Abstract: A trip accelerator interfaces the thermal-magnetic trip unit and the operating mechanism within a thermal-magnetic molded case circuit breaker for improved response to overcurrent conditions within an associated electrical distribution circuit. The trip accelerator is in the form of a trip lever rotatably mounted on the operating mechanism side frame and is reset by the operating mechanism upon displacement of the circuit breaker operating handle.

Abstract: Miniature high pressure arc lamps containing a substantial pressure of xenon, in addition to metal halide and mercury, can provide instant light at turn-on and are suitable for automotive headlamps. The high pressure of xenon aggravates convection which causes arc bowing and overheating of the envelope above the arc. By operating the lamp at high frequency within selected bands, acoustic modes are excited in the fill which straighten the arc and make the envelope more isothermal. Frequency modulation of the input can be used to broaden the band selected for acoustic operation and relax the tolerance on arc tube and circuit parameters needed for a match. Acoustic operation may also be used to effect physical displacement of the arc for beam switching.

Abstract: A method for measuring and storing the state of charge of batteries, such as used in electric vehicles. The stored charge value is initially derived from the value of battery terminal voltage measured prior to connection of the battery to the load, e.g. the traction motor. While the battery is connected to the load, approximated state of charge values are periodically derived by adding a correction voltage, comprising the product of measured load current and of a predetermined value of internal resistance, to the measured terminal voltage of the battery. The stored and approximated state of charge values are periodically compared and the stored state of charge value is decremented by a predetermined increment in response to the stored charge value having exceeded the approximated state of charge value during each of a predetermined plurality consecutive comparisons.

Abstract: Field-installable accessories are used within a thermal-magnetic industrial-rated circuit breaker. On such accessory in the form of a combined undervoltage release and shunt trip unit is field-installable within the circuit breaker cover. A bell alarm accessory unit can also be inserted within the circuit breaker cover either in combination with or apart from the undervoltage-shunt trip accessory unit.

Abstract: A compact molded case circuit breaker with increased ampere rating employs a latch assembly for maintaining the circuit breaker operating mechanism in a closed condition against a pair of powerful operating springs. To increase the mechanical advantage required to move the operating handle against the springs, a retractable handle extender is attached to the handle. For higher-rated circuit applications, a lug cover extension is added to the line end of the breaker to assist in extinguishing the intense arc that occurs during circuit interruption and to protect the line lugs from inter-phasal circuit faults. A visual access slot is arranged next to the circuit breaker handle to ascertain and verify the condition of the circuit breaker contacts. The line and load terminal straps are slotted to receive protrusions on the bottom of the line and load terminal lugs and provide anti-turn facility to the line and load terminal lugs under short circuit overcurrent conditions.

Abstract: This safety lighting arrangement is especially suited for use with variously rated HID light sources having current ratings ranging from relatively low to relatively high values. The safety light arrangement includes a current transformer having a magnetizable core, a primary winding inductively coupled to the core for connection in series with the primary circuit in which the HID light source is connected, and a secondary winding inductively coupled to the core. The core is saturable by the primary winding current present when the current through the HID light source is as low as the current rating of one of the relatively low rated HID sources. The safety light arrangement also includes a monitoring relay connected across the secondary winding and maintained in an activated condition when the primary winding is traversed by current producing saturation of the core. This monitoring relay is set to drop out when current through the primary winding and the HID source is interrupted by a power interruption.

Abstract: A combination panelboard-switchboard housing accepts plug-on connection with a plurality of electric switch-circuit breaker modules. Circuit breakers can also be directly connected onto the bus bars in a plug-on connection with minor modification. The bus bars are "edge-mounted" such that the minor dimension of the bus bars is perpendicular to the bottom of the housing to receive the modules as well as the circuit breakers, per se. Electrical insulation shields are arranged over those bus bars that are not connected with the circuit breakers or modules to prevent inadvertent contact with the bus bars when energized. The tabs extending from the edge of the insulation shields are keyed to accommodate for the different widths of the modules when the insulation shields are flush-mounted against one side of the modules.

Abstract: The position of the contacts within industrial-rated circuit breakers is externally ascertained by means of an auxiliary switch-contact position verifier accessory. A viewing aperture in the circuit breaker accessory cover provides visual access to a color-coded shutter that forms part of the auxiliary switch accessory and operates off the circuit breaker crossbar assembly. A safety interlock unit attached to the exterior surface of the circuit breaker cover interacts with the shutter to prevent the circuit breaker from being turned on. The interlock unit also interacts with the circuit breaker trip-test button to articulate the circuit breaker operating mechanism.

Abstract: An octave band decade watt power amplifier is disclosed using compact and efficient MMIC fabrication techniques. The power amplifier is a two stage amplifier in which the driver transistor has two cells, and the power transistor has four cells, with each power cell double the size of the driver cells. Both transistors are of an optimized topology facilitating efficient broad band operation at matchable impedance levels. They are interconnected by three four section impedance matching networks of which the input network is coupled to a 50 ohm signal input terminal. The input and the interstage network are both formed on the same substrate as the transistors. The output network is formed on a separate substrate having a high dielectric constant (i.e. 37) which facilitates efficient and compact matching of four power transistor cells to a single output terminal for connection to a load at the conventional (50 ohm) impedance.

Abstract: Single pole circuit breakers are connected in a modular array to provide up to four poles by means of a handle tie bar assembly. The circuit breaker operating handles are grooved to receive a metal interlocking pin and a plastic tie bar to cause the circuit breakers to move in unison. A locking clip arranged between one of the operating handle slots and the tie bar assembly prevents the circuit breakers from being turned from their OFF-to-ON or ON-to-OFF conditions.

Abstract: Anode and cathode means are provided for a metal halide lamp which cooperate in providing more rapid light output during lamp start-up. A xenon-metal halide lamp employing the improved discharge electrode means is disclosed along with an automotive headlamp having this lamp for its light source.

Abstract: An electronic trip molded case circuit breaker includes components that are designed for high speed robotic assembly. A unitary trip-to-test button is down-loaded within the circuit breaker housing for automatic alignment with the circuit breaker operating mechanism during the circuit breaker assembly process. A unitary auxiliary switch interface unit is also down-loaded within the housing for automatic alignment with the operating mechanism during the assembly process.

Abstract: A thin, efficient and uniform illuminator for large areas comprises a plastic wedge of a series of plastic wedges applied to or formed integrally with a back surface of an area to be illuminated. Light is collected and concentrated from a high efficiency light source. The concentrated light is focused as an input to one or more light guides. The light guides may be optical fibers. The light guides or fibers are fused or mated in some other way to an edge or edges of an optically clear plastic wedge or wedges. The wedge shape increases the angle of the internal reflections of the edge coupled light per unit distance and intercepts more of the light as the wedge gets thinner. To further enhance the uniformity of the illuminating light, light scattering centers may be added to the surface or volume of the wedge. The number of scattering centers over the illuminating surface of the wedge or within the volume of the wedge may be increased along the distance moving away from the light source.

Abstract: A molded case circuit breaker having a pair of movable contact arms arranged within each pole of a multi-pole arrangement utilizes a shunt clip between the movable contact arms to insure electrical continuity between the contact arms and the contact arm support base. The movable contact arms and the support base are both accurately positioned within the circuit breaker case by means of an interference-fit between the outside edges of the support base and the interior sidewall surfaces of the circuit breaker case.

Abstract: A frequency division network is disclosed in which a sinusoidal signal is converted to a digital format for frequency division and then converted back to the sinusoidal format, the sinusoidal output waveform having low phase noise. In a preferred embodiment the frequency conversion takes place in an m-fold plurality of edge triggered flip-flops, connected to divide by two, and clocked by the sinusoidal waveform. Each flip-flop is subject to jitter causing phase noise, which is minimized when the output of two sets of four flip-flops are averaged, and then filtered to obtain the sinusoidal fundamental. When a crystal filter having a very narrow pass band is employed, the phase noise is further reduced. The frequency division network uses low cost components and the phase noise of the output waveform approaches that of a stable crystal oscillator.

Abstract: A compact molded case circuit breaker with increased ampere rating employs a latch assembly for maintaining the circuit breaker operating mechanism in a closed condition against a pair of powerful operating springs. To increase the mechanical advantage required to move the operating handle against the springs, a retractable handle extender is attached to the handle. For higher-rated circuit applications, a lug cover extension is added to the line end of the breaker to assist in extinguishing the intense arc that occurs during circuit interruption and to protect the line lugs from inter-phasal circuit faults. A visual access slot is arranged next to the circuit breaker handle to ascertain and verify the condition of the circuit breaker contacts. A rebound cushion is inserted on the interior surface of the circuit breaker cover to deter the return of the movable contact arm during contact separation under extreme overcurrent conditions.

Abstract: Flush and pump flush processes yielding light sources for incandescent and metal vapor discharge lamps are disclosed. The flush and pump flush processes also yield lamps that are particularly suitable for deposition of a reflective coating on its outer surface. For such reflective coated light sources, the associated lamp leads are encased in glass and therefore are protected against any deleterious reactions that may otherwise result from the deposition of the reflective coating process. The light source yielded by the flush and pump flush processes of the present invention are advantageous in reducing the mounting arrangement of the lamps in which the light sources are housed.

Abstract: A compact molded case circuit breaker with increased ampere rating employs a latch assembly for maintaining the circuit breaker operating mechanism in a closed condition against a pair of powerful operating springs. To increase the mechanical advantage required to move the operating handle against the springs, a retractable handle extender is attached to the handle. For higher-rated circuit applications, a lug cover extension is added to the line end of the breaker to assist in extinguishing the intense arc that occurs during circuit interruption and to protect the line lugs from inter-phasal circuit faults. A visual access slot is arranged next to the circuit breaker handle to ascertain and verify the condition of the circuit breaker contacts.

Abstract: The invention relates to a two state phase modulator with minimum amplitude modulation. The modulator assumes two phase states differing by .THETA. where .THETA. is a sub-multiple of 180.degree. which permits a phase variation of 180.degree. for phase coded transmissions when the frequency of the phase modulated carrier wave is multiplied by the reciprocal of the sub-multiple. Three equal components are derived in the phase modulator: an in-phase, an out of phase, and a quadrature phase component. The out of phase component is delayed in relation to the in-phase component by .THETA./2, while the quadrature phase component is delayed .THETA./4. The in-phase and out of phase components are then reduced by a factor (2 sin .THETA./2) selected such that when added to the quadrature component, the resultants have a magnitude equal to that of the quadrature component and differ in phase from the quadrature comonent by .+-..THETA./2.

Abstract: A package for shipping fluorescent lamps comprising a rectangularly shaped first carton closed at both ends and containing said lamps within and being disposed inside a hexagonally shaped second carton or sleeve. The longitudinal axes of both cartons are parallel and two opposing sides of the first carton are parallel to and in proximate contact with the inside surface of two respective opposing sides of the second carton inside the second carton. The package contains two triangularly shaped and opposing cavities each of which contains a triangular shaped spacer to prevent rotation of the first carton within the second carton.