Abstract: A reverse osmosis water purification system has a feed water line and outlets for reject and product water. Instead of wasting the reject water by allowing it to flow to a drain, the reject water is returned to the water feed line downstream of the reverse osmosis system so that is can be used for other purposes. A section of the water feed line has a flow restrictor which estabishes a dynamic pressure drop. Feed water for the reverse osmosis system is taken off the feed line upstream of the restrictor and reject water is returned downstream of the restrictor, thereby reducing the water wastage due to the reverse osmosis process.

Abstract: Electro-optic probes which are adapted to be placed in the fringe field from electrical signals propagating on conductors (which may be conductors of an integrated circuit) and which modulate optical pulses passing therethrough, for example by modulating the polarization of the light in accordance with the Pockels effect, utilize thin bodies of electro-optic material, such as a single crystal of GaAs in a manner to reduce physical damage to the probe and to the circuit and to precisely locate the probe in the field of the signal being measured, such as adjacent to the conductor of interest. The electro-optic material that is used may also be implanted with high energy ions of low Z materials (e.g.

Abstract: Continuous web material, particularly perforated paper from a roll is dispensed by a system installed, for example, in a computer printer. The system utilizes a roller which is fixed in a frame. The roll of paper has a central opening. The roll is supported on a shaft of diameter smaller than the diameter of the opening. The roll rests on the roller and is supported so that it can pivot and move up and down toward and away from the roller. This support is provided by slots in walls of the frame between which the roll is located and which receive the opposite ends of the shaft and guide the shaft. When the paper is pulled (unwound) from the roll, as by tractors when the paper is edge perforated, the roll climbs along the periphery of the cylindrical roller. The pivotal movement is limited by the walls of the slot and the shaft. When the pull on the paper stops, the roll falls down along the periphery of the roller and rotates in the opposite direction from that in which the paper is pulled from the roll (i.e.

Abstract: Chuck mechanisms quickly connect and enable quick disconnection of an impeller shaft of a mixer from the drive shaft of the motor unit. A spindle has a keyway which enables a key, either a detent key which is movable in the keyway or a key which is provided by pins extending from the shaft, to be aligned in locking position where the key transfers the thrust from the spindle to the shaft or an unlocked position where the shaft is rotated out of the locking position and may be removed from the spindle. The key is retained in locking position by an outer sleeve or collar having a slot which enables the key to move away from the shaft when the shaft is rotated to the unlocked position. When the collar is rotated to move the slot away from the key, the key is locked against outward movement.

Abstract: The gas outlet of a pipe or other sparging device is encompassed by a cover or cap which is located between the gas outlet and the mixing impeller at the bottom of a vessel. The cap is closed at the top and has a side wall so that the gas bubbles disperse around the lower rim of the wall. The wall may be non-symmetric, such as square in cross section, so as to be at different radial positions with respect to the gas outlet. The gas bubbles, even if released in pulses are distributed spatially and in time. The lower rim is preferable serrated (as a saw tooth edge) with the teeth being of different height, thereby further spreading the distribution of the bubbles as they are dispersed. The overlap or distance between the rim and the gas outlet is such that a sufficient quantity of gas is confined around the outlet to damp pressure pulsations when the pressure of the gas at the outlet does not significantly exceed the hydrostatic pressure at the outlet into the liquid.

Abstract: A harvester especially adapted for removing ears of sweet corn from stalks which are severed and enter the harvester, rather than being ejected by the snapping rolls of a primary ear stripping mechanism of the harvester, uses stalk engaging belts which bring the severed stalks into stalk ejecting rolls. Ahead of the rolls are stripping rods which engage the ears at their shanks and peel the ears off the stalks as the stalks are pulled outwardly out of the harvester by the ejecting rolls.

Abstract: A transimpedance receiver for broad band optical signals, such as carry multichannel CATV signals or broad band data over an optical fiber which may vary in length (e.g. from 2 km to 20 km) such that the optical power at a photodetector of the receiver may vary widely depending upon where the receiver, and is installed in the fiber optic distribution system utilizes a broad band device, preferably a GASFET, the internal capacitance and gain of which enables amplification over the broad band frequency range without oscillation.

Abstract: A three element reverse osmosis filter cartridge assembly has a pre-filter section for solid particles, a reverse osmosis membrane filter section which produces product water and waste water from feed water circulated thereto via the pre-filter section, and a post-filter section for filtering the product water. These sections are disposed in coaxial, concentric relationship. The pre-filter section forms a replaceable outside sheath which is slideable onto and off the membrane section. The post-filter section is a tubular body containing carbon or other particles which is removably disposed in a central opening inside the membrane section. The membrane section has a support ring defining one end of the cartridge assembly which is disposed in sealing relationship with a ring which holds filter media layers of the pre-filter section. The pre-filter section has another ring at the end thereof opposite to said first ring and defines the opposite end of said pre-filter section.

Abstract: Holders for flat objects such as computer disks which can provide pages of a book which carries such objects, instruction for their use and etc. Each page is made of a single sheet of foldable material, preferably spunbonded olefin (such material being available from DuPont under their tradename "Tyvek"). The sheets are cut into the shape of rectangular center panels with bottom and side flaps extended therefrom; the side flaps extending from opposite side edges of the center panel and being off-set from each other. Since a single sheet is used it may be printed with visible indicia (e.g., the name of the manufacturer of and the computer program on the disks), prior to cutting, by conventional printing techniques in one pass through the press. The cut sheets (blanks) can then be manipulated in envelope manufacturing equipment which scores, applies adhesive lines and folds the flaps to provide a plurality of partially overlapping pockets, disposed one above the other.

Abstract: A tractor for feeding perforated paper forms as in a printer, to and around a platen where a print head impresses characters or other symbols on the paper. The tractor has an endless belt with pins engageable in the paper before, during and after engagement with a drive sprocket which drives the belt in such a manner that the load on the paper is polarized to one side of the drive sprocket, preferably the side between the drive sprocket and the platen.

Abstract: A reverse osmosis water purification system produces product water in response to pressurized feed water from a water supply line. The unit also produces waste or drain water. The purified product water is supplied to a reservoir wherein the pressure of the water increases when the reservoir becomes filled or when waste water is used to pressurized the product water and enable it to be withdrawn at a tap or faucet.

Abstract: In order to detect the presence and make measurements of the dimensions of web which travels along a path, for example film, such as X-ray film and equipment which develops such film, a linear array of light emitting devices (e.g. LEDs) is disposed opposite to an array of corresponding photodetectors to define a gap through which the web travels. The web is scanned by sequentially applying pulses of electrical power to the emitting devices. Output signals are provided from each photodetector representing the presence of the web. In order that the brightness is sufficient to detect the presence of low density (semi-opaque) webs and to maintain uniformity of brightness of illumination from emitter to emitter, the current to the emitters is computer controlled by means of a control system which responds to the signals from the photodetectors and increments or decrements the current from an initially preset level during selected scans, for example on scans which occur every 15 seconds.

Abstract: A binocular opthalmometer has rotatable imaging optics which provide an image of a referencing element (mire) to a binocular viewing assembly. The viewing assembly is held stable (horizontal) by referencing it to a fixed support or stand in which the rotatable optics are journaled. The referencing mechanism is provided by a shaft mounted for rotation about an axis radially spaced from the axis of rotation of the imaging optics and which is rotatably coupled at one end to the stationary support and at the other end to the viewing assembly.

Abstract: Bow can be minimized by an auxiliary grating in the post deflection path of a diffracted beam from the hologon which is disposed in non-parallel relationship to the plane of rotation of the hologon. The ellipticity of the spot which generates the scan line and intensity variation in the scan beam can be minimized by using a dispersive element, preferably a prism, between the hologon and the bow compensation grating with its dispersion in a direction opposite to the direction of the dispersion of the hologon and of the auxiliary grating.Another grating before the hologon can be used to correct for wavelength shift induced cross-scan error associated with the dispersion in the hologon and a bow compensation grating following the hologon.

Abstract: An improved lid for a forms feed tractor, which feeds successive interconnected sheets of paper having edge perforations (feedholes), the sheets having forms printed thereon or being blank, in printers, copiers and the like is provided with an improved lid mechanism having an extension outboard of the tractor and over the form. A transparent or translucent window section in this extension is provided with markings which are seen when the lid is pivoted down and closed so as to capture the form. Then the form can be moved so that the edge of each sheet or certain markings on the form are in proper alignment in the printer or copier. Then when printing occurs or when copying onto the form occurs, the printing will be located in line with other material on the form or properly spaced from the top edge of each sheet.

Abstract: Equipment for use in CATV lines and a system for distribution of CATV signals and for power to operate CATV line equipment having active devices which require power is described. The system distributes CATV signals to subscribers who have ordered different levels of service (basic service without premium channels or different groups of premium channels). Housings are located in proximity to the premises of both actual subscribers and potential subscribers, and have like covers which contain tapping electronics (a directional coupler, line equalizers and power bypassing circuit). The cover has ports at opposite ends and an additional port at one end. The tapping electronics is located on a seizure board having seizure blocks spaced from each other along one edge of the board. The seizure board is rotatable ninety degrees (90.degree.

Abstract: In order to control the intensity of a laser beam so that its intensity varies uniformly and provides uniform illumination of a target, such as a laser fusion target, a broad bandwidth laser pulse is spectrally dispersed spatially so that the frequency components thereof are spread apart. A disperser (grating) provides an output beam which varies spatially in wavelength in at least one direction transverse to the direction of propagation of the beam. Temporal spread (time delay) across the beam is corrected by using a phase delay device (a time delay compensation echelon). The dispersed beam may be amplified with laser amplifiers and frequency converted (doubled, tripled or quadrupled in frequency) with nonlinear optical elements (birefringent crystals). The spectral variation across the beam is compensated by varying the angle of incidence on one of the crystals with respect to the crystal optical axis utilizing a lens which diverges the beam.

Abstract: An improved lid mechanism for a web feed devices such as tractors for feeding perforated paper webs in printers, copiers and the like, wherein pins on which the lid is pivotally mounted for movement between open and closed position are unloaded (do not have any force or bias applied thereto) when the lid is in its open and closed position. The lid, when closed, covers the paper and is then spaced by a gap from the surface of a frame along which the paper is fed by a pin drive such as a belt having pins which extend into perforations of the paper. A depending leg of the lid has a block with surfaces disposed at an angled to each other. These surfaces extend from a corner of the block. One of these surfaces is preferably perpendicular to the surface of the lid which defines the gap. The other of these surfaces defines the position of the lid in its open position.

Abstract: A frame for canvas or other cloth is made up of rectilinear sections assembled to form a predetermined polygonal shape having rectilinear sections of channel members (10, 12, 14) having several sides. Each channel member have at least one longitudinal groove (20) along one of the sides thereof. The groove receives the edge of a cloth (28) mounted to the frame. An elonagted tensioner (26) extends around the entire frame and is held securely in the groove (20); the latter being provided with a narrow slit (24).

Abstract: A scrubber which dries and removes contaminants from a fluid stream (a gas-liquid stream) using as a media, particulate material which can be char obtained from a gasifier, the scrubber system processing the gas and cooling liquid combined with the gas which is obtained by reactions in the gasifier. The media is fed in a continuous stream forming a downward moving column in counterflow relationship with the gas. The gas flows upward thru the particulate media and is dried and cleaned as it contacts the media. The flow relationship is such that the cleanest and dryest media and the cleanest gas contact each other. The column of media continues downward entering a liquid scrubbing section where it is disposed below the level of the liquid. There the contaminated liquid stream, passes through the media in counterflow relationship being cleaned as it contacts the media. Both the gas and liquid components of the stream are scrubbed prior to discharge of the spent media.