Abstract: A microstrip filter having a plurality of parallel resonant conductors mounted on a dielectric substrate is tuned by applying a portion of a hot-melt type glue to the filter surface. The glue is melted and then deposited on the conductors and spread across and along the conductors until the filter has a desired frequency response. The glue is then cooled until it becomes solid.

Abstract: The epicyclic gear train for the sprinkler includes a sun gear coupled to an impeller for rotation about a central axis. A planetary gear has a single set of teeth meshing with the teeth of the sun gear for revolving about the central axis while pivoting about a revolving planetary gear axis. A first ring gear is fixed relative to the sprinkler housing and has teeth meshing with the teeth of the planetary gear. Second and third ring gears are adjacent to the first ring gear and rotate about the central axis. The respective teeth of the second and third ring gears mesh with the planetary gear teeth. There is one less tooth on the second ring gear than on the first ring gear, and one more tooth on the third ring gear than on the first ring gear. As a result, the second and third ring gears rotate in opposite directions relative to the first ring gear. The second and third ring gears each have an outer surface with a plurality of protrusions spaced around the circumference.

Abstract: A control network operates a GaAs FET with a quiescent current closer to the maximum output current, I.sub.max, than to zero current. An output network couples the FET to the load and is characterized as having a low impedance at a fundamental frequency and a high impedance lower than an open circuit impedance at at least the second harmonic frequency. As a result, the peak voltage on the output terminal is greater than two times the supply voltage. A preamplifier raises the level of the input signal so that it has a positive voltage peak when biased by the control network and applied to the input terminal. This overdrives the FET and produces an output current that is at the maximum output current level for a longer time during each cycle than the output current is at a minimum level. This enhances the effect of the output network to produce an output voltage spike on the FET that is several times the DC voltage.

Abstract: A plurality of emitters are attached serially along a continuous length of thread at spaced-apart locations. A first of the emitters is attached to a conduit, whereby subsequent emitters are drawn into the conduit as the conduit is drawn from the extrusion head. Each subsequent emitter is supported as it is drawn into and attached to the conduit. The emitters may be fixedly or releasably attached to the thread. If releasably attached, the thread may be detached from each emitter after the emitter is attached to the conduit. In this case, the thread may be formed as a loop that travels around a continuous path.

Abstract: This microstrip comb line filter includes a planar dielectric substrate, and a planar ground member positioned on one side of the dielectric substrate and extending along a first portion of the substrate. There is a second portion of the substrate along which the ground member does not extend, thereby forming a cavity filled with air. A plurality of generally parallel, electromagnetically coupled and spaced-apart, elongate microstrip conductors are positioned on the other side of the dielectric substrate. One end of each of the conductors is positioned adjacent to the first portion of the substrate and connected to the ground member. The other end of each of the conductors is electrically spaced from the ground member and positioned adjacent to the second portion of the substrate. The air cavity extends along at least half the length of the conductors.

Abstract: An equipment test program, stored and processed in a computer system, defines device termination procedures used for terminating devices used in a plurality of sets for performing a plurality of tests. The termination procedure for each device is associated with an ensemble, or group data structure. Each ensemble contains a set of termination task data structures for implementing the device terminations. Each task represents a device that operates with other devices in a test program module. Each task is linked to zero or more predecessor tasks in the ensemble. This linking represents the need to turn off the predecessor tasks' devices first before turning off any task's device. Within each test module, and before any device in the group is instructed to operate, the ensemble optimization procedure is invoked to pass a pointer to the module's ensemble data structure. The ensemble optimization procedure is used to optimally decide which device termination procedures should be invoked.

Abstract: A depletion-mode MESFET is connected between an RF input terminal and ground. The gate is connected to a negative reference voltage via a bias resistor and to ground via a capacitor. A detector couples the input terminal to the gate and includes first and second series diodes and a second resistor connected from between the first and second diodes to ground. A coil is connected between the input terminal and an output terminal connected to a GaAs integrated circuit. A Schottky diode limiter is connected to the output terminal for limiting the voltage of both positive and negative polarities that leak to the output terminal from the transistor.

Abstract: A cylindrical drum is rotatable about a drum axis for supporting a print medium during printing. A print head has a plurality of printing elements for printing image elements of a predetermined color at a predetermined image-element printing rate. The drum is rotated about the drum axis at a predetermined speed such that alternate image-element locations are addressed by each printing element during each rotation of the drum at the predetermined printing rate. The drum rotates two revolutions at each print-head location along the axis, and all image-element locations are addressed.

Abstract: A strap of leather, for extending along the palm of a user's hand, has a finger end and a wrist end, with the wrist end anchored to a pad secured around the wrist by a belt and held in place by hook and loop materials. The finger end of the strap has a dowel extending sideways at approximately the finger tip position. Beyond the dowel are a couple of holes through which the two middle fingers extend during use, with the distal end of the strap folded back over the dowel and the fingers extending through the holes. An elastic strip is attached to the palm face of the finger end of the strap and forms a pair of loops through which the fingers extend during use. The strip is attached to the finger end distally of the dowel and finger holes so that the fingers pass through the loops prior to being inserted in the holes.

Abstract: A microwave circuit has an electrical prong for external circuit connection, a ground and a dipole antenna. A circuit board supports the microwave circuit. A heat sink is mounted on the circuit board and has high thermal and electrical conductivity for conducting heat from the electrical circuit and conducting electricity relative to the circuit ground. The heat sink includes a cylindrical boss extending away from the circuit board and having a reduced diameter upper rim and a threaded internal bore having a partially closed bottom. The circuit prong extends into the bore through the bore bottom and is electrically isolated from the heat sink. A cover encloses the circuit, circuit board and heat sink. It has low electrical and thermal conductivity and has an opening into which the reduced diameter upper rim of the heat sink boss extends. An outer sleeve is sized to receive the cover and has high thermal and electrical conductivity and an opening.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument having fewer note generators than notes stores in a sequentially addressable memory different waveform segments corresponding to different sounds. The note generators are time multiplexed by a processor, and use end addresses of current waveform segments to determine whether each current sample to be read is within the desired waveform segment. This limits the ability to noiselessly and rapidly move between segments. It is accommodated by storing a copy of the waveform segments in a readily shifted direction for immediate playout and subsequent shift to the destination waveform segment while reading the copy. This allows for cluster switching and scanning of waveform cycles to control a modulation of the base note, such as attack or tremulant, independently of the base note pitch.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument has a plurality of oscillators. Each oscillator reads out segments of a waveform stored in memory using a random selection method. In one method the loop or start address is selected at random and the selection of a new address may be one cycle from the loop address or may be a repeat of the prior end address. In another method, both the loop and end addresses are randomly selected. Further, the end address is repeated a number of times determined randomly within a defined range of numbers.

Abstract: A power divider formed by the interconnection of an input resistive network and a transmission line network for dividing a signal received on an input port into N output ports. Four embodiments are described. Three are two-way power dividers and one is a three-way power divider. A 2-way equal division power divider comprises an outer conductor 51 which has a generally rectangular cross section and is filled with a lower dielectric sheet, a center dielectric sheet and an upper dielectric sheet. The dielectric sheets are made of low loss material. Inner conductors are photo-etched from a conducting material that has been deposited or laminated to both surfaces of the center dielectric sheet. Two conductors are spaced a maximum distance from each other at their outputs and are in close proximity to each other at their inputs. Two resistors are connected respectively from the conductor inputs to a power divider input.

Abstract: An air distribution system of a car wash air blower system is provided for directing air to a vehicle travelling along a predefined path using an air producer mounted on each side of the path for producing flowing air. An air distribution system associated with each air producer directs air along a plurality of predefined routes from the air producer to a plurality of locations along the path. The predefined routes are substantially symmetrical about a vertical plane containing the vehicle path. Nozzle assemblies are attached to the distribution system at the ends of the predefined routes for directing air toward a vehicle travelling along the vehicle path. The air producer completely encloses a fan and drive motor. A pivoting hinge hinges a first section of a duct relative to a second section of a duct. The first hinge section is pivotally secured to the second hinge section in a manner allowing rotation of the second hinge section about a defined axis of air travel.

Abstract: A double-.pi. network includes a pair of series resistors connected between input and output terminals. A plurality of FETs of different widths and/or in series with resistors, are each connected in parallel with one of the series resistors. Each FET is controlled jointly with an FET of the same gate size associated with the other series resistor, so that select ones of the FETs, or none may be conducting in parallel with the series in-line resistances. Another plurality of intermediate FETs having gates with different widths, are connected in parallel and separately controllable for coupling selectively the junction between the two in-line resistors to ground. Finally, an additional plurality of pairs of FETs couple the input and output terminals to ground. The FETs making up each pair have gates with the same width and are jointly controllable. The FETs in the different pairs have different widths and/or are in series with different sized resistors.

Abstract: A print head, formed with spaced linear subheads of jet nozzles, prints all of the lines or image element rows on a print medium such as a sheet of paper by scanning along the face of the sheet. The head is advanced between scans by an equivalent number of lines generally equal to the number of nozzles in the head, whereby all print lines are addressed only once. Apparatus for printing includes the use of pointers in registers to keep track of head structure and location on a print medium for calculating print addresses. A partial page memory is used which wraps around to the beginning from the end. An edge sequence control logic circuit modifies the print data so that nozzles not over the image area do not print. A positive printer carriage position encoder uses an index marker located in the middle of a strip of incremental markers. Sensing of the index marker resets an up/down counter with a value that gives a positive value for all count conditions.

Abstract: A telephone answering machine for receiving and recording calls received over telephone lines includes one of a plurality of interchangeable base units having different functions and features, one of a plurality of interchangeable user-interface units also having different functions and features, and a system for communicating between the units. Each base unit includes a telephone line interface circuit, a player/recorder and a first controller, responsive to commands for operating the base unit devices. Each installed user-interface unit is remote from an associated installed base unit and includes user-operable key means for inputting command signals related to the recording and playing back of messages. It also includes a speaker, a microphone, a display for visually displaying information, and a second controller for controlling operation of the keys, speaker, and display. The communication system uses a standard interface for coupling any base unit to any user-interface unit.

Abstract: An inner member and outer member enclose a trailer kingpin. The inner member has an outer shell with a laterally extending slot for receiving the kingpin. Plates are mounted transversely of the shell adjacent to the slot edges for preventing axial movement of the inner member relative to the kingpin. Padlock shackles are fixedly mounted to and extend radially from the inner member. A padlock body has a key cylinder for locking the padlock body onto the shackles. An outer sleeve member has an open end for receiving the inner member and shaft end, and a side opening positioned and sized to receive the padlock body during locking of the padlock body onto the shackles. The padlock body extends through the side opening when the padlock body is locked onto the shackles, whereby the inner member is fixed axially relative to the outer member and the shaft end is captured in the device.

Abstract: A compact ink jet printer is described utilizing a small drum for carrying a sheet of record medium during the printing operation. In one embodiment, the drum has an exterior surface with a high coefficient of friction with a contact roller retaining the record medium against the drum as the drum is rotated. Printing is accomplished as by jetting ink from an ink jet print head onto the medium while the medium is backed up by a fixed platen. A fusing mechanism may be utilized to flatten ink drops on the printed medium. A drive mechanism for an ink jet printer may include a stepper motor coupled by timing belt sprockets and a timing belt to the drum of the printer. These components may be selected such that the drum is incremented a multiple of a pixel height during each step of the stepper motor. The record medium may also be clamped to a drum by a clamping mechanism and rotated through plural revolutions of the drum during respective printing and fusing steps.