Abstract: A system and method of interlocking objects by the use of locking and blocking pins that longitudinally move through channels when an external directional force field is longitudinally aligned with and applied to the channels inside of which the pins are located. The channels are self-contained within the objects, with at least a portion of one channel extending from one object to the other. The two objects become interlocked, at least with respect to lateral movement, when a locking pin is positioned in these channels so as to simultaneously extend from one object into the other. Removal of this locking pin, and hence the unlocking of the objects, may be preconditioned on the prior movement of other blocking pins in other intersecting channels selectively positioned so as to block the movement of the locking pin or of each other. Hence, a unique sequence of directional forces selectively applied to the locked objects may be required to unlock the objects.

Abstract: A time-keeping method and device, especially useful as a novelty device for astrologers, that divides a day into twelve equal periods of time. Each period of time is further sub-divided into one-hundred equal sub-periods of time. Each sub-period of time may further be sub-divided into one-hundred equal intervals of time. The time-keeping method and device includes counter-clockwise motion of one revolution per day, which motion is synchronized to begin at a reference point on the face of the time-keeping device that corresponds to the conventional three o'clock position. The time-keeping method includes synchronizing this motion so that it begins at this reference point at a time corresponding to the mean time of the rising of the sun. The time display may be analog and/or digital. The points of the compass may also appear on the clock face, thereby allowing the counter-clockwise motion associated with the device to depict the position of the sun relative to the set of compass points.

Abstract: A buffer memory arrangement for use in conjunction with a controller and a plurality of peripheral units and/or subsystems of a data processing system. The arrangement includes a dynamic RAM buffer memory for receiving and storing information from the peripheral units or subsystems and for supplying stored information to such units, an address pointer memory for storing buffer memory addresses identifying locations in buffer memory from which information is to be read or into which information is to be stored, and an encoder responsive to a request signal from a peripheral unit or subsystem for supplying an identity signal to the address pointer memory, which signal identifies the requesting peripheral unit or subsystem and specifies location in the address pointer memory containing buffer memory addresses which are to be applied to the buffer memory.

Abstract: In a throughput error detection system, a redundant logic unit is provided along with a required logic unit for simultaneous operation therewith. The required logic unit and redundant logic unit both produce output data which, it is desired, will be the same. The output data from the required logic unit is supplied to a data bus and the output data of the redundant logic unit is supplied to a parity check digit generator. From the data received from the redundant logic unit, the parity check digit generator generates a parity check digit which is applied to the data bus along wih the data from the required logic unit. A parity checking circuit receives the data and the parity check digit from the data bus and a calculation is made by the circuit to determine if parity is correct. If parity is not correct, the checking circuit produces an alarm signal to alert a user.

Abstract: A chemically sensitive junction field effect transistor transducer capable of selectively detecting and measuring chemical properties of substances to which the transducer is exposed. The transducer includes a substrate material, a semiconductor layer having a doping polarity laid over the surface of the substrate, a "source" contact connected to one part of the semiconductor layer, a "drain" contact connected to another part, and a chemically sensitive blocking interface gate structure overlying the upper surface of that portion of the semiconductor layer between the source and drain contacts. The gate structure is adapted to interact with selected chemical substances in the substance being tested and to produce an electric field in relation to the presence, concentration, or activity thereof.

Abstract: A portable baby seat has a flexible seat portion hung from a tubular frame for cantilevered mounting on a table edge. A U-shaped horizontal frame member extends through a hollow top seam of the seat's back and sides with end portions of the member extending forwardly for engagement with the top of the table. Each of a pair of lower support arms engage the underside of the table at a point forward of the U-shaped member's engagement. Each support arm is mounted by means of a rotatable sleeve on one of the U-shaped member's end portions. Connected to each sleeve is a curved member having a downwardly extending arm portion, a forwardly extending arm portion, and an upwardly extending end portion. The downwardly extending end portion extends in a direction away from the axis of rotation of the sleeve, while the upwardly extending end portion extends in a direction towards the axis of rotation of the sleeve.

Abstract: A self-generating hand-held flashlight including the optional use of battery power. The flashlight includes a tubular body case that may be divided into three compartments. In a first compartment a generator utilizing a permanent magnet armature is mounted. This generator is electrically tied to a bulb at one end of the flashlight. The generator is powered by rotation of a central shaft coupled to a flywheel, the flywheel being located within a second and larger compartment of the flashlight body case. The flywheel is rotated by manual energy coupled to the flywheel through a power wheel and slip-clutch, both of which are also located within the second and larger compartment. Various manual means are used to rotate the power wheel. The flywheel is adapted to have a maximum inertia, thereby allowing it to rotate for a substantial period of time once initialized.

Abstract: A self-compensating optical drop count apparatus for measuring volumetric fluid flow by optically counting the number of drops of fluid that pass through a drop chamber, each drop being formed so as to be of approximate equal volume. Optical counting circuitry is designed to count each drop only once. The count is accumulated in a holding register where it may interface with external instrumentation equipment adapted to display the count and/or convert it to a volumetric measurement by multiplying it by the average volume of fluid contained in each drop. A compensation technique is utilized to maintain the intensity of a light beam, through which the drops must pass, at a constant level. Compensation is achieved in a closed loop system which varies the drive current to the light emitter to compensate for long-term variations that occur in the intensity of the light beam as sensed at a light detector.

Abstract: An electrically and/or solar heated distillation and fractionation system for separating ethanol-water mixtures comprised with an insulated inclined vaporization chamber divided into an upper solar absorbent vaporization section and a lower pre-heating section by a vaporization floor, float means to automatically control the ethanol-water feed to the lower portion of the preheating section when distillation is taking place, means to evenly distribute the ethanol-water mixture on the vaporization floor, means to heat the ethanol-water mixture in the distillation chamber, a packed fractionation column through which the vapors from the distillation chamber must pass, means to control the temperature at the top of the fractionation column-condensing means to recover and/or recycle distillate exiting to the upper portion of the distillation column and means to remove or recycle residual aqueous liquid from the lower end of the vaporization section.

Abstract: A metal material, which is capable of reacting with hydrogen to form a metal hydride, is simultaneously granulated and conditioned with hydrogen to activate the metal material to a state in which it is capable of readily reacting with and absorbing hydrogen. The granulation and activation are achieved by heating the metal material to a temperature of at least about 200.degree. F. and treating the heated metal material with hydrogen, while concurrently subjecting the metal material to mechanical impact to reduce the average particle size thereof to less than about 1 centimeter.

Abstract: A programmable multi-channel audio playback system includes a reel-to-reel tape having recorded thereon a plurality of segments of information on multiple channels, with the segments being separated by gaps containing either no information or coded information identifying the gaps, control apparatus for causing the tapes to move and for controlling such movement, reading apparatus for reading the information segments from the tape as the tape is moved, speaker apparatus for producing audio sounds from the information segments read by the reading apparatus, a microprocessor responsive to input signals for signalling the control apparatus to control movement of the tape and for signalling the speaker apparatus to control production of the audio sounds, and a manually operable keyboard for generating input signals which are supplied to the microprocessor.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cathode ray tube (CRT) character generator system which includes delay apparatus for storing digitally generated raster control signals. Raster control signals thus stored are combined with more recent raster control signals in an analog fashion in order to generate a composite, or interpolated, raster control signal which is resolved in horizontal time increments of finer resolution than that obtainable from the original digitally generated raster control signal. Raster control signals of prior horizontal scan lines are also compared with those of more recent horizontal scan lines in order to detect the steepness of the slope, if any, along the edges of the character to be displayed. A rise-time control signal is generated to control the rise and fall times of the interpolated raster control signal in proportion to this detected slope.

Abstract: Game cards for use with a game board which has separate movement zones for each player, each zone having multiple confined locations for movement of markers therein. The game cards have movement instructions consisting of two symbols representing separate but concurrent move options for a player using the card. Card symbols are also used to identify which of the various movement zones may be played by the particular player, thereby permitting players to exercise move options based on strategy and marker positioning. Several distinguishable classes of symbols are used on a single card to provide options based on different combinations of such symbols.

Abstract: A closed loop system for controlled infusion of fluids, medication or diagnostic substances into a patient based on real time measurement of urine output. Proper urine flow techniques and a self compensating drop count apparatus provide accurate representation as to cumulative number of drops and flow rate, with drop volume variations being compensated by a control algorithm which corrects computer parameters reflecting drop volume to correspond with urine volume measured. This real time urine flow rate is compared with a preset, desired flow rate to develop an error signal which is processed by a computer. Such processing includes modification by a PID control algorithm which governs infusion of fluids into the patient to effect the proper fluid resuscitation, medication or diagnostic treatment.

Abstract: A two-sided portable scoreboard for simultaneously displaying a set of two-digit scores both frontally and rearwardly upon a single setting thereof. A pair of disks is sandwiched between a front and rear plate for each set of scores to be displayed. The disks are axially mounted so that a portion of each overlaps a portion of the other, their centers being positioned so that one is slightly more than a radial distance from the other. At least one of the disks has a transparent center section that has a diameter roughly equal to one-half the overall diameter of the disk. A set of scoring symbols are selectively positioned and uniformly spaced around the circumferential portion of both sides of each disk. Windows, or other viewing portions, are placed in both the front and rear plates so as to allow a desired sequence of scoring symbols to be viewed therethrough as the disks are rotated.

Abstract: An improved method of recovering a clock reference signal from digital data and maintaining small phase errors between the two. The clock reference signal is phase matched with the digital data by comparing the positive going and negative going edges of the data with the clocking edge of the clock signal. A hard decision is made on the relative phase of the clock signal and the data only after several edge transitions occur. After a finite number of samples of these transitions, a decision is made whether to advance or retard the clock signal by observing whether the majority of the data transitions over the sample period occurred prior to or after the clocking edge of the clock signal. This allows a sampled mean to be established and thereby a more accurate prediction of the relative phase between the clock signal and data to be made. In addition, a fast acquisition technique is provided to insure the clock reference signal is received in a minimum amount of time.

Abstract: A shoe construction includes a shoe body which is conventional except that it does not include a shoe sole, a first layer of material fixed to the undersurface of the shoe body, a second layer of material for attaching to and detaching from the first layer of material, and a shoe sole fixed to the second layer of material. The first and second layers of material include means such as velcro for enabling attachment and detachment of the two layers. With this construction, when a shoe sole becomes worn, it can be detached from the shoe body and replaced by a new shoe sole.

Abstract: A dry film processor includes a housing, a film supply canister disposed in the housing for holding film and supplying it to the other processing apparatus, a take-up canister also disposed in the housing for receiving and holding the film after it has been processed, storage apparatus for receiving film from the supply canister and for supplying the film to the take-up canister, a drive roller for moving the film from the supply canister to the storage apparatus at a speed determined by certain input speed signals, heater apparatus for heating the film to enable development thereof, drive belt apparatus responsive to control signals for moving the film to withdraw it from the storage apparatus and move it past the heater apparatus, and a control unit for supplying control signals to the drive belt apparatus.