Author: claimsbot

1) A method for the production of rails and similar products with a rolling plant,
wherein the plant comprises a reversible intermediate working station (3),
the intermediate working station (3) comprising a first (30) and a second universal stand (32),
a high edging stand (31) placed between said first and second universal stand (30, 32), the intermediate working station (3) being able to receive a pre-rough rolled bar from an appropriate upstream rough rolling station (2) and to deliver it, after having worked it, to a downstream finishing station (4),
the method comprising, in the order indicated, the following operations:
a first rolling passage (U1) in said second universal stand (32);
a first rolling passage (E1) in said high edging stand (31);
a first rolling passage (U2) in said first universal stand (30),
characterised by the fact that said three stands (30, 31, 32) are placed at such a distance between each other that said bar can be held simultaneously in all three of said stands (30, 31, 32) during rolling operations.
2) The method according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that said first rolling passage (U1) in said second universal stand (32) is performed with a reduction ratio (\u03c11) greater than the reduction ratio (\u03c12) with which is performed said first rolling passage (U2) in said first universal stand (30).
3) The method according to claim 2, characterised by the fact that said reduction ratio (\u03c11) with which is performed said first rolling passage (U1) in said second universal stand (32) is comprised of between around 10% and around 30%, and said reduction ratio (\u03c12) with which is performed said first rolling passage (U2) in said first universal stand (30) is comprised of between around 3% and; around 25%.
4) The method according to claim 3, characterised by the fact that said reduction ratio (\u03c11) with which is performed said first rolling passage (U1) in said second universal stand (32) is equal to around 20%, and said reduction ratio (\u03c12) with which is performed said first rolling passage (U2) in said first universal stand (30) is equal to around 10%.
5) The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that said first rolling passage (U1) in said second universal stand (32) is preceded by a second rolling passage (E2) in said high edging stand (31).
6) The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that said following said first rolling passage (U1) in said second universal stand (32) and prior to said first rolling passage (E1) in said high edging stand (31) is carried out on said bar for rolling a second rolling passage (U3) in said second universal stand (32).
7) The method according to claim 6, characterised by the fact that said second rolling passage (U3) in said second universal stand (32) is performed with a reduction ratio (\u03c13) comprised of between around 10% and around 30%.
8) The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that following said first rolling passage (U2) in said first universal stand (30) is performed a third rolling passage (E3) in said high edging stand (31).
9) The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that immediately following said first rolling passage (U2) in said first universal stand (30), in said first universal stand (30) is performed a second rolling passage (U4).
10) The method according to claim 9, characterised by the fact that said second rolling passage (U4) carried out in said first universal stand (30) is performed with a reduction ratio (\u03c14) comprised of between around 3% and around 20%;
11) The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised by the fact that said third rolling passage (E3) in said high edging stand (31) is successive to said second rolling passage (U4) in said first universal stand (30).
12) The method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised by the fact of comprising a series of operations substantially constituted of the following rolling passages, in the sequence indicated:
said second rolling passage (E2) in said high edging stand (31) on exiting from said pre-rough rolling station (2)
said first rolling passage (U1) in said second universal stand (32)
said second rolling passage (U3) in said second universal stand (32)
said first rolling passage (E1) in said high edging stand (31)
said first rolling passage (U2) in said first universal stand (30)
said second rolling passage (U4) in said first universal stand (30).
said third rolling passage (E3) in said high edging stand (31),
A rolling passage (UF) in said finishing station (4).
13) A method for the production of rails and similar products through rolling comprising a finishing operation (UF) of a bar transformed to a semi-worked rail, characterised by the fact that said finishing operation (UF) comprises a rolling passage in a universal stand (4) fitted with a first vertical roll (402, 422) able to work the base (B) of said rail, and a second vertical roll (403, 423) able to work the head (T) of said rail, and said first and second vertical rolls are able to roll the head (T) and said base (B) simultaneously.
14) The method according to claim 13, characterised by the fact that said finishing operation (UF) is performed with a reduction ratio (\u03c1F) comprised of between around 1% and around 15%.
15) The method according to claims 13 andor 14, characterised by the fact that said vertical rolls (403, 423) able to work said head (T) of said semi-worked rail is able to roll rails comprising a head (T) comprising
a central rollable surface (T1), able to vertically support the wheels of a railway vehicle
two lateral flanks (T2, T3) located or vertically or with a slight inclination with respect to vertical when said rail is installed, and able to supply a lateral support to said wheels of said railway vehicle
two curved joining area (T4, T5), each of which gradually joins said central surfaces (T1) to one of said lateral flanks (T2, T3),
and said vertical rolls (403, 423) able to work said head (T) of said semi-worked rail comprising a rolling groove which in turn comprises a central zone able to deform and refinish said central rollable surfaces (T1)
16) The method according to claim 15, characterised by the fact that said rolling groove of said vertical rolls (403, 423), able to work said head (T) of said semi-worked rail, comprising two lateral surfaces, placed to the sides of said central areas and able to contain and conform said lateral flanks (T2, T3) of said head (T) of said semi-worked rail.
17) A rolling plant for the implementation of a method according to one or more preceding claims, said plant comprising a reversible intermediate working section (3) able to receive a pre-rough rolled bar from an appropriate upstream rough rolling station (2) and to supply it, after having worked it, to a downstream finishing station (4), where said intermediate working section (3) comprises, located in succession along at least one rolling axis, a first universal stand (30) and a high edging stand (31), comprising a second universal stand (32) located, along said at least one rolling axis, such that said high edging stand (31) is placed between said first and second universal stands (30, 32), characterised by the fact that said three stands (30, 31, 32) are located at such distances from each other that said bar can be held simultaneously in all three said stands (30, 31, 32) during rolling operations.
18) A plant according to claim 17, characterised by the fact that said three stands (30, 31, 32) of said intermediate rolling section (3) are placed one after the other, is without the interposition of further rolling stands.
19) A plant according to claims 17 andor 18, characterised by the fact of comprising a finishing station (4) comprising in turn a finishing stand placed at such a distance from said intermediate working section (3) that, when said finishing stand works a finishing passage on said bar (UF), said bar is not held in any of the said stands (30, 31, 32) of said intermediate working section (3).

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A circular-shaped metal structure fabricated by plastic-working and having a wall thickness in the range of 0.03 mm to 0.09 mm both inclusive,
said circular-shaped metal structure being formed of a first metal film and a second metal film different from the first integrally rolled together to form an unitary structure,
wherein a film composed of silicon and fluorocarbon resin is coated on a surface of said circular-shaped metal structure.
2. The circular-shaped metal structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first metal film is comprised of a stainless steel film, and said second metal film is comprised of a copper film.
3. The circular-shaped metal structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein said stainless steel film has a thickness A and said copper film has a thickness B, wherein a ratio A:B is in a range of 1:2 to 29:1 both inclusive.
4. The circular-shaped metal structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein said circular-shaped metal structure has a wall thickness of 0.03 mm, in which said stainless steel film has a thickness in the range of 0.01 mm to 0.029 mm both inclusive and said copper film has a thickness in the range of 0.02 mm to 0.001 mm both inclusive.
5. The circular-shaped metal structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said film is coated only on an outer surface of said circular-shaped metal structure.
6. The circular-shaped metal structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said circular-shaped metal structure is plated at a surface thereof with copper.
7. The circular-shaped metal structure as set forth in claim 6, wherein said circular-shaped metal structure is plated only at an outer surface thereof with copper.
8. The circular-shaped metal structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein a reduction rate of a thickness of said circular-shaped metal structure after plastic-working to a thickness of said circular-shaped metal structure before plastic-working is equal to or greater than 40%.
9. The circular-shaped metal structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said circular-shaped metal structure has a Vickers hardness Hv equal to or greater than 380 after plastic-working.
10. The circular-shaped metal structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said circular-shaped metal structure has a Vickers hardness Hv in the range of 100 to 250 both inclusive after plastic-working and then annealed.
11. The circular-shaped metal structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plastic-working is spinning-working.

We claim:

1. A method for increasing the reaction velocity of chemical binding of DNA to DNA probe molecules in a microarray or gene chip system for identification and quantitation of gene expression or single nuclotide mutations, where the solution that contains the DNA molecules is insonified with ultrasound.
2. A method according to claim 1, where the ultrasound waves produce streaming in the DNA solution.
3. A method for increasing the processing speed of DNA binding to DNA-probe molecules on a micro array, where ultrasound waves are used in the washing process of the micro array after the hybridization process.
4. A method according to claim 1, where the ultrasound is generated by bulk wave transducers in acoustic contact with the DNA solution.
5. A method according to claim 1, where the ultrasound bulk waves in the DNA are generated from ultrasound surface waves in a material in contact with the DNA solution.
6. A method according to claim 5, where the ultrasound surface waves are generated by electromechanical coupling between a piezoceramic film on the surface of said material in contact with the DNA solution, and metallic finger electrodes on the surface of said piezoeramic film.
7. A method according to claim 1, where the ultrasound bulk waves in the DNA solution are generated with cmut ultrasound transducers.
8. A method according claim 5, where said material in contact with the DNA solution is the micro array substrate itself.
9. A method according to claim 4, where the micro array substrate is mounted directly onto said bulk wave transducers.
10. A method according to claim 9, where said bulk wave transducers are made as piezoceramic films adhered to the micro array substrate.
11. A method according to claim 1, where the ultrasound is transmitted from the transducers that are external to the reaction chamber, the transducers being either in direct contact with the reaction chamber or in acoustic contact with the reaction chamber through a contact material, such as a fluid or a solid.
12. A method according to claim 11, where several micro-array reaction chambers are processed in parallel, where all the reaction chambers are in contact with the same material where the ultrasound waves are generated, wherefrom the ultrasound waves are coupled into all reaction chambers in parallel.
13. A method according to claim 3, where the ultrasound is generated by bulk wave transducers in acoustic contact with the DNA solution.
14. A method according to claim 3, where the ultrasound bulk waves in the DNA are generated from ultrasound surface waves in a material in contact with the DNA solution.
15. A method according to claim 3, where the ultrasound bulk waves in the DNA solution are generated with cmut ultrasound transducers.
16. A method according to claim 3, where the ultrasound is transmitted from the transducers that are external to the reaction chamber, the transducers being either in direct contact with the reaction chamber or in acoustic contact with the reaction chamber through a contact material, such as a fluid or a solid.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An apparatus for forming a multi-color image, comprising:
a plurality of developer units that contain a plurality of single-color developer materials, respectively, the plurality of developer materials having respective different single colors;
a latent-image forming device that forms each latent image on a photoconductor, using each corresponding one of the plurality of developer materials that has been supplied from each corresponding one of the plurality of developer units;
a developer-image forming device that visualizes the each latent image which has been previously formed, into each corresponding single-color separated-developer-image, and that electrically transfers in sequence the each single-color separated-developer-image which has been previously formed, from the photoconductor onto an image transferred medium onto which the each single-color separated-developer-image is to be sequentially transferred, for a superimposed registration of a plurality of single-color separated-developer-images, to thereby form a multi-color composite-developer-image on the image transferred medium; and
a controller that performs an anti reverse-transfer control such that a surface potential of a previously-formed separated-developer-image subset of a plurality of single-color separated-developer-images which has been previously transferred onto the image transferred medium is reduced, prior to a subsequent transfer in which a remainder of the plurality of separated-developer-images is transferred onto the image transferred medium after a previous transfer of the previously-formed separated developer-image subset onto the image transferred medium, to thereby prevent a reverse transfer of a part of the each developer material on the image transferred medium from the image transferred medium onto the photoconductor at the subsequent transfer.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the each developer unit is configured to collect a residual of the each developer material which remains on the photoconductor after transfer of the each corresponding single-color separated-developer-image from the photoconductor onto the image transferred medium.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a surface potential sensor that detects the surface potential, and wherein the controller performs the anti reverse-transfer control, based on the surface potential detected by the surface potential sensor.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to control the surface potential such that the surface potential falls within a predetermined range for suppressing the reverse transfer during implementation of the anti reverse-transfer control.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller is adapted to control the surface potential prior to the subsequent transfer, such that the surface potential of a superimposed developer image on the image transferred medium falls within the predetermined range at an initiation time of the subsequent transfer.
6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller is adapted to control the surface potential prior to the subsequent transfer, such that the surface potential of a superimposed developer image on the image transferred medium falls within the predetermined range at a termination time of the subsequent transfer.
7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the range is predetermined such that an absolute value of the surface potential does not exceed approximately 300 volts.
8. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the range is predetermined such that an absolute value of the surface potential does not exceed approximately 250 volts.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to control a transfer bias applied to achieve a normal transfer of the each separated-developer-image from the photoconductor onto the image transferred medium, to thereby perform the anti reverse-transfer control.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to control a surface potential of the photoconductor, to thereby perform the anti reverse-transfer control.
11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a charge amount adjuster that reduces a charge amount of the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset which has been transferred onto the image transferred medium, and wherein the controller is adapted to reduce the surface potential via the charge amount adjuster, to thereby perform the anti reverse-transfer control.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the charge amount adjuster is of a corona discharge type including an ion generation electrode and a potential adjustment electrode in which a first bias is applied to the ion generation electrode, the first bias having a polarity opposite to that of the each separated-developer-image on the image transferred medium, while a second bias is applied to the potential adjustment electrode, the second bias having a polarity similar to that of the each separated-developer-image on the image transferred medium.
13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the charge amount adjuster, including a discharger and a charger, is adapted to cause the discharger to discharge the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset which has been transferred onto the image transferred medium, and subsequently causes the charger to charge the previously-formed separated developer-image subset which has been transferred onto the image transferred medium to a potential, a polarity of which is similar to, and an absolute value of which is lower than, that of the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset found before discharging by the discharger, to thereby reduce the charge amount of the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset.
14. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the surface potential sensor substitutes for the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset, a standardized developer image which has been standardized for use in the anti reverse-transfer control, and which has been transferred onto the image transferred medium, to thereby detect the surface potential of the standardized developer image, and wherein the multi-color composite-developer-image is formed on a recording medium after the each separated-developer-image has been sequentially transferred onto the recording medium.
15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the image transferred medium is a recording medium to be transported via a transport belt, wherein the standardized developer image has been transferred onto the transport belt for use in the anti reverse-transfer control, and wherein the controller performs the anti reverse-transfer control, based on the surface potential of the standardized developer image detected by the surface potential sensor.
16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the image transferred medium is an intermediate transfer belt onto which the each separated-developer-image is to be transferred, wherein the each separated-developer-image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt onto the recording medium, wherein the standardized developer image has been transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt, and wherein the controller performs the anti reverse-transfer control, based on the surface potential of the standardized developer image detected by the surface potential sensor.
17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs the anti reverse-transfer control, in parallel with an image formation operation in which the each separated-developer-image is sequentially transferred onto a recording medium for formation of the multi-color composite-developer-image.
18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs the anti reverse-transfer control, under a predetermined initiation condition, not in parallel with an image formation operation in which the each separated-developer-image is sequentially transferred onto a recording medium for formation of the multi-color composite-developer-image.
19. An apparatus for forming a multi-color image, comprising:
a plurality of developer units that contain a plurality of single-color developer materials, respectively, the plurality of developer materials having respective different single colors;
a latent-image forming device that forms each latent image on a photoconductor, using each corresponding one of the plurality of developer materials that has been supplied from each corresponding one of the plurality of developer units; and
a developer-image forming device that visualizes the each latent image which has been previously formed, into each corresponding single-color separated-developer-image, and that electrically transfers in sequence the each single-color separated-developer-image which has been previously formed, from the photoconductor onto an image transferred medium onto which the each single-color separated-developer-image is to be sequentially transferred, for a superimposed registration of a plurality of single-color separated-developer-images, to thereby form a multi-color composite-developer-image on the image transferred medium,
wherein the each developer unit is configured to collect a residual of the each developer material which remains on the photoconductor after transfer of the each corresponding single-color separated-developer-image from the photoconductor onto the image transferred medium,
and wherein a surface potential of a previously-formed separated-developer-image subset of a plurality of separated-developer-images which has been previously transferred onto the image transferred medium, the surface potential being found on the image transferred medium at at least one of selected times prior to and a selected time before a subsequent transfer in which a remainder of the plurality of separated-developer-images is transferred onto the image transferred medium after a previous transfer of the previously-formed separated developer-image subset onto the image transferred medium, falls within a predetermined range for suppressing a reverse transfer of a part of the each developer material on the image transferred medium from the image transferred medium onto the photoconductor at the subsequent transfer.
20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the range is predetermined such that an absolute value of the surface potential does not exceed approximately 300 volts.
21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the range is predetermined such that an absolute value of the surface potential does not exceed approximately 250 volts.
22. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein a transfer bias applied for a normal transfer of the each separated-developer-image from the photoconductor onto the image transferred medium is set to a value for allowing the surface potential of the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset which has been transferred onto the image transferred medium, to fall within the range.
23. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein a surface potential of the photoconductor is set to a value for allowing the surface potential of the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset which has been transferred onto the image transferred medium, to fall within the range.
24. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein an amount of the each developer material which is to be affixed to the photoconductor for formation of a reference image is set to a value for allowing the surface potential of the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset which has been transferred onto the image transferred medium, to fall within the range.
25. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a charge amount adjuster that reduces a charge amount of the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset which has been transferred onto the image transferred medium, to thereby allow the surface potential of the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset which has been transferred onto the image transferred medium, to fall within the range.
26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the charge amount adjuster is of a corona discharge type including an ion generation electrode and a potential adjustment electrode in which a first bias is applied to the ion generation electrode, the first bias having a polarity opposite to that of the each separated-developer-image on the image transferred medium, while a second bias is applied to the potential adjustment electrode, the second bias having a polarity similar to that of the each separated-developer-image on the image transferred medium, and having a magnitude allowing the surface potential to fall within the range.
27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the charge amount adjuster, including a discharger and a charger, causes the discharger to discharge the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset which has been transferred onto the image transferred medium, and subsequently causes the charger to charge the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset which has been transferred onto the image transferred medium to a potential, a polarity of which is similar to, and an absolute value of which is lower than, that of the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset found before discharging by the discharger, whereby the charge amount of the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset is reduced.
28. An apparatus for forming a multi-color image, comprising:
a plurality of developer units that contain a plurality of single-color developer materials, respectively, the plurality of developer materials having respective different single colors;
a latent-image forming device that forms each latent image on a photoconductor, using each corresponding one of the plurality of developer materials that has been supplied from each corresponding one of the plurality of developer units;
a developer-image forming device that visualizes the each latent image which has been previously formed, into each corresponding single-color separated-developer-image, and electrically transfers in sequence the each single-color separated-developer-image which has been previously formed, from the photoconductor onto an image transferred medium onto which the each single-color separated-developer-image is to be sequentially transferred, for a superimposed registration of a plurality of single-color separated-developer-images, to thereby form a multi-color composite-developer-image on the image transferred medium; and
a charge amount adjuster that reduces a charge amount of a previously-formed separated-developer-image subset of a plurality of separated-developer-images required to be sequentially transferred onto the image transferred medium for formation of the multi-color composite-developer-image, the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset having been previously transferred onto the image transferred medium.
29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the charge amount adjuster is of a corona discharge type including an ion generation electrode and a potential adjustment electrode in which a first bias is applied to the ion generation electrode, the first bias having a polarity opposite to that of the each separated-developer-image on the image transferred medium, while a second bias is applied to the potential adjustment electrode, the second bias having a polarity similar to that of the each separated-developer-image on the image transferred medium, and having a magnitude allowing the surface potential to fall within the range.
30. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the charge amount adjuster, including a discharger and a charger, causes the discharger to discharge the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset which has been transferred onto the image transferred medium, and subsequently causes the charger to charge the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset which has been transferred onto the image transferred medium to a potential, a polarity of which is similar to, and an absolute value of which is lower than, that of the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset found before discharging by the discharger, whereby the charge amount of the previously-formed separated-developer-image subset is reduced.
31. An apparatus for forming a multi-color image, comprising:
a plurality of developer units that contain a plurality of single-color developer materials, respectively, the plurality of developer materials having respective different single colors;
a latent-image forming device that forms each latent image on a photoconductor, using each corresponding one of the plurality of developer materials that has been supplied from each corresponding one of the plurality of developer units;
a developer-image forming device that visualizes the each latent image which has been previously formed, into each corresponding single-color separated-developer-image, and that electrically transfers in sequence the each single-color separated-developer-image which has been previously formed, from the photoconductor onto an image transferred medium onto which the each single-color separated-developer-image is to be sequentially transferred, for a superimposed registration of a plurality of single-color separated-developer-images, to thereby form a multi-color composite-developer-image on the image transferred medium;
a discharger that discharges at least one of a plurality of single-color separated-developer-images required to be sequentially transferred onto the image transferred medium for formation of the multi-color composite-developer-image, the at least one separated developer-image having been transferred onto the photoconductor; and
a charger that charges the at least one separated-developer-image upon discharging by the discharger.