Abstract: An improved dilation catheter for use in the conduct of transluminal angioplasty techniques whereby measurements may be taken to determine patency during the course of the procedure. The catheter comprises an elongated tubular member having an inelastic expander member proximate its distal end. The expander is adapted to be inflated and deflated through the introduction of a suitable fluid into the lumen of the tubular member. Disposed on either side of the expander member are sets of electrodes, preferably ring electrodes. Associated with each such electrode is a conductor which runs the length of the catheter from an associated ring electrode to the proximal end of the catheter where such conductors are connected to circuitry for performing impedance plethysmography.

Abstract: In a packaging machine of the type in which a "tin-tie" strip is affixed to a bag to allow repeated reclosures of the bag, a machine for cutting a continuous strip of tin-tie material into predetermined lengths and feeding the cut lengths into a bonding station where they are adhesively bonded to the bag proximate its top opening. The machine comprises a frame supporting a pair of electromagnetic clutches, one for selectively coupling a continuously driven shaft to an output shaft to which a tin-tie strip feedwheel is attached and the other for selectively coupling a continuously driven shaft to an output shaft to which a rotary cutting head is secured. Passage of a bag past a sensor triggers the two clutches which function to withdraw a predetermined length of tin-tie material from a supply reel and to sever the strip while feeding the cut length to the bonding station at the same speed as the bag is moving.

Abstract: A photo-optic transducer assembly comprising a frame constructed to surround the peripheral edges of a ceramic hybrid circuit card such that a radiation source and a radiation responsive element coupled to said hybrid circuit card are appropriately aligned with a photo-optic light pipe assembly, also supported by said frame, the light pipe element leading to a location where sensing is to occur. The hybrid circuit card contains active and passive components (including one or more integrated circuit chips) on it for processing signals indicative of conditions being irradiated by a source of radiant energy.

Abstract: An article of manufacture for use in orthodontic procedures, comprising an extruded plastic rod reinforced with a stainless steel wire core. The article is found to exhibit substantially greater flexibility and resiliency than a stainless steel wire of the same outside diameter.

Abstract: A V-belt continuously variable transmission in which a V-belt is made to run on a drive pulley having a speed responsive mechanism and a driven pulley having a torque responsive mechanism. The torque responsive mechanism of the driven pulley includes a spring cap slidably mounted on a sleeve to which a fixed pulley half or sheave is affixed. The spring cap has a plurality of studs passing through openings formed through the fixed pulley sheave and connected to a movable pulley sheave slidingly mounted on the sleeve. Formed on opposed faces of the fixed pulley sheave and the spring cap are plural arcuate ramps, each including grooves into which balls are inserted to provide rolling contact and reduced friction between the opposed ramps.

Abstract: An artificial log fireplace utilizing non-combustible logs retained in a preselected array on a support frame and a liquid fuel supply system within said support for delivering fuel to be burned adjacent the non-combustible logs. The log support frame includes an enclosed liquid fuel reservoir adjacent the rear thereof, along with first and second elongated open top fuel burning chambers. The fuel burning chambers are arranged in spaced-apart axial relationship, and each are disposed forwardly of the liquid fuel reservoir. An open top tray with upstanding walls extends across the entire bottom surface of the support frame. Wicking means are provided within the confines of each fuel burning chamber, and valve means are arranged along the conduit which is provided to deliver a fuel flow path between the fuel reservoir and the fuel burning chambers, with a hand-operated valve being arranged to interrupt the flow of fuel from the reservoir to the fuel burning chambers.

Abstract: An off-the-road recreational vehicle is described which has at least one steerable front wheel, two driving rear wheels, an engine unit mounted in the vicinity of the center of the vehicle frame for transmitting power from the engine's shaft to the rear driving wheels through a transmission mechanism and a rider's seat arranged above and rearward of the engine unit. To convert the recreational vehicle to a work vehicle, a hydraulic pressure generating mechanism, including a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic fluid reservoir provided with the pump being driven by the engine's shaft at a point upstream of the vehicle's transmission. A manually-operable hydraulic pump clutch is interposed between the engine's shaft and the hydraulic pump for selectively engaging and disengaging the pump from the engine. A quick-disconnect coupler mechanism is disposed along the length of a hydraulic line which is used to connect the hydraulic pump to a working hydraulic accessory detachably secured to the vehicle's frame.

Abstract: A hand-fed data-card reader compatible with cards of different widths and having a selectively actuable perforator for conveying cards past a reader head and for selectively cancelling desired cards via the perforation thereof. Cards are conveyed via a belt/pulley drive train that is operably coupled to a spiked perforator that engages each card at a preset one of two pressures so as to selectively convey the card with or without embossing the surface in a chadless fashion and whereby cancellation is achieved. Data media of differing widths are accommodated via an adjustable, lower, spring loaded guide assembly.

Abstract: Detector apparatus adaptably mountable about the external surface of steam pipes and condensate pipes, and wherein the apparatus includes a curved temperature sensitive bi-metallic element fixedly mounted at one end and with the opposed end being free to flex. A push arm is mounted at the free end of the bi-metallic element in engagement with a temperature indicating element for indicating a temperature either within or outside of a range of desired maximums and minimums, utilizing calibrated reference in the form of a rotatable dial. The surface temperature of the steam or condensate pipe being monitored is determined. The apparatus is provided with mounting member or system capable of use in combination with cylindrical surfaces within a range of diameters.

Abstract: A wrapping machine which includes a film former for shaping a continuous film of packaging material into a continuous tube, a film drive for drawing the continuous film of packaging material past the former and past a cutting and sealing station, a product infeed drive for feeding products to be packaged through the former into the continuous tube of packaging material so that the products are spaced apart from one another in the tube, and a motor-driven rotary cut/seal head at the cutting and sealing station for cutting and sealing the continuous tube of packaging material as each product moves through that station. The wrapping machine also includes independent closed-loop servo-control circuits for the film drive, the product infeed drive, and the cut/seal head drive, each of which is responsive to a desired velocity control signal.

Abstract: An adaptive electronic control system in which a machine control parameter is oscillated (dithered) back and forth on either side of a given setting of such machine control parameter, with the period of the dithering being in synchronism with the natural cycle of the machine, whereby the changes in the control system's error signal due to normal speed changes of the machine itself are minimized or eliminated. When applied to a spark ignition of a gasoline engine or the injection timing on a diesel engine, the timing is advanced and retarded in synchronism with the rotation of the engine's shaft such that each phase of the dither cycle includes an equal number of complete engine cycles. The effect on engine speed occasioned by the dithering of the machine control parameter is then computed and an error signal is produced which is used to further adjust the parameter control setting in a direction to optimize performance of the machine.

Abstract: A thermally conductive electrically insulative laminate for use as chassis barriers in combination with solid-state electronic devices, the laminate comprising at least three layers and including a pair of outer layers disposed on opposite sides of a center layer. The center layer comprises a film of a polyimide (amide) filled with a quantity of either aluminum oxide or boron nitride particulate solids and included in an amount ranging from between about 10% to about 50% by volume. The outer layers consist essentially of silicone base rubber, and are preferably filled with a quantity of aluminum oxide or boron nitride particulate solids in an amount ranging from between about 25% and 50% by volume.

Abstract: This invention relates to the field of sound control equipment, and particularly to an acoustical panel for absorbing sound generated by equipment in a sterile environment such as a clean room, kitchen, food processing plant or drug manufacturing facility. The acoustical panel is comprised of an inner core made of loosely woven fibrous material, at least one middle layer on at least one side of the inner core which enhances durability without significantly reducing the sound absorption characteristics of the inner core; edge support means; and an outer layer fabricated of a durable plastic material capable of being heat shrunk.

Abstract: A flange connector for joining forced air duct sections together, consisting of angle bar members attached to the end edges of the duct sections, the cross-section of the angle bars feature parallel and perpendicular flanges that run parallel and perpendicular to the respective enclosing wall of the duct. The angle bar members are connected with corner fittings which feature two pin-like lugs situated perpendicular to each other.

Abstract: A system for handling and sorting floppy disk-type data, storage media. A stack of diskettes to be sorted is positioned proximate a diskette reader having a floppy disk drive contained therein. A picker mechanism is disposed beneath the stack and operates to repeatedly remove the lowermost disk from the stack and to feed it via a reversible pinch-roller conveyor first to the drive mechanism in the reader where information is read and then to one of a plurality of sorter bins located serially downstream from the reader via the same conveyor, the particular sorter bin being determined by the information read from the floppy disk.

Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle which is constructed to include a pair of steerable right and left front skis suspended from a front portion of a frame. Further included are a pair of right drive wheels and a pair of left drive wheels which are suspended from a rear portion of said frame and adapted to be driven by said engine. Each of the drive wheels has a wide, low-pressure tire. The front ski and rearwardly located driving wheels on each side of the frame are aligned longitudinally to achieve a base having substantially uniform width from front to back.

Abstract: A high mass speaker enclosure having a speaker mounted to a front escutcheon plate and below which a multi-gated balanced acoustical transmission yoke is mounted and whereby a portion of the enclosure's interior air pressure is relieved so as to augment the speaker sound, especially at frequencies below 60 hertz. Enclosure resonance is minimized via the use of a high mass enclosure and the filing thereof with a fiberglass material around the speaker and a Dacron filler around the transmission yoke, while front mounted polyester mats preload the speaker and transmission yoke. Speaker resonance, lost sounds and/or extraneous speaker induced sounds are thereby avoided.

Abstract: Horizontally and vertically actuable apparatus for loading/unloading workpieces from a work station. The workpiece holder is contained on a driven workpiece holding tower having in one embodiment a laterally floating bearing coupled to an endless drive assembly whereby up/down motion is imparted relative to a controlled rotary motion in one direction. Horizontal motion is controlled via a driven endless notched belt and associated magnetic transducing and counting apparatus for determining relative horizontal position. Alternative embodiments of a driven pivoting roller arm and a driven lead screw are also disclosed for imparting respective vertical and horizontal motion.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for aligning the rolling plane of each of the wheels of a car, truck, trailer or other wheeled vehicle to factory specifications and to be parallel to the thrust line of the rearmost wheels. The apparatus comprises various embodiments of an adjustable stationary reference "halo", mountable in concentric relation about a vehicle or trailer, and relative to which individual gauge assemblies mounted to each of the wheels detects each wheel's toe condition and permits the determination of the vehicle or trailer thrust line and the correction of the rear suspension thereto. Wheel mountable caster, camber and king-pin inclination/strut angle detecting assemblies, in turn, permit the detection of each of these respective conditions for each wheel and the correction of each condition in relation to the established thrust line.

Abstract: An improved double-acting fluid cylinder with primary and secondary chambers of tandem construction, wherein the primary chamber is utilized to provide ram motion in a first direction and wherein the tandemly arranged secondary chamber is provided with a single biasing spring means to resiliently bias the secondary piston and to buffer and control the rate of motion induced in the ram, and also to drive the ram in a direction opposite the stroke of the first direction and at a time subsequent to the stroke so as to temper the ultimate amplitude or extent of motion induced in the ram in response to forces applied within the primary chamber.