Abstract: The motion of a caged laboratory animal is recorded by providing in the floor of the cage a platform which tilts slightly into one of four quadrants in response to the location of the animal within the cage. The tilting of the platform activates a switch for each quadrant, the output of the switches being recorded as a function of time. The platform has a fulcrum cone located at the center of gravity and is mounted over a platform support. The platform support includes a central pivot point over which the fulcrum cone of the platform is mounted and four upstanding posts which are located at the midpoints of the sides of the platform support. The elevation of the posts at the sides is slightly lower than the lower surface of the platform when it is balanced about the central pivot point. The switches are located at the corners of the platform support.

Abstract: A thermocouple probe for use in measuring high temperatures includes a ceramic rod having a pair of channels extending throughout the length of the tube, a pair of conductors of different material extending through the channels and being interconnected at one end of the rod, a titanium tube enclosing the rod, a ceramic tube enclosing a portion of the titanium tube and heat insulating, flexible tubing enclosing the conductors as they extend from the other end of the rod to a suitable electrical connector. Such a probe arrangement permits accurate sensing of temperatures in the range of 752.degree. to 2012.degree.F.

Abstract: A rotating vacuum shaft assembly includes a housing, a hollow shaft positioned in an opening in the housing and at least one seal made of a fluorocarbon polymer material disposed in the region around the shaft to permit a vacuum to be drawn through the shaft while it is rotated. The seal has deformable ribs which contact the surface of the shaft and the internal walls of the housing, the ribs deforming when a pressure difference exists across the seal thereby enhancing the quality of the seal.

Abstract: A piezoelectric beam is fixed at one end and is subdivided into segments, each of which is deflected by a logic one in one of the magnitude bit locations of a digital word. The total deflection of the beam is related to the total magnitude of the digital word. The segment closest to the fixed end is controlled by the most significant bit, and the segment closest to the free end is controlled by the least significant bit. The free end is connected to the cone of a speaker so that the acoustic signal resulting from the motion of the cone is related to the digital word. A buffer regulates the polarity of the voltages applied to each segment according to the sign bit in the word so that the beam deflects in either of two directions depending on the polarity of the digital word.

Abstract: A control circuit for the current in a pair of coils, which are utilized for generating a rotating magnetic field, supplies a sinusoidal current to each coil during the normal, operate mode and a maximum DC current to the coils whenever the operate mode is initiated or stopped. Each coil is a common element in the sinusoidal and DC current supplying circuits. A transistor switch, which is open during the operate mode, is connected in series with the coil in the circuit for the DC current and is connected in parallel with the coil in the circuit for the sinusoidal current through the coil. Since the switch is open and is connected in series in the circuit for the DC current no DC current flows through the coil during the operate mode. Whenever the operate mode is initiated or stopped, the transistor switch is closed so that both the sinusoidal and DC currents flow through the switch.

Abstract: An improved termination fixture for an electrodeless light source matches the complex impedance of an electrodeless lamp during excitation to the output impedance of a high frequency power source coupled to the fixture. The inner conductor of the fixture has a first and a second section. The dimensions of the first section are such as to produce an input impedance whose reactive impedance part is much smaller than the reactive impedance part of the lamp impedance. The dimensions of the second section are such as to match the input impedance to the source output impedance.

Abstract: A termination fixture for exciting an electrodeless lamp with high frequency power matches a capacitive complex impedance of the lamp in an excited state to the output impedance of the high frequency source coupled to the fixture. The fixture has a pair of coaxial conductors which have a length of one quarter wavelength and which have a ratio of diameters effective to match the real impedance of the lamp to the impedance of the source. A helical coil couples the end of the inner conductor to the lamp. The purpose of the coil is to make the impedance of the lamp, as viewed, electrically, from the end of the inner conductor appear as having only the real component. The quarter wave fixture then matches the real impedance to the source impedance.

Abstract: A TV channel selector assembly includes a keyboard having ten keys corresponding to the decimal numbers zero through nine, inclusive. The desired channel may be selected merely by activating the appropriately numbered keys, there being no other keys required to be activated to effect a channel change. After activation of the first key, which may be either a units digit channel or the tens digit of a two digit channel, a delay circuit defines a timed interval of about two seconds. Each keyboard output is encoded into a four digital word. A control device transfers the first digital word to a units channel input if a second key is not activated during the timed interval. If a second key is activated during the timed interval, the first digital word is transferred to a tens channel output, and the second digital word is transferred to the units channel output.

Abstract: A lamp holding fixture for exciting an electrodeless lamp by high frequency power has a switchable characteristic impedance for impedance matching the lamp to the power source during both the starting and operating modes. The fixture has an inner conductor and two outer conductors of different dimensions in cross section. During the starting mode the inner conductor and the larger diameter outer conductor form the power coupling conductors for the fixture thereby providing a high characteristic impedance for matching the lamp impedance to the source output impedance. After starting, the smaller diameter outer conductor may be moved along its longitudinal axis until it contacts the power coupling end of the larger diameter outer conductor so that the inner conductor and the smaller diameter outer conductors form the power coupling conductors during the operating mode.

Abstract: A termination fixture for use in an electrodeless light source has an input impedance which is matched to the output impedance of a high frequency power source, even though the lamp which forms the termination for the fixture has a complex impedance when the lamp is in an excited state. The fixture has a pair of coaxial conductors of at least a quarter wavelength, the conductors being coupled to the source at one end and to the lamp at the other end. The conductors are shaped to create an impedance which matches the real component of the lamp impedance to the source impedance. A capacitor is formed across the inner and outer conductors at the source coupled end to compensate for the series capacitive reactance part of the lamp impedance at the lamp coupled end of the conductors.

Abstract: An electrodeless lamp is excited in a termination fixture by high frequency power, the lamp being located within the fixture at the end of an inner conductor whose end is shaped such as to inhibit the arc of the lamp from attaching to the lamp envelope. In one embodiment, the inner conductor end is shaped as a hollow helical coil which generates an axial and azimuthal electric field component to create a torodial arc within the lamp. In another embodiment the inner conductor end is cup-shaped to provide a field shielding effect which distributes the field strength more uniformly across the end of the inner conductor.

Abstract: An electrodeless lamp is positioned at the end of an inner and outer conductor forming a termination fixture, the inner conductor being shaped such that the arc within the lamp during excitation is isolated from the wall of the lamp envelope. The inner conductor may be formed as a hollow helical element thereby providing both an axial and azimuthal electric field component. Alternatively, the inner conductor may be cup-shaped which has a shielding effect to control the electric field strength at the end of the conductor. The helical or cup element and other features of the inner conductor provide both arc shaping and impedance matching between the complex impedance of the lamp during operation and the output impedance of a high frequency power source which is coupled to the termination fixture.

Abstract: An improved scrambler and decoder for a television signal is described wherein a television carrier is inverted in phase and subjected to low frequency amplitude modulation to obtain enhanced channel security. The carrier amplitude modulation is obtained with a coding signal which is transmitted as a pilot signal in the form of frequency modulation of the carrier. The coding signal is recovered at the decoder with a phase lock network and used to regenerate an unscrambled carrier. The coding signal provides information for special functions such as subscriber access control, program selection and the like.

Abstract: An MOS circuit synchronizes an asynchronous input signal to first and second alternating clock pulses in an integrated circuit system employing clocked ratio logic. A bistable device, such as a flip-flop, has first and second complementary inputs for establishing the state of the device and an output reflecting the state of the device. An input circuit for the bistable device receives the asynchronous signal and applies the signal to the first complementary input and the inverted asynchronous signal to the second complementary input. In addition, the input circuit has gate logic, implemented with field effect transistors, which decouples the asynchronous input for all intervals of time except during the interval of the first clock pulse. An output circuit for the bistable device employs an inverter in series with a field effect transistor which is driven into condition only during the interval of the second clock pulse.

Abstract: An electron gun for use in a cathode-ray tube is provided with two control grids between the cathode and an accelerating electrode. The control grids are both provided with separate control voltages bearing the same intensity-modulation information for control of the electron beam from the cathode. The two control voltages are caused to vary, one according to a linear function of the variation of the other. When this linear function is caused to have a particular slope, the area of the cathode which emits the electron beam remains approximately constant over a wide range of control voltage.

Abstract: A magnetic field drive coil arrangement includes a hollow rectangular coil form having a pair of rectangular openings at opposite ends of the longitudinal axis of the form, a first coil wound around the coil form such that the turns of the coil in the central region of the coil form are parallel to the longitudinal axis and a second coil wound over the central portion of the first coil. The portion of the turns of the first coil which are between the access openings and the second coil curve away from the longitudinal axis of the coil form so as not to interfere with the access openings. The access openings facilitate the access to the cylindrical domain memories disposed within the coil form and the flow of a coolant through the form. Advantageous methods of fabricating the coil arrangement are described.