Abstract: A microwave coupling device for generating a microwave field in a circular waveguide for energizing a material including a rectangular input waveguide for carrying microwave energy from a microwave source, a circular output waveguide, and a device for coupling the microwave energy from the input waveguide to the output waveguide for generating in the output waveguide the microwave field. Further included is structure for permitting external monitoring through the output waveguide of the material being energized.

Abstract: A reconfigurable fiber-forming resin transfer molding system including a sealed chamber with first and second spaced flexible diaphragms for holding a fiber workpiece and press and die mold surfaces for forming the fiber workpiece.

Abstract: A ferroelectric space charge capacitor memory system includes a ferroelectric space charge capacitor memory cell having two ferroelectric space charge capacitor memory devices; means for applying coercive write voltage to each of the memory devices to establish internal polarization fields and space charge regions of opposite polarity in each device, respectively; means for applying to each of the devices a bias voltage less than the coercive voltage at a rate slower than the rate of space charge formation to define a capacitive level representative of one of the polarization states; means for introducing to each of the devices a read signal at a rate faster than the rate of space charge formation, which together with the bias voltage is less than the coercive voltage; and means responsive to the read signal for indicating the difference in charge transferred by each memory device representing the logical state of the memory cell.

Abstract: An improved bar code reading system for reading bar codes having a wide range of intensity of reflected radiation includes repeatedly scanning a beam of radiation across a bar code containing bar and space code elements; monitoring the number of scans of the beam across the bar code; sensing the radiation reflected from the bar code and providing a bar code signal representative thereof; the bar code signals are amplified at one of a number of different gains, and a different gain is selected for each scan. Also disclosed is an improved bar code reader system for reading bar codes of diffuse bar elements and specular spaced elements.

Abstract: A bottle holder is rotatably mounted about the neck of a bottle. The bottle holder includes a bottle engaging means pivotally affixed to a connector element. An attachment means is rotatably connected to the connector element. In operation, the cooperative effects of the pivoting of the bottle engaging means and rotation of the attachment means permits the holder to safely support a variety of different sized and configured bottles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a motor driven type bell striking device to be employed in electric bells. The device incorporates a cam coupled with the rotating drive shaft of an electric motor, the cam translating the rotary motion of the motor to an oscillating action which serves to impel a piston, the piston then impelling a striking member which is coupled with the base or frame of the bell by a spring. In one preferred embodiment, the previously mentioned spring is a coil spring which wraps around the piston. In a second preferred embodiment, a leaf spring is employed. In both embodiments, the energy of the moving piston is translated into inertia in the striking member. Because the striking member is relatively free floating in the direction in which it moves, a sharp, clear ring sound is made possible with each impact of the striking member.

Abstract: A water generating device for obtaining potable water from inside or outside ambient air, having ducts for bringing a supply of inside or outside ambient air to the device and for releasing the air back outside the device after it has been processed. There is an air filter for filtering the air prior to processing of the air. The air filter includes at least one filter element which becomes unusable when removed from the generator. A condenser is provided for extracting water vapor in the air brought thereto by the ducts. Within the ducts there is a fan or blower to move air from outside the device through the condenser and for returning the air back outside after it has traversed the condenser. Between the condenser and the collection point, there is a water filter for filtering the water from the condenser. The water filter includes a filter element cooperating female sensor which becomes unusable when removed.

Abstract: Techniques for producing fine metal powder are described, including producing droplets of molten metal to be formed into a powder, providing an environment including a substance specifically introduced for combining with the droplets, and submitting the droplets to the environment for combining the introduced substance with the droplet metal to form at least a partial coating on the powder including the introduced substance.

Abstract: An acoustic transducer includes a perforated capacitor plate; a movable capacitor plate spaced from the perforated plate; springs for movably supporting the movable capacitor plate relative to the perforated plate; and a support structure for supporting the perforated and movable plates, where the movable plate is interconnected to the support structure by the springs and where the plates, springs and support structure form a unified, monolithic structure. The movable plate, springs and support structure are made from a silicon wafer. The transducer also includes a dielectric fluid in the space between the plates; and equipment for applying an electric field across the plates for producing an output signal representative of the variation in capacitance induced by the variation in space between the plates in response to an acoustic signal.

Abstract: An optical fibre communication network comprising one optical source (1) connected to one end of an optical fibre (3), and several optical receivers (9) for detecting light scattered to the side of the optical fibre (3), the network being characterized by the fact that each optical receiver (9) is sufficiently sensitive to require for reliable communication only light lost by the fundamental scattering of the fibre (3) during normal propagation of the light originating in said optical source (1) while travelling in the vicinity of the optical receiver (9).

Abstract: A selective chemical species detector including a conductive polymer based sensing element having a detectable characteristic, for example, the polymer resistivity, permanently altered on exposure to a first chemical species and not permanently altered on exposure to a second chemical species. The detector then determines a permanent change in the detected characteristic and indicates the presence of a chemical species on detection of a such a permanent characteristic change. Also disclosed is a method of fabricating such a sensing element to achieve the desired selectivity.

Abstract: A method of fabricating rare earth doped planar optical waveguides for integrated optical circuits includes introducing a first carrier gas to a heated column of rare earth chelate to create a flow of rare earth chelate vapor in the carrier; introducing a second carrier gas through a silicon precursor to create a flow of silicon precursor vapor in the carrier; submitting the flow of rare earth chelate vapor and the flow of silicon precursor vapor with oxygen and a homogenizing agent to a flame hydrolysis deposition burner to produce a soot of rare earth doped silica; and depositing the soot on a planar substrate; and etching the soot, after consolidation, to define one or more discrete channel waveguides.

Abstract: A motion vector detecting apparatus for detecting motion vectors based on a current frame data and the preceding frame data. In the motion vector detecting apparatus, first and second memories are provided in order to store the current frame data and the preceding frame data. Additionally, a number of first cache memories, a number of second cache memories, a control circuit, and a motion vector calculation circuit are provided. The control circuit selects the input cache memories into which pixel data are to be written, and the output cache memories, from which pixel data are to be read out, from the first and second cache memories, so that the input cache memories and the output cache memories have no redundant cache memory. Pixel data corresponding to the detection image blocks stored in the first memory and pixel data corresponding to the search image blocks stored in the second memory are sequentially written in the selected input cache memories of the first and second cache memories.

Abstract: A surgical hand restrainer including a plate for supporting the hand, a clamping member for restraining the fingers in a fixed position on the support plate, and a restraining device for retaining the thumb on the support plate.

Abstract: A reactive discharge device including an RF cavity with a substantially circular cross-section, with a circular RF field coupled along the longitudinal axis of the cavity. A high volume to surface area ratio volume of reactive gas is created in the cavity. The reactive gas and/or the light created thereby is extracted from the cavity and supplied to a downstream processing area.

Abstract: A ferroelectric space charge capacitor memory device includes a pair of spaced first and second electrodes; a ferroelectric dielectric disposed between the electrodes; means for applying a coercive voltage to the dielectric to write the dielectric into one of two polarization states and to establish in each polarization state in the dielectric a space charge region proximate each electrode having a charge opposite to that of the electrode with a neutral region between the space charge regions, the relative sizes of the neutral and space charge regions defining the capacitance of the dielectric, the neutral region having an internal polarization field opposite to that represented by the space charge regions; means for applying to the dielectric a bias voltage less than the coercive voltage at a rate lower than the rate of space charge formation to define a capacitance level representative of one of the polarization states; means for introducing to the dielectric a read signal at a rate faster than the rate of

Abstract: The invention is for the formation of multilayer circuit boards where layers are formed sequentially using selective plating techniques and imaging of dielectric materials to achieve fine line resolution and interconnections between circuits. The invention permits the sequential formation of multilayers of higher density using imaging techniques. The method may also be used in single-sided and double-sided circuit board fabrication and for inner layers used in multilayer circuit boards.

Abstract: A microwave range detector system for determining the range of a moving object in a monitored area includes: a microwave antenna for focusing microwave energy in the area to be monitored; means for selectively generating microwave signals at a first microwave frequency and at a second microwave frequency for transmission by the antenna; microwave detector means, responsive to the microwave signal at the first microwave frequency and the return signal at the first microwave frequency from a target in the monitored area, for generating a pair of Doppler frequency signals with a fixed-phase relationshp, and responsive to the microwave signals at the first and second microwave frequencies and to the return signals at the first and second microwave frequencies, respectively, from a target in a monitored area, for generating a pair of Doppler frequency signals with a variable-phase relationship; direction decoder means, responsive to the Doppler frequency signals with the fixed-phase relationship, for determining w

Abstract: A positioning technique for grinding a conical tip on a fiber optic element includes rotatably mounting an end of the fiber optic element to be conically ground; detecting orbital motion of the optical axis of the fiber optic element about the mechanical axis of rotation; and adjusting the optical axis relative to the axis of rotation to minimize the orbital motion of the optical axis.