Abstract: A tool changing mechanism for a machining center comprising arcuate shuttle path means including rail means having a uniform width with opposing sides and a gear track parallel to the rail, and a tool shuttle including a tool change arm, shuttle path engagement means including post means, means for mounting the post means on the tool shuttle for selective rotation about a vertical axis, a pair of guide rollers, means for mounting the pair of guide rollers on the post means with a selected spacing therebetween substantially equal to the rail width, whereby the pair of guide rollers will engage the opposing rail sides and selectively change their orientation to automatically maintain an orthogonal relation thereto while the shuttle traverses the arcuate shuttle path, a driven gear concentrically mounted for rotational movement relative to the post means about the post rotational axis and for engagement with the gear track, and means for driving the driven gear, whereby the shuttle may traverse the arcuate shutt

Abstract: A cylindrical grinding machine having a base for supporting a rotatable workpiece, a wheelhead assembly mounted on the base for horizontal displacement thereon including a grinding wheel for effecting stock removal from the workpiece, a housing for rotatably supporting and guarding the grinding wheel, a selectively advanceable dressing tool for dressing the grinding wheel, a coolant assembly including a horizontal member and a vertically downwardly extending nozzle mounted for slidable movement relative to the housing as the grinding wheel is reduced in size so as to continuously maintain the downwardly extending coolant nozzle vertically above the area of the grinding wheel which grindingly engages the workpiece.

Abstract: An automatic fluid mixing system is disclosed which, in its preferred embodiment, discontinuously opens a disposable multi-compartmented module to permit the mixing of initially released contents before the subsequent opening of remaining compartments, flushes each compartment with base liquid, and utilizes knife-edge pairs to slit the module in a manner which permits rapid release of the contents.The preferred system additionally includes means responsive to specific gravity of the solution for controlling the amount of base liquid introduced into the solution and a level sensing mechanism including a magnetic float assembly employing magnetically responsive switches to electronically sense liquid level.

Abstract: A cylindrical grinding machine comprising a slidable wheelhead assembly, a slide bed having ways supporting the wheelhead assembly, including means to prevent horizontal deviation of the wheelhead along the ways, and precision displacement means to slide the wheelhead assembly along the ways including, rotatable ball screw means axially secured to the slide bed, means to rotate the ball screw comprising a stepping motor, and nut housing means for coupling the nut means to the wheelhead assembly so that rotation of the ball screw slidably displaces the wheelhead assembly along the ways, the nut housing means including a medial flexible portion comprising two horizontal parallel plate portions having selectively configured transverse grooves so that vertical radial strain on the ball screw attributable to the wheelhead assembly is minimized.

Abstract: A cylindrical grinding machine comprising a work spindle, reversible motor means for rotatively driving the work spindle in a first rotational direction during a machining operation and in a second opposite rotational direction, means for stopping the work spindle, rotating in the second direction, at a predetermined angular position including key means secured to the work spindle at a predetermined angular position, bracket means mounted for pivotal displacement from a raised position to a lowered position, means for maintaining the bracket means at the raised position, stop means mounted on the bracket means for pivotal displacement from a retracted position to an advanced key blocking position, means for displacing the stop means from the retracted to the advanced position whereby rotation of the spindle in the second opposite direction will engage the key with the stop means rotatively displacing the bracket from the raised to the lowered position and means for maintaining the spindle means at the selecte

Abstract: A grinding system for grinding the crankpins on a crankshaft having an even plurality of symmetrically spaced pins comprising a number of cylindrical grinding machines equal to half the plurality of pins each for grinding a single pin located at a distinct radial and axial position, apparatus for depositing a crankshaft at a selected start location, apparatus for displacing the crankshaft from the selected start location sequentially to each of the grinding machines and to an end location so that half of the pins will be ground, apparatus for transferring the crankshaft, with half of its pins ground, from the end location to the start location and for turning the crankshaft end for end so that the crankshaft will be again displaced by the displacing apparatus sequentially to the grinding machines so that the remaining half of the pins will be ground.

Abstract: A socket wrench comprises a ratchet head which is removably held in an aperture in the forward end of a ratchet handle. A knurled drive ring allows the ratchet head to be used when detached from the handle and the handle itself is hollow and receives a tray which is dimensioned to hold a plurality of sockets. Access to the sockets is obtained by withdrawing the tray from the handle.

Abstract: A scan converter, used in an imaging system, for inverting the R-.theta. format of stored data into a format compatible with video display. As the video display is scanned horizontally, the .theta. addresses are sequentially addressed by means responsive to the scan position. The switch points thus defined are updated within succeeding video lines in accordance with trigonometric relationships between the video lines and the radial lines. Means responsive to the scanning of a reference video line initializes the switch point values in accordance with respective intersection points of the displayed radial lines and the reference video line.The R coordinate is similarly initialized and updated in accordance with trigonometric relationships between the radial lines and the video lines.

Abstract: A scanner for use in ultrasonic imaging systems of the type which translates a transducer assembly along a path of successive positions. The scanner rotates the assembly during translation and, in one embodiment, rotates the transducer about a center of rotation which is offset from the center of translation.

Abstract: In a ball valve including a cylindrical housing having a flow passage, a rotatable ball for selectively blocking the flow passage, and an external actuating handle, a fire safe stem seal comprising a stem having a selected diameter with a larger diametered shoulder portion on one end which is keyed for engaging the ball, and an opposite end for engagement with the actuating handle, the housing having a stem bore for matingly receiving the stem therethrough within a selected tolerance, a first interior step concentric with the stem bore and selectively sized to accommodate the stem shoulder, a second smaller selectively sized interior step concentric with the stem bore having a selected axial depth, a deformable heat-resistance second seal ring having an axial thickness substantially greater than the axial depth of the second step for engagement with the housing in the second step, a heat-destructible primary seal and bearing ring for engagement with the housing and the heat-resistant ring in the first step, a

Abstract: A high resolution, ultrasound imaging system is disclosed having a transducer which produces a diverging beam of ultrasound energy of sufficiently large angle so as to impinge on the sound-reflecting object from substantially all positions along the transducer scan path.

Abstract: A Scan Converter for use with an Ultrasonic Imaging System is disclosed, which permits the buffering of sweep address and video data with relatively fewer bits of information. In essence, the propogation path of the ultrasonic pulses is resolved into a pair of vectoral components while the propogation path media is defined by successive contiguous body segments which are to be respectively displayed as video picture elements. A series of first signals indicate the crossing of segment boundaries in the vectoral direction having the faster rate of boundary crossings. A second signal is produced having a unique valve which indicates a boundary crossing by the pulse in the other vectoral direction. Reflections of the ultrasonic pulse are sampled at a rate determined by the first signals; i.e., the rate at which segment boundaries are crossed in the first vectoral direction. The sample values are held for storage in memory.

Abstract: The assembly includes an electrically insulative support member which overlies electrical contacts on the handpiece and further includes a pair of contact members which press a flexible printed circuit against the electrical contacts to couple a pair of bulbs to the electrical power source. The light source assembly additionally includes means for effectively sealing the contact regions from environmental fluids.

Abstract: The rpm of a rotary dresser wheel is maintained in a fixed ratio to the rpm of a grinding wheel. The rpm of the grinding wheel is increased to maintain the surface speed of the grinding wheel constant as the grinding wheel wears due to use.

Abstract: Disclosed is a butterfly valve comprising sealing means for a movable valve member in the form of a resilient high temperature destructible sealing ring and a resilient high temperature indestructible seating ring, both of which are normally preloaded into radial sealing engagement with the movable valve member. The high temperature destructible seating ring is the primary seal and the high temperature indestructible seating ring being a backup seal in one direction of flow and the high temperature indestructible seating ring is the primary seal in the opposite direction of flow. Upon destruction of the high temperature destructible seating ring, the high temperature indestructible seating ring is so retained and configured to provide bidirectional seating.

Abstract: A valve comprising a closure member including an annular peripheral sealing surface, a supporting shaft fixedly secured to opposing sides of the closure member, a housing including a cylindrical flow passage and means for rotatably supporting the closure member supporting shaft, means for rotating the closure member from a first position, whereat the flow passage is open, to a second position, whereat the flow passage is closed, an annular valve seat including an annular sealing surface, the housing further including an annular valve seat receiving channel selectively configured to support the annular valve seat for mating engagement with the closure member sealing surface when the closure member is at the closed position and the valve seat is at the neutral or zero pressure position, the valve seat including a recessed portion on one side thereof with a first annular groove extending axially into the valve seat from the recessed portion and a second annular groove extending axially into the other side of the

Abstract: A low drift sample and hold circuit is disclosed comprising a transconductance input buffer coupled at its output to a plurality of CMOS inverters through a respective plurality of CMOS switches. The appropriate switches are momentarily addressed by a micro-processor while applying a respective input value to the buffer. The buffer is de-activated prior to the opening of the switch to prevent errors between the sampled and held values.

Abstract: A cycle control for plastic injection molding machines. All time-responsive machine controls are eliminated by initiating or terminating machine functions in response to actual, physical properties experienced by the machine or by the plastic or in the mold, rather than in response to elapsed-time intervals. Means are provided for changing the injection pressure to the holding pressure when the pressure in the mold cavity reaches a predetermined pressure, means are provided for ending the holding pressure and initiating the cold/cure portion of the cycle in response to actual, physical conditions of the plastic in the mold, such as pressure or temperature, and means are provided for opening the clamp to eject the molded part and thus end the cold/cure portion of the cycle in response to actual, physical properties of the plastic in the mold, such as pressure or temperature. The machine cycle is thereby completely independent of time, and cycle time may be minimized.