Abstract: A system for operating a command-input device for an automated production machine to provide commands to the machine includes a status signal generator; a computer and apparatus for operating the command-input device. Commands for various functions of the machine may be provided to the machine by operation of the command-input device. The status signals indicate functional states of the automated production machine; the computer responds to the status signals by generating control signals; and the apparatus for operating the command-input device of the automated production machine does so in response to the control signals. In an embodiment in which the command-input device is mechanically operated by using a keyboard or a touch screen, a robotic device is used to operate the command-input device in response to the control signals.

Abstract: Articles, such as components of an injection-molded multi-component product, are repositioned within a space, such as the space between mold parts, that is accessible for repositioning only during a series of periods, such as open-mold periods, that are separated by intervals of less accessibility for repositioning, such as closed-mold intervals by (a) moving a first article, such as a first component of a first multi-component product, from a first position within the space to outside of the space during a first such period; and (b) moving a second identical article, such as a first component of a second multi-component, from outside of the space to a second position within the space during the first such period. Both the movement of the first article and the movement of the second article are by means of a common vehicle, such as a common robot arm.

Abstract: In a laryngoscope, a blade for displacing a person's tongue in order to facilitate insertion of an endotracheal tube into the person's trachea includes a distal portion for insertion through the person's mouth and into the person's oropharynx and an elongated portion extending from the distal portion; the elongated portion is substantially wider than the distal portion and includes an inner side that is disposed for contacting and displacing the person's tongue when the distal portion is inserted into the person's oropharynx; and the inner side of the elongated portion is laterally contoured for restraining the person's tongue in a relatively centered position while the tongue is being displaced. The blade and the handle of the laryngoscope are injection molded in the same mold and may be of the same plastic material. Preferably the blade is transparent for transmitting light from a light source in the handle.

Abstract: In a method of injection molding an elongated article, such as a cable tie, having a head and a strap terminating in a tip, (a) the article is formed by injecting molten plastic material, such as nylon, into a mold cavity defined between a first mold part and a second mold part, wherein the first mold part includes a head region defining a portion of the head of the elongated article, the second mold part includes a tip region defining a portion of the tip of the elongated article, and the portion of the mold cavity defined by the second mold part defines a series of pointed teeth on one side of the strap; (b) the first mold part is separated from the second mold part while retaining the portion of the head of the elongated article in the head region of the first mold part and the portion of the tip of the elongated article in the tip region of the second mold part, thereby separating the head from the second mold part, the tip from the first mold part, and a major portion of the strap of the elongated articl

Abstract: Various steps in the operation of an insulated runner injection molding system are automated by computer generated responses to various sensing steps or other steps to thereby reduce the performance requirements of the system operator. In automatic response to a manual operation incident to closure of a machine gate after an end-of sequence signal, a computer causes mold-cavity-encasing mold parts to be engaged. In automatic response to sensing such engagement of the mold-cavity-encasing mold parts, the computer causes the molding system to be adjusted to enable disengagement of insulated-runner-channel-encasing mold parts. In automatic response to sensing such adjustment of the molding system, the computer causes channel-encasing mold parts to be disengaged, whereupon a sprue is automatically removed therefrom in response to relative movement of the channel-encasing mold parts.

Abstract: Various steps in the operation of an insulated runner injection molding system are automated by computer generated responses to various sensing steps or other steps to thereby reduce the performance requirements of the system operator. In automatic response to a manual operation incident to closure of a machine gate subsequent to removal of a sprue from channel-encasing mold parts, a computer causes the molding system to be adjusted to enable injection of molten plastic into an insulated runner channel to form the insulated runner and through the insulated runner into mold-cavities. In automatic response to sensing such readjustment of the molding system, the computer causes a predetermined quantity of molten plastic to be metered for injection to form the insulated runner. In automatic response to sensing such metering the computer causes the metered quantity to be injected into the channel.

Abstract: In a method of injection molding a tie that includes an abutment wall surface having at least one tooth inside a locking head facing a pawl, a movable core that defines at least a portion of a surface of the abutment wall that is on the opposite side of the abutment wall from the portion of the abutment surface that includes the at least one abutment surface tooth is moved to thereby enable the abutment wall to flex in a direction away from the pawl into a space vacated by movement of the core so that the tie can be removed from the mold without significantly damaging the at least one abutment surface tooth.

Abstract: A carrier-member of a test species, or a component separated from a culture thereof, that may cause a desirable change in a behavior pattern of at least one member of an adjoiner species from an initial behavior pattern to a desired behavior pattern is identified by introducing a member of a test species that is a symbiont of the adjoiner species or a component separated from a culture of the symbiont test species to at least one member of the adjoiner species that has the initial behavior pattern; and subsequently collecting data that indicates whether or not the at least one member of the adjoiner species has acquired the desired behavior pattern to thereby make said identification.

Abstract: Articles, such as components of an injection-molded multi-component product, are repositioned within a space, such as the space between mold parts, that is accessible for repositioning only during a series of periods, such as open-mold periods, that are separated by intervals of less accessibility for repositioning, such as closed-mold intervals by (a) moving a first article, such as a first component of a first multi-component product, from a first position within the space to outside of the space during a first such period; and (b) moving a second identical article, such as a first component of a second multi-component, from outside of the space to a second position within the space during the first such period. Both the movement of the first article and the movement of the second article are by means of a common vehicle, such as a common robot arm.

Abstract: A component of a member of a test species that deleteriously affects a target species that is a parasite of an adjoiner species is identified by a method including the steps of (a) selecting the test species from among test species that are attached or internal to a member of the adjoiner species whom was exposed to the target species but did not react adversely thereto as did other exposed members of the adjoiner species; (b) separating at least one member of the selected test species into a plurality of components; (c) exposing at least some of the separated components of the member(s) of the test species separately to members of the target species; and (d) examining such exposures to determine for such identification whether members of the target species have been deleteriously affected by such exposures. The test species may be a symbiont or a traditional food source of the adjoiner species.

Abstract: A tie including a tongue and a locking head having a pawl that is hinged at one side of an opening in the locking head across the opening from an abutment surface for locking engagement with a first set of ratchet teeth on one side of the tongue when the tongue has been inserted through the opening, and also having teeth on the abutment surface for locking engagement with a second set of ratchet teeth on the other side of the tongue when the tongue has been so inserted, is formed by injection molding. An artifact line is formed at a parting line between the mold parts while the plastic material solidifies in the mold cavity.

Abstract: In a tie including an elongated tongue with a locking head at one end of the tongue, a tip at the other end of the tongue, a first set of ratchet teeth extending along one broad side of the tongue and a second set of ratchet teeth extending along the other broad side of the tongue, wherein the locking head has sides defining an opening for receiving the tip of the tongue, a movable pawl that is hinged at one side of the opening and an abutment surface that is across the opening from the pawl, wherein the pawl has pawl teeth disposed for engaging the first set of ratchet teeth, and wherein stationary teeth are disposed on the abutment surface for engaging the second set of ratchet teeth, the stationary teeth on the abutment surface have a greater lateral extension with respect to the direction of insertion of the tongue through the opening than do the pawl teeth and the second set of ratchet teeth have a greater lateral extension with respect to the direction of insertion than do the first set of ratchet teeth

Abstract: A stereoscopic image display system includes an image display screen for displaying images; a controller and a display driver circuit for causing left-eye images and right-eye images to be produced on the display screen in a format of image components which at any particular time define a left-eye image field interlaced with a right-eye image field; a shutter system having variable transparency shutter components positioned in front of the image display screen for defining a viewing position on the opposite side of the shutter system from the display screen. The transparency of the shutter components is controlled to attenuate the left-eye image field from view by the right eye of a viewer at the viewing position, to attenuate the right-eye image field from view by the left eye of the viewer, to enable view of the left-eye image field by the left eye of the viewer, and to enable view of the right-eye image field by the right eye of the viewer.

Abstract: Balanced injection molding in a multi-cavity mold of a plurality of ridged-wall products having is accomplished by providing mold parts defining therebetween at least two cavities for forming the ridged-wall plastic products, wherein each of at least two cavities defines a plurality of flow channels in which injected plastic material flows within the cavity and in which flow channels the first side strips are formed; wherein the relative disposition of the mold parts is adjustable for adjusting the dimensions of the flow channels in at least two mold cavities separately so that when plastic material is injected approximately simultaneously into the at least two mold cavities the injected plastic material flows within the at least two cavities at respective flow rates that cause the at least two mold cavities to be completely filled approximately simultaneously with the injected plastic material.

Abstract: The focus of variable-focus lenses in eyeglasses worn by a person is regulated in accordance with an indication of a spatial relationship of features of the person's eyes to provide an at least partially in-focus image of a feature at which the person is gazing.. The lenses are nematic liquid crystal display devices. Light reflected off of each of the person's eyes is detected to provide data indicating the respective dispositions of the person's eyes; and the combined data for both eyes is processed by a neural network in a computer to provide focus-control signals for setting the focus of each lens.

Abstract: Balanced injection molding in a multi-cavity mold of a plurality of ridged-wall products having is accomplished by providing mold parts defining therebetween at least two cavities for forming the ridged-wall plastic products, wherein each of at least two cavities defines a plurality of flow channels in which injected plastic material flows within the cavity and in which flow channels the first side strips are formed; wherein the relative disposition of the mold parts is adjustable for adjusting the dimensions of the flow channels in at least two mold cavities separately so that when plastic material is injected approximately simultaneously into the at least two mold cavities the injected plastic material flows within the at least two cavities at respective flow rates that cause the at least two mold cavities to be completely filled approximately simultaneously with the injected plastic material.

Abstract: A method of injection molding a tie that includes an abutment wall surface having at least one tooth facing a pawl that has at least one tooth inside a locking head utilizes a core that defines at least a portion of the abutment surface tooth and at least a portion of a surface of the pawl that includes the at least one pawl tooth. The core is movable in relation to a first other mold part and is separated from a second other mold part not sooner than the first other mold part is separated from the second other mold part to thereby enable (a) the pawl to flex into a space vacated by movement of the first other mold part and (b) the abutment wall to flex into a space also vacated by movement of the first other mold part during separation of the first other mold part from the second other mold part so that the tie can be removed from the mold without significantly damaging either the at least one pawl tooth or the at least one abutment surface tooth.

Abstract: A component of a member of a test species that deleteriously affects a target species that is a parasite of a given adjoiner species is identified by a method including a step (a) of separating at least one member of a test species that is a symbiont or a traditional food source of the given adjoiner species into a plurality of components; a step (b) of exposing at least some of the separated components of the member(s) of the test species separately to members of the target species; and a step (c) of examining such exposures to determine for such identification whether members of the target species have been deleteriously affected by such exposures; wherein steps (a), (b) and (c) are executed methodically and systematically.

Abstract: Balanced injection molding in a multi-cavity mold of a plurality of ties having a uniform maximum thickness between opposite broad sides of the tongue of the tie is accomplished by providing mold pieces in which the relative dimensions of projections for forming ratchet teeth on the tongue of the ties in different mold cavities are non-uniform such that when plastic material is injected into the mold cavities, the injected plastic material flows through the different mold cavities at respective flow rates that cause the mold cavities to be completely filled approximately simultaneously with the injected plastic material. In making the mold pieces, the dimensions of the projections initially are larger than required for forming ratchet teeth of a preferred dimension.

Abstract: A hollow stackable injection-molded product includes a generally conically contoured sidewall having a plurality of longitudinal folds of alternating ridges and furrows. Each fold includes a first side strip laterally extending from the top of a first ridge to the bottom of a first furrow and a second side strip laterally extending from the bottom of the first furrow to the top of a second ridge next to the first ridge. Over most of the longitudinal extent of the sidewall, at least a predominant portion of each of the second side strips has an outward approximately conic-section lateral curvature to thereby provide a better fit between like products of such configuration when stacked inside one another and to thereby further reduce their stacking height. The lateral curvature of each second side strip is approximately circular.