Abstract: An alignment method for ultrasonic wire bonders of the type using capillary ball type and wedge type bonding tools utilizes a bonding tool construction having an elongated shank angle obliguely At any desired azimuthal angle from the lower working face of a tool tip. This angular offset allows a workpiece to be positioned laterally to place a desired wire bond site on an integrated circuit or other such workpiece in precise alignment with a target image in the field of view of a television camera or other optical imaging device viewing the location of a desired bond site along the line of action of the tool tip. Because of the angular offset construction of the bonding tool, the line of site of the imaging device is coincident with the line of action of the tool tip eliminating parallax errors and permitting viewing of the bond site continuously during motion of the tool tip along its line of action.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for remotely measuring such physical properties as surface temperature and strain on or near the surface of an object such as an aerodynamic model utilizes a sensor comprising a holographic diffraction grating in a thin film, formed on or affixed to the surface of the test object, thereby forming an "optically smart surface." The sensor is remotely illuminated by one or more optical address beams, which are preferably coherent laser beams. Optical beams diffracted from the surface of the sensor produce interference patterns in a remote photodetection apparatus which permits measurement in changes in grating spatial frequency caused by temperature changes or mechanical deformations of the object surface, or Doppler measurement of particle velocity in a sample volume produced by intersecting beams diffracted from the sensor hologram.

Abstract: A golf club providing improved control of distance and direction of a golf ball impacted by the club includes a resilient insert having a controlled rebound factor fitted into a recess provided in the face of the club head. In the preferred embodiment, the insert comprises one or more thin laminations, each having an intrinsic rebound factor and thickness selected to yield in combination an overall composite ball-impacting rebound factor that may be varied over a relatively wide range of rebound factors, preferably which are an approximately linear function of desired travel range of the impacted ball. Also in the preferred embodiment, the inserts are made of a material in which the hardness may be varied somewhat independently from rebound factor, thus allowing construction of a club having a desired ball-impacting feel as well as selected rebound factor.

Abstract: A drill bit for cutting hard and abrasive materials has cutting lips formed from sintered polycrystalline diamond (PCD) or polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) contained in one or more inserts installed in a drill bit blank. The inserts are made by forming depressions in the upper surface of a matrix slab of tungsten carbide, filling the depressions with fine mesh grains of diamonds or cubic born nitride, subjecting the slab to heat and pressure sufficient to fuse the grains to one another and to the surrounding matrix walls, and then cutting the matrix slab to remove individual inserts containing an elongated vein having an exposed PCD or PCBN surface supported by at least one and preferably two or more side walls of tungsten carbide. A rectangular slot having side walls parallel to one another and equidistant from the diameter of a cylindrical drill bit blank is cut into one transverse end wall of the blank, and one or more inserts placed in the slot.

Abstract: An assembly for anchoring and lockably securing articles such as tool storage boxes to the bed of a pick-up truck includes an elongated hollow beam fastenable to a truck bed and having through one wall thereof a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart perforations. Elongated members that are securable at a rear-end thereof to a tool box or other such article have enlarged heads that are insertable through the perforations in the beam wall. A locking bar longitudinally slidably held within the beam is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart cutout sections alignable with the perforations through the beam wall with the locking bar in a first, unlocked position in which the locking members may be inserted through the perforations and cutout sections. With the locking bar slid to a second locking position, portions of the locking bar engage the heads of the locking members protruding inward through the perforations, thereby preventing withdrawal of the locking members.

Abstract: A remotely controllable dog muzzle apparatus includes a cup-shaped snout shield to which is attached an accessory pod provided with stimulus generators such as a stun gun or sensors interactive with a physical environment of a dog fitted with the muzzle. In the preferred embodiment, the pod contains a stun gun having a pair of forward projecting electrodes, and a high voltage power supply having an ON/OFF control terminal connected to an electronic switch controlled by the demodulated output of a radio receiver. The apparatus includes a remote radio transmitter adapted to transmit coded signals on a modulated radio frequency carrier to the receiver, thereby actuating the electronic switch and causing high voltage electrical sparks to arc between the electrodes, the sparks encouraging a suspect to obey orders or have pain inflicted by the electrodes.

Abstract: Thin, planar sensors for measuring forces exerted by mattresses or chair pads on a patient's body include a central conductive elastomeric pad movable in a horizontal plane into more or less intimate contact with flexible peripheral conductors adjacent the central pad, thus varying electrical conductivity between the central pad and peripheral conductors by a surface piezoresistive effect proportional to the magnitude and direction of horizontal shear forces exerted on the pad. The preferred embodiment comprises a matrix area array of thin, square central conductive elastomeric pads, each surrounded by four square peripheral conductive elastomeric pads forming a close pack tiling arrangement that utilizes inner peripheral conductors in the array to function as one of the peripheral conductors for two or three nearest-neighbor sensors.

Abstract: A drumhead for musical percussion instruments includes a synthetic polymer membrane secured to a ring-shaped tensioning hoop having a uniform cross-sectional shape in which is formed in the upper surface thereof a generally U-shaped channel. A positioning lip or ridge protruding downwards and inwards into the channel from the outer circumferential wall of the hoop limits upward movement of the outer vertically disposed annular wall of a peripheral hoop mounting section of the membrane which has been molded into a U-shaped cross section maintained by elastic memory, thereby precisely locating the membrane with respect to the hoop when the peripheral section of the membrane is inserted into the hoop channel.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel and adapter allowing the wheel to be fastened by means of a single knock-off type hub nut to a disk brake hub or brake drum of a vehicle utilizing wheels of the type that are attached by a plurality of lug bolts or lug nuts includes a circular adapter plate provided with mounting holes to permit the adapter to be attached using existing lug bolts or lug nuts. The adapter plate has an axially forwardly protruding central coaxial tube section externally threaded on an outer axial portion thereof, and a plurality of longitudinally disposed, arcuate transverse section splines protruding radially outwards from an intermediate longitudinal portion of the tube section. A wheel hub having a tubular front section and a larger diameter, dish-shaped rear section has an internally splined intermediate longitudinal portion provided with grooves adapted to longitudinally slidably receive the splines.

Abstract: A hand-held dispenser for delivering small, precisely controllable amounts of fluid or semi-fluid adhesives includes an elongated container having a hollow cylindrical barrel section terminated at the rear end thereof by a pair of diametrically opposed flange wings protruding radially outwards from opposite sides of the barrel, a reduced diameter front tubular outlet section extending forward from the barrel, and a flexible capillary delivery tube protruding outwards from the outlet section. A piston longitudinally slidably located within the bore of the barrel displaces adhesive within the bore forward of the piston by the turning of a lead screw which contacts the rear wall of the piston and which is threadably held within a support member attached to the rear portion of the barrel section.

Abstract: A screen printing apparatus includes a plurality of novel printing mechanisms, one each at the outer end of a radially disposed support arm having a first, elbow joint and attached at the inner end of the arm to a vertically disposed, rotatable hub. Each printing mechanism includes a screen frame clamp pivotably mounted at a second, vertically pivotable wrist joint to a base section, allowing pivotability of a screen held in the clamp. The base section has attached at an outer end thereof an alignment bar having a plurality of upwardly protruding registration pins. A transparent calibration plate has holes therethrough adapted to insertably receive the registration pins, in an overlying relationship to an object to be printed on a platen beneath the calibration plate.

Abstract: A drill bit for cutting hard and abrasive materials has cutting lips formed from sintered polycrystalline diamond (PCD) or polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) contained in one or more inserts installed in a drill bit blank. The inserts are made by forming depressions in the upper surface of a matrix slab of tungsten carbide, filling the depressions with fine mesh grains of diamonds or cubic born nitride, subjecting the slab to heat and pressure sufficient to fuse the grains to one another and to the surrounding matrix walls, and then cutting the matrix slab to remove individual inserts containing an elongated vein having an exposed PCD or PCBN surface supported by at least one and preferably two or more side walls of tungsten carbide. A rectangular slot having side walls parallel to one another and equidistant from the diameter of a cylindrical drill bit blank is cut into one transverse end wall of the blank, and one or more inserts placed in the slot.

Abstract: A communication apparatus for monitoring sounds and images at a remote location, such as the entranceway of a dwelling or other building includes a sensor station located at the entranceway, and a monitor station located within the building. A microphone and television camera in the sensor station modulate signals, preferably of radio frequency, emitted by a wireless transmitter in the sensor station. The monitor station includes a transmitter and demodulator for reproducing sounds and visual images received by the sensor station. Preferably, the monitor station contains a microphone and transmitter for transmitting voice signals from the monitor station to the sensor station, in which case, the sensor station contains a receiver and loudspeaker for reproducing the voice signals.

Abstract: An accessory apparatus for mobile radio telephones, particularly those used in cellular networks, permits utilization of the full communication range capability of a vehicle-mounted cellular radio telephone by a cordless portable handset remote from the vehicle. The apparatus includes a plug-in adapter unit located in a vehicle and interconnected between the existing handset and transceiver of the vehicle-mounted radio telephone. The adapter unit includes a first, resident, down-link transceiver operating at radio frequencies outside of the cellular frequency band, and adapted to receive demodulated audio and/or data signals from the resident cellular transceiver, and retransmit the signals via a low-power modulated down-link RF carrier signal to a portable remote cordless handset/transceiver.

Abstract: A pivotable handle pole assembly for jet skis has integral gas spring for exerting a resilient upward bias force on the free end of the handle containing controls for the jet ski, thereby decreasing the apparent weight of the free end of the handle. The handle pole assembly includes a laterally elongated rectangular transverse cross-section beam pivotably mounted at the front end thereof between a pair of laterally spaced apart, longitudinally disposed flange plates forming side walls of a mounting frame having a flat base adapted to be attached to the body of a jet ski. A longitudinally disposed groove in the lower wall of the beam located between a vertical midplane and a side wall of the beam runs rearward from the front portion of the beam. An elongated linear gas spring within the groove has one end thereof pivotably fastened between opposite longitudinal groove walls, near the rear transverse wall of the groove.

Abstract: An instrument for performing electrical tests includes a housing adapted to be held in the hand. A conductive probe and a two-conductor power cable adapted to be connected to a vehicle battery protrude from the housing. Red and green light emitting diodes (LED's) mounted in the housing are operatively interconnected with the probe and power cable through circuitry which causes the red LED to glow when the probe contacts a positive voltage, and the green LED to glow when the probe contacts a low voltage, ground, or a negative voltage. Continuity testing may be performed by contacting the probe against one terminal of a device to be tested, and contacting the other terminal of the device to ground or to an auxiliary test lead extending from the housing, causing the green LED to glow. The instrument includes a momentary contact switch that permits the probe to be energized by internal connection to the positive or ground input terminal.