Abstract: Problems in counting and stacking fried food products such as tostadas are solved by an improved counter/stacker device in which tortilla food products ride a first moving belt through a photoelectric counting station. After being counted the product drops into a stack retainer shaped to hold the product. A series of stack retainers are arranged along the length of a flexible, intermittently moving, continuous belt. When the counting station signals that the required number of product have been counted and deposited into a stack, the flexible belt bearing the stack retainer is rapidly advanced to bring an empty stack retainer into position beneath the counting station. The stack retainers ensure that the product stacks do not shift and are stationary for a period of time, thereby facilitating manual or automatic packaging of the product.

Abstract: A current transformer for monitoring a current in a conductor. The current transformer comprises a winding assembly that includes a resistive load. The transformer further comprises a compensation circuit that has an impedance selected to reduce output signal overshoot across the output terminals of the current transformer caused by the intrinsic inductance of the resistive load. The transformer also comprises a small gauge semi-rigid coaxial cable to reduce a loop pickup area formed by the conductive paths that connect the winding assembly terminals of the winding assembly and the output terminals of the current transformer. This results in output signal overshoot across the output terminals being further reduced. Additionally, the transformer comprises a transformer shield that encloses the winding assembly and has end portions that do not contact each other to define a gap that prevents the transformer shield from acting as a shorted turn.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard key apparatus to simulate the feel of escapement includes a longitudinally extending key preferably pivotally mounted on a supporting base, a spring apparatus flexibly disposed between the base and the key for resisting depression of the key with a variable resistive force, a latching apparatus to latch the spring apparatus in connection to the base, and an unlatching apparatus to unlatch the spring apparatus from connection to the base with a predetermined amount of resistive force. The latching apparatus may be a magnetic apparatus disposed between the base and the spring apparatus having one of a magnetic element and a magnetically attracted element fixedly connected to the base and the other fixedly connected to the key.

Abstract: A transformer comprises a ferrite core and a printed circuit board for primary and/or secondary windings. The ferrite core comprises first and second trunk portions parallel with each other and first and second leg portions parallel with each other. The trunks and first and second leg portions are positioned into a rectangular configuration. The core also comprises a third leg portion parallel to the first and second leg portions and interposed midway between the trunk portions. A cross-sectional area of the first and second leg portions is approximately the same as each other, approximately one half the cross-sectional area of the third leg portion, less than the cross-sectional area of the first trunk portion and less than the cross-sectional area of the second trunk portion.

Abstract: A storage medium carries physically distinct blocks of symbols representing digital information. The symbols are arranged in the blocks such that the digital information represented by the symbols can be determined from only the two-dimensional position of the symbols relative to one another and any other differentiable characteristic intrinsic to the symbols. A method and apparatus recovers the symbols using oversampling in two dimensions and derives the information represented by the symbols. Blocks having two or more two-dimensional alignment patterns with good auto-correlation properties are used in some embodiments to facilitate recovery of the digital information. In one embodiment, motion picture film carries a conventional analog soundtrack and a digital soundtrack for a plurality of channels; the digital soundtrack is represented by symbols carried on the film in the areas between sprocket hole perforations.

Abstract: An improved cash box system for a bill validator (11) which includes bill inlet (16) a sensor (OS) associated with the opening, a bill transporting assembly (21) and a bill stacking assembly (30). A cash box (10) associated with the bill validator (11) receives bills (B) from the bill stacking assembly (30) when the stacker motor (M2) is activated. A processing system (100) measures the current draw of the stacker motor (M2) and compares it to a predetermined limit of the current draw to determine whether the cash box (10) is full, when a bill is placed in the bill inlet.

Abstract: A money drawer of a cash register has a frame which supports a number of individual coin cups and note cups. A respective weighing device, supported on a base of the register, is provided for each cup. A positioning mechanism, for example, comprised of cam followers and cam surfaces is arranged to determine the position of the frame. The arrangement is such that on closing the money drawer, the frame is lowered to release each cup such that it is engaged with as associated weighing device whereby the weight of the cash or bills in each cup may be calculated. The weight signals may be used to determine the number of cash or bills in the cups and/or their value. A simple record of each determination may be kept so that if there are errors in the cash register at the end of a period the record can be scrutinized for irregularities. The information may also be provided to processing means for storage and/or processing.

Abstract: An improved angle adjustment device for cymbal mounting frames includes an adjusting seat with an annular seat in which a connecting means may slidably rotate to achieve stepless angle adjustment of a cymbal mounted on the adjusting seat. The angle of the cymbal may be firmly set after adjustment.

Abstract: For use with a transformer unit comprising a main housing accommodating a transformer, a coil case is provided which encloses a high-voltage coil and the magnetic core section around which said coil is mounted. Only the interior space of the coil case is filled with insulating compound.

Abstract: A planar transformer wherein a conformal dielectric epoxy composition is provided on the planes containing the primary and secondary windings to encapsulate the windings and to insulate the windings from the perimeter of each plane to prevent the primary windings from electrically contacting the secondary windings around the edges of the planes. Also, a conformal dielectric epoxy composition separates the plane with the primary windings from the plane with the secondary windings from primary and secondary circuits directly and below windings.

Abstract: A multi-lens camera, comprising:a housing;at least two lenses spaced apart on the housing to obtain different views of a single scene for capturing as a set of simultaneously captured separate frames;a status indicator which provides an indication of at least one condition under which the simultaneously captured frames were captured; anda recorder which can record the indication in association with the set.A method of processing a film exposed by the camera, and an apparatus for performing the method, are also provided.

Abstract: A camera shake compensation device for a photo-taking optical system includes a shake compensation optical element having an optical axis; a first holding member that holds the shake compensation optical element; a drive source that drives the first holding member in order to cause the shake compensation optical element to move such that the optical axis of the shake compensation optical element becomes eccentric with respect to an optical axis of the photo-taking optical system; and a second holding member that holds the first holding member by means of the drive source so that the second holding element can move along a photo-taking optical axis together with the first holding member and drive source during focusing or zooming by the photo-taking optical system.

Abstract: A camera according to the present invention has an arrangement that a film is discharged to a side toward a subject after a picture has been taken, the instant camera comprising a grip portion formed on a right portion of a camera body when viewed in a normal photography state and from a position of a photographer operating the camera, an optical system disposed on a left portion of the camera body when viewed from the said position of the photographer and including at least a photographing lens, and a film cartridge loading portion which is capable of loading a film cartridge into a position between the grip portion of the camera body and the optical system in such a manner that an exposure surface of the film accommodated in the film cartridge faces the optical system.

Abstract: A camera, an apparatus, or a device adapted for the camera or the apparatus, arranged to use an image recording medium cartridge, is provided with a cover for closing an opening part from which the cartridge is to be removed from the camera or the apparatus, a first part arranged to automatically return an image recording medium to the cartridge loaded on the camera or the apparatus, and a second part arranged to change at least between a first state in which no force is imparted to a member for moving the image recording medium and a second state in which a force is allowed to be imparted to the member for moving the image recording medium and to allow the image recording medium to be returned to the cartridge without using the first part when the second part is in the second state, the second part being changeable at least between the first state and the second state when the opening part is closed with the cover.

Abstract: A keyboard for cash registers and other registers of a type having long and short stroke keys (3) allows a structural reconfiguration for meeting various needs of customers. The keyboard, with all keys (3) thereof being at uniform key spacings, includes short-stroke rocker key assemblies (5) with short key moment arms (7) and a long switch moment arms (8) and long-stroke rocker key assemblies (4) with long key moment arms (7') and short switch moment arms (8'). When mounted, a key of a long-stroke rocker key assembly (4) is within a bifurcated end of a forked lever (9) of a respective adjacent long-stroke rocker key assembly. By making the long-stroke rocker key assemblies with forked levers in which keys of adjacent long-stroke rocker key assemblies are positioned, the keyboard can be adapted to meet customers desires with less expense.

Abstract: An electrical apparatus, such as a transformer, includes an expandable internal chamber that is nonventing and completely and permanently sealed from the ambient environment. The chamber houses a core and coil assembly or other current-carrying conductor and is completely filled with dielectric fluid having a pressure less than one atmosphere. The enclosure walls are flexible and are permitted to bow inwardly and outwardly as the volume of the dielectric fluid changes due to thermal expansion and contraction. A method of processing the dielectric fluid and filling and sealing the transformer at sub-atmospheric pressure is also disclosed.

Abstract: A pocket tide calculator is described which predicts tide times and moon phases in a visual display which gives the semi-diurnal tide times in any given day of the month and can be readily set for the following month. This device automatically leaves out the high or low tide which is alternately missing every 7.5 days. This invention incorporates a compressed time scale when compared with a normal 24-hour clock face which enables a concise display of the semi-diurnal tide cycle.

Abstract: An improved tuning device includes a housing which a least partially encloses a worm, pinion gear and shaft or string post. The housing includes a main member which encloses the worm and an extension member which is formed separately from the main housing member and encloses the shaft. The extension housing member has a head end portion which is disposed in the main housing member and a shank portion which extends outward from the head end portion. The shank portion of the extension housing member is indented to engage a groove in the shaft. When the tuning device is to be assembled, the extension housing member is deformed into engagement with the groove in the shaft and is then connected with the main housing member. When the extension housing member is to be connected with the main housing member, the extension housing member, shaft and pinion are inserted through an opening in an outer side of the main housing member and then through an opening in an inner side of the main housing member.

Abstract: A lens driving system for a camera with an anti-vibration function has a vibration correcting lens drivable in a direction in which blurring of an image on an image surface due to a camera shake is prevented from occurring, vibration correcting lens driving means for driving the vibration correcting lens, a photointerrupter detecting a relative position and speed of the vibration correcting lens, and a disk being connected to the correcting lens driving means and having a plurality of slits determined in accordance with the width of a slit of a light receiving section of the photointerrupter and the resolution of detection of shift of the vibration correcting lens in order to turn on and off the photointerrupter repeatedly.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an engaging mechanism. The engaging mechanism comprises a cam element which moves upon modification of an engaging position, a cam follower abutted against a cam surface of the cam element, a detecting element for detecting a position of the cam follower, and a section to be detected provided on the cam follower, for giving at least three different kinds of output values to the detecting element.