Abstract: Line relay contacts (LR1.sub.1, LR1.sub.2) are protected from power surges appearing on a telephone line (L1) during connect or disconnect of a station set (S1) from the line, by operating a hold relay (HR1) to place a hold bridge (HB1) across the line (L1) before energizing the line relay (LR1) to connect or disconnect the station set.

Abstract: An electrical connector pin is formed from a unitary piece of strip so as to be in the shape of an elongated tubular member with terminal and contact sections at opposite ends, and with an unbonded seam extending between those sections. The terminal section has in it a scoop depression adapted to receive a lead and solder for bonding the lead to the pin, the wall portion which bounds the scoop being interposed between the scoop's interior and the seam to prevent solder in the scoop from reaching the seam and wicking therealong. The pin is adapted to be inserted into the insulating support member of a multi-pin connector, and the pin has forward and reverse motion stop tabs for locking the pin in place in such member. The contact and terminal sections of the pin are selectively coated with, respectively, a corrosion resistant layer and a solderability promoting layer.

Abstract: A process of electrodepositing a metal from an organic phase containing a salt or complex of that metal includes the steps of creating a dispersion of the organic phase in a conducting aqueous electrolyte with which it is immiscible and electrodepositing the metal onto a cathode which is immersed in the organic phase or the dispersion.

Abstract: A high-speed, high-resolution testing circuit for both analog and digital circuit packs is described. The testing circuit, which employs data compression techniques, comprises a shift register (22) having an overall length selectively variable under program control, and an arrangement (18) for combining incoming data signals with feedback signals out of predetermined stages of the shift register. The positions of the feedback taps of the variable length shift register are selectively variable under program control (24,26).

Abstract: A laser beam (88) is raster scanned over the surface of a patterned semiconductor wafer (66) at an angle normal thereto. A plurality of detectors, radially spaced from the wafer (66) and substantially coplanar therewith detect light scattered from contaminating particulate thereon. The detected light is converted into a video signal that is forwarded to a video monitor (84) to display the particulate material while eliminating the patterned surface background.

Abstract: A coating material is applied to drawn lightguide fiber in a manner which substantially prevents the inclusion of bubbles and which causes the fiber to be disposed substantially concentrically within the coating layer. The lightguide fiber is advanced through a continuum of coating material, which extends from a free surface of a reservoir and through two dies that are arranged in tandem, at a velocity which causes air to be entrained in the coating material. A pressure gradient is established between portions of the first die adjacent to its exit orifice. A first one of the dies communicates with the reservoir and the second die and further communicates at the interface of the dies with a pressurized supply of the coating material.

Abstract: A hybrid integrated circuit package (11) typically includes a circuit substrate or article (12) on which are formed thin film components (17, 18, 19) of a circuit (22) and to which is bonded at least one semiconductor chip (21). Prior to bonding the chip (21) to the article (12) the circuit (22) undergoes various tests and adjustment operations. An electric element, preferably a resistance element (36), is formed on the article (12). The element (36) is functionally independent of the circuit (22) on the article (12). A first, initial value of the element (36) marks the article (12) as belonging to a first group of articles having first circuit characteristics. The initial value of the element (36) is selectively altered to a second value upon a determination that the article (12) has circuit characteristics other than those of the first group. In the described preferred embodiment the first group is a group of electrically acceptable articles (12), while other characteristics are those of defective articles.

Abstract: A number of remotely located locked devices (26 and 27) are selectively operated by sending signals from a central supervisory location (28) through the telephone network (27) to a telephone set 32 and a converter (44) installed at each remote location. Initiating call signals from a remote telephone set are automatically generated and routed through the telephone network to a supervisory telephone set equipped with a standard 0-9 digit dial plus a special pushbutton (34) for generating a special signal. Receipt of the special signal at a calling remote station disconnects the remote telephone set and conditions a stepping circuit (74-86) and a sequence circuit (81-82) for subsequent operation upon receipt (88-104) of a predetermined sequence of 0-9 digit signals. Upon receipt of the predetermined sequence of signals within a first set time period, the stepping circuits and the sequence circuits are operated to generate (111) a signal that releases the locked device for a second set time period.

Abstract: A cable pulling eye assembly comprises a spike (16) having an auger thread (18), a coaxially mounted shell (36) and an eye (31) with a threaded opening (34), which is mounted on a threaded rear section of the spike. The eye is rotated by a power tool to advance the auger into a bundle of wires (11) of a sheathed cable (10). The shell is subsequently crimped to further force the wires into the flute defined by the auger thread. A pulling steel cable is attached to the eye to draw the cable between telephone poles or through an underground conduit.

Abstract: A thermocompression bonding apparatus (10), which is particularly adapted to bond an array of miniaturized electrical leads (36) to a corresponding array of respectively aligned pads (33) of a metallized circuit, supported on a substrate (31), includes a specially constructed and internally heated bonding thermode (12) that is uniquely pin-coupled at an upper surface midpoint portion thereof to the lower end of a single support rod (54). The latter is resiliently supported at its upper end, preferably through the use of a plurality of coaxially mounted Belleville washers (77), within an oversized central bore of a three-plate support assembly (14). The latter is, in turn, adapted to be secured to a reciprocally driven member, such as a multipost-mounted platen (16), of the composite apparatus.

Abstract: A connector (13) having two banks of terminals (16 and 17) is seated in a nest (27) located in a terminal spreading apparatus. A first spreader (36-37) overlies the first bank of terminals (17). A printed circuit board (10) with edge contact pads (12) is advanced along ways (98 and 99) to engage a roller (107) which thrusts a slide (48) toward the nest and then upwardly to move a second spreader (41-42) to engage and spread the banks of terminals (16 and 17). The connector body (14) tilts in the nest (27) to distribute the terminal spreading forces between the two banks of terminals.

Abstract: An elongated metallic conductor is insulated with an inner layer of a plasticized polyvinyl chloride composition and an outer layer of a plasticized, irradiation cross-linked polyvinyl chloride composition. The outer layer has a low coefficient of friction to facilitate pulling in central office racks, has mechanical properties which are required for installation and use and, in a preferred embodiment, has a thickness which is substantially less than that of the inner layer. The layers are extruded in the same extruder crosshead that seemingly causes the outer layer to bond to the inner layer to facilitate stripping of the composite insulation from the conductor.

Abstract: A vapor-phase axial deposition system (5) for fabricating a lightguide soot boule (16). The system (5) is comprised of a short cylindrical housing (10) having end plates (26--26) affixed thereto. A starting member (58) is radially directed into the central portion of the housing (10) and a torch (12) is activated to direct a stream of glassy soot thereat. The member (58) is simultaneously rotated and withdrawn from the housing (10) as a cylindrical, porous, soot boule is formed on the end thereof. The housing (10) having a substantially two-dimensional character eliminates secondary gas flow within the housing (10) resulting in enhanced deposition rates and repeatability.

Abstract: A high speed capacitance test set (10 or 60), comprised of a digital test circuit portion (11 or 11') and a multi-pulse train generating portion (12 or 12'), is adapted to make exceedingly rapid, repetitive capacitance measurements, such as required when winding roll-type capacitors to a precisely ascertained final value of capacitance, determined on-the-fly.

Abstract: A process for recovering copper and copper oxide for spent ammoniacal etchant, electroless and copper persulfate bath fluids used in the manufacture of copper printed wiring boards such that the treated baths contain no ammonia. The spent solutions are placed in a cooking vessel having its inner surface made of titanium and the formaldehyde is added. The ingredients are then stirred while air is bubbled through the ingredients until thoroughly mixed after which the pH of the mixture is adjusted to between 12.0 and 14.0. The adjusted mixture is now heated to a temperature within the range of 200.degree.-210.degree. F. and air is bubbled through the heated mixture until copper and copper oxide precipitates form in the mixture. After the precipitates form the mixture is allowed to cool to permit the precipitates to settle to the bottom of the vessel and the mixture is decanted from the vessel. The copper and copper oxide precipitates are washed and then collected.

Abstract: A power operated tool (20) functions to cut and collect a multitude of precious metal contacts (11,11) from wire spring relays (10). The tool (20) includes a pair of jaws (31,32) that in the open position fit over several rows of contacts (11,11). When the tool (20) is energized, the jaws (31,32) are snapped shut thereby severing the contacts (11,11) from the relays (28). The jaws (31,32) in the closed engaged position define a closed chamber (41) having a port (44) for attachment to a vacuum source for sucking the severed contacts (11,11) into a collection vessel. The jaws (31,32) reopen following collection and the tool (20) is ready to cut the next set of spring contacts (11,11).

Abstract: Apparatus and method for insulating wires with pulp are disclosed wherein wires embedded in pulp ribbons supported upon an endless transfer belt are passed through radio-frequency electromagnetic fields generated by oscillators tuned to resonate at a high voltage level whenever a wire is not present and thereby energize a wire break alarm.

Abstract: Plate-like carriers (51) having box-receiving slots (54) formed along one edge and rack teeth (58) formed along an opposite edge are fed from a stack (52) and along a trackway (53) where a pair of cog devices (59 and 61) are cyclically operated on fast and slow cycles to engage the rack teeth and move the carriers along the trackway. Boxes (30) are fed into each advanced carrier slot, whereafter the boxes are moved to an encapsulant dispensing station (63). During each slow cycle of operation of the cog devices a metered charge of encapsulant is dispensed into each pair of adjacent boxes. At a subsequent station (67) a strip (68) of lead-attached capacitors (36) are loaded into all the boxes in a carrier. The assembled boxes and capacitors are stripped from the carrier and moved through an encapsulant curing oven (80).