400results about How to "Increase labor" patented technology

The present invention relates to detection of materials derived from transgenic plant events. In particular, the invention provides methods, reagents, kits and reference materials for detecting the presence or absence in a sample of genetic material derived from and attributable to select transgenic plant events.

In a freight shipment system and method, the lift trucks used by the freight carrier for handling and loading freight shipments are equipped with a weighing device capable of weighing each piece of freight handled by the lift truck. The lift truck operator also has a scanner for scanning coded identification information associated with each piece of freight. As each piece of freight is handled by the lift truck, the coded identification information for that piece of freight is captured along with the weight of the load. This information is transmitted to a computer system where it can be used for real-time invoicing. The system can also obtain dimensional information about the volume of the piece of freight.

A system and method for postage payment utilizes passive RFID tags as postage “stamps”, with the amount of the postage automatically billed to a previously-established customer account. The tags are stored in a separate stamp database and are “enabled” by linking the individual tag to a customer account. The use of the RFID stamps eliminates the need for the customer to know the proper postage beforehand. The existence of a customer account with a proper return address reduces the likelihood of a dead letter. Also, a special category of stamps may be used for automatic reply mail. By virtue of using an RFID tag, the mailed item's progress through the postal delivery system may be tracked from dispatch to delivery.

A spreader spring comprising: (a) a locking arm that connects the spreader spring to a brake component; (b) a retraction arm; and (c) a bias device located between the locking arm and the retraction arm; wherein the bias device includes six helical loops or more that store energy during a brake apply and once the brake apply is complete assist in retracting a brake pad.

A method of determining the status of a disease or healthful condition by correlating such condition to amounts of one or more heterodimers of ErbB, or Her, cell surface membrane receptors measured directly in a patient sample is described. The invention includes a method of determining a status of a cancer in a specimen from an individual by correlating measurements of amounts of one or more heterodimers of ErbB cell surface membrane receptors in cells of the specimen to such status, including presence or absence of a pre-cancerous state, presence or absence of a cancerous state, prognosis of a cancer, or responsiveness to treatment. Preferably, methods of the invention are implemented by using sets of binding compounds having releasable molecular tags that are specific for multiple components of one or more types of receptor dimers. After binding, molecular tags are released and separated from the assay mixture for analysis.

Improvements in compositions, composites, and methods for construction of weather resistant and insulated roofs are disclosed. The type of roofs to which these improvements apply are typically known as built up roofs. Built up roofs feature a substrate as an inner layer normally adjacent to and attached to the exterior of an unimproved roof surface. This invention is directed to improved foamed resin substrates used in such roof constructions. Alternating layers of hot asphalt and roofing felt are applied to the foam substrate layer. In prior art roofs, the foamed resin substrates could not withstand the direct application of hot molten asphalt to the foam surface which necessitated use of an isolation layer between the foamed resin layer and the first asphalt layer. This invention discloses compositions, composites, and methods involving direct application of hot asphalt to specially formulated and thermally resistant polyester foam resin substrate layers at temperatures up to 500° F. These improved compositions, composites, and methods not only reduce labor and material costs but also produce roofs that score higher on standard tests used for rating such roofing constructions.

In a freight shipment system and method, the lift trucks used by the freight carrier for handling and loading freight shipments are equipped with a weighing device capable of weighing each piece of freight handled by the lift truck. The lift truck is also equipped with a scanner for scanning coded identifying information associated with each piece of freight. As each piece of freight is handled by the lift truck, the coded identifying information for that piece of freight is captured along with the weight of the load. This information is transmitted to a computer system where it can be used for real-time invoicing. The system can also use the captured information to perform additional automated functions, such as tracking of shipments, freight loss control, and assisting in avoiding overloaded trucks. The same system can monitor maintenance information for the lift trucks so as to provide timely preventive maintenance, and can also provide the human resources information, such as the lift truck driver identification and amount of time worked.

A stud for construction of fire resistant and seismic resistant shaft walls (10), including but not limited to elevator shafts and stairwells. The claimed metal stud is used for constructing shaft wall assemblies which can withstand vertical, and horizontal movements due to seismic forces, wind sway, and inter-story drift resulting from gravity and the rotation of the earth. This stud comprises: an anterior flange (11); posterior flange (14) which is longer than the anterior flange (11) possessing a plurality of parallel horizontal fastening slots (17) along the length of the posterior flange (14); and a vertical web (18) connecting the anterior flange (11) and posterior flange (14) in parallel forming a generally J-shaped channel. The longer posterior flange with fastener slots permits the construction if the shaft wall assembly solely from within the shaft cavity.

The invention provides a filling process for recovering coal pillars by filling a goaf with paste. The filling process comprises three parts: preparing filling paste; conveying the paste via a pipe; and filling the goaf with the paste. The adopted filling paste comprises the following raw materials in percentage by weight: 40%-70% of aeolian sand, 10%-25% of coal ash, 3%-10% of cementing materials, 0.4%-1% of additive and 10%-30% of water. In the filling process, the goaf filling part comprises the procedures of primary filling and secondary filling, wherein, the coal pillars are recovered after primary filling; the whole goaf is fully filled after secondary filling; and roof-contacted supplementary filling is carried out in each filling procedure. The filling process has the advantages that the problems of filling the goaf formed after pillar-support mining and recovering the coal pillars are solved, the mining area environment can be protected more effectively, the increasingly exhausted coal resources are saved, and the filling cost is lowered.

A continuous intersecting braided composite preform including a first member with at least one ply of biased fibers and a second member also with at least one ply of biased fiber. The first member intersects with the second member and passes continuously through the second member such that the biased fibers of the first member are interstitially arranged with respect to the biased fibers of the second member at the intersection.

A continuous intersecting braided composite preform including a first member with at least one ply of biased fibers and a second member also with at least one ply of biased fibers. The first member intersects with the second member and passes continuously through the second member such that the biased fibers of the first member are interstitially arranged with respect to the biased fibers of the second member at the intersection.

The present invention provides improved devices, systems and methods for producing dental molds, each having portions representing a patient's oral soft tissue and a desired tooth configuration. These molds are designed for use in the fabrication of appliances used in orthodontic treatment, particularly, elastic repositioning appliances. However, they may also be used in the fabrication of traditional appliances, such as retainers and positioners, used, for example in the final or finishing stages of an otherwise conventional treatment. The dental molds are comprised of a mold or relief of the patient's soft tissue, such as a palate, facial gingival tissue and / or lingual gingival tissue, and a separate or separable mold or relief of the patient's dental arch having teeth in a desired tooth configuration. Since, the tooth configuration will change as a patient progresses through orthodontic treatment, the relief of the dental arch will be fabricated separately from the relief of the oral soft tissue. Typically, the dental arch relief will be fabricated using rapid prototyping methods. The soft tissue relief may also be fabricated using rapid prototyping, however it may also be fabricated using traditional mold making methods, i.e., casting with plaster or other mold making materials. In either case, the resulting dental mold with be comprised of a “split-mold” having fixedly or removably joined arch and soft tissue reliefs.

An automated block or brick construction apparatus is provided by adapting a base transport assembly with a specialized working platform for brick, block and mortar. The working platform houses at least one robotic arm to accurately position mortar and block or brick in place on a wall construction. The working platform is controlled by a 3-D stringless guidance system for positioning vertically, horizontally, and laterally. The robotic arms place and position a block or brick and stage the subsequent blocks or bricks for installation. A first robotic arm can apply mortar onto a wall while a second robotic arm places a concrete masonry unit accurately onto the mortar and also place blocks in position. Application and movement of mortar and blocks are controlled by a programmable central processing unit.

A mulcher apparatus includes a tractor and a mulcher unit provided to the tractor. The mulcher unit includes a tooth assembly with a holder and a cutter element with a cooperating notch portion and cross bar arrangement. The notch portion can be retrofit to existing holder arrangements. The cutter element may include various features, to enhance cutting efficiency. For example, the cutter elements may include a double-ended structure, angle tab portions at each corner portion, carbide coatings, a pair of tip portions at each end with a space therebetween, and / or a generally H-shaped configuration.

A mulcher apparatus includes a tractor and a mulcher unit provided to the tractor. The mulcher unit includes a tooth assembly with a holder and a cutter element with a cooperating notch portion and cross bar arrangement. The notch portion can be retrofit to existing holder arrangements. The cutter element may include various features, to enhance cutting efficiency. For example, the cutter elements may include a double-ended structure, angle tab portions at each corner portion, carbide coatings, a pair of tip portions at each end with a space therebetween, and / or a generally H-shaped configuration.

A mulcher apparatus includes a tractor and a mulcher unit provided to the tractor. The mulcher unit includes a tooth assembly with a holder and a cutter element with a cooperating notch portion and cross bar arrangement. The notch portion can be retrofit to existing holder arrangements. The cutter element may include various features, to enhance cutting efficiency. For example, the cutter elements may include a double-ended structure, a relatively wide serrated cutting edge at one or both ends, carbide coatings, layers or inserts, etc.

A furniture structure and method are provided for chairs or other furniture as used in offices and homes. The structure provides an improved method of assembly using stretchable fabric spaced between opposing side frame members. Inserts attached to the fabric are used to selectively draw the fabric towards the side frames with threaded members so that a desirable tension can be applied to the fabric for comfort and aesthetic purposes. When worn the fabric can be easily replaced in the field by unskilled consumers.

A single well servicing combination unit comprising: a hydraulic manifold removably connectable to the power-take-off of an external power source to drive a plurality of hydraulic pumps and motors that control a plurality of well servicing units mounted on said combination unit, said well servicing units being interconnectable by plumbing.

The invention relates to a travelling type automatic multifunctional field operation machine which comprises a rail, a travelling rack and an operating system, wherein the travelling rack is arranged on the rail, the operating system is installed on the travelling rack, and various agricultural implements are installed at the lowest part of the operating system. The travelling type automatic multifunctional field operation machine can finish the following functions: 1, the travelling type automatic multifunctional field operation machine can travel on a lateral adjusting rail and a longitudinal operation rail; 2, the operating system can carry out longitudinal and lateral operation; 3, the operating system can rotate; 4, the operating system can lift; and 5, an operating stand and a crane rail are installed on the upper part of a travelling rack body. The travelling type automatic multifunctional field operation machine has the advantages as follows: (1), the energy is saved and emission is reduced, and the machine adopts electricity as the energy and does not generate environmental pollution; (2), a person does not enter the field during operation; (3), automatic production of agriculture is realized; (4), the operation quality is improved and the foodstuff yield is increased; and (5), the efficiency is improved and the labor is saved.

A method of semi-continuous currency processing using separator cards to separate currency stacks in a batch of currency fed into a currency processing machine. This currency processing method uses separator cards that facilitate the continuous processing of individual currency stacks without the necessity of stopping the process between each currency stack. The separator cards used contain features that allow for a positive delineation between individual currency stacks and the association of account data with each individual currency stack and its accompanying separator card as it is processed by the currency processing machine.

The invention relates to a multifunctional biological solid fermentation tank. The main body structure of the fermentation tank is a horizontal propeller, and spiral auger propeller blades are installed below the tank bottom. An auger is directly communicated with steam for sterilizing form the bottom of the tank and communicated with air for cooling, a spray tube on the upper part of the tank body sprays bacterial liquid for inoculation and can also spray water mist for humidity regulation, and thus, uniform inoculation and humidity control can be realized. The unique tank body horizontal type propeller and the auger coordination system below the tank body are utilized, and the circular flowing and the thorough mixing of a solid material in the tank body during fermentation are realized by controlling the rotating speed and the rotating direction; stirring nonuniformity caused by using a motor to rotate forwards or backwards repeatedly is avoided, automatic material discharge can be realized after fermentation, and material discharge is clean and complete. The operations of sterilization, cooling, inoculation, fermentation, temperature control, humidity control, ventilation, vacuum drying and the like required by solid fermentation can all be completed in the biological solid fermentation tank. The biological solid fermentation tank has the advantages of hardly no bacterial contamination, small occupied space, high automation degree, labor saving, investment saving and the like.

A method and masking assembly for masking a dovetail portion of a turbine blade during coating of an airfoil portion of the blade. The masking assembly comprises at least two masking members, each having an exterior surface and an oppositely-disposed undulatory surface complementary to one of oppositely-disposed undulatory surfaces of the dovetail portion. By mating the masking members, the undulatory surfaces thereof define an interior cavity within the masking assembly that accommodates the dovetail portion, and the undulatory surfaces of the masking members contact the undulatory surfaces of the dovetail portion to entrap the dovetail portion within the interior cavity of the masking assembly.

The method of packaging an article by folding a sheet-shaped packaging material includes: a determining step of determining a size of the packaging material and a packaging pattern of the packaging material in accordance with information about the article; a packaging material supplying step of performing at least one of selecting and cutting operations on the packaging material so as to match the size determined in the determining step, and then supplying the packaging material; a packaging material working step of forming a score line on the packaging material supplied in the packaging material supplying step in accordance with the packaging pattern determined in the determining step; and a packaging body forming step of conveying and placing the article onto a predetermined position of the packaging material on which the score line has been formed in the packaging material working step, and then folding the packaging material along the score line to form a box-shaped packaging body.

Angular alignment of optical fibers for fiber optic ribbon cables and related methods are disclosed. Employing optical fibers disposed in a ribbon matrix can increase bandwidth between two interconnection points. In one embodiment, optical fibers are angularly aligned during the process of forming a fiber optic ribbon cable. To angularly align the optical fibers, each of the optical fibers include an angular alignment feature to facilitate uniform or substantially uniform angular orientation along a cable when the optical fibers are prepared to be disposed in the ribbon matrix to form a fiber optic ribbon cable. By purposefully aligning the optical fibers during formation of the fiber optic ribbon cable, end portions of the optical fibers are aligned in the ribbon matrix. Thus, end portions of the ribbon matrix are not required to be removed to expose and align the end portions of optical fibers when the ribbon cable is connectorized.

An automated block or brick construction apparatus is provided by adapting a base transport assembly with a specialized working platform for brick, block and mortar. The working platform houses at least one robotic arm to accurately position mortar and block or brick in place on a wall construction. The working platform is controlled by a 3-D stringless guidance system for positioning vertically, horizontally, and laterally. The robotic arms place and position a block or brick and stage the subsequent blocks or bricks for installation. A first robotic arm can apply mortar onto a wall while a second robotic arm places a concrete masonry unit accurately onto the mortar and also place blocks in position. Application and movement of mortar and blocks are controlled by a programmable central processing unit.

The invention is directed to a new class of biomarker in patient samples comprising dimers of ErbB cell surface membrane receptors. In one aspect, the invention includes a method of determining the status of a disease or healthful condition by correlating such condition to amounts of one or more dimers of ErbB cell surface membrane receptors measured directly in a patient sample, in particular a fixed tissue sample. In another aspect, the invention includes a method of determining a status of a cancer in a specimen from an individual by correlating measurements of amounts of one or more dimers of ErbB cell surface membrane receptors in cells of the specimen to such status, including presence or absence of a pre-cancerous state, presence or absence of a cancerous state, prognosis of a cancer, or responsiveness to treatment. Preferably, methods of the invention are implemented by using sets of binding compounds having releasable molecular tags that are specific for multiple components of one or more types of receptor dimers. After binding, molecular tags are released and separated from the assay mixture for analysis.

The invention discloses a multi-split air-conditioning system and a control method. The system comprises a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser and a super-cooler, wherein a refluxing end of the super-cooler is used for realizing refluxing to the compressor via a refluxing pipeline; a super-cooling pipeline and an enthalpy increasing pipeline are also connected in parallel between the refluxing pipeline and the compressor, wherein the super-cooling pipeline and an exhausting pipeline of the evaporator are connected to a low-pressure air sucking end of the compressor after being jointed with each other; the enthalpy increasing pipeline is connected to a medium-pressure air sucking end of the compressor; moreover, the system also comprises a switching device for controlling opening or closing of the super-cooling pipe and / or the enthalpy increasing pipeline. The multi-split air-conditioning system disclosed by the invention has the advantages of overcoming the defects of poor energy conservation, low energy efficiency and poor user comfort in the prior art and realizing the beneficial effects of good energy conservation, high energy efficiency and good user comfort.