A working portion of load restraint strip may include an attachment region. The attachment layer may include an adhesive layer. When the adhesive layer is exposed, at least part of the attachment region on an exterior side of the load restraint strip is colored differently from regions on the exterior side outside the attachment region.

Stake pocket formations are secured to a cargo bed frame of a land vehicle such as trailers and flatbed trucks for removably supporting sidewall supporting members. The formations include sidewalls secured to and projecting from the frame and an end wall extending between the sidewalls. An opening extends through the end wall and is adapted to receive the terminal end of a J-hook therethrough. The J-hook is secured to the formation by inserting the terminal end thereof into the pocket placing an upper edge of the end wall into the J-hook gap and rolling/rotating the J-hook thereby inserting the terminal end into the opening. The J-hook cannot be removed from the pocket unless it is rolled/rotated in the opposite direction. While within the stake pocket and without strap tension, the J-hook abuts the trailer frame and formation end wall and is, thereby, maintained within the pocket.

A vehicle wheel chock for a vehicle restraint system for an auto-rack railroad car which secures a vehicle in the auto-rack railroad car. The vehicle wheel chock is configured to be positioned on a grating adjacent to a tire of the vehicle.

A blade holding apparatus for holding one end of a wind turbine blade during handling, which blade holding apparatus includes a support structure including an opening for accommodating one end of the wind turbine blade, a clamping arrangement arranged in the opening, which clamping arrangement is realized to exert a clamping force on the wind turbine blade, and a locking arrangement for locking the clamping arrangement relative to the support structure. A method of operating such a blade holding apparatus during a handling procedure of a wind turbine blade is also provided.

Method and apparatus for handling aerogenerator blades that provide a versatile means for handling aerogenerator blades without an unbalanced distribution of the loads in the blade. The method comprises positioning an upper mounting part (103) over the blade after the upper mold has been retracted; lifting the blade with the upper mounting part from the under mold using a lifting means; positioning the blade over an under mounting part (104) which is fixedly attached to an inferior movable support (102); attaching the upper mounting part to the under mounting part, wherein the upper and under mounting parts together have the inner surface substantially corresponding to the shape of the blade outer profile section. The invention further comprises an apparatus for handling aerogenerator blades.

A transport system for a wind turbine blade is provided. The transport system is configured for increasing a curvature of the wind turbine blade in response to an obstacle during transport of the wind turbine blade. Further, a method for transporting a wind turbine blade in order to avoid obstacles is provided.

A protective cap for a trailing edge of a rotor blade of a wind turbine for use during transportation, handling, or maintenance of the rotor blade is disclosed. The protective cap includes a body having a first leg, a second leg, and a cap member. The cap member connects the first and second legs. Further, the cap member may be configured to cover at least a portion of a trailing edge of the rotor blade and may be configured to provide a gap between an inner surface of the protective cap and the trailing edge. In addition, the first and second legs may resiliently engage the rotor blade.

A cargo rack for transferring loads between a marine vessel and an offshore marine platform provides a frame having a front, a rear, and upper and lower end portions. The lower end of the frame has a perimeter beam base, a raised floor and a pair of open-ended parallel fork tine tubes that communicate with the perimeter beam at the front and rear of the frame. The frame includes a plurality of fixed side walls extending upwardly from the perimeter beam. A plurality of gates are movably mounted on the frame, each gate being movable between open and closed positions, the gates enabling a forklift to place loads on the floor. The frame has vertically extending positioning beams that segment the floor into a plurality of load-holding positions. Each load holding position has positioning beams that laterally hold a load module in position on the floor.

The present disclosure relates to methods and devices for securing cylindrical goods in containers during transportation. Some embodiments include void fillers configured to restrain motion of objects in freight containers. Some embodiments include methods of fabricating void fillers for use in freight containers. Some embodiments include methods of using void fillers to restrain object motion in freight containers. In some cases, a void filler is fabricated from a honeycomb-style cardboard materials. In some cases, a void filler is used to restrain an upright cylindrical item such as an upright paper roll in a freight container.

A novel configurable integrated circuit (IC) that has several configurable circuits for configurably performing different operations is provided. During the operation of the IC, each particular configurable circuit performs a particular operation that is specified by a particular configuration data set for the particular configurable circuit. While the IC operates and a first set of configurable circuits performs a first set of operations, configuration data is loaded from the outside of the IC for configuring a second set of configurable circuits. The configurable IC includes a configuration network for rapid loading configuration data in the IC from outside of the IC. The configuration network is a pipelined network.

A method of configuring a programmable integrated circuit device with a user logic design includes analyzing the user logic design to identify unidirectional logic paths within the user logic design and cyclic logic paths within the user logic design, assigning the cyclic logic paths to logic in a first portion of the programmable integrated circuit device that operates at a first data rate, assigning the unidirectional logic paths to logic in a second portion of the programmable integrated circuit device that operates at a second data rate lower than the first data rate, and pipelining the unidirectional data paths in the second portion of the programmable integrated circuit device to compensate for the lower second data rate. A programmable integrated circuit device adapted to carry out such method may have logic regions operating at different rates, including logic regions with programmably selectable data rates.

The present invention relates to a method for downloading a binary configuration file in a programmable circuit implemented in a device. The device comprises at least one central processing unit, a plurality of connectors, and a programmable circuit enabling all or a part of the signals received by said connectors to be processed and transmitted to at least one other circuit of the device. The device analyzes the signals present on the connectors in order to define what other devices are connected and whether the connections are operational. Then, a configuration file is selected from among a set of configuration files according to the operational connections and is downloaded from a memory of the device into the programmable circuit. The invention also relates to a device having a component programmed according to the method previously described.

According to one embodiment, a first oscillator has an oscillation frequency that is changed depending on a temperature. A second oscillator has different temperature characteristics from the first oscillator. An on-chip heater heats the first oscillator and the second oscillator. A counter counts a first oscillation signal of the first oscillator. An ADPLL generates a third oscillation signal on the basis of a second oscillation signal of the second oscillator and corrects the frequency of the third oscillation signal on the basis of a count value of the counter.

A flush adaptor for use with a valve fitment assembly for dispensing liquids from a container; wherein the flush adaptor comprises an outer ring-collar; a flange with an edge molded to the bottom of the outer ring-collar; an interior ring-collar adjacent to the outer ring-collar; a ridge molded in the interior ring-collar; a seat molded onto the interior ring-collar and a pin molded into the interior ring-collar which keeps the valve in an open position; and a hollow tube molded into the adaptor to allow the flow of liquid through the adaptor and into the fitment assembly; whereby the flush adaptor allows for cleaning of the assembly and any tubes connected thereto.

A steplessly adjustable hydraulic insert valve has a housing defining a radial direction and an end side in an installation direction. An inflow connector on the end side is connectable to a pressure medium source. First and second working connectors and a return connector are arranged in the radial direction. The return connector is connectable to a pressure medium tank. The housing has an axial bore and an actuator guided movably therein. The actuator can be held in an axial center position by at least one spring and is adjustable steplessly axially out of the center position by controllable actuation. At least one of the working connectors is fluidically connectable to the return connector by axial adjustment of the actuator. The actuator has a radial widened portion with first and second control edges for steplessly opening and/or closing first and second radial openings, respectively, of the return connector.

An actuator includes a first piston and a second piston. The first piston has a piston ring that separates a first chamber from a second chamber of the actuator. The first piston has an interior chamber that communicates with the first chamber. The second piston is disposed within the interior chamber of the first piston so as to be movable with respect thereto. The second piston has a surface that interfaces with the second chamber.

A method for operating a thread stitching machine for processing printed sheets to form book blocks includes providing at least one sewing station with an active connection to at least one stitching saddle and providing the at least one stitching saddle with an active connection to at least one transporting system. The printed sheets are supplied to the at least one stitching saddle, using the at least one transporting system, in at least one of a substantially vertical and a substantially horizontal plane relative to the at least one stitching saddle. At least the printed sheets in the substantially vertical plane are supplied directly onto the at least one stitching saddle or to a region of the at least one stitching saddle. The printed sheets are supplied to the at least one sewing station resting astride the at least one stitching saddle.

An image recording apparatus includes: a recording unit for recording an image on a recording medium; a tray for supporting the recording medium recorded by the recording unit; a conveyor mechanism for conveying the recorded medium to the tray; and an alignment mechanism for aligning a plurality of recording media stacked on the tray, by application of an external force. In a period from a start to an end of recording based on one recording job, the alignment mechanism aligns the plurality of recording media stacked on the tray in a period in which image recording is not performed, and the alignment mechanism does not align the plurality of recording media stacked on the tray in a period in which image recording is being performed.

An optical element includes at least two stacked birefringent layers having respective local optical axes that are rotated by respective twist angles over respective thicknesses of the at least two layers, and are aligned along respective interfaces between the at least two layers. The respective twist angles and/or the respective thicknesses are different. The at least two stacked birefringent layers may be liquid crystal polymer optical retarder layers. Related devices and fabrication methods are also discussed.

Methods of washing adherent cells, capable of effectively suppressing cell death due to proteolytic enzyme treatment for detaching the adherent cell from a culture vessel and subsequent cell treatment; cell-washing solutions used for the washing method; methods of producing cell suspensions for transplantation using the cell-washing solution; and kits comprising the cell-washing solution. Trehalose or its derivative or a salt thereof is added to physiological aqueous solutions to prepare cell-washing solutions containing trehalose or its derivative or a salt thereof as an active ingredient. The cell-washing solutions can be used to wash adherent cells before detaching the adherent cells from a culture vessel by proteolytic enzyme treatment to suppress cell death due to the proteolytic enzyme treatment. The concentration of trehalose applied to the cell-washing solution may be a concentration capable of suppressing the cell death due to the proteolytic enzyme treatment, such as 0.1 to 20 (w/v) %.

A stylish ready-to-assemble chaise lounge and sofa which may be easily and quickly assembled by a consumer, is provided. The invention is a kit from which either a stylish chaise lounge or a sofa may be easily assembled by a consumer using a single Allen wrench. The kits, both chaise and sofa, comprise a seat base, a long side seatback and a short side seatback, feet, fasteners and cushions. With regard to the chaise, the long and short side chaise seatbacks have rectangular lower portions with upper portions featuring a flowing curved “waterfall” seating surface which improves the comfort of a user leaning back against the seatback.

A method for enhancing sales of stadium seat memorabilia by utilizing a stabilizing base, with a large surface area in the shape of sports memorabilia, such as baseball bats and/or sports figures, with or without brackets, to mount and stabilize a stadium seat for use outside of the stadium, such as at home or in a commercial setting.

A method of making a vehicle seat assembly comprising providing a cushion having an “A” surface, a “B” surface, a central portion, and two bolster areas, with each bolster area being adjacent the central portion, the cushion having a plurality of intrusions extending from the “A” surface towards the “B” surface to form a hardness gradient between at least one of the bolster areas and the central portion of between 8% to 25%, securing the cushion to a frame, and covering cushion with a trim member.

A sun shading apparatus includes a supporting frame, a shading frame and a shading fabric. The supporting frame includes first and second leg frames, and a supporting bar extended between the first and the second leg frames, while the second leg frame has third and fourth mounting slots. The shading frame includes first and second coupling joints each having a V-shaped cross section, first and second frame members, and a reinforcing frame, wherein the supporting bar is extended between the first and second coupling joints. The first and the second frame member are coupled with the first coupling joint and the second coupling joint respectively, while the reinforcing frame is extended between the first and second frame member and the supporting bar to form a support platform. The shading fabric is detachably mounted on the support platform for shading adverse weather condition.

A chair assembly for selectively charging an electronic device includes a frame. A back portion of the frame is operationally coupled to a front portion of the frame. A supporting panel is coupled to the frame. The supporting panel may support a user. A leg is coupled to the frame. The leg abuts a support surface so the leg supports the frame above the support surface. An arm rest is operationally coupled to the frame. The arm rest may support the user's arm. A bag is coupled to the arm rest. The bag may contain the electronic device. A charger is operationally coupled to the arm rest. The charger is selectively operationally coupled to the electronic device. The charger may charge the electronic device.

A bicycle saddle comprising: a supporting frame (2), set up for connecting the saddle to a seat post; a resting base (3), connected to the supporting frame (2) and intended for transmitting the weight of the cyclist to the supporting frame (2), which is provided with a front portion (31) and with a rear portion (32); a cover (4) that covers the resting base (3) and is intended for defining the surface of contact with the cyclist; a shock-absorbing anti-sliding insert (5), interposed between the resting base (3) and the cover (4), which protrudes at least partially from the cover (4) through an opening (41) made on the cover (4).

A mechanism for vertically adjusting a component on a shaft has a collet sleeve riding on the shaft. A spiral track of the component's hub receives a radially outwardly projecting pin on the collet sleeve. The outer surface of the collet sleeve and the inner surface of the hub are tapered so that the hub can rotated one direction to advance the hub on the collet sleeve and compress the collet sleeve onto the shaft to frictionally lock the collet sleeve to the shaft. Because the hub is joined to the collet sleeve by the pin, this also locks the vertical position of the component. Conversely, the hub can be oppositely rotated to release the compression of the collet sleeve so that the collet sleeve, and therefore the vertical component, is slidable on the shaft.

The present invention provides a central frequency adjustment device and adjustable inductor layout; wherein, the central frequency adjustment device is applied in an inductor/capacitor tank (LC tank) for adjusting the central frequency of the LC tank. The device comprises a first inductor with a first end and a second end; a second inductor with one end coupled with the second end of the first inductor; and, a first trimmable wire connected to the first inductor in parallel and to the second inductor in series, which adjusts the central frequency by cutting off the first trimmable wire.

A broadcast receiving device includes a card slot, a fan, a temperature sensor, a memory component and a control unit. The card slot accepts an IC card. The fan rotates to cool the IC card. The temperature sensor measures a first temperature. The memory component stores correlation information indicating a correlation between the first temperature and a second temperature of the IC card. The control unit acquires the second temperature based on the first temperature and the correlation information. The control unit determines if the second temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature. The control unit switches from a first output mode, in which an audio-video signal is outputted via the IC card, to a second output mode, in which the audio-video signal is outputted by bypassing the IC card, when the control unit determines that the second temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature.

One embodiment relates to a circuit for active loss compensation. The circuit includes a parallel inductor-capacitive (LC) tank circuit having a first single-ended output. A first adjustable capacitor, which includes a first terminal and a second terminal, is coupled to the first single-ended output. The circuit also includes a first pair of transistors having sources coupled to a first common node. One transistor of the first pair of transistors has a drain coupled to the first single-ended output and the other transistor of the first pair of transistors has a gate coupled to the second terminal of the first adjustable capacitor. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Methods and apparatus for computing the carrier frequency of a transmitter using frequency modulated digital data to compensate for frequency shifting of the transmitter and the receiver local oscillators and for bandwidth adjustment of the receiver's filter. In particular, methods and apparatus are disclosed for binary systems transmitting “1” and “0” data using decoded or undecoded received signals.

A data processing apparatus is monitoring the first port of itself and the second port of itself. If the data processing apparatus receives data via the second port, it conducts a specific process to the data regardless of a data format of the data so as to convert the data into the data format that can be processed regardless of a data format of the data and sends converted data to the first port.

A printing system that has a printhead assembly for printing media fed along a media path and a plurality of service modules for the printhead assembly. Each of the service modules is configured to operate in a plurality of different modes and each of the service modules are independently operable.

An apparatus includes a head transducer configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium and a heater configured to thermally actuate the head transducer. A thermal sensor at or near the head transducer is configured to produce a sensor signal. Circuitry is coupled to the heater and configured to cause an oscillation in heater power. The heater power oscillation causes an oscillation in the sensor signal. A detector is coupled to the thermal sensor and configured to detect head-medium contact using the oscillating sensor signal and heater power.

An inner peripheral surface of a tube-shaped inner casing has a regular hexagonal shape when viewed from the axial direction, a plurality of pins are arranged in the inner casing so as to take a posture parallel to the axial direction of the inner casing, and in this arrangement, a plurality of rows of the pins arranged in a predetermined direction are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the row direction of the pins, the adjacent pins of the adjacent rows are offset from each other in the row direction of the pins, and each pin contacts the pins adjacent thereto.

The inside of a housing of a printer device is cooled by the air from a ventilation port and, consequently, the temperature of solder SP on a mask surface supported by a mask holding frame inside the housing can be kept low. Moreover, provided is a mask cover for blocking the air flow from the ventilation port toward the mask, and the drying of the solder SP caused by the wind from the ventilation port is thereby inhibited as a result of the wind from the ventilation port not coming into contact with the solder SP on the mask surface. In this way, the solder SP is cooled while inhibiting the drying of the solder SP and, consequently, it is possible to appropriately inhibit the change in viscosity of the solder SP, and favorable printing can be realized.

Sliding parts are made of Pb-free Cu—Bi based sintered material. The side in contact with a shaft is machined to a predetermined roughness. A number of Bi phases are present on the finished surface. Stable performance of Bi is to be exhibited. Machined sintered material covers a portion of the Bi phases. The ratio of the exposed surface area of the Bi phases is 0.5% or more relative to the area of the finished surface.

Disclosed are: a casting aluminum alloy that is excellent in elongation as alternative properties of a high cycle fatigue strength and a thermal fatigue strength and is suitably usable for a casting for which both of the excellent high cycle fatigue strength and the excellent thermal fatigue strength are required, for example, an internal combustion engine cylinder head; a casting made of the aluminum alloy; a manufacturing method of the casting; and further, an internal combustion engine cylinder head composed of the aluminum alloy casting and manufactured by the manufacturing method of the casting. The casting aluminum alloy contains, in terms of mass ratios, 4.0 to 7.0% of Si, 0.5 to 2.0% of Cu, 0.25 to 0.5% of Mg, no more than 0.5% of Fe, no more than 0.5% of Mn, and at least one component selected from the group consisting of Na, Ca and Sr, each mass ratio of which is 0.002 to 0.02%.

An object of the present invention is to provide a Ni-based superalloy, especially for a conventional casting, having a good balance among high temperature strength, corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance, as compared to a conventional material. The Ni-based superalloy comprises Cr, Co, Al, Ti, Ta, W, Mo, Nb, C, B, and inevitable impurities, the balance being Ni, the Ni-based superalloy having a superalloy composition comprising, by mass, 13.1 to 16.0% Cr, 11.1 to 20.0% Co, 2.30 to 3.30% Al, 4.55 to 6.00% Ti, 2.50 to 3.50% Ta, 4.00 to 5.50% W, 0.10 to 1.20% Mo, 0.10 to 0.90% Nb, 0.05 to 0.20% C, and 0.005 to 0.02% B.

A hand operated shovel system for moving materials that uses spring enhanced human power to increase force during the flinging part of shoveling. A user adds propulsive force to a shovel having a spring located between the handle and the blade. Motion of the handle and blade rotates the spring to store energy expended during the initial acceleration of lifting, and applies the stored energy back into the material during the deposition step, increasing the ballistic trajectory of the material. If material deposition can be accomplished without flinging, the shovel acts as a substantially rigid body for standard shoveling.

A zirconium alloy nuclear reactor cylindrical cladding has an inner Zr substrate surface (10), an outer volume of protective material (22), and an integrated middle volume (20) of zirconium oxide, zirconium and protective material, where the protective material is applied by impaction at a velocity greater than 340 meters/second to provide the integrated middle volume (20) resulting in structural integrity for the cladding.

A system for radioisotope production uses fast-neutron-caused fission of depleted or naturally occurring uranium targets in an irradiation chamber. Fast fission can be enhanced by having neutrons encountering the target undergo scattering or reflection to increase each neutron's probability of causing fission (n, f) reactions in U-238. The U-238 can be deployed as one or more layers sandwiched between layers of neutron-reflecting material, or as rods surrounded by neutron-reflecting material. The gaseous fission products can be withdrawn from the irradiation chamber on a continuous basis, and the radioactive iodine isotopes (including I-131) extracted.

UO2 nuclear fuel pellets are fabricated by adding additive powder comprising Mn compound and Al compound into UO2 powder.

A system, method and apparatus for providing additional radiation shielding to a ventilated cask for holding high level radioactive materials. The invention utilizes a tubular shell that is ancillary to the ventilated cask that circumscribes the ventilated cask to add radiation shielding protection while improving heat removal by natural convective air flow. Because the tubular shell and cask are non-unitary and slidably separable from one another, crane lifting capacity is not affected. In one aspect, the invention is an apparatus for providing additional radiation shielding to a cask holding high level radioactive materials comprising: a tubular shell extending from an open bottom end to an open top end, the tubular shell having an inner surface that forms a cavity about a longitudinal axis; a plurality of primary apertures forming passageways through the tubular shell and circumferentially arranged in a spaced-apart manner about the tubular shell; a plurality of secondary apertures forming passageways through the tubular shell and circumferentially arranged in a spaced-apart manner about the tubular shell; and an annular seal coupled to the tubular shell and extending from the inner surface of the tubular shell; wherein the secondary apertures are located at an axial height above the annular seal and the primary apertures are located at an axial height below the annular seal.

Disclosed is a system for producing electromagnetic radiation with enhancement from a drift tube containing a cylindrical Smith-Purcell structure. The system includes a magnetically insulated linear oscillator. The oscillator includes a cylindrical resonant cavity having a traveling wave electron gun and a cooperating anode. The drift tube is formed of a hollow cylindrical conductive element that is positioned within a resonant cavity of the oscillator. The drift tube includes an inner surface and a pair of ends. The drift tube may be adapted such that the interaction between an electron beam, from the electron gun, passes through the inner space of the drift tube, and the internal grating, so as to produce RF radiation by the Smith-Purcell Effect. Spacing, face angle and shape of the grating, and the energy of the electron beam are determinants of the frequency of the RF radiation.

Nonconjugated conductive polymers absorb radioactive iodine, therefore are useful for protection against nuclear radiation. These polymers have at least one double bond per repeat unit. The ratio of the number of double bonds to the total number of bonds along the polymer chain is less than half. Examples of nonconjugated conductive polymers include: cis-1,4-polyisoprene (natural rubber), trans-1,4-polyisoprene (gutta percha), polybutadiene, polydimethyl butadiene, poly(b-pinene), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), polyalloocimene, polynorbornene and many others. Through interaction with iodine atoms the double bonds in the nonconjugated polymers transform into radical cations leading to a dark color. The iodine atoms remain (immobile) bound to the polymer chain through the charge-transfer interaction, these polymers are very inexpensive and can be easily processed into any shape, structure and size. Therefore, these are useful for protection against nuclear radiation including radioactive iodine. These polymers when used as a thick cover can provide safe storage of nuclear waste materials including spent fuel rods.

The invention relates to a nuclear fuel cladding totally or partially made of a composite material with a ceramic matrix containing silicon carbide (SiC) fibers as a matrix reinforcement and an interphase layer provided between the matrix and the fibers, the matrix including silicon carbide as well as at least one of the following additional carbides: titanium carbide (TiC), zirconium carbide (Zrc), and ternary titanium silicon carbide (Ti3SiC2). When irradiated and at temperatures of between 800° C. and 1200° C., said cladding can mechanically maintain the nuclear fuel within the cladding while enabling optimal thermal-energy transfer towards the coolant. The invention also relates to a method for making the nuclear fuel cladding.

A detection device is used in a gaming machine that detects numbers of dots on a plurality of dice having wireless tags. The detection device reads the wireless tags which are embedded on each face of the dice by a reader having an antenna. The antenna of the reader includes a first antenna portion disposed substantially in a central portion of a field that supports the dice, and formed in a substantially circular shape, and a plurality of second antenna portions disposed so as to superimpose a detection area of the first antenna portion, and having a detection area larger than the first antenna portion. The first antenna portion and the plurality of the second antenna portions are disposed so as to have a portion of detection areas mutually superimposed on a playing board.

The present invention generally relates to drinking games and apparatuses for the use therewith. Specifically, this invention relates to an improved drinking game component and cup alignment apparatus for use with various drinking games. The drinking game cup or attachment and cup alignment apparatus may be designed in such a manner as to allow for simplified, accurate and reliable positioning of one or more drinking cups on a playing surface.

Shooters must presently take their firearms out of their hands to then manually actuate a new target into shooting position. This Target Apparatus will allow the shooter to shine his laser light, infrared light, flashlight, or multi-spectrum light onto a Target Apparatus-mounted sensor that engages a drive means mounted upon the target frame that then forwards a new target into position without removing the firearm from its' shooting position. The unit also uses a unique target backing material that does not require targets to be made of rolls of coated or heavy material stock. The system can utilize rolls of cash register paper, cut sections of gift wrapping paper, hand towel rolls, or even paper towels as target materials without snagging and preventing the next target from being presented.