Abstract: A special interconnect circuit which connects adjacent configurable logic elements (CLEs) in a configurable logic array (CLA) without using the general interconnect structure of the CLA. In one embodiment, an array of CLEs is arranged in rows and columns and a special vertical lead circuit is provided which connects an output lead of a given CLE in a given column to a selected input lead of the CLE above it and below in the same column. Special horizontal lead circuits are provided which connect a given output lead of a given CLE to a selected adjacent input lead of the CLE in the same row.

Abstract: A method for curing athlete's foot includes a step of carrying out an irradiation of a laser beam having the energy density of 2 Joules/cm.sup.2 for a time period of 10 milliseconds or less to the affected part of a patient's foot.

Abstract: A self-aligned split gate single transistor memory cell structure is formed by a process which self aligns the drain region to one edge of a floating gate. The portion of the channel underneath the floating gate is accurately defined by using one edge of the floating gate to align the drain region. The control gate formed over the floating gate controls the portion of the channel region between the floating gate and the source to provide split gate operation. The source region is formed sufficiently far from the floating gate so that the channel length between the source region and the closest edge of the floating gate is controlled by the control gate but does not have to be accurately defined.

Abstract: A ladder attachment is provided for holding a ladder on a sloping roof. Sharp, pointed members or claws are attached to the ladder which, in operation, protrude from the ladder in a direction facing the roof. The sharp, pointed members pierce into the roof a selected distance at a selected angle and hold the ladder on the roof without sliding. Multiple non-skid surfaces are also provided on the rungs of the ladder for supporting the user.

Abstract: A rolling-contact bearing assembly includes an inner guide member having a U-shaped cross section, an outer guide member having a U-shaped cross section and arranged to substantially enclose the inner guide member as oriented in the same direction in a piggyback fashion, and rolling members interposed between the inner and outer guide members to allow a relative motion therebetween. Such a piggyback arrangement is advantageous in enhancing the structural integrity of the assembly and making the assembly smaller in size.

Abstract: A linear motion rolling contact bearing assembly includes a U-shaped rail of thin steel plate, a U-shaped table of thin steel plate which straddles the rail, a plurality of rolling members interposed between the rail and the table and a retainer for retaining the rolling members in position. Each side wall of the rail is provided with a curved section having oppositely extending slopes on which a pair of upper and lower inner guide surfaces are defined. Each side wall of the table is also provided with a curved surface having a pair of upper and lower outer guide surfaces which are located opposite to the pair of inner guide surfaces of the rail. A first plurality of rolling members are provided as interposed between the upper inner and outer guide surfaces and a second plurality of rolling members are provided as interposed between the lower inner and outer guide surfaces.

Abstract: A linear motion ball bearing structure provided between a slider and a straight track rail for allowing the slider to move along a straight line of movement defined by the track rail is provided. The present linear motion ball bearing structure includes an endless travelling path in the slider and which includes a load path section, a return path section and a pair of connection path sections each connecting the corresponding ends of the load and return path sections, thereby defining a closed loop. Thus, the balls provided in the endless path roll from the load path section into the return path section through one of the connection path sections and then back into the load path section through the other of the connection path sections as the slider moves along the rail in one direction.

Abstract: A cross roller bearing includes an inner ring, an outer ring and a plurality of generally cylindrically shaped rollers placed in a channel defined between the inner and outer rings as being alternately crossed with any two adjacent rollers having their axes of rotation directed perpendicular to each other. Both of the inner and outer rings are unitary in structure. In one form of the invention, the outer ring is provided with a radial hole extending therethrough radially, through which the rollers may be inserted in the channel defined between the inner and outer rings. An insert is also provided to be fixedly fitted into the radial hole so as to close the radial hole after insertion of the rollers into the channel.

Abstract: A series biasing arrangement for a pair of junction field effect transistors (JFETs), which may be used in RF amplifiers, mixers or oscillators, comprises connecting the JFETs together in series, with the gates of the two JFETs selectively connected to different reference potentials. The first FET is also connected to the DC voltage source. In one embodiment of the invention, two operational amplifiers, whose output leads are connected to the gates of corresponding JFETs have their noninverting input leads connected to selected points on a voltage divider made up of three resistors and their inverting input leads each connected to the source of a corresponding JFET. The drain to source voltage drops across the JFETs are controlled solely by the values of two of the resistors in the three resistor voltage divider. The bias current through the series-connected JFETs can be controlled independently of the drain to source voltage drops across each of the JFETs. The two FETs need not be closely matched.

Abstract: A flexibly suspended gyroscope apparatus comprises a fixed body (100), a rotary drive shaft (200) supported in said body, and a flywheel (220) mounted on said drive shaft by a rotary joint (222). The joint serves to retain the flywheel radially and to transmit rotary drive thereto, while leaving said flywheel free to oscillate with two degrees of freedom about a central position in which the axis of the flywheel is aligned with the axis of the drive shaft. The flywheel is also free for axial translation with one degree of freedom. Axial support means (101, 102, 103, 104) are provided for applying an axial force to the flywheel by electrostatic or electromagnetic induction, and axial position detector means are provided for detecting the axial position of the flywheel, said support means being servo controlled by said detector means to maintain the flywheel in a predetermined axial position.

Abstract: A second photoelectric element or cell (P2) is mounted in series with a first photoelectric element or cell (P1) of the prior art and in parallel with a portion of a voltage divider of which said first element is a part to shunt out a portion of the divider in response to light from a light load turned on by the operation of said first element incident to an increase in impedance thereof due to ambient darkness. Addition of the second photoelectric cell results in hysteresis of the turn-on/turn-off operating points of the first cell to prevent flicker to the light which is present at or near dusk in lights controlled by the prior art circuits. Mechanically, one cell (P1) is mounted on the side of a collar (21) surrounding the neck of a light bulb (13) outside direct light rays from the filament (23) while cell (P2) is mounted on the collar top in the direct path of light rays from the filament.

Abstract: A power supply uses first and second saturable reactor means connected to receive complementary first and second input voltages. The first saturable reactor means is disconnected from the first input voltage when the second saturable reactor means is connected to the second input voltage and vice versa. The power supply includes structure for sensing a variation in the power supply output voltage from a desired value and for producing a control signal in response thereto. A signal representative of volt-seconds, generated in a feedback path, is passed through both first and second saturable reactor means to adjust the flux in the particular saturable reactor means not connected to its input signal. This sets the initial flux in that saturable reactor means the next time it is connected to its input voltage. A change in the power to be supplied by the power supply causes a change in the time necessary to saturate each of the two saturable reactors.

Abstract: A ball-circulated ball bearing assembly for infinite linear motion includes a track or guide rail extending straight and provided with a pair of guide grooves and a table sub-assembly which is provided with a pair of endless circulating paths, along each of which a plurality of balls are moved in circulation, thereby allowing the table sub-assembly to move along the guide rail however long it may be. In the preferred embodiment, the table sub-assembly includes a table, a three-part block member defining part of the endless circulating path, a retainer for retaining the block member to the table and a plurality of balls located in the endless circulating path. The retainer is preferably comprised of a shaped plate having a generally U-shaped cross section and having a pair of inwardly curved top edges which come into engagement with the table when assembled to keep the entire table sub-assembly resiliently integrated.

Abstract: A sensor timer is provided for automatically turning on and off a lamp or alternatively for allowing the lamp to be manually turned on and off using the switch normally associated with the lamp. The sensor timer automatically senses the arrival of nighttime despite seasonal variations in the actual time of nightfall and automatically turns on the lamp a first selected time period after nightfall. The lamp is then automatically turned off a second selected time period after the lamp has been turned on or alternatively is turned on and off randomly during the second selected time period. The sensor timer can also dim the lamp. The sensor timer converts from automatic mode to manual mode in response to the turning on of the lamp through its manual switch thereby to allow the lamp to be controlled directly by the manually operated lamp switch. To convert the sensor timer from manual mode to automatic mode the lamp switch is turned on, off and on in rapid succession.

Abstract: A touch tablet is provided containing two sheets of insulating material each of which contains a plurality of spaced apart conductive lines. A resistive strip on each sheet contacts and connects electrically one end of each of the plurality of conductive lines on that sheet. Each resistive strip functions as a potentiometer. Mounted between the two sheets and spaced apart therefrom is a conductive middle sheet. The first and second sheets are mounted such that the first and second sets of a plurality of conductive lines on these sheets are orthogonal to each other. A user presses on one of the two sheets to bring all three sheets into contact. The impedence of each potentiometer is a function of the contact point. The potentiometer is used as part of an RC circuit to provide a variable time constant representative of the coordinate of the contact point.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring the inclination of the wheels of an automobile is provided. In accordance with one form of the present invention, there is provided a toe angle detecting device including a pair of detector plates which are normally spaced apart from each other to allow the corresponding wheel of the automobile to be located therebetween and which are pressed against the wheel from both sides when activated to determine the inclination of the wheel with respect to the longitudinal center line of the vehicle, i.e., toe angle of the wheel. In another aspect, a particular link mechanism is provided to interconnect four support members on which the four wheels of the automobile are placed, and the link mechanism is structured to determine the direction of the longitudinal center line of the automobile with respect to the reference line of the link mechanism.

Abstract: A system for synchronizing the operation between a filling unit for filling desired contents into bottles and a capping unit for capping the thus filled bottles in a bottle handling line is provided. The present synchronized driving system includes separate driving motors for separately driving the filling and capping units. The timing of operation of each of the filling and capping units is detected and its information is supplied to a micro-computer which then, after carrying out predetermined calculations, controls the operating conditions of the driving motors to keep the filling and capping units synchronized.

Abstract: A self-contained remote control unit for use on electronic equipment processing on audio output such as home entertainment equipment (i.e. a television receiver, whether black and white or color, an AM radio, an FM radio, an AM/FM radio, or an audio magnetic tape player) comprises an externally mounted remote control receiver which connects to the home entertainment equipment through the earphone connector of said equipment and thereby disables the speakers of said equipment. The remote control receiver unit includes its own speaker which replaces the disabled internal speaker of the equipment to be controlled, a programmable audio power amplifier for driving its speaker, and an on/off triac which supplies AC power to the equipment to be controlled when said equipment's AC power cable is connected to an AC receptacle on the receiver. A battery-operated, hand-held, hand-operated remote control transmitter is used to send wireless information to the remote control receiver.

Abstract: A freeze protection system allows the working fluid contained in the communicating tubes of the solar collector to drain from both the input and output tubes of the collector when a first predetermined temperature of the working fluid is detected and to fill the collector via both the input and output tubes when a second predetermined temperature is detected. The invention includes valve mechanism, of the spool valve variety, that communicate the working fluid to be heated to the collector and therefrom to a storage tank, a valve actuator and a sensor.

Abstract: A head parts assembly for use in a two-wheeled vehicle such as a bicycle and a motorbike includes a head pipe, a front fork pipe which extends through the head pipe and a pair of ball bearings to support the head pipe and the front fork pipe to be relatively rotatable from each other. The present head parts assembly also includes a self-adjusting mechanism which allows to maintain the head pipe and the front fork pipe in alignment at all times.