Abstract:
A mechanical seed meter having a stationary housing and a rotatable bowl. The stationary housing is provided with an axial inner wall, a radial outer wall and a flexible radial inner wall. The bowl is provided with seed receiving cells that form an axial outer wall for trapping singled seeds in the seed trapping area. A flexible and resilient insert together with an axially extending brush removes excess seeds from the seed receiving cells as they pass through the seed puddle before entering the seed trapping area. The seed slides along the radial outer wall by centrifugal force until it enters the outlet area from which the radial outer wall becomes part of the outlet and the metered seed is deposited through the outlet to a seed tube.
Abstract:
A method of advertising the goods and/or services of an advertiser on a website on a communications network that can be accessed by consumers with a communications device. Redeemable coupons are provided on the website for free goods and/or services of an advertiser on the website. Also, information is provided on the website on the retail locations of the advertisers closest to the consumer. Consumers can access the website, with a communications device; print or request desired redeemable coupons, visit a desired retail location of an advertiser and redeem a coupon or coupons to obtain the free goods and/or services without having to provide any personal information to the website or the advertiser.
Abstract:
A device (10) for collecting and testing biological samples comprises a housing (12) having a pivot arm (14) pivotally attached thereto and moveable from sample collection configuration in which the pivot arm projects away from the housing and the sample collector is remote from the housing to a sample analysis configuration in which pivot arm is folded back along an outer surface of the housing. A sample collector (16) such as a swab is provided at the distal end of the pivot arm for the collection of the sample. When the pivot arm (14) has been moved to the sample analysis configuration, the sample collector (16) is received in a sample receiving port (29) in the housing. A retaining clip (18) is movable from a free configuration to a retaining configuration whereby the clip retains the pivot arm in the sample analysis configuration. A fluid reservoir (56) is mounted on the retaining clip (18) so as to overlie the sample receiving port (29) when the retaining clip is in the retaining position.
Abstract:
A drive axle assembly for motor vehicles, includes a support beam member having a substantially flat, enlarged central plate section and two opposite arm sections, a differential assembly module secured to the central plate section and enclosed into a housing formed by a rear cover and a front cover secured to opposite surfaces of the central plate section. A method for assembling the drive axle assembly comprises the steps of securing the front cover to a front mounting surface of the support beam member, fastening the differential assembly module to the central plate section of the support beam member, and fastening the rear cover to the rear mounting surface of the support beam member.
Abstract:
A method and implementing computer system are provided in which route mapping for vehicles is determined between starting and destination points designated by an operator. Selected mapping is determined in accordance with operator selected travel-related criteria and augmented with traffic-related information. In one embodiment, after an initial route is set, the route is automatically updated whenever the vehicle strays from the set course, or whenever there is a change detected in related traffic conditions, or whenever subsequent changed travel points are input by the operator. The travel route and other related messaging may be conveyed to the operator by audio and/or visual devices onboard the vehicle.
Abstract:
A process and system for providing name service scoping behavior is implemented. In an object-oriented data processing system, a request is received for an initial context for a namespace from a requesting object. A scoped initial context factory object is constructed, and an initial context is requested from the scoped initial context factory object. A class for the scoped initial context factory object may be determined from a variable in a hash table object passed as an argument. In response to the request for an initial context from the scoped initial context factory object, an initial context is requested from a non-scoped initial context factory object. The scoped initial context factory object may be a subclass of the non-scoped initial context factory object. The initial context returned by the non-scoped initial context factory object is scoped to a partition of the namespace, and the scoped initial context is returned. The initial context returned by the non-scoped initial context factory object may be scoped by performing a name service lookup on the partition of the namespace. The requesting object and the scoping object may be implemented in a platform-independent object-oriented programming language, such as Java.
Abstract:
A pneumatic seed meter comprises a housing and a rotatable seed disc. The rotatable seed disc divides the housing into a reduced air pressure side and a seed side. The rotatable seed disc is provided with seed cells to which individual seeds are attracted by an air pressure. A double eliminator is located in the housing on the seed side so that the double eliminator knocks extraneous seeds from the seed cells of the seed disc. The double eliminator is provided with an adjustment knob extending outside the seed side of the housing for adjusting the position of the double eliminator relative to the seed disc. A transparent viewing window is mounted on the seed side of the housing opposite the double eliminator so that adjustment of the double eliminator can be monitored.
Abstract:
A method and implementing system are provided in which CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) Life Cycle Service FactoryFinder capabilities are combined with CORBA Naming Service resolve operations on a Naming Context. The methodology allows EJBHomes in a distributed network to be found using CORBA Life Cycle Services while maintaining support for the EJB (Enterprise Java Bean) programming model of using JNDI (Java Naming and Directory Interface) lookup calls to locate EJBHomes. Usage of Life Cycle Services in an EJB environment for finding EJBHomes by using Naming interfaces is enabled while using Life Cycle Service semantics. An exemplary embodiment is provided to allow deployment in different environments (including environments without Life Cycle support) and reconfiguration of the FactoryFinder being used, without requiring changes to source code.
Abstract:
An axle assembly employs a simple adjustable connection between the differential case and the housing to adjust the position of the ring gear relative to the pinion gear. A pair of adjustment collars facilitates positioning the differential case to selectively position the ring gear relative to the pinion gear of an input shaft. The adjustment collars threadingly engage the differential case. Bearings are disposed between the adjustment collars and the housing. The adjustment collars are rotated to position the differential case together with the ring gear. The adjustment collars are also provided to adjust the preload of the bearings. A locking collar is employed to lock the adjustment collars once the differential case and ring gear are properly positioned. In an alternate embodiment a single adjustment collar is employed. Shims and spacers are utilized to position the differential case and ring gear and the adjustment collar used to adjust the preload of the bearings.