Abstract: A gripper device particularly suitable for positioning an annular member onto a workpiece that includes a housing having a pair of piston chambers, each of the piston chambers having a piston reciprocally mounted therein. A cover plate, having a plurality of radial slides mounted therein for radial movement, is connected to the housing. A plurality of through holes are also formed in the cover plate. One of the pistons has a piston rod to which each of the radial slides is connected thereto by an interconnecting link. The other piston is provided with a pusher disposed in alignment with each of the through holes to extend therethrough in the operative position. The piston actuating the slides is fluid actuated between operative and inoperative positions and the pusher piston is fluid actuated toward operative position and spring biased toward inoperative position. A gripping finger is adjustably positioned on each of the slides for handling annular members of different sizes.

Abstract: A stereo slide mount capable of adjusting a pitch between the right and left films, preventing a change in the pitch even when it is caused to fall. A plane land 9 is formed at the central portion of a base frame 3. After having adjusted a pitch between the two film holders 2 mounted on the right and left guide grooves, an adhesive label is stuck onto the land and onto the film holders to secure the film holders. A center window 12 is formed in a cover frame 1, so that the surface of the adhesive label can be viewed by eyes. Shooting data and a caption can be written on the surface of the adhesive label, or a picture of the film may be printed thereon on a reduced scale, or a bar code may be printed thereon and may be utilized for a voice guidance or for controlling a projector.

Abstract: A catadioptric projection optical system for use in photolithography used in manufacturing semiconductors having a quarter waveplate following a reticle and multiple aspheric surfaces and calcium fluoride lens elements. A quarter waveplate following the reticle eliminates asymmetry in reticle diffraction caused by polarized illumination. The use of additional aspheric surfaces reduces the number of lens elements and aids in reducing aberrations. Calcium fluoride elements are used in the lens group adjacent the wafer to help minimize compaction. In one embodiment, only calcium fluoride material is used. The present invention provides a projection optics system having a numerical aperture of 0.75 for use with wavelengths in the 248, 193, and 157 nanometer range. The object and image locations are separated by a predetermined distance, making possible retrofitting of older optical systems.

Abstract: A fastener feeding mechanism for a power actuated gun (10, 310, 410, 510) having a track (16, 316, 416, 516) for holding a plurality of fasteners (18, 318, 636). Fasteners are biased by a spring (32, 372, 672) down the track towards a holding or latch mechanism (22, 322, 422, 522). The holding or latch mechanism has a retractable latch. The holding or latch mechanism holds a fastener in a predetermined position to be driven into a substrate. A guide (14, 314, 414, 514) attached to a barrel (12, 312, 412, 512) of a power actuated gun guides the barrel permitting the barrel to be advanced for firing and driving the fastener. After firing a bias on the guide causes the barrel to be retracted for the positioning of another fastener to be driven. The present invention greatly facilitates the driving of fasteners having a plate, and permits the driving of fasteners quickly resulting in more efficient and therefore less costly construction.

Abstract: A dental wedge having a handle portion attached to the dental wedge portion for use in separating teeth. The handle portion facilitates positioning and insertion of the dental wedge portion between teeth. The handle portion may be frangibly attached to the dental wedge portion. In another embodiment, the handle portion may have a bendable portion to facilitate positioning of the dental wedge portion. The dental wedge portion may be of a variety of different shapes. The dental wedge portion and handle portion greatly facilitates positioning of the dental wedge portion between teeth and adjacent a matrix band utilized in a dental restoration.

Abstract: An insert for a firearm having a large diameter portion extending a predetermined axial distance into a breech and a small diameter portion adapted to fit within the chamber of a barrel. The predetermined axial length of the larger diameter portion has a length long enough to prevent a hammer from striking a firing pin and short enough so that the hammer can be cocked and released by the trigger. In an embodiment a lock means prevents the insert from being removed from the firearm without authority. In another embodiment, a handle is used as a flag or for cocking. The firearm may be dry-fired for practice purposes without striking the firing pin. The insert is also readily visible so that a quick inspection of the firearm will confirm that the firearm is in a safe state. The present invention may be made to accommodate many different firearms and may also be used to safely dry-fire a firearm. The insert of the present invention also provides more realistic dry firing, greatly improving the effect of training.

Abstract: This invention provides a process for producing bismuth tertiary amyloxide which is a starting material for forming a ferroelectric film such as SrBi2Ta2O9 containing bismuth oxide, or an oxide superconductive film such as Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8, by the CVD method or sol-gel method. This process comprises reacting bismuth bromide with sodium tertiary amyloxide or potassium tertiaryamyloxide in a toluene solvent containing 5 to 30 weight % tetrahydrofuran, then separating a byproduct sodium bromide or potassium bromide by filtration and recovering bismuth tertiary amyloxide by distillation under reduced pressure.

Abstract: A novel compound shown by M[N(OC2H5)5(OC2H4OCH3)]2, wherein M represents Sr or Ba, N represents Nb or Ta, which is a liquid at room temperature, is hard to be thermally dissociated, and has a vapor pressure of about 0.2 Torr at 190° C. The compound is produced by reacting 2 moles of N(OC2H5)5 and from 1 to 1.1 moles of M(OC2H4OCH3)2 and then recovering the product by distillation. By using the compounds as raw materials for a CVD method, an SrBi2Ta2O9 thin film or a (Sr0.75Ba0.25)Nb2O6 thin film for semiconductor devices can be produced.

Abstract: An alignment sensor having a fixed reference grating and a movable wafer grating receiving electromagnetic radiation from a coherent illumination source. The illumination source is split into two beams by a beamsplitter. One beam is directed to a fixed reference grating and the diffracted orders are collected. The other beam from the beamsplitter is directed to a movable wafer grating. The diffracted orders from the movable wafer grating are collected and caused to interfere with the diffracted orders from the fixed reference grating, causing a phase shift indicative of the wafer movement or misalignment with respect to the fixed reference grating. Multiple channels having discrete wavelengths or colors are used to optimize detection and alignment irrespective of wafer processing variables. A polarization fixture on the illumination source and a central polarizing portion on the beamsplitter is used to provide contrast optimization, or alternately a latent image metrology mode.

Abstract: A robust coiled filament electrode for a fluorescent lamp used in high vibration environments. A cylindrical mandrel is placed within coils in each end of a coiled filament electrode. The mandrel and the coiled filament electrode are held by a mounting post. The mounting post is bent over and crimped, holding the mandrel and coiled filament electrode. The mandrel extends inward between the two mounting posts, providing support for the coiled filament electrodes. The coiled filament electrode may be made by method or process of chemically dissolving selected portions of a mandrel. Lamp life is extended, as well as the variance between lamp life is substantially reduced. The present invention is particularly applicable to applications in avionics.

Abstract: A stereo camera capable of photographing a stereo picture maintaining an optimum stereo effect. Right and left lens boards 42R, 42L of a stereo camera 41 are coupled to a camera body 46 via upper and lower two sets of parallel links 47. Parallel grooves 45L, 45R are formed in the lateral direction in the inner portions of the lens boards 42L, 42R, and with which a circular eccentric cam 43 is engaged. When the shaft mounting the cam 43 is turned, the right and left lens boards 42R and 42L move in parallel describing circular loci, making it possible to automatically adjust the focal point as well as the distance between the optical axes of the lenses, which is important for accomplishing a stereo effect.

Abstract: A thermal management device for use with a photolithographic apparatus or tool substantially reducing thermal distortion in a reticle. Planar cooling elements are placed adjacent a reticle being illuminated with extreme ultraviolet, EUV, electromagnetic radiation. A heating element provides heat prior to exposure of the reticle by the EUV electromagnetic radiation and the system is in thermal equilibrium. Upon exposure of the EUV electromagnetic radiation, absorption by the reticle causes heat. The heating element is controlled to reduce the heat provided so the extra heat load generated in the reticle during exposure due to absorption of the EUW electromagnetic radiation is compensated for. The reticle therefore experiences no net heat or thermal energy change, and therefore eliminates or substantially reduces both expansion and thermal gradients in the reticle.

Abstract: A reticle or mask for use in projecting a circuit pattern on a photosensitive resist covered wafer having a transparent substrate with a reflective or dielectric layer thereon. An opaque or blocking layer, for example chrome or chromium, is placed over the reflective layer. The opaque layer then has a predetermined circuit pattern etched therein. In one embodiment, the opaque layer and the reflective layer are the same size. In another embodiment, the opaque layer has a size larger than the reflective layer. This permits the opaque layer to be adjacent the substrate which is advantageous when projection optics having a high numerical aperture are used. The reticle of the present invention has particular advantage when high throughput photolithographic tools are used having an illumination source of high energy flux with a wavelength of between 157 nanometers and 365 nanometers. Illumination in this wavelength range has considerable absorption in chrome, a common opaque material used in reticles.

Abstract: A rotary engine having end plates attached to a rotor and moving therewith. A rotor has a plurality of blades reciprocally mounted therein and placed within a housing. A chamber is formed between the blades, the rotor, the end plates, and a cylindrical stator. The end plates move with the rotor, thereby improving sealing. The structure permits easy assembly and manufacture and substantially reduces sealing problems associated with rotary engines. The rotary engine may be applied to many applications where rotational motion is needed.

Abstract: A film cut into a screen is correctly and easily fitted onto a slide mount. For this purpose, the slide mount is formed by joining a mount and a cover together, and windows are opened in the central portions of the mount and the cover, respectively. A film-placing portion is provided surrounding the window of the mount, and positioning pins are studded at four corners of the film-placing portion so as to be corresponded to engaging holes at both side portions of the film. Positioning holes are perforated in the periphery of the window of the cover at positions opposed to the positioning pins. The film is placed on the film-placing portion, and the positioning holes of the cover are brought into engagement with the positioning pins of the mount while the cover is being depressed onto the film. Then, the engaging holes of the film engage with the positioning pins, and the film is correctly fitted onto the slide mount.