Abstract: An electric switch having a tactile feel and capable of carrying high current without requiring the use of relays, the switch being resistant to arcing damage by effecting sequential making and breaking at different contact points.

Abstract: A combination railcar moving vehicle utilizing the weight transfer principle and trailer spotter which has a plurality of steel rail wheels for moving a railcar along rail, and has a plurality of road wheels for spotting a highway trailer in a switching yard, the combination vehicle including four rail wheels, two of which are driven, and four road wheels, two of which are driven, so as to provide 2-wheel rail drive and 2-wheel road drive, and further having oscillating means for permitting the remaining free-wheeling road and rail wheels to oscillate up and down to accommodate uneven rail or ground conditions. When the machine is operating on rail it is working inside the AAR clearance patterns stipulated by the American Association of Railroads.

Abstract: An electrical power connector including an insulator housing in which are mounted a plurality of conductive metal contacts each of which is provided with insulation displacement jaws for mechanically restraining and also making electrical contact with a corresponding plurality of insulated wires, each wire being terminated by forcing the same between a pair of contact jaws. The electrical connector is of a hermaphroditic design for mating with a like connector, so that each contact in one connector is electrically connected with a corresponding contact in a mating connector. The connector housing includes a hinged cover which insulates the contacts, and bosses formed on the inside of the hinged cover serve to retain the contacts and the wires terminated therein, and also serve as a tool for forcing individual insulated wires between the insulation displacement jaws of a corresponding contact.

Abstract: Apparatus for high volume preparation of cross-sectional specimens of printed circuit boards for microscopic examination, including a method and apparatus for precision mounting of a large number of such cross sections in a single molding sequence for simultaneous polishing of such cross sections in a single polishing operation.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying connector terminals to a plurality of leads including tensioning means capable of individually tensioning the leads with a predetermined tension, while being gripped and advanced by clamping means for advancing the leads into a terminal. Also, the clamping means may define a forward end which carries a wire guide plate which, in turn, is adapted to be longitudinally slidable back and forth in the direction of advancement, and is spring-biased into an outward position. The leads pass through apertures of the guide plate for precise positioning, relative to the terminal or terminals. The guide plate is thus retractable to permit the free ends of the leads to project into the terminal. Also, a lead-lengthening probe may be provided.

Abstract: An assembly of a contact spring and a wire wrap terminal whereby the contact spring has a socket in which the pin of a suitable electrical device may be inserted. The terminal includes a wrappable wire end to make a connection with an electrical circuit. The contact spring and wire wrap terminal are stamped and formed as two separate pieces to be assembled together for use in a printed circuit board and the like. The contact spring may be formed from a different material than the wire wrap terminal. The assembly is fabricated in a manner to insure proper orientation of the spring when inserted into a board. Gold plating or the other expensive highly conductive materials may economically be applied to selective areas, because the contact spring is formed from flat stock material.

Abstract: A collapsible mold core having plural can actuated members surrounding a conical central core member, the members surrounding the central core member having slidable pins connecting adjacent members and molding apparatus including the core.

Abstract: An audible device of the vibrating diaphragm type which has improved acoustical performance by reducing the open area of the acoustical wave egress port. Through use of a masked grille having a small percentage of open grille space it is possible to improve the performance of a vibrating diaphragm type audible device such as a vibratory horn by increasing its energy transfer or acoustical output.

Abstract: An improved siren including means for producing and directing sound energy against a rotatable reflector which directs the sound waves out from the siren in a generally horizontal direction and which due to rotation of the reflector about a vertical axis causes such sound waves to be directed in all horizontal directions. One embodiment includes rotor and stator means which create sound energy that is directed generally downwardly in the manner of a ring radiator, together with a reflector mounted beneath the rotor and stator for rotation about a generally vertical axis, the reflector being tilted relative to its axis of rotation to intercept the downwardly directed sound waves and direct them out horizontally thereby providing a directional siren which covers a 360 degree area due to rotation of the reflector.

Abstract: A warning assembly for emergency vehicles comprising a flash lamp assembly and a non-synchronous moving reflector assembly. The flash tube is subjected to a relatively rapid flash rate in conjunction with the movable reflectors attaining a scattering of the high intensity light throughout a desired area with high optical gain.

Abstract: The disclosure teaches an improved manner of firmly holding a thin brittle wafer, such as a 0.01" thick silicon disc 3" in diameter, so as to allow the wafer to be brought into abrading contact with a moving lap wheel. The fixturing provides a pedestal ground flat and a pad of resilient but firm cellular material bonded on the pedestal and ground flat also. The pedestal and pad are each sized only slightly larger than the wafer to be lapped. A guide ring surrounds the pedestal and pad, leaving only a slight clearance gap therebetween, and further projects away from the pad a distance less than the thickness of the wafer as it will be after lapping. A special liquid is applied as a thin uniform film over the face of the pad, and the wafer is biased against the pad face with a uniform force sufficient to squeeze the film to near zero thickness and into the open cells or pores of the pad.

Abstract: An alumina slurry supply system for use in conjunction with a polisher or grinder apparatus or the like for preparing the surfaces of metallurgical specimens, the system comprising an alumina slurry reservoir, a recirculation pump disposed in the reservoir, an applicator arm for dispensing the abrasive slurry to a platen or lapping wheel of the polisher or grinder apparatus, a first conduit for receiving slurry pumped from the reservoir, a second conduit connected to the first conduit for recirculating the slurry to the reservoir, a third conduit leading from the first conduit to the applicator arm, a valve in the third conduit movable between an open position to supply abrasive slurry to the applicator arm and a closed position in which all abrasive slurry pumped from the reservoir is recirculated thereto, and a timer for controlling the operation of the valve.

Abstract: An edge connector having an opening for receiving a printed circuit board and having two opposed rows of contact for making electrical contact with conductive pads on opposite sides of a printed circuit board inserted into the connector. The connector is designed with the objective that when the two rows of contacts are in their "at rest" positions, the various contacts in one row will be in engagement with corresponding contacts in the opposed row at a location inwardly of the outer ends of the contacts, thereby electrically shorting the contact ends. The contacts of the connector are designed so that when a leading edge of a printed circuit board is inserted into the slot between the two opposed rows of contacts, such contacts will make electrical contact with conductive pads on both sides of the board, and after such contact is made, further insertion of the board will cause the contacts to separate at the location they had been shorted thereby completing a circuit through the board.

Abstract: A plastic container and removable interlocking lid where the upper end of the container includes radially outer and radially inner upright annular flanges together with a bottom wall which forms a U-shaped annular rim defining an upwardly facing annular trough. The lid includes a first radially outer depending annular wall which fits down within the U-shaped annular rim and locks therein for removably locking the lid to the top of the container. The upwardly facing trough includes at least one annular groove the upper end of which is defined by a substantially flat surface which locks against a substantially flat annular shoulder formed on the first depending lid wall. In a preferred form, the base of the trough is formed of a plurality of sloping surfaces, and drain holes are located in the trough in communication with the interior of the container, the drain holes being located at the lower portions of the sloping surfaces.

Abstract: A molded bucket comprises a bucket lip defining an enlarged annular projection at the mouth of the bucket; an inwardly positioned annular shelf facing the mouth adjacent the lip; and an outwardly positioned annular flange joined to said bucket adjacent the annular shelf to provide extra hoop strength to the area of the shelf. The lid for the bucket defines an annular recess receiving the annular projection of the bucket lip in locking relation and an annular straight wall which extends radially inwardly from the recess, at an angle of essentially 10.degree. to 60.degree. from the axis of the bucket, with the inner edge extending outwardly toward the mouth relative to the outer edge. The angled annular straight wall serves as a cantilever beam to transmit stacking force to the annular shelf, so that the bucket does not distort or collapse under conditions of high stacking, the bucket being preferably a tapered bucket.

Abstract: A twin oscillating light assembly for use on police cars, ambulances and other emergency vehicles on which a warning light is required, the light assembly includes two light sources which each oscillate both vertically and horizontally and together produce an X-pattern of light especially useful in clearing the right-of-way ahead of a vehicle on which the light is mounted.

Abstract: A multiple wheeled vehicle in which at least some of the wheels are upwardly retractable by rotation of arms carrying the wheels. Hydraulic cylinders control the rotational position of the arms, and movable rods are connected to the hydraulic cylinder means. Coil springs urge the rods toward a position where the hydraulic cylinders and arm means position the wheel in a relatively downward rotational position, so that the retractable wheels may be alternatingly retracted upwardly and lowered downwardly by the hydraulic cylinder means, while also possessing a spring suspension system. Additionally or alternatively, non-retractable rail wheels may be present, being driven by internal, planetary-type, differential axle means defining internal brake means spaced centrally inwardly from the rail wheels by a distance sufficient to avoid damage to the brakes upon derailment.

Abstract: The disclosed connector has a housing and a terminal interfitted in a channel in the housing, and special exposed jaws are formed on the terminal between which a wire of the type having a conductive core and an insulation overwrap can be forced to establish a mechanically secure and an electrically sound solderless type connection. One pair of jaws are rigid and have cutting and gripping edges that cut through the insulation overwrap to establish electrical contact with the conductive core. These same edges are used to axially restrain the wire relative to the terminal. The second pair of jaws are flexible and have inwardly sloped tabs presenting adjacent edges that are angled transversely of the wire and are spaced apart approximately by the diameter of the insulation overwrap. The wire thus can be forced past the tabs spreading apart the second set of jaws which then spring back and overlie the wire and thereby transversely restrain the wire relative to the terminal.

Abstract: An adjustable mobile antenna comprising a dielectric rod several feet in length, a loading coil comprising a conductive wire helically wound in close fashion along an upper portion of the length of the dielectric rod, a protective outer insulator jacket covering the loading coil and a major portion of the dielectric rod, and a dielectric sleeve mounted on the outside of the protective jacket and slidable thereon along the length of the loading coil to effect "dielectric loading" of the loading coil to control the frequency of the antenna.

Abstract: A split-mold safety lock for preventing unintended separation of mold components during lifting and manipulation thereof. The invention employs a split ring capable of being swiveled in a circle of 360.degree. and being pivoted in an arc of 180.degree. around a perpendicular axis there in a base. A safety lock is associated with the ring base for permitting separation of the molds for a molding operation and to automatically assume a locked configuration upon lifting. The split-mold lock is capable of being utilized on multiple parting lines of a plurality of mold parts.