Abstract: A motorvehicle safety cut-out switch spring biased in a closed position to cut out the vehicle motor is contained in a housing which includes retaining means for receiving a spherical body through a flaired and resilient opening, and includes means for opening the switch in response to the presence of the spherical body in the retaining means. A lanyard connected to the spherical body is attached to a motorvehicle rider to yank the spherical body out and cut off the vehicle motor if the rider falls off the vehicle.

Abstract: A cover assembly for covering the open bed of a pickup truck, which can be easily installed and which can be compactly and safely stored on the truck when not in use. The assembly includes a pair of flexible sheet cover sections with inner edges that can be zipped together and outer edges held to elongated levers which are hinged on mounts at the sides of the truck, so that when the levers are pivoted down the flexible cover sections are pulled taut. The outer edge of each cover section is wrapped about a long mount rod, and the rod and cover portion wrapped thereabout are held in a recess of the lever to substantially eliminate localized stress concentrations in the tightened cover section. The mount devices for mounting each lever on a truck side includes a block of rubber which fits closely through a stake hole in the truck, a bolt extending through the rubber block, and a nut which can be tightened to squeeze the block so that it expands sidewardly to become trapped in place.

Abstract: A writing pen capacitively detects and amplifies signals generated by a writing table that produces a varying electrostatic field near its writing surface. The pen cartridge, which senses the signal, is capacitively coupled to a concentric electrode, from which the signal which has been detected may be obtained for amplification.

Abstract: A connector for installation in a C-shaped track to support a lamp onto the track and make electrical connection between the lamp and conductors within the track, including a connector housing with a narrow head which fits through a slot in the track, so that when the connector is turned the head locks into the track and a pair of contact elements are then pressed against the conductors of the track. A knob on the base of the connector housing, is automatically depressed, to retract the contact elements, prior to the connector turning to its locked-in position. When the connector becomes fully turned, the knob springs up into the slot of the track and thereby causes the contact elements to move out and against the conductors of the track.

Abstract: A control system for a cutting machine is disclosed in which the relative motion between a cutting tool, supported by a cutting motor, and the material to be cut is controlled by a feed motor. The cutting motor load level is continuously monitored and used to derive a load level signal which is related to the cutting motor load level and a desired cutting load level. The feed motor's forward speed is controlled to increase at a selected fixed rate until the cutting motor load level is substantially equal to the desired cutting load level. Whenever the cutting motor load level increases above the desired cutting load level, representing an overload condition, the speed of the feed motor in the forward direction is reduced at the rate of increase of the overload condition.

Abstract: An osmotic sensing head for measuring the osmotic pressure of protein molecules in blood, which is of the type that includes a reference chamber for holding saline solution, a sample chamber for holding blood, an osmotic membrane between the chambers, and a pressure sensor coupled to the reference chamber to measure the pressure therein. The sample chamber has a small volume and is provided with an inlet and outlet so that a storage saline solution can be removed and a blood sample introduced by merely flowing the blood sample in through the inlet while allowing the storage solution to pass out through the outlet. The inlet is directed at the membrane at an angle to help wash away material lying on the membrane. The osmotic membrane is held in slight tension by an elastomeric O-ring which presses the membrane against a conical surface.

Abstract: A myocardial lead for applying electrical pulses to a myocardium includes a relatively large electrode body of a metal, exhibiting high stress fatigue and corrosion resistance properties, a short stud of a metal containing platinum is partially inserted into the electrode body, with the stud portion extending out of the body defining the electrode pin. The stud is electron beam welded to the body. The myocardial lead also includes a distal wire, which consists of a plurality of flexible wire coils of the same metal as the electrode body and are covered by a flexible rubber sleeve. At one end, the wire coils pass through a cavity in the electrode body, with the coils' portion extending therefrom being wrapped around the electrode body and welded thereto. The distal wire extends to a source of electrical pulses. A platinum winding is wrapped around the electrode pin and is attached at one end to the electrode body.

Abstract: The spindle motor for a flexible recording disk is connected to a disk with an annular track of optical markings which are scanned to derive therefrom a train of reset pulses for a counter counting higher frequency clock pulses. Reaching of a particular count state is ascertained for each reset cycle to obtain a train of pulses of constant duration with pauses inbetween, varying with motor speed. A steady signal linearly varying with motor speed is derived from that train, compared with a reference and used to controlthe motor.

Abstract: A thermal nib is provided, which is heated by being directly inserted into an electrical circuit, and which enables writing on thermal paper.

Abstract: A head for producing magnetic images of fine detail, including a group of recording elements spaced perpendicular to the movement of a magnetic tape and a power source that passes current pulses through the recording elements to create magnetic fields that magnetize small regions of the tape. Each recording element includes an elongated conductor with a thin nickel layer nearest the magnetic tape and a thick copper layer on the side of the nickel layer opposite the tape, the copper layer having a small gap therein at a predetermined recording location. Accordingly, the center of current flow is normally through a middle portion of the copper which is too far from the magnetic tape for the resulting magnetic field to magnetize the tape, except at the recording location where the current passes through the nickel layer which is close enough to the tape to magnetize it.

Abstract: Apparatus is described for purifying waste water or other feed fluid, which includes a stack of membrane packs wherein each pack contains a conduit sheet, a pair of support sheets of filter paper or the like, each lying against a face of the conduit sheet, and a pair of membranes each lying over a filter paper sheet. The pack has exit holes, and the filter paper extends up to the exit hole walls and has a region thereabout which is impregnated with an adhesive which seals the filter paper against the inflow of concentrate while also holding the filter paper to the conduit sheet and membranes. The packs are spaced apart by inner and outer gaskets, the radially inner gaskets having central holes forming a feed pipe for carrying the feed fluid to all the packs.

Abstract: A system is provided for coupling an indeterminate number of peripheral devices to a central processing unit (CPU) through a single receptacle. A cable connected to an interface unit (IU) of a first device plugs into the CPU receptacle. Cables of subsequent IUs are plugged into receptacles connected to earlier plugged IUs, thus connecting the cables of all devices in series and the device IU's themselves in parallel. One type of IU is for a magnetic tape cassette and includes a timeout circuit to determine when certain types of programming errors have occurred. A binary digit is set in a status register for that and other types of errors. The status register is read under program control of the CPU, thus providing for the flexibility of haulting operation or bypassing the program section having an error for unattended operation of the CPU.

Abstract: A method and means is provided, which permits the transfer of fluids between separate detached containers, in a manner which preserves the sterility of the fluids during and after their transfer.

Abstract: A method and means of making an immunological assay is provided whereby stable isotopes of certain elements, or long-lived radioisotopes of these elements are used to tag antigens or antibodies. A known amount of the tagged antibodies or antigens are then mixed with the unknown number of antigens or antibodies forming an antigen-antibody complex, (bound) and free tagged antigens, or antibodies, (unbound). The bound antigens or antibodies are separated from the unbound, and their quantity is determined by negative ion mass spectrometry. An aliquot of the unbound or bound antigens or antibodies is taken and dried in a metal crucible, for example, which is then inserted into a negative ion mass spectrometer where the sample is vaporized, ionized and the number of tagging atoms is then counted. From the information provided by the count, an immunoassay can be established.

Abstract: A tree planter which prevents the roots of a tree from cracking a nearby sidewalk, including a planting container which is buried in the ground with a young tree therein, the container having sidewalls of slick and impenetrable material such as plastic, and with the sidewalls sloping outwardly, so that the open bottom of the container is larger than the top, to help deflect roots downwardly so that when they begin growing outwardly they grow at a level far below the sidewalk.

Abstract: A system for enabling X-ray films, of the type primarily used in the dental and medical fields, to be handled in daylight for exposure to X-rays. The system utilizes identical film sheets emulsion coated on one or both faces, each sheet having a notch, displaced from the sheet center line, formed in one edge thereof. A stack of sheets is packed in an opaque envelope with the sheets being alternated so that all of the notches lie along a common stack edge arranged in two parallel rows, the notches in adjacent sheets lying in different rows. The system includes a light tight dispenser which receives the envelope and is capable of being operated to strip the envelope from the film sheet stack. The dispenser includes a pair of rotatable selector cams, each aligned with a different row of notches. A spring mounted back-up plate urges the film sheet stack against the selector cams with the two selector cams respectively bearing against notched and unnotched portions of the top sheet.

Abstract: A tennis or squash racket is provided wherein, by changing the number of strings in the racket and rearranging their location the shock of the impact of the ball upon the racket is resiliently absorbed over a longer period of time than heretofore, and a better control of the ball is obtained. A center group of vertical strings is provided, wherein the strings are closely spaced about the center of the racket and two strings are positioned on either side of the center group which are further apart in the remaining racket space. There is a horizontal string group closely spaced principally about the center with a fewer number of strings on either side between the horizontal string group and the top and the bottom of the racket.

Abstract: A reliable machine for developing film, which minimizes the possibility of damage to the film surface and which provides close control of processing conditions. A film strip is pulled by a detachable member attached at the front end of the strip, and is guided along the machine by rollers spaced along the film path, with each roller having a film-supporting surface at each end and a wide cutaway portion between the film-supporting surfaces so that each roller touches only edge portions of the film. Chemicals in the tank are replenished by a system which includes a plunger that moves down into the tank to cause some of the chemicals to overflow into a drain and which then moves up out of the tank to lower the fluid level therein, and a bottle with an open lower end which supplies chemicals to restore the fluid to its original level.

Abstract: A solid phase epitaxially grown semi-conductor is described wherein a thin film of a semi-conductor material together with a thin film dopant are transported through a metal film onto a substrate, using a temperature below the eutectic temperature for the material.

Abstract: A coaxial connector in which the receptacle includes an outer shell that contains a sliding ring-shaped contact which is urged forwardly by a coil spring, the coil spring having a few turns at its rearward end which are firmly captured so that a low resistance connection is established through the spring. The receptacle also includes an inner tubular contact which is tapered to a minimum diameter at a throat region and which has slots forming resilient contact fingers, for receiving a tapered or straight pin-shaped plug member. In the case of a tapered pin-shaped plug member, the radius of curvature of the tubular inner contact at the throat thereof is precisely equal to the diameter of the pin-shaped member at the locations where they are engaged when the plug is fully inserted into the receptacle.