Abstract: A vehicle security siren that includes a rechargeable back-up battery and an electronic circuit that minimizes current drain from the vehicle's battery by controlling the rate at which the siren's back-up battery is charged by the vehicle's battery. The circuit charges the siren's battery at a relatively high rate when the vehicle engine is running or the ignition is on, and by a low charging rate at other times. This multi-level charging rate preserves the vehicle's battery charge particularly if the vehicle is not driven for any extended time period. The circuit includes a back-up battery condition detector that issues a warning signal in the event of failure of the back-up battery. The circuit also limits the maximum siren duration in the event that either the vehicle's battery or the security system is disconnected from the siren.

Abstract: A system and method for optimizing drill coordinates in a multi-layer printed circuit board, to correct for interlayer shift during lamination. A set of test patterns, in the form of a cross formed by two orthogonal conductor lines, are defined at each corner of each layer in the same nominal location. Under ideal conditions, the test patterns of the layers in each corner are lined up one above the other, without any offset. A counter sinking tool is used to cut a conical bore in the location of the test patterns, so that every test pattern cross is interrupted in four places, generating a four segment pattern in each layer. A high resolution camera is placed above the countersunk bore to form a single image of the exposed segment edges of all the test patterns exposed by the bore. The image is analyzed to determine the amount of shift of each layer. If all patterns are perfectly concentric, all crosses are perfectly aligned.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a metal wood club head. The head is fabricated in two half-sections, each formed by a casting technique. The two half-sections are subsequently joined by welding together facing edges of the respective half-sections along a parting line. The parting line extends through the highest point in the head crown, generally parallel to the face region and behind the hose. The placement of the parting line permits the use of simple one-piece mold cores, since there are no negative angles within the half-section elements to prevent such a core from being removed. The method is low cost, and provides a high strength club head, with the weld joint located away from club stress points.

Abstract: A golf driver club having a face which is smooth and free of grooves or other indentations at the ball-impacting surface. The club includes a hollow metal club body with the ball-impacting surface formed from a rigid, non-resilient metal. The ball-impacting surface is highly polished to obtain the smoothness. The golf driver club tends to result in drives wherein the ball does not spin, providing improved accuracy and drive distance.

Abstract: A vehicle security system having a secure valet/programming switch. To either enter the system valet mode, or select a function via the valet/programming switch, the user must first enter a valid personal access code via the switch. To prevent an intruder from deciphering the personal code by trying various codes, the system ignores, after a preset number of successive invalid entries, further switch inputs for a preset period of time. When attempts to decipher the code are detected, the alarm is tripped, and the siren will sound. To accommodate various drivers of the same vehicle, more than one valid code can be stored in the system. Any of the personal access codes may be changed any time, but after the user's present code is entered.

Abstract: An improved golf club wherein the surface of the face of the club is substantially flat, which is achieved by surfacing (milling) the club face, and wherein the edges of scoring lines (grooves) are made relatively sharp as a result of the surfacing operation. The sharp groove edges (and milling lines) of the present invention produce enhanced backspin and reduced sidespin when a golf ball is struck, which results in a relatively straight golf ball flight path, notwithstanding a glancing club impact angle. In addition, milling lines that may be formed on the club face are generally parallel to the scoring lines and hence enhance the club characteristics. The present invention also provides for methods of making a golf club that has the above features, including forging and casting methods. In either method, a club is processed to produce generally smooth and finished features with scoring lines formed in the face of the club.

Abstract: A display system for display of MRI, ultrasonic, patient vital sign or other imagery within a magnet room of an MRI system. An MRI compatible video display is disposed with the magnet room, and is connected to the MRI image processor to provide MRI images to medical personnel working in the magnet room. The display can be an MRI compatible LCD projection display, a wired LCD screen display, a reflective LCD screen display or a plasma display. The display within the magnet room is made MRI compatible by appropriate shielding and filtering. The display may also display patient vital sign data or imagery from an MRI compatible ultrasound apparatus.

Abstract: A golf club having a metal club head with a faceplate insert made of a high strength, lightweight metal material such as titanium. The weight savings resulting from the lighter, stronger titanium permits mass to be distributed to improve the moment of inertia of the club head. Both iron and metal wood clubs having the titanium faceplate insert are described.

Abstract: A metal wood golf club head with a hollow body shell of a first lightweight material and a sole plate of a second material having a higher specific weight density than the first material. The sole plate is attached to the shell without welding, fasteners or force-fitting. The center of gravity of the head is lowered, and other weight distributions can be achieved by alternate sole plate configurations, such as heel, toe or rear weighting. The head is fabricated by a process which includes the steps of providing the sole plate of the second material, disposing a core adjacent the interior surface of the sole plate, disposing an exterior mold about the core so that the exterior mold, the core and sole plate collectively define a mold cavity in the form of the body shell, filling the cavity with the second material in a fluid state, and permitting the second material to solidify. Upon solidification, the second material locks onto the sole plate, fixing the sole plate in position.

Abstract: A cold form flaring tool that includes first and second mandrel tips each having the shape of a half conical frustum that includes a base with a base radius and a narrow end with a radius that is less than the base radius. The first and second mandrel tips together form a conical frustum when in a closed position and are insertable in a tubing end when in the closed position. The first and second mandrel tips are expanded outwardly away from each other by pivotally interconnected levers which support the mandrel tips in such a manner that the respective narrow ends of the mandrel tips move outwardly at a greater rate than their respective bases, which retains the mandrel tips in the tubing end while being expanded.

Abstract: Apparatus for cleaning foreign particles from the surface of sheets of material, such as printed circuit boards during fabrication processing. Two pairs of sheet cleaning rollers are located along the sheet path, and the sheet is passed through the nips between the pairs of rollers. The rollers have a surface tack sufficient to transfer the foreign particles from the surfaces of the sheet to the cleaning roller surfaces. Upper and lower roller cleaning rolls having surfaces of even greater surface tack are arranged in tangential contact with respective ones of the sheet cleaning rollers. The surfaces of the roller cleaning rolls have even greater surface tack, sufficient to transfer the foreign particles from the sheet cleaning rollers to the cleaning roll surfaces. An adjustable preload force is applied to each roller cleaning roll to urge each roll against the sheet cleaning roller surfaces.

Abstract: A write equalization circuit that includes a data encoder for producing a binary data signal wherein a 1 is represented by a transition at the start of a bit interval and a 0 is represented by no transition at the start of a bit interval, and a nominal pulse generating circuit for producing nominal equalization pulses respectively synchronized with predetermined 0's in the binary signal. Adjusting circuitry responsive to the binary data signal and the nominal equalization pulses produces a write data signal that includes equalization pulses having a width and location in bit intervals that remain substantially constant with changes in component delays due to changing temperature and voltage, wherein the constant width and location of the equalization pulses are selected to achieve a predetermined suppression characteristic.

Abstract: A double-bladed ice and snow scraper positions the handle so that considerable scraping force can be comfortably applied. The two blades are separated and present a stable platform so that more scraping force can be applied safely and comfortably.

Abstract: An optical alignment system for aligning a multiple gap tape head assembly of a tape drive, including a cartridge plate insertable in a tape drive and having a first surface mirror that is parallel to a reference plane for the drive when the plate is inserted in the drive, a microscope objective imaging lens for providing images of the head gaps of the tape head assembly, a video camera and display for providing an operator viewable display of the output of the imaging lens, translation apparatus for moving the imaging lens, and an interferometer cooperating with the first surface mirror for maintaining the imaging lens at a constant distance relative to the first surface mirror as the translation apparatus moves the imaging lens from one head gap to another, such that the imaging lens moves in a plane parallel to the reference plane for the drive.

Abstract: A write equalization circuit that includes a data encoder for producing a binary data signal wherein a 1 is represented by a transition at the start of a bit interval and a 0 is represented by no transition at the start of a bit interval, an equalization timing generator for generating a start signal indicative of the initial edges of equalization pulses for predetermined 0's in the binary data signal, and a multiple stage delay delay circuit having logic gates implemented in an integrated circuit and responsive to the start signal and a control word for providing equalization pulses of a substantially constant width, wherein the number of stages employed for delay is determined by the control word.

Abstract: A portable spray apparatus including a bottle reservoir for holding fluid, a manually actuatable pump secured to the bottle reservoir, and an elongated fluid conveying tube having one end connected to the output of the pump and being in the form of a flexible loop section and an elongated output section, wherein the loop section is between the pump output and the output section. The output section of the tube is supported by an arm assembly that is pivotally supported by a support rack which allows the support arm to be positioned at different angular positions.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the performance of a DAT drive and a method for self-cleaning the tape heads of a DAT drive pursuant to the occurrence of an error that could not be corrected by re-reads or re-writes. The monitoring method includes the steps of (a) reading a tape, (b) determining for each of successive groups of frames respective A track and B track reference error counts representative of the A track and B track C1 error counts in each group of frames, each group having the same number of frames, and (c) providing a warning signal indicative of degraded performance if (i) either the A track reference counts for a predetermined number of consecutive frame groups exceed a predetermined threshold or the B track reference counts for a predetermined number of consecutive frame groups exceed a predetermined threshold, or (ii) if both the A track and B track reference counts for the predetermined number of consecutive frame groups exceed the predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A vegetable peeler that includes an oval shaped housing having a bottom and an open top, a concavely curved surface formed in the bottom of the oval shaped housing, a slot formed in the concavely curved surface and aligned with the length of the housing, a blade secured inside the housing and projecting through the slot with a curved cutting edge of the blade outside the slot and generally conforming to the curvature of the portion of the concavely curved surface adjacent thereto, and a cover engageable over the open top of the housing.

Abstract: A wind-powered mole control device, including a propeller driven shaft on which a clapper is eccentrically loosely mounted. A metal rod extends adjacent the clapper and shaft, and is in communication with the ground. As the shaft is turned by the wind, the clapper strikes the rod end, and rides over the rod end. The striking of the rod and the clapper creates a metallic noise which is repeated as the shaft is turned in the wind, and tends to repel moles.

Abstract: A computer storage DAT drive which detects the form of a DAT tape and provides an audio signal output in response to an audio DAT tape. The drive rewinds the tape and then plays the tape at a speed that is about 5 to 15 times normal playback speed. During such playback, the tape length is determined and the subcode information is read to determine the format of the tape being played back. If the subcode tape format information reliably indicates the presence of an audio tape, the speed of playback is reduced to normal playback, and audio data interface circuitry is enabled for processing the audio data and providing an audio output signal to a front panel audio jack, for example. If the tape is not recognized as an audio tape within the playback of a predetermined length of tape, playback speed is reduced to normal playback speed and reading of the subcode information continues.