Abstract: In a data transmission system, in which asynchronous-to-synchronous data conversion at the transmitter end of a data link at times removes stop bits from, and at other times adds stop bits, to a character, a receive buffer at the receive end of the data link which converts the synchronous data to asynchronous data. The receive buffer investigates the end of each character for missing stop bits and reinserts a stop bit where it finds a lack of one, and adds other stop bits to speed up the data rate from the nominal synchronous data bit transmission rate to the nominal asynchronous data bit output rate. The inserted stop bits are of a constant bit width which is the same as the character identification bit width, and the entire asynchronous data output stream has a constant bit rate.

Abstract: A floating dock having a steel framework to the underside of which are fastened buoyant flotation bodies and to the upper surface of which is fastened a rigid imperforate sheet such as plywood. The framework is constructed of a suitable number of C-shaped structural members each of which has a uniform cross section and a uniform hole pattern therein. The hole pattern is established so that members of different lengths can be assembled to form a dock structure of virtually any shape and size. All parts of the floating dock are dimensioned so that joints between various members are staggered to provide high strength and rigidity. A method for fabricating the floating dock structure which makes possible at least partial construction before the dock structure is placed in the water and also makes possible construction by persons of moderate skill using conventional hand tools.

Abstract: A bulb-type sealing gasket formed from linear sealing strips and curvelinear sealing corners connected to one another. The sealing strip is constructed from a planar strip of flexible resilient material having end portions which extends substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the sealing strip. The upper sections of the end portions are configured into mounting flanges and the lower sections are configured into cooperating male and female locking elements so that, when the strip is rolled about its longitudinal axis and the cooperating locking elements are snapped together, a bulb-type sealing strip is formed which has a pair of oppositely extending co-planar flanges for mounting upon a closing member.

Abstract: In a transversely pumped dye laser, such as a laser oscillator or laser amplifier, the optical pumping radiation is directed into the dye laser gain medium with the angle of divergence of the Poynting vector of the pumping wave radiation being not less than 45.degree. and preferably 90.degree. from the Poynting vector, or its reciprocal, of the optical wave radiation being amplified within the dye laser gain medium, whereby transverse pumping is obtained. In addition, the optical pumping wave radiation is directed into the dye laser gain medium with the angular divergence of the polarization of the electric vector of the pumping wave radiation being not greater than 45.degree., and preferably parallel to the polarization of the electric vector, or the reciprocal thereof, of the optical wave radiation which is being amplified by the dye laser gain medium, whereby the efficiency of conversion of pump energy into amplified optical wave energy is enhanced.

Abstract: In a solar heating panel, the panel includes a plate-like solar collector having a serpentine shaped fluid conduit soldered to the plate collector in heat exchange relation therewith. Laterally directed manifolds are provided at opposite ends of the collector and are coupled in fluid communication with the serpentine flow path for coupling a plurality of such solar heating panels in parallel across a manifold structure. The panels include frame structures having a pair of elongated side frame members closed at opposite ends by means of end members with the side and end members having slots formed therein in registration one with the other such that when the side members are mated to the end members, the slots are in registration to define the side ports in the frame for passage therethrough of said manifold conduits.

Abstract: In a probe head for an automatic semiconductive wafer prober, the probe head includes a probe body means for coupling the probe head to the probe holder surrounding a chuck which carries the wafer. The chuck is moveable in the plane of the wafer (horizontal) and orthogonal to the plane of the wafer (vertical) for sequentially moving a pattern of probe heads into testing engagement with corresponding patterns of test points on the wafer under test. The probe head includes a testing head having a probe portion (blade, needle or point) for making electrical contact with a respective test point on the wafer. The test head is coupled to the probe body by means of a way for guiding the initial vertical adjustable movement of the testing head in the vertical direction, whereas the probe body is pivotably and slideably coupled to the probe holder so as to permit a second initial adjustment of the probe body in the horizontal plane for establishing the test probe pattern.

Abstract: In a rotary vacuum sealed wafer transport system for transporting semiconductive wafers between ambient atmosphere and subatmospheric pressure within a wafer processing station, the wafers, on a conveyor web pass through a slot in the vacuum chamber of the processing station. The evacuable envelope of the processing station has an external concave face portion intersecting with a generally planar face portion with the slot being positioned generally at the intersection of the concave and planar face portions. A deformable elastic roller, preferably pneumatically inflated, is disposed for rolling sealing engagement with the conveyor web and wafer and for wiping sealing engagement with portions of the planar and concave faces to provide a gas tight seal of the slot while permitting passage of the conveyor web with the wafers thereon into the evacuated wafer processing station. In a preferred embodiment, the conveyor web passes through input and output slots with pneumatic rollers sealing the pair of slots.

Abstract: In a self stowing vehicle leveling hydraulic jack, a cylindrical ram housing is pivotably affixed to the vehicle to be leveled. A cylindrical hydraulically actuated ram is carried within the cylindrical ram housing in a telescoping manner. An electrical motor is contained within the ram. The motor drives a hydraulic pump, also contained in the ram. The output of the pump passes through a control valve for selectively valving the hydraulic fluid between a ram extension chamber and a ram retracting chamber for selectively extending or retracting the telescoping ram. A cam follower, carried from the ram, follows a cam track eccentrically mounted relative to the pivotable axis of the ram housing for pivoting the retracted telescoping jack into a self stowing position. A valve traps the hydraulic fluid in the retracting chamber for holding the retracted jack in the self stowed position.

Abstract: In a manual ski carrier for carrying skis in parallel bottom-to-bottom faced relation, a pair of clamping blocks are carried from a main body member which is laterally directed of the skis. The clamping blocks are preferably spring biased apart such that the inside faces of the clamping blocks engage the opposite side marginal edges of the skis therebetween. A lever having a cam is pivotably affixed to the main body member such that pivoting of the lever causes the cam to engage one of the clamping blocks into clamping relation. The cam is arranged relative to the lever such that when the lever is pivoted away from the skis to a direction extending orthogonally to the skis, the skis may then be carried from the shoulder of the operator by placing the lever over the shoulder. A shoulder strap is preferably employed for connecting the outer end of the lever back to the ski binding, thereby forming a shoulder strap to facilitate carrying the skis.

Abstract: In an optically pumped high power laser the optical pump includes a housing containing a pair of flash lamps and an elliptical reflector assembly for reflecting the optical pumping radiation into the laser gain medium, such as a YAG rod. Water coolant is directed through the housing in contacting relation with the YAG rod and flash lamps. An ultraviolet band reject filter, comprising a split cylindrical sleeve, is disposed surrounding the laser gain medium in between the laser gain medium and the flash lamps and in contact with the water coolant.

Abstract: A capacitive force transducer, particularly suited for use as a microphone or as a phonograph needle pick-up cartridge, comprises a diaphragm electrode insulatively held to a lip portion of a recess in a second electrode, thereby forming a capacitive detector. The lip structure of the second electrode structure has a capacitive face region diverging from a virtual pivot region at the lip where the diaphragm is pivotably affixed to the recessed electrode. In this manner, the quiescent capacitance is defined predominantly by the capacitance near the lip, which is relatively small and defined and the change in capacitance for a given deflection of the diaphragm is relatively large, thereby improving the sensitivity of the transducer. In the case of a phonographic pick-up cartridge, the pick-up needle is coupled to the diaphragm so that vibrations induced in the needle produce corresponding vibrations of the diaphragm.

Abstract: Semiconductive wafers are processed, i.e., etched or layers deposited thereon, by means of a plasma enhanced chemical vapor processing system. The processing system includes an evacuable horizontal tubular envelope disposed within a surrounding heater or furnace for maintaining, the case of deposition, a region of uniform temperature within the central region of the elongated tubular envelope. Two sets of interleaved generally planar electrodes are disposed within the evacuable envelope for establishing an electrical plasma discharge in the process gaps defined between the interleaved electrodes. Wafers are loaded into the processing gaps vertically with the major face of each wafer facing into the process gap. The mutually opposed surfaces of the interleaved electrodes are preferably lined with a material of the same conductivity as that of the bulk material of the wafer to enhance the uniformity of the processing.

Abstract: A relatively thin superconductive magnetic shield, as of lead, is supported from a hollow support structure, as of aluminum or fiberglass by means of a multiplicity of spots of adhesive, as of epoxy, serving to bond the superconducting shield to the support structure. The shield and support structure is then positioned within a reentrant cryostat and cooled to liquid helium temperature to render the shield superconductive. Adjacent edges of the shield material are outwardly flanged and sealed together at the flanged portions, as by welding. The spot pattern of adhesive permits the shield to flex during thermal cycling to relieve strain and prevent fracture thereof while at the same time supporting the shield in a substantially nonmicrophonic manner.

Abstract: In a magnetron sputter gun for sputtering cathode material at subatmospheric pressure from a target onto a workpiece, the sputter cathode target comprises a pair of rings disposed in the inner magnetic gap between a pair of axially spaced annular pole pieces of a magnetic circuit. The pair of cathode target rings include a main target ring, which is to receive a preponderance of the cathode erosion, and an auxiliary ring disposed within a counter bore at the inner lip of one of the pole pieces. The main and auxiliary target rings are disposed relative to the counter bored pole piece so as to shape the magnetic field in the region of the sputter target rings such that a nearly constant sputtering rate is attained from the target with constant applied anode to cathode potential and constant current during the time to produce erosion of a preponderance of the volume of the main target ring, whereby a controlled sputtering rate is obtained concurrently with a relatively high utilization of target material.

Abstract: In a method for chasing game, a set of portable sound generators are set out in the field in accordance with a predetermined pattern for chasing the game in a predetermined direction when the sound generators are actuated. Each of the sound generators has a clock associated therewith and means for setting the turn-on time to an accuracy of plus or minus at least a few seconds, such that precise timing of the turn-on time of respective ones of the sound generators is settable, as desired. The turn-on times are then set in accordance with the positions of the respective sound generators in the predetermined pattern so that the sound generators turn on in a predetermined sequence for chasing the game in the predetermined direction.

Abstract: A tunable source of infrared radiation is obtained by irradiating an assemblage of Raman active gaseous atoms or molecules with a high intensity pumping beam of coherent radiation at a pump frequency .omega..sub.p to stimulate the generation of Stokes wave energy at a Stokes frequency .omega..sub.s and to stimulate the Raman resonant mode at the Raman mode frequency .omega..sub.R within the irradiated assemblage where the pump frequency .omega..sub.p minus the Stokes frequency .omega..sub.s is equal to the Raman mode frequency .omega..sub.R. The stimulated assemblage is irradiated with a tunable source of coherent radiation at a frequency .omega..sub.i to generate the output infrared radiation of the frequency .omega..sub.0 which is related to the Raman mode frequency .omega..sub.R and the input wave .omega..sub.i by the relation .omega..sub.0 =.omega..sub.i .+-..omega..sub.R. In one embodiment the interaction between the pump wave energy .omega..sub.p and the tunable input wave energy .omega..sub.

Abstract: A hand operated dry wall taping tool includes a tubular main body portion, to be held by the operator, with a tape applicator head portion at one end thereof. The tool is supplied with dry wall tape cement from a supply thereof under pressure. A supply roll of dry wall tape is carried from the main body of the applicator, the tape is fed through the applicator head onto the wall joint to be taped. In the applicator head, a pair of tape drive wheel portions engage the tape and press it against the wall for taping a seam between two adjacent sections of dry wall. As the drive wheels pull the tape through the applicator head, dry wall cement is applied by the applicator head to the side of the tape which is to engage the wall. In one embodiment, a spring biased swivel roller presses the cement laden tape into engagement with the wall as the tape is applied to the seam.

Abstract: A method of making multilevel equidensity contour mappings and pseudo-colored versions of a photograph. First a half-tone transparency of the photograph is made by the method described in copending patent application entitled "Method of Making Half-Tone Screens", Ser. No. 708,539 filed 26 July, 1976 by Liu, now abandoned. The half-tone photograph transparency is placed at the object plane of a first lens. A spatially filtered collimated light beam is directed through the transparency and the lens such that a multitude of diffraction orders appear in the focal plane of the lens. A particular non-zero order of diffraction is singled out by placing a thin slit spatial filter at the Fourier plane of the lens. Reimaging of the diffraction order by another lens produces a filtered image which contains multilevel equidensity contours of the original photographic image. In one embodiment the light beam is generated by lasers of different wavelengths.