Abstract: Interlocking blocks are configured to serve as basic picture elements and beams ("pixels and sticks") for creating a variety of two- and three-dimensional graphic artifacts. The pixel blocks have a substantially square cross-section and may be made in cubes or in beams of various length. The four sides of the square cross-section are made identical, each side defining a tongue alongside a groove in a symmetrical complementary configuration such that adjacent blocks can be slidingly interlocked together to form one- and two-dimensional arrays; thus cubes, or blocks of uniform length, can form two-dimensional artifacts and blocks of various lengths can form three-dimensional artifacts. By utilizing the blocks in a variety of visual properties such as color and light transmission, quantities of the blocks and/or beams may be interlocked together to form pictures, graphics patterns, and other artifacts.

Abstract: For use in a suspended ceiling of the well known type utilizing inverted T-bar support framework, novel panels of this invention provide a pattern of parallel flutes extending the full length of the panel. Panels fit between adjacent cross runners of a T-bar type suspension system, supported removably along two opposite sides in a manner which integrates the fluted panels and the downwardly exposed T-bar flanges into a uniform pattern substantially disguising the presence of the T-bars. Associated trim members of a miniature beam style may be attached to T-bar main runners as a finish accent between ends of end-adjacent panels and, if desired, around the perimeter of the subceiling where they serve to conceal wall angles which provide support to panels at the perimeter. Panels may be readily produced from flat sheet metal stock in a forming process and are easily installable and removable in the suspended subceiling framework.

Abstract: Pads for surface-mount components are formed in elongated rectangular openings in a circuit board directly from stripped portions of insulated hookup wire, thus eliminating additional interconnecting hardware parts and dependency on printed circuitry. For each pad, the wire is formed into a U shape by pressing the wire into the opening from a wiring side the circuit board with a press-driven mandrel shaped to place side portions of the loop at ends of the opening, and a solid, spring-loaded or adhesive filler inserted into the opening between the side wire portion to anchor the loop in place. The bridge portion of the loop, forming the pad, may be positioned so as to be recessed slightly below the circuit board surface so as to capture component leads in the depressed cavity with solder barriers between pads. Alternatively the pad may be located flush with the circuit board or slightly protruding, the location being determined by the travel of the press-driven mandrel.

Abstract: A tunable circuit is disclosed which allows tuning while maintaining a constant Q. The filter uses a synthetic inductor and a capacitance multiplier in place of discrete inductive and capacitive elements. By coupling the synthetic inductor and capacitance through a variable resistor, means are provided for varying the peaking frequency of the circuit while maintaining a constant Q.

Abstract: An acoustic compressor is disclosed for generating a high pressure acoustic waveform within a chamber containing a working medium. The compressor comprises an actuator body solidly mounted to the chamber with a vibrating armature spring-mounted within. The chamber and actuator body are resiliently mounted so as to be vibratable. Owing to reaction forces, vibration of the armature causes vibration of the chamber which generates an acoustic waveform in the medium. By matching the resonant frequency of the armature to the acoustic resonant frequency of the chamber and driving the armature at that frequency, extremely high pressures within the chamber may be obtained.

Abstract: The construction of a conveyor roller, for handling heavy corrosive loads such as large lead-acid type batteries of the type used in forklift trucks and the like, is made corrosion-resistant by utilizing two appropriate plastic materials: one for an electrically insulated resilient roller body and the other for a pair of rigid corrosion-resistant long-life sleeve bearings which never require lubrication. The roller body may be cut to length from continuously extruded plastic hollow bar material such as PVC, providing an economical roller with a resilient surface. The sleeve bearings, pressed into recesses at each end of the roller, made from plastic rod material such as polypropylene having suitable rigidity and bearing properties, engage the roller rotatably on a steel shaft which is captively mounted in a conveyor assembly. The central bore of the roller portion is dimensioned to provide a designated clearance around the shaft.

Abstract: For monitoring, metering and dynamically displaying key static and dynamic parameters of composite video signals and visually indicating compliance status relative to important system specifications, this electronic meter is particularly useful in connection with video cameras. In studio environments, the compliance indications supplement existing capabilities, and in remote locations where large, complex and costly CRT type waveform monitors are not feasible, the compactness of this video meter provides an unusual degree of picture quality assurance. A bar/graph type LED display provides two independent scale regions: a sync region dynamically displaying sync amplitude, and a picture region dynamically displaying average picture levels in a bar mode and peak levels in a dot mode. The response times of the sync, average and peak level are selectable. Peak indications are lengthened to a display time which is optimal for human response to short term events.

Abstract: An adjustable angle instrument for high precision craftsmanship is configured from a pair of similar metal sector parts, each having a sector shape with a wide double flange along a straight edge. The two sector parts are accurately pivoted together in an apex region. Each flange is made to have accurate surfaces on its outer surfaces on which the instrument may be stood in a vertical position or laid horizontally on a flat surface such as a saw table. The flanges may be set to any angle between 45 and 90 degrees as indicated by a calibratable hairline cursor, and the angle may be captured by locking the two sector parts together by tightening a knurled brass knob. One of the sector parts is also provided with an edge which is accurately machined at 90 degrees relative to the flange and thus may be set to any angle between 0 to 45 degrees relative to the other flange, providing the instrument with a total range of 0 to 90 degrees.

Abstract: A monitoring device for posture improvement training, worn as a headband, provides audible feedback of sensed forward or backward deviation from ideal head inclination in the saggital plane. The monitor unit is captivated on an adjustable central strap running front-to-rear over the curvature of the crown of the head. The unit may be moved along the strap to enable initial leveling adjustment to level the unit while the subject's head is maintained in the ideal posture of neutral inclination. A level-sensor, specially mounted in the unit, remains switched in an OFF state as long as the subject's head inclination remains correct, however, whenever the head inclines in either direction in the saggital plane beyond a predetermined critical angle, e.g. 4 degrees, the sensor makes contact to an ON state, actuating a sound-emitting transducer powered by an on-board battery, to indicate the departure from correct posture.

Abstract: A zero insertion force type connector system provides a receptacle with variable inside diameter for typical use in cooperation with a solid elongated pin, typically or round cross-section, as the opposite member of a mating connector pair. The receptacle is configured as a double-helix formed from a single length of wire which may be a stripped length of insulated hookup wire thus providing two integrally connected insulated leads for highly reliable external interconnections, which may include coaxial cables. The double-helix is formed into a diametric loop at one end of the double-helix, and the other end is constrained against rotation by a pair of leads emerging at diametrically opposite sides captured within conduit slots of a protective insulated casing.

Abstract: Diametric scanning of a forward target region, wherein each scan line proceeds from an edge of a circular field of view through the center to the opposite edge while the scan angle is advancing. Processing of line scan data for target acquisition and tracking is facilitated by rotational translation, since each successive diametrically-scanned line is incrementally related to the previous line. Scanning progresses uniformly and continuously. An optical path between a target area and an energy sensor is intercepted by a first angled reflector of a dual reflector assembly, rotating around the optical path axis as part of a rotor having a peripheral ring with a single gap. Rotating about the axis is a ring fitted with an array of reflecting facets. The energy beam is redirected by a first reflector of the dual reflector assembly through the gap and reflected by a facet moving past the gap and thence to the sensor via a second angled reflector.

Abstract: Strings and frets are simulated in a resilient fingerboard controller for synthesizer-type musical instruments. Raised string-faces and fret-faces simulate the feel of conventional strings and frets. Embedded sensor strips connect to an external customized encoder. In operation, notes are selected in the manner of conventional guitar fret-stopping but with either hand or both hands simultaneously. The pitch of each note is under real time control of the player's finger tips via pressure exerted in either lateral direction against the simulated strings, bending the pitch upward in proportion to the amount of such pressure in either direction as is usual in stringed instruments, or, alternatively, bending the pitch up or down depending on the direction of the pressure. Optional fret-bend sensors enable proportional control over additional effects.

Abstract: A fluorescent indirect lighting fixture of the hidden source offset reflector type incorporates a novel reflector mounting system which provides advantages of extended uniform "wash" illumination with unusual concealment of the light source from direct view, along with extremenly easy reflector installation and replacement. The reflector, formed to the required special curvature from a thin sheet of suitable metal such as high purity aluminum, is sprung into place between two opposite edges of a window opening in the metal fixture housing in a tongue-and-groove type engagement along the two edges where it is retained in place by the resilience of the reflector with no need for adhesives, screws or other fastenings. Illumination coverage and lamp concealment are both maximized by configuring the reflector and its mounting system uncompromisingly such that both of the straight end regions of the curved reflector extend smoothly and fully to a plane flush with the surrounding ceiling or wall surface.

Abstract: This invention, in the production of color photographic exposures from a color monitor display, provides correction to eliminate the spatial-color triad artifacts introduced by the display and thus provide a hard copy with fully registered color picture elements. Also, source resolution exceeding the viewable resolution of the monitor may be captured in the hard copy. A photosensitive hard copy recording medium is exposed to an image from an RGB monitor CRT display through an optical system comprising a lens and a refractive image shifter. Three video fields, each representing a primary color component of the picture, are sequentially displayed, exposed as an image, and thus recorded photographically on the medium, the image being shifted between exposures to spatially register the triad color elements, thus eliminating spatial-color artifacts associated with the monitor.

Abstract: For improved sound reinforcement, especially of the human voice, in situations where clarity and full audience coverage are important, an integrated structure supports a microphone and a speaker unit in an anti-feedback spatial relationship. The single speaker unit, mounted in an elevated position facing the audience, acts as a well-localized "point source", the microphone being located nearby in a working location to the rear of speaker. Despite this proximity, acoustic feedback and resultant "howl" tendencies are suppressed by providing both the microphone and the speaker unit with hypercardioid directivity and locating them in an offset back-to-back relationship such that alignment of their "null" regions combines their attenuation, minimizing feedback. In one embodiment, a lectern table supports the microphone in a working position and mounts an offset vertical pole carrying the speaker unit. The system amplifier may be housed within the lectern table.

Abstract: A pressure-to-conductance transducer, which avoids dependency on pressure-sensitive properties of particulate materials which may be difficult to formulate in stable form, utilizes instead the principle of translating applied pressure into variation of area and region of contact between a resistively coated Mylar tape element and a pair of adjacent contact plates, connected to controlled circuitry via a cable. In an embodiment for foot control of musical effects, a base mounts the contact plates and a surrounding separable Velcro gasket supporting a semi-rigid pressure sensor plate holding the resistive element closely spaced above the contact plates. A void in the element spans the gap between the contact plates. The conductance value appearing between the contact plates varies with the pressure applied to the sensor plate, ranging from low conductance with light offset pressure to high conductance with heavy overall pressure.

Abstract: Insulated hookup wire is processed to provide point-to-point interconnections on a circuit board, including helical terminals formed integrally from stripped portions of the hookup wire and set into circuit board holes; the helical terminals serve as receptacles for contact pins of components such as DIP ICs, leads of components such as resistors or capacitors, or even for stripped ends of additional hookup wire, for example in interboard wiring. Regular dip or wave soldering may be performed subsequently. For special purposes, the wiring system of this invention may be utilized throughout a circuit board, or else it may be utilized strategically to supplement regular printed circuitry. In a three piece machine tool set, a shaped mandrel rotates to wind a portion of stripped wire into a dual interleaved helix and then press the helix into place as a helical terminal/receptacle in a circuit board hole, with one or two insulated hookup wires integrally attached for interconnection.

Abstract: For a part time four wheel drive vehicle, auxiliary drive power is handled by an interaxle transfer mechanism comprising a braked differential gear set interposed in the vehicle's auxiliary motive power path, providing, in addition to the normal two wheel drive mode and front-rear-locked four wheel drive mode, a limited-slip-auxiliary four wheel drive mode. The differential gear set may be of the planetary or bevel gear type; its reaction gear is coupled to a braking unit, preferably of the hydraulic disk-pad-caliper type which is readily accessible and highly serviceable. The transfer mechanism is typically interposed concentrically at the driven end of the vehicle's auxiliary driveshaft, and may be retrofitted onto existing vehicles of the type having a gear or chain driven offset auxiliary driveshaft by adding an extension gear casing which carries the braking unit externally.

Abstract: For a vehicle which sometimes requires two-way radio communications but which sometimes requires an ordinary appearance, for example an unmarked law enforcement vehicle which could be compromised by the conspicuousness of a conventional communications antenna and associated external mounting hardware, this antenna system provides an external antenna rod which is readily deployable and removable from within the vehicle. The novel mounting hardware is highly inconspicuous since its exposed area is very small and is made flush with the surrounding vehicle body surface. In the mounting assembly, an insulated bushing, carrying a socket having a contact sleeve, has a small aperture in line with the contact sleeve, forming a passageway through the vehicle body through which the external antenna rod may be deployed. Alternatively, an internal antenna rod may be readily deployed in the same mounting assembly to project inwardly, enabling covert limited range communications.