Methods of preparation and improved oat based puffed R-T-E or breakfast cereal products resulting there from with reduced sodium levels that provide good cooked grain flavor relative to other low or no sodium cooked cereal products and that approach the quality of higher sodium level products are provided. The methods include formulating cooked cereal doughs with minimal levels of sodium chloride and including a blend of potassium chloride and choline chloride. The cooked cereal dough is formed into pellets and gun puffed to form puff products having a total pyrazine content of at least 200 ppm. The puffed products are topically coated with saline solution and dried to provide the present improved low sodium high flavor finished breakfast cereal products.

A digital filter is configured to convert, into a digital value, the duty ratio of a control signal subjected to pulse width modulation according to a target toque to be set for a fan motor to be driven. A sampling circuit is configured to perform sampling of the output value of the digital filter at a sampling timing that is asynchronous with respect to the cycle of the control signal, so as to generate a torque instruction value. A driving circuit is configured to drive the fan motor according to the torque instruction value thus generated.

A temperature range in which an electric oil pump to supply oil to a vehicle drive system can start is enlarged to enhance an effective use degree, enhance a start success probability, and suppress malfunction occurrence. When a measured oil temperature To is in a temperature range (T1≦To

An imaging apparatus includes a front lens group including a front lens element and a reflector, a movable frame supporting the front lens element, and a driver driving the movable frame to reduce image shake. The driver includes first and second voice coil motors, each including a coil and a magnet. The magnets are positioned orthogonal to each other in a plane orthogonal to a first optical axis that passes through the front lens element. The first and second voice coil motors are positioned on opposite sides of a first plane, including the first optical axis and a second optical axis that extends from the reflector. Centers of each magnet and coil are on one side of a second plane, including the first optical axis and is orthogonal to the first plane. The magnets are inclined and approach the first plane in a direction away from the second plane.

A periphery coating unit performs a scan-in process of moving a resist liquid nozzle 27 from an outside of an edge Wb of a wafer W to a position above a periphery region Wc of the wafer W while rotating the wafer W and discharging a resist liquid from the resist liquid nozzle 27; and a scan-out process of moving the resist liquid nozzle 27 from the position above the periphery region Wc of the wafer W to the outside of the edge Wb of the wafer W while rotating the wafer W and discharging the resist liquid from the resist liquid nozzle 27. Further, in the scan-out process, the resist liquid nozzle 27 is moved at a speed v2 lower than a speed v3 at which the resist liquid is moved to a side of the edge Wb of the wafer W.

An image capturing apparatus comprises: an image sensor configured to capture an image; a vibration detection unit configured to detect a vibration; a vector detection unit configured to detect a motion vector from images; a first correction unit configured to optically correct an image blur; a second correction unit configured to electrically correct the image blur; a first calculation unit configured to calculate, on the basis of the vibration, a first vibration correction amount for controlling the first correction unit; a second calculation unit configured to calculate, on the basis of the motion vector, a second vibration correction amount for controlling the second correction unit; and a control unit configured to control the first and second calculation units so that the first and second vibration correction amounts are suppressed when a vibration amount is greater than a first threshold.

A method and an apparatus for controlling a flash are disclosed. The method includes obtaining a statistical gray value of a preview image. If the statistical gray value of the preview image is less than a preset threshold, a corresponding fill light parameter is searched for in a preset dynamic fill light table according to the statistical gray value of the preview image and the fill light drive current is set according to the fill light parameter. The fill light drive current is configured to drive a flash lamp to fire a pre-flash. A corresponding exposure drive current in the preset exposure parameter table is configured according to the fill light parameter and the exposure drive current is configured to drive the flash lamp to flash.

An image capture apparatus comprises an inclination detection unit which detects an inclination of the image capture apparatus, a display unit which displays the inclination of the image capture apparatus, and a predetermined reference orientation set for the image capture apparatus, a still state determination unit which determines that the image capture apparatus is in a still state, if a variation of the inclination falls within a predetermined range, and a reference orientation setting unit which sets the reference orientation of the image capture apparatus, wherein the reference orientation setting unit does not set the reference orientation if the still state determination unit determines that the image capture apparatus is not in the still state.

The present invention relates to a moving member control apparatus that makes sure unerring control of a moving member having an ill-balanced structure and an imaging apparatus that incorporates that control apparatus.

The CPU acquires the output of an angular velocity sensor and performs image shake correction. An angle 1 calculating unit integrates a signal from which an offset component is removed to calculate an angle 1. An angular velocity subtraction amount calculating unit calculates an angular velocity subtraction amount based on a signal obtained by subtracting a first offset from the output of the angular velocity sensor and a signal obtained by subtracting a second offset from the output of the angle 2 calculating unit. An angle 2 calculating unit integrates a signal obtained by subtracting the angular velocity subtraction amount from the output of the angular velocity sensor to calculate an angle 2. The CPU performs image shake correction based on the angle 1 prior to operation of a release SW, whereas the CPU performs image shake correction based on the angle 2 after operation of the release SW.

An imaging apparatus for performing wireless communication with an external device. An instruction transmitting unit transmits an operation instruction to the external device. A response signal receiving unit receives a response signal from the external device. A first controlling unit starts a first operation relating to an imaging process in a case that a first time passes from a point of receiving the response signal by the response signal receiving unit. The external device executes a second operation relating to the imaging process in a case that a second time passes from a point of transmitting the response signal from the external device to the imaging apparatus.

A wireless camera apparatus includes a power supply track and a wireless camera device detachably installed on the power supply track. The wireless camera device has a camera module and a linking module fixed on the camera module. The linking module has a connecting unit and a conductive unit electrically connected to the camera module. When the wireless camera device is installed on the power supply track, the connecting unit is coupled to the power supply track, and the conductive unit is electrically connected to the power supply track. Thus, the instant disclosure provides the wireless camera apparatus, which is adjustable to any position of the power supply track according to the user's demand. Besides, the instant disclosure further provides a wireless camera device.

A viewfinder 3 includes a finder optical system S2 including first and second lens groups L1, L2; a zoom frame 6 provided with first and second cam grooves 63, 64 configured to rotate about an optical axis A2 to move the first and second lens groups L1, L2 in the optical axis direction in accordance with the shapes of the first and second cam grooves 63, 64; and a diopter adjuster 9 configured to adjust the diopter of the finder optical system S2. The diopter adjuster 9 changes the position of the zoom frame 6 in the optical axis direction to adjust the diopter of the finder optical system S2, and adjusts, during rotation of the zoom frame 6, the position of the zoom frame 6 in the optical axis direction such that the diopter of the finder optical system S2 is maintained.

An ophthalmologic imaging apparatus includes an observation light source configured to generate infrared light for illuminating a subject's eye via an illumination optical system, an imaging unit configured to receive light returned from the subject's eye via an imaging optical system, and an electronic shutter control unit configured to refresh charge generated caused by light received by the imaging unit in response to turning off of the observation light source.

An imaging apparatus includes a shooting lens having a focus lens for adjusting a degree of focus on an imaging plane; an image sensor converting an optical image of a photographic subject to an electric image signal and outputting it; a confirmation image creator creating a focus state confirmation image in which a part, or a whole of an image expressed by the image signal is enlarged; a display displaying the focus state confirmation image; and a focus evaluation value calculator calculating a focus evaluation value based on the image signal; wherein when a state of an inclination of change in a focus evaluation value calculated at a plurality of positions of the focus lens while moving the focus lens is different from a state of an inclination of change in a focus evaluation value calculated immediately before, the focus state confirmation image is displayed on the display.

An electronic apparatus is disclosed. The electronic apparatus includes: an imaging device which converts light into an image signal; a lens unit positioned in front of the imaging device to form an image on the imaging device from light incident from an object; a shutter unit interposed between the lens unit and the imaging device to expose the imaging device to the light incident from the object based on a predetermined exposure time and that includes a shutter curtain that regulates the light incident from the object; and a measurement unit which measures an actual exposure time of the shutter unit. The measurement unit is positioned behind the shutter curtain and includes a light-receiving sensor which receives light incident on the measurement unit from the light incident from the object other than the light of the effective image area incident on the imaging device.

A periphery monitoring apparatus capable of photographing a vicinity of a vehicle without impairing the outer appearance of the vehicle includes a light source configured to be provided in the vehicle for illuminating the periphery of the vehicle, and a camera photographing a condition of the periphery of the vehicle with an optical axis changed by a mirror toward the underside of the circumferential edge of the vehicle illuminated by at least a portion of light irradiated from the light source reflected by the mirror configured to be disposed on the outer side of the circumferential edge of the vehicle.

A method enables self-camera shooting in a mobile terminal. In the method, whether a first user input is detected is determined. When the first user input is detected, a half shutter mode is entered. Whether a second user input is detected is determined. When the second user input is detected, self-camera shooting is performed.

An image photographing apparatus capable of maintaining the size of a sensor plate even in a case when the size of a shutter assembly is increased, the image photographing apparatus including a shutter assembly configured to control an amount of light entered, an image sensor disposed at a rear of the shutter assembly to change the light to an electrical signal, a sensor plate configured to support the image sensor, and a main frame configured such that the shutter assembly and the sensor plate are be mounted thereon, wherein the main frame includes a frame base, and a shutter mounting portion protrudedly formed from the frame base such that the shutter assembly is mounted in a sliding manner on the shutter mounting portion.

The linear position of an object is estimated using multiple magnetic field sensors and a magnet. The multiple magnetic field sensors are held in fixed relation to one another and in moving relation with respect to the magnet. Readings of the first and second magnetic field sensors and the fixed distance between the first and second magnetic field sensors may be used to estimate the linear position. In some embodiments, an estimated frequency of an approximately sinusoidal field versus position characteristic is also used as part of the estimation.

A digital camera is provided with a vertically long camera body having an approximately rectangular solid shape. An LCD panel provided in a rear surface of the camera body is arranged such that longitudinal directions of the display screen and the camera body correspond to each other. The digital camera is operated through a touch panel provided in a lower portion of the display screen. In a taking mode, an image is displayed in a small size on an upper portion of the display screen. In reproducing, the camera body is rotated sideways by 90 degree. In a reproducing mode, display posture of the image is also rotated by 90 degree, and the image is displayed in a large size on the entire display screen.

A swinging bob toy having three bobs constrained on a string, the middle bob being slideably constrained between the two end bobs, and at least one of the bobs being reversibly separable into two partial bobs. A wide variety of new tricks and maneuvers are made possible by the separability of the bobs. The two partial bobs have roughly the same weight thereby providing balanced orbits. Each of the two partial bobs slides less easily along the string than a non-separated bob. The two partial bobs have roughly the same diameter along at least one axis thereby allowing visual illusions to be performed.

A throwing disc, goal apparatus, and game are provided. A disc includes a central hub with blades projecting equiangularly from the hub. The blades are circumscribed by and joined to an outer perimeter ring that aids in throwing. The blades of the disc act as airfoils and impart unique flight characteristics to the disc. A goalpost is comprised of two vertical sections, joined by a horizontal cross-bar located above the midline of the vertical sections, and supported by a rectangular frame oriented perpendicularly to the vertical sections. A scoring pad is included. The game is played by tossing the disc and attempting to pass the disc while in flight between the vertical posts and above the horizontal cross-bar of the goalpost, and landing the disc on the scoring pad.

A toy apparatus and method for interactive communication between a cellphone and a toy apparatus is disclosed. In an embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided, the method including: transmitting by the cellphone at least one signal; receiving by the toy apparatus the at least one signal; analyzing by the toy apparatus the at least one signal; determining by the toy apparatus at least one response to the at least one signal; and producing by the toy apparatus the at least one response.

An EUV light generation system includes a driver laser comprising a master oscillator such as a semiconductor laser, a spatial filter, gas slab amplification devices, relay optical systems, and high-speed axial-flow amplifiers. The slab amplification devices include beam adjusting optical units disposed, respectively, at input and output sides of the slab amplifiers SA to convert the beam profile and/or polarization direction and/or an elongated direction of the beam profile with the slab amplifiers is parallel to a free space axis AF of the slab waveguides, i.e. parallel to the discharge electrodes.

There is provided a surface emitting laser allowing a direction of a far-field pattern (FFP) centroid to be inclined from a normal direction of a substrate providing the surface emitting laser, comprising: a substrate; a lower reflecting mirror, an active layer, an upper reflecting mirror stacked on the substrate; and a surface relief structure located in an upper portion of a light emitting surface of the upper reflecting mirror, the surface relief structure being made of a material allowing at least some beams emitted from the surface emitting laser to be transmitted therethrough, a plurality of regions having a predetermined optical thickness in a normal direction of the substrate being formed in contact with other region in an in-plane direction of the substrate, and a distribution of the optical thickness in the in-plane direction of the substrate is asymmetric to a central axis of the light emitting regions.

A bookbinding apparatus for producing a booklet by coating an adhesive onto a back side of a bundle of sheets and by pasting a book cover onto the back side of the bundle of sheets, comprises: an oblique cutout portion forming section to form a cutout on an edge of each sheet of the bundle of sheets in such a way that an oblique cutout portion is formed along the width of the back side of the bundle of sheets; a sheet bundle accommodating section to accommodate the bundle of sheets on which the oblique cutout portion is formed; a coating section to coat an adhesive on the back side of the bundle of sheets accommodated in the sheet bundle accommodating section; and a bookbinding section to paste a book cover on the adhesive-coated back side of the bundle of sheets so as to produce the booklet.

Disclosed are a scanner and an image reading apparatus including the same. The scanner can include a transparent plate, a scanning unit configured to scan a document on the transparent plate, a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor is positioned in a first document zone that is associated with an area in which a first document type is to be positioned based on a first alignment reference point provided on the transparent plate. The second sensor is positioned in a second document zone that is associated with an area in which a second document type of a different size is positioned based on a second alignment reference point provided on the transparent plate. The first document zone and the second document zone are non-overlapping zones. The document type and/or orientation can be determined based on the detection signals from the first and second sensors.

A notch forming device, comprises a notch forming section to form a notch on an edge of a sheet constituting a sheet bundle to be outputted in accordance with an execution of a job; a shifting section to shift a position of a notch to be formed on a sheet by the notch forming section; and a control section to control the shifting section. When plural sheet bundles are outputted in accordance with the execution of the job, the control section controls the shifting section to make a position of a notch on a leading sheet of each sheet bundle at the same position.

A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of improving operability while suppressing an increase in apparatus size. In a front cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a front cover is inserted into a bundle of sheets on which images have been formed, and in a rear cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a rear cover is inserted into the bundle of sheets. Insertion sheets for the front cover and insertion sheets for the rear cover are set with the same orientation in a manual feed tray 105. An insertion sheet for the front cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to a finisher 500 in one of a face-down state and a face-up state. An insertion sheet for the rear cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to the finisher 500 in the other of the face-down state and the face-up state. The insertion sheets for the front cover and for the rear cover conveyed from the manual feed tray 105 and the sheets on which images have been formed are stacked on the finisher 500.

Theres is disclosed a device (10) for manufacturing a notepad (15) comprising a stack of sheets, a first side of each sheet having an adhesive to attach the first side to a reverse face of a sheet immediately facing said first side in said stack. The device (10) including a sheet feeder (20) for loading one or more loose sheets (24) of similar dimensions with the reverse face of each sheet (24) in said stack facing in the same direction and feeding each said sheet downstream of said device (10). A cutting means (40) is provided to cut each sheet (24) or a number of said sheets (24) to predetermined dimensions. An adhesive applicator (60) applies adhesive to a portion or portions of the first side of each sheet (24). A stacking means (100) stacks the cut sheets one on top of the other whereby a forming means (120) forms the cut sheets together to form the notepad (15).

In order to form stacks, of which each forms a book block, folded sheets are provided with an adhesive application or layer of adhesive before they are placed on one another. Said adhesive application is applied to the sheets adjacent to the folded edge of said sheets and extends in the direction of said folded edge which comes to lie in the spine of the book block. The adhesive can be applied as a continuous track or as a track which is interrupted multiple times, or else in a punctiform manner. The sheets are joined to one another in the stack by means of said adhesive application, with the result that they maintain their position within the stack during further transport of the stack.

Apparatus is disclosed for controlling the depth of a layer of a layer of adhesive on a peripheral surface of a rotary member (e.g., a wheel) for the application of the adhesive to an object. The apparatus comprises a heated reservoir containing a supply of hot melt adhesive maintained within a desired temperature range, where the rotary member is partially immersed in the adhesive and is rotated by a motor such that the as the rotary member is rotated up out of the peripheral surface of the rotary member has the layer of adhesive thereon. A computer controls system controls the motor such that the speed of the rotary member may be increased or decreased so as to vary the depth of the adhesive on the peripheral surface of the rotary member.

Disclosed is a compressive album manufacturing apparatus in that independent areas for performing an aligning process, a heat providing process, a compressing process, and a cooling process respectively are formed in the multistage compressive album manufacturing apparatus, so that each process, which is done by hand, is merged into one, thereby rapidly manufacturing the bulk of compressive albums.

A binding apparatus performs a binding process by bonding the end side of the sheet bundle, and is provided with a notch cutter that forms a notch in the end side used in the sheet binding process in the middle of the sheet conveyance path of the binding apparatus. The notch-forming unit includes a pair of sheet conveyance guides for forming a part of the sheet conveyance path, a cutter provided in a rotatably supported bracket, and a biasing means for applying a force to the cutter to face the sheet conveyance path formed by a pair of the sheet conveyance guides at all times.

An image reading apparatus includes a reading unit, a feeding unit, a carriage holding the reading unit, a motor, a motor-side transmission gear, a feeding unit-side transmission gear, a carriage-side transmission gear, a switching gear which switches between a meshing state of meshing with the feeding unit-side transmission gear at a feeding unit-side position and a meshing state of meshing with the carriage-side transmission gear at a carriage-side position, a restraint member which applies a restraint force for restraining the switching of the switching gear, and a motor control unit which when switching the switching gear between the carriage-side position and the feeding unit-side position, executes a large torque control of controlling the motor to generate a switching torque which is larger than a moving reading torque to be generated by the motor at a time of document reading when executing a moving reading.

The present invention relates to a binding apparatus (10) for facilitating placement of a book block (44) in relation to a cover (16). The cover (16) has front and back panels (28 and 32) for subsequent attachment of the book block (44) to the cover (16). The apparatus (10) includes a first guiding means (46), a second guiding means (56), a first positioning element (54) and a second positioning element (62). The first guiding means (46) is adapted to guide a first edge (58) of the front panel (28). The second guiding means (58) is adapted to guide a second edge (37) of the front panel (28). The first positioning element (54) is movably attached to the first guiding means (46) and is adapted in use to abut at least part of a first peripheral surface (60) of the book block (44). The second positioning element (56) is movably attached to the second guiding means (56) and is adapted in use to abut at least part of a second peripheral surface (64) of the book block (44).

In binding a cover sheet together with a sheet bundle, ever-accurate spine-creasing irrespective of bundle thickness is made possible. A sheet stacker stacks sheets into bundles, an adhesive applicator applies adhesive to a spine part of the sheet bundles, and a cover-sheet binder binds cover sheets together with the spine parts. The cover-sheet binder is constituted from a left-and-right pair of spine-creasing press members arranged free to shift between standby and spine-creasing positions; a shifter that reciprocates the spine-creasing press members between the standby and spine-creasing positions; and a controller. The controller functions to vary, in accordance with sheet bundle thickness, any of: (1) the standby position of the press members; (2) the start time of an operation whereby the press members are shifted from the standby to the spine-creasing position; or (3) the traveling speed of the press members in shifting from the standby to the spine-creasing position.

A machine for attachment of a cover to a book block comprises a press plate elevating mechanism for elevating a press plate 8, a nip plate drive mechanism for sliding nip plates 9 and 10, and a controller 30 controlling the press plate elevating mechanism and the nip plate drive mechanism. The press plate 8 elevates from the lower standby position to an upper press position. The press plate 8 presses the cover 12 to the book block 4 at the upper press position. The cover 12 is attached to the book block 4 by pressing the cover 12 to the lower end surface of the book block 4. The press plate 8 is elevated from the intermediate position to the upper press position, staying at the intermediate position during a waiting time for adjustment. The press plate 8 elevates from the intermediate position to the upper press position.

An image reading apparatus includes: a reading unit; a feeding unit; a carriage; a motor-side transmission gear for transmitting power from a motor; a carriage-side transmission gear for transmitting the power to the carriage; a feeding unit-side transmission gear for transmitting the power to the feeding unit; a switching gear switched between a meshing state with the carriage-side transmission gear at a carriage-side position and a meshing state with the feeding unit-side transmission gear at a feeding unit-side position; and a control device for performing: a first switching process for meshing the switching gear with the feeding unit-side transmission gear; a second switching process for meshing the switching gear with the carriage-side transmission gear; and an initialization process of the reading unit.

A bookbinding apparatus inserts ring parts of a comb-shaped ring into binding holes of a sheet bundle and files and binds the sheet bundle, sequentially and includes a binding hole forming section configured to form binding holes in the sheet, a compiling section configured to arrange the sheet in which the binding holes are formed to make the sheet bundle, a comb-shaped ring feeding section configured to feed the comb-shaped ring piece by piece, a binding section configured to receive the fed comb-shaped ring, insert the ring parts of the comb-shaped ring into the binding holes of the sheet bundle, and bind the sheet bundle, and a bound-book discharging section configured to transfer the sheet bundle bound by the binding section to a storage stacker.

Bushing assemblies include a first tubular end portion, a second tubular end portion, and a middle tubular portion. The middle tubular portion has a longitudinal compressive strength that is less than that of the end portions. In some embodiments, the middle tubular portion is constructed of braided sleeving. Also disclosed are bushing assembly kits, apparatuses that include bushing assemblies, such as aircraft, and associated methods of utilizing bushing assemblies.

A shift register and driving method thereof, a gate driving apparatus and a display apparatus, the shift register comprises a pulling-up unit(21), a precharging and resetting unit(22), an output signal terminal at present stage(OUTPUT), a pulling-down unit(23), an input terminal connected to an output signal terminal of a shift register at previous stage(OUTF), an input terminal connected to an output signal terminal of a shift register at next stage(OUTL), and a scan control signal input terminal(INPUT), wherein: the precharging and resetting unit(22) precharges a gate of a first thin film transistor(T1) included in the pulling-up unit(21) and resets its potential; the pulling-down unit(23) pulls down a potential at the gate of the first thin film transistor(T1) and the output signal at present stage after the precharging and resetting unit(22) resets the potential at the gate of the first thin film transistor(T1), so that the pulling-up unit(21) is turned off and the output signal at present stage is at a low level. The present shift register realizes a bidirectional gate driving scan from up to down or from down to up by a conversion control for high-low levels of input signals.

Disclosed herein is a shift register circuit that is formed on an insulating substrate with thin film transistors having channels of the same conductivity type and includes shift stages, each of the shift stages including: a first thin film transistor; a second thin film transistor; a 3(1)-th thin film transistor; a 3(2)-th thin film transistor; a 4(1)-th thin film transistor; a 4(2)-th thin film transistor; a fifth thin film transistor; and a sixth thin film transistor.

An active level shift (ALS) driver circuit and a liquid crystal display apparatus including the ALS driver circuit are disclosed. The ALS driver circuit includes an input unit configured to apply a first polarity voltage to a first node and to apply a second polarity voltage to a second node, a level compensation unit configured to adjust the voltages of the first node and the second node, and an output unit configured to alternately output a first power voltage and a second power voltage according to the adjusted voltages of the first and second nodes.

A flip-flop includes: a first, second, third, and fourth transistors; input terminals; and first and second output terminals, the first and second transistors constituting a first CMOS circuit such that gate terminals are connected and drain terminals are connected, the third and fourth transistors constituting a second CMOS circuit such that gate terminals are connected and drain terminals are connected, the first output terminal connected to a gate side of the first CMOS circuit and a drain side of the second CMOS circuit, the second output terminal connected to a gate side of the second CMOS circuit and a drain side of the first CMOS circuit, at least one input transistor included in the group of the first through fourth transistors, a source terminal of the input transistor being connected to one of the input terminals. This can provide a further compact flip-flop.

A display apparatus and a method for generating gate signal thereof are provided. The display apparatus includes a timing controller and a display panel. The timing controller is used for providing a plurality of timing signals. The display panel includes a pixel array and a gate drive circuit. The pixel array has a plurality of pixels. The gate drive circuit is electrically connected to the timing controller and the pixel array and including a plurality of shift register circuits. The shift register circuit includes a first shift register and a second shift register. The first shift register is configured for generating a corresponding primary gate signal. The second shift register is configured for generating a corresponding secondary gate signal. The timing controller adjusts overlapping relations of the timing signals according to a frame rate of the display apparatus.

A system for optimizing storage in an enclosed transport trailer (6), having transverse bearing beams (2) for supporting a load such as loaded pallets (12, 13) at a mid height of the trailer such that two storage levels are available. The beams have a wheel (10) at each end that runs in a horizontal track (11) attached to each side wall of the trailer, the track enclosing the wheels to prevent them from disengaging from the track. Adjacent beams can be attached together at variable spacings using a spacer bar (15) to suit a particular pallet or load size. The track has a junction adjacent the open end (20) of the trailer that leads up to another track (18) immediately below the roof line where the beams can be moved to an out of the way storage position (19) when not required.

Solutions for minimizing the impact of servicing a turbo machine are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus for conveying a turbo machine component can include: a motive system for moving the apparatus along a surface; a platform system operably connected to the motive system, the platform system for supporting the component of the turbo machine, the platform system can include: a first portion fixed to the motive system; and a second portion moveably coupled to the first portion, the second portion for modifying a position of the turbo machine component; and a control system operably connected to the platform system, the control system for controlling at least one of a rate of movement or a direction of the second portion of the platform system.

A vehicle restraint system for an auto-rack railroad car which includes an active chock and an anchor chock configured to co-act to secure a vehicle in the auto-rack railroad car. In various embodiments, each chock has a chock body including a substantially diamond shaped elongated tube which includes four integrally connected elongated walls. In various embodiments, for each chock, various components of that chock extend substantially along longitudinal axis that lie in the same or substantially the same vertical plane as the apex and trough of the substantially diamond shaped elongated tube of the chock body. The active and anchor chocks: (a) have a lower height than known commercially available vehicle restraints; (b) have a smaller width than known commercially available vehicle restraints; (c) position the strap and the torque tube closer to the tire of the wheel than any known commercially available vehicle restraints; (d) take up a smaller area of each safe zone adjacent to the wheel than known commercially available vehicle restraints; (e) provide a greater strength to size ratio than known commercially available vehicle restraints; and (f) are easy to operate, install, and remove.