Abstract: An improved electrical discharge machining electrode permitting improved cutting action to be achieved at the same level of electrical power being applied to the wire electrode. Such improvement is attributable to a particular configuration and the material being employed in the wire electrode which has an iron alloy core coated with an intermediate layer including a copper and zinc heat reaction product on which is deposited an adherent carbon surface coating. The improved method and apparatus for employment of this electrode is also described along with one method to form the multilayer coating on the electrode wire core.

Abstract: A voltage surge suppression circuit employs two series connected metal oxide varistors and a power interrupter to provide suppression of all modes of voltage surge while providing protection against failure of either metal oxide varistor. An indicator is provided to indicate the status of the circuit to the user.

Abstract: An aluminosilicate glass composition is disclosed which is particularly useful for direct fusion sealing to both molybdenum and tungsten metals. The present glass composition provides an improved high temperature lamp envelope by reason of its reduced seed or bubble content. A minor amount up to approximately 3 weight percent ZrO.sub.2 is included in the glass as a refining agent to reduce the glass seed count and the glass further exhibits a higher strain point for less stress when the high temperature lamps are operated.

Abstract: A glass composition specially useful in the glass envelope of TV receiver tubes and which is of the lead silicate type is disclosed comprising in weight percent 30-65% SiO.sub.2, 20-40% PbO, 5-20% alkali metal oxides, 0-2% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, 0-10% alkaline earth metal oxides, 0.2-2% Sb.sub.2 O.sub.3, and 0.1-0.5% CeO.sub.2. The improvement resides in employment of a novel refining system when the glass is formed which employs Sb.sub.2 O.sub.3, niter and CeO.sub.2 as the refining agents in particular weight proportions to reduce the seed count in the molten glass while also reducing thermal shock breakage when the solid glass product is thereafter thermally reworked.

Abstract: Coil bobbins are disclosed having flanged coil support portions provided with outboard terminal housings projecting beyond the flange rim and defining inwardly extending terminal-receiving cavities. The end walls of the housings are slotted to allow a wire to pass through the cavity in a circumferential direction relative to the winding axis in similar fashion to a turn of coiling. Bifurcated terminals pressed into the cavities in straddling relationship to the wire provide connections to the coil.A double bobbin has twin flanged coil support portions with bridging sections maintaining their physical separation. Terminal housings are provided on the bridging sections allowing wire to be first wound into a coil on one support portion, guided across the bridging section and passed through the cavity in a terminal housing, and then wound into a coil on the other support portion, all without interruption.

Abstract: A rapid restrike metal halide lamp and method of operating such a lamp are disclosed which are particularly suitable for sports stadium lighting applications. The rapid restrike metal halide lamp has an arc tube containing constituents which require a waveform having a relatively high voltage and at a relatively high current in order to rapidly restrike the arc tube after the lamp has experienced a power interruption so as to initiate a sustaining arc condition of the arc tube. The relatively high waveform in the form of a series of pulse trains is routed to the arc tube by means of a two path arrangement comprising a conductive base at the bottom of the lamp and a insulative cap at the top of the lamp. This two-way path substantially reduces and even eliminates any arcing condition within the confines of the lamp.

Abstract: Coil bobbins are disclosed having flanged coil support portions provided with outboard terminal housings projecting beyond the flange rim and defining inwardly extending terminal-receiving cavities. The end walls of the housings are slotted to allow a wire to pass through the cavity in a circumferential direction relative to the winding axis in similar fashion to a turn of coiling. Bifurcated terminals pressed into the cavities in straddling relationship to the wire provide connections to the coil.A double bobbin has twin flanged coil support portions with bridging sections maintaining their physical separation. Terminal housings are provided on the bridging sections allowing wire to be first wound into a coil on one support portion, guided across the bridging section and passed through the cavity in a terminal housing, and then wound into a coil on the other support portion, all without interruption.

Abstract: An improved electrical discharge machining electrode permitting increased cutting speed of the metal workpiece being machined and which improves the operation of the electrical discharge machining equipment in other respects. The improvement is atrributable to an adherent carbon surface coating deposited on an electrically conductive metal wire length which serves to transfer energy efficiently to the workpiece from the spark discharge as well as enhance the flushing of materials removed by said discharge during the machining operation. The method and apparatus for employment of said improved electrode is also described.

Abstract: A fluorescent lamp utilizing a four component phosphor combination is provided producing efficient white color illumination at a lower cost than conventional phosphor coatings of the same type. A lamp color temperature of approximately 3500.degree. K. is produced with a blend containing two strontium apatite phosphors, one strontium orthophosphate phosphor and a calcium haloapatite phosphor. The strontium phosphors are blended in weight proportions to match the white color emission point of the calcium haloapatite phosphor component in said blend.

Abstract: A boxboard carton for fragile articles such as a glass electric lamp is shaped so that when the object is within the carton the carton will have an octagonal shape and include intermediate supporting panels to engage one end of the lamp and an end closure construction such that end panels will engage the end of the lamp and inner locking panels will engage the sides of the lamp to form an interference fit between the carton panels and the lamp thereby preventing movement of the lamp relative to the carton.

Abstract: This application describes a number of novel advanced piezoelectric ceramic power switching devices which are mounted within protective gastight enclosures that are either evacuated to a high degree of vacuum or filled with an inert gas protective atmosphere. The devices thus constructed are capable of operating over a range of load voltages extending from about 100 volts to 5000 volts or more with corresponding currents of from a few amperes to hundreds of amperes and wherein it is possible to provide a number of such structures in a single common protective gastight enclosure. For certain circuit applications the devices thus constructed have unpoled portions on which are mounted either passive circuit components such as resistors, capacitors and the like or active semiconductor devices all interconnected in circuit relationship with each other and the switching devices by using printed circuit or integrated circuit fabrication techniques.

Abstract: An improved high pressure sodium lamp is described utilizing a polycrystalline alumina arc tube that is hermetically sealed, at least at one end, with a polycrystalline alumina end closure. Said end closure novel member is shaped as a flat disc having the contour and size permitting partial insertion into the internal opening of said arc tube, along with having a larger size projection located adjacent one major surface of said disc externally of said arc tube and with said disc being hermetically sealed directly to said arc tube. In a preferred embodiment, said end enclosure member further includes a central aperture through which extends one of the thermionic electrodes contained within said arc tube.

Abstract: An electric luminaire is provided having an interior comprised of weather and corrosion resistant housing of non-metallic material, such as plastic. The housing defines an internal cavity, in which the electrical components of the luminaire reside, entirely sealed against intrusion of corrosive elements present in the atmosphere of the external environment. A rigid unitary metallic support structure, carried by a mounting hub adapted to be attached to an external support, extends from the mounting hub through the cavity and to the optical components at the lower end of the luminaire. The rigid support structure provides both primary and supplemental, or back-up, support for the electrical and optical components of the luminaire.

Abstract: A fluorescent lamp operating circuit includes a high frequency electronic ballast circuit for providing a controlled output to a fluorescent lamp load. A control signal is detected from the power line carrier which includes binary data indicative of the illumination level desired. The control signal comprises a multi-bit binary signal which is detected by the control circuit and used to control the frequency of the power supply circuit so that the fluorescent light illumination level may be dimmed over a wide range.

Abstract: A multi-faceted reflector for a headlamp of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The motor vehicle headlamp has the desired optics, in the form of facets, placed entirely on the reflective surfaces of the reflector. The reflective surfaces are comprised of a plurality of discrete reflective surfaces having right (i.e., surfaces of a parabolic shape in the vertical plane and being linear or cylindrical in the horizontal plane) parabolical cylindrical surfaces and discrete simple rotated parabolical surfaces. All of the reflective surfaces are located relative to the light source of the headlamp. The parabolic cylindrical surfaces, serving as spreading facets create a lateral spread of the light developed by the light source of the lamp, whereas, the simple rotated parabolic surfaces, serving as bending facets, create a shifting, relative to the light source, of the projected image of the light source.

Abstract: An improved high pressure sodium lamp is described utilizing a polycrystalline alumina arc tube that is hermetically sealed, at least at one end, with a polycrystalline alumina end closure. Said end closure novel member is shaped as a flat disc having the contour and size permitting partial insertion into the internal opening of said arc tube, along with having a larger size projection located adjacent one major surface of said disc externally of said arc tube and with said disc being hermetically sealed directly to said arc tube. In a preferred embodiment, said end enclosure member further includes a central aperture through which extends one of the thermionic electrodes contained within said arc tube.

Abstract: An amalgam of mercury is placed at the anode end of a low-pressure mercury discharge lamp for D.C. operation to counteract mercury vapor depletion at the anode end of the lamp. The amalgam attracts mercury vapor to the anode end of the lamp when the lamp is turned off to maintain uniform mercury vapor distribution in the lamp.

Abstract: A fluorescent lamp electrode heat cutout switch is provided for placement within a fluorescent lamp stem and outside the discharge envelope and is configured such that a resistive heater wire is connected to one electrode lead-in and a bimetallic switch element is connected to the other electrode lead-in and configured upon an insulating support in such fashion that the heat cutout switch receives heat from the resistive heater to activate the switch so that the electrode heat is cut off when the lamp starts and is kept off during normal lamp operation.

Abstract: Remote control of street lights utilizes a programmable computer which generates wavelike control signals at fundamental frequencies in the voice range and having half periods corresponding in time-duration to the pulses used for binary digits in logic circuits. The signals are transmitted by phone line to a shared paging transmitter which broadcasts them over the city. The signals are received by radio receives contained in local controller boxes from which the power lines to luminaires start out. The output of the receiver is driven to a saturating level in order to square off the received signals for a microcomputer programmed to decode the signals when they are legitimate and properly addressed to it. The microcomputer can turn the 230 v 60 Hz AC power line to the luminaires off or on, and can also turn on a local oscillator to inject an RF carrier signal onto the AC power line for energizing a dimming circuit in the luminaires.

Abstract: Increased optical transmission is provided for a body of optically transparent polycrystalline alumina by coating at least one major surface of said alumina body with a solid glaze coating and subsequently melting said coating at elevated temperatures to dissolve the surface alumina grains in physical content therewith to provide a smoother surface when the coating residue has been removed. More particularly, a solid glaze coating is first deposited on said major surface of the alumina body and the coated alumina body thereafter heated to sufficiently elevated temperatures for the glaze liquification whereupon surface alumina grains in physical contact therewith are dissolved in a manner which reduces the high spots on the individual surface alumina grains without materially introducing low spots at the grain boundaries and wherein the individual alumina surface grains have been preferentially etched in certain of the crystalline axis directions.