Abstract: An ergonomically designed trackball cursor pointing device in which the cursor movement ball and function switches or buttons are respectively positioned to allow movement of the ball by the thumb while simultaneously operating the switches. More particularly, the switches are placed at the top of the trackball and the ball is placed at the side, to complement the natural placement of the thumb and fingers of the operator thereover.

Abstract: In a computer system including a central processing unit, a program memory, a control program, a keyboard hardware interrupt handler routine and a single step interrupt handler routine, a method for replacing conventional data from a keyboard with user defined data including placing the central processing unit into single step mode, determining with the single step interrupt handler routine whether a keyboard hardware interrupt handler routine involves a keyboard data input instruction, and, if so, replacing the conventional data with user defined data, followed by either repeating the process or returning the system from single step mode to the main control program.

Abstract: A simulation system for simulating transfer operation of blocks of data in a target data storage unit such as an optical compact disk read only memory. Blocks of the data are contained in a memory to which a simulation computer has direct access without requiring that the target data storage unit be operatively connected to the simulation computer. Simulation comprises the steps of characterizing a hypothetical transfer of data operation of the target data storage unit by calculating its performance characteristics for the particular transfer operation in units of time; controlling direct access by the simulation computer to the data in the memory in accordance with the calculated performance time, and providing the results of the direct access simulation to the user. Simultaneous simulations of the target data storage unit may be carried out for the same or different types of host computers.

Abstract: An improved percussive action electronic keyboard for play as a musical instrument of the type having pivoted playing keys having camming surfaces distal from finger contact surfaces thereof, pivoted hammers having cam follower surfaces for following the playing key camming surfaces, hammer stop for stopping the swing of the hammer in response to depression of its associated key, includes an electronic sensor for generating an electrical signal for each key which is related in amplitude to the pressure with which the key is depressed during play of the keyboard, and a scanning keyboard state monitor connected to said sensor including a keyboard scanner for scanning each of the keys of the keyboard to determine if a key event has occurred, an amplitude comparator for determining when a key depression causes a said key depression signal amplitude to pass predetermined minimum and maximum amplitude threshold values, a scan counter for counting the number of scans occurring between the scans when the key depressi

Abstract: A method and apparatus for entering alphanumerical characters into a push button telephone system having automatic response functions. Each alphabetic letter and character is assigned a keypair having a dual tone multifrequency signal which is stored in the memory of the telephone system. The code provides for the conversion of analog voice frequency signals to digital signals. The digital signals may be converted to analog signals to provide voice prompts to the caller. The letters and characters are sequentially arrayed on a matrix overlaying the telephone keypad. Characters are positioned above and between the push buttons so that each character may be separately accessed from adjacent keys. Entry of a keypair requires the sequential pressing of at least one key two times. Sequential operations that require the pressing of two different and adjacent keys may be performed in any sequence.

Abstract: The invention is a slicing orifice for use with a foodstuff slicing machine wherein the foodstuffs have been formed into loaves and the slicing machine includes a tray with a bed, a feed guide, a loaf indexing drive, a cutting head, an upper and lower clamping portion, a plurality of semicircular orifices in the clamping portions and being laterally offset from one another, wherein each orifice has a plurality of longitudinal gripping channels to effectively retain the foodstuffs during cutting.

Abstract: An adjustable floating pumping system is disclosed for recovery of petroleum products and other lighter than water contaminants from ground water through small diameter wells. The pumping system includes a novel arrangement of a float apparatus whereby a suction hose may be selectively positioned within the float for selective removal of contaminants. The invention results in an extremely cost-efficient method for recovery of petroleum contaminants.

Abstract: A utility knife having a handle with a shaft portion and a lower protrusion for improved ergonomics is disclosed. The shaft portion has a bore for receiving a collet and the knife includes a central knob for cooperating with the collet to clamp a blade into the collet when the knob is rotated in a first direction and to move the collet axially out from the handle, thereby freeing the blade, when the knob is rotated in the other direction.

Abstract: A terminal in which the keyboard is adapted to be stored on the face of the monitor when it is not in use, thus freeing the work surface for other use. For this purpose, the usual feet used to elevate the back edge of the keyboard to tilt the keyboard towards the operator are spaced apart a distance that is less than the width of the monitor and are provided with cushioning and frictioning material on the front edge thereof as well as on the free edge thereof whereby a cushioning and frictioning material on the front edge of the feet will engage the front edge of the housing adjacent to the display screen and thus frictionally retain the keyboard on the housing.

Abstract: A suspension bicycle is disclosed in which a rear suspension includes swing arms, control arms, and hub plates connected to the seat riser tube of the frame in a trapezoidal arrangement. The swing arms, control arms, and hub plates are configured to balance the forces applied to the rear wheel by the chain during pedaling so as to prevent energy absorbing movement of the rear suspension as the result of such pedaling. A shock absorber is also connected to the swing arms to absorb shocks during riding. The suspension of the present invention also is configured to provide improved traction during pedaling uphill or over uneven surfaces.

Abstract: Apparatus capable of storing or displaying a plurality of compact discs, cassettes or other similar objects is disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing and a plurality of pivotable members rotatably positioned therein. Each pivotable member may hold one or more objects, each object being positioned within a compartment in the pivotable member. In one embodiment, each pivotable member includes a base plate, a rear wall, a pair of side walls, and a pair of members which together form a front wall. The front wall members cooperate with the rear wall, which may include clamping ribs, to provide a clamping force which substantially fixedly positions the compact discs within the pivotable member so that the display rack may be positioned throughout a range extending from substantially horizontal to substantially vertical. The clamping force may be adjusted by varying the dimensions and geometry of a slot associated with the clamping means.

Abstract: A webbed swimming aid formed from two planar sheets shaped to conform generally to the shape of an outspread hand from a first sheet of elastic, mesh material and a second sheet of thin, stiff, water impermeable material. Truncated finger stalls are provided by stitching or sealing regions along the upper edge of the sheets towards the palm portion of the aid. Webbing edge of second sheet, or, alternatively, may be sealed within the triangular webbed regions sewn or sealed along the upper edge of the aid with apices of the triangles directed towards the palm portion of the aid to define the finger stalls.

Abstract: A computer system comprises a terminal and a keyboard, the terminal comprises a central control unit for controlling the operation of the keyboard and the keyboard comprises a switch array, the switch array has a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. The terminal further comprises a data output port for transmitting a command signal from the terminal central control unit and a data input port for receiving a data signal from the keyboard. The command signal comprises a keyboard initialize signal and a keyboard increment signal. The keyboard further comprises a four-wire keyboard interface for communicating with the terminal.

Abstract: A flow regulator for drip infusion, comprising a rigid main body in which a rigid flow path is integrally formed. The flow path is substantially omega-shaped, and has a V-shaped cross section in its middle section, of which the upper side is open and closed by a flexible disc which has a ridge extending perpendicular to the flow path and can be pressed to change the effective size of an orifice formed between the ridge and the V-shaped flow path, thereby allowing for a stable control of the flow rate.

Abstract: An input/output system for a processor of the kind in which a processor module has a central processing unit, a memory, an input/output channel, and a plurality of device controllers for controlling the transfer of data between the processor module and the peripheral devices includes a star poll connection in which each device controller is provided with a signalling means for signalling its identity in response to a poll operation, independently of other similarly connected device controllers such that any number of device controllers can be failed or powered off without affecting the polling of the other device controllers. The data lines in an input/output bus are used both to transmit data and to transmit signals to reduce the total number of lines needed to connect the device controllers to the channel in the star poll connection. The system is a fault tolerant system which includes an enable bit in the port of each device controller.

Abstract: A multiprocessor system the kind in which two or more separate processor modules are interconnected for parallel processing includes two redundant interprocessor buses dedicated exclusively to interprocessor communication. Any processor module may send information to any other processor module by either bus.The multiprocessor system includes a memory system in which the memory of each processor module is divided into four logical address areas--user data, system data, user code and system code. The memory system includes a map which translates logical addresses to physical addresses and which coacts with the multiprocessor system to bring pages from secondary memory into primary main memory as required to implement a virtual memory system. The map also provides a protection function. It provides inherent protection among users in a multiprogramming environment, isolates programs from data and protects system programs from the actions of user programs.

Abstract: A multiprocessor system, the kind in which two or more separate processor modules are interconnected for two power supplies, provides the entire power for the device controller in the event the other power supply fails. The distributed power supply system permits any processor module or device controller to be powered down so that on-line maintenance can be performed in a power-off condition while the rest of the multiprocessor system is on-line and functional.The multiprocessor system includes a memory system in which the memory of each processor module is divided into four logical address areas--user data, system data, user code and system code. The memory system includes a map which translates logical addresses to physical addresses and which coacts with the multiprocessor system to bring pages from secondary memory into primary main memory as required to implement a virtual memory system. The map also provides a protection function.