Abstract: A space efficient disk drive housing is described. The disk drive housing comprises a base member having a top, a bottom, and an outer perimeter having length and end portions of preselected dimensions and a cover element comprising a top surface and side walls depending downwardly from the top surface. The cover element has length and width dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the length and end portions of the base member so that the cover element can be secured to the base member to form the housing. The cover element is provided with a first raised portion to provide a height dimension within the housing sufficient for topmost portions of a spindle motor and head stack assembly of a disk stack assembly of a disk drive. Remaining portions of the top surface of the cover element providing a continuous, single PCB support surface. A set of support posts is provided on the cover element of the disk drive housing. The support posts are used to mount the disk drive to a host computer.

Abstract: An adaptive, analog filter system of a PRML [PARTIAL RESPONSE MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD ] read channel of a disc drive comprising an adaptive, analog transversal equator connected in series with an adaptive, analog prefilter. The prefilter is comprised of a plurality of serially connected, adaptive, analog filter stages having variable transfer functions determined by adaptive parameter signals received by the filter stages. The transversal equalizer is comprised of a delay circuit, comprised of a plurality of serially connected, adaptive, analog sixth order low pass filters, that is tapped to either side of each low pass filter, a plurality of analog multipliers that receive signals at the tap locations of the delay circuit, and a summing circuit that receives the outputs of the multipliers.

Abstract: An improved container for growing a plant intended to be transplanted is provided. In one embodiment, the sidewall of the container includes an outer sidewall portion and at least one inset sidewall portion. The outer sidewall portion has a plurality of upwardly facing internal ledges positioned in spaced relationship one above the other. Each internal ledge serves to direct laterally growing roots to grow along the internal ledges. The inset sidewall portions of the sidewall are connected to and displaced inwardly from the outer sidewall portion, defining a plurality of root-pruning openings between the inset sidewall portion and the outer sidewall portion. Each root-pruning opening is aligned with an internal ledge so that roots growing along the internal ledges are directed to the root-pruning openings for air-root pruning. In an alternative embodiment, the sidewall of the container comprises a plurality of connected, rectangular sidewall sections disposed one above the other.

Abstract: A disc assembly for a disc drive has a balancing clip mounted on a shoulder formed on other portions of the assembly to balance the disc assembly. The disc assembly includes a cylindrical hub on which data storage discs, interspersed with ring shaped spacers, are mounted and the discs and rings are clamped into place on the hub between a flange formed on one end of the hub and a clamp ring that is secured about the other end of the hub by heat shrinking the clamp ring onto the hub. A circular shoulder is formed coaxially with the hub on a face that is, in turn, formed perpendicularly to the hub axis on either the clamp ring or the end of the hub adjacent the clamp ring. The balancing clip is a C-shaped lamella having a circularly arcuate inner periphery for mating with the shoulder. The outer periphery of the balancing clip is elliptically arcuate and is bilaterally symmetric with respect to the major axis of the ellipse to which the outer edge conforms.

Abstract: A pipe laying apparatus for assembling segments of pipe into a pipeline, the pipe laying apparatus having a pipe storage assembly supported by a driving assembly. A pipe removing assembly removes individual pipe segments to a queuing area. A pipe orienting assembly orients the pipe axially, if required, and a supporting and aligning assembly lowers the oriented pipe segment to axial alignment with the pipeline being constructed, while a pipe coupling device installs the aligned pipe segment with the pipeline end. A sag control assembly provides support for the pipeline and lowers same to a desired location as the pipe laying assembly is driven along a selected pipeline construction route.

Abstract: An improved pump assembly having a housing assembly, a motor assembly and a pump, the housing assembly having a motor mounting plate supporting the motor assembly and the pump. The motor assembly has a motor with a rotatable shaft extending through a shaft aperture in the motor mounting plate to operatively connect to an impeller of the pump. The motor assembly includes a shaft sealing and alignment assembly which provides precise alignment and sealing of the rotatable shaft by a shaft seal mount and a shaft seal disposed in a precisely configured shaft seal bore therein. The shaft seal mount attaches to the motor and has its distal end disposed in the shaft aperture of the motor mounting plate.

Abstract: A method for effecting seeks of a transducer head across a data storage disk wherein the head is accelerated over a first sequence of time intervals and decelerated over a second sequence of time intervals. In each time interval of the first sequence, the head is accelerated in relation to the difference between the actual head velocity and a current demand velocity that is determined by incrementing the demand velocity for the previous interval by an amount that is a fraction of the difference between the previous demand velocity and a stored profile velocity selected in accordance with the current location of the head. In each time interval of the second sequence, the head is decelerated in relation to the difference between the actual head velocity and a stored profile velocity selected in accordance with the current location of the head.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling the timing of the sampling of signals and signal amplitude in a PRML read channel. A VCO generates a read clock and a clock generator connected to the VCO generates even and odd clock signals corresponding to even and odd cycles of operation of the VCO. Serially connected even sample and hold circuits respond to clock signals to store samples of the read channel signal taken during successive odd cycles and serially connected odd sample and hold circuits store samples taken during successive even cycles. Comparator circuits compare the samples taken in each cycle to reference signals and the comparisons are clocked through two stage, even and odd shift registers to provide estimates of the presence or absence of nonzero samples for each even and odd cycle.

Abstract: A toilet seat device and associated training method for pet animals that permit dual purpose use of a household toilet by both humans and pets, the toilet seat device comprising a toilet seat supported by a commode and having a plurality of retractable shelf segments which are biased inward to reduce the central aperture of the toilet seat. The shelf segments are extended and retracted radially by fluid pressurization and are actuated to retract when the weight of a human is supported on the toilet seat.

Abstract: A vertical uncoiling apparatus having a frame assembly for supporting a coil of strip material and an accumulator assembly for selectively removing and delivering the strip material to downstream processing equipment. The accumulator assembly is provided with an accumulation loop area defining a substantially S-shaped travel path for the strip material and a feed assembly for removing strip material from the coil of strip material and feed same into the accumulation loop area so that a steady state flow of substantially tension-free strip material can be delivered to downstream processing equipment.

Abstract: A diluent injection burner apparatus capable of reducing the nitrogen oxide content in a combustion effluent, the diluent injection burner assembly provided with a burner head having an air flow passage extending therethrough and primary and secondary fuel dispensing nozzles supported within the airflow passageway and adapted to inject fuel into a downstream end portion of the burner head. A diluent manifold assembly is supported by the burner head such that upon combustion of the fuel diluent is tangentially injected into the downstream end portion of the burner head relative to a flame envelope produced by ignition of the primary and secondary fuel so that a diluent shroud is formed about a base portion of the flame envelope.

Abstract: A maximum likelihood detector for a disc drive in which data files are stored along tracks as a sequence of magnetically written data elements that give rise to a signal in the disc drive read chapel. The detector includes even and odd Viterbi decoders that determine the most likely even and odd subsequences of data elements from even and odd samples of the signal and a postcoder that generates the most likely sequence of bits of encoded user data from the subsequences.

Abstract: An improved foldable table that opens and closes in an umbrella like fashion comprising a column member, a leg assembly, and a plurality of leaf members pivotally attached to the center column so as to be movable between an open position, wherein the leaf members mate to form a horizontal planar surface, and a closed position, wherein the table is easily stored and transported. The column member is selectively extendable and retractable, and the leg assembly is adapted to be selectively retracted into the column member. The center column includes a plurality of radial slots configured to matingly receive the leaf members when same are in either the open or closed position so that the leaf members remain in a selected radial plane.