A rotorcraft including a fuselage, one or more motor-driven rotors for vertical flight, and a control system. The motors drive the one or more rotors in either of two directions of rotation to provide for flight in either an upright or an inverted orientation. An orientation sensor is used to control the primary direction of thrust, and operational instructions and gathered information are automatically adapted based on the orientation of the fuselage with respect to gravity. The rotors are configured with blades that invert to conform to the direction of rotation.

Use of two different methods, either each by itself or in combination, to enhance the stiffness, strength, maximum possible use temperature, and environmental resistance of thermoset polymer particles is disclosed. One method is the application of post-polymerization process steps (and especially heat treatment) to advance the curing reaction and to thus obtain a more densely crosslinked polymer network. The other method is the incorporation of nanofillers, resulting in a heterogeneous “nanocomposite” morphology. Nanofiller incorporation and post-polymerization heat treatment can also be combined to obtain the benefits of both methods simultaneously. The present invention relates to the development of thermoset nanocomposite particles. Optional further improvement of the heat resistance and environmental resistance of said particles via post-polymerization heat treatment; processes for the manufacture of said particles; and use of said particles in the construction, drilling, completion and/or fracture stimulation of oil and natural gas wells are described.

Methods of treating a wellbore in a subterranean formation including providing an oil-external treatment fluid, wherein the oil-external treatment fluid is a 3D-network comprising a chemical interaction between a hydrocarbon fluid, an aqueous fluid, and a surface modification agent; providing proppant particulates; suspending the proppant particulates in the oil-external treatment fluid; and introducing the oil-external treatment fluid comprising the proppant particulates into the wellbore in the subterranean formation.

A pourable aqueous cement composition is disclosed. The cement composition comprises a hydraulic cement, water and a selectively removable material comprising a plurality of selectively corrodible metal powder particles dispersed within the cement or a nanomatrix powder compact, or a combination thereof. An article, including a downhole article, and more particularly a reconfigurable downhole article is disclosed. The article includes a hydraulic cement, wherein the hydraulic cement has at least partially set into a permanent form. The article also includes a selectively removable material dispersed within the cement, the selectively removable material comprising a plurality of selectively corrodible metal powder particles dispersed within the cement or a nanomatrix powder compact, or a combination thereof, wherein the selectively removable material is configured for removal in response to a predetermined wellbore condition.

A system for diverting fluids from a wellhead in a subsea environment has a capping stack with a connector suitable for connection or interconnection to the wellhead, a flow base fixedly positioned in the subsea environment, and a conduit connected to the outlet of a diverter line of the capping stack and connected to the inlet of an interior passageway of the flow base. The conduit is suitable for passing fluids from the capping stack toward the flow base. The flow base is a modified horizontal Christmas tree. The interior passageway within the horizontal Christmas tree has a plug therein located a level below the level of the inlet to the flow base. The flow base can be attached to a wellhead or to an anchor pile in the subsea environment.

Magnetic composite particles can be used as proppants and allow for deliberate heating by applying an alternating magnetic field.

A modular portable evaporator system for use in a Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) systems having an evaporator, with a sump including an oil skimming weir, a short tube vertical falling film heat exchanger including an outer shell containing short tubes provided for lower water circulation rate. The system further having external to the evaporator, a compressor for compressing evaporated steam from the tube side of the heat exchanger and routing to the shell side of the same exchanger, a distillate tank to collect hot distilled water, a recirculation pump to introduce liquids from the sump into the heat exchanger and an external suction drum protecting the compressor from liquid impurities. The evaporator system receives produced water from the SAGD process into the sump and provides cleaned hot water to a boiler.

Mechanical visbreaking and pyrolysis between counter-rotating coaxial centrifugal impellers in a continuous radial counterflow process minimizes wastewater discharges. In one example, a cataclastic shear retort comminutes, shear thins, and shear heats an axial feed, such as tar sand, oil shale, coal tailings, distillation bottoms, or lignite. Pyrolyzing the feedstock in this shear retort yields a product stream of gases, naphthas, and oils which first mixes with the feedstock and then is axially extracted, while spent solids are simultaneously extruded from the periphery as coked devolatilized residue, such as char sand for upgrading soil to terra preta. Recirculation of shear-heated solids in long residence time within the shear retort brings heat from the spent solids at the periphery to the feedstock without an external heated sand loop. CO2 emissions from combustion to heat water for oil extraction are eliminated.

The invention relates to a fixing element for locking a hinged hand crank on the input shaft of a support winch for semi-trailers, wherein the hand crank is fastened to the input shaft in an articulated manner and can pivot between at least one folded-in rest position and at least one folded-out usage position. According to the invention, said fixing element has a fastening section for fastening to the hand crank and a spring bar connected to the fastening section on which at least one locking section is formed, wherein the locking section reaches over the end face of the input shaft in a form-fitting manner in a folded-out usage position of the hand crank and is simultaneously pulled against said end face of the input shaft.

A workpiece elevating support device which can be utilized by being installed in a carriage-type conveying apparatus for conveying an automobile body while changing the height thereof in each section in an automobile assembly line. The workpiece elevating support device includes at least two center-folding double link mechanisms arranged in parallel on a base, each of which is composed of a lower parallel link, an intermediate link member, an upper parallel link, and an upper link member. The upper link member is consecutively provided with a workpiece support. There is juxtaposed a lock to hold the center-folding double link mechanisms in an expanding-rising posture, which is taken when the upper link members are vertically raised to a predetermined height.

Diverting pulley arrangement of an elevator, which includes an axle, at least one diverting pulley that rotates while supported on the axle, a faceplate structure, in relation to which and supported by which the diverting pulley is arranged to rotate on the first side of the faceplate structure, which axle is locked so that it does not rotate in relation to the faceplate structure by the aid of a locking element, which locking element is on the second side of the faceplate structure and supported so that it does not move in relation to the faceplate structure. The locking element is placed against the locking surface included in the axle so that the contact point of the locking element and the locking surface of the axle is at least partly visible.

An assembly for collapsing a self-expanding prosthetic heart valve includes a compression member, a support member and a constricting member. The compression member has a tapered wall between its first open end and its second open end, the tapered wall defining an open space adapted to receive the valve. The support member has a base and a recess adapted to receive an end of the valve. The support member and the compression member are movable toward one another to compress the valve and push it through a relatively small aperture in the second open end of the compression member. The second end of the constricting member is sized to receive the compressed valve from the second open end of the compression member for loading into a delivery device.

A method of sectioning eyelashes into zones is disclosed. A method of sectioning eyelashes into zones comprises dividing a surface of an eyelid into zones and applying extension lashes to natural lashes within the zones. Zones can comprise an inner zone, a mid-zone and an outer zone. Furthermore, at least a portion of extension lashes within inner zone can have a first length, while the extension lashes within middle zone and outer zone can have a second and third length, respectively.

A hairpiece or wig is formed of a substrate having at least two layers or sets of fibers. The hairpiece has a wig cap section which forming the core of the hairpiece to be placed on the head of an individual. The wig cap may be formed of a plurality of selectively-deformable rings adapted to adjustably conform to a head of an individual. A mesh section of the wig cap may adorn the portion of the wig cap corresponding to the forehead of the individual. The mesh section may have opposing parting areas on the left and right anterior portions of wig cap formed by recesses extending into the deformable ring portion of the wig cap. Hair strands extending from each parting area may have different shades and/or colors from one another and/or any hair strands extending from the deformable ring portion of the wig cap.

A device and method for braiding hair or other flexible filaments is disclosed herein. The device comprises controller and a motor whereby the device may be used to intertwine strands of the flexible filament in a desired pattern. A user interface that allows the user to select a variety of pattern modules for operating the device.

Additives may be used to lower the set up point for bitumen thereby allowing it to be transported from place to place more easily. Additives useful for lowering the set up point of bitumen include alkylphenol formaldehyde resins and oxyalkylated alkylphenol formaldehyde resins; amines and esters; solvents; and combinations thereof.

A lightweight artificial stone system comprises a plurality of artificial stones, each of the artificial stones formed of at least some portion of cement, expanded glass, the lightweight artificial stones having a density in the range of between about 30 and 70 pounds per cubic foot.

An ultra-fine nepheline syenite powder produced from a pre-processed nepheline syenite powder feedstock. The powder having a “controlled” maximum grain size D95 or D99 of less than about 20 microns and a “controlled” minimum grain size D5 in the range of 2-8 microns with a particle size spread D5-D95 of less than about 12 microns.

A composition for the preparation of a fire protection mortar comprising 45 to 70% by weight of cement binder,8 to 20% by weight calcite,8 to 20% by weight mica,0 to 5% by weight of xonotlite,0.1 to 20% by weight of expanded perlite,0.1 to 10% by weight of fibers,0.01 to 2% by weight of air entrainer and foaming agent,0.01 to 2% by weight of processing aids.

The present invention provides a noble metal fine particle with a protein adsorbed thereon, including a noble metal fine particle, and a protein adsorbed on a surface of the noble metal fine particle. The protein has an isoelectric point in a range of pH 4.0 to 7.5. An amount of the protein adsorbed is in a range of 3 to 55.1 wt % with respect to a total weight of the noble metal fine particle and the protein. The noble metal fine particle with a protein adsorbed thereon according to the present invention has excellent redispersibility. That is, by adjusting the pH of a noble metal fine particle dispersed liquid to the isoelectric point of the proteins and allowing the noble metal fine particles to be aggregated without adding a degrading enzyme that degrades the proteins to the noble metal fine particle dispersed liquid, it is possible to allow the noble metal fine particles with proteins adsorbed thereon withdrawn from the noble metal fine particle dispersed liquid to have an average particle diameter that is not increased significantly even after they are redispersed in another dispersion medium.

A method of forming an opaque layer includes forming a first layer by discharging droplets of an ink composition containing a metallic pigment on a record medium by an ink-jet recording process and forming a second layer by discharging droplets of an ink composition containing a white pigment on the record medium by an ink-jet recording process. The opaque layer is formed on the record medium on the side where the first layer and the second layer are formed in a region where the first layer and the second layer overlap each other.

A coating composition which imparts antifog, antireflective, easy-cleaning, and/or antistatic properties to substrates coated therewith. The coating compositions utilize nanoparticles funtionalized with amine groups and/or protected amine groups, and amine-reactive groups.

A surface treatment composition for inkjet media includes: at least one surface sizing agent selected from the group consisting of starch, starch derivatives, polymeric materials, and combinations thereof; and an ink fixative selected from the group consisting of at least one high valence metallic salt, at least one high valence complex poly-salt, and combinations thereof. The ink fixative is present in the surface treatment composition from about 10 weight% to about 50 weight% of the surface treatment composition. The at least one high valence metallic salt and the at least one high valence complex poly-salt have a valence greater than divalent. Additionally included are a method of making and a system for printing the surface treated media; and an inkjet printable paper.

Provided are silica-based fine particle dispersion sols, processes for producing the sols, coating compositions containing the dispersion sol, curable coating films obtained from the coating composition, and substrates having the coating film. A process includes (1) mixing an aqueous aluminate solution to an alkaline silica sol which contains water-dispersible silica fine particles in a given ratio; (2) heating the mixture liquid obtained in the step (1) to 60 to 200° C. and stirring the mixture liquid at the temperature for 0.5 to 20 hours; and (3) contacting the mixture liquid obtained in the step (2) with a cation exchange resin to remove by ion exchange alkali metal ions contained in the mixture liquid and thereby controlling the pH of the mixture liquid to be in the range of 3.0 to 6.0.

Disclosed are fast-curing, inexpensive corn-gluten resin compositions, methods for making them, methods for forming them into solid articles. In some embodiments, the resin composition includes corn meal gluten and a non-toxic organic acid.

A polypeptide solution of the present invention is a polypeptide solution in which a polypeptide derived from natural spider silk proteins is dissolved in a solvent. The solvent contains at least one selected from the following (i)-(iii): (i) DMSO; (ii) DMSO with an inorganic salt; and (iii) DMF with an inorganic salt. Further, in the present invention, an artificial polypeptide fiber is obtained by: using the polypeptide solution as a dope solution; and extruding the dope solution from a spinneret into a desolvation bath so as to eliminate the solvent from the dope solution and form a fiber to produce an undrawn yarn. Moreover, in the present invention, a polypeptide is purified by subjecting the polypeptide solution to heat treatment and thereafter removing an undissolved substance therefrom. Thus, the present invention provides the polypeptide solution whose solute has high solubility and solvent itself is low cost, and that allows dissolution at high temperatures and has high safety: a method for producing an artificial polypeptide fiber: and a method for purifying a polypeptide.

The present invention relates to the production of ternesite clinkers containing 20 to 100% by weight C5S2$ and less than 15% by weight C4A3$, and to the use of ternesite as an additive to Portland cement or Portland composite cement, and to a binder containing 20 to 95% by weight Portland cement (clinker) and 80 to 5% by weight ternesite (clinker).

Cyclodextrin compositions including one or more radiation polymerizable monomers and a cyclodextrin inclusion complex, the cyclodextrin inclusion complex including a cyclodextrin compound and an olefinic inhibitor of an ethylene generation in produce, are coated onto packaging materials and cured. Treated containers and treated package inserts having the cured cyclodextrin compositions are useful in packaging of respiring plant materials.

A machine (1) for tying vegetation, in particular vine, raspberry or similar branches, including a unit (4) for lifting up the branches, an element (5) for supplying tying-up wires (50) and members (7, 8) for binding the tying-up wires. These binding members include two pivoting arms (7, 8) that are mounted to pivot around vertical axes (A) and be moved by jacks. One of the arms (7) comprises an on-board tie magazine (71) that is arranged in the extension of a tying head (72), and the other arm (8) includes an insertion head (82) cooperating with the tying head (72) when the arms (7, 8) are in a working position in order to fit the tie (60) on the tying-up wires (50).

A system for preparing a pre-assembled hanger support. The system includes a bending tool operable to form a bight in the distal end of a structural wire, the bight having a transverse tail extending away from the shaft of the structural wire. The system also includes a wrapping tool having a drive rotor with a clip attachment interface that removably supports a hanger clip and provides selective rotation of the hanger clip and the structural wire, a wire support brace that supports the shaft of the structural wire in substantial alignment with the axis of rotation of the drive rotor, and a tail stop positioned to restrain the rotation of the transverse tail. The hanger clip is supported about the structural wire and positioned within the bight, and together the hanger clip and structural wire are installed onto the clip attachment interface, so that selective rotation of the drive rotor rotates the hanger clip and shaft of the structural wire causing the restrained transverse tail to wrap around the shaft and secure the hanger clip within an eyelet formed in the structural wire, thereby forming the pre-assembled hanger support.

An extendable beam measurement system includes a support; a beam mounted on the support and movable with respect to the support along an axis of movement; a series of sensory points mounted along either the beam or the support in an orientation that is not parallel to the axis of movement of the beam; and a sensor attached to the other of the beam or the support in a direction that crosses the series of sensory points at different positions during movement of the beam along said axis. The sensor generates a first signal varying as the beam is moved along the axis to thereby provide a signal indicating the position of the beam with respect to the support. The system is useful on an outrigger for supporting a crane. Optionally the system can provide a second signal indicative of whether a jack on the outrigger is contacting a support surface and supporting the crane. Alternatively, the system used to optionally generate the second signal can be used by itself to indicate whether a jack is supporting the crane, even if the beam extension is not measured.

A portable winch and method of use is shown. One advantage of winches shown includes an ability to lower a boom or boom sections into limited access exit pit for winching operations such as pipe bursting. Sectional boom designs shown provide the ability to easily raise and lower a boom large distances without the need for a single long boom. Selected winch designs shown include flexible inserts between the boom and the winch frame that help resist damage from unforeseen shifting of the device during operation. Designs and methods shown also include multiple pulleys on a boom end unit. Fasteners are shown that reduce build up of debris.

Hoisting crane (20), comprising a substantially hollow jib (24,-124; 324) having a longitudinal axis, and comprising one or more hoisting cable guides (47, 48, 49; 147; 347). The jib comprises at least one jib leg (29; 129; 329) extending between a jib connection member (26) and a jib hoisting end (27; 127; 327), wherein the at least one jib leg comprises one or more hybrid portions (160; 360) comprising two elongated hollow casings (170; 370) substantially parallel to each other and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the jib, and wherein between the two casings a truss (171 371) is provided to rigidly connect the two castings.

Disclosed is a hoist apparatus having an improved structure to load an object to be transported in a horizontal direction. The hoist apparatus includes a travel unit to travel along a rail, a carrier unit coupled to the travel unit so as to move in a first direction, and a cart unit coupled to the carrier unit so as to move in a second direction different from the first direction, wherein the cart unit includes a body portion, in which an object to be transferred is located, and a drive portion to drive the body portion in the second direction.

A portable lifting system includes a moveable base component including a scissors lift assembly, and a crane assembly coupled the movable base component, the crane assembly including a support member and a boom coupled to the support member.

A one-handle valve cartridge has a low point of contact for installing the valve cartridge in a valve body. A retention nut bears down on the low point of contact to secure the valve cartridge in the valve body.

A valve assembly (10) is to be used in conjunction with a tubular member having an internal surface surrounding a passage into which the valve assembly is to be sealingly inserted. The valve assembly includes a tubular body (25) having a longitudinal passage and an outer surface to be located adjacent the internal surface. A seal (29) is mounted on the outer surface to engage the internal surface to sealingly connect the tubular body with the tubular member. A movable valve member (33) is movable between an open position providing for the flow of water from an upstream end to a downstream end of the passage of the tubular body and a closed position closing the passage. Resilient means, such as a spring (34) urges the valve member to the closed position. The resilient means is configured to provide for displacement of the valve member toward the open position when pressure beyond a predetermined pressure is applied upon the movable valve member.

An elastic longitudinal net (1) for longitudinal food products, especially cold meat products, is formed as a sleeve having at least one longitudinal main warp (21) of a tightening chain weave having at least one substantially inextensible thread (213, 214), and at least one weft (3) having at least one elastic fiber and circumferential sections (31), the ends of which are interweaved substantially perpendicularly between the substantially inextensible fiber and longitudinal sections (32) existing between neighboring circumferential sections (31) and running in a concurrent manner relative to and weaved with at least one main warp (21). The longitudinal sections are interweaved through at least one main warp (21) substantially perpendicularly relative to its longitudinal axis, passing through loops (215, 216) of the at least one substantially inextensible thread (213, 214) of the main warp, forming a serpentine run having at least two external loops (321).

A composite material comprising a plurality of fiber tape strips woven or braided together. Each of the plurality of fiber tape strips is made of a single layer of unidirectional fibers. The fibers are at least partially embedded in a thermoplastic matrix. A tubular composite part is made from this composite material and of an internal film. A method of manufacturing the composite material comprises weaving or braiding the fiber tape strips, especially in the form of a tube. A method of manufacturing a composite part comprises pressurizing the film inside the tube while heating both the tube and the film up to their forming temperature so as to bond the film to the woven fiber tape strips.

The method produces an upper part of a shoe, in particular a sport shoe, with enhanced wearing comfort. The method entails supplying a shoe last, which corresponds to the inner shape of the upper part of the shoe to a radial braiding machine having an annular creel, which is designed for weaving and/or braiding along three axes; Guiding the at least one shoe last through the center of the creel and simultaneously weaving and/or braiding along three axes using a fiber material around the outer circumference of the shoe last; and Terminating the weaving and/or braiding and removing the woven and/or braided material from the shoe last.

Vascular treatment and methods include a plurality of self-expanding bulbs and a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Joints between woven structures and hypotubes include solder. Woven structures include patterns of radiopaque filaments measureable under x-ray. Structures are heat treated to include at least shapes at different temperatures. A catheter includes a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Heat treating systems include a detachable flange. Laser cutting systems include a fluid flow system.

Vascular treatment and methods include a plurality of self-expanding bulbs and a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Joints between woven structures and hypotubes include solder. Woven structures include patterns of radiopaque filaments measurable under x-ray. Structures are heat treated to include at least shapes at different temperatures. A catheter includes a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Heat treating systems include a detachable flange. Laser cutting systems include a fluid flow system.

Energy-absorbing textile structure, in particular for use in vehicle construction, which has high-tensile yarns for absorbing force, is formed by a braided fabric (2) with standing ends (3) in the force input direction and in that the textile structure has at least one region (4) with local modification of the fiber structure (2, 3).

An electrical device such as a headset may have a cable. Wires in the cable may be used to connect speakers in the headset to a connector such as an audio jack. The cable may have a tubular intertwined cable cover that covers the wires. Computer-controlled servo motors in fiber intertwining equipment may be adjusted in real time so that intertwined attributes such as intertwining density and intertwining tension are varied as a function of length along the intertwined cable cover. The fiber intertwining equipment may make these variations to locally increase the strength of the intertwined cable cover and the cable in the vicinity of a bifurcation in the cable and in the vicinity of the portion of the cable that terminates at the audio jack.

Method and instrumentation for detection of rail defects, in particular rail top defects, in a railway-track by measuring an axle box acceleration signal of a rail vehicle, wherein a longitudinal axle box acceleration signal is used as a measure to detect the occurrence of said rail defects. The method also includes measuring a vertical axle box acceleration signal of said rail vehicle, whereby the longitudinal axle box acceleration signal is used in combination and simultaneously with said vertical axle box acceleration signal. It is preferred that the longitudinal axle box acceleration signal is used to remove from said vertical axle box acceleration signal a signal-part that relates to vibrations of the rail vehicle's wheel set, including the bearing and axle box, and that the axle box acceleration signals are filtered for removing signal-parts contributed by vibrations of the track, including the rail, rail pads, fasteners, sleepers, and ballast.

Data representative of a train consist (the train consist comprising a plurality of locomotives and a plurality of cars) and data representative of a route for the train consist can be processed by a processor to automatically determine which locomotives in the train consist should be powered on and which locomotives in the train consist should be shut down for each segment of the route. The processor can make these determinations based on an analysis of the train consist data and the route data with respect to a plurality of considerations that affect train efficiency. Recommendations for locomotive startups and shutdowns in accordance with such automated determinations can then be presented to the train crew for the crew to use during train operations. It is believed that when train crews are in compliance with such recommendations, significant improvements in efficiency, particularly with respect to fuel consumption, can be achieved.

The present teachings provide a modular articulating cement spacer mold for forming a temporary implant comprising a mold first portion, a mold second portion, and a ventilation forming surface feature on an interior surface of at least one of the mold first portion or the mold second portion. The first mold portion and the second mold portion have corresponding interior surfaces that form a cavity therebetween.

A method for producing a sanitary article, comprises the step of introducing liquid clay into the casting chamber of a casting mould, the step of hardening the liquid clay in the casting mould and the step of separating the casting mould for removing the hardened sanitary article out of the casting mould. Prior to the step of introducing the liquid clay, at least one slide is introduced from outside the casting chamber along an insertion direction (E) at least partially into the casting chamber, wherein the slide is removed out of the casting chamber in opposition to the insertion direction (E) prior to or during the step of separating the casting mould, wherein an opening, an indentation or a break-through can be provided in the sanitary article by means of the slide.

A modular mold system for manufacturing a shell part of an oblong composite structure having a longitudinal direction from a fiber reinforced matrix material. The modular mould system includes a number of mold sections, which are adapted to being assembled to an assembled mold part. The number of mold sections includes a first mold section having a first molding surface with a contour that defines a surface of a first longitudinal part of the shell part and a first end section; and a second mold section having a second molding surface with a contour that defines a surface of a second longitudinal part of the shell part and a second end section; which, when the modular mold system is assembled to the assembled mold, the second end section of the second mold section abuts the first end section of the first mold section.

A portable device to compress a bow comprising a pulley system with a block and tackle and fixed pulleys which, by wiring, are connected to a set of fastening supports with fastening ends. The fastening ends fasten and pull the ends of the arms or limbs of a bow, under traction exerted by the block and tackle. The block and tackle has a drive portion and a brake controlling the traction and release of the cables connected to the fastening supports. Upon pulling the drive portion, the block and tackle produces the approach between the first and the second pulleys. This displacement between the pulleys acts on the cables which, through the fixed pulleys, cause the approach between the fastening supports. This displacement of the fastening supports overcomes the resistance of the bow and compresses it. Once the desired compressive level is reached, the brake or blockage is actuated.