Abstract: A solenoid actuator including a coil of electrically conductive wire having a central opening, a yoke of magnetic material permanently surrounding the coil, and a stationary armature permanently secured to the yoke and projecting from the yoke into the central opening in the coil. A core tube of non-magnetic material is removably retained within the central opening in the coil, the core tube having a closed end engaging the stationary armature and the core tube being separable from the coil-yoke-armature assembly. A movable armature within the core tube is slidable toward and away from the stationary armature. A stationary armature extension of magnetic material surrounds the exterior of the core tube, the extensions being an element independent of the stationary armature. The extension may be an annular element, coaxial with the core tube, which engages the stationary armature. The extension may be a ring having a wall of uniform or non-uniform thickness along its length.

Abstract: An apparatus including a source for producing a concentrated light beam, such as a laser, a background element spaced from the source against which the light beam is directed, and a transport arrangement for moving translucent bodies, such as French cut potatoes, through the light beam. When light from the source impinges upon a pure translucent body, the light is scattered or diffused within the body around the point of impingement so as to illuminate a surface area of the body larger than the cross-sectional area of the light beam, but light from the source impinging upon an impurity in the translucent body is scattered or diffused to a lesser extent. The background element is formed of a material which causes light from the source which impinges on it to be diffused within the material in a manner similar to the diffusion of the light in the translucent bodies.

Abstract: A constant current line circuit for connection to balanced tip and ring leads of a telephone line and unbalanced transmit and receive leads of a PABX. A differential amplifier receives and applies incoming audio signals carried by the tip and ring leads to the unbalanced transmit lead, and detects D.C. loop current flowing through the tip and ring leads and generates a D.C. signal in response thereto. A voltage controlled feed current supply, connected in a circuit to the differential amplifier, generates a constant current D.C. voltage to the tip and ring leads in response to receiving the D.C. signal, and an integrator circuit is connected in a feedback path from the output of the differential amplifier to a voltage control input of the supply, for filtering audio signals received by the differential amplifier and regulating the generated D.C. signal to a quiescent value of approximately zero volts. The line circuit provides simultaneous bidirectional signal translation and constant D.C.

Abstract: An annular multilayer seal including a series of more than two successive layers of elastomeric material. The layers vary in hardness in the axial direction of the seal, the outermost layers being the hardest and the innermost layer being the softest. Where the seal has at least five layers, the hardness of each layer between the innermost layer and each outermost layer is about the average of the hardnesses of the innermost and outermost layers. The innermost layer may have a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, the major base of the trapezoid being at the inside surface of the seal. The thickness of the other layers may vary nonlinearly from the inside surface to the outside surface of the seal.

Abstract: In a hydrostatic drive one hydrostatic machine (2 and 4) is adapted for absorbing the sustained braking power or energy. The transmission is furthermore provided with a cooler (9) whose two sides are respectively connected via a threshold pressure valve (7 and 8) with one of two branch ducts (3 and 5) which connect the said hydrostatic machine with a second such machine adapted to act as a drive. The pressure threshold valve is made up of a pressure limiting and check valve.

Abstract: In a method of producing implants of bone replacement material from resin reinforced with carbon fiber at least the fibers in the parts of the surface which are to come into contact with the bone tissue are exposed by mechanical treatment. This provides for an improved unification of the bone with the implant. The fibers at the surface may be fibers of a fabric which is wrapped around a basic member shaped to conform to the desired implant.

Abstract: A bidirectional communication system having separate unidirectional information signalling for connection to one or more signal ports, comprised of a first switching matrix for effecting bidirectional communication between one or more of the signal ports and a second separate switching matrix for establishing unidirectional communication from one or more information signal sources to a predetermined one or more of the signal ports. Preferably, the communication system is a telephone system and the signal ports are local subscriber sets and outside telephone lines. The information signal sources can be, for instance, supervisory tone generating circuits such as DTMF generators, RING BACK, DIAL TONE or BUSY/ERROR signal generators. Alternatively, the signal sources may be music on hold circuits or circuits for generating out of voice band data signals.

Abstract: A storage battery provided with a cover, having an inverted generally U-shaped cross-section, located over the top wall of the battery casing, both ends of the cover being open. The cover may be formed integrally with the casing top wall, or it may be a separate member. If a separate member, resilient straps or other retaining elements are employed to secure the cover to the battery casing, and ribs or other positioning elements carried by the cover engage the casing and space the cover from the casing top wall. Preferably, the cover is semi-cylindrical, is imperforate, and if a separate element, may be flexible.

Abstract: A reversible mortise lockset for use with an ornamental metal security storm door furnished with a lock box, each of the two opposed vertical walls of the lock box having two vertically aligned holes of equal diameter. The lockset includes a mortise lock which can be inserted into the lock box in either of two alternative orientations, namely, the lock cylinder hole of the mortise lock in registry with the upper holes in the lock box or the lock cylinder hole of the mortise lock in registry with the lower holes in the lock box. In either orientation, the door knob spindle hole and a through bolt hole of the mortise lock are exposed through the lock box holes not in registry with the lock cylinder hole. A pair of plates are provided for mounting on the exterior surfaces of the lock box walls, each plate having a door knob and spindle near one end and a lock cylinder hole near the other end. One of the plates has a single mounting post projecting parallel to the door knob spindle.

Abstract: A reversible mortise lock including a housing having a front plate and side walls, and a latch movable between an extended position in which it projects through the front plate, and a retracted position. Two spindle hubs, for cooperation with the spindles of inner and outer door knobs, are independently pivotable about a fixed axis, the latch moving from its extended to retracted position in response to pivotal movement of either spindle hub. An abutment member is pivotable between two extreme positions; in one extreme position it interferes with pivotal movement of one spindle hub, but not the other, so as to prevent that one hub from causing retracting movement of the latch; in the other extreme position, the abutment member does not interfere with movement of either spindle hub. The abutment member is exposed through an opening in the front plate so that it can be swung between its extreme positions by finger pressure.

Abstract: A method including embedding a porous silicon ceramic compact, or workpiece, in a powder which is not sinterable at the process temperature, and subjecting the powder and embedded compact to heat and pressure in a hot isostatic press. The powder transmits the pressure to the compact. The powder may be the same material as the compact, except without a sintering agent, or the powder may be graphite powder. The grain size of the powder is between 2 .mu.m and 50 .mu.m. The powder and embedded compact are placed in a container prior to hot pressing; the container may be made of thin sheet metal or of quartz glass.

Abstract: A gangway bellows is used as a cross-over shelter between two vehicles which are flexibly connected to each other. The sidewalls of the gangway bellows have a double-wall design. Each internal wall is constructed as a curtain, which is suspended at its upper end from the roof of the gangway bellows and ends with its lower end immediately above a crossover unit, between the vehicle sections, having a turntable. The inner walls cover the track groove and, between themselves and the side walls of the gangway bellows, form chambers in which service facilities can be accommodated. Each curtain is folded preferably to correspond to the gangway bellows. Support elements may be interposed between each curtain and the respective side wall of the bellows.

Abstract: A security label comprised of at least two magnetically soft materials having different coercivities but similar thresholds of magnetic saturation.

Abstract: A solenoid actuator including a coil of electrically conductive wire, a yoke of magnetic material surrounding the coil, and a non-electrically and non-magnetically conductive material encapsulating the coil and yoke. A pair of terminals connected to the ends of the coil project outwardly beyond an exterior surface of the encapsulation. Any of a variety of electrical connection modules is adapted to receive the coil terminals and electrically connect them to standard electrical connectors projecting from the module. Different modules have different forms of standard electrical connectors, so that regardless of the type of connector available at the source of electric power, a suitable module can be connected to the encapsulated coil for cooperation with the power source connector. The body of each module is formed of resilient material so that when the module is tightly attached to the coil encapsulation, a seal is formed completely surrounding the coil terminals.

Abstract: A sofa-bed assembly comprising a series of sections pivoted to one another in succession and foldable between a collapsed sofa condition and an extended bed condition. A supporting linkage includes a control link pivotally connected to one of the sections, and two pivot links each pivotable about a fixed axis and each pivotally connected directly to the control link. The supporting linkage is located in its entirety below the plane containing the upper surface of the uppermost section when the sections are in their collapsed condition.

Abstract: A solenoid actuator including a coil of electrically conductive wire wound about an axis, an enclosure for the coil, a receptacle carried by the enclosure for accommodating a mounting member of a device to be controlled by the solenoid actuator, a slideway carried by the enclosure extending transverse to the coil axis, and a fastener movable within the slideway for latching and unlatching the enclosed coil to the device to be controlled. The coil enclosure is a plastic encapsulation, the receptacle is an opening in a surface of the encapsulation, and the slideway is a chamber within the encapsulation intersecting the recess. The mounting member, which may be secured to a core tube within which the movable armature of the solenoid actuator is located, has an annular slot, and the fastener is a clip formed of sheet metal having edges which slide into the slot to latch the enclosed coil to the mounting member.

Abstract: A catheter arrangement including a main tubing containing a radially expandable liner and a member for moving the liner out of the tubing while the tubing is in a blood vessel. Once out of the tubing, the liner expands radially outwardly into engagement with the blood vessel wall. The liner is a tube of woven plastic strands, and the moving member may be a secondary tube within the main tubing. The tubing or liner, or both, may carry a metal element for use as an X-ray marker. A smooth plastic nose cone is carried by the distal end of the main tubing, the nose cone being openable to permit ejection of the liner from the tubing.

Abstract: A solenoid arrangement including a coil of electrically conductive wire and a yoke of magnetic material surrounding the coil. The coil is completely encapsulated by a thermosetting resin, the resin being located between the coil and the yoke, and the yoke being encapsulated by a thermoplastic resin. Preferably, the thermosetting resin is an epoxy resin, and the thermoplastic resin is nylon. The yoke includes a side wall extending around the entire periphery of the coil, a top wall, and a bottom wall, the side, top, and bottom walls forming a box-like housing which substantially completely encloses the coil. A stationary armature extends from the top wall of the yoke into the center of the spool upon which the coil is wound, and a sleeve for accommodating a core tube extends from the bottom wall into the center of the spool.