Abstract: A secure data entry device including a housing, a keypad mounted in the housing and including a plurality of selectably depressible keys, tampering alarm indication circuitry and at least one electrical conductor located in the housing in operative association with the keypad, the at least one electrical conductor being coupled to the tampering alarm indication circuitry and being arranged such that extraction of at least one of the plurality of selectably depressible keys results in at least one break in the at least one electrical conductor, which causes the tampering alarm indication circuitry to provide a tampering alarm indication.

Abstract: A bi-directional snap-action register mechanism for an odometer-type mechanical register display. The mechanism includes at least one register display wheel and a bi-directional cam mounted coaxially along a common shaft with the register display wheel. The bi-directional cam engages a helical groove formed along the shaft to allow lateral displacement of the bi-directional cam in a direction parallel to a rotational axis of the shaft. A pin is biased by a spring into contact with the bi-directional cam. Rotation of the shaft causes the bi-directional cam to be moved with respect to the pin. The cam abruptly rotates through a predetermined angular distance when the point of contact of the biased pin with the cam moved from a smooth portion to a step transition portion of the cam. The abrupt rotation of the cam is communicated to the register display wheel to cause a new display position to be moved into view.

Abstract: Tape cassettes, particularly video tape cassettes, are provided with means internally to count the number of times the cassette is subjected to a sequence of user operations. This enables a hirer of such cassettes to see how many times the cassette has been used and to charge a hire fee accordingly. The counter may be mechanical, electro-mechanical or electronic, and is actuated by means associated with the tape release mechanism already built into such cassettes as a standard component; thus, no modification to of extra interaction with, the cassette player is needed.

Abstract: An apparatus for liquifying a rod of binding by application of heat includes a die-cast aluminum heating member having an elongated conical first channel decreasing in diameter from an inlet adapted to receive a rod of liquifiable bonding material through an elastic funnel surrounding the inlet to an outlet for discharging liquified material through a one-way valve. An electric heater is disposed in a second channel in said member parallel to the first channel and includes an elongated electrically insulating and elastic housing defining a cylindrical cartridge receiving at least one flat PTC resistor disposed between at least a pair of pressure bodies in the housing on opposite sides of the least one PTC resistor. At least one elongated, curved leaf spring is disposed between one of the pressure bodies and at least one PTC resistor for applying pressure to the bodies and the at least one PTC resistor to maintain constant contact pressure therebetween even under thermal expansion and contraction.