Abstract: A receiver and antenna drive gear unit provide optimal mechanical and electrical pointing of the antenna dish at each of the satellite orbiting in geo-synchronous fashion above the equator, the receiver having the capability of calculating and initially pointing the antenna dish at each of the satellites, and then providing peaking routines under operator control to maximize signal strength. The antenna drive gear unit utilizes a separate motor for each of the azimuth and elevational directions and utilizes circular ring gears and a spur gear to drive the antenna, thereby providing much more accurate and repeatable monitoring and positioning of the antenna unit over extended usage.

Abstract: A ladder assembly, primarily for use on vehicles having compartments inconveniently displaced from the ground, has a ladder slidably attached to a storage portion between a retracted storage position and a substantially vertical, operative position, wherein the ladder is reachably displaced above the ground in the operative position. The storage portion is designed to retractably and securely store the ladder when not in use and to prevent disengagement of the ladder from the storage portion when the ladder is in the operative position. The ladder assembly further includes a bracing portion which prevents swinging movement of the ladder, in the operative position, towards the storage portion.

Abstract: A Buffer Management System for a general multipoint packet switching network where the network has terminals transmitting data in the form of packets belonging to multiple channels over communication links through a packet switch array, the packet switches of the array receiving incoming packets from input data links and having memory arrays for temporarily storing the incoming packets for retransmitting the stored packets over output links. The Buffer Management System determines whether a packet should be stored, retransmitted, or discarded during an overload condition by identifying each incoming packet as either an excess packet or a nonexcess packet based on the number of packets stored in the memory array of the same channel as the incoming packet, and writing an incoming nonexcess packet into the memory array when the memory array is full and at least one excess packet is in the memory array and for discarding the excess packet from the memory array.

Abstract: An occupancy sensor device has a housing with a neck entry affording a light path to a recessed sensor. The interior of the light path has properties of reflection and/or refraction to improve effective field of view of the sensor. A tubular member as the neck can be angularly adjustable for selective electrical connection to a circuit board carrying the sensor and contacts at its end. That board can be clamped in slots in an inner part of the housing. Fitting to a barrier can be aided by clenching action of a spring member apertured to group an outer housing part when relaxed.

Abstract: A generally annular heat sink is adapted to be compressed and inserted within the cylindrical sleeve of a motor or the like, with the spring action of the heat sink being sufficient to hold it in place after it is released. Channels along the outer surface of the heat sink provide reservoirs for a potting compound to further fix the heat sink and improve the thermal conductivity between the heat sink and sleeve. A PC board is mounted to the heat sink only through the electrical leads of power transistors to provide a limited amount of flexure to accommodate insertion and removal of the heat sink. In a second embodiment, a generally rectangular heat sink is mounted in a conduit box by tabs which are deformed to fit within channels along opposite edges of the heat sink. An access hole in the side of the conduit box and aligned with the channel permits a pin to be inserted therethrough to push the tabs out of the channel and release the heat sink and PC board from the conduit box.

Abstract: A blood aspiration assembly and method has proximal, intermediate and distal tubing, a reservoir having an adjustable volume and an aspirator receiver. A two-way valve can connect the reservoir to the intermediate tube and block flow to the proximal tubing, or can connect the intermediate and proximal tubing while blocking flow to the reservoir. The reservoir can be locked into selected withdrawal and discharge positions. The intermediate tube is connected with the aspirator receiver. The receiver is connected with the distal tubing. The receiver has a housing comprising a rigid casing and a resilient plug. The valve and reservoir can be operated to withdraw resident fluid from the assembly flow channels distal thereto into the reservoir, and draw blood from the patient into the intermediate tube to remove resident fluid from the aspiration chamber. A needle from a separate syringe is inserted through the plug into the aspirator chamber and a blood sample withdrawn.

Abstract: A granular composition containing 2-(4-isobutylphenyl)propionic acid (ibuprofen) as an active anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical ingredient as a major component, together with carboxymethylcellulose, a lubricant and water as minor components, is disclosed. Particles of ibuprofen and carboxymethylcellulose are both fluidized and coated with an aqueous disperson of a starch binder. After being dried to a moisture level of about 1-5% and blended with a lubricant and additional carboxymethylcellulose, the resulting granules can be directly molded into a pharmaceutically acceptable tablet having high hardness, short disintegration time and fast dissolution rate.

Abstract: A pair of design elements are suitable for display within the interior of a left and right shoe which make up a pair of children's shoes to aid the child in aligning the shoes for proper fitting onto the correct feet. The individual design elements are themselves complete and, further, are not indicators of proper alignment without their association with a picture story which may comprise a simple declarative sentence such that a mental step is required by the child in order to ascertain that the shoes are properly aligned. This picture story also requires the child to make a visual and directional alignment of the design elements in a left to right orientation which aids the child in gaining reading skills.

Abstract: An offset current which is 180.degree. out of phase with the leakage current for a motorized bed circuit is created through the use of an additional transformer winding and series resistor which is connected between the neutral conductor and ground conductor. As the circuit is connected in the reverse polarity condition for testing to UL standards, the offset current is injected into the ground conductor which cancels out a portion of the leakage current from the motors to thereby bring it within testing standards. In the normal connection condition, the injected offset current is additive to the leakage current, although the normal leakage current is much less than the reverse polarity connection leakage current so that the overall leakage current in the normal connection condition remains within test standards.

Abstract: An ice harvesting/water chiller machine with an improved evaporator assembly having a plurality of plate-type heat exchangers oriented vertically in face-to-face parallel relation. A water reservoir is located above the heat exchangers. Water is distributed from the reservoir downwardly to flow over the outside surfaces of the heat exchangers to effect a substantially even distribution of water over the outside surfaces as it flows downwardly thereover. Cold refrigerant is distributed to the tops of the heat exchangers to cascade downwardly over the inside surfaces of the heat exchangers to effect a substantially even distribution of refrigerant over the inside surfaces as it cascades downwardly thereover. A cold refrigerant feed tube extends across the top of each heat exchanger substantially the entire width thereof. The tube has spaced openings along the tube over substantially the entire width of the heat exchanger which openings communicate with the interior of the heat exchanger.

Abstract: A frame for mounting devices such as garden windows into the ordinary window frame of a builidng. It includes so-called outer channel members that preferably can surround the garden window and to which the garden window can be secured and inner channel members that are disposed within the outer channel members and are held therein fixedly by screws that adjust their spacing inwardly and outwardly with respect to the outer channel members so that they can accommodate variations in the size, warp, out of square, and the like of the window frames, and also so that they can hold foam material or the like that can seal around the frame to prevent air from passing around the frame into the building.

Abstract: The present invention includes a variable reflectivity mirror assembly to provide positions of high and low reflectivity which includes a support member or housing, a reflective panel, motor means, actuation means secured to the housing for driven by the drive element of the motor, and a timed-drive circuit for directing the current through the motor in opposite directions to move the mirror between the two positions. The present invention also includes a mechanism for actuating the mirror as well as the motor drive circuit and the push-button assembly for actuating the mirror.

Abstract: A control valve of the angle pattern type has a valve body with first and second valve members supported by the valve body such that one of the members is adjustably movable relative to the other. The control valve has a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a fluid passage from the inlet to the outlet for the flow of fluid therethrough. The valve body has a hollow portion in the fluid passage defining a cylindrical section, and the valve members define a control orifice therebetween within the passage for the flow of fluid therethrough, the flow of fluid being generally radially through the orifice. An inlet chamber is located in the passage at the entrance of the control orifice. The passage and control orifice direct the fluid flow such that the fluid turns 90.degree. as it flows from the chamber into the control orifice and turns 90.degree. as it flows from the control orifice.

Abstract: A dual frequency stacked microstrip patch antenna is comprised of a pair of circular radiating patches separated by a layer of dielectric, the two upper patches being further separated by another layer of dielectric from a pair of separated ground planes. A modal shorting pin extends between the patches and ground planes, and the patches are fed through a pair of feed pins by a backward wave feed network. A pair of pear-shaped holes in the lower patch through which the feed pins pass balance the impedance between the patches and result in an extended bandwidth.

Abstract: An end cap for selective installation on rod ends of different diameters. The end cap is a cup-like member having an annular side wall extending between a closed end and an open end. Adjacent the open end, the annular side wall has a substantially cylindrical section which leads to a tapered section of gradually reducing diameter toward the closed end.

Abstract: A method of producing personal identifying indicia for attaching to a person's body involves preparing a photohalide indicia on a plastic film which is then cut and polished. The method is especially useful to produce photo microdots which may be bonded to a wearer's teeth or other part of the body. The polished edge of the microdot has a smooth enlarged toroidal shape and aids in encapsulating the microdot in a bonding agent to adhere the microdot to a tooth.

Abstract: A valve and nozzle system for drop on demand ink jet printing apparatus wherein a single valve communicates with a plurality of orifices for controlling the flow of ink simultaneously through the orifices. The valve has a chamber with an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports communicating with the chamber. The outlet ports have seats that are in a common plane and a piston has a face that, when the valve is closed, simultaneously seats against all the outlet port seats to close the valve. When a solenoid is energized to withdraw the piston and open the valve, the valve face separates simultaneously from the outlet port seats. Thus the outlet ports are opened and closed simultaneously.

Abstract: An ink jet head holder supported from a frame and includes a transversely movable rod supporting an ink jet print head with a similar print head holder on the opposite side of the frame. A conveyor for conveying an object having opposed print-receiving surfaces between the print heads. Longitudinal channels are supported by the frame on opposite sides of the conveyor. The print heads are supported on the longitudinal channels and side guide rails are also supported on the channels. The channels are laterally movable to vary the width of the path of packages on the conveyor. The side guide rails are also adjustable laterally relative to the print heads. The print heads have cam faces for contacting the packages at a predetermined transverse distance from the print head nozzles. Biasing means hold the print heads with the cam faces bearing against the print-receiving surfaces that are printed by ink from the nozzles.

Abstract: A Schlieren-type color television projector utilizes a fiber optic rear projection screen (FORPUS) at an initial focal point to translate the spatially separated, converging rays of component colors produced by the Schlieren-type color television projector into a plurality of spatially combined, diverging rays of combined colors which are then suitable for further processing by a conventional optical lens system which can either aperture or vignette the image without color fringing, separation, or a shift in the color balance normally experienced when aperturing or vignetting a Schlieren-type color television image.

Abstract: A prepackaged liner and litter assembly for animal waste includes a bag with a plurality of liner and litter units within the bag. Each liner and litter unit includes a liner of flexible material with litter contained therein. Within the bag each liner is configured in pouch configuration to facilitate holding the litter therein, and each liner is adapted to being opened at the top and arranged within a litter box to extend over the bottom and sides of the box. The liner and litter units are arranged within the bag with the tops of the liners toward the top of the bag.