Abstract: In order to synchronize data signals transferred from a source unit to a destination unit, a clock signal is transmitted from the destination unit to the source unit and transmission of data is effected under control of the received clock signal. The received clock signal is retransmitted back to the destination unit with the trasmitted data and is used to register receipt of the data.

Abstract: An outdoor cooking device capable of sustained use at elevated temperatures caused by the burning of mesquite charcoal, and the like. The device includes a plurality of liner sheet sections and a cooperative burning grate which form an inwardly spaced protective barrier adjacent the firebox side walls and bottom wall. The liner sheet sections and burning grate are independently removable and replaceable and cooperate to prevent heat degradation, or burnout, of the firebox which might otherwise result from cooking at the high combustion temperatures of mesquite charcoal, and the like.

Abstract: Method and Apparatus for cooling a mold having plural parallel cooling passages therethrough, the mold having flow control means at the inlet and sight glasses at the outlets and being arranged for overfeed so that liquid is always present in all cooling passages to avoid hot spots in the mold.

Abstract: The disclosed fitting connects a tubing end to a fluid conducting member which have a fluid port and end walls surrounding the port and a threaded portion surrounding the end wall. The fitting comprises a ferrule of resilient deformable material having a forward portion with a wide flat sealing surface which is adapted to mate with and sealingly engage the end wall surrounding the port. The ferrule has a throughbore with a diameter through its rearward portion being sufficient to receive the tubing end and the diameter through the forward portion being smaller than the tubing exterior thereby forming a tubing abutting shoulder within the ferrule. The ferrule is forced into sealing abuttment with the end wall of the fluid conducting member and into sealing engagement around the tubing by means of a fastener having a throughbore for receiving the tubing which is flared at its forward end to present conical walls for axially engaging the rearward end of the ferrule.

Abstract: A wheeled arrangement, particularly a wheeled vehicle such as a wheelchair, includes two wheels (12,14) mechanically interconnected by a linkage including an inclined pivot (16) such that when forward movement of one wheel is obstructed continued forward movement of the arrangement and of the other wheel causes the one wheel to lift relative to the other wheel by rotation on the inclined pivot. Such an arrangement is capable of climbing a step or other obstacle having a greater height in relation to the diameter of the wheels than is possible with conventional arrangements.

Abstract: A data storage apparatus uses a store having a nibble mode facility which allows two words to be accessed in a single extended cycle. Store access requests are held in a first-in-first-out queue in a buffer. When processing strings of data, double-read requests are alternated with pairs of write requests. A read request may be incorrectly aligned i.e. it may occur between a related pair of write requests. When an incorrectly aligned read request is detected, it is given priority so that it is executed ahead of its normal turn, and is then skipped when it is encountered during normal sequential read-out from the buffer. This allows the pair of write requests to be grouped together for execution in a single extended cycle.

Abstract: A decoder for Manchester encoded data in which the encoded data is sampled by a clock signal to produce a decoded data signal. The decoded data is combined with a delayed version of the encoded data, to produce the clock signal. In a preferred version, a tuned circuit is included to stabilize the clock signal against jitter.

Abstract: An optical receiver, for use with optical fibre or for receiving a beam in free space, has its detector device, usually a PIN diode (D) connected in series with a resistor (R1) and to the base of a gallium arsenide field effect transistor (FET). Although the latter is satisfactory at most frequencies of operation, in certain load conditions, instability can occur at Gigahertz frequencies. To overcome this, the source-drain path of the FET is shunted by 50 ohm resistor (R2) in series with a capacitor (C) of about 5 nanofarads. In addition the FET is coupled to a bipolar transistor amplifier by a relatively long wire bond (L) which acts as an inductive impedance at the frequencies at which this instability occurs. These measures between them suppress this instability.

Abstract: A bush element for supporting a rod or shaft in a side plate has portion for entry into a generally circular aperture in the side plate. The portion of the bush has tooth shaped projections extending radially outwardly such that the overall diameter of the portion exceeds that of the aperture. The aperture is enlarged at a position to receive the projections so that rotation of the bush in the side plate results in the extremities of the teeth being cut away by the side plate to ensure a precise fit of the bush in the side plate.

Abstract: Color control in a Denisyuk type hologram having interference fringes lying generally parallel to the substrate is effected by subjecting the initially produced hologram to resensitizing, controlled re-exposure, second development and second bleaching steps, of which the effect is to remove silver produced by the second exposure so as to enable the playback interference fringes to move closer together.

Abstract: There is described a data processing apparatus with a binary multiplication capability. The apparatus has an arithmetic and logic unit (ALU) and a operand register. The operand register is divided into two portions, the first of which can be shifted while the second is loaded in parallel. For multiplication, the first portion is used to hold a multiplier and to receive the least significant bits of the result, while the second portion receives the most significant bits of the result. The invention avoids the need for a separate shift register to hold the multiplier. The described apparatus also has a look-ahead facility, for selecting the next bit of the multiplier ahead of its requirement, so that it is immediately available when required.

Abstract: A removable enclosure cover for a swimming pool or the like is disclosed. The enclosure cover includes a plurality of rigid frame members of rectangular panel sections. Th frame members are spaced apart and extend parallel to one another transversely across the pool area. A flexible material is stretched between the frame members. A pair of spaced parallel channel-shaped track members extend along the sides of the pool and guide means is attached to the lower ends of each of the frame members. The guide means has rollers which extend into the interior of the track members. One roller rolls along the bottom of the track members and is mounted on a vertically movable carriage, permitting the frame members to be moved together to one end of the pool deck and collapsing the flexible material to uncover the pool.

Abstract: An improved interchangeable knitting needle system comprising knitting needles, preferably made of molded plastic, and being formed with cable connecting members that prevent breakage of the needles during use with detachably engaged hollow flexible cables that collect the knitted loops, and the like therealong. A pair of needles may be connected to opposite ends of a flexible cable for the storage of looped yarn therebetween. The system further includes a double-ended connector member capable of interconnecting a plurality of flexible cables between a pair of knitting needles. Said double-ended connector member having opposite connecting ends which are also detachably engageable at the ends of the joined flexible cables. The system further provides a stop button capable of detachably connecting to one end of a cable whereby one knitting needle may be independent of the cable, and another knitting needle may be secured to the other end of the cable to enable the storage of looped yarn along the cable.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for analyzing the absorption spectra of a minute sample. The sample is placed in a hollow enclosure which is sealed after a suitable working fluid is introduced into the enclosure. When a vapor equilibrium is reached within the enclosure creating a droplet condensate of working fluid about the sample, the sample is first irradiated with dark-field visible illumination with an image thereof stored, and is then irradiated with infrared radiation and a second dark-field image stored. The stored images are analyzed and the procedure is repeated for a plurality of different frequencies spanning the range of infrared absorption of the sample.

Abstract: In an optical receiver for the reception of a modulated light beam, the beam falls on a PIN diode connected to the input of an amplifier which has a feedback resistor across it. This resistor is shunted by the series combination of a Schottky diode and of a PIN diode. The former diode ensures that a high magnitude pulse does not leave the receiver undesirably insensitive to a following smaller pulse. The latter diode, due to its low self-capacitance and low leakage, overcomes distortions due to the Schottky diode's higher self-capacitance and leakage. These effects are enhanced by providing the series-connected diodes with a low value (e.g. 0.2 volts) of reverse bias, due to the different connections of the diodes and the feedback resistor to a potential divider between the amplifier output and a point at a reference potential.

Abstract: A rubber stamp with a skirted housing in which a plunger is slideable and spring biased to an upward position. At its bottom end the plunger includes a slotted base to which a print block is removably attached, and at the top end thereof the plunger includes a snap locking cap which permits easy assembly and disassembly of the unit. A frame contains the print block and includes a pair of ribbed flexible arms removably engageable within the slots of the base. Finger tabs connected to the flexible arms are accessible through cutouts in the housing skirt and effective for squeezing and removing the framed print block. A transparent cover is attachable to the housing skirt and covers the inked print block, and abuts the finger tabs so that the print block cannot be moved and inadvertently ink the inside surface of the transparent cover.

Abstract: A keyboard arrangement for computer equipment in which the full set of keys is utilized for computing functions has a restricted set of the full set of keys used for operating a telephony function. The equipment is normally mainspowered, but in the event of mains failure, only the restricted set of keys is scanned by means envisaged from standby battery power, thereby reducing the power required from the battery.

Abstract: A hose coupling has a tubular body (10) one end of which is intended to be attached to the end of a hose-pipe (14), and the other end of which has a bore (12) to receive the spigot (20) of a co-operating coupling (22) which is retained in the bore with a snap action. Three locking members (38) project into the bore (12) to hold the spigot (20) therein, and a locking sleeve (24) can be moved axially of the body (10) to force the locking members (38) to a release position, enabling the spigot (20) to be withdrawn from the bore to separate the couplings. The locking members (38) are interconnected by a ring (26) attached to the end of the body (10), and during assembly of the coupling the body (10) and the ring (26) interengage with a snap action to retain the ring (26) in fixed relationship to the body (10) and to hold the sleeve (24 ) captive on the body (10).

Abstract: A device for connecting one liquid chromatography device to another. The device comprises an elongated, cylindrical shaft having an integral ferrule seat at each end of the shaft. A central bore extends through the shaft and the integral ferrule seats to permit liquid to pass therethrough. An enlarged collar is located centrally on the shaft to aid in attaching the device to chromatography equipment. Because of the short length of the device and minimum size of the central bore, the device has a minimum of interceding volume so that the efficiency of connected devices is uneffected.