An apparatus for altering characteristics of a fluid. The apparatus includes a first perimeter wall defining an internal chamber therein. The first perimeter wall defines a first opening and a second opening therethrough. The first opening is constructed to be fluidly connected to a fluid source. The internal chamber defined in said first perimeter wall is constructed to contain a beneficial agent therein. A beneficial agent is disposed in the internal chamber defined in the first perimeter wall...

A system for automatically inspecting matter for varying composition comprises one or more detection stations through which one or more streams of matter are advanced and particular materials therein are detected through their diffusely reflected IR spectra, if any, and/or through their variation of an electromagnetic field by their metallic portions, if any. A row of light sources distributed across the overall width of one or more belt conveyors may cause desired portions of the stream to refl...

A valve according to the invention having a disk with a shaped opening and one side interfacing with and conforming to the shape of the exterior of the ball or plug. The disk fits inside the port at the seat area, and is secured by a ring. The ring can be threaded into the connection for the fluid pipe line. Alternatively, the connection can have a groove for an internal retaining ring. The disk is positioned so it interacts with the hole in the ball, in such a way that the desired flow characte...

A device and method for sensing fluid characteristics, including, temperature, pH and chemistry, comprises a switch affixed to or embedded in a container of a size, shape and density such that said container floats stable in said liquid sensors which measure and report other characteristics of the liquid, such as temperature, pH, viscosity, chemistry or biochemistry.

A system and method for determining bone characteristic data is provided. The system combines a biochemical bone measuring unit with a densitometric bone measuring unit to determine the bone characteristic data. Once the bone characteristic data is ascertained, a determination of whether bone formation or bone resorption is occurring is made and future bone characteristics can be projected.

Techniques are used to evaluate margin of programmable memory cells. In particular, techniques are used to measure negative erased threshold voltage levels. Techniques are used to increase the longevity and reliability of memory cells by adjusting a window of memory cell operation.

A power conservation apparatus in a computer system. This apparatus includes an identification register in a processor comprising a contents including a plurality of flags for identifying the characteristics of the processor. One of these characteristics may be whether the processor includes static logic devices. In such systems, the clock connected to the processor may be halted, without the corruption of data in the processor. Other characteristics may include whether the processor is clocked ...

A muffler having a movable valve disk, with the help of which at least one of the tubes in the muffler housing can be opened and closed. The actuation organ for the valve disk is a corrugated tube, the fixed end of which is placed into an opening in the housing and the interior of which is connected to the atmosphere. As a result, the total pressure loss of the muffler is available as an actuation force.

A water display with multiple characteristics, providing a short burst of water or a steady stream of water of constant or variable height. The water display includes an interior cavity having a nozzle at the top for forming the desired stream size, and a flapper valve on the bottom through which the chamber may refill with water. A high pressure air line controllably provides high pressure air to the lower part of the chamber to force most of the water in the chamber out through the nozzle to p...

Apparatus for measuring characteristics of a scattering medium. A light source irradiates the medium to be measured with a plurality of measurement light beams. A wavelength selector unit selectively extracts diffused light having a particular wavelength. A photodetector unit measures a time response characteristic of the diffused light. The signal processing system drives the light source so as to sequentially cause measurement light beams to be incident on the scattering medium and controls a ...