Abstract: Electrical connections to extremely small contact points or test connections are obtained by a tool which includes a stable base having a deformable flexible shaft extending therefrom. A needle type contact point in a spring biased mounting subassembly maintains contact electrically as the tip is forced against the test point by the shaft. The connector can include shielding against Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) or Electromagnetic Interference (EMI).

Abstract: An infant hearing test apparatus, primarily intended for use in the early detection of hearing problems of human infants in the birth to eighteen month age group, subjects an infant under test to two low intensity test sounds of an electronically filtered human voice in the frequency range of about 2000 to 4000 Hz. Of particular utility are the higher frequency sounds that are associated with the voice of a human female, for example a mother speaking a language dependent endearing term such as "Hi Baby", and a language independent sound to which the infant is sensitive, such as the sound of an infant crying. Both of these sounds are used to test the infant for body movement, for example head movement, with both sounds being reproduced at a relatively low intensity of about 46 dB and at a distance of about 12 inches from the infant.

Abstract: A portable and programmable infusion pump system is disclosed for injecting one or more medicinal substances into an individual under the control of the individual. A common controller unit and microprocessor is provided for one or more pump units. Each pump unit includes a chamber for holding a medicinal substance, an infusion tube that is connected to the chamber and is adapted to be connected to the individual, and a motor driven pump for pumping the medicinal substance through the infusion tube. The individual programs the microprocessor to perform one or more infusion processes by use of a keyboard, a card reader, a bar code reader, or a modem. Each motor and pump are controlled in accordance with its program parameters as contained in the programmed microprocessor. A pressure sensor and an air bubble detector is associated with each infusion tube, and these sensors and detectors are connected to the microprocessor.

Abstract: An automatic power-driven apparatus is provided for storing objects, particularly motor vehicles. The apparatus comprises at least two vertically-arranged levels, each having a closed-circuit transit track provided with two longitudinal transit lanes, four rows of storage cells extending on either side of each transit lane, and at least one lift which is movable between a loading and/or unloading bay and each level, each of the lifts being arranged so that it takes up the same space as a storage cell. The apparatus further comprises, on each level, at least one self-driving trolley, and a trolley-guiding device for moving the trolleys along the transit track, each trolley being provided with devices for loading and unloading the objects.

Abstract: Described is a generally planar antenna having a tapered array of radiating/receiving elements that are transversely mounted in capacitive coupling to an elongated transmission line that underlies the array. The shorter dipole elements resonate at high frequencies, the longer dipole elements resonate at lower frequencies, and the intermediate length dipole elements resonate at intermediate frequencies. The dipole elements are mounted on one surface of a planar dielectric substrate to form a planar, generally triangular shaped pattern having relatively narrow spacing between individual dipole elements (for example, one-twentieth of the wavelength of the intermediate frequencies), and having a relatively large spacing to width ratio. Coupling between the dipole elements causes then to operate as if they were a single broadband dipole element.

Abstract: A container for storing compact disks and the like includes a box shaped base member that defines an open top and open front cavity for housing compact disks as the disks stand with their bottom edge engaging a floor of the cavity. A front panel closes the lower portion of front of the cavity. The front panel is pivoted adjacent to the floor of the cavity and carries a latch member at the top edge of the front panel. A mechanical detent provides two stable positions for the front panel, one position being a closed position and the other position being a pivoted open position. A generally L-shaped cover closes both the remainder of the cavity front and the cavity top. The bottom edge of the cover contains a slot that cooperates with the latch on the front panel, so as to lock the cover in a closed position. When the cover is so latched, a spring bias means is loaded to subsequently open the cover when the latch is manually released from the slot in the cover.

Abstract: A container for compact discs comprises a lightweight sleeve formed of three thin sheets of polypropylene material that are die cut and heat bonded together. A front pocket has a deep U-shaped notch formed on its outer face and provides for insertion of a Compact Disc (CD). A back pocket is provided for a printed CD package insert. On both the front surface and the back surface, a pocket is formed at the top of the container to receive a narrow, information bearing strip, such as the title bar from a jewel box.

Abstract: A number of light sensitive/generating devices are arranged in rows and columns to thereby form an X-Y pixel matrix. All devices are interconnected to a source of operating voltage such that the first device to turn on, i.e., the first device to receive an actuating intensity of light is actuated to thereafter emit light. The current flow through this one activated device causes a voltage drop that prevents any other light sensitive/generating device from turning on. In this way, the pixel that receives the maximum light intensity is identified by its position in the X-Y matrix. Both optical and electrical means are provided to locate the X-Y matrix position of the activated light sensitive/generating device. In an optical embodiment, two orthogonal cylindrical lenses are placed in front of two linear CCDs in order to find the X-Y coordinates of the active light sensitive/generating device.

Abstract: A cleaning system for magnetic tape intended for high density magnetic data usage combines passing a high volume flow of negatively ionized air across a moving tape surface with simultaneous wiping of one surface of the tape with a soft, non-abrading material to remove dust and foreign particles from the tape. The air flow passes through a filter, which removes the particles. The air then passes through an ionizing grid and back across the tape in a continuous, closed loop operation. The cleaning material is housed in a removable cartridge along with the air filter. A brush moves in response to loading of the tape to pinch the tape and thus remove particles from the surface opposite the tape surface engaged by the soft material.

Abstract: Apparatus for time modifying, or expanding, a serial optical signal that comprises a plurality of light pulses located in bit cells. A plurality of light reflectors establish a plurality of optical delay paths, one path for each light pulse. Each path provides a progressively greater delay time. A scanner operates in synchronism with the bit cell frequency of the optical signal, and sequentially switches each light pulse to the input of a corresponding delay path. A serial output is associated with the output of the plurality of delay paths, and operates to assemble the output pulses into an output optical signal having a like plurality of light pulses. The time separation or bit cell frequency of the output optical signal is greater than the bit cell frequency of the input optical signal.

Abstract: Airbags are positioned relative to an aircraft yoke so as to minimize undesired force application to that yoke upon actuation thereof. The airbag actuation is accomplished by sensors which are capable of responding to multiple traumatic forces upon the aircraft to either establish multiple actuation of a common airbag, or actuation of separate airbags, upon occurrence of each event. The airbags can assume a side lobe configuration so as to minimize the possibility of impact upon side posts, or the interior side of the aircraft cabin structure. The sensors are arranged in an array with common directional alignment for maximizing probability of appropriate actuation. Use of multiple sensors and majority voting circuitry enhances the reliability of the systems and process.

Abstract: Wall coverings for anechoic chambers are disclosed having an array of lossy pyramid cone material mounted on multiple backing layers of absorbing material. The number of backing layers to be used, their physical dimension (thickness) and their material properties (conductivity and permittivity) are selected so as not to modify the high frequency (UHF) behavior of the pyramid structure, while at the same time providing a greatly reduced low frequency (VHF) reflection coefficient for the composite absorbing wall. The physical dimension and the material properties of each of the multiple backing layers are selected by a constrained nonlinear optimization data processing procedure or method. The optimization method utilizes known S parameters of the pyramid array, and either known properties of the backing layers, or constrained backing layer properties that are defined by the wall designer.

Abstract: An archery practice device simulates dynamic targets, such as in an animal hunt, on a visible screen. A video disk contains a plurality of hunting scenes which are projected via a video projector on a vertical screen whose size simulates an area normally viewed by an archer during a hunt. The screen images are comprised of pixel areas arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns. A source of light of a spectrum outside the humanly visible range is provided adjacent the screen. Arrows penetrating this light field reflect light to a detector sensitive to light of said spectrum, but not sensitive to visible light otherwise. The detector generates a full screen signal of a plurality of pixel areas, certain of which contain indicia of light reflection from the arrow. Upon detecting such reflection, the scene frame is frozen on the screen.

Abstract: A vacuum pickup of critically safe quantity and geometric shape is used in cleanup of radioactive materials. Collected radioactive material is accumulated in four vertical, parallel, equally spaced canisters arranged in a cylinder configuration. Each canister contains a filter bag. An upper intake manifold includes four 90 degree spaced, downward facing nipples. Each nipple communicates with the top of a canister. The bottom of each canister communicates with an exhaust manifold comprising four radially extending tubes that meet at the bottom of a centrally located vertical cylinder. The top of the central cylinder terminates at a motor/fan power head. A removable HEPA filter is located intermediate the top of the central cylinder and the power head. Four horizontal bypass tubes connect the top of the central cylinder to the top of each of the canisters. Air enters the vacuum cleaner via a hose connected to the intake manifold.

Abstract: Airbags are positioned relative to an aircraft yoke so as to minimize undesired force application to that yoke upon actuation thereof. The airbag actuation is accomplished by sensors which are capable of responding to multiple traumatic forces upon the aircraft to either establish multiple actuations of a common airbag, or actuation of separate airbags, upon occurrence of each event. The airbags can assume a side lobe configuration so as to minimize the possibility of impact upon side posts, or the interior side of the aircraft cabin structure. The sensors are arranged in an array with common directional alignment for maximizing probability of appropriate actuation. Use of multiple sensors and majority voting circuitry enhances the reliability of the systems and process.

Abstract: In a rigid magnetic recording disk, the magnetic properties, such as the coercivity, of a cobalt based, hard, magnetic alloy, such as a cobalt-platinum-chromium (CoPtCr) thin film magnetic recording layer, are controlled by providing a thin, sputtered, underlayer of a nonmagnetic, binary, chromium-tungsten (CrW) alloy whose major constituent is chromium, and preferably of a composition Cr.sub.88 W.sub.12 upon which the thin film magnetic recording layer is subsequently sputter deposited.

Abstract: An infant hearing test apparatus, primarily intended for use in the early detection of hearing problems of human infants in the birth to eighteen month age group, subjects an infant under test to two low intensity test sounds of an electronically filtered human voice in the frequency range of about 2000 to 4000 Hz. Of particular utility are the higher frequency sounds that are associated with the voice of a human female, for example a mother speaking a language dependent endearing term such as "Hi Baby", and a language independent sound to which the infant is sensitive, such as the sound of an infant crying. Both of these sounds are used to test the infant for body movement, for example head movement, with both sounds being reproduced at a relatively low intensity of about 46 dB and at a distance of about 12 inches from the infant.