Abstract: A facility for mounting an electronic component includes a first circuit board having of mounting apertures. A mounting element is associate with each aperture, and includes a boss defining a bore. The boss has a first surface contacting a major surface of the first circuit board, and a second surface opposite the first surface. A pin is received in the bore, and has a lower portion protruding from the first surface of the boss and into one of the apertures. The pins lower portion definves a spece to capture a portion of the first circuit board. A fastener connected to the pin may generate compression between the spece and the boss to secure the board, and a corner-shaped protrusion on the second surface may constrain the corner periphery of a second board resting on the second surface, with the fastener also securing the second board against the boss.

Abstract: A garden tool having a blade defining a blade plane and a handle connected to the blade and extending away from the blade at an angle offset from perpendicular to the blade. The blade has a leading edge extending away from the handle, and a trailing edge opposite the leading edge. The trailing edge has profile with a protruding point.

Abstract: A system and method of generating an image analysis report relating to an image of a subject. The method includes querying a user for an image description providing locational information regarding the image, querying the user for a physical description providing locational information regarding the subject, and querying the user for a finding description providing selected characteristics of the image. A description set including the user's responses to the queries is stored and processed to generate the report. Any of the querying steps may include providing the user with a limited set of entry options, and some of the entry may be by selecting a location on a graphical map. A second description set relating to a different image of the same or a different subject may also be entered, and the user may be queried for information relating to a causal link between the description sets. A user may be queried for a confidence level of any observation or conclusion.

Abstract: A tire cutter apparatus including a rotatable anvil wheel assembly and a cutter wheel assembly connected to a frame. The anvil wheel assembly has an anvil wheel with a smooth circumferential anvil surface. The cutter wheel assembly includes a cutter wheel having a peripheral edge. The cutter wheel assembly and the anvil wheel assembly are movable between a closed position in which the cutter wheel edge is adjacent the anvil surface to define a cutting site, and an open position in which the cutter wheel edge and the anvil surface are spaced apart. A gripping wheel having an articulated peripheral edge is connected to the cutter wheel assembly and/or to the anvil wheel assembly, so that the gripping wheel engages a portion of a tire to move the tire through the cutting site. The apparatus may be a compression cutter defining a nip, and multiple overlapping gripping wheels may be driven to drive the tire through the cutter.

Abstract: A wastewater filtration system with a housing provided by a cylindrical conduit forming a filter chamber and having an inlet end and an outlet. A shutoff valve assembly is connected to an inlet end of the housing, and includes a closure element movable between an open position and a closed position. The closure element is biased to the closed position in the absence of a filter in the chamber and positioned near the inlet such that the shutoff valve opens when a filter is installed. The closure element may be hinged to the housing, and may be counterweighted or spring biased to the closed position.

Abstract: An electronic instrument with a housing defining a module chamber. An electronic module is removably retained within the chamber and includes indicia such as text or a distinctive color on a selected surface of the module. The housing has a window aperture into the chamber, so that the module indicia are visible through the window to permit identification of the presence and identity of the module, even when the instrument is powered off. The module contains electronic circuitry that connects to electronic contacts of the instrument in the chamber.

Abstract: An electronic instrument with a housing having a front surface and a rear surface. A user interface is located on the front surface. A movable handle having a grip portion is connected to the housing and is movable between a first carrying position in which at least a portion of the grip is forward of the rear surface and a first stabilizing position in which at least a portion of the grip is rearward of the rear surface. The handle may movable to other stabilizing positions, and the housing may include a front prop to provide additional stability and alternative viewing angles.

Abstract: An electronic instrument includes a housing having opposed end surfaces each including a handle mount. A bail handle with an elongated middle portion has extending arms connected at opposite ends, and the arms have free ends for connection at the handle mounts. The handle pivots between a first stable position and a second stable position about a pivot axis passing through the handle mounts. A pair of detent mechanisms each have a first portion connected to the housing, and a second portion connected to the handle, and each detent mechanism includes a spring which urges the first and second portions toward each other along the pivot axis.

Abstract: A wall mounted equipment storage rack system having a wall mounted anchor, and a number of different rack modules with a common interface for mounting to the anchor. The anchor includes a fastener for securing it to a wall. The anchor may have a flat oblong profile with rounded ends for mating with a similar oblong hole in each rack module. The anchor may include a spring latch for securing the rack to the anchor, and for releasing the rack to enable removal and replacement of the rack.

Abstract: A multi chip module with a substrate having a network of a plurality of electrical interconnects and a number of electronic components mounted to the substrate and connected to the network. A monolithic test chip having a number of identical functional regions is mounted to the substrate and electrically connected to the network. Each functional region on the test chip is independently connected to the substrate and is electrically isolated from the others. The chip may be produced by preparing wafers with a grid of identical functional elements, and cutting up the wafers into chips of different sizes, depending on the application.

Abstract: An electronic instrument having a housing containing a circuit assembly with a hole. A first shield in the housing is positioned adjacent the hole on one side of the circuit assembly, and a second shield is positioned on the opposite side of the circuit assembly. A spring has a first portion compressed between the circuit assembly and the first shield, and a second portion extending through the hole and biased against the second shield. The spring may be a coil spring with the first portion having a larger diameter to provide a shoulder to rest against the circuit, and the second portion having a smaller diameter to pass through the hole.

Abstract: A coaxial cable 24 has an outer conductor 74 surrounding an inner conductor 70. A portion 76 of the inner conductor 70 is stripped of insulation and extends beyond the end of the outer conductor at a cable end 30. A circuit board 12 has a major surface and defines an elongated slot 34. A connection end of the slot is defined by a stop portion of the board 36, and a conductive pad 60 is provided on the board surface adjacent the stop portion at the end of the slot. The stripped portion 76 of inner conductor 70 is connected to the conductive pad 60, and at least a portion of the outer conductor 74 is received in the slot, and may be connected to another contact on the board. The stop portion of the slot is defined as a peninsular connection tab 54 by an elongated hole 50 formed on each side of said stop portion 36 of said slot. The distance between the sides of the conductive pad 60 and the near edges of the elongated holes 50 is selected to provide a predetermined transition impedance.

Abstract: A stand for removably securing a housing of an electrical instrument to another structure. The stand has a support arm connected to the housing, with a free end movable with respect to the housing. A grip element is connected to the arm and is movable over a range of positions along the arm. The grip element has a resilient spring portion biased toward a neutral position near the arm, and the spring portion is movable to a flexed position away from the arm. Thus, the instrument may be secured to a structure by biasing the spring portion against a portion of the structure, often by capturing part of the structure between the spring and the housing, or between the spring and the arm.

Abstract: An elongated bail handle for an electronic instrument housing with opposed ends providing handle mounts. The handle has an elongated intermediate portion extending the width of the instrument, and a pair terminal arm portions each connected to the intermediate portion and having a free end for connection to a respective end surface of the housing. The intermediate portion defines an elongated bore, and a reinforcing bar laterally spans the bore to connect opposed walls of the intermediate portion. The arm and bore may have an oblong cross section, with the bar spanning the short span. The bar may define a passage, and an overmolded handle grip encompassing the reinforcing bar may have material filling the passage to secure it to the handle.

Abstract: A method of analyzing and displaying waveforms by acquiring an electrical signal, converting it into a stream of digital data points, and sequentially storing each data point to a memory device. Then, analyzing each of the data points to detect whether the data point is an anomalous data point outside of a preselected range. Until an anomalous data point is detected, the steps of acquiring, converting, storing, and analyzing data are repeated. Shortly after the anomalous data point is detected, storage of the data points to the memory device is stopped, so that the anomalous data point and adjacent data points are preserved in memory. Then, the anomalous data point is displayed, preferably along with the immediately preceding and succeeding data points.

Abstract: A method of encoded communication in which a receiver generates a receiver public key by looking up a monitoring authority public key, multiplying four prime numbers, and encoding the identities of two of the prime numbers with the monitoring authority public key. The receiver communicates the public key to a sender, who creates a message, encodes it with the receiver public key, and transmits it to the receiver. The receiver then decodes the encoded message with the four prime numbers. The monitoring authority may decode the two prime numbers of the receiver's key, and factorize the product of the remaining primes. An unauthorized party would be faced with the much more difficult or impossible task of factorizing the original product of the four primes.

Abstract: A method of encrypted communication including creating a message and looking up a public key of a recipient. Then, encoding the message via a first encoding process using a first portion of the public key to generated an intermediate encoded message. The intermediate encoded message is encoded via a second encoding process using a second portion of the public key to generate a final encoded message. Then, the final encoded message is sent to a recipient. The public key may have a first key portion, a second key portion, and a third key portion, with the third key portion containing the encoded identity of a data element needed to decode a message encoded with the second key portion. The third key portion is encoded with the public key of a monitoring authority to enable the monitoring authority to more readily decode transmitted messages.

Abstract: A computer printer having a frame contained within a housing, a media transport and printing mechanism attached to the frame within the housing is provided with at least one debris shield positioned above the printing mechanism to protect it from falling debris. The at least one debris shield may be positioned below an air flow path generated by printer ventilation, and the printer may employ a transfer surface on which an image is generated prior to transfer to a media sheet, and above which the debris shield is positioned.

Abstract: An instrument housing defines a chamber and has a metal shell with an aperture region defining an array of parallel elongated apertures. The shell has an elongated web between each pair of adjacent apertures, and a raised element protrudes from the web. The raised element is spaced apart from each aperture to reveal a portion of the web near each aperture. A resilient, electrically conductive spring element is electrically connected to the web and has a compressible portion extending away from the web, such that a metal plate pressed toward the revealed surface makes electrical contact with the spring and thereby to the shell, and is laterally constrained by the raised element. The raised element may be welded to the web with the spring captured between, or the raised element may be partially sheared to protrude from the web, with an aperture in the spring closely receiving the raised portion with an interference fit.

Abstract: An electrical connector with a female portion defining a bore having an aperture, and a male portion having an elongated member sized to be received in the bore. The female portion has a first flexible contact and an electrically isolated second rigid contact. The male portion has a first flexible contact and an electrically isolated second rigid contact. The connector may be a banana connector with a barrel spring providing conventional contact, and a separate contact at the tip of the male portion.