Abstract:
An animal deterrent device and method of using the device is disclosed. The device consists of a dazzler laser that produces eye irritation in an animal which results in the animal turning away from the user of the device. The device incorporates a diverging lens such that the dazzler laser produces a beam with a wide spread that makes it is easy to shine the beam on a potentially dangerous animal, but where the light is of sufficient intensity to irritate the animal's eyes.
Abstract:
An image projection apparatus comprises a display adapted to provide true perspective imagery, and includes at least three display surfaces each oriented in a different plane. The edges of adjacent display surfaces meet such that each of the at least three display surfaces meets another of the at least three display surfaces along two of its edges. The apparatus further comprises means to show images on the display, a data source and a controller. The controller comprises hard ware including a processor and multiple graphics cards and software, the software manipulates the images such that when images on one of the displays rotate and images on adjacent screen shift sideways, images are transmitted to the display surfaces such that images shown on adjacent display surfaces are synchronised so that the images at the edges of adjacent screens are substantially seamless.
Abstract:
A material may include grains of sizes such that at least 99 % of a measured area contains grains that exhibit grain areas less than 10 times an area of a mean grain size of the measured area. As examples, at least 99 % of the measured area may contain grains with grain areas less than 8, 6, or 3 times the area of the mean grain size. The grains may also have a mean grain size of less than 3 times a minimum statically recrystallized grain size, for example, a mean grain size less than about 50 microns, 10 microns, or 1 micron. The material may be comprised by a sputtering target and a thin film may be deposited on a substrate from such a sputtering target. A micro-are reduction method may include sputtering a film from a sputtering target comprising grains of sizes as described. A sputtering target forming method may include deforming a sputtering material. After the deforming, the sputtering material may be shaped into at least a portion of a sputtering target. The sputtering target may include grains of sizes as described. Also, the deforming may induce a strain level corresponding to epsilon of at least about 4. Further, the deforming may include equal channel angular extrusion.
Abstract:
The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for controlling gas flow via a gas shut-off valve assembly. In at least one embodiment, the assembly is configured to drive its shut-off valve from an open position to a closed position, in response to detecting a valve closure condition. The assembly in one or more embodiments operates as an intelligent node in an AMR network, and it interprets a received closure command as a closure condition. Additionally, or alternatively, the assembly detects abnormal operating conditions as the closure condition. Advantageously, the assembly performs initial closure verification, based on detecting movement of the valve into the closed position, and performs subsequent closure verification, based on monitoring downstream gas pressure. In the same or other embodiments, the assembly provides enhanced stand-alone reliability and safety by incorporating one or more valve clearing/cleaning routines into its operations.
Abstract:
The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for controlling gas flow via a gas shut-off valve assembly. In at least one embodiment, the assembly is configured to drive its shut-off valve from an open position to a closed position, in response to detecting a valve closure condition. The assembly in one or more embodiments operates as an intelligent node in an AMR network, and it interprets a received closure command as a closure condition. Additionally, or alternatively, the assembly detects abnormal operating conditions as the closure condition. Advantageously, the assembly performs initial closure verification, based on detecting movement of the valve into the closed position, and performs subsequent closure verification, based on monitoring downstream gas pressure. In the same or other embodiments, the assembly provides enhanced stand-alone reliability and safety by incorporating one or more valve clearing/cleaning routines into its operations.