Abstract: A turning machine is characterized by a new and improved control and mechanism for positioning the turning tool on the head. A CNC control issues command signals for selectively positioning the tool on the head. These signals are developed from an encoder which provides the instantaneous position of the rotating part being turned and from a program in the CNC containing information about the part. A closed loop control system receives these command signals and converts same into a control current for a linear motor which is the prime mover controlling the positioning of the tool on the head. The linear motor operates a carriage on the head and the cutting tool mounts on the carriage opposite the connection of the linear motor to the carriage. The carriage is a hollow bar guided on the head by sets of rollers which are cooperatively arranged to provide yieldably forceful constraint of the bar.

Abstract: A driver circuit for an electrical load device such as an indicator lamp includes the capability to both drive the lamp and to respond to a fault condition in the lamp to disable its energization. The circuit is adapted for control by a single I/O terminal of a programmable logic device. The I/O terminal being of the type having an internal architecture that causes the terminal to be pulled up to a logic high state when unloaded, and pulled down to a logic low state by either external loading or the closure of an internal; program-controlled switch forming part of a low-impedence path to ground. A processor-implemented test routine can be used to monitor the I/O terminal voltage and close the internal switch when the driver circuit responds to a shorted condition.

Abstract: In an apparatus for xerographically printing a composite record based on first and second complementary sources of information. The first source of information is imaged onto a photoconductive drum to form a first electrostatic image thereof. The second source of information may be derived from a central processing unit in signal form. The signals received from the CPU are used to modulate the output beam of a scanning laser. The modulated laser output beam is directed to a stylus belt positioned in close surface proximity to the photoconductive drum bearing the first electrostatic image. The stylus belt includes an electrcially conductive layer and a photoconductive layer, and is responsive to the incident laser energy to translate it into a corresponding charge pattern. This charge pattern is overlaid on the first electrostatic image to form a composite electrostatic image. The composite image is then developed and transferred onto a record medium in a conventional manner.

Abstract: An ink jet printer having a piezoelectric capillary injector-type droplet generator. The droplet generator includes an integral body having formed within it a single chamber that receives and holds ink under capillary action. A nozzle defined by one or more continuous apertures is formed in the body in communication with the chamber. A piezoelectric crystal actuates a flexural diaphragm that forms one wall of the chamber. The flexing of the diaphragm creates pressure perturbations that force the flow of ink through the nozzle for droplet generation. Also provided are means for damping oscillations of the piezoelectric crystal to prevent unwanted secondary generation of droplets.

Abstract: A document sorting system includes a concatenation of document receiving modules, each module having a plurality of pockets and being distinguishable from another module only by its position in the concatenation. A coding circuit is included in each module to generate a unique identifying code for each of the plurality of pockets in the module. The identifying code has a first binary portion based on the position of the module in the concatenation, and a second portion based on the position of the pocket in the module.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for xerographically printing a composite record based on first and second complementary sources of information. The first source of information is imaged onto a photoconductive medium having the property of persistent conductivity to form a conductive image representative thereof. The conductive image is then transferred onto a second photoconductive medium in the form of a latent electrostatic image. The second, complementary source of information is imaged onto the second photoconductive medium, preferably by a scanning laser, as an overlay on the image of the first source. The composite electrostatic image so formed is then developed by the application of toner material and transferred onto a record medium.

Abstract: A keyboard switch is actuated by the depression of a magnetized plunger into the region of a magnetic sensing device positioned at the lower extreme of plunger travel. The plunger is integrally formed of a plastic, magnetizable material and has a central, longitudinal opening that receives and registers with the sensor. The change in magnetic field intensity associated with plunger travel is detected by the sensor and translated into a signal representative of switch actuation.

Abstract: A pressure-sensitive pen for use in a signature verification system is responsive to the handwriting pressure applied by the pen user to develop a signal representative of the pressure. In the preferred form, the pen comprises a cylindrical barrel that houses a ball-point pen cartridge encased within a rigid tubular member. The tubular member is secured by a flange to the lower end of the barrel, and is closed at its upper end. The pressure of the cartridge writing tip on the writing surface causes the upper end of the cartridge to bear against the closed end of the tubular member and cause strain therein. The strain in the tubular member is sensed and translated into a signal representative of the user's handwriting pressure.

Abstract: A beam-of-light (BOL) sensor having means for regulating the intensity of the sensor light source to compensate for extraneous factors in its operating environment, e.g., dust accumulation, component aging, misalignment, etc., that may affect consistent sensor operation. The BOL sensor includes a photosensor whose output signal is compared against a reference signal to determine if the light source intensity is of the proper level. The comparison signal is used to gate clock pulses to a counter to adjust its stored count upward or downward, dependent on whether the light source intensity is low or high, respectively. A filter is provided to override interruptions in the photosensor output signal below a predetermined minimum time duration.

Abstract: A beam-of-light (BOL) sensor having means for regulating the intensity of the sensor light source to compensate for extraneous factors in the operating environment, e.g. dust accumulation, that may affect consistent sensor operation. The BOL sensor includes a photosensor whose output signal is compared against a reference signal to determine if the light source intensity is of the proper level. The comparison signal is transformed into a digital pulse that adjusts the stored count of a counter upward or downward in accordance with the comparison of the photosensor signal and reference signal. The adjusted count is converted to analog form and fed back to drive the light source.A trailing edge detector enables the counter to count up or down when an object is in the sensing station defined by the light source and photosensor.

Abstract: In a magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) system, a document bearing magnetizable ink characters is transported past a write station for magnetization preparatory to reading the characters. Each of the ink characters is divided into a plurality of discrete vertical segments; each segment being individually magnetized by a write head in the write station. The velocity at which the document is transported is sensed and time-correlated to the magnetization of each discrete segment to avoid irregularly spaced magnetization due to non-uniformities in transport velocity.

Abstract: A document photography system photographs the obverse and reverse faces of a moving document by tracking the document with a moving lens. The motion of the lens is in timed relation to the velocity of the document and in dimensional relation to the reduction of the lens. The lens is supported in a flexural mounting which allows the lens to be displaced upon the application of motive power. Motive power is provided by a rotational motor which has its output translated to rectilinear motion by mechanical linkage. The motor output is fed back by an optical tachometer to a phase-locked servo system to maintain uniform, linear lens motion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying a character which cannot be machine read so that an operator may observe the identified character and make the necessary correction. A document such as a bank check or the like which has a field of encoded characters thereon is moved along a transport path to a read station. When the read station is unable to identify a character, a "can't read" or reject signal is generated and this reject signal can be used to locate the identified character which cannot be machine read for later use. The document then proceeds to a marker station and when the reject character is properly positioned with respect to the printing station, a single wire dot printer mechanism is used to place a mark or dot above or below the character which could not be machine read or in some other suitable location which will positively identify the character which could not be machine read.

Abstract: A signal conditioning system for improving the analog signal-to-noise ratio. The system first filters (to reduce the extrinsic noise outside the bandpass), then squares (to reduce the intrinsic noise inside the bandpass), finally transforms the improved analog signal into a digital-like signal (using a threshold circuit) to interface with associated control logic in an ink jet droplet apparatus.

Abstract: A plunger actuated, electrical switch uses a lost motion mechanism to prevent the switch from making and breaking contact more than once for each plunger depression. The plunger drives a contact element from a rest position to a contact position where electrical communication between two terminals is established and remains established until the plunger has retreated a fixed amount through a range of lost motion, whereupon it re-engages the contact element and drives it toward the rest position, breaking electrical communication between the terminals.

Abstract: A tubular fastening system for holding a plurality of members together with a predictable holding force, including a tubular eyelet of ductile but non-work hardening material pressed into a non-circular aperture formed in a rigid support plate. The predictable holding force of the tubular fastening system remains substantially constant upon attaining a predetermined radial pressure on the tubular eyelet at a significantly finite plurality of contact areas defined by the non-circular aperture in the support plate over a wide range of interference between the non-circular aperture and the tubular eyelet.

Abstract: A serial printer is provided with a multi-position flexible membrane printing element with columns and rows of print characters disposed coplanarly in spaced apart relationship therein, the flexible printing element being differentially positionable along an X and a Y axis to bring selected print characters into printing alignment with an actuatable hammer, the differential positioning of the printing element being effectuated by a rotatable crank and quadrilateral linkage means in association with a pair of position sectors and a pair of spur gears coupled to the quadrilateral linkage, the pair of position sectors being variably positionable by a first and second plurality of actuatable sector limit stops.

Abstract: A document encoding system transmits an incoming document at a high transport speed. When the document is received at an encoding station it is first stopped and registered and then retransmitted for encoding at a relatively low speed, the exact value being dependent on whether MICR or OCR encoding is used. After characters are encoded on the document the trailing edge is detected and the document is caused to accelerate to the high transport speed where it is transmitted for further processing.In a second alternative embodiment, information relating to character field positions is used to transmit the document at the relatively low speed when encoding and at a heightened speed when otherwise in the encoding station but not encoding.In a third alternative embodiment, the document is received by the encoding station on the fly at the high transport speed. It is advanced at that speed until decelerated to the relatively low speed at the first encoding position.

Abstract: In a character recognition system, an improved adaptive information signal discriminator for detecting an information signal when it varies over a wide range and/or when the background noise varies over a wide range. The discriminator is able to adaptively follow the widely varying background noise level by averaging the response time of the discriminator. The discrimination of a widely varying information signal is had by summing a portion of the information signal with the supra background averaged level. The discrimination may be repeated to develop the required sensitivities as required to accurately process the data.

Abstract: An improved system for determining the optimal phase time to charge a liquid stream emitted from a jet as it evolves in form from a continuum to a separatuum of droplets wherein the optimal time for achieving the desired level of charge on a given droplet may be had by applying the charge immediately prior to break-off of droplets. A particular use of the system is in an ink jet droplet apparatus having a controlled liquid stream of ink that is separated into droplets by a sonic transducer and then charged by a pair of charging plates in a dynamically controlled manner at an optimal phase time as correctably tested by the system for subsequent static deflection of the charged droplets to a desired portion of a document to form printed characters.