A product dispensing system includes an overcap that has a locking element extending therefrom. A container has a product disposed therein. A bracket is attached to the container. The bracket includes at least one flange and at least one slot. The at least one flange extends toward the at least one slot. A resilient member is disposed within the locking element.

In a device for machining, in particular etching and/or developing, substrates, in particular wafers, in particular etching and/or developing, having a turntable, the turntable has a Venturi gap.

A cutting tool includes a chuck, a compressible conical collet and a lock nut for locking the collet. The cutting tool lock nut has a nut portion with a threaded portion for threading with the chuck, and a locking portion with a collet-locking surface formed with angled coolant grooves thereon. The collet-locking surface presses on the collet head, thereby compressing it to grip a tool shank in a collet bore thereof. As the locking portion presses only against a peripheral surface of the collet head, the lock nut is suitable for locking collets with different bore diameters. When the chuck is provided with a coolant fluid, the coolant fluid flows through the chuck and through the collet towards the locking portion, passing through the coolant notches between the locking portion and the collet head, and sprayed towards a location along the tool shank.

An apparatus is disclosed for attaching a surgical needle having a generally cylindrical end portion defining an elongated aperture having a generally circular cross-section and a suture having a generally elongated end portion of generally circular cross-section corresponding in dimension to the elongated aperture of the needle. The apparatus includes a pair of dies, each having a die face with an inner die surface portion. The inner die surface portion includes at least one generally planar crimping surface having an arcuate recess formed therein which extends along at least a portion of the planar crimping surface. The arcuate recess defines a material relief zone such that when the end portion of the suture is positioned within the aperture of the needle and the dies are positioned about the generally cylindrical end portion of the needle with the crimping surfaces generally facing the outer surface thereof, the application of an inward crimping force to the dies causes the dies to impact the needle and produce inward crimping forces on opposed sides of the needle end portion to attach the needle to the suture. The relief zones defined by the arcuate recesses receive and collect deformed material from the needle. According to the invention, the symmetry of the needle is maintained and the attachment is predictable and superior to those of the prior art.

A method and apparatus for attaching sutures to curved surgical needles. A vibratory bowl and vibratory rail function to present individual surgical needles to a transfer system in a predetermined orientation. The transfer system then delivers each oriented needle to a frame which positions the needle for subsequent swaging by a rotating die system which selectively impacts the needle to secure the suture thereto.

A machine and method for knurling an end portion of a cylindrical workpiece including a hypodermic needle or biopsy needle. The machine includes a base to which a reciprocating mechanism and a serrated block are attached. A pressure bar is positioned above the base and has a second serrated block attached thereto. The pressure bar is reciprocated back and forth, each movement comprising a stroke. A pair of lobes are attached to the top surface of the pressure bar. A pair of roller blocks are also attached to the base, each roller block having a rectangular opening and a roller located therein. The pressure bar passes through the rectangular openings. As the pressure bar is reciprocated back and forth and the lobes come into contact with the rollers, the pressure bar is biased toward the base whereby a knurl is formed in a workpiece placed between the two serrated blocks. A method for knurling an end portion of a cylindrical workpiece is also disclosed.

A process for manufacturing surgical needles from solid, cylindrical needle blanks. A plurality of needle blanks are cut from a roll of wire and mounted to a flat carrier strip. The carrier strip then indexes each needle blank to a grinding station where an orbital grinding means grinds the distal end of each needle blank into a taper point while the needle blanks are held fixed in the carrier strip.

A surgical needle has a top edge formed by two pressed faces located inside or outside of curvature from pressing a material blank made of austenitic stainless steel having fibrous texture and cutting edges formed on both sides of a base. The top edge is sharp at a needle point and the sharp needle point is constituted of fibrous texture formed at the surface layer of the material blank. Grinding marks extending crosswise formed on the face of the mold are transferred to the pressed faces. A mold constitutes plural faces forming projecting angles (angle between two intersecting faces is 180° or below, and the line at which the two faces intersect is made as a projecting line) along edges of the blocks made of two rectangular prisms, and constitutes a cavity by suitably contacting the edges of the blocks.

A process for progressively manufacturing cutting edge needles or wire members. Needle blanks or wire blanks are cut from a roll of wire and mounted to a carrier strip. The carrier strip and needles are moved through a succession of coining dies and at least one trimming die, wherein the first coining die is an open coining die and the one or more successive coining dies are closed coining dies. The needle blanks or wire members are optionally curved, heat treated and electrochemically treated resulting in cutting edge needles or wire members formed without a grinding step and without adversely affecting point ductility.

A steel pin is disclosed of a type to be forcibly driven into a steel substrate by using a powder-actuated tool. The steel pin has a substantially cylindrical shank and a substantially sharp point which extends from one end of the substantially cylindrical shank, which conforms substantially to a tangent or secant ogive except for a substantially spherical tip having a radius in a range of approximately 0.02 inch (approximately 5 millimeters) to approximately 0.03 inch (approximately 7.5 millimeters), which has substantially true concentricity, which has surface-texture irregularities with a roughness-height index value in a range from approximately 10 microinches (approximately 0.25 micrometers) to approximately 15 microinches (approximately 0.38 micrometers), and which appears to be substantially free of other surface imperfections when viewed under 60× magnification. The substantially cylindrical shank is joined to the substantially sharp point at a transition having a substantially smooth, continuously curved surface, and is knurled near the transition. The steel pin is made by deforming a length of steel wire as by forging or swaging, so as to form the steel pin with the substantially cylindrical shank and with the substantially sharp point, and reshaping the substantially pointed end as by barrel finishing the steel pin in a finishing medium.

A process for the manufacture of suture needles and, more particularly, a process for enhancing the physical strength of the suture needles through an expedient cold-working or cold-forming procedure. Also disclosed is the provision of a novel and physically strengthened suture needle, particularly a surgical suture needle possessing a curvilinear configuration wherein the cross-sectional configuration of the needle is cold-formed into varying shapes in order to produce a needle having superior physical characteristics and strengths imparted thereto through the inventive process. The needles are essentially cold formed, and which process includes the aspect of imparting to straight metal rods which are preferably constituted from stainless steel, manufacturing steps which include sharpening one end of rod severed segments so as to form the needle tip, thereafter curving the needle with the metal still being in a relatively ductile state, and subjecting the needle to a cold forming process, such as through the intermediary of pressure die molds or stamping, to produce varying cross-sectional shapes along the length of the needle.

A steel pin is disclosed of a type to be forcibly driven into a steel substrate by using a powder-actuated tool. The steel pin has a substantially cylindrical shank, and a substantially sharp point which extends from one end of the substantially cylindrical shank, which conforms substantially to a tangent or secant ogive except for a substantially spherical tip having a radius in the range of approximately 0.015 inch (approximately 3.75 millimeters) to approximately 0.03 inch (approximately 7.5 millimeters), which has substantially true concentricity, which has surface-texture irregularities with a roughness-height index value not greater than approximately 30 microinches (approximately 0.76 micrometers), and which appears to be substantially free of other surface imperfections when viewed under 60× magnification. Optimally, the ogive is a tangent ogive with an ogive radius approximately ten times the shank diameter and with an ogive length approximately twice the shank diameter, and the tip radius is approximately 0.1 times the shank diameter. The substantially cylindrical shank is joined to the substantially sharp point at a transition having a substantially smooth, continuously curved surface, and which is knurled near the transition. The steel pin is made by deforming a length of steel wire, as by forging or swaging, so as to form the steel pin.

Channel-bodied surgical needles and surgical incision members are disclosed having a generally U-shaped cross-sectional body portion and a penetrating tip portion formed on at least one end thereof. Preferably, penetrating tip portions are formed at both ends of the channel-bodied portion. The surgical needle and/or surgical incision member may additionally includes apparatus engagement structure formed adjacent either end of the body portion and engagable with a suitable surgical suturing apparatus. The channel-bodied surgical needle and/or surgical incision member may additionally include securement structure for attachment of a length of suture material thereto. There is also disclosed apparatus for forming a channel-shaped body portion and the suture attachment structure. Additionally, methods for suturing tissue sections, particularly vascular tissue sections, with the channel-bodied surgical needle and the channel-bodied surgical incision members, are disclosed. Also, methods for forming the channel-bodied surgical needle and channel-bodied surgical incision member are disclosed.

This invention relates to a method for manufacturing a needle attached suture and an apparatus therefor. A needle attached suture is obtained by inserting a suture into an insertion hole formed in the end of a needle N which is held by a needle retaining unit 16 and by swaging the end of the needle with the suture. The method and the apparatus have been developed to accurately position the end of the needle for swaging with the suture to stabilize the swaging strength between the suture and the needle. Before the swaging, the needle is held by the needle retaining unit 16, and the end of the needle N is pushed to a certain position by a rod 99 or its equivalent. Thereby, the end of the needle N relative to the needle retaining unit 16 is accurately positioned.

A new machine for and method of manufacturing fluted pin fasteners and the pins produced thereby are disclosed which utilize a circular grinding arrangement of a plurality of grinders which grind flutes into a threaded pin. An internally threaded collar threads onto the pin. When the collar engages a surface of a work piece, resistance to further threading increases. When sufficient resistance to threading occurs, the driver deforms the lobes of the collar radially inward toward the axis of the collar. Material of the collar positioned internally from the lobes responds to deformation of the lobes and flows radially inward into the flutes of the pin to lock the collar, pin, and work piece together. The driver then rotates freely, and a joint has been made with a predetermined axial load thereby locking the component parts together. The apparatus grinding the flutes into the pins comprises a vibratory feed bowl loading threaded pins into a four station rotary drum assembly rotationally driven by a drive mechanism through a plurality of stations. There is a feed station to receive pins into drum assembly, a grind station to grind the pins, and an eject station to eject the ground pins. The circular arrangement of grinders is mounted on a table which is translated up and down by an air spring against a cam wheel to grind the pins located at the grinding station.

A tip portion of a needle main body having an edge point includes a first slant surface slanted at 10-18 degrees with respect to the axis of the needle main body, a pair of second slant surfaces slanted at 16-23 degrees, and a pair of third slant surfaces slanted at 19-27 degrees. The ratios of the lengths of the first, second, and third slant surfaces are set to be 40-50%, 5-15%, and 35-55%. At the time of forming the second slant surfaces and the third slant surfaces, a grinding wheel or the needle main body is turned relative to the other in a horizontal plane so that the direction of axis of the grinding wheel and the direction of axis of the needle main body are in a twisted or distorted relationship from a substantially orthogonal relationship such that the radial outer sides of the second and the third slant surfaces are included downwardly.

A method for manufacturing a surgical needle devoid of a grinding process includes the steps of swaging a needle blank to define a substantially tapered or conical needle end, pressing the tapered needle to form a plurality of intersecting surfaces and forming cutting edges along the lines of intersection of the intersecting sides. The needle may be subjected to an etching process (e.g., an acid bath) to sharpen the cutting edges and/or provide a matte finish on the needle. The needle produced by the novel process is extremely sharp and durable, and exhibits an enhanced retention of sharpness relative to conventional ground needles over periods of prolonged use.

A process for manufacturing a surgical needle incorporates at least one pressing operation which, preferably, in conjunction with a trimming and/or etching process, ultimately forms the sharpened needle end. The grinding operation in the preferred process does not produce the primary sharpened edges of the needle, but, rather is incorporated, in one instance, to reduce excess needle material prior to the pressing operation. Consequently, the amount of flash material generated during pressing is substantially reduced. This feature desirably enhances the subsequent trimming and etching operations, and produces a needle which is extremely sharp, durable and exhibits an improved retention of sharpness over periods of prolonged use.

Surgical needles are produced by immersing a needle possessing a distal end surrounded at least in part by flash material and a body portion in an acid bath according to a predetermined sequence, wherein the distal end of the needle is exposed to the acid bath under conditions sufficient to remove flash material from the distal end of the needle and the body portion of the needle is exposed to the acid bath under conditions sufficient to provide a matte finish on at least a portion of the body portion of the needle.

A process for manufacturing a surgical needle incorporates at least one pressing operation which, preferably, in conjunction with a trimming and/or etching process, ultimately forms the sharpened needle end. The grinding operation in the preferred process does not produce the primary sharpened edges of the needle, but, rather is incorporated, in one instance, to reduce excess needle material prior to the pressing operation. Consequently, the amount of flash material generated during pressing is substantially reduced. This feature desirably enhances the subsequent trimming and etching operations, and produces a needle which is extremely sharp, durable and exhibits an improved retention of sharpness over periods of prolonged use.

A method of stress relieving drilled surgical needles is disclosed. At least the metal about a drilled bore hole is heat treated to relieve stress without annealing.

A radial piston pump has a plurality of cylinders within which pistons reciprocally move. Each cylinder is connected to a first port by an inlet passage that has an inlet check valve, and is connected to a second port by an outlet passage that has an outlet check valve. A throttling plate extends across the inlet passages and has a separate aperture associated with each inlet passage. Rotation of the throttling plate varies the degree of alignment of each aperture with the associated inlet passage, thereby forming variable orifices for altering displacement of the pump. Uniquely shaped apertures specifically affect the rate at which the variable orifices close with throttle plate movement, so that the closure rate decreases with increased closure of the variable orifices.

A method of actuating an assembly of a transmission, with which are associated a plurality of actuators with whose help the assembly can in principle be actuated, such that out of the actuators available in principle for actuation, a control unit selects at least one actuator for the actual actuation and activates the selected actuator with an output signal in such manner that a status parameter of the actuated assembly corresponds to or follows a control-side nominal value, such that out of the actuators available in principle for actuating the assembly, the control unit selects at least one actuator for the actual actuation of the assembly in such manner that, for all the actuators available in principle for actuating the assembly over the operating life of the transmission, the extent of their utilization is approximately uniform.

The invention relates to a method for constructing a gas-filled double-acting hydraulic cylinder (1) with gas spring action, comprising: —a cylinder sleeve (3) with a cylinder bottom (3a) and cylinder head (3b) —a piston/piston rod assembly (5) a hydraulic fluid seal on the piston (9) —a connection for the head-side chamber (13) to a hydraulic line; —a connection for the bottom-side chamber (15) to a hydraulic line, —a gland (20) with a bore, the gland being attached between the cylinder bottom (3a) and the piston (9), the piston rod (7) extending over the entire stroke of the piston rod through the bore, wherein the gland comprises two seals —(25), one for providing a seal with the cylinder sleeve (3) and one for providing a seal with the piston rod.

The invention relates to a neutral setting apparatus for adjustable hydraulic machines, in particular the adjustment of the neutral position of a servo valve. In particular, the invention relates to servo adjustment devices with mechanically adjustable control pistons, wherein the forces necessary for this can be applied mechanically, electro-magnetically, pneumatically or hydraulically. The invention relates to a neutral setting apparatus of an adjustable hydraulic machine, with a housing in which a mounted input shaft is arranged, to one end of which a torque can be applied for rotating the input shaft about an axis. Thus providing a robust and cost-effective setting mechanism for the neutral position of a servo valve.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Methods and devices are disclosed for identifying objects over a surface and for tracking the position of said objects in relation to the sensing surface. The methods include the steps of providing an array of electrodes or coils that generating electromagnetic radiation having a individual characteristic frequencies of oscillation. Objects in proximity to the sensing surface(s) couple electromagnetically to the array of electrodes or coils, which then alters the characteristic frequency of one or more elements in the array. By monitoring the individual frequency shifts among the array elements, one or more objects in proximity to the surface can be sensed and identified. Quantitative identification and enhanced detection of the objects is achieved through the use of electromagnetic markers affixed or embedded in the objects in specified geometric patterns. In addition, a method is presented for scanning the sensing array, through the use of a second layer of electrodes that selectively mask or modulate the sensing field.

A wafer surface inspection method and apparatus of high sensitivity, and free from performance degradation in terms of cleanliness, coordinate repeatability of foreign particles and the like. Gas for cooling is sprayed onto a laser irradiation position on the wafer surface to prevent an increase in temperature of the foreign particles and to suppress break-down of the foreign particles.

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

A power tool has an electric motor that includes a commutator, with which at least one commutator brush is acted upon with spring force via at least one commutator spring in the direction of a non-rotatable collector of the commutator. At least one auxiliary tool for adjusting the commutator spring is located on a component of the power tool.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for explicit filtering in ambiguous text entry. The invention provides embodiments including various explicit text entry methodologies, such as 2-key and long pressing. The invention also provides means for matching words in a database using build around methodology, stem locking methodology, word completion methodology, and n-gram searches.

A touch apparatus, a transparent scan electrode, a geometric electrode structure and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The transparent scan electrode structure comprises a first transparent scan electrode, a second transparent scan electrode and an isolative layer. The first transparent scan electrode comprises a first resistance region and a second resistance region. A resistance value of the second resistance region is higher than that of the first resistance region. The isolative layer is disposed between the first transparent scan electrode and the second transparent scan electrode.

There are provided an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible which can prevent the deterioration of the inner surface property in the manufacturing process of a vitreous silica crucible. The apparatus includes a mold defining an outer shape of a vitreous silica crucible, and an arc discharge unit having electrodes and a power-supply unit, wherein each of the electrodes includes a tip end directed to the mold, the other end opposite to the tip end, and a bent portion provided between the tip end and the other end.

A non-contact and non-disposable electric induction LED lamp includes a power source and a luminous-radiating unit combined together. The power source is formed with a power source module electrically connected with a first electric induction plate, while the luminous-radiating unit is provided with a second electric induction plate corresponding with the first electric induction plate and electrically connected with an LED module. Thus, the electricity of the power source can be transmitted to the luminous-radiating unit via electromagnetic induction produced between the first and the second electric induction plates to enable the LED module to emit light. The LED lamp of this invention can partially be replaced conveniently and has water proof and dustproof effects.

A yttria sintered body is provided which includes yttria as a principal ingredient and 5 to 40 vol. % silicon nitride, and which exhibits enhanced corrosion resistance and mechanical strength.

A method and system are presented for enhancing one or more images of an object, so as to increase the visibility within the images of one or more structures within the object. The object may be an anatomical region of a patient, and may include one or more reference structures, for example skeletal structures or vertebral structures, and one or more treatment targets, for example tumors or lesions. An operator, for example a top-hat filter operator, selects at least a first neighborhood and a second neighborhood within the images. The operator selects within each neighborhood one or more pixels having an optimal pixel value, and eliminates the remaining pixels in these neighborhoods. When the operator is applied to the selected neighborhoods, only the pixels having the greatest pixel values remain in the selected neighborhoods, and the remaining pixels are eliminated in the selected neighborhoods. As a result, desired features can be located and enhanced in the images.

A device and method to facilitate wearing of jewelry items which have hoop and clasp closures, comprising: a base or clamp for stabilizing the device on a surface; a wire guide member protruding from the base and affixed securely thereto, the wire guide having hook at its opposite end for engaging a distal hoop or link on an unclasped jewelry item, thereby permitting a person to: a. engage one end of a jewelry object with a device, b. open a complementary jewelry clasp with one or both free hands, c. position a wrist or neck within the bight of the jewelry item, d. close the clasp upon the hoop link, and e. slidably remove the clasped jewelry item from the device.

An x-ray device utilizes a band of material to exchange charge through tribocharging within a chamber maintained at low fluid pressure. The charge is utilized to generate x-rays within the housing, which may pass through a window of the housing. Various contact rods may be used as part of the tribocharging process.

A linear actuator for a variable-geometry member of a turbocharger includes a piston/rod assembly that can axially translate and also pivot to a limited extent. A permanent magnet is mounted in a fixed position within the actuator. A non-magnetized flux carrier is mounted in the piston/rod assembly, and its movement alters the magnetic field of the magnet. A Halls effects sensor detects the magnetic field and the signals produced by the sensor are used for determining axial position of the piston/rod assembly.

A fluid actuator includes a housing having a fluid chamber providing a first friction surface. An actuating member is arranged in the fluid chamber and has a second friction surface slideably engaging the first friction surface. The actuating member is configured to slide within the chamber between first and second positions. An insert is constructed from a first thermoplastic material and provides one of the first and second friction surfaces. A body structurally supports the insert and provides one of the housing or actuating member. The body is constructed from a second thermoplastic material molded about the insert and including short reinforcing fibers.

The present invention provides a variable displacement swash plate type compressor that reduces wear of cylinder bores and the amount of blow-by gas. Each piston of the compressor has a piston main body, which has a distal portion located at an end corresponding to the compression chamber. A tapering portion and an arcuate portion are formed in the distal portion. The arcuate portion is continuous with an end of the tapering portion that is closer to the compression chamber. The tapering portion and the arcuate portion each have a diameter that increases toward the skirt. The tapering portion has a tapering angle that is in a range from 0.45 degrees to 1.5 degrees. The distance between the distal end of the piston main body and a starting point of the tapering portion on an end closer to the skirt is set in a range from 1.5 mm to 5.0 mm.