Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting and indicating unknown data associated with a selected article having a unique identification code employs a plurality of stored data tones. The data tones are stored in numeric order, each tone having a frequency corresponding to the data associated with an article having an article identification code corresponding to the sequential number of the data tone. The data tones are temporarily stored and counted up to the number of the selected article identification code whereupon the frequency of the corresponding data tone is displayed.

Abstract: An electric starter assembly and, more specifically, an improved drive assembly that is responsive to inertia encountered during the fast acceleration of the starter armature and that also is responsive to the inertia encountered as a result of providing for a braking or rapid deceleration of the starter armature. The assembly also provides a positive engagement between the drive assembly of the starter motor and the engine member to be rotated during the cranking cycle. Engagement is maintained so long as the motor is energized, even if the engine is running.

Abstract: A movable divider wall means is resiliently supported to extend through a slot opening in a bottom wall and into contact with the top wall so as to define between one of its faces and one of the edges of a channel guide for documents an effective guide for documents of a narrower width defined by the wall and the opposed channel wall. The movable wall has a tapered top edge which tapers from a widely spaced leading edge to the flat top of the movable wall which abuts the top wall and is held into the top wall by resilient means. Documents of greater width may be inserted over the movable wall and passing documents will urge the movable wall downward to displace it and allow their passage. Guide means is preferably provided to direct documents of the second narrower width into the channel at a position after the beginning of the movable wall and from above the movable wall so that they do not tend to move the wall out of its position as they are introduced.

Abstract: A thermal printer provides first and second sub-frames pivotally supported on a main frame to provide access to a dot resistance heater for cleaning and easy removal of the respective structures. Each structure is releasably fixed in operating position in which a resilient drive roller on the second sub-frame presses the thermally sensitive paper against the printer head. The same roller is driven by a motor on the second sub-frame and moves the paper along the paper path by friction drive. The paper moves between a fixed and rotatable knife on the second sub-frame actuated by crank and linkage connection to the core of a solenoid whose winding is fixed on the main frame. A curved guide plate directs the paper toward an opening and into a surface which imposes an S curve on the paper. The S curve allows enlargement of a storage loop in the paper in case the opening is blocked. suThe present invention relates to a thermal printer for the rapid production of tickets, or the like.

Abstract: A fine ozone corrosion resistant fuse wire is supported between conductive terminals which are, in turn, supported on and spaced apart by rigid insulator spacing means so that the fuse wire is extended. Insulator shield means is placed over the fuse wire over a substantial length of the insulator spacing means to shield the insulator spacing means from vaporized filament material to ensure that in all possible fuse failure modes that the circuit is completely broken but including a portion is unshielded so that vaporized material will plate on to the insulator to permit quick detection of a failed fuse. The rigid insulator spacing means may take the form of a rod generally parallel to the fuse with the terminals as end caps fitting over the rod or it may take the form of a tubular member fitting around portions of the terminals and confining the fuse internally, preferably so that oxygen cannot readily reach the fuse when it is used in a concentrated oxygen atmosphere.

Abstract: An electrical machine including an armature rotatable within a housing comprised of a section of tubular ferrous material and methods for producing the housing. At least two alternate magnetic field pole pieces are secured within the housing and at least two intermediate induced pole pieces are formed by deforming the housing to provide inwardly projecting pole pieces intermediate the magnetic field pole pieces, each of the pole pieces conforming to the shape of and closely embracing the armature.

Abstract: A totally digitalized weather station provides a digital display with selection elements for selecting a particular transducer and indication elements for indicating which parameter is being sensed at the time. Elements are provided to select from memory maximum and minimum readings of various parameters. Some transducers may employ a broadly new digital technique whereby the dial cooperable with a pointer on the shaft is used to produce digital calibrations which are attached to the shaft and move with the shaft and are read by at least a pair of fixed heads. In non-linear situations, corresponding scales are adjustable rotationally relative to one another to permit the corresponding calibrations of the two scales to be present underneath the respective reading heads simultaneously.

Abstract: Handle means provides a frame on which a cutter head may be supported spaced from a hand grip whereby, when the user is standing, the cutter head may be positioned adjacent the ground. The cutter head is a rotatable head including attachment means for attaching at least one flexible flail which extends outward when rotated. The drive means may be electrical or other motor means preferably mounted proximate to the cutter head, but including versions mounted remotely but having an extended flexible shaft enabling drive of the cutter head attached to the rotatable shaft. A circular shield is rotatably supported on the shaft, so that it is independent of the shaft's rotation, preferably outboard of the cutter head. The cutter head provides attachment means which may simply be a hole associated with and opposed to a post or hook, whereby a loop or bight of filamentary material may be placed over the hook or post and the filamentary material extended through the hole which is radially outboard of the motor shaft.

Abstract: A four pole d.c. motor speed control is provided by connecting two of the opposed brushes together to ground and the intermediate brushes to separate terminals of a switch means which in energized positions connects a grounded power supply to at least one of the brushes. The switch means supplies various combinations including direct connection of the power supply to one or both of the brushes. Connection of the power supply through resistance means, connection of the other brush to provide a closed circuit across the windings or to provide a resistance in series with those windings.

Abstract: Opposing hydraulic rams are supported in cylinders on cylinder beams connected together and then connected with a intermediate resistance beam by low yield connection bars, thereby reducing shearing stresses at the foundation. Hydraulic controls operate rams in the first mode to clamp an axle between opposing rams or to release a clamped axle. In one driving mode one ram drives the clamped axle, which, in turn, drives the other ram axially in one direction. In the other driving mode the other ram drives the one in the opposite direction. In demounting members, the resistance beam or extensions bear against a member pressed onto the axle to restrain such member as the axle continues to move through until the member is loosened. In mounting members, opposition to axial movement of such a member loosely on the axle or ram extensions is provided by a yoke extension of the cylindrical beam to cause said members to be pressed onto the axle as the axle continues to move.

Abstract: A device for handling documents which operates to interleave or intermix documents from separate stacks in accordance with a predetermined pattern. The documents are fed through the machine preferably so as to be visible and retrievable throughout their travel. The machine includes an inspection station where the documents are overlapped to permit visual inspection of at least one edge portion of each separate document. The documents from separate stacks are fed one-by-one through separate feed paths with means for insuring single-document feed and means for counting prior to merger and discharge of the merged documents.

Abstract: A pair of hydraulic stabilizing cylinders are supported on a common frame parallel to the main pneumatic drive cylinders driving counter-blow hammer impellers. The stabilizing piston within each stabilizing cylinder is connected to its adjacent impeller. Those ends of the respective stabilizing cylinders adjacent the impeller are connected to the opposite ends of the other stabilizing cylinders by fluid filled hydraulic lines. Because the cylinders and pistons are the same size, as the impellers move, fluid is transferred from one end of each cylinder to the other end of the other. However, should the impellers not move in synchronism toward their point of impact, that impeller tending to move ahead of the other will experience resistance from the fluid in the stabilizing system which tends to keep the impellers in step. In addition, means is provided to detect differences in position of the synchronizing pistons.

Abstract: A patch module permitting selective on-line connection between alternative first sets of transmission lines and single second set of transmission lines and permitting access to the off-line first set. The module provides a selector switch for determining which of the first sets is on-line, and a disconnect switch for connecting the selected first set to the single second set. The off-line first set is connected to a wand receptacle for access.

Abstract: A mercury switch has two spaced apart electrical contacts mechanically supported by its glass envelope and electrically connected to external terminals. A third conductor passes through the glass envelope at the opposite end. A housing for mercury is formed by divergent plates supported on the third conductor, which housing extends into the mercury reservoir near its support so as to draw mercury into the space between the divergent plates. A magnetic partition is supported from the third conductor by a flexible hinge which allows the partition to move back and forth between the divergent plates of the housing alternately into each of a pair of stops between said two spaced apart electrical contacts. Whichever wall of the housing the partition is closest to, the space is narrowed so that the mercury rises under capillary attraction and contacts the electrical contact between the wall and the partition.

Abstract: Documents in a stack are loaded into a bin from which an endmost document is fed by some means to a generally cylindrical drum having a high friction surface which is rotationally driven about its cylindrical axis. A plurality of resilient continuous stretchable friction belts of lower friction than the high friction drum surface are arranged parallel to one another around pulley supports positioned such that non-friction circumferential areas around cylindrical drum surface stretch the path of the continuous belts between adjacent pulleys. The continuous belts are driven in the opposite direction from the high friction cylindrical surface of the drum. The opposed moving surfaces separate adjacent sheets while the belts apply a normal pressure to a document on the high friction surface so that it draws the endmost document from the stack and carries the separated single document through the mechanism by itself.

Abstract: Opposing hydraulic rams are supported in cylinders on cylinder beams connected together and then connected with a intermediate resistance beam by low yield connection bars, thereby reducing shearing stresses at the foundation. Hydraulic controls operate rams in the first mode to clamp an axle between opposing rams or to release a clamped axle. In one driving mode one ram drives the clamped axle, which, in turn, drives the other ram axially in one direction. In the other driving mode the other ram drives the one in the opposite direction. In demounting members, the resistance beam or extensions bear against a member pressed onto the axle to restrain such member as the axle continues to move through until the member is loosened. In mounting members, opposition to axial movement of such a member loosely on the axle or ram extensions is provided by a yoke extension of the cylindrical beam to cause said members to be pressed onto the axle as the axle continues to move.

Abstract: A mercury tilt switch is provided with electrodes which during operation are oriented in a vertical plane projecting through an end wall of an elongated insulating envelope. The lower electrode is longer than the other and terminated with a blunt end of area of such size and shape as to provide resistance to the surrounding movement of the mercury pool past the end and the subsequently reduced steps of the electrode. When the switch is tilted to close the contacts, the blunt end opposes the mercury pool until the switch is sufficiently tilted that the weight component of the mercury in direction opposed to the blunt end is sufficient to overcome surface tension of the mercury pool, at which point the mercury pool will flow down along the stepped electrode and into contact with the other electrode closing the switch.

Abstract: A student learning to use a keyboard device is given brief instruction and then uses the keyboard. The instruction includes a final predetermined key or keyboard element manipulation, which completes instructions to signal the initiation of new instructions. The instructions and operational signals can be recorded together on a two-track record, such as magnetic tape, so that the instructions are coordinated with the system actuating signals. The system is manually started and introductory material is presented from the record. After instructions are given, a signal starts a clock to measure the elapsed time for performance of instructions. The clock is terminated by a system actuating signal following execution of the last instruction. In the preferred system, actuation of the predetermined key will initiate the record drive which will be stopped after each unit of instruction is given by an appropriate signal on the other track, different from the ones actuating the clock.

Abstract: A first thermometer is conventionally calibrated and a second is calibrated to read a predetermined temperature lower than actual temperature and provided with a heater resistor in good heat transfer relation to its bulb. Switch means connects a battery to the resistor to heat the second thermometer until it is observed to read the same as the first. Then the switch is repositioned such that appropriate circuitry causes reduced heating such that the elevated temperature condition of the second thermometer is merely "held" at that position and the bulb of the second thermometer is exposed to the wind and after a predetermined time (on the order of 30 seconds) the second thermometer is read, its reading representing the effective temperature as the result of wind chill.