A flame powered intermittent pilot combustion controller may include a first power source and a second power source separate from the first power source, a thermal electric and/or photoelectric device, an igniter and a controller. The thermal electric and/or photoelectric device may charge the first power source when exposed to a flame. The controller and the igniter may receive power from the first power source when the first power source has sufficient available power, and may receive power from the second power source when the first power source does not have sufficient available power.

A monitor for a natural gas-fired appliance is provided. The monitor comprises: a natural gas cycle-monitor interface configured to receive cycling signals from one or more of: the appliance; and a monitoring device located in the appliance and/or proximal to the appliance; a processor, in communication with the interface, configured to monitor cycles of the appliance based on the cycling signals; one or more indicators, in communication with the processor, configured to provide an alarm when the processor determines that the cycles of the appliance meets a threshold value; a first reset device configured to temporarily reset the one or more indicators to turn off the alarm when actuated, the one or more indicators again providing the alarm after a given time period following a temporary reset; and, a second reset device configured to reset monitoring of the cycles at the processor when actuated.

Exemplary embodiments are disclosed of a climate control system that includes an igniter and a controller having an igniter relay. The controller senses a current level through the igniter and senses voltage between terminals of a second relay of the controller. In a given one of a plurality of operational phases of the system, the controller is configured to compare the sensed current level and sensed voltage to a current level and voltage associated with a specific condition of the igniter, igniter relay, or second relay in the given phase. Based on a result of the comparing, the controller is configured to distinguish between a failure of one of the relays and a failure of the igniter.

A sealpot for a combustion power plant includes a downcomer standpipe which receives solids of the combustion power plant, a bed including a first end and a second opposite end, the first end connected to the downcomer standpipe, a discharge standpipe disposed at the second opposite end of the bed, and an orifice plate disposed between the bed and the discharge standpipe separating the discharge standpipe from the bed. The orifice plate includes apertures disposed at a height above the bed which allow transport of fluidized solids and gas through the orifice plate.

This invention relates to a burner (1) for burning a suspension of solid fuel in oxygen containing gas. A portion of the suspension is passed through a first conduit (10) which contains a bluff body (12) and helical vanes to impart turbulence and swirl to the suspension. A further portion of the suspension is passed through a second conduit (40) which is coaxial with the first conduit. Means for varying the relative sizes of each portion are provided. The arrangement allows improved fuel/air mixing, flame shape, heat transfer and control of NOx emissions.

A blow torch nozzle (10) having a swirler (26) which is bounded by a generally cylindrical shape (42). The swirler (26) a passageway (28, 40) extending through it defined by a wall surface of the swirler (26). A part of the wall surface extends at an angle to the axis of the nozzle (10) to impart a rotary motion to gases which pass through the swirler (26) in use. The wall surface opens out onto a side of the swirler (42) so the wall surface defines a recess (28, 40) extending inwardly from the side of the swirler (26). The swirler (26) may be provided with a short tube or ring (50) which surrounds the swirler (26) and has ends which are substantially flush with those of the swirler (26). The swirler (26) may be held within the tube or ring (50) by means of an interference fit.

A burner includes a perforated flame holder configured to be disposed at a plurality of locations relative to a fuel and air source.

A system and method for electrically charging a combustion flame with a power supply.

A system and method for electrically charging a combustion flame with a power supply.

Techniques for controlling a solid fuel combustion appliance, e.g., a wood burning stove, are disclosed. A control system measures an exhaust gas temperature of airflow through an outlet of the solid fuel combustion appliance. The control system determines a derivative of the exhaust gas temperature with respect to time. The derivative of the exhaust gas temperature with respect to time is compared to a predetermined threshold. The control system modulates the inlet damper in response to determining that the derivative of the exhaust gas temperature with respect to time reaches the predetermined threshold.

The invention relates to a device for evaporating volatile substances, comprising a heat source (5) evaporating volatile substances from a refill (2), a heat detector (4) which can detect the heat from said heat source (5), and indicating means (7) connected to said heat detector (4) emitting an indication when the heat detector (4) detects the heat from said heat source (5), and characterized in that said heat detector (4) is placed above said heat source (5). The invention allows the indicating means to be activated virtually in a simultaneous manner with the placement of the heat emitter.

A hands-free striker assembly for use with a torch cart for igniting a torch attached to the torch cart. The hands-free striker has a mounting body mounted to the torch cart having a striker tip for lighting the torch. The hands-free striker also has a friction pad for lighting the torch by passing the torch over the friction pad and into contact with the striker tip.

A candle with an embedded item and methods for manufacturing same are disclosed. A method for manufacturing a candle having an embedded item can include providing a first set of items of a first value and a second set of items of a second value different from the first value, combining the two sets to create a third set, and distributing the items of the third set among a set of candles, one item per candle, where the presence, nature, or value of the item within the candle is obscured. The method can further include selling the candles for a first price, wherein, the presence of the embedded item, the nature of the embedded item, the value of the embedded item, or the value of the embedded item relative to the first price is not known to the purchaser. The embedded item can comprise an object redeemable for a prize.

A method directs fuel-oxidant premix into a reaction zone through a first total premix inlet flow area, and causes the premix to combust and form a stable flame projecting into a process chamber through an outlet from the reaction zone. At a time when the process chamber has a temperature at or above an auto-ignition temperature of the fuel, the flame is blown off to initiate diffuse combustion in the process chamber without a stable flame. The flame is blown off by directing the premix into the reaction zone through a second total premix inlet flow area greater than the first total premix inlet flow area.

Described is a device (11) for controlling the combustion of a burner (1), comprising: •first means (12) for measuring the fuel flow rate (Vg); •second means 13 for measuring the flow rate of the comburent (Va) •first operator means (14) for controlling the opening of an inlet valve (5) as a function of the quantity of fuel to be supplied to the burner (1); •second operator means (15) for controlling the comburent flow regulator means (8) as a function of the quantity of comburent to be supplied to the burner (1); According to this invention, the device (11) comprises a unit (16) for controlling the first operator means (14) and the second operator means (15) as a function of the values measured by the first measuring means (12) and by the second measuring means (13).

A candle assembly for making a personalized scented candle including a candle body comprises a coring device that is configured to remove a core from the candle body, the coring device including (i) a leading edge that selectively extends into the candle body; and (ii) a plurality of measurement markers that measure a depth of the leading edge within the candle body. The coring device can be configured to remove the core from the candle body to form a cavity in the candle body. Additionally, the measurement markers can be utilized to determine a depth of the cavity formed in the candle body by the coring device.

Embodiments of the inventive concept provide a double-sealed high-temperature resistant DC ignitor for use with a wood pellet burner assembly. The DC ignitor includes a non-heating element portion. The non-heating element portion is connected to at least one of a battery or an AC to DC electrical transformer attached to the wood pellet burner assembly. A heating element is connected to the non-heating element portion, and extends by at least one inch into a combustion region of the wood pellet burner assembly. The heating element portion is configured to be heated by power received from the battery or the AC to DC electrical transformer. The DC ignitor provides safe, reliable, and fast combustion of wood pellets that congregate in a combustion region of the wood pellet burner assembly.

A cracking furnace includes a combustion volume defined in part by a burner wall having a refractory lining. A plurality of perforated flame holders is arranged in an array that is spaced away from the wall, with fuel input faces facing the wall. Each of a plurality of fuel nozzles is positioned and configured to emit a fuel stream toward the input face of a respective one of the plurality of perforated flame holders. Combustion reactions, supported by the fuel streams emitted by the fuel nozzles, and held by the flame holders, release heat, which is emitted by the flame holders as thermal (blackbody) radiation, a portion of which impinges upon, and heats the inner face of the refractory lining. Thermal radiation from the flame holders and the wall impinges upon a load positioned in the approximate center of the combustion volume, between burner walls.

A wedge apparatus for a stirrup for reducing alleviating pain on a horseback rider's knees and ankles, the stirrup comprising a pair of opposing side bars, a hangar bar portion and a footrest bar, the wedge apparatus comprising (a) a wedge associated with the footrest bar, the wedge having a lateral portion and a medial portion, the lateral portion being thicker than and tapering toward the medial portion; (b) an impact-absorbing material; and, (c) an attachment mechanism for attaching the wedge and the impact-absorbing material to the footrest bar.

The invention also a stabilizing system to stabilize a rider in the saddle comprising a saddle stabilizer block which can be used alone or in combination with a complementary boot stabilizer block to restrict movement of the rider in the saddle.

The present invention relates to a saddle for riding or carrying other load. The saddle includes at least two segments forming a frame, wherein, between the segments and between the right and left hand sides of each segment, flexible segment links allowing for relative movement thereof are provided, with the size, shape, flexibility, and stiffness of each segment being adapted to achieve an optimal weight distribution and freedom of movement, the segments and segment links or hinge elements are configured to allow for a relative independent movement thereof.

A protective garment for livestock, such as a horse, has a first portion and a second portion defining a planar sheet of material. The first portion substantially covers a left leg and shoulder of the livestock, while the second portion substantially covers a right leg and shoulder of the livestock. The garment can comprise a one-piece protective cover or a two-piece protective cover. In one embodiment, the first portion and the second portion are connected to each other by an attachment member extending across a back of the livestock. In use, the protective garment is sufficiently secured to the livestock to protect it from undesirable external elements, such as insects and sunlight, yet somewhat loose to allow the livestock to freely move while wearing the garment.

A fly blanket for laying atop a horse's rump behind a saddle comprising a mesh sheet having a generally rounded trapezoidal shape; two attachment components both for attaching the mesh sheet to a saddle ring disposed on the saddle; and stitched binding disposed along edges of the mesh sheet, wherein a weighted rope is disposed in all of or a portion of the stitched binding, wherein the weighted rope functions to help keep the fly blanket from flopping around while the horse is moving.

The invention is directed to a piece (2) for a saddletree (1) of mat-like general shape conformed to have both a first overall concavity in a first direction of a longitudinal plane of symmetry and a second overall concavity in a second direction of a transverse plane, delimited by an exterior free edge (14) including a pommel portion, a cantle portion and two longitudinal portions, the exterior free edge being adapted to cooperate with a complementary interior free edge of the saddletree, the mat including a plurality of individual portions at least partly separate, placed in the vicinity of each other so that each individual portion can absorb forces and be deformed in bending or in torsion at least partly independently of the other individual portions, the piece being provided with elements for associating it with the saddletree.

A boot accessory for limiting how far a user can push his/her boot into a stirrup comprises an arch for hugging a front edge of the boot; a first hook disposed on the first end of the arch and a second hook disposed on the second end of the arch. The first hook curves outwardly from the first end of the arch and further a first end of the first hook curves back toward the front edge of the boot. The second hook curves outwardly from the second end of the arch and further a first end of the second hook curves back toward the front edge of the boot. A gap exists between the first end of the first hook and the arch and between the first end of the second hook and the arch, wherein the gaps are for engaging sides of the stirrup.

A lifting girdle apparatus for enhancing the performance of a harness racing horse includes a lifting girdle affixed to a harness and sulky at two points on each side of the horse with a clip that attaches to the harness, behind approximately the front quarter of the horse, and with a securing strap that runs vertically towards and around the shaft of the sulky. The securing strap is preferably made to be adjustable, for example by constructing the securing strap as a belt and utilizing a belt buckle. The ability to adjust the distance between the attachment clips and the lifting girdle allows for a trainer to configure the lifting girdle device apparatus for different sized horses for producing an optimum setting for horses of almost any size.

Method and devices for treating equine laminitis by cryotherapy, comprising a boot to be fitted over the horse's hoof, having a wedge shaped sole that is angled by 20° toward the front; The purpose is accomplished by the boot in conjunction with three opportunely shaped removable soles, and a cryotherapy reservoir of flexible material, that is inserted into the boot and connected to an external device for refrigeration by circulation of a fluid.

A head covering that protects a dog or other animal against the intrusion of harmful things or elements such as insects, foreign matter, and weed seeds, which can enter the animal's ears, eyes, or nose and cause discomfort or damage.

A locking headplate for an adjustable saddle tree includes opposed, hingedly connected plates for securing to a saddle tree head portion, a rotatable displacing element for displacing the hingedly connected plates inwardly or outwardly, and at least one supplemental locking mechanism for selectively preventing rotation of the rotatable displacing element. The hingedly connected plates include apertures for receiving a portion of the rotatable displacing element therethrough, the apertures defining at least one cross-sectional dimension that is greater than a corresponding cross-sectional dimension of the rotatable displacing element. Saddle trees and saddles incorporating the locking headplate are provided.

A head harness for a horse includes a browband linked, at the ends thereof, to two headpieces, each of which has, symmetrically on either side of the harness, two attachments arranged side by side, and in that, on the front headpiece, the cheek strap of the bit and one end of the throat latch are attached to the first attachment and to the second attachment, respectively, and in that, on the rear headpiece, the noseband cheep strap and one end of an auxiliary cheek strap and one end of an auxiliary cheep strap are attached to the first attachment and to the second attachment, respectively, the other end of said auxiliary cheek strap being attached onto the noseband cheek strap located on the other side of the harness, and in that the second attachment of the front headpiece that receives the throat latch and the second attachment of the rear headpiece that receives the auxiliary cheek strap are rigidly connected by a link.

An insect repellent compound that includes naturally occurring oil that emits an odor which repels insects is described. The compound is not harmful to animals, to humans or to the environment. The compound may be incorporated into materials such as yarn that is woven to form a mesh. The material may be used for making an animal mask, for screen doors and other applications. A method of making the compound and incorporating it into materials and products is described.

A seat support device for a riding animal or a pack animal, a saddle tree, and a saddle with such a saddle tree. The seat support device comprises a right multi-linked lug arrangement with a first link section and at least a second link section and a left multi-linked lug arrangement with a first link section and at least a second link section. A pivoting device with a pivot axis is each formed case between two adjacent link sections, so that two adjacent link sections are pivotable towards one other around a pivot axis substantially within a pivot plane which penetrates the pivot axis substantially perpendicular.

Methods and apparatus for recording and retrieval of optically readable data employ a recording medium (100) which comprises an optically active material (108) able to induce a change in properties of the medium in the presence of optical radiation having a first characteristic, such as a first optical frequency, and wherein the change in properties can be inhibited by optical radiation having a second characteristic, such as a second optical frequency. During recording, a region of the recording medium (100) is irradiated with a first beam (506) of optical radiation having the first characteristic, the beam having a sufficient intensity within a central portion of the irradiated region and being of sufficient duration to cause an optically induced change in properties of the recording medium. Simultaneously, the region of the recording medium (100) is irradiated with a second beam (508) of optical radiation having the second characteristic, the second beam having a local intensity minimum within the central portion of the irradiated region, and a local intensity maximum in at least one portion of the irradiated region adjacent to the central portion which is sufficient to inhibit the optically induced change in properties of the recording medium. A similar method is employed for retrieval, however the intensity of the first beam (506) is reduced to prevent changes in material properties within the recording medium (100).

A recording head is configured to write and read data sectors to and from a recording medium, such as a heat-assisted recording medium. A read channel is coupled to the recording head. Phase-locked loop (PLL) circuitry of the read channel is configured to detect a change in a phase error at a location of the data sector. The phase error change may be indicative of a mode-hop that occurred while writing the data sector to the medium. The PLL circuitry is configured to determine a phase offset using the phase error. A controller is configured to effect re-reading of the data sector location using the phase offset to recover the data sector location.

An apparatus includes a slider of a recording head comprising a plurality of electrical bond pads coupled to bias sources and a ground pad. Each of a plurality of electrical components of the slider is coupled to at least one of the electrical bond pads. At least one of the electrical bond pads is a shared electrical bond pad coupled to at least two of the electrical components. At least one diode is coupled to at least one of the electrical bond pads and at least one of the electrical components.

A method and apparatus for detecting tightness of a pick-up head, and a method and apparatus for controlling the moving of the pick-up head are disclosed. The method for detecting the tightness of the pick-up head includes moving the pick-up head to an inner area of the disc reading device when then disc reading device is powered on, moving the pick-up head to an outer area of the disc reading device within a predetermined time period, moving the pick-up head from the outer area of the disc reading device to the inner area at a constant speed by a first fixed force, and recording the moving duration for moving the pick-up head from the outer area of the disc reading device to the inner area at the constant speed.

An information recording method of the present disclosure is an information recording method for recording information on a write-once information recording medium, including one or more recording layers, each of the recording layers being spiral-shaped on which a land track and a groove track are alternately repeated as recording tracks, each of the recording tracks being divided into blocks, each of the blocks being a minimum unit in which recording is performed. The information recording method includes: recording the information on the information recording medium in a unit of each of the blocks; and controlling recording on the information recording medium. In the control step, switching is performed whether to perform recording in a block to be recorded in which the information is to be recorded next among the blocks based on recording conditions of the recording tracks adjacent on both sides of the block to be recorded.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for monitoring components in a library by tracking the movement of library components. By tracking the movement of library components, the degradation of library components can be monitored and the reliability of library components determined, allowing unreliable components to be bypassed or replaced, enhancing the reliability of the library and preventing data loss.

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a HAMR head. The HAMR head includes a main pole, a waveguide and a NFT disposed between the main pole and the waveguide. The NFT includes an antenna, and a portion of the antenna is disposed at a media facing surface. By increasing the volume of the antenna extending from the MFS, the temperature of the NFT during operation is reduced.

Methods, apparatuses and systems for detecting defective sectors on a recording medium, the method including calculating a servo gain for each servo sector of a track of a recording medium of a storage device; determining whether the servo gain of each servo sector exceeds a threshold value; and upon determining that the servo gain of a servo sector exceeds the threshold value, determining data sectors included in the servo sector to be defective sectors.

Methods that include depositing a first layer over the entire surface of a structure, the structure having a magnetic reader and a magnetic writer, wherein the magnetic reader and the magnetic writer are positioned adjacent to each other on a substrate and the magnetic writer includes a near field transducer (NFT); depositing a second layer over the entire surface of the first layer; depositing a photoresist material layer over the entire surface of the second layer, the photoresist material layer having a bottom surface in contact with the second layer and an opposing top surface; exposing the photoresist material layer to radiation through the bottom surface of the photoresist material layer via the NFT to form a first exposed region; and exposing the photoresist material layer to radiation through the top surface of the photoresist material layer to form a second exposed region.

A device including a near field transducer, the near field transducer including gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), or aluminum (Al), and at least two other secondary atoms, the at least two other secondary atoms selected from: boron (B), bismuth (Bi), indium (In), sulfur (S), silicon (Si), tin (Sn), manganese (Mn), tellurium (Te), holmium (Ho), lutetium (Lu), praseodymium (Pr), scandium (Sc), uranium (U), barium (Ba), chlorine (Cl), cesium (Cs), dysprosium (Dy), europium (Eu), fluorine (F), germanium (Ge), hydrogen (H), iodine (I), rubidium (Rb), selenium (Se), terbium (Tb), nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), carbon (C), antimony (Sb), gadolinium (Gd), samarium (Sm), thallium (Tl), cadmium (Cd), neodymium (Nd), phosphorus (P), lead (Pb), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), erbium (Er), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), palladium (Pd), vanadium (V), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), lithium (Li), nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), sodium (Na), strontium (Sr), calcium (Ca), yttrium (Y), thorium (Th), beryllium (Be), thulium (Tm), erbium (Er), ytterbium (Yb), promethium (Pm), neodymium (Nd cobalt (Co), cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), praseodymium (Pr), or combinations thereof.

In a case where (i) a reflectance calculated from a reflected light amount obtained from a longest pit (P1max) or a longest space (S1max) in a first pit row is defined as a first reflectance and (ii) a reflectance calculated from a reflected light amount obtained from a longest pit (P2max) or a longest space (S2max) in the second pit row is defined as a second reflectance, the first pit row is formed such that the first reflectance becomes substantially identical with the second reflectance.

A method implemented by a status-monitoring device connected between a storage device and a corresponding output unit includes: a) determining presence of a storage device according to a first packet from the storage device; b) when it is determined that the storage device is present, generating a pulse signal according to a second packet from the storage device; c) generating a driving signal indicating a status associated with the storage device according to at least a logic level of the pulse signal; and d) sending the driving signal to the output unit for driving the output unit to output an output signal indicating the status.

An optical-information recording/reproducing apparatus of the present invention is capable of carrying out position detection of a reproduction image even if reproduction image data with incomplete alignment marks (markers) is obtained. A relative correlation value is calculated from a first correlation value retained by a first correlation-value retaining unit and a second correlation value retained by a second correlation-value retaining unit, and pass/fail of a position detection result of the marker is judged according to the relative correlation value. The pass/fail of the position detection result is judged by mutually comparing the detection positions of the markers judged as passes by the relative correlation-value judgement, the positions of the markers judged as fail by the relative correlation-value judgement or the mutual position judgement is complemented, and the position of two-dimensional data is detected based on the pass-judged markers and the complemented markers.

Embodiments of the invention provide a device for measuring pitch and roll torques. The device comprises a sensor plate having a horizontal cross member, a vertical cross member and a surrounding member connecting ends of the horizontal and vertical cross members, wherein the horizontal cross member and the vertical cross member intersect each other at a centre region of the sensor plate; a VCM coil attached to the sensor plate and configured to generate a pitch and a roll torque when an electrical current is applied to the VCM coil; a first strain gauge attached to a surface of the horizontal cross member and configured to detect a horizontal strain caused by the pitch and roll torques; and a second strain gauge attached to a surface of the vertical cross member and configured to detect a vertical strain caused by the pitch and roll torques.

A storage device carrier includes a first frame and a second frame. The first frame includes two opposite sidewalls. Two through holes are defined in each of the sidewalls, for allowing screws to extend therethrough. The second frame is detachably mounted in the first frame. The second frame includes two opposite side plates. Each side plate defines two through slots for allowing screws and unthreaded fasteners to extend therethrough. When the second frame is mounted in the first frame, the side plates of the second frame respectively abut against the sidewalls of the first frame, and the through slots of the side plates respectively align with the through holes of the sidewalls. A mounting apparatus having the storage device is also provided.

Provided is an optical information recording medium including: a continuously wobbling groove formed in advance by a CAV or a zone CAV. Information is allowed to be recorded on the groove and a land adjacent to the groove, address information is recorded by modulating the wobble, the address information includes a sync pattern indicating a position of the address information and address data, and the sync pattern includes a plurality of first wobble patterns and a second wobble pattern between the first wobble patterns, and at least part of intervals of the first wobble patterns are set to unequal intervals.

A data readout device (114) for reading out data from at least one data carrier (112) having data modules (116) located at least two different depths within the at least one data carrier (112) is disclosed. The data readout device (114) comprises: —at least one illumination source (122) for directing at least one light beam (124) onto the data carrier (112); -at least one detector (130) adapted for detecting at least one modified light beam modified by at least one of the data modules (116), the detector (130) having at least one optical sensor (132), wherein the optical sensor (132)has at least one sensor region (134), wherein the optical sensor (132)is designed to generate at least one sensor signal in a manner dependent on an illumination of the sensor region (134)by the modified light beam, wherein the sensor signal, given the same total power of the illumination,is dependent on a beam cross-section of the modified light beam in the sensor region (134); and -at least one evaluation device (136) adapted for evaluating the at least one sensor signal and for deriving data stored in the at least one data carrier (112) from the sensor signal. Further, a data storage system (110), a method for reading out data from at least one data carrier (112) and a use of an optical sensor (132) for reading out data are disclosed.

An apparatus includes a slider body of a disk drive. The slider body is electrically coupled to a plurality of end bond pads. A voltage applied to one more of the end bond pads sets a surface potential of the slider body.