Abstract: A tab top beverage can has a compressible drinking straw held between the can bottom and an upwardly extending detachable closed cavity formed in the can top. Detachment of the cavity by a pivoting tab top uncovers a straw access orifice through which the straw is projected by the force of a previously compressed corrugated spring section formed in the straw wall. A bulge located on the straw prevents passage of the straw from the can and facilitates extension of the straw. The tab is attached to the can top by outwardly projecting lips formed on upwardly projecting closed cavities defined in the can top. The cavities extend through openings in the tab and the lips extend beyond the opening perimeters to secure the tab to the cavities and top.

Abstract: In a bipolar transistor, around the border line of the surface of a base region formed on a semiconductor substrate is formed a base electrode having a constant width of less than one micron and made of polycrystalline silicon. An island shaped emitter region is formed in the base region and an emitter electrode is formed on the surface of the emitter region. The emitter electrode is electrically isolated from the base electrode by an insulating film extending between the periphery of the emitter region and the base electrode.

Abstract: A scanned electron beam system employs an electron beam source using an NEA activated photo-emitter as the cathode. The activated photo-emitter cathode produces a pre-shaped electron beam having a relatively small spot focussed on a target plane. The beam is selectively deflected to scan the beam spot along the target plane to expose desired patterns on that plane. The distance between the cathode and anode can be made large enough to accommodate in situ replenishment of cathode material, such as Cesium, without obstructing the electron optical path. The system includes two vacuum chambers which are differentially pumped through respective ports. The first chamber, in which the anode and cathode are located, is utilized for establishing the required electrostatic field. The second chamber is employed to produce the necessary focussing and selective beam deflection.

Abstract: In an electron beam system in which the beam is exposed in selected prescribed patterns on a target surface, stored pattern data specifies the location of the pattern as coordinates on the target plane of a reference point in the pattern, specifies the shape of the pattern as a code identifying one of several permissible shapes, and specifies the size of the pattern as dimensions of first and second pattern dimensions in the target plane. In exposing each pattern, the data is: modified to provide the selected pattern in the desired size; modified to determine the maximum beam size for the selected pattern; dynamically fragmented into individual beam flashes; and examined to determine the beam spot size, shape and position for each flash. All patterns are generally designated as trapezoids, with a triangle considered as a trapezoid having one side of zero length, a rectangle considered as a trapezoid having four right angles, etc.

Abstract: An electron gun includes a preferably non-metallic apertured grid with a flat upstream-facing surface closely spaced from and parallel to a flat emitting surface of a cathode. The grid aperture diverges in a downstream direction and has its peripheral wall contoured to shape the transverse cross-section of an emitted electron beam at a predetermined downstream location, preferably at the beam crossover. The peripheral wall of the grid aperture is devoid of sharp transitions, has a circular cross section to produce a circular beam crossover of minimum diameter, and has a convex segment extending from the upstream end of the aperture and joining a concave segment extending to the downstream end of the aperture. The convex first segment has a smaller radius of curvature than the second concave segment and has its center of curvature disposed substantially at the upstream facing surface.

Abstract: Resist coating on the surface of a semiconductor wafer is removed by a one-step process using anisotropic reactive ion etching through an apertured stencil disposed close to but spaced from the resist-coated surface. The ion bombardment greatly enhances the plasma etch rate in the areas of the coating exposed through stencil apertures so that only the exposed areas are effectively etched during the limited exposure time in spite of the presence of chemically reactive gas between the stencil and other areas of the wafer surface. The technique is limited by low resolution but is ideally suited for clearing resist from atop fiducial marks used to align the wafer with multiple wafers in an integrated circuit chip.

Abstract: A watchman's tour recording system includes a portable housing containing a data reader for reading and recording data from tour stations and a printer for printing out recorded station data and entry time in alphanumeric form. The printer is located in a locked compartment and is accessible by supervisory personnel for periodic tour entry monitoring. Station keys carry coded identification as a linear array of apertures filled with alternative pellet materials which are transmissive or non-transmissive to infrared light but are visibly indistinguishable. Strobe holes are positioned in a parallel linear array for synchronizing data reading. During assembly, the pellets are mutually distinguishable by split and continuous rings which serve as energy directors during ultrasonic welding of the pellets into the key, and which are hidden from view in the assembled product.

Abstract: An improved flexure hinge permits both angular pivoting and longitudinal expansion and contraction and is made of a body member of solid material which is normally not flexible or expandable. A first recess is defined part-way through the body member at one longitudinally extending edge opposite second and third recesses defined through the opposite longitudinally-extending edge of the body member. The first recess is separated from each of the second and third recesses by web-like portions which are sufficiently thin to permit flexure of the body member about respective first and second axes extending through the first and second web portions, respectively. A stage, moveable along a single axis, employs four such body members, each body member having two double web hinge devices, one double web device being located at each end of the body member. The four body members are disposed symmetrically about the axis along which the stage is moved, and symmetrically about a transverse axis.

Abstract: In a bipolar transistor, around the border line of the surface of a base region formed on a semiconductor substrate is formed a base electrode having a constant width of less than one micron and made of polycrystalline silicon. An island shaped emitter region is formed in the base region and an emitter electrode is formed on the surface of the emitter region. The emitter electrode is electrically isolated from the base electrode by an insulating film extending between the periphery of the emitter region and the base electrode.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for tenderizing beef by electrical stimulation is characterized by a rectal electrode having a tubular stainless steel shaft with a solid brass tip at one end and an insulative handle at the other end. An insulative post is connected to the handle at an angle to facilitate probe deployment when the carcass is suspended from a hind leg. The applied electrical stimulation is applied for approximately one minute in the form of a series of low voltage pulses, on the order of twenty volts, having a repetition rate of thirty pulses per minute with a fifty percent duty cycle. The probe is inserted and power applied immediately after the carcass is hoisted on the bleeding rail and bled in order to maximize the effect of the applied energy.

Abstract: An enclosure containing rotating blades for mechanical stirring of gaseous fluids may be a heat exchanger, flue gas energy recovery device, gas generator or combustion device. A high rotational stirring velocity increases the convective heat transfer rate, rendering it independent of the lower throughput velocity of primary fluid which can be controlled independently of the stirring speed. Primary fluid is isolated from a secondary fluid by a thermal transfer surface which is continuously swept by the swirling primary fluid and which may be the peripheral wall of the enclosure or a flow tube located proximate the peripheral wall. In one embodiment, swirling is achieved by radially-extending blade assemblies secured to a rotatable shaft at longitudinally spaced locations to establish discrete swirling zones in which fluid recirculates from the shaft outwardly, along the wall, and back toward the shaft.

Abstract: A cabinet includes a locking mechanism which prevents removal of a key unless the cabinet door is properly closed and a prescribed item is properly positioned and stored within the cabinet. In a preferred embodiment, the cabinet door assembly includes a hinge which is slotted so as to accept a rotatable cam of the locking mechanism to prevent hinge movement in the locked position. The stored item has a magnet secured thereto which, when properly positioned in the cabinet, pulls a spring biased magnetized bar into a position wherein a slotted extension of the bar permits the cam to pass into the hinge slot. With the item improperly positioned or removed, the slotted bar extension prevents rotation of the lock by blocking passage of the cam into the hinge slot. The key and lock combination are standard items of the type which prevent key removal from the lock unless the lock is turned to the locked position.

Abstract: In a regenerative rotodynamic compressor, a portion of a disc-like impeller adjacent the impeller periphery extends radially through an annular chamber in the compressor casing concentric with the impeller, thereby dividing said chamber into two annular side channels, one on each side of the impeller. The portion of the impeller lying in the annular chamber has scooped out annular cavities or recesses in its sides in which are disposed rings of aerodynamic blades, and fluid flow passing around the annular chamber from an inlet to an outlet is caused to circulate repeatedly, flowing radially outward through the blading in the impeller cavities and radially inward in the annular side channels alongside the impeller outside the impeller cavities. The aerodynamic blades are designed so that the angle between the entry and exit flows of each blade is greater than 90.degree..

Abstract: Access to a bird feeder by squirrels is prevented by providing a rotatable member which must be stepped upon by the squirrel to reach the feeder. The member preferably has a low friction surface and, when it rotates, causes the squirrel to fall to the ground.

Abstract: In a regenerative rotodynamic compressor, a portion of a disc-like impeller adjacent the impeller periphery extends radially through an annular chamber in the compressor casing concentric with the impeller, thereby dividing said chamber into two annular side channels, one on each side of the impeller. The portion of the impeller lying in the annular chamber has scooped out annular cavities or recesses in its sides in which are disposed rings of aerodynamic blades, and fluid flow passing around the annular chamber from an inlet to an outlet is caused to circulate repeatedly, flowing radially outward through the blading in the impeller cavities and radially inward in the annular side channels alongside the impeller outside the impeller cavities. Shroud rings at the blade tips form cores around which this circulation takes place. The blades are cast integrally with the impeller disc or with the shroud rings.

Abstract: Transfer of energy from a relatively high pressure flowing first fluid to a relatively low pressure second fluid is achieved with a master commutator (10) driven solely in response to the flowing first fluid and which separates the first fluid into discrete slugs. Compression waves generated by the pressurized first fluid pressurizes the second fluid in a flow passage (11). The second fluid and first fluid are separately removed from the flow passage by a slave commutator (13) which is synchronized in frequency to the master commutator. In a preferred embodiment the master and slave commutators are fluidis oscillators (20, 21) having no moving parts. The technique has particular utilization as a supercharger for diesel engines.

Abstract: A fluidic driver amplifier for a servovalve has its controllably directed fluid jet differentially divided by a divider element which moves with a main valve piston in a manner to equalize the differential pressure received from the jet when the piston reaches the commanded position. In order to permit use of a small, low-leakage, fluidic driven amplifier, without the disadvantage of reduced speed of response, a derivative piston is linked to move with the main piston and displace fluid in a chamber containing a spring-centered secondary valve piston. When displaced, the secondary piston admits pressurized fluid into the main valve chamber in a positive feedback sense to aid the fluidic driver in positioning the main piston. The secondary piston is displaced only when the main piston is in motion and therefore has no effect once the main piston reaches the commanded position.

Abstract: The fluidic oscillator consists of a resonant fluid circuit having a fluid inertance and a dynamic fluid compliance. The inertance is a conduit interconnecting two locations of a chamber on each side of a working fluid jet issuing into one end of the chamber, the inertance conduit serving to transfer working fluid between the two locations. Through one or more output orifices located approximately at the opposite end of the chamber, the fluid exits from a chamber exit region which is shaped to facilitate formation of a vortex (the dynamic compliance) from the entering fluid. The flow pattern in the chamber and particularly the vortex in the chamber exit region provide flow aspiration on one side and surplus of flow on the opposite side of the chamber, which effects accelerate and respectively decelerate the fluid in the inertance conduit such as to cause reversal of the vortex after a time delay given by the inertance.

Abstract: A thermal break in a metal (e.g. aluminum) frame window or door is characterized by two spaced metal sections joined together by an insulative block of poured and hardened thermal fill material which projects inward toward the sash at least to the same extent as the inward-most-projection of the metal sections in the break region. One or more surfaces of the block may serve as a guide for a sliding sash. This construction eliminates the metal conductive path, from outside to inside, which extends along inward-most portions of the jamb in prior art windows. Preferably, the thermal breaks in the jamb and sill are co-planar to provide a continuous thermal break around the entire frame. The method of forming the block of thermal fill utilizes at least one mold surface to which the fill material does not adhere during hardening so that the block can be easily removed from the mold.

Abstract: In a method of lowering and raising loads by means of a jack assembly and lifting element the load is transferred from the lifting element by supporting means disposed on the lifting element and having a cross-section considerably larger than that of the lifting element. The supporting means are alternately carried by preferably dismountable carrying members with holes for the lifting element, which holes are smaller than the cross-section of the supporting means, the carrying members being mounted on relatively movable parts of the jack assembly.