Abstract: A wire matrix print head has a first group of wires activated by a first group of electromagnetic means disposed on the circumference of a circle and substantially equally angularly spaced from each other. A second group of print wires is activated by a second group of electromagnetic means disposed on the circumference of a circle with each of the electromagnetic means of the second group having its longitudinal axis out of alignment with the longitudinal axis of each of the electromagnetic means of the first group. The print head includes guide means to transform the two groups of wires, which have their ends remote from the ends causing printing disposed on the circumferences of two circles, into a row and column matrix for causing printing.

Abstract: Pulsed light is applied through a plano concave lens to a thin metal film, which is evaporated on the concave side of the lens. The lens, which is formed of a high thermally insulating material such as glass, for example, and the film are disposed within a liquid such as water, for example. The pulsed light is absorbed by the metal film, which converts the thermal energy produced by the pulsed light into elastic waves in the form of acoustic waves and simultaneously focuses the acoustic waves on an object within the water at a selected focal plane. The metal film is as thin as possible, consistent with complete absorption of the light energy by the metal film, so as to utilize the high thermal expansion coefficient of the water.

Abstract: Resiliently biased dogs of a car shifting apparatus are automatically moved by double acting hydraulic cylinders to positions in which the dogs cannot engage any car moving along a predetermined path. When this occurs, movement of the dogs from these non-obstructing positions and movement of barneys, which have the dogs pivotally mounted thereon, along the predetermined path are prevented.

Abstract: A plurality of arms is pivotally mounted on a support so that the arms may be moved simultaneously towards a central axis to produce a continuously increasing and radially symmetrical force of substantially the same magnitude at each of a plurality of points around an area of the human body having scar tissue so that precisely controlled opposed forces are produced. The arms can have their force exerting plane changed through their mounting arrangement on a carrier, which is mounted for horizontal sliding movement above the patient. The carrier is mounted on support means, which can be moved vertically to move the engaging arms into engagement with the area having the scar tissue.

Abstract: An inner cylindrical tube has its outer cylindrical surface spaced from an inner cylindrical surface of outer means to have an ink cavity therebetween from which ink is supplied through one or more ink jet nozzles. At least the inner tube is a piezoelectric material so that the inner tube vibrates radially when electrically excited to produce vibrations at a desired operating frequency whereby a stream of ink droplets is supplied from each of the ink jet nozzles. The spacing between the inner surface, which has its longitudinal axis coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the inner cylindrical tube, of the outer means and the outer surface of the inner cylindrical tube is selected so that the ink cavity is resonant at the operating frequency of the inner cylindrical tube.

Abstract: An ink jet head has coaxially disposed inner and outer cylindrical tubes with the outer cylindrical surface of the inner cylindrical tube spaced from the inner cylindrical surface of the outer cylindrical tube to form an ink cavity therebetween from which ink is supplied through one or more arrays of ink jet nozzles. Only the outer tube is a piezoelectric material so that the outer tube vibrates radially when electrically excited to produce vibrations in the ink in the ink cavity whereby a stream of ink droplets is supplied from each of the ink jet nozzles. In embodiments having only multiple arrays of ink jet nozzles, if desired, only the inner cylindrical tube or both the inner and outer cylindrical tubes can be formed of a piezoelectric material. If both of the tubes are formed of a piezoelectric material, the operating frequencies, which are preferably resonant, of the two tubes must then be matched.

Abstract: For any selected total number of scanning heads and a required minimum spacing between the scanning heads, the scanning heads are arranged in one or more arrays to read or write substantially parallel lines on a medium or surface at closer distances than the center to center distance of adjacent scanning heads in the indexing direction. The scanning heads in any array do not have to be spaced uniform distances from each other. When the scanning heads are arranged in more than one array, each of the arrays is spaced an arbitrary distance from the adjacent array in the pass direction. To arrange the scanning heads for interlace scanning, they are initially arranged in a single line in the indexing direction with their centers spaced from each other the same distance as the centers of the parallel lines, which are being read or written.

Abstract: A body, which oscillates or vibrates at resonance, is suspended from a support structure so that it has spatially linear motion along an axis for a relatively short distance. The body has two connected portions spaced from each other along the axis of motion of the body with each portion connected by leaf springs to a separate intermediate frame. The two intermediate frames are preferably disposed on opposite sides of the axis of motion of the body and connected by additional leaf springs to a main frame, which is suspended by leaf springs from a normally stationary support. If desired, the two intermediate frames may be driven out of phase with each other with one in phase with the body so that the body has a predetermined path different than spatially linear motion without materially affecting the amplitude of motion of the body along its axis of motion.

Abstract: An electrostatic lens is disposed between a charge electrode and deflection plates to electrostatically focus each of the droplets on a recording surface at a position in alignment with the nozzle supplying the stream. The lens preferably comprises three electrodes with each of the outer electrodes having the same potential, which is substantially equal to the kinetic energy per unit charge of each of the charged droplets and of opposite polarity to the charge on the droplets, and the third electrode preferably being grounded. Each of the electrodes has a circular aperture through which the charged droplets pass with the electrodes being spaced from each other in the direction of the stream a distance preferably no greater than the diameter of the aperture. If desired, the electrode, which is furthest from the nozzle, can be omitted although this will produce some deceleration of the droplets.

Abstract: A pressurized ink jet stream is broken up into droplets spaced substantially uniform distances by application of a predetermined frequency to the stream. When the velocity of the stream is to be determined, a frequency perturbation is placed in the predetermined frequency to produce a gap in the stream of droplets at a selected distance from the perturbation application point. The presence of the gap is optically sensed at the selected distance by determining when the time period between adjacent droplets at the selected distance exceeds a predetermined period of time. The velocity of the stream is determined in accordance with the time that it takes from the perturbation of the gap until the gap is sensed at the selected distance because of the time period between adjacent droplets exceeding the predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A low inertia rotary drum supports sheets of paper of different sizes for transport and processing. The drum has a plurality of leading edge ports formed in its surface along the length of the drum. A vacuum is selectively applied to one or more of the ports in accordance with the dimension of the paper in the direction of the length of the drum. The drum has a plurality of sets of trailing edge ports formed in its surface with each of the sets being disposed a predetermined arcuate distance from the set of leading edge ports in accordance with the other dimension of the paper. Each set of trailing edge ports has the ports arranged longitudinally along the drum and parallel to the set of leading edge ports. Only one set of trailing edge ports extends for the same length as the set of the leading edge ports. One of the sets of the trailing edge ports has a vacuum applied thereto with the same number of ports of the trailing edge set having the vacuum applied thereto as the number of the leading edge ports.

Abstract: A log splitter includes vertical support means, which is preferably pivotally mounted on the ends of a three point tractor hitch, having a pivotally mounted support adjacent its bottom for supporting the bottom of a log to be split. The pivotally mounted support is attached to a tractor drawbar in one embodiment. A splitting wedge is mounted on the upper end of the vertical support means and retained against upward movement by spring biased pawls engaging ratchet tracks on the vertical support means. When the vertical support means is lifted by the tractor hitch, the pivotally mounted support raises the bottom of the log relative to the vertical support means so that the log is driven into the wedge and split. When upward movement of the vertical support means by the tractor hitch has been completed, the vertical support means is returned to its start position. During this downward movement, the wedge remains wedged in the log and the pawls enable downward movement of the wedge with the log.

Abstract: A transport apparatus has a loading ramp pivotally connected to a lower frame, which is supported for transport along the ground. The ramp also is pivotally connected to an upper frame, which is disposed above the lower frame and connected thereto by linkage means.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are disclosed for indicating and regulating the pressure of a selected body fluid such as an intracranial fluid. An elongated indicator tube is carried at least in part in a vented chamber which can be mounted so that the indicator tube is in a substantially vertical position. A flexible conduit conveys the selected body fluid from a catheter in the patient to the lower end of the indicator tube. By positioning the indicator tube so that the lower end is level with the in-dwelling end of the catheter, the extent of travel of the body fluid along the tube is a direct indication of the pressure of the body fluid. To provide an upper limit on the pressure the body fluid may attain, at least one opening is provided at a selected position in the wall of the indicator tube inside the chamber. This opening provides an upper pressure limit by permitting fluid to escape from the indicator tube into the chamber when the pressure is sufficient to cause the fluid to reach the opening.

Abstract: A multi-nozzle ink jet array has all of the nozzles arranged in a single plane with each of the nozzles having a longitudinal passage extending therethrough of the same diameter. The lengths of the longitudinal passages of the nozzles at each end of the array are shorter than those in the center of the array to cause an increased initial velocity of the ink jet streams flowing therefrom so as to compensate for aerodynamic drag on the end streams.

Abstract: A charge coupled device (CCD) serial memory has data read from or written into it at a sub-multiple rate of the data rate. The sub-multiple rate is determined by the number of interleaved blocks into which the CCD serial memory is divided.

Abstract: The application of the voltage on a charge electrode to selectively charge droplets of a pressurized conductive ink stream is synchronized with the break off of the droplets from the stream so that the break off occurs in the third quarter of the time period during which the charge voltage is placed on the charge electrode. To determine in which quarter that break off is occurring, the charge voltage is placed on the charge electrode at the same time for two adjacent quarters of a cycle during each of the two adjacent cycles in which a disturbance is placed on the stream by drive means such as a transducer, for example, to produce two droplets. During the next application of the charge voltage on the charge electrode, the charge voltage is applied for the last of the prior two adjacent quarters and the next adjacent quarter during two adjacent droplet producing cycles.

Abstract: The start of each cycle of a pump, which supplies a pressurized ink stream through a nozzle for application to a recording surface on a rotary drum, is synchronized with each revolution of the drum. If more than one cycle of the pump occurs during each revolution of the drum, the number of the cycles in each drum revolution must be an integer with each cycle starting an equal angle of the revolution of the drum from the start of the prior cycle.

Abstract: The output signal from each light sensor of a solid state array is compensated for variations due to dark scan noise levels, which are due to fixed pattern noise and sensor leakage, produced by the individual light sensors and variations in the light conditions to which the light sensors are subjected. Each of the output signals also can have its threshold level reduced through removing a portion of the signal caused by an output produced by the light sensor when it is scanning a black document. The compensation signals for the noise level variations and the light condition variations are obtained for each of the light sensors separately. The changing in the threshold level due to the black level can be the same for each of a group of the light sensors.

Abstract: The dark scan noise level produced from each of a solid state array of light sensors is obtained by preventing light from being received by each of the light sensors for a predetermined period of time. This signal is converted into a digital signal and stored in a shift register. When each of the light sensors of the array is subjected to light, the output signal produced thereby is reduced by the stored noise signal for the same light sensor. These output signals from the light sensors can be converted to digital signals and have the noise correction signals from the shift register subtracted therefrom by a digital subtractor, which is a complementary adder, or the digital noise correction signals from the shift register can be converted to analog signals and subtracted from the output signals of the light sensors of the array in an analog subtractor. The noise correction signals from the shift register are recirculated to the shift register during supply to the subtractor.