Author: claimsbot

1. A locking device for locking an expandable support device, the locking device comprising:
a spring device integral with the expandable support device, wherein the spring device comprises an end portion, a first flexible arm, and a second flexible arm, and wherein the expandable support device comprises:
a first member having an outer cylinder, wherein the outer cylinder comprises a slot;
a second member positioned radially inside of the first member, the second member configured to rotate with respect to the first member, and wherein the second member comprises a hole; and
a fastener extending through the spring device, the slot of the first member, and the hole of the second member, wherein the fastener comprises a head; and

wherein a first aperture of the spring device is adapted to position the fastener associated with a first rotational position and wherein a second aperture of the spring device is adapted to position the fastener associated with a second rotational position, and wherein the first flexible arm and the second flexible arm are adapted to flex outward and allow passage of the fastener head when an inward pressure is applied to the fastener positioned in the second aperture, and wherein the first flexible arm and the second flexible arm are adapted to collapse to their unflexed position after the fastener head has completed passage through the spring device, wherein the first flexible arm and the second flexible arm are adapted to cover the fastener head and prevent the fastener from backing out.
2. The locking device of claim 1, wherein the expandable support device further comprises a longitudinally extending member configured to longitudinally slide with respect to the first member in a first direction away from the first member when the first member is in the first rotational position with respect to the longitudinally extending member, and wherein a second direction away from the first member is opposite to the first direction away from the first member, and wherein the longitudinally extending member is configured to be longitudinally fixed with respect to the first member when the first member is in the second rotational position with respect to the longitudinally extending member.
3. The locking device of claim 1, wherein the first aperture and second aperture of the spring device are smaller regions in a greater aperture of the spring device.
4. The locking device of claim 1, wherein the first aperture of the spring device is defined by the end portion, a portion of the first flexible arm, a notch positioned on the first flexible arm, a portion of the second flexible arm, and a notch positioned on the second flexible arm.
5. The locking device of claim 1, wherein the second aperture of the spring device is defined by a portion of the first flexible arm, a notch positioned on the first flexible arm, an end notch positioned at the end of the first flexible arm, a portion of the second flexible arm, a notch positioned on the second flexible arm, and an end notch positioned at the end of the second flexible arm.
6. The locking device of claim 1, wherein the second aperture of the spring device is configured to tightly capture the fastener.
7. The locking device of claim 1, wherein the fastener head can be seated within a gap formed between the first and second arms with the first member.
8. The locking device of claim 1, wherein the fastener is a screw.
9. The locking device of claim 1, wherein the spring device is machined onto the expandable support device.
10. The locking device of claim 1, wherein the flexible arms are oriented in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
11. An extendable support device having a longitudinal axis comprising:
a first member having an outer cylinder, wherein the outer cylinder comprises a slot and a spring device;
a second member positioned radially inside of the first member, the second member configured to rotate with respect to the first member, and wherein the second member comprises a hole;
a fastener extending through the spring device, the slot of the first member, and the hole of the second member, wherein the fastener comprises a head; and
wherein the spring device comprises an end portion, a first flexible arm, and a second flexible arm, wherein the end portion is integral with the first member, wherein the first arm and second arm are separated from the first member by a gap, wherein a first aperture of the spring device is adapted to position the fastener associated with a first rotational position and a second aperture of the spring device is adapted to position the fastener associated with a second rotational position, and wherein the first flexible arm and the second flexible arm are adapted to flex outward and allow passage of the fastener head when an inward pressure is applied to the fastener positioned in the second aperture, and wherein the first flexible arm and the second flexible arm are adapted to collapse to their unflexed position after the fastener head has completed passage through the spring device, wherein the first flexible arm and the second flexible arm are adapted to cover the fastener head and prevent the fastener from backing out.
12. The extendable supportable device of claim 11, further comprising a longitudinally extending member configured to longitudinally slide with respect to the first member in a first direction away from the first member when the first member is in the first rotational position with respect to the longitudinally extending member, and wherein a second direction away from the first member is opposite to the first direction away from the first member, and wherein the longitudinally extending member is configured to be longitudinally fixed with respect to the first member when the first member is in the second rotational position with respect to the longitudinally extending member.
13. The extendable supportable device of claim 11, wherein the first aperture and second aperture of the spring device are smaller regions in a greater aperture of the spring device.
14. The extendable supportable device of claim 11, wherein the first aperture of the spring device is defined by the end portion, a portion of the first flexible arm, a notch positioned on the first flexible arm, a portion of the second flexible arm, and a notch positioned on the second flexible arm.
15. The extendable supportable device of claim 11, wherein the second aperture of the spring device is defined by a portion of the first flexible arm, a notch positioned on the first flexible arm, an end notch positioned at the end of the first flexible arm, a portion of the second flexible arm, a notch positioned on the second flexible arm, and an end notch positioned at the end of the second flexible arm.
16. The extendable supportable device of claim 11, wherein the second aperture of the spring device is configured to tightly capture the fastener.
17. The extendable supportable device of claim 11, wherein the fastener head can be seated within the gap formed between the first and second arms with the first member.
18. The extendable supportable device of claim 11, wherein the fastener is a screw.
19. The extendable supportable device of claim 11, wherein the spring device is machined onto the expandable support device.
20. The extendable supportable device of claim 11, wherein the flexible arms are oriented in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

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

1-14. (canceled)
15. A method for building an output message from an internal message format object, comprising:
determining a schema for the output message, the output message comprising a plurality of fields;
retrieving a plurality of handlers based on said schema, each handler being code for building at least one field of said plurality of fields from said internal message format object; and
translating said internal message format object into said output message using said handlers.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein said output message comprises a hierarchical structure of possible fields, wherein said translating is only done for fields in said output message corresponding to fields that are populated in said internal message format object.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein each message field included in said schema is identified by an object ID, said object ID being an index pointing to a particular location in said internal message format object.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein said handlers are separately compiled.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
dynamically loading one of said handlers without recompiling the other handlers.
20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
determining a subsequent schema from said translating; and
iterating the process of claim 1 for said subsequent schema on said output message.
21. The method of claim 15 wherein the schema is determined based on a field in the internal message format object.
22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
processing said message in said internal message format by a business services application.
23. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
determining any fields in said output message that are not in said internal message format object; and
removing said fields that are not in said internal message format object from said output message.
24. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
determining any fields in said output message that are not in said internal message format object; and
setting said fields that are not in said internal message format object to null in said output message.
25. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for an engine configured to build messages, the engine comprising:
a plurality of handlers, each handler being code for building at least one field of an output message using grammar for said at least one field, each of said handlers being separately compiled; and
a plurality of schemas for different types of output messages, each schema pointing to at least one of said handlers and containing a grammar definition for one or more fields of the output message.
26. The engine of claim 25, further comprising code for an internal message format object, said handlers being configured to populate the output message with fields from the internal message format object.
27. The engine of claim 26, wherein said handlers further comprise code for translating a value from the internal message format object to a format compatible with the output message.
28. The engine of claim 26, wherein a field in said internal message format object determines a format of the output message.
29. The engine of claim 26, wherein the output message format is determined by a destination for the output message.
30. An apparatus for building an output message from an internal message format object, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to said processor, said memory comprising instructions that when executed by said processor cause the processor to:
determine a schema for the output message, the output message comprising a plurality of fields;
retrieve a plurality of handlers based on said schema, each handler being code for building at least one field of said plurality of fields from said internal message format object; and
translate said internal message format object into said output message using said handlers.
31. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising instructions which cause the processor to dynamically load one of said handlers without recompiling the other handlers.
32. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising instructions which cause the processor to determine the schema based on a field in the internal message format object.
33. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising instructions which cause the processor to determine any fields in said output message that are not in said internal message format object and to remove said fields that are not in said internal message format object from said output message.
34. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising instructions which cause the processor to determine an output message format based on a destination of the output message.

1. A method of forming fuel from animal parts, comprising:
a. utilizing animal parts as a feedstock;
b. mixing a chemical reactant with the animal parts to form an animal-chemical waste product;
c. transferring the animal-chemical waste product to a reactor;
d. heating the animal-chemical waste product in the reactor under pressure to form a gaseous composition; and
e. distilling the gaseous composition to form combustible fuel.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the feedstock comprises fowl.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the feedstock further includes plant parts.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the animal parts and plant parts that comprise the feedstock are taken from the group consisting of fowl, pigs, cows, horses, dogs, coconut shells, husks, palm fruit, rapeseed oil, sunflower seed oil, corn oil and soybean oil extracts.
5. The method of claim 1 including controlling the pH of the animal-chemical waste product.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein controlling the pH includes varying the amount of chemical reactant added to the feedstock.
7. The method of claim 5 including controlling the pH to about 8-12.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein controlling the pH of the animal-chemical waste product includes adding a base to the animal-chemical waste product.
9. The method of claim 1 including pressurizing the reactor with a noble or inert gas.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the inert gas is taken from the group consisting of argon, nitrogen, and helium.
11. The method of claim 1 including pressurizing the reactor to about 40 to 80 psi with a noble or inert gas taken from the group consisting of argon, nitrogen and helium.
12. The method of claim 11 including pressurizing the reactor with argon.
13. The method of claim 12 including heating the animal-chemical waste product after the reactor has been pressurized.
14. The method of claim 13 including heating the animal-chemical waste product in the reactor to a temperature of approximately 200 to 290\xb0 C.
15. The method of claim 1 including heating the animal-chemical waste product to a temperature of approximately 200 to 290\xb0 C.
16. The method of claim 1 including a multistage distilling process where the gaseous composition passes into or through a series of distilling or condensing devices.
17. The method of claim 16 including at least three condensing devices arranged in series.
18. The method of claim 1 including grinding or cutting the animal parts to form a ground mixture of animal parts and combining the ground mixture of animal parts with the chemical reactant.
19. The method of claim 1 including purging the reactor by directing a gas selected from the group consisting of argon, nitrogen and helium through the reactor.
20. The method of claim 1 wherein the chemical reactant includes a chemical waste.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein the chemical waste is taken from the group consisting of propenoic acid, guaiccol, acetic acid, butyl ester, hexahydrobenzene, cyclopentane, methyl-formamide, N, N-dimethyl oxioane.
22. The method of claim 1 including grinding the animal parts to where the animal parts become a fluid slurry.
23. A method of forming fuel from animal parts comprising:
a. utilizing animal parts as a feedstock;
b. transferring the animal parts to a reactor;
c. transferring a gas selected from the group consisting of argon, nitrogen and helium into the reactor;
d. heating the animal parts in the reactor under pressure to form a gaseous composition; and
e. distilling the gaseous composition produced by the animal parts to form combustible fuel.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the gas transferred into the reactor is argon.
25. The method of claim 23 including pressurizing the gas within the reactor.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the gas in the reactor is pressurized to about 40 to 80 psi.
27. The method of claim 23 wherein the animal parts are taken from the group consisting of chicken parts, pig parts, and cow parts.
28. The method of claim 23 further including mixing a chemical waste or reactant with the animal parts to form an animal-chemical waste product; and wherein the animal-chemical waste product is transferred into the reactor and after heating produces the gaseous composition that is distilled.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein the chemical waste or reactant is taken from the group consisting of propenoic acid, guaiccol, acetic acid, butyl ester, hexahydrobenzene, cyclopentane, methyl-formamide, N, N-dimethyl oxloane.
30. The method of claim 23 including heating the reactor to a temperature of approximately 200 to 290\xb0 C.
31. The method of claim 30 including heating the animal parts in the reactor for a time period of 1 to 5 hours.
32. The method of claim 23 including producing a combustible fuel within the reactor, and after a selected period of heating the animal parts in the reactor, removing the combustible fuel from the reactor.
33. The method of claim 23 wherein the method of forming the fuels from animal parts is carried out in a distilling system including a series of condensing units, and wherein the gaseous composition is directed from the reactor to and through one or more of the condensing units where portions of the gaseous composition condense and form one or more combustible fuels.
34. The method of claim 23 including heating the contents of the reactor with one or more internal heating devices and one or more external heating devices.
35. The method of claim 34 including intermittently actuating the one or more internal heating elements.
36. A method of forming fuel from animal or plant parts comprising:
a. utilizing a biofeed stock that is formed from animal or plant parts;
b. transferring the biofeed stock to a reactor;
c. pressurizing the reactor with argon;
d. heating the biofeed stock in the reactor to produce a gaseous composition; and
e. distilling the gaseous composition to form fuel compositions and chemicals.
37. The method of claim 36 including pressurizing the reactor with argon to a pressure of approximately 40-80 psi.
38. The method of claim 37 including purging and cleaning the reactor by directing argon into or through the reactor and thereafter pressurizing the reactor with argon to a pressure of approximately 40-80 psi.
39. The method of claim 36 wherein the method is carried out in a distilling system having a series of condensing units communicatively connected, directly or indirectly, with the reactor.
40. The method of claim 39 including purging the reactor and at least one of the condensing units with a noble or inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon, nitrogen and helium.
41. The method of claim 40 wherein the purging gas is argon.
42. The method of claim 36 including heating the biofeedstock in the reactor to a temperature of approximately 200 to 290\xb0 C.
43. The method of claim 36 including mixing a chemical waste or reactant with the biofeedstock to form a biofeed-chemical waste product that is transferred to the reactor.
44. A method of disposing of parts of dead animals comprising: transferring the parts of the dead animal into a reactor; pressurizing the reactor with an inert gas; and heating the parts of the dead animals and transforming at least a portion of the parts of the dead animals into a gaseous composition.
45. The method of claim 44 including pressurizing the reactor with argon.
46. The method of claim 44 wherein the inert gas is taken from the group consisting of argon, nitrogen, and helium.
47. The method of claim 44 including pressurizing the reactor to about 40 to 80 psi with the inert gas and wherein the inert gas is taken from the group consisting of argon, nitrogen and helium.
48. The method of claim 44 including heating the reactor to a temperature of approximately 200\xb0 to 290\xb0 C. and controlling the pressure within the reactor such that the pressure does not exceed 350 psi.
49. The method of claim 48 including pressurizing the reactor to about 40 to 80 psi with an inert gas taken from the group consisting of argon, nitrogen and helium, and wherein the reactor is pressurized to about 40 to 80 psi before the reactor is substantially heated.
50. The method of claim 44 including heating the parts of the dead animal to form a gaseous composition and distilling the gaseous composition to form a fuel.
51. The method of claim 44 wherein the parts of the dead animal include parts from dead fowl.
52. The method of claim 50 including mixing a chemical reactant or a chemical waste with the dead animal parts to form an animal-chemical waste product that is heated in the reactor.
53. The method of claim 52 including controlling the pH of the animal-chemical waste product to about 8-12.

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 surgical apparatus comprising:
a tubular access port defining a passageway for accessing a patient’s body cavity through an incision, wherein
the access port comprises an inflatable portion, which when fully inflated maintains the passageway in an open configuration and no part of the inflatable portion closes the passageway, and
the access port further comprises a flap valve configured to seal an opening to the passageway.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passageway and the flap valve are sized to receive a surgeon’s hand.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tubular access port has a distal end configured to be inserted into the patient and a proximal end configured to receive a surgeon’s hand, and wherein the inflatable portion is positioned closer to the proximal end than the distal end.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the flap valve is positioned closer to the proximal end than the distal end.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the flap valve is positioned at the proximal end.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the flap valve comprises opposed portions extending into the passageway and configured to press against one another.
7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the access port further comprises a resilient ring encircling the passageway at the distal end of the access port.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein during use the resilient ring is configured to underlie tissue surrounding the incision and maintain the distal end of the passageway in an open configuration.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein during use the inflatable portion is configured to overlie the tissue surrounding the incision and in conjunction with the resilient ring secure the access port to the patient when fully inflated.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inflatable portion encircling the passageway comprises an inflatable collar.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the access port further comprises an inflation port coupled to the inflatable portion.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flap valve comprises opposed portions configured to press against one another.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the opposed portions are flattened portions.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the flattened opposed portions have edge portions that are sealed together.
15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the opposed portions are biased to press against one another.
16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein tubular access port further comprises a flap valve assembly carrying the flap valve, and wherein the flap valve assembly is configured to releasably attach to the portion of the access port that defines the passageway.