Abstract: An ignition coil for an internal combustion engine and a method of making the same in which layers of the secondary winding are separated by a non-filtering/non-segregating material embedded in an electrically insulated ignition coil housing. The preferred non-filtering secondary winding separator is a solid filament, non-absorbing/non-adsorbing mesh, such as a nylon mesh. Using the non-filtering/non-segregating secondary winding separator prevents filler damming when an ignition coil housing is manufactured using a vacuum encapsulation and curing process in which an encapsulation compound (e.g. a thermal setting epoxy) has solid additives (e.g. sand fillers). Non-absorbing/non-adsorbing separators are also advantageous because the separators do not alter the chemistry of the encapsulation compound.

Abstract: An electronic voting system is disclosed that provides voters who may be blind, illiterate, or conversant in a foreign language, with a means to enter selection information without having to rely on visually perceptible information. In accordance with exemplary embodiments, candidate and/or referendum information is supplied audibly such that the voter can respond to selection options by speech input, actuating a button on a hand-held device, or other mechanism that permits the voter to indicate his or her selection preferences without having to visually interact with the system. The system provides an audio confirmation of the voter's selection. Such a system allows the aforementioned individuals to vote in confidence without assistance.

Abstract: A device for supporting a stringed musical instrument in a playing position including a vertical brace with attachment straps at its upper and lower ends to attach the device to the musician's torso and leg. A bracket is connected to the vertical brace and extends forwardly in supporting an instrument cradle which holds the body of the instrument.

Abstract: A film positioning apparatus includes a camera body assembled with a feeding system for allowing a film to travel in a first direction parallel to its surface and a platen member having external rails for positioning the film in a second direction parallel to the surface thereof but orthogonal to the first direction and connected to the camera body with screws. The platen member is provided with a mounting member for a magnetic head to be disposed in a predetermined positional relationship in the second direction with respect to the film.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus determine tuning frequencies for an instrument, such as a piano, by sounding at least three musical notes of the instrument. The sounded notes are recorded and digitally filtered to generate directly partial ladders representative of the sounded notes. The partial ladders are equalized with respective to a reference frequency or one another to determine tuning frequencies for the sounded notes. Tuning frequencies for the remaining notes of the instrument are then determined from the equalized partial ladders. Tone generators which produce the musical notes, such as strings on a piano, are then adjusted to conform the musical notes which they generate to the tuning frequencies. Preferably, the tone generators are adjusted using a display which provides highly accurate macro and micro tuning information in a single display by graphically and dynamically displaying pitch differences of the musical notes generated by the tone generators relative to pitches of the tuning frequencies.

Abstract: A film magazine includes a spool which is supported for rotation in a magazine body and around which the roll film is wound, and a data disk which carries bar codes representing information inherent to the film magazine such as the ISO sensitivity, the number of exposure frames and the like of the film and is rotated together with the spool. The spool is held in a predetermined position when the film is completely in the magazine body so that the angular position of the spool relative to the magazine body represents the condition of use of the film. A photosensor is disposed in a fixed position to read the bar codes while rotating the spool and the condition of use of the film is distinguished on the basis of an angle by which the spool is rotated by the time the photosensor reads a predetermined particular point on the bar codes.

Abstract: A totalizer assembly is enclosed in a housing having a base and a cover which cooperate to support and position a register assembly in the housing. The base and cover also cooperate to support and position a gear train in the housing. The gear train drives the register assembly. When units are to be totaled at a relatively fast rate, one gear train is used. When units are to be totaled at a relatively slow rate, a second gear train is used. The cover and base have surfaces for positioning the gears of either one of the two gear trains.

Abstract: The stringed instrument includes an aluminum head formed of a stepped annular flange with a shoulder intermediate smaller and larger diameter flange portions. A groove is formed in the shoulder to enable the smaller diameter flange portion to vibrate relative to the larger diameter flange portion. A membrane is stretched over the smaller diameter flange portion. The arm of the instrument is secured solely to the larger diameter flange portion by neck mount brackets screw-threaded to the head. The brackets permit angular adjustment of the arm relative to the membrane of the head. A full fingerboard capo is slidably mounted to the neck underlying the fretboard and has an arm spring-biased to engage the strings and to maintain the capo in selected positions along the length of the arm. A fifth string capo is slidably mounted to the fretboard and has a spring to maintain it in selected longitudinal position along the fretboard.

Abstract: Soundboard material (10) is secured in a tensioning frame (12) and stretched or tensioned. The soundboard material (10) is allowed to stabilize at a predetermined tension. A tension retainer (26) is glued to soundboard material (10). This assembly is then adhered to a stringed musical instrument body.Because of the effect of tensioning on the soundboard material and the materials used for the soundboard construction, the impedance of the pretensioned soundboard is nearly identical to that of the strings. The means for retaining soundboard tension also serves to isolate the pretensioned soundboard from the rest of the instrument. Thus the transfer of energies from the strings to the pretensioned soundbcard is maximized. There are numerous beneficial results of the process on the overall performance of the musical instrument.

Abstract: A three axis gimbal for use in a motion picture camera support system including a support apparatus and a combined sled and camera having a postphotography. By using the three axis gimbal an operator can adequately control angular deviations of the combined sled and camera along the axes of pan, roll and tilt during hand-held motion picture photography.

Abstract: A wind instrument is described which includes an elongated tubular body and a helical member in the tubular body extending longitudinally therein for inducing a helical airflow in the tubular body from air blown into the mouthpiece. A helical member is also described for insertion within a wind instrument to induce helical airflow through at least part of the instrument.

Abstract: An extremely durable, super-high speed shutter with speeds of 1/8000 second or faster advantageously increases the blade acceptance rate, reduces the cost, prevents abnormalities such as light leaking between the curtains and the like, contributes to the implementation of a super-high speed shutter with speeds exceeding 1/8000 of a second, corresponding to TTL multi-pattern light adjustment, and the like. The shutter includes a front curtain and a rear curtain each including a plurality of dividing blades; and at least one of the dividing blades among the front curtain and the rear curtain that is positioned on the photo lens side is formed from a black material having at least one uncoated surface.

Abstract: An electronic flash device with a slave emission function, includes a light-receiving circuit unit for starting slave emission in response to the steep leading edge of an optical signal, a light-emitting unit for irradiating illumination light for a photographing operation onto an object, an attachment member to a camera, for detecting the attachment state of the to the camera, and light emission stopping means for, when the detects that the attachment member is mounted on the camera, stopping the light emission by the light-emitting unit in response to light received by the light-receiving circuit unit.

Abstract: In a prefer embodiment, an integrated transformer and inductor on a singe core structure to provide an impedance matching function and an inductor in series with the transformer's secondary which includes: a transformer core structure having a primary leg, a secondary leg, and a center leg containing an air gap, said center leg disposed parallel to said primary leg and secondary leg, whereby said air gap provides control of said inductor value; a primary winding on said primary leg; and a secondary winding on said secondary leg.

Abstract: Inductive electrical components fabricated by PWB techniques of ferromagnetic core or cores are embedded in an insulating board provided with conductive layers. Conductive through-holes are provided in the board on opposite sides of a core. The conductive layers are patterned to form with the conductive through-holes one or more sets of conductive turns forming a winding or windings encircling the core. The conductive layers can also be patterned to form contact pads on the board and conductive traces connecting the pads to the windings.

Abstract: A token chute device is usable for a plurality of sizes of tokens, and includes: a main body formed with a token chute passage extending in a substantially vertical direction and having an original space width to allow a largest token among the plurality of sizes of tokens to pass; and a space width adjusting member having a width smaller than the original space width of the token chute passage, the space width adjusting, member being mountable on an inner side wall of the token chute passage to reduce the original space width of the token chute passage.

Abstract: A transformer that comprises a winding assembly, a first and a second output terminal and a first and a second conductive path. The winding assembly includes a first and a second winding assembly terminal, a winding coupled between the first and second winding assembly terminals, and a resistive load coupled between the first and second winding assembly terminals. The resistive load has a resistance and an intrinsic inductance effectively in series with the resistance. The first conductive path connects the first winding assembly terminal and the first output terminal. The second conductive path connects the second winding assembly terminal and the second output terminal. The first and second conductive paths enclose an area through which magnetic flux can pass so as to provide a pickup loop inductance between the first and second output terminals.

Abstract: An inductor has a winding arranged on a straight magnetic core formed by a plurality of ferrite cylinders disposed in line with one another with a space between adjacent cylinders. The ferrite cylinders are accommodated in a common cylinder made of a molded plastic material which has a helical groove in its outer cylindrical surface. The inductor is used for the injection of a low-frequency current into a cable of a CATV system.

Abstract: A multi-direction camera is provided in which a mirror (3) having a plurality of reflecting surfaces (31, 32) is disposed in front of a lens (4). The mirror (3) reflects the light from a plurality of directions and the lens (4) receives the reflected light to form an image on an image sensing device (7). In a first embodiment, a partitioning plate (81) is provided between the lens (4) and the edge line (33) of the mirror (3). The partitioning plate (81) optically isolates a plurality of reflecting surfaces (31, 32) to prevent a ghost image from appearing in the image taken. In a second embodiment, the mirror (3) is enclosed by an opaque cover (2), and the cover (2) has a transparent window (21, 22) opposing each of the plurality of reflecting surfaces (31, 32). The shields (23, 24), which are formed as a part of the window (21, 22), are arranged at locations away from the lens (4) such that an image of the shield is received by the lens (4).

Abstract: A base drum beater including a stepped stem fastened to a pedal mechanism of a bass drum and having a front extension rod and a radial pin hole at said front extension rod, a locating pin mounted in the pin hole with its both ends projecting out of the periphery of said the extension rod of the stepped stem, two washers mounted around the front extension rod of the stepped stem, a spring mounted around the front extension rod between the washers, and a beater head mounted around the front extension rod between one washer and the locating pin and forced by the spring force of the spring into engagement with the locating pin, the beater head having a plurality of peripheral sections made of different materials that can be alternatively aimed at the base drum by turning the beater head about the front extension rod to change its angular position.