Abstract: An oscillating electric fan having a neck joint which is mounted for tilting movement back and forth on the top of an upwardly projecting portion of a base and a fan unit mounted on top of the neck joint for oscillating movement on the neck joint about a vertical axis includes a flexible clip element which serves to selectively limit the extend of the tilting movement of the neck joint. The clip element, which is attached to the bottom of the neck joint has a hooked shaped tip which will strike the front wall of the upwardly projecting portion of the base when the neck joint is tilted down about 20 degrees from the horizontal axis and as a result prevents further downward tilting movement. However, by manually flexing the clip element upward away from the front wall the neck joint can be tilted further downward so as to place the fan in a collapsed or folded position.

Abstract: A test assembly for water-flow alarms having a housing made up of two sections. One section includes a control valve, and the other section a viewing chamber. The control valve is capable of a passing water therethrough at two distinct flow rates, one of which being equivalent to the flow rate passing through the orifice of a sprinkler. The viewing chamber contains a uniquely designed sight module therein through which the flow of water can be viewed. By incorporating the test assembly within a sprinkler system it is possible to reliably test a water-flow alarm without activating the sprinkler within the system.

Abstract: An adjustable, constant current power supply for use in electrically pumping negative impedance gas discharge lasers is disclosed. The power supply includes a voltage regulator and a constant current power source the output of the voltage regulator which is variable and controlled being connected to the input of the constant current power source. The output from the power supply is passed through a gaseous lasing medium located within a laser tube of the gas discharge laser in order to pump to the lasing medium. Be controlling the voltage fed into the constant current power source the current output therefrom can be altered in order to effectively vary the power output of the gas discharge laser.

Abstract: A multipurpose boot for use with a jacketed round-to-flat multiconductor electrical cable comprises in one embodiment a sheet of adhesive coated flexible plastic material appropriately cut and scored to define a center panel, a pair of fold-over flaps and a tab. In use, the boot is placed about the cable and secured to the jacket with the end of the conductors lying on the tab. When the end of the cable is inserted into the connector for mass termination the tab is inserted along with it. When the connector is crimped closed the boot effectively connects the connector to the cable jacket so as to physically protect the cable in the area where it is neither flat nor round and to provide strain relief. In an alternate embodiment, the multipurpose boot is attached to the connector, but is not secured to the jacket. Instead, the boot is shaped to include guides for directing the conductors of the cable in a preselected orientation with respect to the connector.

Abstract: An input/output (I/O) device controller for a data processing which is implemented on a single printed circuit board, includes a terminal control section, an I/O control section, a processor section and a timing generator section. The terminal control section includes a keyboard interface, an RS232 interface for transmitting and receiving data from the system host CPU over an RS232 line, and a video control section interface. The I/O control section includes a plurality of different I/O interface and control units for connecting the section to a number of different I/O devices and a system I/O bus interface and control unit for interfacing the section to the system I/O bus. The processor section manages the operations of the terminal control section as well as the I/O control section.

Abstract: A cleaning tool which is especially suited for picking up dirt, lint and the like from rugs, floors, upholstered furniture and other surfaces is disclosed. The cleaning tool comprises, in one embodiment of the invention an elongated stick shaped handle, a pair of legs extending outward from one end of the handle, a cylindrically shaped cleaning element having an external surface made of Velcro, a disc with teeth on its periphery fixedly mounted at each end of the roller shaped cleaning element and a disc with slots fixedly mounted at the outer end of each leg, each slotted disc being adapted to fixedly and matingly engage one of the discs at the ends of the cleaning element. In use, the cleaning tool is pushed over the surface to be cleaned.

Abstract: A portable electric heater/fan which can oscillate from side to side over a distance of 45 degrees or 90 degrees or remain stationary and which can also be tilted backward or forward so as to provide a beam of hot or cold air whose lateral extent and direction can be adjusted over two mutually perpendicular axes includes a compartment containing a heater/fan assembly and being slidably mounted for back and forth tilting movement on a neck joint fixed to a main gear carried by a shaft mounted for rotation about a vertical axis on a base. The main gear is coupled by a drive gear to the shaft of a synchronous electric motor mounted on the base. A first and a second set of cooperable limit stops are provided on the base and main gear for limiting the rotation of the main gear by the motor to either 90 degrees for the first set or 45 degrees for the second set.

Abstract: A video control section for a data processing system for controlling a CRT display is disclosed. The video control section includes a video memory comprising an array of dual port RAMS which is connected through an interface to the system memory bus, a shifter, a palette, a D/A converter, an oscillator section, a timing and synchronizer section and a microprocessor. The microprocessor, which is connected to the system memory bus through an interface, manages the overall operations of the video control section to generate video signals for the CRT display and in addition along with the oscillator section and timing and synchronizer section generates all of the video timing and control signals for the CRT display.

Abstract: A control and switching device which is installed at a customer's computer (local) site and which links a remote terminal by modems over telephone lines to the system console, the TTO/TTI port and the ALM/IAC port of the host computer, and to a user terminal for remote diagnosis of hardware and software problems is disclosed. The device, which is coupled by separate lines to the modem at the local site, the system console, the user terminal the TTO/TTI port and the ALM/IAC port of the host computer includes a microprocessor a memory, various logic and control circuits and a three position keyswitch. The keyswitch provides a first level of security and limits the type of access allowed by a remote caller. When the switch is in a first position, the caller has no access to the host system. When the switch is in a second position, the remote caller can connect to the ALM/IAC port or communicate with the user terminal but cannot change configuration data.

Abstract: A light detector which can be gated on and off in picoseconds is disclosed. The light detector includes a photomultiplier tube and a streak camera, the streak camera having a picosecond sweep time and being disposed so as to serve as a gate for the input to the photomultiplier tube. In operation, light received by the streak camera is converted into a streak image which is formed on the phosphor screen of the streak camera tube, the streak image corresponding to the intensity of light received by the streak camera during the time window of the sweep. Relay optics at the output end of the streak camera images the streak image onto the photocathode of the photomultiplier tube. The input end of the streak camera includes a two lens relay lens system.

Abstract: A control and switching device which links a remote terminal by modems over telephone lines to a local central processing unit (CPU) and a local computer console terminal is disclosed. The device, which is coupled by separate lines to the modem at the local site, the local console and the TTY and ASYNC ports of the CPU, includes a microprocessor, a memory, logic circuits and a switch assembly. The switch assembly includes first, second and third switches which are interlocked and which allow three different levels of remote access of the remote terminal. When the first switch is depressed, the device is powered down, the remote terminal has no access to either the TTY or ASYNC ports of the CPU and the local console is hardwired through the device to the TTY port of the CPU. When the second switch is depressed, the local console is hardwired to the TTY port of the CPU and the remote terminal is electrically connected to the ASYNC port of the CPU.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for the nondestructive readout of a latent electrostatic image formed on a sheet or layer of insulating material. A sheet or layer of semiconductor material is disposed in relatively close proximity to the insulating material. The latent electrostatic image formed on the insulating material causes a surface depletion layer to by produced by induction at the surface of the semiconductor material. The location and distribution of the accumulated charges on the semiconductor material are read out as analog electrical signals corresponding to the ac surface photovoltage induced on the semiconductor material as the semiconductor material is scanned with a low intensity modulated light beam of appropriate wavelength, the magnitude of the analog signals depending on the local charge density. The analog electrical signals so obtained are then digitized, processed and stored and/or displayed.

Abstract: A foldable sign capable of being mounted on the roof of a vehicle. The foldable sign has a sign plate pivotally mounted upon a base which may be removably or fixedly secured to the roof of the vehicle. Interconnected between the sign plate and the base is a latching mechanism capable of securely locking the sign plate at two portions thereof in either an upright (unfolded) position or a horizontal (folded) position with respect to the base. The latching mechanism includes a movable rod which enables an individual with a single sliding movement of the rod to simultaneously disengage the latching mechanism from both portions of the sign plate. In so doing, it is possible to maintain a positive locking of the sign plate in either the upright or retracted positions while enabling a quick release of the locking action to be effected when desired.

Abstract: A light detector which can be gated on and off over an ultrashort time window, such as in picoseconds or femtoseconds, is disclosed. The light detector includes, in one embodiment, an input slit for receiving a light signal, relay optics, a sweep generator and a tubular housing, the tubular housing having therein a photocathode, an accelerating mesh, a pair of sweeping electrodes, a microchannel plate, a variable aperture and a dynode chain. Light received at the input slit is imaged by the relay optics onto the photocathode. Electrons emitted by the photocathode are conducted by the accelerating mesh to the sweeping electrodes where they are swept transversely across the tubular housing at a rate defined by the sweep generator over an angular distance defined by the sweeping electrodes, in a similar manner as in a streak camera. Swept electrons strike the microchannel plate where electron multiplication is accomplished.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for detecting the presence of particles on the surface of a material, such as a semiconductor wafer, using the principle of scattered light. Light from a mercury arc lamp is collimated by a Cassegrain mirror collimator. The collimated beam of light is deflected by an annular shaped 45.degree. mirror toward a truncated annular shaped inverted parabolic mirror. Light striking the parabolic mirror is reflected outward in all directions as a converging beam of light toward a ring mirror. Light striking the ring mirror is reflected inward and strikes the surface from all directions at an angle of about 78.degree. to 86.degree. from normal incidence as a small spot.

Abstract: An audio crossover filter which automatically tunes the crossover frequency according to the content of the program audio which is being filtered.

Abstract: A temporal spectral photometer for use in obtaining spectral and temporal information simultaneously of an ultrafast pulse of luminescent light emitted from a sample upon excitation thereof includes an excitation section and a detection section. The excitation section includes a picosecond laser for exciting the sample to emit luminescent light and imaging optics for imaging the emitted light.