Improved accuracy of size measurement and size distribution of particles in a fluid have been obtained in an electrical zone sensing apparatus... Show moreImproved accuracy of size measurement and size distribution of particles in a fluid have been obtained in an electrical zone sensing apparatus by a flow control director means which directs the fluid in a more streamlined, less turbulent flow through an aperture at which the particles are electrically sensed. Also, the particles were directed and guided to flow substantially parallel to longitudinal axis for the aperture. The preferred flow control detector means comprises a contoured orifice having a smooth tapered inlet wall blended at an intersection with a central cylindrical wall defining a tubular shaped aperture. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
The present invention is directed to a method for converting municipal waste containing plastics to a high quality synthetic crude oil which... Show moreThe present invention is directed to a method for converting municipal waste containing plastics to a high quality synthetic crude oil which can be separated by fractionation into gasoline, diesel fuel and gas oils suitable as a feedstock to a catalytic cracker. The presence of cellulosic and proteinaceous waste materials in the municipal waste does not inhibit the process of the invention for converting the municipal waste into a synthetic crude oil. The process generally includes the steps of heating the municipal waste in a reaction gas, of a mixture of hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen or hydrogen at moderate temperatures and pressures. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A thin film device which may be used as a fuze or fuse. The device comprises a pair of conductive layers separated and joined to opposite... Show moreA thin film device which may be used as a fuze or fuse. The device comprises a pair of conductive layers separated and joined to opposite faces of a thin insulating layer to thereby form a three layer sandwich. One of the conductive layers and the insulating layer have a plurality of pin holes therein, the sides of each being coated by a bridge element of low density, low specific heat metal so as to short circuit or bridge the conductive layers. Terminal means are connected respectively to the conductive layers to supply electrical energy which passes from one conductive layer to the other conductive layer via the metal bridge elements. When the electrical energy exceeds a predetermined amount, the bridge elements vaporize. The vaporization of the bridge elements can be employed to initiate detonation of an explosive train thereby serving as a fuze. Alternatively, the device may be employed as an electrical fuse wherein the vaporization of the bridge elements caused by electrical energy interrupts the flow of electrical energy in an electrical circuit. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A magnetic transducer system for selective audio or video operation with movable guides for shifting the tape path between audio, video and... Show moreA magnetic transducer system for selective audio or video operation with movable guides for shifting the tape path between audio, video and rewind positions, or with fixed guides defining both an audio and video tape path, the audio tape path being clear of the video head, for example. A video transducer with a receptacle removably receiving and providing external energization for a battery powered audio transducer unit. Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute United States Patent Show less
A method and device for monitoring or treating patient glucose levels. The device includes a glucose sensor for measuring a glucose level of a... Show moreA method and device for monitoring or treating patient glucose levels. The device includes a glucose sensor for measuring a glucose level of a patient, a physiological status monitoring system for measuring at least one physical or metabolic variable of the patient, and an automatic controller in communication with the glucose sensor and the physiological status monitoring system. The controller includes a prediction module for automatically predicting a future glucose level using data measured by the glucose sensor and the physiological sensor. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
Reduction of carbon oxides products in oxidative pyrolysis of halogenated methanes in gas phase halogen-catalyzed oxidative-pyrolytic, non... Show moreReduction of carbon oxides products in oxidative pyrolysis of halogenated methanes in gas phase halogen-catalyzed oxidative-pyrolytic, non-flame, conversion of methane to higher molecular weight hydrocarbons is carried out in the presence of oxygen-containing gas which is primarily introduced in a latter portion of the process sequence reducing the oxygen requirement for effective suppression of formation of carbonaceous deposits thereby reducing carbon oxides product. Conversion of halogenated methanes to high yields of ethylene by conduct of the reaction in the presence of methane further reduces oxygen requirements and results in insignificant solid carbonaceous deposit formation. Sponsorship: Illinois institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A method in a data processing system of searching a plurality of electronic files identified by filenames in a first hierarchical file... Show moreA method in a data processing system of searching a plurality of electronic files identified by filenames in a first hierarchical file structure that is on a recordable medium of the data processing system. A user-defined metalabel is assigned to each of the electronic files. The electronic files are organized as a function of the metalabels into a second hierarchical file structure existing simultaneously with the first hierarchical file structure on the recordable medium of the data processing system. A search query is received from a user and the metalabels of the second hierarchical file structure are searched as a function of the query. Each electronic file having a metalabel matching the query is returned to the user as a search result. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A method in a data processing system and apparatus for organizing files or web pages, structured or unstructured, of multiple users stored... Show moreA method in a data processing system and apparatus for organizing files or web pages, structured or unstructured, of multiple users stored across one or more server computers into hierarchical file structures on a recordable medium of a data processing system. A user-defined metalabel is assigned to each of the electronic files or web pages. The electronic files or web pages are organized as a function of the metalabels into the hierarchical file structures. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A process and apparatus for single screw solid state shear extrusion pulverization of polymeric materials in which the polymeric materials are... Show moreA process and apparatus for single screw solid state shear extrusion pulverization of polymeric materials in which the polymeric materials are heated to a temperature suitable for forming a continuous thin film of said polymeric material, and then cooled, and normal and shear forces sufficient to form powder of the polymeric material are applied by a single cylindrical or conical mesh screw. The resulting powder is fluidized upon its discharge. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
A vehicle capable of both aerial and terrestrial locomotion. The terrestrial and aerial vehicle includes a flying device and a rolling cage... Show moreA vehicle capable of both aerial and terrestrial locomotion. The terrestrial and aerial vehicle includes a flying device and a rolling cage connected to the flying device by at least one revolute joint. The rolling cage at least partially surrounds the flying device and is free-rolling and is not separately powered. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less
An optimized document-indexing device is based on a pruned inverted index structure mapped to hardware. The device can be accommodated on a... Show moreAn optimized document-indexing device is based on a pruned inverted index structure mapped to hardware. The device can be accommodated on a single chip and can be reprogrammed to accommodate index structures of different lengths and support varied posting-list sizes and varied term list sizes, thus sustaining high reusability and efficiency for a single device. The device can be used either as an internal slave component or as an external co-processor. The device controllers are efficient in resource demands and take only a minimal percentage of the logic and memory space of the hardware device. Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology United States Patent Show less