Author: claimsbot

1. A soldier pile wall for shoring an excavation site, the soldier pile wall comprising:
a plurality of drilled shafts drilled along an edge of the excavation site;
a plurality of soldier piles, each of the plurality of soldier piles being positioned within a respective drilled shaft; and
a pre-stressing system coupled to at least some of the plurality of soldier piles, the pre-stressing system configured to induce stresses to counteract working stresses of the soldier pile wall.
2. The soldier pile wall of claim 1 wherein the pre-stressing system includes a post-tensioning strand.
3. The soldier pile wall of claim 3 wherein the pre-stressing system further comprises:
a protective cover having grout therein, the grout surrounding the post-tensioning strand.
4. The soldier pile wall of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of drilled shafts includes cementitious material surrounding the soldier pile.
5. The soldier pile wall of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of laggings extending laterally between the plurality of soldier piles, each lagging being coupleable to a front side flange of each of adjacent soldier piles.
6. The soldier pile wall of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of laggings extending laterally between the plurality of soldier piles, the plurality of laggings comprising concrete of a secant pile.
7. The soldier pile wall of claim 2, further comprising:
a compressive flange coupled to the soldier pile, the compressive flange including an aperture to allow a corresponding post-tensioning strand to pass therethrough.
8. A system for shoring an excavation site having a plurality of adjacent holes drilled along an edge of the excavation site where a soldier pile wall is to be erected, the system comprising:
a plurality of modular soldier piles, each of the plurality of modular soldier piles to be positioned within a respective hole and including a pre-stressing system coupled thereto, the pre-stressing system having:
a post-tensioning strand enclosed in a protective cover, the protective cover having grout therein to surround and enclose the post-tensioning strand;
an anchorage system positioned at each end of the post-tensioning strand and coupled to a respective end of the post-tensioning strand; and
a compressive flange brace having an aperture to allow the post-tensioning strand to pass therethrough, the compressive flange brace preventing bending of the modular soldier pile during a pre-stressing operation.
9. A method to make a soldier pile wall for an excavation site, the method comprising:
drilling a row of holes along an edge of the excavation site to form a corresponding drilled shaft;
coupling a pre-stressing system to at least some of a plurality of soldier piles;
placing each of the plurality of soldier piles within a respective drilled shaft;
pouring cementitious material to fill the drilled shaft;
excavating the excavation site; and
inserting lagging laterally and between adjacent soldier piles.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the pre-stressing system includes a post-tensioning strand enclosed and surrounded by a protective cover having grout.
11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
coupling a compressive flange brace to the soldier pile having the pre-stressing system coupled thereto.
12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
tensioning the soldier pile having the pre-stressing system coupled thereto, wherein the tensioning step comprises:
fixedly holding a first end of the pre-stressing system;
releasably coupling a second end of the pre-stressing system to a hydraulic jack; and
applying a pre-set tension to the pre-stressing system.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the soldier pile is tensioned after being placed within the drilled shaft.
14. The method of claim 9 wherein the coupling step comprises:
coupling an anchorage system at each end of the pre-stressing system; and
coupling a plurality of post-tensioning strands to the anchorage system.

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 product having a luminous surface, the product comprising:
a light guide providing the luminous surface, the light guide comprising a plurality of scattering elements for producing a substantially homogeneous light output across the luminous surface, and
a plurality of solid state lighting elements, each of the solid state lighting elements being arranged to emit a beam of light into the light guide,
wherein the light guide further comprises a first body arranged to create respective light patterns in the light guide by creating respective regions in the light guide that are shaded from the respective beams of light.
2. The product of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solid state lighting elements comprises a first solid state lighting element, and wherein the position of the first solid state lighting element is adjustable relative to the light guide.
3. (canceled)
4. The product of claim 1 wherein each of the solid state lighting elements is individually controllable.
5. The product of claim 1 wherein the plurality of solid state lighting elements comprises a first solid state lighting element that is adapted to emit light of a first colour, and wherein the plurality of solid state lighting elements further comprises a second solid state lighting element that is adapted to emit light of a second colour.
6. The product of claims 1, comprising a plurality of bodies including the first body, for creating a plurality of regions in the light guide each of the plurality of regions being shaded from a beam of light.
7. The product of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solid state lighting elements comprises a first solid state lighting elements arranged to emit a first beam of light into the light guide such that the first body creates a first region defining an first indicator in the light guide by shading the first region from the first beam of light, and wherein the optionally further plurality of solid state lighting elements comprises a second solid state lighting element having an adjustable position relative to the light guide and being arranged to emit a second beam of light into the light guide such that the first body creates a second region defining a second indicator in the light guide by shading the second region from the second beam of light.
8. The product of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solid state lighting elements comprises a first solid state lighting element that is mounted centrally in the light guide, and wherein the first body surrounds the first solid state lighting element.
9. The product of claim 8, wherein the first body comprises a plurality of apertures.
10. The product of claim 1, wherein the first body is selected from the group consisting of a reflective body, a black body, a colour filter, an outcoupling element and any combination thereof.
11. The product of claim 1, wherein the light guide further comprises a reflective body for redirecting at least one of the beams of light to the first body.
12. The product of claim 1, wherein the light guide comprises a cavity, the first body being mounted in the cavity.
13. The product of claim 1, wherein the light guide further comprises a portion of a photoluminescent material for adjusting the colour of at least one of the beams of light.
14. The product of claim 1, wherein the light guide is transparent such that a background behind the light guide is visible in an off-state of the product.
15. The product of claim 1, wherein the product is a lighting device.

1. Compressed fuel composed of organic residues andor raw materials, having at least one additive, to increase its heating value, and to reduce the formation of slag, wherein the fuel mixture consists of
72 to 83 wt.- % combustible organic residues andor raw materials, having a moisture of 8 to 20%,
15 to 25 wt.- % natural organic oils andor fats,
to increase the heating value, and
2 to 3 wt.- % sodium perborate to increase the ash melting point and as an oxygen supplier.
2. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein the fuel mixture contains 0.4 to 0.6 wt.- % hexamenthylene tetramine, with reference to the total mass.
3. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein the fuel mixture contains 1.0 to 1.5% lignine, with reference to the total mass.
4. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein the fuel mixture contains up to 3%, with reference to the total mass, of another powdered additive or an additive dissolved in water, having a pH\u22677, to raise the ash softening point.
5. Compressed fuel according to claim 4, wherein the additive is borax or sodium metasilicate or trisodium octaborate or zinc borate or trisodium phosphate or ammonium sulfate.
6. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein the organic residues andor raw materials used are grain straw of all kinds, sugar cane, bamboo, cotton bushes, jute, sisal, hemp, ramie, rice straw, rice shells, Chinese silver grass, elephant grass, flax, coconut, kenaf, or alfa grass.
7. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein the fuel mixture proportion of the organic residues andor raw materials contains 50-58 wt.- % organic residues andor raw materials and 22-25 wt.- % rapeseed cake.
8. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein the fuel mixture proportion of natural organic oils andor fats contains 3-21 wt.- % of natural organic oils andor fats and 2-4 wt.- % fusel oil.
9. Compressed fuel according to claim 8, wherein the fusel oils are homologs of ethyl alcohol or higher alcohols, such as amyl alcohol.
10. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein the fuel mixture contains 1.5 to 3 wt.- % of an odor improving agent, with reference to the oil component.
11. Compressed fuel according to claim 10, wherein the odor improving agent is an ether oil that is soluble in oil.
12. Compressed fuel according to claim 11, wherein the ether oil is a pine needle oil or clove oil or citrus oil or forest fragrance oil.
13. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein the fuel mixture contains 1.5 to 3 wt.- % of an air pore forming agent, with reference to the total mass of the fuel mixture.
14. Compressed fuel according to claim 13, wherein the air pore forming agent is a powdered sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium dodecyl sulfate, or a sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium dodecyl sulfate dissolved in water, having a pH\u22677.
15. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein the organic residues andor raw materials are naturally aged new raw materials or used raw materials, such as gray straw, for example, which have been stored appropriately for their use.
16. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein the organic residues andor raw materials have been artificially aged, appropriately for their use.
17. Compressed fuel according to claim 16, wherein for artificial aging, 0.1 to 3.0 wt.- %, with reference to the mass of the organic residues andor raw materials, of a UV absorber, or a UV additive that promotes aging are added to the organic residues andor raw materials.
18. Compressed fuel according to claim 16, wherein for artificial aging, the organic residues andor raw materials are pretreated with UV radiation.
19. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein the shredded residue andor raw material component, from which the dust has been removed, was vacuum-impregnated with an oil andor fat component that was metered in, or the finished, mixed fuel mixture was subjected to vacuum impregnation before pelleting.
20. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein the fuel mixture contains an additive of 1-5 wt.- %, with reference to the oil component, of surfactants having a pH\u22677.
21. Compressed fuel according to claim 20, wherein the surfactants mixed in are from the group of ampholytic or amphoteric surfactants.
22. Compressed fuel according to claim 21, wherein a fatty acid base composed of coconut oil or palm oil or jatropha oil is preferably used as ampholytic or amphoteric surfactants.
23. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein the added oil andor fat component has a temperature \u226760\xb0 C.
24. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein the fuel is preferably compressed into fuel bodies at a compressing pressure between 200 to 250 bar.
25. Compressed fuel according to claim 1, wherein all the additives lie in an alkaline range (pH 7), are non-toxic and biodegradable.
26. Method for the production of a compressed fuel composed of organic residues and raw materials, according to claim 1, wherein
the organic residues and raw materials, by themselves or in a mixture, having a moisture of 8 to 20%, are cleaned of foreign bodies, dust, and waste, and are shredded,
the shredded residues and raw materials are freed of dust by way of an exhaust air filter, and metered into the components of the other substances to be mixed in, at a previously determined percentage ratio, in a mixing and metering device,
the oil andor fat component is metered into the component of the residues and raw materials metered into the mixing and metering device, at a temperature of \u226760\xb0 C., and the liquid components of the air pore forming agents andor fusel oils andor substances that raise the ash melting point, in aqueous solution, are metered in, by themselves or mixed with the oil and fat component,
subsequently, the powdered andor granulate components of the sodium perborate andor hexamethylene tetramine andor lignine andor substances that raise the ash melting point andor air pore forming agents are metered in, in powder form, by themselves or in a premixed batch, and
afterwards, the fuel components are mixed in the mixing and metering device, to form a homogeneous fuel mixture, and the homogeneous fuel mixture is passed to a pelleting press, in metered form, where it is compressed into fuel bodies, preferably at a compressing pressure of 200 to 250 bar.
27. Method according to claim 26, wherein the residues andor raw materials that have been shredded and freed of dust are put into intermediate storage in a metering silo, and passed to the mixing and metering unit in metered form.
28. Method according to claim 26, wherein naturally aged organic residues andor raw materials are used for production of the fuel.
29. Method according to claim 26, wherein the shredded organic residues andor raw materials are irradiated with UV radiation after the dust has been removed, and then stay in a silo for the aging period, or alternatively, wherein the shredded organic residues andor raw materials are mixed with a UV additive that promotes aging, or a UV absorber, at 0.1-0.3 wt.- % with reference to the mass of the residue andor raw material, after the dust has been removed, and then stay in a silo for the aging period.
30. Method according to claim 26, wherein the metering silo is used for the artificial aging period, and the metering silo is designed to have a storage capacity that allows continuous implementation of the process, when adhering to the aging period.
31. Method according to claim 26, wherein the oil andor fat component is passed to the mixing and metering device with a component of 1-5 wt.- % surfactants, with reference to the oil andor fat component, mixed in.
32. Method according to claim 26, wherein the shredded residues andor raw materials are vacuum-impregnated with the oil andor fat component that is metered in, or the homogeneously mixed fuel mixture is vacuum-impregnated before pelleting.
33. Method according to claim 26, wherein the air transport of the shredded residue andor raw material to the exhaust air filter is carried out with heated air, for moisture equalization.
34. Method according to claim 26, wherein in order to maintain the percentage composition of the fuel mixtures, the amount units of liquid and powdered or granulate substances metered into the mixing and metering unit are regulated volumetrically or gravimetrically, as a function of the mass of the residues andor raw materials metered in.

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 development device to develop a latent image formed on a latent image bearer with two-component developer, the development device comprising:
a casing;
a developer container housed in the casing, for containing the developer;
a hollow, cylindrical developer bearer positioned facing the latent image bearer to transport by rotation the developer to a development range where the developer forms a magnetic brush and slides on the latent image bearer;
a magnetic field generator disposed inside the developer bearer;
a developer agitator to supply the developer contained in the developer container to the developer bearer while transporting the developer in an axial direction of the developer bearer; and
a developer regulator positioned upstream from the development range in a rotational direction of the developer bearer across a predetermined gap from an outer circumferential surface of the developer bearer to adjust a layer thickness of the developer carried on the developer bearer,
wherein multiple oval recesses oblique to the axial direction of the developer bearer are formed in the outer circumferential surface of the developer bearer and arranged in a circumferential direction of the developer bearer and the axial direction of the developer bearer,
an upstream inner wall of each of the multiple recesses on an upstream side in the rotational direction of the developer bearer applies a force to the developer as the developer bearer rotates, and
an angle between a long axis of each of the multiple recesses and the axial direction of the developer bearer is set so that the force applied by the upstream inner wall of each recess has a component in a direction substantially identical to the direction in which the developer agitator transports the developer.
2. The development device according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the long axis of each of the multiple recesses and the axial direction of the developer bearer is greater than 10 degrees and smaller than 45 degrees.
3. The development device according to claim 1, wherein the long axis of each of the multiple recesses is curved.
4. The development device according to claim 3, wherein the long axis of each of the multiple recesses is curved so that a center portion thereof is recessed upstream in the rotational direction of the developer bearer.
5. The development device according to claim 4, wherein the long axis of each of the multiple recesses is curved so that the angle between the long axis of each of the multiple recesses and the axial direction of the developer bearer is greater on an upstream side than on a downstream side in the direction in which the developer agitator transports the developer.
6. The development device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field generator comprises:
an upstream release pole positioned downstream from the development range in the rotational direction of the developer bearer to generate a magnetic force for separating the developer from the developer bearer that has passed through the development range; and
a downstream release pole positioned adjacent to and downstream from the upstream release pole in the rotational direction of the developer bearer, the downstream release pole having a polarity identical to a polarity of the upstream release pole,
wherein the multiple recesses positioned in a downstream end portion of the developer bearer in the direction in which the developer agitator transports the developer are arranged to generate a force to transport the developer carried on the developer bearer inside the axial direction of the developer bearer.
7. The development device according to claim 6, wherein the multiple recesses are arranged regularly on the outer surface of the developer bearer,
in an inner portion of the developer bearer in the axial direction thereof, an upstream end portion and a downstream end portion of each of the multiple recesses in the direction in which the developer agitator transports the developer are positioned downstream and upstream, respectively, in the rotational direction of the developer bearer, and
in the downstream end portion of the developer bearer in the axial direction of the developer bearer, the upstream end portion and the downstream end portion of each of the multiple recesses in the direction in which the developer agitator transports the developer are positioned upstream and downstream, respectively, in the rotational direction of the developer bearer.
8. The development device according to claim 7, wherein the angle between the long axis of each of the multiple recesses and the axial direction of the developer bearer is greater in the downstream end portion of the developer bearer than in the inner portion of the developer bearer in the direction in which the developer agitator transports the developer.
9. The development device according to claim 1, wherein a length of the developer regulator in the circumferential direction of the developer bearer is greater than a distance between adjacent recesses in the outer circumferential surface of the developer bearer.
10. The development device according to claim 9, wherein the length of the developer regulator in the circumferential direction of the developer bearer is equal to or greater than a pitch between adjacent recesses in the circumferential direction of the developer bearer.
11. The development device according to claim 9, wherein a pitch of adjacent recesses in the circumferential direction of the developer bearer is smaller in an end portion than in a center portion of the developer bearer in the axial direction thereof.
12. The development device according to claim 9, wherein when P represents a pitch of adjacent recesses in the circumferential direction of the developer bearer, N represents a length of the development range in the circumferential direction of the developer bearer, and a represents a ratio of a linear velocity of the development sleeve to a linear velocity of the latent image bearer,
\u03b1\xd7N>P.
13. The development device according to claim 9, wherein adjacent recesses in the axial direction of the developer bearer are shifted in the circumferential direction of the developer bearer, and
end portions of the adjacent recess in the axial direction of the developer bearer overlaps each other in the circumferential direction of the developer bearer.
14. A process cartridge removably installable in an image forming apparatus, comprising the development device according to claim 1,
wherein the development device and the latent image bearer are housed in a common casing.
15. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the latent image bearer; and
the development device according to claim 1.