Abstract: A battery operated, rotatable platform display device for use in retail establishments. The display device employs a friction clutch provided between the base of the rotatable platform and an underlying drive plate upon which the rotatable platform is supported via a rotatable drive shaft.

Abstract: An automatic packaging machine inserts small items, such as candy coated chewing gum, into a box with the small items arranged in a desired orientation. First, the small items are swept into a grid of individual pockets in plates on a conveyor. Then, the grid is inverted over an insertion tray having grooves which receive the small items without disturbing the desired orientation. The entire tray is inserted into a box and then withdrawn from the box. A ridge is formed adjacent said grooves for lifting a side of the box confronting the small items while the tray is inserted into the box so that there is almost no friction between the small item and the box, which might otherwise disturb the desired orientation. The small items are blocked during a withdrawal of the tray so that they are laid down in the desired orientation on the bottom of the box.

Abstract: A frequency range of a digital audio signal is expanded without increasing a sampling frequency f.sub.5. The digital audio signal has a frequency range with an upper frequency defined by a frequency f.sub.5 /2, and also has noise components induced when being digitized. Firstly, the digital audio signal is split into first and second audio signals. The noise components of the first audio signal are shifted up to a predetermined frequency higher than f.sub.5 so as to leave a first frequency range between the first audio signal and the noise components. Following this, the first audio signal is delayed by a predetermined time duration. On the other hand, the second audio signal is band-pass filtered such as to have a second frequency range defined by frequencies f.sub.1 and f.sub.2 wherein 0<f.sub.1 <f.sub.2 <f.sub.5. Subsequently, the second audio signal is Fourier transformed, after which the spectrum of the second frequency range is processed so as to be expanded over new spectrum.

Abstract: An audio-visual telecommunications system comprises a videophone terminal including a videophone communication interface for making a connection to a telecommunications network. A picture processing unit receives audio-visual signals from the videophone terminal which it process in order to compose a picture with sound. The picture processing unit transmits signals representing the composite picture to a television set. The picture processing unit includes an image memory which stores visual signals in a digital form as they are received from the videophone communication interface. A time base receives a composite video signal from the television set and extracts the line and frame synchronized signals. The time base controls a read-out which is synchronized with the extracted synchronization signals and formed responsive to the signals stored in the memory.

Abstract: An electric heating apparatus heats a circulating fluid for a basin or pool. A section of a duct is connected, at its upstream end, to an intake duct for the fluid. Its downstream end is connected to a duct for the discharge of that fluid, this forming an end-to-end series for conducting the fluid. The apparatus includes a plurality of heating elements elongated in the direction of the elongation of the duct. The heating unit includes the heating element mounted on an elongated base and approximately parallel with the longitudinal dimension of said base. The heating unit is mounted on the duct in such a manner that the base closes an opening which is provided to facilitate the assembling of the heating unit on the duct. The heating elements are supported by a support that is movably mounted inside an opening in the base.

Abstract: A brake drum for mounting on a wheel hub has first and second drum pilots for facilitating proper alignment when installing the brake drum on the hub. The first drum pilot is configured to engage a first hub pilot and the second drum pilot is configured to engage a second hub pilot. When the brake drum is initially moved toward the hub during installation, the first drum pilot engages the first hub pilot and the second drum pilot is sufficiently spaced away from the first hub pilot to prevent the front edge of the second drum pilot from being caught on the corner edge of the second hub pilot and the drum becoming eccentrically mounted.

Abstract: An electrostatic filter removes particles from non-electrically-conductive fluids. A pair of electrical conductors extend through a filter housing for providing one of a plurality of D.C. voltage levels selected to control electrical current consumption within the filter. A plurality of identical perforated, electrically conductive plates are connected to individual ones of the conductors by reversing the orientation of the plate. Successive plates are alternately positive or negative. Porous foam filter pads are located between each pair of plates. A permanent magnet is located in the foam pads which are between the positive to negative, but not between negative to positive, conductive plates, determined with respect to the direction of the fluid flow within the filter housing. The permanent magnetic field interacts with a corona formed around plates of one polarity in order to agitate the particles which then become entrapped within the porous foam filter pads.

Abstract: Surgically implantable bone prostheses comprising one or more biocompatable, medically inert contoured body members designed to be restrained along at least two crisscrossing axes and including at least one channel passing through the prostheses.

Abstract: A sewing machine comprises a holding device, by means of which the front end of the needle thread can be clamped and held. Further, a cutter is available, by means of which the front end of the needle thread can be cut off directly over the workpiece.

Abstract: An LCD panel (45) has a plurality of terminal electrodes (45d) formed at a peripheral portion thereof. The LCD panel (45) is brought into contact with conductive contact elements (13) and fixed by fixing means (71) to be electrically connected to a circuit board (81). An insulator (11) has a first surface (11a) for mounting the peripheral portion of the LCD panel (45), and a second surface (11b) to be faced to the circuit board (11b). The contact elements (13) are fixedly mounted in the insulator (11) to be brought into contact with the terminal electrodes (45d), respectively, when the LCD panel (45) is disposed on the first surface (11a) of the insulator (11). The fixing means (71) clamps and fixedly holds the insulator (11) and the LCD panel (45) when the LCD panel (45) is disposed on the first surface (11a). The insulator (11) is combined with a header (100) to be mounted on the circuit board (81).

Abstract: An electric shock is avoided by prohibiting a finger or hand from touching an electrode portion of a liquid crystal backlight socket or a connector electrode of a backlight lamp. Further, the breakage of the backlight lamp, which would be otherwise caused due to vibration or shock transmitted through a structure in which the socket is rigidly fixed to a liquid crystal circuit board, is avoided. The backlight socket includes a pair of leaf spring contacts each having a backlight connector electrode connecting portion, an inner insulator and an outer insulator. Each contact is fixed to the inner insulator and the outer insulator so that the inner insulator is elastically supported inside the outer insulator by the pair of contacts. Further, the backlight connector electrode connecting portions of the contacts are disposed in a manner so as not to be exposed to the exterior of the inner insulator.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser array according to the invention is so constructed that plural LDs are driven by the same modulating signal, and series connection of the plural LDs becomes possible. Accordingly, efficiency of modulation of the aforementioned semiconductor laser array is largely improved. After a n-InP clad layer 6, an active layer 7 and a p-InP layer 8 are successively grown on a semi-insulating substrate 5, the n-InP clad layer 6 is etched and a stripe shaped mesa is formed. Then, a p-InP current blocking layer 9 and a n-InP current blocking layer 10 are grown on the etched portion. After fabricating a p+-InP cap layer 11 thereon, the surface of the n-InP clad layer 6 is exposed by selective etching. Moreover, a channel 12 for isolating the adjacent LDs, reaching the semi-insulating layer 5, is formed by penetrating the n-InP clad layer 6.

Abstract: A speed control apparatus for determining and controlling the speed of rotation of a rotor in an AC motor. The motor includes a stator having main and auxiliary windings. Main and auxiliary winding controllers control the operational input signals supplied to the main and auxiliary windings by a signal generator. A pulse generator is connected to the main winding for providing a test pulse during a speed measurement operation. The test pulse magnetizes a portion of the rotor which induces a feedback EMF signal in the auxiliary winding. A feedback sensor circuit receives the feedback signal and forwards it to a microprocessor. The microprocessor calculates the rotational speed of the rotor based on the feedback signal.

Abstract: Advertisement at the point of purchase is presented by a box containing a rotary device which displays graphic material on each step of the device. The rotary device is mounted in a box having a lens focused on the graphic material. A very low cost is achieved by a plastic plate shaped to form two cantilever springs, one of the cantilever springs has a tooth which steps the rotary drive into a viewing position, and the other of the cantilever springs has a tooth which stops the rotary device in a viewing position.

Abstract: In a connector for connecting a flat connection object with a circuit board having a signal circuit and an earth circuit, the flat connection object has a conductive signal pattern and a conductive shield pattern opposite to each other. The connector is provided with an insulator housing holding a conductive hold down which is used in fixing the insulator housing onto the circuit board and is connected to the earth circuit. In order to connect the signal pattern with a contact held to the housing, a pressing member is used and moved relative to the insulator housing. The pressing member is conductive and is brought into contact with the conductive shield pattern and with the conductive hold down when the pressing member makes the flat connection object be connected to the contact.

Abstract: A low cost dry polymer processing system has a housing containing submersible pump with a weir mounted on top of the housing and over an impeller chamber in the housing. The weir is a combination of a sleeve and a coaxial funnel with a top edge of the funnel that is level with respect to gravity to the extent that an inside wall of the funnel is wetted with an unbroken sheet of liquid. An electrolyte liquid rising in the sleeve overflows the top edge of the funnel in order to form a liquid sheet or curtain uniformly covering the inside wall of the funnel. The amount of liquid is limited so that the impeller is not hydraulically locked. Dry polymer is dropped through the funnel and into the eye of the impeller enclosed within the chamber which is drained via a port in the bottom of the pump housing. Fresh electrolyte is introduced into the housing at a level which is under the impeller. Thereafter, the mixture of the electrolyte and polymer is drained from the impeller compartment via the port.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device has circuit components, a wiring arrangement electrically connected to the circuit components and a shield structure for preventing signal wirings from a cross-talk between the signal wirings, and the signal wirings are patterned from a conductive layer extending over grooves formed in the shield structure so as to be self-aligned with the shield structure.

Abstract: A bubble making apparatus and method for producing an orderly chain of simply connected large bubbles. Bubble forming vents are provided into a bubble forming chamber at one end of a bubble forming tube. Bubbles propagate along the tube and are expelled through a bubble outlet port as a chain of bubbles with the aid of air flow through bubble propulsion vents. The chain of bubbles is supported by air flow from an air outlet port disposed below the bubble outlet port.

Abstract: Documents bearing a thin reflective extruded security stripe comprising a leafing aluminum pigment having a gloss characteristic of from 20 to 24 as measured on a Gardner/BYK Microglass meter at a 60.degree. angle. A water soluble dye may be incorporated in the stripe. A method of making the document and a dye containing leafing aluminum pigment for extrusion on the document are also disclosed.