Abstract: A captivation assembly for supporting and retaining a center contact of a coaxial connector includes a plurality of dielectric elements, preferably three, captured in concave seats in a contact support member which is located on the axis of the connector and to which the center contact is secured. These concave seats face radially outwardly on the contact support member and are uniformly angularly spaced about the axis of the connector. A retainer ring of generally hollow cylindrical configuration is included in the assembly of the outer conductive body of the connector. This retainer ring encircles the assembly of dielectric elements for retaining them in their respective seats in supporting and holding relationship. The captivation assembly desirably minimizes the amount of dielectric material while securely supporting and holding the center contact for resisting displacement of the center contact both radially and axially.

Abstract: An automatic window opening/closing system includes a motor for driving a window. In association with the window, a pressure responsive sensor (preferably, a pressure responsive sensor with a coaxial structure having uniform sensitivity to pressures in all directions) is provided. A detector circuit is coupled to the pressure responsive sensor and evaluates a rate of change of a pressure on the sensor, thereby detecting a squeezed object caught in a way of the window during an operation of the system. A motor control circuit is provided to control the motor in response to a squeezed object detection signal from the detector circuit in such a direction to release the object from the window. The motor control circuit detects an overload condition of the motor in accordance with a motor terminal voltage and deenergizes the motor to prevent the motor from generating heat. Therefore, this system achieves improved performance, high reliability and safety.

Abstract: A device for use in the mixing of fluids, e.g. the gasification of liquids, comprises an elongate member including an internal passage; and, mounted on the elongate member via radials arms, one or more venturi members each having a convergent-divergent duct whose axis is substantially tangential to the elongate member, and in which the neck of the duct has an opening in communication, via passages in the radial, with the internal passage. On rotation of the device, reduced pressure in the duct neck draws fluid down the shaft of the elongate member.

Abstract: A distributed digital telephone system is provided wherein a plurality of telephone consoles have instant access to a plurality of telephone lines wherein in all of the connections within such a system are non-blocking. The system architecture is that of a reverse ratio PBX in which the number of lines exceed the number of consoles and each handset has a reserved time slot on time division multiplex (TDM) highways for internal node or group connections. Accordingly, each handset is guaranteed access to idle lines within any given switching node. The distributed architecture is distinguished from central processing where all call processing is directed through a centralized point. In this decentralized system, all signal conditioning, protection, sensing and control are provided by the resource interface with the TDM highways. Resource data reporting is continually provided to all the resources connected to the system that require it.

Abstract: A transconductance generator including a cross-coupled quad circuit having first and second pairs of complementary transistors, wherein one of the first pair is in series with a complementary one of the second pair, and the other two transistors also are in series. Two input terminals are provided, one for each pair of cross-quad transistors. Two current mirrors are provided, one being coupled to a set of two NPN cross-quad transistors, and the other coupled to the two PNP cross-quad transistors. The cross-quad circuit and the current mirrors provide an output signal through a pair of output transistors. By connecting the output signal to the second input terminal, negative feedback is developed to provide a unity-gain buffer. A number of special compensating circuits are provided to assure minimum distortion effects in the output signal.

Abstract: A method of forming a composite material by providing a quantity of first particles of a binder material and a quantity of second particles of a primary material having a softening temperature substantially in excess of the softening temperature of the binder material. The first and second quantities of particles are combined into a substantially uniform mixture. The uniform mixture is heated in the absence of pressure or shear sufficient to convert the binder particles, to a temperature substantially above the softening point of the binder material but less than the softening temperature of the primary material. Thereafter, pressure and shear are applied to the heated mixture sufficient substantially immediately to convert at least a portion of the binder material particles into a substantially continuous webbing structure or force the formation of point-bonds.

Abstract: A setter for a water meter comprises a pair of L-shaped pipes which are positioned in reversed relationship with their horizontal legs connected between a water supply line and a water distribution line. The horizontal legs are clamped in side by side relationship to vary the distance between the vertical legs. Adjustment of the clamp permits the setter to accept meters of different size. All joints are threaded, thereby avoiding the use of solder and the consequent danger of lead contamination.

Abstract: Flowable molten plastic material is fed downwardly into an adjustable converging hopper mounted on a horizontal extruder barrel. This hopper is positioned around an opening feeding down into the barrel for guiding and deflecting a descending "rope" of plastic material into engagement with screw flights of a rotating feed screw extending along the axis of the extruder barrel. The hopper comprises a box-like structure open at top and bottom and having two opposed side walls which slope inwardly downwardly toward each other for providing a downwardly converging configuration with a pair of vertical parallel end walls interconnecting the side walls. A larger of the two sloping side walls extends downwardly farther than the other and is inclined to vertical at a large angle than the shorter side wall.

Abstract: The output of a high speed press or bindery is formed into stacks which are then combined into four stack "cubes". The cubes are handled as units and formed into tiers which can be loaded onto pellets. A pickup head for manipulating the cubes is carried by a transport device such as a gantry or robot arm. It has a top plate which is connected to the transport device. The top plate carries horizontal guide members from which depend four side panels. The side panels may be retracted to grasp the sides of the cube or extended to release the cube. Fingers mounted along the bottom edges of the side panels are designed to extend between the bottom sheets of the cube and the surface on which it sits. They can be locked into this position, permitting the cube to be lifted and transported by the pickup head. Also disclosed is a gantry-type transport device with a telescoping extender to which the pickup head is connected.

Abstract: An integrated-circuit (IC) chip having means to prevent or mitigate damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD) employing a thick dielectric coating of insulative oxide between the surface of the chip substrate and the metallization film used to make contact with regions of the substrate. At least a portion of this layer is formed at temperatures below 700.degree. C. The coating is sufficiently thick everywhere that its breakdown voltage is greater than the breakdown voltage of any junction in the substrate. This assures that the breakdown caused by ESD will always occur in the junction, which is self healing, rather than in the dielectric coating, where the damage could be permanent.

Abstract: A "mark read" document is prepared with a pattern of boxes within which marks may selectively be entered, together with printed characters for instructions or other informational purposes. The characters and boxes both are formed on the sheet with printing material having an optical spectrum capable of detection by the optical sensing device to be used for scanning the document. A template sheet then is prepared to present only the pattern of boxes as they appear on the original sheet, without any characters. This template sheet is passed through a computer-controlled optical scanner which examines the pattern of boxes and stores in the computer memory numbers representing coordinates identifying the location of each box.

Abstract: A comparator for use in an A/D converter such as an algorithmic type. The circuit includes a push-pull inverter gain stage having two series-connected MOSFETs. The input of this inverter is driven by a signal from a preceding current-comparison stage where an input current is compared to a reference current to set the signal level on an input node of the inverter. The trigger point of the inverter is altered by an additional MOSFET, connected in parallel with one of the inverter MOSFETs, and having its gate controlled by the output of a bias voltage control circuit. This circuit includes a control inverter stage matched to the comparator inverter and driven by a control current-comparison circuit matched to the corresponding comparator current-comparison circuit.

Abstract: A band-gap voltage reference forming part of a CMOS IC chip. A .DELTA.V.sub.BE voltage is developed by stacked pairs of parasitic bipolar transistors, with the transistors of each pair operated at different current densities. MOS buffer transistors are connected at corresponding ends of the stacks where the .DELTA.V.sub.BE voltage is developed. The bipolar transistors are driven by MOS current sources.

Abstract: A flat support is provided on which an open multiple page bound volume of printed material is adapted to be supported. First and second arms are positioned on opposite sides of the open volume on first and second elevated platforms which are mounted on opposite sides of the support. The first and second arms are pivotally mounted on the first and second platform which in one orientation of pivoted movement, the arms face each other when in position for holding a volume thereunder on a support. First and second magnets are mounted on the first and second arms to hold by magnetic attraction individual pages of a volume having magnetic material positioned thereon in magnetic alignment with the first and second magnets whereby individual pages may be read released and turned by the user while the volume is held in open position which turned pages are also held in position while the next succeeding page is magnetically held in position for reading.

Abstract: An electromagnetically-driven punch press has an electromagnetic drive thrust motor comprising a fan-cooled solenoid winding and movable armature mounted in elevated location for isolating the magnetic circuit from the tooling to avoid tool magnetization and isolating winding heat from tooling for stabilizing tool dimensions. Stroke length, "open" height and "shut" height are conveniently adjustable; and tool performance is optimized by adjusting armature-thrust versus travel. Four-way access to tooling enables convenient material feeding and handling, including multi-direction or multi-layer feed. Scrap pieces are freely downwardly ejected. Multiple electromagnetic drives are mountable side-by-side at the same elevation, or they are stackable at multiple levels for increased power or for tailoring force-versus-distance relative to materials being worked. Materials-handling and/or tool-handling robots or pneumatic actuators can be installed on an elevated platform.

Abstract: This high definition TV method and system are compatible with existing TV sets, existing TV broadcast channels and existing VCRS. Each standard-size picture element in a standard NTSC color television luminance signal is split into two ("Alternate Sampled Luminance" or "ASL") smaller high resolution (HR) picture elements. These two HR elements form a group, and are labeled `A` and `B` according to their relative positions in the group. Positive-going and negative-going pulses in a square-wave sampling control signal serve to control sampling for obtaining HR elements. HR elements having the same label are sampled in the same frame scanning period and then are used to represent the whole of each group in that frame. HR picture elements are sampled one label at a time and are transmitted in consecutive frames. Thus, all `A` HR elements are transmitted in Frame "A"; all `B` HR elements are transmitted in Frame "B". Frames "A" and "B" alternate with each other.

Abstract: A hand-operated cleaning system includes an ON/OFF control unit snap-on mountable onto a pressurized container having a valve stem for delivering cleaning liquid. This control unit includes an outer cap with resilient fingers adapted to snap-grip engage and mount the control unit onto a top rim of the container. An inner cap is mounted within the outer cap for ON/OFF helical turning movement so that turning the inner cap in the ON direction depresses the valve stem for releasing pressurized liquid from its container, and turning it in the OFF direction stops such release. A fluid passageway extends from the valve stem through the inner cap to a length of flexible tubing coupled to the inner cap and extending to a remotely-located, hand-held applicator wand. This applicator wand has a fluid passageway communicating with the flexible tubing for providing a path through the wand to its nozzle end. A valve is positioned in the wand for operation by a button actuator.

Abstract: Cryosurgery may be performed by a microinvasive technique employing a novel cryosurgical probe. It is very thin, very long, and highly flexible. These characteristics are achieved by a construction consisting of a tube within a tube with no intermediate supporting elements therebetween. The probe is capable of being passed through a blood vessel and into the heart without external guidance other than the blood vessel itself.

Abstract: A polypeptide-labeled analyte analog for use in an immunoassay is prepared which is capable of binding with a polypeptide partner to provide enzymatic activity such as a ribonuclease or .beta.-galactosidase activity. The polypeptide analog provides a highly sensitive, immunoassay method for determining the amount of an analyte in a sample containing a known analyte in an unknown concentration. To carry out an immunoassay, there is brought together in a medium a sample, the polypeptide-labeled analog of the analyte, an antibody specific for said analyte, a polypeptide partner capable of non-covalently binding with the polypeptide-labeled analyte analog to form a complex having catalytic activity, and a substrate capable of being converted to a reporter molecule by the catalytic activity of said complex.