Abstract: A gun system comprising a recoiling cannon assembly, a stationary carriage having a cradle, and a campath and cam follower mechanism for moveably mounting the cannon assembly on the cradle for travel along a two-stage curvilinear recoil path. The first stage has a linear portion shaped to maintain prefiring orientation, and a curved portion with a decreasing radius of curvature in the direction of travel (i.e., recoil) to accelerate the cannon assembly upwards. The second stage, which may be straight or have a curved configuration different from that of the first stage, causes the cannon assembly's upward motion to be decelerated in a controlled manner. A recoil buffer assembly has deceleration characteristics matched in a predetermined relationship to the configuration of the curvilinear path, so that the instantaneous stabilizing moment of the reaction to the upward force of the recoiling cannon assembly and the moment of the static weight of the gun system.

Abstract: A magnetic drive device comprises a hollow cylindrical outer rotor, an inner rotor inserted in the outer rotor so as to proejct at least at one end thereof beyond an end of the outer rotor and supported rotatably relative to the outer rotor, two magnetic bearings arranged around the outer rotor and spaced apart axially thereof for holding the outer rotor radially thereof, a first magnetic coupling having a drive portion disposed around the outer rotor for transmitting a torque to the outer rotor, and a second magnetic coupling having a drive portion disposed around the inner rotor at a portion thereof projecting beyond the end of the outer rotor for transmitting a torque to the inner rotor.

Abstract: A semiconductor device for a tuner capable of simultaneously satisfying a low noise factor, low third order distortion characteristics and low power consumption, and a tuner using this semiconductor device for a tuner and capable of reducing the size and eliminating labor during assembly. The semiconductor device is a variable gain amplification circuit comprising a gate grounded circuit using a transistor, and a differential amplification circuit including transistors and constant current sources. Transistors are used as variable resistance devices, and the gain of the gate grounded circuit can be varied by changing the gate voltage of a transistor. The gain of the differential amplification circuit can be varied by changing the gate voltage of another transistor. The overall gain of the circuit can be varied within a necessary range by simultaneously operating these gain controls, and the third order distortion can be improved monotonously with the decrease of the gain.

Abstract: An image forming method for forming an image as an array of picture elements one line by one line includes the steps of detecting the content of the picture elements for every three consecutive picture elements included in each line, each set of the three consecutive picture elements being defined by an aimed picture element located at an end and carrying a content to be recorded, a second picture element located adjacent to the first picture element, and a third picture element located adjacent to the second picture element at a side away from the first picture element; recording a non-blank dot for the aimed picture element while setting the size of the recorded dot at a first predetermined size, when a first condition that the second picture element of the three consecutive picture elements represents a blank dot and a second condition that the third picture element represents a non-blank dot are met simultaneously; recording a non-blank dot for the aimed picture element while setting the size of the dot a

Abstract: In a printing control apparatus in a page printer for making prints based on print data supplied from an external unit page by page, when the page printer is in an idling state, the print data is directly converted into dot image information. When the page printer is not in the idling state, the print data is converted into descriptors while the prior page print is being formed, and the descriptors are converted into dot image information. A print is made based on the dot image information. The printing control apparatus further includes a first jam recovery block for recovering a print corresponding to a jammed paper in the page printer by using descriptors in a case where the descriptors have been stored in a page descriptor area of a memory, and a second jam recovery block for recovering a print corresponding to a jammed paper in the page printer by using dot image information which has been stored in a bit map area of the memory.

Abstract: A four-wheel steering apparatus comprising a front wheel steering device having a front-wheel steering bar movable for steering front wheels, and a rear-wheel steering device having a rear-wheel steering bar mechanically separated from the front-wheel steering device and movable for steering rear wheels. The latter device has a rear-wheel steering bar drive assembly for moving the rear-wheel steering bar, and a rear-wheel steering control system for controlling the drive assembly in accordance with the steering amount of the front wheels to thereby control the amount of movement of the rear-wheel steering bar and control the steering amount of the rear wheels. The rear-wheel steering device comprises a maximum steering amount regulating assembly having a variably regulating member capable of mechanically restricting the maximum amount of movement of the rear-wheel steering bar and adjusting the maximum amount of movement.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photodetection apparatus having such an arrangement that when signals from the light receiving means in the photodetection device are sampled at a frequency substantially equal to the lowest frequency at which the source of pulse rays is lighted on, one of the noise signal I.sub.nc due to the pulsed illumination as from the fluorescent lamp and the normal output signal I.sub.sc from the laser beam necessarily presents for each of the sampling periods. In the preferred forms, output signal values sampled in the number of cycles corresponding to at least three times the sampling period are compared with each other. If it is judged that one output signal is larger than the other two output signals which are substantially equal to each other, it is determined that the one output signal is a normal output signal I.sub.sc from the laser beam. The one output signal is then taken for the subsequent signal processing step.

Abstract: A device comprising a cylinder and a piston slidably fitted therein and having a metal piston ring attached to its outer periphery. The cylinder has a recess in each of a plurality of portions thereof dividing the inner periphery of the cylinder circumferentially thereof and opposed to the piston ring when the piston is brought close to each of its opposite stroke ends, the recess having a width smaller than the width of fit of the piston to the cylinder. The piston has a recess corresponding to the recess in the cylinder inner periphery and formed in each of a plurality of portions of the piston in the vicinity of the piston ring and diving the outer periphery of the piston circumferentially thereof. The cylinder has two oil chambers formed on the respective opposite sides of the piston and adapted to communicate with each other through the cylinder recess and the piston recess upon the piston being brought close to each stroke end.

Abstract: A joint structure is provided between a crankshaft rotated within a crankcase of an engine and a connecting rod an end of which is jointed to the crankshaft via a bearing and the other end of which is jointed to a piston reciprocated within a cylinder of the engine. The large end of the crankshaft is provided with an aperture for receiving the crankpin at the other periphery of the crankshaft. The bearing is positioned at the inner periphery of the aperture, and comprises a plurality of needle rollers made of a ceramic material having silicon nitride as one of the main ingredients. A cage is provided for positioning and retaining the plurality of needle rollers at equal intervals along its periphery. The bearing is lubricated by a lubricant contained within a gas mixture supplied to the engine. Since the needle rollers of the bearing are composed of a very hard, light, and heat-resistive material, the junction structure is more reliable and runs well under severe conditions over a longer period of time.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a control part for allowing real-time operations of a scanning unit and a recording unit, a binarizing part for generating signals indicative of binary data from input data, a preset data generating part for generating either a preset thinning width or a preset thickening width, a thinning circuit for carrying out a choking process in which the binary data is moved either in a main scanning direction or in a sub scanning direction and a portion of an original image is removed so as to obtain a choked image, a thickening circuit for carrying out a spreading process in which the binary data is moved either in the main scanning direction or in the sub scanning direction and an additional image portion is added to the original image so as to obtain a spread image, and an image composition part for generating a composite image of the choked image and the spread image so that a shadow is added to the original image.

Abstract: A method of extracting a feature from a line pattern comprising the steps of (a) extracting a thinned line from the line pattern, (b) finding one or a plurality of singular points which are formed on the thinned line, (c) decomposing each of the singular points into a plurality of vertices, (d) generating strokes due to the finding of pairs of the vertices, obtained by the step (c), which are regarded as identical to each other, (e) converting each of the strokes into a primitive sequence obtained by a concatenation of primitives, and (f) generating a binary relation between each two primitive sequences obtained by the step (e), so that the line pattern is featured by a combination of primitive sequences obtained by the step (e) and the binary relation between each of the primitive sequences.

Abstract: A tile template comprises first and second opposed arms and third and fourth opposed arms disposed at right angles to the first and second opposed arms, the first and second arms having substantially equal lengths; and the third arm having a length of approximately 1/2 inch and being relatively short in comparison to the first, second, and fourth arms. The first and second arms define a straight edge having a middle, wherein the third and fourth arms are disposed opposite each other at the middle of the straight edge. Each of the arms has a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portions all having a first width, the bottom portions all having a second width, and the first width being greater than the second width. The arms are of uniform, equal height, without projections or indentations; and each of the arms has substantially planar top and bottom surfaces, the top surfaces being coplanar with each other and the bottom surfaces being coplanar with each other.

Abstract: A boom includes a plurality of boom sections joined end to end. Each boom section includes two or more parallel inflatable chambers which are joined with a weighted curtain which is reinforced for strength. Boom sections are stored compactly on respective reels. A substantial number of reels are arranged compactly in the hold of a carrier vessel which is smaller in size and has greater speed and maneuverability than vessels carrying known oil spill containment systems. Boom sections are consecutively unwound from their respective reels and connected end-to-end as they are deployed to form a continuous boom. The boom sections unwind naturally from the reels as the carrier vessel moves through the water away from a tender vessel holding the first end of the boom. The boom's deployment is controlled by a brake on an idler roller and a hydraulic crane's drive wheel on the reel, thus limiting manual handling to lighter-weight tasks.

Abstract: The invention provides a circuit for electronic control of an internal combustion engines including injection valves that can be activated electrically as a function of regulated variables such as crankshaft position, engine speed, exhaust-gas composition and engine torque. The circuit includes an electronic control unit with means to activate the intake valves, exhaust valves, injection valves and ignition device as a function of ignition duration and ignition timing. The control unit also includes a start-up program with which ignition sequences of the engine cylinders, intake valves, injection valves and ignition device can be activated for any desired cylinder position of an engine-start-up process. The circuit further includes a program memory, an engine-standstill detection circuit, and an absolute-value angle transmitter to which the engine-standstill detection circuit is responsive.

Abstract: A digital copier for recording image data representative of a document image on a paper sheet by digitally processing the image data and capable of forming a blank area in a leading edge portion of the paper sheet to prevent the sheet from wrapping round a fixing roller. Digital image data representative of a document image is erased over a predetermined area in a subscanning direction, while the erasing area is variable depending on positive-negative reversal/non-reversal. The blanking control area is varied in response to the number of black pixels included in the image data and to conditions particular to a paper sheet used. Black pixels included in the digital data are counted in matching relation to the reversal/non-reversal, whereby a blank area in a leading edge portion of a paper sheet is controlled.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a multi-level character generates a plurality of outlines for one character. The outlines generated for the one character respectively correspond to mutually different levels of tone. By such outlines, the character can be described in three or more levels of tone.

Abstract: The operable wavelength band of a wide-band half-mirror is windened by inserting, between (1) a substrate having index of refraction n.sub.sub and (2) layers with indices of refraction (n.sub.H .multidot.n.sub.L).sup.2 of the known four-film type dielectric half mirror having a construction represented by n.sub.sub /(n.sub.H .multidot.n.sub.L).sup.2 /air; alternating layers of: (a) high refractive index dielectric substances n.sub.H1, n.sub.H2 . . . ; and (b) low refractive index dielectric substances n.sub.L1, n.sub.L2 . . . ; each film having a thickness of .lambda..sub.o /2. The alternating layers to be inserted have indices of refraction related as follows:n.sub.sub .ltoreq.n.sub.H1 .ltoreq.n.sub.H2 .ltoreq.. . . .ltoreq.n.sub.HN andn.sub.sub .gtoreq.n.sub.L1 .gtoreq.L.sub.L2 .gtoreq.. . . .gtoreq.n.sub.LNThe alternating layer structures according to one of the following formulas (1) or (2) are inserted between the substrate n.sub.sub and layers (n.sub.H .multidot.n.sub.L).sup.2.(2n.sub.H1 .multidot.2n.

Abstract: A kit of reusable paint masks for door hinges for use when painting a door and frame comprising two masks, one mask for protecting the door hinge butt plates and the other mask for protecting the pin cylinders. The door hinge butt plate mask is made of a flaccid material having spaced flexible magnetic elements for attachment to magnetically attractable door hinge butt plates by magnetic force. The magnetic elements enable the mask to be readily adjusted for proper registration without requiring removal and reapplication of the mask. A tab is also provided for removal of the mask after completion of the painting. The pin cylinder mask is made of a resilient material of U-shaped transverse cross section with the sides and back engaging the pin cylinder to cover it. Both masks can be manufactured in a variety of standard and specialty sizes.

Abstract: An alphanumeric color-coded filing system comprising a plurality of coded labels of different sizes having visually-perceptible characteristics corresponding the specific alphanumeric information and a folder having a front and back cover. The back cover has a unitary flap extending substantially the entire length thereof outwardly of the corresponding edge of the front cover, and the flap has a unitary tab extending outwardly therefrom along a portion of its length. The flap including the tab is marked with a plurality of placement guides corresponding in size to the front section of the labels. The placement guides on the tab are all the same size for guiding placement of labels of the same size. The tab defines a location for the placement of primary information, while the remaining portions of the flap defines locations for the placement of supplemental information.