Abstract: A magnetic relay is packaged for automated assembly. The armature of the relay is held by an L-shaped frame that is easily assembled and is firmly held in position to insure electrical contact alignment. One of the terminals of the five terminals of the relay is inserted into a side of the base for the relay instead of from the top of the base. This provides a better control of the air gap between the relay armature and the contact.

Abstract: An icemaker includes a motor and a gear train enclosed in a drive housing, a square drive output shaft extending from the housing, an output gear attached to the shaft, a camstack rotatable on a camshaft, and an input gear attached to the camshaft and driven by the output gear, all enclosed in a control housing comprising a first and second portion. The drive housing is mounted in the control housing by means of four openings in a pair of flanges attached to the drive housing, the openings fitting over four locating pins in one control housing portion. The housing portions are fastened together with the pins in the one control housing portion fitting into channels in the other, with the drive housing captured between the two portions. Both the output shaft and the camshaft are journaled in the same housing portion. There is a one-way clutch in the motor gear train and an anti-back mechanism on the camstack gear.

Abstract: A timing mechanism comprising a camstack having a hollow hub rotatably mounted between support plates, electrical switches actuated by the camstack as it rotates, a bearing having a bore in it and rotatably journalled in one of the support plates, and a shaft mounted axially in the camstack with one end rotatably supported in the bearing and the other end in the other of the support plates. The shaft is axially movable between a first position and a second position, which positions are determined by a detent assembly comprising two grooves in the shaft and spring fingers located in the bore of the bearing. The fingers engage one groove when the shaft is in the first position and the other groove when the shaft is in the second position.

Abstract: A probe housing includes a cover and an aluminum base that comprises a plate and a threaded collar for screwing the base onto a pipe-T. A threaded bore permits liquid from the pipe-T to pass through the plate. A pressure transducer, comprises a transducer housing and a threaded coupling. The transducer, a circuit board, and a washer-shaped circuit board support are mounted in the probe housing with the threaded coupling passing through a hole in the circuit board and the circuit board support and screwing into the bore in the base plate so that the circuit board is firmly held between the transducer housing and the support. A temperature sensor is held in a cavity in the plate by thermally conductive adhesive and is separated from the liquid in the pipe-T by only a relatively thin portion of the base to sense the temperature of the liquid.

Abstract: A plastic cylindrical camstack has different inside diameters. This leads to the problems of maintaining concentricity and elimination of excessive warpage during molding of the plastic. These problems have been substantially overcome by removing selected portions of the camstack in the area where the inside diameter is smaller, so that the net thickness of unbroken hub wall in this area is equal to the thickness of the hub wall in the areas where the diameter is larger. The material is removed to form serrations in the hub exterior surface, the serrations having a width slightly smaller than the length of a hub follower which rides on the hub surface.

Abstract: A fluid detector comprises a probe, a probe cap and an electric cable connecting the probe and cap. A stainless steel lead is attached to the end of the probe opposite the cable. The distal end of an electrician's fish is inserted through an entry port into the space between the walls of a double-walled tank and run around the tank until it returns to the entry port. The end of the fish is engaged by a hook, pulled from the tank, and connected to the probe lead. The electric probe cable has a length equal to the distance from the entry port to the desired probe position. The fish lead and probe are pulled around the tank until the distal end of the fish emerges from the tank. The lead is disengaged from the fish and passed through the cap. The slack in the lead is taken in, and the lead is attached to the cap.

Abstract: A casing having rounded corners for ease of insertion into narrow confines defines a protective chamber and has openings permitting fluids exterior to the casing to enter the chamber. There is a fluid monitor within the chamber having a surface adapted for exposure to the fluids. There is a compartment within the casing insulated from the fluids and containing a second fluid monitor. A stainless steel cable is attached to the casing for inserting the probe between the walls of a double-walled tank. In an alternative embodiment there is a channel within the casing for receiving the distal end of an electrician's fish.

Abstract: A receiver includes a receiving circuit for receiving an electromagnetic carrier wave modulated by a message signal, a detector ciruit for separating the message signal from the carrier wave, and an output circuit. The detector circuit has a Q ratio sufficiently low that the detectable band width is more than twice the modulation frequency change. The detector output signal has a noise voltage level when no carrier is present that is higher than the voltage of the message signal with a carrier present. An output circuit senses the level of the detector output signal and passes signals with a voltage level below a predetermined level and otherwise blocks the output signal. The filtering of the output circuit is sufficiently low that its response time is faster than a tenth of a second. The output circuit includes a noisy input related to the detector output and a reference input.

Abstract: A plurality of probes are electrically connected to a central controller. Each of the probes is capable of providing a hydrocarbon signal, a water signal, and a dry signal to the controller upon sensing these respective environments. The controller includes an alarm transducer, relays, a keyboard, and a liquid crystal display (LCD) connected to a microprocessor and associated memories. A software program stored in memory is utilized by the microprocessor to permit users to individually select alarm conditions for each probe and relay and the latching condition for each relay which conditions are stored in memory. The probes that activate each relay may also be selected and stored. There is an RS232 port connected to the microprocessor circuit via which probe status can be requested by and communicated to a remote terminal. Upon receipt of probe signals corresponding to the selected alarm and latching conditions, the microprocessor activates the alarm and relays as programmed.

Abstract: A security system having one or more sending units for transmitting an electromagnetic signal representative of a condition such as fire, smoke, intrusion, battery condition, an emergency or other condition to a central receiving unit. Upon reception of an electromagnetic signal, the receiving unit provides an electromagnetic carrier detect signal to a microprocessor. A software timer within the microprocessor keeps track of the time over which the carrier is detected. If the carrier detection continues for a time longer than about 20 seconds, then a jamming indication signal is provided to one or more outputs. While the system is being jammed, alarms are ignored thus avoiding false alarms due to interference.

Abstract: A plurality of probes for sensing their fluid environment are electrically connected to a controller. The controller includes an alarm transducer, relays, a keyboard, and a display connected to a microprocessor and associated memories. Under keyboard control and software direction the microprocessor is operable in a monitor mode in which it monitors the probes and activates the transducer, relays, and display in response to probe signals corresponding to selected alarm conditions, and in a program mode in which the alarm conditions, relay latching conditions, and probe to relay assignments may be selected via the keyboard. A hardware timer interrupts the microprocessor periodically to clock a software timer which provides six second and six minute timers. When monitor mode is exited, the six second timer is reset and if a security code is not entered in six seconds the timer elapses and the system returns to monitor mode.

Abstract: A detection system having sending units for sending data signals representative of a condition, such as fire, smoke, intrusion, battery condition, or an emergency, to a central receiving unit. The sending units include a microcomputer which generates a pseudo-random number, waits for a number of cycle periods equal to the pseudo-random number, then activates a transmitter to send a data signal to the receiving unit. The randomized transmission prevents the synchronized clashing of transmitters.

Abstract: A timer having switches are responsive to a cam, the cam being driven through a timer motor through a clutch. The cam and the switches are disposed within a housing. The switches include electrical contact blades with cooperating electrical contacts. Electrical terminals are mounted in the housing and extend through the housing and are unitarily constructed with the switches to form a one piece combination. The electrical terminals are held within slots in a wall of the housing through a pair of projections lanced from the terminals which engage notches opening to the slots. The projections are individually in planes that are at an angle to each other such that their distal ends are directed away from each other and which are spring biased to act as cantilevered spring members and made to squeeze inwardly between sides of the notches.

Abstract: An apparatus for sensing the difference between a polar fluid and a non-polar fluid includes a control assembly, a probe assembly and a conduit electrically coupling the probe assembly to the control assembly at a remote location thereto. The probe assembly includes a float, at least one fluid sensor mounted beneath the float, a fluid sensor circuit for providing a signal indicative of the polar characteristics of the fluid, and a logic circuit having a first state when the signal indicates a polar fluid and a second state when the signal indicates a non-polar fluid. The control assembly includes cicuitry responsive to the state of the logic circuit for controlling alarms, visual indicators, and machine operations. The probe assembly may also include a detector for detecting the state of the fluid. If the fluid has a non-liquid state then the logic circuit has a third state which indicates the non-liquid state of the fluid.

Abstract: Wound capacitors are manufactured by winding foils on a mandrel which is heated sufficiently to set the initial turns without fusing them, thus stabilizing the circular profile produced by the mandrel so that the profile is retained when the mandrel is removed from the wound capacitor.

Abstract: There is a plurality of probes electrically connected to a central controller. Each of the probes is capable of providing a hydrocarbon signal, a water signal and a dry signal upon sensing these respective environments. The controller includes an audible alarm transducer and a switch for activating circuitry providing either a first alarm mode which provides an alarm in response to a hydrocarbon signal or a second alarm mode which provides an alarm in response to a hydrocarbon signal and also a water signal. A continuous alarm tone is provided upon receiving a hydrocarbon signal while an intermittent alarm tone is provided upon receiving a water signal. A yellow label links a "water" sign and the transducer and a red label links an "oil" sign and the transducer.

Abstract: The process comprises creating two conductor strips provided with end pieces whose external parts are bent on one and the same side, welding the electric-electronic components to the bent parts of corresponding end pieces, making a mold, inserting into the mold the unit constituted by the strips and the components, pouring liquid sealant into the mold in such a way as to cover the components but not the strips, with this condition being maintained until the sealant has set, separating the mold from the one piece block of sealant in which the components are dipped and from which project, at least partially, end pieces, removing the strips from the corresponding end pieces in order to define with these, the electrical terminations of the components, bending the terminations against the longitudinal sides of the one piece block and cutting the block along crosswise planes that do not effect the components.

Abstract: A lever is carried in a holder that permits the lever to be pivoted in a complete circle to permit up/down and left/right movement or any position in between. The lever engages a carriage which carries electrical contacts. Movement of the carriage by the lever causes the electrical contacts to move to be able to engage selective electrical paths.

Abstract: A process for producing capacitors (9) of the stacked type envisages, in the order stated, a reel (4) being formed by simultaneously winding two superposed dielectric films 1, 2, around a support, the films being offset transversely and metallized on one side, the separation of the reel from the corresponding support e.g. by transverse shearing the reel (4), with the creation of one or more capacitive rods (6) extending rectilinearly, the metallization of the longitudinal end faces (6a) of each rod either before or after separation from the support (3: 10: 12: 14), and finally the transverse shearing of the metallized rod in order to produce individual capacitors 9, each of which of a predetermined capacitance. The rods (6), extending rectilinearly, have little or no internal pressure so show little tendency to delaminate and, furthermore, are readily handled for production of individual capacitors.

Abstract: A timing mechanism controls various functions of an ice maker through cams carried on a camshaft. A harvest rake that removes ice from a receptacle is coupled to the camshaft to be rotated thereby. The camshaft is driven by a motor which is coupled to the timing mechanism through a pair of non-circular meshing gears. The gears are programmed such that a slower speed is imparted to the camshaft when ice is being removed from the receptacle by the harvest rake. This provides a slower speed but higher torque to the harvest rake during ice removal and a faster, more accurate timing rate during filling of the receptacle.