Abstract: A fuel pump is disclosed which comprises a plunger reciprocable under the influence of a cam surface. The cam surface is shaped to include a first region and a second region. As the plunger moves under the influence of the first region, a pressure wave is generated which is able to reach a spill valve prior to the plunger moving under the influence of the second region to generate a pressure sufficient to open a delivery valve.

Abstract: An eddy current sensor comprises a generally E-shaped core having three parallel legs joined together by a bridge. Current carrying coils are mounted on each of the outer legs and a signal coil is mounted on the central leg. Identical a.c. currents are caused to flow through the two outer coils for generating two magnetic fields which combine to form a sensing magnetic field extending outwardly from the ends of the legs for sensing purposes but which cancel one another within the central leg. The sensor is disposed within an E-shaped, hollow shield of an eddy current producing, electrically conductive material. The sensor fits within the shield as fingers in a glove with the parallel legs of the sensor magnetically separated from one another by walls of the shield. Only the ends of the sensor legs are exposed through apertures through the shield for emergence of the various magnetic fields. The shield cancels unwanted fringing fields and better guides the magnetic fields in desired directions.

Abstract: A clamping bracket connects an electrical wire to a lip of a grounded utility box so as to ground the wire. The bracket has U-shaped portions and a threaded stud which moves an annular abrading end surface with a center cone point into engagement with the metal plate lip when located between the U-shaped portions. The rear planar member of the U-shape is formed by a leaf spring which slants inwardly and bends rearwardly until the leaf spring is approximately parallel with the front planar member due to engagement of a stop surface on the stud with the front planar member. A plurality of barbs located on the leaf spring assist to prevent inadvertent movement during tightening. The front planar member of the U-shape has side ribs which strengths the front planar member and space a threaded bore from the metal plate lip.

Abstract: The invention provides a microprocessor controlled kiosk printer with a communication interface to a remote host for printing documents, such as receipts and tickets. The printer includes a printer mechanism and an idler roller and a drive roller in engagement for gripping the document. The drive roller is under the control of the microprocessor. Guide plates are provided which, together with the controlled drive roller, prevent access to the document during printing. The controlled drive roller also provides for retracting the document.

Abstract: A gasket (20) is provided for sealing a member with a rough micro-surface to a member with a smooth micro-surface. The gasket (20) has a layer (24) of graphite material and a layer (32) of an elastomeric or fibrous gasket material. An inner surface (28) of the graphite layer (24) is laminated to an inner surface (30) of the elastomeric or fibrous layer (32). When used for sealing, the graphite layer (24) is placed adjacent the member with the smooth micro-surface and the elastomeric or fibrous layer (32) is placed adjacent the rougher member. Alternatively, in addition to having a layer (32) bound to an inner surface of the graphite layer (24), a layer (38) of elastomeric or fibrous gasket material may be bound to the outer surface (26) of the graphite layer.

Abstract: A gaming machine produces truly random results using a noisy oscillator to randomly vary the frequency of a clock signal used to cycle a counter through its states. Multiple random numbers can be generated during the same game using the same circuitry, yet still achieve truly random results.

Abstract: A perforated multiweb product in the form of a folded display product or insert has a width greater than the width of any single web forming a part thereof. Gutterless joints are used to allow the display to lay flat when opened. Perforations allow the insert to be removably bound within a book or magazine. In several embodiments, the displays have widths exceeding commercially available web widths. Alternatively, two or more webs are combined to yield web printed single or double magazine inserts or displays having an active viewing width in excess of seventy inches.

Abstract: A food treatment system having a frame, a receptacle having a peripheral wall defining a space for storage of a food item and an opening through which a food item can be introduced to the storage space, and a conditioning source for changing the state of fluid in the food treatment space defined by the frame. The frame has a first wall against which the receptacle bears with the receptacle in an operative position with respect to the frame. The frame has a second wall which is spaced from the first wall so that the first and second walls cooperatively define the food treatment space. The second wall at least partially blocks the receptacle opening with the receptacle in the operative position. At least one of the first and second walls is movable relative to the other of the first and second walls to vary the spacing between the first and second walls.

Abstract: A mobile automotive servicing facility (100) expands from a closed configuration for transport on highways and roads into a multibay service facility including multiple lifts (142) for servicing automobiles, a restroom (222), a customer waiting room/office area (144) and other amenities. In the closed configuration, the mobile automotive servicing facility resembles a double drop trailer. When deployed for maintenance on automobiles, outer side walls (120) of the facility are pivoted to extend the roof of the facility on both sides. Then inner side walls (122) are pivoted to extend the floor of the facility in an area under the extended roof. The extended floor (122) provides a ramp for ingress and egress of automobiles into the interior (128) of the facility. Contained within the interior of the facility are automobile lifts (142) and equipment for servicing the automobile, including oil change and chassis lubrication, filter replacement, wiper blade replacement, belt replacement and additional services.

Abstract: A battery charge control method which relies upon the relationship between the battery state of charge and the charge efficiency. The battery charging efficiency is estimated by computing the amount of charge received by the battery as a function of input charge. Thermodynamic calculations are used to obtain an estimate of battery charge levels over a wide range of temperatures, and two stage filtering is used to obtain a useful slope from noisy charge level signals to determine charging efficiency and ultimately control the charge rate. The method is especially useful for recharging nickel-hydrogen batteries used aboard spacecraft. The battery charge in such a battery is estimated by computing the number of moles of hydrogen gas in a cell. The input charge is the integral of the charge current. Thus, the charge efficiency is proportional to the rate of change of the number of moles of gas with respect to the input charge.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for stabilizing at least one element of a mechanical system against echo-like responses to mechanical disturbances. One or more error signals are provided by sensing the motion of the system at one or more points. At least one adaptive filter is operated in response to the error signal or signals, and in response to at least one non-advanced reference signal that is directly related to some motion of the system. The adaptive filter produces a corrective signal for driving a mechanical actuator, thereby to apply to the element a stabilizing generalized force. By non-advanced is meant that there is a zero or negative time-delay between the presence of a given signal at the reference-sensing location and the arrival of the same, or a similar, signal at the error-sensing location. In particular embodiments of the invention, the reference-sensing location is the same as the error-sensing location.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for formationkeeping between two or more orbiting spacecraft by controlling the surface area of the spacecraft facing the direction of perturbative forces acting on the spacecraft. The actual position of each spacecraft is sensed and the distance between the spacecraft is computed. If this separating distance exceeds acceptable tolerances, the affected spacecraft are commanded to change their orientation so that the total surface area facing the direction of motion is altered. Alternatively, the total surface area of the spacecraft facing the direction of solar pressure can be altered. As a result, the forces acting on the spacecraft are altered which alters spacecraft position and velocity. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, surface area variations of individual spacecraft are used to maintain the planar separation between adjacent constellations of orbiting spacecraft at desired distances.

Abstract: A sender processor unit 101 transmits a packet to which a logical address of a receiver processor unit is added. Network routers 102 to 108 obtains a physical address corresponding to a destination logical address by referring to a processor address translation table 122 through a signal line 140, sets a route 112 and transfers the packet to a receiver processor unit 107. When a fault is caused in the receiver processor unit 107, a service processor changes correspondence of logical addresses to physical addresses of the processor address translation table 122.

Abstract: A surface portion (104, 204) is accessible to a small animal within the confines of the animal's habitat. The surface portion (104, 204) may be an integral part of the animal's habitat, such as a tubular member (100) of an animal run. Alternatively, the surface portion (204) may be a part of a stand alone waste depository (200) that is added to the animal's habitat. The container (110, 210) is preferably removably mounted under an opening (106, 206) in the surface portion (104, 204) such that an opening (114, 214) in the container and the opening (106, 206) in the surface portion (104, 204) form a channel for receiving bodily excrement from the small animal when the small animal is on the surface portion (104, 204). The channel directs the bodily excrement to the container (110, 210) below the surface portion (104, 204). Ventilation (112, 212) is provided to dry the waste and divert odors from the waste from the small animal's general living area.

Abstract: A device for an air valve, particularly for use with a fresh air inlet through a wall in a habitable room, and wherein the device comprises a receiver consisting substantially of air-tight material, and wherein the receiver is adapted to be tightly attached to the wall around the internal valve opening, and wherein the receiver is divided into an outer chamber and an inner chamber, a connection being established between the chambers. To the receiver is attached a bulb holder having a supply of electrical current for a bulb, so that the fresh air stream flows past the bulb and receives heat therefrom before it leaves the receiver and escapes into the habitable room.

Abstract: An electrical connector such as a miniature power jack contains a single snap-fit post for connection to a printed circuit board. A plurality of alignment posts and electrical terminals also extend from the bottom of a housing. The snap fit post is located off-center in an asymmetrical arrangement and is located closer to an access opening which receives an external plug which is removably insertable over a cylindrical pin connected to one of the terminals. A spring forms a make and break electrical power jack. The snap fit post has an enlarged head with tapered end surfaces and canted shoulders located intermediate between the tapered surfaces and the housing to form a snug interference fit with the printed circuit board aperture. The electrical connectors can be located within specially designed pockets provided on a carrier tape for automatic insertion machinery.

Abstract: The invention provides an imaging spectrometer that provides a wide field-of-view camera and spectrometer for spectral imaging of a large two-dimensional area of the Earth's surface from an orbiting satellite or airplane. The wide field-of-view camera fore-optics includes spherical optical elements arranged monocentrically. The spectrometer includes an all-reflective coupling design that transfers the curved optical image to one or more compact imaging spectrometers. The spectrometers preferably comprise a spherical convex holographic grating and associated reflective optics for dispersing a collimated optical beam into its spectral components and focusing the spectral image onto a planar detector array. The instrument described herein is designed to operate in a "pushbroom" fashion, that is, the forward motion of the satellite or airplane generates the spatial dimension of the resulting image.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for enabling a data signal to be transmitted stably at high speed over long distances without using thicker cables and without increasing physical quantities of such resources as transmitting-receiving circuit elements are disclosed. On the transmitting side, the phase of a clock signal relative to the data signal is modified in accordance with the distance between the transmitting and the receiving sides, the clock signal being transmitted along with the data signal. On the receiving side, the incoming data signal is received in synchronism with the received clock signal.

Abstract: A removable, collapsible truck bed cover (100) has a shell (102) of pliable material secured to a frame (200) via sleeves (114) on the underside of the shell (102). The one-piece frame (200) has vertical supports (202) and horizontal supports (206) pivotally attached to each other to attain an erect or locked position and a collapsed position. In the erect position, the horizontal supports (206) form a generally rectangular configuration similar to a plane defined by the top of a truck bed. The vertical supports (20) rest on the truck bed and extend the rectangular configuration of horizontal supports (206) above the top of the truck bed. Corner hinges (208) join two horizontal supports (206) with a vertical support (202). Center hinges (210) join each horizontal support (206) to another horizontal support (206). Thumb locks (234, 334) are employed in the hinges to lock the frame in the erect position.

Abstract: A clamping bracket connects an electrical wire to a lip of a grounded utility box so as to ground the wire. The bracket has U-shaped portions and a threaded stud which advances an annular abrading end surface with a center cone point into engagement with the lip when located between the U-shaped portions. The rear planar member of the U-shape is formed by a leaf spring which slants inwardly. The front planar member of the U-shape has side ribs which strengths the front planar member and space a threaded bore from the lip.