Abstract: An improved drum includes a substantially cylindrical drum shell having a drum head and containing a mechanical voice system including strings, and a mechanical tuning system for adjusting tension of the drum head and the strings, and a spring housing serving as a base of the drum and containing shock absorbers, base extensions for stability, and pedals for mechanical note changes.

Abstract: "Key icons in a graphical user interface for a computer system resemble physical keys on the keyboard and are closely integrated with the functionalities they invoke. A desired functionality may be invoked by pointing and clicking the associated key icon, or by physically pressing the corresponding key on the keyboard. In either case, the key icon changes its appearance to resemble a depressed key in response to the pressing of the physical key or to selecting the key icon. Key icons may invoke a menu function.

Abstract: A mechanical hand tool converts random-sized boards or planks into small, uniformly sized pieces suitable for use as kindling wood for stoves, fireplaces, and campfires. The device as a whole works on the principle of pincers or nippers, comprising two handles connected by means of a series of pivots and levers to jaws carrying opposing splitter blades. The mechanical advantage of the tool is increased significantly by the compounding action of the multiple pivots such that the physical effort involved in applying the tool is minimized. The tool is applied by holding the work, consisting of any of a broad range of predetermined sizes, edge-up between the feet of a user, who stands erect and astride the board or plank as it lies on the floor or ground.

Abstract: In a distributed, multi-node system for communicating between a plurality of distributed terminals and one or more central computers, some of which specify command and control information to the nodes, intelligent means are provided in the nodes to enable the nodes to test their internal communication channels and the communication channels to their associated distributed terminals independently of the central computers, and to reconfigure themselves independently of the central computers, substituting spare channels for identified malfunctioning ones. Conditions detectable by or within the node may initiate such testing. This means comprises a script interpreter which causes the node to execute scripts previously provided to it. New scripts may be provided to the nodes from a central computer.

Abstract: In a distributed computer network having a large number of intercommunicating distributed nodes and a smaller number of control nodes in which each distributed node reports status information to a particular one of the control nodes, a method is provided for guaranteeing that at least one control node receives a status message from a distributed node despite the unavailability of the particular control node to which the distributed node normally sends its status messages. Each distributed node associates a serial number and time stamp and an identification of itself with each message it originates, and each distributed node retains copies of the messages. Should a distributed node be unsuccessful in transmitting to its normal control node it attempts to transmit to other control nodes until it transmits successfully.

Abstract: In a distributed network comprising a plurality of peer (as opposed to master-slave) computers, a method of file shadowing allows each peer computer to maintain copies of data entries originated by the other peer computers in near-real time. Each computer assigns a unique serial number to each entry, and forwards each entry with the serial number and an identification of itself to all the other computers. Each computer informs each other computer of the highest sequential serial number received from it, and each computer resends to each other computer all entries having serial numbers higher than that acknowledged by each other computer.

Abstract: The arithmetic processor of a digital computer system has means for performing, on its output operands while they are in transit to memory for storage, such manipulations as operand alignment, conversions between packed and zoned format, insertion of signs, and insertion of predetermined characters for edit functions. Two registers are provided, each having a capacity equal to that of a memory word. Each register is provided with segmented input selection means for selecting from among calculation results, residual data retained from operand fetching, signs, and constants. The two registers are OR'd together to produce desired words for storage in the system's memory.

Abstract: A data processing system includes a number of subsystems coupled in common to a system bus. The subsystems communicate with each other by sending commands to each other via the system bus. Channel numbers identify the subsystems. One subsystem includes apparatus for receiving commands requiring a priority interrupt by storing vectors in a random access memory. These vectors which are addressed by the channel number of the interrupting subsystem indicate the offset to be added to the base address of an exception vector table. The exception vector stores the starting address in a memory of the requested interrupt routine.

Abstract: A personal computer (PC) operating with terminal emulation software as a terminal to mainframe host computer has means for dynamically reordering the programs it runs other than the terminal emulation software. It has provision for receiving program names from the host computer and for running the programs so specified without operator intervention. It may then re-enter the terminal emulation software, again without operator intervention.

Abstract: In a distributed data system in which processes running in trusted systems whose results may be proprietary or sensitive in nature may be invoked by operators at remote, untrusted workstations, and in which said processes are provided with locks which do not permit proprietary or sensitive actions unless a request includes a key matching the lock, a method of associating keys with operators is based on each operator's presenting his ID and a valid password at the workstation at the time he logs on to the system, verifying his password in a trusted system, correlating his ID with a role or group of roles he is authorized to fulfill, and retrieving and storing in the memory of the trusted system, associated with the operator's ID, a list of keys (a "keyring") for each of those roles. The operator's ID is appended to every request he invokes, a process containing a lock interrogates the stored list and will not grant a proprietary action unless the stored list contains a key matching the lock.

Abstract: A controller for controlling a large number of terminals and workstations semantically interprets entering character sequences with little load on its computing power by means of dispatching under the control of a hierarchical arrangement of lookup tables, wherein one possible action that may be dispatched to is the selection of another table in the hierarchy. Characters may thus be interpreted in the context of the characters that have preceded them. Another possible action is to switch to a memory search mode of interpretation, eliminating the need to provide lookup tables for infrequently occurring sequences.

Abstract: In a digital computer system in which arithmetic operands are addressed in instructions by their most significant digits, and in which operands need not start or end on particulr boundaries in system memory, apparatus is provided for calculating information from data available during instruction decoding and for using that information during operand fetching to fetch operands least significant digit first, and to store them in a scratchpad memory right-justified on double-word boundaries and filled with leading zeros.

Abstract: In a digital computer system which may perform arithmetic computations on multi-word variable-length operands, and in which computation is performed right to left (least significant digit first), apparatus detects when all word positions containing significant digits have been computed and terminates computation after computing one additional word position to allow any carry to propagate. Additional apparatus forces zeros for those word positions of an operand that do not contain significant digits, for they may be non-existent positions.

Abstract: In a distributed data processing system having a plurality of terminals or workstations, and providing the ability for users at terminals to access complex graphic images from a mainframe host and manipulate them at their terminals for inclusion into their own works, a method is provided for manipulating elements of an image too complex or detailed to be displayed in their entirety on a terminal. Demarkation may be performed at one portion of the image, and may be completed in another portion of the image in which the first portion is off screen.

Abstract: A real-time, high uptime transaction processing system includes many user terminals communicating with service providers via a communications network. A defective logic board is replaced or a board providing system expansion is installed without powering down the system by providing external auxiliary voltages and a reset signal to the board to put it in a passive state while it is being plugged into or unplugged from its backplane connector. Also under computer control the system is made inactive for a short period of time.

Abstract: Bus driving and decoding circuit for validating the decoding of signals put on the bus by said drivers, comprising a plurality of driver elements and a decoder connected to the bus, the drivers being grouped in at least two sets, each implemented in one integrated component having a control input for enabling the opening of the related driver set, the control input receiving an enabling signal which is further input to one driver in each integrated component, so as to obtain at the output of the one driver a validation signal (V1, V2) for the decoder, each validation signal having an intrinsic delay equal to the propagation delay of the related integrated component, the circuit comprising further a delay element, located upstream or downstream of driver elements which generate the validation signals, to provide each of the validation signals with an incremental delay sufficing to cover the propagation delay spread specific to the related integrated component, the decoder being enabled by the joint assertion o

Abstract: A data printer has the ability to print machine-readable information and, further instream, the ability to read and analyze such information. Results of that analysis are reporated back to a job control processor which, according to the analysis, monitors print quality, instructs the print engines to adjust print contrast, causes unacceptable pages to be invalidated, rejected and reprinted, and advises the operator regarding corrective actions to improve print quality or to reconcile print jobs.

Abstract: In a data processing system having a plurality of remote terminals, possibly of several kinds, connected by a plurality of communications media, also possibly of several kinds, from which terminals users may run a plurality of application programs in the central processing unit (CPU) of the data processing system, the CPU is provided with a network terminal driver for regulating transmissions between the various application programs and the various types of terminals over the various types of communications media. Means are provided for specifying the characteristics of the various types of application programs, terminals, and communications media, and the network terminal drive is responsive to those means.

Abstract: Timing unit for generating a timing signal for synchronous microprocessors in which an oscillator generates a base frequency equal to four times the timing frequency for the microprocessor. A frequency divider divides the base frequency by four, and a shift register clocked by the base frequency and receiving a timing signal from the frequency divider, generates a mask signal. The mask signal is selectively applied to a control input of the frequency divider in response to one or more control signals, to inhibit the switching of the frequency divider. This thereby introduces in the phases of the timing frequency, wait states equal to 1/4 (or multiple thereof) of the timing frequency, thereby matching the microprocessor speed to the memory read/write cycle time.

Abstract: Selective grounding device for electronic equipment comprising a printed circuit board fastened to a grounding frame by a fastening screw inserted through an opening of the board comprising a first conductive pad surrounding the opening and located on the board side contacting the frame, a second and a third conductive pads, insulated from each other surrounding the opening on the opposite side of the board, the second pad being electrically connected to the first one, the third pad being electrically connected to the DC ground of the equipment, a washer selectively conductive or insulating, overlaying the second and third pad and clamped on said pads by the fastening screw, so that the DC ground is selectively connected or insulated form the frame ground depending on the washer being conductive or insulating, without need to differentiate, to this purpose, the printed circuit board.