Abstract: A microwave cooking utensil useful for assuring destruction of Salmonella or other harmful bacteria present in cooking liquids during the cooking of poultry including an outer container made of microwave reflective material, a microwave transmissive steam-confining cover enclosing the outer container, and an apertured rack for supporting, essentially in contact thereon, a food product. The rack is made of heat-conductive, microwave-reflective material and includes a support to hold the rack above the bottom surface of the container so that the rack and the bottom surface define a chamber to receive cooking liquids. The rack has a first set of apertures proximate to its periphery large enough, and with a total area large enough, to permit passage therethrough, during the normal poultry cooking cycle, of sufficient microwave energy to pasteurize any Salmonella bacteria present in the cooking liquids.

Abstract: An illuminated picture display having a surrounding scintilating show of lights, including a housing holding a front half-silvered mirror and a rear mirror, the mirrors being proximate to one another and at a small angle to one another, congruent openings in the mirrors to receive a transparency for display, a light within the housing for illuminating the transparency, a plurality of lamps between the mirrors along the periphery, and a programmed timer causing the lamps to blink on and off in predetermined sequence, and a refraction plate mounted in front of the front half-silvered mirror proximate to the opening in the front mirror, so that the transparency is displayed surrounded by a flashing light display. A fiber optics system may be used instead of the plurality of lamps.

Abstract: Corrosion of the aluminum electrode layer in thin-film capacitors is inhibited or prevented, so that the capacitors can be operated at higher AC voltages. The aluminum is alloyed with copper (or other metal of low specific resistance) from about 0.2% to about 8.0% (by weight), and with about 0.2% to about 3.0% of metal having a higher valence than aluminum, such as chromium, hafnium, manganese, titanium, and zirconium. Because of its low specific resistance and its ability to form precipitate compounds with aluminum, the copper serves as a vehicle to transport the high valence metals to the grain boundary of the aluminum. The presence within the alloy of a metal having a higher valence than aluminum is believed to capture free electrons and so prevent a positive shift in pH, thus inhibiting corrosion.

Abstract: A microwave cooking vessel is formed of two bowl sections, either of which may be the top, and both of which have peripheral lips. The sections interfit through congruent upstanding rims, the outer one of which rests upon the lip of the other bowl, thus creating spacing between the lips. Pairs of lip extensions at the ends, spaced as above, serve as handles. Raised, interfitting circular ridges on the top and bottom of the bowls permit stacking of vessels and permit one bowl to act as a trivet for the other.

Abstract: A card reader for reading data strips carried on cards, the reader having a housing with an input slot carrying a removable card alignment tray to receive the cards. A sensor is used to detect the presence of an inserted card and cause the card, once sensed, to be drawn in by card driving mechanisms and forced into, and held, in alignment. Alignment is three dimensional in that the card is held against two perpendicular guides and flat against a window. A detector senses when the card is in its aligned position and actuates an optical scanner to scan the data strip on the card. Scanning is through the window, assuring that the plane of the card is correct. When scanning is completed, the input mechanism is reversed to eject the card.

Abstract: An interconnection box is provided for use with a plurality of pairs of composite cables, the cables including a plurality of twisted pairs and shielding braid. The box includes a plurality of electroconductive support brackets mounted on the base, the brackets being insulated from the base, a pair of clamps mounted upon the bracket to receive the braid and hold it in electrical contact with the bracket, and a terminal block mounted on the bracket to interconnect the twisted pairs. This structure permits composite cables to be interconnected with a common shield for each pair of cables through the support bracket, and avoids ground currents between various of the pairs.

Abstract: A curling iron which has a handle, a barrel extending axially from the handle, a heater for the barrel, a spring-pressed, pivoted spoon for holding hair against the barrel, a spoon extension formed as part of and extending outwardly from the spoon, proximate to the handle, and a thumb button at the end of the spoon extension. At least the outer surfaces of the spoon extension and the thumb button are covered with a thermally-insulating plastic material, so that these surfaces are no longer hot to the touch. The inner surfaces are preferably not insulated; this permits heat conducted from the spoon to the extension to be harmlessly radiated away inwardly.

Abstract: A microwave cooking utensil useful for assuring destruction of Salmonella or other harmful bacteria present in cooking liquids during the cooking of poultry including an outer container made of microwave reflective material, a microwave transmissive steam-confining cover enclosing the outer container, and an apertured rack for supporting, essentially in contact thereon, a food product. The rack is made of heat-conductive, microwave-reflective material and includes a support to hold the rack above the bottom surface of the container so that the rack and the bottom surface define a chamber to receive cooking liquids. The rack has a first set of apertures proximate to its periphery large enough, and with a total area large enough, to permit passage therethrough, during the normal poultry cooking cycle, of sufficient microwave energy to pasteurize any Salmonella bacteria present in the cooking liquids.

Abstract: A reversible crimper-straightener for hair including a handle, a pair of pivoted clamp halves secured to the handle, a pair of reversible plates, each plate including a crimping surface on one side thereof and a flattening surface on the opposite side thereof, a heater within at least one of the plates, and tracks and rails on the plates and the clamping halves for securing one of the plates within one of the clamp halves and the other of the plates within the other of the clamp halves. The plates are reversible so that, alternatively, the crimping surfaces or the straightening surfaces face and are proximate to one another.

Abstract: A networking system to interconnect computer terminals with a host computer, the system being capable of carrying data bits at high frequencies and being capable of readily having its interconnection pattern changed. The system includes a plurality of composite cables for transmission of the data bits, one such cable for each such computer terminal, each of the cables including at least two sets of twisted pair data lines and an associated drain line, each set of data lines being within a shielding sleeve, and said sleeves being isolated from one another. A distribution wiring board for interconnecting the cables with the host computer, the wiring board including a punch down block with multiple sets of aligned punch-down connectors for connecting the wires in the sets and the drain wires to the wiring board, means for grounding the drain wires, and a data board for changing the local area network formed by the cables and the computer terminals.

Abstract: An envelope feeding assembly providing for the individual, lengthwise feeding of envelopes and enabling printing thereon while said envelopes are in motion, including an envelope storage bin for holding a stack of envelopes prior to printing and having a gate with a driven feed roller and a control surface defining an envelope nip leading from the bin to the print head array, transport rollers to carry envelopes from the gate to the platen, envelope position sensors to sense the leading and following edges of envelopes passing through said transport rollers and to produce control signals corresponding to envelope position, and a controller to receive the timing and control signals and to control the feed roller and to control the "start time" and speed of printing, so that envelopes may be printed seriatim and lengthwise while continuously moving.

Abstract: A direct reticle reference alignment system for use in photolithography for use with substrates having optical transmissivity. The system includes a movable stage (14), a transmissive substrate (11) held by the stage and bearing at least one plate mark (15) upon its upper surface, an optical system having a light source (1) for illuminating and projecting a reticle alignment image (4) upon the substrate (11) for alignment with the plate mark (15), a sensor (17) mounted in the stage (14) below the substrate (11) and the plate mark (15) to receive light from the projected alignment image (4), the sensor (17) producing an electrical signal related to the degree of alignment, and a stage control actuated by the signal to position the stage (14) and, so, align the substrate (11) with the reticle (4). The sensor (17) includes a light channel (19), such as a fiber optic rod, positioned to receive images from the lower surface (13) of said substrate ( 11) and carry them to the photocell.

Abstract: A cushioned handle structure for use in personal care appliances including two plastic understructure halves having outer and inner surfaces, each half having a plurality of holes running between the two surfaces. An elastomeric material is integrally formed as an overlay in contact with the outer surface and is integrally continued as plugs in the holes so that the overlay is held in position in contact with the outer surface by the plugs. The holes may be undercut proximate to the inner surfaces or be continued as channels on the inner surfaces to provide greater integrity.

Abstract: A modular water proof switch which can be easily assembled, having a housing and cover secured together with complementary interfitting latches, a slide switch in the cover and containing a rocker switch actuator, a sealed flexible diaphragm between the cover and housing, a rocker switch within the housing beneath the diaphragm controlling a pair of connecting plates, the switch being controlled by the actuator and being connected to a pair of input terminals leading to the exterior of the housing, a pair of output terminals associated with the rocker switch and leading to the exterior of the housing, an external extension of the housing defining an interconnect chamber for receiving a line cord and connecting it with the input terminals, and sealing means providing a waterproof seal within the interconnect chamber. The inner ends of the input terminals provide both a fulcrum and a connection for the rocker switch and, for ease of assembly, the inner ends pass through slots in the connecting plates.

Abstract: Apparatus for welding sheets (3a, 3b) of themoplastic material together along proximate edges including a supporting frame (25), a pair of joining rollers (11,13) mounted on the frame and forming a nip (12) with an axis parallel to the axes of the rollers, a motor (23) to drive at least one of the rollers, a horn (15) having a tip (17), and an ultrasonic transducer (39) to reciprocate the horn (15) and tip (17) in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the horn (15), the horn being so positioned in the nip (12) that the tip reciprocates in a direction transverse to the axis of the nip (12), so that proximate edges of the sheets (3a,3b) may move through the nip (12) with one edge on each side of the tip (17), be uniformly melted on their surfaces by frictional energy created by the reciprocal motion of the tip (17), and then be pressed and welded together in the nip (12). Fault detection circuitry stops the operation if the sheet material is not properly overlapping or if it runs out.