Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods and apparatus for centrifugal separation. In one embodiment, a separator includes an outer tubular having ends sealed from the environment and an inner tubular. The inner tubular is disposed within the outer tubular, has ends in fluid communication with a bore of the outer tubular, and is attached to the outer tubular. The separator further includes an inlet. The inlet is disposed through a wall of the outer tubular, in fluid communication with a bore of the inner tubular, and tangentially attached to the inner tubular so that fluid flow from the inlet to the inner tubular is centrifugally accelerated. The separator further includes a gas outlet in fluid communication with the outer tubular bore; and a liquid outlet in fluid communication with the outer tubular bore.

An apparatus for use with a centrifugal cellular separation device that comprises a rotor rotatable about an axis of rotation is provided that comprises a fluid separation chamber having a first port, a second port spaced apart from the first port, and a third port located intermediate the first port and the second port. The fluid separation chamber has a cross sectional area generally transverse to a radius extending from the axis of rotation that varies between the first port and the second port. The fluid separation chamber is adapted to be mounted to the rotor so as to be rotatable therewith, with the first port located at a greater radial distance from the axis than the second port, and the third port located radially intermediate the first port and the second port.

The invention describes a color-developing composition that contains at least three major components: (1) a leuco dye or a combination of leuco dyes, (2) an color-developer or a combination of color-developers that can form colored complexes with the leuco dyes, and (3) a desensitizer to temporarily remove the effect of the developer so the leuco dye appears in its colorless form. An optional binder may be included so that the composition may be applied to a substrate as an ink. The ink composition may be applied to synthetic polymeric substrates and other substrates that are incorporated into absorbent articles or personal care products.

There is disclosed an indicator composition, the application thereof to substrates, and related products. The indicator composition comprises an organic solvent soluble polymer and a redox sensitive material which displays different visible properties in the oxidized and reduced forms. The organic solvent soluble polymer can be at least partially sulfonated polystyrene. The indicator composition can be dissolved in organic solvents such as acetone, ethanol and ethyl acetate to form inks which can be used in a variety of printing processes. The indicator composition can be used to detect oxidizing agents, oxygen, water, reducing agents, UV light, temperature and the passage of time.

To provide an image processing method including at least one of recording an image onto a thermoreversible recording medium in which transparency or color tone reversibly changes depending upon temperature, by applying a laser beam with the use of a CO2 laser device so as to heat the thermoreversible recording medium, and erasing an image recorded on the thermoreversible recording medium, by heating the thermoreversible recording medium, wherein an intensity distribution of the laser beam applied in the image recording step satisfies the relationship represented by Expression 1 shown below, 1.59

A process for treating offshore natural gas includes processing the natural gas on an off-shore processing facility by, (i) liquefying and fractionating the natural gas to generate a liquefied natural gas stream and a higher hydrocarbon stream, (ii) vaporizing at least a portion of the higher hydrocarbon stream, (iii) passing the vaporized higher hydrocarbon stream and steam over a steam reforming catalyst to generate a reformed gas mixture comprising methane, steam, carbon oxides and hydrogen, (iv) passing the reformed gas mixture over a methanation catalyst to generate a methane rich gas, and (v) combining the methane-rich gas with the natural gas prior to the liquefaction step.

There is provided a method for upgrading hydrocarbon compounds, in which hydrocarbon compounds synthesized in a Fisher-Tropsch synthesis reaction are fractionally distillated, and the fractionally distillated hydrocarbon compounds are hydrotreated to produce liquid fuel products. The method includes fractionally distilling heavy hydrocarbon compounds synthesized in the Fisher-Tropsch synthesis reaction as a liquid into a first middle distillate and a wax fraction, and fractionally distilling light hydrocarbon compounds synthesized in the Fisher-Tropsch synthesis reaction as a gas into a second middle distillate and a light gas fraction.

In a synthesis gas methanation process, at least one first fraction of synthesis gas to treat is fed, together with steam, to a shift reactor where a shift reaction occurs; the gas flow produced in the shift reactor is then fed to a first methanation reactor where a methanation reaction occurs and then to further second methanation reactors in series, where further methanation reactions, performed with the addition of fresh synthesis gas which has not been subjected to the shift reaction.

A system and process for removing catalyst fines from a gas stream overhead the slurry in a Fischer-Tropsch slurry bubble column reactor. The gas phase at the top of the slurry bubble column reactor containing small amounts of entrained liquid and catalyst particles. The unreacted gases are passed through a demister, which removes larger droplets and catalyst particles. Smaller droplets and catalyst fines are conveyed to a secondary gas cleaner, such as a cyclone, whereby substantially all remaining particles are removed from the gas phase. A particle-containing liquid produced in the secondary gas cleaner can be further subjected to a filtrate cleaning unit to filter out fine catalyst particles and produce a substantially particle-free liquid product stream and a slurry stream of liquid product containing catalyst particles.

Catalyst compositions comprising molybdenum, sulfur and an alkali metal ion supported on a nanofibrous, mesoporous carbon molecular sieve are useful for converting syngas to higher alcohols. The compositions are produced via impregnation and may enhance selectivity to ethanol in particular.

Methods and systems are provided for executing a simulation of an operation in a data processing system. In one implementation, the method includes executing an operation under a first set of conditions, determining a characteristic associated with the execution of the operation under the first set of conditions, and executing a simulation of the operation under a second set of conditions different from the first set of conditions. The simulation of the operation is constrained by the determined characteristic. The method can further include determining a cost/benefit of executing the operation under a set of conditions different from the first set of conditions based at least in part on the simulation.

According to one aspect, an apparatus for computing a solution to a power flow problem for an electrical power system comprising a plurality of buses. The apparatus includes (a) at least one processor comprising a plurality of cores; and (b) memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing an admittance matrix for the power system, real power and reactive power for each bus, and an initial complex voltage for each bus; (c) wherein the at least one processor is configured to: (i) perform a Jacobi power flow calculation for each bus to determine the complex voltage for each bus, the Jacobi power flow calculation using the admittance matrix, the real power and reactive power for each bus, and the initial complex voltage for each bus as inputs, wherein at least two Jacobi power flow calculations are performed concurrently on the plurality of cores; (ii) calculate a power mismatch at each bus based on the complex voltages; and (iii) determine whether the Jacobi power flow calculations have converged based on the power mismatch and repeat (i) to (iii) if the Jacobi power flow calculations have not converged.

An ink set includes a first ink composition, and a second ink composition, in which the first ink composition contains a first pigment, and an alkyl diol having carbon atoms of 6 or less and a normal boiling point of 240° C. or more, the second ink composition contains a second pigment, and the alkyl diol, in the first ink composition, a content of the first pigment is 2.5% by weight or more, and a content of the alkyl diol is 3% by weight to 15% by weight, in the second ink composition, a content of the second pigment is less than 2.5% by weight, and the content of the alkyl diol is 8% by weight to 30% by weight, and the content of the alkyl diol in the second ink composition is greater than the content of the alkyl diol in the first ink composition.

A method of applying particles to a backing having a make layer on one of the backing's opposed major surfaces. The method including the steps of: supporting the particles on a feeding member having a feeding surface such that the particles settle into one or more layers on the feeding surface; the feeding surface and the backing being arranged in a non-parallel manner; and translating the particles from the feeding surface to the backing and attaching the particles to the make layer by an electrostatic force.

A method including depositing an alloying layer along a sidewall of an opening and in direct contact with a seed layer, the alloying layer includes a crystalline structure that cannot serve as a seed for plating a conductive material, exposing the opening to an electroplating solution including the conductive material, the conductive material is not present in the alloying layer, applying an electrical potential to a cathode causing the conductive material to deposit from the electroplating solution onto the cathode exposed at the bottom of the opening and causing the opening to fill with the conductive material, the cathode includes an exposed portion of the seed layer and excludes the alloying layer, and forming a first intermetallic compound along an intersection between the alloying layer and the conductive material, the first intermetallic compound is formed as a precipitate within a solid solution of the alloying layer and the conductive material.

A thin-film manufacturing method includes the steps of: generating a plasma from source gas; extracting ions from the plasma; and depositing a thin film on one side or both sides of a substrate to be deposited with the ions. The method is performed in an apparatus including: a plasma chamber generating the plasma; a film deposition chamber accommodating the substrate to be deposited; an ion transfer path for transferring the ions from the plasma chamber to the film deposition chamber; a branch pipe branching from the ion transfer path; and an exhaust system connected to the branch pipe. The thin film is formed while the source gas except the ions is exhausted from the branch pipe.

The invention relates to the application of a coating to a substrate in which the coating includes a polymer material and the coating is selectively fluorinated and/or cured to improve the liquid repellance of the same. The invention also provides for the selective fluorination and/or curing of selected areas of the coating thus, when completed, providing a coating which has regions of improved liquid repellance with respect to the remaining regions and which remaining regions may be utilized as liquid collection areas.

The portable, wearable, proximal Alzheimer's disease treatment invention is based upon creating an RF field of particular frequencies and intensities that are applied to the patient's head. To accomplish the aforementioned disease treatment functionality, a system was invented comprising a network of antennas connected to an RF generator via a feedline connector. The invention also provides methods for using measurements to monitor and manage the effectiveness of an ongoing disease treatment regimen, and databases which contain information about measurements, variables, and their relationships to clinical outcome.

Embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus and method for treatment of pain by a device that provides transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. The device includes an applicator equipped with an electric pulse provider that sends an electric pulse to a set of electrodes disposed in an applicator head. The device is placed onto the skin of a patient's body at the point where the patient experiences pain and such that the electrodes of the device contact the skin of the patient while an insulating land area between the electrodes compresses the nerve during transmittal of the electric pulse through the electrodes and into the patient's body.

A method for localizing a needle to a nerve, the method comprising: using the needle to electrically stimulate the nerve, with a known current intensity, so as to evoke a nerve response;detecting the nerve response;analyzing the detected nerve response so as to identify at least one attribute of the same; andconfirming that the needle is in the immediate proximity of the nerve based upon known current intensity and at least one identified attribute of the detected nerve response.

A disposable electrode includes: an electrode pad; and a connector, connecting the electrode pad to a defibrillator, and including an information holder that can be provided with a transmissive opening or a light reflective member, the information holder holding information about at least an expiration date, depending on presence or absence of the transmissive opening or the light reflective member, the information holder allowing the information to be notified from the defibrillator when the connector is connected to the defibrillator.

The present invention provides a system for increasing skin rejuvenation of a region of a patient's skin comprising a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) frequency generator for constantly providing electromagnetic pulses to the region of a patient's skin and a deep tissue diathermy device for constantly applying heat to the region of a patient's skin up to temperature T. The system is adapted for simultaneously applying heat and PEMF to the region of a patient's skin; wherein application of the system increases skin rejuvenation such that the skin rejuvenation increase (SRI) is greater than the sum of the SRI provided by electromagnetic pulses increase and the SRI provided by the deep tissue diathermy device increase.

A wearable type movement assisting apparatus includes a movement assisting glove including a finger insertion part into which a finger of a wearer is inserted, a driving part arranged on a backhand side of the movement assisting glove and configured to drive the finger insertion part, a linear member arranged along the finger insertion part and configured to transmit a driving force of the driving part to the finger insertion part, a biosignal detection part configured to detect a biosignal that causes the finger of the wearer to move, and a control part configured to output a drive control signal to the driving part based on the biosignal detected by the biosignal detection part. The driving part is configured to move the linear member in an extending direction or a bending direction of the finger insertion part based on the drive control signal from the control part.

An apparatus of muscle and/or joint exercise adapted to reeducation and/or physical conditioning of a body part of a user, including a hollow body; a mobile member translatable inside the body; a motor-driven means arranged on the bottom of the body and adapted for driving and decelerating in displacement the mobile member in both translatory directions; a cooperating means between the body and a frame, this cooperating means being arranged on the bottom of the body and including: at least one hinge of the body on the frame, the hinge providing at least at least one degree of rotational freedom for the body around an axis of rotation; and a removable means for installing and removing the body, the removable means being designed for removably installing the body on a base slidingly mounted in the frame.

An exoskeleton (100) includes two torque generators (116, 118), two thigh links (104,106), and a supporting trunk (112) rotatably coupled to the thigh links (104, 106). When a wearer bends forward in the sagittal plane such that the supporting trunk (112) extends beyond a predetermined angle A with respect to vertical, at least one of the torque generators (116, 118) imposes a resisting torque between the supporting trunk (112) and a corresponding thigh link (104, 106), thus imposing a force onto a wearer's trunk and thighs to aid in supporting the wearer in a bent position. The exoskeleton (100) may include an active or passive means (116, 134) for actuating the torque generators (116, 118). When the supporting trunk (112) does not extend beyond the predetermined angle A, the torque generators (116, 118) do not impose resisting torques between the supporting trunk (112) and the thigh links (104, 106) during the entire range of motion of the thigh links (104, 106), thus enabling a wearer to walk, run, and sit without constraint while in a substantially upright position.

An ultrasound operation apparatus comprises: an ultrasound transducer; a driving section that drives the ultrasound transducer by a drive signal; a probe having a proximal end section provided with the ultrasound transducer and a distal end section to which ultrasound oscillation is transmitted, the probe performing a treatment on a living tissue using ultrasound oscillation at the distal end section; a detecting section that detects, from a drive signal, a physical quantity which varies due to cavitation generated by ultrasound oscillation of the distal end section; and an output control section that controls an output of the driving section in accordance with the detected physical quantity.

A skin graft applicator with a handle member and a roller member is described for use in applying a skin graft to a patient. The skin graft applicator has a manipulator pad for positioning the skin graft, and a roller member for forcing air and fluid from underneath the skin graft ensuring the proper bond between graft and tissue.

A massage device is disclosed and may include a substantially solid body with an array of at least twenty, and in some cases thirty or thirty-two or more, massage fingers each with an outward tip, an inward base and a center axis, the center axis extending to a center of the body. The massage fingers are spaced about the body at substantially equal distances from each of at least three, and in some cases up to five or six, massage fingers nearest to each massage finger such that the center axis of each massage finger is spaced and positioned to correspond to a location of one of at least twenty vertices of a polyhedron, in some cases a pentakis dodecahedron, and aligns with a vertex axis extending from a polyhedron center point through one of the vertices of the polyhedron.

An embodiment of the support structure includes a back plate, a central part adapted to recite an automatic compression/decompression unit, and a front part. The front part includes two legs coupled between the central part and the back plate. The support structure is arranged to automatically compress or decompress a patient's chest when the front part is attached to the back plate and when the compression/decompression unit is received in the central part.

An apparatus for forming pressed food products can utilize up to 98% chicken breast meat in high profit margin products. Breast meat is marinated and then extruded into a slab which is then frozen and shaped into a plank. The plank is sliced into unit portions which are then pressed into shaped portions with a preferred, or other, press. One preferred press linearly reciprocates unit portions into the press. This or another preferred press imparts three dimension exterior shape to the pressed food products.

Disclosed herein is an injection molding apparatus. That apparatus includes an axially extending bar shaped support bar and an inner mold that has a plurality of internal parts surrounding the support bar and is axially divided into a plurality of parts in which one or more corresponding parts in the inner parts have an inner circumferential surface width the same or larger than an outer circumferential surface width. The apparatus further includes an outer mold that has a plurality of axially divided external parts surrounding the inner mold and has a space between the inner circumferential surface of the outer mold and the outer circumferential surface of the inner mold.

A method for making apertures in a web comprising providing a precursor web material; providing a pair of counter-rotating, intermeshing rollers, wherein a first roller comprises circumferentially-extending ridges and grooves, and a second roller comprises teeth being tapered from a base and a tip, the teeth being joined to the second roller at the base, the base of the tooth having a cross-sectional length dimension greater than a cross-sectional width dimension; and moving the web material through a nip of the counter-rotating, intermeshing rollers; wherein apertures are formed in the precursor web material as the teeth on one of the rollers intermesh with grooves on the other of the rollers.

A tool (1000) includes a mold defining a cavity (1002). The cavity can be for receiving a glass layer (402). A floating core insert (1001) can be placed in the cavity to apply a preloading force against a first major face of the glass layer, preclude an overmolding operation on the first major face, and allow overmolding only on minor faces of the glass layer when polymeric material (1100) is injected into runners (1018,1019,1020) of the tool.

The present invention is directed to compositions and processes for their use that ameliorate the appearance of bruises, making them less cosmetically unappealing. The composition functions by acting both as a humectant and occlusive agent attracting water, returning the skin surface to a smooth state and holding water in place. The re-establishment of a homeostatic state in the skin results in a rapid dissipation of the negative cosmetic effects of the bruise on the skin.

A method and apparatus for moving along a tube extrusion line. An extruded tube is pushed through the extrusion line, by means of pressure generated by an extruder, to a withdrawal unit that takes over further driving of the tube. In a first-moving along phase, in which the tube has not yet passed a sealing of a calibration cooling unit relative to the atmosphere, the latter is under atmospheric pressure. In a second phase, in which the tube has passed the sealing, the calibration and cooling unit is placed under underpressure. In the first phase, the tube is supported either by internal overpressure or by a mechanical inner guide. A support cylinder extends axially from a casing head of the extruder and extends coaxially into a calibration sleeve in a first section of the calibration and cooling unit. A support plate is disposed between the casing head and an inlet of the calibration sleeve and provides external support for a tube exiting the casing head.

A molding apparatus for making a continuous molded article or continuous series of molded articles generally includes a pair of spaced-apart molding assemblies, which cooperatively generate a movable mold having a dynamic mold-cavity therein, each of the molding assemblies including a series of movable mold segments, which are adapted to fit together to form a portion of the dynamic mold-cavity, a drive mechanism for conveying the mold segments along a path, and a dispenser for dispensing a moldable, expandable material into the dynamic mold-cavity.

A method and apparatus are provided for automatic and hands-free threading of an elastomeric mix into a calender set of rolls comprising one or more pairs of rolls that have a nip between them. A stripper roll is positioned next to one of the rolls forming the nip and is rotated so that the outer surface of the stripper roll moves in a direction opposite to the outer surface of the adjacent roll. The stripper roll removes all or a desired portion of the elastomeric mix from the adjacent roll and causes the same to transfer to another roll. Variables such as e.g., the relative surface speed of the stripper roll, diameter of the stripper roll, and distance of the outer surface of the stripper roll from the adjacent roll can be manipulated to control the amount of the elastomeric mix that is stripped by the stripper roll.

An apparatus for fabricating a semiconductor package may include a mold and a molding plate. The mold may define a mold cavity with the mold being configured to receive a circuit board in the mold cavity, and the circuit board may include a semiconductor chip mounted thereon. A molding plate may be moveable in the mold cavity with the molding plate being configured to adjust a volume of the mold cavity. Related methods are also discussed.

A manufacturing apparatus for activated carbon filters has a non-woven cloth machine, a rolling module, a sprayer and a hot-pressing cylinder. The non-woven cloth machine is used to manufacture a body of non-woven cloth and has a processing segment. The rolling module is mounted at the processing segment to heat and melt the body of non-woven cloth. The sprayer is mounted above the rolling module to spray activated carbon powder on the body of non-woven cloth. The hot-pressing cylinder is mounted at the processing segment to heat and press the activated carbon powder with the body of non-woven cloth. The activated carbon powder can be securely attached to the body of non-woven cloth by the manufacturing apparatus to provide a preferred quality of the activated carbon filters and to reduce the cost of manufacturing the activated carbon filters.

A molding apparatus for making a continuous molded article generally includes a pair of spaced-apart molding assemblies, which cooperatively generate a movable mold having a dynamic mold-cavity therein, each of the molding assemblies including a series of movable mold segments, which are adapted to fit together to form a portion of the dynamic mold-cavity, a drive mechanism for conveying the mold segments along a path, and a dispenser for dispensing a moldable, expandable material into the dynamic mold-cavity.

An apparatus and method for the shaping of plastics material pre-forms into plastics material containers with at least one blow moulding station which is arranged on a conveying device rotatable about a pre-set axis of rotation (D). The blow moulding station has a blow mould and this blow mould forms a cavity in the interior of which the plastics material pre-forms are capable of being expanded by being acted upon with a gaseous medium to form the plastics material containers, with a stressing device, which acts upon the plastics material pre-forms with the gaseous medium in order to expand them, and with a clean room, which surrounds the blow moulding station at least in part. The clean room is bounded off from an environment by at least two walls which are movable relative to one another.

An apparatus for extruding a polymeric material, having an extrusion head which includes a male die, a female die coaxially arranged with respect to the male die, a conveying channel, and at least one portion of which is defined between the male die and the female die. The apparatus further includes a device for adjusting a cross-sectional area of the at least one portion of the conveying channel by reciprocally displacing the female die with respect to the male die in response to an extrusion speed variation of the polymeric material.

A combustor apparatus is provided, comprising a mixing arrangement for mixing a carbonaceous fuel with enriched oxygen and a working fluid to form a fuel mixture. A combustion chamber is at least partially defined by a porous perimetric transpiration member, at least partially surrounded by a pressure containment member. The combustion chamber has longitudinally spaced apart inlet and outlet portions. The fuel mixture is received by the inlet portion for combustion within the combustion chamber at a combustion temperature to form a combustion product. The combustion chamber directs the combustion product longitudinally toward the outlet portion. The transpiration member is configured to substantially uniformly direct a transpiration substance therethrough toward the combustion chamber, such that the transpiration substance is directed to flow helically about the perimeter and longitudinally between the inlet and outlet portions, for buffering interaction between the combustion product and the transpiration member. Associated systems are also provided.

A combustion device (1) for a gas turbine includes portions (12) having an inner and an outer wall (13, 14) with an interposed noise absorption plate (15) having a plurality of holes (16). The combustion device (1) further has first passages (17) connecting zones between the inner wall (13) and the plate (15) to the inside of the combustion device (1) and second passages (21) for cooling the inner wall (13). The portions (12) also have an inner layer (22) between the inner wall (13) and the plate (15) defining inner chambers (23), each connected to at least a first passage (17), and an outer layer (24) between the outer wall (14) and the plate (15) defining outer chambers (25) connected to the inner chambers (23) via the holes (16) of the plate (15).

The invention relates to a gas burner for a gas cooking appliance with at least one gas hob and/or one gas oven, wherein the gas burner (10) comprises a heat source (18) and an electric ignition system (24), and wherein an electric or electronic control circuit (38) is provided for controlling the electric ignition system (24). According to the invention the gas burner (10) includes a photovoltaic generator (20) for generating the electric power for the electric ignition system (24).

The disclosure provides an apparatus and method utilizing fuel reactor comprised of a fuel section, an oxygen carrier section, and a porous divider separating the fuel section and the oxygen carrier section. The porous divider allows fluid communication between the fuel section and the oxygen carrier section while preventing the migration of solids of a particular size. Maintaining particle segregation between the oxygen carrier section and the fuel section during solid fuel gasification and combustion processes allows gases generated in either section to participate in necessary reactions while greatly mitigating issues associated with mixture of the oxygen carrier with char or ash products. The apparatus and method may be utilized with an oxygen uncoupling oxygen carrier such as CuO, Mn3O4, or Co3O4, or utilized with a CO/H2 reducing oxygen carrier such as Fe2O3.

A combustor includes an end cap having an upstream surface axially separated from a downstream surface. A cap shield circumferentially surrounds the upstream and downstream surfaces, tubes extend from the upstream surface through the downstream, and a plenum is inside the end cap. A first baffle extends radially across the plenum toward the cap shield, and a plate extends radially inside the plenum between the first baffle and the upstream surface. A method for supplying fuel to a combustor includes flowing a working fluid through tubes, flowing a fuel into a plenum between upstream and downstream surfaces, radially distributing the fuel along a first baffle, and axially flowing the fuel across a plate that extends radially inside the plenum.

An exemplary embodiment provides a regenerative burner apparatus. The apparatus includes a burner housing having a gas channel and a single-stage heat regenerator equipped with a housing enclosing a fluid-porous heat regenerative media bed. A first gas passageway in the housing directly interconnects the gas channel and the lower surface of the media bed. A second gas passageway in the housing interconnects an opening in the housing communicating with the exterior and the upper surface of the media bed. This arrangement allows hot waste combustion gases to pass upwardly through the media bed so that any condensable contaminant in the gases condenses to a liquid and flows out of the bed under gravity before becoming solid and clogging the bed. The liquid contaminant may then be removed from the regenerator from a position below the media bed.

A service method of gas appliances includes: Detecting the gas appliances at the client ends to generate detecting signals. Transmitting the detecting signals to a service end. Identifying which client end the detecting signals come from. Examining the detecting signals to find whether the gas appliance has an abnormal condition; and informing the client end when the abnormal condition is found. After all, the service end may monitor the gas appliances at the client end, and inform the client for repair when the gas appliance has detected an abnormal signal or has damaged parts.

In a first thermal transfer portion of upstream side, a negative toner image forming portion forms on a photosensitive drum a desired negative toner image which reverses a desired positive toner image selected from all the toner images. The negative toner image forming portion then forms the desired negative toner image on a belt member. The first thermal transfer portion transfers a desired negative foil image from a foil sheet to the belt member so that a desired positive foil image remains on the foil sheet. A second transfer portion transfers the desired positive foil image thus remained on the desired positive toner image formed on the sheet of paper. A cleaning portion removes the desired negative toner image and the desired negative foil image from the belt member.