Abstract: The present perforated floor mat holder is for securing perforated rubber floor mats on a wet and slippery floor. It is comprised of an elongated strip with studs arranged at regular intervals that match the spacing of the holes on the floor mat. The strip is fastened to a floor with screws inserted through mounting holes arranged along the strip. The floor mat is positioned on the strip with the hole around the studs. The stress applied to the rims of the holes by the studs are spread among a relatively large number of holes, so that the rims resist being torn by the studs. Transverse grooves arranged several studs apart on the strip enable the strip to be broken into shorter sections of a predetermined minimum length. In a first embodiment, one mounting hole is arranged between each pair of adjacent studs.

Abstract: A cord manager for a suspended electric lighting fixture holds the fixture's power cord in close parallel relation to the fixture's suspension cable at electrical feed locations. The cord manager, which is suitably fabricated of extruded plastic, has an elongated first body portion with a lengthwise cable retention channel and an elongated second body portion having a power cord retention channel. In one embodiment of the invention, the retention channel for the suspension cable opens onto the power cord retention channel. In another embodiment, the suspension cable and power cord retention channels open outwardly away from each other. The cord manager provides the clean, finished look to the lighting installation at power feed locations.

Abstract: A three port distributed waveguide circulator has a hybrid coupler section connected to a waveguide section which is bifurcated by a central web plate to produce reduced height stacked waveguides and which is loaded with a distributed non-reciprocal ferromagnetic material for producing relative phase shifting of the microwave power traveling through the reduced height guides. In one embodiment, the coupler output is stepped down to the reduced height waveguides by a stepped transformer between the output of the hybrid coupler and the bifurcated input end of the bifurcated waveguide section. Alternatively, a tapered transformer is provided. A static magnetic circuit is provided for producing transverse static magnetic fields in the reduced height waveguides necessary for the distributed ferromagnetic material to exhibit non-reciprocal properties.

Abstract: The improvement in a control circuit for the operation of pneumatically propelled vehicles consists of a propulsion duct formed by a guideway (1) and power propulsion units (3) with flow control valves (4) located at intervals along the guideway (1). Atmospheric valves (2) are located at specific points along the guideway (1), opening and closing the duct to the atmosphere, and the section isolation valves (6) are positioned in such a way as to isolate adjacent blocks of the guideway (1) and at the same time to maintain the functioning of the propulsion circuit in the other blocks. A secondary duct (7) can be provided to allow a propulsion unit installed at a vehicle station to propel a vehicle which is stopped at the station.

Abstract: A cover assembly for IC chip has a lid portion and a retractable chip depressor member extendable from the underside of the lid portion along the lid's z-axis. When the cover assembly is mounted over the chip cavity of an IC socket and is properly indexed in the x-y plane of the socket, the retractable chip depressor member is retractable advanced along the z-axis of the lid portion to contact and depress the chip in the socket's chip cavity by a force that is parallel to the z-axis of the chip cavity and that is normal to the IC chip.

Abstract: A universal load-bearing hanger bracket for hanging a lighting fixture below a grid ceiling has opposed shaped hanger strips which when joined together form an elongated bracket body having a base end with a T-bar channel for securing the hanger bracket to the T-bar of the grid ceiling to thus provide an “on-grid” suspension, and a rail gripping structure above the T-bar channel for securing the hanger bracket to an optional mounting rail of a grid ceiling for an “off-grid” suspension. A hanger bracket assembly is further described wherein an electrical junction box is secured to the body of the hanger bracket and wherein a female plug having a downwardly facing plug end is provided at the bottom wall of the junction box so as to extend through the grid ceiling to provide an accessible electrical outlet next to the suspension location for the lighting fixture.

Abstract: A test socket for testing an optical IC device in a dead bug orientation includes a socket body with a device under test cavity (DUT cavity) for receiving an optical IC device under test (optical DUT) in a contact-up or dead bug orientation. The DUT cavity has a bottom wall with at least one aperture through which the photoactive side of the optical DUT held in the cavity can be illuminated. An outer array of axial contact elements arranged about the DUT cavity provides conductive paths through the socket body. The test socket further includes a plunger assembly insertable into the DUT cavity of the socket body having an inner array of axial contact elements which extend through the plunger assembly and which are configured to provide contact with the contacts on the contact side of the optical DUT.

Abstract: A luminaire 11 has baffle elements 31 in the down light opening of the luminaire's housing 15 for shielding the luminaire's light source 27 from direct view at normal viewing angles S. The bottom edges 51 of the baffle elements are provided with visual accent areas 55 which, at shielded viewing angles, exhibit relatively high observable brightness as compared to the relatively low observable brightness of the baffle elements' reflective surfaces 53. The visual accent area of the baffle elements is relatively small as compared to the baffles' reflective surfaces so as to produce a visual accent without visual discomfort associated with direct and reflected glare.

Abstract: A housing for a direct-indirect lighting fixture having a light baffle in the bottom opening of the fixture is fabricated from a unitary extruded part having a baffle plate integrally interconnecting sidewall portions and a central housing structure for the lighting fixture housing. The baffle plates are provided with a suitable aperture pattern by means of a punching process.

Abstract: A versatile stemware holder includes a vertically extending center sleeve, stemware holding arms extending from the exterior wall of the center sleeve, and split ring stemware holders at the distal ends of the stemware holding arms. The center sleeve of the stemware holder is sized to fit over the neck of a bottle-shaped container such as a wine or champagne bottle. A resilient liner is provided for the sleeve for bracing the sleeve to the bottle neck such that the stemware holder stays firmly in place when the bottle-shaped container is moved or jostled. The stemware holder additionally includes billboard platform structures and openings in the extension section of the stemware holding arms for displaying additional celebration and special occasion related articles such as flowers, note cards, valentines, bows, and the like. Risers attachable to the stemware holder and a display platform attachable to the risers are additionally provided for additional display versatility.

Abstract: An I/C chip socket is provided with a separate docking platform having a seating surface with an array of locator openings for receiving and fixing the position of the I/O contacts of an I/C chip such as the solder balls of a BGA. The docking platform is depressibly mounted in the base portion of the socket over the tips of an array of pogo pins. The docking platform acts to precisely center the I/O contacts of the I/C chip seated thereon with the pogo pin tips.

Abstract: An improved propulsion plate connector system for a pneumatically propelled vehicle of a pneumatic transportation system includes a vertical pylon for connecting a propulsion plate in an air duct of a vehicle guideway to a wheel truck of the vehicle at a pylon joint proximate the wheel truck. The pylon and pylon joint fix the rotational position of the propulsion plate about the vertical axis of the pylon and position the propulsion plate in approximate vertical alignment with a wheel axis of the wheel truck, such that the propulsion plate remains substantially centered in the air duct when the vehicle truck passes through horizontal curves in the guideway. The pylon joint also permits vertical articulation of the wheel truck relative to the pylon and propulsion plate to maintain traction between the vehicle truck wheels and the guideway track as the wheel truck enters and exits vertical curves in the guideway.

Abstract: An improved probe tip for making electrical contact with a solder ball of an integrated circuit device such as a BGA includes two perimeter point structures having interior angled edges which form a front hollow region in the probe tip for receiving the solder ball of a BGA. Each of the interior edges of the point structures includes an angled medial contact zone which tangentially contacts the solder ball received in the hollow region of the tip to produce minimal distortion of the solder ball. The method of the invention permits electrical contact with a solder ball of a BGA with minimal deformation of the solder ball. In accordance with the method, the contact between the probe tip and the solder ball is limited to tangential contacts around the solder ball below the solder ball's apex.

Abstract: A direct-indirect luminaire has a housing and down light passage areas in the bottom of the housing through which the direct lighting component of the luminaire is produced. Lamps mounted in the housing in proximity to the down light passage areas are shielded from any line of sight exposure by means of a laterally extending shielding element positioned between the down light passage area and the lamps. Preferably, the laterally extending shielding element extends a distance sufficient only to prevent lamp sight exposure of the lamps through the down light passage area.