All The Claims

1. Thread spool holder (24) for at least one needle thread spool (27) on a household sewing machine (1), comprising at least two thread spool pins (23) as spool carriers, a base plate (21) for anchoring the thread spool pins (23), an arm (35) for guiding and deflecting a thread (29) drawn out from one of the spools (27), and a connection for connecting the base plate (21) to the sewing machine (1), the base plate (21) is held engaged at least partially in a recess (13) in the housing of the sewing machine (1) and is mounted for pivoting movement about at least one pivot axis (A, C), wherein the base plate (21) is supported so that it can pivot at least partially out of the recess (13), and the base plate (21) is supported on a pivot pin (19) on the sewing machine (1).
2. Thread spool holder according to claim 1, wherein the pivot axis (A) is arranged generally horizontally, vertically, or in an intermediate position.
3. Thread spool holder according to claim 2, wherein a shape of the base plate (21) corresponds to a shape of the base surface (17) of the recess (13), and the recess (13) can be closed and covered by a cover (15).
4. Thread spool holder according to claim 3, wherein the base plate (21) is actively connected to the cover (15) and is extended or pivoted out of the recess (13) upon opening.
5. Thread spool holder according to claim 1, wherein the base plate (21) can rotate freely on the pivot pin (19) or can rotate with a drive motor (M), and the pivot pin (19) is connected rigidly or is pivotable about an axis (C) relative to the sewing machine (1).
6. Thread spool holder according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the thread spool pins (23) is fixed on a holding plate (25) that can pivot on the base plate (21) about a horizontal axis and can pivot or move from a vertical position into an inclined position.
7. Thread spool holder according to claim 6, wherein the base plate (21) can be removed from the pivot pin (19) and can be exchanged with another base plate (21).
8. Thread spool holder according to claim 1, wherein additional satellites (43), on which at least one thread spool pin (23) is arranged, can be placed on the base plate (21).
9. Thread spool holder according to claim 8, wherein the cover (15) andor an upper cover plate (45) andor side walls (47) are pivoted away from the base plate when the base plate (21) is pivoted.
10. Thread spool holder (24) for at least one needle thread spool (27) on a household sewing machine (1), comprising at least one thread spool pin (23) as a spool carrier, a base plate (21) for anchoring the at least one thread spool pin (23), an arm (35) for guiding and deflecting a thread (29) drawn out from the spool (27), and a connection for connecting the base plate (21) to the sewing machine (1), the base plate (21) is held engaged at least partially in a recess (13) in the housing of the sewing machine (1) and is mounted for pivoting movement about at least one pivot axis (A, C), wherein at least one of the thread spool pins (23) is fixed on a holding plate (25) that can pivot about a horizontal axis and can pivot or move from a vertical position into an inclined position, and the base plate (21) can be removed from the pivot pin (19) and can be exchanged with another base plate (21).
11. Thread spool holder (24) for at least one needle thread spool (27) on a household sewing machine (1), comprising at least one thread spool pin (23) as a spool carrier, a base plate (21) for anchoring the at least one thread spool pin (23), an arm (35) for guiding and deflecting a thread (29) drawn out from the spool (27), and a connection for connecting the base plate (21) to the sewing machine (1), the base plate (21) is held engaged at least partially in a recess (13) in the housing of the sewing machine (1) and is mounted for pivoting movement about at least one pivot axis (A, C), wherein additional satellites (43), on which at least one thread spool pin (23) is arranged, can be placed on the base plate (21).
12. Thread spool holder according to claim 11, wherein the cover (15) andor an upper cover plate (45) andor side walls (47) are pivoted away from the base plate when the base plate (21) is pivoted.

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. Method of reducing ion concentration in an influent solution comprising:
in a deionization phase of operation, feeding said influent to a membraneless electrodeionization (EDI) stack comprising alternating layers of porous anion exchange materials (AIX) and cation exchange materials (CIX) interposed between a cathode and an anode, of said AIX and CIX and defining at least one interfacial area between an AIX and CIX, passing said influent over said AIX and CIX whereby said ion concentration is reduced via ion exchange with said AIX and CIX;
collecting deionized product from said EDI stack; and
in a regeneration phase of operation, imparting a voltage across said electrodes and feeding flush water as influent to said EDI stack and across said AIX and CIX materials, whereby water splitting occurs along at least one of said interfacial areas resulting in formation of H+ and OH\u2212 ions which migrate to and replenish said AIX and CIX materials, and recovering a waste stream as effluent.
2. Method as recited in claim 1 wherein said influent is water with dissolved Na+ and Cl\u2212 ions therein.
3. Method as recited in claim 2 wherein said CIX materials comprise beads having fixed SO3\u22122 ions therein.
4. Method as recited in claim 2 wherein said AIX materials comprise beads having fixed quaternary ammonium ions therein.
5. Method as recited in claim 1 wherein said EDI stack further comprises at least one mixed ion exchange material therein interposed between an AIX and CIX.
6. Electrodeionization apparatus comprising a stack of alternating layers of anion exchange materials AIX and cationic exchange materials CIX interposed between a cathode and an anode, said stack of alternating layers defining at least one interfacial area between an AIX and a CIX, said stack being devoid of ion exchange membranes.
7. Apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said AIX comprises beads having fixed SO3\u2212 ions therein.
8. Apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said AIX comprises beads having fixed quaternary ammonium ions therein.
9. Apparatus as recited in claim 6 further comprising at least one mixed ion exchange material in said stack and interposed between an AIX and CIX.

1. An isolated DNA from a mutant strain of a genus Sphingomonas, wherein said DNA comprises a mutated phaC gene encoding a polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) synthase, and wherein said mutant strain produces sphingan without producing PHB.
2. The isolated DNA of claim 1, wherein said DNA comprises a nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:7.
3. The isolated DNA of claim 2, wherein said DNA further comprises flanking regions.
4. The isolated DNA of claim 3, wherein said DNA comprises a nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:13.
5. The isolated DNA of claim 1, wherein said PHB synthase comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:8.
6. A vector comprising the isolated DNA of claim 1.
7. A vector comprising the isolated DNA of claim 2.
8. A vector comprising the isolated DNA of claim 3.
9. A vector comprising the isolated DNA of claim 4.
10. The isolated DNA of claim 1, wherein said sphingan is gellan, diutan (S-657), welan (S-130), rhamsan (S-194), S-198, S-7, S-88, NW-11, or B-16.
11. The isolated DNA of claim 1, wherein said sphingan is gellan.
12. The isolated DNA of claim 1, wherein said sphingan is diutan.
13. A recombinant DNA comprising a mutated phaC gene encoding a polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) synthase, wherein a Sphingomonas strain comprising said recombinant DNA produces sphingan without producing PHB.
14. The recombinant DNA of claim 13, wherein said DNA comprises a nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:7.
15. The recombinant DNA of claim 14, wherein said DNA further comprises flanking regions.
16. The recombinant DNA of claim 15, wherein said DNA comprises a nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:13.
17. The recombinant DNA of claim 13, wherein said PHB synthase comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:8.
18. A recombinant vector comprising the recombinant DNA of claim 13.
19. A recombinant vector comprising the recombinant DNA of claim 14.
20. A recombinant vector comprising the recombinant DNA of claim 15.
21. A recombinant vector comprising the recombinant DNA of claim 16.
22. The recombinant DNA of claim 13, wherein said sphingan is gellan, diutan (S-657), welan (S-130), rhamsan (S-194), S-198, S-7, S-88, NW-11, or B-16.

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.-15. (canceled)
16. Apparatus for forming a temporary fluid-tight seal on the inner wall of a fluid conduit through an aperture therein within a patient’s body, the apparatus comprising a fluid-impervious flange having an outer periphery and a protrusion thereon disposed to protrude through the aperture in a wall of the fluid conduit for positioning the flange against the inner wall over the aperture, the flange including a balloon disposed to be inserted in deflated condition through the aperture for configuring the flange into sealing engagement against the inner wall covering the aperture in inflated condition and for selectively reconfiguring the flange in deflated condition for removal through the aperture.
17. Apparatus according to claim 16 including segments of the flange disposed about the protrusion for flaring radially outwardly against the inner wall in response to the inflated condition of the balloon.
18. Apparatus for forming a temporary fluid-tight seal on the inner wall of a fluid conduit through an aperture therein within a patient’s body, the apparatus comprising:
a fluid-impervious flange having an outer periphery and a protrusion thereon disposed to protrude through an aperture in a wall of the fluid conduit for positioning the flange against the inner wall over the aperture, the flange including a plurality of ribs radially disposed about a distal end of the protrusion, and including a web of flexible material disposed about the plurality of ribs for configuring the fluid impervious flange into sealing engagement against the inner wall of the fluid conduit, and for selectively reconfiguring the flange in deflated condition for removal through the aperture.
19.-20. (canceled)