Apparatus and methods are disclosed for astigmatically ablating surfaces in order to impart new profiles and curvatures to such surfaces. A laser means, e.g., a rapidly pulsed laser radiation source, is aligned with a surface to provide photoablative pulses of energy along an optical path to a target region on the surface. A light restricting means, such as an adjustable iris or profiled mask, is ...

The invention relates to a hollow fiber membrane fluid separation assembly having an integral purge control valve or a purge fluid reflux system, which provides a sweep fluid port internal to the assembly. This assembly is useful for, among other things, separating water vapor from a gas stream.

Disclosed is a liquid crystal monomer compound represented by formula (1): (1) wherein n is an integer of from 2 to 18, X is direct bond, -(C=O)-O-, -(C=O)-NH- or -N=N-, R1 is hydrogen or a lower alkyl group, and R2 is hydrogen, a cyano group or a methoxy group, as well as a liquid crystal polymer derived therefrom.

A multi-mode route guidance system and a corresponding method for same include a device to determine a present position, preferable a GPS receiver, and an input device (111) for inputting a traveler specified destination position. A map database (115) provides memory capable of storing a first, or topology, type of record (225) that has topology and connectivity information (227), and a second, or...

A scanning device for recording/reading data in data tracks of a recording medium includes a light source supported by a tracking head for guiding a light beam along the data tracks. The data tracks are rotated and the beam is focussed onto the data tracks. The light source is moved at an angle alpha with respect to the radial direction of motion of the data tracks. An optical element directs th...

PURPOSE:To provide the mold for forming optical elements having high durability and high accuracy by forming at least its forming surface of a sintered compact consisting essentially of Cr3C2 and contg. specific ratios of Ni, Fe, Co, Mo, etc. as additives. CONSTITUTION:Optical glass is press formed by using the mold for forming to obtain the optical glass elements without polishing the elements th...

PURPOSE:To enhance a resin encapsulated semiconductor device in yield and reliability. CONSTITUTION:Cutouts 11A and 11B are provided to at least a part of a lead frame located near and outside its wire-bonding region 7 where inner leads 4A to 4E are bonded or to both the side faces of the inner leads 4A and 4E to form a flexible part 14 which can be easily bent by the resin pressure. A resin-encap...

De uitvinding heeft betrekking op een werkwijze voor het bereiden van een dendritisch macromolekuul, bevattende een kern en tenminste één uit de kern spruitende vertakking, waarbij een hoeveelheid van een kernmolekuul, dat tenminste één funktionele groep omvat, wordt opgelost in een oplosmiddel, waarna alternerend een additiereaktie en een hydrogeneringsreaktie worden uitgevoerd, waarbij tijdens d...

A mowing apparatus is provided by a reel-type or rotary mower towed by a vehicle, such as a bicycle, by a draw bar adapted to mount onto existing mower brackets and onto the vehicle by a connector that mounts to a frame element of the vehicle. The draw bar includes a resilient element that preferably permits flexing relative to the vehicle so that the mower articulates relative to the vehicle and ...

A mid-mount type riding lawn tractor includes tractor frames, a mower unit disposed under the tractor frames, and a connection structure for vertically movably connecting the mower unit to the tractor frames. The connection structure includes support arms extending substantially longitudinally of the tractor frames, each of the support arms being pivotally connected at one end thereof to a lower p...

A liquid treatment apparatus for removing potentially combustible substances from water includes a biological fluid bed reactor that is supplied by a first conduit with contaminated water and that treats this water, under aerobic conditions, before discharging it as treated effluent containing a significantly reduced concentration of contaminants. The liquid treatment apparatus also includes a gas...

A protection and packaging system for a semiconductor circuit having a first planar surface and an active region on at least a portion of the planar surface. An adhesive securely bonds a protective member directly to the first planar surface for generally protecting and hermetically sealing at least the active region of the semiconductor circuit. The protective member has a coefficient of thermal ...

A thermal ink jet printhead has two or more groups of selectively activatable heating elements and associated nozzles with the heating elements and nozzles within each group having the same geometric parameters, but the geometric parameters of the heating elements and nozzles between groups being different, so that the ejection of droplets from the nozzles of different groups have different ink vo...

A video source provides a temporally interpolated video signal, a spatially interpolated video signal and a motion indicating signal. A difference signal, derived from the temporally and spatially interpolated signals, is symmetrically limited as a function of the motion signal amplitude and then combined with the temporally interpolated signal to form a motion adapted video output signal having (...

PCT No. PCT/SE96/00558 Sec. 371 Date Dec. 6, 1996 Sec. 102(e) Date Dec. 6, 1996 PCT Filed Apr. 29, 1996 PCT Pub. No. WO96/35128 PCT Pub. Date Nov. 7, 1996In a method for monitoring of partial discharges in an electric power transformer (1) under normal operating conditions, the magnetic field at a high-voltage bushing (2) on the power transformer is sensed with an inductive sensor (6) comprising a...

PURPOSE:To minimize position deviation between an input image and an output image by converting all of the valid scanning singles of successive scanning signals to the interlaced scanning signals of the main signal and auxiliary signal of two synchronized systems without losing the information of those scanning signals. CONSTITUTION:Successive scanning signals (a) outputted from a successive scann...

A method for producing a nonwoven fibrous, flexible panel having a textured outer surface, including the steps: of providing a needled web comprised of interengaged first fibers and second thermoplastic fibers; needlepunching the web to produce the textured outer surface; and passing a fluid, at a temperature sufficient to melt at least a portion of the second thermoplastic fibers, through the web...

A rotary mulching lawn mower is provided having an annular housing forming a toroidal internal cutting chamber in which is oriented a blade having a central axis for rotation. The blade has a series of blade portions extending radially outward from the central axis each having an end portion extending into the toroidal internal cutting chamber. The blade end portion directs cut grass upward into t...

An apparatus for the magnetic treatment of fluids including a fluid conduit with an upstream end and a downstream end, an upstream, attracting pair of magnetic sources disposed in confronting relation to one another on opposite exterior sides of the fluid conduit at the upstream end thereof, and a downstream, repelling pair of magnetic sources disposed in confronting relation to one another on opp...

A seal for use in a surgical instrument to provide a gas-tight seal with an instrument passed through the seal. The seal can form a gas-tight seal with an instrument having a diameter within a wide range of diameters. The seal comprises a seal body, an instrument seal, and a laterally-compliant seal mounting. The seal body includes a bore through which the instrument is passed. The instrument seal...