Abstract: Signalling apparatus in which a sensed change in condition, e.g. a window opened by an intruder or a valuable art object moved, causes the free end of a cantilevered spring to be snapped or twanged. A piezoelectric film bonded to the spring generates a pulsating voltage which energizes a transmitter, independently of any external power source. Remotely, a receiver which is selectively responsive to the transmitted pulsating signal generates an output signal indicating the change in condition, e.g. for initiating an alarm.

Abstract: A microprocessor controlled distillation analyzer for petroleum products performs, computes, displays and records distillation data. An interactive/keyboard display and printer system reports and records test conditions and prompts user inputs to define test parameters. Before the initial boiling point, the heater is automatically controlled in two time intervals. Following the initial boiling point, the heater is controlled to keep the monitored distillation rate within a predetermined range. Upon attaining an automatically calculated volume of distillate, the final heat is incremented to a programmed level. In one mode, the end point is automatically detected by monitoring vapor temperature for a decline, followed by the cessation of meniscus movement to terminate the test. After measuring the residue, the analyzer automatically recomputes temperatures at a series of percentage volumes of evaporated sample.

Abstract: Liquid hydrocarbon samples from a mainstream are diverted through a sample cell in cooling chamber. An optical cloud point detector signals a microprocessor-based control system which controls the charging and cooling of the cell. Cloud point reference level is continuously updated. After each measurement cycle, the control system readjusts the cooling power so that the time interval between the end of the flush cycle and cloud point detection is brought within a predetermined range. The control system switches between several distinct modes of operation automatically.

Abstract: A web loop control system has first and second roller stations and a web loop disposed therebetween. A dancer arm is biased into engagement with the web loop to maintain tension therein. An optical code disk is secured for rotation with the dancer arm and an optical sensing means cooperates with the code disk to generate dancer arm position information which is relayed to the motor control system to maintain a desired web loop length during both drive and stop modes. The invention as applied to a printer for serialized forms utilizes the dancer arm code disc/optical sensing means combination to insure that a between-forms perforation is present at the fuser roller nip when the system is at rest. The serialized form printing system also provides for controlled acceleration and deceleration between operating speed and a dead stop within 3/8 inch of form length. Acceleration and deceleration are closely controlled to prevent jarring or excessive acceleration of the web loop.

Abstract: The high speed print pin actuator disclosed herein is constructed as two sub-assemblies, a U-shaped fixed magnet structure and an armature sub-assembly. One leg of the U-shaped structure constitutes a coil core and the other includes a permanent magnet and a keeper plate, the ends of the keeper and the core being finished to a common plane. The armature assembly includes a flux return bridge structure which extends from the keeper to a region adjacent the end of the coil core and which is bifurcated to receive an armature which is selectively attracted to the coil core. The armature is carried on a spring which is, in turn, mounted on the bridge structure. With the spring in a deflected position, the armature is finished to a common surface with the portion of the bridge which mates with the magnet structure. Accordingly, assembly of the armature sub-assembly with the U-shaped fixed magnet structure is facilitated and accurate parallelism of the armature and pole piece is provided.

Abstract: In the conveyor system disclosed herein, a plurality of elongate lifting assemblies are interleaved with parallel moving belts on which articles are transported. Each lifting assembly utilizes an air bag which is supported in an upwardly facing, rigid, U-shaped channel and which, when inflated, lifts a longitudinally-flexible, inverted, U-shaped channel member. The channel members include respective lips which engage and locally limit upward movement of the inverted channel member to a height sufficient for lifting articles on the conveyor out of driving contact with the moving belts. The ends of the inverted channel members are fixed or fastened with the upper surface of that part of the inverted channel below the level of the moving belts. Accordingly, when the air bags are inflated, the moving belts can drive successive articles up on to the resulting ramp surface of the inverted channels without developing crushing pressures between adjacent articles.

Abstract: In the calligraphic printing apparatus disclosed herein, a writing stylus is carried by a flexing suspension including a pair of generally orthogonal arms, each arm being driven by a respective servo system which responds to stored data representing characters to be written. The naturally arcuate path defined by each arm is substantially linearized by mixing into the drive signal for each servo system a compensating signal which is a function of the absolute value of the position signal controlling the servo system for the other arm.

Abstract: Catalytic etching is carried out by placing a pattern of a catalyst on a surface to be selectively etched and treating the imaged surface with an activated fluid which consumes the material being etched. In one embodiment a surface such as a chalcogenide is provided with a silver or other metal pattern corresponding to a semiconductor pattern and the chalcogenide is etched with an oxygen containing plasma reactive with the chalcogenide, the reaction being increased by the silver to provide a positive resist.

Abstract: Disclosed is a wax condenser for separating wax from an entrainer gas (or sweep gas) which is introduced into a sintering furnace and then pumped out in order to remove the wax from the furnace. The condenser includes a hot chamber and a cold chamber. Wax is removed by the condenser in three ways. After the entrainer gas enters the hot chamber of the condenser from the sintering furnace, it will pass through a heated filter. The heated filter will capture a large percentage of the wax present in the entrainer gas. The entrainer gas passes from the heated filter through a flow-restricting aperture which is located in a barrier separating the hot chamber from the cold chamber. This flow restricting aperture causes a pressure drop across the barrier. When the entrainer gas passes through the aperture, an expansion of the entrainer gas takes place due to the drop in pressure associated with the passing of the entrainer gas through the flow restricting aperture.