Abstract: A detonation flame arrester device including a left and right housing assembly containing two flapper plates positioned one in either side of the housing assembly and separated by a channeled barrier in the form of a stacked plate flame arrester designed to allow vapor passage under normal non-activated conditions. The flapper plates are positioned at an angle to be forced shut in advance of a detonation or deflagration wave coming from either direction and propagating through a piping system. The flapper plate is activated by the action of the pressure front on the flapper plate, and each plate is of a size and shape to cover the entire cross sectional area of the housing assembly. The flapper plates can optionally be slammed shut by torsion springs activated through alternate activation devices.

Abstract: A technique to preserve absorbent core integrity in a disposable article is described.Columns which protrude from the backing sheet of an absorbent disposable article or personal wear garment and which project into the fibrous mass of an absorbent core overlaid onto a liquid impervious backing sheet are disclosed. A top sheet which is pervious to liquids overlies the core of fibrous material encapsulating the absorbent core in cooperation with the backing sheet. The top sheet also may carry similar columns. These columns act to restrict the movement of the fibers in the absorbent core and, more particularly, to enhance and maintain the integrity of the absorbent core whenever wet and/or placed under stress. These columns serve to resist and to diminish any disintegration of the absorbent core.

Abstract: The pistons of a cold plate frame orient themselves as a result of being free to move along one axis and about two other axes by the reflowing of solder tinning on the external surfaces of the pistons and the walls of the recesses within which the pistons reside. As the pistons are permitted to move freely under a biasing force during the solder reflow the face of the piston will engage with the top surface of an electronic chip against which the piston is engaged. The cooling of the solder after reflow will freeze the position and orientation of the piston to that of the electronic chip and will permit enhanced cooling. The cold plate may be disassembled from and reassembled with the components of the cooling system and the electronic chips while maintaining significantly enhanced cooling capabilities.

Abstract: The instability of a cage in a precision ball bearing at high speeds may be eliminated by controlling the position of the cage. The control of a position of a cage is accomplished by forming three ball pockets or holes in the cage for the balls of the ball bearing assembly to a dimension that will result in a tight running fit between the ball and the ball pocket. A tight running fit between the ball and the cage is found in three of the ball pockets in a ball bearing assembly while the diameter of the large ball pockets or other remaining ball pockets is enlarged to provide a clearance between the balls and the cage which is at least twice the clearance between the ball and the guide ball pocket having the tight running fit, and preferably three to five times that clearance. When properly lubricated, the tight running fit will insure stabilization and control of the cage so that the cage remains stable at high rotational speeds.

Abstract: The physical memory of a computer may not be directly accessable to the operator during the operation of a program due to the operational requirements of the operating system. Direct access to the physical memory of the computer during such operation may be possible through the aliasing of the physical memory locations and the creation of virtual alias addresses which will then give operator the necessary control to directly access any memory location thereby permitting the debugging of the program.

Abstract: An optical scanning station is disclosed which utilizes light bending apparatus such as mirrors or optical wedges to gather and redirect some of the illumination radiating from the object. The gathering of the light occurs off-axis from the lens and the redirection of the light to the lens causes an off-axis angle between the light beam and the lens axis, thereby resulting in multiple images which are spaced apart from each other when focused on an image plane. The multiple images may be split apart and directed to separate image planes by use of front surface mirrors making the images then available for individual capture by charge couple devices or other similar image capture apparatus. Alternatively, the outboard images may be redirected, again by mirrors, to be focused coincident to the on-axis image, thereby increasing the illumination level at the image plane well in excess of that obtainable with only a single image of the object being focused at the image plane.

Abstract: A magnetic bistable latch mechanism for latching the actuator of a disk drive in a parked position is described. The latch comprises a magnetically detented latch lever which engages and latches a latch arm in a parked position. The latch arm is part of actuator motor structure and accordingly latches the actuator motor. The latch lever is held in either the latched or unlatched position by magnetic attraction and resists shocks and impacts that otherwise would move the actuator. The latch lever is shifted from one position t the other by the actuator motor eliminating the need for additional circuitry or mechanisms to control the latch. Additionally, the latch does not consume any electrical power in either the latched or unlatched condition.

Abstract: A door forming a part of a closure assembly is attached to the frame of the closure assembly by engaging bifurcated branches of a pivot arm with a pivot shaft. One of the branches is extended to engage a curved leaf spring which is deformed as the door and the extension is pivoted about the shaft. The deformation of the spring is instrumental in exerting a force on the extension to detent the door in the closed position and the extension may disengage from the spring surface when in the open position. To further stabilize the door, a stabilizer is formed on the back of the door and it engages the end of a recessed channel in the assembly, at a point coincident with the pivot axis of the door.

Abstract: An X-Y microscope stage is provided with a tiltable support for a specimen. The specimen may be tilted about the tilt axis to re-orient the specimen for viewing. The re-orientation of the specimen may require a small adjustment in the X or Y direction and a subsequent refocus of the microscope optics.

Abstract: A customized cable for the interconnection of electronic devices or electronic interfaces is accomplished by the application of an applique patch containing custom desired circuits for interconnecting the interrupted connectors in the cable itself. The applique patch may be inserted into the connector housing through an aperture in the connector housing thereby allowing customization or rework of the cable, if necessary, to correct a defect or to make repairs. The applique patch then is connected to provide electrical connections between the conductors of the cables and the connector and to reroute the signals to a different signal assignment arrangement at the connector.

Abstract: A memory module is built up from a power distribution assembly in the form of plates forming a capacitor of low inductance and a flexible circuit substrate. The circuit substrate is populated with precisely positioned contact pads for the power, read, write and address lines of memory chips that contact the substrate. Memory chips are fixed to heat spreaders and loaded into a chip holder which positions the chips for contact with the contact pads on the substrate. The substrate contact pads are plated to form dendritic crystals of palladium and the memory chips are provided with solder balls on the contact pads of the memory chip. The solder balls are held in contact with the contact pads by the compressive forces of clamping a heat sink over the heat spreaders for testing, and the assembly may be readily disassembled to replace any defective memory. The compression connection of the chips to the substrate may be relied on or the solder balls may be reflowed to establish permanent solder connections.

Abstract: A technique for filling hollow, plated-through-hole vias in multi-layer printed circuit substrates with solder and then joining the solder filled via with a solder ball on a solder ball connectable electronic module is disclosed. The filling of the vias is accomplished by depositing solder paste on one end of the hollow via and reflowing the solder particles within the solder paste to at least partially fill the PTH via. The depositing of the solder paste and the reflowing operations may be repeated until such time as the via is substantially completely filled with solid solder. The importance of the prefilling of the vias with solder is that the reflowing operation of solder balls or solder paste when joining the multi-layer printed circuit board to the electronic module, will prevent undue wicking or pulling of molten solder from the electrical connection into the PTH via, thereby preventing the formation of solder starved or unreliable electrical connections.

Abstract: To prevent the opening of an electronic combination lock by using a strong magnet to operate a stepper motor, a magnetic interlock is included in the lock structure. A magnetic pin is held in a retracted position by a small magnet when a strong attack magnet is positioned to attempt to open the lock, the magnetic pin is attracted from the holding magnet and extended to bridge the bolt and lock housing, blocking the retraction of the bolt.

Abstract: A magnetic seal for a disk drive data storage unit is described where the magnet assembly comprising an annular magnet and two annular pole pieces are adhesively attached with the magnet intermediate the pole pieces and the assembly thereof then forcibly inserted, creating a force fit, into a shield which is formed as an annulus with an interior cylindrical surface engaging the exterior cylindrical surfaces of the magnet assembly. The force fit insures electrical continuity between the shield and the pole pieces. The shield extends into close proximity with the shaft being sealed and is provided with a relieved region immediately adjacent the interior cylindrical surface of the pole pieces to form a reservoir for receiving, trapping and retaining any ferromagnetic fluid which may escape from the gap between the pole pieces and the shaft. A mating shield is then assembled onto the previously assembled components after the introduction of the ferromagnetic fluid into the seal gaps.

Abstract: A bolt retraction mechanism is descrbied that is enabled by an electronic signal to a stepper motor which causes the lock to be openable. The lock is internally powered by a generator operable by the operator. The operation of the generator is separate from the lock operations.

Abstract: A gasket is fabricated with electrical flex cables extending through the gasket in order to electrically communicate from the outside of a vacuum chamber with the electrical devices positioned within a vacuum chamber of a cryogenically cooled module. The gasket is fabricated from elastomeric, dielectric materials such as neoprene to effect a seal between the portions of the vacuum chamber and also to seal between the gasket material and the conductors of the flex cables which pass through the gasket.

Abstract: A dental mixing slab is described as having a heat sink and depending support members to space the heat sink from a supporting surface such as a counter or table. The dental mixing slab is formed out of stainless steel which is highly thermal conductive and is not damaged by heating and cooling. Heating is required to sterilize the mixing slab to avoid the transmission of disease from patient to patient or between patient and dental worker. Heating will not damage the dental mixing slab.