Abstract: An airbrush of the double action type has an elongated unitary body having an axial passage for longitudinal movement of a needle supported therein. The rear end of the needle is carried by a guide slidably supported in the axial passage and normally urged by a spring in a direction such that the tapered front of the needle enters and closes the jet. A finger-operated lever formed of plastic and shaped to provide a "living hinge" is supported in the body and arranged to engage the guide and move the needle against the action of the spring to control paint flow, and at the same time to open a valve to allow entry of compressed air or other substance under pressure. The maximum paint flow at the fully-operated position of the control lever is predetermined by adjusting the longitudinal position on the body of a closure cap which limits the movement of the guide. The airbrush has a minimum number of easily assembled parts and features a relatively simple paint-to-air seal disposed within the axial passageway.

Abstract: The disclosure applies to an audio recording apparatus which receives audio signals, generally from a tape recorder, and forms grooves in a spiral pattern on a recording disk. The apparatus typically includes a turntable for rotating the recording disk, a cutter for cutting grooves in the disk, and a cutter transducer for modulating the instantaneous position of the cutter as a function of the audio signals. An electromechanical subsystem is responsive to control signals for directing the unmodulated position of the cutter; i.e., its unmodulated radial position with respect to the center of the disk and its unmodulated vertical position or depth. In accordance with the invention, there is provided a system for automatically generating the control signals which control operation of the electromechanical subsystem. When no modification of the unmodulated radial position is called for, none is made, thereby eliminating wasteful pitch modifications.

Abstract: An instructive amusement device for young children that embodies the concept of a puzzle for enhancing the child's intellectual and motor skills by requiring correct assembly of puzzle pieces, and also to stimulate learning about wheeled vehicles that the child can be expected to see in the world around him. The device includes a wheeled wagon on which is supported a vertically oriented rectangular frame having a pocket for receiving and retaining in edgewise juxtaposition a plurality of puzzle pieces each in the form of a flat elongated strip having a length substantially equal to the length dimension of the frame. The puzzle pieces each have fragmentary pictorial representations on each of its two flat surfaces which, when the puzzle pieces are juxtaposed edgewise in the frame in correct order and with correct longitudinal orientation, create on the two opposite surfaces of the assembled puzzle pieces complete pictorial representations of two different views of the body portion of a wheeled vehicle.

Abstract: A pedal tone generator for an electronic musical instrument, such as an electronic organ, having the capability of automatically producing bass rhythm patterns based on a tonic note, includes a memory for storing a plurality of rhythm patterns which has a plurality of outputs for producing a predetermined pattern sequence for each of the notes of the diatonic musical scale, and a circuit for producing signals indicative of which of the pedal keys, usually thirteen, is operated by the instrumentalist. The pedal key signals are binary encoded to produce a plurality of code words each unique to the tone of one of the keys, and each of the outputs from the memory is also binary encoded to be uniquely represented by one of a corresponding number of code words. Code words representing a depressed key and the note instantaneouly being "played" by the memory are added to produce a coded digital signal representative of the sum in the duodecimal system of counting.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a combination toy top, projectile toy, and bath toy. In accordance with one embodiment of the disclosed toy there is provided a cup-shaped receptacle having a tip protruding from the outer apex thereof and a central stem extending upwardly from the bottom inner surface thereof. The receptacle has a retaining rim extending inwardly from the inner surface thereof at about the periphery thereof. The rim preferably comprises a plurality of inwardly extending tabs. A plurality of projectiles are provided, the projectiles preferably being annular rings having a sufficiently small outer dimension to fit between the stem and the rim of the receptacle, and a sufficiently large central opening to fit over the stem. In play, the receptacle is held by the central stem and spun. Rings accurately tossed toward the receptacle are either captured in the region between the rim and the stem, or, if very accurately tossed, encircle the stem and are retained thereon.

Abstract: For reiteration of percussive sounds in an electronic organ there is provided a circuit for generating pulse signals for reiteration control which are "on" for much longer periods than they are "off", thereby substantially reducing the chance of an organ key being actuated when the control signal is in its "off" condition. The circuit is so arranged that playing of an additional key at a time when one or more other keys are being held has no effect on the reiteration of the sound produced by the held keys. The circuit generates four control signals which are connected such that each controls three notes in a given octave on the keyboard, a different three in successive octaves, such that when normal intervals (e.g., thirds, fourths and fifths) are played, the effect of random reiteration control is produced.

Abstract: A system for reducing noise in a television signal utilizing integration and including a storage device for storing a television signal, and a summing device for adding a fractional amplitude portion of the signal stored in the storage device to a fractional amplitude portion of an incoming video signal, and operative automatically to change the fractional amplitude portion of the stored signal fed to the summing device as a function of the difference between stored and present signals, thereby to change the integration time constant of the system to accommodate for motion between the incoming signal and the stored frames, is improved by eliminating from the noise-reduced output signal troublesome transients caused by not changing at the appropriate time the fractional amplitude portion of the stored signals fed back to the summing device.

Abstract: An improved solid state electronic dimmer circuit for controlling the intensity of large electric lamps, such as theater and television lamps, in response to a low power DC control signal. The transfer characteristic of the circuit is determined by the properties of a generated precision waveform having a predetermined shape and amplitude and a fixed phase relationship to the power line voltage which, in conjunction with the DC control signal, determines the effective voltage at the output of a dimmer unit. The same precision waveform may be used to control a plurality of dimmer channels, thereby making possible precise matching of performance of all commonly controlled channels, and effecting significant savings in the cost of manufacture.

Abstract: A system including a compact array of microphones and signal-combining circuitry, especially suited for use with surround-sound sources, for producing two composite output signals corresponding to those required by a matrix-type quadraphonic system to establish the directional position of the sources. The outut signals from one embodiment of the system can be used directly to record an SQ-matrixed tape, or they can be applied to a disc cutter to produce an SQ record, and in another embodiment the output signals can be used directly to record a "regular matrix" (RM) tape or they can be applied to a disc cutter to produce an "RM" record. Thus, the disclosed systems perform the function of the conventional multi-microphone and encoding system for SQ or RM recording or broadcasting.

Abstract: A system including a compact array of special purpose microphones and an encoder, especially suited for use with surround-sound sources, for producing two composite output signals equivalent to those required by the "SQ" quadraphonic system to establish the directional position of the sources. The output signals from the system can be used directly to record an "SQ"-matrixed tape, or they can be applied to a disc cutter to produce an "SQ" record, or they can be broadcast for reception by FM receivers equipped with an "SQ" decoder, resulting in the generation of outputs in the quadraphonic "SQ" listening system which reproduce the directional characteristic of the original sound sources. Thus, the system performs the function of a conventional multimicrophone and encoder system for "SQ" recording or broadcasting.

Abstract: A signal animation system for an electric organ or other electrical musical instrument which utilizes frequency-proportional detuning wherein the percentage detuning is progressive and uniform, to provide celeste and other musical effects. Detuning is accomplished by a shift register through which sampled electrical representations of an input tone signal are shifted progressively through the register from the input to the output, which delays the signal. The trigger pulses which time the shifting function are frequency-modulated in a manner such that the period of the trigger pulses, rather than their frequency is proportional to a control voltage supplied to the trigger pulse generator.

Abstract: A safety cap for a hand-held cutting knife of the type having a cylindrical handle to one end of which a blade is detachably secured. The cap, formed of transparent plastic material, is shaped and dimensioned to enclose the knife blade and part of the handle for safety when the knife is not in use and to receive and be secured to the rear end of the handle when the knife is in use.

Abstract: A hand-held cutter for cutting sheet material, such as framing mats, which includes a body member of hemispheroidal shape, the diametral plane of which constitutes a flat bottom for moving over the sheet material. The body member has on the external surface thereof a pair of spaced-apart flat vertically oriented guiding surfaces between which are provided a pair of cutting blade-receiving slots, one disposed vertically and the other disposed at an angle with respect to the vertical. A cutting blade placed in either of the blade-receiving slots, after being adjusted to the desired cutting depth, is locked in position by a clamp which is actuated by a thumb-wheel which is largely contained within the body member.

Abstract: NTSC television signals are digitally encoded at sub-Nyquist rates by placing the alias components into those parts of the spectrum not normally occupied by the luminance or chrominance components of the video signal. In a system described, the sampling frequency, f.sub.s, is exactly 2f.sub.sc + 1/4f.sub.h or 2f.sub.sc - 1/4f.sub.h, where f.sub.sc is the NTSC color subcarrier frequency and f.sub.h is the line-scan frequency. Most of the alias signals in the thus encoded signal are removed from the baseband video by comb filtering between f.sub.s - f.sub.y and f.sub.v, where f.sub.v is the baseband video bandwidth.

Abstract: A system for reducing noise in a color video signal which utilizes frame store integration and includes a delay or storage device for storing a single television frame, a summing device for adding a fractional amplitude portion of the signal stored in the storage device to a fractional amplitude portion of the present video signal, and a chrominance corrector circuit for altering the chrominance component of the stored signal so as to be in the proper phase relationship to be summed with the chrominance component of the present video signal. The system is operative automatically to change the fractional amplitude portion of the stored signal fed back to the summing device as a function of the difference between stored and present signals thereby to change the integration time constant of the system to accommodate for motion between the present signal and the stored frames.