Abstract: A mechanical camera shutter requiring voltage in the range of 30 to 60 volts is made to operate from a power supply which provides voltage such lower than is necessary for shutter operation by the inclusion of a capacitor which is charged to 15 volts. The capacitor is operated to add to the insufficient voltage of a power source to provide the requisite high voltage during a critical part of a cycle of operation of the shutter. The shutter driver circuit follows results from the recognition that the shutter requires the high voltage only during the short opening phase of the shutter cycle and is not required during the later holding phase when only a low holding voltage is required. The capacitor is recharged during the holding phase and provides the necessary increased voltage for the next shutter operation.

Abstract: A flat panel image sensor is provided by combining the photoconductive imaging electrode of a vidicon with a two dimensional array of cold cathode field emitters commonly used for flat panel Field Emission Display (FED) systems. The FED operates normally to emit electrons which are accelerated in prior art displays towards a luminescent phosphor to generate light output proportional to the cathode emission. Rather than accelerating towards a phosphor, electrons, in accordance with the principles of this invention, are accelerated towards a photoconductor layer to replace charge removed from the layer by an incident radiation pattern directed at the photoconductor layer through a layer of transparant, electrically-conducting material which serves as a radiation window. A large area, low cost, small, flat panel sensor is realized.

Abstract: Combinations of oppositely poled piezoelectric shapes which, when electrically stimulated, effect increased linear or rotational displacement. In a typical arrangement a length of PVDF piezoelectric material poled in one direction is spatially separated from a second similarly shaped length of PVDF piezoelectric material poled in the opposite direction by an electrically inert substance. When stimulated by an appropriate voltage, one length contracts while the other length expands producing an increased deflection in the combination.

Abstract: The flex cable common to commercially available smart card readers and hybrid card readers is eliminated resulting in lower cost, longer lifetimes, and increased reliability. The flex cable is replaced by an assemblage of molded plastic piece parts which travel in the plane of the card movement and elevate along an axis normal to that plane. The assemblage comprises a collar which moves in the plane of card movement but in a manner to elevate a mating spring contact array carraige vertically with respect to that plane. The vertical movement of the carraige distorts spring contacts in a mating, fixed position spring contact array so that the spring contacts distort to achieve electrical connection to the contacts on the card.

Abstract: A movable tray paper sorter includes mechanical and electronic controls for moving, in each paper delivery operation, both the tray set and the paper chute characteristic of such sorters. The trays of the tray set are oriented almost vertically and move along a horizontal axis. The paper chute travels along the same horizontal axis beneath the tray set for delivering a sheet of paper from beneath the trays. The sorter includes a moving finger arrangement and tray lip configuration for ensuring proper paper placement and retention in a tray.

Abstract: A work cell for populating a ball grid array employs gravity for transferring solder balls from a tooling plate to the ball grid array. The tooling plate is positioned on a gantry along with a reservoir for solder balls. The gantry, along with the tooling plate and reservoir, is rotated through about one hundred and eighty degrees to spread the solder balls over the tooling plate and to recapture loose solder balls as the gantry rotates. A riser cylinder moves a ball grid array into juxtaposition with the populated tooling plate prior to the point (i.e. angle of rotation) at which gravity operates to drop the solder balls out of the tooling plate. Further rotation results in gravity transfer of the solder balls to a (fluxed) ball grid array. Apparatus employing more than one work cell is also described.

Abstract: A laser package includes a housing and a subassembly to which the critical components of the laser package are mounted. The subassembly is structured to preserve component alignment even in the presence of thermal excursions by ensuring that any movement which might occur effects all the components in a way to preserve alignment. The subassembly is easily removable from the housing and thus permits replacement if a failure should occur. A reverse diode is included to provide a path for reverse currents which otherwise would be damaging to the active laser diode.

Abstract: Inflatable rubber dinghies, familiar around most wharf areas, are made safe for scuba tank users by a plurality of interlocking rigid base sections which insert laterally across the floor of the dinghy and over both inflatable side tubes of the dinghy. Each base section includes a support for holding a scuba tank in an upright position and each such support is secured to a rail, running front-to-back along the axis of the dinghy, to which the base sections are secured. The interlocking inserts not only provide for secure transport of the scuba tanks but do so in a way which occupies little space and provides for increased stability for the dinghy.

Abstract: An existing CATV co-axial cable system provides a two-way path between multimedia workstations and a control center and between multimedia workstations connected at nodes along the cable. Each node/workstation organization comprises at least one tuner/demodulator and a notch filter. The system of the present invention is suitable as a multimedia communications system for providing full motion picture transmission, high fidelity audio communications and data transmission, effectively multimedia communication in its true form.

Abstract: A laser package includes a housing and a subassembly to which the critical components of the laser package are mounted. The subassembly is structured to preserve component alignment even in the presence of thermal excursions by ensuring that any movement which might occur effects all the components in a way to preserve alignment. The subassembly is easily removable from the housing and thus permits replacement if a failure should occur. A reverse laser diode is included to provide a path for reverse currents which otherwise would be damaging to the active laser diode.

Abstract: A pontoon for a catamaran includes recesses for a plurality of scuba tanks where the tanks protrude above the top surfaces of the pontoon. The exposed portions of each of an adjacent pair of tanks provide a support for a mating removable seat back. Each tank is supported by a platform at the bottom of each recess below which is a chamber which includes an air-inflatable bladder. Each bladder includes an air hose with means to connect the hose to an air supply such as a scuba tank. The air is used to expand the bladder to expel any water which may accumulate in the chamber. The pontoon not only provides increased comfort for passengers but also provides for increased seaworthiness. The structure is compatible with collapsible and self trailoring catamaran configurations.

Abstract: A FIFO memory system exhibits data processing capabilities by the inclusion therein of a digital signal processor and an associated dynamic random access memory. The digital signal processor provides significant data processing on the fly while the dynamic random access memory array provides additional buffering capability. Input and output FIFOs are connected to the data and address bussed of the digital signal processor. The control of the digital signal processor is via a host processor connected to the digital signal processor by a serial communication link.

Abstract: The reliable population of a ball grid array is achieved by attaching the array to the inner face of a wheel which is rotatable about a central axis. A tooling fixture is attached to the outer face of the wheel. Each of the ball grid array and the tooling fixture has a face with recesses and the faces face one another. The wheel moves the tooling fixture into a reservoir of solder balls to populate the recesses in the tooling fixture and the solder balls are dropped into the corresponding recesses of the ball grid array when the wheel rotates to a position where the recesses in the ball grid array are beneath the recesses in the tooling fixture. The array and the fixture are spaced apart initially so that the rotation of the wheel moves only the fixture through the reservoir ensuring that all recesses in the fixture are filled and that all solder balls not occupying recesses are removed from the surface of the fixture by the force of gravity as the wheel turns.

Abstract: Solid state electronic cameras are made modular so that replacement of inoperative CCD imagers can be done quickly and inexpensively by storing in the camera heads the operating parameters of each of a variety of imagers such as charge coupled device imagers. A camera head with a replacement imager communicates to a resident controller the parameters of the replacement imager selected. Operating parameters such as clock pulse signals may, in addition, be varied as to pulse width and frequency. The parameters are stored in an address set in a look up table in association with imager identifications.

Abstract: An encoder of magnetic credit cards and the like includes a slot for the movement of a medium therealong where the slot is wider than the thickness of the medium. Cosequently, the medium may tilt with respect to the planes of the side walls defining the slot. Such an encoder includes a timing wheel which ensures proper encoding of data on the medium even if the medium tilts with respect to the planes of the side walls. To this end, an encoder herein includes a suspension for the timing wheel which permits the wheel to tilt to conform to any tilt assumed by a medium advancing in the slot. A leaf spring of unique design permits the requisite tilt to be realized and has been found to have surprising strength so as to permit the suspension of not only the timing wheel but also a printed circuit board to which the timing wheel may be mounted.

Abstract: An improved X-ray and gamma ray sensitive Vidicon tube having a photoconductor deposited substrate cooled by means of an internal thermoelectric coolers and a heat sink. The cooled photoconductor has a higher resistivity and lower conductivity and hence the device exhibits less dark current.

Abstract: A solid state photodiode is configured to have its rear face light responsive and is electrically connected to a lead frame or flexible carrier with conductor traces, which includes an aperture to allow light to impact the rear face. A photodiode with light responsive front and rear faces, with or without filters, permits various applications to be implemented relatively inexpensively when compared to prior art systems.

Abstract: A laser device includes a glass optical fiber secured in position to capture light output from the laser. The fiber is secured in position with solder directly to the glass of the fiber without any metallization of the fiber. The solder-only technique satisfies the critical requirement for preventing fiber movement over the lifetime standard for laser device with multimade lasers and multimode fibers.

Abstract: Combinations of oppositely poled piezoelectric shapes which, when electrically stimulated, effect increased linear or rotational displacement. In a typical arrangement a length of PVDF piezoelectric material poled in one direction is spatially separated from a second similarly shaped length of PVDF piezolectric material poled in the opposite direction by an electrically inert substance. When stimulated by an appropriate voltage, one length contracts while the other length expands producing an increased deflection in the combination.

Abstract: A laser package is designed for large scale assembly by machinig a piec3 part of relatively large dimensions where the part has a slot for holding a laser. The piece part is mounted on heatsink of like dimensions. A second piece part includes an elongated groove for holding a fiber lens plate where the second piece part is mounted against the edge of the heat sink such that the lens is properly aligned with the laser. Thus, the critical alignment of the laser and the fiber is achieved by the alignment of like dimensioned piece parts of relatively large dimensions.