Abstract: An electrical mounting assembly includes a box having a top wall and a side wall. The side wall extends downwardly away from the top wall and defines a cavity therein. A dimpled hole is provided in the top wall, and a supplemental fixture support extends into the dimpled hole for engaging at least a portion of the walls thereof. A threaded hole may be provided on the supplemental fixture support. The supplemental fixture support may be a rivet. A rough surface or fluting may be provided on a portion of the supplemental fixture support for engaging the walls of the dimpled hole. Preferably, the supplemental fixture support has exposed portions which are sufficiently smooth for preventing wear to plastic-coated electrical wire which engages such exposed surfaces of the supplemental fixture support.

Abstract: A ratchet for use with a cord includes a pair of opposed tear drop shaped members defining a one piece housing for rotatably supporting a one piece ratchet spool, for supporting a pivotally mounted thumb release and for supporting an angularly displacable hook. Opposed circular cavities are disposed within the members to rotatably support corresponding bosses extending from opposed sides of the spool. A plurality of opposed interleaved non-radial ribs extend from opposed surfaces of the spool to frictionally grip a cord partially extending about the spool. A pair of wheels forming the spool are interlocked with and secured to one another through a key and keyway.

Abstract: A circuit for producing a stable CDAC reference voltage in a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter includes a circuit (27) producing an input reference voltage (VREFIN), and a buffer circuit (12) producing a stable reference voltage in response to the input reference voltage. The buffer circuit includes an amplifier (13) having a non-inverting input receiving the input reference voltage. A first buffer (13B) receives the output of the amplifier and produces output that is fed back to an inverting input of the amplifier. A second buffer (18) also receives the amplifier output. A first transistor switch (19) couples the output of the second buffer to a CDAC. A second transistor switch (29) couples the CDAC to ground. A third transistor switch (26) couples the first buffer to the CDAC. The first transistor switch (19) closes to cause an initial "coarse" charging of a first capacitance of the CDAC by the second buffer (18).

Abstract: A knitting machine including a first knitting station (51) for knitting a welt, a second knitting station (52) comprising a fully fashioned knitting head (54), and a transfer system including a welt transfer bar (60) and a transfer bar transport system (72, 73), the transfer bar being movable by the transport system from a loading station, whereat a welt knitted at the first knitting station (51) can be loaded onto the transfer bar (60), to an unloading station whereat the knitted welt loaded on the transfer bar can be transferred to the knitting head at the second knitting station (52).

Abstract: An in-focus image of an information-bearing region within an optical memory medium is discriminated from an out-of-focus image so as to reduce errors in reading information represented by the information-bearing region within the optical memory medium by producing a probe beam and a reference beam from a wideband point source, producing antisymmetric spatial properties in the reference beam, converting the probe beam to a beam focused to a line in the information-bearing region, producing an in-focus return probe beam, and producing antisymmetric spatial properties in the in-focus return probe beam. Then the in-focus return probe beam is spatially filtered and passed through a dispersal element to focus it to a line in a detector plane. The reference beam is spatially filtered and passed through a dispersal element to focus it to the line in the detector plane. A beam from an out-of focus image point is spatially filtered and passed through a dispersal element.

Abstract: Circuitry in an amplifier (1) provides both auto-zeroing of offset errors and finite gain compensation. The circuitry includes a differential main amplifier (3) and a differential auxiliary amplifier (13). During a first phase (.phi.1), a previously sampled input voltage is amplified by the main amplifier to produce an output voltage on a first capacitor (C3). A stored prior offset correction voltage stored on a second capacitor (C4A) is applied between the inputs of the auxiliary amplifier, an output of which is coupled to an auxiliary input of the main amplifier to auto-zero its offset voltage. During a second phase (.phi.2) the inputs of the main amplifier are short-circuited together, causing it to produce a voltage change on one terminal of the first capacitor (C3), the other terminal of which is switched from ground to one terminal of a second capacitor (C4). This stores updated offset correction voltage on the second capacitor (C4).

Abstract: An epitaxial layer is formed on a P type silicon substrate in which a plurality of P+ buried layer regions, a plurality of N+ buried layer regions, and a P+ field layer region occupying most of the substrate surface are diffused. The substrate is loaded in a reactor with a carrier gas. The substrate is pre-baked at a temperature of approximately 850.degree. C. As the substrate is heated to a temperature of 1050.degree. C. N+ dopant gas is injected into the carrier gas to suppress autodoping due to P+ atoms that escape from the P+ buried layer regions. The substrate is subjected to a high temperature bake cycle in the presence of the N+ dopant gas. A first thin intrinsic epitaxial cap layer is deposited on the substrate, which then is subjected to a high temperature gas purge cycle at 1080.degree. C. A second thin intrinsic epitaxial cap layer then is deposited on the first, and a second high temperature gas purge cycle is performed at 1080.degree. C.

Abstract: A cap body has a movable retaining tongue which is engageable with a portion of an access structure to retain the cap on the structure. A tongue is manipulated through a bolt, the head of which is accessible at the top surface of the cap body. A cover for the bolt head has a locking post which extends through the cap body and engages and locks the tongue against movement.

Abstract: A line in contact with an elongated mandrel has incremental lengths wrapped around the mandrel when the mandrel is rotated about a longitudinal axis. The mandrel has at least one transverse handle receiving opening therethrough. The handle when inserted into the handle receiving opening is employed to rotate the mandrel. The device includes at least one member for engaging the line to prevent unwinding rotation of the mandrel. The mandrel may also carry transverse flange plates to prevent the line from sliding off the mandrel. And those flange plates may be adjustably positioned on the mandrel to accommodate lines of differing widths.

Abstract: A bootstrap sample and hold circuit accurately acquires and holds values of a high frequency analog input signal, to avoid harmonic distortion of a signal representing the analog input signal in, for example, a pipeline ADC, includes a first sampling MOSFET coupling the analog input signal to a sampling capacitor. A bootstrap circuit includes a bootstrap capacitor. First and second MOSFETs couple the bootstrap capacitor between a first reference voltage and ground in response to pulses of a first clock signal. Third and fourth MOSFETs then couple the bootstrap capacitor between the gate and source of the sampling MOSFET in response to non-overlapping pulses of a second clock signal to apply a constant gate-to-source voltage to the sampling MOSFET, the gate-to-source voltage having a magnitude equal to the difference between a first reference voltage and ground during the pulses of the second clock signal.

Abstract: A ratchet for use with a cord includes a pair of opposed tear drop shaped members defining a one piece housing for rotatably supporting a one piece ratchet spool, a pivotally mounting a thumb release and supporting an angularly displacable hook. Circular cavities are disposed within the members to rotatably support corresponding bosses extending from opposed sides of the spool. A plurality of studs, one of which provides support for the hook, extend from one member into corresponding cavities of the other member and are sonically welded or otherwise permanently fixed therein. A steel pin, having opposed ends inserted into cavities in the opposed members, mounts the thumb release and an associated spring.

Abstract: A tire support structure capable of spreading the beads of a tire for inspection and repair is supported by a mechanism for raising and lowering the structure. This permits the structure to be positioned in a lower position at a convenient height for a worker in an adjoining working position and permits the structure to be raised to an elevated position for retrieving a tire from an overhead conveyor system or delivering a tire to the conveyor system. A work bench is preferably located adjacent the worker position for supporting tools and supplies for repairing the tire.

Abstract: A plurality of struts extend upwardly from a subfloor and a plurality of racks interconnect selected rows of struts for supporting transmission lines and/or conduits. Each strut is formed of four orthogonally oriented C-channels having the edge of each leg curled inwardly to define a lip extending toward the base and each rack includes a similar C-channel. Each end of each rack is detachably attached to a C-channel of a strut by a bolt penetrating a plate at the rack end and threadedly engaging a nut captured in the C-channel of the strut. The transmission lines and conduits are secured to any of the C-channels of the struts and the racks by clamps having distal ends of two sections captured by the respective C-channel and an attachment mechanism securing the proximal ends of the sections to one another to retain the transmission lines and conduit clamped between the two sections.

Abstract: A flex antenna for a collar-mounted receiver-stimulator of an animal training device includes a conductive mounting element for connecting and disconnecting the flex antenna to and from a mounting connector of the receiver-stimulator. A flex conductor is connected between the conductive mounting element and a conductive coil support. An insulative rod is attached to the conductive coil support and supports an antenna coil having one end electrically connected to the conductive coil support. An insulative waterproof sheath is disposed on the entire flex antenna except an exposed portion of the conductive connecting/disconnecting structure. The sheath includes a cylindrical portion around the antenna coil and the conductive coil support and a portion of the diameter which gradually decreases from the first diameter to a second diameter and then increases to a third diameter. The second diameter is at a midpoint of the flex conductor to confine flexing to the midpoint.

Abstract: A solenoid driver circuit includes an input terminal for receiving a solenoid actuation pulse, an output terminal for connection to a terminal of a solenoid coil, a pull-in current adjustment terminal, and a hold-in current duty cycle adjustment terminal. A pull-in current duration circuit includes a first input coupled to the input terminal, an output producing a pull-in current duration pulse, and a second input coupled to the pull-in current adjustment terminal. A hold-in current duty cycle control circuit includes a first input coupled to receive a triangular waveform signal, a second input coupled to the hold-in current duty cycle adjustment terminal, and a third input coupled to the output of the pull-in current duration circuit. An output transistor includes a control electrode coupled to an output terminal of the hold-in current duty cycle control circuit, and a current carrying terminal coupled to the output terminal.

Abstract: Curvature in a reference voltage produced by a switched capacitor band gap reference circuit is compensated by producing a first .DELTA.V.sub.BE voltage by causing first and second PTAT/R currents to flow through a first .DELTA.V.sub.BE -generating circuit. The first .DELTA.V.sub.BE voltage is applied to a first terminal of a first capacitor having a second terminal coupled to a summing conductor of an operational amplifier producing the reference voltage. A second .DELTA.V.sub.BE voltage is produced by causing a third PTAT/R current and a fourth current to flow through a second .DELTA.V.sub.BE -generating circuit. The second .DELTA.V.sub.BE voltage is applied to a first terminal or a second capacitor having a second terminal coupled to the summing conductor.

Abstract: A dependingly supported self-righting frame for displaying a replaceable sign and having an upwardly extending hook traversing the top edge of a room dividing panel and a stabilizer extending in opposed directions from the hook along the top edge of the panel. The frame includes a base attached to a depending leg of the hook and a pair of parallel opposed channels extending from the base to slidably retain the sign within the channels. The hook prevents movement of the sign away from the underlying panel surface and the stabilizer prevents pivotal movement of the sign in the plane of the panel surface.

Abstract: Apparatus and attendant methodology for extracting maximum power from an energy source, such as a photo voltaic panel, an array of photo voltaic panels, or a windmill and delivering that power to a battery or an array of batteries is disclosed. The apparatus determines the maximum operating point of the energy source, and circuits and circuit topologies are presented for extracting the energy. The apparatus eliminates the problem of finding local maximum points, and problems attendant variations of the absolute maximum power point as a function of temperature, insolation, array construction, and photo voltaic panel manufacturing tolerances. The energy source supplies power in the form of a voltage and charges the batteries with a controllable current source.

Abstract: A hollow toilet seat having a plurality of inlets in its bottom surface is pivotably secured to a hollow attachment device mounted on a commode. Slots in the toilet seat are in positional correspondence with slots in the attachment device to provide fluid communication for air/gas flow from within the commode, through the inlets into the toilet seat and to the attachment device at least when the toilet seat is in the down position adjacent the bowl of the commode. A selectively operated vacuum pump is in fluid communication with the attachment device draws air/gas from within the bowl of the commode to an exhaust location.