable md showing the identification number of the document on display , and the background color of the title of the document on display is displayed with a color different from the surrounding colors to make the title distinctive at the title imaging data preparation routine 34437 ( fig1 a through 19c ) of the routine for generating display data of the search result 3443 . in the present fig2 , the title part is underlined for such distinction . if another title is clicked , the contents of the corresponding document are newly displayed on the same document browsing means 322 r . by repeating the operation , a user can read each document with desirable contents from the search results . if printing button rb 1 is pushed , additionally , the contents thereof can be printed out on printing means 36 ( fig1 ). fig2 a through 28c are views depicting the changes of an interface image during the marking operation of titles through topic word selection . fig2 a depicts the selection state by clicking sequentially & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ; and & lt ; topic word - a 5 & gt ; as interesting topic words with left mouse , while pushing shift key at the state after the key word search ( fig6 ). the selected topic words after modification with distinctive background color or with distinctive font are shown , but in the present figure , such modification is shown with asterisk symbol ⋆ attached to the top of the selected topic words . when topic words are clicked with left mouse while pushing shift key , operation 3441 mp - p 2 - 1 ( fig2 c ) is conducted at the retrieval assisting routine 3441 , to toggle the selection / non - selection of a topic word at the pushed position ( no influence on the selection / non - selection of other topic words ), and accordingly , herein , sequentially clicked topic words are changed to selection state . ( operation 3441 mp - p 2 - 2 is effected with the same operation of sequential clicking with left mouse with no pushing of shift key , and in this case , the topic word firstly at selection state turns unselect if a second clicking is executed . therefore , clicking is necessarily accompanied with pushing of shift key , if desiring that a plurality of topic words be put at selection state by each clicking .) it is needless to say that the setting for clicking under pushing of shift key and for clicking without any shift key pushing is a simple provision , and therefore , the reverse setting may also be possible . the same is true with right and left mouse operation . a method for collectively putting a plurality of topic words at selection state is described hereinafter in the description of fig2 a and 29b hereinafter . fig2 b depicts the change of the search results display area p 1 when mark title button ( b 31 ) is pushed from the state fig2 a . when the mark title button is pushed , the process 3441 mr - b 31 ( fig2 a ) is executed to make distinctive each document in the search results containing the selected topic words . in the present example , marks such as check mark are attached to the left ends of the titles for distinction . if a plurality of topic words are selected , furthermore , marks with a broadness in proportion to the number of the types of the topic words contained in documents are attached to the documents . it is indicated that & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ; currently selected from the data of the topic word / document corresponding table storage area 34427 ( fig1 ) is contained in temporary document numbers 1 , 3 , 5 , - - - , and that & lt ; topic word - a 5 & gt ; currently selected is included in temporary document numbers 5 , 7 , 9 , - - - . based on these , the mark intensity column of the topic word storage area 34425 ( fig1 ) is defined as 1 in the temporary document numbers 1 and 3 while the column is defined as 2 in the temporary document number 5 . because the update flag of search results imaging fr is on , search results imaging data is updated at the retrieval assisting routine 3441 ( fig5 ). at the mark imaging data preparation routine 34434 ( fig1 b ) of routine for generating display data of the search result 3443 , the data for imaging a mark with a broadness , depending on the mark intensity , is added to the search results display area imaging data 34422 p 1 ( fig7 ). at the imaging operation 34414 ( fig5 ) of the retrieval assisting interface image , therefore , a mark with a broadness , depending on the mark intensity , is displayed on the side of the title of each document . the present fig2 b depicts the imaged state then . the documents with temporary document numbers 1 and 3 are attached with a relatively thin check mark ( mark intensity 1 ) containing only & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ; and the document with temporary document number 5 is attached with a broad check mark ( mark intensity 2 ) containing both & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ; and & lt ; topic word - a 5 & gt ;. fig2 c depicts the state of the search results display area p 1 when sort button ( b 32 ) is further clicked from the state 28 b . the sort button ( b 32 ) rearranges the documents of search results in the decreasing order of mark intensity attached to the search results . conveniently , a user can thereby browse documents more intensely marked in sequence . in the case of the example , & lt ; title - a 5 & gt ; and & lt ; title - a 12 & gt ; are at the top because of the mark intensity of 2 . then , & lt ; title - a 1 & gt ;, & lt ; title - a 3 & gt ; and the like follow due to the mark intensity of 1 . if the mark intensities are equal , the original order is stored . for the operation of the retrieval assisting routine 3441 at that time , see the description of the sort button b 32 in fig2 a . fig2 a and 29b are views depicting examples of the change of the interface image when topic words are in the course of another selecting operation . as described above , a selection method of a plurality of topic words is illustrated , comprising designating topic words , one by one , with left mouse under pushing of shift key . for the present retrieval assisting method , a method utilizing a topic word selection region is proposed as a method for collectively selecting a plurality of topic words at relatively close positions . rectangle p 2 r 1 shown in the topic word display area p 2 in fig2 a is an example of the topic word selection region . the topic word selection region can be designated , by pushing a mouse button at a base point with no topic word display and then releasing at any area . during the course of pushing and moving mouse , furthermore , a rectangle with diagonal angles lying on the start point and end point is displayed , following the move of the mouse . ( see the descriptions of fig2 c and fig2 .) the figure depicts the state wherein mouse is pushed on the left top of the rectangle p 2 r 1 to move the mouse under pushing to the right bottom point of the rectangle . when mouse is released at that state , all the topic words with overlap with the topic word selection region are selected , so that the state as shown in the fig2 b is brought about ( see the process 3441 mr - p 2 - 2 of fig2 c ). in this case , more specifically , the & lt ; topic word - a 3 & gt ; and & lt ; topic word - a 5 & gt ; are selected because these two have overlap with the topic word selection region p 2 r 1 ( as shown with symbol ⋆). the selection number display area l 24 lies on the upper part of the topic word display area , and 2 as the current selection number is placed on the part l 24 . while watching the rectangle region , a user can release mouse at a position covering a topic word group desirable to be selected , as just as possible . since all the topic words with no overlap with the selection region are set to non selection , at the state 29 b , & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ; falls into non - selection state even if the & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ; for example is at selection state , at the state fig2 a . when selection desirable topic words are in dividend forms of some groups , an operation to preset a topic word selection region under pushing of shift key is satisfactorily repeated . in this case , the process 3441 mr - p 2 - 21 ( fig2 c ) does not influence the unselect area , so the selection region can sequentially be increased . fig3 a and 30b are views depicting examples of the change of the interface image when topic words are moved for graphic display thereof . in the example of the figure , the move may specifically be required , but many topic words once displayed may sometimes cause a display jam such that they overlap and are accordingly hardly visible . in such case , sometimes , the selected topic words are desirably moved to more readily visible positions . in that case , any one of the selected topic words is pushed with left mouse under move while being pushed , and then , the selected topic words are collectively moved in parallel , following the mouse move . ( links also move following the move .) this is because when mouse is pushed on a topic word at selection state just immediately thereafter , the topic word move mode ( mm = 21 ) is set at on . since the update flag of topic word imaging fc is generally on at the process 3441 - md 2 ( fig2 ) during the following move of mouse under pushing , the routine for generating display data of topic word graph 3444 ( fig2 a through 21c ) functions without exception , so that the positions of the topic words shift by the move of mouse , following the move . when mouse is released , a new display position of each moved topic word is defined at the position of the topic word when mouse is released . when a topic word selected is pushed with left mouse while pushing shift key in the same circumstance as in fig3 a , the pushed topic word just falls into non - selection state , so no move occurs even if mouse is operated . if a word not selected , such as & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ; is pushed with left mouse while pushing shift key with left mouse , the & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ; is added to selection state , while other selected words remain at the selected state , so three & lt ; topic word - a 2 , 3 , 5 & gt ; are collectively moved under pushing of mouse . additionally when & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ; is alternatively pushed with left mouse without pushing of any shift key , only & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ; is at selection state while other words are all at non selection state , and therefore , only & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ; is moved when mouse is pushed . fig3 a through 31c are views depicting examples of the change of the interface image during the operation by utilizing the displayed topic words as search words . because words better reflecting the characteristics of search results emerge in the topic words , the demand to utilize the words as key words may frequently occur . for such case , the following method is proposed by the present retrieval assisting method . fig3 a depicts a view of the currently selected states of & lt ; topic word - a 3 & gt ; and & lt ; topic word - a 5 & gt ; on the topic word graphs on the topic word display area p 2 . when either one of them is clicked ( with no pushing of shift key ) with right mouse , the topic words at selected state (& lt ; topic word - a 3 & gt ; and & lt ; topic word - a 5 & gt ; in this case ) are collectively added to the query input window ( e 1 ). this is through the process 3441 mr - p 2 - 33 ( fig2 c ). when & lt ; topic word - a 3 & gt ; is continuously clicked with right mouse in a similar fashion by pushing shift key at this time , all words identical as any one of the topic words at selected state are deleted from the query window . hence , the original state is also recovered in this case . ( however , the same one as & lt ; topic word - a 3 & gt ; or & lt ; topic word - a 5 & gt ; if present in the initial key words is deleted simultaneously , and therefore , in such case , the restoration of the original state is not satisfactorily demonstrated .) this is due to the process 3441 mr - p 2 - 31 of fig2 c . when topic words not at selection state , for example & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ;, are then clicked with right mouse , only the clicked words are added as search words in this case ( process 3441 mr - p 2 - 34 of fig2 c ). by carrying out the same operations while pushing shift key , the same words as & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ; are deleted from search words ( process 3441 mr - p 2 - 32 of fig2 c ). fig3 a through 32d are views depicting examples of the change of the interface image when the propagate function of selection for topic word graphic display is utilized . at the state of 32 a , only & lt ; topic word - a 4 & gt ; is selected . when propagate button ( b 21 ) is pushed at such state , all the topic words linked through one path at most from the selected & lt ; topic word - a 4 & gt ; are fallen into selection state . because only & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ; can satisfy the condition in this case , & lt ; topic word - a 2 & gt ; is changed to selection state , which then falls into the state as shown in 32 b . when propagation is continued , the topic word falls into state 32 c and then into state 32 d after further propagation . fig3 a through 33c are views depicting examples of the change of the interface image when the marking operation of topic words by selecting retrieved documents is effected . fig3 a depicts that , by sequentially clicking the selection windows of & lt ; title - a 2 & gt ; and & lt ; title - a 4 & gt ; as interesting documents from the state after retrieval ( the state of fig6 ) with mouse , these documents are put at selection state . the selection windows of the selected documents change into distinctive colors . in the present figure , the change is shown by painting the selection windows as black . in the column l 14 showing the number of selected documents , the number 2 of currently selected documents is displayed . when the selection windows are clicked with mouse and just when the mouse is released , the operation 3441 mr - p 1 - 1 ( fig2 b ) is conducted , to toggle the selection / non selection of a document at a clicked position . so as to collectively put a plurality of documents continuously positioned , at selection state , mouse is pushed at the selection window of an either end , then dragged to the other end and released there . ( under provision that the document at the start position is originally not selected .) in this case , documents between both the ends are all changed to selection state at the process 3441 mr - p 1 - 1 ( fig2 b ). fig3 b depicts the state of the topic word display area p 2 when mark topic word button ( b 41 ) is pushed from the state fig3 a . when the mark topic word button is pushed , the process 3441 mr - b 41 ( fig2 a and 26b ) is effected , to make distinctive topic words contained in the selected documents . in the present example , the marked topic words are emphasized by setting the frame line of the topic words to be colored with a distinctive color . apparently , document & lt ; title - a 2 & gt ; currently selected among the data of the document / topic word corresponding table storage area 34428 ( fig1 ) contains temporary topic word numbers 1 , 3 , 6 , - - - , while document & lt ; title - a 4 & gt ; contains temporary word numbers 3 , 8 , 12 , - - - . based on them , the mark intensity column for the topic word 1 in the search results storage area 34424 a ( fig1 a ) is defined as 1 and the column for the topic word 3 is defined as 2 . because the update flag of topic word imaging fc is on when the mark topic word button is pushed , the topic word imaging data is updated at the retrieval assisting routine 3441 ( fig5 ). at the topic word node imaging data preparation routine 34447 ( fig2 c ) of the topic word graph mapping data preparation routine , an imaging data to color the frame of the marked topic word in an emphasizing color is added to the topic word display area imaging data 34422 p 2 ( fig8 ). at the imaging operation 34414 of the retrieval assisting interface image ( fig5 ), the frame line of the marked topic word is imaged with an accent color . the present fig3 b depicts the imaging state then , wherein the frame lines of the temporary topic word numbers 1 and 3 are emphasized . fig3 c depicts the state of the topic word display area p 2 when selection button ( b 42 ) is further clicked from the state fig3 b . because the selection button ( b 42 ) works to put collectively the marked topic words at selection state , the marked & lt ; topic word - a 1 & gt ; and & lt ; topic word - a 3 & gt ; are attached with an asterisk symbol representing that they are at selection state . fig3 is an example of the interface image when associative search is executed by using a selected document as a key . when expand button ( b 11 ) is clicked at the state shown in fig3 a , namely the selection state of documents & lt ; title - a 2 & gt ; and & lt ; title - a 4 & gt ;, the query to commit associative search by using the selected documents as keys is sent to an information provider side , so that the results of associative search and the information about the topic words are sent back and displayed on search results display area p 1 and topic word display area p 2 . for associative search , the score indicating the extent how much the search results meet the query is measured on the basis of the similarity to the key documents , and therefore , a normalized value of the similarity is shown in the score display column . herein , the highest similarity is normalized as 100 . additionally , the search results are sorted in the decreasing order of such score . the graphic display of topic word is the same as the case of key word search . all the operations as described in fig2 to fig3 a through 33c can be performed for the present figure . fig3 is an example of the interface image after pruning for leaving only selected documents and deleting others . when prune button ( b 12 ) is clicked from the state of fig3 a , namely the selection state of documents & lt ; title - a 2 & gt ; and & lt ; title - a 4 & gt ;, only the selected documents are defined as search results , and topic word information is extracted only from the selected documents . the present figure depicts the state , wherein only & lt ; title - a 2 & gt ; and & lt ; title - a 4 & gt ; are left on the search results display area while the results of topic word extraction from these two documents are displayed on the topic word display area p 2 , and accordingly , a different graph from the topic word graph in fig3 a is shown . fig3 is an example of the display image when the text input means 322 t is opened for carrying out associative search by text input . the text input means 322 t is for inputting any fragment of the text and retrieving documents similar to the fragment . the text input means is composed of text input part te 1 , associative search button tb 1 , clear button tb 2 , and quit button tb 3 . from keyboard and the like , character rows are directly inputted into the text input part te 1 , or a part or the whole of other documents are inputted , through cut and paste operation on the display means , into the part te 1 . when associative search button tb 1 is clicked after termination of text input , a query to carry out associative search by using the input text as a key is sent to an information provider , so that search results and topic word information are sent back . what will be described below is the same with the case when another retrieval is conducted or when expand button is pushed . specifically with reference to the interface image when retrieval is executed , then , a very convenient retrieval can be conducted in accordance with the present invention . the example described hereinafter is an example for a user to search patents relevant to “ document retrieval interface ()”. it is under provision that the user is at a state with some degree of understanding about document retrieval interface but without any established retrieval principle as to on which characteristics of document retrieval interface attention should be focused . fig3 is an interface image practically adopted in the present example , depicting such a state that “ patent g 06f &# 39 ; 96 ( 18 , 660 cases )” is selected as a usable database with no input for retrieval . as apparently shown in a comparative manner with interface images of fig3 and 6 and the like , the image is substantially the same as the images , except the english representation as well as the three buttons on the left side of the top . correspondence is illustrated as follows . more specifically , b 01 : key word search button - key words , b 02 : associative search button - association , b 03 : text input button - text input , b 04 : quit button - quit , b 11 : expand button - expand , b 12 : prune button - prune , b 13 : unselect ( left ) button - unselect , b 21 : propagate button - propagate , b 23 : unselect ( right ) button - unselect , b 31 : mark title button - marktitle , b 32 : sort button - gather , b 33 : clear ( left ) button - clear , b 41 : mark topic word button - mark □ topics , b 42 : selection button - select , b 43 : clear ( right ) button - clear . fig3 depicts the interface image at a state of “ document retrieval interface ()” inputted as it is as a key word input , indicating that the input character row appears as it is on the key word input window . fig3 depicts such a status that the input character row “ document retrieval interface ()” is decomposed into three key words of document (), retrieval () and interface () for carrying out retrieval as the consequence of pushing the key word search button “ key words ”, to recover a total of 1280 patents as search results , which are then listed up in the decreasing order of relevance score to be graphically displayed in the decreasing order of significance within a designated total range of 20 . herein , the key word selection and graphic display are executed according to the methods disclosed in the united states patent application ser . no . 08 / 888 , 017 previously mentioned , and the description thereof is omitted . fig4 depicts how a user can click mouse to select the nodes of topic words for the purpose of selecting entitled documents containing all of the individual key words , namely key word (), presence (), compound word () and thesaurus (), while attention being focused on these key words and the key word graph on fig3 is watched . the selected topic words are expressed in void characters on black background . fig4 depicts the results of marking by pushing mark title button markvtitle at that state . in the figure , broader marks are put to documents with more designated key words , although the marks are not so apparently shown . fig4 depicts the results of sorting the documents by pushing the sort button gather . in the figure , documents with broader marks are listed on higher ranks . fig4 depicts the state of topic word nodes by pushing unselect button clear ( matching b 23 ). fig4 depicts the selection state of four documents more broadly marked by a user , by sequentially pushing the selection windows thereof , while the user focuses attention on the documents . fig4 depicts examples where the frames enclosing the topic words appearing in these documents are displayed broadly by a user by pushing the mark topic word button mark □ topics . fig4 depicts that topic words marked as topics and then selected are displayed in void characters when a user pushes the selection button select . by pushing the selected topic words with the left button of mouse while pushing shift key at that state , the selection is released to put the topic words at non selection state . fig4 depicts the state of one of the topic words clicked with mouse when they are at the selection state , so as to register all the topic words at selection state as shown in fig4 as key words . at the state , new key words are displayed on the keyword window . fig4 is a view depicting the search results corresponding to the new key words . fig4 depicts the state of only the upper ranked 12 documents selected by mouse clicking . fig5 depicts the results of pushing the prune button prune to define only the selected 12 documents as search subjects . fig5 depicts the state of two documents of which titles are clicked with mouse for their selection , so as to carry out associative search . fig5 depicts the results of carrying out associative search by pushing the search key association at that state . fig5 , 54 and 55 are views depicting one example of the change of the interface image wherein a function to propagate the selection of topic words is utilized by using topic word / pen stroke as keys , while attention is focused on the graphic display of the topic words recovered as the results of the associative search . fig5 depicts the state of only topic word / pen stroke in selection . fig5 depicts the selected state of a topic word / key word , possibly linked through one path at most from the selected topic word / pen stroke , by pushing the propagate ( right ) button propagate at the state . fig5 depicts the selected state of topic word / document , the whole text and thesaurus possibly linked through one path at most from the topic word / key word , as the consequence of continuous pushing of the propagate ( right ) button propagate for propagation . as shown in the example , various retrieval can be developed from the input character row “ document retrieval interface ()”. not specifically shown as examples , herein , routine procedures for a series of retrieval operations may be set to autonomous operation once the initial operation of the routine procedures is designated , so that the resulting retrieval system may be more convenient for users . as described in the examples of specific embodiments insofar , retrieval can be effected more conveniently as described below , in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention . ( 1 ) because information about the topic relevance degree between word groups characteristically appearing in a retrieved document group is arranged and displayed together with a list of titles as primary information from search results , users can carry out retrieval operation while watching the overview of search results together with specific information such as the titles . additionally , the displayed topic words can be utilized as search words ; some of the displayed topic words can be selected by simple mouse operation , to emphasize the titles containing them to concentrate the emphasized titles on the top of a list ; by selecting some titles , alternatively , topic words contained in the titles can be emphasized at a high speed , so that the search queries can be improved or retrieval from another standpoint can be attempted , in a simple manner . ( 2 ) the retrieval assisting interface includes a button for search via key word and a button for associative search based on document similarity , and information indicating the address of a document is inputted from the query inputted column for associative search by using a designated document as a key when an associative search button is pushed . because an interesting document can be selected while watching the title display area of search results and because a button for associative search by means of a selected document as a key is present , a user can retrieve documents with deep relevance to an interesting document a user has found or his ( her ) own document or an interesting document encountered under the way of retrieval operation , in a simple fashion . ( 3 ) when a button for text input is pushed , a text input means with a button for associative search by means of a text input window and an input text thereon as keys is displayed on an image , so a user can input a part of an interesting document , for example phrase , sentence , and paragraph and the like , from keyboard or through cut and paste operation . hence , the user can readily retrieve documents with some relation . in accordance with the present invention , results more satisfying the search query can readily be yielded , while utilizing search results .

a document retrieval assistance method has a user interface with an interactive guidance function . in response to a search query , search results including a title list of retrieved documents is displayed alongside a separate display of topic words extracted from the retrieved documents which reflect the search results . in particular , a topic - word graph is displayed alongside a list of titles of the retrieved documents and the interface enables browsing of the documents using the topic words . further , the interface permits emphasized display of the list of titles of the documents through direct selection of the titles displayed in the list or through selection of the topic words . further , an associative search can be executed using a selected document to refine the original search results and develop updated displays of the search results and topic words contained in the documents .

referring now to fig1 through 1c , a first embodiment of the lamp socket 10 used in the system of the invention generally comprises a cylindrical lamp receiving portion 12 , a mounting flange portion 14 , and a plug holding portion 16 having a pair of male electrical connector blades or prongs 18 , 19 extending therefrom . the lamp socket 10 is preferably manufactured by molding the cylindrical lamp receiving portion 12 , the mounting flange portion 14 , and the plug holding portion 16 as a single unit with the prongs 18 , 19 and contacts 20 , 21 inserted in the mold . the lamp receiving cylindrical portion 12 of lamp socket 10 is provided with internal threads 13 , a base contact 20 , and a side contact 21 . as seen best in fig1 a and 1c , the base contact 20 is formed as a narrow bent extension of the connector blade or prong 18 , and the side contact 21 is formed as a narrow curved extension of the connector blade or prong 19 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that when a conventional lamp such as the one shown in fig2 f is screwed into the lamp receiving portion 12 of socket 10 , proper electrical contact is made to couple the filament of the lamp to the connector blades 18 , 19 . the mounting flange portion 14 has a base 24 and a sleeve 26 . base 24 has a diameter larger than the diameter of the cylindrical lamp receiving portion 12 . sleeve 26 is provided with two or more ribs 28 and a pair of radially extending anchors 27 , 29 . anchors 27 , 29 have upper inclined faces 27a , 29a and lower parallel faces 27b , 29b . the lower faces 27b , 29b are parallel to and spaced apart from the base 24 as seen best in fig1 and 1c . as will be described in detail hereinafter , such an arrangement permits the mounting flange portion 14 to lockingly mount in the cup - like recess or well of the decorative figure of the invention . alternate first embodiments of the first embodiment of the lamp socket are shown in fig1 d , 1e , and 1f . fig1 d , for example , shows a lamp socket 110 which is substantially the same as the lamp socket 10 shown in fig1 c but with the addition of an internal fuse 117 . as shown in fig1 d , the fuse 117 is coupled in series between the connector blade 118 and the base contact 120 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the fuse 117 may be removable or fixed within the plug holding portion 116 of the socket 110 . in the latter case , when the fuse blows , the entire lamp socket will be replaced . this may be less expensive than providing the lamp socket with means for accessing the fuse to replace it . fig1 e and 1f show side and bottom views of another alternate first embodiment of a lamp socket 210 . this embodiment is substantially the same as the embodiment shown in fig1 and 1b , but with the addition of a non - conductive partial shroud 228 , 229 flanking the connector blades 218 , 219 . the partial shroud is formed of two arcuate extensions 228 , 229 which extend downward from the plug holding portion 216 and which may be formed as an integral part of the plug holding portion 216 . the first arcuate extension 228 is spaced outward from connector blade 218 and the second arcuate extension 229 is spaced outward from connector blade 219 . the arcuate extensions 228 , 229 preferably extend further from the plug holding portion 216 than do the connector blades 218 , 219 as shown best in fig1 e . the purpose of the arcuate extensions are to provide a safe finger gripping portions for the lamp socket when connecting the female end connector of an extension cord . consequently , the space between the arcuate extensions is sufficiently wide to accommodate the female connector end of an extension cord such as shown in fig4 a and 4b which are described in detail below . those skilled in the art will appreciate that when connecting the female connector end of the extension cord to the plug portion of the lamp socket 10 in fig1 there is the danger that fingers will slip onto the connector blades 18 , 19 after initial electrical contact with the extension cord has been made . in order to prevent this , the partial shroud is provided in the form of the two arcuate extensions 228 , 229 shown in fig1 e and 1f . although the shroud is pictured in the drawings as a pair of relatively rigid arcuate members , those skilled in the art will appreciate that other configurations could be used . for example , the shroud could be formed as a cylindrical or rectangular flexible bellows member which collapses when the blades or prongs 18 , 19 are inserted into the female end connector of an extension cord . fig2 through 2e show a second embodiment of lamp socket 30 which is assembled from six pieces : a first socket half 32 ; a second socket half 34 ; a first electrical contact 36 ; a second electrical contact 38 ; a screw 40 ; and a removable molded flange portion 42 . the first socket half 32 is provided with a screw receiving threaded portion 32a , a first electrical contact receiving portion 32b , a second electrical contact receiving portion 32c , and an internally threaded semi - cylindrical portion 32d . the second socket half 34 is similarly provided with a screw receiving hole 34a , a first electrical contact receiving portion 34b , a second electrical contact receiving portion 34c , and an internally threaded semi - cylindrical portion 34d . the first five parts ( all but the flange 42 ) are assembled by placing the electrical contacts 36 , 38 in the contact receiving portions 32b , 32c of the first socket half 32 ( fig2 c ), aligning the second socket half 34 with the first socket half ( fig2 b ) and connecting the socket halves with screw 40 ( fig2 ). the resulting assemblage is a socket having a cylindrical lamp receiving portion 30a and a plug holding portion 30b . comparing fig1 and 2 , it will be appreciated that socket 30 is substantially the same as the socket 10 described above , but without the flange portion . a molded removable flange 42 ( fig2 d and 2e ) is provided with a base 44 and a sleeve 46 . base 44 has a diameter larger than the diameter of cylindrical lamp receiving portion 30a . sleeve 46 is provided with two or more outer ribs 48 and a pair of radially outward extending anchors 47 , 49 . anchors 47 , 49 have upper inclined faces 47a , 49a and lower parallel faces 47b , 49b . the lower faces 47b , 49b are parallel to and spaced apart from the base 44 as seen best in fig2 d . the upper faces 47a , 49a may be rounded or flat and the anchors can be molded as semihemispheres as shown in fig2 e . in order to facilitate molding , corresponding openings 47c , 49c may be provided in the base 44 below the anchors 47 , 49 . sleeve 46 is also provided with a pair of radially inward extending protrusions 46a , 46b which can be formed as semi - hemispheres like the anchors described above . as seen best in fig2 e , the base 44 of flange 42 is provided with a circular opening 44a having a scalloped inner edge 44b . opening 44a is substantially coaxial with sleeve 46 and has an inner diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical lamp receiving portion 30a of the socket 30 . flange 42 is interrupted by a radial cut 42a through the base 44 and collar 46 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the radial cut 42a provides diametrical resiliency allowing the diameter of the flange 42 to be adjusted through tension and compression . the flange 42 is attached to the socket 30 by inserting the cylindrical lamp receiving portion 30a of socket 30 into the circular opening 44a as suggested by the relative placement of fig2 c and 2d . the radial cut 42a allows the flange to be stretched slightly and the scalloped edge 44b of opening 44a provides a frictional engagement with the cylindrical lamp receiving portion 30a of socket 30 . it will also be appreciated that the plug holding portion 30b of the socket 30 prevents the flange from sliding off the socket toward the plug blades 36 , 38 . it will also be appreciated that when an appropriately sized lamp such as the one shown in fig2 f is installed in the cylindrical lamp receiving portion 30a , the flange is prevented from sliding off the socket toward the lamp . fig2 g shows a first alternate of the second embodiment of a lamp socket 130 . this embodiment is substantially the same as the embodiment shown in fig2 through 2e , but with the addition of an internal fuse 117 . as seen in fig2 g , the fuse 117 is connected in series between connector blade 136 and the base contact 136a which extends into the base of the lamp receiving portion 132d . in this embodiment , as compared to the embodiment described above with reference to fig1 d , replacement of the fuse may be easily effected by removing a screw 140 from the threaded portion 132a , and separating the socket halves 132 , 134 as described above with reference to fig2 through 2e . a second alternate of the second embodiment of a lamp socket 230 is shown in fig2 h and 2i . this embodiment is substantially the same as the embodiment shown in fig2 through 2e but with the addition of partial shroud 336 , 338 flanking connector blades 236 , 238 . the partial shroud in this embodiment is substantially the same as the partial shroud shown and described above with reference to fig1 e and 1f . those skilled in the art will appreciate that in this embodiment , the lamp socket is formed from two halves 232 , 234 connected by screw 240 . therefore , the arcuate extensions 336 , 338 forming the partial shroud will be segmented accordingly as seen best in fig2 i . otherwise , the partial shroud serves the same purpose and operates in the same manner as the partial shroud described above with reference to fig1 e and 1f . fig3 and 3a show one embodiment of the cup - like recess or well 52 and socket receiving hole 54 in a blow molded decorative fig5 . the recess 52 and the receiving hole 54 are , in this embodiment , located in a rear wall of the molded fig5 substantially above the base 51 of the fig5 . socket 10 ( 30 ) is installed in the socket receiving hole 54 as described in detail below with reference to fig3 d and 3e . the cup - like recess 52 is large enough to accommodate the female end 56 of an extension cord 58 . as can be seen in fig3 the cup - like recess 52 is also deep enough so that the entire female end 56 of the extension cord 58 is sheltered by the recess on five sides : front ; two sides ; top ; and bottom . in other words , the connection is protected on all sides but the back . fig3 b and 3c show a second embodiment of the well 62 and socket receiving hole 64 in a molded decorative fig6 . recess 62 and receiving hole 64 are , in this embodiment , located in a rear wall of the molded fig6 adjacent the base 61 of the fig6 . the socket 10 ( 30 ) is installed in the socket receiving hole 64 as described in detail below with reference to fig3 d and 3e . the cup - like recess 62 is large enough to accommodate the female end 56 of an extension cord 58 . as can be seen in fig3 b , the cup - like recess 62 is also deep enough so that the entire female end 56 of the extension cord 58 is sheltered by the recess on four sides ; front ; two sides ; and top . in other words , the connection is protected on all sides but the back and the bottom . it should be noted , however , that the bottom of the cup - like recess 62 is offered shelter by the surface on which the fig6 is placed . while the embodiment of fig3 is preferred , the embodiment of fig3 b still offers substantial advantages , particularly when it is otherwise desirable to place the lamp as close as possible to the base of the figure . with the above descriptions of the preferred sockets of the invention , and the preferred socket receiving hole of the invention , those skilled in the art will appreciate how the socket is installed in the hole . fig3 d shows a rear view of socket 10 installed in the socket receiving hole 54 at the interior end of the well 52 of the illuminated decorative fig5 of fig3 . it will be seen that the base 24 of the flange portion 14 of the socket 10 remains outside the hole while the anchors 27 , 29 of the flange portion 14 remain inside the hole . since the molded fig5 and the socket 10 are both plastic , some resilient deformation is possible while the socket 10 is pushed into the hole 54 . in particular , the inclined surfaces 27a , 29a ( fig1 ) of the anchors 27 , 29 urge resiliency between the hole 54 and the anchors 27 , 29 . upon insertion of the socket into the hole , ribs 28 on the collar 26 of the flange 14 frictionally engage the inner edge of the hole 54 to minimize rotation of the socket in the hole . the lower faces 27b , 29b ( fig1 ) of the anchors 27 , 29 prevent the socket from being removed from the hole absent substantial force being applied . in this regard , it will be appreciated that the distance between the lower faces 27b , 29b ( fig1 ) of the anchors 27 , 29 and the upper surface of the base 24 should be sufficient to allow a snug fit with the wall of the decorative figure . fig3 e shows a rear view of the socket 30 and flange 42 installed in the socket receiving hole 54 of the illuminated decorative fig5 of fig3 . it will be seen that the base 44 of the flange 42 remains outside the hole while the anchors 47 , 49 remain inside the hole . in this embodiment , the flange 42 is made diametrically resilient with the aid of radial cut 42a . it will be appreciated that upon installation of the socket in the hole , the inner scalloped edge 44b of the opening 44a in the flange 42 frictionally engage the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 30a of the socket 30 . in addition , the inward protrusions 46a , 46b of the sleeve 46 also engage the cylindrical portion 30a . anchors 47 , 49 and ribs 48 operate in substantially the same manner as described above with reference to fig3 d . fig4 and 4a show an alternate embodiment of the cup - like 16 recess or well 452 in a blow molded decorative fig4 . the configuration of this recess 452 is particularly suited for use with a female end connector 456 of an extension cord 458 shown in fig4 and 4b . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , a typical extension cord 458 terminates in a female end connector 456 which is oblong and is provided with a pair of spaced apart sockets 456a , 456b . in order to properly accommodate an end connector of this shape , the recess or well 452 is provided with one or more oblong extensions 452a , 452b which extend radially outward from an inner circular recess 452c . as seen in fig4 one of these oblong extensions 452b receives a portion of the oblong end connector 456 when the end connector is attached to the lamp socket 230 . this arrangement provides the added advantage that the engagement of the end connector 456 within the oblong extension 452b prevents the lamp socket 230 from rotation within the receiving hole 454 further stabilizing the seating of the lamp socket in the receiving hole . there have been described and illustrated herein several embodiments of a recessed lamp socket system for illuminated decorative figures . while particular embodiments of the invention have been described , it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto , as it is intended that the invention be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise . thus , while particular flange and anchor arrangements have been disclosed , it will be appreciated that other arrangements could be utilized . also , while specific constructions of a lamp socket with integral male electrical connector have been shown , it will be recognized that other types of lamp sockets with integral male connectors could be used with similar results obtained . while the lamp socket has been shown in one embodiment with an optional integral fuse and in another embodiment with an optional partial protective shroud , it will be understood that these features may be combined in other embodiments to provide all or some of the features disclosed . moreover , while the decorative figure has been disclosed as being a blow molded plastic , it will be appreciated that the concepts of the invention could be applied to other types of decorative figures as well . furthermore , while the cup - like recess has been shown in the figures as being substantially cylindrical and substantially cylindrical with oblong extensions , it will be understood that other configurations could be used with similar results obtained . it will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that yet other modifications could be made to the provided invention without deviating from its spirit and scope as so claimed .

a lamp socket system for an illuminated decorative figure includes a lamp socket with an integral male electrical plug and a flange for mounting the socket in a hole in the decorative figure . the decorative figure is provided with a well surrounding a hole in which the socket is mounted . the well is large enough to accommodate the female end connector of an extension cord and may be provided with an oblong radially extending portion to accommodate an oblong female end connector . when the socket is installed in the hole in the figure and an extension cord is connected to the integral male plug on the socket , the electrical connection between the extension cord and the socket is sheltered by the well . the well protects the electrical connection from rain , snow , and other environmental elements . it also supports the weight of the female end connector of the extension cord so that the socket is not pulled out of the figure . since the socket is installed at the interior end of the well , it does not protrude from the outer surface of the figure . the socket is thereby protected from damage during shipping and storage of the decorative figure . the decorative figures can be manufactured using conventional molding techniques to provide the well for receiving the socket . the socket can be insert molded with inserted conductive prongs , or can be assembled from several pieces . a fuse may be provided in the socket and the conductive prongs may be partially shrouded .

fig1 is an isometric view of an example of an apparatus 10 including the proposed concept . in this example , the apparatus 10 uses a gasoline engine to rotate a track 12 disposed around a watertight housing 14 having an elongate form . it should be noted that in the present context , the word “ gasoline ” must be understood as a liquid fuel and is not meant to exclude liquid fuels such as diesel or any other suitable kinds and / or mixtures of liquid fuels . it should also be noted at this point that the reference to a “ watertight ” housing means that its construction is watertight but this does not exclude the presence of a ventilation circuit for the interior of the housing 14 . this ventilation circuit includes at least one air inlet and one air outlet . the ventilation circuit makes it possible , among other things , to cool the interior of the housing 14 when its temperature exceeds an upper threshold , for example above 25 ° c . other values are also possible . the rotation of the track 12 around the housing 14 enables the apparatus 10 to move . the housing 14 is low - slung in order to keep its center of gravity as low as possible . the housing 14 includes a lateral wall 16 on each side . the housing 14 can , for example , be made of a metallic material , a plastic material , or both . aluminum is an example of one possible material for the housing 14 since this material is light and strong . the track 12 can be made of rubber or some other polymer . other materials are possible . the illustrated apparatus 10 includes a handlebar 20 which is connected to the housing 14 . the handlebar 20 extends substantially rearward of the apparatus 10 . the handlebar 20 is intended to be held and manipulated by an operator 22 who is at the rear of the apparatus 10 , as shown in a semi - schematic manner in fig1 . the handlebar 20 can be pivotal or fixed , depending on the needs . when pivotal , it is possible to limit the pivoting of the handlebar 20 between a minimum angle and a maximum angle with respect to the horizontal . it should be noted that the handlebars 20 may be omitted in some implementations . in the illustrated implementation , the operator 22 can be provided with skis 24 ( or the equivalent ) or be on board a sled hitched to the apparatus 10 . as can be seen in fig1 , the center of gravity of the apparatus 10 is at a height that is below the knees of the operator 22 . the operator 22 has controls available on the handrests of the handlebar 20 which allow , among other things , controlling the travelling speed of the apparatus 10 and other functions . the controls ( not shown ) can be connected to the housing 14 using wires and / or by wireless communication means , for instance . depending on the model , it is also possible to provide a device which enables the apparatus 10 to back up by its own motor power which can be very useful in certain circumstances . levers for operating a brake can also be provided ( see fig1 ). these levers can be placed similarly to those of the brakes on a bicycle or a motorcycle , for instance . other elements can be provided on the handlebar 20 according to requirements , such as a lamp , indicator dials , etc . other configurations and arrangements are possible as well . when travelling forward , the apparatus 10 pulls the operator 22 along and , if required , transports a payload such as a payload placed on board a sled hitched to the apparatus 10 or on a rack over the apparatus 10 . such apparatus 10 can easily pull a load equivalent to at least twice its own weight in powder snow . for example , tests carried out using an apparatus weighing 125 kg ( 275 lbs ) have shown that such an apparatus was able to pull a load of more than 225 kg ( 550 lbs ) over a distance of 150 km on a single fuel tank . the operator 22 can change the direction of the apparatus 10 by moving the handlebar 20 sideways in the direction opposite the turn to be made . this maneuver is similar to the one made by the operator of a small conventional lawn mower . fig2 is a side view of the apparatus 10 shown in fig1 . fig1 and 2 illustrate the assembled apparatus 10 . fig3 is a view similar to fig1 but shows the apparatus without its track 12 and without the lateral walls 16 on the sides of its housing 14 . fig4 is a view similar to fig3 but shows the left side of the apparatus 10 as seen from the rear . fig5 is a right side view of the apparatus 10 shown in fig3 . as can be seen particularly in fig3 and 4 , the housing 14 defines an inner chamber 30 in which different parts of the apparatus 10 are located , in particular the engine 32 . the housing 14 also includes a top wall 14 a , a bottom wall 14 b , a front wall 14 c and a rear wall . the housing 14 has a reinforced structure which can include one or several internal walls to divide the inner chamber 30 . the compartments communicate with each other . a pair of top skids 34 is disposed longitudinally on the top wall 14 a of the housing 14 . a pair of bottom skids , similar to those on the top wall 14 a , is disposed longitudinally on the bottom wall 14 b of the housing 14 . the skids are made of a material having a very low friction coefficient . they allow , among other things , the track 12 to rotate around the housing 14 and to reduce friction between the inner face of the track 12 and the outside of the housing 14 . they also serve as guides to keep the track 12 in registry with the axis of the apparatus 10 . the skids extend for several centimeters beyond the front and rear ends of the top wall 14 a and the bottom wall 14 b so as to support the track 12 along almost the entire length of the apparatus 10 . if desired , the skids can be used together with one or more pairs of rollers or small wheels that are operatively connected to the housing 14 and that are engaging the inner face of the track 12 . they will further reduce the friction between the inner face of the track 12 and the outside of the housing 14 . at least one front roller is rotatably connected on the front of the housing 14 . in the illustrated example , two front rollers 40 are provided . the front rollers 40 are coaxially mounted around a front transversal axle 42 which is supported by an internally - greased axle connected at its ends to two opposite plates 44 which are disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus 10 . the plates 44 are rigidly connected to the front of the housing 14 . also in the illustrated example , a bumper 46 is provided at the front of the apparatus 10 . the ends of the bumper 46 are connected to the two plates 44 , as shown particularly in fig3 and 4 . sufficient clearance is provided between the interior of the bumper 46 and the front rollers 40 to allow the track to rotate around the housing 14 without interfering with the interior of the bumper 46 . at least one rear roller is rotatably connected at the rear of the housing 14 . in the illustrated example , two rear rollers 50 are provided . the rear rollers 50 are coaxially mounted around a rear transversal axle 52 which is supported at its ends by bearings located in two opposite plates 54 disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus 10 . the plates 54 are rigidly connected to the rear of the housing 14 . also in the illustrated example , a mechanical connection is provided between the output shaft of a transmission 60 located within the housing 14 and the rear transversal axle 52 . the rear rollers 50 are thus used to drive the track 12 in rotation so as to move the apparatus 10 . different types of mechanical connections can be used between the transmission 60 and the rear transversal axle 52 . the illustrated one includes a chain 62 or drivebelt and provides a reduction of the rotation speed between the output shaft of the transmission 60 and the rear transversal axle 52 . other types of connections and configurations are also possible . the mechanical connection between the motor 32 and the transmission 60 is provided by a chain 64 or drivebelt . the transmission 60 can enable either a forward or reverse motion of the apparatus 10 , for instance . it can have one or more speeds or be a variable speed transmission . the transmission 60 can include and / or be used together with a clutch , such as a centrifugal clutch , to initiate the motion of the apparatus 10 . in the illustrated example , and as best shown in fig4 , the chain 62 goes inside the housing 14 through ports made in the rear wall thereof . it engages a corresponding sprocket that is mechanically connected to the output shaft of the transmission 60 . the area around this sprocket is sealed from the rest of the housing 14 . in the illustrated example , the rear transversal axle 52 also carries a brake disk 66 , as shown in fig4 . this brake disk 66 is disposed near the left end of the rear transversal axle 52 . the brake pads are attached to the housing 14 and can be operated by the operator 22 , for instance from the handlebar 20 ( see fig1 ). other configurations and arrangements are also possible . as aforesaid , the drive motor for the track 12 of the example illustrated in fig1 to 6 is a gasoline engine 32 . it is located immediately in front of the transmission 60 . an intermediary transversal wall 14 d is present in the illustrated example so as to reinforce the area between the engine 32 and the transmission 60 . the engine 32 is supplied with fuel from a fuel tank 70 located at the front of the inner chamber 30 of the apparatus 10 . a battery or battery unit 72 is disposed beside the fuel tank 70 . this battery or battery unit 72 is , among other things , provided to power the electric starter of the engine 32 . the operator 22 is thus able to start or to stop the engine 32 without having to access it directly . the apparatus 10 shown in fig1 to 6 also includes a generator 80 provided in the inner chamber 30 and can produce electricity intended to power one or more external equipment at a voltage , corresponding in particular to that of a domestic electrical outlet , for example 110v or 220v / 240v at 60 hz or also at 50 hz . one or more electrical sockets are available on the apparatus 10 and / or on the generator 80 itself . the generator 80 includes an internal rotor which can be rotatably driven by the engine 32 . the possibility of generating electricity within the apparatus 10 can be very advantageous to users such as workers operating power tools at remote sites , or to owners of cottages located far from inhabited areas . many other uses can be devised . a generator with a power rating of 4000 to 6000 w can be provided in an apparatus 10 of the size shown . a smaller or even a larger generator is also possible . the axis of the generator 80 is disposed transversely with reference to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus 10 . the generator 80 could also be disposed in some other way in certain models . it is mechanically connected to the output shaft of the engine 32 , for instance by a chain 82 or drivebelt . an electric clutch 84 can be provided on the output shaft of the generator 80 . this activates the mechanical connection between the generator 80 and the engine 32 to be engaged or disengaged remotely . thus , when there is no need for the generator 80 to be used , for instance when the apparatus 10 is in motion , unnecessary rotation of the rotor of the generator 80 can be avoided . when the generator 80 is in operation , the transmission 60 of the apparatus 10 is set to neutral . other configurations and arrangements are also possible . the admission of fresh air into the interior of the inner chamber 30 of the housing 14 is effected through a series of apertures 90 provided on at least one side of the housing 14 , immediately beneath the top wall 14 a , in the illustrated example . these apertures 90 have a relatively small diameter so as to minimize snow and debris ingestion , such as twigs or others . air passing through the apertures 90 goes into an inlet box 92 which collects the air coming from all the apertures 90 on each side of the housing 14 . when the apparatus 10 is in operation , the inlet box 92 is heated from below by the heat released from the engine 32 and which circulates in the inner chamber 30 . this heat allows the inner chamber 30 to be kept well above freezing point ( 0 ° c .) even if the outside temperature is very cold , for example below − 20 ° c . with this heat , any snow particle entering the inlet box 92 can melt and drip out toward the exterior , even during cold weather . the air exits the inlet box 92 through an exit pipe 94 which is circular in the illustrated example . the top of the exit pipe 94 can be raised several millimeters above the bottom of the inlet box 92 so as to prevent the flow of water directly toward the inner chamber 30 . variants are possible as well . fig6 is a top view of the apparatus 10 shown in fig3 . the air inlet box 92 is seen in this figure . air leaving the inlet box 92 is then channeled into a flexible duct 95 ( schematically illustrated in fig4 ) leading to the inlet 33 of the cooling fan shroud located on the engine 32 . the fan in the engine 32 thus generates the necessary suction force to draw air through the apertures 90 . the cooling air passes around the cylinder or cylinders of the engine 32 and ends up in the interior of the inner chamber 30 . the evacuation of air from the interior of the illustrated apparatus 10 can be effected in two ways . on the one hand , the fuel combustion in the engine 32 generates exhaust gases . the air used in this combustion process is admitted into the interior of the engine 32 from the interior of the inner chamber 30 or it can also come directly from the inlet box 92 for some engines . the exhaust gases coming out of the cylinder or cylinders are then directed toward the rear of the apparatus 10 using an exhaust pipe 96 which is shown in fig6 . in the illustrated example , the exit of the exhaust pipe 96 is located in the space 98 where the rear transversal axle 52 and the two rear rollers 50 are located . this space 98 is partially blocked by the presence of the track 12 when the apparatus 10 is assembled . this configuration , among other things , reduces noise as well as preventing any possible contact between the skin or cloths of the operator 22 and the hot exit of the exhaust pipe 96 . other configurations and arrangements are also possible . some air is also evacuated from the interior of the inner chamber 30 through an air outlet which forms part of the ventilation circuit . air passing through the outlet goes first into the cooling circuit of the generator 80 and then flows through a flexible duct 104 ( shown schematically in fig4 ) up to the entrance of the air outlet box 100 . the outlet box 100 has a similar structure to that of the inlet box 92 . the air is then evacuated through the apertures 102 located on at least one side of the housing 14 . other configurations and arrangements are also possible . when the generator 80 is in operation , the fan , which is integrated into the generator 80 , contributes to the displacement of air so as to increase the air flow that cools it . additional fans disposed in series on the flexible ducts connected to the air inlet and air outlet can further increase the air flow if the temperature inside the inner chamber 30 becomes too high . these fans can be automatically switched on and off using a thermostat provided with a temperature sensor or another mechanism . again , other configurations and arrangements are also possible . the apparatus 10 is configured in such a way that a positive pressure is created in the inner chamber 30 . this can be achieved by providing an overall air inlet area greater than the overall air outlet area . in the example , the number of apertures 90 is greater than the number of apertures 102 . the positive pressure , among other things , improves the watertightness of the housing 14 . when the apparatus 10 is in motion , the sides of the housing 14 are made watertight using lateral walls 16 shown in fig1 and 2 . these lateral walls 16 are bolted or otherwise attached to the rest of the housing 14 . the interior of the housing 14 thus remains watertight and dry while the apparatus 10 is in operation . as is shown in fig5 , the underside of the housing 14 is convex at its center . this heightening is about 3 cm at the front and at the rear of the track 12 in the apparatus 10 of the illustrated example . this central part corresponds to about one third of the length of the apparatus 10 . the heightening , in particular , facilitates a yawing motion when making a turn as well as the manual pivoting of the apparatus 10 on hard and rough surfaces , for example on asphalt or concrete . moreover , the front of the bottom wall 14 b defines an angle with reference to the horizontal . the front transversal axle 42 is thus higher than the rear transversal axle 52 . this also facilitates passage over obstacles . variants are possible as well . fig7 is a view similar to fig1 but where the operator is standing on a sled 200 hitched to the apparatus 10 . the hitch 202 of the sled 200 is connected to a support 210 which , in the illustrated example , is in the form of a transversal strut that is straight or slightly curved towards the rear at its center . the transversal strut 210 is supported using two corresponding plates 212 projecting towards the top of the housing 14 . the hitch 202 includes two retainer arms of the sled 200 , which arms are attached to a plate 204 and can pivot around a vertical axis where it joins a fastening element 206 . the fastening element 206 can slide from left to right along the transversal strut 210 using two pulleys provided on either side of the fastening element 206 . in a turn , the fastening member 206 can thus move toward one of the ends of the transversal strut 210 , this facilitating handling of the apparatus 10 and reducing the effort required from the operator 22 . another possible implementation is to provide the apparatus 10 with a generator 80 that can also be used as a motor , thus as a generator / motor , in an electrical power mode . the electrical power to operate the generator / motor 80 in the electrical power mode can be provided for instance by the battery unit 72 and / or from additional batteries . the operator could choose between a fuel power mode and the electrical power mode , depending on the needs . for instance , when minimizing the noise is required , turning off the engine 32 and using the electrical power mode will be very useful . both modes can even be selected automatically and / or be possibly used as the same time to create a “ hybrid ” mode . still , if desired , the transmission 60 can be simplified by omitting the gears allowing the apparatus 10 to back up . instead , one can use the generator / motor 80 to rotate the track 12 in the opposite direction , thereby moving the apparatus 10 in the reverse direction . another possible implementation is to provide the engine 32 with an electronic engine reversing system that can make the engine 32 rotate in the opposite direction to back up . this way , the transmission 60 can be made smaller and lighter . some implementations may even omit the transmission 60 entirely . fig8 to 13 are views similar to fig1 to 6 but show a second model of apparatus 300 in which only an electric motor is used . this apparatus 300 is otherwise similar to the apparatus 10 shown in the previous example . the apparatus 300 includes , among other things , a track 302 , a watertight housing 304 and a handlebar 306 , which handlebar 306 is held by an operator 308 . the apparatus 300 can also be used with the sled 200 shown in fig7 . the track 302 of the apparatus 300 is rotatably driven by an electric motor 310 ( fig1 ). this motor 310 is powered using electricity from one or several batteries 312 are also located within the inner chamber 314 of the housing 304 . the electric motor 310 can either be of type ac or dc , with or without permanent magnets . a group of four deep cycle lead batteries 312 is shown in the illustrated example . the number and type of batteries 312 can differ according to requirements . the batteries 312 are connected to an electric controller which the operator 308 can control from the handlebar 306 . the various electrical connections are not shown in the figures so as to simplify the illustrations . other configurations and arrangements are possible . for instance , the handlebar 306 can be omitted in some implementations . in operation , the electric motor 310 releases heat . this heat can account for about 10 % of the electrical energy drawn from the batteries 312 , depending on the kinds of batteries being used . the heat thus dissipated is used within an inner chamber 314 of the apparatus 300 to keep the batteries 312 warm when the outside temperature is very cold . this heat thus makes it possible to keep the batteries at an optimal temperature despite very cold weather . the optimal temperature can be for instance in the range of 20 to 25 ° c . other temperatures are also possible . this heat recovery is beneficial because most batteries lose their efficiency in cold weather . this is particularly the case of lead batteries . although other batteries with better performance exist , lead batteries remain an attractive choice because they are easily available and relatively inexpensive . they withstand cold weather better than nickel or lithium batteries for instance . however , the efficiency of lead batteries diminishes almost linearly with reference to temperature , going for example from 100 % at 25 ° c . down to 30 % at − 40 ° c ., depending on the exact type of battery . the decrease in efficiency thus has a direct impact on the autonomy of the apparatus 300 . by keeping the heat inside the housing 304 during cold weather , the batteries 312 can then maintain a much higher efficiency than that at low temperatures . the interior of the housing 304 can also be insulated to help conserve heat . an internal ventilation circuit is provided in case of overheating , for example when the apparatus 300 is operating in relatively mild weather and the electric motor 310 is intensively solicited . this internal ventilation circuit is part of the ventilation circuit . it can include a thermostat which can activate at least one fan providing a supply of air from the outside to dissipate interior heat . the air inlet and air outlet can be located in the top part of the handlebar 306 at a certain distance from one another . the air then circulates in the tubes forming the sides of the handlebar 306 . the fan or fans can be provided in the housing 304 or alternatively in the handlebar 306 . the junction between the handlebar 306 and the housing 304 is configured so as to provide an air passage between them . this way , the housing 304 can have a very watertight structure up to the height of the air inlet and the air outlet on the handlebar 306 . a positive pressure is maintained within the interior of the inner chamber 314 to mitigate the risks of having water infiltration at locations which may not be completely watertight . the apparatus 300 can then even be immersed in water from time or time , as might be required for instance when the apparatus 300 must cross an unfrozen stream or similar body of water . fig1 is a top plan view of the apparatus 300 . air can circulate in an air path circuit going around the batteries 312 , for instance going forward in a space along the left side thereof , then from left to right in a space at the front of the inner chamber 314 , and going backward in a space along the right side of the batteries 312 before exiting the housing 304 . the spaces at the left and the right side of the batteries 312 can be separated from one another using a longitudinally - disposed foam element or the like provided along the top side of the batteries 312 and , if necessary , along the bottom side thereof . other configurations and arrangements are also possible . if desired , it is possible to provide a heating element , for instance a heating cable , inside the housing 304 to keep the batteries 312 warm when they are being charged outdoors during cold weather and also when they are being stored outdoors . it is also possible to provide a fixed support located above the track 12 , 302 and connected to the housing 14 . this support can be provided on either of the examples of apparatus 10 , 300 shown herein . the support can be useful for carrying equipment , for example as a tool box and / or a cargo box and / or a fuel tank and / or batteries . the present detailed description and appended figures are only examples . a person working in this field will be able to see that variations can be made while still staying within the framework of the proposed concept .

the apparatus includes a watertight elongated housing extending along a longitudinal axis and defining an inner chamber , a track disposed around the housing on its longitudinal axis and enabling the apparatus to move when the track is rotatably driven around the housing , and a track - driving motor . the motor is located within the inner chamber of the housing and includes an output shaft mechanically connected to the track . the apparatus can also include a ventilation circuit for ventilating the inner chamber of the housing and a generator for producing electricity . a method of operating a motorized pulling apparatus is also disclosed .

the invention is particularly suited for catalysts in which the air fraction fed to the internal combustion engine of a fuel / air mixture is adjusted by means of a control signal that is periodically set between a minimal value and a maximal value of the air fraction and switched back and forth between a rich operating state with oxygen deficiency and a lean operating state with oxygen excess . the invention is particularly favorable for a three - way catalyst in which oxygen and / or no x are periodically introduced as oxidizers for the catalyst and desorbed and in which a control signal of a lambda control deviates essentially periodically around the lambda value λ = 1 . in the lean operating state the oxygen supply in the exhaust is sufficient to oxidize its hc and co fractions , whereas in the rich operating state no x fractions in the exhaust as oxidizers oxidize the hc and co fractions present . a common control strategy for a three - way catalyst proposes a lambda regulation in which a λ probe is exposed to a control signal with constant frequency . in the lean operating state when λ & gt ; 1 oxygen is introduced to the catalyst 2 ; in the rich operating state with λ & lt ; 1 this oxygen is consumed for oxidation processes . however , it is also possible to use the invention no x storage catalyst that can be operated at higher lambda values in a three - way catalyst . aged storage catalysts can also be operated at lower lambda values around λ = 1 . fig1 schematically depicts a preferred device for execution of the method according to the invention . a catalyst 2 is connected in the exhaust 3 after the internal combustion engine 1 . the internal combustion engine 1 is supplied in the usual manner with a fuel / air mixture via means not further shown ; air supply preferably occurs via an intake line 7 . in the exhaust line 3 upstream of catalyst 2 a sensor 4 is arranged , which detects the composition of the exhaust . the sensor 4 is preferably an oxygen sensor that detects the oxygen content in the exhaust . the sensor 4 is preferably a broadband lambda probe with a constant control characteristic . downstream of catalyst 2 another sensor is arranged in the exhaust line 8 that can detect the composition of the exhaust purified in catalyst 2 . preferably , an oxygen sensor is also used here , with particular preference a two - point lambda probe with a transfer characteristic . the invention also includes devices with more than one downstream catalyst 2 . in principle , ordinary lambda probes are suitable with sensors 4 , 5 , like broadband lambda probes , two - point lambda probes or no x sensor with lambda probe function . as an alternative , a two - point lambda probe can also be used upstream of catalyst 2 and / or a broadband lambda probe downstream of catalyst 2 has sensors 4 , 5 . it is also conceivable to determine the lambda value upstream of catalyst 2 from other types of measured quantities , like injected amount of fuel and drawn in amount of air . the oxygen storage capability of catalyst 2 varies over the lifetime of the catalyst 2 . the characteristic of a lambda probe , especially a broadband lambda probe can also vary . this can be compensated by adjusting the frequency of the control signal to the state of aging . expediently , sensor 4 is exposed to a control signal upstream of catalyst 2 . sensor 5 downstream of catalyst 2 reports to sensor 4 upstream as soon as breakthrough of rich exhaust or lean exhaust is observed behind catalyst 2 . as long as lean exhaust is available up to sensor 5 downstream of catalyst 2 oxygen breakthrough is recognized via the internal combustion engine 1 . a switch is made to the rich operating state of catalyst 2 until breakthrough of the rich component is observed . a switch is then made back to the lean operating state and the sequence is repeated . with increasing age the oxygen storage capability of catalyst 2 diminishes , breakthroughs occur more quickly and the control frequency rises . the lambda control is therefore adapted to the state of aging of catalyst . such regulation is also referred to as natural frequency regulation . the sensors 4 , 5 are connected to a control device 6 that receives their signals and sends them to evaluation . this control device 6 is expediently a component of an ordinary engine control device used for operation of the internal combustion engine 1 . in this control device 6 or via this device operating parameters of the internal combustion engine 1 or a vehicle driven by the internal combustion engine 1 are available . these operating parameters are preferably entered as maps in a corresponding storage medium . such operating parameters include exhaust temperature upstream of catalyst 2 and / or in catalyst 2 , exhaust temperature downstream of the catalyst , oxygen storage capability of the catalyst 2 , exhaust flow rate , speed of the internal combustion engine 1 , exhaust recirculation rate , position of a camshaft disk , charge movement flap , ignition time and / or charge pressure and the like . information concerning the operating parameters can be linked to the sensor signals and control therefore conducted as a function of the operating parameters . this is indicated by arrows on control device 6 . individual operating parameters or different operating parameters can be used in combination with each other . two characteristic curves of an ordinary control signal according to the prior art for a fresh three - way catalyst ( fig2 a ) and an aged three - way catalyst ( 2 b ) are shown in fig2 . the frequency of the control signal of fresh catalyst 2 is distinctly smaller than that of the aged catalyst 2 . however , otherwise the characteristic curve of the control signal is unchanged , since the characteristic curve shape and especially the amplitude are retained . means are provided according to the invention in order to adjust a characteristic curve of the control signal to an actual catalyst state so that a characteristic curve shape of the characteristic curve is adjustable as a function of addition and / or desorption of an oxidizer in catalyst 2 . such a characteristic curve shape can involve a transition from one operating state to another and / or a trend of the characteristic curve within an operating state of catalyst 2 . the oxidizer can be oxygen or no x . in this case the frequency of the control signal is not followed simply as described in the prior art according to the state of aging of catalyst 2 , but the characteristic curve shape of the characteristic curve is varied by varying the amplitude and / or characteristic curve , especially a flank steepness , switching point and / or trend in an operating state . this adjustment occurs within a control cycle and can vary with increasing operating time of catalyst 2 . the aging behavior of catalyst 2 can be different in rich and lean operating states so that consideration of the different behavior in the two operating states permits more efficient utilization of catalyst 2 via a corresponding adjustment of the control signal as a function of the catalyst state . depending on the state of aging of catalyst 2 the amplitude of the characteristic curve for a rich and lean operating state of the catalyst can be adjusted . this is shown in fig3 . an abrupt control signal with variable amplitude is shown there . in addition , the frequency can also be modulated . by varying the amplitude the system can be accelerated . if the sensor 5 downstream of catalyst 2 establishes a strongly depleted exhaust , it can rapidly be adjusted by stronger enrichment . during over - enrichment it can again be rapidly depleted . the system can therefore reach equilibrium more quickly . the amplitudes for the transition from the rich operating state to the lean operating state and from the lean operating state to the rich operating state can be different . such a control strategy is advantageous for catalysts that have already been used for some time but are still useable over a longer time . here it is favorable to operate over several control periods more strongly in the rich region , followed by a phase with mostly lean fractions and then again richer fractions and to repeat this . because of this , increased oxygen storage in the catalyst 2 can be temporarily reached up to the limit of the regeneration capability of catalyst 2 . a trend according to fig3 can also be very advantageous between internal combustion engine 1 operated with thrust operated with fuel cutoff in the overrun . in this state , for example on a gradient , no fuel is temporarily fed to the internal combustion engine 1 and the internal combustion engine 1 operates on idle . the exhaust quickly becomes lean . it is favorable here to adjust the control signal so that the internal combustion engine is initially exposed to a fuel / air mixture that over several periods on a time average causes more rich fractions in the exhaust , which is recognizable by the larger amplitudes in the rich operating state . the internal combustion engine 1 is then operated in the lean range . this permits improved dynamics of the system and better driving dynamics of a vehicle operated in this way . over a time region that includes at least several periods of the control signal it can therefore be advantageous to adjust the amplitudes of the characteristic curve of the control signal unsymmetrically to a stipulated lambda value . according to a favorable modification of the invention the characteristic curve of the control signal can be sawtooth . this is shown in fig4 . the transitions between a lean operating state to a rich operating state therefore do not occur abruptly , as in the previous example , but the transitions occur more smoothly with a finite slope of the flanks . this trend of the control signal is suitable for catalyst 2 that has not reached or has still not reached the optimum temperature range , especially in the phase with average temperature between a cold start and the sought operating temperature . it was found that the catalyst 2 can reach its optimal temperature range for normal operation more quickly by means of the sawtooth trend of the control signal . the flanks of the control signal can then have different slopes in terms of amount as well as different amplitudes . it can prescribed that the characteristic curve of the control signal is a rectangular curve or a different characteristic curve with different amplitude and / or residence time in the corresponding operating states so that the percentage of rich operating states and lean operating states can be adjusted as a function of needs to the actual state of catalyst 2 . it is also possible that adjust consecutive operating states with different duration depending on how dependent the addition process and / or desorption processes of the oxidizer in catalyst 2 are on the operating parameters of the internal combustion engine and / or the lifetime of catalyst 2 . a control characteristic curve is shown in fig5 that is nonlinear and has a degressive trend . a transition from one operating state to another occurs quickly with a relatively steep flank , whereupon the characteristic curve is slightly rising to a maximum or minimum value . the control signal can also have a progressive trend . a control characteristic curve is shown in fig6 that is nonlinear and has a progressive trend . a transition from one operating state occurs initially quickly , but then with a relatively flat flank . fig7 and 8 show examples of control signals , in which different curve forms are superimposed . the transitions between the operating states are abrupt but in the operating state the lean and / or fat fractions in the exhaust still increase nonlinearly or linearly . there are also additional overlaps and combinations of curve forms of the control signal that occur in succession that can be adjusted as a function of need . with increasing age the deep storage of oxygen and / or no x in catalyst 2 deteriorates so that the desired catalytic processes can no longer occur efficiently . the behavior of the catalyst 2 in lean operating states can be different than in rich operating states . variation in modulation of the characteristic curve of the control signal therefore permits adjustment to these boundary conditions with a simultaneous increase in efficiency of the catalytic processes . this is advantageous to maintain emission limits . it is particularly expedient to conduct the adjustment of the characteristic curve of the control signal as a function of operating parameters in internal combustion engine 1 . this can occur via maps of operating parameters , as already described in fig1 . it is therefore considered that the behavior of catalyst 2 is strongly influenced by the operating parameters of the internal combustion engine 1 . the rate of conversion changes sharply with exhaust temperature . the catalyst 2 is exposed to pollutants with a high exhaust flow rate so that in the extreme case the purification efficiency of catalyst 2 can decline . if exhaust recirculation is varied , the richness of the fuel / air mixture changes . if the amount of recycled exhaust rises , the no x content in the exhaust drops . the ignition point influences the system in similar fashion to exhaust recirculation . by influencing the combustion trend the pollutant and oxygen concentration change at the same lambda value . with low crude emissions or a shift to more readily convertible pollutants ( for example more co , less ch 4 ) the requirements on accuracy of lambda control diminish . such influences of the operating parameters can be considered by corresponding adjustment of the characteristic curve of the control signal so that maintenance of the emission standard is ensured over broad operating ranges of the internal combustion engine 1 . in addition to ensuring the emission standard , in an advantageous embodiment of the invention the catalyst state and / or state of the sensor 4 , 5 , especially sensor 5 downstream from catalyst 2 can be determined from a change in the characteristic curve of the control signal . in addition to increased reliability in maintain in emission values , the invention also permits a reduction in noble metal content of catalyst 2 . the catalyst 2 is mostly operated in regions in which conversion is improved . because of this the catalyst volume can be correspondingly reduced and / or the noble metal compound of the catalyst can be reduced in order to achieve the same efficiency as in an ordinary control . it is possible to reduce the noble metal content and / or the catalyst volume during use of the method according to the invention without surpassing the pollutant emissions forming without use of the method by at least 10 %, especially by at least 20 %. in particular , the catalyst 2 in the case of an no x storage catalyst has a noble metal content of less 80 g / ft 3 , especially less than 60 g / ft 3 . in a three - way catalyst a noble metal content of less than 60 g / ft 3 , especially less than 40 g / ft 3 , preferably less than 30 g / ft 3 , optimally less than 20 g / ft 3 , ideally less than 10 g / ft 3 is provided .

in a method for adjusting the fuel / air ratio in an internal combustion engine comprising a converter which is associated therewith , a composition of waste gas in the waste gas wing of the internal combustion engine is detected by means of sensors and output signals from at least one of the sensors are used for producing a control signal in order to influence the fuel / air ratio . the fuel / air ratio is switched back and forth between a lean operating state with surplus oxygen and a rich operating state with an oxygen deficit by means of a characteristic line of the control signal . the characteristic line of the control signal is adapted to a current converter state . a characteristic curve contour of the characteristic line is adjusted according to the addition and / or desorption of an oxidation agent in the converter . the invention also relates to a device for carrying out said method .

referring now to the drawings , and in particular to fig1 there is shown one embodiment of a tractor trailer brake control system for motor vehicles . the motor vehicle shown in fig1 consists of a leading truck tractor 4 and a following truck trailer 12 coupled thereto . the trailer 12 has a power - operated trailer brake cylinder 13 . the brake cylinder 13 is part of the overall trailer braking system which includes elements 7 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 15 , and 16 . the brake system consists of an air supply reservoir 11 , a trailer brake controller unit 10 , and a trailer brake cylinder 13 which are located on the trailer 12 while a trailer control device 7 , a pressure sensor 15 , and a control sensing unit 16 are located on the truck tractor 4 . the truck tractor 4 is equipped with a tractor brake cylinder 17 which is power - operated by fluid pressure . this brake apparatus of a tractor brake system includes elements 1 , 3 , and 17 . the system is composed of an air supply reservoir 1 , a tractor control unit 3 , and a tractor brake cylinder 17 . the tractor control actuator 3 and the trailer brake actuator 10 are shown as two separate individual units they are schematic devices which are part of the air supply system . the tractor brake cylinder 17 or the trailer brake cylinder 13 may take the form of braking force regulators , relay valves , or the like . the elements 7 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 15 , and 16 of the trailer brake system form a control circuit , the main function of which is to control the trailer brake deceleration operation . the desired braking rate of the trailer is dictated by the air supply pressure that is fed to the tractor brake cylinder 17 by activating the tractor control unit 3 . in other words , the braking deceleration of the trailer is proportional to the tractor brake deceleration since the air supply to the trailer brake cylinder is controlled thereby . that is , the trailer brake deceleration rate is more or less equal to the brake deceleration rate of the truck tractor . as shown , a coupling 14 is used to connect the tractor 4 to the trailer 12 . the coupling 14 experiences a pulling action in the direction of arrow z when the tractor 4 is accelerating , and undergoes a pushing effect or effort by the trailer 12 in the direction of arrow s during deceleration . the pressure sensor 15 senses and monitors the forces acting either in the direction of arrow z or in the direction of arrow s . the sensor 15 produces a control signal which corresponds to the respective force at the time , and which is fed to the control unit 16 . the output of the control unit 16 is connected to the input of the trailer control device 7 which generates an appropriate output signal . the output signal is produced when the force signal assumes a predetermined value , or when it falls within a given range which is about to be exceeded . this predetermined value can be dependent velocity the direction of push force s or pull force z exerted between the vehicles according to particular properties of the vehicle train . the trailer control device 7 is connected with the tractor control device and is connected by way of a control line 9 to the trailer brake device 10 . the trailer control device 7 is designed in such a way that depending on the output signal of the control unit 16 , the strength of the control signal it generates and feeds into the control line 9 will either increase or decrease . in order to operate the tractor brake cylinder 17 as well as the trailer brake 13 , the driver of the tractor vehicle will initiate a brake application or a brake release function on the tractor control unit 3 . in the brake application mode , the storage reservoir 1 will provide a pressure to the tractor brake cylinder 17 . the amount of pressure will depend on the degree of requested brake command force applied to the tractor control unit 3 . at the same time , the actuation of the tractor control device 3 causes the actuation of the trailer control device 7 . the amount of energy conveyed to device 7 depends on the activating force of unit 3 . this , in turn , generates device 7 to a respective control signal which is conveyed by way of a control line 9 to the trailer brake system 10 . this will provide a given pressure to the trailer brake cylinder 13 from the trailer storage reservoir 11 . the force sensor 15 will now generate an electrical signal which is fed to the control unit 16 . when the force signal reaches the predetermined value or when it falls within the predetermined range , the control unit 16 will generate a feedback signal to the trailer control device 7 whereupon the control signal on control line 9 will increase or decrease until the control signal reaches the predetermined value or loses its tendency to fall outside of the predetermined range . any tendency of the force signal to signify a too high a value in a pushing direction of arrow s will result in a drop in braking effort . the trailer brake system consisting of elements 7 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 15 , and 16 will counteract this effect by increasing the pressure supply from reservoir 11 . in addition to effectively and efficiently controlling the braking of the tractor and trailer , the embodiment includes an overload warning system which consists of elements 5 , 8 , and 18 for the trailer brake cylinder 13 . the warning system includes a first sensor 18 , a second sensor 8 , and a comparator 5 . the first sensor 18 monitors the amount of pressure fed to the tractor brake cylinder 17 , and produces a corresponding tractor pressure signal which is conveyed to the comparator 5 . the second sensor 8 monitors the amount of pressure received by the trailer brake cylinder 13 , and produces a corresponding trailer pressure signal to the comparator unit 5 . the comparator unit 5 is constructed in such a way that it forms a ratio between the input signals , and a warning signal to be produced when this ratio changes with a predetermined critical velocity or a higher change velocity . it is known that all brakes , including trailer brakes 13 , exhibit a sharp drop in their braking effort at or near the end of their load capacity . in the above - mentioned application as , the control circuit for controlling the trailer brake deceleration rate , the trailer brake system including elements 7 , 10 , 11 , 13 15 and 16 attempts to compensate for such brake effort loss of the trailer brake 13 by increasing the pressure supplied at or near the end of the load capacity . the increase in trailer pressure signal , namely , the pressure rise is used by the overload warning devices 5 , 8 , and 18 . the extreme brake force drop is generally referred to as &# 34 ; fading &# 34 ;. the &# 34 ; fading &# 34 ; of the trailer brake 13 will also be referred to as a &# 34 ; fading &# 34 ; signal , which results in a steep rise of the trailer pressure signal . if the trailer brake indicates a &# 34 ; fading &# 34 ; action , the tractor brake 17 can also be assumed to be &# 34 ; fading &# 34 ; or it can , in some cases , remain normal . in the former alternative , the brake force decline in the trailer brake 13 can be tolerated fully or partially because of the brake force decline of the tractor brake 17 whereby , in this case , the intensity of the energy induced into the trailer brake cylinder 13 is not or is only minutely raised , which results in the fact that the ratio formed by the pressure signals does not change , or changes with less than the critical change velocity . in this case , the overload warning device ( 5 , 8 , 18 ) is not effected , but this is not really required , as the driver of the tractor will readily recognize the &# 34 ; fading &# 34 ; effect in the form of a declining brake deceleration , as is normally the case with a traditional brake application . with the latter alternative , the rise in the trailer pressure signal results in the respective change in the pressure signal ratio as the tractor pressure signal will remain unchanged . the comparator unit 5 will result in a warning signal when the change velocity of the ratio value reaches the predetermined critical value or exceeds such a critical value . whether the ratio value changes in the direction o increasing values or in the direction of decreasing values , depends on the design of the comparator unit 5 and whether the trailer pressure signal is the nominator or the denominator of the ratio value . this occurs almost without any delay . the overload warning device 5 , 8 , 18 initiates the task of accomplishing the warning with as little delay as possible . the first embodiment shows a design for the warning signal , such as an optical or acoustic warning device 2 , which is activated by the comparator unit 5 as well as a brake release system 6 . the warning unit 2 converts the warning signal into an optical or acoustic signal . the brake release system is designed in such a way that the warning signal generates a control signal with which it creates a peak value and / or a reduction of the control pressure which acts on the trailer control system 7 and a generated control signal is conveyed to the control line 9 . by means of placing the trailer control device 7 in line , the brake release device 6 will control the trailer brake during receipt of the warning signal in such a way that the signal flowing to the trailer brake is limited to a peak value and / or reduced , beginning with the existing value . the overload warning system ( 5 , 8 , 18 ) also serves as an overload protection for the trailer brake cylinder 13 . the brake release device 6 can also be used with the warning system 2 in a different manner . it is possible to assume that the utility range of the brake release device 6 is limited , because of its automatic activation in the braking process which may not be acceptable in some cases . in particular , the comparator unit 5 operates with electronic circuits and components . when the tractor control unit 3 is activated , an integrated clock generator is actuated . at the beginning of a time sequence of the clock generator , the comparator unit 5 requests a reading from the first sensor 18 as well as the second sensor 8 to form a ratio value . the ratio formed at the beginning of a time sequence is stored in an interim register , and compared with the ratio value formed at the end of the time sequence . if the ratio value which was formed at the end of the time sequence deviates by a critical amount or more , a warning signal circuit will be activated by way of an integrated switch . according to the above the deviation causing , the closing of the warning signal circuit can be a positive or a negative variation . this will depend on whether the comparator unit uses the trailer control signal in the numerator or in the denominator in the ratio value . the comparator unit can also be designed in such a way that the clock generator will be activated only when the trailer control signal reaches a predetermined level . with this design , any malfunction can be prevented . the comparator unit 5 can be designed in such a way that it continues to operate in the manner described above after deactivation of the tractor control system 3 for a predetermined time period . this makes it possible that in case of several successive brake application the beginning and the end of a time sequence fall into different brake application . hence , the overload warning system ( 5 , 8 , 18 ) is also effective with such a brake operation . the comparator unit 5 can also be designed in such a way that it determines the differential between control signals at the beginning and at the end of a time sequence , and activate the warning signal circuit upon exceeding of a critical differential . the present embodiment measures the pressure in the tractor brake cylinder 17 by means of the first sensor 18 , whereas the second sensor 8 measures the pressure in the trailer brake cylinder 13 indirectly through the control signal line 9 . in other words , the first sensor 18 records the intensity of the pressure in the tractor brake , whereas the second sensor 8 records the intensity of the force signal in the control unit for controlling the pressure in the trailer brake cylinder 13 . it can be seen that the second sensor 8 is similar to the first sensor 18 but is part of the trailer brake system , and the first sensor 18 is similar to the second sensor 8 but is part of the tractor brake system . the embodiment shows the trailer brake system ( 7 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 15 , 16 ) in which the respective components , such as trailer control unit 7 , second sensor 8 , force sensor 15 , and control unit 16 are mounted on the tractor proper 4 . this arrangement has the advantage that a traditional trailer brake system can be used without modification to the given trailer , and built into a control circuit with a control based on the trailer deceleration rate , which makes the circuit adaptable to this invention . it is understood that by not using a traditional trailer brake system , the brake components in the tractor can be mounted completely or partially on the trailer . a second embodiment is shown in fig2 and is slightly different from the first embodiment . the measurement of the brake deceleration rate of the tractor 4 is accomplished by a deceleration sensor 20 which generates a deceleration signal which will be initiated by the brake deceleration of the tractor . to record the trailer brake deceleration , a deceleration sensor 22 is added to the system to provide a deceleration signal rate of the trailer . the respective deceleration signals are fed to a recorder or register which generates a control signal when the trailer deceleration signal varies a given amount from a preselected value of the tractor deceleration . which of these chosen values is applicable depends on the specific design of the recording or register unit 21 . the trailer brake unit 23 receives the control signals from the recorder or register 21 , and is designed to control the force in the trailer brake cylinder 13 received from the pressure storage reservoir 11 . in this way , the braking force in the trailer brake 13 is controlled in such a manner that the trailer brake deceleration will be substantially equal to the brake deceleration of the tractor , even with some tolerance deviations . the second sensor 8 for the overload warning unit ( 5 , 8 , 18 ) senses the pressure in the supply line leading to the trailer brake cylinder 13 and directly records the force of the pressure supplied similar to that of first sensor 18 . whereas , the deceleration sensor 20 on the tractor 4 and the deceleration sensor 22 on the trailer 12 are part of the tractor and the trailer units . whereas , the comparator unit 5 and the evaluation unit 21 are located between the tractor 4 and the trailer 12 . it is also understood that both units may be located either in the tractor 4 or alternatively in the trailer 12 , as may be preferred and which is practical . it will be recognized that such an alternative mounting possibility also exists for the trailer brake unit 23 . it will also be recognized that the trailer brake unit 23 can be replaced by the trailer brake 10 of fig1 in which case the control must take place by way of a control line 9 and a trailer control device 7 which simulates the trailer control function , and which utilizes the control signal from the user unit 21 . the embodiment of fig2 does not require the force generating connection 14 between tractor and trailer , as shown in the embodiment of fig1 . according to the invention , the trailer 12 is normally pulled by the tractor 4 without any problems and it can be suitably coupled in a conventional way with the brake system . in view of the many possible variations , the tractor brake cylinder 17 and the trailer brake cylinder 13 and the tractor brake system and the trailer brake system are applicable to numerous design changes . even in the case of several tractor brakes and trailer brakes in the tractor brake system and in the trailer brake system , the overall braking system will generally follow the above theories . the expert will recognize that the protective range for the present invention is not exhaustively described as far as all possible applications are concerned , but only those design possibilities have been covered which are directly covered by the patent claims . thus , the present invention has been described in such full , clear , concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same , and having set forth the best mode contemplated of carrying out this invention . we state that the subject matter , which we regard as being our invention , is particularly pointed out and distinctly asserted in what is claimed . it will be understood that variations , modifications , equivalents and substitutions for components of the above specifically - described embodiment of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims .

an overload warning system for a trailer brake cylinder of a trailer brake system having a nominal deceleration rate . it has been found that previous temperature sensing overdue warning systems have a disadvantage that undue delay occurs and that no warning signal is initiated until after damage to the trailer brakes occurs . the present invention proposes that the tractor brake system and the trailer brake system compare their received operating control signals from which they form a ratio factor and then produce a warning signal when the ratio factor changes beyond a predetermined critical change velocity . the present invention employs the rapid drop in braking force caused by a brake overload and uses the rapid drop and increase brake demand for readjusting the brake deceleration . the present invention is used for uniquely recognizing the &# 34 ; fading &# 34 ; effect of the trailer brake system .

the apparatus disclosed in fig1 and 2 corresponds to one of the embodiments shown in the aforementioned british application and comprises a coupling member 10 terminating at one end in a tapered shank 12 and at its opposite end in an annular wall 14 having a smooth end surface 16 and defining a cylindrical socket 18 . the wall 14 is provided with a pair of diametrally opposed threaded openings 20 and 22 . fitted into the opening 20 is a threaded fastening plug 24 having at its inner end a conical recess 26 and fitted into the opening 22 is a threaded fastening plug 28 terminating at its inner end in a conical projection or nose 30 . the shank 12 of the coupling member 10 is adapted to be fitted to the spindle ( not shown ) of a machine tool as is conventional . the coupling member also is adapted to be separably joined to a tool holder 32 comprising a body 34 having at one end a reduced diameter extension 36 of such size as snugly , but removably , to be accommodated in the socket 18 of the coupling member . the body 34 has an annular end surface 38 which confronts the surface 16 of the coupling member . the extension 36 has a transverse bore 40 therein in which is slideably accommodated a coupling pin 42 terminating at one end in a conical nose or projection 44 confronting the conical seat 26 and terminating at its other end in an outwardly concave , conical cavity 46 confronting the conical projection 30 . the overall length of the pin 42 is less than the diameter of the socket 18 . to assemble the tool holder 32 and the coupling member 10 , the fastening plugs 24 and 28 are turned to positions in which neither of them projects into the socket 18 , thereby enabling the extension 36 , together with the pin 42 , to be introduced to the socket 18 and positioned therein with the surfaces 16 and 38 engaging one another . the members 10 and 32 then may be rotated so as to align the pin 42 with the threaded openings 20 and 22 , and such positioning is facilitated by a locating pin 48 projecting from the socket wall 14 for accommodation in a socket 50 in the body 34 . the plugs 24 and 28 then may be rotated so as to move inwardly of their respective openings 20 and 22 and cause the conical nose 44 of the pin to seat in the conical recess 26 and the conical nose 30 to seat in the cavity 46 , thereby securely anchoring the tool holder 32 to the coupling member 10 . as is best shown in fig1 the longitudinal axis of the pin 42 and the axis through the conical recesses 26 and 46 are offset axially of the coupling member so that the engagement between the pin 42 and the plugs 24 and 28 causes the surfaces 16 and 38 to be drawn together . a coupling member constructed in accordance with the invention is shown in fig3 and 4 and designated generally by the reference character 52 . the coupling member comprises a body 54 terminating at one end in a tapered shank 56 adapted for removable reception in a socket 57 formed in a conventional machine tool spindle 58 . the opposite end of the body terminates in an annular wall or sleeve 60 forming a socket or bore 62 . the wall 60 has a radially extending , threaded opening 64 therein which communicates with the bore and , diametrally opposite the opening 64 , the inner surface of the bore 62 has an outwardly concave , conical recess 66 therein which is coaxial with the opening 64 and communicates only with the bore 62 . adapted for removable accommodation in the opening 64 is a threaded fastening plug 68 terminating at its inner end in a conical nose or projection 70 . the annular wall 60 is provided with a second threaded opening 72 in communication with the bore 62 for the removable accommodation of a threaded fastening plug 74 . the inner end 75 of the plug 74 is flat or concave so as to correspond to the curvature of the bore 62 . the openings 64 and 72 are not coaxial , but are circumferentially spaced from one another by about 140 °. the wall 60 terminates in a flat end surface 76 in which is formed an aligning bore 78 . fig4 illustrates , as an example of the versatility of the invention , the coupling member 52 coupled to the prior art tool holder 32 shown in fig1 and 2 . as indicated , the conical nose 44 of the pin 42 seats in the outwardly concave recess 66 and the plug 68 has its conical nose 70 seated in the cavity 46 of the pin 42 . the projection 50 on the tool holder 32 is accommodated in the socket 78 of the wall 60 . as disclosed in fig4 the opening 72 is occupied by the plug 74 , but the plug 74 has no function other than to close the opening 72 . the longitudinal axis of the pin 42 may be axially offset from the axis of the opening 64 and the conical seat 66 in the same manner as disclosed earlier . the assembly of the coupling member 52 and the prior art tool holder 32 corresponds to the assembly of the tool holder 32 with the coupling member 10 . the coupling member 52 thus is capable of accommodating the known tool holder 32 , even though there are differences between the known coupling member 10 and the coupling member 52 . the coupling member 52 also is capable of accommodating tool holders having coupling means that ar dissimilar to that of the tool holder 32 . one such tool holder is shown at 80 in fig3 and 5 . the tool holder 80 is similar in all respects to the prior art tool holder 32 except that the tool holder 80 has at one end a reduced diameter extension 82 provided with a pair of diametrally opposed , outwardly concave conical recesses 84 and 86 instead of the bore 42 . the extension 82 also has a third correspondingly shallow conical recess 88 formed therein and peripherally spaced from the recesses 84 and 86 . the recesses 84 , 86 , and 88 are shallow ; i . e ., their depth is much less than the diameter of the extension 82 . the axis of the recess 88 forms an angle of about 140 ° from the axis of the recess 84 . in the embodiment shown in fig3 and 5 the fastening plug 68 has its nose 70 seated in the recess 84 . a fastening plug 90 , corresponding in all respects to the plug 28 , occupies the opening 72 and has its nose 92 seated in the recess 88 . the recesses 86 and 66 are unoccupied . the tool holder 80 has an annular end surface 94 from which an aligning lug 96 extends for accommodation in the socket 78 . as is apparent from the foregoing the construction of the coupling member 52 is such as to enable it to be coupled to either of the two tool holders 32 and 80 , notwithstanding the differences between the coupling means of the tool holders . the tool holder 80 also is constructed in such manner as to enable it to be coupled not only to the coupling member 52 , but also to other coupling members having dissimilar coupling means , one example of which is the coupling member 10 . the coupling of the tool holder 80 to the prior art coupling member 10 is illustrated in fig6 wherein the extension 36 is accommodated in the socket 62 with the aligning pin 96 in the socket 78 . the fastening plug 28 occupies the opening 22 and has its nose 30 seated in the recess 86 . the plug 68 ( or one corresponding thereto ) occupies the opening 20 and has its nose 70 seated in the recess 84 . the recess 88 is unoccupied . the ability of a single coupling member to be fitted to tool holders having dissimilar coupling means and the ability of a single tool holder to be fitted to coupling members having dissimilar coupling means make possible the interchanging of tool holders and coupling members that heretofore were required to be used in paired sets only . the avoidance of having to use such paired sets enables significant economies to be realized . the disclosed embodiment is representative of the preferred form of the invention , but is intended to be illustrative rather than definitive thereof . the invention is defined in the claims .

apparatus for coupling a tool holder to a machine tool spindle wherein the tool holder is fitted to a coupling interposed between the tool holder and the spindle . the coupling and the tool holder have separable fasteners for separably joining the tool holder and coupling together . the coupling can accommodate tool holders having dissimilar fasteners and the tool holder can be fitted to couplings having dissimilar fasteners .

referring first to fig1 a food slicing machine 1 consists of a frame 15 having a product support surface 7 . material to be sliced rests on the product support surface 7 . suitable means ( not illustrated ) are provided for transporting the material 2 to be sliced . the material 2 is conveyed toward a revolving cutting blade 4 . the cutting blade 4 runs eccentrically round the axis 25 of a drive 5 , a planetary gear 6 being provided for this purpose . the planetary gear 6 is driven , for example , by the same drive 5 as the cutting blade 4 . the orbit of the cutting blade is designated by 23 in fig2 . the cutting blade drive 5 , of which the axis 25 lies above the product support surface 7 and the material 2 are , like the planetary gear 6 , covered by a casing 3 . there is a gap 8 between the cutting blade drive 5 and planetary gear 6 and the casing 3 . this gap 8 is shown on an enlarged scale in fig2 . the revolving cutting blade 4 is concealed by a covering hood 18 . this covering hood 18 is connected to the casing 3 . the material 2 is cut by the revolving cutting blade 4 , to form a stack 10 of sliced foodstuff , for example sliced sausage , on a support 17 in front of the cutting machine 1 . for cleaning the machine 1 , the covering hood 18 can be taken off and the cutting blade 4 removed from the axis 24 . the casing wall 26 located behind the cutting blade 4 , which in this case extends vertically , may then be sprayed with , for example , a steam jet cleaner . it is possible , owing to the non - hermetic seal of the gap 8 , for spray water and impurities ( for example organic material , particles of cut material , etc .) to penetrate into the casing 3 and to accumulate on the base 27 of the casing 3 . so that , for example , fluid can flow out after the cleaning process , openings 31 are provided in the base 27 . fluid is discharged from the machine or the machine casing through an outlet pipe 38 . nevertheless , organic material , spray water , etc . remains in the casing . according to the invention , the casing 3 is heatable . a heating means 9 is provided for this purpose . the heating means 9 may comprise a surface heater 11 . the surface heater 11 is provided on the interior 28 of the casing 3 ., it is also possible for the surface heater 11 to line the base 27 as well as the vertical flanks of the interior 28 . a further form of heating means 9 is shown in fig2 . this is a circulating air heater consisting of a heating element 32 , a fan 14 , a filter 13 , an air dryer 19 and a channel 12 connecting these elements 13 , 14 , 32 and 19 . the elements 13 , 14 , 32 and 19 may be arranged in any convenient way . reference numeral 29 designates the direction of flow of the air in the circulating air heater . the circulating air heater may be a closed system . the fan 14 or further fans ( not shown ) form a vacuum in the casing 3 . this prevents germs or spent air being discharged from the casing 3 into the environment without being cleaned . long - lasting cleaning of the air in the casing 3 is achieved by providing an air dryer 19 or an air mixer 20 or with the filter 13 . through the air mixer 20 it is possible , for example , to supply fresh or sterile air to the air in the casing . it is particularly advantageous for several heating means to be combined , for example a surface heater 11 and a circulating air heater . on the one hand , the surface heater provides optimum drying of the bacterial culture medium and on the other hand the air located in the casing is dried and cleaned by the circulating air heater means and the propagation and living conditions for germs etc consequently impaired . fig3 shows a further embodiment of the invention . in this embodiment , a fan 36 is arranged in the interior of the casing 3 . the fan 36 is fixed in the upper half of the casing 3 . a heating arrangement 35 consists , for example , of a glowing heating wire . the fan 36 conveys air through the heating arrangement 35 . air guide plates 34 are positioned at the outlet of the heating device 35 to provide optimum distribution of the heated air in the interior of the casing 3 . it is preferred that the air guide plates 34 be arranged such that the air is conveyed to the internal surfaces of the casing where a culture medium is most likely to form . these are generally the surfaces extending horizontally in the lower region of the casing . the fan 36 draws the air to be heated through a tube or channel 33 . at the open end of the tube 33 is a suction nozzle 37 which , in this example , is at a position in the casing 3 which is not directly in the flow path of the circulated air . the invention therefore also achieves an air flow in parts of the casing into which air is not guided by the air guide plates . a more homogeneous temperature distribution in the casing 3 is thus achieved . it is also possible to provide an intelligent climate controller for , for example , the temperature , the relative atmospheric humidity or the conductivity of the culture medium . this climate controller is connected , for example , to the controller of the machine or of the machine line and influences the heating means accordingly . it is therefore possible , for example , to dry the culture medium by switching on the heating means if the conductivity of the medium is too high . it is also possible to provide a program for phased heating periods , for example in the intervals between shifts etc .

in a machine for the treatment or processing of foodstuffs , e . g . the slicing of sausage , the incidence of contamination by germs in the casing of the machine is reduced by the provision of a heater arranged to heat the casing and / or air contained within it to an elevated temperature . most preferably , the heater comprises means for heating and circulating air in the casing and means for directly heating the casing itself .

referring to fig4 there is shown a continuous rotary material application apparatus , the material in this example being hot stamp foil , comprising a feed unit 14 for feeding the foil and its supporting carrier , indicated by f . the feed unit 14 has a pair of feed rollers 15 driven by a motor 15 a , which unwind the carrier and foil f from an unwind supply roll 13 driven at a speed which is a fraction of the speed of the substrate s . the foil f passes over a guide roller 16 and into a shuttle mechanism 18 to be hereinafter described . after leaving the shuttle mechanism 18 , the foil f is looped around guide rollers 19 , 20 , between an impression roller 26 and an anvil roller 27 , around guide rollers 21 , 22 , back through the shuttle mechanism 18 , over another guide roller 23 to a collector roll 30 for scrap foil f ′. all of the rollers and rolls just described are constrained to rotate about axis that are fixed with respect to one another , except for the rollers of the shuttle mechanism to be described below . the carrier and foil composite f in fig4 is moving forward continuously under correct tension from the feed rollers 15 and the collector roll 30 . the substrate s , onto which the decoration of the foil is to be stamped , is also moved continuously between the impression roller 26 and anvil roller 27 between supply and take up rolls ( not shown ) but at a much higher rate of speed . the impression roller 26 has one or more raised areas 28 extending parallel with an axis of rotation of the roller 26 and normally spaced a substantially equal distance apart circumferentially around the roller . there may be one or more such rings of raised areas around the circumference as shown in fig5 . the configuration of the raised areas on the die impression roller 26 depends on the nature of the substrate printing and the image to be hot - stamped . for example , if the documents being produced are checks with a height of three inches , and it is desired to hot - stamp a corporate logo which occupies an area of one inch by one inch , then the configuration shown in fig4 would be appropriate . as shown in fig4 there are four raised areas 28 of equal size and surface area spaced 90 degrees apart around the circumference of the roller 26 . for the purpose of this description , those portions of the surface of the roller 26 between the raised areas 28 will be referred to as recessed areas 44 . the recessed areas 44 are typically of equal size but not necessarily so . in the case just cited , the raised areas 28 would be one inch by one inch , and the circumference of the roller 26 would be a multiple of four inches , typically twelve inches . similarly if an eleven inch by eight and one half inch document were being produced , there would typically be just one raised area 28 , and the roller 26 circumference would be eleven inches . alternatively , there could be two raised areas , in which case the same result would be achieved by a roller having a circumference of twenty - two inches . the impression roller 26 and anvil roller 27 are the major components of a foil transfer station . as the rollers 26 and 27 rotate , the only portions of the impression roller 26 which contact film f passing over the anvil roller 27 are the raised areas 28 . in making such contact , the raised areas 28 sequentially create a nip 50 with the anvil roller 27 pinching the adjoining foil f and substrate s under heat and pressure to transfer the layers of the foil f other than the carrier ( backing film ) to the substrate , with each transfer having an area equal to the surface area of a raised area 28 and a length measured longitudinally of the substrate s equal to the length of each raised area 28 measured circumferentially as viewed in fig4 . after the operation of transfer or hot stamping of the decoration layers by means of pressing the heated impression roller raised areas 28 against the foil f , the substrate s and the anvil roller 27 , the backing film and other non - transferred portions of the used foil f ′ are disposed of by feeding onto a powered collector roll 30 . as will be appreciated from viewing fig4 the recessed areas 44 do not contact and pinch the adjoining foil f and substrate s passing over the anvil roller 27 . accordingly , during those intervals when the raised areas 28 are out of alignment with the anvil roller 27 , the adjoining foil f and substrate s will not be pinched together and will not transfer any layers of the foil . during such intervals , the adjoining foil f in the area of the impression roller 26 and anvil roller 27 may be moved at a different speed than the speed of the substrate s and the anvil roller surface and may even be moved in a reverse direction . the shuttle mechanism 18 includes a pair of spaced apart guide rollers 40 and 42 mounted for shuttling movement together toward and away from a stationary motor 17 that powers such movement . the foil f passes over the first of the shuttle guide rollers 40 between guide rollers 16 and 19 which are positioned on the in - feed side of the nip 50 between the impression roller 26 raised areas 28 and the anvil roller 27 , and passes over the second of the shuttle guide rollers 42 between guide rollers 22 and 23 which are positioned on the outlet side of such nip 50 . even though the speed of the foil f moving through the feed rollers 15 and over the guide roller 16 is constant , it is possible to vary the speed of the foil f as it passes around guide rollers 19 , 20 , 21 and 22 and through the nip 50 by moving the shuttle 18 and its guide rollers 40 and 41 toward and away from the motor 17 . the motion profile of the shuttle is added or subtracted from the foil motion provided by the feed rollers 15 . such linear movement of the shuttle 18 changes the path length of the intake portion of the foil f , between the rollers 15 and nip 50 , by movement of the roller 40 . at the same time , an equal and opposite change occurs in the path length of the out take portion of the foil f ′, between the nip 50 and the take up roll 30 , as a result of the same motion of the roller 42 . by this means , the foil can be caused to travel at the same speed as the substrate during the intervals when the heated impression roller raised areas 28 are aligned with the anvil roller 27 , and may be moved independently during the intervals when the raised die areas 28 are not aligned with the anvil roller 27 and thus are not pressing the stamping foil f against the substrate s . the use of this technique results in a much greater percentage of a given length of foil being useable for stamping and a much lower percentage of foil being scrapped than was heretofore possible . such effect may be seen by viewing fig6 which shows a used length of used or scrap stamping foil f ′. as may be clearly seen , the portions of the used foil f ′ which were transferred to the substrate s are illustrated as windows 56 , each of which consists solely of the carrier as the remaining layers making up the foil f have been transferred by the raised impression roller areas 28 to the substrate s . as can be readily seen by comparing fig3 and 6 , the windows 56 of the used foil f ′ are much closer together than the windows 12 of the used foil 7 ( fig3 ) of the conventional method of and apparatus for hot stamping . therefore , a much greater percentage of foil from a given roll can be used for hot stamping under the method and apparatus of the present invention than was previously possible . the result is much less scrap and much greater efficiency than as heretofore been possible . the shuttle mechanism 18 of fig4 is controlled by a motor 17 which is programmed to accelerate and decelerate that portion of the continuously moving foil f passing between the impression roller 26 and the anvil roller 27 when a gap exists between them ; that is , when the impression roller areas 44 are opposite the anvil roller 27 . a stepper motor is the preferred motor type , although other motors such a ac or dc servo motors with position feedback are possible . actuation of the motor 17 to move the shuttle 18 is effected by means of a microprocessor which receives signals from a continuous position indicator , for example an optical encoder or resolver 60 sensing the substrate position , and one or more sensors 63 indicating the position of the impression roller 26 . the impression roller 26 shown in fig4 is provided with a four sensor targets 62 , corresponding to the four raised areas 28 . there could be a greater or fewer number of raised areas 28 ; however , the number of sensor targets 62 should be equal to the number of raised areas 28 . alternatively one sensor target could be used and the target function for the remaining raised areas 28 could be synthesized by counting the appropriate number of encoder pulses corresponding to the distance between raised areas 28 . each of the sensor targets 62 extends along an axis y which is positioned to be aligned with a fixed sensor 63 once during each revolution of the impression roller 26 . the purpose of the sensor / sensor target is to synchronize the motion profile of the shuttle with the times at which the raised areas 28 create a nip 50 with the anvil roller 27 . any rollers which are accelerated and decelerated as a result of the motion of the shuttle , for example in fig4 rollers 40 , 42 , 19 , 20 , 21 , and 22 , are preferably not driven by the action of the foil passing over them , i . e . they should not be idler rollers . the accelerations occurring at these points will usually be too high to expect the foil to drive them . accordingly two methods of overcoming this have been found to be effective . the rollers can be driven in such a manner such that their surface speeds exactly match the speed of the foil passing over them , or they can be non - rotating , low friction bars rather than rollers . examples of both types have been tested , and although they were both successful , the best design was found to be non - rotating bars , perforated and fed with compressed air , such that the foil floats on a cushion of air , thus adding neither inertia or friction to the motion of the foil f . this type of “ air bar ” is used in many other applications where webs of material need to be manipulated with very low friction . the use of these air bars allows a simplification in the arrangement of the configuration of fig4 as shown in fig7 . in principle , a preferred configuration shown in fig7 is identical with that of fig4 . however , the mechanical arrangement is slightly different . the difference lies principally in the method of moving the shuttle . in this case , the two shuttle rollers 40 and 42 are carried on a pivoting arm which is mounted directly on a powered rotating shaft of the otherwise stationary shuttle drive motor 17 . this arrangement greatly reduces the number of moving parts , thus permitting higher speed operation while increasing reliability . this design is not conducive to utilizing rollers which are powered to exactly match the velocity of the foil as it passes over them , and therefore , in order to avoid having to accelerate them using the foil to drive them , non - rotating bars are used at positions 40 , 20 , 21 , and 42 . while it is possible to use low - friction materials such as teflon at these positions , air flotation bars are preferred . the graph shown in fig8 a is a plot of velocity vs . time for the major components of the mechanism embodiments of fig4 and 7 . the horizontal line s represents the velocity of the substrate , and the horizontal line f represents the velocity of the foil at the feed rollers 15 . the curve a - b - c - d - e - a ′ represents the motion of the foil imparted by the shuttle . ( note this is not the shuttle motion , since a motion of the shuttle imparts twice that motion to the foil ). the curve f - g - h - i - j - f ′ is the algebraic sum of curve a - b - c - d - e - a ′ and line f , and represents the velocity of the foil f at the nip 50 . occurrences of portions g - h and g ′- h ′ of the velocity curve of fig8 a correspond to successive raised areas 28 passing through the nip 50 . ( 1 ) the velocity of the foil during engagement of the nip n should substantially match the substrate velocity s , as shown by the g - h portion of the foil velocity curve that falls on the line s representing the velocity of the substrate s , and ( 2 ) the area under the curve a - b - c - d - e - a ′ should be substantially zero . this rule may be violated if there is more than one die around the circumference , and they are not spaced equally . even in this case the area under the curve after a complete revolution of the impression roller 26 should be substantially zero . a third constraint which is desirable , but not absolutely necessary , is that the two curves of fig8 be continuous , i . e ., that the point f ′ corresponds in a subsequent cycle to the point f of the cycle shown , and the point a ′ corresponds in a subsequent cycle to the point a of the cycle shown . while it is possible for the shuttle to complete its travel before the next cycle begins , it is advantageous to allow the shuttle all the time available to complete its cycle . although the acceleration and deceleration lines a - b , c - d , d - e , e - a ′, f - g , h - i , i - j , j - f ′, are shown as straight lines depicting constant acceleration or deceleration , they may have different shapes , such as “ s ” curves , to provide smoother motion at the expense of an increase in the maximum required acceleration . although fig8 depicts the substrate moving at a constant velocity s , it is an important feature of the invention that the algorithms used to calculate and control the velocity of the shuttle 18 and the feed rollers 15 are based on the instantaneous position of the substrate , not its velocity , so that the motion of the carrier / foil f remains correct if the substrate changes speed , or even starts and stops . ( 1 ) impression roller repeat , ( i ), is the circumference of the impression roller 26 , as measured at the outside diameter of raised areas 28 ; ( 2 ) impression repeat , ( p ), is the distance between the center of one raised area 28 of the impression roller 26 to the center of the next raised area 28 , as measured at the outside diameter of the raised areas 28 ; ( 3 ) die size , is the length of one of the raised areas 28 on the impression roller , measured around the circumference of the impression roller 26 ; and ( 4 ) effective die size , ( d ), is the die size plus a small tolerance allowance . the motion of the feed rollers 15 is derived by dividing the positional information stream of the encoder 60 by a value dependent on the ratio between the impression repeat and the substrate document repeat . as an example , if each pulse from the encoder 60 represents 0 . 001 ″ of travel , there is a single die having an effective die size of 1 inch , and the document repeat and impression roller repeats are 11 ″, then the feed rollers 15 must be driven 0 . 001 ″ for each 11 encoder pulses , thus driving the foil at one eleventh of the substrate speed . a stepper motor provides the simplest means of providing this function , since the microprocessor need only divide the incoming encoder data stream by the calculated ratio and feed the divided stream to the stepper motor , although other motors such a ac or dc servo motors with position feedback will also accomplish the same result . for any given values of impression repeat p and effective die size d , the following parameters are calculated for shuttle control : the length of a foil forward motion acceleration ramp , ( provided by the shuttle ), the length of foil reverse motion acceleration ramp , ( provided by the shuttle ), the length of the foil forward motion in constant - speed section , ( provided by the shuttle ), since the shuttle motion is to be based on substrate motion , not time , the shuttle is controlled in a manner similar to the feed rollers 15 . in order to effect the acceleration and deceleration profiles , tables of values are used . these tables contain the number of encoder counts required for each step of the shuttle motor at each stage of the acceleration or deceleration . the values in the table establish the nature of the acceleration / deceleration profiles . for the simplest and fastest case , i . e . constant acceleration and deceleration , the values are calculated using the following equation : where the integer ‘ r ’ is the step number , varying from 1 to r ( b ). since the parameters required for the table calculation do not change during operation , it is advantageous to pre - calculate the table values . for the example cited earlier i . e . a single die having an effective size d = 1 inch , and document repeat and impression roller repeats of 11 ″, the calculations produce the following results : the circuit block diagram shown in fig9 outlines the electronic circuitry utilized in the invention . continuous position information is provided by a rotary encoder 60 such as model 755a manufactured by encoder products , although it is possible to use any other similar encoder or resolver which is capable of providing digital positional information . in the case of the encoder , there typically are two square - wave streams of data , phased 90 degrees from each other . a standard logic element 61 , such as lsi 7804 , is used to convert these two streams into step signals and direction signals . in the preferred embodiment , the encoder 60 and logic 61 are configured to provide a pulse for each 0 . 001 inches of substrate travel . although it is not absolutely necessary to provide direction signals since the substrate typically only moves in one direction , machine vibrations can cause the encoder 60 to emit pulses which would result in false information if direction was not taken into account . in the preferred embodiment , the sensor 63 is most conveniently positioned such that a single sensor target 62 produces an output signal once per revolution of the impression roller 26 when any one of the raised areas 28 is centered at the six o &# 39 ; clock position 50 ( fig7 ), as shown in fig8 c . the signal from the sensor 63 is conditioned by the logic element 64 to offset the signal positionally such that the output signal of the logic element 64 occurs at point a of a curve of fig8 a and to synthesize like pulses corresponding to the remaining raised areas 28 , as shown in fig8 d . in order to provide these signals , the logic element 64 receives repeat pattern information entered by the operator and conditioned by the microprocessor 65 , and positional information in the line 69 . digital command pulses for the drive motor 15 are produced by a variable divider 66 that divides the pulse stream ( fig8 b ) in the line 69 from the encoder pulses , after being conditioned by the logic 61 , by a value determined by the microprocessor 65 . these command pulses are conditioned and amplified by drive amplifier 67 to drive motor 15 a . the digital command pulses for the drive motor 17 are produced by the microprocessor 65 in accordance with the flow chart fig1 . at power up , the program goes through an initialization process which serves principally to establish the microprocessor configuration and to set initial conditions . the main program loop reads the input parameters set by the operator and computes the system parameters appropriate for those input parameters , including the ramp tables , divider ratio , and repeat pattern data . these values are re - computed any time the input parameters are changed . operation of the shuttle motor 17 is divided into five states , as illustrated in fig8 . although the acceleration and deceleration values may be different for states 0 , 2 , 3 , & amp ; 4 , this has not been found to be necessary . accordingly these four states utilize the same ramp table . state 1 does not require a table , merely being a single value . after the initialization process , a counter , which may be internal to the microprocessor or a separate logic device , is loaded with the first value from the computed table . the counter is counted down by the conditioned step and direction signals from logic element 61 , and an interrupt is caused to occur upon its expiration . the interrupt routine loads the next value into the counter , advances the ramp pointer , sends a step signal to drive amplifier 68 , and tests for completion of the current state . if the state is completed , the state counter is incremented unless the current state value is four , in which case it too is set to zero . at the same time , the ramp pointer is set to zero if the new state is 0 or 3 , and to the top of their respective ramps if the new state is 2 or 4 . if the new state is 3 or 4 , the motor direction signal is set to reverse , in other cases it is set to forward . at the transition between state 2 and state 3 , an accounting is made of the number of steps which have been made in the forward direction , and this value is used to set the number of steps to be moved in the reverse direction so that the net shuttle movement after one cycle is zero . the microprocessor receives an additional interrupt ( fig8 d ) from logic element 64 , causing it to enter the synthesized die position interrupt routine as shown in fig1 . this interrupt sets the state value and ramp pointer to 0 , thus synchronizing the shuttle motion with that of the impression roller . although the various aspects of the present invention have been described with respect to its preferred embodiments , it will be understood that the invention is entitled to protection within the scope of the appended claims .

a technique for transferring discrete areas of material , such as hot stamping foil , from a carrier onto positions spaced apart along a substrate , such as paper . the carrier is dispensed at a rate that is much less than the speed of movement of the substrate . during transfer , a segment of the carrier is moved at the same speed as the substrate while , in between such material transfers , the speed of the carrier is sharply reduced and even reversed in direction in order to maintain the average speed of this carrier segment equal to the reduced speed at which the carrier is being dispensed . this is accomplished by a shuttle mechanism that is moved by its own motor , under control of a microprocessor - based motor control system , in synchronism with the speed of the substrate and transfer operations . this significantly improves the utilization of the material on the carrier , with an improved flexibility to adapt to various substrate speeds and ease of implementation in machinery .

[ 0023 ] fig1 illustrates a device for displaying information in an identification area in the form of a signpost . if the signpost is exposed to environmental pollution , it may be assumed that , at least over the long term , its information data will become unrecognizable or recognizable only with great difficulty . it is of course possible to clean the respective signpost , by hand for example , but this entails corresponding cost and effort . the present invention permits self - cleaning of the signpost itself its information and / or identification . the identification area of the signpost 12 is provided with a surface 14 , as illustrated in fig2 to 6 . another possibility is that the identification area 10 may be directly in the form of surface 14 exerting an anti - fouling effect . for this purpose the surface 14 has a base structure 16 which may be artificially produced , as well as other structures 18 which exert a self - cleaning effect . the structures 18 have or develop a capillary effect , one in which the quotient of capillary work k and adhesion work a is greater than 1 . the surface shown in fig2 has , in particular , the artificially producible base structure 16 with structures 18 mounted on it . structures 18 are in the form of cylindrical stalk parts 20 . a capillary 22 is introduced centrally into each stalk part 20 whose capillary opening 24 is free of obstruction . the stalk parts 20 may as structures 18 stand close to each other in a plurality of arrangements on the base structure 10 and preferably are joined to the latter to form one piece . in addition , the base structure 16 may be in the form of a foil , preferably of flexible configuration . if the respective foil structure is suitably thin , the foil may also be stretched or extended biaxially . because of its elasticity , it may also return to its initial position . the surface 14 may accordingly be secured to three - dimensional objects complex in shape of any kind . the surface 14 is shown in fig2 greatly enlarged . both the base structure 16 and the other structures 18 may form microstructures , ones even in the nanometer range . each structure 18 having a capillary 22 has on the side of the capillary opening 24 a capillary radius r k smaller than the radius r t of the smallest drop of water appearing in the environment , the raindrop in particular . the surface 14 structured for this purpose shown in fig1 is self - cleaning . the structuring is described as an arrangement of individual capillaries 22 . for the capillaries to exert the desired effect , a negative rise must be achieved in the capillaries 22 , that is , liquid is to be forced from the capillaries 22 . this applies to liquids whose angle of contact with the structured surface 14 is between 90 ° and 180 °. the action of the capillaries on the surface may be described in mathematical terms by the capillary work k and the adhesion work a . the capillary work k draws the drop from the structure ; the adhesion work a holds the drop in the structure . the object of structure configuration is to ensure that the quotient k / a & gt ; 1 as a result of appropriate choice of the capillary radius r k . if r t is larger than r k , the drop is then distributed over several capillaries , so that the following relationship applies : the following relationship describes the adhesion work a for cylindrical capillaries : a = ( σ 1  g + σ sg - σ sl )  8 3  π · r t 3 r k σ lg = liquid - gas surface tension r k = capillary radius σ sg = solid - gas surface tension h k = rise in capillary σ sl = solid - liquid surface tension ρ = density of liquid r t = radius of drop g = acceleration of gravity ( 9 . 81 ms − 2 ) the structures of the capillary type , in contrast with the illustration in fig2 may also be arranged so as to be recessed or to be a component of concave and / or convex projections in relation to the base structure 16 . since drops of different sizes occur during use of the self - cleaning structured surface , it is also of importance in designing this surface that the capillary radii r k be smaller than the radius r t of the smallest raindrop occurring in the environment . the impact of free falling raindrops is also to be considered . such a drop splatters on impact on any surface into several smaller drops , and so also on impact on a self - cleaning structured surface exhibiting a capillary effect . the following relationship applies to the radius r t of the smallest resulting drop : r t = 6   σ lg ρ   g ρ   v 2  6   σ lg ρ   g 6   σ lg from this relationship , r k & lt ; r t must be true of the capillary radius r k of the self - cleaning structured surface for a small drop not to fall into the structure and so for negative rise not to occur in the capillaries , this being precisely the condition which permits the self - cleaning . differing capillary radii are obtained for different liquids as a result of the corresponding properties of liquids . if the capillaries 22 are employed as structures , the effect of the capillary forces on a liquid in both directions is to be observed : case a : liquid is drawn into a capillary ( rise h k positive ) case b : liquid is pressed out of the capillary ( rise h k negative ), capillary depression . if the drop lies on the structured surface , the drop lies above the capillary 22 and case b is of interest for self - cleaning . in this case , the liquid is forced upward against the force of gravity from the capillary 22 into the superjacent drop . the following relationship is then obtained for the rise h k in a capillary 22 : h k = 2  σ lg  cos   θ pgr k = 2  ( σ sg - σ sl ) pgr k since : σ lg · cos θ = σ sg − σ sl ( young &# 39 ; s equation ) the rise h k in the capillary 22 is a negative value in case b . all values in the formula for the rise are positive . only the cosine of the contact angle θ is negative for the condition the contact angles in question must always be greater than 90 ° for the desired effect to occur at all , that is , that the liquid be forced from the structures by capillary forces . the following relationship applies to the surface roughness : the relationship between the radius of the structures and the adhesion forces is also essential for the effect of capillary forces in structured surfaces , since here the adhesion forces work against capillary forces on the wall of the capillary . in a state of equilibrium , the capillary force acting on the liquid is equally great in the direction opposite that of the force of gravity of the column of liquid displaced . for purposes of calculation , a cylinder can be imagined whose height corresponds to the calculated rise in the capillaries ( in this case , for example : δh k = 10 . 157 mm , in the case of water with θ = 110 , ρ = 998 . 2 kgm − 3 , and r k = 0 . 5 mm ). for computational comparison , it is not the forces but the capillary work and work of adhesion which are calculated . the capillary work k in this instance equals the product of volume , acceleration of gravity g , density ρ , and the rise h : a = ( σ lg + σ sg - σ sl )  8 3  π  r t 3 r k the foregoing formula applies to a radius r t of the raindrops occurring in the environment in the lowest area of water drop size distribution , where a multiplicity of capillaries are employed . the capillary work must be greater than the work of adhesion for the drop not to come into contact with the base of the capillary , but for the drop to be drawn from the depressions and rest on the surface , a process which results in the advantage of self - cleaning . the quotient k / a is calculated for the purpose of comparison of the orders of magnitude of capillary work k and adhesion work a . especially good self - cleaning effects are obtained if the surface is formed of hydrophilic materials , particularly plastic materials of polyvinyl chloride , polyterephthalate , polymethyl - methacrylate , or polyamide . these hydrophilic materials draw moisture into the base structure . in doing so , they form a protective layer against the impact of aqueous fouling elements . other crosslinked structures , especially ones of acrylate material or such materials as have proven themselves to be biologically decomposable , may also be employed in the plastic materials referenced . the original surface material illustrated in fig2 may be obtained by the process specified in de 198 28 856 c1 . for the stalk parts 20 to be formed as desired , in the disclosed process a shaping tool such as a dandy roller is needed . the required very large number of openings in the dandy roll are obtained by etching , electroplating , or by laser treatment . this dandy roll is mounted on a papermaking wire or a structural roller . a counterhold roller rotates in the direction opposite that of the structural roller for a so - called chill roll process in which an extruded plastic material is guided through the gap between the two rollers and the stalk parts 20 are obtained in the openings in the dandy roller . to produce the capillary openings 24 , the plastic material must be suitably displaced , for example , by means of mandrels introduced into the base of the dandy . stalk parts 20 may be mounted in very high packing density on the base structure 16 and be of a form which takes up very little space . another process for producing surface 14 in accordance with the embodiments shown in fig2 - 6 can be achieved as a result of the structure of individual superfine droplets of a plastic material which are deposited in succession in selected places . sizes or packing densities virtually as small as desired can be achieved without the need for correspondingly costly development of shaping tools . thus , control of the locations of the deposits of plastic droplets , accomplished by appropriate relative movements between application device and a substrate carrying the deposit , preferably under computer control , can be accomplished without difficulty . it is possible to produce any configuration desired . in addition , forms may be produced which can be produced only with great difficulty or not at all with conventional shaping tools such as dandy rollers . the respective capillary opening 24 may also be generated immediately in the stalk part material by such method . an application device can include nozzle systems capable of executing application of material in a high - speed process . only droplets a few picoliters in size are deposited on the foil - like base structure material 16 . in addition , frequencies of several kilohertz can be reached and the build - up is carried out sequentially . the plastic material previously applied is immediately made to set , for example , by means of ultraviolet radiation or the like . the respective droplet application process is described in detail in republished de 101 06 705 . 4 . a very high self - cleaning effect can be achieved by a structured surface with the capillary effect of the present invention . the structures 18 may be obtained cost efficiently at the industry level and be used for a multiplicity of applications . the base structure 16 with its other structures 18 may be in the form of a foil material . the possibility immediately exists , however , of introducing the capillaries 22 into the foil - like surface 14 at least on one side . the possibility also exists of forming the identification area 10 itself as the surface 14 described , with the respective identification area 10 subsequently being provided with information content , for example , by a conventional application process such as spraying or the like . the capillaries 22 with their capillary openings 24 may also be formed by a removal process such as by means of laser or water jet cutting . a mechanical invasive process by use of a drill or the like is also possible . the surface 14 is preferably transparent and is joined to the upper side of the identification area 10 by means of a conventional transparent adhesive . preferably , rubber - based hot melts or polyolefins are used . use may also be made of acrylates applied either from an aqueous dispersion or from solutions . monomers and oligomers crosslinkable by radiation may also be employed . in the following embodiments illustrated in fig3 and subsequent figures the same components are provided with the same reference numbers . the various embodiments are explained only to the extent that they differ substantially from the embodiment shown in fig2 . in the embodiment shown in fig3 a plurality of capillaries 22 is introduced into the front side of each stalk part 20 . corresponding capillaries 22 are also introduced at the bottom of the base structure 16 between the respective stalk parts 20 . in the embodiment shown in fig4 the respective stalk parts 20 are provided on the front side with a plurality of tapering capillaries 22 . the side of the base structure 22 facing the stalk parts 20 has cylindrical capillaries 22 alternating with tapering capillaries 22 . in this embodiment care must be taken to ensure that the smaller tapering capillaries 22 always yield one total capillary in the aggregate by selecting the mean capillary radius thereof such that the resulting quotient of capillary work k and adhesion work a is always greater than 1 to ensure self - cleaning . in the embodiment illustrated in fig5 the stalk parts 20 have on their unobstructed or free end a roof - shaped extension . the individual capillaries 22 are formed by the intervals between the individual stalk parts 20 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 the structures 18 are made up of three triangular pyramidal projections . the projections rest on the base structure 16 contiguously , with no spacing in their root area . the spaces between the projections 26 then form the capillaries 22 . the capillary mean capillary radius r k must satisfy the conditions described above such that self - cleaning may be ensured . the base structure 16 preferably has a thickness of 10μ to 50μ . the capillary depth is preferably greater than 5μ . the capillary radius is preferably greater than 5μ . all tubules or elongated cavities ( pores ) with very small interior diameters are suitable as capillaries ( capillary tubes ) for the purposes of the present invention . as a manufactured plastic material , crosslinkable polyacrylates are particularly suitable . while various embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the invention , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing form the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .

a device for displaying information in identification areas of traffic signs , signposts , billboards , license plates , etc . the identification area is provided with a surface having an artificially producible base structure and other structures or itself forms such a surface having a self - cleaning effect . the base structure has or develops a capillary effect in which the quotient of capillary work and adhesion work is greater than 1 . the capillaries have a negative rise , that is , liquid is pressed form the capillaries , providing the self - cleaning effect .

referring now to fig1 an evacuation device for removing volatile components from films , solid deposits and the like is formed in a parallelelipiped block 10 , which block serves as a connection member between a reaction vessel ( not shown ) and a vacuum pump ( not shown ). the block can be formed of aluminum , although other like metals can be utilized . a first evacuation path in the block 10 is defined in part by borehole 14 which communicates an opening in the basal surface 12 to a coaxial valve chamber 16 of a larger diameter than the borehole 14 . the first evacuation path further includes borehole 20 for communicating an opening in lateral surface 22 to valve chamber 16 , borehole 20 being provided with the same diameter as borehole 14 . valve chamber 16 includes a main shutoff valve 24 occluding the valve chamber 16 and being secured thereto by screw 26 , said valve by means of plunger 30 and biasing spring 28 being adapted to selectively seal borehole 14 . junction flanges 32 and 34 are respectively mounted on the openings of boreholes 14 and 20 to facilitate connection of borehole 14 to a reaction vessel and borehole 20 to a suction line which in turn is coupled to an evacuation pump . thus , the first evacuation path leads from the reaction vessel through borehole 14 , valve chamber 16 and borehole 20 to a vacuum pump . a second evacuation path is adapted to bridge the point at which the shutoff valve plunger 30 seals the first evacuation path . a borehole 36 communicates borehole 14 through a throttle point 38 defined by a throttling nozzle 40 to a further borehole 42 defining an opening in lateral surface 44 . the borehole 42 is disposed coaxial to borehole 36 and has a larger diameter than same . disposed at a right angle to borehole 42 is a borehole 46 in communication with valve chamber 48 , which chamber , like chamber 16 is occluded by auxiliary shutoff valve 58 mounted thereto by screws 60 , and by use of spring 62 and plunger 64 is adapted to seal borehole 46 . finally , the second evacuation path includes borehole 50 which communicates valve chamber 48 with valve chamber 16 to effect a bridging of the first evacuation path by the second evacuation path comprised of borehole 36 , throttling nozzle 40 , borehole 42 , valve chamber 48 and borehole 50 . additionally , borehole 50 extends through the valve chamber 48 to define a further opening in the lateral surface 44 . junction flanges 54 and 56 are respectively mounted on the cutaways of boreholes 42 and 52 for facilitating the joining of vacuum measuring tubes of the type utilized in vacuum measuring instruments . reference is made to fig2 wherein a cooling trap 66 adapted to be inserted between a vacuum pump and the first evacuation path is depicted . the cooling trap is comprised of a vitreous u - tube , with bottle - shaped shanks 68 and 70 . the walls of the shanks 68 and 70 form inwardly enlarged surface portions 72 . junction flanges 74 and 76 are respectively secured by a special adhesive to the ends of the u - shanks 68 and 70 . accordingly , the cooling trap can be cooled by well known techniques such as , for example , a vessel with liquid nitrogen . moreover , it is noted , that all the junction flanges are vacuum flanges of standardized size and hence are easily joined to the standardized vacuum lines for suitable use in such evacuating devices . when the evacuation device depicted in fig1 is coupled through a cooling trap , such as the cooling trap depicted in fig2 to a vacuum pump , the following evacuation procedure nozzle effected in a reaction vessel coupled to the borehole 14 at the input of the first evacuation path . initially , the main shutoff valve 28 effects a seal of the first evacuation path by biasing plunger 30 to effect a closing of borehole 14 . additionally , auxiliary shutoff valve 58 maintains the second evacuation path open . accordingly , a prevacuum is induced as a result of the opening of the auxiliary shutoff valve 58 , and the pumped down gases flow through junction flange 32 into borehole 14 , whereafter same is diverted through the open second evacuation path defined by borehole 36 , throttle nozzle 40 , borehole 42 , borehole 46 , valve chamber 48 , borehole 50 and into valve chamber 16 , whereafter same is directed to the cooling trap through the first evacuation path borehole 20 . the pumped down gases are frozen out and collected in the cooling trap 66 . thus , the throttle nozzle 40 in the second evacuation path effects a gentle , uniform evaporation of the liquid , as well as a gradual build up of the vacuum , it being noted that without such throttle the substance film on the liquid in the reaction vessel would be impaired due to the rapid removal of the liquid . when the substance film in the reaction vessel is fully surfaced dried , the main shutoff valve 24 is opened , hence opening the first evacuation path . the larger diameter of the borehole 14 and borehole 20 with respect to the second evacuation path effects a removal of the remaining solvent residues from the reaction vessel and produces a fine vacuum . additionally , the boreholes of the second evacuation path are simultaneously evacuated and hence cleaned of solvent residues so that deposition during repeated reaction cycles are not accumulated in either of the evacuation paths . it is noted , that the instant invention enables a continuous transfer from prevacuum to fine vacuum with only a single vacuum pump being required . such continuous transfer prevents damage to the substance film which often occurs when discontinuous pressure changes occur at the moment that the shift from the prevacuum to the fine vacuum is effected . additionally , positioning a first vacuum measuring tube in the second evacuation path between the throttling point and the auxiliary shuttling valve permits the measurement of the vacuum in the reaction vessel when the shutoff valves are closed . the use of a second vacuum measuring tube disposed in the second evacuation path downstream from the auxiliary shutoff valve is particularly adapted to measure the vacuum when the shutoff valves are closed on the upstream side of the vacuum pump , thereby resulting in the vacuum in the reaction vessel and the vacuum produced directly by the pump being separately monitored . such a feature not only renders possible a rapid detection of problem sources , but furthermore permits conclusions to be made respecting the reaction procedures in the reaction vessel . furthermore , because prior evacuation devices have utilized vacuum measuring tubes directly secured to the reaction vessel , early filling of the vacuum measuring tubes and hence contamination of the substance film occurs . nevertheless , such filling and contamination is substantially eliminated by the joining of the vacuum measuring tubes to the block , hence allowing more accurate measuring results by the vacuum measuring tubes . the block is preferably made from corrosionproof material to protect same against very aggressive substances which are occasionally used during the reaction . additionally , improved efficiency and extended service life is provided to the pump by the utilization of the aforementioned and described cooling trap . the cooling traps eliminate the problems caused by the good sized quantities of solvent drawn off by suction during the course of the evacuation of the reaction vessel . therefore the cooling traps must be of dimensions to receive a sufficient quantity of solvent . the cooling traps can be formed as u - tubes with flow - through joints on the u - shank ends to thereby allow same to be fitted with standard flanges for mounting to the block and vacuum pump . additionally , the enlarging of the walls on the inside by the indents 72 formed therein further enhances the effectiveness of the cooling function . it will thus be seen that the objects set forth above , among those made apparent from the preceding description , are efficiently attained and , since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . it is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described , and all statements of the scope of the invention which , as a matter of language , might be said to fall therebetween .

an evacuation device for removing volatile components from a reaction ves of a protein sequenator and requiring connection to a single vacuum pump is provided . the evacuation device includes a vacuum path having a downstream end thereof connectable through a cooling trap to the vacuum pump and an upstream end defining an input . the vacuum path additionally includes a shutoff valve intermediate the length thereof . a further vacuum path bridges the first mentioned vacuum path upstream and downstream of the shutoff valve and has a smaller vacuum cross - section and houses a throttle therein , the second vacuum path being used for generating a prevacuum in response to the closing of the shutoff valve in the first mentioned vacuum path .

before a specific explanation is given for a sterilization / deodorization gas supply apparatus according to the present invention , a chemical used for the present invention will be described . for this invention , a variety of chemicals , such as stabilized chlorine dioxide , formalin , cresol , phenol , ddt , parathion and ethanol , which are used for sterilization to destroy disease - carrying microorganisms and as agricultural disinfectants and insecticides , can be employed for sterilization , disinfection , antisepsis , antibacterial use and deodorization , and as insecticides . while all conventional sterilization agents can be employed for this invention , in the following explanation stabilized chlorine dioxide gel or liquid is the chemical which is employed . an explanation will now be given for stabilized chlorine dioxide when it is used as a primary element . a stabilized chlorine dioxide gel used in this invention can be manufactured by any well known means , such as a method according to which it is mixed with agar or gelatin and a bridging agent to form a gel . as for the chemical properties of chlorine dioxide , it is well known that it reacts strongly with a double linked portion and a benzene nucleus , and also reacts with a cyanide compound , hydrogen sulfide and protein , but does not react with saturated and unsaturated fatty acids . by using this property , a stabilized chlorine dioxide solution can be gelatinized by employing a gelation agent obtained , for example , by mixing gelatin with a saturated fatty acid , such as stearic acid or palmitic acid , or an unsaturated fatty acid , such as oleic acid or linoleic acid . the speed of evaporation of the stabilized chlorine dioxide gel can be adjusted in accordance with the amount of ethyl alcohol contained in a gelation agent , and the size of the evaporation area in a container . the evaporation speed can also be varied by adjusting the strength of the ultraviolet radiation with which the chlorine dioxide is irradiated and the temperature , both of which greatly affect the vaporization speed . also , since stabilized chlorine dioxide changes , depending on the ph value , and is most stable at a reading of approximately ph 9 , it is preferable that , as needed , an alkali material be added to the chlorine dioxide to maintain a ph 9 reading . since the stabilized chlorine dioxide gel is more suitable for storage , transportation and handling than is the aqueous solution , and can be safely employed using a small container , in this invention it is preferable that a cartridge container which is used be filled with a stabilized chlorine dioxide gel , rather than a stabilized chlorine dioxide aqueous solution . the preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described while referring to the accompanying drawing . the present invention , however , is not limited to this embodiment . fig1 is a diagram showing the basic arrangement of a sterilization / deodorization gas supply apparatus according to the present invention . a stabilized chlorine dioxide gel or liquid is contained in a chemical container 10 , and ultraviolet radiation means 20 is , for example , a fluorescent chemical lamp . it should be noted that temperature control means , an irradiation volume controller and an operating period control timer ( none of them shown ) can be provided for the ultraviolet radiation means 20 . an operating current control circuit that employs a thyristor or another semiconductor device , or an ultraviolet transmission filter that is located along an irradiation route is appropriate for use as the ultraviolet radiation volume controller ; and an appropriate operating current control circuit is a pulse controller that can vary an effective flux , while maintaining a stable discharge , by employing a predetermined or higher peak voltage value . further , the amount of ultraviolet irradiation can be adjusted by alternately employing a plurality of filters having different transmission levels . in accordance with the application , a suction fan can be provided on the side of a gas discharge unit 30 , or an extraction fan can be provided to the rear of the chemical container 10 and the ultraviolet radiation means 20 . when either or both of the suction and extraction fans are employed , a dispersed gas can be effectively extracted or be projected onto an object . a filter 31 is provided on the air intake side . as is described above , the chemical container 10 is used to store a stabilized chlorine dioxide gel or liquid that is prepared with the above arrangement . since stabilized chlorine dioxide is dispersed and exhausted as it is consumed , it must be supplemented as needed as the contents of the chemical container 10 are exhausted . therefore , it is preferable that the chemical container 10 be designed as a detachable cartridge which can be mounted at a connecting portion 32 , part of the gas discharge unit 30 . while the size and the shape of the apparatus are not particularly limited , a convenient design is one where the cover side is formed so that it is wider , while taking into account the fact that the area which comes into contact with distributed heated air affects the dispersion efficiency . in this embodiment , the container 10 is cylindrical , and threads on the cover portion engage threads on the connecting portion 32 at the base of the gas discharge unit 30 . therefore , it is easy to supplement the stabilized chlorine dioxide and to exchange containers 10 . the shape of the container 10 can be arbitrarily determined , and not only can threads be employed to couple the container 10 with the gas discharge unit 30 , but also hooks can be employed to secure the container 10 to the gas discharge unit 30 . the sterilization / deodorization gas supply apparatus can be used to sterilize or to deodorize objects such as medical instruments , medical waste , bedding , mattresses , clothing and footwear which have been enclosed in bags or boxes made of air - tight materials , or in plastic covers ; and can be used to sterilize or deodorize specific internal spaces such as the interiors of toilets , patient rooms and ambulances . the apparatus of the present invention can also be employed to help prevent bedsores by producing a sterilization / deodorization gas having an effective density and projecting it onto such bedding as cloth or air mattresses . in this case , it is convenient for a timer to be provided which can be set in advance to time the operation of the sterilization / deodorization gas supply apparatus , and to control the operating time in accordance with the type and the size of an object or the volume of an enclosed space , such as the interior of a storage bag or a sickroom . it is preferable that , when employed for objects placed in storage bags or for the interior of a room , means for absorbing exhausted gas ( not shown ) be provided in order to completely prevent the deposit in a room of residual gas elements which could adversely affect human beings . normally the density of the stabilized chlorine dioxide in the exhaust is set so that it remains less than 0 . 1 ppm , the gas absorption means can include , for example , a ceramic formed member , which is chiefly made from an active carbon or animal bone powders , or paper or non - woven cloth containing such a formed member , or an absorption neutralizer such as an organic acid . the sterilization / deodorization gas supplying apparatus of this invention can be employed for the destruction of vermin and the sterilization and the deodorization of air mattresses ; medical instruments ; medical waste ; bedding ; clothing ; wards ; ambulances interiors ; residential space ; stores ; offices ; food processing facilities ; computer rooms ; lockers ; warehouses ; engine rooms and passenger compartments of transportation means , such as trains , buses and airplanes ; vinyl plastic hothouses ; refrigerators ; and clothing dryers . the apparatus of the present invention is also effective when used for products such as footwear , sport goods , wigs and accessories , and stuffed toys that are not easy to wash , and for their storage areas . it is natural that the sizes and the volumes of the sterilization / deodorization gas supply apparatuses of this invention vary between those for use in large airplanes and warehouses , and those for use in offices , stores and homes . further , in accordance with the application , an additional apparatus such as an ozone generator , which is an effective deodorization means , can be combined with the apparatus of the present invention . as is described above , according to the present invention , a sterilization / deodorization gas produced by the gas supplying method and apparatus of the invention is not a mist but has a fully gaseous form in which no water droplets or aqueous vapor are included . therefore , the gas can spread so that it is evenly distributed across the surface of an object to be sterilized and deodorized . further , no soiling , corrosion or deterioration of the object occurs . since stabilized chlorine dioxide is formed as a gel , a cartridge container that is easy to handle can be employed , and the storage , delivery and exchange of the container are facilitated . compared with an apparatus for which a stabilized chlorine dioxide aqueous solution is employed , the apparatus that employs the gel is simpler and more economic . various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims which point out and distinctly claim the subject matter regarded as the invention .

according to the present invention , provided are a method whereby a sterilization / deodorization gas is supplied by irradiating a stabilized chlorine dioxide gel or liquid with ultraviolet radiation , and a sterilization / deodorization gas supply apparatus which comprises : a chemical container used to hold a chemical gel or liquid which is used for sterilization and deodorization , and as an insecticide or an insectifuge ; an ultraviolet radiation unit for projecting ultraviolet radiation onto the chemical and for generating a dispersed gas ; and a gas discharge unit for extracting from the chemical container gas elements that are to be dispersed by the ultraviolet radiation unit . with this arrangement , a chlorine dioxide gas that can effectively perform sterilization and deodorization can be easily and safely stored , handled and supplemented by employing the chemical reactive propagative effects of ultraviolet radiation .

the construction of a fluid control island for hysteroscopic procedures may be understood viewing the accompanying fig1 through fig1 , particularly in view of my co - pending patent application 09 / 020 , 708 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . fig1 shows , in perspective , a disposable fluid control island 20 for selectably collecting , retaining and draining fluids received from patients during surgery comprising : a generally broad , shallow , impermeable vessel 21 having a generally horizontal , floor - contacting , bottom portion 22 that is shaped to direct fluids that enter the vessel toward a drain portion 24 that extends through the vessel 21 , the drain being adapted for connection to a fluid collection container . a generally vertical peripheral portion 26 , retains a non - absorbent mesh pad portion 28 fitted within the peripheral portion 26 of the vessel and overlying the bottom portion 22 of the vessel 21 . the non - absorbent mesh pad 28 may be a non - woven , textile fiber mesh , an open - cell polymer foam , or other , equivalent , structure that prevents or reduces fluid splatter , has a high ratio of void space , and that has low fluid retention . a surgical drape 29 may optionally be affixed to the fluid control island 20 . the drape 29 may be attached to the peripheral portion 26 of the vessel along the side that is positioned closest to the operating table and continue perpendicularly along the ends of the vessel 22 for several inches . this configuration can effectively channel substantially all he fluid discharged during a surgical procedure into the fluid control island 20 . fig2 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative double bi - fold embodiment 30 of a disposable fluid control island 20 . it can be seen that the drain portion 24 may include a tubular portion , or bulkhead feed - through fitting 31 , communicating between the vessel 22 and a means , such as a length of tubing 32 , for conveying fluids that enter the vessel to at least one collection canister for measurement of the volume of fluids that are received by the vessel . house vacuum , a separate conventional vacuum pump or a small liquid pump may be used to convey fluids through the drain 24 and into collection canisters . the bottom portion 22 of the vessel 21 may be inclined toward the drain 24 . optionally , channels 34 may be formed in the bottom portion 22 of the vessel to direct fluids toward the drain 24 and to reinforce the vessel structure . in this double bi - fold embodiment 30 , the bottom portion 22 is divided into a first bottom section 36 and a second bottom section 38 by a center hinge portion 40 . each section of the bottom portion is further divided into a distal part 42 and a medial part 44 that are connected by a bottom hinge 46 . the mesh pad 28 may be subdivided corresponding with the bottom portion 22 and optionally affixed thereto . fig3 is a cross - section of the disposable fluid control island 30 taken at 3 — 3 of fig2 showing the mesh 28 and vessel 21 in greater detail . the bottom 22 is shown sloping from the peripheral edge 26 to a lower region 36 , shown in the center of the bottom portion in this embodiment . the peripheral edge 26 has a floor - contacting base 48 that may include adhesives , surface treatments , materials or finishes that impart desired properties , such as limiting slip , to the fluid control island 20 . an outer wall 50 is connected by the top portion 52 to the inner wall 54 which bounds the generally planar panel 56 . the panel 56 has a panel upper surface 58 that can be configured to slope to a low point 60 where fluids accumulate for removal . the low point 60 may be in the center of the panel 56 , or at any other convenient location . spacers 62 may be situated to support areas of the panel 56 and to maintain the desired slope . fig4 is a cross - section of the disposable fluid control island of fig2 taken at 4 — 4 showing an optional fluid - removing tubular vacuum conduit extension 64 . when present , the vacuum conduit extension 64 may be positioned to extend to the location of a low point 60 from the bulkhead connection 31 . the extension 64 could be fitted into a pre - formed channel 34 or held in place by adhesive or mechanical fasteners . fluids may be routed to the drain 24 through open - topped pre - formed channels 34 that do not contain a vacuum conduit extensions 64 . fig5 is a cross - section of an alternative embodiment of the disposable fluid control island of fig2 taken at 4 — 4 wherein the fluid - removing conduit is an open - topped channel 34 with a terminal vacuum connection fitting 31 superimposed . fig6 is a perspective view of the double bi - fold embodiment of the disposable fluid control island 30 of fig2 wherein the embodiment is shown being folded for disposal . the functions of the center hinge 40 and of the bottom hinges 46 are clearly revealed in this fig6 . it is to be appreciated that the fluid control island 30 can be quickly and easily folded so that the entire article will fit into a conveniently sized disposal container . fig7 is a perspective view of an alternative surgical drape - equipped embodiment 66 of the disposable fluid control island of fig2 wherein a surgical drape 29 is affixed to the fluid control island to direct all fluids toward the vacuum fluid collection system . an alternative drain 24 configuration is depicted wherein each medial part 44 is fitted with a bulkhead fitting 31 . a “ y ” connector 68 is used to connect both of the bulkhead fittings 31 to the conduit 32 that conveys fluids to collection containers . fig8 is exploded perspective view of another alternative embodiment 70 of a fluid control island . an optional drain base 71 may receive a disposable fluid control insert 70 that has an extended drain inlet 72 at the center of a long edge of each rectangular bottom part 42 44 of the island . the drain base 71 may optionally be formed integrally with the disposable fluid control insert . it is to be understood that many embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein can provide a working fluid drainage system for surgery that can enable surgeries to be performed in rooms that lack floor drains . that is particularly true in the configuration disclosed in fig8 which provides a substantial structure for securely retaining lightweight , disposable fluid control inserts 70 that may be replaced following each patient surgery . as hospitals seek to maximize utilization of their resources , this feature makes it possible to increase the versatility of existing facilities during times of increased demand for surgical services and by eliminating the restriction on operating room design that may be imposed by the necessity of positioning apparatus with respect to floor drains . it is also possible that the article disclosed herein , in any of the disclosed embodiments and their equivalents , will be preferred as a fluid drainage system in place of floor drains because the disposable drain system 20 removes the fluids from the operating room for proper disposal ( e . g ., incineration ) rather than as ordinary sanitary waste . advantages may result from using the fluid control apparatus and methods 20 disclosed here even if the availability of floor drains at desired locations in operating rooms imposes no restriction . this fluid control island is replaced anew before each surgical procedure , the used island being sealed and disposed of , together with other surgical debris . when fluids received from a surgical patient are collected with the present disposable island , there is no possibility that the drain can serve as a reservoir for pathogens , toxins , or other contaminants that might harm subsequent patients or health care professionals . an operating room floor drain , however , can be a reservoir of infectious microorganisms originating from previous surgical patients or even from sources external to the health care facility . in addition his dual drain embodiment 70 shows an alternative method of construction . the bottom 22 , including the peripheral edge 26 , may be formed of solid foam material rather than from sheet foam material . although this method of construction uses more material and is more costly as a result , it allows a steeper gradient on the upper surface 58 of the bottom panel . extensions 64 reach the center of the junction of the distal 42 and medial 44 parts . this dual drain embodiment 70 is shown with optional solid foam dividers 74 between each rectangular distal part 42 and medial part 44 . this type of construction may be selected , among other times , when it is desired to make the outer wall 50 angle gradually from the floor surface to the top of the peripheral edge 52 . this configuration reduces the maximum distance between the peripheral edge 26 and drain to half that of the configuration depicted in fig1 while simultaneously doubling the gradient of the bottom surface 58 . these two factors hasten evacuation of fluid through the drain conduit is extension 64 and reduce the lag time between the cessation of fluid flow and the measurement of collected fluid volume . fig9 is a perspective view of the dual drain embodiment 70 according to fig8 wherein the disposable fluid control island is folded for shipping , storage , or disposal . the dividers 74 may include a slot 76 and a filter block 78 near the center drains 72 to permit fluids to flow from the distal side 42 and be evacuated . the filter block 78 may be made from the same mesh as the pad 28 or other materials . the mating face of the distal portion 80 can be brought into contact with the mating face of the medial portion 82 if the hinge 46 is fitted with sufficient precision . however , the faces 80 and 82 need not actually touch to obtain satisfactory operation of the fluid control island 70 because the center drains 72 withdraw fluids that might flow into the gap between the faces . an overlap 84 may be included to divert fluids from the vicinity of the faces 80 82 and toward the upper surface of the bottom 58 that is sloped toward the drains 72 . fig1 is a section detail of the disposable fluid control island 70 of fig8 taken at 10 — 10 depicting one of the lateral , or bottom , hinges 46 , drain 72 , and filter block 78 . fig1 is a section detail of the disposable fluid control island 70 of fig8 taken at 10 — 10 wherein the article is folded according to fig9 . the mating relationship among the slot 76 , the filter block 78 that fits into the slot , and the overlap 84 are readily seen in this figure . fig1 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative sheet - formed embodiment 86 of the folding disposable fluid control island . it is possible to vacuum - form the island bottom portion 22 from stock comprising ⅛ ″ polymer such as closed cell low density polyethylene foam . of course , other materials may be used equivalently including most non - absorbent sheet materials , especially sheet metals , sheet plastics , and composites . closed - cell foam has the advantages of being light - weight , non - absorbent , relatively inexpensive , and readily disposable . the technique of vacuum forming is relatively inexpensive for short production runs . however , the product might be made using injection molding , particularly if production runs are longer . the sheet - formed embodiment 86 is shown fitted with an optional toe - board 88 that allows a surgeon to re - position the fluid control island effortlessly during a procedure . insets 90 stiffen the peripheral edge to better retain the pads 28 . however , the bottom 22 is sufficiently resilient to collapse under the weight of a person &# 39 ; s foot , a chair or cart wheel , or similar items , then return to the original position when the load is removed . since the sheet - formed fluid control island 86 is not intended to support any load when in use , it is believed advantageous to allow it to deform when a load is applied to reduce the likelihood that the load will be tipped or unbalanced . it can be seen that the upper surface 58 of the bottom is inclined toward the drain 24 . the inclination may be maintained by one or more sets of ridges 92 and valleys 94 . the ridges 92 support the pad 28 above the upper surface 58 of the bottom to reduce fluid retention in the island . a center dividing ridge 96 has shoulders 98 for supporting theses of th pad 28 at the same plane as the ridges 92 . the valleys 94 make channels directed toward the drain 24 and contact the floor to support the upper surface 58 and maintain the desired inclination . fig1 is a bottom view of the disposable fluid control island 86 base depicted in fig1 . the floor - contacting portions of the insets 90 and valleys 94 formed in the bottom 22 can be readily seen in this view . in addition , the bulkhead feed - through 31 is easily viewed . fig1 is a perspective view of an alternative circular embodiment 100 of a fluid control island . it is possible that such a configuration will be preferred for some procedures . a surgical drape 29 may be attached proximate the periphery of any embodiments of the vessel so as to convey fluids from an operating table to the vessel . the non - woven mesh or open - cell foam pad 28 may conveniently be placed into the vessel 22 after the drape 29 has been attached . it may be advantageous to affix the lower edge of the drape to the inner vessel peripheral wall 54 on the side of the vessel that will be closest to the operating table . the drape 29 may conveniently extend several inches along the vessel ends , perpendicular to the side of the vessel closest to the operating table , so as to channel fluids that run from the operating table and patient into the fluid control island . adhesive portions may be incorporated onto the surgical drape 29 to retain the drape on the operating table and to hold other drape elements in the desired configuration . fig1 is a perspective view depicting the fluid control island 20 with vacuum - operated drain lines 32 linked to cascaded fluid collection canisters 102 during a surgical procedure . a fluid source 104 provides distending medium or other fluid as needed . the fluid control island 20 and all of the alternative embodiments and all of their equivalents disclosed herein comprise a component of a system for determining the fluid balance of patients , particularly with respect to distending medium , but applicable to other fluids , as well . the system for determining patient fluid balance depicted in fig1 is comprised of four main elements : means for determining the amount of fluid infused into the patient 104 , means for collecting fluids received from the patient 20 , means for determining the amount of fluid received from the patient 102 , and means for comparing the amount of fluid received from a surgical patient to the amount of fluid infused into the patient , the arithmetic difference between the amount of fluid introduced 102 and the amount of fluid in the collection canisters 104 . present methods require individual determinations of the volume of fluid in each container of distending medium ( customarily packaged in 3 liter bags that are accurate to perhaps ± 10 %— far less than the accuracy needed to assure patient safety in hysteroscopic procedures ). fig1 is an exploded perspective view of a sixth alternative embodiment 106 of a fluid control island viewed from a location at the side of an operating room table wherein an extension of an extended surgical drape 108 is affixed to and between the upper surface of a floor - contacting foamed polymer wedge base 110 and the lower surface of a non - woven mesh pad 28 . the surgical drape extension 107 thereby forms a continuous fluid - collecting surface that traverses the space from beneath the patient and the bulkhead fitting 31 . it is also possible to use adhesives , mechanical fasteners , heat sealing , or other means to shape the edges of the first end of the drape extension 107 into a structure that fulfills the fluid - retaining function of peripheral edge 26 of fig1 and other embodiments . the extended edges 112 of the drape may be folded up the edges of the mesh pad 28 to prevent fluids from dispersing laterally away from the collection island 106 . the drape extension 107 and drape 108 may be any convenient polymer film such as a 2 mil polyethylene material having any convenient dimensions for the procedures conducted , typically 44 ″× 73 ″ with a nylon or other polymeric feed - through fitting 31 . the floor - contacting lower side of the polymer foam wedge 110 may optionally have anti - skid material 114 applied in situations where foot traffic may occur . the polymer foam wedge 110 may be any convenient material such as polyurethane or other low - cost material . dimensions of this embodiment would be similar to those of other alternative embodiments previously described with a sufficient wedge gradient to cause fluid to flow to the feed - through 31 for collection ( e . g . ½ ″ per foot ). a depression or cut - out 115 may be included to facilitate fluid collection by allowing the bulkhead fitting 31 to rest at the lowest point of the inclines created by supporting the drape material from the foam wedge 110 and operating table . stiffening or shaping members 116 of elastic or springy material may be applied to enhance the fluid - collection functionality and stability of the drape 108 . heat - sealing or adhesives may be used to attach the drape extension 107 to the polymer foam wedge 110 and the mesh pad 28 . although the drape extension 107 and drape 108 are depicted as formed integrally from a single sheet of plastic film , it is to be understood that either or both may be configured differently without departing from the invention . for example , the drape extension 107 might be formed to attach to the back of a conventional surgical drape 108 or to fit to a permanent fluid - guiding sluice affixed to an operating table . likewise , it is possible to make this embodiment using different materials for the drape extension 107 and drape 108 . fig1 shows the fluid control island 106 of fig1 fitted to an operating table viewed from a location behind the normal position of a surgeon and in which an integral combination drape extension 107 and surgical drape 108 is configured to extend a splash barrier substantially beyond the end of the operating table . it is anticipated that the foam wedge 110 would , in most instances , have very low density such that objects such as feet or instrument stands would compress the foam sufficiently to force the drape extension 107 nearly to the elevation of the floor . it is anticipated that the incremental amount of fluid retained by the embodiment 106 due to the presence of a person standing on the mesh 28 would be negligible and would flow freely toward the drain feed - through 31 as soon as the person moved . to reduce any tendency for fluids to pool where a person may stand , it would be possible to include stiff , rod - like members disposed on the top side of the drape extension 107 below the mesh 28 perpendicular to both the narrow and the wide edges of the wedge 110 such that the weight of a person &# 39 ; s foot would compress the foam wedge below the rod - like member , thereby forming a channel in the top side of the drape extension 107 that runs adjacent the rod - like member toward the narrow edge of the wedge 110 . it is possible to make the wedge 110 from any material or with any degree of stiffness or resilience . for example , the wedge could be made of wood , fiberboard , polystyrene , metal , etc ., without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed here . it would also be possible to make the wedge 110 from any density of resilient or rigid foam . for example , it would be possible to make the wedge using expanded polystyrene bead board equivalent to the low - density resilient foam believed preferable at the present time . likewise , it is possible also to form the embodiment with a drain element that extends proximate , and parallel to , the narrow edge of the wedge 110 . such a drain component could be comprised of a vacuum drain tube affixed to the top side of the drape extension 107 and running along the length of the narrow edge of the wedge . holes could be formed through the wall of the vacuum drain tube at intervals through which fluids could enter and then be conveyed by air moving toward the vacuum source and trapped collection canisters 104 . it is possible that such a configuration would reduce the time required to effect collection of fluids because the distance fluid would be required to flow before reaching the vacuum collection point would be minimized . a vacuum conduit extension 64 could connect at either end or along the length of such a vacuum drain tube . an apparatus having the elements needed to determine fluid balance holds the packaged fluids to be dispensed and the canisters that receive returned fluids on a single load cell or weight measuring scale . ancillary equipment for pressurizing dispensed fluid and for conveying returned fluids to collection canisters may also be mounted on the device . the scale may be set to read zero when the procedure is started and to alarm in the event of a pre - determined weight loss . if desired , the system could be rinsed before zeroing the system in order to eliminate the minor effect of fluid that accumulates on wetted system surfaces . the decrease in the weight of the assembly would be directly related to the amount of fluid retained by the patient during the surgery . the scale could be calibrated to factor the density of the fluid into the amount reported so that the system could continuously display the volume of fluid retained by the patient in milliliters or other convenient units . other methods of determining the amounts of fluids provided to the patient include the use of metering pumps to displace distending medium from packages through the hysteroscope and into the surgical site , the use of mass flow meters to measure the amount of fluid introduced into the patient , and scales for weighing the distending medium separately from the returned fluids and / or ancillary equipment . fluids received from the patient could be quantified likewise . changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims .

a system and method for collecting distending medium or other fluids discharged during surgical procedures is shown . also shown is a method for reducing the risk of hyponatremia . the apparatus makes it practical to determine the amount of distending medium retained by a patient during hysteroscopic or other surgical procedures , particularly procedures using non - isotonic distending medium during monopolar electrosurgery . the apparatus and methods are also useful during a variety of laparoscopic , obstetric , cardiovascular , liposuction , plastic , orthopedic , restorative , and other procedures .

in the drawings there is shown one example of the binding apparatus according to the invention which has , as shown in fig1 and 3 , a vertical frame plate 1 and a horizontal cylindrical case 12 which is fixed at one end thereof to the plate 1 . inside the cylindrical case 12 , there is provided a vertical article stop wall 13 , which receives and stops the inner end of an article a ( hereinafter referred to as a pack of paper money a ) inserted in the apparatus in order to be bound by a tape t and is fixedly connected to the frame plate 1 by means of a pair of supporting rods 13a . inside the cylindrical case 12 , a pair of bell crank levers 10 and 11 are provided , which are pivotally mounted on a bracket 15 by pins 10a and 11a , respectively , the bracket 15 being fixed to the outer surface of the plate 1 . on the free ends of the levers 10 and 11 within the cylindrical case 12 , pack clampers 3 and 4 are pivotally mounted by pins 3a and 4a , respectively . the clamping surface 3b of one clamper 3 has a shorter dimension in height but a longer dimension in the fore - and - aft direction , i . e ., the direction in which the pack a is inserted and extracted , than the clamping surface 4b of the other clamper 4 , whereby an extension 5 in the rearward direction is formed in the clamper 3 . the thickness t of this extension is less than that of the remaining part of the clamper 3 . the vertical stop wall 13 is formed with a u - shaped cross section as viewed in plan view . one side portion of the wall 13 has a cutout 14 so as to permit the clamper 3 to pass through the cutout 14 into a u - shaped groove 17 defined by the wall 13 . the opposite side portion is also formed with a cutout 16 which permits the clamper 4 to pass into the groove 17 . the clamper 4 is always disposed in the groove 17 . a cylindrical tape guide 7 is slidably mounted over the outer or rear end of the aforementioned case 12 and is adapted to slide telescopically over the base 12 in the axial direction or fore - and - aft direction thereof . the cylindrical tape guide 7 has a portion 7a formed integrally therewith and having a voluted tape guide passage 6 . the passage 6 opens on outerside thereof and is shaped so as to encircle the outer side of the extension 5 . pins 18 and 18a project from the cylindrical guide 7 at the sides thereof respectively . these pins 18 and 18a are engaged in yoke portions 22 and 22a , respectively , at the free ends of tape guide actuating arms 21 and 21a , the other ends of which are secured to an square shaft 20 which is rotatably received at its ends in bearing journals respectively in a pair of brackets 19 and 19a fixed to the inner surface of the frame plate 1 at lower corners thereof . to the one end of the square shaft 20 is fixed an operating lever 23 , the swinging motion of which lever 23 causes the angular shaft 20 to rotate . a pin 24 projects from the top of the case 12 . the pin 24 is slidably engaged in a slot 25 formed in the top of the cylindrical tape guide 7 in the direction of the longitudinal axis thereof , so that the cylindrical tape guide 7 can be moved over the cylindrical case 12 in parallel to the direction of a pack inserted ( direction x ) without rotating by the swinging motion of the lever 23 . another vertical plate 1a is arranged to cover the open side of the voluted tape guide passage 6 and is connected to the frame plate 1 by connecting rods 26 . the vertical plate 1a is provided with a rectangular opening 27 for inserting a pack a , the opening being shaped to be longer in height than in width as shown in fig1 . pack guiding troughs 2a and 2 are fixed to the plate 1a at the upper and the lower ends of the rectangular opening 27 , respectively . the lower trough 2 also serves to support as well as to guide a pack and is connected to a pack supporting plate 2b disposed on the inner side of the vertical plate 1a . the tape feeding - out end 9 of the voluted tape guide passage 6 is so positioned that the end t1 of the guided tape t can depend between the clamping surface 3b of one clamper 3 with the extension 5 and one side of the pack a . tape end adhering roller means 28 is provided under the voluted tape guide passage 6 . the roller means 28 comprises a rotatable shaft 29 , a larger arm 30 fixed to the shaft 29 at one end and a smaller arm 32 carrying a roller 31 at one end , the other end of the smaller arm 32 being pivotally connected to the other end of the larger arm 30 by a connecting pin 32a , around which pin 32a a coil spring 33 is disposed . the smaller arm 32 is adapted to be always biased against to a stop rod 34 . in addition , a tape cutter 35 and an adhesive feeder 36 are provided as shown in fig1 at positions suitable for their respective operations as described hereinafter . a pair of tape feeding and drawing back roller means 8 have a nip therebetween through which the tape t is passed . the tape t is drawn from a tape reel 40 . one roller of the roller means 8 is driven by a reversible motor m shown in fig1 . in the operation of the apparatus of the above described construction according to the invention , the motor m of the tape feeding and drawing back roller means 8 is operated to feed the tape t forward when a pack a is inserted through the pack guiding trough 2 of the vertical plate 1a and its leading end abuts against the vertical stop wall 13 to actuate a sensing means ( not shown ) for sending a signal to the motor m . consequently , the tape t is directed through the voluted tape guide passage 6 and encircles the pack a two times . then , the leading end t1 of the guided tape t depends from the tape feeding - out end of the passage 6 between the clamping surface 3b of the clamper 3 and one side of the pack a . the roller means 8 is adapted to stop its operation under control of a control means ( not shown ) after feeding out a required length of tape . then , the control means operates the pair of levers 10 and 11 to swing them toward each other to cause the clampers 3 and 4 to grasp the pack a from both sides as shown in fig2 . at this time , the leading end t1 of the tape t is held tightly between the extension 5 of the clamper 3 and the pack a . then , the swinging of the lever 23 causes the cylindrical tape guide 7 to move in the direction of insertion of the pack , that is , in the direction x through the movement of the shaft 20 and arms 21 and 21a , so that , as the voluted tape guide passage 6 is open at one side , the guided tape is released as a whole from the guide passage 6 and remains around the pack a in a voluted condition . the tape which has been in a loosely encircling state around the pack a and the extension 5 of the clamper 3 is thereupon wound tight a number of times around the pack a together with the extension 5 by the operation of the control means which reverses the motor m of the tape feeding and drawing back roller means 8 , as shown by arrows in fig2 . at this time , the other clamper 4 cooperates with that part of the clamper 3 other than the extension 5 thereof to grasp the leading portion of the pack a . when the pack a has been taped tightly , the tape feeding and drawing back roller means 8 is stopped by the control means . an adhesive feeder 36 is then brought near the tape wrapped around the pack a to deposit an adhesive thereon . thereafter , the tape cutter 35 is actuated to cut the tape . as shown in fig5 the rotatable shaft 29 is actuated to swing upwardly the larger arm 30 and the smaller arm 32 , whereby the pressing roller 31 carried by one end of the arm 32 raises and presses that part of the tape t which has been extending between the bottom of the pack a and the cutter 35 onto the part of the tape on which the adhesive has been deposited . thus , the adhesive sticking operation is completed . in this manner , there is formed a bound pack on the pack guiding trough , the tape t encircling the pack a number of times and binding it , and the cut end of tape t being stuck by adhesive to the leading tape portion which has been wound around the pack a . by manually drawing back the pack a on the guiding trough 2 , the extension 5 can be drawn smoothly from between the tape t and one side of the pack a . thus , the desired pack bound by the tape is obtained . while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above with respect to a pack of paper money as one example of an article to be bound , the invention is not limited to a pack , wad or stack of sheet material . furthermore , it will be apparent also that a specific tape , such as a vinyl tape , can be used as required for an article to be bound . the following several operations of the apparatus are all successively and automatically controlled by programming and sequence circuits in the control means . starting the tape feeding and drawing back roller means 8 when the inserted pack a abuts against the pack stop wall 13 . stopping the roller means 8 when the tape t is fed by a predetermined length such that the end t1 of tape t depends in front of the clamper 3 . slidingly retracting the cylindrical tape guide 7 after actuation of the clampers 3 and 4 . stopping the roller means 8 after the tape has been drawn back and tightened around the pack a with a desired tension . since all of these operations can be accomplished by control means known in the prior art , description of such means will be omitted . of course , means other than the tape cutter and adhesive feeder described herein can be used . thus , means wherein a tape which has adhesive deposited over its entire length and dried is pressed by a heated pressing roller 31 to fuse and stick the tape can be used . the apparatus according to the present invention as described above is constructed and arranged to bind rapidly , easily and reliably an article to be bound with the use of a tape by using simple components such as a displaceable voluted tape guide passage 6 and a pair of clampers 3 and 4 , one 3 being longer than the other 4 .

a pack of paper money is inserted into a binding apparatus and positioned within multiple loops of a tape in involuted state , whereupon clampers grasp the pack from opposites thereof , an extension on one clamper pressing and holding the inner leading end of the tape against the pack , and a roller device draws a trailing part of the tape to tighten the tape loops around the pack . a cutter cuts the tape at the trailing part to form an outer trailing extremity of the tape , which is stuck with adhesive to the tightened tape thereby to complete the binding of the pack . the moving parts of the apparatus are controlled and actuated automatically when the pack is inserted into binding position in the apparatus .

now , an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to 3 . referring to fig1 a microwave etching apparatus is shown as a plasma etching apparatus in this case . the microwave etching apparatus is constructed of a vacuum processing chamber in which a sample table is mounted , a waveguide which introduces a microwave into the vacuum processing chamber , a microwave source which generates the microwave , magnetic field generation means for generating a magnetic field in the vacuum processing chamber , a processing gas feed device which feeds a processing gas into the vacuum processing chamber , an evacuation device which evacuates the vacuum processing chamber to reduce the internal pressure thereof to a predetermined pressure , a cooling device which cools the sample table to a low temperature , and means for drawing ions in a plasma into a sample , herein , bias application means for bestowing a bias voltage on the sample table . the vacuum processing chamber is herein configured of a vessel 10 and a discharge tube 14 . the vessel 10 has a flange 11 mounted on the outer periphery of the upper part thereof , and is let open at the upper part . the discharge tube 14 is gastightly mounted on the flange 11 so as to cover the open part , thereby to define a space communicating with the interior of the vessel 10 . in this case , the discharge tube 14 is in a substantially hemispherical shape . herein , the vessel 10 is formed of stainless steel , while the discharge tube 14 is formed of quartz . the waveguide is herein configured of a waveguide 31 of rectangular cross section and a waveguide 32 of circular cross section . outside the discharge tube 14 , the waveguide 32 is disposed surrounding this discharge tube 14 . the waveguide 31 is joined to the waveguide 32 , and a magnetron 30 being the microwave source is mounted on the end of the waveguide 31 remote from the waveguide 32 . outside the waveguide 32 , solenoids 40 being the magnetic field generation means are wound round this waveguide 32 . the processing gas feed device is herein configured of a flow control valve 51 and a processing gas source 50 . the processing gas source 50 is connected through the flow control valve 51 to a conduit 12 which is provided in the flange 11 in this case . the evacuation device is herein configured of a pressure regulator valve 61 and a vacuum pump 60 . the vacuum pump 60 is connected through the pressure regulator valve 61 to an exhaust port 13 which is provided in the bottom of the vessel 10 in this case . the sample table 20 is mounted on the bottom of the vessel 10 through an insulator 23 so as to penetrate this bottom . herein , the insulator 23 is electrically insulating and exhibits a favorable thermal insulation . the space 15 is defined between the upper surface of the sample table 20 and the envelope of the discharge tube 14 . a wafer 24 being the sample can be placed on the upper surface of the sample table 20 by a transportation device not shown , and it is arranged substantially horizontally with its surface to be processed facing the space 15 . the cooling device is herein configured of a coolant feeder 70 , and a coolant channel 21 formed in the sample table 20 . the inlet and outlet of the coolant channel 21 are provided at that end part of the sample table 20 which is protruded out of the bottom of the vessel 10 . the coolant feeder 70 is connected to the coolant channel 21 through a coolant feed pipe 71 as well as a coolant return pipe 72 . the bias application means is herein configured of a radio - frequency power source 80 , a controller 81 and a matching unit 82 . one terminal of the radio - frequency power source 80 is connected to the sample table 20 through the matching unit 82 , and another terminal thereof is grounded . the controller 81 is connected to still another terminal of the radio - frequency power source 80 . the controller 81 functions to supply the radio - frequency power source 80 with a control signal of radio - frequency power previously programmed in this case , and to change during the etching of the wafer 24 the value of radio - frequency power which is to be supplied to the sample table 20 by the radio - frequency power source 80 . besides , numeral 16 designates an earth electrode which surrounds the sample table 20 in a manner to be spaced therefrom , and which is grounded through the vessel 10 in this case . numeral 22 indicates a heater which is interposed between the upper surface of the sample table 20 and the coolant channel 21 . the heater 22 is connected to an electric power source device not shown . the electric power source device is adapted to control its output to the heater 22 . in the plasma etching apparatus thus constructed , the etching process of the wafer is performed as follows : first , the internal space of the vessel 10 and the discharge tube 14 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 60 and the pressure regulator valve 61 so as to have its pressure reduced to a predetermined value . subsequently , the wafer 24 ( herein , one wafer ) is transported into the space 15 by the known transportation means not shown , and the transported wafer 24 is arranged on the upper surface of the sample table 20 with its surface to be etched facing upwards . the arranged wafer 24 is held on the sample table 20 by an electrostatic attraction device or a mechanical clamp , not shown . meanwhile , a coolant is fed into the coolant channel 21 through the coolant feed pipe 71 by the coolant feeder 70 , and the coolant coming out of the coolant channel 21 is recovered through the coolant return pipe 72 . thus , the sample table 20 is cooled , and the wafer 24 is cooled through the sample table 20 . on this occasion , the wafer 24 is controlled to a predetermined temperature by the heater 22 . herein , the wafer 24 is held at a temperature not higher than 0 ° c . at which the vapor pressure of a reaction product becomes lower than the pressure of an etching gas within the space 15 . incidentally , on this occasion , the controllability of the wafer temperature is made better still by supplying a heat transfer gas such as helium gas between the wafer 24 and the sample table 20 . simultaneously , the etching gas at a predetermined flow rate is introduced from the processing gas source 50 into the evacuated space 15 under the reduced pressure through the flow control valve 51 as well as the gas conduit 12 . part of the etching gas introduced into the space 15 is exhausted by the vacuum pump 60 . thus , the pressure of the space 15 is adjusted to the predetermined etching pressure . subsequently , a microwave which is at 2 . 45 ghz in this case is oscillated by the magnetron 30 . the oscillated microwave is propagated through the waveguides 31 and 32 , and is caused to enter the discharge tube 14 . in addition , the solenoids 40 are energized in a predetermined amount so as to generate a magnetic field . thus , the magnetic field is established in the discharge tube 14 , the etching gas in the discharge tube 14 is excited by the action of the electric field of the microwave and the established magnetic field , and a plasma is developed in the space 15 . the surface to be etched of the wafer 24 held on the sample table 20 at the predetermined temperature is subjected to the etching process by the developed plasma . on this occasion , radio - frequency power which is at 2 mhz herein is supplied to the sample table 20 by the radio - frequency power source 80 during the etching process of the wafer 24 . besides , the output of the radio - frequency power from the radio - frequency power source 80 is changed in accordance with a control signal from the controller 81 . by way of example , this output is changed periodically within certain limits . as an example of the etching process on this occasion , there will be described the case of the processing of the wafer 24 in which a subbing layer is an oxide film , a material to be etched is an al -- cu -- si alloy film , and a mask is of a photoresist . as the etching gas , a chloric gas which does not contain a gas for forming a side - wall protective film is employed . the temperature of the wafer 24 is - 10 ° c . the radio - frequency power is at levels of 90 w and 40 w in this case , and it is periodically changed every predetermined time t 1 , herein , every second , by a control signal from controller 81 as illustrated in fig2 . thus , the radio - frequency power which is periodically changed every time interval t 1 as illustrated in fig3 is supplied to the sample table 20 , and bias voltages v 1 and v 2 are consequently generated . ions in the plasma are drawn toward the wafer 24 by the bias voltages , whereby the etching process is performed . in an instance , when the wafer 24 was etched in this way , the selectivity ratio of the film to be etched to the subbing oxide film was 20 , and that of the same to the photoresist was 3 . 5 , these selectivity ratios being high . further , the etching was free from side etching and produced no residue . in fig2 a time t 0 is the point of time at which the etching is ended . by the way , in a case where the temperature of the wafer 24 was the normal temperature ( about 20 ° c .) and where the level of the high - frequency power was 90 w , the film to be etched could be etched anisotropically and without any appreciable residue in such a manner that the etching rate was 1000 nm / min ., and that the selectivity ratio of the film to be etched to the subbing oxide film was 13 , while the selectivity ratio thereof to the photoresist was 2 . 5 . these selectivity ratios relative to the subbing oxide film and the photoresist were unsatisfactory . in this regard , the temperature of the wafer 24 was set at - 10 ° c . in order to attain an anisotropy , and the radio - frequency power was lowered to 40 w in order to enhance the selectivity ratios . in this case , the selectivity ratios to the subbing oxide film and to the photoresist were respectively enhanced to 25 and 5 . however , a residue appeared under these conditions . as described above , the sample table 20 , and in turn , the wafer 24 , is cooled and the power of the radio - frequency power source 80 is changed during the etching process , thereby to realize the etching process of the wafer 24 which is favorable in producing no residue , being anisotropic and affording high selectivity ratios . this fact will be considered more . several kinds of reaction products are formed during the etching of the wafer 24 . for the purpose of etching the wafer 24 at a good anisotropy , the wafer temperature needs to be set at the temperature of one of the reaction products exhibiting the lowest vapor pressure . for this reason , some substances will remain as residues without being sufficiently etched . the residue appears on the side wall and bottom surface of the material to be etched . the residue on the bottom surface of the material to be etched is removed by the ions in the plasma . however , the residue on the side wall of the material to be etched is not satisfactorily removed when the amount of entrance of the ions in the plasma is small . the ions in the plasma are drawn toward the wafer 24 by the bias voltage , and are caused to enter the wafer 24 . in this case , the bias voltage is generated by supplying the radio - frequency power to the sample table 20 . therefore , the bias voltage is raised by enlarging the radio - frequency power , thereby to increase the amount of entrance of the ions . thus , the residue on the side wall of the material to be etched is also removed . since , however , the entrance energy of the ions is also enlarged by raising the bias voltage , the ratio of selectivity of the material to be etched to the subbing layer or the resist becomes small . in this regard , the period of time during which the residue is removed by the high bias voltage and the period of time during which the etching process is performed with the low bias voltage , namely , without decreasing the selectivity ratio are alternately switched over by changing the level of the radio - frequency power as in this embodiment . it will therefore be possible to realize the etching process producing no residue , being anisotropic and affording the high selectivity ratios . when the etching process of the wafer 24 has ended in this way , the oscillation of the microwave by the magnetron 30 , the energization of the solenoids 40 , the operation of the radio - frequency power source 80 , the delivery of the control signal from the controller 81 and the introduction of the gas into the space 15 are all stopped at that time . thereafter , the wafer 24 subjected to the etching process is transported out of the space 15 by the transportation means not shown . besides , another wafer 24 to be processed is transported into the vacuum processing chamber as stated before , and it is subjected to an etching process as in the foregoing . according to the embodiment thus far described , in a process based on low - temperature etching , the level of radio - frequency power to be supplied to a sample table 20 is periodically changed , whereby a bias voltage changes periodically and the amount of ions in a plasma changes appropriately , to alternately carry out the removal of a residue on a surface to be etched and the etching of the surface at a high selectivity , so that an etching process producing no residue , being anisotropic and being highly selective can be performed . now , the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig4 to 6 . fig4 shows a microwave plasma etching apparatus . in this figure , the same members as in fig1 are indicated by identical numerals , and they shall be omitted from description . the point of difference of the embodiment in fig4 from the embodiment in fig1 is that a d . c . power source 83 is comprised together with a radio - frequency power source 80 , and that the output of the d . c . power source 83 is controlled by a controller 81a in this case . incidentally , numeral 84 designates a radio - frequency blocking unit . one terminal of the d . c . power source 83 is connected to a sample table 20 through the radio - frequency blocking unit 84 , and another terminal is grounded . the controller 81a is connected to still another terminal of the d . c . power source 83 . in the apparatus thus constructed during the etching process of a wafer 24 , predetermined radio - frequency power is supplied to the sample table 20 by the radio - frequency power source 80 , while at the same time , a d . c . voltage is supplied to the sample table 20 by the d . c . power source 83 . besides , on this occasion , the output of the d . c . voltage from the d . c . power source 83 is changed according to a control signal from the controller 81a . herein , the control signal which is periodically changed every time interval t 1 as illustrated in fig5 is delivered from the controller 81a to the d . c . power source 83 . thus , bias voltages v 1 and v 2 which are periodically switched over every time interval t 1 as illustrated in fig6 are applied to the sample table 20 . a radio - frequency voltage of predetermined level is supplied in superposition on the bias voltages . in this way , the etching process is performed similarly to the foregoing embodiment in fig1 . according to the second embodiment thus far described , the bias voltage can be periodically changed by the d . c . power source 83 and the controller 81a , so that the same effect as in the foregoing embodiment is attained . now , the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig7 and 8 . fig7 shows a microwave plasma etching apparatus . in this figure , the same members as in fig1 are indicated by identical numerals , and they shall be omitted from description . the point of difference of the embodiment in fig7 from the embodiment in fig1 is that an alternating current generation source 86 is comprised together with a radio - frequency power source 80 , and that the output of the alternating current generation source 86 is controlled by a controller 81b in this case . incidentally , numeral 85 designates a synthesis unit which synthesizes the outputs of the radio - frequency power source 80 and the alternating current generation source 86 . one terminal of the alternating current generation source 86 is connected to a sample table 20 through the synthesis unit 85 , and another terminal is grounded . the controller 81b is connected to still another terminal of the alternating current generation source 86 . in the apparatus thus constructed , during the etching process of a wafer 24 , radio - frequency power is supplied to the sample table 20 by the radio - frequency power source 80 , while at the same time , an a . c . voltage is supplied to the sample table 20 by the alternating current generation source 86 . besides , on this occasion , the frequency and voltage of the a . c . voltage to be delivered from the alternating current generation source 86 are changed according to a control signal from the controller 81b . herein , a radio - frequency voltage is supplied to the sample table 20 in superposition on the periodically changing a . c . waveform as illustrated in fig8 . in this way , the etching process is performed similarly to the foregoing embodiment in fig1 . according to the third embodiment thus far described , the radio - frequency power is periodically changed by the alternating current generation source 86 and the controller 81b , and the bias voltage applied to the sample table 20 is periodically changed , so that the same effect as in the foregoing embodiment in fig1 is attained . now , the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig9 and 10 . fig9 shows a microwave plasma etching apparatus . in this figure , the same members as in fig1 are indicated by identical numerals , and they shall be omitted from description . the point of difference of the embodiment in fig9 from the embodiment in fig1 is that a sample table 20 is grounded , while a grid electrode 87 is provided over the sample table 20 , and that a d . c . power source 83 is connected to the grid electrode 87 and has its output controlled by a controller 81a in this case . one terminal of the d . c . power source 83 is connected to the grid electrode 87 , and another terminal is grounded . the controller 81a is connected to still another terminal of the d . c . power source . in the apparatus thus constructed , during the etching process of a wafer 24 , a minus d . c . voltage is supplied to the grid electrode 87 by the d . c . power source 83 . besides , on this occasion , the output of the d . c . voltage from the d . c . power source 83 is changed according to a control signal from the controller 81a . herein , the control signal which is periodically changed every time interval t 1 is delivered from the controller 81a to the d . c . power source 83 . thus , acceleration voltages v 1 and v 2 which are periodically switched over every time interval t 1 as illustrated in fig1 are supplied to the grid electrode 87 . in this way , the etching process is performed similarly to the foregoing embodiment in fig1 . in this embodiment in fig9 the acceleration voltage which is supplied to the grid electrode 87 is employed as means for drawing ions in a plasma toward the wafer 24 . according to the fourth embodiment thus far described , the acceleration voltage to be supplied to the grid electrode 87 is periodically changed by the d . c . power source 83 and the controller 81a , and the amount of the ions in the plasma to be drawn toward the wafer 24 can be regulated as in the foregoing embodiment in fig1 so that the same effect as in the foregoing embodiment is attained . although each of the first to fourth embodiments has been described as to the apparatus in which the plasma for the etching process is generated using the microwave , the present invention is not restricted to such an apparatus . by way of example , the invention is also applicable to an rie apparatus of the parallel plate electrode type as shown in fig1 or fig1 . the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 . fig1 shows a plasma etching apparatus of the parallel plate type . in this figure , the same members as in fig4 are indicated by identical symbols , and they shall be omitted from description . the point of difference of the embodiment in fig1 from the embodiment in fig4 is that parallel plate type electrodes consisting of a sample table 20 and a counter electrode 93 are disposed in a vacuum vessel 90 , and that a plasma is generated by the electrodes . the counter electrode 93 is grounded . incidentally , numeral 91 designates a gas conduit , numeral 92 an exhaust port , and numeral 94 a plasma generation space defined between the electrodes . in the apparatus thus constructed , radio - frequency power is supplied to the sample table 20 by a radio - frequency power source 80 so as to generate the plasma in the space 94 , whereupon a wafer 24 is subjected to an etching process . during the etching process , a d . c . voltage is supplied to the sample table 20 by a d . c . power source 83 as in the second embodiment in fig4 . besides , on this occasion , the output of the d . c . voltage from the d . c . power source 83 is changed according to a control signal from a controller 81a . in this way , a bias voltage changing periodically is supplied to the sample table 20 as in the second embodiment , and the etching process is performed similarly to the embodiment in fig1 . thus , the same effect as that of the embodiment in fig1 is attained . the sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 . fig1 shows a plasma etching apparatus of the parallel plate type . in this figure , the same members as in fig9 and 11 are indicated by identical symbols , and they shall be omitted from description . the point of difference of the embodiment in fig1 from the embodiment in fig1 is that the same acceleration voltage as in the fourth embodiment is used as means for drawing ions in the plasma toward a wafer 24 . thus , likewise to the fourth embodiment , the sixth embodiment attains the same effect as that of the embodiment in fig1 . according to the present invention described above , there is brought forth the effect that , in a process based on low - temperature etching , an etching process producing no residue , being anisotropic and being highly selective can be carried out .

the present invention relates to a plasma etching method and apparatus , and more particularly to a plasma etching method and apparatus which are well suited for etching the samples of semiconductor device substrates , etc . in cooling a sample to a temperature not higher than 0 ° c . which is a minimum temperature of water and subjecting the sample to an etching process with a gas plasma , an acceleration voltage which accelerates ions in the gas plasma toward the sample is repeatedly changed , whereby in a process based on low - temperature etching , an etching process producing no residue , being anisotropic and being highly selective is realized .

referring now to the drawings for the purpose of illustrating the invention and not for the purpose of limiting the same , it is to be understood that standard components or features that are within the purview of an artisan of ordinary skill and do not contribute to the understanding of the various embodiments of the invention are omitted from the drawings to enhance clarity , even when such features may otherwise be necessary for the operation of a machine , such as a planer , embodying the invention . in addition , it will be appreciated that the characterizations of various components described herein as moving , for example , upwardly or downwardly , or being vertical or horizontal , are relative characterizations only based upon the particular position or orientation of a given component for a particular application . fig1 is an isometric view of a portable planer 100 according to one embodiment of the invention . the planer 100 includes a support structure , generally designated as 112 , which includes a top frame 104 , a base 103 for supporting a workpiece 114 , columns 107 connecting the top frame 104 and the base 103 , an infeed table 108 for supporting the workpiece 114 as it enters the planer 100 , and an outfeed table 110 for supporting the workpiece 114 as it exits the planer 100 . side housings 106 cover portions of the planer 100 . the planer 100 also includes a cutterhead or carriage assembly 102 , as shown in fig2 and 3 , in which part of the support structure 112 has been removed . the cutterhead 102 is mounted on a first support member also referred to as a spindle or elevating screw 118 and a second support member or spindle 119 . the first spindle 118 defines an axis of rotation designated as a - a . the height of the cutterhead 102 from the base 103 can be adjusted by rotating a crank handle 116 , which imparts rotational motion to the second spindle 119 . an adjustable opening 143 is thereby defined between the cutterhead 102 and the base 103 . the first spindle 118 is linked to the second spindle 119 by a chain 122 and sprockets 123 or other means of transmitting rotational motion , so that the rotation of the second spindle 119 results in rotation of the first spindle 118 . see fig3 . the first spindle 118 and the second spindle 119 may be engaged respectively with a first carriage nut 124 and second carriage nut 125 , so that the cutterhead 102 may be moved up and down on the spindles 118 and 119 while remaining parallel to the base 103 . the first carriage nut 124 and the second carriage nut 125 may be separate components inserted into the cutterhead 102 or they may comprise appropriate threaded surfaces that are integral to the cutterhead 102 . the typical travel distance of the cutterhead 102 relative to the base 103 of a portable planer 100 , may be of the order of several inches . one planer , such as the model delta 22 - 560 planer manufactured by delta international machinery corp . of jackson , tenn ., the assignee of this invention , for example , has a 6 inches travel . in one embodiment , the planer includes an embodiment of a depth stop mechanism 128 . see fig4 . the depth stop mechanism 128 permits an operator to select a minimum thickness dimension desired for a workpiece 114 and , by a simple operation , engage the depth stop mechanism 128 to stop the cutterhead 102 when the cutterhead 102 reaches a predetermined height from the base 103 corresponding to the desired minimum thickness dimension ( t min ) for the workpiece 102 . the predetermined height can essentially be any height along the travel path of the cutterhead 102 from the base 103 to the top frame 104 . as shown in fig4 , the depth stop mechanism 128 includes a knob 130 and an adjustment assembly generally designated as 131 . in this embodiment , the adjustment assembly includes as sleeve 132 that has a top end 133 and a bottom end 134 . the top end 133 may be an integral part of the sleeve 132 or it may be formed from a separate component such as a bushing attached to the sleeve 132 . the sleeve 132 receives an upper portion 138 of the first spindle 118 and may slide along or rotate about the first spindle 118 . a retainer shaft 140 within the sleeve 132 connects the upper portion 138 of the first spindle 118 to the knob 130 and is secured by a knob fastener 142 , such as , for example , a retaining screw or retainer slot and ring . the first spindle 118 includes a first threaded portion 136 and a second threaded portion 137 . the pitch p 1 of the first threaded portion 136 is smaller than the pitch p 2 of the second threaded portion 137 , i . e . the number of threads per inch n 1 of the first threaded portion 136 is greater than the number of threads per inch n 2 of the second threaded portion 137 , for reasons that will become apparent herein below . the depth stop mechanism 128 of this embodiment further includes a depth stop member 144 , such as a depth stop nut , which is threadedly engaged with the first threaded portion 136 of the first spindle 118 , such that when the depth stop nut 144 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to the first spindle 118 , the depth stop nut 144 moves down or up the first threaded portion 136 of the first spindle 118 . the depth stop nut 144 may be , for example , a hex nut having a six - sided lateral surface . an abutment surface 146 , also referred to herein as a spindle shoulder , may be formed at the junction of the first threaded portion 136 to the second threaded portion 137 by the difference of the diameters of the first threaded portion 136 to the second threaded portion 137 of the first spindle 118 . see fig5 . those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that when the depth stop nut 144 contacts the abutment surface 146 , the depth stop nut 144 will be prevented from moving further downward on the first threaded portion 136 . the abutment surface 146 may also be defined by an appropriate washer , nut or other similar means . another washer 145 or abutment surface on the first threaded portion of the first spindle 118 prevents further upward motion of the nut 144 that may interfere with the function of the retainer shaft 140 . one embodiment of the sleeve 132 is shown in exploded view in fig6 . in this embodiment , the top end 133 of the sleeve 132 is partially received within a bore 152 in the top frame 104 . see fig7 . in this embodiment , a portion of the exterior circumference of the top end 133 of the sleeve 132 is non - circular in shape and includes a hexagonally - shaped surface 148 that defines six corners 149 . the exterior of the top end 133 is sized to be received in the bore 152 . as can be seen in fig7 , the bore 152 has a surface 150 that defines a plurality of notches 153 for selectively receiving the corners 149 of the top end 133 therein . in the embodiment shown in fig7 , the bore 152 has a surface 150 with twenty four sides 150 and twenty four notches of which twelve outer notches 153 define twelve positions about axis a - a in which the sleeve may be retained . as will be further explained below , when the top end 133 is received within the bore 152 such that the corners 149 are received in corresponding notches 153 , the top end 133 and ultimately the sleeve 132 is prevented from being rotatable about axis a - a . the top end 133 may further include a plurality of ramps 154 having corresponding slots 156 , and an annular plate 157 for receiving the top end of the retainer shaft 140 . the knob 130 is then fastened to the retainer shaft by a fastener 142 , such as , for example , the retaining screw 142 shown in fig8 or the retaining ring 158 and retaining slot 159 at the top of retainer shaft 140 , as shown in fig9 . in this embodiment , the knob 130 includes a plurality of posts 160 that correspond in number and are sized to fit into the slots 156 of the top end 133 . in the embodiment shown in fig6 and 9 , there are three ramps 154 , three slots 156 and three posts 160 . a compression spring 162 is coiled around the retainer shaft 140 between the bottom surface of the annular plate 157 and a shoulder 163 in the retainer shaft 140 , and is biased to push the sleeve 132 upwardly , i . e . toward the knob 130 . see fig5 . the inner surface of the sleeve 132 includes two diametrically opposed flat portions 164 , which are sized to contact and hold respective sides of the depth stop nut 144 , so that when the sleeve 132 rotates about the first spindle 118 , the depth stop nut also rotates about the first spindle 118 , causing it to move up or down the first threaded portion 136 of the first spindle 118 . the depth stop mechanism 128 is selectively moveable between an engaged position , shown in fig4 , and a disengaged position , shown in fig5 . in the engaged position , the corners 149 of the top end 133 of the sleeve 132 are received within the corresponding notches 153 in the bore 152 , which serves to prevent the sleeve 132 from either sliding or rotating about the first spindle 118 . the sleeve 132 is retained in the engaged position by depressing and rotating the knob 130 so that the posts 160 ride up the ramps 154 and are received into the slots 156 thereby also compressing the spring 162 . in this position , the depth stop nut 144 cannot rotate , but it will slidably move up or down within the sleeve 132 by the rotation of the first spindle 118 . in the “ disengaged ” position , illustrated in fig5 , the sleeve 132 may freely rotate and slide relative to the first spindle 118 . the sleeve 132 can be rotated with the knob 130 in the unlocked position and the spring 160 extended . in this position , when the knob 130 is rotated , the sleeve 132 rotates , consequently rotating the depth stop nut 144 and causing it to move up or down on the first spindle 118 . as is often the case , a workpiece may have to be passed through the planer several times in order to attain the final desired thickness . those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that after the workpiece 114 has passed through the planer 100 , the cutterhead 102 is positioned closer to the base 103 and the workpiece 114 is again passed through the planer 100 . this activity is repeated until the workpiece 114 is planed to a desired thickness . as will be discussed below , the depth stop mechanism 128 of the present invention permits the user to quickly and accurately establish a stop which prevents the cutterhead 102 from inadvertently being adjusted beyond a point which would result in the workpiece 114 being planed to a lesser than desired thickness . this embodiment of the depth stop mechanism 128 operates as follows . the knob 130 is rotated counterclockwise to release it from the locked position causing the posts 160 to slide from the slots 156 down the ramps 154 with the spring 162 pushing the sleeve 132 up in the disengaged position and moving the hexagonal surface 148 out of the twenty - four sided surface 150 of the bore 152 . starting at the disengaged position , the cutterhead is moved to a desired height from the base 103 by operating the crank handle 116 , which causes the second spindle 119 to rotate . the second spindle 119 has a threaded portion 166 , which has the same pitch p 2 as the second threaded portion 137 of the first spindle 118 . as the chain 122 and sprocket 123 transmit the rotational motion of the second spindle 119 to the first spindle 118 , the common pitch p 2 keeps the cutterhead 102 level , i . e . parallel to the base 103 . after the cutterhead 102 has reached the height corresponding to the minimum thickness t min desired for the finished workpiece 114 , the knob 130 is rotated clockwise , causing the sleeve 132 , and therefore the depth stop nut 144 , to also rotate clockwise . as a result , the depth stop nut 144 moves down the first threaded portion 136 of the spindle until it contacts the abutment surface 144 . at this position , the knob 130 is depressed and rotated clockwise locking the sleeve 132 within the bore 152 thereby bringing the depth stop mechanism 128 in the engaged position . see fig4 . the cutterhead 102 is thereafter moved away from the base 103 by operation of the crank handle 116 to an initial height “ h ” from the base 103 that will allow for an unfinished / thicker workpiece to be initially inserted . the height “ h ” is equal to h c plus t min , where h c is the distance of the cutterhead 102 from the minimum desired distance t min from the base 103 , as shown in fig1 . while the cutterhead 102 is raised to the initial height h , the rotation of the first spindle 118 causes the depth stop nut 144 to advance a distance h a away from the abutment surface 146 . when the cutterhead 102 is gradually lowered to plane the workpiece 114 in successive passes , the depth stop nut 144 will also be advanced downward and eventually contact the abutment surface 146 having traveled a distance h a while the cutterhead 102 has traveled a distance h c . the abutment surface 146 prevents the depth stop nut 144 from moving further downward and resists further rotation of the crank handle 116 , and therefore prevents reduction of the thickness of the workpiece 114 beyond the predetermined minimum thickness t min . by an appropriate choice of the pitch ratio p 1 / p 2 , the distance h n traveled by depth stop nut 144 is only a fraction of the distance h c traveled by the cutterhead 102 : ( p 1 / p 2 )=( n 2 / n 1 )=( h n / h c ). for example , if the first threaded portion 136 has 40 threads per inch , or 1 / 40 pitch , and the second threaded portion 137 has 16 threads per inch or 1 / 16 pitch , then the depth stop nut 144 will travel only 40 % ( i . e . 16 / 40 ) of the distance traveled by the cutterhead 102 . accordingly , the cutterhead 103 can be set at any height from the base within its full range of motion , for example 6 . 5 inches , provided that the depth stop mechanism 128 is constructed such that the distance between the washer 145 and the abutment surface 146 is only 2 . 6 inches ( 40 % of 6 . 5 ), with the pitch ratio chosen for this example . therefore , the depth stop mechanism 128 is very compact and can be added as a feature of a portable planer 100 without increasing the overall dimensions of the planer , because the depth stop mechanism 128 can be accommodated within the original size of the planer 100 . as can be seen in fig1 , another embodiment of the planer 100 may also include a depth measuring device 168 that displays the distance of the cutterhead 102 from the base 103 as the cutterhead 102 is adjusted in height . the depth measuring device 168 includes a commercially available retractable measuring device 170 , such as a tape , of the type that retracts to wind up on a tape roll 174 inside a housing 176 . the retractable tape 170 has a first end 171 and a second end 172 . the first end 171 of the retractable tape 170 is attached to the cutterhead 102 by common mechanical fasteners , such as rivets or screws , and the second end 172 is attached to the tape roll 174 . the housing 176 is attached to the top frame 104 of the planer . the retractable tape 170 has a portion with a scale 178 thereon . a viewing window 179 covers a portion of the scale 178 and is attached to the top frame 104 of the planer . the scale is calibrated to show the current height of the cutterhead 102 from the base 103 at a cursor line or other scale indicator 180 on the clear window 179 . the depth measuring device 168 is an inexpensive and easy to install accessory for a planer 100 and may be advantageously used in conjunction with the depth stop mechanism 128 to measure at a glance the height of the cutterhead 102 from the base 103 for setting the desirable minimum thickness t min for planing a workpiece 114 . another embodiment of the present invention may comprise a planer 100 that has a workpiece level indicator assembly 181 shown in fig1 ( a )- 12 ( d ). the workpiece level indicator assembly 181 includes a workpiece level indicator plate 182 that is mounted preferably on the front surface 184 of the cutterhead 102 , such that it can slide between an engaged position shown in fig1 ( a ) and a disengaged position shown in fig1 ( c ). the mounting means may be , for example , two slots 194 each having a left indentation 195 and fasteners 196 sized to extend through the slots 194 to be threadedly received in corresponding threaded holes in the cutterhead . the workpiece level indicator plate 182 has a bottom face 186 parallel to the base 103 and a front ledge 188 . a spring 190 , illustrated in fig1 ( d ) mounted on the front side 184 of the cutterhead 103 biases the workpiece level indicator plate 182 to the right and such that the fasteners 196 are received in their respective indentation 195 . this position is the engaged position . as can be seen in fig1 ( b ), when the level indicator plate 182 is in the engaged position , the bottom face 186 extends below the lower surface of the cutterhead 102 . when the cutterhead 102 is lowered onto the workpiece , the bottom face 186 of the level indicator plate 182 contacts the workpiece causing the plate 182 to slide upward against the biasing force of the spring 190 . a cover plate 192 may also be mounted on the front side 184 of the cutterhead 103 with fasteners 196 such that it may cover an inscription on the indicator in the disengaged position , such as the word “ engaged ” and exposing the inscription in the engaged position . yet another embodiment of the planer 100 may include a locking mechanism 198 , which allows the infeed table 108 to pivot between an extended position during operation and an upright storage position in which the planer 100 is switched off and the cutting blade is inaccessible for safety reasons , as shown in fig1 , and 13 ( a ) and ( b ). the locking mechanism 198 includes an aperture 199 on the side frame 106 of the planer 100 and an aperture 200 on the infeed table 108 . the apertures 199 and 200 are aligned such that a locking device 201 , such as , for example , an ordinary padlock or other safety lock , may be inserted through the aperture 199 of the side frame 106 and the aperture 200 of the infeed table 108 to secure and lock the infeed table 108 in the upright position . in the upright and locked position , the infeed table 108 pushes against and switches off the power switch 203 ( shown in fig1 ) of the planer 100 . the planer 100 may also include a dust removal assembly 206 , as shown in fig1 - 17 . the dust removal assembly 206 is positioned on the outfeed side 208 of the carriage assembly 102 and includes a manifold 210 having a manifold deck 211 . the manifold 210 is removably attached to the carriage assembly 102 by means of , for example , a pair of thumb screws 212 ( only one is shown ) through the manifold deck 211 . the dust removal assembly 206 also includes a dust deflector 214 , which is attached to the carriage assembly 102 with any suitable fasteners toward the infeed side 209 and deflects airflow and dust or shavings under the manifold deck 211 . the dust removal assembly 206 also includes a dust chute 216 that communicates with the manifold 210 through a dust channel 218 , which is releasably connected to the carriage assembly 102 . the dust channel 218 may be attached to the dust chute 216 with fasteners 224 , or by welding , and may be an integral part of the dust chute 216 . the dust channel 218 has two end posts 220 , which are attached , for example , by spot welds , and are sized to slide into corresponding guiding slots 222 on the carriage assembly 102 . the guiding slots 222 help slide the dust channel 218 and dust chute 216 easily onto the carriage assembly 102 . the manifold 210 is then placed on the carriage assembly 102 and the thumbscrews 212 are inserted and tightened over the manifold deck 211 . the dust chute 216 has a side opening 226 , to which a vacuum hose may be attached for dust removal . the side opening 226 directs dust to one side of the planer 100 . the portion of the dust channel 218 that connects to the carriage assembly is symmetrically shaped . thus , the dust channel 218 may be connected to the carriage assembly 102 in either a first position , with the side opening 226 directed to a right side of the planer 100 , or a second position , with the side opening 226 directed to a left side of the planer 100 . the depth stop mechanism 128 , the depth measuring device 168 , the workpiece level indicator assembly 181 , the locking mechanism 198 and the dust removal assembly 206 have all been described for a portable planer , but they can readily be used with a standard planer or other machine that includes a rotary cutting member 105 mounted on a carriage assembly 102 , such as a combination planer / molder , planer / sander , etc . whereas particular embodiments of the invention have been described herein for the purpose of illustrating the invention and not for the purpose of limiting the same , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous variations of the details , materials and arrangement of parts may be made within the principle and scope of the invention without departing from the invention as described in the appended claims .

a planer having a base , a first support member attached to the base and supporting a cutterhead for selective travel in a first direction toward the base and a second opposite direction , a top frame attached to the first support member and a depth stop mechanism attached to the top frame for selectively preventing travel of the cutterhead in the first direction beyond a pre - selected distance from the base . a depth measuring device including a retractable tape may be attached to the cutterhead . a workpiece level indicator plate movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position may be attached to the planer to indicate contact with a workpiece . a locking mechanism for locking a pivotable infeed table of a planer in the upright position for storage , and thereby switching off power to the planer is also disclosed . the planer may include a readily attachable and detachable dust removal assembly .

the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference now to fig1 , a portion of a dual clutch transmission is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . it should be appreciated that while the invention is described and illustrated in conjunction with a dual clutch transmission , the invention has broad application in other types of transmissions such as mta applications and a broad array of other hydraulically actuated or controlled devices . the transmission 10 includes a housing 12 which surrounds , supports and protects various components such as a counter shaft or layshaft 14 which freely rotatably supports a pair of distinctly sized gears , a first , smaller gear 16 and a second , larger gear 18 . disposed between the first gear 16 and the second gear 18 on the countershaft or layshaft 14 is a synchronizer clutch assembly 20 having an opposed pair of synchronizers 22 and opposed sets of face clutch or gear teeth 24 which mutually exclusively cooperate with face clutch or gear teeth 26 on the first gear 16 and the second gear 18 . an annular shift collar 30 includes a circumferential channel or groove 32 and a first detent mechanism 34 . the circumferential channel or groove 32 of the shift collar 30 receives a shift fork 36 which is secured to and translates with a shift rail 38 . the shift rail 38 is constrained for axial bidirectional movement in one or more openings or passageways 40 in the housing 12 ( or a feature of the housing 12 such as a bracket or extension ) and may be detented by one or a pair of second detent mechanisms 42 . also attached to the shift rail 36 by , for example , cooperating grooves and snap rings 44 is an apply finger 46 . a belleville or wave washer 48 may also be utilized to ensure a positive though slightly resilient connection between the shift rail 36 and the apply finger 46 . referring now to fig1 and 2 , the apply finger 46 is bi - directionally translated by a three position hydraulic actuator assembly 50 . specifically , the three position hydraulic actuator assembly 50 includes a housing 52 . for ease of manufacture and assembly , the housing 52 may comprise a cylindrical portion 54 defining a first or left inlet port 56 a and a second or right inlet port 56 b . it should be appreciated that while characterized as “ inlet ports ,” since that is their primary operational function , because there are no other passageways leading into or out of the housing 52 , the ports 56 a and 56 b also function as outlet or exhaust ports during certain phases of operation . the housing 52 also includes a first or left end plate 58 a and a second or right end plate 58 b . the end plates 58 a and 58 b may be identical and may be secured to the cylindrical portion 54 of the housing 52 by any suitable means such as , for example , threaded fasteners 62 . the cylindrical portion 54 of the housing 52 includes an internal circumferential shoulder 64 that defines a stepped cylinder 66 that slidingly and sealingly receives a master piston 70 . the master piston 70 includes a centrally disposed radial passageway 72 that receives and engages the apply finger 46 . one end of the master piston 70 is stepped and defines an external circumferential shoulder 74 . the smaller diameter region of the master piston 70 adjacent the external circumferential shoulder 74 receives an annular neutral or center position piston 76 . the neutral or center position piston 76 cooperates with the master piston 70 to achieve , with suitable application of pressurized hydraulic fluid through the two inlet ports 56 a and 56 b , three positions of the master piston 70 : a position to the left , adjacent the first or left inlet port 56 a , a center or neutral position as illustrated in fig2 and a position to the right , adjacent the second or right inlet port 56 b . inasmuch as those skilled in the art of hydraulic actuators will be familiar with such a configuration and its operation , this aspect of the three position hydraulic actuator assembly 50 will not be further described . the end of the neutral or center position piston 76 proximate the left inlet port 56 a itself includes a first circumferential shoulder 78 a defining a first reduced diameter portion 82 a of the center position piston 76 and the adjacent end of the center position piston 76 includes a first plurality of radially oriented channels 84 a . both the first reduced diameter portion 82 a and the first plurality of radially oriented channels 84 a facilitate rapid filling of a first or left chamber 86 a of the stepped cylinder 66 notwithstanding the leftmost disposition of the master piston 70 and the center position piston 76 which might otherwise momentarily interfere with fluid flow through the first or left inlet port 56 a and into the first or left chamber 86 a . the end of the master piston 70 adjacent the second or right inlet port 56 b similarly includes a second circumferential shoulder 78 b defining a second reduced diameter portion 82 b of the master piston 70 and the adjacent end of the master piston 70 includes a second plurality of radially oriented channels 84 b . the second reduced diameter portion 82 b and the second plurality of radially oriented channels 84 b function as described directly above to facilitate rapid filling of a second or right chamber 86 b notwithstanding the rightmost disposition of the master piston 70 . the master piston 70 also includes a first longitudinal passageway and port 90 a that provides fluid communication between the first or left chamber 86 a and a first retarding cylinder or chamber 92 a . slidingly and sealingly received within the first retarding chamber 92 a is a first side pin assembly 100 a . the first side pin assembly 100 a cooperates with the first retarding chamber 92 a and functions as a piston . the first side pin assembly 100 a includes a first hollow cylindrical body 102 a having male threads 104 a on an enlarged portion of the first cylindrical body 102 a which are complementary to female threads 106 b in an opening 108 b in the second or right end plate 58 b . the first hollow cylindrical body 102 a receives a first end plug 110 a defining a first orifice 112 a sized to provide a controlled fluid flow as will be described subsequently . the first end plug 110 a is maintained in its position at the inner end of the first hollow cylindrical body 102 a by a first compression spring 114 a which , in turn , is retained within the first hollow cylindrical body 102 a by a first end cap 116 a which may be press fit into the first hollow cylindrical body 102 a or retained there by a snap ring ( not illustrated ). one or a plurality of first radial passageways 118 a provide fluid communication between the interior of the first hollow cylindrical body 102 a and the second or right chamber 86 b . the three position hydraulic actuator assembly 50 is essentially symmetrical in both structure and operation . thus it will be appreciated that the master piston 70 also includes a second longitudinal passageway and port 90 b communicating between the second or right chamber 86 b and a second retarding cylinder or chamber 92 b . likewise , slidingly and sealingly received within the second retarding chamber 92 b is a second side pin assembly 100 b . the second side pin assembly 100 b cooperates with the second retarding chamber 92 b and functions as a piston . the second side pin assembly 100 b includes a second hollow cylindrical body 102 b having male threads 104 b which are complementary to female threads 106 b in an opening 108 b in the first or left end plate 58 a . the second cylindrical body 102 b receives a second end plug 110 b defining a second orifice 112 b sized to provide a controlled fluid flow as will be described subsequently . the second end plug 110 b is maintained in its position at the inner end of the second cylindrical body 102 b by a second compression spring 114 b which , in turn , is retained within the second cylindrical body 102 b by a second end cap 116 b . one or a plurality of second radial passageways 118 b provide fluid communication between the interior of the first hollow cylindrical body 102 b and the first or left chamber 86 a . as noted above , operation of the three position hydraulic actuator assembly 50 is essentially symmetrical and thus only operation ( translation ) from its center or neutral position illustrated in fig2 to a position to the right as illustrated in fig3 to engage the second gear 18 ( illustrated in fig1 ) will be described , it being understood that translation to the left involves the same operational steps . to translate the master piston 70 to the right to engage the second gear 18 , pressurized hydraulic fluid is supplied to the first or left inlet port 56 a while the second or right inlet port 56 b and the second or right chamber 66 b is exhausted . pressurized hydraulic fluid in the first or left chamber 66 a commences to translate the master piston 70 to the right in fig2 and it also flows through the first longitudinal passageway and port 90 a and fills and pressurizes the first retarding chamber 92 a . as the master piston 70 continues to translate to the right , the end of the first cylindrical body 102 a of the first side pin assembly 100 a will close off the first longitudinal passageway and port 90 a . additional motion of the master piston 70 will increase the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the first retarding chamber 92 a , thereby beginning to slow the master piston 70 . the volume and thus the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the first retarding chamber 92 a is controlled by the first orifice 112 a , specifically , its size . the size of the first orifice 112 a is chosen to essentially be a compromise between noise ( clunk ) reduction and shift speed , that is , a larger first orifice 112 a will allow shifts to be completed more rapidly whereas a smaller first orifice 112 a will result in greater noise reduction . during certain operating conditions , typically at low temperatures , an otherwise desirable size of the first orifice 112 a may not provide sufficient hydraulic fluid flow , pressures may reach a high level and shifts may not be completed in what is considered to be an acceptable time . in such conditions , the hydraulic pressure will compress the first compression spring 114 a and the first end plug 110 a will move off its seat , allowing a rapid flow of hydraulic fluid into the interior of the first cylindrical body 102 a , out the first radial passageways 118 a and into the right chamber 86 b from which it is exhausted through the second or right inlet port 56 b . it will thus be appreciated that the hydraulic actuator assembly 50 according to the present invention provides both rapid and quiet travel of the master piston 70 and gear engagement for a dual clutch transmission , in mta applications or other transmissions . the actuator assembly 50 achieves this goal without complex electronic controls and modulatable control valves which have been utilized in the past to provide fluid pressure profiling to decelerate the actuator piston as it approaches the ends of its stroke . it should also be appreciated that the hydraulic actuator assembly 50 according to the present invention and the associated shift rail 36 , the shift fork 34 and the synchronizer clutch assembly 20 will typically be utilized in groups of three or four in vehicle transmissions having , for example , five or more forward gears and reverse . finally , it should also be appreciated that although the hydraulic actuator assembly 50 according to the present invention having reduced operating noise has been described above as a three position ( double acting ) actuator having a defined center position and two end positions , the noise reduction feature of the present invention is equally suitable for use in a single acting actuator . in this instance , the master piston 70 would require only a single longitudinal passageway and port , for example , the first longitudinal passageway and port 90 a , as well as only one retarding cylinder or chamber , for example , the first retarding chamber 92 a and one slide pin assembly , for example , the first slide pin assembly 100 a . the annular neutral or center position piston 76 can , of course , be eliminated in a single acting device . the foregoing listing is not and is not intended to be exhaustive but rather to present the more important components necessary to achieve noise reduction in a single acting hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the following claims .

the present invention provides a three position hydraulic piston assembly for a gear ratio change mechanism for a transmission exhibiting reduced gear shift noise . the three position hydraulic piston assembly includes a master piston and motion retarding assemblies that act near both travel limits of the master piston . the master piston includes symmetrical passageways that provide hydraulic fluid flow to small chambers at each end of the piston that are closed off as the piston approaches its travel limits . hydraulic fluid trapped in the chambers decelerates the piston and is bled off through an orifice allowing the piston to reach its travel limit and quickly and quietly engage a gear ratio .

fig2 a is a flow chart showing the outline of the main transaction order construction process . the first step 210 creates a network of local log files by connecting the files to each other . this is done by identifying commit symbols , ci , of the same transaction appearing in multiple log files l 1 , l 2 , . . . , l k . these c i &# 39 ; s are then connected together and their confluence designates a &# 34 ; merge point &# 34 ; merging log files l 1 , l 2 , . . . , lk . a two - local - log file system is depicted in fig2 b showing the merge points of the system defined by l 1 20a and l 2 20b . the merge point of c i consists of commit symbols 21 and 25 , and the merge point of c j consists of commit symbols 23 and 25 ( the blank symbols in the figure denote other operations such as votes or commits from other transactions ). next , step 220 encompasses traversing the log files , resolving commit symbol cycles , and merging the network into a sequence . this step is further described below . fig3 a is a flow chart showing the steps of the network merging process outlined in step 220 . a first embodiment of this process ( not shown ) first traverses all the log files to their ends , resolving commit symbol ambiguities , and then , in another pass - through , merges the unambiguous log files into one sequence . a preferred embodiment both resolves the ambiguities and merges the log files while traversing the log files , thus constructing the order in one pass - through . ( because the first embodiment is less efficient and its functions are subsumed in those of the preferred embodiment , it is not discussed further .) each local log file has a &# 34 ; current traversal point ,&# 34 ; initially set to the beginning of the log file , and the log files are traversed in the direction from the beginning of the log file to the end . associated with each local log file is a &# 34 ; wait list &# 34 ; in which the log file stores information as to which other local log files are connected to it in the network . each wait list is initially empty . the first step 310 takes an arbitrary log file l k with an empty wait list and advances the current traversal point until a merge point c m is encountered . when that happens , the next step 320 records into the wait list of l k all the other log files merged at that merge point ( each log file is denoted ( l n , c m )). fig3 b shows two connected local log files l 1 30a and l 2 30b and illustrates these two steps 310 , 320 . letting l 1 30a be the initial arbitrary log file , both local log files initially having empty wait lists , l 1 30a is traversed until a merge point consisting of c i 31 in l 1 30a and c i 37 in l 2 30b is encountered . thus , ( l 2 , c i ) is recorded in the wait list of l 1 30a . the next steps 330 , 335 , 345 involve merging the log files that mutually appear in each other &# 39 ; s wait lists at a given merge point c m . step 330 examines the wait lists of the log files that appear in the wait list of l 1 30a . because only ( l 2 , c i ) appears in that wait list , and the wait list of l 2 30 b is initially empty and has not yet been filled , step 330 returns &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; and the process continues to step 350 to determine if all of the log files have been traversed . if so , the process is complete and proceeds to the end 360 . if not , the process in step 370 looks for any other log file whose wait list is still empty . in the case illustrated in fig3 b , the wait list of l 2 30b is still empty . thus the process returns to the first step 310 and l 2 30b is traversed until the merge point c i 37 in l 2 30b and c i 31 in l 1 30a is encountered . step 320 records ( l 1 , c i ) in the wait list of l 2 30b . now , step 330 returns &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; because ( l 1 , c i ) and ( l 2 , c i ) mutually appear in each other &# 39 ; s wait list associated with the same merge point . the next step 335 deletes the names of the log files from the wait lists of the log files that mutually appear in each other &# 39 ; s wait lists . thus , ( l 2 , c i ) is removed from the wait list of l 1 30a and ( l 1 , c i ) is removed from the wait list of l 2 30b . because these log file wait lists only contained the other log file , both wait lists are now empty and the process continues . the next step 345 merges the log files connected to the merge point into a sequence up to the merge point and the merging process is fairly straightforward . the vote and commit symbols of these log files are arranged by arbitrarily interleaving them so long as the relative orders in their original log files are not violated . fig3 c illustrates the result of the merge . now only one combined log file l 30c appears up to and including the merge point c i 36 . the rest of the log files l 1 30a and l 2 30b remain intact ; there is still a relative pattern in l 1 30a of symbols 32 - 33 - 35 , there is still a relative pattern in l 2 30b of symbols 34 - 39 , and the connection between similar commit symbols c j 35 in l 1 30a and c j 39 in l 2 30b remains intact . after deleting the logs from the wait lists and merging the log files up to the merge point , the process continues in step 350 to see whether all log files have been completely traversed . from c i 36 the process continues , repeating the previous steps on l 1 30a and l 2 30b , and the traversal encounters a merge point consisting of c j 35 in l 1 30a and c j 39 in l 2 30b . this results in the picture in fig3 d where the two log files l 1 30a and l 2 30b are merged to the merge point c j 38 which is the end of both log files . thus step 350 returns &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; and the process ends there with one log file l 30c remaining . fig4 a illustrates a final possibility in the merging process -- a commit symbol cycle . commit symbol cycles occur when different local log files imply different orders of the same two ( or more ) transactions . commit symbol cycles are formally defined as follows : given a set of local log files , if there exist some commit symbols c 1 , c 2 , . . . , c n - 1 , c n such that relative patterns c 1 - c 2 , c 2 - c 3 , . . . , c n - 1 - c n exist in some local log files , and c 1 = c n , we say that there is &# 34 ; commit symbol cycle &# 34 ; or simply a &# 34 ; cycle &# 34 ; consisting of c 1 , c 2 , . . . , c n - 1 . each of c k - c k + 1 , for 1 ≦ k ≦ n - 1 is called a &# 34 ; segment &# 34 ; of the cycle . as before , initially the wait lists of l 1 40a and l 2 40b are empty . after choosing an arbitrary log file , say l 1 40a , step 310 traverses it until encountering a merge point , in this case c i 41 and c i 49 . step 320 records ( l 2 , c i ) in the wait list of l 1 40a , steps 330 and 350 both return &# 34 ; no , &# 34 ; and step 370 returns &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; and the process continues with step 310 to traverse l 2 40b until encountering merge point c j 47 and c j 45 . step 320 records ( l 1 , c j ) in the wait list of l 2 40b . although l 1 40a and l 2 40b appear in each other &# 39 ; s wait lists , the wait lists are not associated with the same merge point -- the merge point on l 1 40a is c i and the merge point on l 2 40b is c j . thus , step 330 again returns &# 34 ; no .&# 34 ; because both l 1 40a and l 2 40b have not been traversed to the end , step 350 also returns &# 34 ; no .&# 34 ; however , both log files have wait lists , so step 370 returns &# 34 ; yes ,&# 34 ; and step 380 is satisfied -- when the traversal of logs is stalled because there is no empty wait list , at least one commit symbol cycle has occurred . note that for the log files involved in a cycle , they must all stop at a different merge point . in addition to the possibility shown in fig4 a involving two log files , a commit symbol cycle will occur , for example , in a three ( or more ) log file system if l a appears in the wait list of l b , l 1 appears in the wait list of l c , and l c appears in the wait list of l a . when a commit symbol cycle occurs , step 390 resolves the cycle by adjusting the position of commit symbols in at least one of the log files so that a consistent order of transactions is maintained . fig5 is the flow chart showing the commit symbol cycle resolution process . the first step 510 in resolving a commit symbol cycle is to identify all of the segments in the cycle . fig4 a illustrates a two - segment commit symbol cycle where c i - c j 41 - 45 in l 1 40a forms one segment of the cycle and c i - c i 47 - 49 in l 2 40b forms the other segment . the next step 520 in the resolution process is to find which of the segments is &# 34 ; unsupported . &# 34 ; this step requires two related concepts to be defined : &# 34 ; directly supported &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; indirectly supported .&# 34 ; first , a segment c i - c j of a cycle in a local log file is &# 34 ; directly supported &# 34 ; by the serialization implication of the local log file if relative pattern c i - v j - c j exists in the log file , i . e . if v j comes somewhere between c i and c j . in fig4 a , because there is a pattern of c i - v j - c j 41 - 43 - 45 in l 1 40a , the segment c i - c j 41 - 45 is a &# 34 ; directly supported &# 34 ; segment . second , a segment c i - c j of a cycle in a local log file is &# 34 ; indirectly supported &# 34 ; by the serialization implication of the local log file if relative patterns c i - v i + 1 - c i + 1 , c i + 1 - v i + 2 - c i + 2 , . . . , c i + k - 1 - v i + k - c i + k , where c i + k 32 c j exist in some log files , i . e . if via a series of directly supported segments across some log files , v j comes somewhere between c i and c j . an example of an indirectly supported segment is shown in fig6 . at first glance , segment c i - c k 67 - 68 on l 3 60c appears unsupported because there is no vote symbol between the two commit symbols . however , there is a path of directly supported segments across log files l 1 60c , l 2 60b , and l 1 60a that show that c i - c k 67 - 68 is indirectly supported . this path begins with c i 67 on l 3 60c and continues to c i - v j - c j 64 - 65 - 66 on l 2 60b because of the matching c i . operation c j 66 then connects with the pattern c j - v k - c k 61 - 62 - 63 on l 1 60a . because c k 63 on l 1 60a is the same operation as c k 68 on l 3 60c , the segment c i - c k 67 - 68 on l 1 60c is indirectly supported . these definitions lead to the definition of an &# 34 ; unsupported segment &# 34 ; as a segment that is neither directly nor indirectly supported . in fig4 a , neither of the two segments is &# 34 ; indirectly supported .&# 34 ; because only c i - c j 41 - 45 is &# 34 ; directly supported , &# 34 ; segment c j - c i 47 - 49 must therefore be &# 34 ; unsupported .&# 34 ; generally , in a two - segment cycle between two log files l 1 and l 2 , where the segment in l 1 is c i - c j and the segment in l 2 is c j - c i , only one of the following cases can be true : case 1 : there is a pattern c i - v j c j in l 1 , and the segment in l 2 is unsupported . in such a case , the serialization implication is i before j . case 2 : there is a pattern c j - v i - c i in l 2 , and the segment in l 1 is unsupported . in such a case , the serialization implication is j before i . case 3 : neither pattern occurs , and both segments are unsupported . this means vi and v j come before both of their respective commits , c i and c j , in both log files . in such a case , no serialization requirement is implied . fig4 a depicts case 1 and thus i must come before j in the global order . thus the symbols in l 2 40b must be rearranged somehow to achieve that result . once an unsupported segment is found , step 530 &# 34 ; breaks &# 34 ; that segment . fig4 b depicts the line joining segment c j - c i 47 - 49 as broken . in order to resolve the commit symbol cycle , the position of the commit symbols on the unsupported segment must be adjusted so that a global transaction order is maintained . this adjustment is done by a novel technique called &# 34 ; sliding ,&# 34 ; described in step 540 . when sliding symbols , it is possible that the serialization implication of a local log file will be increased or decreased . if so , several principles must be followed . first , the serialization implication of the local log file should be changed as little as possible . second , if a piece of serialization implication is created in a local log file , it must already exist in some other local log file . third , if a piece of serialization implication is deleted from a local log file , it must still exist in some other local log file . symbols are adjusted using the following rules . first , within any local log file , the order of any two adjacent commit symbols ( or two adjacent vote symbols ) can be freely switched as necessary without changing the serialization implication of the log file . it was shown above that the serialization implication between two transactions i andj on any log file l is carried only by the pattern v j - c i - v j - c j or v j - c j - v i - c i , so switching two adjacent commit ( or vote ) symbols can neither create nor destroy such a pattern . second , within all local log files the order of any two nonadjacent commit symbols is never switched . switching the order of a vote symbol and a commit symbol without altering the serialization requirement implied by the local log file will either create or destroy a serialization implication . in either case , the serialization implication of the log file is changed . given these rules , sliding of symbols is relatively straightforward . in the two - segment cycle example given above , in case i where in l 1 there is a pattern c i - v j - c j and the segment in l 2 is unsupported , c i is slid backward in l 2 to the position immediately before c j . after the adjustment , l 2 will have the pattern c i - c j , and no votes will fall between c i and c j . this case is illustrated in fig4 b - 4c where l 1 40a has a pattern c i - v j - c j 41 - 43 - 45 and the segment c j - c i 47 - 49 in l 2 40b is unsupported . thus , in l 2 40b c j - c i 47 - 49 is broken and the more forward commit symbol , c i 49 , is slid backward to the position immediately before ci 47 . fig4 c shows the resulting local log files after sliding . analogously , in case 2 above where l 2 contains the pattern c j - v i - c i and the segment in l 1 is unsupported , in l 1 c j is slid backward to the position immediately before c i . in case 3 above where neither pattern occurs in either local log file and both segments are unsupported , either segment can be broken and its forwardmost commit symbol slid backward to a position immediately prior to the other commit symbol . note that in all three cases , commit symbols only slide backward . the sliding action above can be shown not to violate the principles stated above for adjusting commit symbols . in the action of sliding a commit symbol c i to the position immediately before another commit c j , c i may slide past the symbols of three kinds of transactions . first are transactions whose commit symbols but not vote symbols lie between the original positions of c j and c i . second are transactions whose vote symbols but not commit symbols lie between the original positions of c j and c i . third are transactions both whose vote symbols and commit symbols lie between the original positions of c j and c i . the first situation does not change the serialization implication of the log files because of the rule that adjacent commit symbols can be freely switched . thus , by a series of switches c i can be slid past the commit symbols of the first kind of transactions without changing the serialization implication of the log file at all . the second and third situations do change the serialization implication on the local log file on which the commit symbol is slid . however , these new serialization implications already exist in at least one local log file in the set of given log files . consider local log file l x with c i - v j - c j and local log file l y and a transaction k whose vote symbol falls between c j and c i before the slide ( i . e . the relative pattern in l y is c j - v k - c i ). sliding c i past v k will create a relative pattern c i - v k - c k on l y ( because of the two - phase commit protocol , v k is always before c k ) which seems to create a new serialization requirement i before k . however , because the pattern c j - v k exists in l y before sliding , the serialization requirements before k exists , and because c i - v j - c j exists in l x , a serialization requirement of i beforej exists . these two serialization requirements , i before j and j before k , together imply i before k . thus the seemingly newly created serialization implication of l 2 has already existed in the set of log files before the slide operation . this leads to a conclusion that the action of backward sliding a commit symbol does not delete any serialization implication . this is so because a serialization implication can be deleted only if a commit symbol that precedes a vote symbol is moved to a position after the vote . this is possible only if the commit symbol is moved forward . the above example involved a two - segment commit symbol cycle . similarly , a multi - segment cycle is resolved by breaking one of the unsupported segments and sliding the more forward commit symbol backward to a position immediately before the earlier commit symbol of the unsupported segment . after the commit symbol cycle is resolved , step 550 adjusts the current traversal point back to the commit symbol that was just slid . thus , in fig4 c , the current traversal point of l 2 40b is c i 49 . finally , step 560 returns to the main merging process . in fig3 a , this means a return to step 320 to record ( l 1 , c i ) in the wait list of l 2 40b at current traversal point c i 49 . now , because ( l 1 , c i ) appears in the wait list of l 2 40b and ( l 2 , c i ) appears in the wait list of l 1 40a , these two local log files can be merged up to the merge point , as was earlier shown in fig3 b - 3c . while several embodiments have been illustrated and described , other variations and alternate embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art . these variations and embodiments remain within the spirit and scope of this invention .

a method to construct a transaction serialization order based on parallel or distributed database log files that connects the log files into a network and merges the network into a sequence . only vote symbols and commit symbols are considered in the construction and a protocol of a transaction &# 39 ; s vote appearing before a transaction &# 39 ; s commit is enforced . the log files are connected by making links between commit symbols of the same transactions in different log files . the method identifies ambiguities in the orders of the individual log files , called commit symbol cycles , and resolves them by breaking an unsupported segment of the cycle and sliding the segment &# 39 ; s forwardmost commit symbol backward to a position immediately prior to the first commit symbol on that segment . by doing so , the serialization implication of an individual log file may be changed , but the overall serialization implication of the database remains intact . using an iterative process , this method can order the log files in one pass - through .

in the following , the process of the present invention will be illustrated in more detail by way of example wherein ; mixtures obtained by mixing an aqueous solution of salts of 2 , 5 - diketo - d - gluconic acid having removed therefrom any microorganisms by filtration with a liquid containing the remainder of the required ingredients while both liquids are being cooled , is used as substrates because of the poor heat - stability of said salts . in a commercial scale operation , an employment of more pertinent , effective and safe procedure of sterilization , for instance , continuous heat sterilization or filtration by a micro - filter is , however , recommended . a sterilized medium ( 600 ml ) containing 1 . 5 % of calcium 2 , 5 - diketo - d - gluconate , 0 . 3 % of glycerol , 0 . 1 % of polypeptone , 0 . 1 % of yeast extract , 0 . 1 % of monopotassium phosphate and 0 . 02 % of magnesium sulfate ( 7 h 2 o ) and having a ph value of about 6 . 3 - 7 is introduced into a small fermenter of 1 . 5 l , and a suspension ( 20 ml , in sterilized water ) of brevibacterium ketosoreductum ( nov . sp .) which is previously cultured on a bouillon agar at 30 ° c . for 2 days , is inoculated . an aerated ( 1 v . v . m .) culture while being stirred ( 300 r . p . m .) is performed at 30 ° c . at each given time during the incubation , samples are withdrawn from the broth to confirm the formation of 2 - keto - l - gulonic acid as a pink spot on a paper partition chromatogram which utilizes a mixed solution of phenol : water : formic acid ( 75 : 25 : 4 ) as a developing solvent . a quantitative determination by means of gas - liquid chromatography ( column , silicone gum : se - 52 ; sample , silylated . iadd .) . iaddend . gives the following results . ______________________________________incubation time ( hrs .) 36 48 722 - keto - l - gulonic acid ( γ / ml ) 200 620 1890______________________________________ a sterilized medium ( 15 l ) containing 1 % of potassium d - gluconate , 0 . 2 % of polypeptone , 0 . 2 % of yeast extract , 0 . 1 % of monopotassium phosphate and 0 . 02 % of magnesium sulfate ( 7 h 2 o ), and having a ph value of 6 . 7 - 7 is prepared in a fermenter of 30 l . this medium is inoculated with the aqueous suspension of brevibacterium ketosoreductum of example 1 to perform an aerated incubation at 30 ° c ., 300 r . p . m . and 1 v . v . m . a portion of the cells of microorganism is separated from the broth at its logarithmic growing period , washed twice with physiological saline water , and suspended in a sterilized phosphate buffer ( 0 . 1 mole , ph 6 . 86 , 400 ml ). to this suspension of the cells , there is added an aqueous solution ( 200 ml ) containing 3 % of 2 , 5 - diketo - d - gluconic acid and being removed of any microorganisms by filtration , and the combined liquid is stirred at 30 ° c . for 48 hrs . at each given time during the contacting treatment , samples are withdrawn from the mixture to perform a qualitative detection by means of paper partition chromatography and a quantitative determination by means of gas - liquid chromatography which proves the formation of 2 - keto - l - gulonic acid at the beginning of the contacting operation . after the contacting operation of 48 hrs , the liquid is removed from the cells by means of centrifugation and concentrated at room temperature under reduced pressure . the concentrated liquid is then treated with an ion exchange resin ( amberlite 1r - 120 ) and active charcoal , and again concentrated after filtration . the solution is then passed through an ion exchange resin ( amberlite cg - 400 , formic acid type ) to permit the formed 2 - keto - l - gulonic acid to adsorb therein . required fractions of eluate obtained by a gradient elution of the adsorbed resin with 0 . 2 n - 1 n formic acid are collected . after the formic acid is removed by extraction with ether , the collected fractions are concentrated to give a syrup . an addition of a small amount of water to the syrup and letting it stand for a night gives crystals of 2 - keto - l - gulonic acid . physico - chemical properties , i . e ., melting point , optical rotation and spectrum of infrared adsorption , of the recrystallized product are found to be completely identical with those of an authentic sample of 2 - keto - l - gulonic acid which is .[. sythetically .]. . iadd . synthetically . iaddend . derived from l - sorbose . measured ( each 80 ml ) amounts of the sterilized medium containing 0 . 7 % of calcium 2 , 5 - diketo - d - gluconate , 0 . 1 % polypeptone , 0 . 1 % of yeast extract , 0 . 05 % of glucose , 0 . 1 % of monopotassium phosphate and 0 . 02 % of magnesium sulfate ( 7 h 2 o ), and having a ph value of 6 . 3 - 7 , are placed in shaking flasks of 500 ml . one loopful of bacillus megaterium , isolated from soil and previously incubated on a bouillon agar , is inoculated in each of the shaking flasks . the fermentation is carried out in a rotary shaker of 200 r . p . m . at 30 ° c . for 96 hrs . qualitative determination of the sample broths , performed as described in example 1 , gives the following results . ______________________________________incubation time ( hrs .) 24 48 72 962 - keto - l - gulonic acid ( γ / ml ) 40 55 68 44______________________________________ measured amounts ( each 15 ml ) of the sterilized medium used in the experiment of example 2 are placed in test tubes of 70 ml wherein into each one .[. looful .]. . iadd . loopful . iaddend . of strains isolated from soil or sewage , and type culture strains obtained from the ifo ( institute of fermentation , osaka ), previously incubated on a bouillon agar , are inoculated . the fermentation is carried out in a test - tube shaker ( 350 s . p . m .) at 30 ° c . for 72 hrs . to give the following results of quantitative determinations of the sample broths . ______________________________________microorganism strains used 2 - keto - l - gulonic acid ( γ / ml ) arthrobacter simplex asm - 10 107staphylococcus aureus asm - 30 53micrococcus dinitrificans ifo 12442 86micrococcus .[. rubeus . ].. iadd . rubens . iaddend . ifo 3768 43micrococcus roseus ifo 3764 28pseudomonas chloroaphis ifo 3904 49______________________________________

2 - keto - l - gulonic acid is prepared from 2 , 5 - diketo - d - gluconic acid through microbial conversion . the 2 - keto - l - gulonic acid producing microorganism used for this microbial conversion includes strains which belong to genera of brevibacterium , arthrobacter , micrococcus , staphylococcus , pseudomonas and bacillus . both the incubation of the microorganism in a medium containing 2 , 5 - diketo - l - gluconic acid and the direct contact of any products obtained from the cells with a substrate containing said 2 , 5 - diketo - d - gluconic acid may be used in the disclosed process .

the present invention is directed towards a hydraulic power system and method used in a fluid such as a river or any other body of water having a current . in an embodiment the inventive system can include a hydraulic power system that is tethered to a floor at the bottom of the body of water . the inventive system includes a pump assembly that is coupled to a turbine that uses fluid movement to rotate the turbine and power the pump . a positive buoyancy structure can be tethered to the pump assembly that causes the pump assembly to be positioned above the floor at the bottom of the body of water . the positive buoyancy structure can potentially rise to the surface of the water but also maintain the pump assembly and turbine at a predetermined tethered distance below the surface of the water . in addition to the upward buoyancy force , the positive buoyancy structure can have a shape and pitch that uses the water velocity to generate lift and help to maintain the pump assembly above the water floor . with reference to fig1 , a hydraulic power system 100 is illustrated that includes a pump assembly 101 with a turbine 103 coupled to a front end of the pump assembly 101 . the turbine 103 can have a plurality of blades 104 that rotate about a first shaft 105 . the first shaft 105 is coupled to a gearing system 107 that can change the rotational velocity of a second shaft 109 mounted between the gearing system 107 and a pump 111 . in the illustrated embodiment , the gearing system 107 may be placed between the turbine 103 and the pump 111 . the turbine 103 can have a rotational velocity that is proportional to the velocity of the water 113 relative to the turbine 103 . thus , the rotational velocity of the turbine 103 and first shaft 105 can be variable . the turbine 103 can be coupled by the first shaft 105 to a gearing system 107 that can increase or decrease a rotational velocity of the second shaft 109 relative to the first shaft 105 . the rotational energy from the turbine 103 can be transmitted through the first shaft 105 , gearing system 107 and second shaft 109 to the pump 111 . the system can include a tether system with a plurality of high strength tether lines 115 coupling the pump assembly 101 to the floor 117 of the body of water 113 . a buoyancy structure 121 can be coupled with tether lines 115 to the top of the pump assembly 101 and the buoyancy structure 121 can help to lift the pump assembly 101 above the floor 117 and prevent the turbine 103 from contacting the floor 117 . the buoyancy structure 121 can also keep the pump assembly 101 below the surface 123 of the water 113 to prevent the top of the turbine 103 from coming out of the water 113 . in an embodiment , the buoyancy structure 121 includes a variable buoyancy mechanism 125 , which can alter the upward force applied to the pump assembly 101 . in calm conditions with lower velocity water , less upward force can be required to keep the pump assembly 101 at the proper vertical position within the water 113 . thus , less buoyant forces from the buoyancy structure 121 are necessary . however , as the water 113 flow increases , the drag forces on the pump assembly 101 will also increase , which will pull the pump assembly 101 downstream . a greater buoyant force can be required to counteract the drag force and pull the pump assembly 101 back to the desired position . in an embodiment , the pump assembly 101 can have a positive buoyance and the buoyancy structure 121 can supplement these positive buoyant forces . in order to minimize the drag forces on the pump assembly 101 , the housing of the pump assembly 101 may be made to have a hydrodynamic shape with a rounded front end and a tapered back portion . by having a smooth hydrodynamic shape , the forces overcome the drag forces and raise the pump assembly 101 to the proper height within the water 113 can be minimized . because the hydrodynamic drag does not provide any benefit to the inventive system , this drag should be minimized . with reference to fig2 a and 2b , in an embodiment , the variable buoyancy mechanism 125 can include a compressible volume 127 of gas with an actuator 129 to alter the gas volume 127 . when the volume 127 is allowed to expand as shown in fig2 a , the buoyancy force will increase and when the volume 127 is compressed as shown in fig2 b , the buoyancy force will decrease . in an embodiment , the compressible volume 127 can be a gas cylinder with a piston 131 that is coupled to an actuator 129 , which can be controlled to compress or decompress the gas volume 127 in the cylinder 133 . the cylinder 133 and exposed side of the piston 131 may be exposed to the ambient water pressure so that when the cylinder 133 is deep in the water , the water pressure may tend to further compress the cylinder . thus , the actuator may need to oppose the water pressure by expanding the cylinder volume 127 . with reference to fig1 , by controlling the buoyancy , the buoyancy structure 121 can control the upward force and the vertical position of the pump assembly 101 . with reference to fig3 , a more detailed illustration of the hydraulic power system 101 is shown . the pump 111 can circulate a fluid such as water through a piping system to an onshore power station 141 . the pump 111 can be a closed loop system as shown where the liquid in the system circulates from the pump 111 through the piping system 143 to the power station 141 and then back through the piping system 143 to the pump 111 . this closed loop system can be preferable because sediment and debris can be removed from the circulating fluid ( such as water ), which can damage the pump 111 and / or power station 141 . in this illustration , the piping system 143 is a closed loop system with concentric outlet and return paths . the liquid can be pumped on shore to the power station 141 through the center pipe 145 and the liquid may return through the outer piping 147 . alternatively , the liquid can be pumped on shore to the power station 141 through the outer piping 147 and the inner pipe 145 can be the liquid return . in an alternative embodiment with reference to fig4 , the system can be an open loop system where ambient water is pumped from the pump 111 through the piping system center pipe 145 to the onshore power station 141 and then released back to the body of water 113 through an outlet pipe 149 . the open loop system can be more energy efficient because there is less friction and pressure losses due to the liquid flowing through the piping system center pipe 145 . however , the water being pumped may need to be filtered through a filter 151 to prevent debris from entering the pump 111 , which can add fluid flow friction and reduce the efficiency of the system . in other embodiments the pump 111 can be used to pressurize a compressible fluid that runs in an open loop as shown in fig3 or closed loop as shown in fig3 to an on shore power system 141 . in yet other embodiments , the pumps can be replaced by other energy producing devices such as electrical power generators 181 , which can convert the rotational energy transmitted from the turbines 103 into electrical power . in this embodiment , the generator 181 can produce direct current or alternating electrical current that can be transmitted through electrical conductors 183 away from the generator assembly 191 to an on shore power station 185 . in each of these alternative embodiments , the inventive system can utilize the positive buoyancy and or hydrodynamic lift of the wings to maintain the position of the generator assembly 191 and turbine 103 above the floor 117 . with reference to fig6 , another embodiment of the pump assembly 201 is illustrated with the turbine on the back end of the pump assembly 201 structure . this configuration can provide hydrodynamic stability to the system because the drag generated by the turbine 103 is now at the rear of the assembly where there is less tendency for the drag forces to push the pump assembly 201 out of alignment with the water flow . another benefit is that as the drag forces push the pump assembly 201 down stream , the tethers 115 will lie at a more acute angle in relation to the water floor . however these angled tethers 115 will be less like likely to interfere with the turbine 103 rotation . in an embodiment , the pump assembly 201 can have a positive buoyance and the buoyancy structure 121 can supplement these positive buoyant forces . with reference to fig7 , if the water level 123 decreases in the body of water 113 , the buoyancy structure 121 may float on the surface 123 of the water 113 , which can result in the pump assembly 201 and turbine 103 being lowered close to the sea floor 117 . when the water lever 123 rises , the pump assembly 201 will rise higher over the sea floor 117 until the tethers 115 are all tights . however , the turbine 103 will not rise above the water 113 surface level 123 . fig8 and 9 are front views of fig1 and fig5 respectively . the tethers 115 between the floor 117 and the pump assemblies 101 , 201 can be angled outward and coupled to the outer sides of the pump assemblies 101 , 201 . this configuration can be necessary to counter act the torque forces applied to the pump assemblies 101 , 201 by the turbines 103 . for example , if the turbines 103 rotate clockwise facing the front of the system then the rotational force , which drives the gear system and pump , will create a clockwise torque on the pump assembly . by placing the tethers 115 as wide as possible on the pump assemblies 101 , 201 , the tethers 115 can better resist the torque forces from the turbine 103 . the torque force can be represented by f x r which is the distance from the center shaft . since the tethers 115 may only resist tension , the torque force may be mostly applied to the tethers 115 coupled to the left side of the pump assemblies 101 , 201 . the torque force may also be applied to the tethers 115 extending between the pump assemblies 101 , 201 and the buoyancy structure 121 . again , since the tethers 115 may only function in tension , the tethers 115 on the right side of the pump assemblies 101 , 201 may have added tension forces applied due to the torque of the turbine 103 . with reference to fig1 , another method for resisting the torque forces of the turbine 103 can be to attach extensions 161 to the sides of the pump assembly 201 . in this illustration , the extensions extend beyond the outer diameter of the turbine 103 and provide a much longer arm length r to resist the turbine torque . thus the force f , which is an additional tension force on the tethers 115 , can be proportionally lower . in this example , the arm length r may be about 4 + times the width of the pump assembly 201 . extensions 161 can also be placed on the buoyancy device 121 and can provide additional torque resistance . this configuration can also keep the tethers 115 away from the turbine 103 in the event that the turbine 103 moves into close proximity of the tethers 115 . with reference to fig1 a top view of an embodiment of a buoyancy structure 121 is illustrated and with reference to fig1 a top view of an embodiment of a pump assembly 201 is illustrated . in these illustrated embodiments , the extensions can be wings 163 that have elevators 165 or can be positioned to resist the turbine torque . more specifically , as the liquid flows over the wings 163 , the wings 163 can be configured to generate a rotational torque on the pump assembly 201 that resists the turbine 103 torque . for example , the left elevator 165 can be raised and the right elevator 165 can be lowered to produce a counter clockwise torque on the pump assembly 201 . since tether 115 tension forces can be transmitted from the buoyancy structure 121 , these wings 163 can also be configured to transmit a counter clockwise torque . in another embodiment , the wings 163 can provide lift that can supplement the upward buoyant forces of the buoyancy structure 121 and / or the pump assembly 201 . the lift can be produced by the flow of liquid over the wings , which can have an upward pitch . the wing 163 lift can also be generated with the elevators 165 , which can be raised to cause the wings to generate lift and the lift force can be used to put the tethers 115 in tension . in another embodiment with reference to fig1 , the pump assembly 101 can include an integrated positive buoyancy system ( as described above with reference to fig2 and 3 ). thus , the system may include a turbine 103 coupled to the pump assembly 101 that is tethered with tethers 115 to a floor 117 at the bottom of the body of water 113 . in this embodiment , the pump assembly 101 does not require the positive buoyancy structure . the inventive system can include a pump assembly 101 that is coupled to a turbine 103 that uses fluid movement to rotate the turbine 103 and power the pump 111 through a gear system 107 . the pump assembly 201 can have positive buoyancy that causes the pump assembly 101 to float above the floor 117 at the bottom of the body of water 113 . the tethers 115 can prevent the pump assembly 101 and turbine 103 from floating to the surface 123 of the water 113 . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the inventive system with the turbine 103 mounted at the rear end of the pump assembly 201 . fig1 and 16 illustrate front views of fig1 and 14 respectively . again , the tethers 115 can be mounted to the outer side of the pump assemblies 101 , 201 to resist the torque applied to the pump assemblies 101 , 201 from the turbines 103 . fig1 illustrates a front view of an embodiment of the inventive system with extensions 161 coupled to tethers 115 coupled to the water floor 117 . the extensions 161 can be wings 163 with elevators 165 ( as shown in fig1 ) that provide a hydrodynamic counter torque force that resists the turbine 103 torque applied to the pump assembly 201 as described above . in an embodiment , force transducers 167 can be coupled to one more of the tethers 115 for monitoring the forces applied to the tethers 115 . if excessive force is applied , a warning system can notify the system operators . the forces applied to the tethers 115 can include hydrodynamic drag in the horizontal direction . in an embodiment , the hydrodynamic drag can be reduced by lowering the angle of the turbine blades 104 which can result in lowing the horizontal forces on the tethers 115 . in an embodiment , the force transducers 167 can have positive buoyancy or alternatively , buoyancy devices 168 can be coupled to the force transducers 167 . in either configuration , the force transducers 167 will not sink if the devices are accidentally dropped . this configuration can prevent the force transducers 167 from being accidentally lost . during the assembly process , the force transducers 167 can first be coupled to the tethers 115 . if the force transducers 167 are dropped , the transducer 167 and the attached tether 115 can come to rest above the sea floor 117 so that it can be easily retrieved . in contrast , if the force transducer 167 has negative buoyancy or is not coupled to a buoyancy device 168 , the force transducer 167 and any connected tether 115 will sink to the sea floor 117 when dropped . it can be difficult to see and retrieve these components if they are resting on the sea floor 117 . while one or more implementations have been described by way of example and in terms of the specific embodiments , it is to be understood that one or more implementations are not limited to the disclosed embodiments . to the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements .

a hydraulic power system is used in a river , ocean or any other body of water having a current . the method is useful for generating useful electric power from flowing water . the flowing water rotates a turbine and a pump that provides hydraulic power to an electric generator for a clean , renewable energy source . the hydraulic power system tethered to the bottom of a body of water and a positive buoyancy mechanism can be integrated or tethered to the pump assembly . the positive buoyancy can support the pump assembly at a predetermined distance above the sea floor .

high gain optically triggered photoconductive semiconductor switches ( pcss ) enable future nuclear weapon effects ( nwe ) experimentation capabilities and concepts for the active interrogation of special nuclear materials ( snm ). semiconductors such as silicon carbide ( sic ), gallium nitride ( gan ) and semi - insulating gallium arsenide ( gaas ) show photoconductivity upon illuminating the surface of the semiconductor material with an optical source whose photon energy is greater than the bandgap energy of these materials , thus enabling the development of pcss devices from these materials . in one embodiment , the triggering radiation generates holes and electrons in the gaas that produce a current under the high electrical bias voltage . pcss devices fabricated from these semiconductors have demonstrated hold - off voltages exceeding 100 kv with turn on times of about 0 . 35 ns and timing jitter of about 0 . 1 ns . unlike most photo - conductive semiconductors that only conduct as long as they are illuminated by enough light to generate current carriers , gaas pcss devices have the advantage of exhibiting regenerative high - gain ; once the device is turned on by a short laser pulse , they remain conducting through a stable electron avalanche process . in one embodiment , gaas pcss are constructed using semi - insulating ( si ) single crystals of high resistivity greater than 10 7 ohm - cm . metal contacts are used to connect the switch to an energy source and a load . these switches exhibit high gain at electric fields above 4 to 6 kv / cm . one problem with gaas pcss is that when uniformly illuminated the current becomes filamentary or “ lightning - like .” in some cases the branching filamentary channel widths are 15 to 300 micrometers . the filaments can have current densities up to ma / cm 2 . the filamentary nature of this current impacts negatively the operational lifetime of the switches due to extremely high current densities causing localized heating of the conducting channel , causing damage in the semiconductor - metal interface , and also damage in the gaas bulk material some distance away from the contacts . one major damage mechanism appears to be contact erosion resulting in higher on - state resistance and excessive voltage drop , ultimately causing the switch to cease functioning . thus , in order to increase the life of these switches one has to find ways to increase the life of the switches with current per filament limited to less than 25 a for short pulses ( less than 100 ns ) in order to have long lifetimes ( greater than 10 7 shots ). this limit is set by the localized heating of the filamentary conducting channel and the need to keep the temperature below the melting point . it has been shown that the problem can be solved by illuminating the surface of one embodiment of a switch with narrow lines of laser light bridging the switching gap and spaced about 300 micrometers apart . this technique allows multiple parallel channels to form and remain separate throughout the conduction interval . however , this requirement limits the overall current density and requires complex , expensive , and inefficient laser triggering optics . a new approach to deal with this problem of the filamentary nature of the conduction current is needed . the solution may be attained by forming “ dead bands ” between conduction channels to prevent lateral current flow and the subsequent merging of neighboring filamentary channels . one objective is to advance the state of the art of high - gain optically - triggered switches by increasing the current density ( e . g ., to greater than 1000 a / cm 2 ) and voltage hold - off ( e . g ., to greater than 67 kv / cm or greater than 100 kv total ) capabilities of complete switch assemblies ; allow simple laser illumination ; function in oil immersion ; have rise - times and timing jitter less than 0 . 3 ns ; and long lifetimes . by controlling the formation and number of parallel filaments generated simultaneously to share the current such that the peak current density and damage to the switch can be reduced . the device may produce “ dead bands ” between the filamentary channels in gaas that will allow the formation of multiple filaments and prevent lateral current flow between adjacent filaments . the “ dead bands ” can be produced by introducing lattice defect damage in the gaas crystal using high energy ( mev ) ion implantation . the spacing and width of the channels are designed to allow high switched current levels simultaneously with high longevity . the switch is shown schematically in fig1 . the switch 10 includes a semiconductor substrate 12 . while gaas is used in one embodiment , other semiconductors used to form pcss can be used . a pair of contacts 14 , 16 are formed on the surface 18 of the substrate 12 . the space between the contacts 14 , 16 constitutes the gap . parallel ion implanted barrier channels 20 are spaced apart and run the length of the gap between the contacts when the switch is illuminated . the channels 24 carry current across the switch 10 . masking of regions on the gaas pcss may be done to prevent filaments to form multiple , current - sharing and linear filaments . uniform illumination of the masked , i . e . doped with “ dead bands ,” gaas switch with unmasked laser beam 25 crossing the insulating gap produces multiple , linear , current - sharing filaments . the trade - off with this approach is a slight increase in the laser energy requirement . with a masked switch , some of the optical trigger energy will be deposited on the masked region between the filaments , which will typically be more or less the same as the unmasked lines to avoid intersecting , non - uniform current - sharing filament formation . gaas pcss &# 39 ; s are designed and fabricated using both as - received ( undoped ) and high energy ion implanted gaas samples then tested in the pcss experiments . three and four inch diameter gaas wafers with resistivity greater than 10 7 ohm - cm were procured . wafers were cut into 1 . 0 × 0 . 5 inch and 1 . 5 × 0 . 5 inch pieces . in one embodiment , the gaas pcss prototypes may have a gap of about 20 mm or about 10 - 30 mm , parallel channels ( 24 ) about 500 - 1000 μm separated by about 200 - 500 μm ion implanted dead bands ( 20 ) or about 100 - 700 μm dead bands ( 20 ). channels with smaller widths and separations can be designed and implemented for increasing the number of channels in a given width of the switch , thus resulting in higher switch current . in order to create dead bands by damaging the gaas crystal lattice using high energy ion irradiation , a stainless steel mask with laser etching is used . masking can also be done by standard lithography and patterning with a layer of a photoresist as used in integrated device fabrication processes . in one embodiment the metallic contacts 14 , 16 may be fabricated by sequential deposition of ni , ge and au layers of thicknesses about 50 , 200 and 800 å , respectively , as shown schematically in fig2 . the deposition was done by using e - beam evaporation . this contact construction is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 309 , 022 which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety particularly with respect to the make - up and construction of the contacts . the metallic layers , after deposition , were annealed at 425 ° c . for 5 min in inert atmosphere . contacts were also made with sequential deposition of si , au and ni and then annealed at 425 ° c . for 5 min for a few samples . ion irradiations of gaas samples with metallic contacts may be done using the 1 . 7 mv terminal voltage tandem ( tandetron ™) accelerator . multiple energies , 0 . 25 to 3 . 7 mev oxygen ions were used to create the damage bands in one case . the ion implantation schedule was used and developed for heterojunction bipolar transistor ( hbt ) device isolation that has been implemented for hbt fabrication . the schedule is shown in table 1 below . an additional 0 . 25 mev ag + ion implant for creating excess damage near the surface owing to the much heavier mass of ag compared to o was used . a simulation of the depth distribution of the implanted ions is shown in fig3 . the damage distribution follows closely to the ion depth distribution . a gaas sample holder for the switch was made from lexan ( polycarbonate ) plates . in one embodiment it consisted of two 4 × 4 × 0 . 25 inch plates . the gaas switch rests on one plate and the other sheet carries beryllium - copper finger ( spring ) contacts that press on the contacts attached to the plate . the electrical contacts were made with copper strips welded to the finger electrodes , in which a copper foil passed through the slots and re - flow soldered to the springy beryllium - copper finger electrodes . the contacts overhang protrusions , allowing the contacts to bend upward about 0 . 030 inches as they touch the surface of the gaas device when the cover is in place . the protrusions with the contact strips attached do not touch the surface of the gaas device : there is a clearance allowance of about 0 . 01 inches . although the contacts are capable of bending about 0 . 04 inches before the contact surface reaches the plane of the contact strip , the design requires them to bend only about 0 . 03 inches . two spring beryllium - copper fingers were used as the electrodes . a tunable laser of wavelength range 400 nm to 1200 nm with output energy of 40 mj and pulse width of 10 ns was used for testing these pcss &# 39 ; s . the laser was attenuated and expanded to about 5 cm in diameter . it delivered about 1 mj energy to the gaas sample . the laser settings were controlled by a pc . a gated , intensified ccd camera , made by princeton instruments , was used to image the ir emissions from the switch current channels 20 in the gaas samples . the images were taken about 15 ns after the laser pulse with a gating time of 2 μs . camera settings were also controlled by a pc . the current waveforms of the switch samples and timing of the laser and camera were acquired by a 100 mhz oscillator scope . the dc - charged lcr circuitry and two high - voltage pulsers were used to conduct the photo - switch experiments . an un - doped gaas sample has been tested by using a dc - charged lcr circuit , which was charged up to about 18 kv . while certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated using oxygen and silver ions for ion implantation to form the lateral flow preventing (“ dead bands ”) channels , those skilled in the art will recognize that other ions can be used to disrupt n - type or p - type holes in the semiconductor and obtain dead bands to prevent filamentary currents . there are two work modes of pcss , namely , a linear mode and a nonlinear mode . linear mode involves a lower biased electrical field . in this mode , a semiconductor absorbing one photon will generate an electron hole pair and the output current quickly extinguishes as soon as the laser pulse has elapsed . in nonlinear mode , the biased electrical field across the pcss is often higher . when the energy of the trigger is over a threshold value for example , greater than about 1 mj for 18 kv gaas pcss , the current output from the pcss will continue to flow in filaments even though the triggering laser is turned off . this mode is also called the “ lock - on ” or “ avalanche ” mode . in such an avalanche mode , the carriers in the semiconductor material are increased rapidly due to the high biased electrical field . this means that one photon can generate more than one carrier . under nonlinear mode , the laser pulse only plays a role of triggering . if the electrical circuit can supply enough power , the pcss remains in an “ open ” state after the laser pulse is extinguished . under this mode , low laser power is required to open the switch compared with the linear mode . so a small size laser , such as semiconductor diode laser , may be used to trigger the pcss , which makes the pcss useful for a wide range of applications . the gaas samples were about 1 cm wide and the anode - cathode gap was about 1 . 5 cm . two photo - conduction modes at relatively low and high triggering laser energy was produced , respectively , while keeping the dc charge voltage at about 18 kv . at a low laser energy ( less than 10 μj ), the conduction current is low in amplitude ( less than 10a ) and oscillates with the periods of 10 ns . the ir photo - emissions from the gaas sample were not produced at this low laser energy . this is the linear photo - conduction mode . it indicates that there exists not only a threshold of bias electric field , but also a threshold of optical energy for the transition of the pcss from linear mode to non - linear mode . a trigger laser energy of about 1 mj produced conduction currents as high as 300 a at a dc charging voltage of 18 kv . the doped gaas samples have about 10 - 30 mω resistance across the 1 . 5 cm anode - cathode gap due to the o + and ag + ion beam irradiation . a pulse charged 35 kv , about 100 ns electric circuit was used in the 500 μm × 500 μm doped gaas sample tests to produce up to 12 uniform distributed conduction current channels , as shown in fig4 . two high - voltage trigger pulsers with open circuit voltage of 50 and 100 kv were used to test the high voltage hold - off of the gaas switch sample . the peak voltage at the gaas sample was 70 kv ( or 35 kv ) using the 100 kv ( or 35 kv ) pulser . an ion implantation doping approach is used to create “ dead bands ” in gaas pcss that solved the “ lightning - like ” filamentary current conduction issue . high gain photoconductions was produced when irradiated with the laser energy on the order of about 1 mj . the undoped gaas sample has been tested using an 18 kv dc charged lcr circuit and produced conduction currents as high as several hundred amperes . since the doped gaas samples have about 10 mω across the anode - cathode gap ( due to the ag and / or o ion beam irradiation ), the dc lcr circuit was not suitable to use in the testing . a pulse charged circuit and a 35 kv , about 60 ns pulser was used to produce up to 12 uniform distributed conduction current channels . trigger laser energy is on the order of 1 mj . it is noted that the terms “ substantially ” and “ about ” are utilized herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter at issue . they may also ( in certain contexts ) be utilized to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison , value , measurement , or other representation . while particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein , it should be understood that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter . moreover , although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein , such aspects need not be utilized in combination . it is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the claimed subject matter .

a photoconductive semiconductor switch comprising a photoconductive gaas substrate having a pair of spaced metal contacts on a surface thereof , the spaced metal contacts opposite ends of a switching gap , the switching gap having a plurality of lateral current flow preventing channels therein , the channels being formed by ion implantation of the gaas substrate in the channels .

referring now to the drawing , and more particularly to fig1 and 3 thereof , there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention . the reader module includes several distinct subsystems . these include : a sample holder with a motion control . the magnetic bound complex samples for measurement reside on the holder , and the same also provides the necessary relative motion within the system . a magnetizer or magnetic field source applies the excitation signals to the samples . sensors , such as sensing coils , act as the signal pick - up for the signals generated in the samples . a drive circuit supplies the drive current to the coils of the magnetic field source . an amplifier / phase detector / digitizer is coupled to the sensor to receive and process the output signals therefrom . a microcomputer chip provides two - way communication between the external personal computer ( pc ) and the reader module . magnetic particles are coupled to analyte or target particles by conventional methods to create magnetic bound complex samples . the analyte particles may include atoms , individual molecules and biological cells , among others . it is noted here that the terms “ target particle ” and “ analyte particle ” are used substantially interchangeably . it is further noted that the term “ target ” is not intended to be limited to the definition of that term as used in the field of dna recombinant technology . the magnetic bound complex samples are deposited in accumulations of several to several hundred particles at a number of predetermined positions 11 near the perimeter of a sample holder , such as disc 12 ( fig3 ). other sample holders which may be substituted include lateral flow membranes , plastic strips , or holders employing lateral flow but without membranes . an embodiment employing lateral flow membranes is described in more detail below . another type of sample holder may employ microfluidics . a microfluidics system may have a sample sensing chamber and appropriate channeling to move a sample in or out of the sensing chamber using variations in pressure . for example , referring to fig9 a microfluidic system 151 is shown having an inlet channel 152 . the inlet channel 152 is connected to a mixing chamber 164 . a number of reagent chambers 154 , 156 , and 158 may be provided to hold various chemicals or reagents . as described below , they may also hold magnetically susceptible particles if desired . near the periphery , or elsewhere , a sample analysis chamber 166 may be located . the location of this chamber is a predefined location and is where the sample magnetic measurement would occur . accordingly , the sample holder must be configured to allow this chamber to be accessible to the sensor and the magnetic field source . otherwise , the magnetic measurement may proceed as described elsewhere in this specification . further processing may occur after the magnetic measurement . for this reason , a measurement chamber 168 is provided , which may also have its own reagent chamber 160 . more reagent chambers may be provided if desired . an optional outlet or exit channel 162 may be provided . such channels may not be necessary if the device is only a single - use device . not shown in this figure for convenience but which may also be provided are various pressure inlets and valves which allow analyte particles , magnetically susceptible particles , and reagents to be shuttled around from chamber to chamber . analyte particles may be quantitatively measured via measuring their bound magnetically susceptible particles in the microfluidic system , the samples may be introduced via the inlet channel as combinations of analyte and magnetically susceptible particles . alternatively , the analyte particles may be introduced via the inlet channel and the two may be combined and mixed in the mixing chamber 164 . variations of this system may be manyfold . for example , the sensor may be located directly on the microfluidic chip to match the region of analysis especially well . in another variation , a different parameter on the chip may be varied at the same time or at a different time , such as temperature . temperature control means may be located on the chip or outside of the chip , such as in the case of laser heating within the mixing chamber . such a system requires an optical window , as would be understood . other parameters which may be varied may be anything that affects the presence or property of the magnetic tag , i . e ., the magnetically susceptible particle , or its binding to the analyte particle . the ways the bound complexes may be adhered to the predefined spots on the disc are known and may employ standard technology . the disc is mounted on an axial shaft 13 which extends downwardly to a toothed wheel 14 . an appropriate rotational device , such as a stepper motor 16 , has a shaft 17 extending therefrom with a worm gear member 15 at the distal end thereof . the motor provides controlled rotary motion of disc 12 pursuant to signals applied from a pc 66 through a number of wires 18 . of course , wireless coupling between the pc and the system of the invention could be used if desired . in one preferred embodiment , as presently contemplated , disc 12 is about 47 mm in diameter and about 0 . 25 mm thick . it may be made of glass , plastic or silicon , for example . its thickness range , for practical functional purposes , would be about 0 . 1 mm to about 1 . 0 mm . in the case where the sample holder is a lateral flow membrane , the sample holder may be made partially porous so that passage of the analyte particles through the porous portion of the holder may be another parameter to be varied . in this case , the magnetically susceptible particles may be bound to the porous sample holder . for example , passage of the analyte particles through a porous portion of a holder may likely depend on the mass or size of the particles . thus , the location of the particles within the porous portion may be mass - dependent or size - dependent . as the analyte particles pass through the porous sample holder , they may bind preferentially and in a predetermined manner to the bound magnetically susceptible particles . the bound samples , containing analyte particles combined with magnetically susceptible particles , may then be measured magnetically using the device embodied herein . the porous portion of the holder may be replaced with , e . g ., a filter as is known in the art . such filters may be chosen to provide a suitable mass - or size - dependency according to the requirements of the process . for example , referring to fig7 a lateral flow membrane 101 is shown . analyte particles may be flushed into a release pad 102 where they are released into a flow membrane 103 . the particles may then flow by capillary action down the membrane and past a test line 106 on which bound magnetically susceptible particles are located . a control line 108 may also be provided . finally , an absorbent pad 104 may be located downstream if desired to collect the unbound analyte particles . in operation , the test line may include colloidal iron particles coated with a material that specifically binds to a material in the analyte of interest . in this way , the test line collects analyte particles preferentially . the control line 108 may have a known amount of colloidal iron for calibration or other such purposes . it should be clear that such a lateral flow membrane may be replaced with , e . g ., a gel electrophoresis test area . in this case , of course , the samples are not immobilized but may be moving past the sensing area . the sample holder may also employ a reference device , such as a bar code , to provide a unique machine - readable tag to identify or locate an individual region or regions and the assay ( s ) that are associated thereby . the reference device may spatially index the location of an individual region or regions of analysis . the reference device gives a convenient way to identify a sample of magnetic complex material . besides bar codes , the reference device may alternatively employ a magnetic strip , a microchip , an optical reference , and so on . the reference device may be optically aligned with its corresponding sample for ease of reference . the computer / cpu may read the reference information along with the magnetic ( assay ) signal and then display and store the assay results in the appropriate context . for example , an assay to measure the presence of e . coli would likely have results displayed in a different form than an assay testing for the presence of binding of oligonucleotides . since the substrate may be prepared specifically for each kind of assay , this information can be encoded on the substrate as a bar code or using one of the techniques described above . in this particular exemplary embodiment , motor 16 rotates wheel 14 , which is connected to disc 12 by shaft 13 , through a 120 - tooth worm gear reduction . of course , rotational drives having different particulars could also be employed . a magnetic field source 21 may be moved linearly with respect to disc 12 by a rotational device , such as a stepper motor 22 , having a 40 turn - per - circle lead screw 23 on a motor shaft 24 . a boss 25 is configured with a hole having internal threads to which the spiral lead screw threads are coupled . the control signals are applied from microcomputer 65 to motor 22 through a number of wires 26 . again , the specifics of the rotational drive are set out here as an example only . other appropriate elements having different characteristics could also be used . for example , while the above system describes a situation where the magnetic field source is moved linearly with respect to the sample holder , another embodiment may be used in which the sample holder is moved relative to the magnetic field source . in this latter embodiment , the sample holder may be mounted to a shaft and mechanical drive system similar to the drive system shown in fig3 . the drive system may move the sample holder into the gap of the magnetic field source in a controlled manner . numerous types of drive systems may be employed . these include stepper motors , screw and motor arrangements , hydraulics , magnetic drives , configurations in which a human operator physically moves the sample holder relative to the magnetic field source and relative to the sensor , pressure drives , pinch rollers , conveyor systems , etc . the above describes the motion of the sample holder from a location in which samples may be loaded , such as on a disc , to a location near the magnetic field caused by the magnetic field source . another motion that occurs in the system is the movement of the sample holder past the sensor . various motions may be caused to accommodate this . for example , two - dimensional motion may be accommodated between the sensor and the sample holder . in the embodiment of fig3 one degree of freedom motion ( e . g ., along an arc of a circle ) is shown using motor 16 . the drive system of motor 22 may also be employed to translate the sensor along another degree of freedom . alternatively , another motor may be used to move the sample holder 12 along a similar degree of freedom . finally , it should be noted that , by using appropriate gearing , the same motor may be used to provide any combination of the above or different motions . in other exemplary embodiments , the drive system may include a pinch roller which grasps a plastic strip on which a sample is disposed , moving the same past the sensor in a controlled fashion . such an embodiment may be particularly useful where the sample is placed in a strip on a plastic card similar to a credit card , which is then “ grabbed ” by a device similar to that used in atm machines . of course , the drive system may also be any of the systems described above as well as other alternate systems . referring to fig4 a ferrite toroid core 31 , which is about 30 mm in diameter in the particular embodiment being described , is formed with a gap 32 , which is about 1 . 5 mm wide . a drive coil 33 is wound as a single layer over about 270 of toroid 31 , symmetric with respect to the gap . a feedback loop 34 encircles the toroid body at a location about 180 from ( opposite ) the gap . loop 34 may be outside of coil 33 or between coil 33 and the toroid core . it may include a few or many turns , as necessary and appropriate for the feedback function . the purpose of the feedback loop is to sense or represent the field in gap 32 and enable the signal processing or output circuit to self - correct for variations such as temperature drift . this loop is used to enhance precision and is not essential to proper operation of the system . various other magnetic field sources may also be used . for example , while most all employ electromagnets , the electromagnets may be in the form of , e . g ., toroids or so - called “ e - core ” s which are magnets employing the shape of an “ e ” ( see fig8 ). in ecores , the middle segment of the “ e ” is made somewhat shorter than the outer segments . referring to fig8 two e - cores 112 and 112 ′ are placed with their open sides facing each other . the shorter middle segments then define a small gap 114 therebetween . a sample on , e . g ., a plastic strip 116 may then be situated in this small gap . the sensor used to measure the oscillation of the magnetizations may be on a separate substrate 118 also located in the small gap or may alternatively be disposed on the end of one or both of the shorter middle segments . in any of the embodiments , in fact , the sensor may be disposed on a magnetic pole piece or other such element that forms a perimeter of the gap . in this way , the unit may be made more modular and the coil placement more uniform and consistent . in other embodiments , no gap is needed at all . referring to fig1 , a single magnetic pole piece 201 may be situated with a sensor disposed thereon or disposed on a separate strip . in fig1 , the sensor is shown as two sensing coils 202 and 204 . the pole piece can alternate the magnetic field , and the sensor can measure the oscillating magnetizations as above . referring back to fig3 the toroidal magnetic field source assembly is mounted in insulative housing 35 , which may be formed from fiberglass . housing 35 has a slot 36 corresponding to the position of gap 32 . this slot / gap is shaped and configured to selectively receive the edge of rotatable disc 12 , and provides space for the sensing coil substrate , which is described in detail below . a sensor is used to measure the magnetic field strength of the samples . in this embodiment , the method used is ac susceptibility . a number of types of sensors may be employed . in the embodiments below , sensing coils connected in a gradiometer configuration are described . it should be noted that the gradiometer configuration is not necessarily required ; moreover , other types of sensors may be used . these sensors may include hall sensors , gmr sensors , or other such sensors capable of measuring magnetic field strength or magnetic flux . with particular reference now to fig2 and 4 a , insulative substrate 41 is disposed in slot 36 in housing 35 and extends into gap 32 . bonding pads 40 , 42 are provided at a proximal end of substrate 41 and a sensor , in particular sensing coils 43 , is mounted adjacent a distal end of substrate 41 . preferably the substrate is made of sapphire or silicon and the sensing elements are thin film copper coils . standard thin film fabrication techniques can be used to construct the substrate and sensing coils , where the leads to and from each coil are on separate different layers . for example , incoming traces 49 may be laid on the substrate surface by standard photolithographic processing methods , a layer of sputtered quartz may then cover the incoming leads , then coils 43 and output leads 44 are similarly applied and a protective layer of quartz may then be added on top . the usual means for connecting between the layers would be used . the sensing coils , which are connected in series opposition creating a gradiometer configuration , are connected to bonding pads 40 and 42 by conductive traces 44 and 49 , and thence to signal processing circuitry by twisted - pair wires 45 . the twisted pair arrangement is employed to assist in reducing stray signal or interference pickup . in the spiral form shown in fig2 the coil traces may be about 5 microns in width with about a 10 - micron pitch between spiral traces . the thickness of the sensing coil traces may be about 1 micron . the diameter of each completed coil is about 0 . 25 mm . by making substrate 41 relatively long and narrow , bonding pads 40 , 42 are relatively far away from the toroid gap , which helps minimize stray pickup in soldered leads 45 . metal shield 46 ( fig4 b ) may be employed around the bonding area to further contribute to the reduction of stray signals or interference pickup . the shield is essentially a short piece of a thick - walled cylinder , typically formed of copper . the shield provides electrical shielding and facilitates mechanical handling , but is not essential to operation of the embodiment of the invention . the connection ( proximal ) end of the substrate is slid into slot 50 after the wire connections are made . an alternative embodiment of the sensing coils is shown in fig5 . the planar configuration of coils 47 is an elongated rectangle . the trace dimensions are about the same as for the fig2 coils and the composite coil width is also about 0 . 25 mm . the coil length is about 1 - 2 mm and the coils are connected to bonding pads 52 , 53 by means of leads 48 , 51 . in another alternative embodiment , two sets of coils may be used . one set of coils may be used as described above , to measure the magnetic moment of the sample . another set of coils may be employed within the same substrate as a reference set of coils . this reference set of coils may be disposed , e . g ., on the side of the substrate opposite that of the sample set of coils . in any case , the reference set of coils is disposed far enough from the sample that the effect of the sample magnetic moment is not detected by the reference set of coils . the reference set of coils is then used to measure the strength of the signal from an analysis region containing a predetermined amount of magnetic material or reference analyte . by comparison of the magnetic field detected by the sample set of coils with the magnetic field detected by the reference set of coils , an even more accurate measurement of the sample magnetic moment may be made . to provide another reference , a magnetic standard may be employed as one of the samples . when such a standard sample is measured , the results may be used to calibrate the system for future or previous measurements . this calibration may significantly help to reduce noise in the system . auto - calibration may also be employed with such a system , using the differential between signals , to zero the signal . the magnetic drive circuit , shown at the left side of fig4 is built around a pair of high - current , high - speed operational amplifiers 54 , 55 . with the power provided by transformer primary winding 56 , the amplifiers can provide in excess of about one ampere of drive current to magnetizing or drive coil 33 at about 200 khz . this drive circuit is highly balanced to minimize common - mode noise pickup in sensing loops or coils 43 , 47 . small secondary winding 57 coupled to loop 34 around the magnetizing coil provides a feedback voltage to operational amplifiers 54 and 55 to sustain oscillations at a well - regulated amplitude and frequency . this secondary winding 57 also provides an optimum reference signal for the phase - detector circuitry , described below . this embodiment describes an alternating field as the driving source for the complex of magnetic and analyte particles . in a separate embodiment , the driving source may be non - sinusoidal , e . g ., may be a field pulse or a square wave . a variety of other such waveforms may also be used . a low - noise integrated instrumentation amplifier is the basis for this circuitry , although somewhat better noise performance could be obtained using discrete components . amplifier 61 is transformer coupled to the sensing coils in order to reduce common - mode noise signals and to facilitate a convenient way to null out imbalance in the magnetic field source and in the sensor . the transformer coupling is conventional , is located in amplifier 61 , and is not specifically shown in the drawing . in an alternative embodiment , amplifier 61 may be replaced by or supplemented with a preamplifier disposed on the substrate . in other words , substrate 41 may have patterned thereon a preamplifier to modify the signals from the sensor prior to the phase - sensitive detection step . phase sensitive detector 62 is also designed around a special purpose integrated circuit . phase sensitive detector 62 may be a phase - locking device or alternatively any other type of phase - sensitive device . the output of the phase detector is applied to low - pass filter 63 and is then digitized in a / d converter 64 . the converter may be a high resolution , 20 - bit sigma - delta converter , for example . such a converter chip has adequate hum rejection at both 60 and 50 hz , which proves to be very helpful in maximizing the sensitivity of the instrument . it is an off - the - shelf item , available from several manufacturers . microcomputer 65 includes a microprocessor chip , such as a motorola hc 11 , and has a built - in port which supports two - way serial communication to pc 66 by plugging into the serial port of the pc . it also has specialized ports for communication with serial a / d converter 64 and stepper motors 16 and 22 . a simple command language programmed directly into microcomputer 65 allows the pc to send commands and receive responses and data . microcomputer 65 may also perform many of the functions previously described above . for example , microcomputer 65 may be equipped with a phase - sensitive device of its own , such as a digital lock - in . such a microcomputer 65 may acquire the signals , separate data from noise , and display the results . the pc provides the operational command for the system . the pc runs the system through an rs - 232 interface , e . g ., from the microcomputer . the pc provides a display of the results of the measurements . the display may be , e . g ., a computer monitor display or any other form of computer - assisted readout . in a relatively straightforward and known manner , a well - defined dot or pattern of the magnetic particle complexes comprising the samples is deposited on disc 12 at one or more locations 11 near the periphery thereof . pursuant to control signals from the pc , stepper motor 22 is energized to rotate lead screw 23 to move the magnetic field source assembly towards sample disc 12 . when a sample position 11 near the peripheral edge of disc 12 is aligned with a sensor such as sensing coils 43 , 47 in the middle of toroidal gap 32 , stepper motor 22 stops and a high amplitude ( 1 ampere , for example ), high frequency ( 200 khz ) signal is applied to toroidal drive coil 33 . again , while sensing coils are described below , it should be understood that a variety of sensors may be employed . a signal from pc 66 then energizes stepper motor 16 to rotate the disc and thereby move the sample dot past the sensing coils . the high amplitude , high frequency magnetic field in gap 32 thereby excites the magnetic particles of the sample in the gap . the applied current is intended to drive the toroid to saturation , resulting in the field in the gap have a magnitude of about 1000 oersted . the particles then oscillate magnetically at the excitation frequency , behaving as a localized dipole . given the close physical proximity of the magnetic particles to the sensing coils , the magnetic fields from the sample are closely coupled to the gradiometer configured sensing coils . because of the gradiometer configuration of the sensing coils , the output of the sensing coils due to the large , uniform excitation field is substantially null or zero . in order to obtain the largest possible response , the geometry of the sensing coils is configured to match the spatial pattern of the samples . that is , the sample pattern dots are no larger than about 0 . 25 mm across . the response signal varies distinctively with the relative position of the sample and the coils . the signal from the sensing coils in the presence of the drive field and in the absence of a sample may serve as the reference signal to the signal processing portion of the system . as the sample moves past one sensing coil and then the other , the phase of the coil output signal reverses by 180 as shown in fig6 thereby providing a very powerful detection technique . as shown in fig6 the output may be shown as the response of the sensing coils versus the position of the sample with respect to the sensing coils . the induced voltage is amplified by amplifier 61 and processed by phase detector 62 . that signal is filtered and digitized and passed to the pc through microcomputer 65 to provide the output signals to the pc . indicator 67 may be any type of useable device to provide information to the system operator . indicator 67 could be a visual indicator , conveying information numerically or graphically , or could also be a variety of lighting systems , audible indicators , or any combination of these or other possible indicators . the output signal amplitude is modulated by moving the sample with respect to the array of the sensing coils . this permits rejection of signals due solely to system and external inputs and not due to the sample itself . the digitized shape of the signal amplitude with respect to sample position is compared to the theoretical response shape stored in pc 66 using appropriate curve fitting techniques . these techniques may include phase - sensitive techniques or other techniques yielding similar results . the result of this operation is a very accurate estimate of the magnetic content of the sample to the exclusion of inherent instrument noise and drift . while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented above , some alternatives should be mentioned . two sensor coil shapes have been shown but numerous other configurations may be employed . moreover , as indicated above , sensors may be used which are patterned directly on one or more of the magnetic field source pole pieces . furthermore , other varieties of sensors could be employed besides the types of coils disclosed . for example , balance hall sensors may be employed . in appropriate configurations , these may yield a frequency independent signal . other sensors which may be advantageously employed include giant magnetoresistance ( gmr ) sensors , squid sensors , magneto - resistance sensors , etc . in other variations , the magnetic field source is shown as moving with respect to the sample disc , but the disc and coupled stepper motor could be configured to move with respect to the magnetic drive assembly if desired . the toroid core is shown with a rectangular cross section but other shapes are also feasible . as to the number of sample particles in a dot 11 on disc 12 , by way of example , a 0 . 25 mm dot of sample elements could contain about 10 five - micron size magnetic particles , or about 1200 one - micron size particles . thus , in view of the above description , it is possible that modifications and improvements may occur to those skilled in the applicable technical field which are within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims .

an apparatus is provided for quantitatively measuring groups of magnetic particles . the particles are complexed with substances to be determined and are excited in a magnetic field . the magnetizations of the magnetic particles are thereby caused to oscillate at the excitation frequency in the manner of a dipole to create their own fields . these fields are inductively coupled to at least one sensor such as sensing coils fabricated in a gradiometer configuration . the output signals from the sensing coils are appropriately amplified and processed to provide useful output indications .

firstly , the effect of the relationship between the switching frequency and the resonant frequency on the converter operation is illustrated with the analyses of fig2 a through 2 c . six exemplary circuit topologies according to the present invention are shown in fig3 a , fig4 a , fig4 b , fig5 a , fig6 a and fig6 b . under the condition of f s & lt ; f r , during the interval of t r ≦ t ≦ t s , the first switch transistor m 1 is turned on and the second switch transistor m 2 is turned off , so the first synchronous rectifier sr 1 is turned on and the second synchronous rectifier sr 2 is turned off . a reverse voltage resulting from the voltage difference between the output voltage v o and the secondary voltage v s ( t ) is imposed on sr 1 . the reverse voltage imposed on the conducting sr 1 will cause a huge shoot - through current to burn down sr 1 , where r on is the very small on - resistance of m 1 . under the condition of f s & gt ; f r , during the interval of t s ≦ t ≦ t r , both m 1 and m 2 are turned off , so sr 1 and sr 2 are turned off . even if the channel of sr 1 is cut off , i s ( t )& gt ; 0 still can flow through the body diode of sr 1 , the converter still can operate safely . therefore , all the embodiments according to the present invention are merely applicable to the condition of f s & gt ; f r . the voltage waveforms shown in fig3 b , fig4 c , fig5 b and fig6 c correspond to the six embodiments shown in fig3 a , 4 a , 4 b , 5 a , 6 a and 6 b . it is emphatically noted that m 1 , m 2 , sr 1 and sr 2 according to the present invention can be implemented with a p - channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor ( pmos ), an n - channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor ( nmos ), a p - type junction field effect transistor ( p - jfet ) or an n - type junction field effect transistor ( n - jfet ). for the convenience of illustration , it is assumed in this text that m 1 , m 2 , sr 1 and sr 2 are all implemented with nmos . three exemplary embodiments are shown in fig3 a , fig4 a and fig4 b when the primary ic controller u 1 outputs two ground - referenced drive voltages v b ( t ) and v a ( t ). the circuit diagram and drive voltage waveforms of the first embodiment according to the present invention are shown in fig3 a and 3 b , respectively . the ideal transformer t 0 comprises a primary winding n p and two secondary windings n s . a primary circuit is connected to the n p and a secondary circuit to the two n s . the primary circuit includes a first switch transistor m 1 , a second switch transistor m 2 and an llc resonant tank , which includes a magnetizing inductor l m , a resonant inductor l r and a resonant capacitor c r . m 1 and m 2 are connected between an input voltage source v in and a primary ground terminal in a half - bridge configuration , where the point at which m 1 , m 2 and llc resonant tank intersect is called a first node p with a voltage v p , and the llc resonant tank is connected between the first node p and the primary ground terminal . it is emphatically noted that a practical transformer t 1 is equivalent to the integration of the ideal transformer t 0 including the n p and the two n s , l m and a leakage inductor , where l m is in parallel with the n p , and the leakage inductor is in series with the parallel circuit of l m and n p . l m can be measured from the primary side with the two n s open - circuited , and the leakage inductance can be measured from the primary side with the two n s short - circuited . if the n p and the two n s of t 1 are wound with a sandwich structure , then an external l r is necessary , but if the n p and the two n s of t 1 are wound on a slotted bobbin , then the l r can be provided by the leakage inductance of t 1 . a transformer with a slotted bobbin is used in this example hereafter but it can be replaced by an ordinary transformer having a sandwich winding structure in series with an external l r . when m 1 is turned on but m 2 is turned off , v p is equal to v in , but when m 1 is turned off but m 2 is turned on , v p is equal to 0 . this means that the potential v p is fluctuating . the output voltages v b ( t ) and v a ( t ) of u 1 are referred to the primary ground , so they cannot be directly used as the gate - source voltages v gs m 1 ( t ) and v gs m 2 ( t ) for m 1 and m 2 , especially for m 1 . in this case , an ic - based or a transformer - based driver module u 2 is needed to convert v b ( t ) and v a ( t ) referred to the primary ground into v gs m 1 ( t ) and v gs m 2 ( t ) referred to the sources to m 1 and m 2 . the secondary circuit includes a first synchronous rectifier sr 1 , a second synchronous rectifier sr 2 and an output capacitor c o . sr 1 and sr 2 are connected in a center - tapped common - source rectifier configuration between the two n s and the secondary ground terminal , where the two n s are connected at the output voltage terminal and the common source of sr 1 and sr 2 is connected at the secondary ground terminal g . sr 1 and sr 2 are driven by a differential transformer t 3 , which has a primary winding and two secondary windings as well as a 1 : 1 : 1 primary - to - secondary turns ratio , so a primary bipolar differential voltage v t 3 ( t )= v b ( t )− v a ( t ) of t 3 generates two secondary bipolar gate - source voltages v gs sr 1 ( t ) and v gs sr 2 ( t ) of sr 1 and sr 2 . v t 3 ( t ), v gs sr 1 ( t ) and v gs sr 2 ( t ) are listed in table 1 : the corresponding voltage waveforms of v a ( t ), v b ( t ), v gs m 1 ( t ), v gs m 2 ( t ), v gs sr 1 ( t ) and v gs sr 2 ( t ) are shown in fig3 b . a circuit diagram of the second embodiment according to the present invention is shown in fig4 a , where two half - wave rectifiers and two fast turn - off circuits are connected between the secondary windings of t 3 and the gates of sr 1 and sr 2 , respectively . one of the two half - wave rectifiers comprises a diode d 52 and a resistor r 5 for sr 1 , and the other a diode d 62 and a resistor r 6 for sr 2 . one of the two fast turn - off circuits comprises a diode d 51 and a pnp bipolar transistor q 5 for sr 1 , and the other a diode d 61 and a pnp bipolar transistor q 6 for sr 2 . v gs sr 1 ( t ) and v gs sr 2 ( t ) are provided by two voltages , which are first induced by the two secondary windings of t 3 and then processed by the half - wave rectifiers as well as the fast turn - off circuits . when v t 3 ( t )= v cc , d 52 , d 51 and q 6 are turned on but q 5 , d 62 and d 61 , are turned off , so sr 1 is turned on but sr 2 is turned off . when v t 3 ( t )= 0 , d 52 , d 51 , d 62 and d 61 are turned off but q 5 and q 6 are turned on , so both sr 1 and sr 2 are turned off . when v t 3 ( t )=− v cc , d 62 , d 61 and q 5 are turned on but q 6 , d 52 and d 5 , are turned off , so sr 2 is turned on but sr 1 is turned off . v t 3 ( t ), v gs sr 1 ( t ) and v gs sr 2 ( t ) are listed in table 2 : a circuit diagram of the third embodiment according to the present invention is shown in fig4 b . v gs sr 1 ( t ) and v gs sr 2 ( t ) are provided by a differential transformer t 5 and a signal distributor , which comprises a diode d 7 and a diode d 8 . t 5 has a primary winding and a secondary winding as well as a 1 : 1 primary - to - secondary turns ratio , so a primary bipolar differential voltage v t s ( t )= v b ( t )− v a ( t ) or t 5 generates an identical secondary bipolar differential voltage . d 7 and d 8 are connected in a common - anode configuration between the secondary winding of t 5 and the gates of sr 1 and sr 2 . the signal distributor is used for converting the secondary bipolar differential voltage into two unipolar drive voltages as well as distributing these two voltages to sr 1 and sr 2 respectively . when v t 5 ( t )= v cc , d 8 is turned on but d 7 is turned off , so sr 1 is turned on but sr 2 is turned off . when v t 5 ( t )= 0 , both d 7 and d 8 are turned off , so both sr 1 and sr 2 are turned off . when v t 5 ( t )=− v cc , d 7 is turned on but d 8 is turned off , so sr 2 is turned on but sr 1 is turned off . v t 5 ( t ), v gs sr 1 ( t ) and v gs sr 2 ( t ) are listed in table 3 , and the corresponding voltage waveforms of v a ( t ), v b ( t ), v gs m 1 ( t ), v gs m 2 ( t ), v gs sr 1 ( t ) and v gs sr 2 ( t ) of the second and the third embodiments are shown in fig4 c . three exemplary embodiments are shown in fig5 a , fig6 a and fig6 b , when the primary ic controller u 1 outputs two drive voltages referred to the sources of m 1 and m 2 for directly driving m 1 and m 2 . however , the output drive voltage of u 1 for m 1 is referred to the source of m 1 but not the primary ground instead , so it cannot be directly used as v b ( t ) on t 3 , but the output drive voltage of u 1 for m 2 is referred to the primary ground , so it can be used as v a ( t ) on t 3 . in view of this , the combined circuit of a dc shifter and a dc restorer is used to convert the output drive voltage of u 1 for m 1 referred to the source of m 1 into v b ( t ) referred to the primary ground . the dc shifter comprises a capacitor c 4 and a pulse transformer t 4 that has a primary winding and a secondary winding as well as a 1 : 1 primary - to - secondary turns ratio . the dc restorer comprises a capacitor c 3 and a diode d 3 . t 3 is connected between the dc restorer and the gates of sr 1 and sr 2 to convert a primary bipolar voltage v t 3 ( t )= v b ( t )− v a ( t ) into two secondary bipolar voltages v gs sr 1 ( t ) and v gs sr 2 ( t ). the dc shifter converts the output drive voltage of u 1 for m 1 to an ac voltage , and then the dc restorer converts the ac voltage back to a dc voltage referred to the primary ground . the voltage across c 4 can be derived from the volt - seconds product equilibrium equation : ( v cc − v c4 ) d = v c4 ( 1 − d ) v c4 = dv cc where d is the duty ratio of m 1 and d ≈ 0 . 5 v c4 = dv cc ≈ 0 . 5v cc , so v c 4 can be viewed as a constant voltage source during a switching period . the voltage across the secondary winding of t 4 can be expressed as : when d 3 is turned on , c 3 is recharged to v c 4 . therefore , the voltage across c 3 , v c 3 = v c 4 ≈ 0 . 5v cc , can be also viewed as a constant voltage source during a switching period . the voltage difference between the node b and the primary ground terminal can be expressed as : the voltage of the node b is denoted as v b ( t ) referred to the primary ground , so the differential voltage v t 3 ( t )= v b ( t )− v a ( t ) can be imposed on t 3 to generate v gs sr 1 ( t ) and v gs sr 2 ( t ). the secondary circuit of the fourth embodiment shown in fig5 a is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in fig3 a , so they have similar voltage waveforms shown in fig3 b and 5 b . the fifth and sixth embodiments shown in fig6 a and fig6 b respectively have the same primary circuit as the fourth embodiment shown in fig5 a as well as the same secondary circuit as the second and third embodiments shown in fig4 a and fig4 b , so they have similar voltage waveforms shown in fig4 c and 6 c . the operational principles of the fifth and the sixth embodiments can be inferred from the aforementioned embodiments , and will not be restated here . while the invention has been described in terms of what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiments . on the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures .

the present invention discloses a half - bridge llc resonant converter with self - driven synchronous rectifiers , which utilizes a primary ic controller and a gate driver to drive the secondary synchronous rectifiers . in correspondence with the gate drive output voltages of the primary ic controller to the primary switch transistors , the gate driver for the secondary synchronous rectifiers comprises a differential transformer if the primary ic controller outputs two ground - referenced gate drive voltages , which cannot directly drive the primary switch transistors but can be imposed on the differential transformer ; or comprises a dc shifter , a dc restorer and a differential transformer if the primary ic controller outputs two gate - source voltages , which can directly drive the primary switch transistors but cannot be imposed on the differential transformer . the drive voltages of the primary switch transistors are unipolar ; however the drive voltage of the secondary synchronous rectifiers can be bipolar or unipolar . under the valid operation mode , this converter can decrease the rectifier conduction losses to increase the power converter efficiency .

those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present invention described herein are exemplary and modifications may be made without departing from the intended scope of the invention . for example , without any limitation intended , although the bead of the present invention is shown in the drawings as being elliptical or spherical , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the bead of the present invention includes alternative shapes and sizes without departing from the intended scope of the invention . referring first to fig1 and 2 , a bead 10 of the present invention is shown having a string 12 positioned within the bead 10 . the bead 10 includes a main body 14 and lid 16 . a channel 18 is formed in the main body 14 of the bead 10 and is suitable for receiving the string 12 within the channel 18 . the channel 18 includes an offset 20 and the interior of the lid 16 likewise includes an offset 22 that is shaped to conform to the offset 20 of the channel 18 . the string 12 is cradled in the channel 18 such that when the lid 16 is closed on the main body 14 , the longitudinal surface of the channel and the longitudinal surface of the interior of the lid 16 press against the string 12 in opposite directions , thereby fixing the string in place with respect to the bead 10 . when the lid 16 is closed on the main member 14 , the channel 18 is generally aligned with a central axis of the bead 10 , such that the bead 10 is equally balanced on the string 12 so that the bead 10 does not hang disproportionately on the string 12 . further , when the lid 16 is closed , the external surface of the bead 10 is generally smooth and without abrupt contours that easily catch or snag on adjacent objects . referring next to fig3 and 4 , the engagement and disengagement of the lid 16 to the main body 14 is shown in greater detail . the main body 14 and lid 16 are interconnected by a web or hinge 30 . the hinge 30 aligns the lid 16 parallel to the main body 14 when it is snapped in place . the main body 14 , lid 16 and hinge 30 are preferably made , without limitation , from a thermoplastic resin material . the channel 18 within a solid main body 14 is defined by first and second opposing walls 32 and 34 . concave grooves 36 and 38 are formed within each opposing wall that extends the length of the channel 18 . first and second upper portions 40 and 42 of the opposing walls 32 and 34 are rounded to reduce friction as the lid 16 engages within the channel 18 . the first upper portion 40 extends outwardly along an angle 44 to the outer surface of the bead 10 . the second upper portion 42 extends outwardly along a continuous curvature 46 to the hinge 30 . the interior surface of the lid 16 is formed to include a wedge or protrusion 50 having sidewalls 54 and 56 and a shape congruent or mating with the channel 18 and grooves 36 and 38 when the lid 16 is closed on the main body 14 . an outer width between the sidewalls 54 and 56 of protrusion 50 is greater than a distance between the first and second opposing walls 32 and 34 . when the lid 16 is snapped together into the main body 14 , the sidewalls 32 and 34 of the main body 14 slide over the side walls 54 and 56 of the lid 16 . further , when the lid 16 is snapped into the main body 14 , an outer edge 52 of the lid 16 rests against or close to the angled surface 44 of first upper portion 40 . when the outer edge 52 rests close to the angled surface 44 the outer surface of the bead 10 is smooth . in use , when the lid 16 is closed on the main body 14 , the material near an outer surface of the hinge 30 will stretch while the material near an inner surface of hinge 30 compresses . a gap near the hinge 30 , and between the lid 16 and main body 14 , allows for the compression of the hinge 30 when the lid 16 is closed onto the main body 14 . the outer portion of hinge 30 does not extend past the outer surface of bead 10 , creating a flush outer shape when the lid 16 is closed . referring to fig5 and 6 the offset 20 in the channel 18 of the main body 14 and offset 22 in the lid 16 are shown . when the lid 16 is closed , this offset will pinch or crimp the string 12 preventing the string 12 from sliding within the bead 10 . the offset may alternatively allow enough of a gap between lid 16 and main body 14 so that string 12 slides within the channel 18 . the gap size may be varied so that when the lid 16 is closed varying tensions against the string 12 are achieved . referring first to fig7 and 8 , an alternative bead 10 of the present invention is shown having a string 12 positioned within the bead 10 . the bead 10 includes a main body 104 and lid 106 . a channel 108 is formed in the main body 104 of the bead 10 . a recession 114 is formed in a lower portion of the channel 108 and is suitable for receiving the string 12 within the recession 114 . the string 12 is cradled in the recession 114 such that when the lid 106 is closed on the main body 104 , the longitudinal surface of the channel 108 and the longitudinal surface of the interior of the lid 16 press together to trap the string 12 in the recession 114 within the bead 10 . alternatively , the size of the recession 114 or string 12 may vary so that a surface of the lid 106 engages with a surface of the string 12 . when the lid 106 is closed on the main body 104 , the channel 108 is generally aligned with a central axis 108 of the bead 10 , such that the bead 10 is equally balanced on the string 12 so that the bead 10 does not hang disproportionately on the string 12 . further , when the lid 106 is closed , the external surface of the bead 10 is generally smooth and without abrupt contours that easily catch or snag on adjacent objects . although a spherical shape is shown , alternative shapes may equally apply . referring next to fig9 and 10 , the engagement and disengagement of the lid 106 to the main body 104 is shown in greater detail . the main body 104 and lid 106 are interconnected by a web or hinge 130 . the hinge 130 aligns the lid 106 parallel to the main body 104 when it is snapped in place . the main body 104 , lid 106 and hinge 130 are preferably made , without limitation , from a thermoplastic resin material . the channel 108 within the main body 104 is defined by first and second opposing walls 132 and 134 . concave grooves 136 and 138 are formed within each opposing wall that extends the length of the channel 108 . first and second upper portions 140 and 142 of the opposing walls 132 and 134 are rounded to reduce friction as the lid 106 engages within the channel 108 . the first upper portion 140 extends outwardly along an angle 144 to the outer surface of the bead 10 . the second upper portion 142 extends outwardly along a continuous curvature 146 to the hinge 130 . the interior surface of the lid 106 is formed to include a protrusion 150 having sidewalls 154 and 156 and a shape mating with the channel 108 and grooves 136 and 138 when the lid 106 is closed on the main body 104 . an outer width between the sidewalls 154 and 156 of protrusion 150 is greater than a distance between the first and second opposing walls 132 and 134 . when the lid 106 is snapped together into the main body 104 the sidewalls 132 and 134 of the main body 104 are forced to slide over the side walls 154 and 156 of the lid 106 snapping them together further , when the lid 106 is snapped into the main body 104 , an outer edge 152 of the lid 106 rests against or close to the angled surface 144 of first upper portion 140 . the outer edge 152 rests flush to the angled surface 144 the outer surface of the bead 10 is smooth with no gap between surface 152 and surface 144 . an optional enhancement of the design is to leave a gap between surface 152 and 144 allowing for a sharp tool to be wedged into the gap and pry open the bead 10 . this will allow the bead 10 to be removed and used again . referring to fig1 , the hinge 130 is shown with an outside surface of the hinge congruent with an outer surface of the bead 10 and an inner surface of the hinge forming a planar interior parallel with channel 108 . when the lid 106 is closed on the main body 104 , the material near an outer surface of the hinge 130 will stretch while the material near an inner surface of hinge 130 compresses . a gap near the hinge 130 , and between the lid 106 and main body 104 , allows for the compression of the hinge 130 when the lid 106 is closed onto the main body 104 . the hinge 130 does not extend past the outer surface of bead 10 , creating a flush outer shape when the lid 106 is closed . this invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required . however , it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different constructions , and that various modifications , both as to the construction and operating procedures , can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself .

a device made of a thermoplastic material having two portions connected together with a web or hinge . a first portion forms a main body and the second portion forms a lid or cover . when the lid is aligned and closed onto the main body , the shape of the unitary device may be spherical , elliptical or another shape . the main body allows for one or more lines or strings to rest within a channel formed in the main body parallel to a pivot axis of the hinge so that when the lid is closed into the main body the strings are trapped within the channel of the main body by the lid .

description will be made below of a first embodiment of the ceramic structure of this invention which is adapted for use as a particulate trapper in a diesel engine . first , reference will be made to the structure of the trapper . fig1 a is a front view as seen when observed in the direction of the exhaust - gas inlet of a trapper 1 , and fig1 b is a sectional view taken along the axis of the trapper 1 . the trapper 1 , which is made of a cordierite ceramic , is formed in the shape of a cylinder having an outer diameter of 107 mm and a length of 78 mm . instead of this ceramic , a variety of other ceramics may also be utilized , such as sic , si 3 n 4 , al 2 o 3 , and β - spondumene materials . a reinforced layer 2 is integrally formed around the outermost periphery of the trapper 1 and has a dense structure through a thickness of 2 mm . as shown in detail in fig2 the interior thereof has a porous ceramic structure . more specifically , the internal structure is constituted by a skeleton 4 having a three - dimensional network structure and gas passages 5 which are formed in such a manner as to be surrounded by the skeleton 4 . a total number of two hundred twenty - six hollow bores of a square section are defined in the interior of the trapper 1 , and the hollow bores 6 are disposed in the form of a lattice parallel to the axis of the trapper 1 , with partitions 3 interposed therebetween . each partitions 3 has the structure shown in fig2 . a potion thereof porvided with the bores 6 serves as an exhaust - gas cleaning portion . the bores 6 alternately open at an end surface 7 and an end surface 8 which are on opposite sides to each other , and the other ends of the bores 6 are alternately sealed by portions 7a and 8a , respectively . in other words , the end surface 7 on the exhaust - gas inlet side has a total number of one hundred thirteen inlet ports , and the end surface 8 on the outlet side has a total number of one hundred thirteen outlet ports . the opening ratio , namely , the ratio of the total sum of the cross - sectional areas of the bores 6 with respect to the cross - sectional area of the entire trapper 1 is approximately 20 %. the opening of each bore 6 has a tapered end portion 9 which diverges in such a manner that the cross - sectional area thereof gradually increases as the opening approaches the end surface 7 or 8 . each of the openings 10 in the end surfaces 7 and 8 is formed in the shape of an enlarged square which is disposed coaxially with respect to the center axis of the square section of each bore and is rotated 45 degrees about that axis . the ratio of the total sum of the areas of the openings 10 to the area of the end surfaces 7 or 8 , namely , the opening ratio , is equal to or greater than 50 %. as shown in fig1 c , the reinforced layer 2 is formed by packing a ceramic material into the gas passages 5 defined in the three - dimensional skeleton 4 which is disposed around the outer periphery of the exhaust - gas cleaning portion including the hollow bores 6 . the reinforced layer 2 has a dense structure which is but slightly porous , to prevent the exhaust gas from leaking into the atmosphere . the process of fabricating the trapper 1 will now be described . in order to obtain a trapper which has partitions of a three - dimensional network structure , an organic compound , such as a polyurethane foam having a similar three - dimensional network structure , is used as a skeletal structure , and a ceramic material is fixed to the surface of the skeleton . when the structure is sintered , the organic compound existing as the parent material is burned and decomposes , so that the ceramic material left possesses a structure similar to that of the parent material . fig3 ( a ) is a plan view of the shape of a molding vessel 11 constituting a part of a mold for molding the polyurethene foam , and fig3 ( b ) is a sectional view , taken along the line x -- x of fig3 ( a ). the molding vessel 11 is constituted by a base plate 12 , a plurality of pillar portions 13 provided perpendicularly on the base plate 12 , and a cylindrical side wall 14 which is disposed around the outer periphery of the base plate 12 in such a manner as to surround the pillar portions 13 . each of the pillar portions 13 has a square section , a lower portion 13a of each pillar portion 13 has a tapered portion 13b which diverges toward the base plate 12 so as to correspond to each opening 9 of the trapper 1 , and the boundary portion between each lower portion 13a and the base plate 12 has an enlarged square section which is rotated 45 degrees about the axis of the square section of the corresponding pillar portion 13 . fig4 a is a plan view of a lid member 20 for covering the molding vessel 11 , and fig4 b is a sectional view taken along the line y -- y of fig4 a . the lid member 20 is constituted by a lid plate 21 and a plurality of pillar portions 22 provided perpendicularly on the lid plate 21 . through bores 21a are provided in the lid plate 21 in positions where they do not interfere with the pillars 22 . the pillar portions 22 are disposed in such a manner that , when the vessel 11 is covered with the lid member 20 , as described later , the pillar portions 22 do not interfere with the corresponding pillar portions 13 of the vessel 11 . mounting holes 21b are provided at four evenly - spaced positions around the outer periphery of the lid plate 21 , in order to secure the lid member 20 to the vessel 11 . fig5 shows the state wherein the lid member 20 is fixed to the forming vessel 11 by bolts 25 , and a cavity 6 is defined by the assembly of the vessel 11 and the lid member 20 . the process of molding urethane foam will be described below . a wax - type mold release material , which was preheated to the melting point thereof or higher , was applied to the inner surface of the cavity 26 by spray or brush coating . the forming mold 11 was then warmed to a temperature of between 30 ° c . and 50 ° c . while a mixed solution of urethane - foam materials , obtained by mixing an organic isocyanate , a polyol , a foam stabilizer , a foaming agent and a catalyst , was stirred , it was poured into the molding vessel 11 and the lid member 20 was then closed . in this embodiment , a tolylenedi isocyanate , a methylenedi isocyanate or a mixture of the two isocyanates were used as the organic isocyanate . a polymeric polyol composed of a polyether polyol and / or a polyester polyol , or a mixture of a polymeric polyol and a polyether polyol were used as the polyol . water , a halogen - substituted aliphatic hydrocarbon foaming agent ( a freon such as a trichloromonofluoro methane ), or a mixture of the two materials were used as the foaming agent . an alcohol - modified silicone was used as the foam stabilizer . a tert - amine and its organic acid salt , which are commonly used as a catalyst for facilitating the reaction between an alcohol and an isocyanate , were employed as a catalyst for accelerating a resinification reaction . a morpholine and an ethanol amine , which are commonly used as a catalyst for facilitating the reaction between water and isocyanate , were employed as a catalyst for accelerating a foaming reaction . a stopper was set after the mixed solution of the urethane foam materials overflowed out of the holes 21a after it had been foamed and had pushed out the air contained in the forming mold . the thus - foamed solution was hardened by being heated to a temperature of between 100 ° c . and 120 ° c . for 20 to 60 minutes . after the hardening is completed , the vessel 11 and the lid member 20 are separated , to obtain a molded urethane foam body . the description below details the process of fabricating a porous ceramic filter by sintering a polyurethane after the molded urethane foam body had been impregnated with a ceramic slurry . in order to obtain a raw material of the ceramic slurry used for the impregnation , binders such as a methyl cellulose and a polyvinyl alcohol and water were added to a mixed powder containing magnesium oxide ( mgo ), alumina ( al 2 o 3 ) and silica ( sio 2 ) which forms a cordierite composition by sintering ; a synthetic cordierite powder obtained by powdering a cordierite ceramic produced by heating the mixed powder ; or a mixture of the two compounds . after the urethane foam had been dipped in the thus - obtained slurry , redundant slurry was removed by an air gun , a centrifugal separator , or the like , and the resultant slurry - coated urethane foam was dried in a drying oven at between 80 ° c . and 120 ° c . for two to three hours . the above - described process from impregnation to drying was repeated two or three times , until a desired quantity of ceramic slurry is fixed to the surface of the skeleton of the urethane foam body , to obtain a three - dimensional network skeleton . another kind of ceramic slurry is applied to provide a layer 2 nm in thickness to the outer periphery of the cylinder comprising the thus - obtained three - dimensional network skeleton , but this other kind of ceramic slurry was composed of a raw material having a shrinkage ratio which is lower by about 2 . 5 % than that of the first slurry . this is dried in the drying oven at between 80 ° c . and 120 ° c . for two to three hours . subsequently , sintering is effected at 1400 ° c . for three to six hours . the shrinkage ratio of the ceramic material deposited on the surface of the skeleton and that of the ceramic material forming the outer periphery are controlled by , for example , varying the quantity of synthetic cordierite which is added to the starting material . fig6 a shows the shrinkage ratios obtained when the quantity of synthetic cordierite added to the starting material of the cordierite was varied . in this case , the sintering was effected at 400 ° c . for 4 hours , and a ceramic containing 3 wt % of synthetic cordierite was used for the skeleton ceramic ( indicated by point a ), and a ceramic containing no synthetic cordierite was used for the outer periphery ( indicated by point b ). the difference between the shrinkage ratios of the two ceramics was found to be 2 . 5 %. as will readily be understood to those skilled in the art , in the above - described trapper constituting the first embodiment , residual compressive stress is imparted to the reinforced layer by the difference between the shrinkage ratio of the three - dimensional network skeleton and that of the reinforced layer after sintering . measurements were made of the thermal shock resistance ( a guide to thermal strength ) of a trapper fabricated by the above - described process . the measurement conditions were such that the trapper to be measured was held at 550 ° c . for 20 minutes , was cooled in the atmosphere for 60 minutes , was held at 550 ° c . for 20 minutes , and was cooled for 60 minutes . the temperature was raised in a succession of increments , each of 50 ° c . and the process was repeated and the temperature at which cracking occurred was measured . cracking was first observed at 750 ° c . similarly the thermal shock resistance of a trapper comprising a three - dimensional network skeleton and a reinforced layer made of the same material ( whose shrinkage ratios were also the same ) was also measured . cracking was first observed at 600 ° c . this is due to the fact that , in a conventional type of structure , large tensile stresses occur in the reinforced layer during the cooling period , so that the ceramic of the reinforced layer cracks because it does not have a high resistance with respect to tensile stress . however , as shown by the first preferred embodiment , if residual compressive stress is left in the reinforced layer , it is possible to reduce the tensile stress occured in the reinforced layer during cooling periods , thereby improving the thermal shock resistance . fig6 b is a graph showing values obtained from measurements of the thermal shock resistance of trappers made of raw materials in which the shrinkage ratio of the three - dimensional network skeleton and that of the reinforced layer are changed in various manners . in fig6 b , the differences between shrinkage ratios plotted along the horizontal axis are values obtained by subtracting from the shrinkage ratio of the skeleton the shrinkage ratio cf the reinforced outer peripheral layer , and a difference between shrinkage ratios of 0 % denotes that of the conventional structure . as is clearly shown in fig6 b , when the shrinkage ratio during the sintering period of the material used for the reinforced layer is made smaller than that of the trapper during the same period , thermal shock resistance is improved ; that is , the thermal strength of the trapper increases . however , if the difference between the shrinkage ratios is greater than 6 %, the skeleton of the trapper portion cracks easily during calcining . conversely , if the difference is less than 0 . 5 %, the performance is not improved . accordingly , the difference preferably lies between 0 . 5 % and 6 %. description will be made below of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention , in which si 3 n 4 is employed as a raw material . one method of varying the sintering - shrinkage ratio of a si 3 n 4 material is to vary the quantities of y 2 o 3 and mgo added as sintering - promoting agents . fig7 is a graph showing the relationship between the quantity of sintering promoting agent added and sintering - shrinkage ratios . in the second embodiment , a material containing 5 % of an additional sintering - promoting agent was used for the trapper portion and a material containing 2 % of an additional sintering promoting agent was used for the reinforced layer . the same process as that of the first embodiment was repeated , and sintering was effected at 1750 ° c . for three hours . measurements of the thermal shock resistance gave a result of 400 ° c . in comparison , 350 ° c . was the thermal shock resistance of a structure in which a material containing 5 % of an additional sintering promoting agent was used as the material of both trapper portion and the reinforced layer . as will be evident from the above results , the thermal shock resistance ( the thermal strength ) is successfully improved , even when using si 3 n 4 . the primary feature of this invention resides in a ceramic structure which is constituted by an internal structure , such as a trapper portion having a three - dimensional network skeleton , and an external structure , such as a reinforced layer ; and in which the sintering - shrinkage ratio of the external structure portion is made smaller than that of the internal structure portion so that , after sintering , residual compressive stress is imparted to the external structure portion ( in particular , the surface thereof ), to improve the thermal strength thereof . ( 1 )-- 1 variation in the quantity of synthetic cordierite which was added . the internal structure : 2 to 4 % by weight of a synthetic cordierite was added to a cordierite composition material ( to give a shrinkage ratio of 3 . 5 to 7 . 5 %). the external structure : the cordierite composition material alone ( with a shrinkage ratio of 1 . 5 %) was used . the internal structure : the particle diameter of the cordierite composition material was made to be 5 to 10μ ( to give a shrinkage ratio of 4 to 8 %). the external structure : the particle diameter of the cordierite composition material was made to be 20 to 40μ ( to give a shrinkage ratio of 4 to 8 %). the internal structure : ba was added to the cordierite composition material ( to give a shrinkage ratio of 4 to 8 %). the external structure : the cordierite composition material alone ( with a shrinkage ratio of 4 to 8 %) is used . in addition to cordierite and si 3 n 4 , it is also , possible to use a variety of ceramics such as sic , al 2 o 3 , β - spondumene composition materials , or the like . although a reinforced layer of a thickness of 2 mm was formed in the previous - described embodiment , this invention is not limited to this thickness , any thickness is effective in improving the thermal strength . the reinforced layer having been used was a single layer , but it may has a multilayer structure . in this case , the sintering - shrinkage ratio of the raw material need to be made to gradually decrease toward the outer periphery . fig8 a and 8b show an example in which a ceramic structure is used as a catalyst support . the catalyst support has partitions 32 consisting of a three - dimensional network skeleton 31 , in a similar manner to that of the particulate trapper shown in fig1 . although the support has a cylindrical honeycomb structure as a whole , gas passages 33 therein are not closed , and a part of the exhaust gas enters the partitions 32 which contain a catalyst such as platinum . fig9 a and 9b respectively show still another example of the particulate trapper . this particulate trapper has a uniform three - dimensional network skeleton 31 of a structure such that the exhaust gas can pass through the spaces defined in the skeleton and flow out of the ceramic structure . in the above disclosure , while a variety of porous ceramic are referred to , the present invention is not limited to these ceramic structure described above . moreover , in accordance with the present invention , a catalyst such as platinum is supported on the surface of the ceramic skeleton 4 of the partitions 3 shown in fig1 a , 1b and 2 , so that the skeleton 4 constitutes a catalyst support for cleaning noxious gas components such as hc , co and no x from the exhaust gas . while the above provides a full and complete disclosure of the invention , various modifications , alternative constructions and equivalents may be employed without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention . therefore , the above description and illustrations should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention , which is defined by the appended claims .

a sintered ceramic structure for cleaning noxious substances contained in the exhaust gases emitted by an internal combustion engine is disclosed . the stucture comprises : an exhaust - gas cleaning portion including a multiplicity of pores through which the exhaust gas is discharged and an exhaust - gas inlet portion and an exhaust - gas outlet portion ; an external wall portion being integrally disposed around the outer periphery of the exhaust - gas cleaning portion except for both the exhaust - gas inlet portion and the exhaust - gas outlet portion of the exhaust - gas cleaning portion ; the exhaust - gas cleaning portion and the external wall portion being constituted by ceramics ; and the ceramics of the external wall portion being composed of a sintered ceramic material having a sintering - shrinkage ratio smaller than that of the ceramics of the sintered ceramic material of the noxious gas cleaning portion , whereby upon sintering a residual compressive stress is imparted to the external wall portion due to the difference between the sintered - shrinkage ratios .

a group of keyless evidence lockers stacked in an array or bank 10 is shown in fig1 and 2 . in one representative embodiment , the four evidence lockers 12 are stacked randomly ; although , the invention is not limited to such an arrangement . the evidence lockers 12 share a frame 14 that includes a top panel 16 , a base panel 18 , and a pair of side panels 20 and 22 . the frame members may be fastened together in a conventional manner , such as welding , or formed as an integrated unit in a conventional manner . each evidence locker 12 defines a storage cell 24 having a front opening 26 and a rear opening 28 . the openings 26 , 28 are defined by the aforementioned side panels 20 , 22 and a cell lower panel 30 and a cell upper panel 32 . the cell lower panel 30 effectively defines the cell upper panel for the below adjacent evidence locker 12 . similarly , the cell upper panel effectively defines the cell lower panel for the above adjacent evidence locker 12 . the front opening 26 may be closed by a door 34 connected to side panel 22 using hinges 36 . in the illustrated example , the doors 34 of each evidence locker 12 are pulled open about side panel 20 or 22 depending on what side of the bank the door 34 is located . the rear opening 28 is closed by a rear door 38 that in the illustrated embodiment is coupled to the side panel 22 , but is understood that the rear door 38 could be connected to the opposite side panel 20 . each front door 34 has a stiffener bracket 40 that includes two slots 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) for locking points ( not shown ) of a lock mechanism 44 to engage when the door 34 is locked . fig3 through 5 show a keyless , multipoint locking mechanism 44 according to one embodiment of the invention . the locking mechanism 44 has a housing 46 that is integrated into the locker center divider 21 or may also be integrated into a lock mount bracket 23 when a center divider is not provided or when the door locks adjacent one of the side panels . an inner slide 48 is connected to the housing 46 and allowed to slide vertically within the interior of the housing 46 . the housing 46 also has an outer frame member 50 through which a pushbutton 52 extends . the pushbutton 52 is associated with an actuator member 54 that extends into a keyhole shaped opening 55 in the inner slide 48 . opening 55 includes a slot portion 55 ( a ) and a circular portion 55 ( b ). the actuator member 54 has a larger diameter portion 56 and a smaller diameter portion 58 . the smaller diameter portion 58 is concentric with the larger diameter portion 56 and therefore effectively forms a ring . the larger diameter portion 56 of the actuator member 54 provides a seat for the boundary of the keyhole shaped opening 55 formed in the inner slide 48 when the inner slide 48 is in a retracted position and the smaller diameter portion 58 , or ring , provides a seat for the boundary of the keyhole shaped opening 55 when the inner slide 48 is in an extended position , as will be described . a spring latch 60 interconnects the pushbutton 52 with the actuator member 54 . the spring latch 60 includes a compression spring 62 . when the inner slide 48 is in a retracted position , the compression spring 62 is extended . more particularly , the spring latch 60 includes a circlip 63 that is coupled to the pushbutton 52 and therefore linked with the actuator member 54 . when the pushbutton 52 is depressed , the spring 62 is compressed between the circlip 63 and the plate 64 . the inner slide 48 and pushbutton 52 are both biased towards the extended position . when the pushbutton is depressed it causes the smaller diameter portion 58 of the actuator member 54 to enter into the keyhole shaped opening 55 of the inner slide 48 , which in turn allows the inner slide 48 to move to its extended position . the larger diameter portion 56 of actuator member 54 is bigger than the smaller portion of the keyhole shaped slot 55 ( a ) which in turn keeps the push button depressed . when the inner slide 48 is forced back to its retracted position the larger diameter portion 56 lines up with the circular portion 55 ( b ) of the keyhole shaped opening 55 allowing pushbutton 52 to return to its extended position the locking mechanism 44 also includes a pair of locking points , which in the illustrated embodiment include a pair of locking members in the form of locking bolts 66 and 68 . locking bolt 66 is mounted on a guide pin 70 and is retained by a pair of frame members 72 and 74 in a manner that allows the locking bolt 66 to slide linearly . similarly , locking bolt 68 is mounted on a guide pin 76 and retained by the pair of frame members 72 , 74 in a manner that allows the locking bolt 68 to slide linearly . each locking bolt 66 , 68 has a guide channel 78 , 80 , respectively , that defines a path along which the respective guide pins 70 , 76 travel . the locking bolts 66 , 68 are biased toward an extended position via an extension spring 82 that urges the inner slide 48 toward the extended or locked position . the extension spring 82 is interconnected between the housing 46 and the inner slide 48 . when the inner slide 48 is in the retracted position , the extension spring 82 is extended . likewise , movement of the inner slide 48 to the extended position compresses the extension spring 82 , which biases the inner slide 48 toward the extended position . a rear release cam assembly 84 is used to place the inner slide 48 in the retracted position , which also results in the extension of the pushbutton 52 and the retraction of the locking bolts 66 , 68 . the cam assembly 84 includes a cam member 86 that is coupled to the inner slide 48 by a clevis pin 88 . the clevis pin 88 extends through a compression spring 90 that is sandwiched between the inside surface of the front frame member 50 and the cam member 86 . a lever arm 92 is pinned to the cam member 86 and is used to retract the inner slide 48 and extend pushbutton 52 . the lever arm 92 is of sufficient length to extend to the rear opening 28 of the storage cell 24 . thus , a property clerk can move the locking mechanism 44 to its unlocked position by pulling on arm 92 to rotate the cam member 86 upward , which resets the door 34 to its unlocked state . operation of the locking mechanism 44 will now be described in a series of steps . for purposes of description , the steps will begin with opening of the evidence locker 12 to place evidence therein and conclude with the unlocking of the evidence locker 12 by a property clerk without use of a key . first , an officer , court official , or other authorized evidence handler chooses an empty , unlocked evidence locker 12 . the locking mechanism 44 is in an unlocked position characterized by the pushbutton 52 being an extended position and the locking bolts 66 and 68 being in retracted positions . the positions of the pushbutton 52 and the bolts 66 , 68 is a function of the position of the inner slide 48 being forced into a retracted position by cam member 86 . once the evidence is placed into the storage cell 24 of the evidence locker , the door 34 is closed and the pushbutton 52 is depressed to lock the door 34 to the locker frame 14 . when the pushbutton 52 is depressed , the actuator member 54 moves linearly away from the front frame member 50 . the larger diameter portion 56 of the actuator member 54 moves through the opening in the inner slide 48 until the boundary of the opening seats in the ring or smaller diameter portion 58 of the actuator member . the change in diameter of the actuator member 54 allows the bias of spring 82 to force the inner slide 48 from a retracted position to an extended position . in this regard , the guide pins 70 , 76 , which are connected to the inner slide 48 , effectively move closer to the actuator member 54 by a distance equal to the distance between the center of the circular diameter portion 55 ( b ) of the keyhole shaped opening 55 and the center of the slot portion 55 ( a ) of the keyhole shaped opening 55 . this movement of the guide pins 70 , 76 allows the bolts 66 , 68 to move transversely with the movement of the inner slide 48 , by operation of movement of the guide pins 70 , 76 along guide channels 78 , 80 , respectively . this transverse movement of the locking bolts 66 , 68 forces the locking bolts 66 , 68 into engagement with corresponding slots in the stiffener bracket 40 on the door 34 thereby locking the door 34 closed . moreover , since the pushbutton 52 is retracted , further depressing of the pushbutton 52 has no impact on the locking mechanism 44 . in other words , the locking mechanism 44 cannot be unlocked by depressing pushbutton 52 . the front door 34 can only be unlocked by a property office or similar authorized personnel using the lever arm 92 that is accessible only through the rear opening 28 , as described above . the lever arm 92 effectively resets the locking mechanism 44 by retracting the locking bolts 66 , 68 and extending the pushbutton 52 by moving the inner slide 48 from its extended position to its retracted position . it should be noted that the terms “ extended ” and “ retracted ” relative to the position of the inner slide 48 correspond to the position of the locking bolts 66 , 68 rather than the position of the inner slide 48 . in this regard , the “ retracted ” position of the inner slide 48 is , in effect , the first or unlocked position and the “ extended ” position of the inner slide 48 is , in effect , the second or locked position . one skilled in the art will appreciate that the locking bolts 66 , 68 extend into dedicated slots 42 ( a ), 42 ( b ) in the stiffener bracket 40 on the door 34 and that the lock mechanism is securely mounted to the locker frame 14 . the locking bolts 66 , 68 thus prevent the door 34 from being pulled away from the locker frame 14 . the locker frame has an integral stop 93 that holds the door 34 flush with the face of the cabinet and it keeps the door 34 being pushed into the frame . it will be appreciated that the door 34 has a handle 95 that can be used as a door pull for grasping the door 34 and pulling it open . fig6 through 8 show a keyed locking mechanism 100 according to an alternate embodiment of the invention . the keyed locking mechanism is similar to the locking mechanism 44 described above , but requires a key for unlocking rather than a rear panel accessible lever arm as in the embodiment of fig3 through 5 . the locking mechanism 100 has a housing 102 that includes a front frame member 104 . the front frame member includes a tube lock 106 and an opening 108 that can house a tube lock for an alternate handed lock . openings 106 , 108 correspond to the same openings 94 , 96 of the front frame member 50 of the previously described keyless locking mechanism 44 . thus , for locking mechanism 100 , one of the openings is used as a keyhole 106 and the other is used for the alternate handed lock . in this regard , the same housing can be used for both keyless and keyed embodiments . the housing 102 is designed to be integrated into a center divider or other locker frame member . an inner slide 112 is connected to the housing 102 and allowed to slide vertically within the interior of the housing 102 . a pushbutton 114 extends through an opening 115 in the front frame member 104 centrally between the keyhole 106 and extra 103 . the pushbutton 114 is associated with an actuator member 116 that extends into an opening 117 in the inner slide 112 . the actuator member 116 has a larger diameter portion 118 and a smaller diameter portion 120 . the smaller diameter portion 120 is concentric with the larger diameter portion 118 and therefore effectively forms a ring . the larger diameter portion of the actuator member 116 provides a seat for the boundary of the opening 117 formed in the inner slide 112 when the inner slide 112 is in a retracted position and the smaller diameter portion of the actuator member 116 , or ring , provides a seat for the boundary of the opening 117 when the inner slide 112 is in an extended position , as will be described . a spring latch 122 interconnects the pushbutton 114 with the actuator member 116 . the spring latch 122 includes a compression spring 124 . when the inner slide 112 is in a retracted position , the compression spring 124 is extended . more particularly , the spring latch 122 includes a circlip 125 that is coupled to the pushbutton 114 . when the pushbutton 114 is depressed , the spring 124 is compressed between the circlip 125 and plate 126 . the inner slide 112 and the pushbutton 114 are both biased towards the extended position . when the pushbutton is depressed it causes the smaller diameter portion of the actuator member 116 to enter into the keyhole shaped opening of the inner slide 112 , which allows the inner slide 112 to move to its extended position . the larger diameter portion of the actuator member 116 keeps the pushbutton in the depressed position . when the inner slide 112 is forced back to its retracted position , the larger diameter portion of the actuator member 116 lines up with the larger portion of the opening 117 thereby allowing the pushbutton 114 to return to its extended position . the locking mechanism 100 also includes a pair of locking points , which in the illustrated embodiment include a pair of locking members or bolts 128 and 130 . locking bolt 128 is mounted on a guide pin 132 and is retained by a pair of frame members 134 and 136 in a manner that allows the bolt 128 to slide linearly . similarly , locking bolt 130 is mounted on a guide pin 138 and retained by the pair of frame members 140 , 142 in a manner that allows that bolt 130 to slide linearly . each locking bolt 128 , 130 has a guide channel 144 , 146 , respectively , that defines a path along which the respective guide pins 132 , 138 travel . the locking bolts 128 , 130 are biased toward an extended position when the inner slide 112 is in the extended or locked position by operation of an extension spring 148 . the extension spring 148 is interconnected between the housing 102 and the inner slide 112 , and is compressed when the inner slide 112 is in the extended position so as to bias the inner slide 112 toward the extended position . the keylock assembly 110 includes a lock tube 150 that houses a barrel 152 that is linked with a cam assembly 154 . when the appropriate key is inserted into the barrel 152 and rotated , the cam member assembly 154 returns the inner slide 112 to its unlocked position which retracts the bolts 128 , 130 and extends the pushbutton 114 . in this regard , a key inserted into barrel 152 and rotated imparts functionality similar to the lever arm described above . it will be appreciated that the locking bolts described herein may take the form of flanges , pins , or other shaped locking points and , as such , the present invention is not limited to a particular shape or geometry for the locking bolts . the present invention has been described with respect to an evidence locker but it is understood that the invention may also be applicable with other types of lockable storage compartments or containers . additionally , while keyless and keyed evidence lockers have been described and shown , it is understood that the invention is also applicable with lockers and the like that may be unlocked electronically using a keypad , key - fob , or other type of electronic device . various alternatives and embodiments are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention .

a locker that may either be opened in a keyed or keyless manner includes a locking mechanism formed predominantly of sheet components . the locking mechanism is designed to be carried by the frame of the locker , and is particularly suited to enable the locker to be used as an evidence locker or similar restricted access storage compartment . various spring biases are used to force the locking mechanism to a locked position when the locking mechanism is appropriately triggered , such as by a pushbutton . the locking mechanism is designed to be substantially tamper proof and cannot be reset to an unlocked position without a key , if equipped , or access to a lock resetting lever arm that is only accessible through a rear opening of the locker .

as illustrated in fig1 the parting tool assembly 10 of this invention includes a punch assembly 11 and a mating die 12 . the punch assembly includes a punch body 13 having a working tip 14 with a tip end face 15 . the punch body has a central section 16 reciprocatingly received in a combination stripper and punch guide 17 . the end 18 of the punch body opposite the working tip 15 is threaded as at 19 and receives an adjustable cap nut 20 thereon . a stripper spring 21 is compressed between the cap nut 20 and a stripping guide engaging washer 22 . as is known to the art , as the descending ram of a punching apparatus engages the nut 20 urging the punch assembly towards the die 12 , the end face 24 of the guide will engage a workpiece lying between the punch assembly and the die . thereafter further movement of the punch assembly will compress the stripping spring 21 tightly engaging the workpiece with the guide 17 which projecting the working tip 14 out of the end face of the guide and through the workpiece . standard prior parting tool punches were generally rectangular in cross section having flat shearing end faces . as they pass through the material of the workpiece , for example the workpiece 30 illustrated in fig4 through 6 , the material of the workpiece at the top thereof adjacent the edges of the slot 31 being formed by the parting tool tended to &# 34 ; rollover &# 34 ; or become depressed . this roll - over , illustrated at 33 , and best shown in fig6 was maximized in the center areas of the longitudinal length of the slot 31 and was minimized adjacent the short ends 35 . thus when the parting tool was used in a nibbling sequence where the workpiece is moved with respect to the parting tool between successive strokes of the parting tool by a distance which is less than the length of the working tip of the parting tool , the rollovers tend to become spaced along the length of the parting slot such that areas of lesser or minimum rollover alternated with areas of greater rollover . this condition , illustrated in fig7 created an irregular surface at the edge of the parted material . according to this invention , this irregular surface at the parted edge is minimized , by the use of a radius face 39 for the working tip 14 . as best illustrated in fig3 the radius r is generated along the longitudinal length of the working tip from short end 35 to short end 35 . the length of the radius is chosen with respect to the longitudinal length l of the working tip and the depth of penetration of the punch interior of the die such that the peak height x of the radius is always less than the depth of penetration thereby assuring that the entire longitudinal length of the tip will project below the surface of the die to insure proper shearing of the workpiece material . by using a radius tip , it has been found that rollover will be made substantially uniform throughout the entire length of the parting tool . the radius tip provides a more gentle and uniform shearing action as the punch penetrates the workpiece . in this it acts like a pair of scissors does in shearing material wherein breakout of the material to be removed by the parting tool from the workpiece uniformly moves along the edge of the sheared opening from the central portions thereof outwardly to the ends . in order to provide effective shearing , the working tip is substantially flat from long side wall 38 to long side wall 38 as illustrated at 39 of fig2 . further as illustrated in that figure , the wall 38 can have a slightly negative taper towards the central portion of the body such that the included angle at the tip face is slightly less than 90 °. it has also been found that by providing radius corners at the tip face with a definite relation to the radius corners of the die , that the previously encountered dimples 50 can be minimized . such dimples have been produced by sharp corners of the punch and mating die which create areas of high stress . in order to reduce this problem , as illustrated in fig9 the corners of the punch tip 39 are radiused as at 51 . likewise as illustrated in fig8 the corners of the die opening 52 are radiused as at 53 . the radius r1 of the punch is chosen so as to have a predetermined relationship with the radius r2 of the die . as is known to those in the art , punches and dies are provided with a predetermined side wall clearance . this clearance is determined by the type and hardness of the material of the workpiece as well as the size and shape of the punch tip . it has been found that by increasing the clearance in the corners , that dimpling will be minimized . to this end , the radius r1 is maintained greater than the radius r2 of the die with the difference between r1 and r2 being slightly greater than the die side wall clearance . in this manner uniform rollover is exhibited on all sides and at the corners . it is believed that at the very least the difference between r1 and r2 must be equal to the die side wall clearance in order to minimize dimpling . however , tests have shown that by increasing the corner clearance beyond the side clearance , that additional beneficial results are obtained . tests have indicated that optimum results are obtained when the clearance in the corners is about 40 % greater than the side wall clearance . it can therefore be seen from the above that my invention provides a particularly effective parting tool punch and die assembly wherein the parting tool punch has a substantially rectangular elongated cross section working tip with a radius curvature longitudinally thereof . in the preferred embodiment , the curvature of the tip is such that its peak dimension is slightly less than the depth of penetration of the punch into the die . additionally the working tip has a flat shear surface from long side wall to long side wall , the flat surface being at a substantially right angle to the axis of the punch . further , the punch corners are also radius curved and cooperate with radius curved die corners with the difference between the radii of the punched corners and the die corners being greater than the die clearance . although the teachings of my invention have herein been discussed with reference to specific theories and embodiments , it is to be understood that these are by way of illustration only and that others may wish to utilize my invention in different designs or applications .

a punch and die assembly specifically adapted for use as a parting tool is disclosed . the punch has a working tip of rectangular cross section formed with a radius curved convex shear bottom . the punch mates with the die such that the punch side wall to die side wall clearance is maintained or increased at the corners .

the present invention relates to a security label , that can be preferably machine applied , designed to activate a security device that generates an electronic field , such as an electronic gate , so as to prevent the theft of a retail item on which the security label is placed . the security label 10 , as shown in fig1 and 8 , is comprised of a top label 12 , having a sub - assembly label 14 located within the periphery of the top label . importantly , the sub - assembly label 14 does not contact the edges of the top label 12 . this allows for a metal strip 16 or similar material to be hidden below the surface of the top label so that it is more difficult for a potential thief to locate the metal strip 16 . such strip 16 is necessary to activate the security device . as such , the sub - assembly label 14 , as shown in fig1 , and 6 will be comprised of the metal strip 16 held by a substrate material 18 . the top label 12 is shown in a preferred construction in more detail in fig3 and will be comprised of an outer edge , which can be a continuous edge or multiple edges , and opposed faces . the top label can have any of a variety of shapes and dimensions , including rectangles , boxes , strips , half - moon shapes , circles , triangles , and a variety of other shapes and designs . more preferably , the top label 12 will have a rectangular shape so that it has four edges 28 , 30 , 32 , and 34 , as shown in fig3 . additionally , as shown in fig1 and 3 , the top label 12 will have opposed faces 36 and 38 , with one face 36 having adhesive located thereon , also known as the adhesive face , and the opposite face or print face 38 having scripting , or printing , located thereon . the print face 38 can alternatively be a blank or white . preferably , the top label will be formed from a material comprised of two distinct layers 44 and 46 , shown in fig4 a paper or face layer 44 , which is used to form the print face , and a carrier or polyester layer 46 , which is used to form the adhesive face . the paper layer is desired because it can readily be printed on . if the paper layer is not printed on , it can be made into a blank or white label . thus , the paper layer 44 will form the print face 38 . the polyester layer 46 is desired because it imparts rigidity and strength to the top label , with the polyester layer forming the adhesive face 36 . any type of adhesive that will allow the sub - assembly label 14 and the top label 12 to be attached fixedly to one another , if that is the desired construction , can be used . while the adhesive can be used to fixedly attach the top label and sub - assembly label together , it is necessary , and more important , for the adhesive to be of a sufficient strength to allow the security label 10 to be attached fixedly to a video cassette or game . the design of the top label 12 is preferred so that , if desired , printing or scripting can be placed on one face 38 of the top label 12 to impart information to consumers . while the top label can be of any length , width , shape , and dimension , it is generally preferred for the top label to be approximately 14 . 5 centimeters ( cm ) or greater in length , and have a width equal to at least 1 cm . such dimensions are desired , ad as they allow for a top label that will sufficiently conceal the metal strip 16 , as well as allowing the metal strip to have a sufficient length to activate a security system . any dimension , however , can be used , as long as the top label sufficiently conceals the security activating material , with enough material present to activate a security device . the sub - assembly label 14 is shown with greater specificity in fig2 , 6 , and 7 . as mentioned , the sub - assembly label will be comprised of a metal strip 16 fixedly held by a substrate material 18 . as such , the sub - assembly label 14 will have opposed faces 40 and 42 , shown in fig2 and 7 , and at least one outer edge . like the top label , the sub - assembly label can be of any of a variety of shapes and dimensions , including rectangles , boxes , strips , half - moon shapes , circles , triangles , and a variety of other shapes and designs . more preferably , the sub - assembly label will have a rectangular construction , similar to the top label 12 , so that the sub - assembly label 14 has four edges , 20 , 22 , 24 , and 26 . any design , however , can be used , as long as the metal strip 16 , or security activating material , can be attached fixedly to or held by the substrate material 18 to form the sub - assembly label 14 that can be placed on and concealed within the top label 12 , while still allowing for activation of a security device . the substrate material 18 is preferably made from a semi - rigid material , such as polyester ; however , any material may be used , as long as the metal material can be placed thereon so as to prevent curling and the metal material is fixedly held onto the substrate material . in forming the security label 10 , it is necessary to simply attach the metal strip 16 to the substrate material 18 . this can be accomplished in any of a number of ways , including placing a glue or adhesive on a face of the sub - assembly label 14 and attaching the metal strip to the surface so that the glue will fixedly hold the metal strip to the substrate material . it is more preferred if the substrate material 18 is comprised of two discrete layers , 48 and 50 , shown in fig5 and 6 , a clear or semi - gloss layer 48 also known as a face sheet , and a rigid or polyester layer 50 . the preferred two layer construction for the sub - assembly layer is shown in fig4 . preferably , the clear layer 48 corresponds to face 42 and the polyester layer 50 to face 40 . the two layer construction is desired because the two layers , 48 and 50 , can be separated with the metal strip 16 inserted , thereby making it more difficult to remove the metal strip 16 from the security label . this is shown in fig6 . also , the semi - gloss or clear layer 48 can be colored , preferably darkened , shown in fig7 so as to further conceal the metal strip 16 from the potential thief &# 39 ; s view . the metal strip 16 can be made from any of a variety of metals or compositions that will activate an electronic security device , with the metal strip 16 having any of a variety of shapes and dimensions . more particularly , the metal strip can be any material that can be placed on a label , hidden , and used to activate a security system when a thief tries to steal a tape or game . thus , the metal strip 16 can be made from any of a variety of magnetic metals , including amorphous metal , that will activate a security device . the metal strip is most preferably a metallic glass or amorphous metal . the metal strip 16 must be of a sufficient construction to allow it to be located on the sub - assembly label 14 without the metal strip curling or pulling away from the substrate material . in particular , the metal strip should lay flat on the substrate material . also , the security material or metal strip must be sufficiently magnetic so that a comparatively small strip can be used while still activating the security device . an example of a metal strip of suitable size is one whereby the metal strip is about 8 cm long and about 2 mm wide . while a strip construction is preferred because it will lay flat , and sufficient metal can be included to activate the device , any design or construction can be used that will sufficiently activate the device , including squares , chips , circular shapes , and a variety of other constructions and designs . once the top label 12 and the sub - assembly label 14 have been formed , they can be attached to one another to form the security label 10 . importantly , the sub - assembly layer 14 must be attached in a manner so that a sub - assembly layer is within the periphery of the top label 12 . it is important that the metal strip 16 not be located on or near an edge of the top label so as to thereby make it more difficult to remove , or “ zipper out ”, the metal strip . preferably , the sub - assembly layer is located at least 1 mm from the outer edge of the top label . more preferably , the sub - assembly label is located at least 5 mm from the top label edges . the sub - assembly 14 can be fixedly attached by locating such label on the adhesive face 36 of the top label 12 . in the alternative , it is more preferred to separate layers 44 and 46 of the top label 12 and to locate the sub - assembly label 14 between layers 44 and 46 , as shown in fig8 . when this is done , the sub - assembly label 14 should be located such that the metal strip does not contact the edges of the top label . once the sub - assembly layer 14 is inserted , the layers 44 and 46 are returned to the previous position and sealed to form the security label 10 . other methods can be used , as long as the sub - assembly label is fixedly attached to the top label and the metal strip is located within the periphery of the top label . while polyester is preferred for use in both the top label 12 and the sub - assembly label 14 , any semi - rigid material can be used that will adequately hold a metal strip . preferably , the material will have a machine direction elongation equal to 150 % and cross direction break equal to 110 %. also , the material should have a tear strength equal to 36 , 000 psi in the machine direction and 40 , 000 psi in the cross direction . the method for forming the security label 10 includes forming the sub - assembly layer 14 , with the metal material or material designed to activate the security system held by the sub - assembly layer . preferably , the method includes separating two layers that comprise the material used to form the sub - assembly label , so that a metal strip is located therebetween , and the two layers are remarried . this can be achieved using any of a variety of different types of equipment which are common in the industry that are designed to separate a face layer from a carrier layer . such equipment is readily available . after the two sub - assembly layers are remarried , the reformed sub - assembly material is passed through a die and cut to the desired size to prepare for placement on the top label . the top label 12 material will then be preferably separated by a known machine with the sub - assembly label 14 located between the two separated layers , with the layers then remarried to form a unitary material . this material is then passed through a standard die and cut to the desired label size . the labels are then ready to be placed on any retail item that can hold a label , including dvd discs , video tapes or games , by hand or , more preferably , by a label machine . attempted theft of an item having the security label should become less likely , as it will be difficult to remove the metal strip , which activates the security device , from the video cassette or game . thus , there has been shown and described a security label product which fulfills all the objects and advantages sought therefore . it is apparent to those skilled in the art , however , that many changes , variations , modifications , and other uses and applications for the security label product are possible , and also such changes , variations , modifications , and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow .

a method for forming a securing label including affixing a security activating material to a substrate to form a sub - assembly label , attaching the sub - assembly label to a top label material , and cutting the top label material to form a top label where the sub - assembly label and the top label form the securing label . attaching of sub - assembly layer includes inserting the sub - assembly layer between a paper layer and a carrier layer of the top label material which have been separated from each other and then remarried after insertion .