Abstract: Interconnect sockets (10) are assembled with substrates, such as printed circuit cards (12), to connect the leads (17) of electrical components (18) to conductive pads (14) deposited on the substrate. Each socket has an end section (19)inserted into a mounting hole (11) in the substrate, for gripping portions of the walls of the hole to mount the socket to the board; a midsection (13) for contacting the conductive pad; and a lead-engaging section (16) for gripping the component lead and connecting it to the pad through the socket. Preferably, the socket is a tubular member of a conductively plated spring metal, with spring members (20, 22, 30) for resiliently engaging the walls of the hole, the contact pad, and the lead. The sockets are especially useful with thermosetting conductive-particle/resin conductors, such as silver-epoxy or -acrylic resin "thick-film " conductive inks.

Abstract: Articles, such as rectangular thin film circuits (11), are sorted by advancing a row of the articles along a chute (20). The leading article (11-A) in the row is stopped in a test position with a releasable stop member (40), after which the lead article is tested for a characteristic, such as by a photoelectric detector (41) that scans a circuit and detects the absence or presence of an ink mark (16) previously applied to a defective circuit. If the article is of a first type (good circuit), the stop 40 is released so that the lead article advances further to a receiver (30). If the article is of a second type (bad circuit), a mechanism (45) is operated to eject the article transversely from the chute (arrow C). Preferably, an article to be ejected is pivoted (arrow F) about a transverse axis (F) to disengage the trailing edge (48) of the lead article (11-A) from the leading edge (49) of a following article (11-B) prior to ejection from the chute.

Abstract: A snap fastener (10) is provided to assemble, both mechanically and electrically, a printed circuit (11) with a conductive mounting element (12), such as a conductive ring (16) having a bore (26), for providing electrical connection between a conductive portion or pad (13) of the circuit and the mounting element. The fastener is formed of a conductive material and has a first portion, such as a flat head (17), that is fixed to the pad (13) and a plurality of tapered, conductive spring fingers (25) that project outwardly from the circuit and are adapted to be inserted into the bore (26) of the mounting element, so that the fingers are first cammed inwardly by the walls of the bore, and then spring outwardly to make the connection. Preferably, the fingers are formed with indented midsections (29), between tapered inner and outer end sections (33, 27), for resiliently gripping the walls of the bore (26).

Abstract: Interconnect sockets (10) are assembled with substrates, such as printed circuit cards (12), to connect the leads (17) of electrical components (18) to conductive pads (14) deposited on the substrate. Each socket has an end section (19) inserted into a mounting hole (11) in the substrate, for gripping portions of the walls of the hole to mount the socket to the board; a midsection (13) for contacting the conductive pad; and a lead-engaging section (16) for gripping the component lead and connecting it to the pad through the socket. Preferably, the socket is a tubular member of a conductively plated spring metal, with spring members (20, 22, 30) for resiliently engaging the walls of the hole, the contact pad, and the lead. The sockets are especially useful with thermosetting conductive-particle/resin conductors, such as silver-epoxy or -acrylic resin "thick-film" conductive inks.

Abstract: Method and device (10) for suppressing sputtering glow in a gas to be transported across a voltage drop region (X-Y) under conditions where the gas would otherwise tend to support a glow discharge. The device includes an insulating member, such as a plastic tube (70), having a passage for transporting the gas across the voltage drop, the passage being packed with a porous insulating material, such as fiberglass strands (71), arranged so as to suppress glow discharge in the gas. Preferably, the insulating material is arranged so that there is very little pressure drop across the insulating member. In specific embodiments, the suppression device is used in a gas feed line (11) for supplying a sputtering gas, such as argon or a mixture of argon and nitrogen, or argon and oxygen, to a negatively charged cathode cell (12) of a sputtering machine (13), at very low absolute pressure.

Abstract: A wire matrix printer includes a print head having one or more banks of a plurality of generally horizontal, vertically spaced print wires arranged parallel to each other for linear reciprocation toward and away from a recording surface by associated actuators. The print wires in each bank are of progressively varying length so that the wire associated with the actuator furthest from the recording surface is the longest and each adjacent wire is a predetermined amount shorter than the preceding wire. Outer or actuator ends of the wires define a vertically spaced and stepped array. The actuators in each bank are also in an array vertically spaced and stepped and are respectively coupled to the outer print wire ends by armatures. The inner or printing ends of the wires define a vertically spaced, nearly planar array near the recording surface, and a spaced, planar array at such surface.

Abstract: In a laser recording system, a high energy intensity laser beam is focused to form a circular write-spot on a rotating thermoplastic disc. This spot creates tracks of grooves and flat areas or lands in accordance with input data. To read the data from the disc a reduced energy beam is focused on the previously recorded track, and the pattern of grooves and lands is determined from the reflected energy. The optics associated with the reading process include an astigmatizer which elongates the read-spot in a direction transverse to the track. This reduces mechanical tolerances required to insure that the read-spot will impinge upon the desired track. The astigmatizer may also serve to reduce the beam spot energy intensity so that the same laser, without the astigmatizer, can be used for the recording process.In one embodiment, the astigmatizer is a movable plate having a single slit.

Abstract: The cleanliness of silicon wafers is evaluated. At various stages of I.C. manufacture, silicon wafers may contain undesirable inorganic and organic contaminants and residues, the presence of which may be due to initial growing and slicing or to subsequent manufacturing steps such as the removal of photoresists. The present method involves differential etching of the silicon wafers. In a manner that removes silicon at a much faster rate than the contaminants and residues are removed. The differential etching is effected by subjecting the wafers to a low pressure, low temperature, RF, reactive plasma which includes a halocarbon gas, and oxygen for a time sufficient to texture the wafer. The differential etching continues at least until the onset of texturing which replicates the pattern of contaminants or residues initially present thereon for visual inspection.

Abstract: An incoming diphase signal is edge detected producing a train of pulses each pulse of which corresponds to a base-bit level transition or a mid-bit level transition. The mid-bit transition pulses are removed and the remaining base-bit transition pulses are used to control the frequency of a voltage controlled oscillator which clocks a shift register counter. Selected states of the counter are decoded to generate two regular pulse trains. Each pulse of the first pulse train occurs during the first half of a corresponding diphase base-bit time interval and the related pulse is used to selectively sample the diphase level. An exclusive NOR-gate compares this sampled level with the diphase level during the last half of the related diphase base bit time interval.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for accurately locating a record-playback head with respect to a tape carried within a conventional tape cassette. The cassette is oriented within a cradle by means of a pair of parallel guide pins which engage the alignment openings of the cassette. A playback-record head is mounted upon a mounting clip which defines a U in cross-section having a record-playback head mounting leg and an alignment leg. The alignment leg defines two alignment surfaces which cooperate with the guide pins to accurately position the clip and the record-playback head carried thereon with respect to the cradle and a cassette carried therein.

Abstract: A drive mechanism includes a nut on a rotatable lead screw. The nut has a partially threaded and partially unthreaded axial bore and a mounting assembly to couple it to a linearly movable carriage. The mounting assembly includes diametrically opposed carriage-engaging lugs positioned on the drive nut near the threaded bore end and a locking arm slidably keyed into a slot in the carriage which mounts the drive nut for universal radial floating on the carriage. The drive nut may become slightly skewed relative to the axis of the lead screw in order to minimize frictional forces due to tolerance variations, bow in the lead screw, or axial misalignment of the lead screw with carriage guide rods. Kinetic-energy-induced bounce forces of the carriage are damped by a coil spring which also maintains the lugs against the carriage.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for displaying subscript and superscript characters on the screen of a cathode ray tube. The encoded characters are selectively read from a memory which also provides two extended level outputs relating to the subscript and superscript features. In response to the readout of a superscript character from memory, a superscript signal, at the related extended memory output, is fed to an amplifier which, in turn, drives a superscript coil positioned about the neck of the cathode ray tube. This superscript coil generates a flux which reacts with the flux generated by the tube's vertical deflection coil during readout of the selected character thereby raising the position of that character on the screen. Correspondingly, a subscript signal at the related extended memory output results in the generation of a magnetic flux which reacts the vertical deflection coil field during readout of the selected character thereby lowering the position of that character on the screen.

Abstract: An ink jet printer in which refined half-tones or shades of gray are produced while retaining high contrast capability using a dot matrix in which the dots are of the same density for the same shading plus or minus one drop of ink at selected dot locations within the matrix but with each dot being printed in response to an individual shading density or darkness input signal.

Abstract: A clip constructed of resilient material slidably engages the door of a paper web drive tractor of a printer. The clip defines two reference edges which are spaced by an amount substantially equivalent to the distance between a type line reference rod and the print line of a print mechanism. The operator aligns a selected type row on the web with the reference rod and slides one reference edge adjacent a mark on the web. The web is moved until the mark is aligned with the other reference edge of the clip and the selected type row is thereby positioned on the print line.

Abstract: A wire-matrix printer including a vertical column of essentially horizontal, generally parallel print wires arranged for substantially linear reciprocation along spaced, parallel printing axes. The print wires are of progressively varying length so that the lowermost wire in the column is the shortest and each successive higher wire is a predetermined amount longer than the preceding wire. Thus, the outer or actuator ends of the wires define a horizontally spaced and vertically stepped array. An array of horizontally spaced and vertically stepped electromagnetic actuators is provided, as is means for flexibly coupling each print wire to an armature portion of the actuator.Each electromagnetic actuator includes a flat, generally T-shaped armature, preferably a spring reed, and a flat, generally C-shaped magnet core. The core and reed are mounted generally parallel to each other, with the crossarm of the T facing and overlapping pole face portions defined at the inner tips of the arms of the C.

Abstract: A series of digital words are demultiplexed into two groups and recorded on parallel tracks of a magnetic tape. The digital information is phase encoded upon the two tape channels and during playback the magnetic flux reversals on each channel are separately detected. The peak level of the detected signal is sensed and a peak signal pulse generated corresponding to the occurrence of the peak of the detected signal. Means are additionally included for setting the minimum threshold of the incoming signal necessary to generate a signal pulse so as to provide a level of immunity to system noise. The peak signal pulses are decoded to reconstruct the original data signal and a clocking signal. The data from each of the channel decoders is clocked into respective channel shift registers and multiplexed into its original data word arrangement.

Abstract: An improved decelerating mechanism of the dashpot type in which the piston normally leaves the cylinder on each operating cycle and has a sealing ring cantilevered in the direction of piston travel having a deep undercut whereby air pressure of the air compressed in front of the piston inside the cylinder biases the cantilevered sealing ring against the wall of the cylinder to accomplish effective sealing of the piston against uncontrolled air leakage. A projection on the front of the piston seals the air exit from the compression chamber during the last portion of piston travel in order to provide a final cushion for the moving dashpot piston.

Abstract: An ink supply system for an ink jet recorder wherein ink is emitted by a nozzle and impinges on a sheet of paper. An open-cell-foam-filled container supplies ink to a tube-shaped pump chamber which holds at least enough ink to print one page of copy. The tube is squeezed in such a manner as to deliver ink at a substantially constant pressure to the nozzle, which forms the jet. Ink emitted by the nozzle but not impinging on the paper is returned to the container. A check valve prevents ink from returning from the tube-shaped pump chamber to the foam-filled container except via the nozzle. Release of the squeezed tube draws ink from the foam-filled container into the tube-shaped pump chamber.

Abstract: A two phase clock signal with separation between the two phases is produced from a single phase clock. Two complementary input signals are derived from the single phase clock and are transferred by separate transfer gates to individual push/pull amplifiers. Each gated input signal is applied to the first input of one of the amplifiers while the complementary input signals are connected directly to the second input of the amplifiers. The output of each push/pull amplifier is one of the clock phases, and each is also applied to a sensing circuit. The sensing circuit produces delayed outputs which are cross-coupled to control the transfer gate associated with the other output phase. By judicious selection of the parameters of the sensing circuit, the time and speed of "turn-on" for each transfer gate can be controlled. Accordingly, the separation between the two clock phases as well as the shape of each can be selected.

Abstract: A workpiece, such as an interponent of a teleprinter is mounted for linear and pivoting movement in an elastomeric mounting element having a central section to which the workpiece is secured, a pair of end sections, and a pair of stretchable webs connecting the central section to the end sections. The end sections are mounted to a support so that the webs are stretched along a transverse mounting axis, and the workpiece is thereafter positioned by the mounting element in a stable initial position. From the initial position, the workpiece may be moved linearly or pivoted, or both, by external forces; and when so moved rotary and linear spring forces are generated in the elastomeric mounting element tending to return the workpiece toward the initial position when the external forces are removed.