A hydraulic feed-rate control apparatus pushes out a fluid by a main piston to a reservoir chamber via feed-rate adjustment mechanisms and flow passages and adjusts a feed rate of a reciprocating body; the adjustment mechanisms comprises first and second throttle valves arranged at front ends of a cylinder and adjusting flow rates of the fluid flowing into the flow passages; the main piston comprises an auxiliary piston integrally moving, and opening and closing the second throttle valve; and the auxiliary piston comprises an outer peripheral portion fitted in the second throttle valve and closed, a concave portion formed between a front portion and rear portion of the outer peripheral portion, a circulation hole formed in an inner peripheral portion of the auxiliary piston, rear-portion escape holes communicating the rear portion and the circulation hole, and concave-portion escape holes communicating the concave portion with the circulation hole.

A manual release valve is provided for a electro-hydraulic actuator of the type including a piston movable in a cylinder and defining a piston side chamber and a rod side chamber, the valve threadedly attached to the housing of the actuator and extending at least partially within the fluid housing conduits, the valve moveable from a closed position fully seated in the housing to an open position for fluidly connecting both the piston side chamber and the rod side chamber to the reservoir, the valve further including a pressure relief portion that is operable when the valve is in the closed position for relieving pressure from at least one of the piston side chamber or the rod side chamber.

A radial thermal engine with an improved valve system is disclosed herein comprising intake and exhaust port valve assemblies fluidly connected to respective intake and exhaust ports contained within a cylinder head assembly. Each intake and each exhaust port valve assembly comprises at least one rotatable port cover having spaced apart openings which are periodically alignable to the intake and exhaust ports, respectively.

This disclosure provides for pressure limiting a hydraulic system to a desired pressure value by a particular circuit by controlling and closing the compensator when the desired pressure setting is achieved. Closing the compensator will reduced the pressure head and flow in the circuit resulting in improved efficiency. One illustrated embodiment of the disclosure provides a relief valve in the pilot signal for a compensator. The method relates to limiting the pressure on an open side of the compensator, such that the pressure on the other side closes the compensator thereby limiting the pressure and also flow in the hydraulic circuit. In other words, the pressure on the open side is limited by the relief valve. Thus, the pressure on the other side increases thereby regulating the flow and pressure through the compensator. In another embodiment of the disclosure, instead of reducing the pressure on the open side, the pressure on the closed side is increased, thereby controlling the flow and pressure of the hydraulic circuit. The pressure can be increased by a pump or any other suitable mode.

A cup for an air valve assembly in a positive displacement pneumatic motor includes a cup body, a gas cavity, and a first pilot slot. The cup body is rectilinear and has a sliding face as one side, and the gas cavity is concave and extends into the cup body through the sliding face and terminates within the cup body. The first pilot slot extends from the gas cavity and into the cup body through the sliding face and terminates within the cup body.

A pump assembly having an air motor includes a valve connected to a motive fluid inlet of the air motor. The valve shifts between a first position, in which a flow of motive fluid is directed into a pilot port, through a two way pilot conduit and into a pilot chamber portion, and a second position, in which the flow of motive fluid is inhibited from flowing into the pilot port through the two way pilot conduit and into the pilot chamber portion, and in which fluid in the pilot chamber portion flows out through the two way pilot conduit and is directed by the valve to exhaust. The valve is connected to a programmable logic controller, so that the valve is shifted between the first position and the second position in response to the programmable logic controller.

Valve control device includes a body with a longitudinal axis, a control member housed at least partially in the body in a bottom portion along the longitudinal axis, a piston movable along the longitudinal axis and housed in a portion of the body forming with the piston a control chamber of the piston, an element movable in rotation with respect to the longitudinal axis on a top portion of the body, and sealing means between the movable element and the control chamber in the area of the connection port and/or of the passage.

A fluid-working machine has a working chamber of cyclically varying volume, high and low pressure manifolds, and high and low pressure valves for regulating the flow of fluid between the working chamber and the high and low pressure manifolds respectively. A controller actively controls at least one said valve to determine the net displacement of working fluid of the working chamber on a cycle by cycle basis. At least one said valve is a variable timing valve and the controller causes the valve to open or close at a time determined taking into account one or more properties of the performance of the fluid working machine measured during an earlier cycle of working chamber volume.

In a swash plate type variable capacity compressor that changes a stroke of a piston by controlling the pressure of a crank chamber (6), lubrication oil contained in refrigerant gas is maximally prevented from being circulated outside the compressor. Some of discharged refrigerant gas in a discharge chamber (22) flows into the crank chamber (6) through a communication passage (25) (25a and 25b) and a control valve (27), while some of the discharged refrigerant gas flows out to a suction chamber (21) from the crank chamber (6) through a second communication passage (26) and an orifice (28), and the pressure of the crank chamber (6) is controlled through a balance between an inflow amount and an outflow amount. Oil storage chamber (30) extends downstream of the control valve (27) on the first communication passage (25) to separate oil and store the separated oil. Oil return passage (31) returns the oil stored in the oil storage chamber (30) to the crank chamber (6).

A brake actuating unit for actuating a motor vehicle braking system of the “brake-by-wire” type having a brake booster. In order to provide a brake actuating unit for actuating a motor vehicle braking system of the “brake-by-wire” type, which on the one hand fulfills the statutory requirements care and which on the other hand is inexpensive to produce, it is proposed according to aspects of the invention, that the brake booster be provided as a travel-controlled brake booster, so that when not in the “brake-by-wire” operating mode the brake pedal is decoupled from feedback forces of the brake actuating unit, and the return force is simulated by the pedal travel simulator even when not in the “brake-by-wire” operating mode.

A pipelayer includes a pilot pressure control unit. The pilot pressure control unit supplies hydraulic fluid to a pilot port of a warm-up control valve so that the warm-up control valve enters an open state when a winch control valve is in the closed state. The pilot pressure control unit drains hydraulic fluid from the pilot port of the warm-up control valve so that the warm-up control valve enters the closed state when the winch control valve is in the open state. The stroke amount from the stroke end of the closed side of the spool of the warm-up control valve when the meter-out opening of the warm-up control valve is fully closed is larger than the stroke amount from the stroke end of the closed side of the spool of the winch control valve when the meter-in opening of the winch control valve is fully closed.

A hydraulic motor assembly capable of precise control having a housing, a hydraulic mounting surface located in the housing, a cylinder block rotatably disposed on the hydraulic mounting surface, a motor shaft engaged to the cylinder block and supported proximate to a first end, a plurality of cooperating gears located in the housing and rotationally engaged to a second end of the motor shaft, an output shaft rotationally engaged to the plurality of cooperating gears, a speed sensor located proximate to one of the plurality of cooperating gears, wherein the speed sensor transmits a signal indicative of the rotational speed of the one of the plurality of cooperating gears.

In a reciprocating piston compressor with delivery rate control, the electromagnetic actuating device (3) of the valve lifter (2) has a separate positioning drive (10) for adjusting the working stroke range of the magnetic actuator (5) used, whereby this can be chosen to be small and highly dynamic and only low power losses occur.

An assembly of valve sections includes an inlet section, an outlet section, a working section, and a working section. The working section is a conventional pressure compensated working section. The working section includes a directional control valve, a pressure compensator valve, and a pressure limiter valve. The valves are of integral construction, such that each is an essential part to complete the other. The pressure compensator valve includes a pressure compensator spool movable between an opened position and a closed position in response to a pressure differential across the spool. The pressure limiter valve includes a pressure limiter spool that moves to an open position to change the pressure differential and close the pressure compensator valve when a selected limit pressure is reached.

An arrangement for providing a throttle cross-section for a fluid flow. The throttle cross-section can be varied depending on a pressure difference present across the throttle cross-section. The arrangement is designed such that the polarity of the pressure difference, by which the throttle cross-section can be varied and/or changed. It is thereby possible to use the arrangement for fluid flows that alternate in the flow direction thereof.

A volume booster for a fluid flow control device comprises a supply path for supplying a fluid boost to facilitate actuation of an actuator in a first direction, and an exhaust path for enabling controlled exhaust to facilitate actuation of the actuator in a second direction. The supply path defines a supply resistance that is set by the geometry of a supply trim component. The exhaust path includes an exhaust resistance that is set by the geometry of an exhaust trim component. The supply and exhaust trim components are independently removable and replaceable with replacement components to customize the exhaust and supply resistances, and therefore, the exhaust and supply capacities for specific applications.

A hydraulic system is provided, having a pump, operably connected to a motor. It also comprises a controller-driven hydraulic actuator, operably connected to the pump and a hydraulic valve, operable to direct hydraulic fluid to and from either a rod side or a cylinder side of the hydraulic actuator. Rod and cylinder side pressures are pre-defined based on the instantaneous acceleration or deceleration required. Decelerating the hydraulic actuator could involve maintaining the current pressure in the meter-out side of the hydraulic actuator and decreasing the current pressure in the meter-in side by varying the speed of the pump. Deceleration of the hydraulic actuator could also include decreasing pressure on the meter-in side of the hydraulic actuator at a higher rate than on the meter-out side. Acceleration is achieved using a similar approach.

In a fluid pressure cylinder, a piston is displaced in an axial direction under the action of a pressure fluid. A circular protrusion, which projects toward the piston along an axial direction of the cylinder tube, is formed on an inner end surface of a collar member constituting part of the fluid pressure cylinder, a concavity, which can be fitted externally over the circular protrusion, is formed on the piston, and an annular groove is formed on an inner circumferential edge of an end plate. By the piston coming into contact with the end plate, a pressure receiving chamber is formed between the piston and the annular groove, together with an opening of a second port on an inner side of the cylinder tube being closed to a maximum of 90%.

The present invention relates to a mounting of carbon electrodes on a holder of an arc lamp used as a light source for a weatherometer or a lightfastness tester. In the holder, one end of the carbon electrodes and the holder are threadedly connected with each other.

A thin film of a low-thermionic-work-function material is maintained on the cathode of a device for producing a high-current, low-pressure gas discharge by means of sputter deposition from an auxiliary electrode. The auxiliary electrode includes a surface with a low-work-function material, such as thorium, uranium, plutonium or one of the rare earth elements, facing the cathode but at a disposition and electrical potential so as to extract ions from the gas discharge and sputter the low-work-function material onto the cathode. By continuously replenishing the cathode film, high thermionic emissions and ion plasmas can be realized and maintained over extended operating periods.

An improved electrode operating mechanism for control of the discharge of carbon arc lamps for light fastness testing devices. Vertically spaced upper and lower electrode holders have a plurality of electrodes opposed to each other. Two vertical supports extend between upper and lower bases, the vertical supports each having a pair of spaced parallel guide rails extending therealong, each holder having laterally projecting arm members extending from the opposite ends thereof and between the rails. A cylindrical slide member is mounted on the end of each arm member and is slidably engaged in linear sliding contact with the surface of the parallel rails on the sides thereof away from the holders. First wires are attached to the cylindrical slide members on the lower electrode holders and extend upwardly through the upper base through axial bores in the upper cylindrical slide member, and two second wires attached to the upper holders extend upwardly through the upper base. The first wires are wound in one direction around two pulleys on a horizontal shaft on the upper base and the second wires are wound in the opposite direction around other pulleys on the shaft. When the shaft is rotated in one direction the electrodes are moved toward each other and when the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction the electrodes are moved away from each other.

An improved control system for controlling the position of an upper electrode in a carbon arc lamp. The system has a pulley with a line thereover, and a solenoid core is attached to one end of the line and is movable vertically in a solenoid coil connected in the circuit for supplying discharge current to the electrodes, and a control rod clutch is connected to the other end of the line which normally grasps and holds an electrode control rod on the lower end of which is mounted the upper electrode of the lamp. A balancing weight is provided on the core to balance the weight of the control rod clutch and electrode and a shield is provided around the solenoid coil to shield the arc between the electrodes from the magnetic field of the solenoid coil.

The invention relates to a welding wire feed system for feeding welding wire over a considerable distance from a remotely located wire storage spool to a welding gun through the use of straight lengths of angularly related conduit and intermediate low friction wire direction changing devices.

A welding process, such as a GMA welding process, employs a consumable electrode with the consumable electrode being oscillated back and forth over the surface of an object to which welding material is to be applied or across the gap between two pieces of metal to be welded together. At the ends of the swings of the consumable electrode an impact force is applied to the consumable electrode to interrupt its movement, thereby causing molten metal at the end of the consumable electrode from which the arc is struck to be impelled therefrom.

A carbon electrode for an arc lamp comprising a plurality of carbon rods joined together in desired length by use of an adhesive comprising metal or carbon powder or mixture thereof and method for preparation of said electrode.

This disclosure is concerned with automatically replenishable cold cathode structures and the like wherein the monitoring of a predetermined variation in electron beam performance caused by erosion of the cathode material generates control signals for advancing reserve cathode material into operative position.

An electrical discharge machine with automatically replaceable electrodes. The machine includes an electrode holder with a clamp operable to alternately receive and release an electrode, an electrode cartridge containing a plurality of stacked electrodes and a shuttle movable toward and away from the electrode holder. When the shuttle is moved toward the electrode holder, it removes an electrode from the cartridge and moves it into alignment with the electrode holder.

A detachable bag (13) and shroud (12) which combine to form a stripping apparatus (11) for stripping and collecting fibrous cladding material (27) from a pipe (25). The shroud (12) is adapted to be detachably and sealingly secured to the pipe (25) and the bag (13) is likewise secured to the shroud (12). The bag (13) includes a fastening means (20) to attach an inner envelope (16) thereof to the bottom opening (19b) of the shroud and an outer cover (17) which can be sealingly attached to the outerside of the shroud (12) enclosing the envelope (16) and fastening means (20). The envelope (16) and shroud (12) are each provided with "Velcro" closure strips (21) along their respective inner faces adjacent the fastening means (20) to enable the envelope (16) and shroud (12) to be sealingly closed independently of the other either side of the fastening means (20) to prevent external exposure to the contents of either during attachment and detachment of the bag from the shroud.

A carbon exchanging system for a carbon-arc weather resistance testing apparatus having a carbon drive system including a reversible motor for automatically moving upper and lower arc producing carbons toward and away from each other along a vertical line for keeping the discharge current and voltage substantially constant. The carbon exchanging system has remotely operable upper and lower carbon chucks for holding the upper and lower carbons, a carbon replacing device having a remotely operable exchanging chuck and a drive for moving the exchanging chuck along a path of movement toward and away from the upper and lower carbon chucks when they are in position on the vertical line, a shifting device for shifting the carbon drive system and the carbon replacing means relative to each other for moving the upper and lower chucks and the exchanging chuck laterally relative to the vertical line, a carbon supply adjacent the path of movement of the exchanging chuck for holding replacement carbons and moving them into position opposite a position of the exchanging chuck along the path, and a moving device for moving the exchanging chuck and the carbon supply relative to each other in a direction toward and away from each other. The system can also include a control device for automatically controlling the operation thereof.

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 (brine, sea water, industrial waste), sterilization and water purification, catalytic formation of chemical compounds, and processing of hydrocarbons.

Graphite and/or carbon surfaces are coated with a titanium nitride coating by exposing the substrate to electric arc thermal spray process wherein titanium wire as the source of titanium and nitrogen is used as the propelling (atomizing) gas.

Threaded nipple for joining two electrode sections is provided with an integral ridge intermediate its threads for centering the electrodes in coaxial alignment.

A geared motor actuator having a simplified mechanical structure for driving a closing part, such as a vehicle window, moved as far as at least one end position by an electric motor (MO) via a gear (G), preferably a worm gear. Shortly before the end position is reached, switch-off of the electric motor (MO) is performed in accordance with a control device (ST). The gear (G) is drive-connected to an output driver of the closing part without any damping means. The worm wheel (4) of the worm gear, being a solid, integral component that is preferably injection-molded from plastic, is preferably designed to include the output driver as part of the integral component, and provided with a drive pinion (4.1).

Polypeptides capable of binding human IL-13 and/or of binding human IL-4 in the presence of IL-4 Rα can be used in medicine, in diagnosis and in screening for agonists/antagonists of IL-13/IL-4. One such polypeptide is shown in FIG. 1.

A ceremonial illuminary including a voltage supply mechanism, a switching mechanism that is electrically connected to the voltage supply mechanism, a first lamp electrically connected to the switching mechanism, a second lamp electrically connected to the switching mechanism wherein the switching mechanism provides voltage to the first lamp to illuminate the first lamp and then switches to provide voltage to the second lamp instead of the first lamp when the first lamp burns-out and no longer illuminates. The first lamp and the second lamp are secured with an enclosure.

An auxiliary lighting system for a high-intensity discharge lamp. In one embodiment, the auxiliary lighting system has an auxiliary light source, an HID lamp status circuit having an input for connection to a status signal representative of the operational state of a high-intensity discharge lamp wherein the HID lamp status circuit determines whether the status signal meets predetermined signal criteria, a switch circuit having a first state that effects application of a voltage source to the auxiliary light source, and a second state that isolates the voltage source from the auxiliary light source, and a control circuit responsive to the HID lamp status circuit for controlling the switch circuit. The control circuit has a first state when the HID lamp status circuit determines that the status signal meets the predetermined signal criteria and a second state when the HID lamp status circuit determines that the status signal does not meet the predetermined signal criteria. When the control circuit is in the first state, the control circuit outputs a control signal for input into the switch circuit that configures the switch circuit into the first state. When the control circuit is in the second state, the control circuit outputs a control signal for input into the switch circuit that configures the switch circuit into the second state.

A process of a pixel electrode of a direct-sight type of reflection type liquid-crystal display device is simplified. A pixel electrode 120 of a reflection type liquid-crystal display device is formed of an aluminum film which is formed by sputtering. In forming the aluminum film, moisture is intentionally contained in atmosphere, and also a sample is heated. With this process, aluminum grains grow so that irregularities of μm order is formed on the surface of the aluminum film. The aluminum film thus formed allows the incident light to be irregularly reflected so that it is in a visually white muddy state. This is suitable to the pixel electrode for the reflection type liquid-crystal display device.

The present invention is a serial to parallel data conversion method and device where new serial data are stored within a first n-bit register prior to presentation at an n-bit parallel output. Subsequently, additional data are stored within a second n-bit register while the data stored within the first register are presented at the parallel output. Data storage and data presentation are thereafter alternated, thereby eliminating the problem of setup time seen in prior art.

A method of retaining a solder mass within a solder-bearing component is provided and includes the steps of: (a) forming a plurality of fingers in the solder-bearing component at one edge thereof, with each finger being defined by a pair of slots formed in the solder-bearing component; and (b) interleaving a solder mass between the fingers such that the solder mass is securely held by the fingers. The solder-bearing component includes any number of different types of components where a solder mass is held thereby, e.g., leads, terminals, connectors, electromagnetic shields, etc.

A method and a system for supplying power to a microcontroller with a single cell. One embodiment of the present invention discloses incorporation of a power supply pump circuit with the microcontroller and their dynamic interaction. The microcontroller sends its power requirements to the power supply pump circuit and in response, the power supply pump circuit controls the operating voltage with optimal efficiency. The dynamic update of power supply pump circuit results in an efficient use of the power supply pump circuit and thus results in a reduction of the number of dry cell batteries to only a single cell. Incorporation of the microcontroller and power supply pump circuit onto a single chip reduces the pin number requirements as well as the space required on the printed circuit board.

An information handling system (IHS) employs a power fault protection circuit to protect the IHS from overvoltages which may occur on an information line from a power adapter to the IHS. The system includes a processor coupled to the protection circuit. The circuit is operative in a first mode to decouple an information line from the IHS in response to a disable command and operative in a second mode to decouple the information line from the IHS when a voltage in the information line exceeds a predetermined threshold voltage.

An information handling system projector tracks lamp usage to generate a lamp order form for order of a replacement lamp when lamp usage is a predetermined usage. The lamp order form is automatically generated and displayed to include lamp usage and projector identification information so that a user need not manually input that information into an order form. A network module of the projector supports queries for lamp usage from a lamp management module running on an information handling system. A projector processor interfaced with the network module reads the lamp usage and projector identification information from firmware of the projector and provides the lamp usage and projector identification information to the lamp management module for automatic generation of the lamp order form display.

An indirectly heated cathode C1 comprises a heater 1, a double coil 2, a mesh member 3, and a metal oxide 10. An electrical insulating layer 4 is formed on the surface of heater 1. Heater 1 is inserted into and positioned at the inner side of double coil 2. Mesh member 3 is disposed along the length direction of double coil 2 at the outer side of double coil 2. Double coil 2 is grounded by being connected to the ground terminal of heater 1 via a lead rod 7. Metal oxide 10 is held by double coil 2 and disposed to be in contact with mesh member 3. Metal oxide 10 and mesh member 3 are exposed to the outer side of indirectly heated electrode C1 so that the surface of metal oxide 10 and the surface of mesh member 3 make up a discharge surface and mesh member 3 is in contact with the surface part of metal oxide 10.

An analog-to-digital converter can use a variable sampling rate. By using a variable sampling rate analog-to-digital converter and an anti-aliasing filter lower sampling rates, and accordingly, generally lower power consumption may be achieved. For example, a lower sampling rate can be used when it is determined that no undesirable signals are present and a higher sampling period can be used when an undesirable signal is present. Determining the presence of an undesired signal can be based on signal-to-noise ratio, over-sampling, bit error rate, using a detector, etc. An undesirable signal can be any signal that is close in frequency to a signal of interest or a signal farther away in frequency that has a relatively high amplitude. Sampling rate can be varied in a binary fashion, stepwise, continuously, etc.

In general, this disclosure describes techniques for changing a sampling frequency of a digital signal. In particular, the techniques provide a more accurate way to determining a relative timing between a desired output sample and a corresponding input sample using a non-approximated integer representation of the relative timing. The relative timing between the desired output sample and corresponding input sample may be represented using a first component that identifies a latest input sample of the digital signal used to generate intermediate samples, a second component that identifies an intermediate sample, and a third component that identifies a timing difference between the desired output sample and the intermediate sample. Each of the components may be recursively updated using non-approximated integer values.

A bridge for crossing a passage of a navigation channel includes a section in the form of a single span, which may be displaced by vertical translation between a base position spanning the passage, in which the span rests on fixed support sections of the bridge, and a raised position, for opening the passage, and a support structure for the span on displacement of the span, and a drive for lifting the span. The bridge has only one support structure, with the drive, located on one side of the passage to be spanned.

A system that encodes a sequence of integers using a variable-length compression technique is described. During operation, the system scans the sequence of integers and observes the sizes of the integers to determine a threshold value K from the observed sizes. For a given integer which is N bits in length, if N−K is greater than or equal to zero, the system generates a tag for the encoded integer which comprises a sequence of N−K zeros followed by a one, and generates a set of remaining bits for the encoded integer as a sequence of the N bits which make up the integer. Otherwise, if N−K is less than zero, the system generates a tag for the encoded integer as a single one, and generates a set of remaining bits for the encoded integer by padding the N bits which make up the integer with zeros so that the set of remaining bits is K bits in length.

An analog front-end circuit includes an analog processing circuit, an A/D converter, a target register in which a lower limit target value of an input image signal is set, and a calculation circuit. The analog processing circuit includes an offset control circuit which performs offset control based on an offset control value set in an offset control register. The calculation circuit monitors the A/D-converted value in a lower limit value output period when the A/D-converted value corresponding to a lower limit value of an input range is output from the A/D converter, and sets the offset control value that causes the A/D-converted value to become closer to the lower limit target value set in the target register in the offset control register.

A shelf accessory for a dishwasher rack is provided, comprising a spine extending in parallel with a structural member of the rack. A plurality of loops extends perpendicularly from the spine, and the loops are spaced apart in relation to each other along the spine, and cooperate therewith to define a shelf member. A clip member is operably engaged between the shelf member and the structural member, and is configured to be capable of rotating about the structural member such that the shelf member correspondingly orbits about the structural member. The clip member further comprises at least one retention member operably engaged therewith. The at least one retention member is configured to cooperate with the rack so as to retain and support the shelf member in at least one of a plurality of angular positions with respect to and about the structural member. Associated apparatuses are also provided.

An electrode assembly for use in an iontophoresis device for the transcutaneous administration of an active therapeutic species has a base layer of including a linking conductive base material which is consumed (oxidizes or reduces) preferentially to water, a first upper layer of sacrificial material coated on a first portion of the base layer wherein the sacrificial material is consumed preferentially to the linking conductive base material of the base layer. A second upper layer of non-conducting material is coated on a second portion of the base layer, the second upper layer being spaced from the first upper layer, connected by a narrow exposed linking area of the base layer material remaining exposed therebetween. During operation of an associated iontophoresis device, the sacrificial material will be sequentially consumed; the first upper layer will be fully consumed followed by the linking conductive base material of the exposed linking area of the base layer which severs the base layer thereby breaking circuit continuity disabling activity in the device. A visual indicator may be provided allowing a wearer to monitor the state of reaction of the linking area.