Abstract: A method and apparatus for heat sealing an electron gun mount, having a glass stem, into a neck of a cathode-ray tube includes a mount socket for supporting the mount within the neck and a plurality of burners for applying heat to the outside of the neck proximate the stem. The neck softens, thins and then seals to the stem, causing excess neck material that is lower than the stem, known as cullet, to be cut off. Prior to applying heat, a sleeve is disposed around the mount socket within the neck adjacent to the cullet, with a clearance between the sleeve and both the socket and the neck. A vibrating coil is attached to the sleeve for vibrating the sleeve while applying heat to the outside of the neck.

Abstract: A system for aligning and packing substantially flat objects moving on a conveyor line in irregularly spaced and, nonaligned rows includes a mechanism for separating the rows and aligning the objects and also for feeding the aligned objects onto another conveyor. A packing mechanism transfers the aligned objects from a loading area to a container. An additional device places a strip of protective material on top of the layer of objects. A moving means vertically moves the container a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the object being packed in preparation for the reception of an additional layer of objects. Another transfer device moves the filled container from the loading area and replaces it with an empty container. Another transfer moves the filled container to provide room for the next container and an additional device transfers a supply of empty containers in preparation for another container being placed in the loading area.

Abstract: The invention is an improved arrangement for illuminating a liquid crystal cell which provides a significant increase in the range of viewing angles in a plane orthogonal to the principal viewing plane which is defined as the plane containing the director at the midpoint of the liquid crystal and the normal to the light entry surface. The improvement comprises means for illuminating the cell having a substantially collimated beam in the orthogonal plane. Preferably, the thickness of the liquid crystal in the cell corresponds to the first Gooch-Tarry minimum. The invention is also a method for providing a wide angle for a liquid crystal display comprising the step of illuminating a liquid crystal cell with a beam of light which is substantially collimated in the principal viewing plane and which is substantially uncollimated in an orthogonal plane.

Abstract: A method for holding a cathode-ray tube in a fixed position during processing utilizes mounting lugs attached to the tube. The apparatus includes a platform having a plurality of legs positioned to support, respectively, the ends of the mounting lugs. Each of the legs has a recess therein aligned with an aperture in the respective lug end. Each lug is secured to the respective leg by a clamp, pivotally attached to each leg, which projects through the aperture into the respective recess when pivoted.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a shadow mask from a mask blank includes a punch having a convex surface, a pad having a complementary concave surface, and upper and lower dies having openings therein for receiving the punch and the pad, respectively. Each die also has a complementary nonplanar surface adjacent the opening for clamping the mask blank. Each die surface has a surface contour that substantially matches the extended surface contour of the mask blank when the mask blank lies against the inner edge of the lower die surface, so that wrinkling does not occur when the mask blank is clamped between the upper and lower dies.

Abstract: A RAM (Random Access Memory) interface control circuit is used for measuring spaces in a periodic matrix by controlling a RAM memory circuit coupled between a photodetector array interface circuit and a computer. A plurality of light sources simultaneously illuminate the matrix with light at a plurality of discrete locations. A plurality of linear photodiode arrays simultaneously receive the respective light/shadow images from the matrix at the discrete locations, and associated control and quantizer circuits produce signals representative of the spaces and areas therebetween. RETICON interface circuits are coupled, respectively, to the control and quantizer circuits for simultaneously converting the signals for each location into data values and transmitting the data values in parallel to respective RAMs. RAM interface control circuits are coupled, respectively, to the RAMs for sequentially addressing the respective RAMs for seriatim transfer of the data values to the computer.

Abstract: A rinse tank for rinsing residue from fine apertures in a moving strip of material includes a chamber having an elongated slot. The slot has a length sufficient to span the aperture pattern. Fluid is injected into the chamber and exits through the slot as a fluid curtain substantially normal to one side of the strip. Fluid is also passed over the other side of the strip substantially parallel to the fluid curtain. The combined fluid actions cause the fluid to flow into the small apertures to remove any residue from the apertures.

Abstract: The inking bars of an intaglio inking device are mounted in a cartridge which is easily inserted into and removed from the inking device. Adjacent inking bars have different aperture patterns to form an ink path transversely across the inking bars to remove ink from between adjacent bars. A moveable shuttle carries stop bars which can be used to selectively detent the inking bars.

Abstract: A device for sensing and straightening the pins of a kinescope is configured congruently to the outside of the base of the kinescope. A slidable pin is included in the device to engage the high voltage pin of the kinescope. The pin closes a switch which turns on a light to indicate that the high voltage pin is properly located in the silo of the base.

Abstract: A control circuit for controlling ink supplied to the inking surface of an intaglio printing device includes a sensor for sensing voids in the ink on the inking surface. The control circuit provides a predetermined volume of ink to a reservoir when such a void is detected. A timer inhibits the control circuit for a predetermined time after each ink transfer to avoid overfilling the reservoir.

Abstract: A latch for securing a printed circuit board adjacent one side of a television chassis wall comprises a T-shaped tongue having a stem connected at one end to the bottom of a plastic body, the other end of the stem adjoining a crossbar. The latch also includes a U-shaped groove disposed adjacent to the top of the body along a major surface thereof for receiving an edge of the printed circuit board. The chassis wall has a neck defined by two shoulders spaced apart to support, respectively, L-shaped arms connected to each side of the body at the bottom thereof. The tongue passes through a T-shaped aperture in the wall beneath the neck such that the crossbar contacts the side of the chassis wall opposite the one side, the aperture being shaped to allow the crossbar to pass therethrough before making contact with the opposite side of the chassis wall.

Abstract: Nonuniformities in the pixel of a CCD are corrected by storing a correction value for every pixel of the CCD. The pixel values from the CCD are transferred to a multiplier. The correction values are also transferred to the multiplier in synchronization with the transfer of the pixel values. The correction values and the pixel values are multiplied to produce a corrected pixel value for every pixel of the CCD. The corrected pixel values are transferred to an image processor for appropriate data processing.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for holding a cathode-ray tube in a fixed position during processing utilizes mounting lugs attached to the tube. The apparatus includes a platform having a plurality of legs positioned to support, respectively, the ends of the mounting lugs. Each of the legs has a recess therein aligned with an aperture in the respective lug end. Each lug is secured to the respective leg by a clamp, pivotally attached to each leg, which projects through the aperture into the respective recess when pivoted.

Abstract: A cathode-ray tube has a faceplate panel joined to a funnel thereof along a sidewall of the panel, and has an internal magnetic shield disposed therein proximate an inner surface of the funnel and connected along one end thereof to a back portion of a shadow-mask frame oriented orthogonally to a central axis of the tube and supported adjacent the sidewall. An apertured shadow mask is connected along an edge thereof to a front portion of the shadow-mask frame opposite the back portion. Along the direction of the central axis, the one end of the magnetic shield overlaps the corresponding edge of the shadow mask around substantially all of the shadow-mask frame.

Abstract: A system for fine focusing a camera on one surface of a moving curved transparent object includes a digital storage device. The focusing range of the camera is stored in the storage device. A thickness transducer provides a signal representative of the thickness of the object and a displacement transducer provides a signal representative of the distance between the object and the camera. The thickness and the displacement signals are added and provided to the storage device. When the added value is outside the stored range the camera is focused to cause the added value to fall at the middle of the range.

Abstract: A system for measuring spaces in a periodic matrix includes a plurality of light sources for simultaneously illuminating the matrix with light at a plurality of discrete locations. A plurality of linear photodiode arrays simultaneously receive the respective light/shadow images from the matrix at the discrete locations, and associated control and quantizer circuits produce signals representative of the spaces and areas therebetween. RETICON interface circuits are coupled, respectively, to the control and quantizer circuits for simultaneously converting the signals for each location into data values and transmitting the data values in parallel to respective RAMs. RAM interface control circuits are coupled, respectively, to the RAMs for sequentially addressing the respective RAMs for seriatim transfer of the data values to a computer.

Abstract: A device for thumping and flushing a kinescope funnel includes a lift member which moves horizontally to engage the funnel and then vertically to raise the funnel to a thump position. A means for centering and orienting the neck moves in unison with the lift member. A thumper is arranged to thump the funnel in the thump position. A probe vertically moves to enter the funnel through the neck and inject a flushing fluid into the funnel while thumping occurs.

Abstract: A base for a CRT has an outside diameter which is less than the outside diameter of the tube neck. A plurality of resilient detents are integral with the base and act against the exhaust tubulation to help retain the base on the neck of the tube. A silo is integral with the base and surrounds the high voltage pin. The pins freely pass through pinslots to avoid bending the pins when putting the base onto the neck. The pinslots are configured to facilitate the reception of bent or misaligned pins.

Abstract: In a method of detecting blemishes in the phosphor screen on the inside surface of a kinescope faceplate while simultaneously avoiding detecting deposits on the outside surface of the faceplate as blemishes, the faceplate is arranged between a light source and a light detector in an orientation wherein light from the light source passes through the faceplate and subsequently through the phosphor screen prior to reaching the detector.

Abstract: An electron injection structure for the beam guide meshes of a flat panel display has apertures with different dimensions to optimize beam focusing for different purposes. The first period of apertures has strong focusing normal to the plan of the guide meshes. A plurality of periods have strong focusing in a direction parallel to the lateral dimension of the guide meshes. Another plurality of apertures matches the beams to the propagation section of the beam guide.