A system for automatically steering a vehicle through an irregular structure. A flexible lighting tube, in proximity to the back of the structure, communicates with at least one canted video camera. A processor takes the output of the camera, determines the position of the vehicle, and provides guidance to the vehicle's steering mechanism.

Apparatus for inspecting the sealing surfaces (36) of containers (22) that includes a light source (42) positioned to direct a narrow beam (44) of light energy at an acute angle onto the sealing surface of a container as the container is rotated about its central axis. A light sensor (46) is disposed to receive the narrow beam (45) of light energy reflected from the sealing surface, and provides a...

The invention provides a method and apparatus for detecting cracks, if any, in the mouth zone of a transparant container, e.g. a glass bottle. Such apparatus comprises: means for positioning a transparant container (9) in a desired position; illuminating means (1),(2),(5),(6),(7) for illuminating the outer surface of the mouth zone (8) to be inspected; sensing means (11),(12),(13),(14) for sensing...

A port is described which will lock on to a standard hose and clamp nipple end, and accommodate more axial mis-match between the axis of the port and nipple than is normally experienced in the fabrication of piping to join between two devices. A releasing member which will release the male from the port can also be included. When two ports are used in a sleeve-like device 20 in FIG. 1, and release...

The invention provides an adhesive polyester film. A readily adhesive thin layer (a primer layer) containing an aqueous phenoxy resin is applied to at least one surface of a polyester film. A process for the preparation of an adhesive polyester film is also disclosed. The process comprises applying an aqueous coating containing an aqueous phenoxy resin to at least one surface of a polyester film b...

The present invention relates to a polyester film support with vacuum deposited bismuth said polyester film support comprising in the order given (i) a coating a subbing layer containing a homopolymer or copolymer of a monomer containing covalently bound chloride and (ii) a vacuum deposited bismuth layer. The keeping qualities of said polyester film support with vacuum deposited bismuth and the ad...

An improved closed cell polymer foam and foaming agent involving the use of a hydrogen-containing halocarbon blowing agent (e.g., HCFC-22) in combination with an effective amount of a hydrogen bond forming blocking agent (e.g., organic ether, ester or ketone). The presence of the blocking agent is shown to significantly reduce the escape of blowing agent from and entry of air into the foam resulti...

The proposed reflection spectroscopic device comprises the following elements: a) a device for producing (1) and directing (3-5) electromagnetic waves onto a specimen (6) under investigation; b) means (8) for sensing and digitising the resulting reflection spectrum; and c) an analyser (9) configured in such a way that it: c.1) has access to: c.1.1) one or more specific mean value curves, each of w...

In data transmission between the unlike signal-processing devices in a motor vehicle, distortion of transmitted data may occur because of sources of disturbance internal and external to the vehicle due to super position of high frequency disturbances in transmitted data as well as due to short circuits or disconnections occurring in the system. To detect such conditions the level of transmitted da...

A method for the preparation of flexible foams containing urethane groups and having a reduced hardness is disclosed. Polyethers, having at least two hydroxyl groups and a molecular weight of 400 to 12,000 are reacted with polyisocyanates in the presence of catalysts and water and, optionally, in the presence of emulsifiers, stabilizers, cross linking agents, blowing agents and conventional auxili...

An environmentally sealed electronics assembly. The assembly includes a flexible envelope surrounding the active electronics board. The electronics board is insertable into the envelope and with subsequent sealing provides a reenterable but environmentally sealed active electronics package. Methods of manufacturing the assembly are also described.

A solventless process for preparing a fluoropolymer based coating which involves mixing and heating a fluoropolymer with a thermoplastic acrylic resin to obtain a molten mixture, slowly cooling the molten mixture to obtain a solid mass having a degree of crystallinity of at least 85% and grinding the solid mass at a temperature higher than -50 DEG C.

Foamed polypropylene sheets and articles thermoformed therefrom are suitable for microwaving and are produced by providing a polypropylene composition exhibiting uniform melt draw properties, heating the composition, injecting a blowing agent, preferably carbon dioxide or a carbon dioxide hydrocarbon blend, and extruding the blend into a sheet which may then be thermoformed into articles such as t...

This invention concerns a method for adhering aramid polymers by treating them with strong base to create anionic sites on the polymer surface. Subsequent reprotonation adheres contacting aramid surfaces.

A pigment master batch suitable for filler-containing polypropylene compositions is provided. This pigment master batch comprises 100 parts by weight of a propylene homopolymer having a melt flow rate of at least 10 g/10 min. and 30 - 200 parts by weight of a processed pigment prepared by using a metallic salt of a fatty acid, a polyethylene wax or a polypropylene wax as a dispersion medium for pi...

The present invention relates to a method of improving the adhesion between an aramid cord and sulfur vulcanized rubber comprising (a) treating the aramid cord with a copolymer of the structural formula: wherein w is an integer of from 1 to 100, y is an integer of from 10 to 500; z is an integer of from 1 to 120; X is: or mixtures thereof; B is: or mixtures thereof; wherein R...

A power supply circuit for supplying an electric power to a laser diode (LD) which is used for reading digital data on an optical memory medium, where the laser diode (LD) emits light when a current flowing therethrough exceeds a threshold level (Ith). The power supply circuit includes: a current source (11, 12, 21, 22, 29, 31) for outputting a current; an automatic power control circuit (14, 24, ...

An aqueous suspension comprising 8 to 28%, by weight of the total suspension, of water-soluble hydroxyethylcellulose dispersed in an aqueous solution comprising 20 to 35%, by weight of the total potassium carbonate and water, of potassium carbonate, 0.2 to 0.8%, by weight of the total suspension, of a wetting agent having a HLB of 6 to 9, and 0.08 to 0.6%, by weight of the total suspension, of a w...

Extrusion-molded high-transparency articles, especially films and sheets and blown films, obtained by the extrusion of a polypropylene substantially having a syndiotactic structure.

Fire-retardant expandable vinyl aromatic polymer beads are prepared by an aqueous suspension method whereby a bromophenyl allyl ether fire-retardant agent and a volatile aliphatic hydrocarbon foaming agent are incorporated into particles of a thermoplastic such as polystyrene. The beads are useful in the preparation of molded foam articles having excellent resistance to flame.