Abstract: An improved conveyor for signatures, loose sheets, gathered sheets, and the like, with a device for picking them up. The improved conveyor achieves fast signature transport capabilities in overlapped relationship. A mechanism is also provided for entraining the signatures which are operative on each signature prior to a preceding signature moving fully away from the following one. Advantageously, the entrainment members have an outer surface with a high friction coefficient. The initial section of the elevator conveyor belts follows a path which deviates from the oblique plane of lay thereof, preferably a substantially vertical path.

Abstract: A jogger device for jogging signatures or sheets during the formation of stacks in bookbinding machines, such as loaders, including an oscillating disk which is driven of reciprocating motion by a source of reciprocating motion and transmits said reciprocating motion to the supports of two side jogging vanes. Thus, the jogging device can have reduced transversal dimensions. The central vane of the device is carried by the element imparting the reciprocating motion to the oscillating disk.

Abstract: An electric fuse according to this invention incorporates metal end caps and an elongate fuse element having regions of reduced cross-sectional area and extending in electrical series between the metal end caps, wherein the fuse incorporates within each end a respective gasket of an absorbent material impregnated with an arc-inhibiting substance. Materials which have been found to be particularly effective for the gaskets are asbestos and absorbent types of paper, including strawboard and cardboard, impregnated with an arc-inhibiting compound constituted, suitably, by sodium silicate.

Abstract: For the purpose of generating an output signal having a sinusoidal waveform, a digital store stores at different locations binary-coded amplitudes at equally spaced instants of time throughout a complete cycle of a sine wave. Those locations are addressed in turn by means of a pulse counter and the signals supplied by the memory are passed to a digital/analogue converter from which the required output signal is derived. The pulse signal supplied to the counter is obtained from a train of clock pulses by a programmable divider. To effect a frequency change in the output signal (for the purpose of signalling binary data), the divisor of the divider is changed in a sequence of steps so that the overall change in output frequency is less abrupt than would otherwise be the case.The arrangement described is suitable for use in a modem working with the Viewdata system currently adopted by the British Post Office.

Abstract: A suspension system for a double-axle vehicle has been developed which allows load-sharing up and down movement of the axles to occur in a rectilinear manner so as to cope with road surface irregularities, such as potholes. The rectilinear manner of the movement ensures that the axles do not twist and, for example set up driveline vibration in a driven axle. The forward end of the leading spring and the trailing end of the other spring are each carried by a cranked rocker. The intermediate ends of the springs are interconnected by a further rocker. A torsion shaft links one axle to a rocker mounting point, and the free arms of the two cranked rockers are connected by a rod which causes the cranked rockers to move synchronously as the springs move up and down, thereby ensuring rectilinear movement of the springs.

Abstract: A nail cleanser containing sodium ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, urea and water. When applied to nails it removes various stains such as tobacco, nail pigment, shoe polish, furniture polish and hair dyes.

Abstract: Electrical devices of outdoor electrical receptacles are protected from weather conditions. A protective cover and a waterproofing gasket are pivotally mounted on a plate for movement along a circular path between a fully closed position, in which the gasket prevents water from reaching the device, and a fully open position, in which access to the electrical device is permitted. A leaf spring having a planar movable portion constantly and affirmatively urges the cover to the closed position. In order to ensure a reliable and automatic return of the cover to the closed position, an anti-over-the-center stop prevents a leading end of the cover, which engages the planar spring portion at a contact zone, from moving the latter beyond an imaginary line which extends from the center of curvature of the circular path in a radial direction towards, and at a right angle to, the plane of the spring portion. The cover is easily mounted by snap-type action to the plate under spring tension.

Abstract: A mirror mounting arrangement for a gas laser, in which the end faces of the laser body are ground and polished to the required accuracy and form direct seatings for the end mirror. The mirror is mounted in an annular frame having an external thin flange remote from the mirror position. This flange confronts a similar flange fixed on to the laser body, the two flanges being separated by an annular gap. A double flanged spacer element which is fractionally shorter, axially, than the gap is inserted in it and welded to the adjacent flanges under axial pressure. The mirror is thus permanently urged into engagement with the laser body end face and its position and attitude fixed. The remoteness of the welding seam avoids damage to the mirror.

Abstract: An electric amplifier adapted to respond to an input signal of either polarity comprising a first differential amplifier OP1 which is arranged to drive through a load L a current whose value varies with the input but is independent of the load value and a second differential amplifier OP2 arranged to maintain the ratio of the amplifier output potentials relative to a datum potential at a predetermined value so that by appropriate choice of the datum potential and the predetermined ratio value the available output potential swing with a given supply voltage can be maximized.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficiently recovering heat from a gas stream such as discharged flue gas. The gas stream is countercurrently contacted with a liquid medium in two stages. A first countercurrent contact stage is between a partially cooled gas stream and cold liquid medium in a bed of packing through which the cold liquid medium flows downwards and the partially cooled gas stream flows upwards, so that a warmed liquid medium and fully cooled gas stream are produced. The second countercurrent contact stage is between the warmed liquid medium derived from the first contact stage and the hot initial gas stream in a plurality of parallel vertically oriented passages. The warmed liquid medium flows downward on the inner walls of the vertically oriented passages as a thin liquid film, while the hot initial gas stream flows upwards within the vertically oriented passages, so that a fully heated liquid medium and the partially cooled gas stream are produced.

Abstract: A carrier-domain magnetometer (20) incorporating compensation for changes in its domain rotation frequency/magnetic flux density characteristic due to changes in operating conditions, e.g. electric bias and/or ambient temperature conditions, and/or due to ageing, compensation being obtained by providing means (24 to 28) for monitoring the ratio (F-F.sub.o)/F.sub.o where F is the domain rotation frequency when both a magnetic field biassing the magnetometer onto the linear part of its frequency/flux characteristic and a magnetic field to be sensed are applied, and F.sub.o is the domain rotation frequency when the biassing field only is applied.

Abstract: A thermally responsive electric switch including two dimensionally identical, bimetallic, snap-over, part-spherical, thermally responsive actuating elements 9, 11, arranged in a nesting, contacting relationship within the end portion 7 of a housing. The first element 9 changes from a first to a second curvature when its temperature rises above a first predetermined temperature, returning to its first curvature if its temperature falls below a second, lower, predetermined temperature. The second element 11 changes from a first to a second curvature when its temperature rises above a third predetermined temperature higher than the first temperature, and thereafter remains in that curvature. A common force transmitting rod 13 bearing on the uppermost element 11 transmits the movement of both elements to a pair of contacts 3 at the other end of the housing, the contacts being in one condition when both plates have the first curvature, and otherwise being in a second condition.

Abstract: A coded property identification system, typically including a stencil and stencil kit, for the marking of personal property with owner identification symbols, to deter theft and also to identify the rightful owner of stolen personal property which has been recovered by law enforcement authorities. The stencil is an elongated flat strip of material such as plastic, which is apertured with a series of openings arranged generally in a line. Each of the openings corresponds to a recognizable symbol such as a number or a letter. In the system, the combination of the symbols for any given stencil is a unique permutation, so that identification of the owner of the personal property may be readily ascertained, once the stencil has been used to etchably or otherwise permanently mark the personal property. The owner of the personal property is ascertained by reference to a particular and specific master code.

Abstract: In the manufacture of a monolithic LED array, in particular a matrix array, in which portions of the array are electrically isolated from one another by channels cut or etched through the slice of n-type material, the channels are formed in two stages, relatively wide channels first being formed from the back surface of the slice to within 50 microns of the front surface, and filled with a glass frit which is bonded to the semiconductor material on each side of the channel, then narrower channels are formed from the front surface of the slice to meet the glass in the initial channels, and are similarly filled with glass frit. A glass powder suspension is introduced into each set of channels by spreading or spinning over the surface of the slice, or by electrophoretic deposition and/or capillary action, then the liquid suspension medium is removed and the glass powder is sintered.

Abstract: An air-inflatable overhead crib gym toy encourages children to perform exercise-type manual movements with safety. The toy has an inflatable elongated tubular body in which a movable toy object is received, a pair of longitudinally-extending inflatable tubular extensions at opposite ends of the body, and a transversely-extending inflatable tubular projection which extends downwardly towards the child. A handle is swingingly supported from each extension. The movable object is visible through transparent side walls in the body, and is movable when the child grasps the handles, the projection, or any other part of the toy. Noisemakers are actuated when the child manipulates the toy. The inflated toy is soft and yieldable to the touch to protect the child from injury, and restores itself to its inflated condition when the child releases the toy from his grasp.

Abstract: A gravity flow display device which is usable for selectively and alternatingly exhibiting two different but conceptually related displays. The device has two thin transparent walled half-hourglass compartments through which displays at their rears are visible. The device further contains non-transparent particulate matter which is capable of flowing from compartment to compartment in response to gravitational force and which is of a sufficient quantity to almost completely fill only whichever of said compartments contains it. When said non-transparent particulate matter is contained within one of the two transparent compartments, the display attached to said compartment is blocked from view.

Abstract: A photographic print and film washer which achieves the washing of photographic sheet material to archival quality. The washer features a liquid supply element for introducing a continuous stream of washer liquid under pressure to the interior compartment of a basin, to generate therein a hydrodynamic, generally horizontal, circumferentially-extending, generally laminar liquid flow. The basin has wall portions bounding an interior compartment for containing the photographic material to be washed. The interior compartment is bounded by an inner circumferential wall surrounding the photographic material. The washer liquid supply element includes a liquid inlet element in fluid communication with the interior compartment of the basin, and operative for continuously admitting washer liquid therein in a generally circumferential direction for washing the photographic material, and a washer liquid discharge facility for discharging spent washer liquid from the interior compartment of the basin.

Abstract: A radio direction finding system in which the angle of arrival of radio signals incident on a group of antenna elements is determined from the relative phase or phases of the radio signals incident upon two or more of said antenna elements. One of said elements is connected to a first radio receiver, while the other elements of the group are connected in turn to a second radio receiver, successive values of relative phase between signals received by the two receivers being utlized to derive a value for the angle of arrival of a radio signal relative to the antenna elements.