Abstract: An icebreaker hull is disclosed having cutting edges and sloping ramps that substantially surround the icebreaker's forefoot and taper as they continue aft along the sides of the hull. The cutting edges produce grooves in the underside of the ice to reduce the resistance of the ice to breaking. The ramps are used to break the ice near the bow of the icebreaker and to remove the broken pieces from the water. The pieces of broken ice move along the sloping ramps as the icebreaker continues its forward movement through the ice field. The tapered portions of the ramps provide for the broken pieces of ice to be deposited substantially in windrows on the surface of the unbroken ice field. Thereafter, sweep assemblies that extend away from the hull on both the port and starboard sides are positioned to move the windrows further away from the substantially ice-free channel that is formed behind the icebreaker as it moves forward through the ice field.

Abstract: A battery switch plate is disclosed having a U-shaped frame that receives and supports a timepiece battery and that also provides electrical contact between the positive battery terminal and the timepiece integrated circuit via a lead frame. The switch plate, which is received by an aperture in the rear pod of the timepiece module, holds the battery in position and permits the negative battery terminal to come into contact with another lead frame conducting member. Switching occurs to correct and change timekeeping function of the timepiece when switch contacts are independently forced into electrical contact with underlying leaf spring members that are attached to and extend oppositely outward from the ends of the U-shaped frame or when the leaf spring members are independently forced into electrical contact with underlying switch contacts.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms and R.sub.2 is either an alkyl or alkoxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or a cyano group or a nitro group. The compounds of the invention are suitable as liquid crystal materials in electrooptic displays. Specifically, these compounds provide a wide mesomorphic range and a high clearing point when added to nematic liquid crystal mixtures used in multiplexed electrooptical displays.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R is an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms and X is a dioxane, cyclohexane, or benzene ring. The compounds of the invention are suitable as liquid crystal materials in electrooptical displays. Specifically, when added to nematic liquid crystals, these compounds provide an increase in the positive dielectric anisotropy of the liquid crystal composition.

Abstract: A novel nematic liquid crystalline composition is provided. A novel liquid crystalline chiral compound, (+)5-(2-methyl) butyl-2(4-cyanophenyl)-1, 3-dioxane, is also provided. When admixed together, these novel components form a phase-change cholesteric liquid crystalline composition which is highly useful as the host medium in a guest-host electrooptical display as a result of its low electrical threshold and optical saturation voltages, steep saturation curve, relatively low optical birefringence, low viscosity and broad liquid crystalline mesomorphic range.The host medium in conjunction with a suitable pleochroic dye provides an improved guest-host composition which exhibits a contrast of greater than 3:1 in certain displays, especially those having liquid crystal alignment layer means providing a moderate tilt angle of 10.degree.-40.degree. at the substrate/guest-host composition interface.

Abstract: A probe of very low thermal mass and fast response for a digital electronic clinical thermometer using an extremely small temperature-responsive element with leads supported between coaxial tubular members. The temperature-responsive element, with adjacent lead portions is supported on at least one substantially hemispherical cup, also of low thermal mass adhered to the ends of the tubular members. Preferably a pair of hemispherically ended cups enclose a thermocouple junction and the associated lead portions, although a thermistor may also be used as the temperature-responsive element.

Abstract: A talking timepiece which has two operating modes is disclosed. In a first mode, a power supply provides power to a computer and speech processing circuitry and the computer responds to the switching of a keyboard voice/tone switch for controlling either the speech processing circuitry to produce voice messages at predetermined times or tone alarm generator circuitry to produce tone sounds at predetermined times. In a second or power supply failure mode, a battery backup, which is connected in parallel to the power supply, provides power to only the computer and not the speech processing circuitry when the power supply fails. During this second mode, a switching circuit bypasses the keyboard voice/tone switch and the computer automatically controls only the tone alarm generator circuit. The tone alarm generator circuit is independent of the speech processing circuitry.

Abstract: A resilient capturing bead of silicone rubber is deposited and cured inside a tubular watch band endpiece and functions to frictionally engage a spring bar connector inserted in the endpiece, retaining the spring bar connector in proper position during assembly of the band and endpiece to a watchhead. The endpiece typically includes an access opening through which the capturing bead material is introduced into the endpiece.

Abstract: A two-dimensional traveling display method and apparatus for displaying data that may be continuously or intermittently changing in a manner of a traveling sign with the traveling display moving either left, right, up or down depending upon a desired format. The display comprises an electrically actuated two-dimensional dot matrix display panel formed by a plurality of rows and columns of dot-like areas whose light modifying characteristics are changed by application of electrical energization potentials. The panel is provided with respective sets of row and column electrodes for selective application of energization potentials to selected ones of the dot-like areas to form a desired image.

Abstract: Disclosed is a rocker switch for an electrical device, in particular an electronic watch. As adapted for use with a watch, the rocker switch is preferably disposed in a recess in the watchcase and includes a manually-operable actuator bar having a pair of spaced legs projecting through access holes into the watercase to alternately engage a pair of switch contact means when the actuator bar is rocked. Each leg of the actuator bar preferably includes an offset lip engaging the watchcase from the inside to retain the actuator bar in the recess. Resilient washer means is positioned around the legs between the actuator bar and the bottom of the watchcase recess in sealed contact therewith to provide switch sealing means and return-spring means for the actuator bar.

Abstract: A tool kit is provided for enabling easy removal and attachment of a watch strap or band to a watch using spring bar type connectors. The tool kit comprises a work table and one or more tools which are stored in compartments in the work table and held releasably therein by detent means. The work table includes a watch support pad on which the watch is positioned for removal and attachment of the strap or band with one of the tools, the pad being made of rubber or other suitable material so as not to harm the watch finish. The work table also includes a pintle-compressing member in the form of a generally upright plate-like member having a first side wall and a recessed second side wall connected together at one end by a narrow end wall whose thickness is selected to compress a pintle of the spring bar connector when the plate-like member is positioned between a free watch case lug and a free end of the connector with the other end of the connector being engaged against the other watch case lug.

Abstract: An improved electrical drive circuit for a reversible electric stepping motor of the type having a coil supplied with electrical pulses to cause step-by-step rotation of a magnetized rotor, where the rotor includes additional magnetic poles for locking the rotor between steps in a stable equilibrium located so as to reduce the energy of pulses required to produce normal forward rotation of the rotor. Forward rotation is produced by a switching circuit which periodically connects a voltage source and energy dissipating means in circuit with the coil for pre-determined time intervals in a forward switching cycle. The reverse rotation switching cycle includes one or more pulse portions in the forward rotation to pre-position the rotor for reversal. Preparatory to reversal, the reverse switching cycle applied to the motor coil includes a train of high frequency pulses which reduce the electromagnetic torque in the forward rotational direction and control coil current.

Abstract: In an electric stepping motor, a pair of core members are held in intimate contact within the coil by outwardly extending coil-engaging means on the core members being in interference fit with inner turns of wire of the coil. No supplementary fastening means such as adhesive, screws or the like are required to provide the coil/core assembly.

Abstract: An LCD analog timepiece employs a multiplexing driving circuit to supply voltages to the liquid crystal display segments in the proper sequential relationship so as to activitate the desired portions of the display in time-multiplex fashion to show hours, minutes and seconds. The multiplex driving circuit connects a minimum number of combinations of simple waveforms in proper phase to one or more of 16 strings of radial segments and to one or more of 8 backplane segments in a prescribed manner. Special radial segments are located so as to straddle the juncture of the backplane segments, in order to simplify circuit connections for using an hour hand which appears to be three segments wide.

Abstract: An electronic analog timepiece with hour and minute hand driven by a stepping motor in accordance with low frequency timekeeping signals supplied by a high frequency quartz time reference. The electronic time-setting control circuit is controlled by a single manual push-button switch. The time is adjusted for correction, daylight saving or time zone change at slow, fast and accelerated rate in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Both an automatic single hour time correction with automatic restart, and a manual restart option are incorporated.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is an alkyl group and R.sub.2 is an alkyl, alkoxy, acyloxy, alkyl carbonato group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, CN or NO.sub.2. The compounds of the invention are useful as liquid crystal materials in electrooptical displays.Also disclosed are novel admixtures of the above benzoate compounds with cyanophenyl dioxane compounds, these admixtures being especially useful for multiplexed electrooptical displays. Preferred admixtures include at least about 40 weight percent of the above benzoate compounds and at least about 40 weight percent of cyanophenyl dioxane compounds with other liquid crystalline compounds such as phenyl cyclohexanecarboxylate, biphenyl and/or phenyl benzoate liquid crystalline compounds also being present in amounts up to about 20 weight percent.

Abstract: A snap-together electronic watch module frame and assembly includes a plastic front pod member having a first recess to receive and locate the electrooptical display, a rear pod member having a second recess to receive the timepiece battery, and an intermediate pod member sandwiched therebetween adapted to carry and position a printed circuit board with an integrated circuit chip, oscillator, capacitor, conductors and the like thereon in preselected relation to the display and battery. The module assembly is held together by resilient gripping arms molded into either the front or rear pod member snap-fitted onto shoulders molded on the other pod member. The intermediate pod member is molded to include on or more depending alignment legs adapted to fit in alignment holes molded in the rear pod member to properly position the circuit board components relative to the display and battery.

Abstract: Method for making a rotor assembly for a stepping motor is provided by locating one flat side of a brittle magnetic rotor annulus against a preformed annular alignment surface molded into a thermoplastic hub and then thermoplastically working localized portions of the hub adjacent the other flat side of the rotor to form in situ a second annular shoulder thereagainst to lock the rotor in the aligned position. Other localized portions of the hub are thermoplastically worked to form in situ an inner circumferential lip extending radially from the hub into a corresponding groove in the shaft supporting the hub, thereby preventing axial movement of the hub and rotor mounted thereon. Required alignment of the brittle rotor disc is thereby achieved while minimizing the danger of breakage and also minimizing the number of components and assembly steps.