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I wish I had a heartwarming sentimental story about my first fountain pen but I just don't. I remember using a fountain pen in school to learn how to write cursive. I have never figured out how cursive writing and fountain pens go together but I recall handwriting class included both. School was not my joy so I think I have blocked out as much of it as I can, including what kind of pen that was. I'm sure it was plastic and cheap and I think it was red. Maybe one day I will dig deeper and reacquire one.
I was always interested, collected and carried the better lines of rollerball pens but my fountain pen experience just wasn't pleasant so I stayed away from them. The fountain pen that started me down the course of the reckless writing stick spending I enjoy today goes back to about 2003. I just landed a big new project at work and decided to treat myself to a nice pen. Wandering through the Dulles Airport on a layover I found a pen shop and decided I was going to try another fountain pen, yes at full retail plus I'm sure. There was a dizzying array of brands and prices so with limited time I headed for the Cross counter. I owned a Waterman, Pelikan and Mont Blanc rollerball but most of those displayed were out of my price range in the fountain pen configuration so I found a Cross Century II for $99. Not foreign to me but still a lot of money for me to spend on a pen, especially one I couldn't write with before I bought it. I got it home, popped in an ink cartridge and took it to paper. I couldn't have been more disappointed with its scratchiness and paper grabbing. I didn't know enough to look at tine alignment or try different paper but I was using Levenger pads at the time so it was good paper. I forced myself to write with it for about a week and finally just gave up in disappointment. I returned it to its box and relegated it to shelf space in the closet, not even knowing I should have flushed it, GASP!. I was ashamed to have spent that much money on a pen that wrote so badly. It jaded me to the fountain pen world. By 2011 I had owned about all the major brands of rollerballs and frankly was bored with just another rollerball so I dipped my toes into fountain pens and decided to try again.
I bought a Lamy Safari based on the positive reviews from a loyal fan base. I liked the Lamy but didn't love it. What the Lamy did was make me thirsty for fountain pen knowledge so I devoured every morsel I could find. During this brain fest I carried in the back of my head that Cross aching in the closet all clogged up with ink. I read about nibmeisters and the service they provide including one Danny Fudge. I sent Danny my Cross. What came back was an absolute joy to write with. Smooth, no skipping or hard starts and a real pleasure to write with. I finally got it! I experienced the appeal and joy others have been enjoying with fountain pens for years.
Today I consider the Cross my first. I have no plans to sell it for that reason and just as important it's a joy to write with. With the knowledge I have gained in the past 3 years I offer you my review.
The Pen:
- Cross Century II Fountain Pen
- Stainless Steel Medium Nib
- Steel Grey Blue
- Street Price: $95.00
- 5.31" capped
- 4.82" uncapped
- 6.06" Posted
Packaging is well done with a common clamshell piano hinged box wrapped in a thick outer sleeve. I don't like some of Cross' later packaging strategies for retail display in the big box stores. I understand it but the clear plastic typically needs a hacksaw to get into and it's just not as nice a presentation if you're gifting the pen. In my book they did well with the Century II. Packaging is protective and makes a great presentation piece for the gift receiver.
Overall Appearance
I like the looks. The shape is very traditional Cross with a gradual taper on the body and a steeper taper on the cap that is topped with a nice chrome accent that I believe Cross calls their conical tip. The chrome tip on the cap, the chrome band at the bottom of the cap and the clip are all well plated and are sized right to be classy touches without being over blinged.
Cross calls the color of my model Grey. I think that's a boring moniker that belies the pen's attractiveness. Not to sound like a car company naming car colors but I would call the color of my pen steel grey with maybe a slight blue tint. The color is classic and professional worthy of any business environment and with no lean towards a man or woman centric hue.
Here is the best lighting picture I shot giving the best color rendition.
The CROSS marketing logo is tastefully discreet on the clip and again engraved at the base of the cap in the same color as the pen.
I favor larger pens of which this Cross is not. I would call it a medium size but it still feels comfortable in my larger hands. I can't quite explain why but I enjoy writing with it. The cap and body are metal construction so you do get a bit of the coldness that metal pens typically exude but it's not uncomfortable. In return I'm sure the pen will take quite a bit of abuse without rendering it unusable. It feels stout and well built.
The section is plastic with faint ridges running parallel to the pen. They form a good grip and the transition from barrel to section and section to nib is gentle and non-obtrusive. The transition from section to tip has a slight bump that gives your grip fingers a gentle stop. Comfortable is the one word description here.
The cap is a push on pull off variety. The style is my preferred for a quick deployment. Cross does a great job with a rubbery plastic type seal that gives a good positive closure. You feel the cap and body touch then a gentle push gives you good feedback that the cap is seated. The tug to remove the cap is not excessive but the effort confirms your confidence that it's not going to rattle loose in a bag or purse. Some other makers' push on pull off caps try too hard to get a firm closure and seal. The subsequent removal effort required can cause a jolt and give you an unwelcome ink splash from the nib if you're not careful. Cross has spent some time engineering this connection and it's evident. They got it right.
Clip is pretty standard fair, well-shaped flat steel that gives it a good stiffness and adequate roll on pressure to a pocket or pen holder. The entry tip is rounded and polished which further helps with the attachment. Hold strength is good. The Cross name/logo is etched high on the clip. Tastefully executed, common with Cross.
Filling System
The Century II out of the box uses standard cartridges. Cross sells the usual blue and black under their own brand name.
Cross sells two fountain pen converters for around $6 each. The Type I and the Type II. The Century II takes the Type II. The Type II is a standard converter that works very well with a smooth piston mechanism. I have never had any leakage. Construction seems good and fits tight on the section. I like the metal ring reinforcement where it goes into the feed. Impressive at a $6 price point. I'm not sure about the purpose of the amber tinted reservoir, I would rather have it clear in the event I forget what ink I have loaded but that's a nit pick. Ink capacity is typical converter sized small.
You can get the Century II with a stainless steel nib or a 23K gold plated. It appears that certain finishes only come with one or the other nib varieties. I suspect the 23K gold plated nib is just a steel nib made to look gold with the plating. I doubt either will give you any different writing experiences plated or not. Scroll work on the nib is attractive without being tacky or gaudy. The nib size is small but right sized for the pen's overall size. It's not nail stiff but don't expect much line variation even with pressure.
Out of the box my specimen was scratchy and I was unimpressed. I was currently carrying many rollerballs that were smoother and just as pretty on the outside. After Danny Fudge worked his smoothing magic it is a whole different experience. A smooth traditional slightly wet medium. No skips, no hard starts and after several weeks sitting you can still pick it up and start seeing ink immediately.
I would wager that at the quantities Cross produces you are just as likely to get a superb writer right of the box as you would be getting a less than perfect example as I did. I wish those odds were better but I have learned unless your supplier of choice is one that checks the nibs individually before they go out I have to be willing to take the chance.
I like this pen and plan to never sell it. It doesn't have a real sentimental history with me but I do consider it my first real fountain pen. Most importantly I like the way it writes and even though it's smaller than my normal daily carry arsenal it's comfortable in my hand. There are probably more Cross pens given as gifts than any other brand in the world. They have done a great marketing job, as has Mont Blanc, in promoting the writing instrument as a special gift of accomplishment. Cross makes a good solid pen and you couldn't go wrong with their Century II model.
Are you a Cross Pen fan?
Remember: Write something nice……


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Product or Service
OBDII and EOBD scanner
Profile:Manufacturer - Producer|Ref:PSL53998YH | Country: China | Currency: | Export: No
Display: backlight 128 x 64 pixel display
with contrast adjustment
easy-to-read screen and also saves up to 15
scans for later viewing.
Operating temperature: 0-50 C (-32 to 122F)
External power: 8.0 to 15.0 volts provided
by vehicle battery
Internal Power: 3 AAA battery (included)
This is an OBDII and EOBD scanner which supports the following protocols:
The D900 CanScan is brand new and is supplied with: scanner unit OBD II connector cable, disc with comprehensive user manual, OBD information and compatibility list and padded storage case with wrist strap.
Power: directly from the vehicle or by X3 AA batteries
Unit dimensions: 9 x 20 x 3cm / 3.3 x 8 x 1.2" (W x L x D)
Screen dimensions: 6 x4.5cm / 2.3 x 1.6" (W x L)
Cable length: 109cm /43"
Supports ISO, VPW and PWM bus systems as well as can bus systems
U.S. Models - European - Japanese - Asian - German - Korean:
Suitable for almost all cars after 1996 .
GM '96 - Current Year (OBD-II)
Ford '96 - Current Year (OBD-II)
Chrysler '96 - Current Year (OBD-II)
Toyota '96 - Current Year (OBD-II)
Honda '96 - Current Year (OBD-II)
NISSAN '96 - Current Year (OBD-II)
All other - Asian and European '96 - Current Year (OBD-II)
An essential piece of kit for all car and van owners save time and money with this hand held
OBDII ScanTools which enables you to troubleshoot any problems in your vehicle by
reading the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) that appear when the "check engine" light is
DTCs are codes that are stored by the car's in-board computer system in response to a vehicle
issue. Codes relate to a particular problem and are made up of a 5 digit alphanumeric
sequence and are used as a guide to help locate the fault in order for you to fix the vehicle.
This scanner has CAN Protocol Support which gives wider vehicle coverage. It resets the
check engine lights, reads and clears all generic, and some manufacturer specific, DTC,
displays the I/M readiness status, views OBD II freeze frame data, displays pending codes,
retrieves vehicle information (VIN), and determines the status of the malfunction indicator
(MIL) lamp.
Help prevent costly future engine trouble and identify problems when buying or selling a
used vehicle with the MULTOBD scan tool.
Displays the DTC definitions on screen unlike previous models
Wider coverage: works with CAN-equipped vehicles
Reads and clears all generic, and some manufacturer, specific DTCs
Resets check engine lights
Views OBD II Live data
Views OBD II freeze frame data
Displays I/M readiness status
Retrieves the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Determines the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL)
Contact the company

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Podcast: Download (Duration: 8:35 — 7.9MB) | Embed
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Mrs. Lisa Nelson, President and CEO of ML Capital Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MLCG) , called in to SmallCapVoice.com to discuss her company's expansion into the medical marijuana industry to also include vapor pens. ML Capital Group, Inc. ("MLCG" or the "Company") previously announced its entry into the medical marijuana industry with the development of smart phone applications that connect people with an array of resources that support their needs. The interview also covers recently announced partnership with LSQ Funding. MLCG has established a formal relationship with LSQ Funding, one of the oldest specialty finance companies offering flexible financing solutions to companies nationwide. The relationship between LSQ and the Company establishes MLCG as a corresponding referral partner whereby it will generate revenues from all business it places with LSQ.
ML Capital Group, Inc. provides management, financial and strategic consulting services designed to improve an organization's ability to conduct its business more effectively and to foster sales growth, with a principal focus in working with alternative energy technology and service companies. The Company helps clients to build effective personnel teams, enhance their sales and marketing strategies, streamline their operations and maximize their profitability.
ML Capital Group's stock is traded on the OTC Bulletin Board and OTC Markets where it is qualified to be listed in the QB marketplace as a current reporting company. You can access the Company's stock quote directly from OTC Markets at www.otcmarkets.com/stock/MLCG/quote. To find out more information on the Company, visit its website at www.mlcapitalgroupinc.com.


text:
Good morning to you.
Last night I took my daughter to see a play, Matilda, with some friends of our family and today I'm off to San Francisco again. I only had two nights at home and I'm so thankful I had the time with my daughter last night. She wanted to see the play from the moment a postcard from the performing arts company hit our mailbox a few months ago and I'm thrilled I was able to share the experience with her. I gave her the option of a matinee or evening show and she said she would prefer the evening because it felt more special. She got all dressed up and even carried a sparkly purse with lipgloss. I let her pick my dress. And I loved every second of being with her. As I'm sure you can tell from these brief updates on my travel, time with my family is extra precious lately. Last night was a gift to both of us.
On to the SOAP for today. This is what I heard in Psalm 46 using SOAP this morning:
Scripture: Psalm 42:5
God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
Even in the midst of craziness and even trouble, God is right there, and He will help and strengthen.
There is a LOT of craziness going on in my life right now. Fortunately, it is all craziness that I believe is moving in the right direction. But it is craziness, nonetheless.
Knowing that He is here, that He knows the right path and that He will guide me if I listen, is very reassuring. I need to keep clinging to Him.
Lord, please keep leading me. There is a LOT going on. There are lots of things pulling me in different directions. I need your guidance. I need your strength. You know the right things to do, I am only guessing. Please hear me, show me and enable me to hear you and follow you. I want to be moved by you, only, and not the craziness. You have given me the gifts to have brought me here. Please continue to lead. And thank you so much for the great time last night and over the last 2 days with the family you have given me.


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Publication date
|15 Apr 1975
|Filing date
|9 Jul 1973
|Priority date
|9 Jul 1973
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Golden John P
|Original Assignee
|Golden John P
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (14), Referenced by (24), Classifications (31)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
United States Patent [1 1 G0lden 1 PORTABLE X-RAY DEVICE John P. Golden, 5740 Warren Rd., Ann Arbor, Mich. 48105 [22] Filed: July 9, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 377,741
[76] Inventor:
[52] US. Cl. 250/402; 250/418; 250/421 51 Int. Cl. "01 35/00 [58] Field of Search 250/401, 402, 417, 418, 250/421 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,590,929 6/1926 Falkenberg 250/421 1,754,799 4/1930 Mutscheller 250/418 Apr. 15, 1975 3,681,604 8/1972 Criswell et a1. 250/402 Primary Examiner-James W. Lawrence Assistant ExaminerB. C. Anderson Attorney, Agent, or Firm Thomas N. Young [57] ABSTRACT A portable X-ray source device for producing a selected number of uniform X-ray output pulses. The device comprises a spiral capacitor voltage generator, a transformer assembly and a cold-cathode emitter X-ray tube. The capacitor and transformer are coaxially disposed in mating sections of a cylindrical canister which is evacuated and filled with oil. The tube is disposed centrally within the capacitor and transformer for packaging.efficiency. Corona suppression means are provided for preventing high voltage damage within the canister. The X-ray tube employs an emitter comprising spaced rings of woven graphite material. A spark gap trigger device including tungsten electrode strips is mounted on the outside of the canister where it can occupy the corner space of a square sheet metal housing. A slide-in battery cartridge and high power converter circuit are provided for dc operation.
12 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PJTTENTEQAPRTSTQTs n 3878394 SHEET 3 Ac BATTERY 212 332 EY E ig 574 N 1 F wi 65 2 2 50/ T T 7 I 200/ Z/fi I g POWER ON SW. 3%
POWER COUNTER K HAND SW. CONTROL ASSEMBLY DELAY 2/5 S T 52/ START SWITCHES W30 PORTABLE X-RAY DEVTCE lNTRODUCTlON This invention relates to X-ray source devices and particularly to a pulsed-output X-ray device of improved design and operation. The invention further relates to improvements in certain components for X-ray source devices including transformers, triggering devices, and X-ray tubes.
BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION The X-ray source device to which the present invention relates is of a relatively small and often portable variety and is to be distinguished in terms of size, power output and pulsedrather than continuous wave output from the large radiology equipment typically used in hospitals for diagnostic examination of the human bodyv The X-ray source device to which the present invention relates is typically and particularly usable in connection with veterinarian diagnosis, concealed package examination, bomb and weapon detection systems in airports, and in any other application where a small, transportable and easily operated device is required. It may, of course, be used for examination of humans as well.
--Prior'-art X-ray source devices of the relatively small andtransportable type typically comprise an X-ray tube of the cold cathode type. a high voltage generator in the form of a spiral capacitor and a trigger device which, when actuated, applies a short duration pulse of electrical energy from the generator to the X-ray tube. Some prior art devices include means for selecting the number of output pulses to be generated during a given examination process, the number of pulses selected typically being a function of the depth and difficulty of X-ray penetration in the device being examined. A fully portable device typically comprises all of the abovenamed components arranged in a relatively small package having suitable protection against radiation and high voltage leakage and, in addition, a power supply including a battery and a dc to ac converter to energize the high voltage generator.
As will be understood by those familiar with the X-ray art, the X-ray source devices are usable with various types of image gathering apparatus including simple photographic plates, fluoroscopes, etc.
The small, transportable X-ray devices of the prior art present a certain number of deficiencies particularly with respect to the uniformity of the X-ray output; i.e., the pulses of electromagnetic energy are neither uniform in power level nor in distribution or pattern. In addition, the prior art devices exhibit short tube life, low efficiency, cumbersome packaging and a tendency toward internal destruction from high voltage leakage and corona effects. Thus, there exists a need for a substantially improved X-ray source device of the small transportable type so as to eliminate the numerous significant problems of the prior art.
BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION and distribution pattern, long component life and convenient and efficient packaging. In general, the features and advantages of the present invention are provided by the improved design of the overall X-ray source device, the improved design and construction of a number of individual components of the X-ray source device and the integration of those components into a convenient and readily usable package.
In accordance with the first more specific aspect of the present invention, a transformer of improved design and location is employed for the production of a high output voltage pulse sequence of selectable number. The transformer of the subject invention comprises a plurality of windings disposed on a dielectric bobbin or winding form, and the disposition of a relatively large number ofexternal, laminated steel cores around the windings of the transformer, said cores being disposed so as to enclose or surround the transformer windings at their specific locations. Further, the plurality of cores are circumferentially spaced around the windings so as to form a transformer package having a hollow center through which other components in the X-ray source device may extend. In the specific embodiment hereinafter described in detail, the cores are silicon oriented steel cores of the C" design, such C sections being joined together end-for-end in pairs and bound together with plated steel bands. ln addition, the transformer design of the illustrative embodiment facilitates the mounting of all output stage components including, for example, diode rectifiers, directly on the periphery of the transformer windings and between the circumferentially spaced cores thereof so as to form an integrated and unitary output unit including both primary and secondary transformer windings and other electrical components associated therewith.
As suggested above, a further feature of the invention is the location of the transformer output unit within a housing, said location being coaxial with and forward of the capacitive voltage generator, the center axis of the two devices defining an elongated space which accommodates the X-ray tube.
In accordance with a second specific feature of the invention, a high voltage generator is provided in the form of a spiral capacitor. The capacitor comprises a combination of two copper foil plates which are separated from one another by suitable dielectric material, such as Mylar and paper, and wrapped in a spiral fashion on a suitable form so as to be connectable to the transformer for the application of high voltage pulses to the X-ray source tube. In accordance with the present invention, the spiral capacitor and the aforementioned transformer are disposed together in a coaxially and axially spaced fashion within a metallic canister which is electrically maintained at ground potential and which comprises two open cylindrical sections adapted to be joined by means of a threaded connection whereby the disengagement of the two metal sections results in the electrical disconnection of the spiral capacitor from the transformer.
In accordance with a third specific feature of the invention, an X-ray source tube of the cold cathode type is provided. The X-ray source tube of the subject invention comprises, in the preferred form, an elongated and sharp pointed tungsten anode mounted in an evacuated glass envelope of the reentry type to avoid arcing between the electrodes thereof, and a cathode emitter of annular design. The emitter comprises one or more axially spaced annuli of high resistance fabric-like material disposed adjacent,,concentric with, but spaced from the pointed end of the tungsten anode. In the illustrative form of the invention. hereinafter described in detail, the cathode emitter comprises two annuli of graphite fabric material held together in a press-fit, two-part cathode assembly housing, the two annuli of graphite cloth material having central apertures of varying diameter in conformity with the varying diameter along the axis of the pointed anode thereby to provide uniform spacing between the interior diameters of the several emitter annuli and the anode surface.
The subject invention also comprises a method and apparatus for forming the cathode assembly as described above, said apparatus comprising a two-part, press-fit cathode assembly housing, a punch, and a Tef- Ion block or equivalent for use during the punching operation. In the illustrative embodiment described hereinafter, the cathode assembly comprises a first housing portion of generally cylindrical configuration having a flange of enlarged diameter so as to define an internal step and a retainer ring which is press fit into the first portion to sandwich one or more graphite cloth wafers which have been precut to the internal diameter of the stepped portion of the cathode housing. A Teflon or equivalent backup block is then placed against one side of the now peripherally secured graphite cloth wafers and a punch having a circular blade is driven through the cathode housing and the graphite cloth wafer to remove an interior circular area of predetermined diameter.
A still further feature of the present invention involves the design and location of an improved spark gap trigger device for automatic generation of the voltage pulses by discharge of the spiral capacitor when a predetermined charge level is reached. Whereas in the prior art devices the spark gap trigger device is typically located remotely from the spiral capacitor and connector therewith by way of leads, the spark gap trigger device of the present invention is disposed on the external surface of the aforementioned metal canister which holds the spiral capacitor and transformer assembly. In the preferred embodiment hereinafter described, an opening is cut or otherwise formed in the cartridge at a point which is external of the spiral capacitor, and one foil plate of the capacitor is connected to a tungsten electrode on the interior of the spark gap trigger device. The opposite tungsten electrode is secured through a bracket and cap assembly to the canister and is, thus, at ground potential. To provide packaging efficiency, the spark gap trigger device is mounted on the external surface of the cylindrical cartridge and the cartridge is located within a square or rectangular housing in such a fashion as to place the trigger device in an otherwise vacant corner volume of the housing. The trigger device of the present invention is completely self-triggering and, thus, responds solely to a predetermined voltage or charge having been attained in the capacitor and does not require the use of active semiconductor devices, such as SCRs and transistors.
The present invention comprises a number of still further features and advantages, which together with nate corona discharge possibilities and the resulting destruction of interior components, the cantilevered relationship between a dielectric voltage shield and the cylindrical form on which the spiral capacitor is wound, a novel packaging concept involving a unique housing and handle design, a slideout battery cartridge including terminals in the cartridge 'and'a spring-loaded door which is automatically closed upon removal of the battery cartridge, and the inclusion of a variable pulse initiation delay feature so as to permit the operator to physically remove himself from the unit before the X-ray pulses are generated.
These and other advantages'of the present invention will be best understood from a reading of the following description of the specific embodiment of the invention, this specification to be taken with the accompanying drawings hereinafter briefly described.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 3 is an end view, partially sectioned, of the ap-'- paratus of FIG. 2 showing the details of the spark gap trigger device and the location thereof on the canister;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the trigger device base electrode assembly;
FIG. 5 is a perspective assembly drawing of the transformer and output unit of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 6 is a side view in cross section of the X-ray tube cathode assembly;
FIG. 7 is an electrical system block diagram'for the device of FIGS. 1 and 2; and,
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative input stage for the device of FIGS. 1, 2, and 5.
Referring to FIG. I, the invention is shown to be embodied in a small, low' power, pulsed output portable X-ray source device 10 comprising a metallic housing 12 having a substantially square or rectangular cross those briefly described above,,give. rise to a vastlysection and preferably being fabricated out of sheet aluminum or the like. Housing 12 is fitted on the righthand end thereof as seen in FIG. 1 with a shallow hood 14 within which is disposed an X-ray tube housing cap 16 through which the X-rays are directed during operation of the device. The housing 12 has formed in the left-hand end thereof a receptacle [8 within which is slidably disposed a battery cartridge 20 such that the X-ray source device 10 may be operated on dc power in a portable mode. The housing 12 is provided with a sturdy carrying handle 22 which is suitably secured to the housing and which, in the illustrative embodiment,-
carries a number of the electronics components which are involved in the timing and control of the X-ray output pulses.
Looking more specifically to the interior details of the handle 22 as revealed in the broken-away portion of the view of FIG. 1, the longitudinal portion of the handle is hollowed out to receive a pair of elongated circuitboards 24 and 26 which carry the timer and pulse counter electronics components, including resistors, capacitors, transistors, and the like. In addition, the handle carries on the interior thereof a semiconcealed start switch 28 having an interior terminal portion 29 which is wired to the circuit boards 24 and 26 by conductor means, not shown. The handle 22 further carries an exposure control device 30 including two thumbwheel switches and a suitable digital indicator for selecting the number of pulses to be generated between one and ninety-nine in accordance with the depth and difficulty of penetration of the device or article to be examined. Again, the pulse counter control is a prior art device and will not be described in great detail, other than to say it is suitably interconnected with the electronics components on the circuit boards 24 and 26.
Additionally, handle 22 carries a delay selector 32 having an interior terminal portion 33 and which may be actuated by the operator to select a delay period up to 1 minute between the depression of switch 28 and the X-ray pulse generation so as to enable the operator to remove himself from the X-ray area when such precautions appear to be advisable due to the nature of the device being X-rayed. More specifically, it is well known that some explosive devices may be contrived in such a fashion as to be detonated by X-ray examination and, accordingly, for the safety of the individuals performing the examination, the delay 32 permits these individuals to retire to a safe distance before the output pulses are generated. Finally, a safety lamp 34 is provided in the top of the handle 22 to indicate that power to the device has been turned on.
In the interior of the housing 12 there is disposed a cylindrical canister 36 hereinafter described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 2. The canister 36 contains the principal electronic parts of the X-ray source device including the high-voltage generator, the highvoltage transformer, and the X-ray tube as hereinafter described. The canister 36 terminates at the right-hand end thereof in the tube housing cap 16 and is suitably secured within the housing 12 by such support means as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
An electrical connector 38 is disposed on the innermost end of the battery cartridge 20 and is adapted to make contact with a low-voltage transformer connector 39 which interconnects the dc power from the battery cartridge 20 to the timer and counter electronic circuit boards 24 and 26 through the terminal device 40 and to the high-voltage transformer within the canister 36 through the low-voltage transformer 41 and other circuitry hereinafter described.
As also shown in FIG. 1, housing 12 is provided at the left-hand end thereof as shown in FIG. 1 with a mode select switch 42 which operates to select either ac or dc power operation for the device 10. As also shown on the lower left-hand end of FIG. 1, a door 43 is pivotally disposed within the battery cartridge receptacle l8 and is spring biased to pivot around point 45 to a closed condition whenever the cartridge 20 is slidably removed from the receptacle 18. Conversely, when the cartridge 20 is slidably disposed in the receptacle 18, the door 43 simply pivots into the position shown in FIG. 1 where it is out of the way of the cartridge 20.
Finally, the housing 12 is provided with feet 47, made of a resilient material such as high-density rubber, so that the device may be conveniently be placed on a support surface, such as a table top, without damage either to the housing 12 or to the support surface.
Looking now to FIG. 2, the internal details of the canister 36 and the interior components of the X-ray source assembly will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 2, the canister 36 comprises hollow, cylindrical sections 44 and 46 of which section 46 is provided with a threaded interior collar 48 to engage an internally threaded portion of the section 44 so that the two sections 44 and 46 may be screwed together and apart as desired. An O-ring seal 49 is disposed between the two sections 44 and 46, such that the entire interior of the canister 36 may be evacuated and filled with oil and sealed.
As hereinafter described in detail, joining the canister sections 44 and 46 serves to make an electrical connection between a high-voltage, transformer output unit 50 and a spiral capacitor 52 which operates as the high-voltage generator. Both the output unit 50 and the spiral capacitor 52 are disposed within the sealed canister 36, the output unit 50 being within the cylindrical section 46, and the spiral capacitor 52 being within the cylindrical section 44. To make the high voltage connection between units 50 and 52, the output unit 50 carries an annular high-voltage contact 51 which engages a ring 53 on the spiral capacitor 52 when the canister sections 44 and 46 are fully screwed together. The ring 53 is electrically connected to the high-voltage plate of the capacitor 52 for charging the same.
Discussing the assembly of FIG. 2 in greater detail, the output unit 50 and spiral capacitor 52 are disposed within canister 36 in coaxial, but axial spaced relationship, and are both of such a configuration as to provide a continuous, hollow interior volume within which is disposed an elongated cylindrical X-ray tube 54 having a reentry-type glass envelope 55. Tube 54 receives at the left-hand end thereof a high-voltage contact 56 which is disposed through a corona suppresser member 57 and connected to the high voltage plate of the spiral capacitor 52. I
On the righthand side of the assembly of FIG. 2 the canister section 46 is shown terminating in an annular end plate 58 which is threadedly engaged with the tube housing cap 16, as shown. In addition, an O-ring seal 59 is disposed between the threadedly engaged portions of the canister section 46 and the end plate 58 to maintain the oil seal, previously described. At the left-hand end,
the canister 36 is provided with an external retainer 'rona discharge and eventual destruction of the interior components of the device. The diaphragm 66, thus,'opcrates in the manner of a bellows to accommodate the varying volume of the oil in the presence of temperature changes.
The spiral capacitor 52 comprises a metallic mounting cylinder 68 upon which is disposed a plurality of circumferentially spaced inner ferrite strips 70 and a plasticor other dielectric cylindrical form 72 upon which are wound in parallel, interleaved fashion two mutually insulated copper foil strips separated from one another by layers-of Mylar and paper. In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the copper foil strips are each approximately 2% inches in width by 30 feet in length and are wrapped up upon one another to form a pair of spaced parallel capacitor plates having a large number of turns. Connection between the high voltage foil of capacitor 52 and the contact 56 for tube 54 is made by bringing the foil through a slot in plastic coil form 72 and running a conductive copper strip between form 72 and ferrite strip 70 to the aluminum ring 80. This ring is in contact with cylinder 68 and an end plate 86, both of which are conductive. By having cylinder 68 at the same voltage as the capacitor foil, corona discharge in this area is suppressed. A second plurality of spaced ferrite strips 74 are disposed around the outside of the capacitor 52 and a retaining cylinder 76 of plastic or other suitable dielectric material is disposed therearound to maintain the ferrite in place. The ferrite strips 70 and 74 substantially increase the output of a given spiral capacitor. A positioning ring 78 is disposed between an internal shoulder on the canister section 44 and the capacitor 52 assembly, as shown, to maintain the assembly in the proper axial position within the canister 36.
For corona suppression, a metallic corona shield ring 80 having the radially flared configuration illustrated in FIG. 2 is disposed around the interior of the capacitor 52 on the right-hand end thereof, as shown in FIG. 2, and, as previously mentioned, is maintained at a high voltage by connection to the capacitor foil. The suppressor ring 80 abuts the ferrite strips 70 on the internal diameter of the capacitor plate winding arrangement and bears against a cylindrical lead shield 82 which lies between the capacitor 52 and the X-ray tube 54. The lead shield 82 extends the full length of the tube 54, as shown, and terminates at the left-hand end adjacent an annular shield portion 84, as shown. The corona suppression apparatus further comprises the metallic end plate 86 disposed on the left-hand side of the capacitor 52, as shown in FIG. 2, and having the flared configuration shown. The corona suppresser plate 86 is threadedly engaged with the cantilevered high-voltage support ring 64, as shown.
Looking now to the interior of the X-ray tube 54, the high-voltage contact 56 in corona suppressor 86 engages a high-voltage contact rod 88 which is disposed within a plastic tube housing 90 so as to make contact with the left-hand end of a tungsten anode 92 by way of a contact plunger 94 and a contact spring 96 within the reentry portion of the X-ray tube envelope 55. The anode 92 is an elongated and pointed structure, as shown, and cooperates with a cathode assembly 98 hereinafter described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 6 to produce X-ray output pulses upon the application of a high-voltage pulse sequence to the anode by way of the contact 56. These X-ray pulses are directed through the lead collimator washer 100 and the fiberglass window 102 to the object under examination by also disposed around the cylindrical path through which the X-ray beam travels on route to the device being examined for protection of the transformer unit 50. A plurality of feed-through terminal plugs 107 are disposed in the end ring 58 to bring leads from the transformer unit 50 to the external devices in the handle 22.
The details of the transformer unit 50 are partially apparent from the cross sectional view of FIG. 2 and are also apparent from the perspective view of FIG. 5 and the detailed description of the transformer output unit 50 will be given under the FIG. 5 heading found hereinafter.
FIGS. 3 AND 4 Looking now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the details of the spark gap trigger device which operates to apply the high-voltage pulses from the spiral capacitor 52 to the X-ray tube 54 will be described.
As shwon in FIG. 3, the canister 36 has the spark gap trigger device 110 mounted on the external surface thereof and the canister 36 is positioned within the housing 12 of FIG. 1 such that the spark gap trigger device occupies a corner volume which is otherwise wasted space within the housing because of its substantially square or rectangular cross-sectional configuration. The spark gap trigger device comprises an oblong rectangular bracket 112 of conductive metal, such as aluminum, a top plate 4 which is disposed on the oblong bracket I12 and secured thereto by fastener means, such as screws, an interior electrode support plate 116 which is maintained in position within an opening formed in the wall of the canister 36 by an insulative material 118, such as potting compound. The electrode plate 116 supports in the center thereof an elongated strip-like tungsten electrode 120. High voltage capacitor foil 122a is soldered to support plate 116 and is, thus, connected to electrode 120. The low voltage foil 12217 of capacitor 52 is electrically connected to a contact rod 123 which abuts the canister 36 and, thus, is electrically connected to electrode 124 by way of bracket 112 and cover plate 114. The tungsten electrode 124 which is carried by cover plate 114 is parallel, but radially spaced in relationship with the electrode 120. Accordingly, the electrodes and 124 are electrically insulated from one another by the air gap therebetween, this gap being such as to break down and provide a spark discharge thereacross whenever the voltage difference on the capacitor foil exceeds a predetermined magnitude. Note that a slot is provided in the cylinder 76 through which to bring the foils to the trigger device 110.
Looking now to FIG. 5 and also to FIG. 2, the details of the transformer output unit 50 will be described. This unit comprises fine and heavy transformer windings 126 and 127, respectively, disposed on a dielectric winding form 128 and surrounded by ten external cores 130. Each of the cores 130 comprises two'C-shaped silicon-oriented steel core sections, each comprising a plurality of laminations to eliminate internally circulating currents. Each of the C-shaped core sections is secured together by means of a plated steel band 132 so as to form a closed core structure, thus, leaving the center of the transformer output unit 50 hollow to accommodate the X-ray tube 54. A plastic washer 133 is disposed between the cores 130 and the left-hand end of the canister section 46, as shown in FIG. 2 to hold the contact 51 previously described. The coil form 128 is preferably bounded at the right and left-hand ends thereof as seen in FIG. 2 by conductive connectors 134 and 136, respectively, so as to accommodate the electrical interconnection of a plurality of circuit components 138a through 138d between the transformer windings as hereinafter described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 8 and in such a way as to permit the components 138 to be positioned circumferentially between the cores 130. Accordingly, the transformer output unit 50 may be substantially prewired and premanufactured for disposition within the canister section 46 in the fashion of a module. Moreover, this construction contributes to the overall efficiency with which space is utilized in the device 10.
Looking now to FIG. 6, the details of the cathode assembly 98 which forms part of the X-ray tube 54 will be described. In addition, a method for manufacturing the cathode assembly 98 of FIG. 6 will also be described.
{As shown in FIG. 6, the pointed tungsten electrode 92 has a tapered portion 140 about which are spaced woven graphite fabric cathode rings 142 and 144. Rings 142 and 144 are held in place by means of an internally stepped cathode support tube 146 having a radial interior shoulder, a press fit spacer or separator 148 and a cathode clamp ring 150 which is also press fit within the tube 146. A nickel window 152 is held in place adjacent the right-hand end of the assembly 98 between the cathode clamp ring 150 and the end ring 154. It will be noted that the woven graphite fabric cathode rings 142 and 144 are provided with interior diameters which vary as between the two rings so as to maintain a substantially uniform spacing between the outer surface of the tapered portion 140 of the anode 92 and the interior diameters of the cathode rings.
The cathode assembly 98 is preferably manufactured by first cutting out a pair of wafers of graphite fabric, these two wafers having equal diameters as suggested in FIG. 6. The wafer which makes up ring 142 is first placed within the cathode assembly tube 146 and the separator 148 is press fit into place. Atool having an external diameter mating with the interior diameter of tube 146 and carrying a circular cutting blade on the end thereof is then driven through the tube. The blade passes through the wafer held between separator 148 and tube 146 to remove the circular center thereof. The wafer is preferably backed up by a block of Teflon or equivalent plastic to prevent tearing the delicate material thereof. The second wafer and the ring 150 are then put in place and a second tool with a smaller diameter circular blade is driven through the tube 146 to remove the center of graphite ring 144. Again a back up block is employed. The larger diameter hole of ring 142 is unaffected by the second cutting operation. Additional rings may be formed by a straightforward extension of this process, additional separators being required, of course.
The formation of the rings 142 and 144 within the assembly 98 reduces the amount of handling of the delicate graphite cloth and ensures a relatively precise shape and interior diameter thereof. This is of extreme importance inasmuch as the life of the X-ray tube is primarily a function of the durability of the cathode structure. In prior art devices where a plurality of needlelike structures are used in place of the more uniform and homogeneous graphite rings 142 and 144, it has been found that an extremely nonuniform discharge pattern occurs between the anode 92 and the various cathode needles, thus, causing some of the needles to be eroded away quite rapidly, such that the tube effec FIG. 7
Looking first to FIG. 7, a block diagram of the electrical arrangement of the components within the device 10 is shown. As shown in the block diagram, the circuit comprises a power control unit 200 which is essentially disposed within the handle 22 of FIG. 1 and which receives a first input from the switch 42, as shown, and a second input from the switch 28, as shown. When both switches are turned on, the power control unit 200 operates to provide either dc power from the battery cartridge 20 or ac power from an inverter assembly 202 to the high voltage transformer output unit 50. The power control unit 200 operates with or without a delay in accordance with the setting of the delay timer 32. The high-voltage transformer output unit 50 then provides a charging voltage to the high-voltage plate of the spiral capacitor 52 which is connected electrically in parallel with the electrodes 120 and 124 of the spark gap trigger device and the anode and cathode of the X-ray tube 54. Whenever the voltage reaches the predetermined level, a discharge or arcing occurs between the electrodes and 124, thus,'to apply a high-voltage pulse to the X-ray tube 54. It will be noted that the cathode of the X-ray tube 54, the electrode 124, and one of the plates of the capacitor 52 are all connected to the system ground 204. A feedback signal is derived from the junction between resistors 206 and 208 and is fed by way of line 210 to the counter assembly 212. The counter is essentially a pulse counter and is set by the thumbwheel switches which form part of the unit 30 shown in FIG. 1.
Accordingly, one may set the unit or device 10 for any number of output X-ray pulses from one to ninetynine, may further set a delay time of up to one minute or more by means of the delay timer 32 and thereafter depresses the hand switch 28 so as to cause a high voltage to be applied to the spiral capacitor 52. Once the capacitor 52 is charged up to a predetermined level, the arcing or discharge between the electrodes of the trigger device 110 occurs and applies a transient to the tube 54 to produce the X-ray output pulses. When the predetermined number of pulses has been generated, thefeedback signal on line 210 applied to the counter assembly 212 causes a stop signal to be applied to the power control 200 by way of line 214, thus,"terminating any further application of the high-voltage signal to the spiral capacitor 52."The counter 212 is reset via line 215 each time the switch 28 is depressed.
Looking now to the circuit of FIG. 8, the electrical details of the inverter assembly 202 as well as the nature of the windings 126 and 127 in the transformer output unit and the interrelation thereof with the feedback line trigger device and spiral capacitor are shown.
In FIG. 8, mode select switches 42, 42', and 42" are all capable of being positioned in each of the ac and dc positions so as to permit the device 10 to operate off of the battery cartridge or directly from an ac power source through terminal block 301. When operated in the dc mode, the 28.8 volt output of battery cartridge 20 is connected to a first inverter stage 300 through resistors 334 and 336. The inverter stage 300 is a conventional push-pull converter comprising PNP-type transistors 302 and 304 having the collector electrodes thereof connected to opposite ends of a center-tapped primary winding 306. Voltage stability is provided by means of a Zener diode 308 having one electrode connected commonly to the emitters of transistors 302 and 304 and the other electrode connected through diodes 310 and 312 to the opposite ends of the transformer winding 306. The push-pull operation of the inverter stage 300 is provided by means of the inductive cross coupling which results from the center-tapped winding 307 the opposite ends of which are connected to the base or control electrodes of transistors 302 and 304.
Primary winding 306 drives secondary windings 314 and 316 which form part ofa second inverter stage 318 comprising transistors 320 and 322. The second stage 318 is similar to the first stage 300 and further comprises a precision Zener diode 326 and current-limiting diodes 328 and 330. The transistors 320 and 322 have the emitter electrodes thereof connected through the switches 42' and 42". respectively, to opposite ends of the center-tapped primary winding 324. It will be noted that the center tap of primary winding 324 is returned to the 28.8 volt battery cartridge 20 by way of the hand switch 28 as well as the mode select switch 42. Winding 324 drives secondarywinding 330 to provide the high voltage signal which is applied through a diode inverter bridge 332 to the capacitor 52 and also to the electrodes 120 and 124 of the spark gap trigger device 110. The voltage divider resistors 206 and 208 which provide the feedback signal to the counter by way of line 210 are also shown in FIG. 8.
When the circuit of FIG. 8 is operated in the ac mode, switches 42, 42', and 42" are all set to the ac positions, thus, to apply ac power through the hand switch 28 directly to only the upper half of the primary winding 324. The ac signal is also applied via line 340 to the auxiliary winding 338 which effectively takes the place of the lower half of the primary winding 324 in the ac mode.
The windings 306, 307, 314, 316, 324, and 330 are all part of the windings represented by reference character 127 in the detailed cross-sectional view of FIG. 2. Winding 330 in FIG. 8 corresponds to winding 126 in FIG. 2. Moreover, the diode bridge components 332 as well as various other components in the inverter circuit of FIG. 8 may be disposed in the positions represented by the position of components 138 of FIG. 5.
In a practical embodiment of the invention, the circuit of FIG. 8 is capable'of producing a rectified output of approximately 7 kilovolts thereby to charge the spiral capacitor 52." Thetransistors in the second stage 318 of the circuit of FIG. 8 are preferably high-power transistors capable of conducting l5 amperes or more. The primary winding 338 preferably comprises 250 turns of No. 27 wire, the upper and lower halves of the primary winding 24 comprise 65 turns each of No. 27 wire and the secondary winding 330 comprises 26,000 turns of No. 40 wire.
Additional detailed information regarding the theory of operation of a high-votlage high-voltage capacitor may be found in the Proceedings of the IEE, Volume I l I, No. 4, April I964, pages 849 through 855, Novel Principal of'Transient High Voltage Generation," by Fitch and Howell.
It is to be understood that the invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment thereof and various modifications, changes, additions, and rearrangements are possible within the scope of the art and, accordingly, the foregoing description is not to be construed in a limiting sense.
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. An 'X-ray source device comprising: a voltage generator including a wrapped foil spiral capacitor of cylindrical configuration; a transformer unit including cylindrical windings; the capacitor and transformerunit' being coaxially disposed in axially spaced relationpa sealed cylindrical metallic canister containing both the capacitor and transformer unit and being electrically connected to each; an X-ray tube disposed coaxially with the capacitor and transformer unit, and trigger means electrically connecting the tube to said capacitor to received voltage pulses therefrom.
2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said canister comprises first and second axially aligned cylindrical portions.
3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said first and second portions are threaded for complemental joining thereof.
4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising spark gap trigger means electrically connected to said capacitor for discharging same at a predetermined voltage level, said trigger means being externally mounted on the sidewall of said canister.
5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 including a housing for said canister and X-ray tube, said housing havinga substantially rectangular configuration in cross section.
6. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said spark gap trigger means comprises first and second spaced electrodes, the first electrode being electrically isolated from said canister and electrically connected to the high voltage foil of said capacitor, said second elec trode being electrically connected to the low voltage foil of said capacitor through said canister.
7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said capacitor comprises a cylindrical support member of conductive metal having radially flared ends and carrying said wrapped foil capacitor concentrically thereon, and a pair of annular metallic end plates secured to and in electrical contact with said support member.
8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 including a dielectric corona shield cantilevered to an end plate of said support member.
9. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said transformer unit includes at least one primary winding and one secondary winding, and a rectifier bridge electrically connected across the secondary winding, the components of said bridge being disposed on and carried by said transformer unit between said spaced cores.
10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said transformer unit includes at least one primary and one secondary winding. a dc voltage source, and a power converter circuit connected between said source and said primary winding to convert an ac input voltage to dc.
11. An X-ray source device comprising a housing. a spiral capacitor within said housing, a transformer electrically connected to the capacitor and having at least a primary winding and a secondary winding of cylindrical configuration and disposed within said housing coaxial with but axially spaced from said capacitor, a spark gap trigger device in said housing, an X-ray emitting tube. means electrically connecting said capacitor secondary winding and trigger device to said tube to provide high voltage pulses thereto, a battery cartridge including a dc source. a cartridge receptacle within said housing and accessible to an outer surface thereof, means for permitting said cartridge to be slidably inserted into and removed from said receptacle, means including connector means for connecting said source to said primary winding when the cartridge is in the receptacle, said connector means including a first portion fixed to said cartridge, said first and second portions being aligned with the axis of sliding displacement of said cartridge relative to said housing for electrical engagement and disengagement as said cartridge is slided into and out of said receptacle.
12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 including a door normally covering said receptacle but having open and closed positions, said door being pivotally connected to said housing for movement between said positions, said open position being wholly within said housing, and
means for biasing the door to the closed position.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|6 Jun 1923
|29 Jun 1926
|Albert Wielich
|Portable x-ray apparatus
|20 Sep 1926
|15 Apr 1930
|Wappler Electric Company Inc
|Chi-ray machine
|5 Oct 1933
|16 Nov 1937
|Arno Brasch
|Apparatus for producing extremely fast corpuscular rays
|21 Dec 1933
|12 Apr 1938
|Philips Nv
|X-ray apparatus
|8 Jan 1936
|20 Dec 1938
|Kelley Koett Mfg Company Inc
|High frequency chi-ray apparatus
|8 Feb 1939
|28 Jan 1941
|Hartford Nat Bank & Trust Co
|Chi-ray apparatus
|19 Oct 1949
|10 Nov 1953
|Borg George W Corp
|X-ray apparatus
|14 Dec 1953
|26 Mar 1957
|Boucher Cormack E
|Portable chi-ray unit
|4 Feb 1958
|16 Feb 1960
|Siemens Reiniger Werke Ag
|X-ray apparatus
|21 Aug 1961
|17 Mar 1964
|6 Mar 1961
|23 Feb 1965
|Zenith Radio Corp
|System for producing short pulses of x-ray energy
|10 Nov 1964
|11 Mar 1969
|Atomic Energy Commission
|High voltage field-reversal pulse generator using a laser switching means to activate a field emission x-ray tube
|10 Mar 1966
|21 Apr 1970
|Vanderpool Charles Enoch
|Portable x-ray apparatus
|17 Aug 1970
|1 Aug 1972
|Bendix Corp
|Portable x-ray generating machine
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|11 Sep 1978
|24 Jun 1980
|Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
|X-ray diagnostic generator
|29 Aug 1980
|22 Feb 1983
|Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
|X-Ray diagnostic generator
|1 Aug 1983
|24 Feb 1987
|Kevex Corporation
|Modular portable X-ray source with integral generator
|30 Jul 1985
|15 Sep 1987
|Kevex Corporation
|Hand held precision X-ray source
|15 Aug 1985
|15 Sep 1987
|New England Institute Of Comparative Medicine
|Transportable X-ray apparatus
|1 Mar 1989
|31 Dec 1991
|Kevex X-Ray Inc.
|Hand held high power pulsed precision x-ray source
|26 Oct 1993
|15 Aug 1995
|Golden; John
|Cold-cathode x-ray emitter and tube therefor
|25 Jul 1997
|29 Dec 1998
|Xrt Corp.
|Miniature x-ray device having cold cathode
|27 Apr 1998
|30 May 2000
|Chornenky; Victor Ivan
|Method and x-ray device using pulse high voltage source
|20 Feb 1998
|1 Aug 2000
|Xrt Corp.
|X-ray device having a dilation structure for delivering localized radiation to an interior of a body
|16 Jan 1998
|22 Aug 2000
|Medtronic Ave, Inc.
|Diamond vacuum housing for miniature x-ray device
|3 Mar 1999
|2 Jan 2001
|Siemens-Elema Ab
|X-ray system with internal power supply including battery power and capacitively stored power
|28 Oct 1996
|20 Mar 2001
|The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
|Mobile X-ray unit
|4 Mar 1999
|29 May 2001
|Advanced Laser & Fusion Technology
|Radiation E.G. X-ray pulse generator mechanisms
|8 Sep 1999
|5 Mar 2002
|The Regents Of The University Of California
|Miniature x-ray source
|21 Feb 1997
|23 Apr 2002
|Medtronic Ave, Inc.
|Device for delivering localized x-ray radiation and method of manufacture
|22 Aug 1996
|28 Sep 2004
|Medtronic Ave, Inc.
|X-ray catheter
|17 Oct 2006
|10 Mar 2009
|Alft Inc.
|Soft x-ray generator
|10 Dec 2007
|21 Apr 2009
|Poskom Co., Ltd.
|Battery-powered portable x-ray imaging apparatus
|13 Mar 2006
|18 Aug 2009
|Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
|Radiographic apparatus
|13 Mar 2006
|3 Aug 2006
|Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
|Radiographic apparatus
|17 Oct 2006
|19 Apr 2007
|Robert Dotten
|Soft x-ray generator
|10 Dec 2007
|7 Aug 2008
|Poskom Co., Ltd.
|Battery-powered portable x-ray imaging apparatus
|17 Oct 1997
|7 May 1998
|The Government Of The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
|Mobile x-ray unit
|U.S. Classification
|378/102, 378/103, 378/121
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification


text:
Hi all,
I took some minutes to write down a class comment for the SessionManager class. There was an issue asking for it:
Since it is an important topic, and sometimes too low level for some people, I'd like to have some feedback. Is it well explained? Is there something that is key for you and is missing?
I know that the comment is not exhaustive, it can be iterated and enhanced, but we can have a nice first version of it for the release.
I am the object responsible of managing how sessions work in Pharo.
A session defines the boundaries of work in the image.
A new session starts when the image starts or when the image is saved.
A session ends when the image quits or it is saved.
There is only one active session at a single point of time.
Saving the image causes the active to stop, and starts a new session.
The current active session is hold by myself, the singleton session manager. It can be accessed by doing:
SessionManager default currentSession.
The most important responsibility of the session manager is to manage how resources and services in the image are started up and shut down at the beginning and end of a session respectively. For example, when the image starts, several initialization routines should be executed to make sure that the image has access to the graphic drivers, the standard input/output file descriptors and so on.
Such initialization happens in the #snapshot:andQuit: method. #snapshot:andQuit: will:
- stop current session
- save current image if requested
- quit if requested
- start a new session
When a session is started, all elements registered in the startup list are started up.
When a session is stopped, all elements registered in the shutdown list are shut down.
# Managing Startup and Shutdown lists
The startup and shutdown lists can be accessed through the messages:
SessionManager default startupList.
SessionManager default shutdownList.
In general terms, the shutdown list is the startup list reversed.
Upon a startup [shutdown], all elements in the startup list are sent the message #startup: [#shutdown:] with a boolean as argument that indicates wether the image is being saved [closed].
Internally, startup and shutdown lists are prioritised. Priorities are managed by startup categories. By default the session manager includes the following categories in decreasing priority order:
- System
- Network
- Graphical User Interface
- Tools
- User
Categories can be accessed as follows:
SessionManager default categoryNamed: aName.
New categories can be registered in the system using the messages:
SessionManager default createCategory: aCategoryName.
SessionManager default createCategory: aCategoryName after: anotherCategoryName.
Finally, to subscribe some resource handler to the startup shutdown lists, we need to subscribe a handler, subclass of AbstractSessionHandler.
The most common handler implementation so far is the ClassSessionHandler, that allows to subscribe a class for startup and shutdown, keeping backwards compatibility to the old startup mechanism.
ClassSessionHandler forClassNamed: aClassName
We can register a session handler as follows
SessionManager default
register: (ClassSessionHandler forClassNamed: self name)
inCategory: SessionManager default systemCategory.
Or alternatively, by talking to the corresponding category:
SessionManager default systemCategory register: (ClassSessionHandler forClassNamed: self name)
# System Category Priorities
A system category internally prioritizes its elements to provide a fine grained control on the startup and shutdown order.
All methods above have variants that allow developers to specify the priority inside the category:
SessionManager default
register: (ClassSessionHandler forClassNamed: self name)
inCategory: SessionManager default systemCategory
atPriority: 100.
SessionManager default systemCategory
register: (ClassSessionHandler forClassNamed: self name)
atPriority: 100
By default, if no priority is specified, a default priority is used. Every category answers to the message #defaultPriority.
# How does an image restart from the point it was before
An important point in the image startup is how does it manage to restart from the point where it was executing when it was saved.
When the image is saved, using the snapshot primitive, the entire image is freezed at the point of the snapshot.
More particularly, the process that invoked the snapshot primitive is freezed at the point of the primitive call.
This works as a process fork: the running image will return from the snapshot primitive and the saved file will also start from the freezed point.
To differentiate whether we are executing in the running image or in the freshly-saved image, the snapshot primitive returns a boolean indicating it.
Read the comment of #snapshotPrimitive for more details.
I love it!!!!
is hold -> is held?
On Thu, Apr 13, 2017 at 11:41 AM, Guillermo Polito <[hidden email]> wrote:
In reply to this post by Guillermo Polito
I like it! :-)
Maybe it could also goes to the Help Browser, because it is quite extensive.
In reply to this post by Guillermo Polito
hi Guille,
Thanks very much for that detailed write up. I have one concern about the [bracketed] text...
A new session starts when the image starts [or when the image is saved].
A session ends when the image quits [or it is saved].
Doing the following in a playground...
s1 := SessionManager default currentSession.
"Save image without quitting"
s2 := SessionManager default currentSession.
"Save and quit image, then after reloading..."
s3 := SessionManager default currentSession.
s1 == s2. "==> true"
s2 == s3. "==> false"
So it seems a new session does not start when the image is saved.
With that in minds, can you review my proposed modifications...
cheers -ben
On Thu, Apr 13, 2017 at 5:41 PM, Guillermo Polito <[hidden email]> wrote:
Hi Ben, true.
This happens because of this line:
"create a new session object if we're booting"
isImageStarting ifTrue: [ self installNewSession ].
in SessionManager>>snapshot:andQuit:
I'd say we should not change this now, but we should fix it for pharo 7.
On Tue, Apr 18, 2017 at 6:15 PM, Ben Coman <[hidden email]> wrote:
I'm sure I properly understand, you mean to change the behaviour rather than the comment?
My naive understanding and intuition is the current behaviour is fine.
What do you see wrong with it?
cheers -ben
On Wed, Apr 26, 2017 at 11:46 PM, Guillermo Polito <[hidden email]> wrote:
eh! sorry, thats way too confusing to leave alone.
I meant... I'm not sure I properly understand.
On Thu, Apr 27, 2017 at 12:17 AM, Ben Coman <[hidden email]> wrote:
I meant to change the comment and leave the code as is...
On Wed, Apr 26, 2017 at 6:25 PM, Ben Coman <[hidden email]> wrote:
|Free forum by Nabble - Resume Templates
|Edit this page


text:
09.02.2015 - Matthew Weiner, moderated by Ben Gibson
Within the framework of the Drama Series Days. Legendary drama series writer, director and producer Matthew Weiner (MAD MEN) has brought us stories that are catchy as good ad campaigns and characters as deep as the bottom of Don Draper's glass of whisky. This year a member of the International Jury, Weiner will share his rich experiences with shaping stories in the long run of a series and as a feature film director (ARE YOU HERE).
Ben Gibson is the Director of the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB). He was previously Director of Degree Programmes at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and Visiting Professor at Goldsmiths, University of London. From 2001 to 2014, he was Director of the London Film School. He is a former independent producer and was Head of Production at the British Film Institute from 1988 to 1998. He has produced films by Terence Davies, Derek Jarman and others. Before that he was a distributor, exhibitor, theatre director, film critic and journalist.


text:
- News
- Betas
- Finals
- Systems
- Handhelds
- Divisions
- Browse
PS3 No. 3; Diablo III grips top 10 in Japan
By News Division On February 17, 2014 · In Business, News, Playstation 3, Retail, Systems
Sales for Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3 ranked third in Japan in the latest retail figures for the region.
Media Create Co. this month reported the PS3 sold 10,240 units between Feb. 3 to Feb. 9 to rank No. 3 in overall hardware sales.
By comparison, the hardware sold 14,100 units the week prior.
The hardware ranked two titles in the top 10, including Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. Full Boost at No. 3, and Diablo III at No. 9.
The PS3 and PS4 sold 7.8 million units combined in the third quarter.
It forecasts sales of 10 million PS3 units by fiscal Mar. 2014.
The Playstation 4 sells at $399.99.
Follow us on Twitter @PunchJump, @WeLoveHotDeals, @PreOrderBonus, @SQUARE Gentleman, and visit us at Facebook and Google+.
Comments are closed.


text:
It can be hard saving for your first home and can often take several years. However, the Government has created a way for you to save for your first home while they also make some contributions. But questions have been raised over whether it is the best option to choose.
The First Home Saver Account was introduced in October 2008 to help first home buyers save for a deposit on a house. In the past, the First Home Buyer Grants have been extremely beneficial, but since many of the First Home Buyer Grants have been cut recently, many prospective first time owners are looking towards the First Home Saver Account. However, there are some limitations.
This account has a 'four-year rule'. So, you will need to put at least $1,000 into your account every year for at least four tax years to be able to withdraw money to purchase your house. However, these do not have to be consecutive years. This account is for your deposit and for no other reason. You may be thinking that you could just close the account and take the money if you change your mind; however, you are only able to transfer the amount to your superannuation fund if you don't apply the funds towards a deposit.
When the account has reached a maximum balance, you are not able to make any more deposits and the government contributions will stop. For 2012-2013 the maximum amount is $90,000.
There are several benefits to having a First Home Saver Account. The major one being that the government will contribute 17% of your personal contributions into the account every year, however there is a limit on how much the government will give. For 2012-2013 the maximum the government will contribute is $1,020 and that will be reached when you have contributed $6,000. Another benefit is that the interest on the account is not considered income on your tax return.
A First Home Saver Account may not be suitable for those who are considering buying a house within the next two years. However, those who have a medium to long term strategy could benefit, however, you need to weigh up the limitations with the benefits.
If you only pay the minimum and keep the account for the minimum time period, you will get little benefit. First Home Saver Accounts have similar rates to high interest savings account, so the majority of your savings will be from the government benefits and tax savings on the interest. But, if you are only making minimal repayments, you will not receive much from the government or from the tax savings and you may have been better off simply using a high interest savings account without all the limitations.
It is important to pay close attention to the limitations of the First Home Saver Account to ensure it will be best for your situation. Your financial advisor will be the most help to you to ensure you understand the process and can make a well informed decision.
Anouska Linz is Manager, Online Sales at State Custodians and has over 10 years' experience in financial services, both in broking and banking. Holding a bachelors degree in accounting, Anouska quickly discovered a love for mortgage lending and assisting people to achieve their home ownership goals. She leads a team of highly experienced lending specialists who are passionate about finding lending solutions which result in real wins for the customer. She is also a massive netball fan.
For more information on our home loans, visit www.statecustodians.com.au or call 13 72 62.


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ETHANOL WITHDRAWAL IS CHARACTERIZED BY CIRCADIAN ACTIVITY DISTURBANCES IN THE MOUSE INTRODUCTION Ethanol withdrawal is associated with various sleep and circadian pathologies; it has disruptive effects on sleep architecture and circadian rhythmicity as well as broad physiological effects on hormonal secretion (e.g. melatonin and cortisol). Also, the severity of these withdrawal-induced disturbances is concentration- dependent. During abstinence, residual disruptions of sleep homeostasis and circadian timing that exacerbate fragmented sleep and wake episodes increase the risk of relapse. Our experimental goals are three-fold: 1) to assess a withdrawal-induced impairment of photic entrainment capacity 2) to quantify an ethanol-induced unconsolidation of circadian locomotor activity, and 3) to illustrate that these withdrawal-induced circadian disturbances are exacerbated at higher ethanol concentrations in C57BL/6J mice. METHODS Ethanol Treatment. Male mice that received 10% or 15% ethanol dissolved in their drinking water for 2 months (n=7, for each treatment) were introduced to water, while controls (n=7, for each treatment) were maintained on water. Consumption of fluid was measured to the nearest 0.25 mL daily at 1030. Photic Entrainment Capacity. The experiment was conducted under a 1 min light pulse (25 lux) skeleton photoperiod. General circadian locomotor activity was measured using a passive infrared motion detector interfaced with a computerized data acquisition system. Rhythm period, alpha, activity onset, and activity offset relative to the 1 min light pulse were analyzed. Circadian Locomotor Activity. An activity bout was defined as a period of locomotor activity separated by at least 10 min of locomotor quiescence. Activity bouts were quantified across the active and rest periods, and across the 24 hr circadian day. Durations of activity bouts were also plotted. Quantities and durations of activity bouts were averaged over the first 3 days of ethanol withdrawal. RESULTS Withdrawal Unconsolidates Circadian Locomotor Activity. The mean quantities and durations of activity bouts across the active and rest periods and across the 24 hr circadian day did not differ between ethanol drinkers withdrawn from 10% and water controls (p>0.05). Ethanol drinkers withdrawn from 15% had marked unconsolidation of locomotor activity vs. water controls as indicated through more activity bouts across the rest period (11.81 +/- 0.86 vs. 9.29 +/-0.84, respectively; p<0.04) and across the 24 hr circadian day (23.62 +/- 0.81 vs. 19.62 +/- 1.13, respectively; p<0.01) that were subsequently shorter in duration (rest: 12.90 +/- 1.28 min vs. 22.62 +/- 3.85 min, respectively; p<0.04: 24 hr: 24.34 +/- 2.04 min vs. 35.13 +/- 3.25 min, respectively; p<0.02). Withdrawal Increases Sporadic Activity. Frequencies of activity bout durations (bin sizes = 15 min and 60 min) across the 24 hr circadian day revealed that ethanol drinkers withdrawn from 15% had more sporadic activity vs. water controls; ethanol drinkers withdrawn from 15% had more bouts 0-15 min in duration vs. water controls (14.67 +/- 1.17 vs. 10.48 +/- 1.17, respectively; p<0.03) and more bouts <60 min in duration vs. water controls (20.81 +/- 1.31 vs. 16.38 +/- 1.53, respectively; p<0.05). Severity of Circadian Disturbances Is Concentration-Dependent. Ethanol drinkers withdrawn from 15% had more activity bouts vs. ethanol drinkers withdrawn from 10% across the active period (11.81 +/- 0.54 vs. 6.14 +/- 0.60, respectively; p<0.01) and across the 24 hr circadian day (23.62 +/- 0.48 vs. 16.57 +/- 0.81, respectively; p<0.01). A.J. Brager 1, R.A. Prosser 2, and J.D. Glass 1. 1 Dept Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 2 Dept Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. Figure 1: Representative actograms from 10% ethanol withdrawal (top), 15% ethanol withdrawal (middle), and a water control (bottom). These analyses are included within a more extensive experiment assessing ethanol concentration-dependent circadian disturbances following chronic ethanol treatment, withdrawal, and reintroduction. Ethanol withdrawal commences at the green arrow. The solid yellow line annotates the presentation of the 1 min (25 lux) skeleton photoperiod. Figure 2: As shown on the left, mice withdrawn from a 15% ethanol solution had significantly more activity bouts that were subsequently shorter in duration vs. water controls across both the 24 hr circadian day (black) and rest period (dark grey; p>0.05, in all cases). As shown on the right, mice withdrawn from a 15% ethanol solution had more activity bouts across the 24 hr circadian day (black) and across the active period (light grey) vs. mice withdrawn from a 10% ethanol solution (p 0.05). Figure 3: Mice withdrawn from a 15% ethanol solution had significantly more activity bouts < 60 min in duration vs. water controls as illustrated in the frequencies of durations of activity bouts with 15 min bins (top) and 60 min bins (bottom). CONCLUSIONS 1. Ethanol withdrawal unconsolidates circadian locomotor activity across the 24 hr circadian day and rest period by increasing the number and reducing the duration of activity bouts. 2. Ethanol withdrawal increases sporadic activity as reflected through greater frequencies of activity bouts relatively short in duration. 3. The severity of ethanol withdrawal is concentration-dependent; there are more marked disturbances of circadian locomotor activity following withdrawal from 15% vs. 10%. Acknowledgements: NIH grant AA015948 to RAP and JDG
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- Jason and Erin
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Bellevue, WA 98004
Phone: (206) 999-0715
Fax: (425) 468-1308
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Fay Besharat - Sales Associate / Partner
Moving to the United States from France in 1975, Fay has been an active Real Estate professional since 1988. With degrees in both French Literature, and Accounting, Fay brings over 29 years of award winning experience to the table. Among her many accolades, Fay sold an average of 60 million dollars of real estate per year. This production has ranked her as being in the top 1% of realtors.
Along with her expertise in selling existing homes, Fay has also established relationships with many of the eastside's premier builders, to provide her clients with new construction homes. With Fay's personal goal to always be there for the client, her attention to detail and her marketing expertise, "Her service will exceed your expectations."
Fay believes that direct communication, time and effort are the 3 things that have helped her create successful, lasting relationships. It's her "can do" attitude that will make selling or buying a home a positive experience.
Fay's passions outside her profession include her 2 children, philosophy, psychology, yoga, meditation, traveling and her extended family.
To help you find a home, or answer any questions please call or email today.
Amin Besharat - Sales Associate / Partner
Amin joined Fay's team in 2002 and became partner in 2006. Amin has lived in the Kirkland area all of his life, growing up in a very influential family of real estate; his mother being in the "Top 1% of Realtors" and his father being a prestigious architect on the eastside. Amin graduated from the University of San Diego in 2003 with honors and a degree in Political Science. His other passion includes playing basketball and watching the University of Washington's basketball team. Amin is a proud Tyee donor to the men's Huskies Basketball team for the last 7 years.
Brittany Buttelmann - Sales Associate / Client Services
Brittany came to the Besharat team in April of 2013. Prior to joining Remax, Brittany was the Event Coordinator and worked in marketing for Comprehensive Payment Recovery Services from 2008 until 2013. Brittany's enthusiasm for real estate and passion for working with, and helping people is what ultimately lead her to the Besharat team. Helping our clients turn their dreams into reality and being part of a team with a long history of serving our client's needs with the utmost customer service levels and integrity is the reason Brittany felt at home pursuing her real estate career with Remax and the Besharat team.
Khalisa Davies - Loan Officer / Caliber Home Loans
My name is Khalisa Davies and I come to you with 7+ years of mortgage experience. My team and I take pride in offering the highest level of customer service while striving to develop and maintain long-term client relationships. Lending is more than just processing loans - it's making sure you have a positive experience while securing a loan that's tailored to your personal circumstances and goals. One of my most crucial tasks is taking the time to educate my clients to be sure they have an understanding throughout the loan process. I am always here when you need me for any questions or concerns that may arise. It is my personal goal to ensure that each client has a smooth and stress-free experience, resulting in clients for life. By doing this, our team has built a strong referral-based business making us the Top 1% team in nation in mortgage lending. I look forward to the opportunity to speak with you and understand your mortgage objectives. Feel free to apply online at www.bradyyeager.com or contact me directly at firstname.lastname@example.com or 425.605.3182
John Bloomquist - Title & Escrow Representative / Ticor Title
Setting the standard for exceptional customer service has been John's passion for over 25 years. John has paired his extensive knowledge of customers service , alongside others with far-reaching experience from all facets of the title and escrow, real estate, and lending industries, with a company whose core values are a cutting edge technology and communication, a reliable customer-centric approach, and dedication to building long term scalable solutions for clients. John's ultimate goal is seeing his clients succeed! John and his wife Cristina live in the Maple Leaf neighborhood of Seattle with their two beautiful children Ella age 12 and Erick age 9.


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Kids get some valuable Arabic alphabet practice with this cool learning Arabic worksheet by practicing how to read and write the letter "Dhāl."
Kids have fun learning the Arabic language with this cute and cool worksheet that has them practice writing and pronouncing the letter Dāl.
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It's the Arabic Alphabet for kids! Practice writing Jīm in its initial, medial, final, and isolated forms with this cool worksheet.
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text: From Manly Daily:- BLINDSIDE loves a good rumour and heard this week the Sea Eagles are close to signing a current rugby player for 2008. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I know this is severely greedy - but can I dare hope this is Ma'a Nonu? What a great replacement for the mighty Beaver when he retires.


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The shy, timid on field figure of Mesut Özil has been banished from the Premier League by none other than the man himself. When the German signed for Arsenal back in 2013 on deadline day, he broke Arsenal's transfer fee record, and became the most expensive German footballer in history.
Under the spotlight
With a £42.5m price tag on his head, Özil was placed under the microscope of Premier League figures and opposing fans as most expensive foreign players regularly are. It seemed that every wrong move the midfielder made was the topic of the headlines on the newspapers the next day, as he appeared to be a fatigued and fragile shell of the man that was loved at Real Madrid.
Perhaps that is a bit harsh on the magician, but it would only be fair to point out the fact that he naturally took time to adapt to the demanding nature of the Premier League.
Turning point
The turning point for Özil was notably his injury in October 2014, leaving him on the side line for three months after he ruptured a ligament in his knee. The time out of action massively benefitted the playmaker, although injuries are never easy to deal with, especially when Özil was aiming to make his mark in the league that season.
During his time recovering, Özil focused on his side of the game that he never really had required in La Liga, but is an essential part of playing in the centre of the park in the Premier League. He wasn't prepared to deal with the physical ambush commonly associated with the carnage of a trip to the Britannia stadium, but he set his targets high, and focused solely on improving his upper body strength.
Özil made his comeback in January, a home game against Stoke in which he could put his new physique to practice. Fans were in shock at Özil's transformation, as his Puma tight fitting kit seemed to have been sprayed on, a positive transition as his overall game sped up as a result.
All hail the King
As for this seasons form, Özil hugely benefitted from spending his first pre-season with the gunners, as he started his admirable Premier League campaign in style after the squad's trip to Singapore.
In his first season as a red, Özil was signed on deadline day, meaning his first appearance came on the second day of the season. Preparations for his second season were put on hold as he recovered from winning the World Cup with Germany in a tremendous feat in Brazil.
Spending time with his Arsenal teammates was essential for Özil, as his performance in pre-season gave fans a glimpse of what their club paid £42.5m for…he was running the show for Arsenal.
He continued to do so, registering 19 assists and scoring six goals in the Premier League that season.
Negative Factors
Tactically, Özil's game has been stalled by those around him, before he took flight last season.
In his first season, his adapting period of course slowed down the pace of his true ability, as did the incredible form of fellow midfielder Aaron Ramsey. The dominance of a borderline world-class Ramsey pushed Özil aside, as he was unable to find his feet alongside the ravishing Welshman.
In his second season, before his injury, Özil was commonly played on the left wing rather than his favoured, and renowned central attacking midfield position. This was in some way destined to happen, following his success at the World Cup in which Joachim Löw predominantly played Özil on the left wing.
However, a left winger in La Liga/International level varies in value of the expectations of a Premier League winger; the fact being, if you don't have pace, it won't work for you. The German playmaker was unable to dictate the play of his team as he is notorious for doing, pulling the strings in the traditional number ten role.
Central attacking brilliance
When it finally clicked for Özil, it clicked, and it clicked well. He was the dominant figure of Arsenal's second place finish in the Premier League, breaking the record for the most chances created in a Premier League season – 144. Although only nineteen of his 144 were converted – painful for anyone to read – his efforts did not go unnoticed as he was rightfully crowned Arsenal Player of the Season.
It has taken a long while for Özil to live up to his expectations in an Arsenal shirt, mainly because of his heroics in Madrid that put stars in the eyes of Arsenal fans. He has certainly put his critics to shame this season, it would be incredibly difficult to criticise an area of his season, unless of course you mention the fact that he doesn't fit the admired figure of a traditional powerhouse, workhorse, goal scoring Premier League attacking midfielder.
We'll keep Özil just the way he is, performing in his prime at Arsenal Football Club.


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14 Window Marketers Get FTC Warnings On Energy Claims
The warning letters highlight claims that consumers will save more than 30 percent on their energy or heating and cooling bills by installing replacement windows, the FTC said. The companies were told any energy-savings claims must be backed by scientific evidence and that they should be specific about the type of savings consumers can expect.
"The FTC has made no...
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Experts shed light on payment protection products
NEW YORK - MAY 20: In this photo illustration, major U.S. credit cards are seen on May 20, 2009 in New York City. In new landmark credit card legislation, the United States Senate has voted 90 to 5 to pass a bill that would restrict credit card issuers' ability to further raise interest rates and charge fees. Known as the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act, or Credit CARD Act, the new rules would force companies to post their credit rules on the internet and provide cardholders with a written statement explaining pending interest-rate hikes 45 days in advance. (Photo Illustration by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
TULSA - The swipe of a credit card can seem like a pain-free purchase until the bill comes.
In these uncertain financial times many people are buying debt protection products but experts say all too often you'll pay out far more than you'll ever see in the form of forgiven debt.
The Government Accountability Office, GAO, just released a study which found credit card holders received just 21 cents in tangible financial benefits for every dollar spent on debt protection product fees.
Credit card industry watchdog
LowCards.com says you need to know before you buy what that promised protection actually covers.
Often it's only a minimum payment for a few months.
Which, even if you're carrying several thousand dollars on your credit card, could add up to less than a hundred bucks in benefits.
Click here to read more from LowCards.com about payment protection.


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Valet Ducted Vacuum System spare parts. Parts for Hills DasVac DV1, DV2, CV1200, CV1600. Lux motors, motor brushes and many more parts and motors available for many brands, if you can't find it here, send us an email and we will try and track it down.
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Using a rear mounted camera and LCD monitor park with more confidence. Larger systems are available using multiple cameras.
Features of Infrared Rear View Wireless Colour Kit DIY - CC-VE3500IR:
- Signal transmits using no complex wire layout, wireless transmission is easy to install
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- Choose manual or auto sequential switching between 2 wireless cameras,
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Sparkle Car Wash provides self-service wash bays to ensure your vehicle gets the spotless cleaning it needs. When your vehicle gets filthy, be sure to visit Sparkle Car wash!
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English duo chase Gohouri
Stoke and Sunderland are rumoured to be tracking Borussia Monchengladbach defender Steve Gohouri.
By Giscard Gourizro
Last Updated: 18/01/09 12:42pm
The agent of Steve Gohouri has remained tight-lipped regarding speculation linking the Borussia Monchengladbach defender with Stoke and Sunderland.
The Premier League strugglers are rumoured to be tracking the 27-year-old as they look to reinforce their backlines in the battle against relegation.
A number of other European clubs are also reported to be watching Gohouri ahead of a possible deal in the January transfer window.
The Ivory Coast international is understood to have suffered a bust-up with manager Hans Meyer and could be looking for an opportunity to leave Germany.
But Gohouri's representative - Rui Jorge - has declined to confirm or deny interest from England, telling skysports.com: "I do not have anything to say. Steve is fine, wait and see."