Abstract: An improved sliding feed mechanism having a worm gear is disclosed can prevent a locking state from occurring between the worm and the worm wheel. The sliding feed mechanism includes a motor having a rotational shaft with an output end, a worm fixedly mounted to the rotational shaft and formed with a left-hand thread, a worm wheel which meshes with the worm, a driven member which is adapted to slidably move according to the rotation of the worm wheel. In this connection, the lead angle of the worm wheel is set so as to be larger than the lead angle of the worm, and the motor is mounted so that the output end of the rotational shaft is upwardly tilted so as to provide a proper engagement between the worm and the worm wheel having said lead angle.

Abstract: An assembly for mailing an article requiring delivery by a special service and a method and system for imaging the same are provided. The assembly includes a generic mailing label having a back side adhesively and detachably affixed to a backing sheet. The label may be imaged with all of the information necessary to serve as one of many types of special service mailing labels. Removal of the label from the associated backing sheet allows the label to be permanently affixed to a mailpiece. Upon delivery of the mailpiece, a return receipt postcard portion of the label may be removed and forwarded to the sender of the mailpiece as a return receipt. A method and system for the automatic imaging of such mailing label are also provided wherein the sender of the mailpiece may obtain a special service mailing label from a vending-type machine upon providing all of the required information for the desired special mailing service.

Abstract: A special service mailpiece having an integral document section and a method for forming the mailpiece requiring special services are provided. The mailpiece has an integral document section requiring special service mailing and includes a sheet folded into a section along a fold line then sealed to close the integral document section. The sheet further has a removably attached section which, after the system is folded and sealed, forms a return postcard and at least one form. The return postcard and the form are integrally formed, but removably attached, such that the return postcard remains attached to the mailpiece until received by the addressee at which time it may be removed.

Abstract: A system for mailing an article requiring special services and a method for forming a mailpiece having an interior for carrying an article requiring special services are provided. The system includes an integrally formed envelope and form constructed from a single sheet and folded and sealed in such a way that one portion of the assembly provides an envelope and the other portion provides a return postcard for attachment to the envelope in its aeembled position. The parts are integrally formed, but removably attached, such that the return postcard remains attached to the envelope until received by the addressee upon which the return postcard may be removed.

Abstract: An apparatus, a system and a method for creating motion are provided. The apparatus includes a base and a frame connected by legs with a rod extending from the base towards the frame. Cylinders, preferably pneumatic, connect to the rod to the frame. Air or fluid to the cylinders may be controlled in a programmable manner to create motion to the rod and, hence, to the base. Another connecting element is provided between the base and one of the legs which may also include a cylinder creating an additional degree of freedom and motion to the apparatus.

Abstract: An MHD generator system is provided to perform efficient MHD generation by efficiently converting heat enargy into kinetic energy of an electricity conducting liquid or liquid metal. Thermal flow flux is controlled by providing heat pipes having the functions of thermal switches between a high temperature heat source and an MHD generator, and between a low temperature heat source and the MHD generator, and by turning on and off the thermal switches, thereby causing the fluid in the MHD generator expand and contract. Electricity is generated by the movement of the electricity conducting liquid or liquid metal in the MHD gerator.

Abstract: A sleeve is provided for attachment to a device to provide added comfort when gripping the device. The sleeve is constructed from a rubberized silicone and is extruded in its manufacture. The sleeve is formed with a substantially uniform outer diameter dimension and an inner diameter that varies between a first smaller diameter and a larger diameter. The diameters of the inside of the sleeve alternate around a periphery of the sleeve forming fingers. As a result, pressure applied to the exterior of the sleeve forms the sleeve to give or release, hence providing additional gripping comfort.

Abstract: A method of writing servo data onto a high density flexible magnetic disk (7) using a servo writer is disclosed. This method comprises the steps of providing surface rippling prevention means on both sides of the magnetic disk, respectively; rotating the flexible magnetic disk at a rotation speed of 2000 rpm or higher with a spindle motor (3); and writing the servo data onto the flexible magnetic disk with magnetic heads (4). The surface rippling prevention means include soft sheet members (8a, 8b) which are arranged in close proximity to both surfaces of the flexible disk (7) in order to prevent surface rippling of the flexible disk (7) from being caused, thereby improving the accuracy of writing servo data.

Abstract: A computer system comprises a computer main body including a main board on which various components such as a CPU and the like are mounted and a hard disc unit; a read-only optical disc drive provided in the computer main body; a write-only optical disc drive which is constructed separately from the read-only optical disc drive, the write-only optical disc drive being provided in the computer main body; and a bus for connecting the main board, the hard disc unit, the read-only optical disc drive, and the write-only disc drive with each other, in which the hard disc unit, the write-only optical disc drive and the read-only optical disc drive are connected by means of a cascade connection.

Abstract: A disc drive is provided with an optical pick-up for reading data recorded in a program area of an optical disc; and a photo-interrupter for optically reading out bar information of a bar code which is arranged in an arc shape within at least a part of an annular bar code area provided on the optical disc between the program area and a clamping area of the optical disk so as to be readable from either side of the top and underside surfaces of the optical disk, wherein the photo-interrupter is located on the opposite side of the optical disc relative to the optical pick-up when the optical disc is loaded in the disc drive to read the information of the bar code from that position. Preferably, the photo-interrupter is provided on a clamper support which is provided for supporting a disc clamper for holding the optical disc between the disc clamper and a turntable for rotating the optical disc. This arrangement makes it easy to provide the photo-interrupter for reading the bar code.

Abstract: A disc drive includes a disc drive main body having a playback or recording/playback mechanism of a disc and a disc tray which is constructed to support the disc thereon and is movable with respect to the disc drive main body between a disc eject position and a disc loaded position; and a motor provided in the disc drive main body for moving the disc tray, wherein the moving speed of the disc tray is variable by changing the number of rotations of the motor. The motor is driven by rectangular pulses from the motor driver, in which the number of rotations of the motor is varied by changing the on/off widths of the rectangular pulses so that the moving speed of the disc tray is reduced in a stepwise manner over the period from the start to the stop of the disc tray movement.

Abstract: An assembly for mailing an article requiring delivery by a special service and a method for using the same are provided. The assembly includes a plurality of generic mailing labels having back sides adhesively and detachably affixed to a single backing sheet. Each label may be imaged with all of the information necessary to serve as one of many types of special service mailing labels. Removal of a label from the associated backing sheet allows the label to be permanently affixed to a mailpiece. Upon delivery of the mailpiece, a return receipt postcard portion of the label may be removed and forwarded to the sender of the mailpiece as a return receipt.

Abstract: An apparatus for reading an identification indication such as a bar code provided on an optical disk is provided. The bar code is provided in at least a part of an annular-shaped bar code area formed between a program area and a clamping area of the optical disc, and the bar code represents predetermined information and has a reading end representation at the rear portion of the bar code in the rotational direction of the optical disc. The apparatus comprises a detector for optically acquiring the information of the bar code and a discriminating section for discriminating based on the output from the detector as to whether the bar code is accurately read.

Abstract: A system and a method are provided for automatically loading and unloading pallets holding a workpiece for machining of the workpiece within a machining area. The pallets are loaded into the machining area by transfer of a pallet from the staging area to a machining area. Rails which maintain the pallets within each area are aligned. An arm having pins at each end engages passageways associated with the pallets and the machining area, respectively. As a result, the pallet may be transferred from the staging area to the machining area and back as the arm translates within the passageways.

Abstract: A hand held toothbrush with multiple levels of bristles on a rotary pad. When the user manually pushes the brush, there is a force created which propels the bristles to catch the irregular surface of the teeth, gaps, and pockets, causing the rotary pad to turn. The bristle's pattern is designed specially to improve the rotary pad to circular more effectively. The advantage of this invention is that even though the user operates the toothbrush in left and right movement, the bristles on rotary pad, converts left and right motion into circular motion.

Abstract: A disc drive includes a drive mechanism 60 having an operative gear 65 rotated by a motor. The operative gear 65 carries out a first operation which moves a disc tray between a disc loading position and a disc eject position with a cam mechanism being held at the first position, when the operative gear is engaged with a first rack of the disc tray, and the operative gear carries out a second operation which displaces the cam mechanism between the first position and the second position when the operative gear is engaged with the second rack, thereby displacing a mechanism unit 42 provided with a turntable between a raised position and a lowered position. By constructing in this way, it is possible to provide a disc drive which has a simple structure formed form a small number of parts and which can be assembled with fewer steps.

Abstract: An assembly for mailing an article requiring delivery by a special service and a method and system for imaging the same are provided. The assembly includes a generic mailing label having a back side adhesively and detachably affixed to a backing sheet. The label may be imaged with all of the information necessary to serve as one of many types of special service mailing labels. The label also includes a return address portion which, after being imprinted with a return address on a front side, may be folded over and affixed to a back side of a return receipt postcard portion of the label. Removal of the label from the associated backing sheet allows the label to be permanently affixed to a mailpiece. Upon delivery of the mailpiece, the return receipt postcard portion of the label may be removed and forwarded to the sender of the mailpiece as a return receipt.

Abstract: An energy conversion device has a self-oscillating transistorized L-C series-resonant half-bridge inverter circuit having alternating resonant inductor current and adapted to deliver a high frequency signal to an effective load coupled effectively in parallel with the capacitor. The device includes a DC voltage supply able to provide DC voltage between the DC terminals; an artificial load arrangement connected to the DC terminals and operable to effectively couple itself in parallel with the capacitor; a load-coupling transformer; and a saturable feedback transformer operable to sense the alternating resonant inductor current and to control and adjust the frequency of the oscillation in proportion to the effective load applied effectively in parallel with the capacitor.

Abstract: A beverage brewing machine, a method for brewing a beverage preparation material and a beverage brewing envelope are provided. The beverage brewing machine has an upper brewing chamber adapted to receive hot water and a beverage preparation material and having an open lower end. A cylinder with an upper end normally in registration with the open lower end of the upper brewing chamber is further provided. An envelope enclosing a packet is provided wherein the packet encloses the beverage preparation material. The customer may remove the packet from the envelope and place it on a carrier plate which automatically moves into brewing position and then is discarded by the customer, or, in a different execution, the carrier plate receives the envelope and extracts the packet including the beverage preparation material from the envelope and places the packet over the cylinder.